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2017-04-03

Julian Zelizer, a history and public affairs professor at Princeton University and a New America fellow, is the author of "The Fierce Urgency of Now: Lyndon Johnson, Congress, and the Battle for the Great Society." He's co-host of the "Politics & Polls" podcast. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own. (CNN)Now that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer seems to have lined up the votes needed to sustain a filibuster against Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch, the Democrats need to make a decision about whether to deploy that weapon. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the nomination Monday, voting along party lines, moving the Gorsuch question to the Senate floor. Without question a Democratic filibuster would be a bold and aggressive move. Given that Gorsuch does not face problems of ethics or competence, such a move would represent Senate Democrats flexing their partisan muscles. But beyond that, it would symbolize the complete breakdown of the Senate judicial confirmation process, which, since the 1960s, has been devolving into a state of paralyzing partisanship. Partisan voting, partisan attacks, partisan character assassination, and partisan gridlock have all come to define the way the nation handles selecting its nominees to the highest court in the land. There are some Democrats who will worry about this filibuster. Even if the Democrats were able to force the administration to withdraw the nomination, Senate Republicans might go through with their threat of the "nuclear option," a parliamentary rule change that would eliminate the filibuster altogether based on a majority vote. Doing so before the vote would allow them to push through the nomination with a majority, or if they did this after the defeat they could seat an even more conservative justice the next time around. President Trump could push through such a nominee, moving the court even further to the right and undermining the ability of Democrats to count on the justices to protect basic rights and keep intact key government regulations. But Senate Democrats have good reason to move forward with a filibuster. Indeed, this could turn out to be a defining moment for the party in its struggle against the Trump presidency. Simply in terms of principle, Democrats could rest assured that they would not be the party responsible for breaking the Supreme Court nomination process. That already happened when Republicans refused to even hold confirmation hearings for former President Obama's Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland on the bogus grounds that the "next president," who would start his term many months later, should decide whom to pick. Though Garland commanded widespread support in both parties, Sen. Mitch McConnell kept the seat empty. If anyone was capable of making sure the process did not break down beyond repair it was President Trump. Had he demonstrated some genuine independence and sent a moderate nominee to the Senate, instead of a right-wing judge who pleased the evangelical right and anti-regulatory business conservatives, he could have made it difficult for Democrats to refuse the confirmation. A moderate nominee, even from this President, would have persuaded many Democrats to vote yes and brought along enough Republicans who would not want to suffer a defeat. Yet Trump made a different choice, tapping a nominee from the "originalist" camp unlikely to move this divided court to the center. Democrats are often fearful of obstruction and don't show the kind of temperament as their Republican counterparts. They should learn though, that taking a tough stand has its benefits politically. By denying this victory to the administration, they would hand President Trump a second major defeat at a moment of great vulnerability, while potentially further diminishing the confidence of Republicans who continue to stand by him. They would intensify the pressure on President Trump to consider a nominee who would undercut some of the Democratic opposition, particularly at a moment that the White House is furious with the Freedom Caucus and right wing of the congressional party for denying him a victory in his recent attempt to undo Obamacare. Should Republicans pull the trigger and do away with the filibuster, it would not necessarily benefit them in the long-term. Democrats have been arguing for decades that the filibuster doesn't tend to benefit their party. The Senate is already an institution that favors smaller states, and the filibuster, empowering the minority, has turned the upper chamber into a supermajoritarian body. Given that Democrats tend to come from the more populous states, over time Democrats suffer on this and other issues. As Democrats learned when they eliminated the filibuster three years ago in the face of GOP foot-dragging on Obama's Cabinet appointments, the nuclear option will create opportunities as well. At some point in the future, maybe sooner than they thought back in November, Democrats will again have majority control and a Democratic president to work with. Enough Republicans might also shy away from eliminating the filibuster, fearing payback, given their realization of how the tool has been potent for Republicans. Standing firm against Gorsuch could also further embolden the spirits of Democratic voters and activists who will be key in the 2018 and 2020 elections. Too often congressional Democrats forget that the need to listen to the grass roots is as important as listening to the conventional wisdom in Washington. Very often, voters, and not just the base, want their party leaders to take a stand. Stopping Gorsuch, shortly after the collapse of American Health Care Act, would be a massive victory for the party and stimulate the kind of activism that pushed many Republicans away from repealing Obamacare. It would be a defining issue to get Democratic voters out in the midterm election and improve the possibility of a wave election, which becomes more likely with every drip from the Russia scandal. There are obviously political risks when taking any bold move. Yet if Democrats turn to their counterparts, they will see how under Obama these kinds of tactics actually produced stronger Republican majorities and ultimately a Republican president. With many Democrats feeling burned about the way Republicans refused to fill Justice Scalia's position when Obama was in office, insisting on a moderate choice to fill what they consider a "stolen seat" would be a decisive political moment for the party. It would deny a struggling Trump administration the kind of desperately needed political victory that could turn its situation around.

2017-02-27 00:00:00

George W. Bush is back, baby. The 43rd president of the United States had his fun playing with ponchos at Trump's inauguration, but now it's time to get down to business. On Monday, Bush visited NBC’s Today and publicly took a side in Trump's war against the media.  And FYI, Trump — he chose the media. To recap: In case we weren't all aware of President Trump's negative feelings towards the media and "fake news" outlets like CNN, he was sure to remind us with a dramatic statement on President's Day, of all days. On Feb. 17, Trump celebrated the holiday by using Twitter to declare that he views media as the "enemy of the American people!" The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 17, 2017 George W. Bush does not agree. And in fact, he believes the media is an extremely important aspect of today's society, describing it as "indispensable to democracy." "We need an independent media to hold people like me to account," Bush explained in an interview with Matt Lauer, recalling challenges faced during his own time in office. "Power can be very addictive and it can be corrosive, and it’s important for the media to call to account people who abuse their power," he added, throwing some serious shade at Trump. I am typing these words: President George W. Bush is right. Freedom of the press is "indispensable to democracy." pic.twitter.com/LGIEpTAaQ9 — Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) February 27, 2017 In addition to disagreements on the media, Bush also touched upon Trump's immigration stance. When asked his thoughts on the immigration policy, the former U.S. President simply said, "I am for an immigration policy that is welcoming and upholds the law." “A bedrock of our freedom is the right to worship freely.” -Former President Bush in response to question about Trump travel ban — TODAY (@TODAYshow) February 27, 2017 Before the interview came to a close, Bush commented on the Trump administration's ties to Russia, admitting that much like the rest of the world, he wants answers. "I think we all need answers," he said. "I’m not sure the right avenue to take. I am sure, though, that that question needs to be answered." Keep hitting 'em with those tough comments, Bush!

2016-01-03

PATHANKOT, India (Reuters) - A gold medal-winning shooter was among 10 people killed in an audacious pre-dawn assault on an air force base, officials said on Sunday as troops worked to clear the compound in Pathankot, Punjab near India’s border with Pakistan after a 15-hour gunbattle. Six Indian security personnel were killed and the bodies of four militants had been recovered after the assault on the heavily fortified Pathankot air base. The attack by gunmen disguised as soldiers came a week after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an unscheduled visit to Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in an effort to revive talks between the nuclear-armed neighbours. One of the Indian security members killed in the attack was Subedar Fateh Singh, who won gold and silver medals in the first Commonwealth Shooting Championships held in 1995, the National Rifle Association of India said. Officials said the attack on the military base, just 25 km (15 miles) from the border with Pakistan, bore the hallmarks of previous suspected assaults by Pakistan-based militant groups, underscoring the fragility of recent efforts to revive bilateral talks between the often uneasy neighbours. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Pakistan condemned the attack and said it wanted to continue to build on the goodwill created by the impromptu meeting between Modi and Sharif last month. Two security personnel were wounded in a blast on Sunday, a police official in Pathankot said, as troops scoured the base. Dozens of armed forces stood guard outside the base. Home Minister Rajnath Singh had said on Saturday five militants had been “neutralised”, but there were no reports yet of the body of the fifth attacker being found. In New Delhi, two trains were delayed early on Sunday after officials received information about a possible bomb threat on a train running between the capital and Lucknow to the southeast, railways spokesman Neeraj Sharma said. Trains were deemed safe and were running on schedule by mid-morning, Sharma said. Reporting by Mukesh Gupta in Pathankot, and Rupam Jain Nair and Krista Mahr in New Delhi; Writing by Krista Mahr; Editing by Douglas Busvine and Paul Tait

2019-04-18

(CNN)Fainy Sukenik believes in vaccines, and her four children are up to date on all their shots. That's why she's furious that her baby got measles. Too young to be vaccinated, 8-month-old Shira Goldschmidt developed complications from the virus and had to be hospitalized. Infectious disease experts say the cause is clear: anti-vaxers. Both in the United States and in Israel, where Sukenik lives, the ongoing measles outbreaks started with pockets of people who refuse to vaccinate their children. Those anti-vaxers can then spread measles to babies outside their communities because even if parents want to vaccinate their children, babies don't get their first measles shot until their first birthday. "I'm so angry and so frustrated," Sukenik said. "On Facebook, I wrote to the anti-vaxers, 'you are hurting our kids because of your choice.' " Infectious disease experts say this same scenario is bound to happen in the United States too and may have happened already: Anti-vaxers who've chosen not to vaccinate will spread measles to babies under age 1 whose parents want to vaccinate them but can't because they're too young. "It's absolutely inevitable," said Dr. Peter Hotez, a vaccine scientist at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. The virus is so contagious that a baby under the age of 1 could get it by entering a room where someone with measles had been two hours before, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Our babies are no different than Israeli babies," said Dr. William Schaffner, an adviser on vaccines to the CDC. "And the measles virus in Israel is the same virus as here in the US." Baby Shira's story Shira got sick in December with a runny nose and a 104-degree fever. Her parents took her to the doctor, who said that it was just a regular virus and that she would soon recover. When the red spots appeared a few days later, her parents knew it was measles. "It wasn't just dots on one part of her body. They were everywhere: inside her mouth, between her fingers, in between her toes," her mother said. "I'm an experienced mother, and never ever have I seen something like this. I was really scared." By this time, Shira couldn't eat and could barely drink, her breathing was shallow, and she was so weak she couldn't even hold her head up. Sukenik and her husband took Shira to the hospital, where she was put in isolation and received intravenous fluids. In December, Sukenik wrote an emotional post on Facebook. "Let's talk for a moment about freedom of choice for those who believe that vaccinations are Satan and the source of all evil," Sukenik wrote in Hebrew. "It should be stated that they have a right to believe in anything they choose, but we should also talk about the price that others pay." She suggested that anti-vaxers either "stay in enclosed areas or hold a big banner noting that you are anti-vaccine." "Are you ashamed that you don't vaccinate? No, you're not ashamed. So you should wear a sign and let me choose whether my kids will play with your kids," Sukenik told CNN in an interview. US outbreak started in Israel The largest and longest of the ongoing measles outbreaks in the United States started last year when an unvaccinated ultra-Orthodox Jewish child in New York visited Israel and became infected. Then, it spread further. Recently, an infected person traveled from New York to Michigan and spread measles to 41 people there. The outbreak in the United States isn't nearly as large as the one in Israel, where there have been almost 4,000 cases since March 2018. In about the same time period in the United States, there have been fewer than 1,000 cases. "These measles outbreaks are remarkably persistent," Schaffner said. The results can be devastating: For every 1,000 children who contract measles, one or two will die, according to the CDC. 'I am not afraid' Shira turned 1 this week. "Now, baruch Hashem, Shira is OK; she is happy; she has started walking," her mother said, using the Hebrew phrase for thanking God. But she isn't completely out of the woods. Doctors told her parents that she could still experience devastating complications of measles in the years to come. It rarely happens, but about seven to 10 years after someone has measles, they can develop subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, a disabling and deadly brain disorder, according to the CDC. Among people who contracted measles during a resurgence in the United States in 1989 to 1991, 4 to 11 out of every 100,000 were estimated to be at risk for developing the disease. "For years I'm not going to be able to rest from this fear," Sukenik said. Sukenik says her Facebook post has received more than 4,000 comments, both positive and negative. She said anti-vaxers have called her a bad mother or theorized that Shira had a genetic defect. But Sukenik will not be deterred. "If they want to pick a fight with me, I am not afraid," she said. "I've seen in my own home what it means for a baby to have measles, and the responsibility is on us to make sure this epidemic goes away and this doesn't happen to another baby." CNN's Amnon Pery contributed to this report

2020-03-23

March 23 (Reuters) - Applied Materials Inc said on Monday it is withdrawing its outlook for the second quarter, ending April 26, due to the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the chip gear maker’s supply chain and manufacturing operations. (Reporting by Ayanti Bera in Bengaluru)

2019-05-27

VIENNA (Reuters) - Austrian conservative Chancellor Sebastian Kurz suffered the biggest setback of his meteoric career on Monday as parliament voted the 32-year-old’s government out of office in the wake of a video sting that blew up his coalition with the far right. The star among Europe’s conservatives, known for his hard line on immigration, looked unassailable just two weeks ago. But then the leader of the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) was caught in a video sting, prompting him to step down and leading Kurz to call off their alliance. Kurz became the head of a caretaker government just days ago and hoped to use that position as a springboard to re-election, depicting himself as more of a victim of the current crisis than its enabler who brought the FPO into power. But the center-left opposition said he shared the blame, and the FPO backed it. “Kurz gambled away his chances and, Mr Chancellor, you bear full responsibility,” the Social Democrats’ (SPO) deputy parliamentary faction head Joerg Leichtfried said in a speech to lawmakers, minutes before his party submitted a motion of no-confidence against Kurz’s government. The first successful no-confidence motion against an Austrian government since the country regained its independence in 1955 was passed when lawmakers from the Social Democrats and FPO stood in support. Together they control a majority of seats in the assembly. Kurz’s party holds a third of the seats. Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen must now nominate a new chancellor to put together a caretaker government able to last until the next election, widely expected to be held in September. While he could in principle choose Kurz again, that is highly unlikely. An elder statesman, like a retired president or senior judge, is the more probable. Van der Bellen said he would formally relieve the government of its duties at 11:30 a.m. (0930 GMT) on Tuesday but ask ministers to stay on for “a small number of days” until a solution for a new provisional government were found. Vice Chancellor Hartwig Loeger would lead until then, he said. Kurz had replaced outgoing FPO ministers with civil servants, arguing that even though he headed what was essentially a minority government, it represented stability in the wake of the video scandal and ahead of a parliamentary election widely expected to be held in September. He also pledged a full investigation into any crimes and wrongdoing arising from the footage in which FPO veteran Heinz-Christian Strache appeared to offer to fix government contracts for a woman posing as a Russian oligarch’s niece. Strache says he did nothing illegal. Vienna prosecutors say they are investigating “in multiple directions” in relation to the footage although they have declined to elaborate. Instead of seriously seeking to build bridges with the Social Democrats and other opposition parties, however, Kurz sought to strengthen his hand with a strong showing in Sunday’s European election, and he succeeded. Rather than punish his People’s Party for its 17-month alliance with the far right, voters rewarded it with a bigger share of the vote than in the 2017 election that brought Kurz to power. The Social Democrats (SPO), the biggest opposition party, were unable to capitalize on the video scandal and lost ground. “To topple the entire government a few months before an election is something no one in this country can understand,” Kurz told lawmakers the day after what he called his party’s “landslide” victory in the European Parliament vote. But that did not deter the SPO from bringing its motion of no confidence against Kurz. It argued that if any ministers were going to be replaced with civil servants to rebuild trust after the scandal it should be all ministers including Kurz. “Your actions have nothing to do with responsibility,” SPO leader Pamela Rendi-Wagner told lawmakers. Kurz had prepared his arguments ahead of the vote, saying he would once again seek a show of strength at the ballot box. “Parliament decided today but at the end of the day, in September, in a democracy the people decide,” he told a party rally in Vienna after the vote. “I am looking forward to that.” The FPO’s Herbert Kickl, whom Kurz forced out of his post as interior minister, forecast a different outcome. “This power grab is disgusting... And voters will decide about that, too, in September,” he told lawmakers. Additional reporting by Kirsti Knolle in Vienna and Michael Shields in Zurich; Editing by John Stonestreet and Hugh Lawson

2018-01-04

Richmond, Virginia (CNN)GOP incumbent David Yancey won a "lot draw" in the race for Virginia's House of Delegates Thursday, giving Republicans control of the chamber. The quirk of democracy came as the Virginia Board of Elections used the procedure laid out in a 1705 law to settle the 11,608-to-11,608 tie between Yancey and Democrat Shelly Simonds for the seat. James Alcorn, the chairman of the board of elections, drew a film canister with Yancey's name out of a blue and white ceramic bowl made by Virginia artist Steven Glass. After the lot draw, Simonds did not rule out seeking a second recount, saying "all options are still on the table." "At this moment, I am not conceding," she said. A spokeswoman for the state's House Democratic caucus said a statement on the next steps for Democrats is coming later Thursday. Still, Alcorn, the election board chairman, said that Yancey is now certified as the winner. He said it's an "open question" whether Virginia laws would allow for a second recount, and that if Simonds asks for one, a judge would have to settle it. Yancey did not attend the drawing. He'd previously resisted Simonds' requests to make the lot draw the final word in a saga that has dragged on since Democrats flipped 15 seats, nearly taking control of the previously Republican-dominated House of Delegates in November's election. "This race could not have been any closer, and when I return to the House of Delegates, I want all residents of Newport News to know I am ready to serve as their delegate and look forward to hearing how I can improve the lives of all," Yancey said in a statement Thursday. "Shelly Simonds ran a great campaign and I thank her for her service on the Newport News School Board. I look forward to her continued involvement in issues that matter to the people of the 94th. The election is behind us, the outcome is clear, and my responsibility now is to begin the work I was re-elected to do." State legislative races have been settled this way before. In Mississippi in 2015, a House seat was decided by the candidates drawing straws (though the Democratic candidate's win was quickly overturned by the Republican-controlled state House). In 2006, a coin toss settled a primary for an Alaska House seat. But seldom, if ever, have the stakes been so high. Yancey's win gives Republicans a 51-49 majority and continued control of the House -- allowing them to stymie Democrat Ralph Northam, who won November's governor's race. A Simonds win would have forced the parties to share power in the House. It was the second attempt to hold the lot drawing. The first effort, scheduled for December, was canceled when Simonds asked a court to toss out a ballot it had previously decided to count for Yancey, resulting in the tie. The court rejected Simonds' motion on Wednesday.

2019-05-01

Buying gifts for your parents can be tough. What do you get the two people who gave you life, the people who raised you into the responsible adult you've grown up to be?  Try to think outside the box and consider their hobbies: Do they travel? Are they into neat gadgets? Do they like doing couple-y things?  You'll want to get them something they'll love and use, but also hopefully something that will help them connect with you (their kid) as well.  If you're totally stumped, then don't worry — that's what we're here for. We took some of the guesswork out of buying a present for your mom and dad and rounded up the best gifts, whether they spend most of their time at home or on-the-go traveling. These gifts are guaranteed to make your parents (even more) proud of you, as they brag to their family and friends that they have such an amazing kid.  Here are our picks for the best gifts for parents: KEURIG FOR SERIOUS COFFEE DRINKERS Keurig coffee maker If your parents can't even open their eyes until they've had some caffeine, a Keurig single serve coffee maker will hit the spot. This coffee machine uses K-Cup pods, so they won't have to scoop or measure coffee grounds to make the perfect cup. Instead, all they have to do is insert their favorite pods, fill up its reservoir with water, select the dose, and press brew. In just a few minutes, piping hot and delicious coffee is served. From AMAZON $179.99 See Details INSTANT POT FOR FOODIE PARENTS Instant Pot The Instant Pot DUO60 is a 7-in-1 miracle machine for most of your parents' kitchen and cooking needs. Need a pressure cooker? No problem. Need a slow cooker? No problem. Need a rice cooker? No problem. Instant Pot is all of those things, plus a yogurt maker, steamer, warmer, and sauté station. The all-in-one can cook food up to six times faster than other pressure cookers, while also using up to 70% less energy. From AMAZON $99.95 See Details Sponsored BREVILLE FOR HEALTH NUTS Breville Juice Fountain Give your parents a fun way to get their daily servings of fruits and veggies with a juicer. This one from Breville has an extra-wide chute that cuts down on prep time and a micro mesh filter that extracts up to 30% more juice than other models.  From MACY'S $187.99 See Details FITBIT FOR ACTIVE PARENTS His and her Fitbits Staying active is the best way to a healthy and happy life. Help your mom and dad keep track of their activity with the Fitbit Charge 2, a great entry level fitness tracker for just about anyone. It can measure calories burned, resting and active heart rate, steps, and sleep quality with an amazing battery life of five days on a single charge. Set up little challenges for step counts and get the whole fam into it. From AMAZON $149.95 See Details UGG/MASHBALE PHOTO COMPOSITE FOR PARENTS WHO LIKE TO PUTZ AROUND Ugg Slippers If your parents are the stay at home type, then they'll need something cozy and comfortable when socks just won't do. Enter UGG. The company is known for their out-of-this-world comfort with high quality materials in various styles for men and women. UGG slippers are so comfortable that it's almost guaranteed your parents will try to wear them out of their home to go on short excursions to the grocery store. From AMAZON $99.95 See Details PIONEER FOR SENTIMENTAL PARENTS A gorgeous photo album Memories are everything, especially to your parents. Every moment watching their children grow up is important and valuable. Sometimes digital photos are not enough, so having a dedicated photo album is the key to preserving your family's history. This one can hold 500 photos, is acid-free and PVC-free, and even includes a slot to frame photos on the cover. Fill the book up with all your favorite memories and listen to your parents say "Awww." From AMAZON $21.95 See Details HELLOFRESH FOR PARENTS WHO HATE MEAL PLANNING A HelloFresh subscription Planning meals, hitting up the grocery store, then preparing the food can be tough for anyone, but especially for new parents who don't have the time or aging parents who could use some help. HelloFresh is a meal delivery service that will send your parents (or you) fresh ingredients and step-by-step instructions so they can whip up a great tasting meal within 30 minutes.  From HELLOFRESH $43.95 / month See Details VONSHEF FOR PARENTS WHO LOVE TO HOST PARTIES A bamboo cheese board This cheese board features a hidden slide-out tray that conceals various cheese knives and cutlery, so they're out of the way until you need them. The cheeseboard also has clever grooves for crackers, nuts, and olives for an added level of nosh. It's made from 100% bamboo, so it won't stain or absorb any funky odors from the cheese. The included cutlery set is made from stainless steel with matching bamboo handles. From AMAZON $54.99 See Details CURIOSITYSTREAM FOR DOCUMENTARY FANS A CuriosityStream subscription If your mom and dad are insatiably curious, a subscription to CuriosityStream could be the perfect gift. With more than 2,000 shows and documentaries to choose from across topics like science, nature, history, technology, society, lifestyle, travel, and more, they'll never run out of smart, stimulating content. Learning is a lifelong activity, after all. Try it free for a month using the code winter2018 — then it's just $2.99 after that. From CURIOSITYSTREAM $2.99 / month See Details TASCHEN FOR MUSIC LOVING PARENTS A coffee table book Are your parents music lovers? If so, a coffee table book called 1000 Record Covers just might be a great gift for them. This massive book features album art from the 1960s to 1990s — think Bookends by Simon & Garfunkel and Joan Baez/5 by Joan Baez. Each record cover also features a nifty backstory of the album, how the artists decided on the cover, and its meaning in relation to the music. From AMAZON $20 See Details TILE FOR PARENTS WHO LOSE THEIR KEYS Tile Mate and Slim combo pack If your parents are constantly losing their keys, then maybe Tile can be the solution. The tech company can't promise that they'll stop misplacing their keys, but they can help mom and dad find them faster. Just attach Tile to a set of keys, a wallet, a purse — whatever — and when said item goes missing, the Tile app will quickly locate them around the house with a loud ringtone from their mobile device. From AMAZON $59.99 See Details PIXABAY FOR EXPLORING THEIR FAMILY TREE AncestryDNA If your parents (or you by extension) ever wanted to know about family history and ancestry, then AncestryDNA is the solution to learn where you came from and who you are. With over 10 million people in the company's growing network, AncestryDNA has made over a billion family connections with this simple kit.  From AMAZON $99 See Details NIKON FOR CAPTURING MEMORIES An easy-to-use digital camera The Nikon COOLPIX digital camera has more than a few benefits that can outshine smartphone cameras: it's fully waterproof with a 13.2MP lens and 3x zoom capabilities. This digital camera is part of a bundle that includes a 32GB memory card, an all-weather sports case, a replacement battery and charger, a small tripod, and much more. A good point-and-shoot camera can go a long way for your parents to capture everyday memories of you (or their grandkids.) From AMAZON $199.99 See Details OSTRICH PILLOW FOR PARENTS WHO NEED SOME SLEEP Ostrich Pillow travel pillow Okay, so it looks a little silly — but your parents are gonna love this. Made from high quality eiderdown cotton, the Ostrich Pillow works wonders as a neck pillow or eye mask for folks who are always on the go. The pillow is filled with coated microbeads and is perfectly adjustable. In addition, the travel pillow's materials are breathable, so it's never too hot when you're wearing it around your neck or on your eyes. From AMAZON $45 See Details YETI FOR PARENTS WHO LIKE TO TAILGATE Yeti portable cooler The YETI Hopper Two is one of the most durable and long-lasting portable coolers on the market with its waterproof DryHide Shell body, which is also mildew and puncture resistant, and leakproof HydroLok Zipper. Its ColdCell insulation keeps anything cool for days. The cooler is large enough to tackle tailgating or weekend trips, with the capacity to hold up to 20 pounds. From AMAZON $249.99 See Details PEXELS FOR WINE LOVERS Winc With its selection of hundreds of premium wines, Winc is considered the "Netflix for wine." The subscription service sends its members at least three bottles of wine a month from various regions from around the world. Help your mom and dad have a romantic evening, even if it's just at the kitchen table. From WINC $39 / a month See Details MASHABLE FOR TECH-SAVVY PARENTS Their very own iPad Everyone loves the Apple iPad because it's durable, lightweight, and easy to use — even for parents who aren't great with tech. Apple has always prided itself on simplicity and the iPad is one of the best examples of its pick-up-and-go philosophy. The iPad makes for a great gift because it's compact and smooth to use. Plus, just think about how much they'll enjoy Facetiming with you on this thing. From AMAZON $409.99 See Details AMAZON FOR BUILDING OUT THEIR SMART HOME Amazon Echo Are your parents looking to convert their home into a smart home? If so, the Amazon Echo is the best way to start off. This is the all-in-one device that can do just about anything, including play music, make phone calls, set alarms and timers, and order products from Amazon. The best part of the Amazon Echo is that your parents don't have to be tech savvy to use it. From AMAZON $99.99 See Details RING FOR KEEPING THEM SAFE A video doorbell Now that your parents converted their home into a smart home, let's start building out their everyday appliances with useful and clever smart devices, like the Ring Wi-Fi-enabled video doorbell. This doorbell allows mom and dad to see and talk to anyone who comes to their front door via HD video on their smartphones, tablets, and laptops — even if they're not at home. From AMAZON $99.99 See Details FURBO FOR PET OWNERS Furbo dog camera If your parents have dogs and are usually away at work, then the Furbo Dog Camera is a thoughtful way to help them check in. (And parents love that.) The device features an HD camera and a two-way transmitter that allows users to check on their pets via smartphone live-streaming video, plus it can toss treats at their little puppers with the press of a button. Think of it as a high tech baby monitor, but for dogs.  From AMAZON $249.99 See Details GROWLERWERKS FOR CRAFT BEER FANS A pressurized growler If mom and dad are home brew and craft beer enthusiasts, this uKeg Pressurized Growler from GrowlerWerks is the best way to transport frosty ales and beers from the bar to the home with ease. The vacuum-insulated chamber is made from stainless steel with a copper finish and is designed to keep at least 64 ounces of craft beer cold for up to two weeks. Cheers! From AMAZON $169 See Details AMAZON FOR MAINTAINING COMMUNICATION Echo Show Not living in the same city as your parents can be a bummer. Phone calls just aren't the same as face-to-face conversations. You likely can't afford to take a trip every time you want to talk to your parents, so getting them an Echo Show is the next best thing. You're able to video chat with them through Skype, the Alexa app, or your own video Echo device if you have one. Plus, they get smart home capabilities, too. From AMAZON $229.99 See Details FARBERWARE FOR MAKING FRIED FOOD HEALTHIER Air fryer Air fryers use rapid air technology to fry food with little to no oil, which means your parents can feel better about whipping up wings and fries. This one from Farberware has eight preprogrammed cooking options and can cook up to two pounds of food. The appliance works quickly and doesn't leave a lingering hot oil smell. From WALMART $69 See Details PURE DAILY CARE FOR HELPING YOUR PARENTS RELAX Essential oil diffuser Essential oils are said to reduce stress and promote mindfulness. This diffuser has seven ambient light modes and four timer settings, allowing your parents to set their preferred tone. The set also comes with 10 essential oils, including lavender, peppermint, and lemongrass. From AMAZON $34.95 See Details RECLAIMEDSIGNCO FOR WINE DRINKERS Custom etched wine glasses Make your parents feel ~fancy~ with a pair of etched stemless wine glasses. You're able to choose custom information to put on the glasses and you can even send the Etsy shop a logo or design to use. Glasses are one for $12, two for $20, or four for $40. From ETSY $20 See Details PEXELS FOR LIFELONG LEARNERS Udemy course Give your parents the gift of a new skill with a course from Udemy. There are courses on a huge variety of topics such as marketing, photography, development, and more. Prices vary depending on the lesson you choose, but once you purchase, your parents get access to the course for life. From UDEMY See Details NIGHT IN BOXES FOR A ROMANTIC NIGHT IN Date night in a box Date nights are an important part of relationships, but actually planning one and mustering up the energy to leave the house is... a lot. Make your parents' lives easier with an entire date night conveniently packaged in a box that's delivered to their door. Gift card options start at $50, which covers one month's box plus $8 toward add-ons. From NIGHT IN BOXES $50 See Details AMAZON FOR THE GIFT OF CONVENIENCE Amazon Prime subscription If you and your family all share one Prime membership, let your parents break off to their own account. They'll get access to free two-day shipping, movies, and shows with Prime Video, music, Kindle e-books, and more. The membership gift can also be redeemed for an Amazon gift card instead if they choose that route. From AMAZON $119 See Details PHILIPS FOR DECKING OUT THEIR SMART HOME Philips smart bulb starter kit If your parents are old school and still use those clunky outlet timers to set a light schedule while they're out of town, get them this smart bulb kit. The bulbs screw right into most standard sockets and are controlled by the included hub which connects to a mobile app and voice controls. From AMAZON $99.99 See Details EUFY FOR MAKING CLEANING EASIER Eufy robot vacuum No matter what kind of flooring your parents have in their home, this robot vacuum will be able to clean them — without your 'rents having to lift a finger. The cleaner can be controlled and scheduled via the mobile app or by using voice commands. From WALMART $249.99 See Details CHEF'S STAR FOR THE HOME BAR Copper bar set Spice up your parents' drinking life with this fun copper bar set. It has everything they need to mix up some cocktails, including Moscow mules, the preferred beverage for copper drinkware. All they need is some booze, which would make a great addition to this gift. From WALMART $29.99 See Details AIRBNB FOR A WEEKEND GETAWAY Airbnb gift card Give your parents a reason to go on vacation — or to visit you. With values starting at $25, an Airbnb gift card can help cover expenses for your parents to find an affordable place to stay while they take a much needed break from their everyday lives. You can give the card electronically or have a physical copy mailed. From GIFTCARDS.COM $25 See Details WATERPIK FOR IMPROVED ORAL HEALTH Waterpik water flosser Regardless of age, it's pretty much universal that nobody likes going to the dentist, especially if it involves a lecture about flossing. Help your parents maintain their healthy smiles with a Waterpik water flosser, which is up to 50% more effective for improving gum health than string floss. From WALMART $64.97 See Details CONTIGO FOR AN ECO-FRIENDLY GIFT Contigo reusable water bottle If your parents are still drinking out of single-use plastic water bottles, bring them up to speed with reusable bottles. Contigo has a variety of bottles, ranging in materials, style, and color. You'll be able to find something that matches your parents' style and needs.  From CONTIGO $12.99 See Details URBAN OUTFITTERS FOR WORKING PARENTS Silent alarm clock Waking up to a blaring alarm is annoying, especially if it's not even your alarm that's going off. Your parents might have to listen to each other snore, but give them a break in the morning with separate silent alarms. They can attach these vibrating devices to their wrists and get up without waking the other person. From URBAN OUTFITTERS $19.95 See Details ATLAS COFFEE CLUB FOR COFFEE CONNOISSEURS Atlas Coffee Club subscription Switch up your parents' morning cup of joe with this coffee subscription that sends roasted-to-order coffee from around the world. Along with coffee, the box includes information about the beans, brewing recommendations, and a postcard from the country of origin. Gifting options start at $60 for three months. From ATLAS COFFEE CLUB $60 See Details MASTRAD FOR BARBECUING Bluetooth food thermometer Cooking meat correctly often means monitoring a thermometer, but this nifty gadget is one your parents won't have to check. It connects to a mobile app via Bluetooth and sends alerts when the food is ready, or if it's under- or over-cooking. The app also allows your parents to monitor the temperature on their phone or tablet screens. From AMAZON $68.95 See Details Keurig coffee maker If your parents can't even open their eyes until they've had some caffeine, a Keurig single serve coffee maker will hit the spot. This coffee machine uses K-Cup pods, so they won't have to scoop or measure coffee grounds to make the perfect cup. Instead, all they have to do is insert their favorite pods, fill up its reservoir with water, select the dose, and press brew. In just a few minutes, piping hot and delicious coffee is served. Instant Pot The Instant Pot DUO60 is a 7-in-1 miracle machine for most of your parents' kitchen and cooking needs. Need a pressure cooker? No problem. Need a slow cooker? No problem. Need a rice cooker? No problem. Instant Pot is all of those things, plus a yogurt maker, steamer, warmer, and sauté station. The all-in-one can cook food up to six times faster than other pressure cookers, while also using up to 70% less energy. Breville Juice Fountain Give your parents a fun way to get their daily servings of fruits and veggies with a juicer. This one from Breville has an extra-wide chute that cuts down on prep time and a micro mesh filter that extracts up to 30% more juice than other models.  His and her Fitbits Staying active is the best way to a healthy and happy life. Help your mom and dad keep track of their activity with the Fitbit Charge 2, a great entry level fitness tracker for just about anyone. It can measure calories burned, resting and active heart rate, steps, and sleep quality with an amazing battery life of five days on a single charge. Set up little challenges for step counts and get the whole fam into it. Ugg Slippers If your parents are the stay at home type, then they'll need something cozy and comfortable when socks just won't do. Enter UGG. The company is known for their out-of-this-world comfort with high quality materials in various styles for men and women. UGG slippers are so comfortable that it's almost guaranteed your parents will try to wear them out of their home to go on short excursions to the grocery store. A gorgeous photo album Memories are everything, especially to your parents. Every moment watching their children grow up is important and valuable. Sometimes digital photos are not enough, so having a dedicated photo album is the key to preserving your family's history. This one can hold 500 photos, is acid-free and PVC-free, and even includes a slot to frame photos on the cover. Fill the book up with all your favorite memories and listen to your parents say "Awww." A HelloFresh subscription Planning meals, hitting up the grocery store, then preparing the food can be tough for anyone, but especially for new parents who don't have the time or aging parents who could use some help. HelloFresh is a meal delivery service that will send your parents (or you) fresh ingredients and step-by-step instructions so they can whip up a great tasting meal within 30 minutes.  A bamboo cheese board This cheese board features a hidden slide-out tray that conceals various cheese knives and cutlery, so they're out of the way until you need them. The cheeseboard also has clever grooves for crackers, nuts, and olives for an added level of nosh. It's made from 100% bamboo, so it won't stain or absorb any funky odors from the cheese. The included cutlery set is made from stainless steel with matching bamboo handles. A CuriosityStream subscription If your mom and dad are insatiably curious, a subscription to CuriosityStream could be the perfect gift. With more than 2,000 shows and documentaries to choose from across topics like science, nature, history, technology, society, lifestyle, travel, and more, they'll never run out of smart, stimulating content. Learning is a lifelong activity, after all. Try it free for a month using the code winter2018 — then it's just $2.99 after that. A coffee table book Are your parents music lovers? If so, a coffee table book called 1000 Record Covers just might be a great gift for them. This massive book features album art from the 1960s to 1990s — think Bookends by Simon & Garfunkel and Joan Baez/5 by Joan Baez. Each record cover also features a nifty backstory of the album, how the artists decided on the cover, and its meaning in relation to the music. Tile Mate and Slim combo pack If your parents are constantly losing their keys, then maybe Tile can be the solution. The tech company can't promise that they'll stop misplacing their keys, but they can help mom and dad find them faster. Just attach Tile to a set of keys, a wallet, a purse — whatever — and when said item goes missing, the Tile app will quickly locate them around the house with a loud ringtone from their mobile device. AncestryDNA If your parents (or you by extension) ever wanted to know about family history and ancestry, then AncestryDNA is the solution to learn where you came from and who you are. With over 10 million people in the company's growing network, AncestryDNA has made over a billion family connections with this simple kit.  An easy-to-use digital camera The Nikon COOLPIX digital camera has more than a few benefits that can outshine smartphone cameras: it's fully waterproof with a 13.2MP lens and 3x zoom capabilities. This digital camera is part of a bundle that includes a 32GB memory card, an all-weather sports case, a replacement battery and charger, a small tripod, and much more. A good point-and-shoot camera can go a long way for your parents to capture everyday memories of you (or their grandkids.) Ostrich Pillow travel pillow Okay, so it looks a little silly — but your parents are gonna love this. Made from high quality eiderdown cotton, the Ostrich Pillow works wonders as a neck pillow or eye mask for folks who are always on the go. The pillow is filled with coated microbeads and is perfectly adjustable. In addition, the travel pillow's materials are breathable, so it's never too hot when you're wearing it around your neck or on your eyes. Yeti portable cooler The YETI Hopper Two is one of the most durable and long-lasting portable coolers on the market with its waterproof DryHide Shell body, which is also mildew and puncture resistant, and leakproof HydroLok Zipper. Its ColdCell insulation keeps anything cool for days. The cooler is large enough to tackle tailgating or weekend trips, with the capacity to hold up to 20 pounds. Winc With its selection of hundreds of premium wines, Winc is considered the "Netflix for wine." The subscription service sends its members at least three bottles of wine a month from various regions from around the world. Help your mom and dad have a romantic evening, even if it's just at the kitchen table. Their very own iPad Everyone loves the Apple iPad because it's durable, lightweight, and easy to use — even for parents who aren't great with tech. Apple has always prided itself on simplicity and the iPad is one of the best examples of its pick-up-and-go philosophy. The iPad makes for a great gift because it's compact and smooth to use. Plus, just think about how much they'll enjoy Facetiming with you on this thing. Amazon Echo Are your parents looking to convert their home into a smart home? If so, the Amazon Echo is the best way to start off. This is the all-in-one device that can do just about anything, including play music, make phone calls, set alarms and timers, and order products from Amazon. The best part of the Amazon Echo is that your parents don't have to be tech savvy to use it. A video doorbell Now that your parents converted their home into a smart home, let's start building out their everyday appliances with useful and clever smart devices, like the Ring Wi-Fi-enabled video doorbell. This doorbell allows mom and dad to see and talk to anyone who comes to their front door via HD video on their smartphones, tablets, and laptops — even if they're not at home. Furbo dog camera If your parents have dogs and are usually away at work, then the Furbo Dog Camera is a thoughtful way to help them check in. (And parents love that.) The device features an HD camera and a two-way transmitter that allows users to check on their pets via smartphone live-streaming video, plus it can toss treats at their little puppers with the press of a button. Think of it as a high tech baby monitor, but for dogs.  A pressurized growler If mom and dad are home brew and craft beer enthusiasts, this uKeg Pressurized Growler from GrowlerWerks is the best way to transport frosty ales and beers from the bar to the home with ease. The vacuum-insulated chamber is made from stainless steel with a copper finish and is designed to keep at least 64 ounces of craft beer cold for up to two weeks. Cheers! Echo Show Not living in the same city as your parents can be a bummer. Phone calls just aren't the same as face-to-face conversations. You likely can't afford to take a trip every time you want to talk to your parents, so getting them an Echo Show is the next best thing. You're able to video chat with them through Skype, the Alexa app, or your own video Echo device if you have one. Plus, they get smart home capabilities, too. Air fryer Air fryers use rapid air technology to fry food with little to no oil, which means your parents can feel better about whipping up wings and fries. This one from Farberware has eight preprogrammed cooking options and can cook up to two pounds of food. The appliance works quickly and doesn't leave a lingering hot oil smell. Essential oil diffuser Essential oils are said to reduce stress and promote mindfulness. This diffuser has seven ambient light modes and four timer settings, allowing your parents to set their preferred tone. The set also comes with 10 essential oils, including lavender, peppermint, and lemongrass. Custom etched wine glasses Make your parents feel ~fancy~ with a pair of etched stemless wine glasses. You're able to choose custom information to put on the glasses and you can even send the Etsy shop a logo or design to use. Glasses are one for $12, two for $20, or four for $40. Udemy course Give your parents the gift of a new skill with a course from Udemy. There are courses on a huge variety of topics such as marketing, photography, development, and more. Prices vary depending on the lesson you choose, but once you purchase, your parents get access to the course for life. Date night in a box Date nights are an important part of relationships, but actually planning one and mustering up the energy to leave the house is... a lot. Make your parents' lives easier with an entire date night conveniently packaged in a box that's delivered to their door. Gift card options start at $50, which covers one month's box plus $8 toward add-ons. Amazon Prime subscription If you and your family all share one Prime membership, let your parents break off to their own account. They'll get access to free two-day shipping, movies, and shows with Prime Video, music, Kindle e-books, and more. The membership gift can also be redeemed for an Amazon gift card instead if they choose that route. Philips smart bulb starter kit If your parents are old school and still use those clunky outlet timers to set a light schedule while they're out of town, get them this smart bulb kit. The bulbs screw right into most standard sockets and are controlled by the included hub which connects to a mobile app and voice controls. Eufy robot vacuum No matter what kind of flooring your parents have in their home, this robot vacuum will be able to clean them — without your 'rents having to lift a finger. The cleaner can be controlled and scheduled via the mobile app or by using voice commands. Copper bar set Spice up your parents' drinking life with this fun copper bar set. It has everything they need to mix up some cocktails, including Moscow mules, the preferred beverage for copper drinkware. All they need is some booze, which would make a great addition to this gift. Airbnb gift card Give your parents a reason to go on vacation — or to visit you. With values starting at $25, an Airbnb gift card can help cover expenses for your parents to find an affordable place to stay while they take a much needed break from their everyday lives. You can give the card electronically or have a physical copy mailed. Waterpik water flosser Regardless of age, it's pretty much universal that nobody likes going to the dentist, especially if it involves a lecture about flossing. Help your parents maintain their healthy smiles with a Waterpik water flosser, which is up to 50% more effective for improving gum health than string floss. Contigo reusable water bottle If your parents are still drinking out of single-use plastic water bottles, bring them up to speed with reusable bottles. Contigo has a variety of bottles, ranging in materials, style, and color. You'll be able to find something that matches your parents' style and needs.  Silent alarm clock Waking up to a blaring alarm is annoying, especially if it's not even your alarm that's going off. Your parents might have to listen to each other snore, but give them a break in the morning with separate silent alarms. They can attach these vibrating devices to their wrists and get up without waking the other person. Atlas Coffee Club subscription Switch up your parents' morning cup of joe with this coffee subscription that sends roasted-to-order coffee from around the world. Along with coffee, the box includes information about the beans, brewing recommendations, and a postcard from the country of origin. Gifting options start at $60 for three months. Bluetooth food thermometer Cooking meat correctly often means monitoring a thermometer, but this nifty gadget is one your parents won't have to check. It connects to a mobile app via Bluetooth and sends alerts when the food is ready, or if it's under- or over-cooking. The app also allows your parents to monitor the temperature on their phone or tablet screens.

