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David Francis, Information Security Consultant at KCOM So why is data protection so important in 2019? Last year we saw some immense upsets, from the BA data breach to the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The range of consumer-facing breaches in 2018 have truly proved that cyber security is the last line of defence for personal security. In addition, since the last Data Protection Day, we have seen the introduction of the GDPR. The first question you should ask yourself today is: Do you know when you’ve been attacked? It takes companies an average of 206 days to discover a breach, so the answer is ‘probably not.’ And the threat doesn’t just have to be external: you could have sleeper agents placing time bombs in advance. They don't necessarily need to be onsite at the crucial moment. It could be a developer with a grudge placing a time bomb in the system to erase crucial intellectual property, or even an outgoing executive quietly deleting things in the background. If done quietly over a period of time, you could lose your backups as well, with no way of tracing the culprit. This is in addition to the huge GDPR fines you would face. Companies need to have measures in place to track data movement to prevent this kind of insider threat. The next question to ask yourself today is whether you have been paying attention to the news around GDPR. If 2018 was the year of compliance, 2019 will be the year of retribution for everyone’s favourite data privacy regulation. The period of grace is drawing to a close, and we’re already seeing the ICO taking its first high-profile scalp over treatment of personally identifiable information, with Google being the first to fall in France. This has set the precedent by which all further cases are judged – letting companies know along the way just how strictly enforced the rules are going to be, and how heavy the fines. Now is the time to check your compliance levels. If 2019 is anything like 2018, consumers are in the firing line. With these scenarios in mind, on Data Protection Day, it’s time to re-evaluate your security plans and consider: Does this plan put the customer first? Is your security system tracking insider threats? Are you aware of which employees have access to what data? Are you GDPR compliant? If your organisation can safely answer yes to all these questions, congratulations, you have had a successful Data Protection Day. However, that doesn’t mean it’s time to stop evaluating your systems, in today’s security landscape, you can never be too safe.<doc-sep>Today marks the eleventh Data Privacy Day, a yearly educational event led by the National Cyber Security Alliance on January 28. To mark the occasion, a group of global data security thought leaders will host a panel at LinkedIn’s office in San Francisco though, with a flurry of privacy scandals in the news, it’s unlikely Microsoft’s professional networking asset will be at the top of consumers’ minds as they dust off their old passwords and update their privacy settings. The topics of discussion will center around security innovation, potential dangers in the future, and new legislation, like the California Consumer Privacy Act, that forces online services to reveal what data they’re collecting and how they’re using it. The talks will primarily focus on company transparency and how federal and local government can hold social media sites accountable for misusing users’ data. But Data Privacy Day is also meant to serve as a reminder to check on your own digital security health. This year, privacy proponents will have more on their mind than whether you’re still using “password” as an actual password. If you have multiple email addresses, for example, do you have two factor authentication (2FA) set up? Has the ancient Hotmail account you used when you signed up for Facebook in 2005 since been compromised? And say, how much information do social media platforms have on you, anyway? Here’s how to make sure your virtual locks aren’t rusted over. Data Privacy Day: Check If Your Log-In Credentials Have Leaked First and foremost, you want to make sure that you’re the only one accessing your emails. Most recently, on January 17, roughly 773 million email address credentials were leaked online. If you have 2FA active, you’re most likely in the clear, but you can still easily check to see if your account was involved to change your password just to be on the safe side. To check your own credentials against a database of leaks, you can visit Have I Been Pwned?, type in your email address, and the site will let you know if it’s no longer secure. If you find that you have indeed been pwned, you’re going to want to reset your password immediately and enable 2FA in your email settings. Make sure your email hasn't been breached like my burner address! Danny Paez If you’re in the clear, it’s still recommended you use a password manager to generate and store strong passwords for your emails and social media accounts. Try out 1Password, LastPass, or Dashlane Data Privacy Day: Is My Social Media Data Safe? Next, you’re going to want to check how much social media sites have on you and ensure your account is secure. To do this on Facebook click the down arrow on the upper right of the screen to open the Settings menu. A list of some of the past devices I used to access my Facebook account. Danny Paez First, navigate to the Security and Login tap on the left to see what devices have access to the account and if you have 2FA activated. There should be a list of every device that has logged into your Facebook account in the past. If you see something suspicious, click the three dots to the right of the listing to begin securing your account. If everything looks good — meaning all the listed devices are devices you recognize — scroll down to make sure you have 2FA active. You can even use the Authorized Logins tab to pre-select the only devices that you want to access the account. Now that you’ve ensured no one else is poking around your account account, you can check out what kind of data Facebook has on you and get a sense of how they may be using it. Open the Your Facebook Information tab which appears to the right of the home screen. Wow, Facebook thinks I'm a big ol' nerd. Danny Paez By clicking Access Your Information, you’ll be able to see all of the data Facebook has gathered on you and how it uses it to serve ads. You can even download a list of every piece of information the website has ever collected from you by clicking Download Your Information. This will be emailed to you, though it could take a few minutes or even an hour to compile it all. If you’re weirded out by this, you can delete your Facebook account by clicking the conveniently placed Delete Your Account and Information button at the bottom of the list. Data Privacy Day: You Can Do the Same for Google Facebook might have endured the brunt of the social media data collection backlash thanks in so small part to the Cambridge Analytica scandal, but don’t underestimate Google. Not only did the search giant’s failed social network platform Google+ expose the data of 52.5 million users last year, but it might even have a log of places you frequent, particularly if you’re a Google Maps power user. I don't have any of my Google Maps data saved, just check to see if you do. Danny Paez You can also find out which information Google is leveraging as part of its advertising effortsby visiting its Ad Settings page. You can also turn off personalized ads, but bear in mind that this will result in random ads that you could find even more annoying than ones geared directly to you. Avid Google Maps users will definitely want to check their location history, too. Users can delete a certain day by by clicking the black trash can at the bottom of the screen, but there doesn’t seem to be a way to wipe all of the data at once. Optionally, you can also choose to turn off location settings on your mobile device, but this will obviously make navigating a bit harder as the app won’t be able to find you. Finally, you can export all of the data Google has collected on you by managing your archives. Just like Facebook, this will take up to a few minutes or an hour to be emailed to you.<doc-sep> | Angela Lang/CNET In 2018, there were 1,244 publicly reported data breaches affecting US companies and consumers. Those breaches exposed more than 446 million records. That's according to the Identity Theft Resource Center, a nonprofit that helps people deal with the consequences of having their data stolen and used to impersonate them. The group's annual data breach report came out Monday, just in time for Data Privacy Day. It's worth noting that those are just the publicly reported breaches. What's more, a good portion of them don't include a full tally of the number of records exposed. In other words, the problem is almost certainly much, much worse. So it's a great time to pause and reflect on something that's been staring consumers in the face for years. Companies are collecting tons of data on you, and then criminals are stealing it from the companies. Data privacy? What data privacy? That much is clear from the trove of 773 million login credentials that data breach expert Troy Hunt found posted publicly on a popular cloud sharing service. Amassed from more than 2,000 different data breaches, the stockpile included logins from as long ago as 2008. It's also clear from the big breaches of 2018, which included hackers accessing 30 million Facebook accounts, stealing 429,000 credit card records from British Airways customers and nicking the passport numbers of more than 500,000 people from a database owned by Marriott. All those things could help identity thieves impersonate people and create chaos in their lives. Informed choices Eva Velasquez, president and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center, said that one important step companies can take to improve things is to tell consumers everything about what data they're collecting on them. That'll let them make much more informed decisions about what services to use, especially when they consider what could happen if hackers stole that data. "It's an insult to our consumer constituency to say, 'You don't really need to know that,'" Velasquez said. "You need to let me make that decision of whether to engage with your platform." Next, she said, companies need to re-evaluate the kinds of data they hold onto, and for how long. Having a plan to delete unnecessary data prevents the info from falling into the hands of hackers. Finally, companies need to publicly disclose detailed information about data breaches much more frequently than they already are. Shifting toward privacy It'll take pressure from consumers and advocacy groups, as well as political will from lawmakers, for those changes to be broadly adopted. That's where there're some signs of possible change on this year's Data Privacy Day. Consumers are more concerned about data privacy since last year's stream of privacy nightmares -- like the Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which Facebook users learned how extensively their personal data had been mined by the third party apps their friends were using. Now playing: Watch this: GDPR: Here's what you need to know On top of that, this past June California passed the nation's strictest data privacy law. After that, tech companies asked lawmakers to pass a federal data privacy bill to bring the whole country under one set of privacy regulations. So far, Democrats have proposed several bills, as has Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a Republican. In Europe, the General Data Protection Regulation is having an impact on how tech companies around the world treat personal data. Hackers gonna hack Even if one of those laws passes, it's possible, if not likely, that there'll be even more than 446 million records exposed in data breaches in 2019. There'll always be plenty of your data for criminals to hack, because organizations will keep collecting it. Your data is extremely valuable to companies, which have an incentive to keep collecting it to make their products more convenient and tailored to your preferences, and to use it to personalize the ads you see. Hackers have an incentive to steal it so they can make money off it illegally. With a dynamic like that in play, it's easy to keep wondering, what data privacy? Security: Stay up-to-date on the latest in breaches, hacks, fixes and all those cybersecurity issues that keep you up at night. Cambridge Analytica: Everything you need to know about Facebook's data mining scandal. |
Hello? There's no Racing News down here. Where ya off to? Bob, this doesn't look good... Are you lost... The blue dot on the GPS won't help you here. It's probably too late to turn back now anyway. Baby Jessica, it appears you've fallen into the well. Like a mummy at night fightin' with bright lightnin'. I'm not here to save you. I'm just here for the ride. So, let me entertain you and everything will be fine. Have you had it up to here? That's Rock Bottom. Click here to exit the well.<doc-sep>NASCAR qualifying results from Atlanta Motor Speedway Tonight, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will set the field for Sunday’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Three rounds of NASCAR qualifying are up next. View the full 2019 Atlanta starting lineup below. Atlanta Motor Speedway Menu: MENCS TV | Rules | Prac 1 | Qual | Prac 2 | Race Atlanta Qualifying Round 1 – Report Duration: 10 minutes Yes, the opening round of qualifying is only 10 minutes this year. Kevin Harvick had power steering issues in the practice session earlier. He’s the first car on the track in qualifying. Joey Logano is loose on his lap, he lifts. Logano will have to make another lap. He does and it’s not good enough but he shut it off. Logano said he intended to make two laps in his second run. Out of habit, he shut off the engine. Logano will not advance to round two. Clint Bowyer wins round one of Atlanta Motor Speedway qualifying! Atlanta Qualifying – Round 1 Results: 1. Clint Bowyer (30.675); 2. Aric Almirola (30.838); 3. Ryan Newman (30.845); 4. Kyle Larson (30.878); 5. Austin Dillon (30.886); 6. Erik Jones (30.903); 7. Kurt Busch (30.918); 8. Denny Hamlin (30.929); 9. Michael McDowell (30.947); 10. Jimmie Johnson (30.947); Atlanta Qualifying Round 2 – Report Duration: 10 minutes The field is closer than ever. And the fast guys, they have their foot on the floor all the way around the race track. The low line is the fast way around. But, the track is worn, it’s sandpaper. The tires fall off quick. Some drivers are moving up the track in round two. Power steering issues continue for Kevin Harvick. He’s knocked out in round two. He can’t turn it to the right. The team has changed everything and they can’t figure it out. “If we had to race right now, we’d be in the garage and headed home,” Kevin Harvick says. Clint Bowyer picks up where he left off in round 1. He takes quick time in round two! Atlanta Qualifying – Round 2 Results: 1. Clint Bowyer (30.714); 2. Daniel Suarez (30.746); 3. Aric Almirola (30.772); 4. Michael McDowell (30.803); 5. Kyle Larson (30.812); 6. Ricky Stenhouse Jr (30.827); 7. Kurt Busch (30.832); 8. Denny Hamlin; 9. Kyle Busch; 10. Austin Dillon; 11. Martin Truex Jr; 12. Jimmie Johnson; Atlanta Qualifying Round 3 – Report Duration: 5 minutes It’s the run for the Atlanta Motor Speedway pole. Clint Bowyer and Austin Dillon are in a race off pit road as the green drops on the final qualifying round. Hamlin and others are trying to draft. Previously, you’d want clean track in qualifying. It might work with this new package. Less than a minute remains, Aric Almirola jumps to the top of the board! He quickest in Atlanta Motor Speedway qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series! It’s his first pole since Charlotte in 2012. His first ever pole in Atlanta. Atlanta Starting Lineup NASCAR Cup Series February 24, 2019 Pos | Driver | Time 1. Aric Almirola 30.550 2. Ricky Stenhouse Jr 30.727 3. Clint Bowyer 30.730 4. Denny Hamlin 30.744 5. Daniel Suarez 30.763 6. Kyle Busch 30.763 7. Kyle Larson 30.827 8. Kurt Busch 30.835 9. Martin Truex Jr 30.852 10. Austin Dillon 30.869 11. Jimmie Johnson 30.900 12. Michael McDowell 30.915 13. Ryan Newman 30.906 14. Paul Menard 30.908 15. Erik Jones 30.929 16. Alex Bowman 30.952 17. William Byron 30.979 18. Kevin Harvick 30.991 19. Brad Keselowski 30.998 20. Matt DiBendetto 31.029 21. Ty Dillon 31.048 22. Chase Elliott 31.061 23. David Ragan 31.111 24. Corey LaJoie 31.148 25. Ryan Preece 31.097 26. Ryan Blaney 31.119 27. Joey Logano 31.145 28. Daniel Hemric 31.156 29. Bubba Wallace 31.196 30. Chris Buescher 31.323 31. Matt Tifft 31.376 32. Ross Chastain 31.502 33. Landon Cassill 31.512 34. Parker Kilgerman 31.534 35. Garrett Smithley 32.598 36. Cody Ware 32.950 37. BJ McLeod — HAMPTON, GA – FEBRUARY 22: Aric Almirola, driver of the #10 Smithfield Ford, poses for a photo after winning the pole award during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Folds of Honor Quiktrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on February 22, 2019 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) More Atlanta Motor Speedway TV Schedule Atlanta Race Results: February 25, 2018 Links Atlanta Motor Speedway | NASCAR<doc-sep>Blaney rocketed to the top of the leaderboard in the final five-minute round of Friday’s knockout qualifying to win the pole for Sunday’s TicketGuardian 500 at ISM Raceway near Phoenix. Blaney’s average lap speed of 141.287 mph was more than a mile-an-hour faster than second-place Chase Elliott (140.171 mph). Denny Hamlin was third (140.007 mph). Kyle Busch was fourth and Brad Keselowski completed the top-five. The pole is the first for Blaney this season and first this year for Team Penske. It’s the sixth pole of his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career and second at Phoenix. “Qualifying hasn’t been our best this year but it’s the first short track we’ve been at,” Blaney said. “We’ve had speed all day, which has been kind of fun. We’ve just kind of tweaked on it and tweaked on it. “It’s nice to get the weekend started off right. We’ll see how our race car is tomorrow (in practice). That was fun. At Las Vegas, was I wasn’t too happy about qualifying but now it’s cool you actually have to lift and you can work on your car. “It’s a great way to start the weekend and hopefully it keeps going for us.” Rounding out the Top 12 starters are Alex Bowman, William Byron, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., Erik Jones, Daniel Hemric and Joey Logano. Keselowski and Logano, Blaney’s teammates, have won the last two races at Atlanta and Las Vegas, respectively. Round 2 Blaney, who was fastest in Friday’s lone practice session, ended up fastest in the second round with an average lap speed of 140.400 mph. Hamlin was second-fastest (140.280 mph) and Bowman was third (140.247 mph). Keselowski was fourth and Kyle Busch completed the top-10. Also advancing to the final round were Elliott, Harvick, Truex, Byron, Logano, Hemric and Jones. Austin Dillon was ousted from the Top 12 at the last moment as Jones made another last-minute successful qualifying run. He will start 13th. Among those failing to advance to the final round were Aric Almirola, Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch, Paul Menard and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Round 1 After an oil spill at the end of Xfinity Series practice, there much was hesitation among drivers to be the first out on the track for Cup qualifying and run through the speedy dry. When much of the field did get on the track, Harvick bolted to the top of the leaderboard with an average lap speed at 138.980 mph. Elliott ended up second (138.766 mph) and Stenhouse was third (138.451 mph). Menard was fourth and Chris Buescher completed the top-five. Rounding out the Top 10 was Keselowski, Logano, Kyle Busch, Austin Dillon and Blaney. A brief fight broke out between Daniel Suarez and Michael McDowell after Suarez approached McDowell on pit road following the session. Suarez was apparently upset that McDowell impeded his qualifying run on the track. Read Also: Fight breaks out on pit road during Cup qualifying at Phoenix “I held him up on that lap, that was just a miscommunication,” McDowell said. “We were all waiting until the end to go out there.” Said Suarez: “Just a lack of respect. You got to try to get out of the way if someone is making a hot lap. That’s racing. “I’m the kind of driver that I’m going to give a lot of respect to you, always, if you give me respect back. If you don’t give me respect, I’m going to go kick your ass.” Among those who failed to advance to Round 2 were Kyle Larson, Matt DiBenedetto, Clint Bowyer, Suarez, McDowell and Larson. Larson said he never saw the flag to indicate his second qualifying lap would not count. Keselowski’s No. 2 Ford was only car to fail pre-qualifying tech twice and had an engineer ejected for the remainder of the weekend. He will also lose 15 minutes of practice from Saturday’s final practice session. Rick Ware Racing’s No. 52 elected not to qualify as the failed pre-qualifying inspection once and elected not to try to go through again.<doc-sep> | One week after Denny Hamlin won his second career Daytona 500, NASCAR will make its way up north to Atlanta Motor Speedway for races in all three major series. Despite winning The Great American Race at 10-to-1, Hamlin is listed at 15-to-1 for Sunday's Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race. Last year's winner, Kevin Harvick, is the Vegas favorite at 4-to-1. Kyle Busch, the 2013 winner, comes in behind him at 6-to-1 alongside Joey Logano, who has never won a Cup Series race at Atlanta. Hometown kid Chase Elliott is 10-to-1 while his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson -- a five-time winner at Atlanta -- has 25-to-1 odds to win. Like last week, Vegas is banking on both Ty Dillon and Michael McDowell to lose the race despite both finishing in the top six. Dillon and McDowell are listed at 500-to-1 for Sunday's race, meaning a $100 bet would earn $50,000. Aric Almirola will start on the pole at 20-to-1 odds. Behind him will be Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who has value at 100-to-1. Starting lineup for Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 Aric Almirola Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Clint Bowyer Denny Hamlin Daniel Suarez Kyle Busch Kyle Larson Kurt Busch Martin Truex Jr. Austin Dillon Jimmie Johnson Michael McDowell Ryan Newman Paul Menard Erik Jones Alex Bowman William Byron Kevin Harvick Brad Keselowski Matt DiBenedetto Ty Dillon Chase Elliott David Ragan Corey LaJoie Ryan Preece Ryan Blaney Joey Logano Daniel Hemric Bubba Wallace Chris Buescher Matt Tifft Ross Chastain Landon Cassill Parker Kligerman Garrett Smithley Cody Ware BJ McLeod How to watch the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 Date : Sunday, Feb. 24 : Sunday, Feb. 24 Start time: 2:18 p.m. ET 2:18 p.m. ET TV : FOX : FOX Streaming : fuboTV, FOX Sports Go : fuboTV, FOX Sports Go Radio: MRN, SiriusXM, NASCAR Radio MRN, SiriusXM, NASCAR Radio Location: Atlanta Motor Speedway - Hampton, Georgia Here's a look at odds for each of the three NASCAR National Series races this weekend, starting with Cup. All odds come courtesy of Westgate. Odds to win the NASCAR Cup Series Folds of Honor Quiktrip 500 DRIVER ODDS Kevin Harvick 4/1 Kyle Busch 6/1 Joey Logano 6/1 Kyle Larson 8/1 Brad Keselowski 8/1 Martin Truex Jr. 8/1 Chase Elliott 10/1 Clint Bowyer 15/1 Denny Hamlin 15/1 Aric Almirola 20/1 Erik Jones 20/1 Kurt Busch 20/1 Ryan Blaney 20/1 Jimmie Johnson 25/1 Austin Dillon 50/1 Daniel Suarez 60/1 Matt DiBenedetto 60/1 Alex Bowman 80/1 William Byron 80/1 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 100/1 Paul Menard 100/1 Ryan Newman 100/1 Daniel Hemric 100/1 Ryan Preece 200/1 Chris Buescher 300/1 Bubba Wallace 300/1 Ty Dillon 500/1 Michael McDowell 500/1 Matt Tifft 500/1 Our pick: Kevin Harvick There's a reason Harvick is the favorite to win and why he costs $12,200 on DraftKings. It's the site of his first career Cup Series win, which came just three races after he took over for the late-Dale Earnhardt in 2001. While the sentimental value serves as motivation, Harvick also dominated this race last year. He led 181 of the 325 laps before taking the checkered flag. What we saw from Stewart-Haas Racing in qualifying was that they once again have superior cars for this track. Although Harvick didn't get the starting position he may have wanted, he'll still be in top equipment. It's also important to remember that NASCAR's offseason is just 90 days, so we shouldn't expect some sort of season to season drop off from Harvick's success last year. Not interested in betting the race straight up? DraftKings is offering a $400,000 contest for interested players. Below is our recommended lineup in DraftKings. Kevin Harvick ($12,200) Chase Elliott ($9,700) Ryan Blaney ($8,900) William Byron ($7,100) Ryan Preece ($6,400) Ty Dillon ($5,600) So who does Vegas believe will win this weekend? And which long shots stun NASCAR? Check out the latest odds below and then visit SportsLine to see the full projected leaderboard from the model that crushed its NASCAR picks last year. |
