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Journalist Who Broke Story of Gay Crisis in Chechnya Says She's Fleeing Russia

Milashina spoke to the Washington Post on Friday from an undisclosed location outside of Moscow, where she lived and worked until recently. During the interview she said: Advertisement Advertisement Now I think I will leave the country for a while, too. It doesn’t matter that Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced clearly that journalists are under the Kremlin’s protection and that no one can kill them for their professional duty. The threat still exists. So, I will just live for a while in another country. Still working on Chechnya—I can come from this country to the region. I have a lot of sources, and I have a lot of information. I will continue my work. Milashina said and her colleagues are on alert because of a jihad threatened against the staff of Novaya Gazeta during a meeting of 15,000 people at a Chechen mosque. She explained: Not just me, but all the people working at the newspaper are now in danger, because this was a clear jihad message. We will persecute you for tarnishing the honor of the Chechen nation, this nasty thing that you said. There are gays among Chechen people? We will persecute you until the last person at Novaya Gazeta dies. It’s unbelievable. It reminds us of the situation with Charlie Hebdo. According to Milashina, though Novaya Gazeta has written about Chechnya for years, none of its stories have elicited such a strong response. Journalist Anna Politkovskaya covered Chechnya for the paper for years before she was murdered in 2006. Sponsored Milashina said around 100 people have escaped Chechnya because of the witch hunt, though how many remain is uncertain. To the Post, she also criticized Russia’s apparent apathy regarding the treatment of gay men in Chechnya:

jezebel.com

2017-04-17 10:30:00

Elena Milashina, a journalist for the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, published two stories about gay men being rounded up, detained, tortured, and sometimes killed in Chechnya that made international headlines. Now, Milashina says she’s fleeing Russia in fear of her safety.

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How Do You Talk to Your Kids About Domestic Violence? A Mother and Daughter Discuss

Image via Jim Cooke/GMG When I was in my early twenties I dated a guy who was just a nightmare. He played games with my mind, going back and forth between making me feel like I was the best thing ever and then making me think I made him sick to his stomach. Emotionally, I was a wreck. But things never got physical. Except once. We fought, punches were thrown and I left his apartment in tears. My roommates found out and told my parents. My parents confronted me over it; I told them it was overblown and not a big deal and they never brought it up again. Considering that experience, I’m surprised I never talked to my step-daughter Lauren about abuse. Advertisement I started out writing this column thinking that I did a great job talking to Lauren about sex and relationships. Over the last few topics we’ve discussed, I realize I wasn’t as great about it as I thought I was. I didn’t mind talking about the nuts and bolts of sex. (This is the labia!) But I stopped short of a lot of the things that also matter—understanding orgasms and how to understand abuse and sexual assault. I was fine with the birds and the bees—not so much about the nitty gritty business. So finally, I talked to Lauren about her thoughts on why we never discussed domestic violence, why emotional abuse is much more rampant in her circle and—as always—why social media makes it all so much worse. I never talked to you about domestic violence. Nope, we never discussed it! Why do you think I didn’t bring it up? I think you thought it was a Thing that didn’t need to be said because of course that’s not okay. Which of course, is not how that works. Exactly. I think it was based on assumption. Also, we talked about general Not Okay Abuse stuff. Like bullies and stuff. And you probably felt like domestic violence was in that category. Before we move on, do we need to break out physical abuse from emotional abuse? Well, we can’t privilege one over the other. But we can usually see physical abuse while it’s hard to gauge how impactful emotional stuff can be. Even when it’s your own self being abused. Have you ever been physically abused by a partner? Physically? No. Never. I’ve experienced emotional abuse. What about your friends—what you know, of course. I don’t think so. Wait. I do have two friends who were raped in a relationship. That’s physical abuse. And I know people in relationships where sexual things got out of hand in a physical way. All of that is abuse. Did these people leave the relationship? No. I think intentionality helps to classify this stuff. If you feel like this is something that could be discussed and you can figure out how and why it happened… Maybe… Advertisement One time, long long ago, your dad and I were sitting on the sofa about to eat dinner. He was being goofy and kept plucking me. I was not amused and I asked him numerous times to stop. He kept laughing and plucking me. I was pissed. Now, this was by no means a painful pluck. Right, this was Dad being Dad. And acting like a twelve year old. But I was still completely over it. So, I finally got fed up and jumped up off the couch to leave. He put his hand in the waistband of my jeans and yanked me back down to the couch. He said something like; Ha! You’re not going anywhere! Now I feel like I can’t escape this stupid goofy shit. And I’m further pissed. And I specifically remember feeling like—not fearful. But just incensed at not being able to remove myself from the situation. I was not physically strong enough to stand up and walk away! So I stood up quickly with my plate of my pasta—it was hot—and I smacked the plate into his face. Whoa. I heard him do this sort of half yell half growl and I hauled ass to the bathroom and he made it there right as I locked the door. He banged on the door and told me to come out and I stayed there. And then? I have no idea. I know within an hour we were laughing about it. And for the next fifteen years it was a classic scenario we laughed about. And of course Dad is nowhere near— Right. He’s not the one to ever physically abuse anyone. But you hear how the story sounds right? It could have ended quite differently. I dismiss it—both then and now—as a one off situation that got more heated than necessary. I never smacked him in the face with hot pasta again—but he also gave me my space and never plucked me again either. I guess you need to take things into context. Feeling scared or fearful is not okay of course. I guess there are some situations you can recover from and not categorize it as abuse? Lauren, if you were dating a guy for a year, which is how long your dad and I had been dating at the time and you told me the same story and asked for advice. I’d say, BAIL LAUREN BAIL! Right, but if I told you I truly felt like it was a one-off and that he apologized—Oh wait. Yeah, that sounds like any other abusive situation. Advertisement Exactly. He yanked me down to the sofa and told me not to move. He knew I was really upset. I threw a plate of food at him and he gets pissed and chased me into the bathroom and I stayed there until he cooled off. But it’s totally fine now, I swear! Right. Jeesh. That wasn’t an abusive act on the part of your dad. But I have eighteen years of knowing him to understand that. Now, emotional abuse. You said you’ve experienced it? Yeah, in a few ways, mainly gaslighting. Explain to me how gaslighting works. I’ve been hearing it a lot more lately. It’s like, you confront your partner on something and they make it all about them and manipulate you into thinking not only that you’re incorrect—but you’re the one causing harm. Give me an example. My friend saw a hickey on her partner’s neck and confronted him. He said it was a rash. But then it became this whole thing. He made her feel like she ruined their whole day together and then it became about how she just wasn’t a good partner overall. What happened to just dealing with a good-old-fashioned liar? They’re out there. But it might not necessarily be emotional abuse. Gaslighting feels like it’s coming from a seriously evil person! Depends on the person. I’ve done it too. Oh. In what instances have you done it? When the person has done it to me! But, that’s no excuse. Wrong is wrong. Emotional abuse is serious. It’s not just lying or the regular ways we can disappoint or even hurt our partners. It’s continual manipulation when you specifically want to hurt someone. Like, that’s the goal. And you’re dealing with this? Yeah. Actually, I have to check myself about the ways I’m conditioned to expect the worse in a relationship. Are you catching these signs? Sometimes. But even when I do catch it. I don’t always do something about it. Like, when people plays those games with contacting. Like texting and stuff. Can that be considered emotional abuse? Maybe not at first. But if you’re dating someone who plays that stupid I’ll-wait-this-long before calling or texting—they’re showing you who they are. I need to walk away from dudes who are into that stuff. But sometimes I still make that call or send that text…. This sounds like Derrick. Oh god, please. Now, I’m seeing a place where I could have possibly had these conversations with you. I think you did actually. I know you hated Derrick. Mom and Dad did too. He was emotionally abusive to you. In freaking middle school. He was young and stupid! He knew how you felt about him. He would do exactly what you describe with gaslighting. One minute he was into you—the next minute not. Did you know I lost my virginity to him? I know. I also know that you were in some kind of Thing and then suddenly he was dating your best friend. Yeah. They were both wrong for that. I mean, I didn’t like it but it was cool. No it wasn’t. But is that emotional abuse though? Good question. I do know that I am going to talk to your sister a lot more about relationships in general. She should know by middle school that if something doesn’t feel good—bail. It doesn’t have to fit the traditional definition of “violence” to be violent. Advertisement Right, because social media makes it so easy to be super emotionally abusive. You can unfollow and block people. You can Like or Unlike posts. I met a guy who consistently engaged on all my IG posts. As then as soon as we started dating—nothing. Not a single Like and not a single Comment. Well maybe, he just wanted to separate— No. We’re twenty year olds. We don’t separate. We speak through our actions on freaking IG. Advertisement Well. I do have a couple I’m friendly with. Their relationship is an on-again off-again nightmare. I notice that anytime he comments on one of my posts—she immediately swoops in and comments on his comment. And then he doesn’t respond to her comment but will comment on my next post. Yup. And then, when things got really bad, she actually called me and asked me to either Block him or stop engaging with him. I’m like, um, no. I’m not doing that. My friends totally ask me to do that. And I know I’d better do it. Nah. But why not? If you know what he’s doing is hurtful to her—why would you still engage with him? Just because it’s social media? I guess. I just feel like— That’s the thing. That’s what emotional abuse and gaslighting is all about. He knows you’ll still engage and he gets to say to her: well your friend is still talking to me. Maybe you’re the one who has the problem. Yeah, it can really play out like that. But I’m still not sure if I need to— I know physical abuse is a Thing. And just because it doesn’t affect me or my circle (as far as I know) we are out here dealing with some serious emotional abuse. Without even being in the same room—or country. Social Media is the real life version of You Can’t Sit With Us. If you know for sure that someone is purposely doing anything hurtful—in real life or cyber—it’s the worst. Advertisement Devin Anderson has written professionally since 1998 and currently works as a full-time freelance writer for various outlets. She’s also written five books, three non-fiction and two novels. The name Devin Anderson is a pseudonym. The writer is changing her name to protect the innocent, the guilty—and her mom.

jezebel.com

2017-08-12 15:00:00

When I was in my early twenties I dated a guy who was just a nightmare. He played games with my mind, going back and forth between making me feel like I was the best thing ever and then making me think I made him sick to his stomach. Emotionally, I was a wreck. But things never got physical. Except once. We fought, punches were thrown and I left his apartment in tears. My roommates found out and told my parents. My parents confronted me over it; I told them it was overblown and not a big deal and they never brought it up again.

http://jezebel.com/how-do-you-talk-to-your-kids-about-domestic-violence-a-1797537800

Is Orlando Bloom Taking Dating Advice From Leonardo DiCaprio?

Photo Credit: Getty Images You’ve likely heard that Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry recently concluded their year-long romance. Now Bloom—the man I most associate with elves who state the obvious—is sowing his wild oats. He’s “casually” dating Nina Dobrev and putting moves on model Ashley Haas. In fact, Dobrev was even present during the shenanigans with Haas. Apparently it’s the O-Bloom comeback tour: he’s keen for everyone to know that he’s a wild boy. Advertisement This behavior, taken on its own, is not unusual. People often indulge their ids after ending a longterm relationship, but in this case there may be an additional factor: Leonardo DiCaprio. Celebrity gossip virtuoso Lainey Gossip surmises that Leo has instructed his pal to keep things loose. “Getting ‘casual’ with Nina and then humping a model five minutes later at Coachella is exactly what’s been prescribed to him. By whom? I’ll say Leonardo DiCaprio,” LG hypothesizes. Advertisement By now, Leo’s own dating habits are infamous. He almost exclusively dates models who are in their twenties, and he seems happily situated as a bachelor. He also always attends Coachella. If Orlando and Leo are hitting the town together, it’s not far-fetched to think that the latter is influencing the former. And as LG points out, Perry, who is over 30 and increasingly political, would never catch Leo’s eye. She may have been a worthwhile pursuit when Bloom’s own popularity needed a boost, but that mission has more or less been accomplished. Here’s LG again: “...you get out as soon as you take what you came for. Which, I’m sure, Leo could understand. What he might probably have a harder time with is being with a woman who’s not only no longer in her 20s, but who has opinions. Who is getting more and more political. Who is becoming more and more active in lobbying for women’s rights. Who is more and more interested in using her voice. It’s not like there are talking roles for women in Leo’s world.” Yikes. That’s harsh—but it sounds on the mark. [Lainey Gossip] Lily Collins sent a copy of her book, Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me, to Michelle Obama and, as they say, you’ll never guess what happened next! Advertisement Sponsored Our Forever FLOTUS responded with a thoughtful letter, because she is all things delightful and good. Then, Collins read and raved about said letter in an Instagram, because duh. I admit it: I’m jealous. [Us Weekly] I’m also jealous of Melissa Etheridge’s adult children because she smokes weed with them, and I would like to do that too. Advertisement “It bring you much closer,” she explains. “I’d much rather have a smoke with my grown kids than a drink.” Aww. [Us Weekly]

jezebel.com

2017-04-17 20:00:00

You’ve likely heard that Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry recently concluded their year-long romance. Now Bloom—the man I most associate with elves who state the obvious—is sowing his wild oats. He’s “casually” dating Nina Dobrev and putting moves on model Ashley Haas. In fact, Dobrev was even present during the shenanigans with Haas. Apparently it’s the O-Bloom comeback tour: he’s keen for everyone to know that he’s a wild boy.

http://jezebel.com/is-orlando-bloom-taking-dating-advice-from-leonardo-dic-1794400800?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+jezebel%2Ffull+%28Jezebel%29

Prince's Doctor Reportedly Wrote Him Opioid Prescriptions In Bodyguard's Name

Image via Getty. Prince’s unexpected death last summer was determined an accidental overdose on the opioid fentanyl. Six days preceding his death, Prince overdosed on a plane, and had to be revived at a hospital following an emergency landing. Search warrants issued for Paisley Park, Prince’s Minnesota residence, have just been unsealed, revealing what seems to have been a complicated system intended to funnel narcotics to the beloved icon. Advertisement KARE 11 reports that the documents, which were made public Monday morning, show that CVS prescription bottles found in Prince’s home had the name of his longtime bodyguard, Kirk Johnson, on the label. Investigators had been unable to find the source of fentanyl for Prince after examining his toxicology report, but did discover prescriptions of Oxycodone written for Johnson and prescribed by Dr. Michael Todd Schulenberg. The warrants also listed the pills discovered on the premises: -15 white capsules (Watson 853) discovered in a second floor dressing room -CVS pharmacy bottle under the name of Kirk Johnson/7 green capsules -8 orange oval pills inside suitcase in mirror room/second floor -Bayer bottle/64 white pills with Watson 853 -Aleve bottle with 20 ½ tablets labeled Watson 853 -Pamphlet for Recovery Without Walls (rehab center) Watson 853 is an acetaminophen/hydrocodone painkiller hybrid. Other bottles mislabeled as “Vitamin D” were also filled with acetaminophen/hydrocodone pills, and more was found throughout the house: Advertisement Detectives also discovered Prince’s suitcase — which was the one found with several narcotics inside (in prescription pill bottles under Johnson’s name) — had the name tag of “Peter Bravestrong” — an alias name authorities believe Prince used when he traveled in an attempt to maintain his privacy. Lyrics for the song, “U Got the Look,” were also found in that suitcase, written in Prince’s handwriting. The New York Daily News reports that Dr. Schulenberg told authorities that he wrote prescriptions under Johnson’s name to protect Prince’s privacy. Johnson, who had worked for Prince since the late eighties, told investigators that he had no idea that Prince had a pill addiction, though the day before the artist’s death he went to a Walgreens to pick up a prescription for him. Johnson said it was the first time he’d been sent on such an errand.

jezebel.com

2017-04-17 17:20:00

Prince’s unexpected death last summer was determined an accidental overdose on the opioid fentanyl. Six days preceding his death, Prince overdosed on a plane, and had to be revived at a hospital following an emergency landing. Search warrants issued for Paisley Park, Prince’s Minnesota residence, have just been unsealed, revealing what seems to have been a complicated system intended to funnel narcotics to the beloved icon.

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Mark Hamill's Tribute to Carrie Fisher Makes Her Sound Like the Friend We All Imagined She Was

Image via Getty. Carrie Fisher’s death is heartbreaking to so many because her openness and honesty about her life made her seem like someone you’ve known all your life, an intimate and wonderful old friend. The words of her actual old friend supports some of those feelings. Advertisement In a tribute published on The Hollywood Reporter Monday, Mark Hamill shared some sweet memories of getting to know Carrie Fisher as a young man and the joy of having his life inextricably linked to hers through the Star Wars series. Before shooting with Fisher began, Hamill asked the production office to set up a dinner between them so he could get to know her, and it sounds like she knew how to make instant pals: You know, she was 19 years old at the time. I was a worldly 24. So I was thinking, “Oh my God, it’ll be like working with a high school kid.” But I was just bowled over. I mean she was just so instantly ingratiating and funny and outspoken. She had a way of just being so brutally candid. I’d just met her but it was like talking to a person you’d known for ten years. She was telling me stuff about her stepfather, about her mom, about Eddie Fisher — it was just harrowing in its detail. I kept thinking, “Should I know this?” I mean, I wouldn’t have shared that with somebody that I had trusted for years and years and years. But she was the opposite. She just sucked you into her world. Most of his anecdotes are similar to the goofy memories you might have of your own social group’s hijinks, except they were on the set of one of the most successful movies of all time: Advertisement Once at lunchtime she said, “You should try on my jumpsuit.” I said, “The one-piece white jumpsuit? You’re what, 5’2”? I’ll never get in!” She said, “Just try.” I put on that Princess Leia zipper jump suit and it was so tight I looked like a Vegas lounge singer. If that wasn’t ridiculous enough, she had me put on one of those bald cap masks with the Bozo hair and glasses and nose and then she walked me around the back lot. Hamill alludes to times when he and Fisher were in conflict, and times when they “hated each other’s guts.” But, he says, “That’s all part of what makes a relationship complete. It’s not all one sided. Like I say, she was a handful. She was high maintenance. But my life would have been so much drabber and less interesting if she hadn’t been the friend that she was.” You can read the whole essay here. Sponsored Update 4:02 pm: Carrie Fisher’s daughter, Billie Lourd, posted a message on Instagram Monday as well, thanking fans for the support in an extremely difficult time. She writes: Advertisement Advertisement

jezebel.com

2017-01-02 15:30:00

Carrie Fisher’s death is heartbreaking to so many because her openness and honesty about her life made her seem like someone you’ve known all your life, an intimate and wonderful old friend. The words of her actual old friend supports some of those feelings.

http://jezebel.com/mark-hamills-tribute-to-carrie-fisher-makes-her-sound-l-1790692235?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+jezebel%2Ffull+%28Jezebel%29

A Mildly Horrifying Year in Sephora Purchases

To my shock and mild horror, I became a Sephora VIB Rouge member this year—the highest level in Sephora’s rewards program. I qualified after spending $1,000 in a calendar year. Advertisement Am I proud of this? Unsure! But it happened and there’s nothing I can do about it. Let me now outline my journey to overspending on makeup and skincare products from Sephora in the year 2016. I won’t say this brush changed my life or even shifted it marginally. In retrospect, I’m not completely sure why I bought it in the first place because I rarely put powder all over my face. Still, it’s a good brush and feels very nice and soft on my face. Do not buy this eyeliner. I repeat: DO NOT BUY THIS EYELINER. I remember the release of this product being a whole big thing because I had to be put on a wait list. I returned it. Technically, should I include returns on this list since they don’t count towards my rewards points? Don’t know. Doing it anyway as a public service. If you’ll remember, earlier this year I went through what I thought was a quarter life crisis and bought a ton of skincare products. Eyes creams seem like kind of a racket. If you use a good moisturizer, I’m not convinced you need something specific for that two inches of space on your face. I still haven’t finished this small tube and likely won’t be re-buying. Another return. This was kind of a dumb purchase because you can buy much, much more shea butter for much, much less. But I liked the tiny tin and it’s a good base for matte lipstick. You could probably just put oatmeal on your face instead of spending $24 on this face mask. I wouldn’t. But someone could. I love a sheet mask. I also don’t like spending money on manicures and pedicures regularly so this is a nice in-between pick me up. Again, this is my attempt at a at-home manicure. Some good hand lotion probably would have done the trick just fine. A strong recommend for those with natural hair. My hair is fine and very dry and this is great because I like weighing it down a bit with a heavier butter moisturizer. This stuff is magic. It’s one of those products where, at $34, it’s definitely more expensive than it should be, but not so exorbitant that I won’t waste $10-$15 more than I should on makeup remover. Highlighter had a big year. I can’t say whether this is significantly better than the other million highlighters on the market, but it is excellent. I use Champagne Pop. Another strong recommend on the brush. I wasn’t exactly sure what to look for in a highlighter brush but I’m happy I landed on this one. I prefer it to the fan ones because I don’t have a delicate enough hand to not basically draw a line across my face. This is one of my favorite liquid lipsticks. The shade (Ashton) initially seemed too light for me, but with a dark brown lipliner underneath is one of my favorite nude lip situations. I used to be a big nail polish person and have very much waned in that interest. I’m not sure what possessed me to buy this (in the shade Mayfair Market). It’s a tad goopy, but fine. Behold an example of one of the many times a Sephora sample has worked on me. It tingles, which I love, and my skin definitely feels plumper after using. Looking back I don’t remember this costing damn near $40 especially because it comes in a very small jar, but that’s likely how I got myself in this VIB Rouge situation in the first place. Nothing on Earth smells better than this stuff. It’s your standard sparkly booty cream situation that does not actually tighten your butt—still a nice thing to carry around in the summertime nonetheless. I bought the travel size because I rightfully predicted that I would not need 8 ounces of butt cream. Purchased in the shade Conspiracy which is a metallic finish. I rarely buy non-matte lipstick anymore and I almost never wear this so... The consistency is very, very creamy and it takes quite a while to set, but I like it. It’s a very neutral brown (shade: Crop Top) on me and I love to throw it on when I’m not wearing makeup just to feel like I put in a bit of effort. Every single time I step out of the house wearing Tom Ford Noir Pour Femme, I get a compliment. This was yet another case of Sephora’s masterful ability to turn a sample into a purchase. Wearing the sample to a dinner party, I received no less than four compliments. I pulled the trigger the next day. I buy the 1 oz size even though, now on my second bottle, the 1.7 oz for $72 probably makes more financial sense. The greatest under eye concealer on Earth. I love travel versions of shit. I bought some these before my trip to Rio. I don’t generally like wipes but I think my rational was that this was better than makeup remover in terms of potential spillage. Sure. Another foot mask experiment that I assume I grabbed while waiting in line for another purchase. I later went back and bought it again, so I guess I was satisfied the first time. Not a lot of thoughts on this travel-sized hairspray. Nothing has been better for my face than these magic drops. I mix it in with my liquid foundation and it’s probably 60 percent of the reason why people are always asking me about or commenting on my skin. The secret is out. You are welcome. Mac’s Ruby Woo lipstick quite literally changed my life. Over the past couple years, I haven’t worn red lipstick as much but this was my attempt to get back in the habit. It’s some special edition shade called Chimps and is now sold out. I bought this eyeliner and got confused about which brush I bought because Sephora sells about eight different types of liquid eyeliner all with slightly different brush shapes. I don’t love the brush—it’s a bit flimsy—but I was too lazy to return it. A beautiful brown woman was my waitress one evening and was wearing this lipstick in Lola. I always assumed the shade would be too light for me but she convinced me and it’s amazing. Kat Von D can make a lipstick. The $50 Dr. Jart Ceramidin cream wasn’t really feeling worth it. My skin was moisturized, sure but nothing revolutionary was going on. And it costs $50. This is a nice alternative. More wipes, apparently. For some reason I purchased this nail polish again in a red that is now sold out. I can’t remember ever using it. A great brow pencil for a light brow day. Should have just bought the big bottle. I find it hard to know when exactly to replace Beauty Blenders but at a certain point I could tell that mine was very gross. At the time of this purchase, I was $1 away from qualifying for VIB Rouge status so I just decided to just give myself up to the inevitable. Over the year I bought eight of these Sephora eye masks which I like to use after a flight even though I can’t tell much of a difference. A gift card I purchased for my sister, presumably to help lead her down the dark path I am on. I won’t bore you with the exact breakdown, but I also bought 25 sheet face masks because I am a monster. I’ll throw the Sephora brand masks into my cart because they’re cheap and why not? My favorite sheet masks are from Dr. Jart. I bought a bunch of the Dermask Water Jet Vital Hydra Solution masks until I discovered you can buy a pack of five on Amazon for much cheaper. I also like the Ceramidin mask because, as I noted, I stopped using the expensive-ass moisturizer and it’s good for when my skin is feeling particularly dry. My favorite, however, is the brightening Brightening Infusion Hydrogel mask. This was my year. Hopefully I am $1,000 more beautiful now.

jezebel.com

2017-01-02 13:00:00

To my shock and mild horror, I became a Sephora VIB Rouge member this year—the highest level in Sephora’s rewards program. I qualified after spending $1,000 in a calendar year.

http://jezebel.com/a-mildly-horrifying-year-in-sephora-purchases-1789530825?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+jezebel%2Ffull+%28Jezebel%29

Twitter Is an Emotional Bitch

Image by Bobby Finger. In September, when Donald Trump admitted, at last, that Barack Obama is in fact a born American, Twitter imploded. Many times, Twitter has also exploded. Twitter has gone both nuts, thanks to Al Roker, and wild, thanks to Trump’s mom. Twitter had a meltdown when the Cubs won the World Series in November. And when Trump was elected president, Twitter freaked out, as it tends to do quite often. Twitter appeared utterly in shock. Twitter lost it over a home-wrecking penguin, which seems like an insignificant thing to “lose it” over. At one point, Twitter even snarked. Advertisement Twitter, a social media platform magically imbued with human feelings that appears to always exhibit one collective emotion at a time, has a tendency to go crazy, has a dark side and loves to attack, aware perhaps that it has the power to build and destroy. Twitter often throws shade and once slammed Bernie Sanders when his DNC speech pushed back The Bachelorette. All of Twitter at one point loved Ryan Reynolds’ face. From one day to the next, Twitter has proven to be all over the place, can’t decide what it wants to be, who it wants to be, how it wants to feel, up or down, or how it should move about the world. Twitter struggles to maintain a steady emotional state and simply be okay with who it is. At the risk of sounding too dank, Twitter had fun this year, too. It threw parties! Hosted by—who else—Twitter. A party? Where? Online. Parties where Taylor Swift, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West appeared as figments of Twitter’s imagination. It’s almost as if Twitter is trapped in a fantasy world, barricaded by its own despair and sense of entitlement. Or could it be that the problem is us, projecting our fears, worries and unnecessary angst onto Twitter... Advertisement There are times I feel like grabbing Twitter by its muscular forearms and pleading with it to get it together. “Twitter, you need help!” I would scream. And Twitter would scream back, “No! You do!” And then Twitter would run off crying, arms flailing. I would stare at Twitter from behind and wonder why it has to be this way. But I would say nothing in return because what Twitter said is true. We all need help.

jezebel.com

2017-01-02 16:00:00

In September, when Donald Trump admitted, at last, that Barack Obama is in fact a born American, Twitter imploded. Many times, Twitter has also exploded. Twitter has gone both nuts, thanks to Al Roker, and wild, thanks to Trump’s mom. Twitter had a meltdown when the Cubs won the World Series in November. And when Trump was elected president, Twitter freaked out, as it tends to do quite often. Twitter appeared utterly in shock. Twitter lost it over a home-wrecking penguin, which seems like an insignificant thing to “lose it” over. At one point, Twitter even snarked.

