Australia s lawmakers have rejected legislation that would tighten citizenship and foreign worker visa rules, a blow to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull who had sought to stop a loss of his support base to far-right political parties. In April, Turnbull said Australia would abolish a temporary work visa popular with foreigners and replace it with a new program requiring better English-language and job skills. Turnbull also announced plans to raise the bar for citizenship by lengthening the waiting period and adding a new Australian values test. But Australia s senate, where Turnbull s center-right government does not enjoy a majority, rejected the proposal in a late vote on Wednesday, with opposition lawmakers insisting the rules were counter to Australian multicultural values. The senate rejection may further drag on support for Turnbull, which, according to the widely watched Newspoll poll on Monday, languishes at its lowest level in more than two years. The next election is not due until 2019, but continued poor polling could undermine Turnbull s leadership. Mathias Cormann, Australia s special minister of state, said on Wednesday the government will seek to move the legislation through the senate again as soon as they have secured the necessary support. We will keep working with all non-government senators to secure the necessary support, Cormann told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio. A spokeswoman for Australian immigration minister Peter Dutton said visa applications would now be considered under the previous rules.


The key concerns of Russian foreign policy heading into 2017 RD Interview: Chatham House expert James Sherr explains how a variety of global crises, particularly in the Middle East and Ukraine, are impacting Russian foreign policy RD Interview: Chatham House expert James Sherr explains how a variety of global crises, particularly in the Middle East and Ukraine, are impacting Russian foreign policy. One big variable to consider: the results of elections in the U.S., France and Germany.  Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Athens, on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016. Photo: AP  Major international actors are currently preoccupied with all kinds of regional crises: crises in the Middle East – including Syria , Iraq, Yemen and Libya, the rise of radical extremism, the refugee crisis , the crisis of European integration after Brexit and the rise of right-wing political parties in Europe. Moreover, the situation is exacerbated by the ongoing tensions between Russia and the West, which could take on a new dimension after elections in the U.S., France and Germany. With that in mind, Russia Direct talked with James Sherr , an associate fellow and former head ;of the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House), about the possibilities for a change in Europe's Russia policy, the prospects of the Minsk agreements and Russia's aims in Syria. RD: Given the crisis in the European Union, which is considered the most serious since its very beginning, how do you assess the prospects for the rise of a more independent foreign policy decision-making process within the European Union? How could a potential change of the political elites, keeping in mind elections in France and Germany, affect Europe's Russia policy? James Sherr: Against the backdrop of uncertainty, the only thing we can say with confidence is that we should not be complacent that things will remain the same. If either Marine le Pen or, more probably, Nicolas Sarkozy becomes president of France, there will be extremely strong pressure, at least in France, to move in a different direction vis-à-vis Russia. Also read: " The crisis of European identity and rapprochement with Russia " Nevertheless, there is a contradictory factor. Russia, in my view, is today under strong pressure to realize its objectives in Syria and the humanitarian consequences of this are already inflaming European opinion against Russia. So if you factor this in with the other variables, it would be far too optimistic for the Russians to conclude that the sanctions regime will diminish. Look at the example of France, where President Francois Hollande a few months ago was saying that Europe should think about how to diminish sanctions, and now he is talking about increasing them. Well, I do not think they will increase, but I think it is unrealistic to assume that sanctions are going to be reduced either. RD: What we should expect in terms of the Western policy towards Russia?  So, it is really very uncertain, but broadly speaking, many of these developments like Brexit, like the migration crisis, the evident discontent of a leader like Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, make Russia more comfortable. However, this is not time to be dizzied with success. There is no basis for that. RD: After the recent Normandy Format meeting in Berlin, is there any hope for some positive developments of the Minsk agreements? Do you believe Germany and France will increase their pressure on Kiev in order to implement their part of the agreement? J.S.: In my view, and I believe this is also the view of Kiev, Russia's aim is not to preserve a frozen conflict – it is to use the warlords [in Eastern Ukraine] as a vehicle, a means to neutralize Ukraine with Western consent . All of the demands of the warlords, and informally those of the Russian leadership, concerning "special status" stipulate first of all absolute autonomy for these regions, something that exists in no federal state in the world. But secondly, and even more controversially, they stipulate a right of this entity, which is four percent of Ukraine's territory, to exert a right of veto over Ukraine's foreign and defense policy. And this is all has been stated explicitly and it's been reinforced in discussions on a very high level. This is absolutely unacceptable in Kiev. RD: What about Germany and France? What is their stance on that? J.S.: Berlin and Paris are not yet ready to accept it, so they keep looking for a compromise, they keep hoping that if Ukraine compromises, the other side (the rebels in Eastern Ukraine – Editor's note) will compromise, but I see no evidence of this and from my perspective, they don't have any reason to do that because the West keeps putting pressure on Kiev to make compromises. So, this leads to what I think is one very dangerous possibility for Ukraine and the West, though it is very encouraging for Russia. If Ukrainian President Poroshenko is put under pressure by the Ukrainian Parliament, and he insists on legislation that would be harmful to Ukraine's national interests, the Parliament will reject it. The president will then have to exercise his financial or administrative resources to try to deal with this. He might do that successfully or not: if he does it successfully, then the street will revolt. In my view, this is exactly what Moscow wants to happen. The problem is that in Europe there is not enough clarity about this situation and the West can blunder into a situation with an endangered Poroshenko regime. They do not want to do that, but after this recent Normandy meeting in Berlin , the risk of such a sequence of errors is more likely than it was before. And therefore, I would predict the Ukrainians would do everything that is necessary to stall, resist, divert until they can talk to a new set of players in Washington after the November presidential election . So, the Normandy Format meeting has not solved anything, it is not going to solve anything, it is an awkward bump on the road. It is going to continue until facts are created that no party can question anymore. RD: Many experts say that one of Russia's major goals in Syria is to divert attention from Ukraine in order to compel the West to cooperate and thus to prove that Russia is an inevitable partner, which the West has to deal with. So, do you think that it is legitimate to say so and did Russia achieve its goals in Syria? J.S.: Russia today is not only militarily but intellectually a very capable state, a very serious opponent . A great power like Russia never does something as significant as this for only one reason. So, the strongest motivation for Russia to deploy its forces to Syria in the fall of 2015 is to recognize the Assad regime and to preserve it and preserve it on Russian terms, which means preserve it in a "usable" Syria. Russia is not interested in whether or not Syrian President Bashar al-Assad re-establishes control over all of Syria. What they want is a "usable" Syria, which means the Alawites areas, the Western areas on the coast – areas where Russia's air base and naval facility are located and so on. This is one reason. Also read: " The rivalry between Moscow and Washington for the right to defeat ISIS " The second is to enjoy regional dividends. The expenses do not break Russia, but if it goes on for five more years then you can talk about it. The U.S. Obama Administration created the power vacuum in the Middle East and this was for many reasons. They came into office and said the Middle East would be less important. In 2012 they decided on the "pivot to Asia," there are all sorts of new priorities. So, Russia is enjoying now increased authority in the region, including tangible results in Turkey . This is the second. The third is to show the West that there is no global question Russia is interested in that can't be solved without Russia and without Russia's opinion being accepted. In other words, there is no solution to any international problem that will be legitimate or workable without Russia's participation. And the fourth factor is to divert the West's attention from everything that is going on in Europe . And that's it. So, this are four factors there. They each reinforce the other but again, the certain paradox is that, the more Russia does to accomplish its aims in Syria, the bigger the humanitarian consequences, the more Russia's image suffers in the West, the more pressure there is for sanctions for tough policy and everything else. So, it does not all mesh perfectly. But this is a very well thought-through, powerful policy which I think in the short-to mid-term is likely to succeed, but not over the long-term. This is because the fundamental factor is that Syria is a country where 60-65 percent of its population is Sunni and it's true that the Sunni elites are in a sense part of the state's structure, but others are not; this insurgency is very strong and even after Aleppo, the insurgency is going to remain very strong. I don't think it will go away.