2019-05-17 00:00:00

Amy Emmerich is President, North America, at Refinery29; Dr. Leana Wen is President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. We are women who spend our working days thinking about other women: How to get them news and content they care about; how to provide the health care they need to live the lives they want. The vast majority of business leaders may not need to so squarely center women in their thoughts, their strategies, or their practices. Yet, in the current moment of turmoil for women’s health, many are, because they know the future of their businesses and our economy depend upon it. This week is Women’s Health Week, and more than 1,700 entrepreneurs, executives and small business owners have signed on to a letter from Business Forward, affirming their belief that access to health care is essential to women’s professional and personal success. Reproductive health care is an essential part of that health care. We cannot separate the ability to decide whether and when to have children from the ability to seek professional opportunities and plan our careers. We know this because we have lived it. We have built careers while trying not to have children, while deciding to have children, and then while parenting and taking care of our families. At each stage we, like most women, faced challenges; from barriers to getting birth control to the pressure to return to work after giving birth to the difficulty of balancing work and family life. In one survey, 86 percent of women executives say the ability to plan if and when to have children has been important for them to pursue their professional and career goals, and 90 percent of women executives say birth control has been important for their ability to plan the size of their families. And we know the importance of sexual and reproductive health care to educational attainment and professional fulfillment because history has shown us. According to a University of Michigan study, one-third of the wage gains women have seen since 1960 are the direct result of access to birth control. College enrollment was 20 percent higher among women who could access the birth control pill legally by age 18 in 1970. Other studies have found that women in college who have early access to birth control — before they turn 21 — are more likely to stay in college. For 30 years now, women have been earning more bachelor’s degrees than men, in large part because we have been able to plan our reproductive future as we plan out our educational and employment futures. Yet even as the field of reproductive health has advanced, women’s progress toward equality has stalled. Where the U.S. once led, we are now 20th out of 22 countries for women’s participation in the labor force. Women are eight in 10 of the lowest wage workers, and only one in 10 of C-suite executives. Women earn only 82 cents for every dollar a man earns. For women of color, the gap is even wider. Black women earn 67 cents, and Latinas earn 58 cents. The reason for continued inequality in the workforce is simple: Bad policies lead to bad outcomes. Other advanced economies invest three times as much as the U.S. in policies that support women, from reproductive health care to paid family leave. The U.S. remains the only advanced economy that does not mandate paid maternity leave. And leaders in Washington, D.C. and states across the country are pushing policies that would further restrict access to reproductive health care. The Trump-Pence administration is working to dismantle Title X, the nation’s only program focused on affordable reproductive health care, including birth control, cancer screenings, and STI testing and treatment. They have issued rules to cut funding for evidence-based, comprehensive sex education, and to make it easier for companies and institutions to deny their employees coverage for birth control. And just this week, politicians in Alabama passed the most extreme ban on access to safe, legal abortion we’ve seen in nearly 50 years — sentencing doctors who provide abortion care to 99 years in prison and endangering women by banning all abortions, without exceptions for rape or incest. They follow the lead of states like Georgia and Ohio, which have passed laws banning abortion at six weeks of pregnancy, before most women even know they’re pregnant. These laws take aim at overturning Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision before which thousands of women in the U.S. died every year because they could not access safe, legal abortion. If, instead of pursuing policies that restrict access to reproductive health care, our leaders advanced policies that help women to participate in the workforce at the rate men do, the U.S. economy would grow by nearly $1 trillion each year. We cannot move forward as a country when half of us are held back. We cannot build companies with the best ideas and leadership when half of us are excluded. We cannot expect women to thrive and lead when our policies actively undermine their ability to live healthy lives. As working women, as moms, as leaders, we’re standing with businesses and all those who support access to reproductive health care and women’s health care — this week and every week.

2020-03-20 10:00:12

Of a Kind Nicholas Kirkwood’s first encounter with a blown-glass Ettore Sottsass piece six years ago ignited an ardor for their whimsical, childlike aesthetic. “I once read that the Memphis movement was like a shotgun wedding between Bauhaus and Fisher-Price,” says the British shoe designer Nicholas Kirkwood. His interest in Memphis — a design collective formed in 1981 that placed an emphasis on bold colors and wild abstraction — stems in part from a fascination with the boundary-pushing aesthetics of that decade. In particular, Kirkwood is drawn to the graphic glass vases made by Ettore Sottsass, the Italian industrial designer and father of the postmodernist movement. “I found my first Sottsass vase about six years ago in Paris,” he says. “I was struck by its shape and color — it resembled something a child might build.” Since then, the 39-year-old has amassed a collection of over a dozen vases. Several are assembled on a windowsill in his Soho studio to catch the light, and a few contain the sculptural flower arrangements he prefers from London’s Fjura. “Sottsass pieces may not be practical or classically beautiful, but they can really hold a room,” says the designer, whose spring collection is inspired by the relationship between architecture and nature in Los Angeles. His recently redesigned website is now shoppable. Left: Pasifila blown-glass vase, 1986. “I actually use this one for flowers, unlike many of the others, because its proportions are slightly different — the curve is much tighter at the top — and it’s the most classic looking.” Right: Ananke blown-glass vase, 1986. “This one almost looks like something out of ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.’ You could flip it around and not know which is the top or the bottom.” Alioth blown-glass vase, 1983. “The blue drops remind me of pastry decorations, and the amber ones of slugs. If you didn’t know it was made in the ’80s and in these colors, you’d think it could be an ancient artifact. Quite a bit of Sottsass’s work was like that, I think.” Left: Sirio blown-glass vase, 1982. “There are wavy, solid glass handles on this one that remind me of someone standing with their arms on their hips, as if it’s doing a little dance.” Right: Astimelusa blown-glass vase, 1986. “All three sections of this vase are elegant, as is the burgundy, green and white color scheme. It feels more synergistic to me.” Neobule blown-glass vase, 1986. “The black-and-white combo is bold, and the yellow center looks alien and out of place. It reminds me of a nuclear reactor — or my idea of one, anyway.”

2016-03-26 00:00:00

Justin Bieber fans shelled out thousands to meet the singer and for a premium spot at his show ... but now they're only getting one of those perks and say it just isn't worth the money spent. TMZ broke the story ... Justin switched up the remaining "meet & greets" for his tour, leaving Beliebers who bought passes for the event with only a ticket to his show. We're told fans have been offered full refunds ... but if they choose a refund, they lose their ticket for the best section in the house, "the pit." One fan tells us she's tried looking at other ticket options but if she drops her pit ticket, she'll be stuck paying at least 4x face value for a seat in the nosebleeds. Fans are letting the event organizers have it on social media, demanding some sort of smaller refund so they are able to hold onto their spot at the show too ... but we're told it's full refund or nothing. Dedication ain't easy.

2018-06-14 00:00:00

close Video Democratic candidate pepper sprays self in gun control ad Colorado congressional candidate pepper sprays himself in ad supporting gun control measures; Raymond Arroyo breaks down 'Seen and Unseen' stories for 'The Ingraham Angle.' A Democratic congressional candidate in Colorado released a campaign ad featuring himself being pepper sprayed in the eyes in a bid to encourage non-lethal self-defense tools in schools to deter gun violence. Levi Tillemann, who’s trying to woo the voters in the upcoming party’s primary in less than two weeks, criticized President Trump’s suggestion to arm school officials and teachers with guns, claiming pepper spray is a better alternative to stop potential school shooters. “I’m calling on Congress to stop talking past each other and try something new,” Tilleman says in the video. “Empower schools and teachers with non-lethal self-defense tools, like this can of pepper spray.” “Empower schools and teachers with non-lethal self-defense tools, like this can of pepper spray.” — Levi Tillemann “Pepper spray doesn’t cost much and it can be safely stored in a break glass in case of emergency cabinet. But it’s powerful and won’t accidentally kill a kid,” he continued. “Trust me, this will stop anybody in their tracks.” The Democrat then proceeded to close his eyes and began spraying the pepper spray in his face. He’s later seen trying to wash off his face by dunking his head into water and spraying himself with a hose. “It’s incredibly painful, now I can’t see anything,” he said. “Wow, that’s intense.” Tillemann, a former Department of Energy official during the presidency of Barack Obama, made gun control the key issue of his campaign, doubling-down on his website that pepper spray should be “be made widely available as quickly as possible” for teachers and school officials to combat potential school shooters. “The time has come to move beyond apologies and half measures and fight for real solutions to gun violence in our community. Help us win this fight,” he said. PELOSI DEFENDS HOYER AFTER AUDIOTAPE SUGGESTS INTERFERENCE IN HOUSE RACE This isn’t the first time Tillemann caught the attention. He secretly recorded Democratic House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer back in December, who urged him to drop out of the primary race to give way to Jason Crow, who was backed by the party’s establishment. “Yeah, I’m for Crow,” Hoyer was reportedly recorded saying at the December meeting in a Denver hotel. “I am for Crow because a judgment was made very early on. I didn’t participate in the decision.” He added: “But it was clear that it was our policy and our hope that, early on, try to come to an agreement on a candidate that we thought could win the general, and to give that candidate all the help we could give them.” Tillemann’s stunt is unlikely to earn him the party’s nomination as Crow remains the leading candidate in the primary race.

2016-08-05 00:00:00

Incipio keeps on buying up big tech accessory brands. The latest is Griffin Technology, an acquisition that Incipio announced today without disclosing terms of the deal. The purchase gives Incipio an even bigger reach into the smartphone case and accessories market — an area where it's already a big name. Incipio says Griffin "complements our existing product lines" It's not the most exciting pairing, but you can see where it makes sense for Incipio from an efficiency standpoint. Incipio's CEO and founder, Andy Fathollahi, explains the reasoning in a statement: "As part of Incipio Group, Griffin strengthens our product development and manufacturing capabilities, complements our existing product lines in rugged cases, power and connectivity, and allows our brands to reach a broader domestic and international audience through enhanced distribution in the business-to-business, enterprise, and education verticals." Today's purchase follows Incipio's acquisition deal with Skullcandy in June and with Incase around this time last year. It's slowly taking over recognizable names that make fine but not necessarily game-changing products — but products that a lot of people choose to buy alongside their new phone or computer nonetheless.

2019-09-18 20:15:00

This story requires our BI Prime membership. To read the full article, simply click here to claim your deal and get access to all exclusive Business Insider PRIME content. Purdue Pharma, which is accused of driving the US's deadly opioid epidemic through the prescription painkiller OxyContin, recently filed for bankruptcy. The filing provides a rare public glimpse into the business affairs of the privately held Purdue. Some of the biggest claims against Purdue are from healthcare companies like CVS's Caremark and UnitedHealth's Optum unit for rebates, according to the company's bankruptcy filing. In the US's complicated drug-pricing system, the true price of a drug is typically shielded from the public. The Purdue figures are a starting point to unraveling that, but there's still a lot that is unknown, Michael Rea, the founder and CEO of Rx Savings Solutions, said. Click here for more BI Prime stories.OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma recently filed for bankruptcy as part of a settlement agreement being worked out over the company's role in the US's prolonged and deadly opioid crisis.  The bankruptcy filing provides a rare peek behind the curtain of the privately held company's business affairs. It also speaks to the complexity of the US drug-pricing system.The filing shows that Purdue Pharma owes a lot of money to healthcare giants like CVS's Caremark unit and UnitedHealth Group's OptumRx unit, to the tune of $19.3 million and $15.8 million, respectively.Purdue also owes significant amounts to the Defense Health Agency, which supports medical services for the US Army, Navy, and Air Force, and to health departments for states like California, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.Much of the money that Purdue owes are refunds called "rebates," which are negotiated with drug companies on prescription medications in return for health insurers covering the drugs. How drug rebates workRead more: Purdue Pharma, the drugmaker behind OxyContin, files for bankruptcy as part of a major settlementThe process works something like this: You, a patient, go into the pharmacy and pick up a prescription for a Purdue Pharma drug. Purdue gets paid and returns the refund for that drug back to a middleman, like CVS's Caremark unit, usually between three and nine months later, Michael Rea, the founder and CEO of Rx Savings Solutions, said.This system has been accused of driving prices up for the patient, and it has recently come under attack by the Trump administration. But for any further insight into how much Purdue gets paid for its drugs, you would need to know more about those private contracts, like the length of the time period before a rebate gets returned and how large the rebate is as a percentage of the drug's price, Rea said. Those aspects are not disclosed in the Purdue bankruptcy filing. "Those details are going to frame how much are we actually talking about," Rea said."I think people are very curious about what price they see when they get to the counter of their corner pharmacy. And this helps them understand, these are some of the variables that can affect that price." Read more: Purdue Pharma and its billionaire owners may end up giving billions in OxyContin profits to communities harmed by the opioid crisisDrug distributors are owed money tooOther top unsecured claims against Purdue are from drug distributors like AmerisourceBergen ($4.5 million), McKesson Corp. ($3.7 million), and Cardinal Health ($3.5 million). As the name might suggest, distributors get drugs to places like pharmacies and hospitals. In addition to the prescription opioids OxyContin, Hysingla, and Butrans, Purdue also sells over-the-counter products like laxatives and dietary supplements. The Purdue Pharma bankruptcy document, which was filed in the Southern District of New York, lists out the 50 largest unsecured claims against the company. In addition to rebates and distributor fees, they also include claims for services fees and "trade debt" from research companies and more. The claims are not listed as disputed on the filing. Featured Digital Health Articles: - Telehealth Industry: Benefits, Services & Examples - Value-Based Care Model: Pay-for-Performance Healthcare - Senior Care & Assisted Living Market Trends - Smart Medical Devices: Wearable Tech in Healthcare - AI in Healthcare - Remote Patient Monitoring Industry: Devices & Market Trends

2017-10-18

Researchers at the University of Washington have found a way to track a person’s location and app use through serving ads on mobile apps. The result opens the door for significant privacy invasions through the app-based advertising system. The researchers obtained the information by purchasing a series of ads targeted to specific locations and apps, then checking which mobile subscribers fit the targeting. In experiments conducted on Android devices, the team was able to pinpoint a person’s location within eight meters through a targeted ad. They tested ads on 10 different apps, including Grindr, Imgur, Words with Friends, and Talkatone, all using widely available ad networks. By serving ad content to a user’s apps, the ad buyers could learn what apps the user has installed. That information could be sensitive, revealing a user’s sexual orientation or religious affiliation. For instance, ads served on Grindr will tell the ad buyer that the user has Grindr installed. Researchers could also find out when a user went to a specific place. After targeting ads to a specific location, the ad network would notify them within 10 minutes of when the user arrived. “It was so easy to do what we did,” said Franzi Roesner, co-author of the paper and co-director of the UW Security and Privacy Research Lab. “This is an issue that the online advertising industry needs to be thinking about.” The report points out a number of malicious ways this information could be used. A business could use the location ads to track business meetings with a venture capital firm, for instance. The app-specific information could also be extremely sensitive if applied to pregnancy trackers or dating apps. The system works by tracking a user’s mobile advertising ID (MAID) number, which is meant to be secret but researchers say is easy to discover. The numbers are often sent to ad exchanges unencrypted and can be obtained through Wi-Fi sniffing. “Anyone from a foreign intelligence agent to a jealous spouse can pretty easily sign up with a large internet advertising company and on a fairly modest budget use these ecosystems to track another individual’s behavior,” said author Paul Vines, a recent UW doctoral graduate. It’s hard for users to mitigate ad targeting attacks without completely swearing off the internet and mobile apps, but it would be easier for ad networks to take action. The paper suggests ad networks reset identifiers more often and actively scan for malicious ad-buyers, although even those methods wouldn’t solve the problem completely.

2018-09-07 15:54:00

Former Dallas Cowboys running back Joseph Randle was arrested on a charge of domestic violence rape shortly before 4 a.m. local time on Friday morning in Wichita, Kansas, according to Sedgwick County inmate arrest records. Randle, 27, is being held without bond at the Sedgwick County Jail, according to the records. In a press release, the Wichita Police Department said that officers responded to a rape in progress call at an apartment complex around 1 a.m. “Upon arrival, Officers contacted a 28-year-old female who had minor facial injuries and reported being sexually assaulted by Randle,” the release said. Police said the investigation is ongoing and will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office. It is unclear if Randle has obtained an attorney who could comment on his behalf. The Oklahoma State alum was drafted by the Cowboys in the fifth round in 2013. According to Sports Illustrated, he was released from the team in November 2015 after several run-ins with the law. Prior to his latest legal trouble, the former running back spent much of the last 2 years in prison after he was found guilty for allegedly hitting three people with a car in February 2016, according to the Wichita Eagle. Leading up to that Randle was arrested six times in 17 months, CBS Sports reported. During that period, Randle also spent some time in a Kansas state mental hospital, according to the Houston Chronicle. The Wichita Eagle reported that the 2016 incident occurred after a guest at a housewarming party used a racial slur during a game of beer pong and Randle was asked to leave. He was charged with aggravated battery, aggravated burglary, criminal threat and marijuana possession. Randle was then released on probation in June, under a plea deal that allows prosecutors to ask for jail time if the former athlete were to run into legal trouble again, according to ESPN. In addition to the criminal charges stemming from the housewarming party incident, the Wichita Eagle reported that at the time of his most recent arrest, Randle was also awaiting sentencing for a different felony case. The court date was scheduled for Oct. 9. While he was still signed to the Cowboys, Randle was arrested in October 2014 for shoplifting underwear and cologne, as well as in February 2015 for marijuana possession, according to the Washington Post. The 2015 arrest was made after police responded to a domestic violence call, although the Sedgwick County District Attorney later announced that there was insufficient evidence to make any felony charges against Randle, according to ESPN. Randle was also arrested in November 2015 after allegedly becoming violent during a blackjack game, reported the Washington Post. Following his arrest in February 2017, Randle ended up being charged with an additional count of felony aggravated battery after allegedly battering an inmate, according to the Wichita Eagle.

2017-09-03 00:15:01

Alana Michele Frankfort, a daughter of Bobbie Frankfort and Lew Frankfort of New York, is to be married Sept. 3 to Dovid M. Spector, a son of Marsha Spector and S. Jan Spector of Atlanta. Rabbi Bruce S. Block will officiate at the bride’s family home in Bridgehampton, N.Y. The bride, 33, works in New York as a co-creator of A Founder’s Lab, a consulting group focused on marketing and sales for consumer start-ups. Previously, she was a founding member of Gilt City, an online shopping platform, and led the New York sales team. She graduated from the University of Michigan. The bride’s father is a chairman emeritus of Coach, the accessories company in New York, where he served as the chairman and chief executive from 1995 to 2014. Her mother retired as the chairman of the board of education in Tenafly, N.J. The groom, 39, is the senior vice president of leasing at National Realty and Development Corp., a commercial real estate development firm in Purchase, N.Y. He graduated from George Washington University. The groom’s mother is president of Front Row Seats, an Atlanta event ticket seller. His father retired as a financial planner from Cigna in Atlanta. The groom’s first marriage ended in divorce. The couple met in 2015 on the dating app Happn in New York.