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Baronet Seeks Young Wife

A 70-year-old aristocrat is “interviewing hard” for young women willing to maintain his ancient homes and—presumably—churn out an heir or two. Catch is, he’s a baronet, which is practically the bottom rung of the British nobility. Darling, no matter how appealing a 15th century manor house where Chaucer wrote part of The Canterbury Tales sounds, wouldn’t you prefer to hold out for a viscount at the least? Advertisement The Daily Mail reports that Sir Benjamin Slade—described by his Wikipedia entry as a “right-wing businessman and self-publicist”—is on the hunt for a vigorous young bride. He told the tab that he had split with his previous paramour, who is “50, so too old to have children.” And now, “I am interviewing hard. I have had a few proposals, but sometimes the women are past their sell-by date and have been over the guns a few times.” “They have to be fit — I have two castles,” he added. “I am like a feudal prince when it comes to throwing parties.” Advertisement Such a charming pitch will surely be difficult to ignore! And your potential bridegroom endeavors to keep in the very best shape: ‘I’ve bought a back stretcher and hang upside down on it for five minutes every morning. It works wonders for the chin and neckline. I also have some “sky boots” with a hook in the top so I can hang upside down. ‘I have some Traynor pinhole glasses, which I wear for 20 minutes a day and they have really improved my eyesight. ‘I am also on the Genghis Khan diet, which is recommended for young lotharios and involves eating sweet potato, sunflower seeds and horny goat weed. ‘It was recommended by my French nephew, who is 70 and hasn’t a single grey hair. And Genghis had 2,000 children.’ Slade has previously appeared in the news for offering £1,000 to anyone willing to kill the beavers he claimed were tearing up the grounds of his Somerset castle— “You get people shouting about how beavers are wonderful,” he told the Daily Mail, “But they’re not, they are a nuisance. They eat the trees and strip them of their bark”—and also for the fact that a former partner ran off with the handyman. He also made the rounds in 2013 looking for someone to bear his heirs. Perhaps better to marry someone “in trade” who can buy you your very own stately home when its owner’s finances go tits up.

jezebel.com

2017-04-17 10:10:00

A 70-year-old aristocrat is “interviewing hard” for young women willing to maintain his ancient homes and—presumably—churn out an heir or two. Catch is, he’s a baronet, which is practically the bottom rung of the British nobility. Darling, no matter how appealing a 15th century manor house where Chaucer wrote part of The Canterbury Tales sounds, wouldn’t you prefer to hold out for a viscount at the least?

http://jezebel.com/baronet-seeks-young-wife-1794380928?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+jezebel%2Ffull+%28Jezebel%29

The New Teaser for Outlander Shows Lovers Divided By Time Instead of Space

Screengrab via Starz. Season 3 of Outlander premieres in September, and though we were promised more sex than in disappointing Season 2, how is that possible when our two protagonists aren’t even in the same century? Advertisement In 40 seconds, the teaser reminds us that Claire and Jamie were cruelly ripped apart by the power of the time traveling stone in the final episode of Season 2, and that they have an adult daughter graduating from college somewhere in time when women are allowed to go to school. Judging by Claire’s hairstyle, the swinging sixties are in full effect, though she is definitely not swinging. Claire still mourns her lost love—but he’s waiting. Back in Scotland, a coiffed Jamie intones, “I have lied, killed, and broken trust. But when I stand before God I’ll have one thing to say to weigh against all the rest. Lord you gave me a rare woman. God, I loved her well.” Advertisement Vowing to find her, Jamie shouts Claire’s name with one nipple exposed, which is exactly the titillating show of love we’ve come to expect from this show. May they be explosively reunited by the end of the first episode.

jezebel.com

2017-04-17 14:05:00

Season 3 of Outlander premieres in September, and though we were promised more sex than in disappointing Season 2, how is that possible when our two protagonists aren’t even in the same century?

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Harry Styles Is Hot and Good

Image via SNL. Harry Styles was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live this weekend and, in debuting his new solo material, excelled on the notoriously difficult (both acoustically and logistically) SNL stage. He also looked very hot while doing it—which may have been a surprise to my coworkers, but could NEVER be a surprise to me. Oh, Harry. My sweet elven prince. Many doubted that your solo material would be good, but I didn’t because I love and support you, as I always have, as if you were my own step son or, better yet, pool boy. You won my affection when work forced me to sit through two showings of Morgan Spurlock’s One Direction documentary This Is Us and my heart has not doubted that investment, never once. Advertisement “Ever Since New York,” one of the songs you performed, shocked those who do not know you like I do. It was a little Ryan Adams, a little ‘70s roots rock at the chorus, and 100 percent HOTTIE WITH A BODY (he’s 23, it’s fine!), even with your wonky singing faces and the guitar it looks like you’re barely playing. Point being, I will buy/illegally download this album and very much enjoy it. In return, all I ask is that you take me out to dinner and kiss me on the mouth. You also appeared looking very handsome in a patterned suit (“you should get a patterned suit,” I texted my partner while watching you perform) to sing “Sign of the Times,” another song I enjoyed very much. It felt a lot like an Aerosmith ballad, which might sound like an insult, but I promise you that I mean it as a compliment. Point is you can really sing and wear a suit, two special skills that most people don’t have. You were even adorable playing Mick Jagger in a sketch that was likely only written so that Jimmy Fallon could trot out a very untimely John Travolta impression: Babe, I think you did a great job across the board and now, finally, everyone else agrees.

jezebel.com

2017-04-17 15:05:00

Harry Styles was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live this weekend and, in debuting his new solo material, excelled on the notoriously difficult (both acoustically and logistically) SNL stage. He also looked very hot while doing it—which may have been a surprise to my coworkers, but could NEVER be a surprise to me.

http://jezebel.com/harry-styles-is-hot-and-good-1794386404?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+jezebel%2Ffull+%28Jezebel%29

Prince Harry Talks About Finally Getting Therapy

Photo via Getty Images. Here is a break with the British monarchy’s stiff-upper-lip tradition, in the name of destigmatizating mental health struggles: Prince Harry has given an interview about his long-running emotional struggles in the wake of his mother’s very public death, culminating in finally getting some help in his late 20s. Advertisement He spoke to the Telegraph, admitting, “I can safely say that losing my mom at the age of 12 and therefore shutting down all of my emotions for the last 20 years has had quite a serious effect on not only my personal life but also my work as well.” He explained: “My way of dealing with it was sticking my head in the sand, refusing to ever think about my mum, because why would that help? “[I thought] it’s only going to make you sad, it’s not going to bring her back. “So from an emotional side, I was like ‘right, don’t ever let your emotions be part of anything’. “So I was a typical 20, 25, 28-year-old running around going ‘life is great’, or ‘life is fine’ and that was exactly it. “And then [I] started to have a few conversations and actually all of a sudden, all of this grief that I have never processed started to come to the forefront and I was like, there is actually a lot of stuff here that I need to deal with.” “I have probably been very close to a complete breakdown on numerous occasions when all sorts of grief and sort of lies and misconceptions and everything are coming to you from every angle,” he admitted, explaining that his brother finally convinced him he needed to speak to a professional. Advertisement The context for this is that the trio of young royals have made mental health, especially for young people, a major part of their philanthropic efforts. He said he wanted to make a difference while he and the rest of his generation of the family are “still interesting” to the public, which frankly shows more self-awareness than one would expect from a literal prince. Good for Harry.

jezebel.com

2017-04-17 17:40:00

Here is a break with the British monarchy’s stiff-upper-lip tradition, in the name of destigmatizating mental health struggles: Prince Harry has given an interview about his long-running emotional struggles in the wake of his mother’s very public death, culminating in finally getting some help in his late 20s.

http://jezebel.com/prince-harry-talks-about-finally-getting-therapy-1794384403?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+jezebel%2Ffull+%28Jezebel%29

Harrison Ford, Get Off Your Plane

Harrison Ford’s 2015 plane crash. Image via Getty. In March 2015, earring and Calista Flockhart lover Harrison Ford was severely injured when he crashed his vintage single-engine plane into a golf course near the Santa Monica airport. Almost two years later, NBC is reporting that Ford is back at it again with the airplane incidents. Advertisement The actor, whose history of bad luck with airplanes expands into the fictional Indiana Jones universe, was descending into Orange County’s John Wayne Airport Monday when he “mistakenly aimed for a taxiway [instead of a runway].” Whoops! Even after landing, Ford failed to notice his error, and reportedly asked the tower whether a Boeing 737 he flew over was “meant to be underneath” during his approach. “Landing on the taxiway,” writes NBC, “is a violation of Federal Aviation Administration safety rules.” Now that Ford has four aviation-related blunders under his belt (in addition to the 2015 incident, he crashed a helicopter in 1999, and “clipped the runway” during an emergency landing in 2000) I have a suggestion: Harrison, get off your plane.

jezebel.com

2017-02-14 18:00:00

In March 2015, earring and Calista Flockhart lover Harrison Ford was severely injured when he crashed his vintage single-engine plane into a golf course near the Santa Monica airport. Almost two years later, NBC is reporting that Ford is back at it again with the airplane incidents.

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The Famous Men Don't Want You to Take Them Seriously

Image via YouTube. Alex Jones, the radio personality and conspiracy theorist who may be wider than he is long, is currently involved in a child custody trial in Austin, Texas with his ex-wife Kelly Jones. In the trial, Jones has been forced to reckon with his career of dangerous misinformation and pseudo-cult leadership, and he has attempted to do so with the argument that his entire public persona is an act, and with that defense, he joins a host of famous men who want to be taken seriously until they don’t. Advertisement At a pretrial hearing, his attorney Randall Wilhite argued that to use Jones’s Infowars personality to judge Jones as a father would be, according to the Austin Statesman like “judging Jack Nicholson in a custody dispute based on his performance as the Joker in Batman.” “He’s playing a character,” Wilhite said. “He is a performance artist.” Advertisement Kelly Jones countered in her own testimony, “He is not a stable person... He says he wants to break Alec Baldwin’s neck. He wants J. Lo to get raped.” “I’m concerned that he is engaged in felonious behavior, threatening a member of Congress... he broadcasts from home. The children are there, watching him broadcast.” The case now depends on a jury’s ability to distinguish between the public and private Alex Jones, and whether the purported difference between the two personas might make a difference with regard to his parenting. Sponsored It’s overly generous to take Alex Jones or his attorney at their word, but to indulge them briefly, any reasonable consumer of media would have no valid reason to doubt that Jones believes what he preaches. Infowars purports to be a news-from-a-specific-deranged-viewpoint media company, and, in support of that role, has interviewed exactly one presidential candidate—the same one who later called Jones to thank him for his influence after he won the most recent election. Jones “reports” “facts” sold as absolute truth, even when there is no evidence to support them (more likely, there’s hard evidence disproving them)—most recently, Jones promoted the Pizzagate scandal which alleged that Hillary Clinton and John Podesta ran a child sex-trafficking ring in the basement of a pizza-and-ping pong restaurant in Washington DC. Jones later apologized for his role in spreading the conspiracy, which influenced numerous “concerned citizens” to call the pizza place with death threats; one North Carolina man traveled to DC to “self-investigate,” during which time he fired shots with an assault rifle inside the restaurant. The man was later arrested. Jones has suggested that 9/11 was an inside job; he often makes commentary fueled exclusively by his “gut;” he’s paid Infowars viewers to wear t-shirts calling Bill Clinton a rapist; he is obsessed with the evils of birth control and the almost religiously redeeming power of male virility, leading to this spectacular spread on his website: Image via InfoWars. And, in addition to providing news for a large, increasingly politically-active chunk of the country, he’s also become an important influence on President Donald Trump, a man who is highly susceptible to flattery, reads very little, and carries the nuclear football. Advertisement His attorney’s request that a jury looks past Jones’s bombastic, paranoid persona—a persona that is having massive real world impact—and see him instead as a loving, attentive father, is one that a number of famously naughty men have attempted to employ in the past few months (and, surely, forever). Remember Hulk Hogan requested that his public wrestling character, one who boasted about his sexual exploits and the size of his penis, be viewed as a separate entity from Terry Bollea, private citizen—a major point in the argument was the revelation that Bollea’s penis was smaller than Hogan’s imaginary one. Similarly, during the election, Trump claimed that brutally sexist comments made about Carly Fiorina and others were made “as an entertainer,”—not as Trump the thoughtful man and potential world leader. “It all goes hand-in-hand. And much of the—many of the statements—and, if you notice, I’m leading with women,” he said to Fox News in 2015. “Many of those comments are made as an entertainer, because I did The Apprentice. It was one of the top shows on television. I decided not to do it again because I wanted to run for president. But some comments are made as an entertainer. And, as everybody said, as an entertainer [it] is a much different ballgame.” On the flip side, how many times have we been asked to separate a man’s art from his personal life? Mel Gibson, Woody Allen, and Roman Polanski, among scores of others, have all been granted the luxury of having their work separated from their flawed manhood, and any attempts at reconciling the two produce only a series of tired shrugs and a change in topic of conversation. Advertisement An asshole by any other name (Alex Jones, say, or Donald Trump), would suck just as hard. At what point can we stop with the dialectical backflips?

jezebel.com

2017-04-17 12:40:00

Alex Jones, the radio personality and conspiracy theorist who may be wider than he is long, is currently involved in a child custody trial in Austin, Texas with his ex-wife Kelly Jones. In the trial, Jones has been forced to reckon with his career of dangerous misinformation and pseudo-cult leadership, and he has attempted to do so with the argument that his entire public persona is an act, and with that defense, he joins a host of famous men who want to be taken seriously until they don’t.

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Mariah Carey Says Her New Year's Eve Performance Was 'Sabotaged'

Image via Getty. After her anxiety dream New Year’s Eve performance, Mariah Carey said, “Shit happens.” Now she supposedly thinks, “Shit happens when everyone’s out to get you.” Advertisement Page Six reports that Carey’s team is allegedly saying the technical difficulties she faced were actually a deliberate sabotage by Dick Clark Productions, intended to drum up ratings. They apparently received a scorching letter on the subject of Mariah Carey’s malfunctioning earpiece: “You know her inner ears were NOT working and your entire production team did not set her up to win,” the manager, Stella Bulochnikov, wrote to Mark Shimmel, whose company produced Carey’s TV nightmare, which was broadcast live on ABC. “AND MARIAH KEPT TELLING THEM [something was wrong] ON STAGE IN REAL TIME,” Bulochnikov typed in all caps in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Post. “THEY KEPT IGNORING HER. SHE TOOK A HIT HONORING HER COMMITMENT TO YOU. I SHOULD HAVE PULLED HER OFF THE STAGE THIS IS SABOTAGE.” Bulochnikov told Page Six that she doesn’t believe Carey was deliberately given bad equipment, but that producers took advantage of the situation, saying, “Once things went wrong, they took the decision to keep rolling and make her look like a train wreck for the ratings,” she added, “They owe her a public apology.” Advertisement TMZ reports that Dick Clark Productions think this accusation is defamatory, and one production crew member is accused of saying, “I don’t care that her ears didn’t work. She could’ve just winged it.” Freaking wing it, Mariah Carey. [Page Six, TMZ] Did Jennifer Lopez mock Carey’s performance in between getting deeply emotional and very real kisses from Drake? [BET] Happy New Year.

jezebel.com

2017-01-02 11:00:00

After her anxiety dream New Year’s Eve performance, Mariah Carey said, “Shit happens.” Now she supposedly thinks, “Shit happens when everyone’s out to get you.”

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Finally, an American Girl Doll For Me

Images via American Girl Since its founding in 1986, American Girl has focused its energies on “fueling connection among girls and helping them to unleash their full potential.” But of the over 29 million American Girl dolls that have been sold in the past 31 years, I’ve personally identified with exactly zero. I felt left out and woefully unimportant. Until now. Advertisement Though the cast of dolls includes dozens of unique and wonderful characters any child would be lucky to meet—let alone own—none have ever acted as mirrors in which I could see myself. Take last year’s Girl of the Year, Gabriela. She’s a dreamer who loves “expressing herself through dance”? Nope! Not me! What about Julie, “a fun-loving, happy, spirited girl, full of energy and new ideas but prone to fits of despair at the upheaval of the world around her”? Close, but I still don’t know her. Kitt Kitteridge? Please, we all know she’s my nemesis. But take a look at Logan Everett, their newest addition. He’s “a boy who plays drums alongside his friend Tenney Grant, a singer-songwriter in Nashville, Tennessee”? Wait just a second. That American Girl doll is...me. Like me, Logan is pale and sort of sickly looking, with an obvious Vitamin D deficiency and a haircut that’s not quite right for his face shape. His smile is only convincing half the time, and eyes are kind, but sad—like blueish windows into the mind of someone who’s trying (and failing) to mask a perpetual state of worry. Though his mother may approve of his wardrobe, more fashionable minds (such as Jezebel Culture Editor Julianne Escobedo Shepherd) would call it “wack.” Logan also has a ton of girl friends. Not girlfriends girl friends, obviously, but friends who happen to be girls. They find Logan nonthreatening and fun to be around. He always compliments their cute new outfits, notices when they changed their hair, and will gladly listen to stories about their personal lives without ever feeling compelled to discuss that time he fucked Ken while Barbie was on a shoot, or that G.I. Joe swore up and down he was straight despite seeming totally into it. He’s quiet, you know? Happy to be in the background. So I’d like to thank you, American Girl, for giving all the Logan Everetts of the world a voice. It’s about time.

jezebel.com

2017-02-14 16:30:00

Since its founding in 1986, American Girl has focused its energies on “fueling connection among girls and helping them to unleash their full potential.” But of the over 29 million American Girl dolls that have been sold in the past 31 years, I’ve personally identified with exactly zero. I felt left out and woefully unimportant. Until now.

http://jezebel.com/finally-an-american-girl-doll-for-me-1792355317?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+jezebel%2Ffull+%28Jezebel%29

Pope Tells Bishops It's Time to Really Enforce that Zero Tolerance to Sex Abuse Policy

Image via Getty. Pope Francis was criticized this summer for waffling on plans to put child abusers on trial within the Catholic Church, as well as those who facilitated abuse with cover ups. Instead, he strengthened the rules agains sexually abusing children that already existed, which he reminded bishops about one more time for the new year. Advertisement The Associated Press reports that the Vatican released a letter on Monday that the Pope sent to bishops on December 28, outlining the suffering of children in their domain, such as: child labor, malnutrition, access to education and, of course, sexual abuse. More specifically, sexual abuse committed by priests. Pope Francis wrote of the Church’s long history of abuse scandals, saying, “It is a sin that shames us. Persons responsible for the protection of those children destroyed their dignity.” Expressing the church’s “regret,” and begging forgiveness, the pope denounced the “sin of what happened, the sin of failing to help, the sin of covering up and denial, the sin of the abuse of power.” Francis also asked bishops for “complete commitment to ensuring that these atrocities will no longer take place in our midst.” “Let us find the courage needed to take all necessary measures and to protect in every way the lives of our children, so that such crimes may never be repeated,” the pope said. “In this area, let us adhere, clearly and faithfully, to ‘zero tolerance.’” Despite these pleas, Pope Francis did appoint Bishop Juan Barros to Osorno, Chile, in 2015. Barros allegedly protected Father Fernando Karadima, who was accused of sexually abusing multiple children, according to Reuters. Karadima was never prosecuted, though a judge ruled the accusations were valid, as the statute of limitations had passed. In 2011, the Vatican sentenced Karadima to “a life of prayer and penitence.”

jezebel.com

2017-01-02 14:31:21

Pope Francis was criticized this summer for waffling on plans to put child abusers on trial within the Catholic Church, as well as those who facilitated abuse with cover ups. Instead, he strengthened the rules agains sexually abusing children that already existed, which he reminded bishops about one more time for the new year.

http://jezebel.com/pope-tells-bishops-its-time-to-really-enforce-that-zero-1790691121?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+jezebel%2Ffull+%28Jezebel%29

Coachella-Goers Can Be Part of A Star Is Born With Lady Gaga

Image via Getty Lady Gaga will make the best use of her time at Coachella by shooting scenes there this week for the remake of A Star Is Born with Bradley Cooper. Advertisement During her Coachella set on Sunday, Gaga debuted her new single “The Cure,” a sparkle of a song that’s more on the peppy synth side of pop than what we’re used to from her. Days later, she’ll be shooting scenes for the long-brewing remake of A Star Is Born, which Cooper is directing. Advertisement Regular people have been invited to participate as extras for concert scenes shooting on April 18 and 19, so as to take advantage of the sea of music lovers and flower crowns gathered in the dessert of Indio, California. Billboard reports: The solicitation for extras (which you can read here) invites Little Monsters to “be in the audience as Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga films scenes on the actual Coachella stages. Help cheer and applaud their performances on camera... the scenes for these days will portray a Country Western music concert. All you Monsters that can attend should get decked out in your most comfortable denim & boots, throw on a Stetson (leave those pink Joanne hats at home) and come out to show your support!” These future memories cost $10 per ticket and everyone’s phones will reportedly be trapped in a Yondr pouch to prevent photo and video leaks while filming.

jezebel.com

2017-04-17 10:55:00

Lady Gaga will make the best use of her time at Coachella by shooting scenes there this week for the remake of A Star Is Born with Bradley Cooper.

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The Real Harry Potter Was Busted for Dealing Marijuana

Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures Yes, you read that correctly. Harry Potter! Arrested! Weed! Advertisement But no, I’m not elliptically referring to Daniel Radcliffe. And I’m not operating under some delusion that Harry Potter and his lot exist—although, in the midst of our current national nightmare, I have often fantasized about Hogwarts. I’m referring to Harry Potter, a 19-year-old from York, England, who was found in possession of marijuana, as well as cash presumably earned from selling it. There are of course many dumb, wizard-related jokes to make, but I’m afraid I’m a spoilsport. That said, I invite the rest of you to bask in the possibilities. Advertisement According to USA Today, Potter was riding his moped—go ahead, pause to make a broomstick joke—when a police officer stopped him, alerted by “a strong smell of cannabis.” After discovering the weed and cash, the officer arrested Potter, and his case was sent to trial. Apparently Potter’s lawyer argued that his client wasn’t really dealing, just procuring extra pot for his friends and charging the same price he had paid. But I don’t think anyone is especially invested in the nitty-gritty details of Potter’s legal troubles—he just has an unfortunate name. Or perhaps it has worked to his benefit! If he began a weed delivery service, he’d have plenty of options for a logo, and of course Potter offers some wordplay opportunities. In any case, I release you to the comments, where you may make merry with this information. I think we can all agree, however, that wizards probably have far better drugs than muggles. Sponsored (Oh, and for what it’s worth: multiple sorting hat quizzes, including the Pottermore one, have told me that I’m a Ravenclaw.)

jezebel.com

2017-04-17 21:00:00

Yes, you read that correctly. Harry Potter! Arrested! Weed!

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Octavia Spencer on Diversity in Oscar Nominees: It's 'Not a Reaction to #OscarsSoWhite'

Photo: Getty In a candid interview, best supporting actress nominee Octavia Spencer gently corrects the notion that this year’s Oscar nominees are not a direct reaction to last year’s #OscarsSoWhite brouhaha because that’s not how movies work. Advertisement Spencer sat down with Deadline’s Joe Utchi to talk about her role in Hidden Figures with the candor and grace she has become known for. And, much like Moonlight’s Naomie Harris did in New York last week, she quickly shut down the notion that this year’s spate of films featuring people of color is a reaction to last year’s lily-white Oscar nominations. So now you contrast that with the urgent conversation we’re having in the arts today. This year has offered an eclectic mix of movies that some have argued addressed #OscarsSoWhite. I think that’s what you guys are thinking, but when you know how movies are made, the explosion of films with people of color is not a reaction to #OscarsSoWhite. I know, and I don’t mean to say that. But when I see a movie like Hidden Figures, I hope that it’s a sign that these kinds of stories won’t be ignored anymore. I know that I have projects coming up, and I know that Viola [Davis] and Taraji [P. Henson] have projects coming up. I know Idris Elba is headlining a few things, and I hope Mahershala Ali and André Holland and David Oyelowo have things coming up. And also, you know, I’m taking a more active role in producing, and so is Viola. I can’t see this year being an isolated thing, but then, I thought Hillary was going to be president, so I can’t tell you for sure. Speaking to the power that the public has via their money and what films they choose to support with it, she presented a simple strategy for seeing more of the diversity audiences desire on screen. Advertisement I mean, when I look at the people that are underrepresented in the film industry, I’ve got to tell you, if I look down a list of characters on a film, and it doesn’t have gay, African-American or Latin characters, I’m probably not going to spend my money on the ticket. I’m going to be real honest with you. I see enough of the homogeneity, and I don’t need to support it with my dollar. And when we stop supporting things with our dollars that don’t represent all of us, then you’ll see an explosion of diversity. Art is about reaching people that you wouldn’t normally reach. It’s about bringing us together. Other topics discussed include how she first thought the true story behind Hidden Figures was “historical fiction,” the importance of optimism and the true meaning of diversity. Like Spencer herself, it is a delight. Read the interview here.

jezebel.com

2017-02-14 22:10:00

In a candid interview, best supporting actress nominee Octavia Spencer gently corrects the notion that this year’s Oscar nominees are not a direct reaction to last year’s #OscarsSoWhite brouhaha because that’s not how movies work.

http://jezebel.com/octavia-spencer-on-diversity-in-oscar-nominees-its-not-1792371859?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+jezebel%2Ffull+%28Jezebel%29

Would You Immortalize Marilyn Manson Via Chain?

