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A Sauk Village nail salon allegedly burned a man so badly during a pedicure his leg was later amputated and his injuries caused or contributed to his death, according to court records.
According to a wrongful death lawsuit filed in Cook County court Thursday by the man’s wife, Darryl Carr went to AZ Happy Nails for a pedicure in November 2013. His feet were soaked in a hot water and chemical solution, followed by a hot wax solution, the lawsuit states.
The suit alleges AZ Happy Nails was careless or negligent in using contaminated or unsafe chemical and wax solutions, soaking Carr’s foot in the solutions too long, using excessive heat on Carr’s left foot and failing to test whether Carr might suffer an allergic reaction or ask whether he had any medical conditions.
They also failed to warn Carr about the risk of harm and failed to properly train and supervise its employees, the suit claims.
"As the proximate result … (Carr) suffered injuries of a personal and pecuniary nature, including serious burns to his left foot and leg, which subsequently became infected, resulting in the amputation of his left foot and leg, and other medical complications that ultimately caused or contributed to his death on June 4, 2015," the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit also names A-Z Nail Spa, Inc., Wen Hua Cong and Xiao Xian Wang. During a call to AZ Happy Nails, a person answering the phone said the salon’s owners or manager were not available to comment Friday evening.
Carr’s wife is seeking more than $50,000 in damages, according to the complaint. ||||| A man who went to a South suburban nail salon for a pedicure lost his leg, and then his life, after he contracted a gruesome infection, according to a lawsuit filed Friday.
Darryl Carr got the pedicure on Nov. 13, 2014, at AZ Happy Nails, 1715 Sauk Trail in Sauk Village, according to the lawsuit filed by his widow, Latania Peterson-Carr, in Cook County Circuit Court.
Workers at Happy Nails soaked Darryl Carr’s feet in a hot water and chemical solution, followed by a hot wax solution, the suit claims.
But the solutions were contaminated and Darryl Carr’s left foot soaked for an excessive period of time, it’s alleged.
He suffered “serious burns” to his left foot and leg, which then became infected and had to be amputated, the suit claims.
The infection and amputation eventually led to “other medical complications that ultimately caused or contributed to his death on June 4, 2015,” according to the suit, which also claims the workers did not determine whether their customer was at risk for an allergic reaction and did not inquire about underlying medical conditions.
Darryl Carr is survived by his wife and two children, ages 10 and 13, the suit claims. Latania Peterson-Carr is seeking at least $50,000 in damages.
A representative from Happy Nails could not be reached for comment Friday evening. | – A widow in suburban Chicago blames a nail salon for killing her husband in a pedicure-gone-wrong. A lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court alleges that Darryl Carr suffered a grisly infection that led to the amputation of his left leg and, ultimately, his death, reports the Chicago Tribune. Carr's family says the AZ Happy Nails salon in Sauk Village soaked his feet in a chemical solution and then in a hot wax solution, but it alleges that the solutions were contaminated and that his left foot was left soaking for too long, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. Carr suffered "serious burns" to his leg, which then became infected, says the lawsuit. It faults the salon for lax safety and training procedures, and for failing to test Carr for possible allergic reactions or warn him of any risks. He visited the salon in November 2013 and died this month, leaving his wife and two kids, ages 10 and 13. His widow is seeking at least $50,000 in damages from the salon, which hasn't responded publicly. (In New York, authorities are cracking down on the exploitation of nail salon workers.) |
Father of School Attacker Blames Everyone Else For His Son Getting Shot
A 14-year-old student pulled a pair of butcher’s knives yesterday during a fight at a Reno High School and swung them at other students before advancing upon an armed school resource officer, who promptly dropped him with a single shot.
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A student brandishing a knife at Hug High School was shot by a Washoe County School District police officer Wednesday morning, sending the campus into lockdown for the rest of the day as police went room to room accounting for all students and finding witnesses. Justin Clark, who identified his son Logan Clark, 14, as the student shot Wednesday by a police officer during school, said the family is being represented by Reno attorney David Houston. The Washoe County School District and Reno Police Department, heading the investigation, wouldn’t identify the student shot by police but said he’s in critical condition at a local hospital. SEE ALSO: Failed President Really Angry He Failed To Gut Constitution In Eight Years Reno police spokesman Tim Broadway said the officer who shot the student is on paid administrative leave. Police aren’t yet releasing the officer’s identity. It is routine procedure to put officers involved in shootings on leave. “A student is in the hospital, and a thorough investigation is underway,” said the district in a statement, emphasizing that it immediately called Reno police, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI for assistance following the shooting. Reno Police Chief Jason Soto said the incident began at 11:25 a.m. with an altercation between two students. One of those students drew a knife and tried to attack others. At that point, a school police officer told the student to drop the knife, Soto said. When the student didn’t cooperate, the officer shot him and then provided medical attention, he said. Witness testimony and videos posted to social media on Wednesday also depict the incident.
It’s unfortunate that young Logan Clark brought knives to his school to deal with the personal problems he had with other students. It’s unfortunate that the officer felt Clark was enough of a threat that he needed to shoot him.
One of the videos taken of the incident posted online captures a large part of the incident. I’ll caution that the language is profane and that the video captures both the shooting and the immediate aftermath.
Amazingly (or maybe not), Justin Clark is blaming everyone but his son for the incident.
Clark started by blaming the school resource officer for shooting his son with a firearm instead of using a taser.
As regular readers of Bearing Arms are well aware, single officers must respond with lethal force against lethal force weapon, and butcher knives are most certainly capable of killing. Tasers are only to be used against non-compliant unarmed suspects, or if officers have the numbers, in support of an armed officer squaring off against a suspect with impact weapons such as a knife or club. As this school resource officer was responding to this incident unsupported, deploying his firearm was absolutely the correct response.
If anything, the officer put his life at greater risk by not firing the more typical response of two or more rounds. He fired a single shot, and it is quite possible that Logan Clark is in critical condition instead of the morgue because the officer was willing to take that risk.
Instead of reaching out to attorneys in hopes of profiting from the city for the officer’s actions, he should be thanking the officer for having such great restraint when he would have been justified in shooting Logan to the ground, and for being the very first person to start trying to save Logan Clark’s life, visibly applying pressure to and sealing with his hand the sucking chest wound that penetrated his son’s lung. If it were not for this school resource officer’s actions, Logan Clark’s last words might have been “I can’t breath” before tension pneumothorax killed him.
But Justin Clark isn’t grateful. He’s blame-casting, and he’s not done yet.
At no point does Justin Clark actually blame his thug of a son for bringing weapons onto the school campus, or for lashing out at other students with those knives.
Did i just call a 14-year-old a “thug?”
You’re darn right I did.
According to Logan Clark’s own Facebook page he was a far from being the victim his father is attempting to manufacture. He’s already been arrested and incarcerated on multiple occasions, and was only been out of juvenile lockup a little over two weeks before he was shot at Procter Hug High School .
Perhaps instead of blaming everyone else, Justin Clark may want to take long, hard look in the mirror at what kind of father he has been, and at the violent young criminal he appears to be raising.
If he doesn’t, there’s a darn good chance that his son’s going to be in the ground before he’s old enough to vote. ||||| Published on Dec 7, 2016
This happened at Hug High Reno, NV 12/7/16 around 11:30am.
I took this video from Facebook. It has since been removed by the author. ||||| Buy Photo Students and parents are reunited after an officer involved shooting occurred on the Hug High School campus in Reno, Nevada on Wednesday Dec. 7, 2016. (Photo: Andy Barron/RGJ)Buy Photo
There was a shooting at Hug High School in Reno on Wednesday morning. Here's what we know now:
* A campus police officer shot a knife-wielding student who was fighting with a classmate.
* Attorney David Houston, who is representing the family of Logan Clark, said the 14- year-old had a stroke Friday morning and is emergency surgery.
* Justin Clark, who identified his son Logan Clark, 14, as the student who was shot, said the family is being represented by Reno attorney David Houston.
* The officer who shot the student is on paid administrative leave. Police aren’t yet releasing the officer’s identity.
* According to police, the incident began at 11:25 a.m. as a fight. One student drew a knife and tried to attack others. A school police officer told the student to drop the knife. When the student didn't cooperate, the officer shot him and then provided medical attention.
* Witness testimony and videos posted to social media also depict the incident.
* During the incident, students were told to shelter in the school. They were released to parents after several hours.
* School will continue as usual on Thursday at Hug High School, the district said.
* The 911 call came in shortly before 11:30 a.m. Wednesday.
* Officers detained a group of teens behind the school shortly after the incident. It was unclear why.
* One video, posted by Vincent Coronado on Facebook about 1:30 p.m. that is not public but was reviewed by the Reno Gazette-Journal, shows the moments leading up to the shooting. The video starts with several students avoiding a boy in a blue shirt brandishing a knife. A male’s voice can be heard yelling, “back up, back up!” At 22 seconds into the video, a single gunshot is heard and several students scream. The camera briefly points down and then points at the boy who is now writhing in pain on the ground. A police officer can then be seen approaching the boy with a pistol drawn, still pointed at him. School officials begin to yell, “get out of here!” The police officer approaches the boy and appears to move something away using his feet. The officer then kneels next to the boy and turns him over on his back. Before the video ends, the officer can be seen using his radio. In another video posted by Eduardo Ayala on Twitter at 12:39 p.m., the same boy is seen brandishing a knife. Ayala posted another video at 12:40 p.m. immediately following the shooting as the police officer approaches the boy who is now on the ground.
For full coverage, visit:
CLOSE Reno police spokesman Tim Broadway talks to the press Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2016 after a shooting incident at Hug High School. Marcella Corona/RGJ
Read or Share this story: http://on.rgj.com/2hktwxF | – A 14-year-old boy was shot by a school police officer as he allegedly lunged at classmates with a large knife at Reno's Hug High School Wednesday morning. In a series of Facebook posts written Wednesday and Thursday but later removed from social media, the boy's father ranted against the police response to the situation. Justin Clark, who says son Logan is expected to "pull through," questioned why the officer involved "pulled his side arm" instead of a Taser; the Reno Gazette-Journal is looking into whether school police officers carry Tasers. Justin Clark also alleged that police have been deleting evidence, and asked the public to send him any videos of the incident. (Video is currently still posted on YouTube; warning, disturbing content.) "My son was a a superior athlete and has lost part of his lung," Justin Clark wrote. "Now he won't have the ability that he had before, so he won't have the chance to go to college or any other way to use this gift. Cuz it's gone." The Reno Police Department is investigating the incident and looking into whether the shooting was justified, and a police spokesperson says no evidence has been deleted, including evidence collected "from some students' phones" that includes at least one video. Justin Clark's posts haven't gone over well in some forums: A Bearing Arms blog headline reads, "Father of School Attacker Blames Everyone Else For His Son Getting Shot." The blog also includes screenshots of Justin Clark's posts, one of which claims Logan was being bullied and brought the knife to school because he knew he was going to be "jumped." |
(CNN) Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir , a man accused of war crimes and genocide, has left South Africa one step ahead of the law.
Al-Bashir left the country Monday just as a South African High Court decided to order his arrest.
The human rights group that had petitioned the court to order al-Bashir's arrest, the Southern Africa Litigation Centre, said in a statement it was disappointed that the government allowed the Sudanese President to leave before the ruling.
Judge Hans Fabricius had ruled Sunday that al-Bashir had to stay in South Africa while a court considered whether he should be arrested. The judge also ordered all ports in the country to prevent the Sudanese leader from leaving.
But lawyers arguing in court for al-Bashir's arrest warned, in advance, that the ports of entry and exit were not obeying the judge's order.
"Being an organisation committed to the rule of law, SALC is encouraged by the Court's order and the independence of the judicial process," said Kaajal Ramjathan-Keogh, the group's director. "The rule of law, however, is only as strong as the government which enforces it. Home Affairs have allowed a fugitive from justice to slip through its fingers, compounding the suffering of the victims of these grave crimes."
Al-Bashir's departure was confirmed by the South African and Sudanese governments.
Sudan's state news agency, SUNA, reported that Sudanese Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour would hold a news conference at the airport Monday evening "following return of the President of the Republic."
It is unclear in light of the judge's order what help al-Bashir might have received, and from whom. His plane had been relocated earlier from Tambo International Airport, near Johannesburg, to Waterkloof military base, south of Pretoria.
And sometime after that, the alleged war criminal went to the military base and slipped through the net.
Court proceedings were underway
His departure came as the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria was considering a request by the International Criminal Court to arrest him on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
The ICC charges against al-Bashir stem from the conflict in the Darfur region in western Sudan, which began in 2003. The government of Sudan has been accused of repression and ethnic cleansing of Darfur's non-Arab population.
Al-Bashir had been in South Africa attending a two-day summit of African Union leaders.
Fabricius, the judge, said Sunday that he wanted to determine whether it was legally acceptable for Pretoria to allow al-Bashir to visit South Africa without arresting him -- and key in that decision would be determining if the South African Cabinet's decision not to comply with the ICC demand could trump an international treaty, South Africa's Mail & Guardian newspaper reported
U.N. official: South Africa must comply with treaty
JUST WATCHED Report: Sudanese soldiers rape more than 200 women Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Report: Sudanese soldiers rape more than 200 women 02:56
Earlier Monday, when al-Bashir's whereabouts were still unclear, the chairman of South Africa's Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation, Siphosezwe Masango, said he was concerned about the Sudanese President's possible arrest.
"This is an opportunistic act only meant to pit African leaders against each other in the name of international law," Masango said in a statement. He urged the leaders gathered for the summit to concentrate instead on regional trade, xenophobia and the development of Africa's infrastructure.
He said the ICC appeared to target African leaders and, if the trend continued, his committee might have to recommend that the government re-examine South Africa's membership in the international court.
Obama, Blair etc are mass murderers & got away with it, why should we hold Zuma & his govt accountable for Marikana? #Bashir — Max du Preez (@MaxduPreez) June 15, 2015
But the U.N.'s high commissioner for human rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, warned that member states had to follow ICC rules.
"It is of deep concern to me and my office when court orders are issued by the ICC in respect of the serving head of state of Sudan, and state parties to the Rome Statute openly flout them," he said Monday at a meeting of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland.
The Rome Statute was a treaty that established the International Criminal Court.
"In this regard, we await the ruling of the Pretoria High Court this morning, as it assesses the request submitted by the ICC," he said.
Sidiki Kaba, the Senegalese justice minister who serves as president of the assembly of states parties to the Rome Statute, expressed his "deep concern about the negative consequences for the court in case of nonexecution of the warrants by States Parties and, in this regard, urges them to respect their obligations to cooperate with the Court."
South Africa had twice before threatened to arrest al-Bashir -- in 2009 before President Jacob Zuma's inauguration and in 2010 before the World Cup, according to the Southern Africa Litigation Centre . He attended neither event, according to news reports.
Immunity for heads of state on official business doesn't apply to the ICC; SA must #ArrestBashir. #AUSummit http://t.co/zIxdTW1HYm — ISS (@issafrica) June 14, 2015
Devastation in Darfur
Arrest warrants from 2009 and 2010 outline the case against al-Bashir and allege that during the Darfur conflict he ordered the military, police and Janjaweed militia to attack three ethnic groups deemed sympathetic to rebel outfits with "the specific intent to destroy in part" those groups.
As part of that campaign, the warrants say, the Sudanese President ordered the rape, murder and torture of civilians and the razing of villages.
The United Nations has estimated that as many as 300,000 people have been killed in the Darfur conflict since 2003, a tally the Sudanese government says is inflated. Another 7 million are in need of humanitarian assistance, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees estimates ||||| PRETORIA/KHARTOUM, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir flew out of South Africa on Monday in defiance of a Pretoria court that later said he should have been arrested to face genocide charges at the International Criminal Court.
Despite a legal order for him to stay in the country ahead of the ruling on his detention, the government let Bashir leave unhindered, with South Africa's ruling party accusing the ICC of being biased against Africans and "no longer useful".
Bashir has been indicted by the ICC over war crimes and crimes against humanity but South Africa gave him immunity along with all delegates attending an African Union summit in Johannesburg this week.
As an ICC signatory, South Africa was obliged to implement arrest warrants. The decision to let Bashir leave represented an affirmation of shifting diplomatic priorities for the government, with African interests trumping those of the West.
It also represented a blow for the Hague-based ICC, which has convicted just two minor African warlords since it started work in 2002 and has struggled to create accountability for those who are too powerful to be tried at home.
The veteran Sudanese leader flew out of the Waterkloof Air Base at around 1000 GMT, headed for Sudan's capital, Khartoum.
Hours later, judge Dunstan Mlambo found in favor of an application by a rights group calling for him to be detained, saying the failure to arrest him contravened the constitution.
"The respondents are forthwith compelled to take all reasonable steps to arrest President Bashir," Mlambo said.
Government lawyer William Mokhari said the home affairs department would be investigating Bashir's departure.
Bashir arrived in Khartoum to throngs of well-wishers and government officials inside the airport.
Wearing traditional white robes, Bashir waved his trademark cane greeting the cheering crowd in an open-topped vehicle. Waving the Sudanese flag, the crowd chanted God is Great and some carried pictures of Bashir with the banner 'Lion of Africa'.
Sudan's foreign minister Ibrahim Ghandour said Africa's enemies were behind the failed bid.
"The participation could have been normal and without a fuss, but Africa's enemies, Sudan's enemies and the enemies of peace-loving countries wanted to try and turn it into a drama, to prevent the president from important participations," Ghandour said.
Ghandour said the South African government had assured Sudan that Bashir's participation at the summit was a source of pride and that President Jacob Zuma had blamed opposition parties trying to embarrass Pretoria.
"This is a case of state sovereignty. Here we have a president elected and supported by his people. I don't have to point to the elections as I can simply point to this scene right here," he said referring to the boisterous crowd.
Bashir was re-elected in April in a vote boycotted by most of the opposition, thereby extending his quarter-century rule.
"LONG GAME"
The ruling provided fresh ammunition for Zuma's critics, who accused him of ignoring his own judiciary. The presidency and foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment.
"It is completely unacceptable. The South African government has been complicit in assuring Mr Bashir is able to flee the country," Democratic Alliance Chief Whip John Steenhuisen told Reuters, calling for "heads to roll".
"Our international reputation lies in tatters," he added.
The ICC issued arrest warrants for Bashir in 2009 and 2010, accusing him of masterminding genocide and other atrocities in his campaign to crush a revolt in the Darfur region - a conflict that killed as many as 300,000 people, the United Nations says.
He has long rejected the court's authority, but the warrants have curtailed his ability to travel freely. Monday's ruling means that he will not be able to come back to South Africa.
ICC deputy prosecutor James Stewart said he was disappointed Bashir had managed to escape, but told Reuters he did not see it as a setback for the court, which was playing "a long game".
"I think that what happened over the past couple of days and in particular today, demonstrates that an ICC warrant of arrest actually means something and clearly the court in South Africa took that view," he said.
The U.S. State Department said it was disappointed South Africa did not prevent Bashir from leaving Johannesburg.
Spokesman Jeff Rathke declined to say South Africa should have arrested Bashir but said "clearly, some action should have been taken".
The ICC and the U.N. criticized Pretoria for rolling out the red carpet for Bashir.
"The International Criminal Court’s warrant for the arrest of President al-Bashir on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes is a matter I take extremely seriously," U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told reporters in Geneva.
"The authority of the ICC must be respected and its decision implemented," Ban said.
(Additional reporting by Peroshni Govender in Johannesburg, Tom Miles in Geneva, Yara Bayoumy, Ahmed Aboulenein and Omar Fahmy in Cairo and Anthony Deutsch in Amsterdam; Writing by Joe Brock; Editing by Crispian Balmer and Giles Elgood) ||||| Play Facebook
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It ain't over until it's over.
Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir — wanted on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity — appears to have dodged a legal bullet and again avoided facing trial before the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Bashir has evaded arrest for years and was facing the toughest challenge to his freedom yet in South Africa, where he was attending an African Union summit when a judge barred him from leaving the country pending a hearing on whether to hand him over to the ICC.
Before the hearing was over, Sudan's State Minister for Information Yasser Youssef told Reuters that Bashir had flown home and was expected to land in the Sudanese capital Khartoum at about 6:30 pm local time (11:30 a.m.).
The news capped a series of conflicting reports on Bashir's whereabouts at the court hearing. At one point, the South African government said "to the best of our knowledge" the Sudanese leader was still in the country.
The legal wrangling was the latest in a long-running saga whereby Bashir's indictment — the only genocide charges against a sitting head of state — has become a test for the ICC and rallying cry against it from several African nations.
The international court issued one arrest warrant against Bashir in 2009 and another in 2010 for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes over atrocities in Darfur.
Bashir has danced around the arrest warrants for years, skipping visits to countries where he might face immediate arrest while visiting friendlier countries at will.
The visit to South Africa — like Bashir's recent travel — drew condemnation from ICC member states and non-members such as the U.S. even before the judge blocked his departure.
The U.S. said it was "deeply concerned" over Bashir's travel to South Africa for the summit, and the ICC urged South Africa to "spare no effort in ensuring the execution of the arrest warrants."
Many African nations have been loathe to endorse the court amid the perception it disproportionately targets African leaders for indictment.
South Africa's African National Congress — the party of President Jacob Zuma — urged the government to challenge the judge's move to detain Bashir, saying the ICC is "no longer useful."
Most of Bashir's travel has been to non-ICC member states, however some members have allowed him to visit without facing arrest.
In 2013, ICC-member Nigeria drew fire for failing to arrest Bashir when he visited the country for a conference.
Bashir — who seized power in a bloodless 1989 military coup — was re-elected in April, though the U.S. said it didn't consider the vote's outcome to be a "credible expression of the will of the Sudanese people."
"The restrictions on political rights and freedoms, the lack of a credible national dialogue, and the continuation of armed conflict in Sudan’s periphery are among the reasons for the reported low participation and the very low voter turnout," the State Department said at the time.
More than 300,000 people have died in the Darfur conflict dating back to 2003, according to United Nations figures. Around 2 million have been displaced. | – For six years and counting, Omar al-Bashir has evaded arrest and a trial at the International Criminal Court on genocide and crimes against humanity charges stemming from the Darfur conflict, and it appears he may have slipped through the cracks again—this time in South Africa. The Sudanese leader was visiting for a two-day African Union summit, and a South Africa High Court judge yesterday ordered al-Bashir to stay in the country while the court decided whether he should be arrested and handed over to the ICC, notes CNN; the judge also ordered all ports of exit and entry to stop al-Bashir from leaving. But before the hearing on his arrest could be completed, al-Bashir's private jet reportedly departed a Pretoria military airport, per the New York Times, and Sudan's minister of information told Reuters that his boss would arrive back in Khartoum at around 6:30pm local time. This apparent escape is just the latest in the ICC's frustrating attempt to get someone, anyone, to turn al-Bashir over. Since the first indictment against him in 2009, the Sudanese president has "danced around the arrest warrants," per NBC News, traveling to countries where he doesn't fear arrest and avoiding all others. When the ICC got wind he'd be heading to South Africa, it put out a statement imploring South Africa to "spare no effort in ensuring the execution of the arrest warrants." UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reminded ICC member countries today that, as members, they have an obligation to carry out those warrants. But, as NBC notes, many African nations haven't been willing to go the extra mile for the ICC because they feel Africa has been unfairly targeted by the court at The Hague. Sudan's state news agency says there will be a press conference after al-Bashir returns, per CNN. |
Newly-released search warrants show that investigators believe a family of five in Springville died of poisoning last month.
SPRINGVILLE — Investigators believe a family of five in Springville died last month of poisoning.
Police suspected the family's deaths were "not accidental or natural in any way" from the day they were found in their Springville home, 954 E. 900 South, according newly-released search warrants filed in 4th District Court as part of a homicide investigation.
Benjamin Strack, 37, his wife Kristi Strack, 36, and three of their children, Benson, 14, Emery, 12, and Zion, 11, were discovered dead behind the locked door of the parents' master bedroom on Sept. 27. At the time, Springville police told the media they had no answers as to how the family died, saying there was no signs of carbon monoxide in the home, no trauma suffered and no obvious signs.
What they didn't say then is that detectives immediately suspected the family ingested poison and that at least one family member seemed to have suspected what happened.
"The detectives on scene determined the cause to be an accidental or intentional poisoning either by ingestion or environmental causes," detective Raymond Flores wrote in an affidavit.
The parents' bodies were found in the bed, while the three children were lying "around the bed," covered up to their necks with bedding, according to the affidavits. All five had cups of red liquid near their bodies.
"Furthermore, with the placement of the bodies, it would appear somebody had to position the bodies after they were deceased," detective Jeffery Ellsworth wrote. Family members told investigators the children had their own bedrooms and it was unusual for all of them to be together in their parents' bedroom.
A trash bag at the home was found with 10 opened and empty boxes of a nighttime cold and flu medication and nine empty blister packs for cold and flu medication, according to the warrants. The bag also contained two empty boxes for allergy relief medication.
Police also removed a bag of marijuana, cellphones, a laptop, wallets, a towel with a red substance on it, a pitcher of red juice, pill bottles and medications from the Strack house. Empty bottles of liquid Methadone were also found.
The family was found by Kristi Strack's 18-year-old son, Janson McGee, and his girlfriend, who had contacted Kristi Strack's mother, Valerie Sudweeks, and her friend, to help them enter the locked bedroom.
According to the warrants, McGee's girlfriend, who also lived at the home, spoke with Kristi Strack at 6 a.m. that Saturday, and then went back to bed. McGee and his girlfriend woke up around noon and, finding the house quiet, went to a friend's home believing the family had left.
When they returned about 7 p.m., they found the home quiet although all the family cars were still at the house. Knocks and calls to the master bedroom door went unanswered.
When firefighters arrived, they warned Sudweeks there may be a carbon monoxide leak in the home.
"Valerie replied, stating there was no carbon monoxide leak, and that she knew her family. Valerie also said she couldn't believe 'she' would do this to the kids," one of the affidavits states. "Officers tried to clarify Valerie's statement, but she only assured them it wasn't a carbon monoxide leak."
Officers had to physically remove the mother and grandmother because of her emotional state.
Neither Springville police nor family members responded to calls for comment Wednesday. However, a man named Jake Strack posted a message on the Strack family's memorial Facebook page offering an exclusive interview for media willing to donate to the family's Go Fund Me account. Professional journalism ethics preclude reporters from paying for interviews.
At a vigil prior to the family's funeral earlier this month, friends and neighbors recalled the easy, sincere friendships they shared with the Stracks, whom they described as loving and kind.
Isaac Strack, Benjamin's older brother, asked the crowd at the event to be patient as they waited for answers surrounding the deaths. Toxicology tests have yet to be completed.
"We understand that there is healing that comes with those answers," Isaac Strack said at the time. "We're confident those answers will come. We all have to be patient and wait until those answers come, and even when they do come, we won't know everything."
Email: [email protected], Twitter: McKenzieRomero; DNewsCrimeTeam ||||| A red liquid substance was coming from Kristi Strack's mouth, police wrote.
Officers found in a trash bag a number of empty containers for medications, including 10 empty boxes of nighttime cold and flu medicine and two empty boxes of "generic benadryl." Police also found empty bottles of liquid methadone, "dispensed from a drug treatment clinic," officers wrote. Some of the empty bottles were labeled with future dates.
Police also found pill bottles, a pitcher of red juice, a purple bucket of yellow liquid, a towel with a red substance on it, empty sleep aid boxes and a baggie of marijuana.
The Stracks' lone surviving son, who had been out of the house, and his grandmother happened upon the motionless bodies the evening of Sept. 27. The master bedroom door was locked, so the grandmother had to force it open.
Kristi Strack's mother had to be physically removed from the home "due to her emotional state," officers wrote. When officers told her carbon monoxide may have been leaking into the home, the mother said "there was no carbon monoxide leak, and that she knew her family," police wrote. "[The mother] also said she couldn't believe 'she' would do this to the kids. Officers tried to clarify [the grandmother's] statement, but she only assured them it wasn't a carbon monoxide leak."
A test of the air in the home by firefighters did not find any carbon monoxide.
Springville Police Lt. Dave Caron on Thursday said he is declining to comment until the medical examiner's report is finished at the end of November.
"To comment or speculate on the cause or manner of death prior to the results of those autopsies would be unprofessional," according to a Thursday news release from the department. "And minus those reports we have no updates to give on the case or the investigation itself."
Benjamin and Kristi Strack, 37 and 36, respectively, pleaded guilty in 2008 to charges of forgery, theft, identity fraud and unlawful possession of credit cards. Benjamin Strack also pleaded guilty to drug paraphernalia charges.
No other serious criminal history appears in the Utah court record.
— Reporter Michael McFall contributed to this story. | – Police believe the deaths of five members of a Utah family last month were "not accidental or natural in any way," according to newly released documents. Benjamin and Kristi Strack, their sons Benson, 14, and Zion, 11, and their 12-year-old daughter Emery were found dead in their Springville home on Sept. 27, and police suspect they were poisoned, the Salt Lake Tribune reports. A search warrant states that all five were found dead in the home's master bedroom with cups of red liquid near their bodies; Kristi Strack had red liquid coming from her mouth. The adults were in the bed, the children were lying around it with bedding covering all but their heads, and "it would appear somebody had to position the bodies after they were deceased," officers wrote. The horrific scene was found by Kristi Strack's mother and 18-year-old son, who called his grandmother after finding the bedroom locked. When firefighters warned the mother that there could be a carbon monoxide leak, she replied "there was no carbon monoxide leak, and that she knew her family," saying she "couldn't believe 'she' would do this to the kids," warrants state; though officers pressed her, she didn't elaborate. In a trash bag, officers found nearly 20 empty boxes and blister packs of cold and flu medication. A bag of marijuana, pill bottles, a pitcher of red juice, and empty bottles of liquid methadone from a drug treatment clinic were also found in the home, reports the Deseret News. At a vigil earlier this month, Benjamin's brother said they were still waiting on toxicology results, but noted that even when the "answers come ... we won't know everything." Click for more on the case. |
Humblebragging is irritating; this, you know. But the truth about that special, noxious blend of whining and boasting is that it also doesn’t even appear to work the way that humblebraggarts think it does, in that it doesn’t successfully get the intended message across, according to a new working paper from a team of Harvard Business School researchers. Sometimes, you’re better off just regular-bragging.
The researchers, Ovul Sezer, Francesca Gino, and Michael I. Norton, tested people’s perception of humblebragging across five separate experiments. In one, they asked 302 people to imagine the person who said one of three statements: a complaint (“I am so bored”), a brag (“People mistake me for a model”), or a humblebrag (“I am so bored of people mistaking me for a model”). They were then asked to rate how much they liked this person, judging from this one statement, and how sincere the person seemed.
Overall, the study participants liked the complainers the best, and then the braggers; in last place, perhaps not surprisingly, were the humblebraggers. The participants also rated the complainers as most sincere and the humblebraggers as least sincere, which gets at one reason humblebragging is so obnoxious: It comes off as inauthentic.
In another experiment, the researchers showed that humblebragging isn’t an effective way to get your point across when compared to straightforward bragging. To test this, they had 201 people either read a brag (“I get hit on all the time”) or a humblebrag (“Just rolled out of bed and still get hit on all the time, so annoying.”); each group was asked to rate how attractive they’d guess the person behind the statement was. The findings showed that people consistently rated humblebraggers as less attractive than the braggers — 4.34 out of 7 for the humblebraggers, as compared to 4.91 for the braggers (a significant difference, though admittedly not a huge one).
Humblebragging, then, the researchers conclude, a self-promotion strategy you're better off avoiding. “Faced with the choice to (honestly) brag or (deceptively) humblebrag,” they write, “would-be self-promoters should choose the former — and at least reap the rewards of seeming sincere.” ||||| Working Paper | HBS Working Paper Series | 2017 Humblebragging: A Distinct—and Ineffective—Self-Presentation Strategy by Ovul Sezer, Francesca Gino and Michael I. Norton
Abstract
Self-presentation is a fundamental aspect of social life, with myriad critical outcomes dependent on others’ impressions. We identify and offer the first empirical investigation of a prevalent, yet understudied self-presentation strategy: humblebragging. Across seven studies including a week-long diary study and a field experiment, we identify humblebragging—bragging masked by a complaint or humility—as a common, conceptually distinct, and ineffective form of self-presentation. We first document the ubiquity of humblebragging across several domains, from everyday life to social media. We then show that both forms of humblebragging—complaint-based or humility-based—are less effective than straightforward bragging, as they reduce liking, perceived competence, and compliance with requests. Despite being more common, complaint-based humblebrags are less effective than humility-based humblebrags and are even less effective than simply complaining. We show that people choose to deploy humblebrags particularly when motivated both to elicit sympathy and impress others. Despite the belief that combining bragging with complaining or humility confers the benefits of each strategy, we find that humblebragging confers the benefits of neither, instead backfiring because it is seen as insincere.
Keywords: Humblebragging; impression management; sincerity; liking; competence; interpersonal perception; Self-presentation; Perception; Marketing; Trust; Personal Development and Career;
Language: English Format: Print 79 pages SSRN Read Now | – Masking a brag with false modesty—known as a "humblebrag" in today's parlance—may seem like an effective way to boast about your achievements without seeming like, well, an egotistical jerk. But a working paper from Harvard Business School researchers finds exactly the opposite, noting that people may be better off simply bragging and self-promoting without shame than adopting a veneer of faux humility, the Science of Us reports. Even complainers fared better than humblebraggers in the study because they were viewed as more "sincere." The researchers conducted five separate experiments to test how people perceived humblebragging. In one of the experiments, 300 or so people were asked to rate hypothetical people who made the following three statements: "I am so bored" (complaint), "People mistake me for a model" (explicit brag), and the everyone-wishes-they-had this-problem remark of "I am so bored of people mistaking me for a model" (humblebrag). Not only did the participants rate the complainers as the most authentic (braggers came in second), but they also imagined the humblebraggers to be less attractive than the braggarts. "Despite people's belief that combining bragging and complaining confers the benefits of both self-promotion strategies, humblebragging fails to pay off," the researchers conclude. (One writer thinks celebrities are the worst humblebraggers.) |
J. Vespa/WireImage.com
A man can only take so much. Particularly when that man is Charlie Sheen's publicist.
Stan Rosenfield, the ever put-upon flack responsible for gifting the world with such well-intentioned if wholly unbelieved doozies as blaming Sheen's hooker-assisted hospitalization on "an allergic reaction to some medication," calling his rehab a "preventative measure" and otherwise assuring the public that Chuck Sheen is always A-OK has resigned.
Guess the Sheen-anigans finally got to him. So, did he go out in a blaze of glory? Spill all of Charlie's dirty secrets? (Or whatever's left of them?)
VIDEO: Charlie's issued a new list of demands for Two and a Half Men's Chuck Lorre. Hear them now!
Nah, he's too much of a pro for that.
"I have worked with Charlie Sheen for a long time and I care about him very much," Rosenfield announced today (and not long after Sheen blasted the PR man for making excuses for his behavior—aka doing his job).
"However, at this time, I'm unable to work effectively as his publicist and have respectfully resigned."
Our only question for Stan now: what took you so long?
Incidentally, Rosenfield was working with Sheen right up until the bitter end, this morning issuing a pair of denials about his now-former client.
"Somebody I've never heard of by the name of Ian Fortey has sent out an email under my company's name that Charlie Sheen has retired," he told E! News. "THAT IS A HOAX.
"It was reported by X17 that Charlie Sheen is in rehab. This is NOT true."
This, however, is.
VIDEO: Watch the interview that sent Stan over the edge! ||||| 'Two and a Half Men' Creator Chuck Lorre: 'I Am So Outta Here!'
Email This Chuck Lorre, creator and executive producer of 'Two and a Half Men,' posted a "vanity card" after last night's episode of 'Mike & Molly', one of the other shows he helms, that answered his thoughts on the recent
According to
He continues, "I believe that consciousness creates the illusion of individuation, the false feeling of being separate. In other words, I am aware, ergo I am alone. I further believe that this existential misunderstanding is the prime motivating force for the neurotic compulsion to blot out consciousness. This explains the paradox of our culture, which celebrates the ego while simultaneously promoting its evisceration with drugs and alcohol." Chuck Lorre, creator and executive producer of 'Two and a Half Men,' posted a "vanity card" after last night's episode of 'Mike & Molly', one of the other shows he helms, that answered his thoughts on the recent Charlie Sheen debacle and the possible future of 'Two and a Half Men.'According to EW , on the card Lorre says, "I understand that I'm under a lot of pressure to respond to certain statements made about me recently. The following are my uncensored thoughts. I hope this will put an end to any further speculation."He continues, "I believe that consciousness creates the illusion of individuation, the false feeling of being separate. In other words, I am aware, ergo I am alone. I further believe that this existential misunderstanding is the prime motivating force for the neurotic compulsion to blot out consciousness. This explains the paradox of our culture, which celebrates the ego while simultaneously promoting its evisceration with drugs and alcohol."
He goes on, "It also clarifies our deep-seated fear of monolithic, one-minded systems like communism, religious fundamentalism, zombies and invaders from Mars. Each one is a dark echo of an oceanic state of unifying transcendence from which consciousness must, by nature, flee. The Fall from Grace is, in fact, a Sprint from Grace. Or perhaps more accurately, 'Screw Grace, I am so outta here!'Questions?"It looks like Lorre is done with the show and could possibly be packing it in. TMZ also notes Lorre's statement is long and rambling, possibly mocking Sheen's recent statements Lorre's vanity cards came into play two weeks ago when he finally broke his silence regarding the trouble caused by Sheen being in the news for all the wrong reasons.The card talked about how Lorre lead a healthy lifestyle and finally said, "If Charlie Sheen outlives me, I'm gonna be really pissed." ||||| Tomsfeet Productions
Tomsfeet Productions
"It was epic," he told GMA correspondent Andrea Canning. "The run I was on made [Frank] Sinatra, [Errol] Flynn, [Mick] Jagger, [Keith] Richards -- all of them -- look like droopy-eyed, armless children."Those comments probably won't cause Mick Jagger or Keith Richards to lose much sleep, but they definitely offend San Diego-based motivational speaker Tom Willis. That's because they hit him right where it hurts. You see, Willis was born without any arms, just a small left hand with two fingers that aren't very strong.But that hasn't stopped him from a successful life, first as a producer of educational films and currently as a motivational speaker who has made it his goal to throw out the first ball at every Major League Baseball stadium -- with his feet. Over the years, Willis has tried to change people's hearts and minds about disabled Americans, but he says Sheen's shunning of the disabled shows how little has changed -- and how much work he has to do."Sheen's comments -- the way he said them so matter-of-factly -- made me feel like he might say it any day of the week, that this was normal for him. I had to back up my DVR over and over again because I couldn't believe he said it. Then I had to transcribe it and send it to others."One of the people he sent it to was the mother of an 8-year-old girl with no arms."I had to send it to her so that she would know what her daughter will experience as she grows up," Willis said.Willis has every right to get mad, but hopes he can instead turn the situation into a "teachable moment.""[The comments] reinforce why I do my speeches," he told AOL News. "When you see a person without limbs, it doesn't mean you can't do anything."Willis is the perfect example to prove his own point. When he speaks to groups, he comes onstage throwing Frisbees and balls with his feet. In fact, he can throw a baseball forcefully at least 60 feet, 6 inches, the distance from the pitcher's mound to home plate, something that should impress Sheen, who has appeared in baseball-themed movies like "Eight Men Out" and "Major League."However, Willis is not impressed with Sheen, or the context in which he used the term "armless children.""He compares himself to iconic figures and calls them 'armless children' because he's better at sex and drugs?'" Willis asked rhetorically. "I don't know what to say to a person like this. It was strange that this was the one reference that was an insult. He didn't put anyone else down."It isn't the words that offend me -- there are armless children -- but it's the way he presented it, as if it's the worst thing in the world."Willis realizes there is a long line of people ahead of him waiting for a Charlie Sheen apology."I wouldn't expect anything, because he has his own issues. But I wish him well," Willis said. "I hope he can find his own peace and happiness. Maybe even with a porn star."On the other hand, he hopes that raising attention to the offensiveness of Sheen's comments can also help others realize that he's wrong in at least one respect."Christopher Reeve showed that in one snap of the finger your life can change," Willis said. "However, he also showed that a disability is not the end of the world." ||||| Is John Stamos Replacing Charlie Sheen on 'Two and a Half Men'?
Email This Last week,
According to
"They were at the bar talking, and Les asked John if he'd be interested in replacing Charlie," a source told E! "It wouldn't be to play Charlie's character, but they talked more about introducing a new character."
On Friday, though, Stamos Last week, John Stamos shot down rumors that he was in talks to replace Charlie Sheen on 'Two and a Half Men.' But those rumors have rekindled, and there might be some more truth to them this time.According to E! Online , CBS chief Les Moonves chatted with Stamos on Saturday about possibly joining the network's hit sitcom."They were at the bar talking, and Les asked John if he'd be interested in replacing Charlie," a source told E! "It wouldn't be to play Charlie's character, but they talked more about introducing a new character."On Friday, though, Stamos tweeted , "Contrary to the rumors, I am not replacing Charlie Sheen on 'Two and a Half Men.' However, Martin Sheen has asked me to be his son."
Sheen responded to rumors that the studio was angling to bring in Stamos as a replacement for him."If they do that then they deserve their failures and the follies," he told TMZ Stamos has been sorely underused in his 'Glee' guest spot as the dentist husband of guidance counselor Emma, so maybe there's something to this rumor. E! reports that Stamos' conversation with Moonves lasted about 15 minutes, but more formal talks haven't taken place.See more at TV Squad ||||| Five days ago, we closed a profile built around an interview with Charlie Sheen that will appear in the April issue of GQ. Since then, Sheen has continued doing what the article describes—texting and emailing the media (on Friday, he sent images of his new "Death from Above" tattoo to Entertainment Tonight) and calling in live to radio shows.
But Sheen also did something new: lobbed insults at his employers, specifically Chuck Lorre, the co-creator of Two and a Half Men, the top-rated sitcom on which Sheen stars. In a choice of words many saw as anti-Semitic, the actor referred to Lorre, who was born Charles Levine, as "Chaim Levine"—a name that Lorre himself has sometimes used. Sheen also called his hit show a "puke fest that everybody worships" and called the bosses who'd urged him to clean up his act "AA Nazis" and "blatant hypocrites." Sheen's spewing of vitriol appears to have pushed CBS and Warner Bros. Television to act. In a joint statement, the two companies suspended production of Two and a Half Men for the season, leaving at least 200 people out of work and canceling four planned episodes.
While there has been no word yet about whether the show will be canceled for good, Sheen himself has been voluble—if contradictory—on the topic. One minute, the 45- year-old actor has said he plans to show up to work even though the show's sets are shut down ("I'm going back to work," he texted Good Morning America from an island in the Bahamas, where he was vacationing with three women—a model, one of his ex-wives, and a porn star—on Thursday). The next minute, he has said that he can't imagine working with the "turds" who run the show ever again. "Can you imagine going back... with those knuckleheads?" he told Pat O'Brien later that same day. "It would go bad quickly... We're pretty much done." Whatever his plan, Sheen seems determined to engage his corporate overlords in full-scale combat. On Friday, in a Fox Sports Radio interview with Pat O'Brien, he suggested CBS and Warners were in "absolute breach" and appeared to be gearing up for a legal battle. "We are at war," he said. "It's about to get really gnarly."
So wacky and self-destructive have Sheen's comments been that it's hard to imagine he's telling the truth when he repeatedly says that he has cured his addiction "with my mind," leaving him "100 percent clean" of drugs and alcohol (though on Saturday, RadarOnline.com posted results–and photos—of a preliminary urine test the site said it had conducted in his home; Sheen passed). On Alex Jones' show, for example, he interspersed his zingers about Lorre with references to trolls, F-18 fighter pilots and Vatican assassins. He reportedly texted RadarOnline.com that he was in talks with HBO about a new show—Sheen's Corner—that would pay him $5 million an episode (an assertion promptly denied by HBO, which like Warner Bros. Television, is owned by Time Warner). On Saturday came another grandiose claim: Sheen reportedly told TMZ.com that he's writing a tell-all book to be titled When the Laughter Stopped. He wants the bidding for the publication rights to start at $10 million.
So what's driving Sheen? One answer is Apocalypse Now, the 1979 war epic that starred his father, Martin Sheen. As he told GQ, the movie—whose set he visited as a child—is nearly always in his thoughts (an assertion he only amplified with that new tattoo, which quotes the death card that Robert Duvall's character, Kilgore, throws on his victims in the film). "I'm not just my dad," Sheen said this week in one radio rant. "I'm putting up the river to kill another part of me, which is Kurtz. I'm every character in between, save for that little weirdo with his guts strapped in, begging for water. That's not me. But there are parts of me that are Dennis Hopper."
Sean Penn, the actor who grew up making Super 8 movies with Sheen, told GQ that he's always seen his friend as something of a performance artist, raising the odd possibility that Sheen's behavior is his own weird form of agitprop. Is the man who started life as Carlos Irwin Estevez mocking the Hollywood celebrity meltdown by staging the Mother of All Meltdowns? Is he bi-polar? Or is he just an addict who's circling the drain? What follows is the full story on how Sheen became Sheen.
· · ·
People are always asking Charlie Sheen, "What are you thinking?" The drugs, the drink, the porn stars, the alleged violence, the trashed hotel rooms... why?
"Here's a peek into my insanity," he tells me one afternoon in February. "People say, 'What are you thinking?' and here's the truth. It's generally a quote from Apocalypse Now or Jaws."
It's Sheen's fourteenth day of sobriety (this time around), and he's calling from a baseball diamond on the west side of Los Angeles. Batting practice is like therapy for the former star athlete, people who know him say, and he's spent the past few hours hitting balls with his friend Tony Todd, whom he met in Little League when they were 8 years old. This has been "the best day ever," says Sheen, 45. His voice is relaxed and fluid. He sounds like he's on the mend. But when I say as much, he's quick to correct me.
"We're past 'on the mend,' " he says. "We're not dealing with normal DNA here, you know what I'm saying? All those other sissies and amateurs, they can take their fucking time." But not Charlie Sheen, the star of CBS's Two and a Half Men, the top-rated comedy on television. He needs to get back to the set. "I heal as fast as I unravel. It's a blessing and a curse. I feel I have to. There's families out of jobs. There's work to do."
As we talk, he addresses his latest binge only obliquely at first. "In regards to this whole recent odyssey, I'll just say this: It was epic," he says. "There are two rules at my house right now: You park your judgment at the door, and you enjoy every moment. People can interpret that however they want. Enjoy every sober moment. Enjoy every loaded moment. Just enjoy every moment. It's not a rehearsal, you know?" ||||| >> new interview with charlie sheen . jeff rossen is in los angeles with details. jeff, what are we going to get this morning?
>> reporter: oh, a lot more. charlie sheen called us and said, come back to the house. i have more to say. we went and got a glimpse into his life behind closed doors , including a rare interview with the new women in his life, women helping to raise his children every day. charlie calls them his goddesses.
>> how long have we owned this?
>> reporter: it's charlie sheen 's version of domestic bliss at home with the new loves of his life. one, a self-described porn star he calls rach, the other a modelle he calls natty.
>> we run errands, eat, play with the kids.
>> we have fun.
>> we watch movies. i watch a lot of "two and a half me men".
>> do you love his kids?
>> are you kidding?
>> i wish i was with them now. i didn't want to put them down. bob was like, they're calling you. he's saying bye!
>> if you say dad's busy he says, okay, dada busy. he knows. he's fine with it.
>> is this normal?
>> aside from the days we sit around with the gold pom-pons and everything.
>> don't run with that.
>> i'm joking.
>> charlie said you can put him in his place. when he's wrong you put him in his place --
>> i don't --
>> let her answer.
>> i don't generally have to. i respect charlie as a man and as head of the household and trust him completely. if there is something i think is a bad idea i might say, hey, babe, let's think about it this way and, you know, it works. the system works for us.
>> reporter: the goddesses now live with charlie , almost always around at his los angeles mansion.
>> it's a good day at the silver valley lodge --
>> reporter: his nickname for in-home rehab. we took him outside for a candid conversation about his history with women . what do these women do for you other women haven't?
>> these women don'tle jud judge me, lead with opinions, lead with their own needs all the time. they are honest to say, park your nonsense. help me solve this and we solve it. what i tell them is don't live in the middle. get away from your ego and emotions. therein lies the solution.
>> reporter: are these women allowed to say, charlie , you're being a jerk. can they talk back?
>> oh, yeah. those are the best jokes of the day. we have an open dialogue.
>> reporter: do they put you in your place ?
>> everybody's vote has equal importance. when we are approaching crisis, i remind them, look, i'm 22 years further down the road. trust me. most of the time -- well in the last few days, all the time my plan is the best. everybody will win and everybody's needs will be taken care of.
>> reporter: including, he says, his young children. charlie 's twin boys spend a lot of time at his house. there are nannies but charlie 's angels play a role, too.
>> reporter: are the goddesses with your kids?
>> if i'm not there, everybody helps out. i don't know. there's nothing broken here.
>> reporter: some would say everything is broken.
>> wait. i'm still in pain.
>> hang in there.
>> reporter: his hit sit-com "two and a half men" has been shut down for the rest of the season based, according to cbs and warner brothers on sheen's statement, conduct and condition. your lawyers wrote a letter to warner brothers saying you want to be paid for eight episodes.
>> of course.
>> reporter: why?
>> that's what i agreed to do.
>> reporter: you want to move forward?
>> god yeah. there is work to do, shows to be delivers. the clock is ticking.
>> reporter: warner brothers agreed to pay the crew for four episodes.
>> that's a start. i want eight. i will worry about the cast and myself last.
>> reporter: you think because of the pressure you're applying they are getting paid?
>> well, yeah. who else is applying pressure? jon cryer ? no. just sitting around.
>> reporter: warner brothers denies sheen's pressure had anything to do with paying the crew. sheen's publicist quit after years on the job saying he's unable to work effectively as his publicist. what happened?
>> i don't know. maybe he felt he wasn't respected. again, i'm just guessing. there is something epic about that that it got so gnarly that stan said, okay, i'm out. that's how i roll. bye-bye. there's the door. same one you came in.
>> reporter: in the first interview that aired monday, charlie promised he's clean now.
>> look at me, duh. drug tests don't lie.
>> reporter: when was the last time you did drugs?
>> i don't know. i don't care.
>> reporter: in the new interview he brought the proof. these are results of the drug test you just took.
>> the word negative is printed like 18 trillion times.
>> reporter: his family isn't convinced. in a rare interview his father martin spoke about it.
>> he's an extraordinary man. if he had cancer, how would we treat him? the disease of addiction is a form of cancer. you have to have an equal measure of concern and love and lift them up. so that's what we do for him.
>> reporter: has your father or brothers came to you and said, time to get back on track?
>> i said, i'm not ready. i'm not interested in your rhetoric now. i appreciate your love and compassion if that's what you call it. but i'm 45 years old. i'm not interested in people treating me like a 12-year-old.
>> reporter: even your own father?
>> yeah. my own dad. come on captain bullard, greatest film ever made. he's entitled. but i have evolved beyond it.
>> reporter: devolving some say into a dangerous spiral for our viewers who saw this monday morning. duh, winning. tiger blood. adonis dna. i'm tired of pretending i'm not a total rock star from mars. he's saying war lock, tiger's blood. what do you say when you see it?
>> i'm entertained as hell. i'm laughing with my goddesses, with my friends. everyone's like, did they expect a normal, conventional, boring interview? no, man. we're shaking the tree. we're shaking all the trees.
>> reporter: someone asked me is he delusional, crazy, a nars cyst, a nice guy , how would you describe yourself?
>> i am grandiose because i live a grandiose life. i'm tired of being aw shucks. that's not me. b.s., that is me. thanks for recognizing it. i support it. what's wrong with that? for years there were actors i thought were so arrogant. i look back and go, wow, they were just uber confident. they were just projecting the image they believed to be true. now i get it.
>> reporter: what do you want to say to the fans? there are a lot of fans worried about you.
>> don't be worried. celebrate this movement. i love and i'm so grateful that you have supported me and the show for so long. i will not let you down. trust me.
>> reporter: charlie sheen didn't hold back at all. as soon as the interview aired on "today" people started tweeting me. charlie seems manic, i'm sad for his kids. wow, i couldn't sit there like you did. i'd have to pop that ego of his.
>> wow. i don't come from a place of ego.
>> reporter: somebody said, what did charlie smell like? he sounds like he smokes a carton a day.
>> whatever.
>> reporter: does that hurt you?
>> no. it's sad for them. get a job. charlie seems manic, i'm sad for his kids. i'm sad you have time to write about this and you may not ever have kids because you're obviously -- i don't want to get into it. one woman wrote, i agree with him.
>> well, she's awake. the others -- [ snoring ]
>> reporter: charlie says he's happy and feeling better than ever.
>> that's nice.
>> reporter: playing basketball with friends, working out and spending more time with the goddesses.
>> our life is awesome.
>> reporter: confident all the free time is temporary saying he'll return to the show soon as the star. do you support charlie and his master plan to go back to work? do you agree with everything he's done?
>> completely. i'm behind charlie 100% in whatever he would like to do.
>> i told charlie i'm on the bus. i don't care where the bus is going. that's how we live. what do you want to do today? done. let's do it.
>> i keep pressing the truth. that will flush everybody into the light and we'll have a dialogue and fix it. it's going to be good. everybody's going to win. because they followed guess who's plan. mine.
>> reporter: for the second straight day we called cbs for reaction. they had no comment. today would have been the first day back at work for the crew of "two and a half men" on the warner brothers lot just a couple of blocks from here. instead they are home waiti iing see what happens like charlie sheen . i spent a lot of time with him. no question he's not normal, but he likes it that way. the question is what's next. he assured me drugs and alcohol are out of his life for now and for good but addiction experts say it's not that easy to go cold turkey , matt and to stay in it. that's the challenge for charlie sheen . maybe not even he realizes how difficult it is to sustain going forward.
>> i guess a lot of us will stay tuned . jeff, thank you very much. let's ||||| Despite being suspended from his job and engaging in a public war of words with CBS and the producers of "Two and a Half Men," Charlie Sheen said he loves his life, surrounded by his twin boys and two 24-year-old girlfriends.
"It's perfect. It's awesome. Every day is just filled with just wins. All we do is put wins in the record books," the 45-year-old actor said. "We win so radically in our underwear before our first cup of coffee, it's scary. People say it's lonely at the top, but I sure like the view."
Sheen, who has long had a penchant for prostitutes and porn stars, lives with two women whom he calls his "goddesses": Natalie Kenly, a graphic designer and Rachel Oberlin, a porn star.
"You've read about the goddesses, come on. They're an international sensation. These are my girlfriends. These are the women that I love that have completed the three parts of my heart," Sheen said.
"It seems crazy to everybody else, but for us it works," Kenly said about their abnormal arrangement.
"Natty and Charlie have their own special connection, I have my own connection with Charlie and then Natty and I also have our own relationship," said Oberlin, who is also known as adult film star Bree Olson.
The embattled actor opened up his Beverly Hills home, which he now shares with his two girlfriends and his twin sons with soon-to-be ex-wife Brooke Mueller, to ABC News this weekend.
On Thursday, CBS announced that it had canceled the rest of the season of the hit comedy because of Sheen's "statements, conduct and condition," after the actor's scathing rant against Chuck Lorre on the radio program "Alex Jones Show."
CLICK HERE to watch the full "20/20" special -- "Charlie Sheen: In His Own Words."
Sheen Jokes About Polygamy
Kenly, who started dating Sheen around October, said she "fell in love with his brain" and can't see her life without him; Oberlin said she would love to marry the star. Sheen said it was "too soon to tell," but that today he has no plans to marry again.
"I tried marriage. I'm 0 for 3 with the marriage thing. So, being a ballplayer -- I believe in numbers. I'm not going 0 for 4. I'm not wearing a golden sombrero," he said.
Flanked by two blondes, Sheen called Hugh Hefner "an amateur" and joked about starting a polygamous marriage with the "wedge," his nickname for himself, Oberlin and Kenly.
"Maybe the three of us will get married. I don't know," he said sarcastically. "I'm gonna say this. It's a polygamy story. All my guy friends are gonna like throw tomatoes at me. It's like an organic union of the hearts."
Sheen's current arrangement with the "goddesses" is far from traditional. Oberlin said they don't always sleep in the same bed together, but "land wherever we land." Sheen said the unorthodox setup is even better than a marriage.
"We have a few rules here. Nobody panics. There's no judgment. You park your judgment at the door. Nobody dies. And -- enjoy every moment. What did I miss? Drink chocolate milk," Sheen said. "We just have fun. There's a ton of laughter in this house. A ton of love in this house. There's a ton of nobility in this house."
"It's not a wild scene with jealous girls and ex-wives and all this kind of stuff. It all very ... we love Charlie," Kenly said.
In a wide-ranging interview with ABC News, Sheen responded to all his recent headline-making actions, including his public feud with CBS, his feelings about Chuck Lorre and his future.
Sheen said he's now clean and the star passed a series of drug tests, conducted by RadarOnline.com, proving there was no marijuana, cocaine, opiates, amphetamines or alcohol in his blood or urine.
Sheen did not hold back on any front. He was forthcoming on his affinity for porn stars, saying "it's exciting" and "you already know what you're getting before you meet them."
"They're the best at what they do and I'm the best at what I do," he said. "And together it's like, it's on. Sorry, Middle America. Yeah, I said it."
CLICK HERE to see photos of Sheen through the years
On his penchant for prostitutes, Sheen said it allows him to simplify things.
"Who wants to deal with all the small talk and nonsense? And you're paying for something that eliminates that. And I don't know. It makes sense to me," he said. "As long as you're not lying to anybody. As long as you're not lying to people, I think whatever you're doing, there's no children involved in, then you're OK. But people are going to judge it, because they're so jealous."
Kenly on Sheen's Twin Boys: 'I Would Take a Bullet for Them'
"The wedge" told ABC News that their partying days were a thing of the past and that Sheen's nearly 2-year-old twin boys Max and Bob, are the priority.
"We've got the kids here. They take precedence over anything else," said Kenly, who was once a nanny. She said she enjoys helping Sheen care for the boys while mom Brooke Mueller is not around: "I love those boys. I would take a bullet for them."
Sheen said he would unleash a violent side that was "unlike anything you'll ever see" to "protect his family."
Despite his love for his children, Sheen said he was not worried about his kids being negatively affected by his lifestyle choices or recent headline-making actions.
"I'm not gonna worry about it, or I can say, 'Hey, kids, your dad's a rockstar. Look at his experiences. Look at what he survived.' Bang. There are some of your lessons, but the real lessons are gonna be in the future," Sheen said.
Sheen is a father to five children -- 26-year old daughter Cassandra, who was recently married, and four kids who are minors, including the twin boys and two daughters, Sam and Lola. who are under custody of his ex-wife Denise Richards.
Sheen said he doesn't spend enough time with his daughters, who are ages 5 and 6, to have his more controversial behaviors, like a highly-publicized weekend bender, have an impact on them.
"I don't see them enough to have that influence, but that was yesterday and today it could be different. I don't know," he said. "They'll wake up one day and realize how cool dad is. And, you know, signs all the checks on the front, not the back. And you know, we need him and we need his wisdom and his bitchin'-ness."
Sheen on CBS Battle, Feud With Chuck Lorre
After eight successful seasons of "Two and Half Men," Sheen said he felt underappreciated and unloved, especially when CBS executives and the show's creator Chuck Lorre arrived on set.
"We have an expression down there that the fun stops at 1:00. That's when they roll in. And they just puke all over it. And it's all about judgment and there's no real gratitude. And that has to change," Sheen said.
"If they can't change that, they're not welcome in my perfect work environment," he said. "And they're not welcome to be in the presence of what I'm delivering. Because they just need to take a step back and say, 'Wow, wow, look what this guy's doing for us, for all of us.'"
With the show puling in an estimated $160 million in advertising revenue this season alone, Sheen, who reportedly made $1.8 million per episode, said he made CBS and Lorre, very rich.
"The numbers don't lie. Chuck [Lorre] was on his way back. He had a $48 million, four-year deal or something. He had three failed pilots. And they were ready to just like write him that final check and just be like, 'Thanks, dude, we tried. But it didn't work out.' And then I walk in and deliver the lottery," Sheen said.
Sheen told ABC News that from the start, he did not get along with Lorre.
"It was a fake friendship. I never felt respected in a way that I should have been. ... I showed up and this dude won the lottery. And so I always felt like, 'Why am I being treated like an unwelcome relative and being given cold coffee at, like 8 PM in the middle of the fourth inning?'"
In one of Sheen's outbursts on the radio program "Alex Jones Show" that ultimately led to the show's suspension for the rest of the season, he took aim at Lorre, saying that he must have embarrassed him "in front of his children and the world by healing at a pace that his un-evolved mind cannot process." Later, he also challenged Lorre to a fight, saying, "If he wins, then he can leave MY show," according to TMZ.
Sheen told ABC News he issued Lorre this "challenge" because the producer was trying to destroy his family.
"If you destroy my family then I will deal with you with violent hatred. Sorry, it's my code. And it's not like it has to be delivered in a way that's, like, you know, all obvious and -- and like, you know, radio speak. But yeah, there's some wrongs to be righted," Sheen said.
Monday, Warner Bros. agreed to pay the "Two and Half Men" crew for the four weeks of work they will miss due to the show's cancellation, according to TMZ.com. Crew members reportedly told TMZ that it was Lorre who prompted Warner Bros. to take these steps.
Despite his hatred for Lorre, Sheen said he does want to resume work on the show and may be prepared to talk to Lorre to get the show back.
"I don't know if Chuck and I can ever work together again. But maybe guys just sit in a room and just go, 'Look, we hate each other. Let's continue to make some great television.' Maybe that's possible. I don't know," Sheen said. "I'm not gonna get violent on the guy. I'm not stupid. I go to jail, I lose all my power."
CBS and Lorre had no comment.
Even after Sheen's fall from grace, the public opinion on Sheen -- in the form of ratings -- still seems high. Almost as high, perhaps, as his own opinion of himself.
Sheen told ABC News that he had "billions" -- not "millions" -- of fans that tune in and rally around him because he is so honest.
"I think the honesty not only shines through in my work, but also my personal life. And I get in trouble for being honest," he said. "I'm extremely old-fashioned. I'm a nobleman. I'm chivalrous."
CLICK HERE to watch the full "20/20" special -- "Charlie Sheen: In His Own Words." | – Another day, another absolute glut of Charlie Sheen stories. The latest: In a just-published interview given to GQ last month—before he went on a rant against his boss, but after he trashed his hotel room—Sheen explains his philosophy on life (and, apparently, partying): "You enjoy every moment. ... Enjoy every sober moment. Enjoy every loaded moment. Just enjoy every moment. It's not a rehearsal, you know?" GQ also talked to those who know Sheen; porn star Kacey Jordan talks about the night they smoked $20,000 worth of cocaine. "That night I knew: This is the most self-destructive person I have ever met," she says. Longtime friend Sean Penn has a more optimistic view of Sheen: He tells GQ, "I think to a large degree he's saying, 'Guys, we're only going to be here once, so lighten the f*** up.'" But another good friend says, "The people closest to him wish we had a solution. Charlie apparently is in his own downward spiral." One person is apparently tired of all this: Sheen's publicist, who once blamed a Sheen hospitalization on an "allergic reaction," has resigned, E! reports. More of Sheen's recent interviews were on TV today. On Good Morning America he talked about the two girlfriends he lives with, calling it "a polygamy story" and saying Hugh Hefner is "an amateur"—presumably when it comes to dating multiple women at once. On Today, he said he loves his live-in "goddesses" because "these women don't judge me." Videos in the gallery. Believe it or not, that's still not all. Click for: The person who might replace Sheen on Two and a Half Men, boss Chuck Lorre's "uncensored thoughts" in response to the situation, and how Sheen offended armless people. |
Story highlights Trump issued support for the bill even before he won the election
Some of Trump's top advisers, including Vice President Mike Pence, are vocally opposed to abortion
Washington (CNN) The House of Representatives passed legislation Tuesday that would criminalize abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions for instances where the life of the mother is at risk and in cases involving rape or incest.
The bill passed the House by a vote of 237 for and 189 against, largely on party lines.
The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which is similar to legislation that failed in 2013 and 2015 , has support from the White House this time around.
The divisive issue of abortion has once again been brought to the forefront of national conversations since President Donald Trump assumed office. Trump issued support for the bill even before he won the election. In a letter dated September 2016 that was sent to anti-abortion leaders inviting individuals to join the campaign's "Pro-Life Coalition," Trump said he was committed to "signing into law the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would end painful late-term abortions nationwide," as one of four points.
The White House reiterated its support in a statement of administration policy issued Monday: "The administration strongly supports H.R. 36, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, and applauds the House of Representatives for continuing its efforts to secure critical pro-life protections."
Read More ||||| House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.), with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif., center) and Republican Conference Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash., left), responds to a question during a press conference on Capitol Hill on Oct. 3, 2017. (Thew/Epa-Efe/Rex/Shutterstock/Thew/Epa-Efe/Rex/Shutterstock)
The House on Tuesday approved a bill banning most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, advancing a key GOP priority for the third time in the past four years — this time, with a supportive Republican in the White House.
The bill, known as the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, is not expected to emerge from the Senate, where most Democrats and a handful of moderate Republicans can block its consideration. But antiabortion activists are calling President Trump's endorsement of the bill a significant advance for their movement.
The White House said in a statement released Monday that the administration "strongly supports" the legislation "and applauds the House of Representatives for continuing its efforts to secure critical pro-life protections."
[Trump’s budget proposal aims to cut all federal funds to Planned Parenthood]
The bill provides for abortions after 20 weeks gestation only when they are necessary to save the life of the mother or in cases of rape or incest. Under the bill, abortions performed during that period could be carried out "only in the manner which, in reasonable medical judgment, provides the best opportunity for the unborn child to survive" and would require a second physician trained in neonatal resuscitation to be present.
"It's past time for Congress to pass a nationwide law protecting unborn children from the unspeakable cruelty of late-term abortion," said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List.
Trump first supported a 20-week abortion ban in September 2016, during the final stretch of the presidential campaign when he was working to consolidate conservative support. Antiabortion activists argue the bill is justified by emerging scientific research indicating that a fetus can feel pain at 20 weeks, though the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has not endorsed those findings.
[Donald Trump took 5 different positions on abortion in 3 days]
The vast majority of abortions are performed earlier in pregnancy, according to federal statistics, but activists have long focused attention on what they call "late term" abortions.
In a letter circulated to antiabortion activists by the Susan B. Anthony List, Trump pledged to sign a 20-week abortion bill into law if he became president, which he said "would end painful late-term abortions nationwide."
In that letter, Trump also promised to defund Planned Parenthood, nominate justices to the U.S. Supreme Court who are opposed to abortion, make the Hyde Amendment permanent law and "advance the rights of unborn children and their mothers when elected president."
Trump rarely discussed abortion on the campaign trail and did little to promote his stance on the 20-week abortion bill, with his campaign declining to even authenticate the September 2016 letter.
The House passed the bill 237 to 189. Two Republicans opposed the bill, and three Democrats supported it.
Similar bills passed a Republican-controlled House in 2013 and 2015 but did not emerge from the Senate. Democratic leaders did not bring the bill up for a vote in 2013, and when GOP leaders brought it up in 2015, it did not clear a key procedural vote.
Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, called the bill a "waste of precious time" Tuesday.
"Let me be clear: This bill is as dead on arrival in the Senate," she said, "just like it was the last time Republicans tried to pander to their extreme base by playing this particular political game with women's health."
Abortion rights groups and Democratic lawmakers panned the legislation ahead of its passage, arguing it is based on faulty science and contains no exception if a pregnancy would threaten a mother's health. They also said the rape and incest exceptions are too narrow and that the bill is likely unconstitutional under existing Supreme Court rulings.
Ilyse Hogue, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, characterized the bill as an attempt "to mollify an agitated base and avoid Donald Trump's ire at the lack of legislative action under Republican leadership."
"Women making these difficult decisions need medical professionals, not tone deaf legislation," she said in a statement.
Read more at PowerPost | – A bill outlawing most abortions after 20 weeks cleared the House of Representatives on Tuesday, mostly along party lines, in the third time that House Republicans have passed the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, CNN reports. While the bill is expected to founder in the Senate, as it did on previous attempts in 2013 and 2015, this time it the has backing of President Trump. A White House statement says the administration "strongly supports" the measure "to secure critical pro-life protections." The bill would criminalize abortions after 20 weeks except in cases of rape or incest, or to save the mother's life. Marjorie Dannenfelser, head of the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List, circulated a September 2016 letter in which then-candidate Trump promised to support the bill, per the Washington Post. "It's past time … to pass a nationwide law protecting unborn children from the unspeakable cruelty of late-term abortion," Dannenfelser says. GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham pledged to introduce companion legislation in the Senate, but the chances of Republicans garnering the 60 votes needed to pass it are low, the Hill reports. Asked about the bill, GOP Whip Sen. John Cornyn said, per CNN, "That's not a near-term priority." Several states have already passed similar measures, which opponents called unconstitutional. "This dangerous, out-of-touch legislation is nothing more than yet another attempt to restrict women's access to safe, legal abortion," Planned Parenthood said. (One of the bill's backers urged his mistress to get an abortion, texts show.) |
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A gas consultant who officially changed his name to Bacon Double Cheeseburger today said: "I’ve got no regrets at all".
Sam Smith, from Muswell Hill, changed his name by deed poll to reflect his love of the food after a night in the pub.
He told the Standard that the Burger King favourite was the first thing that popped into his head when friends convinced him to do go ahead with the stunt.
Mr Cheeseburger explained: “It was the culmination of probably too many drinks in the pub where there was a conversation about names.
“Bacon Double Cheeseburger was pretty much the first thing that came up. Everyone loves bacon don’t they?
“It was largely the most ridiculous thing we could think of. My friends were quite supportive of anything that makes me look silly, as good friends are.”
He made an application to the UK Deed Poll Service and, perhaps unfortunately, was drinking with the same friends when the paperwork arrived a few weeks later for him to sign, making the name change official.
Mr Cheeseburger added that he was lucky his colleagues had a sense of humour.
The 33-year-old, who said he proudly signs off his work emails as "B D Cheeseburger", said he particularly got a kick out of booking into hotels on business trips.
My fiancée is fairly reluctant about marrying a Cheeseburger
He explained: “I spend a lot of time in the Far East and most people out there wouldn’t know Bacon isn’t a standard British first name. But in Europe people think it's pretty weird.
“What people call me is up to them but that's my name legally speaking now. My mum was furious but my dad thinks it’s hilarious. He’s more than happy to use my new name.”
But this fiancée Isabella, is less happy and he admitted another name change might be needed ahead of their wedding.
He said: “My fiancée is fairly reluctant about marrying a Cheeseburger. That’s something we’re discussing a lot. No girl ever dreams of spending her big day marrying a man called Bacon.
“But I’ve got no regrets at all. It’s been a very fun experience and it’s made a lot of people laugh.”
His was revealed as one of a host of strange things people have chosen to change their names to in the past year.
Mr Cheeseburger is one of a record-breaking 85,000 people who changed their name last year. ||||| We've detected that JavaScript is disabled in your browser. Would you like to proceed to legacy Twitter?
Yes ||||| Have you ever had a really delicious meal and then wished you could find some way to properly honor the glorious food you’ve just consumed? Well, this man in the U.K. apparently once ate a bacon double cheeseburger so delicious that he decided to honor it by literally changing his own name to Bacon Double Cheeseburger.
That’s dedication.
This man used to be known as Simon Smith, according to The Times.
“A name is the least important part of your personality,” the 33-year-old London resident reportedly told the Sunday People. “It’s given to you by someone else.”
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So how did he choose his new identity? It was simply the first thing he thought of. Last year, he officially changed his name by deed poll. We can only assume that he really, really loves bacon double cheeseburgers and is not a vegetarian trying to be ironic.
Contact us at [email protected]. ||||| Simon Smith from north London is one of the many people each year who decide to change their names by deed poll.
More unusually, he chose to change his name to Bacon Double Cheeseburger.
You would think a man who uses his name to pay tribute to fast food wouldn't be overly bothered by references to his past moniker.
You would be wrong.
London newspaper The Evening Standard interviewed Mr Cheeseburger about his decision to adopt a beefy new moniker (it had a lot to do with being in the pub), but it seems they were paying so much attention to his delicious new name they forgot to check his birth name.
They mistakenly called him Sam Smith, which according to Mr Cheeseburger, would be a ridiculous name.
Sorry Sam.
Perhaps the hassle was worth it though, it looks like he could be going on a beefy tour of Britain's burger restaurants.
So does his new name cause him problems with work or travel?
"Surprisingly no," Mr Cheeseburger tells Newsbeat.
He currently works as a consultant for the oil and gas industry and says: "My work speaks for itself... people keep hiring me."
It's not Bacon Double Cheeseburger on his CV though.
"I usually drop that bombshell after the contracts have been signed," he says.
Despite his hassle-free name change, he does have a warning for anyone who fancies changing their name to Chicken Caesar Salad.
"On the side of beer bottles it says drink responsibly for a reason, think carefully before you do it."
Despite all of that, people do still call him Bacon. "My dad included," he adds.
What is a deed poll?
Anyone over 18 can start using a new name at any time but to apply for official documents such as a passport or driving licence you'll need a legal document called a deed poll.
For a fee you can put your name on public record by "enrolling it" at The Royal Courts of Justice.
Alternatively you can make your own deed poll, but some record-holders will only accept a new name that's been 'enrolled' using the official forms.
The process is slightly different if you were born in Scotland; you apply to the National Records of Scotland who will charge a recording fee.
How much does it cost?
Making your own deed poll is free, but the more widely accepted official method of enrolling your new name at the Royal Courts of Justice costs £36.
Specialist agencies or solicitors will also charge a fee to make a deed poll for you.
In Scotland a change of name is subject to a recording fee of £40, but families who are all changing their name together can pay an additional £10 per family member instead of paying the full fee for each person.
For more stories like this one you can now download the BBC Newsbeat app straight to your device. For iPhone go here. For Android go here. | – We get that if your name is Simon Smith, you might long for more exotic nomenclature. But this British bloke admits his recent name change was "the culmination of probably too many drinks in the pub," per the Evening Standard. Smith, now officially known as Mr. Bacon Double Cheeseburger, says he and his pals were chatting about switching up names when his Burger King-inspired moniker was suggested. "It was largely the most ridiculous thing we could think of," says the 33-year-old, whom Time calls a "hero." "My friends were quite supportive of anything that makes me look silly, as good friends are." He filled out the required application, and when the final papers arrived for him to sign, he was—"perhaps unfortunately," the Standard notes—drinking with the same group of friends. They prodded him to seal the deal, for which he now says he has "no regrets." Reaction to his new name has been mixed: He says his mom was "furious," his dad thought it was "hilarious," and his fiancee—well, she'll probably make him change it back before the wedding, per the Standard. He travels a lot for work to the Far East, where he says they don't realize "Bacon" isn't a valid first name, but he concedes people he meets in Europe think it's "pretty weird." And he does keep his original name on his résumé, preferring to "drop that bombshell [only] after the contracts have been signed." He's still prickly about his erstwhile appellation: Cheeseburger took the Standard to task for reporting he was previously known as Sam Smith, tweeting, "You got my name wrong, it was SIMON SMITH. FFS. Sam Smith would be a ridiculous name." Whatever his former name, the man now known as Cheeseburger is reaping at least one perk: Burger joints are offering him free bacon double cheeseburgers if he provides proof of the name change, the BBC reports. |
"It's a safe space where like-minded folks can hear things they already agree with from someone whose opinions they already know."
No, wait, "It's just as good as "House of Cards," with even more threatening monologues into the camera."
Stephen Colbert defined the Sarah Palin Channel, an obvious target for his show, in many ways last night, perhaps most simply as, "It's exactly what she's always done, only — mmm, nothing else."
Stephen Colbert didn't only make fun of the Sarah Palin Channel — which can be found at SarahPalinChannel.com if you pay the $9.95 monthly charge. He also proposed himself as the channel's primary competition, announcing the "Stephen Colbert's Angry Echo Chamber," which will discuss the important issues of the day, as well as the night, like, "where did the sun go." And all for $9.94.
This was a joke, obviously, but Colbert is no half-hearted troll. He also purchased TheSarahPalinChannel.com. If you go to the Web site, the Tumblr announces itself as "The only Sarah Palin Channel on the internet with a definite article in the address!"
Source: TheSarahPalinChannel.com
Your move, Sarah Palin. ||||| OKAY.
SHAKE IT OFF, COLBERT.
YOU'RE A PRO.
MOVE ON.
MOVE ON.
THAT'S ENOUGH DEATH ANDDESTRUCTION.
LET'S TURN TO SOMETHING THATEVIDENTLY WILL NEVER DIE AND
CANNOT BE DESTROYED.
SARAH PALIN.
(LAUGHTER)(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
I'VE ALWAYS BEEN A HUGE FAN OFSARAH PALIN.
SHE'S A STRONG LEADER WITH APROVEN HISTORY OF SELFLESSNESS.
IN THE MIDST OF HER 2008CAMPAIGN, SHE TOOK TIME TO HELP
OUT A STRUGGLING SENIOR WITHSEVERELY IMPAIRED JUDGMENT.
(LAUGHTER)AND THIS WEEK, IN HER CONTINUING
QUEST TO REMIND AMERICA OF HEREXISTENCE, PALIN ANNOUNCED A NEW
PROJECT.
>> HELLO AND WELCOME TO A NEWPROJECT.
THIS IS A NEWS CHANNEL THATREALLY IS A LOT MORE THAN NEWS.
ARE YOU TIRED OF THE MEDIAFILTERS?
WELL, I AM.
I ALWAYS HAVE BEEN, SO WE'REGONNA DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
WE'RE GONNA MAKE THIS EASY TOO.
YOU CAN WATCH OUR CHANNEL RIGHTHERE ON YOUR COMPUTER, TABLET OR
EVEN ON YOUR SMARTPHONE.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE ISSUES THATTHE MAINSTREAM MEDIA WON'T TALK
ABOUT AND WE'LL LOOK AT THEIDEAS THAT -- MMM -- I THINK
WASHINGTON DOESN'T WANT YOU TOHEAR.
>> STEPHEN: YES, THE ALL SARAHPALIN CHANNEL!
IT'S EXACTLY WHAT SHE'S ALWAYSDONE, ONLY -- MMM -- NOTHING
ELSE.
(LAUGHTER)'CUZ, FOLKS, IT'S 24-7
PALIN-TAINMENT STREAMED RIGHT TOYOUR PHONE, WITH THE HELP OF
"TAPP," WHICH IT TURNS OUT IS AMEDIA COMPANY AND NOT, AS I
FIRST ASSUMED, THE NAME OF ONEOF HER CHILDREN.
(LAUGHTER)AND LIKE THE WOMAN HERSELF, THE
SARAH PALIN CHANNEL IS ALL ABOUTSARAH PALIN.
>> WE'LL ALSO SHARE SOME OF THEFUN THAT GOES ON IN THE PALIN
HOUSEHOLD AND A LOT OF OURADVENTURES IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS
TRYING TO JUST GET US FROM POINTA TO POINT B AND, BELIEVE ME, IT
IS FUN BECAUSE IT'S REAL LIFE.
>> STEPHEN: YEAH, IT'S FUNBECAUSE IT'S REAL LIFE.
THAT'S WHY I ALWAYS TIV0THAT EXCITING STARING CONTEST ON
THE MIRROR CHANNEL.
(LAUGHTER)THAT SHOW IS AMAZING -- HOW IS
IT "ALWAYS" A TIE?!
HE'S GOOD.
(LAUGHTER)THIS IS ALL PART OF SARAH'S
CONTINUING MISSION TO PROTECTOUR FREEDOMS AT ANY COST.
SPECIFICALLY, "$9.95 A MONTH."
(LAUGHTER)SURE, THAT'S MORE THAN NETFLIX.
BUT IT'S JUST AS GOOD AS HOUSEOF CARDS -- WITH EVEN MORE
THREATENING MONOLOGUES INTOCAMERA.
(LAUGHTER)THIS CHANNEL OFFERS YOU
SOMETHING MORE, BY OFFERING YOULESS.
AS THE SITE NOTES, WE FEEL THATTHE COMMUNITY WOULD FEEL MORE
SECURE KNOWING EVERYONEWATCHING, UPLOADING VIDEOS AND
PARTICIPATING IN THE DISCUSSIONSAND VIDEO CHATS WAS A
CONTRIBUTING MEMBER."
THAT'S RIGHT, IT'S A SAFE SPACEWHERE LIKE-MINDED FOLKS CAN HEAR
THINGS THEY ALREADY AGREE WITHFROM SOMEONE WHOSE OPINION THEY
ALREADY KNOW.
A PLACE WHERE WE PALIN-HEADS CANGATHER AND ASK THE IMPORTANT
QUESTIONS.
AMONG THE MOST POPULAR,APPARENTLY, IS "WHAT IS YOUR
CANCELLATION POLICY?"(LAUGHTER)
BECAUSE WE PALIN FANS WANT TO BEJUST LIKE HER AND QUIT HALFWAY
THROUGH OUR COMMITMENT.
(LAUGHTER)BUT IF $9.95 SOUNDS TOO RICH
RICH FOR YOUR BLOOD, SIGN UP FORMY NEW PREMIUM WEB
CHANNEL -- "STEPHEN COLBERT'SANGRY ECHO CHAMBER ."
FOR JUST $9.94, IT'S A COMMUNITYOF PEOPLE JUST LIKE YOU, IF YOU
HAVE A VALID CREDIT CARD.
WE'LL DISCUSS THE WASHINGTONISSUES OF THE DAY -- AND THE
ISSUES OF THE NIGHT, LIKE WHEREDID THE SUN GO?
(LAUGHTER)PLUS, "STEPHEN COLBERT'S ANGRY
ECHO CHAMBER" GIVES YOU 24-7ACCESS TO EVERYTHING I DO.
LIKE FOOTAGE OF ME MAKING ANDEATING A B.L.T.
(LAUGHTER)IS THAT WHAT I SPENT YOUR TEN
BUCKS ON?
THE ANSWER MIGHT SURPRISE YOU.
(LAUGHTER)AND YOU MIGHT EVEN SEE YOUR NAME
ON MY CHANNEL WHEN I DEPOSITYOUR CHECKS IN AN A.T.M.!
(LAUGHTER)AND SARAH PALIN'S CHANNEL ONLY
TAKES YOU FROM POINT A TO POINTB -- BUT YOU CAN FOLLOW ME ALL
THE WAY TO POINT C, POINT D,THEN BACK TO POINT B WHEN I
REALIZE I LEFT MY SUNGLASSESTHERE.
(LAUGHTER)THAT'S REAL-LIFE FUN!
AND REMEMBER, SARAH PALIN'SCHANNEL IS
SARAPALINCHANNEL.COM, NOTTHESARAHPALINCHANNEL.COM.
WE BOUGHT THAT ONE TODAY.
(CHEERING)AND IT'S FREE!
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK! | – For those who don't want to pay $9.95 per month for Sarah Palin's new online TV channel, Stephen Colbert proposed an alternative on last night's Colbert Report: his $9.94 "Angry Echo Chamber," undercutting the "24/7 Palintainment" package by a penny. He was just joking with that offer, notes the Washington Post, but the real punchline came when he announced that he had bought the URL TheSarahPalinChannel.com. The official URL for Palin's show is SarahPalinChannel.com. Colbert's website description? "The only Sarah Palin Channel on the Internet with a definite article in the address!" As for the actual Palin channel, Colbert offers this praise: It's "just as good as House of Cards, with even more threatening monologues in the camera." |
He once led a six-day takeover of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington, and mounted an armed 71-day occupation of the town of Wounded Knee, S.D., on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Wounded Knee was the scene of the last major conflict of the American Indian Wars, in which 350 Lakota men, women and children were massacred by United States troops in 1890.
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While his protests won some government concessions and drew national attention and wide sympathy for the deplorable social and economic conditions of American Indians, Mr. Banks achieved few real improvements in the daily lives of millions of Native Americans, who live on reservations and in major cities and lag behind most fellow citizens in jobs, housing and education.
To admirers, Mr. Banks was a broad-chested champion of native pride. With dark, piercing eyes, high cheekbones, a jutting chin and long raven hair, he was a paladin who defied authority and, in an era crowded with civil rights protests, spoke for the nation’s oldest minority.
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To his critics, including many American Indians, Mr. Banks was a self-promoter, grabbing headlines and becoming a darling of politically liberal Hollywood stars like Jane Fonda and Marlon Brando. His severest detractors, including law-enforcement officials, said he let followers risk injury and arrest while he jumped bail to avoid a long prison sentence and did not surrender for nearly a decade.
Mr. Banks and Mr. Means first won national attention for declaring a “Day of Mourning” for Native Americans on Thanksgiving Day in 1970. Their band seized the ship Mayflower II, a replica of the original in Plymouth, Mass., and a televised confrontation between real Indians and costumed “Pilgrims” made the American Indian Movement leaders overnight heroes.
In 1972, the two organized cross-country car caravans on “Trails of Broken Treaties.” They converged on Washington with 500 followers to protest Indian living standards and lost treaty rights, occupied the Bureau of Indian Affairs and held out for nearly a week, destroying documents and the premises, until the government agreed to discuss Indian grievances and review treaty commitments.
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In 1973, after a white man killed an Indian in a saloon brawl and was charged not with murder but with involuntary manslaughter, Mr. Banks led 200 American Indian Movement protesters in a face-off with the police in Custer, S.D. It became a riot when the slain man’s mother was beaten by officers. After he left town, Mr. Banks, who said he had merely tried to ease tensions, was charged with assault and rioting.
It was the last straw. “We had reached a point in history where we could not tolerate the abuse any longer, where mothers could not tolerate the mistreatment that goes on on the reservations any longer, where they could not see another Indian youngster die,” he told the author Peter Matthiessen.
Weeks later, the siege that made Mr. Banks and Mr. Means famous across America began when 200 Oglala Lakota and A.I.M. followers with rifles and shotguns occupied Wounded Knee. About 300 United States marshals, F.B.I. agents and other law-enforcement officials cordoned off the area with armored cars and heavy weapons, touching off a 10-week battle of nerves and gunfire.
Amid wide news media coverage, the significance of the battlefield was not lost on many Americans. Dee Brown’s best-selling book “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West” (1970) had recently explored the record of massacres and atrocities against Native Americans on the expanding frontier, undermining one of the nation’s fondest myths.
Proclaiming a willingness to die for their cause, Mr. Banks and Mr. Means demanded the ouster of Richard Wilson, the elected leader of the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council, whom they called a corrupt white man’s stooge. The government refused. Shootings punctuated the days of stalemate, leaving wounded on both sides. Two Indians were killed, and a federal agent was shot and paralyzed.
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When it was over, Mr. Banks and Mr. Means were charged with assault and conspiracy. After a federal trial, with the defense raising historic and current Indian grievances, a judge dismissed the case for prosecutorial misconduct, including illegal wiretaps and evidence that had been tampered with.
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By then, Mr. Banks was a pre-eminent spokesman for Native Americans. He mediated armed conflicts between Indians and the authorities in various states. But his own legal troubles were not over.
Charged with riot and assault with a deadly weapon for his role in the 1973 melee in Custer, he was found guilty in 1975. Facing up to 15 years in prison, he jumped bail and fled to California.
With 1.4 million signatures on a petition supporting Mr. Banks, Gov. Jerry Brown granted him asylum in 1976, rejecting extradition to South Dakota by saying his life might be in danger if he were sent back. Mr. Banks later became chancellor of Deganawidah-Quetzalcoatl University, a small two-year college for Indians in Davis, Calif.
Deprived of California sanctuary when Governor Brown was succeeded by a Republican, George Deukmejian, in early 1983, Mr. Banks found a new refuge on an Onondaga reservation near Syracuse. Federal officials said he would be arrested only if he left the reservation. But in 1984, weary of his confined life, he returned to South Dakota voluntarily and was sentenced to three years in prison.
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Paroled in 1985 after serving only 14 months, he moved to the Pine Ridge Reservation to work as a drug addiction and alcoholism counselor. He also turned his life around, embracing sobriety, giving talks on public service and organizing cross-country events that he called Sacred Runs, which became popular among supporters of Native Americans in later years.
“We were the prophets, the messengers, the fire starters,” Mr. Banks said in an autobiography, “Ojibwa Warrior: Dennis Banks and the Rise of the American Indian Movement” (2005, with Richard Erdoes). “Wounded Knee awakened not only the conscience of all Native Americans, but also of white Americans nationwide.”
Dennis James Banks was born on the Leech Lake Reservation on April 12, 1937. He never knew his father. His mother abandoned him to his grandparents.
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When he was 5, he was taken from his family and sent to a series of government schools for Indians that systematically denigrated his Ojibwa (Chippewa) culture, language and identity. He ran away often, until, at 17, he returned to Leech Lake.
Unable to find work, he joined the Air Force and was stationed in Japan, where he married a Japanese woman, had a child with her and went absent without leave. Arrested and returned to the United States, he never saw his wife or child again. After being discharged, he moved to Minneapolis, drifted into crime, was arrested in a burglary and went to jail for two and a half years.
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Released in 1968, he founded the American Indian Movement with an Ojibwa he had met in prison, Clyde Bellecourt, and others to fight the oppression and endemic poverty of Native Americans. He became chairman and national director as the group, based in Minneapolis, forged alliances and grew rapidly. After two years it said it had 25,000 members.
Within a year A.I.M., with its flair for guerrilla tactics, joined a lengthy occupation of Alcatraz Island, the former federal prison site in San Francisco Bay.
After his fugitive years, Mr. Banks had a modest movie career. He had roles in Franc Roddam’s “War Party” (1988), Michael Apted’s “Thunderheart” (1992), Michael Mann’s “The Last of the Mohicans” (1992, with Russell Means), and Georgina Lightning’s “Older Than America” (2008), which explored the devastating effects of Indian boarding schools like those Mr. Banks had been forced to attend.
Mr. Banks also appeared in documentaries: “We Shall Remain, Part V: Wounded Knee” (2009), a Ric Burns “American Experience” television film directed by Stanley Nelson; “A Good Day to Die” (2010), directed by David Mueller and Lynn Salt; and “Nowa Cumig: The Drum Will Never Stop” (2011), directed by Marie-Michele Jasmin-Belisle.
Besides his wife and child in Japan, Mr. Banks had many children with other women. In addition to Ms. Banks Rama, he is survived by 19 children, 11 with the surname Banks: Janice, Darla, Deanna, Dennis, Red Elk, Tatanka, Minoh, Tokala, Tiopa, Tacanunpa and Arrow. The others are Glenda Roberts, Beverly Baribeau, Kevin Strong, D. J. Nelson-Banks, Bryan Graves, and Pearl, Denise and Kawlija Blanchard. Mr. Banks is also survived by more than 100 grandchildren, Ms. Banks Rama said.
Mr. Banks was the 2016 vice presidential nominee of the California Peace and Freedom Party, which identified itself as socialist and feminist. The party’s presidential candidate was Gloria La Riva. As a single-state ticket, they won 66,000 votes.
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In recent years, Mr. Banks lived with some of his children in Kentucky and Minnesota. He was an honorary trustee of the Leech Lake Tribal College, a two-year public institution in Cass Lake, Minn. Mr. Means, who also appeared in movies and wrote a memoir, died on the Pine Ridge Reservation in 2012 at age 72.
In 1990, both men joined a ceremony at the Pine Ridge Reservation commemorating the centenary of the Wounded Knee massacre.
“Maybe we opened up some eyes, opened some doors,” Mr. Banks told The Los Angeles Times. “And it was at least an educational process here. Fifteen years ago, there was no newspaper here, no radio station. Now there’s more community control over education.” ||||| Rating is available when the video has been rented.
This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. ||||| Angered over a long history of violated treaties, mistreatment, and discrimination, 200 members of the American Indian Movement (AIM) occupy the tiny hamlet of Wounded Knee, South Dakota.
Former Sioux and Ojibwa convicts attempting to stop police harassment of Indians in the Minneapolis area founded the American Indian Movement in 1968. Borrowing some tactics from the antiwar student demonstrators of the era, AIM soon gained national notoriety for its flamboyant protests. Many mainstream Indian leaders, though, denounced the youth-dominated group as too radical. In 1972, a faction of AIM members led by Dennis Banks and Leonard Peltier sought to close the divide by making alliances with traditional tribal elders on reservations. They had their greatest success on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, after a group of young whites murdered a Sioux Indian named Yellow Thunder. Although Yellow Thunder’s attackers only received six-year prison sentences, this was widely seen as a victory by the local Sioux accustomed to unfair treatment by the racist Anglo judicial system. AIM’s highly visible publicity campaign on the case was given considerable credit for the verdict, winning the organization a great deal of respect on the reservation.
AIM’s growing prestige and influence, however, threatened the conservative Sioux tribal chairman, Dick Wilson. When Wilson learned of a planned AIM protest against his administration at Pine Ridge, he retreated to tribal headquarters where he was under the protection of federal marshals and Bureau of Indian Affairs police. Rather than confront the police in Pine Ridge, AIM decided to occupy the symbolically significant hamlet of Wounded Knee, the site of an 1890 massacre of a band of unarmed Sioux by the U.S. Cavalry. Wilson, with the backing of the federal government, responded by besieging Wounded Knee.
During the 71 days of the siege, federal officers and AIM members exchanged gunfire almost nightly. Two Native Americans were killed and a federal marshal permanently paralyzed by a bullet wound. The leaders of AIM finally surrendered after a negotiated settlement was reached. In a subsequent trial, the judge ordered their acquittal because of evidence that the FBI had manipulated key witnesses. AIM emerged victorious and succeeded in shining a national spotlight on the problems of modern Native Americans.
The troubles at Wounded Knee, however, were not over. A virtual civil war broke out between the opposing Indian factions on the Pine Ridge reservation, and a series of beatings, shootings, and murders left more than 100 Indians dead. When two FBI agents were killed in a 1975 gunfight, the agency raided the reservation and arrested AIM leader Leonard Peltier for the crime. The FBI crackdown coupled with AIM’s own excesses ended its influence at Pine Ridge. Peltier was convicted of killing the two FBI agents and sentenced to life in prison. Peltier’s supporters, however, continue to maintain his innocence and seek a presidential pardon to this day. ||||| Dennis Banks, one of the country's most influential American Indian activists, was a key figure in the 1970s standoff with federal agents at Wounded Knee. The American Indian Movement he helped found drew attention with a string of high-profile occupations.
But some who worked closely with Banks saw him more as a thoughtful intellectual than a strident fighter. Away from the media spotlight, he worked to preserve American Indian culture, promote wellness on Indian reservations and export traditional products such as wild rice to markets as far-flung as Japan.
Banks died Sunday at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester from complications following open-heart surgery, his family said. He was 80.
"Someone who has such courage as Dennis Banks was everything to us," said Winona LaDuke, the prominent American Indian advocate who considers Banks a major inspiration. "He was a leader in our community, not just to talk but to be there for the community."
In a moving post on Banks' Facebook page signed by his children and grandchildren, his family said Banks "started his journey to the spirit world" just after 10 p.m. Sunday. His children sang traditional songs and prayed over him as he took his last breaths. He had developed pneumonia after surgery 10 days earlier.
"We felt like he was improving, but the pneumonia came on real fast," Tashina Banks, one of Banks' 20 children, said as she traveled Monday afternoon in a family caravan with her father's body from Rochester to a funeral home in Buffalo.
Dennis Banks
The family said Banks will be buried Saturday in his home community of Leech Lake in northern Minnesota.
Banks, or "Nowa Cumig" in his native language, was born April 12, 1937, on the Leech Lake Indian Reservation. At age 5, he was placed at a boarding school in southwestern Minnesota. At 17, he joined the military and served in Japan.
In 1968, Banks was among the founders of the American Indian Movement in Minneapolis, which started out as a protest against police treatment of American Indians in south Minneapolis and spread nationwide. Under Banks' leadership, marches and takeovers became AIM's signature tactics.
Banks participated in the 1969 occupation of Alcatraz, the San Francisco Bay Area island that had housed a federal prison. In November 1972, he led AIM in a takeover of the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs building in the nation's capital, a protest dubbed "The Trail of Broken Treaties."
Laura Waterman Wittstock, then a reporter for the American Indian Press Association in Washington, D.C., said AIM's grass roots organizing riveted the Washington press corps. In Banks, the movement had a thoughtful spokesman.
"I was impressed with his intelligence and his ability to articulate clearly what he was doing," she said.
Banks and other AIM members made their biggest mark in 1973, when federal agents clashed with hundreds of protesters occupying Wounded Knee in southwestern South Dakota, the site of an 1890 massacre of Indians by federal troops.
Protesters and federal authorities were locked in a standoff for 71 days. Two tribal members were killed and a federal agent seriously wounded. Banks and fellow AIM activist Russell Means were charged in 1974 for their roles in the uprising.
After a trial in federal court in St. Paul that lasted several months, a judge threw out the charges on grounds of government misconduct.
Bill Means, Russell Means' brother, said the two activists helped craft their defense with their lawyers. They used the courtroom and regular news conferences to launch an indictment of the federal authorities' tactics.
"What we did in the 1960s and early 1970s was raise the consciousness of white America that this government has a responsibility to Indian people," Banks once said.
Banks' refusal to shun confrontation made him a divisive figure both in the mainstream and among some reservation officials, recalled Jim Parsons, a retired Star Tribune reporter who covered Banks extensively.
"He was being a militant, disturbing the status quo," Parsons said. "AIM was controversial even on the reservation because they were challenging the power of the local tribal chiefs."
Banks spent 18 months in prison in the 1980s after being convicted of rioting and assault for a protest in Custer, S.D., earlier in 1973. He avoided prosecution for several years because California Gov. Jerry Brown refused to extradite him, and the Onondaga Nation in New York gave him sanctuary.
LaDuke said following media coverage of the Wounded Knee trial was a formative experience; as an 18-year-old Harvard University student five years later, she joined AIM and worked for the organization. Banks eventually became a close friend. She said she will remember his humor and kindness, and a joyful dance they shared at a traditional ceremony in northern Wisconsin several years ago.
"He was probably badass, as they say, but I didn't really see that side of him," she said.
Fighter, thinker: Some saw Banks as strident; others lauded his intelligence and thoughtfulness.
Although Banks kept a lower profile in recent years, friends say he remained active in advocacy until his death. In 2010, Banks joined other Ojibwe from the Leech Lake and White Earth bands who tested their 1855 treaty rights by setting out nets illegally on Lake Bemidji a day before Minnesota's fishing season opener.
LaDuke said Banks, who launched a successful wild rice and maple syrup business, pitched in to oppose the genetic engineering of wild rice. To nurture pride in native traditions, he started canoe races on the Mississippi, securing a trip to Japan as a prize. LaDuke ran into him at the Dakota Access pipeline protests in western North Dakota last year.
He also organized caravans that stopped at Indian reservations across the country to raise awareness about various issues, most recently the unsolved murders and assaults of native women.
"Dennis was one of the greatest defenders of Indian rights and human rights of this generation" said Means.
Services in various locations around the state begin Wednesday, with a wake at noon at the American Indian Center, 1530 E. Franklin Av., in Minneapolis. Another wake will be held Thursday and Friday at Banks' home near Federal Dam.
A traditional burial will be Saturday at Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig Cemetery at Battle Point on the Leech Lake Reservation. The time for that rite is also pending. | – Dennis Banks, one of the founders of the American Indian Movement, died on Oct. 29 at the age of 80. Banks, a member of the Chippewa tribe who was born on the Leech Lake Indian Reservation in Minnesota, died of complications from pneumonia 10 days after undergoing open-heart surgery, the Star Tribune reports. He came to prominence in 1968, with the advent of the American Indian Movement, a political force that raised awareness about Native American issues through the use of marches and sit-ins and sometimes-violent confrontations with authorities. In its heyday the group occupied Alcatraz prison and took over the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington, DC, for six days. Banks and his organization are perhaps most famous for their 1973 standoff with federal agents at the site of the 1890 Wounded Knee massacre, the New York Times reports. On Feb. 27, 1973, 200 AIM followers and Oglala Lakota staged an armed occupation of the town of Wounded Knee, SD, and weathered a 10-week siege by US marshals and FBI agents. Two of the protestors were killed and one federal agent shot and paralyzed. Banks was charged with assault and conspiracy, but a federal judge dismissed the case, citing government misconduct. A Facebook message signed by his children and grandchildren said those present at Banks' death "proudly sang him the AIM song as his final send off." |
Video (02:37) : Frigid weather is headed our way. Paul Douglas lets us know how long it will stay.
The forecast high of zero degrees for the Vikings-Seahawks game on Sunday at TCF Bank Stadium would make it the coldest home playoff game in team history and among the frostiest in NFL history.
There have been only nine games in league history where the high temperature during the game never got above zero.
The Vikings’ coldest playoff game at Met Stadium was 9 degrees in 1970 against San Francisco. Their coldest game, -2 against Chicago, was the sixth most frigid in NFL history.
The coldest NFL game was the “Ice Bowl,” the league’s title game between Green Bay and Dallas at Lambeau Field on New Year’s Eve in 1967. The temperature was -13 and wind chills hit -48.
NBC broadcaster Cris Collinsworth, who will be calling Sunday’s game, likes to refer to the coldest game by windchill in league history. Collinsworth played for the Bengals when they beat San Diego on Jan. 10, 1982 at Riverfront Stadium for the AFC title when the temp was -9 and wind chills hit -59.
COLDEST VIKINGS HOME GAMES
-2 vs. Chicago, Dec. 3, 1972 (wind north 11 mph)
0 vs. Green Bay, Dec. 10, 1972 (wind SW 9 mph)
5 vs. Los Angeles, Nov. 29, 1964 (wind NW 12 mph)
9 vs. Chicago, Dec. 5, 1970 (wind north 25 mph)
9 vs. San Francisco*, Dec. 27, 1970 (wind north 10 mph)
11 vs. Cleveland*, Jan. 4, 1970 (wind NW 8 mph)
12 vs. Carolina, Nov. 30, 2014 (wind NW, 17 mph)
12 vs. Los Angeles*, Dec. 26, 1976 (wind NW 13 mph)
13 vs. N.Y. Giants, Dec. 27, 2015 (wind NW 8 mph)
15 vs. San Francisco, Dec. 4, 1977 (wind East 15 mph)
*playoff game ||||| EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- The Minnesota Vikings' first outdoor home playoff game in more than 39 years could be the coldest in their history, with temperatures projected to hit a high of 1 degree Sunday.
Editor's Picks PFF: Four matchups to watch in wild-card round Will the Steelers exploit Bengals CB Dre Kirkpatrick? Can the Vikings' OTs hold up against the Seahawks' pass rush? Steve Palazzolo examines the key matchups that could sway each wild-card game.
Before the Vikings face the Seattle Seahawks in what is forecast to be one of the coldest games in NFL history, they are taking steps to help fans brave frigid weather during a playoff game for the first time in two generations.
The Vikings announced Thursday that they will provide hand warmers at entry gates Sunday, and Caribou Coffee will provide free coffee in the Vikings' fan zone southwest of TCF Bank Stadium. The University of Minnesota will also open Mariucci Arena -- where the Gophers' men's hockey team plays -- as a warming house for fans beginning three hours before kickoff.
The team said it will allow non-battery-operated blankets in the stadium and encouraged fans to bring Styrofoam, cardboard or newspapers to place under their feet. TCF Bank Stadium, which was built in 2009, has bleacher seating in the corners and end zones.
"We know Minnesotans are resilient when it comes to cold weather and unified when it comes to the Vikings, so we view this Sunday's game as a rallying moment," Vikings president Mark Wilf said in a statement. "At the same time, we want our fans to be smart and safe when they are supporting the team, and we are taking a few extra steps to assist in that effort this Sunday."
According to Accuweather.com, the "RealFeel" for Sunday's game will be minus-23 degrees.
The coldest game Minnesota has played at TCF Bank Stadium was during Week 13 of the 2014 season when it was 12 degrees at kickoff. AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt
The coldest home game in Vikings history was Dec. 3, 1972, with a temperature of minus-2 at kickoff. The field at Metropolitan Stadium that day was "like painted concrete," Vikings Hall of Fame defensive end Carl Eller said Thursday morning.
If the temperature is below zero at kickoff Sunday, it will be one of the six coldest playoff games in NFL history. The last playoff game with a subzero temperature at kickoff was the 2007 NFC Championship Game between the Green Bay Packers and New York Giants, when it was minus-1 at Lambeau Field.
The Vikings' frigid day at their temporary home on the University of Minnesota campus could also be their last; they will move back indoors next year, when U.S. Bank Stadium is scheduled to open in downtown Minneapolis. | – For those cynical fans who believe hell will freeze over before the Minnesota Vikings win a championship, your time might have finally arrived. The forecast is calling for some incredibly cold temperatures when the Vikings take on the Seattle Seahawks in the first round of the NFL playoffs on Sunday. The Minnesota Star-Tribune reports the temperature at the University of Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium at game time is supposed to be right around zero degrees—at the warmest. If that holds true, it would be one of the 10 coldest games in NFL history. ESPN is a little more optimistic, calling for a whopping high of 1 degree. Though the network also points out it will feel like -23 degrees with the wind chill. The Vikings, who are waiting for their new stadium to be built, are playing an outdoor home playoff game for the first time in nearly 40 years, ESPN reports. The stadium will be providing free hand warmers and coffee, and fans are encouraged to bring blankets and cardboard or newspaper to put under their feet. According to the Star-Tribune, the coldest game in NFL history is known as the "Ice Bowl." Green Bay and Dallas played for the 1967 championship with the temperature hovering around -13 degrees (with a wind chill of -50 degrees). And while it won't get that cold Sunday, the inevitable Seahawks victory might make it feel that way for Vikings fans. |
Published on Nov 3, 2017
Rosie O'Donnell explains the origins of her long-running feud with Donald Trump and her plans to get a Robert Mueller tattoo.
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Rosie O'Donnell Tells the Origin Story of Her Feud with Donald Trump- Late Night with Seth Meyers
https://youtu.be/8M57Tt0uEM0
Late Night with Seth Meyers
http://www.youtube.com/user/latenight... ||||| Many have turned their backs on Donald Trump following his comments about immigration, but one former controversial beauty queen feels torn.
Miss USA 2006 Tara Conner made headlines during her year wearing the crown after reports surfaced that the she was underage drinking and eventually tested positive for cocaine.
Instead of stripping the title from the pageant queen, Trump offered her a second chance and allowed her to enter rehab, so his recent choice of words took Conner by surprise.
Donald Trump's public feuds
"He did a huge service for me and he really helped me out a lot," she shared with the Daily News. "Because I feel like he took such a strong step forward for the recovery movement by sending me to treatment and breaking the stigma in that way but when we throw around words like rapists and druggies it's extremely irresponsible because it adds to the stigma of addiction."
Miss USA Tara Conner gives her response to the interview question on stage during the Miss Universe 2006 pageant. (Stephen Shugerman/Getty Images)
"If you're gonna make such a strong comment on a race or even just people in general maybe back that up with: how are you gonna help people in recovery and make that more of an option for people who are struggling with addiction and alcoholism, instead of just adding to the stigma?"
Regardless of her distaste for his word choice, the former Miss USA admits if she saw him now she would just feel gratitude.
"I would be very gracious for what he has done for me and my life because he helped change my life, I will forever be grateful for that," she explained.
The former Miss USA, who the media referred to as "Mess America," says she has been sober for 8 ½ years, but still struggles with the disease every day.
"I still have my days where I wake up and feel unhealthy and that's when I have to use the tools that I've been given or that I've learned so that I can try to get back in the healthy chair because you don't just get sober and you graduate and you're fine, it's a disease I'm gonna have for the rest of my life, but I have to make that choice every day that I wake up," she shared.
Sign up for BREAKING NEWS Emails privacy policy Thanks for subscribing! ||||| “Do you see I’m a little edgy?” Rosie O’Donnell asked Seth Meyers midway through her interview on Late Night Thursday to promote her role in the new Showtime series SMILF. “I spend like pretty much 90 percent of my waking hours tweeting hatred towards this administration.”
“That is a two-way street,” Meyers pointed out, noting that Donald Trump has been targeting O’Donnell for a very long time. Perhaps most famous was the moment during the first Republican primary debate when Trump responded to Megyn Kelly’s question about his history of misogynistic statements by saying, “Only Rosie O’Donnell.”
“Over a decade,” O’Donnell said.
It all started back when O’Donnell was co-hosting The View. As she explained, there was a young woman who had recently been crowned “Junior Miss Trump Atlantic City Pageant Sexist Winner,” as O’Donnell put it, when she was “caught” by the New York Post kissing a woman at a bar downtown. Trump held a press conference and announced that he had forgiven her for her transgressions.
“What is he, the pimp and she’s the prostitute?” O’Donnell remembered saying at the time. “He’s the moral arbiter of 20-year-old behavior now, right?” From there, she went on to talk about how he has been “bankrupt four times, that he got all his money from his father, and that he notoriously cheats private contractors out of their money.”
After she said all that on The View, Trump “went batshit crazy.”
“So, you know, as bad as everyone feels and they have felt since November 8th, I know for me, I’ve been in a severe depression,” O’Donnell told Meyers. “Although, I’d like to say, today after your show I’m going to get a Bob Mueller tattoo. Because I love him!”
When Meyers described Mueller as a “severe” man, O’Donnell said, “He looks to me like Superman. Like Captain America. Like justice has finally arrived back on our shores! And we are going to right ourselves again!”
“I will say that if Trump gets indicted, it would be really great if Mueller let you serve the papers,” Meyers replied.
O’Donnell said that when Trump first rode down that escalator to announce his campaign she was “laughing her ass off” because she thought it “would never happen.” Even her therapist assured her that Trump could never actually win the election.
How wrong they were. | – Head to the Trump Twitter archive, type in "Rosie," and you can see in scathing detail the online manifestation of the longtime feud between the president and Rosie O'Donnell. But did we ever really know what started it? O'Donnell offered her take Thursday night on Late Night With Seth Meyers, after the host pointed out that Trump had been going after O'Donnell for what seems like forever, per the Daily Beast. "Over a decade," O'Donnell confirmed, before revealing that she believed the brouhaha all started after something she said on TV when she was co-hosting The View. O'Donnell notes that after Tara Conner, Miss USA 2006, was caught engaging in underage drinking and tested positive for cocaine use that year, Trump announced at a presser he would forgive her. Rosie remembers thinking, "What is he, the pimp and she's the prostitute? He's the moral arbiter of 20-year-old behavior now, right?" And so she scoured the internet (she says she went on Wikipedia) and found some "easily accessible" nuggets—including that Trump went "bankrupt four times, that he got all his money from his father, and that he notoriously cheats private contractors out of their money"—and then shared them on The View. And that, she says, is when Trump went "bats--- crazy." O'Donnell and Meyers also dished on the Robert Mueller Russia investigation, with Meyers noting, "I will say that if Trump gets indicted, it would be really great if Mueller let you serve the papers." O'Donnell replied, "I have put in that request by tweet. I'm waiting to hear." |
But that has not always been the case. In Colorado, the federal government has largely allowed the state-regulated medical-marijuana industry to operate, and supporters said they hoped the government would take a similar laissez-faire stance as the new laws took effect.
“I don’t see D.E.A. agents sweeping into Colorado and Washington and enforcing drug laws that were previously enforced by local agencies,” said Norm Stamper, a former Seattle police chief who campaigned for the Washington measure despite a personal preference for dry martinis over pot brownies. “It would be extremely poor politics. The will of the people has been expressed.”
Although elected officials, parents’ groups and top law enforcement figures opposed the measures, they nevertheless won support with voters who saw little harm with regulating marijuana similarly to the way alcohol is. Colorado’s marijuana law passed with 54 percent support, and Washington’s with 55 percent.
Colorado and Washington are among 18 states with medical marijuana laws, but they become the first in the nation to approve the use for recreational purposes. A similar measure in Oregon failed on Tuesday.
As soon as the laws are certified, it will be legal under Colorado and Washington law for adults 21 years and older to possess up to an ounce of marijuana. In Colorado, people will be able to grow as many as six plants. In Washington, users will have to buy their marijuana from state-licensed providers.
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“They can’t arrest you for it, and they can’t seize it,” Mr. Stamper said. “It’s yours.”
The measures will also set up regulations for industrial hemp, a fibrous plant that contains traces of the main psychoactive chemical in marijuana.
The laws do not allow people to light up in public, and cities and counties will be able to block marijuana retailers, in much the same way that blue laws have restricted alcohol sales for decades. And it remains illegal to drive a motor vehicle while high on the drug.
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Supporters say the laws will end thousands of small-scale drug arrests while freeing law enforcement to focus on larger crimes. They estimate that taxing marijuana will bring in millions of dollars of new revenue for governments, and will save court systems and police departments additional millions.
Opponents warned that the law — despite its 21-year age minimum — would set Colorado and Washington on a collision course with the federal government and encourage teenagers to use marijuana.
It is still unclear how much will change. The streets here in Denver and across Colorado are already lined with shops, their windows decorated with green crosses and pot leaves, advertising all-natural plant treatments and herbal health aids.
“Coloradans are accustomed to having this stuff above ground, supervised by state authorities and having it regulated,” said Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, which supported legalization.
To advocates, the real power of the measures’ passage may be that they signal a change in the way voters think about drugs and drug policy in the United States.
Brian Vicente, a leading campaigner for the Colorado initiative, summed it up this way: “It’s a historic one, man.” ||||| DENVER—Now that measures legalizing some recreational marijuana for adults use have won approval in Colorado and Washington, state regulators and lawmakers must decide how to navigate federal opposition as they implement voters' desires.
The measures flout federal law, under which marijuana sales and possession remain illegal. Oregon voters Tuesday rejected a similar pot-legalization measure.
"The... ||||| Colorado officials and marijuana advocates on Wednesday looked toward an imminent confrontation with the federal government one day after voters in the state endorsed a measure to legalize marijuana for recreational use.
Gov. John Hickenlooper said he is trying to speak soon with U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to learn how the Justice Department will respond to the legalization measure’s passage.
Colorado Attorney General John Suthers said, despite his opposition to legalization, he would work with the state legislature to implement the new law — which he doubted the federal government would allow to stand. Proponents of Amendment 64, the measure voters approved with nearly 55 percent support on Tuesday, said they were optimistic the federal government would “respect the will of Colorado voters.”
And the Colorado U.S. attorney — the top federal prosecutor in the state — remained largely mum on how the conflict would play out. In a statement, local U.S. attorney’s office spokesman Jeff Dorschner reiterated that the Justice Department’s intent to enforce the federal law that makes all marijuana possession or sales a crime “remains unchanged.”
“My sense is that it is unlikely the federal government is going to allow states one by one to unilaterally decriminalize marijuana,” Hickenlooper said, adding, though, “You can’t argue with the will of the voters.”
What lies ahead for Colorado — after it and Washington on Tuesday became the first states in the nation to buck federal law by legalizing marijuana for any purpose — is largely unknown territory. No state since the beginning of marijuana prohibition has rolled back restrictions on cannabis to the extent Colorado now has.
Amendment 64 allows people 21 and older to possess up to an ounce of marijuana and grow up to six plants in their homes. The law won’t take effect, though, until Hickenlooper issues a proclamation certifying the vote. That will likely take at least a month. By law, it doesn’t have to happen until Jan. 5.
Until then, all non-medical marijuana possession and cultivation in Colorado remain a crime. In other words, at least for a few more weeks, the time to puff has not yet come to pass.
Amendment 64 also creates a system in which marijuana could be sold at specially regulated retail stores — which would be separate from medical-marijuana dispensaries. The details of that system must still be worked out by the state legislature and the Department of Revenue. The first recreational marijuana stores would likely not open until 2014, said Brian Vicente, one of Amendment 64’s proponents.
Before that happens, the federal government might choose to intervene by, among other options, filing a lawsuit arguing that the law’s retail sales section violates the U.S. Constitution because it frustrates federal drug laws.
“Coloradans should not expect to see successful legal challenges to the ability of the federal government to enforce its marijuana laws in Colorado,” Suthers wrote in a statement. “Accordingly, I call upon the United States Department of Justice to make known its intentions regarding prosecution of activities sanctioned by Amendment 64.”
The measure’s supporters said they are optimistic the federal government will allow the law to stand, and they heralded their victory Tuesday as the first step in a nationwide push to end marijuana prohibition.
“Things are moving,” Mason Tvert, one of the campaign’s chief proponents, said. “They’re moving quickly. We think the writing is on the wall.”
Amendment 64 — which polls showed hovering at around 50 percent support heading into Election Day — won with what even supporters said was a surprising amount of cushion. With roughly 1.28 million votes in its favor, it drew more support than President Barack Obama did in winning Colorado.
It passed in more counties than it lost — 33 to 31. It won in seven counties that voted for Republican Mitt Romney and lost in only one — Conejos — that voted for Obama.
“We are at the tipping point on marijuana policy,” Vicente said. “This is an area where our voters and our citizens are really leading.”
Drug-abuse prevention professionals, though, said Wednesday that Colorado is going down a dangerous path. They predicted marijuana legalization would increase pot use, especially among young people, and lead to higher rates of drugged driving and substance abuse.
“We need to let people know it is not OK for youths to use marijuana,” said Christian Thurstone, a substance-abuse treatment doctor at Denver Health medical center. “We need them to realize it’s not OK for young people to drive under the influence of marijuana.”
John Ingold: 303-954-1068, [email protected] or twitter.com/john_ingold | – Colorado and Washington state are now chill with citizens having a little pot—but the drug is still very much illegal in Uncle Sam's eyes, leaving states to chart a difficult path. When it comes to medical marijuana, the feds have tended to crack down on large operations and leave small, personal growers alone; that track record may offer a model for enforcement under the new laws. For its part, the federal Drug Enforcement Agency says its stance "remains unchanged," the New York Times notes. But “I don’t see DEA agents sweeping in ... and enforcing drug laws that were previously enforced by local agencies,” says a former Seattle police chief. "It would be extremely poor politics. The will of the people has been expressed.” The new law could bring in $180 million in taxes and savings over three years, says a Colorado group: "We want to be a model for the rest of the country on how to do this right." Washington advocates similarly say pot shops could bring in $500 million to $600 million in taxes annually. But thorny issues remain, including how to establish bank accounts for a business that's federally banned, the Wall Street Journal notes. "This will be a complicated process, but we intend to follow through," says Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, who the Denver Post reports has been in touch with US Attorney General Eric Holder regarding federal policy. "That said, federal law still says marijuana is an illegal drug, so don't break out the Cheetos or Goldfish too quickly." |
A Bronx man is running for mayor of New York City 17 years after he hijacked a plane at JFK Airport with a handgun and a knife and ordered the pilots to fly to Antarctica.