Wildfires have burned across tens of thousands of acres of parched terrain in Colorado, spurring thousands of evacuations and compelling officials to seal off a national forest from the public on Tuesday. Six wildfires were still active in the state, which has endured months of dry weather and little snowfall. The largest, in southwest Colorado, is known as the 416 fire because it was the 416th incident to be called in to emergency officials this year. As of Tuesday morning, it had consumed more than 23,000 acres on the edge of San Juan National Forest and was only about 15 percent contained, according to an interagency team. The authorities said they would keep the national forest closed until it receives “sufficient moisture to improve conditions.” Detected at the beginning of the month, the fire has prompted evacuations of more than 2,160 residences so far and put residents of 500 other homes on notice for possible evacuation, according to the authorities. No deaths or injuries have been reported, officials said; residents have sought shelter in middle schools, and local officials fear tourists usually drawn to the region for the summer may not come.<doc-sep>The Buffalo Fire west of Denver is only 100 acres, but officials have told thousands of residents to evacuate. (CNN) — Several wildfires in Colorado have prompted thousands of home evacuations and the closing of a national forest, fire officials said. Nearly 1,400 homes have been evacuated in Summit County, Colorado, and more than 1,000 other homes could be in danger as the Buffalo Mountain wildfire burns nearby, according to Summit Fire & EMS. The fire began Tuesday about 2 miles west of Silverthorne, a town with about 4,700 residents about 65 miles west of Denver. It has burned 100 acres in the Arapahoe and Roosevelt National Forests, officials said. Smoke levels Tuesday were not a safety concern, Steve Prosise with the county’s environmental health office said. “We have not lost any structures at this point,” the agency tweeted Tuesday. The Buffalo Mountain blaze is one of at least six wildfires burning throughout the state. The 416 Fire – the largest wildfire in the state – has burned more than 25,000 acres near the state’s border with New Mexico, firefighters’ spokeswoman Jamie Knight said Wednesday. The fire has only been 15% contained since it was first reported on June 1. More than 1,000 people are fighting the blaze, officials said. No one has been hurt, and no structures have burned down in the 416 Fire, La Plata County spokeswoman Megan Graham said. Fuel breaks added to the forests in recent years have saved thousands of homes from “having fire in them,” US Forest Service official Jim Genung said. The fire prompted officials to close San Juan National Forest. The forest, which covers more than 1.8 million acres in western Colorado, announced the closure is intended “to protect natural resources and public safety.” “Under current conditions, one abandoned campfire or spark could cause a catastrophic wildfire, and we are not willing to take that chance with the natural and cultural resources under our protection and care or with human life and property,” said Richard Bustamante, SJNF forest fire staff officer. Anyone caught violating the closure, SJNF said, could be punished with an individual fine of up to $5,000 or $10,000 for an organization, a six-month prison sentence or both. Gov. John Hickenlooper said the state is allocating many resources for the fires in the states. “Our state agencies are here to support you. As we have proved time and time again, Coloradans are resilient,” he said. State of local disaster Jerry McBride/The Durango Herald/AP A helicopter works the wildfire on the east side of Hermosa Cliffs near Hermosa, Colorado. On the day the 416 Fire started, La Plata County Manager Joanne Spina declared a state of local disaster, which led 1,500 residents to evacuate. Graham said earlier that 2,162 structures or homes have been evacuated since the beginning of the fire, and 500 residents are currently on pre-evacuation. The smoke from the wildfire has affected air quality, Graham said. State and local public health agencies have issued air quality advisories, warning residents to stay inside until smoke clears, and have warned those who have health risks to be extra cautious. The other West Coast wildfires The 416 Fire was one of several West Coast wildfires that began around June 1. The Ute Park Fire in New Mexico began May 31 and forced 2,200 people in the area to evacuate their homes within the first three days of the blaze. The wildfire was 92% contained on Wednesday, though Cimarron Canyon State Park would remain closed through July 8, according to InciWeb, a federal database of US fires. The Ute Fire has burned 36,740 acres. No homes had burned, but 14 outbuildings have been destroyed. A fire in California that burned almost 200 acres has been contained, officials said. CNN’s Marlena Baldacci, Artemis Moshtaghian and Dave Alsup contributed to this report.<doc-sep> | Wildfires continued burning across parts of Colorado Tuesday, as firefighters rushed to contain the flames ignited amid a dangerous drought across the western U.S. In Colorado’s southwest, authorities have shuttered the San Juan National Forest in southwestern Colorado and residents of more than 2,000 homes were forced to evacuate. No homes had been destroyed, the Associated Press reports. The 416 fire, as it is known, was 15% contained Tuesday evening, according to the La Plata County government. MOre than 900 firefighters were trying to control the blaze, according the AP. The fire covers more than 23,000 acres, according to the latest updates on federal wildfire database Inciweb. The 416 fire started on July 1 near Durango, Colorado and has spread due to “exceptional drought conditions.” Its cause is not yet known. Forest authorities shut down the 1.8 million acre forest Monday to avoid further devastation. “Under current conditions, one abandoned campfire or spark could cause a catastrophic wildfire, and we are not willing to take that chance with the natural and cultural resources under our protection and care, or with human life and property,” said San Juan National Forest Fire Staff Officer Richard Bustamante. Further north, the Buffalo wildfire that broke out Tuesday has already caused residents of 1,400 homes to evacuate in Colorado’s Summit County, according to CNN. Another 1,160 homes are on pre-evacuation notice. Fires in New Mexico have also caused Forest Service authorities to close the Santa Fe National Forest and Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands. Write to Eli Meixler at eli.meixler@time.com. |
Find out how to watch Vikings vs. Packers on Sunday, Sept. 16. Two NFC North powerhouses will square off on Sunday when the Packers host the Vikings. Kickoff from Lambeau Field in Green Bay is slated for 1:00 p.m. ET. Aaron Rodgers led the Packers to a stunning second-half comeback in Week 1 by taking down fellow division rival Chicago. After exiting with a leg injury in the first half, Rodgers threw for 273 yards and three touchdowns in the final 30 minutes. He led Green Bay to a 24-23 victory. Minnesota took care of business at home in Week 1 by overwhelming San Francisco quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in a 24-16 victory. Safety Harrison Smith dominated the contest and tallied seven tackles, one sack and one interception. Here's how to watch Sunday's game: Time: 1:00 p.m. ET TV: FOX Live Stream: You can stream the game on fuboTV. fuboTV now features NFL Redzone as well as SI TV, available on the Sports Plus package. Sign up now for a free seven-day trial. Next three games: Packers: at Redskins (9/23); vs. Bills (9/30); at Lions (10/7) Vikings: vs. Bills (9/23); at Rams (9/27); at Eagles (10/7)<doc-sep>It's time for the Green Bay Packers to get before the home crowd in the NFL 2018 season, and they've got a good one to start with in week 2: Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings 2018 from Lambeau Field in Green Bay. And good news for Packers fans, according to the latest update: Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers does plan to play despite his left knee injury, according to a report from ESPN. Once the game starts, you can find Packers vs. Vikings live score updates here and also see at the bottom of the story for a Twitter feed. See Packers vs. Vikings time, TV channel, live streaming info and odds below. At the bottom of the story you can find live score updates once the game begins. Packers vs. Vikings Time: 1 p.m. ET TV Channel: Fox Live Streaming: Watch Live with fuboTV - Try free trial or FoxSportsGO Odds: Packers -1; over/under 46 Both the Packers and the Vikings are 1-0 to start the season, but Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered an injury in the season opener. He's scheduled to start and play, but the question remains of how he can perform. Rodgers was held out of practice this week, getting his injured knee healed. Minnesota is preparing as if Rodgers will be 100 percent on Sunday. "I don't know if he's mobile. I don't know if he can run. We don't know anything," Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen said, according to the AP. "We're just going to go in with a game plan, that he's running and we're going to go out there and execute our assignment." These teams both compete in the NFC North so it's an always-important matchup. Rodgers believes he can have enough mobility to compete. "I think as you saw the other night, just because I wasn't escaping the pocket, I was still moving in the pocket — subtle movements on the throw to (receiver Davante Adams) up in the pocket, and subtle movements on the throw to (Randall Cobb) on the last touchdown of the game," Rodgers said. For the Vikings, the big key against the Packers will be defense – a unit they worked hard to improve during the off-season. From the AP: "The Vikings made their biggest splash of the offseason by signing quarterback Kirk Cousins in free agency, but the following day they made another significant addition with Sheldon Richardson. The sixth-year defensive tackle, after a quiet preseason, immediately made his presence felt in his first real game for Minnesota with six tackles, a half-sack and a team-high three hits on San Francisco quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. "During a sack by defensive end Danielle Hunter, Richardson pushed Garoppolo off his spot and steered him toward his teammate." Below are Packers vs. Vikings 2018 live score updates (on a mobile phone you may have to click on the link): Tweets by packers<doc-sep>The Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings will do battle on Sunday and it will be one of the biggest games of Week 2. Unfortunately, the game won't be nationally televised so there will be a good amount of fans across the country who won't be able to watch the game live. However, the game won't be that limited because it's the lead early game that will air on FOX. Here's a look at the TV coverage map for Packers vs. Vikings via 506 Sports. 506 Sports So the majority of the country will be able to see the NFC North bout. But what NFL fans are hoping is Aaron Rodgers plays on Sunday. Last week, Rodgers suffered a knee injury in the second quarter vs. the Bears and was forced to leave the game. The two-time MVP returned in the third quarter and led the Packers to a 24-23 victory after throwing three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter. Rodgers did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday, which would indicate he won't play. However, Packers head coach Mike McCarthy said Rodgers will have the entire week to get ready for Sunday. “You’ve got two types of environments to prepare you for games -- you’ve got the classroom environment and you have obviously the practice environment,” McCarthy said on Thursday. “With him in the rehab group, he’s full bore ahead in the classroom and all the different meetings. Today’s a very heavy situational day, so that’s where his involvement is.” Rodgers told reporters on Wednesday he suffered a knee sprain and he's not sure if he'll play vs. the Vikings. “I’m not sure what kind of mobility, if I can play Sunday, I’ll be able to have,” Rodgers said. “It’s about muscle memory. I’ve been in situations where I haven’t been able to move a ton outside the pocket and still had mobility within the pocket. I mean, there’s two kinds of mobility – in the pocket, being subtle movements that allow you to have a clean launch point, and then there’s movement that allows you to get outside the pocket, which allows you to extend plays and take shots down the field or run. And we’ll see what kind of mobility I’m allowed to have.” Don't miss a single snap of the Packers against the Vikings! Here's how to catch the game What's interesting is Packers vs. Vikings is the game where Rodgers suffered a broken collarbone in Week 6 last year. Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr was the one who tackled Rodgers before the injury back in June, Barr talked about the game and he said he's not worried about the Packers getting revenge on him. "I'm not too worried about it," Barr said. "It's football man. It's another game." On the NFL Network, Barr said that Rodgers was talking to Barr as he was walking off the field. "He had something to say," Barr said. "He was upset. He probably knew the situation, so I understand that. I never try to hurt anybody. I know how hard it is to play this game and to play week in and week out. To take that away from somebody, I never try to do that." Sunday's game will kick off at noon local time.<doc-sep> | The Green Bay Packers (1-0) stay at home in Week 2 to host the division-rival Minnesota Vikings (1-0). The Packers are 9-3-1 against the Vikings under Mike McCarthy at Lambeau Field and lead 60-53-2 in the all-time series. Green Bay’s biggest question mark for this week is the health of Aaron Rodgers. Last week Rodgers was carted off the field in the first half but returned in the second half to lead the Packers to a legendary comeback win over the Bears. Although Mike McCarthy has been saying they’re taking the injury day-by-day, the quarterback confidently told NBC’s Michelle Tafoya on Sunday night, “I’m playing next week.” Rodgers or not, the Packers face yet another stout defense loaded with playmakers and a talented offense led by Kirk Cousins. Once the board is set and the pieces are moving, this matchup may come down to the wire for the second week in a row. On a more optimistic note, the Packers have scored 23-plus points in 10 of the last 12 home games vs. Minnesota. And one of the games they didn’t was last year’s shutout with Brett Hundley under center. FOX will broadcast the game. Kevin Burkhardt (play-by-play) and Charles Davis (analyst) will call the game from the booth with Pam Oliver reporting from the sidelines. The game can be heard over Milwaukee’s WTMJ (620 AM) and the Packers Radio Network, which is made up of 50 stations in five states. Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play) and Larry McCarren (analyst) will call the game. The game will also be aired nationally on Sports USA Radio and on the WTMJ feed of Sirius Satellite Radio. Here’s the information you need to know to watch Sunday’s game: What: Green Bay Packers (1-0) vs. Minnesota Vikings (1-0) When: Sunday, Sept. 16 at 12:00 p.m. CDT Where: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI Referee: Tony Corrente TV Channel: FOX Radio: Packers Radio Network, USA Sports Radio, Sirius Satellite Radio (WTMJ feed) Live stream: fuboTV (try it free) Televised areas (via 506sports.com): |
Sergei Gapon, AFP | Ukrainian comedian and presidential candidate Volodymyr Zelenskiy reacts after the announcement of the first exit poll results in the second round of Ukraine's presidential election in Kiev on April 21, 2019. Ukraine leapt into the unknown Monday after comedian Volodymyr Zelensky was elected president on promises of change but with just a vague blueprint of what he might do as leader. Advertising Read more Zelensky, whose previous political experience was playing the president on a TV show, crushed incumbent Petro Poroshenko in a stinging rebuke to the establishment fuelled by voters' anger over war with separatists and social injustice. Ukrainians looked to the future with hope and anxiety after the performer took 73 percent of the vote on Sunday, according to nearly complete official results. Zelensky at 41 will become Ukraine's youngest ever president when he is sworn into office by early June. It remained unclear Monday who would fill top positions in his governement, including prime minister. The star of "Servant of the People", a sitcom now in its third season, has vowed to press ahead with the pro-European course set out by Poroshenko. But he has also said he wants to improve ties with arch-enemy Russia. On election night, however, he appeared to taunt the Kremlin when he told people in fellow post-Soviet countries that "everything is possible." Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday it was "too early to talk about President Putin congratulating Mr Zelensky, or about the possibility of working together." Ties between Ukraine and Russia were shredded after a bloody uprising ousted a Kremlin-backed regime in 2014, prompting Moscow to annex Crimea and support insurgents in eastern Ukraine in a conflict that has claimed around 13,000 lives. Portrait: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukraine's new president Poroshenko pledges to return Poroshenko, 53, quickly conceded defeat and said he was ready to coach the successor. But on Monday evening he told a rally he planned to take back the country's top job during the next presidential polls set for 2024. Several thousand supporters, who gathered outside the presidential offices, chanted they wanted him back "in a year". "With God's help," Poroshenko replied. "We will unite to secure our common victory in the near future." Poroshenko's faction has the most seats in the legislature and new parliamentary polls are due to be held in October. The Ukrainian president has strong powers over defence, security and foreign policy but will need parliament backing to push through reforms. On the streets of Kiev earlier Monday, many praised the elections as a fair and peaceful transfer of power after popular uprisings of 2004 and 2014. "People showed that they want change," 28-year-old Karina told AFP. "We had the most honest polls in the history of Ukraine," she added. 'Part of a global trend of electorates rejecting traditional elites' Zelensky shunned traditional campaign rallies, instead performing comedy gigs, and implied he would use the same unorthodox style to run the country of 45 million that depends on international aid. US President Donald Trump and French leader Emmanuel Macron called the political novice to congratulate him, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel pledged support. G7 ambassadors said they looked forward to working closely with the new leader but also recognized the progress the country had made under Poroshenko since 2014. OSCE observers praised Ukraine's election as "competitive and held with respect for fundamental freedoms", while regretting that the campaigns were thin on substance. 'Political honeymoon' The Kremlin said it respected the choice of the people but questioned the legitimacy of the polls, noting that "three million" Ukrainian citizens living in Russia could not vote there. Kiev refused to open polling stations at its diplomatic missions in Russia. Zelensky has said that among his top priorities are securing the release of Ukrainians being held prisoner by Russia and rebooting moribund Western-brokered peace talks. But many doubt the political neophyte will be able to stand up to Putin and revive the struggling economy. Questions have also been raised over his close ties to Israel-based tycoon Igor Kolomoysky. Victoriya, a 74-year-old pensioner, said she liked the new president-elect but expressed concern that he may not last long. "He has not met this pack of wolves yet," she said. Analyst Volodymyr Fesenko said that Zelensky's political "honeymoon" would last two or three months before reality kicks in. Ukrainians want to see a quick end to the war in the east and pay less for utility bills, Fesenko told AFP. "It will be extremely difficult to meet these expectations," he said. (AFP) Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe<doc-sep>Political Outsider Ukraine’s current president is a former Parliament member who once served as the nation’s head of foreign policy, economic development, and trade. The man the Eastern European nation just elected by a landslide to succeed him once played a president on a TV show. And actor/comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s qualifications — or lack thereof — aren’t even the strangest part of Sunday’s presidential election. Zelenskiy also conducted what was essentially the world’s first successful virtual presidential campaign, never once appearing in person for interviews, rallies, or speeches — a strange and troubling new example of politics in the internet era. Advertisement Advertisement Easy Going During his four-month campaign, Zelenskiy addressed voters only through short YouTube videos, Instagram posts, and TV appearances, according to an in-depth analysis published by Politico on Wednesday. He didn’t debate his opponent until the day prior to the election, and never faced any substantial scrutiny from the press. In fact, based on Politico‘s reporting, the campaign didn’t seem to affect Ukraine’s president-elect much at all — he continued to produce episodes of his television show, tour with his comedy troupe, and perform in variety shows. Voters not only didn’t get a chance to see Zelenskiy campaigning in the flesh, they also never found out what exactly he planned to do if he was elected president — his entire platform seemed to be based on not doing whatever citizens didn’t like about the current state of affairs. Russia, Russia, Russia Of course, it’s hard to talk about Ukraine and not at least mention its neighbor Russia, which currently occupies the Crimean Peninsula as well as other parts of the nation. Advertisement Advertisement Ukraine’s lame-duck president, Petro Poroshenko, ruled on a decidedly anti-Russian platform, backing sanctions against it and supporting restrictions on trade and social contact with Russians, so it’s hard to imagine Russia isn’t at least somewhat pleased to see him replaced by a popular political outsider, one who might not pose as much of a threat to its ambitions. And that, of course, begs the question of just how much influence, if any, Russia had on Zelenskiy’s ascent from television regular to leader of one of the world’s most politically turbulent democracies. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time Russia allegedly helped a TV personality launch his political career — and Zelenskiy didn’t have to do much more than smile for the webcam to make it happen. READ MORE: The World Just Witnessed the First Entirely Virtual Presidential Campaign [Politico] Advertisement Advertisement More on Russia: The Mueller Report Confirms We’re Living in a Cyberpunk Dystopia As a Futurism reader, we invite you join the Singularity Global Community, our parent company’s forum to discuss futuristic science & technology with like-minded people from all over the world. It’s free to join, sign up now!<doc-sep> | On Ukraine’s wildly popular television show Servant of the People, Volodymyr Zelensky plays an ordinary high-school history teacher who is unwittingly elected president of the country after his classroom rant against corruption goes viral on YouTube. “It’s not a story about how things are, but how they should be,” one of the show’s writers said in 2016 after the first season, which deftly skewered the absurdities of Ukranian politics. “That’s why people are watching it.” Ukranians voted today to make the show a reality, electing Zelensky as their actual president. He won by a wide margin over Petro Poroshenko, who has led the country since a revolution ousted the previous government in 2014. The first official exit polls showed Zelensky with 73% of the vote. Kvartal 95 As the fictional president, Zelensky rides his bike to work. The theatrical turn in Ukraine is another victory for the populist brand of politics that has spread across Europe in recent years, although Zelensky’s policy views are largely unknown. “I’m not a politician,” he said during a raucous debate in Ukraine’s largest soccer stadium two days before the election. “I’m just an ordinary person who has come to break the system.” Zelensky studied law before becoming a comedian and actor. He rose to national prominence in 2006 on the Ukranian version of Dancing With the Stars. Later, he founded the production company Kvartal 95, which created three television seasons and a movie spinoff of Servant of the People and then formed a political party for Zelensky using the same name and logo. Kvartal 95 The premiere of “Servant of the People” begins with a trio of oligarchs who control the country. His popularity, on television and in politics, owes to Ukraine’s widespread pessimism about politics. Though the incumbent Poroshenko was elected with the slogan “Live in a new way!”, his government has often resembled old-fashioned Ukrainian politics controlled by a small group of oligarchs. Ukrainians are also unhappy about the country’s poor economy and the proxy war with Russia over territory on the border in and around Crimea. In his run for president, Zelensky eschewed traditional campaigning, largely relying instead on Instagram and YouTube. Before debating Poroshenko, he insisted they both submit to drug and alcohol tests. Surprisingly, Poroshenko agreed, and national television broadcast both candidates giving samples of blood, urine, and hair follicles. Zelensky’s eccentricity was on display to the very end: On election day, police fined him for displaying his ballot to the public. “It’s important to be guided by reason, not laughs,” Poroshenko warned today after casting his ballot. “It could be funny first, but pain may come later.” For a preview of what the Zelensky government may entail, you can watch Servant of the People on Netflix or YouTube with English subtitles. Here’s the series premiere: Fox Studios bought the rights to make an American version of the show, but in the United States, life is already far ahead of art. |
Politics & Government Photos: Patriot Prayer Rally In Seattle Meets Counterprotest The right-wing group Patriot Prayer held a pro-gun rally Saturday in Seattle. They were met with a large counter-protest. Reply SEATTLE, WA - Saturday's Patriot Prayer rally at Seattle City Hall pitted gun-toting Oath Keepers and Proud Boys against antifa and other left wing counterprotesters. The two sides were separated by 4th Avenue and plenty of Seattle police, but they were still able to taunt and shout at each other. The rally began around 1 p.m. with Patriot Prayer founder Joey Gibson giving brief remarks. City Hall plaza was secured by police, but also dozens of armed men wearing homemade military-style gear. They forced some attendees to open their bags for security checks. Seattle police aided the security team by ejecting people who refused to be searched. The security was provided by the Oath Keepers and III% groups. A man from Eastern Washington who called himself "A.D." was inside the rally wearing a Confederate flag on his head. He said he came to the rally to fight for gun rights. The rally was initially called to protest I-1639, a gun safety ballot initiative. A Thurston County judge on Friday blocked that initiative after a challenge brought by the National Rifle Association. Across 4th Avenue from A.D., left wing protesters held up pictures of Heather Heyer, the woman killed by a white nationalist in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017. A.D. said he wore the Confederate flag on his head because his family is from the south. "I'm not a racist, I'm a lover of all," he said, underscoring that his family did not fight in the Civil War for slavery. "I don't agree with owning slaves." Counter protesters invoked Heather Heyer, who died in August 2017 when a white nationalist drove his car into a crowd in Charlottesville, Virginia Men from the Oath Keepers and III% groups provided extra security. They dressed in homemade military garb and carried semiautomatic handguns. Angie True Fryar wore her friend's shirt to the rally. The friend, Thomas Sparks, said he bought the shirt for an event just like this one. A member of the Proud Boys wearing the signature black and yellow Fred Perry polo shirt One attendee implied that sexual harassment and sexual assault can be stopped by arming women with guns David, from Pierce County, said he came to protest "left wing violence." He was seated under a tent waving a large flag. He said he believed that the counterprotesters across the street were being paid to be there, a notion many on the right believe. David said he was concerned antifascist protesters would use slingshots and rocks to attack the Patriot Prayer rally. "I don't know why people can't get along," he said. David said he wants everyone to get behind Donald Trump. "Can you imagine the good it would create if everyone stood behind the president?" he said.<doc-sep>Axios Exxon shareholders, bucking company management, voted to install at least two new members to the oil giant's board in a push to make Exxon more aggressive on addressing climate change and more disciplined in its oil investments.Why it matters: Exxon management campaigned strongly against the entire slate of four people nominated by Engine No. 1, the activist investment group whose campaign was backed by several major pension funds.Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for freeThe election of two of the four would avoid what could have been a categorical rebuke of the oil giant's strategy, but it still represents significant investor dissent.The vote in favor of the two new board members shows that many investors see Exxon, which has had a rocky financial performance in recent years, as poorly positioned for the future. Driving the news: Shareholders voted to add Gregory Goff and Kaisa Hietala at the oil giant's annual meeting Wednesday, Exxon said at the conclusion of voting. Tabulations on other candidates are still pending, though one of the Engine No. 1 candidates was voted down, Exxon stated in a press release. It's possible that one other activist candidate will still prevail.Hietala is a a former renewables executive with the refining company Neste and Goff is the former CEO of the refiner Andeavor.What they're saying: Charlie Penner, one of Engine No. 1's leaders, told shareholders at the meeting that Exxon management is "determined to fight off the future for as long as possible," but added: "change is coming. "The big picture: The battle over replacing members of Exxon's 13-person board comes amid increasing pressure on oil majors to do more on climate change.European-based multinational giants are diversifying more widely and vowing long-term transformations to "net-zero" emissions companies by 2050.Engine No. 1 also says Exxon lacks "any serious diversification efforts" that will prepare it to thrive in a low-carbon world. The group says Exxon needs a more cautious investment approach around oil and gas.Engine No. 1's candidates won the backing of some of the company's largest shareholders, including BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street.Yes, but: Exxon says it's in step with the evolving energy mix, citing growing emphasis on carbon capture and large market opportunities there, and efforts on hydrogen and biofuels.Exxon also argues its adjusted capital strategy will deliver strong returns in oil and gas, which it notes will remain huge markets for decades despite low-carbon energy growth.The company recently set new near- and medium-term targets to cut emissions intensity (that is, emissions per unit of output), but has eschewed the long-term carbon neutrality vows of its European peers.“ExxonMobil is in a strong position to create differentiating value throughout the energy transition,” CEO Darren Woods said, touting Exxon's oil-and-gas portfolio and its investment in climate technologies. "We welcome the new directors Gregory Goff in Kaisha Hietala to the board and look forward to working with them constructively and collectively on behalf of all shareholders," Woods said.Go deeper: The intensifying battle for Exxon's futureLike this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free.<doc-sep> | The Associated Press Seattle – Right-wing demonstrators gathered Saturday in Seattle for a “Liberty or Death” rally that drew counter-protesters from the left while dozens of police kept the two sides separated. The right-wing groups Washington 3 Percenters and Patriot Prayer were holding the rally outside Seattle City Hall to protest an effort to launch a gun-control initiative that would raise the age in Washington state for people buying semi-automatic rifles. The left-wing groups Organized Workers for Labor Solidarity, Radical Women and the Freedom Socialist Party were rallying at the same site. Hundreds of protesters on each side of the street were separated by Saturday afternoon by metal barriers and police officers as the left-wing protesters yelled and used cow bells and sirens to try to drown out speeches from the right-wing side. Police arrested at least three people on the counter-protester side as the demonstrations continued, but it wasn’t immediately clear why. One person on the right-wing group side was treated for an injury at the scene. Additional police also arrived, including police in riot gear with batons who took up positions in the street. Bicycle officers lined up their bikes as a type of moving barrier to keep protesters from entering the street, which remained open to traffic. The gun-control initiative would boost the age for the purchase of semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21 and would expand the background checks for those purchases. The measure would also require people to complete a firearm safety training course and create standards for safely storing firearms. A judge on Friday, however, threw out 300,000 signatures needed to put the initiative on the November ballot, saying the petition’s format did not follow election law. The Alliance for Gun Responsibility, the group behind the initiative, has filed a notice of appeal with the Washington Supreme Court. The protest came two weeks after police in riot gear in Portland, Oregon, tried to keep right-wing and left-wing groups apart. The effort mostly succeeded, but police were accused of being heavy-handed, prompting the city’s new police chief to order a review of officers’ use of force. |
A nuclear attack against the United States by North Korea would be “one and done”, while a cyber attack by North Korea is the gift that keeps on giving for Kim Jong Un. The former was never really a reality in our lifetime. But the latter is happening even as both nations prepare for the June 12 summit in Singapore. The lack of a specific doctrine in cyber warfare has plagued policymakers for years. In April, President Trump Donald TrumpTrump lashes out after grand jury seated for New York criminal probe Schumer tees up vote on Jan. 6 commission bill Senators struggle to save Jan. 6 commission MORE finally sent a report to Congress on U.S. policy for deterring and responding to attacks in the fifth domain — cyberspace. We’ve had a nuclear doctrine for decades, and now our cyber warfare doctrine is starting to evolve and mature. ADVERTISEMENT So where does that put us with North Korea? It puts us negotiating away a threat that was still years away from becoming a reality, and not dealing with the threat that is staring us in our digital face. After all, there’s little chance the hacking activities of North Korea will be up for discussion. International sanctions have severely crippled North Korea, making offensive cyber operations against financial institutions a necessary activity to generate much-needed cash. Even as both sides prepare for the summit in Singapore, North Korea continues to target banks in Latin America and Asia with ongoing attacks. The nuclear ambitions of North Korea can be traced back to the early 1950’s. Yet, it took until 2006 before Pyongyang announced their first underground nuclear explosion. Contrast that with the 2014 Sony attack by North Korea, and their quick evolution into a major threat in cyberspace. Had North Korea actually launched a nuclear missile, the military response would have been swift and deadly for Kim Jong Un. Instead, through cyberspace, North Korea can attack nations at-will with little chance of real penalty. In 2017, North Korea’s reported WannaCry ransomware attack targeted hospitals, banks and scores of companies. The scope of the attack was made possible by our own National Security Agency (NSA) when a highly classified toolkit of vulnerabilities was compromised. Over 300,00 computers in 150 countries were infected. In the United Kingdom many hospitals were hard hit, causing thousands of appointments and surgeries to be rescheduled. The only punishment? White House homeland security adviser Tom Bossert said “I hope they stop acting badly online. If they don't, this president will act on behalf of the United States." Ouch … Kim Jong Un must still be smarting from that tremendous rebuke. North Korea’s offensive cyber operations will be the ultimate bargaining chip. The prospect of peace, ending a 65-year-old war and the de-nuclearization of the Korean peninsula give Kim Jong Un the advantage for the foreseeable future. This advantage translates into a growing sophisticated malware threat that targets media, aerospace, financial and critical infrastructure organizations, both in the U.S. and globally. As recently as May 29, the FBI and DHS jointly issued an alert that details two families of malware tied to North Korea. Code-named HIDDEN COBRA, this hacking group has kept the intelligence, defense and cybersecurity community just as busy as China, Russia and Iran have. MSNBC and Joy Reid apologize for old blog posts but avoid hacking claimhttps://t.co/egw5UjI7g5 pic.twitter.com/Sjcfcv3rJM — The Hill (@thehill) June 1, 2018 Trend Micro, a Japan-based security firm, released an analysis in January 2018 on the Lazarus Group — a.k.a. HIDDEN COBRA. They concluded: “Few cybercrime groups throughout history have had as much disruptive power and lasting impact as the Lazarus Group.” Cyber warfare levels the global playing field in a way nuclear weapons can’t for North Korea. The risk-return calculation for hacking versus nukes is exponentially different. With the advent of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, and the relative anonymity that is inherent in the design, North Korea has been able to focus fewer resources to achieve bigger returns than a nuclear program ever could. From Bitcoin mining to outright theft, North Korea is estimated to have made as much as $200 million last year from cryptocurrency. This allows the country to blunt the effects of U.S. sanctions, and continue funding critical nuclear research — for now. Imagine what their capability will be when they can double, triple and even decuple their spending. (I had to look it up too. That’s a tenfold increase.) Nothing is off-limits for North Korea and their continued maturation as a sophisticated cyber threat. In addition to HIDDEN COBRA, North Korea has spinoff groups that focus on specific kinds of targets and attacks. Their activity has been traced back to 2007 and includes a 2016 attack against a bank in Bangladesh that netted $81 million by compromising the bank’s system to obtain its credentials to then send messages on the SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) network. Had it not been for some unforced errors, North Korea might have stolen an additional $850 million. Business is booming, and North Korea is branching out into mobile devices. To take one example, the Lazarus Group created a fake copy of a legitimate Bible reading app in Korean. This Android app — really a mobile malware attack — was available from Google Play and was targeted at users in South Korea. "Congress is clueless about Facebook — and that should make us panic" https://t.co/kIKDuaYcQX pic.twitter.com/WlOUmxZvdI — The Hill (@thehill) April 12, 2018 When Mark Zuckerberg Mark Elliot ZuckerbergTech giants face rising pressure from shareholder activists Democrats ask Facebook to abandon 'Instagram for kids' plans US billionaire wealth skyrocketed 55 percent during pandemic, accelerating inequality MORE testified before Congress on Russian activities during the 2016 election, much attention was paid to the fake profiles created on the Facebook platform. Nothing was mentioned about North Korea, Lazarus, HIDDEN COBRA, or Kim Jong Un and their fake profile campaigns. If North Korea can be this effective in cyberspace, imagine what they will be capable of five years from now. Sticking our heads in the sand about North Korea and their offensive cyber capabilities, only to get the “deal” done, is denial. Gavin De Becker in his book “The Gift of Fear” called denial a “save-now-pay-later” scheme. I can only imagine Kim Jong Un remarking to his band of sycophants, “And to think they were worried about our nukes.” Morgan Wright is an expert on cybersecurity strategy, cyberterrorism, identity theft and privacy. Previously Morgan was a senior advisor in the U.S. State Department Antiterrorism Assistance Program and senior law enforcement advisor for the 2012 Republican National Convention. Follow him on Twitter @morganwright_us. Editor's note: This article has been updated from a previous version.<doc-sep>In the June 5 Wall Street Journal, I advocate a long-term future for the U.S.-South Korea alliance, if and when the North Korean threat is largely defused or ended. My argument is based on several considerations: Strong alliances are better than international anarchy for the prevention of war, as a rule, historically; South Korea is perhaps among America’s five best allies in the world, with many capabilities of broader regional and global relevance that can contribute to U.S. security interests, as well; and South Korea (or a reunified Korea) will likely want some kind of hedge against Chinese power over the longer term, even if the North Korean threat is someday gone. I then lay out two different concepts for what a future U.S. military presence on the peninsula might look like: 1A modestly slimmed-down version of today’s nearly 30,000 GIs would sustain the ability to help protect Korea against an overland threat, with the ability to reinforce with 10 times as many U.S. troops in the event of a Chinese threat, in particular. 2A more regional and expeditionary force structure could be stationed, smaller and oriented towards maritime and multilateral missions as much as the defense of Korea, per se. We don’t need to figure all this out now, but we need to avoid making the wrong deal in Singapore that would preclude important options down the road. You can read the full op-ed here.<doc-sep>SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea said on Thursday that it would have second thoughts about a summit meeting between its leader, Kim Jong-un, and President Trump if American officials continued to make what the North considers threats against its leadership. The North Korean official who issued the warning singled out Vice President Mike Pence for remarks that she called “ignorant and stupid.” In an interview broadcast on Monday on Fox News, Mr. Pence warned that North Korea’s government could end up like that of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, the former Libyan leader. Mr. Qaddafi gave up his nascent nuclear program in the apparent hopes of staving off Western intervention and sanctions, and of negotiating economic integration with the West. But little of that happened, and years later he was killed by rebels after he was weakened in a military action against Libya by the United States and its European allies. In a statement carried by the North’s official Korean Central News Agency on Thursday, the North Korean official, Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, referred to “unlawful and outrageous acts” by top American officials and said that Mr. Pence had made “unbridled and impudent remarks that North Korea might end like Libya.”<doc-sep> | North Korea hasn’t confirmed all the personnel changes, though its state media did report one of the replacements last month. But if the moves have indeed taken place, they highlight a major challenge for Kim if he’s serious about making concessions on his nuclear arsenal: How do you pivot away from an arduous decades-old program, which you and your father and grandfather have lauded as the centerpiece of your country’s security and prosperity, without alienating a whole lot of people? As the Korea expert Van Jackson recently wrote, “North Korea’s nuclear weapons program has birthed a large bureaucratic and elite constituency in Pyongyang—an entire nuclear ‘industry’ of scientists, engineers and warfighters, and a corresponding maintenance and supply chain. The resource and human capital commitment to North Korea’s nuclear weapons enterprise means denuclearization could generate internal enemies, especially if declared by an unproven leader,” even one who has proven ruthless in purging high-ranking rivals since coming to power in 2011. Shin Beomchul, an expert on North Korea’s military who previously worked at South Korea’s defense and foreign affairs ministries, told me recently in Seoul that while some estimate that the North has spent $1 billion or more on its nuclear program and that 10,000 people are working on it in various capacities, these numbers are notoriously difficult to verify. He said it might be reasonable to assume that the Kim government would need to “demobilize 2,000 people during the denuclearization process.” But he added that these people could potentially be reassigned to other glamorous government projects without major disruption, and others agree. A team of Stanford researchers recently released a 10-year roadmap for denuclearizing North Korea in which the country’s nuclear scientists, engineers, and technicians are first tasked with halting nuclear operations, then rolling them back, and then working on civilian nuclear programs. Growing up in North Korea, the North Korean defector Ken Eom was told by the government that nuclear weapons were essential to “protect our land” from U.S. attack. The government also said they were needed to “develop the economy,” since powerful countries such as the United States and Russia wouldn’t be able to “ignore” a nuclear-armed North Korea and would be compelled to offer the North economic and diplomatic concessions. Many North Koreans “believe” these arguments, said Eom, who escaped from North Korea in 2010, shortly before Kim Jong Un came to power. But “nowadays it’s a difficult situation for the [Kim] regime because many people are [losing faith in] the North Korean promise” since the economy isn’t growing in sync with the country’s nuclear arsenal. Some elites think the purpose of nuclear weapons is to protect their personal position and the Kim regime, Eom told me in Seoul, though they tend to be more afraid of Kim Jong Un than the United States. Whereas his father, Kim Jong Il, pursued a “military-first” policy, Kim Jong Un has focused his military buildup on nuclear weapons and redirected significant resources and attention from the military to developing the economy in tandem with—and possibly, ultimately at the expense of—his nuclear arsenal, said John Delury, a Korea expert at Yonsei University in Seoul. “We’re at a major transition,” Delury told me. |