Lil Uzi Vert, like many other 22-year-olds, came up on Marilyn Manson, and idolizes him to the point that he calls him “Dad.” Recently, he paid homage to the cover via $222,000 chain, which according to the popular jeweler Ben Baller includes “diamond baguettes as teeth.” Here is my fantasy question. If you had an extra $220k that you had to spend on a diamond-encrusted chain, who do you love enough to immortalize? My answer is obviously Rihanna, in this iteration:

jezebel.com

2017-04-17 17:05:00

Perhaps you remember Paper Mag’s March 2015 cover, in which the publication followed up its Kim Kardashian Event with a photograph of Marilyn Manson looking terrifyingly like the Babadook. It was iconic and it haunted your nightmares... or, if you are the rapper Lil Uzi Vert, fulfilled all your dreams.

http://jezebel.com/would-you-immortalize-marilyn-manson-via-chain-1794395488?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+jezebel%2Ffull+%28Jezebel%29

Woman Attacked for Running the Boston Marathon in 1967 Is Running It Again, 50 Years Later

At Syracuse, Switzer began running with Arnie Briggs, a mail carrier at Syracuse who was also an avid runner. Briggs, too, argued that women were “too fragile” to run the race, but Switzer was determined to prove him wrong. When she began running 30-plus mile distances, Briggs conceded and encouraged her to sign up for Boston officially. She signed up as “K.V. Switzer” along with Arnie, her boyfriend Tom Miller, and another friend. Advertisement But when Jock Semple, the race co-director, discovered a woman had registered in the marathon, he was furious. In the middle of the race, Semple tried to shove Switzer and physically pull her out. “He was pulling at me and screaming, ‘Get the hell out of my race and give me that number,’” Switzer told Deadspin in 2015. “Arnie was screaming at Jock, and then Tom smashed Jock out of the way.” The moment was captured by photographer Harry Trask, instantly turning Switzer into an icon. But Switzer wasn’t the only woman—or even the first—to complete the Boston Marathon that year. Bobbi Gibb, who had run the race unofficially in 1966, was on the course in 1967 and finished ahead of Switzer at 3:27:17. However, Gibb did not register for the race, and according to Switzer, therefore did not threaten the supposed integrity of Semple’s men-only competition. Semple disqualified Switzer from the race and the Amateur Athletic Union suspended her and Miller. Advertisement Sponsored Switzer, who was attacked simply for wanting to run, became an international feminist symbol and helped break the long-held barriers against women in long distance running. In a recent interview with WBZ-TV, she recalled, “I said, ‘This is going to change my life, maybe going to change women’s sports and change the world.’” The Boston Marathon officially opened to women in 1972. That same year, gender equality law Title IX was signed into law, allowing more women to join cross country and track and field programs at college. In 1984, the Olympics introduced the first women’s marathon. Switzer went on to run 39 marathons and organized the Avon International Running Circuit, a series of women’s-only races. In 1974, she won the New York City marathon. In 1975, she returned to Boston and placed second, break her personal record with a time of 2:51:33. In 2011, she was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame. CNN reports that the Boston Marathon will retire Switzer’s original bib number in her honor. “Fifty years later, women make up almost half the field at Boston. It’s a phenomenal social revolution, and it has happened in my lifetime,” Switzer told Outside Magazine. “To be there in Boston to celebrate that moment, the place where it all began, is extremely gratifying and validating.”

jezebel.com

2017-04-17 11:50:00

In 1967, 20-year-old Syracuse University student Kathrine Switzer became the first woman to officially run the Boston Marathon. In 2017, 50 years later, she is running the storied marathon again, with the same bib number—261.

http://jezebel.com/woman-attacked-for-running-the-boston-marathon-in-1967-1794382854?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+jezebel%2Ffull+%28Jezebel%29

Some of the deadliest mass shootings in modern US history

Five of the 10 deadliest mass shootings in modern U.S. history have occurred since 2012, the same year that a troubled young man killed 20 children and six adults at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. A list of some of the deadliest mass shootings: — Oct. 1, 2017: Stephen Paddock opened fire on an outdoor music festival on the Las Vegas Strip from the 32nd floor of a hotel-casino, killing 58 people and wounding more than 500. SWAT teams with explosives then stormed his room and found he had killed himself. — June 12, 2016: Omar Mateen opened fire at an Orlando, Florida, nightclub, killing 49 people. Mateen was later killed in a shootout with police. — April 16, 2007: Virginia Tech student Seung-Hui Cho shot and killed 32 people and wounded 17 others in separate attacks on campus before killing himself. — Dec. 14, 2012: In Newtown, Connecticut, an armed 20-year-old man entered Sandy Hook Elementary School and used a semi-automatic rifle to kill 26 people, including 20 first-graders and six adult school staff members. He then killed himself. — Nov. 5, 2017: Devin Patrick Kelley, who had been discharged from the Air Force after a conviction for domestic violence, used an AR-style firearm to shoot up a congregation at a small church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, killing more than two dozen. — Oct. 16, 1991: George Hennard drove his pickup truck though the front window of Luby's restaurant in Killeen, Texas, and then fatally shot 23 people, wounded 27 others and then killed himself after a shootout with police. — July 18, 1984: James Huberty drove to a McDonald's in the San Ysidro neighborhood of San Diego, California, armed with an Uzi submachine gun, a shotgun and a handgun. He shot and killed 21 people, injured 19 and then was killed by a police sniper. — Dec. 2, 2015: Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, and Tashfeen Malik, 27, opened fire at a social services center in San Bernardino, California, killing 14 people and wounding more than 20. They fled the scene but died hours later in a shootout with police. — Aug. 20, 1986: Postal worker Patrick Sherrill shot 20 co-workers, killing 14 of them, in Edmond, Oklahoma. He then committed suicide. — Aug. 1, 1966: Charles Whitman, a onetime Marine sharpshooter, opened fire on the University of Texas at Austin campus from its clocktower, killing 13 people and an unborn child and injuring around 30 others. Whitman also killed his mother and wife the night before. One shooting victim died a week later and medical examiners attributed a 17th death to Whitman in 2001.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-12-12 03:22:00

Some of the deadliest mass shootings in modern US history

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3318188

Thumbtack Releases New Research on Millennial Entrepreneurship

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 30, 2018--Today Thumbtack, the app that finds you local professionals for almost anything, releases its latest research on Millennial entrepreneurs. Thumbtack surveyed 4,000 small business owners between the ages of 18 and 35 across the U.S. and found Millennials are leaving traditional jobs and utilizing technology to start their own business, pursue professional passions and to find personal fulfillment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530005433/en/ “Millennials are motivated by much more than financial success,” said Lucas Puente, Thumbtack’s Lead Economist, who conducted the survey. “This cohort finds being an entrepreneur financially rewarding, but they are most focused on being able to pursue their individual passion.” Highlights from the research: Increasingly, Millennials choose independent work and entrepreneurship over traditional 9-5 employment. 40 percent of Millennials plan on leaving their full-time employers to work as a freelancers within five years. (Only 23 percent of workers in Gen X and 13 percent of Baby Boomers say the same.) Millennials use technology to help grow their business, utilizing social media for marketing (84 percent) and platforms like YouTube to answer customer questions. Financial incentives are not the main factor in starting a business for Millennials — three in five report starting a business to be more fulfilled, not to make more money. This group is focused on work they are passionate about and quality of life in choosing how and when to work. Millennial entrepreneurs are not tied down to a traditional office setting. Only 11 percent of Millennials report working from an office, while 27 percent work from home. Twenty-seven percent use public spaces like coffee shops or libraries and 11 percent use co-working spaces. And for those whose craft doesn't require a desk at all? They reported working from dance studios, flower shops, tennis courts and swimming pools — teaching, coaching and making their products by hand. “Photography is my passion. I can do whatever I want in my own space and I’m the one ultimately deciding my destiny,” said Danielle Powell, a Thumbtack Pro photographer in Kansas City, Mo. “Having my own company is very liberating. The sky’s the limit. And being self-employed, you don’t experience age discrimination or workplace politics.” In terms of the best cities for Millennial entrepreneurs to start, operate and grow a small business, this year Kansas City, Mo. ranked first for small business friendliness. Sixty-one percent of the Millennials running a small business in Kansas City told us that their local government was “somewhat” or “very supportive” of businesses like theirs. Additional top cities include: Seattle, San Antonio, Minneapolis and Nashville, Tenn. For more details about top cities for small business friendliness for Millennial entrepreneurs, please visit our interactive survey results page. For the full report, visit our https://www.thumbtack.com/blog/millennial-entrepreneurship/. Top Cities for Millennial Entrepreneurs 1. Kansas City, MO 2. Seattle, WA 3. San Antonio, TX 4. Minneapolis, MN 5. Nashville, TN 6. Atlanta, GA 7. Tampa, FL 8. Austin, TX 9. Washington, DC 10. West Palm Beach, FL 11. Charlotte, NC 12. St. Louis, MO 13. Houston, TX 14. Sacramento, CA 15. Dallas, TX 16. Phoenix, AZ 17. Miami, FL 18. Philadelphia, PA 19. Boston, MA 20. Anaheim, CA 21. Denver, CO 22. Fort Worth, TX 23. San Francisco, CA 24. Chicago, IL 25. Orlando, FL Top Occupations for Millennial Entrepreneurs (By volume) 1. Photographer 2. Landscaper 3. Handyman 4. General Contractor 5. Cleaner 6. Painter 7. Personal Trainer 8. Videographer 9. Junk Remover 10. Carpenter Survey Methodology Thumbtack Lead Economist, Lucas Puente, PhD, surveyed 4,000 skilled professionals between the ages of 18 and 35 from across the U.S., operating across hundreds of categories, including as electricians, music teachers, wedding planners, wellness professionals and more. The survey asked about the policies of their states and cities toward small business, as well as what it’s like to start and run a small business in their community. For the survey methodology, please visit: https://www.thumbtack.com/survey. Thumbtack additionally conducted focus groups of Millennial pros across the country for insights. About Thumbtack Thumbtack, headquartered in San Francisco, was created to solve a seemingly simple problem: local professionals need customers so they can run and grow their business. Customers need local pros too, but have trouble finding the right ones. So in 2008, the Thumbtack founders developed a marketplace bringing the two together. Since then, the platform helped hundreds of thousands of skilled professionals build successful businesses and help 25 million customers with everything from plumbing, to catering, to personal training to math tutoring. Learn more at www.thumbtack.com. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530005433/en/ CONTACT: Thumbtack Justine Gananian [email protected] KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA CALIFORNIA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY DATA MANAGEMENT INTERNET SOFTWARE SMALL BUSINESS PROFESSIONAL SERVICES SOURCE: Thumbtack Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 05/30/2018 12:00 PM/DISC: 05/30/2018 12:01 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530005433/en

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-05-31 00:01:00

Thumbtack Releases New Research on Millennial Entrepreneurship

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444427

Michigan AG seeks university emails, texts in Nassar review

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — State Attorney General Bill Schuette is asking Michigan State University for emails and text messages related to Larry Nassar, an initial salvo in his investigation into how the college handled complaints against the longtime campus sports doctor who was sentenced to decades in prison last week for sexually assaulting female athletes. In a letter released Monday, Schuette and his special independent counsel, William Forsyth, requested the communications of 20 current and former school officials, including the entire eight-member governing board of trustees and President Lou Anna Simon and athletic director Mark Hollis — who both quit last week after Nassar's sentencing. Also being sought by Feb. 9 are records related to three people who have been under heightened scrutiny since Nassar was fired in September 2016: longtime gymnastics coach Kathie Klages, who retired last February after being suspended for defending Nassar in a team meeting; sports medicine doctor Brooke Lemmen, who resigned in January 2017 amid allegations that she did not tell the university in 2015 that Nassar was being investigated by USA Gymnastics after the school had cleared him in a 2014 Title IX probe; and William Strampel, the former dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine who began a leave of absence for medical reasons in December. In the letter dated Saturday, investigators asked for Strampel's work computer, his work cellphone and his work calendars "immediately." They also requested "all records" of any university investigation into the Nassar matter, including a review conducted by former Chicago federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald. He was hired by the school and has said no one there knew that Nassar committed crimes. A message seeking comment was left with a university spokesman on Monday. Nassar was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison last week at the end of an extraordinary seven-day hearing at which more than 150 women and girls said he had molested them under the guise of medical treatment. Victims blamed Michigan State, USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic Committee for not doing more earlier to stop him. One woman, Larissa Boyce, said she and a fellow teenage teammate complained about Nassar to Klages in 1997, when they trained with the Spartan youth gymnastics team. "Instead of notifying authorities or even my parents, we were interrogated," Boyce said in her statement to the court. "We were led to believe we were misunderstanding a medical technique. ... She humiliated and silenced me." Nassar's accusers have said he would use his ungloved hands to penetrate them digitally and engage in other inappropriate touching when they were seeking treatment for back, hip, leg, foot and other injuries. An attorney who represents Klages and Strampel declined to comment Monday, citing a lawsuit that has been filed against them. Also Monday, trustee Brian Mosallam took to Twitter to demand the immediate resignation of Michigan State Vice President for Legal Affairs and General Counsel Bob Noto. He also called for an independent review of the legal department's handling of the Nassar matter. Noto could not immediately be reached for comment Monday. A Title IX probe conducted by the university cleared Nassar of sexual assault allegations in 2014. He was advised by the school to avoid being alone with patients while treating their "sensitive areas," but the school did not enforce its request. In March, Strampel told a campus detective and an FBI agent that he did not follow up because having a chaperone in the room for a sensitive exam is "health care 101." At least 12 reported assaults occurred after the investigation ended, according to a university police report that was provided to the FBI for review by the U.S. attorney. Nassar, who also has been sentenced to 60 years in prison on child pornography charges, will appear in a Michigan court this week for another prison sentence. In that case, he pleaded guilty to assaulting three girls at Twistars, a Lansing-area gymnastics club. ___ Follow David Eggert on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DavidEggert00 . His work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/David%20Eggert

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-30 08:05:00

Michigan AG seeks university emails, texts in Nassar review

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3353986

Celeb birthdays for the week of Dec. 17-23

Dec. 17: Singer-actor Tommy Steele is 81. Keyboardist-singer Art Neville of the Neville Brothers is 80. Actor Bernard Hill is 73. Actor Ernie Hudson ("Ghostbusters") is 72. "Hardball" host Chris Matthews is 72. Actor-comedian Eugene Levy is 71. Drummer Jim Bonfanti of The Raspberries is 69. Actor Joel Brooks ("Six Feet Under") is 68. Singer Paul Rodgers is 68. Singer Wanda Hutchinson of The Emotions is 66. Country singer Sharon White of The Whites is 64. Actor Barry Livingston ("My Three Sons") is 64. Actor Bill Pullman is 64. Director-producer Peter Farrelly ("There's Something About Mary," ''Dumb and Dumber") is 61. Bassist Mike Mills of R.E.M. is 59. Singer Sarah Dallin of Bananarama is 56. Country singer Tracy Byrd is 51. Bassist Duane Propes of Little Texas is 51. Actress Laurie Holden ("The Walking Dead") is 48. DJ Homicide of Sugar Ray is 47. Actor Sean Patrick Thomas ("The District") is 47. Actress Claire Forlani ("Meet Joe Black," ''CSI: NY") is 46. Drummer Eddie Fisher of OneRepublic is 44. Actress Sarah Paulson ("American Horror Story") is 43. Actor Giovanni Ribisi is 43. Actress Marissa Ribisi ("Pleasantville") is 43. Actress Milla Jovovich ("Zoolander," ''The Fifth Element") is 42. Singer Ben Goldwasser of MGMT is 35. Actress Shannon Woodward ("Westworld," ''Raising Hope") is 33. Actress Emma Bell ("The Walking Dead") is 31. Guitarist Taylor York of Paramore is 28. Actor Graham Rogers ("Quantico") is 27. Actor-singer Nat Wolff ("The Naked Brothers Band") is 23. Dec. 18: Actor Roger Mosley ("Magnum, P.I.") is 79. Guitarist Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones is 74. Director Steven Spielberg is 71. Movie critic Leonard Maltin is 67. Guitarist Elliot Easton of The Cars is 64. Actor Ray Liotta is 62. Singer Angie Stone is 56. Actor Brad Pitt is 54. Wrestler-actor Stone Cold Steve Austin ("Chain of Command") is 53. Actor Shawn Christian ("Days of Our Lives") is 52. Actress Rachel Griffiths ("Brothers and Sisters," ''Six Feet Under") is 49. Singer Alejandro Sanz is 49. Country singer Cowboy Troy is 47. Rapper DMX is 47. DJ Lethal of Limp Bizkit is 45. Singer Sia is 42. Country singer Randy Houser is 41. Actor Josh Dallas ("Once Upon A Time") is 39. Actress Katie Holmes ("Dawson's Creek") is 39. Singer Christina Aguilera is 37. Actress Ashley Benson ("Pretty Little Liars") is 28. Dec. 19: Actress Cicely Tyson is 93. Actress Elaine Joyce is 74. Actor Tim Reid is 73. Musician John McEuen (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) is 72. Country singer Janie Fricke is 70. Actor Mike Lookinland ("The Brady Bunch") is 57. Actress Jennifer Beals is 54. Actor Scott Cohen ("Gilmore Girls") is 53. Actor Robert MacNaughton ("E.T.") is 51. Magician Criss Angel is 50. Guitarist Klaus Eichstadt of Ugly Kid Joe is 50. Actress Kristy Swanson is 48. Model Tyson Beckford is 47. Actress Alyssa Milano is 45. Actor Jake Gyllenhaal is 37. Actress Marla Sokoloff ("The Practice") is 37. Dec. 20: Actor Tommy Cole ("The Mickey Mouse Club") is 76. Drummer Bobby Colomby of Blood, Sweat and Tears is 73. Former Kiss drummer Peter Criss is 72. Musician Alan Parsons is 69. Actress Jenny Agutter ("Call the Midwife") is 65. Actor Michael Badalucco ("The Practice") is 63. Actress Blanche Baker ("Shakedown," ''Holocaust") is 61. Singer Billy Bragg is 60. Singer-bassist Mike Watt (The Minutemen, fIREHOSE) is 60. Actor Joel Gretsch ("V'') is 54. Country singer Kris Tyler is 53. Singer Chris Robinson (The Black Crowes) is 51. Singer David Cook ("American Idol") is 35. Actor Jonah Hill is 34. Singer JoJo is 27. Dec. 21: Country singer Freddie Hart is 91. Talk show host Phil Donahue is 82. Actress Jane Fonda is 80. Singer Carla Thomas is 75. Guitarist Albert Lee is 74. Actor Samuel L. Jackson is 69. Singer Nick Gilder is 67. Actor Dennis Boutsikaris ("Better Call Saul") is 65. Singer Betty Wright is 64. Actress Jane Kaczmarek ("Malcolm in the Middle") is 62. Country singer Lee Roy Parnell is 61. Entertainer Jim Rose of The Jim Rose Circus Sideshow is 61. Former child actress Lisa Gerritsen ("Phyllis," ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show") is 60. Actor-comedian Ray Romano ("Everybody Loves Raymond") is 60. Country singer Christy Forester of the Forester Sisters is 55. Drummer Murph of Dinosaur Jr. is 53. Guitarist Gabrielle Glaser (Luscious Jackson) is 52. Actor-comedian Andy Dick is 52. Actor Kiefer Sutherland is 51. Actress Karri Turner ("JAG") is 51. Actress Khrystyne Haje ("Head of the Class") is 49. Country singer Brad Warren of The Warren Brothers is 49. Actress Julie Delpy is 48. Contemporary Christian singer Natalie Grant is 46. Singer-guitarist Brett Scallions (Fuel) is 46. Singer Lukas Rossi of Rock Star Supernova (TV: "Rock Star: Supernova") is 41. Actress Rutina Wesley ("True Blood") is 39. Keyboardist Anna Bulbrook of Airborne Toxic Event is 35. Actor Steven Yeun ("The Walking Dead") is 34. Dec. 22: Actor Hector Elizondo is 81. Country singer Red Steagall is 79. TV anchor Diane Sawyer is 72. Guitarist Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick is 69. Actress BernNadette Stanis ("Good Times") is 64. Rapper Luther Campbell (2 Live Crew) is 57. Guitarist Chuck Mead (BR549) is 57. Actor Ralph Fiennes is 55. Actress Lauralee Bell ("The Young and the Restless") is 49. Country singer Lori McKenna is 49. Actress Heather Donahue ("The Blair Witch Project") is 44. Actor Chris Carmack ("The O.C.") is 37. Singer Jordin Sparks ("American Idol") is 28. Singer Meghan Trainor is 24. Dec. 23: Actor Ronnie Schell ("Gomer Pyle, USMC") is 86. Actor Frederic Forrest ("Lonesome Dove") is 81. Guitarist Jorma Kaukonen (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna) is 77. Drummer Ron Bushy of Iron Butterfly is 76. Actor-comedian Harry Shearer ("The Simpsons") is 74. Actress Susan Lucci ("All My Children") is 71. Guitarist Dave Murray of Iron Maiden is 61. Singer Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam is 53. Jazz trumpeter Irvin Mayfield is 40. Actress Anna Maria Perez de Tagle ("Hannah Montana," ''Camp Rock") is 27. Actor Spencer Daniels ("Mom") is 25.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-12-12 14:05:00

Celeb birthdays for the week of Dec. 17-23

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3318533

Athletic acts quickly, signs Martinez to replace Laporte

MADRID (AP) — Athletic Bilbao didn't take long to replace young French defender Aymeric Laporte after his move to Manchester City. The Spanish club said Tuesday it had signed central defender Inigo Martinez from Basque Country rival Real Sociedad, spending 32 million euros ($39 million) on the player's buyout clause. Laporte left to play for Manchester City after his clause of 65 million euros ($80 million) was paid on Monday. The 26-year-old Martinez had been with Real Sociedad since 2011. He was called up to Spain's national team under current coach Julen Lopetegui. His contract with Athletic will end in June 2023, and has a buyout clause of 80 million euros ($99 million). Also Tuesday, Sevilla signed Mexico fullback Miguel Layun on loan from Porto. The Spanish club has an option to acquire the 29-year-old player at the end of the season. Layun had been with Porto since 2015. He previously played for Watford in England and Granada in Spain. He will be a key figure in Mexico's squad for the World Cup in Russia. Sevilla said it also signed midfielder Roque Mesa from English Premier League club Swansea on loan until the end of the season. Sevilla said it has the option to acquire the Spanish player. ___ More AP Spanish soccer coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/LaLiga

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-03 00:00:00

Athletic acts quickly, signs Martinez to replace Laporte

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354423

USA Hockey won't name replacement for late GM Jim Johannson

USA Hockey will not replace Jim Johannson as general manager after he died unexpectedly at his home at age 53 on the eve of the Olympics. Executive director Pat Kelleher says "there will only be one general manager" of the team after Johannson selected the coaching staff and 25-man roster for the first U.S. Olympic men's hockey team without NHL players since 1994. Kelleher says director of player personnel Ben Smith will fill Johannson's duties in South Korea. Johannson was in the midst of his most high-profile role in his 17 years at USA Hockey when he died Jan. 21, less than three weeks after the roster was announced. He has been responsible for many world junior and world championship teams in the past several years. ___ Follow Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno ___ More AP Olympic coverage: https://wintergames.ap.org

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-01 04:04:00

USA Hockey won't name replacement for late GM Jim Johannson

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354931

Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo Hosts "The 38th Arita and Imari Porcelain Exhibition"

TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 30, 2018--Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo (KPH), one of Japan’s most prestigious international hotels located in Shinjuku, Tokyo, will host the “38 th Arita and Imari Porcelain Exhibition – From Origin to Modern Style” from July 1 (Sunday) to August 1 (Wednesday), 2018, introducing to guests the Arita and Imari porcelain, the first ceramics made in the southern island of Kyushu, Japan. Art items representing the Ko-Imari and other styles of porcelain will be displayed in exhibition. Also, seven renowned and modern porcelain makers from the Arita and Imari regions of Saga Prefecture will display their products and be available for sale. In addition, eight of our restaurants will serve specially prepared foods using porcelain from the Arita and Imari regions. Many guests can purchase porcelain products after dining at our restaurants and actually seeing and feeling how they are used to accentuate foods. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530005443/en/ Japanese Dinner Using Arita and Imari Porcelain (Photo: Business Wire) This year marks the 38 th time that this exhibition has been held, and is a reflection of the strong interest in Arita and Imari porcelain products. This exhibition is also designed to provide our international guests, who account for over 75% of total guests, with an opportunity to experience the beauty of Japan’s traditional Arita and Imari porcelain products. This year’s exhibition will focus upon “Ko-Karatsu” and “Ko-Imari” porcelain established in the southern island of Kyushu. “Ko-Karatsu” is known for its simple and sturdiness during the reign of the Lord Toyotomi in the late 16 th century. “Ko-Imari” became popular art items amongst European aristocrats during the 17 th century Edo Period. Beautiful porcelain items made by the renowned pottery makers that have evolved over the 400-year history of the art will be on display. Archive of Press Release About the Keio Plaza Hotel Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo, located in Shinjuku at the very heart of the nation’s capital Tokyo, is one of Japan’s leading international hotels. Our hotel boasts of over 20 restaurants and bars, and we host a wide range of local and international guests who visit us for our welcoming facilities, warm hospitality and unique services that allow them to experience Japanese culture, including our Hello Kitty themed rooms and Japanese cultural experience programs. For more information about our facilities and services, please visit our website, YouTube, Facebook or Instagram. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530005443/en/ CONTACT: Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo Keiko Kawashima, +81-3-5322-8010 Public Relations Manager [email protected] KEYWORD: ASIA PACIFIC JAPAN INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ENTERTAINMENT ARTS/MUSEUMS TRAVEL LODGING RESTAURANT/BAR RETAIL SOURCE: Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 05/30/2018 10:05 AM/DISC: 05/30/2018 10:05 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530005443/en

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-05-30 22:05:00

Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo Hosts "The 38th Arita and Imari Porcelain Exhibition"

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444353

Colombia suspends peace talks with ELN rebels over bombings

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos on Monday suspended peace talks with the country's last remaining rebel group after a series of bombings over the weekend killed seven police officers. The next round of the year-old talks between the government and National Liberation Army had been expected to begin in the coming days in Quito, Ecuador. "My patience and the patience of the Colombian people have limits," Santos, winner of the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end Colombia's half-century conflict, said at an event near Bogota. Five officers were killed and more than 40 injured when a homemade bomb exploded outside a police station in Barranquilla during a shift change early Saturday. A few hours later two more were killed and several injured by two separate bomb attacks on police targets near the coastal city. An urban cell belonging to the ELN, as the group is known in Spanish, claimed responsibility for the first and deadliest of the three attacks, which the government initially attributed to a criminal gang operating in Barranquilla. Defense Minister Luis Carlos Villegas said a man suspected of planting the bomb and who had previously been arrested for having ties to the ELN was arrested shortly after the first attack. In a statement Monday, the rebel group expressed its continued support for peace talks. But it said the re-establishment of a cease-fire that expired earlier this month depends on the government halting hostilities in areas under its influence. "Until we reach another cease-fire, the military actions will continue taking place on each side," the group said. Santos reached a peace agreement with what had been the nation's largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, in late 2016, ending Latin America's longest-running conflict. The end of that conflict has been hailed internationally, though it has also opened a new power struggle in remote areas previously controlled by FARC rebels and still occupied by ELN combatants. The much-smaller ELN, whose ranks don't surpass 2,000 fighters, was started in the 1960s by Roman Catholic priests inspired by Fidel Castro's revolution in Cuba. Unlike the highly centralized FARC, the ELN's command structure is more diffuse, making it harder for top commanders in Ecuador to control the actions of its fighters. The group is labeled a terrorist organization by the United States.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-30 07:25:00

Colombia suspends peace talks with ELN rebels over bombings

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354004

Roku Adds Live and Linear News from ABC News, Cheddar, People TV and More to Growing Collection of Free Streaming Entertainment in The Roku Channel

LOS GATOS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 24, 2018--Roku, Inc. (Nasdaq: ROKU) today announced the addition of live and linear news content and new discovery features to The Roku Channel, an ad-supported streaming channel on the Roku® platform specifically dedicated to giving customers free access to top films and more. The Roku Channel is the OTT launch destination for ABC News Live, a new 24/7 live and linear news stream from anchor partner, ABC News. In addition, Roku customers will be able to access live and linear news feeds from premium news partners such as Cheddar, People TV and others. The Roku Channel is now a top #15 channel on the Roku platform as well as the #3 ad-supported channel. It continues to have, on average, approximately half the advertising per programming hour as compared to traditional ad-supported linear TV. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005658/en/ The Roku Channel (Photo: Business Wire) New features such as “Collections,” lets customers dive in deeper to explore content in curated thematic collections, and “Continue Watching,” lets customers easily get back into content they've started watching, will improve content discovery and accessibility. These updates will be available to customers through a phased software roll out starting in May. “We built The Roku Channel so it’s easy to navigate, offers great content and brings real value to our customers,” said Rob Holmes, Vice President of Programming, Roku. “Today, we’re working with some of the industry’s most forward-looking news organizations such as ABC News, Cheddar, People TV, and others, to deliver yet another customer-requested feature to The Roku Channel – live and linear news. ABC News has been at the forefront of producing and delivering live news for OTT viewing and we're excited to have them on-board as one of our anchor news partners.” ABC News Live, the network’s new 24/7 live streaming channel will be available on The Roku Channel, giving users access to breaking news and live event coverage. It will utilize the worldwide resources of ABC News and their people in the field to deliver news in a modern package and take users live, on location to show – not tell them – what’s happening in the world. “Now more than ever people want to find out what’s happening in the world from a straightforward news source they know and trust,” said Colby Smith, Vice President, ABC News Digital. “After experimenting with thousands of livestreams and analyzing the data, we’re excited to launch ABC News Live for younger viewers who increasingly rely on Roku and non-linear platforms for their news." In addition to ABC News Live, Roku users can view live and linear news feeds from the following partners: Cheddar: Cheddar on The Roku Channel is a linear news offering featuring a selection of live and curated content from the network, which offers a unique approach to news in technology, media, and entertainment. PeopleTV: PeopleTV is the ad-supported streaming network helmed by PEOPLE and Entertainment Weekly. Roku customers will have unlimited, daily access to quality programming features original series and specials, which encompass celebrity, pop culture, lifestyle and human-interest genres. Since launching last September, The Roku Channel continues to expand its entertainment library, bringing more content from existing channel publishers, such as FilmRise, Vidmark and more to the forefront, and working with leading studios such as Lionsgate, Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM), Sony Pictures Entertainment and Warner Bros. and others. ROKU OS 8.1 Starting in May, Roku OS 8.1 will deliver a number of enhanced features that add convenience and value to a customer’s streaming experience. Most notably, multicast private listening will be added to multiple devices through the Roku mobile app. The update supports up to four users on iOS or Android devices. These updates will be available to customers through a phased rollout over the course of the coming weeks. For more information on The Roku Channel visit https://www.roku.com/showcase/the-roku-channel. About Roku, Inc. Roku pioneered streaming to the TV. We connect users to the streaming content they love, enable content publishers to build and monetize large audiences, and provide advertisers with unique capabilities to engage consumers. Roku streaming players and Roku TV™ models are available around the world through direct retail sales and licensing arrangements with TV OEMs and service operators. The company is founded by Anthony Wood, inventor of the DVR. Roku is headquartered in Los Gatos, Calif. U.S.A. This press release contains “forward-looking” statements that are based on our beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to us on the date of this press release. Forward-looking statements may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These statements include, but are not limited to descriptions of the content that will be available on the The Roku Channel or the availability of future operating system software releases. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. Important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially are detailed from time to time in the reports Roku, Inc. files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Form 10-K for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2017. Copies of reports filed with the SEC are posted on Roku’s website and are available from Roku without charge. Roku is a registered trademark of Roku, Inc. in the U.S. and in other countries. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005658/en/ CONTACT: Roku Abby Reyes [email protected] KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA CALIFORNIA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ENTERTAINMENT TV AND RADIO TECHNOLOGY CONSUMER ELECTRONICS HARDWARE INTERNET AUDIO/VIDEO MOBILE/WIRELESS SOURCE: Roku, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/24/2018 09:00 AM/DISC: 04/24/2018 09:01 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005658/en

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-24 21:01:00

Roku Adds Live and Linear News from ABC News, Cheddar, People TV and More to Growing Collection of Free Streaming Entertainment in The Roku Channel

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413657

Spain's economy slows down slightly to 3.1 percent in 2017

MADRID (AP) — Official statistics show Spain's economy grew 3.1 percent in 2017, two percentage points slower than the previous year but still above the European Union average. The National Statistics Institute said Tuesday that GDP growth slowed in the final quarter to 0.7 percent, from 0.8 percent and 0.9 percent in the third and second quarters. The statistics were in line with recent estimates by Spain's Central Bank, which said that strong exports were offsetting the negative effects of uncertainty in Catalonia. It warned, however, of risks ahead if the independence bid in the prosperous northeastern region keeps the political crisis alive. Spain's conservative government has made economic growth and job creation its chief goals since taking office in 2011. It predicts the economy will grow 2.5 percent in 2018.

