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The phone boasts a 16MP front-facing camera with a 12MP and 8MP dual system to the rear, ultra-fast charging and the "pure" Android experience, so it's optimized for Google Assistant and Google Duo. It's a relatively high-spec handset which justifies its $400 price tag, but some might argue this puts it at odds with other Android One devices, which generally fall into the budget category. Motorola isn't great with software updates, but with Google onside to take care of patches and security, the Android-powered Moto X4 could breathe some new life into Project Fi and get the ball rolling for similar collaborations with other crowd-pulling phone-makers. | {
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Serdar Somuncu über Politik und Satire : „Die reden über Mütter oder Ikea“
Der Kabarettist Serdar Somuncu ist zur Bundestagswahl „Kançlerkandidat“ der Satirepartei „Die Partei“. Er will die Homoehepflicht für alle – und kritisiert seine Zunft.
taz: Herr Somuncu, Sie gehen als Kabarettist in die Politik und sind „Kançlerkandidat“ der PARTEI. Was ist daran denn witzig?
Serdar Somuncu: Ich wäre der erste türkische Kanzler in Deutschland, das wäre schon sehr witzig. Zumal es mal eine Zeit gab, in der das Thema deutsch-türkische Beziehungen eine gewisse Brisanz hatte. Für manche Menschen bin ich deswegen eine Reizfigur. Und diese Reibungspunkte mit der PARTEI zu verbinden, die für einige Menschen auch eher seltsam ist – das ist eine gute Idee. Die Chancen stehen gut. Ich bin Direktkandidat in Berlin. Es ist nicht unrealistisch, dass wir dort viele Stimmen holen.
Nimmt die PARTEI damit nicht ernsthaften Konkurrenten die Stimmen weg?
Wir machen ironische Politik mit ernsthaften Absichten. Andere Parteien tarnen sich mit Ernsthaftigkeit, agieren aber oft am Rande der Ironie. Ich glaube nicht, dass wir anderen Parteien Stimmen wegnehmen. Vielmehr denke ich, dass wir junge Menschen animieren können, zur Wahl zu gehen. Es geht auch nicht nur um Albernheit und Spaß, sondern auch um das Anliegen, Missstände mit Mitteln der Satire entlarven zu wollen. Unser Parteivorsitzender Martin Sonneborn hat zum Beispiel vor Kurzem eine bemerkenswerte Rede im Europaparlament gegen Apples Steuergebaren in Irland gehalten. Das traut sich nicht jeder.
Ein Mandat im Europaparlament. Reden zur Steuerpolitik. Ist da die Grenze zur normalen Politik nicht überschritten?
Sonneborn macht sicher keine schlechtere Politik als andere Parlamentarier. Im Gegenteil: Er erreicht mit seinen Videos Hunderttausende Menschen und macht auf viele sinnlose Dinge aufmerksam, die im Europäischen Parlament stattfinden. Und das ist effektiver als das, was so mancher Hinterbänkler macht, ohne dass wir was davon mitbekommen.
Aber er stellt sich ja nicht wirklich dem politischen Diskurs, weil er sich hinter der Ironie versteckt.
Klar stellt er sich dem Diskurs. Es gibt ein durchaus ernsthaftes Wahlprogramm und die PARTEI hat sich auch inhaltlich entwickelt. Bei ihrer Gründung 2004 war sie vielleicht noch eine reine Satirepartei. Ihre Forderungen, wie zum Beispiel nach dem Wiederaufbau der Mauer, haben das unterstrichen. Mittlerweile hat aber die Realität die Idee einer Spaßpartei eingeholt. Wir werden nach unserer Machtübernahme die verpflichtende Homoehe für alle einführen und gleichzeitig die Beitrittsverhandlungen mit der Türkei zur EU sofort absetzen. Viele, die jetzt noch über uns spotten, werden sich schon bald wundern.
im Interview: Serdar Somuncu Der Kabarettist: Serdar Somuncu, 49 Jahre, geboren in Istanbul, wurde bekannt mit szenischen Lesungen von Hitlers „Mein Kampf“. Auf n-tv hat er die Sendung „So! Muncu!“, bei Radio Eins „Die Blaue Stunde“. Als Kommentator tritt er bei der ZDF-Satiresendung „heute-show“ auf. „Die PARTEI“: Die Satirepartei, geführt von dem Ex-Titanic-Chefredakteur Martin Sonneborn, hat Somuncu als Spitzenkandidaten zur Bundestagswahl nominiert. Somuncu tritt an mit dem Slogan „Mehr Glatze als Schulz, mehr Hitler als Erdoğan“. Er ist auch Direktkandidat der Partei im Berliner Stadtteil Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg. Bei der letzten Bundestagswahl kam die „Partei“ auf 0,2 Prozent der Stimmen. Sie hält ein Mandat im Europaparlament, besetzt von Sonneborn. (taz)
Der Schriftsteller Heinz Strunk und die Rapper von KIZ sind auch schon für die PARTEI angetreten. Ansonsten ist nur Sonneborn der breiteren Öffentlichkeit bekannt. Ist die PARTEI eine One-Man-Show mit gelegentlichen prominenten Maskottchen?
Nein, da ist Lindners FDP mehr One-Man-Show als die PARTEI. Es ist gut, eine charismatische Persönlichkeit wie Martin Sonneborn zu haben, die auch jenseits der Mikrokosmen bekannt ist, in denen man sich sonst bewegt. Darüber hinaus aber hat die PARTEI eine gewachsene Struktur mit Orts- und Landesverbänden – das ist also nicht nur Sonneborn. Es passt besser zu uns Künstlern, in einem solchen Rahmen Politik zu machen, als wenn wir jetzt einer etablierten Partei beitreten, plötzlich in billigen Nadelstreifenanzügen auftreten und hölzerne Politphrasen verbreiten.
Das klingt nach einer neuen Stufe der Satire. Politik nicht von außen persiflieren, sondern in den Betrieb eingreifen. Entwickelt sich daraus nicht auch eine Verantwortung, die man als Außenseiter nicht hat?
Solange Politik die schlechtere Satire macht, keinesfalls. Was Trump twittert, könnte sich kein Comedy-Autor ausdenken. Aber es ist eben bitterer Ernst. Mein Schritt jetzt in die Politik zu gehen ist zwangsläufig, weil ich nicht nur auf etwas aufmerksam machen, sondern auch teilhaben will. Wir haben einen anderen Zugang zu den Wählern. Und wenn wir denen vermitteln, dass man auch Politik machen kann, ohne sich dabei allzu ernst zu nehmen, dann ist das ein größerer Anreiz als jedes andere Parteiprogramm, das die Wähler oft ernsthaft überfordert.
Ist auch das Kabarett im Zuge der aktuellen politischen Entwicklungen politischer geworden?
Nicht so, wie es sollte. Ich finde, dass Kabarett heutzutage sehr stark in seinen eigenen Mustern gefangen ist. Es gibt kaum Neues, kaum Bewegung, wenig Kontroverses. Stattdessen Spartensendungen wie „Die Anstalt“ oder „Nuhr“. Diese Sendungen bewirken überhaupt nichts, außer dass sie diejenigen bestätigen, die ohnehin schon wissen, wo sie stehen. Viel spannender wäre, Menschen zu erreichen, die anders denken und mit ihnen in einen Diskurs zu treten. Zum Beispiel mit AfD-Mitgliedern. Das wird gerade größtenteils verpasst. Es gäbe viel mehr Möglichkeiten, auch abseits des politischen Alltags Zugriff auf das Geschehen zu bekommen.
Aber selbst der für Alltagshumor bekannte Komiker Mario Barth spricht in Facebook-Videos über Donald Trump und inszeniert eine Sendung zu angeblicher Steuerverschwendung.
Das stimmt, und paradoxerweise hat gerade Barth gemerkt, dass Politik auch Teil von Unterhaltung sein kann. In diesem Fall allerdings bleibt es schäbige Unterhaltung. Es ist den Leuten nach dem Mund geredet und die Leute mögen das. Aber der Rest ist auch nicht besser: Worüber reden die Comedians denn heutzutage? Die reden über ihre Mutter oder über Ikea, wie sie vor ihrem Haustier onanieren, oder schlimmstenfalls parodieren sie vermeintlich Dümmere. Dabei ist das erschreckend rückständig und keinen Deut klüger als das, wogegen es sich richtet. Es ist sträflich, wie heutzutage zugunsten von Anerkennung Anspruch verschwendet wird.
Wogegen sollte sich die Kunst richten?
Es gäbe genug zu erzählen. Kriege in aller Welt, Populisten drängen in Europa an die Macht, Hunger und Elend, der Kampf der Kulturen. Und was machen wir Künstler? Wir reden über uns selbst und besprechen die Banalitäten unseres mediokren Alltags.
Dem Publikum gefällt es offenbar. Mario Barth füllt mit seinem Programm Stadien.
Gefälligkeit ist sehr verlockend. Es garantiert einem Erfolg und Zuspruch. Aber es bringt einen auch weg von dem, was man eigentlich will. Das gilt für angeblich kluge Kabarettisten, die ihrem Publikum nach dem Mund reden, genau wie für Mario Barth, der das Gleiche tut. In beiden Fällen richtet der Künstler seine Inhalte nach den Ansprüchen seines Publikums. Besser ist, wenn der Künstler tut, was er eben tut, und das Publikum ihn dafür liebt – oder vielleicht auch hasst. Und von diesen Kollegen gibt es derzeit viel zu wenig.
Wenn Sie wirklich im September in den Bundestag einziehen, haben sie nicht Angst, dass sie dann zwanzig Wochen im Jahr im Parlament sitzen müssen? So ein Abgeordnetendasein kann auch recht anstrengend sein …
Die Kohle wird mir über den Schmerz der Langeweile hinweghelfen. Nutten und Koks sind manchmal besser als jede halbgare Pointe. | {
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Mike Baird via Flickr Given the status of the economy, the lack of steady, high paying jobs, and a stubborn free market that refuses to realize that there is such a thing as “cost of living,” it shouldn’t be a surprise that so many high school graduates don’t want to consider the high cost of college as a viable option for their careers.
It's even more mind-boggling when you look at some of the truly strange masters programs that graduate students take once they actually finish four years of college.
1. Convention Management
Large gatherings of plumbing supply salesmen, seafood restaurateurs and very sweaty comic book fans in form fitting spandex don’t just come together with social networking and magic. They require the delicate touch of an organizer who can bring together a group of people and help educate and entertain them on the facets of their careers they never knew (in the case of the comic book fans, that’s usually showering).
The Kyung Hee University in Seoul, Korea can help bring your dream of bringing like minded people together to improve their business, meet fellow colleagues and create drunken hookups for out of town business owners whose marriages lost their spark long ago. Aspiring convention managers can learn important facets of convention organizing such as planning and managing conventions, increasing business between different world nations (Lesson No. 49: don’t put the Iran table next to the yellow cake uranium sample booth) and “promoting cooperation” (in case you didn’t learn how to cooperate when you were six like we all did from “Sesame Street’).
Nobody likes the tax man. They are basically loan sharks who aren’t allowed to fear and intimidation to get what they are owed, but could have earned doctorates in being annoying douchebags if they hadn’t quit halfway through to earn their masters degreein this field.
This degree program from Golden Gate University offers “one of the finest tax programs in the nation,” which is a lot like being the best proctologist in the country except you get more laughs at parties. The course will teach aspiring dream stoppers to “identify tax issues” (should you audit the old woman with chronic bronchitis or the orphanage that tried to deduct porridge that the national porridge conglomerate never sent them?), recognize and identify tax forms(the Form 5498 will make you laugh so hard, you’ll crap your pants) and “have a basic knowledge of professional ethical responsibilities” (that’s really more of an elective class).
3. Tae Kwon Do
Every rogue trucker and angry guy in camo who hangs out at the mall waiting for their “girlfriend” claims they have a degree in kicking ass and a masters in taking names. The truth is they could barely earn an associates in Pig Latin from the community college they were kicked out of for making terrorist threats against their academic advisor for making them take a Spanish class.
Believe it or not, it is possible to get an actual degree in kicking ass by returning to Kyung Hee University, the same college where you would have gotten your convention management degree if you hadn’t put the Dingo Preservation Society next to the baby simulator booth, to get a degree in Tae Kwon Do. This specialized physical education course will teach not just the techniques but also the philosophies and cultural significance of the marital art by making students paint houses, wax outdoor decks and catch flies with chopsticks. And yes, it will be on the final exam.
4. Popular Music
If it weren’t for towns like Liverpool, England, The Beatles wouldn’t have done everything in their power to escape that craphole of a town and make it big as musicians, which makes one wonder why Branson, Missouri has so many musicians who have yet to escape. Either people are voluntarily visiting the town to be entertained or they are being controlled against their will “1984” style.
So it’s only fitting that the University of Liverpool would try to retain some of its star-struck residents by actually offering an equally interesting degree to keep them from leaving. Their pop music masters degree program actually takes money from young adults so they can voluntarily learn how to listen to Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson tunes with a straight face. They will also learn the textual analysis for popular songs, the cultural impact of the recording industry and how popular music affects our daily lives (for example, it makes us appreciate the sweet release of death more).
5. Digital Games
Remember when Droz from the college comedy classic “PCU” said that “You can major in Gameboy if you know how bulls---”? Who knew that such a film could actually be educational and possibly the basis for a masters degree program somewhere in this twisted world?
Liverpool John Moores University actually offers a degree in the study and creation of the pixelated arts by teaching students (those who bother to show up because they got stoned, which also may or may not be part of their homework) the “theories of gameplay,” “the cultural and social issues surrounding video games” and the “art and design aspects of game development” (don’t just give the female characters huge pendulous breasts, give them a personality). | {
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Berlin, 1. August 2019. Der erste stellvertretende Bundessprecher Georg Pazderski hat die Relativierung des Frankfurter Bahnsteig-Mordes als Gefahr für die Demokratie bezeichnet:
„Deutschland ist im Meinungs-Totalitarismus angekommen: Mit einem verunglückten Kind am Strand wurde über Wochen die illegale Grenzöffnung gerechtfertigt. Ein von einem gesuchten Afrikaner ermordeter Junge wird dagegen mit einem 30-Sekünder in der Tagesschau abgetan. Medien verniedlichen den Mord zum Schulhof-Schubs. Die Kanzlerin schweigt. Wer die Fakten ausspricht, wird verunglimpft. Lösungen, die die Ursachen angehen, bleiben auf der Strecke.
So darf es nicht weitergehen! Die Sicherheit auf dem Bahnsteig beginnt mit der Sicherheit an der Grenze. Ein gefährlicher Ausländer hätte nie in unser Land gelangen dürfen. Jeder, der das relativiert, macht sich mitschuldig. Darum: Fakten statt Verniedlichungen, Lösungen statt Blabla, Freiheit statt Meinungs-Totalitarismus!“ | {
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Japanese fighter jets scrambled on Wednesday after a Chinese military plane flew through international airspace near Okinawa, Japan’s defense minister said. The Chinese early-warning plane flew between Okinawa and the smaller island of Miyako toward the Pacific and then passed between the islands again to return to China, Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera told reporters. He said it was the first time that a Chinese military plane had flown between the islands, though Chinese warships frequently sail between them to reach the Pacific. The episode comes amid a lingering dispute between the two countries over islands they both claim, and amid what appears to be a semiofficial campaign in China to question Japan’s rule of Okinawa, part of an island chain that had paid monetary tribute to imperial China. | {
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Today, we’re excited to publicly release and open source Nano Wallet for iOS, Android, Mac, Windows and Linux!
These wallets have been in the works since late last year, thank you to everyone in the community who has helped find bugs and given suggestions on improving the wallets in the last few months.
We are just waiting for Apple to propagate the app to the App Store but it was marked Ready for Sale earlier this morning and should be available shortly.
Desktop is being released and open sourced as Release Candidate 1 and will be fully live soon but is now open to everyone to use!
Feature Highlights:
iOS & Android:
* Send and receive: use Nano wallet with friends or your favorite Nano-accepting service provider
* Currency converter to send in Nano or in your local currency
* Share card to text to your friends so they can send you Nano
Desktop:
* Multiple accounts (also coming soon to mobile)
* Built on Electron so you can use it regardless of your operating system
What is the Nano Wallet Company and how is it different from Nano?
The Nano Wallet Company is a separate entity, unconnected to the Nano Foundation. While there is some overlap in those working for both companies, the Nano Foundation has no control over the wallets and no relationship with the Nano Wallet Company. The Nano Foundation, mirroring other cryptocurrencies, limits itself to core functions related to the protocol, while maintaining an arms-length approach to software built on top of Nano.
This also frees up Nano to not play favorites when it comes to wallets. Therefore, there is no “official” wallet. We leave it up to you, the community, to pick which one you think is best based on your needs.
The Nano Wallets are open-source and we hope that you will contribute to continue their improvement.
Representatives
On the mobile wallets, there are 44 representatives who have been vetted by Troy and the community as running nodes with high uptime and a decent Nano stake. Their owners have been verified as well. New wallets randomly choose from one of the 44 addresses to be the representative.
This is temporary while we put in place our plan to add additional representatives to the list in the wallets.
In the future, you will be able to change your representative from within the app.
How to upgrade from the iOS beta
If you participated in the iOS beta on TestFlight, you will need to enter your Wallet Seed again as this app is a brand new app. You can find your Wallet Seed in Settings, copy it and paste it into the new app.
Remember: never give your Wallet Seed to anyone, under any circumstances and always store it somewhere safe and secure.
This is just the beginning
These wallets are a starting place. The community has been asking for new features and design updates and those are on the way!
The best part is, you can jump in and help build them! If you know Swift, Java or JavaScript (or want to learn) and want to contribute, head over to Github, fork a repo and get started!
Thank you to the Nano community for all of the support as we built and tested these wallets. We’re excited to get them in everyone’s hands and to work with you to continue building them.
Download any of the Nano Wallets today at NanoWalletCompany.com! | {
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Image copyright Reuters
Cash within the Greek banking system will run out in just a few short days, a senior banking source has told me, amid fears that the financial crisis will force Greek companies to start laying off workers on Monday.
"This is a fully fledged banking and economic crisis," said the despairing source. "The rate of cash withdrawals has trebled in recent days, even with the limits."
Since I arrived in Athens, I have witnessed Greeks queuing at those cash machines that are working, to withdraw the maximum amount of cash they're allowed under the restrictions implemented last Monday.
"People are taking out money around the clock, out of ATMs, on the internet transferring to HSBC - you name it, they're finding ingenious ways to get their savings."
He added: "We desperately need a solution. It will not be long before our country is on its knees, with the damage so great that it will be permanent."
After the referendum polls close tonight, Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis will meet bank bosses, grouped together under the auspices of the Hellenic Bank Association, and the governor of the Bank of Greece, Yannis Stournaras, I have learned.
The meeting will take place after the result of the poll is known, to discuss whether there is any way to ease the constraints on withdrawals from banks and transfers abroad.
Bankers hope to hear what contingency measures are being discussed by the governing council of the European Central Bank, which meets tomorrow. It was a decision last Sunday by the ECB to cease providing any additional emergency lending, called ELA, that forced the banks to close last Monday.
"My concern is that if there is no easing up of the restrictions, companies will start laying off workers tomorrow," said a senior banker.
He added that the so-called capital controls, which include a ban on movement of money abroad, are leading to chronic shortages of medicines, foods, vital raw materials and other important goods.
"Companies cannot pay for imports," he said. "This is a serious problem. We are looking at a huge possible humanitarian crisis here."
What bankers are hoping to hear is that the ECB will provide enough additional lending to them to finance imports of vital goods.
Right now they fear the ECB may do the opposite, and actually demand back some of the €120bn of emergency loans it and the Bank of Greece has already provided - because the value of assets provided as security for these loans may be judged by the ECB to have deteriorated in Greece's economic and political mayhem.
"We are in this crazy position where there is no lender of last resort for Greek banks," said a banker, referring to the perceived flaw in the eurozone that the ECB is much less able to create money to help a member state like Greece than the Bank of England can do for the UK or the Federal Reserve can do in the US.
"How on earth can banks and an economy be starved of cash like this, in a civilised developed country? The banks need money to keep the economy functioning, and we're almost out."
The banker said that if the ECB refuses to provide any additional credit, then the Athens government will have to think about abandoning the euro and introducing a new drachma currency - because otherwise, it would be impossible to pay wages and the economy would deteriorate from being frozen, as at present, to catastrophe.
"How can the eurozone and Athens be arguing over which taxes to increase here?" he asked. "If the economy is destroyed, taxes won't solve anything. What we need is a plan to save the banks."
As of this moment, banks are expecting that they will continue tomorrow to provide cash, up to €60 per account, via ATMs, and some branches may open to pay pensions.
But they wait to learn what restrictions they will face thereafter. | {
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This game is no longer inside of the app. The few players that were on here that answered questions no longer use this. Please join the discord. | {
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Republicans and Democrats may finally agree on something: Small business owners and entrepreneurs need better and more plentiful opportunities to gain access to capital, grow their businesses, and create more jobs.
Last month, the House voted 407 to 17 to pass passed the Entrepreneur Access to Capital Act, which seeks to makes it easier for small businesses and entrepreneurs to raise capital through crowdfunding. The new bill would let let small companies sell up to $2 million in equity online. Investors would be allowed to put in as much as $10,000 or 10 percent of their annual income—whichever is less.
In addition to the overwhelming bipartisan support the bill received in the House, the President supports it as well. In a September 8 address to a Joint Session of Congress on jobs and the economy, the President urged Congress to remove the red-tape—and SEC restrictions—that make it difficult, if not illegal, for entrepreneurs to raise funds in public.
"This bill will make it easier for entrepreneurs to raise capital and create jobs," the White House noted in a statement. "The Administration looks forward to continuing to work with the Congress to craft legislation that facilitates capital formation and job growth and provides appropriate investor protections."
Senator Scott Brown of Massachusetts, a vocal Republican supporter of crowdfunding, addressed the Senate Banking Committee last week, urging members to consider crowdfunding as a viable method for entrepreneurs raise funds. He described crowdfunding as "the grease that keeps the gears in the American economy churning."
Current online investment platforms—such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo—allow people to offer funds for projects, though they do not offer true equity in return. Sites like Microventures do offer equity, but to invest you must be an angel investor. Right now, there's no legal way for unaccredited people to invest in companies for equity.
"Imagine that," Brown said. "The next Steve Jobs being held back by rules from the age of the typewriter. When are we going to give the tools and resources to our job creators? [Crowdfunding] is an innovative way to look outside the box and get up with the times to open up capital markets to new businesses and existing small businesses. It has the potential to be a powerful venture capital model."
Although much large-scale crowdfunding still illegal in the United States, there are several crowdfuning firms overseas already connecting investors with entrepreneurs. Symbid, a Netherlands-based crowdfunding firm, enables entrepreneurs to secure funding from €20,000 up to €2.5 million. Crowdcube, which is based in the U.K., offers a similar service, but with no investment maximum. Entrepreneurs go online, write their pitch, and offer two numbers: the target—which is the total amount of money they wish to raise and invest in the business—and the equity offered.
Critics to the bill argue that devious entrepreneurs will have open range to set up phony companies and lull neophyte investors into dropping them cash. And because there's potential for thousands of daily transactions, there would be little oversight. Brown, though, believes the benefits outweigh any risks.
"Americans are allowed to gamble unlimited amounts at casinos, and can send donations to charities halfway around the world with one tap of a trackpad," wrote Brown in a recent Wired editorial. "Yet, we are legally prevented from making even modest investments in job-creating small businesses."
Carl Esposti, the founder of Crowdsourcing.org, points out another argument: that the investment risks involved are actually lower, since there will be many investors doing due diligence on the investment. Therefore, he says, if 150 or 200 people decide to vote on an entity, the aggregate of the risk assessment might indicate that that entity is not such a bad bet. | {
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By participating in the Acorns Referral Program you are agreeing to the Acorns Referral Agreement.
The Acorns Referral Program consists of limited time promotional offerings. Please review the offerings below to see which promotions are available to you under the Acorns Referral Program at the time you make referrals.
September 2020 Referral Bonus - $150 for 3 Acorns Referrals Friends must sign up on or after 09/01/2020 and have a verified account in good standing and make their first successful investment by 09/30/2020. Bonuses are paid out by 10/15/2020. Referees and Referrers who close their account before 10/15/2020, make an investment that results in a reversal from their bank, or accounts that are otherwise not in good standing will not qualify for the promotion. Referral awards are made at the sole discretion of Acorns. All referrals must be made in accordance with the Acorns Referral Agreement and Referral Promotion Terms and Conditions. Rewards for inviting friends to join Acorns are a limited time offer. Rewards are in the form of a purchase of investments in your Acorns portfolio. Shares are purchased once your friend’s account is approved and they have completed their first investment. To be eligible for the reward, the persons you refer must use your personal invitation code when they sign up. Acorns defines an account in good standing as a verified investment account with a successful investment. If a gift card is used for an initial investment, a bank account must be linked as a funding source, and an initial investment must be made from that funding source. Acorns reserves the right to restrict or revoke this offer at any time. Referral amount subject to change at discretion of Acorns Advisers, LLC. Advisory services offered by Acorns Advisers, LLC (“Acorns”), an SEC-registered investment advisor. Brokerage services are provided to clients of Acorns by Acorns Securities, LLC, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Custodial and administrative services for Acorns Later IRA accounts provided by IRA Services Trust Company. Investments are not FDIC insured. Investing involves risk and investments may lose value, including the loss of principal. Please consider your objectives and Acorns’s fees before investing. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. “Acorns”, the Acorns logo, and “Invest the Change” are registered trademarks of Acorns Grow Incorporated. Acorns Visa™ debit cards are issued by Lincoln Savings Bank, member FDIC. Copyright © 2020 Acorns and/or its affiliates.
August 2020 Referral Bonus - $300 for 4 Acorns Referrals
Friends must sign up on or after 08/01/2020 and have a verified account in good standing and make their first successful investment by 08/31/2020. Bonuses are paid out by 09/15/2020. Referees and Referrers who close their account before 09/15/2020, make an investment that results in a reversal from their bank, or accounts that are otherwise not in good standing will not qualify for the promotion. Referral awards are made at the sole discretion of Acorns. All referrals must be made in accordance with the Acorns Referral Agreement and Referral Promotion Terms and Conditions.
Rewards for inviting friends to join Acorns are a limited time offer. Rewards are in the form of a purchase of investments in your Acorns portfolio. Shares are purchased once your friend’s account is approved and they have completed their first investment. To be eligible for the reward, the persons you refer must use your personal invitation code when they sign up. Acorns defines an account in good standing as a verified investment account with a successful investment. If a gift card is used for an initial investment, a bank account must be linked as a funding source, and an initial investment must be made from that funding source. Acorns reserves the right to restrict or revoke this offer at any time. Referral amount subject to change at discretion of Acorns Advisers, LLC.
Advisory services offered by Acorns Advisers, LLC (“Acorns”), an SEC-registered investment advisor. Brokerage services are provided to clients of Acorns by Acorns Securities, LLC, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Custodial and administrative services for Acorns Later IRA accounts provided by IRA Services Trust Company. Investments are not FDIC insured. Investing involves risk and investments may lose value, including the loss of principal. Please consider your objectives and Acorns’s fees before investing. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. “Acorns”, the Acorns logo, and “Invest the Change” are registered trademarks of Acorns Grow Incorporated. Acorns Visa™ debit cards are issued by Lincoln Savings Bank, member FDIC. Copyright © 2020 Acorns and/or its affiliates.
July 2020 Referral Bonus - $500 for 5 Acorns Referrals
Friends must sign up on or after 07/01/2020 and have a verified account in good standing and make their first successful investment by 07/31/2020. Bonuses are paid out by 08/15/2020. Referees and Referrers who close their account before 08/15/2020, make an investment that results in a reversal from their bank, or accounts that are otherwise not in good standing will not qualify for the promotion. Referral awards are made at the sole discretion of Acorns. All referrals must be made in accordance with the Acorns Referral Agreement and Referral Promotion Terms and Conditions.
Rewards for inviting friends to join Acorns are a limited time offer. Rewards are in the form of a purchase of investments in your Acorns portfolio. Shares are purchased once your friend’s account is approved and they have completed their first investment. To be eligible for the reward, the persons you refer must use your personal invitation code when they sign up. Acorns defines an account in good standing as a verified investment account with a successful investment. If a gift card is used for an initial investment, a bank account must be linked as a funding source, and an initial investment must be made from that funding source. Acorns reserves the right to restrict or revoke this offer at any time. Referral amount subject to change at discretion of Acorns Advisers, LLC.
Advisory services offered by Acorns Advisers, LLC (“Acorns”), an SEC-registered investment advisor. Brokerage services are provided to clients of Acorns by Acorns Securities, LLC, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Custodial and administrative services for Acorns Later IRA accounts provided by IRA Services Trust Company. Investments are not FDIC insured. Investing involves risk and investments may lose value, including the loss of principal. Please consider your objectives and Acorns’s fees before investing. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. “Acorns”, the Acorns logo, and “Invest the Change” are registered trademarks of Acorns Grow Incorporated. Acorns Visa™ debit cards are issued by Lincoln Savings Bank, member FDIC. Copyright © 2020 Acorns and/or its affiliates.
Acorns - Invite Friends, Get and Give $5
The Reward
Each time someone becomes a new Acorns subscriber and sets up an Acorns Portfolio Account (Invest, Later or Early) using your personal invitation code or referral link in accordance with the eligibility criteria below, you will receive a $5 investment by Acorns in your Acorns Invest account. Each new eligible Acorns subscriber referred by you also will receive a $5 investment by Acorns in their Acorns Invest account. These rewards will be made each time you and your referral meet the eligibility criteria below in accordance with the Acorns Referral Agreement.
Eligibility
You are eligible to receive for this reward each time the new subscriber (1) uses your personal invitation code when they sign up for a new Acorns subscription, (2) completes an initial $5 investment in an Acorns Invest, Later or Early Portfolio Account from a linked bank account funding source and (3) maintains their initial investment for at least 30 days. Anyone who earns a reward under this promotion will only receive such reward if their Acorns subscription and each of their Acorns accounts are in good standing with Acorns at all times between meeting the eligibility criteria and the time the reward is invested.
Additional Information
This promotion is a limited time offer. Acorns Advisers, LLC reserves the right to restrict, revoke or change this offer at any time at its discretion. Acorns is not responsible for any failure on your part to maintain your account in good standing or otherwise meet standards for qualifying for this promotion. This promotion only applies to referrals of new Acorns customers. For the avoidance of doubt, if either you or the customer you refer is ineligible for the reward under this promotion, neither party will receive the reward. Referral awards are made at the sole discretion of Acorns. All referrals must be made in accordance with the Acorns Referral Agreement.
You can also receive additional rewards under other promotional offers that may be available at the same time as this promotion unless it is specifically excluded by such other promotion.
Acorns Family Referral Bonus - Get $50, Give $10
The Reward
If during the promotional period starting at 1:30pm PT on June 22, 2020 and ending at 11:59 PT on July 31, 2020 (the “Promotion Period”), you become an eligible Acorns Family subscriber with an Acorns Early account, you can earn a $45 investment by Acorns in your Acorns Invest account each time someone becomes an eligible new Acorns Family subscriber with an Acorns Early account using your personal invitation code or referral link. Each new eligible Acorns Family subscriber referred by you also will receive a $5 investment by Acorns in their Acorns Invest account. These rewards will be paid after both you and the new subscriber(s) meet the eligibility criteria below and in accordance with the Acorns Referral Agreement.
You and the new customers you refer to Acorns may qualify for both this promotion and the Acorns Share the Wealth - Invite Friends, Get and Give $5 promotion based on the same activities. Therefore, you may receive $50 total and the new subscriber may receive $10 total under these combined promotions for the same referral. Because the eligibility criteria for this promotion includes a 3 month subscription period, you will receive these rewards at different times.
Eligibility
- You must (1) upgrade to, or sign up for, the Acorns Family subscription tier during the Promotion Period, (2) complete the setup of an Acorns Early account with a successful initial $5 investment from a bank account funding source during the Promotion Period and (3) maintain your Acorns Family subscription for a least three (3) consecutive billing periods from the time you subscribe;
AND
- Each new Acorns subscriber referred by you must (1) sign up for the Acorns Family subscription using your personal invitation code or referral link during the Promotion Period, (2) complete the setup of an Acorns Early Account with a successful initial $5 investment from a bank account funding source during the Promotion Period and maintain this initial investment for at least 30 days and (3) maintain their Acorns Family subscription for a least three (3) consecutive billing periods from the time they subscribe.
Anyone who earns a reward under this promotion will only receive such reward if (1) their Acorns subscription, including any Acorns investment accounts, are also in good standing with Acorns at the time this criteria is met in order to receive each reward and (2) they have not closed their Early account or downgraded to a tier other than Acorns Family before the reward is invested.
Additional Information
This promotion is a limited time offer. Acorns Advisers, LLC reserves the right to restrict, revoke or change this offer at any time at its discretion. Acorns is not responsible for any failure on your part to maintain your account in good standing or otherwise meet standards for qualifying for this promotion. This promotion only applies to referrals of new Acorns customers. For the avoidance of doubt, if either you or the customer you refer is ineligible for the reward under this promotion, neither party will receive the reward. Referral awards are made at the sole discretion of Acorns. All referrals must be made in accordance with the Acorns Referral Agreement.
Other Information For All Promotions
Advisory services are offered by Acorns Advisers, LLC (“Acorns”), an SEC-registered investment advisor. Brokerage services are provided to clients of Acorns by Acorns Securities, LLC, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Custodial and administrative services for Acorns Later IRA accounts provided by IRA Services Trust Company. Investments are not FDIC insured. Investing involves risk and investments may lose value, including the loss of principal. Please consider your objectives and Acorns’ fees before investing. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. “Acorns”, the Acorns logo, and “Invest the Change” are registered trademarks of Acorns Grow Incorporated. Acorns Visa™ debit cards are issued by Lincoln Savings Bank, member FDIC. Copyright © 2020 Acorns and/or its affiliates.
June 2020 Referral Bonus - $300 for 5 Acorns Referrals
Friends must sign up on or after 06/01/2020 and have a verified account in good standing and make their first successful investment by 06/30/2020. Bonuses are paid out by 07/15/2020. Referees and Referrers who close their account before 07/15/2020, make an investment that results in a reversal from their bank, or accounts that are otherwise not in good standing will not qualify for the promotion. Referral awards are made at the sole discretion of Acorns. All referrals must be made in accordance with the Acorns Referral Agreement and Referral Promotion Terms and Conditions.
Rewards for inviting friends to join Acorns are a limited time offer. Rewards are in the form of a purchase of investments in your Acorns portfolio. Shares are purchased once your friend’s account is approved and they have completed their first investment. To be eligible for the reward, the persons you refer must use your personal invitation code when they sign up. Acorns defines an account in good standing as a verified investment account with a successful investment. If a gift card is used for an initial investment, a bank account must be linked as a funding source, and an initial investment must be made from that funding source. Acorns reserves the right to restrict or revoke this offer at any time. Referral amount subject to change at discretion of Acorns Advisers, LLC.
Advisory services offered by Acorns Advisers, LLC (“Acorns”), an SEC-registered investment advisor. Brokerage services are provided to clients of Acorns by Acorns Securities, LLC, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Custodial and administrative services for Acorns Later IRA accounts provided by IRA Services Trust Company. Investments are not FDIC insured. Investing involves risk and investments may lose value, including the loss of principal. Please consider your objectives and Acorns’s fees before investing. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. “Acorns”, the Acorns logo, and “Invest the Change” are registered trademarks of Acorns Grow Incorporated. Acorns Visa™ debit cards are issued by Lincoln Savings Bank, member FDIC. Copyright © 2020 Acorns and/or its affiliates.
May 2020 Referral Bonus - $250 for 4 Acorns Referrals
Friends must sign up on or after 05/01/2020 and have a verified account in good standing and make their first successful investment by 05/31/2020. Bonuses are paid out by 06/15/2020. Referees and Referrers who close their account before 06/15/2020, make an investment that results in a reversal from their bank, or accounts that are otherwise not in good standing will not qualify for the promotion. Referral awards are made at the sole discretion of Acorns. All referrals must be made in accordance with the Acorns Referral Agreement and Referral Promotion Terms and Conditions.
Rewards for inviting friends to join Acorns are a limited time offer. Rewards are in the form of a purchase of investments in your Acorns portfolio. Shares are purchased once your friend’s account is approved and they have completed their first investment. To be eligible for the reward, the persons you refer must use your personal invitation code when they sign up. Acorns defines an account in good standing as a verified investment account with a successful investment. If a gift card is used for an initial investment, a bank account must be linked as a funding source, and an initial investment must be made from that funding source. Acorns reserves the right to restrict or revoke this offer at any time. Referral amount subject to change at discretion of Acorns Advisers, LLC.
Advisory services offered by Acorns Advisers, LLC (“Acorns”), an SEC-registered investment advisor. Brokerage services are provided to clients of Acorns by Acorns Securities, LLC, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Custodial and administrative services for Acorns Later IRA accounts provided by IRA Services Trust Company. Investments are not FDIC insured. Investing involves risk and investments may lose value, including the loss of principal. Please consider your objectives and Acorns’s fees before investing. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. “Acorns”, the Acorns logo, and “Invest the Change” are registered trademarks of Acorns Grow Incorporated. Acorns Visa™ debit cards are issued by Lincoln Savings Bank, member FDIC. Copyright © 2020 Acorns and/or its affiliates.
April 2020 Referral Bonus - $150 for 3 Acorns Referrals
Friends must sign up on or after 04/01/2020 and have a verified account in good standing and make their first successful investment by 04/30/2020. Bonuses are paid out by 05/15/2020. Referees and Referrers who close their account before 05/15/2020, make an investment that results in a reversal from their bank, or accounts that are otherwise not in good standing will not qualify for the promotion. Referral awards are made at the sole discretion of Acorns. All referrals must be made in accordance with the Acorns Referral Agreement and Referral Promotion Terms and Conditions.
Rewards for inviting friends to join Acorns are a limited time offer. Rewards are in the form of a purchase of investments in your Acorns portfolio. Shares are purchased once your friend’s account is approved and they have completed their first investment. To be eligible for the reward, the persons you refer must use your personal invitation code when they sign up. Acorns defines an account in good standing as a verified investment account with a successful investment. If a gift card is used for an initial investment, a bank account must be linked as a funding source, and an initial investment must be made from that funding source. Acorns reserves the right to restrict or revoke this offer at any time. Referral amount subject to change at discretion of Acorns Advisers, LLC.
Advisory services offered by Acorns Advisers, LLC (“Acorns”), an SEC-registered investment advisor. Brokerage services are provided to clients of Acorns by Acorns Securities, LLC, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Custodial and administrative services for Acorns Later IRA accounts provided by IRA Services Trust Company. Investments are not FDIC insured. Investing involves risk and investments may lose value, including the loss of principal. Please consider your objectives and Acorns’s fees before investing. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. “Acorns”, the Acorns logo, and “Invest the Change” are registered trademarks of Acorns Grow Incorporated. Acorns Visa™ debit cards are issued by Lincoln Savings Bank, member FDIC. Copyright © 2020 Acorns and/or its affiliates.
March 2020 Referral Bonus - $40 for 2 Acorns Referrals
Friends must sign up on or after 03/01/2020 and have an account in good standing and make their first investment by 03/31/2020. Bonuses are paid out by 04/15/2020. Referrals who close their account before 04/15/2020, make an investment that results in a reversal from their bank, or accounts that are otherwise not in good standing will not qualify for the promotion. Referral awards are made at the sole discretion of Acorns. All referrals must be made in accordance with the Acorns Referral Agreement and Referral Promotion Terms and Conditions.
Rewards for inviting friends to join Acorns are a limited time offer. Rewards are in the form of a purchase of investments in your Acorns portfolio. Shares are purchased once your friend’s account is approved and they have completed their first investment. To be eligible for the reward, the persons you refer must use your personal invitation code when they sign up. Acorns defines an account in good standing as a verified investment account with a successful investment. If a gift card is used for an initial investment, a bank account must be linked as a funding source, and an initial investment must be made from that funding source. Acorns reserves the right to restrict or revoke this offer at any time. Referral amount subject to change at discretion of Acorns Advisers, LLC.
Advisory services offered by Acorns Advisers, LLC (“Acorns”), an SEC-registered investment advisor. Brokerage services are provided to clients of Acorns by Acorns Securities, LLC, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Custodial and administrative services for Acorns Later IRA accounts provided by IRA Services Trust Company. Investments are not FDIC insured. Investing involves risk and investments may lose value, including the loss of principal. Please consider your objectives and Acorns’s fees before investing. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. “Acorns”, the Acorns logo, and “Invest the Change” are registered trademarks of Acorns Grow Incorporated. Acorns Visa™ debit cards are issued by Lincoln Savings Bank, member FDIC. Copyright © 2020 Acorns and/or its affiliates.
March 2020 Referral Bonus - $1,000 for 12 Acorns Referrals
Friends must sign up on or after 03/01/2020 and have an account in good standing and make their first investment by 03/31/2020. Bonuses are paid out by 04/15/2020. Referrals who close their account before 04/15/2020, make an investment that results in a reversal from their bank, or accounts that are otherwise not in good standing will not qualify for the promotion. Referral awards are made at the sole discretion of Acorns. All referrals must be made in accordance with the Acorns Referral Agreement and Referral Promotion Terms and Conditions.
Rewards for inviting friends to join Acorns are a limited time offer. Rewards are in the form of a purchase of investments in your Acorns portfolio. Shares are purchased once your friend’s account is approved and they have completed their first investment. To be eligible for the reward, the persons you refer must use your personal invitation code when they sign up. Acorns defines an account in good standing as a verified investment account with a successful investment. If a gift card is used for an initial investment, a bank account must be linked as a funding source, and an initial investment must be made from that funding source. Acorns reserves the right to restrict or revoke this offer at any time. Referral amount subject to change at discretion of Acorns Advisers, LLC.
Advisory services offered by Acorns Advisers, LLC (“Acorns”), an SEC-registered investment advisor. Brokerage services are provided to clients of Acorns by Acorns Securities, LLC, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Custodial and administrative services for Acorns Later IRA accounts provided by IRA Services Trust Company. Investments are not FDIC insured. Investing involves risk and investments may lose value, including the loss of principal. Please consider your objectives and Acorns’s fees before investing. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. “Acorns”, the Acorns logo, and “Invest the Change” are registered trademarks of Acorns Grow Incorporated. Acorns Visa™ debit cards are issued by Lincoln Savings Bank, member FDIC. Copyright © 2020 Acorns and/or its affiliates.
February 2020 Referral Bonus - $250 for 4 Acorns Referrals
Friends must sign up on or after 02/01/2020 and have an account in good standing and make their first investment by 02/29/2020. Bonuses are paid out by 03/15/2020. Referrals who close their account before 03/15/2020, make an investment that results in a reversal from their bank, or accounts that are otherwise not in good standing will not qualify for the promotion.