Aaron Commey is the Libertarian candidate for mayor and will be on the ballot in all five boroughs on Nov. 7. But on July 27, 2000, he was 22 years old and suffering from delusional disorder and paranoid schizophrenia when he walked onto a Boeing 757 bound for Las Vegas and rushed into the cockpit while brandishing a handgun.
Commey told the pilots to clear out the plane’s 150 passengers and crew members, according to reports from the time. He then remained in the plane for five hours while law enforcement and the pilots tried to negotiate. Commey asked, at different times, to be flown to Argentina or Antarctica.
He later explained that he had planned to parachute into Antarctica to destroy the “Cabal,” a secret organization that wanted to “take over the world through mass destruction.”
In the end, the plane never took off and nobody was injured, while Commey was arrested and charged with five crimes, including attempt to commit aircraft piracy.
RELATED: Who's who in the 2017 NYC mayoral race?
In an interview with City & State this week, Commey admitted he didn’t have a typical candidate biography.
“It’s definitely a valid question … ‘Well, how can we trust you, when you’re this guy who tried to hijack a plane?’” he said. “I am not the same person that I was. I was definitely severely mentally ill. And in addition to recovering from my mental illness without medication, I am a completely different person in terms of how I approach situations and I’m committed to nonviolence.”
In September 2003, Commey was found not guilty on all counts by reason of insanity. But he would remain incarcerated in federal prison until his release in 2015. According to a legal filing, he was assigned to a medical center run by the Federal Bureau of Prisons for treatment. In 2004 he was transferred to Federal Medical Center, Devens in Ayer, Massachusetts, where former Rep. Anthony Weiner is scheduled to report next month to serve a 21-month sentence.
“I spent about 15 years in prison, was never convicted,” Commey said. “And it shaped me into the person I am today.”
Commey said that government officials and judges refused to let him go for years, despite having doctors say he had fully recovered. “Experiencing my own personal injustice, seeing injustice happen to other guys,” he said, “that’s one of the things that had driven me to wanting to get involved to try to change the system.”
It also turned him into a Libertarian. “It showed me a side of government a lot of people think of in the abstract, but feeling it up close and personal made it all that more real to me,” he said. “And there was really only one party I saw that was tackling that aspect of government.”
Commey is an extreme long shot in the mayor’s race. He has not been active on the campaign trail, and has raised almost no money, putting up about $2,300 of his own funds while getting just $495 from donors. He has not been included in any major polls. In 2013, Libertarian candidate Michael Sanchez got just 446 votes in the mayoral election, or 0.16 percent of the total.
Commey’s website, which includes both scenes of New York and videos of the Philadelphia skyline, does not go into detail about his past, but mentions “experience overcoming his own trials and tribulations with the justice system and mental health issues.”
The candidate’s unusual history has not been widely reported, but Commey had openly spoken about the hijacking attempt, his mental illness and incarceration in an interview with The Black Business School and Libertarian sources like Think Liberty TV and Lions of Liberty.
But as a mayoral candidate, the one-time air pirate thought his past would get more attention.
“I was shocked, because I expected this to be the first thing out the gate and like nobody said anything,” he said. “I’m like, wow, OK. I’ll tell the story when the opportunity arises, but I really thought people were going to have much more of a reaction to it.” ||||| NEW YORK (AP) — A New York City mayoral candidate says he's "shocked" that so little attention has been paid to his arrest for trying to hijack an airliner at gunpoint 17 years ago.
In July 2000, Aaron Commey (KOH'-may) boarded a National Airlines plane in New York and ordered the pilots to fly to Argentina or Antarctica. It never took off and nobody was injured.
He was acquitted by reason of insanity in 2003 and was released from a prison medical facility in 2015.
The Libertarian candidate tells the news magazine City & State New York that it's reasonable for voters to wonder if he's suited for office.
He says he has fully recovered and is "committed to nonviolence."
Commey says he has experienced and witnessed injustice and wants to change the system. | – A New York City mayoral candidate says he's "shocked" that so little attention has been paid to his arrest for trying to hijack an airliner at gunpoint 17 years ago. In July 2000, Aaron Commey (it's pronounced KOH-may) boarded a National Airlines plane in New York and ordered the pilots to fly to Argentina or Antarctica, per the AP. It never took off and nobody was injured. He was acquitted by reason of insanity in 2003 and was released from a prison medical facility in 2015. The Libertarian candidate tells the news magazine City & State New York that it's reasonable for voters to wonder if he's suited for office and that he's surprised the issue has gotten so little attention. "I was shocked, because I expected this to be the first thing out the gate and like nobody said anything." Commey, who was 22 at the time and suffering from delusional disorder and paranoid schizophrenia, says he has fully recovered and is "committed to nonviolence." Commey says he has experienced and witnessed injustice and wants to change the system. |
Seeing is believing
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Dates range from 1860 to today for The Philadelphia Inquirer and 1960 to today for the Philadelphia Daily News ||||| Story highlights A 7-year-old boy was caught with 9 bags of heroin in his pants pocket at school
DA: The boy's grandmother "lost track" of the heroin while she was babysitting
The DA faults school district for not doing enough to inform authorities, parents
The Pennsylvania school district says it contacted local police
Rather than a bagged lunch, a Pennsylvania first-grader brought bags of heroin into school -- giving some to at least one classmate before teachers caught him with a pocket full of drugs, authorities say.
Two days later, the boy's 56-year-old grandmother was arrested on charges of endangering the welfare of children and drug offenses for allegedly losing track of the heroin while babysitting, according to a local district attorney's office.
Chester County, Pennsylvania, District Attorney Tom Hogan expressed outrage over any child bringing a drug as potent as heroin into an elementary school. He also lashed out at the boy's school district for not doing more to inform parents as well as authorities, including his office.
"Any exposure to heroin for a young child is likely to result in death," Hogan said in a statement released Monday. "The (grandmother) is lucky that she was not responsible for the death of her own grandson or somebody else's child."
According to a criminal complaint detailed by Hogan's office, Pauline Bilinski-Munion was babysitting her grandson and a 1-year-old baby last Thursday at a residence in Modena, Pennsylvania. Bilinski-Munion had "brought heroin into the house and lost track of it," according to the district attorney's office, which referred to her as "a known heroin user."
The next day, the 7-year-old brought several bags of heroin with him into Caln Elementary School. Teachers overheard the child talking about the bags, and later found nine bags of what proved to be heroin -- with each bag stamped, "Victoria's Secret" -- in the boy's pants pocket, the prosecutor's office said.
The child initially claimed he found the heroin in the school yard, only to later admit he'd gotten them from home. The drugs were then handed over to the Coatesville Area School District Police.
Another child's mother later claimed that she'd found an additional bag of heroin, with the same "Victoria's Secret" wording, on her 7-year-old as they were walking late Friday afternoon in a nearby mall, authorities said.
What happened next is a matter of dispute.
The school district didn't respond to repeated CNN calls for comment. But CNN affiliate KYW reported that, in a statement, the district "immediately contacted Caln Township, Coatesville city and (the) South Coatesville Police Departments."
Yet Hogan faulted the school system for what he characterized as its "late and vague notification to parents about a 'dangerous and illegal' substance," and failing to alert his office, which didn't start investigating until hearing about the story in the media on Saturday.
"The school district didn't call 911, didn't call the DA's office, did not freeze all the kids in place, they did not call in emergency personnel to check all the kids to make sure they were OK," he told KYW. "They did not check to see if there was heroin anywhere else around."
Following her arrest Sunday, Bilinski-Munion was charged and held with bail set at $25,000. Efforts by CNN to reach her relatives have been unsuccessful, and it wasn't immediately known who is representing her in court. | – Babysitting her grandson, a Pennsylvania grandmother misplaced her heroin—and it turned up in the 7-year-old's pockets at school a few days later, CNN reports. So says the district attorney, who warns that "any exposure to heroin for a young child is likely to result in death." The boy—who was carrying nine bags of the stuff, each stamped "Victoria's Secret"—allegedly gave some to a classmate, whose mom found it, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. The grandmother "is lucky that she was not responsible for the death of her own grandson or somebody else's child," DA Tom Hogan says. Indeed, heroin "can be ingested through the skin," a police rep says. Now, Pauline Bilinski-Munion has been arrested and charged over drugs and endangering children's welfare. She's not the only one facing Hogan's ire: He also says the school "didn't call 911, didn't call the DA's office, did not freeze all the kids in place ... [or] call in emergency personnel to check all the kids to make sure they were OK." The school offered only a "late and vague notification to parents about a 'dangerous and illegal' substance," Hogan says. The school, however, says it contacted police immediately. |
The most extremist power any political leader can assert is the power to target his own citizens for execution without any charges or due process, far from any battlefield. The Obama administration has not only asserted exactly that power in theory, but has exercised it in practice. In September 2011, it killed US citizen Anwar Awlaki in a drone strike in Yemen, along with US citizen Samir Khan, and then, in circumstances that are still unexplained, two weeks later killed Awlaki's 16-year-old American son Abdulrahman with a separate drone strike in Yemen.
Since then, senior Obama officials including Attorney General Eric Holder and John Brennan, Obama's top terrorism adviser and his current nominee to lead the CIA, have explicitly argued that the president is and should be vested with this power. Meanwhile, a Washington Post article from October reported that the administration is formally institutionalizing this president's power to decide who dies under the Orwellian title "disposition matrix".
When the New York Times back in April, 2010 first confirmed the existence of Obama's hit list, it made clear just what an extremist power this is, noting: "It is extremely rare, if not unprecedented, for an American to be approved for targeted killing." The NYT quoted a Bush intelligence official as saying "he did not know of any American who was approved for targeted killing under the former president". When the existence of Obama's hit list was first reported several months earlier by the Washington Post's Dana Priest, she wrote that the "list includes three Americans".
What has made these actions all the more radical is the absolute secrecy with which Obama has draped all of this. Not only is the entire process carried out solely within the Executive branch - with no checks or oversight of any kind - but there is zero transparency and zero accountability. The president's underlings compile their proposed lists of who should be executed, and the president - at a charming weekly event dubbed by White House aides as "Terror Tuesday" - then chooses from "baseball cards" and decrees in total secrecy who should die. The power of accuser, prosecutor, judge, jury, and executioner are all consolidated in this one man, and those powers are exercised in the dark.
In fact, The Most Transparent Administration Ever™ has been so fixated on secrecy that they have refused even to disclose the legal memoranda prepared by Obama lawyers setting forth their legal rationale for why the president has this power. During the Bush years, when Bush refused to disclose the memoranda from his Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) that legally authorized torture, rendition, warrantless eavesdropping and the like, leading Democratic lawyers such as Dawn Johnsen (Obama's first choice to lead the OLC) vehemently denounced this practice as a grave threat, warning that "the Bush Administration's excessive reliance on 'secret law' threatens the effective functioning of American democracy" and "the withholding from Congress and the public of legal interpretations by the [OLC] upsets the system of checks and balances between the executive and legislative branches of government."
But when it comes to Obama's assassination power, this is exactly what his administration has done. It has repeatedly refused to disclose the principal legal memoranda prepared by Obama OLC lawyers that justified his kill list. It is, right now, vigorously resisting lawsuits from the New York Times and the ACLU to obtain that OLC memorandum. In sum, Obama not only claims he has the power to order US citizens killed with no transparency, but that even the documents explaining the legal rationale for this power are to be concealed. He's maintaining secret law on the most extremist power he can assert.
Last night, NBC News' Michael Isikoff released a 16-page "white paper" prepared by the Obama DOJ that purports to justify Obama's power to target even Americans for assassination without due process (the memo is embedded in full below). This is not the primary OLC memo justifying Obama's kill list - that is still concealed - but it appears to track the reasoning of that memo as anonymously described to the New York Times in October 2011.
This new memo is entitled: "Lawfulness of a Lethal Operation Directed Against a US Citizen Who is a Senior Operational Leader of Al-Qa'ida or An Associated Force". It claims its conclusion is "reached with recognition of the extraordinary seriousness of a lethal operation by the United States against a US citizen". Yet it is every bit as chilling as the Bush OLC torture memos in how its clinical, legalistic tone completely sanitizes the radical and dangerous power it purports to authorize.
I've written many times at length about why the Obama assassination program is such an extreme and radical threat - see here for one of the most comprehensive discussions, with documentation of how completely all of this violates Obama and Holder's statements before obtaining power - and won't repeat those arguments here. Instead, there are numerous points that should be emphasized about the fundamentally misleading nature of this new memo:
1. Equating government accusations with guilt
The core distortion of the War on Terror under both Bush and Obama is the Orwellian practice of equating government accusations of terrorism with proof of guilt. One constantly hears US government defenders referring to "terrorists" when what they actually mean is: those accused by the government of terrorism. This entire memo is grounded in this deceit.
Time and again, it emphasizes that the authorized assassinations are carried out "against a senior operational leader of al-Qaida or its associated forces who poses an imminent threat of violent attack against the United States." Undoubtedly fearing that this document would one day be public, Obama lawyers made certain to incorporate this deceit into the title itself: "Lawfulness of a Lethal Operation Directed Against a US Citizen Who is a Senior Operational Leader of al-Qaida or An Associated Force."
This ensures that huge numbers of citizens - those who spend little time thinking about such things and/or authoritarians who assume all government claims are true - will instinctively justify what is being done here on the ground that we must kill the Terrorists or joining al-Qaida means you should be killed. That's the "reasoning" process that has driven the War on Terror since it commenced: if the US government simply asserts without evidence or trial that someone is a terrorist, then they are assumed to be, and they can then be punished as such - with indefinite imprisonment or death.
But of course, when this memo refers to "a Senior Operational Leader of al-Qaida", what it actually means is this: someone whom the President - in total secrecy and with no due process - has accused of being that. Indeed, the memo itself makes this clear, as it baldly states that presidential assassinations are justified when "an informed, high-level official of the US government has determined that the targeted individual poses an imminent threat of violent attack against the US".
This is the crucial point: the memo isn't justifying the due-process-free execution of senior al-Qaida leaders who pose an imminent threat to the US. It is justifying the due-process-free execution of people secretly accused by the president and his underlings, with no due process, of being that. The distinction between (a) government accusations and (b) proof of guilt is central to every free society, by definition, yet this memo - and those who defend Obama's assassination power - willfully ignore it.
Those who justify all of this by arguing that Obama can and should kill al-Qaida leaders who are trying to kill Americans are engaged in supreme question-begging. Without any due process, transparency or oversight, there is no way to know who is a "senior al-Qaida leader" and who is posing an "imminent threat" to Americans. All that can be known is who Obama, in total secrecy, accuses of this.
(Indeed, membership in al-Qaida is not even required to be assassinated, as one can be a member of a group deemed to be an "associated force" of al-Qaida, whatever that might mean: a formulation so broad and ill-defined that, as Law Professor Kevin Jon Heller argues, it means the memo "authorizes the use of lethal force against individuals whose targeting is, without more, prohibited by international law".)
The definition of an extreme authoritarian is one who is willing blindly to assume that government accusations are true without any evidence presented or opportunity to contest those accusations. This memo - and the entire theory justifying Obama's kill list - centrally relies on this authoritarian conflation of government accusations and valid proof of guilt.
They are not the same and never have been. Political leaders who decree guilt in secret and with no oversight inevitably succumb to error and/or abuse of power. Such unchecked accusatory decrees are inherently untrustworthy (indeed, Yemen experts have vehemently contested the claim that Awlaki himself was a senior al-Qaida leader posing an imminent threat to the US). That's why due process is guaranteed in the Constitution and why judicial review of government accusations has been a staple of western justice since the Magna Carta: because leaders can't be trusted to decree guilt and punish citizens without evidence and an adversarial process. That is the age-old basic right on which this memo, and the Obama presidency, is waging war.
2. Creating a ceiling, not a floor
The most vital fact to note about this memorandum is that it is not purporting to impose requirements on the president's power to assassinate US citizens. When it concludes that the president has the authority to assassinate "a Senior Operational Leader of al-Qaida" who "poses an imminent threat of violent attack against the US" where capture is "infeasible", it is not concluding that assassinations are permissible only in those circumstances.
To the contrary, the memo expressly makes clear that presidential assassinations may be permitted even when none of those circumstances prevail: "This paper does not attempt to determine the minimum requirements necessary to render such an operation lawful." Instead, as the last line of the memo states: "it concludes only that the stated conditions would be sufficient to make lawful a lethal operation" - not that such conditions are necessary to find these assassinations legal. The memo explicitly leaves open the possibility that presidential assassinations of US citizens may be permissible even when the target is not a senior al-Qaida leader posing an imminent threat and/or when capture is feasible.
Critically, the rationale of the memo - that the US is engaged in a global war against al-Qaida and "associated forces" - can be easily used to justify presidential assassinations of US citizens in circumstances far beyond the ones described in this memo. If you believe the president has the power to execute US citizens based on the accusation that the citizen has joined al-Qaida, what possible limiting principle can you cite as to why that shouldn't apply to a low-level al-Qaida member, including ones found in places where capture may be feasible (including US soil)? The purported limitations on this power set forth in this memo, aside from being incredibly vague, can be easily discarded once the central theory of presidential power is embraced.
3. Relies on the core Bush/Cheney theory of a global battlefield
The primary theory embraced by the Bush administration to justify its War on Terror policies was that the "battlefield" is no longer confined to identifiable geographical areas, but instead, the entire globe is now one big, unlimited "battlefield". That theory is both radical and dangerous because a president's powers are basically omnipotent on a "battlefield". There, state power is shielded from law, from courts, from constitutional guarantees, from all forms of accountability: anyone on a battlefield can be killed or imprisoned without charges. Thus, to posit the world as a battlefield is, by definition, to create an imperial, omnipotent presidency. That is the radical theory that unleashed all the rest of the controversial and lawless Bush/Cheney policies.
This "world-is-a-battlefield" theory was once highly controversial among Democrats. John Kerry famously denounced it when running for president, arguing instead that the effort against terrorism is "primarily an intelligence and law enforcement operation that requires cooperation around the world".
But this global-war theory is exactly what lies at heart of the Obama approach to Terrorism generally and this memo specifically. It is impossible to defend Obama's assassination powers without embracing it (which is why key Obama officials have consistently done so). That's because these assassinations are taking place in countries far from any war zone, such as Yemen and Somalia. You can't defend the application of "war powers" in these countries without embracing the once-very-controversial Bush/Cheney view that the whole is now a "battlefield" and the president's war powers thus exist without geographic limits.
This new memo makes clear that this Bush/Cheney worldview is at the heart of the Obama presidency. The president, it claims, "retains authority to use force against al-Qaida and associated forces outside the area of active hostilities". In other words: there are, subject to the entirely optional "feasibility of capture" element, no geographic limits to the president's authority to kill anyone he wants. This power applies not only to war zones, but everywhere in the world that he claims a member of al-Qaida is found. This memo embraces and institutionalizes the core Bush/Cheney theory that justified the entire panoply of policies Democrats back then pretended to find so objectionable.
4. Expanding the concept of "imminence" beyond recognition
The memo claims that the president's assassination power applies to a senior al-Qaida member who "poses an imminent threat of violent attack against the United States". That is designed to convince citizens to accept this power by leading them to believe it's similar to common and familiar domestic uses of lethal force on US soil: if, for instance, an armed criminal is in the process of robbing a bank or is about to shoot hostages, then the "imminence" of the threat he poses justifies the use of lethal force against him by the police.
But this rhetorical tactic is totally misleading. The memo is authorizing assassinations against citizens in circumstances far beyond this understanding of "imminence". Indeed, the memo expressly states that it is inventing "a broader concept of imminence" than is typically used in domestic law. Specifically, the president's assassination power "does not require that the US have clear evidence that a specific attack . . . will take place in the immediate future". The US routinely assassinates its targets not when they are engaged in or plotting attacks but when they are at home, with family members, riding in a car, at work, at funerals, rescuing other drone victims, etc.
Many of the early objections to this new memo have focused on this warped and incredibly broad definition of "imminence". The ACLU's Jameel Jaffer told Isikoff that the memo "redefines the word imminence in a way that deprives the word of its ordinary meaning". Law Professor Kevin Jon Heller called Jaffer's objection "an understatement", noting that the memo's understanding of "imminence" is "wildly overbroad" under international law.
Crucially, Heller points out what I noted above: once you accept the memo's reasoning - that the US is engaged in a global war, that the world is a battlefield, and the president has the power to assassinate any member of al-Qaida or associated forces - then there is no way coherent way to limit this power to places where capture is infeasible or to persons posing an "imminent" threat. The legal framework adopted by the memo means the president can kill anyone he claims is a member of al-Qaida regardless of where they are found or what they are doing.
The only reason to add these limitations of "imminence" and "feasibility of capture" is, as Heller said, purely political: to make the theories more politically palatable. But the definitions for these terms are so vague and broad that they provide no real limits on the president's assassination power. As the ACLU's Jaffer says: "This is a chilling document" because "it argues that the government has the right to carry out the extrajudicial killing of an American citizen" and the purported limits "are elastic and vaguely defined, and it's easy to see how they could be manipulated."
5. Converting Obama underlings into objective courts
This memo is not a judicial opinion. It was not written by anyone independent of the president. To the contrary, it was written by life-long partisan lackeys: lawyers whose careerist interests depend upon staying in the good graces of Obama and the Democrats, almost certainly Marty Lederman and David Barron. Treating this document as though it confers any authority on Obama is like treating the statements of one's lawyer as a judicial finding or jury verdict.
Indeed, recall the primary excuse used to shield Bush officials from prosecution for their crimes of torture and illegal eavesdropping: namely, they got Bush-appointed lawyers in the DOJ to say that their conduct was legal, and therefore, it should be treated as such. This tactic - getting partisan lawyers and underlings of the president to say that the president's conduct is legal - was appropriately treated with scorn when invoked by Bush officials to justify their radical programs. As Digby wrote about Bush officials who pointed to the OLC memos it got its lawyers to issue about torture and eavesdropping, such a practice amounts to:
"validating the idea that obscure Justice Department officials can be granted the authority to essentially immunize officials at all levels of the government, from the president down to the lowest field officer, by issuing a secret memo. This is a very important new development in western jurisprudence and one that surely requires more study and consideration. If Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan had known about this, they could have saved themselves a lot of trouble."
Life-long Democratic Party lawyers are not going to oppose the terrorism policies of the president who appointed them. A president can always find underlings and political appointees to endorse whatever he wants to do. That's all this memo is: the by-product of obsequious lawyers telling their Party's leader that he is (of course) free to do exactly that which he wants to do, in exactly the same way that Bush got John Yoo to tell him that torture was not torture, and that even it if were, it was legal.
That's why courts, not the president's partisan lawyers, should be making these determinations. But when the ACLU tried to obtain a judicial determination as to whether Obama is actually authorized to assassinate US citizens, the Obama DOJ went to extreme lengths to block the court from ruling on that question. They didn't want independent judges to determine the law. They wanted their own lawyers to do so.
That's all this memo is: Obama-loyal appointees telling their leader that he has the authority to do what he wants. But in the warped world of US politics, this - secret memos from partisan lackeys - has replaced judicial review as the means to determine the legality of the president's conduct.
6. Making a mockery of "due process"
The core freedom most under attack by the War on Terror is the Fifth Amendment's guarantee of due process. It provides that "no person shall be . . . deprived of life . . . without due process of law". Like putting people in cages for life on island prisons with no trial, claiming that the president has the right to assassinate US citizens far from any battlefield without any charges or trial is the supreme evisceration of this right.
The memo pays lip service to the right it is destroying: "Under the traditional due process balancing analysis . . . . we recognize that there is no private interest more weighty than a person's interest in his life." But it nonetheless argues that a "balancing test" is necessary to determine the extent of the process that is due before the president can deprive someone of their life, and further argues that, as the New York Times put it when this theory was first unveiled: "while the Fifth Amendment's guarantee of due process applied, it could be satisfied by internal deliberations in the executive branch."
Stephen Colbert perfectly mocked this theory when Eric Holder first unveiled it to defend the president's assassination program. At the time, Holder actually said: "due process and judicial process are not one and the same." Colbert interpreted that claim as follows:
"Trial by jury, trial by fire, rock, paper scissors, who cares? Due process just means that there is a process that you do. The current process is apparently, first the president meets with his advisers and decides who he can kill. Then he kills them."
It is fitting indeed that the memo expressly embraces two core Bush/Cheney theories to justify this view of what "due process" requires. First, it cites the Bush DOJ's core view, as enunciated by John Yoo, that courts have no role to play in what the president does in the War on Terror because judicial review constitutes "judicial encroachment" on the "judgments by the President and his national security advisers as to when and how to use force". And then it cites the Bush DOJ's mostly successful arguments in the 2004 Hamdi case that the president has the authority even to imprison US citizens without trial provided that he accuses them of being a terrorist.
The reason this is so fitting is because, as I've detailed many times, it was these same early Bush/Cheney theories that made me want to begin writing about politics, all driven by my perception that the US government was becoming extremist and dangerous. During the early Bush years, the very idea that the US government asserted the power to imprison US citizens without charges and due process (or to eavesdrop on them) was so radical that, at the time, I could hardly believe they were being asserted out in the open.
Yet here we are almost a full decade later. And we have the current president asserting the power not merely to imprison or eavesdrop on US citizens without charges or trial, but to order them executed - and to do so in total secrecy, with no checks or oversight. If you believe the president has the power to order US citizens executed far from any battlefield with no charges or trial, then it's truly hard to conceive of any asserted power you would find objectionable.
DOJ white paper ||||| It refers, for example, to what it calls a “broader concept of imminence” than actual intelligence about any ongoing plot against the U.S. homeland.
The condition that an operational leader present an ‘imminent’ threat of violent attack against the United States does not require the United States to have clear evidence that a specific attack on U.S. persons and interests will take place in the immediate future,” the memo states. | – The Obama administration's rationale for when it's OK to kill US citizens is fundamentally un-American, writes Glenn Greenwald at the Guardian. For example, the Justice Department memo says the US is justified in going after terrorists—based on the assertions of US officials supposedly in the know about who is or isn't a terrorist. Where's the due process? "The distinction between (a) government accusations and (b) proof of guilt is central to every free society, by definition, yet this memo—and those who defend Obama's assassination power—willfully ignore it." The memo has at its core the "Bush/Cheney worldview," writes Greenwald in his lengthy critique. "If you believe the president has the power to order US citizens executed far from any battlefield with no charges or trial, then it's truly hard to conceive of any asserted power you would find objectionable." Read Greenwald's full column here. At Salon, David Sirota thinks the memo makes clear that the "ever-expanding drone war" is so out of control that not even the Constitution can rein it in. It is, in short, "too big to curtail." Read Sirota's column here. |
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/ Updated / Source: TODAY By Scott Stump
During last year's trial in which graduating senior Owen Labrie was charged with sexually assaulting a younger student at the prestigious St. Paul's School, his accuser was shielded in anonymity by law.
Chessy Prout, who was 15 years old at the time of the incident, has now decided to publicly reveal her identity in order to speak out about the crime.
"I want everyone to know that I am not afraid or ashamed anymore, and I never should have been,'' Prout told Savannah Guthrie in an exclusive interview that aired on TODAY Tuesday.
Labrie, 20, was acquitted on three counts of felony sexual assault in August 2015 and convicted on three counts of misdemeanor sexual assault, felony illegal use of computer services and misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child. He is currently appealing the verdict.
Labrie had been accused of raping Prout during a ritual called the “Senior Salute” at the prestigious boarding academy in Concord, New Hampshire. The ritual involves seniors trying to have sex with younger girls in the school before graduating.
"It's been two years now since the whole ordeal, and I feel ready to stand up and own what happened to me and make sure other people, other girls and boys, don't need to be ashamed, either,'' Prout said.
Prout says the criminal trial, which made national headlines, could have been avoided.
"We had been prepared to just receive an apology letter,'' she said. "We had been prepared to finish this and just move forward with our lives and let them move forward with their lives, but, you know what, in the pursuit of justice I would've done anything."
Prout took the stand and testified for three days during the trial.
"It was something that was necessary,'' she said. "Although it was scary and although it was pretty difficult...I wouldn't be where I am today without having been able to speak up for myself during that time,'' she said.
RELATED: Prout’s family files suit against St. Paul’s School
In October 2015, Labrie was sentenced to a year in jail, but was initially free while the appeal of the verdict was pending. Labrie was ordered to adhere to a curfew from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. at his mother’s house in Vermont, but was found by a judge to have violated the curfew in March and taken into custody to begin serving his jail sentence.
However, he was freed on bail again in May after a New Hampshire judge gave him another chance to live at his mother’s house as long as he wears a GPS monitor as he awaits his appeal. Labrie is also currently registered as a sex offender in New Hampshire pending his appeal.
Chessy Prout with her family during Savannah Guthrie's exclusive interview. TODAY
"I hope he learns,'' Prout said. "I hope he gets help. And that's all I can ever hope for in any sort of process like this. Because if he doesn't learn, he will do it to another young woman."
While Labrie was convicted on misdemeanor charges, the jury acquitted him of the more serious felony sexual assault charges.
"They said that they didn't believe that he did it knowingly, and that frustrated me a lot because he definitely did do it knowingly,'' Prout said. "And the fact that he was still able to pull the wool over a group of people's eyes bothered me a lot and just disgusted me in some way."
St. Paul's School had long been part of Prout's family, as her father, Alex, is a graduate along with her older sister, Lucy. Chessy was adamant about returning to school in the wake of the trial, but said previous male friends would no longer speak to her.
On one occasion, she claims a pair of senior football players organizing a Powder Puff football game said, "We're only directing this at the upper formers because we're not allowed to look at lower formers anymore."
"I looked at them like this and thinking that that had to be approved by the rector of the school,'' Prout said. "And they let those boys go up there and make a joke about consent and the age. I said to myself, 'That's it, I don't have to deal this anymore.
"I tried my best to go back to my school and try to have a normal life again. But if they're going to treat this topic as a joke, this is not a place I want to be."
In June, the Prouts filed a civil lawsuit against the school, arguing that it failed to protect children entrusted to its care. St. Paul's School issued the following statement to TODAY:
"As was the case when the survivor was a student here and subsequently, the School admires her courage and condemns unkind behavior toward her. We feel deeply for her and her family. We have always placed the safety and well-being of our students first and are confident that the environment and culture of the school have supported that. We categorically deny that there ever existed at the School a culture or tradition of sexual assault. However, there’s no denying the survivor’s experience caused us to look anew at the culture and environment. This fresh look has brought about positive changes at the School."
On Aug. 15, attorneys for St. Paul’s School made a request that Prout's identity be publicly released. The school argued that her family is attacking its reputation “from behind a cloak of anonymity,” according to court documents.
"Unfortunately, it seems like the school's reputation became more important than supporting our daughter,'' Prout's mother, Susan, told Guthrie.
"There was just no recognition that I had gone through something like this,'' Chessy said. "And that is one of the reasons why we're pushing for change."
In response NBC News' specific question about programming, the school says they:
Employ developmentally appropriate education models designed to prevent and reduce risky adolescent behavior.
Implement healthy boundary and bystander intervention programming for adults and students.
Engage external teams of experts to examine the health of the student culture.
Bring in leading experts to train the faculty on adolescent relationships, consent, sexuality, and culture.
Created an Associate Head of School position for the purpose of integrating and advancing healthy culture initiatives.
Continually assess and strengthen our advising system and the role of the head of house.
Regularly review and clarify rules governing student behavior.
Regularly review and upgrade our security systems.
Led a nationally recognized symposium on the influence of technology on adolescent relationships
Prout is now working with the non-profit Promoting Awareness Victim Empowerment (PAVE) organization, which "works both to shatter the silence and prevent sexual violence through social advocacy, education and survivor support." PAVE is launching a new site, I Have the Right To, on Tuesday in the wake of Prout's interview.
TODAY
"I want other people to feel empowered and just strong enough to be able to say, 'I have the right to my body. I have the right to say no,''' Prout said.
Prout has been grateful for the support of her family during the trial and its aftermath.
"I just can't imagine how scary it is for other people to have to do this alone, and I don't want anybody else to be alone anymore,'' she said.
Follow TODAY.com writer Scott Stump on Twitter. ||||| NEW YORK (AP) — A teen who was sexually assaulted during a game of sexual conquest at a prestigious New Hampshire prep school said Tuesday in her first public comments that she is no longer ashamed or afraid and she hopes to be a voice for others.
Chessy Prout spoke in an interview on NBC's "Today" show about what happened to her at St. Paul's School in 2014 when she was a 15-year-old freshman.
"It's been two years now since the whole ordeal, and I feel ready to stand up and own what happened to me and make sure other people, other girls and boys, don't need to be ashamed, either," said Prout, now 17 and about to start her senior year at a different school.
The Associated Press normally does not identify victims of sexual assault, but Prout has now spoken publicly about the case.
Former St. Paul's student Owen Labrie, of Tunbridge, Vermont, was arrested in 2014, days after graduating from the Concord school. Prosecutors alleged he assaulted the girl as part of a competition known as the Senior Salute in which some seniors sought to have sex with underclassman.
Labrie was convicted last year of misdemeanor sex assault charges and a felony charge of using a computer to lure the student. He was acquitted on three counts of felony sexual assault.
Labrie was sentenced to a year in jail, but he remains free pending appeal.
Prout's parents have sued the school, arguing it should have done more to protect their daughter. The school has denied it could have prevented the assault, but it has since taken steps to "prevent and reduce risky adolescent behavior."
In the interview, Prout said she sometimes gets panic attacks and hides in her closet and rocks on the floor. She wants to use the experience to help others.
"I want everyone to know that I am not afraid or ashamed anymore, and I never should have been," she said. | – A year after her sexual assault at St. Paul's School made headlines, Chessy Prout says she's tired of hiding. "I want everyone to know that I am not afraid or ashamed anymore, and I never should have been,'' she tells Today of the May 2014 assault. Prout was just 15 when she was sexually assaulted at the prestigious New Hampshire school while on a date with senior Owen Labrie, who is out on bail while appealing his conviction of misdemeanor sexual assault. Prout says she was "disgusted" that Labrie—acquitted of felony sexual assault charges—convinced a jury that he didn't knowingly rape her "because he definitely did do it knowingly," but says she hopes he learns from his crime. "Because if he doesn't learn, he will do it to another young woman." Prout—who also described having panic attacks and hiding in her closet, per the AP—has teamed up with nonprofit Promoting Awareness Victim Empowerment and says she wants to encourage "other people to feel empowered and just strong enough to be able to say, 'I have the right to my body. I have the right to say no.''' In an effort to bring about change, she's also filed a civil case against St. Paul's, which accused her of attacking the school "from behind a cloak of anonymity" and filed a request that her identity be released. The school denies "a culture or tradition of sexual assault" existed there but says Prout's case has already "brought about positive changes," including new faculty training and updates to security systems. (Read Prout's testimony here.) |
NASHVILLE — Newt Gingrich again avoided the intense campaigning in Michigan Monday, opting instead to spend the day in Nashville appealing to Tennessee voters in advance of Super Tuesday.
The former House speaker participated in a health care roundtable, a rally on the steps of the Tennessee statehouse, and attended a fundraiser in Franklin. His wife, Callista Gingrich, appeared at the Tennessee chapter of “Women With Newt.” The events weren’t retail politics in the traditional sense as they took place in law firms and with state lawmakers at the Tennessee statehouse.
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Gingrich also got a boost from former Tennessee senator and 2008 presidential candidate Fred Thompson. Thompson appeared with Gingrich at the Nashville rally and hosted a fundraiser for him.
Gingrich stressed his Southern ties to Tennessee, which borders Georgia, which he represented in Congress for over two decades.
“As a Georgian, I guess I’ve been coming in and out of Tennessee for a very, very long time,” Gingrich said at his lunch event.
A strong performance in Tennessee is central to Gingrich’s strategy going forward — he is staking his campaign on a strong finish in the Southern states that vote on Super Tuesday.
Tennessee is the third-largest prize on Super Tuesday — which is one week away — with 58 delegates. Gingrich’s campaign did not file the full slate of delegates in here, though that lack of delegates now won’t affect his share of the vote on primary night (Rick Santorum didn’t file any delegates here either).
In Milner, Ga., on Sunday, Gingrich said he “hope[d] to do very well” in Tennessee, in addition to winning Georgia, doing well in Oklahoma and “surpris[ing] people” in Idaho’s caucuses.
Gingrich is hoping his presence in Tennessee will help him gain momentum here, despite the fact that he’s at the end of the pack in recent polling. In a Vanderbilt University poll released Monday, Gingrich came in fourth with 10 percent. Rick Santorum led the pack with 33 percent, followed by Mitt Romney at 17 percent and Ron Paul at 13 percent.
Gingrich’s day wasn’t without a few stumbles. He got only a small crowd at his rally outside the Tennessee statehouse, and the event was interrupted by Occupy protesters, who shouted things like “End the war on women!” and “Palestinians are not an invented people!”
Gingrich responded by using a line he’d just used about President Barack Obama: “In terms of being out of touch with reality…” ||||| NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Republican Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich said today the unrest the United States was seeing in Afghanistan was just "the tip of the iceberg."
"We're not going to fix Afghanistan. It's not possible. These are people who have spent several thousand years hating foreigners," Gingrich said. "And what we've done by staying is become the new foreigners. And this is a real problem."
Gingrich said that in his judgment, the problems the U.S. faces in the Middle East are too big and complicated for military solutions.
"There's some problems where what you have to do is say 'You know, you're going to have to figure out how to live your own miserable life because I'm not here - you clearly don't want to hear from me how to be unmiserable,'" Gingrich said.
Gingrich was critical of President Obama last week for apologizing to Afghanistan after the burning of copies of the Koran sparked mass protests. Gingrich said the president should not have apologized since two Americans were killed.
Today, Gingrich also took a swipe at Afghan president Hamid Zarzai. "My prediction is, the Karzai government is playing us for fools," Gingrich said. "So my view is that we need to be, we need to have a president who is prepared to tell the truth about who is trying to kill us." | – That's harsh. After blasting President Obama for apologizing for the burning of Korans at Bagram, Newt Gingrich now has some advice for Afghanistan: "Live your own miserable life." It's past time for America to quit that nation, Gingrich groused. We’re "not going to fix Afghanistan. It’s not possible," Gingrich expounded on the stump in Tennessee, reports ABC News. "These are people who have spent several thousand years hating foreigners. There’s some problems where you have to say, ‘You know, you’re going to have to figure out how to live your own miserable life because you clearly don’t want to hear from me how to be unmiserable.'" If you're still unclear about where he stands, Gingrich hammered President Hamid Karzai for "playing us for fools." Gingrich dodged Michigan campaigning and focused instead on Tennessee yesterday. A strong showing in the state on Super Tuesday is key to his continued participation in the race, notes Politico. |
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The former White House chef whose body was found late Sunday, after a week-long search in the New Mexico mountains, died from drowning, state police said Tuesday.
Medical examiners ruled 61-year-old Walter Scheib's death as accidental after police saw no signs of foul play, according to a news release. The circumstances surrounding how he died were not immediately known.
Related: Body of Former White House Chef Missing in New Mexico Mountains Found
Scheib's body was found off of the Yerba Canyon hiking trail near Taos in northern New Mexico, where he set off on a solo hiking trip June 13, state police said. After an extensive search, rescue crews found him submerged in a mountain drainage that was flowing with runoff. He was wearing a windbreaker jacket, running pants and tennis shoes.
Scheib served as a White House executive chef under presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush after he first caught the attention of Hillary Clinton at a West Virginia resort. He also appeared on Food Network's "Iron Chef America" in 2006. ||||| Mrs. Clinton told Mr. Scheib that she wanted to bring a healthier, lighter, American style of cooking to the White House, and he obliged, seeking out small producers to deliver high-quality ingredients to the table.
For his first state dinner, in honor of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan, he served an appetizer of quail with corn custard and a tomato-cumin sauce with a Southwestern accent. The entree was grilled Arctic char and lobster sausage with wild mushroom risotto, braised fennel, vegetable ragout and a roasted garlic and lime sauce. Field greens, with goat cheese and basil baked in phyllo and a port wine dressing, followed. The wines were American, and so was the service: individually arranged plates rather than large banquet-style platters.
“If there is a way to get the fat out without making the taste or texture suffer, we do it,” Mr. Scheib said in an interview before serving a state banquet for Boris N. Yeltsin, the Russian president, in September 1994.
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The job was a heady experience for him, and he relished it. “I get to do every day what most chefs get to do once or twice in their life, if they’re lucky,” he told The New York Times in 1998. “People will have to pry me out of here with a crowbar.”
In fact, Mr. Scheib was fired in 2005, after finding himself out of sync with the Bush administration’s food philosophy and with Laura Bush’s social secretary, Lea Berman. He was replaced by Cristeta Comerford, an assistant chef he had hired.
“We’ve been trying to find a way to satisfy the first lady’s stylistic requirements, and it has been difficult,” Mr. Scheib told The Times after his dismissal. “Basically, I was not successful in my attempt.”
In a statement posted on the website of the Clinton Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Clinton said that “visitors from around the world loved his delicious and creative meals.”
They added, “Walter used his immense talents not only to represent the very best of American cuisine to visiting leaders, but to make a difference in people’s lives across the country through his support of numerous charities.”
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Walter S. Scheib III was born on May 3, 1954, in Oakland, Calif., and grew up in Bethesda, Md., where he attended Walter Johnson High School. His mother, a keen cook, watched Julia Child on television and reproduced dishes like paella valenciana and bouillabaisse for her family.
After briefly studying at the University of Maryland, he attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., graduating in 1979. He immediately found work at the Capital Hilton in Washington and rose to executive chef within three years. He left the Hilton in 1986 to become the executive chef of the Boca Raton Resort and Club in Florida, and four years later was hired as executive chef at the Greenbrier, where he directed a staff of 200.
Behind his back, his wife, Jean, submitted his résumé to the White House after Mr. Chambrin left. After preparing a tryout meal for Mrs. Clinton and her staff, he won the job of executive chef.
Because of his résumé, Mr. Scheib was pegged as an administrator rather than a creative chef, a description that stung. “I’m not going to respond to anyone who hasn’t spoken to me before or eaten my cooking,” he said in an interview before his first state dinner. “I think I’m pretty creative.”
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At the same time, he admitted that the White House, where he oversaw five full-time and 20 part-time workers, should not be confused with a four-star restaurant. “These are not Escoffier dinners,” Mr. Scheib said in 1998 before a dinner in honor of Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain. “You can spin it any way you want, it’s still a banquet. How you serve 240 people and have them not think it’s another rubber-chicken-circuit dinner, that’s the job.”
He enjoyed warm relations with the Clintons. He gave Chelsea Clinton cooking lessons before she left for college. He dedicated his cookbook memoir, “White House Chef: Eleven Years, Two Presidents, One Kitchen,” which was written with Andrew Friedman and published in 2007, to Mrs. Clinton.
The Bush years were trickier. “President Bush liked things simple,” Mr. Scheib told Highlights magazine in 2012. “No soup, salad, greens or ‘wet fish,’ such as poached. If it wasn’t baked or fried, he wasn’t interested.”
Mrs. Bush, he recalled for The Times, told him, “Walter, we would like our food to be flavorful, generous and identifiable.”
Mr. Scheib, whose marriage ended in divorce, is survived by two sons, Walter and Jim, and his father, Walter Scheib Jr. Complete information on survivors was not immediately available.
After leaving the White House, Mr. Scheib started a catering and events business, the American Chef, that combined meals and demonstrations with his reminiscences of life in the White House kitchen.
“I’ve had 11 great years under two administrations,” he told Nation’s Restaurant News in 2005, “and I was lucky enough to be there while American cuisine was changing dramatically and got to do it on the biggest stage.” ||||| Taos, NM (87571)
Today
A mix of clouds and sun with gusty winds. High 59F. Winds SW at 20 to 30 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph..
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A clear sky. Low 28F. SSW winds shifting to NE at 10 to 20 mph. | – The death of former top White House chef Walter Scheib appears to have been a tragic hiking accident, according to authorities in New Mexico. An autopsy of the 61-year-old determined that the cause of death was drowning, and officials say there was no sign of foul play, NBC News reports. Police say a search and rescue dog detected Scheib's body around 25 yards from the Yerba Canyon Trail outside Taos. Scheib apparently made it to the 12,115-foot summit of Mount Lobo but ran into trouble during stormy weather on the way back down, reports the Taos News, which describes the trail as "challenging in the best of times." "Hillary and I are saddened by the tragic passing" of Scheib, who used "his immense talents not only to represent the very best of American cuisine to visiting leaders, but to make a difference in people's lives across the country through his support of numerous charities," Bill Clinton said in a statement. Scheib spent 11 years at the White House but was fired in 2005 after falling out of favor with the Bushes, the New York Times reports. "President Bush liked things simple," Scheib recalled in an interview with Highlights magazine a few years ago, per the Times. "No soup, salad, greens, or 'wet fish,' such as poached. If it wasn't baked or fried, he wasn't interested." |
FILE - In this Sept. 6, 2018, file photo, President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, for the third day... (Associated Press)
FILE - In this Sept. 6, 2018, file photo, President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, for the third day of his confirmation hearing to replace retired Justice Anthony Kennedy. Christine Blasey Ford, the... (Associated Press)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Judge Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation for the Supreme Court is taking an uncertain turn as Republican senators express concern over a woman's private-turned-public allegation that a drunken Kavanaugh groped her and tried to take off her clothes at a party when they were teenagers.
The White House and other Kavanaugh supporters had dismissed the allegation of sexual misconduct when it was initially conveyed in a private letter. With a name and disturbing details, the accusation raised the prospect of congressional Republicans defending President Donald Trump's nominee ahead of midterm elections featuring an unprecedented number of female candidates and informed in part by the #MeToo movement.
The GOP-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee appeared nonetheless committed to a vote later this week despite Christine Blasey Ford's account in The Washington Post. Kavanaugh, she said, pinned her to a bed at a Maryland party in the early 1980s, clumsily tried to remove her clothing and put his hand over her mouth when she tried to scream. Kavanaugh repeated his previous denial that such an incident ever took place.
A split seemed to be emerging among the GOP.
As Democrats, led by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, called for a delay in the vote, two committee Republicans — all 11 on the GOP side are men — Sens. Jeff Flake of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, said they wanted to hear more from Ford. Flake went as far as to say he was "not comfortable" voting for Kavanaugh for the time being. A potential "no" vote from Flake would complicate the judge's prospects. A Republican not on the committee, Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, said the vote should be postponed until the committee heard from Ford. Contacted Sunday by CNN, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, wouldn't say if the vote should be postponed.
Some Senate Republicans, along with the White House, see no need to postpone voting over what they consider uncorroborated and unverifiable accusations, according to a person familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly.
A committee spokesman said late Sunday that its chairman, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, was trying to arrange separate, follow-up calls with Kavanaugh and Ford, but just for aides to Grassley and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., before Thursday's scheduled vote. Critics have already accused the GOP of fast-tracking the process to get Kavanaugh on the court by Oct. 1, the first day of the fall term.
The allegation against Kavanaugh first came to light late last week in the form of a letter that had been for some time in the possession of Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee and one of its four female members. On Sunday, The Washington Post published an interview with Ford, who after months of soul-searching decided to go public.
"I thought he might inadvertently kill me," said Ford, 51, a clinical psychology professor at Palo Alto University in California. "He was trying to attack me and remove my clothing." She told the Post that she was able to escape after a friend of Kavanaugh's who was in the room jumped on top of them and everyone tumbled.
Through the White House, Kavanaugh, 53, a federal appeals judge in Washington, said Sunday: "I categorically and unequivocally deny this allegation. I did not do this back in high school or at any time."
Senate Republicans, along with the White House, see no need to postpone voting over what they consider uncorroborated and unverifiable accusations, according to a person familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly.
In considering their options Sunday, Republicans largely settled on the view that Ford's story alone was not enough to delay Kavanaugh's confirmation.
Grassley could invite Ford to testify, likely in closed session before Thursday. Kavanaugh would also probably be asked to appear before senators. The panel would also likely seek testimony from Mark Judge, Kavanaugh's friend and classmate who Ford says jumped on top of her and Kavanaugh. Judge has denied that the incident happened.
Republicans have not settled on the strategy, the person familiar with the situation said, but were weighing options, including doing nothing.
Republicans say the allegations have already cast a shadow over Kavanaugh but that it does not appear to be enough to change the votes in the narrowly divided 51-49 Senate. Key will be the views of Collins and Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.
The White House has accused Feinstein of mounting an "11th hour attempt to delay his confirmation." The White House has also sought to cast doubt about Ford's allegation by noting that the FBI has repeatedly investigated Kavanaugh since the 1990s for highly sensitive positions he has held, including in the office of independent counsel Ken Starr, at the White House and his current post on the federal appeals court in Washington.
Kavanaugh's nomination had already sharply divided the Senate along party lines. But the allegations of sexual misconduct, particularly coming amid the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment, coupled with Ford's emergence could complicate matters, especially as key Republican senators, including Collins and Murkowski, are under enormous pressure from outside groups who want them to oppose Kavanaugh on grounds that as a justice he could vote to undercut the Roe v. Wade ruling legalizing abortion in the U.S.
Ford told the Post that Kavanaugh and a friend — both "stumbling drunk," she says — corralled her in a bedroom when she was around 15 and Kavanaugh was around 17. She says Kavanaugh groped her over her clothes, grinded his body against hers and tried to take off her one-piece swimsuit and the outfit she wore over it. Kavanaugh covered her mouth with his hand when she tried to scream, she says, and escaped when Judge jumped on them.
Kavanaugh attended a private school for boys in Maryland while Ford attended a nearby school.
In the interview, Ford says she never revealed what had happened to her until 2012, when she and her husband sought couples therapy. Ford's husband, Russell Ford, said he recalled his wife using Kavanaugh's last name and expressing concern that Kavanaugh — then a federal judge — might someday be nominated to the Supreme Court.
Sixty-five women who knew Kavanagh in high school defended him in a separate letter, circulated by Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans, as someone who "always treated women with decency and respect."
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Associated Press writer Zeke Miller contributed to this report.
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Follow Darlene Superville and Lisa Mascaro on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap and http://www.twitter.com/LisaMascaro
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This story has been corrected to show the name is Dianne, not Diane. ||||| Washington (CNN) Debra Katz, the lawyer for a woman accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct, said Monday that her client would be willing to testify in public to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
"The answer is yes," Katz, who represents Christine Blasey Ford, said on CNN's "New Day."
Ford's willingness to testify before Congress marks both a major development from a woman previously reluctant to face the brunt of public scrutiny and a significant pressure point on Kavanaugh's nomination, which could decide the balance of the nation's top court for a generation.
Ford is the author of a private letter sent to California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein alleging that during a party in their high school years, Kavanaugh pushed her into a bedroom, tried to remove her clothes and put his hand over her mouth when she tried to scream. Kavanaugh said in a statement that he "unequivocally" denies the allegation.
After her allegations surfaced over the past week, Ford opted to come forward publicly in an article The Washington Post published Sunday.
Read More ||||| Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake is one of 11 Republicans on the narrowly divided Senate Judiciary Committee. | Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo Kavanaugh Confirmation Flake opposes quick vote on Kavanaugh, putting confirmation in doubt And Bob Corker urges the vote on the Supreme Court nominee to be postponed.
Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court hit a serious roadblock Sunday night, as GOP Senate Judiciary Committee member Jeff Flake said he is uncomfortable voting to advance Kavanaugh's nomination later this week after the nominee's sexual assault accuser went public.
Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), who is not a member of the committee but whose vote is critical to Kavanaugh's confirmation, similarly said late Sunday that the committee should pause.
Story Continued Below
Flake (R-Ariz.) said he needs to hear more about the allegations raised publicly by Christine Blasey Ford on Sunday in a Washington Post article, and said other Republicans share his view. Flake is one of 11 Republicans on the narrowly divided panel and without his support, the committee cannot advance his nomination. However, GOP leaders could try to bring Kavanaugh‘s nomination directly to the Senate floor.
"If they push forward without any attempt with hearing what she's had to say, I'm not comfortable voting yes," Flake said. "We need to hear from her. And I don't think I'm alone in this."
Asked if the committee vote should be delayed to hear out Ford, Corker replied: "I think that would be best for all involved, including the nominee. If she does want to be heard, she should do so promptly." Republicans control just 51 seats in the Senate, so the comments of the two retiring senators are highly consequential.
Later Sunday, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), a moderate who had yet to say how she will vote, echoed the notion that the vote might need to be delayed. “If there is real substance to this, it demands a response,” she told CNN.
Flake declined to address whether Kavanaugh should withdraw his nomination: "I'm not responding to that question at all." The retiring Arizona Republican has long been a thorn in the side of President Donald Trump, refusing to support his campaign in 2016 and often critiquing his policies and rhetoric. In return, Trump has repeatedly mocked Flake.
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Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is also seeking more information on Ford's account that Kavanaugh groped her, tried to pull off her clothes and covered her mouth when she tried to scream at a party in Maryland more than three decades ago. A spokesman for Grassley said that given the new information about Kavanaugh and Ford revealing her identity after the allegations were first revealed anonymously, "Grassley is actively working to set up ... follow-up calls with Judge Kavanaugh and Dr. Ford ahead of Thursday’s scheduled vote."
It remains unclear whether Ford wants to appear before the committee or whether Grassley wants her to testify. Flake said he was not sure what forum would be appropriate: "I don't know what she's comfortable with ... we need to hear from her."
Another Judiciary Committee Republican, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, echoed Flake's view that Ford should be heard by the Senate if she wants to. He did not, however, call for the panel vote to be delayed: “If the committee is to hear from Ms. Ford, it should be done immediately."
But Democrats on the Judiciary panel promptly signaled their resistance to Grassley's proposal for follow-up conversations, pressing instead for a fuller inquiry into the allegation. "There's a lot of information we don’t know and the FBI should have the time it needs to investigate this new material," Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said through a spokesman. "Staff calls aren’t the appropriate way to handle this.”
Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, an undecided Republican moderate, spoke to Kavanaugh on Friday after the allegations were raised anonymously. She told CNN that Kavanaugh "denied" the allegations and said she was discussing whether the hearing should go forward with her Senate colleagues.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) had planned to confirm Kavanaugh before the new session of the Supreme Court on Oct. 1, but a spokesman offered no new timetable on Sunday afternoon.
Ford wrote a letter to a Democratic congresswoman detailing the incident, which were then passed along to Feinstein and gradually leaked out over the past week. Feinstein said on Sunday afternoon that Ford's allegations "bear heavily on Judge Kavanaugh’s character." She is one of a growing number of Democrats calling on the nomination process to be stopped and a Thursday committee vote to be delayed.
"To railroad a vote now would be an insult to the women of America and the integrity of the Supreme Court," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
Ford told the Post that at the time of the alleged assault she thought Kavanaugh "might inadvertently kill me."
"He was trying to attack me and remove my clothing," she said.
poster="http://v.politico.com/images/1155968404/201807/3793/1155968404_5807576973001_5807596031001-vs.jpg?pubId=1155968404" true
Ford, 51, is a professor at Palo Alto (Calif.) University and she graduated from the Holton-Arms School in Bethesda, Md., in 1984. (Kavanaugh graduated from Georgetown Prep in 1983.) She told the Washington Post she took a polygraph regarding the incident, which the paper reviewed, and she passed.
Republicans are now left wondering whether Grassley will move forward with a committee vote this week without hearing testimony from Ford. And it is still unclear if undecided moderates Collins or Murkowski will support Kavanaugh, though GOP leaders have been supremely confident in his confirmation prospects until Sunday.
Judiciary Committee Republicans sent out a memo criticizing "Democrats' tactics and motives" and calling on Feinstein to release "the letter she received back in July so that everyone can know what she’s known for weeks." And four people close to the White House said they expected Republicans to question the accuser's vague memories and why Feinstein, up for reelection in November with the Democratic base hungry for anti-Trump fodder, sat on the accusation for months.
Three of those people also said they expect the president to go after Kavanaugh's accuser rather than to turn on the judge. They noted that Trump has done so before, not just denouncing his own accusers but also attacking those of others, notably, failed Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore.
A lawyer close to the White House said the nomination will not be withdrawn.
“No way, not even a hint of it,” the lawyer said. “If anything, it’s the opposite. If somebody can be brought down by accusations like this, then you, me, every man certainly should be worried. We can all be accused of something.”
The White House issued the same statement on Kavanaugh's behalf that it did last week: "I categorically and unequivocally deny this allegation. I did not do this back in high school or at any time.” The White House began hearing rumors of the new allegations last week, and White House counsel Don McGahn received a redacted version of the letter Friday and sent it to Capitol Hill, according to a person familiar with the events.
On Sunday morning before Ford's story emerged, Senate Republicans pledged to move forward with President Donald Trump’s pick, in part because Ford's allegations have been anonymous until now. Just hours before Ford went public, Sen. John N. Kennedy (R-La.) of the Senate Judiciary Committee predicted Kavanaugh will win narrow confirmation.
“They’ve had this stuff for three months; if they were serious about it, they should have told us about it,” Kennedy said on “Fox News Sunday.” “I think every Republican will vote for Judge Kavanaugh. I think at least two, and maybe more, Democrats will” vote for him.
Kavanaugh needs 50 votes to be approved, meaning GOP leaders are relying on either Murkowski or Collins to break the logjam. Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) was just appointed to the Senate to replace the late John McCain, giving the GOP one more pro-Kavanaugh vote.
Ford had no intention of going public with her accusations and requested them to be confidential. She told the Post that she escaped after Mark Judge, a friend of Kavanaugh's, jumped on top of them. Judge has denied that the incident occurred.
Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.), who has not met with Kavanaugh, plans to bring up the claims if he is able to sit down with the nominee this week and said on CNN that his Democratic colleagues should have brought up the matter earlier in the confirmation process, at least in private meetings.
"These disturbing allegations deserve a thorough vetting and the American people deserve answers. We have to hit pause on this process until we have more information," Jones said on Twitter after Ford went public.
Jones is among a small group of undecided Democrats, a list that also includes Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Jon Tester of Montana, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Joe Donnelly of Indiana.
Donnelly, Heitkamp and Manchin voted for Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch last year. Manchin is requesting a second meeting with Kavanaugh.
Kavanaugh has passed numerous FBI background checks, but the letter was only added to his file after Feinstein referred it to the Department of Justice. Now, senators will all have access to the letter now that it has been added to background files.
“I support Mrs. Ford’s decision to share her story, and now that she has, it is in the hands of the FBI to conduct an investigation. This should happen before the Senate moves forward on this nominee," Feinstein said Sunday afternoon.
Elana Schor, Darren Samuelsohn and Eliana Johnson contributed to this report. ||||| Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh is sworn in during his Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on Sept. 4 in Washington. (SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)
The White House on Sunday stood by Brett M. Kavanaugh after a woman publicly accused him of sexual assault decades ago, an allegation that triggered the most concrete signs yet of Republican resistance to President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee.
With the nomination suddenly in doubt, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) was working to arrange follow-up calls with Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who said he assaulted her when the two were in high school.
Sens. Jeff Flake (Ariz.) and Bob Corker (Tenn.), Republicans who are retiring at the end of this term, joined Democrats in urging a delay in the vote until the committee hears from Ford. The panel is scheduled to vote Thursday afternoon on Kavanaugh’s nomination.
The Washington Post published a story Sunday afternoon that included an interview with Ford. The report marked the first time her identity had been revealed publicly and her first public comments about the allegation.
Ford told The Post that one summer in the early 1980s, Kavanaugh and a friend — both “stumbling drunk,” Ford alleges — corralled her in a bedroom during a gathering of teenagers at a house in Montgomery County, Md.
While his friend watched, she said, Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed on her back and groped her over her clothes, grinding his body against hers and clumsily attempting to pull off her one-piece bathing suit and the clothing she wore over it. When she tried to scream, she said, he put his hand over her mouth.
Kavanaugh “categorically and unequivocally” denied the accusation in a statement, and the White House maintained on Sunday that it is not withdrawing its nomination. The developments marked the latest chapter of a contentious battle over Trump’s nominee that has grown increasingly divisive as it approaches its final stages.
In an interview with The Post, Flake said that Ford “must be heard” before a committee vote.
“I’ve made it clear that I’m not comfortable moving ahead with the vote on Thursday if we have not heard her side of the story or explored this further,” said Flake, who is one of the committee’s 21 members. Republicans hold an 11-to-10 majority on the panel, and Flake’s opposition to a vote could stall the nomination.
Flake would not specify what form the communication with Ford should take or how he would vote. But he emphasized the significance of the allegations.
“For me, we can’t vote until we hear more,” he said.
In a statement to The Post, Feinstein said: “I agree with Senator Flake that we should delay this week’s vote. There’s a lot of information we don’t know and the FBI should have the time it needs to investigate this new material. Staff calls aren’t the appropriate way to handle this.”
In a statement, Corker said a delay “would be best for all involved, including the nominee. If she does want to be heard, she should do so promptly.”
Senate Republicans hold a 51-49 majority and cannot afford the loss of two or more senators voting for Kavanaugh’s confirmation unless they can pick up Democratic votes.
Judiciary Committee spokesman Taylor Foy said in a statement that “given the late addendum to the background file and revelations of Dr. Ford’s identity, Chairman Grassley is actively working to set up such follow-up calls with Judge Kavanaugh and Dr. Ford ahead of Thursday’s scheduled vote.”
Republicans reached out to Democrats on Sunday to try to schedule separate calls for Monday with Kavanaugh and Ford. But Democrats had not agreed, officials familiar with the back-and-forth said, and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) demanded that the FBI reopen its background investigation of Kavanaugh, 53.
Garrett Ventry, another spokesman for committee Republicans, said in response: “Democrats have chosen once again to call for delay.”
The allegation injects uncertainty into the prospects for Trump’s second nominee for the court, roils the midterm elections — which have seen a record number of women seek elected office — and carries high-stakes implications for the court.
If the White House withdrew the nomination or Kavanaugh bowed out, the Senate would not have enough time to confirm a justice before the new court session begins Oct. 1, leaving it with eight justices. The court operated with eight justices for about 14 months after the February 2016 death of Antonin Scalia and Republicans’ subsequent refusal to consider Merrick Garland, President Barack Obama’s pick.
Any new nominee may have to wait until after the midterm elections, with increasing signs that Democrats could capture the Senate majority. Senate Republicans had argued that the position of red-state Democrats on Kavanaugh would be a factor in their reelection — an issue that would be moot if the nomination is scuttled.
Republicans face a potential backlash from female voters, especially suburban women, if they press ahead despite the allegation. In 1991, outrage over the Senate confirmation of Clarence Thomas despite allegations of sexual misconduct from his former colleague Anita Hill was among the factors that led to the election of dozens of female candidates.
Twenty-seven years later, the Senate is considering another Supreme Court nominee in the #MeToo era, which has seen a wave of allegations that have cost many prominent men in business, the media and Congress their jobs.
Earlier Sunday, Republicans had signaled that they planned to try to confirm Kavanaugh by the end of the month.
Foy issued a statement vouching for Kavanaugh’s integrity and saying it was “disturbing that these uncorroborated allegations from more than 35 years ago, during high school, would surface on the eve of a committee vote after Democrats sat on them since July.”
Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) said he agreed with the committee’s concerns about the “substance and process” regarding Ford’s allegation — although he said he would “gladly” listen to her if she wanted to talk to lawmakers.
“If the committee is to hear from Ms. Ford, it should be done immediately so the process can continue as scheduled,” Graham, a member of the committee, said Sunday afternoon.
Senate Democrats in leadership and on the committee swiftly called for a delay.
“To railroad a vote now would be an insult to the women of America and the integrity of the Supreme Court,” Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a statement.
In a tweet after The Post’s report, Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) said it was “a very brave step” by Ford to come forward.
“It is more important than ever to hit the pause button on Kavanaugh’s confirmation vote until we can fully investigate these serious and disturbing allegations. We cannot rush to move forward under this cloud,” said Jones, a potentially key swing vote who has not announced whether he will support Kavanaugh’s nomination.
A representative for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) did not comment.
Hours before The Post’s report was published Sunday, Jones, a centrist Democrat, and two Republican colleagues argued that the allegation against Kavanaugh — which at that point Ford had not confirmed publicly — should have been raised sooner in the Senate and predicted that it would not prevent the chamber from moving forward with Kavanaugh’s nomination.
In televised interviews, Jones, Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and John Neely Kennedy (R-La.) expressed concerns that a letter outlining the allegation that Feinstein received was not shared with fellow lawmakers earlier in Kavanaugh’s nomination process.
Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a statement that now that Ford has shared her story, “it is in the hands of the FBI to conduct an investigation. This should happen before the Senate moves forward on this nominee.”
The FBI doesn’t plan to investigate the allegation as a criminal matter, but Feinstein wants the bureau to review it as part of Kavanaugh’s background check, a spokesman said.
Feinstein also wrote an op-ed published in the Los Angeles Times on Sunday formalizing her opposition to Kavanaugh’s nomination and briefly referencing her decision to share the letter’s contents with the FBI.
Many Democratic senators have declared their opposition to Kavanaugh, but not a single Republican has publicly opposed him.
The two most closely watched Republican senators are Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), moderates who favor abortion rights and have broken ranks with their party in the past, including during the failed Republican effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act last year.
Neither has said how she plans to vote on Kavanaugh. Representatives for the two senators did not immediately respond to requests for comment Sunday.
Read more at PowerPost | – Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court no longer appears to be a sure thing. After detailed accusations from a woman who says Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were both teenagers were published Sunday, Republican Sen. Jeff Flake, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee said he was "not comfortable" voting to advance the nomination until more is heard from the woman, Politico reports. "We need to hear from her," Flake said of Christine Blasey Ford. "And I don't think I'm alone in this." Sen. Lindsey Graham, another Republican on the committee, also said Sunday that Ford should be heard by the committee, if that is what she wants. Ford's lawyer told CNN on Monday that her client is willing to testify before the committee. "The answer is yes," Debra Katz says. Responded White House rep Kellyanne Conway: "She should be heard." A vote is scheduled for Thursday. Republicans have an 11 to 10 majority on the committee, meaning that if Flake won't vote to advance the nomination, it will be stalled unless a Democrat votes in favor. Sen. Bob Corker, a Republican not on the committee, has also called for a delay in the wake of the accusations, which Kavanaugh has denied. Republicans had hoped to have Kavanaugh confirmed by Oct. 1, but Senate Democrats say a delay in voting is now essential, the Washington Post reports. "To railroad a vote now would be an insult to the women of America and the integrity of the Supreme Court," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement. But a source tells the AP that most Senate Republicans—and the White House—see no need to postpone the vote. |
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. ||||| Kansas state government is on the verge of a financial windfall with the auctioning of thousands of sex toys seized by the revenue department for nonpayment of income, withholding and sales taxes, an official said Wednesday.
Online shoppers for adult DVDs, novelty items, clothing and other products can participate in a bonanza shopping experience resulting from the four-county raid on a Kansas company known as United Outlets LLC.
Owner Larry Minkoff, who was doing business under the Bang label, apparently resisted requests from the Kansas Department of Revenue for payment of $163,986 in state taxes. It is unclear how much he still owes the state, because those precise records aren’t open to the public.
Agents took action in July to seize business inventory at outlets in Topeka, Wichita, Junction City and Kansas City, Kan., under Minkoff’s control. Two of the five business locations were in Topeka.
In a negotiated arrangement between the state and owner, the merchandise was released back to Minkoff.
He subsequently entered into a contract to sell the holdings at public auction and apply the money toward payment of taxes owed the state of Kansas.
The contract is with equip-bid.com auction company.
Consumers interested in the auction of “1000s of items” can examine the goods online or personally preview products Monday at a warehouse in Kansas City, Mo. The auction closes Tuesday.
The online site lists about 400 lots — individual lots can contain dozens of items — that include the Pipedream Fantasy Love Swing, books, hundreds of DVDs, sex and drinking games, a wide assortment of sexually oriented equipment, carrying cases for devices, the Glass Pleasure Wand, bundles of lingerie and the Cyberskin Foot Stroker.
One of the lots contained 50 “premium” vibrators and a teddy bear. The bidding was at $10.
Also available: two sets of sparkling sequin lounge pants, sizes large and small, as well as the Good Girl, Bad Girl Wrist Cuffs.
“What is different is the titillation factor of what we're selling,” said Jeannine Koranda, spokeswoman for the Kansas revenue department. “This is an unusual lot of items.”
Typically, she said, the mundane relics of a business are gathered along with confiscation of bank accounts and on-site cash when agents execute tax warrants despite lengthy action to recover the debt.
On Wednesday, attempts to contact Minkoff were unsuccessful.
The state revenue department executes warrants on debt when other collection attempts, including multiple letters, telephone calls, letters of impending legal action, tax liens filed with the district court, bank levies and on-site till taps were unsuccessful in satisfying the debt.
Only after exhaustion of other remedies does the state agency take action to close a business, Koranda said.
Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, D-Topeka, said there was irony in disclosure of the sex toy sale, while political allies of Republican Gov. Sam Brownback denounced Democratic gubernatorial nominee Paul Davis for a recent report that Davis had been in a Kansas strip club 16 years ago at the same time law enforcement officers raided the nightspot.
“Brownback is so desperate to fill the massive hole in the state budget caused by his reckless income tax cuts that the state of Kansas is now in the porn business,” the Topeka legislator said. “This is the same governor whose supporters spent this past week attacking his opponent for a strip club incident.”
Eileen Hawley, spokeswoman for the governor, said the state was taking steps necessary to sell business inventory and apply proceeds to taxes owed.
“While we do not agree with the type of business involved here, it was nonetheless a legal business that was closed due to failure to pay taxes,” Hawley said. “The state cannot legally destroy the property. Returning the property to the owner would have rewarded the business that violated state tax law. This is the same process used by previous administrations.” | – In the market for love, ahem, accessories? Try shopping with the state of Kansas, which is behind an online auction of a large volume of sex toys—ranging from vibrators and handcuffs to a "fantasy love swing" and pornographic films—in an effort to recoup the $163,986 an erotic chain store owes in back taxes. Department of Revenue agents began to seize the inventory at shops across the state in July after the owner of United Outlets LLC, aka Bang, failed to pay the delinquent bill, reports the Topeka Capital-Journal. Kansas Senate Democratic leader Anthony Hensley, who says allies of Republican Gov. Sam Brownback had just recently accused Democratic gubernatorial nominee Paul Davis of being in a strip club 16 years ago, says the governor is "so desperate" to balance the budget "that the state of Kansas is now in the porn business." But a Brownback spokesperson says the state is simply selling business inventory to compensate for taxes owed—a common and typically boring practice. A spokeswoman for the revenue department, meanwhile, tells the Kansas City Star that the state itself isn't selling the items because the property had been released back to the owner, who had contracted with the auction company to sell the items and pay the bill. (Meanwhile, how do sex toys and gun safety belong in the same story?) |
ST. LOUIS (AP) — A federal lawsuit filed Thursday alleges that police in Ferguson and St. Louis County used excessive force and falsely arrested innocent bystanders amid attempts to quell widespread unrest after the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown.
The five plaintiffs in the suit in St. Louis include a clinical social worker who said she and her 17-year-old son were roughed up and arrested after not evacuating a McDonald's quickly enough. They also include a 23-year-old man who said he was shot multiple times with rubber bullets and called racial slurs by police while walking through the protest zone to his mother's home, and a man who said he was arrested for filming the disturbances.
"The police were completely out of control," said attorney Malik Shabazz of Black Lawyers for Justice, a group whose members sought to quell tensions at the nightly protests that stretched for more than week after Ferguson officer Darren Wilson, who is white, shot the unarmed Brown, who is black. "In those initial days, it was virtually a police riot."
The lawsuit seeks $40 million in damages and names Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson, St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar, Ferguson officer Justin Cosma, several unnamed officers identified collectively as John Doe, and the city and county governments.
Shabazz said the suit could be broadened to include additional plaintiffs. A St. Louis County police spokesman referred inquiries to County Counselor Patricia Redington, who said she had not seen the suit and declined comment. A public relations consultant working for the city of Ferguson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In the immediate days after Brown's shooting, local police in riot gear fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters who refused to disperse and, at times, broke into nearby stores. Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon eventually placed the State Highway Patrol in charge of securing Ferguson with a more relaxed approach. Nixon later imposed a curfew that was lifted after several nights of clashes between police and protesters, and called in the National Guard, whose members have since departed Ferguson.
Plaintiff Tracey White said she and her son, a high school junior, were waiting for a ride from her husband at a West Florissant Avenue McDonald's after attending an Aug. 13 "peace and love" rally at a Ferguson church when several rifle-carrying officers told her she was being arrested because she would not "shut up." White said she and her son were detained for five hours at the county jail on charges of failing to disperse, but she said she was not provided with any records reflecting that charge or a future court date.
"It was so horrifying," she said. "We did nothing wrong."
Dwayne Anton Matthews Jr. said he was confronted by eight officers that same night while walking to his mother's home after the bus route he normally takes stopped short of his destination because of the unrest. The suit alleges that after Matthews was shot multiple times with rubber bullets, he fell into a creek or sewer, where police officers "pounced on him, slammed his face into the concrete and pushed his head under water to the point that he felt he was going to be drowned."
Matthews, who styles his hair in long dreadlocks, told reporters at a Thursday press conference outside the St. Louis federal courthouse that he was called a "coon" and a "mophead," among other racial slurs.
Meanwhile, St. Ann Police Chief Aaron Jimenez told The Associated Press in an interview that Lt. Ray Albers resigned Thursday. Albers was the police officer shown on cellphone video pointing his rifle at demonstrators on Aug. 19 in Ferguson and threatening them.
On the video, a man is heard saying, "Oh my God! Gun raised!" as the officer approaches. The officer walks near the man, gun pointed, and appears to threaten to kill him. A St. Louis County police sergeant forced the officer to lower the weapon and escorted him away.
A message left on Albers' home phone Thursday was not returned.
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Associated Press reporter Jim Salter in St. Ann, Missouri, contributed to this report.
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Follow Alan Scher Zagier on Twitter at http://twitter.com/azagier . ||||| Story highlights The office of the St. Louis County prosecuting attorney declined comment
A lawsuit accuses police of violating rights and making unjustified arrests
Five people arrested in Ferguson, Missouri, are seeking $40 million in damages
Police in Ferguson and St. Louis County are defendants in the federal lawsuit
In a $40 million federal lawsuit, five people arrested recently in Ferguson, Missouri, accuse police of using "wanton and excessive force" and treating U.S. citizens "as if they were war combatants."
A complaint filed Thursday alleges that police officers from Ferguson and St. Louis County used unnecessary force and made unjustified arrests as they cracked down on protests after the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown earlier this month.
The lawsuit lists Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson, St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar, Ferguson officer Justin Cosma, several unnamed officers and the city and county governments as defendants.
A St. Louis County police spokesman declined to comment Friday, referring inquiries to the county prosecuting attorney's office. The St. Louis County prosecuting attorney's office told CNN it has no comment on the lawsuit.
The suit -- which includes accusations of intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent supervision, and assault and battery -- details circumstances allegedly surrounding several arrests between August 11-13:
-- Tracey White was about to buy an ice cream sundae at McDonald's when officers "in what appeared to be army uniforms, carrying rifles and sticks and wearing helmets" entered and ordered her to leave, according to the lawsuit. She was told to shut up, thrown to the ground and handcuffed after criticizing officers for the way they were treating her son, the lawsuit claims.
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-- Dewayne Matthews was walking to his mother's house when a group of officers in military uniforms shot rubber bullets at him, the lawsuit alleges. He fell into a creek or sewer, the suit says, where officers "pounced on him, slammed his face into the concrete, and pushed his head into the water to the point that he felt he was going to be drowned."
-- Kerry White was shooting footage and holding his camera out his car window when an officer snatched his camera, "took out his memory card and threw it to the ground," the lawsuit says.
-- Damon Coleman and Theophilus Green were peacefully protesting, the lawsuit says, when police in riot gear fired tear gas and what appeared to be stun grenades in their direction, then "hurled racial epithets at them, while punching and kicking them the entire time."
CNN has not independently confirmed details of the arrests.
Police tactics to calm the crowds drew sharp criticism, including a rebuke from U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.
"At a time when we must seek to rebuild trust between law enforcement and the local community, I am deeply concerned that the deployment of military equipment and vehicles sends a conflicting message," Holder said as the protests unfolded.
As criticism of police tactics mounted, Gov. Jay Nixon Missouri tapped State Highway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson to head up security in Ferguson on August 14.
Belmar, the St. Louis County Police Chief, told reporters on Wednesday that he doesn't regret his agency's decisions to fire tear gas at protesters. That approach, he said, was much better than using nightsticks or dogs.
Even though President Barack Obama has called for a review of military equipment sales to local police departments in light of the clashes between police and protesters in Ferguson, Belmar said that such equipment is often necessary.
"I never envisioned a day that we would ever see that kind of equipment used against protesters," he said. "But I also never imagined a day in 28 years when we would see that kind of criminal activity spin out of peaceful demonstrations." | – A Missouri man who says he was just trying to get to his mom's house and a woman who says she was waiting for a ride and a sundae at McDonald's with her teenage son are among the five plaintiffs who have filed a $40 million lawsuit against Ferguson and St. Louis County police alleging "excessive force" in the wake of the Michael Brown shooting, reports the AP. The suit filed yesterday charges cops with "intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent supervision, and assault and battery" and for treating local citizens "as if they were war combatants," reports CNN. Tracey White says she was waiting for her husband to pick up her and her son, a high school junior, from McDonald's when police with rifles reportedly burst into the fast-food restaurant and arrested her because she wouldn't "shut up," the suit says, according to the AP. Meanwhile, Dwayne Matthews Jr. says that his bus couldn't drop him off near his mom's house because of the protests and that he was confronted by eight cops as he was walking, shot with rubber bullets, face-slammed into concrete, pushed underwater "to the point that he felt he was going to be drowned," and insulted with racial slurs. "The police were completely out of control. … It was virtually a police riot," says attorney Malik Shabazz, adding that other plaintiffs may join the suit. (In related news: Ray Albers, a local officer who allegedly threatened protesters on camera with a rifle, resigned yesterday, reports the AP.) |
WASHINGTON – It was a good day for Bernie Sanders – and it came just when he needed one.
In a string of victories Thursday morning for the insurgent Democratic presidential candidate, Sanders announced that his campaign had hit its goal of receiving 2 million individual campaign contributions, picked up the endorsement of the 700,000-member strong Communications Worker of America and earned a nod from the liberal group Democracy for America.
It’s a much needed boost for a candidate whose campaign’s momentum seemed to stall a bit lately, and it comes just two days before the party’s next presidential debate in the crucial state of New Hampshire.
Introducing Sanders at a joint press conference at the union’s headquarters here as “the next president of the United States,” CWA President Chris Shelton said the union decided to back Sanders only after its members had made their preference overwhelmingly clear in an online poll.
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“The executive board stayed out of this, we did not want to influence what our members decided, they decided this on their own,” Shelton said. “This is absolutely a democratically come to decision.”
Sanders has lost out on endorsements from a string of other major unions, who sided instead with Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton. But Sanders and Shelton suggested that the leadership of the unions might be out of step with their membership.
Close video Can Sanders slow Clinton’s momentum? Hillary Clinton may be the prohibitive Democratic favorite, but Bernie Sanders just got a big boost to his campaign from the Communications Workers of America. CWA President Chris Shelton joins Chris Matthews. embed like save share group
“What we are seeing is a lot of grassroots support in union after union throughout this country, but that support has not necessarily trickled up to the leadership,” Sanders said.
“I can’t tell you what every member of the AFT or the NEA believes,” he said, referring to two major teachers unions that backed Clinton. “So the answer is, what I would have hoped is that unions who believe in democracy would have done what the CWA did, which was to really bring a wide open process … I think we would have won a lot more union support than is currently the case.”
It’s a complaint common among Sanders supporters in the labor movement.
“I believe that’s the way it should be done because I think an endorsement coming from me or our executive board alone would have been an empty endorsement,” added Shelton of his union’s process.
The unusual process did not include the executive board interviews common in other unions, though CWA officials did interview the candidates when they appeared at the AFL-CIO’s summer meeting this year. CWA’s immediate past president Larry Cohen, joined Sanders’ campaign as a advisor shortly after stepping down this summer.
Clinton is still ahead when it comes to organized labor, however, with 18 national labor unions and alliances in her column.
“Hillary Clinton is humbled to have such tremendous support from labor unions who represent a diverse coalition of millions of hardworking union men and women across the country. She shares their commitment to fighting for an economy that works for every single American, not just those at the top,” said Clinton spokesperson Jesse Ferguson Thursday.
Sanders, who has sworn off super PACs, has faced questions over spending on his behalf from a super PAC affiliated with a nurses union that endorsed him. CWA has it’s own super PAC and Shelton did not rule out using it to support Sanders. “Bernie doesn’t want to it take it – OK, I respect that,” he said. “We’ll do everything I can to get the vote out to make sure he’s the next president.”
Sanders said comparing a super PAC funded by wealthy donors to one funded by union dues is a “false comparison.”
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The endorsement came the same day as Sanders’ campaign announced they had received 2 individual contributions, more than any non-incumbent presidential candidate in history. Just 261 of the campaign’s donors given the legal maximum contribution of $2,700, the campaign touted. “You can’t level the playing field with Wall Street banks and billionaires by taking their money,” Sanders says in new TV advertisement touting the number.
And shortly after Sanders left CWA, Democracy for America, the liberal organizing group that grew out of Howard Dean’s 2004 presidential campaign, threw its support behind Sanders. (Dean has personally endorsed Clinton.) DFA’s move was no major surprise, since the group tried to draft Sen. Elizabeth Warren into the 2016 race, but it said nearly 90% of the members picked Sanders as their top choice.
“Bernie Sanders is an unyielding populist progressive who decisively won Democracy for America members’ first presidential primary endorsement because of his lifelong commitment to taking on income inequality,” said DFA executive director Charles Chamberlain.
Clinton has left few major endorsements still on the table after locking down support from huge swaths of Congress and among state elected officials in key states across the country, but allies say that’s fine with them.
Last week, the Vermont senator also earned the backing of the Working Families Party, a labor-backed liberal group and political party that started in New York and has since expanded to nine other states. “The political revolution Bernie Sanders has called for is already starting to take shape. Young people and grassroots activists are volunteering in droves for Senator Sanders. Now, important progressive groups are adding their voices. Combined, those are the ingredients of a winning campaign,” said Working Families Party national director Dan Cantor Thursday. ||||| Sanders Passes 2 Million Donations, Nabs Two Endorsements
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With voting in the first presidential nominating contests just weeks away, Bernie Sanders is trying to make a push before the end of the year.
His campaign announced that he has surpassed 2 million donations. The only other person to do that at this point in a presidential campaign was Barack Obama in 2011. (Clinton had 600,000 donations from 400,000 donors through the end of the third quarter — end of September.)
Sanders has been raising the bulk of his money in small donations — 71 percent of his donations were $200 or less in the third quarter. Clinton, on the other hand, has relied on larger donors — 74 percent of contributions to her campaign were $1,000 or more, according to numbers from the Campaign Finance Institute.
The reliance on small donations is certainly on message for Sanders, who has consistently blasted America's campaign finance system as being "corrupt."
"What our vision of a political revolution has already accomplished is to show that we can run a strong and we believe winning campaign without a super PAC, without contributions from millionaires and billionaires," Sanders said in a message to supporters.
The obvious downside is that small donations are harder to add up to big numbers. By the end of the third quarter, Clinton's campaign had raised more than double Sanders' campaign overall.
Sanders also got two endorsements Thursday — one from the Communications Workers of America, a major union with 700,000 members, the other from the progressive group Democracy For America, which is chaired by Jim Dean, Howard's brother. (Howard Dean has endorsed Clinton.) DFA endorsed after nearly 90 percent of its members said they backed Bernie.
That's in addition to a CNN/WMUR poll that showed Sanders leading in New Hampshire by 10 points — 50 percent to 40 percent over Clinton.
Clinton continues to hold large leads in national polls — but national polling won't determine the way forward in the campaign's immediate future. It's the early states that matter, and right now the two early contests — Iowa and New Hampshire — are a split decision.
Things can change on a dime, as voters learned in 2008. Obama led Clinton by high single digits in every poll after his big win in Iowa, but Clinton wound up winning in a surprise. And her husband, Bill, was dubbed the "Comeback Kid" there.
After Iowa, the contest moves on to New Hampshire, but it won't end there. The Clinton campaign sees a firewall in the South, where black voters are key. The Clintons have deep ties to the black community and Sanders is less known. But he's working on that and hopes a win in New Hampshire can be a springboard.
A lot will shake out between Clinton and Sanders in the next few weeks, and the bigger key will be how the two camps come together. For all the talk of Donald Trump and his strength on the right, it's clear there's a very deep cadre of grass-roots support on the Democratic side, too. | – While Bernie Sanders may not have [expletive] around and got a triple-double, Ice Cube's good day doesn't have anything on the one Sanders is having. NPR reports the Sanders campaign was already celebrating receiving 2 million donations when news came in Thursday that two major endorsements had gone their way. According to MSNBC, the Communications Workers of America endorsed Sanders after an "overwhelming" victory in an online poll of its 700,000 members. That was followed by Democracy for America—a progressive group founded by Howard Dean's brother—throwing its support behind Sanders, NPR reports. "It’s a much needed boost for a candidate whose campaign’s momentum seemed to stall a bit lately," MSNBC states. The Sanders campaign announced hitting 2 million donations Wednesday night, the Washington Post reports. That's more than any other candidate from either party. In fact, Sanders is only the second presidential candidate ever to surpass 2 million donations—and his campaign is confident he can break the 2.2 million record set by Obama's reelection campaign. The average donation to the Sanders campaign is $30. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton has raised nearly double what Sanders has—despite having only 600,000 donations at the end of September, according to NPR. Nearly 75% of donations to the Clinton campaign are $1,000 or more. A statement from the Sanders campaign states the 2 million donations show "we can run a strong and we believe winning campaign without a super PAC, without contributions from millionaires and billionaires." (Check out a rapper interviewing Sanders.) |
FILE - In this March 10, 2008 file photo, journalists appear silhouetted against a Mayan temple, before covering the meeting of 'Indigenous People to Heal Our Mother Earth'' in Palenque, Mexico. Archaeologists... (Associated Press)
FILE - In this March 10, 2008 file photo, journalists appear silhouetted against a Mayan temple, before covering the meeting of 'Indigenous People to Heal Our Mother Earth'' in Palenque, Mexico. Archaeologists... (Associated Press)
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Archaeologists at the Mayan ruin site of Palenque said Monday they have discovered an underground water tunnel built under the Temple of Inscriptions, which houses the tomb of an ancient ruler named Pakal.
Archaeologist Arnoldo Gonzalez said researchers believe the tomb and pyramid were purposely built atop a spring between AD 683 and 702. The tunnel led water from under the funeral chamber out into the broad esplanade in front of the temple, thus giving Pakal's spirit a path to the underworld.
Attention has focused on the heavily carved stone sarcophagus in which Pakal was buried, and which some erroneously believe depict the Maya ruler seated at the controls of a spaceship.
But Gonzalez said carvings on a pair of stone ear plugs found in the grave say a god "will guide the dead toward the underworld, by submerging (them) into the water so they will be received there."
Pakal, in other words, didn't fly off into space; he went down the drain. "There is nothing to do with spaceships," Gonzalez said.
The tunnel, which connects to another, is made of stone and is about two feet (60 centimeters) wide and tall.
The director of archaeology for the National Institute of Anthropology and History, Pedro Sanchez Nava, said the theory makes sense in light of other pre-Hispanic peoples, such as those who lived at Teotihuacan, near Mexico City, where another water tunnel was found.
"In both cases there was a water current present," said Sanchez Nava. "There is this allegorical meaning for water ... where the cycle of life begins and ends."
The dig began in 2012, when researchers become concerned about underground anomalies detected with geo-radar under the area in front of the pyramid's steps.
Fearing a hole or geological fault that could cause the pyramid to settle or collapse, they dug at the spot — and uncovered three layers of carefully fitted stone covering the top of the tunnel.
Gonzalez said the same type of three-layered stone covering has been found in the floor of Pakal's tomb, within the pyramid.
He said there appears to be no shaft or connection between the tomb and the tunnel, but adds the conduit hasn't been fully explored yet because it is too small to crawl through.
Researchers had to send a robot with a camera down to view much of the underground horizontal shaft.
Francisco Estrada-Belli, an assistant professor of archaeology at Boston University who was not involved in the dig, wrote, "I believe that building a tomb over a canal certainly does fit with the belief that water and water bodies were entrances to the underworld."
"Several cases of temples (and the associated tombs) are known to be built over natural caves that may or may not have held water," Estrada-Belli wrote.
Author Erich von Daniken suggested in his 1968 book "Chariots of the Gods?" that Pakal's stance in the engraving on the stone sarcophagus lid resembled the position of astronauts and that he appeared to be seated in a contraption with flames coming out of it and controls.
Experts say that the "flames" are in fact depictions of the Maya's "World Tree" or "Tree of Life," whose roots were believed to reach into the underworld. ||||| Mexico City (AFP) - Mexican archeologists have discovered a canal system under the pyramid containing the tomb of a Mayan ruler, suggesting the water tunnel could represent a symbolic path to the underworld.
The Temple of the Inscriptions at the archaeological site of Palenque in the Mexican state of Chiapas. © INAH/AFP MEXICO CITY — Mexican archaeologists have discovered a canal system under the pyramid containing the tomb of a Mayan ruler, suggesting the water tunnel could represent a symbolic path to the underworld.
The hydraulic system was found under the Temple of the Inscriptions, which houses the seventh-century tomb of Pakal "The Great" in Palenque, the ancient Mayan city in southern Chiapas state, the National Anthropology and History Institute announced Monday.
"The presence of these canals is very important and very significant," said Arnoldo Gonzalez, the directory of archaeology in Palenque.
An inscription in the tomb says that to be accepted in the underworld the dead must be submerged in the water of a god called Chaac.
The underground network of canals has different levels and goes in different directions, and it was built "well before" the pyramid, according to the national anthropology institute.
Water was still running through the main canal when it was discovered, suggesting that its source is a natural spring.
But archaeologists have been unable to determine the length of the tunnel or where it begins.
Gonzalez did not rule out the possibility that the canals were part of a drainage or water-supply system.
"We must also consider that the ancient Palenque residents designed the hydraulic system to metaphorically reproduce the path that led K'nich Janaab' Pakal to the waters of the underworld," Gonzalez said.
The canal system was discovered with sonars. Archaeologists initially thought it could have been a fault line, but cameras mounted on small vehicles confirmed the existence of the system, which was built with large stones. | – When researchers grew concerned about underground anomalies detected near the Mayan ruins of Palenque in Mexico, they began a dig to figure out whether the pyramid was in danger of collapse. This week, researchers announced that what they found was no anomaly but rather a small canal system, reports the AP. They now think the tomb of the ancient ruler Pakal was built atop a natural spring about 700 AD, with tunnels that directed water to the esplanade in front of the temple in the hope of giving Pakal's spirit a way into the underworld. In fact, an engraving at the site reads that the dead gain entrance to the underworld in such a manner via the god Chaac, who will "will guide the dead toward the underworld by submerging [them]." The site previously gained fame when author Erich von Daniken posited in his 1968 book Chariots of the Gods? that Pakal looked like an astronaut at the helm of a spaceship on a carved stone sarcophagus. But archaeologist Arnoldo Gonzalez says the dig has turned up "nothing to do with spaceships" and that the "flames" of the so-called spaceship engine in fact depict the Mayan "Tree of Life." The main underground tunnel is only two feet wide and two feet tall, and thus too small to crawl through, but the team is exploring it via robotic devices. AFP reports that water was still running through it, so the source is likely a spring, though it has not been found. Also possible is that the tunnels were part of a water-supply system built before the temple. (Mayans may have had a "drought cult.") |
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Tiger Woods‘ “mistress No. 1,” Rachel Uchitel, has landed a TV job on “Extra.” Uchitel, who was interviewed last night by the show’s Mario Lopez, “so impressed producers that she’s been offered a job as a special correspondent,” a rep told us. We’re told she’ll report for “Extra” on nightlife “hot spots.” A show source added, “She won’t talk about Tiger, but she talks about how she wants to find a husband and have kids. She only has a few real friends left whom she trusts. She is alone a lot and spends time with her two dogs. She seems very vulnerable.”
See the “Extra” video. ||||| 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. | – Apparently, being one of Tiger Woods' women-on-the-side is lucrative in more ways than one. Rachel Uchitel, aka Mistress No. 1, has scored a job as a special correspondent for Extra, where she'll report on hot nightlife spots. The gig came about after Uchitel impressed Extra producers during her exclusive interview last night, which you can watch here. "She won't talk about Tiger, but she talks about how she wants to find a husband and have kids," a source tells the New York Post. "She only has a few real friends left whom she trusts. She is alone a lot and spends time with her two dogs. She seems very vulnerable." |
This morning, M.I.A. tweeted out writer Lynn Hirschberg’s phone number in response to a piece in this weekend’s Times Magazine. The tweet seemed to suggest that M.I.A. wasn’t much of a fan of the piece.
What was Ms. Hirschberg’s reaction?
“I find it kind of interesting that she would cast the spotlight on the story in any way, shape or form,” said Ms. Hirschberg. “I can’t say what she thinks of it. But it seems you would want it to go away.”
What did she think of the tweet?
“It’s a fairly unethical thing to do, but I don’t think it’s surprising,” she continued. “She’s a provocateur, and provocateurs want to be provocative.”
She also said that she found it “infuriating and not surprising.”
Ms. Hirschberg said she wouldn’t change her phone number.
“The messages have mostly been from people trying to hook up with M.I.A.,” she said. “If she wants to get together with John at Bard next week, I have his number.”
Some people have already drawn comparisons between the M.I.A piece and Ms. Hirschberg’s famous Vanity Fair takedown of Courtney Love from 1992. Any thoughts on that?
“I don’t think the pieces have anything to do with each other,” she said. “I think M.I.A. is a completely different animal—she’s closer to Madonna than to Courtney.”
And wait! Breaking! M.I.A. has tweeted again. This time, she tweeted, “NEWS IS AN OPINION! UNEDITED VERSION OF THE INTERVIEW WILL BE ON neetrecordings THIS MEMORIAL WEEKEND!!!”
“I have no idea what she’s talking about,” said Ms. Hirschberg.
The piece is Ms. Hirschberg’s last at The Times Magazine under her current contract. She’s becoming an editor-at-large at W.
Follow John Koblin via RSS. ||||| Maya’s tirade, typical in the way it moved from the political to the personal and back again, was interrupted by a waiter, who offered her a variety of rolls. She chose the olive bread. Maya’s political fervor stems from her upbringing. Although she was born in London , her family moved back to Sri Lanka when she was 6 months old, to a country torn by fighting between the Tamil Hindu minority and the Sinhalese Buddhist majority. In the ’70s, her father, Arular, helped found the Tamil militant group EROS (Eelam Revolutionary Organization of Students), trained with the P.L.O. in Lebanon and spearheaded a movement to create an independent Tamil state in the north and east of the country. EROS was eventually overwhelmed by a stronger and more vicious militant group, the Tamil Tigers . In their struggle for political control, the Tigers not only went after government troops and Sinhalese civilians but also their own people, including Tamil women and children. “The Tigers ruled the people under them with an iron fist,” Ahilan Kadirgamar at Sri Lanka Democracy Forum told me. “They used mafialike tactics, and they would forcefully recruit child soldiers. Maya’s father was never with the Tigers. He stayed away.”
In 1983, when she was 8, Maya, her mother and her two siblings moved to London. Her father stayed in Sri Lanka. Throughout her music career, which began in 2004, and especially around the time of the Grammys, Maya has used the spotlight to call attention to Tamil grievances. She named her first album “Arular,” after her father. Even though her father was not a Tiger, she also used tigers on her Web site and her album artwork and she favored tiger-striped clothing. This was not an accident. By the time her first album came out, the Tamil cause was mostly synonymous with the cause of the Tamil Tigers. Maya, committed to the cause, allied herself with the group despite its consistent use of terror tactics, which included systematic massacres of Sinhalese villagers. (In turn, government forces were known to retaliate against Tamil villages and were accused of supporting death squads.)
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In the press, Maya was labeled a terrorist sympathizer by some; others charged her with being unsophisticated about the politics of Sri Lanka. “People in exile tend to be more nationalistic,” Kadirgamar said. “And Maya took a very simplistic explanation of the problems between Sri Lanka’s Sinhalese government and the Tamils. It’s very unfair when you condemn one side of this conflict. The Tigers were killing people, and the government was killing people. It was a brutal war, and M.I.A. had a role in putting the Tigers on the map. She doesn’t seem to know the complexity of what these groups do.”
But many of her fans didn’t listen too closely to her lyrics, concentrating instead on the beat, the newness of the sound and her own multiculti, many-layered appeal. She was an instant indie darling (although “Arular” sold only 190,000 copies in the United States ). Her songs were creative and abrasive in an intoxicating way, and it didn’t hurt that Maya was absolutely great looking. She quickly became a style icon: like that of all great pop stars, her anger and spirit of revolution was mitigated by sex.
“Maya had all the pieces of the puzzle,” Jimmy Iovine, chairman of Interscope Records, told me. “When I met her, I thought, Who wouldn’t want to sign her? Her politics didn’t matter to me. The whole game is about waiting for that moment to move popular culture. Maya can move the needle. I want to go where she’s going to take me.”
Iovine may have instinctively realized that in fusing style, music and controversy, Maya evoked Madonna . While Madonna has always been more interested in writing melodious, catchy pop songs and less interested in niche hipster credibility than Maya, they share a gift for grand self-invention. Like Madonna, Maya is not a trained musician but instead a brilliant editor, able to pick and choose and bend the talents of others to fit her goals. They share an enormous appetite and a discerning eye for the intertwined worlds of fashion, art and music. “Madonna is the one,” Maya said. “Madonna did amazing songs. She had an amazing sense of style, without a stylist. And she was flawed, and sometimes she admitted it. I’ll fight the fight for Madonna. I think she should send me some chocolates or something to thank me.”
Yet while Madonna stuck to sex and the Catholic church for her headlines, Maya is compelled by a violent separatist movement and the politics of resistance. Her allegiances have fueled her music and her rhetoric. In January 2009, while the civil war in Sri Lanka was raging, Maya repeatedly referred to the situation as a “genocide.” “I wasn’t trying to be like Bono,” Maya told me. “He’s not from Africa — I’m from there. I’m tired of pop stars who say, ‘Give peace a chance.’ I’d rather say, ‘Give war a chance.’ The whole point of going to the Grammys was to say, ‘Hey, 50,000 people are gonna die next month, and here’s your opportunity to help.’ And no one did.”
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Her rhetoric rankles Sri Lankan experts and human rights organizations, who are engaged in the difficult task of helping to forge a viable model for national unity after decades of bitter fighting. “Maya is a talented artist,” Kadirgamar told me, echoing the sentiments of others, “but she only made the situation worse. What happened in Sri Lanka was not a genocide. To not be honest about that or the Tigers does more damage than good. When Maya does a polarizing interview, it doesn’t help the cause of justice.”
Unity holds no allure for Maya — she thrives on conflict, real or imagined. “I kind of want to be an outsider,” she said, eating a truffle-flavored French fry. “I don’t want to make the same music, sing about the same stuff, talk about the same things. If that makes me a terrorist, then I’m a terrorist.”
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AFTER BUYING THEIR home in Brentwood, Maya and Bronfman, whom she met in New York shortly after the breakup of his band, the Exit, decided to build a recording studio in the house. “It was very grown-up,” Maya recalled when we were in L.A. Bronfman, who is tall, soft-spoken and protective of his fiancée, now works with Global Thermostat, a technology company that is working on ways to remove carbon from the atmosphere, and is a founder of Green Owl, an environmentally conscious record label and sustainable-clothing line. “Everyone got so freaked out when they heard we bought the house,” Maya continued. “When we moved in, we imported all our English friends. Suddenly, everyone was living with us — eight people at once. For the first time, I had something called the comfort of your own house, and it turned into a commune: they all came for two days, and they never left. My producer, Blaqstarr, was living there. And then Cherry, who sings with me, was staying with us. And Rusko, who was also producing, was there all the time. My brother arrived. And in the end, we had three people to a room. We ended up buying a second house for everyone to live in.”
In August 2009, they started recording Maya’s third album, which will be out in early July but still didn’t have a title when I saw her in March. “We’re one big, horrible family,” Rusko said when I called him in Los Angeles, where he moved permanently, to talk about making the record. Blaqstarr also moved to L.A. “We follow Maya,” he said. “Her studio was like a biodome connected to her house. I lived in the studio. Everybody was hanging out; there was only one kitchen, and we’d all meet up in the kitchen.”
When Richard Russell, the head of XL Recordings, Maya’s British label, visited the house, he told her it reminded him of how the Rolling Stones recorded the classic album “Exile on Main St.” in a villa in the South of France in the ’70s. “I told Richard I felt so disconnected from the world I had known,” Maya recalled. “And he said, ‘The best music can come out of that.’ It was certainly different. I’d be writing lyrics upstairs, and Blaqstarr would be doodling downstairs, and I’d hear bass lines through the floorboards. I’d get inspired and leave the baby monitor on and go down to the studio. There is almost no cellphone reception at my house, and we couldn’t always find our land lines. It was easy to shut the outside world out. And I was making music for me again.”
The album (“I’m thinking of naming the record Nano, because nano bombs are the hip thing”) is still dominated by political lyrics, but the music is more melodic. On several tracks, Maya even sings. “I had to try,” Maya said.
Diplo said, “I made her sing.” He was a producer of her first album as well as “Paper Planes” and was also Maya’s boyfriend for several years. “Maya is a big pop star now, and pop stars sing,” he said. “For me, making this record wasn’t easy. In the past, we were a team. But Maya wanted to show us how much she didn’t need us. In the end, Maya is postmodern: she can’t really make music or art that well, but she’s better than anyone at putting crazy ideas into motion. She knows how to manipulate, how to withhold, how to get what she wants.”
What Maya wants is nearly impossible to achieve: she wants to balance outrageous political statements with a luxe lifestyle; to be supersuccessful yet remain controversial; for style to merge with substance. “If you want to be huge, you have to give up a lot,” Michelle Jubelirer, Maya’s longtime lawyer, told me. “Maya vacillates between wanting to be huge and maintaining her artistic integrity. That’s her dilemma.”
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On a crisp, sunny day in mid-April in London, Maya and her publicist, Jennie Boddy, were in a car being driven to the home of a Sri Lankan wedding photographer. Instead of doing standard publicity photos to promote her still nameless album, Maya had the idea of using a photographer she found in the phone book who worked, as many Sri Lankan photographers do, in an almost Bollywood style, by inserting a simple picture, in this case of Maya, into dozens of fantastic, almost surrealistic tableaus. A few days ago, Maya hatched this plan, which like most Maya plans was inventive, artistic and, in an unsettling way, combined the high with the low. “I’ve had my eye on some jewelry from Givenchy forever,” Maya told me, as we inched our way in bumper-to-bumper traffic. “It is millions of dollars’ worth of gold jewelry. To wear it for these pictures, Givenchy had to send a bodyguard. I liked the idea of a photographer shooting me in his council flat in all this gold, knowing that the jewelry requires a bodyguard.” She paused. She was wearing opaque brown stockings, very small, tan leather shorts that laced up the front, high-heeled ankle boots and a fluorescent yellow bra that periodically flashed through a loose, open-knit Phat Farm sweater topped by an oversize dark brown jacket. Maya’s nearly black hair was pulled into a bun on top of her head, her nails were colored in an elaborate checkerboard pattern and she had applied a dark indigo powder to her eyebrows. It was an exotic mix: her body was downtown and her face was uptown. “All of what I’m wearing is American,” Maya said. “If I was a terrorist, I wouldn’t be wearing American clothing.” She paused. This may have been a joke, but Maya rarely laughs. She speaks carefully, slowly, with a kind of deadpan delivery. Like a trained politician, she stays on message. It’s hard to know if she believes everything she says or if she knows that a loud noise will always attract a crowd.
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Maya had flown to London nearly a month before and was living with Ikhyd at her mother’s apartment an hour outside the city. Initially, she came to see her mom and work on the album art and the first video, for the song “Born Free,” which is, strangely, not the first single. But she needed to renew her U.S. visa, and until her immigration lawyer could resolve the matter, Maya was stuck in London. “I want to be back in New York by May 3,” she said, staring out the window. “I’m invited to the Met Ball, and all my girlfriends say: ‘Oh, the Met Ball! I want to go to the Met Ball!’ ” The annual Met Ball for the Costume Institute is a yearly black-tie gala held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art . It is co-hosted by Anna Wintour , the editor of Vogue. “I’m going with Alexander Wang” — the fashion designer — “and I wanted to wear a dress made out of a torn-up American flag,” Maya added. Wang made a hand-crocheted, gold-metallic dress over a black leather bodice instead.
Maya has a complicated relationship with America. When she was recording “Kala,” in 2007, her second album (named after her mother), her request for an artist’s visa was initially denied. (Maya maintains it was because of her song lyrics; the State Department is not obliged to give applicants a reason for denying them entry.) She had wanted to make a more classic hip-hop record in Baltimore , where Blaqstarr then lived, or with Timbaland in L.A. but instead, recorded it all over the world. She traveled to Liberia , India , Angola, Trinidad and Jamaica (“where they have the cutest boys”). “Kala” is layered with sounds like tribal beats, dance hall and the lush musical productions of Bollywood. One track, “ Bird Flu ,” combines 30 of India’s top drummers in a crazy rush of rhythm. Maya was finally granted a visa and recorded “Paper Planes” in New York, but came back to England so that two sets of twins from Brixton could sing the backing vocals. She felt this inclusion made a kind of political statement at a time when England was spending millions of pounds on weapons and war. However incoherent the reason, the chorus of “Paper Planes” is contagious. “I never thought the song was political,” Diplo told me. “Mostly, Maya was making fun of American rapper culture. ‘Paper Planes’ was making fun of being what American kids are into, of being ‘gangsta.’ ”
She also recorded a song, “O Saya,” with A. R. Rahman , a composer and perhaps the most powerful producer in India, that ended up on the “Slumdog Millionaire” soundtrack. “O Saya” was nominated for an Academy Award, and in 2009, she was to perform on the awards show. “It was after Ikhyd was born,” Maya recalled, “and they told me they’d wheel in a bed and let me perform the song in bed.” She paused. She declined their offer when she found out that the televised song would be edited down to a minute. “It was too little time.”
Maya rolled down her window and pointed. “That church saved my life,” she said, as we drove past a church in East London. “Christ Church! That’s the last time I got to be a high-school dropout: I should have been in school, and a youth worker at the church, who had been in prison, grabbed me and slammed me against the wall one day and said: ‘What is the matter with you? If you stay around here, you’ll end up living in one of these apartments with six babies before you’re 20.’ I used to be hanging about, getting into trouble. He changed my life.”
After leaving Sri Lanka in 1983, her mother moved Maya and her brother and sister to Phipps Bridge Estate, a housing project, or council flat, in South London. It was rough. “We lived in a notoriously racist area called Mitcham,” Maya said. “It’s where all the skinheads lived. I was shot at for being a Tamil in Sri Lanka, and then, everyone was calling me a Paki in London, and I’m not even Pakistani. My mom sat me down and said, ‘When they call you that, tell them to sod off.’ ”
When Maya arrived, she knew only two words in English, she says: “Michael” and “Jackson.” She learned English from the radio, television and newspapers. Her mother, Maya claims, got a job as a seamstress, hand-sewing on medals for the royal family. “She worked for the queen for 25 years,” Maya said, as the car finally emerged from traffic. “And now, they’ve taken my mom’s U.S. visa away. A 65-year-old woman is counted as a terrorist, and America supports that.”
When she was a child, Maya sat under the table while her mother sewed and caught fabric scraps as they fell. “The first thing I made was a bra,” Maya said. “Two circles in pinky red, blue straps.” Her father remained in Sri Lanka (whenever they saw each other, he was introduced to Maya as her uncle, so that the children wouldn’t inadvertently reveal his identity). Maya claims that she has not seen him in years. Diplo told me a different story. “I met her dad in London with her,” he said. “He was very interested in sustainable living and was teaching in London. But he wasn’t a good father.” Whatever the truth is, Maya has gone from trumpeting her father’s revolutionary past in order to claim that lineage to playing down his politics to support a separate narrative. “He was with the Sri Lankan government,” she now maintained, when I saw her in Los Angeles. “He’s been with them for 20 years. They just made up the fact that he is a Tiger so they can talk crap about me.” (Her father could not be reached for comment.)
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Maya has always been interested in having a political agenda, no matter how murky. In 1993, Maya applied to Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design in London; she had decided to become a filmmaker. “I never thought I’d go there,” she says now. “Someone mentioned it to me once — they’re like, ‘Oh, my god, there are so many good-looking people there.’ One day, I was standing outside of it, and I decided I needed to go there. I wanted to make documentaries about people who didn’t have a voice. I wanted to be the messenger.”
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During her interview for the school, Maya says, she told the admissions officer that if he didn’t accept her application, she would become a prostitute or a crackhead or the best criminal in the world. “I said to him, ‘Don’t make me do it,’ ” she says now, smiling. “ ‘If you don’t let me in, there’s only one option: I become a hooker.’ He said, ‘That is emotional blackmail.’ It might have been, but I couldn’t stand that one person had that much power over my life, that if he said yes or no, it would change everything.”
He eventually said yes; that in Maya he saw rebellion and that art colleges need rebellion, or at least that’s how she remembers the reaction. For four years, she concentrated on directing movies, but she was not patient enough for the form. “Film is not instant enough for the person I am,” she said. Maya switched to videos (which were faster), and her classmate, Justine Frischmann of the band Elastica, asked her, in 2000, to create the artwork and a video for the band’s second album, “The Menace.” Frischmann and Maya became roommates, and when the two went on vacation to a small island off Saint Vincent in the Caribbean , Maya began tinkering with Frischmann’s Roland MC-505 Groovebox. “I was bored,” Maya recalled. “And I saw the machine. I’m tone deaf and not very musical, but I like dancing, if that counts. I’ve got rhythm. Justine had disappeared for about six hours, and I waited and waited, and I finally thought, I’ll just make something. The second song I made was ‘Galang,’ and I didn’t plan on singing it myself. When we got back, I scouted girls to sing it, and I would tell them, ‘This is how you do it: “Galangalang a lang lang,” ’ and none of them could do it right. So I thought, I need to do it myself.”
If she was reluctant, her nervousness didn’t last long: “Galang,” original and addictive, became her calling card. In 2003, she put “Galang” and two other songs on a 12-inch record. Diplo, whom she had not yet met, was hosting and working as a D.J. at parties in Philadelphia . He was given “Galang” by an editor from i-D magazine in London. He began playing the song and talking up Maya. “I was D.J.in g at a club called Fabric ,” he told me, “and when she walked in, I was playing ‘Galang.’ This was before she had a major record deal. She met me, and we started a relationship. Maya was into the whole terrorism gimmick at the time. It was all underground back then. In the beginning, she was trying to be different. She understood that no one was doing what she was doing.”
Even though she had a record out, Maya had never performed. “In 2004, I went onstage for the first time,” she said. “They put a mike in my hand and pushed me out the door into the crowd. I did the three songs I had recorded and got out. It was the worst day of my life.” But it didn’t stop her: she has always been focused. “Maya’s got a lot of hustle,” Richard Russell said admiringly. Russell’s XL Recordings is a small but influential label in Britain that puts out an eclectic mix — Thom Yorke, the White Stripes , Devendra Banhart, Adele, the Horrors. The label’s office is located near Portobello Road in what feels like a cluttered house, the front door nearly undetectable beneath a woodcutlike painting by the artist Stanley Donwood that depicts London being swallowed by a tidal wave.
“In 2003, Maya turned up here and said, ‘I heard you’ve been looking for me,’ ” Russell told me when I went to see him. “She decided that we were going to put out her music. And since Maya is able to will the universe and is an obvious force of nature, I found myself saying yes.”
He was impressed by “Galang,” but he was still hesitant. “There was a lot of cynicism about Maya,” he said. “She wasn’t a musician, and she had no basic musical craft. The label’s ethic is music that’s quite serious, and we work with people where music is not a way to become famous. It’s everything they’re about and, with Maya, people couldn’t see beyond the fact that she wasn’t a musician. Now, as much as I respect musicians, nothing takes the place of ingenuity and inspiration and originality. If you’ve got that spark, something to say and you’re determined enough, it might be quite interesting.”
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When Russell signed her, he imagined Maya as a kind of English answer to American hip-hop. Just as the Beatles and the Stones channeled American R & B, Russell said he felt that Maya would rework the sounds of rap music from the States. “England is good at being mongrel,” Russell said. “Maya is a mixture of black American culture, Sri Lankan culture, art, fashion. We mix it up well here and sell it back. As a country, we’ve always known how to do that. You see that in ‘Galang’: the different ethnicities, the art vibe, the Missy Elliot influence. Maya got it right and added to it.”
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Until she signed with XL, Maya was working as a clerk in a store called Euphoria. “I was ringing up a sale when Richard called me to tell me he was going to put out my record,” Maya said, as the car pulled up to a housing project in East London. “I told him, ‘You need me!’ and he said, ‘I don’t need you, but I want you.’ ” She smiled. “That was the right answer.”
RAVI THIAGARAJA, THE Sri Lankan photographer, answered the door of his flat and invited Maya in. Unlike most people, Maya is not tethered to her phone (“I have an iPhone ,” she told me, in her child-of-Godard mix of politics, paranoia and pop. “I like to be very close to the C.I.A. , F.B.I. and Sri Lankan government. I want to be completely reachable at all times”), but she’s never far from her acid yellow Mac laptop, which is inscribed with the M.I.A. logo. Her life is there: song lyrics, ideas for her Web site, the secret video she’s working on, photos of Ikhyd, unfinished artwork and more. As the photographer and his wife ushered us into the living room at the rear of the house, they wished Maya a happy Sri Lankan New Year. “I had no idea it was today,” she said, as she settled into a sofa and clicked open her laptop.
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“Would you like some rice pudding?” the photographer asked. Maya explained to me that rice pudding is the traditional celebratory food for the Sri Lankan New Year. Maya said no, and the photographer went to get the pictures.
He handed Maya a disc, and she slid it into her computer. There were dozens of shots, each featuring Maya dripping in gold. She was wearing seven or eight thick gold bracelets on each wrist, heavy earrings and what appeared to be ropes of gold attached at the throat like a tight gold turtleneck. “I wanted to look like an Iranian princess,” Maya said. In the photos, the rest of her outfit was casual: a black hoodie, black T-shirt and black leggings. In each shot, Maya was carefully placed in a scene, like a gold-clad visitor from another planet. In shot after shot, she was perched on different thrones, posing with dancers, encased in a bubble ascending to heaven. Three Mayas were disco-dancing together on a fluorescent Day-Glo floor, two Mayas were facing each other in a heart, multiple Mayas were covered in cascading roses. She was positioned in front of a pyramid, in a pyramid and above a pyramid. In most of the shots, Maya appeared to be a very wealthy deity.
Although she was pleased, Maya, in her editing mode, wanted more options. “I love the car backdrop,” she said. “Do you have one with a yellow Porsche ?” Maya studied her computer screen. “This could be a possible album cover,” she said. “And I’d love a calendar, if you can make one. Twelve months of these pictures.”
An hour passed, in which Maya reviewed dozens of other backdrop possibilities. When she’s working, her concentration is total. She rejected a palace shot as being too much like something the Sex Pistols did and nixed a nature scene with a picket fence. It was hard to imagine what the initial photo shoot was like: this flat was so humble and the Givenchy jewelry was so Midas that the contrast, while striking, also seemed a little unkind. And yet, the pictures were fascinating and memorable. Maya’s concept, though somewhat mocking (of both sides), was clever and original. She took an art form that is common in India and added her own flavor to it, which is, more or less, her gift as an artist.
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“Are you the singer?” somebody said. A neighbor had come to use the photographer’s computer and saw Maya sitting on the couch, studying her photos. “Uh-huh,” Maya said, looking up. The neighbor seemed stunned. “What are you doing here?” he said. Maya smiled. “Why wouldn’t I be here?” she replied.
THE FOLLOWING NIGHT, at 9 p.m., Maya was at the Alpha Centauri recording studio, sitting in front of a huge soundboard, her computer open on her lap, listening to two versions of “Born Free,” the track that begins her new album. The first “Born Free” was mixed very loud and emphasized the hard drum sample from the band Suicide that anchors the song, while the second version was quieter and more rhythmic, less rock and more rap. “I like the first cut,” said Courcy Magnus, a producer from Philadelphia, who along with his producing partner, Kyle Edwards (who is based in Atlanta ), had flown to London to work with Maya. Although her still-untitled record was, technically, finished, there wasn’t a song that popped out to Interscope, Maya’s American label, as a perfect single. They loved the record, but as Diplo told me, “Albums now are a hit song and 11 other songs that are attached to it.” The goal for Magnus and Edwards was to invent that hit.
“I need a beat for this song,” Maya said. She played a short bit of music on her computer. It was a scrap of a song — classic and simple, almost pop. “Melody is not something I do,” Maya said. “I’m trying to do things I can’t do.” The producers nodded, eager to please. “Do you want more creative drums?” Edwards asked. “More percussion?” Maya said nothing. She stared for a second. “Jay-Z should have been on this beat, and he would have had an amazing hit,” she said finally. “I felt like I was doing something that belonged to Jay-Z.”
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The producers played her tracks that didn’t have much to do with what Maya had played them. It was a beginning. “Producers are important,” Iovine had told me. “Every song starts with a beat and a sound and that usually comes from the producer. I run my company through record producers. I started out as a record producer. If I let myself go, that’s where the wind takes me. But the trick is — and Maya is amazing at this — to fuse the style of the producer with the artist. Maya is a great judge of what works: she knows how to get the best from her producers.”