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2018-01-30 17:42:00

Spain's economy slows down slightly to 3.1 percent in 2017

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354127

Japan approves contentious bill against planning crimes

TOKYO (AP) — Japan's parliament has approved a contentious bill that makes it a crime to plan a crime. The ruling coalition pushed the conspiracy legislation through the upper house Thursday, bypassing committee approval that normally precedes a vote by the full house. The more powerful lower house passed the bill last month. The law criminalizes the planning of 277 serious crimes. The government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says it is needed to prevent terrorism, especially with the Olympics coming to Tokyo in 2020. A sizeable crowd protested outside parliament Wednesday. Opponents warn that authorities could use the legislation to limit free speech and public protests. The U.N. special rapporteur on the right to privacy sent an open letter to Abe raising concerns over the bill.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-06-15 12:45:00

Japan approves contentious bill against planning crimes

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3188406

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Tunisia: Officials say man blew himself up after standoff

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Tunisia's Interior Ministry says a suspected extremist blew himself up in the Ben Guerdane area near the border with Libya following a standoff with police. The man's identity hasn't been disclosed. The ministry said in a statement issued Monday that a second suspect was shot during an exchange of fire. Authorities said the two were members of Jund al-Khilafa, an armed group which has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. Tunisia's security forces battled armed groups that attacked security and military sites in Ben Guerdane two years ago with the alleged goal of creating an emirate. Some of the groups crossed over from Libya. Tunisian security forces killed more than 50 alleged attackers. More than a dozen officers and seven civilians also died.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-03-20 05:09:00

Tunisia: Officials say man blew himself up after standoff

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3385816

Exclusive Group ‘Goes it alone’ to Build Global $10 billion Cyber-Sec & Cloud Specialist

PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 4, 2018--Exclusive Group, the value-added services and technologies (VAST) group, today renewed its declaration of independence by completing a major investment transaction with funds advised by private investment firm, Permira. Rather than dilute its distinctive, value-oriented approach by consolidating with other major VAD players, this catalyst will enable Exclusive Group to extend its vision and create the world’s largest global specialist VAD in cyber and cloud transformation, with a target to reach $10bn annual revenue in the years ahead. Olivier Breittmayer, CEO at Exclusive Group, said: “Cybersecurity and cloud are the leading business priorities in this age of digital transformation, both as separate disciplines but – even more so – joined together as a co-dependent whole. Both sectors are becoming increasingly complex, and both suffer from a huge lack of skills & knowledge. The Industry needs a VAD that can fill this gap and we aim to do that. We believe we have the right and relevant focus; vendors, services and skill sets to build a compelling offer for channel partners and vendors to realise significant profitable growth.” By pursuing a specialist focus in cyber and cloud, Exclusive Group is addressing the widening global shortage in skills and knowledge among channel partners and end-user organisations to enable the desired pace and success of digital transformation. “We have some of the best people in the world and by far the highest ratio of engineers of any distributor in our class,” added Breittmayer. “We also have the greatest track record of ensuring local, regional and global market success for disruptive technologies. Our strategy will see us continue to build out the strongest possible vendor portfolio in our ‘cyber super centres’ and ‘cloud competency centres’ – across all relevant segments – and expand our service offerings and global footprint to meet the demands of any project.” Michail Zekkos, Partner in the technology team at Permira commented; “Exclusive Group’s unrivalled focus and commitment to cyber and cloud is very exciting and we are delighted to partner with the company. We believe that enterprise cloud and cybersecurity will continue to rapidly converge, creating a tremendous market opportunity for the company to enable that transition while positioning its channel partners at its forefront. Preserving the entrepreneurial spirit and independence of the business while continuing to innovate with speed and at scale will be key to executing on its next phase of growth.” View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180704005006/en/ CONTACT: Cohesive for Exclusive Group Greg Halse/Ellie Stansfield +44 (0) 1291 626200 [email protected] KEYWORD: EUROPE FRANCE INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY DATA MANAGEMENT NETWORKS SOFTWARE OTHER TECHNOLOGY SECURITY MOBILE/WIRELESS SOURCE: Exclusive Group Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 07/04/2018 04:00 AM/DISC: 07/04/2018 04:01 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180704005006/en

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-07-04 16:01:00

Exclusive Group ‘Goes it alone’ to Build Global $10 billion Cyber-Sec & Cloud Specialist

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3473981

3 dead, 2 injured as helicopter crashes into California home

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Three people were killed and two injured when a helicopter crashed into a house in a suburban Southern California neighborhood just a few minutes after taking off, officials said. The helicopter crashed into the house with such force that it was barely recognizable. The crushed metal sat in a heap on the side of the house, its tail rotor sticking out of the roof of a nearby home and a 6-foot chunk landing in the street in front of yet another house. "All of a sudden the house just shook and I thought, 'Oh my gosh, we're having an earthquake,'" said Marian Michaels, who lives behind the home in a gated community in Newport Beach where the helicopter crashed. Roger Johnson was doing some woodwork when he heard the chopping sound of a helicopter's rotating blades and then a tremendous boom across the street. "I turned to look out of the garage and that's when I see this piece of metal flying through the air and hitting a bush and garage door," Johnson said. "Then I heard someone scream — a real for-real horror scream, like something terrible had happened." Johnson rushed to the wreckage and cautioned people to stop trying to pull out or move victims. Four people were aboard the Robinson R44 helicopter when it went down. All four were among those killed or injured, and one person who was on the ground but outside of the house was also injured, Newport Beach fire and police officials said. They did not say which was which, or give any specifics about the injuries. Audrey Ellis, who lives next to the house where the crash happened, was not home at the time but said her neighbors told her they were in the kitchen when the helicopter hit the bedroom of their house. "It's so scary," Ellis said, adding that her neighbors weren't hurt. "I'm so thankful." The aircraft had taken off from John Wayne Airport, said Ian Gregor, a spokesman with the Federal Aviation Administration. The airport is about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the crash site. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash. Messages seeking comment from Revolution Aviation, which is based at the airport and operated the helicopter, were not immediately returned. The company offers helicopter and airplane classes, the use of aircraft for photography and video production as well as sightseeing flights.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-31 15:10:00

3 dead, 2 injured as helicopter crashes into California home

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354696

France launches lottery to help restore chateaux, monuments

PARIS (AP) — President Emmanuel Macron is launching a national lottery to help restore France's magnificent chateaux and other historic monuments. Macron is kicking off the project Thursday with a visit to the chateau of French philosopher Voltaire, near the Swiss border, to showcase an example of successful restoration. A total of 250 sites will benefit from the financing. The list includes an 18th century fortress on a tiny Brittany island, the home of writer Aime Cesaire in the Caribbean, a 12th century Burgundy castle and a Roman aqueduct in eastern France. Macron, a culture and history lover, hopes the operation will yield millions of euros for the French state, in addition to cash winnings for lucky players. It is the first such project in France, though Britain has a similar initiative.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-05-31 16:35:00

France launches lottery to help restore chateaux, monuments

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3445012

No, that wasn't drool on his lips, Rep. Joe Kennedy says

WASHINGTON (AP) — No, that wasn't drool on the lips of Massachusetts Rep. Joe Kennedy III. He says it was ChapStick. Twitter lit up with jibes about the 37-year-old Democrat's response to President Donald Trump's State of the Union. In his televised speech Tuesday, Kennedy's lips appeared wet and glistening, leading to tweets about Kennedy's "drool." Kennedy joked on ABC's "Good Morning America" Wednesday that he "decided to go a little bit light on the ChapStick this morning...which is probably a wise choice." He told CNN that Tuesday's ChapStick was "a little too much, apparently." Other State of the Union responders have attracted similar unwanted attention. In 2013, GOP Sen. Marco Rubio's response to President Barack Obama's speech was mocked for Rubio's awkward off-screen reach for water.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-31 21:51:00

No, that wasn't drool on his lips, Rep. Joe Kennedy says

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354803

Business Highlights

___ How Facebook likes could profile voters for manipulation NEW YORK (AP) — Facebook likes can tell a lot about a person. Maybe even enough to fuel a voter-manipulation effort like the one a Trump-affiliated data-mining firm stands accused of — and which Facebook may have enabled. A Trump-affiliated group, Cambridge Analytica, reportedly tapped similar techniques to try to influence elections using data, including likes, inappropriately obtained on tens of millions of Facebook users. What's not clear is how effective that was. ___ Woman struck and killed by self-driving Uber vehicle FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Police say a self-driving Uber vehicle struck and killed a pedestrian in a Phoenix suburb. It is the first fatality involving a fully autonomous test vehicle. Uber has suspended all road-testing of such autos in the U.S. and Canada. Depending on who is found to be at fault, the accident could have far-reaching consequences for the development of self-driving vehicles, which have been billed as potentially safer than human drivers. ___ Claire's, the ear-piercing mall chain, files for bankruptcy NEW YORK (AP) — Claire's, the mall chain that has pierced the ears of millions of teens, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The accessories chain said Monday that its stores will remain open as it restructures its debt. It's just the latest retailer to seek bankruptcy protection, close stores or go out of business entirely as more people skip the mall and shop online. ___ Maduro's cryptocurrency 'genius' once pushed US sanctions CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — A chief strategist of Venezuela's government-backed cryptocurrency is a former U.S. congressional intern, and he once organized protests against the same socialist administration he's now helping to circumvent U.S. financial sanctions. Gabriel Jimenez, was catapulted to something of tech stardom in Venezuela last month when he stood alongside President Nicolas Maduro and two Russian businessmen on national TV signing a contract to position the fledgling currency among international investors. ___ Trump bans US use of Venezuelan cryptocurrency WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is banning all use by Americans of Venezuelan cryptocurrency, saying that its introduction is intended to skirt U.S. sanctions. In a separate move, the administration also slapped sanctions on four current and former senior Venezuelan officials accused of corruption and mismanagement. ___ NYC launches investigation into Kushner Cos. false filings NEW YORK (AP) — A New York City council member has launched an investigation into the Kushner Cos.' routine filing of paperwork with the city that falsely claimed zero rent-regulated tenants in its buildings. Councilman Ritchie Torres argues that officials should have caught the deception long ago because the dozens of documents are available online for all to see. A tenant rights watchdog found the Kushner Cos. had filed more than 80 documents stating it had no rent-regulated units when it had hundreds. ___ Court filing claims Education Dept illegally got SSN data WASHINGTON (AP) — Students who were defrauded by Corinthian Colleges are claiming in court that the Education Department has illegally obtained and used their earnings data in order to limit their student loan relief. A group of former Corinthian students are making the claim in a motion filed over the weekend in federal court in California. The Education Department is declining comment on pending litigation. ___ Fed set to raise rates as Powell gives 1st news conference WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve's first meeting under Jerome Powell's leadership will likely end Wednesday with an announcement that the Fed will resume its modest interest rate hikes. But investors will be most attuned to what Powell signals at his first news conference about whether and how he might steer the Fed's policymaking differently from his predecessor, Janet Yellen. Will he, for example, be inclined to step up the pace of Fed rate hikes? ___ Steve Wynn settled with second woman over sex allegations LAS VEGAS (AP) — Attorneys for embattled casino mogul Steve Wynn say in court documents that he brokered a settlement with a second woman who accused him of sexual misconduct more than a decade ago. The documents received this month in Las Vegas say Wynn recently went to the FBI to accuse the woman of trying to extort him by threatening to go public with details from the 2006 settlement. The woman's lawyer says her client denies that claim. ___ Facebook drags technology companies down as stocks slide NEW YORK (AP) — Facebook falls almost 7 percent and leads steep declines in technology stocks as US indexes take sharp losses. The social media company had its worst day in four years following reports that a data mining firm working for the Trump campaign improperly obtained data on 50 million Facebook users. European stocks are down after Britain and European Union representatives said they are making progress arranging Britain's departure from the EU. ___ The Standard & Poor's 500 index sank 39.09 points, or 1.4 percent, to 2,712.92. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 335.60 points, or 1.3 percent, to 24,610.91. The Nasdaq composite gave up 137.74 points, or 1.8 percent, to 7,344.24. The Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks declined 15.49 points, or 1 percent, to 1,570.56. Benchmark U.S. crude fell 28 cents to $62.06 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, lost 16 cents to $66.05 per barrel in London. Wholesale gasoline lost 2 cents to $1.92 a gallon. Heating oil remained at $1.91 a gallon. Natural gas fell 4 cents to $2.65 per 1,000 cubic feet.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-03-20 06:09:00

Business Highlights

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3385834

Things to know about mass shootings

Some things to know about mass shootings: HOW IS 'MASS SHOOTING' DEFINED? There is no concrete definition of "mass shooting." Most researchers who study mass shootings define it as four or more killed (excluding the shooter) in a public place. They do not count domestic violence cases that take place in the home nor do they include gang-related violence. That is also the definition used by the Congressional Research Service. However, tucked into a law enacted by Congress in 2013 in the immediate aftermath of the Sandy Hook school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, to provide federal law enforcement assistance for active shooter situations was a description of mass killings as three or more killed. Some other entities include cases in which four or more people are killed or injured. ARE MASS SHOOTINGS HAPPENING MORE OFTEN? Researchers say the number of mass shootings has remained fairly steady over the past three decades with occasional fluctuations. "Some years are worse than others and bad years tend to be followed by not so bad years," said James Alan Fox, a professor at Northeastern University in Boston who has been studying mass shootings since the early 1980s. However, he and other researchers say it does appear that mass shootings have been deadlier in recent years. Since Sandy Hook, Americans have experienced five of the 10 deadliest mass shootings in modern U.S. history — two of those happening this year alone. WHAT TYPE OF GUNS ARE USED IN MASS SHOOTINGS? Researchers say the majority of mass shootings are carried out with handguns. However, of the 10 deadliest mass shootings in modern U.S. history, half of them had a cache of firearms that included AR-style "assault weapons," one of them included an Uzi submachine gun, and the rest used standard rifles and/or handguns. WHAT WEAPON WAS USED IN THE SANDY HOOK SHOOTING? Adam Lanza, the gunman who killed 20 children and six adults at the school in Newtown, used a Bushmaster XM15. That firearm, made by Remington Arms, is an AR-style of firearm that was designed in a way to avoid being among the firearms prohibited by the decade-long "assault weapons" ban. Relatives of the Sandy Hook victims allege in a lawsuit that the maker of the Bushmaster was negligent by marketing military-style weapons to young people who may be unstable and intent on inflicting mass casualties. The lawsuit against Remington Arms was dismissed because of broad immunity granted to the gun industry, but the Connecticut Supreme Court is weighing whether to reinstate it.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-12-12 01:17:00

Things to know about mass shootings

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3318152

Kochs warm to Trump policies, not behavior

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) — For the Koch brothers and their powerful donor network, the trouble with President Donald Trump isn't what he's doing. It's how he's doing it. Huddled at a private retreat in the California desert, the conservative movement's moneyed elite worried aloud this weekend that the Republican president's undisciplined behavior is clouding his achievements — and making it harder for the GOP to protect its grip on Congress heading into the 2018 midterms. "President Trump is not helping get many Republicans elected," said Tom Shepherd, a Cincinnati-based businessman who joined roughly 550 Koch donors at a private retreat in the California desert this weekend. "I think he's doing more harm than good because he's distracting people from the good work which is happening, which is either happening because of him or in spite of him." The frustration with the unorthodox president comes as the Kochs begin to implement their strategy to protect Republican majorities in the House and Senate this fall. The GOP has no more powerful ally than the vast political and policy network assembled by the Midwestern industrialist icons, long demonized by the left and revered by the right for their short- and long-term efforts to reshape American politics and culture. The Koch network's chief lieutenants renewed their vow this weekend to spend up to $400 million on politics and policy to shape November's midterm elections nationwide. That's more than the combined resources spent by the Republican National Committee, the National Rifle Association and the Chamber of Commerce in the 2016 election cycle. They outlined plans on Monday to spend big on political advertising now through the end of July on as many as 14 key Senate races and 15 gubernatorial elections. Their goal: Flood the airwaves with political messaging early to help shape voters' opinions long before the election season's final months. "We need to be on offense starting now," said Emily Seidel, CEO of the Kochs' political arm, Americans for Prosperity. She said the network has already decided to play in Senate contests in Wisconsin, Indiana, Missouri and Florida — all seats held by vulnerable Democrats. They expect to be active in many more. And on governor's races, they're targeting Nevada, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan and Florida to start. The investment includes $20 million to help sell the recently adopted tax overhaul to a skeptical American public through a series of public rallies, phone banking and paid advertising. Despite the extraordinary investment, the men and women who filled the luxury resort outside Palm Springs for a three-day retreat that ended Monday acknowledged a difficult road ahead. Some blamed history more than the regular distractions from Trump. The party in the White House traditionally struggles in the first midterm election of a new presidency. "It's a challenge regardless of the president," said Tim Phillips, president of Americans for Prosperity. But the donors who pledged at least $100,000 this year to the Koch network — there were an estimated 550 on hand this weekend — were less cautious when asked about the president's leadership Many opposed his candidacy before the 2016 election. The Kochs refused to endorse Trump, fearing that his style and policies might undermine conservative priorities. "I didn't support him," said Frank Baxter, a retired investment banker from California who served as the ambassador to Uruguay under former President George W. Bush. "The results are kind of changing my mind." Like others, he praised the tax overhaul, Trump's judicial appointments and regulatory cuts. He added, "I still don't like what he says or does." Gary Lynch, whose Iowa livestock business employs roughly 700 people, said he and his business have benefited from the Republican tax overhaul. He said, however, that Trump's behavior "doesn't help" his party promote the benefits of the plan. "He hasn't got it down yet," Lynch said of the president, noting that he doesn't mind Trump's style personally. Another former Trump critic, North Carolina-based donor Art Pope, said he's warming to the president as well. "The policies of this administration have really benefited the American people," Pope said. He's still worried about the political climate heading into the midterms: "It's going to be a tough election." Democrats need to pick up at least 24 seats nationwide this fall to claim the House majority for the last two years of Trump's first term. Recent Democratic wins in Alabama and Virginia, backed by Trump's low approval ratings, suggest the GOP is in trouble. When asked about his party's 2018 prospects, Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., among a handful of elected officials who attended the Koch conference, acknowledged that the House majority is at risk. "I can make the case for losing 18 seats and no more. I can make the case for 28 seats," he said. "It's a long ways off. It depends what we do between now and November." As the White House and Republicans nationwide work to highlight the strong U.S. economy, Trump intensified a weekend feud with the rapper Jay-Z on Twitter. The musician said over the weekend the president's recent vulgar comments about African countries and Haiti were "disappointing" and "hurtful." Trump punched back on Twitter, urging his followers to inform Jay-Z that "because of my policies," unemployment among black Americans is at the "LOWEST RATE EVER RECORDED!" Back at the Koch retreat, prominent Trump donor Doug Deason said he enjoyed the president's social media habits, which allow him to speak directly to the American people. "I don't think it helps. I don't think it hurts," Deason said. He noted that the Koch network would "spend a lot of money" to ensure the benefits of the tax overhaul aren't overshadowed by any distractions. "Who gives a crap about Jay-Z?" Deason asked. "I don't."

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-30 03:44:00

Kochs warm to Trump policies, not behavior

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3353950

Drivers take cover in Rio amid shootout on major road

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A major thoroughfare in Rio de Janeiro has been shut down repeatedly as military police engage in shootouts with suspected drug traffickers. Images from a helicopter on Globo television showed people taking cover beside their cars Wednesday along the road known as the Linha Amarela, or Yellow Line. Authorities stopped traffic three times, with cars backing up for miles. The firefight apparently spilled onto the multiple-lane road in northern Rio during a police operation in City of God, a violent shantytown that was featured in 2002 Oscar-nominated film by the same name. Authorities are urging drivers to stay away from the area. Rio has struggled to curb surging violence amid fallout from the country's worst recession in decades.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-01 01:16:00

Drivers take cover in Rio amid shootout on major road

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354863

Somali extremists in bloody restaurant siege through night

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Fighting continued through the night as Somalia's al-Shabab Islamic extremists fought off heavily armed soldiers in a bloody siege at a popular Mogadishu restaurant. Extremist snipers fired on security troops who surrounded the restaurant building and used big guns mounted on the backs of vehicles to neutralize militants. Soldiers entered the ground floor while the insurgent attackers held positions upstairs. Senior Somali police office Capt. Mohamed Hussein said at dawn Thursday that at least one attacker was firing on troops from inside the restaurant. The roofs were blown off the Pizza House restaurant and nearby buildings from the powerful blasts. High casualties are feared in the attack on the busy restaurant. Police said the bodies of five girls thought to have been killed by militants were found in the restaurant.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-06-15 12:53:00

Somali extremists in bloody restaurant siege through night

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3188405

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National Hockey League

All Times EDT EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Tampa Bay 72 49 19 4 102 260 202 Boston 71 45 17 9 99 239 184 Toronto 72 43 22 7 93 243 204 Florida 70 36 27 7 79 212 216 Montreal 73 26 35 12 64 182 232 Ottawa 71 26 34 11 63 197 244 Detroit 72 26 35 11 63 184 224 Buffalo 72 23 37 12 58 172 236 Metropolitan Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Washington 72 41 24 7 89 225 214 Pittsburgh 72 41 26 5 87 237 218 Columbus 73 40 28 5 85 205 203 Philadelphia 73 37 25 11 85 218 215 New Jersey 72 37 27 8 82 217 215 Carolina 72 31 30 11 73 194 225 N.Y. Rangers 72 32 32 8 72 208 231 N.Y. Islanders 72 30 32 10 70 231 262 WESTERN CONFERENCE Central Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Nashville 72 48 14 10 106 236 178 Winnipeg 72 43 19 10 96 240 189 Minnesota 73 41 24 8 90 227 210 Colorado 72 39 25 8 86 231 209 Dallas 73 38 27 8 84 209 197 St. Louis 72 39 28 5 83 201 193 Chicago 73 30 34 9 69 208 223 Pacific Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Vegas 72 46 21 5 97 244 199 San Jose 72 40 23 9 89 219 199 Los Angeles 73 40 27 6 86 211 184 Anaheim 73 37 24 12 86 206 197 Calgary 73 35 28 10 80 202 217 Edmonton 72 31 36 5 67 201 231 Vancouver 72 25 38 9 59 186 236 Arizona 71 23 37 11 57 170 228 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Top three teams in each division and two wild cards per conference advance to playoffs. Sunday's Games Colorado 5, Detroit 1 Vegas 4, Calgary 0 Tampa Bay 3, Edmonton 1 Carolina 4, N.Y. Islanders 3 Philadelphia 6, Washington 3 Winnipeg 4, Dallas 2 St. Louis 5, Chicago 4, OT Anaheim 4, New Jersey 2 Monday's Games Columbus 5, Boston 4, OT Nashville 4, Buffalo 0 Florida 2, Montreal 0 Los Angeles 4, Minnesota 3, OT Calgary at Arizona, 10 p.m. Tuesday's Games Columbus at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m. Dallas at Washington, 7 p.m. Pittsburgh at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m. Edmonton at Carolina, 7 p.m. Florida at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m. Philadelphia at Detroit, 7:30 p.m. Toronto at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m. Los Angeles at Winnipeg, 8 p.m. Colorado at Chicago, 8:30 p.m. Vancouver at Vegas, 10 p.m. New Jersey at San Jose, 10:30 p.m. Wednesday's Games Montreal at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. Arizona at Buffalo, 7 p.m. Boston at St. Louis, 8 p.m. Anaheim at Calgary, 9:30 p.m. Thursday's Games N.Y. Rangers at Philadelphia, 7 p.m. Arizona at Carolina, 7 p.m. Florida at Columbus, 7 p.m. Tampa Bay at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m. Washington at Detroit, 7:30 p.m. Edmonton at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m. Toronto at Nashville, 8 p.m. Vancouver at Chicago, 8:30 p.m. Los Angeles at Colorado, 9 p.m. Vegas at San Jose, 10 p.m.

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2018-03-20 10:52:00

National Hockey League

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3385973

RNC chair says she'll return Wynn money if he's found guilty

WASHINGTON (AP) — The chair of the Republican National Committee says they will return contributions from former finance chair Steve Wynn if he's found guilty of sexual misconduct allegations. Ronna Romney McDaniel tells Fox News Channel's "America's Newsroom" that she finds the allegations against the Las Vegas billionaire "deeply troubling." She says an investigation will be conducted and that if he's found guilty of wrongdoing "we will absolutely return 100 percent of that money. But we're going to let due process take place." Wynn has denied the allegations, first reported by The Wall Street Journal. The RNC announced Saturday that Wynn was stepping down from his position as finance chair. Some Republicans in Congress have already announced they are donating contributions they received from Wynn to charity.

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2018-01-31 01:38:00

RNC chair says she'll return Wynn money if he's found guilty

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354366

Dutch health care giant Philips announces net profit rise

AMSTERDAM (AP) — Dutch health care and electronics giant Philips says its fourth-quarter net profit rose to 899 million euros ($1.1 billion) from 640 million euros in the same period a year ago, as it successfully continued its departure from its past as a lighting company. Comparable sales growth for the quarter rose 5 percent to 5.3 billion euros ($6.5 billion). Philips spun off its lighting division in 2016 and now focuses its business on health technology. The company still holds a 29-percent stake in Philips Lighting. CEO Frans van Houten said Tuesday that the fourth-quarter earnings performance "demonstrates that we are gaining momentum."

