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Temy Reads Lit
Books I read and poems I write
The Life before Us – by Romain Gary
Temy Hoang June 29, 2019 Book reviews, French literature
The Life before Us (La Vie devant soi) portrays a heartbreaking parental love story between a sensitive and prematurely wise boy, the child of a prostitute, and his adoptive mother who is an ex-prostitute.
In this novel, Romain Gary wrote with great compassion for the pimps, the prostitutes, the travesties, the poor, the sick, the abandoned children, the old, the Jews, and the Arabs. In my opinion, this is how great literature should be – it shows the compassion, the empathy, and the humane side of people in dire situations in intelligent, captivating and witty prose. This is contrast to many other works in which the authors just showed off their little knowledge or pretentious writing skills. I guess I believe in art for life’s sake, not art for art’s sake.
Romain Gary was a French writer who won the Prix Goncourt in 1956 for his novel The Roots of Heaven (Racines du ciel). He won the prestigious prize again in 1975 with this novel under the pseudonym Émile Ajar.
Translated from the French by Ralph Manheim
Published in English in 1986 by New Directions Publishing
Connect with me on Instagram for the latest updates @temy.reads.lit
book lover, book review, French literature, literary fiction, romain gary, translated literature
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#FrenchLit It's early July but looks like several bookstagrammers have gotten ready for #readwit month. Meanwhile I'm still stuck in France with either Modiano or Nothomb! Really it's Summertime and with all the travel plan and family reunion, I just want to read something light, amusing and short. Life Form by Amelie Nothomb fits the bill perfectly. . In just 125 pages, Nothomb addressed many different social issues in this partly autobiographical, partly epistolary novel: the gorging of food among US Army soldiers stationed in Iraq as a means to deal with the atrocities of the unjust war; the epistolary relationship between a writer and her fan readers and the art of writing letters; the relationship with food and one's treatment of obesity as a work of art; the identity issue; and the shared reality which may or may not be true. . Life Form is a brilliantly clever novel blending facts and fiction together in a humorous and satirical tone. . Published in French in 2010, in English in 2013 by @europaeditions Translated from the French by Alison Anderson.
#FrenchLit Marie Ndiaye’s writing is very well crafted and polished. Her long sentences, though not as long as Saramago’s, convey complex human psychology and deep and complicated emotions. Her story is rather dark and unsettling. A young woman abandoned her black mother, and later her own daughter left her husband and her two children. In 288 pages, Ndiaye presents the underlying thinking and frustrated emotions of the five characters told in five different POV’s and covering four generations in a family. . Ladivine was my first book by Ndiaye and I was impressed with her unique writing. I could see why it might not appeal to other readers, but for me her well written prose coupled with some surreal elements made for a mesmerizing and unexpected read, if not a little frustrating by the long descriptions of all the multiple characters’ inner thoughts in the second half of the book. I myelf am totally vested in the chapters about Clarisse, David and Ladivine, Sr., and don’t care much for the chapters about Ladivine, Jr. and her little daughter. . Translated by Jordan Stump Published by Alfred A. Knopf in 2016 (first published in 2013)
#FrenchLit Modiano never disappoints. In just under 200 pages, his spare, dreamy and elegiac prose lured us into a suspenseful atmosphere with mysterious characters who delved into the past reminiscing of a love stopped short. . At times I wonder what 18 year old young man would be so naive to allow himself to become entangled in such a circle of friends which led him into darkness. But who knows, Paris in the 60s was a different time, the young man's identity was not fully developed, and he was blindly in love. . My third Modiano and won't be the last. Translated from the French by Mark Polizzotti Published in English by Yale University Press in 2015.
#japaneseliterature From May 2018 to Apr 2019, the Japan Times ran a very informative and interesting "Works by Japanese Women" series which highlighted "some of the lesser read in translation but equally deserving female writers". Kaori Ekuni was one of them. . In God's Boat, Yoko was married to her former college professor when she met her "true love" who was also married. They had a "bone melting love affair" and the result was the little girl Soko. . When her true love suddenly disappeared, Yoko divorced the professor and left Tokyo. She and her little daughter started their journey in life on a "God's boat", moving from one city to the next after living for about a year in each city. Yoko didn't want to settle down in any place, for fear of not being able to "catch" her true love. . Wherever she went, Yoko worked as a piano teacher by day, and a bar waitress at night. She daydreamed about her love and made up stories to tell Soko about her perfect father. . Or not. . The novel was narrated by two unreliable narrators, Yoko and Soko, interchangeably in each chapter. Soko had never met her father, yet she claimed her mother's stories were not true. . Ekuni's writing is simple yet very captivating. Her writing draws you in with charming details of daily life, a maddening you-can-die-for love, and the touching and tense mother-daughter relationship. . Filled with lots of beach scenes and sweating hot summer days, God's Boat is a perfectly light and entertaining summer read, even though the ending is vague, be it happy or devastating depending on how you interpret it. . "Summer is a special time. Every one of my cells has preserved its memories. And summer is when each one if them is suddenly awakened, trembling restlessly." God's Boat By Kaori Ekuni
#FrenchLit "I am nothing. Nothing but a pale shape, silhouetted that evening against the cafe terrace, waiting for the rain to stop" . So begins the story of a man suffering from amnesia during the days of the Paris Occupation and losing his identity. He went to a detective agency to get help and the boss there gave him a name and a job. Guy Roland went on working as a private detective for 10 years. When his boss retired, he set out on a journey to investigate his own past and looked for his lost identity. Layers of memories came back to him when he encountered people, looked at old photographs and listened to fragments of stories assuming to be of his own life. . As in real life, will Guy Roland ever find out who he really is? That's a big question. . Another strange novel from the Nobel prize winning author Patrick Modiano about fragments of memory, lost self, and hidden identity. . "I believe that the entrance halls of buildings still retain the echo of footsteps of those who used to cross them and who have since vanished. Something continues to vibrate after they have gone, fading waves, but which can still be picked up if one listens carefully. Perhaps, after all, I never was this Pedro McEvoy, I was nothing, but waves passed through me, sometimes faint, sometimes stronger, and all these scattered echoes afloat in the air crystalized and there I was." . Published in 1978 (French), 2004 (English) Translated by Daniel Weissbort A Verba Mundi book @godinepub
#JLit Yoko Ogawa's writing topics are so diverse. . The Housekeeper and the Professor (2003) is a touching story of a professor who loves mathematics but can retain 80 minutes of memory only, and his friendship with and his influence on the housekeeper and her teenage son. . Hotel Iris (1996) is an unsettling novella of a sadomasochistic relationship between a young girl and a middle aged man. It's not for the faint of heart. . The Diving Pool (1991) is a collection of three eerie and strange short novellas about obsession, love and pregnancy. . Whatever her subject matter is, Ogawa's writing is exquisite, suspenseful, and darkly humorous. . I'm looking forward to reading her upcoming translation The Memory Police, out on Aug 13.
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Eva Site Randal Rust 2018-03-01T20:13:17+00:00
Eva Site
Written by Charles F. Faulkner
Located on an ancient bank of the Tennessee River, the Eva site is a prehistoric Native American encampment named after the modern hamlet of Eva in Benton County. University of Tennessee archaeologists excavated the site in 1940 before the area was inundated by the Kentucky Lake reservoir. It was a favored living site for thousands of years during the prehistoric Archaic Period. This period, now known to date circa 8000 to 1000 B.C., was a time when prehistoric native people in North America adjusted to the post-glacial environment by hunting, fishing, and gathering. Thomas M. N. Lewis and Madeline Kneberg Lewis, anthropologists at the University of Tennessee, published a monograph on the Eva site in 1961.