Myanmar s de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, on Thursday urged people not to quarrel as she visited Rakhine State for the first time since a military crackdown that drove more than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee the country. Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, has faced heavy international criticism for not taking a higher profile in responding to what U.N. officials have called ethnic cleansing by the army. Myanmar has rejected the accusations of ethnic cleansing, saying its security forces launched a counter-insurgency operation after Rohingya militants attacked 30 security posts in northern Rakhine on Aug. 25. On Thursday, amid heightened security, Suu Kyi boarded a military helicopter at Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine State, to be taken to Maungdaw, one of the districts worst hit by the violence. Suu Kyi met a group of Muslim religious leaders, said Chris Lewa, of the Arakan Project monitoring group, citing Rohingya sources. She only said three things to the people - they should live peacefully, the government is there to help them, and they should not quarrel among each other, Lewa said, quoting information from a religious leader who was present. Rohingya began fleeing predominantly Buddhist Myanmar for neighboring Bangladesh in late August to escape violence in the wake of a military counter-insurgency operation launched after Rohingya militants attacked security posts in Rakhine State. A U.S. State Department delegation will be in Bangladesh on Friday and Saturday to discuss the humanitarian crisis and human rights concerns stemming from the crisis in Rakhine state. The delegation will be led by Simon Henshaw, acting assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, the department said in a statement. On Wednesday, Reuters photographers saw thousands of desperate Rohingya wade through shallows and narrow creeks between islands of the Naf river to reach neighboring Bangladesh as the exodus begun two months ago was far from over. Some had small boats or pulled makeshift rafts to get to Bangladesh on the river s western bank, but most walked, children cradled in their arms and the elderly carried on their backs, with sacks of belongings tied to staves on their shoulders. Reaching the far side, some women and older people had to be pulled through the mud to reach dry land atop steep banks. More than 4,000 crossed at different points on the river on Wednesday, Major Mohammed Iqbal, a Bangladesh security official in the southern district of Cox s Bazar, told Reuters. Suu Kyi had not previously visited Rakhine since assuming power last year following a landslide 2015 election victory. The majority of residents in the northern part of the state, which includes Maungdaw, were Muslims until the recent crisis. Suu Kyi was accompanied by about 20 people traveling in two military helicopters, including military, police and state officials, a Reuters reporter said. Businessman Zaw Zaw, formerly sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury for his ties to Myanmar s junta, was also with the Nobel laureate. Suu Kyi, who does not control the military, has lately appeared to take a stronger lead in the crisis, focusing government efforts on rehabilitation and pledging to repatriate refugees. She launched a project last month to help rehabilitation and resettlement in Rakhine and has urged tycoons to contribute. Suu Kyi has pledged to allow the return of refugees who can prove they were residents of Myanmar, but thousands of people have continued to flee to Bangladesh. Refugees in the Bangladesh camps say the Myanmar army torched their villages, but Myanmar blames Rohingya militants. Talks with Bangladesh have yet to deliver a pact on a repatriation process made more complex because Myanmar has long denied citizenship to the Rohingya. Suu Kyi s spokesman voiced fears on Tuesday that Bangladesh could be stalling on the accord to first get millions of dollars of international aid money, an accusation a senior Bangladesh home ministry official described as outrageous. United Nations refugee official Volker Turk appealed for the safe, voluntary and sustainable repatriation of Rohingya. In a statement issued on Thursday after a two-day visit to Myanmar, Turk, the U.N. s assistant high commissioner for refugee protection, said he hoped the UNHCR would be involved in the government s plans for voluntary repatriation. But the scenes at the Naf river showed Rohingya were still ready to risk being destitute in Bangladesh, rather than stay in Myanmar in fear for their lives. (For a graphic on 'A desperate escape' click tmsnrt.rs/2xIvxQF) (For a graphic on 'Mass exodus' click tmsnrt.rs/2xTId74) (For a graphic on 'Trail of destruction' click tmsnrt.rs/2y8FgQ8)


'Sacrificing a Chicken to Moloch'— The Clinton-Podesta Email Scandal is All About SATANISM The Clinton-Podesta email scandal is truly an astonishing and revealing exposé. Although, to be fa... http://humansarefree.com/2016/11/sacrificing-chicken-to-moloch-clinton.html The Clinton-Podesta email scandal is truly an astonishing and revealing exposé. Although, to be fair to those researchers studying the dark underbelly of the New World Order conspiracy, it is more revealing than astonishing, since we have known for some time that the inner echelon of the New World Order is heavily into pedophilia and Satanism . Now, however, there is proof in black and white in the form of the leaked emails of John Podesta, former lobbyist and Clinton campaign manager. Thanks to WikiLeaks, we now have the verified, authentic emails of Podesta. They are replete with references to pedophilia and Satanism – although the pedophilia is couched in code language. The code is still being worked on by various independent researchers around the web.Despite the fact we don't know the exact meaning, it is still very clear that it is some kind of code, since some of the sentences and context are completely unnatural and deliberately cryptic. Hopefully, even though Hillary Clinton will no longer be the next US president, enough people will take the time to inform themselves about this crucial connection – the link between our "elite" criminal leaders and their adherence to Satanism (devil worship, black magic , etc.) which propels them into dark activities such as pedophilia . Satanic References in Clinton-Podesta Email Chains: Sacrificing a Chicken in the Backyard to Moloch It's tempting to write this all of as wild conspiracy and rationalize it away, but you can't when the proof is right in front of your face. Check out this email, number 30489 , from the WikiLeaks archive (image above): "W ith fingers crossed, the old rabbit's foot out of the box in the attic, I will be sacrificing a chicken in the backyard to Moloch . ." Sacrificing a chicken to Moloch. This may be taken literally, or it quite possible that in pedophilia code that chicken means child , in which case it may be referring to child sacrifice . Either way, the line is an apparent reference to Moloch, a favorite god of Satanism and a Canaanite god associated with child sacrifice. Moloch is the deity worshiped at Bohemian Grove as a giant 40 foot owl. Thanks to the footage obtained by Alex Jones when he broke into Bohemian Grove in the year 2000, we know that the NWO conspirators who gather there partake in a dark ceremony known as the "Cremation of Care" which features human sacrifice. That particular video appears to show mock sacrifice, but there are people who have personally gone through the horror of being hunted at Bohemian Grove (such as Kathy Collins ) and lived to tell the story. Even if you don't believe that, the very fact that people are gathered around in secret worshiping dark forces and deliberately trying to destroy the compassion, empathy and love inside of themselves ("cremate care") is a very disturbing reality – especially when you consider these are the people running our world . Here are even more Satanic references. Click the following image to enlarge (or save it to your computer and read it zoomed in): Pedophilia Code: Pizza, Pasta, Cheese, Walnut Sauce and More Sites such as WeAreChange have already done a great job exposing Marina Abramovic and her invitation to the Podesta brothers (both John and Tony) for spirit cooking dinners at her house, where the participants would engage in weird Satanic rituals involving body fluids such as blood, semen and breast milk, and using animal (?) blood. — Read more on the subject here . WikiLeaks Podesta email 15893 revealed the spirit cooking invitation. In a different email chain (below), Hillary Clinton asks her assistant Huma Abedin if Marina will be going with Huma. From WeAreChange: "Abramovic is known for her often-gory art that confronts pain and ritual. Her first performance involved repeatedly, stabbing herself in her hands. The next performance featured her throwing her nails, toenails, and hair into a flaming five-point star ..." These are some of the words Marina painted in blood on her wall during her supposed spirit cooking: "Fresh morning urine sprinkle over nightmare dreams ... with a sharp knife cut deeply into your middle finger of your left hand feel the pain ..." Meanwhile, numbers 43113 , 35581 and 32795 (among many many others) all contain strange and unnatural references to food items such as pizza, pasta, cheese, walnut sauce, ice cream and more. Who speaks like this? "Hi John, The realtor found a handkerchief (I think it has a map that seems pizza-related. Is it yorus? They can send it if you want. I know you're busy, so feel free not to respond if it's not yours or you don't want it." Some have suggested the code is something like this: Dominos = domination / BDSM


New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said on Thursday he has urged Donald Trump not to leave the Republican Party, saying it remains unified despite scathing criticism of Trump's presidential candidacy by a senior party leader earlier on Thursday. "I have urged him not to leave the party," said Christie, a former candidate himself, who gave Trump a major boost last week when he endorsed him for the party's nomination for the Nov. 8 election. "I don't think that's a constructive way to go about it, and he knows that," Christie told reporters. Trump, who has repeatedly threatened to leave the Republican Party if it does not respect him, told ABC News on Thursday that Republicans should be glad he has brought millions more people into the party: "They're leaving the Democrats. They're leaving the independents. And they're with me 100 percent." The New York real estate magnate is the clear front-runner to be the Republican nominee in November but is facing heavy criticism from many in the party establishment - including a blistering speech on Thursday by the party's 2012 presidential candidate, Mitt Romney. U.S. Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, and Ohio Governor John Kasich are trailing Trump in their bids for the nomination, but are trying to coalesce the support of establishment Republicans to topple Trump before or at the party's nominating convention in July. Trump told MSNBC that the increasing number of ads from the establishment targeting him are "really unfair," and that he could depart the party to run as an independent. "If I leave, if I go ... which I may do, I mean, may or may not, but if I go, I will tell you these millions of people that joined, they've told them, they're all coming with me," he said. Concern about Trump among Republicans increased at the weekend over his failure to quickly disavow support from a leading white supremacist. "I've know Donald Trump for 14 years, and Donald Trump is not a bigot," Christie told a news conference in New Jersey. "In fact, Donald Trump is someone I think who has given a lot of opportunity to a lot of people of a lot of different backgrounds, and I disagree with Governor Romney on that one." (Reporting by Washington newsroom; Editing by Mohammad Zargham and Frances Kerry) This article was funded in part by SAP. It was independently created by the Reuters editorial staff. SAP had no editorial involvement in its creation or production.


Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton on Wednesday proposed a temporary freeze on some student debt and the cutting of college tuition entirely for some families, focusing on an issue important to supporters of her rival Bernie Sanders. Clinton's latest proposal includes a three-month moratorium for federal student loan payments and a new measure to eliminate in-state college tuition for families whose income does not exceed $125,000, according to a release from her campaign. The proposal builds on her earlier plan for easing student debt loads for higher education. Clinton, the former secretary of state and presumptive Democratic Party nominee, is looking to win over supporters of Sanders, the Vermont senator who was her main opponent for the nomination as he consistently sought to push the party left. The presumptive Republican nominee, businessman Donald Trump, also has courted Sanders' voters, trying to use his outsider appeal to bring them over to his campaign. On Wednesday, Clinton proposed using executive action to offer a three-month moratorium on student loan payments to all federal loan borrowers to offer help for borrowers to consolidate loans and find other methods to reduce their payments. She previously has released proposals to increase access to tuition grants, push for income-based repayments, and - like Sanders - to allow graduates to refinance student loans at lower interest rates. Sanders praised the new Clinton measures on Wednesday, saying in a statement that he wanted "to take this opportunity to applaud Secretary Clinton."