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-30 15:51:00

Dutch health care giant Philips announces net profit rise

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354122

American twins will have some sisterly company at Olympics

Just call it a sister thing. Whenever another hockey team has sisters on the rosters, Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando take notice. Well, the U.S. Olympians are twins themselves. Combine that with how few sisters play hockey or reach national teams playing internationally, it's easy enough to notice whenever sisters are dressing up for another country. "It's just cool to see," Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson said. The Lamoureux sisters will have some sisterly company at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. Teammate Hannah Brandt's sister, Marissa, plays for the unified Korean women's team, and Switzerland has two sets of sisters on the roster with Nina, Isabel and Monika Waidacher, plus twins Laura and Sara Benz. Canada nearly had its own sister act with Sarah and Amy Potomak, though neither made the Olympic team. Being sisters definitely can provide an edge in hockey. "When we get the opportunity to be on the ice together, there's a chemistry that just never goes away," Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson said. "It's always there. So whenever we have an opportunity to have a couple shifts together or if we're ever put on a unit or line together, it's always there. And we've pushed each other every day whether it's workouts, during on-ice training, it's just that accountability that we've always had growing up." Even though women's hockey didn't debut at the Olympics until 1998 in Nagano, playing hockey simply was something the Lamoureux sisters were bound to do. They were born in Fargo, North Dakota, their father, Pierre, played for the University of North Dakota, and all four of their brothers played hockey in college, with Jacque a Hobey Baker finalist in 2009 with Air Force. The Lamoureux sisters played a year in college at Minnesota before switching to North Dakota for their final three seasons, the last in 2012-13. They have played internationally for the United States since 2006. Both play forward, though Monique also plays defense. Now 28, the sisters credit each other for their long success, which now includes a third Olympic berth. "That's part of the reason we've pushed ourselves to this level and been competing at this level for quite a long time is that built-in accountability day-in, day-out even if we're not with the team," Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson said. Monique Lamoureux-Davidson calls it the benefit of having grown up together playing every sport together on the same team, even though they haven't played together on the ice as much as people might think. Coaches have often spread the skill by playing them on separate lines. "It's just that thing when we're on the ice together, we have that undeniable chemistry," she said. And the American sisters definitely have an Olympic edge having won silver medals in both 2010 and 2014. Jocelyne has 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in 10 Olympic games, while Monique has 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in the same span. The U.S. women's team leaves Wednesday for South Korea chasing the gold medal that eluded the Americans in Sochi, where the United States blew a 2-0 lead to Canada in the final. For Monique, she's chasing simple fulfillment. "The last four years we've been kind of chasing down this dream of being Olympic champions, and nearly every single day your day is scheduled around being the best athlete you can be," she said, "and you change up your plans, you do everything you can to be the best athlete, best leader, best team you can be." Jocelyne can't wait for the opportunity to represent the United States once again in the Olympics with pride the emotion that bubbles up whenever she thinks of the Winter Games. It's what the sisters have been working for most of their lives. And there's one ultimate goal. "It's gold," Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson said. "We've come up short the last two Olympics and our ultimate goal is just to play our best. If we can do that, we truly believe we can come out on top." ___ More AP Olympic coverage: https://wintergames.ap.org ___ Follow Teresa M. Walker at www.twitter.com/teresamwalker

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-30 16:07:00

American twins will have some sisterly company at Olympics

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354121

Egypt opens Eni gas field 2 years after Italian's killing

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's president has again accused unknown parties of being behind the 2016 murder of an Italian researcher, alleging a plot to sabotage bilateral relations during a ceremony marking the start of a massive gas project with Italian energy firm Eni. President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi spoke during the Wednesday ceremony in Port Said to inaugurate the offshore Zohr field, touted as the largest ever in the Mediterranean. Thanking Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi directly, el-Sissi said: "Do you now know why they wanted to undermine relations between Egypt and Italy? So we don't get to be here." He pledged Egypt would help bring the killers of the 28-year-old researcher to justice. Rome prosecutor Giuseppe Pignatone wrote in a recent letter that Egyptian secret services had a role in Regeni's abduction, torture and killing.

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2018-01-31 20:35:00

Egypt opens Eni gas field 2 years after Italian's killing

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354773

Feds seek 35 years for pharmacist in meningitis outbreak

BOSTON (AP) — A Massachusetts pharmacist convicted of mail fraud and racketeering in connection with a deadly meningitis outbreak is set to be sentenced. Prosecutors in Boston's federal court will ask a judge Wednesday to sentence Glenn Chin to 35 years in prison for his role in the 2012 outbreak that killed 76 people and sickened hundreds. Chin was cleared in October of second-degree murder charges, but convicted on dozens of other counts. Chin ran the now-closed New England Compounding Center's clean rooms, where the drugs were made. The outbreak was traced to mold-contaminated steroid injections. Chin's attorneys are asking for about three years behind bars. They say there's no evidence Chin caused the drugs to become contaminated and have blamed the pharmacy's co-founder, Barry Cadden. Cadden is serving a nine-year prison sentence.

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2018-01-31 13:04:00

Feds seek 35 years for pharmacist in meningitis outbreak

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354669

US says NAFTA talks are progressing very slowly

MONTREAL (AP) — U.S. Trade Rep. Robert Lighthizer said Monday talks to rewrite the North American Free Trade Agreement are progressing very slowly. Lighthizer said the U.S. views NAFTA as a "very important agreement" and said the sixth round of talks between Canada, the United States and Mexico, which concluded Monday, were a "step forward." "Some real headway was made here," Lighthizer said. "We're committed to moving forward.' President Donald Trump called NAFTA a job-killing "disaster" on the campaign trail and has threatened to withdraw from the 24-year-old pact if he can't get what he wants. Lighthizer said there will be another round in Mexico in late February and said core issues are starting to be discussed. The negotiators had originally hoped to reach an agreement before Mexico's July presidential election and U.S. midterms turn up the political pressure. One of the main sticking points in the latest rounds of negotiations has been the Trump administration's position on rules of origin for auto parts. The US is calling for any new agreement to include a proviso stipulating that North American-made car parts must constitute 85 percent of new vehicles in order to avoid tariffs, with 50 percent originating in the United States. Canada's proposal would take elements such as research and development and intellectual property into account in those calculations. Lighthizer, however, called the idea "vague." "We find that the automobile rules of origin idea that was presented, when analyzed, may lead to less regional content than we have now, fewer jobs in the United States, Canada and likely Mexico," he said. "So this is the opposite of what we are trying to do." Still, Lighthizer said the fact that Canada is willing to discuss core issues like auto parts is encouraging. "Now they're starting to realize that we have to begin to talk. And that's a reason for guarded optimism," he said. Lighthizer said the Trump administration's goal coming out of the negotiations is to boost the number of manufacturing jobs in the United States, either by encouraging new investment or by bringing back jobs that had moved to Mexico.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-30 03:23:00

US says NAFTA talks are progressing very slowly

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3353935

West Ham defender gets 6-game ban for spitting

LONDON (AP) — West Ham defender Arthur Masuaku has been banned for six games for spitting at an opponent during an FA Cup match. The Football Association says Masuaku will be out until March 10 after the incident that took place during West Ham's 2-0 loss at Wigan on Saturday. The French left back has apologized for spitting, saying it was "totally unacceptable" and "out of character." West Ham manager David Moyes said Masuaku's act was "despicable" and that his player "will deserve everything he gets."

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-29 21:06:00

West Ham defender gets 6-game ban for spitting

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3353843

French authorities call for calm after clashes in Nantes

PARIS (AP) — French authorities called for calm in France's western city of Nantes, where violent clashes between protesters and police broke out overnight after an officer shot dead a 22-year-old driver who was trying to avoid a police checkpoint. Interior ministry Gerard Collomb strongly condemned the violence in a written statement Wednesday. French authorities said prosecutors have opened a judicial investigation. Police also opened an internal probe looking at the officer's actions and his decision to use a firearm. Protesters in Nantes clashed with police, throwing Molotov cocktails and burning cars and rubbish bins Protesters also set fire to shops and buildings in three poor neighborhoods across the city. The clashes ended early Wednesday morning.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-07-04 19:36:00

French authorities call for calm after clashes in Nantes

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3474196

Archeologists open burial chambers in Sudanese pyramid

CAIRO (AP) — Sudan's official news agency says archeologists have reopened burial chambers in an ancient pyramid north of the capital, Khartoum. SUNA says Tuesday the chambers are located at a depth of 10 meters (about 33 feet) under a pyramid in the Meroe area. The UNESCO world heritage site is home to pyramids ranging from six meters (20 feet) to 30 meters (100 feet) tall. It says archeologists from a Qatari mission discovered artifacts, including human and animal bones, inside the chambers. The pyramids, with narrow bases and steep angles on the sides, were built by the ancient Nubian civilization between 720 and 300 B.C. Qatar has pledged $135 million to renovate and support Sudan's antiquities.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-24 22:33:00

Archeologists open burial chambers in Sudanese pyramid

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413306

eBay and PayPal Finalize New Payments Agreement

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 23, 2018--eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) and PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) today confirmed the signing of a previously-announced agreement to offer PayPal as a way to pay on eBay until July 2023. This new agreement builds on the payments partnership between the companies to make PayPal available as a payment option on eBay’s new intermediated payments model. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423006379/en/ “PayPal has been a great partner for eBay, and as part of our new payments experience PayPal will continue to be a key form of payment for our global customers,” said Devin Wenig, president and CEO, eBay. “We are pleased to continue to offer PayPal as a form of payment on eBay and look forward to a continued, strong partnership with PayPal going forward.” As previously announced, the new agreement between eBay and PayPal will ensure that PayPal as a form of payment continues to be available to buyers on the eBay marketplace. PayPal as a form of payment includes payments through the PayPal payment button, as well as value-added services such as fraud detection and buyer protections. “We are proud to have extended our relationship with eBay and our commitment to build on more than 15 years of collaboration and innovation with a great partner,” said Dan Schulman, president and CEO, PayPal. “We are excited to continue to provide our millions of mutual customers with innovative, trusted and seamless PayPal payment experiences.” PayPal continues to provide a comprehensive payments solution to eBay under the existing Operating Agreement through July 2020. About eBay eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) is a global commerce leader including the Marketplace, StubHub and Classifieds platforms. Collectively, we connect millions of buyers and sellers around the world, empowering people and creating opportunity through Connected Commerce. Founded in 1995 in San Jose, Calif., eBay is one of the world's largest and most vibrant marketplaces for discovering great value and unique selection. In 2017, eBay enabled $88 billion of gross merchandise volume. For more information about the company and its global portfolio of online brands, visit www.ebayinc.com. About PayPal Fueled by a fundamental belief that having access to financial services creates opportunity, PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL) is committed to democratizing financial services and empowering people and businesses to join and thrive in the global economy. Our open digital payments platform gives PayPal's 227 million active account holders the confidence to connect and transact in new and powerful ways, whether they are online, on a mobile device, in an app, or in person. Through a combination of technological innovation and strategic partnerships, PayPal creates better ways to manage and move money, and offers choice and flexibility when sending payments, paying or getting paid. Available in more than 200 markets around the world, the PayPal platform, including Braintree, Venmo and Xoom, enables consumers and merchants to receive money in more than 100 currencies, withdraw funds in 56 currencies and hold balances in their PayPal accounts in 25 currencies. For more information on PayPal, visit https://www.paypal.com/about or follow @PayPalNews on Twitter. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423006379/en/ CONTACT: eBay Penny Bruce, 408-766-9425 Director, Corporate Communications [email protected] or PayPal Holdings, Inc. Amanda Christine Miller, 408-219-0563 Director, Corporate Communications [email protected] KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA CALIFORNIA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY ONLINE RETAIL INTERNET SOFTWARE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FINANCE RETAIL SOURCE: PayPal Holdings, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/23/2018 04:30 PM/DISC: 04/23/2018 04:30 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423006379/en

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-24 04:30:00

eBay and PayPal Finalize New Payments Agreement

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413643

Taipei mayor pledges to minimize cash transactions at city markets

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)—Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) reaffirmed his commitment to “make cash and coin disappear” from business transactions in Taipei City during the inauguration ceremony for smart payment services at the Taipei Fish Market on December 11. At the fish market , which is the first fish market in the nation to accept smart payment methods, transactions by sales agents may be processed through bank GIRO transfers in the future. The arrangement also allows for services such as providing flexible credit limits by financial institutions for sales agents. The market sees visits by over 1,700 sales agents to secure supplies of fishery products, according to Ko. With annual transactions reaching 25,700 metric tons and roughly NT$3 billion changing hands, transactions often involve large amounts of cash and checks brought by sales agents for payment during wee hours. On the other hand, it takes staff members two to three days to complete the bookkeeping. Therefore, the introduction of smart payments will not only speed up the transactions but also enhance the security of future transactions. The employment of e-commerce tools allows for faster and safer transactions, while big data analysis allows observers to acquire a better understanding on the trends of the industry, Ko said. He thanked Bank Sinopac and Taipei Fish Market for working with the city government on the project and upgrading related software, adding that he hopes to push the measure to other wholesale markets such as the Taipei Flower Market and the Fruit and Vegetable Wholesale Market in the future.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-12-11 21:58:00

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je reaffirmed his commitment to “make cash and coin disappear” from business transactions in Taipei City during the inauguration ceremony for smart payment services at the Taipei Fish Market

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3318044

Houston 18-year-old arrested on charges of trying to aid IS

HOUSTON (AP) — A Houston 18-year-old has been arrested and charged with illegally distributing explosive-making information and attempting to support the Islamic State organization. The U.S. Justice Department said Monday that Kaan Sercan Damlarkaya, a U.S. citizen, was arrested on Dec. 8 following an undercover FBI operation. A statement says Damlarkaya said he intended to travel overseas and fight for IS and said he tried to get to Syria twice. He told agents that he would commit a U.S. attack if efforts to travel overseas failed. It also says Damlarkaya provided to alleged IS supporters a formula for explosive Triacetone Triperoxide and instructions how to use it in a pressure cooker device containing shrapnel. If convicted, he faces a possible 20-year maximum prison term. The U.S. has designated IS as a terrorist organization.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-12-12 15:28:00

Houston 18-year-old arrested on charges of trying to aid IS

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3318580

Robots could descend into old mines to prevent toxic spills

DENVER (AP) — Scientists are developing robots that may one day be able to creep through old mines to help prevent environmental disasters. The Colorado mountains have dozens of inactive mines that are filled with polluted water. If it leaks out, the water can devastate the surrounding landscape. The first step in addressing the problem is finding out what's inside the mines, some of which date to the 1860s. That's where the robots come in. They could navigate the pitch-black passages to map the mines and analyze the water. The robots could take several years to develop. They might resemble golf carts and cost $90,000 each. In 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency accidentally released 3 million gallons of mustard-colored water from the Gold King Mine. The spill tainted rivers in three states.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-31 15:37:00

Robots could descend into old mines to prevent toxic spills

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354702

Correction: Deadly Car Wash Shooting-The Latest story

MELCROFT, Pa. (AP) — In a story Jan. 29 about the shooting deaths of four people at a car wash, The Associated Press, relying on information from state police, misspelled the first name of one of the female victims. She was Cortney Snyder, not Courtney. A corrected version of the story is below: The Latest: Cops look at phone records in car wash shooting Police are focusing on phone records to try to piece together how a group of friends wound up at a Pennsylvania self-serve car wash in the early morning hours, where a gunman lying in wait killed four and injured one who managed to hide MELCROFT, Pa. (AP) — The Latest on the deadly shooting at a Pennsylvania car wash (all times local): 3:15 p.m. Police are focusing on phone records to try to piece together how a group of friends wound up at a Pennsylvania self-serve car wash in the early morning hours, where a gunman lying in wait killed four and injured one who managed to hide. The shooter, 28-year-old Timothy Smith, suffered a gunshot wound to the head in the Sunday shooting at Ed's Car Wash in Melcroft, a rural town about 55 miles (89 kilometers) southeast of Pittsburgh. He is on life support and isn't expected to survive. Victim family members say Smith was a jealous ex-boyfriend of victim Chelsie Cline. Vicki Snyder says Smith was always polite. She says he lived at home and helped out with a sister who used a wheelchair after a car accident a few years ago. ___ 8 a.m. Family members of the victims of a shooting at a Pennsylvania car wash say the man suspected of gunning down four people was driven by jealousy. State police say 28-year-old Timothy Smith opened fire early Sunday morning at Ed's Car Wash in Saltlick Township, a rural town about 55 miles (89 kilometers) southeast of Pittsburgh. Twenty-seven-year-old William Porterfield, 25-year-old Chelsie Cline, 23-year-old Cortney Snyder and 21-year-old Seth Cline were all killed. Smith was on life support Sunday and not expected to survive after suffering a gunshot wound to his head. State police say it's possible that the gunshot wound was self-inflicted. Authorities would not reveal how Smith knew the victims, but Chelsie Cline's half-sister, Sierra Kolarik, told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that Smith had developed an obsession with Cline.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-01 07:38:00

Correction: Deadly Car Wash Shooting-The Latest story

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3355055

Sears lays off 220 workers at headquarters

NEW YORK (AP) — Sears Holdings Corp. says it's laying off 220 workers primarily at its headquarters in Hoffman Estates, Illinois as it struggles to turn around its ailing business. A company spokesman said Wednesday the job cuts were across the board and are effective immediately. Sears says it's offering severance and transition assistance to those workers who are eligible. Earlier in January, the retailer said it was closing more than 100 locations under the Sears and Kmart names. That includes 64 Kmart stores and 39 Sears stores that will be shuttered between early March and early April. That's in addition to closing about 250 stores announced last year. Sears, which struggled through a weak holiday season, has been selling off some of its real estate and brands as it tries to raise cash.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-01 05:14:00

Sears lays off 220 workers at headquarters

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354969

Peru party loyal to Fujimori expels ex-strongman's son

LIMA, Peru (AP) — The political party loyal to former President Alberto Fujimori expelled the ex-strongman's son Tuesday as a rift widened between his two children over the party's botched attempt to oust Peru's current president in December. The son, Kenji Fujimori, led a group of rebellious lawmakers from the Popular Will party who blocked a push by the party, headed by his sister, to remove Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski. Two days later, the scandal-tainted Kuczynski pardoned Alberto Fujimori in what many see as a closed-door political deal. Although Kenji Fujimori obtained the most votes of any lawmaker in 2016 congressional elections, he has taken a back seat in the party to his older sister, Keiko Fujimori, who narrowly lost the presidency to Kuczynski in a runoff election. Alberto Fujimori was given a medical pardon by Kuczynski and released from a 25-year sentence for graft and human rights abuses committed during his 1990-2000 rule.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-31 08:36:00

Peru party loyal to Fujimori expels ex-strongman's son

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354545

California gauges snowpack amid dry winter

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Amid record-setting heat in the state's south, California's water managers will measure the Sierra Nevada snowpack, which supplies water to millions. Department of Water Resources officials will trek to the mountains Thursday to check the snow depth, one gauge of the state's water supply. Electronic sensors show snow levels are about one-third of normal. At the peak of California's recently ended five-year drought, Gov. Jerry Brown ordered 25 percent water conservation in cities and towns and declared a drought emergency. Heavy rains in Northern California last year finally snapped the drought, and Brown declared the emergency over in April. But the drought never really seemed to end in some Southern California areas, said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with the University of California, Los Angeles. Los Angeles received only one significant rain in almost the last 12 months. In Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, which are about 100 miles (161 kilometers) north of Los Angeles, the lack of rain and dry vegetation were perfect fuel for a December wildfire that grew to be the largest recorded in state history. When it finally rained, the scorched earth turned into deadly mudslides. The most recent weekly U.S. drought monitor, a product of the federal government and others, shows only small patches of the state, in Southern California, in the mildest form of drought. That compares to 2014 and 2015, some of the driest years in history in California, when much of the state was rated as in the most severe categories of drought. In the middle of the state's winter rain and snow season, no rain is in the forecast. In Southern California, "it really is pretty grim," said Swain, who has tracked the stubborn weather patterns blocking rain from the state's south for years. Doug Carlson, spokesman for the state's Department of Water Resources, which carries out the snowpack surveys, said the dry weather is a growing concern, although reservoirs are still fuller than usual thanks to last year's rain in Northern California. Considerations of what constitutes a drought vary, and include: rainfall, the state of waterways, soil dryness, and other measures. Any decision to declare a new drought emergency if the winter remains dry, or later, would be up to Brown.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-01 15:17:00

California gauges snowpack amid dry winter

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3355205

BC-US--Sugar, US

New York (AP) — Sugar futures trading on the IntercontinentalExchange (ICE) Monday: (112,000 lbs.; cents per lb.)

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-03-20 03:17:00

BC-US--Sugar, US

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3385764

US diplomat in Nigeria says country is ripe for investors

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — The head of the U.S. Consulate in Nigeria's capital says U.S. support for Nigeria's economy will continue given the African country's demographics. United States Consul General F. John Bray spoke with The Associated Press on Monday after participating in the closing gong ceremony at the Nigeria Stock Exchange House in Lagos. Bray says the U.S. private sector invests $8.1 billion a year in Nigeria and the country's population of 180 million provides a tremendous base of consumers. Bray said that businesses without a strategy for Nigeria don't have an investment strategy for Africa. The consul says he discusses diversifying the Nigerian economy with American business leaders. However, Nigeria's crippled infrastructure has made doing business there difficult. Power outages, road blockages and security issues are some of the issues investors consider.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-30 04:38:00

US diplomat in Nigeria says country is ripe for investors

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3353932

Health care companies lead US stocks lower in early trading

U.S. stocks fell sharply in early trading Tuesday, extending the market's losses from a day earlier. Health insurers, drugmakers and distributors led the slide following news that JPMorgan Chase, Amazon and Berkshire Hathaway are launching a health care venture. Technology stocks also posted losses. Energy companies fell as crude oil prices headed lower. KEEPING SCORE: The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 31 points, or 1.1 percent, to 2,821 as of 10:11 a.m. Eastern Time. The Dow Jones industrial average slumped 306 points, or 1.2 percent, to 26,132. The Nasdaq lost 82 points, or 1.1 percent, to 7,383. The Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks gave up 15 points, or 1 percent, to 1,583. HEALTH SCARE: Health care sector companies slumped on news that Amazon is teaming up with Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase to create a company that helps their U.S. employees find quality care at a reasonable cost. The venture, whose initial focus would be on developing technology, is in its early planning stage. Express Scripts fell $6.91, or 8.4 percent, to $75.01. Cigna slid $13.47, or 6 percent, to $210.43. UnitedHealth Group lost $11.70, or 4.7 percent, to $235.71. TECH SLIDE: A sell-off in technology shares continued in early trading Tuesday. Corning lost $2.37, or 6.9 percent, to $31.88. BOND YIELDS: Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 2.71 percent from 2.70 percent late Monday. ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude slid 98 cents, or 1.4 percent, to $64.23 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, used to price international oils, dropped 99 cents, or 1.4 percent, to $68.22 a barrel in London. The slide in oil prices weighed on energy stocks. Noble Energy was down $1.48, or 4.6 percent, at $30.65. CURRENCIES: The dollar, which fell sharply last week, declined to 108.51 yen from 108.94 yen late Monday. The euro rose to $1.2430 from $1.2389. BITCOIN: The price of bitcoin fell 4.2 percent to $11,207, according to the tracking site CoinDesk. Bitcoin futures on the Cboe Futures Exchange slid 5.7 percent to $10,530. MARKETS OVERSEAS: Major indexes in Europe declined amid investor worries that new data showing the eurozone grew in 2017 at its fastest pace in a decade could prompt the European Central Bank to wind down its monetary stimulus program earlier than expected. The DAX in Germany lost 0.9 percent, while the CAC 40 in France fell 0.8 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 gave up 0.9 percent. Indexes in Asia closed lower. Japan's Nikkei 225 index lost 1.4 percent, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropped 1.1 percent. South Korea's Kospi sank 1.2 percent.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-30 23:20:00

Health care companies lead US stocks lower in early trading

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354297

How Fed hike will affect US consumers and overseas economies

WASHINGTON (AP) — Credit card holders will soon pay more. So will people with adjustable-rate mortgages or home equity lines of credit. But most would-be home buyers needn't worry. And auto loan rates won't likely change much. For savers? Rates should creep up, at least for the highest-yielding CDs and saving accounts, though on average they'll still pay a pittance. The cumulative impact of another Federal Reserve interest rate hike — its fourth in 18 months — will range widely for individuals and businesses with loans or income-producing accounts. And the consequences range beyond U.S. shores. A series of Fed hikes generally means that overseas investors in search of interest income can increase their returns by shifting money into the United States. Higher U.S. rates also tend to cause an outflow of capital from developing countries that can ill-afford it. The most immediate effects, though, are generally on borrowers in the United States. When the Fed lifts the short-term rate it controls by one-quarter of a percentage point, as it did Wednesday, it typically translates into a quarter-point rate increase for credit card debt and home equity lines, as well as for some adjustable mortgages. Fed policymakers have raised their benchmark rate to a range of 1 percent to 1.25 percent and indicated that they foresee one additional hike this year, assuming that the economy remains on solid footing. For someone with a $5,000 credit card balance who makes a minimum payment each month, the Fed's four rate increases since December 2015 equal an additional $700 in payments over the life of the loan, according to Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate.com. "That's where consumers are feeling it and are going to continue to feel it," McBride said. But home and auto loan rates are another story: Despite the Fed's moves, they've barely budged since December 2015, when the central bank announced its first increase after seven years of near-zero rates. Here are some questions and answers on what the Fed's moves could mean for consumers, businesses, investors and the economy: ___ Q. Why haven't mortgage rates increased? A. Because fixed-rate mortgage rates don't typically follow the Fed's changes. Sometimes they even move in the opposite direction. So it doesn't necessarily make sense to rush into buying a home or refinancing a mortgage. The hike often won't translate into higher mortgage rates. Fixed long-term mortgages tend to track the rate on the 10-year Treasury, which, in turn, is influenced by such factors as investors' expectations of future inflation to global demand for U.S. Treasurys. In December 2015, a week before the first increase, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 4.06 percent, according to Bankrate.com. It actually fell for most of 2016, then jumped later in the year and peaked at 4.44 percent in mid-March this year. But since then, long-term mortgage rates have declined and are back to almost exactly where they began: The 30-year averaged 4.04 percent last week. Even the increase that began in late 2016 had little to do with the Fed. Rather, investors dumped Treasurys and bought stocks in anticipation of faster growth and higher inflation after Donald Trump's election. Better growth overseas also raised optimism. But as Trump's tax and infrastructure spending proposals have stalled, investors' outlooks have dimmed. Demand for the 10-year Treasury has risen, and so its yield has dropped, reducing mortgage rates with it. Other factors can also keep rates low. When global investors grow nervous, they often pour money into Treasurys because they're seen as ultra-safe. That buying pressure holds down Treasury rates. ___ Q. So where will home loan rates go from here? A. Hard to tell. The Fed expects to lift its benchmark rate one more time this year and three times in 2018. Eventually, those increases should put upward pressure on mortgage rates, but it's impossible to say when. Mortgage rates are still very low by historical standards. Before the Great Recession, the 30-year rate had never dipped below 5 percent. ___ Q. How could the Fed's actions affect other countries around the world? A. Higher rates in the United States tend to attract more investment from overseas. The European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan are still keeping their benchmark rates near zero to try to stimulate those economies. So investors can earn more by investing in dollar-denominated assets. That inflow pushes up the value of the dollar, which can make U.S. exports costlier overseas. It can also pull money out of developing countries, where rates are usually higher but government bonds carry more risk. A flow of funds out of developing nations can lower their currencies relative to the dollar, making it harder for businesses in those nations to repay debts they have incurred in dollars. ___ Q. My credit rating isn't so great. How will I be affected? A. Doug Amis, a certified financial planner in Cary, North Carolina, says consumers with less-than-sterling credit can expect to pay more, especially when financing the purchase of a used car. "There's going to be an opportunity to increase those rates higher," Amis said. "So if you have poor credit, this is going to impact you." Still, even with another rate hike, the impact on consumers and businesses is likely to remain mild, as rates remain very low, relative to years ago, Amis noted. ___ Q. Have the Fed's moves boosted the puny rates available for savers? A. In a few cases, yes. McBride says some smaller banks are starting to offer higher rates on CDs and savings accounts than larger banks are. The huge national banks already have "more deposits than they know what to do with," McBride said, so haven't lifted their rates at all. As a result, the disparity between the smaller local banks and nationwide institutions is widening, he said: "Exploit that difference. It's money in your pocket." So far, the average rate on a one-year CD has barely risen since the Fed's rate hikes began, inching up from 0.27 percent in December 2015 to 0.35 percent now, according to Bankrate.com. But the highest-yielding CDs have risen from 1.35 percent to 1.5 percent. ___ Q. What if I'm a retiree invested in bonds? A. Amis says he tells his fixed-income clients not to stress out over another rate hike. "This is part of investing in fixed income, and it's not a signal to jump ship and go into dividend-paying equities," he said. "I would recommend they stay the course and earn the coupon." Since rates began rising again, Amis has been advising retirees and others with fixed-income investments like bonds to ensure that their portfolios are balanced between very short-term and long-term bonds. Longer-term bonds typically pay higher rates, and as rates rise, the short-term securities will be replaced with higher-yielding ones. ___ Veiga reported from Los Angeles. ___ Animated explainer: http://bit.ly/2nlGO0K

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-05-05 00:00:00

How Fed hike will affect US consumers and overseas economies

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Depleted West Ham holds Crystal Palace to 1-1 draw

