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New drunk-driving law cracks down on 3rd DUI LEGISLATURE Drivers who are repeatedly caught drunk behind the wheel could lose their license for up to a decade under legislation signed by the governor Monday. The measure by Assemblyman Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, allows judges to revoke a person's driver's license for up to 10 years if they have three or more convictions for driving under the influence within the prior decade. Currently, courts may only take away a repeat offender's driver's license for three years. The law will take effect on Jan. 1, 2012. Hill estimated that the measure could help take more than 10,000 repeat DUI offenders off the road each year. Nearly 188,000 DUI convictions were handed down around the state in 2008, he noted, with 9,164 of those drivers on their third conviction and 3,200 with four or more DUI offenses, Hill said. "I urge judges across the state to use this new authority and take repeat DUI offenders off the road," Hill said in a statement. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are 1.5 million DUI arrests in California each year, and one-third of those arrested are repeat offenders. In total, more than 310,000 Californians have three or more DUI convictions, according to the agency. "This legislation is an important step toward making California's roads safer," Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said in a statement. "Those who have multiple DUI convictions should not be on the road threatening lives."

The Reds announced that they signed free agent outfielder Ryan Ludwick to a two-year deal with a mutual option for 2015 (Twitter link). The BHSC client obtains a $15MM guarantee following his best offensive season since he was a member of the Cardinals. The Reds made the free agent outfielder a two-year two-year offer earlier in the week, but John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer reported that at least one other club was being more aggressive on Ludwick. The 34-year-old posted a .275/.346/.531 batting line with 26 home runs in 472 plate appearances for the Reds this past season, a marked improvement from 2010-11 when he didn't hit more than 17 home runs or post an OPS above .750. Ludwick ranked 26th on MLBTR's list of top 50 free agents with MLBTR's Tim Dierkes correctly predicting that he would re-sign with the Reds. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com first reported the agreement and the dollar amount. Fay first reported the option year and that the Reds were making progress toward a deal. Photo courtesy of US Presswire.

Ben White writing in the Independent: This is Israel in 2012 according to a top UN body. Using unprecedented strong language, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) criticised Israeli policies in terms of “apartheid”, as part of their published observations following a regular review. Affirming the kind of analysis that Israel’s advocates try to dismiss as lies or rhetorical excess, the Committee slammed Israel for violating the right to equality in numerous policy areas. CERD described “segregation between Jewish and non-Jewish communities”, a lack of “equal access to land and property”, and “the ongoing policy of home demolitions and forced displacement of the indigenous Bedouin communities” in the Negev. The lack of a “prohibition of racial discrimination” in Israel’s Basic Law was highlighted, and more recent developments, such as the restrictions on family unification affecting Palestinian citizens were also part of CERD’s wide-ranging criticisms. The Committee’s observations also covered Israel’s policies in the Occupied Territories, showing how the same discriminatory patterns are found on both sides of the Green Line. Israeli settlements in the West Bank form part of a regime of “de facto segregation” severe enough to cause the Committee to remind Israel of the “prohibition” of policies of “apartheid”. According to Dr David Keane, senior lecturer in law at Middlesex University and author of ‘Caste-based Discrimination in International Human Rights Law’, this is “the most cutting CERD recognition and condemnation of a legal system of segregation since apartheid South Africa”.

RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson says the OPP's much-anticipated report into the RCMP's response to the Parliament Hill shootings will be released this week or next. Paulson told the Senate's national security committee Monday his force are on the verge of releasing the report. The report was commissioned by House Speaker Andrew Scheer after he asked for an independent police investigation following the Parliament Hill shootings. The OPP led the investigation and submitted the report to the House of Commons in early April. When it was delivered, there were initial concerns whether the report would be made public or not. Paulson told senators the report examines the RCMP's response to the Oct. 22, 2014 shooting, both outside Parliament Hill and inside Centre Block. That's where shooter Michael Zehaf-Bibeau was finally shot and killed. Paulson also told senators the Mounties will release the remaining 18 seconds of the Zehaf-Bibeau cellphone video in the coming weeks. Zehaf-Bibeau recorded the video immediately before the fatal shooting. The RCMP already released 55 seconds of the video at a Commons public safety committee meeting in March. "This is in retaliation for Afghanistan and because [Prime Minister Stephen Harper] wants to send his troops to Iraq," Zehaf-Bibeau, says in the video. "Canada's officially become one of our enemies by fighting and bombing us and creating a lot of terror in our countries and killing us and killing our innocents. So, just aiming to hit some soldiers just to show that you're not even safe in your own land, and you gotta be careful.​" In March, Paulson told reporters the remaining 18 seconds was edited for "sound operational" reasons. Thirteen seconds were cut from the beginning of the video and five seconds were edited from the end.

The way forward for autoworkers: An online interview with Jerry White 15 October 2015 This Sunday, October 18, at 3:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time (conversions here), the World Socialist Web Site will host an online interview with WSWS Autoworker Newsletter editor Jerry White to review the political lessons of the contract fight. White will be joined by WSWS reporter Eric London, who will conduct the interview and field questions from autoworkers across the country. The interview will be broadcast at wsws.org/autoworkers/interview. The battle by autoworkers in the United States has reached a critical juncture. After Fiat Chrysler workers overwhelmingly defeated the contract pushed by the United Auto Workers earlier this month, the UAW has brought back another deal crafted to meet the strategic aims of the auto corporations and Wall Street. No matter what the spin the UAW’s PR firm puts on it, the new deal, like the first, would accelerate the descent of autoworkers—once among the highest-paid industrial workers in the world—into the ranks of the working poor. The challenges autoworkers face are immense, but the forces they can mobilize among workers and youth in the US and around the world are more powerful. To carry out a successful struggle, however, autoworkers who are leading this fight have to have a clear understanding of the economic and political forces that they confront. To submit a question in advance of the interview, please register below. We urge our readers to make a donation to help the WSWS broaden the campaign amongst US autoworkers.

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain was our game of the year in 2015, however the foundations for it were laid by standalone introductory chapter Ground Zeroes. Today, Konami has announced Metal Gear Solid V: The Definitive Experience which gathers both games and a bunch of DLC under one banner. Due to launch via Steam on October 13, players can expect “additional Mother Base currency”, as well as a slew of items, including Rasp Short-Barrelled Shotguns, the Adam-ska Special handgun, a range of Personal Ballistic Shields, and a number of costumes for The Phantom Pain. Previously console-exclusive Ground Zeroes missions—Déjà Vu and Jamais Vu—are also included, as are a number of DLC packs and weapons for Metal Gear Online. “Metal Gear Solid V has received collectively over 60 industry accolades and awards thus far,” says Konami president Tomotada Tashiro in a statement. “The Definitive Experience will give players an opportunity to play the complete MGSV experience, without interruption. Additionally, with Metal Gear Online, players also get access to a completely unique multi-player setting that is designed for a truly engrossing gaming experience as well.” Metal Gear Solid V: The Definitive Experience is due October 13. Console versions will cost £34.99/$39.99, however Steam pricing is yet to be confirmed. Read Sam’s review of The Phantom Pain over here.

Photo Fifteen years ago, bemoaning the high cost of higher education, the governors of 19 Western states decided to start a nonprofit online institution to help meet their need for a trained work force. The result, Western Governors University, offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in education, business, the health professions and information technology. Everything is online except for student teaching and some nursing requirements. Most of its 25,000 students are over 25, and have previously earned some college credits. Instead of being required to spend a certain number of hours to earn a certain sequence of credits, students at Western Governors must show “competency” through assignments and proctored exams. Marie Hermetz, who paid Western Governors about $9,000 to earn her master’s degree in health care management, said she heard about the program on the news and switched from one that would have cost up to $40,000. “Doing it one class at a time, I would have graduated maybe never,” said Ms. Hermetz, 43, who had a bachelor’s degree in math. “This way, it took just under 18 months. And whenever I ran into trouble, my professors would make arrangements, whether it was through a webinar or a phone call or an e-mail, to help me.” Advertisement Continue reading the main story Actually, Western Governors does not have “professors” in the usual sense: the online curriculum is not developed by the university, but chosen by outside experts, and students have “course mentors” with graduate degrees.

The Marijuana Policy Project, a grassroots organization supportive of marijuana legalization, has named Colorado Senate President John Morse as the worst state legislator with a stance on marijuana issues in the country. Morse was included on the list primarily due to his role in attempting to repeal Amendment 64 in the last few days of the 2013 legislative session. Amendment 64 was authorized via a statewide people’s ballot last year with a majority vote in all CO counties, and in May the Colorado legislature moved forward with a regulatory framework to support recreational sales. Morse has received considerable push-back from voters due to his stance on marijuana and other issues since the 2013 legislative session. Currently, over 10,000 petition signatures have been collected to support the recall, nearly 50% more than the required amount to initiate a recall. Next Tuesday, September 10th, voters will be given the opportunity to decide whether or not Morse and fellow anti-legalization legislator Senator Angel Giron will be allowed to maintain their office. Sen. Giron, of Pueblo County, was responsible for a separate anti-legalization bill, which would had criminalized marijuana if voters do not pass new taxes to support regulation.

Noah McCall (Albany Police Department Facebook page) Noah McCall (Albany Police Department Facebook page) Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Partygoer accused of urinating on police officer 1 / 3 Back to Gallery Albany City police officers who went to the site of a loud party early Sunday said one of the partygoers urinated from a staircase onto an officer. At 3:20 a.m., officers went to 470 Hudson Ave., where they say several people inside and out were drinking alcohol and causing a disturbance. Noah McCall, 19, urinated on an officer, police said. McCall was charged with reckless assault, police said. A resident was found with metal knuckles, police said. Luca Quinn, a 19-year-old State University at Albany student, was charged with criminal possession of a weapon. Both men were arraigned in Albany City Court and released. Police also requested a building and codes inspection of the house. The inspection found the building to be unsafe and uninhabitable. Police were called to the home at least two other times in the last 15 months. At about 12:15 a.m. on Aug. 30, police received a report of a loud party and found a group of people drinking alcohol. Police noted safety hazards on that visit and requested a building and codes inspection. The site was deemed uninhabitable. On 1:15 a.m. Nov. 9, 2012, police found 14 people in the basement for what appeared to be an initiation for membership in a group or fraternity. Officers said they saw several people face down on the basement floor with their faces submerged in water. They were being struck with wooden paddles and rubber hoses while being told to "beg for mercy" and having cold water from a garden hose sprayed on their heads. Nine people were arrested on charges of hazing, criminal nuisance, unlawful assembly, obstruction of governmental administration and resisting arrest.

Hannity: GOP's Failure 'Pushed Trump Into Arms of Chuck & Nancy' Tucker: Trump Signing Dems' DACA Deal Would Be 'Massive Amnesty,' 'Collapse' of GOP President Donald Trump has been criticized by some on the right for striking a deal with Democrats on raising the debt ceiling and then meeting with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to discuss a plan to preserve the DACA program while increasing border security. On "Fox & Friends," former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said Trump made it clear during the campaign that he's a deal-maker and he's going to do what's in the best interests of the U.S. "I think Washington needs to wake up and understand that this is a guy who is going to make the best deal for the country when he can," Spicer said. "If that's with Republicans, it's going to be with Republicans. If that's with Democrats, it's going to be with Democrats. If that's with a bipartisan group of individuals, it'll be them." He said that Trump has a big heart and wants to find a way to protect so-called "Dreamers" from deportation, but he also knows the importance of border security and is committed to building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. "So like it or not, I don't see how you get a deal done that doesn't include the wall, because that's been a major priority of this president," Spicer said. "When you see what the final product is, I guarantee it's going to be on Donald Trump's terms." Watch more above. Coulter: 'If We're Not Getting a Wall, I'd Prefer President Pence' Tomi Lahren: 'ESPN Values Diversity, But Maybe Not Diversity of Opinion' Gorka: Trump Won on 'Make America Great Again,' Not 'Make the GOP Great Again'

Doug, Mr. Hennigan & Chaille discuss starting a Bisbee gossip column, Bingo's new book, Doug's dad on tour and a couple of travel tips. Hey, they all can't be gems. Recorded Oct 10th, 2017 at the FunHouse in Bisbee, AZ with Doug Stanhope (@DougStanhope), Brian Hennigan (@MrHennigan), & Ggreg Chaille (@gregchaille). Produced & Edited by Chaille. Pre-Order a SIGNED copy of Doug's NEW book, " This Is Not Fame: A "From What I Re-Memoir"" at - http://bit.ly/2z4dmBg This episode is sponsored by BlueApron.com - Get $30 OFF YOUR FIRST MEAL - WITH FREE SHIPPING - by going to BlueApron.com/STANHOPE DRAFT.com – New players get a FREE entry into a draft when you make your first deposit! Use promo code DOUG and play a real money game for FREE! ALL THINGS COMEDY Comedy Festival (OCT 26-29) presents The Doug Stanhope Podcast LIVE with Doug Stanhope, Chad Shank, Greg Chaille and Special Guests @ The Orpheum Theater Thu - 10/26 8:00pm in Phoenix, AZ. Tickets at https://phoenix.ticketforce.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=371 More Stanhope 2017 Tour Dates at http://www.dougstanhope.com/tour-dates/. Get on the Mailing List. LINKS: Amy Dresner's book,“My Fair Junkie” - http://amzn.to/2gBVaZ9 Justin's Peanut Butter Packs - http://amzn.to/2zk0fNr Chad Shank Voice Over info at AudioShank.com Support the Innocence Project - http://www.innocenceproject.org/ The comedy clip is from Todd Barry's DVD “From Heaven” (2008 Comedy Central Records) and is available on Amazon.com - http://amzn.to/2xBXb1Y

Germany coach Joachim Low will explore his options against Azerbaijan as he attempts to identify a pecking order behind injured goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. The world champions secured their place at Russia 2018 with a 3-1 win away to Northern Ireland on Thursday, extending their 100 per cent record in qualifying to nine matches. But their preparations suffered a setback with news that Neuer could be sidelined for a further six months due to a metatarsal injury. Barcelona shot-stopper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is the current replacement, but Bayer Leverkusen's Bernd Leno will be given another chance to impress on Sunday after an underwhelming display against Australia at the Confederations Cup. "When Neuer is fit, he starts. We must see how [his injury] develops," Low said at his pre-match press conference. "Marc-Andre has shown himself to be very capable. He has developed well with us. "If you can speak of a goalkeeper behind Manuel Neuer, it is Marc-Andre ter Stegen. We also have confidence in him, just as in Bernd Leno and Kevin Trapp." Low also confirmed the in-form Leroy Sane will earn his eighth international cap at the Fritz-Walter Stadion and will be joined in the starting XI by Liverpool midfielder Emre Can. Manchester City attacker Sane, a member of Germany's Euro 2016 squad, pulled out of the Confederations Cup to undergo nasal surgery.

