title: Air Force One

text: Presidents have invited other world leaders to travel with them on Air Force One at times, including Nixon inviting Soviet general secretary Leonid Brezhnev to travel with him to California from Washington, D.C. in June 1973. In 1983, President Reagan and Queen Elizabeth II toured the US West Coast aboard Air Force One. In March 2012, President Obama took British prime minister David Cameron to a basketball game in Ohio aboard Air Force One.


title: Air Force One

text: When President Bush came to the end of his second term in January 2009, a VC-25 was used to transport him to Texas. For this purpose the aircraft call sign was SAM 28000, as the aircraft did not carry the current president of the United States. Similar arrangements were made for former presidents Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama. President Donald Trump flew to his Mar-a-Lago estate shortly before his tenure as president ended, under the Air Force One call sign.


title: Air Force One

text: On 27 April 2009, a low-flying VC-25 circled New York City for a photo-op and training exercise and caused a scare for many in New York.


title: Air Force One

text: The VC-25As are to be replaced as the cost of maintaining the aging systems on their 30-year-old airframes and less efficient GE-CF6 engines has begun to surpass the cost of acquiring a new aircraft. On 28 January 2015, the Air Force announced that the Boeing 747-8 would be the next presidential aircraft. On 6 December 2016, President-elect Donald Trump tweeted his opposition to the Air Force One replacement because of its high cost, "more than $4 billion". The US Government Accountability Office estimated the total cost at $3.2 billion, and the US Air Force's budget for the program is projected to be nearly $4 billion. In December 2016, Boeing was on contract for preliminary development worth $170 million.


title: Air Force One

text: On 1 August 2017, "Defense One" reported that, in an effort to pay less for the replacement program, the US Air Force contracted to purchase two of the bankrupt Russian airline Transaero's undelivered 747-8 Intercontinentals from Boeing, which was storing them in the Mojave Desert to prevent corrosion. These airplanes, which were flight-tested but never delivered, are to be retrofitted with telecommunications and security equipment to bring them to the required security level of presidential aircraft, but without the aerial refueling capability originally requested as the structural reinforcements necessary cannot be retrofitted onto an existing airframe.


title: Air Force One

text: In September 2020, the US Air force announced several Presidential and Executive Airlift Directorate contracts signed with aircraft manufacturers to begin development of a supersonic aircraft that could function as Air Force One. Contracts have been signed with Exosonic, Hermeus, and Boom.


title: Air Force One

text: During the Johnson Administration, the United States Air Force acquired a Beechcraft King Air B90 which was designated VC-6A (66-7943). The aircraft was used to transport President Johnson between Bergstrom Air Force Base and his family ranch near Johnson City, Texas, and was used at least once to transport the President to Princeton, New Jersey. It was referred to as "Lady Bird's airplane" and later in its service life featured a basic color scheme similar to civilian aircraft. When the President was aboard, the aircraft used the call sign Air Force One.


title: Air Force One

text: United Airlines is the only commercial airline to have operated "Executive One", the call sign given to a civilian flight on which the US president is aboard. On 26 December 1973, President Richard Nixon and his family flew as commercial passengers on a United DC-10 from Washington Dulles to Los Angeles International Airport. His staff explained that this was done to conserve fuel by not having to fly the usual Boeing 707 Air Force aircraft.


title: Air Force One

text: In November 1999, President Bill Clinton flew from Ankara, Turkey, to Cengiz Topel Naval Air Station outside Izmit, Turkey, aboard a marked C-20C (Gulfstream III) using the call sign "Air Force One", escorted by three F-16s.


title: Air Force One

text: On 8 March 2000, President Clinton flew to Pakistan aboard an unmarked Gulfstream III while another aircraft with the call sign "Air Force One" flew on the same route a few minutes later. This diversion was reported by several US press outlets.


title: Air Force One

text: On 1 May 2003, President George W. Bush flew in the co-pilot seat of a Sea Control Squadron Thirty-Five (VS-35) S-3B Viking from Naval Air Station North Island, California to the aircraft carrier USS "Abraham Lincoln" off the California coast, where Bush delivered his "Mission Accomplished" speech. During the flight, the aircraft used the call sign of "Navy One" for the first time. This aircraft is now on display at the National Naval Aviation Museum at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida.


title: Air Force One

text: Barack Obama used the Gulfstream C-37 variant on a personal trip in 2009 to visit the production of August Wilson's "Joe Turner's Come and Gone" in New York.


title: Air Force One

text: Several Boeing C-17 Globemaster IIIs typically accompany the president whenever he travels, carrying the presidential limousines and other support vehicles, and have been rumored to have discreetly transported presidents and vice presidents in and out of Iraq and Afghanistan without using the "Air Force One" call sign.


title: Air Force One

text: When required by circumstances, the president makes domestic flights using the Boeing C-32 narrow body jet, sometimes to allow access to smaller airports that cannot support the larger VC-25. Alternatively, vice presidents have used a VC-25 on longer trips, which then uses the "Air Force Two" call sign instead.


title: Air Force One

text: A Lockheed JetStar which was used by Lyndon Johnson during his presidency is on display at the LBJ Ranch (now the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park) in Stonewall, Texas. The ranch had a runway, but was too small to accommodate a large plane such as a Boeing 707. President Johnson would take the larger Air Force One to Bergstrom AFB in Austin, where he would transfer to the smaller JetStar for the short flight to the ranch.


title: Air Force One

text: A McDonnell Douglas VC-9C used by Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton is on display at Castle Air Museum in Atwater, California, adjacent to the former Castle Air Force Base. Another VC-9C has been at DAFB Air Mobility Command Museum in Dover, DE since 2011.


title: Air Force One

text: Air Force One is shown as being equipped with a one-person escape pod and parachutes for emergency use by the president of the United States in at least five films: "Escape from New York", "Air Force One", "White House Down", "Bermuda Tentacles", and "Big Game". However, the actual Air Force One does not have an escape pod or parachutes for emergency use.


title: The English Patient (film)

text: The English Patient is a 1996 epic romantic war drama film directed by Anthony Minghella from his own script based on the 1992 novel of the same name by Michael Ondaatje and produced by Saul Zaentz.


title: The English Patient (film)

text: The eponymous protagonist, a man burned beyond recognition who speaks with an English accent, recalls his history in a series of flashbacks, revealing to the audience his true identity and the love affair he was involved in before the war. He does not admit his identity or reveal the entire story to the nurse who cares for him and the man who suspects him until the end of the film. This form of exposition is very different from the book, where, under the influence of morphine, the patient talks about his past. The film ends with a definitive onscreen statement that it is a highly fictionalized account of László Almásy (died 1951) and other historical figures and events.


title: The English Patient (film)

text: The film received twelve nominations at the 69th Academy Awards, winning nine, including Best Picture, Best Director for Minghella, and Best Supporting Actress for Juliette Binoche. It was also the first to receive a Best Editing Oscar for a digitally edited film. Ralph Fiennes, playing the titular character, and Kristin Scott Thomas were Oscar-nominated for their performances. The film also won five BAFTA Awards and two Golden Globes. The British Film Institute ranked "The English Patient" the 55th greatest British film of the 20th century. The American Film Institute ranked it the 56th greatest love story of all-time.


title: The English Patient (film)

text: As of August 2021, the novel was in early development for a new BBC television series, co-produced by Miramax Television and Paramount Television Studios.


title: The English Patient (film)

text: An interwar vintage British biplane, flying across a sea of desert, is shot down by German gunners. The badly burned pilot is pulled from the wreckage and rescued by a group of Bedouin.


title: The English Patient (film)

text: Hana, a French-Canadian combat nurse of the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps during WWII, learns from a wounded soldier that her boyfriend has been killed in action.


title: The English Patient (film)

text: In October 1944 Italy, Hana is caring for a dying, scarred-from-burns English-accented patient who says he cannot remember his name. His only possession is a copy of Herodotus' Histories, with personal notes, pictures, and mementos stored inside. When a nurse friend is killed in front of her, Hana decides she is a curse to those who love her. She gains permission to settle in a bombed-out monastery with her patient, as he suffers extra during relocations of her hospital unit.


title: The English Patient (film)

text: They are soon joined by Lt. Kip, a Sikh sapper in the British Indian Army posted with Sgt. Hardy to clear German mines and booby traps. David Caravaggio, a Canadian Intelligence Corps operative who was tortured during a German interrogation, also arrives at the monastery. Caravaggio questions the patient, who gradually reveals his past through a series of flashbacks. Over the days of Almásy relating his story, Hana and Kip begin a shy love affair.


title: The English Patient (film)

text: The patient reveals that in the late 1930s he was exploring a region of the Sahara. He is, in fact, Hungarian cartographer László Almásy, who was part of a Royal Geographical Society archeological and surveying expedition with a group including his good friend, Englishman Peter Madox, and British couple Geoffrey and Katharine Clifton, who own a plane and contribute with aerial surveys.


title: The English Patient (film)

text: Almásy learns information from a Bedouin which helps the group discover the Cave of Swimmers, an ancient site of cave paintings. The group begins to document their find, during which time Almásy and Katharine fall in love. He writes about her in notes folded into his book, which Katharine discovers when Almásy awkwardly accepts her offer of two watercolours she has painted of the cave imagery and asks her to paste them into the book.


title: The English Patient (film)

text: The two begin an affair on their return to Cairo, while the group arranges for more detailed archaeological surveys of the cave and the surrounding area. Almásy buys her a silver thimble as a gift. Some months later, Katharine abruptly ends their affair from fear Geoffrey will discover it. Shortly afterward the archaeological projects are halted due to the onset of the war. Madox leaves his Tiger Moth aeroplane at Kufra Oasis before his intended return to Britain.


title: The English Patient (film)

text: Caravaggio reveals that he has been seeking revenge for his injuries, and has killed the German interrogator who cut off his thumbs and the spy who identified him, but has been searching for the man who provided maps to the Germans, allowing them to infiltrate Cairo. He suspects the patient is Almásy, asking "Did you kill the Cliftons?", to which Almásy concedes "Maybe... I did".


title: The English Patient (film)

text: Reminiscing for Caravaggio, with Hana listening in from an adjoining room, Almásy recalls packing camp in 1941 when Geoffrey arrives overhead. He dives straight for Almásy, who jumps out of the way. Scrambling over to the wreckage, he finds Geoffrey dead at the controls and Katharine badly injured in the front seat. She tells him Geoffrey knew, and was attempting a double murder-suicide. Almásy carries her to the Cave of Swimmers. He notices she is wearing a chain bearing his gift, and she declares she has always loved him.