LONDON (AP) — Mark Noble's penalty canceled out a rare goal from Christian Benteke as injury-hit West Ham battled to a 1-1 draw at home to Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Tuesday. Noble struck in the 43rd minute of the London derby after former West Ham defender James Tomkins tripped Javier Hernandez, securing a point that lifted the hosts into the top half of the standings. Benteke put Palace ahead in the 24th minute with only his second goal of the season, but that is unlikely to convince manager Roy Hodgson to call off his search for a new striker on the final day of the January transfer window. West Ham also needs some signings, having come into the match without eight players through injury and another, Arthur Masuaku, because of suspension. Manager David Moyes fielded six defenders in his team. Moyes later said Michail Antonio was left out of the squad for a breach of discipline, after the forward was late for a team meeting. "It wasn't the first time," Moyes said. "I'm not having it at the club, I've said right from the start what it's going to be like." Moyes also said West Ham was weighing up an offer from Swansea for forward Andre Ayew.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-31 07:08:00

Depleted West Ham holds Crystal Palace to 1-1 draw

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354510

Rockwell Automation Simplifies Analytics for Industrial Productivity

MILWAUKEE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 23, 2018--Industrial organizations must be able to quickly identify ways to tighten production schedules and maximize revenue. Gaining insight into operations and production capabilities to make informed decisions has often involved time-intensive IT projects and a highly specialized skillset. Today, Rockwell Automation expands the FactoryTalk ® Analytics portfolio, a robust advanced analytics environment that empowers users with the ability to quickly and confidently make informed decisions. These latest advancements were developed to reduce the complexity of the operations environment for manufacturers and producers and their employees who are driving operations. FactoryTalk Analytics has been developed for scale, discovering and connecting data sources from the edge of the network up through the enterprise, and then intelligently fusing the information to resolve issues close to the source. At the edge or the device, this can result in near-immediate resolution of production issues. Empowered with machine learning capabilities, FactoryTalk Analytics learns the process and looks for trends in the data, proactively presenting users with insights before an issue arises. FactoryTalk Analytics brings contemporary user experience capabilities, which are common for consumer experiences, to the production environment. Focused on driving ease of use and productivity, FactoryTalk Analytics features internet-like search capabilities of production data, as well as self-serve drill-downs, allowing the user to make data-driven decisions quickly. Rockwell Automation has chosen the Microsoft ® Azure ™ cloud as the preferred platform for FactoryTalk Analytics, to help develop and power advanced IoT solutions from the edge to the cloud. Rockwell Automation executed several customer pilots before the official release of FactoryTalk Analytics, which generated several purpose-driven applications that prioritize ease of use and faster time to value. In one pilot, a manufacturer of solar panels used FactoryTalk Analytics to connect the data sources of legacy systems spread across multiple facilities. They’re now able to more efficiently manage data both on-premise and in the cloud, which will minimize downtime and allow them to save millions of dollars in IT spend. In another pilot, a global automotive manufacturer implemented FactoryTalk Analytics to help improve operational productivity. Purpose-driven applications brought data together from disparate systems that had previously proven difficult to integrate and had limited workers’ ability to investigate production issues. The solution is giving production managers and executives new visibility into key areas of operations and helping them more accurately forecast production targets. “Smart manufacturing promises to remove blind spots between organizational silos, putting users directly in touch with information,” said Blake Moret, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Rockwell Automation. “Our deep experience in production applications, coupled with technology that integrates control and information, provides outcomes of increased productivity for both existing and greenfield sites. Importantly, our partners are taking advantage of these solutions to enhance the value of their own offerings.” Originally piloted as “Project Scio” last November, FactoryTalk Analytics is now available globally. About Rockwell Automation Rockwell Automation Inc. (NYSE: ROK), the world’s largest company dedicated to industrial automation and information, makes its customers more productive and the world more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., Rockwell Automation employs approximately 22,000 people serving customers in more than 80 countries. FactoryTalk and LISTEN. THINK. SOLVE. are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005394/en/ CONTACT: Rockwell Automation Paula Puess, 440-646-3806 [email protected] or Padilla Leonard Pollard, 612-455-1758 [email protected] KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA CANADA WISCONSIN INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY DATA MANAGEMENT INTERNET SOFTWARE MANUFACTURING OTHER MANUFACTURING SOURCE: Rockwell Automation, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/23/2018 08:00 AM/DISC: 04/23/2018 08:01 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005394/en

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-23 20:01:00

Rockwell Automation Simplifies Analytics for Industrial Productivity

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413488

18-year-old gets plea deal in 2015 rape, killing of girl

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — An 18-year-old is pleading guilty to rape and murder in the 2015 death of a 12-year-old Utah girl he's accused of luring from her home with a story about a lost cat. Jayden Matthew Sterzer pleaded guilty to rape in juvenile court Monday. He was 15 when police say he strangled Kailey Vijil (VIJ'-el) and left her in a horse pasture. Sterzer also was expected to plead guilty to murder in adult court as part of a blended plea deal that will allow him to stay in a juvenile detention center until he turns 21. The Associated Press hadn't previously named Sterzer because he was a minor and his case was being handled entirely in juvenile court. He was found fit for trial after getting treatment for unspecified mental disorders and intellectual disabilities.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-12-12 08:18:00

18-year-old gets plea deal in 2015 rape, killing of girl

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3318260

Auditor's handling of whistleblower's claims is criticized

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A Democratic attorney general candidate says his Republican opponent, Ohio Auditor Dave Yost, should have immediately referred to authorities a whistleblower's allegations that Ohio's then-largest online charter school intentionally inflated attendance figures. Steven Dettelbach, a former U.S. attorney, responded Tuesday to an Associated Press report that an ex-employee of the now-shuttered Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow shared his claims of misconduct with the Ohio Department of Education and Yost's office last year. The ECOT board's attorney says he was unaware of the man's claims. Dettelbach told reporters Tuesday that critical evidence in a potential criminal case could have been lost during delays in referring the information. A message was left with Yost's office seeking comment. His spokesman said Monday that the whistleblower's information was considered for an upcoming audit report.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-25 00:10:00

Auditor's handling of whistleblower's claims is criticized

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413366

Costa Rica says coach out after disappointing World Cup

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP) — The Costa Rica soccer federation says national team coach Oscar Ramirez is out after the team's disappointing performance at the World Cup. Federation president Rodolfo Villalobos said Wednesday that Ramirez's contract has run out and won't be renewed. Costa Rica compiled a record of 9 wins, 6 ties and 4 defeats in 16 qualifying and three World Cup matches under Ramirez. Villalobos thanked the coach but said that "it is not convenient for him to remain." He did not name a potential replacement, but said the federation is looking at a long list of candidates. Costa Rica was the surprise of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, reaching the quarterfinals. But the team was knocked out in the group stage in Russia, losing to Brazil and Serbia and tying Switzerland.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-07-05 04:36:00

Costa Rica says coach out after disappointing World Cup

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3474417

Lorde scribbled thanks to fans for embracing nominated album

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Lorde has scribbled her thanks to fans back home for embracing her Grammy-nominated album. Her handwritten thank-you note was published as an ad in The New Zealand Herald on Wednesday. The note has doodles honoring fellow Kiwi musicians as well as sightings of other attendees at the Grammy ceremony in New York on Sunday night. She also thanks them for believing in female musicians, "You set a beautiful precedent!" Social media took her absence among the night's performances as a snub, since other album of the year nominees performed as did classic rockers with no current nominations. Recording Academy President Neil Portnow had said backstage that it was hard to have a balanced show, but later had to walk back a comment that women had to "step up."

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-31 16:27:00

Lorde scribbled thanks to fans for embracing nominated album

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354723

Judge tosses lawsuit by Utah imam involving no-fly listing

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a Utah Muslim leader who said he was wrongly placed on a government watch list and temporarily blocked from leaving Kenya with his family last summer. The lengthy screening process undergone by Yussuf Abdi on flights since the trip is inconvenient but not unconstitutional, U.S. District Judge Dee Benson wrote in the decision Monday. While the right to travel is protected by the Constitution, "the Supreme Court has not recognized a right to convenient or unimpeded travel," Benson wrote. Lawyers for Abdi, an imam and U.S. citizen, said the screening is more than an inconvenience. They haven't decided if they'll appeal the ruling. "As Yussuf Abdi's experience makes clear, being on a terrorist watch list can separate citizens from their families," attorney Gadeir Abbas said Tuesday. The lawsuit helped bring Abdi home from Kenya last year, and air travel has been easier for him since the case was filed, Abbas said. The suit was filed after Abdi went to Kenya to bring back his wife and five children, who had received visa approval to join him in the U.S. Abdi was initially blocked from boarding the plane back to the U.S. but was eventually allowed to return two days later, after his lawyers went to court and the U.S. attorney's office in Utah intervened on his behalf. Since then, he's taken three trips, including a religious pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, and been subjected to long security checks that indicate he's on a government list of people identified for extra scrutiny, according to court documents. The lawsuit alleged Abdi was added to a watch list in 2014 that let him fly but required extra security measures. He asked to be removed, arguing he had no criminal record and no reason to be on the list. Abdi has lived in Utah for six years and is the imam of Salt Lake City's Madina Masjid Islamic Center.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-25 09:00:00

Judge tosses lawsuit by Utah imam involving no-fly listing

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413411

Joel Johnson selected to coach US women's under-18 team

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Minnesota assistant Joel Johnson has been named the head coach of the U.S. women's Under-18 team for the 2017-18 season. USA Hockey announced Johnson's appointment Wednesday. Johnson's staff includes associate coach Maura Crowell and assistant coach Courtney Kennedy. Crowell is the head coach at Minnesota-Duluth. Kennedy is the associate head coach at Boston College. Johnson has led Team USA to three consecutive gold medals in the International Ice Hockey Federation Under-18 World Championships. He just finished his 12th year as a Minnesota assistant coach and currently holds the title of associate head coach for the powerhouse Gophers. The U.S. will compete in the women's U18 series against Canada on Aug. 17-20 in Lake Placid, New York. The IIHF Under-18 Women's World Championship is expected to take place early next year.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-06-15 05:12:00

Joel Johnson selected to coach US women's under-18 team

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High hopes as always in first spring training workouts

LAKELAND, Florida (AP) — Even for an accomplished veteran like Justin Verlander, the start of spring training can be special. "I usually sleep pretty well. I woke up early today," the Detroit ace said Tuesday. "On one hand, you want to appreciate everything as much as you can. It's not such a whirlwind anymore — you kind of know what to expect. But in the same aspect, every day is pretty much the same thing I've done for 12 years, so it also starts going faster." Verlander's Tigers were among 15 teams with their first scheduled workouts for pitchers and catchers Tuesday. As major leaguers took the field in Florida and Arizona, that familiar sound of balls popping into mitts served as a reminder that in baseball at least, winter is finally over. While Verlander and the Tigers went through their routine at their newly renovated facility in Lakeland, the Boston Red Sox were about 115 miles to the south, holding their first workout of the post-Papi era. It's Boston's first season without David Ortiz since the Red Sox signed him in January 2003, but Big Papi's retirement may not be too big a blow to a team that added star left-hander Chris Sale. Over in Arizona, the Cleveland Indians began preparing to defend their American League title. Cleveland won the AL Central comfortably last year and made it to the World Series before losing to the Chicago Cubs in seven games. "This time of year, everyone is at glass half-full," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "We have good reason to be." Hopes are always high at the start of spring training, but occasionally there's some injury news on the first day. Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said right-hander Chris Tillman had a platelet-rich plasma injection on his right shoulder and won't start the season until April 7 at the earliest. The Kansas City Royals said left-hander Brian Flynn broke a rib and had three minor vertebrae fractures in a bizarre offseason injury. Flynn is expected to miss two months after falling through a barn roof at his Oklahoma residence. The Royals and Miami Marlins begin this season with heavy hearts following the deaths of pitchers Yordano Ventura last month and Jose Fernandez in September, and Tigers owner Mike Ilitch died Friday at age 87. "I got to know him as best as an owner and player can know each other," said Detroit catcher Alex Avila, whose father Al is the team's general manager. "He was always a very gracious and generous person — very nice to myself, my family. ... Very loyal. I know as a family, we always felt we had to kind of reciprocate that loyalty because he's a tremendous man. They're a great family." The Arizona Diamondbacks have also found themselves dealing with some sobering news. Their bench coach, former Minnesota Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, has prostate cancer and is set to have surgery. He said doctors believe they caught the cancer early. The Diamondbacks went 69-93 last year and are one of a few National League teams that started workouts Tuesday amid tepid expectations. The Phillies, Reds and Rockies also finished well out of the postseason picture in 2016, but that doesn't mean they can't set goals for themselves. Philadelphia manager Pete Mackanin said he wants his team to play .500 baseball deeper into the season after the Phillies lost 91 games last year. For the first time since 2009, the Giants are entering an odd-numbered season without a World Series title to defend. After winning it all in 2010, 2012 and 2014, San Francisco made the playoffs last year as a wild card but lost in the Division Series to the Cubs. The Giants look like contenders again in 2017, and manager Bruce Bochy had plenty of reasons to be upbeat Tuesday when his pitchers and catchers took the field. "It's a day you look forward to, getting a chance to see everybody and hear the sound of the bat, watch these guys work out again," Bochy said. "So it's a good day." ___ AP Baseball Writer Janie McCauley in Scottsdale, Arizona, contributed to this report. ___ Follow Noah Trister at www.Twitter.com/noahtrister

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-02-15 11:41:00

High hopes as always in first spring training workouts

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Trial starts for teen police say took selfie with corpse

GREENSBURG, Pa. (AP) — A trial is underway for an 18-year-old Pennsylvania man accused of fatally shooting a friend in the face and then taking a selfie with the victim's body. Two officers testified Tuesday that Maxwell Morton, then 16, showed little emotion or concern about the February 2015 shooting of 16-year-old Ryan Mangan. Westmoreland County Detective James Williams told jurors "when he described pulling the trigger, he had a little smirk on his face." Police contend Morton took a photograph of himself with Mangan's body minutes after the shooting and an hour later sent the image via Snapchat while he played online video games with a teen in Wisconsin. The defense has argued that the teens were playing with the gun and it accidentally fired. The judge ruled Monday the selfie can be seen by the jury.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-02-15 21:02:00

Trial starts for teen police say took selfie with corpse

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Global GIS Market in Telecom Sector - Use of GIS and Big Data is an Emerging Trend in the Market

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 24, 2018--Technavio’s latest market research report on the provides an analysis of the most important trends expected to impact the market outlook from 2018-2022. defines an emerging trend as a factor that has the potential to significantly impact the market and contribute to its growth or decline. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006378/en/ Technavio has published a new market research report on the global GIS market in telecom sector from 2018-2022. (Graphic: Business Wire) According to Technavio market research analysts, the will grow at a CAGR of over 11% during the forecast period. Increased use of GIS for capacity planning is a major factor driving the market’s growth. Globally, telecom companies are capitalizing on the increasing demand for mobile phones and Internet. To increase their customer reach, they are providing a broad range of services. In urban areas, the telecom industry is saturated, and the competition is intense. The demand is rising in rural areas because of the increase in the literacy rate and relatively low competition, and this is enabling the players to focus on such markets. This report is available at a USD 1,000 discount for a limited time only: Save more with Technavio. Buy2 reports and get the third for FREE: In this report, Technavio highlights the use of GIS and big data as one of the key emerging trends in the global GIS market in the telecom sector: Use of GIS and big data The use of GIS data with big data and big data analytics is a new way of analyzing massive volumes of cluttered data to get meaningful and useful data. Companies such as Esri has built GIS tools for Hadoop. These tools help in using the Hadoop framework for the analysis of spatial data. It is an open source software for big spatial data analysis. Some of the major functions of the software include visualization and analysis of maps, publication of map applications online, large volume of data is recorded in Hadoop, large volume of Polygon analysis is performed to obtain new informative results and carrying out operations on billions of spatial data records based on location. “GIS tools for Hadoop helps in analyzing the impact of driver carpooling based on an analysis of automobile GPS position data. For the study, places with the highest number of trips with similar origin and destination locations were considered. With the help of GPS, the data collected includes 40 million vehicle position records gathered in a single day. The data included longitude, latitude, date, speed, and time. To analyze a vast number of data sets, the Hadoop MapReduce framework was used for distributed parallel computation,” says a senior analyst at Technavio for research on . Looking for more information on this market? Technavio’s sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report such as the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. Global GIS market in the telecom sector – segmentation analysis This market research report segments the into the following products, including software, data, and services and key regions, the Americas, APAC, and EMEA. The software segment held the largest market share in 2017, accounting for nearly 47% of the market. The market share for this product is expected to decrease by 2022. The fastest growing product is services, which will account for nearly 23% of the total market share by 2022. The Americas was the leading region for the global GIS market in the telecom sector in 2017, accounting for a market share of nearly 45%. By 2022, APAC is expected to witness the highest growth rate. About Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio’s report library consists of more than 10,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio’s comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at . View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006378/en/ CONTACT: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 www.technavio.com KEYWORD: INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY DATA MANAGEMENT TELECOMMUNICATIONS SOURCE: Technavio Research Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/24/2018 02:33 PM/DISC: 04/24/2018 02:33 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006378/en

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2018-04-25 02:33:00

Global GIS Market in Telecom Sector - Use of GIS and Big Data is an Emerging Trend in the Market | Technavio

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413697

Trial starts for woman charged with killing her twin

WAILUKU, Hawaii (AP) — A murder trial began Monday for a woman accused of deliberately driving off a cliff in Hawaii and killing her identical twin sister. The 2016 crash was a tragic accident, Alexandria Duval's defense attorney, Birney Bervar said in his opening statement. There's reasonable doubt of any criminal behavior, he said. Authorities described the 2016 crash as a hair-pulling fight over the steering wheel. The sisters, who were 38 at the time, were seen arguing on the narrow, winding Hana Highway on the island of Maui before their SUV plunged 200 feet over a cliff. Anastasia Duval was in the passenger seat and was killed, and her sister Alexandria Duval was arrested. A judge later ordered Alexandria Duval released after finding no probable cause for a murder charge. She traveled to upstate New York and was arrested again months later in Albany after a grand jury indicted her. Duval opted to have a judge instead of a jury decide the case. The judge is expected to reach a verdict this week. Maui resident Chad Smith testified that while the women were passing him on the highway he could see them arguing. Smith, who was headed to a church, said he couldn't hear anything but the women looked angry. He had to swerve out of their way, he said. The sisters, born Alison and Ann Dadow in the Utica, New York, area, operated popular yoga studios in Florida before they changed their names. They moved to Hawaii in 2015 from Utah. Duval isn't expected to testify, Bervar said.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-30 11:01:00

Trial starts for woman charged with killing her twin

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354051

Chang Redux: US man employs underhand serves at French Open

PARIS (AP) — A young American man tried an underhand serve while cramping during a five-setter at the French Open. Hmm. Seen that before, haven't we? Except there was one key difference this time: For 21-year-old Jared Donaldson against No. 4-seed Grigor Dimitrov on Wednesday, unlike for 17-year-old — and eventual tournament champion — Michael Chang against Ivan Lendl in 1989, the unorthodox strategy didn't come in a victory. Dimitrov came back to beat the 57th-ranked Donaldson 6-7 (2), 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 10-8 in a second-round match that lasted 4 hours, 19 minutes on the new Court 18 at Roland Garros. The most memorable aspect was Donaldson's two unusual service motions; he won the point the first time, but not the other. "I would never try it if I was feeling 100 percent and stuff," said Donaldson, who could barely move by the end because of painful cramps in his legs. "But obviously Grigor was playing so far back on the return that I felt like, 'You know, maybe it's just something that I'll try.' He obviously wasn't expecting it, you know what I mean? It's kind of a cheeky way to get a point." Donaldson said he has never seen footage of what Chang did 29 years ago. He did, however, know of the episode: Chang used an underhand serve while cramping during a fourth-round win over Lendl on the way to the French Open title; he remains the youngest man to win a major singles championship. Dimitrov was not angered by the tactic. Quite the opposite, actually, shrugging his shoulders and conceding it was smart for Donaldson to try it. "It was beautiful, right?" Dimitrov said. "He wanted to use something different to kind of try to put me off guard." Before his first underhand attempt, Donaldson was actually two points from the victory, leading 6-5 in the fifth set and at love-30 on Dimitrov's serve. But Dimitrov took the next four points. In the next game, at 6-all, 40-30, Donaldson successfully used the underhand motion. He hit a short serve that two-time Grand Slam semifinalist Dimitrov returned long to allow Donaldson to hold. After Dimitrov broke to lead 8-7 and serve for the victory, Donaldson broke right back. In the next game, though, Donaldson could barely stand, let alone run. He double-faulted. Then he tried his second underhand serve, dropping the point. Dimitrov hit a winner to break for a 9-8 lead, Donaldson slowly limped to the sideline for the changeover and, soon enough, it was over. "It wasn't that I was tired or anything," Donaldson said. "It was just my leg muscles had reached their limit, basically." After the final point, Dimitrov leaned forward while raising each knee to give it a kiss — thanking his own legs for carrying him to the win while Donaldson's gave way. "I had quite a little bit left in the tank, so that was great," said Dimitrov, who equaled his best French Open showing by reaching the third round. "And I think it meant a lot to the whole team, but especially to my fitness guy. ... It's great to win a match in five sets. I think it stays with you. You keep it." ___ Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich ___ More AP tennis coverage: https://www.apnews.com/tag/apf-Tennis

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-05-31 05:11:00

Chang Redux: US man employs underhand serves at French Open

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444560

Treasury boosts size of securities offerings

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Treasury Department, faced with rising budget deficits, is increasing the size of various securities offerings. Treasury officials said Wednesday they will boost the size of the two-year and three-year note auctions by $2 billion per month over the next quarter and also increase the size of the upcoming five-year, seven-year and 10-year notes and the next 30-year bond. Officials said this week that Treasury will have to borrow $441 billion in the current January-March quarter, the largest amount in eight years, as budget deficits surge under the impact of higher spending and the Trump administration tax cuts. Treasury is employing bookkeeping measures to keep from exceeding the current borrowing limit but will run out of maneuvering room at the end of February unless Congress raises the debt limit.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-01 00:20:00

Treasury boosts size of securities offerings

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354855

Afghan troops free prisoners held by Taliban; bomb wounds 6

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — An Afghan military spokesman says elite commando units have freed dozens of prisoners held by the Taliban, including women and children, in an early morning operation in southern Helmand province. The spokesman, Abdul Qadeir Bahadorzai, says Thursday's operation took place in the district of Kajaki and freed 103 people held in two prisons there run by the Taliban. He says four Taliban fighters were killed in the gunbattle. Bahadorzai says five women and two children were among the freed captives, most of whom were civilians. Meanwhile, also in Helmand, a district governor says a suicide car bomber wounded six people, including three policemen, on Thursday morning. Mohammad Salim Roodi says the attack took place in Girishk district when the police tried to stop a suspicious vehicle outside the governor's compound.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-05-31 15:43:00

Afghan troops free prisoners held by Taliban; bomb wounds 6

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444966

Daimler reports record profit for 2017 on SUV, E-Class sales

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — German automaker Daimler AG says its net profit rose 24 percent to a record 10.9 billion euros ($13.5 billion) last year, helped by strong sales of its Mercedes-Benz SUVs and new E-Class luxury sedan. The Stuttgart-based company gave a measured earnings outlook for this year, saying that operating earnings would be of "the magnitude of the previous year" instead of increasing. Daimler said its earnings would be burdened by "very high" expenditure on new models and technologies such as battery-powered cars. Like others, the company also has to prepare for autonomous driving and a shift to transportation services such as car-sharing and ride-hailing through smartphone apps. Revenue rose 7 percent on the year to 164.3 billion euros and management proposed its highest dividend to date, 3.65 per share.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-01 15:30:00

Daimler reports record profit for 2017 on SUV, E-Class sales

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3355224

'Remember Me' songwriters on bittersweet Globes morning

LOS ANGELES (AP) — It's a bittersweet morning for the songwriters of "Remember Me" from "Coco." Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez learned of their Golden Globe nomination just as a bomb exploded on the New York City subway. The couple said they turned on the television to watch the Globe nominations when news of the Port Authority explosion broke Monday. This is the second nomination for the songwriting pair, who were previously recognized for "Let It Go" from "Frozen." Anderson-Lopez said they are now at work on "Frozen 2" and the Broadway version of "Frozen." The couple says it's a "giant thrill" to be nominated, but they didn't plan to do much celebrating. Their cat is terminally ill and may be put down today. Anderson-Lopez said they planned to sing "Remember Me" to him.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-12-12 02:12:00

'Remember Me' songwriters on bittersweet Globes morning

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3318168

Top 25 Capsules

LEXINGTON, Kentucky (AP) — Malik Monk had 20 points and a career-high eight rebounds, Derek Willis had 16 points and No. 13 Kentucky made 10 of its 11 3-point attempts in the first half to roll past Tennessee 83-58 on Tuesday night. Seeking to stay atop the Southeastern Conference, the Wildcats avenged last month's 82-80 road loss to the Volunteers with their best performance in a while. Long-range shooting provided the biggest lift as Kentucky (21-5, 11-2) made 11 3s, its first double-digit effort from behind the arc in a month, as Monk and Willis each made four in the first half. The Wildcats held Tennessee (14-12, 6-7) to 35 percent shooting and led by as many as 28 points in handing the Volunteers their third loss in four games. De'Aaron Fox had 13 points and six assists and Bam Adebayo grabbed 12 rebounds in Kentucky's third straight win. Admiral Schofield had 17 points and Jordan Bone added 15 for Tennessee. ___ No. 15 FLORIDA 114, AUBURN 95 AUBURN, Alabama (AP) — Canyon Barry scored a season-high 30 points for Florida. The Gators (21-5, 11-2 Southeastern Conference) blew past their previous scoring high of 106 points en route to a seventh straight win. They dominated after going into halftime locked in a 50-50 tie, coming out of the locker room on a 13-3 run and never looking back. Florida shot 56 percent from the field and made 11 of 19 3-point attempts and 37 of 42 free throws. Anfernee McLemore led Auburn (16-10, 5-8) with 19 points, T.J. Dunans had 13 and Ronnie Johnson 12. ___ No. 16 PURDUE 74, RUTGERS 55 WEST LAFAYETTE, Indiana (AP) — Center Isaac Haas had 24 points and 11 rebounds, and power forward Caleb Swanigan added 12 points and 17 rebounds for Purdue. Purdue (21-5, 10-3 Big Ten) led only 45-39 with just over 12:30 remaining, but from the 11:15 mark until he left the game with 2:20 to play, Haas scored 16 points, and the Boilermakers pulled away for their fourth consecutive victory. Nigel Johnson scored 23 points to lead Rutgers (13-14, 2-12), which had no answer for Purdue's big men. ___ No. 25 NOTRE DAME 84, BOSTON COLLEGE 76 BOSTON (AP) — Bonzie Colson scored 20 points and Matt Farrell had 19 as Notre Dame overcame a 13-point first-half deficit to send Boston College to its 10th straight loss. V.J. Beachem had 16 points and Steve Vasturia added 15 for the Fighting Irish (20-7, 9-5 Atlantic Coast Conference). It is coach Mike Brey's 13th time winning at least 20 games with Notre Dame. Ky Bowman led Boston College (9-18, 2-12) with 29 points and Mo Jeffers had 12. BC had sliced it to 78-76 on Bowman's two free throws with just under a minute to play, but Beachem grabbed an offensive rebound and was fouled on the ensuing possession. He hit both free throws with 24.1 seconds to play.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-02-15 10:54:00

Top 25 Capsules

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3095270

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'Sex in the City' star Cynthia Nixon running for governor

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Former "Sex and the City" star Cynthia Nixon said on Twitter Monday that she'll challenge Gov. Andrew Cuomo in New York's Democratic primary in September. Her announcement sets up a race pitting an openly gay liberal activist against a two-term incumbent with a $30 million war chest and possible presidential ambitions. In a video on Twitter, the public education advocate said, "We want our government to work again." Nixon in recent speeches has called on Democrats nationally to carve out a strong liberal identity instead of being merely the "anti-Trump party." The 51-year-old Manhattan mother of three is an ally of Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who frequently clashes with Cuomo on various issues. The 60-year-old Cuomo was favored 66 percent to 19 percent over Nixon in a recent Siena College poll.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-03-20 02:22:00

'Sex in the City' star Cynthia Nixon running for governor

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3385742

Pakistan eliminates Zimbabwe from tri-series tournament

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Pakistan had five balls to spare when it beat Zimbabwe by seven wickets on Wednesday and eliminated the African host from the Twenty20 tri-series tournament. Solomon Mire missed out on the chance to become Zimbabwe's first century-maker in a T20 international as his 94-run knock carried Zimbabwe to 162-4 after captain Hamilton Masakadza lost his first toss in the tri-series and his team was put in to bat. Opener Fakhar Zaman (47) and Hussain Talat (44) led Pakistan to 163-3 in 19.1 overs against an inexperienced bowling attack as Pakistan registered its second win against Zimbabwe. It was Zimbabwe's third straight loss. Australia plays against Pakistan on Thursday before both teams meet in Sunday's final. Mire stood tall against Pakistan's full-strength attack as left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Amir (1-25) got his first game of the series and replaced Usman Khan. Mire and Cephas Zhuwao (24) provided a solid opening partnership of 49 runs before Tarisai Musakanda (33) added 64 runs for the third wicket with Mire. Mire, who hit six sixes and six fours, reached his half-century off 32 balls when he hoisted left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz for a six over long off in the 11th over. Pakistan struggled for wickets despite seamer Faheem Ashraf (1-24) and leg-spinner Shadab Khan (1-28) bowling a decent four overs each in the middle overs. Mire looked set to become the first Zimbabwe batsman to score a century in a Twenty20 before he holed out at deep mid-wicket off seamer Talat in the 18th over — only a ball after Asif Ali missed a sitter at deep square leg. Mire also featured in two dismissals during Pakistan's innings as he took a fine catch in the deep to dismiss Haris Sohail. He then denied Zaman a half century through his medium pace when the left-hander was caught at mid-on. Captain Sarfraz Ahmed (38 not out) and experienced Shoaib Malik (12 not out) kept their composure and carried Pakistan home. Ahmed was not happy with his bowlers, saying it "was not up to the mark, they have to work hard."