David Duke October 26, 2016  Today Dr. Duke discussed the state of his campaign, including television commercials that he was preparing. He will be in a televised debate with the other leading candidates, which should be critical in putting him in the run off.  Pastor Mark Dankof took over the show at the break. He took calls from listeners. One call asked about Jesus's warning about the Synagogue of Satan. Pastor Dankof ended the show with a passionate warning about the risk of World War III should Hillary be elections.  This is another great show that you won't want to miss.


Dinner at the Barcelona home of Catalonia-born Montserrat Armisen, an independence supporter, can be a tense affair. He criticizes us and doesn t let us eat in peace, said Armisen of her husband, Gustavo Gomez, a Colombian who favors keeping the Spanish state intact, and their children, Jordi, 18, and Nicolas, 27. We go to our protests, return and don t say anything, but he just carries on, said Armisen, 55. It bothers us because there is no respect for us from his part. For many in Spain, the Catalonia crisis that threatens to fracture the country is also tearing at ordinary families and evoking painful memories of Spain s 1936-39 civil war. The prospect that Catalonia, a former principality which prides itself on its distinct language and culture, might break away has created divisions across Spanish society, from the kitchen table to the soccer pitch. Many in Spain regard Catalan secessionists as a noisy minority whose national identity is built on a misreading of history, ungrateful to a Spanish state that has underwritten the region s peace and prosperity. In their turn, some secessionists decry unionists as fascists , harking back to dictator Francisco Franco, who suppressed Catalan language and traditions after his forces won the civil war until his death in 1975. Most Catalans backed the Republican side against Franco. Small groups of far-right activists have taken part in recent anti-independence protests, with a few giving fascist salutes or carrying the flag of the Falange, the dominant party under Franco. Neo-fascists are disowned by the vast majority of those who want to keep Spain intact but their appearance in public shows how the Catalonia crisis has reopened some of Spain s deepest and most painful wounds. If I say things I am called a fascist, said Armisen s husband, Gomez, 58, who has lived in Barcelona with his family for a decade. Telling them they should not be independent is not being a fascist. Everything that has been done, in my view, is completely illegal, he told Reuters Television, adding that his wife had even asked him to leave home - something she denies. What am I doing here? Gomez asked, holding back tears. Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont had pledged to proclaim the region s independence from Spain after Catalans defied a ban and police crackdown and, according to his government s count, voted overwhelmingly to break away in an Oct. 1 referendum. But, in a speech to the Catalan regional parliament on Tuesday, Puigdemont stepped back from a formal declaration of independence, claiming a mandate to launch secession but saying he would delay doing so to allow time for talks with Madrid on the region s future. Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria savaged Puigdemont s speech, saying he should come back to the path of the law if he wanted talks with Madrid. She said the Spanish cabinet would meet on Wednesday to discuss its response. On Monday, Pablo Casado, a spokesman for Spain s ruling Popular Party, recalled that 83 years ago, the then Catalan leader, Lluis Companys, was jailed for declaring a Catalan state. He was executed by firing squad in 1940 during Franco s rule. Casado said anyone who declared independence might end up like Companys, in prison. In response, the pro-independence Catalan CUP party said on Twitter: Thanks for being so Franco, Pablo Casado , using a play on the Spanish word for frank and Franco . The dispute has touched Spain s sacred pastime, soccer. On the day after the referendum, the Spanish national team s Catalan defender, Gerard Pique, an independence supporter, was jeered by fans as he trained with the team. Trade unions are also divided. The Catalan arm of one of Spain s biggest unions, Comisiones Obreras (Workers Committees), initially backed calls for a general strike in Catalonia on Oct. 3 in response to the police crackdown on the referendum, according to media reports. But at a national level, Comisiones Obreras and another big union, the UGT, later said their Catalan affiliates would not take part in the strike, only protests against the crackdown. In no case are we going to support positions that give cover to a unilateral declaration of independence, they said in a joint statement. Rosa Borras, 47, took part in a demonstration in favor of national unity in Madrid last weekend. Thinking of her relatives in Catalonia, the situation is deeply saddening, she said. I ve come because I feel very Spanish and it makes me very sad what s happened, she said. I wanted to be here for unity, because I also feel very Catalan.


Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute have created artificial heart tissue with functioning vasculature by stripping a spinach leaf of its original cells and replacing them with human cells. [The spinach leaf was used to solve a problem faced by biological engineers when creating artificial tissues and organs. Methods such as 3D printing that generally make good copies do not have the ability to recreate the complicated vascular systems that are needed to ensure the success of any bioengineered tissue. If oxygen and nutrients cannot be transported to the cells, then that organ will fail and die. While plants use their vasculature to transport water and nutrients rather than blood, the access to the cells that it provides is similar in design to animals. Combined with the fact that cellulose is compatible with human biology, the researchers saw a new opportunity to utilize plants in bioengineering. The process was relatively simple. The spinach leaf was first bleached via a detergent pumped through the veins, stripping away the plant cells. This took several days to complete, after which human blood vessel cells were implanted to make the veins to be compatible with human biology. The process was finished off by covering the leaf in human heart cells, which attached themselves to the skeleton. Eventually, the cells started beating like an actual heart, allowing mock blood to flow through the system. Similar experiments were conducted with peanut plants and parsley. Joshua Gershlak, a researcher at WPI in Massachusetts and the first author on the study explained in a press release where he got the inspiration from: When I looked at the spinach leaf, its stem reminded me of an aorta. So I thought, let's perfuse right through the stem. We weren't sure it would work, but it turned out to be pretty easy and replicable. Its working in many other plants. This is just one step on a long road to successfully utilizing this process in medical science. Researchers need to make sure that plant scaffolds like these would not be rejected, once inside a host, with a further plan to make the new creations stronger. Glenn Gaudette, a professor of biomedical engineering wondered if they could "stack decellularized leaves, can we create a large thickness more along the thickness of a human heart wall?" Another theory was perhaps broccoli or cauliflower could be made to replicate lung tissue. Along with requiring further optimisation, it also is unclear how the tissues could be used to actually create a new organ. Researchers are upbeat, claiming that while further investigation may still be needed, "it has the potential to develop into a 'green' solution pertinent to a myriad of regenerative medicine applications. " Jack Hadfield is a student at the University of Warwick and a regular contributor to Breitbart Tech. You can like his page on Facebook and follow him on Twitter @ToryBastard_ or on Gab @JH.


Have you ever seen something so stupid that you wish you could just go back to bed on the off-chance that it was a dream? That s how my day has gone so far. You know, we regularly hear from the NRA that gun owners are responsible individuals ready to leap into action and save us from all the ISISes, Commies, and other assorted (largely imaginary) bad guys who are lying in wait to attack us while we re walking around a grocery store or eating at Chipotle (though, of course, the food there might be seen as a reasonable threat these days). In some incredibly rare circumstances, it might be useful to have a gun. But, as usual, one of the NRA s Chosen has reminded us that the risks of universal gun ownership far outweigh the benefits.A woman who reportedly lives in the Southern United States didn t like that her kids disobey her, practically live on social media, and basically are teenagers. While most parents would take their children s electronics to teach them some respect, this unnamed woman decided a SECOND AMENDMENT SOLUTION was in order so she grabbed her shotgun and began shootin stuff while someone else recorded. I hereby denounce the effects that social media have on my children, the mom shouts at the beginning of the video, her trusty boomstick ready to dish out some justice. Their disobedience and their disrespect. She then takes aim at her children s iPhones and fires a shot, blasting them to bits. She then instructs the man behind the camera to place the broken bits of electronics back on the tree stump because she isn t quite through with them yet.Up to this point, the kids have been quite disrespectful, cursing at her and even flipping their mother the bird. In other words, she is likely right that they deserve punishment but she continues to take things to the extreme I refuse to be cursed, she bellows. I refuse to be disobeyed. I take back my role as your parent. This shining example of much of what is wrong with America then instructs the cameraman to make sure the kids are on camera and they can be seen standing with their arms crossed as their mother continues to go insane. One of them throws up both middle fingers because he s exactly the sort of kid someone like this would raise. She fires another shot, blowing the already-destroyed cell phones to even smaller bits. Anything left put it on top, she tells the cameraman who dutifully obeys. Mom then announces that she refuses to have them influenced in negative ways like, hypothetically, if their mother were to line them up and force her children to watch her shoot their belongings while screaming like a crazy woman. She wouldn t stand for that. Oh, wait To emphasize her point, she grabbed a sledgehammer and beat the fragments of the phones with it. I m done, she yelled as she dropped the hammer and walked away.It s easy for some to imagine a world in which everyone is armed but they fail to realize that people like this woman exist, who think a Second Amendment Solution is appropriate for even the most mundane of scenarios. She was not defending her home, saving lives, hunting, or even fighting back against an oppressive government. She used her weapon in an apparently failed attempt to intimidate her children (but let s face it: everyone in this scenario is an asshole). Fortunately, no one was hurt, but someone could have been. Watch it below:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxbMlVPThp0