A number of the recent improvements made to Dropbox have focused around greater integration with Microsoft Office. The companies announced a partnership last fall, and you can now do things like open Office files in your Dropbox directly in Office Online, with changes being automatically synced back to the original file through Dropbox. Today, yet another new Office-related feature is being announced: the Dropbox app for iOS will soon let you create Office documents right inside it, without having to jump to another app. Presumably, the files are then saved to your Dropbox folder and can be accessed through Office Online or the traditional desktop apps. We haven't had a chance to try it out yet and see if it truly offers the same features you'd find creating files through Microsoft's apps, but it's certainly an intriguing way for Dropbox to take on the Google Drive / Docs combo. Dropbox says the feature will be available "later this month." Office document creation is the standout new feature here Dropbox is also building on the commenting feature added last week. The feature lets users leave remarks on shared files that all other collaborators could see; you can now make and view those comments in the iOS app as well as through the web. Today's update also includes a slight navigation change. Rather than seeing simply an alphabetical list of your files and folders, the default Dropbox app view will instead show your most recently used files — that's anything you've uploaded, viewed, renamed, or edited on any device. While all these features are useful enough, the most intriguing feature here is definitely the upcoming Office document creation — we'll be keeping our eyes peeled to see exactly how that works. Update, May 5th 11:34 AM ET: This article has been updated to reflect that comments are now available on iOS as well as the web.

An ancient Roman merchant vessel has been discovered off the Italian coastline, reportedly in such good condition that much of the food it was carrying might still be intact in its storage jars. 'There are some broken jars around the wreck, but we believe that most of the amphorae inside the ship are still sealed and food-filled," Lt. Col. Francesco Schilardi of the police divers' group told the BBC of the containers. Local fisherman first became aware of the wreck when pieces of pottery began turning up in their nets. They notified police divers who used a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to locate the 2,000-year-old ship in the sea off the town of Varazze. "We believe it dates to sometime between the 1st Century BC and the 1st Century AD," Schilardi said. Tests on some of the roughly 200 pots, or amphorae, that the ship holds reveal that they contain pickled fish, grain, wine and oil, which were most likely en route to Spain to be traded for other goods when the ship sank. The ship's remarkable state of preservation has been attributed to the layers of mud on the seabed, which covered the wreck and protected it from harm. The vessel will remain on the ocean floor until Italian authorities decide whether to raise it. "Right now, the area of the finding has been secured," Schilardi said, "and no fishing or water traffic is allowed."

Competition to feed humans has grown difficult enough that a Seattle couple, Dawn and Ben Ford, opened a food truck for humanity's best friend. Via Life with Dogs: The popularity of food trucks in the United States has exploded recently, and in almost every major city there are a few that specialize in a particular style or flavor profile. This is great because it gives people options to eat foods that they may not have before. This is great for humans, but what about dogs? Is there a food truck for them somewhere? In Washington, the answer is YES! The Seattle Barkery is a new mobile café for dogs. Everything they make and serve is aimed towards giving dogs a similar freedom of choice like we as humans have. For their furry, four legged customers, they have everything from bacon cupcakes and peanut butter pumpkin pretzels, to chicken feet and duck necks.

Italian airport is letting travellers take as much as 500g of the sauce in their carry-on luggage, exempting them from the 100ml rule for liquids The Italian port city of Genoa has taken pride in its famed pesto sauce to new heights by granting special airport waivers for those who can’t get enough of the basil and pine nut pasta sauce. Trevi levy: Rome imposes fines for frolicking at famous fountains Read more Genoa’s airport is letting travellers take as much as 500g of pesto in their carry-on luggage, exempting them from the 100ml rule for liquids in carry-on baggage. The catch: passengers must make a donation of 50 cents or more to a charity that airlifts sick children to hospitals. The airport said this week that €500 had been raised in the first 20 days of the initiative, which was inspired by the anguish of so many foodies having their pesto confiscated when trying to get through security.

Russia today announced the beginning of a significant military drawdown in Syria, with the nation’s lone aircraft carrier group being withdrawn from the Syrian coast, and a number of troops apparently set to follow as the ceasefire in the country continues to hold. Exact details of the drawdown are unclear, but reports suggest a drawdown of some sort was actually always meant to be part of the deal which led to the ceasefire, which began a week ago and continues to mostly hold. There is considerable skepticism, however. That’s because Russia already announced a drawdown back in 2016, shortly after the February ceasefire began, only to eventually send a number of reinforcements when that collapsed. Until a peace deal is negotiated, these drawdowns are always going to be seen as temporary. Peace talks are coming though, with plans for negotiations in Kazakhstan some time later in January. Exact dates are not set, and the rebels have largely not committed to take part in the negotiations. Last 5 posts by Jason Ditz

Now in its 11th year, the annual Race to Wrigley will feature a new course this year, giving participants their first chance to experiencing running through the new bleacher concourse that opened last year. The race, which starts at Addison and Racine, takes runners through the Wrigleyville and Lakeview areas, heading west to Ravenswood and east on Irving Park. This year, runners will continue on Irving Park all the way to Sheridan, which will eventually lead them to the center outfield of Wrigley Field for a final stretch through the field’s concourse before ending at Clark and Addison. “It’s always been a race that reflects the fact that we are in a neighborhood and yet a major league ballpark,” Mike Lufrano, executive vice president of community affairs and chief legal officer for the Chicago Cubs, says. “It’s the third largest tourist attraction in Illinois. We started a race that would combine the two, [allowing runners] to see a bit of the neighborhood and community and reflect the fact that we are part of the community as well.” The 5K race, which will start at 8 a.m. on April 23, also serves as a crucial fundraiser for Cubs Charities. Runners can also choose to individually raise money for Advocate Children’s Hospital, with the first 100 who raise $500 receiving an autographed baseball from a current Cubs player. “[The money raised] all goes back into the community here,” Lufrano says. “It supports youth sports, building baseball fields, health and fitness programs for kids, provides scholarships for kids to go to college. Last year, we donated about $3.4 million total and the race is part of that.” Registration for the race will remain open online through April 22. To sign up, visit either cubscharities.org or racetowrigley.com.

Arabic is the fastest-growing language in American households — and that’s leading the US Census Bureau to explore the tricky task of adjusting its questionnaires to ­accommodate the language’s right-to-left script. The bureau is using focus groups to explore possible changes to the 2020 census questionnaires for Arabic speakers who are not English-proficient, the Pew Research Center reported Friday. Arabic is now the seventh-most commonly spoken non-English language in US households. An estimated 1.1 million people ages 5 and older speak Arabic at home, an increase of 29 percent between 2010 and 2014. The number who speak Spanish at home has grown only 6 percent during the same period. Of those who speak Arabic at home, 38 percent are not proficient in English, according to census estimates. That’s just below the 42 percent English proficiency rate among the 39.3 million US residents who speak Spanish at home. The growth in Arabic is linked to continued immigration from Middle Eastern and North African countries, according to the Pew Research Center. Possible changes to the census questionnaire include replacing the blocks for individual printed letters with a single open-field rectangle, so that answers can be written in connected Arabic script, the center said. One major challenge facing census officials is whether to require a response in English and when to allow an Arabic response. A focus-group study recommended that the address fields require people to use English, because an American address might not be accurately translated into Arabic, according to the Pew Research Center. Arabic names present another complication — as they can be transliterated into English in different ways because the letters of the Arabic ­alphabet don’t necessarily have direct English equivalents. For example, the Arabic name Hussein can be transliterated into English at least five additional ways: Hussain, Husein, Husain, Houssain and Houssein.

Suspect Antwan James, 27, was last seen wearing a white t-shirt, blue jeans and black boots. He is believed to be armed with a gun and is considered dangerous. (Photo11: Prince George's County Police Dept.) Story Highlights Police: Stepson of a D.C. police officer shot the officer during a dispute over yard work Prince George's County police are searching for 27-year-old Antwan James James is considered armed and dangerous UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (AP) — Police say the stepson of a D.C. police officer shot and killed the officer during a dispute over yard work at their Maryland home. Prince George's County police said Tuesday that they are searching for 27-year-old Antwan James. He's been charged in a warrant with murder in the fatal shooting of his stepfather, 46-year-old Joseph Newell. Police were called to Newell's Upper Marlboro home Monday night and found him shot to death. The officer was off duty at the time of the shooting. Police say Newell and James had been arguing over yard work before the shooting. Newell had been with the Metropolitan Police Department since 1989. Police are searching for James with K-9 units and other specialized officers. He is considered armed and dangerous. Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/ZLEjAh

DO the Republicans owe their current congressional majority to gerrymandering? At first glance, it seems self-evident that they do. In the 2012 election, the Democrats won the popular votes for the presidency, the Senate and the House of Representatives. But somehow in the House — for whose seats Republicans controlled the redistricting process in many crucial states — the Republicans managed to end up with a 16-seat majority despite losing the popular vote. The presumption among many reformers is that the Democrats would control Congress today if the 2012 election had been contested in districts drawn by nonpartisan commissioners rather than politicians. But is this true? Another possibility is that Democrats receive more votes than seats because so many of their voters reside in dense cities that Democratic candidates win with overwhelming majorities, while Republican voters are more evenly distributed across exurbs and the rural periphery. Perhaps even a nonpartisan redistricting process would still have delivered the House to the Republicans. To examine this hypothesis, we adapted a computer algorithm that we recently introduced in the Quarterly Journal of Political Science. It allows us to draw thousands of alternative, nonpartisan redistricting plans and assess the partisan advantage built into each plan. First we created a large number of districting plans (as many as 1,000) for each of 49 states. Then we predicted the probability that a Democrat or Republican would win each simulated district based on the results of the 2008 presidential election and tallied the expected Republican seats associated with each simulated plan.

Image copyright Reg Haslett Image caption Not a great day to be under canvas in Glenarm, County Antrim Northern Ireland was the wettest region of the UK in July with 128mm of rain, according to Met Office figures. That is 57% above average for the summer month, making it also the wettest July on record since 2010. The UK as a whole saw 107mm of rain, or 37% more than normal, with all areas receiving more rain than average. According to the Republic of Ireland's weather service, Met Éireann, most areas across Ireland were also wetter than normal. Image copyright Mervyn Robb Image caption When the clouds parted there was some beautiful weather in Portrush, County Antrim Shannon Airport had its wettest July since 1946 when more than double the average rain fell at the County Clare site. However, it was also the sunniest July in Northern Ireland since 2013 with 170.5 hours of sunshine, or 21% more than normal. Image copyright James Carlisle Image caption Another "soft day" for these hill-dwellers This reflects the fact that we enjoyed some warm and sunny weather during the first 18 days of the month. Image copyright Mervyn Robb Image caption July in Cushendun - not a complete washout The figure for the UK as a whole was 171 hours - which is normal for the time of year. Temperature-wise, July was fairly unremarkable with an average temperature of 14.4 celsius, just 0.2 celsius below normal.

A cop killed a dog and something else happened. Baltimore police officer Alec Taylor was off duty when, via the Baltimore Sun: Taylor's girlfriend told police she received a text from Taylor on February 26 telling her that he killed... [her] seven-month-old dog, named Rocko, after it defecated on the carpet. He then sent her a picture, according to a news release. She told police Taylor said he was tired of cleaning up the dog's mess and that he had beaten it with a mop before throwing its body in a parking lot dumpster. Police said he later told investigators he used a mop to force Rocko from behind the dryer and then used his hands to choke the dog. Who the fuck is in charge of hiring at the Baltimore police department? The arrest was made by the Montgomery County police department, who charged Taylor with animal cruelty and abuse. The Baltimore police department insisted in a statement that it took animal cruelty seriously, although Taylor was merely suspended without pay and not fired right away for being the kind of sociopath who kills a girlfriend’s pet and then sends her a picture (because his job is like a right!). h/t CPA As a sad sign of the times, the Sun’s sidebar included this related story from just a month ago, where a cop in nearby Arundel shot a dog while canvassing a neighborhood and was put on “administrative duty” while the department promised a “thorough” investigation. Our own related stories, below.

Japan might have only minutes to prepare for nuclear attacks, said officials in the island nation as they face down threats from demented North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. Tokyo is asking for all its regional governments to sharpen alert plans should Pyongyang’s tubby tyrant press the button and send nukes flying over the Sea of Japan. Officials in Tokyo — Japan’s largest city with 13.5 million citizens — said their residents might have as little as 10 minutes to act. And even more concerning, Osaka Mayor Hirofumi Yoshimura said the 2.6 million residents of Japan’s third-largest city might have as little as four minutes to run for their lives and take shelter. “A missile may not be detected as soon as it leaves the launch pad … and that could take several minutes,” Yoshimura told the Japan Times. “The warning and alarms might only sound four or five minutes before a missile arrives.” As North Korea continues to make nuclear threats, Japanese citizens are becoming increasingly fearful that they — and not Pyongyang’s sworn enemies in Seoul and Washington, DC — could be Kim’s first targets. Japan’s civil defense website received 5.7 million visitors in the first 23 days of this month — a massive hike from its usual monthly traffic of less than 400,000 hits, the Washington Post reported. The prime minister’s office issued new “actions to protect yourself” guidelines this week — which pretty much amount to taking cover inside well-constructed buildings. Under the site’s FAQs, Japanese officials said citizens will have only minutes to act. “When a missile is launched from North Korea, it will not take long to reach Japan,” it answered. “For example, the ballistic missile launched from (North Korea) on February 7 last year took 10 minutes to fly over Okinawa.” US Vice President Mike Pence last week reaffirmed the Trump administration’s alliance with Japan amid the recent provocations from the hermit kingdom.