title: The English Patient (film)

text: Leaving her in the cave with provisions and his book, Almásy walks three days cross-desert. Arriving at British-held El Tag, he explains the desperate situation and asks for help, but a young officer detains Almásy on suspicion of being a spy. Transported away by train, Almásy escapes and eventually comes into contact with a German army unit. They take him to the Kufra Oasis, where Madox has hidden his plane. Exchanging maps for fuel, Almásy takes to the air and finally reaches the cave, where he confirms that Katharine has died. He carries her body to the plane, and he is burned when shot down, connecting to the start of the film. After hearing the story, Caravaggio gives up his quest for revenge.


title: The English Patient (film)

text: Kip is reposted once he has cleared the area of explosives; he and Hana agree they will meet again. Later, pushing several vials of morphine toward Hana, Almásy tells her he has had enough. Though visibly upset, she grants his wish and administers a lethal dose. As he drifts to sleep, she reads him Katharine's final letter, written to Almásy while she was alone in the cave. The next morning Caravaggio returns with a friend, and they get a lift to Florence. Hana holds Almásy's book tightly as they ride away.


title: The English Patient (film)

text: In addition, Torri Higginson plays Mary and Liisa Repo-Martell plays the soon-killed Jan, appearing briefly as Hana's nursing corps colleagues.


title: The English Patient (film)

text: Saul Zaentz was interested in working with Anthony Minghella after he saw the director's film "Truly, Madly, Deeply" (1990); Minghella brought this project to the producer's attention. Michael Ondaatje, the Sri Lankan-born Canadian author of the novel, worked closely with the filmmakers. During the development of the project with 20th Century Fox, according to Minghella, the "studio wanted the insurance policy of so-called bigger" actors. Zaentz recalled, "they'd look at you and say, 'Could we cast Demi Moore in the role'?" Not until Miramax Films took over was the director's preference for Scott Thomas accepted.


title: The English Patient (film)

text: "The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film" (2002) by Michael Ondaatje is based on the conversations between the author and film editor. Murch, with a career that already included such complex works as the Godfather trilogy, "The Conversation," and "Apocalypse Now," dreaded the task of editing the film with multiple flashbacks and time frames. Once he began, the possibilities became apparent, some of which took him away from the order of the original script. A reel without sound was made so scene change visuals would be consistent with the quality of the aural aspect between the two. The final cut features over 40 temporal transitions. It was during this time that Murch met Ondaatje and they were able to exchange thoughts about editing the film.


title: The English Patient (film)

text: Two types of aircraft are used in the film, a De Havilland D.H.82 Tiger Moth and a Boeing-Stearman Model 75. Both are biplanes. The camp crash scene was made with a -size scale model.


title: The English Patient (film)

text: The Hungarian folk song, "Szerelem, Szerelem", performed by Muzsikas featuring Márta Sebestyén, was featured in the film.


title: The English Patient (film)

text: The film received widespread critical acclaim, was a box office success, and received nine Academy Awards, six BAFTA awards, and two Golden Globe Awards.


title: The English Patient (film)

text: Janet Maslin of "The New York Times" called the movie "a stunning feat of literary adaptation as well as a purely cinematic triumph". In "The New Yorker", Anthony Lane argues that "the triumph of the film lies not just in the force and the range of the performances—the crisp sweetness of Scott Thomas, say, versus the raw volatility of Binoche—but in Minghella’s creation of an intimate epic: vast landscapes mingle with the minute details of desire, and the combination is transfixing".


title: The English Patient (film)

text: The film has a "Certified Fresh" rating of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 91 reviews, with an average rating of 7.90/10. The website's critical consensus states, "Though it suffers from excessive length and ambition, director Minghella's adaptation of the Michael Ondaatje novel is complex, powerful, and moving." The film also has a rating of 87/100 on Metacritic, based on 31 critical reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". "Chicago Sun Times" critic Roger Ebert gave the film a four-star rating, saying "it's the kind of movie you can see twice – first for the questions, the second time for the answers". In his movie guide, Leonard Maltin rated the film out of 4, calling it "a mesmerizing adaptation" of Ondaatje's novel, saying "Fiennes and Scott Thomas are perfectly matched", and he concluded by calling the film "an exceptional achievement all around". In 2021, "The Boston Globe" called the movie a "masterpiece" in a 25-year anniversary review.


title: The English Patient (film)

text: It became the highest-grossing film in the history of Miramax with a worldwide gross of $232 million.


title: The English Patient (film)

text: In 2009, "The English Patient" was included in "The Guardian"'s 25 best British films of the last 25 years list.


title: Leroy Sané

text: Leroy Aziz Sané (born 11 January 1996) is a German professional footballer who plays as a winger for club Bayern Munich and the German national team.


title: Leroy Sané

text: Sané made his professional debut for Schalke 04 in 2014 and transferred to Manchester City in 2016 for an initial £37 million fee. He was voted PFA Young Player of the Year in 2017–18, becoming the first and only German player to win the award, after helping City win the Premier League and EFL Cup, a feat the side bettered by winning a domestic treble the following season.


title: Leroy Sané

text: Sané made his senior international debut for Germany in November 2015 and was part of their squad that reached the semi-finals of UEFA Euro 2016.


title: Leroy Sané

text: Sané was born on 11 January 1996 in Essen, Germany and was raised near the Lohrheidestadion, Wattenscheid. He is the son of former German rhythmic gymnast and 1984 Summer Olympics bronze medalist Regina Weber, and former footballer and Senegalese international Souleymane Sané. He was named Leroy in honour of Claude Le Roy, a former head coach of his father. His father met his mother while playing professionally for SG Wattenscheid 09. Souleymane Sané was raised in France; he moved to Germany through his service in the French Army. Sané's two brothers, Kim and Sidi, have played for the youth side or second XI of major German football clubs.


title: Leroy Sané

text: Sané began playing football in 2001 for the youth team of SG Wattenscheid 09. In 2005, he joined Schalke 04. Three years later, he joined Bayer Leverkusen, before returning to the Schalke youth academy ("Nachwuchsleistungszentrum") in 2011.


title: Leroy Sané

text: On 21 March 2014, Sané signed a three-year professional contract with Schalke ending on 30 June 2017. He made his Bundesliga debut on 20 April 2014 against VfB Stuttgart. He replaced Max Meyer after 77 minutes in a 3–1 away defeat. He scored his first goal of the season in a 2–1 home defeat to 1. FC Köln on 13 December. On 11 March 2015, Sané scored in his first UEFA Champions League match in a 4–3 victory over Real Madrid, although his side were knocked out of the competition on 5–4 aggregate.


title: Leroy Sané

text: On 2 August 2016, Sané joined Premier League club Manchester City, signing a five-year contract for a reported £37 million transfer fee, with performance-related add-ons potentially making the fee £46.5 million. He made his debut in a 1–2 win in the Manchester derby against Manchester United on 10 September. His first goal for City came in a 2–1 home win against Arsenal in the Premier League on 18 December. Following a spell on the sidelines due to injury, Sané made his return in a game against Tottenham Hotspur and scored in the 2–2 draw at the City of Manchester Stadium on 21 January 2017. On 28 January, he scored in a 3–0 away win over Crystal Palace in the FA Cup fourth round match.


title: Leroy Sané

text: On 21 February, Sané scored in a 5–3 comeback win over Monaco in the Champions League round of 16 first leg match. On 1 March, he scored in a 5–1 home win over Huddersfield Town in the FA Cup fifth round replay match. Four days later, on 5 March, he scored in a 2–0 away win over Sunderland. On 15 March, Sané scored in the return fixture of the Champions League tie against Monaco; however, City lost 1–3, knocking them out from the tournament on away goals. On 2 April, Sané scored the opening goal in an eventual 2–2 draw with Arsenal. On 15 April, he scored in a 3–0 win over Southampton.


title: Leroy Sané

text: In July 2017, Sané said he believed his debut season at City had been limited by his inability to breathe through his nose. He said he particularly suffered during matches, with his constantly blocked nose hampering his performance and causing him intense frustration. He opted to have corrective surgery during the off-season break. Although this caused him to miss that year's FIFA Confederations Cup, he said his chronic nasal congestion was becoming increasingly unbearable for him and that he wished to enter the next season feeling happy and healthy.


title: Leroy Sané

text: On 9 September 2017, Sané scored his first two goals of the 2017–18 season in City's 5–0 home win against Liverpool. On 20 September, he scored twice in a 2–1 away win over West Bromwich Albionin the third round match of the League Cup. On 23 September, he scored in a 5–0 win over Crystal Palace. On 14 October, he scored in a 7–2 win over Stoke City. On 21 October, he scored in a 3–0 win over Burnley. On 28 October, he scored in a 3–2 away win over West Bromwich Albion. After scoring and assisting once in each of his three matches, he earned the Premier League Player of the Month award for October 2017. On 6 January 2018, he scored in a 4–1 win in the FA Cup third round over Burnley. On 14 January, he scored in a 4–3 defeat to Liverpool. Nine days later, on 23 January, he scored in a 3–2 away win over Bristol City, securing advancement into the League Cup final, in which he played 77 minutes before being substituted off as City won 3–0 over Arsenal to clinch their first trophy under Pep Guardiola. On 1 March, five days following the win in the final, he scored against Arsenal in a 3–0 league away win. On 31 March, he scored in a 3–1 away win over Everton, putting City just a win away from winning the league title. On 29 April, he scored in a 4–1 away win over West Ham United.


title: Leroy Sané

text: Sané was voted the PFA Young Player of the Year for his part in Manchester City's 2017–18 Premier League title win, edging teammates Raheem Sterling and Ederson, as well as Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane. With 15 assists, Sané just missed out on winning the inaugural Premier League Playmaker of the Season award to fellow teammate Kevin De Bruyne.


title: Leroy Sané

text: On 15 September 2018, Sané scored the opening goal and his first of the 2018–19 season in City's 3–0 home win against Fulham. He later scored the final goal in consecutive home match wins over Burnley and Southampton. On 24 November, Sané assisted a first-half goal for Sterling and scored a brace in a 4–0 away win over West Ham United.