U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will press this week for NATO allies to demonstrate a "clear path" to increase defense spending, a State Department official said on Tuesday. Tillerson will hold his first meeting with NATO foreign ministers in Brussels on March 31. He will push allies on how they plan to meet a defense spending goal of 2 percent of gross domestic product, and press NATO to increase its role in the fight against terrorism, the official said. "It is no longer sustainable for the United States to maintain a disproportionate share of NATO's deterrence and defense spending," the official said in a briefing with reporters, on condition of anonymity. President Donald Trump has unsettled European allies with demands they increase defense spending and talk of establishing an alliance with Russia to counter Islamic State militants. Tillerson's initial decision to skip his first meeting with NATO foreign ministers to attend expected talks in the United States with Chinese President Xi Jinping also reopened questions about the Trump administration's commitment to the alliance. The State Department later said the meeting in Brussels had been rescheduled and Tillerson would attend. Five NATO members - Britain, Estonia, Greece, Poland and the United States - currently meet the 2 percent spending threshold, according to 2016 NATO figures. Members of the alliance have until 2024 to meet the targets. The Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian foreign ministers met with Tillerson at the State Department on Tuesday. The Baltic states have felt especially vulnerable since Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014. Asked if they were confident in U.S. support for NATO, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius responded "No doubts about that" and Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics and Estonian Foreign Minister Sven Mikser nodded in agreement. The senior State Department official said Trump administration officials are "pushing allies to do more, faster, absolutely no apology for that." The United States also wants allies to give a "clear path" on how they would meet the threshold, such as timelines and budgetary commitments, he said. But the official declined to state any specifics on what the United States would do if allies did not meet the targets. "Our joint security requires it, that's the main leverage that we have," the official said. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said last month the United States might "moderate" its support for the alliance but gave no details.


U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday the United States would maintain sanctions on Cuba and Venezuela until they restore political and religious freedom. We re confronting rogue regimes from Iran to North Korea and we are challenging the communist dictatorship of Cuba and the socialist oppression of Venezuela, Trump told a conservative political conference. And we will not lift the sanctions on these repressive regimes until they restore political and religious freedom for their people.


Israel must halt new building plans for settler homes in the West Bank, the European Union s foreign service said in a statement on Wednesday, warning that such settlements threatened any future peace deal with the Palestinians. The European Union has requested clarifications from Israeli authorities and conveyed the expectation that they reconsider these decisions, which are detrimental to on-going efforts towards meaningful peace talks, the statement said. All settlement activity is illegal under international law, and it undermines the viability of the two-state solution and the prospect for a lasting peace. The EU maintains that the lands Israel has occupied since the 1967 Middle East war - including the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights - are not part of the internationally recognized borders of Israel.


Image: Bin im Garten, Creative Commons This article was written by Tyler Durden and originally published at Zero Hedge .  Editor's Comment: The entire campaign season was composed of stories about how Trump couldn't win, about the derogatory comments he has made, and the terror he would bring. But their lopsided attacks against Trump, and their continuing praise of nothing-but-Hillary was completely wrong in every way… the epitome of "fake news."  And President-elect Trump reportedly let the media hear his mind… interesting account of this off-the-record meeting.  Trump "Exploded" At Media Execs During Off-The-Record Meeting: "It Was A F–king Firing Squad"  by Tyler Durden Earlier today we reported that in a "summit" organized by Trump's campaign manager Kellyanne Conway, executives and anchors from the major US media outlets, including CNN president Jeff Zucker, ABC News president James Goldston, Fox News co-presidents Bill Shine and Jack Abernethy, and NBC News president Deborah Turness, visited Donald Trump at his Trump Tower penthouse for an off the record meeting. Courtesy of the Post, we have a complete list of the participants at the Trump media meeting: the hour-long powwow included top execs from network and cable news channels. Among the attendees were NBC's Deborah Turness, Lester Holt and Chuck Todd, ABC's James Goldston, George Stephanopoulos, David Muir and Martha Raddatz, CBS' Norah O'Donnell John Dickerson, Charlie Rose, Christopher Isham and Gayle King, Fox News' Bill Shine, Jack Abernethy, Jay Wallace, Suzanne Scott, MSNBC's Phil Griffin and CNN's Jeff Zucker and Erin Burnett. The contents of what was discussed were initially unclear. Now, according to the Post and Politico , we learn that the President-elect " exploded at media bigs in an off-the-record Trump Tower powow on Monday ." " It was like a f—ing firing squad ," one source told the Post. According to the Post's recound of the conversation, " Trump started with Jeff Zucker and said I hate your network, everyone at CNN is a liar and you should be ashamed …." Jeff Zucker (left)  "The meeting was a total disaster . The TV execs and anchors went in there thinking they would be discussing the access they would get to the Trump administration, but instead they got a Trump-style dressing down," the source added. A second source confirmed the encounter. The Post adds that "the meeting took place in a big board room and there were about 30 or 40 people, including the big news anchors from all the networks…" "Trump kept saying, ' We're in a room of liars, the deceitful dishonest media who got it all wrong. He addressed everyone in the room calling the media dishonest, deceitful liars. He called out Jeff Zucker by name and said everyone at CNN was a liar, and CNN was network of liars . "Trump didn't say Katy Tur by name, but talked about an NBC female correspondent who got it wrong, then he referred to a horrible network correspondent who cried when Hillary lost who hosted a debate – which was Martha Raddatz who was also in the room. "Gayle did not stand up, but asked some question, 'How do you propose we the media work with you?' Chuck Todd asked some pretty pointed questions. David Muir asked how are you going to cope living in DC while your family is in NYC? It was a horrible meeting." Politico adds further details, according to which "Trump complained about photos of himself that NBC used that he found unflattering, the source said. Trump turned to NBC News President Deborah Turness at one point, the source said, and told her the network won't run a nice picture of him, instead choosing "this picture of me," as he made a face with a double chin. Turness replied that they had a "very nice" picture of him on their website at the moment." Amusingly, since the meeting was off the record, meaning the participants agreed not to talk about the substance of the conversations, it means they will most likely be unable to confirm or deny the Post's report. Politco's recollection of events was slightly less dramatic: The New York Post on Monday afternoon portrayed a much more heated meeting, including a quote from one source who said the encounter was "like a f–ing firing squad." The Post also said Trump called CNN journalists "liars" and that they should be "ashamed." The source who spoke with POLITICO characterized the meeting as less intense, and said the discussion included Trump expressing the possibility of a "reset" of the tumultuous relationship between the president-elect and the media and that all he wants is "fairness." Asked how he defines fairness by a network executive, Trump said simply, "The truth." But aside from the few moments of contention in the beginning, the source said the meeting was largely substantive. Politico also adds that Trump, flanked by chief of staff Reince Priebus and campaign manager Kellyanne Conway at the table, also expressed annoyance at the protective press pool and the complaints over him ditching the press when he went out to dinner last week with his family after reporters were advised he was in for the night. But Priebus assured the attendees that the protective press pool will be taken care of and it would all work out. Other attendees at the meeting from Trump's team included chief strategist Stephen Bannon, Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, spokesman Jason Miller, and Republican National Committee chief strategist and communications director Sean Spicer. Asked for comment, Miller referred POLITICO to Conway's comments to reporters after the meeting, in which she echoed the sentiments made in the meeting about turning over a new leaf with the media. "There was no need to mend fences," Conway said. "It was very cordial, very genial. But it was very candid and very honest. From my own perspective, it's great to hit the reset button." Conway later on Monday hit back at the New York Post report. "He did not explode in anger," she said. While one can have a subjective interpretuation of the nuances at the meeting, one thing was clear: Trump's attempt at a 'reset' will be frowned at by the media which is not used to this kind of treatment, even if the "kindler, gentler" version of events as reported by Politico is accurate. It also means that what has already been a conventional war between the various US media organizations and Trump, is likely about to go nuclear. This article was written by Tyler Durden and originally published at Zero Hedge .


The Trump transition team wants copies of every single executive order and directive outgoing President Obama ordered on immigration since he took office, along with several other documents that will let them assess how to beef up border security, according to a Reuters exclusive. [Most famous among the executive orders: Obama's unconstitutional shielding of illegal aliens from deportation in 2012, carving out exemptions for illegal aliens who arrived in the U. S. as minors. It granted a form of legal status and work permits to some 1. 4 million illegals who signed up — and an "advance parole" that would let them claim U. S. citizenship, completely absent of Congressional oversight, let alone approval. Trump transition officials also asked to see any illegal aliens' records who had been changed to ensure federal workers were not altering them to help the illegals stay in the U. S. according to Reuters. The illegal aliens who signed up for amnesty freely gave the government their addresses, identities, and admission that they're in the country illegally, meaning they could be the first in line when the deportations begin under a Trump administration. "Four years ago I pointed out the fundamental problem with the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program: Anyone who signed up for DACA would be adding their names to a list of illegal aliens. Should a future administration decide that it would start enforcing the law, the DACA program would provide list of prime candidates for deportation," writes John Miano at the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS). "At the time, this was so obvious that I was surprised anyone would be stupid enough to sign up for DACA and DAPA (Deferred Action for Parents of Americans). Yet apparently hundreds of thousands of people did so anyway. " Roughly one million of the illegal aliens who signed up for Obama's amnesty are from Mexico, CIS added. There may be as many as thirty million illegal aliens living in America in defiance of U. S. law. Any and every illegal alien in the U. S. is subject to deportation, Trump said in a major policy speech given in Phoenix, Arizona, roughly two months before his election win. There will be "zero tolerance" for illegal immigration under a Trump administration. "Anyone who has entered the United States illegally is subject to deportation — that is what it means to have laws and to have a country," Trump said. The Trump transition team also requested that the Department of Homeland Security " assess all assets available for border wall and barrier construction," and look into expanding detention capabilities for illegal aliens and aerial surveillance of the U. S. border: In response to the transition team request, U. S. Customs and Border Protection staffers identified more than 400 miles along the U. S. border, and about the same distance along the U. S. border, where new fencing could be erected, according to a document seen by Reuters … One program the transition team asked about, according to the email summary, was Operation Phalanx, an aerial surveillance program that authorizes 1, 200 Army National Guard airmen to monitor the southern border for drug trafficking and illegal migration … Adding 413 miles of fencing on the southwest border would be more expensive, according to the estimate of $11. 37 billion, because it would be aimed at keeping pedestrians as well as vehicles from crossing. The meeting between transition team and DHS officials took place Dec. 5, Reuters said.