One of the most important features of the Eva site was the stratified or “layered” nature of the soil deposits or midden, which could be correlated with cultural and environmental changes in early post-glacial Tennessee. The stratigraphy indicated that several distinct prehistoric populations lived in Tennessee during the long Archaic Period. The stratified midden also contained well-preserved animal remains; Lewis and Lewis were the first archaeologists in Tennessee to examine these bones and shells in an attempt to determine prehistoric dietary patterns and hunting strategies. The site's human burials are among the earliest Native American populations studied by anthropologists in Tennessee.
Archaeologists distinguished five strata based on differences in soil and artifact content. Strata V-VI (earliest in time) contained artifacts of a group of people who were called the Eva culture. These hunting and gathering people preferred a reddish flint for their broad-bladed projectile points, tipped “darts” hurled with a spear-thrower–white-tailed deer being the prime quarry. A radiocarbon date of 5,200 B.C. from these strata was the earliest obtained for a prehistoric culture in Tennessee at the time. Since 1961 archaeologists have obtained numerous radiocarbon dates for the Archaic Period. Some dates from the Tellico Reservoir in East Tennessee are earlier than 7,000 B.C.
The Three Mile component, represented in Stratum II, was the next major occupation of the Eva site. Short stemmed projectile points and ground stone pestles and grinding stones are common artifacts in this culture. Unlike the earlier Eva people, the Three Mile occupants ate large quantities of river mussels. The Lewises believed this change in dietary patterns was caused by a drier climate in the Tennessee Valley, which occurred about five thousand years ago. Such differences in subsistence patterns can also be caused by shifting seasonal occupation of sites and other social factors.
The Big Sandy culture, represented in Stratum I, was the latest major occupation on the site. A distinguishing feature of this stratum was the absence of river mussels, which was attributed to environmental change by the Lewises. Large stemmed and notched dart points characterize the weaponry of the Big Sandy hunters. Animal bone frequencies indicated that these people may have had to range further from their settlement in search of game.
The Eva site included 180 human burials. Study of the quantitative and pathological data on this population indicated that the Native Americans who lived at Eva were relatively healthy compared to later populations and were genetically as well as culturally related to other Archaic groups in the Mid-South.
Thomas M. N. Lewis and Madeline Kneberg Lewis, Eva: An Archaic Site (1961)
Article Title Eva Site
Author Charles F. Faulkner
URL http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/eva-site/
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Jacquet Bazemore
Home/MMA, mma fighter profile, MMA Pioneers/Jacquet Bazemore
RIP Jacquet Bazemore. A true legend of mixed marital arts. Read more.
Jacquet Bazemore, 65, of Highland Park passed away this morning after a long bout with kidney disease. Sunrise: May 27, 1950. Sunset February 14, 2016 (Valentines Day).
Ten-Bell Salute
In the wake of former UFC champion Kevin Randleman’s unexpected death, the MMA world mourns once again with the passing of another pioneer; Jacquet Honore Travair Trasone Leslie Bazemore. The two-tour Vietnam vet, Pastor, and mixed martial artist legend has a story that most MMA fans haven’t heard.
In the 1970s, Pittsburgh was a hotbed for mixed martial arts competition including one of the most prolific fighters of the time, the legendary Jacquet Bazemore. He was a World Heavyweight Kickboxing Champion, the nephew of boxing legend Archie Moore and a sparring partner for Muhammad Ali. At 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, the former marine towered over most, and took no backtalk.
He grew up in the hard streets of Pittsburgh long before the Octagon was in vogue or Royce Gracie made his pay-per-view debut; decades before the UFC became a household brand and while the likes of Dana White were still in elementary school. Pittsburgh’s own Bazemore was on the cusp of the first mixed martial arts revolution. In 1979, CV (Caliguri & Viola) Productions Inc. became the first mixed martial arts company in the United States and enlisted Jacquet Bazmore as the man in the middle—The Ref. At the time he was the #1 ranked PKA Heavyweight Kickboxer in the world. Bazemore was the perfect choice to police the first regulated MMA competitions in America. Simply put, he was the Big John McCarthy of a forgotten era. That “Tough Guy” era was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; the Cooperstown of MMA.
Bazemore, one in a long list of trailblazers who have passed on, growing old, or fading away into obscurity, is part of a sad trend. Fighters like Dave Jones, who suffers from a chronic blood disorder (Porphyria cutanea tarda) and his opponent Mike Murray (cancer) fight for their lives today, but in 1980 they stood opposite Jacquet in the red and blue corners. They made history and deserve respect. As I write this piece, I am reminded of how precious our time is with them, and how often we take for granted the road they paved. I know my voice is loud in Pittsburgh, but I don’t have the volume of the UFC to reach the world.
Does the UFC owe the likes of Jacquet Bazemore “ANYTHING”? Probably Not. But they should however be thankful for “EVERYTHING.” You see, everyone from Art Davie to Dana White and all in between can thank the Pennsylvania state legislature for banning MMA in 1983 (Tough Guy Law), because without them, the UFC as we know it would have never existed!
I doubt Dana White is losing any sleep over the Godfathers of MMA; afterall he was able to cash in on a diamond in the rough. He didn’t steal the gem; he just polished it and did a damn good job. Just don’t forget that treasure passed through many hands: CV Productions (1979) to WOW Promotions (1993) to SEG Entertainment (1995) to Zuffa (2001-present). If MMA wants to be considered the crown jewel, then the UFC should treat MMA’s history as a priceless commodity; handle it with the same reverence as boxing, baseball and all the other great American institutions.
Major League Baseball has erred historically and amended their books to give credit where credit is due. I hope the UFC will do the same. They certainly aren’t obligated to, MMA is a free market, but they are the 800-pound gorilla and the world is watching. The UFC can’t be expected to honor rivals, but forefathers like Bazemore pre-date their existence. Now is an opportunity to do the right thing and say yeah, those guys really were pioneers. While Royce Gracie will always be remembered as the Babe Ruth of MMA, a group of men like Bazmore “existed” and played before those stars were born. They also deserve a permanent place in the annals of history.
It’s not too late to give the sport due diligence. The MMA community should embrace the past as it won’t tarnish the future. I’m not even sure if Dana and company are even privy to the full story; much of the sport’s early history has been buried. White and the Fertitta brothers are the reason MMA is successful today, but like Thomas Edison’s claim to fame, they didn’t invent the light bulb; they just knew how to sell it.
As the UFC prepares to visit the Steel City next week (2/21/16) for Fight Night 83: Cowboy vs Cowboy, I urge Zuffa’s top brass to reminisce and recognize the significance of this region. On behalf of the entire Pittsburgh MMA community, we ask that you honor Jaquet Bazemore with a “Ten-Bell Salute” at the fight. After all, this was his city; the birthplace of MMA. RIP CHAMP.