2017-06-23 10:50:00

I’m nearly 25 years old and I’ve never been pregnant. At this point in my life, I don’t even think I want kids. But, I did write about celebrity news for nearly two years. That means I wrote many, many stories about famous women opening up about their miscarriages. Just thinking about the loss these women were going through, and they pain they were experiencing, broke my heart. That’s how I realized the purposefully ridiculous Glow episode "Slouch. Submit." used the most offensive phrase ever to deal with the reveal Cherry (Sydelle Noel) had a miscarriage a very long time before the comedy takes place. That phrase, is "womb goof." Let me just say off the bat, the first time viewers hear "womb goof" in the Netflix newbie’s second episode it’s more ridiculous than hurtful. Sam Sylvia (Marc Maron), the hapless, cocaine-addled director of Glow’s show within-a-show, is having a private conversation with longtime friend Cherry, whom he once at threesome with in the late 1970s. Now it’s the mid-80s, and they haven’t spoken in quite some time. "Oh! I haven't talked to you since the… You know the… The whole, uh," he says, gesturing toward Cherry’s uterus. "Uh… the womb goof." Sam’s terrible phrasing is supposed to illustrate just how uncomfortable some men are about women’s bodies and emotions, especially three decades ago. The former B-movie director clearly doesn’t want to upset Cherry and doesn’t know if actually saying a word as clinical as "miscarriage" will do more harm than good. However, the stunt star proves the word isn’t a problem, replying, "Miscarriage?" "Yeah, I was trying to come up with a tactful euphemism," he admits. Yes, Sam failed in his aim, but at least he's trying. The poor turn-of-phrase takes a dark turn later in the episode, when a petty Melrose (Jackie Tohn) tries to play mind games with Cherry in front of all the GLOw women. In the middle of "Submit," Cherry completely reads Melrose after she performs an unsafe wrestling attack on lead character Ruth (Alison Brie). The stunt woman announces Melrose has probably never had a real job and knows she’s not interesting. As revenge, Melrose — who overheard Cherry and Sam’s original womb goof conversation — steals a bottle of ketchup during lunch and pretends to have a miscarriage during wrestling practice. "Oh my God, what is happening?! I thought I might be pregnant!” she screams, as she wipes a fake-bloody hand away from her crotch. "I put my body through too much trauma today. Fuck this is so painful. Oh am I having a miscarriage?" As Cherry tries to check on Melrose and comfort her, the "prankster" sticks her tongue out and reveals the ketchup bottle hidden in her hoodie, spraying a huge stream of it on the mat. “Bummer,“ she gleefully says with ketchup splattered hands. "How am I gonna tell [80s singer] Adam Ant that our precious little baby turned out to be a womb goof?" Cherry’s face falls the moment she realizes her physical and emotional trauma was used against her for childish vengeance. It’s even worse when the entire scene is played once again, since director Sam missed it and wants to know if there’s any story there worth exploring. There isn’t. Viewers know this is actually that bad when Sam offers Cherry double her salary to stay on the project and all she can do is stare at him with sad eyes and agree to "think about it." Not to spoil the rest of GLOW, but I can confirm Cherry will definitely get the last laugh here. Read These Stories Next: Sick Of TV? These Shows Will Get You Addicted All Over Again Exactly What Women Spend To Compete On The Bachelor The Best British Shows You Should Be Watching

2018-05-13

Usually, Leslie Jones is the one making other people laugh. But the joke's on her in this Mother's Day-themed Saturday Night Live sketch. The premise is a Newlywed Game-style game show about moms, called Mother Knows Best. Two of the mother-child contestant pairings are perfectly normal, natural, and healthy. The third... isn't. And Leslie couldn't take it. Observe. Also, pay extra attention to guest host Amy Schumer. Her comedic timing throughout this entire sketch is perfect. Hasan Minhaj's dad once hilariously destroyed him over a high school cheating scandal 'The Farewell' offers a different kind of fish-out-of-water story Seth Meyers brutally outlines the best and worst case scenarios for the Democratic candidates Stephen Colbert busts out his best Bon Jovi impression to roast the Democratic candidates

2019-09-29 00:00:00

Artie Lange is in serious danger of having breathing problems if he doesn't get his deformed nose fixed sooner rather than later ... but Dr. Paul Nassif first needs Artie to reach a major milestone in his sobriety. We talked to the star M.D. from "Botched" and he tells TMZ ... Artie's saddle nose -- due to drug use and a bookie's fist -- could possibly trigger a lot of sinus infections because of the severe nasal obstruction. The dangers are serious ... for instance, the doc says Artie could develop bronchitis from being forced to breath through his mouth, which would cause an irritation to his upper lungs. Plain and simple ... Artie's gotta get his nose in tip-top shape, but first and foremost comes his sobriety. Nassif says Artie's gotta be at least 1-year sober for several reasons ... the main point being that if he were to unfortunately relapse, the side effects of an elective surgery could be even worse. As we first reported ... Artie said he was down to get it fixed but also said his collapsed nose was a necessary reminder of darker times. Artie's kept his sense of humor throughout this ordeal ... saying he's the opposite of Pinocchio, "Every time I lie my nose got smaller." For what it's worth ... Artie's now 8 months sober, and even with the damaged schnoz, looking better than he has in a long time.

2017-08-31 12:00:00

There are two types of people in this world — and they spend the last days of summer in very different ways. The first find themselves with a beach ball-sized lump in their stomach just thinking about giving up the long, blissful days of July. Then there are those that spend the warmer months sipping pumpkin spice anything in the comfort of their air conditioned apartments patiently waiting for the first leaf to fall. Luckily, no matter what emotions the first days of September conjure for you, there is something we can all agree upon: Labor Day sales are the silver lining we all need in these difficult times. Just like Memorial Day, these sales give you a chance to load up on the best products to have on hand as the seasons change – and this year's offerings are good. Check out the beauty sales you can't miss, ahead.

2019-11-11 00:00:00

ABU DHABI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia raised its oil output in October to 10.3 million barrels per day but kept its supply to the oil markets below its OPEC output target, a Saudi industry source familiar with the kingdom’s oil operations told Reuters. Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, told OPEC that its production in September fell by 660,000 barrels per day (bpd) from August to 9.13 million bpd in the wake of attacks on its energy installations. Oil supply to the markets stood at 9.890 million bpd in October, the Saudi source said, adding that the 400,000 bpd difference between production and supply was moved to inventories. “Saudi Aramco (is) replenishing its inventories, which it earlier drew upon during September 2019, in order to supply the needs of its customers despite being subject to the most serious act of aggression in the history of the industry,” the source said. The Sept. 14 attacks on two oil plants run by state oil giant Saudi Aramco knocked out half of the kingdom’s oil production, or 5% of global output, sending oil prices soaring. But the kingdom was quick to bring back production with almost no impact on the crude volumes it exported as it drew from its huge oil inventories. The kingdom’s OPEC output target under a global supply cut agreement is 10.3 million bpd, but Riyadh has been pumping below this for most of 2019 to support oil prices and curb a global supply glut. Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) members and their allies, a grouping known as OPEC+, meet in December to decide on output policy for 2020. Reporting by Rania El Gamal, editing by Louise Heavens and Emelia Sithole-Matarise

2016-08-08 23:13:43

The “Nearby” tracking system in Pokemon Go — the one that’s supposed to let you actually figure out where Pokemon are hiding without walking aimlessly — has been broken since day two or three after launch. It went from kinda working with a functional-if-confusing “footprint” system (three footprints = far, one footprint = close) to not working at all (all Pokemon showing three footprints regardless of distance) to just being totally removed. An update rolled out for Pokemon Go users tonight, and the change log mentioned that a new nearby tracking system was being tested with “a subset of users”. Here’s what that beta nearby system looks like in action, as demonstrated in a video grabbed by Dogecoin creator Jackson Palmer: https://twitter.com/ummjackson/status/762860057159618561 and another video: Not quite sure what you’re looking at? The “Nearby” drawer now has two sections: Nearby, and Sightings. “Nearby” Pokemon are those which happen to be close to nearby Pokestops. Tap one of those and the map zooms out to an overhead view, showing you which Pokestop you should head towards. It’s like they looked at the now-banned Pokevision and said “Well, if you can’t beat’em…” The Pokemon you’re looking for should be near that Pokestop; according to most reports, they’re usually within about a block. Pokestops now have circles around them similar in sizing to the one around the player’s — if a Pokemon is within that circle, it counts as “Nearby” that Pokestop. Pokemon in the “Sightings” section have grass behind them rather than a Pokestop image — this means they’re in the wild and not immediately near a Pokestop, and you’ll have to hunt for them without any built-in guidance. Tapping a “Sightings” Pokemon doesn’t seem to do anything at the moment, and they don’t necessarily seem to be sorted by distance (hopefully this changes)… so you’ll still be walking a bit aimlessly, albeit with the knowledge that it’s not near a Pokestop. “But wait, Greg! I updated the app, and I don’t see any ‘Nearby’ section!” Yeah — that’s the catch: it’s only been rolled out to that aforementioned “subset” of users. For now that seems to largely mean people in San Francisco — though some players in other major cities also report seeing it. Most people outside of a few major cities just see the “Sightings” section, even if they’ve got Pokestops nearby. (Note: Niantic specifically notes that this system is a test. It could very well change drastically before most people get it. Hopefully they figure out some system that also helps rural players who don’t have many Pokestops to begin with.) A few other things worth noting: – If a Pokemon despawns before you find it, it finally actually disappears from the Nearby/Sightings drawer. A bug that has plagued the game since launch kept despawned Pokemon in that drawer until something else replaced it or you force-quit the game, leading players to hunt for things that were LONG gone. – Similarly, if you’re no longer within a reasonable distance of a Pokemon, it disappears from the tracking drawer automatically. – If you’ve tapped on a Nearby Pokemon to start tracking it and it despawns, a pop-up appears to let you know it’s gone.

2018-02-06 20:11:31

It was late 2012, and Joseph Percoco was at the peak of his powers. As Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s executive deputy secretary, he had the governor’s ear, and protected the governor’s back. But behind the scenes, Mr. Percoco was a frenetic mess. In granular, groveling detail, the government’s star witness in a high-level Albany corruption case described on Tuesday how Mr. Percoco continually pleaded for, and fretted about, alleged bribe money from an energy company seeking to build a power plant in the Hudson Valley. The witness, Todd R. Howe, also described how he personally introduced the governor to two development executives now accused of bribery, using Mr. Cuomo’s love of cars — and Corvettes, in particular — as an entree. Emails introduced on Tuesday in Federal District Court in Manhattan show that Mr. Percoco’s money worries began not long after he bought an expensive house in Westchester County. Mr. Howe, an old friend of Mr. Percoco and a former aide to Mr. Cuomo, had responded to those financial concerns by arranging what prosecutors called a “low-show” job as an educational consultant for Mr. Percoco’s wife, Lisa Toscano-Percoco, at the energy company, Competitive Power Ventures. “Need to pull the trigger here. Things getting bad,” Mr. Percoco wrote to Mr. Howe in November 2012 about his financial straits and finalizing the job. “Down to the wire,” Mr. Percoco wrote again, in December, as he waited for the first check to arrive. Mr. Howe, who was also being paid for lobbying work by C.P.V., sought to reassure Mr. Percoco, arranging for hand-delivery of a check for $7,500. Dozens of additional payments to Ms. Toscano-Percoco, a former schoolteacher, would follow over the next several years, paid through a third party to avoid detection, according to prosecutors. But those payments did not end the two men’s near-constant consternation about money. In 2014, when a payment from another company was slow to come, Mr. Percoco wrote, “I have no ziti,” a nod to a reference used in “The Sopranos.” He then joked that he’d have to send his children to the backyard “with the garden hose to enjoy the summer.” “Don’t burn the ziti,” Mr. Howe wrote to Mr. Percoco at another moment, asking the governor’s aide to smooth over possible hurt feelings from Peter Galbraith Kelly Jr., a C.P.V. executive who is on trial alongside Mr. Percoco. On another occasion, Mr. Howe wrote an email to Mr. Percoco about “Operation Ziti Replenishment.” Prosecutors have charged Mr. Percoco, once one of Mr. Cuomo’s closest friends and aides, with conspiracy, extortion and solicitation of bribes. Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat seeking a third term in November, has not been accused of any wrongdoing. Mr. Howe, a disgraced Washington lobbyist now working as groundskeeper in Idaho, has pleaded guilty and is cooperating with the government. Mr. Howe’s testimony also shed light on Mr. Percoco’s alleged improper use of his influence after he left the administration for nearly eight months in 2014 to run Mr. Cuomo’s re-election campaign. Despite not serving in an official government capacity, Mr. Percoco continued to come and go from the governor’s Manhattan offices, using a government swipe card, prosecutors have shown. Mr. Howe testified on Tuesday that Mr. Percoco also continued to call members of the governor’s staff and “instruct them on various topics.” Mr. Howe also described how he helped establish a relationship between a client and the governor’s office. He instructed the client, COR Development, a Syracuse-area construction firm, to donate to Mr. Cuomo as a way of getting “in the New York State arena” of big-money contracts. Two COR executives, Steven Aiello and Joseph Gerardi, were also charged and are being tried with Mr. Percoco, accused of funneling him $35,000 for several favors, including securing a raise for Mr. Aiello’s son, who was working for the state. Mr. Howe said he introduced Mr. Aiello and Mr. Gerardi to Mr. Cuomo at a fund-raiser. He then gave another COR executive a surefire icebreaker with the governor: He told him to chat with Mr. Cuomo about Corvettes. The plan worked, Mr. Howe said. “He parked himself in the center of the ballroom and they talked about Corvettes for about 35 minutes,” Mr. Howe testified. Mr. Howe said that he also advised COR to funnel donations to Mr. Cuomo through limited liability companies that “don’t include the name ‘COR’ in them,” one email showed. He also celebrated the fact that the company was using the so-called L.L.C. loophole that allows hard-to-trace and practically unlimited donations to flow to political campaigns in New York State. Mr. Howe said he did so to make sure that it would be difficult for reporters to track the donations, because “the media would make a heyday” of the donations and any state contracts COR received. Prosecutors and the judge in the case, Judge Valerie E. Caproni, of Federal District Court, have said that there was nothing unlawful about the donations.

2017-07-21

(Adds background, detail, shares) STOCKHOLM, July 21 (Reuters) - Sweden’s SKF, the world’s largest maker of industrial bearings, reported quarterly earnings above market expectations on Friday, boosted by strong growth in Asia and North America, and said it expected firmer demand in the third quarter. The company has been hit by weak global industrial demand, heavy price pressure and intense competition in recent years, but growth returned at the end of 2016, and has since accelerated. “As we move into the second half of the year, we expect to see continued broad-based industrial activity and growth,” SKF Chief Executive Alrik Danielson said in a statement. Gothenburg-based SKF’s second-quarter operating profit, adjusted for one-time items, rose to 2.44 billion Swedish crowns ($297 million) from 2.02 billion in the same period last year, beating a mean forecast for 2.36 billion crowns in a Reuters poll of analysts. SKF, which counts Germany’s Schaeffler AG and Timken of the United States among its rivals , said it expected higher demand, by which it typically means sales volume growth of 4-8 percent, in the current quarter compared with the same quarter in 2016. It forecast higher demand in Europe, North America and Asia, and significantly higher in Latin America. Like-for-like sales grew 7.5 in the quarter, ahead of a 7.1 percent mean forecast. A profit warning from Schaeffler in late June citing rising pricing pressure in the automotive business as well as a temporary supply chain shortage in the automotive aftermarket business, has weighed on SKF shares. SKF shares are down 4 percent in the past month, compared with a 17 percent drop for Schaeffler and a 2 percent decline in the STOXX Europe 600 Industrial Goods & Services Index. But while Schaeffler generates the vast majority of its sales in its automotive business, SKF’s automotive division accounts for only around 30 percent of its group sales. 1 = 8.2198 Swedish crowns) (Reporting by Johannes Hellstrom; editing by Niklas Pollard)

2020-01-24 00:00:00

THIS IS SAVAGE!!!! Cops in Southlake, Texas just shaded the hell out of the Houston Astros for their cheating scandal in a new speeding PSA ad ... and the video is HILARIOUS!!! The clip starts out with a cop and his radar gun looking pleasantly surprised that everyone is following the set speed limit. You can see in the vid, car by car drives by ... and all of them are hitting 30 MPH on the dot. But then, the camera pans over to a fireman behind a bush holding a trash can ... and that's where the 'Stros shade comes in. The fireman -- who's wearing an Astros jersey -- is letting drivers know there's a speed trap up ahead by hitting the top of his metal receptacle ... and it's laugh out loud funny!!! Of course, the 'Stros were just busted by the MLB earlier this month after league commish Rob Manfred said they illegally filmed opponents' signs and relayed them to batters by banging on dugout trash bins. The cops captioned their vid, "We don't care what it takes for you to slow down and follow the speed limit. Drive astro-nomically safe today in Southlake." BUUURNNNNN!!! FYI, Southlake is located just a few miles from the Dallas Fort Worth area ... so clearly, these guys are Rangers fans. Which means ... your move, Houston PD.

2018-03-14

WOLFSBURG, Germany (Reuters) - Volkswagen’s (VOWG_p.DE) core VW autos division said on Wednesday that EU requirements on curbing emissions and other climate-related demands would cause profitability to stall between 2018 and 2020. Profits would be hit even as earnings, sales and deliveries at the German firm were forecast to hit new records this year, VW brand executives told a media briefing. The European Union has proposed tougher vehicle emissions targets for 2025 and 2030 to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases. Carmakers, which are racing to develop electric vehicles (EVs), can be fined for violating the limits. The VW brand shoulders the bulk of Volkswagen group’s development spending, as well as costs related to the “dieselgate” emissions scandal. VW finance chief Arno Antlitz said VW faced “heavy financial demands” due to bottlenecks expected from introducing so-called WLTP lab tests related to car emissions and fuel consumption, regulations to curb CO2 emissions and EV development costs. “The CO2 fleet targets will certainly pose the greatest challenge for us as a company until the year 2020,” VW brand chief executive Herbert Diess said. Carmakers are working on new EV models to meet emissions goals. VW aims to sell more than 1 million cars powered solely by batteries by 2025, after selling just 43,000 electric models in 2017. The VW brand, Volkswagen’s largest division by sales and revenue, more than doubled its return on sales to 4.1 percent on the back of cuts in research and development spending, lower production costs and rising sales of sport utility vehicles, which deliver higher margins. The carmaker said its operating margin might come in between 4 and 5 percent this year, a range it said it would also maintain in 2020, the year before a new lower limit of 95 grams of CO2 per km takes effect. “This year and over the next few years, the brand will face severe challenges despite its improved competitiveness,” VW said. But Diess said VW expected to benefit from further cost savings, expansion of modular production and growing demand for its new vehicle models in the Americas. Reporting by Andreas Cremer; Editing by Victoria Bryan and Edmund Blair

2017-09-03

Russia on Sunday characterized the Trump administration's order that Moscow close a consulate in San Francisco and two diplomatic annexes as a "blunt act of hostility." “We urge American authorities to change their minds and return Russian diplomatic facilities immediately,” the Russian foreign ministry said on its website, according to Reuters. The Trump administration last week ordered that the three properties be closed. The move was framed as a response "in the spirit of parity" after the Russian government ordered the U.S. to reduce the number of its diplomatic personnel in Russia. "The United States has fully implemented the decision by the government of the Russian Federation to reduce the size of our mission in Russia," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said at the time. "We believe this action was unwarranted and detrimental to the overall relationship between our countries." A senior administration official told reporters following the announcement of the facilities’ closure that its goal was to "find a way to get better relations between our two countries." View the discussion thread. The Hill 1625 K Street, NW Suite 900 Washington DC 20006 | 202-628-8500 tel | 202-628-8503 fax The contents of this site are ©2019 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.

2019-05-07 18:56:38

LONDON — After the camera crews have packed up, and Baby Sussex is no longer driving the news cycle, where will we be able to find the charismatic young family? If the British newspapers have it right, the answer is: Africa. A series of reports last month suggested that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their infant son may be dispatched by the palace for a stint in Africa, where they would serve as ambassadors to the Commonwealth of Nations, a loose organization of 53 countries that evolved out of the British Empire. The Times of London reported that the assignment might keep them away from Britain for “two or three years,” but Harper’s Bazaar, a few days later, dialed it down to “a few months.” Buckingham Palace has not confirmed or denied either report. This sort of assignment has been given to royals before, and it serves two purposes: to shore up the Commonwealth, a voluntary grouping chiefly made up of former colonies that has been one of Queen Elizabeth’s lifelong projects; and to occupy royals who want a break from the United Kingdom, or prove too attention-grabbing or too restless. “My personal view is that anything to steer them toward Commonwealth things, as opposed to Oprah Winfrey, is a good idea,” said Hugo Vickers, who has written biographies of several members of the royal family, including the queen’s mother. “If I were arranging the calendars of Prince Harry and Prince William, I would have them traveling in the Commonwealth all the time,” he said. “It’s not so much getting them out of the way, it’s more harnessing them to something.” As Mr. Vickers suggests, the Sussexes have not slipped gracefully into a second-fiddle role behind Harry’s brother, Prince William, and William’s wife, the former Kate Middleton. The Duchess of Sussex, who was known as Meghan Markle when she worked as an actress, is a megawatt celebrity in her own right. Harry startled traditionalists by announcing plans to make a television documentary with Oprah Winfrey. A more disruptive factor was a rumored feud between Harry and his older brother, which fueled tabloid speculation for weeks. The notion of dispatching the Sussexes as the envoys to Africa has provoked all sorts of reactions. Trevor Phillips, the co-author of “Windrush,” a history of West Indian immigration to Britain, called it an “open-and-shut brilliant notion.” “More than any group or pair of individuals, they symbolize leaving behind the colonial inheritance,” said Mr. Phillips, whose parents moved to Britain from British Guiana. “If you want to obliterate that history, you can’t make it go away by saying, ‘We’re not like that anymore.’ You have to create a new narrative. What the Sussexes will do is create a narrative that is about modernity and glamour and diversity.” Kehinde Andrews, a professor of black studies at Birmingham City University, was not as enthusiastic, shrugging off the Commonwealth as “just the remnants of the British Empire.” “They send her out to the dark parts of the world to shore up the Commonwealth,” he said. “Using Meghan Markle as part of a P.R. campaign to maintain those links is the worst possible outcome.” He said most Britons have never confronted the role the African slave trade played in the empire’s history, regarding slavery as “something distant, both time-wise and geographically.” “Having said that, it might actually work,” he added, recalling how fond his Jamaican grandmother was of Queen Elizabeth. The Commonwealth is home to 2.4 billion people, mostly in Asia and Africa. While critics shrug it off as an anachronism, its supporters view it as a promising trading platform, held together by shared values, similar legal systems and the fidelity of Britain’s former colonies. The Commonwealth has particular importance for supporters of Britain’s departure from the European Union, known as Brexit, who see it as a more natural set of partners than the bloc, and argue for deeper trade and immigration partnerships. But palace officials have fretted, in recent years, that Britain’s position in the group will erode after the death of Elizabeth, its leader for 67 years. Last year, the palace pushed through a plan to make Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, her successor as its leader. Sixteen countries in the Commonwealth are designated as realms, meaning that the queen remains the head of state. Several among them — Australia and Jamaica are two — have active republican movements that could conceivably push through referendums to phase out the monarchy. A greater worry, Mr. Vickers said, is the withdrawal of countries from the Commonwealth. “The queen doesn’t mind not being queen of those countries,” he said, “but she does mind very much if they come out of the Commonwealth.” Personal popularity can turn back the tide of republicanism, said John Warhurst, a longtime leader of the Australian Republican Movement. He said a large slice of Australia’s population, perhaps as much as 10 percent, had set aside their opposition to the monarchy because they felt such affection for Queen Elizabeth. The visits from the younger members of the family aim, he said, to build a similar warmth. He called Harry and Meghan “the second wave.” “We’ve been through the William and Kate phenomenon,” he said. “We’ve been through a deluge of babies.” In 2014, when Prince William and his wife brought their then 8-month-old son, George, to Australia, newspapers dubbed him the “Republican Slayer,” and opinion polls showed that support for the monarchy was at its highest point in 35 years. “It’s not happening spontaneously, it’s happening strategically,” Mr. Warhurst said. “This has been a process of selling the young royals to the colonies — the realms, whatever you call them — for a long, long time.”

2016-11-27 00:00:00

(CNN)Syrian regime forces have entered eastern Aleppo and retaken parts of its largest district, launching a long-threatened ground assault to wrest control of the area from rebels. The troops' gains in the key neighborhood of Masaken Hanano were backed by regime airstrikes and marked the first time that government forces have taken a significant part of eastern Aleppo since rebels seized the area more than four years ago. Forces also entered the Jabal Badru neighborhood Sunday, effectively splitting eastern Aleppo into two. Government forces and armed groups loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad began a bloody push toward eastern Aleppo on November 15 as warplanes decimated much of the zone with airstrikes following a three-week lull. But on Saturday, they broke through rebel defense lines and entered the zone by ground from the northeast, according to civilians and the state-controlled Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA). Other troops are still pushing in from the south. SANA reported that forces were now in "full control" of the area, but the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and an activist group on the ground said only parts were in the hands of the regime and paramilitary gunmen. CNN correspondents in the region say it would likely be days before the whole neighborhood is recaptured, as forces will have to clear buildings of potential booby traps and mines. Aleppo is largely divided between government-controlled areas in the west and rebel positions in the east. Assad has vowed to retake the whole city, once Syria's commercial heart and now one of the last urban strongholds still in rebel hands. Eastern Aleppo has become the wretched epicenter of Syria's brutal five-year civil war. Much of it has been reduced to rubble as regime forces backed by Russian air power have pounded the area while humanitarian crisis there become catastrophic. Regime forces have besieged eastern Aleppo a number of times, most recently in July this year. The siege has cut off both the rebels and civilians from the outside world, leaving communities on the brink of starvation -- without sufficient food, clean water, fuel and medical supplies. Chemical attacks At least 46 people were killed and 325 wounded Saturday as regime forces entered the city 's east, according to the Syria Civil Defense volunteer rescue group -- also known as the White Helmets -- and the activist Aleppo Media Center. The White Helmets also said at least 150 airstrikes and 2,500 artillery shells struck Aleppo and its surrounding countryside on Saturday. The Syrian army said Sunday that its units had secured departure routes for 1,500 people from eastern Aleppo to regime-held areas, according to the state-run SANA news agency. It said that families had been transported to makeshift housing. But some civilians told CNN that they would not leave Aleppo as they have nowhere else to go. Many say that so-called human corridors offered to them only funnel them to regime-held areas, where they fear reprisal or being separated from their families. The recent resumption of airstrikes has seen devastating destruction in eastern Aleppo, and several chemical attacks on civilians have been reported, with children among victims. Hospitals have been bombed beyond use. A UN investigation in late August found that chemical weapons had been used in Syria, both by the national air force and ISIS militants. The November 15 offensive push toward eastern Aleppo was launched a day after the government sent a text message en masse to residents there, essentially telling them they should flee the city or die. A girl's plea for help Seven-year-old Bana lives under the constant cloud of war with her mother and younger brothers in rebel-held eastern Aleppo. One of her siblings has never known peace. Bana, with the help of her mother Fatemeh, has been tweeting about the horrors of their daily life. Early Sunday, Fatemah posted a series of tweets detailing the intense aerial shelling. "Last message - under heavy bombardments now, can't be alive anymore. When we die, keep talking for 200,000 still inside. BYE.- Fatemah," one tweet read. Fatemah told CNN their house has taken a direct hit. They are now on the street waiting for the planes to go and the shelling to stop before they can move or do anything. "There is nothing left to be said, the whole world watched and was silent," Fatemah told CNN. 'An endless nightmare' The UN agency for children, UNICEF, reported that nearly half a million children were living under siege across Syria, a figure that has doubled in less than a year. The children live across 16 areas, cut off from aid and basic services, UNICEF said. "For millions of human beings in Syria, life has become an endless nightmare -- in particular for the hundreds of thousands of children living under siege. Children are being killed and injured, too afraid to go to school or even play, surviving with little food and hardly any medicine," said UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake in a statement. "This is no way to live --- and too many are dying." UNICEF estimated that 100,000 children are living under siege in eastern Aleppo alone. There are believed to be around 250,000 people trapped there. The agency said parents had set up a network of playgrounds in basements so that children had a place to play. CNN's Jomana Karadsheh, Azadeh Ansari, Merieme Arif, Kareem Khadder and Basma Atassi contributed to this report.

2019-03-20 00:00:00

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain’s opposition Labour Party Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer will request an emergency debate in parliament on the length and purpose of any extension to the Article 50 Brexit negotiation period, the party said on Twitter. Labour said on Wednesday Starmer would request a so-called SO24 emergency debate on the motion: “That this House (of Commons) has considered the matter of the length and purpose of the extension of the Article 50 process requested by the government.” Earlier, another Labour lawmaker asked for an emergency debate. Starmer’s move is likely to take precedence over that. Reporting by Kylie MacLellan, editing by Elizabeth Piper

2018-06-14 00:00:00

FILE (iStock) I didn’t know Kate Spade or Anthony Bourdain but saw familiar threads in their suicides, as my mother took her own life at age 51. Spade had spoken to her father the night before and was looking forward to a trip to California. Bourdain was in one of his favorite countries, France, working on his television show. My mother, struggling through her third and failing marriage, had arrived at a plan to get back on her feet, supported by friends and family. CDC report shows troubling rise in nation's suicide rates Suicide is now the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. People were shocked when Spade and Bourdain hanged themselves, she in her New York apartment, he in a hotel room in Strasbourg. No one saw it coming when – a day after expressing optimism about her future – my mother drove into the desert, connected a hose to her pickup’s exhaust pipe, strung it through the cab’s back window and died of carbon-monoxide poisoning. Spade left a note, reportedly telling her 13-year-old daughter it wasn’t her fault. My mother wrote a letter, expressing pride in her five children, telling her grandchildren she loved them, and absolving her family for her decision. To continue reading Karl Rove&aposs column from The Wall Street Journal, click here.

2019-10-10 00:00:00

House Appropriations Chairwoman Nita Lowey’s decision to retire in 2020 will free up the top perch on the committee that's in charge of more than $1.3 trillion in federal spending and end the tenure of the first woman in history to head the powerful panel. The New York Democrat’s announcement Thursday kicks off speculation about who will bid to be her successor. While Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) were the first to announce Thursday that they will run for the position, the committee’s next top Democrat probably won’t be clear until late next year. Lowey’s replacement is most likely to be one of the panel’s most senior Democrats and possibly another woman. Besides DeLauro and Kaptur, potential candidates include Reps. Sanford Bishop of Georgia and David Price of North Carolina. Price, who leads the Transportation-HUD spending subcommittee, said in a statement that — "when the time comes" — he plans to talk to his colleagues about leadership of both the full committee and its subcommittees "as we fill major gaps" the chairwoman's retirement will leave. Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard said in a statement to POLITICO that she is “not considering running for the position of chair.” The California congresswoman chairs the subcommittee that funds the Department of Homeland Security and is fifth-most senior among Democrats on the committee who have not announced intentions to retire next year. Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-Ind.) also announced Thursday that he has "no intention" of pursuing the position, “given the serious nature and necessity for continuity to address evolving threats to our national security" by focusing on his work as chairman of the subcommittee that funds the military. Lowey's retirement is likely to set off a chain reaction of switches among the spending subcommittees. Besides serving as chairwoman of the full committee, the New York Democrat is also head of the subcommittee that funds the State Department and foreign operations. A top Democrat from one of the other 11 subcommittees will likely switch roles to head that panel, which is considered more desirable to most lawmakers than subcommittees like the Legislative Branch panel. When the 116th Congress draws to an end next year, House Democrats seeking the gavel will vie for the backing of the Steering and Policy panel that influences leadership selections. In a closed-door vote, that group will choose who to recommend as the spending committee’s top Democrat and the chair, should Democrats retain control of the House. While lawmakers usually don’t further pursue a committee post if the Steering and Policy committee doesn’t back them, they have the option of requesting a vote from the full caucus, even when another candidate has gotten that initial blessing. When GOP leaders voted last year to pick a new ranking member for the House Appropriations Committee, sixth-term Rep. Tom Graves (R-Ga.) challenged more-senior lawmakers like Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas), who has served in Congress for more than two decades and ultimately succeeded in clinching the top Republican spot on the panel. But House Democrats with shorter tenures tend to stay out of the running for such a coveted chairmanship, leaving the panel’s most-senior members to fight for the seat at the very top. Indeed, Lowey became the chairwoman after serving in Congress for 30 years and on the spending panel for 26 of them. In her 16 terms, the New Yorker has represented a chunk of Westchester County and all of Rockland County. Her district includes the affluent New York City suburbs of White Plains, Tarrytown and Chappaqua, home to former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton. Chelsea Clinton has been rumored as a possible contender for the seat. Like many longtime members of New York's delegation, Lowey faced a primary challenge this cycle — her first in three decades. Mondaire Jones, a lawyer who worked at the Justice Department during the Obama administration, joined the race in July. In announcing his campaign, Jones criticized Lowey for failing to secure a repeal of the State and Local Tax deduction rolled out as part of the GOP's tax overhaul, and for her vote more than 20 years ago in support of the Defense of Marriage Act, which allowed states to deny recognition of same-sex marriages conducted by other states. A person close to Lowey dismissed the idea, however, that her retirement was motivated by the threat of Jones’ primary challenge, saying instead that the New York congresswoman wants to spend more time with her eight grandchildren. Sarah Ferris, Erin Durkin and Ally Mutnick contributed to this report.

2018-01-19 10:08:46

The scene was familiar from papal visits all over the world. During a trip to South America, Pope Francis was greeting crowds from the popemobile as his motorcade drove down a coastal promenade in the city of Iquique, Chile. But what happened next was very different. A police officer’s horse reared up ahead of him. Seeing her thrown to the ground, the pope halted the procession on Thursday, got out of his car and went to comfort the officer, who lay just yards from the crowds gathered at the side of the road. The policewoman was identified in the Chilean news media as Ana Belén Aguilera Casas. She was not seriously injured, Reuters reported. The pope spent several minutes with the officer. And he touched and kissed her forehead in what appeared to be a moment of prayer before she was taken away by an ambulance. Francis is known for having little regard for protocol and for doing things his own way. As a cardinal he had a reputation for humility, and as pope, he has taken actions that have surprised many, like washing the feet of refugees. He has also spoken out forthrightly on issues including divorce and climate change.