CEO of ADL: Seeing a 'blitzkrieg of anti-Jewish' acts across US Dana Bash: This is so telling about where the Republican party is NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 24: Trump Tower stands on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan on August 24, 2018 in New York City. Following new allegations over hush money that former Trump attorney Michael Cohen paid to an adult-film actress, the Manhattan district attorneyÕs office in New York City may seek criminal charges against the Trump Organization in the coming days. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Why GOP is standing in the way of Capitol riot investigation WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 08: US Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner (R-VA) remarks on the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld at the US Capitol November 8, 2006 in Washington, DC. Warner said he supports President George W. Bush's nomination of former CIA Director Robert Gates for Secretary of Defense. Warner said he anticipates Gates' confirmation before the end of the year. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), joined by Senate Assistant Minority Leader John Thune (R-SD) (L) and Senate Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO), speaks following a Senate Republican Policy luncheon at the Russell Senate Office Building on May 18, 2021 in Washington, DC. Hear what Matt Gaetz said about Paul Ryan before his speech Former GOP senator: If McConnell said this, 'it's shameful' 'Some people have no shame': Biden calls out GOP lawmakers with list North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un listens to US President Donald Trump (not pictured) during a meeting at the Sofitel Legend Metropole hotel in Hanoi on February 27, 2019. (Photo by Saul LOEB / AFP) (CNN) — A shadowy North Korean dissident group claimed responsibility for last month’s raid on Pyongyang’s embassy in the Spanish capital, Madrid on Tuesday but disputed allegations that what occurred at the diplomatic compound was an “attack” involving armed intruders. Cheollima Civil Defense, a secretive organization whose goal is to overthrow the Kim regime in North Korea, also denied that any other foreign governments were involved in the operation or that it was related to President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un’s summit in Hanoi, which occurred days later. “This was not an attack. We responded to an urgent situation in the Madrid embassy. We were invited into the embassy, and contrary to reports, no one was gagged or beaten. Out of respect for the host nation of Spain, no weapons were used. All occupants in the embassy were treated with dignity and necessary caution. There were no other governments involved with or aware of our activity until after the event,” a statement released by CCD said. “We have evidence verifying our account. It is to protect those who seek our help, and those who take great risk to protect others, that we cannot share more about the event at this time. We continue to be engaged in extraordinarily sensitive work around the world,” it added. The statement was released hours after a Spanish judge said Tuesday that the FBI was contacted by one of the alleged intruders who carried out last month’s mysterious raid on the North Korean embassy in Madrid and offered stolen data taken during the brazen attack. Judge José de la Mata lifted a secret decree on the investigation into the February 22 attack, providing “an account of what happened before, during and after the assault,” according to a document from Spain’s High Court. The alleged incident, was carried out by 10 people who the judge says identified “themselves as members of an association or human rights movement for the liberation of North Korea.” The court document does not specifically name CCD. Five days after the attack, the FBI was contacted by the group’s alleged leader, a US resident, “in order to provide information regarding the incident at the Embassy, as well as the audiovisual material allegedly obtained” during the raid, the document says. “In addition, he stated that, under his own will, he carried out the events together with a group of unidentified persons,” it adds. The judge also said he believes the identified intruders, which include American and South Korean citizens, traveled to the US after the attack. State Department deputy spokesperson Robert Palladino said Tuesday that the US government “had nothing to do with” the attack at the embassy. He also noted that the US “would always call for the protection of embassies belonging to any diplomatic mission throughout the world.” The FBI declined to comment. CCD maintains that they shared information with the FBI voluntarily, but at the bureau’s request. “No information about Madrid was shared with any parties with the expectation of any benefit or money in exchange. The organization shared certain information of enormous potential value with the FBI in the United States, under mutually agreed terms of confidentiality. This information was shared voluntarily and on their request, not our own. Those terms appear to have been broken,” the statement said, referring to media reports implicating them in the break in. Spanish authorities confirmed earlier this month that they were investigating a reported attack on the embassy but declined to provide details about an ongoing probe. Spain’s Interior Ministry previously said it does not comment on active investigations. Previous accounts of the attack published by the Spanish newspaper El País said a group of individuals carrying fake firearms entered the compound where they interrogated and beat up people inside. The alleged assailants then restrained staff members with rope and stole a variety of items before fleeing in luxury vehicles, according to Spanish media reports. Similar details were revealed in the Spanish court document released Tuesday. A source familiar with the incident previously told CNN that the Cheollima Civil Defense, a shadowy North Korean dissident group, is believed to be behind the attack, which occurred days before US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held their second summit, in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi. Trump and Kim’s meeting ended abruptly in part due to disagreement over when to remove UN sanctions in exchange for steps toward Pyongyang’s denuclearization. But Trump and his aides said both sides left on good terms. The Washington Post was first to report the involvement of the secretive group. They were also first to report that the FBI was contacted by the alleged intruders. The Cheollima Civil Defense first gained international recognition after it reportedly came to the defense of Kim Han Sol, the son of Kim Jong Nam. Kim Jong Nam, the elder half-brother of North Korea’s leader, was exposed to the deadly nerve agent VX in 2017 while entering an airport in Kuala Lumpur, killing him in minutes. US, South Korean and Malaysian authorities have pinned the attack on Pyongyang, but North Korea has adamantly denied any responsibility. It’s unclear why Kim Jong Nam was killed, but analysts said that if North Korea was behind the murder, perhaps Kim Jong Un saw his brother and his family as a possible threat to his leadership. “The Cheollima Civil Defense established credibility by acting quickly and getting Kim Han Sol, the son of Kim Jong Nam, within days of his father’s gruesome assassination,” said Sung-Yoon Lee, a professor at Tufts University Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. CNN’s Josh Berlinger and Jennifer Hansler contributed reporting<doc-sep>MADRID, March 26 - A Spanish judge plans to request the extradition from the United States of members of a group he suspects of forcing their way into the North Korean embassy in Madrid and trying to persuade an official there to defect, a judicial source said on Tuesday. The judge believes a group of 10 intruders identified themselves during the assault as human rights campaigners, according to a Spanish High Court document. The group's leader contacted the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) a few days later to pass on information about the raid, the document said. A judicial source told Reuters the judge believes all the identified suspects went to the United States after the raid and that he would request their extradition to Spain, where they could face up to 28 years in prison. State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said the US government was not involved in the raid, which Spanish High Court documents said involved a Mexican citizen who is a US resident and a US citizen, as well as South Korean citizens. "The United States government had nothing to do with this," Palladino told a regular news briefing, stressing that the United States called for the protection of all embassies. He referred questions about the investigation to Spanish authorities. The State Department did not respond immediately to a request for comment about the extradition request. The FBI said in a statement it was "our standard practice to neither confirm nor deny the existence of an investigation," adding that the agency had a strong working relationship with Spanish law enforcement partners. Spain's Interior Ministry had previously said police were investigating an incident at the embassy on Feb. 22 but gave no details, except to say that a North Korean citizen had been injured and that no one had filed a complaint. A Mexican citizen who is a US resident, identified as Adrian Hong Chang, led the group, the Spanish High Court said in the document, based on the investigation of the incident. The Adrian Hong Chang named by the court is a longtime activist who helped co-found the refugee aid organization Liberty in North Korea (LINK), and later led an organization preparing for an "imminent, dramatic change" in North Korea, according to NK News, a website that monitors North Korea. He has usually gone by Adrian Hong in his professional affiliations and in op-eds about North Korea penned for numerous American publications. LINK said Hong was a co-founder as a college student but had not been involved with the organization for more that 10 years. The court identified the US citizen as Sam Ryu. The group stole computers, hard disks and pen drives, it said. It was not clear how the court knew that Hong had contacted the FBI. Three of the intruders took an embassy official into the basement and encouraged him to defect from North Korea. They identified themselves as members of a group which campaigned for the "liberation of North Korea," the document said. A dissident organization called Cheollima Civil Defense acknowledged on its website late on Tuesday that it was behind the incident but said it was not an attack and that the group had been invited into the embassy. Cheollima, also known as Free Joseon, said no one was gagged or beaten and that no governments were involved. It said identifying individuals involved would "aid and abet the regime in Pyongyang." It did not acknowledge any of the names in the court documents. FAKE GUNS, BALACLAVA MASKS The Washington Post reported earlier this month that Cheollima Civil Defense had carried out the raid. The paper quoted unidentified sources as saying last week that the group shared information about the raid with the FBI. A source familiar with official U.S. government reporting on the incident said that, while they were not 100 percent positive, U.S. government experts found it plausible that Cheollima Civil Defense carried out the raid. The source did not want to be otherwise identified. The Spanish court document gave a detailed account of the intruders' movements before as well as during the intrusion, including their stay in a hotel and purchases of knives, balaclava masks and fake guns. There was no immediate comment on the matter from South Korea's Foreign Ministry. Spain's Interior Ministry and Mexico's foreign ministry declined to comment. The embassy raid occurred shortly before the Feb. 27-28 summit in Hanoi between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump. The Mexican, Hong Chang, said he carried out the raid voluntarily and did not identify his companions, the court document said. Sung-Yoon Lee, a North Korea expert at Tufts University in the United States, said he was shocked that the names should have been revealed in the Spanish documents. He said this could put the lives of members of the group - including a US citizen, a U.S. resident and citizens of a close ally, South Korea - at risk from North Korean reprisals. "It seemed clear to me that the FBI had initially taken the position that the intel assets the group had retrieved at the embassy warranted the protection of the identities of the group," he said. "That the Spanish government has not redacted the names of the persons implicated is also quite shocking," he said. "Observing this extraordinary situation unfold, who in the future would collaborate with the United States government were they ever to come into possession of high-value intelligence on North Korea obtained illegally?” Lee said. The FBI declined to comment when asked about the risk of North Korean reprisals. According to the court document, the group kept embassy staff tied up for several hours and then searched the premises for arms before leaving, at which point they separated into four groups and headed to Portugal. Hong Chang then flew from Lisbon to New York. In Spain, the High Court has the power to investigate criminal offenses, after which formal accusations are launched.<doc-sep> | Cheollima Civil Defense: Group claims raid on North Korea's embassy Published 27 March 2019 image copyright Reuters image caption Police were alerted after a woman jumped from an embassy window and screamed for help A shadowy group committed to ousting North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un has claimed it was behind a raid last month at the North Korean embassy in Spain. Cheollima Civil Defense, a self-styled human rights group, reportedly fled with computers, a phone and hard discs. The break-in occurred just days before a key summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi, Vietnam. The group denied using force, saying it was "not an attack". However, a Spanish high court judge said the 10 assailants shackled, beat and interrogated embassy staff in the incident on 22 February. It remains unclear why the raid took place. Cheollima wrote online that it had "responded to an urgent situation in the Madrid embassy". It said it had "shared information of enormous potential value" with the FBI, the US intelligence agency, "under mutually agreed terms of confidentiality". What happened in the raid? On Tuesday Judge José de la Mata lifted a secret decree on the investigation, according to a document from Spain's High Court. The break-in began at 16:34 (15:34 GMT), it said, and most of the intruders fled at 21:40. The judge said the group had "identified themselves as members of a human rights movement seeking to liberate North Korea". One of their number, named as Adrian Hong Chang, allegedly gained access to the embassy by asking to see the commercial attaché, whom he claimed to have met previously to discuss business matters. His accomplices burst in once he was inside, the judge said. The group are accused of interrogating the attaché and trying to persuade him to defect. When he refused, they left him tied up in the basement, the judge said. image copyright Google Maps image caption The two-storey embassy has a swimming pool and lies to the north-west of central Madrid Two other members of the break-in group were named as US citizen Sam Ryu, and a South Korean, Woo Ran Lee. The judge said that embassy staff were held hostage for several hours. One woman managed to flee, escaping through a window and screaming for help. Concerned neighbours quickly called the police. When officers arrived, they were greeted by Adrian Hong Chang, posing as a North Korean diplomat in a jacket with a Kim Jong-un lapel badge. He told the police that all was well, and nothing had happened. That evening most of the group fled the embassy in three North Korean diplomatic vehicles, the judge said. Mr Hong Chang and some others left later via the back entrance using another vehicle. They split up into four groups and headed to Portugal, the court document said. Mr Hong Chang - a Mexican citizen who lives in the US - allegedly contacted the FBI to give his version of events five days later. What do we know about this group? Cheollima Civil Defense (CDC), also known as Free Joseon, is committed to overthrowing North Korea's ruling Kim dynasty. A video posted on its website and YouTube page purports to show one of the intruders smashing portraits of North Korea's communist leaders inside the Madrid embassy. CDC first came to prominence after taking credit for getting Kim Jong-un's nephew, Kim Han-sol, safely out of Macau after the assassination of his father. Kim Jong-nam - who was the North Korean leader's estranged half-brother - was murdered at an airport in Malaysia in 2017. Kim Han-sol has expressed his desire to go back to North Korea, and has referred to his uncle as a "dictator". 'Exposed from the shadows' Analysis by Laura Bicker, BBC News, Seoul The Cheollima Civil Defense has been a topic of conversation among journalists for months. Now, courtesy of Spanish High Court papers, we have the names of some of those suspected of being behind the raid on the North Korean embassy in Madrid. But there are still so many questions. Adrian Hong Chang was the leader, according to the Spanish High Court. Mr Hong Chang is a well-known North Korean human rights activist. He has helped defectors flee North Korea in the past. But where would he get the funding and the know-how to carry out an operation such as this? |