For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is a hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept faith: Henceforth there is lad up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall not give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. (II Timothy 4:6-8 -KJV)
*After mixed martial arts was outlawed (1983) and his star had fallen from kickboxing, Bazemore struggled to find himself and succumb to the evils of the streets. Jacquet suffered from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after the Vietnam war and was, “troubled by the demons in his head.” He, “fell into the wrong crowd,” and served time for his involvement in a robbery. Later he preached it was the turning point that saved his life. Shortly after his release, he found God as a born-again Christian and vowed to share his story of rehabilitation. He eventually found solace in the early 2000’s establishing MAASV (Martial Artists Against Street Violence) dedicated to keeping kids off the streets through martial arts classes. His MAASV program has been honored by Greater-Pittsburgh community. Bazemore studied theology at the University of Pittsburgh en route to becoming a minister. He served as a Pastor at numerous churches and continued spreading his story day-in and day-out. RIP Champ. Official Obituary
http://mmahistory.org/jacquet-bazemore-pittsburgh-mma-ufc/
By toughguy| 2017-07-12T15:03:13+00:00 February 15th, 2016|MMA, mma fighter profile, MMA Pioneers|Comments Off on Jacquet Bazemore
About the Author: toughguy
Bill Viola Jr. is a Pittsburgh, PA based author, producer and martial artist.
Pittsburgh Tough Guys
Tough Guys MMA Network Television Debut
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West Coast sales
prepare subscription drive
BY JACK WILLEY
Socialist workers and young socialists on the West Coast are setting an example heading into the September 7 to November 17 subscription drive for the Militant and Perspectiva Mundial.
They have sold more than 300 copies of the socialist newsweekly to longshore workers, along with revolutionary books and pamphlets. Another team this week joined members of the United Farm Workers union who are on a 150-mile march from Merced to Sacramento to demand the government sign legislation that strengthens their ability to organize in the fields. In just the first few days, participants in the march have purchased 20 copies and three subscriptions to the Militant, five copies and one subscription to Perspectiva Mundial, and several pamphlets.
In Seattle and Tacoma, Washington, socialist election campaigners have set up tables with communist literature near the union halls of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. Two dockworkers who are longtime supporters of the socialist press joined one of the sales teams. In the past week 28 dockworkers picked up the Militant and two bought subscriptions.
One worker who saw the Pathfinder book Blacks in America’s Wars said he had been in Vietnam. One photo from 1971 caught his eye. It depicts soldiers in Vietnam commemorating Martin Luther King’s birthday. He bought a copy and said he would get a subscription to the paper the next time around.
These are just a few examples of the opportunities to expand the readership of the two socialist periodicals, along with Pathfinder books, as part of the Socialist Workers Party election campaigns. The drive will run through the November 5 elections and reinforce street electioneering for socialist candidates who are running in nearly every state where there are Militant supporters.
Young socialists are campaigning on street corners and college campuses, as well as at labor and other struggles as noted above, in support of the fighting, working-class perspective of the Socialist Workers candidates. Young Socialists for Koppel and Hawkins in New York; Young Socialists for Bailey, Kalman, and Newton in California; Young Socialists for Manuel in Washington, D.C.; and others across the country are encouraging revolutionary-minded youth to become part of the effort. Many young people will decide to purchase a subscription, and buy books by revolutionary leaders, after meeting socialists at a campaign table.
The subscription drive will include sales of Capitalism’s World Disorder and New International magazine--in English, French, and Spanish. Capitalism’s World Disorder, together with issues of New International--nos. 7, 10, and 11, especially, give an explanation of the underpinnings of the imperialist march toward economic depression, fascism, and war.
In addition, Capitalism’s World Disorder places the growing inter-imperialist conflict, and the deflationary drag on finance capital in the context of increased resistance among working people registered in the opening chapter, "A Sea Change in Working-Class Politics."
New International no. 7, containing "Opening Guns of World War III: Wash–ington’s assault on Iraq," far from narrowly focusing on the U.S. imperialist slaughter in the Gulf War, places the war in the context of deepening inter-imperialist conflict; increased conflict between the imperialist powers and the toilers of the semicolonial world; and imper–ialism’s march toward more wars and depression. It records the working-class campaign against imperialism and war that was waged by socialist workers internationally. The magazine also covers the hidden history of the 1945–46 U.S. GI protests demanding to be demobilized and sent home, rather than be kept in the Pacific to protect Washington’s interests from the growing colonial revolution.
Supporters in each area are taking a combined goal for sales of Capitalism’s World Disorder and New International over the course of the 10 weeks. Capitalism’s World Disorder will be sold at a steep discount of just $15 with an introductory or renewal subscription to the Militant or Perspectiva Mundial. New International nos. 7, 10, and 11 will be sold for $10, and all other issues of New International will be on sale for $2 off the cover price with a subscription.
New campaigners for the socialist candidates should be encouraged to build up their libraries of revolutionary literature. Some will be interested in getting the entire set of New Internationals and may want to set up a payment plan.
The circulation campaign will include talking with current subscribers and encouraging them to renew. Most introductory subscriptions sold last spring are lapsing at the end of August and in September. Militant readers who decide to continue their subscriptions will also want to take advantage of the special offers on the books.
Socialists who are members of the United Food and Commercial Workers, United Mine Workers of America, and Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees will set goals for sales of the socialist press and books to co-workers and fellow union members. Candidate handshaking and leafleting at factory plant gates and mine portals will give a boost to socialist workers on the job.
Soapboxing, reaching to struggles
Working-class neighborhoods and college campuses are fertile ground for meeting revolutionary-minded workers and youth. "Soapboxing" street meetings with socialist candidates in working-class areas have already proven effective in interesting others in the socialist campaign and in revolutionary literature in New York City.
The proposed targets for supporters of the socialist press are 1,000–1,100 Militant subscriptions, 400–500 Perspectiva Mundial subscriptions, and 500 copies of New International and Capitalism’s World Disorder. After receiving local goals the Militant will set the international goal and publish a chart of all the local targets next week.
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Rafael Jorge with his wife Elanor Jackson and their son Matias Jorge, aged 11
Rafael Jorge is thinking about getting back into yoga. He used to teach at a centre in Costa Rica in the late 90s, which is how he met Elanor Jackson.
She had been posted to Costa Rica by the organisation she was working for in the UK. There she attended a yoga class at the centre where Rafael taught. She later returned to eat at the restaurant Rafael managed, which shared the building with the yoga centre. Eventually, Elanor started helping out there too.
Rafael is originally from El Salvador. He came to Costa Rica to attend university when the university in El Salvador shut down because civil war broke out. “I was a student then. It was hard to talk about those situations, but it’s easier now. Sometimes the army would come and just kill people so you’d have to run away through the buildings. It was difficult.”
The two were married in 1999 and moved to the UK when Rafael’s business came to a standstill because of a disagreement with the owner of the building who wanted to close the yoga centre and restaurant. “They basically forced him out of the building and out of business,” says Elanor.
Initially, they weren’t sure whether they wanted to move to London permanently. The plan was to come here for a short while so that Rafael could learn English. But for now they’ve settled down and plan to stay until their son Matias, who is currently in secondary school, is ready for university.
So are they now Londoners?
Elanor: We like London.
Matias: It’s very grey! I’ve also seen Cornwall, Devon, Essex, and Manchester.
Elanor: My brother lives on a canal boat. You’ve seen a bit of Yorkshire and Lancashire.