In the city that never sleeps, most people could not be bothered to count the sheep that for three minutes every night this month have been filling more than 20 electronic billboards in Times Square. Bales of hay, flocks of sheep and other pastoral scenes that were shot in Wyoming are being beamed onto screens ranging in size from 15,000 square feet down to 32 — small enough to fit on the side of a newsstand. A sheep’s face peered over Broadway between 42nd and 43rd Streets as it appeared more than seven stories tall on the Nasdaq billboard. The glimpses of rural life displayed in the heart of New York are part of “Midnight Moment,” a synchronized digital art exhibition curated by Times Square Arts that lasts from 11:57 p.m. to midnight each night. The footage, from a yet-to-be-released documentary called “Counting Sheep,” was first shown on Dec. 1 and will appear through Dec. 30.

Double Dragon is one of the most iconic games ever made, and while the series is best known as side-scrolling beat ’em up, there was actually a legit Double Dragon fighting game based in the 1994 movie. Released for the Neo Geo CD, the movie-based fighting game was actually a well-developed and fun game that even The Angry Video Game Nerd (James) can’t help but praise. It’s apparently one of his favorite fighters of all time. Now, James is no fighting game aficionado, but he is a gaming enthusiast who knows a thing or two about good and bad video games. Watch him play and critique the obscure Double Dragon fighting game… Are you old enough to remember Double Dragon? Do you have any fond memories of the series? Let us know in the comments below.

Nintendo will release special shiny packaged versions of its upcoming Nintendo 3DS ports of Pokémon Gold and Silver, the company announced today — at least in Europe and Japan. The company’s European division tweeted out the photo below, confirming that the boxes would contain digital download codes for the games; these can also be purchased separately. On 22/09, shiny packaged versions of #Pokemon Gold and Pokémon Silver containing a download code will be released in shops. pic.twitter.com/PpfYtZFzp2 — Nintendo of Europe (@NintendoEurope) August 18, 2017 The Japanese version of the retail release includes additional goods: magnets shaped like the original Game Boy Color cartridges, stickers and a poster featuring the Gold and Silver generation’s Pokémon. Polygon has reached out to Nintendo to ask if the special edition boxes will also be available in North America and will update when we hear back. Maybe don’t get your hopes up, however — similar retail releases for the 3DS Virtual Console ports of Pokémon Red and Green last year didn’t make it stateside. Nintendo announced in June that Pokémon Gold and Silver, originally released in 2000 for the Game Boy Color, would be available to download on the Nintendo 3DS eShop. Nintendo also confirmed that the updated versions of the games would be compatible for the first time with Pokémon Bank, the 3DS service that allows players to deposit, store and manage their pocket monsters in private Boxes online. Pokémon Gold and Silver will be available to download on Sept. 22.

Please enable Javascript to watch this video Occupy protestors performed a small bit of satirical play acting Wednesday as a form of demonstrating against the influence of corporate money in government. Both Occupiers and supporters of LGBT rights had their say as the lawmakers and lobbyists observed from the balconies inside the Capitol Rotunda. “Today's event is a piece of political theater and it’s is intended to showcase how ALEC, or the American Legislative Exchange Council has an influence and a direct impact on our legislative branch,” said Occupy Salt Lake protestor Michael Wilson. ALEC describes itself as a conservative legislative think-tank that creates model legislation lawmakers can take to their states and use. According to their website, they are the "only" organization to provide that service in the country. Their next annual meeting is in Salt Lake City. “Attending the summit here this summer is $7000 if you're an attendee or $50 if you happen to be a legislator,” said Wilson. FOX 13 tried contacting ALEC via phone and email, but had not received a response back as of Wednesday whether those costs disparities between a private person and a legislator are true. An LGBT protest that also happened earlier Wednesday had protestors expressing a degree of anger in regards to a statewide antidiscrimination bill getting quickly tabled by lawmakers. FOX 13 will have more on this protest tonight during News at Nine.

MADRID — European basketball authorities say they will investigate an alleged assault of former Portland Trail Blazer player Rudy Fernandez while he was boarding the team bus in Lithuania. Fernandez plays for Real Madrid, and the mayhem followed his team's 105-104 overtime win over Zalgiris Kaunas on Thursday. Madrid official Juan Sanchez says two fans hit Fernandez on the shoulder and neck and struck a security guard several times. The Euroleague says it has asked for reports from both teams and the local police. Fernandez was back in his home country of Spain on Friday. He says he is fine and thankful "things did not go further." He stresses that "people should not think that all Lithuanian fans are like that just because of these two people. Not at all." -- The Associated Press

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research, part of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, compared Connecticut's homicide rates during the 10 years following the law's implementation to the rates that would have been expected had the law not been implemented. The large drop in homicides was found only in firearm-related killings, not in homicides by other means, as would be expected if the law drove the reduction. Earlier research from Webster found that Missouri’s 2007 repeal of its handgun license law was associated with a 25 percent increase in its firearm homicide rates. For the Connecticut study, Webster and his colleagues used comparison states with homicide trends that most closely matched those in Connecticut before the law went into effect in order to predict what would have happened to homicide trends in Connecticut had the handgun licensing law not been implemented. “Taken together, these studies provide compelling evidence that permit to purchase licensing systems is one of the most effective policies we have to reduce gun violence,” Webster says. In 1995 Connecticut added a law to the state's books requiring licenses (permits) and requiring background checks. Researchers at Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research decided to look into whether or not there were any results as a result. Comparing these results with results of the inverse happening in Missouri after they repealed their handgun law license has led to the shocking conclusion that gun laws help save lives. Cold dead hands and all that.

Story highlights Police: 14-year-old was armed with a pistol, held hostages in a 2nd-floor classroom He released the hostages first, then put down his gun and surrendered to authorities (CNN) A 14-year-old boy held numerous students and a teacher hostage Tuesday inside his West Virginia high school -- a scary episode that ended peacefully with the teen dropping his gun and surrendering, police said. A 911 call placed at about 1:30 p.m. alerted Barbour County authorities that a person with a gun was inside Philip Barbour High School in Philippi, a city of 3,000 people about 40 miles south of Morgantown. According to a West Virginia State Police post on Facebook, responding officers arrived to find a 14-year-old armed with a pistol with other students and the teacher in a second-floor classroom. Everyone else was quickly shuttled to safety, first to the school's football field and then home via bus. No injuries were reported. Read More

Two worlds collide in Mario + Rabbids® Kingdom Battle! This game is available for purchase exclusively on Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch. Gold Edition includes game and season pass: 8 new solo challenges + 5 co-op maps 16 new weapons. An exclusive world featuring a new hero, coming in early 2018. The Mushroom Kingdom has been torn apart by a mysterious vortex, transporting the chaotic Rabbids into this once-peaceful land. To restore order, Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Yoshi must team up with a whole new crew: four Rabbids heroes! Together, they will battle with weapons through four worlds filled with combat, puzzles, and unpredictable enemies. Developed exclusively for the Nintendo Switch™ system, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is the best of the Mario and Rabbids franchises, combining all that you love about Mario's iconic universe with the side-splitting antics of the Rabbids.

What do you want done with your body after you die? It is an unnerving but important question, and for most Americans there have long been only two obvious choices: burial or cremation. But a third option, a liquefaction process called by a variety of names — flameless cremation, green cremation or the “Fire to Water” method — is starting to gain popularity throughout the United States. This week, California became the 15th state to outline commercial regulations for the disposal of human remains through the method, chemically known as alkaline hydrolysis. It may seem markedly different from the traditional means of digging graves or burning the dead. A machine uses a chemical bath to dissolve protein, blood and fat, leaving only a coffee-colored liquid, powdery bone and any metal implants, like dental fillings.

0 Since we started our IMAX screening series, we’ve mostly been focused on the newest movies about to be in theaters. While I love promoting new movies, when I first pitched the idea to IMAX for this series, the goal was to show both new and older films and balance the two. The fact is, while I love IMAX, the only negative about the format is that once a film is out of theaters, it’s extremely rare to be able to see it again on their massive screens. Which is why showing older films in our screening series is just as important to me as showing the newest release. And this brings me to our next IMAX screening: TRON: Legacy. On Tuesday, February 28 at 7pm, we’re going to be showing TRON: Legacy for the first time in laser projection and in 3D! Back in 2010, when Legacy was first in theaters, laser projection was still in development. Following the screening, I’ll be moderating an extended Q&A with director Joseph Kosinski where we will go in depth about the making of the film, the amazing Daft Punk soundtrack, and so much more. I’m a huge fan of Tron and the world Steven Lisberger created in the early 80s. I’ve probably watched the film more times than I care to admit and showing TRON: Legacy has been on my wish list for our IMAX screening series since it first started. So if you’d like to see TRON: Legacy in IMAX 3D and watch our Q&A with Joseph Kosinski you need to click this link to enter for tickets. We’ll be accepting requests until February 23rd and soon after we’ll contact the people that won with exact details about the screening. Good luck and hope to see you there!

CNN has set a September 1 premiere date for Holy Hell, an inside look at Buddhafield, a secretive, spiritual cult formed in 1980s West Hollywood. The pic will air at 9 PM ET and repeat at 11. Director Will Allen joined the group just after graduating from film school and eventually became its unofficial documentarian. As he got more deeply involved, he began filming his experiences as the group’s unofficial videographer. It wasn’t until after Allen left the cult that he understood the film he’d been making for more than 20 years. The close-knit Buddhafield aspired to an artistic utopian communal life. Led by enigmatic and charismatic guru, Michel. Buddhafield members pursued his vision for fulfillment while living together, exploring nature, and performing together. Gradually, several came to grow disenchanted with Michel and alleged emotional manipulation and even physical abuse. Holy Hell had its world premiere at Sundance in January, followed by a May 27 theatrical self-release via Allen’s WRA Productions. He produced the film along with Tracey Harnish and Alexandra Johnes. Michael C. Donaldson, Julian Goldstein, Jared Leto, and Cheryl Wheeler Sanders are the executive producers. Check out the newly released key art for the film:

Gun rally to end permits for concealed weapons Grassroots NC pressures Republican Senators to pass gun bill Share Shares Copy Link Copy Hide Transcript Show Transcript WEBVTT THE STATE CAPITOL TODAY, INHOPES OF DOING AWAY WITH PERMITSFOR CONCEALED WEAPONS.BILL O'NEIL TAKES US THERE.BILL: GUN RIGHTS ADVOCATES CAMEUP SHORT THIS PAST SESSION.THEIR EFFORTS TO ELIMINATECONCEAL CARRY PERMITS PASSED THEHOUSE, BUT NEVER CAME TO A VOTEIN THE SENATE.>> WE ARE TELLING THEM TO DOWHAT THEY SENT YOU HERE FOR.THEY SEEM TO HAVE FORGOTTEN WHOBROUGHT THEM TO THE DANCE.BILL: TODAY'S RALLY TARGETSSENATE REPUBLICANS.THE GUN RIGHTS GROUP CALLEDGRASSROOTS NORTH CAROLINA SAYSIT WANTS TO SHAME THEM INTOACTION.THEY USED A MASCOT NAMED SQUISHYTHE MAGIC RINO TO CALL OUT WHATGUN SUPPORTERS SAY ARE RINOS,REPUBLICANS IN NAME ONLY.>> THE FACT IS VOTERS SENT THEMHERE, GUN VOTERS SENT THEM HERETO DO A JOB, AND WE WANT THEM TODO T JOB WE SENT THEM TO DO.BILL: GUN SUPPORTERS DELIVERTHEIR MESSAGE TO THE OFFICE OFTHE SENATE'S TOP REPUBLICAN,PHIL BERGER, WHO WASN'T IN.BUT A NUMBER OF REPUBLICANSOPPOSE ELIMINATING PERMITS FORCONCEALED WEAPONS, INCLUDINGGUILFORD COUNTY LAWMAKER JOHNFAIRCLOTH.>> LOOK AT HOW MANY KILLINGS WEHAVE HAD IN NORTH CAROLINA INTHE LAST SIX MONTHS.IT IS GETTING TO BE AN EPIDEMIC,ALMOST.BILL: GUN RIGHTS ADVOCATES SAYSSENATE REPUBLICANS CAN EXPECT TOSEE THEIR RINO MASCOT NOT ONLYAT THE LEGISLATURE, BUT AT GOPCAMPAIGN EVENTS AS WEL

You really can’t make up how ludicrous things have gotten at campuses in the United States. Here’s the latest via the University of Michigan: Delicate snowflakes. Univ. of Michigan cancels ‘American Sniper’ screening: ‘Made students feel unsafe’ http://t.co/NJ8SH4cGPI — JWF (@JammieWF) April 8, 2015 Oh, COME ON! I'm disgusted by the Univ of Michigan, it cancelled the campus screening of American Sniper http://t.co/sBixroYm0p #ChrisKyleAmericanHero — Dave Melin (@Schneider_F3) April 8, 2015 Gutless display by my alma mater. University cancels ‘American Sniper’ screening: ’Made students feel unsafe’… http://t.co/SwS3TfT4xF — Steve (@evetsgnaw) April 8, 2015 Are U of Mich students delusional, thinking campus was in Iraq or just wussies? American Sniper canceled. http://t.co/tu7h69ES3s — Michael R Shannon (@ReluctantUser2) April 8, 2015 And instead of “American Sniper,” the vicious, killer Wolverines of Michigan will see… Win for the precious snowflakes. Univ of Michigan pulls "American Sniper" screening, replaces w/ "Paddington Bear". http://t.co/r6JPc3Pzbg — CamEdwards (@CamEdwards) April 8, 2015 @Mashon45 Paddington will be shown instead. — Campus Involvement (@UMInvolvement) April 7, 2015 Ha! Here’s the official statement from UM’s Center for Campus Involvement on the cancellation: A statement from the Center for Campus Involvement regarding the screening of American Sniper at UMix this Friday. pic.twitter.com/uClDigpd4w — Campus Involvement (@UMInvolvement) April 7, 2015 Update: The university has decided to go ahead and screen the film, but with these safeguards. *** Related: Twitchy coverage of American Sniper

Blue Bunny, one of the biggest ice cream makers, is testing a line of nondairy vegan ice cream in five cities, and Dallas and Houston are on the list. The line includes four flavors — vanilla, chocolate, mint chocolate chip and mocha fudge — and can be found at all Kroger stores in Dallas and Houston. It's also being sold in Denver, Omaha and Des Moines. Company spokeswoman Deanna Dugo says the new ice cream reflects a nationwide trend. "In the current climate, nondairy alternatives are huge, whether it's a sensitivity or with more people becoming vegan," she says. The ice creams are made with almond milk, and they are cholesterol- and lactose-free. "Almond milk has become a big trend," Dugo says. "This means you can eat ice cream even if you don't do dairy." They run from 150 to 180 calories per serving — typical for supermarket-style ice cream — with 6 to 8 grams of fat, also typical. They provide 20 percent of the recommended daily allotment of calcium, which is higher than most regular ice cream. Nondairy ice cream is common at natural-food stores like Sprouts and Whole Foods Markets, who devote half their freezer case to nondairy, but it says something when it's a mainstream company like Blue Bunny. Ben & Jerry's also recently announced that it will start selling vegan ice cream in 2016. With Texas-based Blue Bell still downed following a recall of its products in April after an outbreak of listeria, the timing is good for Blue Bunny to add something new to the freezer case, especially in these parts, says Gary Huddleston, spokesman for Kroger. "Dallas-Fort Worth is a huge ice cream market, and as of a couple of weeks ago, the Blue Bunny ice creams are at all of our stores," he says.

