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– A bar in southern California is feeling the wrath of the internet over a Cinco de Mayo promotion that invited customers to climb an inflatable “border wall” in exchange for a free drink. The stunt at Hennessey’s Tavern in Dana Point, Calif., included handing out free drink "green cards" to customers who scaled the faux border wall, reports CBS News. Critics on social media are calling out the promotion as racist and offensive, but owner Paul Hennessey defended the ploy in a statement on Facebook. After thanking everyone for their comments, he writes, “Our intentions were to create a dialogue and show how ridiculous that it is to spend tens of millions of dollars to build a wall and even infer that Mexico foot some or the entire bill and have their citizens build it.” Hennessey adds that many have misunderstood his intent, and that he hopes people will spend equal time writing to Washington about President Trump's proposed border wall as they do criticizing him on social media, ending with, “let’s stop this wall from being built.” But an employee who asked to remain anonymous said the tone of the event wasn’t so politically reflective, claiming the bar handed out mustaches while some customers yelled "build the wall."

A reporter with Asahi Shimbun tested the popsicle in Kanazawa in July, when the temperature was around 28 degrees Celsius (82.4 degrees Fahrenheit), and found that a popsicle “retained its original shape” after five minutes in the heat. An accidental discovery at Kanazawa-based Biotherapy Development Research Center helped create popsicles that reportedly don’t melt, and they’re available for sale in parts of Japan. Kanazawa Ice—also known as “not melting popsicles”—first hit stores in the northwestern city Kanazawa in April, reported Japanese daily newspaper Asahi Shimbun, before rolling out in Osaka and Tokyo. The company’s president, Takeshi Toyoda, claims that its popsicles “will remain almost the same even if exposed to the hot air from a dryer.” When heat from a dryer was applied in an air-conditioned room, a vanilla popsicle that was purchased from a regular shop began melting around the edges almost instantly. A reporter who held out a popsicle in 28°C weather (82°F), found that the icy treat "retained its original shape" even after five minutes in the sun — and still tasted cool, even. In Japan’s humid summers, some popsicles are staying cool even in the heat. The secret is the use of a polyphenol liquid extracted from strawberries, said Tomihisa Ota, professor emeritus of pharmacy at Kanazawa University, who developed the melt-resistant popsicles. "Polyphenol liquid has properties to make it difficult for water and oil to separate, so a popsicle containing it will be able to retain the original shape of the cream for a longer time than usual, and be hard to melt," Tomihisa Ota, a professor emeritus of pharmacy at Kanazawa University, who developed the popsicles, told the Asahi Shimbun. It came into the discovery by surprise when it tapped a pastry chef to try to use strawberry polyphenol to create a new kind of confectionary, an attempt to make use of strawberries, which were not in good enough shape to be sold, from Miyagi Prefecture, which is still recovering from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Later the company received a complaint from the pastry chef, who said “dairy cream solidified instantly when strawberry polyphenol was added.” The chef was concerned that the polyphenol contained “something suspicious.” That led Ota to use the strawberry polyphenol to make popsicles that would not melt easily.

– Eating ice cream on a hot summer's day presents something of a challenge—one must tackle the meltiest spots fast enough, before the treat becomes a mess on the ground. But this summer in Japan, people are enjoying better living through chemistry with a new type of popsicle that basically doesn't melt, even in super hot August temperatures, reports Quartz. The secret, it turns out, is in strawberries, which contain polyphenol—a liquid extract that makes it harder for oil and water to separate, and in turn essentially solidifies dairy cream, a Kanazawa University professor who developed the next-gen popsicle tells Asahi Shimbun. No one set out to make this a reality; it was actually a happy accident. Kanazawa-based Biotherapy Development Research Center was trying to use instead of waste the sub-par strawberries coming out of Miyagi Prefecture, which is still recovering from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The pastry chef charged with using strawberry polyphenol in confections complained that it made dairy cream solidify instantly, which struck the professor as potentially useful. After playing with many variations of milks, creams, and amounts of polyphenol and other ingredients, Tomihisa Ota hit upon the winning recipe, which has been sold as Kanazawa Ice since April. At 500 yen, or $4.50 a pop, Mashable calls it a "small price to pay for a big luxury." (Hangover ice cream is a thing in South Korea.)

Story highlights Rehman was wanted by U.S. in connection with 2009 attack that killed CIA employees Seven killed, one wounded in drone strike, officials say Rehman was second in command to Hakimullah Mehsud It's the first drone strike since the Pakistani elections The Pakistan Taliban's No. PESHAWAR, Pakistan A U.S. drone strike killed the number two of the Pakistani Taliban in the North Waziristan region on Wednesday, three security officials said, in what would be a major blow in the fight against militancy. Wali-ur-Rehman had been poised to succeed Hakimullah Mehsud as leader of the Pakistani Taliban, a senior army official based in the South Waziristan region, had said in December. Pakistani Taliban spokesman Ihsanullah Ihsan told Reuters the group did not have "confirmed reports" that Wali-ur-Rehman had been killed. This is the same strike reported earlier by intelligence officials in Pakistan, who said seven people were killed and one other was injured in the attack at a compound near the town of Miranshah in the North Waziristan district. Pakistani intelligence officials say a pair of suspected U.S. missiles fired from an unmanned aerial vehicle has killed four alleged foreign militants near the Afghan border. Pakistan, which describes itself as a front-line state in the fight against terrorism, said it has "consistently maintained that the drone strikes are counterproductive, entail loss of innocent civilian lives, have human rights and humanitarian implications and violate the principles of national sovereignty, territorial integrity and international law." Nawaz Sharif, the Pakistani politician who is expected to serve as the next prime minister, has said he plans to address the unrest in his country. Talks with militants such as the Pakistan Taliban should be taken seriously, he has said. Washington's drone program is extremely unpopular in Pakistan, although the number of strikes has dropped dramatically since the height of the program in 2010.

– A suspected US drone strike assassinated the Pakistani Taliban's No. 2 commander today, according to multiple reports sourced to Pakistani intelligence. Officials tell the AP that their informants on the ground saw Waliur Rehman's body firsthand, while others say intercepted Taliban communications confirmed the kill. But a spokesman for the Taliban said the report "appears to me to be false news; I don't have any such information." Rehman was considered the heir apparent to Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud. "This is a huge blow to militants and a win in the fight against insurgents," a security official tells Reuters. Earlier, Pakistani officials had condemned the strike, which is the first since President Obama announced that the program was being scaled back—and the first since Pakistan's elections, in which the unpopular attacks were a major issue. Reports vary on how many were killed; the AP and CNN have 4 dead, but a resident tells Reuters that rescue workers have pulled seven bodies from the rubble.

Pirates seized a British-flagged chemical tanker and a Panamanian-flagged carrier off Somalia's coast and were holding 45 crew members Tuesday, a maritime official said. The two hijackings late Monday showed that pirates are relentless in their pursuit of quick money from ransom and that ship owners need to take extra precaution when sailing in the Horn of Africa, said Noel Choong, who heads the International Maritime Bureau's piracy reporting center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The St. James Park, a chemical tanker bound from Spain to Thailand, issued a distress signal on Monday that it was being attacked in the Gulf of Aden. The maritime bureau could not establish communication with the vessel but was informed by the ship's owner early Tuesday that the tanker has been hijacked, Choong said. We’ve asked for protection there, but the coalition is busy in the gulf.” Pirates seized a Yemeni fishing boat in the Gulf of Aden on Dec. 18, after a lull in the gulf since a large merchant vessel was taken the first week of July. He said three hours after the St James Park was hijacked that a Panamanian-flagged carrier with 19 crew members was also seized by pirates off the southern coast of Somalia on Monday. The International Maritime Bureau is still waiting for the official reports from both ship owners and couldn't give further details, Choong said. The tanker was being monitored by the European Union Naval Force Somalia, which said Tuesday that the ship was being taken toward Somalia. The Piracy Reporting Center of the International Maritime Bureau said Tuesday that pirates operating across the Gulf of Aden and along the coast of Somalia had attacked 214 vessels so far this year, resulting in 47 hijackings.

– Somali pirates have seized a Greek cargo ship and a chemical tanker operating under a British flag, the New York Times reports. That puts 2009's Somali hijacking total at 47, with 214 vessels attacked in the Gulf of Aden and along the Somali coast. Twelve ships—carrying 263 people—are still being held for ransom. The tanker, the St James Park, sent a distress signal yesterday and is being taken toward Somalia with 26 crew members on board. No details were given about the cargo ship, which is carrying 19. In response to the increase in attacks, the US, EU, China, Japan, and other nations have upped their presence in the Gulf of Aden. "The success rate in taking ships has dropped dramatically in the gulf because of the large naval presence now," said an official from the piracy reporting center in Malaysia. The bad news: The pirates are turning their attention to the southern and eastern coasts of Somalia, where they have "a free hand." In other hijacking news, pirates have released a container ship from Singapore that was hijacked in October, the AP reports.

"We were so amazed at the destruction that I just wanted to help. “The city of Tuscaloosa is really handling most of that,” she said. And in response to those who feel the number of deaths is being updated too slowly, Maddox explained that the state changed its protocol for official counts of deaths from disasters after casualties were overstated immediately following a 2007 tornado killed nine people in the south Alabama city of Enterprise. There were 34 deaths in Mississippi, 34 in Tennessee, 15 in Georgia, five in Virginia, two in Louisiana and one in Kentucky. The scale of the disaster astonished President Barack Obama when he arrived in the state Friday. “But we're continuing to receive bodies and it's been explained to us from Emergency Management Agency officials that now that they have sent cadaver dogs into the rubble, we should anticipate receiving more bodies.” DCH spokesman Brad Fisher said that the morgue there is holding six bodies and has a capacity of eight. Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox called it "a humanitarian crisis" for his city of more than 83,000, but he said the situation would have spiraled out of control if not for the volunteers who worked to quickly get supplies for people.

– The tornado death toll keeps rising steadily. The seven-state total is now at 339, with nearly 250 of those in Alabama, reports AP. What's worse, rescuers in Tuscaloosa say the city's confirmed toll of 39 feels low, with scores of people still unaccounted for, notes the Tuscaloosa Times. The biggest death toll in US history came in 1925, long before the age of Doppler radar, when 747 were killed in Midwest storms. Emergency services in hard-hit areas are struggling to cope, and the Huffington Post provides provides a roundup of ways people can help with donations.

Danish Immigration Minister Inger Stojberg, member of Denmark’s conservative Liberal Party, wrote on Facebook, “they are unwanted in Denmark, and they will feel that.” The right-wing populist Danish People’s Party, which supported the plan, tweeted an animated video of a brown-skinned man being dropped off on a barren rock outcropping with a caption that read, in part, “expelled, criminal aliens have nothing to do in Denmark. Until we can get rid of them, we now move them out on the island Lindholm in Stege Bay.” Danish Finance Minister Kristian Jensen emphasized that the migrants would not be in prison, though they will be required to report to officials daily and sleep on the island, or else they could be imprisoned. The Lindholm facility will be used to house people with so-called ‘tolerated stay’ (tålt ophold) status, who do not have permission to reside in Denmark but cannot be deported, and rejected asylum seekers who have committed specific crimes. Until we can get rid of them, we will move them to the island of Lindholm, where they will be obliged to stay at the new deportation centre at night.

– What's a country to do with migrants who are also criminals and rejected asylum seekers who can't be sent home? Banish them to an island, apparently. That's Denmark's plan, which its immigration minister sums up as making such foreigners feel "unwanted in Denmark." The New York Times highlights details that will serve that aim—like the fact the 17-acre Lindholm Island is currently used by scientists studying contagious animal diseases, houses a crematory, and is serviced by two ferries, one of which is named the Virus. The Local describes the island as "deserted." Deserted was the appearance given to the island in a cartoon video tweeted by the right-wing Danish People's Party, which pushed for the arrangement. The video shows a "dark-skinned man being dumped by ship" there, per the Telegraph. The immigrant facilities—slated to open in 2021 so long as legal challenges don't get in the way, per Fortune—will hold up to 100 people, and while the word "prison" isn't being used, those who are sent there will have to sleep there and submit to daily check-ins, and the plan is to whittle down the ferry service and "make it as cumbersome and expensive as possible." The Times has more on the political maneuverings behind the move, and critics of it, here.

Breivik killed 77 people in 2011 when he bombed central Oslo before going on a shooting spree at a youth camp. Norway killer Anders Breivik makes a fascist salute as he enters the courtroom during his trial in 2012. He was found to be of sane mind and sentenced to just 21 years in prison. Breivik claims to have been kept in isolation since 2 September, with time outside his cell limited to an hour a day. Image copyright AP Image caption Breivik says his prison conditions have forced him to drop out of a University of Oslo political science course Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik has threatened to starve himself to death in protest at his treatment in prison, according to media reports. His claims about deteriorating prison conditions were made in a letter to media outlets in Norway and Sweden. In an open letter sent a Norwegian and Swedish media, Breivik complained that since the second of September, he had been confined in isolation in a single cell, which he was only allowed to leave for one hour a day. He also complained that he was being given less time with prison staff, and that communication was now limited to a small gap in the door. "Studying and corresponding is not humanly possible under such circumstances, and this applies to anyone who is isolated under such conditions," he wrote according to English news site The Local. Breivik said that if conditions remained unchanged he would continue the hunger strike until he died, Norwegian media reported. I cannot stand any more.” Breivik demanded a couch to sit on, a weekly allowance and said he wanted his typewriter to be upgraded to a PC. I have no sympathy for him and that’s because he has taken so many people from me and because he has made my life so hard.

– Anders Breivik, the Norwegian extremist serving a 21-year sentence for massacring 77 people, is complaining once again about getting a raw deal. He says he'll continue a hunger strike "until death" to protest a "drastic deterioration of prison conditions" since early September, the Local reports. The 36-year-old says he is being kept in isolation in a cell that he's allowed to leave for only an hour a day, and that he's been given less time with prison staff. He complains that he has had to drop out of his University of Oslo political science course because "studying and corresponding is not humanly possible under such circumstances." The prison director tells the BBC that he won't comment on individual prisoners but that nobody at the institution is currently on a hunger strike. Breivik has had plenty of complaints about prison in the past, including about the cold coffee and "sadistic" limitations on what kind of pen he can use. Last year he threatened a hunger strike unless his PS2 was upgraded to a PS3. Emma Martinovic, who saw her friends killed and swam for her life as Breivik slaughtered dozens of people at a youth summer camp, isn't overflowing with sympathy for him. She was shot in the arm and tells news.com.au that Breivik laughed and taunted her from the shore. She says she has a message for him: "You don't know what it means to have a hard time. Shut the f--- up and take your punishment."

– It's a popular myth that golfers account for most deaths from lightning strikes. In fact, the Palm Beach Post reports more than three times as many fishermen die from lightning strikes than golfers. A study published in Geophysical Research Letters in February and recently getting some attention may explain why. Researchers from the Florida Institute of Technology found that lightning strikes over the ocean can be much more powerful than strikes over land. It's the first independent study to show what others have long believed, according to a press release. Researchers studied lightning over Florida and its coasts from 2013 to 2015, measuring the peak currents of the strikes. They found strikes over the ocean carried more charge than those over land. In fact, they estimated that lightning with peak currents of more than 50 kilo amperes is more than twice as likely to occur over the ocean. This could mean people living on or near the ocean may be at greater risk from lightning. Worth noting: Deaths from lightning strikes in Florida—a state with a whole lot of coastline—regularly outpace those in the rest of the country. Nine people were killed by lightning in 2016 in Florida. (Pain is only the beginning of a lightning strike.)

– If you were devastated by the 2012 demise of Heidi Klum and Seal's relationship because they always seemed like such a fun couple (see the gallery for photographic evidence), we have good news for you: There may be more matching Halloween costumes in their future. A source tells ninemsn that the divorced couple is getting close once again, following Klum's recent split from her bodyguard boyfriend. They started spending more time together with their kids late last year, "then in the last couple of weeks, that turned into long dinners at the house, longer stays with the kids and then sleepovers," the source says. "They’re even kissing in front of the kids now. It's very much back on." As for why Klum split with her last beau, the source says she found out he planned to propose on Valentine's Day, "and she knew that the time was now to cut it off in order to not hurt his feelings and have anything drag out that would be unpleasant. ... She still had feeling for Seal so couldn't let her relationship with Martin [Kirsten] go to the next step." But you may not want to get too excited: Klum was also recently linked to Demi Moore's 27-year-old ex. In other thinly-sourced celebrity romance news, Miley Cyrus is supposedly "hooking up" with Jared Leto, and rumors are flying that Katy Perry and John Mayer are engaged.

"Before I was diagnosed with esophageal cancer a year and a half ago, I rather jauntily told the readers of my memoirs that when faced with extinction I wanted to be fully conscious and awake, in order to 'do' death in the active and not the passive sense," Hitchens wrote in his final column for Vanity Fair. "However, one thing that grave illness does is to make you examine familiar principles and seemingly reliable sayings. And there’s one that I find I am not saying with quite the same conviction as I once used to: In particular, I have slightly stopped issuing the announcement that “Whatever doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.” In fact, I now sometimes wonder why I ever thought it profound.

– For fans of Christopher Hitchens, one final book. A memoir entitled Mortality will be released in early 2012; it's based on a series of articles the journalist wrote for Vanity Fair describing his battle with esophageal cancer, reports the Guardian. A spokesman noted that the book had been in the works for some time. Hitchens asserted in his final column for Vanity Fair, "Before I was diagnosed with esophageal cancer a year and a half ago, I rather jauntily told the readers of my memoirs that when faced with extinction I wanted to be fully conscious and awake, in order to 'do' death in the active and not the passive sense."

Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt testifies before a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee confirmation hearing on his nomination to be administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, U.S., January 18, 2017. “I have significant concerns that Mr. Pruitt has actively opposed and sued the EPA on numerous issues that are of great importance to the state of Maine, including mercury controls for coal-fired power plants and efforts to reduce cross-state air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions,” Collins said in a Wednesday statement first reported by Maine Public Radio. ADVERTISEMENT “His actions leave me with considerable doubts about whether his vision for the EPA is consistent with the agency’s critical mission to protect human health and the environment.” Senators could vote on confirming Pruitt as early as Friday and despite Collins’s defection, Pruitt is still likely to be confirmed. Conservative group FreedomWorks blasted Collins, who also voted against the nomination last week of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.

– One Republican senator is breaking ranks to vote against President Trump's nominee to head the Environmental Protection Agency, who has sued the EPA 14 times. Maine's Susan Collins says she "has significant concerns" about issues affecting her state that Scott Pruitt has opposed the EPA on, "including mercury controls for coal-fired power plants and efforts to reduce cross-state air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions," the Hill reports. She says the Oklahoma attorney general's actions have left her with "considerable doubts about whether his vision for the EPA is consistent with the agency's critical mission to protect human health and the environment." The Maine chapter of the Sierra Club praised Collins for "opposing this dangerous nomination that would be a threat to our clean air, clean water, and public health." Collins, who also voted against confirming Betsy DeVos, is the only Republican so far to come out against Pruitt, meaning he's likely to be confirmed in a Senate vote Friday. Reuters reports that Democrats have asked for a procedural vote on Pruitt scheduled for Thursday to be delayed until after an afternoon hearing in Oklahoma on whether to release emails between his office and execs at oil and gas firms. (Trump's nominee for labor secretary withdrew on Wednesday.)

But amid problems with its website and extra-long hold times to reach its help center, the state last week postponed the deadline by eight days, letting people sign up through Dec. 31. With the deadline looming, more than 1 million people visited the refurbished federal enrollment website over the weekend, and a federal call center received more than 200,000 calls. Federal exchange: As of now, if you live in one of the 36 states serviced by the federal enrollment website, healthcare.gov, your best bet for getting hassle-free coverage in 2014 is to select a policy by end of the day on Tuesday and pay your first month's premium by Dec. 31. Minnesota, one of the states running their own insurance exchanges, had long planned a Monday deadline to sign up for coverage starting Jan. 1. In Maryland and Oregon, residents have until Dec. 27 to pick a policy, with at least two Maryland insurers giving applicants until Dec. 31. While some states postponed the cutoff date, most Americans were required to sign up by Monday night to get coverage starting on Jan. 1.

– Because people love nothing more than shopping on Christmas Eve, the Obama administration today extended by 24 hours the deadline to sign up for a health care plan that would kick in on the first of the year, CNN Money reports. The move is such a last-minute surprise that when CNN called insurance giant Aetna, a spokeswoman said she had no knowledge of the extension. A spokesperson for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services explained that they were "anticipating high demand and the fact that consumers may be enrolling from multiple time zones." The original deadline was actually a week ago, the AP points out, but it was pushed back amidst the site's glitches. "It's just nonstop now. Everybody knows about it. Everybody wants it," a Florida enrollment counselor said. But if you miss the deadline don't panic; the government is trying to talk insurers into covering even the true procrastinators who sign up in the middle of January as though they'd been signed up since New Year's, and even if those companies refuse, you have until March 31 to sign up before facing a penalty.

According to activists, Maedeh Hojabri was one of a number of users behind popular Instagram accounts who have been arrested. She used to record dance videos in her bedroom and upload them to her instagram with 600K followers.#مائده_هژبرى pic.twitter.com/3EDVR9veV3 — Negar (@NegarMortazavi) July 8, 2018 Iranian Instagram celebrity and dancer Maedeh Hojabri would have been just another teenager in most parts of the world: operating multiple social media accounts and uploading videos of herself dancing. Their identities are still unknown, and all of them were reportedly released on bail. Hojabri and others facing similar accusations previously appeared on Iranian state TV in a video in which the young gymnast — potentially speaking under duress — acknowledged producing the videos. Her account, which has been suspended, was reported to have had more than 600,000 followers. I did not have any intention to encourage others doing the same … I didn’t work with a team, I received no training. Hojabri's arrest bears similarities to a 2014 incident in which six young Iranians were arrested for producing a video based on the Pharrell Williams song “Happy.” The video quickly went viral but also provoked the dismay of conservative Iranian authorities. After their arrest, Iranian state television showed the detainees admitting that they were involved in the “Happy” production, even though they insisted that they had been tricked into participating. Iran has arrested a number of people over videos that were posted on Instagram, including a young woman who filmed herself dancing to music.

– She filmed herself dancing and posted videos online—and now she's been arrested. The problem? Maedeh Hojabri lives in Iran. She filmed in her bedroom, not wearing a hijab. Through Hojabri's videos, in which she danced to Iranian as well as western pop and rap music, she gained more than 600,000 Instagram followers. Her account has since been suspended, but the BBC reports that many others are re-posting her videos on social media sites (see some examples here and here) as well as posting their own dancing videos in protest. "People would laugh at you if you tell anyone in the world that [in Iran] they arrest 17-year-olds and 18-year-olds for dancing, being happy and being beautiful, for spreading indecency, and instead pedophiles are free," a blogger tells the Guardian. Hojabri was one of a number of popular Instagram users arrested recently in Iran over the content of their videos; activists fear the country will ban the social media site, currently one of the few western apps that hasn't been blocked. She was shown on state TV giving what appeared to be a forced confession: "It wasn’t for attracting attention," she said of her videos, while crying. "I had some followers and these videos were for them. I did not have any intention to encourage others doing the same. … I didn’t work with a team, I received no training. I only do gymnastics." The Washington Post reports the detainees have since been freed on bail.

Richard Becher, 50, was on the mound during batting practice at a facility called at Baseball Heaven in Yaphank, Suffolk County, when a 12-year-old batter smacked a ball right up the middle that plunked him in the head and knocked him unconscious, according to officials. "Everyone should be aware that the ball, when struck, is hit hard and can hurt you." A baseball hit by one his players struck Becher in the head during a pregame practice session, said John Bree, 51, Becher's brother-in-law. "He was hit in the head, he dropped to the ground." He dropped to the ground.” Several bystanders attempted to revive the unconscious Becher with CPR while waiting for police and EMS to arrive. Becher, who lived in nearby Holbrook, was rushed to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center in East Patchogue, where he was declared dead, police said. “Our hearts go out to the family.” Becher, a married father of two, was reportedly pitching from behind an L-screen, which is designed to protect players from this sort of injury, when he was struck. "It's pretty rare if you're behind the screen, but you can stick your head out for a second" and get hit, said Michael Rubenstein, president of Sachem Little League and the Ronkonkoma Youth Organization. advertisement | advertise on newsday Members of Becher's son's team, the ELITE, in the 11-year-old division, were rushed off the field soon after he was hit, Bree said, adding that they were preparing for a Tri-State Tournament game Saturday night. The game was canceled after the tragic incident. “His tragic passing was where Rich was usually found, on a baseball field with his son and his team,” he said. It’s hard for me to believe this isn’t a nightmare.” Another friend remembered Becher for his enthusiasm for the game. His devotion was often seen when Becher's son stepped out of the batting cage, said Tom Downey, an instructor at the Long Island Baseball Academy in Ronkonkoma. " “Always reminded the kids that they were suppose to have fun. The owner of Holbrook-based Bech Air Corp., a sheet-metal installation company, Becher also coached his son's youth basketball team, Bree said.