Matias: Yeah. At least the weather there is a bit different. (laughter)
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Added on February 19, 2014 The News Wheel Cadillac , hit , luxury , Macklemore , Music , Ryan Lewis , song
Cadillac’s Sales Boom Credited In Part to Macklemore’s “White Walls”
You would be hard-pressed to find a more prominent recording artist right now than Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. The pair first found internet and then international fame for their inspired song, “Same Love,” and their popular “Thrift Shop” music video. Now it seems there is a new hit from the tandem’s “The Heist” album every couple of months with no end in sight. The most recent example–“White Walls”–may have Cadillac owing the duo a cut of recent profits, or at least a thank you.
Related: Cadillac and New York Men’s Day
Following meteoric rise of the songs “Can’t Hold Us” and “Same Love” up the Billboard Hot 100, Macklemore’s newest hit “White Walls” is an ode to vintage Cadillacs and their famous wheels. The ballad (of sorts) begins “I want to be free/I want to just live, inside my Cadillac,” and continues to reference the luxury automaker throughout the song.
The song was released in 2012 on “The Heist,” but became popular last year in 2013; a year in which Cadillac experienced an unprecedented sales growth of 48 percent.
Although, don’t give Macklemore & Ryan Lewis all the credit. Macklemore’s “White Walls” may have started the trend, but Lorde’s “Royals” and Carrie Underwood’s “Two Black Cadillacs” also feature the General Motors luxury brand. In fact, Macklemore’s Cadillac ode is just one example in a sea of songs about America’s favorite luxury brand.
“You turn on the radio, whether its country or pop, Cadillac is mentioned frequently,” said Bob Ferguson, GM Vice President, Global Cadillac. “It helps the brand.”
What is your favorite automotive-inspired song of all time? Share it with us in the comments below!
Be Prepared: Spring Car Maintenance Tips
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EMS Gathering in Killarney
July 4, 2016 July 4, 2016 Andrew Merelman2 Comments
I was lucky enough to get to Ireland a bit before #smaccDUB for the #EMSG16 in Killarney, which is one of the most beautiful places I’ve been. I got there from Dublin by driving, which was an adventure in itself. Surprisingly, switching seats and sides of the road was not a huge challenge and I got used to it pretty quickly.
The EMS Gathering has been held in Killarney three times since its start in 2013. It is special in that it brings together EMS from throughout the country in a way that is meant to inspire progress in their system. I think this year was unique because providers from all over the globe attended, most before going to SMACC. I only knew about the gathering because the SMACC organizers were kind enough to mention it in their registration process. Despite not knowing about it before, the EMSG became one of the most valuable experiences of my Ireland trip.
We made a ton of new friends!
To start, Killarney is beautiful. One of the most scenic spots in Ireland, or so I hear. The downtown area is full of activity and it is a fun place to be. It turned out to be a perfect spot for the gathering. One of the best parts about the EMSG was getting to meet EMS providers from around the world. Many were from Ireland but probably half of the people I met were not.
Great pubs too
On Wednesday night the gathering staff hosted an EMS symposium at The Malton, which was a spectacular venue for the conference. They served a great meal and there were a few talks given that night. Paul Gallen and others spoke about the EMS system in Ireland. It was interesting to hear the similarities and differences. It seems that Irish EMS is working to become more professionalized and gain more respect in the medical industry. This seems to be a theme worldwide.
Dr. Mark Forrest gave an entertaining promo on Penthrox, an inhaled analgesic designed for prehospital use. It sounds like it could have great value once it become more widely recognized.
The two most striking talks were from Gerry McCoy and John McManus. They each had unique talks about trauma in their settings. Mr. McCoy spoke about trauma in Belfast before the trauma system became what it is today. They were seeing a massive influx in firearm injuries which helped form the trauma programs that exist now. Prof. McManus gave a talk about the trauma experience he has gained working in Iraq in the military setting. Both were accompanied by incredible stories and great images.
Very comfortable seating arrangement
The conference officially ran on Thursday and Friday. The days were divided into didactic sessions in the morning and and hands-on/breakout sessions in the afternoon. The morning session on Thursday was a spectrum from birth to end of life care. The first talk was from Dr. Mairead O’Riordan who made assisting with delivery sound easy. In reality, most babies will do well with little intervention. Mom will put herself in whichever position is most suitable to deliver the baby so always let her move as she needs to.
Professor Tony Ryan spoke about the Helping Babies Breath program which was launched in Africa. He put on a short skit which demonstrated the typical process of a baby being delivered in an impoverished setting. He then showed the differences in the care that can be provided after implementation of the program. In most of the third world access to medical care is nonexistent. However, many of the medical providers in small villages are there to help mothers deliver. Despite the effort many babies die because of lack of basic neonatal care that can be provided by almost anyone. The program is designed to train the providers in basic ventilation and airway techniques that can help a baby survive through its first few minutes of life. This is often all that is needed to improve outcomes in this population.
The next talk was from David Hennelly who is the clinical development manager for the Ireland National Ambulance Service. He spoke about the One Life Project which is working to improve cardiac arrest outcomes in Ireland. They have made great strides in improving access to rapid care throughout the country and they have seen increasing survival rates as a result.
The final morning talk was about end of life care from Prof. Will Molloy. The topic is one that is poorly known throughout EMS, emergency medicine, and critical care. There is often little thought given to what is truly the right thing for a patient at the end of their life. The focus should often be comfort and allowing the patient to die in a way that they want to, rather than being artificially supported for long periods of time.
The afternoon activities were similar both days and unfortunately you can’t do all of them! The feedback from all the sessions was very positive. Most of them involved leaving the venue and participating in some sort of outdoor activity. There were a wide variety of activities including bicycling, motorcycle riding, and a boat tour all of which had a different medically related topics incorporated. One of the most popular sessions was the farm injuries course. This was held on a real farm and there were multiple immersive, high-fidelity simulations of farm injuries that are commonly encountered. There were also indoor activities which included ultrasound, EKG interpretation, and simulation.
Both of my afternoons were spent helping as an instructor for EMS Pocus in the point-of-care ultrasound programs. I have a strong interest in ultrasound and our group is working to get the technology into the prehospital setting. Our sessions provided education on some of the most common and useful exams to perform in an critically ill patient. These included: basic cardiac ultrasound, lung ultrasound, and the RUSH exam. For more information click here.
On Thursday night another social event was held. It was set in the picturesque Irish countryside. Dinner and drinks were served and a Helicopter EMS and Search and Rescue panel was the featured event. There were providers from some of the world’s leading helicopter programs including Sydney HEMS, London HEMS, Travis County STAR Flight, and many more. There was much discussion about some of the unique challenges that face prehospital providers. As always, there was some debate about how to ideally staff a medical helicopter. In the end, it comes down to the mission profile to determine the right crew configuration.
The talks on Friday were primarily all about trauma care. We heard from experts about
their individual trauma programs and ones they had worked in. Adrian Murphy spoke about his experience at London HEMS and Mike Abernethy gave an informative talk on farm injuries which carried into his SMACC talk.
Ashley Liebig sat on the couch, kicked her shoes off, and gave a talk on human factors. She spoke about how stress influences us as providers and how patients are affected. She used swift water rescue as an example, describing how she has to balance the patient’s life with her own stress while rescuing a distressed swimmer. As always, she gave an impactful and meaningful talk.
He definitely hit the ball
Friday night was the Grande Finale final event sponsored by the EMSG organizers. It was held at the scenic Muckross Farms. We were fed like royalty and got to experience some Irish entertainment. There were kids Hurling and Mike Abernethy and others became expert hurlers. There were also falconers there with a variety of rare bird species that were fascinating to see in person. Overall, an incredible night of fun and socialization.