Rewards for inviting friends to join Acorns are a limited time offer. Rewards are in the form of a purchase of investments in your Acorns portfolio. Shares are purchased once your friend’s account is approved and they have completed their first investment. To be eligible for the reward, the persons you refer must use your personal invitation code when they sign up. Acorns defines an account in good standing as a verified investment account with a successful investment. Acorns reserves the right to restrict or revoke this offer at any time. Referral amount subject to change at discretion of Acorns Advisers, LLC.
Advisory services offered by Acorns Advisers, LLC (“Acorns”), an SEC-registered investment advisor. Brokerage services are provided to clients of Acorns by Acorns Securities, LLC, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Custodial and administrative services for Acorns Later IRA accounts provided by IRA Services Trust Company. Investments are not FDIC insured. Investing involves risk and investments may lose value, including the loss of principal. Please consider your objectives and Acorns’s fees before investing. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. “Acorns”, the Acorns logo, and “Invest the Change” are registered trademarks of Acorns Grow Incorporated. Acorns Visa™ debit cards are issued by Lincoln Savings Bank, member FDIC. Copyright © 2020 Acorns and/or its affiliates.
January 2020 Referral Bonus - $250 for 4 Acorns Referrals
Friends must sign up on or after 1/01/2020 and have an account in good standing and make their first investment by 1/31/2020. Bonuses are paid out by 02/15/2020. Referrals who close their account before 02/15/2020, make an investment that results in a reversal from their bank, or accounts that are otherwise not in good standing will not qualify for the promotion.
Rewards for inviting friends to join Acorns are a limited time offer. Rewards are in the form of a purchase of investments in your Acorns portfolio. Shares are purchased once your friend’s account is approved and they have completed their first investment. To be eligible for the reward, the persons you refer must use your personal invitation code when they sign up. Acorns defines an account in good standing as a verified investment account with a successful investment. Acorns reserves the right to restrict or revoke this offer at any time. Referral amount subject to change at discretion of Acorns Advisers, LLC.
Advisory services offered by Acorns Advisers, LLC (“Acorns”), an SEC-registered investment advisor. Brokerage services are provided to clients of Acorns by Acorns Securities, LLC, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Custodial and administrative services for Acorns Later IRA accounts provided by IRA Services Trust Company. Investments are not FDIC insured. Investing involves risk and investments may lose value, including the loss of principal. Please consider your objectives and Acorns’s fees before investing. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. “Acorns”, the Acorns logo, and “Invest the Change” are registered trademarks of Acorns Grow Incorporated. Acorns Visa™ debit cards are issued by Lincoln Savings Bank, member FDIC. Copyright © 2019 Acorns and/or its affiliates.
December 2019 Referral Bonus - $200 for 4 Acorns Referrals
Friends must sign up on or after 12/01/2019 and have an account in good standing and make their first investment by 12/31/2019. Bonuses are paid out by 01/15/2020. Referrals who close their account before 01/15/2020, make an investment that results in a reversal from their bank, or accounts that are otherwise not in good standing will not qualify for the promotion.
Rewards for inviting friends to join Acorns are a limited time offer. Rewards are in the form of a purchase of investments in your Acorns portfolio. Shares are purchased once your friend’s account is approved and they have completed their first investment. To be eligible for the reward, the persons you refer must use your personal invitation code when they sign up. Acorns defines an account in good standing as a verified investment account with a successful investment. Acorns reserves the right to restrict or revoke this offer at any time. Referral amount subject to change at discretion of Acorns Advisers, LLC.
Advisory services offered by Acorns Advisers, LLC (“Acorns”), an SEC-registered investment advisor. Brokerage services are provided to clients of Acorns by Acorns Securities, LLC, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Custodial and administrative services for Acorns Later IRA accounts provided by IRA Services Trust Company. Investments are not FDIC insured. Investing involves risk and investments may lose value, including the loss of principal. Please consider your objectives and Acorns’s fees before investing. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. “Acorns”, the Acorns logo, and “Invest the Change” are registered trademarks of Acorns Grow Incorporated. Acorns Visa™ debit cards are issued by Lincoln Savings Bank, member FDIC. Copyright © 2019 Acorns and/or its affiliates.
November 2019 Referral Bonus - $250 for 5 Acorns Referrals
Friends must sign up on or after 11/01/2019 and have an account in good standing and make their first investment by 11/30/2019. Bonuses are paid out by 12/15/2019. Referrals who close their account before 12/15/2019, make an investment that results in a reversal from their bank, or accounts that are otherwise not in good standing will not qualify for the promotion.
Rewards for inviting friends to join Acorns are a limited time offer. Rewards are in the form of a purchase of investments in your Acorns portfolio. Shares are purchased once your friend’s account is approved and they have completed their first investment. To be eligible for the reward, the persons you refer must use your personal invitation code when they sign up. Acorns defines an account in good standing as a verified investment account with a successful investment. Acorns reserves the right to restrict or revoke this offer at any time. Referral amount subject to change at discretion of Acorns Advisers, LLC.
Advisory services offered by Acorns Advisers, LLC (“Acorns”), an SEC-registered investment advisor. Brokerage services are provided to clients of Acorns by Acorns Securities, LLC, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Custodial and administrative services for Acorns Later IRA accounts provided by IRA Services Trust Company. Investments are not FDIC insured. Investing involves risk and investments may lose value, including the loss of principal. Please consider your objectives and Acorns’s fees before investing. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. “Acorns”, the Acorns logo, and “Invest the Change” are registered trademarks of Acorns Grow Incorporated. Acorns Visa™ debit cards are issued by Lincoln Savings Bank, member FDIC. Copyright © 2019 Acorns and/or its affiliates.
October 2019 Referral Bonus - $150 for 3 Acorns Referrals
Friends must sign up on or after 10/01/2019 and have an account in good standing and make their first investment by 10/31/2019. Bonuses are paid out by 11/15/2019. Referrals who close their account before 11/15/2019, or make an investment that results in a reversal from their bank, will not qualify for the promotion.
Rewards for inviting friends to join Acorns are a limited time offer. Rewards are in the form of a purchase of investments in your Acorns portfolio. Shares are purchased once your friend’s account is approved and they have completed their first investment. To be eligible for the reward, the persons you refer must use your personal invitation code when they sign up. Acorns defines an account in good standing as a verified investment account with a successful investment. Acorns reserves the right to restrict or revoke this offer at any time. Referral amount subject to change at discretion of Acorns Advisers, LLC.
Advisory services offered by Acorns Advisers, LLC (“Acorns”), an SEC-registered investment advisor. Brokerage services are provided to clients of Acorns by Acorns Securities, LLC, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Custodial and administrative services for Acorns Later IRA accounts provided by IRA Services Trust Company. Investments are not FDIC insured. Investing involves risk and investments may lose value, including the loss of principal. Please consider your objectives and Acorns’s fees before investing. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. “Acorns”, the Acorns logo, and “Invest the Change” are registered trademarks of Acorns Grow Incorporated. Acorns Visa™ debit cards are issued by Lincoln Savings Bank, member FDIC. Copyright © 2019 Acorns and/or its affiliates.
September 2019 Referral Bonus - $150 for 3 Acorns Referrals
Friends must sign up on or after 09/01/2019 and have an account in good standing and make their first investment by 09/30/2019. Bonuses are paid out by 10/15/2019. Referrals who close their account before 10/15/2019, or make an investment that results in a reversal from their bank, will not qualify for the promotion.
Rewards for inviting friends to join Acorns are a limited time offer. Rewards are in the form of a purchase of investments in your Acorns portfolio. Shares are purchased once your friend’s account is approved and they have completed their first investment. To be eligible for the reward, the persons you refer must use your personal invitation code when they sign up. Acorns defines an account in good standing as a verified investment account with a successful investment. Acorns reserves the right to restrict or revoke this offer at any time. Referral amount subject to change at discretion of Acorns Advisers, LLC.
Advisory services offered by Acorns Advisers, LLC (“Acorns”), an SEC-registered investment advisor. Brokerage services are provided to clients of Acorns by Acorns Securities, LLC, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Custodial and administrative services for Acorns Later IRA accounts provided by IRA Services Trust Company. Investments are not FDIC insured. Investing involves risk and investments may lose value, including the loss of principal. Please consider your objectives and Acorns’s fees before investing. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. “Acorns”, the Acorns logo, and “Invest the Change” are registered trademarks of Acorns Grow Incorporated. Acorns Visa™ debit cards are issued by Lincoln Savings Bank, member FDIC. Copyright © 2019 Acorns and/or its affiliates.
August 2019 Referral Bonus - $200 for 5 Acorns Referrals
Friends must sign up on or after 08/01/2019 and have an account in good standing and make their first investment by 08/31/2019. Bonuses are paid out by 09/15/2019. Referrals who close their account before 09/15/2019, or make an investment that results in a reversal from their bank, will not qualify for the promotion.
Rewards for inviting friends to join Acorns are a limited time offer. Rewards are in the form of a purchase of investments in your Acorns portfolio. Shares are purchased once your friend’s account is approved and they have completed their first investment. To be eligible for the reward, the persons you refer must use your personal invitation code when they sign up. Acorns defines an account in good standing as a verified investment account with a successful investment. Acorns reserves the right to restrict or revoke this offer at any time. Referral amount subject to change at discretion of Acorns Advisers, LLC.
Advisory services offered by Acorns Advisers, LLC (“Acorns”), an SEC-registered investment advisor. Brokerage services are provided to clients of Acorns by Acorns Securities, LLC, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Custodial and administrative services for Acorns Later IRA accounts provided by IRA Services Trust Company. Investments are not FDIC insured. Investing involves risk and investments may lose value, including the loss of principal. Please consider your objectives and Acorns’s fees before investing. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. “Acorns”, the Acorns logo, and “Invest the Change” are registered trademarks of Acorns Grow Incorporated. Acorns Visa™ debit cards are issued by Lincoln Savings Bank, member FDIC. Copyright © 2019 Acorns and/or its affiliates.
July 2019 Referral Bonus - $200 for 5 Acorns Referrals
Friends must sign up on or after 07/01/2019 and have an account in good standing and make their first investment by 07/31/2019. Bonuses are paid out by 08/15/2019. Referrals who close their account before 08/15/2019, or make an investment that results in a reversal from their bank, will not qualify for the promotion.
Rewards for inviting friends to join Acorns are a limited time offer. Rewards are in the form of a purchase of investments in your Acorns portfolio. Shares are purchased once your friend’s account is approved and they have completed their first investment. To be eligible for the reward, the persons you refer must use your personal invitation code when they sign up. Acorns defines an account in good standing as a verified investment account with a successful investment. Acorns reserves the right to restrict or revoke this offer at any time. Referral amount subject to change at discretion of Acorns Advisers, LLC.
Advisory services offered by Acorns Advisers, LLC (“Acorns”), an SEC-registered investment advisor. Brokerage services are provided to clients of Acorns by Acorns Securities, LLC, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Custodial and administrative services for Acorns Later IRA accounts provided by IRA Services Trust Company. Investments are not FDIC insured. Investing involves risk and investments may lose value, including the loss of principal. Please consider your objectives and Acorns’s fees before investing. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. “Acorns”, the Acorns logo, and “Invest the Change” are registered trademarks of Acorns Grow Incorporated. Acorns Visa™ debit cards are issued by Lincoln Savings Bank, member FDIC. Copyright © 2019 Acorns and/or its affiliates.
June 2019 Bonus
Rewards for completing all three actions below are a limited time offer. Rewards are in the form of a purchase of investments in your Acorns portfolio. Shares will only be purchased if all of the following have been completed: (1) your friend’s account is approved and they have completed their first investment, (2) you make a purchase using a Found Money offer, and (3) you make at least one investment into your Acorns Core account. Bonuses are paid out on or around 07/15/2019. To receive a bonus, your Acorns Core account must be open and in good standing at the time of the reward payment. Acorns reserves the right to restrict or revoke this offer at any time. Limit 1 reward per customer. Referral amount subject to change at the discretion of Acorns Advisers, LLC.
Acorns Referral - Friends must sign up on or after 06/01/2019 and have an account in good standing and make their first investment by 06/30/2019. Referrals who close their account before 07/15/2019, or make an investment that results in a reversal from their bank, will not qualify for the promotion. To be eligible for the reward, the persons you refer must use your personal invitation code when they sign up. Acorns defines an account in good standing as a verified investment account with a successful investment.
Found Money Offer – Between 06/01/2019 and 6/30/2019, you must complete an eligible transaction with a Found Money partner by utilizing any of (i) the Found Money portion of the Acorns App, (ii) the Acorns Google Chrome browser extension, or (iii) a Simply Spend offer. You must comply with all of the terms and conditions of the specific Found Money offer to be complete this qualifying element of the promotion. Found Money offers with travel partners (Airbnb, CheapOair, Expedia, Hotels.com, etc.) are not eligible for this promotion.
Core Account Investment - Between 06/01/2019 and 6/30/2019, you must make a valid transfer into your Acorns Core account. To be eligible as a qualifying element for the promotion, your transfer must settle and be invested prior to 6/30/2019.
Advisory services offered by Acorns Advisers, LLC (“Acorns”), an SEC-registered investment advisor. Brokerage services are provided to clients of Acorns by Acorns Securities, LLC, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Custodial and administrative services for Acorns Later IRA accounts provided by IRA Services Trust Company. Investments are not FDIC insured. Investing involves risk and investments may lose value, including the loss of principal. Please consider your objectives and Acorns’s fees before investing. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. “Acorns”, the Acorns logo, and “Invest the Change” are registered trademarks of Acorns Grow Incorporated. Acorns Visa™ debit cards are issued by Lincoln Savings Bank, member FDIC. Copyright © 2019 Acorns and/or its affiliates.
May 2019 Referral Bonus - $50 for 5 Acorns Referrals
Friends must sign up on or after 05/01/2019 and have an account in good standing and make their first investment by 05/31/2019. Bonuses are paid out by 06/10/2019. Referrals who close their account before 06/10/2019, or make an investment that results in a reversal from their bank, will not qualify for the promotion.
Rewards for inviting friends to join Acorns are a limited time offer. Rewards are in the form of a purchase of investments in your Acorns portfolio. Shares are purchased once your friend’s account is approved and they have completed their first investment. To be eligible for the reward, the persons you refer must use your personal invitation code when they sign up. Acorns defines an account in good standing as a verified investment account with a successful investment. Acorns reserves the right to restrict or revoke this offer at any time. Referral amount subject to change at the discretion of Acorns Advisers, LLC.
Advisory services offered by Acorns Advisers, LLC (“Acorns”), an SEC-registered investment advisor. Brokerage services are provided to clients of Acorns by Acorns Securities, LLC, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Custodial and administrative services for Acorns Later IRA accounts provided by IRA Services Trust Company. Investments are not FDIC insured. Investing involves risk and investments may lose value, including the loss of principal. Please consider your objectives and Acorns’s fees before investing. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. “Acorns”, the Acorns logo, and “Invest the Change” are registered trademarks of Acorns Grow Incorporated. Acorns Visa™ debit cards are issued by Lincoln Savings Bank, member FDIC. Copyright © 2019 Acorns and/or its affiliates.
APRIL 2019 REFERRAL SWEEPSTAKES OFFICIAL RULES
No purchase necessary to enter to win. A purchase will not increase your chances of winning. THIS SWEEPSTAKES IS VOID IN FLORIDA, NEW YORK, AND WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Do not proceed in this promotion if you are not a legal resident of the United States. Internet access is required. Neither Facebook nor Instagram are sponsors of this promotion.
ELIGIBILITY
The Acorns April Referral Sweepstakes (the “Sweepstakes”) is offered by Acorns Advisers, LLC, an SEC registered investment advisor. The Sweepstakes is open to legal residents of the United States, including the District of Columbia and legal territories, but not including Florida and New York, who are at least 18 years of age and the age of majority in their jurisdiction of residence at time of entry. Entrants do not need to have an Acorns account to participate. Void where prohibited. Employees of Acorns Advisers, LLC (the “Sponsor”), and its parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising agencies, public relations agencies, prize suppliers, including any vendors providing services in connection with this Sweepstakes (collectively, the “Sponsor Affiliates”), and employees, agents, directors, officers of Sponsor or any Sponsor Affiliates are not eligible to participate. Associated persons of unaffiliated securities firms (broker-dealers or investment advisors) are not eligible to enter or to win the Sweepstakes. The Sweepstakes is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws.
SUBMISSION PERIOD
The Sweepstakes begins on or about 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time on April 1, 2019 and ends on or about 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on April 30, 2019 (the “Referral Period”). There is no limit of referrals per person during the Referral Period.
HOW TO ENTER
Referral Entry: To enter, refer friends to Acorns during the Referral Period. For a referral to be eligible for entry in the Sweepstakes, the persons you refer must use your personal invitation code when they sign up. Friends must sign up on or after April 1, 2019 and have an account in good standing and make their first investment by April 30, 2019. Sponsor defines an account in good standing as a verified investment account with a successful investment.
Upon completion of the referral process, the registered referrer (the “Entrant”) will receive one (1) Sweepstakes entry per referral. Referrals who close their account before May [9], 2019, or make an investment that results in a reversal from their bank, will not qualify as an entry in the Sweepstakes.
Entry times will be determined using Sponsor’s computer, which will be the official clock for the Sweepstakes. Each Entrant must comply with each of Facebook’s and Instagram’s respective Acceptable Use Policies.
To be eligible for the Sweepstakes, referrals must be received before the end of the Referral Period. Referrals generated by, or any use of, script, macro, automatic, programmed, robotic, or like entry methods will void, and all Entrants using such methods will be disqualified. Incomplete referrals, including but not limited to those referrals that do not address the requirements set forth in these Official Rules, will not be eligible. Referrals made by any means which subvert the participation process will be void in Sponsor’s sole discretion.
Free Mail-In Method of Entry: To enter without completing a referral method of entry, follow these instructions. On a 3"x5" card, hand print your full name, complete home address including zip code, home telephone number with area code, e-mail address (if available), and mail the card in an envelope with sufficient first class postage to: Referral Sweepstakes, 5300 California Avenue, Irvine CA 92617. Limit one (1) mail-in entry per envelope. No photocopies, facsimiles or mechanical reproductions of cards permitted. No metered mail will be accepted. Mail-in entries must be postmarked by April 30, 2019 and received by May [8], 2019.
Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, illegible, stolen, incomplete, invalid, unintelligible, misdirected, technically corrupted or garbled entries, which will be disqualified, or for problems of any kind whether mechanical, human or electronic. Proof of sending does not constitute proof of actual receipt by Sponsor for purposes of these Official Rules. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to disqualify and reject any entries that are inappropriate for any reason.
WINNER SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION
The potential prize winners will be selected in random drawing on or around May [9], 2019. The Sponsor will notify the potential winners via [email]. If (i) a potential winner cannot be reached within one (1) day of the first notification attempt; (ii) a potential winner is found to be ineligible or does not comply with these Official Rules; (iii) a potential winner’s prize, prize notification, or required verification documentation is not received or returned as undeliverable; or (iv) a potential winner cannot or does not accept the prize for any reason, the potential winner will be disqualified and an alternate potential winner will be selected from the remaining eligible entries for the applicable drawing. Sponsor, in its sole discretion, will attempt to contact up to two (2) potential winners of a prize in accordance with the above procedure, within 30 days, after which the prize in question may go unawarded if it remains unclaimed.
Once a potential winner has responded to the notification, the potential winner may be sent additional verification documentation including, if applicable, an Affidavit of Eligibility and Liability, and where permissible, a Publicity Release via email, postal mail and/or express mail at Sponsor’s sole discretion.
By entering and/or participating, participants agree:
(i) to be bound by these Official Rules and Sponsor’s Privacy Policy available at: https://www.acorns.com/privacy/
(ii) that the decisions of the Sponsor are final and binding on all matters relating to the Sweepstakes;
(iii) to be contacted by Sponsor by direct message, e-mail, telephone and/or mail; and
(iv) to release and hold harmless Sponsor and the Released Parties (defined below) from and against any and all liability for injuries and/or damages (including death) sustained in connection with acceptance, possession, use and/or misuse of the prize or related to participation in the Sweepstakes.
PRIZES
One hundred ten (110) winners will be randomly selected on or around May [9], 2019 to win one of two prizes:
(i) ten (10) winners will receive a one thousand dollar ($1,000) reward; and
(ii) one hundred (100) winners will receive a one hundred dollar ($100) reward (each, a “Prize”).
Each Entrant is eligible to win a maximum of one (1) Prize. Rewards are in the form of a purchase of investments in your Acorns portfolio, unless your entry was a mail-in entry. If your entry was a mail-in entry and you win a Prize, the reward will consist of a check in the amount of your Prize. Prizes are awarded “as is” with no warranty or guarantee, either express or implied. Winner agrees to comply with all applicable terms, restrictions and regulations in connection with the Prize.
All details of Prizes will be determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. Winners are not entitled to exchange or transfer Prizes or to obtain other substitutes, except Sponsor reserves the right to substitute prize(s) or portions thereof of equal or greater value if the Prizes listed or any portion thereof is unavailable for any reason. Except where prohibited by law, the winner is solely responsible for all other costs and expenses. All federal, state and local taxes associated with the receipt or use of any Prize are solely the responsibility of the winner.
Odds of winning the prizes depend on the total number of eligible entries received during the Submission Period.
PUBLICITY & MARKETING
Submission of contact information in connection with this Sweepstakes (whether or not required), including without limitation mailing address, phone number, email address, constitutes permission for Sponsor to use participant’s personal information for purposes of administration of the Sweepstakes.
Except where prohibited by law, by accepting a Prize, winner grants Sponsor and its designees permission to use their name, voice, Prize information, biographical data, and city and state of residence on a winner’s list (if applicable) and for programming, publicity, and promotional purposes (including without limitation, posting such winner’s name on Sponsor’s social media channels), worldwide in all forms of media now known or hereafter developed, in perpetuity, without further compensation unless prohibited by law. Sponsor and its designees are not obligated to use any of the above mentioned information or materials, but may do so and may edit such information or materials, at Sponsor’s sole discretion, without further obligation or compensation.
RELEASE OF LIABILITY & INDEMNIFICATION
Participants agree to these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor. Participants release and hold harmless each of Sponsor, Sponsor Affiliates, Facebook, Inc., and their respective directors, officers, employees, agents and assigns, (the “Released Parties”) from and against any and all claims and liability and failures of any kind (whether caused by computer, technical, or human error) which may either limit the participant’s ability to refer a friend, claim a Prize, or otherwise participate in this Sweepstakes, or a Released Party’s ability to include all eligible entries, judging, notify potential winners, or otherwise execute this Sweepstakes in the manner intended. Participants further release and hold harmless the Released Parties from all liability, claims or actions of any kind for injuries, death, damages, or losses to persons or property alleged to have been sustained in connection with this Sweepstakes including, but not limited to: (i) the receipt, ownership or use of any prize awarded; (ii) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry process or the Sweepstakes; (iii) electronic or human error in the administration of the Sweepstakes or the processing of entries; (iv) any typographical or other error in these Official Rules or any other materials disseminated by Sponsor; and (v) any technical malfunction, failure, error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or communications line failure, regardless of cause, with any equipment, systems, networks, lines, satellites, servers, computers, or providers used by an participant or Released Party.
OTHER TERMS
Decisions of Sponsor on all matters related to the Sweepstakes are final. Sponsor reserves the right to cancel or modify the Sweepstakes for any reason, including but not limited to, if fraud, misconduct or technical failures destroy the integrity of the Sweepstakes, or if a computer virus, bug, or other technical problem corrupts the administration, security, or proper administration of the Sweepstakes as determined by Sponsor, in its sole discretion. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify or prohibit the participation of an individual if fraud or tampering is suspected, or if the individual fails to comply with any requirement of participation or with any provision in these Official Rules.
CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE OR UNDERMINE THE OPERATION OF THIS CONTEST IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL & CIVIL LAWS. SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO DISQUALIFY AND/OR SEEK DAMAGES FROM ANY INDIVIDUAL MAKING ANY SUCH ATTEMPTS TO THE FULL EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.
GOVERNING LAW
This Sweepstakes shall be governed by and interpreted under the laws of the State of California without regard to its conflicts of laws provisions. Except where prohibited, participants agree that any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of, or connected with the Sweepstakes or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action. By participating, participants agree that any and all disputes arising out of or relating in any way to this Sweepstakes shall be litigated only in State and Federal courts sitting in Irvine, California.
SEVERABILITY
If any provision(s) of these Official Rules are held to be invalid or unenforceable, all remaining provisions hereof will remain in full force and effect.
NO AFFILIATION WITH FACEBOOK OR INSTAGRAM
This Sweepstakes is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook or Instagram. Any questions, comments or complaints regarding the Sweepstakes should be directed to Sponsor, not Facebook or Instagram, or any other named or depicted third party sponsor as described above.
WINNER LIST
To obtain a list of winners until May [31], 2019, contact [https://www.facebook.com/AcornsGrow] after May [15], 2019.
SPONSOR
Acorns Advisers, LLC, 5300 California Avenue, Irvine, CA 92617
Advisory services offered by Acorns Advisers, LLC (“Acorns”), an SEC-registered investment advisor. Brokerage services are provided to clients of Acorns by Acorns Securities, LLC, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Custodial and administrative services for Acorns Later IRA accounts provided by IRA Services Trust Company. Investments are not FDIC insured. Investing involves risk and investments may lose value, including the loss of principal. Please consider your objectives and Acorns’s fees before investing. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. “Acorns”, the Acorns logo, and “Invest the Change” are registered trademarks of Acorns Grow Incorporated. Acorns Visa™ debit cards are issued by Lincoln Savings Bank, member FDIC. Copyright © 2019 Acorns and/or its affiliates.
March 17-24 2019 Referral Bonus - $50 for 4 Acorns Referrals
Friends must sign up on or after 03/17/2019 and have an account in good standing and make their first investment by 03/24/2019. Bonuses are paid out by 04/01/2019. Referrals who close their account before 04/01/2019, or make an investment that results in a reversal from their bank, will not qualify for the promotion.
Rewards for inviting friends to join Acorns are a limited time offer. Rewards are in the form of a purchase of investments in your Acorns portfolio. Shares are purchased once your friend’s account is approved and they have completed their first investment. To be eligible for the reward, the persons you refer must use your personal invitation code when they sign up. Acorns defines an account in good standing as a verified investment account with a successful investment. Acorns reserves the right to restrict or revoke this offer at any time. Referral amount subject to change at the discretion of Acorns Advisers, LLC.
Advisory services offered by Acorns Advisers, LLC (“Acorns”), an SEC-registered investment advisor. Brokerage services are provided to clients of Acorns by Acorns Securities, LLC, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Custodial and administrative services for Acorns Later IRA accounts provided by IRA Services Trust Company. Investments are not FDIC insured. Investing involves risk and investments may lose value, including the loss of principal. Please consider your objectives and Acorns’s fees before investing. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. “Acorns”, the Acorns logo, and “Invest the Change” are registered trademarks of Acorns Grow Incorporated. Acorns Visa™ debit cards are issued by Lincoln Savings Bank, member FDIC. Copyright © 2019 Acorns and/or its affiliates.
January 2019 Referral Bonus - $1,000 for 12 Acorns Referrals
Friends must sign up on or after 01/01/2019 and have an account in good standing and make their first investment by 01/31/2019. Bonuses are paid out by 02/15/2019. Referrals who close their account before 02/15/2019, or make an investment that results in a reversal from their bank, will not qualify for the promotion.
Rewards for inviting friends to join Acorns are a limited time offer. Rewards are in the form of a purchase of investments in your Acorns portfolio. Shares are purchased once your friend’s account is approved and they have completed their first investment. To be eligible for the reward, the persons you refer must use your personal invitation code when they sign up. Acorns defines an account in good standing as a verified investment account with a successful investment. Acorns reserves the right to restrict or revoke this offer at any time. Referral amount subject to change at discretion of Acorns Advisers, LLC.
Advisory services offered by Acorns Advisers, LLC (“Acorns”), an SEC-registered investment advisor. Brokerage services are provided to clients of Acorns by Acorns Securities, LLC, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Custodial and administrative services for Acorns Later IRA accounts provided by IRA Services Trust Company. Investments are not FDIC insured. Investing involves risk and investments may lose value, including the loss of principal. Please consider your objectives and Acorns’s fees before investing. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Acorns”, the Acorns logo and “Invest the Change” are registered trademarks of Acorns Grow Incorporated. Acorns Visa™ debit cards are issued by Lincoln Savings Bank, member FDIC. Copyright © 2018 Acorns and/or its affiliates.
December 2018 Referral Bonus - $1,200 for 12 Acorns Referrals
Friends must sign up on or after 12/01/2018 and have an account in good standing and make their first investment by 12/31/2018. Bonuses are paid out by 01/15/2019. Referrals who close their account before 01/15/2019, or make an investment that results in a reversal from their bank, will not qualify for the promotion.
Rewards for inviting friends to join Acorns are a limited time offer. Rewards are in the form of a purchase of investments in your Acorns portfolio. Shares are purchased once your friend’s account is approved and they have completed their first investment. To be eligible for the reward, the persons you refer must use your personal invitation code when they sign up. Acorns defines an account in good standing as a verified investment account with a successful investment. Acorns reserves the right to restrict or revoke this offer at any time. Referral amount subject to change at discretion of Acorns Advisers, LLC.
Advisory services offered by Acorns Advisers, LLC (“Acorns”), an SEC-registered investment advisor. Brokerage services are provided to clients of Acorns by Acorns Securities, LLC, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Custodial and administrative services for Acorns Later IRA accounts provided by IRA Services Trust Company. Investments are not FDIC insured. Investing involves risk and investments may lose value, including the loss of principal. Please consider your objectives and Acorns’s fees before investing. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Acorns”, the Acorns logo and “Invest the Change” are registered trademarks of Acorns Grow Incorporated. Acorns Visa™ debit cards are issued by Lincoln Savings Bank, member FDIC. Copyright © 2018 Acorns and/or its affiliates.
November 2018 Referral Bonus - $1,100 for 11 Acorns Referrals
Friends must sign up on or after 11/01/2018 and have an account in good standing and make their first investment by 11/30/2018. Bonuses are paid out by 12/15/2018. Referrals who close their account before 12/15/2018, or make an investment that results in a reversal from their bank, will not qualify for the promotion.
Rewards for inviting friends to join Acorns are a limited time offer. Rewards are in the form of a purchase of investments in your Acorns portfolio. Shares are purchased once your friend’s account is approved and they have completed their first investment. To be eligible for the reward, the persons you refer must use your personal invitation code when they sign up. Acorns defines an account in good standing as a verified investment account with a successful investment. Acorns reserves the right to restrict or revoke this offer at any time. Referral amount subject to change at discretion of Acorns Advisers, LLC.
Advisory services offered by Acorns Advisers, LLC (“Acorns”), an SEC-registered investment advisor. Brokerage services are provided to clients of Acorns by Acorns Securities, LLC, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Custodial and administrative services for Acorns Later IRA accounts provided by IRA Services Trust Company. Investments are not FDIC insured. Investing involves risk and investments may lose value, including the loss of principal. Please consider your objectives and Acorns’s fees before investing. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Acorns”, the Acorns logo and “Invest the Change” are registered trademarks of Acorns Grow Incorporated. Acorns Visa™ debit cards are issued by Lincoln Savings Bank, member FDIC. Copyright © 2018 Acorns and/or its affiliates. | {
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Racing Point will begin using its engine supplier Mercedes’ wind tunnel for car development later this season.
The team previously known as Force India has used the Toyota Motorsport wind tunnel in Cologne since 2015.
It is not yet clear whether the team will lease time in Mercedes’ current 60% scale tunnel or its older 50% model. However as the team has previously used a 60% tunnel, the largest permitted under F1 regulations, it is unlikely to be prepared to downsize.
A Racing Point spokesperson told RaceFans the attraction of using the Mercedes wind tunnel include its proximity to their Silverstone base as well as potential gains in efficiency and cost savings.
However the move may prompt speculation the team is planning to move closer to becoming a Mercedes ‘B-team’ along the lines of Haas’s arrangement with Ferrari.
Haas makes full use of the rules which allow teams to procure ‘listed parts’ from rival teams and sources its power unit, gearbox and suspension components from Ferrari. Racing Point already obtains power units, gearboxes, hydraulics and engine electronics from Mercedes, but designs and builds its own suspension.
RaceFans understands Racing Point will begin using the Mercedes wind tunnel in the second half of this year, when it starts development of its new car for the 2020 F1 season.
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2019 F1 season | {
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Never miss a thing from Belfast and beyond - sign up for FREE updates direct to your email inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Invalid Email
A West Belfast motorbike racer faces being forced off the track by arsonists who torched his van containing thousands of pounds worth of equipment.
Police are investigating the attack in the Pollard Close area during the early hours of Wednesday.
A fundraising drive is under way in a bid to help replace some of the gear destroyed in the blaze, including leathers, a helmet and tyres.
MORE:
The rider’s sister said: “Last night at around midnight we were alerted by a neighbour that our van was on fire and that two men had been seen breaking the passenger window, pouring petrol in and setting it alight.
“Thankfully nobody was hurt although my 90-year-old grandmother and disabled parents were in the house at the time and are all very shaken and upset.
“My brother is a motorbike racer and needs the van to transport his bike and gear to and from racing events around the country. His leathers, helmet, motorbike tyres and toolbox were in the van and have been completely destroyed along with a lot of camping equipment.”
The woman, who did not want to be named, said she has no idea why the family was targeted.
She added: “Our family between us have worked extremely hard to get my brother to this point in his racing career and in one fell swoop it has been left in tatters with thousands of pounds worth of damage that we cannot afford to replace and unfortunately the insurance doesn’t cover any of these items.
“He has a race in Mondello Park this Sunday, a track day at Kirkistown the following Sunday and another race the weekend after that and unless we can get him leathers, helmet, tyres and transport in time he wont be able to race.”
A PSNI spokesman said: “Shortly before 12.15am it was reported that a van parked in the area was on fire. The van sustained extensive damage as a result.
"Police enquiries are continuing."
To find out more click here.
MORE: | {
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Scotland on course to being the third most state-dependent country in world
Only Iraq and Cuba spend more taxpayers' money on public services than Edinburgh
Scotland is on course to become the third most state-dependent country in the world.
Only Cuba and Iraq spend more taxpayers' money on public service, The Sunday Times reports.
Economic forecasters predict that by 2012 public spending will rise to the equivalent of 67 per cent of Scotland's gross domestic product.
In Cuba that figure is 81 per cent and in Iraq it is 87 per cent..
The findings are contained in a report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), which says that the uneven spread of cash north of the border is putting an 'unfair burden' on English taxpayers and warns that the burgeoning Scottish public sector is 'unsustainable'.
According to the findings of the study, commissioned by The Sunday Times, Scotland is ranked 20th in the world league table of the highest public-spending governments.
In 2007-08, 56 per cent of economic activity flowed from public spending, compared with 43 per cent in the UK as a whole, which is ranked 42nd in the world.
The figure for Scotland is expected to rise dramatically over the next three years due to a combination of higher unemployment and a shrinking private sector.
One of the biggest drains on taxpayers’ money is the public-sector wage bill, which stands at £12billion, up 61 per cent since devolution, with almost one in four working Scots now employed by the state.
Some £2.3billion is spent on pensions for public-sector workers, whose ranks have risen by 50,000 to nearly 600,000 in the past decade.
Scots now receive £1,644 (22 per cent) more per head than their southern counterparts, up from £828 in 1999.
A spokesman for the finance secretary John Swinney said the forecasts were overestimates | {
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Advertisement 2 planes collide over SF Bay; 1 lands in Ione Debris spotted in San Pablo Bay after collision Share Shares Copy Link Copy
Two small planes heading home from a show collided over the northern part of San Francisco Bay on Sunday, leading searchers to comb the water for a pilot after only one of the aircraft landed safely, authorities said.Debris was found in San Pablo Bay after the 4:05 p.m. collision near the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, but there were no signs of the downed pilot, Coast Guard Petty Officer Loumania Stewart said.Watch report: 2 small planes heading home from show collide"We're doing our search patterns. The cold water and dark is going to inhibit us," Coast Guard Lt. Jennie Crump told KTVU.The collision involved a single-engine Cessna 210 and a single-engine Hawker Sea Fury TMK 20, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said.The Cessna crashed into the water and the Sea Fury's pilot was able to land 40 minutes later at Eagle's Nest Airport in the small Northern California city of Ione, Gregor said.Amador County firefighters and medics sent to the Ione airport were not needed because the pilot and passenger in the Sea Fury — a husband and wife — were not injured, the county's Undersheriff Jim Wegner said.Nick Beck who lives near the airport said he watched the Sea Fury land with what he had heard was a mechanical problem."The plane stood on its feet. Gear didn't collapse underneath it. So everything was OK. And I thought that's all there was to it," said Beck.Both planes had departed from Eagle's Nest Airport to participate in the Pacific Coast Dream Machines, an annual festival in Half Moon Bay that features a variety of planes, motorcycles, and cars.Both planes left Half Moon Bay Airport, about 20 miles south of San Francisco, and were on their return flight to Ione.Witnesses at Point San Pablo Yacht Harbor told the San Francisco Chronicle that the Cessna spiraled out of control and crashed into the choppy water after the collision."Tragic. The plane spinning that hard. You can't jump out. You can't get away. It's really sad," witness Eric Johnson told KTVU."Everyone associated with the Pacific Coast Dream Machines Show is terribly saddened by this news and we hope and pray the missing plane and survivors are ound," the event organizers said in a statement.Wegner wouldn't discuss damage to the Sea Fury, citing the ongoing investigation by the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board.FAA records indicate the Sea Fury, a vintage British fighter plane, is registered to Sanders Aeronautics Inc. in Ione.A man who answered the phone at the company's listed number declined to comment.Sanders Aeronautics' website said the family-run company specializes in aircraft restoration and brothers Dennis and Brian Sanders are avid air racers.Beck said the pilot made the right decision to return to its home base."Because we have a one mile strip that's very wide, lit, gated. There's no obstructions on either end and its safe," said Beck. | {
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When was the temple build, if it was doring the war it has to be some one els, because amethyst was born and fond after the war | {
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Jerry Dipoto is up to his old tricks again. The Seattle Mariners GM, who made more trades last winter than any MLB team in the last 20 years, has pulled off trades on back-to-back days as we approach baseball’s trade deadline.
On Thursday, he acquired Miami Marlins reliever David Phelps, who has some solid peripherals, but isn’t exactly the key to a long-lost playoff berth in Seattle. The cost? Four minor leaguers, including Brayan Hernandez, who was Seattle’s No. 6 prospect.
On Friday, Dipoto dealt Seattle’s No. 3 prospect, power-hitting outfielder Tyler O’Neill, to the St. Louis Cardinals. A somewhat surprising move, since O’Neill has hit 75 minor-league homers since the start of the 2015 season. Their return? Marco Gonzales, a 25-year-old pitcher, who has played in parts of three MLB seasons, most notably in 2014. He sports a 5.53 ERA in 10 career appearances and will report to Triple-A, according to Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times.
It’s not uncommon this time of year to see contending teams trade their prospects for proven big leaguers that can get them over the hump and into the postseason. But Seattle’s deals haven’t exactly done either of these things. The Mariners are within striking distance of the wide-open AL wild card, but at 48-49, they’re just as likely to flame out as they are to charge into the postseason. And their return in these trades isn’t exactly earth-shattering.
Which makes us wonder: What the heck are the Mariners doing here?
View photos Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto keeps making trades. (AP) More
To that point, a few thoughts:
• Maybe Dipoto feels the playoff pressure. The Mariners haven’t made the postseason since 2001, the longest such streak in MLB, which puts the pressure on Dipoto to do the best he can when he sees a lane in front of him. The AL West isn’t really that, as the Houston Astros have a 16-game lead on the Mariners. The wild card might be. The Mariners are 2.5 games out of the second wild-card spot. Totally possible. But they’re also one of six teams within five games of the Yankees, who hold that second spot. So lots of traffic in that lane.
• Maybe Dipoto sees something we don’t. After the Phelps trade, the Mariners GM talked about how expensive starting pitching is right now. The Jose Quintana trade proved that. The Mariners need arms, but don’t really have the assets to get a Sonny Gray or Justin Verlander or even a lesser-priced starter. In Phelps, Dipoto sees a reliever who can handle multiple innings or even start one day. What if one day is September? In Gonzalez, the Mariners are getting a pitcher who has been hyped — he’s a former first-round pick — but he’s not atop the list of trade-deadline difference-makers. He’s been sharp in Triple-A this season, with a 2.90 ERA in 11 starts, but that’s a long way from helping the Seattle rotation next week. Unless, of course, Dipoto sees something we don’t.
• Maybe the Mariners soured on O’Neill. It happens, right? While he ranks well on the team’s overall prospect list and fans seemed excited about him, O’Neill didn’t crack Baseball America’s midseason Top 100 list after being No. 38 at season’s start. He has 19 homers and 56 RBIs so far this season in Triple-A, but his batting average is down almost 50 points, from .293 to .244. His on-base percentage took a similar dip. Prospects are always a gamble. So in effect, the Mariners are just gambling on a different one now.
View photos Tyler O’Neill, the Mariners No. 3 prospect, is headed to St. Louis. (AP) More
Story continues | {
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Appearing Tuesday on the CBS This Morning podcast, former CIA director and retired Gen. David Petraeus weighed in on President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from northern Syria, stating that the country “can’t completely get out of endless wars.”
Listen: 19:36-21:26
A partial transcript is as follows:
JOHN DICKERSON: You heard the president say that his position, with respect to Syria and Turkey, was motivated by getting out of endless wars, which I think [based on] your description [of the U.S.’s operations in north Syria], is basically making the opposite case for. [The President’s] case is your maintenance scheme for dealing with a generational struggle is basically going to lead America to endless wars, if you define it as he did in this current context.
RETIRED GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS: I absolutely understand the desire and the desirability of getting out of endless wars. Nobody understands that better than the individual who commanded our forces at the height of each of the operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and then the overall Middle East and Central Asia as the commander of U.S. Central Command. I am again absolutely supportive of that, except that you can’t completely get out of endless wars, because you end up going back into them. Look at what happened when we removed our combat forces from Iraq. We did not, ironically, because we couldn’t get a parliament-approved status of operation agreement and, at the end of that administration, there were 5,500 U.S. troops on the ground without a parliament-approved status of operation agreement because of necessity.