Former CIA Director John Brennan said on Tuesday it became clear last summer that Russia was attempting to interfere in the U.S. presidential election, and that he warned the head of Russia's FSB security service that such interference would hurt U.S. ties. "It should be clear to everyone Russia brazenly interfered in our 2016 presidential election process and that they undertook these activities despite our strong protests and explicit warning that they do not do so," Brennan testified at a hearing of the U.S. House of Representatives Intelligence Committee. Brennan said he believed he was the first U.S. official to raise the matter of election interference with the Russians, citing a phone conversation he had on Aug. 4 last year with FSB head Alexander Bortnikov. He said he raised published media reports of Russian attempts to meddle in the election with the Russian official, who denied any involvement by Moscow. Brennan said he briefed then President Barack Obama and other top officials, and that he discussed the matter with both Republican and Democratic U.S. congressional leaders in August and September. U.S. intelligence agencies concluded in January that Moscow tried to tilt the November presidential election campaign in Republican Donald Trump's favor, including by hacking into and leaking the emails of senior Democrats. Moscow has always denied the allegation. The early months of Trump's presidency have been clouded by FBI and congressional probes into Russian meddling and possible collusion by Trump's campaign. Trump has denied any collusion. (Corrects to phone conversation, not meeting, in paragraph 3.)


Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted the framework agreement reached by world powers to curb Iran's nuclear program, repeatedly calling it a "free path to a bomb" that will spark an arms race in the Middle East. Under the framework announced last week, international sanctions would be lifted in phases if Iran meets its commitments. The International Atomic Energy Agency would conduct inspections to monitor significant limits on Iranian nuclear facilities, and the restrictions would be in place for at least a decade. In a series of interviews on Sunday political talk shows, Netanyahu called for world leaders to strike a "better deal" that significantly — and permanently — rolls back Iran's nuclear infrastructure. Sanctions should be ratcheted up — not lifted — to pressure Iran until it stops its "aggression in the region," he said. Netanyahu questioned whether inspections would be effective, saying Iran has shown that it cannot be trusted. "I wouldn't bet the shop on inspections," the Israeli leader said on CNN's "State of the Union." "It's not a country that you can place your trust in. And it's not a country that you're going to resolve its congenital cheating. You're just not going to replace it by placing more inspectors there." The "very, very bad" agreement only allows Iran to build a vast arsenal by placing temporary restrictions and lifting sanctions that had crippled the country's economy, Netanyahu said. He repeatedly said the agreement would "pump up their terror machine worldwide." Echoing concerns among skeptics of the framework, Netanyahu said it would spark a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, with Sunnis states already seeing Shiite Iran as a major threat. "I think this is a dream deal for Iran and a nightmare deal for the world," Netanyahu said on NBC's "Meet the Press." Netanyahu did not outwardly criticize President Obama, but he said there is a "legitimate difference of view" between the two leaders. Netanyahu said he believes Obama is doing what is best for the United States. But the agreement will jeopardize not only Israel but also surrounding countries in the Middle East, the Israeli leader said on ABC's "This Week." The framework agreement does not block Iran's path to nuclear weapons, and instead paves it, he said.


Using the long-debunked Planned Parenthood videos that were heavily edited to show the sale of fetal tissue, House Republicans have decided that if they can t punish PP, they would terrorize researchers instead:WASHINGTON A special House committee empaneled to investigate fetal tissue research is preparing to issue 17 subpoenas to medical supply companies and laboratories, seeking the names of researchers, graduate students, laboratory technicians and administrative personnel.The House investigation into how some of the nation s most prestigious universities acquire fetal tissue has prompted charges of intimidation and coercion, escalating a battle that some researchers fear could shut down studies seeking cures for Parkinson s disease, the Zika virus and a host of other conditions.Republicans know full well that the donation of aborted fetal tissue is perfectly legal and vitally necessary to life-saving research. But this is an election year, so they re willfully putting that same life-saving research in jeopardy just to feed red meat to their idiot base.If you listen carefully, you can already hear the so-called pro-life movement flexing their fingers, ready to start typing death threats to any researchers that have their names revealed. But don t call them domestic terrorists! They re just using fear and violence to get their way.Keep in mind, these researchers are literally saving millions of lives by curing diseases and discovering ways to fix traumatic damage to the human body. But once their names are forced into the public square, they will be called murderers and monsters by people who think the height of morality is screaming at teenage girls trying to get rid of their rapist s fetus.Even worse, if Republicans get their way, it s only a matter of time until some crazed, but somehow still responsible, gun owner goes on a rampage and shoots up a research facility to save the murdered babies or some such stupidity. Or maybe someone will just set the lab on fire. Or try to blow it up. The fact that they could be killing the person that cures cancer or destroying the research that could have ended birth defects won t even occur to them.This kind of short-term irresponsibility is all Republicans know how to do anymore. Exposing these people s names to the violent pro-life movement is a recipe for disaster but a surefire way to get votes. But it s not like they ll ever accept responsibility for the consequences, anyway.


In their ongoing efforts to roll back or hamstring Obamacare, Republicans probably weren't hoping that the first Senate hearing on the matter this year would feature a self-described "democratic socialist" getting GOP witnesses to back a key argument for universal health care. Thursday's hearing of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions was devoted to the question of moving the full-time work standard under the Affordable Care Act from 30 hours a week to 40 hours, and whether more workers would be hurt by the higher or lower limit. But to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who has long supported the creation of a universal health care system, battling over that particular point began to seem absurd, and he opened his remarks by noting that in every other developed country, such a debate would make no sense at all. "The argument of whether you provide health insurance to people who work 30 hours a week or whether they work 40 hours a week -- whoa," Sanders said. "In every major country on Earth, health care is a right of all people." With that as his premise, he then asked three of the hearing's witnesses -- two business owners and a school superintendent -- whether their lives and daily endeavors would be improved if government lifted from them the burden of providing health care to their workers. And despite all the GOP's cries and criticisms of "socialized medicine" when the Affordable Care Act was making its way through Congress years ago, the two Republican panelists agreed nearly as readily. "A question like that -- sure," said Betsy Webb, who runs the Bangor School Department in Maine. "But what is the reality?" "The reality is that maybe it should not have to be the responsibility of the Bangor school district to provide health care, that maybe it should be a right of all of our people, whether they work at McDonald's in Bangor, whether they work for the school district, to have health care," said Sanders, before taking up the question with the next witness, Andrew Puzder, the CEO of CKE Restaurants, which runs the Carl's Jr. and Hardee's chains. "If what you're saying, Senator, is that if we had a bill that was debated, that was vetted through congressional committees, and we looked at the health care system and really tried to come up with a more rational solution, I would say you're absolutely right," Puzder said. He allowed that he and Sanders "might not agree on the ultimate solution," but when Sanders pressed Puzder on whether he would rather not have to worry about providing health care and instead focus on his products, the CEO was emphatic.


The left is going ballistic over supposed words said by President Trump to a grieving military widow. President Trump made a call to Myeshia Wilson that has been turned into a political football by the left to make Trump out to be crazy . Wilson s husband was killed in Niger while serving in our military.The media also wasted no time covering this story that does it s best to try and make Trump look as bad as possible Just another day in the life of the lefty media.Far left Congresswoman Frederica Wilson jumped right in to trash Trump after the call. She s following the left s narrative by claiming Trump is a sick man . It s pretty funny that Wilson calls Trump crazy while wearing a glittery cowgirl hat 24/7.According to NBC: He said, But you know he must ve known what he signed up for, the Democrat recounted Trump saying more than once during the call to express his sympathy. According to Wilson, the conversation lasted somewhere from three to five minutes. Everyone knows when you go to war you could possibly not come back alive but you don t remind a grieving widow of that, Wilson said. That s so insensitive. Trump didn t even remember his name, Wilson recalled Myeshia Johnson telling her after the call ended, the congresswoman told MSNBC s Morning Joe Wednesday. She hung up the phone and said, He didn t even remember his name, Wilson said. That s the hurting part. The White House said Tuesday that the president had called the families of all four service members who were killed. He offered condolences on behalf of a grateful nation and assured them their family s extraordinary sacrifice to the country will never be forgotten, the White House said.Asked about Wilson s characterization of the call, a White House official said Tuesday night that the president s conversations with the families of American heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice are private. Trump hit back at the claims saying he has proof of what was said on the call:Democrat Congresswoman totally fabricated what I said to the wife of a soldier who died in action (and I have proof). Sad! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 18, 2017Wilson took no time in shooting back that Trump is a sick man . She s clearly milking this for all it s worth. It s sick that this Democrat would use this call to a grieving widow to bash our president.


