Recag/C4_35 · Datasets at Hugging Face

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Kendrick said next week, the organization will start reaching out to the rest of the cities and villages in the county that haven’t yet considered a Tobacco 21 initiative.
According to Summit County Public Health data, 95 percent of adult smokers begin smoking before they turn 21. In Summit County, about 15 percent of people ages 18 to 20 smoke.
Eighteen- to 20-year-olds with tobacco products won’t be punished. But any tobacco products sold or given to anyone under 21 are subject to seizure and forfeiture as contraband, according to the ordinance.
Businesses that sell tobacco products will be required to get a one-time $150 certificate of compliance. First violations for businesses that sell tobacco products to people younger than 21 will not result in fines.
Second violations will incur a $500 civil fine, and each subsequent violation will result in a $1,000 civil fine. The fines will go toward efforts to prevent those under 21 from smoking or to promote smoking cessation.
Summit County Public Health will enforce the rule and issue the fines, with inspections and undercover purchases.
Rodgers proposed an amendment requiring any fees or fines the public health organization collects related to the measure go into Summit County's general fund, with the county then distributing the money back to the organization, saying council should be kept in the loop.
But after Summit County Public Health Commissioner Donna Skoda said the organization would provide quarterly updates to council, Rodgers withdrew her proposed motion.
“That's been our hope since the beginning. We just hope that it includes vaping devices and enforcement,” Kendrick added.
Once again, artist Marguerite Christine has sent Internet denizens down a cryptographic rabbit hole.
I’m not sure “happy” is the word that the multitude of treasure hunters would use to describe their efforts to unlock the secret and claim the Bitcoins. But it has once again become a massive obsession for many searchers. Just scroll through this thread on Reddit dedicated to solving it, or this one on Bitcoin Talk.
The prize is worth roughly about $1,400, but that doesn’t really justify the huge time investment to solve it. Clearly, being part of the challenge and an obsession to solve the riddle are a reward unto themselves for many participants.
This is the third Bitcoin puzzle in a series called “The Legend of Satoshi Nakamoto” (the name or pseudo-name of the person credited with creating Bitcoin).
Christine is the lead of the project, and this time around she created the cryptographic puzzle with the help of three other team members: Rob Myers, an artist and programmer based in Vancouver, B.C.; Ruben Alexander, a graphic designer based in Massachusetts; and Tyler, a nano-materials engineer based, like Christine, in North Carolina.
If you want to get a sense of just how complex the puzzle is, and how much work goes into creating it, then I suggest you (try to) read the 32-page explanation for the solution to her last piece.
I reached out to Christine, 29, to ask her why she creates these pieces and what inspired her. In an email exchange, she said the project came out of her growing involvement with the Bitcoin movement.
The more she connected with other Bitcoin community members, the more inspired she became to reflect that in her art.
But while the painting is the end result, it is only the very last stage of her own work, a process she’s found every bit as thrilling as the art.
Still, she was surprised by the degree to which her own growing obsession with Bitcoin, cryptography, and art seemed to resonate with others.
In an email, deCourcelle said he decided to get involved because he felt it would help spread the word about Bitcoin.
“I believe there are new, innovative ways we can educate the public regarding Bitcoin, cryptography and blockchain technology,” he said.
Alexander said he contacted Christine after becoming hooked by reading the 32-page solution to the last puzzle.
Myers said he learned programming at art school and had used encryption in previous commercial networking projects.
There is no deadline for solving the puzzle. Meanwhile, Christine said she’s already working on her next Bitcoin art.
NEWARK, N.J. – Akeem Johnson scored on a layup with 5 seconds left to give St. Francis (N.Y.) a dramatic 89-87 victory over New Jersey Institute of Technology on Sunday in a nonconference thriller.
The Terriers (4-7) thwarted a furious comeback by NJIT (6-7). With 9:22 left to play, St. Francis held a seemingly comfortable 76-53 lead.