[…]
I’m not aware of any large demonstrations in the United States against the continued operations in Syria or Iraq or Afghanistan. We’ve actually gotten these down to very modest numbers, compared to, say, the 165,000 American men and women I was privileged to lead an Afghan in Iraq during the surge or the 100,000 U.S. and 50,000 additional coalition during the surge in Afghanistan. | {
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Liberal and conservative dystopias do battle, in proxy wars of the imagination. Illustration by Daniel Zender
Here are the plots of some new dystopian novels, set in the near future. The world got too hot, so a wealthy celebrity persuaded a small number of very rich people to move to a makeshift satellite that, from orbit, leaches the last nourishment the earth has to give, leaving everyone else to starve. The people on the satellite have lost their genitals, through some kind of instant mutation or super-quick evolution, but there is a lot of sex anyway, since it’s become fashionable to have surgical procedures to give yourself a variety of appendages and openings, along with decorative skin grafts and tattoos, there being so little else to do. There are no children, but the celebrity who rules the satellite has been trying to create them by torturing women from the earth’s surface. (“We are what happens when the seemingly unthinkable celebrity rises to power,” the novel’s narrator says.) Or: North Korea deployed a brain-damaging chemical weapon that made everyone in the United States, or at least everyone in L.A., an idiot, except for a few people who were on a boat the day the scourge came, but the idiots, who are otherwise remarkably sweet, round up and kill those people, out of fear. Led by a man known only as the Chief, the idiots build a wall around downtown to keep out the Drifters and the stupidest people, the Shamblers, who don’t know how to tie shoes or button buttons; they wander around, naked and barefoot. Thanks, in part, to the difficulty of clothing, there is a lot of sex, random and unsatisfying, but there are very few children, because no one knows how to take care of them. (The jacket copy bills this novel as “the first book of the Trump era.”)
Or: Machines replaced humans, doing all the work and providing all the food, and, even though if you leave the city it is hotter everywhere else, some huffy young people do, because they are so bored, not to mention that they are mad at their parents, who do annoying things like run giant corporations. The runaways are called walkaways. (I gather they’re not in a terribly big hurry.) They talk about revolution, take a lot of baths, upload their brains onto computers, and have a lot of sex, but, to be honest, they are very boring. Or: Even after the coasts were lost to the floods when the ice caps melted, the American South, defying a new federal law, refused to give up fossil fuels, and seceded, which led to a civil war, which had been going on for decades, and was about to be over, on Reunification Day, except that a woman from Louisiana who lost her whole family in the war went to the celebration and released a poison that killed a hundred million people, which doesn’t seem like the tragedy it might have been, because in this future world, as in all the others, there’s not much to live for, what with the petty tyrants, the rotten weather, and the crappy sex. It will not give too much away if I say that none of these novels have a happy ending (though one has a twist). Then again, none of them have a happy beginning, either.
Dystopias follow utopias the way thunder follows lightning. This year, the thunder is roaring. But people are so grumpy, what with the petty tyrants and such, that it’s easy to forget how recently lightning struck. “Whether we measure our progress in terms of wiredness, open-mindedness, or optimism, the country is moving in the right direction, and faster, perhaps, than even we would have believed,” a reporter for Wired wrote in May, 2000. “We are, as a nation, better educated, more tolerant, and more connected because of—not in spite of—the convergence of the internet and public life. Partisanship, religion, geography, race, gender, and other traditional political divisions are giving way to a new standard—wiredness—as an organizing principle.” Nor was the utopianism merely technological, or callow. In January, 2008, Barack Obama gave a speech in New Hampshire, about the American creed:
It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation: Yes, we can. It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail towards freedom through the darkest of nights: Yes, we can. It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness: Yes, we can. . . . Yes, we can heal this nation. Yes, we can repair this world. Yes, we can.
That was the lightning, the flash of hope, the promise of perfectibility. The argument of dystopianism is that perfection comes at the cost of freedom. Every new lament about the end of the republic, every column about the collapse of civilization, every new novel of doom: these are its answering thunder. Rumble, thud, rumble, ka-boom, KA-BOOM!
A utopia is a paradise, a dystopia a paradise lost. Before utopias and dystopias became imagined futures, they were imagined pasts, or imagined places, like the Garden of Eden. “I have found a continent more densely peopled and abounding in animals than our Europe or Asia or Africa, and, in addition, a climate milder and more delightful than in any other region known to us,” Amerigo Vespucci wrote, in extravagant letters describing his voyages across the Atlantic, published in 1503 as “Mundus Novus_,”_ a new world. In 1516, Thomas More published a fictional account of a sailor on one of Vespucci’s ships who had travelled just a bit farther, to the island of Utopia, where he found a perfect republic. (More coined the term: “utopia” means “nowhere.”) “Gulliver’s Travels” (1726) is a satire of the utopianism of the Enlightenment. On the island of Laputa, Gulliver visits the Academy of Lagado, where the sages, the first progressives, are busy trying to make pincushions out of marble, breeding naked sheep, and improving the language by getting rid of all the words. The word “dystopia,” meaning “an unhappy country,” was coined in the seventeen-forties, as the historian Gregory Claeys points out in a shrewd new study, “Dystopia: A Natural History” (Oxford). In its modern definition, a dystopia can be apocalyptic, or post-apocalyptic, or neither, but it has to be anti-utopian, a utopia turned upside down, a world in which people tried to build a republic of perfection only to find that they had created a republic of misery. “A Trip to the Island of Equality,” a 1792 reply to Thomas Paine’s “Rights of Man,” is a dystopia (on the island, the pursuit of equality has reduced everyone to living in caves), but Mary Shelley’s 1826 novel, “The Last Man,” in which the last human being dies in the year 2100 of a dreadful plague, is not dystopian; it’s merely apocalyptic. | {
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Monticelli d'Ongina Operaia di 66 anni muore schiacciata da una pressa La dinamica dell'incidente è ancora al vaglio dei Carabinieri
Condividi
Tragedia sul lavoro nel piacentino. Una donna di 66 anni è morta in un infortunio sul lavoro avvenuto nella sede della Copap di Monticelli d'Ongina, un'azienda agroalimentare nella quale si lavora aglio bianco.La dinamica dell'incidente è ancora al vaglio dei carabinieri: da una prima ricostruzione pare che la donna, operaia, sia scivolata accidentalmente su un nastro mobile finendo poi sotto una pressa che l'ha uccisa sul colpo. Molto conosciuta nell'azienda, per la quale lavorava da tanti anni, i colleghi riferiscono che ormai era prossima alla pensione. | {
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An administrative board has decided that a former corrections officer and Ku Klux Klan member who conspired to kill a black inmate will lose his state retirement benefits, upholding the ruling of an administrative law judge and...
Wait ... what?
I know it seems like we’re burying the lede. Wherever you live, I’m betting that you don’t usually read about a corrections officer who had a side job with the Klan, so this might seem like an extraordinary story b ut this happened in Florida, which means it technically isn’t news. It’s just another Sunday afternoon.
In August 2017, a Columbia County, Fla., jury found David Elliot Moran and Charles Thomas Newcomb guilty of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in a plot that involved a third conspirator, Thomas Jordan Driver.
The three men, who were all corrections officers, were convicted after an FBI informant told authorities that the men planned to kill a black inmate after the incarcerated man was released from prison. The plan was allegedly hatched at a meeting of the Traditionalist American Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, where all three men worshipped under the leadership of pastor Wyatt P. Pull.
The death plot apparently emerged from a physical altercation between Driver and the inmate, where Driver was allegedly bitten by a black man. I’m sure Driver couldn’t sleep at night, afraid that he had caught “the black.”
The informant, who infiltrated the KKK group, promised to kill the inmate for the men, and Driver even handed the informant a photo of the potential victim and discussed plans for the murder. The informant eventually faked the murder and sent pictures back to the idiot corrections officers. Driver pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four years in Prison, while Moran and Newcomb were sentenced to 12 years each.
Moran still wanted to receive his benefits, saying that it was unfair that his retirement could be stolen just because he tried to have someone killed. Moran argued that he didn’t plot the murder while he was at work, so his benefits shouldn’t be stripped away, which is a bold statement, even in Florida.
But apparently, the K in 401k does not stand for “Klan.” His request was denied.
In other Florida news, an alligator got into a knife fight with a boa constrictor at a golf course next to a strip club’s daycare center and gift shop that sells confederate flag thongs.
Florida, man. | {
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テレビ朝日が２７日、東京・六本木の同局で定例社長会見を行い、７日放送の「相棒 ｓｅａｓｏｎ１７」（水曜後９・００）で薬物依存症の表現について物議を呼んでいることについて言及した。
作品に登場した薬物依存症の女性キャラクター「シャブ山シャブ子」が大きな話題となり、一部では「薬物依存症の偏見を助長する」など批判的な意見が出ている。
編成担当の亀山慶二専務（５９）は「この４話のストーリーは違法カジノや違法薬物取引を扱う組織犯罪への捜査の難しさを描こうとしたものであり、薬物依存症の方々への差別、偏見を助長する意図はまったくありませんでした」と弁明。「今回、薬物依存症に関して、一部でに誤解を招きかねない表現があるとの指摘を受けまして、そういった意見については真摯に受け止め、今後の番組制作に生かしてまいりたい」とコメントした。
薬物依存症の支援団体から要望書も来ているといい、「現在、話し合いをすすめるように考えている。お相手があることなので、それ以上は答えることは差し控える」と説明。今後話し合いを持つとした。 | {
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WACO, Texas — A Central Texas police dog has been shot dead after it bit its handler while officers were trying to serve a warrant.
Two Waco police officers were trying to serve an arrest warrant for a suspect around midday Friday. Officer Garen Bynum says that as officers approached the house, the Belgian Malinois turned and bit its handler. After that, the other officer shot and killed the dog.
The bitten officer was taken to the hospital, where Bynum says he was treated for minor wounds.
The suspect wasn’t taken into custody, but his mother-in-law says her daughter was detained for questioning. Police released no details about the reason for the warrant or where the officer was bitten. | {
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By Steve Gorman
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Federal agents raided about 20 Southern California locations on Tuesday suspected of involvement in "maternity tourism" schemes offering travel and lodging services to pregnant foreign women seeking to give birth in the United States, U.S. immigration officials said.
Authorities say the so-called maternity hotels targeted in the sweep catered largely to women from China who paid $15,000 to $50,000, depending on services provided, in hopes of obtaining U.S. citizenship for their children.
The locations searched included apartment complexes and other sites in Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties that were suspected of housing foreign clients, according to a statement issued by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, or ICE.
No criminal arrests were anticipated from Tuesday's raids, which were carried out by federal agents and local law enforcement, the agency said.
The U.S. Constitution grants citizenship to any child born on U.S. soil, regardless of parentage, and immigration experts say there was nothing inherently illegal about women coming from abroad to give birth to children in the United States.
But investigators are seeking evidence related to such possible criminal offenses as visa and tax fraud, money laundering and conspiracy, immigration officials said.
Any women encountered at the locations raided on Wednesday were to be interviewed, and those identified as potential material witnesses will be instructed where and when to report for further questioning, ICE said.
Businesses engaged in maternity tourism, also known as "birth tourism," are believed to have been operating for several years, relying on websites, newspaper advertising and social media to promote their services, immigration officials said.
Based on the results of previous investigations, the women who subscribe apparently pay cash for pre-natal medical treatment and actual delivery of their babies.
Story continues
As part of the package, clients were promised they would receive Social Security numbers and U.S. passports for their infants - documentation the mothers would take with them when they returned to their home countries, ICE said.
Once the children, who by birth are U.S. citizens, reach adulthood they can apply for visas for family members living abroad.
More expensive packages "include recreational activities, such as visits to Disneyland, shopping malls and even an outing to a firing range," the ICE statement said.
The practices came to public attention in California in recent years when residents of some Los Angeles-area communities complained about what they said were maternity hotels springing up in their neighborhoods, causing sanitation and other issues.
(Reporting by Steve Gorman; Editing by Susan Heavey and Lisa Lambert) | {
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Cannabis er et ulovlig rusmiddel, men mange hevder det gjør mindre skade enn det lovlige rusmiddelet alkohol. Derfor argumenterer de for at det burde legaliseres.
Nå har rusforskerne fått ny kunnskap om cannabis, som tilsier at det ikke er fullt så uskyldig. Årsaken er at forholdet mellom innholdsstoffene er blitt endret de siste åra.
– Man har blitt flinkere til å dyrke fram planter som har et høyt rusgivende stoff, og lavere innhold av det psykosedempende stoffet, forteller Anne Line Bretteville-Jensen, forskningsleder ved Sirus.
– Vi kjenner ikke fullt ut effekten av dette fordi dette er forholdsvis nytt, men det man tror er at det vil ha betydning for farligheten av cannabis ved at flere kan bli avhengige, få psykoser eller mentale lidelser av det, fortsetter hun.
23 prosent flere søker hjelp mot avhengighet
Samtidig har antallet mennesker som ønsker behandling for avhengighet av cannabis økt kraftig.
På to år har antallet personer som søker hjelp mot cannabisavhengighet økt med 23 prosent, viser tall fra Norsk Pasientregister. I 2010 søkte 1387 personer hjelp til å få bukt med sin cannabisavhengighet, mens tallet var 1711 i 2012.
Ifølge rusforskeren bør utviklinga få følger for debatten om legalisering av cannabis:
– De som kjemper for legalisering, må nok ta innover seg at cannabis har endret seg som stoff. I tillegg så betyr det at så mange søker behandling at heller ikke dette er et så uskyldig rusmiddel som en del vil ha det til, sier Bretteville-Jensen. | {
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A surge in carjackings in Chicago led to the highest number of vehicle thefts in more than a decade, as Windy City cops trying to get the city's murder problem under control increasingly find themselves playing criminal whack-a-mole, with the carjacking menace the newest threat to show its head.
And it's not just Chicago. St. Louis, Milwaukee and Baltimore are among the metropolitan areas experiencing an increase in carjackings, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday. Police in St. Louis, a city which has established a carjacking task force to fight the problem, told the newspaper that gang members often take to the Internet to boast about their thefts.
“You’ll have one of them post that they got a Lexus, and then the other responds and say he stole a Mercedes,” said St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Maj. Kenneth Kegel. “It is almost like a game, where they want to one up each other.”
In Chicago, carjackings have risen sharply over the last year, from about 700 in 2016 to 950 in 2017 – the highest level in more than a decade. So far this year there have been at least 100, even though the city appears to be getting a better handle on murders and shootings, which fell 16 and 21 percent, respectively, between 2016 and 2017, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Meanwhile, carjackings in St. Louis rose from 74 in 2012 to 197 in 2017, and went up 35 percent in Baltimore between 2016 and 2017, according to the Wall Street Journal. But nationally the crime can be difficult to track, as neither the FBI or the Major Cities Chiefs Association – a group of police officials from the largest cities in the nation – keep records on carjackings.
Police and crime experts told the Wall Street Journal the surge is also attributed to repeat offenders who use the stolen vehicles to carry out other crimes.
“Both car thefts and jackings have been driven by a need for a motor vehicle to commit additional crimes,” Richard Rosenfeld, a criminologist at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, told the newspaper. “That crime may be a retaliatory homicide…or the vehicle is sometimes traded for drugs.”
Recent carjacking arrests in Chicago include three teens who tried to escape with a car belonging to a retired police officer, who, with the help of witnesses, kept them at the scene until cops arrived, according to reports. Three teens were also arrested in December after being spotted driving the wrong way down a street in a car stolen from a Chicago Tribune reporter, police said.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, lawmakers and community leaders called Sunday for tougher state laws to deal with carjackers.
Carjacking arrests have doubled in the Windy City this year because of more surveillance equipment and crime-prediction software. But officers and a police union there say light punishment for motor crimes in Illinois and a pursuit policy that prevents cops from chasing vehicles driving erratically – out of fear of injuring bystanders – is playing a role in the carjacking surge.
“Our mission is clear: we want to prevent carjackings and cars from being stolen to strengthen community safety,” Emanuel said Sunday. “As a challenge facing communities across the state, we are seeking to use the laws better and more effectively to give victims a better chance to get justice in court.”
Legislation proposed by the group would make it easier for victims of car thefts to pursue Possession of a Stolen Motor Vehicle charges, which can carry up to a 7-year prison term.
Under current Illinois state law, police can only pursue those charges if they establish that someone driving a reported stolen vehicle has knowledge it was stolen, which can be difficult to prove, the mayor’s office says.
Because of that, the majority of car thieves in Chicago and the state are getting off with a lesser misdemeanor charge, it added.
Since January of last year, 74 percent of motor vehicle theft charges were filed as misdemeanor criminal trespass to vehicle, while only 21 percent were hit with the more serious Possession of a Stolen Motor Vehicle charge, according to statistics from the mayor’s office.
“Whenever someone’s personal property and safety have been violated, we need to do whatever we can to ensure that they are made whole again,” said Illinois state Rep. Jaime Andrade Jr. “The legislation announced today will allow us to give some level of closure to victims and help us to reduce future incidents.”
Emanuel and Johnson also announced Sunday that police cruisers are being outfitted with license plate readers. The changes come about a week after police in Chicago said they were teaming up with federal authorities, including agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, to deal with the carjacking surge. | {
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Eisuke Tomatsu reached the end zone three times and Japan scored on every offensive possession en route to an 86-0 blowout of the Philippines in an Asian qualifier for the 2015 IFAF World Championship on Saturday at Amino Vital Field in Tokyo
With the victory, Japan secured one of the two Asian berths in next year’s competition in Stockholm.
South Korea obtained the other spot by defeating Kuwait earlier this month.
Japan dominated in all three phases of the game.
The Japanese offense gained 356 yards and scored nine touchdowns, while the defense held the Philippines to only one first down and scored on a safety, a fumble recovery and an interception return. For the special teams unit, Tomatsu returned a punt 36 yards for a touchdown.
“We are happy to qualify for the world championship,” Japan captain Masayoshi Tsukada said. “We all want to be the world’s No. 1. But we need to improve to achieve that goal.”
The big win by Japan was expected as the Philippines has only a four-year history of playing American football.
The visitors have some players with playing experience in the United States and/or Canada, but many of them began playing only a couple of years ago.
This was the first time for the Philippines to organize a national team and play an international game.
“Coming here and playing as a team is a big challenge itself,” head coach William Yeh said. “(Football) is a new program for us and we don’t get a lot of support from our country right now, something I hope will change over time. We compete as a team and this was the most important thing today.” | {
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The Falcom Twitter account has published a new screenshot of Ys IX: Monstrum Nox showcasing a character fighting against a swarm of bats.
The latest issue of Weekly Famitsu reveals this is a new playable character who wields two swords at a time.
The magazine also teases that in addition to this character, a cat-eared, silver-haired woman, and black-haired young man (who apparently looks straight out of a Tales of game) are also playable.
It also mentions that the “Nox” in the title “Ys IX: Monstrum Nox” is an important point, and that the concept of “night” will function as an in-game system.
Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is due out for PlayStation 4 in Japan in 2019.
Thanks, Games Talk and Ryokutya2089.
Update 02/27/19 at 11:55 p.m.: Here is another screenshot, via Falcom: | {
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I don't always get the attention of girls But when i do, it's when i'm examining a booger i just picked
121 shares | {
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The city of Montreal will be home to a new baseball team, but no, it's not the Expos.
The Brewers de Ste. Thérèse will be moving to the island.
The Brewers are one of the nine teams in the Quebec Major Baseball League (Ligue de baseball majeur du Québec), which was founded in 2002.
This isn't the first time Montreal has had a team in the Quebec league. A Montreal team, L'action de Montreal, won a league title in 2003.
There was also a team called the Orioles, in Ahunstic. They played there for two years before moving to Shawinigan in 2014.
The Brewers' home diamond will be at Clémentine-de-la-Rousselière park in the borough of Rivière-des-Prairies—Pointe-aux-Trembles.
Players will be on the diamond beginning next month.
Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre, who has been an outspoken proponent of bringing the Expos back to the city, was on hand for the announcement.
"We have to send a strong message that this is a place that can welcome a team," he said at a news conference on Monday. | {
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Union Bank AG to be the first fully regulated bank ever to issue its own security tokens, closely followed by a fiat-backed Union Bank payment coin
Liechtenstein’s Union Bank AG announces a transformative Crypto Currency and Blockchain initiative: the fully licensed bank in Liechtenstein will be the first bank ever to issue its own security tokens, closely followed by a fiat-backed Union Bank payment coin.
Liechtenstein’s Union Bank AG (www.unionbankag.com) announced that it will be the world’s first fully licensed and regulated bank to issue its own security tokens in alignment with Liechtenstein’s regulatory authority FMA and, subsequently, its Union Bank Payment Coin. The Union Bank Payment Coin will be a stable coin that is fully backed by a fiat currency – e.g. the Swiss Franc.
Union Bank AG is a fully licensed and regulated bank based in Liechtenstein, a Principality located in the middle of Europe, bordered by Switzerland and Austria, and participating country in the European Economic Area. Union Bank AG is primarily offering corporate banking services to companies in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria and the Middle East. Operating in the blockchain-friendly environment of Liechtenstein, Union Bank AG already supports ICOs and clients by partnering with crypto-brokers and crypto-advisors to facilitate efficient and transparent conversions between crypto and fiat currencies.
Being deeply immersed in the international trade of goods and services as well as the support of crypto and blockchain companies, Union Bank AG is in a unique position to develop and implement cutting-edge solutions that will greatly benefit its main customer segments.
Through the plans announced today, the bank will extend and improve its existing services and offerings. It will be taking the first steps to position itself as a full-service blockchain investment bank, eventually adopting the blockchain fully throughout its processes and supporting technology. Union Bank AG will be working with Verum Capital AG on this initiative, a leading blockchain boutique based out of Switzerland.
In the future, Union Bank AG will be a one-stop crypto and blockchain solution provider which embraces and integrates the new world of blockchain technology and crypto assets and the best practices of traditional banking.
Chairman of the Board of Directors M.H. Dastmaltchi said: “Our goal is to become the world’s first blockchain investment bank and to provide tangible solutions which help drive efficiencies, reduce cost base and open up new revenue opportunities for our customers and intermediaries alike. As a fully licensed and regulated bank, we are in a privileged position to combine all the advantages of traditional banking with the possibilities inherent in the blockchain technology. As such, our fiat-backed Union Bank Payment Coin has the potential to disrupt the approach to international trade and international cross-border transactions. With our initiative, we are investing in the future and becoming the world’s preeminent blockchain investment bank.”
Media Contact:
Union Bank AG
Austrasse 46
P.O. Box 1535
9490 Vaduz, Liechtenstein
blockchain @ unionbankag.com | {
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1. How about them non-straights? A. I'm sorry, what?
B. Fuck off chud
C. *winks sinisterly*
D. *silence*
2. Which of these statements most do you agree with most? A. I don't hate poor gay people because they're gay, but because they're poor.
B. Children are the masters of the new society.
C. America is not the greatest country in the world anymore...
D. Republicans and Democrats are the political wings of the capitalist system and differences between them relate to spoils and not to principles.
3. One of your loved ones is dying and medical bills are bankrupting them, what do you do? A. Hold a fundraiser
B. Visit them every day to keep their spirits up
C. Post on their facebook "Hope you get well soon"
D. Kidnap the board of their insurance company and execute one every hour until they dissolve the company and waive all debts
4. Are you racist? A. Yes
B. No (Lie)
C. No | {
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FLVS Flex Courses
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Exclusive: Democrats and liberals are so angry about President Trump that they are turning to McCarthyistic tactics without regard to basic fairness or the need to avoid a costly and dangerous New Cold War, notes Daniel Lazare.
By Daniel Lazare
America is a strange place and the blow-up over Mike Flynn’s conversation with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak is making it even stranger. Liberals are sounding like conservatives, and conservatives like liberals.
Rep. Steve King, an Iowa Republican who serves on the House Judiciary Committee, made perfect sense when he remarked on CNN concerning the intelligence leaks that are now turning into a flood: “We’ve got to have some facts to work with here. And what troubles me is that … there are people within the intelligence community that disagree with President Trump [and] that don’t want to see his administration succeed. … General Flynn has been subject to a political assassination here regardless of what he did or didn’t say to President Trump or Vice President Pence.”
Quite right. Breitbart News’ Joel B. Pollak sounded similarly sensible in asking “whether our nation’s intelligence services were involved in what amounts to political espionage against the newly-elected government.” So did right-wing talk-show host Michael Savage in describing “the demonization of Putin, Russia, and Flynn” on the part of “neocons, the intel community, and Democrats who want constant antagonism with Russia.”
Considering the craziness we usually get from such sources, it was all disconcertingly … sane. On the liberal side, however, the hysteria has been non-stop. In full prosecutorial mode, The New Yorker’s Ryan Lizza demanded to know:
“Did Trump instruct Flynn to discuss a potential easing of sanctions with Russia? Did Flynn update Trump on his calls with the Russian Ambassador? Did Trump know that Flynn lied to Pence about those contacts? What did the White House counsel do with the information that he received from [Acting Attorney General Sally] Yates about Flynn being vulnerable to blackmail?”
At The Nation, Joan Walsh was thrilled to hear the media asking “the old Watergate question about what the president knew and when.”
“We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again,” declared Bill Moyers and Michael Winship at Alternet: “there MUST be an investigation by an independent, bipartisan commission of Russia’s ties to Donald Trump and his associates and that nation’s interference in our elections.”
At The Intercept, the perennially self-righteous Glenn Greenwald said intelligence agents are “wholly justified” in leaking inside information because “[a]ny leak that results in the exposure of high-level wrongdoing – as this one did – should be praised, not scorned and punished.”
Over the Top
Finally, there was The New York Times, which, in Thursday’s lead editorial, compared the Flynn contretemps to Watergate and Iran-Contra, expressed “shock and incredulity that members of Mr. Trump’s campaign and inner circle were in repeated contact with Russian intelligence officials,” and called for a congressional investigation into whether the White House has been taken over by Moscow:
“Coming on top of credible information from America’s intelligence agencies that Russia tried to destabilize and influence the 2016 presidential campaign, these latest revelations are more than sufficient reason for Congress to investigate what Moscow has been up to and whether people at the highest levels of the United States government have aided and abetted the interests of a nation that has tried to thwart American foreign policy since the Cold War.”
High-level wrongdoing! Colluding with the enemy! Shock and incredulity! It’s enough to make a concerned citizen reach for the nearest bottle of 151-proof rum. But it’s all nonsense. Liberals are working themselves into a crisis mode on the basis of zero evidence.
Let’s begin with what The Nation’s Joan Walsh regards as the key issue: what do we know and when did we know it?
Well, we know that on Thursday, Dec. 29, Barack Obama expelled 35 suspected Russian intelligence operatives for allegedly interfering with the presidential election and imposed sanctions on Russia’s two leading intelligence services. We also know that Flynn had called the Russian ambassador a day earlier to discuss sanctions in general and that although he “never made explicit promises of sanctions relief,” according to unnamed government officials cited by the Times, he “appeared to leave the impression it would be possible.”
In Times-speak, “appeared to leave the impression” means that the paper is unable to pin down anything that Flynn did that was specifically wrong, but still believes that the conversation was somehow unseemly.
According to The Washington Post, the key phone call came after Obama’s Dec. 29 decision to expel the Russian diplomats when Kislyak reached Flynn by phone while the national security advisor-designate and his wife were vacationing at a beachside resort in the Dominican Republic. “As a veteran intelligence officer,” The Post said, “…Flynn must have known that a call with a Russian official in Washington would be intercepted by the U.S. government, pored over by FBI analysts and possibly even shared with the White House.”
In any event, whatever he told Kislyak must have been reassuring since Vladimir Putin announced later that day that he would not engage in a tit-for-tat retaliation by expelling U.S. diplomats.
Getting Payback
Irritated by such maturity, the American “state security organs,” as the KGB and other Soviet intelligence services were once called, pounced. Having intercepted the Russian ambassador’s phone call, the FBI relayed the contents to Obama’s Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, who authorized it to interrogate Flynn about the conversation. Flynn may have lied or not given a complete account or forgotten some of the details about what he and Kislyak discussed. He also may have given a similarly incomplete account to Vice President Mike Pence, which apparently upset Pence and led to Flynn being tossed overboard.
But if Trump and his team thought that would satisfy the sharks, they were wrong. The press went into a feeding frenzy. But the substance of the complaint against Flynn adds up to very little.
As Obama administration holdovers in the Justice Department searched for a legal justification with which to accuse Flynn of wrongdoing, the only thing they could come up with was the Logan Act of 1799 forbidding private citizens from negotiating with a foreign government that is in dispute with the United States. Adopted during the presidency of John Adams, the law was prompted by Dr. George Logan’s unauthorized negotiations with France, contacts that were praised by the Jeffersonians but anathema to the Federalists.
But invoking the Logan Act in any instance is a stretch, much less this one. It has never been used to prosecute anyone; it has never been tested in a court of law; and its constitutionality couldn’t be more questionable. Moreover, if the law is dubious when used to threaten a private citizen engaged in unauthorized diplomacy, then using it to go after a designated official of an incoming presidential administration that has been duly elected is many times more so.
As journalist Robert Parry points out, the Logan Act has mainly been “exploited in a McCarthyistic fashion to bait or discredit peace advocates” such as Jesse Jackson for visiting Cuba or House Speaker Jim Wright for trying to end the Contra war in Nicaragua. [See Consortiumnews.com’s “Trump Caves on Flynn’s Resignation.”]
Of course, the Obama holdovers at Justice also said that Flynn might be vulnerable to Russian blackmail. But if Flynn assumed that the U.S. intelligence was listening in, then the Russians probably did also, which means that both sides knew that there was no secret dirt to be used against him.
In other words, there’s no there there. Yet anti-Trump liberals are trying to convince the public that it’s all “worse than Watergate.”
Strangelovian Flynn
This is not to make Flynn into a martyr of some sort. To the contrary, the man is every bit as nutty as critics say. The Field of Fight: How to Win the Global War Against Radical Islam and Its Allies, the book he co-wrote last year with neocon “intellectual” Michael Ledeen, is a paranoid fantasy about Muslim extremists ganging up with North Korea, Russia, China, Cuba and Venezuela to bring down the United States and Israel.
Flynn’s appearance at a Feb. 7 White House press briefing in which he announced that “we are officially putting Iran on notice” over a missile test – and then stalked off without taking a single question – was so bizarre as to be positively Strangelovian.
But whether Flynn is a criminal is another matter. As Ronn Blitzer observed in a smart article at Lawnewz.com: “Between the details of the communications being unclear and the complete lack of historical guidance for prosecutors to work off of, chances are slim that he’ll face any legal repercussions.”
Lying to the FBI is another matter, of course. But grilling someone about whether he violated a moldy old law that should have been repealed centuries ago is the equivalent of giving someone the third degree over whether he washed his hands after using a public restroom. It raises questions about civil liberties and prosecutorial abuse that used to concern liberals – before, that is, they went bonkers over Russia.
Moreover, taking a call from the Russian ambassador is not only legal but, with the inauguration only three weeks away, precisely what one would expect a newly designated national security advisor to do. If the call indeed happened while Flynn was on vacation – and hence without the usual staff support – it’s not that surprising that he might not have had total recall of what was discussed. For FBI agents to question him weeks later and test his memory against their transcript of the conversation seems closer to entrapment than a fair-minded inquiry.
The whole area is a gray zone regarding what is and isn’t proper for a candidate or an incoming administration to do. Eight years earlier, Barack Obama reached out to foreign leaders to discuss policy changes before he was even elected.
In July 2008, candidate Obama visited Paris to confer with then-French President Nicolas Sarkozy about Israel, Iraq, Afghanistan and NATO. In late November – after the election, that is, but before the oath of office – he telephoned Afghan President Hamid Karzai to discuss how his country might achieve greater stability.
Yet as Robert Charles notes at the conservative Townhall.com website, no one thought to mention the Logan Act or accuse Obama of overstepping his bounds by engaging in private diplomacy.
As to whether it was Trump who instructed Flynn to talk to the Russian ambassador – what Politico calls “the key question” and what Times columnist Gail Collins says would be “super-illegal” if true – that is also standard operating procedure.
Poor Donald Trump is getting it from both sides, from those who claim that he was unprepared for his new responsibilities (which he was) and from those who claim that he was too “pro-active” in reaching out to key international players before taking office.
The Crime of Peace
As to Glenn Greenwald’s charge that what Flynn did was not only illegal but wrong, all one can say is: what on earth is so terrible about trying to reduce U.S.-Russian tensions? Of all the things that Trump said on the campaign trail, one of the few that was not completely stupid was his call for better relations with Moscow.
After all, Obama had gotten himself into a serious pickle by the end of his administration in the “intermarium” between the Baltic and the Black Sea. This is where Obama found himself beholden to dangerous nationalist provocateurs from Estonia to Ukraine, where a major NATO arms build-up was making observers increasingly nervous and where serious fighting is now underway. But while one would think that liberals would approve of attempts to defuse a dangerous confrontation, Flynn is under assault for merely giving it a try.
(And what about Greenwald’s usual concern about intrusive electronic surveillance? Isn’t the Flynn case a classic example of law-enforcement agencies using powers to entrap an individual into a possible criminal violation by seeing if his recollection diverges from the official transcript of a wire-tapped conversation?)
Finally there is the New York Times editorial, a farrago of half-truths and unsubstantiated assertions. For instance:
–No matter how many times the “paper of record” insists that “Russia tried to destabilize and influence the 2016 presidential campaign,” it should realize that saying something doesn’t make it so. In fact, the Director of National Intelligence’s Jan. 6 report on the alleged hacking was so skimpy that even the Times conceded that it “contained no information about how the agencies had collected their data or had come to their conclusions” and was therefore “bound to be attacked by skeptics.”
–The charge of “repeated contact with Russian intelligence officials” is similarly evidence-free. The Times made the charge in a front-page exposé on Tuesday that was heavy on innuendo but short on facts. It said that Trump associates had “repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials” without saying what those contacts were or whether the individuals in question were even aware of whom they were talking to. It added, moreover, that there was “no evidence of … cooperation” with Russian intelligence and that it was “unclear whether the conversations had anything to do with Mr. Trump himself.” There’s no there there as well.
–As for aiding and abetting “a nation that has tried to thwart American foreign policy since the Cold War,” all one can say is that the Times is engaging in classic McCarthyism by crying treason with zero data to back it up.
Opportunism and Confusion
So, what’s going on? The simple answer is that Democrats are seizing on Russia because it’s an easy target in a capital city where war fever is already rising precipitously. Little thought seems to have been given to where this hysteria might lead. What if Dems get their way by forcing the administration to adopt a tougher policy on Russia? What if something horrendous occurs as a consequence such as a real live shooting exchange between U.S. and Russian troops? Will that make Democrats happy? Is that really what they want?
The truth is that America is in disarray not only politically but ideologically. Once Sen. Bernie Sanders dropped out of the race last summer, voters were faced with a choice between two right-of-center candidates, one (Hillary Clinton) seemingly bent on a pro-war policy regardless of the consequences and another (Donald Trump) who uttered isolationist inanities but nonetheless seemed to sense that a course change was in order with regard to Russia, Syria, and perhaps one or two other hot spots.
Since the election, both parties have responded by going even farther to the right, Trump by surrounding himself with billionaires and ultra-right fanatics and the Democrats by trying to out-hawk the GOP.
Sanity is in such short supply that the voices of reason now belong to Republicans like Devin Nunes, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, who told the Washington Post, “The big problem I see here is that you have an American citizen who had his phone calls recorded,” or House Speaker Paul Ryan who says that reaching out to the Russian ambassador was “entirely appropriate.”
Even Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, seems oddly rational in indicating that he will block legislation seeking to prevent Trump from rolling back anti-Russian sanctions.
All in all, it’s the worst Democratic performance since the Washington Post complained in 1901 that Teddy Roosevelt had “fanned the flames of negro aspiration” by inviting Booker T. Washington to dine at the White House. What’s the point of an opposition when it’s even more irresponsible than the party in power?
As Phil Ochs sang about unprincipled liberals back in the 1960s:
Once I was young and impulsive
I wore every conceivable pin
Even went to the socialist meetings
Learned all the old union hymns
But I’ve grown older and wiser
And that’s why I’m turning you in
So love me, love me, love me, I’m a liberal.
Daniel Lazare is the author of several books including The Frozen Republic: How the Constitution Is Paralyzing Democracy (Harcourt Brace). | {
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Courtesy of the Thorsen family
A beloved family heirloom was returned to a family this week, thanks to a stranger’s generosity and Facebook.
Jean Daly’s engraved gold ring bearing the names of her five children - Becky, Debbie, Dan, Carl and John - had been missing for 20 years. It’s especially poignant because Jean died two years ago, her daughter says.
"Seeing my mother’s ring at this time makes my family feel as if our mother is still watching over us and loves us," Becky Thorsen tells Yahoo Parenting. "She loved this ring so much because she loved us so much."
STORY: Parents Give Away $100K to Deserving Family to Honor Daughter
Michael Whiting spotted the ring in a car he recently purchased and posted a photo of it his Facebook page.
Courtesy of the Thorsen family
“The dealer I bought the car from got it at auction, but I found some papers in the car that lead me to believe the original owners lived in Arizona,” he wrote on his Facebook page on January 6th. The Facebook message ended up being shared over 325,000 times.
STORY: Mom-to-Be Found Future Kids on Facebook
And, when ABC15 aired a photo of the ring during a nightly newscast, some family members were watching and instantly recognized this sentimental piece of jewelry.
Courtesy of the Thorsen family
For Daly’s daughters, Whiting is a true hero.
“This guy, instead of going and hocking it at a pawn shop or selling it, he wants to find the owner, and he’s gone to great lengths to do that,” Debbie Horner, one of Daly’s daughters, told ABC15.
Having the ring back has also helped the family to heal.
"My brothers and sister and I felt like somehow our mother orchestrated that this ring would be found at this time," Thorsen tells Yahoo Parenting. "She has been gone for two years and we just sold the family home and miss her very much."
Please follow @YahooParenting on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Have an interesting story to share about your family? E-mail us at YParenting (at) Yahoo.com. | {
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Mormons The most secretive church that knocks on your door to tell you all about it (and by "all" we mean "the non-secretive stuff") mormonthink.com
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On September 30, Judge Doherty of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana handed down a decision in Vidrine v. United States awarding $1.7 million in damages for a malicious prosecution. The facts of what happened are simply appalling, and they deserve wider attention.
First, the background. Hubert Vidrine had been charged with knowingly storing hazardous waste materials without a permit for storing used oil at a refinery site. But there were two big problems with the case: It turned out that there was little evidence that the oil counted as hazardous waste, and no evidence that Vidrine had knowledge of what was happening. The government ended up moving to dismiss its own case, and later Vidrine filed an action under the Federal Tort Claims Act alleging that he was the victim of malicious prosecution. The case of malicious prosecution focused on misconduct by EPA Technical and Regulatory Expert Keith Phillips, who was one of the agents on the case and was responsible for developing the case against Vidrine.
In her decision, Judge Doherty found that Agent Phillips intentionally misled the prosecutor, his bosses, and the court as to the evidence against Vidrine, all to enable a prosecution against Vidrine even though there was no real evidence against him. Judge Doherty writes:
Had the AUSA had been given all the facts by Phillips and Barnhill (both good and bad, and excluding half-truths), or had the [agent’s formal report of his interviews] been more complete and timely provided to the AUSA, and had a reasonable interpretation of the applicable regulations been provided to the AUSA and the grand jury by Phillips, and had Agent Phillips testified truthfully to the grand jury, this Court finds a very different result likely would have ensued: Hubert Vidrine would not have been indicted. For reasons that will never be known by anyone other than Agent Phillips, Agent Phillips was not content to merely “gather the facts and let the facts themselves either support or not support the indictment” as he testified one should do. Rather, Agent Phillips, either deliberately, or with reckless disregard for the truth, provided false testimony to the grand jury in order to secure an indictment against Hubert Vidrine, on at least two occasions, and permeated the entire investigation with omissions, half-truths, overstatements, inflammatory language, misstatements, patent falsehoods, and tortured readings of regulations. What ultimately secured an indictment against Hubert Vidrine was not Mike Franklin, as Keith Phillips testified – it was Keith Phillips’ and Phillips’ “tweaking” of the Mike Franklin story to create facts, as Agent Phillips wanted to see them. Given the inherent problems, omissions and glaringly obvious weakness of Mike Franklin and his information, Agent Phillips and Barnhill’s omission of those problems, and Phillips’ dogged pursuit of Hubert Vidrine, this Court is left with the question, “Why?”
Perhaps the most remarkable part of the Vidrine malicious prosecution case is Judge Doherty’s answer to the “why” question. Here’s the eye-popping two paragraphs, with emphasis added:
One of the more distressing allegations made at trial, involved allegations of Agent Phillips’ sexual, extra-marital affair (and its subsequent “cover up”) with Agent Barnhill. The evidence strongly indicated Agent Phillips deliberately used his investigation and prosecution of Hubert Vidrine to foster, further, facilitate and cloak his extra-marital affair with Agent Barnhill, and perhaps, to exert improper influence over the manner in which she investigated and reported upon this case. Agent Barnhill candidly testified that she and Agent Phillips began a physical, sexual relationship while assigned to this matter, which lasted from approximately 1996 until January or February 2001. Agent Barnhill testified she and Agent Phillips were only physically intimate when working together on the Vidrine case – in other words, they did not meet to pursue their sexual relations on occasions when they were not working the case together. Thus, the case granted the opportunity for those rendez-vous, as well as providing justification for Agent Phillips wife. During the investigation and prosecution, Agent Barnhill, who was single, lived in South Louisiana; Agent Phillips, who was married, lived in Dallas, Texas with his wife. Prior to and at trial, plaintiffs’ counsel consistently argued Agent Phillips used the Vidrine investigation as a cover, excuse and opportunity to facilitate his illicit affair with Agent Barnhill and to hide the affair from his wife. Plaintiffs consistently argued Keith Phillips manufactured a case, both in law and fact, against Hubert Vidrine, and carefully fed the AUSA and his supervisors only the information which would further that end and perpetuate the case, all to promote access to Agent Barnhill and perpetuate and conceal their illicit affair. Regrettably, the Court agrees with plaintiffs: this inappropriate and unprofessional behavior likely was, at least in part (if not in whole) a motivation for Agent Phillips’ continued pursuit of Hubert Vidrine, without probable cause, and certainly with a complete and total reckless disregard of Hubert Vidrine’s rights.
Wow!
The Court concludes:
[T]his court finds Agent Phillips testimony, conduct and documentation illustrate a deliberate patten of disregard for oaths taken, truth of the matter involved, wholly lacking in intellectual honesty, and exhibiting a deliberate intent to mislead all involved, particularly the prosecutors with whom he worked and who were relying upon his investigation and technical expertise in order to evaluate their case. Agent Phillips has displayed the very worst example of abuse and misuse of the power and trust bestowed upon a governmental agent, and has brought great shame upon the agency which had entrusted him with that power, responsibility, and authority.
Wow again. Kudos to the Washington Legal Foundation for its pro bono work representing Vidrine.
UPDATE: I see that Agent Phillips received his due in the case. According to a DOJ press release dated October 4, Phillips recent pled guilty to perjury and obstruction: | {
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MARGINS OF ERROR IN OPINION POLLS
Note: Margins of error are discussed in a more accessible way in my 2005 book Struck by Lightning: The Curious World of Probabilities. See also an UPDATED VERSION OF THIS ARTICLE (August 2018).