2019-03-07

Photo: Joe Raedle (Getty)Facebook, the very open platform that would like to be the opposite of that in the near future, announced a big change this week: It will no longer be a dumping grounds for the anti-vaccination conspiracies of a few misinformed clowns.“We are working to tackle vaccine misinformation on Facebook by reducing its distribution and providing people with authoritative information on the topic,” Monika Bickert, Facebook’s Vice President of Global Policy Management, wrote in a company blog post this afternoon.As outlined, the global kneecapping of anti-vaxers on Facebook will take a few forms: downgrading the ranking of pages and groups from search and on News Feed, rejecting ads that contain misinformation about vaccines, and 86ing these sorts of conspiracies from recommendations, Explore pages, and hashtag pages within Instagram, which Facebook, of course, owns.The change comes less than a month after California Congressman Adam Schiff sent a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg expressing concern that Instagram and Facebook were “surfacing and recommending messages that discourage parents from vaccinating their children.”This year the World Health Organization added vaccine hesitancy to its list of top global threats.I don’t have anything funny to close this out. Vaccines are good. Herd immunity is real. Please vaccinate your kids.

2019-05-17

Greg Craig’s lawyers are seeking to prevent prosecutors from admitting evidence in his upcoming trial that Craig pushed his law firm to hire Paul Manafort’s daughter, according to a motion filed on Friday in federal court. Manafort arranged in 2012 for the Ukrainian government to hire Craig and his law firm to write a report on the prosecution of a former Ukrainian prime minister. Craig, a former White House counsel under President Barack Obama, was indicted last month on charges he lied to the Justice Department about the work in order to avoid registering as a foreign agent. Prosecutors alleged in a court filing last week that Craig had pressured his law firm, Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom, to hire Manafort’s daughter, Andrea, in an effort to win more business for the firm. Craig’s lawyers don’t dispute that he suggested the firm hire Andrea Manafort, arguing the likelihood that Paul Manafort would refer future business to Skadden would become “a certainty” if the firm offered his daughter a job. But there’s nothing unusual about what Craig did, they argue. “It occurs daily in private law firms, as well as private corporations, universities, nonprofits, and virtually every other private institution in America that has employees,” they argue. They also rejected prosecutors’ argument that Craig’s willingness to persuade his firm to hire Andrea Manafort to help secure future business from her father meant he would also evade registering as a foreign agent in order to do so. There’s no evidence that Manafort pressured Craig not to register, they write. “The government hopes that jurors, who are not familiar with law firm hiring practices and protocols, will find something improper or tawdry in Mr. Craig’s acts, and thereby be more apt to find that he did something unlawful in his interaction with” the Justice Department, Craig’s lawyers write. The U.S. attorney’s office didn’t respond to a request for comment. Neither did Skadden. The court filing gives more context to Craig’s efforts to help Andrea Manafort land a job at Skadden than prosecutors provided. Andrea Manafort was in her third year at Georgetown law school in 2012 when Dewey & LeBoeuf, the big New York law firm at which she accepted a job, started to collapse. Paul Manafort, who was working with Craig on the Ukraine project, asked Craig to meet with his daughter and see whether he could help her get a job at Skadden. Craig met with Andrea Manafort and set up a meeting for her with another Skadden partner, Mitchell Ettinger, according to emails filed by Craig’s lawyers. Unbeknownst to Craig, the recruiting director at Dewey & LeBoeuf had reached out at the same time to Skadden about hiring Andrea Manafort. Without knowledge of Andrea Manafort’s connections, the firm sent him a form rejection letter. Paul Manafort forwarded the letter to Craig on May 29, 2012, in an email with the subject line, “thanks for your help.” “I see Skadden knows how to show appreciation for a $4MILLION gift account,” Paul Manafort wrote. Craig emailed Ettinger the next day asking what had happened. “This could not have come at a worse time for our case,” Craig wrote. “I wish someone had told me about this before sending out the letter.” Once he figured out what had happened, Craig explained the situation to Paul Manafort. Andrea Manafort met with Ettinger and other lawyers at the firm, and Craig later wrote a memo arguing the firm should hire her. The memo praised Andrea Manafort as personable, smart and ambitious. It also stressed the potential for Paul Manafort to refer more business to the firm if it hired her. “Paul has said that he would like to strengthen his relationship with Skadden, and he is likely to direct a lot of work our way if Andrea comes to Skadden,” the memo reads, according to a copy filed by Craig’s lawyers. Skadden made her an offer the same day Ettinger sent the memo to a top partner at the firm.

2017-08-02

MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) - Two people were killed and nine injured on Wednesday after a gas explosion ripped through a Christian private school in Minneapolis, starting a fire and causing a building to collapse, authorities said. The body of a school employee was recovered at 8 p.m. CDT from the rubble at the Minnehaha Academy, about 10 hours after the explosion, Minneapolis Fire Chief John Fruetel told a news conference. Fruetel declined to identify either victim pending notification of next of kin. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported that the remains removed earlier in the day were those of Ruth Berg, a 47-year-old receptionist at the school who was engaged to be married. Family members earlier told local news channel KARE that John Carlson, an 81-year-old custodian, was missing and that no one had been able to reach him. The nine people who were injured were taken to local hospitals, and one was in critical condition, Fruetel said. School was not in session due to summer break, Fruetel said. “It would have been dramatically worse ... we were pretty lucky in that sense,” he said. Authorities said there were early indications that a ruptured gas line may have led to the explosion and that it was caused by contractors working at the school. The academy confirmed on Facebook that there had been a gas leak and explosion at its Upper School. “This is a day of extraordinary heartbreak in Minneapolis,” Mayor Betsy Hodges told the news conference. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said on Twitter its agents, fire investigators and trained canines were at the site of the explosion. Phillip Day, 41, said he, his wife and their 17-year-old daughter, Chimali, had been meeting a counselor at the school to discuss college options when the explosion occurred. Day said that, as they left a conference room, his daughter was blown back through the door by the force of the blast and his wife was scraped. Tramon Van Leer, 33, was in the gym at the Minnehaha Academy playing basketball with his stepdaughter and four other girls when they heard the blast. After they ran outside to safety, Van Leer said he looked back and said: “Wow, the whole section of the school is gone.” According to its website, Minnehaha Academy was founded in 1913 and teaches more than 800 students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade on two campuses. Additional reporting by Bernie Woodall in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles and Gina Cherelus in New York; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe, Matthew Lewis and Paul Tait

2017-05-24 00:00:00

May 24(Reuters) - Daikokuya Holdings Co Ltd * Says it signed a memorandum with CITIC XINBANG ASSET MANAGEMENT CORPORATION LTD. (CITIC), to enhance business and capital partnership * Says CITIC will hold 30 percent stake in SBO, a wholly owned unit of the company * Says its unit Daikokuya Global Holding will be a wholly owned unit of SBO through reverse stock split and cash payment Source text in Japanese:goo.gl/8yW2oG Further company coverage: (Beijing Headline News)

2020-03-13 00:00:00

(Lufthansa corrects to say it is considering asking for state aid, removes remarks it has decided to ask) BERLIN, March 13 (Reuters) - German flagship carrier Lufthansa said on Friday it was considering requesting state aid from several European governments to help it deal with the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. The airline group, which also owns Swiss International, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines, was speaking to governments of countries where its units are based, it said. “We have decided to speak to the governments of our home countries not only about easing burdens as before but also about active support when this becomes necessary,” Chief Executive Carsten Spohr said in video message to staff seen by Reuters. Chief Executive Carsten Spohr will take part in a meeting between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and industry bosses on the coronavirus on Friday, a person familiar with the plans told Reuters. Newspaper Handelsblatt earlier reported the airline would petition for state aid. (Reporting by Klaus Lauer in Berlin; additional reporting by Ilona Wissenbach in Frankfurt; writing by Ludwig Burger; editing by Thomas Seythal/Thomas Escritt)

2018-07-25

(CNN)Michael Avenatti's firm Eagan Avenatti settled his case with the IRS over $880,000 in unpaid payroll taxes in a court proceeding Wednesday. "We are very pleased that all issues with the IRS are fully resolved," Avenatti, the attorney for former porn star Stormy Daniels in a lawsuit against President Donald Trump, told CNN. The case stems from a settlement he made to remove Eagan Avenatti from bankruptcy. As part of that settlement, Avenatti's firm agreed to pay millions to his former partner Jason Frank. When the firm failed to pay, Frank sued and received a judgment of $10 million. James Selth, an attorney for Frank, argued Wednesday for a judgment debtor examination because Avenatti had not brought documents showing proof of his assets. Such an examination allows creditors to ask debtors questions under oath about their finances and their ability to pay the judgment. Avenatti's attorney, Hamid Rafatjoo, argued the case was turning into a "three-ringed circus" and that the examination should not be a public proceeding. He also asked to seal the transcript of Wednesday's examination, effectively keeping the details out of the press. Avenatti himself spoke to federal district Judge Catherine E. Bauer, saying about his former partner, "They want to embarrass my law firm. They want to embarrass me." Frank's lawyer objected to closing the proceeding, citing a case in California Supreme Court that says judgment debtor exams are a public proceeding. The Los Angeles Times, ABC and CNN also objected to the proceeding being held in private, but the judge said it could go forward without the media being allowed in and that there would be a time for the media to make an argument at a later date. "I would not like to see this transcript in the newspaper tomorrow morning," Bauer said. After more than an hour of answering questions behind closed doors, Avenatti told CNN, "I'm all for freedom of the press and open access. But everything has its limits. My personal financial dealings and that of an old law firm are of no relevance and, you know, were not going to be leveraged by other people who are trying to get famous and take advantage of the situation." A second judge who presided over the emergency motion by the media to gain access to the proceedings denied the motion without prejudice. Federal Judge Scott C. Clarkson said it seemed everyone was "blindsided" by the request, including the media, and he told the attorney for the media to file a motion with Bauer noting that there are going to be transcripts of Avenatti's examination. His decision kept the media from being in the room as Avenatti answered questions under oath about his finances. "A little breathing room never hurt anybody when talking about the law, and especially when we're talking about the First Amendment and open access to court," Clarkson said. The proceeding Wednesday was due to the government's motion to enforce the order for Avenatti's firm to pay his debts, to find him in contempt or force his firm into Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Bauer bristled at Avenatti's attorney asking to delay the case in order to wait for a ruling on a different motion. "A lot of people have spent a lot of time and money to do this today and we're going to go forward," Bauer said. Earlier this month, Bauer issued a restraining order to prevent Eagan Avenatti from spending any legal fees it obtains while it owes Frank or the IRS, effectively freezing the firm's new earnings. The order applies to fees in more than three dozen cases, including the case against Trump on behalf of Daniels.

2019-01-29

The business of protecting companies from sexual harassment scandals is booming. Calls to reputation management firm Temin and Company quadrupled in 2018, according to president and CEO Davia Temin. "Sexual harassment has not been one of our biggest areas of inquiry, up until now," Temin tells CNBC Make It. But with the rise of the #MeToo movement, companies are finding themselves unprepared and facing huge legal liabilities. Temin's business helps companies — including more than 15 in the Fortune 500 — find and address internal problems, before they become public. When a company hires Temin and Company, the firm first conducts an in-depth study into the company's leadership and corporate culture. Temin zeroes in on how persistent a culture of sexual harassment is at an organization and what the company is doing wrong, then makes recommendations at the governance level, including, in some cases, firing senior people. Many of Temin's clients are in highly-regulated industries, like pharmaceuticals and finance. "From the beginning of the #MeToo movement to now, I have definitely seen corporate employers and non-profit organizations taking this issue so much more seriously," Victoria Lipnic, acting chair of the EEOC tells CNBC Make It. The EEOC offers harassment prevention training, and its trainers are booked up six or seven months out, according to Lipnic. Its staff outline best practices for preventing harassment and tailor recommendations to suit different workplace cultures. Though the organization used to receive case-by-case requests for help, often from employers looking to "check the box" following an expensive settlement, this type of training aimed at really changing corporate culture is new, says Lipnic, who now gets more than 100 emails every day from companies asking for help. "It is undeniable that people woke up," said Lipnic. "I certainly hope, as the head of the EEOC, that people stay awake." Still, she says, the real impact of the actions firms are taking won't be clear for five to 10 years. "If this is all a 'one -and-done' thing, then I am not sure how much improvement we will have made." Boards and executives are taking a much closer look at their exposure to #MeToo claims this year, having witnessed an increasing number of shareholder and class action lawsuits. Legal experts highlight the shareholder lawsuits filed against Wynn Resorts and Twenty-First Century Fox as examples of shareholder litigation in the wake of #MeToo. Around 30 percent of the annual company reports required by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) included "reputational risk" in their risk factors in 2018, a CNBC search revealed. Also driving action: women at the board and C-suite level. While 494 of the the 3,000 biggest publicly traded companies in the U.S. had no female board members as of November 30 2018, according to research firm Equilar, the vast majority of Temin's clients have female board members. Lipnic also emphasizes that an engaged leadership is the most important factor when it comes to addressing sexual harassment in the workplace. To address problems internally, many experts recommend "bystander training" — encouraging employees who witness bad behavior to report it — over sexual harassment training, which multiple studies have shown to be ineffective. (In October, New York State began requiring companies to implement workplace sexual harassment training.) Lipnic agrees that bystander training has shown some promise where it's been used on university campuses, but says more research is needed. Companies are increasingly factoring exposure to sexual misconduct claims into hiring decisions, mergers and acquisitions deals and asset management. Beginning in the summer of 2017, the so-called "Weinstein Clause" started showing up in more deals, according to Temin. The clause allows companies to nix a deal if due diligence investigations turned up negative reports about executives at target companies. There's also been a decrease in willingness to tolerate "superstar harassers," top performers known to bring in business and abuse their power, like Harvey Weinstein. Lipnic says plaintiffs lawyers have also told her that companies are also more likely to settle on good terms with harassment complaints. "They made a different cost-benefit analysis before than they are making now," she says . "People are recognizing the impact — and this is the #MeToo movement — of harassment on people, and how it can impact their careers for years." Investigators are also being employed to look further into people's pasts, following sexual misconduct scandals involving high profile figures such as former chief executive officer and chairman of CBS Les Moonves, which surfaced after decades. "In the year since the Weinstein scandal, we've seen around a 35 percent uptick in client calls on the matter," says Dan Nardello, a former federal prosecutor at the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's Office, who now runs his own firm. While some companies and boards previously viewed background investigations as a "check the box" requirement going back 10 years, many more now recognize the value of an in-depth, rigorous investigation going back decades, said Nardello. "As we've seen in a number of high profile situations, 10 years is usually not long enough to fully vet someone's background," he said. "Our clients are increasingly requesting that searches be both as historical and as comprehensive in scope as possible." Social media means #MeToo claims can spread fast and wide, and these firms are also increasingly being hired by men who say they have been wrongly accused. Temin estimates that between five and 10 percent of accusations are false. She works with those who say they've been wrongly accused to develop an authentic counter-narrative, figure out how to involve human resources and manage their reputation within an industry. "Whatever you do, you want to do it very quickly," said Temin, who says in the past she's been concerned clients might hurt themselves.

2019-09-24 20:25:00

Five years ago, Joe and Ellie walked through the apocalypse and into our hearts with the cinematic The Last of Us. Developer Naughty Dog’s tale of survival and parenting in a post-apocalyptic world beset by bandits, freedom fighters, and moldy zombies told a heartbreaking story and left everyone wanting more, despite an ending that seemed pretty final. During PlayStation's State of Play event today, the company delivered new gameplay footage and dropped the release date for the game's sequel. The trailer focused on Ellie’s motivations and gave us our first glimpse of the cordyceps zombies that ruined the world. In The Last of Us II, it looks like Ellie is out for revenge against a group of humans. And it’s violent. Incredibly violent. The Last of Us Part II launches on February 21, 2020 on PlayStation 4.

2019-07-29

* Fed monetary policy meeting on July 30-31 * Markets also eye U.S.-China trade talks this week * Spot platinum gains about 2% (Updates prices) By K. Sathya Narayanan and Diptendu Lahiri July 29 (Reuters) - Gold prices firmed on Monday on expectations of a rate cut by the Federal Reserve this week, while investors awaited cues on the future trajectory of monetary easing by the U.S. central bank. Spot gold inched up 0.2% to $1,420.51 per ounce as of 1:36 p.m. EDT (1736 GMT). U.S. gold futures settled up 0.1% at $1,420.40. “Clearly, the gold market is going to be somewhat on hold awaiting Fed commentary on Wednesday. We know that we are getting a 25 basis-point (bps) cut. (But) on Wednesday, the question will be what to look ahead for from there,” said David Meger, director of metals trading at High Ridge Futures. Federal funds futures implied traders saw a 77% chance of a 25 bps rate cut at the U.S. central bank’s July 30-31 policy meeting. “Much will also depend on what Fed Chair Jerome Powell says in the subsequent press conference: If he makes no mention of a cycle of rate cuts, causing gold to come under pressure, we would not see this as a trend reversal but as an attractive buying opportunity,” analysts at Commerzbank said in a note. Lower interest rates reduce the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding bullion and weigh on the dollar. The dollar held close to a two-month peak against key rivals. A stronger greenback makes dollar-denominated assets such as gold costlier for investors holding other currencies. “We have seen the dollar slowly gaining in the last couple of weeks. It has not caused any significant correction but had caused a pause in gold trading,” High Ridge Futures’ Meger added. Market participants will also keep a close eye on U.S.-China trade talks in Shanghai this week, as negotiators from both countries meet for their first in-person talks since a truce at a meeting on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Japan last month. Expectations are low for a breakthrough. Gold is a preferred asset during times of economic and political uncertainties. Hedge funds and money managers reduced their bullish stance in COMEX gold in the week to July 23, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said on Friday. On the technical front, $1,400 will be the key downside support for gold, and beyond that, $1,380, OANDA senior market analyst Craig Erlam said. “Bulls are very reluctant to let go just yet, but if we do see those levels break, we might see gold bulls head for the exits quite quickly.” Among other precious metals, silver inched up 0.1% to $16.40 per ounce. Palladium rose 1.3% to $1,555.62 per ounce, after touching its highest level in nearly two weeks, while platinum climbed 2% to $877.50. (Reporting by K. Sathya Narayanan, Diptendu Lahiri and Eileen Soreng in Bengaluru; Editing by Marguerita Choy and Susan Thomas)

2017-05-30 00:00:00

The DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy is downgrading and shifting its focus for research and development funds, according to its acting director, Dan Simmons. What I'm told: Under Trump's budget proposal sent to Congress last week, this office would see its funding slashed by 70%, and while Congress is unlikely to approve it, the department is operating under this mindset. "We believe we can do more with less," Simmons said. The office is shifting focus to early-stage technologies instead of late-stage development, which Simmons described as looking at the barriers of deploying solar panels on homes or businesses. Here are some examples of what Simmons describes as early stage that the department is looking to support: Modeling wind flows between turbines. Examining wide band gap technologies, which aim to improve power inverters for solar power as well as other applications with the power grid. Understanding primary basics of solar cells.

2016-06-27 20:23:39

The Supreme Court declined on Monday to hear a case that could undermine the ability of some lenders to charge high interest rates. The decision not to review a ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit keeps intact a decision that directly affects only a narrow slice of the finance industry, namely debt collectors. But banking lawyers and lobbyists say the case, if applied more broadly, could wreak havoc on credit cards, student loans and other types of consumer lending. The case involves the National Bank Act that exempts national banks from various state laws limiting the interest rates lenders can charge. The federal law allows banks to follow the usury laws of whichever state they are in and then “export” that rate to borrowers living in other states. Unsurprisingly, many banks have located their lending operations in states that permit lenders to charge the highest rates. In this case, the Second Circuit ruled in May 2015 that when the debt collector, Midland Funding, bought soured loans from Bank of America, it was not exempt from state interest rate caps, known as usury laws. Because Midland is not a bank, the company does not qualify for exemption from various state usury laws, the appeals court ruled. The borrower in the case, Saliha Madden, argued that Midland could not collect the 27 percent interest rate on her credit card because it exceeded the rate caps in her home state, New York. The ruling was a blow to the debt-buying industry, where companies like Midland buy up tens of millions of dollars of overdue debt from banks for pennies on the dollar. The debt buyers then seek to recover — often through aggressive legal maneuvers — a portion of the delinquent debt that the bank had essentially given up collecting on. At the same time, the ruling is a victory for consumers looking to fend off debt collectors in states with strict limits on interest rates, and it could embolden more challenges to the industry in other parts of the country. Some industry officials have warned that the appeals court ruling could upset the securitization market, where billions of dollars of credit cards and auto loan debt is originated by national banks but then sold to nonbanks. They ostensibly would have to honor each of the 50 state’s usury laws. But lawyers who have studied the ruling say its reach is limited. It would probably not apply, for instance, to credit cards because even when this debt is bundled and sold to nonbank investors as part of securitizations, the bank still maintains a relationship with the borrower. Because of this continuing relationship, financial lawyers interpret the ruling to mean that the original interest rate that the bank charged on the credit card can still apply even after the debt is sold. In contrast, in the Madden case, the bank no longer has a relationship with the borrower after selling off the loan for collection. The ruling by the Second Circuit applies only to borrowers in the three states covered by that Appeals Court: New York, Connecticut and Vermont. But lawyers worry that consumers could mount similar challenges in other parts of the country. “It is not the end of the world,” said David Luigs, co-head of the consumer finance practice at Debevoise & Plimpton. “But the principle that was applied suggests a big problem. If extended, it could massively impact the ability of banks to lend nationwide.” One industry that analysts say is particularly vulnerable to the ruling is online lending. Companies like LendingClub and Prosper broker loans through a bank and then promptly sell them to hedge funds, pensions and individuals. LendingClub, for example, issues its loans through WebBank, which is in Utah, a state with permissive interest rate laws. Analysts have warned that the Madden decision could force marketplace lenders to dial back the high-interest rates on certain loans that they had already sold to investors, creating a logistical headache and reputational issue. On Monday, Moody’s Investors Service said the Supreme Court decision not to review the case was “generally credit negative for marketplace loans.” The analysts noted that some “market participants are already restricting their exposure to potentially usurious loans” in New York, Connecticut and Vermont. In a statement, LendingClub said it was confident that “facts of the case do not directly apply to our business.”

2017-12-04 22:27:00

Hours after being fired as the director of Bohemian Rhapsody, Bryan Singer has issued a statement saying his termination was the result of his return to the U.S. to tend to a sick parent. On Friday, production on the Queen biopic was temporarily halted due to the filmmaker’s “unexpected unavailability.” Singer says he requested time off to be with his family during a “pressing health matter,” but Fox wouldn’t accommodate, he claims, and subsequently let him go. The X-Men: Days of Future Past director went on to deny reports that on-set disputes with Rami Malek, who stars as Freddie Mercury, led to his dismissal. “Rumors that my unexpected departure from the film was sparked by a dispute I had with Rami Malek are not true,” he writes. “While, at times, we did have creative differences on set, Rami and I successfully put those differences behind us and continued to work on the film together until just prior to Thanksgiving.” Singer concludes, “I wanted nothing more than to be able to finish this project and help honor the legacy of Freddie Mercury and Queen, but Fox would not permit me to do so because I needed to temporarily put my health, and the health of my loved ones, first.” Upon news of the delay in production, a source had told EW that the reason was due to “a personal health matter concerning Bryan and his family” and that the director hoped to return to the film after the holidays. Read the full statement below. Bohemian Rhapsody is a passion project of mine. With fewer than three weeks to shoot remaining, I asked Fox for some time off so I could return to the U.S. to deal with pressing health matters concerning one of my parents. This was a very taxing experience, which ultimately took a serious toll on my own health. Unfortunately, the studio was unwilling to accommodate me and terminated my services. This was not my decision and it was beyond my control. Rumors that my unexpected departure from the film was sparked by a dispute I had with Rami Malek are not true. While, at times, we did have creative differences on set, Rami and I successfully put those differences behind us and continued to work on the film together until just prior to Thanksgiving. I wanted nothing more than to be able to finish this project and help honor the legacy of Freddie Mercury and Queen, but Fox would not permit me to do so because I needed to temporarily put my health, and the health of my loved ones, first. This story originally appeared on Entertainment Weekly.

2019-10-17 03:00:02

What is this image saying? Can you relate to it personally? What do you think this image is saying? How does it relate to or comment on society or our world today? Can you relate to it personally? What is your opinion of its message? Tell us in the comments, then read the related article to learn what this illustration is all about. Find many more ways to use our Picture Prompt feature in this lesson plan. You can find all our Picture Prompts in this column.

2017-02-01

Mobile, once Facebook's greatest flaw, is now the social network's greatest success thanks to its ownership of four of the world's most powerful apps.  That's not enough. Now, Facebook is working on further integrating these apps to dominate your smartphone experience — while simultaneously building for the next platform. "For a while it didn't make sense to do multiple standalone apps," said Scott Stanchak, New York Times managing director of platform operations, "but Facebook proved that theory wrong." The numbers for the company's standalone apps are already huge. Facebook says it attracts more than 1.79 billion people per month overall. Instagram counts 600 million users per month and Messenger has 1 billion. There is some overlap in these numbers, since users can belong to more than one app, but it's a massive user base.  Furthermore, users of these apps spend an average of 50 minutes per day across them. These figures don't include Facebook-owned WhatsApp, which pulls in another cool 1 billion users monthly. VR platforms of Oculus and Samsung Gear VR will also add to the tally. There's also Workplace, Facebook's app for business.  By tying these giants together, Facebook is looking to address one of its biggest issues — missing the boat on smartphone hardware and operating systems. While Facebook will continue to operate on the hardware and operating systems of other companies, it's consolidating an ecosystem within the larger one that users never have to leave. In short, they're making their family of apps the next best thing. That network is "the unfair advantage that Facebook and Amazon have. For Facebook, they've been able to establish their format and translate from the desktop to mobile," said Mike Jaconi, CEO of Button, a marketplace for mobile partnerships. "They've learned that the platform effect wins." Facebook started on desktop, but it didn't win the computer. "Apple and Google were the operating system," Jaconi said. "It was an app-oriented battle."  When Facebook filed its paperwork to go public in 2011, it issued a major risk factor. "Increased mobile usage," the company wrote, could be detrimental since the company was not displaying ads or "commercial content" on its apps.  At that point, Facebook's more than 400 million mobile users threatened its success.  Facebook's more than 400 million mobile users threatened its success.  Now, Facebook, has essentially eliminated the "major risk factor" and engulfed its business with it.  More than 90 percent of Facebook's daily active users accessed the network via mobile and more than 80 percent of its total ad revenue came from mobile, as of January last year. Sponsored posts and video ads across the Facebook app and Instagram are a normal feature.  While other companies are known to buy and shut down (Google), buy and integrate (Apple) or buy and destroy (Yahoo), Facebook has taken to buying, growing and monetizing—with some exceptions (MSQRD, an app for video filters, is still available in the app store but its selfie tech is being integrated into Messenger.)  The core Facebook app is being positioned as the portal, where Facebook users can click through to websites while messaging on groups, planning events and shopping, all within Facebook's universe.  "For me, the core Facebook app is the news feed and their objective is keeping users in that experience as long as possible," Stanchak said.  Instagram competes for that attention, however, and that's why Facebook has been testing closer navigation between the two.  Facebook app (left) “People have told us they’d like an easier way to switch between their Facebook and Instagram apps, so we’re testing features such as the ability to navigate between those apps for people who have connected their accounts," a Facebook spokesperson told Mashable in an email.  Facebook did not shut down Instagram nor rebrand it after its acquisition. Rather, Zuckerberg let the team operate separately while keeping tabs on what worked. Five years later, Facebook's ownership is quite obvious within the app. When your Facebook account is integrated, the Instagram app suggests to invite friends from Facebook.  "Right now, Instagram is an extremely favorable brand. I see only positives for Facebook to align itself closer with it," Stanchak said.  Messenger is the clearest example of how close Facebook's apps can be. With Messenger, accessible to Facebook users at the top left corner of the Facebook app, users can access services like payments and video calling.  "The diversification is seamless between the core app and Messenger — they feel as one," Stanchak said.  Facebook's VP of messaging products David Marcus wrote, on Facebook, earlier this year that he viewed Messenger as a "virtual living room" that is also your "global directory of people and businesses." "Nothing makes me happier than seeing that not only more of you are joining the Messenger community, but also intensifying your usage at an accelerated rate," he wrote.  As Marcus noted, Messenger users do not need a Facebook account to use it. Snapchat, which Zuckerberg lost out on owning, is following Facebook's portal strategy. As of Snapchat's latest update, users can more easily navigate between the Snapchat app and Bitmoji app. On Tuesday, Snapchat introduced its own portal feature for accessing any website within its own app.  But there's no sign-up for Snapchat across the web or within apps, other than for Snapchat-owned Bitmoji — yet. Not every company is as content as Facebook with giving up on owning more of the smartphone hardware or software market. Alphabet (Google's parent company) is dominant with its Android OS, but still felt the need to try its hand once again at selling its own smartphones. Facebook's ambitions are elsewhere. In virtual reality, Facebook sees the ideal platform for its biggest asset — social connections at a scale never seen before. "It's closing in on 2 billion humans. That’s staggering to imagine. It's not just the scale. It continues to prove to people that it may just get bigger. It is in their DNA," said Jeff Reeves, analyst of InvestorPlace.com. Facebook is placing its bets on owning the next hardware play: virtual reality. With his $3 billion acquisition for Oculus, Zuckerberg has called virtual reality the "next great computing platform."  Mark Zuckerberg demonstrates an Oculus Rift virtual reality headset and Oculus Touch controllers as he gives a demonstration during the Oculus Connect 3 event in San Jose on Oct. 6, 2016. Now, with the revenue from mobile dominance, Facebook wants to own the future in virtual reality and in artificial intelligence and voice. That doesn't come cheap. Like Google, Facebook may have to get used to making costly bets that sometimes don't pan out. Reeves says that's just fine with Zuckerberg. "Facebook is still a very young company," Reeves said. "He’s trying to think about AI and the future."

2017-05-24

May 24 (Reuters) - CELLNEX TELECOM SA: * SAYS BUYS SWISS TOWERS FOR A TOTAL CONSIDERATION OF 430 MILLION EUROS * CLOSING EXPECTED WITHIN C.1 MONTH OF SIGNING, SUBJECT TO MERGER CONTROL CLEARANCE * FINANCED THROUGH A COMBINATION OF NON-RECOURSE DEBT (142 MILLION EUROS) AND CONTRIBUTIONS FROM PARTNERS (316 MILLION EUROS) * ACQUIRES SWISS TOWERS AG IN CONSORTIUM WITH DEUTSCHE TELEKOM CAPITAL PARTNERS (DTCP) AND SWISS LIFE ASSET MANAGERS * TO HOLD A 54 PERCENT STAKE IN CELLNEX SWITZERLAND, THUS CONTROLLING AND CONSOLIDATING THE ENTITY Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: (Gdynia Newsroom)

2019-03-31

Sen. Amy KlobucharAmy Jean KlobucharCastro qualifies for next Democratic primary debates Eight Democratic presidential hopefuls to appear in CNN climate town hall Biden, Buttigieg bypassing Democratic delegate meeting: report MORE (D-Minn.) said Sunday that she has no reason not to believe Lucy Flores, the woman who has accused Joe BidenJoe BidenHarry Reid: 'Decriminalizing border crossings is not something that should be at the top of the list' Warren offers plan to repeal 1994 crime law authored by Biden Panel: Jill Biden's campaign message MORE of kissing her head without consent in 2014. “I have no reason not to believe her,” Klobuchar, who is running for president in 2020, said on ABC's "This Week." “I think we know from campaigns and politics that people raise issues and they have to address them, and that’s what he will have to do with the voters if he gets into the race," she said of Biden, who is likely to soon put in his bid for the 2020 nomination. NEW: Sen. Amy Klobuchar tells @jonkarl, "I have no reason not to believe" Lucy Flores."I have not read her interview, but I know the vice president addressed it ... and he will continue to address it if he decides to get into this race," she adds. https://t.co/AsIWRkCIxI pic.twitter.com/uuNHIF5lZG Flores, a former Nevada state assemblywoman, wrote in an op-ed on Friday that at a campaign rally supporting her bid for lieutenant governor while Biden was vice president, he came up to her from behind, put his hands on her shoulders, sniffed her hair and kissed her on the back of her head. "The vice-president of the United States of America had just touched me in an intimate way reserved for close friends, family, or romantic partners — and I felt powerless to do anything about it," she wrote. Biden said Sunday that in his "many" years in public life, "I have offered countless handshakes, hugs, expressions of affection, support and comfort. And not once - never - did I believe I acted inappropriately." "If it is suggested I did so, I will listen respectfully. But it was never my intention," he said.  Klobuchar said that while she had not read Flores's recounting yet, she knew Biden released a statement and stressed that he will have to continue to address the situation if he runs. “I have not read her interview, but I know the vice president addressed it there in that statement and he will continue to address it if he decides to get into this race," the Minnesota lawmaker said. 2020 Democratic candidates Sen. Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth Ann WarrenHarry Reid: 'Decriminalizing border crossings is not something that should be at the top of the list' Warren offers plan to repeal 1994 crime law authored by Biden Panel: Jill Biden's campaign message MORE (D-Mass.) and Julián Castro have also said they "believe" Flores. View the discussion thread. The Hill 1625 K Street, NW Suite 900 Washington DC 20006 | 202-628-8500 tel | 202-628-8503 fax The contents of this site are ©2019 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.