U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan said on Thursday he wants to craft changes to a just-passed tax overhaul bill to provide "additional tax incentives" that would help Puerto Ricans recover from Hurricane Maria. In a statement following passage in the House of a major tax bill, Ryan said he would try to insert unspecified provisions into the legislation that would grant new tax incentives "so that our fellow U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico can have all the possible resources to rebuild their lives and their economy." Puerto Rico has been reeling from hurricane damage, which disrupted the U.S. territory's power grid, contaminated water supplies and destroyed homes and businesses.


Wolfgang Schaeuble s decision to step aside as German finance minister has given the Free Democratic Party what it has long craved: the chance to shape policy from the most coveted perch in Chancellor Angela Merkel s next coalition government. However the opportunity also presents the party with a conundrum. FDP leader Christian Lindner has signaled for months that he would prefer to lead the business-friendly party in parliament rather than take a cabinet job under Merkel. If Lindner sticks to his stance then the FDP, which is returning to parliament after a four-year hiatus, must find someone else to fill one of the most important positions in international economic and financial policy. The person who replaces Schaeuble could also carry the prestigious title of vice chancellor. The only party member besides Lindner with that kind of stature is Wolfgang Kubicki, whose political skills are unquestioned but who is also known as a loose cannon, a reputation that may not suit a sensitive job where a few ill-judged words can move global financial markets. If it is not Lindner, then there are not a lot of options, said one senior figure in the party. Kubicki might be the only one with the profile and political weight. The finance ministry seems to be the FDP s for the taking. As the second biggest party in what is expected to be a three-way coalition with Merkel s conservatives and the Greens, it would have first choice of cabinet post. The post has become more influential over the past decade as Germany, the world s fourth largest economy, navigated the global financial crisis and euro zone turmoil. Schaeuble, who is becoming president of the parliament, was known for his budget discipline and tough stance toward struggling euro partners like Greece. Whoever replaces him will play a crucial role in shaping Germany s response to calls from French President Emmanuel Macron for an ambitious overhaul of the EU and euro zone. The finance ministry will be absolutely crucial in the next government in shaping not just Germany s fiscal stance but the future of Europe, said Jens Boysen-Hogrefe of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. No one besides Lindner deserves more credit for the FDP s revival after its disastrous 2013 election result than the 65-year-old Kubicki, a quick-witted lawyer who sails around on his yacht Liberty and is known as one of the most outspoken, colorful figures in German politics. Earlier this year, after Donald Trump announced his travel ban on seven mainly Muslim countries, Kubicki said Berlin should retaliate by barring the U.S. president from entering Germany. He has made clear in the past that he is interested in the finance job. In a 2010 interview with newspaper Die Zeit, he said it was the only position that might lure him from his home in the port of Kiel in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein. Only one post would interest me, finance minister, Kubicki said at the time. Finance minister is the key job, and I would like to prove that budget consolidation can work. Asked on Friday by German daily Handelsblatt whether he wanted the job, Kubicki dodged the question, saying policy was more important than cabinet posts. But the interview with Die Zeit showed why the party, and Merkel, might have second thoughts. Explaining why he hadn t yet made a move to Berlin, Kubicki told the paper that if he did, he could turn into a drinker and possibly also a whoremonger . He then painted a hedonistic picture of political life in Berlin, replete with alcohol-soaked receptions and trysts with random women. When asked about these comments today, Kubicki who is married to his third wife, says he has become ethically and morally centered in the intervening years. The names of other FDP politicians are circulating as potential finance ministers. They include Werner Hoyer, president of the European Investment Bank (EIB); Carl-Ludwig Thiele of the Bundesbank; Volker Wissing, the former head of the Bundestag finance committee; and Otto Fricke, former head of the budget committee. Two members of the European Parliament, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff and Michael Theurer, have also been mentioned. One cannot completely rule out that Merkel s Christian Democrats (CDU) will keep the post. If they do, Peter Altmaier, who is expected to replace Schaeuble until the new government is formed, could be a favorite. However, the scenario that several politicians in Berlin said was most likely is that Lindner will be compelled to take the finance ministry, with Kubicki sliding in as parliamentary leader, which is seen as a role more suited to his strengths. Having Lindner, the face of the FDP, outside the government would be frowned upon by Merkel, who will be trying to hold together an unwieldy coalition with the FDP and Greens, a combination that has never been tried at the federal level. There are big differences between the FDP and Greens on economic, environmental and European policy. Add in Merkel s Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), which is pushing a hard line on immigration, and it is hard to see how the parties will bridge some policy gaps and hold together. Regardless of who takes the job, big changes in fiscal policy are seen as unlikely. The FDP has called for 30 billion euros in tax cuts, but it is unlikely to get its way in the coalition talks and it remains committed to the Schwarze Null balanced budget that Schaeuble defended. You might see new impulses with an FDP finance minister, said Boysen-Hogrefe of the Kiel institute. But don t count on big changes. The Schwarze Null will remain a priority.


There are some people you probably shouldn t cross. Donald Trump is one, and conservative author and political analyst Ann Coulter is the other one Conservative columnist Ann Coulter flew into a fit of fury Saturday after Delta Airlines booted her from her reserved Comfort+ seat which comes with 3 additional inches of legroom and gave it to another passenger.In a two-hour tweeting tantrum,she quoted her exchange with a flight attendant: Why are you taking me out of the extra room seat I specifically booked? she asked.Their answer, she said, was I don t know. Before Coulter posted a picture of the woman Delta gave her extra-legroom reserved seat to, she tweeted this:Suckiest @Delta moved me from my PRE-BOOKED SEAT & gave it to some woman, not elderly, child, or sick. I have pictures so don t lie, @Delta! Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) July 16, 2017But at least @Delta was nice @ it, summarily snatching my ticket from my hand & ordering me to move w/o explanation, compensation or apology Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) July 16, 2017The 6-foot-tall Coulter, who is 55, tweeted a picture of the woman who got her aisle seat on the flight from LaGuardia to Florida, noting, Delta didn t give my extra room seat to an air marshal or tall person. NYP.@Delta didn t give my extra room seat to an air marshall or tall person. Here s the woman given my PRE-BOOKED seat: pic.twitter.com/iDNB8xXXOd Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) July 15, 2017The long-legged Coulter, who still appeared to furious about Delta s decision to boot her from her reserved seat with extra legroom, tweeted again to Delta about the daschund-legged woman who they gave her seat to:So glad I took time investigate the aircraft & PRE-BOOK a specific seat on @Delta, so some woman could waltz at the last min & take my seat. Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) July 15, 2017Hey @Delta, if it was so important for the dachshund-legged woman to take my seat, she should have BOOKED THE SEAT IN ADVANCE. Like I did. Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) July 16, 2017The sharp-tongued conservative firebrand continued to rip into Delta Airlines in a series of tweets criticizing their customer service:.@Delta motto: "How can we make your flight more uncomfortable?" Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) July 16, 2017.@Delta employee questionnaire: What is your ideal job: Prison guard? Animal handler? Stasi policeman? All of the above: HIRED! Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) July 16, 2017A Delta spokesman said it appeared Coulter was in the same extra-room row, just in a different seat. But he promised to look into it.


Internet giants, including Alphabet's Google (GOOGL.O) and Facebook (FB.O), are moving to compromise on several major policy issues as they adjust to an abrupt shift in the political winds in Washington. Just last week, the U.S. Senate took a big step toward advancing legislation that would partially strip away the internet industry's bedrock legal protection, a 1996 law that shields companies from liability for the activities of their users. At the same time, Democratic senators are writing legislation that would create new disclosure rules for online political ads after Facebook this month revealed that suspected Russian trolls purchased more than $100,000 worth of divisive ads on its platform during the 2016 election cycle. The U.S. Federal Election Commission is considering bringing in Facebook and other tech firms for a public hearing. Unlike in Europe, where they have faced a bevy of new rules and billion-dollar fines, internet giants have avoided virtually all types of government regulation in the United States, even as their market power continues to grow. Amazon (AMZN.O), for example, controls more than a third of U.S. online commerce, while Google and Facebook combined account for more than sixty percent of the U.S. digital ad market. Internet firms have from their inception urged U.S. politicians in both parties to treat their industry as a nascent sector in need of unique protections. These firms enjoyed an especially close relationship with the Democratic administration of former President Barack Obama, which saw several officials go to work for Google upon leaving the White House. But some Democrats, still bitter over Russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 election, are now expressing alarm at the industry's power. Virginia Senator Mark Warner, the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, this month compared political ads on social media to the "wild, wild West" and is working on legislation to require more disclosure. On the Republican side, President Donald Trump has been hostile to the tech industry in many of his public remarks. Google and Facebook have been repeatedly attacked from the right for alleged liberal bias and a globalist outlook. Now, the Internet firms are backpedaling from earlier positions as they seek to avoid regulation, according to congressional aides, industry lobbyists and company sources. "Tech is no longer the golden goose," said one technology industry source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "Maybe it's a good thing we start behaving like a rational part of the economy." Silicon Valley lobbyists and congressional aides in both parties were quick to temper talk of a sweeping regulatory crackdown, in part because the government agencies that could move against the industry, notably the Federal Trade Commission, remain severely understaffed. But the shift in tone is palpable. On Thursday, Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said the company, for the first time, would make it possible for anyone to see details about political ads that run on Facebook, which, unlike television ads, do not fall under U.S. law requiring disclosure of who pays for them. Requiring such transparency is one of the key provisions of the proposed legislation on online political ads. The company also said it would turn over to congressional investigators political ads that it says were likely purchased by Russian entities during and after the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The moves marked an about-face for Zuckerberg, who after the November election said it was a "crazy idea" to think that activity on Facebook swayed the vote. Facebook has also shifted its stance on proposed changes to the liability protections for internet companies, formally known as Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act. The legislation, which is aimed at stopping online sex trafficking, has been fiercely opposed by companies that see it as a threat to openness and innovation on the internet. But after an emotional hearing last week featuring testimony from the mother of a murdered sex-trafficking victim - which followed two big tech companies, Oracle (ORCL.N) and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE.N), breaking ranks with industry peers on the issue - Facebook and Google have opened the door to negotiation on the bill, according to congressional aides and industry sources. In a statement, Erin Egan, Facebook's vice president of U.S. policy, said the company believed a legislative solution was possible to "address this terrible problem while ensuring that the internet remains open and free and that responsible companies can continue to work to stop sex trafficking before it happens." The tech industry in recent years has neutralized other ideas percolating in the halls of Congress that it perceived as threatening, including calls to weaken encryption and demands that social media companies report "terrorist" activity to the government. But the effort to amend Section 230 is seen as different. The fast progress of legislation, introduced in August, has alarmed lobbyists and company representatives who initially predicted it would not go far in an otherwise gridlocked Congress. The bill comes after years of law enforcement lobbying for a crackdown on the online classified site backpage.com, which is used for sex advertising. The measure would make it easier for states and sex trafficking victims to sue social media networks, advertisers and others who fail to keep exploitative material off their platforms. Republican Senator Rob Portman of Ohio, the lead architect of the Section 230 legislation, said in an interview with Reuters that he was confident his measure would become law this congressional term, with or without Silicon Valley's cooperation. The bill has attracted bipartisan support from nearly a third of the Senate; a companion measure has similar backing in the House of Representatives. Portman said he had met with Trump's daughter and advisor, Ivanka Trump, who expressed strong support. "Frankly, I am disappointed (that) more in the technology industry are not joining us on this effort," Portman said. "It is in their interest to be supportive of a solution on this problem."