But the Highlanders scored 61 points in the second half. They rallied behind Ryan Woods, who led NJIT with 19 points, Chris Flores (16) and P.J. Miller. The last of Miller's 14 points came on a 3-point play that tied it at 87-87 with 26 seconds left. Miller was fouled by Johnson, who soon atoned for his personal.
Johnson's driving layup was the game-winner. When Miller missed a 3-point prayer, St. Francis could exhale.
For the Terriers, Jalen Cannon led the way with 23 points and 12 rebounds for a double-double. Ben Mockford added 15 points.
A judge ordered the 75-year-old multimillionaire to stand trial in the shooting of Susan Berman.
LOS ANGELES – Robert Durst, the New York real estate heir from Scarsdale who was the subject of a television documentary series, was ordered Thursday to stand trial for the murder of his close friend in Los Angeles 18 years ago.
A judge ruled that there’s enough evidence to try the eccentric 75-year-old multimillionaire for the point-blank shooting of Susan Berman at her home. Durst has pleaded not guilty.
Durst allegedly killed Berman, his friend from college and the daughter of a Las Vegas mobster, to keep her from telling police what she knew about his first wife's 1982 disappearance in Westchester County, prosecutors contend.
Kathleen Durst went missing in February 1982 from their South Salem home, nine years after marrying Durst and a month after he allegedly beat her, landing her in the hospital. She was finally declared dead last year.
Durst, who has never been charged with a crime related to his wife’s disappearance, has denied killing either woman.
Durst remains jailed without bail and was ordered back to court Nov. 8 for arraignment. The murder charge against him includes the special circumstance allegations of lying in wait and killing a witness to a crime. There is also an allegation that he personally used a handgun to carry out the murder.
At the end of the preliminary proceedings that were continued over several months, Durst’s attorney, David Chesnoff, argued that there was no hard evidence — such as DNA, fingerprints or witnesses — linking him to Berman’s killing. A call seeking further comment from Chesnoff was not returned Thursday.
Durst was arrested in New Orleans in March 2015, just hours before the airing of the final episode of HBO’s “The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst.” The documentary examined the disappearance of his wife, and the killings of Berman and a Texas neighbor, Morris Black, in 2001. A jury acquitted him of Black’s murder after finding that the killing was in self defense.
Prosecutors will try to make the connection between Berman’s death and the mystery around Kathleen Durst’s disappearance, which they want to show as the foundation for the motive for Berman’s slaying.
After Kathleen Durst vanished, Berman served as Robert Durst’s unofficial spokeswoman. But prosecutors and witnesses in a series of earlier hearings said she did much more.
Berman told friends over the years that Durst acknowledged killing his wife and said she helped him cover his tracks. Prosecutors hope to use those hearsay statements at trial, which defense attorneys have vigorously challenged.
Berman told one friend who testified at an earlier hearing that if anything happened to her, Durst would be the culprit.
March 27, 2019, 3:57 p.m.
March 27, 2019, 4:40 p.m.
March 27, 2019, 12:10 p.m.
March 26, 2019, 6:22 p.m.
March 26, 2019, 7:57 p.m.
March 26, 2019, 4:28 p.m.
VANCOUVER - Clinching a spot in the playoffs remains the prime objective, but as the Vancouver Canucks head out on an important three-game road trip the team hasn't given up on the thought of finishing first in the Northwest Division.
Vancouver plays the Calgary Flames Tuesday, the Colorado Avalanche Wednesday and then the division-leading Minnesota Wild Friday. If the Canucks can pick up nine points in their remaining seven games that pretty much secures them a playoff spot no matter what the other teams around them do.
"We're not out of the woods yet," centre Brendan Morrison said after the Canucks practised Monday at GM Place. "I like our position.
"We control where we end up. That's what you want to have. You don't want to have your fate in other team's hands. That's what I like about our position."
Heading into Monday night the Canucks were seventh in the Western Conference with 86 points from a 38-27-10 record. That left them two points ahead of Colorado, who held the eighth and final playoff spot, and a pair back of Calgary.