The EMS Gathering was an amazing precursor to SMACC. My Ireland experience would not have been the same without it. It demonstrated that Ireland is a leader in EMS worldwide and has a progressive outlooks for their EMS system. I would encourage anyone to attend this event if it is held again and to visit Killarney as it is a truly beautiful place.
Found this wall of mostly U.S. patches in a pub in Killarney
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TWTV Hall of Fame: April 2013 – Best Lead Actor in a Comedy
By This Was Television, April 1, 2013
By Cory Barker, Les Chappell, Emma Fraser, Whitney McIntosh, Heather McLendon, Andrew Rabin, Anthony Strand, and Cameron White
Happy Easter/April Fool’s Day everyone, and welcome back to This Was Television’s Hall of Fame! Once again, we’re coming off another month of extensive hits and votes for our performance-centric ballots. That interest helped us set two new records with March’s Lead Actress in a Comedy theme, as seven of our eight nominees qualified for induction into the Hall of Fame and Mary Tyler Moore received the highest percentage of support ever with 98 percent of the vote. (For the record, we are very annoyed with the person or persons who chose to vote no, and therefore denied us the fun of announcing our first undisputed nominee.) Thanks as always for your support and interest. We’ll be closing out our lead performance nominations this month with Lead Actor in a Comedy—let’s see if the boys have as many fans as the ladies.
To recap our criteria: any performer being considered for the Hall of Fame must have played the same role for at least one season of a show, and if they appeared as that same character on more than one show the shows need to be tonally similar enough to fit the same category. Five-year eligibility rule is still in play, but it applies to the time a character was on a show, rather than how long the show ran, meaning that characters from shows still on the air can be considered as long as the last time they played that character was 2008 or earlier. And as always, the threshold for nomination remains a 60 percent yes vote.
With that said, here are the nominees.
Les:
Rowan Atkinson as Edmund Blackadder, Blackadder (1983-1989, 2000)
The lifeblood of any good actor is the ability to deliver a variety of performances, the ability to find different characters to play and to play each one with a sense of uniqueness. Few actors are able to craft even one truly memorable role; fewer still are capable of finding multiple variations on that same role. But over four series and a variety of specials, Rowan Atkinson managed to do exactly that as no fewer than six generations of the Blackadder family, the most venal and corrupt dynasty ever to strive for power in Britain.
The Blackadder series is built on moving through various periods of English history, and in each installment—medieval England, Elizabethan times, the Regency, or World War I—Atkinson managed to create an interpretation of the titular character who was recognizable as a member of the family but also their own person. As Edmund, Duke of Edinburgh in The Black Adder, his performance is sycophantic and sniveling; as Lord Blackadder in Blackadder II he’s a pompous noble who’s always got his hands in a scheme; as Mr. Blackadder in Blackadder the Third he projects subservience while at the same time seething with a barely concealed rage; and as Captain Blackadder in Blackadder Goes Forth he’s a world-weary soldier who knows his back is against the wall but never stops trying to find a loophole. Atkinson varies the degrees of self-confidence and competence for each one in turn, and it never feels like he’s going through the motions or repeating himself.
And at the same time, his various incarnations of Blackadder remain the cohesive center of the entire series, despite providing a different flavor each time around. The caustic writing of Blackadder is its greatest attribute, and the cutting insults written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton wouldn’t be nearly so cutting if they weren’t coming from Atkinson’s mouth. Atkinson invests every line with exactly the right amount of contempt you’d expect from someone who believed he was the smartest person in the room, and more often than not was proven right in that conviction. (Well, maybe not so much The Black Adder, but that was only the first series.) He made Blackadder’s insults a thing of beauty, and I have yet to find anyone else who can deliver an “Oh God” in such disgusted world-weariness. Even in a murderer’s row of English comic voices—Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Miranda Richardson, Tim McInnerny, Tony Robinson—it was Atkinson who held that show together, and Atkinson who made it us root for the most inutterable bastard in history.
Anthony:
Bob Newhart as Dr. Robert Hartley, The Bob Newhart Show (1972-1978)
Dr. Bob Hartley wasn’t TV’s first or last “Only sane person surrounded by crazies,” but he was probably the most low-key. The role was a natural, given Bob Newhart’s stand-up routines in which we heard only his side of telephone conversations with irrational people. Playing a psychologist, Bob got to provide dead-pan reactions to all manner of neurotic patients. A lesser actor would have disappeared against the over-the-top patients, but not Newhart. With small gestures and simple stammers, he owned every session, regardless of who shared the scene.
Newhart’s skill was also put to good use in the scenes he shared with Suzanne Pleshette as Bob’s wife Emily. Here, he wasn’t the normal one at all. Bob was often petty or irrational, and the two could easily have been a typical TV couple where the wife was too pretty and smart for the husband. But Newhart was able to turn those flaws into strengths, convincing us that Emily loved Bob because of that stuff, not in spite of it. It’s a tough balancing act, but Newhart nailed it.
Whitney:
Ted Danson as Sam Malone, Cheers (1982-1993)
Television comedy can be a tricky thing. Different people like different types of humor, jokes don’t land as well as you’d like them to, character development is glossed over or forgotten about completely to focus more on the “comedy” half of situation comedy. Shows could have a million make or break moments between casting choices, writer’s room decisions, set design and story focus. In the end, the ability to become and remain a popular comedy comes down to how much the audience wants to hang out with your characters every week. Appointment television is made or broken by the need to find out what happens next, and in sitcoms this translates to “what this specific group of people are doing this week” more than the events of an episode or consequences of a story arc. For me, M*A*S*H was the first to use this theory to their advantage, but Cheers was the first show to truly perfect it. And the main reason they succeeded was because of Ted Danson.
When you look at the set of Cheers, the bar area is in the center at all times. Wait staff, regulars, surprise guests and nameless drinkers all inhabit the outer edges of the screen. Because of this positioning, it gives the impression that Danson’s Sam Malone was the center of this particular universe, with everyone else caught in his orbit. If you’ve never watched an episode of Cheers this would be clear in less than two episodes, I guarantee it. With a cast of extremely talented actors playing characters with larger than life personalities, Danson still stood out. Yes, the bar was his and he was the character whose motivations and past the audience was most clued in on, but a less talented actor could have taken the same lines and personality traits and given us just another character on television. Danson’s charisma and smug handsomeness played off everyone well seemingly without effort, the importance of which was emphasized once Cheers embarked on what would be a series of casting changes and additions (the departures of Coach and Diane, and later the additions of Lilith and Frasier).
Sam Malone felt like a character that existed long before we started watching. Maybe this is just because I’m from Boston and grew up with an ever-changing cast of Sox players and their unique personalities, but Danson was able to successfully be not only a believable womanizing bartender but also a believable womanizing bartender that once came out of the bullpen for the Boston Red Sox. There are some TV characters that you want to watch without every really wanting to be friends with (Tony Soprano, even Michael Scott). With Sam Malone, Ted Danson made a borderline asshole of a person someone everyone in America wanted to have a beer with every week. His charisma, wry humor and ability to expertly balance his good looks with some poor character traits allowed him to be the most popular character on a show of all-time great ones. It’s telling that even though he was nominated for every season, Danson won his two Emmys for Cheers at the end of the show’s run. Even after a decade living in Sam Malone’s bar and experiencing all the ups and downs alongside our friends down at Cheers, America still wasn’t sick of him. Because of that, Ted Danson should be inducted into the Hall of Fame this month.