Each song is invented differently, but generally Maya likes to whittle her songs down from long jam sessions. “We recorded everything live at the house in L.A.,” Rusko, who produced half the album, including the first single, “XXXO” (which he worked on with Blaqstarr), told me. “We’d record 20-minute takes of Maya doing different vocals and 20 minutes of me doing different beats. On ‘XXXO,’ we tried all this stuff before we got the end result. Maya has ideas that can’t be physically done. She wants this sound or that sound — the tracks already exist in her head. In the end, she has a plan for everything.”
Diplo wasn’t allowed to work at the house (“Her boyfriend really hates me,” he said), so Maya and he recorded “Tell Me Why,” perhaps the closest thing to a pop-radio song on the record, at Red Bull Studios in Santa Monica. “It was my birthday; I was on mushrooms,” he recalled. “It was a special atmosphere: I found the sample” — a patch of music lifted from a song by the Alabama Sacred Harp Singers — “and Maya actually whistled. I did 15 demos for her before she finally chose that track. Even if she hates my guts, she knows that we can do crazy stuff together. The sound on her records is unlike anyone else’s, and we all take that very seriously.”
In London, the mood was different. Although she ended up working in the studio until 5 in the morning, Maya was concentrating on other aspects of the record — the top secret “Born Free” video was set to go viral in a week; she still had to do the artwork for the album; and she had to decide what to call the album. She didn’t seem particularly interested in creating a hit. “If we do another song, I want it to be something new,” she said. “And right now, my mind is on other things.
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THE NEXT DAY, we were back in the car, on our way to East London to meet with Hermione de Paula, a design team that Maya wanted to hire to create some clothes for her to wear on tour this summer. “I am so tired of stylists,” Maya said. “They are ruining individual style. If Patti Smith was starting now or Debbie Harry , the stylists would try to dress them, to change them. Their style would be lost.” Maya, who was wearing jeans made out of denim that had been quilted into a tribal pattern and a loose crocheted top in red, wanted the Hermione de Paula girls to incorporate her ideas with their existing designs that she had seen on their Web site. “They have a jumpsuit that I like,” Maya said. “But instead of using their fabric, I want them to use a fabric that’s made from a document I found.” She took out her laptop and clicked on an official-looking typed letter that had been censored. Black bars erased certain words. “I’d like to turn this page into fabric,” she said. “I know someone who can do that. And then I want to take that fabric and make it into a jumpsuit. I’d like to turn censorship into fashion.”
It doesn’t stop there: Maya would like to build a stage show around the idea of censorship. When a patron enters the club — “We could only do this in small places,” she acknowledged — every move would be limited. If you went to certain areas, alarms would go off and you might be asked to leave. “I want to be like the government,” Maya said. “It could be interesting.”
The censorship tour is doubtful — Maya is currently booked into large outdoor arenas. She finds performing stressful. In June 2008, she announced at the Bonnaroo festival that her performance there would be her “last gig.” But the record business in 2010 demands touring to ensure record sales, as well as secondary revenue, mainly from T-shirt sales. “Maya has to perform live,” Iovine told me. “That’s the key to success today.” Her tour also gives her an opportunity to spread her antiestablishment/conspiracy-theory message. “I feel like art has a responsibility to make things visually interesting and stimulating,” Maya said now, as we waited, as always, stuck in traffic. “But, at the same time, I like questions. I can’t get a visa right now because of things I’ve said. And that’s wrong. If certain words are banned, then that has to be written up on every box of crayons or paints or on every pen. There needs to be a warning on everything I use to write with that says, ‘Do not write these words, or we will put you in jail.’ ” Maya paused. “And if that’s what America is, then the American people should know that.”
She paused again. “America also has no sense of humor,” she continued. “There’s this show in England about kids who want to be terrorists. It’s brilliant! The kids are buying Ajax to make bombs and trying to think of new ways to do suicide bombings. It’s really, really cool.” She paused again. “Because I think that’s funny, I’ll probably be called a terrorist.” She sighed.
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After nearly an hour of driving, we arrived at the designers’ studio. The two women, who were dressed alike in black, loose-fitting tops and platform boots, greeted Maya like a long-lost sister. Their studio was cramped, and two small dogs were happily jumping about near a rack of clothes. Maya’s eye immediately went to the jumpsuit. It was very fitted, with a high Peter Pan collar and cutouts that would reveal flesh on either side of the waist. The girls showed Maya one of their dresses, a slinky column in shades of gray. “No dresses,” she said flatly. “I want to invent an idea for this album, and that idea is based on a uniform. A jumpsuit is like a uniform.”
Maya seemed to be going for a combination of sexy and militaristic. She showed the girls her fabric ideas on her computer, and they were amenable. “ Nike is the uniform for kids all over the world,” Maya said for no apparent reason. “And African design has been killed by Nike. Africans no longer want to wear their own designs.” The designers said they thought that was terrible. “The best sportswear is on Blackwater operatives,” Maya continued, referring to the agents who were clandestine guns for hire in Iraq . The designers nodded, but they clearly had no idea what she was talking about. “I want to have a uniform like theirs.”
The oddity of using a garment linked to mercenaries to convey a very different message seemed to elude Maya. As we got ready to leave, she became surprisingly strict with the designers. You are part of my team, she seemed to be saying. And, as part of the team, you must live up to my vision. “I want everything on this album to be a collaboration,” Maya said. The women looked both proud and nervous. They were now recruited.
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ROMAIN GAVRAS, THE director of the video for “Born Free,” arrived in London from Paris in April with the master version of the nine-minute minifilm. He was late, because of the ash cloud from Iceland that had engulfed Europe and closed down airports. Gavras had taken the train. All week, Maya was unusually secretive about the “Born Free” video — she would mime zipping her lips whenever anyone asked her about it. Although she showed the video to Richard Russell at XL (“People need to decide if they think it’s valid,” he told me when I asked him about it), she hadn’t sent it to Interscope, even though she planned to release the video in America in four days. “The Interscope lawyers will want to send the video to a censorship board,” she said now. Maya was sitting with Gavras, a tall, bearded man dressed completely in dark blue, from his knit ski hat to his jeans, in XL’s conference room. “I didn’t really approve the video,” she said jokingly. “He hijacked my song.”
Maya met Gavras, who is the son of the politically charged filmmaker Costa-Gavras (his 1969 film “Z,” which won the Academy Award for best foreign film, was a kind of antifascist thriller designed to expose corrupt tactics within the Greek government of the early ’60’s), when she played Paris a few years ago. “He hit on my friend,” Maya recalled. Gavras is willfully notorious: in 2008, his video for the song “Stress,” by the band Justice, depicted a Parisian street gang who steal, destroy tourists’ cameras and beat up innocent bystanders. “For a few months, I was one of the most hated men in France,” Gavras said at the time. “It was fun. It was an amazing free promo,” he continued, adding that in France, “you can only get that much press if you have sex with children.”
Gavras had asked Maya if he could shoot the video for “Paper Planes” on the Mexican border. “I didn’t understand the lyrics,” he said. “I thought it was about illegal immigration.” Maya was game, but Interscope vetoed his idea. “Interscope won,” Maya said. “I don’t want them to win this time.” She paused. “So, do you want to see it?”
Unlike, say, her performance at the Grammys, which was a perfect fusion of spectacle (a nine-months-pregnant woman rapping in a see-through dress) with content (Maya’s fervor was linked to the music), the video for “Born Free” feels exploitative and hollow. Seemingly designed to be banned on YouTube , which it was instantly, the video is set in Los Angeles where a vague but apparently American militia forcibly search out red-headed men and one particularly beautiful red-headed child. The gingers, as Maya called them, using British slang, are taken to the desert, where they are beaten and killed. The first to die is the child, who is shot in the head. While “Born Free” is heard in the background throughout, the song is lost in the carnage. As a meditation on prejudice and senseless persecution, the video is, at best, politically naïve.
“The video was more than fine with me,” Jimmy Iovine told me later that night. Despite Maya’s efforts, he had seen it. “I didn’t even have a blink.” A canny showman, Iovine knew that the video would get attention, that Maya would get her visa (which she did) and that all the noise was good for business. He has a long history of driving record sales with violent imagery: in the 1990s, Interscope was home to Death Row Records, where Snoop Dogg , Dr. Dre and Tupac Shakur made millions rapping about all things gangsta. Iovine also appreciates the outrageous: Interscope’s biggest artist is Lady Gaga , who has melded big-time theatricality with disco-based pop, a kind of love child of Elton John and Madonna.
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“With our video, we were really copying ‘Telephone,’ ” Maya says now, referring to Gaga’s recent video with Beyoncé . “Both our videos are road movies. We kill people, and they kill people. They start out in a prison, and we start out in a squat, hunting people down.” Maya zipped her lips again. “I can’t talk about Gaga anymore,” she said. “All I’ll say is, it’s upsetting when babies say ga-ga now. It used to be innocent. Now, they’re calling her name.”
Maya feels that Gaga is not original, that she mostly borrows from the Abba playbook, and she gets annoyed when Gaga is compared to Madonna. “You can’t really say that Gaga is culturally a change,” Maya said. “Madonna was truly unique.” Gavras nodded. “And Madonna was pretty,” he said. “ Pop stars should be pretty.” Maya flipped open her computer. “Do you want to see this amazing parody of ‘Telephone’?” she asked. “It’s brilliant!” Gavras stood behind Maya and watched. “This parody has three million hits,” Maya said. “That’s way more than I’ve ever had.”
Downstairs at XL in a small recording studio, the producers Magnus and Edwards were working on Maya’s potential hit song, and the XL publicists wanted her to concentrate on her European press. She had finally decided on a title for the record, which was meant to be an artistic rendering of her name. “I need to figure out what to wear for a photo shoot for tomorrow,” Maya said. “I think we should go shopping.”
Gavras and Maya left XL and headed for Portobello Road, a few blocks away. As Maya pointed out the sights (“ Stella McCartney owns that building”), she sorted through the racks of clothing that dozens of dealers had set up on the street. She didn’t want to go back to the studio. “I’m in the visual part of my brain now,” Maya said, as she held up an outsize yellow sweater. “The musical part of my brain is shut down.”
While Gavras talked on the phone, Maya walked ahead. She passed a small shop that sold Indian clothing and pottery, most of it cheaply made. There were sparkly shawls and gauze tunics crowding the window. “I used to buy a lot here when I lived in London,” Maya said. She spotted a tiger costume, complete with whiskered hood, hanging next to an orange sari. “Look at that tiger!” Maya said. “I could wear that at the photo shoot tomorrow!” She paused and considered the implications of dressing up as a tiger. “It’s probably too much,” she said finally. “It might seem like I was making a joke.” ||||| 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. | – Maya Arulpragasam, aka MIA, must have really hated Lynn Hirschberg's piece about her in New York Times Magazine, because she's just plastered Hischberg's cell phone number on Twitter—pretending it's her own. “CALL ME IF YOU WANNA TALK TO ME ABOUT THE N Y T TRUTH ISSUE, ill b taking calls all day bitches ;),” the radical rapper wrote. Hirschberg seems to be taking it in stride. “It's a fairly unethical thing to do, but I don't think it's surprising. She's a provocateur, and provocateurs want to be provocative,” she told the New York Observer, adding that she doesn't plan to change her number. “The messages have mostly been from people trying to hook up with MIA. If she wants to get together with John at Bard next week, I have his number.” |
– An animal welfare officer in Oregon is getting attention after her body-worn camera captured her rescuing a baby deer. The Eugene Police Department on Thursday made public a video and photo of Officer Shawni McLaughlin freeing a terrified fawn that got stuck in a backyard fence, the AP reports. In the video, McLaughlin wraps the fawn's head in a towel and lifts it from between two narrow fence posts as she gently talks to the deer. The fawn lies on the ground for a few seconds after being freed, apparently not aware it can walk. McLaughlin pets it before it springs up and runs away. An open sore can be seen on the fawn's left hip. |
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Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Reporting from close to Kobane, Paul Adams says fighting is "raging" on the Syrian side of the border
Kurdish fighters are engaged in fierce gun battles with Islamic State (IS) in the Syrian border town of Kobane, as US-led coalition air strikes continue.
In its latest report, the US Central Command said six air strikes had destroyed IS weaponry around Kobane.
An official inside Kobane said the Kurdish forces were now pushing back the Islamic State fighters.
Seizing Kobane would give the IS jihadists full control of a long stretch of the Syrian-Turkish border.
This has been a primary route for foreign fighters getting into Syria, as well as allowing IS to traffic oil it has captured.
Three weeks of fighting over Kobane has cost the lives of 400 people, and forced more than 160,000 Syrians to flee across the border to Turkey.
At the scene: Paul Adams, BBC world affairs correspondent
Image copyright Reuters Image caption Kurdish fighters have been emboldened by the latest coalition air strikes on Kobane
The images are powerful enough, but the sound is sometimes overwhelming. At times today, it seemed the entire eastern side of Kobane was one vast street battle. It was relentless. Thick clouds of smoke drifted across the town as grenades exploded.
And all day, another series of massive air strikes; each towering black cloud greeted with delighted cheering by Turkish Kurds who have come to watch, with mounting dread, the assault on their Syrian cousins across the fence.
In groups large and small, they gather as close to the fence as they can get, shouting chants of defiance and solidarity. They are furious with Turkey for what they believe is Ankara's complicity in the rise of Islamic State.
'Retreat'
A senior official in Kobane, Idriss Nassan, told news agencies the IS militants had suffered "their biggest retreat since their entry into the city" and that many had been killed.
"They are now outside the entrances of the city of Kobane. The shelling and bombardment was very effective and as a result of it, IS has been pushed from many positions."
Image copyright AFP Image caption Armed men, believed to be Islamic State fighters, are seen in Kobane's streets
Image copyright AFP Image caption Turkish armed forces patrol the border but have not crossed
Image copyright EPA Image caption An image showing how close suspected IS militants (background) are to the Turkish forces
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption More than 160,000 Syrians have fled three weeks of fighting in Kobane
But he added: "Kobane is still in danger and the air strikes should intensify in order to remove the danger."
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group also said that IS fighters had withdrawn from several areas they had earlier controlled.
The BBC's Paul Adams, close to the border, says that at one point a suicide truck bomb driven by a lone jihadi detonated in flames - the Kurds said they managed to blow it up before it reached its target.
'More savvy'
US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Wednesday the US was "deeply concerned about the people of Kobane".
But he said: "Horrific as it is to watch the violence, it is important to keep in mind the US strategic objective" - which, he added, was to deprive IS of command-and-control centres and the infrastructure to carry out attacks.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Turkey's complicated relationship with the Kurds explained
The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen Martin Dempsey, told ABC News that IS was becoming "more savvy".
"We have been striking when we can... They don't fly flags and move around in large convoys the way they did. They don't establish headquarters that are visible or identifiable."
Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm John Kirby said the battle against IS was "going to be a long, difficult struggle not solved by military power alone" and that it was a reality that "other towns and villages - and perhaps Kobane - will be taken by IS".
The US Central Command listed the damage done by six coalition air strikes south and south-west of Kobane over Tuesday and Wednesday.
It said an armoured personnel carrier, four "armed vehicles" and two artillery pieces were destroyed.
There were three further air strikes on IS in other parts of Syria and five in Iraq.
Image copyright AFP Image caption Kurds have protested over Turkey's role, including here in Istanbul
Turkey meanwhile remains under intense pressure to do more to help the Kurdish forces in Kobane.
At least 19 people have reportedly been killed in Kurdish protests over Turkey's role.
Kurds are angry that Turkey has prevented fighters crossing the border to fight IS in Kobane.
Last week Turkey's parliament also authorised military action against the jihadists in Iraq and Syria, but so far no action has been taken.
What are Turkey's demands and can they be met?
To set up a buffer zone on the Turkish border inside Syria, enforced by a no-fly zone to ensure security and ease the refugee influx into Turkey - analysts say this is unlikely as it would require warplanes to disable the Syrian government's air defence system. John Kerry said on Wednesday a buffer zone would need "thorough examination"
Air strikes to target the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad - the US state department insists that air strikes are to remain focused on Islamic State alone
Turkey's fear of a reignited Kurdish flame ||||| Story highlights A U.S.-led coalition conducts nine airstrikes in Syria; three in Iraq
ISIS claims to down an Iraqi military helicopter
Air campaign alone won't defeat ISIS, former British official tells CNN
U.S. officials: Main goal is to go after leadership and infrastructure, not save cities
U.S. airstrikes "are not going to save" the key Syrian city of Kobani from being overtaken by ISIS, said Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby.
"I think we all should be steeling ourselves for that eventuality," he told reporters in a daily briefing Wednesday.
"We are doing everything we can to halt" ISIS' progress against the town, but airstrikes alone cannot stop the Islamist militants, Kirby added.
"We've been very honest about the limits of air power here. The ground forces that matter the most are indigenous ground forces, and we don't have a willing, capable, effective partner on the ground inside Syria right now -- it's just a fact," he said.
The greater U.S. strategy, Kirby said, is to degrade ISIS' ability to sustain itself.
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Several senior U.S. administration officials said Kobani will soon fall to ISIS, which calls itself the Islamic State.
They downplayed the importance of it, saying the city is not a major U.S. concern.
But a look at the city shows why it would mark an important strategic victory for the militants. ISIS would control a complete swath of land between its self-declared capital of Raqqa, Syria, and Turkey -- a stretch of more than 100 kilometers (62 miles).
As Time.com put it, "If the ISIS militants take control of Kobani, they will have a huge strategic corridor along the Turkish border, linking with the terrorist group's positions in Aleppo to the west and Raqqa to the east."
Staffan de Mistura, U.N. special envoy for Syria, warned of the horrors ISIS could carry out against the people of Kobani -- horrors it has carried out elsewhere. "The international community needs to defend them," he said. "The international community cannot sustain another city falling under ISIS."
The terrorist group claimed it had downed at Iraqi army helicopter in Baiji. Photographs posted to an ISIS website show smoke and fire around an aircraft, which is then seen completely charred on the ground.
A truck bomb driven by ISIS exploded near the center of Kobani. Two civilians and a fighter inside the city described it as huge. The target was a security forces building, they said.
However, Kurdish official Idriss Nassan told CNN, the truck did not reach its intended target and detonated early.
Coalition batters ISIS positions with airstrikes
A U.S.-led coalition has been pounding ISIS positions in the region with airstrikes for a few weeks, conducting nine airstrikes in Syria and three in Iraq on Wednesday.
In Syria, eight strikes near Kobani destroyed five ISIS armed vehicles, a supply depot, a command and control compound, a logistics compound, and eight occupied barracks, according to a statement from U.S. Central Command.
"U.S. Central Command continues to monitor the situation in Kobani closely. Indications are that Kurdish militia there continue to control most of the city and are holding out against ISIL," it read.
Overnight into Thursday, the Australian Air Task Group in the Middle East attacked its first target in Iraq: an ISIS facility.
A former head of the British Armed Forces doubted the wisdom of coalition airstrikes -- alone.
"The rules of war are well-written on this, and well-established. I've been saying it, others have been said it," retired Gen. David Richards told CNN's Christiane Amanpour.
"Wars aren't ever going to be won from the air alone. They're a vital part of success, but don't expect a guy in an airplane to be able to seize and hold terrain," he said.
At least 45 ISIS fighters have been killed in the strikes, though the number may be much higher, according to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which gets information from sources on the ground.
The most recent strikes, late Tuesday into Wednesday, included nine in Syria, the U.S. military said. Six were in the Kobani area and destroyed an ISIS armored personnel carrier, four armed vehicles and two artillery pieces, U.S. Central Command said. U.S. and coalition forces also conducted five airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq, the military said.
The primary goal of the aerial campaign is not to save Syrian cities and towns, the U.S. officials said. Rather, the aim is to go after ISIS' senior leadership, oil refineries and other infrastructure that would curb the terror group's ability to operate -- particularly in Iraq.
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Saving Iraq is a more strategic goal for several reasons, the officials said. First, the United States has a relationship with the Iraqi government. By contrast, the Obama administration wants Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down.
Another reason: The United States has partners on the ground in Iraq, including Iraqi forces and Kurdish fighters known as Peshmerga.
According to a senior military official, U.S. military advisers are now working with Iraqi troops at the brigade level, not just in the joint command centers in Irbil and Baghdad. The advisers are not in combat situations, but the move means they are less removed than before, said the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
"Our strikes continue alongside our partners. It remains a difficult mission. As I've indicated from the start, this is not something that is going to be solved overnight," President Barack Obama told reporters Wednesday.
"We're confident that we will be able to continue to make progress in partnership with the Iraqi government, because ultimately it's going to be important for them to be able to, with our help, secure their own country, and to find the kind of political accommodations that are necessary for long-term prosperity," he said.
Local fighters apparently made some headway Wednesday morning, when some ISIS militants in Kobani were pushed back to the city's perimeter, Kurdish official Idriss Nassan said.
The battles have been bloody. More than 400 people have been killed in the fight for Kobani since mid-September, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The opposition group said it has documented the deaths of 219 ISIS jihadists, 163 members of the Kurdish militia and 20 civilians.
U.S. plan against ISIS: Iraq first, then Syria
Map: Kobani (Ayn al-Arab) EXPAND IMAGE
The United States' goal is to first beat back ISIS in Iraq, then eliminate some of its leadership and resources in Syria, the U.S. administration officials said.
If all goes as planned, by the time officials turn their attention to Syria, some of the Syrian opposition will be trained well enough to tackle ISIS in earnest.
Washington has been making efforts to arm and train moderate Syrian opposition forces who are locked in a fight against both ISIS and the al-Assad regime.
Training Syrian rebels could take quite a long time.
"It could take years, actually," retired Gen. John Allen said last week. "Expectations need to be managed."
The United States also wants Turkey to do more, the officials said. The administration is urging Turkey to at least fire artillery at ISIS targets across the border.
But the Turkish reluctance, the officials say, is wrapped up in the complex relationship with their own Kurds and the idea that they don't want to help any of the Kurds in any way.
CNN iReporter Chelsea Smith sent photos, taken Tuesday night in Istanbul, showing clashes between police and protesters in the predominately Kurdish neighborhood of Tarlabasi.
While outside the Parliament building in London on Wednesday, Kurdish activists protested for stronger action.
"We want more airstrikes. We want a clear message. There is a humanity that's threatened and the massacre is about to happen, and we have to act very immediately and prompt, and intensify our attacks on them," said Rebar Hajo, a protester, and member of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) in Syria.
Hundreds of strikes, millions of dollars
The United States and its allies have made at least 271 airstrikes in Iraq and 116 in Syria.
The cost? More than $62 million for just the munitions alone.
The effect? Negligible, some say, particularly in Iraq.
One by one, the cities have fallen to ISIS like dominoes: Hit, Albu Aytha, Kubaisya, Saqlawia and Sejal.
And standing on the western outskirts of Baghdad, ISIS is now within sight.
"That's DAIISH right over there," said Iraqi Brig. Gen. Ali Abdel Hussain Kazim, using the Arabic acronym for ISIS.
The militants' proximity to the capital is cause for concern. If the terror group manages to infiltrate and launch attacks in Baghdad or its green zone, the results could be disastrous.
Kazim said ISIS has not been able to move from eastern Anbar province to Baghdad. But another brigadier general said that's not even the biggest threat.
The real danger to the Iraqi capital, Brig. Gen. Mohamed al-Askari said, is from ISIS sympathizers in the city.
"They are a gang," he said. "They deploy among civilians. They disappear into the civilian population and camouflage themselves."
READ: The group that could help beat ISIS
READ: How ISIS makes $1 million a day ||||| A UN official warned of pending "humanitarian tragedies" and pleaded desperately with the world to intervene on behalf of Kurds trapped in a Syrian city near the Turkish border, as Islamic State fighters stood on the brink of taking it.
Kurds from villages throughout northern Syria have fled to Kobani for a final stand as the terrorist group has marauded across huge swaths of land, leaving a trail of death and destruction. With the city under siege for three weeks, the black-clad fighters have begun to raise their flag over neighborhoods and UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said the city was about to fall.
"The world has seen with its own eyes the images of what happens when a city in Syria or in Iraq is overtaken by the terrorist group called ISIS or Da'esh: massacres, humanitarian tragedies, rapes, horrific violence," De Mistura said. "The international community cannot sustain another city falling under ISIS.
"The world, all of us, will regret deeply if ISIS is able to take over a city which has defended itself with courage but is close to not being able to do so," De Mistura added. "We need to act now."
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With the fighting taking place with view of the Turkish border, international pressure increased on Ankara to get involved militarily. Turkey has already taken in an estimated 200,000 refugees, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the coalition air campaign launched last month would not be enough to halt the Islamic State group's advance.
"Kobani is about to fall," Erdogan told Syrian refugees in the Turkish border town of Gaziantep, according to The Associated Press.
Erdogan, whose troops are massed near the border but have so far not taken an offensive posture, called for greater cooperation with the Syrian opposition, which is fighting both the extremists and forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad.
"We asked for three things: one, for a no-fly zone to be created; two, for a secure zone parallel to the region to be declared; and for the moderate opposition in Syria and Iraq to be trained and equipped."
The capture of Kobani would give ISIS control of a large swath of land bordering Turkey and eliminate a vital pocket of Kurdish resistance. It would also provide a link between the group's territory near the ancient Syrian city of Aleppo and its largest operations base at Raqqa in northeastern Syria.
The Associated Press reported that warplanes believed to be part of the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State, struck militant positions Tuesday. Journalists on the Turkish side of the border heard the sound of warplanes before two large plumes of smoke billowed just west of Kobani. A Fox News crew on the Turkish side of the border reported only one U.S. airstrike in the previous five days.
Fighting continued into Tuesday morning on the outskirts of the town. One coordinator with the Kurdish defenders told The New York Times that their defenses benefited from the new round of airstrikes, but they were still outmatched by the more heavily armed militants.
On Tuesday morning, the AP reported that occasional gunfire could be heard in Kobani, also known by the Arabic name Ayn Arab. A flag of the Kurdish force known as the People's Protection Units, or YPG, was seen flying over a hill in the center of town.
The Wall Street Journal reported that ISIS fighters had entered the eastern outskirts of the city on Monday after capturing more than 300 surrounding Syrian Kurdish villages in the previous three weeks. The paper also reported that the militants raised their black flag in two separate places, one on top of a civilian apartment building and another on a hilltop near a checkpoint at the city’s eastern entrance. The flag at the checkpoint could be seen by reporters watching from across the border in Turkey.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Kurds forced the jihadists to withdraw from the eastern part of the town in heavy clashes after midnight Tuesday, adding that five loud explosions were heard in the town as warplanes soared overhead. However, a local Kurdish militia commander estimated to The Journal that ISIS fighters were still a mile from the city center. On Tuesday, Reuters reported that ISIS had also taken over several buildings in the southwest of the city.
Before the recent fighting began, the city had been a focal point for refugees fleeing Syria's three-years-long civil war. Between 160,000 and 180,000 people are believed to have fled into Turkey since the ISIS advance began. A Kurdish politician told Reuters that more than 2,000 Syrian Kurds, including women and children had been evacuated from the town in the midst of the fighting Monday.
State Department officials told the Journal that U.S. officials will travel to Turkey later this week to discuss the status of the international coalition. Retired Marine Gen. John Allen, the White House's special envoy in the fight against ISIS, is among those traveling to Turkey.
Despite U.S. pressure to become a full-fledged member of the coalition, and despite the Turkish parliament passing a law giving the government authority to conduct operations against ISIS in Syria or Iraq, Ankara has largely stayed on the sidelines. Fox News reported Monday that twenty Turkish tanks have been stationed on a hillside overlooking Kobani, ready to strike the city on short notice. However, Turkish authorities have mostly been preoccupied with attempting to control the flow of Kurdish refugees across the border and deal with their protests at the government's inaction.
Also Tuesday, Turkish media reported that police in Istanbul and at least six other Turkish cities clashed with hundreds of demonstrators. The private Dogan news agency clashes broke out in several Istanbul neighborhoods overnight, as protesters set up barricades, hurled stones, fireworks and firebombs at police and set a bus on fire. One police officer was injured.
Police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse similar protests in the mostly Kurdish-populated cities of Diyarbakir, Batman, Van, Sirnak, Sanliurfa and Hakkari.
Fox News' Greg Palkot and The Associated Press contributed to this report. ||||| Kurdish protesters wearing an apron calling for support to save the Syrian town of Kobani from being overrun by Islamic State group fighters during a demonstration outside the Parliament of Cyprus in... (Associated Press)
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Kurdish protesters clashed with police in Turkey leaving at least 14 people dead and scores injured Tuesday as demonstrators in Brussels forced their way into the European Parliament, part of Europe-wide demonstrations against the Islamic State group's advance on a town on the Syrian-Turkish border.
Turkey's private Dogan news agency reported 8 dead in the eastern city of Diyarbakir and that the other victims died in cities in the east as police used water cannon and tear gas to disperse protesters who burned cars and damaged businesses.
The activists are demanding more help for the besieged Kurdish forces struggling to hold onto the Syrian town of Kobani. Some European countries are arming the Kurds, and the American-led coalition is carrying out airstrikes against the Islamic extremists, but protesters say it isn't enough.
A demonstrator in Cyprus urged the coalition to "hit the jihadists harder" so that Kurdish forces can hold the town.
Tensions are especially high in Turkey, where Kurds have fought a 3-decade-long battle for autonomy and where Syria's violence has taken an especially heavy toll.
Protests were reported in cities across Turkey on Tuesday, after Islamic State fighters backed by tanks and artillery engaged in heavy street battles with the town's Kurdish defenders.
Police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse demonstrators in Istanbul and in the desert town of Kucuk Kenderciler, near Kobani on the Turkish side of the border. One person in Istanbul was hospitalized after being hit in the head by a gas canister, Dogan reported.
Some protesters shouted "Murderer ISIS!" and accused Turkey's government of collaborating with the Islamic militants.
Authorities declared a curfew in six towns in the southeastern province of Mardin, the Anadolu Agency reported.
Hundreds of thousands of Kurds live elsewhere in Europe, and mobilized quickly via social networks to stage protests after the advance on Kobani. Some European Kurds have gone to the Mideast recently to join Kurdish forces.
In Brussels on Tuesday, about 50 protesters smashed a glass door and pushed past police to get into the European Parliament. Once inside, some protesters were received by Parliament President Martin Schulz, who promised to discuss the Kurds' plight with NATO and EU leaders.
In Germany, home to Western Europe's largest Kurdish population, about 600 people demonstrated in Berlin on Tuesday, according to police. Hundreds demonstrated in other German cities. Austria, too, saw protests.
Kurds peacefully occupied the Dutch Parliament for several hours Monday night, and met Tuesday with legislators to press for more Dutch action against the insurgents, according to local media.
The Netherlands has sent six F-16 fighter jets to conduct airstrikes against Islamic State in Iraq, but says it does not see a mandate for striking in Syria.
France, too, is firing airstrikes on Islamic State positions in Iraq but not in Syria, wary of implications on international efforts against President Bashar Assad.
"We don't understand why France is acting in Kurdistan in Iraq and not Kurdistan in Syria," said Fidan Unlubayir of the Federation of Kurdish Associations of France.
Kurds protested overnight at the French Parliament and plan another protest Tuesday.
Kurds also staged impromptu protests against the Islamic State fighters in Helsinki, Oslo and Stockholm.
On Monday, protesters at the U.S. Embassy in Cyprus urged the international coalition to provide heavy weaponry to Kurdish fighters and forge a military cooperation pact with the Kurdish group YPG.
___
Angela Charlton reported from Paris. Menelaos Hadjicostis in Nicosia, Raf Casert in Brussels, Geir Moulson in Berlin, Jari Tanner in Tallinn and Mike Corder in The Hague contributed to this report. ||||| A divided House of Commons voted Tuesday in favour of sending Canadian aircraft and personnel to join coalition airstrikes in Iraq against Islamic State of Iraq and Syria targets.
"We do not take this step lightly. The threat posed by [ISIS] is real," said Prime Minister Stephen Harper in a statement released shortly after the motion passed by 157 votes to 134.
"If left unchecked this terrorist organization will grow and grow quickly. They have already voiced their local and international terrorist intentions and identified Canada as a potential target."
Six CF-18 fighter-bombers, two CP-140 surveillance planes, one aerial tanker aircraft and 600 personnel have been tapped to join coalition airstrikes in Iraq for up to six months, pursuant to the motion before the Commons.
Canadian CF-18s, like the one pictured, will take part in airstrikes in the Middle East. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)
Harper stressed Canadian troops would not be involved in ground combat against ISIS, also known as ISIL.
Tories 'plunging Canada into a prolonged war': NDP
In a written statement released after the vote, Opposition Leader Tom Mulcair accused the government of "plunging Canada into a prolonged war without a credible plan to help victims of ISIL terror," and "opening the door" to getting Canada involved in the "bloody" Syrian civil war.
Mulcair's New Democrats had proposed an amendment to overhaul the motion entirely and switch the focus to supplying arms to local fighters battling ISIS and increasing humanitarian support.
That motion was defeated by a vote of 157 to 134, with all but two opposition MPs voting in favour, and the Conservatives voting against.
Green Party MP Bruce Hyer and Brent Rathgeber, an Independent who used to sit with the Conservatives, voted with the government on both the NDP amendment and the main motion.
"In response to the Conservatives' ill-defined combat mission, New Democrats laid out a strong alternative action plan that would significantly increase Canada's humanitarian response to this crisis," Mulcair said.
"The Conservatives voted against smart and responsible measures that would save lives in Iraq right now."
Moments after the vote, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau took to Twitter to reaffirm that his party "disagrees with [the government] on how Canada can best help confront threat of ISIL."
"Tonight we voted against motion to send our Forces to war," he noted.
"The members of the Canadian Armed Forces who will now go into harm’s way have our full and unwavering support."
"Now the six months begin," tweeted Liberal foreign affairs critic Marc Garneau.
Longtime Liberal MP Irwin Cotler abstains from vote
Liberal MP Irwin Cotler abstained from the vote.
The longtime MP released a statement explaining that he feels the government motion is unclear on Canada's involvement and did not share enough information for MPs to make an informed choice.
"In particular — and this is reason enough for me not to support the motion — I am deeply disturbed by the prime minister’s statement that Canada would require the approval of the criminal Assad regime to carry out operations in Syria," he wrote.
"To allow the perpetrator of war crimes, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing and genocide to green-light Canadian intervention is to turn R2P on its head," he said, referring to the doctrine of responsibility to protect, a principle in international law that a country can take action against another to safeguard civilians against mass atrocities.
Assad, Cotler said, "should be a criminal defendant, not a coalition partner."
He added that the government "has neither briefed nor consulted with the leaders of the opposition, nor has it shared more fulsome information about the mission that would have helped parliamentarians to make an informed choice."
There is no requirement for the House of Commons to approve combat missions, but Harper promised this mission would be put up for debate when he first floated the idea of a new military role in Iraq. | – The world has seen the "massacres, humanitarian tragedies, rapes, horrific violence," and other atrocities that unfold when ISIS seizes a town—and it needs to act now to stop the same happening in the Syrian border city of Kobani, a UN official warns. The UN special envoy for Syria warns that the city that Kurds from around the region have fled to is about to fall and ISIS flags have already gone up over some neighborhoods, Fox reports. "The world, all of us, will regret deeply if ISIS is able to take over a city which has defended itself with courage but is close to not being able to do so," he says. In other developments: Fighting continued around Kobani overnight, with Kurdish fighters assisted by more airstrikes from the US-led coalition, reports the BBC. It's not clear which side currently has the upper hand, although the ISIS advance appears to have been halted. Senior American officials tell CNN that Kobani will probably fall soon, but that isn't a major US concern. The main US goal, they say, isn't saving Syrian cities from ISIS but going after its leadership and resources, especially in Iraq, say the officials, who would like Turkey to do more about the crisis just over its border. In Turkey, at least 14 people were killed and dozens more injured as Kurds protesting the country's failure to act against ISIS clashed with police in several cities, reports the AP. In Hamburg, Germany, more than a dozen people were injured when Kurdish protesters clashed with members of a hard-line Islamist group. The US has a new partner against ISIS: Lawmakers in Canada have voted 157 to 134 to send Canadian aircraft to join strikes against ISIS in Iraq, reports the CBC. "If left unchecked, this terrorist organization will grow and grow quickly," Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in a statement. "They have already voiced their local and international terrorist intentions and identified Canada as a potential target." |
In one of the more surprising events of the U.K. chart year, 1980s pop favorite Rick Astley has scored his first U.K. No. 1 in 29 years with the album 50 (BMG). Meanwhile, Drake's “One Dance” (Cash Money/ Republic/Universal), featuring Wizkid & Kyla, tops the singles chart for a remarkable tenth straight week.
50, which marks Astley's 50th birthday last February, is the singer's first studio album since 2005's Portrait, which reached No. 26. An Ultimate Collection release then hit No. 17 in 2008. In his pop heyday, Astley had hit No. 1 with his first album Whenever You Need Somebody in the wake of chart-topper "Never Gonna Give You Up." The new album won a close sales race with British singer-songwriter Tom Odell's sophomore release Wrong Crowd (Columbia/Sony), finishing 3,700 combined sales ahead, according to the Official Charts Company. Odell's debut set Long Way Down debuted at No. 1 in the U.K. in July 2013.
A busy week of new entries on the album chart also included a No. 3 start for Paul McCartney's new Pure McCartney collection on Concord. The release of a special edition of the Electric Light Orchestra's All Over The World — The Very Best Of retrospective (Legacy/Epic/Sony) brought it back to the top 75 at a new peak of No. 4. Drake's Views fell 2-5. British soul star Beverley Knight notched a fourth top 10 album (and first since 2007's Music City Soul) with Soulsville, her first for East West/Warner Music. Just beyond the top 10, veteran singer-songwriter Gilbert O'Sullivan came in at No. 11, his highest album ranking since A Stranger In My Own Back Yard reached No. 9 in 1974, with The Essential Collection (USM Media).
Drake held off a strong challenge from “This Girl” (3 Beat) by Kungs Vs. Cookin' On 3 Burners to record its tenth week at No. 1. The Kungs track had led the way earlier in the sales week, but “One Dance” edged back into the lead and took the honors by a mere 1,773 combined chart sales. It's the first time a song has spent ten weeks at No. 1 in the U.K. since Rihanna's “Umbrella” did it in 2007. Justin Timberlake's “Can't Stop The Feeling” (RCA/Sony) fell 2-3 on the new chart, and “This Is What You Came For” (Columbia/Sony) by Calvin Harris and Rihanna dipped 3-4. Another guest appearance by Rihanna, on Drake's “Too Good,” saw a 6-5 climb. The other new title within the top ten was “Sex” (Spinnin') by Cheat Codes and Kris Kross Amsterdam. ||||| 29 years after achieving record-topping success with his debut record, singer Rick Astley has hit the UK album chart's number one spot.
The singer's first release in over a decade, 50, won out against some stiff competition to claim the victory with Tom Odell's latest record and a new Paul McCartney compilation falling by the wayside.
Speaking about the feat, Astley said: "It's amazing, it's incredible. It's been a very, very, very long time."
Astley's debut album Never Gonna Give You Up reached number one in 1987.
His closest competitor this time around was Odell whose second record Wrong Crowd was number one at several stages throughout the week.
The Official Charts Company has since revealed that Odell racked up more digital sales and streams while Astley sold more physical copies - ultimately outselling him by a mere 3,700.
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Astley continued: "I like Tom Odell. I bought his last album and I'm going to buy this one as well, but I've held off from buying it this week!"
Paul McCartney compilation, Pure McCartney, entered the charts at number three.
The singles chart sees Drake match Rihanna's record-breaking ten-week chart reign with "One Dance." Rihanna earned the feat with "Umbrella" in 2007. | – Looks like fans are never going to give him up or desert him. Almost 30 years after topping the charts with "Never Going to Give You Up"—and almost a decade after "rickrolling" became a hazard of Internet use—Rick Astley has scored another No. 1 in the UK with new album 50, the Independent reports. "It's amazing, it's incredible," says the 50-year-old, who beat singer-songwriter Tom Odell to the top spot. "It's been a very, very, very long time since this happened before, I'm ecstatic, I couldn't be happier." Astley's previous album, 2005's Portrait, never rose higher than No. 26, Billboard notes. (Even the White House rickrolled its followers at one point.) |
The Romney campaign stressed Monday that states should take the lead in responding to emergencies like hurricanes. But the campaign said Romney would not abolish the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“Gov. Romney believes that states should be in charge of emergency management in responding to storms and other natural disasters in their jurisdictions,” Romney spokesman Ryan Williams said in a statement. “As the first responders, states are in the best position to aid affected individuals and communities, and to direct resources and assistance to where they are needed most. This includes help from the federal government and FEMA.”
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A campaign official added that Romney would not abolish FEMA.
The statement came after The Huffington Post highlighted Romney’s comments from a June 2011 CNN primary debate in which Romney said states should take on a bigger role in responding to disasters. “Mitt Romney In GOP Debate: Shut Down Federal Disaster Agency, Send Responsibility To The States,” read the Huffington Post’s headline.
“FEMA is about to run out of money, and there are some people who say, ‘Do it on a case-by-case basis.’ And there are some people who say, ‘You know what, maybe we’re learning a lesson here that the states should take on more of this role.’ How do you deal with something like that?” debate moderator John King asked Romney during the debate, pointing to the May 2011 tornado that killed more than 150 people in Joplin, Mo.
“Absolutely. And every time you have an occasion to take something from the federal government and send it back to the states, that’s the right direction. And if you can go even further and send it back to the private sector, that’s even better,” Romney responded.
“Instead of thinking in the federal budget, ‘What we should cut?’ we should ask ourselves the opposite question, ‘What should we keep?’ We should take all of what we’re doing at the federal level and say, ‘What are the things we’re doing that we don’t have to do?’ And those things we’ve got to stop doing,” Romney continued.
(PHOTOS: Political plans: Rock me like a hurricane) ||||| Back when he was being “severely conservative,” Mitt Romney suggested that responsibility for disaster relief should be taken from the big, bad federal government and given to the states, or perhaps even privatized. Hurricane Sandy would like to know if he’d care to reconsider.
The absurd, and dangerous, policy prescription came in a GOP primary debate in June. Moderator John King said he had recently visited communities affected by severe weather and noted that the Federal Emergency Management Agency “is about to run out of money.”
Eugene Robinson writes a twice-a-week column on politics and culture, contributes to the PostPartisan blog, and hosts a weekly online chat with readers. In a three-decade career at The Post, Robinson has been city hall reporter, city editor, foreign correspondent in Buenos Aires and London, foreign editor, and assistant managing editor in charge of the paper’s Style section. View Archive
“There are some people . . . who say, you know, maybe we’re learning a lesson here that the states should take on more of this role,” King said. “How do you deal with something like that?”
Romney replied: “Absolutely. Every time you have an occasion to take something from the federal government and send it back to the states, that’s the right direction. And if you can go further and send it back to the private sector, that’s even better.”
Romney went on to express the general principle that, given the crushing national debt, “we should take all of what we’re doing at the federal level and say, ‘What are the things we’re doing that we don’t have to do?’ ”
King gave him a chance to back off: “Including disaster relief, though?”
Romney didn’t blink. “We cannot afford to do those things without jeopardizing the future for our kids,” he said, adding that “it is simply immoral . . . to rack up larger and larger debts and pass them on to our kids.”
Now, with an unprecedented and monstrous storm bashing the East Coast, this glib exercise in ideological purity is newly relevant. Was Romney really saying that the federal government should abdicate the task of responding to natural disasters such as the one now taking place? Yes, he was. Did he really mean it? Well, with Romney, that’s always another question.
As the legendary Watergate source Deep Throat never actually said: “Follow the money.”
The dishonest “solution” proposed by Romney and running mate Paul Ryan for the federal government’s budget woes relies largely on a shell game: Transfer unfunded liabilities to the states.
Most disastrously, this is what Romney and Ryan propose for Medicaid, the health-care program for the poor. The GOP plan would give the states block grants that would not begin to cover Medicaid’s rising costs. Governors and legislatures would be forced to impose draconian cuts, with potentially catastrophic impact for millions of Americans.
Medicaid’s most expensive role — and thus, under Romney, the most imperiled — is to fund nursing-home care for seniors who classify as “poor” only because they have exhausted their life savings. Transferring the onus of Medicaid and other programs to the states would save money only by making it impossible to provide services at current levels.
For the hard-right ideologues who control the Republican Party, this would be a good thing. Our society has become too dependent on government, they believe, too “entitled” to benefits; we are unwilling to “take personal responsibility and care for” our lives, as Romney said in his secretly recorded “47 percent” speech.
Romney’s budget proposals would end all this coddling — except for the Pentagon and its contractors, who would get a big boost in federal largess, and of course, the wealthy, who would get a huge tax cut.
So-called “discretionary” federal spending would be sharply reduced. This would include spending for such agencies as FEMA. So yes, even if Romney was just pandering to the right-wing base at that June debate, one consequence of his policies would be to squeeze funding for federal emergency relief.
I guess having to survive a few hurricanes, tornados and earthquakes on our own would certainly foster personal responsibility.
And by the way, why is it that we’re having such a huge hurricane make landfall in such an unusual place at such a late date in the season? Is this another of those freakish once-in-a-century weather events that seem to be happening so often these days?
I know it’s impossible to definitively blame any one storm on human-induced atmospheric warming. But I’m sorry, these off-the-charts phenomena are becoming awfully commonplace. By the time scientists definitively establish what’s happening, it will be too late.
As has been noted, the words “climate change” were not spoken during the presidential debates. Hurricane Sandy wants to know why.
[email protected] | – There's something of a Sandy-related brouhaha swirling around comments Mitt Romney made in the ancient days of 2011: Seems that when asked during a Republican debate about disaster relief, Romney sounded like he wanted to gut FEMA, saying he'd shift responsibility for disaster management to the states—or even private firms. Said Romney: "Every time you have an occasion to take something from the federal government and send it back to the states, that’s the right direction. And if you can go further and send it back to the private sector, that’s even better." Asks Eugene Robinson at the Washington Post: "Hurricane Sandy would like to know if he’d care to reconsider." "Even if Romney was just pandering to the right-wing base at that June debate, one consequence of his policies would be to squeeze funding for federal emergency relief." The New York Times editorial board echoes Robinson, asking, "Does Mr. Romney really believe that financially strapped states would do a better job than a properly functioning federal agency?" The Romney campaign took the opportunity to clarify its position, Politico reports: "States should be in charge of emergency management in responding to storms and other natural disasters in their jurisdictions." But he wouldn't abolish FEMA: The states would act "with help from the federal government and FEMA." |
Contact: Blair Fannin, 979-845-2259, [email protected]
Julie Larson Bricher, 503-409-9421, [email protected]
COLLEGE STATION – A study led by a team of Texas A&M University System researchers found school meals paired with popular vegetables are less likely to wind up in garbage bins.
A team led by Texas A&M AgriLife Research and the Institute for Obesity Research and Program Evaluation at Texas A&M University measured food waste in three elementary schools in Bryan and Dallas. The schools are participants in the U.S. Department of Agriculture National School Lunch Program both in pre- and post-implementation of the new standards.
The study was funded by the Alliance for Potato Research and Education and is published in the journal, Food and Nutrition Sciences. It can be found at http://bit.ly/1JEbPjz .
“Our research team looked at whether there is a relationship between consumption of certain entrees and vegetables that would lead to plate waste,” said Dr. Oral Capps Jr., an AgriLife Research economist and professor of agricultural economics. “We found that popular entrees such as burgers and chicken nuggets, contributed to greater waste of less popular vegetables.”
Conversely, entrees paired with potatoes – served as tator tots, oven-baked French fries, and wedges – experienced the least amount of overall waste, Capps said.
“Our study shows that optimizing entrée-vegetable pairings in schools meals has the potential to positively impact vegetable consumption, which is especially important for those students relying on school meals for their energy and nutrient needs,” Capps said.
The data were collected by a team of “plate waste warriors,” Texas A&M students who were paid by the hour, Capps said. Each wore a different colored apron that is associated with the assigned waste bin in which the entrée is discarded. A minimum of eight workers was needed at each school during the lunch periods, which were typically 10:45 a.m. through 1 p.m. The A&M students gathered the trays containing leftover portions.
Leftovers were separated into different waste bags and each bag was weighed on a scale for plate-waste measurement. When students went through the lunch line, a sticker was placed on the food tray to identify the vegetable and entrée chosen. Students on the free lunch program were are also evaluated for plate waste. The tray with the corresponding sticker was weighed and recorded to help calculate overall food waste.
Joining Capps on the research team was Dr. Peter Murano, associate professor from the department of nutrition and food science, founder and former director of the Institute for Obesity Research and Program Evaluation at Texas A&M; Ariun Ishdorj, assistant professor in the department of agricultural economics at Texas A&M; and Maureen Storey, president and CEO of the Alliance for Potato Research and Education. ||||| ABSTRACT
Plate waste, defined as the quantity of edible food left uneaten after a meal, is a challenge for schools participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). The new nutrition standards in the NSLP of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) were implemented at the beginning of school year (SY) 2012-2013. School foodservice authorities were concerned that the new standards would result in increased plate waste and reduced participation, especially by students who paid full prices for lunch. There are many reasons for plate waste, including students’ dislike of the foods served, the composition of meals, the environment in which students are eating, the lack of time to eat, or perhaps other factors. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between entrée/vegetable “pairings” and plate waste by elementary school students pre- and post-implementation of the new school meal standards. Plate waste was measured to determine which entrée/vegetable pairs produced the least amount of waste. Plate waste of 144 and 305 entrée/vegetable pairings was analyzed, pre- and post-implementation, respectively. Our results indicated that more nutritious meals were offered during the post-implementation period. The new school meal standards led to no significant changes in entrée plate waste, but vegetable plate waste increased by 5.6%. As such, increases in the combined entrée/vegetable plate waste were evident from 40.4% pre-implementation to 43.5% post-implementation. The top five vegetables in terms of popularity were all starchy vegetables, the majority of which were potatoes in various processed forms. The least popular vegetables were dark-green leafy vegetables, such as steamed broccoli, both pre- and post-implementation. Chicken nuggets were the most popular entrée and were wasted the least. Understanding the dynamics of food pairings and providing desirable entrée and vegetable pairings can help reduce waste from school lunches. ||||| It seems like an age-old problem — kids not eating their vegetables — and it is. Little ones, more interested in macaroni and cheese than sautéed spinach, are still leaving the latter largely untouched. The proof is both anecdotal — what parent hasn't tussled with this? — and borne out in data. Nine out of 10 children, after all, still don't eat enough vegetables, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The problem has been blamed, at least in part, for the deteriorating diets of American youth. It has also been on clear display ever since the government updated, in 2013, its nutrition standards for the National School Lunch Program. Children, suddenly confronted with vegetables on every plate (as required as part of the change), have responded not by eating them but by leaving them on their plates -- untouched.
It's a poignant example of how kids are really good at making really bad decisions about food. And it has proved pretty frustrating for health and nutrition advocates, who can't seem to find a reasonable way to get children to eat more healthfully at school.
But it turns out there might be an ingenious solution hiding beneath everyone's nose.
Researchers at Texas A&M University, looking for patterns in food consumption among elementary school children, found an interesting quirk about when and why kids choose to eat their vegetables. After analyzing plate waste data from nearly 8,500 students, it seems there's at least one variable that tends to affect whether kids eat their broccoli, spinach or green beans more than anything: what else is on the plate.
Kids, in short, are much more likely to eat their vegetable portion when it's paired with a food that isn't so delicious it gets all the attention. When chicken nuggets and burgers, the most popular items among schoolchildren, are on the menu, for instance, vegetable waste tends to rise significantly. When other less-beloved foods, like deli sliders or baked potatoes, are served, the opposite seems to happen.
"Pairings of entrées and vegetables are an important consideration when assessing plate waste among elementary school children," the researchers note.
Indeed, the effect can work the other way around. The study found that children tend to eat less of their entree when popular vegetables (mostly starchy fried vegetables, like tater tots and french fries, which many wouldn't classify as vegetables) are offered. When the entree is paired with steamed broccoli — the vegetable children eat the least of on average — kids instead eat more of the main dish.
And that interrelationship can be useful in reducing the amount of food wasted at schools, which has been a persistent problem.
But these observations are probably more useful as a gauge for how appetizing vegetable are in different contexts than as a subscription for what pairings will lead to the least amount of food waste. Kids' favorite meals, after all, aren't particularly healthy. What's more, they, too, lead to considerable waste. The most popular pairing — hamburger and tater tots — still results in about 26 percent waste on average, according to the study.
The notion that food pairings can significantly affect the attractiveness of certain foods isn't new. Traci Mann, who teaches psychology at the University of Minnesota and has been studying eating habits, self-control and dieting for more than 20 years, believes that it can, in fact, be crucial. One of the simplest ways to eat better is to make it easier to eat better. That involves a strategy Mann calls "get alone with a vegetable," which is similar in that it shows how important context can be. She described the strategy earlier this year:
Normally, vegetables will lose the competition that they're in — the competition with all the other delicious food on your plate. Vegetables might not lose that battle for everyone, but they do for most of us. This strategy puts vegetables in a competition they can win, by pitting vegetables against no food at all. To do that, you just eat your vegetable first, before any of the other food is there. Eat them before other food is on your plate, or even at your table. And that way, you get them when you're hungriest and unable to pick something else instead.
She also noted that it's been effective with kids:
We've actually tested this in a lot of ways. And it works unbelievably well. We tested it with kids in school cafeterias, where it more than quadrupled the amount of vegetables eaten. It's just about making it a little harder to make the wrong choices, and a little easier to make the right ones.
Of course, persuading schools to serve vegetables by themselves could be too tall a task. Asking them never to serve foods kids adore might be, too. But understanding how something as simple as what a vegetable is served with can have a sizable impact on whether a child eats it is a pretty useful thing. At school, and at home. ||||| The amount of whole fruit* children, 2-18 years old, ate increased by 67% from 2003 to 2010 and replaced fruit juice as the main contributor of fruit to children’s diets. Experts recommend that most fruit come from whole fruit, rather than juice. The amount of vegetables children ate did not change from 2003 to 2010. Moreover, in 2007- 2010, children did not meet recommendations for the amount of fruit and vegetables they should eat.
About 60 million US children are enrolled in child care** or school, where their experiences with food can affect their health and lifelong food choices. Since 2010, new national efforts like Let’s Move! and new school nutrition standards support healthy eating.
Child care, schools, and school districts can support these efforts by:
Meeting or exceeding current federal nutrition standards for meals and snacks.
Serving fruit and vegetables whenever food is offered.
Training staff to make fruit and vegetables more appealing and accessible.
Offering nutrition education and hands-on learning opportunities, such as growing, tasting, and preparing fruit and vegetables.
*Includes all forms of fruit (fresh, frozen, canned, and dried) except juice.
**Includes child care centers, day care homes, Head Start programs, preschool, and pre-kindergarten | – Researchers from Texas A&M may have found an easier way to get kids to eat their vegetables than trying to convince them Spider-Man actually got his powers from green beans: Just pair veggies with other foods they don't like that much. The Washington Post reports nine out of 10 kids don't eat enough vegetables, and the problem of wasted veggies is only getting worse since the National School Lunch Program started requiring vegetables on every plate. After looking at "plate waste data" from 8,500 elementary school students, researchers discovered veggie waste increases with popular entrées, such as burgers or chicken nuggets, and decreases with entrées kids don't like all that much, such as deli sliders, the Post reports. “Our study shows that optimizing entrée-vegetable pairings in schools" results in more vegetables being eaten, researcher Dr. Oral Capps Jr. says in a press release. The study, published in August, implies schools are better off pairing popular entrées with the most popular veggies, such as fries and tater tots (the research was funded by a potato lobby), while saving the steamed broccoli for something else. On the latter point, cafeterias might have to get creative. One psychologist tells the Post that schools have found success in serving vegetables on their own, thus eliminating the competition. "We tested it with kids in school cafeterias, where it more than quadrupled the amount of vegetables eaten." (Or, just do what Congress did and declare pizza a vegetable.) |
Fossil by fossil, scientists over the last 40 years have suspected that their models for the more immediate human family tree — the single trunk, straight as a Ponderosa pine, up from Homo habilis to Homo erectus to Homo sapiens — were oversimplified. The day for that serious revision may be at hand.
The discovery of three new fossil specimens, announced Wednesday, is the most compelling evidence yet for multiple lines of evolution in our own genus, Homo, scientists said. The fossils showed that there were at least two contemporary Homo species, in addition to Homo erectus, living in East Africa as early as two million years ago.
Uncovered from sandstone at Koobi Fora, badlands near Lake Turkana in Kenya, the specimens included a well-preserved skull of a late juvenile with a relatively large braincase and a long, flat face, which has been designated KNM-ER 62000 (62000 for short). It bears a striking resemblance to the enigmatic cranium known as 1470, the center of debate over multiple lineages since its discovery in the same area in 1972.
If the 62000 skull showed that 1470 was not a single odd individual, the other two specimens seemed to provide a vital piece of evidence that had been missing. The specimen 1470 had no mandible, or lower jaw. The new finds included an almost complete lower jaw (60000) — considered to be the most complete mandible of an early Homo yet found — and a part of another lower jaw (62000).
The fossils were collected between 2007 and 2009 by a team led by Meave and Louise Leakey, the mother-and-daughter paleoanthropologists of the Koobi Fora Research Project and members of the famous African fossil-hunting family. Dr. Meave Leakey is the wife of Richard Leakey, a son of Louis and Mary Leakey, who produced the early evidence supporting Africa’s central place in early human origins. Mr. Leakey divides his time between Stony Brook University on Long Island, where he is a professor of anthropology, and the Turkana Basin Institute in Kenya.
After looking “long and hard” for fossils to confirm the intriguing features of 1470’s face and show what its teeth and lower jaw were like, Dr. Meave Leakey said this week, “At last we have some answers.”
The real crux of matter, said Susan C. Antón of New York University, a member of the team, is how the discovery shapes the interpretation of 1470’s place in the early world of Homo. “These fossils are anatomically like 1470, and we now have some teeth,” she said. “We are more certain that 1470 was not a one-off, and not everything 1470 is big.”
In their first formal report, Dr. Leakey and her colleagues wrote in the journal Nature, “These three specimens will greatly aid the reassessment of the systematics and early radiation of the genus Homo.”
They, however, chose not to assign the fossils to any existing or new species until more analysis is conducted on contemporary hominids. The 1470 specimen was two million years old; the new face and fragmentary jaw are 1.9 million to 1.95 million years old; the better-preserved lower jaw is younger still, at 1.83 million years old.
Fred Spoor, a member of the discovery team who directed the laboratory analysis, said in a news teleconference that the research showed clearly that “human evolution is not this straight line it was once thought to be.” Instead, East Africa, he said, “was quite a crowded place, with multiple species” with presumably different diets.
Dr. Spoor is a paleoanthropologist at University College London and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany. The lab work was supported by the institute. The fieldwork was financed by the National Geographic Society, and the dating of the fossils, mainly by Craig S. Feibel of Rutgers University, was supported by the Leakey Foundation.
Although a few specialists in human origins questioned whether the still sparse evidence was sufficient to back the new conclusions, Ian Tattersall of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, who was not involved in the new discovery, concluded, “This new material certainly substantiates the idea, long gathering ground, that multiple lineages of early Homo are present in the record at Koobi Fora.”
Dr. Tattersall continued, “And it supports the view that the early history of Homo involved vigorous experimentation with the biological and behavioral potential of the new genus, instead of a slow process of refinement in a central lineage.”
Bernard Wood of George Washington University, who has studied the early Homo fossil record, wrote in a companion article in Nature, “In a nutshell, the anatomy of the specimens supports the hypothesis of multiple early Homo species.” ||||| Our family tree may have sprouted some long-lost branches going back nearly 2 million years. A famous paleontology family has found fossils that they think confirm their theory that there are two additional pre-human species besides the one that eventually led to modern humans.
A team led by Meave Leakey, daughter-in-law of famed scientist Louis Leakey, found facial bones from one creature and jawbones from two others in Kenya. That led the researchers to conclude that man's early ancestor had plenty of human-like company from other species.
These would not be Homo erectus, believed to be our direct ancestor. They would be more like very distant cousins, who when you go back even longer in time, shared an ancient common ancestor, one scientist said.
But other experts in human evolution are not convinced by what they say is a leap to large conclusions based on limited evidence. It is the continuation of a long-running squabble in anthropology about the earliest members of our own genus, or class, called Homo _an increasingly messy family history. And much of it stems from a controversial discovery that the Leakeys made 40 years ago.
In their new findings, the Leakey team says that none of their newest fossil discoveries match erectus, so they had to be from another flat-faced relatively large species with big teeth.
The new specimens have "a really distinct profile" and thus they are "something very different," said Meave Leakey, describing the study published online Wednesday in Nature.
What these new bones did match was an old fossil that Meave and her husband Richard helped find in 1972 that was baffling. That skull, called 1470, just did not fit with Homo erectus, the Leakeys contended. They said it was too flat-faced with a non-jutting jaw. They initially said it was well more than 2.5 million years old in a dating mistake that was later seized upon by creationists as evidence against evolution because it indicated how scientists can make dating mistakes. It turned out to be 2 million years old.
For the past 40 years, the scientific question has been whether 1470 was a freak mutation of erectus or something new. For many years, the Leakeys have maintained that the male skull known as 1470 showed that there were more than one species of ancient hominids, but other scientists said it wasn't enough proof.
The Leakeys' new discoveries are more evidence that this earlier "enigmatic face" was a separate species, said study co-author Fred Spoor of the Max Planck Institute in Germany. The new bones were found between 2007 and 2009 about six miles (10 kilometers) away from the old site near the fossil-rich Lake Turkana region, Leakey said.
So that would make two species _ erectus and the one represented by 1470.
But it's not that simple. The Leakey scientific team contends that other fossils of old hominids _ not those cited in their new study _ don't seem to match either erectus or 1470. They argue that the other fossils seem to have smaller heads and not just because they are female. For that reason, the Leakeys believe there were three living Homo species between 1.8 million and 2 million years ago. They would be Homo erectus, the 1470 species, and a third branch.
"Anyway you cut it there are three species," study co-author Susan Anton, an anthropologist at New York University. "One of them is named erectus and that ultimately in our opinion is going to lead to us."
Both of the species that Meave Leakey said existed back then went extinct more than a million years ago in evolutionary dead-ends.
"Human evolution is clearly not the straight line that it once was," Spoor said.
The three different species could have been living at the same time at the same place, but probably didn't interact much, he said. Still, he said, East Africa nearly 2 million years ago "was quite a crowded place."
And making matters somewhat more confusing, the Leakeys and Spoor refused to give names to the two non-erectus species or attach them to some of the other Homo species names that are in scientific literature but still disputed. That's because of confusion about what species belongs where, Anton said.
Two likely possibilities are Homo rudolfensis _which is where 1470 and its kin seem to belong _ and Homo habilis, where the other non-erectus belong, Anton said. The team said the new fossils mean scientists can reclassify those categorized as non-erectus species and confirm the earlier but disputed Leakey claim.
But Tim White, a prominent evolutionary biologist at the University of California Berkeley, is not buying this new species idea, nor is Milford Wolpoff, a longtime professor of anthropology at the University of Michigan. They said the Leakeys are making too big a jump from too little evidence.
White said it's similar to someone looking at the jaw of a female gymnast in the Olympics, the jaw of a male shot-putter, ignoring the faces in the crowd and deciding the shot-putter and gymnast have to be a different species.
Eric Delson, a paleoanthropology professor at Lehman College in New York, said he buys the Leakeys' study, but added: "There's no question that it's not definite." He said it won't convince doubters until fossils of both sexes of both non- erectus species are found.
"It's a messy time period," Delson said.
___
Seth Borenstein can be followed at http://twitter.com/borenbears | – The discovery of three new fossils, unveiled today, illuminate and confirm a line of human evolution that is more complicated than scientists once thought. The groundbreaking bones, about 2 million years old and unearthed in Kenya, prove that there were at least two Homo species—in addition to Homo erectus—living simultaneously with each other before the dawn of modern Homo sapiens, reports the New York Times. “Human evolution is not this straight line it was once thought to be," says one paleoanthropologist, and East Africa “was quite a crowded place, with multiple species." The fossils were found between 2007 and 2009 (by the mother-daughter Leakey team) and appear to hold the key to a mystery dating back to 1972, when a peculiar, unidentifiable skull, dubbed 1470, was located in the same area. The new fossils, which are remarkably similar to 1470, provide strong evidence that 1470 was not merely an odd-looking ancient human but a different offshoot of the Homo genus. (The AP notes that that the discovery by the famed Leakeys is being met with some skepticism in the field.) |
Robbie Rogers became the first openly gay man to play in a U.S. professional league when he made his debut with Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer on Sunday.
FILE - In July 4, 2009 file photo, United States' Robbie Rogers kicks against Grenada in a CONCACAF Gold Cup match at Qwest Field in Seattle. Rogers is eligible to make his debut with the Los Angeles... (Associated Press)
FILE - In this Nov. 14, 2009 file photo, Robbie Rogers, of the United States, eyes the ball during a friendly soccer match against Slovakia in Bratislava, Slovakia. Rogers is joining the Los Angeles Galaxy... (Associated Press)
FILE - In this Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009 file photo, Columbus Crew's Robbie Rogers celebrates after scoring against the San Jose Earthquakes during the second half of an MLS soccer match in San Francisco.... (Associated Press)
FILE- In this July 23, 2009 file photo, Honduras' Walter Martinez, left, strips the ball from United States' Robbie Rogers during the first half of a CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinal soccer game in Chicago.... (Associated Press)
Rogers entered as a substitute in the 77th minute with the Galaxy leading the Seattle Sounders 4-0, which turned out to be the final score.
"I guess this is a historic thing, but for me it was just a soccer game," Rogers said.
Nerves began getting the best of Rogers in the hours before he left home for the stadium, not because he was anxious about being the first openly gay player but because he was rusty after time out of the sport.
He called his sister for reassurance.
"I just needed to hear someone's voice," Rogers said. "We were talking about my dog. Just get my mind off things."
He received loud cheers from the crowd of 24,811 as he ran onto the pitch, with fans chanting his name. Rogers ran by teammate Landon Donovan, who slapped his hand and patted him on the back as he took his position.
"Because of the nature of the way sports has been for so many years _ the macho culture that's been embraced by everybody _ it's of interest to everybody," Donovan said. "Now, hopefully, the hype about it is over and he can get back to being a soccer player, which is what he wants to do."
Rogers spent the past two seasons in England with Leeds United and a loan spell at Stevenage.
Initially he retired from the sport after coming out on a blog post in February, but has been training with the Galaxy since last month at the invitation of coach Bruce Arena.
"In a lot of ways the easy part is over," Arena said. "Now the difficult part remains, which is getting him positioned to play. Our expectations for Robbie are not anything big in the near future. Hopefully, he'll get back to the way we think he can be."
The loudest chants of "Robbie, Robbie" were for Robbie Keane, who had his first hat trick for the Galaxy. His three goals, including two on penalties, and another by Sean Franklin gave the Galaxy a 4-0 lead at halftime. ||||| Story highlights Galaxy provide historic moment as Robbie Rogers takes field for 13 minutes in rout
Rogers becomes the first openly gay male athlete to compete in Major League Soccer
Former winger for U.S. national team came out in February as he announced retirement
NBA player Jason Collins has not played since he came out last month
Robbie Rogers became the first openly gay male athlete to play in a pro American sporting match Sunday when he took the field for Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy during a rout of the Seattle Sounders.
Not to be overlooked in the landmark moment is Rogers' prescience. In remarks to ESPN before the game, he said, "I'm hoping I can come on and it's 4-0 and I can just enjoy myself."
Which is exactly what happened. With 13 minutes remaining in the game, Rogers came in as a substitute for midfielder Juninho with the Galaxy up by four goals.
Emphatic applause erupted from the stands at the Home Depot Center.
Before the game, Los Angeles native Jason Collins, a pro basketball player who announced last month that he was gay, tweeted Rogers to say good luck.
Rogers said after the game that the experience was "perfect, really perfect."
"The first training session the Galaxy ever had on the Home Depot Center pitch, I was here training," he said. "I've kind of been on this huge journey to kind of figure out my life, and now I'm back here, I think kind of where I'm supposed to be."
Bleacher Report: Twitter reacts
Rogers was introduced as the newest member of the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday, making him the first openly gay male athlete in Major League Soccer and ending his brief retirement.
The Galaxy signed Rogers to a multiyear contract after acquiring him from the Chicago Fire, which held his rights, in exchange for midfielder Mike Magee.
Just Watched April 2013: Rogers on why he came out replay More Videos ... April 2013: Rogers on why he came out 04:57 PLAY VIDEO
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Rogers, a former winger for the U.S. national team, had retired from soccer in February at age 25, announcing then that he is gay. However, he still had the passion for the game. He trained with the Galaxy for about a month before making the comeback official.
"After I finally got in here, everything was completely normal, as it should be," Rogers said at his introductory news conference. "Getting back on the pitch was amazing."
Opinion: Lust in the locker room -- get over it?
But even though he still enjoys the game, deciding to come back was not easy for Rogers, who said he was afraid to share the secret about his sexual orientation for 25 years.
"I kept my secret because I thought I couldn't be both a soccer player and a gay athlete," Rogers said. "I figured it out that it's not true, but I felt that way. So I was afraid to put myself back into a situation where I felt like I was kind of an outcast or just different than people."
In his career, Rogers also has played for MLS club Columbus Crew from 2007 to 2011, winning the MLS Cup in 2008. He also briefly played for English club Leeds United.
Los Angeles head coach Bruce Arena believes that Rogers will make an impact on the field with his play.
"We've been searching for the last year or two for a player that has the skills to be a flank player, play wide and add a little speed to our club, take on players and a good crosser off the ball with both of his feet," Arena said. "He offers qualities that we've been looking for, so we're hopeful that in time, Robbie will demonstrate the kind of qualities that he has previously in this league."
Rogers isn't the only trailblazer for male gay athletes in American professional sports. Twelve-year NBA veteran Collins announced he was gay, but he has not played a game since he made the announcement. He is currently a free agent.
Opinion: When celebrities share secrets, good things happen | – The Los Angeles Galaxy's Robbie Rogers made history yesterday as the first openly gay man to play in a US professional league. The 26-year-old winger—who came out of the closet after retiring briefly in February, was cheered and the crowd chanted his name as he came on as a substitute in the Galaxy's 4-0 win over the Seattle Sounders, the AP reports. "I kept my secret because I thought I couldn't be both a soccer player and a gay athlete," Rogers tells CNN. "I figured it out that it's not true, but I felt that way. So I was afraid to put myself back into a situation where I felt like I was kind of an outcast or just different than people." The NBA's Jason Collins became the first active male athlete in an American professional team sport to come out of the closet last month, but Rogers is the first to actually play a game after coming out. |
Rapper Kanye West got boos and jeers from the audience at “Saturday Night Live” after he went on a pro-President Trump rant during the closing credits of the season premiere.
West, wearing a red “Make American Great Again” hat and with the show’s cast standing behind him, launched into the screed off camera, but it was caught on video by comedian Chris Rock.
“I wanna cry right now, black man in America, supposed to keep what you’re feeling inside right now,” he sang as he paced the stage.
He continued: “The blacks want always Democrats you know it’s like the plan they did, to take the fathers out the home and put them on welfare. Does anybody know about that? That’s a Democratic plan.”
Then he turned to his support of Trump.
“There’s so many times I talk to like a white person about this and they say, ‘How could you like Trump? He’s racist.’ Well, if I was concerned about racism I would’ve moved out of America a long time ago.”
A smattering of applause was quickly drowned out by boos in the audience.
Rock could be heard on the video saying, “Oh, my God.”
West appeared on the show’s 44th season opener as a last-minute replacement for Ariana Grande, who canceled. ||||| Since the news has been happening at such a lightning-fast clip, Saturday Night Live was presented with the daunting task of playing summer catch-up. Host Adam Driver gamely committed to the sketches, but more focus was drawn by Pete Davidson’s tabloid romance with Ariana Grande and Kanye West, well, being Kanye West.
Cold open
In what was the highlight of the evening, Matt Damon made a special appearance as Brett Kavanaugh, “the proudest, drunkest virgin you’ve ever seen!” Damon perfectly mastered Kavanaugh’s blustery shouting, which included the poorly thought-out declaration: “I don’t know the meaning of the word stop.”
The show failed to maintain the energy of that cold open, which also included a surprise cameo by SNL alum Rachel Dratch (and a cardboard cutout of Alyssa Milano).
Monologue
“Adam designated Driver,” star of Girls and the Star Wars films, was hosting SNL for the second time. Without a project to promote, the opening monologue was a little unfocused — Driver pretended to tease new Star Wars spoilers before he was interrupted by SNL cast members talking about how they spent their summers. Spoiler alert: they all involved work and travel. That is, of course, with the exception of Pete Davidson.
“Actually, you’re the only one whose summer I want to hear about!” Driver said to Davidson, who simply winked at the camera.
Worst sketch
Driver played a divorced dad trying to get into popular online game Fortnite in order to relate to his son more. Although seeing his incompetence play out with live actors was amusing, the joke (“adults are bad at technology!”) was more than a little one-note.
Weekend Update
Though there was plenty to talk about, hosts Michael Che and Colin Jost focused the majority of their “Weekend Update” jokes on Thursday’s Brett Kavanaugh Senate hearing.
“You’re not really helping yourself in a drunken assault case when you yell about how much you love drinking and how strong you were at the time,” Jost cracked in reference to how Kavanaugh kept repeating how much he liked beer, and how his calendar detailed how often he worked out. Jost had a follow-up joke about how weird it was that the judge still had his high school calendar: “You know when most people throw out their calendar from 1982? 1983.”
Meanwhile, Che reminded viewers that the hearing was essentially a job interview for Kavanaugh. “Typically, when you’re asked about your sexual assault and your drinking at a job interview, you don’t get the damn job. You can’t just pick another dude from your Illuminati lizard meetings,” he said. “Are Republicans so pro-life that you don’t even have a Plan B for this?”
The segment was rounded out with an always welcome appearance from Kate McKinnon’s Ruth Bader Ginsberg, with her signature Gins-burns and dance moves. RBG couldn’t resist pulling out her own 1982 calendar, which had entries like “turn 100,” break glass ceiling,” and “do laps in a bird bath.” Her current calendar features one simple daily reminder: “Don’t die.”
Pete Davidson also dropped by the Update desk to offer an update on his whirlwind romance with singer Ariana Grande, revealing no one can believe the two are an item.
“Remember when that whole city pretended this kid was Batman because he was sick? That’s what this feels like,” he laughed.
When Jost asked what their prenup situation was, Davison replied, “Obviously, I wanted one. God forbid we split up and she takes half my sneakers. Look, I’m totally comfortable being with a successful woman. I think it’s dope. I live at her place. She pays like 60 grand for rent and all I have to do is like stock the fridge… yeah.”
A joke about switching Grande’s birth control with Tic Tacs to make sure she’d stick around fell flat, but Davidson pulled the crowd back in with a bit on how he doesn’t make royalties on her music, including the song named after him.
“If we break up — we won’t, we will — but in like 10 years, if god forbid that ever happens, there will be a song called ‘Pete Davidson’ playing in speakers at K-Mart, and I’ll be working there.”
Best short
Jealous of the attention Pete has been getting over his pop-star paramour, Kyle Mooney decides to steal Pete’s look — from his bleach blond hair to his colorful wardrobe. Kyle also enlists talk show host Wendy Williams as his own hot celebrity girlfriend. Eventually, Pete engages Kyle in a fight “SNL-style,” which turns out to be a renaissance/gladiator battle on stage. While it felt worthwhile to acknowledge Pete’s omnipresent fame that emerged during the SNL hiatus, a winking reference in the monologue, a “Weekend Update” appearance, and a short felt like overkill.
Most committed host moment
Props to Adam Driver for donning old-age makeup in a “Career Day” sketch to become Abraham A. Parnassus, the elderly parent of one of the students and attempts to bestow his wisdom of being a ruthless oil baron upon the class: “Crush your enemies! Grind their bones into dirt!”
Weirdest moment
Kanye West dressed as a bottle of Perrier to perform “I Love It” with Lil Pump, who was dressed as a bottle of Fiji water. I don’t even know what to say about that.
Up next
Crazy Rich Asians and Ocean’s 8 star Awkwafina will host next weekend’s episode, with Travis Scott as musical guest. | – Saturday Night Live opened its 44th season with no shortage of material by the way of Brett Kavanaugh's hearings Thursday, Kanye West and his name change, and Pete Davidson's engagement over the summer to Ariana Grande. A lengthy cold open reimagined the Kavanaugh hearings, with Matt Damon as the blustery Supreme Court nominee and a guest appearance by Rachel Dratch. But EW notes that the rest of the Adam Driver-hosted season premiere failed to maintain that energy, calling it "lackluster." Kavanaugh was also a hot topic on Weekend Update, with Kate McKinnon appearing as Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, and Michael Che suggesting that the Senate GOP "just pick another dude from your Illuminati lizard meetings." West, er, Ye, meanwhile, drew jeers when he went on a pro-President Trump rant, reports the New York Post. |
Billionaire Donald J. Trump, an early presidential favorite among tea party activists, has a highly unusual history of political contributions for a prospective Republican candidate: He has given most of his money to the other side.
The real estate mogul and “Celebrity Apprentice” host has made more than $1.3 million in donations over the years to candidates nationwide, with 54 percent of the money going to Democrats, according to a Washington Post analysis of state and federal disclosure records.
Recipients include Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (Nev.), former Pennsylvania governor Edward G. Rendell, and Rahm Emanuel, a former aide to President Obama who received $50,000 from Trump during his recent run to become Chicago’s mayor, records show. Many of the contributions have been concentrated in New York, Florida and other states where Trump has substantial real estate and casino interests.
The donations provide another view into the odd political spectacle surrounding Trump, who may be the most unlikely of possible GOP presidential hopefuls in an already eclectic field. Although candidates such as Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty have spent years carefully crafting and plotting a White House run, the tycoon and fixture of the New York tabloids has leapt onto the scene with loud proclamations and surprisingly strong poll numbers among likely Republican voters.
The iconoclastic developer and television personality is attempting to appeal to social conservatives, even with a record of failed marriages and earlier statements in favor of abortion rights. His attacks on Obama have focused on conspiracy theories about the president’s birth in Hawaii that make many Republican leaders nervous. And Trump is considering a run for the nomination in an increasingly conservative Republican Party, despite years of donations to prominent Democrats.
None of which has stopped him from forging ahead with a potential candidacy, including a scheduled trip on Wednesday to the early primary state of New Hampshire.
The Democratic recipients of Trump’s donations make up what looks like a Republican enemies list, including former senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.), Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.), Rep. Charles B. Rangel (N.Y.), Sen. Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.) and the late liberal lion Edward M. Kennedy (Mass.).
The biggest recipient of all has been the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee of New York, which has taken in more than $125,000 from Trump and his companies. Overall, Trump has given nearly $600,000 to New York state campaigns, with more than two-thirds going to Democrats.
His representatives did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday. But Trump said in a recent interview that he had relatively few Republican options in an overwhelmingly blue state.
“Everyone’s Democratic,” he told Fox News in an interview about his potential candidacy. “So what am I going to do — contribute to Republicans? One thing: I’m not stupid. Am I going to contribute to Republicans for my whole life when they get heat when they run against some Democrat and the most they can get is 1 percent of the vote?”
His Democratic generosity is hardly confined to New York, however. Trump has given more than $250,000 to federal candidates and campaigns, including more than $100,000 to the party’s House and Senate campaign committees. He donated $10,400 to Reid, including for his 2010 battle with Sharron Angle, the GOP nominee and tea party favorite.
Ron Bonjean, a GOP consultant and former Capitol Hill aide, said that “it will be hard for him to spin his way out of direct campaign contributions” to Reid and other Democrats.
“In a Republican primary, it shows where your loyalty lies,” said Bonjean, who has not signed on with a GOP presidential candidate. “He may be giving this money to Democrats because it helps his business, but it will be a big deal to Republican primary voters.”
While favoring Democrats, Trump has donated more than $600,000 to Republicans as well, including Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), the party’s 2008 presidential nominee, whom Trump first supported in 1998.
He gave $95,000 to the Republican Governors Association for its record-breaking electoral push in 2010, and he has donated more than $80,000 to the three national GOP political committees in the past two decades. Individual Republicans supported by Trump include former congressman Tom DeLay (Tex.), former House speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.) and former senator George Allen (Va.).
The data collected by The Post for this article does not include donations to outside interest groups. Last year, for instance, Trump gave $50,000 to American Crossroads, which supported Republican candidates in the midterm elections.
GOP political consultant Alex Castellanos said Trump’s contribution pattern is similar to the approach of many business leaders and corporations that divide their donations between the two parties. But to get through a Republican primary season, he added, “it doesn’t help to have that record.”
One of Trump’s biggest Democratic beneficiaries was Rendell, who received $32,000 from the mogul during his 2002 primary and general election campaigns to become Pennsylvania’s governor. Rendell, who favors abortion rights, was challenged in the Democratic primary by Bob Casey Jr., who opposes abortion.
When he considered a run for president in 2000 as a Reform Party candidate, Trump said he supported abortion rights. But he said last week that he now opposes the procedure except in cases of rape or incest or when the mother’s health is at risk.
In Pennsylvania, Rendell favored allowing slots gambling, and Trump waged a long and ultimately fruitless battle to secure a casino license in the state after the practice was legalized. He publicly lashed out at Rendell when an independent gaming board rejected the license application, calling Pennsylvania “a little too political of a state for me.”
The tycoon benefited from a Rendell decision to lift a moratorium on water development rights in Philadelphia, allowing a planned Trump Tower project to proceed. The luxury development has since been put on hold amid the economic downturn.
Rendell did not respond to a telephone message seeking comment Tuesday.
Former congressman Thomas M. Davis III (Va.), who served as chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, said Trump’s close ties to some Democrats would be “a huge obstacle, but it’s not insurmountable.” Trump, he added, would not be running as a “purity” candidate.
“Republicans are looking for a savior,” Davis said. “Here’s a guy who has succeeded outside politics and articulates the right vision. Sometimes that works. . . . It’s a long shot, but it’s not out of the bounds of possibility.” ||||| HANNITY: Recently, you said that if you don't get the nomination that you would run as an independent. You are asking Republicans --
TRUMP: I didn't say that. I said I would certainly think about that. Because the question is what happens if you don't get the nomination? And this was also before the new polls came out that showed me leading. But they said, what happens if you don't get? Would you consider running? I said yes, I would consider running as an independent.
HANNITY: All right. But if you do that, that would be the greatest gift to Barack Obama and --
TRUMP: Unless I won. No, no, unless I won.
HANNITY: In reality though, if you are a conservative and you didn't get the nomination you are running against another conservative, you split the vote, Barack Obama sails into the presidency.
TRUMP: Unless I thought I could win as an independent. I wouldn't do that, because if I lost, I get a tremendous amount of votes and I would take them all from the Republican Party, which would be terrible. So, unless I thought I could win, really win as an independent, I would not do that. Because I wouldn't want to come in second or third place and Obama ends up winning.
HANNITY: OK. So, if you thought that it would hurt the chances of defeating Obama, you would not do it?
TRUMP: The only way I would run is, would be if I didn't get the Republican nomination and felt through polls and lots of other things that are pretty good and pretty scientific. And seem to work over the years, I've been watching lots of polls, and they seem to be pretty accurate, amazingly, right? If I thought I could win absolutely win as an independent I would do it. If I didn't, it would be devastating because you wouldn't have a Republican in. So, I would have a real problem unless I really felt certain, pretty certain of victory.
HANNITY: You described yourself a conservative. What does it mean for you when you say, that you are a conservative person? How do you describe that?
TRUMP: Well, I think I have great values. I think I really have a great solid strong value. I love this country. I feel so strongly about this country. I love people that work. This weekend I'm making a speech in Boca Raton, Florida, and there was supposed to be like 200 people before it was announced that I was speaking. And now I hear they have thousands -- they had to lead the hall, it is going to be in some park, where they have thousands and thousands of people coming, which really makes me feel good.
But I really relate to the Tea Party people. Somebody was asking me, in fact every reporter asks me, what do you think of the Tea Party? I said, I think they are great. They are workers. They love the country.
And you know, their greatest service has been -- and this is very simple -- they've made everyone think. They were the first that brought up the deficit. People, we were just riding this deficit, borrowing more and more money, they were the first ones that really made both Democrats and Republicans think. So, I think the Tea Party has served an unbelievable and performed an unbelievable function.
HANNITY: How do you describe, some Republicans are saying, wait a minute he wants the Republican nomination, years gone by, you have donated to people like Harry Reid, Chuck Schumer, other Democrats. Why?
TRUMP: I get along with everybody. And, you know, can I be honest, you are a pretty conservative guy.
HANNITY: Yes.
TRUMP: Don't you think it is time -- I get along with everybody. I get along -- I also have plenty of enemies as you probably know.
HANNITY: Rosie.
TRUMP: My worst enemy will be Obama, probably. Well, you said Rosie, I didn't. But the fact is, I get along with people. I also come from a place that is almost exclusively Democratic.
HANNITY: New York.
TRUMP: I'm in New York. OK. I mean, the Republicans don't even think they have a chance. And, you know, maybe I would have a chance, OK? But they don't even think about New York.
So, I've lived in New York. This building, this great tower and many other towers I own, they are in New York. Everyone is Democratic. So, what am I going to do, contribute to Republicans? Am I going to contribute to, I mean, one thing I'm not stupid. Am I going to contribute to a Republican for my whole life when they get, they run against some Democrat. And the most they can get is one percent of the vote?
So, I think more importantly, and this question will always be asked. I mean, I've contributed to Schumer, I contributed -- I've known Schumer for many, many years. And I have a good relationship with him. The fact is, that I think it is time maybe that we all do get along.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: And welcome back to "Hannity." We continue with more of my interview with Donald Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Who were the people that you might be running against? You mentioned you like Mike Huckabee. You know, the other candidates, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich.
TRUMP: I sort of like them all. You know, I have a problem. They've treated me so nicely. I have such a problem, everyone said such nice things. I saw Santorum said something nice.
HANNITY: Newt Gingrich did, Sarah Palin did.
TRUMP: The all did. Newt Gingrich last month joined my club in Washington. A little before he heard about this in all fairness, but I already have his money.
HANNITY: He said something nice about in a speech this weekend.
TRUMP: Well, that is very nice. I mean, so, I wish I didn't like them, does that make sense to you?
HANNITY: Well you're all going to have to debate each other.
TRUMPP They are all saying these nice things about me. I have a hard time. So, the truth is, I watched Pawlenty the other day. I don't know him but he said these wonderful things about Donald Trump. And I can't now say, oh gee, this and that.
HANNITY: Well, look, you're all...
TRUMP: The good news is I don't think Barack Obama is going to be saying nice things and that's a positive.
(CROSSTALK)
Look, I think I'm a great negotiator. I think I will do a better job than anybody because I'm really a great negotiator. I know how to negotiate. I know how people are ripping us off. I know why they're ripping us off and I know how to solve the problem.
And as far as yesterday is concerned and what is going on over the last couple of days, the numbers aren't as bad as you are thinking, because what is happening is, if you take away $300 billion where China is ripping us and you take away Colombia and you take away virtually every nation in the world, who is making a huge -- let's use the word profit on the United States. When you start equalizing that, not even to make money of them, just to neutralize it, China shouldn't be making $300 billion on us, this year. | – If Donald Trump officially decides to enter the Republican race, he'll probably have to explain why he has donated to so many Democrats. Of the more than $1.3 million in political donations he's made over the years, 54% has gone to Democrats, the Washington Post reports. Those include such big names as Harry Reid, Rahm Emanuel, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, Charles Schumer, and Ted Kennedy. Of course, many of Trump's contributions have been in states where he has significant real estate interests. In a recent Fox News interview, Trump explained that New York is overwhelmingly Democratic; the Post notes that more than two-thirds of his donations in the state have gone to Dems. “So what am I going to do—contribute to Republicans? One thing: I’m not stupid. Am I going to contribute to Republicans for my whole life when they get heat when they run against some Democrat and the most they can get is 1% of the vote?” Even though he has also given more than $600,000 to Republicans, "it will be hard for him to spin his way out of" the Democratic contributions, says a GOP consultant. (Click to read Trump's thoughts on how intelligent Obama is—or isn't.) |
A child who was said to have been cured of human immunodeficiency virus last year has developed an HIV infection and been put back on antiretroviral drugs after remaining off of them for 27 months, dashing hopes of a new treatment for infants.
Doctors announced Thursday that traces of HIV were detected in the child last week during regular testing that she undergoes every six to eight weeks.
Continue reading below
The discovery was disappointing, doctors said on a conference call, because they hoped the aggressive treatment regimen that helped abate the child’s HIV could lead to a cure in infants.
“It felt very much like a punch to the gut,” said Dr. Hannah B. Gay, a pediatric HIV specialist at the University of Mississippi Medical Center who treats the girl. “It was disappointing from the scientific standpoint because we had been hopeful it would lead to bigger and better things, but mainly for the sake of the child who is back on medicine and expected to remain on medicine for a very long time.”
Dr. Katherine Luzuriaga, an immunologist at the University of Massachusetts Medical School who is part of the girls’ medical team, said during a conference call that tests show the child is responding well to drug therapy.
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HIV hides in so-called reservoirs of the body, and the viral material there often remains dormant as long as a patient is receiving antiretroviral drugs. But as soon as the drugs are stopped, the viral strains can become active and replicate in the body.
Outside experts said the findings are still critical in advancing HIV treatment. Though more research is needed, the “Mississippi baby” case shows that early, aggressive therapy can be effective in reducing reservoirs in the body, especially because she remained free of replicable HIV for more than two years — a landmark finding.
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The child’s mother delivered her in a rural Mississippi hospital in 2010 but did not know she was infected with HIV. She did not undergo treatment during her pregnancy, so the baby was transferred to University of Mississippi Medical Center when she was about 30 hours old after doctors thought she could have been infected.
Gay used a three-drug regimen instead of the typical one or two drugs for a newborn. The child showed undetectable levels of HIV after a month but continued to take antiretroviral drugs until she was 18 months old. Her mother then stopped bringing her to the hospital and ceased the drug treatment.
When the child returned to the hospital five months later, Gay and Luzuriaga ran a battery of tests and found some viral genetic material but no replicable strains lying in reservoirs, leading them to believe the girl had been “functionally cured.”
The case is familiar for Dr. Timothy Henrich, a Brigham and Women’s Hospital infectious diseases associate physician. Henrich led a team of Boston researchers studying two patients who had become HIV-free after undergoing bone marrow transplants for cancer but were later found to have detectable levels of the disease.
“It was almost a little bit of PTSD and déjà vu for me,” Henrich said. “When I first read the news, my heart sank. . . . The most difficult thing I had to do as part of our study was tell [the patients] the virus had returned.”
The discovery that the Mississippi baby has developed viremia — an active infection — highlights how much more there is to learn about these reservoirs, said Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Some outside experts doubted whether the child ever had been infected with HIV, when doctors announced she had been cured last year. The girl’s doctors said discovering viremia shows she was infected, but they effectively eliminated the HIV in the child, even if not permanently.
“This was unprecedented,” Dr. Deborah Persaud, professor of infectious disease at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and the lead author of the original report on the baby last year, said of the child successfully staying off antiretroviral drugs for 27 months. “The most important finding is indeed, this child was, without a doubt, infected with HIV.”
There is only one person believed to have been cured of HIV. In 2009, German doctors reported that Timothy Ray Brown, an American known as the “Berlin patient,” received a bone marrow transplant from a patient with a rare genetic mutation that is thought to provide resistance to HIV.
The Berlin patient was an exceptional case because of the rare mutation that came from the marrow donor, Henrich said.
Even with very low levels of viral material, there is always the risk HIV can reemerge at detectable levels.
The Mississippi case “was a seminal study that was very important and did teach us a lot and is still teaching us a lot,” Henrich said. “It’s still worthwhile to pursue this research.”
Related coverage:
• Baby born with HIV may be cured
• Evan Horowitz: Studies show many studies are false ||||| Story highlights Mississippi baby "cured" of HIV is now showing signs of the virus
Baby was given high doses of three antiretroviral drugs shortly after birth
Baby born with HIV in California was given the same treatment
A Mississippi baby scientists thought was "functionally cured" of HIV now has detectable levels of the virus in her blood, her doctors say.
The news is disappointing for a case the scientific community hailed just last year as a potential game changer in the fight against AIDS.
"It felt like a punch to the gut," Dr. Hannah Gay, a pediatric HIV specialist at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, said of seeing signs of the virus on test results earlier this month.
"It was extremely disappointing from both the scientific standpoint ... but mainly for the sake of the child who is back on medicine and expected to stay on medicine for a very long time."
Media outlets around the world covered the Mississippi case when it was first made public in March 2013. CNN updated its story again in October when researchers announced the toddler was still HIV free
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The child was born to a mother who received no prenatal care and was not diagnosed as HIV-positive herself until just before delivery. "We didn't have the opportunity to treat the mom during the pregnancy as we would like to be able to do, to prevent transmission to the baby," Gay said last year.
Doctors administered high doses of three antiretroviral drugs 30 hours after the girl was born in case she was infected. They hoped to control the virus, which was not detectable at the time. The child remained on antiretroviral drugs for approximately 18 months. Her mother then stopped administering the drugs for an unknown reason.
A few months later, doctors said the little girl had no evidence of the life-threatening disease in her blood . They announced that the girl was the first child to be "functionally cured" of HIV. A "functional cure" is when the presence of the virus is so small, lifelong treatment is not necessary and standard clinical tests cannot detect the virus in the blood.
However, during a routine doctor visit early this month, tests detected HIV antibodies in the now 4-year-old child. Her T-cell count was also low, indicating a weakened immune system. More than two years after being taken off the medication, doctors started her again on antiretroviral therapy.
She will need to be on these medications for life -- or until scientists find a cure for HIV.
"Certainly, this is a disappointing turn of events for this young child, the medical staff involved in the child's care, and the HIV/AIDS research community," NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci said in a statement. "Scientifically, this development reminds us that we still have much more to learn about the intricacies of HIV infection and where the virus hides in the body."
Despite the setback, researchers are optimistic about using this early treatment method on infants infected with HIV. A clinical trial aimed at studying the effect will be amended to include this new information, they said, before it begins recruiting participants.
"We´ve always known that the search for an HIV cure wasn't going to be easy," Françoise Barre-Sinoussi, president of the International AIDS Society, said in a statement. "Cases like this are hugely important for informing researchers on where to focus their efforts."
Current treatment methods
Researchers have long known that treating HIV-positive mothers while they are pregnant is important for the health of the child because they pass antibodies on to their babies that can protect them from disease.
All HIV-positive moms will pass on those antibodies, but only 30% will transmit the actual virus, said Dr. Katherine Luzuriaga, an immunologist at the University of Massachusetts who worked closely with Gay. And HIV-positive mothers who are given appropriate treatment pass on the virus in less than 2% of cases.
"So all babies are born antibody-positive, but only a fraction of babies born to HIV-positive women will actually get the virus, and that fraction depends on whether the mom and baby are getting antiviral prophylaxis (preventive treatment) or not."
Newborns are considered high-risk if their mothers' HIV infections are not under control or if the mothers are found to be HIV-positive when they're close to delivering.
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Usually, these infants would get antiviral drugs at preventive doses for six weeks to prevent infection, then start antiretroviral therapy, or ART, if HIV is diagnosed.
ART is a combination of at least three drugs used to suppress the virus and stop the progression of the disease.
But they do not kill the virus.
In March, doctors announced that another child born with HIV appeared to be free of the virus after receiving similar treatment to the Mississippi baby. The case report was presented at the annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Boston.
The girl was delivered at Miller Children's Hospital in Long Beach, California, last summer to a mother with HIV who had not received antiretroviral drugs during pregnancy. Doctors gave the baby high doses of three drugs -- AZT, 3TC and Nevirapine -- four hours after birth. Eleven days later, the virus was undetectable in her body and remained undetectable eight months later.
"Taking kids off antiretroviral therapy intentionally is not standard of care," said Dr. Deborah Persaud at the time, a virologist with Johns Hopkins Children's Center who has been involved in both cases.
On Thursday Persaud said the California baby is still on antiretroviral treatment and doing well, said Persaud.
"At this time, there is no plan to stop treatment." ||||| Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings.
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A baby who doctors had hoped may have been cured of HIV infection is infected again, doctors reported on Thursday — a disappointing blow to hopes that it might be possible to stop infection in its tracks.
The child, now 4, had been regularly tested for the AIDS virus and now the virus has not only returned, but showed signs of damaging her immune system, researchers said.
"It felt very much like a punch to the gut," said Dr. Hannah Gay of the University of Mississippi, who has been treating the child.
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“The baby has now rebounded with clearly detectable HIV viremia,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
“Certainly, this is a disappointing turn of events for this young child, the medical staff involved in the child’s care, and the HIV/AIDS research community.”
The Mississippi baby was born a little premature to a mother discovered to have HIV only when she was in labor. The mom had not ever been treated for HIV. Within 30 hours of birth the baby was re-tested and had clear evidence of HIV infection.
Unusually, she then got a cocktail of three drugs at a dose normally reserved for more advanced cases. It worked really well — pushing her virus down to what’s called undetectable levels.
"It felt very much like a punch to the gut."
The baby and her mom, who doctors have never named, got regular care and treatment from Gay at University of Mississippi Medical Center until she was 15 months old. Then, like so many children, she disappeared off the doctors’ radar screens. The mother brought her back briefly at 18 months but disappeared again but she missed at least eight months' worth of drugs. When Gay caught up to her again, the baby was still well, despite having received no treatment.
Now, at age 4, she has shown evidence of infection for the first time since she was born.
In 2013, a second child was born in Long Beach, Calif. to a woman who doctors knew was not taking her HIV medication. The infant was treated immediately and the virus is now barely detectable.
The U.S. government is looking for more babies to test the treatment, but Fauci said NIAID may have to adjust the new study. "We are going to take a very careful look at that study," Fauci told reporters.
They'll be studying the child's blood and her immune system.
“Typically, when treatment is stopped, HIV levels rebound within weeks, not years.”
It's not a total loss, the researchers said. The child was able to get through the toddler years without having to take the cocktail of drugs usually used to control the virus.
“The fact that this child was able to remain off antiretroviral treatment for two years and maintain quiescent virus for that length of time is unprecedented,” said Dr. Deborah Persaud of John Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore and one of the two pediatric HIV experts involved in the case. “Typically, when treatment is stopped, HIV levels rebound within weeks, not years.”
The early treatment may have at least slowed the virus down, the researchers speculated.
“How can someone be off therapy for 27 months…and yet the virus remains suppressed?” Fauci asked. The baby may have had a special immune response, he said.
“Scientifically, this development reminds us that we still have much more to learn about the intricacies of HIV infection and where the virus hides in the body,” Fauci added. “The NIH remains committed to moving forward with research on a cure for HIV infection.”
There was evidence the virus had started damaging the child’s immune system as it came back. She had fewer than the normal number of CD4 T-cells – the infection-fighting cells that HIV targets and kills. “We know that the CD4 T-cells dropped a bit with the re-emergence of virus but they have started to come up very nicely with the initiation of treatment,” Gay said.
“For now, the child needs antiretroviral treatment,” Persaud said. But she hopes research will find a better way to control the virus. “These children can live to their 30s and 40s,” she pointed out. The hope is to extend that as doctors learn more.
The human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS has only been common since the early 1980s. There’s no cure and no vaccine yet.
One of the many ways the AIDS virus is transmitted is during birth. An infected mother can infect her baby. But giving both mother and baby a few doses of two HIV drugs — AZT and nevirapine — can reduce this transmission by 99 percent.
In 2010, 162 babies were born with HIV in the 46 states where monitoring is done, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. CDC says about 1.2 million people in the U.S.are infected with HIV and about 50,000 new infections are diagnosed each year.
Some experts had questioned whether the child had truly been born infected. “The one thing we did learn throughout all of this was there was some doubt the baby was infected. The baby clearly was infected,” Fauci said.
The case still suggests that a cure is possible, advocacy groups said. "The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation expresses disappointment in this setback but remains hopeful that the scientific breakthrough that allowed the child’s HIV levels to remain undetectable for more than two years will continue to help researchers understand how to control HIV and ultimately develop a cure,"the group said in a statement. | – For more than two years, it seemed too good to be true. And now it turns out that a Mississippi baby thought to have been cured of HIV wasn't cured after all, reports NBC News. The girl, now 4, tested positive last week and is back on antiretroviral drugs. The case made international headlines last year: After the baby was born to a mother with HIV, doctors put her on aggressive drug treatment just 30 hours after birth. The mother, however, stopped giving her daughter the drugs at 18 months. The baby missed several months of treatment, and when doctors finally saw her again, they were stunned to discover that she had barely detectable levels of HIV. In effect, she was "functionally cured," recounts CNN. That remained the case until last week. “It felt very much like a punch to the gut,” says Dr. Hannah B. Gay, who treats the girl. “It was disappointing from the scientific standpoint because we had been hopeful it would lead to bigger and better things, but mainly for the sake of the child who is back on medicine and expected to remain on medicine for a very long time.” HIV hides in reservoirs of the body, and antiretroviral drugs keep it in check there, explains the Boston Globe. Its reemergence in this case shows that doctors have much to learn about those reservoirs, says Anthony Fauci, chief of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. It's not all bad news, though: The girl got to be a toddler without having to take a daily cocktail of drugs, and her case holds out hope of improving on the treatment. (Doctors are keeping an eye on another "functionally cured" baby in California.) |
JASON CERONE/P-R PHOTOIn this scene from the Showtime series "Escape from Dannemora," Eric Lange who plays Lyle Mitchell goes to Sansone's restaurant in Malone to meet his wife, Joyce, but she never shows up. The real Joyce Mitchell was just denied parole again. | – A state board has denied parole to a tailor who played a key role in a prison break that's the subject of a Showtime miniseries being filmed in the northern New York region where it happened. Joyce Mitchell will remain behind bars for at least two more years for passing tools to killers Richard Matt and David Sweat, enabling their escape from the maximum-security Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora in June 2015, per the AP. The subsequent three-week manhunt ended with Matt shot dead and Sweat captured near the Canadian border. Mitchell's lawyer tells the Plattsburgh Press-Republican the parole board denied her release Friday. Patricia Arquette plays Mitchell in Showtime's Escape at Dannemora, being produced by Ben Stiller. Penelope Ann Miller starred as Mitchell in a Lifetime movie that aired in April. (In 2015, Mitchell was sentenced to serve up to seven years on a contraband charge.) |
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Nine people, including seven adults and two young children, were found dead at three separate crime scenes in what Edmonton's police chief on Tuesday called a "senseless mass murder."
Edmonton City Police Chief Rod Knecht speaks about multiple homicides that took place at different scenes over night in Edmonton, Alberta, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2014. Police have confirmed the deaths of six... (Associated Press)
Police investigate the scene where multiple deaths occurred overnight in Edmonton, Alberta, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2014. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jason Franson) (Associated Press)
Edmonton City Police Chief Rod Knecht speaks about multiple homicides that took place at different scenes over night in Edmonton, Alberta, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2014. Police have confirmed the deaths of six... (Associated Press)
Edmonton City Police Chief Rod Knecht speaks about multiple homicides that took place at different scenes over night in Edmonton, Alberta, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2014. Police have confirmed the deaths of six... (Associated Press)
Police investigate a scene where a car rammed a truck and damaged a restaurant in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2014. Edmonton City Police Chief Rod Knecht spoke Tuesday about multiple... (Associated Press)
Edmonton City Police Chief Rod Knecht arrives to speak about multiple homicides that took place at different scenes over night in Edmonton, Alberta, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2014. Police have confirmed the deaths... (Associated Press)
Chief Rod Knecht told a news conference the killings were the result of domestic violence. The victims included a woman found Monday night by officers who were responding to a weapons complaint at a south Edmonton home.
The bodies of three more women, two men, a boy and a girl were discovered a few hours later at a home in the northeast part of the city where officers had checked on reports of a suicidal male earlier in the evening.
None of the victims was identified, but Knecht said the public was not in danger.
"This series of events are not believed to be random acts," he said. "These events do not appear to be gang-related, but rather tragic incidents of domestic violence."
A man matching the description of the suicidal male was found dead in a restaurant in the Edmonton bedroom community of Fort Saskatchewan on Tuesday morning, Knecht said.
"Our homicide investigators have established associations and linkages between these homicides," he said.
Police would not elaborate on the connection between the deaths. ||||| Click here for a mobile version of the ScribbleLive
A suicidal male is being blamed for the deaths of eight people — including five adults and two children found in a north Edmonton home — marking the largest mass homicide in the city’s history.
The violence began around 6:52 p.m. Monday when police were called to a home near Haswell Court and 16 Avenue in southwest Edmonton and found a middle-aged woman deceased. Police believe a man entered the residence and shot the woman before fleeing the scene.
An hour-and-a-half later, officers were called to a home near 83 Street and 180 Avenue to check on the welfare of an emotionally unstable man, but he wasn’t there.
“According to the family, the male seemed depressed and overly emotional,” said Edmonton police Chief Rod Knecht, adding there was nothing suspicious at the home at the time.
“The family was concerned that the male may be suicidal.”
Police did an exterior check of the house, checking the door and looking in windows, but did not gain entry. The vehicle connected to the slayings was not at the residence.
Police left the home, but later returned around 12:23 a.m. after receiving further information. Inside, they found the bodies of three female adults, two male adults, and two young children — one male and female — shot dead.
Two hours later, city cops headed out to the VN Express Restaurant in Fort Saskatchewan, where they discovered a black SUV that matched the description of the vehicle believed to be associated to the first slaying in southwest Edmonton.
RCMP later shut down the downtown core of Fort Saskatchewan around 9 a.m. Several witnesses in the area watched police blow out the front door and a large window of the restaurant. A police dog was also sent into the business, along with a police-controlled robot.
RCMP found a male deceased in the restaurant from what appeared to be an apparent suicide. Police said it’s the same suicidal male Edmonton detectives had been looking for earlier.
“It is a tragic day for Edmonton and our thoughts go out to the community as we all come to terms with the senseless mass murder of eight people,” said Knecht. “This series of events are not believed to be random acts and there is no risk to the broader public,” said Knecht, adding homicide detectives have established links between the two homicide locations. “These events do not appear to be gang related, but rather tragic incidents of domestic violence.”
One of the two people listed as the owners of the north Edmonton home is 53-year-old Phu Lam, who is known to police and believed to be responsible for the slayings. Lam is also believed to be an owner of the restaurant in Fort Saskatchewan.
Neighbours of the north Edmonton home said the young Vietnamese couple lived there with their two children, aged eight and one-and-a-half. The couple were prone to acts of domestic violence. One neighbour saw police at the home at least three times in the past two years.
Police had been called to the north side house twice in the last two years, and they say the suspect has a criminal record dating back to 1987.
Police have identified Cindy Duong, 37, as the victim of the southside homicide. The victims of the north side slaying have not been identified, but the five adult victims were between the ages of 25 and 50 and the two children were younger than 10 years old.
The weapon used in the homicides was a 9mm handgun that was purchased legally in B.C. and stolen in 2006.
Knecht said help is available for officers who attended the scenes, though he said officers have handled the situation professionally.
“It’s been described as chaotic. It’s horrific,” Knecht said.
“In my 39 years of policing I have never seen anything like it.”
More details will become available after the eight autopsies are conducted on Jan. 1.
Up until Monday, the city had recorded 28 homicides, including a man shot by police in May. Six people were killed in a mass murder near Edmonton in 1956, but the city has seen nothing similar since.
[email protected]
-with files from Kevin Maimann
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Family Violence Info Line
780-310‑1818 (toll free, 24 hours)
||||| The killings of six adults and two children in Edmonton were committed by a suspect with a stolen 9mm handgun, police chief Rod Knecht said in a news conference Tuesday night.
The victims were found in two separate residences in Edmonton Monday night. The man police believe responsible was found dead by suicide in a restaurant in the nearby city of Fort Saskatchewan on Tuesday morning. Knecht said the man had a criminal record dating back to 1987.
"It appears to be an extreme case of domestic violence gone awry," he said, stressing that there was no evidence of gang links. He said the slayings were planned and deliberate.
Police investigate at a restaurant in Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., on Tuesday. The scene is said to be related to multiple deaths that occurred in a north Edmonton home overnight. (Jason Franson/Canadian Press)
Knecht said the first body found by police, now identified as Cyndi Duong, 37, was found by police officers responding to a weapons complaint in south Edmonton around 6:53 p.m. Monday. A man entered the home and shot the woman, who was pronounced dead at the scene, he said.
Police then received a call to check on the welfare of a man at a home located at 83rd Street and 180 Avenue in north Edmonton.
"According to family, the male seemed depressed and overly emotional," Knecht said. "The family was concerned that the male may be suicidal."
When police arrived, the man wasn't there, Knecht said. Then at 12:23 a.m., police went back to the home and discovered the bodies of seven people: three women, two men and two children – a boy and a girl.
The adults found dead were between the ages of 25 and 50, with the children under the age of 10.
At 2:20 a.m., police went to a restaurant in Fort Saskatchewan. There they found a vehicle matching the description of the one owned by the suicidal male. The SUV was the same vehicle seen in the south Edmonton neighbourhood on Monday night, and was missing from the north Edmonton home.
The man was found dead inside when police entered the restaurant at 8:45 a.m. Tuesday. Knecht said the man died in an apparent suicide. He said police are not looking for other suspects in the slayings.
Autopsies on the remaining victims and the suspect are scheduled for Jan. 1.
Police have not described the relationships between the victims and the man who committed suicide. Knecht said this was the biggest mass murder in Edmonton since six people were slain in 1956.
The gun used in the slaying was registered in British Columbia in 1997 and stolen from Surrey in 2006. Knecht said the suspect had a business interest in the restaurant where he was found dead.
The suspect was known to Edmonton Police. Knecht said officers had gone to the north Edmonton home twice: once this year, and once in November 2012, where a man was charged with domestic violence, sexual assault and uttering threats.
Knecht also explained why police didn't enter the north Edmonton home when police were first called there. He said officers walked around the house but couldn't get in.
“They looked in windows, they checked a door and they weren’t able to get a response," he said.
Later, they received a call from someone which gave them grounds to enter the home. That's when they found the seven bodies.
"It was chaotic. It's horrific," Knecht said.
"This is a horrific event for the city … in my 39 years of policing, I've never seen anything like it."
Neighbours heard fighting
People in Fort Saskatchewan became aware of the police presence early Tuesday morning. The downtown core of the city northeast of Edmonton was closed. The area has reopened, but police tape remained around the VN Express Vietnamese and Chinese Restaurant.
A small memorial was set up outside the north Edmonton where five adults and two children were killed Monday night. (Leah Larocque/CBC News )
A Mercedes SUV with a smashed side window was parked outside.
Fort Saskatchewan resident Bonnie Peet first noticed police around 6 a.m.
“My whole road in front of my place was blocked off, so I knew something was going on and then it got lighter out ...and you see police going up and down the alleys," she said.
Another resident said that a helicopter could be heard circling overhead early Tuesday morning.
A woman who works at a restaurant across the street said she saw police drive a tactical unit through the restaurant door.
People who live next to the home in north Edmonton say a woman, a grandmother and two school-aged children lived there. The neighbours said they heard domestic arguments inside the home next door. Once they heard a man and woman fighting in the street.
"We knew the ex-husband didn't live there anymore," neighbour Murray Schermack said.
Resident Maria Melo said it's the kind of community where people say hi to one another.
Investigators remain on scene at the north Edmonton home where seven bodies were found. (Lydia Neufeld/CBC)
"We don't visit or nothing, but it's just a good neighbourhood," she said."It's so sad to hear about that family. It's really very sad."
In the Haddow community in south Edmonton, where the first person was killed, residents expressed concern for the children who lived in the home. The three children often played with others in the neighbourhood.
Police said they are in a safe place.
"We're all disturbed by it and wondering about how the family is doing," Frank Engley said.
RCMP are also investigating a death in an industrial area near Sherwood Park where a body was found in a burned-out vehicle on Tuesday morning. It does not appear to be related to the other crimes. | – A killing spree in Canada has left nine people dead at three separate locations in or near Edmonton, reports the CBC. Authorities think one man killed six adults and two children in a domestic dispute before committing suicide. Edmonton police found the first victim, a middle-aged woman, inside a home while responding to a weapons complaint at the address yesterday evening. Shortly after midnight, after getting multiple calls about a potential suicidal male at a separate address, they found the bodies of seven more victims—identified only as three women, two men, a boy, and a girl, reports the AP. (Police had gone to the home earlier, about 8:30pm, but left after getting no answer and seeing nothing suspicious.) After 2am, police spotted the vehicle of the suicidal man outside a restaurant in nearby Fort Saskatchewan. Officers found the man dead inside when they entered about 9am today, reports the Edmonton Sun. Police haven't identified any of the victims or spelled out the relationships between them and the shooter. "These events do not appear to be gang-related, but rather tragic incidents of domestic violence," says Edmonton's police chief. |
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission approved a rule Wednesday requiring companies to reveal the pay gap between the chief executive officer and their typical worker, handing a new weapon to groups protesting rising income inequality.
The commission voted 3 to 2 to mandate the disclosure. The agency had delayed progress on the rule for years, with SEC Chair Mary Jo White facing attacks from unions and Democratic lawmakers in recent months for failing to get it done.
The disclosure is required under the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act, which hasn’t stopped it from splintering the five-member commission. Republican commissioners and business groups argue it’s meant to embarrass CEOs and won’t be useful to investors.
White and the SEC’s two Democrats, Luis Aguilar and Kara Stein, approved the rule. Democrats have said the metric will be helpful to shareholders who are deciding how to vote on executive pay packages.
“While there is no doubt that this information comes with a cost, the final rule recommended by the staff provides companies with substantial flexibility in determining the pay ratio while remaining true to the statutory requirements” of Dodd-Frank, White said at the meeting.
Company Discretion
The SEC required companies to disclose the median compensation of all its employees, excluding the CEO, and publish a ratio comparing that figure to the boss’s total pay. Companies would have to report the pay ratio beginning in 2017.
In a nod to businesses such as Exxon Mobil Corp. that oppose the effort, the SEC will require the metric to be updated only once every three years and will allow companies to exclude as much as five percent of their foreign workers from the calculation.
The SEC gave allowed for some discretion in determining the median pay of workers. Companies can use sampling to estimate the figure, rather than calculating it by tallying data from all of the payrolls across the company.
“These decisions were designed to facilitate compliance with the rule in a manner that is reasonable and workable” for companies, Aguilar said.
‘Peculiar’ Decision
Even so, Republicans and business groups still oppose the requirement and said the SEC ignored some of their recommendations to improve it. Groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce or the Business Roundtable are expected to sue the agency over the rule.
“We will continue to review the rule and explore our options for how best to clean up the mess it has created,” the chamber’s David Hirschmann said in a statement Wednesday.
Republican lawmakers have sponsored legislation that would repeal the provision in Dodd-Frank that underpins the SEC’s rule. Commissioner Michael Piwowar, a Republican who opposed the measure, said he found White’s decision to move forward “peculiar” given that opposition in Congress.
Commissioner Daniel Gallagher, another Republican, said the vote shows how the agency’s rulemaking agenda has been hijacked by “ideologues” and partisans who want to shame businesses into reducing CEO pay.
“A majority of the commission has opted for a hugely expensive rule over a much less expensive rule,” Gallagher said. “I can only conclude that there is no reasoned basis for the commission’s action.”
Average Pay
Average CEO pay at the 350 largest U.S. companies by revenue surged 997 percent from 1978 to 2014, while the compensation of non-supervisory employees rose 10.9 percent, according to the Economic Policy Institute, a research group that advocates for workers.
While CEOs earned about 30 times what the typical employee did in 1978, corporate chiefs’ pay had jumped to more than 300 times their employees’ compensation as of 2014, the institute said. ||||| "SEC rules are not meant to serve as an ideological bulletin board for whatever political party happens to be in power," the Chamber of Commerce said in a letter to the commission opposing the rule. "But that is precisely what the authors of the CEO pay ratio rule had in mind; it is intended to help carry the income inequity message." ||||| Companies must start disclosing the pay gap between their top boss and rank-and-file employees under one of the most significant postcrisis rules addressing executive pay, launching a period of uncertainty for companies over whether the disclosure will rile up shareholders, employees and the broader public.
The Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday voted 3-2 to approve the measure, with the panel’s two Republican members opposing it.
Required by the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial law, the CEO pay-ratio rule emerged as a major flash point because it tied corporate disclosure policy to divisive political debates about income inequality and executive pay.
Companies will have to explain large pay gaps to investors, and face new challenges explaining to workers why they make so much less than the boss and, possibly, why they are less richly rewarded than their peers or competitors.
Steven Seelig, a senior regulatory adviser for Towers Watson & Co., a human-resources consultancy, said the SEC rule means rank-and-file workers will be able to see how they stack up against the median employee at their firm and at other firms. “This is going to raise all sorts of questions as to whether that person believes they’re paid fairly both internally…and [compared] to competitors,” he said.
Related Video The SEC is set to approve a contentious ruling that would disclose the pay gap between rank-and-file employees and CEOs. WSJ’s Joann Lublin joins Lunch Break’s Tanya Rivero. Photo: Getty
The pay-ratio measure is one of several Dodd-Frank provisions that aim to empower shareholders to better understand and challenge executive-pay practices at major U.S. companies. The SEC earlier this year unveiled another proposal designed to make it easier for investors to judge whether top executives’ compensation is in line with the company’s financial performance. The commission previously greenlighted new “say on pay” rules directing firms to submit executive-compensation packages regularly to a nonbinding shareholder vote.
But the pay-ratio rule has sparked greater controversy—and the SEC’s action is likely to trigger a new round of partisan and legal warfare. Corporate advocates such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce could challenge the measure in court, while Republicans in Congress greeted the SEC’s action with promises to move quickly on legislation repealing the Dodd-Frank mandate.
“We will continue to review the rule and explore our options for how best to clean up the mess it has created,” said David Hirschmann, head of the Chamber’s Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness.