Minnesota led the division with 89 points.
Centre Ryan Kesler said the Canucks can still catch the Wild and repeat as division champions.
"We have a shot," said Kesler, who is third on the Canucks with 20 goals. "We need some help from some other teams."
Morrison, who is back in the lineup after missing 38 games with a wrist injury, agreed.
"It's very realistic," he said. "We play them head-to-head. We can close the gap that way."
While the Canucks eye the possibility of finishing third in the division, they can't lose sight of missing the playoffs all together. Heading into Monday night, only four points separated them from ninth-place Nashville and five from 10th-place Edmonton.
Goaltender Roberto Luongo said it's hard not to watch the scoreboard every night.
"You don't know who to root for," he said. "You just have to make sure when it's your turn, you take care of business. That's the easiest way for us to get it done.
"If we don't get our games won when we play, it's going to be hard to win the division."
There is another variable that could have an impact the Canucks' playoff equation. Luongo's wife Gina is due to give birth to the couple's first child back in Florida during the first week of April.
The Canucks are scheduled to wrap up the regular season that week with home games against Colorado, Edmonton and Calgary.
Coach Alain Vigneault said the club has already made plans if Luongo is suddenly called away.
"We've got different scenarios laid out," said Vigneault, although he refused to be specific. "I think his focus right now is on Calgary and the next game."
Luongo said he's trying to concentrate on hockey, not the difficult decision he could face if both the team and his family needs him.
"There are a million different scenarios that can happen," he said. "I can't start worrying about everything that could happen. You just hope everything will work out well."
Morrison, a father of three, said it's a no-brainer that Luongo should be on hand for the birth of his child.
"You have to put your family first," said Morrison. "That's the way it is.
"Hopefully we can get some wins here, get that cushion, so he can take a leave of absence and have some peace of mind."
The Canucks play Calgary three times before the season ends, Colorado twice and finish their season series against the Wild Friday.
This season Vancouver is 4-1 against the Flames, 2-3-1 when playing the Avalanche and 3-3-1 against Minnesota.
Defenceman Willie Mitchell said Calgary is a better team now than when the teams last met in December. Heading into Monday, Flame captain Jarome Iginla was third in the NHL with 48 goals while goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff was third with 37 wins.
"They are a big physical team," said Mitchell, who has been playing with a face shield to protect teeth loosened after being hit in the face with a puck in a March 15 game against Dallas. "They compete hard.
"Earlier in the year Kiprusoff wasn't totally on his game. I think he's on his game now. They are a much different team than we played earlier in the year."
The U.S. election primary races taking place now aren’t just a matter of intense interest for Americans: China’s propaganda and media apparatus also appears excited about the prospect of again cynically demonstrating the flaws in American democracy, lest too many Chinese citizens get the wrong idea about China’s own one-Party dictatorship.
Bowen’s report could not be independently verified. A version of it was cited by Radio Free Asia and Apple Daily, and RFA cited its own source—a journalist at a state-run media outlet—saying that while he had not seen such a notice, it did not seem out of the ordinary.
Chinese media should focus on scandals, instead, the notice instructed: issues like how much money is involved in the election, and the personal wealth of the candidates.
A search on Baidu, the largest search engine in China, and across state-affiliated websites, demonstrates that the coverage about the U.S. election broadly corresponds with the tone set by the notice. The number of reports casting a cynical eye at the election, for instance, far outstrips those that present a measured or positive analysis of democracy.
The Party’s chief mouthpiece, China Central Television, took a jab at the U.S. primaries by calling them “a test of the performance skills of candidates,” and “an election for the rich that will exacerbate social polarization,” in two separate articles published on Jan. 30 and Feb. 1.