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-07-04 20:44:00

Pakistan eliminates Zimbabwe from tri-series tournament

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3474236

National Hockey League

All Times EDT EASTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA Tampa Bay 72 49 19 4 102 260 202 Boston 71 45 17 9 99 239 184 Toronto 72 43 22 7 93 243 204 Washington 72 41 24 7 89 225 214 Pittsburgh 72 41 26 5 87 237 218 Columbus 73 40 28 5 85 205 203 Philadelphia 73 37 25 11 85 218 215 New Jersey 72 37 27 8 82 217 215 Florida 70 36 27 7 79 212 216 Carolina 72 31 30 11 73 194 225 N.Y. Rangers 72 32 32 8 72 208 231 N.Y. Islanders 72 30 32 10 70 231 262 Montreal 73 26 35 12 64 182 232 Ottawa 71 26 34 11 63 197 244 Detroit 72 26 35 11 63 184 224 Buffalo 72 23 37 12 58 172 236 WESTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA Nashville 72 48 14 10 106 236 178 Vegas 72 46 21 5 97 244 199 Winnipeg 72 43 19 10 96 240 189 Minnesota 73 41 24 8 90 227 210 San Jose 72 40 23 9 89 219 199 Colorado 72 39 25 8 86 231 209 Los Angeles 73 40 27 6 86 211 184 Anaheim 73 37 24 12 86 206 197 Dallas 73 38 27 8 84 209 197 St. Louis 72 39 28 5 83 201 193 Calgary 74 35 29 10 80 204 222 Chicago 73 30 34 9 69 208 223 Edmonton 72 31 36 5 67 201 231 Vancouver 72 25 38 9 59 186 236 Arizona 72 24 37 11 59 175 230 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Top three teams in each division and two wild cards per conference advance to playoffs. Sunday's Games Colorado 5, Detroit 1 Vegas 4, Calgary 0 Tampa Bay 3, Edmonton 1 Carolina 4, N.Y. Islanders 3 Philadelphia 6, Washington 3 Winnipeg 4, Dallas 2 St. Louis 5, Chicago 4, OT Anaheim 4, New Jersey 2 Monday's Games Columbus 5, Boston 4, OT Nashville 4, Buffalo 0 Florida 2, Montreal 0 Los Angeles 4, Minnesota 3, OT Arizona 5, Calgary 2 Tuesday's Games Columbus at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m. Dallas at Washington, 7 p.m. Pittsburgh at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m. Edmonton at Carolina, 7 p.m. Florida at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m. Philadelphia at Detroit, 7:30 p.m. Toronto at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m. Los Angeles at Winnipeg, 8 p.m. Colorado at Chicago, 8:30 p.m. Vancouver at Vegas, 10 p.m. New Jersey at San Jose, 10:30 p.m. Wednesday's Games Montreal at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. Arizona at Buffalo, 7 p.m. Boston at St. Louis, 8 p.m. Anaheim at Calgary, 9:30 p.m. Thursday's Games N.Y. Rangers at Philadelphia, 7 p.m. Arizona at Carolina, 7 p.m. Florida at Columbus, 7 p.m. Tampa Bay at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m. Washington at Detroit, 7:30 p.m. Edmonton at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m. Toronto at Nashville, 8 p.m. Vancouver at Chicago, 8:30 p.m. Los Angeles at Colorado, 9 p.m. Vegas at San Jose, 10 p.m.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-03-20 12:42:00

National Hockey League

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3386081

Text of President Donald Trump's State of the Union address

Text of President Donald Trump's State of the Union address, as provided by Federal News Service: Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, first lady of the United States, and my fellow Americans, less than one year has passed since I first stood at this podium in this majestic chamber to speak on behalf of the American people and to address their concerns, their hopes and their dreams. That night, our new Administration had already taken very swift action. A new tide of optimism was already sweeping across our land. Each day since, we have gone forward with a clear vision and a righteous mission: to make America great again for all Americans. Over the last year, we have made incredible progress and achieved extraordinary success. We have faced challenges we expected and others we could never have imagined. We have shared in the heights of victory and the pains of hardship. We have endured floods and fires and storms. But through it all, we have seen the beauty of America's soul and the steel in America's spine. Each test has forged new American heroes to remind us who we are and show us what we can be. We saw the volunteers of the Cajun Navy, racing to the rescue with their fishing boats to save people in the aftermath of a totally devastating hurricane. We saw strangers shielding strangers from a hail of gunfire on the Las Vegas strip. We heard tales of Americans, like Coast Guard Petty Officer Ashlee Leppert, who is here tonight in the gallery with Melania. Ashlee was aboard one of the first helicopters on the scene in Houston during the Hurricane Harvey. Through 18 hours of wind and rain, Ashlee braved live power lines and deep water to help save more than 40 lives. Ashlee, we all thank you. Thank you very much. We heard about Americans like firefighter David Dahlberg. He's here with us, also. David faced down walls of flame to rescue almost 60 children trapped at a California summer camp threatened by those devastating wildfires. To everyone still recovering in Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, everywhere, we are with you, we love you, and we always will pull through together always. Thank you to David and the brave people of California. Thank you very much, David. Great job. Some trials over the past year touched this chamber very personally. With us tonight is one of the toughest people ever to serve in this House, a guy who took a bullet, almost died, and was back to work three-and-a-half months later, the legend from Louisiana, Congressman Steve Scalise. I think they like you, Steve. We're incredibly grateful for the heroic efforts of the Capitol Police officers, the Alexandria Police, and the doctors, nurses, and paramedics who saved his life and the lives of many others, some in this room. In the aftermath — yes. Yes. In the aftermath of that terrible shooting, we came together, not as Republicans or Democrats, but as representatives of the people. But it is not enough to come together only in times of tragedy. Tonight, I call upon all of us to set aside our differences, to seek out common ground, and to summon the unity we need to deliver for the people. This is really the key. These are the people we were elected to serve. Thank you. Over the last year, the world has seen what we always knew: that no people on Earth are so fearless, or daring, or determined as Americans. If there is a mountain, we climb it. If there's a frontier, we cross it. If there's a challenge, we tame it. If there's an opportunity, we seize it. So let's begin tonight by recognizing that the state of our union is strong because our people are strong. And together we are building a safe, strong, and proud America. Since the election, we have created 2.4 million new jobs, including ... including 200,000 new jobs in manufacturing alone. Tremendous number. After years and years of wage stagnation, we are finally seeing rising wages. Unemployment claims have hit a 45-year low. And something I'm very proud of, African-American unemployment stands at the lowest rate ever recorded. And Hispanic-American unemployment has also reached the lowest levels in history. Small-business confidence is at an all-time high. The stock market has smashed one record after another, gaining $8 trillion and more in value in just this short period of time. The great news ... the great news for Americans, 401K, retirement, pension, and college savings accounts have gone through the roof. And just as I promised the American people from this podium 11 months ago, we enacted the biggest tax cuts and reforms in American history. Our massive tax cuts provide tremendous relief for the middle class and small business. To lower tax rates for hardworking Americans, we nearly doubled the standard deduction for everyone. Now the first $24,000 earned by a married couple is completely tax-free. We also doubled the child tax credit. A typical family of four making $75,000 will see their tax bill reduced by $2,000, slashing their tax bill in half. In April, this will be the last time you will ever file under the old and very broken system, and millions of Americans will have more take-home pay starting next month. A lot more. We eliminated an especially cruel tax that fell mostly on Americans making less than $50,000 a year, forcing them to pay tremendous penalties simply because they couldn't afford government-ordered health plans. We repealed the core of the disastrous Obamacare. The individual mandate is now gone. We slashed the business tax rate from 35 percent all the way down to 21 percent, so American companies can compete and win against anyone else anywhere in the world. These changes alone are estimated to increase average family income by more than $4,000. A lot of money. Small businesses have also received a massive tax cut and can now deduct 20 percent of their business income. Here tonight are Steve Staub and Sandy Keplinger of Staub Manufacturing, a small beautiful business in Ohio. They've just finished the best year in their 20-year history. Because of tax reform, they are handing out raises, hiring an additional 14 people, and expanding into the building next door. Good feeling. One of Staub's employees, Corey Adams, is also with us tonight. Corey is an all-American worker. He supported himself through high school, lost his job during the 2008 recession, and was later hired by Staub, where he trained to become a welder. Like many hardworking Americans, Corey plans to invest his tax cut raise into his new home and his two daughters' education. Corey, please stand. And he's a great welder. I was told that by the man that owns that company that's doing so well, so congratulations, Corey. Since we passed tax cuts, roughly 3 million workers have already gotten tax cut bonuses, many of them thousands and thousands of dollars per worker. And it's getting more every month, every week. Apple has just announced it plans to invest a total of $350 billion in America and hire another 20,000 workers. And just a little while ago, ExxonMobil announced a $50 billion investment in the United States. Just a little while ago. This, in fact, is our new American moment. There has never been a better time to start living the American dream. So to every citizen watching at home tonight, no matter where you've been or where you've come from, this is your time. If you work hard, if you believe in yourself, if you believe in America, then you can dream anything, you can be anything, and together, we can achieve absolutely anything. Tonight, I want to talk about what kind of future we are going to have and what kind of a nation we are going to be. All of us, together, as one team, one people, and one American family can do anything. We all share the same home, the same heart, the same destiny, and the same great American flag. Together, we are rediscovering the American way. In America, we know that faith and family, not government and bureaucracy, are the center of American life. The motto is "in God we trust." And we celebrate our police, our military, and our amazing veterans as heroes who deserve our total and unwavering support. Here tonight is Preston Sharp, a 12-year-old boy from Redding, California, who noticed that veterans' graves were not marked with flags on Veterans Day. He decided all by himself to change that and started a movement that has now placed 40,000 flags at the graves of our great heroes. Preston, a job well done. Young patriots like Preston teach all of us about our civic duty as Americans. And I met Preston a little while ago, and he is something very special, that I can tell you. Great future. Thank you very much for all you've done, Preston. Thank you very much. Preston's reverence for those who have served our nation reminds us why we salute our flag, why we put our hands on our hearts for the Pledge of Allegiance, and why we proudly stand for the national anthem. Americans love their country. And they deserve a government that shows them the same love and loyalty in return. For the last year, we have sought to restore the bonds of trust between our citizens and their government. Working with the Senate, we are appointing judges who will interpret the Constitution as written, including a great new Supreme Court justice and more circuit court judges than any new administration in the history of our country. We are totally defending our Second Amendment and have taken historic actions to protect religious liberty. And we are serving our brave veterans, including giving our veterans choice in their health care decisions. Last year, Congress also passed, and I signed, the landmark V.A. Accountability Act. Since its passage, my administration has already removed more than 1,500 V.A. employees who failed to give our veterans the care they deserve, and we are hiring talented people who love our vets as much as we do. And I will not stop until our veterans are properly taken care of, which has been my promise to them from the very beginning of this great journey. All Americans deserve accountability and respect, and that's what we are giving to our wonderful heroes, our veterans. Thank you. So tonight, I call on Congress to empower every cabinet secretary with the authority to reward good workers and to remove federal employees who undermine the public trust or fail the American people. In our drive to make Washington accountable, we have eliminated more regulations in our first year than any administration in the history of our country. We have ended the war on American energy, and we have ended the war on beautiful clean coal. We are now very proudly an exporter of energy to the world. In Detroit, I halted government mandates that crippled America's great, beautiful autoworkers so that we can get Motor City revving its engines again. And that's what's happening. Many car companies are now building and expanding plants in the United States, something we haven't seen for decades. Chrysler is moving a major plant from Mexico to Michigan. Toyota and Mazda are opening up a plant in Alabama, a big one. And we haven't seen this in a long time. It's all coming back. Very soon, auto plants and other plants will be opening up all over our country. This is all news Americans are totally unaccustomed to hearing. For many years, companies and jobs were only leaving us. But now they are roaring back, they're coming back. They want to be where the action is. They want to be in the United States of America. That's where they want to be. Exciting progress is happening every single day. To speed access to breakthrough cures and affordable generic drugs, last year the FDA approved more new and generic drugs and medical devices than ever before in our country's history. We also believe that patients with terminal conditions and terminal illness should have access to experimental treatment immediately that could potentially save their lives. People who are terminally ill should not have to go from country to country to seek a cure. I want to give them a chance right here at home. It's time for Congress to give these wonderful, incredible Americans the right to try. One of my greatest priorities is to reduce the price of prescription drugs. In many other countries, these drugs cost far less than what we pay in the United States. And it's very, very unfair. That is why I have directed my administration to make fixing the injustice of high drug prices one of my top priorities for the year. And prices will come down substantially. Watch. America has also finally turned the page on decades of unfair trade deals that sacrificed our prosperity and shipped away our companies, our jobs, and our wealth. Our nation has lost its wealth, but we're getting it back so fast. The era of economic surrender is totally over. From now on, we expect trading relationships to be fair and, very importantly, reciprocal. We will work to fix bad trade deals and negotiate new ones. And they'll be good ones, but they'll be fair. And we will protect American workers and American intellectual property through strong enforcement of our trade rules. As we rebuild our industries, it is also time to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure. America is a nation of builders. We built the Empire State Building in just one year. Isn't it a disgrace that it can now take 10 years just to get a minor permit approved for the building of a simple road? I am asking both parties to come together to give us safe, fast, reliable, and modern infrastructure that our economy needs and our people deserve. Tonight I'm calling on Congress to produce a bill that generates at least $1.5 trillion for the new infrastructure investment that our country so desperately needs. Every federal dollar should be leveraged by partnering with state and local governments and, where appropriate, tapping into private sector investment to permanently fix the infrastructure deficit. And we can do it. Any bill must also streamline the permitting and approval process, getting it down to no more than two years, and perhaps even one. Together, we can reclaim our great building heritage. We will build gleaming new roads, bridges, highways, railways, and waterways all across our land. And we will do it with American heart, American hands, and American grit. We want every American to know the dignity of a hard day's work. We want every child to be safe in their home at night. And we want every citizen to be proud of this land that we all love so much. We can lift our citizens from welfare to work, from dependence to independence, and from poverty to prosperity. As ... as tax cuts create new jobs, let's invest in workforce development and let's invest in job training, which we need so badly. Let's open great vocational schools so our future workers can learn a craft and realize their full potential. And let's support working families by supporting paid family leave. As America regains its strength, opportunity must be extended to all citizens. That is why this year we will embark on reforming our prisons to help former inmates who have served their time get a second chance at life. Struggling communities, especially immigrant communities, will also be helped by immigration policies that focus on the best interests of American workers and American families. For decades, open borders have allowed drugs and gangs to pour into our most vulnerable communities. They've allowed millions of low-wage workers to compete for jobs and wages against the poorest Americans. Most tragically, they have caused the loss of many innocent lives. Here tonight are two fathers and two mothers: Evelyn Rodriguez, Freddy Cuevas, Elizabeth Alvarado, and Robert Mickens. Their two teenage daughters — Kayla Cuevas and Nisa Mickens — were close friends on Long Island. But in September 2016, on the eve of Nisa's 16th birthday, such a happy time it should have been, neither of them came home. These two precious girls were brutally murdered while walking together in their hometown. Six members of the savage MS-13 gang have been charged with Kayla and Nisa's murders. Many of these gang members took advantage of glaring loopholes in our laws to enter the country as illegal unaccompanied alien minors and wound up in Kayla and Nisa's high school. Evelyn, Elizabeth, Freddy, and Robert, tonight, everyone in this chamber is praying for you. Everyone in America is grieving for you. Please stand. Thank you very much. I want you to know that 320 million hearts are right now breaking for you. We love you. Thank you. While we cannot imagine the depths of that kind of sorrow, we can make sure that other families never have to endure this kind of pain. Tonight, I am calling on Congress to finally close the deadly loopholes that have allowed MS-13, and other criminal gangs, to break into our country. We have proposed new legislation that will fix our immigration laws, and support our ICE and Border Patrol agents — these are great people, these are great, great people that work so hard in the midst of such danger — so that this can never happen again. The United States is a compassionate nation. We are proud that we do more than any other country anywhere in the world to help the needy, the struggling, and the underprivileged all over the world. But as president of the United States, my highest loyalty, my greatest compassion, my constant concern is for America's children, America's struggling workers, and America's forgotten communities. I want our youth to grow up to achieve great things. I want our poor to have their chance to rise. So tonight, I am extending an open hand to work with members of both parties — Democrats and Republicans — to protect our citizens of every background, color, religion, and creed. My duty, and the sacred duty of every elected official in this chamber, is to defend Americans, to protect their safety, their families, their communities, and their right to the American dream. Because Americans are dreamers, too. Here tonight is one leader in the effort to defend our country, Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Celestino Martinez. He goes by DJ. And CJ. He said call me either one. So we'll call you CJ. Served 15 years in the Air Force before becoming an ICE agent and spending the last 15 years fighting gang violence and getting dangerous criminals off of our streets. Tough job. At one point, MS-13 leaders ordered CJ's murder, and they wanted it to happen quickly. But he did not cave to threats or to fear. Last May, he commanded an operation to track down gang members on Long Island. His team has arrested nearly 400, including more than 220 MS-13 gang members. And I have to tell you what the Border Patrol and ICE have done. We have sent thousands and thousands and thousands of MS-13 horrible people out of this country or into our prisons. So I just want to congratulate you, CJ. You're a brave guy. Thank you very much. And I asked CJ, what's the secret? He said, "We're just tougher than they are." And I like that answer. Now let's get Congress to send you — and all of the people in this great chamber have to do it, we have no choice — CJ, we're going to send you reinforcements and we're going to send them to you quickly. It's what you need. Over the next few weeks, the House and Senate will be voting on an immigration reform package. In recent months, my administration has met extensively with both Democrats and Republicans to craft a bipartisan approach to immigration reform. Based on these discussions, we presented Congress with a detailed proposal that should be supported by both parties as a fair compromise, one where nobody gets everything they want, but where our country gets the critical reforms it needs and must have. Here are the four pillars of our plan. The first pillar of our framework generously offers a path to citizenship for 1.8 million illegal immigrants who were brought here by their parents at a young age. That covers almost three times more people than the previous administration covered. Under our plan, those who meet education and work requirements, and show good moral character, will be able to become full citizens of the United States over a 12-year period. The second pillar fully secures the border. That means building a great wall on the southern border, and it means hiring more heroes like CJ to keep our communities safe. Crucially, our plan closes the terrible loopholes exploited by criminals and terrorists to enter our country, and it finally ends the horrible and dangerous practice of catch and release. The third pillar ends the visa lottery, a program that randomly hands out green cards without any regard for skill, merit, or the safety of American people. It's time to begin moving toward a merit-based immigration system, one that admits people who are skilled, who want to work, who will contribute to our society, and who will love and respect our country. The fourth and final pillar protects the nuclear family by ending chain migration. Under the current broken system, a single immigrant can bring in virtually unlimited numbers of distant relatives. Under our plan, we focus on the immediate family by limiting sponsorships to spouses and minor children. This vital reform is necessary, not just for our economy, but for our security and for the future of America. In recent weeks, two terrorist attacks in New York were made possible by the visa lottery and chain migration. In the age of terrorism, these programs present risks we can just no longer afford. It's time to reform ... these outdated immigration rules and finally bring our immigration system into the 21st century. These four pillars represent a down-the-middle compromise and one that will create a safe, modern, and lawful immigration system. For over 30 years, Washington has tried and failed to solve this problem. This Congress can be the one that finally makes it happen. Most importantly, these four pillars will produce legislation that fulfills my ironclad pledge to sign a bill that puts America first. So let's come together, set politics aside, and finally get the job done. These reforms will also support our response to the terrible crisis of opioid and drug addiction. Never before has it been like it is now. It is terrible. We have to do something about it. In 2016, we lost 64,000 Americans to drug overdoses, 174 deaths per day, seven per hour. We must get much tougher on drug dealers and pushers if we are going to succeed in stopping this scourge. My administration is committed to fighting the drug epidemic and helping get treatment for those in need, for those who have been so terribly hurt. The struggle will be long and it will be difficult, but as Americans always do, in the end, we will succeed, we will prevail. As we have seen tonight, the most difficult challenges bring out the best in America. We see a vivid expression of this truth in the story of the Holets family of New Mexico. Ryan Holets is 27 years old, an officer with the Albuquerque Police Department. He's here tonight with his wife, Rebecca. Thank you, Ryan. Last year, Ryan was on duty when he saw a pregnant, homeless woman preparing to inject heroin. When Ryan told her she was going to harm her unborn child, she began to weep. She told him she didn't know where to turn, but badly wanted a safe home for her baby. In that moment, Ryan said he felt God speak to him: "You will do it because you can." He heard those words. He took out a picture of his wife and their four kids. Then he went home to tell his wife, Rebecca. In an instant, she agreed to adopt. The Holets named their new daughter Hope. Ryan and Rebecca, you embody the goodness of our nation. Thank you. Thank you, Ryan and Rebecca. As we rebuild America's strength and confidence at home, we are also restoring our strength and standing abroad. Around the world, we face rogue regimes, terrorist groups, and rivals like China and Russia that challenge our interests, our economy, and our values. In confronting these horrible dangers, we know that weakness is the surest path to conflict, and unmatched power is the surest means to our true and great defense. For this reason, I am asking Congress to end the dangerous defense sequester and fully fund our great military. As part of our defense, we must modernize and rebuild our nuclear arsenal, hopefully never having to use it, but making it so strong and so powerful that it will deter any acts of aggression by any other nation or anyone else. Perhaps some day in the future there will be a magical moment when the countries of the world will get together to eliminate their nuclear weapons. Unfortunately, we are not there yet, sadly. Last year, I also pledged that we would work with our allies to extinguish ISIS from the face of the Earth. One year later, I am proud to report that the coalition to defeat ISIS has liberated very close to 100 percent of the territory just recently held by these killers in Iraq and in Syria and in other locations, as well. But there is much more work to be done. We will continue our fight until ISIS is defeated. Army Staff Sergeant Justin Peck is here tonight. Near Raqqa last November, Justin and his comrade, Chief Petty Officer Kenton Stacy, were on a mission to clear buildings that ISIS had rigged with explosive so that civilians could return to that city, hopefully soon and hopefully safely. Clearing the second floor of a vital hospital, Kenton Stacy was severely wounded by an explosion. Immediately, Justin bounded into the booby-trapped and unbelievably dangerous and unsafe building and found Kenton, but in very, very bad shape. He applied pressure to the wound and inserted a tube to reopen an airway. He then performed CPR for 20 straight minutes during the ground transport and maintained artificial respiration through two-and-a-half hours and through emergency surgery. Kenton Stacy would have died if it were not for Justin's selfless love for his fellow warrior. Tonight, Kenton is recovering in Texas. Raqqa is liberated. And Justin is wearing his new Bronze Star, with a V for Valor. Staff Sergeant Peck: All of America salutes you. Terrorists who do things like place bombs in civilian hospitals are evil. When possible, we have no choice but to annihilate them. When necessary, we must be able to detain and question them. But we must be clear: Terrorists are not merely criminals. They are unlawful enemy combatants. And when captured overseas, they should be treated like the terrorists they are. In the past, we have foolishly released hundreds of dangerous terrorists, only to meet them again on the battlefield, including the ISIS leader, al-Baghdadi, who we captured, who we had, who we released. So today, I am keeping another promise. I just signed prior to waling in an order directing Secretary Mattis — who is doing a great job, thank you ... to re-examine our military detention policy and to keep open the detention facilities in Guantanamo Bay. I am asking Congress to ensure that in the fight against ISIS and Al Qaida we continue to have all necessary power to detain terrorists, wherever we chase them down, wherever we find them. And in many cases, for them it will now be Guantanamo Bay. At the same time, as of a few months ago, our warriors in Afghanistan have new rules of engagement. Along with their heroic Afghan partners, our military is no longer undermined by artificial timelines, and we no longer tell our enemies our plans. Last month, I also took an action endorsed unanimously by the U.S. Senate just months before. I recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Shortly afterwards, dozens of countries voted in the United Nations General Assembly against America's sovereign right to make this decision. In 2016, American taxpayers generously sent those same countries more than $20 billion in aid. That is why tonight I am asking Congress to pass legislation to help ensure American foreign assistance dollars always serve American interests and only go to friends of America, not enemies of America. As we strengthen friendships all around the world, we are also restoring clarity about our adversaries. When the people of Iran rose up against the crimes of their corrupt dictatorship, I did not stay silent. America stands with the people of Iran in their courageous struggle for freedom. I am asking Congress to address the fundamental flaws in the terrible Iran nuclear deal. My administration has also imposed tough sanctions on the communist and socialist dictatorships in Cuba and Venezuela. But no regime has oppressed its own citizens more totally or brutally than the cruel dictatorship in North Korea. North Korea's reckless pursuit of nuclear missiles could very soon threaten our homeland. We are waging a campaign of maximum pressure to prevent that from ever happening. Past experience has taught us that complacency and concessions only invite aggression and provocation. I will not repeat the mistakes of past administrations that got us into this very dangerous position. We need only look at the depraved character of the North Korean regime to understand the nature of the nuclear threat it could pose to America and to our allies. Otto Warmbier was a hardworking student at the University of Virginia. And a great student, he was. On his way to study abroad in Asia, Otto joined a tour to North Korea. At its conclusion, this wonderful young man was arrested and charged with crimes against the state. After a shameful trial, the dictatorship sentenced Otto to 15 years of hard labor, before returning him to America last June, horribly injured and on the verge of death. He passed away just days after his return. Otto's wonderful parents, Fred and Cindy Warmbier, are here with us tonight, along with Otto's brother and sister, Austin and Greta. Please. Incredible people. You are powerful witnesses to a menace that threatens our world, and your strength truly inspires us all. Thank you very much. Thank you. Tonight we pledge to honor Otto's memory with total American resolve. Thank you. Finally ... we are joined by one more witness to the ominous nature of this regime. His name is Mr. Ji Seong-ho. In 1996, Seong-ho was a starving boy in North Korea. One day, he tried to steal coal from a railroad car to barter for a few scraps of food, which were very hard to get. In the process, he passed out on the train tracks, exhausted from hunger. He woke up as a train ran over his limbs. He then endured multiple amputations without anything to dull the pain or the hurt. His brother and sister gave what little food they had to help him recover and ate dirt themselves, permanently stunting their own growth. Later, he was tortured by North Korean authorities after returning from a brief visit to China. His tormentors wanted to know if he'd met any Christians. He had, and he resolved after that to be free. Seong-ho traveled thousands of miles on crutches all across China and Southeast Asia to freedom. Most of his family followed. His father was caught trying to escape and was tortured to death. Today he lives in Seoul, where he rescues other defectors, and broadcasts into North Korea what the regime fears most: the truth. Today he has a new leg, but Seong-ho, I understand you still keep those old crutches as a reminder of how far you've come. Your great sacrifice is an inspiration to us all. Please. Thank you. Seong-ho's story is a testament to the yearning of every human soul to live in freedom. It was that same yearning for freedom that nearly 250 years ago gave birth to a special place called America. It was a small cluster of colonies caught between a great ocean and a vast wilderness. It was home to an incredible people with a revolutionary idea, that they could rule themselves, that they could chart their own destiny, and that, together, they could light up the entire world. That is what our country has always been about. That is what Americans have always stood for, always strived for, and always done. Atop the dome of this Capitol stands the Statue of Freedom. She stands tall and dignified among the monuments to our ancestors who fought and lived and died to protect her. Monuments to Washington and Jefferson, and Lincoln and King. Memorials to the heroes of Yorktown and Saratoga, to young Americans who shed their blood on the shores of Normandy and the fields beyond. And others who went down in the waters of the Pacific and the skies all over Asia. And freedom stands tall over one more monument: this one. This Capitol. This living monument. This is the monument to the American people. We're a people whose heroes live not only in the past, but all around us, defending hope, pride, and defending the American way. They work in every trade. They sacrifice to raise a family. They care for our children at home. They defend our flag abroad. And they are strong moms and brave kids. They are firefighters and police officers and border agents, medics and Marines. But above all else, they are Americans. And this Capitol, this city, this Nation belongs entirely to them. Our task is to respect them, to listen to them, to serve them, to protect them, and to always be worthy of them. Americans fill the world with art and music. They push the bounds of science and discovery. And they forever remind us of what we should never, ever forget: The people dreamed this country. The people built this country. And it's the people who are making America great again. As long as we are proud of who we are and what we are fighting for, there is nothing we cannot achieve. As long as we have confidence in our values, faith in our citizens, and trust in our God, we will never fail. Our families will thrive. Our people will prosper. And our nation will forever be safe and strong and proud and mighty and free. Thank you, and God bless America. Good night.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-31 11:47:00

Text of President Donald Trump's State of the Union address

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354631

Can the average Taiwanese person in Taipei speak English?

