Recag/C4_26 · Datasets at Hugging Face

text stringlengths 12 57.6k
My heart aches for all of you.
Rest In Peace sweet boy.
Sending you much love to you and your family. Keeping you in my prayers. God Bless you.
Storm, Karen and Makayla; Our hearts ache with you. Praying God will give you strength to endure the pain. May He comfort you during this time.
As a parent and a friend, I hope you are surrounded with loving support. And can be supportive to each other. I am so sorry for your loss. May a silver lining of Joy and hope be a blazing, ever-present peace in your hearts. May your love for your son and all that is within your soul be expressed in deep faith, strength and gracious compassion for one another.
Dear Storm and Karen and Makayla, there are not enough words that can express our sincere condolences to you at this time. You are in our hearts and thoughts, and prayers.
Carol Pickett, Chiyoko Kensley,Crystal Weitz, Michelle Kensley.
Karen, Storm and Makayla, Leanne and I send our love and condolences. We hope that you are experiencing a peace that passes understanding during this time of loss. I'm so thankful for the years I got to spend with Denver in Calgary. We had a great Lifegroup and Denver was often the star of the show. He had a big heart and always made time for me even when we passed through Kelowna. I'm going to miss him. I know he is in a safe place with our God.
My Dearest Karen, I am so lost for words for you and your family. This is a loss no one should have to go through. My heart is truly saddened for your loss.
My prayers and thoughts will be with you.
Our hearts go out to you in your loss. Rest in the arms of Jesus and let Him wipe away your tears. But we know you will see him again in glory.
We are so sorry for your loss of your son Denver. May you be covered in a peace that's overwhelming.
Praying for you during this time of profound grief. I am so very sorry for the loss of your son and brother.
I am so very sorry to hear about Denver. Our hearts are breaking for you. Know that you are loved deeply and we will hold you tightly in our prayers.
Praying for peace and comfort during this time.
I am deeply sorry for your loss.
Our family is praying that love, strength and peace somehow find their way to all of you during this time. We love you.
During Paul Graham’s office hours at Disrupt NYC, one of the startups chosen to pitch to the Y Combinator co-founder was Emotely, a company that converts your smartphone into a wireless controller of web apps and games. Emotely Founder and CEO Francois Laberge was nowhere to be found, at which point TechCrunch’s Mike Arrington said that he remembered liking Emotely and that it was too bad, because he was “looking forward to hearing [Graham] give him advice”.
It was indeed a missed opportunity, but it turns out that Laberge had a good reason for not attending. We’ve since learned that Laberge and Emotely were busy being acquired by Brass Monkey, a company that makes software development kits (SDKs) for Android, iOS, and others, among them a more fleshed-out kit for turning smart devices into controllers.
Though the two companies are not yet sharing the full terms of the deal, it is clear that Laberge will be joining Brass Monkey as a member of the board as well as chief innovation officer, in which he will head the startup’s business strategy and HTML5 and mobile technology. The aqui-hire is a great fit for the two companies. Because Brass Monkey has a more fully developed controller-building SDK, with support for Flash, Unity3D, and desktop games and apps, Emotely’s ability to build controllers using HTML5 for both the interface and communication layer (with HTTP and WebSockets) provides a killer complement. It essentially allows Brass Monkey controllers to hit web browsers without the need for a plug-in.
So what is this “Emotely” I keep going on about? The startup provides a technology that enables mobile apps to communicate with webpages without requiring installation or setup on a user’s computer. Laberge said that the app communicates at over 150hz, meaning that actions performed on the smartphone are sent to webpages in 1/150th of a second, 2.5 times faster than human perception of movement. Which means there’s little perceptible lag time between the phone and your computer.
While Emotely does require a user to have their phone on the same LAN connection as your computer, most people already have their phones and tablets on WiFi when they’re at home. Within the app, users can then choose from a series of controllers, some requiring payment and some free. And since Emotely is built on top of an SDK, users and developers can build their own controllers — and because Emotely’s controllers are webpages, anyone with basic skills can create and register them on the site to then appear in the app. So, if you’ve got a controller setup you like more than the ones Emotely offers, you can create your own. Pretty cool.
Emotely was designed to make Nintendo Wii-style multiplayer games, in which multiple gamers can play while sharing a screen. By linking a computer to a TV, users can play web games from the comfort of their couch, and since consoles like PS3 and Nintendo Wii employ browsers, it seems that Emotely is Trojan Horse-ing its way right into your living room experience, placing it in a great position to help speed the convergence of computers and TVs.
“Emotely adds HTML5 support at a time when web-based games are revolutionizing the gaming industry”, said Brass Monkey President and CTO Chris Allen, “Flash is no longer the only choice for creating sophisticated experiences that run in a web browser. Allowing developers to choose HTML5 as an endpoint broadens our reach tremendously”.