2018-04-04

In 2008, Vivendi, the parent company of Sierra Entertainment, merged with game publisher Activision. The result was a new, monolithic corporation called Activision Blizzard, that was now home to some of the biggest games in the world, like Call of Duty and World of Warcraft. At the time, Sierra had a number of upcoming games on its slate, including an exciting heavy-metal adventure from Double Fine, the studio of game design legend Tim Schafer. The game was called Brutal Legend, and it starred Jack Black in the lead role. It was also one of many games to be canceled following the merger. What followed was a protracted process in which EA signed on to publish the game instead, only for Activision to sue Double Fine, followed by Double Fine filing a countersuit. During the toughest moments of game development, those last desperate months when the small details finally come together, Schafer and his team were distracted by legal matters. Brutal Legend eventually launched in 2009, but the troubled publishing experience left a lasting impression on Double Fine. Nearly a decade later, the studio now operates its own publishing label, Double Fine Presents, where it helps smaller studios with everything from funding to marketing support to production. Its upcoming lineup includes the Pokemon-like Ooblets and co-op adventure Knights & Bikes. The label was born out of a desire to make sure other creators didn’t have to go through the same stressful publisher-developer relationship. “We wanted to take the good things that we experienced with publishers and make sure we weren’t doing the bad things,” says Greg Rice, Double Fine’s vice president of business. Double Fine Presents is part of a steadily growing wave of boutique indie game publishers that are changing this dynamic. The trend started with Devolver Digital, a sort of punk-rock label for games, that published titles like Hotline Miami and Downwell, and provided developers help without taking a big cut of sales or trying to take ownership of their game. Other publishers soon launched, with a similar creator-centric focus. Double Fine was followed by Annapurna Interactive, and today, Skybound, the entertainment company from Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman, is launching its own indie games label as well. Each offers something slightly different, but they all have the same overarching goal in mind: to make sure developers can focus on making games without having to worry too much about the business side of things. “I think every artist would like some help,” says Devolver co-founder Mike Wilson, “if that help doesn’t come with all of these terrible controls.” In early 2016, Monument Valley lead designer Ken Wong left the studio Ustwo because he wanted to head back home to Australia and start something new. But creating a new game development studio from scratch isn’t exactly easy, and he ran into an immediate problem. “I needed money,” he says. Given his pedigree, a number of publishers had reached out to him, but he was wary of working with a big company. Annapurna stood out to him, though, largely because he was a fan of the company’s films. The more they talked, the more he realized their creative visions aligned. “There’s a shared sense of values,” says Kamina Vincent, a producer at Wong’s new studio Mountains. “How they’re approaching gaming is in line with how we want to approach gaming.” That said, the small team still entered the deal with some trepidation. “In my mind, I thought they would feel a lot more ownership over the project and want more control,” Wong says. “It really hasn’t been like that with Annapurna. It’s our game, and they’re helping us along.” In February, the studio released the charming romance Florence for the iPhone. In addition to helping fund the project, Annapurna also helped with some of the less creative aspects of releasing a game: interfacing with Apple, setting up booths for trade shows and other events, making the game’s trailer, and even helping provide feedback on early versions of the game. While plenty of Hollywood studios have attempted to get into games, Annapurna has managed to carve out a niche, publishing a number of high-profile, artistic games from well-known creators. In addition to Florence, the label has also published the haunting short story collection What Remains of Edith Finch and the beautiful puzzle game Gorogoa. For the most part, Annapurna’s stable of games are titles that don’t neatly fit into a genre but instead offer something distinct. For Wong, being aligned with a group with that kind of vision is part of the appeal. “That’s part of the value that Annapurna brings,” he explains. “I think that they can see a future where [gaming] is more part of popular culture.” As more and more indie games are released, and platforms like Steam and the App Store become increasingly flooded, publishers have grown in popularity. The aid publishers can provide can often help a game become more visible and reach a wider audience. At the same time, according to Devolver’s Wilson, game developers are also savvier now than they’ve ever been. They share information and talk about relationships they’ve had with publishers. This, in turn, has forced indie labels to become more friendly to creators. “Indies today are much more collaborative than competitive,” he says. “They all want to help each other, and they’re cheering for each other for the most part. When I first started, nobody knew what a good deal was.” Because of this, publishers need to offer something unique. In a world where creators can simply self-publish their games on various digital stores, a publisher needs a reason to exist beyond just funding. For the likes of Devolver and Double Fine, it’s a proven history of success, while Annapurna offers a unique level of prestige. For the new Skybound Games label, the value proposition is slightly different: a chance to expand your reach beyond just video games. While the publisher offers the typical services like funding and help with retail distribution, one of the hallmarks of Skybound is its cross-media approach, as exemplified by The Walking Dead’s successful growth from comic to blockbuster TV show to award-winning video game. The first two titles signed to Skybound Games are the survival game The Long Dark and the adorable life sim Slime Rancher. Both games are already available to purchase and have seen success — The Long Dark has sold more than 2 million copies to date, for instance — but Skybound is offering a chance to expand their reach. “You gain the ability to take an [intellectual property] and open the doors to other media, whether it be TV, comics, books,” says Ian Howe, head of the new division, citing partnerships Skybound already has with the likes of Amazon Prime and Simon & Schuster. “We have a very wide reach in our ability to move the audience that we’ve already built to those new properties.” Historically, the relationship between smaller developers and publishers has been viewed as antagonistic. The developers just want to make their game, but the publishers are worried about money. This new wave of boutique publishers is changing that perspective. Instead of simply providing cash and deadlines, these labels are seen more as development partners, and it’s winning over even some of the more skeptical game developers. “We started off being a lot more afraid of them,” says Wong. “I think at the time I didn’t really know what I needed besides funding. But now I understand what a publisher should be for, which is they’re creative partners.”

2020-03-27

BENGALURU, March 27 (Reuters) - India’s Nifty blue-chip index closed slightly higher on Friday after wild swings late in the session, as the country’s central bank slashed interest rates to counter the economic damage from a 21-day lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus. The NSE Nifty 50 index closed 0.2% higher at 8,660.25, while the S&P BSE Sensex finished the session 0.44% lower at 29,815.15. Still, both indexes recorded their sixth straight week of declines amid historic sell-offs in global stock markets as the virus locks down several countries, raising fears of a deep recession. The Reserve Bank of India joined several other central banks across the world in slashing interest rates. It cut the repo rate by 75 basis points to 4.40%, exceeding market expectations for a 50 basis point cut Both the Nifty and Sensex, which rose over 4% in early trade, fell over 1% after the central bank announcement. “Market is trying to find its feet after the RBI announcement,” said Mayuresh Joshi, head of equity research at William O’Neil & Co in India. “Markets are going to assess until what extent these measures are going to help and to what extent growth is impacted ... it is a very volatile time.” According to a Reuters poll, under a worst-case scenario, the economy was forecast to grow by a median 0.5% in April-June, with one economist predicting a 20% contraction. Still, only about a quarter of those who answered this additional “worst-case” question said the economy would shrink. While the markets are still down, coordinated stimulus action from governments around the world has offered some respite. On Thursday, the Indian government announced a $22.6 billion stimulus plan that provides direct cash transfers and food security measures to help the poor amidst a countrywide lockdown. The number of coronavirus cases in India stood at 724 as of Friday, of which 17 people had died. The rupee, which bounced a bit earlier in the day, was 0.34% weaker at 75.2675 against the dollar by 1025 GMT. The benchmark 10-year bond yield dropped as low as 5.98% in the immediate aftermath of the announcement before rising to 6.1411% by 1025 GMT. It had closed at 6.22% on Thursday. In Mumbai, the NSE Bank index, which had surged nearly 8% in the morning, trimmed gains as the RBI governor spoke. It finished the session 1.81% higher. (Reporting by Chandini Monnappa in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta and Saumyadeb Chakrabarty)

2017-02-12

President Trump's policy adviser Stephen Miller on Sunday said the president sent a strong message to North Korea when he stood with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Saturday night. "Our assessment is that it is part of a show of force in response to the new U.S. administration's hardline position against the North," the office of South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement reported by Reuters. It is the first such test by the isolated nation since President Trump took office on Jan. 20. View the discussion thread. The Hill 1625 K Street, NW Suite 900 Washington DC 20006 | 202-628-8500 tel | 202-628-8503 fax The contents of this site are ©2019 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.

2016-07-26

JAKARTA (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Rima Jayanti has not had formal training in detective work but with her sharp eye and gut instinct, her task is to spot Indonesian women at Jakarta’s bustling airport in danger of being sent abroad to a life of domestic servitude. Making her rounds, the 23-year-old quickly points out groups of women likely heading abroad to work as maids. “We can tell from their appearance - sometimes with a bit of instinct too - who are the potential victims and where they are going,” Jayanti said. Domestic helpers going to the Middle East tend to wear an Islamic headscarf, be middle-aged and elusive when asked about their plans, she said.     Women traveling to Hong Kong or Taiwan meanwhile usually have short hair, wear sneakers and are younger. Some 2.3 million Indonesians are working as maids in wealthier countries in Asia and the Middle East, risking abuse including the non-payment of wages and physical assault. Jayanti is part of a small team of “maid detectives” from Jakarta-based rights group Migrant Care, tracking down potential victims of human trafficking, and offering advice to others leaving of their own free will on how to look after themselves. They have had some small successes since they began work last year. They rescued a woman who had been brought to the airport by a maid agent, only to discover she was about to be sent to Saudi Arabia against her will. Women often approach a maid agent to help them secure a placement abroad and handle the paperwork. While most work within the law, some have been accused of trafficking women. “Some women do not know where they are going and what type of job they are getting into, making them vulnerable to human trafficking,” said Migrant Care’s advocacy program manager Mike Verawati. Maids make up more than a third of the six million Indonesians working abroad, attracted by promises of higher salaries. Last year, migrant workers sent home some $9.4 billion in remittances, according to official data. But stories abound of maids being sent abroad against their will, enduring horrific abuse and living in slave-like conditions. A Hong Kong woman was convicted last year of beating her Indonesian maid, denying her food and confiscating her passport. Jakarta last year summoned the Saudi Arabian ambassador after two Indonesian maids were executed in the Gulf state within a week, one for killing her allegedly abusive employer. Complaints of mistreatment of Indonesians in the Middle East and the ensuing diplomatic rows prompted Jakarta announced in May 2015 to permanently ban maids from moving to the region. Maids already working there were allowed to remain. But groups like Migrant Care and the National Advocacy Network of Domestic Workers - two of the Indonesia’s leading organizations fighting for maids’ rights - have criticized the ban. They say it restricts women’s rights to employment and puts them in greater danger by driving underground an industry which already has a dark side to it. In March, Indonesian police busted a human trafficking ring which allegedly sent up to 600 Indonesians to work as domestic helpers in the Middle East, local media reported. A Migrant Care survey found 1,020 women interviewed at the airport between March 2015 and May this year were heading abroad to work as maids, with the majority going to the Middle East. Most traveled on tourist or special pilgrimage visas, lured by promises of salaries of at least $300 a month. Sri, who only gave her first name and has worked in Saudi Arabia in the past, said she was heading back in the hope of finding employment there again. “I like working there - my work can support my family,” the 40-year old said, wearing a white headscarf and traveling with 16 other women. She was spotted by the “maid detectives”. As Sri spoke, a maid agent lurked in the background, taking photos of her talking. Officials from the foreign ministry and the government’s migrants’ protection agency, BNP2TKI, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation they have advised domestic helpers against traveling illegally. “Maybe one or two are leaving illegally. If they are caught, they will be punished under anti-trafficking laws,” Agusdin Subiantoro, who deals with maids working abroad as deputy placement head at the BNP2TKI, said last week. Some researchers have questioned the wisdom of the ban, noting that the government has not offered domestic helpers - often the main earner in a family - an alternative. “The moratorium has significantly affected women’s opportunity to gain income for their family,” said researcher Rofi Uddarojat from Jakarta-based think-tank the Center for Indonesian Policies Studies. For now, the Migrant Care team is helping women in any way they can.     “We try to raise their awareness before they leave, we ask them if they have a clear contract, if they know who their employers are,” Verawati said.   Reporting by Beh Lih Yi @behlihyi, Editing by Alex Whiting; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights and climate change. Visit news.trust.org

2019-01-10 00:00:00

The series will be featured at three special performances on February 2, 8, and March 2 at 8 PM, with all tickets priced at $35. British artist Shantell Martin brings her trademark stream-of-consciousness drawings to New York City Ballet for the 2019 Art Series. From her early beginnings in the mega clubs of Tokyo to her trademark stream-of-consciousness work here in the U.S, Martin’s signature black and white drawings are an inquiry into the role of the artist and the viewer, where a work of art is more than an object of admiration disconnected from its inception. For her NYCB takeover, Martin was inspired by interviews with the dancers and worked onsite while observing rehearsals, allowing the experience of the dancers to inspire and guide her pen. The result is an immersive installation which transforms the public spaces of the David H. Koch Theatre into a world of reflection. Through it all, Martin hopes to initiate a dialogue with her audience by posing the simple question: Who Are You? New York City Ballet Art Series Presents Shantell Martin will be featured at three special performances on February 2, 8, and March 2 at 8 PM, with all tickets priced at $35. In addition to the show, attendees will enjoy a post-performance party and receive a limited edition commemorative takeaway designed by Martin. Performances are on sale now at nycballet.com/artseries.

2017-12-28 10:51:16

SoftBank’s long-anticipated investment in Uber is almost done. Following the close of the tender offer on Thursday, a SoftBank-led group was able to secure interest for its desired 14% stake in the company.  The news was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. The shares purchased from existing shareholders will value the company at approximately $48 billion, a significant discount to the roughly $69 billion that company was valued at in its last private round. As part of the deal, the group will also be investing $1.25 billion directly in Uber at the $69 billion value. Shareholders including employees and early investors like Benchmark Capital and Menlo Ventures are expected to sell shares in the deal, turning paper money into cash. Uber has largely restricted the selling of shares until this point. Updated, with the following statements: “We look forward to working with the purchasers to close the overall transaction, which we expect to support our technology investments, fuel our growth, and strengthen our corporate governance,” said an Uber spokesperson. SoftBank Investment Advisers CEO Rajeev Misra provided the following statement. “We are appreciative of the support from Uber’s shareholders in the successful tender offer and look forward to closing the overall investment in January.  We have tremendous confidence in Uber’s leadership and employees and are excited to support Uber as it continues to reinvent how people and goods are transported around the world.” Once the transaction is completed, Benchmark will drop its lawsuit against former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick.  The suit related to his power to appoint board seats. Kalanick stepped down in June, following mounting public pressure. Uber had been accused of fostering a company culture that condoned sexism and harassment. Uber had also been facing significant legal battles, including a patent lawsuit with Waymo, the self-driving car division of Google parent, Alphabet. The direct investment in Uber will help the company steer toward its planned 2019 IPO. Former Expedia CEO Dara Khosrowshahi took the helm in August, helping the disgraced but fast-growing business gear up towards a public offering. It seems that for many shareholders, 2019 is too far away, so they opted to sell shares now. There are also no guarantees that the public markets will value the company higher than the $48 billion SoftBank is offering. SoftBank has emerged as a leader in late-stage investing. The Japanese investment firm has recently armed its coffers with nearly $100 billion for its Vision Fund. It’s also invested in global Uber competitors, like Grab. SoftBank is not the only investor looking to pick up shares in the tender offer. It has been leading a group alongside Dragoneer Investment Group. As we reported last month, other investors looking to buy Uber shares have included Sequoia Capital, Tencent and TPG.

2018-06-19 15:48:00

John Leguizamo is apologizing his “hurtful remarks” about Carlito’s Way costar Penelope Ann Miller. The actor, 53, tweeted his remorse on Tuesday, tagging Miller, 54, and Live with Kelly and Ryan, the morning show on which he called Miller “mean” and “evil” in April 2017. “I made some hurtful remarks about Penelope Ann Miller in a book I wrote several years ago, and on Kelly Ripa‘s morning show last year. This was a lapse in judgment on my part because I worked with Penelope on the film Carlito’s Way and personally never had a problem with her, nor did I personally experience Penelope having any problems dealing with crew on set or otherwise. I’m sorry if I hurt Penelope,” Leguizamo wrote. During the Live appearance, Leguizamo said the Carlito’s Way costume department in 1993 took in Miller’s clothes a centimeter each day to make her think she was gaining weight. “She was flipping out, but she was mean, she was evil, so they kept doing it,” Leguizamo recalled. Thank you @JohnLeguizamo I really appreciate you making this apology @LiveKellyRyan @KellyRipa It truly means a great deal to me. 🙏 https://t.co/9X0KCmPUD5 — Penelope Ann Miller (@PenelopeAMiller) June 19, 2018 On Tuesday, Miller responded to Leguizamo’s apology, writing, “Thank you @JohnLeguizamo I really appreciate you making this apology @LiveKellyRyan @KellyRipa It truly means a great deal to me.” Miller also released the following statement to PEOPLE: “John Leguizamo’s statements about me in his book and on the Kelly Ripa Show were not true. His apology even says that he had no personal basis to make those statements. “Several of the crew who saw the Tweets and worked with the both of us on Carlito’s Way have come out in support of me on Twitter. One person said that I was a joy to work with and another person said that I was very kind. And my costume supervisor on Carlito’s Way (who personally worked on my costumes) also has said unequivocally that John’s comments were blatantly false.” In his 2006 memoir, Pimps, Hos, Playa Hatas and All the Rest of My Hollywood Friends, Leguizamo wrote about Miller and their time on Carlito’s Way, saying, “You really have to know Penelope Ann Miller to dislike her.” That same year, he told the New York Post, “The costume person started secretly taking [Miller’s] clothes in a centimeter a day! It’s such a funny, strategic f–k-you revenge. Don’t ever f–k with the crew. However the coffee comes, I drink it. It’s too black, too bad.”

2020-03-24 00:00:00

(This story is for CNBC Pro subscribers only.) While the stock market feels "broken" in recent weeks amid the coronavirus sell-off, equity strategist Tom Lee of Fundstrat sees a V-shape recovery ahead, with the S&P 500 recovering half of its losses as soon as next month and potentially all of its losses later this year.  He cited a history of "v-shaped" recoveries and progress in Italy.

2016-05-18

We have a graduation problem in the U.S. Too many young people, in particular the underprivileged, are failing to get high-school degrees. Some believe America's education system is reversing that trend. They point to the U.S. Department of Education's announcement in December that graduation rates reached an all-time high. Others believe we are actually going in the wrong direction, that higher graduation rates are the result of lowering standards in order to graduate students in four years. Students may be obtaining degrees, but they are not college- or career-ready, leaving post-secondary institutions with a heavy remediation burden. The newly released "Building a Grad Nation" report thrust the high-school graduation debate back to the forefront. According to the report, the primary roadblocks to obtaining a 90 percent graduation rate by 2020 include graduation gaps between subgroups of students (e.g., whites and minorities, and low-income and non-low-income students) and low-graduation-rate high schools. The report found that a disproportionally large percentage, around 50 percent, of the low-graduation-rate high schools nationwide are alternative, charter and virtual schools, despite the fact that they only make up about 14 percent of all high schools and enroll 8 percent of all high-school students. But dig deeper into how the graduation rate is calculated and other questions emerge: Does the federal government's four-year graduation rate effectively measure school performance, or does it enable schools to pass the buck of failure to others? Is there a better way to measure graduation? The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) defines a low-graduation-rate high school as a school enrolling 100 or more students with a graduation rate of 67 percent or below. The U.S. Department of Education requires that the graduation rate be calculated by determining how many students graduated four years after entering the ninth grade out of the total number of students who were in the same class cohort. Therefore, only what happens during a student's fourth year of high school impacts the graduation rate for that school. What happens in the ninth, 10th, and 11th grades doesn't matter. That means some schools are being penalized for non-graduates even though they may not be the primary school that contributed to the student falling behind in the first place. For example, a student could be enrolled in School A for three years, earn no high school credits, and then transfer to School B for his fourth and final year, where he will fail to graduate with his four-year cohort. Under the current graduation rate calculation, School B is penalized for not graduating the student "on time" despite the fact that it only had that student for one of those four years. School A escapes all accountability for failing to progress the student toward graduation. That hardly seems fair. So just how big of impact could the above scenario have? America's public education system needs schools that take in struggling students who, for whatever reason, failed or dropped out. Parents seeking help for their children rely on these school choice options. Charter, alternative and virtual schools — the very schools that have been classified as "low-graduation-rate high schools" — often serve as schools of last resort for families. They offer students a second chance to obtain a degree. These schools strongly believe in their mission to serve all who come to them regardless of need and no matter the cost. The last thing we want to do is discourage these schools from helping underserved students graduate at the risk of being labeled low-performing. Nor should any school be able to simply hand off a credit-deficient student to another school a year or two prior to graduation and force that new school to take full responsibility for the non-graduate that was four years in the making. It's a classic example of how regulatory policies can unintentionally create the wrong incentives. Rather than the four-year cohort model, calculating an annual "progress toward graduation" metric for all schools would be a far more accurate measure of whether or not a school is successfully helping students earn diplomas. According to education researcher John Watson, states need to begin by "defining how a student is determined to be behind, on track, or ahead of pace, at time of enrollment; determining what is appropriate progress towards graduation; and determining incentives to schools for working with students who were behind at time of enrollment and getting them on track to graduate." In other words, measure every student every year, not only in year four. There is much we need to do to tackle our nation's graduation and dropout challenges. Getting the right metrics in place is a start. Davis is executive chairman of K12 Inc., a technology-based education company and leading provider of online learning programs to schools across the U.S. View the discussion thread. Contributor's Signup The Hill 1625 K Street, NW Suite 900 Washington DC 20006 | 202-628-8500 tel | 202-628-8503 fax The contents of this site are ©2019 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.

2017-10-16

The FBI on Monday said 118 police officers were killed on the job in 2016, an increase from 86 in 2015. The bureau's annual report found that 66 of the deaths were criminal, while 52 were accidental. Both numbers represented a jump from 2015, when 41 criminal and 45 accidental deaths were reported. The Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted report also found that 57,180 police officers were assaulted on the job in 2016, a jump from the 50,212 assaults reported in 2015.  The FBI said the report’s data is used to help law enforcement officers with safety training. Attorney General Jeff SessionsJefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsDOJ should take action against China's Twitter propaganda Lewandowski says he's 'happy' to testify before House panel The Hill's Morning Report — Trump and the new Israel-'squad' controversy MORE in a Monday statement about the report said the Justice Department will continue to focus on fighting violent crime. "Every law enforcement officer goes to work knowing that today might be his or her last. But last year, we saw a staggering 61 percent increase in the number of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty because of a felony, and on average, more than 150 officers were assaulted in the line of duty every single day. These numbers are as shocking as they are unacceptable,” Sessions said. “Our law enforcement deserves the support of the people they serve. Fortunately we have a President who understands this. President Trump ran for office as a law-and-order candidate; now he is governing as a law-and-order President.” --This report was updated at 2:17 p.m. View the discussion thread. The Hill 1625 K Street, NW Suite 900 Washington DC 20006 | 202-628-8500 tel | 202-628-8503 fax The contents of this site are ©2019 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.

2017-02-01 19:17:00

Warning: This is full of spoilers. At Monday night's SAG Awards, Nicole Kidman was asked what was the hardest part about her turn in LION. She thought for a moment and then replied, "Playing a real person. I'm playing Sue Brierley… trying to find her essence, and honor it, and have it be properly depicted on screen." This was a concern as well for Sue's son Saroo, whose incredible life story was the basis for the film. "There were times where it felt like it was running away from us. There were times where it felt the script was a bit far-fetched and diluted a bit," Saroo admits to me from his home in Tasmania. "But we worked with the film creators, and they were so open." The result is a film that's enjoyed broad critical praise, a wide release in the US, and has already grossed more than $34 million at the box office globally—a feat many would've told you was impossible for an Australian film. No one really saw LION's success coming, even Kidman only really felt it once the film was shot, edited, and show to early audiences. "I knew we were onto a good thing when my sister and my husband saw the film and they both came out weeping. And wanting to, like, just hug me," she said Monday night. "I thought, that's an amazing reaction to a film." Saroo's reaction to the film has been positive too—particularly Dev Patel's Oscar-nominated take on him—but admits the whole thing has been a bit surreal, tracing back to that first brunch with Patel at a quiet cafe in Hobart. You might think that, given all the twists Saroo's life has taken, he'd be the kind of person who's not easily rattled. Then again, is there a right way to act when you find yourself sitting across a table from Dev Patel? "I didn't know what I was in for. I was sort of starstruck, surprised—I was meeting Dev Patel!" Saroo says. "I've never met a celebrity in my life... let alone having breakfast [with them]." But things went well, and the two bonded telling stories of growing up in Indian families—Patel in Harrow in London's north-west, Saroo in Hobart after being adopted by Sue and John Brierley from an Indian orphanage when he was just five years old. "It almost felt like we were brothers," Saroo says of his brunch with Patel. "We just bounced off each other and talked about things we liked. He definitely has sincerity in his voice and is so open about things." One thing Patel was open about was how much he wanted the role: "He went out to the director and writer [Australians Garth Davis and Luke Davies]... knocked on their door, asking about this film where a child gets lost in India, insisting he wanted to be a part of it," Saroo explains. "Like, you know, 'I'm the right person and I'll do whatever it takes to be part of it.'" Reduced to a headline, Saroo's story—the one that inspired Patel to fight to play the role, and commit to the hours of Australian accent training that came with it—usually boils down to this: Indian Orphan, Adopted by Australian Couple, Finds His Birth Family Using Google Earth. And as amazing as that sounds, it's a retelling that misses some of the most incredible parts of this story. Like Saroo's near perfect photographic memory, which allowed him to remember minute details about the small Indian town he grew up in, decades after he got lost, separated from his older brother on a train. It also gives the sense it was some sort of fluke that Saroo was able to track his birth mother down, 25 years later. Speaking with him, you get the sense that there are few other people on Earth who could've pulled this off. Although Saroo had a relatively happy life growing up in Tasmania there was a desire within him to understand what happened to him as a child. This yearning kept him going through nearly five years of late nights craned over a computer. It was a painstaking, meticulous process, scouring Google Earth for familiar landmarks. He didn't even know what the name of his hometown was. "I was too scared to tell anyone because it felt like mucking around: it was like finding a needle in a haystack," he says. "I knew that, but all of a sudden I forgot about that and was so intrigued about being methodical, doing things in its simplest form, to be strategic about it." In his mathematical way, Saroo broke his problem down into simple questions: How fast do the trains go in India? How long had he been asleep? Working backwards he drew a 1,600 kilometer radius around Kolkata—where he'd woken up on a train more than two decades before, a five-year-old alone in one of India's most populous cities, with no idea of where his family was. Slowly, Saroo ruled out one tiny town after another. "I was searching for so long and then all of a sudden, early morning around 2–3 AM, I stumbled upon something," Saroo explains. "I had come to this train station that I haven't seen for 25 years. It was a moment of shock, this tremendous feeling, where it was just perfectly the way I remembered it." Saroo was from Ganesh Talai neighborhood of Khandwa, an ancient city in central India, more than 1,500 kilometers west of Kolkata. As he clicked around his hometown, the landmarks of his childhood were all there. "It was in the roads and the stations, and how it seemed untouched for such a long time—all of the sudden, there it is," he remembers. A few months later, Saroo set off to visit, the idea of finding his family a faint flicker in his mind. "When I got to my hometown, all I wanted to do was take my shoes and socks off and walk the streets that I used to 25 years ago. But I threw my bag outside the hotel, walked out and my legs automatically took me straight to the door I was born," Saroo says. "There was no one in the house, it was all black and dark and the house was almost broken." Saroo was despondent, but soon a woman appeared and asked him "in a very English voice" if she could help him. He pulled an A4 photo of himself as a child out as his bag and explained to her this was him as a child. "These people don't live here anymore," she replied. Suddenly, another man appeared and Saroo repeated his question. "He told me to stay there for a second and he came back about five minutes later and said, 'Come now, with me. I'm going to take you to your mother.'" Around the corner he introduced Saroo to a woman, instantly he knew. "She stepped forward, I stepped forward; we both just had our eyes glued towards each other—it was such a pivotal moment where time itself stood still. Collectively, being neutrons and protons and electrons, our minds came together like a nuclear fission," he says. Today, Saroo visits his birth mother as often as he can—he still doesn't speak Hindi, and she doesn't speak English, but they have a translator who just lives around the corner. In the midst of all the Oscar buzz around LION, she is set to travel over the US for the awards ceremony. It's another surreal turn, but that just seems to wash over Saroo. He's more interested in talking about his work with ISSA, the Indian Society of Sponsorship and Adoption. When I press him, he admits he might want to write a prequel to LION, about his life growing up in Tasmania after being adopted by an Indian orphanage by the Brierleys. "Hopefully that would get turned into a movie too," he laughs. "I think there should be more true stories out there." Follow Maddison Connaughton on Twitter.