Alan Alda as Captain Benjamin “Hawkeye” Pierce, M*A*S*H (1972–1983)
Starring in all 251 episodes of M*A*S*H is an impressive feat, but Alan Alda’s work on this show is a lot more than just this impressive statistic. His performance as Hawkeye Pierce; a womanizing, jaded but compassionate army surgeon is both hilarious and moving. This mirrors the dual qualities of M*A*S*H; that it shows the horrors and consequences of war, while also having a sense of humor in the face of this. Being able to laugh in the gravest of situations is important and it is why M*A*S*H struck a chord with audiences when it aired and why it is still just as relevant today.
As the show and the characters evolved Hawkeye took on a more serious persona and the liberal views of Alan Alda himself became entrenched with his performance. Alda was at this point both writing and directing episodes of the show and so it’s unsurprising that he would incorporate his own beliefs into his work. This could have been alienating, but it doesn’t appear this was the case as the series finale—that Alda directed, co-wrote and starred in—is still the highest rated single broadcast in American TV history with a staggering 106 million viewers (can you imagine anything outside of the Super Bowl getting anywhere near this today?). The latter half of M*A*S*H’s eleven-year run is sometimes referred to as the Alan Alda years and this signified the show’s dramatic turn.
Delving into more serious territory doesn’t mean that we should ignore Alda’s comedic talents, and it was the variation of tone that shows how brilliant he is in this role. At times it was the absurdity of their situation which let Hawkeye shine as the lead, or when he emulated his own personal hero Groucho Marx with his trademark nose, glasses and moustache. This character is a flawed wiseass and one that could be written off as a jerk, but there is also a hidden warmth to Hawkeye.
Taking on a role that Donald Sutherland had made his own in Robert Altman’s version of M*A*S*H that preceded the TV show in 1970 could also have been a tough sell, but Alda did just that. I only recently watched the movie and Hawkeye’s womanizing has a strong sexist undertone that isn’t present in Alda’s portrayal, this makes it easy for me to pick a favourite. One person who would’ve disagreed with this assessment is M*A*S*H author Richard Hooker who was disappointed with Alda taking this character in a liberal direction. Regardless of political convictions it is clear that Alda played an important part in the success and longevity of M*A*S*H.
Cory:
Carroll O’Connor as Archie Bunker, All In The Family (1971-1979)/Archie Bunker’s Place (1979-1983)
These races aren’t all about awards; in fact, we started the Hall of Fame to give props to people who weren’t able to break through the glass ceilings established by the Emmys and Golden Globes. But it’s hard for me to disregard all-time greats in categories like this one. As I’ve said a few times throughout our various races, sometimes the goofballs who vote for important awards actually get it right. Carroll O’Connor’s achievements at those awards shows fits that bill. From 1970-1979, O’Connor was nominated for an Emmy in every year but one (1975-76) and won four times. He had a similar run at the Globes, with six nominations between 1971 and 1977 and one win. Even though the quality of Archie Bunker’s Place is debatable, O’Connor still turned in such good work there that he was awarded a Peabody in 1980 for the episode “Archie Alone.” He was award show catnip.
But of course, O’Connor deserves to be here for many more reasons. While Norman Lear’s interests in social issues and debate gets rightfully cited as the driving engine of All in the Family, O’Connor’s similar interests in those ideas helped bring the immortal Archie Bunker to life as well. Though he was a liberal and the show was definitely left of center, O’Connor had no problem taking on that side of the proverbial aisle, just as he had no problem personifying an ignorant, curmudgeonly bigot. And perhaps most importantly, O’Connor brought such depth, complexity, and vulnerability to Archie that Lear was able to tell the stories he wanted to (and force the audience to be a little uncomfortable) while keeping them laughing at and with Archie throughout the series’ run. This is one of the most famous television characters of all-time and the performance is a big, big reason why.
Heather:
Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, Friends (1994-2004)
In the nine years since Friends ended, Matthew Perry is still most strongly associated with his portrayal of Chandler Bing. And for good reason. Perry frequently provided the necessary “straight man” character in comedy while not sacrificing humor. Perry’s Bing is the predecessor to Jason Bateman’s Michael Bluth. His droll sarcasm balances out Joey’s stupid humor and Ross’s neuroses, and his (mostly) even-keel personality accentuates and fuels the comedy in this trio of friends. Over the show’s ten-year run, he found ways to create additional comedic motifs through his character, like his habit of emphasizing the wrong word in sentences. In sitcoms—especially in shows like Friends in which situations and personalities are exaggerated for comedic effect—Perry could have allowed his character to snowball into a caricature. Instead he was frequently the voice of reason—and irony.
So often it was Perry’s delivery that elevated a funny line to a hysterical, memorable one. Thanks to him, we have such comedic classics as: “The cushions are the essence of the chair,” “Wah-pah!” “Stay… stay… good fake dog,” and “MERGE!”
More than humor, though, Perry’s contribution to Friends was his engaging and realistic portrayal of a long-term relationship—the longest in the series. Ross had his flings and his on-again-off-again relationship with Rachel. Joey was the charming womanizer. Chandler was in a relationship with Monica since the end of season four. Perry (and Courtney Cox) managed to create a long-term committed relationship—and then marriage—that didn’t bore viewers. Their relationship allowed the show to explore deeper issues of committed relationships that the other characters weren’t able to do, such as wedding costs, house hunting, children, and the thousand tiny things that come up in marriage. He was often the one to calm down frenzied, extreme control-freak Monica, and their “odd couple” marriage expanded and enriched the comedy.
Henry Winkler as Arthur “Fonzie” “The Fonz” Fonzarelli, Happy Days (1974-1984)
Arthur Fonzarelli is one of the most iconic characters in television history. He ranked fourth on TV Guide’s list of the Greatest TV Characters of All Time. He became the central character in a series that would launch a seven series franchise. There are many reasons to vote for him, and we’ll get to those. But there’s probably one reason you’re considering not voting for him.
Yes, on September 20, 1977, in the 91st episode of Happy Days, the third episode of the fifth season, entitled “Hollywood (Part 3),” Arthur Fonzarelli, on a pair of skis, jumped over a shark. It’s absolutely absurd, and totally out-of-line with the mostly realistic portrayal of life in the 1950s (give or take an alien-centric spinoff). And yet, its historical impact in the world of television dwarfs almost anything done by these other reputable nominees. Jumping the shark became a cultural idiom about a gimmick used by a show around the point of the series’ recovery. It spawned a website and a book. Winkler even spoofed himself years later on Arrested Development. The jumping of the shark may have been a low point for Happy Days as a series, but it is an asset to Winker’s candidacy due to its impact on television history.
That leaves us with the rest of The Fonz’s resume. Winkler, who got the role only when series creator Garry Marshall’s first choices were considered too tall compared to the rest of the cast, flawlessly transitioned from minor, recurring player to series regular to the lead actor to this (okay, maybe that last one wasn’t flawless). Unlike Steve Urkel, another breakout character who went on to dominate his series, Fonzie didn’t become more and more ridiculous but more real and deep. Episodes in season six and season eight (both after the literal shark jumping) dealt with Fonzie meeting his father and mother respectively. His relationship with the Cunninghams became an incredibly sweet version of the surrogate family structure that so many of today’s comedies feature.