Considering that Emotely includes controllers for games, playing movies, music, collaborative drawing apps, and slideshows that utilize all the features of modern smartphones, like multi-touch, motion controls, geo-location, in-app purchasing, and cameras, the final product produced by the two companies has the potential to be a disruptive force for gameplay and development. It’s some exciting stuff.
LETTER OF THE DAY: The council and the police ignore these ignorant parkers. Why?
LETTER: The PC brigade never learns, does it?
LETTER: Could Kashmir spark a nuclear war?
LETTER OF THE DAY: How many more grooming crimes?
LETTER OF THE DAY: Why not use Jacob's Well for the homeless?
LETTER: What's going to happen to Jacob's Well site?
LETTER OF THE DAY: What's happened to my brush?
LETTER: Do you remember the Bay City Rollers?
LETTER: What's going on with this popular shopping centre?
LETTER OF THE DAY: Happy memories of "the Bridge"
LETTER: When are we going to get serious about developers who flout planning permission?
LETTER: Is Bradford capable of attracting top talent?
LETTER: IF we ban halal perhaps Bradford's schools only serve vegetarian food?
LETTER: Does anyone understand these economic terms?
BURBANK, Ill. -- Two Chicago police officers killed in the line of duty were honored Tuesday’s at a “Heroes night” at a suburban high school.
Officers Conrad Gary and Eduardo Marmolejo died in December when they were hit and killed by a train while searching for a suspect.
The officers had a special connection to Oak Lawn and Reavis high schools. Officer Gary attended Oak Lawn and married a Reavis alum. Officer Marmolejo's relatives attend Reavis.
Tuesday’s game between the two schools took on special meaning.
Prior to the varsity boys game, Officer Marmolejo’s cousin addressed the crowd.
Officers from Chicago, Oak Lawn and Burbank were also on hand.
The night was a show of support both emotionally and financially. A t-shirt sale was part of the night’s events and 100 percent of those sales will go directly to the officers’ families.
It was also announced that scholarships in honor of the officers will be established in their names for students pursuing a career in law-enforcement at each school.
Most practicing Protestant youth already own one—and they’re reading it, according to researchers.
Virtually all Americans ages 13 to 17 who identify as Protestant, attend a religious service at least once a month, and say their faith is very important in their life, own a Bible.
And most of them are reading it, according to a new survey from the American Bible Society and Barna Group. Almost three-quarters read their Bible weekly or more: 16 percent read every day, 37 percent read several times a week, and 21 percent read once a week. Another 13 percent read once a month, 5 percent read three or four times a year, and 8 percent read less than that.
When you add in the 91 percent that hear the Bible read aloud at church once a week or more, it adds up to about 95 percent of practicing Protestant teens (79% of whom are non-mainline) hearing or reading the Bible at least weekly.
China struggles to control wage fever following a real estate boom.
China is likely to let its currency rise slowly under new reform, experts say.
China has deferred to Russia on the crisis in Kyrgyzstan.
China's military appears to be pursuing its own course on U.S. contacts, analysts say.
A former Chinese official looks back on pro-democracy protests.
Beijing tries to boost development in China's western region before the anniversary of riots in Urumqi.
Three former student leaders share reflection on China's 1989 pro-democracy movement.
Economists expect China’s soaring property prices to level off without spurring a crisis.
Beijing's naval expansion poses challenges for U.S. policies, experts say.
AJC has appointed Rabbi Serena Eisenberg as director of the global advocacy organization’s new Northern California Region.
“I am honored to be part of this eminent institution, and particularly excited to join with the strong AJC San Francisco team, led by Matt Kahn,” said Eisenberg. “I look forward to working with extraordinary individuals and organizations in the Bay Area, involved with AJC and with partner groups, to advocate for important American and Jewish values at such a critical moment for our country, for the Jewish community, and for the world."
Eisenberg will, among other tasks, oversee expansion of AJC outreach and activities in Silicon Valley.
“The addition of Rabbi Eisenberg to our staff marks an exciting time for our region and demonstrates AJC's commitment to growing its presence in the San Francisco Bay Area, particularly in Silicon Valley and the South Bay,” said Dr. Jonathan Graf, president of AJC San Francisco.
“As the premier Jewish global human relations organization, advocating for democracy, human rights, and Israel's proper place among the nations of the world, AJC's mission should resonate strongly with the Silicon Valley culture, and help foster the rapidly growing relationship between Israel and the high-tech economies of the world," Graf added.
Eisenberg joins the AJC staff after serving for six years as the Executive Director of Hillel at Stanford University. “As a Hillel director, I was impressed by the significant impact of AJC's Israel advocacy work on campuses nationally,” she said.