The New York archdiocese’s counterparts in Newark, Hartford and Brooklyn made their own disclosures this year. The Brooklyn diocese, which also includes Queens, named more than 100 accused priests in February. The Jesuit province that includes New York also identified accused priests, including many who had served in the order’s schools within the archdiocese’s territory. Some abuse survivors have welcomed the disclosures as validation, believing that the church was starting to acknowledge, after years of silence, what they endured. But a recurring criticism has been the limits of the church’s transparency, as bishops have operated at their own discretion and shared less information than many advocates had wanted. “What I will say is that we are grateful that the archdiocese is finally taking this step, belated though it may be,” said Zach Hiner, executive director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, known as SNAP. The New York archdiocese listed 53 priests and deacons who were credibly accused of abuse, admitted to it, were convicted of a crime related to it, or were involved in a civil settlement. Most of them were either defrocked or have died. Included on that list was Theodore E. McCarrick, the former cardinal who was one of the highest-profile leaders in the church to be accused of abuse and was recently expelled from the priesthood. Nearly 60 other clergy members named had died or left the ministry before being accused in cases that led to financial settlements from the archdiocese’s Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program. The list also includes eight priests who have been removed from ministry and are awaiting final canonical or archdiocesan disposition of allegations against them. Most of the alleged abuse took place between the 1950s and the 1990s, according to a graph provided by the archdiocese. The archdiocese also said that since the 2002 overhaul of the church’s practices surrounding abuse claims, two cases had been found credible. “Please be assured,” Cardinal Dolan said, “there is not a single priest or deacon of the Archdiocese of New York against whom there has been a credible and substantiated claim of abuse against a minor currently in ministry.”<doc-sep>WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – One hundred and twenty names of Catholic clergy members accused of child abuse or possession of child pornography were released Friday by the Archdiocese of New York. The list includes 53 men who have been deemed by the archdiocese "credibly accused," an additional eight are awaiting a final determination from the church, and 58 men on the list had accusations that didn't meet the archdiocese's "credibly accused" criteria but their victims were considered eligible for compensation, according to the archdiocese website. None is in active ministry. Some were defrocked, and others have died. Among them are clergy who served in the Lower Hudson Valley, including priests Gennaro Gentile and Kenneth Jesselli as well as deacon Albert Mazza, all who served in Holy Name of Mary in Croton-on-Hudson, former president of Archbishop Stepinac High School John O'Keefe and Ralph LaBelle, who served as a priest in the Sacred Heart in Patterson. Catholic Church sexual abuse scandal:More Americans than ever are leaving the Catholic Church after the sex abuse scandal. Here's why. Louisiana diocese releases list:Joining growing national trend, Louisiana diocese releases names of accused clergy The Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program was created in 2016 to determine compensation for victims of Catholic priest abuse. More than 350 individuals have been received compensation through the program. The release, from the nation’s second-largest Roman Catholic archdiocese, follows more than 120 such disclosures from other dioceses around the country as the church reckons with demands for transparency about sex abuse by clergy. The string of voluntary disclosures by top Catholic leaders follows a Pennsylvania grand jury investigation in August which documented the "horrifying scale" of sexual abuse perpetrated by 300 priests on more than 1,000 identified victims spanning nearly eight decades. Should Catholics keep their faith? :Sex abuse scandals prompt more to personally question ties to church, poll finds 'Embarrassingly wrong':Pope Benedict blasted for blaming homosexuality, sexual revolution for church abuse crisis A review board for the program determines those "credibly accused" if they meet at least one of the following criteria: the allegation is found credible and substantiated; the accused was laicized or permanently removed from ministry as a result of the allegation; the accused admitted the allegation; the accused was convicted of a crime in connection with the allegation; a civil settlement resulted from an allegation prior to the creation of the Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program. The list of priests can be found here. Contributing: The Associated Press; Ashley White, Leigh Guidry and Andrew Yawn, Lafayette Daily Advertiser Follow Colleen Wilson on Twitter: @Colleenallreds<doc-sep>The Archdiocese of New York has released a list Friday containing the names of 120 bishops, priests and deacons who have been “credibly accused” of sexually abusing a minor, possessing child porn or were at the center of compensation claim cases. Data from the list shows the majority of the alleged sexual abuse or incidents that resulted in compensation claims happened between the 1970s and early 1990s. The list doesn’t name the locations where the clergy worked, but says around half of them were ordained in the 1950s and 1960s – and the majority are now deceased. One of the names that appears -- Theodore McCarrick – went on to become a Cardinal and was defrocked by the Vatican in February after it found him guilty of sexual abuse. “No priest or deacon in [the Archdiocese of New York] against whom a credible and substantiated claim of abuse of a minor has been made is currently in ministry,” Cardinal Timothy Dolan tweeted out Friday while announcing the list. NUNS SEXUALLY ABUSING MINORS COULD BECOME NEXT CATHOLIC CHURCH SCANDAL, EXPERTS SAY “Please join me in praying for peace and consolation for victim-survivors and their families,” he added. The Archdiocese says the names on the list “have been credibly accused of sexually abusing a minor or possessing child pornography, or who were the subject of a claim made to the Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program that was deemed eligible for compensation. “It does not include priests belonging to religious orders or institutes, many of which have already released their own lists of accused priests, nor ‘extern’ priests who were ordained in other dioceses,” it noted. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The Archdiocese says it has appointed a “Victim Assistance Coordinator who provides pastoral care to victims of abuse” and that “all victims are also offered professional counseling by a counselor of his or her choosing. “The archdiocese pays for this counseling,” it added. “Any victim, no matter how old the offense, is offered help.”<doc-sep> | Image : AP On Friday, April 26, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York released a list of 115 priests and five deacons accused of sexually abusing children from the 1950s up to the early 2000s. According to The New York Times, this disclosure is part of a broader move by the church to name those responsible for the abuse and beg public forgiveness, though New York, home to one of America’s largest Catholic communities, has been slower than other cities to disclose the names of abusers. Along with the list, Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan released his own apology letter: “‘I write to ask forgiveness again,’” Cardinal Dolan said in a letter accompanying the list on Friday, “‘for the failings of those clergy and bishops who should have provided for the safety of our young people but instead betrayed the trust placed in them by God and by the faithful.’” The New York archdiocese covers Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island. It accounts for one of the largest Catholic communities in the U.S., with 2.8 million Catholics in 300 parishes with 200 schools. Nearby Newark, Hartford, and Brooklyn (which also includes Queens) have released their own lists. In Brooklyn and Queens alone, there were more than 100 priests named. Many of the priests named on the New York list have died, others have been defrocked; 53 of the priests listed were either convicted of a crime or involved in a civil settlement. Dolan insists no one currently involved with the New York archdiocese has been accused of sexual abuse: “Please be assured,” Cardinal Dolan said, “there is not a single priest or deacon of the Archdiocese of New York against whom there has been a credible and substantiated claim of abuse against a minor currently in ministry.” But critics of the way Catholic leaders in New York City have handled of decades of abuse note the failure to include priests’ work histories or the names of accused clergy from other orders who worked within the community. |
EMBED >More News Videos Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham says the Democrats' treatment of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is the "most despicable thing" he has seen in politics. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham is defending President Trump's remarks mocking Christine Blasey Ford, the Bay Area professor accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault. "Everything he said was factual. He's frustrated his nominee has been treated so badly", said Graham during an interview with the Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg "Factual? It was a personal degrading attack on someone who is private citizen," questioned Goldberg. "Well, you know. Here's what's personally degrading. This what you get when you go through a trailer park with a $100 bill," said Graham.That "trailer park" comment was a reference to a remark made by James Carville, a strategist to former president Bill Clinton.Carville made a derogatory remark after Paula Jones accused Clinton of sexually harassing her in a Little Rock hotel room in the 1990's. "If you drag a hundred dollar bill through a trailer park, you never know what you'll find," said Carville.On Wednesday, Graham alluded to the fact that people don't always get treated with respect during high-profile cases. "I know what can happen to a woman who comes forward in a political environment, said Graham.<doc-sep>Sen. Lindsey Graham defended President Donald Trump’s mocking of Christine Blasey Ford, arguing that it was less degrading than how some Democrats responded to accusations against Bill Clinton. During an interview at The Atlantic Forum Wednesday, the South Carolina Republican said that everything Trump said while mocking Ford at a rally in Mississippi on Tuesday was “factual.” “Everything he said is factual,” Graham said. “He’s frustrated his nominee has been treated so badly.” Pressed by the interviewer, who called Trump’s remarks a “personal, degrading attack,” Graham then quoted a line infamously used by Clinton adviser James Carville about Paula Jones, who accused Clinton of sexual harassment as governor of Arkansas: “Drag a hundred dollars through a trailer park and there’s no telling what you’ll find,” Carville said in 1997. “You know what’s personally degrading?” Graham responded. “‘This is what you get when you go through a trailer park with a $100 bill.’ This is not the first time this has happened.” Read More: Susan Collins Criticizes Trump’s Mocking of Christine Blasey Ford Graham said he did not approve of Trump’s comments on Tuesday, but that it could have been worse. “Sometimes people are accused of something they didn’t do,” Graham said. “So President Trump went through a factual rendition that I didn’t particularly like and I would tell him to ‘Knock it off, you’re not helping’ but it can be worse — you can kill someone’s cat and puncture their tires to get them to shut up.” The interviewer asked if Graham was saying people should be thankful Trump didn’t say something more offensive. “The point is we’ve come a long way since 1990,” he said. “Whether you like it or not, I really don’t care. I’ve seen what happened to these women in 1990 when they came forward. I don’t like what the president said last night, I’m the first person to say I want to hear it from Dr. Ford, I thought she was handled respectfully, I thought Kavanaugh was treated like crap.” Get our Politics Newsletter. The headlines out of Washington never seem to slow. Subscribe to The D.C. Brief to make sense of what matters most. Please enter a valid email address. * The request timed out and you did not successfully sign up. Please attempt to sign up again. Sign Up Now An unexpected error has occurred with your sign up. Please try again later. Check the box if you do not wish to receive promotional offers via email from TIME. You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Thank you! For your security, we've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered. Click the link to confirm your subscription and begin receiving our newsletters. If you don't get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder. Write to Gina Martinez at gina.martinez@time.com.<doc-sep> | GOLDBERG: If he’s listening right now, what would you say to him about his performance last night in which he openly disparaged a person who alleges she was a victim of sexual assault by his Supreme Court nominee? GRAHAM: I'd say, hey, I can figure this out. Everything he said was factual. He's frustrated his nominee has been treated so badly— GOLDBERG: Factual? It’s a personal, degrading attack on someone who’s a private citizen— GRAHAM: Well, you know — you know, here’s what’s personally degrading: “Here’s what you get when you go through a trailer park with a $100 bill.” See, this is not the first time this has happened. [AUDIENCE REACTS] GOLDBERG: That's actually a reference to something somebody said. GRAHAM: James Carville. See, most of you all are too young to remember this. The bottom line is, I know what can happen to a woman who comes forward in a political environment. Dr. Ford, I thought, was treated respectfully by [the Republican-hired prosecutor] Ms. Mitchell. I’m glad she did it. She was boring. Boring’s okay. So, I’ve been a prosecutor most of my — defense attorney and judge before I got in this business. For every woman who comes forward, God knows how many never say a word and take it to their grave. Sometimes people are accused of something they didn’t do. So President Trump went through a factual rendition that I didn’t like, and I would tell him knock it off. You’re not helping. But it can be worse. You can actually kill somebody’s cat and puncture their tires to get them to shut up, so, what he said— GOLDBERG: I don't even understand what that means. GRAHAM: Well, you don’t remember Kathleen Willey and Juanita Broaddrick, so you don’t. I do. I was impeachment— |
How to watch the No. 2 Virginia Cavaliers (25-2) vs. Pittsburgh Panthers (12-16) Time: 2:00 p.m. ET Location: John Paul Jones Arena TV & Online Streaming: Raycom | TheACC.com Radio: Virginia Sports Radio Network Latest Sportsbook Odds: Virginia is favored to win by 18 points. It’s officially March, which means everyone is finally starting to pay attention to college basketball again. Of course, you’ve been tracking alongside with us all this time, so you’re already in the know. As UVA looks to host the hapless Panthers today, Virginia fans everywhere are just hoping that nothing funny happens today. Play the game. Don’t do anything stupid. Get the W. Let’s cruise the rest of the season. Join us pre- and in-game and give us your thoughts!<doc-sep>The No. 2 Virginia Cavaliers cruised to an easy 73-49 win over the Pittsburgh Panthers on Saturday afternoon, improving to 26-2 (14-2 ACC) on the season. Pitt falls to 12-17 (2-14 ACC). Virginia got strong performances out of the “Big Three” as Kyle Guy (17 points, 5-for-7 3PT), De’Andre Hunter (13 points, five assists), and Ty Jerome (12 points, 4-for-5 shooting) all hit double-digits. The trio also played 24-29 minutes, getting rest in preparation for a quick turnaround. Kihei Clark had a strong outing with six points on 2-for-2 shooting (2-for-2 at the line) to go with four assists, three rebounds, and no turnovers. The Hoos shot 59% from the field and 56% from three in the game. Virginia turned the ball over 10 times, several of which came in garbage time down the stretch. Jared Wilson-Frame led the Panthers with 15 points on 5-for-11 shooting and Au’diese Toney added 12 points. Pitt shot 39% from the field and 32% from three for the game, turning it over 15 times. Wilson-Frame connected from three with six seconds left on the shot clock to give Pitt the first bucket of the game, and Virginia answered with a turnover on the other end. A bunny rimmed out for the Panthers on their second possession, corralled by Salt who re-entered the starting lineup. Jerome got his first floater to fall to get the Hoos on the board, and another defensive stop gave Virginia a chance to take the lead. Guy’s first attempt from three went off the iron, but Pitt couldn’t take advantage. Both teams came up empty on their next couple possessions until Pitt took advantage of an offensive rebound to take a 5-2 lead with 16:27 to play in the first half. Another Jerome floater made it a one-point game yet again, and Hunter’s first bucket gave the Hoos a 6-5 lead. One free throw from Pitt and a put-back from Diakite made it a two-point game, but Pitt was unable to tie it up or take the lead before Hunter connected from three. Kene Chukwuka drew a foul on Diakite, making both to cut Virginia’s lead to 11-8 with 12:14 to play. Sidy N’Dir closed the Panthers within one with a floater over Guy and Huff, but Virginia answered with a reverse layup from Huff. After a Pitt miss, Clark found Hunter in the middle of the zone for a turnaround jumper to push Virginia’s lead back to five. Outstanding ball movement on the offense — initiated by a drive in the lane by Clark for a kick out to Hunter — led to a swing pass to Guy for a three and an 18-10 lead with just over 9:30 to play. Guy followed with another three to push Virginia’s lead to 11, and the defense forced turnovers on four straight possessions as the Hoos continued to build their lead. A Jerome layup and one free throw from Hunter made it 27-10 to push Virginia’s run to 16-0 before N’Dir ended a six-plus minute scoring drought for the Panthers. Guy responded with his third three of the game, and Clark came up with a steal. He was fouled going to the basket, making both to give the Hoos a 32-15 advantage. Wilson-Frame’s second three of the half cut Virginia’s advantage to 17, but Jerome answered with one of his own with three seconds left on the shot clock. The two teams traded free throws with Pitt making one and Hunter hitting two, but another three from Wilson cut the advantage to 37-19 with 35 seconds remaining in the half. Jerome drew a foul with six seconds left — making both — and Wilson-Frame’s attempt at the buzzer went wide to send Virginia into the half with a 39-19 lead. The Hoos shot 62% from the field and 56% from three in the first half and assisted seven of its 13 made baskets. Hunter led Virginia with 12 first half points, followed by Jerome with 11, and Guy with nine. Virginia had just four first half turnovers. Virginia’s defense was sturdy as usual, holding Pitt to 32% shooting and 30% beyond the arc. The Panthers turned it over 10 times in the first half (five steals for the Hoos) and only made six field goals. Wilson-Frame led the Panthers with nine points, going 3-for-7 beyond the arc. The second half started with layup from Guy and two made free throws from Jerome as Virginia’s lead grew to 24 points. After another miss from Pitt, Jerome found Diakite for an easy dunk. Pitt’s first bucket of the second half came with 17:31 to play after a Virginia turnover led to an easy run out for Au’diese Toney. Diakite answered with two points from the free throw line as the Hoos continued to roll. Chukwuka got free with a back cut for an easy score, but Clark’s fourth assist of the game found Guy for a three from the wing. Toney answered with a three of his own — the first Pitt player not named Wilson-Frame to make a three — to make it 50-26 with just over 15 minutes to play. Another three from Pitt made it 53-31, but Clark and Toney traded baskets to make it a 22-point game. Guy connected for his fifth three of the game — this one from the corner — and Virginia got a stop defensively. Huff was fouled and made both, giving Virginia its biggest lead of the game at 27. Terrell Brown’s dunk was answered with Clark’s second layup of the game, and he almost had a highlight reel assist on the next trip down the court but Huff couldn’t finish the dunk. Another easy bucket for Pitt cut Virginia’s lead to 23 until Hunter found Key in transition for an emphatic dunk to make it 64-39 with 8:18 to play. Marco Anthony, who came in at the 9:19 mark of the second half, got his first bucket of the game as he drove the lane for a high-arcing layup. Anthony was called for three fouls on Pitt’s next offensive possession, resulting in the Panthers making one of two free throws at the line. A layup from Brown made it 66-42, but Anthony connected on a three late in the shot clock to put Virginia up 27 with 5:22 to play. Pitt added some points at the free throw line, but the restless crowd came alive after reserve player Austin Katstra drilled a three with 1:40 to play. Next up, Virginia travels to Syracuse for a Big Monday matchup with the Orange. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.<doc-sep>As the Virginia Cavaliers basketball team nears the end of the regular season, things are getting interesting. The ACC tournament is just 10 days away and the NCAA tournament kicks off in 17 days. The Hoos final two ACC games are against likely NCAA tournament teams Louisville and Syracuse. However barring a miraculous run to the ACC Tournament Championship, the Pittsburgh Panthers will not be dancing in March. With a double-bye in the ACC Tourney, there’s a good chance that Virginia will be facing NCAA caliber teams there as well. In other words, there is a good chance that is the last game the Hoos will play against a non-NCAA tournament team. Pitt is 12-15 (2-12). That’s not good. They’ve also lost 11 in a row. They rank 93rd on KenPom. The Panthers’ two ACC wins have come over Louisville and FSU, both NCAA Tournament teams. Both of those wins came at home, whereas this game is in Charlottesville. The Panthers actually have not won a road game all year, though they are 2-0 in neutral site games. Maybe you remember last year’s Pitt game. The score at halftime was 30-7. Yes, the Panthers had just seven points in the first half. The final score was 66-37, which looks respectable in comparison. Of those 37 points, just 13 return. Of the eight Pitt players who scored, just three return. Last year’s team was young. Then, three promising freshmen transferred after head coach Kevin Stallings was fired. New head coach Jeff Capel basically had to start over from scratch. Senior JUCO transfer Jared Wilson-Frame had nine in last year’s game. He’s back, and although he’s second on the team in scoring, he’s probably their best offensive player. He’s a deadly shooter from outside, making 39% on over seven attempts per game. He’ll likely face off against DeAndre Hunter, which is a big mismatch for the Hoos. This isn’t exactly the prettiest of shots and a step-back trey with 15 left on the shot clock may not be the best shot. But Wilson-Frame has that ability. The Panthers’ leading scorer is freshman PG Xavier Johnson, from Arlington, VA. In case you were wondering, Tony Bennett looked at him, but did not offer. Johnson leads the team in scoring and assists, and is among the nation’s leaders in assist rate (second in the ACC behind Justin Robinson...Ty Jerome is third). Johnson is also a good shooter (39%) and gets to the line a lot. Those things all help him overcome a sky-high turnover rate. He averages about 4.6 assists per game, and 3.8 turnovers per game. That gives him an a/to ratio of just 1.2, which is not good for a PG. It’s also not surprising for a freshman PG on a bad team. Johnson will get better. Starting in the backcourt with Johnson is another freshman, Trey McGowens. McGowens is a pure scorer who excels off the bounce and is among the nation’s leaders in FT rate. He scored 30+ in both of Pitt’s ACC wins, with a high of 17 in their losses. If Pitt is going to win this game, it’s likely McGowans leading them to victory. This is what McGowens can do. He’s just a 30% shooter from deep, but he can get into the lane pretty much at will. He can finish inside, as he does here. But he also draws contact. This could have easily been a foul. He and Kyle Guy will see a lot of each other in this contest. Like Jeff Capel teams in the past, the Panthers like to get out in transition. They’ll pick up full court, or three-quarters court. They want to force turnovers, but more importantly, they want to make the offense uncomfortable. Unlike some pressure defenses, the goal isn’t to speed up the offense, it’s to slow down the offense. Pitt plays at the 183rd fastest pace in the nation. But their offense is very fast (85th), while their defense is very slow (257th). Because Johnson and McGowans are young and on the smaller side (6’3” 185), Pitt has run a bit of zone this year. Mostly of the 2-3 variety. This is a good look at the setup of the zone. McGowens is too far from Clemson’s shooter on the wing and can’t get over in time to defend the open jumper. This is the type of shot that is often easy to find against the zone. If you make those shots, you beat the zone. On Monday, the Hoos face Syracuse, who play a similar zone. The difference here is that Syracuse’s defenders and 6’5” and 6’6”, which give them more reach to defend shots. Still, if you can make those outside shots, you can bust the zone. Unlike Syracuse, Pitt won’t play zone all game. They’ll switch back and forth between man defense and zone. It’ll depend on who’s on the floor and how the defense is performing. The three leading scorers for Pitt are all perimeter players. They are also the top three in shot attempts. Yes, those three guys are the best scorers Pitt has, but they also don’t have much depth on the perimeter. Capel goes eight deep, and only Sidy N’Dir (graduate transfer from New Mexico State) comes off the bench in the backcourt. There is more depth up front, as four guys average between 17 and 25 minutes per game. Topping that list is freshman lefty Au’Diese Toney, a 6’6” 210 wing who is strong enough to bang inside against bigger players but can also play on the perimeter. Toney is listed on the roster as a Guard, but has been running at PF for much of the season. Behind Toney is St John’s transfer Malik Ellison. Also listed as a guard, Ellison is similar sized to Toney and also plays down low. Ellison is a better defender, but has little offensive game. Ellison has actually started 16 times, including several times alongside Toney. Capel has also run a four-guard lineup with Wilson-Frame at PF. The zone lets him get away with this without too much loss defensively. The only “true” big men on the roster for Pitt are sophomore Terrell Brown and junior Kene Chukwuka. Brown is an elite shot blocker (12th in the nation in block rate) and has great athleticism. But at 6’10” 230, he can be pushed around by stronger post men. He gets a lot of his points either in transition or off the offensive glass. He doesn’t do a ton else on offense, but if you don’t put a body on him, he’ll do this: Chukwuka has more offensive game, and is really the only post scorer Pitt has. He’s not near the shot blocker that Brown is, but might be a better post defender. Both guys struggle with fouls, and split minutes pretty evenly. Pitt has played 28 games, Brown has started 13 while Chukwuka has started 15 times. There is talent on this team, and Capel is a good coach. It’s not that long ago when Pitt was a perennial NCAA Tournament team under Jamie Dixon (including as a 1 seed in 2011). They could get there again. But right now this team is too young and too inconsistent.