title: Leroy Sané

text: On 3 January 2019, he scored the winning goal for Manchester City in the 72nd minute of the game against Liverpool, which resulted in Liverpool's first and only league defeat of the season. On 21 February 2019, Manchester City were 2–1 down in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 tie against Sané's former club, Schalke, playing with only 10 men after Nicolás Otamendi was sent off on the 68th minute. Sané levelled the scores with a stunning free kick from just under 30 yards only seven minutes after being substituted for Sergio Agüero. He chose not to celebrate out of respect for his former club. City went on to win the game 3–2 with the winning goal scored by Raheem Sterling.


title: Leroy Sané

text: On 13 March 2019, in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 clash against Schalke, Sané put in an incredible performance with three assists and a goal to contribute to Manchester City's 7–0 victory against his former club, sending City to the quarter-finals of the competition. On 24 April 2019, Sané scored the second and final goal in a match against Manchester United during the 66th minute to secure City a Manchester derby win. It was his first Manchester derby goal.


title: Leroy Sané

text: Sané was repeatedly linked with Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich to replace club staples Franck Ribéry, who was leaving the club, and retiring Arjen Robben. Despite a deal to the German side reportedly being nearly finalized, Sané was named in the starting 11 against Liverpool in the FA Community Shield. After only 10 minutes, Sané was substituted after sustaining a torn ACL, ruling him out for the majority of the season and ending talks with Bayern until his injury healed. In June 2020, Sané rejected a contract extension at Manchester City, with Guardiola stating that Sané would leave the club in the summer.


title: Leroy Sané

text: On 3 July 2020, Bayern Munich agreed to sign a five-year deal with Sané for an initial €45 million with add-ons rising to a potential €60 million. Sané scored on his second Bundesliga debut in an 8–0 win against former club Schalke 04. On 3 November 2020, Sané scored his first Champions League goal for Bayern Munich in a 6–2 away win over Red Bull Salzburg in the 2020–21 season.


title: Leroy Sané

text: In the 2021–22 Champions League season, he scored six goals and provided six assists in ten matches including three goals in two matches against Benfica. On 7 September 2022, he scored a goal and had his shot deflected to an own goal in a 2–0 away win against Inter Milan in the first match of the 2022–23 UEFA Champions League. On 4 October 2022, he scored a brace in a 5–0 win over Viktoria Plzeň, to reach his 20th goal in the Champions League.


title: Leroy Sané

text: Sané was first called up to the Germany under-21 team by youth coach Horst Hrubesch on 28 August 2015 for the friendly against Denmark and for the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifier against Azerbaijan. On 3 September 2015, he made his debut for the German U21 side in a 2–1 win at Stadion an der Lohmühle in Lübeck against Denmark, where he was replaced after 73 minutes by Julian Brandt.


title: Leroy Sané

text: Sané received his first senior call-up to the German senior team on 6 November 2015 in a friendly against France. Sané was eligible to play for France, due to also holding French citizenship. On 13 November 2015, he was substituted in the 61st-minute for Julian Draxler in a friendly match against France in Saint-Denis in a 2–0 defeat for the Germans that was overshadowed by shootings and explosions around the stadium.


title: Leroy Sané

text: Sané was selected by Germany boss Joachim Löw to represent the country at UEFA Euro 2016. He participated in one match, replacing Bastian Schweinsteiger in the 79th minute in Germany's 2–0 semi-final defeat to France.


title: Leroy Sané

text: Sané was omitted from Germany's final 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in favour of another young player, Julian Brandt, on 4 June 2018. In September 2018, after he was selected for the squad to face games against France and Peru, he left the team hotel after a discussion with Joachim Löw, citing "personal reasons" as his cause for leaving. It was later revealed that the reason for leaving was due to the birth of his daughter.


title: Leroy Sané

text: On 16 November 2018, he scored his first goal for Germany against Russia following an assist from Serge Gnabry. The goal came in the eighth minute of the game as Germany won 3–0. On 19 May 2021, he was selected to the squad for the UEFA Euro 2020.


title: Itzy

text: Itzy (stylized in all caps; ) is a South Korean girl group formed by JYP Entertainment and consisting of members Yeji, Lia, Ryujin, Chaeryeong, and Yuna. They debuted on February 12, 2019, with the release of their single album "It'z Different". Their accolades include Rookie of the Year at the 34th Golden Disc Awards, New Artist of the Year at the 9th Gaon Chart Music Awards and 2019 Melon Music Awards, Best New Female Artist at the 2019 Mnet Asian Music Awards, and the New Artist Award at the 29th Seoul Music Awards; they are the first K-pop girl group to achieve such a "Rookie Grand Slam".


title: Itzy

text: After failing to pass auditions held by Fantagio, Chaeryeong and her sister were cast by JYP Entertainment (JYP) through the "K-pop Star 3" television series. In 2015, Chaeryeong participated in JYP's survival show "Sixteen" but did not make the final lineup of the winning girl group, Twice. The first member of Itzy to join JYP, she trained for five years. Ryujin was scouted at a Got7 concert and trained at JYP for four years prior to Itzy's debut. Both Yuna and Yeji joined JYP in 2015 and trained for three years, Yuna after being discovered by company staff and Yeji after having successfully auditioned. The final member Lia initially auditioned for SM Entertainment and passed but was forced to back out at the last minute due to a disagreement with her parents. She passed JYP auditions several years later and trained for two years.


title: Itzy

text: In 2017, Yuna and Ryujin appeared in BTS' "Love Yourself" Highlight Reel. The same year, the members (except for Lia) appeared on the Mnet reality show "Stray Kids" as a project group alongside the boy group that would eventually be named Stray Kids. Ryujin competed on JTBC's survival show "Mix Nine", placing first among the female contestants but losing to the male contestants overall. Meanwhile, Yeji participated in SBS' "The Fan" but was eliminated in the fifth episode.


title: Itzy

text: On January 21, 2019, JYP announced that they would be debuting a new girl group, their first since Twice in 2015 and first overall idol group since Stray Kids in 2017. The label's official YouTube channel uploaded a video trailer revealing the five members.


title: Itzy

text: On February 12, the group released their debut single album, "It'z Different", led by the single "Dalla Dalla". The song incorporated elements from EDM sub-genres such as future house and bass house, and its empowering lyrics were well received by audiences. The group scored one of the biggest "Billboard" debuts for a new K-pop act in years, with "Dalla Dalla" entering at number three and peaking at number two on the World Digital Song Sales chart. The song sold 2,000 downloads in the US in the week ending February 14, according to Nielsen Music, making it the best-selling K-pop song in the country that week. "Want It?" was released alongside "Dalla Dalla" and debuted at number eight, selling 1,000 downloads. "Dalla Dalla" also debuted as the second most popular song on YouTube. "Billboard" confirmed that the music video for "Dalla Dalla" surpassed 17.1 million views within 24 hours of its release and broke the record for the most viewed K-pop debut music video within 24 hours. On February 21, eight days after their debut, Itzy received their first music show win on "M Countdown", breaking the record for the fastest time for a girl group to achieve their first music show win. The song went on to win on music shows nine times, and its music video became the fastest K-pop debut music video to reach 100 million views on YouTube at the time.


title: Itzy

text: Itzy's first extended play (EP), "It'z Icy", was released on July 29, along with a music video for lead single "Icy". Commercially, the EP was a success, peaking at number three on the Gaon Album Chart. "Icy" continued the group's success on music shows, earning 12 wins, including a triple crown on "Show Champion". On September 22, JYP announced Itzy's showcase tour, the Itzy Premiere Showcase Tour "Itzy? Itzy!". The tour opened in Jakarta on November 2 and visited different cities in Asia throughout the end of 2019 and the US for five shows in January 2020.


title: Itzy

text: In November 2019, "Dalla Dalla" surpassed 100 million streams on Gaon Music Chart, earning the group their first platinum certification. It was the first debut song by a K-pop group to earn a platinum certification from the Korea Music Content Association (KMCA) since the introduction of certifications in April 2018. The single ranked eighth on the list of "The 20 Best K-pop Songs of 2019" compiled by "Dazed", which described the group as having kept "a steady hand on the rudder using the fun touches even with the visual and sonic chaos going on around" and "the ones to give K-pop a fresh boot up". The music videos for "Dalla Dalla" and "Icy" placed on the list of South Korea's most popular music video on YouTube at numbers two and seven, respectively. At the end of the year, Itzy won several Best New Female Artist awards, including at the 2019 Melon Music Awards and the 2019 Mnet Asian Music Awards.


title: Itzy

text: Itzy began the year with the US leg of their showcase tour. Their first show was on January 17, 2020, in Los Angeles. On March 9, Itzy released their second EP, "It'z Me", and its lead single "Wannabe". Featuring production from Sophie and Oliver Heldens, the EP saw the group experiment with EDM sounds while continuing to explore lyrical themes of freedom, self-confidence, and individuality. "It'z Me" debuted at number one on South Korea's Gaon Album Chart, making it the group's first number one album in the country. It also debuted at number five on the "Billboard" World Albums chart, their highest position on the chart at the time. The group went on to achieve eight music show wins with "Wannabe". On August 17, 2020, Itzy released "Not Shy", their third EP, as well as the music video for the lead single of the same name. Although it featured Itzy's signature "teen crush" pop sound, the album marked a lyrical shift as the group transitioned from singing about "themes of independence and self-love" to "tipping their toes into the waters of singing about love". The EP debuted at number one on the Gaon Album Chart with sales of over 219,048 copies, their second release to top the chart. Itzy promoted "Not Shy" on music shows, achieving five wins.


title: Itzy

text: On March 20, 2021, Itzy released the digital single "Trust Me (Midzy)", a song dedicated to their fans, as part of their first global livestream event. On April 30, Itzy released their fourth EP "Guess Who" and its lead single "In the Morning". the song debuted and peaked at number 22 on the "Billboard" Global Excl. U.S. chart and also at number 34 on the Global 200 chart, becoming their highest entry on both. The EP entered the US Billboard 200 at number 148, making it their first appearance on the chart. Later that year, the EP was certified Platinum by Korea Music Content Association (KMCA). The English version of "In the Morning" was released on May 14.