The issue is also ripe for attention on the 2016 campaign trail, where populist issues such as inequality and corporate behavior and profits have flourished. Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton has decried the pay disparity between CEOs and average workers, and in a major July speech criticized the SEC for taking so long in finishing the pay-ratio rule.
“I hope that shining a spotlight on the disparity will help working families,” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.), who is challenging Mrs. Clinton for the Democratic nomination, said in a written statement.
David Larcker, director of the Corporate Governance Research Initiative at Stanford University’s business school, said, “You have an incredibly important and complicated issue that’s being reduced down to one ratio.”
While debates about income inequality are ones the country should have, he said, “I just worry that the focus is going to be so much on that ratio without doing the deep dive into it and saying what does it actually mean and is it conceivable that it could be appropriate. I think the numbers are going to be electrifying for a large chunk of workers out there.”
The SEC’s action kicks off a transition period for companies likely to be colored by uncertainty over how the requirement, which starts with compensation paid in 2017, will influence not only shareholders but their own executives and employees. Some analysts say public pressure over big pay gaps could lead talented chief executives to find other posts, for instance.
MaryAnn G. Miller, chief human-resources officer of technology distributor Avnet Inc., expects the rule will require careful preparation to limit the effect on employee morale. “It will consume a fair amount of management’s time at the outset,’’ she said in an interview on Wednesday. But overall, the rule won’t be “very impactful to the business,” she added.
Staffers at Avnet likely will worry more about how much less they make than the median employee than the CEO-worker ratio, Ms. Miller said. “That will be the bigger issue.’’ The firm has 19,000 employees in 53 countries. Avnet CEO Rick Hamada collected about $5.9 million in compensation during fiscal 2014.
“ I don’t think the pay ratio is going to impact CEO pay. The level of [CEO] pay is really based on the market for talent. ” —Charlie Tharp, head of the Center on Executive Compensation
Activist hedge funds have also been making an issue out of CEO pay, though from a different vantage point. These investors, who take stakes in companies and push for financial or strategic changes, don’t have a populist take on compensation and generally are happy to compensate executives for market-beating results. Rather, what concerns them is when CEOs are paid if they don’t, in the activist’s view, deliver for shareholders.
Chip maker Qualcomm Inc. recently agreed to revamp its executive-pay practices as part of a settlement with activist hedge fund Jana Partners LLC. Qualcomm will tie bonuses more closely to shareholder returns, after Jana complained that prior yardsticks of revenue and operating income had encouraged scattershot growth.
The pay-ratio rule, which covers larger public companies with exemptions for some smaller and foreign-owned firms, includes fewer concessions than were sought by companies. It allows firms to exclude up to 5% of their non-U.S. workers from the new pay-ratio. Firms had pushed to exclude a larger percentage of foreign workers, which would likely have resulted in a narrower pay gap for some multinational firms.
In general, firms only have to recalculate the pay ratio every three years. SEC staff estimated that the initial cost of complying with the rule for companies, collectively, will be about $1.3 billion—though they said the cost could be somewhat lower than that figure.
Supporters include congressional Democrats and labor unions that pushed for the measure, saying the ratio disclosure will provide shareholders with pertinent information on how their money is being spent.
Opponents contend the requirement at best provides no meaningful insight to investors and at worst offers a misleading picture of a company’s pay practices.
The rule appears to be an attempt at a middle ground between what unions and the corporate community sought. For instance, the AFL-CIO had urged the SEC to bar companies from making adjustments in its calculations to turn part-time or seasonal workers into full-time equivalents.
The commission’s endorsement of that approach “is a good thing,’’ said Heather Slavkin Corzo, director of the labor federation’s Office of Investment, in an interview on Wednesday.
Some in the business community sought to play down the significance of the new requirement.
Affected businesses will spend more time explaining “to employees at all levels how they set pay,’’ said Charlie Tharp, head of the Center on Executive Compensation, a Washington advocacy group for large employers.
“I don’t think the pay ratio is going to impact CEO pay,’’ he said. “The level of [CEO] pay is really based on the market for talent.’’
“I don’t sense this is going to be a big deal for investors,’’ Mr. Tharp added.
—Liz Hoffman contributed to this article.
Write to Victoria McGrane at [email protected] and Joann Lublin at [email protected]. | – Those worried about income inequality will soon have some tangible new figures at their disposal: The SEC today ruled that public companies must start revealing the pay gap between the CEO and a typical worker, reports the Los Angeles Times. Specifically, companies have to disclose median employee compensation—the figure at which half their workers earn more and half earn less—and compare it to the CEO's salary starting in 2017, reports Bloomberg. The ratio must be updated every three years. The rule, mandated by the 2010 Dodd-Frank law but never put in place, "should provide a valuable piece of information to investors" and help observers gauge how companies manage "human capital," says SEC Commissioner Kara Stein, per the Wall Street Journal. She and two fellow Democrats voted in favor, while the two Republicans on the commission voted against it. The rule is "pure applesauce," said GOP commissioner Daniel Gallagher, echoing Antonin Scalia's line about ObamaCare. |
The post from a popular Twitter page called "Yes, You're Racist" points to Pete Tefft of Fargo.
It's sparked thousands of retweets and likes, as well as many threats of violence.
RELATED:
Local family members also report being harassed.
The 'Unite the Right' rally in Charlottesville turned deadly this weekend when a man drove a car into a crowd that was protesting the white nationalists.
One woman died and at least 19 others were hurt.
In February, Tefft responded to flyers in downtown Fargo that called him a Nazi.
In an video interview with The Forum, he said he was interested in political action to further pro-white interests.
Statement by Jacob Scott, Pete Tefft's nephew:
"In brief, we reject him wholly – both him personally as a vile person who has HIMSELF made violent threats against our family, and also his hideous ideology, which we abhor. We are all bleeding-heart liberals who believe in the fundamental equality of all human beings. Peter is a maniac, who has turned away from all of us and gone down some insane internet rabbit-hole, and turned into a crazy nazi. He scares us all, we don't feel safe around him, and we don't know how he came to be this way. My grandfather feels especially grieved, as though he has failed as a father."
"Several members of our family have been being harassed or threatened by random strangers, due to our connection with Peter. I know in particular that Peter's sister... has been contacted or threatened at her workplace, under the assumption that she must be a nazi or endorse nazism. We also have some relatives who live in..., who have randomly found themselves attacked, including a... year old girl, my cousin, named... who has supposedly been messaged online by at least one random stranger in a threatening manner. Our relatives were calling us in a panic earlier today, demanding we delete all Facebook photos that connect us to them, etcetera."RELATED: ||||| We've detected that JavaScript is disabled in your browser. Would you like to proceed to legacy Twitter?
Yes | – The father of a self-described white nationalist who marched at Saturday’s “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Va., says his son is no longer welcome home. Pearce Tefft of Fargo, ND, posted the open letter on INFORUM Monday, writing that his son Peter’s values are not shared by his family. “I, along with all of his siblings and his entire family, wish to loudly repudiate my son’s vile, hateful, and racist rhetoric and actions,” he wrote. “We do not know specifically where he learned these beliefs. He did not learn them at home.” Peter was first identified by Twitter user Yes, You’re Racist in a grainy screengrab from a video taken during the rally, but he's also been interviewed by news outlets about his beliefs. Pearce said that Peter’s family members originally stayed silent about Peter’s white nationalist beliefs, but ultimately realized that was a mistake. “It was the silence of good people that allowed the Nazis to flourish the first time around, and it is the silence of good people that is allowing them to flourish now,” Pearce writes, adding that unless his son renounces his “hateful beliefs,” he “is not welcome at our family gatherings any longer.” Peter Tefft's nephew also denounced Peter in a statement to WDAY: “He scares us all, we don’t feel safe around him, and we don’t know how he came to be this way.” Pearce ended his letter with a powerful response to a joke his son made about putting anti-fascists in ovens, writing: “Peter, you will have to shovel our bodies into the oven, too. Please son, renounce the hate, accept and love all.” |
Hayes, who has spoken frankly about growing up in public housing and being the daughter of a drug addict, acknowledged her unlikely journey and the history-making quality of her campaign. She noted that she jumped into the race “102 days ago, with no money and no network.” ||||| Tim Pawlenty stands with his wife, Mary, background left, and running mate Michelle Fischbach as he concedes his run for governor at his election night gathering at Granite City Food and Brewery, Tuesday,... (Associated Press)
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Democrats embraced diversity Tuesday in a primary night of firsts, while Republicans in Minnesota rejected a familiar face of the GOP old guard in favor of a rising newcomer aligned with President Donald Trump.
In Vermont, Democrats rallied behind the nation's first transgender nominee for governor. Minnesota Democrats backed a woman who would be the first Somali-American member of Congress. And in Connecticut, the party nominated a candidate who could become the first black woman from the state to serve in Congress.
Still, Democrats in Minnesota also backed a national party leader who is facing accusations of domestic violence. He has denied the allegations, yet they threaten to undercut enthusiasm in his state and beyond.
On the other side, Trump tightened his grip on the modern-day Republican Party as the turbulent 2018 primary season lurched toward its finale. A one-time Trump critic, former two-term Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, lost a comeback attempt he was expected to win.
All but 10 states picked their candidates for November's general election by the time the day's final votes were counted. While the full political battlefield isn't quite set, the stakes are clear: Democrats are working to topple Republican control of Congress and governors' offices across the nation.
Four states held primaries Tuesday: Vermont, Connecticut, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Kansas' gubernatorial primary, which was held last week, was finalized when Republican Gov. Jeff Colyer conceded defeat.
In Minnesota, Republican County Commissioner Jeff Johnson defeated Pawlenty, who once called Trump "unhinged and unfit" and was hoping to regain his old post. In Wisconsin, Gov. Scott Walker, endorsed just this week by Trump, won the right to seek a third term.
The president's pick for Kansas governor, Secretary of State Kris Kobach, scored a delayed victory against Colyer, who became the first incumbent governor to fall this season.
In Vermont, Democrat Christine Hallquist won the Democratic nomination in her quest to become the nation's first transgender governor. The former chief executive of Vermont Electric Cooperative bested a field of four Democrats that included a 14-year-old.
While she made history on Tuesday, Hallquist faces a difficult path to the governor's mansion. Republican incumbent Phil Scott remains more popular with Democrats than members of his own party in the solidly liberal state.
Vermont Democrats also nominated Sen. Bernie Sanders, who hasn't ruled out a second presidential run in 2020, for a third term in the Senate. The 76-year-old democratic socialist won the Democratic nomination, but he is expected to turn it down and run as an independent.
Democrats appeared particularly motivated in Wisconsin, where eight candidates lined up for the chance to take on Walker.
Walker's strong anti-union policies made him a villain to Democrats long before Trump's rise. State schools chief Tony Evers, who has clashed with Walker at times, won the Democratic nomination and will take on Walker this fall.
Once a target of Trump criticism, Walker gained the president's endorsement in a tweet Monday night calling him "a tremendous Governor who has done incredible things for that Great State."
Trump also starred, informally at least, in Wisconsin's Senate primaries as Republicans try to deny Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin a second term.
Longtime state lawmaker Leah Vukmir, who was backed by House Speaker Paul Ryan, won the Republican primary, even after struggling to explain footage recently unearthed from 2016 in which she called Trump "offensive to everyone."
Tuesday's primaries served as a test of Democratic enthusiasm in the upper Midwest, a region that has long been associated with liberal politics but has been trending red. Trump won Wisconsin by less than 1 percentage point in 2016, becoming the first Republican presidential candidate to carry the state since 1984.
It was much the same in Minnesota, where Trump lost by less than 3 percentage points in a state that hasn't backed a Republican presidential contender since 1972.
Nearly twice as many Minnesota Democrats as Republicans cast ballots in their parties' respective gubernatorial primaries.
Pawlenty had been considered the heavy favorite in a two-person Republican contest for his old job. But he struggled to adapt to a GOP that had changed drastically since he left office in 2011 and flamed out early in a 2012 presidential bid.
The former two-term governor strained to live down his October 2016 comment that Trump was "unhinged and unfit for the presidency," remarks that incensed many Republican voters in Minnesota and beyond. Johnson, his underfunded opponent, circulated Pawlenty's critique far and wide, telling voters that he was a steadfast supporter of the president.
Johnson will face Democratic Rep. Tim Walz, who won a three-way race for his party's nomination.
Three Minnesota women won Senate nominations, including incumbent Democrats Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith.
Smith, who had been appointed to replace disgraced Democrat Al Franken, will face Republican state Sen. Karin Housley, ensuring a woman will hold the seat once held by Franken, who left Congress amid allegations of sexual misconduct toward women.
Nationwide, a record number of women are running this year for governor and Congress.
Meanwhile, a new scandal threatened to dampen Democratic enthusiasm.
Rep. Keith Ellison, the Democratic National Committee's deputy chairman, captured his party's nomination in the race to become the state's attorney general. That's after Ellison's candidacy was rocked by allegations over the weekend of domestic violence amid a broader national outcry against sexual misconduct by powerful men in business, entertainment and politics.
Ellison has denied a former girlfriend's allegations that he dragged her off a bed while screaming obscenities during a 2016 relationship she said was plagued by "narcissistic abuse."
Also in Minnesota, Democrat Ilhan Omar, the nation's first Somali-American legislator, won her party's congressional primary in the race to replace Ellison.
In Connecticut, Republican businessman Bob Stefanowski emerged from a field of five Republicans seeking to replace the unpopular outgoing governor, Democrat Dan Malloy. Former gubernatorial candidate Ned Lamont won the Democratic nomination.
Connecticut Democrats picked a former teacher of the year, Jahana Hayes, to run for the seat vacated by Rep. Elizabeth Etsy, who is leaving Congress after bungling sexual abuse claims levied against a former staffer. Hayes could become the first black woman from the state to serve in Congress.
___
Peoples reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin contributed to this report. ||||| Tony Evers speaks after his win in Wisconsin's Democratic gubernatorial primary election during an event at Best Western Premier Park Hotel in Madison on Tuesday. (Photo: Associated Press)
MADISON - Tony Evers won an eight-way Democratic primary Tuesday, setting up a November showdown between the state's education chief and GOP Gov. Scott Walker.
"We’re going to win because we're going to hold Scott Walker accountable for his reign of terror," Evers told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel shortly after the Associated Press called the race for him based on unofficial returns.
Walker handily won his own primary against a political unknown, Sun Prairie businessman Robert Meyer, who raised just $270 in the first half of the year.
In a string of posts on Twitter, Walker touted the state's record-low unemployment rate, his cuts to income taxes and property taxes, and his program to shore up premiums for those who buy insurance through Affordable Care Act marketplaces,
CLOSE Gov. Scott Walker will face Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers and U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin will face state Sen. Leah Vukmir. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"Wisconsin is working — and we are moving the state forward with our bold reforms that are having a positive impact across the state," Walker wrote.
Unemployment has hit a record low, and we’ve been below the previous record low of 3 percent for 5 straight months. More people are working in Wisconsin than ever before. — Scott Walker (@ScottWalker) August 15, 2018
The primary came a day after President Donald Trump — who at times has criticized Walker — tweeted that the Wisconsin governor "has done incredible things for that Great State" and had Trump's "complete & total Endorsement."
Scott Walker of Wisconsin is a tremendous Governor who has done incredible things for that Great State. He has my complete & total Endorsement! He brought the amazing Foxconn to Wisconsin with its 15,000 Jobs-and so much more. Vote for Scott on Tuesday in the Republican Primary! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 14, 2018
As the primary wrapped up, the general election kicked off, with the state Republican Party making plans to spend nearly $500,000 on TV and digital ads attacking Evers that will begin airing Thursday.
On Wednesday, Walker plans to visit La Crosse, Eau Claire, Schofield, Green Bay and Waukesha, while Evers will be in Madison, Appleton and Waukesha. Both are scheduled to travel the state later in the week, as well.
With Trump in the White House and liberal enthusiasm rising, Democrats view Walker as vulnerable.
Republicans see Walker as strongly positioned in part because of his huge financial advantage. At the end of July, Walker had $4.9 million in his campaign account, 31 times as much as Evers had at that point.
RELATED: It's Tony Evers vs. Scott Walker: 5 takeaways from the 2018 Wisconsin primary election
ELECTION RESULTS:Wisconsin and Milwaukee-area fall primary election
FULL COVERAGE: 2018 Wisconsin Elections
On the issues, the Democrats have been largely united, with most of them saying they would end the $4 billion taxpayer-funded incentive package for Foxconn Technology Group, legalize marijuana, expand access to health care, boost spending on roads and schools, and scale back Act 10, the 2011 law that all but eliminated collective bargaining for public workers.
Those stances put them in agreement with one another but deeply at odds with Walker, who has championed the Foxconn deal, his tax cuts and the state's economy. Walker opposes legalizing marijuana, has sought to overturn Obamacare and has fought with his fellow Republicans to prevent gas taxes from going up to fund roads.
"He's got a bad record on roads, you name it," Evers said. "I'm equally concerned that we as Democrats provide a positive vision for the future and it starts with education and it intersects with all other areas and we’re going to take it to him."
Jon Thompson, a spokesman for the Republican Governors Association, said in a statement that Democrats had chosen a "far-left, big-government politician committed to raising taxes and opposing job creation."
“As the state’s top education official, Evers has consistently failed Wisconsin students, and opposed Governor Walker’s successful efforts to spur job growth throughout the state," his statement said.
Evers established himself early on as the front-runner, though there were so many undecided voters that it seemed possible one of his challengers could overtake him. But no one else was able to consolidate support.
In a Marquette University Law School poll last month, 31% of likely Democratic voters backed Evers and 38% were undecided.
DATA ON DEMAND: Contributions to the 2018 candidates for governor
Following Evers in that poll were firefighters union President Mahlon Mitchell (6%); state Sen. Kathleen Vinehout of Alma (6%); former state Democratic Party Chairman Matt Flynn (5%); Madison Mayor Paul Soglin (4%); liberal activist Mike McCabe (3%); former state Rep. Kelda Roys of Madison (3%); and attorney Josh Pade (0%).
Since then, Evers, Flynn, Mitchell, Soglin and Roys began running ads.
Buy Photo A voter makes his way to vote at South Shore Terrace on Tuesday. (Photo: Angela Peterson/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
All the Democrats were expected to spend virtually all their money to get through the primary, which will widen their financial gap with Walker, at least temporarily.
Recognizing that, the Democratic Governors Association set up a plan to provide the nominee with post-primary advice and a financial network that Evers can now quickly tap. That won’t eliminate the fundraising gap, but Democrats hope it will mitigate it enough that Evers can withstand an expected avalanche of GOP ads.
"We know they are going to carpet bomb us — that is his M.O.," Evers said of Walker. "He likes to divide people."
RELATED: Dems plan to quickly pivot to general election to avoid being caught flat-footed in Wisconsin governor's race
The primary came two days after Trump put Walker and other Republicans in an awkward spot by tweeting that he thought a boycott of Milwaukee-based Harley-Davidson Inc. would be "great" because the company is moving some production overseas.
The company says it is doing so because of new European tariffs that came in response to Trump's tariffs. Trump has disputed that, saying the company would have shifted jobs overseas even without the tariffs.
Walker said Monday he opposed a Harley boycott but supported Trump's goal of eventually eliminating tariffs. The break with Trump on the boycott didn't appear to hurt his standing with Trump, who praised Walker on Twitter less than five hours later.
Evers cast Walker as beholden to Trump in his victory speech.
"Donald Trump will no longer have a doormat here in Wisconsin," Evers said.
RELATED: Scott Walker and GOP Senate candidates say they oppose a Harley boycott after avoiding the issue
Evers, first elected in 2009, was the only Democrat in the field who has held statewide office. His background in education gives him a chance to go after Walker on an issue that Democrats see as a weak spot for the governor.
His current title could cut the other way as well. Walker’s team, for instance, has noted that Evers called Walker’s last state budget “kid-friendly,” possibly limiting how effective Evers could be in arguing against Walker’s funding for schools.
Democratic candidates for Wisconsin governor: (Top row, left to right) Tony Evers, Paul Soglin, Josh Pade and Kathleen Vinehout. (Bottom row, left to right) Kelda Roys, Mike McCabe, Mahlon Mitchell and Matt Flynn. (Photo: handouts from candidates)
Flynn told Evers at a forum last week that Walker would "have you for lunch" because of his "kid-friendly" comment.
But on Tuesday, Flynn praised Evers and said he would work with him to defeat Walker. Other Democratic candidates joined in trying to unite the party.
Evers did not go as far as his Democratic opponents on some issues. For instance, he is the only Democrat to oppose making the state’s technical colleges free. And unlike many of his colleagues, he did not embrace legalizing marijuana outright, saying he would do so only if voters approved of the idea in a statewide referendum.
Buy Photo Arline Jasinski feeds her ballot as poll worker Richard Koehler looks on at Franklin City Hall. (Photo: Mike De Sisti/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
Lieutenant governor
In the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor, former state Rep. Mandela Barnes of Milwaukee appeared on track to defeat Sheboygan businessman Kurt Kober.
Barnes will be paired with Evers on the November ballot. Incumbent Republican Rebecca Kleefisch did not have a challenger in the primary.
State treasurer
Businessman Travis Hartwig beat Jill Millies in the Republican primary for state treasurer.
The Democratic primary hadn't been called as of 10:20 p.m. Competing in that race were businesswoman Sarah Godlewski, former communications director for the Office of the state Treasurer Cynthia Kaump and former Treasurer Dawn Marie Sass.
Secretary of state
Secretary of State Doug La Follette easily withstood a challenge in the Democratic primary from Madison Ald. Arvina Martin.
La Follette will face Republican businessman Jay Schroeder in November. Schroeder beat U.S. Air Force veteran Spencer Zimmerman.
Max Bayer of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.
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Read or Share this story: https://jsonl.in/2MtmvO7 ||||| [Read more about Republican governors in Democratic states.]
Mr. Scott’s popularity fell, however, especially among conservatives, after he signed gun control measures this year. Still, a poll in July by public media organizations in the state found two-thirds of Vermonters supported the law, and nearly half of Democrats had a favorable opinion of Mr. Scott. Only 18 percent of Democratic respondents in the same poll said they had a favorable opinion of Ms. Hallquist, and 55 percent did not yet know who she was.
That may change now that Ms. Hallquist is the nominee, and she is likely to draw national attention — and fund-raising dollars — because of the historic potential of her candidacy. “She’ll raise more money and her message will get out there more,” said Eric Davis, an emeritus professor at Vermont’s Middlebury College. “Even if she doesn’t get elected governor, the greatest contribution of her campaign could be to raise awareness about the issues transgender people face.”
Before she ran for governor, Ms. Hallquist spent 12 years as the chief executive of the Vermont Electric Cooperative, an in-state power utility that she helped to bring back from near ruin. Her transition from male to female took place in 2015, while she was at the helm of the company, and was the subject of a documentary film made by her son.
As a candidate, she made it part of her stump speech, drawing knowing laughs from her female supporters at a fund-raiser this summer as she talked about what it was like to experience life as a woman for the first time.
“I remember the first time after transitioning, a stranger walking by told me to smile — I’m like, ‘Who the heck are you to tell me to smile?’” Ms. Hallquist said. “What my transition has taught me is just how far we have to go.” ||||| Despite a late-breaking accusation of abuse from an ex-girlfriend, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) has won the Democratic nomination for attorney general. With 34 percent of precincts reporting, he was running far ahead of four other candidates, including Mark Pelikan, a young attorney who won the party endorsement at its summer convention.
Ellison is likely to face Republican Doug Wardlow, a former state legislator, for a job that no Republican has won since the 1970s. Republicans had planned to invest in the race even before this weekend, when Kate Monahan, whom Ellison had dated until 2016, shared social media posts that accused the congressman of emotional and physical abuse. ||||| U.S. Sen. Tina Smith beat Richard Painter, once the ethics chief in a Republican White House, in the DFL primary election Tuesday, setting up the state’s first U.S. Senate race with two women nominees.
State Sen. Karin Housley, who won the Republican nomination, will face Smith in the fall. “It’s inspiring for all young women out there that they can make a difference,” Housley said of the historic matchup.
Smith agreed. “It is a year when women feel particularly enthusiastic about stepping into the public arena, and I think that’s a good thing,” she said in an interview.
Two women who won primaries Tuesday in Wisconsin also will square off in that state’s U.S. Senate race. A record-breaking 19 women have won major-party nominations for the U.S. Senate this year, according to Rutgers University’s Center for American Women in Politics.
The Minnesota winner on Nov. 6 will finish the final two years of former DFL Sen. Al Franken’s term. He resigned in January amid sexual misconduct allegations. The race is crucial; Senate Republicans have a one-vote edge.
Smith’s victory was “a testament to the trust that Minnesota voters have in Tina to represent their interests,” DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin said in a statement.
Sen. Tina Smith
Chris Hansen, director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said in a statement that Housley “has what it takes to end left-wing Democrat Tina Smith’s brief career” in the Senate.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar won the Democratic nomination easily over four little-known opponents. In her bid for a third term, she’ll face state Rep. Jim Newberger of Becker, who has served three terms in the state Legislature. He defeated three Republican candidates in the primary.
Smith attributed her win to the fact that she “really listened to people.” She’ll employ the same strategy against Housley, she said. “The way elections are won in Minnesota is by talking to people and sharing what’s on their minds,” Smith said. “It sounds so simple, but it really is the thing that works.”
Housley said she’ll continue in the fall campaign to work hard and talk about jobs, the economy, trade issues’ effect on farmers, and immigration. “I will continue to support our elders,” she added.
She’s confident about her chances against Smith. “I am going to win,” she said.
Smith, 60, was appointed to the seat by Gov. Mark Dayton, whom she had served as lieutenant governor since 2015. Before that, she was the DFL governor’s chief of staff. She was endorsed by the DFL.
Housley, 54, is from St. Marys Point. She was elected to the Minnesota Senate in 2012 and in 2014 lost a race for lieutenant governor.
Painter, 56, who announced in April that he was leaving the Republican Party, is a University of Minnesota law professor. He was the chief ethics lawyer for President George W. Bush from 2005 to 2007.
Painter said his campaign helped call attention to ethics issues and to single-payer health care, which he endorsed. “We got a lot of attention around the country,” he said in an interview. He’ll resume teaching, Painter said. Asked if he’d consider running for office again, he said, “I don’t know. I’ll think about it.”
Voters interviewed at the polls Tuesday said their decisions in the Smith-Painter race turned on support for his animosity toward President Donald Trump — whom he said should be impeached — or doubts about whether his DFL conversion was genuine.
In late July, the DFL’s Martin publicly questioned whether Painter is actually a Democrat. Martin described Painter’s candidacy as “a craven act of desperation” because he is out of sync with the Republican Party. At the time, Painter said the DFL assault proved he was “a true threat to win this election.”
West Foster, 24, of Minneapolis, who works for a nonprofit group, voted for Smith. “I vote as far left as I can, and I’m not too impressed with Republicans — whether they say they are or not,” he said.
Paul Nelson, 50, a self-employed contractor in Minneapolis, was tempted by Painter, but he voted for Smith. “I’m a party guy,” he said.
When Housley and Smith meet in November, Trump’s policies and the senator’s record will be the top issues.
Smith has pledged to “stand up” to Trump. However, she has said she doesn’t think voters “want to hear us only talking about what we don’t like about this president.”
Housley has tried to establish some distance between her views and style and those of the president. For example, she said this summer that she disagreed with his decision to separate immigrant families.
Painter’s candidacy forced Smith to focus on wooing DFL voters. Meanwhile, GOP-endorsed Housley — who faced two candidates in the primary — made Smith her sole target.
Housley made frequent references to the “failed Dayton-Smith administration,” citing MNsure and the beleaguered vehicle registration system.
Cook Political Report, which handicaps campaigns, rates the race as a likely Democratic win. So do Inside Elections and the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics. All three groups are nonpartisan.
The fall campaign is sure to become an expensive national battlefield, with outside TV ads flooding the airwaves and national interest groups’ money flowing into the race.
As of June 30, Smith had raised $4.8 million and Housley had collected $1.8 million.
Retired nurse Patricia Cohen, 75, voted in Minneapolis for Smith and Klobuchar because of their support for abortion rights. “There’s an assault on women’s privacy and the right to plan their families,” she said. “For me that’s one of the defining issues of our time.”
Kerry Riley, 41, a photographer and wardrobe stylist from Minneapolis, said her vote for Smith was less vital than showing up to vote — especially in the current political climate. “You have to,” she said. | – In a historic moment for the transgender rights movement, former power company exec Christine Hallquist won the Democratic primary for Vermont governor Tuesday, becoming the first transgender candidate from a major party to win a gubernatorial primary. Hallquist, who transitioned from male to female in 2015, was chief executive of the Vermont Electric Cooperative before entering politics, the New York Times reports. Annise Parker of the LGBTQ Victory Fund praised the victory as a "defining moment," though she added that Hallquist won "not because of her gender identity, but because she is an open and authentic candidate ... who speaks to the issues most important to voters." In other results: Vermont also nominated Sen. Bernie Sanders to seek a third term, the AP reports. He won the Democratic primary, but is expected to run as an independent again. In Minnesota, Sen. Tina Smith defeated Richard Painter, George W. Bush's former ethics counsel, in the Democratic primary, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. In November, she will face Republican state Sen. Karin Housley in a race to decide who will finish the last two years of former Sen. Al Franken's term. Rep. Keith Ellison has won the Democratic primary for Minnesota attorney general despite allegations of domestic violence involving an ex-girlfriend that surfaced days before the election, the Washington Post reports. He placed far ahead of the other four candidates in the race, and is expected to face Republican former state lawmaker Doug Wardlow in November. In Wisconsin, Democrat Tony Evers won an eight-way gubernatorial primary and promised to end Republican Gov. Scott Walker's "reign of terror," the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. Walker, who is seeking a third term, cruised to victory in the GOP primary. Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who once called President Trump "unhinged and unfit for the presidency," was trying to get his old job back but lost the GOP primary to pro-Trump candidate Jeff Johnson, the AP reports. Former National Teacher of the Year Jahana Hayes won the Democratic primary for the House seat being vacated by scandal-plagued Rep. Elizabeth Esty, the Hartford Courant reports. If she wins in November, Hayes will be the first black Democrat from New England elected to the House. |
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Chris Detrick | Tribune file photo A bill advanced to the full House on Monday would limit liability of gun makers and manufactu Scott Sommerdorf | Tribune file photo Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross, is proposing legislation that would create a pilot progr ||||| Gun-safety courses could be offered to students as young as 13 in Utah if a state senator succeeds in adding a voluntary course to next year’s curriculum.
Sen. Todd Weiler, a Republican representing the city of Woods Cross, has proposed a pilot program in Utah schools that would provide eighth-grade students with information on firearm safety and violence prevention. Late last month, he introduced State Bill 43, “Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention in Public Schools,” and the state’s financial analysts are considering the proposal.
“I think it’s always helpful for children and adults to think through what you would do in a situation before you encounter it,” Mr. Weilertold The Salt Lake Tribune. “Unfortunately, it is probably a necessary reality in the society we live in these days.”
If his colleagues in the Legislature agree, Utah could green-light the senator’s plan to put $75,000 toward a program that would teach mostly 13- and 14-year-olds what to do if they ever come across a firearm.
“Even if someone doesn’t have a gun in their home,” Mr. Weiler told The Tribune, “odds are very likely that a neighbor or a friend’s parents do.”
No actual firearms would be used in the course, and students would need a parent or guardian’s signature before they could participate, he said.
After a wave of mass shootings, however, the class wouldn’t end with basic firearm dos and don’ts, the senator said. In addition, Mr. Weiler said, students would be taught how to respond in the event they end up face to face with a gunman.
Late last month, authorities in Plain City, Utah, arrested a 16-year-old who was suspected of bringing a gun to school to shoot a classmate.
“If we’re going to talk about guns while we’re in school, I think it would be silly not to be able to mention something about an active-shooter situation,” he said.
If the plan is approved, the state attorney general’s office would hammer out the details of the course in collaboration with the State Board of Education and the Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Interim Committee. Mr. Weiler’s proposal, as written, calls for getting the pilot program off the ground during fiscal 2017.
President Obama announced Tuesday a suite of executive actions he is implementing on a federal level in an attempt to curb gun violence nationwide.
“Hundreds of law enforcement officers have been shot to death protecting their communities,” the White House said in a statement Monday. “And too many children are killed or injured by firearms every year, often by accident.” | – Utah's eighth-graders may soon add gun safety and active shooter preparation to their traditional math and English classes. Republican Sen. Todd Weiler introduced the "Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention in Public Schools" bill last month, the Washington Times reports. If passed, it would require schools to teach gun safety and what to do in case of a shooter to all eighth-graders. "I think it's always helpful for children and adults to think through what you would do in a situation before you encounter it," Weiler tells the Salt Lake Tribune. "Unfortunately, it is probably a necessary reality in the society we live in these days." The bill would be funded with $75,000 from the state attorney general's office. If passed, it would be implemented in 2017, the Times reports. The program wouldn't teach 13-year-olds to use guns; instead instructing them what to do if they come across a gun, the Tribune reports. "There will be no guns in the classrooms," Weiler says. "It's more, if you happen to encounter a gun, this is what you should and shouldn't do." He says the bill was inspired by how many children accidentally shoot someone. According to the Times, the White House made a similar point in a statement Monday: "Too many children are killed or injured by firearms every year, often by accident.” The active-shooter preparation would be secondary to gun safety, Weiler tells the Tribune. "If we're going to talk about guns while we're in school, I think it would be silly not to be able to mention something about an active shooter situation," he says. |
The father of a student killed during February's school shooting in Parkland, Fla., put a bulletproof vest on the “Fearless Girl” statue in New York on Friday to protest mass shootings in America.
Manuel Oliver, whose son, Joaquin “Guac” Oliver, was one of 17 people killed inside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Valentine’s Day, placed the vest on the statue to create “#FearfulGirl,” according to a statement.
The vest stayed on the statue for one hour before it was peacefully removed.
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“The Fearless Girl is undeniably brave, but bravery isn’t bulletproof,” Oliver's group, Change the Ref, said in a Friday statement.
The sculpture by Kristen Visbal was placed in front of the “Charging Bull” last year before International Women’s Day 2017, and has since become a popular tourist attraction.
Officials said earlier this year that it will be moved to a safer location for spectators, away from its crowded original location on Broadway Avenue.
Manuel Oliver has made several art installations in the wake of the Parkland shooting to protest gun violence, including depicting President Trump Donald John TrumpTrump pauses Missouri campaign rally after woman collapses Fox News hosts join Trump on stage at Missouri campaign rally Nate Silver in final midterm projections: 'Democrats need a couple of things to go wrong' to lose the House MORE as a ringleader of a circus outside the annual National Rifle Association convention in May.
He unveiled a life-size, 3D-printed sculpture of his son in Times Square last week to protest the legality of 3D-printed guns.
The figure is dressed how Joaquin Oliver was dressed on the day he died and was personalized with accessories to depict his character.
“You won’t see me in line in Washington, D.C. waiting to talk to a legislator to try to tell him what’s going on with my family,” he said. “I’d rather do this,” he said of his art. ||||| In New York’s Times Square today, artist Manuel Oliver unveiled what he calls the world’s first "3D-printed activist," a life-size rendition of his son, Joaquin. Oliver said the piece is a statement to combat the use of 3D printers to make firearms.
Joaquin was one of the victims in the Valentine's Day shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Seventeen students and faculty were killed that day when a former student allegedly opened fire with an AR-15-style rifle.
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After his death, Joaquin’s parents, Manuel and Patricia, founded the nonprofit “Change the Ref” to empower young people to get involved in issues impacting the country. In an interview with ABC News, Manuel said the nonprofit’s name came from a conversation he had with Joaquin a few months before he was shot.
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Joaquin had been frustrated with a series of bad calls a referee made during a basketball game. This inspired Joaquin and his father to call the recreational league to ask to have the referee switched for someone who would judge the game more fairly. Since his son's death, Manuel and Patricia have extended that ideology beyond the basketball court.
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"This is the first time since February that I can see an image of my son standing next to me. Not a good feeling, but the idea here is to make it a powerful moment for the rest of you," Manuel said at the event today.
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Manuel went on to say that even though he and his wife can't do anything to bring their son back, their work is "for the rest of the families who can still do something about it."
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This installation was a statement against gun violence and to encourage voter turnout for the November midterm elections. ||||| New York City’s “Fearless Girl” statue was transformed into a “Fearful Girl” on Friday morning in a powerful protest against gun violence.
The bronze statue in Manhattan’s financial district sported a new addition Friday morning: a bulletproof vest that read “#FEARFULGIRL.” The demonstration was created by Change the Ref, a gun control advocacy group founded by Manuel and Patricia Oliver, whose son Joaquin died in February in the school shooting in Parkland, Florida.
“She can’t be fearless if she’s afraid to go to school,” CTR tweeted Friday morning with a photo of the statue wearing the bulletproof vest.
Manuel Oliver told HuffPost that he and his wife put the vest on Kristen Visbal’s iconic statue early Friday and stood next to her as people commuted to work and tourists swarmed the area.
“They saw the girl with the bulletproof vest and they also saw us,” Oliver said. “So, some of them will be realizing that there is a chance that it could happen to them. I really hope that society understands that they don’t need to go through what we’re going through.” | – A New York City statue went from "fearless" to "fearful" Friday—at least for an hour. Manuel Oliver, the father of Parkland shooting victim Joaquin "Guac" Oliver, 17, placed a bulletproof vest on the renowned "Fearless Girl" statue near Wall Street to protest America's mass shootings, the Hill reports. The vest, removed an hour later, read simply, "#FearfulGirl." "She can't be fearless if she's afraid to go to school," tweeted Change the Ref, a gun-control group started by Manuel and his wife Patricia Oliver, per Huffington Post. In October, Oliver unveiled a 3D-printed statue of his son holding a flower to protest 3D-printed firearms, ABC News reported. (The statue is slated to be moved later this year.) |
How the company, and Ms. Bresch, strikes that balance seems to be quickly changing. Generic drug companies once dealt almost exclusively in making cheap copies of pills and railed passionately against the anticompetitive tactics of brand-name competitors. Now, through a series of acquisitions and mergers, the handful of large generic companies that are left are increasingly investing in expensive brand-name drugs, and in doing so, are embracing many of the tactics they once scorned.
“It’s like talking out of both sides of your mouth,” said Dinesh Thakur, an advocate for generic drug quality. “To me, I think, it’s opportunistic.”
In the interview, Ms. Bresch said the company’s latest actions would do the most to help patients where it mattered, by reducing their out-of-pocket costs. And she said that the $600 list price was necessary for the company to recoup its investment in the EpiPen, which includes raising awareness for severe allergic reaction and making improvements to the way the product works.
But she also sought to shift blame away from Mylan, saying that patients are feeling the pain in part because insurers have increased the amount that customers must pay in recent years.
“What else do you shop for that when you walk up to the counter, you have no idea what it’s going to cost you?” she said. “Tell me where that happens anywhere else in the system. It’s unconscionable.”
To some, the company’s response seemed to ring hollow. “It’s a real challenge to understand how a management team sits around a board table and makes a decision to raise the price of a lifesaving medication over and over and over, and when the P.R. storm hits, decides to blame someone else for that price increase,” said David Maris, an analyst for Wells Fargo. He had warned investors in June that Mylan’s price increases on EpiPen and other drugs could soon draw unwanted media scrutiny.
The company is not a stranger to controversy. Robert J. Coury, Mylan’s chairman who served as chief executive until 2011, came under scrutiny in 2012 for using the company’s corporate jet to travel to his son’s music concerts. And last year, The Wall Street Journal reported that one of the board members had undisclosed ties to the land where the company built its new Pittsburgh offices. ||||| HERTFORDSHIRE, England and PITTSBURGH, Feb. 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Mylan N.V. (NASDAQ, TASE: MYL) today announced that Mylan CEO Heather Bresch has been elected to serve as chair of the Generic Pharmaceutical Association's (GPhA) board of directors. GPhA is an association that represents the world's leading generic drug manufacturers and suppliers and plays a critical role in tackling key issues affecting the generics industry and shaping policies that help ensure patients have access to high quality, affordable medicines.
Bresch said: "In the decade since serving my last term as chair of GPhA, the generics industry has evolved significantly within an increasingly globalized market. Never has there been a greater need for our association to lead the way in shaping policy that expands access to high quality generic medicines and biosimilars, which is why I've committed to return to the role of chair and work with our industry's leaders to influence positive change to our healthcare system.
"The value that the generic drug industry brings to the U.S. healthcare system is indisputable. Today, generic drugs fill 88% of the prescriptions dispensed in the U.S., but consume only 28% of the total drug spending. Yet, the harsh reality is that some of the numerous challenges we currently face could limit patient access to generic medicine and debilitate our generics industry which serves as a critical solution to the nation's healthcare challenge.
"In today's political climate, no matter how strong each of us may be at an individual company level, it's important for us to stand strongly together with a unified voice for the good of our shared mission of advancing access to more affordable medicine.
"I would like to recognize GPhA's outgoing board officers Craig Wheeler, Doug Boothe and the dedicated staff at GPhA for the critical role they have played to date in continuing to advance our industry's efforts to improve healthcare in the U.S. I am energized by the vision and experience GPhA President and CEO Chip Davis is bringing to further the association's role in Washington and beyond, and I look forward to working with the team and our industry's executives in continuing these efforts."
Bresch's term as chair of GPhA will last for one year. Previously, she served two one-year terms as the chair of the association in 2004 and 2005 and two one-year terms as vice chair in 2003 and 2006.
Mylan is a global pharmaceutical company committed to setting new standards in healthcare. Working together around the world to provide 7 billion people access to high quality medicine, we innovate to satisfy unmet needs; make reliability and service excellence a habit; do what's right, not what's easy; and impact the future through passionate global leadership. We offer a growing portfolio of more than 1,400 generic and branded pharmaceuticals, including antiretroviral therapies on which nearly 50% of people being treated for HIV/AIDS in the developing world depend. We market our products in approximately 165 countries and territories. Our global R&D and manufacturing platform includes more than 50 facilities, and we are one of the world's largest producers of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Every member of our nearly 35,000-strong workforce is dedicated to creating better health for a better world, one person at a time. Learn more at mylan.com.
SOURCE Mylan N.V. ||||| W.Va.U. embroiled in scandal over degree for gov's daughter MORGANTOWN, W.Va. This is not how West Virginia University wanted to build its national reputation. Six months after his inauguration, President Mike Garrison is struggling to hold his administration together -- and keep his job -- amid a scandal that erupted after the school granted Gov. Joe Manchin's daughter a master's degree she didn't earn. Two top university officials resigned last weekend over their part in the episode. Major donors have canceled plans to donate millions. Members of the Faculty Senate are planning a no-confidence vote on Garrison next week. And critics inside and outside the university have demanded the president resign over what appears to be an instance in which political pull influenced the awarding of a degree. "If you have smart officials, they know this would be one of the quickest ways to ruin the reputation of the university," said Thomas Morawetz, a professor and authority on ethics at the University of Connecticut law school. "It is a serious violation of norms." With more than 27,000 students, West Virginia is the pride of a state where people say they "bleed blue and gold." Mountaineer alumni include the governor and NBA Hall of Famer Jerry West. The university has helped generations of West Virginians -- many of them the sons and daughters of coal miners and steelworkers -- lift themselves up in a poor state. But it also perennially ranks among the nation's top party schools. Now some fear the scandal threatens the university's effort to improve its academic reputation and turn itself into a national research powerhouse. Garrison himself has made high-tech research a priority, successfully lobbying the state Legislature for a multimillion-dollar "bucks for brains" program. An editorial in the student newspaper, The Daily Athenaeum, said the administration has "trivialized all degrees this university has awarded and will award." "I suppose this is the price paid for attending a university with such an intimate connection to its state, a final reminder of how dirty West Virginia can be, and not just from the coal dust of economic fallout," student columnist Chad Wilcox wrote separately. The scandal cracked wide open last week after an investigative panel issued a report saying the university showed "seriously flawed" judgment last fall in retroactively awarding an executive master's of business administration degree to Heather Bresch, who attended the school in 1998 but did not earn enough credits. The panel said the business school gave Bresch credit for classes she didn't take, and assigned grades "simply pulled from thin air," giving her special treatment because of who she is. The degree has since been rescinded. The governor, a Democrat, has denied exerting any pressure and said he first learned of the dispute only after it became a news story. Bresch told The Associated Press that she believes she did nothing wrong. Bresch, 38, is not only the governor's daughter. She is chief operating officer of generic drug maker Mylan Inc., a major West Virginia benefactor with a lab in Morgantown that employs about 2,000 people. Mylan was one of the companies that raised the money to create the Executive MBA program, which is for full-time executives. Mylan's chairman, Milan "Mike" Puskar, is a Manchin supporter and one of West Virginia's biggest contributors. The business school deanship is endowed in Puskar's name, and the football stadium was named for him after he donated $20 million in 2003. Bresch is also a friend and former high school and West Virginia classmate of Garrison. He, in turn, worked for Democratic former Gov. Bob Wise and was once a Mylan lobbyist. Now, Garrison -- who was a 38-year-old lawyer with much stronger political credentials than academic ones when he was tapped for the presidency -- finds himself the target of critics among the faculty, alumni and the state Republican Party. Garrison should resign, and "he needs to take all his cronies with him," said GOP chairman Dr. Doug McKinney. "They've shown there's entirely too much connection between the statehouse and the president's office." One philanthropic group, the McGee Foundation, has dropped plans to donate $1 million in cash and an additional $1 million worth of art, and other, smaller donors have threatened similar action, officials said. Garrison said this week that he will not resign. "I was not involved in any way in the decision," he said. And the university Board of Governors -- which hired him and has the power to fire him -- issued a statement affirming its "full support" of Garrison. The governor also said he believes Garrison should not step down. The resignations of Provost Gerald Lang and R. Stephen Sears, dean of the business school, have not satisfied the most vocal of the critics, particularly since Lang and Sears will remain as tenured professors, with Lang earning nearly $200,000 a year and Sears almost $160,000. Lang presided over the meeting last October during which Sears made the final decision to grant the governor's daughter a degree. "It's nice that the dean and provost were offered up as sacrificial lambs, but the cancer is still there," said Peter Kalis, a lawyer and 1972 graduate. He said Garrison and the chairman of the Board of Governors must go, too, if the university is to "reclaim its independence and integrity." The scandal is not the first major crisis of Garrison's young administration: Football coach Rich Rodriguez abruptly left in December for a job at Michigan, complaining that the university broke a promise to give him greater control over the football program. Rodriguez and West Virginia are now locked in bitter public feud and a lawsuit over a penalty clause in his contract that says he owes the university $4 million for leaving early. Rodriguez claims Garrison had assured him privately that he would not enforce the clause; Garrison denies that. On Thursday morning, protesters showed up for a speech on campus by former President Clinton. "Mountaineers always free; Mountaineers earn degrees; Garrison must go," read one sign. Another sign bore a drawing of a diploma and the words: "Free while they last." ___ Tom Breen contributed to this report from Charleston, W.Va. (This version CORRECTS wording on protester's sign.) Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Enlarge by Dale Sparks, AP In this April 23, 2008 file photo, West Virginia University President Michael Garrison listens to a charge being read by West Virginia Board of Governors chairman Stephen Goodwin during open session at West Virginia University in Morgantown, W.Va. Garrison is facing public scrutiny over the handling of an MBA degree awarded to Heather Bresch, daughter of Democratic Gov. Joe Manchin. (AP Photo/Dale Sparks, File) | – Is Mylan CEO Heather Bresch the next Martin Shkreli? Based on public reaction to the bloated costs of her company's EpiPen, the 671% pay raise she's reaped as those costs rose, and the recently publicized fact that her dad is a US Senator, the initial answer may seem to be "yes." But the woman the New York Times calls America's "new pharmaceutical villain" refutes comparisons to the roundly reviled Shkreli, noting to the paper that Mylan's price spikes aren't in the "same hemisphere" as that of Shkreli's Daraprim and freely admitting hers is a for-profit business. "I am not hiding from that," she says. And some note she has, to an extent, helped bring about positive change in the industry: The director of the Knowledge Ecology International NGO, for example, says Bresch helped his group fight TPP provisions that would have made it more difficult for people overseas to obtain certain drugs. The admittedly brash Bresch says high EpiPen prices are necessary to pay back the company for the expensive investment it's made in the device. She adds that the health insurance industry is also to blame, calling its raising of fees that consumers have to foot "unconscionable." But the Times notes other questionable items swirling around Bresch—including her receiving a since-rescinded MBA from West Virginia University without earning it, as well as Mylan's 2014 tax-sheltering move to the Netherlands. And some are calling her hypocritical, considering she was recently elected to head the board of directors of the Generic Pharmaceutical Association, whose mission is to help patients gain access to affordable, high-quality meds, per a release. "It's like talking out of both sides of your mouth," a generic drug advocate notes to the Times of the increasingly monopolistic practices of companies like Mylan. (We don't know how Sarah Jessica Parker feels about Bresch, but we know how she feels about Mylan.) |
Harshing on Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (Lionsgate Films), the awkwardly titled Lee Daniels adaptation of an "urban fiction" best-seller, makes a critic feel almost as mean-spirited as Mary, the monstrously abusive mother of the film's eponymous heroine. Parked in front of the TV in the grim Harlem walk-up they share, Mary (played with a fearsome lack of vanity by stand-up comedian Mo'Nique) pelts her 16-year-old daughter, Claireece Precious Jones (Gabourey Sidibe), with cruel insults, imperious commands, and, whenever possible, heavy airborne objects. "I ain't done nothin'!" Precious protests, and the movie is at pains to prove her right: For the first hour at least, Precious is less a person who does things than an object to which things are done. Her absentee father, seen only once in a nauseating flashback sequence, rapes her on a regular basis; at 16, she's pregnant with his second child. Her daughter, who has Down syndrome, lives with a coldly disapproving grandmother; their visits last just long enough to fool the welfare inspector into issuing Mary's next check. In addition to being obese, unloved, and dirt-poor, Precious is also illiterate, though the public school she attends is so bad that she's managed to camouflage that fact through the eighth grade. In short, this girl's life is so abysmal that you feel the least you can do is like the movie she's in.
It's not that there isn't anything to like about Precious, which at its best resembles its heroine: observant, large-spirited, and brave. The director, Lee Daniels (Shadowboxer), puts on his hip boots and wades into grimmer territory than any recent film I can think of, and his fearless leading ladies, Mo'Nique and Sidibe, wade right in with him. But Daniels' methodical commitment to abjection, his need to shove the reality of Precious' life in our faces and wave it around till we acknowledge its awfulness, winds up robbing the audience (and, to some extent, the actors) of all agency. Daniels is not above cutting from an image of incestuous rape to a shot of greasy pork sizzling on the stove: Her father treats her like meat, get it? In its eagerness to drag us through the lower depths of human experience, Precious leaves no space for the audience to breathe or to draw our own conclusions. For a film about empowerment and self-actualization, it wields an awfully large cudgel.
Precious is expelled from school when the news of her second pregnancy comes out, but the principal refers her to an alternative learning center, Each One Teach One, where an impossibly beautiful and patient teacher named Blu Rain (Paula Patton) leads a reading and writing workshop for dropout girls. Ms. Rain is an emissary from another world, where slender, caring, soft-spoken women (Ms. Rain, as it turns out, is a lesbian) sip wine and play Scrabble and, in Precious' words, "talk like TV channels I don't watch." Precious' ability to read and write keeps pace with her growing belly as she slowly learns to trust Ms. Rain and her raucous, foulmouthed, but closeknit classmates. (All the Each One Teach One girls are deftly sketched and well-cast, as is an exasperated social worker played with surprising finesse by Mariah Carey.) But when Precious' baby finally arrives, she's forced to depend once more on her toxic disaster of a mother. As Precious carries the fragile newborn into that awful apartment, you want to rush the screen and lock her out to keep them safe, and the scene that follows shamelessly exploits that protective impulse. I don't like when children are used as decoys to lure a movie audience into a trap.
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Seeded throughout Precious are brief dream sequences in which the stolidly joyless heroine imagines herself as a performer in a music video, a movie star on the red carpet, etc. Whether these are meant to be critiques of a mass culture that trades in escapist fantasy or simply pathos-ridden glimpses into Precious' impoverished mental life is never clear. But like the outlandish badness of the mother character, the overdetermined tawdriness of these scenes does the movie and its heroine a disservice. Daniels and his screenwriter, Geoffrey Fletcher, are so eager to wring uplift from Precious' story that they're willing to manipulate us to get it. Daniels and Fletcher no doubt intended for their film to lend a voice to the kind of protagonist too often excluded from American movie screens: a poor, black, overweight single mother from the inner city. But in offering up their heroine's misery for the audience's delectation, they've created something uncomfortably close to poverty porn.
Slate V: The critics on Precious and other new releases
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Like This Story Follow Slate's Movies ||||| Precious Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
November 4, 2009
Cast & Credits Precious Gabourey Sidibe
Mary Mo'Nique
Ms. Rain Paula Patton
Nurse John Lenny Kravitz
Ms. Weiss Mariah Carey
Cornrows Sherri Shepherd
Lionsgate presents a film directed by Lee Daniels. Written by Geoffrey Fletcher, based on the novel Push by Sapphire. Running time: 109 minutes. Rated R (for child abuse, including sexual assault, and pervasive language).
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Precious has shut down. She avoids looking at people, she hardly ever speaks, she's nearly illiterate. Inside her lives a great hurt, and also her child, conceived in a rape. She is fat. Her clothes are too tight. School is an ordeal of mocking cruelty. Home is worse. Her mother, defeated by life, takes it out on her daughter. After Precious is raped by her father, her mother, is angry not at the man, but at the child for "stealing" him.
There's one element in the film that redeems this landscape of despair. That element is hope. Not the hope of Precious, but that of two women who want better for her. It's not that Precious "shows promise." I think it's that these women, having in their jobs seen a great deal, can hardly imagine a girl more obviously in pain.
That is the starting point for "Precious," a great American film that somehow finds an authentic way to move from these beginnings to an inspiring ending. Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe, a young actress in her debut performance as Precious, says, "I know this girl. I know her in my family, I know her in my friends, I've seen her, I've lived beside this girl."
We may have seen her, too, if we looked. People often don't really look. They see, evaluate, dismiss.
Sidibe is heartbreaking as Precious, that poor girl. Three other actresses perform so powerfully in the film that academy voters will be hard-pressed to choose among them. Audiences may be hard-pressed to recognize them. The comedian Mo'Nique plays Mary, Precious' chain-smoking couch potato of a mother, treating her daughter like a domestic servant and turning a blind eye on years of abuse. Paula Patton is Ms. Rain, Precious' teacher, who is able to see through the girl's sullen withdrawal and her vulgarities, and wonder what pain it may be masking. Mariah Carey is Ms. Weiss, a social worker.
This casting looks almost cynical on paper, as if reflecting old Hollywood days when stars were slipped into "character roles" with a wink. But Lee Daniels, the director, didn't cast them for their names, and actually doesn't use any of their star qualities. He requires them to act. Somehow he was able to see beneath the surface and trust that they had within the emotional resources to play these women, and he was right. Daniels began his career by producing "Monster's Ball," in which Halle Berry shed her glamour and found such depths that she won an Oscar. Daniels must have an instinct for performances waiting to flower.
Carey and Patton are equal with Sidibe in screen impact; the film holds the girl in the center of their attempt to save her future. Why would a teacher and a social worker go to such lengths to intervene? They must see tragic victims of abuse every day.
Mary, the mother, is perhaps not a bad woman but simply one defeated by the forces she now employs against her daughter. Mo'Nique is frighteningly convincing.
The film is a tribute to Sidibe's ability to engage our empathy. Her work is still another demonstration of the mystery of some actors, who evoke feelings in ways beyond words and techniques. She so completely creates the Precious character that you rather wonder if she's very much like her.
You meet Sidibe, who is engaging, outgoing and 10 years older than her character, and you're almost startled. She's not at all like Precious, but in her first performance, she not only understands this character but knows how to make her attract the sympathy of her teacher, the social worker -- and ourselves. I don't know how she does it but there you are.
My interview with “Gabby” Sidibe. ||||| Precious Is the Diary of a Sad Black Woman Pushing the limits of taste, but locating the heart—and hell—of its heroine's struggle
In her broad outlines, Claireece Precious Jones risks sounding like the epitome of ghetto cliché: an obese, illiterate 16-year-old; mother to a four-year-old Down syndrome daughter and now pregnant again; physically and psychologically abused by her mother; repeatedly raped by her father, who is, also, the father of her own two children. Precious—as she prefers to be called—is the central figure in the poet Sapphire's bestselling 1996 novel Push, an homage of sorts to The Color Purple (which it directly references and also mirrors in its diaristic style), set in the pre-gentrification Harlem of the mid-1980s. And it's a testament to Sapphire's affecting prose (written in Precious's own words and dialect) that her protagonist emerges as something more than a mere statistic or representative—that we understand how Precious's story is, for all its commonalities with other abused black women, uniquely her own.
Director Lee Daniels's film adaptation (which has been retitled Precious since its Sundance premiere, and also acquired two high-profile "presenters" in Tyler Perry and Oprah) is a somewhat blunter, but nevertheless effective object. Working from screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher's faithful adaptation, Daniels cultivates an aesthetic that is often more grotesque than artful, sometimes artfully grotesque (like a Courbet painting), and rarely delivered with less than a sledgehammer thwack. Bleak though it was on the page, the apartment shared by Precious (newcomer Gabourey Sidibe) and her layabout welfare mother, Mary (Mo'Nique), here appears like a Lenox Avenue Grey Gardens, with a television perpetually tuned to The $100,000 Pyramid and curtains that don't seem to have parted since whatever decade Mary last left the premises. When Daniels flashes back to Precious's horrifying rapes, the wide-angle close-ups of her father's heaving body, and of fried chicken sizzling on the stove, feel like outtakes from one of Rudy Ray Moore's outré blaxploitation farces (or from Daniels's own risible, little-seen debut feature, Shadowboxer, featuring Helen Mirren and Cuba Gooding Jr. as oedipal hired assassins). And when Precious enrolls at the alternative school where a teacher improbably named Blu Rain (Paula Patton) inspires her to stand and deliver, the classrooms are wreathed in ethereal light.
Hothouse melodrama one moment, kitchen-sink (and frying-pan-to-the-head) realism the next, with eruptions of incongruous slapstick throughout, this may be Daniels's stab at finding a cinematic analog for the novel's inventive, naïf-art language—a film style, like Precious's writing style, seemingly being made up as it goes along. Yet even when the movie is at its most schizoid, Precious still packs a wallop. What Daniels lacks as a craftsman, he makes up for in his willingness to put the lives of abused and defeated black women on the screen with brute-force candor and a lack of sentimentality. Where Push the novel echoed The Color Purple the novel, Precious the movie operates as something of a corrective to Steven Spielberg's 1985 film, with its narrative sanitizing and artery-clogging Quincy Jones score. Its own inspirational touches notwithstanding (not for nothing did it cop the audience awards at Sundance and Toronto earlier this year), Precious is less about overcoming adversity than about survival—a battle the movie does not begin to pretend can be won in two hours of screen time. No slumdog millionaires here, Daniels's movie puts us through hell—Precious's hell—and leaves us somewhere like limbo.
A former casting director, Daniels shows undeniable savoir faire with his actors, a mix of musicians and comedians effectively cast against type, from a dark-haired, deglamorized Mariah Carey as a tough-love social worker to a subtle Lenny Kravitz as an attentive male nurse. The picture belongs, however, to the gale-force Mo'Nique, who transforms an ostensibly one-note monster mom into a complex portrait of a psychologically damaged woman (no matter that Daniels seems to have edited her most showstopping scene in a blender), and to the magnanimous Sidibe, who carries the alternately exhausting and exhilarating narrative on her formidable shoulders. For most of the movie, her stoically beautiful face stays wrought tight in a mask of sadness and self-loathing. When she relaxes those muscles ever so slightly—one of the movie's few subtle touches—it is like a weight of centuries has been lifted. | – Precious packs a strong emotional punch with its story of an abused, illiterate teen in '80s Harlem, but where some critics see candid greatness, others see "poverty porn." Precious is "a great American film," writes Roger Ebert at the Chicago Sun-Times, that finds a believable way to move from "a landscape of despair" to an inspiring ending. Star Gabourey Sidibe makes a fantastic debut and "three other actresses perform so powerfully in the film that Academy voters will be hard-pressed to choose among them." What director Lee Daniels at times "lacks as a craftsman," Scott Foundas writes in the Village Voice, "he makes up for in his willingness to put the lives of abused and defeated black women on the screen with brute-force candor and a lack of sentimentality." But Dana Stevens, writing for Slate, finds that effort to "wring uplift' from a hard-knocks story manipulative. "Daniels' need to shove the reality of Precious' life in our faces, and wave it around till we acknowledge its awfulness, winds up robbing the audience (and, to some extent, the actors) of all agency." Further, in offering up their heroine's misery for the audience's delectation, he's created something uncomfortably close to poverty porn." |
Donald Trump's name has been doing the rounds a fair bit recently.
You might recognise him as the American businessman who has his own tower in New York or as the host of the original version of The Apprentice.
You're also likely to have heard his name recently because he's hoping to be the Republican presidential candidate.
And if you've been on Twitter since he suggested Muslims should be banned from America, you might have seen him being compared to Lord Voldemort.
In a campaign statement, Donald Trump said a "complete" shutdown should remain until the US authorities "can figure out what the hell is going on" and if Muslims pose a threat to the US.
He later repeated the comments at a rally in South Carolina, where supporters cheered him loudly.
Read more about all the candidates hoping to take over from Barack Obama as US president.
But Jeb Bush, who is also from the Republican party and hoping to be president, said the New York businessman was "unhinged".
Donald Trump's comments, which he said were "common sense", were made in light of last week's shooting in California where a Muslim couple, believed to have been radicalised, opened fire and killed 14 people at a health centre in San Bernardino.
The White House said Mr Trump's comments were contrary to US values, while the internet compared him to Lord Voldemort from Harry Potter - a lot.
This isn't the first time in this campaign that Trump, who also thinks there should surveillance on some US mosques, has been criticised.
His idea to build a "great, great wall" between the US and Mexico didn't go down too well.
Mr Trump, a billionaire New Yorker who has been leading in the polls, defended his plan to build a wall on the US-Mexico border and deport all the people living illegally in the US.
"You're going to have a deportation force, and you're going to do it humanely," he told MSNBC's Morning Joe.
"You have millions of people that are waiting in line to come into this country and they're waiting to come in legally."
Donald Trump: 21 things the Republican believes.
For more stories like this one you can now download the BBC Newsbeat app straight to your device. For iPhone go here. For Android go here. ||||| J.K. Rowling took on Donald Trump with her latest tweet heard ’round the world.
After the Republican presidential candidate frontrunner said that all Muslims should be banned from entering America, Harry Potter fans began comparing Trump to Lorde Voldemort, a.k.a. he who must not be named, a.k.a. the most draconian, dastardly villain in all of literature — well at least in Harry Potter’s wizarding world.
But Rowling didn’t agree with the comparison. “How horrible,” Rowling wrote. “Voldemort was nowhere near as bad.”
How horrible. Voldemort was nowhere near as bad. https://t.co/hFO0XmOpPH — J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) December 8, 2015
On Monday, Trump called for the “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.”
“Without looking at the various polling data, it is obvious to anybody the hatred is beyond comprehension,” Trump said. His remarks were slammed by both Republicans and Democrats alike. “Donald Trump is unhinged,” Republican presidential hopeful Jeb Bush wrote on Twitter. “His ‘policy’ proposals are not serious.” | – Donald Trump is usually the one dishing out insults on Twitter. Not on Tuesday. The business mogul found himself the latest to be burned by JK Rowling after proposing a "total and complete shutdown" of Muslims entering the US, reports Entertainment Weekly. Twitter users quickly began comparing Trump to Harry Potter villain Lord Voldemort, reports the BBC, but Rowling was having none of it. "How horrible," she tweeted. "Voldemort was nowhere near as bad." Her comment was retweeted more than 50,000 times within hours and racked up almost as many likes. (By the way, you've been saying "Voldemort" incorrectly for years.) |
Update at 1:35 p.m. Tuesday: Tennessee Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies is intact, and officials say "first and foremost" they want to thank the first responders for "risking their lives to save our community."
"We would also like to thank our dedicated Aquarium team that stayed as late as possible before being forced to evacuate when fires approached the back of our building," Ryan DeSear, the operation's regional manager, said. "We are grateful to have had the police escort our emergency team back into the Aquarium early this morning to check on the well-being of our animals. We have a team of Marine Biologists and Life Support Experts inside the Aquarium and are happy to report that the animals are safe."
Update at noon Tuesday: Tennessee Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies is intact, according to Gatlinburg officials.
Ripley's posted to Facebook at 11:53 a.m. Tuesday that all animals at the aquarium are safe. All attractions at the aquarium will remain closed until the evacuation has lifted.
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A team of marine biologists and life support experts are tending to the animals as of Tuesday afternoon, according to Ripley's.
Here's a list of which structures are destroyed and which are intact.
Update at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday: Tennessee Ripley Attractions General Manager Ryan DeSear said he wasn't sure if flames reached Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies.
DeSear said the aquarium's live web camera was still active, and the building was still standing.
"As long as we have fuel in our generators, that aquarium can run on its own," DeSear said.
DeSear said a "raging fire" was about 50 yards away from the aquarium when workers were evacuated on Monday night.
Workers at the aquarium were evacuated mostly due to smoke, according to DeSear.
Original Story at 3 a.m. Tuesday: Fire has engulfed at least 30 structures in Gatlinburg late Monday, and one building many people are very concerned about is the Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies.
As of midnight Tuesday, Ryan DeSear, General Manager of the aquarium, told 10News that the building was still standing, that all workers were evacuated, but he is very concerned about the 10,518 animals left behind.
He was one of the last people out of the building at 7:45 p.m. Monday, and said he had to force many of the workers to leave because they didn't want to leave the animals without help.
"They were force evacuated," DeSear said. "To them, every animal has a name. You don't give that up"
Unfortunately, he said, "Nothing is more important than human life. Fish can be replaced. It sucks."
DeSear said as long as the building had power and didn't catch fire, the animals should be safe. When everything is functioning normally, the animals can survive for 24 hours without human intervention. The clock would start ticking as soon as the power goes out.
Before he left, he did a final check of the animals, and said they were behaving normally. He took that as a good sign because animals have a special sense of danger, and they didn't appear to be affected.
But DeSear and all of those who care for all of that aquatic and animal life at the aquarium are very anxious to get back to them.
"We need to be one of the first people allowed back in when it's safe," he said. "I hope the people manning the checkpoint here our plea." ||||| Gatlinburg, Tennessee (CNN) Fanned by strong winds and the Southeast's worst drought in nearly a decade , at least 14 wildfires burned in and around Gatlinburg, Tennessee, forcing evacuations from the popular tourist destination and nearby communities.
"If you're a person of prayer, we could use your prayers," Gatlinburg Fire Chief Greg Miller said Monday evening as crews battled wind gusts of up to 70 mph.
On Monday afternoon, a wildfire from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park spread rapidly into nearby communities. Strong gusts scattered embers across long distances, starting fires that fed off drought-stricken trees. The winds also knocked down power lines, igniting new fires, according to authorities.
"Everything was like a perfect storm," said Cassius Cash, superintendent of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, to CNN affiliate WATE.
There were no deaths reported in connection with the fires, according to the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency. But a male evacuee reportedly suffered burn wounds and an accident involving a fire truck may have also caused minor injuries, the agency said.
Photos: Wildfires scorch the Southeast Photos: Wildfires scorch the Southeast An aerial photo shows Gatlinburg, Tennessee, on Tuesday, November 29 -- a day after wildfires hit the city. Gatlinburg city officials declared mandatory evacuations in several areas as firefighters battled at least 14 fires in and around the city. More than 30 large wildfires have left a trail of destruction through North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama and Kentucky, according to the US Forest Service. Hide Caption 1 of 24 Photos: Wildfires scorch the Southeast Polo Gutierrez climbs onto the foundation of a destroyed home to try to see if his apartment building is still standing in Gatlinburg on November 29. Gutierrez fled his apartment with other residents as fires approached the previous night. Hide Caption 2 of 24 Photos: Wildfires scorch the Southeast A destroyed structure and vehicle are seen near Gatlinburg on November 29. Hide Caption 3 of 24 Photos: Wildfires scorch the Southeast An Alamo Steakhouse was one of the Gatlinburg businesses destroyed by fire. Hide Caption 4 of 24 Photos: Wildfires scorch the Southeast Trevor Cates inspects the damage to the Banner Missionary Baptist Church in Gatlinburg on November 29. Hide Caption 5 of 24 Photos: Wildfires scorch the Southeast Two dormitories at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts were damaged from the wildfires that flared near Gatlinburg on November 29. Hide Caption 6 of 24 Photos: Wildfires scorch the Southeast Photographer Bruce McCamish captured this image of the fires burning behind the Dollywood Dreammore Resort in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Hide Caption 7 of 24 Photos: Wildfires scorch the Southeast Fires burn on both sides of Highway 441 between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge on Monday, November 28. Hide Caption 8 of 24 Photos: Wildfires scorch the Southeast Thick smoke looms in Gatlinburg on November 28. Hide Caption 9 of 24 Photos: Wildfires scorch the Southeast Officials from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park reported the closing of roads and several trails near Gatlinburg on November 28. Hide Caption 10 of 24 Photos: Wildfires scorch the Southeast Firefighter Layne Whitney checks the treetops while working to hold the northern head of the Rock Mountain Fire, north of Tate City, Georgia, on Tuesday, November 22. Hide Caption 11 of 24 Photos: Wildfires scorch the Southeast Flames from the Rock Mountain Fire silhouette a weather vane north of Clayton, Georgia, on Monday, November 21. Hide Caption 12 of 24 Photos: Wildfires scorch the Southeast Fire crews bring down a dead tree along Highway 9 near the community of Bat Cave, North Carolina, on Friday, November 18. Hide Caption 13 of 24 Photos: Wildfires scorch the Southeast A helicopter picks up water from Thrasher Lake to help battle a wildfire in Amherst County, Virginia, on November 21. Hide Caption 14 of 24 Photos: Wildfires scorch the Southeast Eric Willey looks on from the porch of his home as a helicopter fights a wildfire in Tate City, Georgia, on Wednesday, November 16. Hide Caption 15 of 24 Photos: Wildfires scorch the Southeast Firefighters walk down a dirt road as a wildfire burns a hillside in Clayton, Georgia, on Tuesday, November 15. Hide Caption 16 of 24 Photos: Wildfires scorch the Southeast A wildfire burns as it approaches Bat Cave, North Carolina, on November 15. Hide Caption 17 of 24 Photos: Wildfires scorch the Southeast Firefighters Valarie Lopez and Mark Tabaez work to cool hot spots in Clayton on November 15. A number of the fires are being investigated as suspected arson, but weather conditions are also responsible for the fires. Hide Caption 18 of 24 Photos: Wildfires scorch the Southeast Firefighter Kevin Zimmer works the wildfire in Clayton on November 15. Hide Caption 19 of 24 Photos: Wildfires scorch the Southeast Exhausted firefighters take a break in Waldens Creek, Tennessee, on Monday, November 14. Hide Caption 20 of 24 Photos: Wildfires scorch the Southeast A haze hovers over the Atlanta skyline from a wildfire burning in the northwest part of Georgia on November 14. Hide Caption 21 of 24 Photos: Wildfires scorch the Southeast Assistant Fire Chief Brent Masey sprays water on a wildfire in Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee, on Thursday, November 10. Hide Caption 22 of 24 Photos: Wildfires scorch the Southeast A helicopter carrying 240 gallons of water takes off in Lake Lure, North Carolina, on November 10. Hide Caption 23 of 24 Photos: Wildfires scorch the Southeast Smoke from the Party Rock fire spreads near Lake Lure on Wednesday, November 9. Hide Caption 24 of 24
Several homes and businesses in downtown Gatlinburg were "completely lost to fire," according to authorities. By Tuesday morning, the scope of the disaster was difficult to quantify, with officials unable to give estimates for the number of fires, their size, injuries and how many structures had burned. But a report hours earlier from TEMA reported at least 30 structures had been impacted, including a 16-story hotel and an apartment complex that was consumed by flames.
Staff at Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg were forced to evacuate Monday evening, but all of the facility's 1,500 animals are still inside, Ripley Entertainment Regional Manager Ryan DeSear told CNN Tuesday.
DeSear said that according to reports he has received, the building is still standing. The facility's webcam showed lights and power still working inside, but he's concerned about the deteriorating air quality, as well as the smoke and flames. DeSear said he's hoping some staff will be allowed back into the facility Tuesday morning to assess the damage.
If you are able, 'evacuate immediately'
Authorities issued evacuation orders for Gatlinburg and nearby areas, including the north end of Pigeon Forge: "Nobody is allowed into the city at this time. If you are currently in Gatlinburg and are able to evacuate ... evacuate immediately."
TEMA said on its website that State Hwy. 441 heading into Gatlinburg is closed except for emergency traffic and the same highway leaving the city is open for evacuations.
Schools in Green, McMinn and Sevier counties will be closed Tuesday, the agency said, and more than 12,000 people in Sevier County were without power as of early Tuesday morning.
Several evacuation shelters opened as about 1,300 people stayed overnight at the local community center and park. Shaken residents, some needing oxygen after inhaling so much smoke, huddled with each other at the shelters.
"We watched a building go down in flames to the right of us," said one tearful evacuee, who was rescued by firefighters.
At Dollywood, the theme park owned by Dolly Parton in Pigeon Forge, officials with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park evacuated guests from its resort and cabins as flames approached the area. The property had not suffered any damage as of late Monday night and its crew was working to protect the park areas, said Pete Owens, director of media relations at Dollywood.
'It's just engulfed'
Despite evacuation orders, some people -- including guests at one Gatlinburg hotel -- could not safely leave the area as the fire advanced.
"I just see fire everywhere," said Logan Baker, who had checked into the Park Vista Hotel on Monday. The fire swept up to the hotel parking lot, he told CNN affiliate WATE. He posted videos of the hotel doors and windows glowing from the fire looming outside.
Baker was among dozens of guests who couldn't leave because falling trees engulfed in flames had blocked the only road out.
"We can't go outside. The firefighters said the wind is blowing at 80 miles per hour and the debris in the air is too hard to get us down right now," he said.
The fire had not reached the hotel, but smoke had permeated the building, making it hard to breathe, he said. Guests stood in the hotel lobby with masks over their faces.
But Baker said he felt safe so far. He said he could see downtown Gatlinburg "just engulfed" in flames with cabins on the hillside on fire. The night sky had turned orange, clogged with smoke as ash rained down.
Evacuations in national park
Elsewhere, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park evacuated employees from the Elkmont and park headquarters housing areas on Monday.
Due to continued erratic winds, the fires are very unpredictable and more fire growth is expected. pic.twitter.com/BYd9ANQeT4 — GreatSmokyNPS (@GreatSmokyNPS) November 29, 2016
The flames proved unpredictable even for authorities as the fire blew into downtown Gatlinburg, forcing officials to evacuate their original command post at City Hall, said Dana Soehn, spokeswoman for the National Park Service. She was uncertain of the condition of City Hall.
The National Guard was activated to help fight the fire and assist in evacuations.
Fire is 'everywhere'
Fires burned perilously close to roads and homes. Social media images and videos showed the night sky blazing bright orange from the flames.
This was just sent to us by a friend in Gatlinburg. This is on Airport Road up by Sidney James Lodge. pic.twitter.com/xhrgtqj6el — Rep. Jason Zachary (@JasonZacharyTN) November 29, 2016
Several roads were closed because of fire danger, stemming from dangerous weather conditions, falling trees and downed power lines. Authorities asked people who have not been instructed to evacuate to stay off the roads as evacuees crammed the streets to get to safety.
Among them was Bill May, the executive director at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg. He posted on Facebook late Monday that several of the school's buildings had burned, but thankfully all personnel were safe.
"It is raining and winds have died down which offers hope, but the resources are stretched too thin with this much fire everywhere," he wrote.
Good news and bad news
There may be some good news: Rain moved into the area late Monday night, heading east.
Radar update: the 2nd round of rain is moving into east TN. Unfortunately, some wind gusts will accompany this rain. #mrxwx #tnwx pic.twitter.com/nF2Z40Bz08 — NWS Morristown (@NWSMorristown) November 29, 2016
But with the rainfall came some bad news.
"Unfortunately, some wind gusts will accompany this rain," noted the National Weather Service.
High winds are possible across eastern Tennessee, southwest Virginia and southwest North Carolina, according to the National Weather Service. They could topple trees and power lines and fan the flames. ||||| (Photo: Jessica Tezak/Special to the News Sentinel)
GATLINBURG, Tenn. — Hillbilly Golf, Arrowmont Arts and Crafts School, major hotels, a good portion of Regan Drive and countless other businesses and homes have been destroyed in a blaze that has firefighters continuing their efforts overnight in Gatlinburg, Tenn.
"The center of Gatlinburg looks good for now," said Newmansville Volunteer Fire Department Lt. Bobby Balding. "It's the apocalypse on both sides (of downtown)."
An estimated 40 to 50 fire units from volunteer agencies across East and Middle Tennessee were helping fight the fires, with a command center set up at Gatlinburg-Pittman High School.
The Mountain Lodge Restaurant is no longer with us 😔#Gatlinburg pic.twitter.com/U5tQIBv8Ig — Everything TN (@Everything_TN) November 29, 2016
Thirty structures are on fire in Gatlinburg, including the Park Vista Hotel, a 16-story hotel on Regan Drive and the Driftwood Apartment complex near the Park Vista that has "been completely inundated," according to Dean Flener, spokesman for Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, in Nashville.
The elementary school, Pi Beta Phi, has not been destroyed, which is a change from initial reports from fire officials.
The Space Needle and many of the properties on the main stretch are intact. Regan Drive, however, has been hard hit, according to fire crews.
Orebank Assistant Fire Chief Bradley Collins said several hotels in Gatlinburg and many houses have burned.
"It was devastating. We've seen some nice homes burning."
Ryan Holt, Greene County Volunteer Fire Coordinator, said his agency rescued three motorists who were trapped in the area in which Gatlinburg Falls, a major cabin rental company, is located. Holt said the entire area around Gatlinburg Falls was burning.
Hillbilly Golf, which is located off the Parkway as you enter Gatlinburg, also was destroyed in the fire, according to firefighters.
A volunteer fire coordinator said firefighters in Gatlinburg were currently trying to knock down fires around what he termed big structures in the downtown area, but he would not identify them.
#Gatlinburg Posting entire terrifying video in 45 sec increments, credit to Michael Luciano, who I believe is the videographer pic.twitter.com/RM7iOpfc74 — Eric Long (@EricLong1972) November 29, 2016
TEMA reported earlier no fatalities that the organization knows of, but one report of a burn injury to an evacuee and minor injuries due to a fire truck involved in an accident.
LeConte Medical Center has treated four patients related to the fires, according to Covenant Health spokeswoman Tonya Stoutt-Brown. She did not have any further details early Tuesday morning.
Blount Memorial Hospital in Maryville said late Monday night that they were on alert but had not received any patients from the fires.
Local officials ordered mandatory evacuations for Mynatt Park, Park Vista, Ski Mountain and the city of Gatlinburg. Evacuations were also ordered for the north end of Pigeon Forge.
The National Guard is looking at deploying personnel to help clear debris, but no timeline has been set for their arrival, said Flener.
TEMA has a district coordinator on site at the command post in Gatlinburg and others on the way. The agency has activated the state emergency operations center in Nashville, with personnel on hand from the state fire marshal’s office, Tennessee Department of Transportation, Tennessee Department of Health and others, Flener said. The agency is also working with the fire mutual aid network to pull in firefighters and apparatuses from other counties, including McMinn County.
Sara Gentry, director of sales at Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort in Gatlinburg, said several hundred people were evacuated from the hotel and she and her four children evacuated their home and headed to Dandridge to her sister's house. The number of evacuees likely would have been higher had it been the weekend, she noted.
She said she's been talking to co-workers and friends who have lost their homes to the fire.
"This one girl was driving down Ski Mountain (Road) and watching her home burn," Gentry said. "My kids' friends have lost their homes. It's just awful."
Bill May, executive director of Arrowmont Arts and Crafts School, 556 Parkway, Gatlinburg, sent out a Facebook post just before 11 p.m. showing a pair of dorms and the red barn surrounded by fire.
“All Arrowmont personnel are safe,” May said in his post. “I pleaded with the fire dept. to soak the walls of other buildings but our hope is the metal roofs may offer some protection. It is raining and winds have died down which offers hope, but the resources are stretched too thin with this much fire everywhere.”
May said he was on his way to his own home which was being threatened and that he and his wife Anne’s pets and an elderly neighbor were evacuated.
Many evacuees went to shelters in Pigeon Forge.
Phil Campbell is the facilities manager at the LeConte Event Center in Pigeon Forge, which had taken in 300 to 400 people Monday night.
“We knew we had power here and some places were losing power. We knew we had restrooms and water and a safe place to house people and give them a place to go – that’s why we opened up,” Campbell said.
He said he expects even more to show up.
The LeConte Event Center has been open for three years.
Allen Sheets is from the American Red Cross out of Knoxville. He said the number of people at the shelter is expected to increase, as trolleys and buses continue to pull up with residents.
Late Monday night Sheets said a group of approximately 200 was gathered at the Pigeon Forge Community Center.
Early Tuesday morning Sheets said cots are on the way, but blankets, food and clothes are needed. He said Wal-Mart just made a large donation, and other businesses have been helping throughout the night.
He said he’s asking local families to bring supplies they can give to help the people stranded here and at the Pigeon Forge Community Center.
Katie Brittian, manager at the Dress Barn near the LeConte Center, said, "(The sky) was brown. The whole store smelled like smoke. Ash has been falling from the sky since 3."
Judy Tucker, director of Sevier County's E-911 call center, around 9 p.m. said, "We were just told by the Gatlinburg Fire Department that they had told everybody in Gatlinburg to get out. No one's getting through to anyone. Phones are ringing and not being answered anywhere. It's chaos."
Pigeon Forge city manager Earlene M. Teaster had said all of Pigeon Forge except for the "immediate Parkway" was ordered to evacuate.
Residents in the area were advised to use Highway 411-North to leave the area.
Sevier County and Gatlinburg officials established a command center at Gatlinburg City Hall.
State Hwy. 441 heading into Gatlinburg is closed, except for emergency traffic. State Hwy. 441 leaving Gatlinburg is open to evacuating traffic.
TEMA reports downed power lines and trees, and reports of road closures.
9-1-1 communications centers in the area report being inundated with calls about the situation.
Sevier and Greene County schools will be closed on Tuesday. Cocke County schools run two hours late.
Copyright 2016 WFAA ||||| Hundreds of structures lost due to Sevier county wildfire
Westgate Resorts, Black Bear Falls completely destroyed
14,000 residents and visitors evacuated from Gatlinburg
Ober Gatlinburg says its property has NOT been destroyed, contrary to TEMA report.
As of 9:30 a.m., here was the latest update from the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency:
The Red Cross is accepting monetary donations. People can make a $10 donation by texting "REDCROSS" to 90999.
Related: How to help fire evacuees and first responders
More: List of shelters open for Gatlinburg wildfire evacuees
7:30 a.m. Tuesday UPDATE: A Sevier County fire has destroyed 75-100 homes Cobbly Nob area of Gatlinburg.
There are no reports of fatalities or major injuries as of 7:30 a.m. Monday.
About 1,300 people are in shelters throughout Sevier County.
The Great Smoky Mountain National Park have closed all facilities in the park on Tuesday due to extensive fire activity and downed trees. GSMNP headquarters do not have power or phone services.
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5 a.m. Tuesday UPDATE: Authorities rescued 29 backcountry hikers from wildfires in Sevier County, according to Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent Cassius Cash.
Cash said there were not any major injuries or fatalities as of 5 a.m. Tuesday. There is one report of an evacuee suffering a burn injury.
"I've been in federal service for 25 years, and I've fought fires on the West Coast and the East Coast and been with the Forest Service as well," Cash said. "Nothing that we've experienced in the 24 hours has prepared for what we've experienced here in the last 24 hours. (It's) been just unbelievable what we've experienced here."
Cash called the wildfires "unprecedented."
Cash said Gatlinburg fire officials said winds reached up to 80 mph. Winds sustained at 30-40 mph about 10-12 hours. The winds coupled with the 500-acre wildfire in Gatlinburg, according to Cash.
Watch: Cassius Cash provides update on Gatlinburg fires on Tuesday morning
3 a.m. Tuesday UPDATE: Approximately 500 people were evacuated from Pigeon Forge Monday night as wildfires continue to burn around the city.
The city of Pigeon Forge said early Tuesday morning that approximately 100 firefighters from 15 additional stations throughout East Tennessee are battling the blazes. More are expected to arrive Tuesday.
Sevier County officials currently estimate about 100 homes are impacted in the county with 10 homes impacted in Gatlinburg from the fire.
Crews are working to contain multiple active fires around the city and in nearby Gatlinburg. Power outages are being reported in various areas of the city.
Pigeon Forge Fire Chief Tony Watson said emergency crews will begin damage assessment of the area at daybreak.
A few schools systems will be closed Tuesday, including Greene, McMinn and Sevier county schools. Cocke County schools run two hours late.
TEMA officials are on site in Sevier County providing support to local agencies. Fire crews are working closely with a number of state agencies and the military in battling the fire.
Right now, the Tennessee National Guard is mobilizing 100 personnel with helping first responders, removing debris and assisting in welfare checks.
Fire departments from as far north as Greenville to as far south as McMinn County are sending 50 to 60 fire apparatuses to help. The Department of Health is coordinating to send medical units to assist with transports.
More than 1,200 people have been sheltered at the Gatlinburg Community Center and the Rocky Top Sports Park.
Donations are being accepted at the Pigeon Forge Fire Hall Station 1 at 3229 Rena Street.
Sevier County reports that 12,509 people have lost power.
Click here for the latest updates from TEMA
Midnight UPDATE: There are currently 30 structures on fire in Gatlinburg as residents and guests evacuate the city.
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency issued a level three state of emergency. TEMA said 30 structures are on fire, including a 16-story hotel on Regan Drive and the Driftwood Apartments in Gatlinburg. The wildfire is also at the edge of the Dollywood property.
Mandatory evacuations are in place in Gatlinburg in:
· Downtown Gatlinburg
· Ski Mountain
· Mynatt Park
· Cartertown Road
· East Foothills
· Westgate Community
Evacuations have also been ordered for the north end of Pigeon Forge, specifically between traffic light 8 and the Spur.
There are no reports of fatalities from the fires, according to TEMA. There is one report of an evacuee suffering a burn injury.
There are reports of downed power lines and trees, TEMA said.
The Tennessee National Guard is deploying personnel to Sevier County to help with clearing debris. The Tennessee Highway Patrol and the Tennessee Department of Transportation are assisting with evacuations and traffic control in the area.
Tennessee's Fire Mutual Aid system is coordinating the arrival of 50 to 60 fire apparatuses from fire departments throughout the area, from as far north as Greeneville and as far south as McMinn County, TEMA said.
GALLERY: Fires in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge
11 p.m. Monday UPDATE: Motorists fleeing wildfires in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge packed roads in and out of the towns Monday night as flames and choking smoke driven by wind swept across the area.
Multiple parts of Gatlinburg including downtown Gatlinburg were being evacuated, fire officials said Monday night.
The town set up an evacuation shelter at the Gatlinburg Community Center at 156 Proffitt Road. An evacuation center also was set up at Rocky Top Sports World near Gatlinburg Pittman High School on Highway 321.
Some areas of Pigeon Forge also were being evacuated including residents and guests located in the areas between traffic light 8 and the Spur, according to spokeswoman Trish McGee.
"Three county school buses are available for emergency transport and are being dispatched as needed to transport those who need to evacuate," according to a statement from McGee.
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Farther west, fires also were reported above Wears Valley Road near the Dollar General Store. A viewer sent 10News video of the hillside aflame.
In Gatlinburg, National Park Service and Gatlinburg officials stressed the fire posed a serious threat that would not abate until rains came. Evacuees were being shifted to the Gatlinburg.
"We urge the public to pray. We urge the public to stay off the highways. The traffic that is on the roads is emergency equipment. If (the public) could just stay home and stay tuned to their local media outlet," Gatlinburg Fire Chief Greg Miller said at a 8:30 p.m. press conference.
In Gatlinburg, other areas under a mandatory evacuation include Mynatt Park Neighborhood, East Foothills Road, Turkey Nest Road and Davenport Road areas. The Savage Gardens areas also are under mandatory evacuation.
Police are going to the area to get people out. City officials urged everyone to get out.
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Gatlinburg city officials said high winds were downing power lines, sparking multiple ground fires.
Multiple agencies were responding to the fires in Gatlinburg including the Knoxville Fire Department. Gatlinburg City Manager Cindy Ogle said she understood the Karns Volunteer Fire Department also was responding.
Fire officials decided about 6 p.m. to impose the evacuation, according to Ogle.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent Cassius Cash said he couldn't over-emphasize the seriousness of the fire's threat.
To help with Pigeon Force evacuations, three county school buses were available for emergency transport and were being dispatched as needed to transport those who need to evacuate, according to a release from
The following locations are open and ready to receive those who need shelter: LeConte Center at Pigeon Forge, Pigeon Forge Community Center, Liberty Baptist Church in Wears Valley and Iglesia Cristiana LaDuz De Jesus.
Also open for evacuations: The First Red Bank Baptist Church in Sevierville and First Baptist Church of Sevierville.
Sevier County Schools are closed Tuesday due to the fires, the school district said on its website.
Great Smoky Mountains Park Superintendent Cassius Cash said the fires posed a "very serious situation."
Authorities could not provide an estimate on the total acreage that was burning.
"I know that it's hard to potentially think about losing a home or a place that you've worked your entire life to build, but we are dealing with a situation that is very dynamic," Miller said. "The wind is not helping us. The rain is not here yet."
Authorities are hoping that rain expected Monday night will ultimately douse the spreading wildfires.
PREVIOUS UPDATE: City of Gatlinburg officials have declared a mandatory evacuation of several areas in the city due to the threat of a nearby fire in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The Mynatt Park Neighborhood, Savage Gardens, East Foothills Road, Turkey Nest Road and Davenport Road areas are included in the immediate mandatory evacuation.
RELATED: Chimney Tops fire sends heavy smoke into Gatlinburg
A Red Cross Evacuation Shelter has been set up at the Gatlinburg Community Center at 156 Proffitt Road. Residents needing transportation to the shelter may request assistance by calling the Gatlinburg Police Department at 865-436-5181.
Service animals are allowed at the evacuation shelter.
Gatlinburg Fire Department officials say the threat is from a spot fire in the Twin Creeks area of Great Smoky Mountains National Park combined with low humidity and windy conditions.
Fire officials said fallen trees have sparked multiple fires in Gatlinburg from downed power lines. Fire departments from multiple agencies are assisting.
The National Park Service notified the city around 11:45 a.m. that the Chimney Tops Trail fire created a new fire near Mynatt Park. The fire is still inside the national park, but the park service notified the city since it is near a residential area.
Smoke and ash from the fire have created poor visibility in Gatlinburg since Monday morning.
Gatlinburg police officers are going door to door asking residents in the Mynatt neighborhood to voluntarily evacuate to the Red Cross Shelter, city officials said.
Dana Soehn, a spokesperson for Great Smoky Mountains National Park, said over 100 people from various agencies are working the fire and monitoring its movements. They are expecting another 80 firefighters and engines from seven different counties to arrive Tuesday to provide additional support fighting the fire.
The origins of the fire are unknown, but the park has set up a tipline at 865-436-1580 for anyone who has information about the cause of the fires.
Soehn urged visitors to honor the burn ban that is in place in the park. There is a complete ban on burning of any campfires or charcoal grills. ||||| Thick smoke from area forest fires looms in Gatlinburg, Tenn., Monday, Nov. 28, 2016. Gatlinburg officials say several areas are being evacuated as a result of fires in and around Great Smoky Mountains... (Associated Press)
Thick smoke from area forest fires looms in Gatlinburg, Tenn., Monday, Nov. 28, 2016. Gatlinburg officials say several areas are being evacuated as a result of fires in and around Great Smoky Mountains National Park. (Brianna Paciorka/Knoxville News Sentinel via AP) (Associated Press)
ATLANTA (AP) — As a strong storm system approached some of the largest wildfires burning in the South, the rain signaled new hope for firefighters working to extinguish the blazes.
But the storms also brought high winds, which toppled dead trees and could pose a threat to firefighters, authorities said. Experts predicted that rains Tuesday from one storm system would not be enough to end the relentless drought that's spread across several states and provided fuel for the fires.
The storms early Tuesday appeared to be taking aim at the nearly 28,000-acre Rough Ridge Fire in north Georgia and the nearly 25,000-acre Rock Mountain Fire that began in Georgia and then spread deep into North Carolina.
In Gatlinburg, Tennessee, emergency officials said a wildfire had set 30 structures ablaze, including a 16-story hotel, and was at the edge of the Dollywood theme park.
Mandatory evacuations were underway for areas in and around Gatlinburg, including the south part of Pigeon Forge, where Dolly Parton's theme park is, Tennessee Emergency Management Agency spokesman Dean Flener said in a news release Monday night. TV news broadcasts showed residents streaming out of town just as rain started to wet roads.
Workers at an aquarium evacuated because of wildfires around Gatlinburg were concerned about the thousands of animals housed there. Ryan DeSears, general manager of Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies, told WBIR-TV the building was still standing and all workers had been evacuated late Monday. However, he said workers were anxious to return to check on the well-being of the 10,518 animals.
The rain forecast "puts the bull's-eye of the greatest amounts right at the bull's-eye of where we've been having our greatest activity," said Dave Martin, deputy director of operations for fire and aviation management with the southern region of the U.S. Forest Service.
The projected rainfall amounts "really lines up with where we need it," Martin said Monday. "We're all knocking on wood."
After weeks of punishing drought, any rain that falls should be soaked up quickly, forecasters said. It will provide some relief but won't end the drought — or the fire threat, they said.
Drought conditions will likely persist, authorities said. The problem is that rainfall amounts have been 10 to 15 inches below normal during the past three months in many parts of the South, authorities said.
"I think we racked up deficits that are going to be too much to overcome with just one storm system," said Mark Svoboda, director of the National Drought Mitigation Center in Lincoln, Nebraska.
"I would say it's way too early to say 'Yes, this drought is over,'" Svoboda said. "Does it put a dent in it? Yes, but we have a long ways to go."
The rain also brings danger because strong winds at the leading edge of the storms can topple trees and limbs that can kill and injure firefighters, he said.
In Mississippi, trees were reported downed in nearly 20 counties across the state. Sustained winds of 30 to 40 mph with gusts of more than 50 mph were reported and more than 2 inches of rain fell in some areas.
Power outages peaked at more than 23,000 statewide in Mississippi. Powerlines downed by winds sparked grass fires in four counties, said Greg Flynn, a spokesman for the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
The storms moved across Alabama on Monday night and fell on Georgia during the overnight hours. High wind warnings were issued for mountainous areas in northern parts of Georgia.
In South Carolina, the stormy forecast was giving hope to firefighters battling a blaze in the northwest corner of the state. The South Carolina Forestry Commission hopes to contain the Pinnacle Mountain fire by the middle of next week.
More rain was expected Tuesday night and Wednesday morning in parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
___
Fuller reported from New Orleans. Associated Press writers Jeff Amy in Jackson, Mississippi; Beth Campbell in Louisville, Kentucky; and Jack Jones in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report. | – One of at least 14 wildfires raging in Gatlinburg, Tenn., is threatening thousands of animals at Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies. Flames engulfed at least 30 buildings in the area late Monday—including a 16-story hotel outside the Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge—leading aquarium employees to be "force evacuated," the general manager tells WBIR. They left behind 10,518 animals that will survive without humans for 24 hours, unless flames reach the aquarium. "We need to be one of the first people allowed back in when it's safe," the manager says. Many areas of Gatlinburg and neighboring Pigeon Forge are under mandatory evacuations with 100 homes affected, reports WBIR. "It's the apocalypse" in downtown Gatlinburg, one fire official tells WFAA. So far there have been no reports of fatalities or major injuries, per CNN, with just two people suffering minor burns, including one of 29 hikers rescued in Sevier County. Fire officials believe some of the fires were sparked by high winds, which sent trees crashing onto power lines. They spread easily as the area is suffering a drought; many parts of the South have seen 10 to 15 inches less rainfall than usual over the last three months. It's "been just unbelievable what we've experienced here," says a superintendent at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where one wildfire is raging. The good news: A US Forest Service rep says Tuesday’s forecast predicts rain will fall where it's needed most, per the AP. However, the fire threat and drought conditions are expected to continue. |
The deliveryman had just pulled 18-year-old Savannah Underwood from the burning wreckage of a Nissan early Saturday in Burbank when she starting yelling for her friends.
There was so much smoke as flames overtook the car that Juan Ganaja thought Underwood was the sole occupant as he rushed to pull her away.
"She told me, you know, 'My friends are inside,’ and so I turned around and the car, it was really bad already. There was fire all over the car,” Ganaja told NBC4-TV.
Five teens and young adults were killed when the Nissan they were in slammed into a concrete pillar near the Scott Road off-ramp of the 5 Freeway and burst into flames shortly after 4 a.m. Saturday. As of Wednesday, L.A. County coroner's officials had yet to confirm their identities.
Underwood's mother, Valerie Lucas, told reporters Tuesday that her daughter was saved after Ganaja "heard her screaming and he was able to literally drag her away from the vehicle.”
Underwood sustained broken bones in her right leg and a crushed pelvis, but her attorney, John Gantus, told the Burbank Leader that she was doing "incredibly well given the circumstances."
In a statement, she said she was "deeply grateful" to the Hook Burger deliveryman who was there moments after the crash, as well as the first responders and doctors.
The deadly crash shocked many in the community, including longtime police officers, who said it was among the worst they'd seen in years.
The Burbank City Council on Tuesday held a moment of silence for the victims, with some of their friends and family members in the audience.
An investigation into the cause of the crash remained ongoing, although authorities have said they believe speed may have been a factor.
Katherine Laprell, a former Burroughs student who recently saw one of the victims, told the Burbank Leader she was still in shock over the news days after the crash.
“People need to be more careful – I really hope this is a wake-up call for everybody,” Laprell said. “I’ve never had a tragic loss like this happen.”
A vigil at the crash site grew quickly over the last few days as friends stopped to remember the victims and share their grief.
Ganaja, connected to the tragedy by its immediate aftermath, also offered his condolences to the victims' families and friends.
“I feel so bad for them," he told NBC4.
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Times Community News staff writer Alene Tchekmedyian contributed to this report. ||||| A delivery man rescued an 18-year-old woman from the burning wreckage of a car crash that killed five of her friends. John Cadiz Klemack reports from Burbank for NBC4 News at 11 p.m. Oct. 1, 2013. (Published Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2013)
Juan Ganaja, a delivery man on his third stop of Saturday didn't hear the car crash. He only heard a woman's screams for help.
It was 4:20 a.m. in Burbank, Calif., and it was still dark, so he didn't even see the wrecked car - behind two fences and across some train tracks - until the flames burned brightly enough.
Delivery Man Pulls Sole Survivor of Burbank Crash to Safety
Savannah Underwood, the only survivor of a deadly crash that happened in Burbank over the weekend, was traveling with five friends when the driver lost control. Underwood was pulled out from the vehicle by a delivery man who heard her screams. John Cadiz Klemack reports from Burbank for NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Oct. 1, 2013. (Published Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2013)
"Help! Help!" the woman screamed.
He ran toward the flames.
On Tuesday, Ganaja laughed and said what he did wasn't special.
"I'm not a hero," he said. "It's just me."
Ganaja, whatever he might be, scaled two fences to get to Savannah Underwood, 18, who had just climbed out of the wreck with a broken leg. He carried her to safety before the car exploded into flames.
She was crying and told Ganaja her friends were still inside, but when he turned around, the fire was too fierce.
He said he still visits the site of the crash every day and feels sorry for the victims he couldn't save and their families.
The Nissan Altima that Underwood was in was carrying six people. The driver lost control on a curving freeway underpass and struck a concrete pillar.
Everyone inside except for Underwood died.
The victims were identified by family and friends as Stephen Stoll, Sebastian Forero, Sameer Nevarez, Malak Hariri and Sugey Cuevas. The Los Angeles County Coroner's Office has yet to officially identify them.
Underwood was recovering in a hospital, and had undergone surgeries for her injuries.
"I survived for a reason last night, & am determined to figure out why, stay strong everyone <3," she tweeted. "I just want to wake up from this nightmare."
Her mother, Valerie Lucas, said Underwood was strong.
"When she was told what happened, which was the following day, she was crying," Lucas said. "And that was the first thing out of her mouth, was that she now had five new angels to watch over her."
"To the other families," said her father, David Underwood, "all we can say is we're so sorry." | – A car crash that claimed the lives of five young adults in California over the weekend might have claimed a sixth had a deliveryman not heard her screams, reports NBC Los Angeles. Juan Ganaja, who works for the Hook Burger chain, heard calls for help about 4:20am Saturday in Burbank. He climbed two fences, clambered over railroad tracks, and arrived at the scene of a horrific car accident. Savannah Underwood, 18, had just climbed out of the wreck but had a broken leg and crushed pelvis, and Ganaja carried her to safety just before the car exploded in flames. When Underwood then told him about her five friends still in the car, which had slammed into a concrete pillar under a freeway overpass, Ganaja tried to return but was forced back by the intensity of the flames, reports the LA Times. Underwood was not the driver in the crash, which remains under investigation. "I survived for a reason last night, & am determined to figure out why, stay strong everyone," she tweeted. |
On Saturday when introducing his new running mate, Mitt Romney initially referred to Paul D. Ryan as the “next president of the United States.”
Mr. Romney quickly apologized for the slip-up, saying that he hoped that Mr. Ryan would become the next vice president instead. (Apparently, the stress of a vice presidential rollout can take its toll even on relatively unflappable candidates like Mr. Romney; Barack Obama made a similar slip when introducing Joe Biden four years ago.)
Of course, it’s not literally impossible that Mr. Ryan could turn out to be the 45th American president precisely (Mr. Obama is the 44th). It just couldn’t be through a sequence of events that Mr. Romney would be rooting for. Either the Republican ticket would have to win this year’s election — but with Mr. Ryan, not Mr. Romney, at the top of the ticket. Or, the more likely case: Mr. Obama would need to win the election and serve out his remaining four years, and Mr. Ryan would have to run for and win the presidency in 2016.
What, exactly, are the odds of one of these scenarios transpiring?
For that matter, what are Mr. Ryan’s odds of someday becoming president — whether he’s the 45th, 46th, 47th, or some later number in the sequence of people to hold the office?
Even more broadly, what does the future hold for running mates on winning tickets? And what about those on losing ones?
There are too many variables to compute these chances exactly, but we can make some reasonable guesses based on the historical record.
First, let’s consider the case that Mr. Romney would be most pleased with: that he and Mr. Ryan are the winning ticket in November, and Republicans re-capture the White House.
Twenty-eight men have been elected vice president since 1900, double-counting those (like George Herbert Walker Bush in 1980 and 1984) who were elected twice. Let’s give Mr. Biden a mulligan, since he hasn’t yet had a chance to seek an open nomination. That leaves us with 27 cases.
In the chart that follows, I’ve sorted the 27 winning vice presidents by the margin by which their ticket won the popular vote. Then I documented whether they sought the presidency in some subsequent election, whether they won a party nomination, and whether they were actually elected to the Oval Office.
The clear majority of winning vice presidential nominees — 21 of 27, again counting cases like Mr. Bush twice — ran for president themselves at some point. One qualification: the definition of what counts as “running” for president is a little fuzzy, especially in the era before presidential primaries were common. But I’ve applied a relatively liberal standard. For instance, the winning vice president under Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940, Henry A. Wallace, gets credit for both running for and winning a party nomination in 1948 — although it was with the Progressive Party, and not the Democrats.
The elected vice presidents who failed to eventually seek the presidency had pretty good reasons for it. James S. Sherman, elected vice president to William Howard Taft in 1908, died during the course of the 1912 election when he and Mr. Taft were seeking another term. Spiro T. Agnew, the winning vice president in 1968 and 1972, resigned from office before his second term was completed. Charles Curtis, who was Herbert Hoover’s vice president in 1928, saw his ticket lose disastrously in the landslide of 1932. And Dick Cheney was exceptionally unpopular by the time that Republicans were planning for the 2008 election cycle.
Of the winning vice presidents who did run for the presidency, 13 eventually won their party’s nomination. This includes cases, like Lyndon Baines Johnson, of men who had ascended to the presidency before doing so, and ran for re-election as incumbents.
Even if you exclude those instances, however, you wind up with a batting average of close to 50 percent when former vice presidents sought their party nomination. That’s pretty impressive, considering that there might typically be a half-dozen viable candidates seeking an open nomination. Sitting vice presidents are, literally and figuratively, the “next in line” in their parties, and they can sometimes clear their fields of competition.
Finally, there were eight cases (counting Richard Nixon and the elder Mr. Bush twice each) in which the winning vice-presidential nominee was later a winning presidential candidate — or about 30 percent of the total.
Incidentally, there have been no cases since 1900 in which someone was elected vice president, and then ascended to the presidency after a death or resignation, without later being elected to another presidential term themselves. What about Gerald Ford? He succeeded Mr. Nixon in 1974, but then lost his bid for re-election in 1976. But Mr. Ford had also never been elected vice president; instead, he succeeded Mr. Agnew. So he’s excused on a technicality.
Put these bits of trivia aside. A very obvious (and intuitive) fact emerges from this data. Mr. Ryan is much more likely to eventually become president if he and Mr. Romney win this year’s election.
In fact, the track record of losing vice-presidential candidates is quite underwhelming. There are 28 of these cases since 1900. (We will count Sarah Palin even though we didn’t count Mr. Biden, since she had an open nomination this year but declined to seek it.)
Of these 28 men and women who lost their vice-presidential bids, only nine later ran for president. Only three of them later won their party’s nomination, and just one — Franklin D. Roosevelt — later won the presidency.
The losing candidates who later ran for president generally had one of two things in common. First, if their loss was very close, it did not seem to harm their reputations nearly as much. Of the eight vice presidential candidates whose tickets lost the election by 5 or fewer percentage points, seven actually did run for president at some later point. (The exception was Charles W. Fairbanks, who unsuccessfully sought the Republican presidential nomination in 1916, but did not seek the office again after his vice presidential bid also failed that November.)
The other circumstance is when a vice president on a losing ticket had previously been on a winning one. Walter Mondale and Dan Quayle, who later sought the presidency (although Mr. Quayle’s bid in 2000 was a flop), had won the vice presidency in 1976 and 1988, respectively, before losing it four years later.
The exceptional case is Mr. Roosevelt. He and the Democratic nominee for president, James M. Cox of Ohio, were decimated in the 1920 election, losing to Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge by more than 26 percentage points.
But Mr. Roosevelt later came back to be elected president four times. So nothing can be ruled out.
Still, if Mr. Ryan fails to win the vice presidency this year, his political future should be aided substantially if he and Mr. Romney at least keep the margin respectable. If the Republicans lose the election by about 3 points — around what their deficit to Mr. Obama appears to be now — then Mr. Ryan will be able to claim that he at least did not do the ticket any harm.
A narrow defeat for Mr. Romney and Mr. Ryan, also, would still leave Republicans with decent-to-good chances to retain the House of Representatives. And it’s not impossible that they could take over the Senate, since there are quite a lot of seats in play, and since a good half-dozen of them are idiosyncratic cases that may come down more to local factors than the overall partisan tide.
If Republicans do reasonably well in these Congressional races but fail to win the presidency, some in the party may even claim — and it’s a logical enough case — that the problem was with the top of the ticket and not with Mr. Ryan.
A decisive loss, however — if Mr. Obama wins re-election by 5 percentage points more, potentially coming close to his margin of victory in 2008 — could substantially tarnish Mr. Ryan’s reputation. At that point, Mr. Romney will have gotten a worse result than his standing in the polls before he selected Mr. Ryan.
Furthermore, such a loss would be suggestive that there was something fundamentally wrong with the Republican candidates. Somewhat contrary to the conventional wisdom, most of the forecasting models put together by economists and political scientists predict either an essentially tied election, or a narrow win for Mr. Obama. (Why? Incumbents have historically gotten a lot of credit from voters. And voters have historically had short economic memories. If a case can be made that the economy is improving, the incumbent’s odds are decent, even if it is clearly not firing on all cylinders.)
But few of these models call for a decisive win for Mr. Obama. If he wins by 7 points or so with this economy, and with only break-even approval ratings, that will be more than getting the benefit of the doubt from voters. Instead, it would suggest that many voters felt they had no other choice, given an uncharacteristically poor Republican alternative.
With a margin in the mid-to-high single digits, also, Democrats would be clear favorites to retain the Senate, and the House of Representatives would be in play. Mr. Ryan would undoubtedly retain pockets of support within his party, but unless there were some other excuse for the loss (an unexpectedly good series of jobs reports, or an unexpected scandal involving Mr. Romney), he would be remembered as being part of a hugely disappointing election.
We can systematize this knowledge by performing a regression analysis on the historical data. For our technically-inclined readers: what I’ll be using here is a type of regression called ordered logit, which is appropriate when there is a hierarchy of categorical outcomes (running for president; winning the nomination; becoming president). The independent variables are the ticket’s margin of victory or defeat in the popular vote, a variable indicating whether they won the Electoral College and ascended to the White House, an interaction term between the two, and a time trend.
The interaction term serves to capture the asymmetry in the data. If you are elected vice president, it doesn’t seem to matter much what your ticket’s margin of victory was. Once you’re in office, you’re in, and it’s hard to predict what will transpire from there other than that your chances of someday becoming president have gone way up.
But if you lost the election as the vice-presidential candidate, keeping it close seems to make quite a bit of difference to your fortunes. That way, you can make a more credible claim that the problems with the campaign were isolated to a few issues or bouts of misfortune — none of them implicating your role in it, of course — rather than the whole thing having been a debacle and everyone associated with it being inherently suspect.
The inclusion of the time trend is more debatable. Over the past century or so, there has been a very modest tendency toward vice presidents remaining more active in presidential politics after they ran for the office. The variable isn’t statistically significant, but it coincides with a general increase in stature for the vice-presidential slot, so I think there is a theoretical basis for including it. But it only has an impact around the margin, raising Mr. Ryan’s odds just slightly.
The figure below reflects the actuarial odds of Mr. Ryan running for president, winning his nomination, and winning the election in some future November, conditional upon different margins of victory or defeat for him and Mr. Romney this year. You will notice that there is a kink in the graph. This is when Mr. Ryan and Mr. Romney go from losing this year’s election to winning it, and Mr. Ryan’s odds of becoming president some day increase sharply.
If Mr. Ryan and Mr. Romney lose the election by a single point, the equation estimates that Mr. Ryan still has better-than-even odds — 63 percent — of someday running for president. His chances of winning the nomination are 28 percent under this analysis, and he has a 14 percent chance of winning a general election as the presidential candidate.
But what if they lose in a 7-point blowout, and Mr. Obama matches his winning margin from 2008? Then Mr. Ryan’s chances of running for president are down to 44 percent. And his probability of actually becoming president are cut in half, to 7 percent.
The best case, of course, is if Mr. Ryan and Mr. Romney win. Suppose, for instance, that they do win, but by a single point (and also win the Electoral College).
Then, Mr. Ryan’s chances of running for president are calculated at 84 percent. His probability of winning a future party nomination is 53 percent, and of becoming president, 33 percent — about one in three.
When I average these results across the entire range of scenarios that our forecast model articulates — substantial losses for Mr. Romney and Mr. Ryan, narrow losses, and wins by various plausible margins — I come up with about a 15 percent chance of Mr. Ryan someday becoming president.
His odds of becoming the 45th president are slimmer, however. For that to happen, he first needs Mr. Obama to win re-election. Unfortunately for Mr. Ryan, that’s the “easy” part. Our forecast now gives Mr. Obama about a 72 percent chance of winning another term.
Next, he needs Mr. Obama to finish out his entire second term. If Mr. Obama resigns sometime in mid-2014 after a major scandal, Republican odds of re-claiming the White House will look very good in 2016 — but someone (probably Mr. Biden) will have become the 45th president first, before Mr. Ryan or another Republican could become the 46th. Without considering any factors specific to Mr. Obama, historically 83 percent of presidents have completed their four-year term.
Then Mr. Ryan needs to win the general election in 2016. Conditional upon he and Mr. Romney having lost this year’s election, the model does not evaluate his chances of this as being all that good. Specifically, the model gives Mr. Ryan a 9 percent chance of eventually becoming president conditional upon losing this year’s election. Moreover, some of those cases involve instances where Mr. Ryan would become president in 2020 (or 2024 or 2028, and so on) after someone else — Hillary Rodham Clinton or Marco Rubio, for instance — succeeds Mr. Obama as the 45th president. If you correct for that, it lowers Mr. Ryan’s odds to about 7 percent of becoming president after the 2016 election specifically, after having lost this one.
Finally, we consider the entire parlay of events: that Mr. Obama wins in 2012, that he serves out all four years, and that Mr. Ryan runs and wins in 2016. The chances of this are only about 4 percent.
We can also account for the alternate means by which Mr. Ryan could become the 45th president: if, for some reason, Mr. Romney is unable to complete his bid this year — and then Mr. Ryan replaces him, and wins the election. Historically, of the roughly 100 major-party tickets in the history of the nation, only one presidential nominee (Horace Greeley in 1872) died, or resigned the nomination, between the party conventions and Inauguration Day. Accounting for this oddball case, Mr. Ryan’s probability of becoming the 45th president increases only to about 4.5 percent.
So Mr. Romney’s misstatement will probably not turn out to be ironically prescient: the odds that Paul Ryan literally becomes the next president of the United States are about 20-to-1 against. But his odds of someday becoming president are much higher than that, and they’ll increase to about 1-in-3 if he and Mr. Romney win this November.
Of course, this is a one-size-fits all calculation, which doesn’t consider anything about Mr. Ryan specifically. The fact that he is quite young, that the Republican Party lacks an obvious successor other than him, and that he commands the respect of both the party base and the party establishment, all work in his favor in terms of running for and winning future nominations. Whatever happens this year, he is likely to be a major part of the American political landscape for a long time to come. ||||| Immediate reaction on par with reaction to Biden
PRINCETON, NJ -- The initial reaction of the American public to John McCain's surprise selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate is muted, similar to the reaction of Joe Biden being named Barack Obama's running mate.
Perhaps the most significant finding about Palin in the Aug. 29 USA Today/Gallup poll is that she is largely unknown to most Americans. A substantial majority of Americans don't know enough about her yet to have an opinion, and her name identification is lower than that of any other recent vice presidential candidate when measured immediately after selection. Among those who do know her, her image is significantly more positive than negative, and her 3-to-1 positive-to-negative ratio is better than the 2-to-1 ratio measured for Biden a week ago.
A large majority say that at this point her selection will not have an impact on their presidential vote either way. However, almost as many Americans say that she is not qualified to serve as president as say she is qualified, giving her a more negative reading on this measure than most other recent vice presidential selectees, with the exception of Dan Quayle.
The sections that follow outline the data measured in USA Today/Gallup interviewing conducted Friday, August 29.
1. Overall Reaction to Palin's Selection Similar to Biden Selection
Americans' overall reaction to the McCain selection of Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate is very similar to last week's reaction to Obama's selection of Biden.
A little less than half of Americans rate the selection of Palin as excellent or pretty good, while 37% rate it as only fair or poor (the rest have no opinion). Gallup's measure of reaction to Biden's selection on August 23 was only slightly different, even though many more Americans were familiar with the Delaware senator when he was named.
In turn, the Palin and Biden assessments are well below the positive reaction the public had to John Kerry's selection of John Edwards in 2004, and slightly less positive than Al Gore's selection of Joe Lieberman and George W. Bush's selection of Dick Cheney in 2000. All recent V.P. selections are more positive compared to George H. W. Bush's selection of Quayle in 1988, the only selection to be reviewed more negatively than positively by the public.
As was the case for Biden a week ago and all vice presidential selections of the last two decades, the substantial majority of Americans say that the selection of Palin will not have much impact on their vote for president this year.
Of those who do have a reaction, the impact is more positive than negative for both Palin and Biden, though the reaction to Palin's selection is the more positive of the two, by a modest margin.
These reactions to the 2008 vice presidential running mates are similar to those that greeted both 2000 vice presidential selections, but slightly less positive than other recent selections such as Edwards in 2004, Jack Kemp in 1996, Gore in 1992, and Lloyd Bentsen in 1988.
Even among Republicans, the reaction is muted. Thirty percent of Republicans say that Palin's selection makes them more likely to vote for McCain, while just 5% say they are less likely to vote for McCain, leaving the rest saying that her selection, at least so far, has no impact on their vote. Still, this is a slightly stronger partisan reaction than Democrats had to Biden, as just 21% of Democrats said they were more likely to vote for Obama because Biden was his running mate.
Among the crucial bloc of independents, the impact of Palin's selection is mixed, with the majority saying "no impact," and about as many of the rest saying that it made them less likely to want to vote for her as more likely to vote for her.
Importantly, there is no sign yet of a vehemently negative reaction from Democrats. Just 14% say they are less likely to vote for McCain as a result of the Palin selection, while 6% say they are more likely to vote for McCain.
2. Palin a Mystery to Majority of Americans
One reason for the lack of a self-reported impact of Palin's selection may be the fact that she is a mystery to many Americans at this early point. More than 7 out of 10 Americans interviewed on Friday night said they had never heard of Palin, or didn't know enough about her to have an opinion. This is a much higher "don't know" than measured by Gallup immediately after the initial vice presidential announcement of Biden a week ago, or Edwards, Lieberman, Cheney, Kemp, or Gore in previous years' elections.
This finding is not surprising. The other vice presidential picks in recent years have actively sought their party's presidential nomination in the year they were selected or in previous years, or had well-established careers in Congress or the federal government. Palin has been governor of a small state for less than two years and has no national political experience.
Of interest is the fact that almost 6 out of 10 Republicans say they have never heard of Palin or don't know enough to have an opinion about her. These data underscore that the degree to which Palin is featured at the Republican convention in St. Paul, Minn., next week will be critical in the establishment of her overall image in the minds of many members of her own party, as well as independents and other potential swing voters.