– A Long Island community is mourning the loss of a Little League coach after a freak accident during batting warm-ups over the weekend. Richard Becher, 50, was pitching at the Baseball Heaven facility in Suffolk County when a 12-year-old connected and sent a line drive straight to Becher's head. He was knocked unconscious, at which point several bystanders performed CPR until paramedics arrived, but was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, reports the New York Post. "He threw a pitch, the ball got hit, it was a line drive," Becher's brother-in-law told Newsday. "He was hit in the head. He dropped to the ground." Becher had been taking standard precautions, throwing from behind a protective L-screen, but it's possible to stick your head out for a second and be hit, the president of Sachem Little League tells Newsday, adding that he'll consider requiring that coaches wear masks and helmets when they're on the field. "It's hard to believe this is not a nightmare," a friend says. "He passed away doing one of the things he loved doing, being on the baseball field coaching his son." (It's not the first time a Little League pitch has proved fatal.)

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A medical examiner has determined NFL quarterback Jay Cutler's brother-in-law's death was accidental, saying Michael Cavallari died of hypothermia after he crashed his car during a frigid temperatures while passing through a rocky and rural part of southern Utah. Almost two months to the day that Michael Cavallari was found dead in Utah, the Grand County Sheriff's Office has revealed his cause of death.

– The death of Michael Cavallari, brother to reality star Kristin Cavallari and brother-in-law to NFL quarterback Jay Cutler, was accidental, E! reports. Cavallari crashed his car in frigid weather while traveling through a remote part of Utah and died of hypothermia, a medical examiner has determined. He had left California days prior, after being arrested for allegedly threatening a woman with a gun. Toxicology reports are being done to determine whether he had drugs in his system when he died, the AP reports. Authorities still don't know why Cavallari was in Utah or where he was trying to go, and it's not clear exactly what happened when he died: The 30-year-old was found at the bottom of a steep, rocky hillside two weeks after his still-running car was found abandoned, with its air bag deployed, resting against a small embankment 3 miles away. "I don't know if he thought he saw lights or something and started walking?" the sheriff says. "We just don't know."

Read more about: Eric Holder, Republicans, Racism, Steve Israel, Greg Walden And now it’s supposed to be controversial when Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY) says, as he did Sunday on CNN, that “to a significant extent, the Republican base does have elements that are animated by racism”? We should not, then, even be debating whether what Israel said is true. "We know not every Republican is going to agree with us on that.

– Does Democratic Rep. Steve Israel think his "Republican colleagues are racist"? His reply to Candy Crowley's question on CNN yesterday: "Not all of them, no. Of course not," said the head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. But "to a significant extent, the Republican base does have elements that are animated by racism, and that's unfortunate," he said, per Politico. His comments came amid a discussion of Eric Holder's concerns about himself and President Obama facing "ugly and divisive" attacks; Nancy Pelosi has also suggested race plays a role in opposition to immigration reform, the Washington Post notes. National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Greg Walden, who also appeared on the program, said Israel's take was "wrong and unfortunate." Further reactions to the comments have already begun. Per Michael Tomasky at the Daily Beast: "You have to be living a life of willed ignorance and denial to take issue with what Israel said." (Also on yesterday's talk shows, Kathleen Sebelius told Meet the Press that staying on as HHS secretary "really wasn't an option.")

– Apparently, airlines are watching what you tweet and are unamused by your antics: A woman says JetBlue gave her the boot from a flight out of Philly after she began tweeting about her delayed flight yesterday—which she says was further delayed by a passenger joke. "It had been a long night and (the passenger said) he hoped there was a fully stocked bar on the airplane," Lisa Carter-Knight tells WPVI. Har, har—except the pilot heard the comment. "The pilot ran out and said 'that's it, everybody out on by the gate. I've been accused of being intoxicated.'" An on-site sobriety test of the pilot ensued, further delaying the flight. Carter-Knight did what many of us are wont to do when faced with mundane miseries: Gripe about it on social media. As a result, she says JetBlue yanked her ticket. "They were not comfortable with me being on the flight because I shared my experience tonight with friends and followers on a Twitter page," she says. She says JetBlue did eventually issue a refund. All the airline will say officially is, "It is not our practice to remove a customer for expressing criticism of their experience in any medium." Southwest also recently kicked a family off a flight over a dad's critical tweet.

A new study led by University of Idaho researchers suggests there could be two tiny, previously undiscovered moonlets orbiting near two of the planet's rings. Planetary scientists Rob Chancia and Matthew Hedman from the University of Idaho recently revisited Voyager 2's old data, and they noticed something peculiar in two of Uranus’ 13 rings, Alpha and Beta. Cornell researchers were surveying Uranus' rings when they found that the amount of material in its alpha ring varied periodically; He found the same when examining its beta ring. New research suggests this number might have to be revised; data collected by Voyager 2 during its historic 1986 flyby hints at two undiscovered moons lurking around a pair of Uranus’ rings. Specifically, they analyzed radio occultations -- made when Voyager 2 sent radio waves through the rings to be detected back on Earth -- and stellar occultations, made when the spacecraft measured the light of background stars shining through the rings, which helps reveal how much material they contain. The potential satellites popping up in Uranus' data are similar to quasi-moon structures in Saturn's rings called moonlet wakes. The researchers estimate the hypothesized moonlets in Uranus' rings would be 2 to 9 miles (4 to 14 kilometers) in diameter -- as small as some identified moons of Saturn, but smaller than any of Uranus' known moons. The ice giant's rings are notably more narrow than Saturn's, but the new structures might explain that by acting as "shepherd" moons that keep the circular material from spreading out. Advertisement Importantly, these observations are consistent with how Uranus’ other moons, such as Cordelia and Ophelia, are exerting gravitational pressure on the dust, rocks, and ice within the rings, herding the particles along a narrow formation. For more information about Voyager, visit: http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov

– Scientists are taking a closer look at Uranus after strange patterns turned up in images from 30 years ago. Engadget reports that researchers looking at data from NASA's Voyager 2—which became the only spacecraft ever to fly by Uranus when it did so in 1986—noticed that the amount of material in some of the planet's rings varies from time time. This pattern of shifting material was present in two of the Uranus' 13 rings, according to Gizmodo. "There's something breaking the symmetry," researcher Matt Hedman says in a press release. He and fellow researcher Rob Chancia believe that something is two undiscovered moons. The idea is that the two new moons—which would bring Uranus' total up to 29—are orbiting outside the planet's rings, leaving wakes behind them, according to a study being published soon. Similar things called moonlet wakes occur in Saturn's rings. Researchers estimate the new moons circling Uranus are between 2 miles and 9 miles across—smaller than any of Uranus' other moons. "We haven't seen the moons yet, but the idea is the size of the moons needed to make these features is quite small, and they could have easily been missed," Hedman says in the press release. The new moons may also be responsible for keeping Uranus' rings in check, which would explain why they are narrower than those of Saturn. (Another study found Saturn's rings and moons are younger than dinosaurs.)

Pakistan’s officially declared “Day of Love for the Prophet Muhammad” devolved into deadly violence in major cities Friday as tens of thousands of Pakistanis angrily demonstrated against an Islam-mocking YouTube video, although calm generally prevailed in other predominantly Muslim countries. Photo Advertisement Continue reading the main story ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Violent crowds furious over an anti-Islamic video made in the United States convulsed Pakistan’s largest cities on Friday, leaving up to 19 people dead and more than 160 injured in a day of government-sanctioned protests. Friday’s violence began with the fatal shooting of a television station employee during a protest in the northwestern city of Peshawar, and was amplified through armed protests in the southern port city of Karachi that left 12 to 14 people dead, Pakistani news media reported. “An attack on the holy prophet is an attack on the core belief of 1.5 billion Muslims,” Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf said in an address at a religious conference Friday morning in Islamabad. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry summoned the U.S. Embassy’s charge d’affaires, Richard Hoagland, on Friday to demand that the United States take immediate measures to remove the video, purportedly a trailer for a film titled “Innocence of Muslims,” from YouTube. “This was an attack on 1.5 billion Muslims and a premeditated and a malicious act to spread hatred and violence among people of different faiths,” ministry officials told Hoagland, according to a statement.

– Pakistan's government declared today a national holiday specifically so people could go out and protest The Innocence of Muslims—but that official sanction hasn't kept things calm. Demonstrations in Karachi and Peshawar left 20 dead and more than 100 injured as protesters torched movie houses, police cars, and American fast food restaurants, the Washington Post reports. Among the dead were two policemen in Karachi and a cable channel's employee in Peshawar. In Karachi, troops and police were able to stop the crowd—estimated by some at 15,000—from reaching the US consulate. Government critics tell Reuters this "day of Love for the Prophet" is an attempt to divert attention from its failure to provide services. "The religious parties hold the government hostage," ex-ambassador Hussain Haqqani says. The Obama administration, meanwhile, is trying to calm tensions, airing a 30-second ad throughout Pakistan that shows President Obama and Hillary Clinton denouncing the offending film, their words subtitled in Urdu, the Dawn reports. Pakistan isn't the only hot spot today, either; Tunisia has evoked emergency powers to ban all demonstrations, the New York Times reports, and US posts have closed in India, Indonesia, and elsewhere.

BEIRUT Two suicide car bombers killed 55 people and wounded 372 in Damascus on Thursday, state media said, the deadliest attacks in the Syrian capital since an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began 14 months ago. Special envoy Kofi Annan brokered a peace plan last month, but the initiative has been troubled from the start, with government troops shelling opposition areas and rebels attacking military convoys and checkpoints after the cease-fire was supposed to begin on April 12. Annan condemned the "abhorrent" bombings and urged all parties to halt violence and protect civilians. The White House and the United Nations also condemned the attacks, for which there was no claim of responsibility. "Syria stresses the importance of the UNSC taking measures against countries, groups and news agencies that are practicing and encouraging terrorism," the state news agency SANA quoted the ministry as saying in a letter to the U.N. body. The explosions left two craters at the gate of the military compound, one of them 3 meters (10 feet) deep and 6 meters (20 feet) wide. The outer wall of the headquarters collapsed and some walls crumbled, although the basic structure inside appeared intact. One resident reported limited damage to the facade of the nearby Palestine Branch Military Intelligence centre, one of the most feared of more than 20 Syrian secret police agencies. But an al-Qaida-inspired group has claimed responsibility for several large explosions targeting mostly security facilities since December, raising fears that extremist groups are entering Syria's conflict and exploiting the chaos. It also appealed to citizens to pass on any information that might help. The attacks occurred a day after a bomb exploded near U.N. observers monitoring the ceasefire, which state forces and rebels have both violated, and two weeks after authorities said a suicide bomber killed at least nine people in Damascus. "This (Thursday's attacks) is yet another example of the suffering brought upon the people of Syria from acts of violence," said Major-General Robert Mood, leader of the U.N. monitors, who visited the scene. Opposition to Assad, which began with peaceful protests in March 2011 inspired by popular revolts against other Arab autocratic leaders, has grown increasingly militarised. The blasts happened at about 7:50 a.m., when employees are usually arriving at work. "It is only going to create more suffering for women and children." REBELS SET TO RESUME ATTACKS The United Nations says Syrian forces have killed 9,000 people during the revolt. The government blames the bombings on the terrorists it says are behind the anti-Assad uprising. International diplomacy has failed to stop the bloodshed, and the U.N. has ruled out military intervention of the type that helped bring down Libya's Moammar Gadhafi, in part out of fear that it could exacerbate the violence.

– At least 50 people were killed and some 370 wounded in two huge, nearly simultaneous bomb blasts in Damascus today, targeting the headquarters of the feared "Palestinian Branch" intelligence services, Syrian officials said. The bombs hit the busy al-Qazaz district, and according to an AP reporter on the scene, one ripped the façade clear off of the building. The other blew a 10-foot-deep crater in the city's southern ring road, according to Reuters, leaving body parts strewn across the street. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, which the Syrian government blamed on "terrorists," saying that most of the dead and wounded were civilians. The head of the UN monitoring team in Syria visited the scene, and decried the "terrible violence," saying, "It is not going to solve any problems. It is only going to create more suffering for women and children."

This month, Amazon offered customers a discount to purchase stuff online while they were shopping at local establishments.

– After sparking a debate over the value independent bookstores, Farhad Manjoo is presenting a peace offering. Independent bookstores may be inefficient from a financial perspective, but that doesn't mean they're "doomed," he writes at Slate. If we want to keep such bookstores going, we can't just go and browse: We need to buy, and that means they need to sell better. It's time for them to start innovating the way Amazon has: "Tablets and smartphones could be store owners’ best weapons against Jeff Bezos—if only they’d embrace them." Many readers turn to the online retail giant for its well-crafted review system, which is free to use—why not co-opt it? Bookstores could highlight books that have gotten good reviews on Amazon, Manjoo suggests. And shops should try out AisleBuyer, which lets indie stores create their own apps. Customers can buy with their phones in-store; shops can track customer purchases to make recommendations. Apps could also help them connect staff to customers with matching interests. To store owners: "Amazon is stealing your customers. This is a way to fight back."

Police believed Adebolajo was going to work with Somali militant group al-Shabab.

– Rupert Murdoch and Twitter continue to make for an ... interesting combination. Yesterday the News Corp mogul randomly started quoting the Koran on his account, and Twitchy thinks it was in relation to a couple tweets he sent out the day before about the slaying of a UK soldier. Here are all the tweets, in order: "With UK on terror alert, Cameron off on holiday in Ibiza. Unbelievable." "Many UK tweeters say no terror. Admirable, gutsy, but get real and go listen at some mosques. Admit most okay, but others really scary." "Get real. Koran says(1) 'whoever killed a human being...it shall be regarded as having killed all mankind..." "Koran(2) 'except as punishment for murder or other villainy' then defined as 'those who wage war against Allah' punishable by beheading." No one seems to be quite sure what he was driving at. Meanwhile, a 10th suspect in the vicious murder of Lee Rigby was arrested today, the AP reports. The 50-year-old man, detained east of London, is suspected of conspiring to murder the off-duty soldier, but police have not released further details.

An active-duty member of the U.S. Army who went missing after a weather-related delay at O'Hare International Airport this week has been located, 'safe and unharmed,' in Texas, Chicago Police said today. Matthew Segur, 39, flew into the airport Monday on a British Airways flight and was scheduled to depart Wednesday for Dallas on an American Airlines flight, the Chicago Police Department announced in a release Thursday night.

– A happy but still somewhat vague ending to the story of a missing soldier. After finishing his second tour of duty in Afghanistan, Matthew Segur, 39, was headed home to Texas via Chicago. His British Airways flight arrived at O'Hare International Airport on Monday, but the flight he was to have taken to Dallas the same day was cancelled due to weather, NBC Chicago reports. Segur was rescheduled to fly on American Airlines on Wednesday, but it seems he didn't board that flight—and as of reports out this morning, friends and family hadn't heard from him since Monday, and his girlfriend had reported him missing. But the Chicago Tribune reports he has been found "safe and unharmed" in Texas. It's so far unclear how he got there, though officials had previously noted that Segur could have driven home.

We used data gathered from our Celebrity 100 research and Box Office Mojo to calculate how much, on average, each star's last three films earned at the box office per dollar of pay. Her most recent film, One For The Money, earned only $37 million on an estimated $40 million budget. In 2009 Bullock starred in one of the biggest films of the year, The Blind Side. It was also a big earner for Bullock, who had a profit-sharing deal on the project. If you took that film out and added in The Proposal, her return on investment number would be much higher.]

– Classics like Trading Places and Beverly Hills Cop made Eddie Murphy a star. But he's been starring in flops lately, and now he lands atop Forbes' list of the most overpaid actors. The mag ranks them based on their last three movies, looking at the return studios received for every dollar earned by the star: Eddie Murphy: Imagine That, A Thousand Words, and Meet Dave all died. His bailing on the Oscars' hosting gig added a little extra tarnish. Box office: $2.30 per Murphy dollar. Katherine Heigl: One For the Money is the latest of her box office flops. Maybe the upcoming ensemble pic The Big Wedding with Robert DeNiro and Susan Sarandon will help rebuild her career. Box office: $3.40 per Heigl dollar. Reese Witherspoon: 2010's How Do You Know was a low point, with its crazy-high $120 million budget and $49 million return. This Means War fared better, but not enough for her to duck Forbes' list. Box office: $3.90 per Witherspoon dollar. Sandra Bullock: The Blind Side rocked in 2009, earning $310 million globally with just a $30 million budget. But All About Steve and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close did poorly. Box office: $5 per Bullock dollar. Jack Black: Last year's The Big Year earned just $7 mllion. Box office: $5 per Black dollar. Click for Forbes' full list.

PARIS (AP) — The co-pilot of Germanwings Flight 4525 tried a controlled descent on the previous flight that morning to Barcelona before the plane crashed into a mountainside in March on its way back to Germany, French air accident investigators said in a new report released Wednesday. Andreas Lubitz, who investigators say deliberately crashed Flight 9525 after locking the pilot out of the cockpit, briefly set the plane’s altitude to as low as 100 feet several times during its outbound flight from Düsseldorf, Germany, to Barcelona on March 24, the Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses, France’s air-safety agency,... A preliminary report on the return flight that crashed on March 24, killing all 150 people on board, confirmed a growing picture of painstaking preparations carried out by the co-pilot, Andreas Lubitz. However, it said the aeromedical center of Lufthansa, the parent company of Germanwings, twice refused to renew his medical certificate in 2009 when he was undergoing treatment for depression. The investigators said their main focus is on "the current balance between medical confidentiality and flight safety" and the "compromises" made on security after the Sept. 11 attacks in the U.S., notably on cockpit door locking systems.

– Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz tested what would be deadly descent settings on the flight that directly preceded the one investigators say he deliberately crashed into the French Alps. That detail comes from a 29-page interim report released today by France's BEA crash investigation agency; it describes how Lubitz, flying from Dusseldorf to Barcelona, put the plane in a "controlled descent that lasted for minutes and for which there was no aeronautical justification" on the same day that he brought the plane down on its return journey. The AP reports the pilot had left Lubitz alone in the cockpit, during which time he moved the plane into descent mode five times in less than five minutes. After each descent, he brought the plane back up to regular altitude. "I can't speculate on what was happening inside his head; all I can say is that he changed this button to the minimum setting of 100 feet and he did it several times," says BEA's director. The Wall Street Journal specifies that during a 4.5-minute period, Lubitz keyed in altitudes ranging from 1,000 feet to 49,000 feet. Investigators say the adjustments were made while the plane was descending from 37,000 feet to 35,000, so they apparently went undetected by the captain and others on the flight; air traffic controllers didn't notice them, per the New York Times. The new information comes via that flight's black box. Reuters notes the BEA's final report won't be finished for a year.

– While critics were busily groaning over Thursday's The Sound of Music Live, a certain other live show was busily plotting its takedown. Kristen Wiig returned for last night's Cold Open on Saturday Night Live, reports US, and promptly stole the sketch as her recurring character Denise made for a rather unique von Trapp child in a "condensed version" of the three-hour behemoth. (Sound of Music star Carrie Underwood, meanwhile, tweeted this in response to the hate: "Plain and simple: Mean people need Jesus. They will be in my prayers tonight...1 Peter 2:1-25.") Over at Huffington Post, Mike Ryan has his scorecard of last night's show, which was hosted by Paul Rudd with musical guest One Direction.

Sen. Heidi Heitkamp Mary (Heidi) Kathryn HeitkampThe Memo: Tide turns on Kavanaugh McCaskill to oppose Kavanaugh nomination Election Countdown: Trump confident about midterms in Hill.TV interview | Kavanaugh controversy tests candidates | Sanders, Warren ponder if both can run | Super PACs spending big | Two states open general election voting Friday | Latest Senate polls MORE (D-N.D.) said Thursday that she will support President Trump Donald John TrumpTrump rallies in Nevada amid Supreme Court flurry: 'We're gonna get Brett' Trump: 'Good news' that Obama is campaigning again Trump boosts Heller, hammers 'Wacky Jacky' opponent in Nevada MORE's nomination of CIA Director Mike Pompeo Michael (Mike) Richard PompeoOvernight Defense: Trump identifies first soldier remains from North Korea | New cyber strategy lets US go on offense | Army chief downplays talk of 'Fort Trump' Pompeo backed continued US support in Yemen war over objections from staff: report Pompeo’s staff cracks down on ‘correct use of commas’ at State Dept MORE as secretary of State, virtually guaranteeing he will win confirmation. If he is confirmed, Heitkamp said that she would “hold Mr. Pompeo accountable to make sure he advances our country’s leadership in the world and supports our embassies.” ADVERTISEMENT Sen. Rand Paul Randal (Rand) Howard PaulConservatives left frustrated as Congress passes big spending bills Senate approves 4B spending bill Some employees' personal data revealed in State Department email breach: report MORE (R-Ky.) opposes Pompeo's nomination and Sen. John McCain John Sidney McCainArizona race becomes Senate GOP’s ‘firewall’ Trump administration weakens methane pollution standards for drilling on public lands Another recession could hit US in 2019, says credit union association chief MORE (R-Ariz.) has been absent, leaving Republicans with a maximum of 49 votes for his confirmation. Heitkamp, Sen. Joe Manchin or West Virginia and Sen. Joe Donnelly of Indiana are among several Democratic senators up for re-election in Trump-won states that the administration and its allies have spotlighted. Pompeo, is facing... (Associated Press) In this April 12, 2018, photo, Secretary of State-designate Mike Pompeo speaks during the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on his confirmation on Capitol Hill in Washington. With Republicans holding a one-seat advantage on the panel, he would need to win over at least one Democrat to get a favorable vote. As Pompeo, the current CIA director, walked the Senate halls this week to shore up support, political pressure was mounting on senators on both sides of the aisle. Pompeo demonstrated during the nomination process and their meetings "that he is committed to empowering the diplomats at the State Department so they can do their jobs in advancing American interests," she said in a statement.

– Mike Pompeo's nomination for secretary of state received a boost Thursday with support from Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota as Republicans warned lawmakers not to reject President Trump's choice for top diplomat ahead of North Korea talks. Just a handful of senators could determine Pompeo's confirmation. Republicans have a narrow 51-49 majority, but Pompeo faces opposition from Democrats and at least one Republican, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, the AP reports. Paul met with Pompeo on Thursday, at Trump's request, but had no change in his position, the senator's spokesman said. "We need the Senate to approve Mike ASAP," Trump tweeted Thursday. "He will be a great Secretary of State!" Heitkamp is the first Democrat to offer her support, the Hill reports. As Pompeo, the current CIA director, walked the Senate halls this week to shore up support, political pressure was mounting on senators on both sides of the aisle. White House allies are pushing the administration's view that Pompeo's recent high-stakes meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jung Un solidifies the diplomatic credentials of the West Point and Harvard Law graduate. They warned Democrats not to disrupt Trump's efforts at a denuclearization deal. At the same time, progressives are lighting up phone lines ahead of a crucial vote Monday at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where Pompeo faces almost unified opposition from Democrats. He may not be able to secure a favorable recommendation from the panel.

"It has preserved many old features, which we may not even know existed if we didn't have Elfdalian," he added. For centuries this district, Dalarna, was the industrial heart of Sweden.

– Starting in September, preschoolers in a small community in central Sweden will start getting lessons in a dying language thought to date back to the time of the Vikings. It is called, awesomely, Elfdalian, reports the Local. Those hoping for a Tolkien-esque link will be disappointed to learn that it has nothing to do with elves but instead translates to "river valley." About 2,500 people are estimated to speak Elfdalian, but only about 60 kids— hence the push to teach it in preschool in Alvdalen. Linguists once thought Elfdalian was just another Swedish dialect, but they have since concluded that it's a distinct language, most likely a descendant of the Viking language Old Norse that broke off from Swedish around 1300, reports the Financial Times in a previous story. One reason: While Swedes can understand speakers of different dialects, they're clueless when it comes to Elfdalian, in part because it has grammatical characteristics not found in other Scandinavian languages. "Elfdalian is a a goldmine," says one historian. "It works almost like a linguistic deep freeze, where one can get a glimpse of Old Norse traits that have long since vanished in the other Nordic languages." A conference later this week at Copenhagen University will focus on Elfdalian, led by a professor at Lund University who taught himself how to speak it. He loves the preschool idea: "In the past, children from this area didn't go far beyond the farms they lived on, but now they go to school and consume so much other media that it is hard for them to keep Elfdalian as their main language."

– The emergency manager who filed Detroit's historic bankruptcy today says residents don't have to worry about basic services getting cut in the interim, reports WXYZ. "Nothing changes from the standpoint of the average citizen's perspective," says Kevyn Orr. At a joint news conference, Mayor Dave Bing added, "Now that we're here, we have to make the best of it." Some other odds and ends: Close call: The bankruptcy was filed at 4:06pm, a mere 5 minutes before a judge convened an emergency hearing to consider a request from the city's pension boards to block such a filing, reports the Detroit News. "It was my intention to grant you your request completely," said the judge. Detroit Free Press editorial: It's too bad Orr and the city's creditors couldn't reach a deal. And, who knows, this may force one. "Either way, the pieces are finally in place for a definitive resolution of the disputes that have held Detroit hostage to its legacy of fiscal mismanagement. That’s something to look forward to on this rainiest of days in Detroit’s darkest summer." White House: The president will "closely monitor" developments, said a spokesman, whose statement also urged city and state leaders to keep working with creditors on a solution. The White House has previously made clear that the city won't be getting a federal bailout, reports the Detroit News. Now what? "The move is bound to set off months, if not years, of legal wrangling, asset sales and cuts to benefits for Detroit workers and retirees, including 20,000 on city pensions," says the Wall Street Journal's main story. "Owners of the city's bonds are expected to battle with retirees and others for pieces of the city's diminished wealth."