2019-09-22 00:00:00

(CNN)For many NFL teams, their hopes of making the playoffs have already been dashed. But for others, the fun has only just begun. Going into the third NFL Sunday of the season, teams will look to capitalize on early momentum, correct miscues that have exposed weaknesses or start planning for the 2020 Draft. This Sunday is particularly intriguing, with a string of relatively unknown backups taking the field, a reigning MVP going head-to-head with a Heisman, and the hapless Dolphins taking on the red-hot Cowboys. Here's what to watch for: 1. Relatively unknown backups are taking the field The season started with a bombshell when Andrew Luck, the top pick from the 2012 NFL Draft, unexpectedly retired from football. The 29-year-old had been long pegged as the long-term quarterback of the future, after taking the reins of the Indianapolis Colts from 14-time Pro Bowler Peyton Manning that same year. In his place, Jacoby Brisset will lead the team against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Speaking of Manning. Peyton's younger brother, Eli, has been demoted to the bench after starting for the New York Giants since forever, or at least since 2004. Other long-time signal callers that won't play in week three are Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints and Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers, each sidelined with injuries. Incredibly, this weekend will be the first time since 2003 that one of the trio -- Roethlisberger, Brees or Manning -- will not be starting a game. Overall, there will be seven backup starting quarterbacks taking the field this week: Teddy Bridgewater for the Saints, Mason Rudolph for the Steelers, Daniel Jones for the New York Giants, Luke Falk for New York Jets, Kyle Allen for the Carolina Panthers and Brisset for the Colts. Gardner Minshew of the Jacksonville Jaguars didn't look like a typical rookie backup when he shined in the Jags' win Thursday night. In fact, Minshew had that post-game swagger after his first NFL victory. The Jets' Falk said after the teams' loss last week that it will be nice to get some actual snaps, rather than "just the mental reps at practice." That was a common theme this week for the newbie starters. During media availability on Wednesday, the Saints Bridgewater, calling the start his first "meaningful football since 2015," took reps in preseason, but says "it's nothing like being out there during the games when it counts the most." Jones, the only quarterback change not due to injury, has the benefit of an experienced teammate in Manning to help him through the start, saying during Wednesday's media availability, "I understand the circumstance and it's a difficult one. But he's (Manning) very supportive of me and I can't say enough about who he is as a person, as a teammate." WATCH: All but Minshew play on Sunday. Check your local listings. 2. Face off: Heisman Trophy winner vs MVP Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson isn't too far removed from being a backup himself, as the Louisville alumnus took over for Joe Flacco mid-season last year. The Heisman Trophy winner has set the league on fire through the first two games, including a breakout week one performance that saw the Ravens' offense put up 59 points. Jackson has completed an astounding 72% of his passes and has thrown for seven touchdowns in the young season -- already eclipsing his six TD's tossed in 2018. Jackson's stellar play has caught the eye of this Sunday's opponent, Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs, who said during his mid-week press conference, "It's going to be a great experience (playing Jackson)." Mahomes, a breakout star himself, recognizes the jump the second-year quarterback has made, continuing, "I understand going from year one to year two. There's a huge switch understanding the offense...and it's let him have more success as a passer." The Chiefs quarterback spent his rookie year learning under Alex Smith and got the chance to display his talents in the last game of the 2017 season before becoming the league's MVP in 2018. Jackson, for his part, is equally looking forward to the matchup with Mahomes, stating at his media availability, "He's a dynamic quarterback...I can't wait to compete against him again. Its Ravens versus Chiefs...I'm competing against their defense if anything. And I depend on our defense to do a good job of stopping him." The Chiefs eked out a 27-24 victory over the Ravens last season, and Jackson will look to lead a strong Baltimore offense in a "revenge" rematch. The Ravens have averaged 41 points a game this season, while the Chiefs are only slightly behind them at 34 points a game. WATCH: Baltimore Ravens vs. Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday at 1 pm ET on CBS 3. The Dolphins need a victory (or not?) The 1972 Miami Dolphins are the only team in NFL history to finish a season undefeated. On the flipside, the 2017 Cleveland Browns and the 2008 Detroit Lions are the only teams to lose all of their games in a 16-game season. Why is this relevant? Because the once-proud Dolphins, two-time Super Bowl Champions, are facing the possibility of a very defeated season. Part of this appears to be intentional, in a near imitation of the "Process" utilized by the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers, with the Dolphins starting the year by trading impact players like Laremy Tunsil and Kenny Stills for future draft picks. Just this week, the Dolphins shipped Minkah Fitzpatrick, their top draft pick from 2018, to the Steelers for yet another future draft pick. Between the exodus of talent and the prospect of a winless season, fans on South Beach can't have much hope as a 21.5 underdog to the Dallas Cowboys this Sunday. Still, Pro Bowler Xavien Howard, one of Miami's standout players, thinks it's too early to count the Dolphins out. Howard brings up this Sunday's game against Dallas as an example, telling the Sun Sentinel: "I went to Baylor right down the street...I have family coming to the game, college teammates...so that's going to motivate me." But beyond that, it comes down to pride for Howard, "the name on the back of my jersey...that's what motivates me." For their part, America's team is not overlooking their opponent. Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith said during the mid-week media availability that his team has to be ready, "It's the National Football League. Everyone's legit. For us, it's about preparing the right way and respecting every opponent." WATCH: Miami Dolphins vs. Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at 1 pm ET on FOX

2018-06-07 16:10:01

President Donald Trump appeared at the headquarters of the Federal Emergency Management Agency Wednesday for an annual hurricane briefing, but the event had little to do with preparation for hurricanes. Trump’s remarks were especially striking for what went unmentioned: Puerto Rico’s brutal recovery from Hurricane Maria. US presidents hold a yearly briefing with FEMA leaders to discuss how the government is preparing for the hurricane season, which this year started June 1, and the president usually gives public remarks beforehand to remind Americans to prepare too. That’s not what happened this year. Trump spent most of his time boasting about his administration’s accomplishments and praising his Cabinet officials, who were also present. When he did get around to talking about hurricanes, he mentioned Puerto Rico only once, lumping it in with a few other states hit by natural disasters in 2017. There’s a good reason for the neglect. The aftermath of the Category 4 hurricane that hit the island was one of the darkest period’s of Trump’s presidency so far (which is saying something). Maria was the worst natural disaster ever to hit the island, knocking out cellphone service and electricity for months. The local and federal response was a mess, with botched FEMA contracts, a drinking water crisis, an army of federal responders stretched too thin, and long delays in approving reconstruction aid for the island. President Trump’s response was no less atrocious. When he visited Puerto Rico two weeks after the storm, he suggested that Maria wasn’t “a real catastrophe” like Hurricane Katrina. And instead of offering condolences, he reminded Puerto Rico how much money it was costing the federal government to respond to the crisis. He even congratulated the governor for the low death count, which was 16 at the time. That number was way off. New research from epidemiologists at Harvard suggests Hurricane Maria was the deadliest natural disaster to hit US soil in 100 years. The research, published May 29 in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine, pegged the hurricane death toll above 4,600 — far beyond the official death count of 64. That means Maria was likely twice as deadly as Hurricane Katrina. The hurricane briefing would have been the perfect opportunity for the president to address Puerto Rico’s struggles and the new death toll estimates, but Trump seemed determined to ignore it at all costs. The event did mark the first press appearance of first lady Melania Trump since she was hospitalized three weeks ago for a procedure to treat a “benign kidney condition.” (She attended a gala Monday evening for Gold Star families, but it was not open to the press.) She sat silently by her husband Wednesday at the FEMA briefing — an event not usually attended by the first lady. Melania Trump’s disappearance from public view had fueled rampant speculation about her health and whereabouts — that she might be getting plastic surgery or even cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller. As Vox’s Emily Stewart notes, there was no indication that Trump had health problems, and there were no leaks that any type of procedure was upcoming. More details on her condition weren’t released, and the five days she spent at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center raised some eyebrows, as the typical hospital stay for such a procedure is usually shorter. The first lady remained out of sight after she was discharged from the hospital. She skipped a Memorial Day wreath-laying at Arlington National Cemetery, and she didn’t accompany the president to Camp David last weekend. The rumors about her whereabouts continued, even after Trump assured the public on social media that everything was just fine. I see the media is working overtime speculating where I am & what I'm doing. Rest assured, I'm here at the @WhiteHouse w my family, feeling great, & working hard on behalf of children & the American people! Trump’s unexpected appearance at the FEMA briefing may have an attempt to put an end to the stories. “She went through a rough patch, but she’s doing great and we’re very proud of her. She’s done a fantastic job as a first lady. The people of our country love you,” the president said, awkwardly reaching out to grab her hand several times. President Trump didn’t want to talk about hurricanes at FEMA. He wanted to talk about all the great things his administration has done. He spent more than half of his 17-minute remarks thanking each Cabinet member individually for their accomplishments. That included effusive praise of Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, who Trump said is “working hard on those taxes and keeping the taxes down. ... We passed the greatest tax cut in the history of our country, and lots of other things.” And he commended Kirstjen Nielsen, head of the Department of Homeland Security, for doing great things on the border. “The border is coming along. And the wall is going up. We have $1.6 billion being spent on phase one of the wall, and we’ll get additional funding. And every week that goes by, people realize it more and more that we have to have the wall.” He joked about how Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is “the largest landlord in the world” and complimented Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao for being “so effective and so incredible.” When he did bring up hurricanes, it was to tell the public that the federal government did everything right in its hurricane response last year — and that we should expect the same type of response this year. “We are marshaling every available resource to ensure maximum preparation for rapid response. That’s what we had last year. Disaster response and recovery is best achieved when it’s federally supported, state-managed, and locally executed,” he said. Trump did not mention that his administration sent few emergency responders to Puerto Rico before the storm, or the delay in sending the Navy medical ship USS Comfort, or how FEMA hired completely inexperienced contractors to handle food and water supplies for hurricane victims. Trump did mention Puerto Rico, once. “Families in Texas and Louisiana, the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi — they were all affected. Hard to believe. And on tribal lands, where the hit was catastrophic, and the storms were really historic in their severity,” he said. Even in his private meeting with FEMA leaders that was closed to the press, Trump avoided talking about hurricanes, according to the Washington Post’s Josh Dawsey: President Trump had a lot else on his mind, turning the closed-door discussion into soliloquies on his prowess in negotiating airplane deals, his popularity, the effectiveness of his political endorsements, the Republican Party’s fortunes, the vagaries of Defense Department purchasing guidelines, his dislike of magnetized launch equipment on aircraft carriers, his unending love of coal and his breezy optimism about his planned Singapore summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. This was the time Trump was supposed to press FEMA about what the agency can do to better prepare for another deadly disaster like Hurricane Maria. But he didn’t. And it’s a crisis he’s gotten very good at ignoring.

2018-04-18 00:00:00

PARIS (Reuters) - French food group Danone (DANO.PA) achieved better than expected first-quarter sales growth of nearly 5 percent, helped by Chinese demand for its baby formula products, cementing guidance for higher profit and sales this year and beyond. Along with consumer goods rivals such as Nestle (NESN.S) and Unilever (ULVR.L), Danone has come under investor pressure to improve results and it needs to deliver on 2020 profit margin and sales growth targets set last year. Wednesday's numbers lifted Danone's share price 2.5 percent by 1028 GMT, making it the biggest gainer on France's benchmark CAC-40 index .FCHI. The world’s largest yoghurt maker, with brands including Actimel and Activia, also flagged improving dairy sales in Europe and noted signs of growth in North America, where Danone is integrating U.S. organic food group WhiteWave. Danone reported first-quarter underlying sales up 4.9 percent to 6.085 billion euros ($7.53 billion), its biggest percentage rise since the fourth quarter of 2014. It also beat a company-compiled median forecast from 22 analyst estimates of 3.9 percent like-for-like sales growth. “We are reaffirming our confidence in the agility of our model to navigate a volatile environment to deliver our 2018 guidance and to accelerate towards our 2020 ambition,” Chief Executive Emmanuel Faber said in a statement. Danone, which is targeting an operating margin above 16 percent and like-for-like sales growth of 4-5 percent by 2020, reiterated its expectation of a double-digit rise in 2018 underlying earnings per share (EPS) excluding the impact of the sale of a stake in Japan’s Yakult. “While FY 2018 guidance is unchanged at this stage, we expect FY 2018 EPS consensus to rise by around 2-3 pct as exceptional growth in premium infant milk formula channels in China proceeds unabated,” said Investec Securities analysts. In recent years Danone’s growth has been slower than that of its rivals, largely because of weakness in its European dairy business, while regulatory issues have weighed on its baby food and waters operations in China. The picture in China has begun to change, however. There has been strong demand for baby formula products thanks to a sharp rise in birth rates tied to the end of the one-child policy, growth of urbanization and affluent middle class. Danone benefited from continued strong Chinese demand for its high-end baby formulas, such as Aptamil and Nutrilon, and its strategy of developing direct distribution in the country. Finance chief Cecile Cabanis said Danone expects that trend to continue in the second quarter but cautioned that a “normalization” of Chinese demand is expected in the second half of the year. Danone shares, which rose 16 percent in 2017, have retreated by about 4 percent so far this year. Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta and David Goodman

2016-07-06

LONDON (Reuters) - Former champion Stewart Cink has withdrawn from this month’s British Open at Royal Troon, organizers said on Wednesday. The 43-year-old American won the tournament at Turnberry in 2009, beating 59-year-old compatriot Tom Watson in a playoff. Cink said in May he was taking time off the Tour to care for his wife Lisa who had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Reporting by Ed Osmond; Editing by Ken Ferris

2017-12-04 11:46:57

Op-Ed Contributors You need the First Amendment precisely when your ideas offend others or flout the majority’s orthodoxies. And then it protects more than your freedom to speak your mind; it guards your freedom not to speak the mind of another. Thus, in classic “compelled speech” rulings, the Supreme Court has protected the right not to be forced to say, do or create anything expressing a message one rejects. Most famously, in West Virginia v. Barnette (1943), it barred a state from denying Jehovah’s Witnesses the right to attend public schools if they refused to salute the flag. In Wooley v. Maynard (1977), the court prevented New Hampshire from denying people the right to drive if they refused to display on license plates the state’s libertarian-flavored motto “live free or die.” On Tuesday, the court will consider whether Colorado may deny Jack Phillips, the owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop, the right to sell custom wedding cakes because he cannot in conscience create them for same-sex weddings. Mr. Phillips, who has run his bakery since 1993, sells off-the-shelf items to anyone, no questions asked. But he cannot deploy his artistic skills to create cakes celebrating themes that violate his religious and moral convictions. Thus he does not design cakes for divorce parties, lewd bachelor parties, Halloween parties or same-sex weddings. Colorado’s order that he create same-sex wedding cakes (or quit making any cakes at all) would force him to create expressive products carrying a message he rejects. That’s unconstitutional. Some fear a slippery slope, arguing that anything can be expressive. What if someone refused to rent out folding chairs for the reception? Or what about restaurant owners who exclude blacks because they think God wills segregation? If we exempt Mr. Phillips, won’t we have to exempt these people from anti-discrimination law? Our point is not that forcing people to sell a product or service for an event always compels them to endorse the event. It’s that forcing them to create speech celebrating the event does. And it’s well-established that First Amendment “speech” includes creative work (“artistic speech”) ranging from paintings to video games. Unlike folding chairs or restaurant service, custom wedding cakes are full-fledged speech under the First Amendment. Creating them cannot be conveniently classified as “conduct, not expression” to rationalize state coercion. After all, the aesthetic purpose of wedding cakes — combined with the range and complexity of their possible designs — makes them just as capable of bearing expressive content as other artistic speech. Mr. Phillips’s cakes are admired precisely for their aesthetic qualities, which reflect his ideas and sensibilities. A plaster sculpture of the same size and look would without question be protected. That wedding cakes are edible is utterly beside the point. Their main purpose isn’t to sate hunger or even please the palate; it is aesthetic and expressive. They figure at receptions as a centerpiece and then part of the live program, much like a prop in a play. And no one denies that forcing artists to design props for plays promoting a state-imposed message would be unconstitutional. If wedding cakes are expressive, whether by words or mere festive design, what’s their message? We can tell by their context since, as the court notes, a symbolic item’s context “may give meaning to the symbol.” Thus, the court found that an upside-down flag with a peace sign carried an antiwar message — protected as speech — because of the context of its display. Likewise, a wedding cake’s context specifies its message: This couple has formed a marriage. When the specific context is a same-sex wedding, that message is one Mr. Phillips doesn’t believe and cannot in conscience affirm. So coercing him to create a cake for the occasion is compelled artistic speech. Note that this argument wouldn’t cover all requirements to make artistic items. The law may force photographers to do photo portraits for Latinos as well as whites since that doesn’t yet force them to create art bearing an idea they reject, which is all the compelled-speech doctrine forbids. But custom wedding cakes carry a message specific to each wedding: This is a marriage. Can Colorado justify its compulsion anyway? Some say yes: Fighting discrimination — disfavored conduct, not speech — is the general goal of Colorado’s public-accommodations law. And if that goal is legitimate, they continue, so is every application of this law. Remarkably, given how commonly one encounters this answer, the court has explicitly considered and rejected it twice. In Hurley v. Irish-American Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Group of Boston (1995), the court held that while anti-discrimination laws do not “as a general matter” violate the First Amendment, they do when “applied in a peculiar way” that burdens speech. In that case and in Boy Scouts of America v. Dale (2000), the government said there was sexual-orientation discrimination, both times under its public-accommodations laws. The goal in both was to fight discrimination rooted in opposition to “homosexual conduct.” Still, the court said both times, this generic goal could not justify coercion that interfered with the content of anyone’s expression. In these cases, after all, the precise act being targeted just is the speaker’s choosing (“discriminating”) among which ideas to express — exactly what the First Amendment exists to protect. As the court put it in Hurley, the “point of all speech protection” is “to shield just those choices of content that in someone’s eyes are misguided, or even hurtful.” So to use the force of law to compel Mr. Phillips to create same-sex wedding cakes, Colorado must identify another goal. Is it to ensure that all couples have access to a cake? But they do: Colorado hasn’t even suggested otherwise. Choices like Mr. Phillips’s amount to a “handful in a country of 300 million people,” according to Andrew Koppelman, a constitutional scholar and gay-rights advocate. The only claim left is that Mr. Phillips’s expressive choice causes what some refer to as dignitary harm: the distress of confronting ideas one finds demeaning or hurtful. Yet accepting that justification would shatter what the court in Texas v. Johnson (1989) called a “bedrock principle” — namely that “the government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive.” At some level, Colorado itself gets it. Three times the state has declined to force pro-gay bakers to provide a Christian patron with a cake they could not in conscience create given their own convictions on sexuality and marriage. Colorado was right to recognize their First Amendment right against compelled speech. It’s wrong to deny Jack Phillips that same right.

2017-05-30

American Airlines, one of the “big three” U.S. carriers, hired Nate Gatten away from banking giant JPMorgan Chase. Gatten had been managing director and head of global government relations at the bank for almost a decade. At American, he’ll serve as senior vice president for government affairs, leading the company’s advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill, the administration and abroad. Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) hired Steve Rebillot to serve as senior director of public affairs. Prior to that, he worked at the Associated Builders and Contractors as director of legislative affairs and founded the firm Intellegens Consulting, which included clients such as the Republican Attorneys General Association, SoftBank, UNCF and Lionsgate Entertainment and political candidates such as Linda McMahon, who is now administrator of the Small Business Administration. The WSWA also promoted Ashley Lantz and Ali Gormley to the title of senior director of federal affairs. Gormley joined the industry group in 2013, and formerly worked for Rep. Pat Tiberi (R-Ohio). Lantz came to the WSWA last year from the National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association. Scott Dziengelski has been named a director of policy and regulatory affairs at the National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems. Before that, he worked as legislative director for Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Pa.). David Leiter has left ML Strategies to found his own firm, called Plurus Strategies. Leiter worked in the Department of Energy during the Clinton administration and on Capitol Hill for then-Sen. John KerryJohn Forbes KerryA lesson of the Trump, Tlaib, Omar, Netanyahu affair Trump's winning weapon: Time The Memo: O'Rourke looks to hit reset button MORE (D-Mass.). Leiter brought over three clients from ML Strategies: The American Hospital Association, Exxon Mobil Corp. and Northeast Maglev.  Public Strategies Washington hired Tom Nagle. He comes from Accenture, where he led its state, federal and municipal lobbying programs. Before that, Nagel worked for 12 years as the top staffer to Sen. Tom UdallThomas (Tom) Stewart UdallDemocrats, environmentalists blast Trump rollback of endangered species protections Republicans should get behind the 28th Amendment New Mexico says EPA abandoned state in fight against toxic 'forever chemicals' MORE (D-N.M), working as the lawmaker’s chief of staff in both the House and the Senate.  View the discussion thread. The Hill 1625 K Street, NW Suite 900 Washington DC 20006 | 202-628-8500 tel | 202-628-8503 fax The contents of this site are ©2019 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.

2016-07-27

July 27 (Reuters) - CGI Group Inc * Cgi posts strong q3 results * Q3 earnings per share c$0.89 * Q3 revenue c$2.7 billion versus i/b/e/s view c$2.67 billion * Q3 earnings per share view c$0.88 — Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S * Cgi group inc says q3 bookings of $2.9 billion, up $712.4 million from last year * Backlog at quarter-end of $20.6 billion, up $916.6 million Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: (Bengaluru Newsroom +1-646-223-8780)

2019-07-16 00:00:00

BOGOTA, July 16 (Reuters) - Colombia’s third-largest bank Davivienda, issued 599 billion pesos ($188 million) worth of local bonds in a sale that was doubly over-subscribed, the stock exchange said on Tuesday. Davivienda sold three-year paper with a yield equivalent to CPI plus 2.04%, five-year paper with a yield of 6.04% and 10-year paper with a yield of CPI plus 3.03%, the exchange said in a statement. The bank is part of the Grupo Bolivar conglomerate. ($1 = 3,191 Colombian pesos) (Reporting by Nelson Bocanegra; writing by Julia Symmes Cobb, editing by G Crosse)

2019-09-18 00:00:00

Suraj Patel WASHINGTON — Suraj Patel is officially throwing his hat in the race to unseat Rep. Carolyn Maloney, in what promises to be a closely watched rematch for a New York City congressional seat. Last cycle, Patel launched a competitive campaign against Maloney, who has served for more than 25 years in the House of Representatives. Patel’s 2018 campaign came at a moment when several political insurgents dominated Democratic state and federal primaries — the most popular one being Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who upset Joe Crowley, a long-standing New York City representative and member of House leadership. Patel’s second campaign against Maloney will reintroduce the public to the 35-year-old attorney with a two-minute video, a copy of which was obtained in advance by BuzzFeed News. The ad begins with the candidate’s take on New York City’s deteriorating transit system, which has become the bane of the city with riders frequently tweeting “fix the subway” at local politicians. “When I was 5 years old, I can remember my dad coming home after working the night shift fixing these tracks,” Patel says in the opening of the ad. “And he jokes to me, ‘They’re pretty much in the same condition.’” The video speaks to a new campaign strategy that focuses on Patel’s personal story; he was born to small-town farmers from India who worked their way from nothing to contract and franchise multiple motels throughout the Midwest. They would return to their humble beginnings after the 2008 recession. “I’m a big believer in the American dream,” Patel told BuzzFeed News. “I’ve lived it. I know the power of education and hard work.” Patel, who previously worked as an Obama campaign staffer, secured 40% of the vote against Maloney in their 2018 congressional matchup. The attorney and NYU professor bested Maloney in the more progressive parts of New York’s 12th District but fell short on the Upper East Side of Manhattan — which historically houses many of the city’s wealthiest residents (President Donald Trump’s primary private residence, Trump Tower, is among the many iconic New York properties in the district). “I think we’ll make a more concerted effort to talk to people across every income bracket and every zip code in that district and say that you deserve activism representation as much as young people,” Patel told BuzzFeed News over the phone Tuesday. “Let me be frank. I think, If I learned a lesson from the last campaign, it’s a bit of humility. We admittedly, sort of, didn't do a good enough job of explaining to the older voters what change meant.” Patel raised more than $1 million for his 2018 race, which became an issue in the primary when Maloney criticized his fundraising success by saying many of his donors had the same name, Patel. The challenger told BuzzFeed News at the time that Maloney should know not all people with the same last name are related. “I guess I didn’t realize Rep. Maloney hired Steve Bannon as her campaign strategist,” he said. During his last run, Patel made news and drew some heat for campaigning on dating apps like Tinder and Grindr — a strategy he called “Tinderbanking,” which volunteers use to solicit young voters. But this time, Patel said he’ll probably focus on other campaign strategies like arming coffee stands with logoed coffee cups that promote his campaign, holding town halls throughout the district, and sending traditional mailers. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, wearing a New York firefighter's jacket. In his announcement video, Patel says that “simply holding a job doesn’t entitle you to keep it. You’ve got to deliver,” and argues that the district hasn’t seen “real progress” in the nearly three decades Maloney has been in office — though he does not mention her by name. Maloney, 73, first came to Congress in 1993. Most recently, she made news as one of the lead House sponsors who successfully pushed to renew the 9/11 victims’ fund, which provides health care and other benefits for first responders and survivors of the attack. For six months before the bill passed, the congresswoman wore an authentic New York firefighter’s jacket to honor victims and bring awareness to the pending legislation. In the video, Patel also makes the case that upward mobility in New York City is becoming the exception and he touts some national progressive issues as well, including the Green New Deal, fairer taxes, defunding ICE, and debt-free college as part of his platform. While Patel thinks of himself as “much more progressive than Carolyn Maloney,” he said he considers himself an Obama Democrat. “Do I consider myself part of the progressive movement? Totally. But am I lockstep with everything? Absolutely not,” he told BuzzFeed News. “If this progressive movement is going to grow and going to actually change the country beyond just a few perfectly drawn districts for young progressives to win, then we’re going to have to figure out how to bridge and make arguments to people who have, in some cases, a little more to lose by changing the current system than not.” Patel is the fourth contender to announce a primary bid against Maloney, following Lauren Ashcraft, a project manager and stand-up comedian, attorney Erica Vladimer, and housing advocate Peter Harrison. Dawn Smalls, another former Obama staffer who is also rumored to be eyeing the seat opened an exploratory committee in July. Erica Vladimer's name was misspelled in an earlier version of this post.

2017-11-21

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama rode into office in 2009 with promises to work toward a nuclear-free world. His vow helped win him the Nobel Peace Prize that year. The next year, while warning that Washington would retain the ability to retaliate against a nuclear strike, he promised that America would develop no new types of atomic weapons. Within 16 months of his inauguration, the United States and Russia negotiated the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, known as New START, meant to build trust and cut the risk of nuclear war. It limited each side to what the treaty counts as 1,550 strategic nuclear warheads. By the time Obama left office in January 2017, the risk of Armageddon hadn’t receded. Instead, Washington was well along in a modernization program that is making nearly all of its nuclear weapons more accurate and deadly. And Russia was doing the same: Its weapons badly degraded from neglect after the Cold War, Moscow had begun its own modernization years earlier under President Vladimir Putin. It built new, more powerful ICBMs, and developed a series of tactical nuclear weapons. The United States under Obama transformed its main hydrogen bomb into a guided smart weapon, made its submarine-launched nuclear missiles five times more accurate, and gave its land-based long-range missiles so many added features that the Air Force in 2012 described them as “basically new.” To deliver these more lethal weapons, military contractors are building fleets of new heavy bombers and submarines. President Donald Trump has worked hard to undo much of Obama’s legacy, but he has embraced the modernization program enthusiastically. Trump has ordered the Defense Department to complete a review of the U.S. nuclear arsenal by the end of this year. Reuters reported in February that in a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump denounced the New START treaty and rejected Putin’s suggestion that talks begin about extending it once it expires in 2021. Some former senior U.S. government officials, legislators and arms-control specialists – many of whom once backed a strong nuclear arsenal — are now warning that the modernization push poses grave dangers. They argue that the upgrades contradict the rationales for New START - to ratchet down the level of mistrust and reduce risk of intentional or accidental nuclear war. The latest improvements, they say, make the U.S. and Russian arsenals both more destructive and more tempting to deploy. The United States, for instance, has a “dial down” bomb that can be adjusted to act like a tactical weapon, and others are planned. “The idea that we could somehow fine tune a nuclear conflict is really dangerous thinking,” says Kingston Reif, director of disarmament and threat reduction policy at the Arms Control Association, a Washington-based think tank. One leader of this group, William Perry, who served as defense secretary under President Bill Clinton, said recently in a Q&A on YouTube that “the danger of a nuclear catastrophe today is greater than it was during the Cold War.” Perry told Reuters that both the United States and Russia have upgraded their arsenals in ways that make the use of nuclear weapons likelier. The U.S. upgrade, he said, has occurred almost exclusively behind closed doors. “It is happening without any basic public discussion,” he said. “We’re just doing it.” Podcast: America’s Secret Nuclear Upgrades The cause of arms control got a publicity boost in October when the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, a Geneva organization, won the Nobel Peace Prize for its role in getting the United Nations General Assembly in July to adopt a nuclear prohibition treaty. The United States, Russia and other nuclear powers boycotted the treaty negotiations. The U.S. modernization program has many supporters in addition to Trump, however. There is little or no pressure in Congress to scale it back. Backers argue that for the most part the United States is merely tweaking old weapons, not developing new ones. Some say that beefed up weapons are a more effective deterrent, reducing the chance of war. Cherry Murray served until January as a top official at the Energy Department, which runs the U.S. warhead inventory. She said the reduction in nuclear weapon stockpiles under New START makes it imperative that Washington improve its arsenal. During the Cold War, Murray said in an interview, the United States had so many missiles that if one didn’t work, the military could simply discard it. With the new limit of 1,550 warheads, every one counts, she said. “When you get down to that number we better make sure they work,” she said. “And we better make sure our adversaries believe they work.” An Obama spokesman said the former president would not comment for this story. The Russian embassy in Washington did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Asked about Trump’s view on the modernization program, a spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council said the president’s goal is to create a nuclear force that is “modern, robust, flexible, resilient, ready, and appropriately tailored to deter 21st-century threats and reassure our allies.” The U.S. modernization effort is not coming cheap. This year the Congressional Budget Office estimated the program will cost at least $1.25 trillion over 30 years. The amount could grow significantly, as the Pentagon has a history of major cost overruns on large acquisition projects. As defense secretary under Obama, Leon Panetta backed modernization. Now he questions the price tag. “We are in a new chapter of the Cold War with Putin,” he told Reuters in an interview, blaming the struggle’s resumption on the Russian president. Panetta says he doubts the United States will be able to fund the modernization program. “We have defense, entitlements and taxes to deal with at the same time there are record deficits,” he said. New START is leading to significant reductions in the two rival arsenals, a process that began with the disintegration of the USSR. But reduced numbers do not necessarily mean reduced danger. In 1990, the year before the Soviet Union collapsed, the United States had more than 12,000 warheads and the Soviets just over 11,000, an August 2017 Congressional Research Service report says. Soon the two countries made precipitous cuts. The 1991 START treaty limited each to somewhat more than 6,000 warheads. By 2009 the number was down to about 2,200 deployed warheads. Tom Collina, policy director of the Ploughshares Fund, an arms control group, says that both Moscow and Washington are on track to meet the 1,550 limit by the treaty’s 2018 deadline. The treaty, however, allows for fudging. At Russia’s insistence, each bomber is counted as a single warhead, no matter how many nuclear bombs it carries or has ready for use. As a result, the real limit for each side is about 2,000. Collina says the United States currently has 1,740 deployed warheads, and Russia is believed to have a similar number. Each side also has thousands of warheads in storage and retired bombs and missiles awaiting dismantlement. The declining inventories mask the technological improvements the two sides are making. There is a new arms race, based this time not on number of weapons but on increasing lethality, says William Potter, director of nonproliferation studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California. “We are in a situation in which technological advances are outstripping arms control,” Potter says. One example of an old weapon transformed into a more dangerous new one is America’s main hydrogen bomb. The Air Force has deployed the B61 bomb on heavy bombers since the mid-1960s. Until recently, the B61 was an old-fashioned gravity bomb, dropped by a plane and free-falling to its target. Now, the Air Force has transformed it into a controllable smart bomb. The new model has adjustable tail fins and a guidance system which lets bomber crews direct it to its target. Recent models of the bomb had already incorporated a unique “dial-down capacity”: The Air Force can adjust the explosion. The bomb can be set to use against enemy troops, with a 0.3 kiloton detonation, a tiny fraction of the Hiroshima bomb, or it can level cities with a 340-kiloton blast with 23 times the force of Hiroshima’s. Similar controls are planned for new cruise missiles. The new B61 is the most expensive bomb ever built. At $20.8 million per bomb, each costs nearly one-third more than its weight in 24 karat gold. The estimated price of the planned total of 480 bombs is almost $10 billion. Congress also has approved initial funding of $1.8 billion to build a completely new weapon, the “Long Range Stand-Off” cruise missile, at an estimated $17 billion total cost. The cruise missiles, too, will be launched from aircraft. But in contrast to stealth bombers dropping the new B61s directly over land, the cruise missiles will let bombers fly far out of range of enemy air defenses and fire the missiles deep into enemy territory. Obama’s nuclear modernization began diverging from his original vision early on, when Republican senators resisted his arms reduction strategy. Former White House officials say Obama was determined to get the New START treaty ratified quickly. Aside from hoping to ratchet down nuclear tensions, he considered it vital to assure continued Russian cooperation in talks taking place at the time with Iran over that country’s nuclear program. Obama also feared that if the Senate didn’t act by the end of its 2010 session, the accord might never pass, according to Gary Samore, who served four years as the Obama White House’s coordinator for arms control and weapons of mass destruction. Obama hit resistance from then-Senator Jon Kyl, a Republican from Arizona. Kyl, the Senate’s minority whip, assembled enough Republicans to kill the treaty. In e-mailed answers to questions, Kyl said he opposed the accord because Russia “cheats” on treaties and the United States lacks the means to verify and enforce compliance. Moscow’s deployment of new tactical weapons since 2014, he said, was a violation of the 1987 Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. (Russia denies violating the treaty.) Kyl also faulted New START for omitting Russia’s large arsenal of tactical nuclear weapons for use on battlefields, a subject the Russians have refused to discuss. But Kyl proved willing to let the treaty pass – for a price. In exchange for ratification, the White House would have to agree to massive modernization of the remaining U.S. weapons. Obama agreed, and the Senate passed the treaty on the last day of the 2010 session. Samore, the former White House arms control coordinator, says Obama did not oppose taking steps to refurbish superannuated weapons. He just did not plan the costly decision to do it all at once, Samore said. While the number of warheads and launch vehicles is limited by the treaty, nothing in it forbids upgrading the weaponry or replacing older arms with completely new and deadlier ones. Details of the modernized weapons show that both are happening. The upshot, according to former Obama advisers and outside arms-control specialists, is that the modernization destabilized the U.S.-Russia status quo, setting off a new arms race. Jon Wolfsthal, a former top advisor to Obama on arms control, said it is possible to have potentially devastating arms race even with a relatively small number of weapons. The New START treaty limits the number of warheads and launch vehicles. But it says nothing about the design of the “delivery” methods – land- and submarine-based ballistic missiles, hydrogen bombs and cruise missiles. Thus both sides are increasing exponentially the killing power of these weapons, upgrading the delivery vehicles so that they are bigger, more accurate and equipped with dangerous new features – without increasing the number of warheads or vehicles. The United States, according to an article in the March 1 issue of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, has roughly tripled the “killing power” of its existing ballistic missile force. The article’s lead author, Hans Kristensen, director of the Federation of American Scientists’ Nuclear Information Project, said in an e-mail that he knows of no comparable estimate for Russia. He noted, however, that Russia is making its own extensive enhancements, including larger missiles and new launch vehicles. He said Russia also is devoting much effort to countering U.S. missile defense systems. The U.S. modernization program “has implemented revolutionary new technologies that will vastly increase the targeting capability of the U.S. ballistic missile arsenal,” Kristensen wrote in the article. “This increase in capability is astonishing.” Kristensen says the most alarming change is America’s newly refitted submarine-launched Trident II missiles. These have new “fuzing” devices, which use sensors to tell the warheads when to detonate. Kristensen says that for decades, Tridents had inaccurate fuzes. The missiles could make a direct hit on only about 20 percent of targets. With the new fuzes, “they all do,” he says. Under New START, 14 of America’s Ohio Class subs carry 20 Tridents. Each Trident can be loaded with up to 12 warheads. (The United States has four additional Ohio subs that carry only conventional weapons.) The Trident II’s official range is 7,456 miles, nearly one-third the Earth’s circumference. Outside experts say the real range almost certainly is greater. Each of its main type of warhead produces a 475-kiloton blast, almost 32 times that of Hiroshima. Russia, too, is hard at work making deadlier strategic weapons. Ploughshares estimates that both sides are working on at least two dozen new or enhanced strategic weapons. Russia is building new ground-based missiles, including a super ICBM, the RS-28 Sarmat. The Russian missile has room for at least 10 warheads that can be aimed at separate targets. Russian state media has said that the missile could destroy areas as large as Texas or France. U.S. analysts say this is unlikely, but the weapon is nonetheless devastatingly powerful. Russia’s new ICBMs have room to add additional warheads, in case the New START treaty expires or either side abrogates it. The United States by its own decision currently has only a single warhead in each of its ICBMS, but these too have room for more. Russia has phased in a more accurate submarine-launched missile, the RSM-56 Bulava. While it is less precise than the new U.S. Tridents, it marks a significant improvement in reliability and accuracy over Russia’s previous sub-based missiles. A Russian military official in 2015 disclosed a sort of doomsday weapon, taking the idea of a “dirty bomb” to a new level. Many U.S. analysts believe the disclosure was a bluff; others say they believe the weapon has been deployed. The purported device is an unmanned submarine drone, able to cruise at a fast 56 knots and travel 6,200 miles. The concept of a dirty bomb, never used to date, is that terrorists would spread harmful radioactive material by detonating a conventional explosive such as dynamite. In the case of the Russian drone, a big amount of deadly radioactive material would be dispersed by a nuclear bomb. The bomb would be heavily “salted” with radioactive cobalt, which emits deadly gamma rays for years. The explosion and wind would spread the cobalt for hundreds of miles, making much of the U.S. East Coast uninhabitable. A documentary shown on Russian state TV said the drone is meant to create “areas of wide radioactive contamination that would be unsuitable for military, economic, or other activity for long periods of time.” Reif of the Arms Control Association says that even if the concept is only on the drawing board, the device represents “really outlandish thinking” by the Russian government. “It makes no sense strategically,” he said, “and reflects a really egregiously twisted conception about what’s necessary for nuclear deterrence.” Reported by Scot Paltrow; edited by Michael Williams