Even at this point, however, Palin has a positive image among those who know enough to have an opinion of her, with more than a 3-to-1 ratio of favorable to unfavorable ratings, more positive than Biden's ratio measured last weekend.
By comparison, Edwards, Lieberman, Cheney, Kemp, and Gore all had much more positive favorable-to-unfavorable ratios than either of this year's vice presidential selections. All in all, Gallup's initial reads of the recognition and image of both Biden and Palin after their selections this year are more muted than has been the case for other recent vice presidential selections.
3. Potential Problem for Palin: Perceived Qualifications to Serve as President
Palin rates substantially below other recent vice presidential selectees in terms of perceptions that she is qualified to serve as president. Asked if from what they know about Sarah Palin, they believe she is "qualified to serve as president it if becomes necessary," only 39% of Americans say yes, while almost as many, 33%, say no.
These results are highly partisan in nature -- 63% of Republicans say she is qualified, but 53% of Democrats say she is not. Independents are more likely to say she is qualified (41%) than not (31%).
Taken as a whole, the reaction of Americans to Palin's qualifications is much more negative than was given to Biden a week ago after his selection by Obama, when 57% said Biden was qualified to serve, and only 18% said he was not.
In terms of the ratio of "yes" to "no" responses, the perception of Palin's qualifications is more negative than the "qualification" affirmations given to any other recent selection with the exception of Quayle in 1992. The rating of Quayle's qualifications, however, was at a time in which he had already served for four years as vice president, and thus not directly comparable to these initial reactions to the other selectees.
Bottom Line
The initial reaction of the American public to McCain's surprise selection of Palin as his vice presidential running mate is muted. A substantial majority of Americans don't know enough about her yet to have an opinion, and a large majority says that at this point her selection will not have an impact on their presidential vote either way.
The good news for McCain and Palin is that among those who do know her, her image is significantly more positive than negative, and in fact more positive on a ratio basis than the image of Biden when his was measured a week ago.
On the negative side of the ledger for the Republicans is that almost as many Americans say she is not qualified to serve as president as say she is qualified, giving her a more negative reading on this measure than any other recent vice presidential selection with the exception of Quayle in 1992.
Given the fact that so many Americans profess at this point to know nothing about Palin, the next several weeks may be critical to her success as a vice presidential nominee as her image is shaped and formed in the harsh spotlight of national media attention. The data suggest that one major task of the Republican convention in particular will be to convince a skeptical public that she would be able to serve as president if needed.
Survey Methods
Results are based on telephone interviews with 898 registered voters, aged 18 and older, conducted August 29, 2008. For results based on the total sample of registered voters, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points.
Polls conducted entirely in one day, such as this one, are subject to additional error or bias not found in polls conducted over several days.
Interviews are conducted with respondents on land-line telephones (for respondents with a land-line telephone) and cellular phones (for respondents who are cell-phone only).
In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.
To provide feedback or suggestions about how to improve Gallup.com, please e-mail [email protected]. ||||| Rep. Paul Ryan starts his vice presidential campaign in not-so-great territory, with Americans rating his selection more unfavorably than any pick since at least 2000, according to a new poll.
The USA Today/Gallup poll shows 42 percent rate Mitt Romney’s selection of Ryan (R-Wis.) as “fair” or “poor,” while 39 percent rate it as “excellent” or “pretty good.”
Those numbers are worse than the initial reactions to both Dick Cheney in 2000 and Sarah Palin in 2008. And they appear to be the worst since Dan Quayle in 1988 (according to a different pollster). All three Republicans wound up being very unpopular in the following years.
Romney’s campaign quickly moved to point out that initial reactions are hardly the be-all, end-all in campaigns. And they say Ryan probably suffers from the fact that most people don’t know who he is.
“All these numbers indicate is the simple fact that Rep. Paul Ryan was not a nationally known figure prior to being named as Gov. Romney’s vice-presidential pick,” Romney pollster Neil Newhouse said in a statement.
In addition, multiple other national polls have shown views of Ryan are generally more positive than negative. A CNN/Opinion Research poll released last week showed 27 percent of Americans rated him favorably, while 19 percent rated him unfavorably, and a new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows Ryan’s favorability rising significantly after his selection, from 23 percent beforehand to 38 percent now. (Notably, his unfavorable rating ticked up just one point, from 32 percent to 33 percent.)
These polls and the Gallup poll would seem to contradict each other, but they are actually asking different things. The Gallup poll asks whether Ryan is a good pick, which is a little different than asking whether you like someone. President Obama, for instance, had a long stretch in recent years where his personal favorability numbers were significantly higher than his job approval ratings.
People liked Obama personally, even if they didn’t necessarily think he was doing a good job. In this case, people may like Ryan personally, even if they are uncertain about his Medicare plan, for example. And much of the media coverage over the weekend focused on whether that Medicare plan would be a problem for Romney, which may be why people don’t necessarily see Ryan as a good pick, politically speaking. (Other vice presidential picks, meanwhile, probably had more of a honeymoon period, since their name wasn’t so synonymous with an already-simmering political issue.)
The difference in polls could also simply be a reflection of the fact that most people simply don’t know Ryan. It’s clear that there is plenty of work to do — for both sides — in defining him, particularly over the next three-plus weeks, when opinions of him will begin to solidify. Ryan’s controversial proposal to turn Medicare into a voucher program will be Topic No. 1 in that debate.
Quayle was the only somewhat-recent vice presidential candidate to have more poll respondents rate worse than Ryan; 52 percent of likely votes in a Harris Poll rated him as a “fair” or “poor” choice. (The polls aren’t completely analogous, though, because the Ryan poll tested all adults, not just likely voters.)
At the same time, the Gallup poll shows Ryan is seen as presidential, with 48 percent saying he is qualified to be president if the situation arose and just 29 percent saying he is not. Palin’s marks on that measure were lower.
Updated at 12:37 p.m. to reflect new Washington Post-ABC News poll results. ||||| Updated 6:40 p.m. ET
This story has been updated to specify the views of registered voters in the USA TODAY/Gallup Poll about Paul Ryan. It will also appear in Tuesday's editions.
Our original post begins here:
Americans don't believe GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney hit a home run with his choice of Paul Ryan as a running mate, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds, with more of the public giving him lower marks than high ones.
Ryan, a Wisconsin congressman, is seen as only a "fair" or "poor" choice by 42% of Americans vs. 39% who think he is an "excellent" or "pretty good" vice presidential choice.
STORY: GOP ticket opens door to young voters
PHOTOS: Romney running mate Paul Ryan
Romney pollster Neil Newhouse said in a statement that the findings reflect the fact that Ryan, a House member since 1999, isn't widely known.
USA TODAY/Gallup polls of registered voters after the announcements of running mates since Dick Cheney in 2000 all showed more positive reactions. Only Dan Quayle in a 1988 Harris Poll of likely voters was viewed less positively than Ryan, with 52% rating Quayle as a "fair" or "poor" vice presidential choice. The Ryan poll includes all adults, not just registered voters.
Since Romney introduced Ryan as his running mate on Saturday, Democrats have set out to portray the House Budget Committee chairman as an extremist for his plans to revamp Medicare. President Obama called Ryan an "articulate spokesman" for "a vision I fundamentally disagree with."
"All these numbers indicate is the simple fact that congressman Paul Ryan was not a nationally known figure prior to being named as Gov. Romney's vice presidential pick," Newhouse said. "Congressman Ryan's selection reinforces the seriousness of the issues that will be debated in this election and President Obama's failure to get Americans back to work and his inability to strengthen the middle class."
The poll also finds 17% of adults say they are more likely to vote for Romney in November because Ryan is his running mate -- about the same impact Sarah Palin had for John McCain four years ago among registered voters.
Republicans, however, see the appeal in Ryan, who was hailed this weekend as a bold, innovative thinker by party stalwarts. The poll finds 36% of Republicans are now more likely to vote for Romney. In 2008, only three in 10 Republicans said the choice of Palin made them more likely to vote for McCain.
The USA TODAY/Gallup survey also finds 48% of Americans view Ryan as qualified to be president if something should happen to Romney, while 29% do not and 23% were undecided. Only Palin, then the governor of Alaska, and Quayle, a two-term senator from Indiana, were rated lower than Ryan.
The poll of 1,006 adults was taken Sunday. It has a margin of error of +/-4 percentage points. | – Mitt Romney didn't exactly wow the public by picking Paul Ryan as his VP—at least according to one poll. Just 39% think Ryan is an "excellent" or "pretty good" pick, compared to 42% who think he's a "fair" or "poor" one, according to a new USA Today/Gallup poll. To put that in perspective, that's worse than both Sarah Palin (who got a thumbs-up from 46% of respondents) and Dick Cheney (55%). Indeed, Ryan is the least-popular pick from either party since Dan Quayle, the Washington Post points out. Of course, the Romney campaign has been quick to downplay the result. "All these numbers indicate is … that Rep. Paul Ryan was not a nationally known figure," says a campaign pollster. And there is some good news: Polls from last week show that, prior to being named VP, more people had a favorable view of Ryan than an unfavorable one. For more poll fun, check out Nate Silver's piece calculating how likely it is Ryan will be, as Mitt Romney accidentally dubbed him, the next president. |
For 45 minutes, 40-year old Ruby Graupera-Cassimiro had no pulse. Now she is alive and healthy with no brain damage. (Photodisc)
They are calling it "a miracle."
Doctors at Boca Raton Regional Hospital in Florida have no way to explain how 40-year-old Ruby Graupera-Cassimiro survived after spending 45 minutes without a pulse and enduring three hours of attempts to bring her back from near-death on Sept. 23.
Graupera-Cassimiro, now a mother of two, had just come out of a cesarean section procedure to deliver her new daughter. Then suddenly, she went from chattering with her family to struggling for her life, according to the Sun Sentinel.
She was suffering from a rare complication called an amniotic fluid embolism, in which the fluid that surrounds the baby in the womb enters the mother's blood stream. The condition can cause life-threatening blood clots.
As Graupera-Cassimiro slipped into unconsciousness, doctors and nurses rushed back to her room in a desperate effort to save her life.
After more than two hours later, her heart stopped.
Doctors and nurses began chest compression that would continue for 45 minutes. They took turns to avoid exhaustion and used electric shock paddles. But nothing worked.
Finally, they decided to call her family into the room to say their goodbyes.
"Once we say that's it, that's it," said anesthesiologist Dr. Anthony Salvadore, according to the Sun Sentinel.
Her family left the room to pray. And doctors were on the verge of declaring her dead when suddenly there was a blip her heart monitor. That was followed by another and another.
Nurse Claire Hansen came out of the operating room with a shocking message, the Sun Sentinel reported.
"Keep praying," she told Graupera-Cassimiro's assembled family, "because her heart just started."
"She essentially spontaneously resuscitated when we were about to call the time of death," said Thomas Chakurda, the hospital spokesman told the Associated Press.
A day later, Graupera-Cassimiro was taken off of life support. And today she is "the picture of health," Chakurda said.
On Tuesday, she and her newborn baby returned to the hospital to thank nurses and doctors for their life-saving efforts.
"Had you guys maybe stopped before the 45 minutes of compressions -- I mean, I don't know. All I know is that I'm grateful to be here," Graupera-Cassimiro she told them, according to the Sun Sentinel. "I don't know why I was given this opportunity, but I'm very grateful for it."
Childbirth complications like Graupera-Cassimiro's are rare -- it is estimated that between 1 and 12 cases of amniotic embolism occur with every 100,000 births, according to the Mayo Clinic. Scientists don't fully understand why complications occur for some mothers but not for others, but pregnancy at an older age, c-sections, and medically induced labor may increase the risk to some women.
But not only did Graupera-Cassimiro survive, but she suffered no brain damage or physical injuries from efforts to revive her.
"There's very few things in medicine that I've seen, working in the trauma center myself and doing all the things that I do, that really were either unexplainable or miraculous," said the president of the hospital's medical staff, Dr. Anthony Dardano, according to the Sun Sentinel. "And when I heard this story, that was the first thing that came to my mind."
Related:
What death looks like to people who have been there and returned to life
Our unrealistic views of death, through a doctor’s eyes ||||| Our general interest e-newsletter keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics.
Definition By Mayo Clinic Staff
Amniotic fluid embolism is a rare but serious condition that occurs when amniotic fluid — the fluid that surrounds a baby in the uterus during pregnancy — or fetal material, such as fetal cells, enters the mother's bloodstream. Amniotic fluid embolism is most likely to occur during delivery or immediately afterward.
Amniotic fluid embolism is difficult to diagnose. If your doctor suspects you might have amniotic fluid embolism, you'll need immediate treatment to prevent potentially life-threatening complications.
||||| Ruby Graupera-Cassimiro had gone 45 minutes without a pulse when doctors called her family into the operating room and told them there was nothing more they could do.
A team of more than a dozen doctors and nurses had been working desperately to revive her. But now they'd lost hope that the 40-year-old Deerfield Beach woman, whose heart had given out without warning after a routine C-section at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, was going to make it.
Devastated, Graupera-Cassimiro's husband, mother and sister said goodbye to her just hours after they'd welcomed a healthy baby girl. The medical team stopped all lifesaving procedures. They watched a heart monitor, preparing to record a time of death.
And then the impossible happened: A blip of a heartbeat showed up. Then another, and another.
Within a few hours, Graupera-Cassimiro, a human resources manager and now a mother of two, was tugging at the breathing tube on her face and scribbling notes to family.
"There's very few things in medicine that I've seen, working in the trauma center myself and doing all the things that I do, that really were either unexplainable or miraculous," said Dr. Anthony Dardano, president of the hospital's medical staff. "And when I heard this story, that was the first thing that came to my mind."
"The Second Miracle on Meadows Road," a mother who in September went 45 minutes without a pulse after giving birth at a hospital -- and who by all accounts likely would have died -- has made a full recovery.
In what hospital staff are calling the "Second Miracle on Meadows Road," Graupera-Cassimiro has made a complete recovery. She was taken off the life-support machine a day after the Sept. 23 near-death experience.
It was caused, doctors say, by an amniotic fluid embolism. The rare, serious condition occurs when fluid that surrounds a baby in the uterus enters a mother's bloodstream and heart, clogging it. Sudden and unpredictable, it creates a vacuum and stops circulation.
Doctors say it's hard to put a number on the odds of Graupera-Cassimiro's survival. In many cases, amniotic fluid embolism is not diagnosed until after death. But living through 45 minutes without a pulse is extremely unusual.
And the decision to call in Graupera-Cassimiro's family wasn't made lightly.
"Once we say that's it, that's it," anesthesiologist Dr. Anthony Salvadore said.
Amazingly, doctors say, Graupera-Cassimiro suffered no complications. No reduced brain function from the loss of circulation. No burns from the repeated shocks doctors delivered in hopes of restarting her heart.
No bruises, even, from the chest compressions they took turns giving her to keep her blood flowing.
Within days she was back at home.
"I don't know why I was given this opportunity," Graupera-Cassimiro said, "but I'm very grateful for it."
She was back at the hospital Tuesday for a tearful reunion with the medical team that fought to save her. She hugged the doctors and nurses — who cooed over her daughter, dressed head to toe in pink — and thanked them.
"God had the right people in the right place," Graupera-Cassimiro said as she cradled the sleeping baby, named Taily.
The baby had just been delivered by obstetrician Dr. Michael Fleischer during a scheduled, "unremarkable" C-section when disaster struck the afternoon of Sept. 23.
Fresh from the operating room, Graupera-Cassimiro "went from talking to being unconscious," while in a recovery room at the hospital's Toppel Family Place, anesthesiologist Dr. Jordan Knurr said.
Doctors and nurses sprung to action, starting CPR, intubating Graupera-Cassimiro and calling in help from other parts of the hospital. Fleischer, on his way to other duties after the successful operation, hurried back. Anesthesiologists, intensivists and more nurses flowed into the room and spent over two hours trying to revive her.
"Suddenly," Fleischer said, "the heart just stopped."
They kept pumping Graupera-Cassimiro's chest for 45 minutes, taking turns to avoid exhaustion. They repeatedly tried shocking her. Nothing worked.
A distraught Fleischer told Graupera-Cassimiro's family she faced slim chances of pulling through, and brought them into the operating room. There, her mother cried out for God to "please take me instead." Her sister grabbed and hugged her.
The family left the room with nurse Julie Ewing after saying their goodbyes. They held hands and prayed, Ewing on her knees.
Then another nurse, Claire Hansen, came out of the operating room.
"Keep praying," she said, "because her heart just started."
Screams filled the hallway as Graupera-Cassimiro's family took in the news. They jumped up and down and cried. Her sister ran into the operating room.
"It was a complete miracle of God. It was answered prayer," Ewing said Tuesday. "We all were there. We all witnessed it."
Graupera-Cassimiro woke up in the intensive care unit with no idea what had happened. She thought she was just coming to after the C-section and was bewildered by the voices she heard telling her to open her eyes. She wondered why they wouldn't they let her sleep.
When she did open her eyes, she saw her family was crying and relatives had come in from Miami. She realized something must have gone wrong.
In the next few hours, Graupera-Cassimiro said, she remembered something she thought had been a dream: what she described as an encounter with the spirit of her late father, who told her it wasn't her time. It dawned on her that it may not have been a dream.
When Dr. Shawn Iverson, a resident from Florida Atlantic University, checked in on her the next morning, she gestured upward and nodded. And when Fleischer came to take off the breathing tube, Graupera-Cassimiro told him: "You don't have to be afraid of dying."
[email protected], 561-243-6531 or Twitter @britsham
First 'Miracle on Meadows Road'
Ruby Graupero-Cassimira's story is called by doctors the "Second Miracle on Meadows Road," because hospital employees already refer to a prior event as the first: The building of the hospital itself.
The hospital is situated at 800 Meadows Road in Boca Raton.
A grass roots effort born out of the tragic deaths of two children raised a million dollars to bring a hospital to the city, then home to just 10,000 people. ||||| BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) — A Florida mother is home and tending to her new infant less than a month after surviving without a pulse for 45 minutes following complications from a routine cesarean section.
A spokesman for Boca Raton Regional Hospital told The Associated Press on Sunday that a team of medical workers spent three hours attempting to revive the woman after a rare amniotic fluid embolism.
Spokesman Thomas Chakurda says the doctors were preparing to pronounce her death when a blip on a monitor indicated a heartbeat. Despite going 45 minutes without a pulse, she suffered no brain damage during the Sept. 23 ordeal.
"She essentially spontaneously resuscitated when we were about to call the time of death," said Thomas Chakurda, the hospital spokesman.
Doctors had called the family into the operating room and told them there was nothing more they could do for 40-year-old Ruby Graupera-Cassimiro.
Graupera-Cassimiro gave birth to a healthy daughter before amniotic fluid entered her bloodstream and heart and created a vacuum, stopping circulation. Doctors say condition is often fatal.
Chakurda said the woman's survival is a story of two miracles — her resuscitation and the fact that she survived without serious brain damage.
Medical workers used shock paddles and chest compressions throughout the emergency to try and restore heart beat and circulation, Chakurda said.
"Today she is the picture of health," he said.
Doctors had no immediate explanation for her survival, Chakurda said, calling her case one of "divine providence."
Graupera-Cassimiro did not return a phone message left by The Associated Press on Sunday. | – An amniotic fluid embolism is a rare and easily fatal complication following childbirth that occurs when amniotic fluid enters the mother's bloodstream. When a 40-year-old Florida woman suffered from one after a routine cesarean section in late September, medical staff caught it in time to perform CPR. After 45 minutes taking turns doing chest compressions to manually keep her heart beating and shocking her intermittently to try to jump-start her pulse, they were ready to pronounce the time of death and called in the woman's distraught family. Then, just as they stopped all life-saving procedures and turned to the heart monitor, Ruby Graupera-Cassimiro's heart started beating on its own, reports the South Florida Sun Sentinel. "She essentially spontaneously resuscitated when we were about to call the time of death," the hospital spokesman tells the AP. What's more, he adds, "Today she is the picture of health," without any detectable brain damage. In fact, both she and her healthy daughter were sent home from the hospital a few days later. "I don't know why I was given this opportunity," Graupera-Cassimiro says, according to the Washington Post, "but I'm very grateful for it." According to CBS 12, Staff are calling it the hospital's "second miracle." The first was the building of the hospital itself, which was a grass-roots effort—sparked by the tragic deaths of two children—to raise money to build the city's first hospital back when Boca Raton was home to just 10,000 people. (See how a "miracle" baby recently helped save her mom's life.) |
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Click here to return to the page you were visiting. | – While the rest of the country organized blood drives and memorials for the 49 people killed at Pulse nightclub in Orlando last weekend, Florida Assistant State Attorney Kenneth Lewis penned a Facebook post blasting the entire city, which he called a "national embarrassment" and a "melting pot of third-world miscreants and ghetto thugs," WFTV reports. "Downtown Orlando has no bottom," Lewis wrote in the post. "The entire city should be leveled. It is void of any redeeming quality...It is void of culture." And it went on like that. The New York Daily News notes the "vile" and "sick" post was made less than eight hours after the Pulse massacre. On Friday, the State Attorney's Office suspended Lewis for violating its social media policy, according to ABC News. The post wasn't out of character for Lewis, who in 2014 posted the following message to Facebook: "Happy Mother's Day to all you crack hoes out there...It's never too late to tie your tubes, clean up your life." That post got him temporarily reassigned and ordered to sensitivity training. He's also used Facebook to argue that Justice Sotomayor would be working in fast food without affirmative action, that a 19-year-old burglar should have been "executed on the spot," and that Donald Sterling should be supported after he was banned by the NBA over racist remarks. |
One of the new features in iOS 9 is the ability to train Siri to only recognize your voice so your phone doesn’t respond to commands from just anybody. According to a report from Wired, though, a pair of researchers at ANSSI—a French government agency—have figured out a way to use radio waves to silently activate Siri or Android’s Google Now from across the room.
The hack only works if the target device has Siri or Google Now enabled, and has headphones or earbuds plugged in that also have a microphone. Wired explains, “Their clever hack uses those headphones’ cord as an antenna, exploiting its wire to convert surreptitious electromagnetic waves into electrical signals that appear to the phone’s operating system to be audio coming from the user’s microphone.”
In theory, the attack could be used to anything you can do using the Siri or Google Now voice interaction. The attacker could make calls, send text messages, open malicious websites, send spam or phishing emails, or post to social networks like Facebook and Twitter. By placing an outbound call to the attacker’s own phone the hack could be used to surreptitiously eavesdrop on the victim.
That’s the doomsday scenario version. Now, let’s scale it back and look at how plausible it is for an attack like this to actually work. Most of the time that you have headphones plugged in to your smartphone you’re also listening to them. When Siri or Google Now are activated—even if initiated silently over the airwaves—they typically make some sort of noise indicating that they’re ready to listen to your voice command, and they respond verbally by default so if you’re wearing the headphones you should immediately realize something suspicious is going on.
Even if you’re not actively wearing the headphones—maybe your headphones are plugged in but the smartphone and headphones are just sitting on a table in front of you—it would be challenging to activate the virtual assistant without alerting you. The display generally comes to life and displays your request along with the response from Siri or Google now. If you’re sitting there, minding your own business, and your smartphone suddenly springs to life you’d probably notice.
Assuming your smartphone has the headphones plugged in, but you’re not wearing the headphones to hear the voice interaction, and the smartphone is lying face down so you can’t see the interaction on the display it is theoretically possible, but still highly unlikely. The attack requires unique hardware and only has a range of between six and sixteen feet according to the researchers—depending on the size and power of the radio and antenna.
"Additional functionality, especially concerning user convenience, has often come at the cost of some security,” stressed Gavin Reid, VP of threat intelligence for Lancope. “In this case the hack needs proximity to work and is a proof of concept needing specialized hardware. High security government equipment and installations have often come with additional shielding specifically to limit emanations and any covert channels.”
It’s conceivable that an attacker could position the radio in a Starbucks or similar public location and generate commands to all of the devices within range and direct them to call a specific phone number that generates cash for the attacker. The odds of that happening are relatively low, though. As Reid explains, “This attack is less likely to be leveraged by the criminal underground especially with other methods much easier to implement". ||||| Siri may be your personal assistant. But your voice is not the only one she listens to. As a group of French researchers have discovered, Siri also helpfully obeys the orders of any hacker who talks to her—even, in some cases, one who’s silently transmitting those commands via radio from as far as 16 feet away.
A pair of researchers at ANSSI, a French government agency devoted to information security, have shown that they can use radio waves to silently trigger voice commands on any Android phone or iPhone that has Google Now or Siri enabled, if it also has a pair of headphones with a microphone plugged into its jack. Their clever hack uses those headphones’ cord as an antenna, exploiting its wire to convert surreptitious electromagnetic waves into electrical signals that appear to the phone’s operating system to be audio coming from the user’s microphone. Without speaking a word, a hacker could use that radio attack to tell Siri or Google Now to make calls and send texts, dial the hacker’s number to turn the phone into an eavesdropping device, send the phone’s browser to a malware site, or send spam and phishing messages via email, Facebook, or Twitter.
‘The sky is the limit here. Everything you can do through the voice interface you can do remotely and discreetly through electromagnetic waves.’
“The possibility of inducing parasitic signals on the audio front-end of voice-command-capable devices could raise critical security impacts,” the two French researchers, José Lopes Esteves and Chaouki Kasmi, write in a paper published by the IEEE. Or as Vincent Strubel, the director of their research group at ANSSI puts it more simply, “The sky is the limit here. Everything you can do through the voice interface you can do remotely and discreetly through electromagnetic waves.”
The researchers’ work, which was first presented at the Hack in Paris conference over the summer but received little notice outside of a few French websites, uses a relatively simple collection of equipment: It generates its electromagnetic waves with a laptop running the open-source software GNU Radio, a USRP software-defined radio, an amplifier, and an antenna. In its smallest form, which the researchers say could fit inside a backpack, their setup has a range of around six and a half feet. In a more powerful form that requires larger batteries and could only practically fit inside a car or van, the researchers say they could extend the attack’s range to more than 16 feet.
Here’s a video showing the attack in action: In the demo, the researchers commandeer Google Now via radio on an Android smartphone and force the phone’s browser to visit the ANSSI website. (That experiment was performed inside a radio-wave-blocking Faraday cage, the researchers say, to abide by French regulations that forbid broadcasting certain electromagnetic frequencies. But Kasmi and Esteves say that the Faraday cage wasn’t necessary for the attack to work.)
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The researchers’ silent voice command hack has some serious limitations: It only works on phones that have microphone-enabled headphones or earbuds plugged into them. Many Android phones don’t have Google Now enabled from their lockscreen, or have it set to only respond to commands when it recognizes the user’s voice. iPhones have Siri enabled from the lockscreen by default, but the the new version of Siri for the iPhone 6s verifies the owner’s voice just as Google Now does.1 Another limitation is that attentive victims would likely be able to see that the phone was receiving mysterious voice commands and cancel them before their mischief was complete.
Then again, the researchers contend that a hacker could hide the radio device inside a backpack in a crowded area and use it to transmit voice commands to all the surrounding phones, many of which might be vulnerable and hidden in victims’ pockets or purses. “You could imagine a bar or an airport where there are lots of people,” says Strubel. “Sending out some electromagnetic waves could cause a lot of smartphones to call a paid number and generate cash.”
Although the latest version of iOS now has a hands-free feature that allows iPhone owners to send voice commands merely by saying “Hey Siri,” Kasmi and Esteves say that their attack works on older versions of the operating system, too. iPhone headphones have long had a button on their cord that allows the user to enable Siri with a long press. By reverse engineering and spoofing the electrical signal of that button press, their radio attack can trigger Siri from the lockscreen without any interaction from the user. “It’s not mandatory to have an always-on voice interface,” says Kasmi. “It doesn’t make the phone more vulnerable, it just makes the attack less complex.”
Of course, security conscious smartphone users probably already know that leaving Siri or Google Now enabled on their phone’s login screen represents a security risk. At least in Apple’s case, anyone who gets hands-on access to the device has long been able to use those voice command features to squeeze sensitive information out of the phone—from contacts to recent calls—or even hijack social media accounts. But the radio attack extends the range and stealth of that intrusion, making it all the more important for users to disable the voice command functions from their lock screen.
The ANSSI researchers say they’ve contacted Apple and Google about their work and recommended other fixes, too: They advise that better shielding on headphone cords would force attackers to use a higher-power radio signal, for instance, or an electromagnetic sensor in the phone could block the attack. But they note that their attack could also be prevented in software, too, by letting users create their own custom “wake” words that launch Siri or Google Now, or by using voice recognition to block out strangers’ commands. Neither Google nor Apple has yet responded to WIRED’s inquiry about the ANSSI research.
Without the security features Kasmi and Esteves recommend, any smartphone’s voice features could represent a security liability—whether from an attacker with the phone in hand or one that’s hidden in the next room. “To use a phone’s keyboard you need to enter a PIN code. But the voice interface is listening all the time with no authentication,” says Strubel. “That’s the main issue here and the goal of this paper: to point out these failings in the security model.”
1Correction 10/15/2015 12:00pm EST: An earlier version of the story stated that Siri doesn’t have verification of the owner’s voice. In fact, that feature was introduced with the iPhone 6s. Apologies for the error. ||||| Page Not Found We're sorry. We cannot find a page that matches your request. Below are some suggestions that may assist: Return to the IEEE Xplore Home Page.
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Contact us for assistance or to report the issue. Reason for failure: Query Not Valid | – Using radio waves, hackers at the French government agency ANSSI say they've been able to silently trigger voice commands on any smartphone thanks to access via Google Now and Siri. Reporting in the journal IEEE, they say it's possible to operate the voice-activated command tools to do things like open malware sites, send texts or phishing emails, and even call specific phone numbers that generate cash for the hacker. But as "clever" as Wired reports this trick to be—the headphone cord is used as an antenna—it has several limitations, including that headphones with a microphone must be plugged into the jack; the hacker must be within 16 feet of the phone; and Google Now or Siri must be enabled. "Additional functionality, especially concerning user convenience, has often come at the cost of some security," Gavin Reid, VP of threat intelligence for Lancope, tells Forbes. "In this case the hack needs proximity to work and is a proof of concept needing specialized hardware." And while it's possible for people with this hardware to position themselves in crowded places such as airports and trigger some kind of attack on any qualifying phones within range, he adds that the odds are low. "This attack is less likely to be leveraged by the criminal underground, especially with other methods much easier to implement." Even so, Vincent Strubel at ANSSI says, "The sky is the limit here. Everything you can do through the voice interface you can do remotely and discreetly through electromagnetic waves." (Some 95% of Androids are open to a major hack.) |
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The Defeat GBM Research Collaborative is a groundbreaking, research-based initiative that takes advantage of the convergence of exciting scientific advancements, an innovative business model, and support from biopharmaceutical companies to drive research forward with the aim of doubling the five-year survival rate of GBM patients. Building from the pioneering data discovered through The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the growing commitment to true collaboration across disciplines and institutions, we have entered a new era of possibilities. All members of the Defeat GBM Research Collaborative share real-time information of one another’s cutting-edge research to quicken the pace of translating discoveries into clinical stage research—cutting years out of the traditional clinical trial research and analysis procedure. Together with your support, we can bring change today! ||||| A woman in Spain who suddenly became very religious and believed she was speaking with the Virgin Mary turned out to have a brain tumor that appears to have caused her symptoms, according to a new report of the case.
The 60-year-old women was said to be a happy, positive person who was not particularly religious. But over a two-month period, her friends and family noticed changes in her personality and behavior. She appeared sad and withdrawn, and also showed increasing interest in the Bible and other sacred writings, the report said.
The woman started spending hours during the day reciting religious writings. She also had mystical experiences, in which she reported seeing, feeling and talking with the Virgin Mary, the report said. [8 Ways Religion Impacts Your Life]
Those close to her thought the woman might be experiencing depression, because she was caring for a relative with cancer at the time.
However, when her doctors performed an MRI, they saw several lesions in her brain. After taking a biopsy from one of the lesions, doctors diagnosed the woman with glioblastoma multiforme, a particularly aggressive form of brain cancer.
The tumors were too large to treat with surgery, so the woman received chemotherapy and radiation for the cancer. Her doctors also prescribed antipsychotic drugs for her, because some studies have suggested this class of drugs may have an anti-cancer effect on glioblastoma.
During the woman's five-week treatment, her religious visions gradually disappeared, the report said.
In this patient's case, "it is clear that the religious experience represented a fracture" from her prior behavior that was "not preceded by a gradual change in her thinking and acting," the researchers, from the Hospital General Universitario Morales Meseguer in Murcia, Spain, wrote in their paper, published online Dec. 12, 2016, in the journal Neurocase. "Nor was there any kind of trigger or reason [for the behavior change] except for the disease, and hence, it can be considered a clearly pathological experience," they said.
It's not clear how often people experience "hyper-religiosity" or other behavior changes as their first symptom of a brain tumor, the researchers said. One review found that up to 22 percent of all brain tumors may first appear along with psychotic symptoms.
From this one case, it's not possible to pinpoint the part of the brain responsible for the women's religious experience, the researchers said. But, they note that the right temporal lobe, a brain region that has previously been linked to the development of mystical experiences, also appeared to be involved in the woman's case.
The researchers also said that, before the woman's extreme religious behavior, she did believe in God, so this "was not a case of religious conversion."
The woman's condition quickly declined — she experienced a stroke two months after she started treatment, the report said. Eight months after her cancer diagnosis, she died due to the progression of her tumor.
The researchers also suspect that, before her cancer diagnosis, the patient may have experienced non-convulsive seizures, possibly as a result of her brain tumor. They suspected this because of particular changes they saw in her brain scan. Some cases of hyper-religious behavior have also been reported in people with epilepsy, according to the report. However, the researchers were unable to perform tests to confirm the epilepsy diagnosis.
Original article on Live Science. | – Her friends and family felt something was wrong: The Spanish woman went from simply believing in God to believing she was seeing and talking with the Virgin Mary. And that's not all. The 60-year-old abruptly shifted from being happy and positive to sad and withdrawn, reports Live Science. Suspecting depression, they had her see doctors, and an MRI revealed glioblastoma multiforme, the aggressive type of brain cancer that Brittany Maynard suffered from. The National Brain Tumor Society doesn't mince words, calling it "the most common, complex, treatment resistant, and deadliest type of brain cancer, accounting for 45% of all brain cancers." With tumors so big they couldn't be surgically removed, the woman was treated with anti-psychotic drugs sometimes given to glioblastoma patients and chemo and radiation over five weeks; her religious visions ultimately ceased. The doctors write in the journal Neurocase that because she previously believed in God, hers "was not a case of religious conversion." And as there was no "trigger or reason [for the hyper-religiosity] except for the disease ... it can be considered a clearly pathological experience." The researchers suggest that this is not the first such case, writing that "in some cases, religiosity can appear as a pathological correlate in patients with brain lesions"; but they present no data as to how often this might occur. The patient died eight months after being diagnosed with cancer. (This man credits Facebook for helping spot his brain tumor.) |
Hedonometer
Hedonometer.org is an instrument that measures the happiness of large populations in real time. The hedonometer is based on people’s online expressions, capitalizing on data-rich social media, and measures how people present themselves to the outside world. ||||| The most commonly used words of 24 corpora across 10 diverse human languages exhibit a clear positive bias, a big data confirmation of the Pollyanna hypothesis. The study’s findings are based on 5 million individual human scores and pave the way for the development of powerful language-based tools for measuring emotion.
Abstract
Using human evaluation of 100,000 words spread across 24 corpora in 10 languages diverse in origin and culture, we present evidence of a deep imprint of human sociality in language, observing that (i) the words of natural human language possess a universal positivity bias, (ii) the estimated emotional content of words is consistent between languages under translation, and (iii) this positivity bias is strongly independent of frequency of word use. Alongside these general regularities, we describe interlanguage variations in the emotional spectrum of languages that allow us to rank corpora. We also show how our word evaluations can be used to construct physical-like instruments for both real-time and offline measurement of the emotional content of large-scale texts. ||||| Jakub Halun, Wikimedia Commons
Human language is biased toward being happy, finds a new study that identifies 10 of the world’s most upbeat languages.
The study, published in the latest issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, supports the Pollyanna Hypothesis, which holds that there is a universal human tendency to use positive words more frequently than negative ones. Nevertheless, the findings determined that some languages tend to skew happier than others.
Lead author Peter Sheridan Dodds of the University of Vermont’s Computational Story Lab and his team found the top 100,000 of the most frequently used words across 10 languages. The researchers then asked native speakers of the various languages to rate whether the words were “happy” or “sad” on a 1–9 scale. For example, check out these English words and their rating: laughter: 8.5, food: 7.44, truck: 5.48, greed: 3.06 and terrorist 1.3.
“The study’s findings are based on 5 million individual human scores and pave the way for the development of powerful language-based tools for measuring emotion,” Dodds and his team wrote.
No. 10 on the list was Chinese. Websites and books among other sources were analyzed in the study. Chinese books scored the lowest for happiness among all included sources. | – If you're in a foul mood, it might be time to learn Spanish. Languages, and the people who use them, tend to favor using positive words over negatives, researchers find, and they've learned that that's particularly true in Spanish. Experts at the University of Vermont and the MITRE Corporation went through volumes of text from all kinds of sources: books, the news, music lyrics, movie subtitles, and more, including some 100 billion words used on Twitter, UVM reports. Investigating 10 languages, they picked out the 10,000 most common words, then had native speakers rank these words on a nine-point happiness scale; "laughter," for instance, was rated 8.5, while "greed" came in at 3.06. All 24 types of sources reviewed resulted in scores above the neutral 5, meaning they leaned "happy." In other words, "people use more positive words than negative ones," a researcher says. As far as individual languages go, here are the top five happiest ones, via Discovery: Spanish Portuguese English German French Chinese came in last of the 10 languages in the study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Positive-language data has also resulted in an actual happiness meter, known as the hedonometer, UVM notes. It follows Twitter posts in English to determine when the happiest words are being used. Christmas, it shows, is a very happy day, while celebrity deaths correlate with low points. Meanwhile, Boulder, Colorado, is apparently the happiest city (at least among Twitter users), while Racine, Wisconsin, appears to be the most miserable. (If you need a lift, try changing the way you walk.) |
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DES MOINES — Donald J. Trump may have some company from other candidates at his counterprogramming event here on Thursday night during the Fox News-hosted Republican presidential campaign debate.
In an interview with MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Wednesday morning, Mr. Trump’s campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, said that he had heard from other candidates “proactively” about attending the event that Mr. Trump will hold at Drake University at the same time as the debate.
Mr. Trump announced on Tuesday afternoon that he would skip the final debate before the Iowa caucuses, after Fox News officials issued a mocking statement about him following a day of escalating attacks. Mr. Trump had earlier said he would participate only if the moderator Megyn Kelly, with whom he clashed at the first G.O.P. debate last August, was removed.
Mr. Lewandowski did not specify who he meant. But since there will be seven higher-polling candidates onstage at the prime-time debate in Iowa, the likeliest possibilities are among the four candidates in the undercard debate.
Of those candidates, two — Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum — have been savaging Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, Mr. Trump’s main competition in the caucuses. Each man has previously won the Iowa caucuses — Mr. Huckabee in 2008; Mr. Santorum in 2012 — by appealing to a swath of evangelical Christians and working-class voters. Mr. Trump has most aggressively seized the populist message in this campaign.
The other candidates in the undercard debate are Carly Fiorina and Jim Gilmore.
Mr. Santorum and Mr. Huckabee are both in the low single digits in polls, but their voters would most likely go to Mr. Cruz if they weren’t in the race, meaning their presence is helping to keep his polling totals down.
Aides to the candidates did not respond to requests for comment. But Nick Ryan, a Republican operative who advises the “super PAC” supporting Mr. Huckabee, tweeted shortly after the Trump event was announced that candidates in the undercard debate, which airs before the prime-time one, should consider wandering over to Mr. Trump’s event afterward.
Find out what you need to know about the 2016 presidential race today, and get politics news updates via Facebook, Twitter and the First Draft newsletter. ||||| He also refused to reconsider his decision to sit out the network’s Thursday night debate — the last before the Iowa caucuses in five days — and said he’d move forward with his own competing event to raise money for wounded veterans.
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Speaking on “The O’Reilly Factor,” Trump continued his long-running feud with Kelly, who he has been criticizing ever since she challenged him on his derision of women at the first GOP debate, in August.
“I have zero respect for Megyn Kelly,” Trump said. “I don’t think she’s good at what she does and I think she’s highly overrated. And, frankly, she’s a moderator; I thought her question last time was ridiculous.”
Kelly is also set to moderate Thursday night’s debate on Fox News.
Trump is instead holding his own event in Des Moines at the same time as the debate that he says will raise money for wounded veterans.
In the contentious interview with O’Reilly, Trump rebuffed the anchor’s attempts to convince him that he’s making a grave error by skipping the debate.
“I believe personally that you want to improve the country,” O’Reilly said. “By doing this, you miss the opportunity to convince others ... that is true.
“You have in this debate format the upper hand — you have 60 seconds off the top to tell the moderator, ‘You’re a pinhead, you’re off the mark and here’s what I want to say’. By walking away from it, you lose the opportunity to persuade people you are a strong leader.”
But O’Reilly’s pitch fell flat with Trump. The GOP front-runner dug in his heels, insisting he intended to retaliate against the network by depriving them of ratings.
“Fox was going to make a fortune off this debate,” Trump said. “Now they’re going to make much less.”
O’Reilly said he was merely trying to convince Trump that his approach “is wrong because it’s better for people to see you in the debate format.”
He gave the example from 2012, when a CNN debate moderator in South Carolina asked former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) an embarrassing question about allegations he had an open marriage.
Gingrich shut the moderator down and went on to win the South Carolina primary, O’Reilly noted.
“That’s the kind of guy you are,” O’Reilly said. “You stick it to them and let them have it.”
Responded Trump: “Newt is a friend of mine, and I thought it was an unfair question. But equally unfair was the question Megyn Kelly asked me.”
O’Reilly then sought to appeal to Trump’s capacity to forgive, reminding the billionaire businessman that he’s a Christian, even if he doesn’t attend church all that often, and that the Bible says to “turn the other cheek.”
Trump shot back, saying he’s a regular churchgoer and that the Bible also says “an eye for an eye.”
“You could look at it that way, too,” Trump said.
O’Reilly accused Trump of being “petty” and said he was allowing things that are out of his control to have outsize influence over his decisionmaking.
“I don’t like being taken advantage of,” Trump said. “In this case I was being taken advantage of by Fox. I don’t like that. Now when I’m representing the country, if I win, I’m not going to let our country be taken advantage of. ... It’s a personality trait, but I don’t think it’s a bad personality trait.”
O’Reilly ended the interview asking Trump to reconsider showing up Thursday night. Trump said the two had agreed beforehand that O’Reilly not ask that question.
“I told you up front don’t ask me that question because it’s an embarrassing question for you and I don’t want to embarrass you,” he said.
Updated at 9:17 p.m. ||||| Photo
It was a blustery and dramatic move, 48 hours before the final Republican debate until the Iowa caucuses: Donald J. Trump stormed out in a rage at Fox News, jeopardizing the network’s ratings and overtaking political headlines.
But the reasons for his withdrawal from the kind of high-profile forum that he has so often dominated may involve more than just hurt feelings.
What may be the most intriguing possible explanation is that a debate, at this point in his neck-and-neck contest with Senator Ted Cruz, would almost certainly subject Mr. Trump to tough questions about vulnerabilities – like his previous support for abortion rights, or his much more recent suggestion that Iowans, the people whose votes he is courting, are stupid.
People who have spoken with Mr. Trump insist he believes he is headed to victory here and wants to play out the clock, a view that was bolstered by a few public opinion polls this week.
But whether he does or not, a debate – particularly one moderated by a network, and an anchor, whom Mr. Trump believes is motivated to challenge him aggressively – amounts to an uncontrollable, high-risk confrontation whose outcome could greatly affect his chances.
The truth could be as simple as advertised: Mr. Trump was enraged when Fox News executives issued a statement mocking him as unserious over his threats to bolt the debate unless the cable channel’s anchor, Megyn Kelly – whom Mr. Trump has attacked for months – was removed as a moderator.
It could also be seen as strategic genius. “Donald Trump knows that by not showing up, he’s owning the entire event,” Rush Limbaugh said on his radio show. “Some guy not even present will end up owning the entire event, and the proof of that is Fox News last night.”
But for Mr. Trump, participating in a debate four nights before the Iowa caucuses would also most likely mean being pelted with many of his past remarks, in a setting in which he could not expect to dominate the microphone or the questioners.
It would be the exact opposite, for example, of the exchange between Mr. Trump and an NBC reporter who, at the same news conference Tuesday at which Mr. Trump pulled out of the debate, tried to confront him about his previous support for abortion rights, including the late-term procedure that opponents call partial-birth abortion.
Mr. Cruz and a well-funded group supporting him have been bombarding Mr. Trump with attack ads using footage of a 1999 interview in which he called himself “very pro-choice” and “pro-choice in all respects.” But when the NBC reporter, Peter Alexander, tried to ask Mr. Trump about that quotation, Mr. Trump repeatedly cut him off, talked over him and turned the tables on him, demanding an apology.
Abortion is not the only subject on which Mr. Trump could be forced to defend or explain his remarks in a tough-minded presidential debate: The ads being run by Mr. Cruz, for example, also show a clip of Mr. Trump, in November, asking “how stupid” the people of Iowa must be for believing Ben Carson’s story of personal redemption.
Mr. Trump’s debate performances debates have not always been unmitigated triumphs: While he acquitted himself well in rebutting Mr. Cruz’s denigration of what he called “New York values” in a Jan. 14 debate in South Carolina, for example, Mr. Cruz savaged Mr. Trump for much of the first half-hour.
David Carney, a Republican strategist who ran Rick Perry’s 2012 presidential campaign, said Mr. Trump made a wise move in pulling out of the debate when he could not count on turning in a strong performance. “The debates aren’t his thing,” he said, predicting it would not hurt Mr. Trump with his supporters.
What is undeniable is that Mr. Trump does not like feeling as if he is being backed into a corner – and that the sarcastic statement by Fox News on Tuesday bothered him greatly.
Escalating a back-and-forth with Mr. Trump leading up to the debate, the network openly mocked him for complaining when challenged by aggressive journalists. “We learned from a secret back channel that the ayatollah and Putin both intend to treat Donald Trump unfairly when they meet with him if he becomes president,” the network said.
Referring to Mr. Trump’s survey of his Twitter followers as to whether he should go ahead with the debate, Fox News added: “A nefarious source tells us that Trump has his own secret plan to replace the cabinet with his Twitter followers to see if he should even go to those meetings.”
At his news conference, held in a high school in Marshalltown, Iowa, Mr. Trump called the network’s parody a “wiseguy press release,” and dared Fox News to hold the debate without him.
“Now let’s see how they do with the ratings,” he said.
Fox News has steadfastly stood by Ms. Kelly. Mr. Trump’s aides said they were planning a competing event in Des Moines during the debate, a fund-raiser to help wounded veterans. But his campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, seemed to leave open at least the possibility of a reversal, telling MSNBC on Wednesday morning that he “didn’t think” there was any way Mr. Trump would change his mind.
But in the interview, Mr. Lewandowski dismissed the notion that Mr. Trump might be concerned about answering questions, and pointed out that he had already taken part in six debates.
This is not the first time Mr. Trump has threatened to walk off a debate stage. But Mr. Trump’s earlier brinkmanship over debates came months ago, not on the eve of a vote, when it could shape the opinions of Iowa’s late-deciding caucusgoers.
“This debate is in Iowa,” noted Kellyanne Conway, a Republican strategist and the president of the main “super PAC” supporting Mr. Cruz. If it were anywhere else, she said, the flap with Fox News might not add up to much. But voters here are paying attention.
Still, exactly what they are taking away from the standoff is unclear.
Matt Strawn, a former chairman of the Iowa Republican Party, said he saw no sign yet that it would cut into Mr. Trump’s support.
“Those voters have been drawn to him because he’s willing to flout” establishment rules, Mr. Strawn said.
Would the timing of the dispute make a difference? “Like most of the Donald Trump experience over the last 12 months,” he said, “we’re all going to learn together.” ||||| @TomLlamasABC @ABCPolitics Replying to @NoLimitCracka @NoLimitCracka @TomLlamasABC @ABCPolitics If you would read his books you would know. You like most people...just get spoon fed by media. ||||| 20:44
Bernie Sanders wasted no time pointing out that while he may have just come to this evening’s rally from the Oval Office, Hillary Clinton is at a fundraiser with wealthier financiers and Jon Bon Jovi back east.
“My opponent is not in Iowa tonight, she is raising money from a Philadelphia investment firm,” he told the packed crowd in Mason City. “I would rather be in Iowa.”
“Here we are again facing the machine,” says actress and activist Susan Sarandon as she introduces Sanders by recalling campaigning against Clinton for Obama eight years ago. “This is not about gender; this is about issues.”
There was no mention of Bill Clinton, however, who is just two miles away at a rival rally on his wife’s behalf at exactly the same time.
Instead, Sanders is devoting an unusually large portion of his speech to attacking Donald Trump, who he clearly sees now as just as much of an opponent as Clinton.
As the overseas media begins turning up in large numbers to the event, Sanders also reminds the audience of the recent debate in the British parliament about whether Trump should even be allowed into the country.
“Think about how this man is going to deal with the world when he can’t even deal with our strongest ally,” says Sanders. ||||| Megyn Kelly posing in GQ Magazine. | POLITICO Screen grab Trump attacks 'bimbo' Kelly for GQ photo shoot
Donald Trump continued his onslaught on Fox News host Megyn Kelly on Thursday, retweeting a follower who criticized a photo shoot she did for GQ Magazine.
“And this is the bimbo that’s asking presidential questions?”, the tweet said. It included two photos of Kelly posing provocatively and the following text: “Criticizes Trump for objectifying women ... Poses like this in GQ Magazine.”
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Trump’s ongoing feud with Kelly was one of the reasons behind Trump’s decision to hold a competing event in Des Moines on Thursday night, though he now maintains that a mocking Fox statement was what ultimately drove him out of the debate:
It was the childishly written & taunting PR statement by Fox that made me not do the debate, more so than lightweight reporter, @megynkelly. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 27, 2016
On Wednesday, Trump went after Kelly during an interview with Fox News host Bill O'Reilly, reiterating his view that she was biased against him and vowing not to be "taken advantage of" by the network. ||||| poster="http://v.politico.com/images/1155968404/201601/1202/1155968404_4724402687001_video-still-for-video-4724350894001.jpg?pubId=1155968404" true Fox's O'Reilly pleads with Trump to reconsider debate boycott 'I submit to you that you need to change and get away from the personal,' O'Reilly tells the real estate mogul in a testy interview.
Donald Trump on Wednesday night testily tangled with Bill O’Reilly as the Fox News host asked Trump to reconsider his decision to boycott the Thursday night GOP debate. The real estate mogul and Republican poll leader refused to budge.
“I want you to consider,” O’Reilly pleaded with Trump, asking him to say, “I might come back, forgive, go forward, answer the question, look out for the folks, just consider it.”
Story Continued Below
Trump shot back that the question was out of bounds. “We had an agreement that you wouldn’t ask me that,” he said.
O’Reilly conceded that Trump was telling the truth, and gave him credit for coming on his show, but said the American people need to hear from the man who has a good chance of becoming the Republican nominee.
“You could absolutely secure this Republican nomination,” the Fox News host said. “I submit to you that you need to change and get away from the personal.”
But O’Reilly peppered his words of encouragement with insults, accusing Trump of “walking away” and getting sidetracked by petty disputes.
“I don’t like being taken advantage of,” Trump said, referencing his grievance with Fox’s refusal to remove Megyn Kelly as a moderator from the debate, after Trump accused her of being biased against him. “I’m not going to let our country be taken advantage of,” Trump added, citing the Iran deal as a prime example.
Trump is so far defying skeptics who are dismissing his declaration that he will boycott Thursday night’s debate as a mere bluff, as he forges ahead with an alternate plan to raise funds for veterans that threatens to soak up media attention in the days before the Iowa caucuses.
The real estate mogul, still steaming from his feud with Fox News and Kelly, refused to heed O’Reilly’s advice to “turn the other cheek,” saying “it’s called an eye for an eye.”
Speaking at a South Carolina rally that occurred before the O’Reilly appearance aired, but after it was taped, Trump called it a “tough interview” but promised that his rival event in Des Moines raising funds for veterans would be a great one.
“We’re going to raise a lot of money for the vets,” said a boisterous Trump, donning his signature red “Make America Great Again” cap.
Trump’s staying of the course comes after speculation grew on Wednesday about whether he was really going to sit out the primetime showdown, or if it was all a bunch of bluster.
Doubters, including some of his rivals, saw either a shrewd maneuver that directed an inordinate amount of media attention on him as the GOP field tried to make their closing arguments to caucus-goers, or a clever gimmick that allowed Trump to avoid harsh questioning as he’s come under increased fire for his shifting position on issues such as abortion.
"I've got a $20 bet he shows up," Jeb Bush said during a town hall in Des Moines Wednesday afternoon.
"I expect to see Trump on stage tomorrow," tweeted John Kasich's campaign manager, John Weaver.
“Donald Trump will be at the debate,” Ted Cruz spokesman Rick Tyler Tyler predicted. “Mark my words.”
Even Kelly, the Fox debate moderator who is the focus of Trump’s ire, called him out. “I will be surprised if he doesn’t show up, Donald Trump is a showman, he’s very good at generating interest, perhaps this is an effort to generate interest in our debate, if it is that is great, maybe we will have more eyeballs, if he doesn’t show up maybe we will have fewer eyeballs, but either way it is going to be ok,” Kelly told “Extra.”
Trump’s decision to once again wage war on Fox and Kelly so close to the Iowa caucuses is either a shrewd one or a boneheaded one, depending on who you ask. While some are contending that Trump risks coming off as a coward walking away from a fight, it’s undeniable that he’s robbing the media oxygen from his rivals.
Trump earlier on Wednesday showed no outward signs of relenting, citing a bitter relationship with Fox News and Kelly. The real estate mogul also sent out to the media a few scant details about his rival event for Thursday evening – a "Donald J. Trump Special Event to Benefit Veterans Organizations" at Drake University in Des Moines.
But there were a few indications that he might soften his stance: A Twitter poll he posted asking whether he should participate in the debate urged him to appear, with 56 percent of the 157,864 votes saying he should do the debate.
Then, on Wednesday afternoon, he revealed that he still planned to appear Wednesday night on Bill O'Reilly's Fox News program.
Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski told CNN Wednesday evening that his boss was still appearing on the show because “when we make a promise, we keep it,” except for when Trump is treated unfairly. He also said he has had no conversations with Fox News CEO, and that, to the best of his knowledge, neither has Trump.
The tiff apparently started after Trump tried to pressure Fox News to boot Kelly as one of the moderators, claiming there was no way she could be unbiased. Kelly gained heightened notoriety after pointedly asking Trump at the first debate about his supposed “war on women.” (O’Reilly on Wednesday night defended the question as “within journalistic bounds.”)
But Fox refused to give in, issuing a biting press statement on Tuesday saying, “We learned from a secret back channel that the Ayatollah and Putin both intend to treat Donald Trump unfairly when they meet with him if he becomes president — a nefarious source tells us that Trump has his own secret plan to replace the Cabinet with his Twitter followers to see if he should even go to those meetings.”
Fox doubled down after Trump’s declaration of a boycott, issuing a statement Tuesday night that accused Lewandowski of threatening the network with "terrorizations" of Kelly.
“In a call on Saturday with a Fox News executive, Lewandowski stated that Megyn had a ‘rough couple of days after that last debate’ and he ‘would hate to have her go through that again,’” the network alleged.
The Republican National Committee took an above-the-fray position on the developing drama on Wednesday afternoon, noting that Rand Paul, too, opted to skip a debate -- the undercard debate earlier this month.
“We’d love all candidates in," said Sean Spicer, the RNC's communications director, in an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Wednesday afternoon. "I think it’s a great opportunity for the American people, and particularly the people in Iowa, to have an understanding of each of these candidates’ vision. But, Wolf, at the end of the day, each campaign has to make up their own mind as to what’s in their best interest so we respect that decision."
Spicer added that he anticipates Fox will not show Trump's empty lecturn on screen.
Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh, meanwhile, sided with Trump on the dispute. "Fox News was acting like they had been jilted at the altar," Limbaugh said on Wednesday.
Nobody since the Kennedy family has had such an outsize influence on the media, Limbaugh mused to listeners. And the Kennedys "are pikers compared to the way Trump is doing this," he added.
"Screw the rules, he's saying," Limbaugh remarked, according to a transcript, talking through Trump's reasoning. "Why should I willingly give them another shot at me in a circumstance they control, why should I do it? What's the sense in it for me? I'm leading; I'm running the pack here; why in the world should I put myself in that circumstance? I've already seen what's gonna happen."
Trump on Wednesday morning slammed Fox for its allegations against him, saying on Twitter, “The statement put out yesterday by @FoxNews was a disgrace to good broadcasting and journalism. Who would ever say something so nasty & dumb.”
He also lobbed an attack on Kelly, tweeting, “I refuse to call Megyn Kelly a bimbo, because that would not be politically correct. Instead I will only call her a lightweight reporter!”
Lewandowski himself dismissed Fox as being an unfair broker and tried to dispel the notion that Trump is worried that a final debate before the caucuses could expose weaknesses in his candidacy.
Trump is "the best debater on the debate stage, we know this, he’s the clear winner, he has been by every debate poll that’s taken place,” he said on “Morning Joe.”
"He’s not afraid to debate. I want to be very clear about this," he said. "He’s done more television, more radio, than all of the other candidates combined. And so, he’s not afraid to answer questions. He’s on your show all the time, he was on yesterday. But the bottom line is, you have people that aren’t going to be fair and ask questions the American people want to talk about, and instead they want to make this about themselves. And that’s what this is about, and it’s a shame.”
Asked about Cruz's call for a one-on-one debate before Monday's caucuses in Iowa, Lewandowski said the Texas senator's campaign was not the only one to reach out asking whether it could participate in the alternate event Trump’s campaign was setting up.
“Well, look, he’s not the only one. We’ve had calls from many debates, from many of the candidates now, to say look, why would we participate in the Fox debate as well? I think what you’re finding out, once again, you have the candidates reacting to the only true leader in this race, which is Donald Trump," Lewandowski claimed.
One veterans group signaled it has no interest in partnering with Trump for his counterprogramming event. Paul Rieckhoff, CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, tweeted that Trump shouldn't be rewarded for his antics.
"If offered, @iava will decline donations from Trump's event," he wrote. "We need strong policies from candidates, not to be used for political stunts."
The Wounded Warrior Project said in an email to POLITICO on Wednesday afternoon, "We are not aware of any fundraising efforts on our behalf with Mr. Donald Trump."
It’s not clear how a resolution would be brokered between Trump and Fox, and Lewandowski kept up the war of words on Wednesday evening, telling CNN it was a pretty simple decision for Trump to boycott the debate.
“It's very simple: he's able and willing to debate but he's not going to do it if the network is not going to be fair,” he said.
Nick Gass contributed to this report.
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This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. ||||| DES MOINES, Iowa — Hollow or not, Donald Trump’s threat to boycott the final GOP forum before Iowa votes has complicated Ted Cruz’s game plan, forcing the Texan to prepare for two different debates — one in which he tangles directly with the front-runner and another that sets up the senator as the largest target on stage.
With hours until debate time, Cruz’s campaign still says it thinks Trump’s pledge to skip the forum is a stunt. “Donald Trump will be at the debate,” Cruz spokesman Rick Tyler Tyler predicted. “Mark my words.”
Story Continued Below
In advance of the last pre-Iowa showdown, Cruz spent the day Wednesday holed up in debate preparations with his top brass. Campaign manager Jeff Roe, chief strategist Jason Johnson, Cruz's pollster and others all descended on Iowa ahead of the final five-day push to the caucuses.
If Trump sees through his promise to hold a rival event Thursday, the Cruz camp will use it as fresh ammunition for an assault on the New Yorker’s character, casting their fiercest rival for the GOP nomination as too emotional and self-centered to be trusted with the White House.
“What people will understand is Donald Trump, if he’s not there, made an emotional decision,” Tyler said. “That fits his erratic behavior, based on grievances that are petty and small. That’s what people will see.”
“He’s put himself first and the country second. Or third or fourth or somewhere,” Tyler added.
Cruz and Trump have been locked in what’s become a two-man race for first place in the first state, but polls suggest Trump has the momentum. The Manhattan businessman has led all but one of the 11 public polls in Iowa that have been released since the Des Moines Register/Bloomberg poll in early January showed Cruz with a narrow 3-point lead.
Cruz, a collegiate championship debater, clearly wants another shot at Trump. He immediately challenged him to a “mano-a-mano” debate after Trump announced his withdrawal. “Can we do it in Canada?” Trump mocked him on Twitter.
For Cruz, Trump’s threatened absence means that the other candidates who trail him in Iowa, such as Marco Rubio and Rand Paul, have only one leader to fire upon: him.
Paul, whose sagging showing in the polls caused him to miss the last debate, has been itching to take on Cruz. On Wednesday, Paul ripped Cruz for his more hawkish stands on foreign affairs in an email to his supporters. Trump’s nonappearance, Paul said on Fox News, should give him more time to make all his arguments.
“It’s sort of a double win for me; not only am I on the main stage, but we don’t have to put up with a lot of empty blather and boastfulness and calling people names,” Paul said.
Rubio has telegraphed his interest in going after Cruz’s past work as a lawyer for a Chinese company accused of stealing intellectual property from an American firm. The issue has yet to come up at a debate, but Rubio hammered Cruz for it earlier this week in Des Moines.
“When Ted Cruz had to choose as a lawyer, he was choosing to represent the Chinese,” Rubio told reporters. “You can’t go around saying you’re tough on China but then have a legal record in which you were paid a lot of money to defend the Chinese who had taken a product away from an American — unjustly, unfairly and illegally.”
The attack is a familiar one for Team Cruz. His 2012 Senate race opponent, David Dewhurst, used it aggressively. In a twist, the Dewhurst strategist who crafted those broadsides is now Cruz’s campaign manager, Roe.
There are other echoes of Cruz’s 2012 contest. In that race, Cruz mercilessly mocked Dewhurst for not doing enough debates and events with him, even sending someone in a duck outfit to trail him. Cruz touted the DuckingDewhurst.com domain then; after Trump’s treat, Cruz began promoting DuckingDonald.com.
Cruz wasn’t the only one hunkered down in a prep for an uncertain debate. The campaign trail in Iowa was far quieter than normal just days from the caucuses. Two of Cruz’s top surrogates, Rep. Steve King and former Gov. Rick Perry, campaigned without him during the day, holding events in Burlington and Iowa City.
Cruz was scheduled to headline an evening rally in West Des Moines. Rubio’s lone public event was also an evening rally, scheduled only five miles away.
But all eyes remain on Trump, who holds a rally and then is scheduled to appear on Fox’s Bill O’Reilly program late Wednesday, despite his boycott of the network’s debate the next night. Rival campaigns plan to tune in to see whether Trump, who mused about walking out on past debates but never followed through, reverses course. | – It's GOP debate night, and the million-dollar question is whether Donald Trump will show. It turns out there's also a 1.5 million-dollar question on the table. The latest: In a Wednesday night interview with Bill O'Reilly, Trump didn't come close to budging. The Hill recounts the many ways O'Reilly tried to convince him: He said "turn the other cheek," and Trump replied, "Eye for an eye." O'Reilly ended the interview by asking Trump a question that the two had apparently agreed wasn't to be asked, per Politico. If he does indeed skip, the New York Times reports he might not be the only one. Still not using the word "bimbo" himself, Politico notes that Trump retweeted a follower's shot at Megyn Kelly over a provocative GQ photo shoot she did: "And this is the bimbo that’s asking presidential questions?" Ted Cruz apparently didn't spend Wednesday fighting zombies. Politico reports he hunkered down for debate prep, aware that if Trump is out, the target is on his back. Cruz also turned up the heat on his "mano a mano" debate invite to Trump, reports the Guardian. Cruz has named a place, time, and potential facilitators and "sweetened the deal" by noting two super PAC donors will hand $1.5 million to veterans charities if Trump shows. What the Trump camp had to say about the money, to Tom Llamas of ABC: "desperate," "dirty." At the New York Times, Maggie Haberman has the "most intriguing possible explanation" for Trump's planned no-show: He knows he's ahead in Iowa and "wants to play out the clock" rather than face tough questions. The Times references the "furious discussions" going on about all this, including a conversation between Trump's daughter Ivanka and Fox News CEO Roger Ailes. |
Is Justin Bieber still holding a candle for Selena Gomez?
The Biebs apparently issued a very subtle message to his famous ex in his new music video for "What Do You Mean?" And leave it to those Beliebers to spot the blink-and-you'll-miss-it-moment.
In the skate park scene at the end of the video, the name Selena can almost be seen spray painted among graffiti on the wall (while the words "Hope" and "Love" are featured prominently). See for yourself around 04:00, on the far right side of the frame. Can you spot "Selena"?
ETonline has reached out to Bieber's camp for comment.
This isn't the first time he's publicly called out his ex. At one point in the music video for "Where Are U Now," the phrase "Where R Now Selena" flashed across the screen.
Odds are high that "What Do You Mean?" was inspired by JB's relationship with Gomez. In an interview with On Air With Ryan Seacrest earlier this year, Bieber confessed, "I think a lot of my inspiration comes from [Selena]... It was a long relationship that created heartbreak and created happiness and a lot of different emotions that I wanted to write about. There's a lot of that on this album." ||||| 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. ||||| Published on Sep 2, 2015
Justin Bieber talks to Jimmy about the emotions that led to his tearful 2015 MTV Video Music Awards performance.
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Justin Bieber Explains Why He Got Emotional During the VMAs
http://www.youtube.com/fallontonight | – Justin Bieber appeared on the Tonight Show last night to talk about his first album in three years and ended up explaining the tearful end to his VMAs performance on Sunday. "It was just so overwhelming for me, everything, just the performance—I missed some cues so I was a little disappointed at that—and just everyone, just the support," the 21-year-old said, per People. "Honestly, I just wasn't expecting them to support me in the way they did," he added. "Last time I was at an award show I was booed." Bieber also touched on his past troubles. "I had a bunch of knuckleheads around me, that was pretty much it," he said. "You have to test the waters. I just happened to be in the spotlight, in front of cameras all the time, and they caught all those moments." Bieber then pointed at the crowd, asking, "You didn't have those moments?" Jimmy Fallon's response: "Not as much as you did." The Biebs' new album drops Nov. 13. His first single, "What Do You Mean," has already hit the top of the charts in 89 countries, Fallon said. (And there might be a secret message for Selena Gomez in the video.) |
President Trump Donald John TrumpDACA recipient claims Trump is holding ‘immigrant youth hostage’ amid quest for wall Lady Gaga blasts Pence as ‘worst representation of what it means to be Christian’ We have a long history of disrespecting Native Americans and denying their humanity MORE said Tuesday he would "love" to see a government shutdown if Democrats do not agree to his demands on immigration.
"We’ll do a shutdown and it’s worth it for our country. I’d love to see a shutdown if we don’t get this stuff taken care of," Trump told law enforcement officials and members of Congress at the White House.
During impromptu remarks at an event on immigration, Trump said Democrats must accept new border-security measures to keep out people trying to enter the country illegally.
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“If we have to shut it down because the Democrats don’t want safety and, unrelated but still related, they don’t want to take care of our military, then shut it down," the president added. "We’ll go with another shutdown.”
Trump's saber rattling came as lawmakers are rushing to meet a Thursday deadline to fund the government.
His tough talk stands in stark contrast to optimism on Capitol Hill about the chances of averting a shutdown.
Republican and Democratic leaders in the Senate announced earlier Tuesday they were close to a two-year budget deal, which does not include immigration language.
"Speaks for itself," Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer Charles (Chuck) Ellis SchumerProtecting our judiciary must be a priority in the 116th Congress Baldwin's Trump plays 'Deal or No Deal' with shutdown on 'Saturday Night Live' Sunday shows preview: Shutdown negotiations continue after White House immigration proposal MORE (D-N.Y.) said when asked to respond to Trump's comments.
"We had one Trump shutdown. Nobody wants another, maybe except him."
Rep. Barbara Comstock Barbara Jean ComstockDems win Virginia state Senate special election Dem rep asks for asks for pay to be withheld during shutdown New Dem lawmaker hangs trans flag outside office on Capitol Hill MORE (Va.), a vulnerable Republican who represents a district outside of Washington, D.C., with many federal workers, rebuked Trump after he welcomed a shutdown.
“We don't need a government shutdown on this,” she told Trump during the meeting. “I think both sides have learned that a government shutdown is bad.”
Comstock said there is bipartisan support for cracking down on violent gangs such as MS-13, which was the focus of Tuesday’s meeting.
Trump cut off the Virginia lawmaker and doubled down on his willingness to stage a shutdown.
“We have to get that, they are not supporting us,” the president said. “You can say what you want. We are not getting support of the Democrats.”
Trump has vented his frustration that Democrats have refused to accept his sweeping immigration plan. The proposal would offer a path to citizenship for as many as 1.8 million immigrants who came to the U.S. illegally as children in exchange for billions of dollars for a wall along the southern border and steep cuts to legal immigration.
Democrats and some Republicans have objected to making significant to changes to the U.S. visa system, while conservative GOP lawmakers have balked at a citizenship path.
Trump has framed the offer as Congress's best chance to save the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which he scrapped last year.
While the president in the past has floated the possibility of extending the March 5 deadline to end the program for young immigrants, White House chief of staff John Kelly John Francis KellyMORE on Tuesday poured cold water on that idea.
If lawmakers do not agree to an immigration deal before Thursday's government funding deadline, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellDACA recipient claims Trump is holding ‘immigrant youth hostage’ amid quest for wall Former House Republican: Trump will lose the presidency if he backs away from border security Pence quotes MLK in pitch for Trump's immigration proposal MORE (R-Ky.) has said he would hold an open debate on the issue.
— This report was updated at 3:45 p.m. ||||| Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (left) and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy arrive to meet with reporters following a closed-door GOP strategy session at the Capitol on Tuesday. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo House GOP passes stopgap bill to avoid shutdown But the Senate is expected to rewrite the measure — and potentially lift stiff budget caps.
The House passed a stopgap bill Tuesday to prevent another government shutdown, as a broader budget deal appeared increasingly within reach on Capitol Hill.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer met privately on Tuesday to discuss lifting stiff spending caps as part of the short-term funding package, according to sources in both parties briefed on the talks. The top four congressional leaders believe they are close to clinching a budget deal that significantly boosts defense and domestic spending and ends the cycle of temporary funding measures.
Story Continued Below
The bill passed by the House, 245-182, would boost Pentagon spending over the next eight months while funding nondefense programs at current levels — and then only until March 23.
The “defense-only” approach was an easy win in the House, where droves of GOP conservatives and defense hawks have been begging Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and his leadership team for months to vote on just such a plan.
But many of those same House Republicans acknowledged the bill is doomed in the Senate, since Democrats want any increases in defense and nondefense spending levels to be equal.
“From the very beginning of the budget debate, Democrats have made our position in these negotiations very clear,” Schumer said on the Senate floor Tuesday. “We support an increase in funding for our military and our middle class. The two are not mutually exclusive. We don’t want to do just one and leave the other behind.”
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The Senate is likely to rewrite the House bill to eliminate the extra defense funding, but a repeat of last month’s federal government shutdown is not expected.
White House chief of staff John Kelly told reporters on Tuesday he didn’t think there would be another government shutdown.
“I don’t know. I don’t think it’s going to happen, no. Yeah, I guess I’m optimistic,” Kelly said.
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, called for a government shutdown Tuesday if Congress is unable to pass what he considers adequate border-security measures.
“If we don’t get rid of these loopholes where killers are allowed to come into our country and continue to kill … if we don’t change it, let’s have a shutdown,” Trump said at a White House roundtable focused on the gang MS-13. “We’ll do a shutdown, and it’s worth it for our country. I’d love to see a shutdown if we don’t get this stuff taken care of.”
Immigration, however, is not a major issue in the current spending debate on Capitol Hill.
And a budget caps deal could ease all the drama surrounding the Senate vote, as all four congressional leaders and the White House would have to be in agreement for such a spending deal to occur. It would outline budget levels for the next two years, although there will still be fights over specific policy concerns within the annual appropriations bills.
The deal is expected to bust budget caps by $300 billion for domestic and defense programs over the next two years. It would also achieve near parity between defense and domestic funding increases — a key priority of Democrats — and approach $150 billion in new defense spending to satisfy hawks, according to a person briefed on the talks.
Leaving a House GOP strategy meeting Tuesday morning, Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.) said lawmakers are prepared for the bill to “ping-pong” back to the House with changes from the Senate. And if the Senate strips out the extra defense money, House Republicans will be forced to embrace that rewrite or risk another shutdown come midnight Thursday.
“The history’s pretty clear. If they need to send something back, we usually hug it pretty quick,” said Amodei, a member of the House spending panel. “Let’s not bulls—- each other. The Republicans in the House may be in the majority, but it’s like — when we talk about what the heck hits the president’s desk — it doesn’t feel like we’re in control.”
The House Freedom Caucus voted Monday night to band together in support of House GOP leadership’s spending plan. But the conservative group’s chief, Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), said “the majority” of his caucus plans to oppose the measure if it returns without defense funding at a level of $659.2 billion.
Meadows said the group doesn’t plan to take an official position against a stripped-down version, though, potentially enabling House leaders to pick off a few of those conservative lawmakers as “yea” votes if the measure does indeed return with changes from the Senate.
“I think there’s a fair amount of skepticism in terms of: ‘Ultimately, will this produce a different result?’” Meadows said. “But it’s the best play call we have today.”
The Senate likely won’t hold its passage vote until Wednesday or Thursday; another House vote would come shortly after.
House Democrats plan to head to their annual strategy retreat Wednesday and will likely be called back to Washington for a final vote to prevent a shutdown.
Making the plan harder for Democrats to oppose, the GOP bill includes two years of funding for the Community Health Centers program, a permanent repeal of the Medicare cap on therapy services and other provisions that generally have bipartisan support.
Yet Senate Democrats continue to make clear they have no interest in the House GOP plan.
“We’ve made very clear that to get past sequester, you’ve got to raise the caps on both,” said Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee. “We’re for an increase in defense. But we’re not going to ignore everything from opioids to veterans hospitals to education to cancer research and all those things.”
Burgess Everett and Seung Min Kim contributed to this report.
||||| Top Senate leaders were working Tuesday to finalize a sweeping long-term budget deal that would include a defense spending boost President Trump has long demanded alongside an increase in domestic programs championed by Democrats.
As negotiations for the long-term deal continued, the House passed a short-term measure that would fund the government past a midnight Thursday deadline and avert a second partial shutdown in less than a month.
The House bill, which passed 245 to 182, would fund most agencies through March 23 but is a nonstarter in the Senate because of Democratic opposition.
But the top Senate leaders of both parties told reporters earlier in the day that a breakthrough was at hand on a longer-term budget deal. Spending has vexed the Republican-controlled Congress for months, forcing lawmakers to rely on multiple short-term patches.
“We’re on the way to getting an agreement and on the way to getting an agreement very soon,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) echoed him, “I am very hopeful that we can come to an agreement, an agreement very soon.”
From left, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.), Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) at an event honoring Bob Dole last month. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)
Despite the optimism, no agreement was finalized with less than three days until Thursday’s deadline. And even as congressional leaders were sounding an upbeat note, Trump was raising tensions by openly pondering a shutdown if Democrats did not agree to his immigration policies.
“I’d love to see a shutdown if we don’t get this stuff taken care of,” Trump said at a White House event focused on crime threats posed by some immigrants. “If we have to shut it down because the Democrats don’t want safety . . . let’s shut it down.”
Trump’s remarks appeared unlikely to snuff out the negotiations, which mainly involved top congressional leaders and their aides — not the president or his White House deputies — and have largely steered clear of the explosive immigration issue.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Tuesday afternoon that Trump was not pushing for the inclusion of immigration policies in the budget accord, something that would upend the sensitive talks.
“I don’t think that we expect the budget deal to include specifics on the immigration reform,” she said. “But we want to get a deal on that.”
The agreement McConnell and Schumer are contemplating, with input from House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), would clear the way for a bipartisan accord that would break through the sharp divides that helped prompt a three-day government shutdown last month.
Under tentative numbers discussed by congressional aides who were not authorized to speak publicly about the negotiations, defense spending would get an $80 billion boost above the existing $549 billion in spending for 2018. Nondefense spending would rise by $63 billion from its current $516 billion. The 2019 budget would include similar increases.
“Democrats have made our position in these negotiations very clear,” Schumer said on the Senate floor Tuesday. “We support an increase in funding for our military and our middle class. The two are not mutually exclusive. We don’t want to do just one and leave the other behind.”
Among the other issues that could be addressed in the deal is an increase in the federal debt limit, which could be reached as soon as early March, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The aides said that an increase was being discussed in the negotiations but that no final decisions have been made.
“It’s a question of what the traffic will bear,” said Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), the No. 3 Senate GOP leader, describing the likelihood of a debt-ceiling increase.
[House Republicans eye defense spending boost, complicating plan to avoid second shutdown]
A disaster aid package aimed at the victims of recent hurricanes and wildfires is also part of the talks, potentially adding $80 billion or more to the deal’s overall price tag. That provision could help win support from lawmakers representing affected areas in California, Florida and Texas but further repel conservatives concerned about mounting federal spending.
Even the rumors of a coming deal were enough to send some hard-liners reeling.
“This is a bad, bad, bad, bad — you could say ‘bad’ a hundred times — deal,” said Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), a co-founder of the House Freedom Caucus. “When you put it all together, a quarter-of-a-trillion-dollar increase in discretionary spending — not what we’re supposed to be doing.”
If the parties cannot reach an agreement in the next two days, it is unclear how a shutdown might be averted.
Multiple House Republicans said Tuesday that if the Senate takes their spending bill and substitutes its version with a significant boost for domestic programs, they could not vote for it. House Democrats, meanwhile, have showed only limited willingness to help pass temporary spending measures absent a broader agreement.
Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), the Freedom Caucus chairman, said a broad deal encompassing a debt-limit increase and a huge disaster package would be “considered a lead balloon” among hard-line conservatives. “It’d get zero support” from the caucus, he said, aside from a member or two representing states affected by the disasters.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told members of the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday that Congress should “not let disagreements on domestic policy continue to hold our nation’s defense hostage.” He warned that a failure to pass long-term funding would imperil troop paychecks, inhibit the maintenance of planes and ships, stunt recruiting and otherwise harm military readiness.
“To carry out the strategy you rightly directed we develop, we need you to pass a budget now,” he said.
The House bill would increase Pentagon funding to $584 billion and guarantee it through Sept. 30, while the rest of the government would continue to be funded at 2017 levels through March 23.
The bill would also provide two years of funding for the federal community health-center program, which lapsed last year and is at risk of running out of spending authority, and it would extend several other programs.
[Shutdown ends after Democrats agree to trust that McConnell will allow ‘dreamer’ vote]
The bill also would affect many other moving parts in the health-care system. It would postpone planned cuts in funding to hospitals that treat an especially large share of poor patients, eliminating reductions in “disproportionate share” payments for this year and 2019 and shifting the $6 billion in reductions to 2021 through 2023.
Amy Goldstein and Paul Sonne contributed to this report.
Read more at PowerPost | – With the prospect of another government shutdown looming this week, President Trump entered the fray with some headline-making comments: “I’d love to see a shutdown if we can’t get this stuff taken care of,” Trump said, referring to his demands for tougher border protection. “If we have to shut it down because the Democrats don't want safety ... let's shut it down.” The president made the impromptu comments at a gathering of law enforcement officials at the White House, reports the Hill, which notes that they're in contrast to reports of progress between Democrats and Republicans on a deal to avert a shutdown at midnight Thursday. As the Washington Post notes, both Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer earlier said they were optimistic about reaching a deal that would include big increases for the Pentagon and domestic programs. The House is expected to vote later Tuesday on legislation that Politico describes as the "opening salvo" in the bid to avert a shutdown. In his comments, Trump also seemed to reference the death over the weekend of an NFL player being blamed on an undocumented immigrant accused of drunken driving. “If we don’t get rid of these loopholes where killers are allowed to come into our country and continue to kill ... if we don’t change it, let’s have a shutdown." |
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/ Updated By Herb Weisbaum
Ever wonder what’s going to come in that mail today? Will you get your sister’s wedding invitation? Is this the day your IRS refund check finally arrives?
Informed Delivery, a free service from the U.S. Postal Service, lets you see what will be in your mailbox that day. Sign up and you’ll receive an email each morning with actual size black and white images of the front side of the letters and cards to be delivered.
Informed Delivery, a new and free service from the Post Office, lets you see what will be in your mailbox that day. usps.com
Knowing when that check really is “in the mail” could change how you plan your day. You might want to get home in time to deposit it.
The service has been available in Northern Virginia since 2014. The pilot program was later expanded to parts of California, Connecticut, Maryland, New York, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
Bob Dixon, the executive program director for Informed Delivery, told NBC News the feedback was “tremendously positive,” so it’s being rolled out nationally in mid-April. A USPS survey found that nine out of 10 people who signed up for the service checked their Informed Delivery notifications every day.
What's in the Mail?
Feedback from the pilot program showed that Informed Delivery was popular with people who had roommates. This way, everyone in the household knows what they should expect that day, no matter who goes to the mailbox.
It’s also been a hit with people who travel and want to know what’s in their mail, even if they can’t physically retrieve those letters.
Christopher Ebert is CEO of Ophelia Myth Media, which is based in New York and London, so he is always on the go. He’s used Informed Delivery for about two years and likes the way it helps him stay more aware and more in control.
“My life is largely digital,” he wrote NBC News in an email. “Having the ability to see my mail deliveries right on my phone keeps me connected.”
Integrating the physical and digital is a smart move, according to Miro Copic, a marketing professor at San Diego State University.
“This makes postal mail more interesting to millennials, who are on their devices all day long,” Copic said. “And it just might change the equation of how millennials think about the post office longer term.”
A Few Specifics
Informed Delivery is for residential mail customers and you must sign up for it at InformedDelivery.USPS.com. It is not currently available for mail delivered to P.O. boxes.
Only 10 images will be sent via the daily email notification. If you receive more than 10 pieces of first-class mail, you’ll get 10 images and a link to see the rest. These images are available for seven days.
Notifications are sent Monday through Saturday on days that mail is processed. If for some reason a piece of mail is not handled via automation, an image cannot be sent.
The Postal Service does not open any mail. This is simply a digital scan of the address side of the envelope. And those images will only be emailed to the person to whom the letter was sent.
If all the mail in one household is delivered to one mailbox, those who share the residence and the mailbox will receive the same images for all the mail delivered to that household.
If you get an image of a letter, but not the physical piece itself, Informed Delivery makes it easy to report that missing mail to the Postal Service. The image can help speed up the process of finding what’s missing.
Why Give Snail Mail a Digital Twist?
In a world of instant communication, the U.S. Postal Service is searching for ways to remain relevant and increase revenue. Mail volume has dropped dramatically during the last 10 years. USPS reports that it handled 61.2 billion pieces of first class mail in 2016, down from 98 billion in 2006.
Informed Delivery gives it a way to reach the growing number of Americans who’ve shifted to digital communications.
“Our emerging consumers, younger folks, are digital natives. That’s how their communications are coming to them,” Dixon said. “We also know that if we can get those folks to the mailbox, they’ll spend longer with each piece of mail than someone who has a long history of mail usage. So the benefit to us is that we continue the relevance of mail in a very digital world and we provide access to the consumers for those mail pieces.”
This scanning technology has been in place since the 1990s. It’s part of the automation process that sorts the mail. This is a way for USPS to leverage something it’s already doing. This digital presence also gives the Postal Service a way to deliver digital advertising. For now, it will be a free bonus for companies that use the mail.
Prof. Copic thinks the Postal Service has found a way to add value for both mail customers and potential advertisers by offering something that no other service provides.
“It’s an opportunity for the Post Office to work with marketers to make their offers more appealing and interesting and to reduce the decline of mail being delivered,” he said. “It opens an opportunity that allows them to play with the big boys in direct marketing, rather than being on the sidelines.”
USPS policy will strictly limit that advertising. It must be related to a piece of mail sent to you that day. For example: If you’re getting a frequent flier statement, the airline could have a link for a special offer sent to you along with the image of their envelope. But you’ll never see an ad for something that’s not already a physical piece of mail in your mailbox, USPS assures customers.
“We don’t want to create spam,” Dixon told NBC News. “We don’t want to create a channel that’s got a lot of noise in it for consumers. Physical mail cuts through the digital clutter and we don’t want to add digital clutter to this channel.”
Security Implications
Mail theft is a serious problem. It’s one of the common ways identity thieves get personally identifying information to commit their crimes. Informed Delivery can help you spot a problem in real time.
If an important piece of mail that was supposed to be delivered isn’t in the mailbox — a credit card bill, tax document or financial statement — you can assume it was stolen or delivered to the wrong address and start working to find out what happened. With identity theft, the quicker you discover a problem, the faster you can move to manage the damage.
These email notifications can be a double-edged sword, cautioned Adam Levin, co-founder of the digital security firm CyberScout.
“If your account is compromised, criminals will know when something of value that they can cash, charge or use for the purpose of exploiting your identity is coming to your mailbox and be there to grab it before you do,” Levin told NBC News. “That’s why it’s imperative that you use a long and strong password for a service like this. It also needs to be a unique password that you don’t share or use for any other websites.”
Herb Weisbaum is The ConsumerMan. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter or visit The ConsumerMan website. ||||| 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. ||||| New USPS Service Gives You A Peek Into Your Mailbox Before You Get Home
Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of U.S. Postal Service Courtesy of U.S. Postal Service
In the spring of my senior year of high school, I took daily trips to the mailbox. It might have been the only time in my life when I knew for a fact that any day, letters with my name on them would appear in the mailbox from colleges that had read through my hopeful applications.
It's this excitement that Bill McAllister, the Washington correspondent for a stamp publication called Linn's Stamp News, calls the "mail moment." It's the feeling you have when mail arrives, knowing that you could be receiving a handwritten letter, or, in my case, a college acceptance.
But this moment is no longer a common experience for McAllister.
"The amount of mail — single-piece first-class mail — has dropped so dramatically that there isn't much magic in the daily mail anymore for most people," he says. "And that's a rather sad thing."
Now a new service by the U.S. Postal Service called Informed Delivery might be an attempt, he says, to get back the magic of that moment.
On April 14, the Postal Service is set to launch a nationwide service that allows users, in a sense, to peek at their mail before it arrives in their mailbox.
Users will have the option of getting an email with photos of the front of card- and letter-size mail pieces that are due to arrive that day, or a day or two later. The email is sent on days when mail is being processed and delivered. It shows up to 10 grayscale images in each email with a link at the bottom to see the rest.
Users can also view the images for seven days on their dashboard, which they can find on informeddelivery.usps.com.
Right now, the program is available to select addresses only, as shown on the map.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of U.S. Postal Service Courtesy of U.S. Postal Service
Bob Dixon, the executive program director of Informed Delivery, says the program was first piloted in Northern Virginia in 2014 and sprang from a program to help post office box customers know when they had something in their P.O. box.
He says participants in specific scenarios — like roommates who misplaced each other's mail or people who traveled frequently — found the daily messages helpful.
"I and many people manage their life through a cellphone or tablet or some other digital medium," Dixon says. "As we become busier and busier, it's important to have things in one place."
Scanning mail is not a new thing. Since the 1990s, the Postal Service has been taking photos of the exterior of most mail pieces to sort and route the mail. In 2013, The New York Times reported that the USPS "occasionally provides the photos to law enforcement agencies that request them as part of criminal cases."
McAllister, who wrote a piece on this new feature in Linn's Stamp News, says it's hard to find usefulness in a new aspect of a product that's not significant in one's daily life to begin with.
"Most urgent mail or messages that you get this day tend to come by telephone or email," he says. "That has become the way most people communicate, and letters, sadly, aren't just as important as they used to be."
McAllister previously wrote a stamp and coin column for The Washington Post for 19 years, where he says he covered the Postal Service as the Internet was growing.
"There were people down there who just basically thought the Internet was nothing, that it was a fad and would go away, and it wouldn't impact mail," he says. "But it has. It has impacted mail dramatically."
Dixon says he knows the Postal Services' consumers are very digitally engaged.
"We also know that mail is still one of the highest response rate channels there is for marketing messages," he says. "It's important for us because we want to be able to continue to demonstrate the relevance of mail but provide that convenience of a digital response channel."
And maybe it will. Dixon, as one of Informed Delivery's first users, says when he was traveling and was informed of a jury notice, he was able to ask his son to pull the letter out of his stack of mail that was piling up on the kitchen table in his absence.
It's situations like these, he says, where people can use the service to plan ahead for the day.
So the reality of the service is that it might not always be magical. It's not often that I see something in the mail that I'm genuinely excited to tear open.
But Dixon is hoping that by marrying mail with the convenience of digitized notifications, mail will at least stay relevant.
Cecilia Mazanec is an NPR digital news intern. | – Anyone who’s waited by the mailbox for an important letter or much-needed paycheck will want to be first in line for a new free service USPS is rolling out widely in mid-April. Residential customers who sign up for Informed Delivery will receive a daily email with high-quality photo scans of their incoming envelope fronts, reports NBC News. The emails display up to 10 images—if there are more than 10 on a given day, the rest can be viewed via a link that stays active for seven days. After receiving “tremendously positive” feedback in pilot test runs, executive program director Bob Dixon says the program has been particularly appealing to people living with roommates, since they’re not always first to retrieve their daily mail. Frequent travelers are another group utilizing the service, which Dixon personally attests to as one of Informed Delivery’s first users. He tells NPR that he was able to flag a jury duty summons while on the road and asked his son to set it aside so it didn’t get lost in a towering mail pile. With the rate of mail delivery declining (61.2 billion pieces of first-class mail were handled by USPS in 2016 compared to 98 billion in 2006), the service is one way the post office is innovating and trying to remain relevant. "Our emerging consumers, younger folks, are digital natives," Dixon says. "That's how their communications are coming to them." USPS has opened sign-up for Informed Delivery at: informeddelivery.USPS.com. (Finland's postal service tried to innovate in a different way.) |
CLOSE Tina MacIntyre-Yee
Buy Photo FILE PHOTO: Barry Beck and Kimberly Ray during their morning radio show on 98.9 the Buzz. (Photo: FILE PHOTO)Buy Photo
The firing of local radio personalities Kimberly and Beck for comments they made about transgender healthcare coverage Wednesday is getting swift – and strong - reactions from fans and non-fans of the controversial morning drive-time hosts.
Opinion blogger: Kimberly and Beck "out of line"
Editorial: The Buzz fires Kimberly and Beck; are there lessons
The anti-transgender comments were made during a 12-minute conversation on "The Breakfast Buzz" radio show on station 98.9 The BUZZ yesterday. The radio hosts began by expressing opposition to Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren's new health care policy within city government that would allow city employees to receive services related to gender reassignment surgery effective Jan. 1.
The station initially suspended the hosts indefinitely and fired them early Thursday.
"Their hateful comments against the transgender community do not represent our station or our company," said Sue Munn, vice president and general manager for Entercom Rochester, in a prepared statement.
The hosts of the radio show have not commented publicly on the situation.
Kimberly and Beck also questioned the mental health status of transgender people during the portion of the show, and, ultimately, discussed male and female sexuality, male and female body parts, City of Rochester employees, city taxpayers and a student who was born a male playing on an area high school's girls' softball team.
Many inside the gay, lesbian and transgender community immediately called on the radio station to take action following the radio segment.
"Entercom radio was very swift in their response and I think it demonstrates that the station supports and affirms the LGBT community," said John Cullen, coordinator of outreach with the Susan B. Anthony Center for Women's Leadership and chair of the Pride Alliance at the University of Rochester.
Social media reaction on both sides of the firing was swift.
Kimberly %26 Beck karma is real — Mark Dieter (@mdieter86) May 22, 2014
For Rochester's 98.9 I officially am never listening to that station again after they fired #KimberlyandBeck they were right sorry! — Elisha Blue (@BlueDRamGirl787) May 22, 2014
Since they were paid to entertain and be controversial, I think it's ridiculous they've been fired. #989thebuzz#Kimberlyandbeck — Chris Trewer (@ChrisTrewer) May 22, 2014
Kimberly and Beck being fired seems way over due. — Nick English (@NickrEnglish) May 22, 2014
I'm not saying I agree with anything Kimberly and beck said, but I don't think they needed to lose their jobs over it.. — KC (@KristinaAnn8) May 22, 2014
Wow! EVERYONE is #roc coming out to bash Kimberly and Beck. Not ONE person to their defense. What's that tell ya? C-YA! — Joe Castrechino (@PapaJoeMusic) May 22, 2014
#KimberlyandBeck I am no fan of the show but apparently it's now only acceptable to say anything against straight white people. — Jeremiah Beard (@woefuljester) May 22, 2014
Kimberly and Beck fired, thank God, we do not need their hate on the air waves. — David McGloin (@migs51) May 22, 2014
[email protected]
Twitter.com/NightCopsReport.com
Read or Share this story: http://on.rocne.ws/1ns1flA ||||| Promo shot from 98.9 FM.
Last week, the city of Rochester, New York, announced that it would include transgender health care benefits for employees and their families under the city’s medical plan. Local news outlet the Democrat and Chronicle reported that, “Under the new coverage, effective Jan. 1, city employees will be eligible to receive services related to gender reassignment surgery, such as medical and psychological counseling, hormone therapy and cosmetic and reconstructive surgeries.” This move is not only great news for the individuals it impacts directly, but also for the city on a symbolic level—taking the lives and well-being of transgender people seriously is crucial step on the road to LGBTQ equality.
J. Bryan Lowder J. Bryan Lowder is a Slate associate editor. He writes and edits for Outward, Slate’s LGBTQ section, and for the culture section.
However, not everyone is celebrating. Towleroad reports that earlier this morning, the hosts of rock station 98.9 FM’s “Breakfast Buzz” radio show, Kimberly and Beck, spent about 12 minutes demeaning and mocking transgender people in the vilest terms. And to be clear, this was not simply a matter of disagreeing with the idea that taxpayers should contribute to gender confirmation surgery, which Kimberly and Beck do. That’s a debate that has to do with whether you understand such procedures as medical necessities rather than as cosmetic choices, and one that could in theory be had respectfully.
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No, the sentiments expressed in this segment are outright malicious, ranging from the tired song choice of “Dude Looks Like a Lady” to the frighteningly callous discussion of a transgender member of a local high-school women’s softball team, which included the line: “When he steps up to the plate, doesn’t he have two bats [sic]?”
Amid a stream of transphobic jokes, willful ignorance, and nasty slurs, Kimberly has the gall to suggest that she understands all the “sensitivities” involved in transgender issues. Of course, that’s only when she’s confronted by an impressively brave and eloquent caller who does their best to push back against the morass of prejudice with a little education—“[this is] incredibly disrespectful toward transgender people." Not that it does much good: Before kicking them off the air, another host, perceiving the caller to be female, says: “Thank you, sir.”
Quotes really can’t do this cruel mess justice, though. Listen for yourself, and then feel free to let 98.9 know how you feel about them clouding our airwaves with this kind of rank bigotry.
Serious trigger warning here for transphobia and general stupidity. ||||| It's about corporate responsibility. It's about the safety and well-being of young people who are frightened, and confused about their gender identity; that society says it's not OK to ridicule them, ostracize them, or pound their brains into the pavement.Good God, people. Have you no shame? No sense of decency?The Rochester radio show "The Breakfast Buzz" with Kimberly and Beck — while never an oasis of intelligent discourse — has hit bottom and then dug a basement. In the Marianas Trench. The radio hosts apparently decided that the City of Rochester's recent decision to extend health care benefits to transgender individuals and their families could not pass without their enlightened contribution to the subject. How fortunate for the rest of us. You can listen to the clip yourself, but here's an excerpt of the dialogue, which I'm sure rivals only the Lincoln-Douglas debates in thoughtfulness, sincerity, and responsibility to a greater idea of humanity:Aren't we tired of this? Yeah, I know, they're shock jocks or whatever; this is their job. Well, who is paying them to do this terrible job? (98.9 The Buzz is owned by Entercom.) And why? (That last bit is rhetorical. I know why: money and ratings. Well, OK, then.) Living in a country that allows you to shoot your mouth off doesn't free you from the consequences of what you say. And I want there to be consequences for this.Who decides who is welcome in our society and who is not? These two? Lord help. Today, it's trans people. Tomorrow, it's heavyset blonde women and their poindexter sidekicks. Well, them's the breaks.And, of course, serial offender Bob Lonsberry had to have his say on the city's policy, too. And it's everything you could hope for..: The Buzz announced late yesterday that Kimberly and Beck had been placed on indefinite suspension. This morning, we learned that they have been fired. Applaud if you like, but the fact remains that Kimberly and Beck had been spewing hateful speech on Rochester's airwaves for a long time, with the apparent blessing of Buzz owner Entercom. Why? Because they were making the station money. Now that things have gotten a little too hot — with advertising dollars at stake — Entercom cut them loose. Who will hold Entercom responsible? ||||| On May 21st, Kimberly and Beck, the hosts of 'The Breakfast Buzz' on 98.9 The Buzz in Rochester, NY disparaged transgender individuals in light of the recent move by the City of Rochester to include transgender health benefits for employees. Below are a few of the disgraceful things said by the hosts:
"Transgender or gender nonconforming. What the hell does that mean? Like you're not a woman or a man??"
"The dude can look like a lady and the city is going to pay for it!"
"Does that mean then if women want a boob job they'll pay for a boob job because that's only right."
"The services that will be paid for under the new coverage - gender reassignment surgery, PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELING, because you're probably a NUTJOB to begin with!"
"It's a slippery slope. Then if some woman can go to a doctor and it'd be proven that she's got mental issues because her rack's not big enough then you know what? she deserves a boob job, Right Kimberly? Or she deserves liposuction."
"Right, IF YOU CAN PROVE YOU'RE A NUT, I guess."
To make matters worse, Kimberly took to Twitter to post - "Freedom of Speech includes the freedom to offend others. You aren't granted a right to not be offended in this life #getoverit#ROC"
This incident has made headlines nationally and brings shame to our community. This is not talk that is representative of Rochester and we need to make our voice heard. Please urge Entercom Rochester to take corrective action immediately and call for the removal of Kimberly and Beck from the station. | – The city of Rochester, NY, has a new policy that extends health benefits to transgender employees and, not coincidentally, two job openings for morning radio deejays. The latter is because station 98.9 FM fired Kimberly Rae and Barry Beck after a series of jokes and criticisms about the new policy, reports the Democrat and Chronicle. A sampling: "Transgender or gender nonconforming. What the hell does that mean? Like you're not a woman or a man?" "The dude can look like a lady and the city is going to pay for it!" "Does that mean then they'll also, if women want a boob job, they'll pay for a boob job, because I think that's only right." "The services that will be paid for under the new coverage—gender reassignment surgery, psychological counseling, because you're probably a nutjob to begin with." The comments stirred up immediate criticism of the Kimberly and Beck show, including an online petition to have them fired. It worked, with parent Entercom pulling the trigger today and issuing an apology, reports TWC News. The local City newspaper thinks Entercom is acting only because ad dollars are at stake and shouldn't be able to rid itself of the controversy so quickly, while conservative radio host Bob Lonsberry slams the new health-care changes as "Lovelycare" in honor of Mayor Lovely Warren. You can listen to the original Kimberly and Beck comments in full via Slate. |
Teens stop attempted child abduction Posted: Tuesday, March 10, 2015 9:45 AM EDT Updated: Tuesday, March 17, 2015 9:45 AM EDT
The missile delivery was suspended three years later because of strong objections from the U.S. and Israel.
The missile delivery was suspended three years later because of strong objections from the U.S. and Israel.
"I'm for justice," protester James Johnson said. "It's not about race. It's about doing right."
"I'm for justice," protester James Johnson said. "It's not about race. It's about doing right."
Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven industrialized nations were expected to discuss the final nuclear agreement between P5+1 countries and Iran, the conflicts in Libya, Yemen, Syria and Ukraine, as well as terrorism.
Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven industrialized nations were expected to discuss the final nuclear agreement between P5+1 countries and Iran, the conflicts in Libya, Yemen, Syria and Ukraine, as well as terrorism.
Hundreds of people have been killed and over 121,000 have been displaced by the Saudi air campaign in Yemen.
Hundreds of people have been killed and over 121,000 have been displaced by the Saudi air campaign in Yemen.
Several people threatened the senator sponsoring the bill, who is also a pediatrician, and compared his actions to the Holocaust.
Several people threatened the senator sponsoring the bill, who is also a pediatrician, and compared his actions to the Holocaust.
Isaac Yow and Andrew Crane were enjoying a quiet Sunday in their normally sleepy town when they heard a scream and realized someone was trying to kidnap a child. (Source: KREM/CBS)
SPRAGUE, WA (KREM/CBS) - Two teenagers are being praised as heroes for chasing down a man who tried to abduct a toddler from a park in a normally quiet community.
Isaac Yow and Andrew Crane, both high school freshmen, heard screaming Sunday afternoon and quickly sprang into action.
"It turned into blood-curdling screaming," Yow said.
The two ran over to find a 22-month-old baby boy sitting on the ground, and the child's older sister said a man in his 20s had been chatting with them at the city park. Then he suddenly grabbed the toddler and ran.
Surveillance video from a nearby grocery store showed the suspect trying to get away. About 10 seconds later, the baby's two older siblings ran after him.
The suspect ended up leaving the child a block away.
"It was obvious he had dropped the child in the dirt," Crane said. "There was a big line of dirt across his shoulder."
Crane and Yow first made sure the child was OK. Then, they chased after the suspect.
But by the time they got around the corner, the man was gone.
Officials said they've interviewed several witnesses, but so far, no one has recognized the man.
"I don't consider myself a hero," Yow said. "I just consider myself a person doing the right thing."
Copyright 2015 KREM via CBS. All rights reserved. ||||| He snatched about a two year old baby child! And the
little sister started screaming!
NOW THEY'RE RECEIVING NATIONAL ATTENTION FOR THEIR
ACTIONS.
KXLY'S GRACE DITZLER IS WORKING FOR YOU.
THESE TEENS ARE BEING CALLED HEROES.
BUT HOW DO THEY SEE THEMSELVES? NADINE,
THESE TWO HIGH SCHOOLERS SAY THEY WERE JUST IN THE
RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME, AND THEY HOPE OTHERS
WOULD'VE DONE THE SAME THING TO PROTECT THIS CHILD.
SPRAGUE POLICE ARE STILL LOOKING FOR THE MAN WHO SNATCHED
A 22 MONTH OLD BOY FROM A STROLLER SUNDAY, WHILE THE
CHILD WAS BEING WATCHED BY HIS BABYSITTER IN THE SMALL
TOWN OF SPRAGUE.
FORTUNATELY, WITNESSES WERE THERE TO STOP HIM.
THE YOUNG CHILD'S SISTER STARTED SCREAMING AND RUNNING
AFTER THE BOY.
THATS WHEN 16 YEAR OLD ISAAC YOW AND 15 YEAR OLD
ANDREW CRAIN RAN AFTER HIM.
THE MAN PUT THE CHILD DOWN AND TOOK OFF.
THE BOYS GAVE THE CHILD BACK TO THE SISTER, AND RAN
AFTER THE MAN.
THE SUSPECT GOT AWAY, AND NOWTHE MANHUNT TO FIND HIM
IS SPREADING NATIONWIDE.
THE BOYS SAID WHILE THEY DID WHAT THEY COULD TO HELP,
THEY THINK THE TODDLER'S YOUNG SISTER IS THE REAL
HERO.
i think there's only a slight chance that it was because
of us, i think that little girl played a very large
part in that.
she played the biggest part, because if she wouldn't
have been screaming she wouldnt have known anything
was wrong.
i could've thought the kid got a bloody nose daddy
got worried and ran on home.
ANDREW AND ISAAC SAY THEY'RE THANKFUL THE BOY IS SAFE,
BUT SAY NOW THEIR SMALL TOWN WILL BE FOREVER CHANGED.
nothing happens in sprague, nothing.
the most eventful time of the year is sprague hay
days and even then its probably 50 people, and its
scary to think it happened, and its even scarier to
think of what if his plot succeeded and had actually
gotten away with the boy.
it's something that i dont think anyone wants to think
about
POLICE ARE FOLLOWING LEADS AND ASK ANYONE WITH INFORMATION
ON THE KIDNAPPERS WHEREABOUTS TO COME FORWARD.
THE SUSPECT IS DESCRIBED AS A WHITE MALE WITH A SLEDER
BUILD, POSSIBLY IN HIS MID 20'S WITH SHORT HAIR A
MOUSTACHE.
REPORTING IN STUDIO GRACE DITZLER KXLY 4 NEWS. ||||| A TERRIFYING ORDEAL - YOU'RE WATCHING IT UNFOLD.
A MAN TRIES TO ABDUCT A TODDLER
NOW, POLICE NEED YOUR HELP TRACKING HIM DOWN.
THAT CHILD IS SAFE TONIGHT.
BUT, THE MAN WHO TRIED TO TAKE LITTLE OWEN IS STILL
OUT THERE SOMEWHERE.
THE ABDUCTION ATTEMPT HAPPENED SUNDAY AFTERNOON IN
THE TOWN OF SPRAGUE.
ABOUT 40 MINUTES SOUTHWEST OF SPOKANE.
KXLY4'S ALLIE NORTON, WORKING FOR YOU - WITH HOW YOU
CAN HELP POLICE FIND THIS WOULD-BE KIDNAPPER.
ALLIE?
AARON, NOT TOO MANY WITNESSES IN THIS CASE.
BUT THANKS TO SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS FROM CITY HALL
AND A LOCAL GROCERY STORE.
THE LINCOLN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAS A CLEAR PICTURE
OF THE KIDNAPPER.
THE FATHER OF THE VICTIM IS ASKING ANYONE WITH INFORMATION
TO PASS IT OFF TO AUTHORITIES BEFORE IT HAPPENS TO
ANOTHER CHILD.
IT'S A PHONE CALL NO PARENT WANTS TO RECEIVE: FINDING
OUT THAT YOUR CHILD WAS ALMOST KIDNAPPED.
SOT/ MICHAEL WRIGHT- Victim's Father @:19-:22
You get so nervous.
You're nervous and you can't think straight.
MICHAEL WRIGHT, SAYS HE LEFT HIS THREE KIDS WITH THE
BABYSITTER YESTERDAY WHILE HE WAS AT WORK.
10 OLD YEAR BRENDEN, 8 YEAR OLD DELICIA AND 22 MONTH
OLD OWEN WERE UNSUPERVISED AND PLAYING IN A PARK NEAR
THE SITTER'S HOUSE.
IN A CLOSE-KNIT TOWN OF 500, IT'S USUALLY A SAFE PLACE
FOR CHILDREN, BUT THAT WASN'T THE CASE YESTERDAY.
SOT/ MICHAEL WRIGHT- Victim's Father @:03-:14
I can't explain the feeling, the anxiety and everything
that goes into finding out your children is missing
or something has happened to them.
LINCOLN COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES SAY A MAN SCOOPED
UP OWEN OUT OF THE STROLLER.
SURVEILLANCE VIDEO FROM A GROCERY STORE SHOWS THE
KIDNAPPER RUNNING, CHILD IN ARMS WITH THE SIBLINGS
FOLLOWING.
SOT/ DOROTHY GIDDINGS- Witness @:08-
This little girl come running around the corner screaming
her head off.
DOROTHY GIDDINGS WAS WORKING NEARBY.
SHE SAYS ONCE REALIZED WHAT WAS HAPPENING SHE SENT
HER GRANDSON AND HIS FRIEND TO CHASE THE MAN.
SHE SAYS IT MUST HAVE BEEN AN ACT OF GOD WHEN THE
KIDNAPPER DROPPED LITTLE OWEN IN A VACANT LOT.
SOT/ DOROTHY GIDDINGS- Witness @:41-:50
I told that little girl, I said, 'Honey, you did exactly
what you needed to do scream your head off.' That's
what saved that baby.
her screaming and us running.W11 22
DESPITE THE CHASE, THE KIDNAPPER GOT AWAY.
THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS NOW FOLLOWING UP ON LEADS.
WRIGHT URGES ANYONE WITH INFORMATION TO COME FORWARD,
BEFORE IT CAN HAPPEN TO SOMEONE ELSE.
SOT/ MICHAEL WRIGHT- @:56-:05
I'm remorseful for anybody out there that has to go
through this situation because now that I've done
it, been through it.
I wouldn't wish it on anybody. | – A man who grabbed a 22-month-old boy Sunday from a stroller in Washington state probably didn't think he'd be foiled by the boy's young sister and two teenagers. Owen Wright was being watched by a babysitter at a park when he got snatched, and his 8-year-old sister Delicia started yelling and running after the man and her brother. Isaac Yow, 16, and Andrew Crain, 15, saw what was happening and gave chase. The man put the toddler down and kept running, and after the teens handed the boy to his sister, they kept running, too. The little girl "played the biggest part" in the rescue, Isaac tells KXLY. "If she wouldn't have been screaming, we wouldn't have known nothing was wrong." The suspect got away, but KXLY reports that surveillance cameras in the area managed to get a "clear picture" of the man described as white, possibly in his mid-20s, with a slender build, short hair, and a mustache. Police in Sprague, a town of 500, are searching for him, and the manhunt is spreading across the country. According to 19 Action News, the suspect was talking with the kids and their babysitter at the park before snatching Owen. A local who saw Delicia chasing after her brother (followed by her other brother, 10-year-old Brenden) says she told her, "'Honey, you did exactly what you needed to do: scream your head off.' That's what saved that baby." |
Rep. Paul Ryan, the Republican vice presidential nominee in 2012 and an abortion opponent, said Thursday that anti-abortion activists should try to build a broad coalition and find common ground with supporters of abortion rights as a way to advance their agenda.
Ryan, R-Wis., said in a speech to the Susan B. Anthony List that those who oppose abortion "need to work with people who consider themselves pro-choice _ because our task isn't to purge our ranks. It's to grow them."
"We don't want a country where abortion is simply outlawed. We want a country where it isn't even considered," he said.
Ryan told the organization that seeks to elect women who oppose abortion rights that "labels can be misleading." He pointed to former GOP Sen. Scott Brown, whose 2010 election in Massachusetts nearly derailed President Barack Obama's health care law. Brown supports abortion rights. In contrast, Ryan told the group that former Michigan Rep. Bart Stupak, who opposed abortion, "delivered the votes that passed it into law."
Many opponents of abortion disagreed with the health care overhaul because it requires most employers to cover birth control free of charge to female workers as a preventative service. The law exempted churches and other houses of worship.
Ryan said critics often urge abortion opponents to abandon their beliefs but "that would only demoralize our voters." But he said anti-abortion activists should work with people of all beliefs to plant "flags" in the law _ "small changes that raise questions about abortion."
He said some people who support abortion rights oppose taxpayer funding of abortions or parental notification of minors' abortions. Others, he said, support the reinstatement of the so-called Mexico City policy, which bans American aid from funding abortions. Obama waived the order soon after taking office in 2009.
Marjorie Dannenfelser, the group's president, said it plans to target Senate seats in 2014 held by Democrats Kay Hagan of North Carolina and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, both of whom support abortion rights.
___
Follow Ken Thomas on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AP_Ken_Thomas ||||| Two weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in two highly publicized gay-marriage cases, a majority of Americans continue to say they support same-sex marriage, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
Fifty-three percent of respondents favor allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry, which is up 2 points since the NBC/WSJ survey last asked this question in December, though that increase is within the poll’s margin of error.
Forty-two percent oppose gay marriage – also up 2 points since late last year.
By party, 73 percent of Democrats and 54 percent of independents back gay marriage, while 66 percent of Republicans oppose it.
Strikingly, nearly 8-in-10 respondents (79 percent) say they know or work with someone who is gay or lesbian, which is an increase of 14 points since December and 17 points since 2004.
However, only 15 percent say that knowing or working with someone gay makes them more likely to back same-sex marriage; 4 percent say it makes them less likely to support it, and more than half say it doesn’t make a difference.
Win Mcnamee / Getty Images file photo Equal rights supporters demonstrate in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on March 26, 2013 in Washington, DC. The Supreme Court is hearing arguments March 26, in California's proposition 8, the controversial ballot initiative that defines marriage only between a man and a woman.
These numbers come after numerous Democratic politicians, plus a handful of Republicans, have recently announced their support for gay marriage. They also come as the Supreme Court is expected to decide two different cases this summer – one on the Defense of Marriage Act, a federal law which prohibits the government from recognizing gay marriages performed in states where they are legal, and the other on California’s Proposition 8, which bans gay marriage in that state.
The poll also finds that 63 percent of respondents believe the federal government should recognize same-sex marriages in states where they are legal, and 56 percent think that the question of allowing gay marriage should be left to a federal standard rather than to the states.
In reversal, majority thinks abortion should be illegal
At the same time that general support for gay marriage has increased – albeit within the margin of error – so has opposition to abortion.
According to the survey, a combined 52 percent say that abortion should be illegal either with exceptions or without them, versus a combined 45 percent who say it should be legal either “always” or “most of the time.”
This is a reversal from the NBC/WSJ poll in January, when a majority – for the first time – said abortion should be legal in some form or fashion.
Measuring the values debate
The poll also gauges public sentiment on other questions involving social and moral issues.
Asked to choose what should be a more important goal for society – either promoting greater respect for traditional values or encouraging greater tolerance – 50 percent picked traditional values, and 44 selected greater tolerance.
That’s a significant change from when this question was last asked in 1999, when 60 percent chose traditional values and 29 percent sided with tolerance.
As the Republican Party tries to find their message on gun control in the wake of Newtown and on gay marriage before the Supreme Court rulings this summer, Stuart Stevens, Romney's 2012 campaign manager, offers them some advice.
Notably, this movement toward tolerance comes from Democrats and self-described independents – but not from Republicans. (In 1999, 76 percent of Republicans said promoting traditional values was a more important goal vs. 77 percent say that now.)
In another change, half of respondents (50 percent) say that society’s most serious problems stem primarily from economic and financial pressures.
View full poll results here
But in past NBC/WSJ polls – in 1994 and 1996 – majorities said those problems came mainly from a decline in moral values.
And Americans give the Democratic and Republican parties either mixed or poor marks when it comes to social and cultural issues.
By 47 percent to 22 percent, respondents say they disagree with the GOP’s approach to social and cultural issues, and they disagree with Democrats by a 38-percent-to-37 percent margin.
On the parties’ approach to looking out for the middle class, the numbers are even worse – they disagree with Republicans by 51 percent to 24 percent, and with Democrats by 42 percent to 33 percent.
The NBC/WSJ poll was conducted of 1,000 adults (including 300 cell phone-only respondents) from April 5-8, and it has an overall margin of error of plus-minus 3.1 percentage points. | – Support for gay marriage is up, but the same isn't true for abortion, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. The survey of 1,000 people found 53% in favor of allowing gays and lesbians to marry, up two points since December (it notes the rise is within the poll's margin of error); opposition to gay marriage was also up two points, to 42%. An interesting and substantial jump: 79% said they know or work with someone who is gay, up 14 points since the December poll. But in a big switch from January's poll, the majority has flipped on the subject of abortion: 52% say abortion should be illegal, versus 45% who think it should be legal "always" or "most of the time." In a speech from last night that's getting a bit of buzz, Paul Ryan addressed the issue. The key lines, per the AP: We "need to work with people who consider themselves pro-choice—because our task isn't to purge our ranks. It's to grow them. ... We don't want a country where abortion is simply outlawed. We want a country where it isn't even considered." |
UPDATE: Police said Thursday they have arrested a 23-year-old man in connection with the fatal stabbing of a Greenacres woman.
Wendy Martinez, 35, was jogging Sept. 18 in Washington, D.C. when a man came up and stabbed her multiple times.
Police arrested Anthony Crawford, 23, in connection with the stabbing and have charged him with first-degree murder while armed.
Crawford was taken into custody late Wednesday evening by the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C.
BREAKING: Metro police arrest 23-year-old Anthony Crawford in the murder of Wendy Martinez, a Greenacres woman who was stabbed while jogging in D.C. https://t.co/LBiuE7Pitz @WPTV @WPTVContact5 #Contact5 — Merris Badcock (@MerrisBadcock) September 20, 2018
Martinez was stabbed multiple times on Sept. 18, while jogging near the 1400 block of 11th Street, Northwest, in Washington, D.C.
In a press conference Thursday morning, Washington, D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham said the "unsettling" stabbing appears to be random.
"We believe there was only one person involved in the assault," Newsham told reporters during a press conference. "We do not have any information to suggest that Wendy knew or had any association with the suspect in this case. We also do not have any information at this point to suggest that it was a robbery, so the motive in this case is unknown. "
Newsham described Crawford's criminal history as "extensive," but noted Crawford has no indication of violence in his criminal past. Police are still reviewing Crawford's criminal history and background.
Police located Crawford in a park Wednesday night and brought him in for questioning.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser credited neighbors with the fast arrest. Bowser told reporters "outraged" neighbors gave detectives important information in the crucial hours after Martinez was stabbed. The key information helped detectives quickly put the pieces together.
Crawford was transported to the hospital with a hand injury and described as not being cooperative with police.
EARLIER:
GREENACRES, Fla. - A 35-year-old woman stabbed to death while jogging in Washington, D.C. has ties to Greenacres.
According to Metropolitan Police Department, Wendy Martinez was jogging near the 1400 block of 11th Street, Northwest on Sept. 18, when a man came up and stabbed her multiple times.
Martinez was seen on surveillance video running to a nearby Asian restaurant for help. She was rushed to the hospital but died from her injuries.
Family members tell Contact 5’s Crime Investigator Merris Badcock, Martinez was a marathon runner, and ran in the neighborhood often.
According to family, Martinez grew up in Greenacres and graduated from Lake Worth High School. After graduation she moved to the D.C. area where she went to college and started her career.
Family members provided this photo of Wendy Martinez, one and a half weeks before she was killed.