<doc-sep> | The opening point spread for Saturday’s game between the No. 2 Virginia Cavaliers and Pittsburgh Panthers has been released. Las Vegas oddsmakers at the Westgate Super Book have installed UVA as a 19-point home favorite in tomorrow’s game, which is set to tip-off at 2:00 p.m. According to the ESPN Basketball Power Index, Virginia has a win probability of 98.4-percent and is predicted to win by 23.8 points. KenPom has UVA with a win probability of 97-percent and predicts the final score of UVA 71, Pitt 50. Below are the game notes courtesy of VirginiaSports: CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – No. 2 Virginia (25-2, 13-2 ACC) hosts Pitt (12-16, 2-13 ACC) in ACC men’s basketball action Saturday (March 2). Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena is set for 2 p.m. on Raycom. For Openers • Virginia (13-2) is tied for first in the ACC, while Pitt (2-13) is 15th. • UVA clinched its ACC-leading fifth double-bye for the 2019 ACC Tournament (since 2014). North Carolina is second with four and Duke third with three. • The Cavaliers have a three-game winning streak vs. Pitt. Broadcast Information • The Virginia-Pitt game will be televised on Raycom and streamed online on TheACC.com and broadcast on the Virginia Sports Radio Network, VirginiaSports.com and Virginia Sports app. • Live statistics will be located on VirginiaSports.com and the Virginia Sports app. The Head Coach • Three-time National and ACC Coach of the Year Tony Bennett has a 244-88 (.735) mark in 10 seasons at Virginia and 313-121 (.721) career mark in 13 seasons. • Bennett became the 80th active Division I head coach to win his 300th career game against Marshall on Dec. 31, 2018. • In 2017-18, Bennett led Virginia to its eighth ACC regular-season title, third ACC Tournament championship, school-record 31 wins, ACC-record 17 league wins and ACC-record 9-0 mark on the road. • Bennett was named the USBWA Henry Iba National Coach of the Year for the third time to rank second all-time behind legendary John Wooden, who captured the award six times. • Bennett also earned Division I National Coach of the Year honors UVA in the National Statistical Rankings • As of March 1, UVA ranks first nationally in scoring defense (54.3 ppg), fewest turnovers (247), turnovers per game (9.1) and 3-point field goal percentage defense (26.6%), second in fewest fouls (386), third in scoring margin (17.5), fourth in field goal percentage defense (37.4%) and winning percentage (92.6%), fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.58), seventh in personal fouls per game (14.3) and 3-point field goal percentage (39.5%), 21st in rebound margin (6.4) and 26th in free throw percentage (75.3). UVA Ranked No. 2 in AP Poll • UVA is ranked a season-high No. 2 in the latest AP poll. • UVA has been ranked in the AP top six in 26 consecutive polls. • UVA has been ranked in the AP for 32 straight polls and has been ranked in the top 10 in each of the past 28 polls. • UVA was ranked No. 5 in the preseason polls and has been ranked in the top 10 in the preseason rankings in four of the past five seasons. • In 2017-18, Virginia became the fourth team in the Top 25 era to earn a No. 1 ranking after being unranked in the preseason. • UVA is 73-6 at home in nonconference action under Bennett. Last Time Out • Ty Jerome scored 19 points and De’Andre Hunter added 18 as No. 2 Virginia cruised to an 81-51 win over Georgia Tech on Feb. 27. • Kyle Guy added 11 points and Kihei Clark chipped in eight points and six assists as Virginia improved to 25-2, 13-2 ACC. • The Cavaliers used an 11-0 run to gain a 41-22 halftime lead. • UVA shot 55.6 percent from the floor and went 9 of 17 from 3-point range in its fifth consecutive win. • Mamadi Diakite blocked three shots and added a career-high eight rebounds. • Georgia Tech (12-17, 4-12 ACC) was led by Jose Alvarado’s 12 points. All-Time vs. Pitt • UVA is 14-4 all-time vs. Pitt in the series that dates back to 1957-58. • UVA has won three straight contests vs. the Panthers, including a 66-37 road decision last season. • Virginia has won 10 of the last 11 meetings and is 5-1 at home (2-0 at John Paul Jones Arena) vs. the Panthers. • UVA is 7-1 against Pitt since 2013-14 when the Panthers joined the ACC. |
Nathan Stirk/Getty Images In his first match in over two years, Tyson Fury showed he hasn't slowed down with a win over Sefer Seferi Saturday via stoppage after the fourth round. The former world heavyweight champion faced little resistance in his return to the ring in Manchester Arena, England, controlling the action before his opponent couldn't handle anymore. Seferi entered the day with a 23-1 record, but the 39-year-old was no match for the English superstar, who moved to 26-0 in his career. Fury hadn't competed in a professional match since beating Wladimir Klitschko in 2015 for the world heavyweight title, but the time off didn't limit expectations. According to OddsShark, he was a 1-100 favorite to beat Seferi, who had 16-1 odds to win. His choice of walk-out music also made references to his absence, without much subtlety: Unfortunately, this might have been the highlight of the day for the fans. Video Play Button Videos you might like Neither fighter showed much enthusiasm, and, at one point, Fury was distracted by a scuffle in the stands. There was a little more action in the third and fourth rounds with the 29-year-old showcasing some of the skill we have seen in the past. However, he struggled to square up any hits against a much smaller opponent. After the fourth round, Seferi threw in the towel, much to the disappointment of those watching along: Despite the lack of drama, Fury came through with the win to stay undefeated and potentially put himself back on the path toward a world championship. The English star already had his sights beyond this match, targeting future bouts against Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder, via Luke Reddy of BBC Sport. After earning a win, he could be headed toward another title fight before too long.<doc-sep>Tyson Fury celebrates his win against Sefer Seferi on June 9 . (Reuters) Tyson Fury is back. Sort of. I mean, what was that on Saturday? Fury’s return after a nearly three-year layoff wasn’t expected to be a bare-knuckle brawl, but how about an opponent that offers at least a little resistance? Sefer Seferi is a 39-year-old cruiserweight without a notable win on his résumé. He came for the paycheck. When he got tired of tasting Fury’s chest hairs — which came after the fourth round, where Seferi might have been hit by one or two shots — he quit. Seferi calls himself “The Real Deal.” Evander Holyfield should insist he stop. What a farce. And what does Fury get out of a fight like that? Shake the rust off? He got better work in sparring. Take an actual punch? Seferi didn’t throw any. This dull duo spent two rounds dancing in the ring and tapping gloves, and the next two bear-hugging each other. The best fight of the night was the melee that broke out in the crowd, a brawl that played out within the camera shot — and one that got even Fury and Seferi’s attention. Everybody wants Tyson Fury to be relevant again. He’s good for boxing. It’s been a long road. His mental health issues and ballooning weight ended his heavyweight title reign before he could make a defense. He has spent the last three years retiring, unretiring, kicking a cocaine habit and dealing with debilitating depression. His signature win over Wladimir Klitschko feels like a lifetime ago. At the moment, Fury seems to be piecing his life back together. His career is another story. He beat Klitschko, but it was far from a decisive win. And an argument can be made that Fury’s talent isn’t on the level of Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder, the division’s kingpins. Fury is not a big puncher, is a little chinny and rarely enters a fight in great shape. He shed 100 pounds before the Seferi fight and stilled weighed in at 276, a career high. But he’s a charismatic figure in a sport that badly needs them. He loves to trash-talk, and when he gets in the ring, he comes to fight. He’s unorthodox, the anti-Joshua, a hulking heavyweight who fights more like a nimble welterweight. Story continues Britain’s Tyson Fury, right, punches Sefer Seferi during their heavyweight bout at the Manchester Arena, in Manchester, England, Saturday June 9, 2018. (AP) Is that Fury still in there? Fights like Seferi won’t tell us. Frank Warren — who has taken control of Fury’s career — has to find opponents that will. Warren said Fury will return in August, in Belfast, on a card headlined by Carl Frampton. Warren talked about Fury’s need to shake the rust off, to keep losing weight, and that’s all true. Fury, however, is targeting a title fight by the end of the year. That’s not going to happen, but Warren suggested a showdown with Tony Bellew, the ex-cruiserweight champion who stopped David Haye last month for the second time in as many fights. Against Bellew, this Fury would get blown out. Look, I know there isn’t a rush. Fury is 29, and he can wait for the dust to settle on the Joshua-Wilder rivalry before injecting himself into it. The fans at Manchester Arena on Saturday weren’t thrilled with the outcome, but Fury has proven he can draw a crowd. He can continue to shed weight, sharpen his skills and maybe by the middle of next year be ready for a significant fight. Just no more Seferi-level opponents, OK? Fury needs real, live heavyweights who want to beat him, not ones just happy to share the ring with him. He needs to face adversity if he’s going to be ready for what’s coming against Joshua or Wilder. Fury being back is a good thing. Fury proving he can stay there would be better. More from Yahoo Sports: • Durant rejects claims he wrecked NBA’s competitive balance • Tebow dragged into NFL anthem controversy • Dan Wetzel: LeBron makes priorities clear for next decision • No MVP Finals trophy? So what, says Curry<doc-sep> | Tyson Fury eased to victory in his comeback fight as Sefer Seferi retired after four rounds at the Manchester Arena on Saturday night. Former world heavyweight champion Fury was fighting for the first time since he upset Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015. Fury has vowed to reclaim the world title and took his first step on that road against the over-matched Seferi, a former cruiserweight, who was withdrawn by his corner after taking some punishment in the fourth round. Fury towered over his far smaller opponent and, having kissed the Albanian just before the bell sounded, Fury spent much of the first round clowning around. Image: Tyson Fury celebrates after a comfortable win in his comeback fight He continued to grin and gesticulate in round two, earning a telling-off from referee Phil Edwards at one point, and the surreal nature of proceedings was enhanced when the fighters appeared to be distracted by a disturbance in the crowd. However, Fury began to knuckle down in rounds three and four, landing right hands seemingly at will, although Seferi appeared to be taking the blows well. And it was therefore a surprise when Seferi and his camp decided he had taken enough punishment before the start of round five. Image: Tyson Fury dwarfed former cruiserweight Sefer Seferi It was an unusual conclusion to an unusual fight but Fury is back on the heavyweight scene and apparently ready for more testing opposition in the coming months. "I felt fantastic, it was like having my debut again," Fury told BT Sport after the fight. "I've had a long time out the ring and I needed some rounds, so I was taking my time. "The calibre of opponents will keep on rising. I will be better next time. "I'm going to have a world title by the end of the year - that's a promise. Image: Sefer Seferi was withdrawn after four rounds "I wanted to stand and have a fight with him, but it (the retirement) happened, and it wasn't my fault that they pulled him out." And Fury's next test could be at Windsor Park, Belfast on August 18. |
Zurich Classic of New Orleans leaderboard 2019. The details The venue: TPC Louisiana, Avondale, Louisiana, USA Date: April 25-28, 2019 Course stats: Par 72, 7,425 yards Course summary: Found on the delta wetlands, water predominates on this course and comes into play on eight holes. There are plenty of bunkers to avoid too, with more than 100 dotted around the layout. Format: It’s 72 holes of strokeplay with a twist. Teams of two take on the course with the first and third day played as fourballs, with the other two days competed as alternate shot. Purse: $7.3 million Defending champions: Billy Horschel and Scott Piercy Weather forecast: Thunderstorms and rain possible on Thursday but it gets much sunnier through the tournament with temperatures reaching 28 degrees Celsius on Sunday. Zurich Classic of New Orleans leaderboard 2019 Zurich Classic report: What happened at TPC Louisiana? Jon Rahm and Ryan Palmer were too good for the field on Sunday as they converted a 54-hole lead to secure victory. The Spaniard is undoubtedly one of the game’s brightest talents, but we’ll get to that, and his game seemed to match up perfectly with Palmer’s. A final round featuring four birdies was enough to ensure the pair had a comfortable-three shot lead coming down the last despite a late rally from Sergio Garcia and Tommy Fleetwood. The win is Palmer’s first for 3,388 days – he last won on tour at the Sony Open in 2010. Full leaderboard Crucially for the American he will receive a two-year exemption and will be teeing it up at next month’s PGA Championship. Click here to read our full report from New Orleans. Catch up on all the action from TPC Louisiana on NCG’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.<doc-sep>Did you know you can save your preferences across all your digital devices and platforms simply by creating a profile? Would you like to get started? Yes, I'd like to register/log in Not right now No, never ask again<doc-sep>Did you know you can save your preferences across all your digital devices and platforms simply by creating a profile? Would you like to get started? Yes, I'd like to register/log in Not right now No, never ask again<doc-sep>AVONDALE, La. -- Peter Malnati and Billy Hurley III topped the Zurich Classic of New Orleans leaderboard at 14-under 130 on Friday when darkness suspended second-round play in the team event at TPC Louisiana. Malnati and Hurley played 36 holes Friday, shooting a best-ball 9-under 63 in the morning in the rain-delayed first round and a 67 in alternate-shot play in the afternoon in the second round. Play was delayed for more than seven hours Thursday, with only half of the 80 two-man teams teeing off. "You play well in a day that doesn't feel as long," Malnati said. "But I'll tell you what, I'm going to call it maybe our 28th or 29th hole, as we were making the turn, my legs were tired. I know Billy and I both, most of the guys out here, are into our conditioning and it's important, but you're not prepared to be on your feet walking for what we were today, 10 hours or more, with warmup more than that. It's a long day." They played bogey-free in alternate shot, also the final-round format after the best-ball third round. Because of the wet conditions, players were allowed to lift, clean and place their golf balls in the fairways. "We'd love to have a couple of putts back late on our second nine today," Hurley said. "But playing 36 holes and stuff, the greens definitely got kind of scruffy a little bit and harder to make putts, so we're super thrilled with pretty much every shot I think we hit today." First-round leaders Brian Gay and Rory Sabbatini were a stroke back with Russell Knox-Brian Stuard, Scott Stallings-Trey Mullinax and Kevin Kisner-Scott Brown, with only Knox and Stuard finishing two rounds. Gay-Sabbatini and Kisner-Brown had 14 holes left in the second round, and Stallings-Mullinax had nine to go. Knox and Stuard shot 62-69 in their 36-hole day. "I think we kind of got a bit of a break not having to come out yesterday and then getting it all in today," Stuard said. "It'll be nice to relax for a little bit." Gay and Sabbatini opened with a 60. Major champions Henrik Stenson and Graeme McDowell topped the group at 12 under after rounds of 65 and 67. "We had a long day today. We have a bit of a lay-in tomorrow," Stenson said. "It's been a disrupted week for everyone one way or the other, and possibly the conditions for the guys who played yesterday and finished up this morning were a little easier. But we didn't have to sit in the clubhouse all day yesterday. So there's been pluses and minuses for everyone."<doc-sep> | Apr 28th, 2019 Apr 28th, 2019 Jon Rahm and Ryan Palmer have combined for a bogey-free seven-under-par 65 and taken the halfway lead after the second round at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Notching seven birdies in the alternate shot foursomes format, the duo posted a 15-under 129 halfway total at TPC Louisiana on Saturday. The cut fell at eight-under 136. Among those to miss it were the Australian duo of Jason Day and Adam Scott, and the American partnership of Tony Finau and Kyle Stanley. Spaniard Rahm and American Palmer led by one stroke from the teams of Rory Sabbatini and Brian Gay, and Peter Malnati and Billy Hurley III. Jon Rahm during the Zurich Classic. (AP) Sabbatini and Gay were poised to enjoy the halfway lead until they double-bogeyed their final hole, the par-three ninth, where Gay's tee shot found the water. Malnati and Hurley enjoyed a sleep in after completing their second round on Friday. The best placed Australian was Curtis Luck, who is sitting on 12-under with his American teammate Hank Lebioda in equal 10th. Australian Matt Jones and American JJ Spaun are four shots back in equal 31st. Half the field -- 40 teams -- had to return at the crack of dawn to complete the round following a long weather delay on Thursday. The third round, using the more forgiving fourball format, was scheduled to begin almost as soon as the second finished, getting the event back on schedule by the end of the day. You can watch the PGA TOUR Zurich Classic LIVE here on GOLFTV! ©RAW2019 |
The uncertainty of the Patrick Peterson situation has put the Arizona Cardinals in the cross-hairs of the mainstream media, something that doesn’t happen often, especially with a team that is 1-6. That is the power of a Hall of Fame level cornerback. Well, one of the more intriguing options that I have seen floated by a media member is one from Mike Sando of ESPN. Let’s get right to it, from E$PN Insider: Arizona would send Peterson to the Vikings for cornerback Trae Waynes, plus 2019 first- and third-round picks, with the Cardinals agreeing to keep Sam Bradford on their roster so that Minnesota will remain eligible for a 2019 third-round compensatory pick that would otherwise vanish. That is an interesting package. For the Cardinals, they get an immediate, younger replacement for Peterson in Trae Waynes. Waynes is under contract for 2019 and would give the Cardinals a good look moving forward. It gives the Cardinals immediate picks in 2019 in the first and third rounds, where they can use them to move up, stockpile more picks or look to address immediate needs. Imagine a scenario where the Cardinals are able to grab a Greedy Williams in the top five with their pick, Devin White in the 20’s with the Minnesota Vikings pick, then hammer home the offensive line on day two with players like Dalton Risner of Kansas State or David Edwards of Wisconsin. All of a sudden, you have young talent on the offensive and defensive side of the ball and can really invest in the rebuild that you have denied for so long. It isn’t an easy pill to swallow, but would the Minnesota package interest you?<doc-sep>All-Pro cornerback Patrick Peterson reportedly wants out of Arizona and the idea of the Vikings landing one of the best in the game is worthy of an investigation. Peterson, still just 28 years old and one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, "desperately" wants the Cardinals to trade him, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The Cardinals, however, say there's no chance of that happening. "We're not trading Patrick," Cardinals coach Steve Wilks said Monday. "That's out of the question." What else is Wilks supposed to say when he hears that his three-time, 1st-team All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowl superstar wants to leave the desert for greener pastures? The NFL trade deadline strikes at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 30, so any team interested in Peterson would have to work out a deal in less than a week, which might be difficult considering the asking price for Peterson will probably be massive. The Cowboys had to give up a first-round pick to get wide receiver Amari Cooper from the Raiders. Cooper is a free agent after the season, so Dallas risked losing a first rounder for a possible rental player, while Peterson is under contract through the 2021 season and a better overall player. Getting a player under team control in his prime isn't cheap. ESPN (subscription needed) floated the idea that Minnesota might be able to land Peterson if they give the Cardinals their 2019 first-round pick, a third-round pick and cornerback Trae Waynes. It's a lot to give up, but consider some facts. According to Pro Football Focus, Peterson has the fourth-highest grade among NFL cornerbacks this season while Waynes ranks 28th. Price-wise, the Vikings will owe Waynes about $9 million next season if they pick up his fifth-year option. Peterson is due to make $11.8 million in 2019 and $13.1 million in 2020. As previously mentioned, Peterson is still just 28 years old. Waynes is 26, so not a huge difference there. The Vikings already have Xavier Rhodes and Waynes in the secondary, who were both high level cornerbacks last season and appear to be hitting their stride after a slow start this season. Rhodes hurt his ankle in last week's win over the Jets but head coach Mike Zimmer indicated Wednesday that Rhodes is doing well and could play this Sunday against the Saints. Rhodes and Waynes is a nice 1-2 punch as is, but Rhodes and Peterson would be as good as it gets. Then again, would Peterson be able to pick up Zimmer's defense this season or would it require time that makes him less of an impact player from the start? Waynes knows the defense already and has a very bright future. There's a lot to consider and a lot to give up to get one of the best corners in the league. Get the latest Vikings headlines by following Bring Me The News on Flipboard.