Arena South District redevelopment 8 Gallery: Arena South District redevelopment GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The parking lots south of the Van Andel Arena need more pedestrian connections, green spaces and buildings for people to work, live and shop in, according to a “visioning plan” presented to the Downtown Development Authority Wednesday, April 10. The seven-week study yielded a series of drawings that propose replacing freeway exits and parking lots in the Arena South District with new buildings, some of which would wrap around parking structures. Tom Nemitz, an architect who led the “visioning” effort, said the suggestions gained from meeting with residents and stakeholders in the area, concluded the “South Arena District” should establish “street grids” that end the US-131 off ramp at Cherry Street rather than Oakes Street. One option called for a tree-lined boulevard leading to Oakes Street while another option called for the creation of a park-like plaza connected to Oakes Street. While the DDA did not act on any of the plans, it voted to approve the five priorities established by the study. Those goals included: • Growing business and economic opportunities • Greening streets, buildings and public spaces • Building compact urban blocks that are densely developed and designed for people • Connecting transit, shops, restaurants, hotels, schools and the Grand River • Living and engaging in a multi-season inclusive environment. Mayor George Heartwell urged the planners to consider the needs of low-income residents in the neighborhood. Heartwell also encouraged the planners to consider mass transit options as an alternative to replacing the parking spots that will be lost with redevelopment. em>E-mail Jim Harger: and follow him on Twitter at

Live concert I recorded and released on tape years ago. Original pressing was limited to 25 and they were all given out at Brattfest. For sale now is a copy from my personal archives. Very rare cover songs and one unreleased song. Won't find these recordings anywhere else! Please note the sound quality isn't the greatest as it was recorded live straight to cassette. Track listing: 1. New Mexico song (part) 2. Free as the rent we don't pay (part) 3. Whiskey is my kind of lullaby 4. DIY orgasms 5. Where is my coffee 6. Green St. 7. Wagon wheel 8. Harmony parking lot song 9. Acid song 10. Color in your cheeks 11. Going to Georgia 12. This year 13. Tampa Bay song 14. Fuck cops intro, into Skaggy 15. No trespassing waltz 16. Crackhouse song 17. Sellout song

Sometimes lost in the contentious discussion around fighters receiving a Therapeutic Use Exemption for Testosterone Replacement Therapy is that some fighters unequivocally need it for medical reasons. While many fans are cynical over Vitor Belfort's use of TRT, the case of Antonio “Bigfoot” is another matter. Silva engaged in a battle for the ages with Mark Hunt at UFN 33, but tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone afterwards. Although he had been granted a TUE, he let his levels get too high, so the fight was declared a no contest, Silva was suspended for nine months, and he was denied his Fight of the Night bonus. Silva's manager Alex Davis appeared recently on The MMA Hour and explained that Silva's case is a medical necessity. “This is one of the guys that really have authentic technical reasons to be on TRT,” said Davis as transcribed by MMA Fighting. “He has acromegaly. His pituitary gland overproduces GH (growth hormone) and that unbalances all his other hormones.” “When I started managing him, he was actually lactating. He has extreme low testosterone. He has extremely low testosterone, so he has a real reason to be on TRT.” “I didn’t really take part on the TRT process. There was a miscommunication between him and his doctor. If I was in the middle of it maybe we would have avoided it. I didn’t realize I needed to be involved.” “He took the instructions wrong, but he did not try to cheat. What happened was, there was a miscommunication with the doctor and he ended up taking injections at the wrong time. He was taking a month then started taking a week. He took one a week before the fight and one at the week of the fight, which wasn’t supposed to. It got mixed up.”

An Ocean’s Eleven or Dirty Dozen-style caper series with time travel? That’s DC’s Legends of Tomorrow which started filming its series today on Vancouver’s waterfront near Crab Tree Park with most of the cast on set except for the Big Bad — Vandal Savage. Doctor Who’s Arthur Darvill is time-master Rip Hunter who assembles a squabbling group of DC super heroes and villains — Victor Garber as Dr. Martin Stein, Wentworth Miller as Leonard Snart/Captain Cold, Caity Lotz as resurrected Sara Lance/the White Canary, Brandon Routh as Ray Palmer/ the A.T.O.M, Dominic Purcell as Mick Rory/Heatwave, Ciara Renee as Kendra/Hawkgirl, Falk Hentschel as Carter Hall/Hawkman and Franz Drameh as Jax Jackson — to try to stop Vandal Savage (Casper Crump), who threatens the planet and time itself. It could be a suicide mission but they’ll trade quips along the way. The two-part pilot is directed by Glen Winter. Legends of Tomorrow showrunner Phil Klemmer is on set too. Day one of #LegendsofTomorrow with our amazing director!! I think this show is going to be ________! pic.twitter.com/KAbftRP0xw — Caity Lotz (@caitylotz) September 9, 2015 Ciara Renee, Caity Lotz and Falk Hentschel. Arthur Darvill as Rip Hunter. And looking like David Tennant’s Doctor Who with the big brown coat. Wentworth Miller. Prison Break reunion: Dominic Purcell and Wentworth Miller. Brandon Routh and Caity Lotz soak up the sun waiting for the next take. Victor Garber as Dr. Martin Stein. And Franz Drameh as Jay Jackson in the passenger seat. Dancing in the streets like a proper time master….tick tick tick Boom A photo posted by Caity Lotz (@caitylotz) on Sep 10, 2015 at 2:54pm PDT Got to meet the lovely Caity Lotz at DC’s ‘Legends of Tomorrow’ filming in Downtown Vancouver today! @olv @yvrshoots pic.twitter.com/9ZgT0KvXHd — Rachel Short (@RackkShort) September 9, 2015 After production wrapped on the waterfront it moved into Gastown’s Bourbon Bar. DC’s Legends of Tomorrow debuts mid-season on The CW.

Leyton Orient are understood to have offered the head coach role to Kevin Nugent. The O's are looking for a replacement to Russell Slade following his resignation last week. Nugent stepped in as caretaker boss for Saturday's 3-2 home defeat to Rochdale and is expected to take charge again at home to Swindon this weekend. Nugent is believed to have accepted the offer in principle although it has not yet been confirmed by the club. Speaking at the weekend, Nugent said: "I'm sure there will be people interested because it's a fantastic job for someone. I'm sure there will be interest in it but I don't know. "I've obviously worked here a long time and I've done the youth team, scouting and all sorts. Changing the role to head coach is something that would certainly excite me but we'll have to wait and see."

Image caption Thomas Hadley said 11 lambs were still missing and 33 have been killed A young farmer has spoken of his shock after most of his flock of 56 lambs were killed by two dogs. Thomas Hadley was telephoned on Friday to say two dogs were attacking his sheep in Risbury, Leominster. Mr Hadley, 23, said when he arrived the field was "scattered" with dead and injured lambs and the dogs were still attacking other sheep. Police sent armed officers and seized the dogs. A 64-year-old man has been arrested and bailed. The man, from Leominster, has been bailed until October on suspicion of allowing a dog to be out of control and allowing a dog to kill or maim livestock. A police spokesman said the firearms officers were deployed as a "matter of precaution". 'Can't trust any dog' Mr Hadley said 33 of the lambs, who were born in April, died from their injuries or shock or had to be destroyed. "I haven't slept at all," he said. "We are still missing 11 lambs and these could be fatally injured lying somewhere and we have searched a two-mile radius of this place and haven't found them." Mr Hadley, who also works as an sheep shearer and livestock agent, has been breeding sheep for three years and said the incident had cost at least £10,000. "I have lost the breed lines and will have to start from scratch," he said. "People don't realise that their dogs can do this," he said. "You can't trust any dog around livestock."

Ben Simmons Expects To Go First Overall, Prepares To Play For Sixers Share ! tweet LSU’s Ben Simmons expects nothing less than being picked No. 1 overall in the coming 2016 NBA Draft and according to a report, his camp is already preparing the multi-faceted forward to suit up with the Philadelphia 76ers. The story was supported with the fact that Simmons has already signed a shoe deal with Nike, cancelling out the rumor about the Australian forcing his way to Los Angeles in search of better endorsement opportunities. Tom Moore of Burlington County Times wrote: Agent Rich Paul, who represents LeBron James, John Wall and others, “has been preparing for his client to go to Philadelphia from the moment the Sixers got the” top selection in the May 17 draft lottery, according to the source. Neither Simmons nor Paul has apparently made any public comments about draft preference and the Sixers since the lottery. Simmons has a connection to the area in that his trainer lives in Drexel Hill. He’s also known Sixers coach Brett Brown, who coached Simmons’ dad in Melbourne, Australia, since birth. According to most experts, the draft is a two-horse race between Simmons and Duke’s Brandon Ingram but all indications point to the Sixers selecting the former by a landslide. It seems the feeling is now mutual. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports Comments comments

Enter Shadar Logoth. There are some really nice descriptions of the architecture of this ruined city. How do you picture the characters? The boys slip out the back of the warded shelter without permission to explore the empty city. As night approaches, they encounter Mordeth. We get into the motivations of this dangerous character. Matt picks up the ruby hilted dagger during their flight, but tells no one. After they return Rand has a dream. Is the old man in it Ishmael? The approach of Tollocs forces the party to flee. WoTSpoilers is a twice weekly book-club, you can join the conversation on Discord Remember, we're two nerds in a basement who would rather be creating content full time, than working our 9-5s. You can help us create the content you love, by donating on Patreon

A weird ‘metal butterfly’ which buzzed a father and son as they left a restaurant in Ohio this week is among the clearest UFO pictures ever taken. But some UFO fans say it’s a fake - possibly created using CGI software. Local men Tom and Christopher claim that the weird, butterfly-like craft buzzed them - then they saw two black, military helicopters following it. It was shown off by paranormal-themed YouTube channel Secure Team - whose creator, Tyler Glockner, swears it is real. Glockner says, ‘The reason I am calling this an alien craft rather than just a UFO…is in the stunning detail, where we can see the true structural characteristics of this ship. ‘And guys you take a look and tell me with a straight face this has anything to do with humans. ‘The features on this thing don't make any sense.’ Glockner claims that the duo who filmed the clip were unable to photograph the military helicopters which tailed the craft, as they were ‘going the other way’. Nigel Watson, author of the UFO Investigations Manual, is more sceptical, saying, ‘It looks like it was produced using a model and CGI. It is a very distinctive looking object, it reminds me of the Millennium Falcon spacecraft in the Star Wars films with a bite taken out of it. ‘Alarm bells ring when the witnesses are only known as Tom and Christopher, and we might also wonder why other people in the area didn't see it.

Yesterday was brutal for NC State fans. First they learned that Trevor Lacey was going pro, then they find out Kyle Washington is transferring. So for all of you toeing the ledge right now, we have some recruiting news that will hopefully put you in a better mood. According to Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog, Mark Gottfried is in Greece looking for a commitment from 7 foot center Georgios Papagiannis. N.C. State coach @Mark_Gottfried left for Greece today where he will see 7-footer Georgios Papagiannis. More here: http://t.co/QvTZ5Ywtcr — Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) April 17, 2015 Now, I’m not going to act like I’ve seen anything more than a few videos, but this kid is legit. In fact, there are a few coaches that think he’s a potential one and done type guy (From the videos I’m not buying that). He’s 7’1, has a good frame, is bouncy, coordinated, can handle it a bit and can shoot it. Gott is trying to lock him up and is likey the first coach to go over to visit him. He is also looking at St. John’s, Temple, Oregon, Kentucky and UConn. He is expected to make a decision by June but Gottfried is surely hoping to come home with one in a few days.

As the Los Angeles Clippers propose guard Jamal Crawford in possible trade scenarios, the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year has a message for the Clippers and potential future teams: Wherever Crawford's playing, he wants a contract extension next summer. "Our intention is to get an extension with the Clippers or anywhere else that he may be traded based on the fact that he's undervalued for the production he's providing," his agent Andy Miller told Yahoo Sports on Wednesday night. Crawford has become a subject of sign-and-trade discussions with the Clippers, who have inquired about working deals for several potential free agents, including Cleveland's Luol Deng and Spencer Hawes, sources told Yahoo. Scroll to continue with content Ad Crawford has two years, $11 million left on his deal, including a team option for the 2015-16 season. Crawford is eligible for an extension in the summer of 2015, and believes he's out-performed his deal. Crawford had a tremendously productive season for the Clippers, averaging 18.6 points in 30 minutes per game on his way to his second Sixth Man of the Year award in four seasons. Crawford averaged 15.5 points in 24 minutes per game in the 2014 Western Conference playoffs. In 14 NBA seasons, Crawford has averaged 15.5 points. He's played with Chicago, New York, Golden State, Atlanta, Portland and the Clippers.