title: Itzy

text: On July 1, 2021, Second Aunt KimDaVi and Itzy released the collaborative digital single "Break Ice" under VIVO WAVE and distributed by Genie Music and Stone Music Entertainment. On September 1, it was announced that Itzy would be making their Japanese debut under Warner Japan with the EP "What'z Itzy". On September 24, Itzy released their first studio album "Crazy in Love" and its lead single "Loco". The album debuted at number 11 on the "Billboard" 200, a new career high for the group. "Crazy in Love" was certified Platinum by the KMCA in November 2021 for selling over 250,000 copies and 2× Platinum in February 2022 for selling over 500,000 copies. On December 22, 2021, the group released a Japanese compilation album titled "It'z Itzy".


title: Itzy

text: On February 10, 2022, it was reported by "Billboard" that Republic Records and JYP Entertainment added Itzy to their strategic partnership, which initially only included Twice. On April 6, Itzy released their first Japanese single "Voltage". On July 15, Itzy released their fifth EP "Checkmate" and its lead single "Sneakers". It was also announced that they would embark on their first world tour, the Checkmate World Tour, with the first shows in Seoul on August 6 and 7. Itzy released their second Japanese single "Blah Blah Blah" on October 5 and their first English single "Boys Like You" on October 21. On November 30, Itzy released their sixth EP "Cheshire" and its lead single of the same name.


title: Itzy

text: Itzy has advertised for various brands since their debut in 2019, when they collaborated with Kia Motors to introduce the "Soul Booster" cars in the music video of Itzy's debut single "Dalla Dalla". They subsequently released the "Itzy X Soul Booster Special Video". Itzy became one of the celebrity endorsers of Lotte Duty Free in 2019. Later that year, Itzy inked endorsement deals with clothing brand Andar and MAC Cosmetics. Itzy also endorsed local brands such as Dongseo Food and CJ CheilJedang, which collaborated with Itzy to release limited edition "Gourmet Chicken" that was promoted with the release of a theme music video on YouTube. Itzy endorsed the local contact lens brand Claren in 2021. In August 2020, Itzy collaborated with Line Friends to participate in the character development of "lifetime friends" called "WDZY" dolls representing each member.


title: Itzy

text: On April 31, 2021, Maybelline New York announced that they selected ITZY as their new global spokesmodels, the first Korean and musician to be chosen as such by Maybelline New York. In March 2022, Itzy promoted the Adidas Members Week event at the Adidas Hongdae Center. They advertised the "" video game and the Pokémon Card Game in January 2022, followed by "Pokémon Unite" in July 2022 alongside the release of the special video "Pokémon Unite / ITZY Special Show!" on July 7. On March 10, 2022, Swedish Fashion brand H&M announced that they selected Itzy as models for the brand's spring/summer campaign. On August 16, 2022, Itzy became ambassadors for the Singaporean fashion brand Charles & Keith.


title: Richard Hilton

text: Richard Howard Hilton (born August 17, 1955) is an American businessman. He is the chairman and co-founder of Hilton & Hyland, a real estate brokerage firm based in Beverly Hills, California, that specializes in homes and estates in Beverly Hills, Holmby Hills, Bel-Air, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Hollywood Hills, as well as estates from Santa Barbara to San Diego.


title: Richard Hilton

text: Hilton was born in Los Angeles, California, the sixth of eight children to Marilyn June (née Hawley) and Barron Hilton, whose father was Hilton Hotel founder Conrad Hilton. In 1978, he graduated from the University of Denver with a degree in hotel and restaurant management. His siblings are: William Barron Hilton Jr. (born 1948), Hawley Anne Hilton (born 1949), Steven Michael Hilton (born 1950), David Alan Hilton (born 1952), Sharon Constance Hilton (born 1953), Daniel Kevin Hilton (born 1962), and Ronald Jeffrey Hilton (born 1963).


title: Richard Hilton

text: Hilton joined the New York office of Eastdil Secured, a real estate investment banking firm. He specialized in securing participation of institutional investors and pension funds in various transactions.


title: Richard Hilton

text: In 1984, he formed Hilton Realty Investment to handle commercial real estate. He obtained his broker license on November 29, 1985. Hilton and Jeffrey Hyland were issued a corporation license for their real estate firm Hilton & Hyland on July 26, 1993. Among their developments are Brentwood Country Estates. Former "Million Dollar Listing" cast members Chad Rogers and Josh Altman; Frank Robinson's daughter, Nichelle; Ron Kass's son, Robert; Anne Heche's former husband, Coleman Laffoon; Rayni Romito Williams and Branden Brent Williams, Richard D. Zanuck's daughter-in-law, Marisa, are among Hilton & Hyland's 106 salespeople. In 2012, Hilton & Hyland reported almost $3.5 billion in sales Since 2006, Williams & Williams has been affiliated with the "Hilton & Hyland Real Estate Inc". Both companies joined forces to develop and distribute projects in the highly competitive real estate luxury market.


title: Richard Hilton

text: Hilton married Kathy Avanzino on November 24, 1979 when he was 24 years old and she was 20 years old. They have four children:


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (, Ukrainian abbreviation "ВРУ"), often simply Verkhovna Rada or just Rada, is the parliament of Ukraine. The Verkhovna Rada is composed of 450 deputies, who are presided over by a chairman (speaker). The Verkhovna Rada meets in the Verkhovna Rada building in Ukraine's capital Kyiv. The deputies elected in the 21 July 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election were inaugurated on 29 August 2019.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: The Verkhovna Rada developed out of the systems of the republican representative body known in the Soviet Union as Supreme Soviet (Supreme Council) that was first established 26 June 1938 as a type of legislature of the Ukrainian SSR after the dissolution of the Congress of Soviets of the Ukrainian SSR.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: The 12th convocation of the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR (elected in 1990) issued the Declaration of Independence of Ukraine, introduced elements of a market economy and political liberalization, and officially changed the numeration of its sessions, proclaiming itself the first convocation of the "Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine". The current parliament is the ninth convocation. Because of the War in Donbas and the unilateral annexation of Crimea by Russia, elections for the constituencies situated in Donbas and Crimea were not held in the 2014 and 2019 elections; hence the current composition of the Verkhovna Rada consists of 424 deputies.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: In the last elections to the Verkhovna Rada, a mixed voting system is used. 50% of seats are distributed under party lists with a 5% election threshold and 50% through first-past-the-post in single-member constituencies. The method of 50/50 mixed elections was used in the 2002, 2012, 2014 and 2019 elections; however, in 2006 and 2007, the elections were held under a proportional system only. According to the election law that became valid on 1 January 2020, the next election to the Verkhovna Rada, set for 2023, again will be held under a proportional scheme.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: The name "Rada" () means "council", "rede". The institution originated in the time of Kyivan Rus, and then represented a council of boyars and of higher clergy. In the 17th and 18th centuries the Dnieper Cossacks used the term to refer to the meetings where major decisions were made; the Cossacks elected new councils by popular vote.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: The Ukrainian People's Republic between 17 March 1917 and 29 April 1918 had a Central Rada. The West Ukrainian People's Republic and the Ukrainian government-in-exile each had a UNRada (Ukrainian National Rada).


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: "Verkhovna", the feminine form of the adjective meaning "supreme", derives from the Ukrainian word meaning "top".


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: The Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR replaced the All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviets and was a type of legislative authority of Soviet Ukraine according to the 1937 Constitution of the Ukrainian SSR. The All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviets had already been renamed the Supreme Council in 1927. The Congress of Soviets was initiated by its Central Executive Committee, which it elected and held accountable. The last chairman of the committee was Hryhoriy Petrovsky (also known as Grigoriy Petrovskiy in Russian transliteration).


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: The first elections to the Supreme Council of the Ukrainian SSR took place on 26 June 1938. The first session of the parliament took place in Kyiv from 25 July through to 28 July 1938. The first Chairman of the council was Mykhailo Burmystenko who later died during World War II. In 1938, a Presidium was elected by the council that was chaired by Leonid Korniyets. The Presidium represented the council whenever it was not in session.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: During the war the Presidium was evacuated to the city of Saratov in the Russian SFSR. On 29 June 1943, the Presidium issued an order postponing elections for the new convocation for one year while extending the first convocation. On 8 January 1944, the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR in agreement with the Communist Party decided to relocate the Presidium of the Supreme Council from Kharkiv to Kyiv. New elections were scheduled for 9 February 1947 for the Council.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: The first partially free elections to the Verkhovna Rada and local councils of people's deputies were held on 4 March 1990. Although the Communist Party still remained in control, a "Democratic Bloc" was formed by numerous parties, including People's Movement of Ukraine ("Rukh"), Helsinki Watch Committee of Ukraine, Party of Greens of Ukraine, and many others.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: The twelfth convocation of the Supreme Council of the Ukrainian SSR issued the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine on 16 July 1990, and declared Ukrainian independence on 24 August 1991, at approximately 6 p.m. local time. At the time, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada was Leonid Kravchuk. The Act of Ukrainian Independence was overwhelmingly supported in a national referendum held on 1 December 1991. On 12 September 1991, the parliament adopted the law "On the Legal Succession of Ukraine". Thus, the VR became the "Supreme Council of Ukraine".