2017-05-09 13:44:00

Rough day? Feeling kind of tired, maybe kind of stuck in a rut? Would you like something to pull you out of the void now you've exhausted your "dog reunited w owner emotional cute" YouTube search? Well, this way please: look no further than this very special video of Mac DeMarco performing Billy Joel's "Just The Way You Are" on karaoke, included for posterity and guaranteed mood improvement above. The thing that makes this so heart-warming and special and weird is that even though Mac DeMarco is doing karaoke at the afterparty for Slowdive's Brooklyn show and not a certain southeast London institution that will not be named, his reckless abandon is recognizable for all keen karaoke-goers. When that mic is in your hand, you are God. You are one with your chosen song. In karaoke, you are whole. That, here, is what's happening to Mac. Watch how he swings his beer about as he yells into that mic, the way he seems only seconds away from start a one man pit, so swept up is he. Mac DeMarco, right here, is the heart and soul of karaoke, of one of life's most singular pleasures. He recently also just put out a brand new album titled This Old Dog, and in between impassioned Billy Joel tributes, he's also been on the promotional trail for that. One stop on that probably months-long road was over with Phil Taggert on BBC Radio 1, for whom he put together a "Bedtime Mix". His picks include Kirin J. Callinan, Homeshake, Aldous RH, Infinite Bisous and Eola, and the whole thing (which you can hear here) makes for very pleasant listening indeed. tl;dr: whether it's transcendent karaoke Mac or excellent playlist maker Mac, you should probably let the old dog make your life better today. Follow Lauren on Twitter. (Image via YouTube)

2016-08-18 00:00:00

Twitter's users, employees and leadership have long said that the service has a harassment problem. But the product has changed little, and anti-abuse advocates argue that the company has to do much more to adequately tackle the issue. On Thursday, Twitter announced a new feature that's a step in that direction, announcing a new "quality filter" feature for all users. The filter will screen incoming tweets based on "a variety of signals, such as account origin and behavior." Twitter began "testing" the quality filter last year with a smaller number of users, primarily those with verified accounts. The change comes exactly a week after a BuzzFeed News report detailing at length how managing harassment and abuse fell down the list of priorities at the company. The most recent high-profile case of this was last month, when "Ghostbusters" star and comedian Leslie Jones temporarily left the service, citing all the abuse she was receiving from racist and misogynist trolls. In the past, other celebrities — largely women, including Lena Dunham and Adele — have briefly left for similar reasons. Twitter's users, employees and leadership have long said that the service has a harassment problem. But the product has changed little, and anti-abuse advocates argue that the company has to do much more to adequately tackle the issue. On Thursday, Twitter announced a new feature that's a step in that direction, announcing a new "quality filter" feature for all users. The filter will screen incoming tweets based on "a variety of signals, such as account origin and behavior." Twitter began "testing" the quality filter last year with a smaller number of users, primarily those with verified accounts. The change comes exactly a week after a BuzzFeed News report detailing at length how managing harassment and abuse fell down the list of priorities at the company. The most recent high-profile case of this was last month, when "Ghostbusters" star and comedian Leslie Jones temporarily left the service, citing all the abuse she was receiving from racist and misogynist trolls. In the past, other celebrities — largely women, including Lena Dunham and Adele — have briefly left for similar reasons. In a separate move Thursday, Twitter announced that since last year it has suspended more than 200,000 accounts for promoting terrorism.

2016-04-27 00:00:00

LEDE: Thursday brings the April open meeting of the Federal Communications Commission. The big-ticket item on Thursday's agenda is a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would move the commission closer to creating a new framework for the "special access" internet services used by some businesses. The high-capacity connections can be used for ATMs or to connect a cell tower to its network. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler says new rules are needed to govern the market -- which competitive companies say gives unfair power to incumbents. "If we want to maximize the benefits of business data services for U.S. consumers and businesses, we need a fresh start," Wheeler wrote earlier this month. "The marketplace is changing. Cable companies are entering the market, and Internet Protocol (IP)-based technologies can now deliver services traditionally satisfied by legacy, circuit-based products. Yet, competition remains uneven, with competitive carriers reaching less than 45 percent of locations where there is demand." Verizon and INCOMPAS, a trade group, said in a joint letter that preceded the proposal that they supported a technology-neutral framework, which Wheeler also backs. Incumbent players are less than thrilled. "We agree that incremental investment in broadband facilities for 5G and in rural areas is essential. But imposing regulation on special access prices and contract terms is not going to produce it," AT&T's Jim Cicconi said this month. "The Commission's proposals will instead lead to far less investment in broadband infrastructure – especially in rural areas – the very opposite of where we should be going as a nation." For more on the FCC's look into special access broadband connections, click here. For more on Wheeler's plans click here and here. ALSO ON THE DOCKET: Two other items are expected to be considered. One pertains to "proposals to support real-time text communications over Internet Protocol communications networks, to improve the accessibility of these networks for consumers who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind, and speech disabled." Another item touches on the 3.5 GHz band of wireless spectrum. For more on the April open meeting, click here. SENATE COMMERCE CLEARS FCC BILLS: In addition to signing off on a bill establishing a working group to deal with the Internet of Things, the Senate Commerce Committee approved Chairman John ThuneJohn Randolph ThuneSchumer blasts 'red flag' gun legislation as 'ineffective cop out' Lawmakers jump-start talks on privacy bill Trump border fight throws curveball into shutdown prospects MORE's (R-S.D.) FCC reauthorization bill and -- over the objection of committee Democrats -- the FCC Process Reform Act. For more on the "Internet of Things" bill, click here. GOOGLE'S ELECTION BOOM: On Wednesday, Google announced that since April 2015, internet users have watched 110 million hours of YouTube videos about the 2016 election. The company has also seen 1.5 billion online searches related to the U.S. election. Even with those massive numbers, that represents only a fraction of 1 percent of Google searches around the world. For the YouTube trends report, click here. GOOGLE TELLS REGULATORS TO ASK 'WHY': Susan Molinari, who helps lead public policy at Google, took a shot at regulators in other countries being too quick to the trigger. Her words Wednesday at an innovation panel in Congress come less than a week after European regulators issued antitrust charges against Google for how it leverages its Android smartphone operating system. "If you are going to go in this as members of Congress, as regulators, as legislators, you have to stop yourself and ask the question, 'Why?" Why do we in fact need to do this, because in fact the repercussions of an amazing industry that we are all in right now, that revolution that we are in right now, could be stopped and have unintended consequences," she said. "I think we see in the United States this is largely right compared to other places of the globe, where they cure for no harm that has been perceived to the point where they don't answer the question before they go rush in." DEATH AT APPLE: An employee at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, Calif., was found dead Wednesday morning but many of the details remain unknown, according to local reports. Law enforcement described the death as an isolated incident. Officials did not release the cause of death but early reports mentioned a head wound and gun. Apple did not respond to a request for comment. CRUZ DOMAIN NAME TROUBLE: Matt Mackowiak, from the Potomac Strategy Group, purchased the web address Cruzfiorina.com. The news was revealed Wednesday as reports emerged that presidential candidate Ted CruzRafael (Ted) Edward CruzTrump moves forward with F-16 sale to Taiwan opposed by China The Hill's Campaign Report: Battle for Senate begins to take shape O'Rourke says he will not 'in any scenario' run for Senate MORE would pick Carly Fiorina as his vice presidential running mate. According to a public database, the domain was updated on Wednesday and was originally created last year. The Cruz campaign itself snatched up Cruzcarly.com on Monday. COMCAST RAISES DATA CAPS: Comcast said on Wednesday that it would raise data caps on its subscribers from 300 gigabytes per month to a terrabyte. The caps, which are only active in some markets, are said by critical consumer groups to potentially limit competition in the video market. The company will also raise the amount it charges customers who want unlimited data.   ON TAP: At 10:00 a.m., the House Energy and Commerce Committee convenes day two of a markup that includes communications bills. http://1.usa.gov/1rgnYc8 At 10:30 a.m., the Federal Communications Commission holds its April open meeting. http://fcc.us/1Txsex8   IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: The House on Wednesday unanimously passed an email privacy bill that the technology industry and advocates pushed for years. The FBI will not be able to disclose how it broke into an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters. The trailer for Oliver Stone's film about government leaker Edward Snowden was released on Wednesday, months before the movie's Sept. 16 release date. A federal court on Tuesday ruled Amazon for years unfairly billed customers for purchases made through its app store, in particular purchases by children. Arianna Huffington will join Uber's board of directors, the company announced on Wednesday.   Please send tips and comments to David McCabe, dmccabe@thehill.com and Mario Trujillo, mtrujillo@thehill.com Follow us on Twitter: @HilliconValley, @dmccabe, @_mariotrujillo   View the discussion thread. The Hill 1625 K Street, NW Suite 900 Washington DC 20006 | 202-628-8500 tel | 202-628-8503 fax The contents of this site are ©2019 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.

2016-09-15

The Definitive Guide to Business with Marcus Lemonis It's easy to fall head over heels for your own business idea — but is it actually a good one? According to serial entrepreneur Marcus Lemonis, there's one way to tell. "The best litmus tests for early ideas are people's reactions to things," the star of "The Profit " told CNBC. "And I don't mean a 'wow' and a 'that's great.' "Are they willing to buy the product or service you're selling? Are they willing to invest side by side with you?" Ultimately, your idea is "only as good as the marketplace is willing to accept, consumers are willing to buy, and there's margin to be made," he said. If you're trying to get people to invest in your idea and no one is biting — or if you're advertising and people aren't calling — that's a warning sign, Lemonis said. "It's kind of common sense. If people don't raise their hand wanting it, then maybe no one really wants it." The best way to evaluate your idea's potential is to ask people what they think — but don't take the easy route and just ask your friends and family. As "Shark Tank" investor Barbara Corcoran told Business Insider, oftentimes they love you too much to be objective. Seek unbiased responses, she advised. If the reactions are indifferent or negative, go back to the drawing board and strengthen your idea. If they love it, Corcoran said, "tell them you'll take an order right then and there, and see if they'll hand over the money!" CNBC's "The Profit" airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. EDT.

2019-07-24 00:00:00

SOFIA (Reuters) - Bulgaria has nominated its current European Union Commissioner, Mariya Gabriel, for another mandate, the government said on Wednesday. Since July 2017, Gabriel, 40, has been Commissioner for the Digital Economy and Society. In the run-up to the allocation of the EU executive’s senior jobs this month, Gabriel’s name came up as a possible candidate for top diplomat. Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said at the time he had declined that option as he wanted a commissioner with “a real portfolio”. Reporting by Tsvetelia Tsolova; ; editing by John Stonestreet

2016-08-03 00:00:00

* U.S. stocks little changed in choppy trade * Investors nervous over central banks * HSBC, SocGen lift European financials * Oil jumps on big U.S. gasoline drawdown data * Dollar rallies after losses; focus on U.S. jobs data (Updates to U.S. trading, changes byline, dateline; previous LONDON) By Saqib Iqbal Ahmed NEW YORK, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Global equity prices slipped for a third straight day on Wednesday, pressured by growing nervousness about central bank policy and spiking world bond yields, while the dollar firmed as investors turned their focus to Friday’s U.S. payrolls data. Oil edged higher on light short-covering after falling to lows last seen in April the previous day. Global equity prices, weighed down by a sharp drop in Japanese stocks on surging Japanese government bond yields and a strengthening yen, found little support from Wall Street. MSCI’s world stocks index, which tracks shares in 45 nations, was down 0.37 percent. “The central banking issue is more of a factor of everybody trying to stimulate their economies, and how much more can you do?,” said Scott Fullman, chief strategist at Revere Securities LLC. The recent outbreak of weaker U.S. data has further pushed back expectations for when the Federal Reserve might raise benchmark U.S. interest rates. UK services sector data on Wednesday showed Britain’s economy is shrinking at the fastest pace since 2009, upping the ante on the Bank of England not to under-deliver at its policy meeting on Thursday. The recent drop in oil prices and concerns about the strength of European banks, were among some of the other factors that have halted the rally in equity prices, Fullman said. U.S. stocks were little changed in choppy trading as declines in healthcare and consumer stocks were offset by gains in energy and financials. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 22.02 points, or 0.12 percent, to 18,335.79, the S&P 500 gained 2.02 points, or 0.09 percent, to 2,159.05 and the Nasdaq Composite added 4.78 points, or 0.09 percent, to 5,142.52. European stocks were steady as a rebound in the shares of the region’s struggling banks offset weaker auto stocks. Europe’s broad FTSEurofirst 300 index was up 0.12 percent at 1,322.84. The dollar edged higher, recovering from six-week lows hit the previous session, as investors squared positions ahead of Friday’s U.S. nonfarm payrolls report, data that should help determine the timing of the next U.S. rate hike. The greenback, which took a big hit after last week’s disappointing U.S. growth data, got a minor boost on Wednesday from strong hiring data from the private sector. The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against six major currencies, was up 0.36 percent to 95.410. Oil prices jumped about 2 percent, with U.S. crude futures returning above $40 a barrel, after the U.S. government reported a larger-than-expected gasoline drawdown that offset a surprise build in crude stockpiles. Brent crude was up 2.2 percent at $42.71 a barrel, while U.S. crude was up 2.4 percent at $40.46. In bond markets, U.S. Treasury yields edged higher on fears that overseas yields could rise again, and as foreign investors held off on buying U.S. government debt ahead of Friday’s U.S. jobs data. Benchmark 10-year Treasuries prices were down 6/32 to yield 1.561 percent, from a yield of 1.537 percent late Tuesday. Spot gold prices were down 0.46 percent to $1,356.98 an ounce. Editing by James Dalgleish

2019-01-25

LONDON (Reuters) - The Northern Irish party that props up Prime Minister Theresa May’s government said on Friday it wanted to reach consensus on a deal that worked for the European Union and United Kingdom and that it saw paths to avoid the border backstop. “We want to reach a consensus which respects the constitutional and economic integrity of the United Kingdom and which also works for our neighbours in the Republic of Ireland,” Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) deputy leader Nigel Dodds said. “The trap of the backstop is the problem,” he added. “There are ways forward which do not require this backstop and we need to see a willingness to explore such options.” Dodds said he was encouraged by what he called a more realistic approach from the EU. Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; editing by Stephen Addison

2016-10-25 00:00:00

Oct 25 (Reuters) - Majescor Resources Inc * Press release - majescor announces nomination to its board of directors Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:

2019-06-19 10:00:00

We don’t let dead people vote. We don’t let dead people run for political office. But we do let dead people donate money that shapes the world, using charitable trusts. And as we learn on this episode of the Future Perfect podcast, letting zombie donors pull the strings often doesn’t turn out all that well. Ray Madoff, a professor at Boston College Law School, wrote a whole book about people donating from beyond the grave, called Immortality and the Law: The Rising Power of America’s Dead. She says the all-powerful zombie donor is a relatively new American phenomenon. For the first century or so after the American Revolution, the idea that the dead would have much control over the resources of the world seemed very undemocratic. But then came the Gilded Age, and the rise of a class of unprecedentedly rich people. Some of these robber barons were willing to spread their wealth around — in exchange for immortality. And that immortality came in the form of charitable trusts that lasted forever. In the decades since, perpetual charitable trusts have become the norm. The problem? Forever is a long time. And when donors write specific instructions in their trusts, they can’t predict the ways the world will change. On this episode, we tell you about a park that was left to the city of Macon, Georgia, in perpetuity ... with some extremely racist strings attached. We also dig into a gift to Marin County, California, that unexpectedly ballooned in size. And we look at so-called “orphan trusts” — trusts that are set up to give money to small, local causes, but eventually get bought up by bigger banks and used less for charitable good and more for financial gain. Sign up for the Future Perfect newsletter. Twice a week, you’ll get a roundup of ideas and solutions for tackling our biggest challenges: improving public health, decreasing human and animal suffering, easing catastrophic risks, and — to put it simply — getting better at doing good.

2019-01-05

Jan 5 (Reuters) - Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Co Ltd said on Saturday its chief performance officer, Jose Munoz, was taking a leave of absence. “Jose Munoz has taken a leave of absence to allow him to assist the company by concentrating on special tasks arising from recent events,” the company said in a statement. Munoz, who also leads Nissan’s China operations, previously led company’s growth strategy in the United States. (Reporting by Bhargav Acharya in Bengaluru and Joe White in Detroit; Editing by Sandra Maler)

2019-05-23 00:00:00

(CNN)Millie Bobby Brown just dropped the mic. The 15-year-old star of Netflix's "Stranger Things" totally crushed a karaoke bit with Jimmy Fallon on his show Wednesday night and we are bowing down to her. The actress, who plays Eleven on the hit show, was tasked with coming up with songs on the fly to a beat by the show's house band, The Roots. We'd totally expect Fallon, who is used to impromptu bits being able to do this segment but Brown held her own. The stars hit us with song after song and Brown didn't miss a beat and she looked like she was having a blast while doing it. Brown stars on the upcoming third season of "Stranger Things" and Netflix dropped a new clip earlier this week. The show, which premieres July 4, centers around the lives of four adolescent boys and their friends in Hawkins, Indiana. A good portion of the show follows their adventures in another realm called the Upside Down. The next time we do karaoke we are so inviting Brown to come along.

2017-11-14 00:00:00

If a director is looking for an actress to play a one-dimensional role or simply be relegated to "girlfriend," Jessica Chastain isn't the one to call. In addition to always negotiating for equal pay, Chastain also chooses roles that break the traditional Hollywood mold. Case in point: In her newest film, Molly's Game, Chastain plays Molly Bloom, an Olympic skier who also ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game. In a new interview with Town & Country, Chastain describes Bloom as "an accomplished, successful woman [who] doesn’t trade romance for leverage." In short, she's totally on brand for the type of character Chastain loves to play. "I am not one to go for traditional female roles, because I don’t think traditionally female characters are very interesting, and I don’t think they represent real life," she told the outlet. "I’m working hard to break free of stereotypes that the film industry has created and nurtured around women." Aaron Sorkin, who directed Molly's Game, told Town & Country that there have been plenty of questions about why Molly doesn't (*gasp*) have a love interest — and pointed out that no one brought up the fact that Brad Pitt's Moneyball character also spent the duration of the film single. Shortly after establishing herself as one of Hollywood's best actresses through her work in The Help and The Tree of Life, Chastain received a much-deserved Golden Globe Award and Oscar nomination for her incredible work as the CIA intelligence analyst who lead the decade-long mission to capture Osama bin Laden in Zero Dark Thirty. With each of her roles, Chastain hopes to send the message to young girls and women that she can be the star of her own life and no field is off-limits. "I believe that the energy you put out into the world is what you get back, so I’m trying to put something positive out there, something to inspire girls to go into science, to run for office, to try to join the space program," Chastain told Town & Country. The Oscar nominee's feminism extends far beyond the roles she chooses. She's also been an outspoken supporter of Democratic candidates including Hillary Clinton and a proponent of Obamacare and health coverage for women. She also swiftly responded to the Harvey Weinstein allegations, tweeting that she'd been "warned" about Weinstein since she entered the industry and calling out people who criticized women for not speaking up about his behavior sooner when no shortage of men in Hollywood were also aware of the alleged sexual misconduct. "Perhaps many are afraid to look at their own behavior," Chastain posted on October 9. Given the barrage of sexual misconduct allegations that have emerged since the Weinstein report, it seems like Chastain was definitely on to something from day one.

2017-12-05

NEW YORK, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Financial markets quarterly trading revenue at JPMorgan Chase & Co is running about 15 percent lower than a year earlier, Chief Financial Officer Marianne Lake said on Tuesday at an investor conference. Lake’s remarks were the first update from a major U.S. trading firm in the final month of the quarter and were in line with estimates by some Wall Street analysts. Last year markets were especially active as investors changed positions around the U.S. elections. (Reporting by David Henry in New York Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

2018-10-03

MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines will limit the number of visitors setting foot on its most treasured island resort each day when it reopens to tourists on October 26 after a six-month rehabilitation effort, an environment official said on Wednesday. Boracay, located off the northern tip of the central island of Panay, is famed for its sugary white sands, turquoise waters, lively nightlife and abundant water sports, which attracted nearly 2 million domestic and foreign visitors last year. But in April, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the closure of the island, calling it a “cesspool”, because of sewage dumped into the sea and buildings constructed too close to the shore. About a third of the 600 to 700 resorts on Boracay, about 308 km (192 miles) from Manila, the capital, were operating without permits, authorities found. (For a graphic on 'Boracay Island to shut down' click tmsnrt.rs/2uThVRw) Just 19,000 tourists will be allowed on the island on any given day, with the number of workers capped at 15,000 daily, the environment official, Sherwin Rigor, said in a television interview. Only half of the island’s 12,000 existing hotel rooms will be allowed to open each day, he added, to ensure the number of guests on the tiny 10-sq-km (4-sq-mile) island is below its “carrying capacity” of 55,000. Rigor, who is an undersecretary at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, added that authorities would ban beachfront parties, and activities such as eating, smoking and drinking there. The closure of Boracay, which earns the Philippines more than a billion dollars in tourism revenue every year, weighed on gross domestic product in the second quarter. Growth slowed to a near three-year low of 6 percent in April-June. Reporting by Enrico dela Cruz; Editing by Clarence Fernandez

2016-06-28 00:00:00

Advertise on Hyperallergic with Nectar Ads Waving signs that read, “Art changes lives,” “Art bites back,” and “Value artists,” a crowd on Friday, June 17 swarmed outside the Sydney office of Australia Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Shortly after, artists hung a banner on Melbourne’s Nicholas Building, home to a number of studios, painted with the phrase, “‘Straya — the Arts End of the World.” Meanwhile, an online petition addressed to Minister for the Arts Mitch Fifield steadily gained signatures from museums, arts organizations, and locals across the country demonstrating their support for the arts. These are just a handful of the actions that occurred on a day known as National Day of Action, organized by arts collective the Protagonists in response to substantial government budget cuts to the arts. Since then, more demonstrations have swept across Australia, all coordinated by members of its arts and culture community — and they will continue until July 2, when the country holds its federal election. Over the past three years, the Abbott-Turnbull administration has slashed more than $300 million (~$224 million USD) from the national arts budget; last year alone, following new federal budget announcements, government body Australia Council for the Arts found out it would lose $110 million (~$82 million USD) — $32 million (~$24 million USD) of which Fifield later returned in November after he assumed the position. The money will be redirected over four years to Catalyst, a new arts funding body run by the Ministry for the Arts that has received criticism for its unclear operations and for backing large organizations rather than smaller ones, as Australia Council does. Arts organizations felt the full effects of the cuts on May 13 — now referred to as “Black Friday” — when Australia Council had to tell 60 groups it has previously funded that it had to reject their applications to receive grants for the next four years. (This multi-year funding program had followed a six-year model prior to the government’s new budget measures.) One of those affected was advocacy organization National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA), which is helping to lead the nationwide campaign, known as Art Changes Lives. “Our aim is to demonstrate the value of the arts by engaging as advocates: art lovers; audiences; art collectors; art participants; parents and children,” NAVA’s Executive Director Tamara Winikoff told Hyperallergic. “We hope to make it evident that the arts is part of the everyday for everybody, and that it matters to them to be able to access Australian stories — whether it be on the net, in books, music, performances of all kinds, games, visual arts and design, film, TV shows, and the built environment. “This then means votes, so politicians will need to take notice.” Never before, to this extent, has the Australian arts sector come together in this way, Winikoff said, noting that many members of the community perceive the cuts “as an attack on the independence and integrity of the arts and a denigration of its value.” Joining NAVA and the Protagonists are institutions and individuals across all artistic disciplines, from the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA) — which hosted the press conference for the National Day of Action — to Theater Network NSW (TNN) — whose associated theater companies intend to have performers address issues of funding cuts to their audience after every show. Visitors to participating national, state, university, and commercial galleries as well as art schools and contemporary art spaces will also receive postcards calling them to take action, whether that means signing the petition, writing directly to politicians, or simply voting for those with the most promising policies for the arts. Organizers are particularly concerned that the incumbent government is campaigning without any significant arts policy. This suggests a short-sightedness from politicians, considering the nation’s quickly growing creative community and its contributions. According to MCA, the arts industry in Australia employs more people than the agriculture, construction, or mining sectors; cultural activity also contributes $50 billion to GDP, comparable to that share in the United States, including $4.2 billion from the arts. The most recent census, taken in 2011, shows that the creative sector is among the fastest growing ones of the economy, gaining about 70,000 jobs since 2006. “This government lacks any cultural vision, understanding, or evidence base,” Winikoff told Hyperallergic. “This has led to the ad hoc actions that have created the most terrible chaos across the Australian arts sector, and unless remedied, will seriously erode the cultural expression of this generation.” Among worrisome policies, she cites proposed changes to copyright that may alter definitions of “fair dealing” and “fair use” to the detriment of artists’ rights as well as tax regime issues that limit artists’ claims on their income taxes. “We are concerned that more and more decisions that affect the working lives of artists are being made by people who have no interest in the arts, or neither the interests of the arts at heart,” the Protagonists told Hyperallergic. “As [artist] David Pledger, has noted, artists are like the canaries down the mine; when the the artist finds it difficult to breathe, we know the air has become toxic for everyone.” Signing away for an important cause #istandwiththearts at the opening of ‘Back at the dojo’ with the amazing @green_wood. What a beautiful production! Don’t worry I ended up turning the pen around after this shot ? A photo posted by Holly Greenwood (@holly_gumleaf) on Jun 22, 2016 at 11:31pm PDT Last year’s federal cuts to Australia Council’s budget arrived largely as a shock, particularly as the organization had announced in August 2014 a new, five-year strategic plan that restructured its grant model. “It is no secret that the Coalition government wants a reduction in public funding to sectors such as education, health and the art,” the Protagonists said. “But the manner in which this heist occurred came as a shock to everyone, the Australia Council included, who received a phone call less than 24 hours before it was announced in the federal budget. “It floored everyone, not least those organizations who had spent months developing six-year funding proposals for the very first time.” As its name suggests, the Art Changes Lives campaign is not only centered on what artists contribute to the economy or the number of jobs the arts sector creates, but rather the impact art has on society as a whole. Those who are rallying hope that the everyday citizen in addition to politicians will acknowledge art as a fundamental part of life — and are casting votes that demonstrate that. Opposition parties have recently shared new arts policies that NAVA and the Protagonists view as promising. Earlier this month, the opposing Australian Labor Party announced its new arts policy that includes a pledge to return $80 million to the Australia Council and to kill Catalyst. The Australian Greens also vowed to end the controversial program, fully restore the Council’s losses, and funnel an extra $270.2 million into the arts. And arriving to the Federal Elections for the first time is the Arts Party, the country’s first and only crowdfunded political party that is simply aiming to receive one million votes as a huge gesture of national support for the arts. “We want to continue this stand, and work towards deepening the critical culture of artists in this country — so we don’t end up in this invidious position again,” the Protagonists said. “In many ways, the Australian arts community, broadly speaking, needs to exercise its political muscle again after two decades of steady erosion. We also hope some great art experiences come out of it.”

2018-03-12

(CNN)Mothers in Saudi Arabia can now retain custody of their children after divorce without filing lawsuits, according to a Saudi Information Ministry statement Monday, meaning the kingdom is breaking ranks with several other countries in the region that heavily favor male guardianship. The move comes as part of a series of sweeping social and economic reforms known as Vision 2030. Initiated over the past two years, the reforms have been spearheaded by Saudi Arabia's 32-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Previously, a Saudi woman was required to petition courts, sometimes for years, to win custody of children after a divorce. The Saudi Justice Ministry released a circular to the courts that specifies that, barring a dispute between the parents, a mother is required only to apply for custodianship. This represents a significant improvement in women's rights in the country, even though custodianship still goes to the father by default. The new custody process sets the traditionally ultraconservative kingdom apart from several other countries in the region on issues of equal gender treatment in divorce. Places such as the United Arab Emirates and Egypt -- influenced by traditional interpretations of Islamic law -- consider the father the child's natural guardian, and grant him complete physical custody after a child has reached a certain age. 'Something I've wanted every day' "This is something that I've wanted every day. The progress that has happened at the Ministry of Justice when it comes to personal status issues, especially regarding women and children, has been amazing," said Saudi domestic-abuse activist Samira AlGhamdi, who said she has been working for better rights for divorced women for 17 years. "It used to be that a woman would spend years in court just so she could see her children," she added. The move also allows divorced mothers to conduct their children's legal affairs and keep their passports, a significant step for a country where women still require a male guardian's consent to travel, divorce, get a job or have elective surgery. The circular stops short of allowing a woman to leave the country with her children without a judge's permission. The announcement comes six months after the kingdom declared that women would be able to drive, the culmination of years of activism and appeals from inside and outside the Gulf nation. Saudi Arabia, which adheres to some of the strictest interpretations of Sunni Islam in the world, has long been accused of formal legal discrimination against women. The 2017 Global Gender Gap Report by the World Economic Forum ranked the kingdom 138th out of 144 countries on gender parity, ahead of only Iran, Yemen and Syria in the Middle East. "This move is very, very important because in Saudi Arabia and other parts of the region we have lots of problems when it comes to personal status laws and everything that has to do with marriage, what comes after marriage and during marriage," said Lebanese human-rights lawyer Manar Zaiter. "Custody issues are one of the region's biggest problems."