Suppose you flip a coin ten thousand times. How many heads will you get? On each flip, the coin has equal probability of coming up heads or tails. So, on AVERAGE, you will get five thousand heads and five thousand tails. On the other hand, it doesn't seem likely that you will get EXACTLY five thousand heads -- rather, you will get "about" five thousand heads. But how much UNCERTAINTY is there around that mean value? That is, how far off from five thousand can we expect it to be? Might you get six thousand heads? Seven thousand? Or will you usually get between 4995 and 5005?
Meanwhile, we are constantly bombarded by the results of opinion polls. For example, in October, 2002, the polling firm Environics did a poll of political preferences in the Province of Ontario. They surveyed four hundred adult residents, and reported what fraction would support each of several political parties if there were a provincial election. They then boldly proclaimed that "The margin of error for a sample of 400 is approximately plus or minus five percentage points, 19 times out of 20." In another poll they surveyed one thousand adults, and declared that their results were "estimated to be accurate within 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20." Similar claims are made all the time. What in the world do they mean? And, how can the polling firms be so sure?
It turns out that these two questions, about coins and polls, are pretty much the same question. And they both involve the same three concepts: the mean (or average value), the standard deviation (the amount of uncertainty), and the normal distribution (or bell-shaped curve).
MEAN AND STANDARD DEVIATION
First consider flipping just one coin. Half the time it will come up heads, and half the time tails. Thus, on average you will get one-half of one head. Of course, in actuality you will never get one-half of a head -- you will get either zero or one heads. But still, the AVERAGE number of heads you will get is one-half. We express this mathematically by saying that, if you flip a coin, then the "mean" number of heads is one-half.
Now, when you flip that coin, you will always be off from the mean (one-half) by exactly one-half (since zero heads is off from one-half by one-half, and one head is also off from one-half by one-half). So if you flip one coin, the number of heads will differ from its mean by one-half.
Mathematically, the amount you tend to be off from the mean is called the "standard deviation". So, if you flip one coin, then the mean number of heads is one-half, and the standard deviation of the number of heads is also one-half. That is, on average you will get one-half of one head, but on average you will also be off from this amount by one-half.
The question now is, suppose you flip ten thousand coins. What will be the mean (average value) and the standard deviation (amount you tend to be off from the average value) of the number of heads then?
Well, the mean is easy. We already know that on average you will get five thousand heads. Put another way, the mean is equal to the mean for one coin (i.e., one-half), multiplied by the total number of coins (ten thousand). That is:
mean = (1/2) x (10,000) = 5,000
It turns out that the standard deviation increases by multiplying by only the SQUARE-ROOT of the number of coins. (Remember that the square-root of 4 is 2, since 2 x 2 = 4; the square-root of 9 is 3, since 3 x 3 = 9; the square-root of 100 is 10, since 10 x 10 = 100; and the square-root of ten thousand is one hundred, since 100 x 100 = 10,000. In general, the square-root of a number is the quantity that, when multiplied by itself, equals the number.) This is the key fact to understanding uncertainties. Namely, if you do any repeated experiment (like flipping coins) many times, then the amount of uncertainty is multiplied by only the square-root of the number of experiments performed.
How can we make use of this fact? Well, we know that if you flip one coin, the mean number of heads is 1/2, and the standard deviation is also 1/2. So, if you flip four coins, then the mean number of heads is 1/2 times 4, which equals 2 (of course); but the standard deviation is just 1/2 times the SQUARE-ROOT of 4, which equals 1/2 times 2, which is 1. That is, if you flip four coins, then on average you will get two heads, but you will tend to be off from this average value by about 1 in either direction -- that is, you might get one or three heads instead. (Of course, you MIGHT get zero or four heads as well, and be off by 2. Or, you might get exactly two heads, and not be off at all. But ON AVERAGE you will be off from two heads by about 1 in either direction.)
Now that we understand this principle, we can extend it to any number of coins. If you flip one hundred coins, the mean number of heads is 1/2 times 100, which is 50; and the standard deviation is 1/2 times the square-root of 100, which is 1/2 times 10, i.e. 5, so on average you will be off from the mean value of 50 by about 5 heads either way. Finally, if you flip ten thousand coins, then the mean number of heads is 1/2 times 10,000, which equals 5,000; and the standard deviation is 1/2 times the square-root of 10,000, which is 1/2 times 100, i.e. 50. That is:
standard deviation = (1/2) x SquareRoot(10,000) = (1/2) x 100 = 50
Notice that as you flip more and more coins, the amount you tend to be "off" from the mean value increases, but quite slowly, so that even after 10,000 coin flips, you tend to be "off" from the mean value (5,000) by just 50. The rest of the uncertainty from those ten thousand individual coin flips has canceled out, with the extra heads balancing off the extra tails until just a relatively small amount of uncertainty remains.
So, now that we know about the mean and standard deviation, how can we figure out the margins of error used by polling firms? To understand that better, we need to examine the bell-shaped curve.
THE BELL-SHAPED CURVE (NORMAL DISTRIBUTION)
You may have seen the famous bell-shaped curve at one time or another. It is a beautiful graph, higher in the middle, and drifting down in a lovely arc on either side. It turns out that this elegant curve is closely related to flipping lots of coins -- and to conducting an opinion poll of lots of residents.
The connection is given by what mathematicians call the "Central Limit Theorem". This remarkable theorem was first discovered by the French mathematician Abraham de Moivre way back in 1733, and was refined over the following century by his compatriot Pierre-Simon Laplace and by the German mathematical legend Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss. (In fact, the theorem is so important that generalisations and extensions of it still form an active area of mathematical research even today.)
The Central Limit Theorem says that, if you repeat a bunch of random actions (like flipping lots of coins), and add up the outcomes (like counting the total number of heads), then the resulting probabilities will follow the bell-shaped curve (also called the "normal distribution"). Specifically, the probability that the result will be within one standard deviation of its mean value, is equal to the area under the bell-shaped curve between -1 and +1. Similarly, the probability that the result will be within three standard deviations of its mean value, is equal to the area under the bell-shaped curve between -3 and +3. And so on.
What this means is as follows. Suppose you you flip ten thousand coins, and wonder what is the probability that the actual number of heads will be within one standard deviation (i.e. fifty), either way, of its mean value (five thousand). That is, what is the probability that you will get between 4950 and 5050 heads? The answer is that this probability is equal to the area under the bell-shaped curve between -1 and +1. We can measure that this area is about 0.68, i.e. 68%.
In other words, the number of heads will be between 4950 and 5050 about 68% of the time. So, if you repeat this experiment one hundred times -- each time flipping ten thousand coins and counting the number of heads -- then in about sixty-eight of the one hundred experiments, the number of heads will be between 4950 and 5050, while in the other thirty-two experiments the number of heads will be either less than 4950, or more than 5050.
If we wanted to announce this, we might say: "If you flip ten thousand coins, then 68 times out of 100, the number of heads will be between 4950 and 5050." Or, "If you flip ten thousand coins, then 68 times out of 100, the number of heads will be within 50 (either way) of five thousand." Or, "If you flip ten thousand coins, then the number of heads will be within 50 of its true mean, 68 times out of 100." Or, "If you flip ten thousand coins, then the margin of error is plus or minus 50, 68 times out of 100." These statements are all true, and all mean the same thing.
Similarly, in this case THREE standard deviations is equal to three times fifty, or 150. And being within 150 of its mean corresponds to getting between 4850 and 5150 heads. So, the probability of this is equal to the area under the bell-shaped curve between -3 and +3. We can measure that this area is about 0.997, i.e. 99.7%, which corresponds to 997 times in a thousand. So, it is a virtual certainty (happening 99.7% of the time) that the number of heads will be within 4850 and 5150.
Now, we might think that "68 times out of 100" is not often enough to give us a sufficient sense of certainty. We might equally well think that "997 times out of a thousand" is too often, and gives us more certainty than we will ever need. So how should we compromise? In fact, it is a tradition in statistics to find a range which will contain the number of heads 95 times out of 100, i.e. 95% of the time -- which is the same as "19 times out of 20". How can we find such a range?
Well, let's look again at the bell-shaped curve. As we take wider and wider ranges, we get more and more of the probability. In fact, we can measure that the area under the curve between -1.96 and +1.96 is equal to just exactly 0.95, corresponding to just exactly 95%, i.e. 95 times out of 100, i.e. 19 times out of 20. This says that, 95 times out of 100, the number of heads will be off from the mean by less than 1.96 times the standard deviation.
Now, if we flip ten thousand coins, then the standard deviation is 50. And, 1.96 times 50 equals 98. So, we should consider the probability that the number of heads will be within 1.96 times 50 of its mean, i.e. within 98 of its mean, i.e. between 4902 and 5098. According to the bell-shaped curve, this probability is equal to 0.95, i.e. about 95%, which equals 19 times in 20. So, if you again repeat this experiment one hundred times -- each time flipping ten thousand coins and counting the number of heads -- then in about ninety-five of the one hundred experiments, the number of heads will be between 4902 and 5098, while in the other five experiments the number of heads will be either less than 4902, or more than 5098. Alternatively, if you repeated this experiment just twenty times -- again, each time flipping ten thousand coins and counting the number of heads -- then in about nineteen of the twenty experiments, the number of heads would be between 4902 and 5098, while in the other one experiment the number of heads would be either less than 4902, or more than 5098.
We could announce this by saying: "If you flip ten thousand coins, then 95 times out of 100, the number of heads will be within 98 of five thousand." Or, "If you flip ten thousand coins, then the margin of error is plus or minus 98, 95 times out of 100." Or, "If you flip ten thousand coins, then the margin of error is plus or minus 98, 19 times out of 20." Again, these statements are all true, and all mean the same thing.
What if we wanted even greater certainty, say 99 times out of 100? Once again we look at the bell-shaped curve. We can measure that the area under the curve between -2.57 and +2.57 is equal to 0.99, i.e. to 99%, i.e. to 99 times out of 100. So, we are interested in 2.57 times the standard deviation, i.e. 2.57 times 50. Now, 2.57 times 50 equals 128.5; call it 128 (since we can never have .5 of a head anyway). So, we should consider the probability that the number of heads will be within 2.57 times 50 of its mean, i.e. within 128 of its mean, i.e. between 4872 and 5128. According to the bell-shaped curve, this probability is equal to 0.99, i.e. 99%. So, if you again repeat this experiment one hundred times -- each time flipping ten thousand coins and counting the number of heads -- then in about ninety-nine of the one hundred experiments, the number of heads will be between 4872 and 5128, while in the other one experiment the number of heads will be either less than 4872, or more than 5128. We could announce this by saying: "If you flip ten thousand coins, then 99 times out of 100, the number of heads will be within 128 of five thousand." Or, "If you flip ten thousand coins, then the margin of error is plus or minus 128, 99 times out of 100."
So, we see that if you flip ten thousand coins, then 99 times out of 100, you will be within 128 of the mean, i.e. you will get no more than 5128 heads. In fact, your chance of getting more than, say, six thousand heads is unfathomably small -- about one chance in the (huge) number written as a one followed by eighty-nine zeroes! So, you will never in your lifetime get as many as six thousand or more heads out of ten thousand. The mean number will be five thousand, and there just isn't enough uncertainty to ever increase the head count as high as six thousand. In real life, real coins just don't come up heads that often.
POLLING: WHO WILL WIN THE ELECTION?
We now return, finally, to polling, and the claim that "The margin of error for a sample of 400 is approximately plus or minus five percentage points, 19 times out of 20." We are now, finally, in a position to understand this claim.
Let us first understand what the claim does NOT mean. The polling firm is NOT claiming that, 19 times out of 20, they will predict the results of the next election with the specified accuracy. Such a claim would require a precise understanding of how political opinions change between the poll date and the election date; the extent to which citizens will say one thing to pollsters and then vote differently; the future actions of the "undecided" voters and those who did not respond to the survey; which citizens will or will not bother to vote; and a host of other intangible factors. Pundits and analysts do in fact work overtime trying to understand these factors, and statistical modeling can indeed be used to try to estimate them. But such issues are very complicated and subtle, and polling firms do not routinely make claims about their precise predictive powers in these areas.
No, what the polling firm is claiming is something far more mundane. They are claiming that the probability is about 19 out of 20 that their poll has uncovered the "right" answer, to within the specified accuracy. That is, if they immediately repeated the same experiment -- i.e. surveying four hundred residents' political preferences -- twenty different times, then about nineteen of those times, they would get the "right" answer to within the specified accuracy. But here the "right" answer means simply the fraction of all the adult residents throughout the province, who would claim support for a particular political party, when phoned by a pollster at that particular time. In other words, the polling firm's claim provides reassurances that the polling firm has done its job, and that they have sampled enough residents that the poll results have a certain meaning, but only in so far as determining what the general population currently feels like telling pesky pollsters on the phone.
With this clarification out of the way, we can now ask, where does a figure like "plus or minus five percentage points" come from? How does the polling firm compute their claimed accuracy?
The key to answering this is to observe that polling random residents is much like flipping coins. In each case, you are repeatedly conducting a random experiment (flipping a coin, or polling a resident), and counting the number of times you get a specified result (i.e. a head, or professed support for a particular political party). So, we can use our knowledge of uncertainty in coin flipping, to understand the uncertainty in a political poll.
When flipping four hundred coins, the mean number of heads is two hundred (of course). Also, the standard deviation is equal to one-half times the square-root of 400, i.e. one-half times 20, which equals ten. What about when polling four hundred residents?
Well, in this case the mean is the average number of residents, in a random sample of four hundred people from the province, who support the particular political party. This is, in fact, precisely what the polling firm is trying to figure out! So, in this case we do not know what the mean is at all. It is not equal to two hundred (like for coins), but rather is some unknown value.
On the other hand, the standard deviation is just the same as when flipping four hundred coins, since each poll response introduces randomness just as each coin flip does. So, the standard deviation is still equal to ten! Even though we no longer know the mean, we still know the standard deviation. (In fact, it can be argued that the standard deviation is actually a bit LESS than ten, especially for political parties whose support is in fact quite small. But it is never MORE than ten, so we can use the figure of ten without worry -- and in fact this is what polling firms usually do.)
Now, for flipping four hundred coins, since the standard deviation is ten, we know that 68 times out of 100, the number of heads will be within ten of the true mean. Also, 1.96 times the standard deviation equals 1.96 times ten, or 19.6. So, 95 times out of 100, the number of heads will be within 19 of the mean. Finally, 2.57 times the standard deviation equals 2.57 times ten, or 25.7. So, 99 times out of 100, the number of heads will be within 25 of the mean.
The remarkable thing is, these facts are still true when polling four hundred residents! The mean is now different (and unknown), but the probabilities are still the SAME for how far OFF from the mean we will be. So, if you survey four hundred residents, then 68 times out of 100, the number claiming support for a particular political party will be within ten of the true mean; And, 95 times out of 100, it will be within 19 of the mean. And, 99 times out of 100, it will be within 25 of the mean.
But the polling firm doesn't report the NUMBER of adults in their survey who supported each party, they report the FRACTION. That is, they divide the number supporting each party, by four hundred (the total number of adults surveyed). So, if the number is within 10 of the true mean, then the FRACTION is within 10 divided by 400 of the FRACTION'S true mean (i.e., of the fraction of the general population supporting that political party). But 10 divided by 400 equals 10/400, or 0.025, or 2.5%. So, 68 times out of 100, the FRACTION of residents claiming to support a particular party will be within 2.5% of the true fraction of the general population claiming support for that that party. Hence, if we surveyed four hundred adults, and announced the fraction of our survey sample supporting each political party, then we could announce that, "68 times out of 100, our results will be accurate to within 2.5% of the true value". Or even, "The margin of error of our results is plus or minus 2.5 percentage points, 68 times out of 100."
Similarly, we know that 95 times out of 100, the number of surveyed residents supporting a particular party will be within 19 of the true number, meaning that the fraction will be within 19/400, or 4.75%, of the fraction's true mean. Hence, we could also announce that, "95 times out of 100, our results will be accurate to within 4.75% of the true value". Or, "19 times out of 20, our results will be accurate to within 4.75% of the true value", which is the same thing. Or even, "The margin of error of our results is plus or minus 4.75 percentage points, 19 times out of 20." Or to avoid the extra decimal places, we could say, "The margin of error of our results is approximately plus or minus five percentage points, 19 times out of 20." Now we sound just like the polling firm!
What about the other poll, which surveyed one thousand residents? Well, in this case the standard deviation (of the number of replies for each political party) is equal to one-half times the square-root of one thousand. The square-root of one thousand is about 31.6, so the standard deviation is one-half times 31.6, which equals 15.8. So, when surveying one thousand adults and counting the number who support some particular political party, then 68 times out of 100 the number will be within 15 of the true mean. Also, 1.96 times the standard deviation is 1.96 times 15.8, which is about 31. So, 95 times out of 100 the number will be within 31 of the true mean. Finally, 2.57 times the standard deviation equals 2.57 times 15.8, which is about 41. So, 99 times out of 100 the number will be within 41 of the true mean. This gives the probabilities for how far off will be the NUMBER of residents supporting each party.
To consider the FRACTION of residents supporting each party, we have to divide by the total number of residents surveyed, in this case one thousand. Now, 15.8 divided by one thousand equals about 1.6%, while 31 divided by one thousand equals about 3.1%, and 41 divided by one thousand equals about 4.1%. So, for this poll, we could announce that "68 times out of 100, our results will be accurate to within 1.6% of the true value". Or, "95 times out of 100, our results will be accurate to within 3.1% of the true value". Or, "99 times out of 100, our results will be accurate to within 4.1% of the true value". Or, "our margin of error is 3.1%, 95 times out of 100". Or, "our margin of error is 3.1%, 19 times out of 20". Or, as the polling firm puts it, our results are "estimated to be accurate within 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20."
Other polls can be handled similarly. Indeed, the next time you read a poll, you can figure out the margin of error for yourself!
Note that if you survey MORE people (say, one thousand instead of four hundred), then the margin of error for the fraction of people supporting various political parties gets SMALLER (in this case, 3.1% instead of 4.75%). This is not surprising. It says essentially that the more people you ask, the more you know. In fact, this observation is what mathematicians call the "Law of Large Numbers". Namely, the more times you try an experiment -- like flipping coins or polling residents -- the closer your fractions get to their true mean values.
Once we understand mean, standard deviation, and the bell-shaped curve, we can now quantify many different types of uncertainty and margin of error in mathematical terms. Whether flipping coins or conducting polls, we know what the average value will be, and how far off from that average value we will usually be. Such information is crucial for determining the accuracy of polls, the reliability of medicines, the risks of stock purchases, and many other uncertainties which confront us on a daily basis.
Note added later: This model for polling assumes that the people selected for the poll are chosen uniformly at random from the entire population, with replacement (i.e., the model allows for the possibility that the same individual would be chosen twice in the same poll). Of course, in a real poll one doesn't ask the same person twice (or at least tries not to). So, one difference between this model and a real poll is whether the sampling of the population is done with or without replacement. When the number of people polled is much smaller than the full population (the usual case), this difference is unimportant. But hypothetically, if nearly the entire population were polled, then this difference would become important. | {
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LMFAO!!! Consoles don't even reach 1mil sales!!! Console vs PC sales
Metro Last Light:PS3 = 0.44mil---------------------Xbox 360 = 0.35mil---------------------PC = between 2mil to 5mil-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Metro 2033:Xbox 360 = 0.34mil---------------------PC = between 2mil to 5mil---------------------See you later 4A Games, it was nice knowing you!Metro has ALWAYS been a niche game, a niche game that PC gamers have always supported.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------As a side note for those wondering, vgchartz was not used for the PC verson because vgchartz only counts physical copies sold and the Steamspy sales numbers are still reliable because Metro games were sold years before Steam blocked Steamspy from tracking their numbers. | {
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As part of the International Year of Astronomy project, 100 Hours of Astronomy, the ambitious “Around the World in 80 Telescopes” event had a live webcast, going around the globe to some of the most advanced observatories on and off the planet. In celebration of this world tour of observatories, many of the telescopes are releasing wonderful, and previously unseen, astronomical images. Here are two observed by telescopes at the La Silla and Paranal observatories. Above is the irregular galaxy NGC 55, a galaxy that is about 70,000 light-years across, just a tad smaller than our own Milky Way, and below is NGC 7793, about half that size.
NGC 55 is a member of the prominent Sculptor group of galaxies in the southern constellation of Sculptor. By studying about 20 planetary nebulae in this image, a team of astronomers found that NGC 55 is located about 7.5 million light-years away. Planetary nebulae are the final blooming of Sun-like stars before their retirement as white dwarfs.
This striking image of NGC 55, obtained with the Wide Field Imager on the 2.2-metre MPG/ESO telescope at La Silla, is dusted with a flurry of reddish nebulae, created by young, hot massive stars. A large number of individual stars that can be counted within NGC 55.
The second image shows another galaxy belonging to the Sculptor group. This is NGC 7793, which has a chaotic spiral structure, unlike the class of grand-design spiral galaxies to which our Milky Way belongs. The image shows how difficult it is to identify any particular spiral arm in these chaotic structures, although it is possible to guess at a general rotating pattern. NGC 7793 is located slightly further away than NGC 55, about 12.5 million light-years from us.
NGC 7793 was observed with one of the workhorses of the ESO Paranal Observatory, the FORS instrument, attached to the Very Large Telescope.
Source: ESO | {
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Things are only getting worse for the Giudice family.
As The Real Housewives of New Jersey dad Joe‘s clan awaits his fate amid his deportation crisis, RadarOnline.com has exclusively learned the felon’s mom is over $1 million dollars in debt!
According to New Jersey court records exclusively obtained by Radar, Filomena Giudice, 64, filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy in 2017, and again in 2018.
She said she owes a whopping $1,185,237 to creditors.
Her debt includes $1,076,000 in mortgage payments, and over $100,000 to credit card companies and banks.
Specifically, Filomena racked up $32,985 in American Express credit card bills.
She confessed to spending beyond her means. In her 2017 filing, she said she earned a monthly salary of $4,518, but was spending over $5,000 a month.
In 2018, Filomena was spending even more. Despite bringing in an average monthly income of $5,431, her average monthly expenses added up to $8,248.
Her 2017 filing was dismissed, but her 2018 bankruptcy case remains ongoing.
Her son and famous daughter-in-law, Teresa, also filed for bankruptcy before both were sentenced to prison on fraud charges. Though the case was eventually dismissed in 2018, Joe’s legal problems remain.
As Radar previously reported, Filomena has been struggling with her son’s deportation drama.
In a heartbreaking letter she submitted to federal court, she pleaded with the immigration judge to keep her son in the United States.
“I am widow with a broken heart,” she wrote in the note obtained exclusively by Radar. “I am a mother desperately seeking the day my son returns back home to me. I lost my husband a few years ago and then my son was also taken from me.
Joe’s dad and Filomena’s husband, Frank, died in 2014 after suffering a sudden heart attack.
Filomena also called herself a “sick woman,” as she suffers from diabetes and severe arthritis.
As Radar extensively reported, Joe, 48, has filed a petition for review in federal court after his appeal was denied. He is taking desperate measures to stop his ordered deportation to his native Italy, including filing a lawsuit against the U.S. Attorney General.
Get the exclusive celebrity scoop on all the stars you love before any of your friends by subscribing to our new podcast Straight Shuter below! | {
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A brilliant late free-kick from the returning Neymar gave Brazil a 1-0 victory over Colombia in a bad-tempered World Cup rematch in Miami. Making his first start since suffering a fractured vertebra during the teams’ last encounter, which Brazil also won, Neymar curled a fine 25-yard effort into the top corner on 83 minutes. The strike gave new coach Dunga a deserved win to begin the rehabilitation process, following the nation’s World Cup heartache.
For the Colombians, who had Juan Cuadrado sent off for a second yellow card in one of the least friendly friendlies you’re likely to see, new Manchester United striker Radamel Falcao made a late cameo appearance and had a late header deflected over the bar. However, the winning goal was a just reward for the new Brazil skipper Neymar, who once again endured plenty of torrid tackling from the Colombians. The man who ended his World Cup dream, Camilo Zuniga, showed little remorse for that high knee with a couple of scything early challenges in a fiery opening.
Zuniga was among those yellow carded in a first half that saw six players enter the book. Despite the frequent assaults Neymar looked the liveliest for the Brazilians, after being awarded the armband in favour of Thiago Silva and David Luiz. The former Chelsea man was one of only four starting survivors from the 7-1 semi-final humiliation at the hands of Germany.
After a scrappy opening, Diego Tardelli had a tap in ruled out for offside as the Brazilians’ powerful running from midfield caused problems. Oscar squandered a great chance after he was played in by Chelsea team-mate Willian, weakly side-footing wide on 33 minutes, while Neymar also dragged a shot wide from a promising position. At the other end, Colombia’s World Cup star James Rodriguez was a peripheral figure, with the best efforts coming from Zuniga, who blasted a right foot effort inches over the bar, and Cuadrado, who had a long-range effort well stopped by Jefferson in the Brazil goal.
Neymar had a great chance to break the deadlock within minutes of the restart but his shot was well saved. Seconds later he was once again hacked down and Cuadrado received his second yellow card. The striker, missing that shaggy blonde hair, probably should have raided the Miami Dolphins’ equipment store for some pads before taking the field.
The Brazilians poured on the pressure following the dismissal and several promising openings were squandered. Dunga brought on Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho for his first appearance since making his debut in 2011, before the star attraction Falcao finally entered the fray, replacing Rodriguez with 13 minutes left. The Colombian fans, whom far outnumbered the Brazilians in Latin-enthused South Florida, erupted. However, other than the late chance Falcao was barely involved, as Neymar’s effort stole the show.
On another note, the near-capacity crowd of 73,429, which is likely to eclipse the attendance for Sunday’s Miami Dolphins opener against the New England Patriots, was the largest ever at a football match in Florida. That’s good news for a certain David Beckham, with the former England captain still struggling to convince that his plan to build a stadium for a Miami MLS team deserves some of the city’s most valuable real estate. Sadly for Beckham though, he’s unlikely to be able to call on the likes of Neymar, Falcao and Rodriguez every week. | {
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In the last decade, world bodies have been advocating the importance of healthy ageing and the enabling role played by PA and built environments (e.g., [81]). As a result, the number of published articles on the associations between built environmental attributes and older adults’ PA increased over three times since the last systematic review in 2011 [15]. Moreover, there was a greater percentage of articles from outside of North America, with notable increases in research conducted in Asia and Europe, which expanded the range of examined geographical settings and cultures. We undertook a systematic review and applied a meta-analytic procedure to statistically identify built environmental attributes related to total PA and total walking, stratifying by measurement method.
In general, while the findings from Van Cauwenberg and colleagues’ systematic review published in 2011 were inconclusive [15], we found strong evidence of positive associations between walkability, access to destinations and services, personal safety from crime and PA. Also, while the relatively small number of articles included in Van Cauwenberg and colleagues’ review [15] precluded the examination of differences in findings by measurement method, this review and meta-analysis revealed important differences in associations when using objective versus perceived measures of environmental attributes and when using self-report versus objective measures of PA. These new findings and their implications are discussed in detail below.
Built environmental correlates of older adults’ PA
Walkability and access to destinations/services
We found strong to very strong evidence supporting the benefits of neighbourhood walkability on total PA and walking, regardless of measurement method. Two of the three components comprising walkability were found to individually relate to PA: strong evidence supported the association between access to destinations and services and total PA, for both objective and perceived environmental and PA measurement types. Evidence was also found supporting the impact of access to destinations and services and residential density on total walking, particularly when these attributes were measured objectively. Our findings highlight the importance of having local neighbourhood destinations for older adults to not only walk to and walk around, but to also engage in other types of PA. Furthermore, local destinations may provide a location for social activity and engagement, potentially reducing risk of social isolation and loneliness [82].
Although easier access to destinations and services tend to be highly correlated with greater residential density [83], our findings suggest that walking may be the only type of PA positively related to residential density. High levels of residential density may not be conducive to other forms of active transport, such as cycling. One study has found that Flemish older adults living in urban areas were less likely to cycle everyday than those living in semi-urban (i.e., less dense) areas [84]. While walking is the most popular type of PA that older adults participate in [9], cycling is also a popular PA mode in European countries such as the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany, where cycling levels remain high even among older people [85]. Future research examining the differential influence of residential density on different types of PA as well as identifying the optimal threshold of density for supporting all types of PA will be important for informing planning policy and practice [86].
In terms of access to specific types of destinations in the neighbourhood, we found evidence supporting shops and commercial destinations, public transport, parks and public open space, and recreational facilities as possible facilitators of PA. No evidence was found for the seven other destination types examined. Overall, this is in line with the work of others who highlight that certain types of destinations may be more conducive to higher PA levels than other destination types [15, 27].
Shops/commercial destinations and public transport, particularly for objectively assessed measurement types, were positively associated with total walking and total PA, specifically self-reported measures of total PA. The importance of shops and commercial destinations for PA is consistent with findings highlighting that shopping is the most prevalent reason for older adults leaving their homes [87], and thus an important part of daily life. Therefore, ensuring neighbourhoods have ease of access to shops means that health-enhancing levels of PA can be incorporated into daily living. Availability and access to public transport not only facilitates PA levels but has the potential to also reduce car dependence [88] with co-benefits of environmental sustainability [89]. For older adults especially, access to public transport enables those who are not confident with driving or no longer able to drive to still travel outside of home, thus maintaining their mobility and reducing risk of loneliness [90].
We found strong to very strong evidence for parks and public open space and recreational facilities as correlates of total PA, particularly for self-reported types of measurement. This is consistent with findings in adults [91]. When comparing environmental measurement methods, evidence was found for positive associations between total PA and perceived, but not objectively assessed, access to parks, public open space and recreational facilities. Access to parks and public open space was also found to be positively associated with total walking. However, when comparing the environmental measurement type, it was the objectively assessed measures showing a positive association with total walking, not perceptions. Here, it should be noted that most of the objectively assessed positive findings were from studies based in Portland, USA [64, 92, 93], a city renowned for its walk-friendliness and management of parks in the presence of urban growth [94, 95]. Having accessible parks and public open space and recreational facilities in local areas may be beneficial beyond PA, as green spaces and visual cues of nature in parks may impart further psychological benefits on individuals [96, 97]. Moreover, both destinations provide an opportunity for fostering social connectedness/activities (e.g., a walk with friends in a park and a game of squash at a recreational facility).
Infrastructure and streetscape
Pedestrian-friendly infrastructure, particularly when measured objectively, was found to be positively associated with both total PA and total walking. This reflects qualitative [98] and experimental research [99] findings highlighting the importance of pavements/footpaths and other infrastructure, such as benches for resting, for older adults’ PA. Ensuring the provision of walk-friendly infrastructure, especially along routes to destinations within the neighbourhood, may be particularly pertinent. It is plausible that the relationship between walk-friendly infrastructure and PA may differ based on physical functionality. However, we identified only one study that had examined this, finding no difference in the associations [100].
We found evidence supporting a positive association between street lighting and total walking only. This highlights the importance of providing street lighting along pedestrian infrastructure so that its use is not dependent on the time of day. For older adults especially, ensuring neighbourhoods are well-lit at night may also contribute to a heightened sense of safety from crime [98]. This is because street lighting helps contribute to natural surveillance by allowing pedestrians to be seen.
We found no evidence of an association between pavement/footpath quality and PA. This is in contrast to qualitative research findings indicating quality of infrastructure to be particularly pertinent in facilitating PA among older adults [98, 99, 101]. Our findings may be explained by the diversity of measures used and/or lack of clear definition of pavement/footpath quality. For example, what constituted ‘footpath quality’ ranged from “curb quality” (objectively assessed) [47] to “quality and maintenance of sidewalks” (as perceived by study participants) [24].
Strong evidence supported the role of greenery and aesthetically pleasing scenery on levels of total PA (especially self-reported measurement types) and total walking. These findings are in line with recent research highlighting the importance of green, clean, and attractive neighbourhoods and streetscapes in facilitating PA [98, 102]. When stratifying by environmental measurement type, only perceived measures were found to be significant. Beyond facilitating PA, it is plausible that there are synergistic benefits of streetscape trees and vegetation, for example, in reducing urban heat island effect [103] and air pollution [104] – environmental factors linked with premature mortality [105] and global disease burden [106]. Following design principles of ‘tactical urbanism’, which are low cost interventions to make areas more attractive and pedestrian-friendly [107], environmental modifications such as planting trees and flora are micro-scale interventions that can be more easily implemented than macro-level interventions to street design and layout.
Safety
Safety from crime, especially when perceived measures were used, was found to be positively associated with total PA (primarily self-reported measures) and total walking. This adds to the evidence base as previous research in older adults has mostly shown inconsistent findings [31, 108]. Our findings are in line with the notion that perceptions of crime have more influence on behaviour (e.g., leaving the home) than objective crime rates [109]. This speaks in favour of interventions aimed at positively changing perceptions of safety (when appropriate) and encouraging older people to get out of home. This may be particularly important as the frequency of daily out of home trips is predictive of PA participation in this demographic [87].
Overall, we found no evidence to support the relationship between traffic-related safety and total PA and total walking. However, when only perceived measures of traffic safety were considered, there was evidence of a positive association with total walking only. It is possible that older adults may have no choice other than participating in walking near heavy neighbourhood traffic because they do not own a car and/or have limited access to public transport [73]. It may be that a substantial amount of walking and PA in older adults comes from actively travelling to and from destination-rich areas where traffic is typically heavy [27].
Differences in built environmental correlates by type of PA measurement method
We found more significant environmental correlates for self-reported PA than for objectively measured PA. One reason for this may relate to common method bias associated with self-reported PA and environmental attributes – systematic error variance introduced by measurement methods that do not accurately assess the constructs they represent and may be due to factors such as social desirability [110]. Another reason may be that the environmental attributes measured in these studies primarily influence walking behaviours that may be more easily measured by self-reports than by accelerometry. An additional reason may relate to issues with the accelerometry-based operationalisation of older adults’ MVPA. Sixteen of the 28 reviewed articles reporting objective PA findings used accelerometer cut-points and half of those applied an MVPA cut-point of 1952 accelerometer counts per min derived for adults [111]. As older adults have a lower MVPA cut-point due to lower resting metabolic rates [112], using the adult accelerometer cut-point likely resulted in lower estimates of MVPA, potentially masking associations. To accurately classify different intensities of older adults’ PA, future research using objectively assessed PA should be underpinned by appropriate cut-points.
Differences in built environmental correlates by type of environmental measurement method
Overall, there were numerous differences in the associations between built environmental attributes and total PA and walking, based on type of environmental measure. Attributes that can be classed within the functional (e.g., pedestrian infrastructure) and destination domains in Pikora’s framework tended to be significantly related to PA when objectively assessed [113]. In contrast, those attributes that fall within the safety and aesthetics domains were associated with PA when perceived measures were used. This may be explained by attributes within safety and aesthetics domains being more subjective in their interpretation and thus depend on perceptions that may vary greatly between individuals. Attributes related to function and destinations are more objective and, hence, are associated with lower levels of interpersonal differences in perceptions (e.g., a pavement is either present or it is not).
Effects were generally stronger for associations between the perceived environment and PA, which is consistent with previous research [114]. Unlike the objective environment, perceptions of the same neighbourhood environment can greatly differ across individuals due to differences in socio-demographics (e.g., socioeconomic status), preference, experience, culture and/or amount of walking in the neighbourhood [30]. Regular walkers may have more accurate perceptions of their local environments. Moreover, perceived measures often define neighbourhood in terms of time to reach a destination (e.g., 10–20 min’ walk from home) [40, 41], rather than set distances (e.g., objective 400 m home-centred buffers), and therefore may be more closely aligned with the individual and their own definition of ‘neighbourhood’.
Implications for future research and planning policy/practice
Socio-ecological models of health behaviour underpin the majority of research undertaken in the built environment and PA field. One of the key tenets of this approach is its emphasis on the importance of behaviour specificity [12], and for PA this means considering the domain in which PA was accrued. While taking a behavioural perspective allows for the pathways or mechanisms through which the built environment influences PA to be understood, it is possible that built environmental attributes may relate differently to different behaviours [115]. Instead, a public health perspective examining built environmental attributes associated with total PA focuses on the identifications of environmental attributes enabling health-enhancing levels of PA, which is accrued across all domains. Notably, nearly all built environmental correlates of older adults’ total PA were also identified as being environmental correlates of either active transport [27] and/or leisure-time PA [116], thus explaining the behavioural pathways through which the built form impacts on total levels of PA. There was one exception, however, with crime/personal safety being positively associated with total PA, but no evidence found for a relationship with either active transport [27] or leisure-time PA [116]. Other behavioural or psychosocial factors may explain the associations between crime/personal safety and total PA. Given the medium to strong evidence of these associations, it is especially important for future research to unpack the mechanisms through which crime/personal safety relates to total health-enhancing PA in order to better inform the implementation of suitable interventions. For example, a better understanding of fear of crime and assessment of the emotional rather than cognitive response to crime may be warranted [108]. Moderators of the relationship between safety and PA that warrant further consideration may include self-efficacy and physical functioning/capacity [117].
Research design issues
Longitudinal and quasi-experimental studies are needed to establish causal relationships between the built environment and PA. Insofar as possible, future research designs would also benefit from assessing and adjusting for residential self-selection to account for biases at the individual level (e.g., an older adult who enjoys PA or chooses to live near a park) and thus enabling, to a certain extent, the controlling of reverse causation. The findings of this review may help inform researchers involved with natural experiments on what environmental attributes to measure, given the environmental manipulation itself will be out of their control.
Better quality research may also come from conceptually-driven choices of built environmental attributes and validated PA measures. Where accelerometer cut-points and the classification of older adults’ PA intensities are concerned, it is important that the thresholds for moderate intensity activity are appropriate (e.g., 1013 counts per min [112]). Applying suggestions such as these also allows for the possibility of pooling data across countries. For example, there has been evidence of curvilinearity related to perceived access to destinations and services and objectively assessed MVPA in a multi-country study of adults [31]. This finding was only possible because of the use of comparable environmental exposure and PA outcome measures across a large range of diverse geographical locations combined with a high variability in exposures across countries (another issue that future research may care to address). Thus, the multi-country pooling of data based on valid, comparable measures are needed to address issues surrounding limited variability in environmental exposures and non-linear associations between exposures and PA outcomes. Other statistical analysis decisions such as adjusting for key socio-demographic covariates (i.e., age, sex, and education), and not categorising continuous environmental measures would contribute to improving the quality of future research designs.
Strengths and limitations of this review and meta-analysis
This systematic review and meta-analysis has several strengths. It addressed publication bias by including both peer-reviewed scientific articles and grey literature. It provided a quantitative synthesis of associations based on non-standardised environmental and PA measurement instruments and stratified findings by measurement types. It incorporated an extensive article quality assessment into the meta-analytical procedure and, therefore, adjusted the synthesis of evidence for study methodology quality. Limitations include: (1) not accounting for potentially correlated findings from the same article; (2) an inability to account for potential moderating effects of neighbourhood size and definition; (3) using a meta-analytic method that relied on statistical significance testing rather than effect size estimates and, thus, likely underestimating the evidence of environment-PA associations; and (4) including only articles published in English. | {
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Yves Boisvert is a columnist with La Presse.
Now that the "Charter of Quebec Values" is dead, are we going to introduce mandatory testing of Quebec-ness for immigrants?
The proposal advanced Monday by the Coalition Avenir Québec looks to be illegal, unconstitutional and above all, economically and socially stupid. But it is nonetheless testimony to a troubling shift in Quebec nationalism.
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From 1976 to 2007, Quebec was essentially two-party territory, with the federalist Liberals and the independence-minded Parti Québécois trading places in the National Assembly.
Because of the stigma attached to ethnic nationalism, the PQ was cautious to present an open and progressive version of it and to condemn any form of xenophobia in its ranks.
Then came a new brand of nationalists, the Action Démocratique du Québec. After splitting from the Liberals, the ADQ branded itself as "autonomist" – against separation, but not totally federalist. The party stunned observers by becoming the official opposition in the province's 2007 election, leaving the PQ back near the curtains.
How did the ADQ do it? By surfing on the back of the "reasonable accommodation" crisis. After many incendiary and ill-reported stories in the news media, many people came to believe that immigrants and religious minorities got special treatment in Quebec. The day would soon come, it seemed to some, when ham and oreilles de crisse (fried pork rind) would be banned from sugar shacks.
Most of the ADQ's 41 MNAs proved vastly incompetent and were kicked out at the next election. Nevertheless, 2007 was a trauma for the PQ, long Quebec's identity champions. The modern, urban approach advocated by then-leader André Boisclair had to be dropped.
Look at Prime Minister Stephen Harper, many PQ strategists advised – he doesn't try to please the "flat white" crowd. He tours Canada from one Tim Hortons to the next. And while we were trying to befriend Montreal's ethnic communities, the ADQ was stealing our brand in the regions, they said.
Meanwhile, the Liberal government commissioned two respected academics, Gérard Bouchard and Charles Taylor, to assess the situation. They concluded that the crisis was one of perception, especially among Quebeckers who were not in regular contact with immigrants or minorities. The reality was that the province's cultures live very well together.
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Liberals thought this was finally over and did not apply the commission's recommendations. PQ intellectuals and party members proposed different initiatives, such as a "Quebec citizenship," but let this controversial stuff sit mostly on the back burner during the next campaign.
I remember a discussion with a pollster during the 2012 provincial election. Focus groups revealed that the perception of "unreasonable accommodation" was still on many voters' minds, even though the parties had dropped it.
This is what inspired the values charter, and what is now driving CAQ Leader François Legault's proposals.
Mr. Legault, a businessman and former PQ industry minister, must know that Quebec lost 25 per cent of its immigrants between 2003 and 2012. He must know that the ones who departed are among the most skilled and best trained. He must know that his proposals to have newcomers tested on their history and French skills can't stand legally.
But the fight is on to form the alternative to the Liberals. And since the public finance reform agenda has been claimed by the Liberals, identity politics is the battlefield. | {
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Band: Wigrid
Album: Entfremdungsmoment
Label: Bleeding Heart Nihilist Productions
Genre: Depressive / Atmospheric Black Metal
Country: Germany
Release Date: September 11th, 2019
Music aficionados like myself have to deal with the fact that there’s way more music than anyone’ll ever get to listen to. We take pleasure in exploring various genres and styles, keeping up with what’s new and always looking for that album that’ll sit just right with us, or hell, just be an interesting listen all in all. While it may feel depressing at that moment you realize you’ll never get to listen to it all, it’s actually this context of such a huge spectrum of music that enables our infinite exploration, and as the old cheesy adage goes, the journey is more important than the destination.
Such spirit of constant search has a special place within black metal. It not only often revels in obscurity, having a special penchant for thing like only releasing your record on a limited cassette run, but also has a strong “bedroom” scene with a plethora of musicians releasing personal projects on the internet with zero promotion or real distribution. It’s fertile ground for listeners to scrounge among the endless releases, like an occultist researching the dark arts. Wigrid might be counted as one of those gems whose discovery is highly sought by such explorers. Releasing two albums in 2002 and 2005, it was never really a well-known name. But unlike a lot of obscure black metal, it wasn’t amateur dreck, but real quality stuff.