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: The Constitution of Ukraine was adopted by the thirteenth convocation of the Verkhovna Rada on 28 June 1996, at approximately 9 a.m. local time. The parliament's fourteenth convocation officially changed the numbering of the convocations proclaiming itself the "third" (democratic and independent) convocation of the Verkhovna Rada. After the Orange Revolution, constitutional amendments were adopted in December 2004, by the fourth (fifteenth) convocation of the Verkhovna Rada. On 1 October 2010, the Constitutional Court of Ukraine overturned the 2004 Amendments, considering them unconstitutional. On 21 February 2014, parliament reinstated the December 2004 amendments to the constitution.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: In 2017 and 2018, the website of the Verkovna Rada was the most popular among all websites of the parliaments of UN member states.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: The Verkhovna Rada meets in a neo-classical building on Kyiv's vulytsia Mykhaila Hrushevskoho (Mykhaila Hrushevsky Street) and Ploshcha Konstytutsii (Constitution Square). The building adjoins Mariinskyi Park and the 18th century Mariinskyi Palace, designed by Bartolomeo Rastrelli, which serves as the official residence of the President of Ukraine.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: After the transfer of the capital of the Ukrainian SSR from Kharkiv to Kyiv in 1934, a whole set of government buildings was planned for the city. In 1936, a contest for the construction of the new parliament building was won by architect Volodymyr Zabolotny.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: The original building was constructed from 1936 to 1938. Having been destroyed in the Second World War, the building was reconstructed from 1945 to 1947, with the rebuilt glass dome one metre higher than the original.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: The Verkhovna Rada is the sole body of legislative power in Ukraine. The parliament determines the principles of domestic and foreign policy, introduces amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine, adopts laws, approves the state budget, designates elections for the President of Ukraine, impeaches the president, declares war and peace, appoints the Prime Minister of Ukraine, appoints or confirms certain officials, appoints one-third of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, ratifies and denounces international treaties, and exercises certain control functions. In Ukraine there are no requirements for the minimum number of signatures (of deputies) to register a bill. In general the parliament adopts about 200 bills per year. An average of five to six bills are registered daily in parliament. As a result of this in the spring of 2019 parliament had more than 10 thousand registered and under consideration bills it had yet to debate.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: All procedural regulations are contained in the Law on Regulations of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. The latest version of the document was adopted on 16 December 2012, in which through the initiative of the President of Ukraine amendments were made concerning registration and voting by parliamentarians. 2012 became a year of numerous changes in regards to the document, among which were changes to the election of the chairman. Bills are usually considered following the procedure of three readings; the President of Ukraine must sign a law before it can be officially promulgated.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: Until 2017 the parliament appointed and dismissed judges from their posts and permitted detention or arrest of judges (those powers were transferred to the Supreme Council of Justice).


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: The Verkhovna Rada is a unicameral legislature with 450 people's deputies () elected on the basis of equal and direct universal suffrage through a secret ballot.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: All members of parliament are grouped in parliamentary factions and groups. Members of parliament who were elected from a certain party list are not necessarily members of that party. Parties that break the 5% electoral threshold form factions in the parliament. The formation of official parliamentary factions is regulated by the Verkhovna Rada's rules and procedures.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: Only 15 or more deputies may form a parliamentary faction and an MP may be a member of only one faction at a time. The chairman and his two vice-Chairman may not be the heads of factions. Under current parliamentary rules a faction of non-partisan politicians can not be smaller than the smallest faction of a political party.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: Deputies who are expelled from factions or decide to leave them become individual lawmakers; individual deputies are allowed to unite into parliamentary groups of people's deputies that again have at least 15 deputies. Several influential parties have been founded after originally being formed as a faction in the Verkhovna Rada, for example, the Party of Regions, All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland" and Labour Ukraine.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: Since the Imperative mandate provisions of the Ukrainian constitution came into effect again in February 2014 a political party can withdraw a parliamentary mandate if one of their MPs leaves its parliamentary faction. MPs who defected from one faction to another were known as "Tushky" a derogatory name meaning "carcass". The term was applied to deputies allegedly bribed to switch factions.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: In 2010, women accounted for 8.5% of MPs. After the 2012 parliamentary election they made up 10% of the parliament. Following the 2014 parliamentary election women made up 11.1% of the parliament; setting a record for Ukraine. For comparison, the EU average for female representation in national legislatures was 25% as of 2014. Ukraine made further progress in this area in the 2019 elections, following which 21% of the Rada was female.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: On 20 March 2022, the activities of the main opposition party, Opposition Platform — For Life were suspended by the National Security and Defense Council for the period of martial law due to allegations of having ties to Russia made by the Council during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: Members of the Verkhovna Rada are known officially as "People's deputies of Ukraine". According to the "Law on elections of national deputies of Ukraine", a citizen of Ukraine may become a People's Deputy if he or she has, on the day of election, a) reached 21 years of age; b) political franchise; c) resided in Ukraine for the last five years.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: Deputies have the right to free transportation, free use of the hall of official delegations, free housing, free medical services and free vacations at health spas. Each deputy is allowed to have up to 31 assistants-consultants four out of them are allowed to be admitted into the Secretariat of the Verkhovna Rada. Until 2019, the Ukrainian President, Prime Minister, members of the government and deputies all had parliamentary immunity and agents of law enforcement were prohibited from searching their homes or following them. During the "Orange Revolution" and the campaign for the 2007 parliamentary election Party of Regions, OU-PSD and BYuT all promised to strip lawmakers of their parliamentary immunity. In June 2008 the parliament failed to adopt the "Bill on restriction of privileges for deputies and introduction of imperative mandate". 192 people's deputies voted "for" the bill submitted by the BYuT faction out of 436 deputies registered in the plenary hall. The factions of the opposition Party of Regions, as well as the CPU and the Lytvyn Bloc voted against, the OU-PSD faction voted partially "for" and the BYUT faction voted unanimously "for". A proposal to send the bill for the first reading for a second time also did not find support. In May 2009 the second Tymoshenko Government approved a bill amending the "Law on the status of a people's deputy of Ukraine", this bill reduced certain privileges for incumbent and former deputies. The parliament canceled some benefits and payments to lawmakers in December 2011.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: In December 2019 deputy's immunity was dismantled except that a lawmaker is not legally liable for the results of voting or statements in parliament and its bodies.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: In early 2020, Servant of the People announced plans to reduce the number of deputies from the current 450 to 300. An initial vote regarding this initiative garnered 236 votes in favor, 40 against, and 86 abstentions.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: Before assuming office, the deputies must take the following oath before the leadership of the Rada and fellow deputies on the first day of a new session of the Rada.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: The Verkhovna Rada elects from among its ranks a Chairman (Speaker; ), a First Deputy Chairman, and a Second Deputy Chairman.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: Before the Chairman of a newly convoked Rada is elected, parliamentary sessions are presided over by members of a temporary presidium of the first session (). The temporary presidium is composed of five deputies, representing the four largest parliamentary fractions plus the chairman of a preparatory deputy group of the first parliamentary session, however the Rada may enact an "ad hoc" deviation from this composition rule.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: The chairman presides over parliamentary sessions, signs bills and sends them to the President for promulgation, signs and promulgates parliamentary acts (other than bills), organises staff work, etc. The chairman is also empowered to call special sessions of parliament, enact bills vetoed by the President when the Verkhovna Rada votes to overturn a veto by a two-thirds majority, and participate in meetings of the National Security and Defence Council.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: In circumstances where the post of President of Ukraine becomes vacant, the Chairman of the Rada becomes acting head of state with limited authority. The chairman in duties of the President may dissolve parliament, appoint or submit for parliamentary approval candidates for key official posts, grant military ranks or state orders, and exercise the right of pardon. The Constitution and Ukrainian legislation contain no provision for presidential succession in cases where the posts of President and Chairman of the Rada are vacant simultaneously.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: The Presidium of the Verkhovna Rada is a collective name that was adapted for the chairman and his or her deputies out of tradition. Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, it was an official office that was elected at the first session of each convocation of the Supreme Soviet. Originally it consisted of a chairman, the chairman's two deputies, a secretary, and 19 additional members. Later compositions of the Presidium changed. The Presidium was regulated by Section 106 of the 1978 Constitution of the Ukrainian SSR, which empowered the Presidium with the almost all of the Verkhovna Rada's powers wherever the latter was not in session, on the nominal condition that any decrees be laid at the next parliamentary session for approval. Since the adoption of the Ukrainian Constitution the institution has been discontinued, but the term is used for the leadership of parliament that includes the current chairman and his or her deputies and may include faction leaders.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: The first session of every newly elected parliament is headed by a temporary presidium that consists of six members of parliament according to Article 18 of the Regulations of the Verkhovna Rada.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: One of the most important sessions of the parliament is the first session of each newly elected parliament. The preparation for the session is conducted by the Preparation deputy group with support from the Office of the Verkhovna Rada. The formation of the group out of the newly elected People's Deputies is conducted by the Chairman of the previous convocation or his/her deputy chairpersons (Article 13, Regulations of the Verkhovna Rada). The group elects its own chairperson, his or her deputy and a secretary on principles for establishing the temporary special commission. The group terminates its activity with establishment of parliamentary committees.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: Before the opening of the first session of each newly elected parliament, all newly elected People's Deputies of Ukraine are gathered for a special ceremonial meeting to take the oath of office (article 14, Regulations of the Verkhovna Rada). An Invitation to take the oath is given by the Chairperson of the previous convocation who grants the leading word to the oldest member of the parliament who asks the members of parliament to rise and reads the oath out-loud. Every member of parliament signs a copy of the oath that is held in the archives of the Verkhovna Rada.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: The plenary meetings of the first session reviews the following matters: formation of the provisional presidium of the first session, establishment and registration of the factions, the situation concerning legislation pending before parliament with the Chairman of the previous convocation, election of the Counting Commission, election of the chairman, election of the chairman's deputies, hearing of extraordinary messages on domestic and foreign affairs by the President of Ukraine, hearing and discussion of the Preparation deputy group report, about the parliamentary committees, about Conciliation board of deputy factions in the Verkhovna Rada and about media coverage of the activities and sessions held by the Verkhovna Rada.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: The Office of the Verkhovna Rada is an internal supporting department of the Verkhovna Rada that provides organizational, legal, social, analytical and other support to parliament, its other departments and members of the parliament. The Office is apolitical in its role, and exists mainly to provide secretarial help.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: Before the first session of each newly elected parliament the Office provides to members of parliament various documents among which are copies of the Constitution of Ukraine, the Regulations of the Verkhovna Rada, the official results of election from the Central Election Commission of Ukraine, the Law of Ukraine on the status of People's Deputies, among others (Article 12, Regulations of the Verkhovna Rada).