<doc-sep>With the NFL's Oct. 30 trade deadline closing in, one of the league's prized defenders is seeking for a fresh start with a new team. Cornerback Patrick Peterson has asked the Arizona Cardinals for a trade, a person with knowledge of his thinking told USA TODAY Sports. The person spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation. ESPN's Adam Schefter was the first to report the news. First-year coach Steve Wilks said in a news conference Monday that Peterson had not told him he wanted a trade, though the two planned to talk later. "We're not trading Patrick," Wilks said. Peterson has been frustrated with the direction of the franchise after missing the playoffs the past two seasons and starting this year 1-6. He had told members of his inner circle about his frustrations with the Cardinals and been mulling a potential trade request dating back to before the NFL scouting combine in February. Peterson, a three-time all pro, has been voted to the Pro Bowl in each of his previous seven seasons. After a Week 6 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, Wilks responded to an inquiry about trade rumors surrounding Peterson by saying, "I don't respond to things that are ludicrous." Peterson has two interceptions this season. He has two years remaining after 2018 on a five-year, $70 million contract. Follow Lorenzo Reyes and Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz on Twitter @LorenzoGReyes and @MikeMSchwartz.<doc-sep> | Could the Minnesota Vikings be interested in dealing for the All-Pro cornerback who reportedly wants to be traded out of Arizona? Under head coach Mike Zimmer, the secondary for the Minnesota Vikings has developed into one of the best in the NFL. Despite this, the Vikings still went out and used their 2018 first-round draft pick on UCF cornerback Mike Hughes because Zimmer believes he can never have enough good corners. If this is truly what Minnesota’s head coach believes, then it’s possible that he may be interested in adding another talented defensive back to his roster in the near future. On Monday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson has requested to be traded before the league’s 2018 trade deadline on October 30. When asked about the report later in the day, Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks said that the team has no plans of trading Peterson right now and that the corner has said nothing to him about wanting out of Arizona. Considering that acquiring the All-Pro corner this season would also mean enduring a cap hit of around $11 million, there are only a few teams that can really afford him right now. Of the franchises that can currently afford Peterson, possible landing spots could include the Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans, New York Jets, and Tennessee Titans. The corner’s current contract also has him signed until 2021 with cap hits of $11.9 million in 2019 and $13.2 million in 2020. So is there any chance that the Vikings could find a way to trade for Peterson? Realistically, the corner becoming a member of Minnesota’s roster by this season’s trade deadline doesn’t seem likely. The Vikings currently have around $1.25 million in cap space and they would have to make some pretty big roster moves in order to afford Peterson’s current contract. With Trae Waynes and Xavier Rhodes still playing this year, trading for the Cardinals cornerback in the middle of the season just doesn’t make a whole ton of sense for Minnesota. In the recent past, the Vikings have become known for their impressive mastery of the salary cap. But even for Minnesota’s impressive front office, trying to find a way to trade for Peterson right now just seems to be too difficult of a task to accomplish. |
A hunter shot and killed a British bicyclist who was wearing a colored helmet and riding a colored mountain bike in the French Alps on Saturday, prosecutors said. The 22-year-old hunter, who was not identified, is being investigated on suspicion of aggravated manslaughter after the shooting near Montriond, Thonon-Les-Bains prosecutor Philippe Toccanier said. The cyclist, who was identified by local reports as Marc Sutton, 34, was riding his bike down a mountain around 6 p.m. when he passed near a group of about 10 game hunters. He was shot and killed on a track that was frequently used but hard to access, Sky News reported. Toccanier said Sutton “couldn’t be confused with game, as he had a colored helmet and a colored mountain bike.” "We are in contact with local authorities about the death of a British man in France and we are providing assistance to his family,” a spokeswoman for Britain’s Foreign Office told Sky News on Sunday. The hunter was taken to the hospital for shock after the shooting. Sutton is originally from Wales, United Kingdom but moved to southeast France four years ago. He ran a private catering business and opened his own restaurant earlier this year, according to his Facebook page. The Associated Press contributed to this report.<doc-sep>A 34-year-old Briton has been shot dead by a hunter as he sped down a wooded track on a mountain bike in the French Alps, officials have said. The victim, understood to be Marc Sutton from Caerphilly, was a restaurant owner who had been living for several years in the small resort town of Les Gets. Sutton ran a private catering business in the area and opened his own restaurant, Wild Beets Kitchen, earlier this year. He was shot on Saturday evening as a hunting party beat its way through woods near the ski resort of Montriond, according to a local prosecutor quoted by the Associated Press. The victim was “perfectly identifiable” and was on a well-used but hard-to-access mountain track when he was shot by a 22-year-old hunter, who was taken to hospital in shock. An inquiry has been launched for aggravated manslaughter, the prosecutor said. A spokeswoman for the UK Foreign Office said: “We are in contact with the local authorities about the death of a British man in France, and we are providing assistance to his family.” A local newspaper, Le Dauphiné Libéré, reported that the accident had happened at about 6pm on Saturday during a seven-man hunt organised by the local hunting association. The victim reportedly died from a single gunshot wound. The man who shot him had not been arrested or charged. The public prosecutor, Philippe Toccanier from nearby Thonon-les-Bains, ordered local gendarmes to secure the scene and recover any available evidence. The accident came barely two weeks after another young hunter in the region was sentenced to a year in jail for involuntarily killing a trail runner with a single bullet to the head, prompting widespread calls for tighter restrictions to be imposed on hunting in areas popular with the public. While in steady decline, accidents are still frequent during the French hunting season. According to the national hunting and wildlife agency ONCFS, 115 people were injured in hunting accidents in the year to 1 June 2018. Thirteen died of their injuries, including three people who were not involved in a hunt.<doc-sep> | A PROSECUTOR says a hunter shot and killed a cyclist in the French Alps in what appears to be an accident. The victim, 34-year-old Marc Sutton, originally from Wales, died on Saturday evening after being struck by a single bullet while cycling in thick woods near the ski resort of Les Gets. Mr Sutton, a chef, had lived in the Alps for a number of years and owned and ran a restaurant with his girlfriend near the village of Morzine. Thonon-Les-Bains prosecutor Philippe Toccanier said the 22-year-old hunter was taken to hospital for shock after the shooting. He is being investigated on suspicion of aggravated manslaughter. Toccanier told The Associated Press on Sunday the victim, was cycling down a well used but hard to access mountain track at around 6pm when he passed near a group of about 10 game hunters. Toccanier said the cyclist certainly “couldn’t be confused with game, as he had a coloured helmet and a coloured mountain bike.” Britain’s Foreign Office says it’s “in contact with the local authorities” and providing assistance to the dead man’s family. Amie Henderson, 38, a friend and neighbour of the of the couple told the UK’s Telegraph: “This is a very tight-knit expat community and we are all deeply shocked. There is anger too because every year there are hunting accidents.” Another local wrote on Facebook: “This is absolutely devastating. Everyone in our community will be affected by last night’s accident. So very sad for Marc and everyone with him.” |
The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel Click to play Tap to play Keep in touch with news on your show faves and when Love Island is back with our weekly newsletter Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign me up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Kerry Katona left Celebs Go Dating viewers in hysterics tonight as she was incredibly blunt during her 'car crash' date this evening. The 38-year-old appeared on the E4 dating show tonight and immediately admitted that she was "desperate" to find her new beau. Attending the mixer, brash Kerry chose Miguel and dragged him off for a date. Their whirlwind date began with Kerry downing drinks and joking that she "hadn't had a wash". She then told him bluntly: "I'm 38, I've got five kids and had three failed marriages. Aren't there any warning signs going off?" (Image: Channel 4) (Image: Channel 4) When he insisted that he was still interested, Kerry just didn't stop. "I meet somebody, get married, get pregnant then get divorced," she told him laughing. Surprisingly, he wasn't put off and tried to compliment her - during which she made a number of rude jokes. After awwwing at his comments, she quipped: "Marry me - I'm joking!" (Image: Channel 4) (Image: Channel 4) And fans were crying with laughter. One tweeted: "Noooo Kerry is actually hilarious #celebsgodating." While another commented: "Kerry Katona is gonna be next level #CelebsGoDating." A third remarked: "Dating advice for Kerry...don’t talk about your ex #CelebsGoDating." *Celebs Go Dating airs at 9pm on E4<doc-sep>She has introduced herself on Celebs Go Dating as a three-times divorced single mum-of-five. And Kerry Katona was pining after her first ex-husband Brian McFadden on Tuesday's installment of the show, before breaking down in tears to the dating agents telling them she didn't want to fall in love again. Comparing her co-stars Megan McKenna and Pete Wicks to herself and Brian, Kerry, 38, said she would be desperate to show the Westlife singer what he was missing if he starred on the show. Love of her life: Kerry Katona was pining after her first ex-husband Brian McFadden on Tuesday's installment of Celebs Go Dating On Tuesday's episode, Megan and her ex-boyfriend Pete were forced to confront each other for the first time in the year as they met at the mixer before heading on separate dates at the same restaurant. After Pete made a swift exit with his date Christie, Kerry drunkenly ran over to Megan to discuss the awkward run-in. Saying what she would do if she was in that situation, she told her: 'If I was here and Brian McFadden was there, I would be like get my t*ts over the table. You want him to see what he's missing.' Make him jealous: Kerry, 38, said she would be desperate to show the Westlife singer what he was missing if he starred on the show (pictured together in 2001) Awkward: On Tuesday's episode, Megan and her ex-boyfriend Pete were forced to confront each other for the first time in the year Exes: After Pete made a swift exit with his date Christie, Kerry drunkenly ran over to Megan to discuss the awkward run-in Getting his attention: Saying what she would do if she was in that situation, she told her: 'If I was here and Brian McFadden was there, I would be like get my t*ts over the table' But Megan shut down any hopes of a potential reunion with Pete as she told her later at the dating agency: 'I don't hate Pete, I want him to find someone and be happy.' Kerry was left feeling dejected after her first date with Miguel, who she had to 'pie' after he acted like a superfan over dinner. During the date, he asked her: 'Do you want a fairytale ending to the Kerry Katona story?' Her reaction was to pick her teeth, knock back a glass of prosecco and slur: 'Sorry I've got so much s**t in my teeth!' Catching his eye: She continued: 'You want him to see what he's missing.' Oh dear: Kerry was left feeling dejected after her first date with Miguel, who she had to 'pie' after he acted like a superfan over dinner Honest: Reflecting on her disastrous date later on in the show, agent Paul Carrick Brunson told her: 'Before you even said "Hi" to me you told me you had three ex-husbands and five kids' He then gushed 'You're a star whose feet are on the ground.' At this, Kerry burped. Reflecting on her disastrous date later on in the show, agent Paul Carrick Brunson told her: 'Before you even said Hi to me you told me you had three ex-husbands and five kids, it's self deprecation. 'Do you believe you will fall in love?' Overwhelmed with emotion, Kerry replied: 'I'm going to cry. No, I don't think I will fall in love, I don't think I want to.' Kerry married Brian in 2002, but he filed for divorce in 2004 and embarked on a relationship with Australian singer Delta Goodrem. Heartbroken: Overwhelmed with emotion, Kerry replied: 'I'm going to cry. No, I don't think I will fall in love, I don't think I want to' The pair met when the Westlife singer asked Delta to duet with him on the song Almost Here - which became about his breakup with Kerry. Brian and Kerry's divorce was finalised in 2006, and he and Delta went on to date for seven years before they split in 2011. Taxi driver Mark Croft proposed to Kerry that year after five weeks of romance, and the pair married on Valentine's Day in 2007, before splitting in 2009. Kerry raises children Molly, Lilly-Sue with Brian, while she shares Max and Heidi with second spouse Mark and Dylan-Jorge with estranged husband George Kay. Kerry first split from George in October 2015, and one month later she appeared in court where she accused him of beating her up at their home, after he allegedly armed himself with a Taser-style device and a knife.<doc-sep>She's no stranger to relationships, having had three husbands in the past. However, Kerry Katona decided that her new dating tactic would be to broadcast this fact while on dates with new men on Celebs Go Dating. As the show returned on Sunday, she was seen out with a man, getting increasingly inebriated and rambling on to him about said three husbands. Bold move: Kerry Katona decided that her new dating tactic would be to broadcast her marital past while on dates with new men on Celebs Go Dating She also broke down in tears on the show, faced with the prospect of getting back on the dating scene. The former Atomic Kitten star, 38, joined a host of single stars including Pete Wicks and Georgia Steel on the E4 dating show in a quest to find love. But at the show's very first singles mixer, the pop star found herself struggling to interact with the eligible men. Tipsy: As the show returned on Sunday, she was seen out with a man, getting increasingly inebriated and rambling on to him about said three husbands Emotional: Kerry Katona, 38, struggled to get back on the dating scene as she broke down in tears at the singles mixer during Celebs Go Dating's return on Sunday. Shaking with fear, she said: 'This is the first time I’ve been in this situation. I feel so overcome, I can’t even look!' She then broke down in tears, telling new dating coach Anna Williamson 'I'm s***ing myself! '. Anna was quick to console the star, telling her to simply introduce herself and ask what they do. Struggling: The former Atomic Kitten star was overwhelmed at the mixer as she opened up about going through three divorces Heartache: The mum-of-five was previously married to Brian McFadden, Mark Croft and George Kay Terrified: Shaking with fear, she said: 'This is the first time I’ve been in this situation. I feel so overcome, I can’t even look!' Kerry's worries comes as she opened up about the heartache of having three divorces under her belt. The singer was married to Westlife star Brian McFadden from 2002 until 2006, before marrying Mark Croft a year later. After her divorce from Mark in 2011, Kerry then went on to wed George Kay, with the former couple splitting in 2017. But despite Kerry's breakdown, she soon found the courage to head back in the room - aided by a glass or two of prosecco. Brave: But despite Kerry's breakdown, she soon found the courage to head back in the room - aided by a glass or two of prosecco Success: Eventually, Kerry bit the bullet and asked out Miguel, with the two soon heading off on a romantic private date Hot date: Despite the initial shaky start, the two soon got on like a house on fire, with Miguel even admitting that he was aroused when he first met her Overcoming her shyness, she proceeded to talk to a plethora of men, however, she did introduce all conversations by telling them that she'd had three husbands and has five kids. Eventually, Kerry bit the bullet and asked out Miguel, with the two soon heading off on a romantic private date. And despite the initial shaky start, the two soon got on like a house on fire, with Miguel even admitting that he was aroused when he first met her. Elsewhere, things were awkward for exes Megan McKenna and Pete Wicks when they came face-to-face for the first time in over a year. Megan immediately confronted Pete for not speaking to her when they saw each other at past events, with Pete hitting back that she did the same. But despite the initial awkwardness, the two spoon kissed and made up, wishing each other well. Reunited: Things got tense between Megan McKenna and Pete Wicks as they came face-to-face for the first time in over a year during the first episode of Celebs Go Dating on Sunday<doc-sep> | Kerry Katona had fans in hysterics over her car crash date on Celebs Go Dating. The 38-year-old rocked on up to a restaurant dressed to the nines with her potential beau in tow. As the pair sat down ahead of what they’d hoped would be a romantic dinner, Kerry broke the silence by asking about her date’s name. ‘Miguel ?’ she questioned: ‘That’s an unusual name.’ Explaining how he was from Portugal, the gentleman teased Kerry over her Hungarian roots by joking: ‘You do have a dark mysterious look to the eyes.’ Kerry Katona fans were in hysterics at her car crash date (Picture: Channel 4) In an attempt to crack a joke, the mother-of-five laughed: ‘I’ve just not had a wash.’ – Awkward! Moving on from the situation, Kerry asked how old her plus one thought she was. When he was a year off, she giggled: ‘Bless you – no, I’m 38. ‘I have five children and three failed marriages – does that not just go “warning signs?”’ Laughing off her comment, Miguel asked why Kerry was trying to put him off her. She continued: ‘I meet someone, get engaged, get pregnant, get married then get divorced.’ Oh hun. But it seems he was not backing down, as he said: ‘There’s a big thing I need to tell you before I forget it…’ Kerry quipped: ‘How big?’ before suggesting the first thing he thought when he saw her was: ‘oh great, tits!’ Despite their date getting off to a rough start, it seems Miguel was too keen to be put off by Kerry’s unique sense of humour. He said: ‘You are the ultimate fighter, you are the epitome of resilience, to which Kerry shouted: ‘Marry me.’ But while Miguel might have been put off by her quirks, viewers at home couldn’t help but chuckle. ‘Celebs Go Dating is hilarious! Kerry Katona is my spirit animal,’ while another Twitter user called the star ‘TV gold.’ MORE : Katie Price appears solemn as she arrives at court to face drink-driving charge MORE : Kate Mara shows off baby bump alongside husband Jamie Bell at Elton John’s annual Oscars party |