Prior to Stanford, she directed the Hillel at Brown University, her alma mater. She also spent six years living and working in Israel, and served as the interim director of the San Francisco Jewish Community Federation's Israel and Overseas Committee. Eisenberg was ordained by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, where she studied as a Wexner Graduate Fellow. Before entering the rabbinate, she completed a JD/MSW at UC Berkeley and worked as a social welfare advocate in the Bronx, New York, in Oakland, California, and in West Africa.
AJC, a non-partisan organization founded in 1906, has headquarters in New York, 22 offices across the U.S, 10 posts abroad, and 34 international partnerships with overseas Jewish communities and international student organizations.
The newly formed elite security force responsible for stabilizing security in the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian camp deployed Tuesday, after a ceremony that gathered the forces with residents and officials.
Those green lines are the main streets in Ain al-Hilweh that have witnessed significant security incidents. They also include the Safsaf neighborhood, the Fawqani Street, Fatah's offices at the camp's main entrance and the Jabal al-Halib area east of the camp.
There were no opposition to the force among the Palestinian factions, and their deployment has so far not faced any obstacles.
Jamal al-Khattab, an influential religious figure and Secretary of Islamist Factions in the camp, gave a speech in which he highlighted the role of the elite force.
The 150-member force was formed in response to the infiltration of radical groups in the camp, as well as the fighting that had occurred between the Fatah Movement and the extremist Fatah al-Islam.
A Hamas official will be appointed as deputy head of the force.
New York: The United States is now planning to install a steel barrier instead of a concrete wall along its border with Mexico, President Donald Trump said on Sunday indicating his administration and the opposition Democratic party are closer to resolving their difference on the issue, which has led to a partial government shutdown for a fortnight now.
"We are now planning a steel barrier rather than concrete (wall). It is both stronger and less obtrusive. Good solution, and made in the USA," Trump said.
The presidential comment came soon after US vice president Mike Pence held a meeting with representatives of the top Democratic Congressional leaders -- House speaker Nancy Pelosi and senate minority leader Chuck Schumer.
Trump described it as productive meeting.
"VP Mike Pence and group had a productive meeting with the Schumer and Pelosi representatives today. Many details of border security were discussed," he said.
"We've been in touch with a lot of people, and I informed my folks to say that we'll build a steel barrier. Steel. It'll be made out of steel. It'll be less obtrusive, and it'll be stronger. But it'll be less obtrusive, stronger, and we're able to use our great companies to make it, by using steel," Trump told reporters at the White House on his return from Camp David.
"So we're going to be doing a steel barrier, and that gives us great strength at the border," he said.
Responding to a question, Trump said the opposition Democrats did not like the option of a concrete wall along the Mexico border, so he has offered them with a steel one. Trump argues that a physical barrier along the US-Mexico border is essential to stop the flow of illegal immigrants into the US.
Whanganui is to delay the construction of a $38 million wastewater plant for three years.
The district council confirmed the decision this week during its long-term plan hearings.
Mayor Annette Main said the council was determined to get the job done properly this time, after the plant built in 2007 failed.
A rotting sludge accumulated in the treatment ponds, swathing parts of Whanganui in a foul odour.
Ms Main said the three-year delay will allow time to investigate how to reduce the unaffordable $9.7 million annual operating cost of a new plant.
The decision means raw sewage will continue to be discharged into the sea.
The cost of rebuilding Whanganui's failed wastewater treatment plant has ballooned from $25 million to $38 million.
Some ratepayers and councillors in Whanganui are questioning the cost of an odour-neutralising fence around the city's faulty wastewater plant.
The mayor of Whanganui says the council has been told the city's faulty wastewater plant can be salvaged, but needs costly upgrades.
More than $1 million and hundreds of extra staff hours fixing the stench from a failing wastewater plant in Whanganui is finally starting to work.
The Manawatu-Whanganui Regional Council says legal action was needed to ensure a solution is found to the odour problem at the district council's wastewater treatment plant.
Picking #Chicago in 6! Go #Blackhawks !
@MistyChasteen , what's your prediction?
There is a bonafide #Blackhawks Baby Bump that comes to new fathers on this team. Picking Versteeg as your breakout isn't a bad choice.
YAY, tomorrow's game 1 #NBAFinals with my #Warriors vs #Cavaliers ..Go Dubs! #NHLFinals tonight, game 1 #Blackhawks vs #TBLightning . ????????????????????????????????
Let's go, #Blackhawks - bring the Cup back home where it belongs!
I want to thank all the good people of Warren and Watchung who tried to help me find my lost cat named Jerry. Thanks to Craigslist.org and PetAmberAlert.com dozens of calls and emails gave me hope and clues.
Jerry was lost on Jan. 5 and he finally was caught with a large Hav-a-hart trap, from Warrenville Hardware, on the early morning of Jan. 15. It will be a while before Jerry fully adjusts from the survival mode, but he is making great progress.