Those albums were “Hoffnungstod” and the later “Die Asche Eines Lebens”. Cursory knowledge of German tells you what we’re dealing with here – “Death of hope” and “The ashes of a life”. It’s depressive black metal through and through, and very apt at draining your soul and will to live, like it’s supposed to. The first one was very clearly drenched in Burzum-worship and its legacy of “A Lost Forgotten Sad Spirit”, as well as Varg’s penchant for garnishing the sound with synths, which Ulfhednir, the sole creator of the music, took very seriously. But “Die Asche Eines Lebens” switched up the formula, trading the aggressive second-wave black metal sound for a much softer one. If “Hoffnungstod” was raging despair, this one was defeated despair. I’d even go as far as saying it was way ahead of its time with its nigh-blackgaze sound.
Now where does “Entfremdungsmoment”, released nearly 15 years later sit? On the first listen it’s clear that stylistically it sits squarely between the original two albums. The almost catatonic sound of “Die Asche” is exchanged for a much more powerful production (and cleaner indeed) closer to “Hoffnungstod”, but the songwriting and instrumentation is much closer to the later album. It’s still got all of “Die Asche’s” tricks, with it’s post-punkish mid-pace tempo, strong emphasis on texture, slow melodic leads and synths assisting the whole thing.
While the album is clearly rooted in Wigrid’s past, these 15 years haven’t been for naught. As I mentioned, the production is clearly much more advanced than the old bedroom style, louder and clearer. The drums are human this time, the guitars much thicker. But it’s not such a huge switch that I’d go as far as calling the production “modern”. In fact, I think Ulfhednir struck a perfect balance between using the improved techniques available to him and sticking to his old stylings. Basically using new tools to make his old vision stand much brighter.
And that’s a particular thing I like about this album, other than of course the fact that it’s solid DSBM through and through. It’s still based in the stylings that were prominent during the mid-00’s, but using contemporary techniques, it presents older, but no less great, ideas to a new generation. Hopefully this will inspire some to look back at the history of black metal and dig-up inspiration from the greats of 2000’s, many which are unduly ignored today.
Rating: 7.5/10
Tracklist:
1. Entzirkulation
2. Schemenfragment
3. Zugangsbarriere
4. Zerruettungsprozess
5. Lebenserfahrung
6. Entfremdungsmoment
Total Playing Time: 56:12
Click here to visit Wigrid’s Bandcamp | {
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Sous Vide Equipment Holiday Gift Guide
Types of Sous Vide Equipment
Popular Standalone Units
Tribest Sousvant SV-101
Sous Vide Supreme Demi Water Oven
Popular Immersion Circulators
Anova Precision Cooker
Gourmia Immersion Sous Vide Pod
Sous Vide Accessories
Overall
Over the years, consumers have experimented with a wide array of different cooking techniques. While each has its own set of pros and cons, the sous vide method of cooking is deemed by many to be the best choice. Through this form of cooking, the edibles are stored in airtight bags and placed in a water bath. Alternatively, the bags may also be cooked in a controlled steam environment.Typically, the temperatures remain between 131 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit for a specified duration. The objective is to ensure the inside of the food is cooked evenly with the outside. This guarantees optimum moisture, while also reducing the chance of burning the food's exterior. Truly, sous vide equipment can make an excellent gift for almost any member of your family.Once your loved one has familiarized him or herself with the sous vide cooking basics , they'll fall in love with the equipment. And, they may never use the stove or oven ever again.There are two primary types of Sous Vide equipment, the stand-alone unit and immersion circulator. Both of these units work efficiency, with the operation processes being very similar. To help better understand these machines, each is broken down further.The stand-alone unit does not require any extra equipment, which is why it is highly preferred. This unit provides innumerable benefits, with one of the most notable being quick and easy cleanup. The food items are placed inside of a vacuum-sealed bag and then placed into the cooking chamber. Preset the cooking mode and timer and before long, you will be able to enjoy a healthy, delicious meal.The immersion circulator is a very unique cooking unit that requires an additional pot. The setup is virtually the same as the stand-alone unit, but the sealed vacuum bag is placed in the cooking pot, along with the immersion circulator. The cleanup process is slightly more difficult, but to achieve an enjoyable meal, it will be worth it.When comparing the two cooking machines, the functionality is virtually the same. The only recognizable difference is the design, but the end results will be the same, a perfectly cooked, delicious meal.The market is over-saturated with excellent standalone units. Nonetheless, a few have managed to excel far beyond their competitors. Below, you will learn a little about the two most popular standalone units on the market.The Tribest Sousvant SV-101 is truly the perfect combination of beauty, functionality and simplicity. The all-in-one design ensures the unit is cost-effective and this makes it a great gift regardless of your budget. The unit's digital display makes sous vide cooking straightforward and uncomplicated. With a few minutes of fidgeting and reading the included manual, anyone will be able to operate this unit efficiently.The Tribest Sousvant is immensely easy to maintain and it features a handy safety indicator. If power is interrupted, the user will know about it. This ensures unsafe food can be cooked more thoroughly before being served. The insulated housing will prove to be much safer than immersion circulators. Finally, the unit is protected by a 2-warranty. This guarantees it will serve your loved one for many years to come.Those looking for an excellent alternative would be wise to check out the Sous Vide Supreme Demi Water Oven. The product is available in two individualistic color schemes, which ensure your gift will satisfy the receiver's design preferences. The unit operates silently, so it can be used any time of the day or night without any problems whatsoever.Utilization of the Sous Vide Supreme Demi Water Oven is truly simplistic. The user can simply configure the settings and leave things be until the cooking process has concluded. Cleanup is also very easy. Just give the interior a good scrubbing and you're good to go. For added peace of mind, the product is covered by a 1-year warranty.While some consumers will prefer a standalone unit, there are some benefits associated with immersion circulators. If you believe your loved one will be better served by an immersion circulator, you will want to check out the popular models below.The Anova Precision Cooker is a highly innovative immersion circulator, which will put a smile on anyone's face. The product's Wi-Fi and Bluetooth compatibility makes it possible for the gift receiver to prepare their food from almost anywhere in the world. The associated mobile application gives the user complete control over the cooker's heat and timer settings.At the same time, the user will receive alerts via their phone. To make the product even more compelling, you can guarantee the Anova Precision Cooker will be suitable for anyone. No additional equipment is necessary, so it is truly a suitable gift for each member of your family.The Gourmia Immersion Pod is a slightly more affordable alternative with a little added personalization. The product is available in several unique color schemes to ensure you can find one that suits each of your loved ones. This immersion circulator is equipped with a convenient clip attachment, which ensures it will remain secured to the pot at all times.Utilization of the Gourmia couldn't be easier. The user can simply adjust the dial and wait for the cooking process to finish. While the Gourmia Sous Vide Pod doesn't feature the Wi-Fi functionality, it is much more affordable and it will get the job done. It is truly no coincidence that it is one of the most popular immersion circulations on the market.The Sous Vide cooking machine will be the most prominent equipment in a kitchen. Every cooking enthusiast, culinarian or professional chef will want to complete his or her cooking gear with Sous Vide accessories. The vacuum bags are a must, since they play a huge role in the cooking process. These bags are designed out of BPA-free materials, so there will never be need to worry about consuming harmful toxins.A vacuum sealer is a necessity and the Sous Vide cooking method provides consumers with two sealing system options. The manual hand pump, with clips is simplistic, but capable of sealing the vacuum bags to perfection. However, if the desire is to complete the process in a time manner, the automatic vacuum sealing system should be on the agenda.Christmas will be here before you know. Now that you have ingested the information above, you should have a good gift idea for at least one member of your family. Before going any further, you may want to check out the sous vide holiday gift guide . Remember that standalone units and immersion circulators have a few differentials, but they're also very similar.At the same time, there are numerous factors to consider when attempting to invest in one of these units. To ensure you make the best possible choice, it is recommended that you check out the comprehensive buying guide . Doing so will provide you with further insight to these products, their features, and the different models available.While you're at it, you may also want to consider slipping an accessory or two under your friend's Christmas tree. Put in the effort and learn about these machines a little more thoroughly. This will give you the upper hand and help ensure you put a smile on the receiver's face! | {
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The Iowa Democratic Party chairman is stepping down, he announced Wednesday, eight days after the Iowa caucuses became a national fiasco for the Democrats.
"The fact is that Democrats deserved better than what happened on caucus night. As chair of this party, I am deeply sorry for what happened and bear the responsibility for any failures on behalf of the Iowa Democratic Party," Troy Price wrote in his resignation letter to the State Central Committee.
"While it is my desire to stay in this role and see this process through to completion, I do believe it is time for the Iowa Democratic Party to begin looking forward, and my presence in my current role makes that more difficult."
The Iowa Democratic Party, or IDP, put out the reporting totals in fits and spurts in the days after the caucuses. Results were delayed by what Price said were "coding issues" with a smartphone app that was being used to help tabulate results in the contest for the first time.
That wasn't the only issue. The caucus results were also rife with potential errors and inconsistencies that could affect the outcome, according to a review by the NBC News Decision Desk.
Both Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg claimed victory, and the confusion resulted in delegates' not being awarded until Friday — three days after the election. Buttigieg was awarded 14 delegates and Sanders 12.
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The Democratic National Committee and the Sanders and Buttigieg campaigns have asked for a recanvass of certain areas, essentially a double-checking of the vote. The party said earlier Wednesday that the recanvass would begin Sunday and would last two days.
The mess has led some Democrats to call for doing away with caucuses altogether.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly mocked the Democrats for the vote counting mess, and he did again earlier on Wednesday. "We were actually able to quickly count our votes. We knew within minutes after the poll how many votes we had, unlike the Democrats," he told reporters at the White House during a meeting with Ecuador's president.
While Price accepted ultimate responsibility for what happened, he said in his resignation letter that there's plenty of blame to go around.
"There is no doubt that the process of reporting results did not work. It was simply unacceptable," he said. "It is why I called for an independent review of the decisions and processes that lead to this failure. While this process is just beginning, know that the IDP is not the only party to blame for what happened last week. We worked collaboratively with our partners, our vendors, and the DNC in this process, and I am confident the review will be able to determine exactly what went wrong, what went right, and how we can avoid this from ever happening again."
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Price also defended his staff's handling of the caucus fallout, saying they "worked under immense pressure" and endured "threats to personal safety, taunts, and anger from people around the globe."
"These are people who are working hard towards our common goal of electing Democrats in November, and I deeply regret that these dedicated employees of our party had to endure such abuse," he said.
Price was asked whether he would step down on the night of the caucuses when it became clear that the results were a mess. He said his focus was on completing the count.
The party will meet Saturday to elect an interim chair. | {
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Italy’s constitutional court has ruled it was not always a crime to help someone in “intolerable suffering” kill themselves, opening the way for a change of law in the Catholic country.
Parliament is now expected to debate the matter, which was highlighted by the Milan trial of an activist who helped a tetraplegic man die in Switzerland.
Anyone who “facilitates the suicidal intention … of a patient kept alive by life-support treatments and suffering from an irreversible pathology” should not be punished under certain conditions, the top court ruled.
The court was asked to rule on the case of Fabiano Antoniani, known as DJ Fabo, a music producer, traveller and motocross driver left tetraplegic and blind by a 2014 traffic accident.
Marco Cappato, a member of Italy’s Radical party, drove Antoniani to Switzerland in February 2017 where he was helped to die, aged 40.
Helping or instigating someone’s suicide is currently punishable by between five and 12 years in prison in Italy.
Cappato hailed the ruling in a tweet: “Those who are in Fabo’s condition have the right to be helped. From today we are all more free, even those who disagree. It is a victory of civil disobedience, while the (political) parties turned their heads away”.
The Italian Episcopal Conference expressed its “discontent and distance” from the court’s decision, quoting Pope Francis who on Friday spoke out against assisted suicide and euthanasia.
“We can and we must reject the temptation, which is also favoured by legislative changes, to use medicine to satisfy a sick person’s possible wish to die,” the pope said.
The Italian bishops asked for lawmakers to “recognise these values” when debating the matter.
Beppino Englaro, who was involved in a 2008 court battle to end the life of his daughter Eluana due to her being in a vegetative state, hailed Cappato as “a pioneer who opened the way to establishing a right”.
The court said that a patient’s condition must be “causing physical and psychological suffering that he or she considers intolerable”. Following approval of the decision by a local ethical committee, public health authorities should verify all conditions are met.
The head of the powerful Catholic Doctors Association (AMCI), Filippo Boscia, announced the “conscientious objection” of its members and slammed “a slide towards euthanasia and a violation of our professional code”.
Italy’s Coscioni Association said that more than 800 Italians had said on their “SOS Euthanasia” website that they would like to die through assisted suicide.
Far-right leader Matteo Salvini, who strives to appeal to Catholic voters and frequently kisses his rosary at rallies, said he was “opposed to state-sponsored suicide imposed by the law”.
Leftwing MP Nicola Fratoianni tweeted: “After the ruling, there are no more alibis: parliament should be capable of making a law of freedom for those who ask for self-determination and dignity for their lives.”
The court had since Tuesday been re-examining the question of legalising assisted suicide after it gave parliament last October a one-year deadline to fill a legal void on the thorny issue, but MPs have not done so.
“The current legal framework concerning the end of life deprives specific situations … of adequate protection,” the court wrote last year.
Cappato turned himself in to Italian authorities after his “act of civil disobedience” to highlight what he saw as an unjust law.
He pointed out that assisted suicide was reserved for those with the physical and financial means to travel to Switzerland, where it is legal.
“I feel like I’m in a cage. I would like to choose to die without suffering,” Antoniani wrote to the Italian president, Sergio Mattarella, before his death in Switzerland.
A Milan court is trying Cappato on the charge of “instigating or assisting suicide”, but asked the constitutional court to clarify the current law. He is likely to be acquitted following the constitutional court’s decision. | {
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Following the starlet’s portrayal in “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” back in 1989, Keanu Reeves has soared high above the escalation with a commemorative streak in the later phase touching the bygone breakthrough in all its pangs. Yes, that was a climacteric start in the world of movies which paved the way for infinite commendations across the wide-ranging censorious greetings.
Among all films, 10 of the best acclaims have seen huge appreciations from the critiques.
1. In “Toy Story 4” (2019), Reeves imparted his voice to Duke Caboom in the character of Canadian daredevil toy that received astounding glorification from those analytics who even thought that Pixar had run out of span with the movie’s persona.
2. In the period film “Speed,” Reeves in the shoe of Jack Traven, has starred as a bomb-squad specialist caught in the chase of an ambiguous bomber scripted in a galvanic flick and enthralling intrigue evened by an alluring cast.
3. The drama “Dangerous Liaisons” stars Reeves as the opponent beau rival Chevalier Danceny winning praise for a witty script and fast-moving plot twiddles.
4. Reeves has produced and explored digital filmdom within a greater milieu of a film archive in the documentary “Side by Side” where copious Hollywood directors like David Fincher, Martin Scorsese, and James Cameron have been interviewed.
5. In the family-inclined comedy “Parenthood,” Keanu plays Julie ‘s frazzled boyfriend Tod striking a humorous chord among the audience.
6. In the cabaret “Always Be My Maybe” (2019), Keanu Reeves burlesques himself in the profile of a renowned actor whom famed cuisine, Sasha dates. The Netflix original farce combined distinctive gladdening junctures in a clever touch.
7. In, “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum” Reeves has picked up as the fabled executioner John Wick from the last chapter of the action prerogative, who’s caught up in the pursuit of life from the federation of qualified assassins that he served previously. The franchise was highly suggested by the film commentators for its immaculate cinematics and brawling gestures.
8. In “Much Ado About Nothing” (1993), Kenneth Branagh’s adaptation of the Shakespearean play, Reeves plays Don John captivating the ethos of an archetypal comedy and capitulated triumphing performances.
9. In the incessant stimulating drive of “John Wick: Chapter 2,” epochal hatchet man John Wick (Reeves) discovers himself amidst a gore deficit that obligates him to aid an old ally capturing the killers’ guild.
10. In “The Matrix,” Reeves plays Neo, a cubicle-bound office worker experienced in hacking, that brings him close to an enigmatic fellow named Morpheus.
Like the best of the lot, a bunch of the Keanu starrer have also been down-rated by critics. And here goes the lot-
1. Starring as Kai in “47 Ronin,” Reeves happens to be a player in 47 samurai where the cast despite its pioneering talent ultimately came out dull.
2. In the self-deceptive conundrum like “Chain Reaction,” Reeves in the mask of Eddie Kasalivich fell short of some hectic driving moments.
3. Reeves playing Nelson Moss in the picturesque drama “Sweet November” was stunningly effusive who was figured out to be a mismatch with his lover Sarah Dever (Charlize Theron).
4. Reeves camouflaged in the name of Jjaks in “Feeling Minnesota” downplayed a reclaimed plot with insubstantial characters.
5. Reeves as Johnny in “Johnny Mnemonic” was depicted in a dopey plot when it came to be identified as a science-fiction.
6. Keanu playing Lucas Hill in “Siberia” had a disjointed anecdote.
7. In the “The Watcher,” a crime thriller Reeves plays a fleeting serial killer where the screenplay came out clumsy with mediocre direction.
8. In the sci-fi drama “Replicas,” Reeves as the biologist Will Foster was a big mess in reviving the lost lives of his close ones.
9. Keanu as the police officer, Scott Galvan in an enigmatic film like “Exposed” drove the audience silly in his pursuit of truth.
10. Last but the least decadence has been Reeves as John in “Generation Um…” who led the movie into a merely sloppy hit, relatively lacking the anticipation of going forth.
Stay updated with all the latest celebrity news, follow Wat-Not on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram | {
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WHEN DID YOU realize your textbooks lied to you?
I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and was homeschooled by my mother, the wife of a conservative Christian pastor. I didn’t think too much about my education until the 2016 election when I became increasingly alarmed by the enthusiastic support white evangelicals gave to Donald Trump. When Trump ascended into office, riding in on the phrase “Make America Great Again,” my memory was pricked. I had heard all this before.
To check it out, I obtained two history textbooks that I had used growing up. In 1999, when I was a sophomore in high school, 1.7 percent of the U.S. population was homeschooled. By 2012, the percentage had doubled. When I was homeschooled, there were three prominent curriculum producers for Christian homeschooling: Abeka Press, Bob Jones University Press, and Accelerated Christian Education. Abeka remains the most popular. Officials at Abeka, according to the Orlando Sentinel, would not say how many textbooks the company sells or release the number of schools that use their curriculum, but said that “it is safe to say that millions of students” have used the materials. | {
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“It’s about a dangerous virus that infects an office building and this virus allows people to lose their inhibitions,” the filmmaker said. “It’s basically cranking all your emotions up to 11. Derek, played by Steven, gets fired that morning, before a quarantine is set in the building, and no one can leave for eight hours. So, being stuck there, having just been fired, and now with this virus coursing through his veins, he decides I’m getting my f–king job back, by any means necessary. It’s a real genre mashup between thriller, and action, and horror, and sci-fi, and even a little bit of satire in it too, which is really really exciting to me.” | {
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This is a serious question that has been bothering me. We all know that in most vampire lore, a vampire cannot enter a house without an invitation. It's like an unbreakable barrier. But what would happen if you used a transporter, like on the U.S.S. Enterprise, to beam a vampire inside a house, uninvited?
We need to figure this out now, before this situation comes up in real life. Help me out here, people! | {
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I sipped at a drink and smoked cigarettes in a silence so profound that I could hear the susurrus of the blindfold's soft fabric rustle and slip between my fingers. | {
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Article content
It was another case of the good, the bad and the ugly for the B.C. Lions on Saturday night but, while they took the scenic route getting there, they ended up in the same place.
The Lions are now 1-9 and if hard questions aren’t being asked about the Ed Hervey-DeVone Claybrooks administration, someone isn’t doing their job.
We apologize, but this video has failed to load.
tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Lions 10, Tiger-Cats 13: What we learned: It's not that they lost, but how they lost Back to video
Here’s what we learned from the Lions 13-10 loss before, ahem, 16,751 fans at B.C. Place.
Photo by Gerry Kahrmann / PNG
Offensive line simply offensive
Despite controlling the clock for almost 20 minutes of the first half while gaining over 200 yards in total offence, the Lions found themselves in a 3-3 tie after 30 minutes.
Apparently that wasn’t good enough for the Lions’ coaching staff. On a second and four from their own 37, the Leos attempted a shovel pass out of punt formation to Ryan Lankford which was squashed by the Ticats.
Seven plays later Ticats backup quarterback David Watford carried over from the one-yard line on third down, giving the visitors a 10-3 lead they wouldn’t relinquish. | {
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Nick Viergever is de belangrijkste gegadigde om Jan Vertonghen op te volgen bij Ajax. De Belgische captain van de landskampioen tekent komende week bij Tottenham Hotspur en de linksbenige verdediger van AZ moet hem doen vergeten in De Arena.
Ajax en The Spurs waren het al eerder eens over de transfersom van 10 miljoen euro plus eventuele bonussen van 2 miljoen. De Amsterdammers hebben nu ook een akkoord bereikt met Vertonghen. Contractueel had de 37-voudig international recht op 15 procent van de gehele transfersom, dus ook als die zou oplopen naar 12 miljoen.
Nu neemt Vertonghen genoegen met 15 procent van 10 miljoen euro en kan hij naar Londen vertrekken. Viergever is bezig aan zijn tweede seizoen in Alkmaar en kwam de afgelopen voetbaljaargang tot 30 competitieduels en twee goals. De bij Sparta Rotterdam opgeleide linkspoot is 22 jaar en moet 5 miljoen euro kosten.
Oussama Assaidi is op weg naar Galatasaray. De vleugelaanvaller van sc Heerenveen kon de afgelopen periode kiezen uit diverse aanbiedingen, maar heeft besloten zijn carrière voort te zetten bij de Turkse topclub. Volgens De Telegraaf krijgen de Friezen meer dan 4 miljoen euro voor de Marokkaanse flankspeler.
De ochtendkrant schrijft ook dat Jonathan de Guzman naar Swansea City kan. De middenvelder degradeerde afgelopen jaar met Villarreal uit de Primera División en wil weg bij zijn club. Bij Swansea zwaait Michael Laudrup de scepter. De Deense trainer werkte twee seizoenen geleden bij Real Mallorca samen met De Guzman.
Clarence Seedorf is opgedoken in de Verenigde Staten. De Nederlander beëindigde onlangs zijn verblijf bij AC Milan, maar heeft de knoop over het vervolg van zijn carrière nog niet doorgehakt. De afgelopen dagen trainde hij mee bij LA Galaxy, zo zag ESPN. Volgens zijn zaakwaarnemer neemt zijn 36-jarige cliënt na het weekend een besluit.
Alexander Büttner kan zijn loopbaan vervolgen in de Premier League. De verdediger van Vitesse heeft de belangstelling gewekt van Queens Park Rangers, Fulham en Southampton. The Daily Mirror schrijft dat Büttner ook naar de Bundesliga kan, want Werder Bremen heeft zich eveneens gemeld voor de 23-jarige linksback. | {
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About 60 percent of Minneapolis homeowners could see a higher property tax bill as a result of Mayor Betsy Hodges’ proposed 2017 budget, based on preliminary estimates released Monday by city staff members.
City Council members peppered finance staffers with questions at an initial hearing on the budget, presaging concerns that may resurface as the council wades deeper into the plan this fall. Some asked for more detail about the tax effect on homeowners and apartments, while one questioned the need for some proposed spending increases.
Hodges’ proposed $1.32 billion budget for 2017 spends 7.6 percent more than this year. It adds about 59 new employees, or 148 after factoring in hires for one-time construction projects.
The mayor has proposed a 5.5 percent increase in the amount the city collects in property taxes, $16.3 million more, largely to cover increased spending from the city’s general fund. The discretionary general fund accounts for about a third of the city’s overall budget.
Since the levy is spread out over the entire tax base — across residential, commercial and apartment properties — the effect on individual properties depends on a variety of factors, including whether a property is increasing in value.
But early analysis by city staff members shows that about 40 percent of just over 100,000 residential properties in the city would see flat or decreasing taxes, while about 60 percent would see an increase. Precise numbers weren’t released, but charts showed that nearly 35 percent of homeowners might see their property tax bill rise more than 5 percent.
“What’s surprising about this is the number of homes that are in the greater than 5 percent increase” category, said Council Member Andrew Johnson, who asked for more detail about homes seeing increases significantly higher than 5 percent.
Increases will be felt differently in different areas. Data released earlier this year from the city assessor’s office show that home values are rising fastest in several neighborhoods with expensive properties, such as Marcy Holmes, the North Loop and Nicollet Island-East Bank, as well as lower-cost areas hit by the foreclosure crisis, such as Midtown Phillips, McKinley and Phillips West.
“A 5 percent increase on very high-value homes is different than a 5 percent increase on very low-value homes,” said Council Member Lisa Bender. “Just in terms of the real dollar amounts that people are spending on property taxes.”
A single-family home at the median value of $190,500 paid about $1,108 in city property taxes this year.
Apartment values are also rising dramatically, however, and increased property taxes are generally passed on to tenants through higher rents. About half of the city’s population is renters. Council Member Jacob Frey asked for more detail about how the budget would affect apartment properties.
Council Member Lisa Goodman questioned the need for the general-fund increase. “There’s no real explanation for why we need $13 million more in spending, other than we want it,” Goodman said.
Hodges has proposed about $6.7 million in new, ongoing general fund spending, about $3.7 million of which would go to public safety. Offsetting the boost would be $2 million savings in reduced health care costs.
Hodges has also proposed another $7 million in one-time general fund spending that would include $2.6 million for affordable housing, plus new money for an Inclusive Engagement Action Team, Creative City Making and the Climate Action Plan. Another $500,000 was budgeted toward the operating reserve of the new Downtown East Commons park.
“There’s many good things in here,” Goodman said. “Some of them, though, are not totally necessary.”
The city’s chief financial officer, Mark Ruff, said that the one-time expenses are largely being funded out of the city’s fund balance, so cutting them would not necessarily reduce the city’s property tax levy.
Individual departments will present their budgets starting Sept. 22, and the budget is scheduled to be adopted on Dec. 7.
Twitter: @StribRoper | {
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Early one morning in mid-May, 39 people, mostly garment factory workers, crammed into a 15-seat minivan in Cambodia. It was a journey they made every day, traveling from their rural community in the southeast of the country to a sprawling industrial zone about 20 miles away, where they made clothes for various major western brands.
Except this time, they didn't make it to work. Less than an hour after they set out, a speeding tourist bus pulled out of the opposite lane and smashed into the van head on, killing 15 of those on board instantly. Three more died within hours and another died in intensive care a few days later.
The dead, mostly young women, served as a grim illustration of the perils faced by the half a million people employed in Cambodia's garment trade, which generates an estimated $6 billion per year. While the exploitative conditions and dire safety standards in the southeast Asian clothing industry have been much publicized, what workers have to do to get to and from the factories is actually more dangerous than anything they undergo while they are inside them.
'We see pigs transported in the same manner here'
Factory workers earning just a few dollars a day have little choice but to pile into minivans or flatbed trucks often driven by unlicensed drivers on dangerous roads, every morning and night. A study released earlier this year by the Cambodian Ministry of Labor's National Social Security Fund reported 73 garment workers died in crashes during their commutes last year, a near 10 percent rise on the 67 killed in 2013.
While up to 40 people using a single vehicle is common, twice as many will clamber aboard in times of need, says Joel Preston, a consultant at NGO Community Legal Education Center.
"We see pigs transported in the same manner here," Preston told VICE News.
Communities have built up near the industrial zones where factories have been set up, and vehicles often transport multiple generations from the same family among their passengers.
Garment worker Morn Sreyvorn, who was hurt in the crash, counted five of her family members among the dead, as well as seven more injured. "I lost so many things all of a sudden, the most precious being my husband and my relatives," the 27-year-old told VICE News. "I won't go back to work in the factory."
'It's like pulling teeth making the government fulfil its obligation'
Though workers' rights advocates have succeeded in pushing the government to deem such incidents workplace accidents — guaranteeing compensation to the injured or to the families of those killed — securing pay-outs is a torturous process says Dave Welsh, Cambodia director for the international labor rights NGO Solidarity Center.
"In every situation I've been involved in, and I've been involved in a lot, it's like pulling teeth making the government fulfil its obligation," Welsh told VICE News.
The national minimum wage currently guarantees garment workers $128 per month — though many earn around $150 by putting in overtime. According to Preston, that basic wage is just $8 above the poverty line in capital Phnom Penh, and was set despite a 2013 study conducted by a task force made up of 21 government, industry, and union representatives stating that workers needed between $157 and $177 to meet their basic needs.
On top of their wages, workers receive monthly health bonuses of $5 and transport bonuses of up to $10. Yet passengers from the minibus who spoke to VICE News said they paid $20 per month for their ride.
According to Preston, even when the bonus is enough to cover higher quality transport, workers will choose overcrowded vehicles because their meager wages force them to take risks.
"They have to get into those cars, they have to get onto those trucks, because they just don't have the money to be able to satisfy all of their basic needs, and need to cut corners wherever they can," he said.
But industry representatives reject such claims.
"That is an absolutely absurd argument," said Ken Loo, Secretary General of Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC). "They don't have enough to pay for proper transportation, but most of them have mobile phones and a lot of them have the latest mobile phones."
According to Loo, claims by those injured in the crash they were paying $20 per month for their transport are "nonsense."
"I honestly doubt if there is anyone willing to pay double the market rate," he told VICE News, saying most workers paid between $10 and $12 for transport.
'They understand that workers are poor and can't afford anything else'
Regardless of the exact cost, the dangers being faced by workers on the roads are beyond doubt, and while workers earn so little, it remains difficult for authorities to prevent vehicle overcrowding.
"The police don't enforce the laws because they understand that workers are poor and can't afford anything else," Cambodian road safety specialist Chakriya Ear told VICE News.
In the search for an answer to the transport dilemma, workers' right advocates have called for initiatives to be introduced such as the free bus service now on offer to garment workers in Bangalore, India, which is paid for by the factories.
According to Carin Lefler, a coordinator for the NGO Clean Clothes Campaign, such initiatives prove it is possible to make the journey to work safer. Costs could be taken up by the brands, she said, which should be seen "as the principal employer."
The top five brands sourcing from Cambodia — where 95 percent of exports are garments, accounting for 13 percent of the country's total GDP — are H&M, Gap, Levi Strauss & Co, Adidas, and Target.
"They actually do have the means to contribute to safe transportation. If it was a part of their payment of goods, for example, then it could include the brands contributing to safe transportation," she told VICE News.
'If consumers are as concerned... as they appear to be, they can put their money where their mouth is'
Making the brands foot the bill would also welcomed by Welsh, though he also said more effectively enforcing compensation claims and placing greater impetus on the brands to pay them would have an even greater impact.
"That's probably the main driver to getting them more involved in the future to make sure these accidents don't happen," he said.
While Ken Loo argues that any increases in costs would simply see brands taking their business to less regulated markets, he does agree brands, as well as retailers and consumers, could play a key role in securing a safer future for workers.
"If consumers, wherever they may be in the Western world, are as concerned as the rights groups make them out to be, or as they appear to be, they can put their money where their mouth is," he said, suggesting that simply rounding shop prices up to the nearest dollar could have a momentous effect on workers.
"If the retailer passes down those five cents, these workers' wages could double," he said.
_Additional reporting by Taing Vida. _ | {
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You might think that “space situational awareness” is what a football player needs when he goes up for a pass in a crowd of 300-pound helmeted assassins. But to the Department of Defense, it has a more precise and chilling meaning: namely the need to identify and track the untold hundreds of thousands of objects inhabiting the not-so-empty space around our planet – space junk, missile tests, dead rocket parts, foreign satellites of unknown intent and uncharted asteroids coming in for the kill.
The Air Force operates a globe-girdling network of telescopes, radars and even two satellites to keep track of all this stuff.
Last Tuesday, the latest addition to this sky patrol was unveiled at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico: the Space Surveillance Telescope, a 90-ton telescope with engines that deliver 38,000 foot-pounds of torque. Swiveling swiftly and almost silently like a ballerina, it can follow objects as small as a softball as they fly through the sky. | {
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WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- Enes Kanter leans back on the gray suede sectional in the lounge of his apartment building, places both hands over his forehead and sighs.
"Are you kidding me?" he says.
Rookie guard Allonzo Trier had just been whistled for a crucial goaltending call with 0.4 seconds to play and the New York Knicks were on their way to a fifth consecutive defeat.
"Yeah [the ball] was coming down," Kanter says as replay confirms the call that all but sealed the game. He slaps his knee in disgust and slams his left hand on the base of the couch.
"Come on, man!" Kanter says, his No. 00 road Knicks jersey -- worn the entire game -- wrinkled a bit as he throws his hands up.
Kanter is some 3,500 miles from his teammates as he watches the Knicks' 101-100 loss to the Washington Wizards inside London's O2 Arena, insisting he is "trapped" in the United States due to his vocal criticism of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, president of his native Turkey.
"It's sad. I could be there with them. But it's just, sometimes there are bigger things."
Kanter appears relaxed as the Knicks build a 19-point lead in the first half, resting his left arm on a couch cushion behind him while grasping his phone with his right. Midway through the second quarter, he retweets an article detailing NBA commissioner Adam Silver's support of his decision to stay home from the London trip.
But as the Knicks' lead starts to shrink in the fourth quarter, Kanter's body language changes. He's sitting up, alert and wincing with every Wizards basket.
"That's a tough shot," Kanter says as Wizards guard Bradley Beal hits a 3-pointer with 7 minutes to play.
When Kanter sees fellow Knicks center Noah Vonleh get the ball in the post with 40 seconds left and New York down one, he can't help but put himself on the O2 Arena hardwood.
"Man!" Kanter said. "If I was there!
"I usually play good against Washington. So I'm like, man, I could be there and get a double-double."
While the Knicks and Wizards do battle across the pond, Enes Kanter watches from his apartment complex in White Plains, New York. Nicole Noren/ESPN
About 48 hours before the Knicks' meltdown, Kanter was in Washington meeting with several lawmakers to discuss what he sees as the damage done to his home country. The international arrest warrant and extradition request for Kanter issued by Turkish prosecutors earlier this week came up in conversation.
"They said don't worry about it," Kanter says. "There's no way they can extradite me back in Turkey because you didn't do anything wrong here."
The 26-year-old said he was "angry" over the accusation that he was a member of a terror organization. "Terrorist is a heavy word," Kanter says.
"I have a platform. I'm using this platform and the Turkish government hates it. They're scared of my platform and that's why they called me a terrorist."
Kanter supports Fethullah Gulen, a U.S.-based Turkish cleric whom the government has accused of masterminding a failed military coup in 2016. Gulen has denied the allegation. Kanter's criticism of Erdogan and support for Gulen have made him a target for the Turkish government, he says, leading to prosecutors seeking criminal charges against Kanter and his father. It's also made Kanter a target of death threats on social media.
"I'm getting hundreds a day," he says. "I'm not saying they could [harm me] here, but there could be one crazy supporter that can do anything."
It's all enough to sometimes keep Kanter, who always appears jovial and care-free with teammates, from getting a good night's sleep.
"You have to put that happy mask on," Kanter says. "[But] thinking about all these conversations, thinking about my family, not just my family, people's families in Turkey, thinking about how can I do more to help them, it definitely keeps me up."
A few hours before tipoff Thursday, Kanter was working out at the Knicks' practice facility in a relatively empty gym. Kanter was playing one-on-one with his brother and running to stay in shape -- a far cry from a traditional Knicks practice.
"I was just doing my own stuff and I'm like, man, what am I doing?" Kanter says.
Things will get back to normal for Kanter this weekend. He won't have to check social media to keep up with his teammates. He'll be able to join when they make plans on the teamwide group chat for dinners, mall trips and haircuts.
"I just want to go do my job," Kanter says. "Because of all this, I couldn't do my job."
"I usually play good against Washington. So I'm like, man, I could be there and get a double-double."
Whether Kanter will have this job with the Knicks for much longer is an open question with the trade deadline approaching. Several teams have talked to New York about potential deals involving Kanter, per sources. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported last week that the Sacramento Kings and Knicks talked about a trade involving Kanter and Zach Randolph as a swap of expiring contracts.
Kanter knows the talks probably will continue until the Feb. 7 trade deadline.
"People know I love the Knicks. And I want to be here, and I want to play basketball here and I want to win here," Kanter says. "But if they trade me, I cannot say, 'No, I don't want to get traded.' But I don't want to get traded.
"I guess with all the rumors, we just have to wait and see what happens."
Kanter also knows that New York hopes to attract a top free agent this summer. To have enough cap space to sign a max free agent, the Knicks would have to renounce their rights to the seven-year veteran. That's why Kanter paused Thursday when asked if he sees himself as part of the Knicks' future. "I would love to be part of the future of the Knicks, of course," he says.
For now, he'll settle for being back in the same country as the Knicks. | {
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During his speech to Congress and the nation after the Sept. 11 attacks, U.S. President George W. Bush made a point of individually thanking many countries for their responses to the tragedy. He specifically named Britain, France, Germany, South Korea, Egypt, Israel, Iran, Japan, Pakistan and even El Salvador. He also thanked the entire continents of Australia and Africa, and gratefully acknowledged Latin America. Yet there was one country that noticeably failed to a get a mention: Canada.
To be so publicly overlooked by the leader of the free world — our neighbour — was not only embarrassing, it also felt like a referendum on our global significance. But many things have changed since that speech was delivered almost 16 years ago, the most significant of which is that for the first time in many of our lives, the U.S. president is no longer the leader of the free world. And Canada (yes, us: sorry Angela Merkel), led by Justin Trudeau, seems to be gunning to take over that mantle.
Trump's abdication
If you still believe that America, by default, must occupy that position, you haven't been paying attention. The U.S. president is supposed to be at the forefront of defending freedom and democracy throughout the globe. But virtually since the day he occupied the office, Donald Trump has been drowning in scandal: an unprecedented constitutional crisis, a hacked election mess and the threat of impeachment looming over his head. Beyond that, he has verbally attacked his allies, while appearing to side with Russia, a country that many Republicans considered a global threat and an enemy of freedom not all that long ago.
Trump is less the leader of the free world than he is a global joke. He is now the most unpopular president in American history at home and abroad, and he will certainly not be the one unilaterally dictating geopolitical strategy to French President Emmanuel Macron, or German Chancellor Angela Merkel, or Canada's Justin Trudeau.
Trump's abdication of the role of leader of the free world has created an opportunity for Canada. (Michael Sohn/Associated Press)
Therein lies the opportunity for Canada. Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland's recent foreign policy speech — which included some not-so-subtle shading of Trump's White House — was not simply a statement about defending global democracy: it was an announcement that Canada's government will be on the front lines.
Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan's subsequent defence policy review announcement bolstered that signal, offering new military spending to fortify Canada's military might, perhaps suggesting a greater role for Canada in fighting overseas conflicts along with allied nations.
Foreign fanfare
Meanwhile, Trudeau is very much getting himself noticed on the world's stage: with NATO socks, international magazine covers and cosy meet-and-greets with world leaders, past and present, among other tactics.
Many people — CBC columnists, included — dismiss these antics as little more than political gimmicks. But these moves are actually part of a deliberate global PR campaign aimed at informing the world that Trudeau's government is here, and it shouldn't be overlooked as it has been in the past.
For the first time in our lives, global political branding can be done at the push of a single button. Once upon a time, world leaders needed official state visits to introduce themselves and their platforms to foreign citizens. Now, all of that can be achieved in a tweet, as Trudeau has demonstrated rather well.
Granted, in terms of tangible achievements, Trudeau hasn't actually done all that much — yet. He's negotiated a few small victories: a reported exemption to the U.S. steel requirement for the Keystone XL pipeline, an alliance with the new Irish prime minister to push ahead with the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and he's managed to get Trump to back down on tearing up NAFTA — at least for now.
That said, he's still grappling with plenty of issues at home: reconciliation with Canada's Indigenous peoples, the controversial settlement with Omar Khadr, ballooning spending projections and so forth. These issues haven't yet derailed his international acclaim, but they very well could depending on if and how they escalate.
Nevertheless, while many have already dubbed Germany's Merkel as the new leader of the free world, she simply doesn't have the audience — especially among late Gen. X-ers, millennials and even Gen. Z-ers — that Trudeau does. The power and sway that can come with that support should not be discounted.
The challenge for Trudeau now will be turning that support into actual influence. Otherwise, he'll just be the dude in the colourful socks.
This column is part of CBC's Opinion section. For more information about this section, please read this editor's blog and our FAQ. | {
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At the start of this year’s IPL, who would have predicted that SRH would eventually become the top team and the first one to qualify for playoffs, especially after David Warner’s disgraceful exit (who was supposed to lead SRH) which was a great setback for the team and franchise.
But SRH, just like always, surprised everyone with the way their team is playing this season. In a total of 11 matches they have played, they have lost only two, one against CSK which was a thriller and the other against Punjab which was too a close match.
What is the winning formula for SRH?
The reason behind SRH’s phenomenal success this season is their tight bowling. Apart from big names like Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shakib al Hasan and Rashid Khan, youngsters like Siddharth Kaul, Basil Thampi and backup pacer Sandeep Sharma, all have delivered great spells of bowling throughout this season which have allowed SRH to defend their low scores this tournament.
While the SRH batsmen have failed to post big totals till now in the IPL, the Sunrisers’ bowlers have taken responsibility of winning matches for their team. Also, their sharp and economical bowling has not allowed the opposition to post big totals in most of the matches they have played so far which have eased the chase for their batsmen.
It is believed that in shorter formats like T-20s, the batsmen are the match winners. However, SRH proved this conventional belief wrong with their extraordinary, hard to tackle bowling.
‘Batsmen win you games, bowlers win you tournaments’
SRH have the best combination of bowlers as compared to the other teams which is their match-winning formula this season. They don’t just defeat you, they strangle you to surrender with their tight bowling.
Kane Williamson: Leader of the Pack
Kane Williamson has made an image of being the anchor around which the other batsmen play. The only foreigner captain of this IPL season is rocking the Indian pitches with his superb batting and game control.
At the time of writing this post, Williamson has scored 543 runs in 12 innings* at an average of 67.9 with 7 half-centuries and sits at second place for the orange cap in IPL 2018. The fact that he has scored 7 fifties in 12 innings is a testament to his consistency, to the fact that whenever Williamson walks in to bat, he has a 60% chance of scoring over 50, which is a stellar record in this format. It In a team not known for its batting prowess, these kinds of performances inspire the team and lifts their morale. The Kiwi player has also remained ice-cool as a skipper on the field especially while defending low targets which shows his top quality of leadership till now. Speaking about Kane, coach Tom Moody says.” Kane is an astute leader. He has transitioned into his role as the Sunrisers skipper very well. It’s easy to forget that he is quite young as an international cricketer but he has a very wise head on his shoulders. He has displayed the ability to handle pressure”. Only 4 league matches are left for SRH to play before the IPL playoffs start. If the SRH bowlers continue to outwit the opposition, SRH is going to be the winner this season. However, so far they have not been able to post big totals which can be a weakness that the other teams can take advantage of. But one thing which is very impressive about Sunrisers is their will to fight back and win low scoring matches which sets them apart from other teams and the favorites to seize the title in this season of the IPL. | {
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Brexit Party MEP has whip withdrawn over ‘unacceptable’ behaviour Nigel Farage said he wanted to maintain the highest possible standards within the Brexit Party
Brexit party MEP Andrew England Kerr has had the whip withdrawn by the party because of a “likely conflict of interest”.