Recent photos of Martinez show she recently got engaged to her fiancé. A family member who did not want to be identified told Contact 5 they were shocked by what happened. “We were planning a wedding, and now we have to plan a funeral,” the woman said.
Family members say Martinez will be buried in Greenacres, but they have to wait for police to release her body before they can bring her home.
Metro police have released surveillance video of a possible suspect. You can view that video here .
The Metropolitan Police Department currently offers a reward of up to $25,000 to anyone that provides information which leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for any homicide committed in the District of Columbia. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the police at 202-727-9099. Additionally, anonymous information may be submitted to the department’s TEXT TIP LINE by sending a text message to 50411.
UPDATE: Family members of Wendy Martinez are speaking publicly for the first time. Cora Martinez talks about seeing her daughter in her wedding dress just days before she was murdered. https://t.co/LBiuE7Pitz @WPTV @WPTVContact5 #Contact5 pic.twitter.com/Eqbe61GvB3 — Merris Badcock (@MerrisBadcock) September 20, 2018 ||||| A newly-engaged woman was brutally stabbed multiple times while jogging near her Washington, D.C. home Tuesday night.
In a desperate attempt to save her own life, 35-year-old Wendy Karina Martinez stumbled into a local Chinese restaurant covered in her own blood. Once inside, Martinez collapsed prompting customers to rush to her side, Chief of Police Peter Newsham explained during a press conference Wednesday.
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In surveillance footage obtained from the eatery, bystanders can be seen trying to revive Martinez as they waited for EMS to arrive, Chief Newsham said.
Martinez was then transported to a nearby hospital where she was later pronounced dead.
Wendy K. Martinez Facebook
While the investigation is ongoing, Chief Newsham believes it was a “random attack.”
“This is one of those types of unsettling incidents that sometimes happens in large cities, but it seems like a singular incident.”
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Wendy K. Martinez Facebook
The suspect, who was captured by a nearby surveillance camera, can be seen fleeing the scene in what appears to be a mustard-colored sweatshirt.
“The best thing we can do right now is identify the suspect,” Chief Newsham continued. “We will get to the bottom of this.”
The murder weapon — a knife — was recovered near the scene.
Also in the press conference, Chief Newsham described Martinez as an “avid runner” who spent most of her evenings jogging around the city.
In addition to her athleticism, Martinez served as Chief of Staff of FiscalNote, a privately held software, data, and media company headquartered in Washington, D.C.
“The entire FiscalNote family is shocked and deeply saddened to learn that Wendy Martinez, our Chief of Staff, was killed last night,” FiscalNote wrote on Twitter.
“Wendy was an invaluable member of our team and a vibrant member of the community. Our thoughts and prayers are with Wendy’s family and friends.”
Wendy Karina Martinez and Daniel Hincapie Facebook
Martinez was also newly engaged. “Wendy Karina Martinez was the light of our lives. Not only was she an avid runner, but she was a devout Christian, a wonderful friend, and a driven professional,” Martinez’s family said in a statement obtained by NBC 4 Washington.
“Everything you hope that a daughter and a friend would be. She was also excited to be planning her upcoming wedding to her fiancé, Daniel Hincapie. They were engaged just last week.” ||||| Watch Queue Queue
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Related Headlines Police searching for suspect in fatal DC stabbing
- A D.C. woman stabbed during an evening jog near Logan Circle tragically died after getting engaged last week.
Police said 35-year-old Wendy Martinez was randomly attacked just before 8 p.m. Tuesday at 11th Street and P Streets in Northwest D.C. After she was wounded, she tried to run into a Chinese restaurant for help. She was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
RELATED: DC police searching for suspect in Logan Circle deadly stabbing
Martinez was the chief of staff for FiscalNote, a 5-year-old government affairs company that describes itself as on a mission to reinvent the way organizations around the world understand the bigger picture.
Company officials declined to speak with FOX 5, but issued a statement saying:
“The entire FiscalNote family is shocked and deeply saddened to learn that Wendy Martinez, our Chief of Staff, was killed last night. Wendy was an invaluable member of our team and a vibrant member of the community. Our thoughts and prayers are with Wendy’s family and friends.”
In a recent profile on thebridgework.com, she was asked how she likes to unwind after work. She told the interviewer that she could be found running around the city or working up a sweat at her favorite local studio.
Her LinkedIn resume said she attended the University of Florida and Georgetown University and speaks three languages. She previously worked for the Inter-American Development Bank.
On her Twitter account, she recently retweeted a photo of herself volunteering at DC Central Kitchen. In her profile, she describes herself as a “Believer in doing well by doing good.”
“We are deeply saddened by this senseless tragedy," Martinez's family said in a statement. "Wendy Karina Martinez was the light of our lives. Not only was she an avid runner, but she was a devout Christian, a wonderful friend, and a driven professional. Everything you hope that a daughter and a friend could be. She was also excited to be planning her upcoming wedding to her fiancé, Daniel Hincapie. They were engaged just last week.
“We ask that you respect our privacy as we grieve the passing of her beautiful soul and inform her friends and family of this terrible news. We also want to encourage the community to please contact the police with any information that may lead to finding justice for Wendy. The hotline number to call is 202-727-9099.
"Simply put, Wendy was fearfully and wonderfully made! Now we know she has found the one whom her soul loved. (Song of Solomon 3:4)"
Police are searching for one suspect in the vicious stabbing. Officials said the suspect is described as a male wearing a mustard-colored shirt, dark-colored pants, white socks and sandals. He fled the scene heading south on 11th Street following the stabbing. | – Police in Washington, DC, are hunting a man believed to have stabbed a woman to death in an apparently random attack. Police say 35-year-old Wendy Karina Martinez was jogging near her home in northwest DC around 8pm Tuesday night when she was fatally stabbed by a man in a mustard-colored shirt, People reports. She managed to get to a nearby Chinese restaurant where she collapsed, bleeding from a wound to the neck. Patrons were unable to save Martinez, who was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. Martinez, chief of staff at government affairs company FiscalNote, was an avid runner who regularly spent her evenings jogging around the city. DC Chief of Police Peter Newsham described the neighborhood as "very safe" and told reporters the killing "is more likely a random act than anything else but we’re going to look at all possibilities." He said police have recovered what they believe is the murder weapon. In a statement, her family described her as "a devout Christian, a wonderful friend, and a driven professional" who got engaged just a week ago, Fox 5 reports. "We were planning a wedding, and now we have to plan a funeral," a relative in Greenacres, Fla., where Martinez grew up, tells WPTV. Police have released surveillance video of the suspected attacker. |
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||||| The federal government is by far the nation's biggest land owner, holding 640 million acres of purple mountains, fruited plains and amber waves of grain in the name of the American public.
But over the past decade, the nation's wealthiest private landowners have been laying claim to ever-larger tracts of the countryside, according to data compiled by the Land Report, a magazine about land ownership in America.
In 2007, according to the Land Report, the nation's 100 largest private landowners owned a combined 27 million acres of land — equivalent to the area of Maine and New Hampshire combined.
A decade later, the 100 largest landowners have holdings of 40.2 million acres, an increase of nearly 50 percent. Their holdings are equivalent in area to the entirety of New England, minus Vermont.
Those rising numbers represent “the growing appeal of land as an asset class,” said Eric O'Keefe, editor of the Land Report, in an interview.
The stock market has been on a tear in recent years, and some wealthy individuals have been looking to cash out and park their assets in a safe place. That's where land comes in. Paper fortunes appear and vanish in the span of days on Wall Street, but land isn't going anywhere.
Investors are particularly interested in productive land — property that can be used to raise cattle, mine minerals, produce timber or grow crops. That's because when the Dow Jones industrial average lost over half its value between 2007 and 2009, over that same period “productive land correction was less than five percent,” according to O'Keefe.
Like stocks, income and wealth in general, land ownership is tightly concentrated among the upper class. According to a recent working paper by New York University economist Edward Wolff, in 2016 the wealthiest 1 percent of households owned 40 percent of the nation's non-home real estate, while the next 9 percent of households owned another 42 percent.
That left the remaining 90 percent of households owning just 18 percent of the country's non-home real estate.
A 2015 paper by the Bureau of Economic Analysis estimated that the total value of land in the Lower 48 states was roughly $23 trillion in 2009, with $1.8 trillion of that value owned by the federal government.
The nation's largest private landowner is telecom baron John Malone, with 2.2 million acres — an area considerably larger than the state of Delaware — to his name in 2017. Ted Turner is No. 2 on the list, with an even 2 million acres.
O'Keefe says that one common thread among the nation's top private landowners is sports team ownership. Malone and Turner have both owned the Atlanta Braves, while No. 4 landowner Stan Kroenke, with 1.38 million acres, owns the Denver Nuggets, the Colorado Avalanche and the Los Angeles Rams.
Back in 2008, you needed about 76,000 acres to appear in the Land Report's list of the top 100 landowners. Today the cutoff is nearly double, 145,000 acres. The median holdings of the top 100 landowners rose from 160,000 acres to 250,000 acres over that time period.
Part of that increase, O'Keefe says, reflects improvements in data collection and availability. His staff scours property records, tax rolls, corporate filings and real estate listings, among other sources, to produce the annual list. Many wealthy individuals shield their purchases via trusts, shell companies and other corporate structures, making ownership difficult to ascertain in some cases.
“Most people have no idea that there's this market in these huge pieces of America,” O'Keefe said. Properties currently on the market include the Agua Fria Ranch in Texas, where $15.2 million will get you 23,482 acres, including “almost the entire Agua Fria Mountain range.” (Alternatively, with the same amount of money you could buy a single condo in Brooklyn).
Other enormous chunks of land currently for sale include 24 mountain peaks outside Salt Lake City for $39 million (price recently reduced), a 7,000-acre Georgia estate on the market for the first time in the history of the republic, and T. Boone Pickens's Mesa Vista ranch in Texas, where $250 million will net you 64,000 acres of the Texas Panhandle.
For most Americans, land isn't a financial necessity the way income or even wealth is, so we give little thought to the massive tracts of countryside trading hands every year.
“Eighty percent of us live on 3 percent of the United States,” O'Keefe said. “Large swaths of privately owned land are beyond comprehension because they are simply beyond the horizon.” | – The list may not have the same cachet as the Forbes list of richest Americans, but it's an interesting look at an often overlooked aspect of US wealth. The Land Report is out with its annual list of the 100 largest private landholders in America, and sitting on top is a man who made his fortune in the telecom business. Liberty Media Chairman John Malone has 2.2 million acres across the US, spread across several states from coast to coast. The Washington Post highlights a rich-are-getting-richer component of the list: In 2007, the 100 biggest landowners collectively had 27 million acres. In 2017, that total is 40.2 million acres, roughly the equivalent of New England, without Vermont. The Post sees the growing interest in land acquisition as a more stable investment for investors who don't want to be at the mercy of the stock market. The top 10 follow. |
WILSON, N.C. (AP) — The crew of a truck carrying a load of gold bars had just pulled off the interstate in North Carolina when, the two men told police, a seemingly ordinary episode of carsickness turned into a multimillion-dollar heist.
Wilson County Sheriff's Deputies investigate an area near Interstate 95, Monday, March 2, 2015, in Wilson, N.C. Armed robbers hijacked an armored truck, tied up the two guards and disappeared with 275... (Associated Press)
This image released Wednesday, March 4, 2015, by the Wilson County, N.C. Sheriff's Office, shows a composite sketch by investigators of one of the suspects in a heist of millions of dollars in gold bars... (Associated Press)
Wilson County Sheriff's Deputies investigate an area near Interstate 95, Monday, March 2, 2015, in Wilson, N.C. Armed robbers hijacked an armored truck, tied up the two guards and disappeared with 275... (Associated Press)
Wilson County Sheriff's Deputies investigate an area near Interstate 95, Monday, March 2, 2015, in Wilson, N.C. Armed robbers hijacked an armored truck, tied up the two guards and disappeared with 275... (Associated Press)
This image released Wednesday, March 4, 2015, by the Wilson County, N.C. Sheriff's Office, shows a composite sketch by investigators of one of the suspects in a heist of millions of dollars in gold bars... (Associated Press)
Three days later, authorities said they were suspicious that Sunday's roadside robbery might have been an inside job.
As soon as the guards stopped on the shoulder because one of them wasn't feeling well, three robbers drove up in a cargo van and confronted them at gunpoint, yelling "Policia!" and ordering the crew to lie on the ground. The robbers tied their hands behind their backs and marched them into nearby woods, authorities said.
The thieves then set out orange traffic cones while they gathered up 275 pounds of gold bars worth $4.8 million and fled, leaving the two guards stranded along Interstate 95 as drivers zoomed by.
On Wednesday, authorities released search warrants in which detectives raised questions about the initial accounts of the heist.
"The fact that the truck was robbed immediately upon pulling over at an unannounced stop is suspicious in and of itself," the warrant stated, adding that the truck had no external markings indicating the cargo. The warrant said the suspects tried to steal the truck but could not get it started, indicating they did not know how to operate a commercial truck.
At a news conference, Wilson County Sheriff Calvin Woodard said the guards were still considered victims, not suspects, but that all possibilities were being investigated.
Asked to elaborate on the warrants that were filed the day after the heist, the sheriff said the documents were written in a hurry before the victims, who spoke little English, could be thoroughly interviewed in Spanish.
The strange scene unfolded around dusk Sunday in a rural area about 50 miles east of Raleigh.
Earlier in the day, the guards had stopped for gas in Dillon, South Carolina, near the North Carolina line. As they kept driving, one of them started to feel sick and said he smelled gas, Woodard said.
However, after deputies arrived, a mechanic found no problems with the truck, the sheriff said.
The guards got out of the tractor-trailer without their guns, according to the sheriff, who said it was a company security violation to leave the truck without their weapons.
Woodard said that the robbers cut a padlock, but there were no other security measures to stop them.
When the robbers were gone, the guards drew the attention of startled motorists, several of whom called 911 to report seeing uniformed men running into the highway with their hands bound, motioning for help.
"They've got their hands zip-tied behind their backs, and they're out in the road to try to flag people down to call the police," one caller said.
The caller described the scene to the dispatcher and waited in his car for at least 12 minutes for officers to arrive, according to recordings released by Wilson County authorities.
The man told the dispatcher he did not feel safe leaving his vehicle. One of the guards can be heard trying to relate details though his window.
The heist happened hours after the truck left Miami for a town south of Boston.
Neither guard was injured, according to their employer, Miami-based Transvalue Inc., which specializes in transporting cash, precious metals, gems and jewelry. A Transvalue spokeswoman declined to comment.
The company has offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
A woman who saw the guards walking into the road with their hands tied did not feel safe stopping.
"It's dark. It's raining, and they're walking in the middle of the road," she said. "I didn't know what to do." ||||| Police suspect that the alleged armed robbery of a truck transporting bars of gold in North Carolina was an inside job as more details about the highway heist have emerged, according to search warrant application that was obtained by ABC News.
Three suspects allegedly stole $4.8 million-worth of gold after one of the two armed guards -- the driver and another man, both inside the truck's cabin -- said that he felt sick and prompted the driver to pull over, Wilson County Sheriff Calvin Woodard Jr. told reporters today.
That account is different from what was presented in the first police report on the case, which said that a mechanical issue caused the truck's driver to pull over.
“There is suspicion at this time that this could be an inside job due to the circumstances of the robbery," a Wilson County Sheriff’s Office detective wrote in a search warrant application to get access to one of the guards' cell phones, one of two search warrants in the case obtained today.
"The fact that the truck was robbed immediately upon it pulling over at an unannounced stop is suspicious in and of itself," the document added. "It is also suspicious because there are no markings on the side of the truck that would indicate the type of cargo contained therein. The suspects also went directly to the trailer and found the gold which was in unmarked five gallon buckets. It is not believed that this is a random act due to the nature and facts of this robbery."
The second search warrant application was to get access to the truck and the trailer it was pulling.
Woodard told reporters today that the case was "suspicious," but declined to reiterate the theory expressed in the search warrant that the robbery could have been an inside job.
WTVD
Woodard shared sketches of the three suspects who allegedly bound the hands of the driver and the passenger, and a photo of a traffic cone that was placed behind the truck as the suspects allegedly removed the gold from the vehicle after breaking a lock on the back. The traffic cone had the marking of a company that only does work in Florida.
WTVD
The truck was bringing gold and silver to Bridgewater, Massachusetts, and being driven on I-95 by armed guards employed by a Miami-based company, TransValue Inc., Woodard said.
One of the search warrants states that approximately $5 million-worth of silver was left in the truck, meaning that when the truck left Miami on Sunday morning, it had close to $10 million in metals inside the back compartment, which, the sheriff said, was protected solely by a Master lock on the door.
"The suspects attempted to steal the truck and trailer but could not get the truck started," according to one of the search warrants. "The truck was in proper working condition so the suspects had to [have] not been experienced in the operation of a commercial motor vehicle. The suspects loaded the gold in the minivan and fled the scene."
WTVD
The metal was owned by Republic Metals Corporation in Opalocka, Florida, according to a search warrant. The company did not immediately respond to a call seeking comment.
The police said they were seeking a search warrant for the phones of the armed guard who felt sick because of the suspicious nature of the case, but Woodard said at today's news conference that the driver and the passenger have not been considered suspects. Both men have been interviewed separately several times by police, Woodard added.
Woodard noted that the driver and the passenger apparently violated their company’s policies by exiting the vehicle without their firearms and leaving the firearms inside the truck. | – Did three armed robbers in a van just happen to be passing when a truck carrying gold bars pulled over on an isolated stretch of Interstate 95 on Sunday? According to search warrants seen by ABC News, investigators in North Carolina think the $4.8 million highway heist may have been an inside job. "The fact that the truck was robbed immediately upon it pulling over at an unannounced stop is suspicious in and of itself," one document states. "It is also suspicious because there are no markings on the side of the truck that would indicate the type of cargo contained therein." According to Wilson County Sheriff Calvin Woodard Jr., the two guards say they pulled over after one began to feel carsick, not because of mechanical problems as earlier reported. At a press conference yesterday, Woodard told reporters that while every possibility is still being considered, the guards are currently considered victims, not suspects, and the search warrants were written before the men could be thoroughly interviewed in Spanish, the AP reports. According to the sheriff, the guards violated TransValue company rules by getting out of the truck without their guns. Police have also released 911 calls made after the heist, when the guards tried to flag down motorists after the robbers had taken off with the gold bars, WNCN reports. "There's a couple guys that look like they have their hands zip-tied behind their backs," one caller says. "They look like they have some sort of guard uniform on." |
NEW YORK (AP) — Police say a New York City man shoved a candy bar in the face of another man and then repeatedly punched him in an apparently random attack.
Court papers show Eliexer Reyes has been charged with misdemeanor assault following his arrest in the Times Square subway station Tuesday night.
Artist Ian Sklarsky tells Gothamist the 35-year-old Reyes was unprovoked when he shoved a Snickers bar in his face and mouth.
After police say the 33-year-old Sklarsky asked Reyes what was wrong with him, Reyes then repeatedly punched him in the face during a scuffle.
They say Sklarsky suffered pain, a cut lip and a bruised nose.
Reyes' attorney didn't immediately comment on the charges. |||||
Sklarsky at the police station on Tuesday night, after the assault (via Sklarsky)
Bushwick artist Ian Sklarsky says that he was waiting for the Q train at 42nd Street shortly after midnight on Tuesday, when a man walked up and punched him in the face with a partially-unwrapped Snickers bar, shoving the candy into his mouth.
The assailant walked away, but turned back when Sklarsky called out in surprise. A scuffle ensued, and Sklarsky says he was punched five more times.
"It was so out of the blue," Sklarsky told us yesterday, recovering from what amounted to a black left eye, bruised nose, and two split lips. "All of a sudden he shoved it into my face, and in my mouth. It was kind of a face punch of sorts, but with a candy bar."
Sklarsky, who specializes in pen-and-watercolor "blind contour" drawinga method where the artist draws lines without looking at the paperwas headed home to Bushwick when the incident occurred. He had just seen a short Alan Cumming film at the Living Room in the W Hotel in Times Square. "I had a great night," he recalled. "I saw Bernadette Peters. It was wonderful."
Sklarsky says that there were about a dozen people on the train platform who witnessed the incident, and didn't intervene.
"I did a lot of grabbing at him, trying to hold him down," he added. Sklarsky denied throwing any return punches, but said that he held the candy-puncher down in an effort to "keep him there so security or police got there, but no one did." He continued to scuffle with the man up an adjacent set of stairs. At the top, Sklarsky said, "he punched me a few more times" before running away.
Sklarsky learned after the fact that a witness had called 911.
According to the NYPD, Eliexer Reyes, 35, was arrested in conjunction with the attack, at about 12:40 a.m. Reyes, who police say resides at 450 Lexington Avenue in Bed-Stuy, has since been charged with assault to cause injury and disorderly conduct. Sklarsky said he has no connection to Reyes.
Sklarsky, who has lived in New York City since 2010, says he is moving to South Africa in a few months. "I was like, fuck," he said. "My whole New York experience has been great. You hear stories about what happens in the city, but now it's a story that's happened to me."
UPDATE: The NYPD confirmed that Reyes, who is currently incarcerated with $500 bail, has been arrested for punching individuals in the past. In October of 2009 Reyes punched an individual in the face at 300 Skillman Avenue in East Williamsburg. And in 2012, he was arrested for punching an acquaintance in the face at 609 West 174th Street.
Reyes also violated an order of protection against an elderly person in January of 2013, and in March of that year he was arrested for smashing the back windshield of a Mitsubishi Galant with his fist and a metal lock. When officers arrested him, they found an iPhone 4 in his possession that had been stolen earlier that day. | – "It was so out of the blue," the alleged victim of a very strange assault tells the Gothamist. "All of a sudden he shoved it into my face, and in my mouth. It was kind of a face punch of sorts, but with a candy bar." The speaker is Brooklyn artist Ian Sklarsky—currently nursing a black eye, bruised nose, and split lips, and the assault weapon is a Snickers bar—apparently randomly shoved in Sklarsky's piehole as he waited for the Q train after midnight Tuesday. Sklarsky says he asked his attacker what was wrong with him, per the AP, and the man returned and repeatedly punched him in the face. Police have arrested fellow Brooklynite Eliexer Reyes, 35, and charged him with assault and disorderly conduct. Reyes has twice been arrested for punching other people, notes the Gothamist. He's jailed on $500 bail. |
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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 ||||| Filmmaker Michael Moore on Thursday called for the release of all blacks jailed on drug sentences to be released, and for the police to be disarmed.
“Here’s my demand: I want every African-American currently incarcerated for drug ‘crimes’ or non-violent offenses released from prison today,” Moore tweeted.
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“Next demand: Disarm the police,” he continued.
Moore’s tweets were in response to the rioting in Baltimore earlier this week, which was triggered by the death in police custody of a 25-year-old black man.
“We have ¼ billion 2nd Amendment guns in our homes 4 protection,” Moore wrote. “We’ll survive til the right cops r hired.”
The “Fahrenheit 9/11” director additionally accused national law enforcement of practicing racial discrimination against blacks.
“And the rest who r imprisoned – I don’t believe 50 percent did what they’re accused of,” Moore tweeted.
“Lies, greed, a modern day slave system,” he added. “Poor whites 2.”
Moore argued “local cops now militarized” upheld this system of oppression. This status quo, he continued, undermines America’s deepest values.
“Founding Fathers said NO army policing our soil,” the filmmaker charged.
“Why do cops have tanks?” he asked. “Oh right – the Enemy: The Black Man.”
Moore also listed a summary of alleged grievances perpetrated by police departments against minority communities, especially blacks.
“Imprison u, shoot u, sever your spine, crush your larynx, send u to war, keep u poor, call u a thug, not let u vote,” he tweeted.
“But u can sing for us,” Moore finished.
The director’s screed was in response to violent protests in Baltimore earlier this week.
Riots erupted Monday over the death of Freddie Gray. Baltimore police on Tuesday arrested 235 people after confrontations in the streets.
The city additionally imposed a curfew between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. that will last through the end of the week. | – Michael Moore isn't big on incremental solutions. In a series of tweets today that keep gathering steam, Moore called for the disarming of police and for the release of all black prisoners jailed for drug crimes or non-violent offenses, reports the Hill. He likened prison to a "modern day slave system." Three of the tweets: "Imprison u, shoot u, sever your spine, crush your larynx, send u to war, keep u poor, call u a thug, not let u vote. But u can sing for us." "Here's my demand: I want every African-American currently incarcerated for drug 'crimes; or nonviolent offenses released from prison today." "Next demand: Disarm the police. We have a 1/4 billion 2nd amendment guns in our homes 4 protection. We'll survive til the right cops r hired" The reaction is coming down pretty much the way you'd expect, with Moore's fans and enemies retweeting in a frenzy. Conservative site The Blaze makes sure to highlight this tweeted response from Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke Jr.: "Start pilot project by doing it in his neighborhood. Set up transitional inmate housing where he lives." |
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The BBC's Milton Nkosi says up to seven people were killed
Police in South Africa have opened fire during clashes with striking workers at the Marikana platinum mine, leaving at least 12 people dead, witnesses say.
Police opened fire after miners carrying machetes, clubs and spears refused to disarm, eyewitnesses said.
A witness told the BBC he saw 18 bodies on the ground after the shooting.
The mine, owned by Lonmin, has been at the centre of a violent pay dispute, exacerbated by tensions between two rival trade unions.
Ten people had previously died in violence since the strike began last Friday.
The striking miners had gathered on a rocky hill overlooking Marikana, the third-largest platinum mine in the world.
Image copyright Reuters Image caption Several injured people were treated at the scene after the violence
Union leaders and police had tried in vain to disperse the crowd, some of whom said they were prepared to die on the hill.
During the clashes, missiles - thought to be either petrol bombs or grenades - were thrown at police, who responded by opening fire, eyewitnesses said.
Reports said a group of miners had approached police lines before the shooting began.
One witness, Molaole Montsho, of the South African news agency Sapa, told the BBC police had first used tear gas in an attempt to disperse the miners.
"The police threatened with them water from the water cannon, fired tear gas and stun grenades. And then in the commotion - we were about 800m (2,600ft) from the scene - we heard gunshots that lasted for about two minutes," he said.
He also said he had counted 18 bodies lying on the ground after the gunfire, but could not tell whether they were dead or alive.
'Illegal gatherings'
The police ministry acknowledged that there had been deaths, but defended the police's actions.
"To protest is a legal and constitutional right of any citizen," spokesman Zweli Mnisi told the AFP news agency in a text message.
"However, these rights do not imply that people should be barbaric, intimidating and hold illegal gatherings. We had a situation where people who were armed to the teeth attacked and killed other."
President Jacob Zuma said he was "shocked and dismayed at this senseless violence".
"We call upon the labour movement and business to work with government to arrest the situation before it deteriorates any further," said Mr Zuma.
"I have instructed law enforcement agencies to do everything possible to bring the situation under control and to bring the perpetrators of violence to book."
The recent violence was initially thought to have been triggered by a turf war between the long-established National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the newly-formed Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU), which is more militant.
However, the AMCU has since demanded a pay rise of 12,000 rand ($1,500; £930) per month.
Lonmin said in a statement on Thursday that the strike was illegal and that any striking workers who did not return to work by Friday would be sacked.
The company said it had missed six days of production as a result of the unrest, and estimated it would lose around 2% of its normal yearly output of saleable platinum. The company's share price dropped by more than 6% on Thursday on the London Stock Exchange.
The violence has shocked South Africans, with many finding the scenes reminiscent of how the apartheid regime dealt with protests, the BBC's Milton Nkosi in Johannesburg reports. ||||| South African police opened fire Thursday on a crowd of striking workers at a platinum mine, leaving an unknown number of people injured and possibly dead. Motionless bodies lay on the ground in pools of blood.
Police surround the bodies of striking miners after opening fire on a crowd at the Lonmin Platinum Mine near Rustenburg, South Africa, Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012. An unknown number of people have been killed... (Associated Press)
Bodies of striking miners lay on the ground after police opened fire on a crowd at the Lonmin Platinum Mine near Rustenburg, South Africa, Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012. South African police opened fire Thursday... (Associated Press)
Police moved in on striking workers who gathered near the Lonmin PLC mine Thursday afternoon after urging them to give up their weapons and go home to their hostels and shacks. Some did leave, though others carrying weapons began war chants and soon started marching toward the township near the mine, said Molaole Montsho, a journalist with the South African Press Association who was at the scene.
The police opened up with a water cannon first, then used stun grenades and tear gas to try and break up the crowd, Montsho said. Suddenly, gunfire broke out.
On TV footage, a volley of intense gunfire from among the police ranks could be heard, with dozens of shots fired. The police were armed with automatic rifles and pistols.
Images broadcast by private television broadcaster e.tv showed the gunfire ending with police officers shouting: "Cease fire!" By that time, bodies were lying in the dust, some pouring blood. Another image showed some miners, their eyes wide, looking in the distance at heavily armed police officers in riot gear.
It was an astonishing development in a country that has been a model of stability since racist white rule ended with South Africa's first all-race elections in 1994. The shooting recalled images of white police firing at anti-apartheid protesters in the 1960s and 1970s, but in this case it was mostly black police firing at black mine workers.
Police Capt. Dennis Adriao, a spokesman for the officers at the mine, declined to immediately comment. Jeff Wicks, a spokesman for private ambulance company Netcare Ltd. that was standing by at the mine, also declined to comment.
Barnard O. Mokwena, an executive vice president at Lonmin, would say only: "It's a police operation." Lonmin is the world's third largest platinum producer
In a statement earlier Thursday, Lonmin had said striking workers would be sacked if they did not appear at their shifts Friday.
"The striking (workers) remain armed and away from work," the statement read. "This is illegal."
The unrest at the Lonmin mine began Aug. 10, as some 3,000 workers walked off the job over pay in what management described as an illegal strike. Those who tried to go to work on Saturday were attacked, management and the National Union of Mineworkers said.
On Sunday, the rage became deadly as a crowd killed two security guards by setting their car ablaze, authorities said. By Monday, angry mobs killed two other workers and overpowered police, killing two officers, officials said. Officers opened fire that day, killing three others, police said.
Tuesday and Wednesday, thousands of miners had gathered at a rocky cliff within sight of the mine's smelter. They cheered, sang and marched around with machetes and clubs under the watchful eye of police officers in armored trucks. Some leaders of the miners spoke with the police and largely followed their instructions, breaking up the protest as dusk fell.
Operations appeared to come to a standstill Tuesday as workers stayed away from the mines, where 96 percent of all Lonmin's platinum production comes from. The stoppage has spooked those investing in Lonmin. Stock in Lonmin plunged 6.91 percent in trading Thursday afternoon on the London Stock Exchange.
While the walkout appeared to be about wages, the ensuing violence has been fueled by the struggles between the dominant National Union of Mineworkers and the upstart Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union. Disputes between the two unions escalated into violence earlier this year at another mine.
Both unions have blamed each other for the strife at the mine at Marikana, about 70 kilometers (40 miles) northwest of Johannesburg.
___
Associated Press writer Emoke Bebiak in Johannesburg contributed to this report. ||||| MARIKANA, South Africa South African police opened fire on striking miners armed with machetes and sticks at Lonmin's Marikana platinum mine on Thursday, killing at least a dozen men in scenes that evoked comparisons with apartheid-era brutality.
In the incident, filmed by Reuters television, officers opened up with automatic weapons on a group of men who emerged from behind a vehicle and started loping towards police lines.
The volley of bullets threw up clouds of dust, which cleared to reveal bodies lying on the ground.
President Jacob Zuma said he was "shocked and dismayed" at what appeared to be one of the bloodiest police operations since the end of white-minority rule in 1994 in Africa's biggest economy.
"I have instructed law enforcement agencies to do everything possible to bring the situation under control and to bring the perpetrators of violence to book," he said in a statement.
Police have refused to confirm the death toll from the operation to disperse 3,000 protesting drill operators who had massed on a rocky outcrop near the mine, 100 km (60 miles) northwest of Johannesburg.
"The police, in order to protect their own lives and in self-defense, were forced to engage the group with force," they said in a statement. "This resulted in several individuals being fatally wounded, and others injured."
The police ministry said that the officers acted as they did only after first trying to peacefully disperse the crowd.
"The minister is of the view that given the volatility of the situation, police did their best," the minister's spokesman Zweli Mnisi said in a text message. "What should police do in such situations when clearly what they are faced with are armed and hardcore criminals who murder police?"
A Reuters photo showed a dozen corpses lying on a patch of sandy ground, while a spokeswoman from the opposition Democratic Alliance said the overall toll could be as high as 38. The SAPA news agency said one of its reporters had counted 18 bodies.
World platinum prices leapt as much as $30 an ounce - more than 2 percent - to a six-day high as the extent of the violence became apparent in the country with 80 percent of known reserves.
Leaders of the radical Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU), which was representing most of the strikers, accused police of a massacre.
"There was no need whatsoever for these people to be killed like that," General Secretary Jeffrey Mphahlele told Reuters.
Some commentators likened the scenes to apartheid-era footage of ranks of police opening fire on crowds of protesters in black townships.
"I cannot think of a confrontation between protesters and police since 1994 that has taken place along these lines," said Nic Borain, an independent political analyst.
"PREPARED TO DIE"
Before the start of the operation by hundreds of police, officials said several days of talks with AMCU leaders had broken down, leaving no option but to use force to break the crowd, which had triggered the closure of the mine.
"Today is unfortunately D-day," police spokesman Dennis Adriao said.
Prior to Thursday, 10 people - including two policemen - had died in nearly a week of fighting between rival worker factions at the mine, the latest platinum plant to be hit by an eight-month union turf war.
The Marikana strikers have not made their demands explicit, although much of the bad blood stems from AMCU's challenge to the two-decade dominance of the National Union of Mineworkers, a close ally of Zuma's ruling African National Congress.
Before the police advance, AMCU president Joseph Mathunjwa, whose organization has been on a big recruitment push in South Africa's platinum mines, said there would be bloodshed if police moved in.
"We're going nowhere," he shouted through a loud-hailer, to cheers from the crowd. "If need be, we're prepared to die here."
The unrest has forced Marikana's London-headquartered owner to halt production at all its South African operations, which account for 12 percent of global platinum output.
Lonmin said it had lost the equivalent of 15,000 ounces of platinum from the six-day disruption, and was unlikely to meet its full-year production target of 750,000 ounces.
Its shares fell to a four-year low, losing 6.7 percent in London and 7.3 percent in Johannesburg. In all, they have shed more than 13 percent since the unrest started at the weekend.
At least three people were killed in a similar round of fighting in January that led to a six-week closure of the world's largest platinum mine, run nearby by Impala Platinum. That helped push the platinum price up 15 percent.
Despite South Africa's dominance of the platinum sector, rising power and labor costs and a sharp drop in the price of the precious metal this year have left many mines struggling to keep their heads above water.
(Additional reporting by Johannesburg bureau; Writing by Ed Cropley; Editing by Pascal Fletcher and Myra MacDonald) | – The death toll has risen to at least 17 in a week of clashes tied to a miners' strike in South Africa, the AP reports. At least seven people were killed after police fired at striking miners today. Officers, accompanied by armored vehicles, were setting up barbed wire near a platinum mine today as 3,000 workers protested. Details of what followed are murky: Reuters suggests that officers fired after several men appeared from behind a vehicle; the BBC cites reports that the machete-wielding protesters had ignored orders to drop their weapons. Some type of projectiles—possibly grenades—were reportedly hurled at the police before the shooting. While the BBC reports seven dead, South African news says 18 bodies were found on the ground. Talks between police and the leaders of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union, which backed most the strikers, yielded no progress, police say, forcing them to resort to force. "Today was, unfortunately, D-Day," said one. The violence comes amid a conflict between the more radical AMCU and the longstanding National Union of Mineworkers. |
Safe Cities Index: Security in a rapidly urbanising world
Safe Cities Index 2017 The paper analyses the results of the 2017 index, both overall and by each of the four categories: digital security, health security, infrastructure security, and personal security. Additional insight into the index results and urban safety, more generally, was gained through interviews with experts. Download PDF Download XLS PDF 日本語
About the report
The Safe Cities Index 2017 is a report from The Economist Intelligence Unit sponsored by NEC. The report is based on the second iteration of the index, which ranks 60 cities across 49 indicators covering digital security, health security, infrastructure security and personal security.
The index was devised and constructed by Chris Clague, Stefano Scuratti and Ruth Chiah. The report was written by Sarah Murray and edited by Chris Clague. Findings from the index were supplemented with wide-ranging research and in-depth interviews with experts in the field. Our thanks are due to the following people (listed alphabetically by surname) for their time and insights:
Nathalie Alvarado , citizen security lead specialist, Inter-American Development Bank
, citizen security lead specialist, Inter-American Development Bank Alan Brill , managing director, Kroll Cyber Security
, managing director, Kroll Cyber Security David Buck , senior fellow, public health and inequalities, The King’s Fund
, senior fellow, public health and inequalities, The King’s Fund Elizabeth Johnston , executive director, European Forum for Urban Security and executive director, French Forum for Urban Security
, executive director, European Forum for Urban Security and executive director, French Forum for Urban Security Dan Lewis , chief, Urban Risk Reduction Unit and head, City Resilience Profiling Programme, UN Habitat
, chief, Urban Risk Reduction Unit and head, City Resilience Profiling Programme, UN Habitat Mitchell Moss , professor of urban policy and planning, and director, Rudin Center for Transportation, New York University
, professor of urban policy and planning, and director, Rudin Center for Transportation, New York University Robert Muggah , co-founder, Igarapé Institute
, co-founder, Igarapé Institute Brian Nussbaum , assistant professor, Department of Public Administration and Policy, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs, State University of New York at Albany
, assistant professor, Department of Public Administration and Policy, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs, State University of New York at Albany Michael Nutter , professor of professional practice in urban and public affairs, Columbia University
, professor of professional practice in urban and public affairs, Columbia University Michael O’Hanlon , senior fellow in Foreign Policy, Brookings Institution
, senior fellow in Foreign Policy, Brookings Institution Jacqueline Poh , chief executive office, GovTech Singapore
, chief executive office, GovTech Singapore John Rossant , chairman, New Cities Foundation
, chairman, New Cities Foundation Ana Diez Roux , dean and professor of epidemiology, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University
, dean and professor of epidemiology, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University Dan Smith, director, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
Executive summary
In many respects it’s the very success of cities, in their role as global social and economic hubs, that makes them more vulnerable. As rural residents head for the city in developing countries—which for purposes here we define as non-OECD countries, with the exception of Singapore—and wealthy global capitals draw in international talent, vast demographic shifts are creating cities with previously unimagined population sizes. In 2016, there were 31 megacities—cities with more than 10m inhabitants. This is projected to rise to 41 by 2030.1
And size matters. While cities generate economic activity, the security challenges they face expand and intensify as their populations rise. These include growing pressure on housing supply (prompting the spread of slums) and services such as healthcare, transport, and water and power infrastructure.
Man-made risks are also growing. As tragic recent events in European cities such as London, Paris and Barcelona have demonstrated, high profile, wealthy urban centres are becoming targets for terrorist activities. And as income divides widen, growing inequalities can create tensions that contribute to violent outbursts such as the 2011 London riots.
Meanwhile, another major shift has come to the fore: the rapid deployment of digital technologies in pursuit of the so-called “smart city”. The technologies no doubt bring benefits. As part of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, sensors collect and wirelessly transmit data from physical objects, delivering new insights into city operations and permitting remote and more efficient management of infrastructure and services. Connecting apartments and office buildings to the electricity grid via smart meters, for example, delivers energy efficiency and cost savings.
And with the spread of closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs) and webcams around cities, technologies such as artificial intelligence and data analytics can greatly enhance the capabilities of law enforcement agencies to combat urban crime and terrorism.
Yet the rush to embrace smart city technologies also creates vulnerabilities if investments in digital technologies are not accompanied by commensurate investments in cyber security. Wealthy cities are making investments, albeit to varying degrees, but security often comes lower on the list of spending priorities for cities with already stretched finances.
The consequences of neglecting cyber security could be dire. For example, if hackers were to shut down the power supply, an entire city would be left in chaos. This prospect is something city officials now need to plan against.
Cities are also defined by the complex, interlinked nature of their systems and infrastructure. This complexity has a bearing on safety. For example, experts are uncovering links between the quality of housing and the health of citizens. And while terrorist attacks are what make headlines, traffic accidents are a greater day-to-day danger for urban residents. Natural forces are also coming in to play as climate change poses new risks to cities, with extreme weather events becoming an even greater threat, as illustrated by the devastation Hurricane Harvey just delivered to Houston, Texas.
The 2017 Safe Cities Index retains the four categories of security from the 2015 version— digital, health, infrastructure and physical. However, we have added six new indicators and expanded the index to cover 60 cities, up from 50 in 2015.
The index’s key findings include the following:
As in 2015, Tokyo tops the overall ranking. The Japanese capital’s strongest performance is in the digital security category while it has risen seven places in the health security category since 2015. However, in infrastructure security, it has fallen out of the top ten, to 12th.
The Japanese capital’s strongest performance is in the digital security category while it has risen seven places in the health security category since 2015. However, in infrastructure security, it has fallen out of the top ten, to 12th. In many cities, security is falling rather than rising: With two exceptions (Madrid, which is up 13 places and Seoul, up six), cities tend to have fallen in the index since 2015 (for example, New York is down 11 places, Lima is down 13, Johannesburg is down nine, Ho Chi Minh City is down ten and Jakarta is down 13)
With two exceptions (Madrid, which is up 13 places and Seoul, up six), cities tend to have fallen in the index since 2015 (for example, New York is down 11 places, Lima is down 13, Johannesburg is down nine, Ho Chi Minh City is down ten and Jakarta is down 13) Asian and European cities remain at the top of the index: Of the cities in the top ten positions in the overall index, four are East Asian cities (Tokyo, Singapore, Osaka and Hong Kong), while three (Amsterdam, Stockholm and Zurich) are European.
Of the cities in the top ten positions in the overall index, four are East Asian cities (Tokyo, Singapore, Osaka and Hong Kong), while three (Amsterdam, Stockholm and Zurich) are European. Asia and the Middle East and Africa dominate the bottom of the index: Dhaka, Yangon and Karachi are at the bottom of the list. Of the ten cities at the bottom of the overall index, three are in South-east Asia (Manila, Ho Chi Minh City and Jakarta), two are in South Asia (Dhaka and Karachi) and two are in the Middle East and Africa (Cairo and Tehran).
Dhaka, Yangon and Karachi are at the bottom of the list. Of the ten cities at the bottom of the overall index, three are in South-east Asia (Manila, Ho Chi Minh City and Jakarta), two are in South Asia (Dhaka and Karachi) and two are in the Middle East and Africa (Cairo and Tehran). Security remains closely linked to wealth but the rankings of high-income cities are falling: While cities in developed economies dominate the top half of the index (with the lower half dominated by cities in poorer countries), of the 14 cities in high-income countries, the rankings of ten have fallen since 2015.
While cities in developed economies dominate the top half of the index (with the lower half dominated by cities in poorer countries), of the 14 cities in high-income countries, the rankings of ten have fallen since 2015. Income is not the only factor governing city performance on security: Most of the cities in the top ten of the index are high-income or upper middle-income cities. However, two high-income cities in the Middle East (Jeddah and Riyadh) fall below position 40 in the index.
Most of the cities in the top ten of the index are high-income or upper middle-income cities. However, two high-income cities in the Middle East (Jeddah and Riyadh) fall below position 40 in the index. America’s failing infrastructure is reflected in its cities’ rankings: No US city makes it into the top ten in this category and only San Francisco appears in the top 20. The top ten cities in this category are either in Europe (Madrid, Barcelona, Stockholm, Amsterdam and Zurich) or Asia-Pacific (Singapore, Wellington, Hong Kong, Melbourne and Sydney).
No US city makes it into the top ten in this category and only San Francisco appears in the top 20. The top ten cities in this category are either in Europe (Madrid, Barcelona, Stockholm, Amsterdam and Zurich) or Asia-Pacific (Singapore, Wellington, Hong Kong, Melbourne and Sydney). However, the US performs well in digital security: Of the cities in the top ten in this category, four are North American (Chicago, San Francisco, New York and Dallas).
1 The World’s Cities in 2016: Data Booklet, United Nations. Available at: http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/urbanization/the_worlds_cities_in_2016_data_booklet.pdf
Introduction
In the two years since we published the inaugural Safe Cities Index, the world’s urban population is estimated to have grown by more than 150m people, raising the total number of people living in cities to above 4bn. More than 90% of the increase in urbanisation over this period occurred in the developing world, where massive migration from rural areas has continued to accelerate. In the developed world, however, the size of most cities remained roughly the same, with some cities even beginning to shrink in those countries with ageing and declining populations.
The results of the 2017 Safe Cities Index, which now covers 60 cities, again show a sharp divide in overall levels of safety between the fast urbanising developing world and the stagnant developed world. The top three cities in the index are unchanged from 2015, with Tokyo, Singapore and Osaka ranked first, second and third and still separated by mere tenths of a point. Likewise, the remainder of the top ten continues to be comprised of mainly Asian and European cities.
At the bottom of the Index is one of the ten new cities added in 2017: Karachi. Although it performs poorly across all of the categories, it was dragged down by a very low level of personal security (60th). This is a reflection of a number of factors, but the main reason is that among the cities in the index, it experiences by far the most frequent and most severe terrorist attacks. Jakarta, which ranked last in 2015, is 57th this year, pulled from the bottom by the addition of Karachi and other cities like Yangon and Dhaka.
In 2017 only one city in the developing world cracks the top half of the index, Buenos Aires, which places 29th, between two Middle Eastern cities, Abu Dhabi (28th) and Doha (30th). Two other Middle Eastern cities, Jeddah (42nd) and Riyadh (47th), are the worst performing of the 21 cities from the developed world, having scored below average in all of the four categories and particularly poorly in the infrastructure and personal security categories.
All the seven cities in North America are in the top half of the overall rankings but many underperform their developed country peers in key areas. New York, for example, ranks 31st in health security, with Dallas (29th) faring only slightly better. Dallas is also in the bottom half of the infrastructure security category, a category in which Chicago (27th) and Washington, DC (28th) are relatively weak as well. The decaying state of infrastructure in the US has long been a subject of debate in the country. The index shows that the debate has yet to translate into much action.
In general, while the Safe Cities Index measures relative rather than absolute safety, there does not appear to have been a vast improvement in overall levels of safety since 2015. In parts of the developed world, particularly Europe, a series of terrorist attacks has affected personal security. At the same time, city governments in the developing world are still struggling to keep pace with the rapid expansion of their populaces, which is straining infrastructure and overwhelming health services and law enforcement, the extent to which it is even present.
That is not to say progress hasn’t been made. At least in the developed world, more cities are devoting resources to digital security. Seoul, for one, improved its ranking in the category by 29 places by reducing the number of computers infected with viruses and the frequency of identity theft. But significant gaps in safety remain. In many instances, it’s a matter of resources—financial, human and political. Yet in others, it’s a question of understanding. The latter is easier to bridge and cities can start with identifying the problems and understanding how they’ve been solved elsewhere. The Safe Cities Index was designed to help policymakers address these and other issues. ||||| Our world has evolved beyond just thinking of safety in terms of personal well-being, health, and infrastructure—we now live in a digital age. Therefore, quantifying what is classed as a safe place to live means looking at more than crime rates and building regulations.
Perhaps, one of the most granular ways to determine where the safest places in the world to live are is by looking The Economist Intelligence Unit, which ranks countries in its Safe Cities Index. It looks at health security, infrastructure safety, personal safety, as well as digital security.
The 2017 index ranked 60 major cities, scoring 49 indicators in the same four subindexes to get a final score out of 100. The ranking also includes more nuanced and weighted data to get a more accurate result. For example, it added man-made threats such as indicators about terrorism and civil unrest. It also revised how it looks at gender safety, which “was changed from the number of rape cases to female homicide victims. This is to address issues on the underreporting of sexual violence crimes as well as differing definitions of rape. Homicide tends to be less underreported, and the focus on female victims also captures gender safety issues,” said the EIU.
Tokyo came out on top as the safest city to live in the world. Overall, Asian and European cities hit most of the top ten positions in the index.
Ranking Country 1 Tokyo 2 Singapore 3 Osaka 4 Toronto 5 Melbourne 6 Amsterdam 7 Sydney 8 Stockholm 9 Hong Kong 10 Zurich
Tokyo reached poll position for digital security, second place for health security, and fourth place for personal security. However it didn’t rank in the top five for infrastructure security, which is why its overall score in the Safe Cities Index hit 89.80. Singapore came in a close second with 89.64, while Osaka came in at third place with 88.87. | – The Economist is out with a new ranking of the world's safest cities, and it finds that none from the US crack the top 10. The closest is San Francisco at No. 15. Japan, on the other hand, has two of the top three. The Safe Cities Index ranked 60 major cities on personal security (for example, urban crime), digital security (cyberattacks), health security (access to hospitals), and infrastructure security (safety of buildings, roads, etc.), per Quartz. The top 10, and their scores out of 100: Tokyo, 89.8 Singapore, 89.6 Osaka, 88.9 Toronto, 87.4 Melbourne, 87.3 Amsterdam, 87.3 Sydney, 86.7 Stockholm, 86.7 Hong Kong, 86.2 Zurich, 85.2 Click for the full list, which has Los Angeles and Chicago (despite its gun violence) in the top 20 with San Francisco. |
Abstract Background Gulf War exposures in 1990 and 1991 have caused 25% to 30% of deployed personnel to develop a syndrome of chronic fatigue, pain, hyperalgesia, cognitive and affective dysfunction. Methods Gulf War veterans (n = 31) and sedentary veteran and civilian controls (n = 20) completed fMRI scans for diffusion tensor imaging. A combination of dolorimetry, subjective reports of pain and fatigue were correlated to white matter diffusivity properties to identify tracts associated with symptom constructs. Results Gulf War Illness subjects had significantly correlated fatigue, pain, hyperalgesia, and increased axial diffusivity in the right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus. ROC generated thresholds and subsequent binary regression analysis predicted CMI classification based upon axial diffusivity in the right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus. These correlates were absent for controls in dichotomous regression analysis. Conclusion The right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus may be a potential biomarker for Gulf War Illness. This tract links cortical regions involved in fatigue, pain, emotional and reward processing, and the right ventral attention network in cognition. The axonal neuropathological mechanism(s) explaining increased axial diffusivity may account for the most prominent symptoms of Gulf War Illness.
Citation: Rayhan RU, Stevens BW, Timbol CR, Adewuyi O, Walitt B, et al. (2013) Increased Brain White Matter Axial Diffusivity Associated with Fatigue, Pain and Hyperalgesia in Gulf War Illness. PLoS ONE 8(3): e58493. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0058493 Editor: Yu-Feng Zang, Hangzhou Normal University, China Received: December 12, 2012; Accepted: February 7, 2013; Published: March 20, 2013 Copyright: © 2013 Rayhan et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Funding: Sources of funding were provided by the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) award W81-XWH-09-1-0526. Research support for the Clinical Research Unit at Georgetown University Medical Center was funded in whole or in part with federal funds (Grant # UL1TR000101, previously UL1RR031975) from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), through the Clinical and Translational Science Awards Program (CTSA), a trademark of DHHS, part of the Roadmap Initiative, “Re-Engineering the Clinical Research Enterprise.” The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
Introduction Over 25% of the 697,000 veterans deployed to the 1990–1991 Persian Gulf War and 15% of nondeployed veterans have developed a symptom complex of widespread pain, fatigue, headache, gastrointestinal, bladder, and other “functional” nociceptive and interoceptive complaints [1]–[4]. Gulf War veterans were exposed to a wide variety of exposures that include binary nerve agents, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, organophosphates, other pesticides and herbicides that may have initiated their symptom complex [3]. This syndrome has been termed Gulf War Illness (GWI). An initial analysis defined these subjects as Chronic Multisymptom Illness (CMI) [1], [2] based on ≥2 complaints of (i) fatigue, (ii) musculoskeletal or (iii) mood and cognitive dysfunction for ≥6 months [2]. Deployed Gulf War veterans met criteria for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) (odds ratio = 40.6) and Fibromyalgia (FM) (odds ratio = 2.32) indicating extensive symptom overlap [5], [6], [7]. All of the veterans who met CMI criteria in this study also met CFS criteria, and 52% met FM criteria. A striking clinical observation in our GWI subjects has been that their chronic pain and fatigue fluctuate in parallel [1]. Fatigue represents an increase in the presumed effort required to perform usual activities, and is not the same as tiredness or sleep deprivation [5]. Pain is the subjective sensory and affective perception reported by subjects in response to a potentially harmful stimulus [8]. Pain and fatigue have been associated with structural and functional alterations of cortical regions in chronic regional pain syndrome, penetrating brain injury, migraine, irritable bowel syndrome and chronic pelvic pain [9]–[13]. Efforts have been made to define both fatigue and pain in terms of functional neurobiology [14], [15]. Activity in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) has been associated with both the fatigue sensation induced by a prolonged cognitive task and with accurate discrimination between painful and non-painful perceptions [16], [17]. The OFC has strong reciprocal projections with the adjacent ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). The severity of damage to the vmPFC correlates with fatigue [10]. Further, increased functional connectivity between the right vmPFC, nucleus accumbens and anterior insula, mediated via the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF), contributes to the development and maintenance of chronic pain. [18], [19]. The prefrontal cortex is the only cortical area to receive direct projections from the spinal cord [20]. Central sensitization mechanisms that alter the spinal cord dorsal horn gating of pain transmission lead to increased perceptions of pain after an aversive, physical stimulus such as cutaneous pressure (hyperalgesia) or an innocuous stimulus such as light touch (allodynia) [21], [22]. These molecular events may sensitize prefrontal regions of the brain’s “pain matrix” leading to structural and functional reorganization associated with chronic symptom complaints [23]. Brain dysfunction in CMI may involve changes in white matter integrity. White matter function can be analyzed using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) which assesses the random Brownian motion and the orientation of water molecules in a strong magnetic field [24]–[27]. Fractional anisotropy (FA) is the most commonly reported index. A decrease in FA indicates loss of white matter integrity [28]. FA is defined as the inverse of the 3 eigenvectors that describe the potential diffusion of water in nerve bundles [28]. The primary eigenvector describes water diffusivity in the direction of the fiber tract and is called the axial diffusivity (AD). Histological information indicates AD assesses axonal function [29]. Diffusion of water perpendicular to axons is defined by two eigenvectors and reported as the radial diffusivity (RD). RD has been associated with demyelination, neuroinflammation with edema or macrophage infiltration [30]–[32]. Mean diffusivity (MD) is the average of the AD and 2 RD eigenvectors. AD, RD, MD and FA can be correlated with subjective and objective outcomes to determine their relationships with tract integrity. White matter integrity and CMI symptoms have not been investigated. Given the concomitant chronic fatigue and pain, we hypothesized CMI may have significant white matter dysfunction compared to control subjects in tracts connecting the prefrontal areas involved in pain and fatigue. Correlations of fatigue, pain and hyperalgesia with AD and RD of specific white matter tracts were expected to implicate alterations of axonal or dysmyelination processes, respectively, to brain regions responsible for these clinical features. Two possible outcomes were envisioned. Significant correlations between fatigue, pain, hyperalgesia, and DTI variables for specific tracts that are distinct from control subjects would support the hypothesis that CMI is a disease with characteristic central nervous system pathology with bimodal distribution. Alternatively, these correlations may occur across both the CMI and control populations. This would suggest that CMI represents a highly skewed population distribution selected by symptom severity; any neurologic alterations seen in CMI would be interpreted as the far end of the distribution of a normal physiological process. There is no data regarding white matter integrity in CMI. Our findings advance current knowledge by investigating/integrating objective DTI outcomes into CMI neuropathology.
Materials and Methods Subjects, Ethics Statement and Recruitment Protocols were approved by the Georgetown University Institutional Review Board and USAMRMC Human Research Protection Office (HRPO #A-15547.0) (clinicaltrials.gov identification number NCT01291758). All participants signed an informed consent. The subject pool was composed of 31 veterans who met CMI and CFS criteria, and 12 sedentary control veterans and civilians not meeting CMI or CFS criteria (Georgetown University IRB #2009–229) All of these subjects completed psychometric questionnaires and physical examinations (n = 43). For the initial DTI analysis (n = 51), 8 additional age - matched, healthy sedentary female control civilians(#2010–050 and #2010–356) were recruited. Complete details involving recruitment and retention of all participants can be found in Table B in File S1. On – line questionnaires (Table B in File S1) assessed an extensive set of psychometric qualities to investigate the distinctions between CMI, CFS and control subjects [33]. The current study focused only on fatigue, pain and hyperalgesia. Other data will be reported elsewhere. Fatigue was assessed with the ordinal fatigue rating, Chalder fatigue scale and the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI) [34], [35]. The ordinal fatigue assessment was anchored with 0 = no complaint, 1 = trivial, 2 = mild, 3 = moderate or 4 = severe intensity [36]–[38]. Inclusion of “trivial” allowed participants to verify complaints that were present but not bothersome enough to warrant treatment and/or other lifestyle changes [39]. Subjective pain perceptions were quantified using the McGill short form with its sensory, affective and total scores [40] and nominal analysis of widespread pain in 4 quadrants and the axial skeleton [7]. Relative disability and quality of life were compared using the Medical Outcomes Survey Short Form 36 (SF-36) [41]. Subjects on medications (analgesics, sedative, tricyclic and other antidepressant drugs) had their medications tapered over a 2 week period. Protocol Upon arrival to the Georgetown University Clinical Research Unit, participants reviewed and signed their informed consent forms. All subjects had history and physical examinations to assess CMI [2], CFS [5], and fibromyalgia criteria [7], [42]. The protocol also included clinical assessments, blood tests, dolorimetry [43], and had a tour of the facilities to familiarize themselves with the fMRI and other equipment. Hyperalgesia in fibromyalgia has traditionally been ascertained by tenderness to manual thumb pressure of about 4 kg at ≥11 of 18 tender points [7]. We adapted this concept by pressing a pressure strain gauge dolorimeter at the 18 sites at a rate of 1 kg/sec [43]. Subjects were instructed that they were in control of the pressure, and to report the point when the pressure sensation switched to become painful. The average of the dolorimetry pressures has been used as a measure of systemic hyperalgesia [43]. Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) Data was acquired on a Siemens 3T Tim Trio scanner equipped with transmit-receive body coil and commercial 12-element head coil array. Two DTI scans were acquired for each subject with parameters of TE = 101 ms, TR = 7900 ms, FOV = 240 mm, 55 slices, slice resolution = 2.5 mm, voxel size = 2.5×2.5×2.5 mm. For each scan, 5 non-diffusion weighted volumes (b = 0 s/mm2) and 30 diffusion-weighted volumes (b = 1000 s/mm2) were acquired. For each subject, the two DTI scans were concatenated to increase the signal-to-noise ratio. All MR images were screened for abnormal radiological/structural appearances by a trained technician. Preprocessing of the individual subject’s DTI data was performed with the TORTOISE (version 1.1.2) processing pipeline [44]. Default settings were used except where noted otherwise. Eddy current distortion and motion correction were applied [45]. Susceptibility-induced EPI distortion correction was performed using the first B0 image as a target for registration [46]. Rigid reorientation was applied to the subject’s diffusion weighted images, bringing them into a common final space as defined by the registered first B0 image. All corrections were performed in the native space of the diffusion weighted images, all transformations were applied in a single interpolation step, and the b-matrix was reoriented appropriately [47]. In preparation to calculate the FA image, the signal standard deviation was calculated with the automatic method option, and then the diffusion weighted images were masked with the masking tool. FA and eigenvalue images were calculated using the iRESTORE algorithm provided with TORTOISE, which is a non-linear least squares method of tensor estimation [48]. Subject specific maps for FA and MD were direct outputs from the TORTOISE program. The AD maps were the first eigenvalue images, while RD maps were calculated by taking the average of the second and third eigenvalue images. Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS), which is part of the FSL software package [49], [50] was used to transform the images into common Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) space. All default settings were used. The subjects’ FA data were imported into TBSS, and then aligned into MNI space using the nonlinear registration tool FNIRT [50], [51], which uses a b-spline representation of the registration warp field [51]. This transformation was subsequently applied to the AD, RD, and MD images. The Johns Hopkins University white-matter tractography atlas was used to create masks to extract mean values for each tract [52]–[54]. Brain extraction was performed, using the brain extraction tool implemented in FSL [55]. Statistical Analysis SPSS for Windows version 20 (Armonk, New York) and Microsoft Excel 2007 (Redmond, Washington) were used for database and statistical analysis. Ordinal fatigue, McGill total score and dolorimetry were compared between the 31 CMI and 12 control subjects and reported as means with 95% confidence intervals. Significant differences between groups (P≤0.05) were identified by two-tailed unpaired Student’s t-tests or Fisher’s exact tests, with all P values corrected for multiple comparisons by Bonferroni corrections and false discovery rate [56]–[58]. Ordinal fatigue, McGill total score and dolorimetry were evaluated by receiver – operator curve (ROC) analysis as predictive measures. Clinical data from the eight control participants recruited under protocols #2010-050 and #2010-356 were not included in this analysis but will be reported separately. FA, MD, AD, and RD for each tract were correlated in univariate fashion with ordinal fatigue by one - tailed Spearman’s function, and for McGill total pain and average dolorimetry pressures using one - tailed Pearson’s function based upon previous studies [9], [13], [18]. The clinical variables with significant DTI correlates were then assessed by separate step-wise multivariate linear regression analyses that included age and gender to identify significantly associated tracts and clinical features across all subjects. Average white matter diffusivity parameters (FA, MD, AD and RD) were compared between all CMI and control participants (n = 51) and in 20 white matter tracts by two-tailed unpaired Student’s t-tests. ROC analysis of each tract identified the sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve (AUC), and asymptotic significance of each diffusivity parameter. The thresholds were used to define dichotomous variables for stepwise forward binary logistic regression to predict CMI status.
Discussion All of the veterans recruited for this protocol met CMI and CFS criteria [2], [5]. To understand the pathophysiological principles behind these case designation criteria, we examined the underlying complaints that were most strongly reported by our subjects. Dolorimetry, fatigue, and pain ratings were highly correlated with each other and with elevated AD in cortico-cortical association and corticospinal tracts. These analyses identified four significant correlates of CMI status that were significantly different from controls: ordinal fatigue, McGill total pain scores, dolorimetry (kg) and AD of the right IFOF. The salutary observation was that CMI status was associated with increased axial diffusivity in the right IFOF with non-significant trends for increased FA and MD in the same tract (Table C in File S1) (Table D in File S1). Multi-variate and binary logistic regression analysis identified the right IFOF as the only tract to correlate with all three clinical parameters and may provide diagnostic utility in predicting CMI versus control status. The right IFOF connects multiple frontal, sublobar, temporal and occipital cortical regions that are involved in the perception of pain, fatigue and cognitive dysfunction that are symptom constructs in the case designation criteria for CMI [2] and CFS [5]. Anatomically, the tract originates from the vmPFC, inferior frontal gyrus, frontal pole and OFC [59]. As it leaves the prefrontal area it courses adjacent to the insula [60] and through the temporal lobe to terminate in the posterior fusiform, cuneus, and lateral cortices of the occipital lobe [59]. The OFC and vmPFC are intimately associated with the severity of fatigue [10], [16] and communicate with the nucleus accumbens via corticostriatal IFOF fibers [18]. During the onset of noxious stimuli these regions coordinate responses that provide a punishing teaching signal that leads to altered decision making based upon these painful cues [61]. Increased structural connectivity between the regions linked by the right IFOF is predictive of increased blood flow to the nucleus accumbens which represents amplified sensitivity to punishment during reward-related behavior [18]. Sensory and other processing through the anterior insula directly contributes to the vmPFC - nucleus accumbens interactions which are causally associated with the transition from subacute to chronic low back pain [19]. Because the right IFOF is a critical component of the structural circuitry that facilitates communication between these regions, increased AD in the right IFOF may play a central role in the adaptation and maintenance of chronic pain and fatigue in CMI. Attention and focus are other functions mediated via the right IFOF. This tract connects the right inferior frontal gyrus and right temporal parietal junction that form the ventral attention network (VAN) [62]. VAN maintains surveillance for unexpected environmental cues that may be salient. Maintaining focus on goal – directed behavior is the function of the dorsal attention network (DAN) [63]. Anatomically, DAN includes the frontal eye fields, supplementary motor cortex and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. DAN generates top – down managerial control to complete specific tasks [63]. Activation of VAN creates an interruptive signal that decouples DAN activity so that attention must be reoriented towards the newly identified, task – relevant stimulus. Increased VAN activity has been linked to decreased activity in the DAN [64]. Nociceptive stimuli can involuntarily capture attention and interfere with on – going behavior [65], [66]. Building on this notion, elevated AD in the right IFOF in CMI may signify increased structural connectivity with a heightened propensity to activate VAN, interrupt DAN activity, and cause reorientation of attention to pain signals. Increased connectivity may explain the reported surveillance and hyperarousal behaviors of CMI subjects [1], [67]. The left CST and right SLF had higher diffusivity measures between CMI and control groups. Increased AD in the left CST, which sends collaterals into the spinal cord dorsal horn, may suggest potential dysfunction of descending anti-nociceptive pathways that may contribute to hyperalgesia [68]. MD was increased in the right SLF and correlated with greater fatigue and lower dolorimetry pain pressures. This tract connects the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and DAN to inferior parietal working memory regions [69]. This is of relevance to CMI since increased MD in the SLF has been correlated with language impairment and cognitive deficits [70], [71]. Increased AD was correlated with fatigue and pain measures in several other tracts when all subjects were assessed. The right cingulum links the anterior and posterior cingulate gyrus and was associated with nociceptive processing in several chronic pain states [9], [12], [72]. Elevated AD was correlated with the McGill total score and lower dolorimetry pressures. The forceps minor connects regions in the left and right anterior prefrontal lobes that are implicated in pain and fatigue processing [10], [13], [16], [17], [19].The uncinate fasciculus links prefrontal and limbic regions involved in pain, emotion and affect [73]. The increase and discriminatory potential in AD suggests DTI analysis may have value as a research tool to identify longitudinal changes and to test the efficacy of novel therapies in clinical trials in CMI. This pilot study has several limitations. The magnitudes of the differences in AD between groups were not large, but were statistical significant after correction for multiple comparisons. Correlations of AD for various tracts with fatigue, pain and dolorimetry measures identified significant relationships within the entire study population. The control group was not entirely Gulf War veterans who shared the same exposures and experiences as the CMI subjects. However, our subjects (Table A in File S1) were representative of the 1995 Gulf War National Health Survey and other population based studies [1], [6], [74]. Prospective epidemiological studies using the variables identified here will be required to firmly resolve this issue. Correlations between the increased AD in right IFOF, fatigue, pain, and hyperalgesia may have been an artifact of selecting subjects with similar complaints who represented a distal end of a spectrum found in the general population. Our sample size was not large enough to adequately assess this possibility. However, the binary logistic regression analysis significantly distinguished CMI from control subjects. This suggests a bimodal rather than unimodal distribution. Tractography and analysis of gray matter volume loss in regions linked by the dysfunctional white matter tracts were not investigated, but may provide important information about the heterogeneity and extent of CMI dysfunction. Reduced midbrain white matter volume was correlated with duration of fatigue in CFS [75], but DTI was not performed. Tractography offers a complementary approach to TBSS. TBSS may underestimate DTI indices since it relies on the white matter skeleton with highest FA values [76]. Axonal atrophy may lead to an artifactual increase in AD since smaller axonal caliber may increase absolute neuron densities within pixels that are mathematically transformed into higher diffusivity measurements when mapped onto a standard white matter skeleton [77]. TBSS processing as used here may reduce this potential bias [76]. This and other explanations for elevated AD await histological verification from surgical or autopsy studies of GWI veterans. The cross - sectional design cannot address longitudinal changes or temporal reproducibility. Future longitudinal DTI studies will be needed to confirm if the defect of elevated AD correlates with fatigue, pain and hyperalgesia as it changes over time. Conclusion The right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus links cortical regions involved in fatigue, pain, emotional and reward processing, and the right ventral attention network in cognition. Axial diffusivity of this region was significantly different between CMI and controls and the degree of difference was found to correlate to fatigue and pain symptoms. The axonal neuropathological mechanism(s) explaining the objectively measured increase in axial diffusivity may contribute to Gulf War Illness.
Supporting Information File S1. Supporting information tables. Table A: Extended and detailed demographics information. Table B: Detailed recruitment strategies and retention during protocol. Table C: Average fractional anisotropy (FA) for 20 white matter tracts between groups. Table D: Average mean diffusivity (MD) for 20 white matter tracts between groups. Table E: Average axial diffusivity (AD) for 20 white matter tracts between groups. Table F: Average radial diffusivity (RD) for 20 white matter tracts between groups. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0058493.s001 (DOCX) ||||| A destroyed Iraqi tank sits near oil well fires in northern Kuwait during the Gulf War in 1991. Gulf War illness has affected more than 250,000 veterans of the 1991 war against Iraq. (Photo: AP file photo by David Longstreath) Story Highlights Findings may eventually help those suffering from chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia
Veterans studied say the illness has wrecked their lives
More than 250,000 veterans of the 1991 war have reported some symptoms
WASHINGTON — Researchers say they have found physical proof that Gulf War illness is caused by damage to the brain — and that proof may ultimately help civilians who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.
Using fMRI machines, the Georgetown University researchers were able to see anomalies in the bundle of nerve fibers that interpret pain signals in the brain in 31 Gulf War veterans. The research will be published Wednesday in PLOS ONE journal.
The findings are "huge," because an fMRI allows doctors to diagnose a person with Gulf War illness quickly, said James Baraniuk, senior author and professor of medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center. The research, he said, also shows that Gulf War illness is not psychological.
An fMRI, or "functional" MRI, is a scan that measures activity by detecting how blood flows through the brain.
Many veterans have had difficulties getting benefits and treatment for a service-connected condition because doctors assumed they were either faking it or suffering from post-traumatic stress. "That's a problem with all physicians — VA, military or civilian," Baraniuk said. "If it doesn't fall within their small world of known diseases, then the patient is nuts."
Gulf War illness is a series of symptoms that has affected more than 250,000 veterans of the 1991 war against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.
Baraniuk said the correlation of anomalies in the brain's white matter with Gulf War illness has not been studied before. Researchers, he said, also found that fatigue and pain worsen congruently in the veterans.
To test the veterans, they watched the way liquid moved through brain nerve cells at rest and while the veterans were exercising. They could locate the nerves' axons and determine how healthy they were, said Rakib Rayhan, lead author of the study.
"We're able to say, 'There is something here,' " Rayhan said. " 'Take these veterans seriously when they come in.' "
In particular, John VanMeter, director of Georgetown's Center for functional and molecular imaging, said they looked at the fibers that process pain.
"The fibers in the Gulf War veterans have deteriorated compared to the control," he said. Those fibers interpret environmental pain, but in the case of the veterans, a tiny pulse of pressure is interpreted as a painful pinch, or normal muscle fatigue from walking a flight of stairs could be interpreted as climbing to the fourteenth floor. "They get, 'I'm in pain! I'm in pain! I'm in pain!' all the time."
He said that most hospitals already have the MRI equipment they need to do the exam, but they may need to purchase or install fMRI software, as well as to be trained to use it.
The researchers do not know whether the veterans' symptoms will continue to worsen, though it appears they have from their onset 22 years ago until now.
"The guys who were robust and leading the charge on this 10 years ago are now using canes," Baraniuk said.
This research appears to correlate with previous research on Gulf War Illness, including a major study this year that showed problems in involuntary function, and a second that showed that as many as 100,000 troops may have been doused with Sarin gas when the U.S. Air Force bombed a munitions factory during the war.
The researchers suspect the damage came from environmental factors. Other researchers have found that as many as 100,000 troops were exposed to Sarin gas when the U.S. Air Force bombed an Iraqi munitions plant, and other researchers have found a connection between the symptoms and the ACHL-inhibitors found in nerve agents, the anti-nerve-agent pills servicemembers took, and the industrial-strength bug spray troops used on their clothing and skin.
Baraniuk believes that the three areas of symptoms seen in Gulf War veterans are all different stages of the same disease — and he will be able to show that in a future paper.
Veterans who participated in the study said the illness has hurt them but they were optimistic about the survey's findings.
Army veteran Robert Ward's symptoms began while he was still in the Middle East. He felt tired and his gums started to swell and bleed. He figured it was a fluke, until he read a newspaper article in 1993 and discovered he was one of many. Soon, he suffered irritable bowel syndrome, constant headaches, muscle twitches, rashes and muscle fatigue. For 18 months, he found himself bedridden. He moved in with his parents so they could help care for him.
"This is a big deal," he said. "This has ruined my life. I'm thankful that Gulf War illness patients will be able to get the help that they deserve."
Denise Nichols, an Air Force veteran, also had symptoms while she was still in the Middle East, including irritability, hair lossand sensitivity to light and noise. When she came home, she had blurred vision and tight muscles.
"I quit nursing because I was afraid of making errors or exposing patients to whatever I had," she said. When she learned the results of the study, she yelled, "Yes! Yes! Yes! We're finding real proof."
Still, she said, it's bittersweet to wait 22 years.
The researchers themselves said they've been surprised by how little attention this group of veterans has received.
"If 30% of Congress got sick, or 30% of Manhattan got sick, there would have been an outcry," Baraniuk said.
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/ZdGhZr | – Scientists now know that Gulf War Syndrome is more than just a psychological condition—it's actually tied to brain damage. But for the first time, they have zeroed in on physical proof that this is the case. The Georgetown researchers used fMRI machines on 31 Gulf War vets and were able to spot abnormalities in the bundles of nerve fibers that process pain. They "have deteriorated compared to the control," says a researcher, and USA Today explains the impact thusly: "a tiny pulse of pressure is interpreted as a painful pinch, or normal muscle fatigue from walking a flight of stairs could be interpreted as climbing to the fourteenth floor." The discovery is "huge," says another researcher, because it will allow veterans to be quickly diagnosed via the fMRI scan. Most hospitals are equipped with the necessary MRI machines, and would just need to install the proper software and train their technicians on its use. "We're able to say, 'There is something here,'" says the study's lead author. "'Take these veterans seriously when they come in.'" You can check out PLoS ONE to see the original paper. |
What you need to know about the BOOK of ENOCH and the AGE of the FALLEN
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2,731,708 views ||||| Sen. Ted Cruz, speaking as the results of the Nevada caucuses were being tallied, argued Tuesday evening that he was the only Republican left in the race who could beat Donald Trump.
“They’re still counting the ballots so we don’t know the exact results, but I want to congratulate Donald Trump on a strong evening tonight and I want to congratulate the grass roots – the conservatives across this country who have come together behind this campaign,” Cruz told supporters at a YMCA in Las Vegas.
Cruz, who was battling with Sen. Marco Rubio for a second-place finish, argued that he had history on his side since he won the Iowa caucuses, the first of the GOP presidential nominating contests.
“When we started this campaign nearly a year ago, there were 17 candidates in the race. The role of the first four primaries historically has been to narrow the field and we have seen the first four states do exactly that – narrow the field,” Cruz said. “Now at this point we’ve had four primaries, history teaches us no one has ever won the nomination without winning one of the first three primaries. And there are only two people who have won one of the first three primaries – Donald Trump and us.”
“The first four states has shown the only campaign that has beaten Donald Trump and the only campaign that can beat Donald Trump is this campaign,” he said, urging conservatives and those who want to beat Hillary Clinton to consolidate behind him.
He never mentioned Rubio by name, but he slashed at him as a Washington insider and over his positions on issues such as immigration. And he set sky-high expectations for Super Tuesday, one week from today, when 11 states including his home state of Texas will go to the polls.
“One week from today will be the most important night of this campaign,” Cruz said at the rally, his last event before flying to Houston to start a day of campaigning there Wednesday. | – How big a hit is Beyoncé's Formation? So big it got it's own question during Tuesday's Democratic town hall in South Carolina. "Let's talk about Beyoncé for a second, because why not?" Chris Cuomo introduced a question for Hillary Clinton about policing in the US. Some law enforcement groups see the video for Formation as overly critical of police and led them to call for a boycott of the pop star, the Los Angeles Times reports. Clinton responded that it's important to "respect the police" while recognizing those officers "who are doing the right things and protecting us." But she also acknowledged the difficulty many officers having interacting with minority communities. "Let’s hold police behavior accountable, so there’s an incentive for people to change how they’re doing police practices," she said. (Formation also sent sales skyrocketing at one seafood chain.) |
The royal couple will travel more than 14,000 miles (22,530km) in 11 days during next month’s tour of Canada and America, in what will be the new bride’s first visit to both countries.
St James’s Palace on Monday released a brief itinerary of the couple’s trip, which will take in nine cities throughout the region from June 30 to July 10.
A royal source said the couple were “very much looking forward to their first joint royal tour”.
It is understood that the Canadian government will foot the two million dollar bill for that part of the tour as the Commonwealth country is one of the Queen's realms – meaning she is not a foreign monarch but the country's sovereign and head of state.
This means that Prince William , 28, and the former Kate Middleton , 29, are members of the Canadian royal family and the country's authorities are taking the lead in organising the trip.
The newly married pair, who are said to be “eagerly anticipating” their summer tour, will be flown by the Royal Canadian Air Force during their nine days in Canada before they are flown to Los Angeles for their three day tour.
Covering more than 5100 miles across the continent’s vast open spaces, the pair will visit destinations including Charlottetown on the shores of Prince Edward Island in the east, to the remote settlement of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories, in the far north.
They will also visit Canada's capital, Ottawa and the surrounding region, Montreal and Quebec City in the francophone province of Quebec and the oil boom town of Calgary, Alberta.
Officials confirmed that security will be beefed up for their visit In Quebec amid fears nationalists will protest the royals' stop in the mostly French-speaking province.
One of the tour’s highlights will be the royal couple's appearance at Canada Day celebrations in the Ottawa on July 1.
The visit to Alberta, during their final leg, also coincides with the opening of the city's world-famous rodeo event, the Calgary Stampede – an annual rodeo, exhibition and festival dubbed the "Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth".
The pair will then take in a glimpse of Hollywood, when they travel to Los Angeles and the surrounding area on a three-day official visit supporting Britain's interests in America.
That leg of the tour will also involve promoting charities the Prince is patron of, including Tusk Trust, and will almost certainly include a function on behalf of Bafta, of which the Duke is President.
While the Duchess has never touched down on American soil, it will also be the first time her husband has visited the country in an official capacity.
The pair, who married last month at Westminster Abbey, will then take a “scheduled” flight home from Los Angeles.
Asked whether a Bafta event would mean the couple meeting Hollywood A-listers, a St James's Palace spokesman said: "They may well bump into one or two stars at some point.
“But there are different types of functions you could organise to promote Bafta, such as a reception for up and coming talent, so it would be wrong to assume they will be in a room full of celebrities.
"The visit to California is very much about promoting charities."
The visit had originally been planned as a solo trip for the duke but after last November's engagement announcement the duchess was added to the arrangements.
The Canadian Government has themed the tour "'Moving Forward Together' from past accomplishments to current service and future achievements”.
James Moore, Canada’s Heritage Minister, confirmed the entire visit will cost Canadian taxpayers just under two million dollars.
Stephen Harper, the Prime Minister, added: "Canadians hold the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in very high esteem and look forward to welcoming them as they embark on their first official royal tour as newly-weds.
"The couple's decision to visit Canada first is a testament to our country’s close relationship with the Crown and Royal family, and an opportunity for all Canadians to take pride in our traditions, history, and institutions.
"I am confident that, in coming to know this country and its people better, the Duke and Duchess will develop their own enduring bonds of affection for Canada and Canadians as has been the case with Her Majesty The Queen over sixty years, which began with her own very first tour as Princess Elizabeth at the age of 25 in 1951."
The royal family have been regular visitors to Canada during the Queen's reign, with the Queen travelling there more than 20 times.
The Duke last visited Vancouver aged 15 in 1998 with his father, the Prince of Wales and brother Prince Harry.
The trip will be the duchess's first overseas tour as a member of the royal family.
But she has a family connection to the Commonwealth country as her grandfather Peter Middleton, who died last year aged 90, served as an RAF flight instructor during the Second World War training Canadian pilots in Calgary from 1942 to 1944.
It is thought the duchess may pay tribute to her grandfather while in Canada.
According to reports, the duchess is a fan of Lucy Maud Montgomery's book Anne of Green Gables, which is set in Prince Edward Island, and so she may visit those sites while William, a search and rescue pilot, takes a Coast Guard helicopter out.
Further details are expected to be released later. ||||| Duke and Duchess of Hazard: Wills and Kate to visit largest rodeo during north American tour
By Rebecca English
Last updated at 3:08 PM on 31st May 2011
The new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are to visit the world’s largest – and richest – rodeo during their first foreign tour together.
The couple plan to visit the legendary Calgary Stampede when they fly to Canada next month.
Billed as the greatest outdoor show on earth, it offers $2 million in prize money to competing cowboys and attracts some of the top names in the field.
Daring: Cowboy Jake Vold rides in the Novice Saddle Bronc riding event at the Calgary Stampede
Cropper: Cowboy Gavin DeRose is bucked off the back of a horse in the Novice Bareback Bucking event in 2008
They are also likely to view the controversial sport of ‘chuckwagon’ racing, which involves a team of horses pulling a large wagon, the kind used to carry food and cooking equipment on the prairies of the United States and Canada, supported by a group of four outriders.
The outriders have to throw two tent poles and a barrel, representing a camp stove, into the back of their wagon before mounting their horses and following the wagons as they circle a race track.
The rodeo sport, which is particularly popular on the Canadian prairies, is controversial as horses and drivers are sometimes killed or injured, prompting animal welfare groups to call for the sport to be banned.
Three horses died following chuckwagon races at the 2009 Calgary Stampede and a spectacular wagon crash during the event in 2007, in which three horses were killed and a driver hospitalized, led officials in Calgary to review the safety of the sport.
Chuckwagon: Dirt and mud fly as a chuckwagon driver and outriders try to catch the other three wagons at a previous Calgary Stampede
The couple will be in Calgary, Alberta, from July 7 to 8, the last stop on their nine-day whirlwind tour through Canada which takes in eight major cities: Ottawa (June 30-July2), Montreal (July 2), Quebec (July 3), Charlottetown and Summerside on Prince Edward Island (July 3 and 4) and Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories (July 4-6).
During their visit, which is being paid for by the Canadian government, the newly-weds will make an emotional visit to the Canadian airfield where Kate’s late grandfather, Peter Middleton, was based as an RAF pilot during the Second World War.
Kate was very close to Mr Middleton, who died at the age of 90 last year, and even delayed the announcement of her engagement so that she could attend his funeral.
Flying Officer Middleton was posted to the No37 Service Flying School in Calgary in 1942 (now home to Calgary International Airport) when he was a volunteer reservist aged just 22. He spent two-and-a-half years as an instructor there training Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster pilots.
We're going to America: The young Royal couple meet U.S. President Barack Obama, left, and first lady Michelle Obama, right
They will also make a trip to the country’s smallest province, Prince Edward Island, which features in Kate’s favourite childhood book, Anne of Green Gables.
A royal source explained that the trip had been organised to allow William – who visited the country in 1991 and 1998 - to ‘get to know Canada better’.
‘The duchess’s late grandfather was stationed near Calgary as a trainee bomber pilot and therefore the country is very much part of her own family’s story too even though this will be her first visit to the country,’ they said.
‘The trip is designed to show them the diversity and vibrancy of Canada and its people, visiting provinces and territories that aren’t so often visited by the Royal Family. There will be both traditional and formal elements and more informal elements appropriate to their age and interests.’
After Canada, the couple fly to LA for three days at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
The Hollywood leg of their trip has created huge excitement in Tinsel Town where stars are said to be falling over themselves to meet the Cambridges.
And this is how father did it: Prince Charles, in a white stetson and western outfit complete with polo (strings) tie, rides in the Calgary Stampede parade in 1977
But a royal aide warned that they wanted to concentrate on issues such as armed forces, veterans, vulnerable people, the arts and William and Harry’s own charitable foundation.
‘Unfortunately it is unlikely to feature many celebrities and there will be no down time. The trip isn’t about that. It was very much generated by the FCO and has an official itinerary,’ he said.
The cost of flying William and Kate to Canada on an airforce jet will be shouldered by the country’s government and the couple will take scheduled flights back from LA.
‘They are keen to keep their costs down and will keep their entourage to a minimum. They haven’t made any decisions yet on who will travel with them and whether this will include hairdressers or anything like that,’ said a source.
A spokesman for the Canadian Department of Heritage said: ‘The 2011 Royal Tour of Canada by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will give the royal couple the opportunity to visit every region of the country – east, centre, west and north – on their first official tour as a married couple.
'It will enable them to meet as many Canadians as possible and, in the process, come to know Canada even better.
‘It is hoped that, upon their departure, they will come to regard Canada as their second home – a term of endearment often used by the Queen to describe her special bond of affection for and pride in this country.’
| – Royal newlyweds William and Kate will be touching down in Los Angeles for a few days in early July as part of their first official overseas trip. The California destination was revealed in the just released itinerary of earlier announced trip to North America that will also include an eight-city tour of Canada, reports the Telegraph. The trip will be Kate's first visit to either country and William's first visit to the US in an official capacity. The Canadian tour will include a stop in Ottawa on July 1, and a visit to Calgary on the opening day of the Calgary Stampede rodeo festival. The couple also plan to visit the airfield where Kate's grandfather served as a trainee pilot during World War II, the Daily Mail reports. Royal sources say the Los Angeles visit will be more about promoting charities, including the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, than hobnobbing with Hollywood A-listers. "The couple view this as a working visit, not as an opportunity for them to meet celebrities," a palace source tells People. |
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 ||||| MarShawn M. McCarrel II, a young Ohio activist involved with the Black Lives Matter movement committed suicide on the steps of the Statehouse in Columbus. (WBNS-10TV http://www.10tv.com/)
A prominent young activist killed himself on the steps of the Ohio statehouse Monday.
MarShawn M. McCarrel II, a leading member of the state’s Black Lives Matter movement, shot himself outside the capitol’s entrance about 6 p.m. The 23-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene, State Highway Patrol spokesman Lt. Craig Cvetan told the Columbus Dispatch.
“We don’t have any evidence to know the reason why he did it,” Cvetan said.
There were signs on social media that McCarrel had been struggling lately. His Twitter feed oscillated between joy and despair, and on the morning of his death, he tweeted an emotional goodbye.
“I love y’all,” he wrote. “All of you.”
Moments later, the message turned darker.
“If we don’t have to live through hell just to get to heaven,” he wrote.
By the afternoon, his social media postings had darkened further.
“My demons won today,” he wrote on his Facebook page. “I’m sorry.”
Just days before his apparent suicide, McCarrel had attended the NAACP Image Awards with his mother. A picture posted to Instagram showed him dressed in a red suit jacket and matching bow tie.
McCarrel helped coordinate Black Lives Matter protests in Ohio following the death of Michael Brown, the unarmed black teenager killed in 2014 by a police officer in Ferguson, Mo. He also founded a youth mentorship program and anti-homelessness efforts, according to the New York Daily News.
On Wednesday, Black Lives Matter Cincinnati’s Facebook page was flooded with tributes to McCarrel.
“An activist to his soul,” wrote fellow activist Shaun King. “Fought tirelessly in Ohio and beyond for the rights of oppressed people.
“Brother – we’ll keep fighting,” King wrote. “You rest, now.” ||||| A Franklin Township man killed himself outside the front door of the Statehouse Downtown on Monday evening. Authorities were called just after 6 p.m. to a shooting, which occurred up the steps and at the entrance to the Statehouse, on the S. High Street side. MarShawn M. McCarrel II, 23, was pronounced dead at the scene, said Lt. Craig Cvetan of the State Highway Patrol.
A Franklin Township man killed himself outside the front door of the Statehouse Downtown on Monday evening.
Authorities were called just after 6 p.m. to a shooting, which occurred up the steps and at the entrance to the Statehouse, on the S. High Street side.
MarShawn M. McCarrel II, 23, was pronounced dead at the scene, said Lt. Craig Cvetan of the State Highway Patrol.
>>> Update:Family remembers activist who took own life outside Statehouse on Monday
McCarrel II, 23, lived on Eastbrook Drive North in Franklin Township. He was not employed by the state, Cvetan said.
"We don't have any evidence to know the reason why he did it," Cvetan said.
Posted on his Facebook page shortly after 3 p.m., however, was "My demons won today. I'm sorry."
No one witnessed McCarrel shoot himself. He was seen on the Statehouse grounds just moments before the gunshot, Cvetan said.
S. High Street was shut down for a short time and then the sidewalk in front of the Statehouse, and the COTA bus stop, were closed for the investigation.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, call Franklin County Suicide Prevention Hotline at 614-221-5445; the Teen Suicide Prevention Hotline, 614-294-3300; or the Lifeline national organization for suicide prevention, 1-800-273-8255.
[email protected]
@Woodsnight ||||| ...
belonging to two children. When two brothers see it, they stop to intervene and make sure the officer and the kids know their rights.
I love this video. This officer is trying to take and keep backpacks | – A Black Lives Matter activist is dead after shooting himself outside the entrance of the Ohio Statehouse where he previously attended protests. Police say MarShawn McCarrel II was pronounced dead on the scene around 6pm Monday. "We don't have any evidence to know the reason why he did it," a State Highway Patrol rep tells the Columbus Dispatch. But the Washington Post notes McCarrel's social media posts "oscillated between joy and despair." "I love y'all," the 23-year-old tweeted Monday morning. At noon came his final tweet: "Let the record show that I pissed on the statehouse before I left." Then this Facebook post around 3pm: "My demons won today. I'm sorry." A former teacher describes McCarrel as the student he was proudest of in his 27 years on the job. "I saw him as a shining star in the future of civil rights." Indeed: McCarrel was named one of just 15 Radio One Hometown Champions, attended the NAACP's Image Awards on Friday, helped organize Black Lives Matter protests in Ohio after the shooting of Michael Brown, founded a youth mentorship program, and worked with the homeless. "He had so much to do," his mom tells the Dispatch. "He forgot to take time for himself." A fellow activist says "the statehouse was no accident. We've been working so hard, and yet the conditions for the people in our community ... are still so hard." McCarrel was "an activist to his soul," a friend adds on Facebook. He "fought tirelessly in Ohio and beyond for the rights of oppressed people … Brother—we'll keep fighting. You rest, now." |
[Fort Cumberland, Md., 18 July 1755] To Mr Jno. Auge Washington Mount Vernon
Dear Jack Brother
As I have heard since my arrivl at this place,1 a circumstantial acct of my death and dying Speech, I take this early oppertunity of contradicting both the first , and of assuring you that I ⟨ illegible ⟩2 of the livg by the miraculous care of I have not, as yet, composed the latter. But by the all powerful dispensatns of Providence, that I have been protected me beyond all human expectation ; probability & expectation for I had 4 Bullets through my Coat, and two Horses shot under and yet me yet although death was levelling my companions on every side of me. escaped unhurt.
We have been most scandalously beaten by a trifling body of men; but fatiegue, and the want of tim⟨e⟩, will prevent s me from ⟨erasure⟩ give ing you any of the ⟨erasure⟩ details un till I have the happiness of seeing you at home Mount Vernon ; which I now most ardently wish d for, since we are drove in thus far. A Weak, and Feeble State of Health, obliges me to halt here for 2 or 3 days, to recover a little strength, that I may thereby be enabled to proceed homewards with more ease; You may expect to see me there on Saturday or Sunday Se’night,3 which is as soon as I can well be down as I shall take my Bullskin Plantation’s in my way. Pray give my Compts to all my Fds. I am Dr Jack Yr most Affecte Brothr |||||
This vintage portrait features George Washington, the first president of the United States. (iStock)
Today is George Washington’s Birthday. It’s something of a political miracle that the man indispensable to the founding of his country came into the world just at the right time, in 1732, so that when he reached manhood, he was there when we needed him.
More miraculous still is that he survived so long, until 1799.
During the course of his 67 years on Earth, the father of our country survived smallpox, bouts of malaria, multiple infections and abscesses, tuberculosis, dysentery and in the first six months of his presidency, an extraordinarily painful boil “the size of two fists” accompanied by a fever.
So worrisome was his health at that point that some feared a “dreadful calamity,” and as James Madison wrote, a “crisis” in the affairs of the new nation, which had given no thought to anyone else as president. The presidency, indeed, was designed with Washington in mind.
“Were we to be deprived of his influence,” wrote Rep. William Smith at the time, “I much fear no other man could hold us together.”
As a young man, Washington fought with the British army during the French and Indian War. While not wounded, he became so ill and so close to being shot that before he returned home to Virginia, rumors were already circulating of his death.
“I have heard,” he wrote upon his return from battle in July, 1755, “a circumstantial account of my death and dying speech.
“I take this early opportunity,” he wrote his brother, John Augustine Washington, “of contradicting the first, and of assuring you, that I have not, as yet, composed the latter.
“But by the all powerful dispensations of Providence, I have been protected beyond all human probability or expectation; for I had four Bullets through my Coat, and two Horses shot under me; yet escaped unhurt.”
He had also fallen victim to dysentery, which produced extreme diarrhea in a man with hemorrhoids. “At first the stoic young aide tried to conceal the malady,” writes Washington biographer Ron Chernow, “but he soon found it so debilitating that he had to travel lying down in a covered wagon.”
It was not dignified. But he survived.
He had an iron constitution, which can only be fully fathomed by considering the state of medicine at the time.
“There was no well-defined concept of infection or immunity,” Anthony Fauci and David M. Morens wrote in a 2012 article in the New England Journal of Medicine, “no vaccines, almost no specific or effective treatments for infectious diseases and little idea that any treatment or public health measure could reliably control epidemic diseases … During Washington’s lifetime, infectious diseases were the defining challenges of human existence.”
Perhaps the most defining challenge to Washington’s health was his first known confrontation with infectious disease, when he contracted smallpox at the age of 19 while visiting Barbados. And as debilitating as it was, the immunity it conferred upon him would prove vital at another pivotal moment in American history nearly three decades later, a “powerful dispensation” for him and for the nation.
It was the spring of 1749 when George’s older half brother, Lawrence, contracted tuberculosis, a disease for which there was then no certain cure. In search of relief, he first traveled to England. Finding no reprieve in the treatments of English doctors, he returned to Virginia, where he only deteriorated further. He then decided to try Barbados, in hopes that the warmth there would help.
“Because Lawrence’s wife had just given birth to a daughter,” writes Chernow, it “fell upon George, nineteen, to accompany his thirty-three-year-old-brother, acting as both nursemaid and companion” on the 37-day voyage and while Lawrence got treatment.
Shortly after they arrived, the brothers received an invitation to visit Gedney Clarke, an uncle of Lawrence’s wife. Washington was reluctant to accept, because Clarke’s wife was confined with smallpox. Smallpox was “extraordinarily virulent; individuals exposed to the virus, which passes by contact, were almost certain to be infected,” wrote historian Jack Warren, unless through some previous exposure they developed an immunity to the disease.
As Virginia had not been touched by smallpox during Washington’s lifetime, he caught it. It’s not established that Mary Clarke, Gedney Clarke’s wife, was the source of Washington’s smallpox. But as Washington wrote in his diary on Nov. 16, 1751 he “was strongly attacked” with the lethal disease. Washington was housebound for 25 days with the painful pustules and fever and managed to survive.
Lawrence returned to Virginia and died of tuberculosis at his home in Mount Vernon in 1752.
Washington would soon become a soldier and “where soldiers go, plagues follow,” says the old axiom.
The American Revolution brought with it soldiers from England and Germany carrying smallpox, facing American forces largely unexposed to the disease, and therefore greatly vulnerable. By the fall of 1775, Boston, then under British occupation, “suffered from a widespread smallpox epidemic that threatened to spread throughout the ranks of Washington’s army,” according to the Mount Vernon digital research library.
The disease “spread like wildfire through the weakened soldiers and crowded army camps, leaving death and devastation in its wake,” writes Jeanne E. Abrams in “Revolutionary Medicine: The Founding Fathers and Mothers in Sickness and Health.”
“We should have more to dread” from the disease “than from the Sword of the Enemy,” Washington wrote.
Because Washington had already had smallpox, he was safe.
Despite the risks of spreading the disease by undertaking to inoculate the soldiers in the army he commanded, in 1777 he took the momentous decision to undertake the first mass military inoculation in history. By the end of that year, with some 40,000 troops inoculated, infection rates fell from 17 percent to 1 percent.
“It averted another health crisis within the Continental Army and dramatically altered the outcome of the Revolutionary War,” as Benjamin A. Drew wrote in JAMA Dermatology in July, 2015.
Washington, of course, lived on to become the nation’s first president, albeit one still plagued by the other diseases of his era and ultimately by the state of what was then modern medicine. White McKenzie Wallenborn, a physician, described his last days in an article supplementing the Washington papers at the University of Virginia:
On December 12th, 1799, George Washington in his 68th year of life, rode out around his farms on horseback from ten a.m. until about three p.m. The weather that day according to General Washington was snowing in the morning and about three inches deep. Wind at NE and mercury at 30 (30 degrees Fahrenheit). Continued snowing until about one o’clock, and at about four o’clock it became perfectly clear. Wind at same place-not hard. Mercury 28 (28 degrees Fahrenheit) at night. Colonel Tobias Lear, George Washington’s secretary, stated that the weather that day was bad, rain, hail, and snow falling alternately with a cold wind. When George Washington returned from his ride, the General’s neck appeared wet, snow was hanging from his hair, and he came to dinner without changing his dress (clothes wet?). The next day, Friday December 13th, 1799, the General did not go out as usual for he had taken cold and complained of a severe sore throat. He did go out in the afternoon to mark some trees which had to be cut down. He now had hoarseness which increased in the evening. He spent the evening reading the papers, and when he met anything interesting, he read it as loud as his hoarseness would permit. On the next day, Saturday the 14th, at three o’clock in the morning, he told Mrs. Washington that he was very unwell and that he had an “ague” (paroxysmal chills). It was observed that he could hardly speak and that he breathed with difficulty. At daybreak on the 14th, Colonel Tobias Lear came in and found the General breathing with difficulty and hardly able to utter a word intelligently. A mixture of molasses, vinegar, and butter was given but he (GW) could not swallow a drop and when attempted, he appeared to be distressed, convulsive, and almost suffocated. Later he tried to use a gargle of vinegar and sage tea but in attempting to gargle, he almost suffocated and when the gargle came back from the throat some phlegm followed. At eleven a.m., his swallowing had not improved. After the last bleeding it was noted that the blood came “slow and thick” but there was no fainting (his physicians had ordered that he be bled a number of times in the course of his illness and an incredible amount about eighty two ounces or about five pints or units of blood were removed from him).
Doctors now believe Washington had acute epiglottitis, a life-threatening condition, caused by injury or infection, that causes the epligottis to swell, blocking the airways to the lungs. It was, and is still today, potentially life-threatening.
Today, Wallenborn writes, doctors would perform a tracheostomy, creating a surgical airway to allow air to flow to the patient’s lungs. While one of Washington’s three doctors suggested such a procedure, it was new and controversial and “might not have worked anyway,” Wallenborn writes.
His friend, Lear, described his last moments.
“At his bedside,” Lear wrote, “I reached for his hand. ‘My breath cannot last long,'” Washington told him. “‘I believed from the first that the disorder would prove fatal,’ he said. He seemed so perfectly resigned — dignified even — despite his gasping breaths …’I am just going,’ he said. After uttering some instructions, he whispered finally, ‘Tis well.’ And then he expired.” ||||| Interactive Timeline The Perpetual Challenge of Infectious Diseases.
Among the many challenges to health, infectious diseases stand out for their ability to have a profound impact on the human species. Great pandemics and local epidemics alike have influenced the course of wars, determined the fates of nations and empires, and affected the progress of civilization, making infections compelling actors in the drama of human history.1-11 For 200 years, the Journal has captured the backdrop to this human drama in thousands of articles about infectious diseases and about biomedical research and public health efforts to understand, treat, control, and prevent them.
The Uniqueness of Infectious Diseases Infections have distinct characteristics that, when considered together, set them apart from other diseases (Table 1Table 1 Characteristics of Infectious Diseases That Set Them Apart from Other Human Diseases.). Paramount among these characteristics is their unpredictability and their potential for explosive global effect, as exemplified by the bubonic–pneumonic plague pandemic in the 14th century,1,12 the 1918 influenza pandemic,13,14 and the current pandemic of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS),15 among others. Infectious diseases are usually acute and unambiguous in their nature. The onset of an infectious illness, unlike the onset of many other types of disease, in an otherwise healthy host can be abrupt and unmistakable. Moreover, in the absence of therapy, acute infectious diseases often pose an all-or-nothing situation, with the host either quickly dying or recovering spontaneously, and usually relatively promptly, often with lifelong immunity to the specific infecting pathogen. Not only are some infectious diseases transmissible to others, a unique characteristic among human diseases, but their transmission mechanisms are relatively few (including inoculation and airborne and waterborne transmission), well understood, and comparatively easy to study, both experimentally and in the field. In addition, such transmission is generally amenable to medical and public health interventions. Unlike many chronic and lifestyle-associated diseases resulting from multiple, interacting risk cofactors, most infectious diseases are caused by a single agent, the identification of which typically points the way not only to general disease-control measures (e.g., sanitation, chemical disinfection, hand washing, or vector control) but also to specific medical measures (e.g., vaccination or antimicrobial treatment). Given their nature, infectious diseases are potentially preventable with personal protection, general public health measures, or immunologic approaches such as vaccination. As preventive measures have become more effective and efficient, history has shown that certain infectious diseases, particularly those with a broad global health impact and for which there is no nonhuman host or major reservoir, can be eliminated. Such diseases include poliomyelitis, which has been eliminated in the Western Hemisphere,16 and smallpox, which has been eliminated globally.9 Another unique aspect is that the extraordinary adaptability of infectious pathogens (i.e., their replicative and mutational capacities) provides them with a temporary evolutionary advantage against pressures aimed at their destruction. These pressures include environmental factors and antimicrobial drugs, as well as the human immune response. At the same time, such adaptations provide us with opportunities to respond with new vaccine antigens, such as annually updated influenza vaccines,17 or new or different anti-infective agents. This back-and-forth struggle between human ingenuity and microbial adaptation reflects a perpetual challenge.12,18,19 Infectious diseases are closely dependent on the nature and complexity of human behavior, since they directly reflect who we are, what we do, and how we live and interact with other people, animals, and the environment.19-30 Infectious diseases are acquired specifically and directly as a result of our behaviors and lifestyles, from social gatherings, to travel and transportation, to sexual activity, to occupational exposures, to sports and recreational activities, to what we eat and drink, to our pets, to the environment — even to the way we care for the ill in hospitals and other health care environments. Moreover, microbial colonizing infections that lead to long-term carriage without disease (e.g., within the endogenous human microbiome) may influence the development of infections with exogenous microbes31,32 and also have an effect on general immunologic and physiologic homeostasis,33,34 including effects on nutritional status. Human microbiomes seem to reflect, and may even have helped to drive, human evolution.35 In this struggle, infectious diseases are intimately and uniquely related to us through our immune systems. The human immune system, including the primitive innate system and the specific adaptive system,36 has evolved over millions of years from both invertebrate and vertebrate organisms, developing sophisticated defense mechanisms to protect the host from microbes.37 In effect, the human immune system evolved as a response to the challenge of invading pathogens. Thus, it is not by accident that the fields of microbiology and immunology arose and developed in close association long before they came to be considered distinct disciplines.
Disease Emergence and Reemergence Because infectious pathogens are evolutionarily dynamic, the list of diseases they cause is ever-changing and continually growing. Since newly emerging infectious agents do not arise spontaneously, they must recently have come from somewhere else, usually from animal infections, as occurred with HIV infection, influenza, and the severe acute respiratory syndrome. This interspecies transmission underscores the importance of interdigitating the study of human and animal diseases19,23,38-40 and recognizing the central role that microbial reservoirs, including those in animals, vectors, and the environment, play in human infectious diseases.19,38 Preexisting or established infectious diseases also may reemerge in different forms, as in extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis,41 or in different locations, as in West Nile virus infection in the United States,42 to cause new epidemics (Table 2Table 2 Broad Categories of Infectious Diseases.). Indeed, many human infectious diseases seem to have patterns of evolution, sometimes played out over thousands of years, in which they first emerge and cause epidemics or pandemics, become unstably adapted to human populations, undergo periodic resurgences, and eventually become endemic with the potential for future outbreaks (Figure 1Figure 1 Leading Causes of Global Deaths from Infectious Diseases.Of an estimated 58.8 million annual deaths worldwide, approximately 15.0 million (25.5%) are believed to be caused by infectious diseases. Cause-specific mortality estimates are provided by the World Health Organization.43,44 The data do not include deaths from secondary infectious causes, such as rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease, liver cancer and cirrhosis, or other chronic diseases. ).12,19,43,44
Historical Perspectives and Current Status Just over a decade before the publication of the first issue of the Journal, President George Washington died of an acute infectious disease believed to have been bacterial epiglottitis.45 Washington's life reflects the history of his era and provides both a window into infectious diseases two centuries ago and a benchmark for measuring our remarkable progress since then. Washington was born in 1732, just before the deadliest diphtheria epidemic on the North American continent. He was scarred by smallpox, survived multiple debilitating bouts of malaria, suffered wound infections and abscesses, nursed his brother on a tropical island as he died of tuberculosis, and even had an influenza pandemic named after him (the Washington influenza of 1789–1790). During his presidency, he stayed in the then-capital city of Philadelphia while most of the government fled during the nation's deadliest yellow fever epidemic.5,12 At the time of Washington's birth, there was no well-defined concept of infection or immunity, no vaccines, almost no specific or effective treatments for infectious diseases,3,46 and little idea that any treatment or public health measure could reliably control epidemic diseases. During Washington's lifetime, infectious diseases were the defining challenges of human existence. No one alive then could have imagined the astonishing breakthroughs that lay ahead. In this regard, it is noteworthy that almost all the major advances in understanding and controlling infectious diseases have occurred in the past two centuries (Table 3Table 3 Selected Infectious Diseases of Importance from 1812 to the Present. and interactive timeline). Experimental animal-transmission studies that were conducted soon after the War of 1812 were followed by the development of better microscopes, which linked fungi to skin diseases and protozoa to mucosal diseases — for example, Alfred Donné's 1836 work with Trichomonas vaginalis and David Gruby's studies of Candida albicans in the early 1840s. The breakthroughs in the late 1800s, which taken together provided the compelling unifying principle of infectious diseases and must surely rank among the most important advances in the medical sciences, were the characterization of specific cultivatable microorganisms and proof of their association with specific diseases. This triumph was led by the work of Davaine and Koch in establishing anthrax as the first fully characterized infectious disease.47,48 This seminal process was facilitated by the development of defined criteria for establishing causality (Koch's postulates). Additional breakthroughs followed quickly, including the discovery and characterization of pathogen-specific immune responses; the demonstration that when inactivated by heat or chemicals or grown under limiting conditions that changed certain biologic properties (e.g., attenuation), organisms or their products could safely stimulate protective responses in a host; and development of anti-infective serums and chemicals to destroy pathogens. Over the next 135 years, a wide array of vaccines and antibiotics and, more recently, antiviral agents have saved hundreds of millions of lives, greatly extended the human life span, and reduced untold suffering. Undeniably, these countermeasures against infectious disease rank among the greatest achievements in public health and medicine. History reminds us that new challenges in infectious diseases will continue to emerge and reemerge. We must be prompt in identifying them and devising new countermeasures. In this effort, we still follow the familiar pathway that was set down in the late 1800s for the identification and characterization, both clinical and epidemiologic, of the causative agent; the characterization of the human immune response to the pathogen; and the development of pathogen-specific diagnostic tests, treatment strategies, and public health prevention strategies such as vaccinations.49
Diagnosis and Characterization of Pathogens In the late 1800s, the realization that identifiable microbes caused specific diseases led to pathogen-specific medical diagnosis. Although the time-honored techniques of growing bacteria in broth or solid cultures and staining and examining them under microscopes are still important today, newer technologies have transformed the field of microbial diagnosis. Among the first emerging epidemic diseases to be identified by one such method was the hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a centuries-old disease caused by an unknown phlebovirus (Sin Nombre) that was discovered unexpectedly in 199350 by the application of a then-novel molecular genetic technique, polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This followed quickly on the 1992 discovery of the previously unknown agent causing an infectious chronic condition, Whipple's disease.51 Less than a year later, PCR-related subtraction techniques solved a century-old mystery of the cause of Kaposi's sarcoma, human herpesvirus 8.52 Now, less than two decades later, sophisticated, high-throughput, rapid sequencing of the genomes of pathogens not only dramatically hastens initial identification but also detects individual genetic variants,53 facilitating identification of the genetic basis of drug resistance. Additional gene-based diagnostic tools include microchips and other technologies that detect short sequences of many different genes or their proteins, allowing simultaneous diagnosis or diagnostic elimination of multiple pathogens. New serologic techniques such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay can be many times more sensitive than traditional techniques in detecting and measuring antibodies to pathogens. Furthermore, monoclonal antibody techniques, which involve the use of cellular clones to produce antibodies against specific pathogen epitopes, have been adapted for the purposes of diagnosis, identification of the molecular structures of pathogens, elucidation of the natural history and pathogenesis of infectious diseases, development of conformationally accurate immunogens to be used as vaccine candidates,54 and even treatment.55 Many of these data-rich approaches require sophisticated bioinformatics systems (e.g., phylogenetic comparisons and genome construction analyses).
Vaccine Development Vaccines against infectious diseases such as anthrax and rabies have been produced since the late 1870s. Only in the past half century, however, have technological advances in vaccination led to dramatic changes in the field of disease prevention. The World Health Organization now estimates that each year more than 120 different types of vaccines save 2.5 million lives and with optimal uptake could save an additional 2 million.56 Trivalent combined inactivated and live attenuated poliomyelitis vaccines were licensed in 1955 and 1962, respectively; a live attenuated trivalent vaccine against three unrelated diseases (measles, mumps, and rubella) was licensed in 1971; and a variety of vaccine approaches and platforms have been introduced since then. It is now possible to determine high-resolution crystallographic structures of pathogens and use this information to design vaccines directed at the most relevant epitopes in the microbe's complex structure, an approach known as structure-based vaccine design.57
Treatment Successful treatment with pathogen-immune serum was another critical breakthrough of the late 19th century.55 This approach to therapy also encouraged scientists to develop chemicals to kill the specific pathogens that they were regularly identifying. Ehrlich succeeded first in 1910 with his magic bullet against syphilis (arsphenamine, or salvarsan58). Within two decades, a new generation of scientists was working on what would eventually be called antibiotics. As a result of these efforts, sulfa drugs were developed in 1936, and penicillin in 1943.59,60 In the United States, tuberculosis had been only partially controlled by public health measures and incompletely effective vaccines.61 It was not until the introduction of specific antituberculosis therapy in the 1950s62 that sanatoriums were emptied and cases of active disease were substantially reduced. Antibiotics have revolutionized the treatment of many other important bacterial infections and have saved many millions of lives since their introduction. When antiviral drugs were first developed in the 1960s, they did not seem to be particularly promising, with a few exceptions. In response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, however, the development of antiretroviral drugs markedly expanded the arsenal of available antiviral agents and invigorated the research-and-development pathway for these important drugs. Effective combinations of powerful antiretroviral drugs have led to substantial prolongation of the lives of millions of persons with previously almost invariably fatal HIV infection, a true landmark in therapies for infectious diseases.15,63 All antibiotic and antiviral drugs, however, share an inherent weakness: the organisms against which they are directed almost invariably evolve mechanisms of resistance. Bacteria become resistant by a variety of mechanisms.64 The evolution of antimicrobial resistance is enhanced by overuse of antibiotics in animals and by inappropriate use in humans. Many viruses, particularly RNA viruses such as influenza virus, rapidly develop mutations even in a single brief replication cycle. A number of approaches have been pursued to meet the ever-present challenge of antimicrobial resistance. The development of new classes of antibiotic, antiviral, and antiparasitic agents aimed at diverse microbial targets, often with the use of high-throughput screening of compounds,65 is strengthening and broadening the therapeutic armamentarium. In addition, combination therapies (e.g., antiretroviral agents for HIV infection and multidrug approaches to tuberculosis) have proved to be successful in slowing the emergence of resistance.
Public Health Achievements Breakthroughs in the field of infectious diseases have had far-reaching effects, including the realization of the critical importance of clean water and basic sanitation and hygiene for the prevention of a great number of infectious diseases. In addition, disease-specific approaches to prevention and treatment have led in many cases to the widespread control of diseases that historically have caused substantial morbidity and mortality.66 The treatment of infectious diseases is in itself a prevention measure, limiting or preventing transmission to others. Eradication, the ultimate goal in facing the threat of an established or emerging infectious disease, is no longer unrealistic. Specifically, in addition to the millions of lives saved by vaccines and antibiotics, certain infectious diseases have been eliminated from large regions of the world or even completely eradicated, an accomplishment rarely, if ever, seen in other medical disciplines. In 1980, smallpox became the first eradicated disease,9 making this among the most momentous achievements in human disease control. In May 2011, the veterinary morbillivirus disease rinderpest was declared eradicated, and its presumed descendant, human measles virus, is now being targeted for eradication.67 Poliomyelitis has been eliminated from several regions of the world, and it is hoped that within a reasonable period, it will be eradicated globally.68 Dracunculiasis (guinea worm disease) is also almost completely eradicated.69 These are just a few examples of what has been and can be accomplished by aggressive and concerted public health measures using the tools provided by basic and clinical research.
New Vistas An unanticipated outcome of the explosion of information concerning the microbial world is the recognition that a growing number of chronic diseases that were once attributed to host, environmental, or lifestyle factors or to unknown causes are actually directly or indirectly caused by infectious agents that potentially can be controlled through prevention and treatment. For example, liver cancer and cirrhosis are complications of hepatitis B and C infections, cervical cancer is a complication of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, and gastric and duodenal ulcers may result from Helicobacter pylori infection.70-72 Vaccines against two of these agents, hepatitis B and HPV, are already in use, exemplifying the concept of cancer-preventing vaccines. H. pylori infection can be cured with antibiotics, and chronic hepatitis B and C infections are being treated by means of antiviral regimens with growing success rates. Certain autoimmune conditions have also been attributed to infections. For example, enteric microbes have been associated with inflammatory arthritides, and Campylobacter jejuni and certain viruses have been associated with the Guillain–Barré syndrome.73 In addition, with new technologies and approaches, scientists are exploring new facets of microbiology, including the role of the human microbiome in maintaining homeostasis in the ecosystems of our bodies and its possible relationship to conditions such as obesity and inflammatory bowel disease.74
The Perpetual Challenge We are living in a remarkable era. Almost all the major advances in understanding and controlling infectious diseases have occurred during the past two centuries, and momentous successes continue to accrue. These breakthroughs in the prevention, treatment, control, elimination, and potential eradication of infectious diseases are among the most important advances in the history of medicine. Nevertheless, because of the evolutionary capacity of infectious pathogens to adapt to new ecologic niches created by human endeavor, as well as to pressures directed at their elimination, we will always confront new or reemerging infectious threats. Our successes in meeting these threats have come not just from isolated scientific triumphs but also from broad approaches that complement the battle against infectious diseases on many different fronts, including constant surveillance of the microbial landscape, clinical and public health efforts, and efficient translation of new discoveries into disease-control applications. These efforts are driven by the necessity of expecting the unexpected and being prepared to respond when the unexpected occurs. It is a battle that has been well fought for more than two centuries but that will almost certainly still be raging, in now-unimagined forms, two centuries from now. The challenges are truly perpetual. Our response to these challenges must be perpetual as well.
Disclosure forms provided by the authors are available with the full text of this article at NEJM.org. ||||| By White McKenzie Wallenborn, M.D.
On December 12th, 1799, George Washington in his 68th year of life, rode out around his farms on horseback from ten a.m. until about three p.m. The weather that day according to General Washington was snowing in the morning and about three inches deep. Wind at NE and mercury at 30 (30 degrees Fahrenheit). Continued snowing until about one o’clock, and at about four o’clock it became perfectly clear. Wind at same place-not hard. Mercury 28 (28 degrees Fahrenheit) at night. Colonel Tobias Lear, George Washington’s secretary, stated that the weather that day was bad, rain, hail, and snow falling alternately with a cold wind. When George Washington returned from his ride, the General’s neck appeared wet, snow was hanging from his hair, and he came to dinner without changing his dress (clothes wet?).
The next day, Friday December 13th, 1799, the General did not go out as usual for he had taken cold and complained of a severe sore throat. He did go out in the afternoon to mark some trees which had to be cut down. He now had hoarseness which increased in the evening. He spent the evening reading the papers, and when he met anything interesting, he read it as loud as his hoarseness would permit.
On the next day, Saturday the 14th, at three o’clock in the morning, he told Mrs. Washington that he was very unwell and that he had an “ague” (paroxysmal chills). It was observed that he could hardly speak and that he breathed with difficulty. At daybreak on the 14th, Colonel Tobias Lear came in and found the General breathing with difficulty and hardly able to utter a word intelligently. A mixture of molasses, vinegar, and butter was given but he (GW) could not swallow a drop and when attempted, he appeared to be distressed, convulsive, and almost suffocated. Later he tried to use a gargle of vinegar and sage tea but in attempting to gargle, he almost suffocated and when the gargle came back from the throat some phlegm followed. At eleven a.m., his swallowing had not improved. After the last bleeding it was noted that the blood came “slow and thick” but there was no fainting (his physicians had ordered that he be bled a number of times in the course of his illness and an incredible amount about eighty two ounces or about five pints or units of blood were removed from him). At half past four o’clock, Washington gave directions about his will and at about five he again tried sitting up but remained so only half an hour. In the course of the afternoon, he appeared in great pain and distress from difficulty in breathing, and frequently changed his position in bed. At about eight o’clock it was noted that his condition remained unchanged and did so until about ten minutes before his decease (death) when breathing became easier. He died between ten and eleven p.m. December 14th, 1799.
His primary symptoms in the order of their occurrence were – severe sore throat; hoarseness; cough, chills, difficulty with breathing; difficulty with swallowing; expectoration (spitting-? drooling); fever; loss of voice-, and suffocation.