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: The Office of the Ombudsman at the Verkhovna Rada was established in 1998 and was led by Nina Karpachova until 2012. The Office has its own secretariat and advisory council. The current Ombudsman is Lyudmyla Denisova who replaced Valeriya Lutkovska in 2017.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: The Verkhovna Rada establishes parliamentary committees composed of various deputies. On 4 December 2014, the current parliament formed 27 committees and 2 special control commissions. The previous parliament (2012–2014) had 29 committees and an ad hoc supervisory board. The sixth session of the Rada (2007–2012) had 28 committees, including the Budget Committee, the Special Control Commission of the Verkhovna Rada on Privatization and the Committee on Transportation and Communications. There are no permanent or standing committees; instead, committees are reformed from one convocation to another. One of the most significant for the work of the Verkhovna Rada is the Budget Committee.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: Members of the Verkhovna Rada are permitted to create temporary investigative commissions. To create such a commission requires one third of the constitutional composition of parliament, 150 members. Before a draft on creation of such a commission may be scheduled for voting, it has to be approved by a relevant committee, the Committee on Regulations, deputy ethics, and ensuring the work of the Verkhovna Rada.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: Brawls are not unusual in the Ukrainian parliament. On several occasions work in parliament is blocked by sit-ins by various parties (usually for a couple of days; but in 2008 from 18 January till 6 March and in February 2013 for 17 days). In 2000 and on 4 April 2013 the parliament split into two and held two sessions on two different premises.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: A noticeable incident was the disorder of 27 April 2010, after the parliament ratified a treaty that extended the Russian Black Sea Fleet lease in the Crimean port of Sevastopol until 2042, when Chairman Volodymyr Lytvyn had to be shielded with umbrellas as he was pelted with eggs, while smoke bombs exploded and politicians brawled. Another major incident occurred on 16 December 2010 when several Rada members were admitted to hospital after Party of Regions politicians stormed the parliament podium, which was occupied by the Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko faction.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: On 12 December 2012, an all-out scuffle broke out in Parliament, as Batkivshchyna party members attempted to prevent the swearing in of two members who had left the party. (This was the Parliament's first session following the October 2012 election.) The same day members of the All-Ukrainian Union "Svoboda" removed the fence around the Verkhovna Rada that was installed early October 2012. The speaker of the parliament Volodymyr Rybak promised to review the incident of the fence removal. The fence is not accounted as the property of parliament nor the city of Kyiv. Rybak noted that the matter might require a review within a special designated committee.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: From the parliamentary election of 28 October 2012 till the first months of 2013 parliamentary work was virtually paralyzed because the opposition (UDAR, Fatherland, Svoboda, others) blocked the podium and chairman's seat on various days and eventually led to the Euromaidan and Revolution of Dignity in 2014 and the invasion by Russia in 2022.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: Ukraine was accepted as a full member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in 1995.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: It is represented there by the parliamentary delegation of the Verkhovna Rada consisting of 12 representatives including a chairperson of the delegation, a vice-chairperson and their 12 substitutes; in total, 24 members. The Ukrainian delegation also has its own permanent secretariat of four members that assist in the inter-parliamentary relationships between the PACE and the Verkhovna Rada. For the full list of members, refer to the PACE main website at assembly.coe.int.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: Political developments in Ukraine have led to repeated changes in the electoral system used for parliamentary elections. Each convocation of the Verkhovna Rada has been elected under a different set of laws gradually evolving from the purely majoritarian scheme inherited from the Soviet era to a purely proportional scheme, effective from 2006 until 2010. The next election to the Verkhovna Rada (set for 2023)<ref name="chesno.org/post/3402EFGH"> Early to rejoice? Regular parliamentary elections may take place under Yanukovych's law, Civil movement "Chesno" (11 July 2019)</ref> again will be held under a proportional scheme.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: In the 1990 and 1994 elections, all 450 MPs were elected in single-member districts. Ukraine was therefore divided at the time into 450 electoral districts. Each district sent one member to parliament. To win a seat, a candidate needed more than 50% of the votes. If no candidate had 50%, then the two leading candidates participated in a run-off vote.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: In the 1998 and 2002 elections, 225 MPs were elected in single-member districts as earlier (with the exception that the candidate needed only a simple majority to win). The remaining 225 MPs were elected on a proportional basis. These seats were divided between the parties who passed a 4% electoral threshold.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: In the 2006 and 2007 elections, all deputies were elected on a proportional basis. All seats were divided between the parties who passed a 3% electoral threshold. For the 2007 election, the threshold percentage was not changed, but some amendments to the election process were made. In the 2012, 2014 and 2019 elections a mixed voting system was again used (50% under party lists and 50% under simple-majority constituencies) with a 5% election threshold.


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: According to current law, the next election to the Verkhovna Rada will be in 2023. According to the latest reversion of the electoral code of Ukraine, that took effect on 1 January 2020, this election will


title: Verkhovna Rada

text: be without single-member constituencies and instead deputies can only be elected on a party list in one nationwide constituency with a 5% election threshold with open regional lists of candidates for deputies.


title: Tracy Morgan

text: Tracy Jamal Morgan (born November 10, 1968) is an American stand-up comedian and actor best known for his television work as a cast member on "Saturday Night Live" (1996–2003) and for his role as Tracy Jordan in the sitcom "30 Rock" (2006–2013), each of which earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. He starred as Tray Barker in the TBS comedy "The Last O.G."


title: Tracy Morgan

text: Morgan was born on November 10, 1968 in Brooklyn and raised in Brooklyn's Marlboro Houses and Tompkins Houses in its Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood. He is the second of five children of a homemaker, Alicia (née Warden), and Jimmy Morgan, a musician who left the family when Morgan was six years old.


title: Tracy Morgan

text: His father named him Tracy in honor of a platoon mate and friend who shipped off to Vietnam with him and was killed in action days later.


title: Tracy Morgan

text: The target of bullies as a child, Morgan attended DeWitt Clinton High School. In 1985, at age 17 in his senior year, he learned that his father had contracted HIV from hypodermic needle use. His father died in January 1987, aged 38.


title: Tracy Morgan

text: Morgan married his girlfriend Sabina that year and dropped out of high school just four credits short of his diploma to care for his ailing father. Living on welfare, Morgan sold crack cocaine with limited success, but began earning money performing comedy on the streets after his best friend was murdered. He said in 2009: "He would say to me, 'Yo, Tracy, man, you should be doing comedy.' A week later, he was murdered. And that for me, that was like my Vietnam. I had my survival guilt when I started to achieve success. Why I made it out and some guys didn't."


title: Tracy Morgan

text: Morgan embarked on a stand-up comedy career, successfully enough that he "finally moved to a nice community in [The Bronx neighborhood of] Riverdale, from a run-down apartment next to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx."


title: Tracy Morgan

text: Morgan made his screen debut playing Hustle Man on the television show "Martin". The character sold various items from the "hood", always greeting people with his trademark "What's happ'n, chief?," and had a pet dog he dressed as a rapper. In the 2003 Chris Rock film "Head of State", Morgan appeared as a man watching television, often questioning why they are not watching "Martin".


title: Tracy Morgan

text: Morgan was also a regular cast member on "Uptown Comedy Club", a sketch-comedy show filmed in Harlem that aired for two seasons, from 1992 to 1994.


title: Tracy Morgan

text: Morgan joined the cast of the comedy series "Saturday Night Live" in 1996 (Lorne Michaels chose him over Stephen Colbert in the final round) and performed as a regular until 2003. He returned to host on March 14, 2009, and reprised his roles as Brian Fellow and Astronaut Jones. He then made a guest appearance on the 2011 Christmas show, hosted by Jimmy Fallon, and hosted again on October 17, 2015.


title: Tracy Morgan

text: From 2006 to 2013, Morgan was a cast member of the television series "30 Rock", playing the character Tracy Jordan, a caricature of himself. His work on "30 Rock" was well-received, and he was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series at the 2009 Emmy Awards. He returned to the role in July 2020 for a reunion episode during the COVID-19 pandemic that was an upfront special for NBCUniversal.


title: Tracy Morgan

text: Morgan appeared in a stand-up special, "One Mic", on Comedy Central. He also hosted the first Spike Guys' Choice Awards, which aired on June 13, 2007. In 2003, he was on an episode of "Punk'd" in which his car was towed from the valet parking. He can be heard as Spoonie Luv on the Comedy Central program "Crank Yankers" and as Woof in the animated series "Where My Dogs At?". He also was the voice of Luis in the animated film "Rio".


title: Tracy Morgan

text: Morgan acted in commercials for "NFL 2K", "NBA 2K", and "NHL 2K", co-starring with Warren Sapp, Ben Wallace and Jeremy Roenick. He appeared in Adam Sandler's film "The Longest Yard" as a transgender inmate.


title: Tracy Morgan

text: Morgan has hosted the VH1 Hip Hop Honors for two consecutive years, and hosted the 2013 Billboard Music Awards.


title: Tracy Morgan

text: Morgan appeared in two episodes of the Animal Planet series "Tanked", first having a "Jaws"-themed shark tank built in the basement of his house, then having a replacement tank built for his giant Pacific octopus.


title: Tracy Morgan

text: In February 2022, the New York Friars Club announced that it would bestow the Entertainment Icon Award on Morgan at the club’s spring gala. Morgan is only the ninth recipient of the prestigious comedy award, and the first Black recipient.


title: Tracy Morgan

text: Morgan has listed Carol Burnett, Lucille Ball, Jackie Gleason, Martin Lawrence, Eddie Murphy, and Richard Pryor as among his primary comedic influences.


title: Tracy Morgan

text: In 1987, while in high school, Morgan married his girlfriend Sabina. The pair have three sons together. Morgan filed for divorce in August 2009, after having been separated for approximately eight years. Morgan credits one of his sons with having saved him from his alcoholism. Of his extended family, Morgan said in 2009, "I'm estranged from my own mother and most of my family, and I'm not sure that's going to change much."


title: Tracy Morgan

text: In September 2011, on the red carpet at the Emmy Awards, Morgan announced he and model Megan Wollover had become engaged six months earlier in San Francisco. Their first child, daughter Maven, was born in New York City on July 2, 2013. Morgan and Wollover married on August 23, 2015. Morgan filed for divorce July 2020.


title: Tracy Morgan

text: In 1996, Morgan was diagnosed with diabetes mellitus and for years has struggled with alcohol use disorder. Morgan has conceded that many of his own troubles were incorporated within "30 Rock" episodes. In early December 2010, Morgan received a kidney transplant necessitated by his diabetes and alcohol use disorder. Morgan admitted that he initially did not take his diabetes seriously but later realized the care for it would end up being a matter of life and death.


title: Tracy Morgan

text: On October 20, 2009, Morgan's autobiography, "I Am the New Black", was released. The book includes stories about living in Tompkins Projects in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, to becoming a cast member on "Saturday Night Live". Morgan appeared on National Public Radio's "Fresh Air" hosted by Terry Gross, at times becoming very emotional about his former life in a New York ghetto.