WASHINGTON — President Trump surprised Donald F. McGahn II, the White House counsel, on Wednesday by abruptly announcing that Mr. McGahn will be leaving his job this fall, effectively forcing the long-anticipated exit of a top adviser who has cooperated extensively in the investigation into Russian election interference. The president made the declaration on Twitter without first informing Mr. McGahn, according to people close to both men. It came 11 days after The New York Times reported the degree to which Mr. McGahn — who was by Mr. Trump’s side at major moments as the president sought to keep control of the Russia inquiry — has emerged as a key witness in the investigation. Over the past nine months Mr. McGahn has given 30 hours of testimony in at least three voluntary interviews. Mr. McGahn’s departure leaves the White House without one of the few senior advisers who have been willing to push back against Mr. Trump. It also raised the prospect of further West Wing exits, particularly in the White House Counsel’s Office, where Mr. McGahn has had a loyal staff, with several people staying in their jobs out of devotion to him. Mr. McGahn had long discussed his intention to leave at some point, but the way Mr. Trump blindsided him with a tweet underscored how dysfunctional the relationship had become, even as the Russia inquiry appears to be reaching a critical phase, and the legal scrutiny is mounting for the president.<doc-sep>Don McGahn, general counsel for the Trump transition team, gets into an elevator in the lobby at Trump Tower, November 15, in New York City. President-elect Donald Trump is in the process of choosing his presidential cabinet as he transitions from a candidate to the president-elect. NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 9: Don McGahn, lawyer for Donald Trump and his campaign, leaves the Four Seasons Hotel after a meeting with Trump and Republican donors, June 9, 2016 in New York City. NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 9: Don McGahn, White House Counsel to President-elect Donald Trump, arrives at Trump Tower, January 9, 2017 in New York City. NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 15: Don McGahn, general counsel for the Trump transition team, gets into an elevator in the lobby at Trump Tower, November 15, 2016 in New York City. President-elect Donald Trump is in the process of choosing his presidential cabinet as he transitions from a candidate to the president-elect. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 15: Don McGahn, general counsel for the Trump transition team, gets into an elevator in the lobby at Trump Tower, November 15, 2016 in New York City. President-elect Donald Trump is in the process of choosing his presidential cabinet as he transitions from a candidate to the president-elect. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) (CNN) — Six months ago, President Donald Trump told a crowd of reporters he was nearing a point “where we’re getting very close to having the Cabinet and other things that I want.” Now, with his alienated White House lawyer heading for the exits and amid signals his estranged attorney general will follow, Trump looks to be inching closer to his preferred state. The upcoming departure of White House counsel Don McGahn, which Trump announced without fanfare on Twitter, will deprive the West Wing of a rare official who has defied a President known to prefer pliant aides. In one instance, McGahn refused Trump’s order to instruct the Justice Department to fire special counsel Robert Mueller. Instead, McGahn threatened to quit. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has similarly flouted Trump’s demands to un-recuse himself from Russia-related matters. In recent days, Trump has dialed up his insults. Lawmakers who used to voice support for their former colleague now say it’s likely Sessions is gone by winter. For a President consumed with loyalty, the departures signal a cull of those with whom he’s clashed. But it’s not clear whether their replacements will be any more willing to cede to Trump’s demands. The replacement Emmet Flood, a Russia-focused White House lawyer now considered a likely replacement for McGahn, hasn’t indicated in public that he would be any more willing to help Trump short-circuit the Mueller probe than McGahn was. He has acted as an authoritative voice in the West Wing on the investigation, people familiar with the matter say, borne from his experience in President Bill Clinton’s White House. And while Flood would be a valued player in the event Democrats move to impeach Trump, he lacks McGahn’s conservative credo and likely would not pursue Trump’s conservative deregulatory agenda with the same zeal that has earned McGahn plaudits on the right. Asked by reporters Wednesday about McGahn’s departure, Trump called his lawyer a “good man, very good man.” “A lot of affection for Don,” Trump said from the Roosevelt Room, adding that McGahn will “probably” be moving on to the private sector and “he’s done an excellent job.” He downplayed the more than 30 hours McGahn spent speaking with investigators in the special counsel’s office, stressed the sit-downs only came after his approval. “I knew he was going,” Trump said, despite reports that suggested the President’s legal team wasn’t fully aware of the contents of McGahn’s discussions. “We do everything by the book and Don is an excellent guy.” Departure by tweet? 02:07 - Source: CNN Sources: Trump unnerved by McGahn discussions Trump’s tweet announcing McGahn’s departure highlighted the highly atypical relationships Trump maintains with several top officials in his administration. McGahn was quietly planning his White House exit once Kavanaugh’s confirmation is secured, but he was caught off guard by Trump’s announcement on Twitter of his impending departure. Reading reports of McGahn’s plans to exit, it was as if Trump felt a need to spoil his top White House lawyer’s own resignation. Sessions, meanwhile, has repeatedly found himself in the presidential crosshairs, with Trump frequently taking to his favorite social media platform to belittle and chastise one of the most prominent members of his Cabinet. Before Sessions, it was the Secretary of State Rex Tillerson whom Trump undermined. Like McGahn, Tillerson’s exit – a firing in his case – was also announced by tweet. While every one of Trump’s predecessors have had disagreements with members of their Cabinet and senior staff, Trump is the first President in modern history to make a habit of publicly undercutting and criticizing those officials. Trump’s tweet on Wednesday was not the first sign of the President’s highly unusual relationship with his White House counsel, a position that demands frequent interaction with the President and oversight over the most sensitive matters that hit the President’s desk. Trump and McGahn have carried out a tortured partnership for more than a year, people familiar with the dynamic say. According to officials, Trump has at times seemed unclear on McGahn’s role – which is not as his personal lawyer, but as a lawyer for the White House and the presidency. While McGahn – one of the earliest members of Trump’s campaign staff – was once a trusted force in the President’s inner circle, their relationship never mended after McGahn failed to convince Sessions not to recuse himself from the Russia investigation. And it only worsened after McGahn refused Trump’s directive to fire the special counsel. In recent months, one-on-one interactions between the two men have all but evaporated, with the two men almost exclusively meeting during group meetings or when White House chief of staff John Kelly is in the room.<doc-sep>The Post reported that their relationships with McGahn had frayed over time, according to Trump associates. One Trump aide described McGahn as someone who “had to tell them ‘no’ on some issues” and never clicked with them personally. Kushner and Ivanka Trump, along with the president, have regularly chafed at McGahn’s counsel and caution, the associates said.<doc-sep>(CNN) — Already struggling to keep your 2020 resolutions? These tips can help you stay on track. We know you can do it! 1. Iran Don McGahn heads for the exits. The departure of the White House counsel was announced by President Trump on Twitter. McGahn will leave this fall after the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh (which start Tuesday). McGahn’s had an interesting ride. He has been a huge part of Trump’s successful conservative reshaping of the federal courts, but he’s also clashed with the President over the Russia investigation. And the disclosure that McGahn had cooperated extensively with special counsel Robert Mueller didn’t help his relationship with Trump, either. 01:30 - Source: CNN Democrats say this White House lawyer is key in impeachment 2. Impeachment Syria is prepping for a final assault on the last rebel stronghold in the country, and the US is worried that chemical weapons are part of its plans. Syria moved armed helicopters closer to Idlib in the past couple weeks, two defense officials tell CNN. Those could be used to launch chlorine-filled barrel bombs on Idlib. The concern has also sparked a new tussle with Syrian ally Russia. The Russians claim the US and its allies are using the alleged chemical weapons threat as an excuse to launch airstrikes in Syria. 03:54 - Source: CNN Major rebel stronghold in Syria under threat 3. Boy Scouts of America A federal investigation has started into the tragic sinking of a duck boat on a Missouri lake that killed 17 people in July. The feds got involved after the US Coast Guard determined that the deaths resulted from “misconduct, negligence or inattention to the duties” by the captain of the duck boat. The probe will also look at the company that operates the tourist ride. It’s one of many investigations into the tragedy. Survivors of those who perished are also suing Ripley Entertainment, which operated the duck boat tour. 01:23 - Source: HLN Duck boat operator sued for $100 million President Trump signed an executive order that intends to punish foreign entities for meddling in US elections. The order lets the director of national intelligence identify groups responsible for election interference and direct the Treasury Department to apply sanctions. This order aims to hit more than just the Russians. But Democrats and Republicans criticized it as insufficient and want to see mandatory sanctions instead. 4. Puerto Rico 00:56 - Source: CNN The toils of China's one-child policy 5. Immigration California has a shiny, new net neutrality law, and the Trump administration is already working to knock it down. The law stops internet service providers from blocking or slowing specific types of content or applications, or charging apps or companies fees for faster access to customers. It’s the strictest net neutrality protection in the country and could serve as a blueprint for other states. The Department of Justice says the law is illegal and is taking the state to court. Remember, the FCC repealed net neutrality regulations earlier this year. 01:56 - Source: CNN Uber driver killed man who threatened him TODAY’S NUMBER 15 That’s the number of years to which a Texas jury sentenced ex-police officer Roy Oliver after he was convicted in the shooting death of Jordan Edwards, an unarmed black 15-year-old, in a Dallas suburb 01:27 - Source: CNN Parent: 15 years in prison not enough TODAY’S QUOTE Florida GOP gubernatorial candidate US Rep. Ron DeSantis, who was accused of using racist language while talking about his black Democratic opponent, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum 02:30 - Source: CNN GOP nominee stirs controversy after win BREAKFAST BROWSE 20,000 A spry 35! At least that’s how old soccer legend Clint Dempsey is, now that he’s calling it quits after a “prolific” career in Seattle and on the world stage. Shirt shrift US Open organizers apologized for penalizing a female tennis player who briefly took off her shirt on the court after she realized she’d put it on wrong. 01:43 - Source: HLN Alize Cornet penalized for removing shirt Not throwing away his shot Prince Harry stole the show in London when he burst into song during “Hamilton.” And of course, he picked a number sung by the George III character, his sixth-great-grandfather. Warm up the toaster A new study will pay you to eat avocados every day for six months. You don’t have to feel guilty – this is for science. 00:55 - Source: CNN The health benefits of eating avocado Plush accommodations If your travel dreams include spending the night in an old WWII gun tower, you’ll want to head to the Channel Islands. AND FINALLY Feels so good Cuteness alert! You’ll get all the feels watching this seal chase a butterfly. (Click to view.)<doc-sep> | President Donald trump announced on Wednesday that White House counsel Don McGahn would leave the administration this fall. | Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images Trump rips coverage of White House counsel McGahn's exit The president also tweets that he's 'very excited' about the person who is taking McGahn's place. President Donald Trump fired off a series of tweets Thursday morning, ripping the coverage of White House counsel Don McGahn's planned departure from the administration, aggressively pushing back against the idea that McGahn was a moderating force in the West Wing. "I am very excited about the person who will be taking the place of Don McGahn as White House Councel! [sic]," Trump tweeted Thursday morning. "I liked Don, but he was NOT responsible for me not firing Bob Mueller or Jeff Sessions. So much Fake Reporting and Fake News!" Earlier in the morning, Trump also denied reporting that White House advisers Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump were involved in nudging McGahn out. "Ivanka Trump & Jared Kushner had NOTHING to do with the so called 'pushing out' of Don McGahn.The Fake News Media has it, purposely,so wrong!" Trump wrote online. "They love to portray chaos in the White House when they know that chaos doesn’t exist-just a 'smooth running machine' with changing parts!" The president announced on Wednesday that McGahn would leave the administration this fall, following the anticipated confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. McGahn has cooperated extensively with special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, sitting for 30 hours of interviews with Mueller's team. McGahn has also long had a tense relationship with Trump. POLITICO reported on Wednesday that their mutual frustrations have recently manifested in silence, rather than massive blow-ups. But the two have had multiple heated clashes stemming from Trump’s view that McGahn hasn’t done enough to minimize the Russia investigation. Reports have stated that McGahn has forcefully advised the president against trying to oust Mueller and Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Still, Trump denied McGahn's exit has anything to do with the Russia investigation, writing on Twitter on Thursday that the "Rigged Russia Witch Hunt did not come into play, even a little bit, with respect to my decision on Don McGahn!" But according to The New York Times, Ivanka Trump complained to her father about a news report that members of the White House did not know the full extent of McGahn's cooperation with Mueller's probe. Earlier this month, Trump wrote in a series of tweets that he had given McGahn the green light to be interviewed by Mueller's team, saying, "I have nothing to hide." And when asked by reporters on Wednesday whether he was concerned about what McGahn told Mueller, Trump replied, "No." Trump has not yet named a replacement for McGahn, but three people close to the president said White House lawyer Emmet Flood is expected to get the job. |
Childish Gambino has revealed he will headline the O2 Arena in London for a massive show on 4 November this year. The Grammy Award-winning artist, also known as Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actor, writer and producer Donald Glover, will be joined by special guest H.E.R. Tickets go on sale at 9am on 29 June. Childish Gambino made an appearance at the 2018 BET awards where he was the subject of an impromptu tribute from host Jamie Foxx. BET Awards 2018 Best Dressed Show all 28 1 /28 BET Awards 2018 Best Dressed BET Awards 2018 Best Dressed Singer Janelle Monae celebrated Pride month with a rainbow-tiered gown by Nicolas Jebran Getty Images BET Awards 2018 Best Dressed Logan Browning wore a white two-piece by Dion Lee that featured a bralette and pencil skirt with a detachable ruffle hem Getty Images for BET BET Awards 2018 Best Dressed Actress, Ryan Destiny, opted for a graphic slip dress, choker and pointed court heels Getty Images BET Awards 2018 Best Dressed Singer-songwriter Ne-Yo made a statement by pairing a striking yellow suit with silver Gucci trainers Getty Images BET Awards 2018 Best Dressed Disney star, Skai Jackson, wore a denim two-piece with a Pucci turtleneck BET Awards 2018 Best Dressed Sister duo, Chloe and Halle Bailey, both wore two-pieces with crop tops and checkered elements. Chloe's lime ensemble was designed by Linder while Halle's combo was designed by Natasha Zinko BET Awards 2018 Best Dressed Rapper 2 Chainz wore a double-breasted Gucci suit that featured the brand's iconic double G print AFP/Getty Images BET Awards 2018 Best Dressed Actress, Storm Reid, wore a space-themed Reem Acra two-piece and bantu knots in her hair AFP/Getty Images BET Awards 2018 Best Dressed Tyler James Wiliams kept cool with an unbuttoned palm tree shirt, rolled-up trousers and shades BET Awards 2018 Best Dressed Model, Ajak Deng, sported a glamorous all-white floor-length gown BET Awards 2018 Best Dressed Actress, Erica Ash, wore an African-inspired print dress with a high split and braided hair Getty Images BET Awards 2018 Best Dressed Keyshia Ka’Oir opted for a high neck, long-sleeved gown with ruffles and train in pale pink Getty Images for BET BET Awards 2018 Best Dressed Gucci Mane donned a floral embroidered tuxedo with a crisp shirt and bow tie BET Awards 2018 Best Dressed Lex Scott Davis proved that the LBD can still be a showstopper with this spaghetti strapped dress with a thigh-high slit Getty Images for BET BET Awards 2018 Best Dressed Remy Ma wore two trends in one with this Karen Sabag gown that featured both polka dots and puff sleeves Getty Images BET Awards 2018 Best Dressed Tika Skumpter wore a lime green Missoni dress with a sweetheart neckline and layers of fringe Getty Images for BET BET Awards 2018 Best Dressed Trevor Jackson's Giorgio Armani suit saw another nod to Pride Month with stylish rainbow stripes AFP/Getty Images BET Awards 2018 Best Dressed Supermodel, Tyra Banks, opted for an all-in-one jumpsuit that featured semi-sheer sleeves and matching heeled sandals Getty Images for BET BET Awards 2018 Best Dressed Woody McClain wore a tonal red suit paired with a matching t-shirt BET Awards 2018 Best Dressed DeJ Loaf opted for head-to-toe millennial pink with a boiler suit and skirt combo AFP/Getty Images BET Awards 2018 Best Dressed Amber Rose channelled old Hollywood glamour with a form-fitting velvet green dress AFP/Getty Images BET Awards 2018 Best Dressed Luke Cage star, Gabrielle Dennis, wore an orange floor length gown with a halter neck finish and side slit BET Awards 2018 Best Dressed Yolanda Adams rocked a power suit in striking white BET Awards 2018 Best Dressed Jasmine Brown wore a showstopping floor-length down in burnt orange designed by Ivan Bitton BET Awards 2018 Best Dressed DJ Khaled arrived with his family and decided to keep things casual with a printed shirt, white bottoms and trainers AFP/Getty Images BET Awards 2018 Best Dressed Sweetie opted for a floor-length khaki green number with a halter neck Getty Images for BET BET Awards 2018 Best Dressed Seraya McNeill wore a gold two-piece with tiered layers designed by Alice McCall AFP/Getty Images BET Awards 2018 Best Dressed British singer-songwriter Ella Mai wore a gothic-inspired all-black ensemble Getty Images for BET Foxx diverted from the show's script to honour Childish Gambino, who performed his hit "This Is America" with him. The moment was a pause from Foxx's comedic script for a more serious note, as he observed: "This song should not be joked about. "This young man, Childish Gambino, Donald Glover - singer, songwriter, philanthropist, movie star, overall badass. A true artist. I wanna acknowledge you." He then invited Glover onstage where the artist said: "I was really not expecting to get up here." The pair performed an abbreviated version of "This Is America" where the crowd were invited to sing the "yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah" backing vocals. Got sweaty palms already? Check out our handy tips for dealing with the demand: 1) Make sure you are ready and waiting with the web page up at least five minutes before 9am. 2) Do not let your computer, phone or whatever device holds the key to your happiness run out of battery. 3) Register your details with the website you are booking from in advance, if you can, but don’t panic if you haven’t left enough time as your tickets will be held while you fill out your information 4) Check how many tickets you are allowed to buy in one purchase. If you try to buy more than the limited number, your booking may be cancelled without notice, meaning no-one gets to go. 5) Get your friends to try too, but stay in contact in case you all succeed and end up with a bunch of tickets you didn’t want. If you do need to sell any on, do so at face value. No-one likes a tout. 6) Be patient and avoid refreshing or switching between browsers. Stick with one tab and have some faith! Be prepared to wait for an hour to get tickets<doc-sep>Childish Gambino is set to perform in London in one of the most anticipated shows of 2018. The rapper, whose real name is Donald Glover, has had a busy year so far, releasing the hit single This is America and appearing in the movie Solo: A Star Wars Story. Here’s all you need to know about when and the where the upcoming show will take place, ticket information and who Childish Gambino himself is. Childish Gambino, also known as Donald Glover, is set to perform in London on November 4 When is Childish Gambino's London show? Childish Gambino’s upcoming London show will be held on Sunday, November 4, 2018. Where will the show be held? The concert is slated to be held at the O2 Arena. Childish Gambino London tickets Tickets can be found on AXS.com and will go on sale starting on Friday, June 29 at 9am BST. Who is Childish Gambino? Childish Gambino is the stage name of musician, actor and filmmaker Donald Glover. He was born on September 25, 1983 on Edwards Air Force Base in California. Childish Gambino was raised outside of Atlanta in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Gambino later graduated from New York University in 2006 with a degree in Creative Writing. He later found work on the popular TV show 30 Rock starring Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin from 2006 to 2009 and later appeared in the TV show Community in 2009. Eventually, he decided to make a career for himself in the music industry as well, releasing a number of independent hip hop mixtapes and several studio albums shortly thereafter: Camp in 2011, Because the Internet in 2013 and "Awaken, My Love!" In 2016. On May 5, 2018, he released his latest single This is America, which quickly climbed to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and amassed nearly 300 million views on YouTube so far. In addition to his successful musical career, Childish Gambino has also been busy with his parallel acting and filmmaking career, appearing in the recent film Solo: A Star Wars Story and creating and starring in the hit comedy-drama TV series Atlanta. Throughout his career, Childish Gambino has been honored with many award wins and nominations across a variety of artistic fields, including the Grammy Awards, American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, Emmy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Critics’ Choice Awards, People’s Choice Awards, MTV Awards and many others. What is Childish Gambino’s net worth? Childish Gambino’s net worth is believed to be about $12 million (£8.8m).<doc-sep>It’s set to be the rapper’s biggest UK performance. Childish Gambino, otherwise known as Donald Glover, has announced he will headline the O2 Arena in London on 4 November 2018. The rapper will be joined by special guest H.E.R. The show will mark his second London performance of the year, after headlining Lovebox Festival next month. Earlier this year, Glover released the music video for This Is America, which received over 300 million views on YouTube. According to NME, it has been rumoured that Childish Gambino’s new release could be the rapper’s final record. Tickets are set to go on sale at 9am on Friday 29 June. You can buy tickets for the show here<doc-sep> | Award winning rapper Childish Gambino, AKA Donald Glover, has announced he will be headlining at London's O2 Arena later this year. The 34-year-old Emmy and Grammy winner- who also acts, directs, writes, produces and DJs - will play the Greenwich venue on 4 November. It is expected to be the Atlanta star's largest UK performance to date, months after he won a lead actor Emmy for his comedy series. Special guest R&B singer H.E.R. - whose real name is Gabriella "Gabi" Wilson - will also perform. The show will be the second UK appearance for the multi-talented American artist, who headlines at Gunnersbury Park's Lovebox Festival in July. His political single, This Is America, which sparked debate about gun violence in the US, reached number 6 in the UK charts earlier this year. The video - in which a smiling shirtless Gambino dances through a warehouse shooting a hooded man before opening fire on a choir - has been watched about 300 million times since early May. Described by actor Jamie Foxx as a song that "stopped me in my tracks" at Sunday's BET Awards, Glover was persuaded to perform a few lines from the song on stage during the ceremony. Image: Glover joins Jamie Foxx on stage at the BET Awards Glover has previously hinted that he may soon kill-off his Gambino alter ego, saying at the Grammy's in January: "I'm making another project right now. But I like endings, I think they're important to progress. "I think if a lot of things had death clauses in them we wouldn't have a lot of problems in the world, to be honest. I think endings are good because they force things to get better." Tickets for Childish Gambino's 02 concert go on sale at 9am on 29 June. |