Of course, views similar to these are available in the United States—though they exist as part of a continuum, and are countervailed by other perspectives, and the freedom for all to express themselves. In the Chinese context, the reporting is aimed solely at disparaging democracy for the purpose of propping up the legitimacy of Party dictatorship.
But some of the complaints about U.S. democracy seemed to descend to the petty.
“If you are a U.S. voter, if you ever leave your personal information with any company, then the political parties may be able to get your information to identify potential supporters,” warned the website of the Organization Department of Chongqing, responsible for personnel matters in the Party.
Even the Central Compilation and Translation Bureau saw fit to offer an opinion on the U.S. elections. “Many developing countries only take notice of ‘elections’ on the surface in the U.S. system, but fail to see the flaws of the western democratic election system,” it said.
Victims of China’s Religious Liberty ‘Crackdown’ Appeal to Obama—But Will He Help?
Sergio Garcia of Spain leads by two strokes after a hard-fought even-par 71 on day two of the 136th Open Championship at Carnoustie.
Garcia leads South Korea's KJ Choi, who fired his second 69, by two.
Garcia's compatriot Miguel Angel Jimenez (71) is one shot further back, alongside Canada's Mike Weir (68).
Tiger Woods struggled to a 74 to finish seven off the lead while Lee Westwood (70) and Alastair Forsyth (71) are the top Britons on one under.
2039: There are a few groups still out on the course, but none who are likely to threaten the top of the leaderboard. So I'm going to call it a night - Sam Lyon in the morning, me in the afternoon and I'm off to slap a few quid on Mike Weir...enjoy your Friday night.
2032: Pelle Edberg is blowing up down the stretch. Three under after 14, the Swede is now two over after 17 following a sequence of double bogey, bogey, double bogey. His compatriot Fredrik Andersson Hed is fairing far better over the closing holes - he's evens after pars at 16 and 17.
2028: Austria's Markus Brier stumbles over the finish line, bogeying the last for a round of 75 and one over for the tournament. The wheels come off for former USPGA champion Rich Beem at 18 - he makes double bogey to slip back to one over and seven off the lead. Frenchman Gregory Havret can't find a miracle at the last either - a bogey for him and the Scottish Open champion will be missing at the weekend.
2026: Garcia is 7/4 favourite to win the event going into the weekend, Tiger Woods 13/2, despite being seven shots back. KJ Choi is 8/1, Jim Furyk 9/1 and Ernie Els 20/1. For some reason, I just can't see Garcia holding his nerve. I fancy Mike Weir might pull this off.
2018: America's JJ Henry is in with a 71 and he's five off the lead on one under. Not many still out on the course, but there is drama on the 17th as Sweden's Pelle Edberg, still smarting from dropped shots at 15 and 16, rips off his headband and goes toe to toe with an elderly woman who scampered onto the fairway and pocketed his ball. Sorry, I made that up...I don't have any TV pictures...this is what I'm reduced to. Hello? Hello?
2009: Sweden's Pelle Edberg is in freefall down the stretch - a bogey at 16 brings him back to even par for the tournament. Scottish Open champion Gregory Havret of France needs an unlikely birdie at the last to make the cut. Big names to miss the projected cut today are Phil Mickelson, David Toms, Paul Lawrie, Colin Montgomerie, Darren Clarke, Geoff Ogilvy, John Daly, Davis Love and Nick Faldo. We wish them all a safe flight home.
2003: McGinley is managing to hold his round together - that's par at 15, 16, and 17 and four at the last would give him a 75 and even par overall.
1950: The cut, we think at this stage, will be four over, which would mean the end of the road for Colin Montgomerie and Paul Lawrie, who won at Carnoustie in 1999. I've just lost pictures for the evening which means I am now doing the commentary from a leaderboard, which brings a whole new meaning to the word 'pointless'. Edberg did emerge from the aforementioned thicket on 15 to make double bogey and slip back to one under.
"Gentlemen, why does the PGA condone the filthy habit of these professionals spitting? Hankies are not expensive!"
1939: Tom Lehman, champion in 1996, is putting a good round together, he's one over for the day going down the 18th and three over for the tournament. Edberg is up to his neck in it on 15, I can just see his shock of blonde hair poking out from a thicket to the left of the fairway.