China’s Digging Since the industrialization of coal, the world has sourced much of its energy from fossil fuels. While the global energy landscape has started to change again over the past several years, with the introduction of more renewable and cleaner sources, fossil fuels are still the main source of much of today’s energy. However, it looks like China has now found a way to access a previously elusive source of energy. Reports from China’s Ministry of Land and Resources claim that the country has successfully extracted methane hydrate — also known as “flammable ice” — from beneath the South China Sea, just 300 kilometers (186 miles) southeast of Hong Kong. “We brought the gas to the surface and have lit it up since May 10. By now, the drill has been running continually for eight days,” project leader and deputy chief engineer at the China Geological Survey Ye Jianliang told the South China Morning Post. “The daily output [of gas] exceeds 10,000 cubic meters. The best day recorded 35,000 cubic meters.” Not Clean Enough Though methane hydrate is not a new discovery, researchers have had difficulty putting it to practical use. The substance is called “flammable ice” because it looks like ice, but it’s actually methane trapped inside water molecule lattices. Deposits of methane hydrate are usually found in areas with low temperatures and moderate pressure, such as the bottom of the ocean, making them difficult to access.

2 President  rump has laid out our princi ples or tax reorm: First, make the tax code simple, air and easy to understand. Second, give American workers a pay raise by allowing them to keep more o their hard-earned pay checks. Tird, make America the jobs magnet o  the world by levelin g the playing field or American businesses and workers. Finally , bring back trillions o dollars that are currently kept offshore to reinvest in the American economy. Te President’ s our princip les are consisten t with the goals o both congression al tax-writing committees, and are at the core o this ramework or fixing America’s broken tax code. oo many in our country are shut out o the dynamism o the U.S. economy, which has led to the justifiable eeling that the system is rigged against hardw orking American s. With significan t and meaningul tax reorm and relie, we will create a airer system that levels the playing field and extends economic opportunities to American workers, small businesses, and middle-income amilies. Te rum p Administration and Congress will work together to produce tax reorm that w ill put America first. OVERVIEW

Back in June, Toronto singer Daniel Caesar dropped two stunning new tracks, "We Find Love" and "Blessed," as a kind of two-for-one single. Today he's gifting us with a grainy visual for the songs, which you can watch above. In the video, Caesar — who's low-key a total heartthrob — finds love, loses it, and finds it again. ADVERTISEMENT Today, he's also announcing his debut album, Freudian, which will be out August 25 on Golden Child Recordings. "I've never been as proud about anything I've created in my whole life," Caesar wrote in a note to The FADER, about the forthcoming full-length. "This body of work is about examining my most complex feelings and thoughts more directly. I'm more exposed than ever on this album. It's like I'm in therapy, but it's on display. And I got to make this with my friends. It's just us, no label, so it makes it that much more special."

The manufacturer of the diet candy Ayds is seeking a new name for its product because publicity about the deadly disease AIDS is hurting sales, the chairman said today. The diet suppressant has been on the market for 47 years and remains a profitable product for the the Dep Corporation, but sales have dropped by as much as 50 percent in recent years because of the name association, Robert Berglass, the chairman, said. Since January, Ayds has been marketed in Britain as Aydslim. If sales show signs of recovery, the appetite-suppressant candy may be sold in the United States under that name later this year, Mr. Berglass said. So far, reaction from retailers has been positive, he said, but consumer reaction has not been determined. Consumer reaction could be available within a few months becuase most people go on diets in the spring, he said. Federal health officials believe about 40,000 Americans have been stricken with AIDS, or acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

Americans believe that obesity is tied with cancer as the biggest health threat in the nation today. But though scientific research shows that diet and exercise are insufficient solutions, a large majority say fat people should be able to summon the willpower to lose weight on their own. The findings are from a nationally representative survey of 1,509 adults released on Tuesday by NORC at the University of Chicago, an independent research institution. The study, funded by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, found that concerns about obesity have risen. Just a few years ago, in a more limited survey, cancer was seen as the most serious health threat. The lead researcher, Jennifer Benz of the survey group at the University of Chicago, said that to her knowledge no other survey has provided so comprehensive a view of Americans’ beliefs about obesity, including how to treat it, whether people are personally responsible for it and whether it is a disease. Researchers say obesity, which affects one-third of Americans, is caused by interactions between the environment and genetics and has little to do with sloth or gluttony. There are hundreds of genes that can predispose to obesity in an environment where food is cheap and portions are abundant.

Glendale Water & Power is warning customers of a recent increase in telephone scams aimed at bilking them of thousands of dollars for phony past-due bills. Customers are contacted by presumed customer service representatives and told their accounts are delinquent and they must pay immediately over the phone or face service shutoff. They are instructed to purchase a Green Pack Money Card — a specific prepaid debit card — from a 7-Eleven or Rite Aid and then call back to pay the bill using the card. In the past week, three separate customers have paid the scammers between $1,000 and $2,000 each, according to GWP spokeswoman Atineh Haroutunian. The scheme is run mostly from outside the United States, and organizers use software to make the calls appear on caller ID to be coming from GWP or from local numbers with an 818 area code, the utility said in a statement. GWP says its representatives will never ask for payment over the phone, and customers who receive these types of calls are encouraged to contact the utility at 818-548-3300 to check the true status of their account and report the attempted fraud. Customers are also asked to call the Glendale Police Department at 818-548-4911 to report the calls.

Sleep is present and tightly regulated in every vertebrate species in which it has been carefully investigated, but what sleep is for remains a mystery. Sleep is also present in invertebrates, and an extensive analysis in Drosophila melanogaster has shown that sleep in fruit flies shows most of the fundamental features that characterize sleep in mammals. In Drosophila, sleep consists of sustained periods of quiescence associated with an increased arousal threshold. Fly sleep is modulated by several of the same stimulants and hypnotics that affect mammalian sleep. Moreover, like in mammals, fly sleep shows remarkable interindividual variability. The expression of several genes involved in energy metabolism, synaptic plasticity, and the response to cellular stress varies in Drosophila between sleep and wakefulness, and the same occurs in rodents. Brain activity also changes in flies as a function of behavioral state. Furthermore, Drosophila sleep is tightly regulated in a circadian and homeostatic manner, and the homeostatic regulation is largely independent of the circadian regulation. After sleep deprivation, recovery sleep in flies is longer in duration and more consolidated, indicated by an increase in arousal threshold and fewer brief awakenings. Finally, sleep deprivation in flies impairs vigilance and performance. Because of the extensive similarities between flies and mammals, Drosophila is now being used as a promising model system for the genetic dissection of sleep. Over the last few years, mutagenesis screens have isolated several short sleeping mutants, a demonstration that single genes can have a powerful effect on a complex trait like sleep.

The former boarding house was due to hose 64 asylum seekers. Photo: Stian Strand / NTB scanpix Early on Tuesday morning, a fire broke out a planned asylum centre in Hol Municipality in Hallingdal that left the building completely destroyed. Police were notified of the fire at 4.52am on Tuesday. “The building has suffered great damage but it hasn’t burned completely down. It’s possible the fire brigade will monitor a controlled burn,” police spokesman Ole Kristian Nerby told NTB. Nerby said it was too early to say anything about the cause of the fire but confirmed that no one was in the building when the fire was discovered. The building was approved for use as an asylum centre in January. The former boarding house was due to host 64 asylum seekers.

It’s a common theme among many small apparel brands, and women’s-specific brands in particular: a frustration with the current state of the market. Not happy with choosing from the limited selection of gear that’s available, a passionate individual (or group of individuals) sets out to change the status quo. It was no different in the case of Femme Velo. “When I started shopping for gear and clothing I was underwhelmed and increasingly disappointed by my lack of options,” Nicole said. “The jerseys I found were an atrocious shade of pink or baby blue, which just wasn’t for me. “I’m the kind of person that if I see something that can be better I don’t wait around for someone else to fix it — I jump right in and fix it myself. Both my parents were entrepreneurs and so starting a business of my own never seemed far-fetched. “When I had the dismal experience of trying to find kit I liked and that I could do long rides in without it literally being a pain in my ass, I decided, why not make it better?” When she was still new to the sport, Nicole found out that while riding alone can be hugely rewarding, it’s the social nature of the sport that binds us to our bikes. It provides the motivation to get out of bed when it’s still cold and dark outside. Femme Velo initially began as a yearly women’s cycling sportive in 2012, before launching its line of apparel earlier this year. “I love where we came from in this sport,” Nicole tells us. “Femme Velo isn’t about empowering women, because women don’t need brands to empower them. Women need brands that complement them, that fit into their lifestyle, and most importantly women need choices. “That’s who we are and what we stand for and if we can get one more woman to walk past a bike shop and wonder at the possibility of what might come if she gets on bike and starts riding, then we’ve done something great with our voice and our brand.”

The Freedom From Religion Foundation will be running a full-page ad in Sunday's Tulsa (Okla.) World and Wichita (Kan.) Eagle asking the question, "What does the bible really say about abortion?" The answer is (as the ad puts it): "There is no biblical justification for the assault on women's reproductive rights." The advertisement features a compelling portrait of birth control crusader Margaret Sanger, and her quote: "No woman can call herself free who does not own and control her body." It documents that the bible does not condemn abortion and, in fact, "shows an utter disregard for human life." The ad reminds the reader: "We live under a secular Constitution that wisely separates religion from government, and protects women's reproductive rights." The ad is funded and was largely written by Brian Bolton, a retired professor and Life Member of FFRF, in memory of FFRF's principal founder Anne Nicol Gaylor (1926-2015), who was propelled into freethought activism by her experiences working to legalize abortion in the late 1960s and early '70s. Gaylor observed that the battle for women's rights "would never end" until the root cause of women's oppression, "religion and its control of our government," is challenged. The ad refers the reader for more information to Bolton's article, "God is So Not Pro-Life" and FFRF's nontract "What Does the Bible Say About abortion?" The ad first debuted earlier this spring in the Austin American-Statesman and will appear later this month in the Houston Chronicle. FFRF warmly thanks Brian Bolton, who lives in Texas, for his generous support and commitment. Bolton additionally sponsors FFRF's annual graduate student essay contest. For more information on bible sexism and its reach into civil law, also see Woe to the Women: The Bible Tells Me So, by Annie Laurie Gaylor, published by FFRF.

Image caption John Hemming MP said he would raise the matter in Parliament An MP is to raise the case of a woman who he says had her baby forcibly removed by Caesarean section, and taken by social services in Essex. Liberal Democrat John Hemming said the Italian woman had had a panic attack linked to her bipolar disorder and was sectioned under the Mental Health Act. She was sedated after authorities obtained a court order. Essex County Council, which allegedly took the baby into care, said it could not comment on "ongoing" cases. It is understood the woman was pregnant when she came to the UK to work for Stansted Airport in 2012. Up for adoption Mr Hemming, MP for Birmingham Yardley and chairman of the Justice for Families Campaign, said he planned to raise the case in Parliament. He claims to have seen documents proving Essex social services obtained a court order for a Caesarean section, and for the child to be taken into care. He said the girl, who is now 15 months old, was still in the care of Essex social services and was being put up for adoption. Solicitor Brendan Fleming issued a statement in which he said he had been instructed by the woman's lawyers but would not discuss the case. "We remain committed to fighting for our clients and shall fight tooth and nail to help mother be reunited with her baby," it said. A council spokesperson said: "Essex County Council does not comment on the circumstances of ongoing individual cases involving vulnerable people and children."

I haven’t posted on here in quite a long while. I feel like life took me by surprise and dragged me for months. But I’m here now, and lately I’ve felt the need to blog. To write in this blog and converse with others. I recently got laid off from my job due to lack of work. There are so many things wrong with the U.S. economy, but this isn’t the blog for that kind of talk. I’ve fallen into a hole and I seem to not be able to climb out of it. I used to be completely optimistic and cheery. Lately things have changed and I’m quite the opposite. I stopped practicing yoga, meditating, working out, eating the way I should be and I’ve started being lazy and doing things that do not make me happy for fulfilled. It was a downward spiral and I needed to tighten my grip on reality. I realize that no one is going to change anything for me. It’s entirely up to myself to change the negative thoughts to positive and to go out and practice kindness and happiness everywhere I go. I can’t lay down on my bed anymore and wait for something good to happen. Good things are happening all around and I haven’t opened my eyes to see them. If you want to see good in the world, like really concentrate on the good in people, you will see it. The same goes for the bad in the world. The bad is easier to see because the world is becoming more cynical and selfish. I’m really motivated about spreading kindness and happiness. I want to show others that there is a reason to be positive even when there are a thousand negative issues going on. That there are kind people out there even if they can’t seem to find them. That just because you’ve hit a major setback in your life, it doesn’t mean it’s the end or even near the end. I want to spread good in the world.

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Shaquille O'Neal's curious about one aspect of LeBron James' impending return to face angry Cavaliers fans -- the pregame ritual. "I'm a silly fan,'' O'Neal said. "I'm anxious to see if he's going to do that powder thing.'' James' homecoming on Thursday, his first game in Cleveland since deciding to join the Miami Heat this summer, may be the most anticipated matchup on the NBA schedule this season. Cavaliers fans are expected to mercilessly boo James, whose departure impacted the city's economy and psyche. During his seven seasons in Cleveland, James developed a routine -- before home and away games -- of filling his hands with a white powdered rosin and tossing it above his head just before tip-off, creating a dust cloud that has become as much his signature as any powerful dunk. On Tuesday, James seemed unsure if he would do it in front of fans who may no longer appreciate the snow-like spectacle. "The powder? I probably will,'' James said after practice in Miami on Tuesday. "That's just a ritual for myself, a routine that I've always done, I've done on the road. I don't know. We'll see. I may change. I don't know.'' O'Neal, who has felt the wrath of fans after leaving Orlando and Los Angeles, can't wait to find out. "We have bets that he doesn't do it,'' said O'Neal, in town with the Boston Celtics to play the Cavaliers. Dwyane Wade believes his Miami teammate will stick with his pregame powder ceremony. "I wouldn't expect him to do anything different,'' Wade said. "He's done it for every game he's played. So why change it just for one game? If he doesn't throw it up, I'll throw it up for him. That's what he does. You cannot stop doing what you do. Moreso than anything, that's his ritual. That's what gets him ready for the game. "No one's going to know until tip-off. And we'll be excited to see.''