title: Tracy Morgan

text: On June 7, 2014, Morgan was a passenger in a Mercedes Sprinter minibus involved in a six-vehicle crash in New Jersey. Just after 1:00 am the vehicle was traveling northbound on the New Jersey Turnpike near Cranbury, when it was struck from behind by a tractor-trailer operated by Walmart, causing a chain reaction crash. Morgan and three other comedians, including Harris Stanton, along with Morgan's assistant and two limousine company employees, were returning from an engagement at Dover Downs Hotel & Casino in Dover, Delaware, as part of Morgan's "Turn it Funny" stand-up comedy tour. The crash killed Morgan's friend and collaborator, 62-year-old comedian James McNair (Jimmy Mack).


title: Tracy Morgan

text: Morgan was taken by helicopter to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey, with a broken leg and femur, broken nose, and several broken ribs, and underwent surgery on his leg on June 8. On June 20, 2014, Morgan was released from the hospital and was transferred to a rehabilitation facility to continue recovering from the injuries sustained during the crash. He was released from the rehab center on July 12, 2014.


title: Tracy Morgan

text: The driver of the Walmart transport-truck, Kevin Roper of Jonesboro, Georgia, pleaded not guilty to one count of death by auto and four counts of assault by auto. The complaint alleges Roper dozed off and hit Morgan's limousine after swerving to avoid slowed traffic ahead of him. It also argues that Roper had been awake for more than 24 hours before the crash. A preliminary investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board revealed that Roper had been on the clock since 11:20 the previous morning and was very close to the federal limits of 14 hours per day and 11 hours behind the wheel.


title: Tracy Morgan

text: On July 10, 2014, Morgan sued Walmart for negligence. The suit alleged that Walmart either knew or should have known that Roper had not slept for more than 24 hours. The complaint alleged that before his shift, Walmart forced Roper to drive from his home in Jonesboro to a Walmart distribution center in Smyrna, Delaware—a distance of some over 11 hours—even though there were several other distribution centers within a much more reasonable driving distance. Morgan filed the suit on behalf of himself, comedian Ardie Fuqua, Morgan's personal assistant Jeffrey Millea, and Millea's wife Krista. Fuqua and Millea were both on the bus with Morgan and injured in the crash, while at the time of the crash, Krista Millea was eight months pregnant, and the suit charges that she suffered loss of consortium due to the injuries suffered by her husband. In September 2014, Walmart in court papers cast partial blame on Morgan and the other victims for not wearing seat belts, a claim both Morgan and his counsel denied, noting that the driver who caused the crash had been charged with vehicular homicide and that the police report stated that seat belts were not an issue in the case.


title: Tracy Morgan

text: By October 2014, the actor was still undergoing rehab and required a wheelchair when taking more than "some steps." On May 27, 2015, Walmart settled the lawsuit for a multi-million-dollar amount.


title: Tracy Morgan

text: On June 1, 2015, Morgan made his first public appearance since the crash, in an interview with Matt Lauer on "Today". In that interview, he appeared lucid but said that "I have my good days and my bad days, where I forgot things," and that he also gets recurring headaches. He also stated that he had no memory of the crash. Morgan made a surprise appearance at the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards on September 20, and was greeted with a standing ovation. He then hosted an episode of "Saturday Night Live" on October 17, 2015. On the November 3, 2016 episode of "Conan", Morgan said that he was no longer angry about the collision and had forgiven Roper. The driver of the Walmart truck, Roper, accepted a plea deal in which he pleaded guilty but would serve no jail time. Roper was sentenced to pay undisclosed amounts of fines, serve 300 hours of community service, and serve probation. Morgan's 2017 Netflix standup special "Staying Alive" joked about Walmart and the lawsuit, while detailing his hospitalization, rehab and recovery.


title: Tracy Morgan

text: On January 27, 2011, Morgan appeared on the "NBA on TNT" pregame coverage of the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks nationally televised live basketball game. During the appearance, commentators Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith asked Morgan to choose between Sarah Palin and Tina Fey regarding who was better looking (Fey, Morgan's "30 Rock" co-star, portrays Palin on "Saturday Night Live"). Morgan said Palin was "good masturbation material," for which TNT apologized on live camera.


title: Tracy Morgan

text: During a performance in Nashville, Tennessee, on June 3, 2011, Morgan made remarks about homosexuals, reportedly stating that if his son were gay, his son better speak to him like a man or he would "pull out a knife and stab him." Morgan apologized, saying that he had "gone too far." NBC Entertainment head Bob Greenblatt stated, "I speak for NBC and myself personally when I say we do not condone hate or violence of any kind, and I am pleased to see Tracy Morgan apologizing for recent homophobic remarks in his standup appearance... Unfortunately, Tracy's comments reflect negatively on both "30 Rock" and NBC – two very all-inclusive and diverse organizations – and we have made it clear to him that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated." Tina Fey, Morgan's boss both in fiction and in real life, said, "I'm glad to hear that Tracy apologized ... but the violent imagery of Tracy's rant was disturbing to me at a time when homophobic hate crimes continue to be a life-threatening issue for the LGBT community...the Tracy Morgan I know, ...is not a hateful man and [would never] hurt another person. I hope for his sake that Tracy's apology will be accepted as sincere by his gay and lesbian co-workers at "30 Rock", without whom Tracy would not have lines to say, clothes to wear, sets to stand on, scene partners to act with or a printed-out paycheck from accounting to put in his pocket."


title: Tracy Morgan

text: On June 25, 2011, during a show at Caroline's in New York City, Morgan made comments about disabled children, saying; "don't ever mess with women who have retarded kids," and referred to a woman as "a cripple." Peter Berns, CEO of The Arc, an organization supporting people with disabilities stated; "Tracy Morgan should apologize immediately. This quote is far too offensive to be excused as comedy, and it is very hurtful to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. Mr. Morgan has an incredibly powerful platform from which to fix this, and if he's learned anything in the last few weeks, he can't bomb this apology."


title: Tracy Morgan

text: In 2012, Morgan's mother, Alicia Warden, said her Youngstown, Ohio, home was on the verge of foreclosure as a result of being laid off from her job the previous year. Her home value at the time was estimated to be $28,000, and her request for help from Morgan resulted in an offer of a one-time gift of $2,000, which she refused. Morgan responded in a statement; "I am saddened that these untrue stories about me have people questioning my commitment to my family. For reasons that are between us, I have not seen my mother in 11 years and outside of a random call here and there have had little to no contact with my sister. We all have personal family issues that we have to deal with in life, but I choose to deal with mine in private and not through the media." Warden also reportedly attempted to visit Morgan in the hospital shortly after his 2014 traffic accident, but was turned away by hospital security and Wollover (who became his wife in 2015). She said she returned the following day and was allowed five minutes with Morgan, who was still comatose at the time.


title: Tracy Morgan

text: In June 2019, Morgan was involved in a minor collision in his newly purchased Bugatti Veyron with a female driver, and he was captured on video tapping on her window and yelling "bitch, get out of the car". According to Mercury News, the other driver was traumatized by Morgan's conduct. CBS News reporter visited Morgan to get his side of the story and Morgan allowed the reporter through his gate, answered the door himself, but refused to talk.


title: Tracy Morgan

text: In August 2022, an anonymous woman who alleged "SNL" cast member Horatio Sanz groomed her and sexually assaulted her in 2002 when she was under the age of 18 requested that Morgan be added as a defendant in her lawsuit against Sanz, alleging he enabled Sanz's behavior.


title: Cary Stayner

text: Cary Anthony Stayner (born August 13, 1961) is an American serial killer and the older brother of kidnapping victim Steven Stayner. He was convicted of the murders of four women between February and July 1999: Carole Sund, her teenage daughter Juli Sund and their teenage traveling companion Silvina Pelosso, and Yosemite Institute naturalist Joie Ruth Armstrong.


title: Cary Stayner

text: The murders occurred in Mariposa County, California, near Yosemite National Park. Stayner was sentenced to death for the four murders, and is still on death row at San Quentin State Prison in California.


title: Cary Stayner

text: Cary Stayner was born and raised in Merced, California. His seven-year-old brother, Steven Stayner, was kidnapped by child molester Kenneth Parnell in 1972, when Cary was 11, and held captive for more than seven years before escaping and being reunited with his family. Cary later said that he felt neglected while his parents grieved over the loss of Steven.


title: Cary Stayner

text: When Steven escaped Parnell and returned home in 1980, he received massive media attention. A true crime book and TV movie, both titled "I Know My First Name Is Steven", were made about the ordeal. Steven died in a motorcycle accident in 1989. The following year, Cary's uncle, Jesse, with whom he was living at the time, was murdered. Cary later claimed that Jesse molested him around the same time that Steven was kidnapped.


title: Cary Stayner

text: Stayner is reported to have attempted suicide in 1991, and was arrested in 1997 for possession of marijuana and methamphetamine, although these charges were eventually dropped.


title: Cary Stayner

text: In 1997, Stayner was hired as a handyman at the Cedar Lodge motel in El Portal, California, just outside the Highway 140 entrance to Yosemite National Park. Between February and July 1999, he murdered two women and two teenagers: 42-year-old Carole Sund; her daughter, 15-year-old Juli Sund; Juli's friend, 16-year-old Argentine exchange student Silvina Pelosso; and Yosemite Institute employee Joie Ruth Armstrong, a 26-year-old naturalist.


title: Cary Stayner

text: The first two victims, Carole Sund and Pelosso, were found in the trunk of the charred remains of Sund's Pontiac rental car. The bodies were burned beyond recognition and were identified using dental records. A note was sent to the police with a hand-drawn map indicating the location of the third victim, Sund's daughter Juli. The top of the note read, "We had fun with this one." Investigators went to the location depicted on the map and found the remains of Juli, whose throat had been cut.


title: Cary Stayner

text: Detectives began interviewing employees of the Cedar Lodge motel where the first three victims had been staying just before their deaths. One of those employees was Stayner, but he was not considered a suspect at that point because he had no criminal history and remained calm during the police interview.


title: Cary Stayner

text: When the decapitated body of Joie Ruth Armstrong was found, eyewitnesses said they saw a blue 1972 International Scout parked outside the cabin where she was staying. Detectives traced this vehicle to Stayner, which led to him becoming the prime suspect in the case. FBI agents John Boles and Jeff Rinek found Stayner staying at the Laguna del Sol nudist resort in Wilton, where he was arrested and taken to Sacramento for questioning. During his interrogation, Stayner shocked the agents when he confessed not only to Armstrong's decapitation but to the murders of Pelosso and the Sunds and the sending of the map for finding Juli Sund's body. His vehicle yielded evidence proving his link to Armstrong.