Kendrick said next week, the organization will start reaching out to the rest of the cities and villages in the county that haven’t yet considered a Tobacco 21 initiative.

According to Summit County Public Health data, 95 percent of adult smokers begin smoking before they turn 21. In Summit County, about 15 percent of people ages 18 to 20 smoke.

Eighteen- to 20-year-olds with tobacco products won’t be punished. But any tobacco products sold or given to anyone under 21 are subject to seizure and forfeiture as contraband, according to the ordinance.

Businesses that sell tobacco products will be required to get a one-time $150 certificate of compliance. First violations for businesses that sell tobacco products to people younger than 21 will not result in fines.

Second violations will incur a $500 civil fine, and each subsequent violation will result in a $1,000 civil fine. The fines will go toward efforts to prevent those under 21 from smoking or to promote smoking cessation.

Summit County Public Health will enforce the rule and issue the fines, with inspections and undercover purchases.

Rodgers proposed an amendment requiring any fees or fines the public health organization collects related to the measure go into Summit County's general fund, with the county then distributing the money back to the organization, saying council should be kept in the loop.

But after Summit County Public Health Commissioner Donna Skoda said the organization would provide quarterly updates to council, Rodgers withdrew her proposed motion.

“That's been our hope since the beginning. We just hope that it includes vaping devices and enforcement,” Kendrick added.

Once again, artist Marguerite Christine has sent Internet denizens down a cryptographic rabbit hole.

I’m not sure “happy” is the word that the multitude of treasure hunters would use to describe their efforts to unlock the secret and claim the Bitcoins. But it has once again become a massive obsession for many searchers. Just scroll through this thread on Reddit dedicated to solving it, or this one on Bitcoin Talk.

The prize is worth roughly about $1,400, but that doesn’t really justify the huge time investment to solve it. Clearly, being part of the challenge and an obsession to solve the riddle are a reward unto themselves for many participants.

This is the third Bitcoin puzzle in a series called “The Legend of Satoshi Nakamoto” (the name or pseudo-name of the person credited with creating Bitcoin).

Christine is the lead of the project, and this time around she created the cryptographic puzzle with the help of three other team members: Rob Myers, an artist and programmer based in Vancouver, B.C.; Ruben Alexander, a graphic designer based in Massachusetts; and Tyler, a nano-materials engineer based, like Christine, in North Carolina.

If you want to get a sense of just how complex the puzzle is, and how much work goes into creating it, then I suggest you (try to) read the 32-page explanation for the solution to her last piece.

I reached out to Christine, 29, to ask her why she creates these pieces and what inspired her. In an email exchange, she said the project came out of her growing involvement with the Bitcoin movement.

The more she connected with other Bitcoin community members, the more inspired she became to reflect that in her art.

But while the painting is the end result, it is only the very last stage of her own work, a process she’s found every bit as thrilling as the art.

Still, she was surprised by the degree to which her own growing obsession with Bitcoin, cryptography, and art seemed to resonate with others.

In an email, deCourcelle said he decided to get involved because he felt it would help spread the word about Bitcoin.

“I believe there are new, innovative ways we can educate the public regarding Bitcoin, cryptography and blockchain technology,” he said.

Alexander said he contacted Christine after becoming hooked by reading the 32-page solution to the last puzzle.

Myers said he learned programming at art school and had used encryption in previous commercial networking projects.

There is no deadline for solving the puzzle. Meanwhile, Christine said she’s already working on her next Bitcoin art.

NEWARK, N.J. – Akeem Johnson scored on a layup with 5 seconds left to give St. Francis (N.Y.) a dramatic 89-87 victory over New Jersey Institute of Technology on Sunday in a nonconference thriller.

The Terriers (4-7) thwarted a furious comeback by NJIT (6-7). With 9:22 left to play, St. Francis held a seemingly comfortable 76-53 lead.