– NASCAR CEO and chairman Brian France spent Monday morning being arraigned in the Hamptons after being pulled over Sunday night in Sag Harbor Village and allegedly found to be under the influence and in possession of oxycodone pills. ESPN reports he was charged with aggravated DWI and criminal possession, and cites a news release from the local police department that says he was driving a 2017 Lexus on Main Street when police allegedly observed him "failing to stop at a duly posted stop sign." After being "lawful[ly] arrested," a search of his person turned up the pills, per the release. TMZ first reported the arrest of the 56-year-old, whom it refers to as "one of the most powerful people in professional sports." It reports via sources that France's blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit, and similarly relies on unnamed sources to claim France referenced the powerful friends he had, allegedly even mentioning the president, during the incident. The Washington Post suggests TMZ's BAC report is true, in that under New York state law, a DWI charge applies to BAC of .08 or higher, and Aggravated DWI applies to BAC of 0.18 or higher; France was charged with the latter.

(Katherine Frey/The Washington Post) Inspired to speak out by the burgeoning #MeToo movement, 2012 Olympic gold medalist McKayla Maroney announced early Wednesday on Twitter that she had been molested by Larry Nassar, who pleaded guilty to federal child-pornography charges in June and has been accused by more than 100 women and girls of sexual assault during his time as USA gymnastics’ team doctor. McKayla Maroney, a two-time Olympic medalist, has alleged that she was abused as early as age 13 by former Michigan State and USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, who already faces 22 counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and could receive a sentence of life in prison. [Doctor at center of USA Gymnastics scandal left warning signs at Michigan State] Maroney’s allegations echo those made by other gymnasts who say they were abused by Nassar: that he molested her in the guise of medical “treatment” for hip and back pain. Maroney, 21, alleges that Nassar began molesting her at the age of 13 at a U.S. national team training camp in Texas and continued the abuse until she left the sport. "It seemed whenever and wherever this man could find the chance, I was 'treated.'" Brennan: Maroney gives courageous voice to sexual abuse Related: Judge refuses to delay sex assault trial for Larry Nassar More: Aly Raisman criticizes USA Gymnastics, USOC for response to sex abuse More: Timeline: Former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar The 21-year-old from Long Beach, Calif., said she was abused before her U.S. team won gold at the 2012 London Olympics and before she won silver on the vault. Maroney also wrote that when she was 15, Nassar gave her a sleeping pill during the team's all-day flight to Tokyo for the 2011 world championships and that she woke up alone with him in his hotel room. She said Nassar had given her a sleeping pill "and the next thing I know I was all alone with him in his hotel room getting a 'treatment.' I thought I was going to die that night." "This is happening everywhere," Maroney wrote. She spoke out early Wednesday as part of the "#MeToo" movement on social media, saying, "Silence has given the wrong people power for too long, and it's time to take our power back." I had a dream to go to the Olympics, and the things that I had to endure to get there were unnecessary and disgusting."' She did not detail Nassar's specific actions. Nassar still faces 22 state charges in Michigan over allegations that he sexually assaulted children, and convictions in those cases could result in a life sentence. He also faces charges in state court in Michigan, largely related to allegations that he digitally penetrated women during medical exams for his own sexual gratification. Nassar was involved with USA Gymnastics for nearly three decades as a trainer and national medical coordinator, a role that led him to treat the country's elite gymnasts at four separate Olympic Games. The abuse scandal led to the ouster of USA Gymnastics CEO Steve Penny, who resigned in March under pressure from the U.S. Olympic Committee. USA Gymnastics has not hired his replacement. In June, the federation immediately adopted 70 recommendations proffered by Deborah Daniels, a former federal prosecutor who oversaw the review. "USA Gymnastics admires the courage of those, like McKayla Maroney, who have come forward to share their personal experiences with sexual abuse. Maroney called for change, urging other victims of abuse to speak out and demanding organizations "be held accountable for their inappropriate actions and behavior." USA Gymnastics praised Maroney's strength in a statement on Wednesday, adding it is "outraged and disgusted" by Nassar's alleged conduct. "We are strengthening and enhancing our policies and procedures regarding abuse, as well as expanding our educational efforts to increase awareness of signs to watch for and reporting suspicions of abuse, including the obligation to immediately report," USA Gymnastics wrote. Aly Raisman, captain of the past two Olympic teams and Maroney’s teammate in London, has criticized USA Gymnastics and the USOC for their response to the sexual abuse crisis.

– The #MeToo spotlight has moved beyond Hollywood to focus on sexual abuse at large. Case in point: In a Twitter statement including the hashtag, Olympic gold medalist McKayla Maroney says she endured years of sexual abuse at the hands of USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar, per ESPN. The former gymnast says the abuse, which Nassar allegedly described as "medically necessary treatment that he had been performing on patients for over 30 years," began at a national team training camp at age 13. She was then only a girl with a dream to go to the Olympics. But though her dream would be realized, it came at "a price," the 21-year-old says. "The things that I had to endure to get there were unnecessary and disgusting." Maroney describes one alleged assault in which Nassar gave her a sleeping pill during a flight to Tokyo for the 2011 World Championships. Maroney, then 15, says she awoke to find herself "all alone with him in his hotel room getting a 'treatment'" and "I thought I was going to die." Maroney says she was also abused at the London Olympics, where she was awarded gold and silver medals. "It seemed whenever and wherever this man could find the chance, I was 'treated,'" she adds, noting the abuse only ended when she left the sport. She last competed in 2013 but retired in 2016, per the Washington Post. Maroney is one of at least 140 females to accuse Nassar of abuse, reports USA Today. He faces 33 charges of criminal sexual conduct in Michigan and is awaiting sentencing for possession of child pornography.

The friends - four in two pictures and give in another - 'spent a good time cheerfully splashing in the bath with milk used for cheese processing', said one report.

– A judge has ruled that stinky-cheese smell isn't as bad as complaining about it in a rather mean way, the Guardian reports. Florian Kurz, the manager of a Swiss fondue restaurant, won't have to pay a $225 fine after two neighboring boutique clothing stores griped about the smell—but those stores must pay Kurz $4,300 in costs and $165 in damages. Why? They not only complained, but brought over "speciality smell fish from Norway" to drive customers away, Kurz said. "They also talked badly to the customers and told them that our fondue is not as good as that in other Swiss fondue restaurants." Kurz refused to pay a fine, and now the judge has sided with him. "Sure, they are serving cheese fondue, but the smell is not excessive," said Kurz's lawyer. "They have the permission to serve what they want." In other cheese news, a photo of naked male workers bathing in milk used to make string cheese has gone viral in Russia, the Siberian Times reports. "Yeah, our job is really boring," the caption read. The photo may damage the nation's string-cheese business, a Moscow newspaper warned, and a federal consumer watchdog is investigating. Click to see the pic, or read about the discovery of the world's most ancient cheese.

Matthew Bryce, 22, was surfing Scots Beach off the Argyll coast around 11:30 AM UTC on Sunday, presumably alone, before the rip carried him away. "Lifting a hypothermic person from the water is hazardous, but it was done successfully, and he was then taken to the nearest big hospital, which was in Belfast." “He was kitted out with all the right clothing, including a thick neoprene suit, and this must have helped him to survive for so long at sea. Matthew Bryce, 22, flown to hospital in Belfast after being found hypothermic but conscious 13 miles from land A surfer who had been missing for more than 32 hours in the sea has been traced safe and well.

– A Scottish man is "extremely lucky" to be alive after spending more than 32 hours at sea with only his surfboard. Matthew Bryce, 22, was spotted by a coast guard helicopter some 13 miles off the coast of Argyll, Scotland, around 7:30pm Monday after first jumping in the waves almost a day and a half earlier, reports the BBC. Bryce, from Glasgow, had told family members he was planning to surf at a beach off Argyll around 9am Sunday and hit the waves about 2.5 hours later. When he hadn't returned after several hours, family members alerted police, per ABC News. Coast guard rescue teams from several bases combed the shoreline and sea near the Argyll beach for hours, per the Guardian. But just as hope and daylight were fading Monday, a coast guard helicopter spotted Bryce with his bright orange surfboard some 13 miles off the coast, where a rip current had apparently carried him, reports Surfer. Hypothermic but conscious, he was airlifted to a hospital in Northern Ireland where he's now recovering. Says a coast guard rep: Bryce's ability to stay with his surfboard helped save him, along with "all the right clothing including a thick neoprene suit." (A wetsuit might've saved this shark attack survivor.)

“This legislation ignores the reality that the system is not working and this new approach will harm thousands of everyday San Francisco residents who depend on Airbnb. The new law does nothing to fix the registration process and it violates federal law. On Monday, Airbnb sued San Francisco over a unanimous decision on June 7 by the city’s Board of Supervisors to fine the company $1,000 a day for every unregistered host on its service.

– Airbnb has filed a lawsuit alleging its First Amendment rights have been violated and that rules surrounding a new city ordinance flout federal protection for internet companies, and its target is its own hometown, the Los Angeles Times reports. The ordinance in question was passed unanimously earlier this month by San Francisco's Board of Supervisors, and when it takes effect within the next month or so (the New York Times says July; TechCrunch says Aug. 1), Airbnb and other online rental marketplaces will have to ensure hosts renting out their homes are registered with the city. If the company doesn't comply, it can be fined $1,000 per unregistered host per day or be forced to scrub its site of those listings. But in a blog post, Airbnb says "unfortunately, the rules do not work," and CNNMoney notes a registration process that may "turn off" some hosts, including a $50 fee and a mandate that all paperwork be turned in in person. Specifically, the company claims the law will put some San Francisco residents at risk of eviction or foreclosure because of "confusing" registration rules, and that the ordinance would violate the 1996 Communications Decency Act and the Stored Communications Act, which, respectively, protect websites from liability due to user content and from having to hand over consumer info without appropriate legal measures. A rep for the San Francisco attorney's office tells the San Francisco Business Times the city's not regulating online content—it's regulating the hosts' business. "It's simply a duty to verify information that's already required of a regulated business activity," the rep says. (These Airbnb renters found a rotting corpse.)

Buy Photo Republican presidential candidates, from left, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum; former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty; Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas; Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, R-Mich.; businessman Herman Cain; Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn. pose for a group photo at the Republican Party's Straw Poll in Ames, Iowa, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2011. "I think the straw poll has outlived its usefulness," Branstad said of the early Republican presidential poll, according to The Wall Street Journal.

– For nearly 40 years, Iowa held its straw poll for Republican hopefuls every summer before the presidential caucuses—but the poll set for this summer is now dead, the AP reports. Iowa GOP Chairman Jeff Kaufmann tells the news agency that state GOP officials made the decision in a unanimous vote during a conference call this morning, with the AP noting the tradition is ending because some 2016 candidates have already said they won't show up and because it's become nothing more than a "costly sideshow." "I've said since December that we would only hold a straw poll if the candidates wanted one, and this year that is just not the case," Kaufmann says, per the Washington Post. "This step, while extremely distasteful for those of us who love the Straw Poll, is necessary to strengthen our First in the Nation status and ensure our future nominee has the best chance possible to take back the White House in 2016." Since 1979, the Post explains, the straw poll has served two main purposes: to bring money in for the Iowa GOP and show off the candidates. But critics say the event has become too expensive, resembles a carnival, and hasn't had a stellar success rate at predicting how well hopefuls will eventually do: The Post points out that Michele Bachmann emerged victorious in the 2011 poll held in Ames, then finished last in the 2012 caucuses; it's actually only been right about the GOP nominee twice. Some Republicans launched an 11th-hour campaign to try to save the poll (see: this late-May op-ed in the Des Moines Register), but their efforts weren't enough. One person who likely won't be upset about the poll's demise: Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, who in 2012 proclaimed the poll had "outlived its usefulness," the Hill reported at the time.

– US News ranks everything from hospitals to diets—and now also countries. In a first, the publication has come out with a list of the best 10 countries in the world, based on the perceptions of more than 16,000 people, who were asked to score countries on things like leadership, military, economic strength, culture, and transparency. The US doesn't make the top three: Germany Canada United Kingdom United States Sweden Australia Japan France Netherlands Denmark At least the US fares better when it comes to the most popular leaders, according to Facebook.

In this frame grab taken from video provided by the Syrian anti-government activist group Aleppo Media Center (AMC), a child sits in an ambulance after being pulled out or a building hit by an airstirke,... (Associated Press) In this frame grab taken from video provided by the Syrian anti-government activist group Aleppo Media Center (AMC), a child sits in an ambulance after being pulled out or a building hit by an airstirke,... (Associated Press) BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian opposition activists have released haunting footage showing a young boy rescued from the rubble in the aftermath of a devastating airstrike in Aleppo. The image of the stunned and weary looking boy, sitting in an orange chair inside an ambulance covered in dust and with blood on his face, encapsulates the horrors inflicted on the conflicted northern city and is being widely shared on social media. Doctor in Aleppo on Thursday identified the boy as 5-year-old Omran Daqneesh. Osama Abu al-Ezz confirmed he was brought to the hospital known as "M10" Wednesday night following an airstrike on the rebel-held district of Qaterji with head wounds, but no brain injury, and was later discharged. Doctors in Aleppo use code names for hospitals, which they say have been systematically targeted by government airstrikes. Abu al-Ezz said they do that "because we are afraid security forces will infiltrate their medical network and target ambulances as they transfer patients from one hospital to another." In the video posted late Wednesday by the Aleppo Media Center, a man is seen plucking the boy away from a chaotic nighttime scene and carrying him inside the ambulance, looking dazed and flat-eyed. The boy then runs his hand over his blood-covered face, looks at his hands and wipes them on the ambulance chair. Opposition activists said there were eight casualties overall from the air strike on Qaterji, among them five children. The image of Omran in the orange chair is reminiscent of the image of Aylan Kurdi, the drowned Syrian boy whose body was found on a beach in Turkey and came to encapsulate the horrific toll of Syria's civil war.

– Syrian opposition activists have released haunting footage showing a young boy rescued from the rubble in the aftermath of a devastating airstrike in Aleppo. The image of the stunned and weary-looking boy, sitting in an orange chair inside an ambulance covered in dust and with blood on his face, encapsulates the horrors inflicted on the conflicted northern city and is being widely shared on social media, the AP reports. On Thursday, a doctor in Aleppo identified the boy as 5-year-old Omran Daqneesh. The doctor confirmed he was brought to a hospital Wednesday night following an airstrike on the rebel-held district of Qaterji with head wounds, but no brain injury, and was later discharged. In a video posted late Wednesday by the Aleppo Media Center, a man is seen plucking the boy away from a chaotic nighttime scene and carrying him inside the ambulance, looking dazed and flat-eyed. The boy then runs his hand over his blood-covered face, looks at his hands, and wipes them on the ambulance chair. Opposition activists say there were eight casualties overall from the airstrike on Qaterji, among them five children. (The last 15 doctors in the city are begging for President Obama to help.)

A political storm is brewing ahead of Prince Harry’s and Meghan Markle’s May... (Associated Press) FILE - This is a Monday, Dec. 25, 2017. file photo of Britain'sPrince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle as they arrive to attend the traditional Christmas Day service, at St. Mary Magdalene Church... (Associated Press) LONDON (AP) — A political storm is brewing ahead of Prince Harry's and Meghan Markle's May 19 wedding over whether to crack down on homeless people and beggars in the well-to-do English town of Windsor. The prime minister said she disagreed with council leader Simon Dudley, who urged police to tackle the issue before the St George's Chapel ceremony on 19 May. He had written that beggars could present the town in a "sadly unfavourable light" ahead of the royal wedding. They reject the assertion that the homeless in Windsor are living on the streets by choice. Harry has supported a number of charity events designed to help the homeless. Greg Beales, a spokesman for Shelter, said people sleeping on the streets are in desperate need of help, particularly in winter, when the weather can be dangerously cold. Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner Anthony Stansfeld said on his website that he was "somewhat surprised" that the letter addressed to him had been released publicly before it was sent to him.

– A political storm is brewing ahead of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's May 19 wedding over whether to crack down on homeless people and beggars in the well-to-do English town of Windsor. The wedding will be held at Windsor Castle, the town's most famous landmark and a favored residence of Queen Elizabeth II. It is expected to draw thousands of extra visitors to the picturesque riverside town 20 miles west of London, and borough council leader Simon Dudley kicked off the controversy by tweeting over the Christmas holidays about the need to clean up the town's streets. He then wrote to police and Prime Minister Theresa May suggesting action be taken to reduce the presence of beggars and the homeless, reports the AP. Dudley referred to an "epidemic" of homelessness and vagrancy in Windsor and suggested many of the people begging in the town are not really homeless. He said the situation presents a beautiful town in an unfavorable light. Homeless charities reacted angrily Thursday to his suggestion. The BBC reports May was asked about Dudley's comments and replied, "I don't agree," though she did allow that "where there are issues of people who are aggressively begging on the streets then it's important that councils work with the police to deal with that." Harry and Markle will be wed on the closed-off castle grounds but have said they want the public to be involved to some degree. Harry has supported a number of charity events designed to help the homeless.

(The Washington Post) A decision Monday by House Speaker Paul D. Ryan to not campaign with or defend Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump through the November election sparked a public feud with his party’s standard-bearer within a matter of hours, suggesting that a widening split within the GOP could reverberate long after the presidential race is decided. [Ryan embarks on whirlwind tour to help save his majority] The House GOP call was an opportunity for members to check in after a chaotic weekend in which dozens of GOP lawmakers revoked their support for Trump after the release of the video.

– Sen. John McCain has dropped his endorsement for Donald Trump, as have several dozen other prominent GOPers, in the wake of Trump's "hot mic" 2005 tape that leaked Friday. But House Speaker Paul Ryan is still hanging in there, though he now says Trump can't count on him for much help through the rest of the election. Politico reports that in a Monday morning conference call, Ryan told fellow Republican lawmakers he "won't defend Trump" or show up at any campaign events with him leading up to Election Day. Instead, he's choosing to set his sights on other matters. "The speaker is going to spend the next month focused entirely on protecting our congressional majorities," his spokeswoman said in a statement, per the Washington Post. "You all need to do what's best for you and your district," the Post source says Ryan told lawmakers in his call. And it's a real concern: A national NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released Monday shows Dems now have a 7-point lead on congressional preference, CNBC reports. But amid rumors that Ryan is thinking of pulling his endorsement entirely, Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway appeared on CBS This Morning on Monday, saying, "I certainly hope Speaker Ryan keeps his word and his endorsement of Donald Trump," per Politico. As for those lawmakers who've already withdrawn their support, Trump doesn't have much hope for them in their own races. "So many self-righteous hypocrites. Watch their poll numbers—and elections—go down!" he tweeted Sunday before the debate.

— The U.S. Air Force is preparing to put nuclear-armed bombers back on 24-hour ready alert, a status not seen since the Cold War ended in 1991. “This is yet one more step in ensuring that we’re prepared,” Gen. David Goldfein, Air Force chief of staff, said in an interview during his six-day tour of Barksdale and other U.S. Air Force bases that support the nuclear mission. “I look at it more as not planning for any specific event, but more for the reality of the global situation we find ourselves in and how we ensure we’re prepared going forward.” Goldfein and other senior defense officials stressed that the alert order had not been given, but that preparations were under way in anticipation that it might come. That decision would be made by Gen. John Hyten, the commander of U.S. Strategic Command, or Gen. Lori Robinson, the head of U.S. Northern Command. STRATCOM is in charge of the military’s nuclear forces and NORTHCOM is in charge of defending North America. “The world is a dangerous place and we’ve got folks that are talking openly about use of nuclear weapons,” he said. That’s part of being in the military, making sure there’s a plan for almost everything. It’s never been more important to make sure that we get this mission right.” During his trip across the country last week, Goldfein encouraged airmen to think beyond Cold War uses for ICBMs, bombers and nuclear cruise missiles. It’s not “unnamed sources,” but the Air Force chief of staff saying, “Hey…we’re thinking about it.” Goldfein did admit the strategy may or may not encourage so-called rogue regimes to chill out and back down, noting it depended on, “who, what kind of behavior are we talking about, and whether they’re paying attention to our readiness status.” The easy guess is North Korea, but other nations could include Iran, Russia, and China. Near the alert pads, an old concrete building — where B-52 crews during the Cold War would sleep, ready to run to their aircraft and take off at a moment’s notice — is being renovated. What doesn’t make sense is why the Goldfein would come right out and say, “Yeah this is an option.” Is he trying to send a message to China and Russia or just a message to the entire world that all options are being considered?

– The security site Defense One reports that the Air Force is considering putting nuclear-armed bomber planes back on 24-hour notice, something that hasn't been in effect since the Cold War. The site emphasizes that no such order has yet been given, but it quotes Air Force chief of staff Gen. David Goldfein as saying the move is under consideration. "I look at it more as not planning for any specific event, but more for the reality of the global situation we find ourselves in and how we ensure we're prepared going forward," he says. Specifically, the order would result in B-52s armed with nuclear weapons being parked at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, with crews in nearby hangars ready to go at a moment's notice. A post at Hot Air adds a bit of caution about reading too much into the report. Just because it's being considered "doesn’t mean this will happen, and it's completely possible this is something they consider on a regular basis," writes Taylor Millard. After all, planning for all contingencies is what all militaries do, Millard notes. Still, at least one tangible sign of the potential move is in motion: The building where B-52 crews slept during the Cold War is being renovated, notes Defense One.

Golden Pass Line – Montreux to Lucerne The train climbs steeply from the palm-lined shores of Lake Geneva up to the chic mountain resorts of Chateau d’Oex and, across the border in German-speaking Switzerland, Gstaad. If you stand in what will be the longest and deepest railway tunnel in the world – the new Gotthard Base Tunnel under the Swiss Alps – you feel a current of air on your cheek and a hum in your ears.

– Switzerland is now officially home to the longest railway tunnel in the world: the 35-mile-long NEAT Gotthard Base Tunnel, Business Insider reports. Construction has wrapped up, and passengers will soon be able to travel from Zurich to Milan in just under three hours—an hour less than the previous travel time, according to a previous feature in the Telegraph. They'll do so while riding at 150mph under the Swiss Alps. The tunnel is more than twice the length of the world's previous longest tunnel: the 14.5-mile Seikan Tunnel in Japan, Business Insider notes. Construction on the $10.3 billion project started in 1996, according to the tunnel's Wikipedia page. In addition to more than 2,000 workers, drilling machines named "Gaby" and "Sissy" churned through the earth while a statue of Saint Barbara, patron saint of miners, watched over all, according to Reuters (which presents a photo gallery). Safety testing is scheduled to start Oct. 1, with passenger and freight trains beginning operations in June. Authorities will pick 1,000 people for the maiden voyage, reports the French-language Tribune de Genève. Let's hope none of them try to hold their breath.

Pfizer confirmed an increase of 9.4% for Lyrica its pain drug that is heavily advertised, which generated over $2.3 billion in U.S. sales during 2014; an increase of 12.9% for Viagra its erectile dysfunction pill, which has sales in the U.S. during 2014 of $1.1 billion; and an increase of 5% in Ibrance, a drug for breast cancer launched in 2015 at an annual price of $118,200. Pfizer reversed course and said it would hold off on making these increases until the end of the year or until Trump's blueprint to lower drug prices went into effect. Trump's criticism of Pfizer earlier this year also prompted nine other drugmakers to roll back or freeze prices. On an earnings call with Wall Street analysts last month, Read said by the end of the year, the company's strategy on price increases would be back to "business as normal."

– Give it to Pfizer—they waited a while. The pharmaceutical giant is raising the price of 41 prescription drugs after hitting the pause button this summer when President Trump opposed a price hike, reports CNBC. Most prices are slated to rise 5%, while Stocks Beat says the pain drug Lyrica will go up 9% and Viagra nearly 13%. These are advertised prices, which may differ from what insurers fork out after discounts. "We believe the best means to address affordability of medicines is to reduce the growing out-of-pocket costs that consumers are facing due to high deductibles and co-insurance, and ensure that patients receive the benefit of rebates at the pharmacy counter," says outgoing Pfizer CEO Ian Read. About 10% of Pfizer's drug prices are slated to rise. Pfizer initially rolled out a price-hike plan in July and ran headlong into a Trump tweet: "Pfizer & others should be ashamed that they have raised drug prices for no reason. They are merely taking advantage of the poor & others unable to defend themselves. ... We will respond!" Pfizer quickly backtracked, saying it shared "the President's concern for patients" and would hold off until Trump enacted a plan to curb drug prices, or the year ended—whichever came first, per the Wall Street Journal. Trump has announced a plan, and Pfizer's hike is slated for Jan. 15. Mostly unimplemented, Trump's plan is one thing he and Democrats may just agree on, notes Politico. (A $96 billion deal may reshape health care as we know it.)

The young son of a Kansas state lawmaker died on a water slide that is billed... (Associated Press) KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The 10-year-old boy killed during a ride on the world's tallest waterslide was decapitated in the accident, a person familiar with the investigation said Wednesday. The person was speaking on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak publicly about the death of Caleb Schwab Sunday on the "Verruckt" raft ride at the Schlitterbahn WaterPark in Kansas City, Kansas. Two women who are not family members were also in the raft at the time and were treated for facial injuries. Much of what is known has come from people at the park that day. Her account echoed that of Jon Powell of Hutchinson, Kan., who earlier told The Star about his family’s raft going airborne about three weeks ago. But it added: "this survey reflects the conditions observed or found at the time of the inspection only, and does not certify safety or integrity of the rides and attractions, physical operations or management practices at any time in the future."