My heart aches for all of you.

Rest In Peace sweet boy.

Sending you much love to you and your family. Keeping you in my prayers. God Bless you.

Storm, Karen and Makayla; Our hearts ache with you. Praying God will give you strength to endure the pain. May He comfort you during this time.

As a parent and a friend, I hope you are surrounded with loving support. And can be supportive to each other. I am so sorry for your loss. May a silver lining of Joy and hope be a blazing, ever-present peace in your hearts. May your love for your son and all that is within your soul be expressed in deep faith, strength and gracious compassion for one another.

Dear Storm and Karen and Makayla, there are not enough words that can express our sincere condolences to you at this time. You are in our hearts and thoughts, and prayers.

Carol Pickett, Chiyoko Kensley,Crystal Weitz, Michelle Kensley.

Karen, Storm and Makayla, Leanne and I send our love and condolences. We hope that you are experiencing a peace that passes understanding during this time of loss. I'm so thankful for the years I got to spend with Denver in Calgary. We had a great Lifegroup and Denver was often the star of the show. He had a big heart and always made time for me even when we passed through Kelowna. I'm going to miss him. I know he is in a safe place with our God.

My Dearest Karen, I am so lost for words for you and your family. This is a loss no one should have to go through. My heart is truly saddened for your loss.

My prayers and thoughts will be with you.

Our hearts go out to you in your loss. Rest in the arms of Jesus and let Him wipe away your tears. But we know you will see him again in glory.

We are so sorry for your loss of your son Denver. May you be covered in a peace that's overwhelming.

Praying for you during this time of profound grief. I am so very sorry for the loss of your son and brother.

I am so very sorry to hear about Denver. Our hearts are breaking for you. Know that you are loved deeply and we will hold you tightly in our prayers.

Praying for peace and comfort during this time.

I am deeply sorry for your loss.

Our family is praying that love, strength and peace somehow find their way to all of you during this time. We love you.