But the Highlanders scored 61 points in the second half. They rallied behind Ryan Woods, who led NJIT with 19 points, Chris Flores (16) and P.J. Miller. The last of Miller's 14 points came on a 3-point play that tied it at 87-87 with 26 seconds left. Miller was fouled by Johnson, who soon atoned for his personal.

Johnson's driving layup was the game-winner. When Miller missed a 3-point prayer, St. Francis could exhale.

For the Terriers, Jalen Cannon led the way with 23 points and 12 rebounds for a double-double. Ben Mockford added 15 points.

A judge ordered the 75-year-old multimillionaire to stand trial in the shooting of Susan Berman.

LOS ANGELES – Robert Durst, the New York real estate heir from Scarsdale who was the subject of a television documentary series, was ordered Thursday to stand trial for the murder of his close friend in Los Angeles 18 years ago.

A judge ruled that there’s enough evidence to try the eccentric 75-year-old multimillionaire for the point-blank shooting of Susan Berman at her home. Durst has pleaded not guilty.

Durst allegedly killed Berman, his friend from college and the daughter of a Las Vegas mobster, to keep her from telling police what she knew about his first wife's 1982 disappearance in Westchester County, prosecutors contend.

Kathleen Durst went missing in February 1982 from their South Salem home, nine years after marrying Durst and a month after he allegedly beat her, landing her in the hospital. She was finally declared dead last year.

Durst, who has never been charged with a crime related to his wife’s disappearance, has denied killing either woman.

Durst remains jailed without bail and was ordered back to court Nov. 8 for arraignment. The murder charge against him includes the special circumstance allegations of lying in wait and killing a witness to a crime. There is also an allegation that he personally used a handgun to carry out the murder.

At the end of the preliminary proceedings that were continued over several months, Durst’s attorney, David Chesnoff, argued that there was no hard evidence — such as DNA, fingerprints or witnesses — linking him to Berman’s killing. A call seeking further comment from Chesnoff was not returned Thursday.

Durst was arrested in New Orleans in March 2015, just hours before the airing of the final episode of HBO’s “The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst.” The documentary examined the disappearance of his wife, and the killings of Berman and a Texas neighbor, Morris Black, in 2001. A jury acquitted him of Black’s murder after finding that the killing was in self defense.

Prosecutors will try to make the connection between Berman’s death and the mystery around Kathleen Durst’s disappearance, which they want to show as the foundation for the motive for Berman’s slaying.

After Kathleen Durst vanished, Berman served as Robert Durst’s unofficial spokeswoman. But prosecutors and witnesses in a series of earlier hearings said she did much more.

Berman told friends over the years that Durst acknowledged killing his wife and said she helped him cover his tracks. Prosecutors hope to use those hearsay statements at trial, which defense attorneys have vigorously challenged.

Berman told one friend who testified at an earlier hearing that if anything happened to her, Durst would be the culprit.

March 27, 2019, 3:57 p.m.

March 27, 2019, 4:40 p.m.

March 27, 2019, 12:10 p.m.

March 26, 2019, 6:22 p.m.

March 26, 2019, 7:57 p.m.

March 26, 2019, 4:28 p.m.

VANCOUVER - Clinching a spot in the playoffs remains the prime objective, but as the Vancouver Canucks head out on an important three-game road trip the team hasn't given up on the thought of finishing first in the Northwest Division.

Vancouver plays the Calgary Flames Tuesday, the Colorado Avalanche Wednesday and then the division-leading Minnesota Wild Friday. If the Canucks can pick up nine points in their remaining seven games that pretty much secures them a playoff spot no matter what the other teams around them do.

"We're not out of the woods yet," centre Brendan Morrison said after the Canucks practised Monday at GM Place. "I like our position.

"We control where we end up. That's what you want to have. You don't want to have your fate in other team's hands. That's what I like about our position."

Heading into Monday night the Canucks were seventh in the Western Conference with 86 points from a 38-27-10 record. That left them two points ahead of Colorado, who held the eighth and final playoff spot, and a pair back of Calgary.