Bray Wyatt has qualified to feature in the Money In The Bank WWE Title Ladder Match, besting Dean Ambrose in a qualifier match at the June 10th SmackDown tapings. We can also report that John Cena is scheduled to be added to the title match at some point, according to an update at F4wonline. That would make the line up to six big stars fighting for the title on June 29th, Cesaro vs Sheamus vs Orton vs Del Rio vs Cena vs Wyatt. Apparently WWE have already decided on who will be the new champion, and the company are also mulling over a second ladder match for the traditional MITB briefcase title shot. An argument could be made that Money In The Bank 2014 is in fact now stronger from Daniel Bryan's absence. His scheduled match against Kane was hardly a big sell to begin with. Instead we now have six of WWE's biggest stars fighting it out to be the new WWE Champion and a possible second ladder match on the show. Wyatt beat Ambrose in the SmackDown match after Seth Rollins ran in to distract the Shield member. It looks as if we will get Ambrose vs Rollins in a one on one undercard match at the pay per view, with Roman Reigns possibly doing nothing more than acting as enforcer at ringside. Overall the Money In The Bank pay per view is shaping up to be a great show, the addition of Wyatt into the title equation is exciting, we now await the final qualifier which will probably be Cena next week on Raw.

Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings. June 5, 2014, 3:16 PM GMT / Updated June 5, 2014, 3:58 PM GMT A senior politician from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party has been quoted saying that sometimes rape is "right," sparking renewed outrage about rampant sexual assault in that country. "This is a social crime which depends on men and women. Sometimes it's right, sometimes it's wrong," Babulal Gaur, home minister of Madhya Pradesh state, was quoted as saying in the Hindustan Times. "Until there's a complaint, nothing can happen." Gaur is from Prime Minister Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Modi has so far been silent about the May 26 gang rape and murder of two teenage girls in the north of the country. Three men later confessed to the attacks, which ended with the girls being hung from a mango tree. The 14- and 15-year-old cousins were from a poor family without operating toilets in their home and disappeared after going into fields to relieve themselves.

Yeast. They already participate in producing some of the most popular pain-killing substances around: beer and wine. Now, scientists have engineered yeast that can also make one of the most powerful analgesics: morphine. Their work is in the journal Nature Chemical Biology. [Kate Thodey, Stephanie Galanie and Christina D. Smolke, A microbial biomanufacturing platform for natural and semisynthetic opioids] Opiates like morphine and codeine are essential for treating severe pain. But making these meds isn’t easy. All are derived from opium poppies, and tens to hundreds of thousands of tons are needed to meet global needs. The crops can also be affected by climate, disease and even political turmoil in the countries where the plants are grown, which further limits commercial production. To get around these potential challenges, researchers have turned to yeast, an organism that can be grown easily on industrial scales. The scientists inserted into yeast cells a handful of genes isolated from the opium poppy. These genes encode the enzymes the plants use to produce opiates. After tweaking the system to adjust the relative amounts of the enzymes, the researchers could feed their yeast a precursor chemical called thebaine, and get pure morphine in return. The yeast can’t yet make opiates from scratch. But with a bit more effort and a few more enzymes, yeast may produce painkillers that are prescription strength. —Karen Hopkin [The above text is a transcript of this podcast.] [Scientific American is part of Nature Publishing Group.]

(Image: Oli Scarff/Getty) It may look like a sci-fi movie prop, but it could be a glimpse at the future of prosthetics. 3D printing can render everyday artefacts in clear plastic, so we can see in unprecedented detail how they work – and this exquisite model of a prosthetic arm is a brilliant example. It is one of the highlights at the London Science Museum’s 3D printing exhibition, which features more than 600 printed objects. Designed by Richard Hague, director of the Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing Research Group at the University of Nottingham, UK, and his students the arm shows how the printers can create strong structure, mobile joints and delicate sensors – like spiral-shaped metal touch-detectors – all in one process. Advertisement “It’s a mock-up but it shows circuits that sense temperature, feel objects and control the arm’s movement,” says Hague. “3D printing gives us the freedom to make complex, optimised shapes, and our research aim is focused on printing-in electrical, optical or even biological functions.” Such techniques are also bringing prosthetics to people who previously could not afford them. For instance, the open-source “robohand” project, pioneered by South African carpenter Richard Van As, aims to print cheap, plastic customised prostheses for people who have lost fingers, or who were born with some digits missing or malformed. Some of his work – with the designs available online – is also on show at the Science Museum. See more: “What our 3D-printed future looks like“

Pick virtually any issue facing America today, and you will find a generous collection of Republican lies on the subject. Some are actually well-crafted lies, difficult to disprove, but some are so totally over the edge that a fifth grader could expose them, like this one, so why do they do it? Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., delivered one of her signature hard-hitting speeches at the Values Voter Summit, a conference for socially conservative activists on Sept. 17, 2010. At one point, Bachmann took a shot at the woman who leads her chamber, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. Pelosi, Bachmann said, "has been busy sticking the taxpayer with her $100,000 bar tab for alcohol on the military jets that she’s flying." Bachmann was referring to the Air Force jets that Pelosi uses to fly internationally and back to her home in San Francisco. (Her Republican predecessor, Dennis Hastert of Illinois, used them as well, under a program approved under President George W. Bush.) Bachman’s claim drew a rapid counterattack from the Speaker’s office, as aides revived arguments they’d used when the allegation first surfaced months earlier. Among other things, Pelosi’s office noted that the Speaker "does not drink alcohol" and that there "is no alcohol service on the domestic flights the Air Force operates for travel from Washington to San Francisco for the Speaker."… [emphasis added] Inserted from <Politifact> Of course Batshit Bachmann was busted on her lie, as she has been dozens of times before. So why bother? Two paradigms come into play here. First, if Republicans told the truth, nobody would vote for them, except for the richest and most hate filled in our culture.

Fitness is not always just about exercises; it is also about your diet and nutrition. It is only when exercises and nutrition go hand in hand can you hope to become healthy and have a good physique. Even though most trainers know about nutrition they do not know their legal rights and if they are allowed to share the information. While trainers can share knowledge about nutrition in general but what determines if it is legal is the certification of the trainer and if they are competent to give health advice to their clients. Trainers should not cross the line when suggesting nutritional changes for medical conditions; that is the prerogative of the registered dietician and general physicians. As a trainer, you can inform your clients on the importance of adding phytonutrients into their diet and the importance of reducing dairy and relying more on healthy fats; eating more of lean protein. You can also share recipes. Basically, you can give them the bricks to build the foundation of their diet. Where you tread tricky ground is when you suggest diet solutions to treat diseases. You cannot suggest any meal plans because that is beyond the scope of a trainer in most countries; in many countries, there are no clear-cut laws on this aspect of fitness. In the US, the law varies based on the state and its guidelines. Final thoughts Your client looks towards you to give them some guidelines on what to eat and what to avoid and you are well within your rights to suggest the right foods and show them the food pyramid; remember only when their diet corresponds to the exercises can they hope to benefit. Those clients who are into bodybuilding will already be following a dietician’s advice and might even be testosterone pills with a positive avis sur testogen aiding their cause. …

A mural of Kevin Spacey will soon vanish from the side of a building in the northwest England city of Manchester. Anonymous street artist Akse revealed via Facebook on Friday that he will replace his 2015 piece “as a result of the recent allegations” of sexual misconduct against the Oscar-winning actor. The decision to remove the mural, which shows Spacey as “House of Cards” character Frank Underwood, was made jointly with the wall’s owners, Akse added. Akse painted the mural on the building, owned by Nurhbai and Co. Accountants, in May 2015. “We love it!” the company said via Facebook on its completion: But as sexual misconduct claims mounted against Spacey, owner Hussain Nurbhai was “adamant” it be replaced, the BBC reported. Akse has not revealed when or how he will paint over the piece, which formed part of his “Psychopaths” series. HuffPost has reached out for comment. Bryan Cranston’s “Breaking Bad” character of Walter White, and Christian Bale’s character of Patrick Bateman from “American Psycho,” also are featured in Akse’s project in Manchester. A post shared by Akse P19 Crew (@akse_p19) on Aug 2, 2017 at 3:11am PDT

New Delhi: Noted jurist Ram Jethmalani, 94 on Saturday announced his retirement from over seven-decade-long career as advocate. He referred to the present status of governance as "calamity and said he would continue to fight corrupt politicians. "I am here just to tell you I am retiring from the profession but I am taking on a new role as long as I am alive. I wish to combat the corrupt politicians that have been brought into the position of power and I hope the condition of India will take good shape," Jethmalani said. Jethmalani alleged that the present NDA government has "let down" the nation like the previous UPA dispensation. He was speaking at a function organised by apex bar body, the Bar Council of India, to felicitate new Chief Justice of India Justice Dipak Misra. "The country is not in a good shape. The previous and the current governments, both have let down the nation very badly. "It is the duty of the members of the bar and all good citizens to rise to this great calamity," he said adding that they should do their best to see that those in positions of power are shown the exit door as soon as possible. Firstpost is now on WhatsApp. For the latest analysis, commentary and news updates, sign up for our WhatsApp services. Just go to Firstpost.com/Whatsapp and hit the Subscribe button.

A MELBOURNE woman has been reunited with her dog 10 years after it went missing. Latte disappeared from Anne Quach’s Reservoir home in 2004, sparking a fruitless search. “I bought Latte and her brother Cappuccino in 2003, and a year later Latte went missing from our yard,’’ Ms Quach said. “We’re not sure if she was stolen or snuck out, but I was devastated and Cappuccino whined for weeks afterwards.” At the time, Ms Quach put up posters in the hope someone would recognise the much-loved pooch, but she eventually gave up hope of being reunited. Until now, when she turned up at the City of Whittlesea Pound in Epping where a microchip scan revealed the identity of her owner. Latte was unkempt and slightly malnourished, but otherwise OK. Ms Quach said Latte didn’t recognise her or respond to her name, but she was settling in well. “Cappuccino is very happy and my son Vin, who was only a month old when she went missing, loves his new friend,’’ she said. Whittlesea Council animal management team leader Rod Thickins said Ms Quach’s story was a timely reminder to microchip pets. “Microchipping our cats and dogs has led to many happy reunions at the pound. Latte’s case is extraordinary — 10 years is definitely our council record,’’ he said.

With NES Classic Edition Discontinued, Hyperkin's Retron HD Could Take Its Place With NES Classic Edition Discontinued, Hyperkin's Retron HD Could Take Its Place Share. Doing what Nintendoesn't. Doing what Nintendoesn't. Hyperkin wants to pick up where NES Classic Edition left off with the Retron HD, a new console that plays 8-bit classics from Nintendo's home system. The Retron HD works with original NES cartridges — from both NTSC and PAL regions — displaying them at 720p on screen. The console comes with a controller with a 10-foot cord and HD cable, plus a micro USB charge cable. Meet the Retron HD 6 IMAGES Fullscreen Image Artboard 3 Copy Artboard 3 ESC 01 OF 06 Hyperkin's Retron HD plays NES cartridges at 720p. 01 OF 06 Hyperkin's Retron HD plays NES cartridges at 720p. Meet the Retron HD Download Image Captions ESC Announced earlier this month, the Retron HD looks like an attempt to build off the success of Nintendo's mini console. The Big N discontinued the NES Classic Edition in April, with a company representative at the time stating that the system "wasn’t intended to be an ongoing, long-term product." Now this isn't the first time Hyperkin has released an HD console that plays NES cartridges. The Retron 5 actually supported 10 different systems, such as SNES, Genesis and Game Boy Advance. The Retron HD will release May 25 for $40/£50 in gray and black. Exit Theatre Mode Evan Campbell is a freelance writer who scripts the Daily Fix, streams games on his Twitch channel, and chats about movies and TV series on Twitter.

previously on MeFi: 1 - 2 - 3 also previously: Brené Brown on shame & vulnerability (one, two) One: No good role modelsTwo: Can you be ‘bad’ and yet still – overall – good?Three: It will hurt you too much to hear thisFour: No one can understand me Effectively communicating your feelings : "I know that it can be hard to talk about your feelings. We’re not taught to do it, and we’re certainly not taught that it’s an important thing to learn. But it’s definitely a skill worth practicing. Because you’re worth being heard. I promise." Effective Communication - Improving your Social Skills "People aren’t born with good communication skills; like any other skill, they are learned through trial and error and repeated practice."BakadesuyoSucceed Socially Some Common Conversation Mistakes and Core Listening Skills How Self-Awareness Leads to Effective Communication : "Our previous experiences, believes, values, assumptions, judgments and bias influence the quality of our listening. Whenever we listen to something, we evaluate what we are hearing and this in turn triggers our emotional reactions and our judgment. If we hear something that contradicts our values or our interests, we tend to react, by becoming defensive; our ability to be effective listeners is hostage of our own filters." Are You a Poor Communicator? How to Improve : "...communicating with others can be a difficult and frustrating experience. There are times when we mean well, but because of the way we say what we say, our message is misunderstood, with unintended and undesirable consequences."Raptitude

A woman who slashed another woman’s face in a “moment of madness or jealousy”, leaving her permanently disfigured, has been given a six year sentence. Kinsi Abdullah Dirir (33) was convicted of assault causing serious harm to mother-of-five Habiba Songolo (40) at a house on Foxborough Rise, Lucan, Co Dublin on May 17th, 2008. Dirir had denied the charge at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, however she admitted causing criminal damage to a car outside the house on the same day. Dirir, who was born in Somalia and came to Ireland aged six, has no previous convictions. A probation report put her at high risk of re-offending. The court heard the attack happened after Dirir discovered that her former husband was in a relationship with the victim. Dirir, a mother-of-three of Hollybrook Park, Clontarf, was acquitted by a jury of carrying a razor blade on the same occasion. Judge Desmond Hogan said the victim had suffered very serious injuries and continued to suffer traumatic effects, bordering on depression. He suspended the final 18 months of the sentence for four years, after hearing Dirir’s family had offered the sum of €2,000 as compensation to the victim. Judge Hogan took into account Dirir’s long history of mental illness and ordered that she receive appropriate medication in custody.

window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-3', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 3', target_type: 'mix' }); Photo: Getty Images Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close Image 2 of 4 Chris Dominguez of the San Francisco Giants is congratulated after hitting a two-run home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park September, 21, 2014 in San Diego. less Chris Dominguez of the San Francisco Giants is congratulated after hitting a two-run home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park September, 21, 2014 in San ... more Photo: Getty Images Image 3 of 4 Chris Dominguezof the San Francisco Giants sits in the dugout after an 8-2 loss to the San Diego Padres at Petco Park September, 21, 2014 in San Diego. Chris Dominguezof the San Francisco Giants sits in the dugout after an 8-2 loss to the San Diego Padres at Petco Park September, 21, 2014 in San Diego. Photo: Getty Images Image 4 of 4 SF Giants rookie hits first home run, gets cute messages on ball 1 / 4 Back to Gallery Chris Dominguez was beaming despite Sunday’s 8-2 loss, and nobody could blame him. Making his first major-league start, the 27-year-old rookie homered against Ian Kennedy for his first big-league hit. The ball went over the fence down the left-field line, hit off the Western Metal Supply Co. building and wound up in the hands of a little girl named Estella who was celebrating her birthday. The Padres dispatched an employee to retrieve the ball, but before a swap could be completed, the little girl’s sister got ahold of the ball and wrote on it, “Happy birthday, love M.” The girl agreed to give the ball to Dominguez, but not before she added her own missive. She wrote, “Congratulations, (heart) Estella.” “That is awesome,” Dominguez said when he saw the inscriptions. “I think it’s great for the memories.”