– The death of 10-year-old Caleb Schwab on the world's tallest waterslide was even more horrific than early reports indicated, a source tells the AP. The source says the boy, son of Kansas lawmaker Scott Schwab, was decapitated in the accident, which is being investigated but hasn't been explained by authorities yet. Police initially said Caleb died from a "fatal neck injury." Riders on the 168-foot "Verruckt" slide at the Schlitterbang park in Kansas City, Kansas, are strapped onto rafts. After the tragic death, park visitors came forward to say that they had experienced problems on the slide ranging from restraints coming loose to rafts actually flying into the air, the Kansas City Star reports. Dawn Gentry says she was on the slide with her daughter on July 27 when the raft flew off the tracks on the ride's second drop. "The lifeguards were freaking out," she tells the Star, adding that she got the impression it had happened before. Sara Craig, a visitor who returned when the park reopened Wednesday, tells the AP that she went down the ride twice a few weeks ago with her son and one of his friends. She says it was "very, very rough" and her Velcro shoulder restraint came off during her first trip. Craig also says operators allowed her group to go down the slide with a combined weight of 393 pounds, below the 400 minimum.

Click to buy the track or album via iTunes: http://smarturl.it/TCQTAiTunes?IQid=TCQS Google Play: http://smarturl.it/TCQSPlay?IQid=TCQS Amazon: http://smarturl.it/TCQTAAm?IQid=TCQS More From A Tribe Called Quest Award Tour: https://youtu.be/P800UWoE9xs Electric Relaxation: https://youtu.be/WHRnvjCkTsw More great Classic Hip Hop Videos here: http://smarturl.it/CHHPlaylist?IQid=TCQS Follow A Tribe Called Quest Website: http://atribecalledquest.com/html/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ATribeCalled... Twitter: https://twitter.com/ATCQ Myspace: https://myspace.com/atribecalledquest Subscribe to A Tribe Called Quest on YouTube: http://smarturl.it/TCQSub?IQid=TCQS --------- Lyrics: Here we go yo, here we go yo So what so what so what's the scenario Here we go yo, here we go yo So what so what so what's the scenario Aiyyo Bo knows this (what?)

– Malik Taylor, the rapper also known as Phife Dawg who helped catapult A Tribe Called Quest to success with such hits as "Can I Kick It?" and "Scenario," has died at the age of 45, Rolling Stone reports. Taylor was known for his rhyming skills and his status as what the magazine calls the "high-pitched, gruff vocal counterpoint to [bandmate] Q-Tip's smooth, mellow flow." Although an official cause of death has yet to be announced, the magazine notes that Taylor had suffered from various health issues, including diabetes that spurred a 2008 kidney transplant. "It's really a sickness," Taylor said in an interview for an ATCQ rap documentary by actor/director Michael Rapaport. "Like straight-up drugs. I'm just addicted to sugar." Taylor helped found A Tribe Called Quest with best friend Q-Tip (whom he grew up with in Queens, NY), Jarobi White, and producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and the group put out five studio albums in total, starting with 1990's People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm and ending with 1998's The Love Movement. He also released one solo album, Ventilation: Da LP, in 2000 and had been working on a new album, Give Thanks, due out this year. The group performed "Can I Kick It?" live on Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show in November, which was their first TV performance in 15 years. E! Online has compiled social media tributes to the late rapper from fans, friends, and industry icons, including hip-hop magnate Russell Simmons, who tweeted, "Damn. #RIPPhife one of the greatest to bless the mic," and Public Enemy rapper Chuck D, who posted, "Rest In Beats PHIFE ATCQ Forever."

Earlier today in federal court in Brooklyn, former United States Congressman Michael Grimm was sentenced to a term of incarceration of eight months of incarceration in connection with his conviction for aiding and assisting the preparation of a false tax return. “Your moral compass, Mr. Grimm, needs some reorientation,” Judge Pamela K. Chen said on Friday, before sentencing him to eight months in prison for tax fraud. The FBI and our partners at the IRS will continue our efforts to identify fraudulent practices carried out by elected representatives and free the system from the consequences of their actions.” “Former Congressman Grimm made a conscious decision to break the law and benefit personally by underreporting $900,000 in restaurant gross receipts and lowering payroll taxes through 'off-the-book' payments, then lying under oath to conceal his criminal activity,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation Chief Weber. “Tax crimes are not victimless crimes and Grimm’s actions harmed the very citizens he was elected to serve," he said. We expect all taxpayers to follow the law—whether you are a business owner, individual, or elected official—we all must play by the same rules.” In connection with his guilty plea on December 23, 2014, Grimm entered into a stipulation of facts acknowledging the scope of his criminal conduct. As part of his scheme, Grimm caused numerous false documents to be filed with federal and state tax authorities between 2007 and 2010.

– Michael Grimm, the former Republican New York congressman who once threatened to throw a reporter off a balcony, was sentenced today to eight months in prison for federal tax fraud, the Hill reports; prosecutors had sought between two and two-and-a-half years—slightly less than the three-year maximum. While Grimm asked Judge Pamela Chen to "give me the opportunity to redeem myself," per the New York Times, Chen laid into him for charges that he paid restaurant workers off the books, saying, "That this type of crime is common does not lessen its significance. Your moral compass, Mr. Grimm, needs some reorientation." New York Rep. Guy Molinari, a friend of Grimm's, and Grimm's lawyers had pleaded he lived "an otherwise remarkable life lived in selfless service of his country," per a sentencing memo filed earlier this year, the Hill notes. But the IRS criminal investigation chief disagreed, praising the sentence in a DOJ statement today in which he noted, "Tax crimes are not victimless crimes and Grimm's actions harmed the very citizens he was elected to serve. … We all must play by the same rules." (Grimm has quite the "fiery" reputation.)

Minnesota matchmaker and author of “Real Love, Right Now,” Kailen Rosenberg has announced she’s kicking off her nationwide search next month in San Francisco to find a mate for a mystery millionaire. Ladies, do you have what it takes to land this allegedly “noble man in search of his Cinderella?” Here are some words from the (anonymous but financially disclosed) noble man himself: “When I imagine my dream girl/passionate partner for life/child at heart/muse/best friend, I imagine a woman who may or may not be thought of as ‘beautiful’ according to conventional standards, BUT she is naturally beautiful. She is between the ages of 32 and 52 (give or take a year or two). She is cute in her own way, without spending a lot of time in the bathroom, camouflaging herself from....herself. I imagine a woman who is either petite, or somewhat taller than me; she might be slender, but she is not anorexic (in other words, she has a healthy relationship with food). I imagine a woman who is blonde, brunette, red-headed, or dark haired and her hair might be long or not. I imagine a woman who recognizes and shares her partner’s passions for life and learning. It really doesn’t matter as much as energy, fire, sparkle-in-the-eyes, and a loving heart. I imagine a woman who is quietly seductive, freely passionate with her man, and uninhibited as their connection grows and strengthens. The woman I imagine looks young in her face and in her eyes, no matter what her age – and by the way, freckles are okay! Rosenberg’s website describes her client as a “gentleman is in his early 50’s, generously philanthropic, well educated, a wine lover, in great shape, outdoorsy, down to earth, sharp witted and passionate about sustainable living.” What are you waiting for, ladies?

– Attention, short, white, Jewish or Buddhist women in the Bay Area of California: Your Prince Charming is calling. Or not calling so much as hiring a national matchmaker to find his soul mate, reports SFist.com. The anonymous gent—early 50s, "generously philanthropic, well educated, a wine lover ..."—has enlisted a matchmaker of some renown as these things go, Kailen Rosenberg, who is taking applications online and will visit San Francisco after Labor Day to interview applicants in person. "When I imagine my dream girl/passionate partner for life/child at heart/muse/best friend, I imagine a woman who may or may not be thought of as 'beautiful' according to conventional standards, BUT she is naturally beautiful," reads the suitor's description. If that's a little too fuzzy, know that he's shooting for women between 32 and 52 who are 5-7 or shorter. Get moving, ladies, urges Tony Bravo at SFGate. "There’s a millionaire out there with a glass slipper waiting for his Cinderella! Indulge his dated use of dependent fairy tale tropes and make everything he’s imagined come true!"

+ READ ARTICLE For Simpsons fanatics,it sounds like a dream come true: From noon on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 24) until Dec. 6, the FXX network will be airing all 600 episodes of The Simpsons in chronological order, spanning over 300 hours (13 days). According to IGN, FXX currently holds the record for the longest TV marathon, when the network broadcast 552 episodes of the same animated series in a 12-day marathon in 2014. The new, 27-season marathon will begin with the 1989 Simpsons Christmas special, also known as Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire. The news the marathon comes a few days ahead of the Fox show's season 28 premiere on Sunday. The series, from creator Matt Groening, has won 32 Emmy Awards since debuting in 1990.

– Don't settle down for a long winter's nap after Thankgiving dinner is over—turn on your television for what FXX is calling the "longest marathon in TV history." Mashable reports that the network will air all 600 episodes of The Simpsons for 300 hours of Homer and the Springfield gang over the holidays, kicking off on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 26) and ending Dec. 4. The network did the same thing in 2014, when there were only 552 episodes. The new marathon will begin with the show's Emmy-nominated 1989 Christmas special, per Time. "The unprecedented feat of reaching 600 episodes deserves something of that caliber to mark it and celebrate it," FX Networks President and COO Chuck Saftler says in a statement.

Newest Model 3 The new dual-motor, all-wheel-drive performance version of the Model 3 will have a top speed of 155 miles per hour, a 310-mile range and acceleration from standstill to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, Musk wrote.

– Long emergency stopping distances, difficult-to-use controls, and a harsh ride stopped Tesla's Model 3 electric car from getting a recommended buy rating from Consumer Reports, the AP reports. While the magazine said the car has exhilarating acceleration and handling, testers found "big flaws" including its 152-foot average stopping distance from 60 miles per hour in emergency braking tests. The magazine said the distance was worse than any modern car it has tested, and is about 7 feet longer than a Ford F-150, a full-size pickup truck that weighs about twice as much as a Model 3. That was just one of a few unfortunate headlines for Tesla Monday: Forbes reported that the Model 3, which is supposed to range in price from $35,000 to $78,000, may never actually cost just $35,000; a Bloomberg analyst had noted Sunday that a $35,000 Model 3 "will be the rarest of the rare. Perhaps the second most collectible Tesla ever, behind the one floating around in space." Meanwhile, in California, a driver was found dead early Monday after his Tesla Model S veered into a pond in Castro Valley, KTVU reports. It's not clear what caused the accident or whether the car was in Autopilot mode at the time.

Published on Jun 6, 2018 Multiple police officers in Mesa, Arizona have been placed on administrative leave after a video surfaced of the officers beating an unarmed man. Furthermore, we do not understand why video is being released when an internal investigation has not been completed."

– Robert Johnson was leaning against the wall, looking at his cell phone, when it happened: Police officers surrounded the unarmed man and, in a scene caught on surveillance video May 23 in Mesa, Ariz., started punching and kneeing him until he fell to the ground. Now the Mesa Police Department has placed a police sergeant and three officers on administrative leave while the incident is investigated, CNN reports. Even so, the Mesa Police Association says Johnson "was not compliant and physically resisted what we feel was a lawful detention." Johnson, 33, was at the apartment building where he lives, but he was accompanying a friend who, police say, was attempting to get into an ex-girlfriend's apartment just before midnight. Police responded to the scene after someone called 911 and said there was possibly a weapon at the apartment. The officers approached Johnson and the friend, searched Johnson and found him unarmed, then asked him to sit down by the wall. Instead, he leaned against the wall. In bodycam video released by the police department, police can be heard telling Johnson to sit down before starting to hit him, AZFamily.com reports. Police Chief Ramon Batista says the fact that Johnson was leaning against the wall and what he said to the officers made them feel he needed to sit down, though Batista didn't reveal what Johnson allegedly said. And the police union says the surveillance video that was released "does not include the full context of the encounter." But Johnson's lawyer insists his client "wasn't resisting. He was unarmed and then they just attacked." Batista says he's "disappointed" by what the video shows and that the department will instruct officers not to hit anyone in the head if the person isn't attempting to harm them. Johnson's lawyer wants the disorderly conduct charges that were filed against his client dropped.

#JWFF pic.twitter.com/LfNnARk37J — Bright Beginnings (@sunnystarts) September 25, 2015 A Facebook post by Bright Beginnings, Inc., thanked Wall for his contribution.

– John Wall is only 25 years old and he's already achieved great success with the Washington Wizards, including being called by Fox Sports "one of the best point guards in the NBA." He can also check "philanthropist" off his list after his surprise visit Friday to a DC child-development center for homeless kids, where he visited with the children and donated $400,000 to the organization. The staff at Bright Beginnings Inc. was stunned by his move. "It is evident that John Wall is sensitive and concerned about the plight of homeless children in DC and he wants these children to succeed," the executive director says on the group's Facebook page, where heartwarming pictures of Wall interacting with the BBI kids are also displayed. It's not the first time Wall has shown his soft spot for kids: He still raises funds in honor of a 6-year-old cancer patient he befriended who passed away last year, the Washington Post notes. (Here are some everyday items you can donate to make a difference.)

Four years ago, director Abdellatif Kechiche won the Palme d’Or at Cannes for his film Blue Is the Warmest Color. Beginning with claims of poor working conditions by the crew and allegations of anti-feminism against director Abdellatif Kechiche, the merde really hit the fan after stars Léa Seydoux and Adèle Exarchopoulos criticized the director’s exploitative shooting practices in an interview with the Daily Beast. In a review that day, Manohla Dargis of the New York Times argued that the film’s sex scenes weren’t so much art as voyeuristic exertions of the male gaze, writing that Kechiche “registers as oblivious to real women” and that “the movie feels far more about Mr. Kechiche’s desires than anything else.” That same day, French film union Spiac-CGT released a statement to the French press leveling complaints against the director and his team regarding the conditions on set.

– If you've ever wanted to own a Palme d'Or, now's your chance. Abdellatif Kechiche, who won the top prize at the 2013 Cannes film festival for Blue Is the Warmest Color, is now auctioning it off in order to finance his next film, which has been put on hold after the bank that was backing him suddenly cut off its line of credit. Kechiche now needs funds to finish postproduction on Mektoub, My Love, per the Hollywood Reporter. In order to raise them, the French production/distribution company behind the sale will also sell off other film memorabilia related to his work, including the oil paintings that were featured in Blue Is the Warmest Color. THR calls the move a "drastic" step, but Vulture notes that Blue Is the Warmest Color was the subject of quite a bit of controversy at Cannes (having to do with allegations of poor working conditions, anti-feminism, and exploitative shooting practices—detailed timeline here) and Kechiche himself has said he wished it was never released. "Perhaps he’s quite ready to move on," writes Jordan Crucchiola.

21st Century Fox Inc., the media conglomerate controlled by Rupert Murdoch, is teaming with Blackstone Group LP to make an offer to acquire TV-station owner Tribune Media Co., rivaling a planned bid by Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc., people familiar with the situation said. The all-cash bid would be funded by Blackstone while Fox would contribute its TV stations to the joint venture that would acquire Tribune, said one of the people, who asked not to be identified because the talks are private. Shares of Tribune Media Co. jumped $1.94, or 5.3 percent, to $38.50 before the market opened.

– One of the nation's largest television broadcasting companies may have competing suitors: Today's media scuttlebutt centers around Tribune Media and its 42 TV stations. Reports say Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox and the private equity firm Blackstone are readying a bid for the company, with Blackstone ponying up cash and Fox kicking some of its own stations into the joint venture. The AP reports the bid would apparently be an attempt to keep Sinclair Broadcast Group, which is also rumored to be pursuing Tribune, from snatching up Tribune's stakes in Food Network, WGN cable network, and the local stations. Bloomberg reports Sinclair had been looking at offering something in the neighborhood of the high-$30s per share. Sinclair has 173 local television stations in 81 markets, and CNN Money notes that if its bid is successful it would be in violation of current FCC rules in that it would reach more than 40% of the US television market. But Variety sets the stage: Sinclair's move is "part of another wave of broadcast TV station mergers expected now that the FCC is on a course to loosen ownership restrictions." It also calls Fox's rumored move an "offensive" one, as if Sinclair were to be successful, its control over Fox affiliates would swell to 28%. Tribune shares were up 9% to nearly $40 at the open.

For the second day, public statements early in the day from BP and government officials seemed to suggest progress. On Friday evening, BP Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles said that the operation was "basically going according to plan" and that it was "not unusual" for pumping periods to alternate with pauses for monitoring. “We’re not going to rush.” BP suspended pumping operations at 2:30 a.m. Friday after two “junk shot” attempts to plug the leak with rubber and other materials, said a technician working on the operation, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about it. But later Friday, it emerged that BP stopped the pumping operation again at 2:30 local time on Friday morning.

– BP resumed its "top kill" operation late this afternoon after the second straight day of an unannounced suspension and mixed messages. They continue to say they will need 24 to 48 hours for a final verdict. Energy Secretary Steven Chu tells the Washington Post there's "some evidence" that the first so-called junk shots made progress. Chu said officials were cautiously optimistic that "some of the junk took." BP shut down the operation overnight after failing to stop the oil flow, reports the New York Times. But that information didn't become public until this afternoon, despite another day of positive assessments on the morning talk shows. Says a spokesman: "The operation is by definition a series of phases of pumping mud and shooting bridging materials and junk and reading pressure gauges. It is going to keep going, perhaps 48 more hours.”

In a disturbing story in yesterday's Times, writer James McKinley recounted the tale of the alleged rape (caught on film) of an 11-year-old girl in Cleveland, Texas, and the eighteen young men and teenagers implicated in the crime. But the article includes a quote about how the alleged rapists will "have to live with this the rest of their lives." The basics of the crime are this: The child was lured to a friend's home by a 19-year-old, where several boys forced her to take her clothes off and sexually assaulted her, threatening to beat her if she resisted. Authorities began investigating in December after a friend of the girl told a teacher he had seen a lurid cell phone video that showed the girl being raped. When a classmate told a teacher about what she saw, law enforcement became involved. CLEVELAND, Texas — A meeting Thursday night that was billed as a way to discuss concerns some have about the investigation into a series of alleged sexual assaults on an 11-year-old girl turned into a forum that many used to blame the girl police contend is the victim of heinous attacks. "Media blows it with pathetic gang rape coverage" No, the Times accurately reflected the community's reaction: The story, and the controversial quotes, are simply portraying the community response to the crime, says Francisca Ortega at the Houston Chronicle.

– Ever since 18 men and boys were busted in the gang rape of an 11-year-old girl, there have been hints of a “blame the victim” mentality emerging—and last night, some residents crossed from hints to explicitly blaming the 11-year-old girl. “She lied about her age. Them boys didn't rape her. She wanted this to happen. I'm not taking nobody's side, but if she hadn't put herself in that predicament, this would have never happened,” said one resident. Many others who attended a town meeting also told reporters the 11-year-old had consented to sex with those accused, the AP reports via the Houston Chronicle. The meeting was supposedly held to discuss concerns about the investigation, but many in attendance used it to voice claims that the 11-year-old was to blame because of the way she dressed, or to hypothesize that she lied about her age. Others opposed those views, noting that Texas’s age of consent is 17, and that even if the girl did claim to be older, an 11-year-old simply cannot legally give consent. Quanell X, the Houston activist who led the meeting, said he “did not come here this evening to jump on an 11-year-old girl,” but also questioned why the girl didn’t report the attack herself. Earlier, a New York Times story on the attack sparked controversy—click for more on that here and here.

Story highlights Barbara Bush, a daughter of former President George W. Bush, appeared at a Hillary Clinton fundraiser She's the latest in her famous family to tip her hand toward the Democratic nominee White Plains, New York (CNN) Barbara Bush, a daughter of former President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush, attended a Hillary Clinton fundraiser in Paris Saturday night, according a source familiar with the event. | Getty Barbara Bush poses with Huma Abedin in #werewithher photo Barbara Pierce Bush appeared alongside Hillary Clinton's longtime aide Huma Abedin in a photo posted Saturday evening by a prominent fashion-industry insider, branded with a #werewithher hashtag. The photo was then posted by multiple event attendees, including Lauren Santo Domingo, co-founder of the online fashion website Moda Operandi, who included the hashtag "#imwithher."

– The latest member of the Bush dynasty to unsubtly diss Donald Trump is former first daughter Barbara Pierce Bush, the daughter of George W. and namesake of his mother: The younger Bush appeared at a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton in Paris on Saturday, reports CNN. Bush wasn't exactly coy about her appearance, making the rounds on social media, including appearing in a photo with Clinton's right-hand woman, Huma Abedin, along with the hashtag #imwithher and #werewithher. Politico notes that those photos were later scrubbed of the hashtags and reposted. No comment from the Clinton or Bush camps. (Bush's uncle Jeb won't be voting for his former rival.)

Other cups bearing the company's logo from over the years, from left, 1971,... (Associated Press) The world's largest coffee company unveiled a new logo Wednesday that drops the words encircling its iconic sea nymph and gives her a few subtle updates. The first siren logo in 1971 was brown and included the words “coffee,” “tea” and “spices.” In 1987, when Starbucks began serving espresso beverages, the logo turned mainly green, and the tea and spices references were dropped. It’s the fourth modification of the Starbucks SBUX, +0.02% logo since it was created in 1971 and the first significant tweak since the company went public in 1992. This isn't an accident," Schultz said.

– Starbucks is making its mermaid a little more prominent. A new corporate logo unveiled today to celebrate the company's 40th anniversary drops the words "coffee" and "Starbucks" and lets the green mermaid stand on her own, reports MarketWatch. The dropping of "coffee" comes as the company expands its product line, notes Reuters. "Even though we have been and always will be a coffee company and retailer, it's possible we'll have other products with our name on it and no coffee in it," says Chief Executive Howard Schultz. A marketing expert tells AP the move is wise because it's "important that they not have a logo that is too confining." Starbucks follows the lead of Nike and Apple in removing words from its logo, which probably won't start showing up on cups until March.

Rick Scott, right, speaks as they meet with law enforcement officers at Broward County Sheriff's Office in Pompano Beach, Fla., Friday, Feb. 16,... (Associated Press) WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump lashed out at the FBI Saturday night, saying the agency "missed all of the many signals" sent by the suspect in the Florida school shooting and arguing they are "spending too much time trying to prove Russian collusion with the Trump campaign." Trump said on Twitter: "This is not acceptable. They are spending too much time trying to prove Russian collusion with the Trump campaign - there is no collusion. Get back to the basics and make us all proud!"

– President Trump lashed out at the FBI on Saturday night, saying the agency "missed all of the many signals" sent by the suspect in the Florida school shooting and arguing they are "spending too much time trying to prove Russian collusion with the Trump campaign." Trump tweeted: "This is not acceptable. They are spending too much time trying to prove Russian collusion with the Trump campaign - there is no collusion. Get back to the basics and make us all proud!" He later added that "the results of the 2016 election were not impacted or changed by the Russians and that the only Collusion was between Russia and Crooked H, the DNC and the Dems." The FBI received a tip last month that the suspect in the Florida school shooting had a "desire to kill" and access to guns and could be plotting an attack, reports the AP. But the agency said Friday that agents failed to investigate. The FBI's acknowledgment that it mishandled the tip prompted a sharp rebuke from its boss, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and a call from Florida's Republican Gov. Rick Scott, a Trump ally, for FBI Director Christopher Wray to resign. Trump and other Republicans have heavily criticized the FBI. They are still dissatisfied with its decision not to charge Hillary Clinton with crimes related to her use of a private email server, and they see signs of bias in special counsel Robert Mueller's probe of possible Trump campaign ties to Russia.

Infamous for its stance against homosexuality and protests at military funerals, Westboro Baptist Church members will reportedly picket at a Federal Way area church on Sunday. Westboro is targeting Mars Hill and Pastor Mark Driscoll "to picket the false prophet and blind lemmings at Mars Hill Whore House where they teach the lies that God love [sic] everyone and Jesus died for the sins of all of mankind," according to Westboro's website at www.godhatesfags.com. "You have caused the people to trust in lies to their destruction, and to your damnation. Shame on you for calling yourself the Mars Hill Church!" In his blog, Driscoll writes: "If you make it, we'll also give you free copies of my book, Doctrine, so you can learn what the Bible says about who God actually is, and we'll also provide fresh donuts and free coffee, along with smiles and chuckles. Sadly, I won’t be able to make the party. This false prophet will be at his son’s baseball tournament, enjoying time with his wife and five kids. Happy Father's Day!"

– After learning that Westboro was planning on picketing his megachurch today, Pastor Mark Driscoll decided to fight fire with ... donuts. Westboro wrote on its website that it decided to target the Seattle-area Mars Hill "to picket the false prophet and blind lemmings at Mars Hill Whore House where they teach the lies that God love [sic] everyone and Jesus died for the sins of all of mankind." So Driscoll also took to the web, reports the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, writing a blog post titled, "Westboro Baptist Church, This False Prophet and His Blind Lemmings Welcome You to Our Whore House for God’s Grace and Free Donuts." "If you make it," he writes, "we'll give you free copies of my book, Doctrine, so you can learn what the Bible says about who God actually is, and we'll also provide fresh donuts and free coffee, along with smiles and chuckles." Driscoll, however, wouldn't be around to hand out the goodies. "This false prophet will be at his son's baseball tournament, enjoying time with his wife and five kids. Happy Father's Day!"