Minnesota led the division with 89 points.

Centre Ryan Kesler said the Canucks can still catch the Wild and repeat as division champions.

"We have a shot," said Kesler, who is third on the Canucks with 20 goals. "We need some help from some other teams."

Morrison, who is back in the lineup after missing 38 games with a wrist injury, agreed.

"It's very realistic," he said. "We play them head-to-head. We can close the gap that way."

While the Canucks eye the possibility of finishing third in the division, they can't lose sight of missing the playoffs all together. Heading into Monday night, only four points separated them from ninth-place Nashville and five from 10th-place Edmonton.

Goaltender Roberto Luongo said it's hard not to watch the scoreboard every night.

"You don't know who to root for," he said. "You just have to make sure when it's your turn, you take care of business. That's the easiest way for us to get it done.

"If we don't get our games won when we play, it's going to be hard to win the division."

There is another variable that could have an impact the Canucks' playoff equation. Luongo's wife Gina is due to give birth to the couple's first child back in Florida during the first week of April.

The Canucks are scheduled to wrap up the regular season that week with home games against Colorado, Edmonton and Calgary.

Coach Alain Vigneault said the club has already made plans if Luongo is suddenly called away.

"We've got different scenarios laid out," said Vigneault, although he refused to be specific. "I think his focus right now is on Calgary and the next game."

Luongo said he's trying to concentrate on hockey, not the difficult decision he could face if both the team and his family needs him.

"There are a million different scenarios that can happen," he said. "I can't start worrying about everything that could happen. You just hope everything will work out well."

Morrison, a father of three, said it's a no-brainer that Luongo should be on hand for the birth of his child.

"You have to put your family first," said Morrison. "That's the way it is.

"Hopefully we can get some wins here, get that cushion, so he can take a leave of absence and have some peace of mind."

The Canucks play Calgary three times before the season ends, Colorado twice and finish their season series against the Wild Friday.

This season Vancouver is 4-1 against the Flames, 2-3-1 when playing the Avalanche and 3-3-1 against Minnesota.

Defenceman Willie Mitchell said Calgary is a better team now than when the teams last met in December. Heading into Monday, Flame captain Jarome Iginla was third in the NHL with 48 goals while goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff was third with 37 wins.

"They are a big physical team," said Mitchell, who has been playing with a face shield to protect teeth loosened after being hit in the face with a puck in a March 15 game against Dallas. "They compete hard.

"Earlier in the year Kiprusoff wasn't totally on his game. I think he's on his game now. They are a much different team than we played earlier in the year."

The U.S. election primary races taking place now aren’t just a matter of intense interest for Americans: China’s propaganda and media apparatus also appears excited about the prospect of again cynically demonstrating the flaws in American democracy, lest too many Chinese citizens get the wrong idea about China’s own one-Party dictatorship.

Bowen’s report could not be independently verified. A version of it was cited by Radio Free Asia and Apple Daily, and RFA cited its own source—a journalist at a state-run media outlet—saying that while he had not seen such a notice, it did not seem out of the ordinary.

Chinese media should focus on scandals, instead, the notice instructed: issues like how much money is involved in the election, and the personal wealth of the candidates.

A search on Baidu, the largest search engine in China, and across state-affiliated websites, demonstrates that the coverage about the U.S. election broadly corresponds with the tone set by the notice. The number of reports casting a cynical eye at the election, for instance, far outstrips those that present a measured or positive analysis of democracy.

The Party’s chief mouthpiece, China Central Television, took a jab at the U.S. primaries by calling them “a test of the performance skills of candidates,” and “an election for the rich that will exacerbate social polarization,” in two separate articles published on Jan. 30 and Feb. 1.

Of course, views similar to these are available in the United States—though they exist as part of a continuum, and are countervailed by other perspectives, and the freedom for all to express themselves. In the Chinese context, the reporting is aimed solely at disparaging democracy for the purpose of propping up the legitimacy of Party dictatorship.