And yeah, The Fonz was cool. He had his office bathroom and two distinct catchphrases (“aaaaaayy” and “sit on it.”) He could hit a jukebox and turn it on. Listen to the studio audience’s reaction to every one of Winkler’s lines and moves in this clip. How many characters have gotten that kind of reaction just for showing up?
The Fonz already has a statue. It’s time to put him in the Hall of Fame as well.
Cameron:
Kelsey Grammer as Frasier Crane, Frasier (1993-2004)
Characters don’t become the focus of television show spin-offs without good reason. Towards the end of their time on Hercules and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Xena and Angel had found a quest for redemption that would starkly differentiate themselves from their more heroic compatriots. Sitcom spin-offs are more common, of course, as sitcoms are the realm of some of TV’s greatest characters. But the key to playing a good comedy character isn’t just understanding the comedy of the character or situation, but in recognizing the deeper human truths that lie just beneath those characters or situations.
Kelsey Grammer, who played Frasier Crane in Cheers before getting his own show in Frasier, carries that gravitas with him in his performance. “Neurotic psychiatrist with familial issues” is an inherently good setup for a character, but it’s also reflective of a sad truth about how family messes people up, especially as adults. Grammar honed in on that aspect of the character so well that he carries a piece of it with him in every role he’s held since. (Boss is a good example.) Spin-offs are just as much a risk as new shows, but undoubtedly NBC felt confident in building one around Grammar. It was a risk worth taking.
Categories: TWTV Hall of Fame
Tagged: Alan Alda, All in the Family, Archie Bunker, Archie Bunker's Place, Arthur Fonzarelli, Blackadder, Bob Newhart, Carroll O'Connor, Chandler Bing, Cheers, Dr. Robert Hartley, Edmund Blackadder, Fonzie, Fraiser, Frasier Crane, Friends, Hawkeye Pierce, Henry Winkler, Kelsey Grammer, Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, M*A*S*H, Matthew Perry, Rowan Atkinson, Sam Malone, Ted Danson, The Bob Newhart Show, The Fonz, TWTV Hall of Fame, TWTV Hall of Fame April
Team-Up Review: Airwolf, “And They Are Us” and “To Snare a Wolf”
This was Television on April 1
7 Responses to “TWTV Hall of Fame: April 2013 – Best Lead Actor in a Comedy”
Marty McKee April 1, 2013
Oh boy. And you guys were doing so much better.
Look, I love ya, or else I wouldn’t keep reading every day, but I have to tell you–someone has to break it to you–that television comedy was not invented in the 1970s.
This list is kind of a travesty, to be honest. Not that many of the names aren’t Hall-worthy, mind you, but…
But any list of comedy actors that includes *zero* names from the 1950s and 1960s really needs to be scrapped.
Don Adams
Phil Silvers
Bob Cummings
If the category includes comedy/variety: Steve Allen, Johnny Carson, David Letterman, Danny Kaye.
The 1970s was a great decade for comedy too, as Ed Asner, Redd Foxx, Hal Linden, John Ritter, Judd Hirsch, Jack Klugman, and Tony Randall miss the list. Hey, not everyone can make it.
A list of nominees that features Kelsey Grammar, Rowan Atkinson, and Matthew Perry but not Gleason, Silvers, Van Dyke, and Benny just ain’t much of a list, gang.
arrabin56 April 1, 2013
Comedy didn’t end in 1970 either.
FWIW: Van Dyke was nominated by someone who unfortunately was not able to submit their nomination this month.
I can’t speak for others, but I intentionally did not choose Arnaz, Asner, or Hirsch because I did not want to nominate someone from a show where the female lead was nominated last month in order to spread the wealth. The same goes for some you didn’t name, like Cosby (who certainly would be deserving) , Goodman, and Seinfeld. I believe O’Connor is the only nominee this month from a series that also had a lead nominated last month.
Also, you seem to be under the impression that we make these choices as a group. While there is some discussion (for example I often give the last few to pick some of the statistical leaders), the picks are largely independent. I didn’t look at the list of everyone’s picks and say “I’m also not going to pick someone from the 1950s.” I think of some people I’d like to nominate, see if anyone else wants one of them more, and then pick one.
I think Matthew Perry can be reasonably questioned (I think he’s a fine nominee, but would not even be my first pick from that cast personally). But I also think your specific shots at Grammar and Atkinson are misguided. Grammar as Frasier Crane is one of the most celebrated (and FWIW one of the longest lasting) portrayals of a character in television history. If you care about the numbers at all (and it’s totally legit not to since they’re pretty much just a mash-up of random things) you’ll see he is far-and-away the highest scoring actor in any of the 4 categories we have done.
I cannot speak to Atkinson’s performance at all. I’ve never seen a single episode of Blackadder. But I do think honoring non-American performances is essential, and the fact that your proposed list of nominees are entirely from American series.
So no, maybe your favorites weren’t picked. That doesn’t make this list “not much of a list,” it just means it wasn’t your list.
I voted for several names on this list, because I think they are worthy. In 2016. But like you can’t have a Baseball HOF without Ruth, Cobb, and Mathewson, you can’t have a TV HOF without Benny, Gleason, Caesar, and Silvers. It’s not that they’re favorites of mine necessarily, but they’re the pioneers who made it possible for everyone else to have careers. If you told Henry Winkler he was going into the HOF before Jackie Gleason, he would drop out of the race. And if the Baseball HOF opened tomorrow and the first guys inducted were Mike Schmidt, Johnny Bench, and Kirby Puckett, the ghost of Babe Ruth would drop his hot dog in a second and start looking for someone to slap.
I don’t believe in quotas and wouldn’t insist on adding a Brit just for the purpose of adding one, but if Cleese’s Fawlty isn’t the first through the gate, well…
TWTV Hall of Fame: April 2013 Nominations — Rabin’s Statistical Analysis | This Was Television April 3, 2013
[…] this week we introduced our April nominees for the Hall of Fame. Today Rabin is back with his statistical analysis to help you out with your […]
TWTV Hall of Fame: The Results! (April 2013 Edition) | This Was Television April 9, 2013
[…] Tuesday folks. As always, we thank you for sharing, tweeting, re-tweeting, and voting in this month’s TWTV Hall of Fame race. Another month, another race full of very capable and impressive nominees. You were kind to many, […]
TWTV Hall of Fame: The Results! (April 2013 Edition) | This Was Television May 14, 2013
TWTV Hall of Fame: June 2013 – Spinoffs | This Was Television June 3, 2013
[…] Institute. (And both were inducted nearly without contest into this Hall of Fame’s Lead Actor and Lead Actress comedy categories.) And one of its more noteworthy distinctions is that All in the […]
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The “Inner Circle” – Can the Barrier be Broken? →
North of Ireland Family History Society
One to look out for! Good news about forthcoming online service for birth, marriage & death records from Northern Ireland
February 7, 2014 at 1:04pm
Firstly a little background: in Ireland, civil registration started in 1845 for some marriages & was extended in 1864 to cover all births, marriages & deaths, so those are the starting dates for records that GRONI holds (the General Register Office for Northern Ireland).
GRONI have in recent months started to reach out to the community & if you have been at one of their talks then you’ll have heard about their imminent new search system, but have you seen the legislation about proposed prices? For everyone else, there are some more tempting details available about the new online search facility for Northern Irish BMD records.