Listen closely, because the chief bad guy is about to explain everything right before he kills you! Stieg Larsson’s global best-seller The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo was, to this reader, an insurmountable ziggurat of featureless prose, a run-of-the-mill serial-killer whodunit spiked with generous doses of nasty sexual violence. A bisexual hacker with multiple piercings, a dyed-black Mohawk, and a sullen, almost autistic lack of visible affect, Lisbeth is a feminist revenge fantasy personified, a perfect victim turned perfect executioner. A ward of the state for reasons that remain vague until late in the film, she’s forced by the man who controls her financial disbursements (Yorick van Wageningen) to perform humiliating sex acts in exchange for the money. Advertisement The film’s other main thread, which takes a while to join up with Lisbeth’s, concerns Mikael Blomkvist (an even-more-muted-than-usual Daniel Craig), a reporter who’s gone on leave after being publicly disgraced in a libel suit. Much of the movie is set on a private island controlled by the Vanger clan, a wealthy Swedish industrial family peopled with criminals, perverts, solitaries, exiles, dead Nazis, and a grieving old man, Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer), who has never got over the disappearance of his grandniece, forty years earlier.

– David Fincher's adaptation of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is a mostly faithful retelling of Stieg Larsson's novel: A young hacker and a journalist team up to solve the mystery of a girl's disappearance. The film is visually impressive, and Rooney Mara is compelling—but the movie as a whole isn't particularly profound. In Slate, Dana Stevens calls the film an "insurmountable ziggurat of featureless prose, a run-of-the-mill serial-killer whodunit spiked with generous doses of nasty sexual violence." Sure, "Fincher is a master of mood and atmosphere, but this chilly, efficient movie never transcends the shallowness of its source material." Peter Travers sees the film as a "letdown"—"a faithful adaptation that brings the dazzle but shortchanges on the daring." It may be "gloriously rendered," but it's "too impersonal to leave a mark." Still, "Mara is astonishing," he writes in Rolling Stone. "There are waves of brilliantly orchestrated anxiety and confusion but also long stretches of drab, hackneyed exposition that flatten the atmosphere," notes AO Scott in the New York Times. "We might be watching Cold Case or Criminal Minds, but with better sound design and more expressive visual techniques." The New Yorker is less down on the film (though the review itself sparked controversy). David Denby calls the movie "a bleak but mesmerizing piece of filmmaking; it offers a glancing, chilled view of a world in which brief moments of loyalty flicker between repeated acts of betrayal."

The showdown this week between the “Today” show and “Good Morning America” tilted in ABC’s favor for the first time on Wednesday, when “Good Morning America” beat its NBC rival in the ratings by 87,000 viewers. While the show has yet to pull out a weekly ratings win, it has been winning more individual days in recent weeks than at any time in recent years. CBS This Morning, launched in January with Charlie Rose and Gayle King, has won good reviews for emphasizing news over tabloid tales. RELATED: "Good Morning America" takes rare ratings win Katie Couric comes up short in Monday faceoff against "Today" Katie Couric to guest host on "GMA" Sarah Palin's "Today" gig gets unflattering reviews —Scott Collins (twitter.com/scottcollinsLAT) Photo: Katie Couric with George Stephanopoulos, left, and Emeril Lagasse on "Good Morning America" last week.

– Former Today show anchor Bryant Gumbel was "embarrassed" when NBC named Sarah Palin co-host for a day last week. Hosts “used to be judged not just on their popularity, but the extent to which they were capable of interviewing someone or reporting on a situation, or able to have a degree of gravitas," Gumbel grumbled to Newsweek media critic Howard Kurtz. "Now that's secondary to being popular.” Kurtz characterized the choice of the "disastrous VP nominee" as a way to "poke fun at her know-nothing image while sprinkling some celebrity stardust on Matt Lauer and the gang" at Today. It seemed to work. The show held its lead in its ratings war with Good Morning America the day Palin went head-to-head with arch nemesis Katie Couric, who was guest hosting for ABC. But GMA finally pulled ahead the following day and tied last Friday with Couric still at the helm.

One refuse truck’s-worth of plastic is dumped into the sea every minute, and the situation is getting worse More plastic than fish in the sea by 2050, says Ellen MacArthur As a record-breaking sailor, Dame Ellen MacArthur has seen more of the world’s oceans than almost anyone else. But that quantity pales in comparison with the amount that the World Economic Forum expects will be floating into the oceans by the middle of the century. According to a new Ellen MacArthur Foundation report launched at the World Economic Forum on Tuesday, new plastics will consume 20% of all oil production within 35 years, up from an estimated 5% today. They estimate that by 2050, the amount of plastics produced globally will increase three times to 1,124 million tons. Plastic production accounts for 6 percent of global oil consumption (a number that will hit 20 percent in 2050) and 1 percent of the global carbon budget (the maximum amount of emissions the world can produce to prevent global temperatures from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius). The data in the report comes from interviews with more than 180 experts and analysis of some 200 studies on “the plastic economy.” 1 of 12 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad × The plastic-laden stomachs of Midway Island’s albatrosses View Photos Artist Chris Jordan has been documenting the impact of The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. That means giving people incentives to collect plastic garbage and recycle, use reusable packaging, and encourage countries to drastically improve their waste collection infrastructure, to avoid plastic garbage leaking into the nature.

– Use of plastic has increased 20-fold in the past half-century; production of the ubiquitous material is expected to double again in the next 20 years (and nearly quadruple over the next 50). And, CNN Money reports, nearly a third of all plastic packaging "escapes collection systems." As for where the rest goes, more than 8 million tons of plastics end up entering our oceans each year, where the pieces can survive for hundreds of years. There are believed to be 165 million tons of it in the ocean right now. We're dumping the equivalent of one garbage truck's worth into the ocean per minute; that's projected to jump to four per minute by 2050, according to a report released Tuesday by the World Economic Forum and Ellen MacArthur Foundation. And that report has an ominous warning: We're on track to have more plastic than fish, by weight, in the world's oceans by 2050. (Right now, the ratio is about 1:5, plastics to fish.) And the discarded plastic that doesn't end up in the ocean is likely be put in a landfill; those two resting places end up holding about 70% of our plastic, the Washington Post reports. Just 5% of plastics are effectively recycled, according to the Guardian. It's not just a problem of pollution. "After a short first-use cycle, 95% of plastic packaging material value, or $80 to $120 billion annually, is lost to the economy," the report says. The solution? A "new plastics economy," per the report, that includes more recycling, reusable packaging, and compostable plastic packaging. "After-use plastics could, with circular economy thinking, be turned into valuable feedstock,” Martin R. Stuchtey, who helped produce the report, tells the Guardian. (This tiny animal may solve a big pollution problem.)

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York City medical examiner's office says an ongoing retesting of remains recovered from the World Trade Center site has resulted in the identification of 31-year-old Belgian man killed in the Sept. 11 attacks. His colleagues in technology at Marsh & McLennan have endowed a scholarship in his name at the Lycee Theodore Bracops, his childhood school. A total of 2,753 people are known to have lost their lives at the trade center site. Mr. Braut was an only child, born after three failed pregnancies.

– Of the 2,753 people who died in the attacks on the World Trade Center, 1,639 have now been identified. New York City's medical examiner's office yesterday announced that retesting of remains had led to another positive ID: that of Patrice Braut. The 31-year-old was the only Belgian citizen to die at the World Trade Center site, reports the New York Times. He was working on the North Tower's 97th floor as an employee in Marsh & McLennan's tech section, reports Newsday. The AP adds that Braut's remains were found in the original recovery effort between 2001 and 2002. His marks the first identification made since 7,930 unidentified human remains were moved in May from the medical examiner's office to a Ground Zero repository. The Times describes a photo taken at this year's ceremony marking the anniversary of the attacks—of Braut's mother holding a photo of her only child—as one of the "most emblematic, touching, and well-circulated images" from the event. In the Times' profile of Braut, published a few months after his death, the paper shares the story of a Christmas party four years prior, where Braut danced the night away with a girl who told him her name was Lupe—no last name given. "The next day, Lupe Mendez found a note on her desk in midtown, saying, 'You left without saying goodbye,'" recounts the Times. "She felt like Cinderella." (It was recently revealed that on Sept. 10, 2001, Bill Clinton spoke openly about having passed up a chance to kill Osama bin Laden.)

A 73-year-old woman was raped and beaten in Central Park just before noon on Wednesday, the police said, and the attacker’s assault was preceded by a chilling question: “Do you remember me?” The woman, a bird-watcher who goes to the park every day, had indeed encountered the man before. Then give him life in prison.” That’s what should be done to the pervert who viciously raped and pummeled an elderly birdwatcher in Central Park yesterday, the scrappy victim told The Post last night. and he was masturbating.” “He turned around and I took his picture. She refused his demand to give her the “film,” noting, “It’s all digital.” Yesterday morning in the park, the same “guy comes over to me and says, ‘You remember me?’ “And I said ‘no.’ But of course I did.

– "Do you remember me?" That's what a man asked a 73-year-old bird watcher in Central Park yesterday before allegedly beating and raping her, the New York Times reports. And indeed, the woman did remember him: She'd spotted the man masturbating in the park a week and a half ago, and snapped a photo. He had spotted her, demanded she delete the photo, and tried to take the camera without success. But after yesterday's attack, he made off with her backpack, which contained a camera. Surveillance cameras caught a glimpse of the suspect, whom the woman described as a stocky Ukranian or Russian man in his 40s or 50s, and police have already detained a person of interest. The New York Post talked to the woman just hours later, and asked what should be done to her attacker. "Kill him," she replied. "Cut off his penis. That's fine. Cut off his feet, then hit him over the head. Then give him life in prison. This guy knew what he wanted to do."

– Timothy and Lori Doyle of Illinois were visiting family in Gallatin, Tenn., when a night out at a golf community along a lake turned tragic Saturday. Timothy, 60, was standing up riding on the back of a golf cart while his wife, 55, drove them and another couple to the club house to get food. She turned too fast and both men were thrown from the cart; Timothy hit his head on the pavement and died at a hospital Monday—and Lori was charged with vehicular assault, DUI, and more, the Tennessean reports. Police say that when they arrived at the scene, Lori's eyes were bloodshot and they could smell alcohol on her breath; they also saw three open beer cans in the golf cart and one on its roof. Lori allegedly told police the group had been downtown, had each had about 10 beers, and had hired an Uber to get back home. Once in the golf cart, "Lori began to turn left at the intersection at which time (he) told her to turn right. Lori turned right at the intersection in an abrupt movement, causing Timothy and (him) to be thrown from the rear of the golf cart," an affidavit states, per the Gallatin News. Police say she would not give a blood sample or do a field sobriety test, so a search warrant was executed for a blood draw at a local medical center. The other man suffered only scrapes and abrasions on his arms.

Court documents indicate that Fierstein filed an abuse claim against Puzder before the divorce — within a couple of weeks of the alleged May 1986 domestic violence incident. The Republican senators who were noncommittal about Puzder’s nomination on Monday — Susan Collins (Maine), Johnny Isakson (Ga.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Tim Scott (S.C.) — sit on the committee that will hold his confirmation hearing Thursday. But women’s groups are using the charges as ammunition in their fight to oppose his nomination. The ex-wife of President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be labor secretary, Andrew Puzder, appeared in disguise on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” as a victim of domestic violence, after having accused him multiple times of physically assaulting her in the 1980s, according to two friends of hers and a spokesman for the former couple. Last month POLITICO reported that Puzder's former wife, Lisa Fierstein, appeared in disguise on Oprah to discuss her abuse allegations, which she has since retracted, most recently in a letter to the Senate HELP Committee. Sen. Lamar Alexander ­(R-Tenn.), who chairs the health committee, told reporters Monday that he worked with Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.), the committee’s top Democrat, to arrange for senators to view a tape of the episode. No reason not to see it," said HELP Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.). Washington (CNN) Four Republican senators have told GOP leadership they are withholding support for President Donald Trump's choice for labor secretary, setting off an intense effort by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and business groups to bring at least two back into the fold so that the nomination does not fail, several sources involved in the effort tell CNN. In an email to Puzder last November, disclosed by him, Fierstein wrote: “You know how deeply I regret many of the rash decisions I made at that time, and I sincerely hope that none of those decisions will become an issue for you.

– Fast-food executive Andrew Puzder's chances of becoming the next labor secretary appear to be in real jeopardy, and one reason is a tape of an Oprah Winfrey show from the 1990s. Senators have viewed the episode, called "High-Class Battered Women," in which Puzder's ex-wife appears in disguise and accuses him of physical abuse, reports Politico. His ex, Lisa Fierstein, later rescinded the allegations as part of a child-custody agreement, per a previous story in Politico. More recently, she wrote a letter to the Senate HELP Committee saying she regrets appearing on the show. "I was hesitant, but encouraged by friends and became caught up in the notion of a free trip to Chicago and being a champion of women and women’s issues." Winfrey's network turned over the tape to the Senate. "I have gone to review the Oprah show for an hour on which his former wife appeared and I'm reviewing the other information that has come to light," says GOP Sen. Susan Collins, per CNN. "I'm sure all of this will be explored fully." The network reports that Collins and three other Republican senators—Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Tim Scott of South Carolina, and Johnny Isakson of Georgia—were withholding support for Puzder, raising the prospect that he will be the first nominee of President Trump to fail to gain confirmation. The Washington Post reports that the abuse allegations as well as the racy ads he uses to sell burgers at Hardee's and Carl's Jr. might be enough to doom him. He also has faced criticism over the hiring of an undocumented worker for his home. Republicans would need to get two of the four Republican senators against him to change their minds in order to confirm.

Facebook In the few days since ex–Stanford swimmer Brock Turner was given a six-month jail sentence for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman, much of the internet’s chatter has converged on a heart-wrenching, beautifully argued, deeply felt statement the woman read to him in court. The victim provided her statement to BuzzFeed News; the page been viewed more than 4 million times since Friday afternoon. Now, the internet has an opposing letter to read: a defense of Turner reportedly written by his father, Dan. Posted early Sunday morning by Michele Dauber, a Stanford law professor and sociologist who led the school’s revision of its sexual assault policies in recent years, the letter appears to have been written prior to Brock’s sentencing to advocate for probation only, in lieu of any jail time. Persky determined that six months in jail followed by three years of probation was the best punishment for Turner, stating that he had to ask himself, "Is incarceration in prison the right answer for the poisoning of (the woman's) life?" The judge opted for just a few months in jail (the Santa Clara County district attorney predicts he’ll only serve three of the six) because, the judge argued, a prison sentence would “have a severe impact on [Turner].” Turner will also have to register as a sex offender. Court statement by father of Brock Turner adds to concern over ‘lenient’ six-month sentence he received for intent to rape an unconscious woman The father of a former Stanford University athlete convicted on multiple charges of sexual assault has said his son should not have to go to prison for “20 minutes of action”. It’s not “Brock’s sexual assault” or “Brock’s actions” that occurred in January 2015, according to Dan; it’s “the events.” He spends five full sentences discussing Brock’s loss of appetite, as if that’s plenty punishment for his deeds. Perhaps he was trying to avoid the tone-deaf protests put forth by so many other Brock defenders, including the probation officer who helped determine his sentence, who’ve argued that the loss of his swimming scholarship is a major retribution that should figure into his sentence. However, the tone of his letter -- which does not acknowledge that Brock committed an assault, instead describing the crime as "20 minutes of action" and insisting that Brock "has never been violent to anyone including the night of the Jan 17th 2015" -- offended many people. The maximum for the three felony charges – assault with intent to commit rape of an intoxicated woman, sexually penetrating an intoxicated person with a foreign object, and sexually penetrating an unconscious person with a foreign object – was 14 years. “By having people like Brock educate others on college campuses is how society can begin to break the cycle of binge drinking and its unfortunate results.” This echoed Turner’s own statement, in which he said he was in the process of establishing a program for high school and college students so that he could “speak out against the college campus drinking culture and the sexual promiscuity that goes along with that”. His age, his lack of a criminal history, and the role that alcohol played in the assault were also mitigating factors. That is a steep price to pay for 20 minutes of action out of his 20 plus years of life,” Dan writes, as if Brock should get special credit for not raping anyone during the first 19 years of his life. Committing sexual assault is not getting “action,” and 20 minutes may have been short for Brock, but it is not a short time for a victim enduring a sexual assault. Dan, like Brock and his lawyer, deny the very existence of sexual assault by equating it with the kind of casual sex other college students enjoy: “Brock can do so many positive things as a contributor to society and is totally committed to educating other college age students about the dangers of alcohol consumption and sexual promiscuity.” Alcohol did not sexually assault Brock’s victim, and hook-up culture did not threaten her dignity and self-worth. “It is deeply offensive that [Brock] would try and dilute rape with a suggestion of ‘promiscuity.’ By definition rape is not the absence of promiscuity; rape is the absence of consent,” she writes.

– A rape case at Stanford continues to make headlines, first because of the defendant's sentence and the victim's powerful statement, and now because of another statement made by the 20-year-old assailant's father. Swimmer Brock Turner received a sentence of six months in jail—he could have gotten 14 years—after being convicted of raping a passed-out young woman. In a letter written to the judge before sentencing, his father argued for just such leniency, reports the Guardian. Brock Turner shouldn't have his life ruined over "20 minutes of action," wrote Dan Turner, adding that his son had suffered enough already. “He will never be his happy go lucky self with that easy going personality and welcoming smile,” he wrote. “His every waking minute is consumed with worry, anxiety, fear, and depression. You can see this in his face, the way he walks, his weakened voice, his lack of appetite.” The letter was made public Sunday in a tweet by Stanford law professor Michele Dauber, who helped shape the school's new sexual assault policies, and it's being met with a barrage of criticism online. "Tone-deaf," says a post at the Huffington Post. It's a "near-perfect complement" to the victim's statement, writes Christina Cauterucci at Slate. "Dan Turner defends his son with nearly every thin excuse his son's victim demolishes in her letter; he elevates all the rape-apologist, victim-diminishing tropes she exposes as misogynist garbage."

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan intelligence agents arrested on Monday a U.S. special forces interpreter accused of torturing and killing civilians - allegations that have worsened already strained relations between the government and NATO-led coalition forces. The statement said Kandahari was taken into custody in the southern province of Kandahar with three pistols in his possession, as well as a computer, two fake birth certificates and seven fraudulent identification cards. Both Kandahari, who was based in the restive Nerkh district of Wardak where the allegations surfaced earlier this year, and U.S. troops linked to him were accused by the government of committing human rights abuses, or at least having complicity.

– Afghanistan authorities have arrested a former translator for US special forces over "multiple crimes," officials said today, without elaboration. The AP fills in a few of the blanks, reporting that the Defense Ministry had said Zakeria Kandahari was wanted on charges of murder and torture in connection with the disappearances of nine boys and men who turned up dead. Kandahari, whom the Afghan government has previously identified as being Afghan-American, had three pistols, a computer, a pair of fake birth certificates, and seven fake IDs with him when arrested, per a statement by Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security. Kandahari had been based in Wardak province, Reuters reports; Afghanistan accused him along with US troops of involvement in human rights violations. But a US defense official says a review by both countries found the claims that foreign troops were involved to be false. Still, the allegations led Karzai to order US special forces out of Wardak province, which sits fewer than 30 miles from Kabul; that was later dialed down to just the Narkh district of the province, where the disappearances occurred.

The question haunting a family and a state for nearly 27 years — what happened to Jacob Wetterling — was solved Tuesday when his murderer stood in federal court and recounted in horrific detail how he kidnapped the sandy-haired boy on a dead-end rural road, drove him into the dark countryside and sexually assaulted, then executed him. “What did I do wrong?” Jacob asked his kidnapper, Danny Heinrich, after Heinrich snatched the boy at gunpoint and sent Jacob’s little brother and best friend running away scared. Heinrich, 53, pleaded guilty to one count of receiving child pornography, a crime for which he is expected to spend 20 years behind bars. Though he will not be prosecuted for Jacob’s kidnapping and murder, Heinrich could remain in state custody under Minnesota’s civil sex offender commitment. The unusual deal was struck, officials said, with the approval of Patty and Jerry Wetterling, who have advocated nationally for missing and exploited children while keeping hope that somehow their son would be found alive. They first questioned him shortly after Jacob's abduction, but he maintained his innocence and they never had enough evidence to charge him. As part of that effort, investigators took another look at the sexual assault of 12-year-old Jared Scheierl, of Cold Spring, nine months before Jacob's disappearance. Authorities had long believed Wetterling’s and Scheierl’s cases were connected. Using technology that wasn't available in 1989, investigators found Heinrich's DNA on Scheierl's sweatshirt, and used that evidence to get a search warrant for Heinrich's home, where they found a large collection of child pornography. The statute of limitations had expired for charging him in the assault on Scheierl, but a grand jury indicted him on 25 child pornography counts. When first announcing the federal child porn charges against Heinrich last year, federal authorities named him a “person of interest” in Wetterling’s abduction. FILE - In this Aug. 28, 2009, file photo, Patty and Jerry Wetterling show a photo of their son Jacob Wetterling, who was abducted in October of 1989 in St. Joseph, Minn and is still missing, in Minneapolis.... (Associated Press) FILE - In this Aug. 28, 2009, file photo, Patty and Jerry Wetterling show a photo of their son Jacob Wetterling, who was abducted in October of 1989 in St. Joseph, Minn and is still missing, in Minneapolis. Heinrich, 53, of Annandale, led authorities to Jacob's buried remains in a central Minnesota field last week, according to a law enforcement official who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing case. (Sherburne County Sheriff's Office via AP) Two weeks later, he abducted Wetterling.

– Last week, the parents of a Minnesota boy murdered 27 years ago finally learned the whereabouts of their son's remains. On Tuesday, they learned for sure who killed him. Danny Heinrich, a 53-year-old resident of Annandale, Minn., admitted in court that he kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and murdered 11-year-old Jacob Wetterling, reports AP. It was Heinrich who had finally led authorities to Jacob's body, and on Tuesday he recounted the wrenching details of the 1989 abduction, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune. While driving on a dead-end street, he came across three boys on their bikes, and forced two of them—Jacob's brother and a friend—to run away. Then he put Jacob in the front seat and handcuffed him. "What did I do wrong?" he said the boy asked. Heinrich made Jacob duck down in the seat because he had a police scanner and could hear reports coming in about the abduction. He drove to an area near a gravel pit, molested the boy, then told Jacob he would drive him part of the way home. When Jacob started crying, “I panicked," said Heinrich. "I pulled the revolver out of my pocket. ... I loaded it with two rounds. I told Jacob to turn around,” Heinrich said. He shot the boy twice and left, but returned later to dispose of his body. He actually buried the boy twice—Heinrich said the first location wasn't hidden enough, so he removed the remains and reburied them on a farm. The break in the case came when a review of DNA evidence with new technology linked Heinrich to another old assault. That led to a search warrant and the discovery of child pornography, and Heinrich eventually confessed.

The perspective I hold essentially sees fascism as a real movement of ideas that can draw people in and motivate them. Second, there is no reason to view fascism as necessarily white just because there are white supremacist fascists. But we have said “men” so often when discussing fascism because we are being literal.

– A hammer-wielding "anti-racist" gang in masks and hoods attacked suspected white supremacists dining at a suburban Chicago restaurant, injuring ten and sending three to a local hospital to close head wounds. Authorities suspect the 18 attackers who stormed the Tinley Park Irish-American eatery were "spillover" radicals protesting the NATO summit in Chicago. “This was a real riot,” Tinley Park Mayor Edward Zabrocki tells MSNBC. “These guys started beating the crap out of the other group. Tables were knocked over, dishes were broken and there was food all over the walls. It was terrible.” Five Indiana men were arrested in the attack and charged with mob action and aggravated battery, reports the Chicago Tribune. Police are seeking the others. The Anti-Racist Action organization claimed responsibility for the attack on the "white nationalists," which members claimed were holding an economic summit at the restaurant under the guise of a wedding party. Targeted diners told officials they belong to an Illinois European heritage association reportedly affiliated with White News Now and Storm Front, whose web sites tout white supremacy.

Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta leading in Kenya’s presidential election After the counting of one third of the votes, Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, who has been charged by the International Criminal Court with crimes against humanity, is leading in Kenya’s presidential election. Supporters of Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga watch election results on television in the Mathare slum in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, March 8, 2013. Kenyans on Monday held their first presidential vote since the nation's disputed election in 2007... (Associated Press) One of presidential candidate Raila Odinga's campaign team makes a phone call after another member of his team made allegations of electoral improprieties at a press conference held by the election commission... (Associated Press) Riot police patrol a street in Nairobi, Kenya Friday, March 8, 2013. The leading candidate in the race for Kenya's president is hovering around the 50 percent mark as ballots are counted on what officials... (Associated Press) That result is likely to bring controversy in Kenya and an almost certain legal challenge from Prime Minister Raila Odinga. Kenyatta, who faces international charges of crimes against humanity, secured 6,173,433 votes out of a total of 12,338,667 ballots cast, indicating that he had secured the more than 50 percent of votes needed for a first round win. He has polled 54% of the vote, according to preliminary data, and has 13% more votes to his credit than his main rival, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who has polled 41% of the vote thus far. To win the election, a candidate should win over 50 percent of the votes.

– Uhuru Kenyatta has been declared the winner of Kenya's presidential election, and he appears to have avoided a runoff by the slimmest of margins, reports Reuters. He needed to get 50% of the vote, and the nation's election commission says he got 50.03%. That translates to 4,099 votes out of 12.3 million cast, reports AP. If the decision stands—it's still unclear whether opponent Raila Odinga will challenge the results—Kenyatta will simultaneously have to govern the country and work on his defense on charges of crimes against humanity. He is due to face trial in July at the International Criminal Court in the Hague, reports the Voice of Russia. Those charges stem from violence that erupted after the last presidential election in 2007. Kenyatta is among those accused of orchestrating mass killings and rapes that left more than 1,000 people dead after the disputed election. His running mate in this year's election, William Ruto, faces similar charges at the ICC.