But some of the complaints about U.S. democracy seemed to descend to the petty.

“If you are a U.S. voter, if you ever leave your personal information with any company, then the political parties may be able to get your information to identify potential supporters,” warned the website of the Organization Department of Chongqing, responsible for personnel matters in the Party.

Even the Central Compilation and Translation Bureau saw fit to offer an opinion on the U.S. elections. “Many developing countries only take notice of ‘elections’ on the surface in the U.S. system, but fail to see the flaws of the western democratic election system,” it said.

Victims of China’s Religious Liberty ‘Crackdown’ Appeal to Obama—But Will He Help?

Sergio Garcia of Spain leads by two strokes after a hard-fought even-par 71 on day two of the 136th Open Championship at Carnoustie.

Garcia leads South Korea's KJ Choi, who fired his second 69, by two.

Garcia's compatriot Miguel Angel Jimenez (71) is one shot further back, alongside Canada's Mike Weir (68).

Tiger Woods struggled to a 74 to finish seven off the lead while Lee Westwood (70) and Alastair Forsyth (71) are the top Britons on one under.

2039: There are a few groups still out on the course, but none who are likely to threaten the top of the leaderboard. So I'm going to call it a night - Sam Lyon in the morning, me in the afternoon and I'm off to slap a few quid on Mike Weir...enjoy your Friday night.

2032: Pelle Edberg is blowing up down the stretch. Three under after 14, the Swede is now two over after 17 following a sequence of double bogey, bogey, double bogey. His compatriot Fredrik Andersson Hed is fairing far better over the closing holes - he's evens after pars at 16 and 17.

2028: Austria's Markus Brier stumbles over the finish line, bogeying the last for a round of 75 and one over for the tournament. The wheels come off for former USPGA champion Rich Beem at 18 - he makes double bogey to slip back to one over and seven off the lead. Frenchman Gregory Havret can't find a miracle at the last either - a bogey for him and the Scottish Open champion will be missing at the weekend.

2026: Garcia is 7/4 favourite to win the event going into the weekend, Tiger Woods 13/2, despite being seven shots back. KJ Choi is 8/1, Jim Furyk 9/1 and Ernie Els 20/1. For some reason, I just can't see Garcia holding his nerve. I fancy Mike Weir might pull this off.

2018: America's JJ Henry is in with a 71 and he's five off the lead on one under. Not many still out on the course, but there is drama on the 17th as Sweden's Pelle Edberg, still smarting from dropped shots at 15 and 16, rips off his headband and goes toe to toe with an elderly woman who scampered onto the fairway and pocketed his ball. Sorry, I made that up...I don't have any TV pictures...this is what I'm reduced to. Hello? Hello?

2009: Sweden's Pelle Edberg is in freefall down the stretch - a bogey at 16 brings him back to even par for the tournament. Scottish Open champion Gregory Havret of France needs an unlikely birdie at the last to make the cut. Big names to miss the projected cut today are Phil Mickelson, David Toms, Paul Lawrie, Colin Montgomerie, Darren Clarke, Geoff Ogilvy, John Daly, Davis Love and Nick Faldo. We wish them all a safe flight home.

2003: McGinley is managing to hold his round together - that's par at 15, 16, and 17 and four at the last would give him a 75 and even par overall.

1950: The cut, we think at this stage, will be four over, which would mean the end of the road for Colin Montgomerie and Paul Lawrie, who won at Carnoustie in 1999. I've just lost pictures for the evening which means I am now doing the commentary from a leaderboard, which brings a whole new meaning to the word 'pointless'. Edberg did emerge from the aforementioned thicket on 15 to make double bogey and slip back to one under.

"Gentlemen, why does the PGA condone the filthy habit of these professionals spitting? Hankies are not expensive!"

1939: Tom Lehman, champion in 1996, is putting a good round together, he's one over for the day going down the 18th and three over for the tournament. Edberg is up to his neck in it on 15, I can just see his shock of blonde hair poking out from a thicket to the left of the fairway.