From the observations of Colonel Lear, Dr. James Craik, Dr. Elisha Cullen Dick, an Dr. Gustavus Richard Brown, and the clinical course of his illness, I think that it is very reasonable and possible to make a determination of the disease process that was the cause of George Washington’s death. He had acute epiglottitis (supraglottitis) which is a severe, rapidly progressing infection of the epiglottis and surrounding tissues that may be quickly fatal because of sudden respiratory (airway) obstruction by the inflamed structures. The epiglottis is located at the base of the tongue and is the most superior part of the larynx (voice box). It is at the very entrance to the airway which goes through the larynx to the trachea and lungs. Swelling of this structure is painful and tends to rapidly obstruct the airway and also the entrance to the hypopharynx (area just above the esophagus) and the esophagus (gullet). With acute epiglottitis, George Washington would have had great difficulty breathing, talking, and swallowing and these he certainly had.
The onset of epiglottitis is usually acute and fulminating. Sore throat, hoarseness, dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) , and respiratory distress accompanied by drooling, shortness of breath, rapid pulse, and inspiratory stridor (harsh high pitched respiratory noise heard while the patient is inhaling [breathing in]) develop in rapid order. Death from this dysorder is caused by obstruction of the patient’s airway and is very painful and frightening.
The other possible dysorders suggested by some as being the disease process that caused George Washington’s death were acute diphtheria (laryngeal diphtheria), quinsy, acute laryngitis, and Ludwig’s angina. However none of these diagnoses quite fit the description of Washington’s terminal illness but on the other hand acute epiglottitis does explain all of his symptoms and his demise. His illness is a classic “textbook” case of acute epiglottitis.
Laryngeal diphtheria is an unlikely diagnosis for several reasons. General Washington was reported to have survived a case of “black canker” as a child. This would have been diphtheria and would have given him lifetime immunity against future attacks of diphtheria more than likely. There were no other reported cases of diphtheria in his household or farm population so the likelihood that he would have picked up a case of diphtheria was remote. Diphtheria in an adult is a very rare occurrence. Although this diagnosis is a possibility because it can produce laryngeal obstruction and respiratory distress, it just doesn’t fit the picture.
Quinsy is the term used to describe a peritonsillar abscess. Quinsy produces a sore throat but it is almost always unilateral (on only one side of the throat) and produces symptoms referable to that side only e.g. soreness; swelling of the neck on that side; and another symptom: trismus (a lockjaw-like symptom where the patient cannot open their mouth). This diagnosis also does not fit the disease process from which General Washington died.
Acute laryngitis in an adult is not usually a life threatening dysorder.
Ludwig’s Angina is an infection in the floor of the mouth in front of or lateral to the tongue. It usually results from a dental or periodontal infection. George Washington had no teeth..ergo.. not a likely diagnosis.
It would be improper for today’s medical practitioners to be critical of the physicians of George Washington’s day if they were delivering the standard of care that other physicians of that era were giving to their patients. It would appear that Dr. James Craik, Dr. Elisha Cullen Dick, and Dr. Gustavus Richard Brown were well trained as physicians, were honest and caring, and gave the kind of medical care that their peers would have given. Today we know that many of their methods were wrong and we would do things differently. If Drs. Craik and Brown would have encouraged Dr. Dick to perforate Washington’s trachea (tracheostomy), it might have allowed him to survive the acute illness and live on for sometime afterwards. However this procedure was new and controversial so they were not totally wrong to oppose it. Technically it might not have worked anyway … but who knows? Today we find the removal of about eighty two ounces of blood (about five pints or units of blood) from a sick patient in less than sixteen hours to be incredible. However this was the method of treatment being taught in those days. It was the treatment of choice for many diseases and the complications of using this method were not comprehended by the physicians of that day. I certainly have a great deal of compassion for George Washington’s physicians who were attempting to save his life by using the methods that they thought best for him. I am also filled with sadness that such a remarkable man and leader should have such a painful and frightening end to his life.
White McKenzie Wallenborn, M.D.
Clinical Professor (Ret.)
Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery
University of Virginia School of Medicine
November 5, 1997
References
In the study of George Washington’s terminal illness, a number of textbooks of Otolaryngology were consulted. William Abbot and Dorothy Twohig, Editor in Chief of The Papers of George Washington at the University of Virginia, provided a number of valuable articles written about George Washington’s death and his overall medical history. By combining the textbook articles, the journal articles, and my own clinical experiences, I was able to reach the conclusions noted above. The journals used are listed below:
Barker, Creighton. “A Case Report,” The Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, 9 (1936), 185-87.
Blanton, Wyndham B. “Washington’s Medical Knowledge and Its Sources,” Annals of Medical History, 4 (1932), 52-61.
Brickell, John. “Observations on the Medical Treatment of General Washington in His Illness,” Transactions of the College of Physicians, 25 (1903), 90-93.
Courtney, John F. “George Washington’s Final Illness,” Resident and Staff Physician, 15 (1969), 84-.
Knox, J. H. Mason, Jr. “The Medical History of George Washington, His Physicians, Friends and Advisers,” Bullentin of the Institute of the History of Medicine, 1 (1933), 174-91.
Lewis, Fielding 0. “Washington’s Last Illness,” Annals of Medical History, 4 (1932), 245-48.
Nydegger, James A. “The Last Illness of George Washington,” Medical Record, 92 (1917), 1128.
Wells, Walter A. “Last Illness and Death of Washington,” Virginia Medical Monthly, 53 (1926-27), 629-42.
Willius, F. A., and Keys, T. E. “The Medical History of George Washington (1732-1799),” Proceedings of the Staff Meetings of the Mayo Clinic, 17 (1942), 92-96, 107-112, 116-121.
© 1999 White McKenzie Wallenborn | – "I have been protected beyond all human probability or expectation," the National Archives quote George Washington in a letter to his brother following the French and Indian War. He wasn't kidding. In a piece written for Washington's birthday this week, the Washington Post reveals America's first president was nigh indestructible. In his lifetime, Washington bested smallpox, malaria, infections, abscesses, tuberculosis, dysentery, and a boil "the size of two fists." And that's not even mentioning the battles he survived. Washington claimed that during the French and Indian War, four bullets ripped through his coat and two horses were shot while he rode them. He apparently had so many close calls he was rumored to be dead. Yet somehow he managed to live to 67. Washington's resilience was all the more impressive as he was living at time with, as the New England Journal of Medicine puts it, "no well-defined concept of infection...no vaccines, almost no specific or effective treatments for infections diseases." As an illustration of this point, Washington finally died in 1799 when he came down with a sore throat and chills after riding around his property in the snow, according to the Washington Papers. Doctors tried everything to cure him—from molasses mixed with butter, to vinegar mixed with sage tea, to removing five pints of blood from the former president. None of it worked. A friend described Washington's "dignified" final words, which were—frankly—a long time coming: "I am just going...Tis well." (Thomas Jefferson's home is getting a renovation with slave Sally Hemings in mind.) |
Despite the many number of studies examining workaholism, large-scale studies have been lacking. The present study utilized an open web-based cross-sectional survey assessing symptoms of psychiatric disorders and workaholism among 16,426 workers (M age = 37.3 years, SD = 11.4, range = 16–75 years). Participants were administered the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale, the Obsession-Compulsive Inventory-Revised, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Bergen Work Addiction Scale, along with additional questions examining demographic and work-related variables. Correlations between workaholism and all psychiatric disorder symptoms were positive and significant. Workaholism comprised the dependent variable in a three-step linear multiple hierarchical regression analysis. Basic demographics (age, gender, relationship status, and education) explained 1.2% of the variance in workaholism, whereas work demographics (work status, position, sector, and annual income) explained an additional 5.4% of the variance. Age (inversely) and managerial positions (positively) were of most importance. The psychiatric symptoms (ADHD, OCD, anxiety, and depression) explained 17.0% of the variance. ADHD and anxiety contributed considerably. The prevalence rate of workaholism status was 7.8% of the present sample. In an adjusted logistic regression analysis, all psychiatric symptoms were positively associated with being a workaholic. The independent variables explained between 6.1% and 14.4% in total of the variance in workaholism cases. Although most effect sizes were relatively small, the study’s findings expand our understanding of possible psychiatric predictors of workaholism, and particularly shed new insight into the reality of adult ADHD in work life. The study’s implications, strengths, and shortcomings are also discussed.
Introduction
Workaholism has been defined as “being overly concerned about work, driven by an uncontrollable work motivation, and to investing so much time and effort to work that it impairs other important life areas” [1] (p. 8). Research into this timely topic has heavily expanded over the past few decades [2,3], and concerns have been raised regarding the downsides of workaholism [4,5]. In order to prevent workaholism developing, there is a need to identify factors involved with this compulsive work pattern–especially since modern technology (i.e., laptops, tablets, smartphones) has blurred the natural lines between home and the workplace.
Given this evolving context, the present study aimed to identify risk factors associated with workaholism, and to enrich the existing literature in several ways. Previous workaholism research has often used invalid measures, small samples, and insufficient theoretical frameworks [1,6,7]. In this study, a contemporary theoretical framework of addiction to conceptualize workaholism was applied, and validated scales were utilized to investigate whether several psychiatric symptoms were related to workaholism among a large sample of employees.
The latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) reconceptualized addictive behavior to include behavioral addictions akin to more traditional drug addictions [8]. Two profound changes were made: (i) Gambling Disorder (formerly pathological gambling) was reclassified as a behavioral addiction rather than a disorder of impulse control [9], (ii) and Internet Gaming Disorder was introduced into Section 3 of the DSM-5 (Emerging Measures and Models) [8]. However, at present, although these changes represent a substantial recognition of behavioral addictions in general, most potentially addictive behaviors are not yet formally defined as such–including workaholism.
As the line between excessive enthusiasm and a genuine addiction is difficult to define, scholars have typically used specific criteria to define the border between addictive and non-addictive behavior [10]. These criteria involve being totally preoccupied by work (salience), using work to alleviate emotional stress (mood modification), gradually working longer and longer hours to get the same mood modifying effects (tolerance), suffering emotional and physical distress if unable to work (withdrawal), sacrificing other obligations (personal relationships with partner and children, social activities, exercising, etc.) because of work (conflict), desiring or attempting to control the number of hours spent working without success (relapse), and suffering some kind of harm or negative consequence as either a direct or indirect result of the excessive working (problems) [11,12]. Because previous workaholism scales did not cover these addiction components, the seven-item Bergen Work Addiction Scale (BWAS) was specifically developed in order to assess this behavior using the same criteria as other addictions [13]. Consequently, the BWAS is based on and embedded within general addiction theory [10], and has demonstrated robust psychometric properties across studies in different countries [13–15].
Via mobile technology hardware, work is highly accessible to anyone and anywhere, and has the potential to facilitate and enhance workaholism tendencies [16,17]. However, there has been a perceivable paucity in the number of reliable prevalence estimates of workaholism. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses tentatively report estimates from 5% to over 25% [14,18]. According to a recent (and, to date, only) nationally representative study of Norwegian workers, 8.3% were categorized as workaholics [14]. Research has also shown that age is inversely related to workaholism [14,19]. Although a few studies have reported gender differences [20,21], workaholism appears to be unrelated to both gender and marital status [2,14,19]. Research has further demonstrated that higher education and having managerial duties are associated with workaholism [13,19,20,22,23]. A few studies have reported higher levels of workaholism in certain lines of work (e.g., commercial trade, agriculture, medicine, communication, consultancy, etc.) as well as sectors (private and self-employment) [19,20,22–24]. For some, workaholism has been described as a money disorder [25], and one study associated it with having a higher income [20]. This has good face validity because working hard usually means increased salary/earnings. Given these findings, it is expected that younger, well-educated workers, in self-employed and private sector, with managerial responsibilities and higher income will report higher scores on the Bergen Work Addiction Scale in the present study (Hypothesis 1).
Research have consistently demonstrated that Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) increases the risk of various chemical and non-chemical addictions [26]. However, this psychiatric disorder has never been empirically examined (or theoretically associated with) workaholism. ADHD is prevalent in 2.5–5% of the adult population, and is typically manifested by inattentiveness and lack of focus, and/or impulsivity, and excessive physical activity [8,26]. Individuals with ADHD may often stop working due to their disorder, and may have trouble in getting work health insurance as they are regarded as a risk group [26]. For this reason, the present authors hypothesize that individuals with ADHD may compensate for this by over-working to meet the expectations required to hold down a job. Although this is a contentious issue, there are a number of reasons why ADHD may be relevant to workaholism.
Firstly, the present authors argue that the inattentive nature of individuals with ADHD causes them to spend time beyond the typical working day (i.e., evenings and weekends) to accomplish what is done by their fellow employees within normal working hours (i.e., the compensation hypothesis). In addition, as they may have a hard time concentrating while at work due to environmental noise and distractions (especially office work in open landscape environments), they might find it easier to work after co-workers have left their working environment or work from home. Their attentive shortcomings may also cause them to overly check for errors on the tasks given, since they often experience careless mistakes due to their inattentiveness [26]. This may cause a cycle of procrastination, work binges, exhaustion, and–in some cases–a fear of imperfection. Although ADHD is associated with lack of focus, such individuals often have the ability to hyper-focus once they find something interesting–often being unable to detach themselves from the task (e.g., flow) [27,28].
Secondly, the present authors’ argue that the impulsive nature of individuals with ADHD causes them to say ‘yes’ and taking on many tasks without them thinking ahead, and taking on more work than they can realistically handle–eventually leading to workaholic levels of activity. Thirdly, it is also argued that the hyperactive nature of individuals with ADHD and the need to be constantly active without being able to relax, causes such individuals to keep on working in an attempt to alleviate their restless thoughts and behaviors. Consequently, work stress might act as a stimulant, and they may choose active (and often multiple) jobs with high pressure, deadlines and activity (e.g., media, sales, restaurant work)–where they have the opportunity to multitask and constantly shift between tasks (e.g., Type-A personality behavior) [26,29]. In line with this, Type-A personality has often been associated–and sometimes used interchangeably–with workaholism in previous research [2,30]. This line of reasoning also relates to the workaholic type portrayed by Robinson [31], in which he actually denoted “attention-deficit workaholics” (who tend to start many projects but become bored easily and need to be stimulated at all times). His description of the “relentless” type also corresponds well with ADHD symptoms (i.e., unstoppable in working fast and meeting deadlines, often with many projects going on simultaneously). In other words, these types may utilize work pressure to obtain focus, constantly seeking stimulation, crisis, and excitement–and therefore like risky jobs.
Finally, people with ADHD are often mistaken as being lazy, irresponsible, or unintelligent because of their difficulties with planning, time management, organizing, and decision-making [26]. Feeling misunderstood might cause individuals with ADHD to push themselves to prove these misconceptions as wrong–and resulting in an excessive and/or compulsive working pattern. Such individuals are often intelligent, but may feel forced or motivated to start up their own business (i.e., entrepreneurs), as they find it troubling to adjust to standard work schedules or organizational boundaries. Previous research has highlighted that workaholism is prevalent among entrepreneurs and the self-employed [24,32]. Often failing in other aspects of life (e.g., family) [26], work for such individuals may become even more important to them (e.g., self-efficacy). In accord with the aforementioned line of reasoning and findings, it is hypothesized that ADHD symptoms will be positively associated with workaholism in the present study (Hypothesis 2).
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is another underlying psychiatric disorder that increases the likelihood of developing an addiction [33]. Full-blown OCD occurs in approximately 2–3% of children and adults, and is commonly manifested by intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviors of checking, obsessing, ordering, hoarding, washing, and/or neutralizing [8,34,35]. It has been suggested that addictive behaviors might represent a coping and/or escape mechanism of OCD symptoms, or as an OCD-behavior that eventually becomes an addiction in itself [36]. Previous workaholic typologies have incorporated the “compulsive-dependent” and “perfectionistic” types [37], and some empirical studies have demonstrated that obsessive-compulsive traits are present among workaholics [2,38,39]. The OCD tendency of having the need to arrange things in a certain way (i.e., a strong need for control) and obsessing over details to the point of paralysis–may predispose workers with such traits to develop workaholic working patterns [31,37,40,41]. Therefore, it is hypothesized that OCD symptoms will be positively related to workaholism in the present study (Hypothesis 3).
Other psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and depression may also increase the risk of developing an addiction [33]. Approximately 30% of people will suffer from an anxiety disorder in their lifetime, and 20% will have at least one episode of depression [34,35]. These conditions often occur simultaneously, as most people who are depressed also experience acute anxiety [36]. Anxiety and/or depression can lead to addiction, and vice versa [36]. A number of studies have previously reported a link between anxiety, depression, and workaholism [2,7,42,43]. Furthermore, it is known that workaholism (in some instances) develops as an attempt to reduce uncomfortable feelings of anxiety and depression. Working hard is praised and honored in modern society, and thus serves as a legitimate behavior for individuals to combat or alleviate negative feelings–and to feel better about themselves and raise their self-esteem [10,11]. Consequently, it is hypothesized that there will be a positive association between anxiety, depression, and workaholism (Hypothesis 4). Against this background, data were analyzed from a large sample in order to investigate whether individual and work-related demographics and psychiatric symptoms in terms of ADHD, OCD, anxiety, and depression could predict workaholism (Hypotheses 1–4). ||||| A large national Norwegian study shows that workaholism frequently co-occurs with ADHD, OCD, anxiety, and depression.
Researchers at the University of Bergen in Norway have examined the associations between workaholism and psychiatric disorders among 16,426 working adults.
"Workaholics scored higher on all the psychiatric symptoms than non-workaholics," says researcher and Clinical Psychologist Specialist Cecilie Schou Andreassen, at the Department of Psychosocial Science, at the University of Bergen (UiB), and visiting scholar at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.
Workaholics score higher on all clinical states
The study showed that workaholics scored higher on all the psychiatric symptoms than non-workaholics. Among workaholics, the main findings were that:
32.7 per cent met ADHD criteria (12.7 per cent among non-workaholics).
25.6 per cent OCD criteria (8.7 per cent among non-workaholics).
33.8 per cent met anxiety criteria (11.9 per cent among non-workaholics).
8.9 per cent met depression criteria (2.6 per cent among non-workaholics).
"Thus, taking work to the extreme may be a sign of deeper psychological or emotional issues. Whether this reflects overlapping genetic vulnerabilities, disorders leading to workaholism or, conversely, workaholism causing such disorders, remain uncertain," says Schou Andreassen.
The pioneering study, published in the open-access journal PLOS One, is co-authored by researchers from Nottingham Trent University and Yale University.
Affects identification of disorders
According to Schou Andreassen, the findings clearly highlight the importance of further investigating neurobiological deviations related to workaholic behaviour.
"In wait for more research, physicians should not take for granted that a seemingly successful workaholic does not have ADHD-related or other clinical features. Their considerations affect both the identification and treatment of these disorders," says Schou Andreassen.
Seven diagnostic criteria for workaholism
The researchers used seven valid criteria when drawing the line between addictive and non-addictive behaviour.
Experiences occurring over the past year are rated from 1 (never) to 5 (always):
You think of how you can free up more time to work.
You spend much more time working than initially intended.
You work in order to reduce feelings of guilt, anxiety, helplessness or depression.
You have been told by others to cut down on work without listening to them.
You become stressed if you are prohibited from working.
You deprioritize hobbies, leisure activities, and/or exercise because of your work.
You work so much that it has negatively influenced your health.
Scoring 4 (often) or 5 (always) on four or more criteria identify a workaholic.
Accordingly, the Bergen Work Addiction Scale operationalizes workaholism by the same symptoms as traditional addictions: salience, mood modification, conflict, tolerance, withdrawal, relapse and problems.
In line with previous research, 7.8 per cent of the current sample classified as workaholics, which is close to an estimate (8.3 per cent) found in a (and, to date, only) nationally representative study conducted by Dr. Andreassen and colleagues in 2014. ||||| Gain a global perspective on the US and go beyond with curated news and analysis from 600 journalists in 50+ countries covering politics, business, innovation, trends and more. | – Spending late nights at the office and missing a kid's piano recital or three might be a sign of a deeper psychiatric problem, according to a study published last week in PLOS One. Researches found workaholism was statistically linked with anxiety, depression, OCD, and ADHD. “Workaholics scored higher on all the psychiatric symptoms than non-workaholics," researcher Cecilie Schou Andreassen says in a press release. Researchers found 32.7% of workaholics had ADHD versus 12.7% of non-workaholics; 25.6% had OCD versus 8.7% of non-workaholics; 33.8% had anxiety versus 11.9% of non-workaholics; and 8.9% had depression versus 2.6% of non-workaholics. Without further research, the nature of the relationship between workaholism and common psychiatric conditions is unclear. But Schou Andreassen notes, “Taking work to the extreme may be a sign of deeper psychological or emotional issues." Researchers found 7.8% of the nearly 16,500 adults studied were workaholics, which they determined with a series of seven statements participants could rank, including, “You think of how you can free up more time to work” and “You become stressed if you are prohibited from working.” But not everyone is convinced. “Any human behavior can be turned into a disease,” a professor at Liverpool University tells the Financial Times. “It’s this tendency to pathologize the usual messy realities of life, of which work is one.” (Here's why we shouldn't have to find meaning in work.) |
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 ||||| Two days after CNN first reported that five women said "Game Change" co-author and journalist Mark Halperin sexually harassed or assaulted them during his time at ABC News, the number of accusers has grown to at least a dozen women, including four who are now sharing their accounts for the first time. Another woman, who shared her account in CNN's initial article on the condition her name not be published, is now speaking out on the record.
The new accusations from the four women include that Halperin masturbated in front of an ABC News employee in his office and that he violently threw another woman against a restaurant window before attempting to kiss her, and that after she rebuffed him he called her and told her she would never work in politics or media. The alleged incidents occurred while Halperin was in a position of significant authority at ABC News, while the women were young and had little power.
Halperin denies that he masturbated in front of anyone, that he physically assaulted anyone, or that he threatened anyone in the way described in this story.
In a statement provided to CNN Friday evening, Halperin said, "I am profoundly sorry for the pain and anguish I have caused by my past actions. I apologize sincerely to the women I mistreated." Halperin said that in recent days, as he has read accounts of women he worked with at ABC News, he has felt "profound guilt." He said that for several years, around his departure from ABC News, he "had weekly counseling sessions to work on understanding the personal issues and attitudes that caused me to behave in such an inappropriate manner." He additionally said that his behavior had not continued after he left ABC News. (Halperin's full statement appears at the bottom of this article.)
Related: Five women accuse journalist and 'Game Change' co-author Mark Halperin of sexual harassment
The first of the four new accusers, who was at the time of the incident an ABC News desk assistant in her early 20s, told CNN she asked Halperin if she could meet with him for career advice in either 1997 or 1998. It was after 10 p.m. when she went into his office, she said. During their conversation, Halperin began to masturbate behind his desk while staring at her, the woman said.
"I sat in a chair across from him," she told CNN. "He was behind a wooden desk so I couldn't see him from the waist down. As we had our conversation about my career he was masturbating. There was no question about it."
"I pretended like I didn't know what was going on and we talked a bit more and then he abruptly wrapped up the conversation," she continued.
The woman told CNN it was clear what Halperin was doing. "There was an up and down motion," she said.
"I don't know if he made any sound at the end or how it was clear to me that he had climaxed," she said. "But it was clear that he was satisfied -- like he stopped making that motion and stopped staring at me."
A longtime friend of the woman's told CNN that the woman had told him her story years ago.
The second woman told CNN she met Halperin in the late 1990s while she was interning at the White House.
"At the end of my internship, Mark said to me, 'When you graduate from college, if you're looking for a job, call me.' And I was super flattered and really excited. So when I graduated, I called Mark Halperin," she said.
The woman told CNN that Halperin took her to lunch in Midtown Manhattan. They didn't talk about her career or jobs at all throughout the lunch, but she assumed that he knew it was why he called and that the topic would be addressed later. At the end of the lunch, after they walked out of the restaurant, she said, she extended her hand for him to shake it. Halperin, she said, had other ideas.
"He put both hands on my arms and threw me against the window of the restaurant hard. So my head banged against the window hard, in a way I thought people inside were going to think something terrible had happened to me," she said, adding, "This was rough, and hard, and violent. And not in a seductive way -- in a way that telegraphs some anger and meanness."
"And he lunged at me," she continued, "with his body pressed against mine against the window and came at me with his open mouth."
The woman said she was able to avoid his attempt to kiss her, get out from under him and walk away. About 10 minutes later, she said, he called her.
"I was really hoping he would be calling to apologize. And he said something to the effect of, 'You are never going to get a job. You're never going to be hired in politics or media. Why would anyone ever hire you?' And that's when I broke down and started crying," she told CNN.
Two friends of the woman told CNN that the woman had told them about the incident more than a decade ago.
A third woman, who worked as a desk assistant on "World News Tonight," told CNN that Halperin hit on her in the office during the Fall of 2006. The woman provided CNN excerpts from the journal she kept at the time that she told CNN referenced Halperin, although it only referred to the man as "an older man who is involved with someone else and has a powerful position at ABC."
"He cornered me in the coffee closet, and introduced himself," the journal said. "And knowing of course who he is, his national significance, and his importance in news, I squandered (sic) in nervousness. I noticed he had been eying me... he's in the newsroom a lot... but figured he was looking at the monitors behind me."
Later, the woman wrote in her journal, the man pulled her aside when she was alone and "He whispered -- how old are you, do you have a boyfriend, and do you understand how important it is that we remain secretive? With that he told me he wanted to meet me in his office before I left for the night. Knowing perfectly well that his intentions were wrong, I went to him anyway -- if anything to save my dignity and stand up for myself for seeming more interested or suggestive than I was."
At that time, the woman's account in her journal said, the man told her he was "extremely attracted" to her. The woman told Halperin it was best if they remained professional, but he didn't listen.
"As I gathered my things to leave, he leaned in to kiss me. I turned my head away, but he would not relent," she wrote in the journal. "So in the awkwardness and pressure of the moment, I let him put his lips on mine. It was nothing -- not a kiss, just lips on lips. And he smelled like makeup. I went home, wanting to cry and vomit."
The woman told CNN that what Halperin did was "part of the reason I didn't go for an off-air position," the term ABC News used to describe reporters who were embedded with presidential campaigns.
"I didn't want to work with him," she said, later adding the whole episode contributed to her decision to leave journalism all together.
The woman, at the time, confided in a close friend. The friend told CNN she had told him the story years ago.
A fourth woman, who was a 19-year-old ABC News intern in the summer of 1995, told CNN she was assigned to the political unit. She said she was working on a project when Halperin personally volunteered one night to assist her. He said he would go with her to a museum in New York City to review some archived CBS footage.
"I remember thinking to myself he's got a million associate producers, so why is he going with the intern to do research?" the woman recalled to CNN, but said at the same time she was "very impressed" by him and thrilled he'd want to help her with the assignment.
The woman said the booths for reviewing footage at the museum were only meant for one person, but Halperin told her "he want[ed] to share" one.
It was a tight fit, the woman said, so "our cheeks [were] touching."
"And then I look over and he has a massive boner. And our legs are touching," she said. "And at this point, I just flew up and got up. And he said, 'The night's not over! We need to end it with a margarita.'"
The woman said she declined.
The four new accounts bring the total number of women who have accused Halperin of sexual harassment to at least one dozen. Five women made accusations in CNN's original report Wednesday night, the Washington Post included an on-the-record account in an article it published Thursday night, journalist Emily Miller wrote on Twitter that she had been "attacked" by Halperin in the past, and on Thursday night a former CNN producer published an op-ed on CNN.com in which she accused him of sexually harassing her in his office at ABC News when she was just out of college, before she went to work at CNN.
Related: Why I'm speaking up about Mark Halperin, and why I stayed silent so long
In a Friday statement, an ABC News spokesperson told CNN that the company takes issues of harassment seriously and would like to encourage anyone who has been subjected to such treatment to "come forward so we can address them immediately."
"While Mark left ABC News over a decade ago and no complaints were made during his tenure, we hold everyone at ABC News accountable for their behavior and how they conduct themselves," the spokesperson said. "We know that our people do their best work in an environment where they feel respected, safe and supported. Harassment or retaliation of any kind is never acceptable."
In addition to the new accounts, Lara Setrakian, who was one of the five women whose stories were included in CNN's Wednesday night report without her name attached, is now going on the record, both with CNN and in an op-ed for the Washington Post published Friday afternoon. In CNN's original article, she said Halperin had grabbed her breasts during an encounter in his office; he had denied doing so. She told CNN on Friday that Halperin's denial is false.
"I understand why he feels the need to deny it," Setrakian said. "But it's not true. What he said is not true. ... There's absolutely no question of what happened in terms of unwanted physical contact."
Setrakian said it "hurt to see [Halperin] rise and rise without any accountability."
"It felt like the world was so stacked," she told CNN. "It felt profoundly unfair to have feelings of anxiety as a woman in media while watching someone who was clearly misbehaving rise and rise in our industry with no apology, no thought as to how we felt before, no effort to apologize. No effort to reach out to us."
Setrakian said now she is happy Halperin issued a form of an apology, but she wants to know what Halperin will do "to make it right." She told CNN the incident changed her.
"It made me hyper-conscious. First, it made me much more skeptical of people's intentions," she said. "I think it made me hyper-sensitive to the idea that my career will depend on who finds me sexually attractive. And if the time comes when they don't I will be at a massive disadvantage. That upset me tremendously. And it made me move away from television. It made me feel like I had an expiration date."
Mark Halperin's full Friday evening statement:
I am profoundly sorry for the pain and anguish I have caused by my past actions. I apologize sincerely to the women I mistreated.
The world is now publicly acknowledging what so many women have long known: Men harm women in the workplace. That new awareness is, of course, a positive development. For a long time at ABC News, I was part of the problem. I acknowledge that, and I deeply regret it. As I said earlier in the week, my behavior was wrong. It caused fear and anxiety for women who were only seeking to do their jobs.
In recent days I have closely read the accounts of women with whom I worked at ABC News. I have not read these accounts looking for discrepancies or inconsistencies. Instead, in almost every case, I have recognized conduct for which I feel profound guilt and responsibility, some involving junior ABC News personnel and women just starting out in the news business.
Many of the accounts conveyed by journalists working on stories about me or that I have read after publication have not been particularly detailed (and many were anonymous) making it difficult for me to address certain specifics. But make no mistake: I fully acknowledge and apologize for conduct that was often aggressive and crude.
Towards the end of my time at ABC News, I recognized I had a problem. No one had sued me, no one had filed a human resources complaint against me, no colleague had confronted me. But I didn't need a call from HR to know that I was a selfish, immature person, who was behaving in a manner that had to stop.
For several years around my departure from ABC News, I had weekly counseling sessions to work on understanding the personal issues and attitudes that caused me to behave in such an inappropriate manner.
Those who have worked with me in the past decade know that my conduct in subsequent jobs at TIME, Bloomberg, NBC News, and Showtime has not been what it was at ABC. I did not engage in improper behavior with colleagues or subordinates. If you spoke to my co-workers in those four places (men and women alike), I am confident you would find that I had a very different reputation than I had at ABC News because I conducted myself in a very different manner.
Some of the allegations that have been made against me are not true. But I realize that is a small point in the scheme of things. Again, I bear responsibility for my outrageous conduct at ABC News.
I hope that not only will women going forward be more confident in speaking up, but also that we as an industry and society can create an atmosphere that no longer tolerates this kind of behavior.
I know I can never do enough to make up for the harm I caused. I will be spending time with my family and friends, as I work to make amends and contributions both large and small. ||||| FILE - In this Aug. 11, 2016 file photo, author and producer Mark Halperin appears at the Showtime Critics Association summer press tour in Beverly Hills, Calif. Halperin’s publisher has canceled the... (Associated Press)
FILE - In this Aug. 11, 2016 file photo, author and producer Mark Halperin appears at the Showtime Critics Association summer press tour in Beverly Hills, Calif. Halperin’s publisher has canceled the book he was to co-write about the 2016 election. Penguin Press announced Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017, that... (Associated Press)
FILE - In this Aug. 11, 2016 file photo, author and producer Mark Halperin appears at the Showtime Critics Association summer press tour in Beverly Hills, Calif. Halperin’s publisher has canceled the book he was to co-write about the 2016 election. Penguin Press announced Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017, that... (Associated Press) FILE - In this Aug. 11, 2016 file photo, author and producer Mark Halperin appears at the Showtime Critics Association summer press tour in Beverly Hills, Calif. Halperin’s publisher has canceled the... (Associated Press)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — CNN reported Friday that four more women have leveled allegations of sexual harassment against journalist Mark Halperin.
The news channel said that one woman claimed Halperin masturbated in her presence after she went to his ABC News office to seek advice from him about her career at the news division, where she was a desk assistant.
CNN said a second woman alleged that the "Game Change" co-author threw her against a restaurant window and threatened to derail her career after she rebuffed his attempt to kiss her.
The woman, who told CNN she met Halperin when she was interning at the White House, said he called her shortly after the encounter and warned that she'd never be hired in media or politics.
The four women, who were not identified in the CNN report, said the encounters took place between the late 1980s and 2006, during which time Halperin worked at ABC News in influential positions including political director.
CNN said that Halperin denied that he masturbated in front of anyone or physically assaulted or threatened anyone.
The two other women included in CNN's report: One who worked as a desk assistant at ABC News and who claimed Halperin forced her into a kiss, and an intern who said he squeezed into a small footage-reviewing booth with her and became visibly aroused.
The latest allegations bring the number of women accusing him of sexual misconduct to about 12.
Halperin issued a lengthy apology on Twitter, saying he was "profoundly sorry for the pain and anguish I have caused by my past actions. I apologize sincerely to the women I mistreated."
"The world is now publicly acknowledging what so many women have long known: Men harm women in the workplace. That new awareness is, of course, a positive development. For a long time at ABC News, I was part of the problem. I acknowledge that, and I deeply regret it," he said in the post.
But counseling he sought after leaving the network changed his behavior, he said.
"Those who have worked with me in the past decade know that my conduct in subsequent jobs at TIME, Bloomberg, NBC News, and Showtime has not been what it was at ABC. I did not engage in improper behavior with colleagues or subordinates," Halperin said.
The journalist has been suspended from his role as a MSNBC contributor, while a follow-up to 2010's "Game Change" was canceled by Penguin Press and HBO dropped plans for a miniseries based on the book about the 2016 election. | – CNN reported Friday that four more women have leveled allegations of sexual harassment against journalist Mark Halperin. The news channel said that one woman claimed Halperin masturbated in her presence after she went to his ABC News office to seek advice from him about her career at the news division, where she was a desk assistant. CNN said a second woman alleged that the Game Change co-author threw her against a restaurant window and threatened to derail her career after she rebuffed his attempt to kiss her. The woman, who told CNN she met Halperin when she was interning at the White House, said he called her shortly after the encounter and warned that she'd never be hired in media or politics. The four women, who were not identified in the CNN report, said the encounters took place between the late 1980s and 2006, during which time Halperin worked at ABC News in influential positions including political director. CNN said that Halperin denied that he masturbated in front of anyone or physically assaulted or threatened anyone. The latest allegations bring the number of women accusing him of sexual misconduct to about 12. Halperin issued a lengthy apology on Twitter, the AP reports. He said he was "profoundly sorry for the pain and anguish I have caused by my past actions. ... The world is now publicly acknowledging what so many women have long known: Men harm women in the workplace. ... For a long time at ABC News, I was part of the problem. I acknowledge that, and I deeply regret it." But counseling he sought after leaving the network changed his behavior, he said. The journalist has been suspended from his role as a MSNBC contributor, while a follow-up to 2010's Game Change was canceled by Penguin Press and HBO dropped plans for a miniseries based on the book about the 2016 election. |
AT&T Inc. (T), joining the ranks of U.S. TV, Internet and wireless providers racing to consolidate, is in advanced talks to acquire DirecTV (DIG1) for about $50 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.
Under the plan being discussed, management of DirecTV, the largest U.S. satellite-TV provider, will continue to run the company as a unit of AT&T, said the people, asking not to be named because the information is private. DirecTV Chief Executive Officer Mike White is likely to retire after 2015, the people said.
The purchase would give AT&T a national satellite-TV provider to combine with its wireless, phone and high-speed broadband Internet services as competition ramps up. The pool of pay-TV customers is peaking in the U.S. because viewers are increasingly watching video online, and the combination would keep DirecTV from being on its own with just a TV offering and no competitive Internet package.
“With DirecTV they are getting a national TV presence -- they can sell TV with wireless nationwide,” said Roger Entner, an analyst with Recon Analytics, based in Dedham, Massachusetts. “AT&T has increasingly been breaking out of their 22-state landline footprint. They sell wireless, they started selling home security and they could add TV to that package.”
Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg Under the plan being discussed, management of DirecTV, the largest U.S. satellite-TV provider, will continue to run the company as a unit of AT&T, said the people, asking not to be named because the information is private. Close Under the plan being discussed, management of DirecTV, the largest U.S. satellite-TV... Read More Close Open Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg Under the plan being discussed, management of DirecTV, the largest U.S. satellite-TV provider, will continue to run the company as a unit of AT&T, said the people, asking not to be named because the information is private.
A price could come in close to $95 a share, depending on how much cash or stock is in the transaction, another person said. The person said White’s future after a merger is also still being negotiated. The price could go as high as $100 a share, two other people said.
Cash-Stock
The deal could be reached in the next couple of weeks while the sides negotiate the cash-stock component along with the size of the termination fee, said another person familiar with the matter.
The termination fee is important because that payment would go to DirecTV from AT&T if the deal was blocked for various reasons, including by regulators on antitrust grounds. In AT&T’s failed effort to acquire Deutsche Telekom AG’s T-Mobile US unit in 2011, the company paid out $3 billion in cash plus wireless frequencies and a roaming agreement.
AT&T fell 1 percent to $36.20 at the close in New York. DirecTV slipped 1.2 percent to $86.08, after gaining 26 percent this year through yesterday.
Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is one of the biggest beneficiaries of DirecTV’s rally, thanks to a stake built by his deputy stock pickers at about half the current price. Berkshire had about 36.5 million shares as of Dec. 31, a filing shows.
Photographer: Jonathan Fickies/Bloomberg DirecTV Chief Executive Officer Mike White plans to retire after 2015, said people asking not to be named because the information is private. Close DirecTV Chief Executive Officer Mike White plans to retire after 2015, said people... Read More Close Open Photographer: Jonathan Fickies/Bloomberg DirecTV Chief Executive Officer Mike White plans to retire after 2015, said people asking not to be named because the information is private.
Latin America
AT&T would be getting a pay-TV business that’s expanding in Latin America and generating higher monthly bills from U.S. customers. DirecTV’s exclusive content includes the National Football League Sunday Ticket package and products such as Genie, a multiroom digital video recorder.
Comcast Corp.’s (CMCSA) plan to acquire Time Warner Cable (TWC) Inc. -- to create an even bigger provider of both TV and Internet in the U.S. -- is accelerating the drive for consolidation in the rest of the industry. In March, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson called the Time Warner Cable takeover an “industry-redefining deal.”
The question with all of these potential tie-ups is whether regulators will allow them. Comcast’s takeover of Time Warner Cable hasn’t been approved yet. A merger of DirecTV and Dish Network Corp. (DISH) was blocked more than a decade ago, and AT&T had to abandon a purchase of T-Mobile several years ago in the face of antitrust opposition.
Regulatory Approval
DirecTV and AT&T are planning on a 12-month regulatory process to review the deal, one of the people said.
“If regulators let Comcast buy Time Warner Cable, there’s no reason they wouldn’t let AT&T buy DirecTV,” Entner said. “They have to see it as part of a holistic market.”
Getting ownership of DirecTV’s Latin American units would cause a conflict for AT&T, which holds an 8 percent stake in America Movil SAB (AMXL) -- a direct competitor to DirecTV in countries including Brazil and Colombia. DirecTV’s Latin America operation includes Mexico, where it has a minority stake in Sky Mexico, controlled by Grupo Televisa SAB, one of America Movil’s biggest rivals.
DirecTV had also drawn merger interest from Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen, people with knowledge of the matter said in March. While a DirecTV merger is tempting, the satellite-TV rival is too expensive to pursue, Ergen said last week on a conference call to discuss first-quarter earnings.
Debt Funding
“If DTV is willing to sell for $100 then it must be either concerned about its lack of broadband long term, worried about the viability of a Dish merger, or both,” Philip Cusick, an analyst at JPMorgan Chase & Co., wrote in a research note.
Darris Gringeri, a DirecTV spokesman, declined to comment as did Brad Burns, an AT&T spokesman. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier that AT&T is planning a stock and cash bid for DirecTV (DTV), without specifying the price.
AT&T can afford to add about $16 billion in debt to fund the DirecTV deal without risking a credit-rating downgrade, according to Erich Marriott, an analyst with Bloomberg Industries. The company is rated A3 by Moody’s Investors Service and A- at Standard & Poor’s, both four levels above junk.
Adding $16 billion of debt would keep AT&T’s ratio of debt to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization below 2.5, the level at which credit ratings agencies have said may trigger a downgrade, Marriott wrote in a research note. The analysis assumes deal synergies of about 10 percent.
That implies that AT&T will need to offer a significant portion of stock to fund the $50 billion acquisition. The company has about $3.6 billion of cash and near-cash items and two revolving credit agreements with a combined $8 billion available, according to a regulatory filing.
“We were thinking AT&T would want to use as much debt as they can and that the deal could be all cash,” said John Hodulik, an analyst with UBS AG. “But that would mean the leverage would be about 2.7, and that’s too high. I think they’d prefer 2.5 leverage.”
To contact the reporters on this story: Alex Sherman in New York at [email protected]; Jeffrey McCracken in New York at [email protected]
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Mohammed Hadi at [email protected]; Sarah Rabil at [email protected] Sarah Rabil ||||| Photo
AT&T is in talks to buy DirecTV for at least $50 billion, and the two sides are actively working toward an announcement, according to several people with knowledge of the matter.
If completed, a deal would give AT&T, the country’s second-largest wireless carrier, control of the country’s largest satellite television provider, further reshaping the rapidly changing telecommunications and television industries. AT&T has grown interested in DirecTV in recent months, according to several people with knowledge of the company’s thinking, leading to an approach in the last few weeks. Rumors of a deal between the two companies have sent DirecTV shares up about 12 percent this month.
On Monday, after The Wall Street Journal reported that talks had accelerated, details on the timing and the price of a deal began coming into focus. The terms of any agreement are not expected to be released in the next two weeks, and the two sides are working on a pricing structure under which AT&T would pay $92 to $94 a share. In addition, Mike White, DirecTV’s chief executive, is not expected to step down if the deal goes through.
DirecTV closed at $87.16 on Monday, but was up sharply in after-hours trading.
For AT&T, a deal for DirecTV would signal its continued ambitions to grow in the United States, after its attempted takeover of the rival wireless carrier T-Mobile failed in 2011 because of resistance from regulators.
This year, AT&T was looking to expand in Europe and considering an acquisition of Vodafone, which sold its stake in Verizon Wireless back to Verizon Communications for $130 billion in February.
But AT&T has refocused its attention on the United States market, believing it has an opportunity to expand its footprint in the pay-television business. DirecTV has about 20 million subscribers in the United States.
Talks between AT&T and DirecTV began in earnest after Comcast announced its plan to acquire Time Warner Cable. That deal, if completed, would create a clear leader in the cable television industry.
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People knowledgeable about both deals said that if AT&T and DirecTV announced a merger, it could complicate the review of Comcast’s bid for Time Warner Cable, because antitrust regulators might want to consider both deals simultaneously.
By acquiring DirecTV, AT&T could bolster its small television operations and gain a valuable foothold in Latin America, where DirecTV has about 18 million subscribers.
But several people in the industry said they believed that the ideal target for AT&T would be not DirecTV but its main competitor, Dish Network. Dish, run by the billionaire Charles W. Ergen, has amassed a trove of spectrum that could be valuable to AT&T as it seeks to build out its wireless network.
Some investment bankers privately speculated that talks between AT&T and DirecTV were intended to draw Mr. Ergen off the sidelines and into the fray. But last week, speaking in a conference call after announcing first-quarter earnings, Mr. Ergen said his company was not in a position to make an offer for DirecTV.
“DirecTV would be too frothy for us, for our board to look at, at those kinds of prices,” he said.
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AT&T is facing renewed competition in the wireless market. Verizon has taken full control of Verizon Wireless, giving it access to additional cash. And Sprint, the third-largest wireless provider, has struck a deal with Japan’s SoftBank that will give it added firepower as it seeks to expand.
Another deal on the horizon could be Sprint’s making an offer for T-Mobile, the fourth-largest wireless carrier, which is just completing its own major purchase. Last year, T-Mobile acquired MetroPCS.
People briefed on the discussions between AT&T and DirecTV said there was no guarantee that a deal would be completed.
AT&T and DirecTV declined to comment.
Michael J. de la Merced contributed reporting. ||||| NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES AT&T; Inc is in active talks to buy satellite TV provider DirecTV and may complete a deal in the next few weeks that could be worth close to $50 billion, two people familiar with the matter said on Monday.
The second-largest wireless operator is discussing an offer in the low- to mid-$90s per share for DirecTV, one of the people said, compared with the company's closing price of $87.16 on Monday.
A bid near $95 per share would value DirecTV at more than $48 billion based on its shares outstanding, and would represent a premium of more than 20 percent to its stock price before news of AT&T;'s interest first emerged on May 1.
The deal price has yet to be finalized and terms could still change, the people said, adding that discussions are continuing. They asked not to be named because the matter is not public.
Other details also have yet to be worked out, such as a break-up fee as well as a potential role for DirecTV Chief Executive Officer Mike White, the second person said.
The talks are the latest sign of a rising tide of potential megadeals in the telecoms, cable and satellite TV space, which is being roiled by Comcast Corp's proposed $45 billion takeover of Time Warner Cable Inc as well as market forces such as the rise of Web-based TV and surging mobile Internet usage.
AT&T; and DirecTV declined to comment. Bloomberg News earlier reported that AT&T; was offering to pay around $100 per share for DirecTV, whose management team will continue to run the company as a unit of AT&T.; (link.reuters.com/xyf39v). The Wall Street Journal said a deal could happen in two weeks.
DirecTV shares rose 6 percent to $92.50 in extended trading on Monday.
DirecTV is working with advisers including Goldman Sachs Group to evaluate a possible combination following a recent takeover approach from AT&T;, Reuters reported last week.
A combination of AT&T; and DirecTV would create a pay television giant close in size to where Comcast will be if it completes its pending acquisition of Time Warner Cable. For that reason, the proposed merger is likely to face a prolonged battle to convince regulators to allow further consolidation in pay-TV.
"This is not the first time that AT&T; and DirecTV have danced around the fire and thought if they could give it a go," said ReconAnalytics analyst Roger Entner.
"They both looked at each other for at least 10 years. Both kind of came to the conclusion that it was in the right environment. It makes a lot of sense to get together, but there was never the right regulatory environment for it."
A Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger would call for a counterweight like a combined AT&T-DirecTV;, Entner said. He added that the merger would make sense for DirecTV given the decline of satellite TV.
"They both see the Grim Reaper at the horizon. DirecTV hasn't gone out and bought spectrum. Dish has, so DirecTV needs to find a partner, and AT&T; is that partner," he said.
Some investors have also speculated about a potential tie-up of DirectTV and smaller rival Dish Network Corp.
But Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen last week said his company, which attempted to buy DirecTV more than a decade ago, would not make a fresh approach at current prices even though he said such a tie-up would create many benefits.
(Additional reporting by Marina Lopes, Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila, Tom Brown, Richard Chang and Ken Wills) | – AT&T is in active talks to buy DirecTV for around $50 billion, multiple outlets are reporting, with the deal potentially coming in a matter of weeks. The move could have implications for Comcast's purchase of Time Warner, because anti-regulators may want to look at both deals together, the New York Times reports, adding that the AT&T talks actually began in earnest right after the Time Warner deal was announced. "With DirecTV they are getting a national TV presence—they can sell TV with wireless nationwide," one analyst tells Bloomberg. The exact price is still up in the air; Reuters sources say it's in the "low- to mid-$90 per share" range, while Bloomberg says it could be as high as $100 per share. Also still in the air is the fate of DirecTV CEO Mike White, who isn't expected to step down—but does reportedly plan to retire after 2015. Some industry sources speculate that the entire deal is a feint intended to land the real apple of AT&T's eye, Dish Network. Last week Dish said it could see the logic in merging with its competitor, but said it couldn't outbid AT&T for DirecTV. |
Credit where credit is due. Last night Sean Hannity had on as his guest GOP Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell, and very delicately broached the subject of yesterday’s controversial and anonymously-penned story that appeared in Gawker that outlined a “one night stand” with the candidate. Hannity brought it up in the safe and predictable context of “liberal media” attacks on GOP women candidates.
How did O’Donnell reply? Alas, she did not take the bait, claiming that she had such a busy day that she did not know what specific attack on her that Hannity was referencing, which, given the breakneck pace of late October campaigning, is a completely credible explanation. Another explanation is that O’Donnell simply didn’t want to address the story, which given some of the sordid details, is also completely understandable.
O’Donnell’s campaign did issue an official statement via the candidate’s Facebook page:
Wilmington, DE – Communications Director Doug Sachtleben stated in response to the universal condoning of the Gawker story: This story is just another example of the sexism and slander that female candidates are forced to deal with. From Secretary Clinton, to Governor Palin, to soon-to-be Governor Haley, Christine’s political opponents have been willing to engage in appalling and baseless attacks — all with the aim of distracting the press from covering the real issues in this race. Even the National Organization for Women gets it, but Christine’s opponent disturbingly does not. As Chris Coons said on September 16th he would not condone personal attacks against Christine. Classless Coons goons have proven yet again to have no sense of common decency or common sense with their desperate attacks to get another rubber stamp for the Obama-Pelosi-Reid agenda. Such attacks are truly shameful, but they will not distract us from making our case to Delaware voters — and keeping the focus on Chris Coons’ record of higher taxes, increased spending, and as he has done again here, breaking his promises to the voters.” The National Organization for Women (NOW) on Thursday condemned the tabloid website Gawker for publishing an anonymous account: NOW issued a statement late Thursday stating that “sexist, misogynist attacks against women have no place in the electoral process, regardless of a particular candidate’s political ideology.” “NOW repudiates Gawker’s decision to run this piece. It operates as public sexual harassment. And like all sexual harassment, it targets not only O’Donnell, but all women contemplating stepping into the public sphere,” said NOW president Terry O’Neill. ||||| Christine O’Donnell’s campaign late Thursday night responded to an anonymous Gawker post claiming a drunken encounter with Delaware’s Republican Senate nominee, calling it “sexism and slander.”
"This story is just another example of the sexism and slander that female candidates are forced to deal with — from Secretary [Hillary] Clinton to Gov. [Sarah] Palin to soon-to-be Gov. [Nikki] Haley. Christine's political opponents have been willing to engage in appalling and baseless attacks — all with the aim of distracting the press from covering the real issues in this race," O’Donnell Communications Director Doug Sachtleben wrote in a post on Facebook.
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The gossip website Gawker on Thursday posted an anonymous account of a man who said he had had a one-night stand with O’Donnell three years ago on Halloween.
Gawker reportedly paid the man in the "low four figures" for the account and pictures of O’Donnell dressed up like a ladybug.
The site has been widely criticized by media outlets for posting the item and was denounced Thursday by the National Organization for Women.
"NOW repudiates Gawker's decision to run this piece," the organization said in a statement. "It operates as public sexual harassment. And like all sexual harassment, it targets not only O'Donnell but all women contemplating stepping into the public sphere."
O'Donnell trails Democrat Chris Coons by 21 percentage points, according to a Fairleigh Dickinson University poll released Thursday.
The Republican's Facebook post attempts to link the post to the Coons camp.
"Even the National Organization for Women gets it, but Christine’s opponent disturbingly does not," Sachtleben wrote. "Classless Coons goons have proven yet again to have no sense of common decency or common sense with their desperate attacks to get another rubber stamp for the Obama-Pelosi-Reid agenda. Such attacks are truly shameful, but they will not distract us from making our case to Delaware voters — and keeping the focus on Chris Coons’s record of higher taxes, increased spending and, as he has done again here, breaking his promises to the voters." ||||| Sean Hannity had Ann Coulter on his Fox News show to do some preemptive gloating about Tuesday’s midterm election.
Coulter didn’t want any part of that, but she did have a lot to say about her gender.
“You’re not really doing much to lower expectations,” she warned Hannity at the beginning. Later in the show, she cautioned him “I think you’re getting kind of ahead of the game,” when he said he believes Democrats think “Marco Rubio could be President some day.”
But looking at the polls this year, Coulter had this conclusion:
I am so proud of my gender, which is, for the first time, voting Republican more than they have since that poll has been taken beginning in 1992, and I think that’s because women are more likely to pay the bills in the family.
Coulter also weighed in on the Christine O’Donnell-Gawker story – in addition to O’Donnell herself. “The attacks Christine O’Donnell has come under are just stunning,” she said. “For one thing this shows why public figures don’t like to meet new people or go out in public.”
Also, of Gawker’s tactics: “This is the Democratic Party, America.”
Check it out, from FNC. Apparently Ann Coulter wakes up at Noon. Who knew?
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» Follow Steve Krakauer on Twitter
Have a tip we should know? [email protected] ||||| Delaware Democrat Chris Coons on Friday denounced as “cowardly” an anonymous Gawker post from a man claiming a drunken encounter with Republican Christine O’Donnell
“The Gawker item is despicable, cowardly and has absolutely no value at all to any Delaware voters,” Coons spokesman Daniel McElhatton told POLITICO. “We denounce it with great vigor.”
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The comment comes in response to the gossip website’s post Thursday in which an anonymous man claims to have had a one-night stand with O’Donnell three years ago on Halloween. The post includes numerous embarrassing claims about O’Donnell, as well as pictures of her dressed like a lady bug.
O’Donnell spokesman Doug Sachtleben responded to the item with a post on Facebook calling it “sexism and slander.”
The National Organization for Woman also denounced the post as “public sexual harassment.”
The story comes amid more bad news for O’Donnell, as two new polls continue to show her trailing Coons.
According to a Fairleigh Dickinson University poll released Thursday, O’Donnell trails her Democratic opponent by 21 percentage points.
But a Monmouth University poll out Friday has O’Donnell down only 10 percentage points among likely voters. The same poll two weeks ago had Coons leading by 19 percentage points. | – Christine O’Donnell’s campaign has slammed Gawker for its one-night stand story, reports Politico—and so has her opponent, Chris Coons, as well as the National Organization for Women. Some reactions: It’s “just another example of the sexism and slander that female candidates are forced to deal with,” wrote an O’Donnell rep on Facebook, linking the story to “Coons goons” who “have proven yet again to have no sense of common decency.” For Coons' part, a rep called the story “despicable” and “cowardly,” with “absolutely no value at all to any Delaware voters.” NOW called the piece “public sexual harassment” that targeted “all women contemplating stepping into the public sphere.” Meanwhile, Ann Coulter labeled it it “stunning,” reports Mediaite, adding, “This is the Democratic Party, America.” O’Donnell herself, though, kept quiet: asked about the story on Hannity last night, she'd had such a busy day campaigning, she was unfamiliar with it. |
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WILKES-BARRE — Two people died Monday evening inside the Luzerne County Correctional Facility — an inmate and a prison guard — according to Luzerne County Manager David Pedri. The two died after a brief altercation that took place at about 6:25 p.m., Pedri said at a news conference late Monday night. Pedri identified the inmate as Timothy Gilliam, 27. Pedri said he believed Gilliam had been incarcerated for failing to register under Megan’s Law, for sex offenders. Pedri said the name of the prison guard was not being released at the request of his family. “This guard went to work today believing that he would be coming home,” Pedri said. “And, sadly that didn’t happen.” He called the incident a “sad and tragic.” “We will do everything in our power to ensure an incident like this never happens again,” he said. According to Pedri, who declined to comment on the specifics of the incident, the matter was under investigation by the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office and Pennsylvania State Police. When asked about Mark Rockovich, the new correctional division head, Pedri said Monday was his first day on the job. Luzerne County Councilman Tim McGinley, who was on site shortly after the incident occurred, said any suspect death would be of concern to the county, noting that the county spends $30 million on the facility annually. Michele Rohrbaugh, whose son Michael is an inmate on the fifth floor of the facility, came for a visit at about 7 p.m. and was told by prison staff that there would be no visit because the prison was on lockdown. Rohrbaugh stood outside of the prison for over three hours, hoping to hear her son was safe. After the press conference, she made her way from council chambers visibly relieved. “It wasn’t him,” she said. “It wasn’t my son.” Rohrbaugh said she recently had heard that gang activity at the prison was on the rise. She also said she was concerned with her son’s safety. Some prison guards have been complaining for months about security and safety concerns at the main prison, located on Water Street. Prison officials have been wrestling with an increase in inmate assaults and fighting — problems that have been blamed on a rise in inmates who are addicted to drugs, battling mental health issues and involved in gangs. The main prison has been at or over its 505-inmate capacity in recent years. In April, county officials investigated the hospitalization of a prison inmate for a serious cut above his right ear down into his neck. Prison officials said they suspected the man was assaulted by another inmate, but the inmate continues to maintain he cut himself when he fell off the top metal bunk bed in his cell, officials said as recently as last week. One guard, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Monday night that he and many of his colleagues blame Pedri and prison deputy Warden James Larson for not taking their safety concerns seriously. Larson has been acting as correctional services division head since April 1, following the March resignation of prior prison overseer J. Allen Nesbitt in March. The county council unanimously voted last week to confirm Pedri’s nomination of Rockovich as the new correctional division head. Rockovich, who has worked at the prison since 1991, assured the council he will address problems at the facility, including work release. Federal authorities recently charged former prison employee Louis Elmy with extortion and possession of a firearm in furtherance of selling crack cocaine. Prosecutors said Elmy, while acting in his official role as a prison work-release counselor, extorted money and other items of value from work release inmates in exchange for giving them special privileges and unauthorized furloughs. The resolution appointing Rockovich was to take effect six days after adoption, which means Monday was his first day in the new position. County Councilman Eugene Kelleher in March questioned delays in repairing malfunctioning security cameras at the prison and other safety concerns raised by at least 10 past and present staffers who had contacted him. The aging facility has more nooks and crannies than a modern prison because it is five stories. “I’m really concerned about security at the prison for employees,” Kelleher said at the time. The administration said it was addressing the cameras. Editors Note: This article has been edited to reflect the correct identity of the deceased inmate. | – A correctional officer and an inmate are dead following an altercation at a Pennsylvania prison. It happened Monday night at Luzerne County Correctional Facility in Wilkes-Barre, which is currently on lockdown, the AP reports. Luzerne County Manager David Pedri tells the Times Leader that the dead inmate is 27-year-old Tracy Gilliam, who he believes was in prison for failing to register as a sex offender. Pedri says the guard's family has asked for his name not to be released. "This guard went to work today believing that he would be coming home," he says. "And sadly, that didn't happen." Pedri says authorities will do all they can to make sure a "sad and tragic" incident like this doesn't happen again. State police and the county DA are investigating. |
Donald Trump said he wanted to make a deal on DACA. Donald Trump just spent the past few days doing everything he could to kill a deal on DACA. Therefore, Donald Trump deserves the blame for the Senate’s failure to pass an immigration bill.
It’s really that simple.
The Senate debacle only happened because Congress — and everyone else — thought Trump wanted to make a deal
Even after Donald Trump got elected president with immigration as his signature issue, most members of Congress didn’t want to touch the subject. They knew that the combination of complicated policy and polarized politics was going to make it very difficult to pass any legislation, and they didn’t want to take any votes that would turn into attack-ad fodder instead of actual laws.
What changed their minds wasn’t just Trump’s September 2017 decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which protected young unauthorized immigrants from deportation and allowed them to work legally in the United States. It wasn’t even, necessarily, the fact that Trump set an artificial March 5 “deadline” and said that he wasn’t really ending DACA, just giving Congress a six-month chance to address the status of DACA recipients.
What really inspired so many members of Congress, in both chambers and parties, to accept a “DACA fix” as a legislative priority was that Trump acted like he wanted to make a deal.
Trump’s “dealmaker” reputation has often been misunderstood or overstated by pundits and politicians. Even as a businessman, Trump loved deals but hated compromises; a deal, for him, was that he won and the other guy lost. But what Trump prided himself on, and ran on as a candidate, was that he could find imaginative ways to get what he wanted.
For Congress to actually make a deal on such a touchy issue as immigration, that combination of flexibility and relentlessness would be desperately needed. Congress would need the autonomy to work out the details of legislation in such a way that 60 members of the Senate, and a majority of House Republicans, could feel comfortable voting for it — which would be much easier for Republicans if they knew the president would provide political cover with the right wing.
The idea that Trump would play dealmaker on immigration wasn’t as far-fetched as it might have seemed. He said over and over that he had a “big heart” for DACA recipients and wanted to protect them. The fact that it took him until September 2017 to actually pull the trigger on DACA — and, even then, sent Jeff Sessions in front of the cameras to make the official announcement — was an indication that he really didn’t want to be on the hook for young immigrants losing deportation protections.
Sure, many of Trump’s closest advisers, including senior policy adviser Stephen Miller and Chief of Staff John Kelly, had strong opinions about immigration policy. But Trump had shown an inclination not to listen to his advisers when he didn’t want to.
On several occasions between the September announcement and the Senate debate, Trump actually did show interest in compromise. There was the infamous “Chuck and Nancy” dinner meeting, during which (depending on whom you believe) he may have agreed to sign a bill that legalized DACA recipients without demanding any concession to conservatives. There was the January Oval Office meeting in which (after the cameras were off) he reportedly told congressional negotiators to ignore the packet of demands that Department of Homeland Security officials had just passed out.
And before the cameras had turned off, Trump had said this:
“When this group comes back, hopefully with an agreement, I am signing it. I will be signing it. I’m not going to say, �?Oh, gee, I want this or I want that.’ I will be signing it.”
Trump didn’t do anything he needed to do to make a deal
At some point — probably after the “shithole countries” brouhaha in January, judging from the tone of the president’s tweets — Donald Trump decided he was more interested in blaming Democrats for not making a deal on DACA than he was in making a deal on DACA. From that point on, the White House’s strategy aligned with what staffers like Stephen Miller wanted: with more interest in fighting for specific policies that weren’t related to DACA — specifically, cutting legal immigration — then in fighting to address DACA itself first and foremost.
It’s not yet clear (though it’s probably just a few juicy palace-intrigue articles away) exactly what role Trump played in the White House’s shift. He might have changed his mind — after several months of pressing Congress to act, he might have decided that he actually cared a great deal about “I want this or I want that,” and was comfortable letting Congress twist in the wind.
Or he could have, just as damningly, made a mess of the negotiations and then walked away for other people to clean it up.
By the time the Senate actually took up immigration at the beginning of this week, the White House’s demands had calcified to a page-long laundry list of “want this, want that.” They put out an immigration framework in late January and decided unilaterally that it represented a compromise (even though Democrats were immediately and vociferously opposed).
The White House then panned the alternatives floated by various bipartisan groups, claiming that because they didn’t stick to the particulars in the White House framework, they were violating the four “pillars” legislators had agreed to in the televised meeting — the meeting where Trump said he wouldn’t haggle over particulars.
The White House killed bills the Senate might have passed. The Rounds-King proposal that got 54 votes on Thursday, for example, likely would have passed with a few more Republicans (Chuck Schumer might have been less willing to allow three Democrats who voted no to defect if it made the difference between passage and failure). But the White House issued a veto threat before the vote had been opened; DHS put out a press release invoking 9/11; administration officials held a press call just to dump on the bill.
Trump didn’t even really try to close the deal on the bill he claimed to support: the Grassley bill modeled on his own framework. Instead of lobbying senators, he wrote a vague tweet about “merit-based immigration.” Instead of extolling the virtues of the Grassley bill, his advisers talked to reporters about how much they’d given up to immigration doves by allowing DREAMers to apply for citizenship — even exaggerating the scope of the “amnesty” in ways that might have helped cost them the votes of a few hardline Republicans.
All four bills that were put up for a vote in the Senate failed on Thursday. The one Trump had endorsed fared the worst, with 60 senators voting against it. But the fact that nothing happened for the DREAMers — and that hundreds of thousands of young immigrants can still be used as bargaining chips if Congress ever picks up immigration again — should either be seen as the policy victory the White House wanted or a damning political failure. Either way, the responsibility rests on the shoulders of Donald J. Trump. ||||| President Trump Donald John TrumpMcMaster complained that Trump 'thinks he can be friends with Putin': report Manafort requests Virginia trial be moved, citing media coverage Giuliani: Mueller needs to prove Trump committed crime before agreeing to interview MORE on Friday accused Democrats of abandoning young immigrants after the Senate rejected three separate immigration bills a day earlier.
"Cannot believe how BADLY DACA recipients have been treated by the Democrats...totally abandoned!" Trump tweeted, referring to the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. "Republicans are still working hard."
Cannot believe how BADLY DACA recipients have been treated by the Democrats...totally abandoned! Republicans are still working hard. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 16, 2018
The president's tweet came a day after senators rejected three proposals that would have resolved the fate of the "Dreamers" — young immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children.
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DACA temporarily shielded Dreamers from deportation and gave them permission to work in the U.S. But Trump rescinded the program in September, giving lawmakers until March 5 to work out a legislative fix for the program recipients.
But three bills that sought to address the matter were voted down in the Senate on Thursday.
The measure that received the most votes was a centrist compromise bill, which would have established a path to citizenship for Dreamers while setting aside roughly $25 billion for Trump's proposed border wall. That bill got 54 votes — six short of the 60 it needed to avoid a fillibuster and pass.
Trump, however, refused to back any proposal other than his own, which was sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Chuck Grassley Charles (Chuck) Ernest GrassleyThe Senate's grown-ups in the Trump-Russia probe follow facts, not politics Trump: 'No final straw' on Pruitt GOP lawmakers relieved with Pruitt’s departure MORE (R-Iowa). That measure would have created a pathway to citizenship for the Dreamers but also sought to curb legal immigration. It received only 39 votes in the Senate. ||||| Is The March 5 DACA Deadline Meaningful Anymore?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Spencer Platt/Getty Images Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Updated at 11:58 a.m. ET
When it comes to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program and Congress, no one seems to know what comes next.
Three approaches to making DACA permanent came up for a vote in the Senate on Thursday, and all three failed. A majority of lawmakers backed two narrow bills that would allow DACA protectees to live in the country legally and also increase funding for border security.
But an aggressive veto threat from the White House killed the chances of the bipartisan approach crafted by Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and other moderate lawmakers from both parties.
President Trump is rejecting any measure that doesn't also narrow legal immigration. After telling legislators in January that he would sign anything that passed Congress, Trump has now tanked two bipartisan compromises.
But notably, the bill backed by the White House got far less support than any other measure Thursday, winning just 39 votes.
On Friday morning, Trump tried to put the blame for the lack of progress on Democrats.
In September, Trump set the March 5 expiration date for DACA, a program that offers protections for immigrants in the U.S. illegally who came to the country as children. At the time, the White House called on Congress to come up with a more permanent solution as part of a broader immigration overhaul.
Now that deadline is inching closer and closer, and Congress is out next week on recess.
Yet, with ongoing court battles over the program, DACA will almost certainly stay in place beyond March 5. Two separate federal courts have blocked the president from ending the program.
"Until further notice, the DACA policy will be operated on the terms in place before it was rescinded on Sept. 5, 2017," a spokesman for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services told NPR. The agency continues to accept renewal applications for people whose status expired after Trump began the process of ending DACA.
And because of that — and because of Congress' inability to pass a fix — some leaders are beginning to say DACA doesn't necessarily need to be addressed before March 5.
"We think this deadline's an important deadline. Obviously with the court ruling it's not as important as it was before, given the court rulings," said House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., this week.
Ryan said he still wants Congress to operate with some urgency. "I think this place works better with deadlines, and we want to operate on deadlines. We clearly need to address this issue in March," he said.
A potential slide from March 5 to sometime in March has Democrats worried.
"For the speaker to say this could go to March 5, to the end of March, means he doesn't know the fear that [the White House] has instilled into the families and into the hearts of these children," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said, referring to people whose protected status has expired or would be eliminated if future court rulings eliminate DACA.
"I don't think the end of March has viability to it. Let's just get on with it," she said.
The problem: With both narrow and broad approaches failing in the Senate this week, it's not clear what, if anything, could win support of the House, Senate and the White House. | – Lawmakers had three chances to protect Dreamers from deportation in the form of three separate bills voted on by the Senate on Thursday. None passed, and President Trump laid the blame on Democrats on Friday, the Hill reports. "Cannot believe how BADLY DACA recipients have been treated by the Democrats...totally abandoned! Republicans are still working hard," the president tweeted. However, Dara Lind at Vox writes Trump is pointing his finger in the wrong direction. Trump announced he was ending DACA on March 5, opening young immigrants brought illegally to the US as children to deportation, and said he wanted lawmakers to work on a deal to protect Dreamers permanently. In January, Trump had this to say: “When this group comes back, hopefully with an agreement, I am signing it. I will be signing it. I’m not going to say, ‘Oh, gee, I want this or I want that.’ I will be signing it.” On Thursday, a bipartisan bill offering a path to citizenship for Dreamers—something proposed by the White House—and $25 billion for border security and Trump's wall fell just six votes short of passing. It's possible it could have secured the final votes needed to pass had Trump and the White House not vehemently opposed it and threatened a veto. The bill Trump did support received just 39 of the needed 60 votes to pass. Meanwhile, Trump's decision to end DACA is being blocked in two courts, meaning the March 5 deadline could pass with no change—or peace of mind—for Dreamers, NPR reports. |
APS March Meeting 2015 Volume 60, Number 1 Monday–Friday, March 2–6, 2015; San Antonio, Texas
Session S48: Focus Session: Physics of Evolutionary and Population Dynamics I
8:00 AM–11:00 AM, Thursday, March 5, 2015
Room: 217C
Sponsoring Unit: DBIO
Chair: Michel Pleimliung, Virginia Tech University
Abstract ID: BAPS.2015.MAR.S48.8
Abstract: S48.00008 : The Statistical Mechanics of Zombies
9:24 AM–9:36 AM
Preview Abstract Abstract
Authors:
Alexander A. Alemi
(Cornell University)
Matthew Bierbaum
(Cornell University)
Christopher R. Myers
(Cornell University)
James P. Sethna
(Cornell University)
We present results and analysis from a large scale exact stochastic dynamical simulation of a zombie outbreak. Zombies have attracted some attention lately as a novel and interesting twist on classic disease models. While most of the initial investigations have focused on the continuous, fully mixed dynamics of a differential equation model, we have explored stochastic, discrete simulations on lattices. We explore some of the basic statistical mechanical properties of the zombie model, including its phase diagram and critical exponents. We report on several variant models, including both homogeneous and inhomogeneous lattices, as well as allowing diffusive motion of infected hosts. We build up to a full scale simulation of an outbreak in the United States, and discover that for `realistic' parameters, we are largely doomed. ||||| Zombies as portrayed in the movie Night of the Living Dead. Credit: Wikipedia A team of Cornell University researchers focusing on a fictional zombie outbreak as an approach to disease modeling suggests heading for the hills, in the Rockies, to save your 'braains' from the 'undead.'
Reading World War Z, an oral history of the first zombie war, and a graduate statistical mechanics class inspired a group of Cornell University researchers to explore how an "actual" zombie outbreak might play out in the U.S.
During the 2015 American Physical Society March Meeting, on Thursday, March 5 in San Antonio, Texas, the group will describe their work modeling the statistical mechanics of zombies—those thankfully fictional "undead" creatures with an appetite for human flesh.
Why model the mechanics of zombies? "Modeling zombies takes you through a lot of the techniques used to model real diseases, albeit in a fun context," says Alex Alemi, a graduate student at Cornell University.
Alemi and colleagues' work offers a nice introduction to disease modeling in general, as well as some techniques of statistical physics for measuring second-order phase transitions. "It's interesting in its own right as a model, as a cousin of traditional SIR [susceptible, infected, and resistant] models—which are used for many diseases—but with an additional nonlinearity," points out Alemi.
All told, the project was an overview of modern epidemiology modeling, starting with differential equations to model a fully connected population, then moving on to lattice-based models, and ending with a full U.S.-scale simulation of an outbreak across the continental U.S.
It involved a lot of computational results generated from simulations the researchers wrote themselves. "At their heart, the simulations are akin to modeling chemical reactions taking place between different elements and, in this case, we have four states a person can be in—human, infected, zombie, or dead zombie—with approximately 300 million people," Alemi explains.
The project's large-scale simulations are stochastic in nature, meaning that they have an element of randomness. "Each possible interaction—zombie bites human, human kills zombie, zombie moves, etc.—is treated like a radioactive decay, with a half-life that depends on some parameters, and we tried to simulate the times it would take for all of these different interactions to fire, where complications arise because when one thing happens it can affect the rates at which all of the other things happen," he says.
In most films or books, "if there is a zombie outbreak, it is usually assumed to affect all areas at the same time, and some months after the outbreak you're left with small pockets of survivors," explains Alemi. "But in our attempt to model zombies somewhat realistically, it doesn't seem like this is how it would actually go down."
Cities would fall quickly, but it would take weeks for zombies to penetrate into less densely populated areas, and months to reach the northern mountain-time zone.
"Given the dynamics of the disease, once the zombies invade more sparsely populated areas, the whole outbreak slows down—there are fewer humans to bite, so you start creating zombies at a slower rate," he elaborates. "I'd love to see a fictional account where most of New York City falls in a day, but upstate New York has a month or so to prepare."
If you somehow happen to find yourself in the midst of a fictional zombie outbreak and want to survive as long as possible, Alemi recommends making a run for the northern Rockies. While not an entirely practical implication, it's "fun to know," he says, and points out the benefits of applying hard science to fun topics—especially to help make learning more entertaining and enjoyable.
"A lot of modern research can be off-putting for people because the techniques are complicated and the systems or models studied lack a strong connection to everyday experiences," Alemi adds. "Not that zombies are an everyday occurrence, but most people can wrap their braains around them."
What's next for Alemi and colleagues? "Given the time, we could attempt to add more complicated social dynamics to the simulation, such as allowing people to make a run for it, include plane flights, or have an awareness of the zombie outbreak, etc.," he notes.
Explore further: UK brains under threat?
More information: meeting.aps.org/Meeting/MAR15/Session/S48.8
| – If a zombie outbreak were to strike US shores, East Coasters should head west ASAP. That recommendation comes by way of Cornell University researchers, who have modeled the statistical mechanics of, yes, zombies and will present their findings at a meeting of the American Physical Society on March 5 in San Antonio. The researchers used a number of techniques that are used when modeling real diseases, and the abstract ends with this dismal line: "We build up to a full scale simulation of an outbreak in the United States, and discover that for 'realistic' parameters, we are largely doomed." But Phys.Org relays a glimmer of hope by way of Alex Alemi, a grad student involved in the research: He says those who want to remain safe from the undead for as long as they can should head to the northern Rockies. He explains that while books and movies typically show an outbreak touching all corners of the country immediately, "in our attempt to model zombies somewhat realistically, it doesn't seem like this is how it would actually go down." Yes, major cities could be toast within days, but less populated areas could be unaffected for weeks, and the northern Mountain Time Zone could be safe for months. "Given the dynamics of the disease, once the zombies invade more sparsely populated areas, the whole outbreak slows down—there are fewer humans to bite, so you start creating zombies at a slower rate," says Alemi. "I'd love to see a fictional account where most of New York City falls in a day, but upstate New York has a month or so to prepare." (Of course, some people want to be trapped in a room with a zombie.) |
Hackers on Sunday claimed to have stolen a raft of e-mails and credit card data from U.S.-based security think tank Stratfor, promising it was just the start of a weeklong Christmas-inspired assault on a long list of targets.
One alleged hacker said the goal was to use the credit data to steal a million dollars and give it away as Christmas donations, and images posted online claimed to show the receipts.
Members of the loose-knit hacking movement known as "Anonymous" posted a link on Twitter to what they said was Stratfor's tightly-guarded, confidential client list. Among those on the list: The U.S. Army, the U.S. Air Force and the Miami Police Department.
The rest of the list, which Anonymous said was a small slice of its 200 gigabytes worth of plunder, included banks, law enforcement agencies, defense contractors and technology firms such as Apple and Microsoft.
"Not so private and secret anymore?" the group taunted in a message on the microblogging site.
Lt. Col. John Dorrian, public affairs officer for the Air Force, said that "for obvious reasons" the Air Force doesn't discuss specific vulnerabilities, threats or responses to them.
"The Air Force will continue to monitor the situation and, as always, take apporpriate action as necessary to protect Air Force networks and information," he said in an email.
Miami Police Department spokesman Sgt. Freddie Cruz Jr. said that he could not confirm that the agency was a client of Stratfor, and he said he had not received any information about any security breach involving the police department.
Anonymous said it was able to get the credit details in part because Stratfor didn't bother encrypting them _ an easy-to-avoid blunder which, if true, would be a major embarrassment for any security-related company.
Hours after publishing what it claimed was Stratfor's client list, Anonymous posted images online that it suggested were receipts for charitable donations made by the group manipulating the credit card data it stole.
"Thank you! Defense Intelligence Agency," read the text above one image that appeared to show a transaction summary indicating that an agency employee's information was used to donate $250 to a non-profit.
Stratfor said in an email to members that it had suspended its servers and email after learning that its website had been hacked.
"We have reason to believe that the names of our corporate subscribers have been posted on other web sites," said the email, passed on to The Associated Press by subscribers. "We are diligently investigating the extent to which subscriber information may have been obtained."
The email, signed by Stratfor Chief Executive George Friedman, said the company is "working closely with law enforcement to identify who is behind the breach."
"Stratfor's relationship with its members and, in particular, the confidentiality of their subscriber information, are very important to Stratfor and me," Friedman wrote.
Stratfor's website was down midday Sunday, with a banner saying "site is currently undergoing maintenance."
Wishing everyone a "Merry LulzXMas" _ a nod to its spinoff hacking group Lulz Security _ Anonymous also posted a link on Twitter to a site containing the email, phone number and credit number of a U.S. Homeland Security employee.
The employee, Cody Sultenfuss, said he had no warning before his details were posted.
"They took money I did not have," he told The Associated Press in a series of emails, which did not specify the amount taken. "I think why me? I am not rich."
One member of the hacking group, who uses the handle AnonymousAbu on Twitter, claimed that more than 90,000 credit cards from law enforcement, the intelligence community and journalists _ "corporate/exec accounts of people like Fox" news _ had been hacked and used to "steal a million dollars" and make donations.
It was impossible to verify where credit card details were used. Fox News was not on the excerpted list of Stratfor members posted online, but other media organizations including MSNBC and Al Jazeera English appeared in the file.
Anonymous warned it has "enough targets lined up to extend the fun fun fun of LulzXmas through the entire next week."
The group has previously claimed responsibility for attacks on companies such as Visa, MasterCard and PayPal, as well as others in the music industry and the Church of Scientology.
____________
Associated Press writer Jennifer Kway in Miami contributed to this report.
_____________
Cassandra Vinograd can be reached at http://twitter.com/CassVinograd | – Hackers say they stole credit card numbers from a US security think tank today and began using them to make donations to charity, the AP reports. The hackers are members of the loose-knit movement known as "Anonymous." The victims are members of a highly guarded list of clients of Stratfor, including the US Air Force, US Army, and Miami police. Hackers have posted tweets saying they plan to make $1 million in donations with the card numbers. "Anonymous" members even posted images of fresh donation receipts to charitable groups. "Not so private and secret anymore?" tweeted one alleged hacker. Anonymous says it's using the numbers easily because Stratfor neglected to encrypt them—a major blunder if true. For its part, Stratfor has shut down its site and is "diligently investigating," it said in an email. Anonymous, which has claimed responsibility for earlier credit card attacks, says it plans to continue striking targets throughout Christmas week. |
BALTIMORE (AP) — A woman was found pushing her dead 3-year-old son in a park swing Friday, and authorities say she may have been there for hours, or even since the day before.
There were no obvious signs of foul play, but it has not been ruled out, said Diane Richardson, a spokeswoman with the Charles County Sheriff's Office.
Richardson said authorities are trying to trace the 24-year-old woman's movements over the past several days "to find out what was going on in her life, what led to this moment."
Sheriff's deputies went to the park in La Plata, Maryland, about 7 a.m. after being called to check on the welfare of the woman and child, Richardson said. The officers went to remove the boy from the swing and give him first aid, but "it was instantaneously clear the child was dead," she said. There were no signs of trauma to his body.
Deputies cut the chain on the swing's seat and removed the body, which was taken to the Officer of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore. A spokesman for the medical examiner said he couldn't provide any information.
The woman, whom police did not identify, was able to answer some of the deputies' questions before being taken to a local hospital for a medical evaluation, Richardson said.
She listed several addresses, including one in Washington and another in Charles County, where La Plata is located, Richardson said. She said the woman also had stayed with a relative in the county.
La Plata is about 30 miles southeast of Washington, with a population of about 8,700, according to the town's website.
"It's a very sad and tragic situation for the mother, her family, the officers," Richardson said. "All of us want answers. We're working very hard on that." ||||| When Charles County Sheriff's deputies responded to a call about a woman pushing a child in a playground swing for an unusually long time, they made a heartbreaking discovery. News4's Derrick Ward reports. (Published Friday, May 22, 2015)
A toddler was found dead on a playground swing in Charles County, Maryland, Friday morning with his mother still pushing him.
"A citizen called and said they'd noticed a woman pushing a child in a swing for an unusually long period of time," said Diane Richardson with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies went to Wills Memorial Park about 7 a.m., and as they got close they noticed the 3-year-old boy in the swing was lifeless. They cut the swing down to administer first aid to the child, but it was too late.
"They were able to get the child out of the swing, but there was really nothing they could do," Richardson said.
Top News Photos of the Week
The boy was taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for an autopsy.
The child's 24-year-old mother was taken to a hospital. No one in the neighborhood knew who she was or where she'd come from with the child.
The sheriff’s office knows the identity of the mother and child and is trying to find the father.
Copyright Associated Press / NBC4 Washington ||||| Mom found pushing three-year-old son in La Plata park. (Photo: WUSA9)
LA PLATA, Md. (WUSA9) -- A Maryland mother was found pushing her dead three-year-old child in a swing at a park Friday morning, according to the Charles County Sheriff's Office.
Officers responded to Wills Memorial Park located at 500 St. Mary's Avenue around 6:55 a.m. for the report of a woman who had been pushing a child in a swing for an unusually long period of time.
The 24-year-old mother and her son may have been at the park since the day before, officials said. When officers got to the park, they found the woman pushing the three-year-old in a swing at the playground. Officers noticed right away that the boy was dead.
There were no signs of trauma, officials said. The child was taken to the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore where an autopsy will be done in order to determine the cause of death.
The mother remains in the hospital for a medical evaluation, officials said Saturday. The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with additional information is asked to call Det. C. Shankster at (301) 609-6513.
OTHER NEWS:
Police: Woman killed prior to Oxon Hill apartment fire
Man killed inside Salisbury home
Death of 3-year-old Vienna boy under investigation
Read or Share this story: http://on.wusa9.com/1Sp22oC | – In a tragic and bizarre case, authorities yesterday found a woman pushing her dead son in a park's swing, the AP reports. She may have been at the Maryland park for hours or even overnight, they say. The story began with a call to sheriff's deputies regarding the well-being of the child and mother, according to Charles County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Diane Richardson. "A citizen called and said they'd noticed a woman pushing a child in a swing for an unusually long period of time," she tells NBC Washington. Sheriff's deputies found the 24-year-old woman at about 7am at Wills Memorial Park in La Plata, Md., WUSA9 reports, roughly 30 miles from Washington. Deputies cut the swing's chain and pulled the boy out, but "it was instantaneously clear the child was dead," says Richardson. No trauma was seen on the boy's body, she adds, but foul play is still a possibility. The woman, who remains unidentified, answered questions before being taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation. She also gave authorities a few addresses, including at least two of her own in the area and one where she had stayed with a relative. Now authorities are trying to track her activities over recent days. "It's a very sad and tragic situation for the mother, her family, the officers," says Richardson. "All of us want answers. We're working very hard on that." |
Even though I have not done anything wrong, it is clear to me that I need to move on, Parmley wrote in his resignation letter. I refuse to be a distraction.
Jay Parmley, who served less than a year at the helm of the party, denied harassing any employee and blamed right-wing political enemies for spreading a false and misleading story.
RALEIGH -- The executive director of the N.C. Democratic Party resigned Sunday as questions mounted about a secret agreement to pay a former staffer to keep quiet about sexual harassment allegations.
But his quick departure just two days after the matter surfaced did little to answer questions about the settlement or quiet critics of party Chairman David Parker. A number of party activists, openly and privately, are calling for him to resign, too.
In a statement, Parker said he accepted Parmleys resignation and defended his decision not to fire him, saying there have not been grounds for termination for cause.
In this political world of rushing to judgment and the presumption of guilt, however, my legal and personal opinion has been outweighed by this having become a political distraction and issue, said Parker, a Statesville attorney.
Watt Jones, a member of the state partys executive committee, said Parmley made the right decision for the party. Clearly I think there are others who should resign, too, Jones said.
Democratic consultant Perry Woods of Raleigh agreed. I think Jay did the right thing, he said. David Parker should join him.
Rumors of a harassment issue have circulated for months, but the matter was pushed into the public spotlight by internal party emails obtained on Friday by The News & Observer. The emails included questions about a financial settlement and nondisclosure agreement with the former staffer. The documents did not identify the party official responsible nor the former staffer.
Parkers statement did not mention any settlement or agreement with the former staffer who was fired in November. Parker declined to comment further, citing advice of legal counsel, but he defended Parmleys tenure as a party leader in South Carolina and Oklahoma earlier in his career. There have never been any complaints or allegations concerning Jay Parmley before or since the matter, Parker concluded.
North Carolina is a battleground state in the presidential race and host of the Democratic convention, and activists suggested that continued negative publicity involving party leaders could taint the state partys efforts in the 2012 election.
State Rep. Bill Faison, a candidate for governor who challenged Parker for the party chairmanship in 2011, said in a statement Sunday that Parker should resign on behalf of the 2.7 million Democrats in North Carolina so that we can get on with the primary election without further distraction.
The partys turmoil made for tense conversations Saturday as local Democrats hosted dozens of county conventions across the state. At the Wake County event, Democratic activists introduced a resolution demanding Parker and Parmley resign or be fired. A similar resolution at the Durham County party convention called for a meeting to determine whether the party leaders should be removed.
The Wake resolution introduced by Woods said the party must deal with sexual harassment claims in an open and transparent fashion.
Muriel Offerman, treasurer of the state Democratic Party and a Parker ally, spoke against the resolution. This is a personnel matter within the party, she said in an interview afterward. Personnel matters are not to be discussed in public.
Other Democrats echoed Offermans remarks, and Woods pulled the resolution before a vote took place.
Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, who is seeking the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, suggested party officials should resign or be fired if the allegations are true. We cannot tolerate sexual harassment in the workplace, Dalton said Saturday at the Mecklenburg County Democratic Party convention. If theres any truth to the allegations, somebody should resign or be fired immediately.
Another leading Democrat seeking his partys gubernatorial nomination, former U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge, issued a statement Sunday that said: Mr. Parmley has done the right thing by resigning his position with party. I know that Chairman Parker will also do what is right. ||||| A former North Carolina Democratic Party staffer was sexually harassed by a party official, made a financial settlement with the party and signed a non-disclosure agreement to keep the incident quiet, according to emails obtained by The Daily Caller.
“If this hits the media, the Democratic Party, our candidates, and our credibility are doomed in this election,” reads one email exchange between state Democratic leaders.
(UPDATE: Dem official named in same-sex harassment claim by male staffer)
An email chain between those Democratic leaders, obtained by The Daily Caller, indicates the executive director of the North Carolina Democratic Party, Jay Parmley, and the alleged sexual harassment victim both signed non-disclosure agreements.
The email chain does not make clear who was guilty of the alleged harassment, the status of that individual’s employment with the Democratic Party or the identity of the victim.
State Democratic Party spokesman Walton Robinson did not respond to The Daily Caller’s request for comment on the matter.
President Obama’s re-election team views North Carolina as an important state in the president’s campaign and Charlotte, N.C. is the site of this year’s Democratic National Convention.
In the email chain, North Carolina Democratic statehouse candidate Watt Jones complained about the lack of what he considers competent staffers in the state party.
Though North Carolina Democratic Party chairman David Parker claimed in one email that a supposed ongoing staff exodus was due to staffers leaving for “greener pastures” during the campaign season, Jones rebutted that assertion.
“In regards to the personnel issues, certain staff leaving for ‘greener grass’ is not the issue,” Jones wrote to Parker. “In fact, some of those staffers who have recently left have also privately spoke of frustration at things occurring within Goodwin House [the North Carolina Democratic Party headquarters].”
Jones said that those “personnel issues coming from Goodwin House are now related to allegations of ‘harassment,’ sexual or otherwise, involving staff.”
He went on to explain how the alleged sexual harassment going on within the Democratic Party’s North Carolina headquarters could be detrimental to the party and may even directly contradict the Democrats’ own immediate agenda.
“Even with an agreed non-disclosure statement and financial settlement, that appears to be short-lived,” Jones wrote. “It’s making its rounds all over the state and beyond. Is the person responsible still employed? Many questions are unanswered. With a Democratic Party which is suppose [sic] to be fighting to defeat Amendment One [which describes marriage as between one man and one woman] on the May 8 ballot, yet we have this in Goodwin House? How does that look?”
The question of appearances by Jones may imply that the harassment was same-sex in nature, which might complicate Democratic messaging in the party’s efforts to defeat the anti-gay-marriage amendment.
“Rest assured there is a statewide gathering (I am told) that are upset over this and want people held accountable,” Jones continued. “In all honesty, I am being told by several reliable sources that the Associated Press is itching to get this out. Thankfully, some are trying to stop it. Do we want the Republicans to get this information? They are also asking questions.”
Jones added that he expects that the “Democratic Party, our Candidates, and our credibility are doomed in this election,” if the alleged sexual harassment story is made public.
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See the emails:
North Carolina Democrats’ Emails | – North Carolina's Democratic Party is in turmoil after allegations of sexual harassment and a cover-up, the News & Observer reports. Executive Director Jay Parmley has resigned amid calls for both him and Party Chairman David Parker to step down. "Even though I have not done anything wrong, it is clear to me that I need to move on," Parmley wrote in a resignation letter. According to the Daily Caller, both Parmley and the alleged victim had signed non-disclosure agreements, although the emails obtained by the site don't make the identities of the victim or the alleged harasser clear. The party is accused of paying off the alleged victim, a former staffer who was fired after complaining about harassment by a senior party official earlier this year, and of having him sign the form in order to keep him quiet. Parmley and Parker, who accepted Parmley's resignation but did not step down himself, blamed politics for inflating the issue, but some Democratic activists and party officials still called for Parker to resign as well. The party "must deal with sexual harassment claims in an open and transparent fashion," says one consultant in a resolution, "and event a hint or perception of a cover-up is damaging to the party's credibility." |
AMY WINEHOUSE may have beaten her drug addiction but it's left her wide open for another obsession - surgery.
The troubled star is so pleased with her new �35,000 boobs, enhanced from a 32B to a 32D just last month, she is thinking of having them enlarged again.
And Wino has told pals she is also considering BUM implants.
A source said: "Amy loves her boobs. She can't stop touching them and showing them off to friends.
"She says she feels womanly again and wants to be more curvy like she used to be.
"She thinks by having another op and bum implants that she will achieve her dream pin-up look."
Isn't that how she used to look before she hit the drugs?
Even her dad MITCH has said how good her new pair are.
But I bet he won't support her going under the knife again.
The odd op is OK but just look at past and present stars hooked on plastic such as JORDAN and MICHAEL JACKSON...
For Wino it must be like ordering a McDonalds - "It's Amy, and I'd like to go super size please." ||||| We were wondering where Amy Winehouse had got to recently, and now we know.
It seems she has a new addiction... to table tennis.
Advertisement - article continues below »
The diva has bought a table for her Barnet home and is throwing ping pong parties.
A source said: "She barely leaves the house."
Rock 'n' roll.
Win a Louis Vuitton luggage set with Mirror.co.uk | – Amy Winehouse has a new addiction. What vice is it this time: Cocaine? Her ex-husband? Nope. It’s her new ping-pong table. “She barely leaves the house,” a source tells the Mirror. In equally ridiculous Winehouse news, the recently-breast-enhanced singer is now pining for bigger boobs—and considering a butt job. “She thinks by having another op and bum implants that she will achieve her dream pin-up look,” a source tells the Sun. |
This undated photo provided by Vanderbilt University shows Brandon Banks, 19, of Brandywine, Md. (Photo: AP) Story Highlights Brandon Banks surrendered to authorities
Banks was the only player remaining at large in the case
Banks was charged with five counts of aggravated rape and two counts of aggravated sexual battery
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Brandon Banks, one of the four former Vanderbilt University football players who were charged with rape on Friday, has surrendered to Metro Police.
He will be taken to General Hospital for the mandatory HIV test and then to jail.
Banks, 19 from Maryland, was the only player remaining at large in the case.
EARLIER: Four indicted in rape case
Brandon Vandenburg, 20, from California; JaBorian "Tip" McKenzie, 18, from Mississippi; and Cory Batey, 19, of Nashville also have been arrested.
The four men were charged on Friday with five counts each of aggravated rape and two counts of aggravated sexual battery. Vandenburg was also charged with one count of unlawful photography and tampering with evidence.
McKenzie, 19, surrendered at police headquarters Saturday morning. He was also taken to General Hospital for the mandatory HIV test. He was released from Metro Jail around 1 p.m. after posting a $50,000 bond, according to a dispatcher with the Davidson County Sheriff's Office.
Vandenburg and Batey remain in Metro Jail in lieu of $350,000 bond following their arrests, according to Metro spokeman Don Aaron.
Jessica Bliss writes for The Tennessean, a Gannett property. ||||| Three of the four former Vanderbilt football players who were indicted for allegedly raping an unconscious 21-year-old student in a dorm room on the Nashville, Tenn., campus have been arrested, authorities said.
Brandon Vandenburg, 20, of Indio, Calif.; Cory Batey, 19, of Nashville; Brandon Banks, 19, of Brandywine, Md.; and Jaborian McKenzie, 19, of Woodville, Miss., were each charged with five counts of aggravated rape and two counts of aggravated sexual battery on Friday, according to the a Nashville Police Department.
The four men are charged with raping an unconscious victim inside Vandenburg's Gillette House dorm room on June 23, police said.
Vandenburg was also charged with tampering with evidence and unlawful photography.
The incident was brought to university officials' attention after they checked the dorm's surveillance recordings regarding an unrelated matter. The footage revealed "concerning behavior by the defendants," police said.
The four former football players were dismissed from the team on June 29 and banned from campus pending a six-week investigation,The Associated Press reported.
Both Vandenburg and McKenzie were booked into the Davidson County Sheriff's Office on Saturday.
Vandenburg was taken into custody at the Nashville International Airport upon his arrival into the city on Saturday, according to a police statement. He was first taken to Nashville General Hospital for a state-mandated HIV test required for individuals charged with rape before he was booked at approximately 2:05 a.m. The former Commodores tight end is being held on $350,000 bail.
McKenzie turned himself in at 8:30 a.m. Saturday. He was also taken to the hospital for a mandatory HIV test before he was taken into custody, the news release said.
The former receiver was released after posting $50,000 bond, according to jail records.
Batey, a former safety on the team, was arrested at his Nashville home on Friday around 3:30 p.m., taken for a blood test, and then booked into Davidson County Sheriff's Office on a $350,000 bond.
Banks, who played defensive back, is still at large, police said.
"Although four people are being charged at this time, the investigation is still on-going into the actions of other individuals and the role(s) they may have played in this incident," District Attorney General Torry Johnson said in a prepared statement.
Five additional current players on the football team are listed in the indictment as witnesses for the prosecution if the case goes to trial, the AP reported.
Vanderbilt University's vice chancellor Beth Fortune said the school was "shocked and saddened by the allegations that such an assault has taken place on our campus and that they include members of our football team."
"The charges brought today against the four former Vanderbilt football players allege conduct which is abhorrent and will never be tolerated," Fortune said in a statement released today. "We will review our athletics program to be sure that it, like all other programs at the university, reflects our culture of community and respect for others and that our student athletes are held to the same high standards of conduct as all our students." | – Four recently-dismissed members of the Vanderbilt University football team were arrested over the weekend in the alleged rape of an unconscious 21-year-old student in her dorm room. The rape allegedly occurred on June 23. University officials discovered the incident while checking dorm surveillance footage for an unrelated matter. Brandon Vandenburg, JaBorian McKenzie, Cory Batey, and Brandon Banks were all kicked off the football team on June 29 and banned from campus pending an investigation, ABC News reports. The four were all indicted on Friday with five counts of aggravated rape, and two counts of aggravated sexual battery, with Vandenburg also accused of tampering with evidence and unlawful photography. Vandenburg was arrested on Saturday when his plane arrived at Nashville International Airport, and Batey was arrested at his Nashville home, while McKenzie and Banks turned themselves in. McKenzie has since been released on a $50,000 bond, while Vandenburg and Batey remain in jail in lieu of $350,000 bond, USA Today reports. |
The so-called "affluenza" teen wants another break.
The Texas teenager who killed four people in a 2013 drunken-driving wreck is asking the state's Supreme Court to throw out his current two-year jail sentence.
Ethan Couch was initially sentenced to 10-years probation after successfully arguing that his spoiled childhood was to blame for the accident. However, he later violated his probation by drinking and partying, and fled to Mexico.
Couch was later apprehended and last year was given the two-year sentence, 180 days for each victim.
Father of 'affluenza teen' avoids jail time for impersonating cop
"Affluenza" teen Ethan Couch is serving a two-year jail sentence. (POOL/POOL)
His lawyers argue that the judge only had jurisdiction over criminal cases and that juvenile matters are civil.
Ethan Couch's lawyers also tried for the teen's release last year, but was rejected by a judge. At the time, they asked for the removal of District Judge Wayne Salvant from the case.
The teen, who was 16 at the time, crashed his pickup truck into a crowd of people on June 15, 2013. The group was trying to help another driver.
The teen killed four people in a drunken-driving wreck in 2013. (Tarrant County Sheriff's Office)
His lawyers said that he was not responsible because he was coddled as a child by his wealthy parents, and initially avoided jail time.
'Affluenza' teen's request to get judge removed is denied
Couch would skip parole meetings and bolted to Mexico with his mother. Tonya Couch could face up to 10 years in prison for helping her son elude law enforcement officials.
Just a few months ago Ethan Couch's father Fred avoided jail time for impersonating a Texas police officer in 2014.
With News Wire Services
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twitter email Judge Wayne Salvant sentenced the 'affluenza' teen to nearly two years in jail on concurrent terms on Wednesday in a Fort Worth courtroom. Pool video
Judge Wayne Salvant sentenced the 'affluenza' teen to nearly two years in jail on concurrent terms on Wednesday in a Fort Worth courtroom. Pool video ||||| Lawyers for a Texas teenager who used an "affluenza" defense in a fatal drunken-driving crash have turned to the Texas Supreme Court in an effort to secure his release from jail.
The motion filed Friday on behalf of 19-year-old Ethan Couch argues that a judge had no authority to sentence Couch to nearly two years in jail after his case was moved from juvenile to adult court.
Couch's attorneys argue that the judge only had jurisdiction over criminal cases and that juvenile matters are civil.
Couch was given 10 years' probation after killing four people in a 2013 crash. He later violated his probation.
RAW VIDEO: Judge's Ruling in Couch Hearing
During his first appearance in adult court Wednesday, a North Texas teen who used an "affluenza" defense in a deadly drunken driving crash was ordered to spend nearly two years behind bars as part of his probation. (Published Wednesday, April 13, 2016)
A defense expert invoked the term "affluenza" in arguing during the sentencing phase of the teenager's trial that he was coddled into a sense of irresponsibility.
Copyright Associated Press | – Lawyers for Ethan Couch are asking the Texas state Supreme Court to release the "affluenza teen" from jail, NBC DFW reports. According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, a judge sentenced Couch to 720 days in jail last April after he skipped a probation check-in and ran to Mexico with his mother. The pair went on the lam following the release of a video that apparently showed Couch partying in violation of his parole. Lawyers for Couch say the judge didn't have the authority to sentence Couch to jail time because the judge only has purview over criminal cases. They say Couch's is a civil case because it originated in juvenile court, the New York Daily News reports. Couch's case was transferred to adult court when he turned 19. Couch was sentenced to 10 years' probation in 2013 when he crashed his pickup truck into a group of people helping a disabled vehicle. Couch was drunk at the time, and four of the people died. A psychologist defending Couch said the teen never learned the difference between right and wrong and was suffering from "affluenza" thanks to his rich upbringing. Couch's lawyers filed the motion to release him from jail last Friday. The motion has already been denied twice in lower courts. |
Crops are wilting, schools have shut their bathrooms and government officials are bathing in lagoons because of a severe shortage of fresh water in a swath of the South Pacific.
The island groups of Tuvalu and Tokelau have declared emergencies, relying on bottled water and seeking more desalination machines. Parts of Samoa are starting to ration water.
Supplies are precariously low after a severe lack of rain in a region where underground reserves have been fouled by saltwater from rising seas that scientists have linked to climate change.
While nobody has gone thirsty yet, officials worry about the logistics of supplying everyone with enough water to survive and the potential health problems that might arise. And exactly how the islands will cope in the long term remains a question mark.
"We are praying that things will change," Samoan-based official Jovilisi Suveinakama said.
Six months of low rainfall have dried out the islands. Climate scientists say it's part of a cyclical Pacific weather pattern known as La Nina _ and they predict the coming months will bring no relief, with the pattern expected to continue.
Rising sea levels are exacerbating the problem, as salt water seeps into underground supplies of fresh water that are drawn to the surface through wells.
On the three main atolls that make up isolated Tokelau, the 1,400 residents ran out of fresh water altogether last week and are relying on a seven-day supply of bottled water that was sent Saturday from Samoa, Suveinakama said.
Suveinakama said that some schools no longer have drinking water available, and that the students often need to return home if they want to use a bathroom.
"In terms of domestic chores, like washing clothes, everything's been put on hold," he said. "We are cautious of the situation given the possible health issues."
Suveinakama said that Tokelau, a territory of New Zealand, has tapped emergency funds to buy desalination machines, which turn salt water into fresh water. He hopes those will be shipped to the islands soon.
In Tuvalu, a nation of low lying atolls that is home to less than 11,000 people, Red Cross team leader Dean Manderson described the situation as "quite dire."
He said that on the island of Nukulaelae, there were only 16 gallons of fresh water remaining Tuesday for the 350 residents and that the Red Cross was sending over two small desalination machines.
He said much of the well water on Tuvalu is unusable because it has become contaminated with salt water.
The New Zealand government this week flew a defense force C-130 plane to Tuvalu stocked with Red Cross supplies of bottled water and desalination machines. Officials including High Commissioner Gareth Smith also flew over to assess the situation.
Smith said the coconut trees on Tuvalu are looking sickly and that the edible breadfruit, which grow in trees, are much smaller than usual. He said other local fruits and vegetables, including a type of giant taro, are not growing well or are in short supply.
He said people in the capital of Funafuti are permitted a ration of two buckets of water per day and that government ministers have been bathing in the lagoon to preserve water.
Funafuti residents have been relying on a large desalination machine for much of their daily water supply, said Manderson. The Red Cross has been helping improve the function of that machine and has been fixing other such machines that have broken down, he added.
New Zealand climate scientist James Renwick said the rainfall problems can be traced back 12 months, when the region began experiencing one of the strongest La Nina systems on record.
La Nina is sparked when larger-than-normal differences in water temperature across the Pacific Ocean cause the east-blowing trade winds to increase in strength, Renwick said. That, in turn, pushes rainfall to the west, leaving places like Tuvalu and Tokelau dry.
Last year's La Nina system dwindled by June but has begun picking up again just ahead of the November rainy season, Renwick said, meaning that there is no relief in sight for island groups like Tuvalu, Tokelau and Samoa.
"Low rainfall continues to be on the cards, at least through the end of the year," Renwick said.
Officials say they are concentrating on the short-term supply problems and have not yet had time to think about longer term solutions for the islands. But they say that the combination of rising water levels and low rainfall mean makes life on the islands look increasingly precarious. ||||| Image caption Water supplies will have to be brought to Tokelau by barge from ships anchored offshore
A second South Pacific community is suffering a severe water shortage due to an ongoing drought crisis.
Tokelau declared a state of emergency late on Monday, following a similar move in neighbouring Tuvalu, where water is already being rationed.
A New Zealand-administered territory of three islands, Tokelau's 1,400 people have less than a week's drinking water left.
The lack of rainfall is blamed on the La Nina weather pattern.
Officials said Tokelau had run out of natural fresh water and was relying solely on bottled water.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully said other islands in the South Pacific were also reporting water shortages.
Parts of Samoa have begun rationing water.
He said New Zealand was rushing to assess the situation throughout the region, amid fears the crisis could escalate.
This is having a severe impact on crops, so there's likely to be a food shortage as well Murray McCully, NZ Foreign Minister
New Zealand was "making sure we deal with the drinking water issue most urgently", he said.
A New Zealand Air Force plane landed in Tuvalu on Monday carrying containers of water and desalination units.
Tuvalu, one of the world's smallest independent nations, with a population of about 11,000, lies about halfway between Australia and Hawaii. Tokelau is about 500km (310 miles) to the east.
Impact on crops
Mr McCully said the situation was urgent in parts of Tuvalu.
He said there was less than a week's supply of drinking water on Funafuti, the main island of Tuvalu.
"I understand one of the other outlying islands, Nukulaelae, has a more urgent shortage and there is a desalination plant on the way there," Mr McCully said.
"There are going to be some flow-on effects here, clearly this is having a severe impact on crops, so there's likely to be a food shortage as well."
La Nina causes extreme weather, including both drought and floods, and was blamed for floods in Australia, South East Asia and South America in late 2010 and early 2011.
David Hebblethwaite, a water conservation expert with the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, said Tuvalu had experienced low rainfall for the past three years and there had been no precipitation at all for seven months.
He said Funafuti and Nukulaelae both lacked groundwater supplies, making them dependent on rainfall collected from the roofs of homes and government buildings.
Mr Hebblethwaite said the islands may also need extra medical supplies if water shortages lead to sanitation issues and consequent health problems. | – Some island groups in the South Pacific, already in danger of being swamped by rising seas, have run out of fresh water. Tuvalu and Tokelau have declared states of emergency because of the water crisis, caused by six months of low or no rainfall and by groundwater becoming contaminated with seawater, the BBC reports. New Zealand's air force has rushed bottled water and desalination machines to the areas most in need. In Tuvalu, a nation of atolls that is home to around 11,000 people, the situation is "quite dire," a Red Cross team leader says. The crisis is spreading, with Samoa now rationing water, and experts believe that because of La Niña, the region won't see any rainfall until at least until the end of the year. The water crisis is expected to trickle down into food shortages, and sanitation and public health problems, the AP reports, and officials say the future of the island nations is looking increasingly uncertain. |
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Open access ||||| This teenage girl was buried in a Polish cemetery with a sickle over her neck, possibly to ward off demons. She was also buried with a copper headband and a copper coin, archaeologists found.
How do you keep a demon from disturbing the living? A blade to the throat should do the trick.
A few skeletons unearthed in a 400-year-old Polish cemetery have been discovered with sickles placed around their necks. Archaeologists believe this strange burial practice is evidence of a belief in magic and a fear of demons.
The sickle burials were found at Drawsko cemetery, a site in northeastern Poland that dates from the 17th to the 18th centuries. Archaeologists, including Marek Polcyn, a visiting scholar at Lakehead University in Canada, have excavated more than 250 graves there since 2008.
Among those graves were four skeletons with sickles placed at their throats, and a fifth skeleton with a sickle placed over its hips. Previously, these burials had been described as "vampire" burials, with the sickles interpreted as a way to prevent the dead from reanimating and terrorizing the living. But in a new study detailed in the journal Antiquity, Polcyn and co-author Elzbieta Gajda, of the Muzeum Ziemi Czarnkowskiej, now reject that characterization. ("We deliberately dismiss the interpretation of a revenant (i.e. vampire)," isn't something you read in an academic paper every day.) [See Photos of the Sickle Burials at Drawsko Cemetery]
Instead, the archaeologists prefer to use the blanket term "anti-demonic" to talk about these burials, partly because vampires weren't the only kinds of evil incarnations of the dead, according to traditional folk beliefs in the region. But also, the sickle graves were afforded funerary privileges that weren't usually extended to "vampires" buried elsewhere: They were given Christian burials in sacred ground alongside other members of the community, and their corpses do not appear to have been desecrated or mutilated.
In another sign that the people buried with sickles probably were not outsiders, scientists who studied chemical signatures locked in the teeth of these corpses found that all five individuals were locals. (They published those results in a paper in PLOS ONE last year.)
"The magical and ritual meaning of this gesture seems beyond doubt," Polcyn and Gajda wrote, adding, however, that the sickle might have had more than one ritualistic meaning. The tool may have been intended to keep the dead in their graves under the threat of cutting their throat, but it also might have been used to prevent evil forces from tormenting their souls. What's more, the use of a tool made of iron, which had to undergo a transformation in fire, could symbolize the passage from life to death, the authors wrote. [7 Strange Ways Humans Act Like Vampires]
Even though Christianity was the dominant religion in Poland at the time this cemetery was used, traditions from old Slavic pagan faith and folk belief systems still existed, including a belief in demons. Besides the sickles, there is not much that makes these graves unique, so the scientists aren't sure exactly what about these people made them demonic. They may have been thought to have supernatural powers in life, or they might have had physical characteristics considered suspicious (which might have included "an exceptionally hairy body," a unibrow, a large head and a red complexion, the authors said, citing traditional Polish folklore).
These people also might have died in a traumatic fashion, without any time for the appropriate rites and rituals to make for a smooth spiritual transition into death — a concept some archaeologists call a "bad death." While some of the people buried with sickles may have simply died of old age, one of them, a girl, died as a teenager. The authors speculated that she might have met a violent and untimely end, perhaps through drowning, suicide or murder. Unfortunately for archaeologists, however, this death didn't leave its mark on the girl's bones.
Polcyn and Gajda wrote that they hope further scientific tests on the corpses, such as biomolecular analyses, will help them understand more specifically what led the dead in Drawsko to be buried with sickles.
Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science. ||||| This amber and a gold earring from burial of a lady close to Stonehenge shows the detailed decoration on other Bronze Age artifacts from the time of Stonehenge. MORE: Stonehenge Intricate Treasures Made by Children
Although the purpose of the gold lozenge remains a mystery — interpretations have ranged from an elaborate button to an astronomical instrument -- its precise decorations, made of impressed lines, reveals a detailed knowledge of mathematics and geometry.
On the chest of the Bush Barrow tribal chief there was a beautifully decorated gold lozenge. It was made of sheet gold with finely incised decoration.
Some of the thousands of studs from the dagger. Each stud is thinner than a human hair. They were set into the wood at a density of over 1,000 per square centimeter to create a zig-zag pattern.
Produced nearly 4,000 years ago, more than 1,000 years before the invention of any form of magnifying glass, the dagger was decorated with 140,000 tiny studs. The ultra-fine craftwork entailed extremely tiny components such as microscopic gold pins and gold wires. According to optic experts, only children and teenagers, and those adults who had become myopic naturally or due to the nature of their work as children, would have been able to create and manufacture such tiny objects. The eye-stressing work would have blinded most child workers. The image shows how the studs are placed in straight lines and the heads overlap each other like fish scales.
This watercolor shows the dagger handle as excavated by William Cunnington in 1808.
Among the buried objects, one of the finest was a dagger with an intricately decorated wooden handle. Today only fragments of the original handle survive. Here fragments of the 4,000-year-old wooden handle is mounted on a modern wood reconstruction.
Reconstruction of the burial of the Bush Barrow mound. The burial contained the skeleton of a chieftain who lived almost 4,000 years ago. He was laid to rest in regal splendor with objects known today as the Stonehenge treasure. NEWS: Stonehenge Intricate Treasures Made by Children
Evidence of “anti-demonic” funerary practices, with sickles placed around the throats of the deceased possibly to ward off demons, has been found in a 400-year-old cemetery in Poland.
Researchers examined more than 250 human skeletons which were excavated since 2008 from a post Medieval cemetery in Drawsko, a rural settlement site in northwestern Poland.
Dating to the 17th and 18th centuries, the remains represented individuals of all ages and both sexes and included five unique interments with sickles.
Photos: Intricate Treasures From Stonehenge Burial
Play Video Ancient Lost Army Found? The Persian army of 50,000 soldiers supposedly perished in a sandstorm in ancient Egypt 2500 years ago. Researchers have located a valley of bones they think may belong to the fabled army. DCI
“In four of these burials the sickles were placed on the bodies of the dead with the cutting edge tightly against the throat, while the fifth was located on the pelvis,” Marek Polcyn, a visiting scholar at Lakehead University in Canada, and Elzbieta Gajda, of the Muzeum Ziemi Czarnkowskiej, wrote in the current issue of the journal Antiquity.
The skeletons with the sickles around the throat were those of an adult male who died between 35–44 years of age, two adult females who died around 30–39 years of age, and an adolescent female who at around 14–19 years old.
There was also an adult female aged 50–60 years interred with a large, arch-curved sickle placed across her hips. A stone was placed directly on top of the throat, while a coin was found in her toothless mouth.
Ice Age Infant Skeletons Hint at Burial Rites
Previously, it was suggested these people were buried as “vampires.” In this view, the sickle placed across the throat was intended to remove the head, should the vampire attempt to rise from the grave.
But Polcyn and Gajda argue these burials should be rather interpreted as “anti-demonic.” They noted the sickle burials have none of the characteristics of so-called anti-vampiric practices.
They were interred in sacred ground following conventional Christian burial patterns, with the head placed towards the west, and their graves did not appear to have been desecrated.
Ancient Priest's Tomb Painting Discovered Near Great Pyramid
“Confining the deceased in the grave by means of a sickle may have been a measure to prevent the demonized soul threatening the living, or could have been a reference to biblical symbolism in an attempt to prevent the soul from becoming demonized,” Polcyn and Gajda wrote.
Vampires were not the only mythical creatures feared in Poland in the 17th century. As wars, hunger, pestilence, and poverty devastated the country, Slavic pagan faiths resurrected.
“The development of the Counter-Reformation was a significant turning point as it brought cultural and intellectual regression, religious fanaticism and a growing climate of terror, deliberately stoked by Catholic clergy spreading fear of the devil and witchcraft,” the researchers wrote. | – Want to keep a demon-skeleton from haunting your rural settlement? Just bury it with a sickle at its throat. That's what researchers are saying about four skeletons from the 17th and 18th centuries found buried with iron sickles around their necks in a Polish cemetery, Discovery reports. Writing in Antiquity, Marek Polcyn and Elzbieta Gajda say the skeletons—two adult females, an adult male, and an adolescent female excavated with over 250 human remains starting in 2008—may have been feared as possible demons in Drawsko, northwestern Poland. The sickles "may have been a measure to prevent the demonized soul threatening the living, or could have been a reference to biblical symbolism in an attempt to prevent the soul from becoming demonized," the authors write. They dismiss the theory that the villagers feared vampirism, saying the burials were conventionally Christian, with heads pointing west, and the graves don't seem desecrated. Perhaps the burials followed the folk belief that a person with a "bad death" (like drowning, suicide, or death during childbirth) was prone to being inhabited by one of fourteen demons. Such beliefs persisted alongside Slavic pagan faith and Christianity in Poland at the time, Live Science reports. Interestingly, a fifth skeleton had the sickle around her hips, a stone at her neck, and a coin in her mouth. "Coins were placed in the mouth to favor the deceased's passage into the afterlife," one expert says. "The sickle and the stone would have prevent[ed] the dead from returning." (Read about self-identified vampires who have "a real fear.") |
About 190 workers, mostly Somali, were let go after they left the meatpacking line to protest changes to prayer policy
Somali immigrant Halimo Ahmed places her cut on the fastpaced belt during her shift in manufacturing at Cargill Meat Solutions in Fort Morgan. ( Joe Amon, The Denver Post file )
Cargill Meat Solutions said Thursday it tried to resolve a workplace prayer dispute with Somali workers at its Fort Morgan meatpacking plant that led to the firing of about 190 employees.
The workers who lost their jobs were mostly immigrants from Somalia, and their termination came after they failed to report to work for three consecutive days last week to protest what they say were changes in times allowed for Muslim prayer.
Workers including Somalis trim beef in manufacturing at Cargill Meat Solutions in Fort Morgan. (Joe Amon, The Denver Post)
Cargill says, however, it makes every "reasonable attempt" to provide religious accommodation for all of its employees at the Fort Morgan plant without interrupting operations.
"At no time did Cargill prevent people from prayer at Fort Morgan," said Michael Martin, a spokesman for the Wichita-based company, which is part of the agribusiness giant Cargill Inc. " Nor have we changed policies related to religious accommodation and attendance. This has been mischaracterized."
Cargill also said while reasonable efforts are made to accommodate employees, accommodation is not guaranteed every day and depends on changing factors in the plant.
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"This has been clearly communicated to all employees," Martin said.
But the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which is representing more than 100 of the fired employees, said Thursday that messaging from plant supervisors has not always been so clear.
On Dec. 18, the Friday before employee protests began Dec. 21, "the workers were told: 'If you want to pray, go home,' " CAIR spokesman Jaylani Hussein said.
"To these employees, that is what it is. Maybe Cargill never changed its policy, but to these employees, they feel whatever the policy is, or how it is implemented, there was a change put in place," Hussein said.
Cargill provides a "reflection room" at the plant where observant Muslim workers are allowed to pray, something that has been available since 2009.
Hussein said depending on the season, the workers pray at different times of the day, typically taking five to 10 minutes away from their work. The time was carved out of a 15-minute break period or from the workers' unpaid 30-minute lunch breaks.
Many of the workers banded together and decided to walk off the job in an attempt to sway plant managers to reinstate the prayer policy.
"They feel missing their prayer is worse than losing their job," Hussein said. "It's like losing a blessing from God."