During Paul Graham’s office hours at Disrupt NYC, one of the startups chosen to pitch to the Y Combinator co-founder was Emotely, a company that converts your smartphone into a wireless controller of web apps and games. Emotely Founder and CEO Francois Laberge was nowhere to be found, at which point TechCrunch’s Mike Arrington said that he remembered liking Emotely and that it was too bad, because he was “looking forward to hearing [Graham] give him advice”.

It was indeed a missed opportunity, but it turns out that Laberge had a good reason for not attending. We’ve since learned that Laberge and Emotely were busy being acquired by Brass Monkey, a company that makes software development kits (SDKs) for Android, iOS, and others, among them a more fleshed-out kit for turning smart devices into controllers.

Though the two companies are not yet sharing the full terms of the deal, it is clear that Laberge will be joining Brass Monkey as a member of the board as well as chief innovation officer, in which he will head the startup’s business strategy and HTML5 and mobile technology. The aqui-hire is a great fit for the two companies. Because Brass Monkey has a more fully developed controller-building SDK, with support for Flash, Unity3D, and desktop games and apps, Emotely’s ability to build controllers using HTML5 for both the interface and communication layer (with HTTP and WebSockets) provides a killer complement. It essentially allows Brass Monkey controllers to hit web browsers without the need for a plug-in.

So what is this “Emotely” I keep going on about? The startup provides a technology that enables mobile apps to communicate with webpages without requiring installation or setup on a user’s computer. Laberge said that the app communicates at over 150hz, meaning that actions performed on the smartphone are sent to webpages in 1/150th of a second, 2.5 times faster than human perception of movement. Which means there’s little perceptible lag time between the phone and your computer.

While Emotely does require a user to have their phone on the same LAN connection as your computer, most people already have their phones and tablets on WiFi when they’re at home. Within the app, users can then choose from a series of controllers, some requiring payment and some free. And since Emotely is built on top of an SDK, users and developers can build their own controllers — and because Emotely’s controllers are webpages, anyone with basic skills can create and register them on the site to then appear in the app. So, if you’ve got a controller setup you like more than the ones Emotely offers, you can create your own. Pretty cool.

Emotely was designed to make Nintendo Wii-style multiplayer games, in which multiple gamers can play while sharing a screen. By linking a computer to a TV, users can play web games from the comfort of their couch, and since consoles like PS3 and Nintendo Wii employ browsers, it seems that Emotely is Trojan Horse-ing its way right into your living room experience, placing it in a great position to help speed the convergence of computers and TVs.

“Emotely adds HTML5 support at a time when web-based games are revolutionizing the gaming industry”, said Brass Monkey President and CTO Chris Allen, “Flash is no longer the only choice for creating sophisticated experiences that run in a web browser. Allowing developers to choose HTML5 as an endpoint broadens our reach tremendously”.

Considering that Emotely includes controllers for games, playing movies, music, collaborative drawing apps, and slideshows that utilize all the features of modern smartphones, like multi-touch, motion controls, geo-location, in-app purchasing, and cameras, the final product produced by the two companies has the potential to be a disruptive force for gameplay and development. It’s some exciting stuff.

LETTER OF THE DAY: The council and the police ignore these ignorant parkers. Why?

LETTER: The PC brigade never learns, does it?

LETTER: Could Kashmir spark a nuclear war?

LETTER OF THE DAY: How many more grooming crimes?

LETTER OF THE DAY: Why not use Jacob's Well for the homeless?

LETTER: What's going to happen to Jacob's Well site?

LETTER OF THE DAY: What's happened to my brush?

LETTER: Do you remember the Bay City Rollers?

LETTER: What's going on with this popular shopping centre?

LETTER OF THE DAY: Happy memories of "the Bridge"

LETTER: When are we going to get serious about developers who flout planning permission?

LETTER: Is Bradford capable of attracting top talent?

LETTER: IF we ban halal perhaps Bradford's schools only serve vegetarian food?

LETTER: Does anyone understand these economic terms?

BURBANK, Ill. -- Two Chicago police officers killed in the line of duty were honored Tuesday’s at a “Heroes night” at a suburban high school.

Officers Conrad Gary and Eduardo Marmolejo died in December when they were hit and killed by a train while searching for a suspect.