TRUTH: No Apartheid in Israel, Says Black South African Politician Oct 28, 2016 Previous post Any black South African who claims there is apartheid in Israel is either uninformed or blatantly dishonest, says a member of parliament in Pretoria.  According to Kenneth Meshoe, chairman of the African Christian Democratic Party faction, any attempt to compare Palestinians' experience in Israel with the former racist regime is offensive to individuals who suffered under the system of racial separation.  Whatever challenges the Arab minority in Israel faces, the reality of life here cannot be compared to his experiences growing up, he insists.  "There is freedom of movement in this country that we never had in South Africa," Meshoe told Tazpit Press Service (TPS) during a visit to Jerusalem last week. "Benches and bathrooms said 'whites only.' We could never take 'white' transportation. Most white doctors would not treat black patients, only white ones. And those who were willing to treat black patients out of compassion – many of them would ask the patients to enter their clinics through the back door so they wouldn't be seen by the white patients in the lobby. I don't know if it was illegal for white doctors to treat black patients, but the reality was that very few did." 'Perpetuating Propaganda'  According to Meshoe, "Some South Africans who say there's apartheid in Israel are only repeating things they've heard from other people, not because they've actually seen it themselves. They are just perpetuating propaganda.  "Other people – politicians – are only thinking about their needs, and the statements that will serve their needs. They ask 'what do I gain [by claiming there is or is not apartheid in Israel] and then make a decision. So they are perpetuating something that that they know very well is a lie."  Meshoe said he first visited Israel several years after Nelson Mandela was elected president in 1994. He joined a church delegation to the Holy Land and used the opportunity both for a religious pilgrimage and a political education, but the latter came as a surprise.  "On that trip, I deliberately looked for anything that looked like apartheid. I took a bus to the center of Jerusalem, but blacks, Jews, Arabs and


Chad has withdrawn hundreds of troops from neighboring Niger, where they were helping local forces fight Boko Haram Islamist militants, humanitarian sources and officials said. The pull-out over the past two weeks could weaken a region-wide struggle against the militants who have killed tens of thousands of people, forced many more to flee and triggered a humanitarian crisis. There was no immediate explanation or comment from defense officials in Chad. But the move came a month after the vast central African country complained about an unexpected U.S. travel ban imposed on its nationals. Chad warned at the time the order could affect its security commitments - which include its involvement in the U.S.-backed fight against Boko Haram. Residents said the withdrawal had already had an impact on Niger s Diffa region, which has seen a string of attacks by Boko Haram militants crossing over from their base in neighboring Nigeria. Ibrahim Arimi from the border village of Bosso said banditry had increased since the Chadian troops started leaving and he had been temporarily moved to another village for safety. Diffa parliamentarian Lamido Moumouni said residents had started complaining. They have come to rely on the forces so there is a perception that security will be lacking, he said by telephone. At its peak in 2016 after an attack in Bosso, Chad had 2,000 troops in Niger to help counter Boko Haram although security sources said this has fallen since. Boko Haram has attacked Chad, Niger and Cameroon from its base in northeast Nigeria. Its eight-year bid to carve out an Islamist caliphate has driven millions from their homes - more than 200,000 of them are now based in Diffa, with little prospect of returning home. Thousands of them are camped alongside an unfinished highway in the middle of a barren savannah with few resources. Chad s soldiers also occupy front-line positions in a peacekeeping force in northern Mali. Falling oil revenues after the price crash in 2014 has also sapped Chad s appetite for expensive regional security commitments, analysts say.


learn more  The main causes are an unhealthy diet, a sedentary lifestyle, and genetics, but considering how many people are affected by this issue and how much strain it is placing on our already overburdened medical systems, researchers are desperate to find other avenues to treat it. And through their efforts, they have now discovered that our gut plays a crucial role in weight management.  New evidence suggests that gut bacteria alter the way we store fat, how we balance levels of glucose in the blood, and how we respond to hormones that make us feel hungry or full. If we have the wrong mix of microbes from birth, we may be predisposed to obesity and diabetes.  Thankfully, researchers are starting to find the differences between the wrong and the right ones, and what factors determine those differences. Their hope is that, with this knowledge, they can prevent and maybe even reverse obesity. We also need to learn how to keep our gut microbes happy in order to avoid weight gain. This begins with redesigning our food choices. Understanding The Importance Of Microbes  While researchers have long known about microorganisms in the human body, only in the past decade did they come to understand that they outnumber our own cells 10 to 1. And rapid gene-sequencing techniques have discovered that the biggest and most diverse of the bunch live in the large intestine and mouth.  From birth, we build up our microbes, first from our mother's bacteria and then from the environment around us. The genes of these microbes, collectively called the microbiome, have been diligently studied — researchers pinpointing their census, and now the kind of jobs they perform. advertisement - learn more  It was first thought that gut microbes might play a role in obesity from studies comparing intestinal bacteria in obese and lean individuals. Researchers found that the gut community in lean people was very diverse, and they tended to have a wider variety of Bacteroidetes , which are a large tribe of microbes that work to break down bulky plant starches and fibers into smaller molecules in order for the body to use them as a source of energy. But obese people proved to have a much less diverse community.  Other studies pointed out that these discrepancies aren't necessarily responsible for obesity; however, one series of experiments with "humanized" mice concluded that there is a cause-and-effect relationship , and that obesity may be preventative. So the obesity conversation is now turning to how we can shape our gut ecosystem to work in our favor. Keep Evolving Your Consciousness Inspiration and all our best content, straight to your inbox. How Diet Plays A Role  Jeffrey Gordon of Washington University in St. Louis and his team of researchers came to the conclusion that highly processed foods have been linked to a less diverse gut community in people by feeding humanized mice a specially prepared unhealthy chow high in fat and low in fruits, vegetables, and fiber. Mice with obese-type microbes grew fatter when housed with lean cagemates. The researchers found that the unhealthy diet kept the bacteria from moving in and flourishing.  Studies have also found how diet can harm our gut bacteria and predispose us to obesity from the day we are born as well, showing that both formula-fed babies and infants delivered by cesarean section have a higher risk for obesity and diabetes than breast-fed babies or those delivered vaginally. For instance, Rob Knight of the University of Colorado Boulder and Maria Gloria Dominguez-Bello of N.Y.U. have found that when newborns traverse the birth canal, they ingest bacteria that helps them to digest milk . And babies raised on formula do not get substances in breast milk that both allow beneficial bacteria to thrive and prevent unhealthy ones from doing likewise. A Canadian study even concluded that a major reason for babies being more susceptible to allergies, asthma, eczema, and celiac disease, as well as obesity, may be due to them being fed formula instead of being breast fed .  Antibiotics may also play a role in obesity, with research finding that young mice given low doses of antibiotics develop about 15 percent more body fat than mice that are not given such drugs. "Antibiotics are like a fire in the forest," Dominguez-Bello proclaims. "The baby is forming a forest. If you have a fire in a forest that is new, you get extinction." What's Next  Scientists hope the work they are doing on understanding the microbiome will introduce a new generation of tools to treat and prevent obesity, but with so much research still to be done, and so many questions to answer, time will only tell what will come of these various studies connecting the dots between the gut and weight.  "Data from human studies are a lot messier than the mouse data," explains Claire Fraser of the University of Maryland, who is studying the connection of obesity and gut microbes in the Old Order Amish population.  Many scientists are still developing potential treatments nonetheless, including Dominguez-Bello, who is conducting a clinical trial in Puerto Rico where she will monitor the weight and overall health of babies born by cesarean section who are immediately swabbed with a gauze cloth laced with the mother's vaginal fluids and resident microbes.  The Sacred Science follows eight people from around the world, with varying physical and psychological illnesses, as they embark on a one-month healing journey into the heart of the Amazon jungle.  You can watch this documentary film FREE for 10 days by clicking here.  "If "Survivor" was actually real and had stakes worth caring about, it would be what happens here, and "The Sacred Science" hopefully is merely one in a long line of exciting endeavors from this group." - Billy Okeefe, McClatchy Tribune