A spokesperson confirmed Andrew England Kerr is no longer a member of the party led by Nigel Farage.
A statement said: “This is due to irreconcilable differences regarding a likely conflict of interest.”
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The exact details of the nature of the conflict have not been revealed. However, Nigel Farage told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge he had acted in an “unacceptable” way and was “not happy” with comments made by Mr England Kerr about a business he had direct financial investment in.
A business shareholder
The 61-year-old is a director of a law firm and qualified solicitor who represents the West Midlands. He’s a senior partner at Englands Estate Agents, where his wife is company director.
Speaking on Sky News, Mr Farage said: “He is an MEP but he is also a shareholder in several businesses.
“In our view one or two of the things he has said and done as an MEP could be seen, potentially, to have brought him personal gain through his business. That to us is just not acceptable.”
A stake in Europe
Mr England Kerr was one of 29 Brexit Party politicians elected to the EU’s European Parliament in May’s elections.
In his role in the European Union, Mr England Kerr sits as a member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy.
He’s also part of the EU’s Delegation to the EU-Kazakhstan, EU-Kyrgyzstan, EU-Tajikistan and EU-Uzbekistan Parliamentary Cooperation Committees, and for relations with Turkmenistan and Mongolia.
His register of interests in the European Parliament also lists him as director of men’s clothing firm Waterside Manufacturing Ltd.
He has declared shareholding large enough to give “significant influence” in Birmingham estate agency Englands Harbone Ltd, where he was formerly a director. He also has significant holdings in Englands Safety and Waterside Manufacturing.
The Brexit Party has not indicated if any of these firms are related to the accusations held against Mr England Kerr.
The highest possible standards
Mr Farage continued: “Some will say that we have acted harshly but we want to have the highest possible standards and we are not happy with what he’s done.
“He has acted in a way as an MEP, making comments about a business and a product that he has a direct financial investment in and we think that is unacceptable.”
According to The New European, Mr England Kerr was scheduled to appear on the BBC’s Sunday Politics Midlands, but reportedly cancelled at the last minute.
He remains an MEP, but losing the whip means he will no longer be able to stand for the party at a future election, as he is now an independent. | {
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I’ve recently been reading some work by Paul Virilio, as his work deals with the field of information in some really interesting ways. Over the past couple of days I was able to read a conversation between Virilio and Sylvere Lotringer which has been published under the title The Accident of Art. In the text, Virilio touches on why his theory appears negative, which is something that I had been concerned about in his The Information Bomb. According to Virilio being negative is necessary because it allows us to actually seriously deal with the negative aspects of the world. Virilio actually posits that without the negative there is no positive – that an accident, or negative move must occur before change can take place. For this text in particular, the discussion centre’s around what the speakers see as the static nature of contemporary art. Virilio suggests that art lacks an anchor which can allow it to move towards new forms of knowledge. That art cannot move towards new knowledge and new art without some anchor which is grounded in negation.
Interestingly (though perhaps not, considering who is reading the text), this discussion made me think of the church. These thoughts really began with a longer quote from the text itself. When discussing brokenness, Virilio states:
“I can’t be myself part time, by half measures. I just can’t. It’s not easy to say is, but I love bodies, and bodies are always painful. They tell me the body is pleasure, and I say: you must be joking! Get old and you’ll see. Bodies are pain, and pain is love. You can’t separate them. I can’t hide the fact that I converted to Christianity, so something in me is attracted to the sinner. For me, a person only exists through his [sic] flaws. I have always been fascinated by assassins, prostitutes, etc. I feel like I’m one of them, because if you get rid of original sin, there’s nothing left. You have no more humanity. My Christianity is connected to that. It’s Jeremiah, not Isaiah” [1]
Humanity arrives in the brokenness, not perfection. One might expand this to say that, without imperfection, there is nothing to love. One does not love perfection, but rather imperfection. I might go so far as to say that we love someone because they are broken, not in spite of it. It is in the pain of living that love is experienced in its rawest, purest form. Love exists in between broken individuals.
This idea of love in the brokenness relates to a couple of conversations I had over the weekend regarding the church. These conversations asked how the church I am a part of – a mainline protestant congregation, with an aging population, and almost no one younger than me – can survive. My answer to that question might be that the church needs to go further in embracing the brokenness. My understanding of the church – both before these conversations, as well as impacted by them – is that it is a community of broken believers in love. Through the brokenness that occurs in our lives we love. To invert the passages from 1st Corinthians, it is not faith, but rather love that has the potential to move mountains. Together as a community of believers – who embrace each other in the love of our brokenness rather than in spite of it – we have the ability to change the world, and to change the church. This broken collection of people who comprise the church is beautiful. And yet, it is still dying.
I think that part of the reason the church is dying is because the perception is that the church does not embrace the negative. People do not see a church that embrace the brokenness, rather they see an institution which strives towards some alienating form of perfection, while at the same time shunning those who do not fit into that model. The example that comes to my mind most clearly is the outright denial of certain groups, particularly those in the LGBTQ+ community, but by no means reducible to those communities [2]. Many, instead of embracing brokenness, have instead embraced a notion of perfection, and if you do not fit into that image of perfection (White, heteronormative, cisgendered, etc) you do not belong. Now, while it is the case that not all church have been explicit with this move away from brokenness and towards perfection, I would argue that all churches have are implicit in this move. Churches are implicitly responsible when they do not condemn the actions of those who embrace perfection.
But the story does not end here. Rather, if we follow Virilio, the negative here can be used as an anchor to move towards something new. The negative can allow us to move towards the positive. Like the humans who comprise the church, the church itself is broken. There is room for growth. There is room for the church to condemn its idle silence. There is room for the church to stand in solidarity with the oppressed, to own up to its explicit and implicit oppression. I believe that this is necessary for the church in order to move forward. By accepting that the church itself, and the people comprising it are broken, and that they are broken together. That, out of this brokenness can flow a love so strong and so beautiful that it can change not only the church, but the world. We’re human because of the brokenness, not in spite of it. Let us embrace that humanness and that brokenness in a loving embrace.
Finally, why the church? Why not let the church die? Why do I wish to embrace the church? I think that these are relevant questions. And, to be honest, I don’t think that the church is right for everyone. But, I do think that the church does have the history and the potential to move towards love in a profound way. It might not always be done right, but the wrongness can allow for new movement to take place towards something better. The negative allows the affirmation of something beautiful to occur. Perhaps it is just the conservative in me, but I think that the church does have a potential for beautiful and radical love, and, at least to me, that is worth holding onto.
[1] Lotringer, S., & Virilio, P. (2005). The accident of art. New York, N.Y : Cambridge, Mass: Semiotext(e) ; Distributed by MIT Press. p. 46.
[2 I in no way, shape or form mean to imply that these communities, or the individuals comprising them are broken because of their sexuality or gender, or lack thereof. Sexuality and gender have nothing to do with sin, and no one is sinful because of what they identify as. That said, everyone is broken, everyone sins, and everyone needs love. This is because we are all human. | {
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In a landmark piracy case, the Federal Court has ruled that a group of internet service providers (ISPs) must hand over contact details of Australians accused of illegally downloading the movie Dallas Buyers Club.
Dallas Buyers Club LLC, which owns the rights to the 2013 Hollywood blockbuster, argued a group of internet service providers including iiNet should be forced to hand over the contact details.
Iinet, Dodo, Internode, Amnet Broadband, Adam Internet and Wideband Networks will also be required to disclose customer information.
The decision could set the scene for copyright owners to chase hundreds of thousands of illegal downloaders.
Dallas Buyers Club LLC's parent company Voltage Pictures used German-based firm Maverick Eye UG to hunt down those sharing the film using software such as BitTorrent, and uncovered a total of 4,726 IP addresses.
It is likely that those internet users will now be sent letters threatening legal action unless they settle.
But while the Federal Court's Justice Nye Perram said he would order the ISPs to divulge the names and physical addresses of the customers, he ruled against making the details public, and said any letters sent to the customers had to be vetted by him.
Similar actions have been brought against individual pirates in the US in the past, but Australian bandwidth provides a target-rich environment for those hunting online pirates.
It is still unclear what amount Australian internet users will face in claims for illegal downloading, but similar American cases have involved thousands of dollars.
The executive director of the IP Awareness Foundation, Lori Flekser, said the consequences should be commensurate with the activity undertaken.
"It is very hard to measure. Because of course price is one of the key reasons [that] people give for piracy. And what's a fair price to one person is not a fair price to others.
Ms Flekser said today's decision helped to signal to people that illegal downloading was not OK.
"IP Awareness Foundation research has consistently shown that one of the key reasons that pirates give for their online activity is that no-one is stopping them," he said.
"And this lack of intervention simply reinforces the idea that it's not important enough. Today's decision shows that this issue is finally being taken seriously.
Professor Michael Fraser of UTS Law Faculty was unsure of the impact the decision would have on piracy.
"The ISPs argued that handing over customer details could lead to internet trolling - where copyright holders in the US have sent letters demanding alleged pirates sometimes pay thousands of dollars, to avoid being sued," he said.
"Justice Nye Perram said he hopes to avoid any abusive practices here ... but the judge did warn that a deterrence to piracy is needed and some illegal downloaders could face severe penalties."
Today's judgement comes a day before ISPs are due to submit a Draft Copyright Infringement Code to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), which would introduce a three-strikes approach to combat online piracy. | {
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You can't take it with you, or leave it
Republicans are pushing for the repeal of the federal estate tax, as they should. The responses from the Democrat/Progressives is revealing, to the point that it distills the nature of the inherent differences between conservatives and progressives. Democrat/Progressives believe that “repealing the tax is a giveaway to the rich,” that repealing the Estate Tax would be giving the rich “a tax break.”
First we must attack the notion that allowing a person to be able to leave that for which he has toiled to his family is somehow “giving” him something. The absurdity of this notion connects nicely with the “you didn’t build that” rant from Liz Warren. But this is a peek into the thought process of the left. Everything is everybody’s, and we must break up any concentrations. The mindset of the left in this regard is in line with the idea that it is the federal government that issues rights, like the right to whether you may pass on your wealth or forfeit it to the federal government. Peculiar is the notion that the federal experiment from 1787, originally empowered by sovereign states delegating only certain powers, could have evolved to a condition that it is now considered, by some, itself the issuer of rights. If the matter be that concentrations of wealth are bad, perhaps we should look at other instances of wealth concentration. Harvard has an endowment of roughly $35 billion. If the life expectancy of a human is 80 years, and if the event of death is a taxable event, then perhaps the Harvard endowment, to be fair, should be taxed every 80 years. You know, to prohibit the creation of “wealth pockets.” Perhaps the Clinton Foundation could be taxed at that interval as well. For if the Johnson family has been farming in Iowa for 100 years, and has accumulated structures and property, why should it be taxed by the estate tax while the Harvard endowment and the Clinton Foundation escape? Concentrations each, so why the penalty of being taxed upon a death event? The left might say that Harvard does good work. But the Johnsons grow good food – corn for feed and ethanol, and soybeans for tofu in Cambridge. Is that not good work, too? When someone holds your head under water, then lets you up, that isn’t giving you anything. It is stopping a harmful activity, and correcting a wrong. No breaks, no giveaways, just a return to fairness. Repeal the estate tax. To tax the death of an individual yet allow endowments and foundations to amass wealth ad infinitum is unfair. | {
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Frodan is exhausted. The late-afternoon Pacific sun bathes the Ikeas and Targets of Burbank in a lush apricot glow—the sort of thing that makes even most unremarkable corners of Los Angeles look postcard-worthy. We've both spent our weekend in the tangled corridors of the newly-opened Blizzard Arena for the Hearthstone Championship Tour’s Summer Finals, the final stop before Worlds. Which means Frodan is perpetually on-call: either as one-half of Hearthstone’s marquee broadcast team with Brian Kibler or as the impish MC handling player interviews on the main stage.
It’s a demanding gig, especially on a Saturday like today where every match is stretching into a nervy, sudden-death fifth game. By my count Frodan is on hour number 10, and in desperate need of a break. He removes his gold-spangled blazer and sinks into a plush armchair waiting in an otherwise empty corner lounge. "People think I have it really put together," he says. "I’m in my mid-20s, I’m still learning like everyone else."
In order: Dan "Frodan" Chou is a tournament organizer, a manager for Tempo Storm’s Hearthstone division , and a full-time Twitch employee, but he made his name as the smooth-talking voice guiding the Hearthstone analyst desk. Chou is a natural; funny, insightful, and seemingly always even-keeled. For broadcasts he's outfitted in Willy Wonka-style suits, snug jeans, and perfectly-prismatic hair. He says he dresses that way out of either a deep-seated confidence or a lack of shame, (can’t decide which), and to remind the other players and casters around him that, at the end of the day, they’re all here to talk about a card game. It should be fun not stressful. "The first time I dressed this way I was so afraid of looking like an idiot," he recalls. "But now I’m in so deep that I can’t even hear those voices."
Blizzard uses Frodan and Brian "Brian Kibler" Kibler to cast the biggest Hearthstone matches.
There are Hearthstone celebrities like Kripparrian and Trump who’ve cultivated huge followings through endless arena runs and a relentless streaming schedule. There are Hearthstone pros like Pavel and Purple who’ve earned the respect of their peers through almost unbelievable competitive consistency and putting in marathon practice sessions with other pros. Frodan is neither. He streams irregularly and has no daily schedule, and though he's capable of finishing in the top 100 on ladder he has no tournament wins to his name.
None of which has stopped him from emerging as perhaps the most beloved, recognizable figure in Hearthstone's still young esports scene. As a broadcaster Chou is cheeky and suave, with the slight dash of acerbic wit necessary to give Hearthstone’s endless bad beats and righteous draws their character. It’s is a good place to be. And yet, he’s not quite satisfied. "If I just casted, and did only that, I think I’d get bored and kinda sad after a while. I wanna do more things," says Frodan. "So many people who do commentary—over the years, they move onto other projects, largely because they realize that there’s a lot more to explore with your influence than just yelling GG."
Sister act
Chou was a shy kid, or at least shyer than his sister, who was seven years his senior. "She was doing magic shows, puppet shows, and public speaking way before I was," he remembers, "I looked up to her a lot... I kinda wanted to be my sister." They grew up together in the frigid meadows of East Brunswick, New Jersey, and it was her who first nicknamed him Frodan. He kept that alias around as a permanent reminder of her affection.
The Frodan persona, as much as there is one, started to coalesce during his varsity years. Chou describes himself as a very civically engaged teenager. In high school he discovered a passion for political action, and became a strong, idealistic proponent for youth engagement. He got his hands dirty as a coordinator for political rallies and demonstrations, he was in a debate club, he was playing in a band at his local church, and most boldly, at 19 he ran for office as a county freeholder. Yes, Frodan, the waggish Hearthstone caster, once went door-to-door in Alameda County. He tells me he wanted to bring youth to local policy, which reflects his belief that local government should be accessible for anyone, regardless of age. Naturally, Chou was the youngest person campaigning by about 20 years.
"When I knocked on doors and asked people to vote for me and petition for things, they would always think I was doing it as a boy scout or that I lead a scout troop," he laughs. "I’d be like, 'No I’m actually campaigning for me! I hope you vote for me.’ It was always such a trip ... Old people couldn’t believe that someone that much younger could be trusted with such important decisions like park policy or garbage dumps."
Every other weekend he’d hit the road and set up shop at a local LAN. His casting fee was a slice of pizza.
Back in those days Frodan was considering turning his activism experience into a career in politics, because it’d be the best way to "constitute change and influence." Unfortunately, he soon found that all the back-biting and horse-trading involved—even at the provincial level—killed those dreams dead. "There’s so much pettiness. You feel like it’s such a waste of your energy," he says. "I got out pretty quickly when I started going to University full-time." Still, Frodan maintains that the foundations he laid in high school have paid dividends throughout his pro gaming career. He has always been willing to go big, with almost no guarantee that the hard work would pay off. In terms of the personal gamble involved, esports and politics have something in common.
Technically speaking, college was the first time Frodan could call himself an "esports professional," in the sense that he organized an online StarCraft derby from his college dorm for about $100. That was in 2010, at a time when Chou was considering law school and the idea of of professional gaming had been all but dead for a decade. Every other weekend he’d hit the road and set up shop at a local LAN. His casting fee was a slice of pizza, maybe two, which was enough to justify the class hours he was cutting to be there.
Reynad is technically (one of) Frodan's bosses. I prefer to think of them as the Lennon and McCartney of competitive fantasy card game management.
“Dan has that genuine love of esports that built the industry from the ground up. It is his passion, and nothing was going to stop him from pursuing it,” says Andrey “Reynad” Yanyuk, CEO of Tempo Storm and a friend of Chou. The two were even housemates for a while. “He's a consummate professional that's always trying to help the people around him be the best version of themselves.”
Three months ago, Frodan was the lynchpin of Blizzard's broadcast of the spring seasonal from Shanghai, and in January next year he’ll be christening Worlds in Amsterdam. And yet, he still regards those ultra-DIY years as some of the best of his life. "Right now I’m living the dream, but it’s a combination of fun and stress. Back then I was really naive. I loved everything," he says. "I barely made enough money to pay my rent, food, and gas, I didn’t have any kind of insurance or bank account. But I was so happy."
Change and influence
StarCraft was where Frodan initially made his name—by 2012 he was reliably making a living talking over Zerg swarms—but Hearthstone has made him a star. He was ubiquitous during the game’s explosive rise to the top of Twitch's directory; the lead caster at the short-lived (and radically mismanaged ) ESGN, one of the voices behind the game’s first formal World Championship in 2014, and of course, he called the epic, one-night-only rematch between Kripparrian and Artosis , which remains perhaps the most beloved Hearthstone tournament moment of all time. As competitive games go, none is more meme-y than Hearthstone, and Frodan knows his audience better than anyone.
Frodan, Admirable and TJ attempt to unpick a tricky board state.
As viewers we are attracted to Chou’s effortless charisma, which rapidly breaks down any friction or awkwardness between strangers. We appreciate how his love for Hearthstone seems so unforced, and evidenced by his enthusiasm when the board presents a tricky puzzle to solve. But most of all, we respect his candidness, and his refusal to blow smoke up Blizzard's back side just because the company endorses some of his checks.
There are so many examples. Most recently, he called out Hearthstone for its sub-par new-player experience, tweeting out an Evolve Shaman decklist with more than half of the card slots greyed-out by gaps in his collection from his free-to-play account.
Started a F2P Asia acct since Un'Goro, never missed dailies/TBs. Saw a cool variant of my fav deck...this is how much of it i can afford lol pic.twitter.com/ttkQC78iFeOctober 5, 2017
In February, during the dog days of the disastrous Mean Streets of Gadgetzan meta that came to be dubbed ' Shamanstone ', Chou gave an exasperated interview with Yahoo , stating plainly, "right now, we’re at a deep crosswords within the community. A lot of the hardcore players are leaving, they feel like Hearthstone has a lot of potential, but it’s not meeting what they want." A few months before that, as part of his One Night in Karazhan set review, which was recorded a few days after he revealed the two-mana Priest spell Purify live on-stream and set Reddit ablaze, he admitted: "I do think it’s kind of insulting that the card exists."
Candour is nothing new. There are plenty of Hearthstone pros who are more than happy to bellyache about the inconsistency of the meta, the HCT format, or the bare-bones ladder system—but it carries more weight, and comes with greater personal risk, when the criticisms are coming from the guy who's effectively regarded as the voice of the game by many fans.
Frodan tells me several players blocked him on Twitter, and more "still talk very negatively about me to this day."
Frodan understands this. He knows he’s in a position where a lot of people take what he has to say very seriously. It’s a reality that dawned on him last summer, when he got in a brief Twitter spat with a notable Hearthstone pro named Radu "RDU" Dima . In summary: RDU noted that Korean pro Ilmook "Handsomeguy" Kang had a leg up in tournaments due to the Asia region’s weird qualification rules. Frodan responded by criticizing RDU, saying he was demeaning another player’s accomplishments because he was upset about his own shortcomings. "I get that you're salty because you grinded hard, but you should be happy for someone else who worked super hard and plays well," he wrote in his first retort .
It didn’t seem like a huge deal, (at least from the outside looking in,) but that incident burned bridges. Frodan tells me several players blocked him on Twitter, and more "still talk very negatively about me to this day." For the first time, Chou realized he was no longer an upstart caster clawing his way to relevancy, nor could he make the excuse that he was just some guy who loved games. Frodan was finally on the kind of platform he’d spent a career chasing, and that meant everyone was watching, all the time. "I didn’t realize that saying something I thought was kinda light was a big deal for a lot of people," he says. "They pointed out that, 'you’re a big role-model man, you can’t just let loose.’"
Frodan shares a post-game joke with current World Champion Pavel "Pavel" Beltukov
From now on, Frodan intends to use his authority for good. To "constitute change and influence," you might say. It might seem strange to apply the principles learned at political rallies to the proverbial children’s card game, but Frodan loves Hearthstone while at the same time fearing for his future. He wants to see the competitive scene thrive. One of his passion projects? A junior division, in which kids 15-and-under have an opportunity to compete under the same lights as the pro players. Anything to grow the esport.
That’s what sets Frodan apart. He's in one of the most enviable positions in the industry, but he won’t feel fulfilled unless he’s lifting the rest of the scene up with him. He’s happy to get rich, as long as Hearthstone stays healthy. "I think ultimately, that’s why I can and do come out and say some harsh things about Blizzard, because they know I come from a position of caring," he says. "Historically, I’ve given as much as I think I’ve taken."
Frodan will continue to cast, and he will continue to dream big. He’s spent a life believing that good things come from old-fashioned ideals like conviction, dedication, and the radical power of youth. Somehow, a card game has proven him right. | {
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Search For Free Downloads Of 'The Interview' Shows How Pointless The MPAA's Anti-Google Strategy Really Is
from the google-is-not-going-to-block-yahoo-and-linkedin dept
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A few weeks ago, we wrote about how bizarre it was that the MPAA was so focused on attacking Google and forcing it to take entire sites out of its index when it didn't seem to understand these issues in the slightest. As a part of that, we highlighted how pointless the plan was, because if you looked for a domain after it was removed (which we mocked up by using the "-" modifier), you just ended up getting other peoplehow to get the same kind of content anyway. And yet, the MPAA keeps pushing for Google to further push down or delete entire sites. And, of course, Google continues to give in anyway, giving the industry what it wants. A few months ago it ratcheted up the demotion-for-DMCA-notices aspect of its algorithm, and a bunch of sites have effectively disappeared.But does it really make a difference? As we discussed, one immediate result of this was that people who were searching for free downloads often came across more sketchy sites (which, perhaps, the MPAA doesn't much care about). But, it's also having a secondary effect -- which is that it's showing how perfectly legitimate websites are also being used to tell people how to access content for free (usually in unauthorized ways).Take, for example, a Google search for someone who wanted to watch The Interview for free . While many, many people paid to see the film through official channels, lots of others went for the unauthorized versions . But if you do a search on Google, where most sketchy sites have been downvoted, you start to see some interesting things:If you can't see it, you'll note that many of the links to free (and most likely unauthorized) versions are from well established sites. The top one is to Facebook. The third slot is Linkedin. Towards the bottom is Tumblr. It's very likely that all these links going to infringing/unauthorized copies of the film. Yet they're on popular sites -- the kinds of sites that Google isn't going to suddenly remove from search or seriously downrank due to DMCA notices because -- and, on this, hopefully everyone can agree -- there's an awful lot of perfectly legitimate content on sites like those.This isn't, of course, to point out how to access that movie for free, but to highlight, yet again, just how completely pointless the MPAA's preferred course of action is. It's as if no one at the MPAA has ever played chess and realized that thinking more than one move ahead might help. Each time the MPAA demands something silly and pointless, it doesn't help because what Google is doing is not "leading people to piracy." It's. And if what the people are looking for happens to be free copies of movies, then that's what they're going to find eventually. The way to solve that is not to stupidly go after Google and demand it downrank certain sites (which just means others will replace them), but toso that when people go looking, the content creators and/or copyright holders are the ones who get the benefit.In other words, just as we've been saying for over a decade, the proper response is to innovate, rather than to sit around and blame everyone else for not protecting your obsolete business model.
Filed Under: copyright, innovation, movies, piracy, search, the interview
Companies: google, mpaa | {
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Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg
When miners unearth the world’s biggest and rarest of diamonds -- like the golf-ball-sized, 357-carat rock found this year in the southern African kingdom of Lesotho -- figuring out what they are worth can prove almost as difficult.
Gem Diamonds Ltd., which specializes in digging up stones that only a few billionaires are likely to buy, has been taking some unusual steps to confront that dilemma. The London-based mine owner is replicating on a small scale what middlemen normally do. It cuts, polishes and re-sells some diamonds to get a better sense of what the market is for the world’s biggest ones. In September, the company had its biggest sale ever when its prized discovery from Lesotho fetched $19.3 million.
“There’s no such thing as an accurate valuation on these stones,” Brandon de Bruin, head of sales at Gem Diamonds, said during an interview in Antwerp, the center of the world diamond trade.
Of the hundreds of millions of diamonds unearthed over the past decade, only about a dozen bigger than 250 carats were found, based on a Bloomberg review of company disclosures. They are so rare that miners aren’t always sure they’re making the best deal. Because large stones favored by the super-rich have held their value during a slump in prices for smaller, more-common ones, producers have an even bigger incentive to get the best price on their big discoveries. Lucara Diamond Corp., which last month found the second-largest ever, hasn’t yet put a price tag on a 1,111-carat gem the size of a tennis ball, which analysts say could fetch $60 million.
Market Tradition
Mining companies traditionally sell their discoveries directly to firms who cut the stones into smaller pieces that are polished and sold to wholesalers and jewelers. While the abundance of common varieties in the $80 billion global market provides enough benchmarks to price small gems, giant ones presents a challenge because mining companies don’t usually employ their own cutters and don’t know what it will cost to convert them into polished diamonds.
Gem Diamonds, which in the past decade has uncovered four of the 20 largest white gem-quality diamonds ever found, is seeking to change that dynamic. The company has been experimenting with cutting and polishing a small amount of its own output to better analyze the process of converting the gray, jagged rocks into flawless, jeweler-ready products. The experience helped determine the value of the 357-carat stone found at its Letseng mine in southernmost Africa earlier this year.
Small Scale
In the past three years, Gem Diamonds sent dozens of its stones to a lab across the street from its Antwerp sales office, so that the company’s own workers can cut and polish the individual facets to produce an item that should sell for about 25 percent more than the original rough type, according to de Bruin.
While some of the rocks cut in-house were because the company wasn’t happy with the offer prices from wholesalers, Gem Diamonds doesn’t want to expand the operation to handle all its mine output, de Bruin said. It just wants a small unit to better understand the market for bigger, rarer stones because it is producing more of them.
Mine owners prefer marketing rough types because they’re easier to sell quickly. Cutters can sometimes be stuck with diamonds for a couple of years before finding a buyer willing to pay the right price. Gem Diamonds said it sold 13 rough gems from its Letseng mine in the third quarter for more than $1 million each.
Biggest Stones
“Prior to Gem going into production, the world didn’t hear about these large stones,” said William Lamb, the chief executive officer of Vancouver-based Lucara, which unearthed the biggest diamond in more than a century. “Gem has paved the way for us in creating the market for these large stones.”
About 125 million carats were mined globally last year, according to data from the Kimberley Process, which records and certifies rough diamond shipments. The stones aren’t sold on any exchange and the market is much less liquid than most commodities.
A better idea of valuations would help set a benchmark others can adopt as the discovery of the largest stones accelerates. More than half of the biggest diamonds in the past decade have been found in the two years since Lucara opened its Karowe Mine in Botswana in 2012, which yielded the 1,111-carat diamond found last month. It was the largest since the 3,106-carat Cullinan gem was found in South Africa in 1905. That one was cut into pieces, which are set in the Crown Jewels of Britain.
Wider Slump
The largest stones have been more immune to wider drop in demand brought on by China’s economic slowdown and a credit crunch in the industry. Rough prices have fallen about 18 percent this year to the lowest since 2010, according to data from from U.K.-based WWW International Diamond Consultants.
Another company that routinely finds exceptional stones is Petra Diamonds Ltd., whose mines include Cullinan. The top producers -- De Beers, Alrosa PJSC and Rio Tinto Group -- rarely uncover anything larger than 100 carats and never on the scale of those by Gem Diamonds and Lucara. The big ones that De Beers has found have rarely been publicized because the company has traditionally offered them at a discount to its best customers.
Gem Diamonds, founded by CEO Clifford Elphick in 2005, also is developing the Ghaghoo mine in Botswana.
“When we started, we had very little understanding of the value of our production,” de Bruin said. “But by doing what we are, you get a real feel for the market.”
Watch Next: Two Billion-Year-Old Diamond Found in Canada
Two Billion-Year-Old Diamond Found in Canada | {
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Hillary Clinton's hopes of shutting Bernie Sanders down by beating him in Indiana were dashed Tuesday night.
With most of the vote tallied, the U.S. senator was six per cent ahead of the former secretary of state and was awarded the coveted checkmark that designates the winner of a given state.
Sanders was in the lead with 53 percent to Clinton's 47 percent after a running start from Clinton quickly turned into a sputter.
'I sense a great deal of momentum. I sense some great victories coming,' he said during a hastily convened news conference in New Albany, Indiana.
Acknowledging the state of the race, Sanders said: 'I think that while the path is narrow, and I do not deny that for a moment.'
But he said: 'I think we can pull off one of the great political upsets in the history of the United States and in fact become the nominee for the Democratic Party. And then once we secure that position, I have absolute confidence that we are going to defeat Donald Trump.'
SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO
Back from the brink: Bernie Sanders spoke at a rally in Kentucky tonight before the Hoosier State was called for him. He later said: 'I sense a great deal of momentum. I sense some great victories coming'
Hillary Clinton's hopes of shutting Sanders down by beating him in Indiana were dashed tonight when he won by six percent - giving him the juice to keep going even though the numbers indicate he can't win
Sanders rallied his supporters tonight in Louisville, Kentucky as the state votes two weeks ahead on Tuesday. He dashed back over the state line to hold a press conference in Indiana once he won the primary
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Trump became the presumptive Republican presidential nominee tonight after Ted Cruz dropped his bid following a spectacular loss in the Hoosier State that eliminated what he saw as viable path to the Cleveland convention.
Hillary Clinton did not comment on the results of the Indiana Democratic primary, however campaign staff sent out a tweet on her behalf asking for the funds she needs to keep him from winning the White House.
The Clinton campaign also sent out a statement from chairman John Podesta disparaging Trump.
Podesta said the ex-reality TV star will neither 'keep our nation safe in a dangerous world' nor 'help working families get ahead here at home.'
'Throughout this campaign, Donald Trump has demonstrated that he’s too divisive and lacks the temperament to lead our nation and the free world,' said Podesta, a former adviser to both Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.
'With so much at stake, Donald Trump is simply too big of a risk. Hillary Clinton has proven that she has the strength to keep us safe in an uncertain world and a lifelong record of fighting to break down the barriers--economic and social--that hold working families back.'
He added, 'While Donald Trump seeks to bully and divide Americans, Hillary Clinton will unite us to create an economy that works for everyone.'
Sanders resisted a reporter's attempt tonight to get him to assassinate Trump's character by calling him a racist.
He instead pointed out that the Republican businessman has insulted Mexicans, Muslims, women and other demographic groups and spearheaded the birther movement.
'I'll let...the American people decide the appropriate label,' Sanders said at his press conference.
Unsolicited, he proceeded to denounce the probable GOP nominee on related grounds as 'a man that does have the demeanor, does not have the policy background or the ideas to become President of the United States.'
'I would love to run against him, and I'm absolutely confident that not only would we beat him, but we'd beat him by a pretty large number,' Sanders said, drawing on polling that generally support assessment of the general election.
Acknowledging the state of the race, Sanders said: 'I think we can pull off one of the great political upsets in the history of the United States and in fact become the nominee for the Democratic Party'
If the victory was bitter sweet for Sanders as he defeated Clinton but with far fewer votes than he'd deemed necessary to keep his campaign on track, he did not show it tonight as he disparaged the media for saying it cannot be done
Sanders greets supporters outside the New Albany-Floyd County Public Library tonight after winning Indiana
His sights on the newly anointed Republican tonight, Sanders has the difficult task over the next week of convincing prospective voters he still has the ability to become the Democratic nominee.
Hoosier State delegates will be distributed proportionally to the two Democrats and Sanders needed a tidal wave of support tonight to fulfill his own highly-publicized explanation of how he will overtake Clinton.
If the victory was bitter sweet for Sanders as he defeated Clinton but with far fewer votes than he'd deemed necessary to keep his campaign on track, he did not show it as he spoke to reporters.
Shortly afterward his campaign sent out a statement reaffirming his remarks and predicting 'more victories in the weeks to come.'
'The Clinton campaign thinks this campaign is over. They’re wrong. Maybe it’s over for the insiders and the party establishment, but the voters in Indiana had a different idea,' Sanders said.
'The campaign wasn’t over for them. It isn’t over for the voters in West Virginia. It isn’t over for Democrats in Oregon, New Jersey and Kentucky. It isn’t over for voters in California and all the other states with contests still to come.'
The senator again said, as he did in the days leading up to Indiana, that he has an 'uphill climb to victory.' However, he argued, he and his supporters 'have been fighting uphill from the first day of this campaign.'
'We are in this campaign to win and we’re going to fight until the last vote is cast,' he stated. 'There is nothing I would like more than to take on and defeat Donald Trump, someone who must never become president of this country.'
Sanders needed to win Indiana with a floor of 65 percent to have a plausible path forward in the race by his own admission, and he did not do that. He's seen here tonight with his wife Jane in Kentucky looking glum before he found out he was the winner of Indiana
The self-proclaimed democratic socialist intended to stay in the race regardless of tonight's results in order to promote his political revolution and force his party leftward. But the victory in Indiana was most certainly music to the ears of his campaign, which raised $20 million less last month than the month prior
The self-proclaimed democratic socialist intended to stay in the race regardless of tonight's results in order to promote his political revolution and force his party leftward.
But the victory in Indiana was most certainly music to the ears of his campaign, which raised $20 million less last month than the month prior and had to lay off much of its staff.
'Every victory we earn is extraordinarily important for our political revolution,' Sanders told his backers tonight in a fundraising email. 'Not just because of the delegates we earn, but because each win and all the work that goes into that effort sends an unmistakable message to the establishment of this country that we will never stop fighting for the values we share.'
He concluded the note by saying, 'I am in this fight through the Democratic convention. Thank you for standing with me.'
Sanders needed to win Indiana with a floor of 65 percent to have a plausible path forward by his own admission and he fell more than 10 percent short of meeting it.
Sunday on Face the Nation he proclaimed, 'We think we have a chance to win the majority of pledged delegates. It’s an uphill fight, I admit it. We need to win 65 percent of those votes but the states coming up our favorable to us.'
As a result of tonight's shortfall, he must add to his balance in upcoming contests, of which there are just 13 after this, including Oregon, where he's expected to trounce Clinton.
'Every victory we earn is extraordinarily important for our political revolution,' Sanders told his backers tonight in a fundraising email. 'Because each win and all the work that goes into that effort sends an unmistakable message to the establishment of this country that we will never stop fighting for the values we share'
His campaign at least avoided egg on its face by exceeding Clinton's vote total in the Hoosier State after it predicted wins in every May contest on a less favorable election night two weeks ago as it attempted to justify his continued participation in Democratic race for the White House.
Sanders and his aides have insisted the progressive senator could overtake Clinton in pledged delegates by dominating the rest of the map.
That strategy just hasn't panned out they way they thought it would, however, and Sanders is now on the verge of being completely boxed out.
Clinton led him by nearly 330 pledged delegates before Indiana's results were finalized.
When pledged delegates are factored in her advantage balloons to more than 800 delegates overall, putting her slightly more than 200 shy of locking in the nomination.
Sanders' stated plan is to pull even with her in pledged delegates and make the case to the party officials and other superdelegates that they should overturn their support for Clinton and vote for him at the July convention instead.
It's an unusual move that has little chance of succeeding.
Clinton has demonstrated a long-term commitment to the Democratic Party as first lady and later a U.S. senator while Sanders remained unaffiliated until the start of this race.
Former president Bill Clinton speaks at a campaign rally held on behalf of his Democrat wife Hillary
Clinton visited the African American Heritage Centre yesterday afternoon to assist his wife's campaign
Clinton poses for a selfie with a fan during his visit to the center
The former president, who was in power for eight years from 1983 to 1992, poses with an elderly woman
Clinton shakes a woman's hand upon his arrival at the centre to support his wife who is vying for the Democratic nomination for the White House
The Vermont lawmaker caucused with Democrats throughout his career but did not become one of them until he decided to seek the party's presidential nomination.
He's deflected criticism from his refusal to build up the Democratic Party by holding fundraisers for down ballot candidates by accusing Clinton's campaign of unethical behavior that trends toward the corrupt.
His campaign has accused Clinton and the Democratic National Committee of operating a joint fundraising committee that promotes itself as a vehicle to lift the entire party up when most of the money flowing into it goes to the Hillary for America bank account.
The race moves on from Indiana to Guam, which has has seven delegates and votes Saturday, West Virginia, on the calendar a week from today, and Kentucky, two weeks ahead.
Sanders spoke to his supporters in Louisville, Kentucky, this evening before polls had fully closed, as has become his way.
He drove the six miles back over the border to New Albany, Indiana, tonight after his win was announced to deliver a statement and take questions from press.
Clinton did not have a primary night event at all, allowing her to duck an in-person statement about her loss in a state that polls and past history suggested could go either way. | {
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It's safe to say that the ruff times are over for one middle-aged pug who was recently adopted by the manager of a local hotel.
Parker, a 5-year-old pug who happens to be missing an eye, can't seem to shake the overwhelming amount of pupparazi that has visited in the past 3 1/2 weeks of her new residency at the Park Hyatt Chicago.
Parker has found new life at the Park Hyatt Chicago, her new "furever" home. Park Hyatt Chicago
The dog was identified to Walter Brindell, the hotel's manager, as an animal who may have a hard time finding a traditional home, and that's when he knew she would be the perfect fit.
"For me, its really about family and purpose. And this dog has been an unbelievable addition, more than I imagined," Brindell told TODAY. "That’s really what I wanted to bring into this hotel."
RELATED: Tinder goes to the dogs with adopt-a-puppy profiles
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Brindell, who has had dogs for as long as he can remember, also sits on the Paws' Chicago development board, a nonprofit organization that cares for injured animals, and aids in adoption.
"I knew that her presence would benefit us internally," said Walter Brindell, the hotel's manager. Melissa Hom / Park Hyatt Chicago
Paws has played a critical role in nursing Parker back to health. In November, she joined the program after spending time at a rural shelter in Tennessee. The dog's medical needs were "extensive," according to Paws Chicago founder Paula Fasseas.
"She was found with painful, oozing skin tags, an irreparably damaged eye and a delicate respiratory pattern," Fasseas told TODAY in an email.
The team was able to remove all skin tags and also performed a more invasive surgery which alleviated breathing concerns.
"In addition to her basic vaccinations, microchip and spay surgery, our veterinary team performed major dental surgery to remove rotten, infected teeth, an ultrasound, blood work and treatment for urinary tract infection," she added.
RELATED: Hesitant to adopt a dog? Here's how I learned rescuing is a no-brainer
It's likely that Parker would have been euthanized because of her intense medical needs had she ended up at a different shelter.
The pug lived in two different foster homes before landing at the hotel, her now permanent home.
"This wonderful dog feels like she has a new beginning and a new life and a long life as far as I’m concerned," said Brindell. Park Hyatt Chicago
"It was love at first sight," Brindell said. "When she came out, it was just complete pleasure. We were looking for a dog that was not high energy and a dog that was going to be very child- and pet-friendly."
And they've come to find she's incredibly friendly. Parker's presence has immensely changed the hotel vibe.
"She's just been this warmth that brings this residential home feeling into the hotel, and that’s the message I’m getting back from so many of the guests," added Brindell.
Parker has become the favorite employee at Park Hyatt Chicago. Park Hyatt Chicago
That alone has been so beneficial to the staff. And they've all taken part in caring for her. Brindell says there are more than enough volunteers who have offered to walk, feed and medicate the dog.
RELATED: 'Hugging' dogs saved from kill shelter are still up for adoption
"She's just this wonderful little pug. I don’t know what her life was like before, but it’s going to be much better moving forward," he said. | {
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Hamilton is changing. How do those shifts look to its artists?
CBC Hamilton reporter Kelly Bennett interviewed a series of writers, artists, photographers, musicians, theatre folks and a furniture maker – each offering perspectives on the ways their work is rooted in this city, and how they see the city changing, both for good or for bad.
The interviews were conducted live in front of an audience of about 100 people who gathered at the Art Gallery of Hamilton's Annex on James Street North, invited by the gallery's Emerge group to discuss "Your Hamilton: Stories from a Shifting City." You can watch all seven interviews below.
The night challenged the speakers and the audience to ask themselves: How do you see Hamilton shifting? And how might those changes be affecting people who live in a different neighbourhood from you, working a different job from you, living in a different generation from you, speaking a different language than you?
Holding on to Hamilton's 'authenticity'
There weren't a lot of people blogging about Hamilton when Seema Narula moved here eight years ago. She's a part-time teacher and freelance writer and creator of the blog, This Must Be The Place, which chronicles her love for all things Hamilton.
The pace of new, cool stuff opening is much different now than when she moved here.
Just thinking about coffee shops alone, she said Thursday: She recalled there were three or four places to get good coffee, like Ola on James and a place in the market serving Columbian coffee.
"And so Mulberry opened, and then the next one, and then the next one and the next one and the next one," she said. "It's just insane."
Seema Narula: 'I like how real people are' in Hamilton 7:38
As Hamilton changes, Narula said she already feels nostalgic about the way it was when she moved here.
"I really like its authenticity," Narula said. "I like how real it is, how real people are here. I like walking with my eyes open and I don't ignore the people who are around me, the people on the street.
"I'm aware that there's a huge contrast in what's happening in the city and what lives are like downtown. And that's something that I don't ever want to let go of, because I think that's something that needs to affect the way we plan and design the city for the future."
'It's exciting … but you don't want to see people get left behind'
Baulcomb is a born and raised Hamiltonian who described walking from Westdale to downtown with his friends in high school in the late 90s and early 2000s. He wrote a book about Hamilton's music scene called "Evenings & Weekends: Five Years in Hamilton Music, 2006-2011" that was published last year.