The following table contains the main stats for all ADVENT units present in version 1.4 of Long War 2, including the units introduced by Shen's Last Gift and Alien Hunters DLCs. The stat values can be influenced by the difficulty level (Rookie/Veteran/Commander/Legendary) and those are also displayed accordingly. Other Stats In addition to the stats listed above there are others that have very limited use. Here's a list of those stats and the specific situations where they are used Flank Aim - only used by the Sidewinders with a value of 5, 0 for all other units Flank Crit - default of 33/33/40/40 for each difficulty level, Elite Sidewinders have the values at 40/40/50/50 Strength - propose/use unknown, has a default value of 50, and higher values for units like Mutons and Stun Lancers Items - default value of 1 of nearly all units, with the exception of the ADVENT Engineer/Grenadiers, which is set for 9 Sources

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Dragan Vasiljkov, centre, has been convicted of war crimes A former Serbian paramilitary commander with Australian dual citizenship has been sentenced to 15 years in jail for war crimes. Dragan Vasiljkovic, also known as "Captain Dragan", was convicted of torturing prisoners and a deadly attack on a village during the Croatian war of independence in the early 1990s. He had been living in Australia prior to his extradition to Croatia in 2015. Vasiljkovic, 62, was convicted by a court in the town of Split on Tuesday. The court heard that Vasiljkovic had directed his subordinates to torture captured Croat soldiers in a makeshift prison he had set up in the rebel Serb stronghold of Knin. He was also found guilty of orchestrating an attack on the town of Glina which killed two civilians and forced others to flee their homes. Vasiljkovic was acquitted of the 1993 torture and murder of two Croat soldiers in another village. Long process During the year-long trial, witnesses told the court of the abuse they had suffered at the hands of Vasiljkovic and his unit. The former commander has maintained his innocence, calling the trial an "oppressive fascist process". Vasiljkovic moved to Australia in 1969 and later spent four years in the nation's army reserves before being courted by Serbian intelligence chiefs, The Australian reported. He was arrested in Australia in 2006, where he had been working as a golf instructor under the name Daniel Snedden. Vasiljkovic fought for almost a decade to prevent his extradition from Australia, arguing he would not receive a fair trial in Croatia. His lawyers have said they will appeal the sentence.

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Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2017 July 25 Int-Ball Drone Activated on the Space Station Image Credit: JAXA, ISS, NASA Explanation: What if you were followed around by a cute floating ball that kept taking your picture? Then you might be an astronaut on today's International Space Station (ISS). Designed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the JEM Internal Ball Camera -- informally "Int-Ball" -- is a bit larger than a softball, can float and maneuver by itself but also be controlled remotely, can take high resolution images and videos, and is not related to Hello Kitty. Int-Ball was delivered to the ISS in early June and is designed to allow ground-control to increase the monitoring of ISS equipment and activities while decreasing time demands on human astronauts. Int-Ball moves by turning on small internal fans and sees with a camera located between its two dark eyes.

It is the most humble of vessels for New York City foodstuffs, ubiquitous at Chinese takeout joints and halal street carts. In pre-Starbucks days, coffee came packaged in its puffy embrace. But the plastic-foam container may soon be going the way of trans fats, 32-ounce Pepsis, and cigarettes in Central Park. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, whose regulatory lance has slain fatty foods, supersize sodas, and smoking in parks, is now targeting plastic foam, the much-derided polymer that environmentalists have long tried to restrict. On Thursday, Mr. Bloomberg, in his 12th and final State of the City address, will propose a citywide ban on plastic-foam food packaging, including takeout boxes, cups and trays. Public schools would be instructed to remove plastic-foam trays from their cafeterias. Many restaurants and bodegas would be forced to restock.

FRANKFURT, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Nokia NOK1V.HE needs to speedily boost its offering of mobile internet solutions, marketing head Anssi Vanjoki told a German magazine. Nokia, the No. 1 global cellphone maker, needs to catch up with the rivals Apple (AAPL.O), Google (GOOG.O) and Blackberry-maker RIM RIM.TO in offering online solutions, Vanjoki was quoted as saying by weekly Wirtschaftswoche in an excerpt of an interview to be published on Monday. Vanjoki did not rule out a sale of its core handset manufacturing business in the long term. Nokia’s mobile-device factories offered an important competitive advantage but one should “never say never” should a sale at some point be warranted as part of Nokia’s transformation, he was quoted as saying. (Reporting by Ludwig Burger, editing by Mike Peacock) (([email protected]; +49 69 7565 1311; Reuters Messaging: [email protected]))

The advantage of a hazelnut rod ... is the possibility to attach test-nodes (Testnosoden) at the tip. This allows to search more aimed at different oscillation patterns. … on my left pinky finger, there is a polarization ring made from ferrite material; this serves the determination of polarization, which means, whether the water vein spins right or left handed. This is from a diploma dissertation presented to the faculty for landscaping architecture at the University Weihenstephan-Triesdorf in Bavaria. The German diploma is equivalent to the Master level. It was not forwarded to the campus health center’s mental health division to ensure that the student receives help. Professor Doctor F. Luz evaluated with the highest possible grade! The student now uses his 'dowsing expertise' to earn a living. No, not relieving cat-ladies of their money, but with urban planning, paid for by tax payers. This was two years ago. Everything sorted out now? You bet. The university has officially opened the course “Landscape aesthetics&geomancy and Feng-Shui in Landscape Architecture”. Diploma certified Engineer S. Broennle teaches whenever Luz is out in the field dowsing. According to all we know, grades are established with pendulum and Ouija board. This updates Germany ranks first in Internationalism, the one where I told you the secret about that studying in Germany is still free. Now you don’t even need to care about the science that traditionally was in the way of academic degrees. Pack your stuff, lazy students of the world. Germany Abolishes Itself. -------------------------------------------- More from Vongehr Topic for Topic

Hillary Rodham Clinton’s determination to reconnect with voters in localized, informative settings is commendable, but is in danger of being overshadowed by questions about the interplay of politics and wealthy foreign donors who support the Clinton Foundation. Nothing illegal has been alleged about the foundation, the global philanthropic initiative founded by former President Bill Clinton. But no one knows better than Mrs. Clinton that this is the tooth-and-claw political season where accusations are going to fly for the next 19 months. And no one should know better than the former senator and first lady that they will fester if straightforward answers are not offered to the public. The increasing scrutiny of the foundation has raised several points that need to be addressed by Mrs. Clinton and the former president. These relate most importantly to the flow of multimillions in donations from foreigners and others to the foundation, how Mrs. Clinton dealt with potential conflicts as secretary of state and how she intends to guard against such conflicts should she win the White House. The only plausible answer is full and complete disclosure of all sources of money going to the foundation. And the foundation needs to reinstate the ban on donations from foreign governments for the rest of her campaign — the same prohibition that was in place when she was in the Obama administration.

Decided to wait until I had the other three done before uploading them all. Here we have Pinkie Pie as Hawkeye. Again, a difficult choice for me to make with who would fit with Pinkie Pie (considering Deadpool is not an Avengers). Still, I kind of consider Hawkeye sort of the comic relief of the group (though he wasn't much of a joker in the movie). Plus, I like the wordplay, Pinkeye. - Ew. Nothing really funny about Pink Eye. Heard that a nurse was using pinkie crust to make....Okay! Pinkie! No need for the details!Pinkie Pie own and (c) by HasbroHawkeye own and (c) by MarvelArtwork (c) Kenichi-ShinigamiMy Little Avengers -Shining Fury- [link] Captain Equestria- [link] Twilight Widow - [link] Ironmare - [link] Pinkeye - HereRainbow Thor - [link] Flutterhulk - [link]

Excellent accuracy! I got it from the FFL dealer 12/23/14 and when I got it home, measured the chamber with a Hornady C.O.A.L gauge. I reloaded 50 cartridges with IMR 7828 SSC, 80 gr. and seated the bullets so the length was 3.779" I mounted a Vortex Viper PST 6-24X50 with the MRAD reticle and 2 days later took it to the range. I started with 100 yards, and my 5th, 6th, and 7th shots were in a 1" bullseye, 2 going through the same hole. I switched to a 3" target at 100 yards and had a 3 shot group .5" just high and to the left, made the adjustments to center in the small bullseye and noticed the scope rings had loosened even using locktite, so I stopped. I've ordered Vortex's Precision Matched 30mm rings and am waiting to receive them. Once I remount the scope using the new rings, I'm going to zero it for 200 yards and post another review, but initially I'm VERY pleased! Oh, this is my 4th Savage rifle. I have a model 114 in 7mm magnum and can hit golf balls all day long at 100 yards. Dropped a large doe at 70 yards and she never even kicked because I shot the top of her heart off.

A U.S. Navy sailor arrested on a charge of raping a Japanese woman in Okinawa has admitted to the crime, investigative sources said Wednesday. They said he reversed an earlier denial. Justin Castellanos, 24, who is based at the U.S. Marines’ Camp Schwab in northern Okinawa, was arrested on March 13 on suspicion of raping the woman in her 40s at a hotel in Naha early that morning. Police allege Castellanos took the woman, a tourist from Fukuoka Prefecture, into his room after finding her asleep in a hotel corridor and raped her. The suspect and the woman were both staying at the hotel but were not acquainted, the police said. The alleged incident resulted in protests by thousands of people in Okinawa, which hosts the bulk of U.S. military facilities in Japan.

The US is playing catch up to Australia when it comes to regulating trans fatty acid, but that doesn't mean our food is trans-fat free, some of the country's peak nutritional experts say. The Obama Administration on Tuesday ordered ordered food companies to phase out artificial trans fats over the next three years, calling them a threat to public health. Trans fats are more likely to be found in processed foods including pastries, doughnuts and cakes at the cheaper end of the market. Credit:M. Spencer Green Trans fats are a particularly nasty fat that increases LDL, or 'bad' cholesterol levels and decreases 'good' HDL cholesterol levels, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes. Trans-fatty acids are created by treating vegetable oils with hydrogen, which causes the liquid oil to hold its solid form at room temperature, which helps food products like doughnuts, biscuits and cakes hold their shape and extends their shelf life.

Every student dreams of reading these words: "Congratulations on your acceptance!" But Elsik High School senior Amina Mabizari read them 15 times. She applied to 16 universities, including eight Ivy League institutions. "I didn't think I'd get accepted to any of them. By casting a wide net I thought someone would take the bait and take me," Mabizari said. But when every letter had been opened this spring, seven of those Ivy League universities wanted her. "I can't even put into words how big of a moment that was for me," Mabizari said. The proud daughter of Algerian immigrants is about to graduate from Alief ISD. Mabizari's road to success wasn't an easy one. As a young student, she was last in her class in ready, even suffered with a speech impediment. "To go from there to here being accepted to all these schools, it's incredible," Mabizari said. Mabizari said she couldn't have done it without her parents. "At that moment, I almost cried. It was just an unbelievable moment for me," said Mabizari's father, Bachir Mabizari. And if you thought applying to 16 schools was tough, deciding which one to go to was even harder. But this fall, Amina Mabizari's heading to Yale. "I never imagined any of this would happen," she said. Amina Mabizari is as humble as they come. A proud, hard-working Muslim-American who now hopes her success story in Alief sends a loud message across the country. "We represent a large community of people, the majority, the mass majority of which are positive and want to change the world," Amina Mabizari said. This year, the Ivy League schools had an acceptance rate anywhere from 5 to 12 percent. Amina Mabizari plans to study political science and then go on to law school. She said she may also one day run for public office.