By INDRA WARNES  In a truly shocking twist the Suptreme Court decided the grown Iraqi man may not have realised the 10-year-old did not want to be sexually abused by him.  Amir A, 20, was visiting the Theresienbad pool in the Austrian capital of Vienna last December as part of a trip to encourage integration.  When the youngster went to the showers, Amir A. allegedly followed him, pushed him into a toilet cubicle, and violently sexually assaulted him.  Following the attack, the accused rapist returned to the pool and was practising on the diving board when police arrived, after the 10-year-old raised the alarm with the lifeguard.  The child suffered severe anal injuries which had to be treated at a local children's hospital, and is still plagued by serious post-traumatic stress disorder.  In a police interview, Amir A. confessed to the crime; telling officers the incident had been "a sexual emergency", as his wife had remained in Iraq and he "had not had sex in four months".  A court found Amir guilty of serious sexual assault and rape of a minor, and sentenced him to six years in jail.  However, in


Media outlets such as CNN, Radio Free Europe and Deutsche Welle could be affected by Russia s new foreign agents media law, Andrei Isayev, a senior lawmaker from the ruling United Russia party, told RIA news agency on Monday. Russia s parliament warned last week that some U.S. and other foreign media outlets could be declared foreign agents and obliged to regularly declare full details of their funding, finances and staffing.


More than five months after a mysterious substance exploded in Central Park, blowing off the lower part of a man's left leg, many questions about the episode persist. Law enforcement officials continue to believe the blast may have been the result of an amateur's experiment with homemade explosives. But they have yet to determine why the explosive was in the park or to identify a suspect or make an arrest. On Friday, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which is investigating the explosion along with the New York Police Department, said it would offer a $12, 500 reward for information that led to a suspect, bringing the total amount of reward money being offered by law enforcement agencies in connection with the blast to $25, 000. The authorities also asked for anyone to come forward who might have taken photographs or videos near the explosion site, around the entrance to the park at 60th Street and Fifth Avenue, in the days before the blast. The announcement came as investigators continued to struggle to solve the mystery behind the July 3 explosion. Connor Golden, who was visiting New York City from Virginia, was climbing down from a rock formation with two friends when a bag he stepped on exploded around 11 a. m. Occurring in such a heavily used section of the city on a holiday weekend, the accident rattled people in the area. The sense of unease was compounded by news media reports, which proved untrue, that the police had shut down the entire park. Soon after the explosion, officials suggested they believed it was a fireworks experiment gone awry. But no motive or explanation has yet been established. The police have said they do not believe the explosive was placed as a booby trap. Mr. Golden's family has criticized those characterizations. "We've consistently been maintaining that the public has been lulled in the false sense of complacency by early statements by officials," Kevin Golden, Mr. Golden's father, said in a telephone interview from Virginia on Friday. The younger Mr. Golden has returned to the University of Miami, where he is a sophomore. He now has a prosthetic leg. His family has been raising money to help defray the medical expenses they incurred because of the injury. Kevin Golden said the family has kept in touch with investigators in New York and that he had been lobbying officials to describe the explosion with more gravity. The announcement that the reward would double, he said, was "at least partially the result of that pressing. " "We applaud the additional exposure and think it's a step in the right direction," he said. "We think that the people in the New York City area should be concerned about the potential causes of that explosion and should come forward with any information. "


Brock Allen Turner, a 20-year-old former student at Stanford University, was sentenced to six months in jail for raping an unconscious woman on campus in January 2015.The prosecutor in the case recommended that Turner should receive a sentence of six years in prison. However, judge Aaron Persky sentenced Turner to six months in jail saying that a prison sentence would have a severe impact on him I think he will not be a danger to others. Persky also cited Turner s lack of a criminal record and his young age as justifications for the short sentence.The victim in the case is a 23-year-old that had a blood-alcohol level that was twice the legal limit. She has no memory of the incident. Her testimony in the trial is public and is a powerful indictment of Turner s actions. The testimony begins with the 23-year-old woman saying You don t know me, but you ve been inside me, and that s why we re here today. She recounts the horror of having to find out that she was found with her clothes turn off from her behind a dumpster in public.During the testimony, she addressed Turner personally telling him that: You took away my worth, my privacy, my energy, my time, my safety, my intimacy, my confidence, my own voice, until today. I am a human being who has been irreversibly hurt. She concluded her testimony, speaking to all women who have been victims of sexual assault: And finally, to girls everywhere, I am with you. On nights when you feel alone, I am with you. When people doubt you or dismiss you, I am with you. I fought everyday for you. So never stop fighting, I believe you. As the author Anne Lamott once wrote, Lighthouses don t go running all over an island looking for boats to save they just stand there shining. Although I can t save every boat, I hope that by speaking today, you absorbed a small amount of light, a small knowing that you can t be silenced, a small satisfaction that justice was served, a small assurance that we are getting somewhere, and a big, big knowing that you are important, unquestionably, you are untouchable, you are beautiful, you are to be valued, respected, undeniably, every minute of every day, you are powerful and nobody can take that away from you. To girls everywhere, I am with you. Thank you. It seems that in this case that the punishment did not fit the crime that was committed. What Turner did is not something that can be undone. Once again, the United States criminal system has been exposed as a cruel joke. It s a system where criminals get away with a slap on the wrist and non-violent offenders can be locked away for life.Featured image from Stanford University


"Unbelievable", "embarrassing" even "dangerous" are some of the words the financial elite gathered at the World Economic Forum conference in the Swiss resort of Davos have been using to describe U.S. Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump. Although some said they still expected his campaign to founder before his party picks its nominee for the November election many said it was no longer unthinkable that he could be the Republican candidate. Some noted that whatever the outcome, a heated campaign, which has also seen self-proclaimed Socialist Bernie Sanders provide a tough challenge to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination, could alter the U.S. political environment, giving vent to new populist anger on both sides of the political divide. Trump's nationalist rhetoric, particularly proposals to ban Muslims from entering the United States, tax goods made abroad and build a wall on the Mexican border, were never the sort of thing to appeal to the free trade crowd that typically gathers at events like the annual Davos economic forum. "Clearly it is not a rhetoric that is inviting for integration," said Chile's Finance Minister, Rodrigo Valdes, referring to his comments on the campaign trail. "In Chile we have a deep view that integration of the Americas is a good thing, whether it is goods, financing and yes people. So I'd be happier with a more welcoming rhetoric." Among the present and former government officials in the Swiss resort was Eric Cantor, former Republican majority leader in the U.S. House of Representatives, now vice-chairman of Moelis & Co, an investment bank. Like much of the Republican party's establishment, he had cold words for Trump. "He's not serious. He's amazing at promoting his personal brand and reflecting an underlying anger at home," Cantor said. "Trump Fever is an unsustainable phenomenon that will not translate into a victory for the candidate." But for Ray Nolte, chief investment officer of Skybridge Capital, a $13 billion hedge fund whose founder has supported other Republican candidates including Jeb Bush, such establishment pronouncements sound like wishful thinking. "Is Donald going to be the nominee? I don't know. It's sure looking that way now," Nolte said. "Anyone here (at Davos) who is in the mainstream says there is no way he could possibly get the nomination. When I hear that, it probably means it is going to happen." Noting the challenge to Clinton from Sanders, which he said could pull her to the left on issues like financial regulation, Nolte said institutional investors were already paying attention to the prospect of increased U.S. political volatility from the election. Arianna Huffington, whose Huffington Post news website once insisted on covering Trump, a former reality TV star, as an entertainment figure rather than a politician, said the site reversed its policy once he announced his proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States, which made him too "dangerous" to ignore. "I feel the mainstreaming of Donald Trump, instead of him being treated as an extreme, dangerous candidate, is really the most troubling aspect of American politics right now," she said. "He's being interviewed on all the main shows, and he's being asked questions about what his first State of the Union address would be like if he wins, instead of actually being forced to answer the tough questions about his policy, especially his policy of wanting to ban Muslims from entering the U.S., which is so dangerous, so un-American and should really be the center of the coverage of Trump." For Dominic Barton, global managing director for business consultancy McKinsey, Trump has turned the political campaign itself into "entertainment", which could hurt the global image of the United States. "It's a bit embarrassing globally. But I think there's a big difference between the rhetoric and the reality, and I think most people will see that and discount it. But it's incredible how long its been going for. It's just unbelievable," he said. But not everyone is worried. Sandeep Dadlani, executive vice president of Indian outsourcing firm Infosys, said his firm has earned the majority of its revenue in the United States for more than 30 years. "We have seen many elections come and go. It is common in all election seasons for rhetoric and extreme personalities to shine. Inevitably we have found governments from both sides to eventually come up with sensible policies," he said. (Reporting by Martinne Geller, Carmel Crimmins, Noah Barkin and others; Writing by Peter Graff; editing by Anna Willard)