– Apparently all it took for Scarlett Johansson to start regretting her divorce was for ex-hubby Ryan Reynolds to start dating another blonde bombshell. ScarJo "is pissed that he's not under her spell anymore," and equally unhappy that he has started dating Blake Lively, a source tells Us. "She realized what a great catch Ryan was." Reynolds would have happily reunited with Scarlett after she initiated their divorce, the source continues—until Scarlett "flaunted Sean [Penn] right after their split, and he was done." The New York Post points out that Scarlett herself sounds regretful while discussing her marriage in the new issue of Cosmopolitan. She calls it "the best thing I ever did," continuing, "getting married was the right thing to do because it was natural. It grew out of a romance and love and a desire to have a future with somebody and I was very fortunate that I married somebody who turned out to be the person I thought he would be." As for why it failed, "I wasn't prepared to hunker down and do the work."

Country A musician and actor whose often sordid private life tended to overshadow his career as an entertainer, Spade Cooley was the self-proclaimed King of Western Swing, an innovator who at his peak led the largest band ever assembled in the annals of country music. Disney last week removed Cosby's statue from Walt Disney World near Orlando, Florida, and his bust from its Hollywood Studios theme park. Gubler noted in a statement that the Walk of Fame is a registered historic landmark, and "once a star has been added to the Walk, it is considered a part of the historic fabric of the Hollywood Walk of Fame." And several members of Congress are supporting a petition to revoke the Presidential Medal of Freedom that Cosby was awarded in 2002. (Did you know that's where the expression "in like Flynn" really came from?)

– Once a star, always a star—at least when it comes to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Under pressure to remove Bill Cosby’s star in the face of rape allegations and his recently revealed testimony about giving women Quaaludes, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce confirms that the 38-year-old plaque is not going anywhere. "The answer is no," president and CEO Leron Gubler declares, according to NBC News. "Once a star has been added to the Walk, it is considered a part of the historic fabric of the Hollywood Walk of Fame." Indeed, the iconic sidewalk would feature a few holes if stars were removed after a celebrity’s fall from grace. Musician, actor, and convicted murderer Spade Cooley has a star on Hollywood Boulevard, for instance. Another organization that will not cut ties with Cosby is the Smithsonian Institution. Its National Museum of African Art has been showcasing the Cosbys' considerable collection since November and a museum official tells the AP the exhibition will not be pulled. "First and fundamentally, this is an art exhibit," says Richard Kurin, the Smithsonian's art, history, and culture undersecretary. "So it's not about the life and career of Bill Cosby. It's about the artists." The AP notes that Camille Cosby sits on the museum's advisory board and facilitated the loan of the art pieces, and that the Cosbys donated $716,000 toward the exhibition—essentially funding the project. Kurin, who has worked for the Smithsonian for decades, says the Smithsonian has never taken down a full exhibit. (Cosby's "pound cake" speech came back to bite him.)

An organization that assists survivors of officers killed in the line of duty now wants its donation back from the family of Fox Lake police Lt. Charles Joseph Gliniewicz. (Published Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015) The wife and son of veteran Fox Lake, Illinois, police Lt. Joe Gliniewicz, whose highly publicized death has been ruled a "carefully staged suicide," are under investigation, a source close to the investigation told NBC5 News. Lieutenant's Suicide Was 'Ultimate Betrayal': Officials Lake County Major Crimes Task Force Commander George Filenko said in a press conference Wednesday that the death of veteran Fox Lake police officer Lt. Joseph Gliniewicz in September was a "carefully staged suicide," adding that it was the "ultimate betrayal." The news cleared up a mystery that left the public under the impression that, since Gliniewicz’s death on Sept. 1, three men once thought responsible for the crime were still at large, and that Gliniewicz was a hero who died in the line of duty. Gliniewicz’s mental state began to unravel six months earlier, when Anne Marrin, the new village administrator in Fox Lake began an audit to account for all of Fox Lake’s assets. Specifically, he said, Gliniewicz had been "stealing and laundering money" from the Fox Lake Police Explorer post for seven years, using the funds for personal purchases, mortgages, travel expenses, even adult websites. The Explorer program, which is chartered by the Boy Scouts of America and sponsored by the Fox Lake Police Department, teaches kids how to do police activities, such as processing mock crime scenes. The conversations were between him and “Individual 1″ and “Individual 2.” While authorities did not identify them at the news conference, a source close to the investigation said Individual 1 was Gliniewicz’s wife, Mel, and Individual 2 was his son, Donald “D.J.” Gliniewicz, who serves in the Army. In one text exchange, Gliniewicz’s son said he hopes that Marrin, the village administrator gets a DUI, according to the transcript. In the same exchange from May 13, Joe Gliniewicz took it farther and hinted at final resting places for her, including the Volo Bog — a nearby state parkland: “I’ve thought through MANY SCENARIOS from planting things to the Volo Bog.” Filenko acknowledged in another text — that has not been made public — that Gliniewicz hinted at hiring a hit man to kill Marrin. Gliniewicz also warns his son on June 25: “You are borrowing money from that ‘other’ account, when you get back you’ll have to start dumping money into that account or you will be visiting me in JAIL! !” On April 14, around the time investigators say Gliniewicz began to stress out about the impending audit, his wife, apparently concerned about losing control of the Explorer bank account, said: “Maybe, seeing as we are on 503C [a reference to tax a designation assigned to charities] she can’t touch the money.” Subpoenaed bank records reveal that Gliniewicz, who had sole discretion on how money for the Explorers program was spent, frequently used the account as his personal piggy bank. She said Gliniewicz’s antagonism when questioned about his handling of the Explorer money “only confirmed to me that asking the tough questions was the absolute right thing to do.” Filenko said the stolen money totaled more than $50,000. But pension experts said his wife might be entitled to his pension, at least for now, because state law is clear that a pension can only be stripped if an officer is convicted of a felony in the line of duty. Since he is dead, Gliniewicz can be charged with nothing, much less convicted. In a statement through their attorneys Wednesday, the Gliniewicz family members said: “Today has been another day of deep sorrow for the Gliniewicz family. Commander: First Time I've Felt 'Ashamed' of Another Officer Lake County Major Crimes Task Force Commander George Filenko said Wednesday that Lt. Joseph Gliniewicz's "staged suicide" was the first time in his career that he has "felt ashamed of another police officer." Filenko said he and his fellow officers were duped. We have no intention of requesting any of the money back." “This is just another black eye,” he said, adding that Gliniewicz’s actions brought shame to him and all police.

– Illinois police on Wednesday confirmed police officer Charles "Joe" Gliniewicz orchestrated a "carefully staged suicide" after stealing money from the Fox Lake Police Department's Explorer program over seven years. Lake County Major Crimes Task Force commander George Filenko says the probe points to "criminal activity on the part of at least two other individuals," and a source tells NBC Chicago that Gliniewicz's wife, Mel, and son, DJ, are under investigation. Their names surface again in a Sun-Times report, which identifies them, via a source, as the "Individual 1" and "Individual 2," respectively, who exchanged revealing texts with Gliniewicz. New Village Administrator Anne Marrin had been pressing Gliniewicz about the Explorer program up until the day before his death, and texts allegedly make reference to her. "This situation right here would give her the means to crucify me if it were discovered," Gliniewicz wrote. When Individual 2 expressed hope that Marrin "decides to get a couple of drinks in her and she gets a DUI," Gliniewicz replied, "Trust me, I've thought it through. Many scenarios, from planting things, to the Volo bog"—the latter being local parkland, per the Sun-Times. Meanwhile, the 100 Club of Chicago, which offers money to the families of officers killed in the line of duty, has for the first time in its history asked for its $15,000 back. "In this case it was not a line-of-duty death. That is clear," the charity's CEO says, per the Chicago Tribune. However, four girls who raised at least $5,000 for Gliniewicz's children say the money will still go to the intended recipients. "None of this is the children's fault," a parent says.

“Donald Trump is now the leader of the Republican Party. It’s real – he is one step away from the White House,” she wrote, before letting loose on the GOP frontrunner. Here's what else is real: Trump has built his campaign on racism, sexism, and xenophobia. There’s more enthusiasm for him among leaders of the KKK than leaders of the political party he now controls. He incites supporters to violence, praises Putin, and, according to a columnist who recently interviewed him, is “cool with being called an authoritarian” and doesn’t mind associations with history’s worst dictators. He attacks veterans like John McCain who were captured and puts our service members at risk by cheerleading illegal torture. In a world with ISIS militants and leaders like North Korean strongman Kim Jong-Un conducting nuclear tests, he surrounds himself with a foreign policy team that has been called a “collection of charlatans,” and puts out contradictory and nonsensical national security ideas one expert recently called “incoherent” and “truly bizarre.” She then issued a call to action, pleading with Americans to oppose his candidacy and casting a Trump presidency as a doomsday scenario. What happens next will test the character for all of us – Republican, Democrat, and Independent. It will determine whether we move forward as one nation or splinter at the hands of one man’s narcissism and divisiveness. I know which side I’m on, and I’m going to fight my heart out to make sure Donald Trump’s toxic stew of hatred and insecurity never reaches the White House.

– Donald Trump is now the GOP's presumptive nominee, and that has some moving straight into "defeat Trump" mode. Count Elizabeth Warren among their number with what Fortune calls an "epic" social-media rant Tuesday night following Trump's big win in Indiana. In her Facebook diatribe against the Donald (as well as in condensed bullet points on Twitter), the Massachusetts senator first states the fairly obvious: "Donald Trump is now the leader of the Republican Party. It's real—he is one step away from the White House." Warren then proceeds to point out "what else is real": namely, that Trump "has built his campaign on racism, sexism, and xenophobia"; "incites supporters to violence, praises Putin, and … is 'cool with being called an authoritarian'"; and "puts out contradictory and nonsensical national security ideas one expert recently called 'incoherent' and 'truly bizarre.'" She also warns that "what happens next will test the character for all of us … It will determine whether we move forward as one nation or splinter at the hands of one man's narcissism and divisiveness." And, in case you're still not clear which side she's on: "I'm going to fight my heart out to make sure Donald Trump's toxic stew of hatred and insecurity never reaches the White House." (So what do #NeverTrump folks do now?)

Secrecy is a thick blanket over our Special Forces that inelegantly covers them, technically forever. But, in a statement, Pybus said the SEAL in the article knew what he was giving up in leaving service with 16 years, shy of the 20-year retirement mark. The mission was on, originally for April 30, the night of the White House Correspondents' dinner in Washington. In the special, the man’s identity will be revealed, and he will describe the events leading up to and during the raid that took place on May 1st, 2011. The Navy SEAL will recall confronting bin Laden, the leader's final moments and what happened when he took his last breath. The documentary will also include a behind-the-scenes look at the secret ceremony where bin Laden's killer donated the shirt he was wearing during the mission to the 9/11 museum in New York. FNC says the Navy SEAL, known as “The Shooter,” will share his story of training to be a member of America’s elite fighting force, his involvement in Operation Neptune Spear, the mission that killed Bin Laden, Bin Laden’s final moments, his last breath, and “touch upon what was taking place inside the terrorist compound while President Obama and his cabinet watched from the White House.” The network’s Washington correspondent Peter Doocy will host on Tuesday, November 11th and Wednesday, November 12th from 10-11 PM/ET. He'll also offer his first-hand account of what happened during the SEAL Team 6 raid.

– The Navy SEAL who shot Osama bin Laden dead in a 2011 raid is planning to reveal his identity to the world—starting with Fox News. The man known as "The Shooter" will be interviewed by the network for a two-part special airing on Nov. 11 and 12 called The Man Who Killed Usama Bin Laden. He will describe his training and the events that led up to the raid where he fired the deadly shots, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Fox says the interview will include details never shared before and that the SEAL will describe things like the al-Qaeda leader's last breath, Deadline reports. In an Esquire article last year called "The Man Who Killed Osama bin Laden ... Is Screwed," the shooter spoke of a lack of support and benefits after he left the military in September 2012, before he qualified for a pension. The Navy, however, countered that he knew what he was giving up by leaving the service after 16 years instead of 20.

Republican nominee Mitt Romney’s awkward comment during the second presidential debate that he had received “binders full of women” as Massachusetts governor when he requested more female job candidates went fully viral Wednesday, drawing snickers from voters but also fueling a broader fight between the two campaigns over the key support of women. Romney’s remark was just a sliver of the discussion Tuesday night about issues relevant to women, with the candidates tussling over subjects such as contraception and unequal pay. “We don’t have to collect a bunch of binders to find qualified, talented, driven young women ready to work and teach in these fields right now.” (PHOTOS: Stars react to the presidential debate) As he did Tuesday night, he linked his appeal to women to other campaign themes that he seemed to have forgotten in Denver, including women’s health, reproductive choice and equal pay. “Every woman in America should have access to contraceptives.” Mr. Romney sought to connect the interests of women to the broader issue of the economy’s sluggish recovery, suggesting repeatedly that he could do better for struggling families — and especially women — if he is in the White House. Even as the debate concluded, Mr. Romney’s campaign released a television ad stressing that he does not oppose contraception and believes abortion should be legal in some cases. “I said, ‘Well, gosh, can’t we find some women that are also qualified?’ ” Mr. Romney said during the debate. We can get this economy going again.” But it was a question about equal pay for women that elicited the most memorable exchange of the debate.

– You didn't think Mitt Romney's "binders full of women" comment at the debate was going to just disappear, right? President Obama couldn't resist taking a dig today in Iowa, reports Politico: “I tell you what,” said the president. “We don’t have to collect a bunch of binders to find qualified, talented, driven young women ready to work and teach in these fields right now.” But the Romney camp responded that the White House is simply trying to distract from the fact that women have been hit hard in the recession. “Why is it that there are 3.6 million more women in poverty today than when the president took office?” Romney himself asked in Virginia. “This president has failed America’s women.” Even if the "binders" line manages to fade away, the debate made clear that the push for the women's vote is on, report the New York Times, the Guardian, and the Washington Post in similar stories. Expect to hear a lot in coming days about issues such as women's health services, equal pay, and flexible work hours for working moms. A Gallup poll after the first debate suggested that Romney had all but wiped out Obama's lead among women, leading in part to the new emphasis. It will take a few days to get a better sense on whether Obama bounced back on that front.

SiriusXM satellite radio said Tuesday that it has suspended Glenn Beck's morning show for at least a week and may not bring it back after Beck agreed with a guest who made comments widely interpreted as supporting the assassination of GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump. "SiriusXM encourages a diversity of discourse and opinion on our talk programs," the company said in a statement. "However, comments recently made by a guest on the independently produced Glenn Beck Program, in our judgement, may be reasonably construed by some to have been advocating harm against an individual currently running for office, which we cannot and will not condone," it said. Tuesday, Beck's website, The Blaze, quoted Thor as denying that he was referring to assassination and saying he was simply discussing a "hypothetical America under a dictator." Beck responded: "I would agree with you on that, and I don't think you actually have the voices — we've been talking about, we've been talking about this off-air for a while." As every listener of the show knows, Glenn has never — and will never — advocate violence.

– Glenn Beck's show may be off SiriusXM for good because a guest made some ill-judged comments about Donald Trump—and Beck agreed with them. The satellite radio company says the Glenn Beck Program has been suspended for a week and may not return because of the remarks by thriller writer Brad Thor on the May 25 program, NBC News reports. If Donald Trump oversteps his constitutional authority and the "feckless, spineless Congress we have" won't remove him, "what patriot will step up and do that if he oversteps his mandate as president?" Thor asked. "I don't think there is a legal means available," he added. Beck—who endorsed Ted Cruz earlier this year—told Thor he agreed with the comments, which were widely seen as advocating Trump's assassination. In a statement, SiriusXM said Thor's remarks "may be reasonably construed by some to have been advocating harm against an individual currently running for office, which we cannot and will not condone." After the suspension was announced, Thor said there had been "no threat" to Trump implied during the Beck interview, Politico reports. "Hell no, I wasn't talking about assassination," he said. A Beck spokesman said the host was already on vacation when he was suspended and that he expects to be back on the air Monday. The spokesman said Beck has never advocated violence—and nobody from the Secret Service has "been in contact with our company about this story in any way, shape, or form."

On the Ellen Degeneres Show on Halloween, Wilson said she was the “first-ever plus-sized girl to be the star of a romantic comedy.” People quickly took to Twitter to make sure that Wilson was aware of the works of Queen Latifah and Mo’Nique, two plus-sized Black women who starred in romantic comedies over a decade ago. Costumes aside, Wilson was on hand to debut the trailer for “Isn’t It Romantic.” She plays Natalie, a down-on-her-luck New Yorker who wakes up to find herself trapped inside a romantic comedy and caught between two love interests (played by Adam DeVine and Liam Hemsworth). Wilson mostly didn’t interact with these critiques—though she did reply to one person saying she thought those movies were in a “grey area.” Hey girl! Yeah I of course know of these movies but it was questionable as to whether: 1. Technically those actresses were plus size when filming those movies or 2. Technically those films are catorgorized/billed as a studio rom-com with a sole lead. While it’s possible Wilson misspoke, as actresses such as Queen Latifah have starred in romantic comedies before, there’s definitely a shortage of them cast in those roles. Film critic ReBecca Theodore-Vachon summed up the deeper problem of Wilson’s claim and behavior succinctly, saying, “Black women’s bodies don’t matter when it comes to White women like Rebel Wilson.

– Rebel Wilson is making the rounds to promote her upcoming rom-com Isn't It Romantic, but she had less than perfect pitch on Ellen DeGeneres' show last week. Per HuffPost, the Australian actress told DeGeneres she's glad Hollywood is starting to see less-stereotypical roles for plus-size actors, and that "I'm proud to be the first-ever [plus-size] girl to be the star of a romantic comedy." Which may have been a simple bit of self-promotion, except for the fact there have actually been other plus-size women to star in such movies, including Mo'Nique and Queen Latifah, as one Twitter user pointed out. Yet Wilson tweeted back that it was somewhat of a "grey area," splitting hairs on whether the movies those actresses had starred in fell under the "studio rom-com with sole lead" category, and whether the actresses had actually been plus-size during filming. Making things worse, per Monique Judge on the Root: Wilson seemed to only respond to white women who corrected her on Twitter, while blocking black women who did so (the Daily Dot notes a #RebelWilsonBlockedMe hashtag emerged). Mo'Nique herself responded, tweeting: "Take a moment and know the history. DON'T BE A PART OF ERASING IT." Wilson issued an apology, per the Sydney Morning Herald, noting that "in a couple of well-intentioned moments ... I neglected to show the proper respect to those who climbed this mountain before me like Mo'Nique, Queen Latifah, Melissa McCarthy, Ricki Lake, and likely many others." As for the Twitter blocking, she said it was "because I was hurting from the criticism, but those are the people I actually need to hear from more, not less. Again, I am deeply sorry." (Wilson had a record defamation payout—and then didn't.)

Teen covered with sheet by paramedics, later found breathing, has died Five people were shot, one of them fatally, minutes after the sun rose Monday morning at a party in the University Village neighborhood on the Near West Side. (Evanston Township High School) (Evanston Township High School) Carey was pronounced dead at 1:14 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. Erin Carey, 17, was among six people who were shot after two cars circled the party around 4:50 a.m. Monday in the 1200 block of South Loomis Street in the University Village neighborhood, Chicago police said. Anthony Riccio said he didn’t know “the length of time [he was under the sheet] but from what my understanding of the incident is — that individual has a catastrophic injury.” WLS-TV (Channel 7) recorded video of the teen moving under the sheet and reported he was covered for several minutes before a paramedic uncovered him and began performing chest compressions. "He was shot in the head and the prognosis is not good," Riccio told reporters Monday. I do understand that paramedics looked at him, believed him to be deceased, covered him with that sheet and moved on to another individual who was nearby who was also shot,” Riccio said. “Again, his injuries are catastrophic, that is something I think definitely has to be looked at to find out exactly what happened,” Riccio said. He was taken in "very critical condition" Stroger Hospital on full life support, according to police and fire officials. The 17-year-old boy was shot several times in the head and presumed dead by Chicago Fire Department paramedics.ABC7 Eyewitness News's cameras were on scene for at least 15 minutes before paramedics removed the sheet and began administering CPR. A 28-year-old man was with a group on the Lakefront Trail near Balbo Drive about 1:40 a.m. Sunday when there was an argument and shots were fired, according to police. A woman was killed and five other people wounded in a shooting in the University Village neighborhood Monday morning and one of the wounded was initially presumed dead, Chicago police said.The shooting took place in the 1300-block of South Loomis Street at about 4:45 a.m. and stemmed from a party, police said. Police said there are several surveillance cameras in the area.Police said none of the surviving shooting victims are cooperating with investigators and the shooting is believed to be related to an ongoing gang dispute in the area.

– A 17-year-old male shot multiple times in the head began moving under a sheet in Chicago, triggering a failed attempt to save him. Paramedics had arrived early Monday on the scene of a shooting after two vehicles were seen circling a party at a housing complex near the University of Illinois-Chicago campus around 4:45am, per CBS News. A 22-year-old woman identified as Shalonza E. McToy was one of what was initially thought to be two deceased victims, per WLS. But teenager Erin Carey, covered with a sheet for at least an hour as paramedics moved on to other victims, suddenly began moving his arms and legs, reports the Chicago Tribune. Following CPR, he was taken to a hospital on full life support, but he died shortly after 1am Tuesday, reports WGN. Four males ages 21 to 25 were also injured in the shooting, which helped make up Chicago's most violent weekend so far this year, reports the Tribune. At least 56 people had been shot by Monday morning, at least nine of whom died. The Tribune reports 13 victims were in their teens. It's "unacceptable and frustrating," says Chicago Police First Deputy Supt. Anthony Riccio. "There's too many illegal guns on the street. They're too easy to get." Pointing to ongoing gang conflict in the area of Monday's shooting in University Village, Riccio adds "at least four of the victims are known to the Chicago Police Department," but no survivors are cooperating with investigators, per the Chicago Sun-Times.

Prince Rushed to Hospital After Emergency Landing Prince Rushed to Hospital After Emergency Landing EXCLUSIVE 3:30 PM PST -- A rep for Prince tells TMZ, the singer has been fighting the flu for several weeks. The pop star’s jet landed at Quad City International Airport in Moline, where Prince was taken to a nearby hospital, according to the online entertainment site TMZ. He had canceled two April 7 shows in Atlanta, but wanted to make Thursday night’s performance there, though he was still not feeling well. After the show, he got on a plane and felt considerably worse, so his plane made an emergency landing in Moline, Illinois, where he was taken to the hospital and treated. He was released 3 hours later, got back on the plane and is now back home. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer had performed Thursday night in Atlanta ... and he was in the air for only a short time before things went south.

– Musical superstar Prince was rushed to the hospital early Friday morning after his private jet made an emergency landing in Illinois, TMZ reports. The 57-year-old musician had been suffering from the flu for weeks and had canceled two shows earlier this month but performed Thursday night in Atlanta despite still feeling under the weather. He was flying home to Minnesota after the show when his plane was forced to stop in Illinois, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Prince was taken to the hospital and released three hours later. A source tells the Star Tribune that Prince had "bad dehydration" but is "all good" at home now. (Prince appeared to be in better health—possibly better than any 57-year-old in history—earlier this year when the internet lost it over his passport photo.)

In North Beach, celebrators sprayed Champagne and danced in the street, waving brooms and chanting, "Sweep, sweep, sweep." Mayor Ed Lee’s office said Major League Baseball has granted permission to the city to show Game 6 on a Jumbotron in front of City Hall. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) (Associated Press) San Francisco Giants fans climb on a bus while celebrating outside PacBell Park on Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012, in San Francisco after the Giants swept baseball's World Series against the Detroit Tigers. The party started early in Civic Center park, with many showing up hours before the 5 p.m. game on a nice Indian Summer day in San Francisco, wearing shorts and t-shirts. Fans on Market Street in downtown San Francisco celebrate following the Giants World Series win over the Detroit Tigers. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) (Associated Press) San Francisco Giants fan David Zweig celebrates outside PacBell Park on Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012, in San Francisco after the Giants swept baseball's World Series against the Detroit Tigers. They came from all corners of the region and screamed louder with each strike and every out in the bottom of the 10th inning as the San Francisco Giants closed in on a second championship in three years Sunday. "This is the place to be," said Jim Vliet, Wormald's colleague. Shortly before midnight, police said the street celebration was still going. Someone in the crowd launched fireworks a few minutes after the game and the park was awash with revelers, strangers hugging strangers and wine bottles and marijuana cigarettes being freely passed through the crowd despite a heavy police presence. "It's a street party - how often do we get a chance to party like this?" Sara Schillings, 24, of Antioch said as she threw an empty Champagne bottle with one hand and drank a beer with the other. "We want to maintain public safety at all times, and don't want to put first responders in any danger." "Where else in the world do you want to be tonight," replied Dave Wormald of Toronto.

– Giants fans went crazy last night in San Francisco after their team trounced the Detroit Tigers in a clean sweep to grab their second World Series title in three years. Bar crowds near the ballpark and across the city poured into the streets, and thousands watching the big game on a Jumbotron across from City Hall cheered around small fires lit in trash cans, guzzled beer, and smoked lots of pot. "I'm out of my mind right now," screamed one fan over the street noise to the San Francisco Chronicle. Cops were prepared just in case as the crowds got more boisterous as the night wore on. The last time the Giants won the Series in 2010, fights and fires broke out, and the streets were so jammed that fire trucks couldn't get through; so last night some cops and firefighters were carrying portable extinguishers as they patrolled the crowds. "We're going to help the partiers party," said a police sergeant. "As long as they're lawful and having fun, we're all for it." A ticker-tape parade is planned for the team Halloween morning, reports AP.