He said the double-cohort generation played a factor in the number of young people arriving at McMaster University in the early 2000s. He graduated from Grade 13 in 2003, and a class of Grade 12s graduated at the same time, all across Ontario.
"You suddenly had twice the number of young people going to shows and starting bands and wanting to do something outside of campus life," he said. "I think that had a big impact in having young people be engaged in the city and wanting to just do something creative."
Andrew Baulcomb: 'You don't want to see people get left behind' 5:59
He said he and his wife bought a house 18 months ago and he felt like they were "the last ones to get in before the door slammed shut."
"It's fun – it's exciting to see the amount of change that's happening, but you don't want to see people get left behind as well, in the change," he said.
A community of women supporting each other
Stef Dubbeldam and Joanna Aitcheson started Women of Hamilton, a social media campaign working to create safe spaces for women to share their stories in the city. They also partnered with Vagina Monologues Hamilton to raise money and awareness for Mary's Place in the beginning of February.
They said that they started the campaign to have conversations with women to delve deeper into what it means for them to be a woman in the city. They said they hope to talk with people who don't fit the traditional gender binary, people from different neighbourhoods and generations.
Aitcheson said there's a camaraderie among women in Hamilton.
"We've noticed a thread in our interviews, where women have talked about this aspect of community that they have with each other in the city," Aitcheson said.
Stef and Joanna: Hamilton is home to strong bonds between women 9:41
Dubbeldam said she's encouraged by how much the support and connectivity between women who own businesses is already happening in the city and has been going on for years.
"I don't think that that's an accident. I don't think the fact that these shifts are happening in our city aren't connected with that," Dubbeldam said.
'You get the good stuff floating to the top'
Nicholas Hamilton Holmes grew up in Hamilton, went away to Ottawa and Montreal for school and moved back a few years ago. He is now doing quality millwork, designing and building custom furniture and making small-batch furniture.
A few years ago, Holmes found out about the city cutting down its ash trees due to the deadly pest emerald ash borer. He told the story Thursday about his plea to the city to let him use some of the wood from the dead trees to make things.
"They gave me a few reasons why not, which were just kind of red tape," he said. "Update: They're still chipping them."
He said he hopes the city will change its mind, but he's not holding his breath.
He said there is a growing community of people pursuing locally made, high quality furniture.
"In a gentrifying city, the problem is that as everything increases, the small people get pushed out," he said. "The pro side is that the competition gets vigorous, which is good, because it separates the wheat from the chaff and you get the good stuff floating to the top."
Nicholas Holmes: In a gentrifying city, 'competition gets vigorous' 7:58
Art isn't 'causing gentrification, it's also being used to talk about gentrification'
Amy Egerdeen makes illustrations and screen prints, handbound books and zines, and co-founded the annual Hamilton Feminist Zine Fair with the Sexual Assault Centre of Hamilton. As well, Amy works full-time at a local women's shelter with women and children fleeing abuse.
"In Hamilton, I think there's been this idea that art is one with gentrification and is … as if that's kind of something that's pushing people out," Egerdeen said.
"I think instead, art is something that has always been used in activism, it's always been used by people that are marginalized to have their voices heard," she said. "That's the way that I see art."
Amy Egerdeen: Art isn’t ‘causing gentrification, it’s also being used to talk about gentrification’ 5:38
Egerdeen does art workshops with people in the shelter. She's working on a poster project with women from the shelter where their art will be displayed around the city.
"Art has always been the voice of everyone; it's not just this idea of something that's causing gentrification, it's also being used to talk about gentrification."
'Ain't nothing changed'
Kojo "Easy" Damptey is a musician born and raised in Ghana in West Africa, who moved to Hamilton in 2001, when he was 17, to study chemical engineering. He fell into a whirlwind of school and music and learned to play piano and write songs. His sophomore record, "Giants" is expected this fall.
He's a passionate advocate against racism and a cheerleader for the idea that Hamilton is better because of its diversity, and he's interested in using art to tell stories of marginalized peoples and communities.
He recently launched the COBRA: The Coalition of Black and Racialized Artists to focus on finding opportunities for people whose work doesn't tend to be part of the traditional mainstream.
"The music and the arts scene (in Hamilton) tends to focus on traditional arts," he said. "And not the multiple perspectives that other people might do art."
Kojo Damptey: 'The changes that people are talking about are more fluffy changes' 4:57
Unlike some of the comments made by other speakers, Damptey said he hasn't seen the same kind of dramatic change, though he does think gentrification needs to be talked about.
"I don't think it's changed, sorry," he said. "As an artist that identifies as a person of colour, I think that the same issues that we were talking about when we were at [McMaster], they're the same issues that are being talked about now."
"I think the changes that people are talking about are more fluffy changes, in terms of things that are important to a certain group of people in the city," he said. "In my neck of the woods, the people I make music with the people, I chat with, they're like, 'Ain't nothing changed.'"
'You don't want Toronto money in here — you do and you don't'
Thomas Allen writes and takes photos for Rebuild Hamilton, his blog and social media streams that highlight iconic Hamilton buildings and hidden gems.
He weaves together details he learns from research and observations he makes from the street. And he takes people out on walking tours to explore the city, his favourites and the buildings he thinks are duds.
He hopes for "better design" as Hamilton's streetscape changes.
"It's tough because you don't want Toronto money in here," he said. "You do and you don't. But the thing that happens when you bring Toronto money is you bring Toronto architects, and a bigger budget. … You have a lot of precast towers now that are really banal."
Thomas Allen: 'Everybody should have an opinion on architecture' 6:20
"One of the reasons why I do what I do is I want … people to pay attention to great design, and to respect design," Allen said.
"And to have your voices heard. Everybody here should have an opinion on architecture. You're surrounded by it. You live in it. Why can't you say what you want? You're a consumer when it comes to architecture. So I want people to realize that design matters."
[email protected] | {
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On the 29th of May, Gen. G announced they were adding two new players on to their roster. Lee “Rich” Jae-won was previously a part of Gen. G’s very successful Heroes of the Storm team, while Kim “Asper” Tae-ki was last on Hanwha Life Esports as a sub, where he did not play any games over their starting support, Kim “key” Han-gi.
Meet the new faces of Gen.G LoL! Welcome to mid Rich and support Asper!
Rich has returned from former Gen.G HotS team to now join Gen.G LoL! Send out your best wishes in his new chapter!#WeAreGenG #GenG pic.twitter.com/Myg4POJN8M — Gen.G LOL (@GenGLoL) May 29, 2019
Gen. G plays their first match of LCK Summer on June 5th against DAMWON Gaming. | {
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New Delhi: Gross underreporting of bad loans is one of the primary reasons behind Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) restrictions on Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank , said two people aware of the development, adding that RBI is currently looking into the books of the bank.
According to the first person, the bank’s management has come clean and the central bank has therefore put restrictions on withdrawals as a precautionary measure to avoid a run on the bank. While the bank’s gross bad loans, as per its FY19 annual report, was at 3.76% of its advances, the bank has now disclosed that it is much higher, the person added.
Chaos reigned outside the Sion branch of the Mumbai-based PMC Bank on Tuesday as depositors thronged to withdraw their money after the Reserve bank of India put restrictions on the bank.
RBI on early Tuesday placed the urban co- operative bank under operational restrictions such as not allowing it give fresh loans, accept fresh deposits and borrowing of funds, among others for six months. One of the major restrictions affecting customers is capping withdrawals at ₹1,000 per customer during the six- month period. The curbs also include ATM transactions and online banking.
People vented out their fury on Twitter at the turn of events. Here are a few tweets illustrating the kind of anger being directed at the authorities on the social media platform.
@RBI everytime bank fraud happens people who are not involved in it i.e common people get punished for the only reason that they have trusted the bank n government #PMC @narendramodi @Dev_Fadnavis y this punishment to us — Swapmay (@Swapmay2) September 24, 2019
What kind of a joke is this @RBI when you allow depositors to withdraw ₹1000/- from #PMC bank after freezing the bank assets. Might as well seal the treasury. — Mangesh Borse (@mjborse) September 24, 2019
WTF is wrong with banks.. @PMC_Bank says they are under 35A of BR by the @RBI and the thing is I have all my savings stuck in that bank and they say I can not withdraw my money now.. What do I do.. People here have all their savings in the bank and the bank says they can’t help — Avinash Sharma (@1989Avinash) September 24, 2019
Crisis at #PMC bank likely just tip of the iceberg. Why did @RBI wait till it got to crisis point before intervening? And how many other cooperative banks in similar dire straits waiting for the RBI to intervene?The poor are disproportionately affected by a crisis in this sector. — Rupa Subramanya (@rupasubramanya) September 24, 2019
Dear @RBI and @DasShaktikanta Please tell depositors why are they being punished in Punjab & Maharashtra Coop Bank? Bank is profitable, why are people suffering? Can't irregularities be fixed without causing such pain?
Are you not answerable to depositors who are in shock? — Sucheta Dalal (@suchetadalal) September 24, 2019
Some Twitter users even made memes to highlight the precarious situation of the customers.
#pmcbank
With one thousand rupees per 6 months, this is what is gonna happen. What else do you expect ? pic.twitter.com/F7SW9bJkLb — Anup Nair (@anup_s_nair) September 24, 2019
I feel for #pmcbank customers right now... One moment and you are left with nothing....#pmc pic.twitter.com/7ktvgrnET8 — Anup Nair (@anup_s_nair) September 24, 2019
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Stefan Wermuth / Reuters
La convocation de la banque HSBC Private Bank, aux fins d'une mise en examen pour "démarchage bancaire illicite" et "blanchiment de fraude fiscale", a été reportée au dernier moment par les juges chargés de l'enquête. Prévue le 3 novembre, elle devrait finalement intervenir dans les prochaines semaines, a indiqué au Monde la banque HSBC.
Les juges du pôle financier Guillaume Daïeff et Charlotte Bilger disposent de nouveaux éléments leur permettant d'avancer que les gestionnaires de fonds de HSBC ont très fréquemment franchi la frontière franco-helvétique afin, notamment, de proposer aux clients français des montages offshore pour contourner le fisc, et ce à l'instigation de leur hiérarchie.
Plus de 5 milliards d'euros, dernier décompte fiscal en date, auraient ainsi été dissimulés par des contribuables français cachés derrière des sociétés-écrans sises au Panama ou aux îles Vierges britanniques. Selon un rapport de synthèse de la gendarmerie du 30 juillet, dont Le Monde a pu prendre connaissance, ces agissements seraient le fait d'une « bande organisée ».
« LES BANQUES SAVAIENT »
Les investigations de la section de recherches de Paris de la gendarmerie ont en effet considérablement progressé ces derniers mois. Les enquêteurs ont notamment convoqué nombre de clients français de HSBC et d'anciens employés de la banque, dont les auditions ont conforté leurs soupçons. Ainsi, Roger Basso, ex-cadre de HSBC spécialisé dans la gestion des fonds africains, a confié :
« Les banques savaient que les clients venaient déposer leurs avoirs en Suisse pour échapper au fisc (…). Ces faits constituent une fraude fiscale. »
Les enquêteurs se sont notamment intéressés à la mise en place, ou plutôt au contournement, à partir du 1er juillet 2005, d'une nouvelle taxe européenne, dite ESD, pénalisant fortement les contribuables fortunés.
En février 2005, la direction d'HSBC avertit ses clients dans un courrier plutôt explicite. Colin Wyss, membre du comité exécutif, et Denis Soussi, membre de la direction, leur expliquent que de « nombreux instruments et structures existent » pour échapper à la nouvelle taxe. Pour Roger Basso, « il ne peut s'agir que de sociétés offshore ».
Plus de 80 témoins, clients et gestionnaires confondus, ont été longuement auditionnés par les gendarmes. Leurs interrogatoires se recoupent. Tous, à quelques exceptions près, confirment que les clients français se voyaient proposer la création de sociétés-écrans, par l'intermédiaire des sociétés partenaires de HSBC, pour contourner les nouvelles lois fiscales. | {
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A lot of time and therefore money is being expended in creating Assange impostor accounts for Black Propaganda. Please consider to report them to twitter for impersonation to get them suspended then block. Although the Black Propaganda teams working on the impostor projects can create new impostor accounts, eventually with every suspension their job is becoming more difficult as handles suspended cannot be used again.
Impostor Account Example 1:
WikiLeaks @ JullianAsange – changed handle to @ _AssangeJulian
The second handle has been suspended. The first has been re-used under a new account created on the 28th of June (to reserve the name, so no-one else uses it) http://archive.is/QErgX (using Austrian footballer’s Julian Erhart photo as an Avatar) ID 880100132380786689
Impostor Account Example 2 (31/08/17 Update):
Julian Assange @Real_Assange changed to Julian Assange @JulianAssunge and then to @JulianAssanged adding a diamond symbol for verification, then changed again to @Julien_Assange and then to @JuliannAssange, @RealAssange always the same twitter ID 860223427180773376.
As the account changes handles any search for the pages produce “page does not exist” whilst the current page retains all the tweets and followers of the historic accounts from the day of creation. This is the way the account handlers avoid being suspended by twitter, leaving room to re-cycle the same handles in the future.
Impostor Account Example 3:
Wikileaks @WiliLeak ID 887461508267073536
Wikileaks @WikileaksTeam ID 887477583595655168
WL supporters have been busy reporting the account for impersonation, let’s hope Twitter suspends the account soon.
Useful Resources:
1.] Twelve Reasons Why You Should NOT Delete a Disused Twitter Account https://twirpz.wordpress.com/2016/03/08/twelve-reasons-why-you-should-not-delete-a-disused-twitter-account/ and http://archive.is/Aes9g
2.] How To Find Twitter Users’ Previous Usernames https://twirpz.wordpress.com/2015/06/16/how-to-find-twitter-users-previous-usernames/ and http://archive.is/dhMcT
3.] How to Report Impersonating account in Twitter: https://support.twitter.com/forms/impersonation
Happy Reporting!
Previous version archived here http://archive.is/ATFsL | {
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Provisions on digital trade are quietly being squared away in both of the two major trade negotiations currently underway—the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) renegotiation and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade talks. But due to the worst-ever standards of transparency in both of these negotiations, we don’t know which provisions are on the table, which have been agreed, and which remain unresolved. The risk is that important and contentious digital issues—such as rules on copyright or software source code—might become bargaining chips in negotiation over broader economic issues including wages, manufacturing and dispute resolution, and that we would be none the wiser until after the deals have been done.
The danger of such bad compromises being made is especially acute because both of the deals are in trouble. Last month President Donald Trump targeted the NAFTA which includes Canada and Mexico, describing it in a tweet as "the worst trade deal ever made," which his administration "may have to terminate." At the conclusion of the 2nd round of talks held last week in Mexico, the prospects of agreement being concluded anytime soon seem unlikely. Even as a third round of talks is scheduled for Ottawa from September 23-27, 2017, concern about the agreement's future has prompted Mexico to step up efforts to boost commerce with Asia, South America and Europe.
The same is true of the RCEP agreement, which is being spearheaded by the 10 member ASEAN bloc and its 6 FTA partners, and which was expected to be concluded by the end of this year. The possibility of RCEP being ratified this year now seems unlikely as nations are far from agreement on key areas. Reports suggest however that the negotiators are targeting the e-commerce chapter as a priority area for early agreement. So far, the text specific to e-commerce has not been made publicly available and the leaked Terms of Reference for the Working Group on ecommerce (WGEC) is the only reference to what issues could make an appearance in the RCEP. We have previously reported that the e-commerce chapter was expected to be shorter and less detailed than the chapters on goods and services. However the secrecy of trade negotiations makes it very difficult to accurately track developments or policy objectives that are being pushed through or prioritized in the negotiations.
Trade Negotiations Are Becoming Less Open, Not More
Far from adopting the enhanced measures of transparency and openness that EFF demanded and that U.S. Trade Representative Lighthizer promised to deliver, the NAFTA renegotiation process seems to be walking back from the minimal level of transparency that civil society fought hard for during the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) talks. So far, the NAFTA process has had no open stakeholder meetings at its rounds to date. EFF has written a joint letter to negotiators [PDF] that has been endorsed by groups including Access Now, Creative Commons, Derechos Digitales, and OpenMedia, demanding that it reinstate stakeholder meetings, as an initial step in opening up the negotiations to greater public scrutiny.
The openness of the RCEP negotiation process has also been degrading. At a public event held during the Auckland round, the Trade Minister from New Zealand and members of the Trade Negotiating Committee (TNC) fielded questions from stakeholders using social media and the event was live streamed. Organizers of earlier rounds of RCEP held in South Korea and Indonesia had facilitated formal and informal meetings between negotiators and civil society organisations (CSOs). But at recent rounds the opportunities for interaction between negotiators and stakeholders has dropped. The hosting nations have also been much more restrained with their engagement and outreach. For example, at the Hyderabad round there was no press conference or official statement released by the government representatives or chapter negotiators.
A Broader Retreat from Stakeholder Inclusion?
This worrying retreat from democracy in trade negotiations mirrors a broader softening of support by governments for public participation in policy development. From a high point about a decade ago, when governments embraced a so-called “multi-stakeholder model” as the foundation of bodies such as the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), several countries that were previous supporters of this model seem to be much cooler towards it now. Consider the Xiamen Declaration which was adopted by consensus at the 9th BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) summit in China this month. Unlike previous BRICS declarations which supported a multi-stakeholder approach, the Xiamen declaration stresses the importance of state sovereignty throughout the document.
This trend is not reserved to the BRICS bloc. Western governments, too, are excluding civil society voices from policy development, even while they experiment with methods for engaging directly with large corporations. In January this year, Denmark in recognition of technological issues becoming matters of foreign policy has appointed a "digitisation ambassador" to engage with tech companies such as Google and Facebook. This is a poor substitute for a fully inclusive, balanced and accountable process that would also include Internet users and other civil society stakeholders.
Given the complexity of trade negotiations and the fast-changing pace of the digital environment, negotiators are not always equipped to negotiate fair trade deals without the means of having a broader public discussion of the issues involved. In particular, including provisions related to the digital economy in trade agreements can result in a push to negotiate on issues before they can form an understanding of potential consequences. A wide and open consultative process, ensuring a more balanced view of the issues at stake, could help.
The intransigence of trade ministries such as the USTR to heed demands either from EFF or from Congress to become more open and transparent suggest that it may be a long while before we see such an inclusive, balanced, and accountable process evolving out of trade negotiations as they exist now. But other venues for discussing digital trade, such as the IGF and the OECD, do exist today and could be used rather than rushing into closed-door norm-setting. One advantage of preferring these more flexible, soft-law mechanisms for developing norms on Internet related issues is that they provide a venue for cooperation and policy coordination, without locking countries into a set of rules that may become outmoded as business models and technologies continue to evolve.
This is not the model that NAFTA or RCEP negotiators have chosen, preferring to open the door to corporate lobbyists while keeping civil society locked out. This week’s letter to the trade ministries of the United States, Canada, and Mexico calls them out on this and asks them to do better. If you are in the United States, you can also join the call for better transparency in trade negotiations by asking your representative to support the Promoting Transparency in Trade Act. | {
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The dream of piecing together a smartphone like Lego blocks no longer seems far-fetched.
Google announced today that it will host three developer conferences this year for its Project Ara modular smartphone concept, with the first set for April 14 and 15 in Mountain View, Calif.
A holdover from Motorola’s Advanced Technology and Platforms (ATAP) group, which officially joined Google last week, Project Ara is a push to make modular smartphones a reality. Instead of buying a single, fully-constructed phone where all the components seem like a black box, the Ara project is exploring the idea of snapping phones together based on individual components.
Ara may seem far-fetched, but in a world where our smartphones seem obsolete after only a few months, the notion of upgrading components piecemeal sounds pretty enticing for techies.
This may not be a concept that gets much mainstream play, but like the ATAP group’s recently announced mobile 3D mapping effort, Project Tango, there’s plenty of value in exploring ambitious R&D projects.
Google says the first conference will center on the release of the Ara Module Developers’ Kit, which contains everything you need to create an Ara module. At the conference, Google plans to walk through planned features for Ara, take feedback from the community, and offer up prizes to module devs. The company says the first MDK will be based on a prototype specification for the Ara’s on-device communication network, while future versions will run on a more efficient technology.
Registration for the first conference is open now for $100 per ticket ($25 for students). Google will also stream the entire event online for free. | {
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This coming Friday, Tokenomy (TEN) will be listed on CoinBene, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchange platforms in Southeast Asia!
Starting from 16:00 GMT+8 on June 8, TEN will be available to trade on CoinBene. Token deposits will start at 11:00 GMT+8 on the same day.
The trading pairs include BTC and ETH.
Launched in October 2017, CoinBene has already become one of the largest exchange platforms in Southeast Asia. The daily trade volume is over 40 million US dollars and it is ranked one of top 50 exchanges in the world. CoinBene features a secure and user-friendly interface that provides multiple cryptocurrencies trading pairs. The platform can process more than one million orders per second.
To register a CoinBene account, please visit www.coinbene.com
CoinBene Telegram group (Global): https://t.me/coinbene
CoinBene Telegram group (Chinese): https://t.me/coinbene_cn
To celebrate this momentous occasion, we are giving away FREE TEN tokens to the Top 30 Traders with the highest volume of TEN tokens traded between 16:00 GMT+8 on June 8 to 16:00 GMT+8 on June 15.
Grand Prize: 10,000 TEN
Top 2: 5,000 TEN
Top 3: 3,500 TEN
Top 4–30: 250 TEN each
In addition, the first 250 users who have traded over 1,000 TEN on CoinBene (excluding the TOP 30) will also receive an additional 100 TEN each.
Stay tuned for more info on the trading contest here: https://www.coinbene.com/#/notice
Rewards Announcement! Congratulation for the winners!
Stay in touch
Please join our Telegram channel for latest update here, connect with our community by joining Telegram group here (en) and here (bahasa) and Follow our twitter here | {
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Retired gym teacher Dale Irby posed for his first yearbook photo back in 1973 at Prestonwood Elementary school. The next year, completely by accident, Irby wore the exact same outfit. At first he was horrified to discover the faux pas, but then his wife made a dare: do it again the next year. Before you knew it a 40-year tradition was born; from 1973 to 2012 the teacher, now 63, wore an identical sweater vest and collared shirt for every single yearbook portrait. You can see a slideshow of the photos over at the Dallas Morning News. (via peta pixel)
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member and support independent arts publishing. Join a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about contemporary art, help support our interview series, gain access to partner discounts, and much more. Join now! | {
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(foto AdnKronos)
La libertà di stampa in Italia è "chiaramente peggiorata" nel 2018. E' quanto afferma un rapporto pubblicato oggi dalle organizzazioni partner della Piattaforma del Consiglio d'Europa per la protezione del giornalismo e la sicurezza dei giornalisti. In generale, "le condizioni per l’esercizio della libertà dei media sono notevolmente peggiorate nell’area del Consiglio d’Europa". Ma l'Italia, sostiene il rapporto, "è lo stato membro della Ue con il più alto numero di minacce attive sulla Piattaforma, in tutto 19".
Inoltre, "la maggioranza degli allarmi registrati nel 2018 sono stati registrati dopo l'insediamento ufficiale del nuovo governo di coalizione il 1 giugno" e "il numero di violazioni in Italia riportate sulla Piattaforma è più che triplicato rispetto al 2017". Il rapporto punta il dito contro i due vice premier, Luigi Di Maio e Matteo Salvini, che "attraverso i social media esprimono regolarmente una retorica particolarmente ostile nei confronti dei media e dei giornalisti".
Nel documento si rileva come in Italia il clima di "crescente violenza" contro i giornalisti sia "particolarmente preoccupante". La mafia e la criminalità organizzata rimangono in Italia "una delle più gravi minacce" contro i cronisti. Sono ben 21 i giornalisti che vivono sotto scorta, mentre "molti altri sono stati intimiditi e assaliti da membri di gruppi neofascisti". | {
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The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (5-6) left 12 men on base in a 3-2 loss to the Syracuse Chiefs (6-5) on Tuesday night at Coca-Cola Park.
Syracuse grabbed an early 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the first. Brendan Ryan plated a run with an RBI groundout after a leadoff triple from Trea Turner and Brian Goodwin came through with an RBI single.
The Pigs cut the lead to 2-1 with a run in the fourth as J.P. Arencibia led off with a single, advanced to third on a single and later scored on Will Venable's RBI groundout. Lehigh Valley had the bases loaded with one out in the inning, but Chiefs starter Taylor Jordan was able to fan David Buchanan and Darnell Sweeney to avoid any further damage.
In the home half of the fifth, the IronPigs had the bases loaded with nobody out but were only able to push across one run to tie things at two as Venable drew a bases-loaded walk issued by Jordan.
Jordan (n/d) allowed two runs on eight hits to go along with three walks and four strikeouts in 4.2 IP.
LHP Matt Grace (1.1 IP, BB) earned the win for Syracuse and is 1-0 on the season. RHP Rafael Martin (1.0 IP) tossed a perfect ninth to notch his second save of the year.
The Chiefs quickly regained the lead at 3-2 with a run in the sixth as Matt Skole drew a leadoff walk, went to second on a balk, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on Jhonatan Solano's sac fly.
Buchanan (0-1) surrendered three runs on four hits while walking three and fanning three in six innings of work.
Pigs INF Taylor Featherston extended his hitting streak to eight games with a single in the fifth.
RHP Colton Murray (2.0 IP, 5 K) and RHP Andrew Bailey (1.0 IP, H, 2 K) tossed a scoreless inning in relief for the IronPigs.
The two teams will begin a three-game set on Wednesday afternoon at NBT Bank Stadium in Syracuse. There will be a doubleheader on Wednesday with first pitch of game one set for 4:35 p.m. RHP Jake Thompson (0-2, 6.75) gets the ball for the Pigs in game one against Chiefs RHP Paolo Espino (0-0, 3.60). Game two will feature Lehigh Valley RHP Reinier Roibal (0-0, 8.31) against Syracuse LHP Aaron Laffey (1-0, 1.50). | {
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San Sebastian (Spain) (AFP) - Hundreds of Basques turned out on the streets Saturday in support of Catalonia and its planned referendum on independence from Madrid, an ambition long fought for by Basque separatists.
The demonstration was symbolic, in a region still marked by decades of violence waged by armed separatist group ETA, and where the desire for independence remains strong despite the current peaceful times.
Arnaldo Otegi, a veteran leader in the northern region who was once part of ETA and now heads up Sortu, a party that campaigns for independence, was present at the march.
He said the protest had been called to demonstrate Basque solidarity "with people who are giving an important example in democracy in Europe and demanding the right to self-determination to decide whether they want to be independent or not."
Otegi was referring to the northeastern region of Catalonia, where the regional, separatist government is planning to hold an independence referendum on October 1.
But the central government in Madrid categorically refuses such a vote which it says threatens Spain's unity, and has warned Catalan leaders they face reprisals if they go ahead with it.
Under a clear blue sky in the Basque seaside resort of San Sebastian, organisers said some 3,000 protesters attended the march.
They waved the red and yellow Esteleda flag used by those who want independence in Catalonia, as well as red, white and green Basque regional flags.
Lawmakers from Catalonia's radical, far-left CUP party, which is part of a majority pro-independence coalition in Catalonia's parliament, were also present at the march. | {
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Siden statens delvise salg af Dong Energy i 2014 er den daværende finansminister, Bjarne Corydon (S), blevet skudt i skoen, at han solgte energiselskabet for billigt.
Onsdag har Rigsrevisionen aflagt beretning, der fremsætter en usædvanlig skarp kritik af Finansministeriets håndtering af salget. Bjarne Corydon hæfter sig ved, at der ikke er kritik af den politiske håndtering af sagen:
- Jeg konstaterer med tilfredshed, at Rigsrevisionens beskrivelse af sagsforløbet bekræfter, hvad jeg konsekvent har gjort gældende overfor Folketinget og offentligheden, siger han i en skriftlig kommentar til Ritzau.
- Af samme årsag finder statsrevisorerne heller ikke anledning til at rette nogen kritik mod den politiske håndtering af forløbet eller mod de beslutninger, der blev truffet og støttet af et meget bredt flertal i Folketinget.
En af de mest højlydte kritikere af Dong-salget er Enhedslistens finansordfører, Pelle Dragsted. Han mener modsat Corydon, at kritikken fra Rigsrevisionen er en "alvorlig begmand" til den tidligere S-minister.
- Det er dybt bekymrende, at Finansministeriet ikke kan redegøre for centrale dele af forløbet, siger han i en pressemeddelelse.
Rigsrevisionen finder det "meget utilfredsstillende", at centrale dokumenter om Dong ikke er i Finansministeriets sager.
I beretningen konkluderer Rigsrevisionen, at Finansministeriet dermed ikke har "sikret tilstrækkelig gennemsigtighed i beslutningsgrundlaget, hvilket ikke er i overensstemmelse med god forvaltningsskik."
- For så vidt angår statsrevisorernes kritik af Finansministeriets dokumentationspraksis, har denne ikke haft betydning for sagens udfald, siger Bjarne Corydon.
- Der er tale om administrative forhold, hvor jeg må henvise til ministeriets egne kommentarer.
Efter nederlaget ved folketingsvalget i 2015 blev Bjarne Corydon ansat som global direktør for The McKinsey Center for Government.
Det delvise salg af Dong blev den udløsende faktor for, at SF trådte ud af SRSF-regeringen. Salget førte til så megen intern splid i partiet, at SF endte med at træde ud af regeringen. | {
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Overview (2)
Mini Bio (1)
Hideaki Anno was born on May 22, 1960 in Ube, Yamaguchi, Japan. He is known for his work on Shin Godzilla (2016), Evangelion Shin Gekijôban: Jo (2007) and The Wind Rises (2013). He has been married to Moyoco Anno since March 26, 2002.
Spouse (1)
Trade Mark (5)
Some of his characters often start off as being emotionally troubled and undergo a radical journey through crisis, developing as better people in the end.
Used his own depression to fuel the psychological themes and upsetting imagery in some of the anime he directed.
Creates animated TV shows and films that often deconstruct and satirise tropes present in earlier anime franchises.
Implements classical music in his anime, notably in Evangelion, during suspenseful or intense scenes.
Often designs and inserts nightmarish monsters into his work.
Trivia (13)
Is rumored to have made the film End of Evangelion (1997) and its incredibly symbolic, ambiguous finale as revenge against the fans of the television series "Neon Genesis Evangelion" (1995) who complained about the series's ending too much.
Anno, in the early 90s, went through a major and long bout of depression that lasted about four years. After some major soul searching and a new found self-appreciation, he chronicled his thoughts and revelations through the character of Shinji Ikari in Neon Genesis Evangelion, as well as many of the other characters. Evangelion is one of the single most personal stories told in anime. The ending of episodes 25 and 26 that take place in Shinji's mind, mirror Anno's thought process near the end of his depression. Many fans who watched the show for the action were very disappointed by the psychological ending and mailed Anno many death threats (a few of which flash across the screen in End of Evangelion) who maintained that he thought the ending was perfect. At an anime convention in America, he had an interpreter and a Q & A session in which one fan expressed their disappointment. Anno took the microphone and said in straight English "Too bad."
He is a vegetarian, like his characters Nadia and Rei Ayanami.
Got his start as an animator for the God Soldier on Hayao Miyazaki 's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984). Running short on animators, the film's production studio posted an ad in the famous Japanese animation magazine Animage, announcing that they were in desperate need of more animators. Anno read the ad and headed down to the studio, where he met with Miyazaki and showed him some of his drawings. Impressed with Anno's work, Miyazaki hired him to draw some of the most complicated scenes near the end of the movie, and regarded his work highly.
In early 2006 he left Gainax to form his own studio, Khara.
Has an asteroid named after him. (9081 Hideakianno).
He has described himself as the "prodigal son" of Hayao Miyazaki
He does not like Disney.
He likes Tom & Jerry.
He is a fan of Gojira (1954).
Personal Quotes (11)
[on getting into the anime industry] If you want to get into anime, my best advice to you as a creator is to please have diverse interests in things besides animation. Look outward, first of all. Most anime makers are basically autistic. They have to try and reach out, and truly communicate with others. I would guess that the greatest thing anime has ever achieved is the fact that we're holding a dialogue right here and now.
[on his beliefs] Japanese spiritualism holds that there is kami (spirit) in everything, and that's closer to my own beliefs.
Once you hold the prejudice that you can't use anything but cels to represent characters, you've finally become a fetishist...
About Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water (1990): Actually, I felt sad when I watched Nadia, which I directed. I felt Nadia was too childish.
About Shinji Ikari, the Shin Seiki Evangelion (1995) protagonist: The reason why the main character is fourteen years is that he is no longer a child but not yet an adult. He lives alone, but is attached to others. In past centuries, he would soon celebrate his coming of age. Back then, life expectancy was fifty years, so people had to grow up in fourteen years. Considering 'age fourteen' as that in which an independence of mind starts manifesting, I found it proper to include this in my work.
About Uchû senkan Yamato (1974): Yamato used to be the best in the quality of the picture in those days, so it is very old. The young animation fans might not be satisfied with it since they have high appreciation as far as picture quality is concerned. But I want them to watch it at least once.
About Japanese animation's beautiful women: Japanese animation is an industry that is, for the most part, male, and as is quite evident, everything is made for their gratification. Further, it is more gratifying for us to draw this sort of character, rather than old grandmothers.
[about discovering Gainax selling off production materials from under him] I could have shrugged off the loan that never got repaid, but we were anxious to preserve the production materials we had poured blood, sweat, and tears into.
[about his falling out with his former colleagues at Gainax] I am disappointed, not as a manager at a company that lent them money, but as a friend from our university days. And my biggest disappointment is that I'll never be able to regain the relationship with them that I had in those days gone by.
[on why he didn't produce the Rebuild Evangelion films with his former colleagues at Gainax] There are a number of reasons for this. It would be hard to bring in a fresh vibe at the studio that made it in the past, there was another TV series being planned at Gainax at the time, and the younger generation of staff would continue to hold back on expressing themselves out of deference to me as their senior. But the biggest reason was so that I could control the production budget and ensure that the staff and employees could get the benefits and returns that they were owed."
[on Godzilla] Godzilla exists in a world of science fiction, not only of dreams and hopes, but he's a caricature of reality, a satire, a mirror image. Recently, Japan has also been careless in the way it has attempted to depict him
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State Department spokesman John Kirby acknowledged Wednesday that Islamic State terrorists are trying to mingle with refugee populations overseas in the hopes of making it to the U.S. posing as a refugee.
New York bombing suspect Ahmad Khan Rahami said he received instructions from ‘terrorist leaders… to attack non-believers’.
5000 ISIS terrorists sneak into Europe disguised as ‘refugees’.
ISIS plotting terror attacks in America ‘THIS YEAR’ after jihadis ‘exploit refugee crisis’.
ISLAMIC State (ISIS) jihadis are plotting to launch terror attacks in America this year after exploiting the refugee crisis, intelligence chiefs have warned.
Islamic State operating in Mexico just 8 miles from U.S. border.
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Citing sources that include a “Mexican Army field grade officer and a Mexican Federal Police Inspector,” the conservative watchdog group reported that the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, is organizing only a few miles from El Paso, Texas, in the Anapra neighborhood of Juárez and in Puerto Palomas.
America’s Trojan War combines gut wrenching realism and fast paced action to make this feel like it was ripped from the morning’s headlines. An excerpt:
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Lisa Billingham and Sargent Bushings rushed into the building firing into the faces of the enemy. Hundreds and soon thousands of police, firemen, and civilians poured into the buildings of St Elizabeth Hospital. They shot anything that moved. By force of numbers they pushed the defenders back from the windows and doors. Room by room sometimes desk by desk the fire fights raged leaving dead, wounded and dying scattered in every conceivable pose, piled on the floor, slumped over desks and chairs, and half in and half out of doors and windows. It was no exaggeration to say the building was littered with bodies. Still the Americans in their righteous anger assaulted the enemy with a ferocity they had never imagined.
To purchase this exciting new book https://www.createspace.com/6041130
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Nicola Sturgeon will put ending austerity, the removal of nuclear weapons from Scotland and a second independence referendum in 2020 at the heart of her party’s post-election negotiations with Labour if there is a hung parliament.
The Scottish National party (SNP) leader said those worried about a Jeremy Corbyn government should be reassured that her party would insist on zero tolerance of antisemitism, Islamophobia and any form of racism.
Setting out the list of demands as she launched her party’s general election manifesto in Glasgow on Wednesday, she told activists that the SNP would “put Scotland’s interests front and centre in a progressive alliance to lock the Tories out of government at Westminster”.
Calling for a “real end to austerity”, she stressed that the next UK government must make right the cumulative cuts Scotland has been hit by over the past decade, which she estimated to be £13.9bn.
Reminding activists of the financial package agreed by Theresa May with the Democratic Unionist party (DUP) after the 2017 election, Sturgeon told activists: “A party seeking our support must be prepared to set out how they would repair the damage of a decade of austerity and put back the money that has been lost.”
US said no-deal Brexit would leave 'all to play for', says Labour Read more
Sturgeon said she would negotiate to increase NHS spending in England and Wales by £136 a head, bringing it to Scottish levels and involving an extra spend of £35bn by 2023-24, although no information was made available about how that figure was calculated. She is also proposing an NHS Protection Act that would include a double lock for devolved assemblies to consent to any post-Brexit trade deal.
Attacking Labour’s proposed windfall tax on the North Sea oil and gas industry as the latest example of Westminster “pocketing” Scotland’s oil revenue, she contrasted this with £200bn to renew the “immoral” Trident, saying: “A key SNP demand for our support will be the removal of Trident from Scotland and saving of billions of pounds to be invested instead in our precious public services.”
Emphasising that Brexit “is nowhere near being done”, in a reversal of Boris Johnson’s catchphrase, she said: “Scotland will pay a heavy price for the Tories’ Brexit obsession and Labour’s neutrality.”
Describing an SNP victory in Scottish seats as “a clear instruction” that voters want a second independence referendum in 2020, she said: “People are becoming increasingly sick of hearing Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn talking about not allowing Scottish people to choose their own future.” To cheers and applause, she added: “Well I’ve got news for them: it’s not up to you.
“My message to any party seeking SNP support after the election is: if you cannot support this most fundamental of democratic principles then the SNP cannot and will not support you.”
Taking questions from the media after her speech, Sturgeon was challenged on whether she would continue to support Corbyn in a minority government given the renewed heavy criticism of his handling of antisemitism.
Paul Edlin, the president of the Glasgow Jewish Representative Council, told the Scottish Daily Mail on Wednesday that Sturgeon would be doing “a deal with the devil” if she were to help Corbyn into Downing Street.
She responded: “I deplore Jeremy Corbyn’s lack of leadership on antisemitism,” adding that the SNP would exercise its influence “responsibly” in any post-election negotiations. “We would not be signing any blank cheque to Jeremy Corbyn or to any leader,” she said.
“In addition to all of the other things, we would be very clear in our expectations to any party leader who wanted the support of the SNP to make clear its zero tolerance of antisemitism, Islamophobia, to any form of prejudice or racism. And to those worried about Jeremy Corbyn, it should give a degree of reassurance that SNP MPs are able to apply that pressure.”
Asked whether she believed Corbyn was personally antisemitic, she replied: “I don’t know Jeremy Corbyn personally well enough to answer that question, but I do say unequivocally and emphatically that he has failed to get to grips with this problem within his party.”
She said Boris Johnson had “a charge sheet of his own to answer” on racism.
Sturgeon refused to say whether she would support moves to replace Corbyn as Labour leader in order to facilitate a post-election deal. “I don’t choose the leader of the Labour party, I wouldn’t choose Jeremy Corbyn, but I’m not in charge of that decision.” | {
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Security experts, digital-privacy advocates, and tech companies have pushed back against Comey and other encryption-phobic officials, warning that carving out access to encrypted communication for law enforcement would compromise the security that underpins much of what happens on the Internet every day.
And for now, it’s not yet clear that the Paris attackers used encrypted messaging. A U.S. official told Reuters that the mode of communication the attackers used remains unknown.
More importantly, encryption is not just a tool for scheming and plotting. Strong encryption is essential to much of what the average Internet user does, whether it's texting on iMessage or WhatsApp, banking online, or shopping for a new pair of shoes. Without it, a hacker could more easily snag sensitive information in transit, like personal correspondence or bank information.
If encryption were weakened, in the way that a proposed law in the U.K. requires, it would keep online security out of the hands of ordinary tech users, while barely posing an obstacle to those who use it to guard dangerous secrets. Indeed, it's not clear that undermining strong encryption would do anything to prevent terrorism.
“Unfortunately, for an organization like ISIS that has pretty much gone to the extreme of everything that they've done, I don't think that just loosening encryption standards is going to thwart and bring them down,” said Jasper Graham, a former technical director at the National Security Agency.
Graham, now the chief technology officer at Darktrace, a cybersecurity company, says enforcing a law like the U.K. encryption proposal would be very difficult. “If you're going to break the law, the last thing you're worried about is getting a fine for encryption,” he said.
(Of course, Graham's online-security business has different interests than the intelligence community, which may explain his support for encryption, even after spending years at the NSA.)
But even without access to the contents of an electronic message, law enforcement is not without recourse. As targets exchange messages on a platform like WhatsApp, agents can still extract useful information about the people who are communicating.
This information about the communication, known as metadata, can paint a vivid picture of a social network, or tip agents off to a threat before it ripens. Metadata is the basic building block of one of the NSA's most powerful spying programs, revealed by Edward Snowden in 2013.
“It's up to our intelligence agencies to adapt, by focusing on what encryption can’t stop—like tracking who the bad guys are talking to, when, and where—and by focusing energy on breaking into their devices where the messages are decrypted, instead of breaking the security of everyone who uses the Internet,” says Ross Schulman, the senior policy counsel at New America's Open Technology Institute. | {
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ROME (CNS) — More bishops are pleading with their governments to give priority to ethically developed coronavirus vaccines, but many also are telling Catholics that not getting vaccinated is a more serious moral problem than using the problematic vaccines.
Australia is among many governments trying to secure access to a COVID-19 vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University. It is one of five possible vaccines that are nearing the advanced stage of clinical trials, but it was developed using tissue from a cell line cultivated from the remains of a female fetus voluntarily aborted in the early 1970s.
Promoting the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine is unnecessarily divisive, said Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney.
In a column Aug. 24 in the Catholic Weekly, the archbishop wrote, “I, for one, don’t think it would be unethical to use this vaccine if there is no alternative available. To do so would not be to cooperate in any abortion occurring in the past or the future. But I am deeply troubled by it.”
But, he said, others “will draw a straight line from the ending of a human life in abortion, through to the cultivation of the cell-line, to the manufacture of this vaccine. They won’t want to be associated with or benefit in any way from the death of the baby girl whose cells were taken and cultivated, nor to be thought to be trivializing that death, nor to be encouraging the fetal tissue industry.”
The way to solve the dilemma, he said, is for the government to pursue “an ethically uncontroversial vaccine.”
If not, it should assure people that “no one will be pressured to use such a vaccine or disadvantaged for failing to do so,” he said.