The officers had a special connection to Oak Lawn and Reavis high schools. Officer Gary attended Oak Lawn and married a Reavis alum. Officer Marmolejo's relatives attend Reavis.

Tuesday’s game between the two schools took on special meaning.

Prior to the varsity boys game, Officer Marmolejo’s cousin addressed the crowd.

Officers from Chicago, Oak Lawn and Burbank were also on hand.

The night was a show of support both emotionally and financially. A t-shirt sale was part of the night’s events and 100 percent of those sales will go directly to the officers’ families.

It was also announced that scholarships in honor of the officers will be established in their names for students pursuing a career in law-enforcement at each school.

Most practicing Protestant youth already own one—and they’re reading it, according to researchers.

Virtually all Americans ages 13 to 17 who identify as Protestant, attend a religious service at least once a month, and say their faith is very important in their life, own a Bible.

And most of them are reading it, according to a new survey from the American Bible Society and Barna Group. Almost three-quarters read their Bible weekly or more: 16 percent read every day, 37 percent read several times a week, and 21 percent read once a week. Another 13 percent read once a month, 5 percent read three or four times a year, and 8 percent read less than that.

When you add in the 91 percent that hear the Bible read aloud at church once a week or more, it adds up to about 95 percent of practicing Protestant teens (79% of whom are non-mainline) hearing or reading the Bible at least weekly.

China struggles to control wage fever following a real estate boom.

China is likely to let its currency rise slowly under new reform, experts say.

China has deferred to Russia on the crisis in Kyrgyzstan.

China's military appears to be pursuing its own course on U.S. contacts, analysts say.

A former Chinese official looks back on pro-democracy protests.

Beijing tries to boost development in China's western region before the anniversary of riots in Urumqi.

Three former student leaders share reflection on China's 1989 pro-democracy movement.

Economists expect China’s soaring property prices to level off without spurring a crisis.

Beijing's naval expansion poses challenges for U.S. policies, experts say.

AJC has appointed Rabbi Serena Eisenberg as director of the global advocacy organization’s new Northern California Region.

“I am honored to be part of this eminent institution, and particularly excited to join with the strong AJC San Francisco team, led by Matt Kahn,” said Eisenberg. “I look forward to working with extraordinary individuals and organizations in the Bay Area, involved with AJC and with partner groups, to advocate for important American and Jewish values at such a critical moment for our country, for the Jewish community, and for the world."

Eisenberg will, among other tasks, oversee expansion of AJC outreach and activities in Silicon Valley.

“The addition of Rabbi Eisenberg to our staff marks an exciting time for our region and demonstrates AJC's commitment to growing its presence in the San Francisco Bay Area, particularly in Silicon Valley and the South Bay,” said Dr. Jonathan Graf, president of AJC San Francisco.

“As the premier Jewish global human relations organization, advocating for democracy, human rights, and Israel's proper place among the nations of the world, AJC's mission should resonate strongly with the Silicon Valley culture, and help foster the rapidly growing relationship between Israel and the high-tech economies of the world," Graf added.

Eisenberg joins the AJC staff after serving for six years as the Executive Director of Hillel at Stanford University. “As a Hillel director, I was impressed by the significant impact of AJC's Israel advocacy work on campuses nationally,” she said.

Prior to Stanford, she directed the Hillel at Brown University, her alma mater. She also spent six years living and working in Israel, and served as the interim director of the San Francisco Jewish Community Federation's Israel and Overseas Committee. Eisenberg was ordained by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, where she studied as a Wexner Graduate Fellow. Before entering the rabbinate, she completed a JD/MSW at UC Berkeley and worked as a social welfare advocate in the Bronx, New York, in Oakland, California, and in West Africa.

AJC, a non-partisan organization founded in 1906, has headquarters in New York, 22 offices across the U.S, 10 posts abroad, and 34 international partnerships with overseas Jewish communities and international student organizations.

The newly formed elite security force responsible for stabilizing security in the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian camp deployed Tuesday, after a ceremony that gathered the forces with residents and officials.