When it comes to love, it's not about the money. Quinn and Ariel McRae dated for two years before tying the knot. But a saleswoman where the couple bought Ariel's rings tried to put a damper on the festivities by calling the jewelry "pathetic." "My husband doesn't have a lot, neither of us do," McRae explained in a Facebook post about the encounter. "We scrape and scrape to pay bills and put food in our bellies, but after almost 2 years of dating we decided that we couldn't wait anymore, so we didn't." "I wasn't even thinking about rings, I just wanted to marry my best friend," she continued, "But he wouldn't have it. He scraped up just enough money to buy me two matching rings from Pandora." The two headed to the store and picked out a pair of rings they could afford — two rings for $130. McRae was was thrilled to get her rings, and then, the couple encountered a saleswoman. "While we were purchasing my rings... another lady that was working there came over to help the lady selling them to us," she wrote. "She said, 'Y'all, can you believe that some men get these as engagement rings? How pathetic.'" "I watched my now husband's face fall," she continued. Quinn was already upset that he couldn't get his fiancé a more expensive ring, so the saleswoman's words crushed him. "He was so upset at the idea of not making me happy enough and of me not wanting to marry him because my rings didn't cost enough money or weren't flashy enough," she explained. "Y'all I would have gotten married to this man if it had been a 25¢ gum ball machine ring" she proudly posted. "When did our nation fall so far to think the only way a man can truly love a woman is if he buys her $3,000+ jewelry and makes a public decree of his affection with said flashy ring?" McRae quickly shot down the pretentious saleswoman, calmly saying, "It isn't the ring that matters, it is the love that goes into buying one that is." "My husband was so afraid of me not wanting him because he couldn't afford a piece of jewelry," she posted. "But here I am though, courthouse married, $130 ring set, the love of my life by my side and happier than I could ever imagine." Looks like this marriage is off to a pretty perfect start. Mashable reached out to McRae for a comment, and will update the story when she replies.

– Quinn and Ariel McRae don't have a lot of money. They say they "scrape and scrape to pay bills and put food in our bellies." What they do have is love, lots of it, and they decided it was high time after two years of dating to tie the knot, reports Mashable. So they pulled together $130, marched to a store in Martin, Tenn., and found a ring set from Pandora they could afford. Then a saleswoman interjected, telling the person they'd been working with, "Y'all, can you believe that some men get these as engagement rings? How pathetic." Taking to Facebook to recount their story, McRae says she watched her now-husband's face fall. But she stayed calm and replied, "It isn't the ring that matters, it is the love that goes into buying one." McRae doesn't stop there. "Y'all I would have gotten married to this man if it had been a 25¢ gum ball machine ring," she writes. "When did our nation fall so far to think the only way a man can truly love a woman is if he buys her $3,000+ jewelry and makes a public decree of his affection with said flashy ring?" Her post has amassed more than 55,000 shares and 75,000 likes, and Yahoo7 Be reports that many comments applaud her response. "My ring is CZ too!" one person writes. "I'm still just as much married as I would've been with a real [diamond]!" McRae, meanwhile, reports that she's now "courthouse-married" with a $130 ring set and "happier than I could ever imagine." (This $125,000 engagement ring is now being fought over in court.)

The starfish would develop lesions and then disintegrate, their arms turning into blobs of goo. From 2013 to 2014, Sea Star Wasting Syndrome hit sea stars... (Associated Press) FILE - This July 31, 2010 file photo, shows a starfish clings to a rock near Haystack Rock during low tide in Cannon Beach, Ore. Starfish are making a comeback on the West Coast, four years after a mysterious... (Associated Press) NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Starfish are making a comeback on the West Coast, four years after a mysterious syndrome killed millions of them. (Photo Courtesy Joe Katchka) “They are coming back, big time,” said Darryl Deleske, aquarist for the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro. “It’s a huge difference… A couple of years ago, you wouldn’t find any. I dove all the way as far as Canada, specifically looking for sea stars, and found not a single one.” And the same signs are being seen around Southern California, in places like the rocky outcroppings off Crystal Cove State Beach and the breakwalls in Long Beach and the coves of Palos Verdes. According to the researchers, it’s not the first time the mysterious wasting syndrome has hit the West Coast.There were similar die offs in the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s, “but never before at this magnitude, and over such a wide geographic area,” reads a report by University of Santa Cruz’ Ecology and Evolutionary Biology department. Beginning with ochre stars off Washington state, the disease spread, killing off mottled stars, leather stars, sunflower stars, rainbows and six-armed stars. By December 2013, the wasting disease hit Southern California. “When it did (arrive), you just started to see them melt everywhere,” said Deleske. “You’d see an arm here, an arm there.” By 2014, the wasting had spread to Mexico and Oregon, according to the University of Santa Cruz research paper. Kaitlin Magliano, education coordinator at the Crystal Cove Conservancy, said winter low tides have offered a good look at hand-size stars emerging recently in local tidepools. During an outing in early December, just south of the historic cottages at Crystal Cove State Park, Magliano spotted four stars; “huge, adult ones” she said, about 7 to 8 inches long. “Post sea star wasting, we lost all of them,” she said. “It’s good to see we have some surviving and thriving… “Maybe the next generation will be more resilient,” she added. "It's a huge difference," Deleske said. The wasting syndrome never completely disappeared in Northern and Central California and it has reappeared in the Salish Sea region of Washington state, according to a November report by the University of Santa Cruz.

– Starfish are making a comeback on the West Coast, four years after a mysterious syndrome killed millions of them. From 2013 to 2014, Sea Star Wasting Syndrome hit sea stars from British Columbia to Mexico. The starfish would develop lesions, then disintegrate, their arms turning into blobs of goo. The cause is unclear, but researchers say it may be a virus, per the AP. Now, however, the species is rebounding. Sea stars are being spotted in Southern California tide pools and elsewhere, the Orange County Register reports. "They are coming back, big time," says Darryl Deleske, an aquarist for LA's Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. "It's a huge difference. A couple of years ago, you wouldn't find any." Similar die-offs of starfish on the West Coast were reported in the 1970s, '80s, and '90s, but the latest outbreak was far larger and more widespread, per a report by University of California-Santa Cruz researchers. Beginning with ochre stars off Washington state, the disease spread, killing off mottled stars, leather stars, sunflower stars, rainbows, and six-armed stars. It hit Southern California by December 2013. "When it did [arrive], you just started to see them melt everywhere," says Deleske. "You'd see an arm here, an arm there." The recovery has been promising. Four adult sea stars, each about 7 to 8 inches long, were spotted this month at Crystal Cove State Park in Newport Beach. The stars aren't out of danger yet, though. The wasting syndrome never completely disappeared in Northern and central California, and it's reappeared in the Salish Sea region of Washington, per a recent report. Still, "it's good to see we have some surviving and thriving," an educator at Crystal Cove Conservancy says. "Maybe the next generation will be more resilient."

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– A Washington man tried to use his Halloween decor in an innovative way Tuesday morning, but it didn't work out so well for him. "A trooper stopped this #HOV lane violator this morning near #Tacoma...At least he's in the [Halloween] spirit. #TrickOrTicket," tweeted the Washington State Police's public information officer alongside a picture of a car with a zombie baby decoration sitting in the passenger seat. The guy was allegedly attempting to use the carpool lane but, as there was no other actual person in the car, the driver was given a $136 ticket for the HOV lane violation, the officer followed up in a subsequent tweet—but "We gave him a break for not having a car seat" for the zombie baby, he added.

A man who spent 32 years behind bars for murder was ordered released on Wednesday after the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office acknowledged there were mistakes made that denied him a fair trial.Andrew Wilson, now 62, was convicted of murder in 1986 for the stabbing death of a 21-year-old man who was sleeping in a truck in Los Angeles.Wilson has always maintained his innocence and eventually his case was taken up by students and Loyola Law School's Project for the Innocent. "Mr. Wilson is elated," said Paula Mitchell, legal director with Project for the Innocent. They also said there was evidence that the victim's best friend told prosecutors before trial that the victim's girlfriend had stabbed him in the past.The DA's office recently conceded that its own investigation found that errors were made depriving him of a fair trial and the office does not intend to retry him.Attorneys say Wilson could potentially file a civil lawsuit in this case, but for now, he wants to hop on a direct flight to St. Louis to see his mother, who turns 97 on May 1.

– After 32 years behind bars, Andrew Wilson had his murder conviction thrown out Wednesday by a Los Angeles County judge. His first plan as a newly free man? Fly to St. Louis to visit his 96-year-old mother, who never doubted his innocence. Wilson, now 62, was convicted in 1986 of stabbing a man sleeping in a truck in Los Angeles, KABC reports. According to the Los Angeles Times, the victim had a disorder that kept his blood from clotting. For the past three decades, Wilson has maintained that he didn't do it. And while his actual innocence is still up in the air, it's now official that he didn't receive a fair trial. The DA's office has admitted that "cumulative errors" added up to an unfair trial for Wilson. Those errors include allegedly withholding evidence that the victim's girlfriend—the only witness to the crime—had previously filed a false police report regarding kidnapping and rape. Also allegedly withheld: evidence that an LAPD detective directed the girlfriend to a photo of Wilson and that a friend suspected the victim's girlfriend, as she had stabbed the victim in the past. The prosecutor in the murder case denies withholding evidence, and the DA's office maintains that Wilson murdered the victim (though it doesn't plan to retry him). CBS Los Angeles reports a separate hearing will be held to determine if Wilson is factually innocent.

OCALA, Fla. (AP) — Relatives say a Florida girl who swallowed a thumbtack at her preschool remains hospitalized. Aundreaa Thompson tells the Ocala Star-Banner (http://bit.ly/1NFAjxk ) that her 3-year-old cousin, Honesty Eads, is in critical condition at a Gainesville hospital. The Department of Children and Families is conducting an investigation, as is OPD. A teacher told police she was on the west side of the classroom giving her children breakfast when she heard a child say Honesty "looks like a vampire.” Honesty, the report noted, was lying on the floor gasping for air and bleeding from her mouth. Medical officials rushed Honesty to Munroe Regional, where a doctor in the emergency room was at first unable to insert a tube down her throat, according to the OPD report. Police say Honesty swallowed a yellow thumbtack Monday at her Ocala preschool.

– A little girl who swallowed a thumbtack Monday at her Florida preschool remained hospitalized on Christmas, the AP reports. According to the Ocala Star-Banner, a preschool instructor was on the other side of the classroom when she heard a child say 3-year-old Honesty Eads "looks like a vampire." The instructor found Honesty on the ground, bleeding from the mouth and struggling to breathe. A teacher administered CPR, and Honesty was rushed to the hospital. Before doctors could insert a breathing tube down Honesty's throat, they had to remove a yellow thumbtack, the Star-Banner reports. The girl is still in critical condition, and her cousin says she is being monitored by doctors while her family is "hoping and praying" for a full recovery. Both police and child services are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.

All day Friday, the anti-Hillary internet was abuzz over former President Bill Clinton‘s slam on President Obama at a rally in Memphis Thursday night, a damaging narrative given the herculean effort the Clintons have made to repair the rift with Obama coalition voters, particularly black voters, that was created during the 2008 campaign. Bill seemed to go a bit off-message last night in Tennessee while campaigning for his wife. But is Clinton the best one to tackle that problem? The former president said science has shown that people are genetically 99.5 percent the same, but some people are "fixated" on the 0.5 percent that makes people different. "Yeah, it's rigged, because you don't have a president who's a change-maker, who, with a Congress who will work with him. Because we got jobs back but not income, but not enough jobs," he said. At a minimum, the reporting needs to be corrected, but really, someone needs to look up the food chain at how things like this happen, and fix it. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.

– "We're all mixed race," Bill Clinton told Hillary supporters in Memphis a few days ago in remarks that are getting some belated attention from the media. The human genome has revealed that "unless your ancestors, every one of you, are 100%, 100% percent from sub-Saharan Africa, we are all mixed-race people," is specifically what he said, per the New York Post, which calls the remarks an attempt to "downplay President Obama's historic presidency." NBC News, however, notes that the remarks came after Rep. Steve Cohen introduced Clinton to the mixed crowd as somebody who wasn't the first black president but made "a heck of a stand-in." Clinton told the Thursday night rally that science has shown that people are genetically 99.5% the same, but people are "fixated" on the 0.5% that's different, the Commercial Appeal reports. "So what we need now is to say: 'How can we act like we're all 99.5% the same?'" he asked. Clinton got a huge ovation for praising both Obama's performance and Hillary's "change-making" prowess. "She's always making something good happen. She's the best change-maker I've ever known," he said, per Mediaite. "A lot of people say, you don't understand. It's different now. It's rigged. Yeah, it's rigged because you don't have a president who is a change-maker with a Congress who will work with him. But the president has done a better job than he has gotten credit for. And don't you forget it!"

First Published: 12:31 IST(18/10/2013) | Last Updated: 12:37 IST(18/10/2013) Three months ago, a seer, Shobhan Sarkar, had written a letter to the Union government to inform that he seen in his dream that a treasure (1000 tonnes of gold) was lying buried in the fort of Raja Ram Bux Singh situated in Buxur area of Dandiyakhera Village in the Bighapur sub-division (tehsil). "1,000 tonnes of gold will not be found at one place but deep digging would have to be done at several points," Sarkar said.Heavy police force has been deployed around the fort, where huge crowds have gathered for a glimpse of the excavation work happening there.Barricades have been erected to control the crowd and media gathered at the spot.Raja Rao Ram Bux Singh, who was martyred during 1857 fight with the British, appeared in the dream of the seer and asked him to take care of the gold treasure buried in the remains of his fort, said Swami Omji, a follower of Sarkar.Sarkar reportedly convinced Union Minister Charandas Mahant about his dream, following which a team of ASI and GSI officials surveyed the area.Mahant, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Processing Industries, had visited Sarkar's ashram -- hermitage -- here on September 22 and October 7 and assured him of appropriate action in this regard. On the directives of the district administration and the government, a team of the ASI officials surveyed the area indicated by the saint and found the traces of hidden gold pertaining to 19th century under 15-20 (60-65 feet) metres underground. The dig at the fort of Raja Rao Ram Bux Singh in Daudiakala village, Uttar Pradesh state, started after Swami Shobhan Sarkar relayed his vision of the treasure to a federal government minister three months ago. "I told the spirit of the king still roams around the palace and has pleaded to me to liberate it by digging out 1,000 tonnes of gold buried beneath his palace." He also said that locals attempted to dig out the gold on their own even earlier also, but all that was found later were the corpses of the adventurers.Meanwhile, the seer, Swami Shobhan Sarkar, is on a dreaming spree.

– That archaeologists are exploring what was buried in the ground where a palace once stood in northern India is fairly mundane news—except that they're on the hunt for more than 1,100 tons of gold ... that a guru dreamed is located there. The dig began yesterday at the fort of Raja Rao Ram Bux Singh in Uttar Pradesh state, three months after Swami Shobhan Sarkar passed along news of his dream to officials, reports the AFP. He says he was told by Raja Rao, who was hanged by the British in 1857, that the gold was there and should be given to the government. And there might actually be something there. The Hindustan Times reports that a team of officials with the Archaeological Survey of India was dispatched to investigate last month. What they found, in the words of the Times: "traces of hidden gold pertaining to 19th century" some 65 feet underground. India Today reports that drilling machines that made two holes there last week had hit something that seemed "different" at that level. The team intends to dig slowly, so it could take as many as five weeks for it to hit that depth. And according to Sarkar, it could take some work. The gold "will not be found at one place but deep digging would have to be done at several points," he says. Of course, if he's right, here's more tempting news: He reportedly also told officials there is roughly 2,750 tons of gold buried in the village of Adampur as well. (Click for an equally unusual story involving gold.)

Wedding photographer Andrea Polito (Photo: WFAA) DALLAS - A Dallas wedding photographer has won a $1 million defamation lawsuit after it was determined that a couple who hired her "pursued an extensive social media campaign against her that a jury found was false and malicious." The case was settled on Monday after the jury found that Neely and Andrew Moldovan "wrongfully attacked" Andrea Polito and her company, Andrea Polito Photography, Inc., according to her attorney David Wishnew. The Moldovans say they expected the album to come with a free cover, and NBC 5 reported that Polito was refusing to provide a CD of photos until the album cover was paid for. “Statements like, ‘I’m pretty sure her business is ruined,’ ‘I hope this goes viral,’ ‘feeling excited,’ and ‘justice has been served’ are not the actions of a concerned and hurt bride; they are actions of an individual trying to take someone down and instigate a lynch mob of negativity across the nation.” In April 2015, Polito filed a $1 million defamation lawsuit against the Moldovans, accusing the couple of defamation, business disparagement, tortious interference with prospective contracts, and civil conspiracy. “The jury agreed and made a statement that publicly lying, shaming, and online bullying is unacceptable. She says her photo business was destroyed in a matter of days after the Moldovans went public with their false accusations.

– A Texas wedding photographer says her business dropped from 75 to 100 bookings a year to just two after a newlywed couple trashed her online and on TV, the Dallas Morning News reports. On Friday, a jury ordered the couple to pay Andrea Polito $1.08 million. Andrew and Neely Moldovan accused Polito of "holding their photos hostage" following their 2014 wedding. They claimed Polito was demanding an extra $125 for a wedding album cover before she would give them digital copies of their photos. According to WFAA, the Moldovans claimed Polito was demanding "unreasonable fees"—despite it being included in the contract they signed. Polito says she was prepared to absorb the $125 charge to keep the couple happy; instead they went public. On local news and online, the Moldovans claimed Polito "cheated" and "scammed" them. Neely Moldovan used her position as a blogger to amplify the story, Polito says. "Statements like, 'I'm pretty sure her business is ruined,' 'I hope this goes viral,' 'feeling excited,' and 'justice has been served' are not the actions of a concerned and hurt bride," PetaPixel quotes Polito as saying. "They are actions of an individual trying to take someone down." Polito filed a $1 million defamation lawsuit in 2015, and a jury ruled in her favor Friday, awarding her $1.08 million. The jury determined that not only was Polito attempting to follow the contract but also tried to work with the Moldovans further to "satisfy their demands." "There are real world consequences for maliciously attacking a business online with venom and lies," Polito's lawyer says. (This epic photo featured mystery newlyweds.)

An injured woman is carried to an ambulance in Clovis, N.M., Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, as authorities respond to reports of a shooting inside a public library. SANTA FE, N.M. (Reuters) - A teenager who killed two people and wounded four others in a shooting at a small-town New Mexico library had a troubled past but appeared to have turned his life around after joining a local church, his pastor said Tuesday. The gunman surrendered after the shooting Monday and was taken into custody without incident after police entered the downtown building, authorities and elected officials with the city of Clovis said during a news conference. "This is a big blow to our community," he said. Our community places a high value on life and the sanctity of life, and each life that lives in this community is precious,” Clovis Mayor David Lansford said. He was the shooter.” Clovis, with a population of about 40,000, is around 190 miles (300 km) east of Albuquerque. The injured included two men and two women, authorities said. Among the wounded was at least one child, a 10-year-old boy, Noah Molina, who was airlifted along with three other people to a hospital in Lubbock, Texas and was in satisfactory condition on Tuesday, said Eric Finley, spokesman for University Medical Center in Lubbock. KRQE News 13 also heard from a family who says their aunt was one of the two women killed, but police have not confirmed those details. “He said, ‘Now I got something to smile about.’ We had no indication of anything wrong with him.” Two library employees, Krissie Carter, 48, and Wanda Walters, 61, were killed in the shooting, in which Jouett used two handguns, Clovis police Chief Douglas Ford said Tuesday. "What if he just walked into our restaurant and started shooting?" KRQE News 13 is also hearing from people who were inside the library when the shooting happened.

– A shooting inside a public library in New Mexico Monday afternoon left two people dead and four injured—and local police with more questions than answers. Reuters reports that a male opened fire inside the library at around 4pm local time, killing two women and injuring two women and two men. The alleged shooter was arrested after police surrounded the building and he surrendered. Authorities have not released the suspect's name, age, or motive, and while they say they are preparing warrants, there is no word yet as to what he will be charged with, the AP reports. Clovis, a city of 40,000 located about 200 miles from Albuquerque, is home to Cannon Air Force Base. The city is situated near the state border with Texas, and the injured victims were taken to a hospital in Lubbock, Texas. Two were said to be in critical condition Monday night. Per KRQE, some in the local community have identified the alleged shooter as a 16-year-old high school sophomore.

Of course, the material wasn't great either: it would have been nice if the show had focused on something other than stereotypes and had Lopez do something that didn't involve Telemundo and telenovelas, but maybe that's all she gave the writers room to work with. Sponsored In true SNL fashion, however, I expect this dud of a show to be followed by a great one next week. Her appearance on the show—bizarro Hallmark lyric songs included—was a very obvious attempt at rebranding herself as a down-to-earth, un-diva-like sweetheart, but it just came across as weird and overly acted.

– The Jennifer Lopez image-rehab train pulled into Saturday Night Live station last night, to mixed reviews. "Her appearance on the show—bizarro Hallmark lyric songs included—was a very obvious attempt at rebranding herself as a down-to-earth, un-diva-like sweetheart, but it just came across as weird and overly acted," Hortense writes for Jezebel. Although there were some high points, "overall, it was a pretty craptacular show." Ken Tucker couldn't disagree more. "Lopez came with the right SNL attitude: Ready to poke fun at herself and to engage enthusiastically with anything the show offered her," he writes for Entertainment Weekly. "Fortunately, much of her material was good stuff." Lopez was "a game host and a predictably forgettable musical guest," writes Nathan Rabin of the Onion A.V. Club. Rabin blames the writing staff for a "mildly amusing and utterly predictable" effort: "There was nothing too brilliant and nothing too egregiously awful, just a bunch of affable mediocrity."

Trump tweeted early Thursday his thanks to Kim "for your nice letter — I look forward to seeing you soon!"

– President Trump teased an upcoming meeting with Kim Jong Un on Thursday as the White House confirmed the North Korean leader sent him a letter "aimed at following up on their meeting in Singapore." In a tweet, Trump thanked Kim for the "nice letter" and for keeping his promise of returning what's believed to be the remains of US soldiers who fought in the Korean War, which arrived in Hawaii on Wednesday, per the AP. "I look forward to seeing you soon!" he added. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders didn't comment on when the two leaders might meet again, but she said Kim's letter spoke of "advancing the commitments made" at their June summit, spoofed in a K-pop artist's latest music video, per CNN.

– Donald Trump's campaign chief accuses the New York Times of a hatchet job against him in a Monday story that alleges he received shady payments out of Ukraine, reports Politico. “Once again, the New York Times has chosen to purposefully ignore facts and professional journalism to fit their political agenda, choosing to attack my character and reputation rather than present an honest report,” says Paul Manafort said in a statement. “The suggestion that I accepted cash payments is unfounded, silly and nonsensical.” According to the Times report, handwritten ledgers uncovered in Ukraine suggest that Manafort received $12.7 million in previously undisclosed, illegal payments for his work on behalf of a pro-Russia political party there. The allegations are dicey ones for Trump, who has previously taken flak for statements supportive of Vladimir Putin. As the LA Times notes, the issue surfaced anew last month when the GOP platform ditched a provision calling for arms for Ukraine to help in its border dispute with Russia. Manafort, however, denies getting the money or of ever working directly for the governments of Ukraine or Russia. “My work in Ukraine ceased following the country’s parliamentary elections in October 2014,” he says. “In addition, as the article points out hesitantly, every government official interviewed states I have done nothing wrong.”

CHICAGO (CBS) — A sexual assault forensic nurse from suburban Chicago was thinking of moving away from Illinois, to get away from memories of her own rape, and the nightmare she experienced afterwards when the hospital demanded she pay for her rape kit. "I don't remember anything after leaving the dinner portion," Christine told CBS News. “I woke up naked and I don’t remember anything else after that.” She went to the hospital for a forensic medical exam, commonly known as a rape kit, and was mortified when she started getting bills from the hospital — the very same hospital where she’d worked on crafting a sexual assault response protocol. Illinois has a voucher system that pays for medical expenses not covered by insurance for up to 90 days after a sexual assault; but Christine mistakenly had been marked as self-pay, due to a simple coding error that took 10 months to correct. "When you keep getting revictimized once a month you get a reminder in the mail, hey you were raped, hey this happened, you know, it's hard to move on," said Christine. She was unable to get out of bed for months after her attack. The hospital threatening to send her to collections if she didn't pay was the very same hospital where she'd worked on crafting a sexual assault response protocol. And just last summer Colorado passed a law creating a state fund to pay the entire bill for the forensic medical exam and related charges regardless of reporting after survivors received medical bills for thousands of dollars. In response to our investigation, Senator Franken told CBS News, "I'm committed to making sure that survivors of sexual assault never see the bill for their rape kit exam, and we made significant progress with my provision in the Violence Against Women Act. In Christine's case, her bills were due to hospital error, she had been marked as self-pay; a simple coding error that took more than 10 agonizing months to resolve.