On Dec. 23, Cargill fired the holdouts who had not returned to work, citing a company policy that employees who do not show up for work or call in for three consecutive days will be let go.
"It's an unfortunate situation that may be based somewhere in a misunderstanding," Martin said. "But the policies have been in place, and we go over the policies for all people who are newly hired to the company when they are hired."
All of the terminated employees worked the second shift on the plant's fabrication floor, where chilled beef carcasses are broken down into smaller cuts and packaged, Martin said.
Of those involved, "fewer than 20" employees walked out in the middle of a shift, he said. About 160 failed to report to work, and 10 resigned.
Before the walkout, Cargill employed roughly 600 Somali workers at the Fort Morgan plant. More than 400 still work there, Martin said, and accommodations are still being made to allow Muslims to leave the floor in small groups to pray.
"There has been a desire among some employees to go in larger groups of people to pray. We just can't accommodate that," Martin said. "It backs up the flow of all the production. We're a federally inspected, USDA inspected plant. We have to ensure food safety. We have to ensure the products we produce meet consumer expectations."
The workers earn $14 per hour and up and are represented by a union, Teamsters Local 455. More than 2,000 people are employed at the plant.
Cargill has a policy stating that any workers who are terminated cannot reapply for a position for six months. CAIR continues to talk with Cargill, and Hussein said he hopes the six-month freeze is waived and that the workers will be allowed back.
"I'm confident in our upcoming negotiations that we can come to a resolution," Hussein said.
Emilie Rusch: 303-954-2457, [email protected] or @emilierusch ||||| Skip Ad Ad Loading... x Embed x Share Nearly 200 Muslim workers say they were fired from a Colorado meat packing plant after walking off the job during a dispute over workplace prayer.
Some of the Somali workers from Cargill and their translator (Photo: Chris Hansen/9NEWS)
DENVER — About 190 workers, most of them immigrants from Somalia, have been fired from a Colorado meat-packing plant after walking off the job during a dispute over workplace prayer.
The workers walked off their jobs at Cargill Meat Solutions in Fort Morgan, Colo., last month.
Jaylani Hussein with the Council on American-Islamic Relations says that depending on the season, the Muslim workers prayed at different times of the day.
The workers say that earlier in December the plant's policy toward allowing them to pray on the job was changed, which made some of them unable to pray at all.
Hussein says that on Tuesday, Minnesota-based Cargill fired most of the workers who walked out.
"Prayer is the first priority to every Muslim. We can sustain without a job, but we cannot sustain without prayer," according to Khader Ducal, who is assisting the Somali workers file for unemployment.
Cargill spoke to KUSA-TV to clarify their side of the story, saying their attendance and religious accommodation policy had not changed.
"In the Fort Morgan plant, a reflection area for use by all employees to pray was established in April 2009 and is available during work shifts based on our ability to adequately staff a given work area," Cargill said in a statement.
"While reasonable efforts are made to accommodate employees, accommodation is not guaranteed every day and is dependent on a number of factors that can, and do, change from day to day," the company said.
The company maintains that the workers were fired due to a violation of company policy for not reporting to work for three consecutive days without calling to explain why.
According to Cargill, the first shift at the Fort Morgan plant was fully staffed, but the second shift was short due to about 200 Somali employees not reporting to work.
"Multiple attempts were made to discuss the situation with local Somali employees without a successful resoluting, including a Tuesday meeting at the plant management's request," the Cargill statement reads.
Cargill spokesman Mike Martin said multiple attempts were made to communicate to employees who did not show up for work that their jobs were in jeopardy.
According to the company, plant management and union representatives met with Somali leaders without resolution earlier this week.
It was at that point and due to the work policy that Cargill decided to terminate about 190 people.
Under federal law, employers must provide employees with reasonable accommodation for religious practice, as long as it doesn't create an undue hardship for the company. Legal experts say those terms are often hard to define and left up to the courts to decide.
A spokesperson for the Council on American Islamic Relations said in a press conference Wednesday night that a possible deal is being brokered to allow the fired workers to reapply for their jobs sometime next week.
Contributing: The Associated Press
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1R3itIk | – Nearly 200 Muslim workers—mostly Somali immigrants—were fired by a Colorado meat-packing plant last month for walking off the job over claims their employer was preventing them from praying, USA Today reports. "Prayer is the first priority to every Muslim," a man assisting the fired employees says. "We can sustain without a job, but we cannot sustain without prayer." A spokesperson for the Council on American-Islamic Relations tells the Denver Post Muslim employees were told Dec. 18, "If you want to pray, go home." In response, approximately 190 Muslim employees refused to work Dec. 21. According to USA Today, most of those employees were fired Dec. 23. A company policy states if employees are out for three days without "calling in," they can be fired, KUSA reports. Cargill Meat Solutions has a special area for employees to pray during the day, but it can only be used if they have enough staff to cover for the praying employees, KUSA reports. "While reasonable efforts are made to accommodate employees, accommodation is not guaranteed every day and is dependent on a number of factors that can, and do, change from day to day," according to a Cargill statement. The company says that policy hasn't changed. "It's an unfortunate situation that may be based somewhere in a misunderstanding," a Cargill spokesperson tells the Post. CAIR claims Cargill's prayer policies are not always clearly communicated to employees. The meat-packing plant still has more than 400 Somali employees, and the company is working with them on the prayer issue. |
Jenn Gibbons, seen on the Chicago River in 2010, is more than halfway to her goal of raising $150,000 to help breast cancer survivors. (Terrence Antonio James, Chicago Tribune / )
Chicago rowing coach and charity founder Jenn Gibbons says she plans to continue her 1,500-mile rowing journey around the perimeter of Lake Michigan after surviving a sexual assault in her rowboat Sunday.
"Quitting is an option," said Gibbons, who is rowing to raise awareness and money for breast cancer survivors. "I don't think people would think I let them down or I was a failure. But it's not what I want to do."
Gibbons, 27, was in the cabin of Liv, her 700-pound rowboat, while it was tied to a dock around 4 a.m. Sunday in an area along Lake Michigan in Schoolcraft County, Mich. Details of the attack are being withheld because the investigation is ongoing
Though shaken, Gibbons spent Tuesday working with detectives and reaching out to the news media to help find her attacker. Her primary concerns, she said, are starting the healing process and finishing what she has begun.
"I've trained enough physically, spiritually and mentally," Gibbons said by phone. "Every single day I have had ups and downs. I'm constantly improvising. I've trained well. This just requires pushing through an obstacle that's bigger than the rest."
About 8 a.m. Tuesday, Gibbons posted a statement on her Facebook page and on the site row4row.org vowing to continue her journey. By the afternoon she had 60 missed phone calls and had received hundreds of emails. Support has come from a wide range of people: friends, strangers, breast cancer survivors and victims of sexual assault.
"Because this has been such a public thing from the start and I have an audience, I think it's important that I share (what happened)," she said. "When I do share, people have been able to relate and gain some kind of strength or inspiration from what I've been going through. And it helps me share, too."
She also hopes it will help authorities find her attacker. Police are still investigating the incident and searching for a white man they describe as in his 30s, about 5 feet 8 inches tall with facial hair, light eyes and an average build. He was wearing a grayish green T-shirt, jean shorts and tennis shoes. A news release from Michigan police says a bright yellow Jeep Wrangler was seen in the area of the attack. It has a spare tire on the back with a yellow happy face on it.
Gibbons expects to continue her journey around the lake later this week, riding 80 miles a day on a bicycle with a support crew. She plans to get back on the water near Muskegon, Mich., sometime next week. Some changes will be made to ensure her safety, she said, including that she no longer will be traveling alone. Her trip is expected to end when she gets back to Chicago in mid-August, as was originally planned.
Recently named one of 20 inspiring women by Today's Chicago Woman magazine, Gibbons has been rowing 10 to 13 miles a day since she left from Diversey Harbor in her bright yellow vessel June 15. Her plan was to stop only to visit 10 port towns along the lake to raise money for her charity Recovery on Water — the team's boats cost about $25,000 each — and highlight the vital role exercise plays in the fight against breast cancer.
Before she left she packed 210 dehydrated meals and hundreds of Luna bars into the Liv. She sleeps buckled up inside the 19-foot boat, which has two air- and watertight cabins and a ventilator for fresh air. So far she has raised $80,000, more than halfway to her goal of $150,000.
Gibbons, who grew up in Battle Creek, Mich., and rowed for Michigan State University, never expected the trip to be easy.
The wind, "which will not let me get from A to B," has been especially vexing, she said. "I'm dependent on the weather, and it changes every day."
But the last several weeks have been particularly tough. Setbacks included 6-foot waves that had her throwing up on the Liv's ceiling, a broken GPS, a problematic anchor and the death of a grandmother July 13.
"I want progress — but today can't be that day," she wrote July 18 after being grounded by wind gusts. "Practicing acceptance and remembering to believe in myself. I can and will do this. I can and will do this."
Still, Gibbons also has written about plenty of joyful, inspiring moments. On June 27 she woke up at 5 a.m. to find a kayaking cancer survivor next to her boat. He paddled with her for a few miles, sharing his cancer experience and how it led him to meet his wife. He told her how, as an elite marathoner in his 30s, he started a program to get survivors exercising in Sheboygan, Wis.
It's the same goal Gibbons is pursuing.
"Thank you Tim for spending your morning with me and sharing your story with me," she wrote on her blog. "You are amazing-an inspiration-a gift. GO ROW."
Anyone with information on the attack should call Michigan State Police at 1-866-411-0018.
[email protected]
[email protected] ||||| So here I am, nearly a year later and back to the blog I started years ago, the Lake Michigan adventure that I’m proud of, thankful for and always learning from.
And here I am again- sharing and vulnerable- because that’s how I roll.
The new bike adventure website will launch in the next two weeks. It’s exciting- and I thought about writing this blog when we went live with it- but I also think it’s important that I give this blog a proper farewell.
February of 2013 I sold Liv after my Lake Michigan adventure and with letting her “go”, I think I also began to come in to a new phase of recovery, of hurt, of life, of growth.
When you plan a single event, or in my case, 59 days of events to consume your life- it’s not just about the 59 days. I spent nearly two years planning, training and fundraising to make my way around the perimeter of Lake Michigan. I put stress on every relationship I had, my body, my finances- just about anything that could take a toll, did. While I came home and was hungry for adventure- I was also (perhaps, unconsciously) hungry to heal. It wasn’t just the 59 days I had to “come down” from, it was the years of dedication, of sacrifice, of love and energy spent.
Over the last year I’ve been stopped by strangers on the street, at the pharmacy, at the gym- sharing their support of me, my cause, and my work. I spoke and traveled the country to talk about my adventure and to inspire others to overcome adversity. I had always been public about my life and it always helped people understand and connect to what I was doing-I always thought of it as a strength.
While I tried hide it, 2013 was also full of a lot of pain and healing wounds I never knew I had. Privately, I struggled with my assault. I leaned on people to stall the process of accepting problems I spent months denying I had. I hurt people I love. I spent a lot of time questioning my identity – who was I if I wasn’t the girl that rowed around Lake Michigan? What was I worth without it and who was I supposed to become now that it was over?
I struggled with it all- I felt powerless, weak, and depressed- all those not so fun things and not so fun things to talk about. I overcame them with therapy, fell back in to them again- overcame them again, numerous times. The healing process was painful, long, and I can honestly say- the most challenging thing I have ever faced.
As far as I know it will always be a process- but it hasn’t been easy. I’m sharing this here and now because I don’t want there to be any misconceptions about me or the last year before we launch this new website and adventure.
I could have kept the last year to myself, but I don’t want anyone to think that I went from rowing and experiencing sexual assault to hopping on a bike with ease two years later. That’s not what happened. I don’t want someone to find this blog or learn about me, unaware that I went through all those things or didn’t struggle with them. It was hard. It was damn hard. And I didn’t do it alone.
I am beyond thankful to my family and friends for getting me through this last year. My boyfriend Andy and my dog Sam deserve trophies for their endless amounts of unconditional love and support. The real heros are these two.
I’m human, it’s a beautiful thing, You’re human, it’s a beautiful thing.
So hello, goodbye…. to this adventure. See you soon for the next one and all the good, the bad, the ugly it brings. Thank you for sharing this journey with me, for all of your love and your support.
GO ROW!
-Jenn | – A 27-year-old woman rowing 1,500 miles around Lake Michigan for charity says she will continue her journey despite being sexually assaulted on Sunday, reports the Chicago Tribune. Jenn Gibbons was attacked while sleeping in her rowboat by a man who was apparently following her journey online. "Every single day I have had ups and downs," said Gibbons, founder of Recovery on Water, a charity that emphasizes the importance of exercise in fighting breast cancer. "I'm constantly improvising. I've trained well. This just requires pushing through an obstacle that's bigger than the rest." "Quitting is an option," said Gibbons. "I don't think people would think I let them down or I was a failure. But it's not what I want to do." Gibbons has rowed 10 to 13 miles a day since beginning her journey on June 15, and raised $92,000 toward her goal of $150,000. For more details about Gibbons' journey, check out her website Row4row.org, or to donate, go here. |
One unsuspecting woman was wearing her engagement ring for over a year without even realizing it.
How exactly is this possible, you might ask? It all started when an Australian man named Terry made his girlfriend Anna a necklace out of Huon pine ― a wood native to Tasmania ― for their one-year anniversary in 2015. Unbeknownst to Anna, Terry had hidden an engagement ring inside the necklace.
Courtesy of the couple The ring was hidden inside the necklace for over a year.
For a year and a half, Anna wore that necklace almost every day without knowing there was anything, let alone an engagement ring, inside.
Courtesy of the couple Anna sporting the anniversary necklace.
During a trip to Smoo Cave in northern Scotland in November 2016, Terry was finally ready to pop the question and to reveal the big surprise.
“I picked Smoo Cave because it was a place we had talked about visiting since we first met, and ‘smoo’ comes from an old Norse word for ‘hiding place,’ so I think I get extra points for that one,” Terry told HuffPost.
Just before the proposal, Terry asked Anna for the necklace, telling her he was going to take a nice photo of it propped up on some rocks.
That’s when he grabbed a knife to secretly break a seal he had placed on the piece of jewelry.
Courtesy of the couple "I made the necklace with two small bits of Huon pine glued together with a thin sheet of paper between them (and a space carved out for the ring to fit into). The glue held it together but the paper acted like a seam that I could split open with a knife," Terry explained.
He told Anna, “Oh, I forgot to give you your necklace back,” pulled the jewelry from his pocket, got down on one knee and cracked it open while asking her to marry him.
“She stood there with this completely confused and dumbfounded look on her face, and when she finally worked out what had just happened, she yelled, ‘Yes!’ and pounced on me,” he told HuffPost.
Courtesy of the couple Terry set up a camera to take photos of the proposal.
“It actually took her a couple of moments to understand that the ring had been in the necklace the entire time since I gave it to her,” he continued. “She flipped out ― ‘Wait, it’s been in there the entire time?! I could have lost it, you f**king idiot!’, which was a hilarious mix of happy and angry.”
Courtesy of the couple The happy couple post-proposal.
The couple is saving up to buy a home and hopes that they will someday be able to host their wedding at the house.
“We are hoping to buy a house with land so we can have the wedding at home with our friends and family, in a very relaxed fashion that we think matches us ― rather than having a gigantic, glamorous wedding, which isn’t like us at all,” Terry said. ||||| There are many different ways a man can propose to his girlfriend - you could go all out and spend £220,000 on an elaborate day, you could write love letters for years that contain a hidden message, or you could simply get down on one knee in your living room and pop the question.
Another approach would be to get your girlfriend to unknowingly wear her engagement ring for over a year before proposing. For that is exactly what an Australian man called Terry did.
On their one year anniversary, Terry gave his girlfriend Anna a necklace that he’d made himself. It was made out of Huon pine - a wood native to Tasmania - but little did Anna know there was something much more precious inside.
The necklace contained a hidden engagement ring.
“I had always loved the idea of giving someone a gift where they didn't know its true value until years later,” Terry explained to The Independent.
“After my girlfriend and I had been together for eleven months I decided I wanted to ask her to marry me, but I wanted to do something unique. I also wanted to start doing wood carving and I had this idea for the necklace, so I decided I would give it a go. I found the ring I knew suited her and started working on it.”
For a year and a half, Anna wore the necklace almost every day with no clue that there was something special about it.
“I gave the necklace to her on our one year anniversary and she absolutely loved it. She wore it every day and everywhere we went, and pretty much never took it off,” Terry said.
“There were some occasions where I was really worried; at one point, I thought she was going to trade it with a blacksmith at a market (the blacksmith loved the necklace, and she loved the blacksmith’s work) but luckily I didn't need to crash tackle her.
“My biggest moment of panic was when we went through airport security the first time. I hadn't thought about the fact that she might be asked to put it through the X-Ray, which could have very quickly turned into an airport security proposal!”
But in November 2016, Terry decided to finally pop the question.
On a trip to Smoo Cave in northern Scotland, the true contents of the necklace was revealed.
“I picked Smoo Cave because it was a place we had talked about visiting since we first met, and ‘smoo’ comes from an old Norse word for ‘hiding place,’ so I think I get extra points for that one,” Terry told HuffPost.
How did he do it? Terry asked Anna for the necklace, saying that he wanted to take a nice picture of it propped up on some rocks.
“It had a really small amount of glue holding the two parts together,” he explained, “So I loosened it with a knife quickly before we took the picture (which broke the top part off unfortunately...) and then put it in my pocket ready. ”
Anna didn’t see him break the seal though.
“Oh, I forgot to give you your necklace back,” Terry said to his girlfriend, and as he got the necklace out of his pocket, he got down on one knee, opened the necklace and asked her to marry him.
“She stood there with this completely confused and dumbfounded look on her face, and when she finally worked out what had just happened, she yelled, ‘Yes!’ and pounced on me,” he said.
“It actually took her a couple of moments to understand that the ring had been in the necklace the entire time since I gave it to her. She flipped out - ‘Wait, it’s been in there the entire time?! I could have lost it, you f***ing idiot!’, which was a hilarious mix of happy and angry.”
Terry had set up a camera to take pictures of him and Anna too.
The couple are currently saving up to buy a house, where they hope they’ll eventually be able to host their wedding.
“We are hoping to buy a house with land so we can have the wedding at home with our friends and family, in a very relaxed fashion that we think matches us - rather than having a gigantic, glamorous wedding, which isn’t like us at all,” Terry said.
The Independent's Millennial Love group is the best place to discuss to the highs and lows of modern dating and relationships. Join the conversation here. | – An Australian man may have outdone pretty much everyone when it comes to perfecting the marriage proposal. Using only first names, the man named Terry tells HuffPost the story of how he gave his girlfriend Anna a necklace on their one-year dating anniversary. Using Huon pine, a wood native to Tasmania, he carved the necklace himself, and she wore it almost every day for the next year. What she didn't know was that inside the necklace he'd hidden an engagement ring. "It was literally under her nose," writes the Independent. Flash forward to November 2016. They took a trip to Smoo Cave in Scotland, a place they'd talked about visiting since they first met. On location, Terry asked for the necklace so he could take a photo of it. Secretly, he broke the seal she didn't know was there with a knife. With his camera rolling, Terry pulled the necklace out of his pocket, got down on one knee, cracked it open, and popped the question. After initial shock and confusion, Anna "finally worked out what had happened" and yelled "Yes!" before she "pounced on me," he tells HuffPost. Too sappy for you? She also kind of flipped out, saying: "It's been in there the entire time? I could have lost it, you f---ing idiot!" Terry tells the Independent he had a few nervous moments along the way, too: At one point Anna considered trading the necklace with a blacksmith for some of his work. They're now saving to buy a house and hope to marry in it. Smoo, by the way, means "hiding place." (This newborn helped his dad propose.) |
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/ Updated By Alex Seitz-Wald
PHILADELPHIA — Debbie Wasserman Schultz has been ousted as chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee on the eve of the party's convention. It's an abrupt end to a chairmanship marked by controversy, which came to a head this weekend following revelations from leaked internal emails.
"Going forward, the best way for me to accomplish those goals is to step down as Party Chair at the end of this convention," Wasserman Schultz said in a lengthy statement Sunday announcing her resignation, referring to her desire to unify the party.
Wasserman Schultz said she plans to step down at the end of the convention, though some Democrats are already saying she may not last that long. "As Party Chair, this week I will open and close the Convention and I will address our delegates about the stakes involved in this election not only for Democrats, but for all Americans," Wasserman Schultz added.
Ohio Rep. Marcia Fudge has been selected to serve as chair of the Democratic National Convention, which kicks off Monday. Democratic National Committee Vice Chair Donna Brazile will serve as Interim Chair through the election, a DNC spokesperson said on Twitter.
As recently as Friday, there was no sign of trouble and Wasserman Schultz was set to lead the convention, according to sources.
Wasserman Schultz spoke at two Hillary Clinton rallies in Florida Friday and Saturday, including the one where presumptive vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine appeared publicly for the first time.
But opposition to Wasserman Schultz, both public and private, had been gaining steam following the publication late last week of leaked emails which seemed to show a plot by DNC officials to damage Bernie Sanders during the Democratic primary.
The revelations created doubts from various sectors of the party about how Wasserman Schultz could oversee a convention meant to showcase party unity.
By late Saturday, opposition inside the party "spread like wildfire," according to a Democratic source close to the matter. It resulted in a tense confrontation Sunday when officials told Wasserman Schultz she had to go.
Wasserman Schultz had become toxic to supporters of Sanders, who accused her of rigging the Democratic presidential nominating process in favor of Clinton.
Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz Richard Drew / AP
In a statement, Sanders said that Wasserman Schultz had made "the right decision" but repeated his criticism of the party for what he describes as the DNC putting its thumb on the scale during the primary contest.
"Debbie Wasserman Schultz has made the right decision for the future of the Democratic Party," he said. "While she deserves thanks for her years of service, the party now needs new leadership that will open the doors of the party and welcome in working people and young people. The party leadership must also always remain impartial in the presidential nominating process, something which did not occur in the 2016 race."
But starting even before that, many Democrats had privately lost confidence in her leadership.
"She's essentially a pariah in every corner of the party," said one veteran Democratic strategist, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal politics. "This has needed to happen for a long time."
For instance in late May, after a news report that Democrats were considering ousting Wasserman Schultz, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid called her to say he would not put out a statement defending her.
Wasserman Schultz also overrode the White House and the Clinton campaign in her choice of communications director for the DNC last fall. The key role went vacant for five months as the various parties tried to find a candidate acceptable to her, with some allies criticizing the process and outcome.
Even Clinton allies questioned the DNC's heavy-handed approach to dealing with the Sanders campaign during a data breach incident in December, worrying that it would undermine the credibility of a nominating process they hoped to win.
Wasserman Schultz had already effectively lost control of the DNC after Clinton's campaign inserted operative Brandon Davis to run operations on a day-to-day basis.
The Clinton campaign also recently sent a second staffer, Adam Parkhomenko, from its Brooklyn headquarters to serve in a senior role on the committee.
But internal DNC emails posted online by Wikileaks late last week became the catalyst for her official removal.
One email showed the party's finance chairman suggesting the DNC use what they assumed to be Sanders' atheism against him in Kentucky and West Virginia, religious states where it might not play well.
Others showed Wasserman Schultz criticizing Sanders for not being a member of the party and saying he would never be president.
The emails were apparently stolen by hackers working for the Russian government, and Clinton officials have said their posting is an attempt to sway the election for Donald Trump.
The emails implicate other DNC officials, including CEO Amy Dacey, a close Wasserman Schultz ally who is well respected by other Democrats, and communications department officials.
Meanwhile, Wasserman Schultz is facing a surprisingly tough congressional reelection campaign back home in Florida against a primary candidate backed by Sanders.
Wasserman Schultz, who began her tenure as chair in 2011, proved herself to be a prodigious fundraiser for fellow Delegates and an effective party surrogate and attack dog.
"I want to thank my longtime friend Debbie Wasserman Schultz for her leadership of the Democratic National Committee over the past five years," Clinton said a statement accepting the chairwoman's resignation.
Wasserman Schultz served as a co-chair of Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign and Clinton said Sunday that the Floridian will serve as "honorary chair" of her campaign's 50-state program and continue to serve as a surrogate for her campaign nationally and in Florida.
Her detractors inside the party had resigned themselves to Wasserman Schultz's leadership through November, comforted by the fact that she had been marginalized by Clinton aides.
Even some critics in the Clinton campaign and White House thought it would be better to keep Wasserman Schultz than to risk presenting an image of disunity by forcing her out.
On Sunday, critics passed around a tweet Wasserman Schultz sent last week to her counterpart at the Republican National Committee, Reince Preibus. "Hey @Reince — I'm in Cleveland if you need another chair to help keep your convention in order," she wrote.
Priebus, who faced his own challenges managing a fractured party at the GOP's convention in Cleveland last week, told reporters Sunday that Wasserman Schultz's resignation was "inevitable," adding "it shows what an uphill climb the Democrats are facing this week in unifying the party." ||||| (CNN) The Democratic National Convention kicked off Monday without its outgoing Democratic National Committee chairwoman, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, following a chaotic scene at a morning meeting where she was loudly jeered by Bernie Sanders supporters.
"I have decided that in the interest of making sure that we can start the Democratic convention on a high note that I am not going to gavel in the convention," Wasserman Schultz told the Sun Sentinel newspaper in an interview.
Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, who is also the Democratic National Committee's secretary, handled the gaveling instead.
"Delegates, alternatives, standing committee members and all of our honored Democrats and other guests here in Philadelphia and all of you who have joined us by television, radio and online, here in the United States and around the world," she said, "I hereby call the 47th quadrennial Democratic National Convention to order."
Wasserman Schultz will also not speak tonight or throughout the duration of the convention, a Democrat close to her says. She will remain in Philadelphia until Friday when she formally steps down as leader of the committee.
Wasserman Schultz changed her plans as the fallout deepened from leaked DNC emails that appeared to show the committee favoring presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton over Sanders during the primary. It became clear Monday that the convention floor could erupt in anger if she gaveled the convention into session or sought to speak.
And the Democratic National Committee issued an apology to Sanders moments after the convention opened, likely hoping to help soothe tensions heading into the week.
"On behalf of everyone at the DNC, we want to offer a deep and sincere apology to Sen. Sanders, his supporters, and the entire Democratic Party for the inexcusable remarks made over email," the statement said. "These comments do not reflect the values of the DNC or our steadfast commitment to neutrality during the nominating process. The DNC does not -- and will not -- tolerate disrespectful language exhibited toward our candidates. Individual staffers have also rightfully apologized for their comments, and the DNC is taking appropriate action to ensure it never happens again."
The morning Florida delegate meeting descended into chaos when Wasserman Schultz took the stage, with critics holding up signs with the word "emails," and Sanders supporters booing the congresswoman loudly, even after she began speaking.
"We have to make sure that we move forward together in a unified way," Wasserman Schultz said during brief remarks. "We know that the voices in this room that are standing up and being disruptive, we know that is not the Florida that we know. The Florida that we know is going to make sure that we continue to make jobs."
The audience was roughly half supportive of Wasserman Schultz and half detractors, though the angry participants were louder than the other half. Those attendees began to chant, "Shame! Shame! Shame!" while Wasserman Schultz was speaking.
Sanders tried to quell some of his dissatisfied supporters at a rally before his expected speech Monday.
"We have got to elect Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine," Sanders said, which prompted some attendees to shout him down.
JUST WATCHED Sanders booed after voicing support for Clinton Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Sanders booed after voicing support for Clinton 01:18
Alternate plans
Wasserman Schultz announced Sunday she is stepping down as chairwoman of the DNC at the end of the party's convention. The drama reinforced concerns about Democratic party unity.
Former Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver tried to show a unified Democratic Party on Monday, the morning after Wasserman Schultz announced her resignation.
"This happened, we knew it happened then, now is the time to go forward,' Weaver told CNN's Chris Cuomo on "New Day" on Monday. "Now is the time to elect Hillary Clinton and defeat Donald Trump."
Wasserman Schultz talked with both President Barack Obama and Clinton before making announcing her upcoming resignation, a Democratic source said.
"Going forward, the best way for me to accomplish those goals [which include electing Clinton president] is to step down as Party Chair at the end of this convention," Wasserman Schultz said in the statement.
"As party chair, this week I will open and close the Convention and I will address our delegates about the stakes involved in this election not only for Democrats, but for all Americans," she said.
JUST WATCHED Sanders campaign manager: We must elect Clinton Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Sanders campaign manager: We must elect Clinton 00:56
DNC Vice Chairwoman Donna Brazile will serve as interim chair through the election. She had been a CNN political commentator, but CNN and Brazile have mutually agreed to suspend their contract, effective immediately, although she will remain on air during the convention week in an unpaid capacity, CNN said. CNN will revisit the contract once Brazile concludes her role.
Separately, a Democratic operative said Hispanic leaders close to Clinton and her high command were discussing Housing Secretary Julian Castro as a possible successor to Wasserman Schultz at the DNC helm, among a number of other candidates whose name are being mentioned.
Chants of "Debbie is done!" and "Debbie resigned!" broke out at a pro-Sanders rally Sunday in Philadelphia after the news was announced.
Party officials decided Saturday that Wasserman Schultz would not have a major speaking role or preside over daily convention proceedings this week. The DNC Rules Committee has named Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio, as permanent chair of the convention, according to a DNC source. She will gavel each session to order and will gavel each session closed.
"She's been quarantined," another top Democrat said of Wasserman Schultz, following a meeting Saturday night but before her announcement that she was leaving.
Both sides of the aisle react
Obama issued a statement, saying, "For the last eight years, Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz has had my back. This afternoon, I called her to let her know that I am grateful."
And Clinton thanked Wasserman Schultz for her leadership of the party.
"I am grateful to Debbie for getting the Democratic Party to this year's historic convention in Philadelphia, and I know that this week's events will be a success thanks to her hard work and leadership," Clinton said.
After slamming Wasserman Schultz as "highly overrated," Trump, speaking at a rally in Roanoke, Virginia, knocked Clinton for being disloyal to the soon-to-be former DNC chair.
"How about that for disloyalty in terms of Hillary Clinton. Because Debbie Wasserman Schultz has been so much for Hillary Clinton," Trump said. "These politicians. There's no loyalty there. No loyalty. None whatsoever."
"It gets a little heat and they fire her," Trump said. "Debbie was totally loyal to Hillary and Hillary threw her under a bus and it didn't take more than five minutes to make that decision."
Wasserman's Republican counterpart, Reince Priebus, said, "I think the day's events show really the uphill climb Democrats face this week."
"The extreme left will not be satisfied by one person's resignation," the Republican party national chairman added.
Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort said Clinton should follow Wasserman Schultz out the door.
"Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigned over her failure to secure the DNC's email servers and the rigged system she set up with the Clinton campaign," he said in a statement. "Now Hillary Clinton should follow Wasserman Schultz's lead and drop out over her failure to safeguard top secret, classified information both on her unauthorized home server and while traveling abroad."
Weaver called Wasserman Schultz's departure a win on CNN's "Erin Burnett OutFront" on Sunday.
"I think what the signal was today is that the voices of Bernie Sanders supporters have been heard," he said. "And other people, frankly, in the party, Hillary Clinton supporters, who felt this was the last straw, that she had to go, and this shows they have been heard and gives us opportunity to move forward toward November -- united to deal with the problem of Donald Trump."
Wasserman Schultz's stewardship of the DNC has been under fire through most of the presidential primary process, but her removal from the convention stage comes following the release of nearly 20,000 emails.
One email appears to show DNC staffers asking how they can reference Sanders' faith to weaken him in the eyes of Southern voters. Another seems to depict an attorney advising the committee on how to defend Clinton against an accusation by the Sanders campaign of not living up to a joint fundraising agreement.
JUST WATCHED Sanders: No question DNC was supporting Hillary Clinton Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Sanders: No question DNC was supporting Hillary Clinton 02:08
Before the announcement, Sanders on Sunday told Tapper the release of the DNC emails that show its staffers working against him underscores the position he's held for months: Wasserman Schultz needs to go.
"I don't think she is qualified to be the chair of the DNC, not only for these awful emails, which revealed the prejudice of the DNC, but also because we need a party that reaches out to working people and young people, and I don't think her leadership style is doing that," Sanders told Tapper on "State of the Union," on the eve of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.
"I am not an atheist," he said. "But aside from all of that, it is an outrage and sad that you would have people in important positions in the DNC trying to undermine my campaign. It goes without saying: The function of the DNC is to represent all of the candidates -- to be fair and even-minded."
He added: "But again, we discussed this many, many months ago, on this show, so what is revealed now is not a shock to me." ||||| 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. | – Embattled Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz announced Sunday that she will step down, CNN reports. The announcement that she will resign following the party convention, which begins Monday, comes on the heels of leaked emails that appear to show that DNC officials were working to sabotage Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign. Wasserman Schultz's role at the convention already had been reduced to simply opening and closing the event. "I am confident that the strong team in place will lead our party effectively through this election to elect Hillary Clinton as our 45th president," she said in a statement, adding, "Going forward, the best way for me to accomplish those goals is to step down as party chair at the end of this convention." Ohio Rep. Marcia Fudge will chair the convention, the New York Daily News reports. And, per NBC News, Vice Chair Donna Brazile will steer the DNC through the election as interim chair. "I am grateful to Debbie for getting the Democratic Party to this year's historic convention in Philadelphia, and I know that this week's events will be a success thanks to her hard work and leadership," Clinton said in a statement. Republican nominee Donald Trump tweeted, "I always said that Debbie Wasserman Schultz was overrated. The Dems Convention is cracking up and Bernie is exhausted, no energy left!" |
Police in Ohio have filed an aggravated murder charge against a 20-year-old man accused of killing his fiancée’s mother late last month, PEOPLE confirms.
Jeffrey Scullin Jr., who had been engaged to the daughter of sixth-grade teacher Melinda Pleskovic, was arrested on Tuesday by Strongsville police. He is being held in lieu of $1 million bond.
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Strongsville Police Chief Mark Fender announced the arrest during a news conference held hours after Scullin was taken into custody.
Pleskovic, 49, was found dead inside her home on Oct. 23. She’d been stabbed and shot.
In a strange development, Sculllin was one of the two people to call 911 to report his future mother-in-law’s death.
Chief Fender told reporters that Pleskovic’s husband, Bruce Pleskovic, called 911 that Monday after returning to his home with Scullin to find Melinda on the floor in a pool of blood.
“I think my wife is dead,” he told a dispatcher.
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Jeffrey Scullin Jr. Strongsville Police Department
Melinda Pleskovic Facebook
During the call, Bruce said that there had been break-ins at their home in recent weeks, most recently the Thursday before Melinda’s killing.
But police suspect he was acting under information given to him by Scullin — the only person, they say, who had reported seeing people attempting to illegally enter the residence.
Scullin, who had also been living at the Pleskovics’ home, told the 911 operator in his own call that he saw no signs of a break-in, according to audio of the call obtained by PEOPLE. He said that the doors to the home had been locked.
“We just came home. She’s on the kitchen floor,” he said. “I took her son and my daughter outside. Her husband is inside with her now.”
“We found her in the kitchen. She’s not moving,” he continued.
Asked by the dispatcher if it appeared Melinda had been beaten, Scullin said, “She has blood all around her. I didn’t look. I just grabbed the child and left. There’s a lot of blood.”
A possible motive and further details about how the crime were committed have not been released.
Scullin has not yet entered a plea, and it was unclear Thursday if he’s retained legal counsel who could comment on his behalf.
He and Melinda’s daughter were set to marry last weekend. Instead, they spent the day at her funeral where he reportedly served as a pallbearer. ||||| Melinda was a beloved figure in the community. She was a mother of three children and a sixth grade teacher who taught at Strongsville City Schools for more than 20 years. ||||| The blood of Strongsville school teacher Melinda Pleskovic was found on the blade of a knife located in a pickup truck driven by her daughter's fiance, court records show.
In addition, police say Jeffrey Scullin's DNA was found on the knife handle and that more blood was found on a passenger side door. Police describe the knife as a 'large, tactical' weapon.
Scullin, 20, is scheduled to be arraigned Friday in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court on charges of aggravated murder, murder, felonious assault, making false alarms and tampering with evidence.
He is being held under a $1 million bond.
The court document filed by Strongsville police investigators is the first true glimpse of how Scullin came to emerge as a suspect in Pleskovic's shooting and stabbing death Oct. 23 inside her Blazing Star home.
Scullin, who lived with Pleskovic, 49, and her husband, was set to marry the couple's daughter just days after the killing. Instead, the family held a funeral and Scullin served as a pallbearer.
Police reports show the Pleskovics had complained for a year about pranks and break-ins at their home One attempted break-in, four days before the slaying, was reported by Scullin. The false alarm charge is connected to that burglary report, documents show.
It was Scullin and Pleskovic's husband who called 911 after arriving home and discovering Melinda Pleskovic's body on the kitchen floor.
Surveillance cameras were examined and confirm that the family had spent time at Applebees prior to the slaying.
Police are also examining Scullin's cell phone as well as the phones of the Pleskovic family for possible evidence. | – A 911 caller in Ohio who told the dispatcher "there's a lot of blood" after he came across the body of his future mother-in-law is now being accused of her murder. "Jeffery William Scullin Jr. has been charged with aggravated murder," Strongsville Police Chief Mark Fender told reporters at a Tuesday press conference, which WOIO notes took place eight days after the killing of 49-year-old Melinda Pleskovic. Scullin, 20, was engaged to Pleskovic's daughter and lived in the Pleskovic home. People reports he arrived at the home with Pleskovic's husband, Bruce, on Oct. 23 to find the sixth-grade teacher's body on the kitchen floor in a pool of blood. She'd been shot and stabbed several times. Bruce Pleskovic told a 911 dispatcher there'd been recent break-ins at their home, but cops say he may have thought that based on info fed to him by Scullin. Scullin, who made a separate 911 call, told the dispatcher it didn't look like anyone had broken in. He says he grabbed his own daughter and Pleskovic's son—WKYC notes the 18-year-old has Down syndrome—and went outside without surveying the scene more carefully. Scullin was set to marry Pleskovic's daughter on the Saturday after the slaying, but instead he was said to have served as a pallbearer at her funeral. Per court records cited by WKYC, a knife with Pleskovic's blood was found in Scullin's pickup truck, among other evidence. Scullin is being held on a $1 million bond. (This man killed his mom and two brothers weeks before his planned wedding.) |
Cleveland (CNN) Ted Cruz on Thursday strongly defended his refusal to endorse Donald Trump during his Republican National Convention speech, saying he's not "in the habit" of backing politicians who attack his family.
"I am not in the habit of supporting people who attack my wife and attack my father," Cruz said at a morning meeting where he faced sharp questions from the Texas delegation in Cleveland.
Cruz stood by his decision in a remarkable 25-minute back-and-forth with his own constituents, defying appeals from his own Texas delegation to put the party above his inhibitions and back Trump.
Cruz sensationally withheld an endorsement of Trump in his speech Wednesday, earning a chorus of boos from the floor while getting upstaged in a power play by the GOP nominee himself.
In a dramatic development, as Cruz wrapped up his speech, Trump suddenly appeared in the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. He walked to join his family in a VIP area and flashed a thumbs-up -- a gesture that transmitted clear anger at the Texas senator's behavior.
Cruz, his party's runner-up, uttered Trump's name just once -- to congratulate him -- and instead pitched the ideological brand of conservatism that endears him to the GOP's base.
"I congratulate Donald Trump on winning the nomination last night," Cruz said. "And like each of you, I want to see the principles that our party believes prevail in November."
JUST WATCHED Laura Ingraham scolds Trump holdouts: Honor your pledge Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Laura Ingraham scolds Trump holdouts: Honor your pledge 01:54
But as it was clear Cruz was going to end his speech without endorsing Trump, delegates began to boo and some chanted "We want Trump!"
"Don't stay home in November," Cruz said toward the end of his otherwise very well-received speech. "Stand and speak and vote your conscience."
As delegates began to protest, Sen. Cruz's wife, Heidi Cruz, was heckled by Trump supporters shouting "Goldman Sachs!" and escorted out by security. Heidi Cruz, who is an employee of Goldman Sachs, declined to answer questions from reporters, saying, "I don't talk to the media, thanks."
The stunning political theater between the top two contenders in the Republican primary race blew open divisions in the party that the convention is designed to heal, and suggested Cruz believes Trump will lose in November.
Cruz's appearance at the Cleveland convention had been the subject of intense anticipation over his attitude toward Trump, after their intensely personal exchanges in the late stages of the primary race.
He got a prolonged standing ovation as he walked on stage for a speech that appeared to be an attempt to establish himself as the guardian of conservative values that some activists doubt Trump shares.
Blocked from Adelson suite
Cruz's rebuke ignited a hot scene around the senator as soon as he left the stage. People averted their eyes from Cruz and his wife as they walked with their security detail on the skybox level of boisterous Republicans.
On the donor suite level, people approached Cruz and insulted him, a source told CNN's Dana Bash. One state party chair reacted so angrily that they had to be restrained.
Cruz, who has long sought the support of GOP megadonor Sheldon Adelson, was turned away when he tried to enter Adelson's suite.
Andy Abboud, a senior aide to the Las Vegas casino magnate, said Cruz was initially invited to come up to visit the Adelsons, but when he failed to endorse Trump the invitation was rescinded.
"When he didn't endorse, they were stunned and disappointed," Abboud told CNN.
"We could not allow Ted Cruz to use the Adelsons as a prop against Donald Trump," he added. "The Adelsons support Donald Trump and made that clear. They like Ted Cruz, but there was no way the Adelsons were going to be the first stop after not endorsing. That would be disrespectful to our nominee."
Trump did stop by the suite, and Abboud tweeted out a picture of Trump with Sheldon and Dr. Miriam Adelson.
The Adelson's with their choice for President! pic.twitter.com/gYsHBeT9AS — Andy Abboud (@AndyAbboud) July 21, 2016
Trump, whose insults of Cruz were a constant on the campaign trail over the past year, tweeted that Cruz didn't honor the pledge GOP candidates had signed to back the eventual Republican nominee.
"Wow, Ted Cruz got booed off the stage, didn't honor the pledge! I saw his speech two hours early but let him speak anyway. No big deal!"
Wow, Ted Cruz got booed off the stage, didn't honor the pledge! I saw his speech two hours early but let him speak anyway. No big deal! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 21, 2016
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie -- a former presidential candidate and now a Trump backer -- blasted Cruz's speech in an interview with Bash.
"I think it was awful," Christie said. "And quite frankly, I think it was something selfish. And he signed a pledge. And it's his job to keep his word."
Trump lawyer Michael Cohen said on CNN that "the only way to describe it is political suicide."
A source close to Cruz said the senator wasn't shocked by the mood after the speech.
"He expected people to not approve," the source said. "Not surprised at the reaction."
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, who accepted the nomination as Trump's vice presidential nominee at the end of Wednesday's session, sidestepped when asked about Cruz's speech.
"I am just grateful for all the support we are receiving and I am excited about the future," Pence said.
JUST WATCHED Wednesday fireworks at the RNC in 90 seconds Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Wednesday fireworks at the RNC in 90 seconds 01:30
Eric Trump's reaction: "The audience didn't seem to like it right?"
Asked about the impact of the non-endorsement, Eric Trump responded, "I don't think it makes any difference in the world."
Hillary Clinton's campaign seized on Cruz's speech as well, tweeting: "Vote your conscience" with a link to her website.
Delegates unhappy as well: 'He failed the nation'
The reaction from the floor was also swift and harsh.
Newt Gingrich, appearing after Cruz, argued that Cruz's advocacy for constitutionalism meant that he, implicitly, endorsed Trump -- words he himself did not say.
"So to paraphrase Ted Cruz, if you want to protect the Constitution this fall, there's only one possible way and that's to vote the Trump-Pence ticket."
Richard Black, a delegate from Virginia who chaired Cruz's campaign, said after Cruz's speech that it was "doubtful" he would support him again.
"In the end, each individual has a duty to the nation that transcends the duty to themselves,' Black said. "That's where he failed... He failed the nation."
Rep. Trent Franks of Arizona, who backed Cruz, told CNN he was "disappointed" by Cruz' speech.
On him saying "vote your conscience", Franks said, "for the people in this room, a vote of conscience is a Trump vote."
Michigan GOP Rep. Bill Huizenga, a former Marco Rubio supporter, called Cruz' speech "a mistake."
Huizenga said it was also a mistake for the Trump campaign to give Cruz a coveted prime-time speaking slot without some type of "pre-condition" that he would formally endorse Trump.
Jonathan Barnett, a Republican national committeeman from Arkansas, walked off the floor after Cruz's speech.
"He's self-centered. It's all about Ted Cruz. All he did is ruin his political career," Barnett said. "I think he's finished."
Barnett said this is not the kind of grace one shows their party's nominee: "Reagan wouldn't have done that. He endorsed Ford."
Arizona delegate Bruce Ash expressed a similar sentiment.
"Cruz missed his moment. All he had to do was say 'Trump' and he used the dog whistle for 'conscience.' A very disappointing message," Ash texted.
Cruz's difficult challenge
The speech was difficult from the start: Cruz's goal was to walk a tightrope and keep alive his political viability for 2020 without alienating Trump's legion of supporters.
JUST WATCHED Trump's plane interrupts Ted Cruz Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Trump's plane interrupts Ted Cruz 00:55
It was the latter that tripped him up.
Cruz came to the dais facing significant pressure to endorse Trump from his campaign aides and surrogates. Yet he is still at a moment of power and relevance: Only 45, a Latino senator who ended his campaign holding onto more political capital than he has ever enjoyed in his career.
His challenge was to remain well-liked in a GOP that, at least for now, is under the control of a man Cruz has indicated that he does not respect. Cruz effectively placed a risky bet that the Republican Party will judge Trump harshly and reward him in the new era for not caving.
"If skillfully played, his stock will rise," Randall Dunning, a Texas delegate who has misgivings about Trump, said the day before he spoke.
Wes Brumit, a Cruz delegate from Texas, defended Cruz's non-endorsement Wednesday night.
"He did mention all the points Trump mentioned: building a wall, fighting ISIS. He just didn't come right out and endorse," said Bumit, who sported a red "Ted Cruz for President" T-shirt and a cowboy hat. "He said everyone should be able to vote their conscience. And that's OK with me."
JUST WATCHED Trump: Heidi the best thing Cruz has got going for him Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Trump: Heidi the best thing Cruz has got going for him 04:28
As for those who loudly booed Cruz? "All the boos were exactly the New York values that Ted has talked about."
Bumit added: "I think Mr. Trump has some things to apologize for to Cruz before Sen Cruz can come onboard fully for Trump."
But the question now is how skillful Cruz played it. If Trump loses narrowly, holdouts like Cruz could be held responsible in 2020 for not unifying the party. And it is clear there are Trump loyalists who now say they are loathe to back him.
JUST WATCHED Trump doubles down on JFK assassination-Cruz dad link Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Trump doubles down on JFK assassination-Cruz dad link 01:33
Cruz and Trump, once political allies, turned on one another as they became the top two Republicans in the race. And their tension exploded when Trump's associates fanned flames of salacious tabloid rumors about Cruz and later attacked Cruz's father.
Since withdrawing from the race, Cruz has repeatedly declined to endorse Trump, but maintained that he could always come around to backing the Republican nominee. Yet their past tension -- and the personal attacks -- cast a cloud over any accord between the two aspirants.
Cruz's chief strategist Jason Johnson tweeted: "Since it's obvious the shock is contrived, let me ask: What the Hell did they expect from the son of the man who killed JFK? Light'n up."
Since it's obvious the shock is contrived, let me ask: What the Hell did they expect from the son of the man who killed JFK? Light'n up. — Jason Johnson (@jasonsjohnson) July 21, 2016
Former Cruz aide Brian Phillips also defended the senator: "Just more proof this is about submission. We were told for months Trump didn't need Cruz, but when he doesn't endorse they go apoplectic."
Just more proof this is about submission. We were told for months Trump didn't need Cruz, but when he doesn't endorse they go apoplectic. — Brian Phillips (@RealBPhil) July 21, 2016
The remarkable moment at the convention was the second time Cruz was upstaged by Trump Wednesday.
At a rally on the Cleveland waterfront, as Cruz spoke gingerly to fellow Republicans about "our nominee" and the uncertain future under his former rival, Trump's plane flew in the clear skies behind him.
"That was pretty well orchestrated" Cruz said as the Trump-emblazoned aircraft buzzed through the air and the crowd booed.
Turning to his campaign manager, Jeff Roe, Cruz said, "Jeff, did you email them to fly the plane right when I said that?" ||||| 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 | – Things got ugly quickly at the Quicken Loans Arena after Ted Cruz stunned the crowd by refusing to endorse Donald Trump. Heidi Cruz "was escorted out by security as crowd gets angry," tweeted CNN's Manu Raju. Former Cruz aide Ken Cuccinelli says he helped get Heidi out of the arena because he was worried about her safety. "They were coming out of their seats, coming on down. Very inappropriate, threatening behavior," he says. Cuccinelli and Raju say audience members shouted "Goldman Sachs," the bank where Heidi works. Cruz was heavily booed during his speech, and sources tell CNN that it didn't get easier for the Texan at the donor suite level. The sources say people walked up to Cruz and insulted him to his face, and one particularly irate state GOP chairman had to be physically restrained. BuzzFeed's Rosie Gray tweeted that Washington state GOP chief Susan Hutchison has confirmed that she confronted Cruz and called him a traitor. Other sources say Cruz tried to enter the suite of megadonor Sheldon Adelson but was turned away. |
BEIJING - Chinese President Hu Jintao, who travels to Washington this week for a state visit after a year marked by disputes and tension with the United States, said the two countries could mutually benefit by finding "common ground" on issues from fighting terrorism and nuclear proliferation to cooperating on clean energy and infrastructure development.
"There is no denying that there are some differences and sensitive issues between us," Hu said in written answers to questions from The Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal. "We both stand to gain from a sound China-U.S. relationship, and lose from confrontation.''
To enhance what he called "practical cooperation" on a wide range of issues, Hu urged an increase in dialogues and exchanges and more "mutual trust." He said, "We should abandon the zero-sum Cold War mentality," and, in what seemed like an implicit rejection of U.S. criticisms of China's internal affairs, said the two should "respect each other's choice of development path."
Hu took aim at the international currency system, now dominated by the dollar, calling it a "product of the past." China has moved to make its currency, the renminbi convertible on international markets, and Hu pointed to Chinese efforts to boost its use in trade and investment. But he cautioned against any suggestion that the renminbi, also called the yuan, might soon become a new reserve currency. "It takes a long time for a country's currency to be widely accepted in the world," Hu said.
Hu, the secretary general of the Chinese Communist Party since 2002 and China's president since 2003, rarely speaks in interviews or gives news conferences. His last extensive comments to American media outlets came in 2008, in a joint meeting around the time of the Beijing Olympics. His last comments to Western media were in written format last November to a French and a Portuguese newspaper.
Under the ground rules, Hu decided which questions to answer from lists submitted separately by the Post and the Journal.
Hu made an official visit to the White House in 2006, but President George W. Bush denied him the privilege of a full state visit, offering only a lunch. He was in Washington in April for President Obama's nuclear security summit.
The Obama administration plans to use the summit to refocus attention on China's record on human rights and political freedoms, after spending much of the past two years seeking to engage the Chinese leadership on a broad array of global issues including climate change, helping stabilize the global economy, and dealing with the nuclear ambitions of Iran and North Korea.
The human rights issue - which many administration critics believe was underplayed over the past two years - gained a new spotlight in October, when the Nobel Committee in Oslo awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize to a jailed Chinese dissident, Liu Xiaobo. Also last fall, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao linked political reform to continued economic progress in a speech in Shenzhen, at the United Nations in September and later in an interview with Time magazine and CNN.
Hu, in his written answers Sunday, said China would continue to develop "socialist democracy." His comment on the topic seemed to suggest that China's leadership at once understands the growing demand for more pluralism from its increasingly affluent citizens, while at the same time signaling that any further opening will come only within the strict confines of the current, Communist-led system.
Political reform, Hu said, must "meet people's growing enthusiasm for participating in political affairs." But he added: "The political structuring we pursue in China is aimed at advancing the self-improvement and development of the socialist political system."
Hu pointed to China's economic success of the past three decades as a validation of its political model. ||||| BEIJING—Chinese President Hu Jintao emphasized the need for cooperation with the U.S. in areas from new energy to space ahead of his visit to Washington this week, but he called the present U.S. dollar-dominated currency system a "product of the past" and highlighted moves to turn the yuan into a global currency.
Hu Goes to Washington See photos of past visits. View Slideshow Getty Images Mr. Hu arrived in the U.S. Apriul 12, 2010.
"We both stand to gain from a sound China-U.S. relationship, and lose from confrontation," Mr. Hu said in written answers to questions from The Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post .
Mr. Hu acknowledged "some differences and sensitive issues between us," but his tone was generally compromising, and he avoided specific mention of some of the controversial issues that have dogged relations with the U.S. over the past year or so—including U.S. arms sales to Taiwan that led to a freeze in military relations between the world's sole superpower and its rising Asian rival.
Enlarge Image Close Associated Press U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates in Beijing earlier this month.
On the economic front, Mr. Hu played down one of the main U.S. arguments for why China should appreciate its currency—that it will help China tame inflation. That is likely to disappoint Washington, which accuses China of unfairly boosting its exports by undervaluing the yuan, making its products cheaper overseas. The topic is expected to be high on U.S. President Barack Obama's agenda when he meets Mr. Hu at the White House on Wednesday.
Mr. Hu also offered a veiled criticism of efforts by the U.S. Federal Reserve to stimulate growth through huge bond purchases to keep down long-term interest rates, a strategy that China has loudly complained about in the past as fueling inflation in emerging economies, including its own. He said that U.S. monetary policy "has a major impact on global liquidity and capital flows and therefore, the liquidity of the U.S. dollar should be kept at a reasonable and stable level."
Mr. Hu's responses reflect a China that has grown more confident in recent years—especially in the wake of the global financial crisis, from which it emerged relatively unscathed.
Mr. Hu reiterated China's belief that the crisis reflected "the absence of regulation in financial innovation" and the failure of international financial institutions "to fully reflect the changing status of developing countries in the world economy and finance." He called for an international financial system that is more "fair, just, inclusive and well-managed."
Mr. Hu, who also heads China's ruling Communist Party, rarely interacts with the international media. The Wall Street Journal submitted a series of questions to China's Foreign Ministry for Mr. Hu to answer. The Washington Post also submitted questions. The Foreign Ministry supplied Mr. Hu's responses to seven questions—but did not address questions about imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo, China's growing naval power and complaints about alleged Chinese cyberattacks, among others.
Mr. Hu's veiled criticism of the Fed reflects widespread feelings among developing nations that U.S. interest-rate policy is devaluing the dollar, prompting flows of capital overseas and creating inflation elsewhere. China and other developing countries would like the Fed to factor in those consequences when it makes decisions. Fed officials counter that their mandate is to bolster the U.S. economy and that a stronger U.S. economy is in the interests of China and other countries, which depend heavily on trade and investment from the U.S.
This could be a major issue of contention between Messrs. Hu and Obama. The U.S. blames Chinese currency undervaluation—not Fed policy making—for worsening competitive and inflation problems overseas.
"This is a new ballgame in the first inning," says Eurasia Group's Ian Bremmer about China's rise. In an interview with WSJ's Rebecca Blumenstein, Bremmer discusses the growth of Chinese economic and military power and President Hu's U.S.visit.
Some of Mr. Hu's most significant comments dealt with the future of the dollar and currency exchange rates.
"The current international currency system is the product of the past," he said, noting the primacy of the U.S. dollar as a reserve currency and its use in international trade and investment.
The comment is the latest sign that the dollar's future continues to concern the most senior levels of the Chinese government. Beijing fears not only that loose U.S. monetary policy is fueling inflation, but that it will erode the value of China's holdings of dollars within its vast foreign-exchange reserves, which reached $2.85 trillion at the end of 2010.
China's central bank governor, Zhou Xiaochuan, created an international stir in March 2009 by calling for the creation of a new synthetic reserve currency as an alternative to the dollar. Mr. Hu's comments add to the sense that China intends to challenge the post-World War II financial order largely created by the U.S. and dominated by the dollar.
Mr. Hu called attention to China's accelerating effort to expand the role of its own currency, describing recent moves to allow greater use of the yuan in cross-border trade and investment—while acknowledging that making it a fully fledged international currency "will be a fairly long process."
China's moves already have spawned a thriving market for offshore trading of yuan in Hong Kong, and are widely seen as first steps toward making the yuan an international currency in line with China's new prominence as the world's second largest economy. Mr. Hu offered an enthusiastic endorsement of what are officially described as currency "pilot programs." They "fit in well with market demand as evidenced by the rapidly expanding scale of these transactions," he said.
Mr. Hu didn't signal any changes on the most sensitive aspect of China's currency policy: the exchange rate.
WSJ's Jake Lee speaks to Heard on the Street Asia Editor Mohammed Hadi about Chinese President Hu Jintao's comments on currencies, balancing the Chinese economy and China's growing clout abroad.
Last week, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner reiterated the U.S. position that a stronger yuan is in China's own best interests, because it would help tame rising inflation that has become a key risk to China's rapid growth, which is underpinning the global economic recovery. A stronger yuan would reduce the price of imports in local-currency terms.
But Mr. Hu shrugged off the U.S. argument, saying that China is fighting inflation with a whole package of policies, including interest-rate increases, and "inflation can hardly be the main factor in determining the exchange rate policy."
Further, Mr. Hu suggested that inflation was not a big worry, saying prices were "on the whole moderate and controllable." He added: "We have the confidence, conditions and ability to stabilize the overall price level."
The U.S. argues that the yuan's real exchange rate—that is, the exchange rate as adjusted for the higher inflation level in China than the U.S.—is rising at a 10% annual rate. Treasury officials have argued to China that its policy options are limited—either it can boost the exchange rate to fight inflation, or inflation will effectively boost the value of China's currency.
While the U.S. says some Chinese economic officials buy that argument, it hasn't been widely adopted within China, as Mr. Hu's comments illustrate. But the U.S. feels that economics and time are on its side. Even so, the administration and Congress will continue to press China to boost the pace of its currency appreciation.
Mr. Hu renewed a Chinese pledge to offer a level playing field in China for U.S. companies, which have complained about aggressive Chinese moves to usurp their technology and shut them out of massive government-procurement contracts.
Enlarge Image Close Reuters China's new stealth fighter, which was recently tested in flight.
"All foreign companies registered in China are Chinese enterprises," Mr. Hu said, responding to concerns that China discriminates in government procurement against foreign businesses as part of its drive to encourage so-called indigenous innovation.
He added: "Their innovation, production and business operations in China enjoy the same treatment as Chinese enterprises."
The U.S. has been pressing China to revamp its plans for indigenous innovation, which foreign companies say put them at a disadvantage in competition with China's state-owned firms, which limits the types of government development projects and requires that companies get government approval to participate. China has pledged to join the World Trade Organization's government procurement agreement, which limits a country's ability to discriminate. But the U.S. and other countries say that so far China's WTO offer is inadequate because it exempts provinces, municipalities and state-owned enterprises. Last month China pledged to amend a buy-Chinese provision. During the Hu visit, the U.S. hopes to see some other commitments on this front from China.
Mr. Hu began his answers with a relatively upbeat assessment of China-U.S. relations, which he said had "on the whole enjoyed steady growth" since the start of this century.
He spoke of expanding cooperation from economy and trade into new areas like energy, infrastructure development and aviation and space. "We should abandon the zero-sum Cold War mentality," he said, and "respect each other's choice of development path."
Enlarge Image Close Reuters Smoke rises from South Korea's Yeonpyeong Island after being hit by artillery shells fired by North Korea
On the diplomatic front, Mr. Hu entirely glossed over what has been one of the most dramatic developments of the past year—a series of disputes between a more assertive China and its neighbors that has given the U.S. an opening to shore up its relations with a part of the world that felt neglected by Washington while it fought wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In the past year, China has feuded with Japan over the seizure of a Chinese fishing boat and its crew off disputed islands; opened deep differences with South Korea because of its subdued response to military provocations by North Korea; and alarmed countries in Southeast Asia by declaring the South China Sea and its energy and mineral riches one of its "core interests."
"Mutual trust between China and other countries in this region has deepened in our common response to tough challenges, and our cooperation has continuously expanded in our pursuit of mutual benefit and win-win outcomes," Mr. Hu said, ignoring the regional turmoil.
—Jason Dean in Beijing
and Bob Davis in Washington
contributed to this article. ||||| Chinese leader Hu Jintao is being feted in Washington this week with a lavish state banquet at the White House and other pomp usually reserved for close friends and allies _ all intended to improve the tone of relations between a risen, more assertive and prosperous China and the U.S. superpower in a tenuous economic recovery.
FILE - In this Jan. 10, 2011 file photo, Chinese President Hu Jintao delivers a speech at a plenary session of the Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection in Beijing. Hu... (Associated Press)
The shaky trust between the United States and China has been eroding recently because of an array of issues _ currency policies and trade barriers, nuclear proliferation and North Korea, and both sides seem to recognize the need to recalibrate relations.
The U.S. is one of China's biggest markets, with $380 billion in annual trade largely in Beijing's favor. Washington increasingly needs Beijing's help in managing world troubles, from piracy off Africa to Iran's nuclear program and reinvigorating the world economy.
"It is absolutely critical for the two sides to be setting a tone that says 'hang on a second, we are committed to an effective, positive relationship,'" said Center for Strategic and International Studies scholar Charles Freeman, a former trade negotiator in the George W. Bush administration.
The state banquet President Barack Obama is hosting will be Hu's first. In the days before his visit, senior officials from both countries have spoken publicly in favor of better ties.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said in a speech Friday that the countries needed to manage their conflicts but their shared interests were so entwined as to constitute entanglement.
"History teaches us that the rise of new powers often ushers in periods of conflict and uncertainty," Clinton said. "Indeed, on both sides of the Pacific, we do see trepidation about the rise of China and the future of the U.S.-China relationship. We both have much more to gain from cooperation than from conflict."
Chinese officials have emphasized what they see as common concerns while acknowledging the complexity of the relationship.
"When the relationship is strained we need to bear in mind the larger picture and not allow any individual issue to disrupt our overall cooperation," Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai said in a speech Friday.
Such maxims, however, don't apply to issues China defines as its "core interests," including Taiwan, Tibet, and the overarching authority of the Communist Party. That's a condition Hu's visit won't change.
Hu, whose four-day trip starts Tuesday, is expected to talk up China's intended peaceful rise in a speech to business leaders and opinion-makers in Washington on Thursday and to highlight the benefits of China's market and investment when visiting Chicago.
Aware of China's plummeting image in American opinion, Chinese Foreign Ministry functionaries have in recent weeks been looking for ways to make the usually stiff Hu, and China as a country, appear more human, something akin to reformist patriarch Deng Xiaoping's donning a 10-gallon hat in Houston in 1979 just after the opening of diplomatic relations.
For the protocol-obsessed Chinese leadership, a highlight of the visit will be Wednesday's state banquet _ an honor denied Hu on his last trip to the White House in 2006. President George W. Bush thought state banquets should be reserved for allies and like-minded powers and instead gave Hu a lunch. Even worse, a member of Falun Gong, the spiritual movement banned by China, disrupted Hu and Bush's joint appearance, and an announcer incorrectly called China "The Republic of China," the formal name of democratically ruled Taiwan.
In this visit, no major agreements are expected. Talks over a joint statement ran aground until last-minute negotiations in Beijing last week. But the shared recognition to put things right and the bumpy relations of the last year augur for a better outcome.
The recent disputes make the summit more necessary than ever, said Shi Yinhong, professor of international relations at Beijing's Renmin University.
"If you look back to relations over the last year, any progress is significant," he said.
A successful visit also stands to raise Hu's standing domestically as he heads toward retirement late next year and seeks to place his political proteges in positions of influence. "A demonstration that Hu can handle the U.S. well and show that China is now well respected by Washington should help Hu to consolidate his legacy," said Oxford University China scholar Steve Tsang.
Still more difficult will be stopping the larger drift in relations amid the countries' changing fortunes. Beijing feels its economic, military and diplomatic strength entitles it to more deference while Washington tries to shore up its superpower authority, forging alliances and ties with other countries amid the changing global order.
While the U.S. is weighted down by high unemployment, massive budget deficits and sluggish growth, China has roared ahead, with the economy expanding 9.6 percent in the third quarter of last year.
China now holds the world's largest foreign currency reserves at $2.85 trillion and a major chunk of U.S. government debt. At current rates, economists estimate China will overtake the U.S. as the world's largest economy within 20 years, possibly by the end of this decade. That transition could be bumpy, with China's authoritarian one-party communist political system and sense of historical grievance setting it at odds with the democratic West.
Feeling its oats, Beijing has largely rebuffed U.S. appeals for help in reining in bellicose North Korea, curbing Iran's nuclear program and faster appreciation of China's currency and dismantling of trade barriers. Chinese officials and the nationalistic state-run media have criticized Washington's renewed attention to Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia, its arms sales to Taiwan and its continued naval patrols in the Yellow and South China seas as attempts to constrain China's influence in its backyard.
Chinese officials have accused the U.S. of orchestrating the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo. And just last week, Chinese military commanders greeted U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates' offer for closer military dialogue by sending a prototype for a new stealth fighter on its first test-flight.
In recent months, about the only thing the two seem to have agreed on is that the U.S. and China did not have enough common ground to form a Group of 2, or "G-2", to solve the world's troubles.
The U.S.-China relationship "is as important as any bilateral relationship in the world," Clinton said Friday. "But there is no such thing as a G-2. Both of our countries reject that concept." | – Chinese President Hu Jintao is speaking to the American media—albeit through written answers to questions he selected from lists submitted to him by the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal—for the first time since 2008. Among the topics? "Common ground," the dollar, and the yuan. Hu, who will be in Washington this week for a state visit, said China and the US could both gain by finding "common ground" on issues like fighting terrorism, clean energy, and nuclear proliferation—and only "stand to ... lose from confrontation." Other highlights: On US criticism of his country's internal affairs: Hu seemed to pooh-pooh it, notes the Post, writing the two should "respect each other's choice of development path." On the dollar's role as global reserve currency: "The current international currency system is the product of the past." On the yuan: It "has played a role in the world economic development. But making [the yuan] an international currency will be a fairly long process." Regarding the economic crisis of 2008: It reflected "the absence of regulation in financial innovation" and "its root cause lies in the serious defects of the existing financial system." One such defect: "International financial institutions failed to fully reflect the changing status of developing countries in the world economy and finance." The questions he didn't answer: Those having to do with Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo, China's growing naval power, and alleged Chinese cyberattacks. Click for more on Washington's plans for this week's "lavish state banquet." |
In this photo from Tuesday, March 1, 2016, a sign stands at the northbound entrance to the recently renamed Robin Williams Tunnel in Sausalito, Calif. A tunnel with rainbow arches that connects the Golden... (Associated Press)
In this photo from Tuesday, March 1, 2016, a sign stands at the northbound entrance to the recently renamed Robin Williams Tunnel in Sausalito, Calif. A tunnel with rainbow arches that connects the Golden... (Associated Press)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A tunnel with rainbow arches that connects the Golden Gate Bridge to greater Marin County has officially become the Robin Williams tunnel.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports (http://bit.ly/1XZUbzl ) that the new Robin Williams Tunnel signs were installed Monday night. The tunnel was unofficially known as the Waldo Tunnel.
State lawmakers approved a resolution last year to change the tunnel's name to honor the late actor and comedian, who grew up and lived in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The two signs — one for each side of the tunnel — cost $3,000. Private donations paid for the cost. ||||| Robin Williams tunnel officially gets new signs
The new Robin Williams Tunnel sign was installed February 29 at the site of the tunnel connecting the Golden Gate Bridge to Marin County. The tunnel was previously only unofficially known as the Waldo Tunnel. (Photo courtesy Andrew Payne.) less The new Robin Williams Tunnel sign was installed February 29 at the site of the tunnel connecting the Golden Gate Bridge to Marin County. The tunnel was previously only unofficially known as the Waldo Tunnel. ... more Image 1 of / 57 Caption Close Robin Williams tunnel officially gets new signs 1 / 57 Back to Gallery
Several months after legislation to name the rainbow-arched so-called Waldo tunnel connecting the Golden Gate bridge to Marin County, the newly dubbed Robin Williams tunnel finally got official.
The tunnel's moniker, which was officially confirmed last June, was meant as a dedication to the late actor and comedian's life. Many thought that the tunnel's rainbow border was a natural reminder of his character Mork from "Mork & Mindy," who wore multi-colored suspenders on the show.
The $3,000 signs — one on each side of the tunnel — were paid for using private donations, as a Caltrans spokesman told SFGATE last summer.
The person who started the campaign to change the tunnel's name, Belvedere resident Julie Wainwright, posted a photo on Twitter of the new sign being installed.
The tunnel was previously unofficially known as the Waldo Tunnel because it is on the Waldo Grade, which is named after William Waldo, a Whig Party candidate who ran for governor in 1853.
"He was an integral part of our community here in the Bay Area," she wrote on the campaign's Change.org page last year. "We claim him as our own."
Williams was a Marin resident himself prior to his death in August, 2014. | – A tunnel with rainbow arches that connects the Golden Gate Bridge to greater Marin County has officially become the Robin Williams tunnel, the AP reports. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the new Robin Williams Tunnel signs were installed Monday night. The tunnel was unofficially known as the Waldo Tunnel. State lawmakers approved a resolution last year to change the tunnel's name to honor the late actor and comedian, who grew up and lived in the San Francisco Bay Area. The two signs—one for each side of the tunnel—cost $3,000. Private donations paid for the cost. |
CLOSE The latest comedian accused of joke theft is Conan O'Brien and his writing team. Conan’s team says that they were unaware of Alex Kaseberg's jokes until after they’d written their own. USA TODAY
Conan O'Brien at City Hall in Oslo, Norway, Dec. 10, 2016. (Photo: VEGARD WIVESTAD, EPA)
It could be the next big celebrity trial: Conan O'Brien defending himself and his writers in federal civil court against accusations of "joke-stealing" — the worst thing you could say about a comedian, according to O'Brien.
But don't go signing up for courtroom tickets just yet. Experts in copyright law say the 2-year-old copyright infringement lawsuit filed against O'Brien, his writers for his late-night show, Conan, and Time Warner over a handful of topical jokes may never get before a jury, despite a ruling by a judge that the case can proceed.
The stakes are high, not just in time and litigation costs but in "reputational" costs: No comedian wants to be known as a joke thief. "Accusing a comedian of stealing a joke is the worst thing you can accuse them of, in my opinion, short of murder," O'Brien said in a deposition in the case. "I think it's absolutely terrible."
Thus, O'Brien and the plaintiff in the case, a freelance joke writer in San Diego named Robert "Alex" Kaseberg, have to weigh the risks and benefits of going to trial and possibly losing, or negotiating a settlement that could leave a whiff of suspected thievery in the Conan writers' room.
"Comics rarely sue one another, and to some degree this case illustrates why," says New York University law professor Christopher Sprigman , a leading expert in intellectual property law involving comedy. "The judge (in the O'Brien case) ruled the case could go forward but the ruling makes it difficult" for the plaintiff to prevail.
New York intellectual property lawyer and mediator Arnie Herz says the ruling showed the judge "did not say that anyone did anything wrong, she was saying there was enough to go to a jury."
But will it? It's impossible to predict, Sprigman says, but settling could be tricky for O'Brien.
"Among comics, joke stealing is really, really bad behavior — no one wants to go down as a joke thief, so the settlement has to make absolutely clear that no one is admitting any wrongdoing," Sprigman says. "(O'Brien) has got to worry about how his fellow comedians would react to that."
"It's no joking matter," cracks Herz, who says most IP cases are settled before trial. If a "reasonable settlement" can be achieved, it behooves all involved to resolve the case, he says.
"There are strong economic reasons to resolve this (before trial) because these are not easy cases to prevail, there are high standards plaintiffs have to prove," says Herz. "At a trial, it depends on how a jury views the plaintiff and Conan O'Brien. The plaintiff and his lawyers could end up with nothing, so they don't want to put in a ton of time and money and end up losing."
O'Brien's legal woes were on display Monday after U.S. District Court Judge Janis Sammartino ruled Friday that a jury can decide whether O'Brien and his writers stole three jokes dealing with Tom Brady, Caitlyn Jenner and the Washington Monument from Kaseberg's social media feed and blog between December 2014 and June 2015. (Two other jokes were dropped from the case.)
The Brady joke had Brady giving his MVP truck "to the man who won the game for Patriots" — Pete Carroll. The Jenner joke involved Caitlyn's gender transition and towns with streets named after Bruce Jenner. And the Washington Monument jibe was a penis joke based on news that the obelisk is actually 10 inches shorter than previously thought and maybe it was due to cold weather.
But the judge warned that jokes based on current events and news are entitled only to "thin" copyright protection — meaning the jokes in question have to be virtually identical in order to find a defendant guilty of copyright infringement, says Sprigman. Also, a jury would have to conclude that the defendant had access to the jokes and willfully copied them, Herz adds.
Conan O'Brien during the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway, Dec. 11, 2016. (Photo: JON OLAV, EPA)
Unlike patents, creators can't get ownership of ideas or facts or events on which jokes are based, only the manner in which they are expressed, Herz says. Plus, the allegedly stolen joke has to be "fixed" in a tangible means of expression, either recorded or published.
"If it turns out the jokes copied from a Twitter feed were virtually identical to the jokes as told (by O'Brien), then maybe he wants to take the reputational hit and settle," Sprigman says."If there's doubt about whether they were copied or are identical, he could go to trial and roll the dice. It’s a pickle no matter what."
Intellectual property lawsuits involving comedy are exceedingly rare; it's been "decades and decades" since the last one, says Sprigman, co-author of a 2008 paper, There's No Free Laugh (Anymore): The Emergence of Intellectual Property Norms and the Transformation of Stand-Up Comedy, that explored how comedians protect their jokes against thieves by enforcing their own comedy-community norms, and not through intellectual property law.
He and his co-author, Dotan Oliar, interviewed comedians, their lawyers and their agents, and found that comics have long employed out-of-court means of addressing accusations of theft.
"They typically handle it through community policing, they have a set of norms on joke thievery and they enforce them through various means," Sprigman says. "Copyright lawsuits typically don’t work that well (in these cases) — they're expensive and often they don't have good results for plaintiffs."
Neither O'Brien nor his lawyers returned messages from USA TODAY. Same for Kaseberg and his lawyer.
But on Wednesday, O'Brien's publicists at 42 West in New York issued a statement on his behalf in an email to USA TODAY from Amanda Nesbitt: "We are very pleased that the court has granted summary judgment and dismissed two of the jokes at issue. We can't comment further on pending litigation, but we are extremely confident that once the facts are presented to a jury, we will be fully vindicated."
Kaseberg said on his blog he's a comedy writer who's contributed hundreds of jokes to The Tonight Show with Jay Leno for 20 years. In a February 2015 post, he describes his version of how his jokes allegedly were stolen by O'Brien's writers.
"The only consolation I can take from this horrifying violation is I wrote three jokes that were good enough to be on the monologue on Conan. And they all got good laughs," he said. "Since I cannot watch the show again – it is too painful – and I have lost respect for one of my comedy idols, that consolation will have to be enough."
Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2rjBrAh |||||
Conan O’Brien makes an appearance at Harvard University on Feb. 12, 2016. (Charles Krupa/AP)
U.S. District Court Judge Janis Sammartino recently refused to toss out an unusual lawsuit accusing late-night host Conan O’Brien and his writing staff of stealing jokes from a professional joke writer’s blog and Twitter feed, claiming some were entitled to “thin copyright protection.”
Robert “Alex” Kaseberg, a writer who has penned more than 1,000 jokes for Jay Leno, accused O’Brien of telling five of his jokes in his monologue on “Conan.” Kaseberg said he wrote and posted the jokes online between Dec. 2, 2014, and June 9, 2015.
Kaseberg wrote on his blog he was convinced O’Brien’s team was stealing his material after the third time he heard the comedian tell a joke he had recently posted.
“Two times there is an impossibly slight possibility of a joke-writing coincidence, three times there is no possibility of a coincidence,” he wrote. “And always used on the monologue one day or, in the case of the third time, six hours after it appeared on my blog and or Twitter.”
Kaseberg said he reached out to O’Brien’s writing team but was rebuked. He then filed suit against O’Brien, his writing staff, Turner Broadcasting and Time Warner in July 2015. O’Brien and the other parties denied any joke theft and requested that the case be dismissed.
In her opinion issued Friday, the judge allowed the suit to proceed to trial but threw out two jokes. The suit will proceed on the other three.
The judge noted the difficulty of proving that a joke was stolen.
“Facts, of course, are not protected by copyright,” she wrote. “And although the punchlines of the jokes are creative, they are nonetheless constrained by the limited number of variations that would (1) be humorous (2) as applied to the specific facts articulated in each joke’s previous sentence and (3) provide mass appeal. This merits only thin protection.”
Because of such “thin protection,” there has not been an intellectual property lawsuit concerning comedy in “decades and decades,” New York University law professor Christopher Sprigman told USA Today.
“Comics rarely sue one another, and to some degree this case illustrates why,” he added. “The judge ruled the case could go forward but the ruling makes it difficult” for Kaseberg to win.
Even so, Kaseberg’s lawyer, Jayson Lorenzo, called the ruling “a victory for comedy writers, especially lesser known writers,” in a statement to the New York Times.
The three jokes in question, according to court documents:
The Tom Brady joke
Kaseberg: “Tom Brady said he wants to give his MVP truck to the man who won the game for the Patriots. So enjoy that truck, Pete Carroll.”
O’Brien: “Tom Brady said he wants to give the truck that he was given as Super Bowl MVP … to the guy who won the Super Bowl for the Patriots. Which is very nice. I think that’s nice. I do. Yes. So Brady’s giving his truck to Seahawks coach Pete Carroll.”
The Caitlyn Jenner joke
Kaseberg: “Three towns, two in Texas, one in Tennessee, have streets named after Bruce Jenner and now they have to consider changing them to Caitlyn. And one will have to change from a Cul-De-Sac to a Cul-De-Sackless.”
O’Brien: “Some cities that have streets named after Bruce Jenner are trying to change the streets’ names to Caitlyn Jenner. If you live on Bruce Jenner Cul-de-sac it will now be Cul-de-no-sack.”
The Washington Monument joke
Kaseberg: “The Washington Monument is ten inches shorter than previously thought. You know the winter has been cold when a monument suffers from shrinkage.”
O’Brien: “Yesterday surveyors announced that the Washington Monument is ten inches shorter than what’s been previously recorded. Yeah. Of course, the monument is blaming the shrinkage on the cold weather.”
“The only consolation I can take from this horrifying violation is I wrote three jokes that were good enough to be on the monologue on ‘Conan.’ And they all got good laughs,” Kaseberg wrote on his blog in 2015. “Since I cannot watch the show again — it is too painful — and I have lost respect for one of my comedy idols, that consolation will have to be enough.”
O’Brien also appeared to be emotionally affected by the situation.
“Accusing a comedian of stealing a joke is the worst thing you can accuse them of, in my opinion, short of murder,” O’Brien said during a deposition in the case, according to the Hollywood Reporter. “I think it’s absolutely terrible.”
The trial is on pace to take place in August, CBS reported.
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Mass. school punishes twins for hair braid extensions. Their parents say it’s racial discrimination. ||||| 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. | – Conan O'Brien might soon find himself in court over allegations that are nightmarish for any comedian: He's accused of stealing jokes. As USA Today reports, a judge has allowed a federal civil suit to go forward in which Robert "Alex" Kaseberg accuses O'Brien and his writers of stealing jokes he posted online in 2014 and 2015. It's possible, perhaps even likely, the case will be settled before it goes to trial, given how tricky intellectual property cases can be. "Accusing a comedian of stealing a joke is the worst thing you can accuse them of, in my opinion, short of murder," said O'Brien himself in a deposition. Kaseberg makes his case in a blog post here. The judge said three jokes in particular are in question. Here they are, via the Washington Post: Kaseberg: "Tom Brady said he wants to give his MVP truck to the man who won the game for the Patriots. So enjoy that truck, Pete Carroll." O’Brien: "Tom Brady said he wants to give the truck that he was given as Super Bowl MVP … to the guy who won the Super Bowl for the Patriots. Which is very nice. I think that’s nice. I do. Yes. So Brady’s giving his truck to Seahawks coach Pete Carroll." Kaseberg: "Three towns, two in Texas, one in Tennessee, have streets named after Bruce Jenner and now they have to consider changing them to Caitlyn. And one will have to change from a Cul-De-Sac to a Cul-De-Sackless." O’Brien: "Some cities that have streets named after Bruce Jenner are trying to change the streets’ names to Caitlyn Jenner. If you live on Bruce Jenner Cul-de-sac it will now be Cul-de-no-sack." Kaseberg: "The Washington Monument is ten inches shorter than previously thought. You know the winter has been cold when a monument suffers from shrinkage." O’Brien: "Yesterday surveyors announced that the Washington Monument is ten inches shorter than what’s been previously recorded. Yeah. Of course, the monument is blaming the shrinkage on the cold weather." |
The torrent of leaks these past few days haven’t left much to the imagination, but HTC’s Peter Chou has just officially pulled back the curtain on the first phone to ship with Facebook Home — the HTC First — at Facebook’s Menlo Park headquarters.
According to HTC CEO Peter Chou the First will be the “ultimate social phone,” though he declined to dig into the device’s specs during his brief moments on-stage. The device will ship in four colors, and will support AT&T’s LTE network right out of the gate. Can’t wait for your chance to take it for a spin? The First will be available for $99 (with a 2 year contract naturally) starting on April 12, and pre-orders for the device kick off today. Those of you outside the U.S. will be able to join in the fun shortly too, as Mark Zuckerberg also noted that the phone would find its way to UK carriers Orange and EE in short order.
The mid-range First will be available in black, white, red and blue, and sports a 4.3-inch display that jibes with earlier reports. Facebook Home obviously serves to obscure the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean build that’s actually running the show, while one of Qualcomm’s dual-core Snapdragon 400 chipsets (and not the MSM8960 that was previously reported) provides the horsepower from inside that smooth, curved chassis. It’s not a bad looking phone and the internals aren’t quite as lousy as many had expected them to be, but all this begs a very important question — will anyone actually buy this phone when you can fire up Facebook Home on your (supported) Android handset for a whopping zero dollars?
I mean, c’mon — I’m a sucker for even mildly neat hardware, but so far neither HTC nor AT&T (whose CEOs both appeared on-stage to talk about how darned great the thing is) could provide a compelling reason why it’s worth buying. LTE? A handsome design? Neither of those are exactly hard to come by these days, are they? Facebook has said that the First will feature better integration for all those notifications you’re bound to get than if you had just installed the app, but at this point there’s little way of knowing how big a difference it’ll actually make. HTC knows how to make great hardware and I don’t mean to diminish that, but a lame device that’s been put together well is still a lame device.
This marks the second time that the social networking giant and the beleaguered Taiwanese OEM have collaborated on a peculiar hardware play. The first, if you’ll recall, were HTC Status (nee Chacha) and the Salsa released back in 2011– their main claim to fame was a dedicated Facebook button for quick access to your friends and feeds. Considering that neither device was exactly a runaway hit, it’s no surprise to see that Facebook and HTC have taken things in a different, more substantial direction with the One. Of course, the First is going to be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Facebook Home devices — Zuckerberg also pointed to a Facebook Home Program which allows hardware manufacturers to build Facebook Home into their own forthcoming handsets. ||||| Facebook Launches Home, Its Android Phone Project
After years of construction, Facebook is at long last revealing its effort to build “a new home” on Android.
“Today we are finally going to be talking about that Facebook phone. Or, more accurately, we are going to talk about how you can turn your Android device … into a great social phone,” Mark Zuckerberg said, kicking off the event at company headquarters in Menlo Park. “We think this is the best version of Facebook there is.”
Facebook Home, as the product is known, isn’t a phone, per se, but rather a series of customizations that replaces the look and feel of a standard Android phone with a set of Facebook apps, home screens and messaging experiences.
As we first reported in a series of articles more than a year ago, the project to create a custom Facebook phone on top of Android — code-named Buffy — has been going on for some time.
Facebook has since spent a lot of time noting that it is not building a phone — which is technically true. However, it has built the software guts of one, and it even partnered with HTC to put a hardware face on its the project.
Zuckerberg stressed that what Facebook is doing isn’t building a phone or an operating system, but rather an experience that is a family of apps that becomes your home screen on a standard Android device.
“You don’t need to fork Android to do this,” Zuckerberg said. Facebook Home will be an update on Google Play to the social network’s existing Facebook app. It will be available initially only for phones, with tablet support coming within several months.
Updates to Facebook Home will also come monthly, the company said, arguing that yearly updates such as those made to Android just aren’t frequent enough.
Zuckerberg reiterated why the company is focused on the software rather than a single phone. Zuckerberg said that a great phone might sell 10 million or 20 million units — one percent of Facebook’s total user base.
“We’re not building a phone, and we’re not building an operating system, but we are also building something that is a lot more … than an ordinary app,” he said.
Zuckerberg took aim at the app-centric approach taken by most modern smartphones, saying phones should be about people rather than programs.
Facebook isn’t the only company trying to move away from an app-centric world. Windows Phone, for example, has a People hub that focuses on all the ways that someone connects with a person and their photos and updates.
Apps, of course, are still a part of phones, so an app launcher is just a swipe away.
One particular feature should be more than just an app, Zuckerberg said, and that’s messaging. The company has built a new experience where “Chat Heads” — little pictures of your friends — pop up when a new message comes in.
Beyond the cute head shots, Chat Heads allow messaging to take place in any app, rather than requiring a user to either stop what they are doing or risk ignoring the person seeking their attention.
“It really feels like your friends are always there,” said Joey Flynn, the Facebook designer who created the messaging experience.
Chat Heads work with both text messages and incoming Facebook messages. ||||| The social network dials up a new way to hook people on its mobile-phone software. And HTC will release the first phone with Home pre-installed.
Facebook Home on Android (Credit: James Martin/CNET)
Facebook unveiled a new "Home" on Android at a press event at its Menlo Park, Calif., headquarters today -- a family of apps meant to keep mobile audiences always affixed to its social network.
Facebook Home consists of a set of the social network's apps that become the home of your Android phone. With Home, the device's home screen transforms into "Cover Feed," or a visually rich and swipe-able version of News Feed for your phone. Home also includes a more picture-perfect version of messaging, complete with a Facebook-invented feature called "Chat Heads," with colorful notifications that include friends' pictures.
"We're not building a phone and we're not building an operating system," Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said. "We're building something a whole lot deeper than an ordinary app."
Facebook showed off the software, which can be downloaded to a limited number of Android phones starting April 12, and also invited partner HTC to unveil the HTC First, the first smartphone to come with Facebook Home pre-installed. (See CNET Reviews' Editor's Take here.) HTC CEO Peter Chou said the new device, arriving exclusively with AT&T;, represented a "great opportunity to bring mobile and social together."
HTC First comes with Facebook Home
Today, phones are designed around apps, not people, Zuckerberg said. "We want to flip that around."
The social network aims to turn the current model on its head with a Facebook-centric view of your world. With Home, Messaging in particular has been tailored around people. The Facebook Home-modified functionality offers users a way to engage in multiple conversations with a single tap, and includes something called "Chat Heads," which are basically interactive profile pictures that you can have a little extra fun with.
Chat Heads offer message previews and allow members to dive into conversations with one tap. They're enmeshed within the entire phone experience, which means you'll find active Chat Heads sitting atop the screen as you do other things. The flying heads, which you can flick around with reckless abandon, work with both Facebook messages and standard text messages.
Chat Heads (Credit: James Martin/CNET)
Advertisements will not be a part of Facebook Home at launch, but ads will find their way over to the experience at some point, Zuckerberg said.
Today's event clarifies a number of reports from a rumor mill that's been running fast and furious ever since Facebook announced the event one week ago. The company, according to a bevy or credible-sounding reports and alleged photo leaks, was expected to showcase a new HTC device running a tweaked version of Android that makes the social network's apps and functions native to the smartphone.
Investors initially weren't all that keen on the suspected Android news, though some seemed to have a change of heart Wednesday after JPMorgan analysts quelled fears about the social network's mobile users jumping ship to other applications. JPMorgan has a $35 price target for Facebook, which closed Wednesday at $26.25 a share. ||||| Facebook's throwing its hat in the Android ring in a big, big way. Today at an event at the company's campus in California, Mark Zuckerberg announced Facebook Home, a deep software integration with Android that puts Facebook services front and center. Zuckerberg left the HTC First announcement to HTC's Peter Chou, spending more time mentioning ways you could turn your Android phone into something much more social. We spend as much as 25 percent of our time on our phone using Facebook and Instagram, he said, so why not design a phone around "people, not apps?"
"We want to build the best experience for every person, on every phone"
Home is a family of Facebook apps that overhauls your entire device, turning it into a Facebook phone. An app called Coverfeed overhauls the homescreen and the lockscreen, giving you updates on what your friends are doing without you having to launch an app, or even unlock your phone — and you'll get ads in all the same places. You can comment or like posts from your homescreen — it feels incredibly native. Everything is full-screen and incredibly visual, really looking nothing like Android.
Messaging is one of the key features of Facebook Home – Zuckerberg made no bones about believing the way we currently message is broken. Messaging on Facebook Home is everywhere — you'll see a round icon with the face of whoever you're talking to, called "Chat heads," over top of any app you're using. Just tap your friend's face, and up comes your chat window. It looks a little ridiculous, and you're going to spend a lot of time poking people in the face, but it's a much more integrated chat solution than we've ever seen on Android. It works with SMS and Facebook messaging, but Chat heads try to obscure which you're actually using — it's all about who you're chatting with, not what service you're using to do so.
The whole setup is very gesture-based, allowing to to switch between apps and notifications pretty quickly. The new launcher shows your favorite apps in one screen, and the full app drawer on the other, plus offers a quick way to post a photo or a status update. Much of the overhaul is about making all of Facebook's services not only easy to see, but easy to add to from anywhere on your phone.
"There's no chrome, no nav — it's about the content first"
There are badges and notifications on every app that let you know when something new is happening, when someone is communicating with you. Notifications are sorted by friend, rather than app — it says when your friend is doing something, rather than letting you know that an app has something new for you. Instead of navigating through a list of apps, opening Photos to see photos and Calendar to see your events, Facebook wants to make your phone a lot more like your News Feed.
Zuckerberg spent a lot of time talking about how open Android is, and how it allowed Facebook to change a lot about the OS without a lot of work. "You don't need to fork Android" to do what Facebook is doing, he said. And for Facebook, it all starts with the homescreen, which Zuckerberg said we look at 100 times a day.
"It's not just mobile first, but mobile best"
We're hearing Home will be available beginning April 12th, but only in a limited capacity — it will initially be available on the HTC One and One X, and the Samsung Galaxy S III, Galaxy S4, and Galaxy Note II. It'll be rolling out broadly, but not at first. It can be installed from the Play Store, and if you have Facebook installed on your phone it will automatically prompt you to download the app. It's coming to a "wide range of devices," including tablets, though it won't come to larger screens for several months. The company promised to redesign every month, bringing new features and new device support.
||||| Your browser does not support HTML5 video tag.Click here to view original GIF
We've been talking about it for years now—half dread, half excitement—and now it's no longer just our imaginations. The Facebook Phone is as real as it's probably ever going to get: it's called Facebook Home a complete Android takeover that converts your smartphone.
It's important to know what Facebook Home, "the Facebook Phone," isn't. Facebook isn't building a phone in the same way that Apple builds a phone. This isn't an iPhone competitor, or even an Android competitor. It's not even a Facebook version of Android.
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Facebook Home is apps.
This is Facebook looking to plant itself in front of your eyeballs as much as possible with a homescreen entirely dedicated to the social network itself. Facebook Home is about what you're reading and tapping, not a hunk of plastic in your hand.
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Home changes the entire way you interface with your phone—you'll access all of your non-Facebook apps by clicking on your own profile picture. As soon as you turn on your phone (or wake it), you'll see your "Coverfeed"—a super-condensed version of your News Feed that takes up the entire display, and completely replaces both the lockscreen and homescreen.
There will be ads in this here Coverfeed, yes, because that's how Facebook makes money to exist.
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But there will be a lot more: an ever-updating digest of what's happening with your pals. A giant photo someone shared. A link someone shared. Status updates. You can read whatever's next by swiping from one to the other, and double tap to like—no need to pop open a Facebook app.
There are some nifty gestures at work: tap and hold to zoom out of a photo you like, and you can pop off a comment with another tap. Notifications—say, a new Facebook IM—will stack up on your Coverfeed, but can be bunched up by tapping and holding, or dismissed entirely by swiping them away. It looks decently natural.
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You can launch your favorite apps without leaving Facebook Home.
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Messaging your friends and/or sexual partners is one of the more novel touches with Facebook Home—it uses a nifty-looking and horribly named system called "Chatheads." Chatheads are small pictures of your friends that are shortcuts for conversation. They pop up revealing your friend's profile photo, and a simple tap pulls up the conversation, whether it's over IM or chat. Switching from one conversation to another is just a matter of tapping between faces, and if someone tries to get in touch with you, their face will appear over whatever it is you're doing: listening to music, browsing Google Maps, or playing a game.
It's nice to see SMS and IM treated exactly the same, because really, it doesn't matter which medium is carrying your dispatches. "Hey" is "hey."
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Home will be available to download in a week, with a tablet version out sometime later this year. It will update every single month—or so Mark Zuckerberg says—which means the software that dominates your screen will be refreshed more regularly than usual. That's great.
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It looks beautiful. It'll come pre-loaded on the $100, AT&T-exclusive HTC First. Don't hold your breath for anything on iOS, ever. It may or may not wreck your battery life, what with the constant background updating and frenzy of graphical status updates and baby photos. We'll have to wait and see.
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It looks beautiful, I can tell you that much. Or you can just look at these pictures and decide that. And the thinking behind Home—that your digital social life is a good anchor for your entire phone, and that Facebook is the best representation of this social life—is sound. Most apps are pointless, and most of the apps you even bother to download aren't used that frequently. Home eschews the skittle bag of specialized programs and assumes you'll be happy just cruising Facebook stuff most of the time. This rationale is a big part of what makes Windows Phone so brilliant. Your phone is already like a spoon for friendship, so if this all comes together, Facebook Home will maybe be like a spork. Or a feeding trough.
But do you want this—this pretty takeover? Do you want Facebook to be your phone, rather than a small part of it on equal footing with a calculator app? I do not know.
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Update: We looked at some Facebook reps use the HTC First. Home screen navigation appears fast and nimble, with full-screen images flipping past as fast as their finger swipes. Selecting, reordering, grouping, and dismissing the Chat Heads icons was equally responsive with very little lag. Even when running standalone apps like Instagram, the UI appeared quite zippy.
Additional reporting by Andrew Tarantola
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Special thanks to BorrowLenses.com - The premiere online rental house where still photographers and videographers can rent virtually everything. | – The "Facebook phone" is here and, as expected, it is not a phone built by Facebook. Instead, the company unveiled "Facebook Home," a download that converts an Android phone into a Facebook-centric device, reports CNET. It will be available on a limited basis April 12 at the Google Play store. That's the same day HTC is rolling out its HTC First, the first phone to ship with Facebook Home in place. (It will run $99 with a two-year contract from AT&T, reports TechCrunch.) "We're not building a phone and we're not building an operating system," says CEO Mark Zuckerberg. "We're building something a whole lot deeper than an ordinary app." Sam Biddle, Gizmodo: "Facebook Home means replacing the important parts of your phone with Facebook stuff. As much as possible, apps are replaced by Facebook features—FB chats instead of texts, FB Camera instead of... camera, and so forth. And of course, an at-a-glance feed of everything your friends are doing—Facebook activity jacked directly into your brain." David Pierce, the Verge: "An app called Coverfeed overhauls the homescreen and the lockscreen, giving you updates on what your friends are doing without you having to launch an app, or even unlock your phone. You can comment or like posts from your homescreen — it feels incredibly native. Everything is full-screen and incredibly visual, really looking nothing like Android." Ina Fried, AllThingsD: It's not "a phone per se, but rather a series of customizations that replaces the look and feel of a standard Android phone with a set of Facebook apps, home screens, and messaging experiences." |
This undated photo provided by the Des Moines Police Department shows Scott Michael Greene, of Urbandale, Iowa. Des Moines and Urbandale Police said in a statement Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016, that they have... (Associated Press)
This undated photo provided by the Des Moines Police Department shows Scott Michael Greene, of Urbandale, Iowa. Des Moines and Urbandale Police said in a statement Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016, that they have identified Greene as a suspect in the killings early Wednesday morning of two Des Moines area police... (Associated Press)
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Latest on two officers in the Des Moines, Iowa, area who were killed in what authorities describe as ambush-style attacks (all times local):
12:35 p.m.
An Iowa college says two Des Moines-area police officers who were ambushed and killed were both graduates of its criminal justice program.
Simpson College President Jay Simmons says the deaths of Des Moines Sgt. Anthony Beminio and Urbandale officer Justin Martin are tragic and the loss is "almost too much to bear."
Police say a white man with a history of racial provocations and confrontations with police killed the two officers in separate incidents early Wednesday.
Beminio graduated from Simpson College in Indianola in 2001 and played football.
Martin graduated last year. Professor Fred Jones remembers him as a "kind, gentle, compassionate man" who went into police work because he wanted to serve the public. Martin had interned at the Urbandale Police Department during his senior year.
Simpson's wrestling team will wear blue socks to honor the officers at its meet Thursday.
___
12:30 p.m.
Attorney General Loretta Lynch has strongly condemned the killings of two Des Moines area police officers.
Lynch says the shootings early Wednesday are the latest in a "series of senseless attacks" and that "violence has no place in the United States of America."
She says violence is "especially intolerable" when it's directed at law enforcement officers who risk their lives to protect the public.
The shootings follow the fatal ambushes this summer of officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Lynch says the Justice Department is determined to give officers the tools they need to do their jobs safely and effectively.
Scott Michael Greene is suspected in the fatal shootings of Urbandale officer Justin Martin and Des Moines Sgt. Anthony "Tony" Beminio. Greene surrendered late Wednesday morning to a state employee.
___
11:45 a.m.
Police have confirmed that weeks before a man was apprehended as a suspect in the killings of two Des Moines area police officers, he was removed from a high school football game because he displayed a Confederate flag during the national anthem.
Urbandale Police Chief Ross McCarty told reporters that Urbandale officers removed Scott Michael Greene from the football game. McCarty says some spectators complained after Greene waved the flag in front of spectators who are minorities.
Greene shot a video of the Oct. 14 incident that he posted online.
He complained to officers that his constitutional rights were being violated because they were throwing him out, but police told him he was on private property and needed to leave.
Greene is suspected in the shooting deaths of Urbandale officer Justin Martin and Des Moines Sgt. Anthony "Tony" Beminio.
___
11:20 a.m.
Police say a man suspected in the killings to two Des Moines area officers surrendered to a state Department of Natural Resources officer.
Des Moines police Sgt. Paul Parizek says Scott Michael Greene flagged down the officer Wednesday morning in rural Dallas County, west of Des Moines, and presented his identification.
He was taken into custody and is now being treated at a Des Moines hospital.
Greene is suspected in the shooting deaths of Urbandale officer Justin Martin, with the force since 2015, and Sgt. Anthony "Tony" Beminio, who joined the department in Des Moines in 2005.
Martin was single. Beminio was married with children.
Parizek says Greene is suspected in the killings but hasn't yet been charged.
___
10:40 a.m.
The 66-year-old mother of the suspect in the killing of two Iowa police officers was arrested two weeks ago accused of assaulting her son.
A criminal complaint shows Patricia Greene yelled at her son, Scott Michael Greene, to remove his daughter's service dog from her house Oct. 17.
The complaint says Scott Greene was wearing his deceased father's dog tags and that his mother tried to tear them from around his neck. Greene grabbed his mother's hand and she hit and scratched his face.
Scott Greene showed an officer cellphone video of the confrontation.
His mother was released on a $1,000 cash bond and a judge ordered that she have no contact with her son. She is due in court on the charge later this month.
The complaint doesn't say why Greene's daughter has a service dog.
___
9:40 a.m.
Police say the suspect in the killings of two Des Moines area police officers is in custody.
Des Moines police Sgt. Paul Parizek says Scott Michael Greene was taken into custody without incident Wednesday morning in Dallas County, just west of Des Moines.
Greene is suspected in the killing of a Des Moines police officer and an Urbandale police officer earlier Wednesday.
___
9:15 a.m.
The man wanted in connection with the killing of two Des Moines area police officers has a record of confrontation with police and others.
Iowa court records show 46-year-old Scott Michael Greene, of Urbandale, was jailed and charged with interference with official acts after resisting Urbandale police officers trying to pat him down for a weapon on April 10, 2014. A complaint signed by an Urbandale officer says Greene resisted verbal commands, was hostile and combative. It says he was known to be armed. He entered a guilty plea and was fined.
Two days later Urbandale police were called to answer a complaint of harassment at the apartment complex where Greene lived. The complaint says he threatened to kill another man during a confrontation in the parking lot. He was charged with harassment, pleaded guilty and received a suspended jail sentence and a year of probation.
Records show he completed a court-ordered substance abuse and psychological evaluation.
Des Moines police say Greene is a suspect in the shootings early Wednesday in Des Moines and the suburb of Urbandale.
9 a.m.
Police say a "series of leads and investigative tips" led them to identify a suspect in the killing of two Des Moines area police officers.
Des Moines Sgt. Paul Parizek wouldn't give details about how investigators determined 46-year-old Scott Michael Greene, of Urbandale, was a suspect in the separate shootings early Wednesday in Des Moines and the suburb of Urbandale.
Parizek says officers don't know where Greene is located.
Police have closed long stretches of the roads, about two miles apart, where the officers were found in their cars.
The Urbandale officer was dead at the scene and the Des Moines officer died at a hospital.
___
7:40 a.m.
Police say they have identified a suspect in the early morning killing of two Des Moines area police officers, warning he is likely armed and should be considered dangerous.
Police said in a statement Wednesday that they are hunting for 46-year-old Scott Michael Greene, of Urbandale.
He is described as white, 5 feet 11 inches tall, 180 pounds with brown hair and green eyes. He was last known to be driving a blue 2011 Ford F-150 pickup truck with Iowa license plates 780 YFR.
The truck is equipped with a ladder rack.
Investigators identified Greene as a suspect as they scrambled to respond to the killings of officers in Urbandale and Des Moines in separate shootings.
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5:10 a.m.
Police in Des Moines, Iowa, say two officers who were killed in ambush-style attacks were both shot while they were sitting in their patrol cars.
Des Moines Police Sgt. Paul Parizek said Wednesday that authorities are developing suspect information but there was nothing that authorities were ready to share with the public.
Parizek was emotional during a news conference. He says there is "clearly danger" right now for police officers in the area because the officers were gunned down while sitting in their cars doing nothing wrong. He says the department has doubled up its officers to better protect them.
The first officer, an Urbandale officer, was shot about 1:06 a.m. About 20 minutes later, a Des Moines officer was found shot about 2 miles away.
___
4:50 a.m.
Authorities say two police officers in the Des Moines, Iowa, area were shot to death in ambush-style attacks about 2 miles apart.
The Des Moines Police Department said in a news release that officers responded to a report of shots fired at about 1:06 a.m. and found an Urbandale Police Department officer who had been shot.
Des Moines officers responded to help. About 20 minutes later, a Des Moines officer was found shot about 2 miles away. Both officers have died.
The Des Moines Police Department said suspect information is being developed. The agency didn't immediately release any other information but said a news conference was planned for 5 a.m.
Urbandale is a city in the Des Moines metro area.
___
4:30 a.m.
Police in Des Moines, Iowa, say two officers have been shot and killed in ambush-style attacks.
The Des Moines Police Department said in a news release that the shootings took place early Wednesday. Officers responded to a report of shots fired at about 1:06 a.m. and found an Urbandale Police Department officer who had been shot.
Des Moines officers responded to assist. About 20 minutes later, a Des Moines officer was found shot. Both officers have died.
The Des Moines Police Department said suspect information is being developed. The agency didn't immediately release any other information but said a news conference was planned for 5 a.m. ||||| The interactive transcript could not be loaded.
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This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. ||||| The suspect for the deadly ambush shootings of two Iowa police officers appears to have previously clashed with cops in a recent video — after he brought a Confederate flag to a high school sports game.
Scott Michael Greene, 46, is the lone suspect for the Wednesday morning slayings of Urbandale Police Officer Justin Martin and Des Moines Police Sgt. Tony Beminio. He turned himself in after an hours-long manhunt.
Authorities released little information about Greene, and did not reveal a motive for the massacre.
But Greene has a history of police confrontations, and might have even filmed one just last month.
Two Iowa cops killed in 'ambush-style attacks,' suspect caught
There is a YouTube page in his name, with videos apparently filmed in Iowa and featuring a man resembling Greene.
One video, posted Oct. 16, shows a man arguing with Urbandale police officers for 10 minutes outside of an athletic event at the city's high school. It is titled “Police Abuse, Civil Rights Violation at Urbandale High School 10/14/16.”
The man filming the video, who is never seen on camera, accuses the officers of grabbing and shoving him as they order him off the property for creating a disturbance.
The man says black people in the stadium stands assaulted him and stole a flag from him.
An officer says it was a Confederate flag, and that the man should have expected trouble for waving it while “standing in front of several African-American people.”
An officer asks the man if he knows a student in the game, or just came to wave the flag.
“Well, I was using my constitutional rights,” the man replies.
“I was peacefully protesting.”
In a comment under the video, the man said he was “offended by the blacks sitting through our anthem.”
Scott Michael Greene. (Des Moines Police Department )
“Thousands more whites fought and died for their freedom. However this is not about the Armed forces, they are cop haters,” the user wrote.
The man sent this video to the local news station WHO-TV, hoping they would do a story about it.
“He said, ‘I have a story about someone’s civil liberties being violated and I have this video,” assignment editor Amanda Vizcarra told the Daily News.
She said he sent the clip during the station’s overnight shift, and no one there gave it serious consideration.
“It’s just him recording officers at a football game,” Vizcarra said.
“We didn’t do anything with it.”
An image from a YouTube video posted by a user in Iowa named Scott Greene, showing a man with a Confederate Flag near black spectators at a football game. (Scott Greene/via YouTube)
The user posted another video, called “Civil Rights Violation at Urbandale High School 10/14/16,” which shows a man resembling Greene holding a Confederate Flag at a sports game. Black spectators behind him look clearly outraged.
The school's stadium is at an intersection where Greene allegedly shot one of the officers on Wednesday.
The YouTube account also features a video posted just two days ago, showing high school cheerleaders dancing at a gymnasium event.
Police did not immediately confirm whether Greene is man behind the videos, or if the clips have any connection to the killings.
“We don’t know if it’s a relevant piece to our current investigation,” Des Moines Police Sgt. Paul Parizek said in an afternoon press conference.
But cops confirmed Greene has a daughter at Urbandale High School — and that officers booted him from a football game there Oct. 14.
Officers on the scene of one of the deadly police shootings Wednesday morning. (Charlie Neibergall/AP)
Police also issued trespass warnings to Greene for the school, and he threw back “indirect” threats of legal action, Urbandale Police Chief Ross McCarty said.
Greene had at least one previous brushup with police, and faced legal action for it.
He was charged with misdemeanor interference in 2014 for resisting an officer's attempt to pat him down for weapons, according to the Des Moines Register.
An officer described Greene as "noncompliant, hostile, combative" in a complaint and said Greene "made furtive movements toward his pockets."
Greene eventually pleaded guilty to the charge.
Two days after his 2014 police encounter, Greene called a man the N-word and threatened to kill him, according to another complaint. He pleaded guilty to a harassment charge and was sentenced to one year of probation.
Greene also faced assault and criminal mischief charges in 2001, but they were dismissed, court records show.
Just two weeks ago, Greene's 66-year-old mother was arrested for allegedly assaulting him. Police said the two got into a fight when the mother ordered Greene to remove his daughter's service dog from her home.
The mother could not be reached for comment and her voicemail box was full on Wednesday. ||||| CLOSE Scott Michael Greene was described as combative in a previous encounter with police. USA TODAY NETWORK
Scott Michael Greene (Photo: Des Moines Police)
An Urbandale man accused of gunning down two police officers Wednesday had a history of abrasive and racially charged run-ins with police and school officials.
Scott Michael Greene, 46, was kicked out of Urbandale High School’s football stadium on Oct. 14 after he claimed that spectators stole a Confederate flag he brought to a football game.
And in April 2014, he faced a harassment charge after he called a man the N-word and threatened to kill him.
“Most of our officers have some understanding of Mr. Greene,” Urbandale Police Chief Ross McCarty told reporters at a news conference Wednesday. “They’ve taken trips to his house or delivered service to him.”
Dallas County sheriff's deputies and Iowa State Patrol officers took Greene into custody around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, two hours after police officials identified him as the lone suspect in the shooting deaths of Urbandale Officer Justin Martin and Des Moines police Sgt. Anthony Beminio.
FBI spokeswoman Sandy Breault confirmed Wednesday that federal agents are assisting local Des Moines area investigators in combing through evidence to get a picture of what motivated the attacks.
Breault said agents are “scouring” social media pages purportedly connected to Greene, including a Facebook page that includes “friends” who are Iraqi, Nigerian or Saudi nationals.
Strange behavior
Greene lived with his mother in a modest tan home in the 3400 block of 70th Street. People in the neighborhood said he left a less-than-favorable impression.
He seemed “eager” to make strange remarks that seemed aimed at getting people to engage him in conversation, said Bart Brandon, who has lived for nine years in a neighboring house.
At least one court document suggests Greene struggled with a mental health issue. A probation officer who oversaw Greene following the harassment arrest wrote in a June 2015 report that he received a mental health evaluation and was taking recommended medications.
Phyllis Nace, a neighbor living across the street from Greene and his mother, said Greene spiraled into a depression after his Vietnam veteran father died from cancer in 2010. His 66-year-old mother, Patricia Greene, has been trying to support him, Nace said.
“It kind of spun Scott where he went into depression over a number of losses all in the same month,” Nace said. “He’s been trying to work through it.”
CLOSE Urbandale police Chief Ross McCarty said that his department had previous run-ins with shooting suspect Scott Michael Greene, including some in which he made indirect threats to the Urbandale schools. Rodney White/The Register
Discord at home
Patricia Greene moved out of the house after a recent fight with her son that resulted in a serious misdemeanor domestic abuse charge filed against her, said Brandon, a next-door neighbor.
According to a criminal complaint, Scott Greene called police on Oct. 16 to report that his mother slapped him in the face around 5:15 p.m. Greene told two Urbandale police officers that he and his mother were fighting earlier in the day over a service dog belonging to Greene’s daughter that he kept in the house, according to the complaint.
Greene ended the argument by going to his bedroom downstairs, but his mother reportedly later yelled at him. At one point, Patricia Greene tried to grab a necklace her son wore that included his father’s dog tags, telling him, “You don’t deserve these,” according to the complaint.
Greene told police that his mother slapped him during the scuffle. The contact left an abrasion on his face that the officers saw, according to the complaint. In addition to the criminal charge, a restraining order was issued blocking Patricia Greene from having contact with her son, court records show.
Patricia Greene has not entered a plea to the charge of domestic abuse assault causing bodily injury. Attempts to contact her Wednesday were unsuccessful. She is scheduled for an arraignment Nov. 30.
In a 2007 bankruptcy filing, Greene was listed as a father to a 17-year-old son, a 16-year-old daughter and a 5-year-old daughter.
Little is known at this point about Greene's employment history. John Stenberg, owner and CEO of Pigott, confirmed Wednesday that Greene worked at the Ingersoll Avenue furniture store from June 2006 through August 2013. Brandon said Greene told him this year that he was working at a hardware store.
MORE COVERAGE:
Football game disruption
No criminal charges were filed against Scott Greene stemming from the Oct. 14 incident when he was kicked out of the Urbandale football game, but he was given a warning for trespassing.
YouTube videos from a person identifying himself as Scott Greene show a confrontation between him and Urbandale police officers outside Frerichs Field in Urbandale last month.
CLOSE Urbandale school officials confirmed there was an “incident” involving Scott Michael Greene at a football game in mid-October. Greene is accused of fatally shooting two metro-area police officers Nov. 2, 2016. The Register
One video showed Greene confronting officers and questioning why he was being asked to leave school property.
Greene said several “African-American” people behind him stole his Confederate flag. The officers told him that holding the Confederate flag is in violation of an Urbandale school district code.
“It was almost like a mugging,” Greene said in the video. “I had my property and I was holding it, and they stole it from me.”
In a comment posted online with the YouTube video, an individual who said he was Scott Greene said: “I was offended by the blacks sitting through our anthem. Thousands more whites fought and died for their freedom. However, this is not about the armed forces, they are cop-haters.”
Thwarting a burglary
More recently, Greene told people in his Urbandale neighborhood that he helped thwart a burglary at Ye Olde Guitar Shoppe early the morning of Oct. 27, Brandon said.
Greene told his neighbor that he was walking a dog sometime before 5 a.m. when he noticed a strange vehicle near the store, across the street from his mother’s house, and called 911.
Brandon said it was strange when Greene knocked on his door around 6 a.m. to eagerly tell him about the burglary and his role in stopping it.
“To me he seemed like he was kind of enjoying being the good guy,” Brandon said. “He clearly didn’t have any problems calling law enforcement, so I don’t understand why he all of a sudden is against law enforcement.”
Store owner Paul Wilson confirmed the burglary, and he said Martin, the slain Urbandale officer, responded to the call. The young officer was "as good as gold" in helping through the situation, he said.
Wilson said someone broke into his safe and appeared to be preparing to steal inventory before police arrived.
Greene arrived in the store later in the morning to talk with Wilson and “sympathize,” he said.
Greene said he wished he was able to confront the suspect, then showed him a baton, Wilson said.
“He whacks out this telescoping baton and said, ‘Well, first I’ll break their collarbone, and if that doesn’t work they get to meet Mr. 9mm,’” Wilson said, referring to a handgun. “That’s not normal.’
“He was talking about how he was armed all the time and he was a stress victim from the military,” the store owner continued. “I didn’t have a good feeling about having the guy around.”
Col. Greg Hapgood of the Iowa National Guard said his branch of the military shows no record of Greene’s service. Hapgood said he doesn’t believe Greene had served in any branch of the military but deferred confirmation to the National Archives, which did not respond to a request Wednesday.
Resisting a pat-down
Greene was charged with a simple misdemeanor count of interference with official acts on April 10, 2014, when he resisted an attempt by officers to pat him down for weapons at an Urbandale residence on Colby Parkway, according to a criminal complaint.
The officers wanted to search Greene after noticing that he had a pouch on his belt that resembled a holster.
Greene was “non-compliant, hostile, combative and made furtive movements toward his pockets” before the arrest, Officer Chris Greenfield wrote in the complaint. Greenfield also noted that Greene was "known to go armed."
Greene pleaded guilty to the charge about two weeks later.
Two days later, Greene reportedly threatened to kill a man in the parking lot of the same apartment complex and was charged with first-degree harassment, according to another complaint.
In that incident, Greene was accused of approaching a man in the parking lot and shining a flashlight in his eyes.
Greene, who lived in the apartments, called the man the N-word and told the man “I will kill you, (expletive) kill you,” according to the complaint. Greene pleaded guilty to a lesser harassment charge on June 30, 2014, and was sentenced to one year of probation.
Read or Share this story: http://dmreg.co/2eUwqeh | – Police say the man suspected of killing two Iowa officers early Wednesday has what the AP calls "a history of racial provocations and confrontations with police." The Des Moines Register reports court records show 46-year-old Scott Greene was charged with resisting a pat down in April 2014 after an officer believed they saw a holster on Greene's belt. Greene pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor. Two days after that incident, Greene was charged with harassment after he confronted a man in the parking lot of his apartment complex, called the man a racial slur, and threatened to kill him. Greene was sentenced to probation. He was given a mental health evaluation in June 2015. In an incident just last month, Greene was kicked out of a high-school football game after he displayed a confederate flag in front of a number of black spectators during the national anthem. A man who appears to be Greene recorded two officers after he was removed from the stadium and posted the video on YouTube, the New York Daily News reports. The man in the video says he was "using my constitutional rights" and that he was upset by "blacks sitting through our anthem." He accuses officers of violating his rights. He tried and failed to get a TV news station to run the video. "It's just him recording two officers at a football game," a station editor says. "We didn't do anything with it." Police have not released a motive in the killing of officers Justin Martin and Tony Beminio. Greene turned himself in in connection with the killings. |
Shanghai's Crackdown on... Pajamas
As Beijing restricts online dissent and Urumqi clamps down on separatists , Shanghai is cracking down on... (wait for it)... pajama-wearing in public.
The wearing of colorful, boldly-printed pajamas in public has been popular in the city for years, and well-documented on Flickr as well as National Geographic.
But with the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai just three months away, city officials have launched a public etiquette clampdown targeting the unseemly practice.
The South China Morning Post reports that the city's Qiba neigborhood "has mobilized neighborhood committee officials and volunteers since July to talk people out of the habit of wearing pajamas in public."
The article also consults Chinese sociologist Zhang Jiehai, who says pajama-wearing in public began "as a matter of practicality because people lived in cramped conditions with no clear line between public space and private place."
Private pajama parties, anyone?
report this ad ||||| Guest Passes let you share your photos that aren't public. Anyone can see your public photos anytime, whether they're a Flickr member or not. But! If you want to share photos marked as friends, family or private, use a Guest Pass. If you're sharing photos from a set, you can create a Guest Pass that includes any of your photos marked as friends, family, or private. If you're sharing your entire photostream, you can create a Guest Pass that includes photos marked as friends or family (but not your private photos). Learn more about Guest Passes! | – Shanghai wants to look its best when it hosts the 2010 World Expo in a few months, so it's spreading the word to residents: Pajamas are for inside the house. Concerned about the popular habit of wearing boldly colored PJs on city streets, officials have launched a public campaign to discourage the practice. Boing Boing notes that the trend has been immortalized on Flickr and in National Geographic. The fashion statement began "as a matter of practicality because people lived in cramped conditions with no clear line between public space and private place," a Chinese sociologist tells the South China Morning Post. |