2019-09-13 00:00:00

There's another "Game of Thrones" prequel series in the works, according to several reports, and this one will focus on the Targaryen family. Deadline, the Hollywood Reporter and Variety all reported Thursday that the show is close to being ordered as a pilot. It will be based on George R.R. Martin's "Fire and Blood," a sprawling history of the dragon-riding Targaryen clan and its conquering of Westeros.  Martin, who wrote the "Song of Ice and Fire" novel series on which HBO's eight-season "Game of Thrones" was based, is writing the pilot along with "Colony" executive producer Ryan Condal, according to the reports. Martin has not yet completed his book series. The Targaryen series would be set 300 years before the events of "Game of Thrones," which wrapped up earlier this year, earning record-breaking ratings and Emmy nominations – despite dividing audiences and critics. There's another "Game of Thrones" prequel series already in production. It stars Naomi Watts and is set thousands of years before the events of "Game of Thrones." it will focus on the early days of the Stark family, the origin of the evil White Walkers and the Age of Heroes. Jane Goldman ("X-Men: First Class") and Martin are the creators of this series. The title of the series already in production is still not known, but Martin has hinted that it could be called "The Long Night." An HBO spokesman did not return CNBC's request for comment.

2018-08-20

On a recent drizzly morning, Nora Lum, the rapper, actress, and TV personality better known as Awkwafina, walked into Brooklyn Standard, the vegetarian deli in Greenpoint where she once worked, and hollered, “What up, dudes?” Until three years ago, Lum manned the cash register. When her self-produced single “ NYC Bitche$ ” went viral (hook: “New York City, bitch, that’s where I come from / Not where I moved to on mom and dad’s trust fund”), she was selling vegan muffins to hipster Brooklynites. “Who’s that? Is that really her?” one of the cooks, who was chopping ingredients for the Holy Guacamole, joked. He asked for a photo for his twelve-year-old nephew, who’d seen Lum in “ Ocean’s Eight ,” the gender-inverted caper that came out in June, in which Lum plays a pickpocket who, she says, is a version of herself: “a scrappy, die-hard hustler from Queens.” This week, Lum’s second summer blockbuster opens, starring an all-Asian cast: “ Crazy Rich Asians .” Lum plays the protagonist’s college bestie, the rambunctious daughter of a wealthy family who grew up schmoozing with the cream of Singaporean society. “In that respect, I’m not like her at all ,” said Lum, who wore a black T-shirt stuffed into black-and-white gingham capris, as she paid for her three Yerba Mate energy drinks. (She was gearing up for a photo shoot.) In the movie, Lum’s character goes to Stanford but returns to Singapore to work for the family real-estate empire. “She sort of lives in two worlds, and, in that sense, I get it,” Lum said. Lum was born in Forest Hills, Queens, to a Chinese-American father and a Korean mother, who died when she was four. “I was totally aware of my surroundings, but I also felt extremely helpless. So I was between this inside world and the outside world,” Lum recalled, taking a deep pull on a mango-flavored Juul . Lum speaks in a low, husky tone, and always has. “When I was seven and picked up the family phone, people would be seriously freaked,” she said. “They didn’t know if I was a man or woman, seven or seventy. And I kinda liked it.” Lum came up with her rapper alter ego, Awkwafina, at the age of sixteen, as a joke. She sees the character as an expression of her duality. “Awkwafina is big and brash,” she said. “She’s the person who says whatever’s on her mind. But she also hasn’t grown up or thought about consequences. Nora is the person who is neurotic and overthinks. Who, afterwards, worries and is, like, ‘Shit. What did Awkwafina even say?’ ” At the time, Lum had recently escaped middle school, where she’d been depressed. “I was going to school with a bunch of Marlboro-Menthol-smoking-North-Face-wearing-too-cool-for-school Asians, but I had no idea who I was,” she said. She found solace in the poetry of Charles Bukowski: “I think I loved him because he hated himself, too.” At LaGuardia High School for the performing arts, she played the trumpet, because it was the loudest instrument she could find. In college, at SUNY Albany, she majored in journalism. “But I never felt I could be really the absolute best at any of those things,” she said, turning the corner onto the block where she now lives, in a beige clapboard town house. One thing Lum was good at was telling dirty jokes. Another was persevering. “Awkwafina was really good at both those things,” she said. After her music videos went viral, friends suggested that she give acting a try. Lum arrived at her building and began rummaging in her bag, a Gucci tote. “Shit,” she said, pulling out scraps of paper, pill bottles, credit cards, and pens. Her keys and her phone were missing. A pair of Lum’s friends were in her apartment, working on the graphics for her upcoming show on Comedy Central, called “Awkwafina.” “My buzzer doesn’t reach the bedroom,” Lum muttered. It started to drizzle again. “Shit, shit.” Abandoning her bag on the building’s steps, Lum jogged to a trash bin and fished out a plastic Diet Coke bottle. Taking aim at the second-story window, she made a valiant pitch. Nothing. She went back to her bag and retrieved a Snickers bar, a box of Orbit gum, and her Juul charger. “Here we go,” she said, alternating between underhand tosses and overhand throws. “This is the first apartment I moved into after college,” she explained as she fired pieces of gum, to no avail. Back then, a friend had agreed to rent out a room for five hundred dollars. “I was, like, ‘Hell, yeah!’ ” As Lum’s fun-sized Snickers hit the sidewalk on its bounce off the building, someone inside finally peered out the window: “Nora?” “Dude, are you guys deaf? I fucking busted my Juul charger out here!” “I heard the noise, but—” Another voice cried, “But I told her to ignore it!” Lum gasped. “You fucking tried to ignore me?” From the window: “It’s New York. We thought it was a lunatic from the street.” ♦

2016-09-13 00:00:00

GE launched its new "Geneva" skill for the Amazon Echo today that’ll let users control their connected appliances with their voice. You can start your laundry from another room, for instance, or preheat the oven, or use any of these other commands: I’m unclear about the cookies command, but I am intrigued. GE also made its appliances IFTTT-compatible earlier this year. I said before that if fashion companies aren’t making a fitness tracker yet they are messing up, and now I’m going to adjust that statement and say appliance companies that aren't making a customized Alexa skill are missing the boat. Word up.

2019-01-17

MONTAUT, France (Reuters) - French producers of foie gras, the rich liver delicacy made from force-feeding grain to ducks or geese, have denounced a ban on the product in California, saying they make the creamy paté humanely, following all the rules. California has formally blocked the sale and production of foie gras (literally “fat liver”) since 2012. That ban has now been reinforced after the U.S. Supreme Court declined last week to hear an appeal brought by farmers and chefs. Violators will be fined up to $1,000 if caught selling the product. In France, which makes around 70 percent of the world’s foie gras, farmers and high-end producers see a double-standard, arguing that they treat the animals well, with no harm done to them during the fattening process. “Everyone can think what they like, but I know I’m proud of what I do,” said Julien, a farmer in Montaut, in the southwest of France, one of the main producing regions. He did not give his last name for fear of reprisal from rights’ activists. “I really look after them because, like I said, that’s how I make a living. If I don’t look after them I don’t have any money at the end of the month, I can’t pay my bills — so there’s nothing to be gained for me in mistreating the animals.” In California, animal-rights campaigners have picketed high-end restaurants that serve foie gras, denouncing the manufacturing process as an unnecessary cruelty to animals. The U.S. Animal Legal Defense Fund said the Supreme Court’s decision not to hear the appeal by the foie gras industry represented a “death knell” for the product in California and would spare thousands of ducks from “terrible suffering”. The force-feeding, known as “gavage”, involves inserting a metal tube into the animals’ throats, allowing them to consume far more grain than they would naturally eat and fattening their livers by up to 10 times the normal size. Some decorated chefs, including France’s Albert Roux, are opposed to foie gras, no longer serving it in their restaurants, while many supermarket chains also will not stock it. Fabien Chevalier, the managing director of France’s Lafitte Foie Gras, said California was wrong to ban a product he said conformed to global hygiene regulations and was freely traded. “If we can’t sell it in the U.S. we will go elsewhere,” he told Reuters. “Today, Asian customers love our product. If we take the example of Japan, it’s a developed economy, Japan is the second biggest consumer of foie gras in the world.” In France, foie gras has been recognized as part of the nation’s “cultural and gastronomic heritage” since 2006. But several European countries ban its production, including the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany and Britain, and there are similar bans in Australia and Argentina. Writing by Luke Baker; Editing by Alison Williams

2018-08-07 00:00:00

BERLIN (Reuters) - Britain’s Zharnel Hughes and Dina Asher-Smith were crowned as Europe’s fastest sprinters on Tuesday, winning high-quality editions of the blue riband 100 meters finals at the European Championships. On a hot, still evening in the Olympic Stadium where Usain Bolt set the world record of 9.58 seconds, Hughes, an occasional training partner of the great Jamaican back in Kingston, set a Championship record of 9.95 to pip fast-finishing team mate Reece Prescod by one-hundredth of a second. The race to find the continent’s fastest woman saw Asher-Smith end the 100m reign of Dutchwoman Daphne Schippers in brilliant style, clocking 10.85, equaling the world’s fastest time this year and setting a British record. The 22-year-old Asher-Smith, the reigning European 200m champion, surged clear early in the race, with Germany’s Gina Lueckenkemper taking silver in 10.98 and Schippers bronze in a season’s best 10.99. It is the first time Britain have been able to boast both the men’s and women’s champion at the same edition in the 84-year history of the Championships. The country’s sprint domination on the opening day of finals was underlined by Britain boasting three men in the top four, with Chijindu ‘CJ’ Ujah clocking 10.06 behind Turkish bronze medalist Jak Ali Harvey (10.01). The result, though, may have been different had France’s Jimmy Vicaud, the fastest qualifier with an effortless 9.97 semi, not pulled out before the final with an adductor injury. “I am happy and the job is done. I felt a bit of cramp so I don’t think I could have gone any faster but I’m just happy,” said Hughes, who was almost overhauled by Prescod as the silver medalist dipped under 10 seconds for the first time. The 23-year-old Hughes was born and raised in the British Overseas Territory of Anguilla but has competed internationally for Britain for the past three years. He has made rapid strides under Bolt’s former coach Glen Mills but was left heartbroken in the Commonwealth Games when he was celebrating his 200m victory only to be told he had been disqualified for obstructing Trinidad’s Jereem Richards. As for any comparisons with his illustrious friend, Hughes just shrugged: “Usain Bolt did what he did at this stadium. I did the championships record and I am happy for that.” A beaming Asher-Smith, who looks set to be one of athletics’ new shining personalities, said after her win: “I’m really really happy, I knew I had it in my legs. I did everything right. “In the heats, I sat in the blocks like I was a slug and my reaction time was 0.2 (of a second) and I was like, ‘what you doing, Dina, you’re here to run. I was really happy to nail it in the final.” On the first night of finals, 30-year-old Frenchman Morhad Amdouni won a tactical 10,000m, sprinting away from Bashir Abdi after the Belgian tried to kick for home off the back straight and winning in a modest 28 minutes 11.22. Earlier, Ukrainian Maryan Zakalnytskyy and Portugal’s Ines Henriques were the first two champions crowned when they delivered exceptional 50-km race walk triumphs around the streets of Berlin on a hot morning. French world champion Kevin Mayer, hot favorite to win the decathlon title, blew his chances completely in the second of the 10 events when he fouled in all three long jump attempts. The Olympic silver medalist was leading the competition to find Europe’s top all-round athlete after a 10.64 seconds run in the 100 meters before he made the inexplicable error which ruled him out of contention and prompted him to pull out. Having fouled his first two jumps in the Olympic Stadium, just a safe third would have sufficed for the 26-year-old but he again edged over the take-off board with an unnecessarily aggressive approach on his final attempt. Mayer’s absence leaves the title up for grabs, with Britain’s Tim Duckworth taking most advantage to lead by 95 points on 4,380 after the first day. Reporting by Ian Chadband, editing by Ed Osmond/Christian Radnedge/Ken Ferris

2017-04-15 00:26:11

Sports Briefing The heart and kidney that the baseball Hall of Famer Rod Carew received in a transplant last year came from the former N.F.L. player Konrad Reuland — a man who, as a youth, had met Carew. The transplant that was performed on Dec. 16, four days after Reuland died of a ruptured brain aneurysm, is believed to have been the first such procedure involving professional athletes. Carew met Reuland’s family in March after mutual friends connected Reuland’s death and Carew’s operation. Reuland attended middle school in Southern California with Carew’s children and, when he was 11, met Carew. “The whole thing is just unbelievable,” Carew told American Heart Association News in an interview published Friday. “I’ve been given a second chance so I’m going to take advantage of it, and I’ve got another family.” Reuland’s parents, Ralf and Mary, and their son Austin took turns listening to Konrad’s heart inside Carew’s chest during their meeting. Reuland played for the Jets in 2012 and 2013 and the Baltimore Ravens in 2015. He also spent time on the practice squads of the San Francisco 49ers and the Indianapolis Colts, who released him in August. Carew, 71, had a near-fatal heart attack in 2015. Blood thinners he took as part of his treatment led to bleeding in his brain last fall, making his need for a new heart urgent. Reuland had 12 catches for 90 yards in his career. Carew was an 18-time All Star who collected 3,053 hits in his career with the Minnesota Twins and the California Angels. Carew was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1991. RAYS 10, RED SOX 5 Logan Morrison hit a grand slam and Shane Peterson homered in his first major league at-bat since 2015, two of the career-high four homers allowed by the Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello, as Tampa Bay rolled in Boston. BREWERS 10, REDS 4 Eric Thames homered for the second straight night and drove in three runs, and Milwaukee won in a rout in Cincinnati. BRAVES 5, PADRES 2 Ender Inciarte hit the first home run in baseball’s newest stadium, SunTrust Park in suburban Atlanta, Nick Markakis drove in the first two runs, and the Braves beat San Diego. NATIONALS 3, PHILLIES 2 Daniel Murphy doubled home Bryce Harper in the 10th inning, and host Washington edged Philadelphia. PIRATES 4, CUBS 2 David Freese and Francisco Cervelli each drove in two runs, and visiting Pittsburgh held off Chicago to end a four-game losing streak. Sidney Crosby had a goal and two assists, Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 39 shots, and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets, 4-1, to take the first two games of their best-of-seven first round series. Evgeni Malkin, Jake Guentzel and Patric Hornqvist also scored for the Penguins, the defending Stanley Cup champions. Fleury, making his second straight start for the injured Matt Murray, received plenty of help from his defense. The Penguins blocked 23 shots before they even got to him. BLUES 2, WILD 1 Jaden Schwartz scored with 2 minutes 27 seconds remaining during a four-on-four situation, and St. Louis defeated Minnesota in St. Paul to take a two-games-to-none lead in their first-round series. Dean Blandino, the N.F.L. officiating director who oversaw rule changes that emphasized player safety, resigned to pursue other job opportunities. Blandino, 45, had been the league’s vice president of officiating since 2013. Blandino was a strong voice on the league’s competition committee, which suggests rule changes. Those changes have included eliminating chop blocks; decreasing the number of kickoff returns — statistically football’s most dangerous play — by moving up the kickoff; and the expansion of defenseless-player parameters. Dana Vollmer, who in three months is expecting her second child, clocked a time of 27.59 seconds in the 50-meter freestyle on Thursday night at the Pro Swim Series event in Mesa, Ariz. Vollmer, who won three medals last summer at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, was more than 2 seconds off her time from the same event last year and finished 55th. But she said that did not matter. “I’ve loved being here,” she said. “I’ve loved seeing all my teammates, all the people from Rio.” Vollmer, 29, had her first child two years ago and returned in time to earn a spot in Rio. She said she is now eyeing the 2020 Tokyo Games. The French soccer club Lyon, which could face sanctions after its Europa League quarterfinal against the Turkish club Besiktas was delayed by unrest in the crowd, said it was the victim of visiting hooligans. The start of the match — won by Lyon, 2-1 — was delayed about 20 minutes on Thursday when fans spilled onto the field after fireworks were set off and objects were thrown from an upper section of the stadium, Parc Olympique Lyonnais. That came after fighting between French and Turkish fans outside the stadium earlier in the day. UEFA, the sport’s European governing body, said it had opened proceedings against both clubs, with the charges against Lyon including “insufficient organization” and a “field invasion.” Besiktas was charged for the use of fireworks, throwing of objects and crowd disturbance. NEW YORK CITY F.C. 2, UNION 0 David Villa scored from more than 50 yards away in the 90th minute as New York City F.C. won at Philadelphia Union, 2-0. Jack Harrison opened the scoring when he slid in a left-footed shot in the 52nd minute for his second goal of the season. RAPIDS GOALKEEPER SUSPENDED Colorado goalkeeper Tim Howard was suspended for three games and fined an undisclosed amount for profane language directed toward a fan during a 3-1 loss at Sporting Kansas City and an altercation with a fan after the match.

2016-09-11 08:55:00

• Watch Children of 9/11, 15 Years Later now at People/Entertainment Weekly Network. It’s free, and it’s available on streaming devices, including Apple TV, Roku, etc. Just download the PEN app on your Smart TV, mobile and Web devices, or you can check it out at people.com/PEN. “I never grieved,” Robyn Higley says of her father, Robert, who died in the South Tower of the World Trade Center on 9/11. “I just knew he was gone.” Robyn is one of six teens profiled in this week’s PEOPLE who were born after their fathers died on 9/11. “I always knew,” says the 14-year-old high schooler, who was born seven weeks after 9/11. “It’s just been who I am. I knew from the second I could understand things. I always knew that things were different and that I was different.” For more on Robyn and other Children of 9/11, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands now On September 11, 2001, Robert Higley, an Aon Insurance executive, was working on the 92nd floor of the South Tower when United Airlines flight 175 flew into the building. Robert, who had been working with 12 new employees that morning, made sure they got into an elevator safely and then stayed behind to make sure everyone else had evacuated. He never made it out. Robyn’s older sister Amanda, who was 4 ½ in 2001, has her own memories of that terrible time. “I threw a fit and sat out on the front porch of our house for weeks just watching the cars drive by, hoping to see that really ugly green jeep of his drive up,” says Amanda, 19. “I didn’t want to believe it. Because being 4, there’s no man that a young girl can look up to more than her father.” Robyn acknowledges it’s been more difficult for her sister, who remembers their dad. “We were born into this,” says Robyn. “The teenagers were the real victims, who had to deal with the loss and losing someone who was so close to them.” The sisters have a close but complicated relationship, and both have grappled with feelings of envy toward each other. “I’ll be honest, when Robyn first started getting a lot of the attention for being a 9/11 baby I was jealous,” says Amanda. “I was very jealous because I always felt like the babies got more of the attention than the older kids. I always kind of felt like in her shadow.” At the same time, Robyn realizes she can never have the time Amanda spent with their dad. “She got to see him smile,” she says. “She’s jealous of me because I got all the attention,” says Robyn. “To be honest, I kind of hated it because I didn’t know him yet [I’m asked] how I feel to grieve someone I didn’t know.” Their mom, Vycki Higley-Pratt, admits Robyn is “confused about how she fits in. “She knows she lost her dad, but didn’t really lose her dad, whereas Amanda had four and a half years with Rob and knew him as much as a four-year-old can.” Still, the sisters share a deep bond. “Me and Amanda have a lot in common,” says Robyn. “We are kind of the only two people who understand what it’s like, so we can really open up to each another when we really can’t open up to other people.” As she grows up, Robyn is inspired by her dad’s final act of bravery. “I call my dad a hero. He is a hero,” she says. “I want to be like him, I want to be able to do anything to help people, and he was selfless. I know that I can make a difference and every kid can make a difference. I mean, this is going to be my world someday. “The world should be a place where it’s okay to say who you are, love who you love and believe what you believe,” she says. “I know there are people who are making the world an unsafe place to live, but even if we’re different, I believe that underneath we’re all the same.”

2016-11-07 00:00:00

(CNN)CNN's Van Jones turned to artful language on "AC360" Monday night and was quickly punished by his fellow panelists who wanted to know if he was composing a poem. "The fear, your hope, my fear, your joy, my terror is..." ventured Jones, attempting to explain the significance of the voting set to take place in the next 24 hours. "Is this a poem?" interjected David Axelrod. "It's a haiku," added Dana Bash, piling on. "Is that how hip hop works?" asked another panelist. "It works, baby!" exclaimed Jones. When Anderson Cooper turned to John King for analysis later in the segment, the CNN host couldn't resist. "You guys are having way too much fun," he said. "Why do you want facts and data? I just wanted to hear the rest of Van's poem."

2016-09-16 19:34:24

MIAMI — Donald J. Trump once again raised the specter of violence against Hillary Clinton, suggesting Friday that the Secret Service agents who guard her voluntarily disarm to “see what happens to her” without their protection. “I think that her bodyguards should drop all weapons,” Mr. Trump said at a rally in Miami, to loud applause. “I think they should disarm. Immediately.” He went on: “Let’s see what happens to her. Take their guns away, O.K. It’ll be very dangerous.” In justifying his remarks, Mr. Trump falsely claimed that Mrs. Clinton wants to “destroy your Second Amendment,” apparently a reference to her gun control policies. Presidential nominees are protected at all times by heavily armed teams of Secret Service agents, some uniformed and some undercover, who are devoted to the candidates’ physical safety. Mr. Trump’s comments were a provocative echo of widely condemned remarks he made in early August at a campaign rally in Wilmington, N.C. There, he airily suggested that gun rights supporters should rise up against Mrs. Clinton if she were elected to stop her from appointing judges who might favor stricter gun regulation. “If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks,” Mr. Trump said, as the crowd began to boo. He quickly added, “Although the Second Amendment people — maybe there is, I don’t know.” Those remarks were widely interpreted as an invitation for gun-rights supporters to take matters into their own hands should Mrs. Clinton prevail in November’s election. Mr. Trump never apologized or disavowed the comments, despite angry denunciations from Mrs. Clinton’s running mate, Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, and groups like the Brady Campaign and the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. On Friday night, Robby Mook, her campaign manager, said after Mr. Trump’s rally in Miami that he had shown “a pattern of inciting people to violence.” “Whether this is done to provoke protesters at a rally or casually or even as a joke, it is an unacceptable quality in anyone seeking the job of commander in chief,” Mr. Mook said in a statement. “This kind of talk should be out of bounds for a presidential candidate.” Matt Bennett, a vice president at Third Way, a think tank that advocates gun control, expressed disbelief at Mr. Trump’s “cavalier disregard for the safety” of Mrs. Clinton. “No serious gun rights person believes that a Secret Service protectee should have their protection taken away,” Mr. Bennett said. It was the culmination of a rocky and unpredictable day for Mr. Trump, and diverted attention, for a moment at least, from his grudging admission of error when he finally conceded that President Obama was born in the United States. On Friday night, breaking from his prepared remarks and turning his gaze from the teleprompters, Mr. Trump looked straight into the crowd as he made the insinuation about Mrs. Clinton’s safety. He gestured emphatically with his hands as he spoke, at one time pointing to a member in the crowd to find agreement. “What do you think?” he asked about his remarks on Mrs. Clinton’s bodyguards, as the arena erupted into cheers. 15 Photos View Slide Show › In May, Mr. Trump accused Mrs. Clinton in a Twitter post of hypocrisy for accepting armed Secret Service protection while supporting some limits on access to weapons for civilians. That post also levied a false accusation against Mrs. Clinton, suggesting she supported a ban on all guns. She does not. “Crooked Hillary wants to get rid of all guns and yet she is surrounded by bodyguards who are fully armed,” Mr. Trump wrote. “No more guns to protect Hillary!” he added, although he did not go so far as to say what could happen if such protection were to be removed. Violence and allusions to it have punctuated Mr. Trump’s campaign: Punches have been thrown at his rallies, protesters have been roughed up by Trump supporters, and the candidate himself has repeatedly deployed a lexicon of physical aggression. “I’d like to punch him in the face,” Mr. Trump said in February when a protester was dragged out of his rally in Las Vegas. In the past, Mr. Trump has sought to distance himself from his own menacing remarks by later dismissing them as playful or misinterpreted. His Republican supporters, meanwhile, have been pressed after every remark to distance themselves from him. On Friday night, officials of the Republican National Committee, which is working to help his campaign, did not respond to a request for comment. Mr. Trump’s comments were a variation on criticisms made by the National Rifle Association, perhaps Mr. Trump’s closest political ally in the presidential race. The group has publicly criticized Secret Service protection for Mr. Obama’s two daughters, which is required under federal law, as hypocritical. In 2013, the group released an advertisement calling Mr. Obama “an elitist hypocrite” for allowing the service to protect his family — which, like other first families, has faced multiple death threats — but opposing the widespread use of armed guards in schools. video

2018-08-10

Rascal Flatts stopped their Thursday night show in the middle of the concert citing a "security concern." (Reuters) A Rascal Flatts concert came to an abrupt end on Thursday night when the band was ushered offstage in the middle of their show at the Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center just outside of Indianapolis. "Indianapolis - Due to a security concern at the show last night, standard procedures were quickly executed and everyone was able to safely leave the building," the band said in a statement. "The safety of our fans, band and crew is always the top priority for us, so we are so thankful for everyone who jumped into action and for your understanding. We will be back soon!" A rep for the Flatts had no further comment. The Hamilton County Sheriff&aposs Office did not immediately return Fox News&apos request for comment. Fans were left confused when the country band, without notice, left the stage followed by an announcement several minutes later that everyone had to evacuate the 24,000-capacity venue. Concertgoer Britni Sherlock told the Indy Star , "We continued to wait in the pavilion, and that’s when security came up to everyone and told us to leave. I asked what was going on and he replied, &aposWe were told to evacuate the pavilion immediately.&apos" An attendee, who was seated in the general admission area close to the stage, recounted the incident to the Indy Star. "[Rascal Flatts] had just finished their song &aposBanjo&apos and did what was thought to be the false &aposgoodnight&apos before the encore," Andy VonDielingen said. "Their piano player started to play and then just stopped and left. A few minutes later lights come on and security is pulling some guy looking to be in his 20s out of the pit...Everyone is standing around, looking at each other and wondering what is going on." Live Nation, which owns Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center, told the outlet, "Venue staff and local officials followed standard protocols to ensure the safety of guests, the artist and staff." The scare comes one month after the Avett Brothers shut down their show after a man brought a gun into the venue.

2020-03-10 00:00:00

This morning, LVMH announced the eight finalists in the running for the organization’s seventh Prize for Young Fashion Designers. Originally a group of 20, all eight designers were hand-chosen based on their collections by a committee made up of fashion’s most elite, including  British Vogue’s Editor-In-Chief Edward Enninful, Gigi Hadid, and Bergdorf Goodman’s Linda Fargo. On June 5th, the jury of judges will choose one 2020 Prize winner.  Making the cut are London-based menswear label Ahluwalia by Priya Ahluwalia, menswear brand Casablanca by Charaf Tajer, Chopova Lowena by Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena, Nicholas Daley of London, New York’s Peter Do, South African label Sindiso Khumalo, Supriya Lele of London, and Tokyo’s Tomo Koizumi.  The inclusion of Sindiso Khumalo, known for her prairie-style dresses and use of bold patterns, marks only the second time that a designer from South Africa has made it this far. Last year, South Africa’s Thebe Magugu and Nigeria’s Kenneth Ize were the first from their respective countries to be named as semi-finalists, ever. In fact, it was Thebe Magugu who took home the final Prize, paving the way for South African designers like Khumalo to follow in his footsteps. 2020 also marks the first time that a Bulgarian designer, Emma Chopova, is being considered for the award. Today’s announcement also included the news that three new judges will be added to the already prestigious jury in charge of deciding this year’s Prize winner: Robyn “Rihanna” Fenty, Virgil Abloh, and Stella McCartney. “The Prize is an incredible opportunity for these young designers to be appraised by [the jury] and to enjoy their advice,” Delphine Arnault says in a press release.  The twelve judges will together crown the winner of the 2020 LVMH Prize for Young Designers, and with it, €300,000 EUR (approximately $325,000 USD), the opportunity to stock his or her collection at 24S and MatchesFashion, and a yearlong bespoke mentorship program from LVMH. Past winners of the award include Marine Serre, Marques'Almeida, Jacquemus, Rokh, and Grace Wales Bonner.  Related Content:

2018-11-16 23:30:00

This week on Noisey Radio, 19-year-old British songwriter Yellow Days sits down for an exclusive interview. Then, Aluna Francis from AlunaGeorge is in the house to go inside the band's new EP Champagne Eyes. Plus we go inside the long-awaited debut album Chest Pains from Chicago rapper, Warhol.ss. Listen here at 11 AM EST/8 AM PST and 11 PM EST/8 PM PST. Intro:Lil Xan & PND Rock - Sorry! prod. Diablo Yellow Days:Yellow Days - "Lately I feat. Rejjie Snow"Yellow Days - "A Little While"Wings - "Arrow Through Me"Yellow Days - "Holding On"Yellow Days - "How Can I Love You" Warhol.ss:Warhol.ss - "With Ease" Warhol.ss - "Switch Location"Warhol.ss & UnoTheActivist - "War Ready"Warhol.ss - "Harry Cash" AlunaGeorge:AlunaGeorge - "Champagne Eyes"AlunaGeorge - "Famous" AlunaGeorge - "Faulty" Follow Noisey on Twitter.

2016-02-11

Jeb Bush on Thursday dismissed Ted CruzRafael (Ted) Edward CruzTrump moves forward with F-16 sale to Taiwan opposed by China The Hill's Campaign Report: Battle for Senate begins to take shape O'Rourke says he will not 'in any scenario' run for Senate MORE’s call to carpet bomb the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) as "chest-pounding" and said his rivals had no realistic foreign policy. “'Carpet-bombing’ is just chest-pounding,” Bush said, according to The Washington Post. "Why would we go back to the 1960s when we have precision weaponry? “This is not a video game war. ... This has to be reality-based," he added. “We need to create a strategy and seek authorization to destroy ISIS. We need to do this with a coalition and in coordination with [Sunni Muslim] fighters on the ground.” Bush also ridiculed Cruz and GOP presidential front-runner Donald TrumpDonald John TrumpPossible GOP challenger says Trump doesn't doesn't deserve reelection, but would vote for him over Democrat O'Rourke: Trump driving global, U.S. economy into recession Manchin: Trump has 'golden opportunity' on gun reforms MORE for thinking Syrian leader Bashar Assad can stay in power. “Assad has to go first because he is the person who is a serial murderer,” he said. "You cannot get a Sunni force without dealing with Assad." "Assad is not going to take out ISIS," Bush continued. "Russia’s interest and Assad’s interest are not in taking out ISIS. This is the absurdity of [Cruz and Trump’s] talk.” Russia, a close ally of Assad's, has also begun carrying out airstrikes in Syria. But U.S. officials say those strikes are aimed at propping up Assad and not targeting ISIS. Bush also rebuked fellow candidate Marco RubioMarco Antonio RubioTrump moves forward with F-16 sale to Taiwan opposed by China The Hill's Morning Report — Trump and the new Israel-'squad' controversy Trump crosses new line with Omar, Tlaib, Israel move MORE for suggesting he has the most foreign policy experience in the GOP field. “Let me ask you, what has [Rubio] accomplished?” he asked. "What has he done in his life that makes you think he can make the tough calls, develop strategy? Maybe he can, but I don’t know.” ISIS remains a top national security concern following two major terror attacks late last year. The radical Islamist organization claimed it carried out an attack in Paris and inspired another one in San Bernardino, Calif. View the discussion thread. The Hill 1625 K Street, NW Suite 900 Washington DC 20006 | 202-628-8500 tel | 202-628-8503 fax The contents of this site are ©2019 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.