TORONTO — Social media posts encouraging people to visit southern Ontario's wineries by bicycle has prompted a regional public transit service to apologize for the "misunderstanding." In May 10 Facebook and Twitter postings, GO Transit said "Niagara's wineries are best enjoyed responsibly and on two wheels." The posting encouraged people to take their bicycle on the GO for "a cycling weekend adventure in Ontario's wine country" in a promotion for its seasonal service to Niagara Region. That prompted numerous replies on social media that suggested Go Transit was endorsing mixing cycling and drinking. One poster said she "wouldn't encourage biking while under the influence of alcohol. That's an accident waiting to happen." GO responded on Wednesday with a Facebook post saying it's sorry if the message suggested anything but responsible enjoyment, adding it does not "encourage biking when intoxicated or impaired." "Unfortunately some thought this post was intended to encourage biking and drinking. That was not our intention at all; quite the opposite," Anne Marie Aikins, a spokesperson for GO Transit parent organization Metrolinx, said in an email. "We apologize if the post on Facebook caused any misunderstanding. We should have clarified it sooner," Aikins said. There are many interesting things to see and do on winery bike tours, but Metrolinx's position is that customers who wish to drink should plan ahead and take one of the winery buses, she said.

Signup to receive a daily roundup of the top LGBT+ news stories from around the world A US study suggests that LGBT people are more concerned about the environment than their straight counterparts. According to a poll by Harris, 55 per cent of LGBT adults say they “personally care a great deal about the current state and future of the environment,” compared with 33 per cent of heterosexuals,. Furthermore, the survey found that 40 per cent of LGBT adults say they “encourage others to be more environmentally friendly”, compared with 24 per cent of straight people. In other results, it was found that LGBT people were more likely in 2010 to say they were “environmentally conscious” than the year before. The opposite was seen in straight respondents. Forty-seven per cent of LGBT adults described themselves as “environmentally conscious” in the 2010 survey, up from 38 per cent in the 2009 one. Twenty-eight per cent of straight people described themselves as such in 2010, down from 30 per cent in 2009. The poll surveyed 2,352 adults in December, 347 of whom described themselves as LGBT.

There are still fences up all over the Splash Park and Issak Kendal Ker Plaza on Princes Island this weekend. These Fences make it impossible for me to do my job. On the busiest weekend of the year celebrating 150 years of Canadain History one tradition was forgotten and several Magicians, Jugglers, Acrobats and Clowns are unable to work. Ever since the park was built there has been street performance in that plaza. In it’s height there were dozens of entertainers emigrating to Calgary so they could perform on that beautiful amphitheater. For generations there has always been some kind of performance there every weekend. People who saw a one-man band there as a child, bring their kids back to watch the new generation of magicians and jugglers. Especially on Canada Day. Not this year. The fences wont allow the passing people to step off the path, out of traffic and enter the theatre to sit on the grass or the stones or the 3 tiers of steps for seating. When people walk past and see someone performing on the stage they don’t have the option to stop and watch. On Canada Day we moved our shows to Stephen Ave because there were all kinds of events and fun things bringing people to the core. The next day we went back to the amphitheater, THE FENCES ARE STILL UP!?! Our permits are very clear about where we are allowed perform. Because we gather crowds and perform full shows we are restricted to ONLY work in side that amphitheater. As soon as we gather a crowd anywhere else Bylaw or the Police shut us down. Is this just a negative result of bureaucracy? Or is Calgary Parks trying to get rid of us. Because right now they are acting like a partner who wants to break up me but would rather manipulate me into doing it for them.

Kuno Wittmer will take part in the new Pirelli World Challenge SprintX Series, with the Canadian driver having been confirmed at Mills Racing. He’ll join team owner/driver Michael Mills at the wheel of the team’s BMW Z4 GT3 in the three-round championship, which kicks off at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park next month. “I am really looking forward to the inaugural SprintX race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.” Wittmer said. “Racing in my home country is always as nice thing, especially in front of family, friends, and representing the BMW brand.” Wittmer, a BMW of North America factory driver, is a former IMSA GT Le Mans class champion, and will bring a wealth of experience to the upstart team, which made its debut at Circuit of The Americas last month. The Texas-based team, with the support BMW of North America, has shifted its focus entirely to SprintX for the remainder of the year. “I’m honored to have the opportunity to participate with Kuno for this new series,” Mills said. “It’s a dream come true to be included in the BMW family, and we are excited to pursue a championship with Kuno and BMW behind us.” BMW of North America Motorsports Manager Victor Leleu added: “Michael had a very successful weekend at COTA in the GTA class, showing great pace and quick adaptation to the BMW Z4 GT3. “The car is fast and reliable, and Michael and Kuno will form a very strong and complementary pair.” The inaugural SprintX weekend takes place at CTMP on May 20-22, with the championship also including stops at Utah Motorsports Campus and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

BAFTA Awards to Feature Plant-Based Menu Like us on Facebook: The current article you are reading does not reflect the views of the current editors and contributors of the new Ecorazzi Vegan celebrities and filmmakers can rejoice; at least those attending this year’s BAFTA awards in London. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has announced that their annual star-studded event will feature a plant-based menu for those opting out of meat and dairy. While dessert options have yet to be disclosed, entrees include “quinoa salad with radishes, broad beans, asparagus, peas and a lemon and olive oil dressing,” as well as a “roasted butternut squash and sun-blushed tomato lasagne with wilted spinach, roasted pepper and sage”. PETA quickly lauded the decision. Director Mimi Bekhechi said in a statement, “interest in vegan eating is skyrocketing in the UK and beyond. With some of the world’s best chefs, including Jamie Oliver and Wolfgang Puck, getting creative with cruelty-free cooking, we’re sure that guests attending the BAFTAs are in for a treat.” Of course, the lavish event is not exclusively plant-based. The dinner, which began preparations back in September with a team of 25 chefs, includes roughly one tonne of beef (it’s a trio-of-beef main course)and variety of seafood. It also features some 2000 bottles of wine and 8,220 glasses of champagne for the nearly 2,000 guest. There are also a pair of vegetarian course, though they contain dairy. The starter is smoked cheese arancini, celeriac and Granny Smith apple salad, port wine glaze, walnut oil dressing; while the main features roast sweet potato, red onion and Taleggio tart, smoked garlic and chive butter sauce, gratin Dauphinoise, green beans and baby carrots. Still, serving plant-based options is a step in the right direction. Your move, Oscars. The BAFTAs take place February 8 at Grovesnor House Hotel in London. Via The Daily Mail, Marie Claire UK

...about a year ago I noticed what would be a lump in my teet, and I have been just thinking of course that it's nothing ... a week or two ago I went in [to the doctor] to get my first mammogram. I'm 41, I guess I should have started last year. So I went in and got the mammogram and the results were abnormal ... go in for a follow-up, and I was told the follow-up would take 30 or 45 minutes at most, and yesterday I spent the entire day in the hospital while they ran numerous tests ... the doctor came in and she was clearly a highly intelligent, kind but very concerned person ... and when I was going through the tests all day yesterday ... part of me thought ... there was a misunderstanding... based on already being hospitalized with a deadly illness and my mother dying, there was just no way they were going to come in and tell me anything but, "Ok, everything looks great!" ... And the doctor came in and her tone was very scary ... she said "Ok, so, we have found something in both breasts," ... after all the explanation I said, "Wait a minute, are you telling me that I possibly have cancer," and she said, "Well, we have to get biopsies done but from what I can see with all the testing we've done today it is very probable that you do in both breasts, yes."

Dallas Stars General Manager Jim Nill announced today that the club has signed defenseman Julius Honka to a three-year entry-level contract. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. Honka, 18, played his first season of North American hockey in 2013-14. In 62 regular-season games for Swift Current of the Western Hockey League, he posted 56 points (16-40=56), which paced all team defensemen. Honka was also tied for third on the team with two goals (2-0=2) in six postseason contests as well. A native of Jyvaskyla, Finland, he won a gold medal for his country at the 2014 World Jr. Championship, recording one assist (0-1=1) in seven games. Honka also won a bronze medal for Finland at the 2013 Under-18 World Junior Championship, earning four points (1-3=4) in seven games. "We are happy to have signed Julius quickly so that the young defenseman can continue the process of developing his game," said Nill. "He's highly skilled, moves the puck extremely well and is very competent at running a power play. We are really excited about his potential and think he has the tools to grow into an NHL defenseman in the near future." The 5-foot-11, 180-pound defenseman was originally selected by Dallas with the 14th overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft.

A pro-Police group has accused CNN of deceptively editing the Charlotte shooting video, where police shot Keith Scott. Hat tip to our friends at The Daily Wire. Yes, as shocking as it sounds to accuse CNN of doing such a thing (see CAUGHT: CNN Forced to Apologize For Doctoring Violent Milwaukee Video), let’s take a look. First, what CNN aired… Second, the unedited footage… Looks like a deceptive edit to me. CNN removed the clips where the police constantly yelled for Scott to “DROP THE GUN!” “The editing was clearly intended to give viewers the impression that Scott wasn’t armed. By intentionally excluding information to promote the false narrative that the officer-involved shooting of Keith Scott was unjustified, CNN directly contributed towards inciting violence and destruction in the Charlotte riots. Innocent citizens were hurt during the Charlotte riots, but editing like this also incites violence against police officers long after the riots are over.” This is what conservatives and anyone who cares about facts are up against (see RED-HANDED: Katie Couric Caught Editing Video to Push Anti-Gun Lies… and CENSORED: White House Edits Video of French President Saying ‘Islamist Terrorism’). The media will never let facts get in the way of their narrative unless they get called out. To recap: To the average person who works and raises a family and doesn’t have the time to fact check the media (because they assume it’s the media’s job to fact check themselves), they just hear “cops shoot black man holding book.” Liberals know this. They run with it. They reap the consequences of their actions with ratings as cities like Charlotte burn. Media like CNN, with this editing trick, helped Black Lives Matter push the false narrative that cops are shooting unarmed black men. But no. Not so much, as this video shows. And this is why we fight back. NOT SUBSCRIBED TO THE PODCAST? FIX THAT! IT’S COMPLETELY FREE ON BOTH ITUNES HERE AND SOUNDCLOUD HERE.

About This Game Man O' War: Corsair. Engage in epic naval combat and explore the oceans of the Warhammer world. Man O' War: Corsair is a video game of high adventure, naval combat and exploration based on the Games Workshop classic Man O' War table top game. Your Quest Sail the seas plundering enemy ships, visiting ports, and trading. Dominate everything in your path with a fleet of ships at your back and watch people flee at the mere sight of you, leaving legends of your deeds in the history books and steel through the hearts of your enemies. Explore and Fight Captain a wide variety of unique sailing vessels, explore and trade whilst combating enemy ships in frantic naval action. Boarding Actions As well as sea battles, engaging in boarding actions with enemy vessels sees you walking the deck, weapon in hand, attacking enemy crew. Loot the vessels or sink them, the choice is yours. Enemies and Allies Buy a variety of unique and deadly ships. Command allies from different races and fight many deadly enemies. Fierce storms, deadly fleets and terrible foes will block your path to ultimate glory. Custom Battles Build your own fleet from any faction in game, and battle it against any foe you choose. The Old World A captain in Man O' War: Corsair can sail the coast of a huge continent in the Warhammer world. Visiting over 50 ports from Erengrad to Sartosa, the sea is yours to explore. A heroic adventurer does not only have enemy ships to contend with. The deep and unexplored oceans hold terrifying creatures that few see and live to tell the tale. These deadly creatures emerging from the deep sea will chill blood and drop jaws in equal measure. The wise would attempt to flee but those brave enough to tackle such creatures will be famed throughout the world. Here there be monsters....

You're probably thinking: "Big deal, so someone tied a big old balloon to a hot dog and a video camera and sent them into space. That's been done before except with sushi." The difference here? The guys from San Francisco's Zog's Dogs managed to retrieve their hot dog when it fell back down to earth and then they ate it. To celebrate the achievement of having sent "the first hot dog into outer space," Zog's Dogs is, uh, launching a Space Dog Combo for $5. It is, of course, a Zog Dog with Astronaut Ice Cream for dessert. Are space dogs okay to eat? Anybody? Video: The First Hot Dog in Outer Space · The First Hot Dog in Outer Space [YouTube via HuffPo] · All Hot Dog Coverage on Eater [-E-] · All Space Food Coverage on Eater [-E-]

Getty Images Count Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman as one NFL player who hasn’t changed his opinion about the game he plays as he’s learned more about the risks of concussions. Sherman told GQ that he hasn’t changed his approach and would love to see his son play football if he wants to. “It doesn’t change the way I play,” Sherman said. “I’ve always tried to tackle with the best form, and not try to always get people down on the ground without using my head. But it doesn’t change the way I think about the game or how I feel about my kids playing the game. I feel like this game has given me a lot more than its taken. It obviously takes a toll on your body and you understand the risks going into it, but you also have to understand that it’s taught me discipline, hard work, teamwork, being dependable, being available, how to be a leader, how to work past adversity. Just so many things that you use in your everyday life. And you can’t take that for granted. So maybe my son doesn’t end up being a professional athlete, maybe he never even plays a sport, but I wouldn’t hold him back from something that’s been so great to me.” At a time when some players are retiring early and citing concussions as the reason, Sherman’s view still seems to be the majority opinion about NFL players: There are risks associated with playing football, but the risks are outweighed by the rewards.

Police arrest 2 Arabs, hunt 3rd, after they were documented committing horrific rape of mentally disabled girl while shouting racist slurs. Two Arab residents of Judea and Samaria as well as an Arab citizen of Israel are suspected of raping a 20-year-old mentally disabled Jewish girl two weeks ago for "nationalistic" motives, as was revealed on Wednesday when a media gag order on the case was lifted. All three were documented in footage they filmed two weeks ago raping the mentally handicapped girl in a motel in southern Tel Aviv, humiliating her and spitting on her while shouting racist slurs and threatening to harm her family. Police hid the case from the public for ten days out of concerns it would spark clashes between Jews and Arabs. "Nationalistic motives" is a term used in describing terror attacks, as opposed to criminal motives. The gag order came despite the fact that police arrested two of the perpetrators a full nine days ago, and are currently hunting down the third rapist whose identity is known to the police. One of the three attackers is a minor from Jaffa (Yafo), and he was arrested. Another arrested suspect, Amad Al-Din Daragmeh from the Judea-Samaria region, apparently filmed the vile gang-rape with the goal of spreading the video. He was brought to the Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court on Wednesday morning for an extension of his arrest, where the judge emphasized the severity of the case and the condition of the victim. The traumatic incident has left the victim in a difficult psychological state and she requires treatment.