Those green lines are the main streets in Ain al-Hilweh that have witnessed significant security incidents. They also include the Safsaf neighborhood, the Fawqani Street, Fatah's offices at the camp's main entrance and the Jabal al-Halib area east of the camp.

There were no opposition to the force among the Palestinian factions, and their deployment has so far not faced any obstacles.

Jamal al-Khattab, an influential religious figure and Secretary of Islamist Factions in the camp, gave a speech in which he highlighted the role of the elite force.

The 150-member force was formed in response to the infiltration of radical groups in the camp, as well as the fighting that had occurred between the Fatah Movement and the extremist Fatah al-Islam.

A Hamas official will be appointed as deputy head of the force.

New York: The United States is now planning to install a steel barrier instead of a concrete wall along its border with Mexico, President Donald Trump said on Sunday indicating his administration and the opposition Democratic party are closer to resolving their difference on the issue, which has led to a partial government shutdown for a fortnight now.

"We are now planning a steel barrier rather than concrete (wall). It is both stronger and less obtrusive. Good solution, and made in the USA," Trump said.

The presidential comment came soon after US vice president Mike Pence held a meeting with representatives of the top Democratic Congressional leaders -- House speaker Nancy Pelosi and senate minority leader Chuck Schumer.

Trump described it as productive meeting.

"VP Mike Pence and group had a productive meeting with the Schumer and Pelosi representatives today. Many details of border security were discussed," he said.

"We've been in touch with a lot of people, and I informed my folks to say that we'll build a steel barrier. Steel. It'll be made out of steel. It'll be less obtrusive, and it'll be stronger. But it'll be less obtrusive, stronger, and we're able to use our great companies to make it, by using steel," Trump told reporters at the White House on his return from Camp David.

"So we're going to be doing a steel barrier, and that gives us great strength at the border," he said.

Responding to a question, Trump said the opposition Democrats did not like the option of a concrete wall along the Mexico border, so he has offered them with a steel one. Trump argues that a physical barrier along the US-Mexico border is essential to stop the flow of illegal immigrants into the US.

Whanganui is to delay the construction of a $38 million wastewater plant for three years.

The district council confirmed the decision this week during its long-term plan hearings.

Mayor Annette Main said the council was determined to get the job done properly this time, after the plant built in 2007 failed.

A rotting sludge accumulated in the treatment ponds, swathing parts of Whanganui in a foul odour.

Ms Main said the three-year delay will allow time to investigate how to reduce the unaffordable $9.7 million annual operating cost of a new plant.

The decision means raw sewage will continue to be discharged into the sea.

The cost of rebuilding Whanganui's failed wastewater treatment plant has ballooned from $25 million to $38 million.

Some ratepayers and councillors in Whanganui are questioning the cost of an odour-neutralising fence around the city's faulty wastewater plant.

The mayor of Whanganui says the council has been told the city's faulty wastewater plant can be salvaged, but needs costly upgrades.

More than $1 million and hundreds of extra staff hours fixing the stench from a failing wastewater plant in Whanganui is finally starting to work.

The Manawatu-Whanganui Regional Council says legal action was needed to ensure a solution is found to the odour problem at the district council's wastewater treatment plant.

Picking #Chicago in 6! Go #Blackhawks !

@MistyChasteen , what's your prediction?

There is a bonafide #Blackhawks Baby Bump that comes to new fathers on this team. Picking Versteeg as your breakout isn't a bad choice.

YAY, tomorrow's game 1 #NBAFinals with my #Warriors vs #Cavaliers ..Go Dubs! #NHLFinals tonight, game 1 #Blackhawks vs #TBLightning . ????????????????????????????????

Let's go, #Blackhawks - bring the Cup back home where it belongs!

I want to thank all the good people of Warren and Watchung who tried to help me find my lost cat named Jerry. Thanks to Craigslist.org and PetAmberAlert.com dozens of calls and emails gave me hope and clues.

Jerry was lost on Jan. 5 and he finally was caught with a large Hav-a-hart trap, from Warrenville Hardware, on the early morning of Jan. 15. It will be a while before Jerry fully adjusts from the survival mode, but he is making great progress.