user: Q: Romney says he’s weighing 2016 White House bid

July 2, 2014: In this file photo, Mitt Romney, the former Republican presidential nominee, addresses a crowd of supporters while introducing New Hampshire Senate candidate Scott Brown at a farm in Stratham, N.H. (AP)

Mitt Romney told a group of supporters in New York on Friday that he is considering a third run for the White House, after denying interest for months in a 2016 bid, Fox News has confirmed.

The former Massachusetts Republican governor, who ran against President Obama in 2012 and lost, made the remarks during a meeting with 30 former large donors in Manhattan.

According to a Romney senior adviser who was in the meeting, he said, "Everybody in here can go tell your friends that I'm considering a run."

The development comes after repeated denials in the press.

Romney told “Fox News Sunday” in September, “I’m not running, and I’m not planning on running.”

Romney’s wife Ann told The Los Angeles Times in October: "Mitt and I are done. Completely. … Not only Mitt and I are done, but the kids are done. Done. Done. Done.”

But in recent days, big-name potential candidates have started moving closer to a Republican presidential bid.

In the last week, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush quit all his major corporate and nonprofit board memberships, and launched a new leadership political action committee (PAC). He announced he was exploring a run last month. Bush reportedly was in Romney’s old stomping ground in Boston on Friday for a fundraising luncheon.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee also announced last weekend he is leaving Fox News as the host of “Huckabee” as he weighs a presidential run. He ran and lost in the 2008 Republican primary – as did Romney.

Though he has long denied rumors of another White House run, Romney still polls well. He topped an early Iowa caucus-goers poll in October with 17 percent. In a December Fox News poll, Romney dominated the GOP field. He came in with 19 percent among self-identified Republicans, followed by Bush at 10 percent. No other candidates garnered double-digit backing.

Romney, a man of considerable family wealth, would nonetheless have to raise millions to jump-start a renewed campaign on the road to the Republican primaries.

He raised over $446 million for the 2012 race, with his top five contributors hailing from Wall Street – close to his donor meeting on Friday.
What are the most important parts of this text?

A: Mitt Romney reportedly told a group of supporters in New York on Friday that he is considering a third run for the White House, after denying interest for months in a 2016 bid.


Q: Laurel’s Greg Merson wins World Series of Poker and $8.5 million

Oct 31, 2012 01:19 PM EDT

Greg Merson poses with $8.5 million in cash.(Las Vegas Sun/Steve Marcus) This post has been updated.

Laurel’s Greg Merson, who dropped out of the University of Maryland and beat a drug addiction to find himself at the final table of the World Series of Poker, outlasted eight other players and won the championship early Wednesday morning.

His take: $8.5 million, a $100,000 gold bracelet, and Player of the Year honors.

Merson battled against the final two players all night, in a record 12 hours of play — first sending home amateur Jake Balsiger early this morning, and then, finally, his constant nemesis at the table Jesse Sylvia.

Confetti rained down on Merson as his family and friends rushed from the audience to congratulate him. He exchanged a long hug with his parents Stan and Donna, who weren’t altogether thrilled that their straight-A son gave up school after just three semesters for professional poker.

But they came around, and now their son is about to put $8.5 million in his pocket. Merson, in tears, put the $100,000 gold bracelet on his mom’s wrist.

“It’s absurd,” Merson told ESPN, tears in his eyes. “It doesn’t even feel like real life.” And then he shook his head back and forth.

Merson, Balsiger and Sylvia had dueled all night, taking a 10-minute break every two hours. The hours started adding up and, little by little, Sylvia and Merson, both pro players, chipped away at Balsiger’s stack.

Merson was nearly inscrutable all night, barely moving in his seat, the Washington Monument of poker players. Balsiger, a political science major at Arizona State, was eliminated around 8 a.m.

That left Merson and Sylvia, with Merson up about 2-to-1 in chips.

About a half-hour into one-on-one play, Merson went all in with a king high on the 399th hand of the finals. Sylvia called with a queen-jack. Merson won.

Keep checking back here for updates.
What are the most important parts of this text?

A:

assistant: In epic battle, the college dropout takes $8.5 million prize and Player of the Year honors.