title: Cary Stayner

text: Stayner claimed after his arrest that he had fantasized about murdering women since he was seven years old, long before the abduction of his brother.


title: Cary Stayner

text: Stayner was tried in federal court for Armstrong's murder since it occurred on federal land. To avoid a possible death sentence, he pleaded guilty to premeditated first-degree murder, felony first-degree murder, kidnapping resulting in death, and attempted aggravated sexual abuse resulting in death. During the sentencing hearing, Stayner stunned the courtroom when he suddenly broke down in tears and apologized. "I wish I could take it back, but I can’t," he said. "I wish I could tell you why I did such a thing, but I don’t even know myself. I’m so sorry. I wish there was a reason. But there isn’t. It’s senseless." Lesli Armstrong, Armstrong's mother, started crying as she listened to Stayner, and said afterward that she believed his apology was genuine. Stayner was sentenced to life in prison without parole.


title: Cary Stayner

text: Stayner pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the other murders in state court. His lawyers claimed that the Stayner family had a history of sexual abuse and mental illness, manifesting itself not only in the murders, but also his obsessive-compulsive disorder and his request to be provided with child pornography in return for his confession. Dr. Jose Arturo Silva testified that Stayner had obsessive-compulsive disorder, mild autism, and paraphilia. He was nevertheless found sane and convicted of three counts of first degree murder with special circumstances and one count of kidnapping by a jury on August 27, 2002.


title: Cary Stayner

text: After being sentenced to death for the brutal killings, Stayner has been housed at the Adjustment Center on death row at San Quentin State Prison in California since 2002. Stayner remains on death row though there have been no executions in California since a 2006 court ruling over flaws in the administration of capital punishment in the state.


title: Revolutionary Road (film)

text: Revolutionary Road is a 2008 romantic drama film directed by Sam Mendes. The screenplay was written by Justin Haythe, adapted from the 1961 novel of the same name by Richard Yates. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet as Frank and April Wheeler, with Michael Shannon, Kathryn Hahn, David Harbour, and Kathy Bates in supporting roles. Set in the mid-1950s, the Wheelers struggle to cope with their personal problems and the ensuing breakdown in their marriage. "Revolutionary Road" is the second onscreen collaboration for DiCaprio, Winslet, and Bates, all of whom previously co-starred in 1997's "Titanic". The film soundtrack was composed by Thomas Newman, his fourth collaboration with Mendes.


title: Revolutionary Road (film)

text: Development of the film adaptation actually began in 1961. However, a lack of commercial prospects and disagreements with the screenplay caused the project to be in limbo until the 2000s. BBC Films eventually purchased the film rights to the novel and Haythe rewrote the screenplay. Winslet read the script and persuaded her then-husband Mendes to direct, and DiCaprio to play the role of Frank. Principal photography began in 2007, on location in Darien, Connecticut.


title: Revolutionary Road (film)

text: "Revolutionary Road" was released in the United States on December 26, 2008, followed by a wider international release in January 2009, and grossed $76 million at the worldwide box office. The film received positive reviews from critics, who lauded the performances of DiCaprio, Winslet and Shannon, as well as the faithfulness to the novel. For their performances, DiCaprio and Winslet earned Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor and Best Actress, respectively, of which Winslet won. The film also received three Academy Award nominations: Best Supporting Actor (Shannon), Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design.


title: Revolutionary Road (film)

text: In 1948, Frank Wheeler (DiCaprio) meets April (Winslet) at a party. He is a longshoreman, hoping to be a cashier; she wants to be an actress. Frank later secures a sales position with Knox Machines, and he and April marry. The Wheelers move to 115 Revolutionary Road in suburban Connecticut when April becomes pregnant.


title: Revolutionary Road (film)

text: The couple become close friends with their realtor Helen Givings (Bates) and her husband Howard Givings (Easton), and neighbor Milly Campbell (Hahn) and her husband Shep (Harbour). To their friends, the Wheelers are the perfect couple, but their relationship is troubled. April fails to make a career out of acting, while Frank hates the tedium of his work. On his 30th birthday, Frank invites a secretary at work to have a drink with him at a bar. She accepts, becomes heavily intoxicated, and they end up having sex. Meanwhile, Helen has asked April if they will meet her son, John (Shannon), who had been in an insane asylum. She thinks the younger couple may be able to help her son with his condition. April accepts.


title: Revolutionary Road (film)

text: April wants a change of scenery and a chance to support the family so Frank can find his passion, so she suggests that they move to Paris to start a new life away from the "hopeless emptiness" of their lifestyle. Frank balks at the idea at first, but becomes convinced. Over the next several weeks, the Wheelers tell their various friends about their plans to live in Paris, but surprisingly, the only person who seems to comprehend their decision is John.


title: Revolutionary Road (film)

text: As the couple prepares to move, they are forced to reconsider. Frank is offered a promotion, and April becomes pregnant again. When Frank discovers she is contemplating having an abortion, the couple have an altercation, in which April says that they had their second child only to prove the first child was not a "mistake". The next day, Frank takes the promotion and tries to accept his uneventful life. At the end of an evening at a jazz bar with the Campbells, Shep and April end up alone together. She confides in him of her depression over the canceled Paris plans and her life in general, and they end up having sex in the car. Shep professes his long-held love for April, but she rejects his interest.


title: Revolutionary Road (film)

text: The following day, Frank confesses to having had an affair, hoping to reconcile with April. To his surprise, April responds apathetically and tells him it does not matter, as her love for him has gone, which he does not believe. The Givings come over for dinner, and Frank announces to the guests that their plans have changed because April is pregnant. John lambasts Frank for crushing April's hope, as well as his acceptance of his circumstances. Angered, Frank nearly attacks John, and the Givings leave. Afterwards, Frank and April have an altercation, and April flees the house.


title: Revolutionary Road (film)

text: Frank spends the night in a drunken stupor. The next morning he is shocked to find April in the kitchen, calmly making breakfast. Frank, unsure of how to react, eats with her and then leaves for work. April then goes to the bathroom, where she—offscreen—performs a vacuum aspiration abortion on herself. Afterwards, she discovers she is bleeding and calls an ambulance. Frank arrives at the hospital, distraught, and is comforted by Shep. April dies in the hospital from blood loss. A guilty Frank moves to the city and starts selling computers. He spends his spare time with his children.


title: Revolutionary Road (film)

text: A new couple, the Braces, buys their old home and Milly tells the story of the Wheelers to them. Shep stands up and walks out of the house, crying; he tells Milly to never talk about the Wheelers ever again. Helen talks to her husband, years later, about how the Braces seem to be the best-suited couple for the Wheelers' old house. When her husband mentions the Wheelers, Helen starts to explain why she did not like them. As she continues to elaborate, her husband turns off his hearing aid.


title: Revolutionary Road (film)

text: In 1961, following the publication of Richard Yates' novel, director John Frankenheimer considered making the film, but opted to make "The Manchurian Candidate", instead. Samuel Goldwyn Jr. expressed an interest in the film adaptation, but others in his studio told him that it lacked commercial prospects. Then in 1965, producer Albert S. Ruddy bought the rights but disliked the ending to the novel, and wanted to obscure April's death with "tricky camerawork". He became involved in adapting "The Godfather" and, five years later, while a writer-in-residence at Wichita State University, Yates offered to adapt his work for the screen. Ruddy was occupied by other projects at the time and demurred, eventually selling the rights to actor Patrick O'Neal. The actor praised the book and spent the rest of his life trying to finish a workable screenplay. Yates read O'Neal's treatment of his novel and found it "godawful", but O'Neal refused the writer's repeated offers to buy back the rights to the novel. Yates died in 1992, O'Neal two years later.


title: Revolutionary Road (film)

text: The project remained in limbo until 2001 when actor Todd Field expressed interest in adapting it for the screen. However, when told by the O'Neal estate he would be required to shoot O'Neal's script as written, Field changed his mind and went on to direct "Little Children" instead. Producer David Thompson eventually purchased the rights for BBC Films. In March 2007, BBC Films established a partnership with DreamWorks, and the rights to the film's distribution were transferred to DreamWorks' owner, Paramount Pictures. On February 14, 2008, Paramount's other division, Paramount Vantage, announced that it was "taking over distribution duties on "Revolutionary Road"". The BBC hired Justin Haythe to write the screenplay because, according to the screenwriter, he was "hugely affordable".


title: Revolutionary Road (film)

text: Kate Winslet received the screenplay from her agent, and then read the novel. She was impressed and even met with O'Neal's widow, Cynthia O'Neal, and discussed the film adaptation. Winslet sent the script to producer Scott Rudin, who suggested that her then-husband, Sam Mendes would be perfect as director. Winslet gave Mendes Yates' novel and said, "I really want to play this part". He read Haythe's script and then the book in quick succession. Haythe's first draft was very faithful to the novel, using large parts of Yates' own language, but Mendes told him to find ways to externalize what Frank and April do not say to each other.


title: Revolutionary Road (film)

text: Winslet sent the script to friend Leonardo DiCaprio, and persuaded him to take the part of Frank. DiCaprio was intrigued by the 1950s era and complexities of marriage; "The dynamic between Frank and April is so powerful and realistic, you feel like you're a fly on the wall watching an intimate relationship disintegrate,” he said. DiCaprio said that he saw his character as "unheroic" and "slightly cowardly", and that he was "willing to be just a product of his environment". On April 24, 2007, it was announced that Kathy Bates had joined the cast, along with David Harbour, Michael Shannon and Zoe Kazan. Kazan said she fought hard for the role of Maureen Grube, despite objections from casting director Debra Zane who thought she was too young.


title: Revolutionary Road (film)

text: To prepare for the role, Winslet read "The Feminine Mystique" by Betty Friedan. She said, "The hardest thing about playing April, honestly, was making a very specific choice to not have her being as mannered as she is in the book. In the book, she’s very, very highly strung and sometimes hysterical. She feels like a string that’s literally going to snap at any moment." DiCaprio prepared for the role by watching several documentaries about the 1950s and the origin of suburbs. He and Winslet have been reluctant since "Titanic" to co-star in projects that show them in a romantic relationship. DiCaprio said: "we just knew it would be a fundamental mistake to try to repeat any of those themes".