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Taiwanese vlogger posted a social experiment on YouTube testing if travelers can communicate with the average person in Taipei in English. Ya Ting Yu, 26, known as Iris Virus on the internet, is a digital marketer and photographer who resides and works in Taipei City. Iris is often asked by her YouTube subscribers if the Taiwanese speak much English. Therefore, she decided to make a video to figure out the answer of her own. In the video, she posed as a tourist and asked people in Taipei for directions and food menus in English. She first asked the information center in a metro station and the counter in the department about directions. Both service people answered her questions in English immediately. She then approached a Taiwanese woman and a man on the road and asked them how to travel to her destination again. The two Taiwanese quickly understood what she said and pointed out the directions for her. After the successful experiences about asking directions, Iris tried to order drinks and food in the shops. A clerk from a tea stand introduced to her their most popular drink and explained the menu to her in English, while another clerk from a bun shop described all the products they have to her. After the social experiment, Iris was very impressed by the English ability of ordinary Taiwanese. She successfully arrived at her destination, bought a delicious pork cabbage bun and a cup of green tea without a word of Mandarin. She invited all the video viewers to come to Taiwan and visit the friendly country. Many viewers left positive messages below video. Viewers Angie Yu and WH Lin said they were really surprised by the English ability of the bun vendor. E Sky said the video is better than any other videos from Taiwan Tourist Bureau. Henrik Matzen thought the video shows the always wonderful and friendly nature of the Taiwanese people. It would be interesting to conduct a similar experiment in other cities in Taiwan and rural areas in the south, where far fewer tourists venture.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-06-15 10:18:00

Vlogger Iris Virus did a social experiment on how well Taiwanese can speak English in Taipei.Iris Virus tests the English speaking abilities of Taiwanese people in Taipei.

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Hearing set in case of Minnesota officer who shot Castile

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A Minnesota judge will hear oral arguments on whether to dismiss the case against the officer who shot and killed Philando Castile during a July traffic stop. St. Anthony police Officer Jeronimo Yanez is charged with manslaughter and other counts. His attorneys will argue at Wednesday's hearing that the case should be dismissed. They've said in court papers that Castile was reaching for his gun and the shooting was justified. Prosecutors disagree. They've filed documents saying issues raised by the defense should be decided by a jury. Castile, who was black, was killed July 6. The shooting's gruesome aftermath was streamed live on Facebook by his girlfriend. Prosecutors have said the 32-year-old was shot after telling Yanez he was armed. Authorities later discovered Castile was licensed to carry a weapon.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-02-15 14:05:00

Hearing set in case of Minnesota officer who shot Castile

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Michigan police department to apologize regarding Nassar

DETROIT (AP) — A police department in the Lansing, Michigan, area missed an opportunity to pursue criminal charges in 2004 against Larry Nassar and will publicly apologize to the victim who accused the doctor of molesting her during treatment for an abnormal spine, an official said Wednesday. Meridian Township will make the apology Thursday to Brianne Randall-Gay and announce changes in how it handles sexual misconduct investigations, township Manager Frank Walsh said. Nassar, who was a sports doctor at Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics, convinced police that he had performed a legitimate procedure with his hands and even provided a PowerPoint presentation to explain. The case was dropped, effectively allowing him to continue to molest girls and young women, including Olympians, for years until his arrest in 2016. A total of 265 women and girls have said they were assaulted. "We missed it. We're not going to hide it. We were deceived," Walsh said. The township released the 2004 police report on Randall-Gay's allegations against Nassar. Walsh said the township was told to withhold it from the public until Nassar was sentenced last week to 40 to 175 years in prison for sexually assaulting young women and girls in Ingham County. Another sentencing is underway this week in a similar case in Eaton County. In 2004, Randall-Gay was 17 when she and her mother visited Nassar to discuss treatment for scoliosis, a curvature of the spine. He sent her to physical therapy but saw her again, this time alone. Randall-Gay had a back problem. But she told police that Nassar had removed her underwear, forcibly cupped her genitals with his hand and rubbed her breasts — all without gloves. "She thought it was 'weird' and it 'freaked her out,'" the police report says. Nassar told police he applied pressure to the "perineum," using a formal word for an area between the legs, and said it was done to manipulate a ligament, according to the report. Nassar provided a paper version of a PowerPoint presentation about the ligament procedure, titled "The Grand Junction." There's no indication that police shared his technical explanation with an outside expert. The case was closed. Walsh said questions about the investigation will be answered during a news conference Thursday with the police chief and Randall-Gay, who now lives in Washington state. Meridian Township paid for her to travel to Michigan to testify at Nassar's sentencing last week. Back in 2004, Nassar "had the audacity to tell (police) I misunderstood the treatment because I was not comfortable with my body," Randall-Gay said. It was not the only investigation over the years. A Michigan State University police investigation ended in 2014 with no charges filed. Another investigation by the university, required under federal anti-discrimination law, cleared Nassar of assault. ___ Follow Ed White at http://twitter.com/edwhiteap

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-01 13:36:00

Michigan police department to apologize regarding Nassar

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3355183

Pentagon salutes US-India ties with command name change

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii (AP) — The Pentagon is changing the name of the U.S. military's Pacific headquarters to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, in a bow to America's growing connection to India and its expanding security role in the region. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is formally announcing the name change during a ceremony marking a leadership handover at the command. U.S. Navy Adm. Philip Davidson is taking over PACOM from Adm. Harry Harris, who has been nominated to be the next U.S. ambassador to South Korea. The change is largely symbolic in nature. It carries no fundamental shifts in troops, military missions or other Pentagon activities. Instead, Mattis says, it's a recognition of the increasing connectivity between the Indian and Pacific oceans. The U.S. and India have been forging stronger security ties in recent years.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-05-31 03:36:00

Pentagon salutes US-India ties with command name change

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444508

Islamic State group claims the man who killed 4 people in the Belgian city of Liege was a 'soldier of the caliphate'

CAIRO (AP) — Islamic State group claims the man who killed 4 people in the Belgian city of Liege was a 'soldier of the caliphate'

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-05-31 02:42:00

Islamic State group claims the man who killed 4 people in the Belgian city of Liege was a 'soldier of the caliphate'

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444478

German state orders crosses mounted at government buildings

BERLIN (AP) — Bavaria's conservative government is ordering Christian crosses to be placed at the entrance of all state administrative buildings. The regional government says the crosses shouldn't be seen as religious symbols, but are meant to reflect the southern German state's "cultural identity and Christian-western influence." German news agency dpa reported that Tuesday's decree won't affect municipal and federal government buildings in Bavaria. Crosses are already compulsory in public schools and courtrooms in predominantly Catholic Bavaria. The governing Christian Social Union — the Bavaria-only wing of Chancellor Angela Merkel's party — is hoping to avoid losing its state majority to Alternative for Germany, a party on the right whose anti-Muslim campaigns have struck a chord with some German voters.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-24 23:12:00

German state orders crosses mounted at government buildings

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413341

Image of Asia: Preparing a sail for yacht race

In this photo by Associated Press photographer Rick Rycroft, deckhands on Wild Oats XI prepare a sail during the Big Boat Challenge. The challenge is a lead-up event to the Sydney Hobart open ocean yacht race. The Sydney Hobart yacht race begins on Dec. 26 in Sydney Harbour. ___ This image was made with a lens at a focal length of 200mm, a shutter speed of 1/4000, aperture of f5, and ISO 250.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-12-12 00:00:00

Image of Asia: Preparing a sail for yacht race

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3318581

Jordan Peele talks Oscars, 'Get Out' and Whoopi Goldberg

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jordan Peele has been dreaming of his Oscar moment since he was 13, but now that it's happened, he can hardly believe it. The 38-year-old received Academy Award nominations last week for best picture, director and original screenplay for his directorial debut, "Get Out." The star of the horror/satire, Daniel Kaluuya, was also nominated for best actor. "Get Out" may be Peele's breakthrough, but the actor, writer, director and producer has been honing his skills for more than a dozen years. He started getting awards notice in 2008, when he shared in an Emmy nomination for a sketch he wrote for MADtv. He was nominated seven more times for his contributions to "Key & Peele," the hit Comedy Central sketch show he created with Keegan-Michael Key. Peele also co-wrote and co-starred (with Key) in the 2016 action-comedy "Keanu." He said having his work recognized by the film academy has given him "faith in my voice." "It's like jet fuel," Peele said in an interview after last week's nominations. "It makes me want to make as many movies that I can in my life." Peele's comments have been edited for clarity and brevity. ___ AP: So how does it feel to be a triple Academy Award nominee? Peele: Well, I'm not used to hearing yet. It's a really overwhelming thing to try and process. I'm trying understand how I got here from this time last year not knowing if this movie was going to really work or really not work. AP: What a difference a year makes. Peele: I'm definitely feeling the love and feeling with joy and honor of this accomplishment. But it is it has been a bittersweet year knowing that it has not been a great one for everybody. AP: How was Oscar nominations morning for you? Peele: I woke up a few minutes after the announcements were made. I was just getting really great texts from just about everybody I've ever met. And my (6-month-old) son slept through the night, so that was also huge. So it was like kind of a party at my house... Both he and I with our greatest accomplishments to date on the same morning. AP: Did you allow yourself to consider this possibility when you were writing sketches for "Key & Peele?" Peele: I've been dreaming about this moment since I was 13. I've gone through times where I believed in it and times when I didn't believe in it. So to have it happen, it comes with a really important lesson and realization for me which is that it's bigger than me. It's an important thing for a lot of people and the people who supported the film and the people out there who have the same dream but feel like they can't do it for whatever reason. AP: Audiences loved "Get Out," but does the academy love feel different? Peele: Yes, it does mean something different. I didn't know that it would, but now that this has arrived, I'm reminded of when I watched Whoopi Goldberg win her Oscar for "Ghost." And I remember she sent a message out in her speech that was for me. She said, 'Don't let anything stop you. If you want this, if you have a dream, follow that dream and you can achieve it.' And I'll always remember that. So hopefully that's the message that this sends to other young artists of color and women and people who ... feel like they're outsiders and won't be won't be allowed into this industry or won't be accepted. Hopefully they can sort of feel some of that message too. AP: Is the recognition even sweeter given that this is an unconventional film with a lot to say? Peele: Making this film, putting it out was very scary. I thought that it was very possible that the world wouldn't be ready; that they would reject it or that it would not be received. But I knew that I loved it. I knew that it was something that needed to be said. And so the fact that it was scary is kind of how I knew it was important and that was it was my duty as an artist to face that fear and really risk it all. ___ For full coverage of awards season, visit: https://apnews.com/tag/AwardsSeason

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-03 00:00:00

Jordan Peele talks Oscars, 'Get Out' and Whoopi Goldberg

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354340

National Hockey League

All Times EST EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Tampa Bay 50 34 13 3 71 176 128 Boston 48 29 11 8 66 157 119 Toronto 52 29 18 5 63 167 146 Detroit 49 20 21 8 48 128 147 Florida 48 20 22 6 46 136 159 Montreal 50 20 24 6 46 130 159 Ottawa 48 15 24 9 39 125 168 Buffalo 50 14 27 9 37 115 166 Metropolitan Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Washington 50 30 15 5 65 155 141 Pittsburgh 52 28 21 3 59 156 155 New Jersey 49 25 16 8 58 147 147 Columbus 50 27 19 4 58 133 140 Philadelphia 50 24 18 8 56 144 146 N.Y. Rangers 50 25 20 5 55 153 151 N.Y. Islanders 52 25 22 5 55 173 189 Carolina 50 23 19 8 54 139 155 WESTERN CONFERENCE Central Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Winnipeg 51 30 13 8 68 167 137 Nashville 48 29 12 7 65 146 125 St. Louis 52 31 18 3 65 151 131 Dallas 51 28 19 4 60 155 137 Minnesota 50 27 18 5 59 147 142 Colorado 49 27 18 4 58 160 143 Chicago 50 24 19 7 55 148 137 Pacific Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Vegas 49 33 12 4 70 168 130 San Jose 50 26 16 8 60 146 140 Los Angeles 50 27 18 5 59 142 121 Anaheim 51 25 17 9 59 144 142 Calgary 50 25 17 8 58 139 139 Edmonton 49 22 24 3 47 135 157 Vancouver 50 20 24 6 46 131 162 Arizona 50 12 29 9 33 118 172 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Top three teams in each division and two wild cards per conference advance to playoffs. Tuesday's Games Minnesota 3, Columbus 2, SO Pittsburgh 5, San Jose 2 Florida 4, N.Y. Islanders 1 Anaheim 3, Boston 1 Carolina 2, Ottawa 1 New Jersey 3, Buffalo 1 Winnipeg 3, Tampa Bay 1 St. Louis 3, Montreal 1 Chicago 2, Nashville 1 Los Angeles 3, Dallas 0 Vegas 4, Calgary 2 Vancouver 4, Colorado 3, OT Wednesday's Games Toronto 5, N.Y. Islanders 0 Detroit 2, San Jose 1, SO Washington 5, Philadelphia 3 Thursday's Games Toronto at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m. Montreal at Carolina, 7 p.m. St. Louis at Boston, 7 p.m. Florida at Buffalo, 7 p.m. Anaheim at Ottawa, 7 p.m. Philadelphia at New Jersey, 7 p.m. Vegas at Winnipeg, 8 p.m. Los Angeles at Nashville, 8:30 p.m. Tampa Bay at Calgary, 9 p.m. Dallas at Arizona, 9 p.m. Colorado at Edmonton, 9 p.m. Chicago at Vancouver, 10 p.m. Friday's Games Washington at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. Detroit at Carolina, 7 p.m. San Jose at Columbus, 7 p.m. Vegas at Minnesota, 8 p.m. Saturday's Games Ottawa at Philadelphia, 1 p.m. Anaheim at Montreal, 1 p.m. Detroit at Florida, 7 p.m. Pittsburgh at New Jersey, 7 p.m. St. Louis at Buffalo, 7 p.m. Columbus at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m. Colorado at Winnipeg, 7 p.m. Toronto at Boston, 7 p.m. N.Y. Rangers at Nashville, 8 p.m. Minnesota at Dallas, 8 p.m. Tampa Bay at Vancouver, 10 p.m. Chicago at Calgary, 10 p.m. Arizona at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m.

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2018-02-01 11:58:00

National Hockey League

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3355154

Dutch safety watchdog urges improved nuclear cooperation

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A Dutch safety watchdog says cross-border cooperation with neighboring Germany and Belgium needs to be improved to ensure the nations are properly prepared to deal with a nuclear accident that could impact all three countries. The Dutch Safety Board issued a report Wednesday amid public concern over the safety of Belgian nuclear plants Doel and Tihange, but also looked at the Borselle and Emsland nuclear power plants in the Netherlands and Germany. The watchdog said that in addition to improving crisis planning, the countries need to conduct more joint exercises and arrange coordination of measures they would take in the event of an accident. The board says it "takes a positive view" of cooperation between the three countries aimed at preventing a nuclear accident.

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2018-01-31 19:13:00

Dutch safety watchdog urges improved nuclear cooperation

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354763

Pentagon to allow transgender people to enlist in military

WASHINGTON (AP) — Transgender recruits will be allowed to enlist in the military beginning Jan. 1, the Pentagon said, as President Donald Trump's ordered ban suffered more legal setbacks. The new policy divulged Monday reflects the difficult hurdles the federal government would have to cross to enforce Trump's demand earlier this year to bar transgender individuals from the military. Three federal courts have ruled against the ban, including one Monday in Washington state. In October, U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly barred the Trump administration from proceeding with its plan to exclude transgender people from military service. Part of the effect of the ruling was that the military would be required to allow transgender people to enlist beginning Jan. 1. The government had asked Kollar-Kotelly to put the Jan. 1 date on hold while it appealed her full ruling but she declined Monday, reaffirming the Jan. 1 start date. The Department of Justice is now asking a federal appeals court to intervene and put the Jan. 1 requirement on hold. Potential transgender recruits will have to overcome a lengthy and strict set of physical, medical and mental conditions that could make it difficult for them to join the armed services. Maj. David Eastburn, a Pentagon spokesman, said the enlistment of transgender recruits will begin next month and proceed amid legal battles. The Defense Department also is doing a review, which is expected to carry into 2018. Eastburn told The Associated Press on Monday that the new guidelines mean the Pentagon can disqualify potential recruits with gender dysphoria, a history of medical treatments associated with gender transition and those who underwent reconstruction. But such recruits are allowed in if a medical provider certifies they've been clinically stable in the preferred sex for 18 months and are free of significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas. Transgender individuals receiving hormone therapy must be stable on their medication for 18 months. The requirements make it challenging for a transgender recruit to pass. But they mirror concerns President Barack Obama's administration laid out when the Pentagon initially lifted its ban on transgender service last year. "Due to the complexity of this new medical standard, trained medical officers will perform a medical prescreen of transgender applicants for military service who otherwise meet all applicable applicant standards," Eastburn said. Aaron Belkin, director of the California-based Palm Center, an independent institute that has conducted research on sexual minorities in the military, said the 18-month timeline is fair. "It's a good standard because the Pentagon is treating gender dysphoria according to the same standards that are applied to all medical conditions," he said. However, Elaine Donnelly, president for the Center For Military readiness, said Trump "has every right to review, revise, or repeal his predecessor's military transgender policies, which would detract from mission readiness and combat lethality." Court judges, she said, are not qualified to run the military. The Pentagon move Monday signals the growing sense within the government that authorities are likely to lose the legal fight. "The controversy will not be about whether you allow transgender enlistees, it's going to be on what terms," said Brad Carson, who was deeply involved in the last administration's decisions. "That's really where the controversy will lie." Carson worried, however, that the Defense Department could opt to comply with a deadline on allowing transgender recruits, but "under such onerous terms that practically there will be none." Carson, who worked for Ash Carter as the acting undersecretary of defense for personnel, said requiring 18 months of stability in the preferred sex is a reasonable time. "It doesn't have any basis in science," he said, noting that experts have suggested six months is enough. "But as a compromise among competing interests and perhaps to err on the side of caution, 18 months was what people came around to. And that's a reasonable position and defensible." Sarah McBride, spokeswoman for Human Rights Campaign, praised the court's ruling, saying that it affirms "there is simply no legitimate reason to forbid willing and able transgender Americans from serving their country." ___ Associated Press Writer Jessica Gresko in Washington contributed to this report.

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2017-12-12 16:40:00

Pentagon to allow transgender people to enlist in military

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3318640

Alpine ski techs are out of sight, and key to Olympic glory

WENGEN, Switzerland (AP) — A warm aroma of melting wax curled out of the room where an unsung artisan of Alpine skiing was at work. The trail led from a brightly lit basement, directly below a restaurant in a three-star hotel. It was a games room for most of the winter season in the Swiss Alps resort of Wengen, but pingpong tables were folded away during World Cup race week in January. The space was needed for teams of technicians that spend hours hunched over workbenches, waxing the bases and sharpening the edges of skis to make a downhill racer like Lindsey Vonn that much faster. Their work is crucial to any racer's success at the Pyeongchang Olympics, which open next week. It started long before the games, during preseason equipment tests, through offseason training, and on race days. Working mostly out of public view, often in hotel cellars, the so-called servicemen are little-known even to ski fans. Leo Mussi was in Wengen trying to create speed in the skis of two American downhillers for one of the season's classic races. "We are really a little strange, I would say, too, us service guys," Mussi, one of skiing's most respected techs, told The Associated Press. "It's a tough job, physically, mentally. You travel a lot, you are on the road. But it's a kind of drug, too, this job." Top-ranked racers are matched with technicians by their ski sponsor. Lower-ranked racers and newcomers typically have their skis prepared by a serviceman with the national team. At the very top, some can request the best techs in a limited free-agent market. When Bode Miller split with renowned serviceman Heinz Haemmerle in 2009, Vonn was quick to pounce. "They call him 'Magic Heinzi' for a reason," Vonn told the AP. "He has been doing this for almost as long as I have been alive. He is amazing and I trust him completely." That faith helps bind a skier's courage and racing instinct to hit speeds of up 145 kph (90 mph) on the mountain. Mussi has dedicated almost 30 working years to two downhill racers — his fellow Italian Kristian Ghedina, and now American Steven Nyman — while employed by ski manufacturer Fischer. "Leo is basically like a European father figure to me," Nyman said. "I don't even question him. I put the skis on and see they are going to be fast." Vonn's ski tuner, Haemmerle, has long worked for the Head brand used by the men's downhill favorites, Beat Feuz of Switzerland and Norwegians Aksel Lund Svindal and Kjetil Jansrud. Friendship trumps rivalry in the Norway team and they share skis and a technician, Stefan Berthold. Pairing skier with serviceman is the job of Rainer Salzgeber, Head's race director and a two-time Olympian for Austria. "Some are really good buddies," Salzgeber said. "But not every athlete wants to have a really close friend who is working on his material." In the full year of this Olympic season, he estimated, a skier and serviceman are away together for 200 days. That can mean equipment tests in the European spring, offseason training in South America, World Cup races in Europe and North America, the Winter Games in Asia, then back to Europe for season-ending races. The special relationship is compared to that of a golfer and caddie. Except many caddies get days in the sun on television next to their golfer, plus 10 percent of prize money that routinely runs six figures. The richest World Cup races — a men's downhill at Kitzbuehel, a women's slalom in Flachau, both in Austria — pay a first prize of less than $85,000. Not all skiers follow Nyman's example in giving 10 percent to their serviceman. "It's a tough job," Salzgeber said. "The only payback that you have is success, actually." Mussi has been part of 15 World Cup downhill wins, but also the kind of injuries that struck Nyman last week. His Olympic season was ended by a torn ACL in his right knee. "You need to know you are not always on the top," said Mussi, who also tunes skis for U.S. downhill prospect Bryce Bennett. The camaraderie in hotel cellars helps. Mussi spoke at his workbench at the hub of a room for teams from Japan, South Korea, Slovakia and Poland. A radio played classic rock and pop songs. Cans of beer were offered as the late afternoon work wound down, and a bottle of lotion was shared for inevitable hand injuries. The tools of Mussi's trade have improved since he simply taped his fingers before filing steel ski edges. Now, a metal guiding tool does more precise work, and wax-shining brushes can be attached to a hand drill. It still needs a simple plastic scraper to remove layers of old wax — key to reducing friction between ski and snow — and Mussi uses a diamond file to finesse the edges just before a race. Then, in the start house, as racers like Nyman peer down the mountain for a final few seconds, a ski tech can also be coach and motivator. "You are a highly respected person," Mussi said. "(The racers) know what they have." ___ Associated Press writer Eric Willemsen in Bad Kleinkircheim, Austria, contributed to this report. ___ More AP Olympic coverage: https://wintergames.ap.org

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2018-01-31 02:21:00

Alpine ski techs are out of sight, and key to Olympic glory

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354392

Olympic downhill designer says tough, faster course awaits

ST. MORITZ, Switzerland (AP) — Stop worrying, downhill racers. The 2018 Olympic course will be faster than you think. The new track in South Korea has been criticized — at a men's test race last year and at the world championships this week — as being too slow with too many twists and turns. Not so fast, veteran Olympic course designer Bernhard Russi told The Associated Press. "It was on purpose to do it like this," Russi said of last February's World Cup downhill where race winner Kjetil Jansrud of Norway peaked at 113.7 kph (70.6 mph). If that sounds fast, 2014 Olympic champion Matthias Mayer hit close to 135 kph (84 mph) on Russi's design in the mountains above Sochi. A record speed of 161 kph (100 mph) in World Cup downhills was set by Johan Clarey of France in Wengen, Switzerland, in 2013. "When you go the first time in a new downhill you start from the slow side. You don't want to kill the guys," said Russi, the 1972 Olympic champion and silver medalist behind Austrian great Franz Klammer four years later. The Swiss veteran is skiing's master architect, and always planned to learn from last year's debut race and a scheduled women's World Cup downhill on the same wide course next month. "Now we know how much faster we can go, and we will. And the jumps will be longer," Russi said of a men's course that launches them airborne four times. The main Olympic critic one year ago was Christof Innerhofer of Italy, the 2014 silver medalist, who called the course in Jeongseon "slow motion." In St. Moritz, it was world championship downhill silver medalist Erik Guay of Canada who wished for a faster, tougher test at the Pyeongchang Olympics. Guay said the test race had too many slowing turns, and was similar to a super-G — a pointed remark from the 35-year-old Canadian who is the new world champion in that discipline. "I hope that they set it a little differently," Guay said of the Olympic course. "I think that they should make it flow a little bit better. But the slope itself is great." The men and women share the Olympic hill, but not exactly the same terrain. Russi said there is time to adapt both before the Olympics. The women will compete in World Cup downhill and super-G races on March 4-5. "Basically the character will remain the same (as the men's)," Russi said of the women's downhill track. "Maybe the turns will be a little bit tighter. Maybe one, two, three, four more turns. Maybe the jumps a little less big, less long. Perfect for ladies." Other factors could also change Olympic race-day conditions, such as snow quality and humidity in a mountain region only 40 kilometers (25 miles) inland. "If the weather is good I think (the snow) is going to be rather on the hard side, on the icy side," Russi said. "Everything is on track."

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2017-02-15 13:31:00

Olympic downhill designer says tough, faster course awaits

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3095382

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DC statehood supporters to lobby Congress on local autonomy

WASHINGTON (AP) — Advocates for District of Columbia statehood are making their annual pitch to members of Congress. This year's "lobby day" organized by D.C. Vote comes amid an attempt by House Republicans to invalidate a local law. On Monday, a House committee voted in favor of a resolution that would strike down the District's new assisted-suicide law. Congress hasn't invalidated a city law since 1991, and it's unlikely the House and Senate will vote on the resolution in time to stop doctor-assisted suicide from becoming legal. But Congress often finds other ways to block local policies that members don't like. Supporters of statehood will be visiting House and Senate offices Wednesday, armed with talking points about how District residents are "second-class citizens" because they lack voting representation in Congress.

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2017-02-15 19:34:00

DC statehood supporters to lobby Congress on local autonomy

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3095705

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