The government, the archbishop said, has an obligation to seek “solutions that protect the community’s physical health while also respecting its moral health and offering people choices.”
In late July, the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales published a statement expressing hope that “ethical sourcing” of a COVID-19 vaccine is possible, but also encouraging Catholics to get vaccinated regardless.
The statement, signed by Bishop Paul Mason, the military ordinary and lead bishop for health care, and Auxiliary Bishop John Sherrington of Westminster, lead bishop for life issues, stressed “the church’s support for vaccination to protect the most vulnerable of our society, especially those affected by immunodeficiency, pregnant women and their unborn children.”
“We believe that there is a moral obligation to guarantee the vaccination coverage necessary for the safety of others,” they wrote. “This is especially important for the discovery of a vaccine against COVID-19.”
The bishops also reiterated a statement from the Pontifical Academy for Life affirming that, even though many were developed using tissue obtained from abortions performed decades ago, “all clinically recommended vaccinations can be used with a clear conscience and that the use of such vaccines does not signify some sort of cooperation with voluntary abortion.”
“Human society has often benefited from the wrongs done in the past for which we must repent,” the bishops said. “We live with the benefits of very questionable medical experimentation. For example, Edward Jenner, who invented vaccination, conducted research by injecting an 8-year-old boy with cowpox followed by smallpox. While today such experimentation would be unethical by any standards, we wouldn’t deny life-saving vaccination because of its dubious historic provenance.”
In a June 15 statement, the Pontifical Academy for Life said, “As for the question of vaccines that in their preparation may or did use cells derived from voluntarily aborted fetuses, it must be pointed out that ‘evil’ in a moral sense resides in actions, not in things or material as such,” so while abortion and the manipulation of fetal tissue are morally evil, a vaccine itself is not.
Copyright ©2020 Catholic News Service / U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Send questions about this site to [email protected]. | {
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Herman Cain, the insurgent populist whose candidacy has been ensnared by allegations of sexual impropriety, said Saturday that he is leaving the race for the Republican presidential nomination, saying that the allegations have cast a “cloud of doubt over me and this campaign.”
“As of today, with a lot of prayer and soul searching, I am suspending my presidential campaign,” he said at an event in Atlanta. “I am suspending my presidential campaign because of the continued distraction, the continued hurt . . . on me, on my family, not because we are not fighters, not because I am not a fighter.”
Cain’s campaign had sent mixed signals as to his future since Ginger White, an Atlanta woman who claims to have had an affair with Cain for more than a decade, went public with her story earlier this week. While Cain has said he has been “reassessing” his candidacy, he also, at times, has been fiercely defiant, suggesting that unnamed enemies have been trying to do him in and vowing to press forward.
PHOTOS: Political scandals and gaffes of 2011
“The pundits would like for me to shut up, drop out and go away,” he said. “I am not going to be silenced, and I am not going away.”
White’s claims came after Cain faced weeks of allegations of sexual misconduct by at least three women stemming from his tenure as the head of the National Restaurant Assn. in the late 1990s.
Even as Cain continued to decry the claims as “false” and “baseless,” the sheer weight of the scandal has taken a brutal toll on the campaign, diverting Cain from advocating the “9-9-9" tax plan that helped turn him into a household name almost overnight, costing him financial support, and damaging him in the polls.
He was also hurt by a series of costly gaffes and confused moments, particularly with regard to foreign affairs, that exposed the Atlanta businessman’s lack of experience on the national political stage. Added together, the tumult persuaded conservatives looking for a champion to turn elsewhere, with most now casting their eyes at Newt Gingrich. | {
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Welcome to a special edition of FiveThirtyEight’s weekly politics chat. The transcript below has been lightly edited.
sarahf (Sarah Frostenson, politics editor): On Thursday evening, GOP Rep. Will Hurd of Texas’s 23rd Congressional District said that he would not seek reelection in 2020. Hurd is the sixth GOP representative to announce retirement in the past two weeks and the eighth so far in 2019.
There were, of course, also a lot of GOP retirements in the lead-up to the 2018 midterm elections — at least 23, according to our count.
So what’s happening this year? Should we expect another big wave of GOP retirements? And more importantly, what do we think is driving Republicans to retire (or even leave the party): Is it fear of a primary challenger because they aren’t “Trumpy” enough, or is it fear that the GOP will not win back the House majority in 2020?
Let’s unpack all of this — and what it could mean for the GOP caucus moving forward.
nrakich (Nathaniel Rakich, elections analyst): I think it’s a bit early to draw conclusions from the number of retirements right now. These things can come in batches. We’ve had a string of Republican retirements, but maybe there will be a string of Democratic retirements in the fall and it will even out.
That said, if the political environment looks bad for Republicans, yes, we can probably expect another big wave of GOP retirements.
Research has shown that when politicians think their party is in a tough spot, they are more likely to retire. (Note: That isn’t necessarily the same as there being a correlation between retirements and losing elections! Politicians aren’t great pundits.)
sarahf: That’s fair. But what do we know, if anything, of the eight GOP retirements so far. Is there a pattern there?
geoffrey.skelley (Geoffrey Skelley, elections analyst): Well, two of them — Rob Bishop of Utah and Mike Conaway of Texas — would lose their ranking status on their committees because of GOP caucus rules that permit someone to lead a committee for only three terms, so that probably factored into their decision.
perry (Perry Bacon Jr., senior writer): I expect we will see some Republicans retire in safe districts just because because being in the House minority is boring and powerless — and it’s very likely, looking at current data like the congressional generic ballot, that the GOP will remain in the minority in 2021.
geoffrey.skelley: Yeah, historically, Perry, you’re probably right. The last time the incumbent presidential party lost control of the House in a midterm and then gained it back in the subsequent presidential election was in 1948, when the Democrats won the House after losing it in 1946.
nrakich: One interesting pattern in the eight House GOP retirements is that three of the retirees are from Texas — the most of any state. Obviously, there’s been a lot of buzz about Democrats breaking through there electorally, so maybe this is a sign that Texas Republicans think that is a real threat.
And two of those retirees sit in vulnerable seats — Pete Olson (in Texas’s 22nd District) and Hurd (in Texas’s 23rd District).
sarahf: What do we know about the districts of the retiring members, Nathaniel? Do they all lean slightly Democratic?
nrakich: Well, the Texas 23rd has been a swing district for a while. It is 4 points more Republican-leaning than the nation as a whole, according to FiveThirtyEight’s partisan lean metric, but Hillary Clinton won it by 3 points in 2016, a 6-point margin swing from former President Obama’s 2012 performance there.
In fact, it’s one of just three Clinton seats still held by a Republican, which is why the Hurd retirement was such a blow to the GOP.
geoffrey.skelley: But one thing to keep in mind with the seeming glut of Texas retirements is that Texas has one of the earliest candidate filing deadlines of any state — December 2019 — because of its March 2020 primary. So if Texas members want to retire, they probably want to do it as early as possible to give their parties enough of a heads-up to find new candidates and get organized for an open-seat race.
nrakich: That’s a good point, Geoffrey, and one of the Texas districts — Conaway’s — isn’t competitive. But the Texas 22nd could be a dark horse. Mitt Romney won it by 25 points, then President Trump won it by just 8 points.
So it’s still red, but it’s moving rapidly leftward. Olson won reelection by just 5 points in 2018.
perry: But in these districts where we have retirements, I would say Democrats only have a real chance in three of them (two in Texas that Nathaniel referred to and Rob Woodall in Georgia’s 7th District).
Broadly speaking, these members are not retiring because they are about to lose.
sarahf: Is it fair to say then that there isn’t one clear-cut reason for why we’re seeing more GOP retirements this year? It sounds as if there are three plausible explanations that could explain it: 1) When a party goes from the majority to the minority, like the Republicans did in the House in 2018, you can expect to see some turnover; 2) some GOP members may be retiring because they think they face a tough general election; 3) some GOP members may be retiring because they’re increasingly not aligned with President Trump and the direction the party is moving in.
Does that seem right?
nrakich: Yeah, the Trump factor is a big part of it. For instance, Hurd, Olson and Paul Mitchell of Michigan (who is also retiring) all spoke out against Trump’s racist tweets in which he told Democratic congresswomen of color to “go back” where they came from.
perry: And Martha Roby of Alabama had been a Trump critic in 2016 over the Access Hollywood video tap in which Trump talked about groping women. But then she had to backtrack from that criticism in order to keep her seat in 2018, when she faced a tough primary challenge.
So I can imagine that, even if she didn’t say it in public, Roby can see where the GOP is headed and that loyalty to Trump — even in the midst of him talking about grabbing women “by the pussy” — is going to be required. And she may have decided she did not want to do that.
Same with Hurd. As a black member of Congress, he was going to keep getting asked about Trump’s racial views. And I assume that was not something he was particularly enthusiastic about doing — and that he disagrees with Trump more than he can let on.
sarahf: I think that’s right, Perry. I guess I just don’t understand why for some Republicans being a vocal opponent of Trump means they’re likely to get a primary challenger, whereas in other instances they don’t and can just opt not to seek reelection. Like with Hurd, he wasn’t necessarily in danger of facing a primary challenger, right?
perry: No, I just think some of these people are not excited about defending Trump all the time — electoral politics aside.
Take Texas’s Conaway, who is also retiring. He’s on the House Intel Committee and was considered a more moderating voice on that committee, but it was dominated by Devin Nunes — and it was clear a Nunes type was going to have more influence. So in a way, Conaway was also not Trumpy-enough.
geoffrey.skelley: And Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, one of the other two Clinton-district Republicans in the House besides Hurd, has a primary challenger because he hasn’t been sufficiently pro-Trump.
sarahf: So … in other words, there’s no real pattern for what gets you a primary challenger or not, for speaking out against the president?
geoffrey.skelley: Well, it’s a small sample. Not that many Republicans speak out publicly against Trump.
sarahf: And those who do have left in some fashion?
perry: I interpret a lot of these retirements like that of former House Speaker Paul Ryan in 2018. They don’t really agree with Trump on racial issues, and they also don’t want to be asked about his comments all the time. And because they think the Republicans are going to have little power in the future, they move on.
geoffrey.skelley: Despite his criticism of Trump, Amash didn’t get a primary challenger in 2018, but now he’s left the party in part because he got several primary challengers for 2020 and renomination was looking rough. Now he hopes to win reelection as an independent.
perry: Yeah, I think in the case of Bob Corker and Jeff Flake in 2018 and Hurd and Amash in 2020, it’s not clear whether they already had one foot out the door, then criticized Trump knowing they’d get a primary challenge. Or if they made those comments and that inspired the primary challengers.
geoffrey.skelley: Bingo.
perry: The causation is a bit complicated.
nrakich: Right, Perry — Hurd may have started to express his disapproval of the president only after he had already decided to retire. His Trump Score — how often he votes in line with Trump’s stated position on bills — was 94.8 percent in 2017-18, which is very high, especially considering that he occupies a Clinton district. But this year, he’s been a lot more willing to break with Trump; his Trump Score for the current Congress is just 51.2 percent.
sarahf: So what does this mean for Republicans? Do they risk alienating voters from demographic blocs that could be important for them? As mentioned earlier, Hurd was the only black member in the GOP House caucus. And as Politico wrote this morning, “There are more men named Jim in the House than Republican women running for reelection.”
nrakich: Yep, it obviously means the GOP caucus is only going to get whiter and more male.
House Republicans are already 89 percent white men, according to Daily Kos Elections, and now they are losing Hurd plus two (Roby and Susan Brooks) of the 13 GOP women in the House.
perry: The racial and gender issues are real but also maybe overblown. The Republicans are, in terms of the House in particular, very white and male. Trump voters overall in 2016 were about 90 percent white.
So I think part of what is happening is a certain kind of woman or minority is being purged. Women and minorities who act on that part of their identity probably can’t survive in this party — for example, there isn’t room in the party for a black person who criticizes Trump on racial issues like Hurd or a woman like Roby who takes him on over the “Access Hollywood” tape.
But I think someone like Liz Cheney is fine (she will probably not attack Trump on gender) and, in fact, Republicans might want her to be speaker in the future more than House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.
It’s not that the party doesn’t value women or minorities, but it values more those who won’t promote more liberal values on race and gender.
geoffrey.skelley: And with the hit Hispanic Republicans took in 2018 — Carlos Curbelo and David Valadao lost, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen retired, Raúl Labrador ran unsuccessfully for governor in Idaho — the number of nonwhite House Republicans is even smaller than it was before. In fact, only 10 percent of the nonwhite members in all of Congress are Republican.
nrakich: I agree with what Perry is saying, but I think it’s a big problem for Republicans’ chances of expanding their voting coalition in a diversifying country if nonwhite and/or female voters look at Republican politicians and don’t see anyone who looks like them.
perry: But if Ben Carson wanted to run for the Senate, I think the party would roll out the red carpet for him. My thought is that Republicans are going to start looking harder to recruit women and minorities who agree with the party’s views on racial and gender issues — and by doing that, they will eventually increase their numbers.
In Kentucky, for instance, the Republican attorney general candidate, a black man named Daniel Cameron who is a former Mitch McConnell staffer, praised Trump on Tuesday in the midst of the fallout over Trump’s comments directed at Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings and Baltimore that have been condemned as racist.
If more women and minorities are willing to embrace Trump in the midst of comments like that, I think other Republicans will welcome them with open arms.
In other words, I think that, for now, yes, the Republicans are struggling to keep women and minorities in office. But I think we are going to see more Trumpy women and minority candidates in the future as the party realigns around Trump’s values.
geoffrey.skelley: The House GOP is already busy actively recruiting women and minority candidates, even if won’t pay off for a while.
nrakich: But that’s still a purge of a different kind. The GOP will lose people who value diversity, in the mold of, say, former President George W. Bush, further cementing it as the party of Trumpism.
sarahf: You’re all hitting on something we talk about a lot here at FiveThirtyEight — is the GOP the party of Trump now?
It seems as if … the answer is yes?
And Hurd’s retirement is another data point to help confirm that?
geoffrey.skelley: I would say indubitably.
perry: I think that on the issues of race and gender, yes. (Maybe less on say, trade.) Like in 2015, Nikki Haley was involved in taking down the Confederate flag at the state capitol in South Carolina, and Marco Rubio pushed a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants in 2013. So my thought is that Haley and Rubio can remain Republicans in good standing who are minorities — as long as they are not pushing issues like that anymore.
nrakich: The GOP certainly already appears to be Trump’s party in public (Republicans rarely speak out against him and almost always vote in line with his positions), but there are still lots of rumors that some Republican politicians privately find Trump embarrassing. If all of those people (most of whom came up in the pre-Trump GOP) eventually retire and are replaced by people who are inspired to run by Trumpism — or, at the very least, aren’t bothered by it — the party will be converted to its core.
perry: And that’s what I think is happening.
geoffrey.skelley: The uptick in retirements certainly bears that out.
sarahf: I do wonder though if, say, Trump loses in 2020, if we won’t see another shift among Republicans in the opposite direction. Or at least some kind of reversion to what the party was like pre-2016.
In other words, what I’m trying to say is trying to unpack how much of this is because of Trump is very hard for me to process in the moment.
nrakich: I think that will be very interesting to watch, Sarah. Would a Trump loss in 2020 be seen as a sign that Trumpism actually harms the party electorally? Or will Republicans still look to 2016 as a template and perhaps come up with a reason why they lost in 2020? (“Well, we only lost by a few points, and Joe Biden had an advantage in Pennsylvania because he was born in Scranton…”)
The battle over that could make the internal divisions in the Democratic primary right now look like playtime.
perry: I think that will be hard because we now have a lot of Trumpy Republicans in the Senate, House and governor mansions. Like the future stars of the Republican Party, I think, are more like Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida (more in the mold of Trump) than Jeb Bush-style Republicans.
geoffrey.skelley: Part of me thinks it’s possible, but then again, the GOP essentially ignored the “autopsy report” the RNC put together after Romney lost in 2012 that pushed a more inclusive approach for the party moving forward.
So I’m skeptical that you’d see a fast shift even if Trump loses handily in 2020. His imprints are all over the party now.
perry: I think a 2020 loss won’t change the GOP in an instant. The trends toward it being organized around a coalition of people resisting changing U.S. demographic changes were a long time coming. Trump did not invent all of that. He just said some of the quiet parts out loud — “Build the Wall,” etc.
geoffrey.skelley: Right, Trump is not a cause. He’s just an accelerator of something already happening.
perry: Like in my view, Mitt Romney is getting less vocal, not more vocal, about attacking Trump since he joined the Senate, even as Trump continues to make more racist comments. Romney sees where the wind is blowing. He gets a ton of blowback when he attacks Trump, and that weakens his influence in GOP politics.
nrakich: I agree with that, but I think some people (Like Hurd?? He has been visiting Iowa and New Hampshire and is a rumored 2024 candidate!) might try to run to say that the GOP needs a softer, gentler approach, especially if Trump gets drubbed in 2020.
geoffrey.skelley: They may say it, Nathaniel, but I’m skeptical it will take. Though I can see someone like Haley straddling the line on that if/when she runs in 2024. Speaking of Haley, she tweeted out earlier today that Trump’s tweet about Cummings’s house getting robbed was “so unnecessary,” so she’s not completely afraid of publicly calling out the president. But she also worked to build a solid relationship with Trump as his ambassador to the United Nations with an eye on a future presidential run.
perry: If Will Hurd thinks the best strategy to defeat Trumpism is a 2024 candidacy, he is misguided.
Trumpism is shaping the party right now — and in four more years, whether Trump wins or loses in 2020, that force will have been dominating conservative politics for eight years (2015-2023).
That can’t be reversed quickly. | {
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The purse bid for the fight between light heavyweight world champion Adonis Stevenson and interim titlist Oleksandr Gvozdyk took place on Monday at a hotel in midtown Manhattan, but not without controversy that has left the fight in limbo.
There were three bidders: attorney Phil Weiss on behalf of Tom Brown's TGB Promotions, which offered $3.102 million; Stevenson promoter Yvon Michel, who bid $2.101 million; and Gvozdyk promoter Top Rank, represented by vice president Carl Moretti, which bid $1.675 million for a fight in which Stevenson is entitled to 65 percent of the winning bid and Gvozdyk 35 percent.
The issue arose when seconds after the bids were unsealed and TGB Promotions was declared the winner, Weiss withdrew the winning bid.
At that point, Michel was declared the winner and told Top Rank he would put the fight on Nov. 3 in Quebec City. However, Top Rank was not happy with how things went down, nor was the WBC supervisor of the purse bid, Bob Yalen. He reported what had occurred to WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman, who said the organization would rule on the situation by Thursday.
Top Rank believes that Brown and Michel colluded when it came to their bids because they would have both been determined by Al Haymon, Stevenson's powerful adviser who dictates Stevenson's career.
Arum and Moretti believe that Brown and Michel knew what each was bidding and that once they finished 1-2 to beat the Top Rank bid, TGB Promotions defaulted so Michel's lower bid would win the rights to the fight, which would mean much less money for Gvozdyk.
"What happened was outrageous on Haymon's part," Arum told ESPN. "When Tom Brown wins and then he pulls his bid so Yvon gets it with the lower bid? That's dirty pool. You win the purse bid and immediately say I'm passing? You can't do that."
Said Moretti: "Yalen, who was supervising the purse bid, said, 'You can't do that.' And then all hell breaks loose with everyone voicing an opinion. Yalen called Mauricio but they were not happy.
"The WBC said they would rule by Thursday on the outcome of the purse bid and I believe they will do the right thing."
Michel's getting the rights to the fight as the under-bidder is not set in stone. Under its rules, the WBC has the right to cancel the purse bid results because of the situation and it could order a new purse bid. That is one of the things the organization will be deciding in the next few days.
However, if Michel is awarded the rights to the fight, Arum said his side is still willing to do the bout.
"I talked with Yvon and I told him we are prepared not only to go to Quebec City but to give him full and complete support in promoting the event because I think that's a great fight and Quebec City is a lovely place," Arum said. "I told him that if Showtime (which puts on most of Haymon's major fights) doesn't step up and do the fight we'll talk to ESPN about doing the fight on one of our cards. But I talked to (Gvozdyk manager) Egis (Klimas) and we are not averse to fighting in Quebec City."
Michel denied any collusion on the bidding.
"I learned only shortly before the bid Phil Weiss was there representing TGB," Michel told ESPN. "I had never met him before the purse bid. I also had no idea how much he was going to bid.
"I spoke to Arum after and I was very happy and impressed by his cordiality, the collaboration he has offered, his personnel and his team's participation, to make this event a huge success as the quality of the fight deserves. I am convinced the event has all the ingredients to be a blockbuster."
Still, Arum was fuming over the actions of TGB Promotions.
"The WBC should make every promoter put up 10 percent of their purse bid and if they default then that money should go to the fighters in proportion to the purse split," Arum said. "In this case, TGB should have had to put up $310,000 and then when they withdrew their bid that money goes to the fighters and they're out of luck. They should make that a rule to prevent this s---. That said, Michel came up with a realistic bid and we're all in."
If Michel's bid is accepted, Stevenson would be entitled to $1,229,085 and Gvozdyk would receive $661,815. Another $210,100 -- 10 percent of Michel's bid -- would come off the top and be awarded as a bonus to the winner of the fight.
Michel's proposed date of the fight, Nov. 3, falls a month outside of the 90-day window the WBC stipulates that a promoter who wins a purse bid must put on the fight within. However, Arum said he would waive that deadline and allow Michel the extra month to do the fight. Of course, the WBC could invalidate the purse bid and order a new one.
"We will wait until the official WBC ruling but since (Groupe Yvon Michel) has done nothing wrong, the promoters of the champion and the contender are ready to work in close collaboration," Michel said. "Our bid has been logically calculated and is realistic in the current market so we should be allowed to proceed."
Brown did not return messages from ESPN seeking comment.
For a variety of reasons, Stevenson (29-1-1, 24 KOs), 40, of Montreal, has not made a mandatory defense for 4½ years. But following his majority draw with former titlist Badou Jack on May 19, Stevenson's ninth defense, the mandatory with Gvozdyk (15-0, 12 KOs) was ordered next even though Stevenson and Jack were interested in pursuing a rematch. Gvozdyk, 31, of Ukraine, claimed the vacant interim belt -- and the mandatory position -- by outpointing France's Mehdi Amar on March 17. | {
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O Conselho Monetário Nacional (CMN) autorizou que pessoas físicas abram e fechem contas correntes pela internet, sem a necessidade de irem pessoalmente a uma agência bancária, como era exigido até agora. A informação foi divulgada pelo Banco Central nesta segunda-feira (25).
De acordo com o BC, o serviço é opcional e já pode ser oferecido pelos bancos, desde que eles disponham de mecanismos de controle para verificar a identidade dos clientes.
A identificação poderá ser feita, por exemplo, por meio de reconhecimento de imagem e de voz. Os bancos também podem solicitar uma fotografia, ou, ainda, exigir o uso do certificado digital.
"Têm mecanismos de tecnologia que permitem várias checagens além do contato presencial", explicou a chefe do Departamento de Normas do BC, Silvia Marques. Ela ressaltou que esses mecanismos poderão, inclusive, dificultar a ocorrência de fraudes.
"Hoje, tem um cliente indo a uma agência levando um documento que pode ser falso. Pode ter um único contato trazendo fragilidade [ao cadastro]. O que se permite [com a nova regra] é que você vai ter não só um ponto de controle, mas vários", enfatizou.
A Federação Brasileira dos Bancos (Febraban) informou que "as instituições financeiras irão analisar a norma para se adequar e estabelecer os procedimentos e controles para garantir integridade, autenticidade, confidencialidade e segurança das informações e documentos eletrônicos exigidos no processo."
Marques destacou ainda que os bancos também podem verificar, por exemplo, há quanto tempo os solicitantes de contas correntes pela internet têm e-mail ativo.
"Os bancos terão de estabelecer salvaguardas para checagem. Essa conta tem os mesmos requisitos de uma conta normal", esclareceu o Banco Central.
Demais regras
Com exceção da flexibilidade do comparecimento presencial a uma agência, todas as demais regras para a abertura de contas bancárias continuarão em vigor, como veracidade da situação cadastral, regras sobre tarifas, fornecimento de informações, adequação de produtos e serviços financeiros, além da prevenção de lavagem de dinheiro e terrorismo.
A nova norma é mais uma ação do programa Otimiza BC, que permite a ampliação, "com segurança e eficiência", da oferta de produtos e serviços financeiros à população.
O Conselho Monetário Nacional, formado pelos ministros da Fazenda, Nelson Barbosa, do Planejamento, Valdir Simão, e pelo presidente do BC, Alexandre Tombini, também baixou norma obrigando os bancos a não restringirem o acesso de clientes aos canais convencionais de atendimento, como, por exemplo, os caixas eletrônicos.
Segundo o Banco Central, há reclamações de que alguns bancos não atendem correntistas de outras instituições financeiras para realizar o pagamento de boletos. O BC diz que o CMN, com essa resolução, estabelece que isso é proibido.
Com a nova regra, fica claro que as instituições financeiras não poderão dificultar ou restringir o acesso a esses canais, exceto em duas situações: quando as dependências forem exclusivamente eletrônicas ou quando a prestação de serviços de cobrança e recebimento, decorrentes de contratos ou convênios, preverem canais de atendimento somente eletrônicos.
CRI e CRA
Outra regra aprovada pelo CMN permite que bancos possam comprar Certificados de Recebíveis Imobiliários (CRI's) e Certificados de Recebíveis do Agronegócio (CRA's), emitidas por companhias securitizadoras ligadas a eles.
Esses títulos devem ser de classe subordinada, ou provir do exercício de garantia firme de subscrição pela instituição regulada, explicou o BC.
Para a autoridade monetária, a medida representa mais um "aprimoramento" das normas de securitização do crédito, facilitando assim a captação de recursos para financiamentos imobiliários e de agronegócios. | {
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人気イラストレーター・rurudo氏が描くオリジナルキャラクター「あくまちゃん」が、1/6スケールフィギュアとなってスカイチューブから登場！ 彼女の可愛らしさを堪能できる「STD Ver.」と、キャストオフ仕様の「Dx Ver.」の2種類がラインナップされています。
不憫なあくまちゃん Illustration by rurudo STD Ver.
人気絵師のrurudo氏が描くオリジナルキャラクター「あくまちゃん」。片手にぶら下げた手錠パーツや、可愛くも不憫な表情、柔らかそうなお腹など、美麗な原画の魅力があますところなく再現されています。
グラデーションも美しいツインテールの細やかさ、伏し目がちながらも訴えかけてくるような透明感のある眼差しなどにも注目です！
DATA
不憫なあくまちゃん Illustration by rurudo STD Ver.
PVC製塗装済み完成品
1/6スケール
全高：約16cm（台座含まず）
原型：2%
付属品：手錠パーツ、原画ポストカード
販売元：スカイチューブ
価格：15,800円（税別）
2020年4月発売予定
不憫なあくまちゃん Illustration by rurudo Dx Ver.
可愛らしいあくまちゃんの身体を存分に堪能できる上下キャストオフ仕様の「Dx Ver.」が登場！ 裸状態にすることで、「あくまちゃん」の不憫な表情や手にかけられた手錠などが、よりエロティックなシチュエーションに早変わりします！
「Dx Ver.」では通常衣装のほかに半透明衣装パーツも付属。好みのスタイルでディスプレイすることができますよ！
DATA
不憫なあくまちゃん Illustration by rurudo Dx Ver.
PVC製塗装済み完成品
1/6スケール
全高：約16cm（台座含まず）
原型：2%
付属品：手錠パーツ、通常衣装パーツ、半透明衣装パーツ、原画ポストカード
販売元：スカイチューブ
価格：16,800円（税別）
2020年4月発売予定
関連情報
関連記事 | {
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Karen Pence, wife of Vice President Mike Pence, speaks at National Harbor, Md., February 22, 2018. (Kevin Lamarque/REUTERS)
On the intolerant critics of the second lady
Karen Pence is a believing Christian woman. She took a part-time job at a private Christian school. And this, believe it or not, is a scandal. Don’t believe me? Her job has already merited not just one, but two critical Washington Post stories. There’s the obligatory CNN report, accompanied by a piece of commentary that argues the school is “like a real-life setting for ‘The Handmaid’s Tale.’”
Sounds terrible. Has she joined a fringe Christian cult? Have the Branch Davidians descended on Northern Virginia? Are teachers kept in a form of sex slavery to produce children for the principal? Let’s let the New York Times set the lurid scene:
Karen Pence, the second lady of the United States, returned to teaching art this week, accepting a part-time position at a private Christian school that does not allow gay students and requires employees to affirm that marriage should only be between a man and a woman.
Hmm, something doesn’t seem right. I’ve been involved in Christian education for much of my life. I attended a Christian college, my oldest kids attended a dozen consecutive years of Christian schooling, I served a term as chairman of their school’s board, and I’ve represented Christian institutions for more than two decades, and I’ve never once seen a Christian institution declare that no gays are allowed.
Instead, many thousands of Christian schools have statements of faith and codes of conduct that require teachers and sometimes students and parents to agree with the school’s theological doctrine and comply with a code of conduct. They don’t say, “No gays allowed.” They say, “Here is what we believe, and here is how you must behave.”
And sure enough, that’s exactly what Immanuel Christian School does. It’s a ministry of the Immanuel Bible Church, it has adopted the church’s essentials of the faith, and it has created a “parent agreement” that contains the following relevant language:
I understand the biblical role of Immanuel Christian School is to partner with families to encourage students to be imitators of Christ. This necessarily involves the school’s understanding and belief regarding biblical morality and standards of conduct. I understand that the school reserves the right, within its sole discretion, to refuse admission to an applicant or to discontinue enrollment of a student if the atmosphere or conduct within a particular home, the activities of a parent or guardian, or the activities of the student are counter to, or are in opposition to, the biblical lifestyle the school teaches. This includes, but is not limited to contumacious behavior, divisive conduct, and participating in, supporting, or condoning sexual immorality, homosexual activity or bi-sexual activity, promoting such practices, or being unable to support the moral principles of the school. (Lev. 20:13 and Romans 1:27.) I acknowledge the importance of a family culture based on biblical principles and embrace biblical family values such as a healthy marriage between one man and one woman. My role as spiritual mentor to my children will be taken seriously.
Let me translate this from Christianese: You must conduct yourself in accordance with historic, orthodox Christian teaching about human sexuality. And, let’s be clear, any person — regardless of their sexual orientation and whether they suffer from gender dysphoria — can both agree with and comply with the moral statements above. There are countless same-sex-attracted Christians who do. There are many thousands of Christians with gender dysphoria who do.
Why? Because these Christians share with other orthodox Christians the notion that their fundamental identity is not defined by their sexuality or perceived gender identity but rather by their faith in Christ. Galatians 2:20 puts this perfectly: “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”
This verse has been put to song, memorized, and imprinted on the hearts of Christian young people for 2,000 years. Simply put, this is Christianity 101, and if the New York Times, the Washington Post, and CNN find it problematic enough to report that Christians are Christians, then it’s rather clear that institutional support for gay marriage under civil law is now veering into institutional hostility against Christian orthodoxy and against the basic free exercise of the Christian faith.
This particular blue checkmark belongs to a Washington Post editor and Politico senior writer:
How can this happen in America in 2019? https://t.co/OrjMdiEuk0 — Lois Romano (@loisromano) January 16, 2019
This one belongs to a CNN White House reporter:
So, lemme get this straight, the second lady of the United States has chosen to work at a school that openly discriminates against LGBT adults and children. https://t.co/A4lxOv7V8G — Kate Bennett (@KateBennett_DC) January 16, 2019
And if you want a real chuckle, check out this quote from Elizabeth Shakman Hurd in the New York Times story about Pence:
“Given the exclusionary nationalism in this administration and sorts of politics taken on various things, it would not be at all surprising for the second lady to associate herself with some prominent fashion with an institution like this,” Professor Hurd said. “It raises important issues about education and diversity, and what kind of forward-facing public officials we want representing our country at home and abroad.”
How is a statement of faith rooted in ancient religious orthodoxy at all relevant to Trump? If the school followed Trump’s beliefs, it would reject Christian sexual morality and embrace adultery.
Immanuel is a church ministry applying the church’s theology. No one is forced to attend the church. No one is forced to attend the school. It’s a voluntary association that is protected by the First Amendment and rooted in the faith that guides the lives of tens of millions of Americans.
What’s next? The belief that public figures should not teach Sunday School? Serve in domestic or foreign missions?
I disagree with people who believe that extramarital sex can be morally appropriate. I disagree with people who believe that biblical marriage is anything but the lifelong union of one man and one woman. But there is no scandal at all if people who dissent from Christian orthodoxy form churches, organizations, and schools and hire like-minded people to advance their shared faith. It’s no scandal at all if they exclude people who disagree with their mission and purpose.
Is the Democratic party wrong if it excludes Republicans? Is a Muslim mosque wrong if it wants to be led by an imam and not a rabbi?
Not only is this not scandalous, but it’s also the exercise of a fundamental First Amendment right. If Lois Romano or Kate Bennett or any other Karen Pence critic wants to argue against Christian theology, then have at it. Most Christians I know welcome the dialogue. But if they want to condemn a woman for the free exercise of her Christian faith? If they want to argue that there’s something inherently wrong with orthodox Christians’ associating, worshipping together, and teaching their children? Well, then they’re exhibiting a deep intolerance that’s at odds with pluralism itself. | {
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Listen to article
RESIDENTS OF Birem in the Kwaman Traditional Area of the Ashanti region were stunned last Saturday morning when they woke up to the news of the invasion of their cemetery by human-eating pigs.
The pigs are not letting the dead in Birem and surrounding farming communities rest in peace, as they exhume their graves and eat the carcasses afterwards.
The sad development has placed a financial burden on residents in the area as they are compelled to bury their dead relations all over again.
The man-eating pigs, from the cemetery, dash straight into a stream that provides drinking water for residents in the area, and pollute the water.
The Biremhene, Nana Baffuor Agyekum, has consequently appealed to the government to come to their aid and stop the marauding pigs from causing more havoc.
'I am, on behalf of my people, passionately appealing to the government to come to our aid by instructing the pig owners to provide shelter for the pigs to stop them from entering the cemetery,' he said on Kessben FM.
Speaking with Ali Baba on the station's Saturday show dubbed 'Breaking News Hour', the distraught traditional leader noted that the pigs belonged to some 'Frafra' settlers in the community.
He said four months ago, the pigs entered the cemetery, exhumed human dead bodies and ate them, causing serious environmental problems for the community.
Nana Agyekum said the committee members of the hitherto peaceful area then stormed the cemetery and managed to kill two of the man-eating animals which were brought to him at his palace.
For the sake of peace, he said, he invited the owners of the pigs to his palace and released the two dead animals to them, warning them to provide shelter for the animals to prevent them from entering the cemetery in future.
He said he then stormed the cemetery with his elders to pour libations to pacify the spirits of the dead and the gods, after which the family members of the dead buried them again.
The Birem Chief said he then informed the police, the DCE of the area and the Environmental Protection Agency to get involved to ensure that the pig owners would not let their animals loose again.
Exactly four months after the first case, he said, the community woke up last Saturday morning to realize with horror that the man-eating animals had entered the cemetery once again to eat dead human bodies.
Nana Agyekum said the owners of the pigs wanted to create trouble in the community, thereby flouting his orders by letting loose their animals to eat dead human bodies.
To avert any trouble or bloodshed, the Birem chief implored the government and the appropriate authorities to intervene immediately since the man-eating animals were gradually getting out of hand.
From I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi | {
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Fox’s ‘PBC Countdown’ Series Debut Exposes Charlo Brothers—And Boxing—To Wider Audience
By Jake Donovan
From brand inception through present day, the brass at Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) have looked past mounting criticism of its product with its eyes on the bigger picture.
Its parternship with Fox Sports has already begun to show why patience remains a virtue.
The rebranding of the PBC on Fox primetime boxing series—which was formally announced during a glossy press conference on November 13—is due to launch with a December 22 tripleheader live from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The event will kick off a lucrative multi-year agreement between PBC and Fox Sports, with live shows due to run monthly in primetime on Fox and FS1.
The first show under the new agreement is headlined by the Charlo twins—Jermall and Jermell—in separate title bouts, marking the first time either Charlo serves in the main event of a primetime boxing telecast after years of frequently playing in supporting capacity on cable giant Showtime. Jermall (27-0, 21KOs) defends his interim middleweight title versus Willie Monore, Jr. (23-3, 6KOs) in the main event, while Jermell (31-0, 15KOs) defends his 154-pound strap versus Tony Harrison (27-2, 21KOs) in the co-feature.
Both bouts served as the first offerings of Fox’s ‘PBC Countdown’ series, airing this past Saturday immediately following the network’s live coverage of Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup series. ‘PBC Countdown: Jermall Charlo vs. Willie Monroe Jr.’ drew a favorable 1.0 overnight rating (roughly 1.2 million viewers; final figures to come Tuesday morning) for its 11:00pm timeslot, doing well on an active sports night to hold the majority of the audience from MLS Cup, which at 1.35 million viewers drew its best televised audience since 1998.
The 11:30pm-slotted ‘PBC Countdown: Jermell Charlo vs. Tony Harrison’ special pulled a 0.6 overnight rating.
“The PBC’s entire mission has been to find a partnership that will allow boxing to reach a mass audience and we believe we’ve found that partner in FOX,” Tim Smith, vice president of communication for PBC told BoxingInsider.com. “Having an opportunity to reach a potential audience of 120 million viewers on a regular monthly basis with events and other shows is a real game changer for the sport.”
The launching of ‘PBC Countdown’ comes on the heels of network promos for the December 22 telecast having frequently run during every edition of NFL (National Football League) on Fox since the initial November 13 network presser.
The latest batch came in Sunday’s Game of the Week offering, where the Dallas Cowboys beat the Philadelphia Eagles in an overtime thriller which produced a 16.0 overnight rating, the best for any NFL afternoon game this season. Promos for the Charlos’ bouts were also part of network coverage which drew more than 50 million viewers for pro and college football a week ago, as well as back-to-back Thursday Night Football telecasts on Fox—both featuring the Cowboys in games watched by more than 53 million combined viewers.
Network promos will continue to run throughout this Thursday’s edition of NFL on Fox, pitting the 11-2 Kansas City Chiefs versus the 10-3 Los Angeles Chargers in a game with major playoff implications at stake. The Charlos will garner more exclusive coverage this Saturday afternoon, starring in the network’s debut of ‘PBC Face-To-Face’ series hosted by award-winning sports writer Mike Coppinger.
Similar coverage will come with every edition of PBC on Fox. The next primetime edition will air January 26—also live from Brooklyn, New York—followed by shows on February 14 and March 9 leading into the debut of “PBC on Fox Pay-Per-View”, headlined by Errol Spence Jr. in a welterweight title defense versus Mikey Garcia, who moves up from lightweight in a battle of unbeaten pound-for-pound entrants.
Spence and Garcia have both benefitted from NFL exposure, each making separate appearances at Cowboys Stadium for November 22 and November 29 games which aired live on Fox.
The November 22 Thanksgiving edition drew 30.8 million viewers, while the November 29 showing—in which the Cowboys upset the NFL-best New Orleans Saints—drew more than 21 million viewers, the best-ever showing for any NFL Thursday Night Football installment (excluding Thanksgiving games) since the primetime series debuted five years ago.
“Our boxers have made in game appearances on NFL broadcasts that have been viewed by tens of millions of people,” Smith points out. “[T]he Charlos, who fight on December 22 have been the beneficiaries of the first Countdown show and teases of their upcoming fights during each NFL game on FOX since the fight was announced.
“That’s the kind of complete commitment that will foster real growth in the sport. We’re excited about the 2019 season of PBC on FOX.” | {
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ASUS has been teasing the successor to its rather nice ZenWatch for a while now and last month ASUS CEO Jerry Shen told reporters that the ZenWatch 2 would be launching next year, with two versions designed specifically for men and women. It turns out that there was a bit of a “misunderstanding” about the release date, the ZenWatch 2 will land in stores early in the third quarter of this year, as originally planned.
Speaking at an earnings conference yesterday, Shen confirmed that the launch time frame for the new smartwatch “remains unchanged”, meaning a release early in the third quarter of this year. The ZenWatch 2 will also be officially unveiled at the Computex Taipei trade show, which is scheduled for June 2 – 6, just a few weeks away.
Few other details were given out about the watch, although Shen did note that the hardware won’t quite match the initial hope of seven days’ worth of battery life. Instead, Shen suggested that it would last less than four days on a single charge, but should still outperform the original ZenWatch’s two day battery life. He also suggested that the company would ship less than one million smartwatches this year and that the market is not expected to be a big earner for ASUS, at least not yet.
It looks like we won’t have to wait long to find out all the details about the new watch. Are you looking forward to the ASUS Zenwatch 2? | {
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Former Baltimore Ravens fullback Vonta Leach isn’t all that happy about the hit from Miami Dolphins linebacker Kiko Alonso that gave Joe Flacco a concussion on Thursday night. In an interview with TMZ, Leach said he definitely would’ve gone after Alonso if he was playing.
Leach is spot on when he mentioned that if Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict had delivered the blow, he would’ve been thrown out of the game. The NFL has a reputation for treating certain players differently. Many fans are pointing to a quarterback like Tom Brady getting such treatment. They speculate that if Alonso did that to Brady, he would’ve been ejected immediately and probably suspended.
It was interesting to hear Leach say that more players on offense should’ve gone after Alonso. We only saw center Ryan Jensen sticking up for Flacco, which is something he was heavily praised for in the aftermath. Flacco is the franchise quarterback, so why didn’t more offensive players go after Alonso?
It’s going to be interesting to see if Flacco is out against the Tennessee Titans next week. If he doesn’t play in that game, which is on the road, that gives him around 23 days to fully heal and be ready for the Week 11 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. | {
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Friday, November 7, 2014
COPENHAGEN, DENMARK—DNA from the ulna of a modern human skeleton discovered in 1954 at an archaeological site at Kostenki-Borshchevo, located in southwest Russia, has been mapped by a team of scientists led by evolutionary biologist Eske Wilerslev of the Natural History Museum at the University of Copenhagen. The skeleton has been dated to between 36,200 and 38,700 years old, making the genome the second oldest to be sequenced. This new data suggests that this man, who had dark skin and dark eyes, had DNA from Europe’s indigenous hunter-gatherers, people from the Middle East who later became early farmers, and western Asians. It had been thought that these three groups only mixed in the past 5,000 years. “What is surprising is this guy represents one of the earliest Europeans, but at the same time he basically contains all the genetic components that you find in contemporary Europeans—at 37,000 years ago,” Willerslev told Science. The man, known as Kostenki XIV and as Markina Gora, also had about one percent more Neanderthal DNA than today’s Europeans and Asians, from modern human and Neanderthal contact more than 45,000 years ago. “In principle, you just have sex with your neighbor and they have it with their next neighbor—you don’t need to have these armies of people moving around to spread the genes,” Willerslev explained. To read more about paleogenetics, see "Neanderthal Genome Decoded." | {
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