– Christine is a sexual assault forensic nurse from suburban Chicago; helping to put together Highland Park Hospital's sexual assault response protocol was one of her duties. So it was a particularly unwelcome surprise when, after she went to that same hospital in 2013 after being raped, she received a bill from the hospital for the cost of her rape kit. A state voucher system is supposed to pick up whatever part of the tab insurance doesn't regarding expenses incurred within 90 days of a sexual assault. But Christine had incorrectly been coded as "self-pay," CBS Chicago reports, and that mislabeling took 10 months to correct. During that time, the bills kept on coming: "Lots of them, and for thousands of dollars," she says. The hospital even threatened to send her account to collections, she says. Her story highlights what victims face when state law doesn't cover the cost of rape kits, which are integral in getting rapists convicted. "Once a month, you get a reminder in the mail, 'Hey, you were raped. Hey, this happened,'" Christine says. "It's hard to move on." The 2005 federal Violence Against Women Act bars sexual assault victims from being charged for their exam, which includes collecting forensic evidence; but a CBS News investigation found 13 states in which victim advocates relayed stories of victims being billed. Rape Victim Advocates in Chicago says it gets up to half a dozen calls about billing issues a month. Sen. Al Franken has twice introduced legislation that would address the issue, but both times the bills didn't make it out of committee. (Out of New Orleans this week: an explosive report on how police handled sex-assault cases.)

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Dame Judi received a lifetime achievement award in San Sebastian on Tuesday Following the allegations made against him, the actor was written out of the final series of Netflix drama House of Cards. Film Festival’s highest award for an individual and to promote her latest feature, “Red Joan,” the Dame didn’t shy away from bringing up a name that many now prefer to avoid. “I went to do ‘The Shipping News’ with Kevin Spacey, and Kevin was an inestimable comfort and never mentioned he knew I was in a bad way,” Dench told reporters ahead of the evening ceremony at which she was to receive the prestigious Donostia Award. “He cheered me up and kept me going.” In the current industry climate, it was obvious such a name drop wouldn’t go unnoticed, and it wasn’t long before the Oscar-winning actress was asked about her current feelings toward Spacey and the fallout the actor has faced in the wake of allegations of sexual misconduct against him. "I can't approve, in any way, of the fact - whatever he has done - that you then start to cut him out of films," she said at a film festival in Spain. Are we to go back throughout history and anyone who has misbehaved in any way, or who has broken the law, or who has committed some kind of offense, are they always going to be cut out? "Are we going to exclude them from our history? I don’t know….” Related Kenneth Branagh on Laughable Moments With Judi Dench in 'All Is True' Kevin Spacey to Plead Not Guilty to Sexual Assault Charge She continued, “I don’t know about the conditions of it, but nevertheless he is, and was, a most wonderful actor. I can’t bear to turn a part down because I think I might not be asked again.” That was a message she emphasized more than once: that she, or any actor, for that matter, should never turn down a job.

– Count Dame Judi Dench as a Kevin Spacey supporter, despite the sexual misconduct allegations against the actor. Ridley Scott cut Spacey's scenes out of All the Money in the World after the scandal broke, replacing Spacey with Christopher Plummer, and on Tuesday, Dench said she "can't approve, in any way," of the move, which she suggested set a bad precedent. "Are we to go back throughout history now and anyone who has misbehaved in any way, or has broken the law, or has committed some kind of offense, are they always going to be cut out? Are we going to exclude them from our history?" she asked at the San Sebastian Film Festival, per the BBC. The 83-year-old also addressed #MeToo in general, acknowledging "there are many things to be redressed and made right," Variety reports. (Dench has Harvey Weinstein on her butt.)

The off-beat gallery, known as the Museum of Authority, opened on August 15 with an inaugural exhibit called “The Rulers” that featured paintings by artist Konstantin Altunin of public figures such as President Barack Obama, former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and Mr. Putin. Overnight on August 26 several art installations, including the ''Travesty'' that depicts... ST PETERSBURG, Russia Police seized a painting of Russia's president and prime minister in women's underwear from a gallery in St Petersburg, saying the satirical display had broken unspecified laws. One painting showed president Vladimir Putin wearing a tight-fitting slip and brushing the hair of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who is wearing knickers and a bra.

– Looks like Russian authorities will no longer allow mockery to be used as a weapon by those opposed to the country's anti-gay law. Police swooped on a newly opened art gallery in St. Petersburg yesterday and removed several paintings, including one depicting Vladimir Putin wearing a nightie as he brushes the hair of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who is clad in a bra and panties, Reuters reports. Paintings poking fun at the anti-gay law and at the head of the Russian Orthodox church were also seized. The owner of the "Museum of Authority" says police officers shut down his gallery and didn't give him an explanation for the seizure—or a receipt for the petty cash they took. "I'm very afraid in this situation," he tells the Wall Street Journal. "Because today the authorities can do whatever they want." The police say they raided the gallery after receiving complaints about illegal paintings. It's not clear what laws were broken, although insulting the authorities is a crime that carries up to a one-year sentence in Russia.

Human rights groups call on UN to denounce killings of suspected users and dealers since Rodrigo Duterte won presidential election in May More than 700 suspected drug users or dealers have been killed by police or vigilantes in the Philippines in less than three months, say human rights campaigners, who are calling on the UN to denounce the violence. Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte urges people to kill drug addicts Read more “Their silence is unacceptable, while people are being killed on the streets day after day.” Rodrigo Duterte, the president of the Philippines, won an electoral landslide in May after pledging to fill funeral parlours with drug dealers. This is the compulsion for more killing.” De Lima, who has also headed the Philippines’ national human rights body, said police were summarily killing even innocent people, using the anti-drugs campaign as an excuse. A statement issued last week by the citizens’ council for human rights accused Duterte and his officials of abandoning due process and human rights in their zeal to fight the war on drugs. On the same day in Manila, police said they found a man lying dead with his head wrapped in packaging tape and his torso covered with a cardboard sign reading: “I Am A Pusher.” Facebook Twitter Pinterest Jennelyn Olaires, 26, cradles the body of her husband, Michael Siaron, who police said was killed on a street by a vigilante group in Pasay city, Metro Manila. The cardboard sign near his body reads: “Pusher Ako”, which translates to “I am a drug pusher.” Photograph: Czar Dancel/Reuters On another night in the capital, six people were killed by gunmen on motorcycles. In the middle of the police line in which photographers and bystanders are not allowed to cross was the lifeless body of suspected drug pusher Michael Siaron, cradled by partner Jennilyn Olayres. She said the 29-year-old made money by riding a pedicab – a bicycle with a sidecar – and did odd jobs. He even voted for Duterte in the 9 May election. I asked him, “What are you waiting for?” The policeman replied: “We can’t do anything as he is already dead. I don’t need the president to notice us,” Olaires said. “I know that he doesn’t like this kind of people. But for me, I just hope that they get the true offenders.” The IDPC’s letters ask the UNODC and the INCB to call on Duterte to immediately end all his incitements to kill people suspected of dealing drugs and act to fulfil all international human rights obligations, including rights to life, health, due process and a fair trial. Philippines' 'Duterte Harry': the would-be president accused of using vigilante squads Read more Phelim Kine, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said: “International drug control agencies need to make clear to Philippines’ president Roderigo Duterte that the surge in killings of suspected drug dealers and users is not acceptable ‘crime control’, but instead a government failure to protect people’s most fundamental human rights.

– Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte appears to be making progress in the war on crime he promised when he took office a month ago—as long as murder isn't considered a crime. The Guardian reports that more than 700 people suspected of dealing or using drugs have been killed since Duterte, nicknamed "the Punisher," was elected after vowing to kill tens of thousands of criminals. Critics including Sen. Leila de Lima, a former justice minister, say police and vigilantes are using an anti-drugs campaign as an excuse to kill innocent people. "We cannot wage the war against drugs with blood. We will only be trading drug addiction with another more malevolent kind of addiction," she told lawmakers recently. "This is the compulsion for more killing." Rights groups believe the rate of killing has reached dozens a day. A group of Filipino human rights advocates issued a statement last week condemning the killings and accusing police of "turning low-income neighborhoods in the country into free-fire zones." "The bloody encounters taking place daily have polarized the country between those who support the president's quick and dirty methods of dealing with drugs and crime, and those who regard them as illegal, immoral, and self-defeating," the statement said. Reuters reports that one recent victim was Michael Siaron, a 29-year-old pedicab driver shot dead in Manila by men on motorcycles. After photos of Siaron being cradled by his widow went viral, Duterte said the pictures were "melodramatic." The widow admitted that Siaron used drugs but said he was far too poor to have been a dealer—and that he voted for Duterte.

« 'Elect the Jury' is electing jury you expected | Main | Humane Society won't eat breakfast at IHOP » Anti-violence site urges you to 'hit the bitch' Posted on Nov 16 2009 Tweet There are subtle ways to raise awareness about relationship violence. And then there's "Hit the Bitch," a Web campaign by a Danish advocacy group. Setting up an interface where you're encouraged to slap and punch a woman seems pretty extreme. It's almost like an advergame, except you're delivering an adverbeating! (You can use the mouse, or connect with your Webcam and swing at the girl with your hand.) Getting called a "100% idiot" at the end doesn't feel like much of a rebuke. Perhaps you're supposed to feel guilty, like a real-life abuser might, for continuing to hit the woman just to see what happens next? Who knows. Maybe something's getting lost in translation from the Danish. Via Adverblog. —Posted by Tim Nudd Filed under Domestic violence, Europe, Nudd, PSAs Permalink | Comments (62) Comments No no no no no. Posted by: caroline | Nov 16, 2009 11:57:32 PM WOW. Maybe pushed the boundaries a little too far? This campaign catches people's attention for all the wrong reasons. Abusers would actually enjoy this and people who don't abuse women wouldn't want to play this game in the first place. Their message is all-too-clear and scares people instead of informing them. Posted by: M. Ralston | Nov 17, 2009 12:58:12 AM I hear the arguements against this ad and I believe them to be valid. however, in a way I support this is I feel like it is a way of reaching people who would never look to recieve a straightforward message about ending men's violence against women. I believe it can reach people who otherwise might never get to look a different perspective on the consequences of such violence. I thought it was well thought out, and the message that what some think to be cool"gangsta" behavior is in actuality not cool at all, was well receieved. It hurt to me to see the floating arm hit her. I literally felt sick to my stomach. Maybe it was too graphic for some but in my opinion again, message recieved. Posted by: Marlon | Nov 17, 2009 5:18:09 PM Hmm, interesting. Strong, and inappropriate. But I do appreciate a completely unique approach to the issue, at least they tried. Posted by: JC | Nov 17, 2009 5:34:38 PM EPIC FAIL Posted by: ana_au_ | Nov 17, 2009 10:21:17 PM Violence against women isn't subtle, and awareness of the issue shouldn't be subtle. Often talking about issues of violence can be uncomfortable, so people avoid it. This in your face ad forces the issue to be noticed and discussed. For that, I commend it. Posted by: Kelsey | Nov 17, 2009 10:34:36 PM This is 99% about slapping a woman, with a 1% 'oh it's bad' message and this goes out way beyond the land of the Danishes. They should pull it, NOW. Super epic fail. Posted by: UGH | Nov 18, 2009 10:11:05 AM what the hell would Danish people know about being gangsta? Posted by: pooty poot | Nov 18, 2009 2:25:32 PM No backhand slap. But otherwise pretty good. I always wanted to make sure bitches know their place when they talk to me. Now I know what to do if they don;t listen to me. Posted by: Bush | Nov 19, 2009 3:03:57 AM Bush, you really are an idiot. Posted by: Terry31415 | Nov 19, 2009 4:17:03 AM Maybe they should of had "pie the *itch" You throw a pie at her in the face where she is forced to eat. Each pie however is more laden with calories than the next. After a few pies she starts to get fatter. Or there is "tickle the *itch" After she drinks a copious amount of water you tickler her until, well she pees on herself. This ad is dumb, why how many people watch movies were they get shot, stabbed, tortured, or eaten by zombies, and that is called entertainment. Posted by: Jonathan | Nov 19, 2009 7:12:56 AM (I'm Danish) The ad is quite on the edge of what is appropriate IMHO. It is cruel and gruesome in a whole lot of ways (real spousal violence usually is) It makes a clear statement (in danish, the intended audience, so anyone misinterpreting it due to languagebarriers should stop berating it. It isn't the ad's fault that people don't speak or understand danish.) I can see alot of merit and most arguments against the ad, but IMO it's better the ad was made and put more focus on spousal violence/teen violence, than if it wasn't and the issue was kept away from the public eye. People should compare the ad to the many many movies glorifying violence and criminal endeavours. I'd say it's not as graphic and explicit as some of the more realistic depictions of gangs and criminals coming from Hollywood. @Terry31415: According to you, the ad would be LESS dumb if you threw pies at the girl???? Or if you tickled her???????????? Are you sure? Cuz I'm pretty darned certain both alternatives would detract from the main issue the Ad was created to adress. And yes people watch all kinds of horrific stuff on film and call it entertainment... Mainly due to the fact that it IS. (Fiction is per definition created to entertain and all movies are more or less fictional) Posted by: Tim | Nov 19, 2009 12:12:35 PM They shut it down from users outside Denmark. I guess I'll have to go out and hit a bitch in the real world. Posted by: The Jam | Nov 19, 2009 2:11:41 PM to caroline | Nov 16, 2009 11:57:32 PM: "Abusers would actually enjoy this and people who don't abuse women wouldn't want to play this game in the first place" What? I wanted to try the game after reading about it, and I would never abused a female... I never have and never will hit a woman (Well maybe if she went all psyko on me and hit me first, then I guess I would hit her back... and there would be nothing wrong with that, its called self defence) Posted by: Mike | Nov 19, 2009 2:12:53 PM This game is total dope. I feel much more like a man after playing this. I wish there were more bitches to smack, maybe of other ethnicities. I can't wait till they make the equally graphic "Rape the Bitch" sequel. I'm sure that will really help us be more aware of the issue and also discourage rape... Posted by: Sky | Nov 21, 2009 10:08:07 AM How about another game called "hit the Dick?" or "Chop the prick?" All things being equal--as usual. Posted by: PO-ED | Nov 21, 2009 6:10:29 PM This campaign sounds terrible to me. Firstly a game with a name like "hit the bitch" it is clear they are trying to be funny rather than actually send a message. If anything this makes abusing women fun and promotes abusing women. I tried to check out website but since i'm not from Denmark they wouldn't let me. Posted by: dannymalt | Nov 26, 2009 4:14:39 PM yea! lets hit the biches ou there Posted by: yea | Nov 28, 2009 1:51:19 PM @Yea and Bush: Dudes, I'm willing to bet that if either of you got in a fight with a so called "bitch", she'd win. Don't be such misogynists! As for the game, it's really gross! No one who plays the game will be affected by the "Oh yeah, DON't do this", they'll be affected by long process of beating the crap out of a virtual woman! Eww eww ewity EWW! Posted by: Pow | Dec 2, 2009 3:31:41 PM ja das ist ein richtiger gratis Sexchat und dort sind 560 chatter online ohne Registrierung einfach mit Nick rein unter www.coldtube.com Posted by: girl | Dec 19, 2009 8:40:11 PM I do not like this kind of game. Posted by: tales of pirates gold | Mar 12, 2010 3:53:14 AM Awareness of the issue anna au? How would you react if it was a game called "Lynch the Nigger", would you say its helping to combat racism? Probably not. Posted by: BabyGotFlak | Mar 17, 2010 9:16:59 PM @ tales of pirates gold THANK YOU!!!! How does playing a game like that 'help' solve the problem!? Sheesh... Posted by: Laughingandcryingatthisad | May 19, 2010 7:45:37 PM Eine interessante Sache. Posted by: auspuffschelle | May 22, 2010 10:52:15 AM Hi, ich bin gerade auf einer kleinen Reise quer durchs web. Nun bin ich also auf dieser tollen Homepage gelandet und muss sagen: Der Besuch hat sich gelohnt! Ich werde deine Seite auf jeden Fall wieder mal besuchen! Wenn du Lust hast, kannst du ja auch mal auf meiner Homepage vorbei schauen. Ich würde mich sehr freuen. Nun wünsche ich eine tolle Zeit! Posted by: Volker from Germany | Jun 22, 2010 11:45:17 PM I think she can`t sing and should not do this. Posted by: Haarentfernung | Sep 29, 2010 2:05:04 AM hahahahhhahahhahahhahahahahaa Posted by: larry johnson | Oct 7, 2010 3:44:04 PM hahahah u got yo *** whoped Posted by: larry johnson | Oct 7, 2010 3:45:41 PM YEA MY FRIEND FACE LOOK LYKE DAHT LAST YEAR!!!!!YUH SO UGLIIIIIII Posted by: mESA CREASA | Oct 8, 2010 3:38:50 PM hay gurl Posted by: larry johnson | Oct 12, 2010 3:45:54 PM After she drinks a copious amount of water you tickler her until, well she pees on herself. Posted by: vivienne westwood | Oct 18, 2010 10:59:37 PM The orginal site is only available for users from denmark. Posted by: Flirt | Nov 1, 2010 10:07:18 AM The site http://www.hitthebitch.dk/ does not work for non-danmarks. I'm sad now :( Posted by: Catering | Nov 24, 2010 5:52:42 PM ich bin gerade auf einer kleinen Reise quer durchs web. Nun bin ich also auf dieser tollen Homepage gelandet und muss sagen Posted by: thomas sabo | Dec 9, 2010 1:55:00 AM It is true, this site only works for people in danmark. And i was so happy to slap this bitch ... Posted by: Aquarium komplett | Dec 24, 2010 5:43:43 PM Tolle Seite hier, ich würde mich über einen Gegenbesuch auf meiner Seite sehr freuen. Liebe Grüße Elena Nice page here, please take a look at my website too. Greetings from russian girl Elena Posted by: Russian Girl Elena | Jan 12, 2011 5:22:29 AM I am so impressed. I believe you have immense knowledge on the matter. I think you are too good? Keep working and keep it up!! Posted by: custom football jersey | Jan 18, 2011 9:59:49 PM Bin über Google hier auf diese Seite gestoßen, finde sie schön und interessant. Liebe Grüße aus Abilene! Posted by: Docven | Jan 24, 2011 4:05:32 PM Hello from Nastya I like this website very much, very interesting and very good webdesign. If you like, you can take a look at my website too. Best regards from Nastya Posted by: Nastya | Jan 28, 2011 5:34:29 PM Hello !!! I like this very interesting website. If you like, you can visit my website too. Ich finde diese interessante Webseite sehr toll. Wer mag darf gerne auch meine Seite besuchen. Gruesse von Marina - Greetings from Marina Posted by: movies free | Feb 7, 2011 4:47:51 PM Hi from Ludmilla ! This site is very interesting for me, if you like you can take a look at my site too. Tolle und informative Seite ist das hier, wer mag darf sich gerne auch auf meiner Seite umschauen. Gruss von Ludmilla Best regards Ludmilla Posted by: escort russia | Feb 8, 2011 9:34:45 AM it can reach people who otherwise might never get to look a different perspective on the consequences of such violence. I thought it was well thought out, and the message that what some think to be cool"gangsta" behavior is in actuality not cool at all, was well receieved. It hurt to me to see the floating arm hit her. I literally felt sick to my stomach. Maybe it was too graphic for some but in my opinion again, message recieved. Posted by: football customized jerseys | Feb 11, 2011 4:31:30 AM Hi from student Anastasia! Hallo von Studentin Anastasia! Nice website here, take a look at mine please! Schoene Webseite ist das hier, schaut doch auch auf meiner vorbei! Gruesse von Anastasia. Best Regards Anastasia. Posted by: Anastasia | Feb 11, 2011 9:04:16 PM Coole Site. Nice Posted by: Papiertragetaschen | Feb 17, 2011 4:14:40 PM Hallo, tolle WebSeite, viel Spam ;-) Posted by: Wärmepumpe | Feb 17, 2011 4:18:55 PM Aber echt tolle Seite Posted by: Hundefutter | Feb 17, 2011 6:25:48 PM Tolle Homepage und genialer Aufbau, gefällt mir sehr gut!! Vielleicht schauen sie mal auf meiner Homepage vorbei! Schöne Grüße aus Bayern Posted by: Manuel | Feb 23, 2011 3:48:25 PM Tolle Homepage und genialer Aufbau, gefällt mir sehr gut!! Vielleicht schauen sie mal auf meiner Homepage vorbei! Schöne Grüße aus Bayern Posted by: Manuel | Feb 23, 2011 3:48:25 PM Tolle Homepage und genialer Aufbau, gefällt mir sehr gut!! Vielleicht schauen sie mal auf meiner Homepage vorbei! Schöne Grüße aus Bayern Posted by: Manuel | Feb 23, 2011 3:48:25 PM Tolle Homepage und genialer Aufbau, gefällt mir sehr gut!! Vielleicht schauen sie mal auf meiner Homepage vorbei! Schöne Grüße aus Bayern Posted by: Manuel | Feb 23, 2011 3:48:25 PM Post a comment The opinions expressed in comments are those of the individual poster. They do not necessarily reflect the views of Adweek or E5 Global Media. Comments of a promotional nature or comments that are otherwise inappropriate may be removed.

– It’s supposed to be a PSA against domestic violence, but ‘Hit the Bitch’—a webgame from a Danish advocacy group—takes things to a disturbing level. Users manipulate a big onscreen hand to beat a model, with their score advancing from “100% pussy” to “100% gangsta” with every new bruise. But when one reaches “100% gangsta,” the screen in fact changes to “100% idiot”—the only indication it is indeed anti-violence, AdFreak reports. That "doesn't feel like much of a rebuke," blogs Tim Nudd. "Perhaps you're supposed to feel guilty, like a real-life abuser might, for continuing to hit the woman just to see what happens next? Who knows. Maybe something's getting lost in translation."

Additionally, KPMG estimated that: offering mothers a global return-to-work policy equivalent to a four-day week at full pay for their first six months back to work after maternity leave could save working mothers a cumulative $14 billion in childcare for their new babies; and a four-day week would enable mothers to spend a cumulative 608 million additional days with their newborn babies. In the U.S., this is a result of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) which was enacted in 1993, and guarantees job security for those who have been employed for at least a year, and who work for an organization with 50 or more employees. Vodafone Group Chief Executive Vittorio Colao, said: "Too many talented women leave working life because they face a difficult choice between either caring for a newborn baby or maintaining their careers.

– The US is the only country out of 38 that doesn't require paid maternity leave, according to a 2013 Pew Research Center study. And while the US Family and Medical Leave Act does provide for up to 12 weeks of leave for some employees with a new baby or other qualifying family situation, it's unpaid leave. A global telecom company, however, has decided it's not waiting for mandates from each of its affiliate nations, including the US: Vodafone will offer 16 paid weeks of maternity leave, covering new moms in the US, Africa, the Middle East, the Asia-Pacific region, and Europe, CBS News reports. And once moms are back behind the desk, the company takes its progressive policy one step further, paying a mother's full salary for a 30-hour workweek for the first six months. The changes will be implemented by the end of 2015, the Wall Street Journal reports. KPMG research commissioned by Vodafone estimated that businesses offering 16 paid weeks would dole out $28 billion a year globally for the benefits. But it also found that by saving $47 billion by not having to recruit and train new employees taking over for moms opting out of the workforce, companies would save $19 billion a year collectively. Vodafone CEO Vittorio Colao also thinks that since fewer moms will permanently off-ramp, his company can boost more women who work there (35% of its employees) into upper-management roles—only 21% of its international upper ranks are currently made up of women. (President Obama is on board with paid family leave.)

– Donald Trump is now America's president-elect and many commentators are calling it "unthinkable"—but they also admit it is a possibility they should have probably thought a lot more about. Some early reactions to the historic victory: Trump's "astonishing" victory "is the greatest upset in the modern history of American elections—convulsing the nation’s political order in ways so profound and disruptive its impact can’t even be guessed at," writes Glenn Thrush at Politico. He was able to defeat "a better-funded, better-organized Hillary Clinton by surfing a tsunami of working-class white rage that her army of numbers crunchers somehow missed," Thrush writes. What Trump "has done is nothing short of cataclysmic," writes Chris Cillizza at the Washington Post. "He has fundamentally reshaped the political map. He has broken the Republican Party into pieces—and its shards still remain scattered everywhere. He has proven that the political polling and punditry industries need a deep re-examination." But beyond that, Cillizza writes, the victory shows that "many of the assumptions that people have long made about who we are as a country and what we want out of our politicians, our political system and each other are, frankly, wrong." Conor Friedersdorf at the Atlantic says that he hopes Trump will "rise to the occasion"—but to be on the safe side, people should start thinking now about how to thwart Trump "misbehavior." "The most important project in American politics for the next four years is safeguarding the rights conferred by the Constitution and the norms of a liberal society," he writes. "The effort expended by ordinary citizens will determine the odds of that project’s success." Jim Rutenberg at the New York Times sees the media's failure to see what was happening leading up to the Trump win as not just a failure of polling, but a failure "to capture the boiling anger of a large portion of the American electorate that feels left behind by a selective recovery, betrayed by trade deals that they see as threats to their jobs and disrespected by establishment Washington, Wall Street and the mainstream media." Trump didn't just "vanquish" Clinton, writes Gerald F. Seib at the Wall Street Journal. He "instantly remade the Republican party in his own image. He rewrote some of the GOP’s most dearly held policy and philosophical positions." Trump has sent the capital into a "zone of uncertainty the likes of which it hasn’t experienced at least since Ronald Reagan’s conservative revolution in 1980," and is about to become "the most unconventional president in modern American history," Seib writes.