Recent Wednesday lunch-times have seen a well-attended series of family history talks at PRONI. This week’s talk was by Alistair Butler from GRONI. In the main, the talk covered information about how GRONI can help genealogists grow their family trees. Later the talk covered the fact that GRONI spent about 3 years & a lot of money digitising their records. A by-product of the registration efficiency-drive, is that GRONI will shortly be able to offer a “ScotlandsPeople” type service to genealogists. After the talk, a little on-line digging for the legislation showed that the proposed costs seem VERY favourable compared to the existing situation.
The draft legislation “The General Register Office (Fees) Order (Northern Ireland) 2014” was published on 24th January & has yet to be approved by the Assembly. However, if it remains unchanged, it seems that the earliest the new fee structure, & therefore presumably the new system, can go live is 10th March 2014. Going back to the talk, Alistair did say that the new system is currently undergoing testing & that while there is no firm release date yet, he did hope that the system will go live before April. He said that there will be extensive publicity about the go-live date & also noted that detailed help notes will be available.
The index includes ALL the bmd records that have been registered with them from 1845/64.
For those not visiting the GRONI offices but searching from home, only “historic” records will be available. This means: births – over 100 years, marriages – over 75 years, deaths – over 50 years.
More recent records, ie right up to current registrations and after the 100/75/50 year cut-off dates for online access, will be available via computers in the Search Room at GRONI in Belfast.
The basic index search will be free & has limited details such as the year of the event & some names to hopefully narrow down the results. An enhanced search is chargeable & will show the actual date as well as more names & details such as ages. You can then decide whether or not to pay to view the actual record.
There will be an option to automatically search for name variants eg to search for Smith & Smyth in case different spellings were used.
And now for the best bit! The draft legislation shows that the proposed costs for the on-line records are much lower than current prices (albeit current prices are for an official, stamped paper certificate).
For anyone who visits the GRONI offices, the cost of using the Search Room facilities will reduce from £14 to £7 per day. The current verification process will be replaced by personal access to records via the computer terminals, ie this should be much quicker.
According to the draft legislation, the basic index search will be free, the enhanced index search will cost 1 credit (£0.40) and viewing an actual record will cost 5 credits (£2.00).
It also seems that the search element of the current fee for an actual certificate will be removed as the price of a certified paper certificate will drop from £15 to £8 (if ordered on-line quoting its unique reference number).
In other words, it will, in the very near future, be much simpler, quicker & cheaper to trace ancestors from Northern Ireland than ever before! Fantastic news!
Link to the draft legislation: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/nidsr/2014/9780337992551
This entry was posted in Family History and tagged Genealogy; Ireland; Records. Bookmark the permalink.
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Israel PM brother-in-law says Obama is an anti-Semite
I happen to agree with Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu's brother-in-law. Here is news today regarding Obama in Israel-
Netanyahu's Brother-In-Law Says Obama Is An Anti-Semite, Hates Israel
"In the midst of trying to ease tensions following one of the worst diplomatic rifts between the US and Israel in recent memory, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was forced to distance himself from his brother-in-law Wednesday after he accused US President Barack Obama of being an anti-Semite during a radio interview. "It's not that Obama doesn't like Bibi," Hagai Ben-Artzi said during the interview, according to Haaretz. "He doesn't like the nation of Israel." Ben-Artzi attributed Obama's alleged anti-Semitism to his long association with Rev. Jeremiah Wright, whose views Obama came to disavow during his presidential campaign in 2008. "When there is an anti-Semitic president in the United States, it is a test for us and we have to say: We will not concede. We are a nation dating back 4,000 years, and you in a year or two will be long forgotten. Who will remember you? But Jerusalem will dwell on forever," Ben Artzi said."
Netanyahu immediately distanced himself from his brother-in-law and rejected his opinion.
However, as with anyone, anywhere, check to see that what they say and what they do match up. Obama's behavior over the last 4 years as president toward Israel's prime minister has not been one of love or even regard, but of barely disguised disdain.
Last September, Reuters reported, In an unusual snub, Obama to avoid meeting Netanyahu
In 2010 the UK Telegraph reported, "Obama snubbed Netanyahu for dinner with Michelle and the girls, Israelis claim"
"Benjamin Netanyahu was left to stew in a White House meeting room for over an hour after President Barack Obama abruptly walked out of tense talks to have supper with his family, it emerged on Thursday."
In January 2013, an American columnist with close ties to the White House described Obama's disdain for Netanyahu.
This is not how you treat your ONLY ally in a harsh and hostile part of the world, not if you have regard and respect for its people nation to nation, that is.
Obama seems to be getting some props for "brokering" a rapprochement between Israel and Turkey. Their relations had broken down after Turkey violated (allegedly) a marine blockade by Israel and Israel shot several Turkish officers in the sea scuffle. Diplomatic relations had been called off since late 2010-early 2011, with only one phone call by Netanyahu to Turkey to offer help after Turkey's earthquake. Turkey said no thanks.
The Japan Times explains, "Israel and Turkey were once close allies. Relations began to decline after Erdogan, whose party has roots in Turkey’s Islamist movement, became prime minister in 2003. Erdogan has embarked on a campaign to make Turkey a regional powerhouse in an attempt to become the leading voice in the Muslim world but has in the process distanced the country from Israel."
However, despite those ambitions, at least for today, the two nations appeared to 'bury the hatchet' as Japan Times said. Haaretz reports, "In November 2012, Israel and Turkey resumed talks on ending the crisis in relations between the two countries. On March 22, 2013, Netanyahu made the phone call to Erdogan, apologizing over the deaths of the nine Turkish citizens in the flotilla incident. The normalization agreed by both countries included the return of the Turkish ambassador to Tel Aviv and the Israeli ambassador to Ankara."
Some say that it is good that diplomatic tensions have eased between the two nations. The region is aflame with Syria's civil war and refugees streaming into Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon. Israel could use Turkey's help with the situation and vice versa. Others say it is not a good idea, Israel looked weak to bow to Turkey after all this time and lowered morale of the soldiers. His apology created a firestorm at home. And after all, biblically, Turkey will attack Israel in the Gog-Magog war. (Ezekiel 38:6). If they form warm relations now, it won't last.
At the end of Obama's trip to Israel, he stopped to tour the ancient rose-red city of Petra in nearby Jordan. Petra means rock, and it is located in the region of Bozrah, which means sheepfold. It is the place where the Jews will flee to when they see the abomination of desolation. (Matthew 24:16). How do we know this?
Daniel 11:41 declares that Jordan is the only place that will escape the domination of the antichrist in the last days. The Jews at that time will flee over the mountains as per Matthew 24:16 and as Revelation 12:14 says, they will cross the desert. Geologically, the only mountains and desert is toward the southwest, over the Jordan river and into Edom. Isaiah 63:1 shows the Lord Jesus coming from Bozrah with blood stained robes, indicating one of His stops before He lands on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4) will be to save the Jews hiding there.
To see a person such as Obama who has such a strong antichrist spirit (1 John 4:3 and also here) standing in such a prophetically wonderful and important place for the Jews, and he who hates Israel so much...it is a jarring juxtaposition.
As far as Netanyahu's brother-in-law goes, I am in total agreement. Obama by his behavior and by his placement here at this time in America, seems to have severe disdain for the nation of Israel. But that is no more or no less than the rest of the world, which seems to be hurtling toward fulfillment of the following prophecy:
"On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely hurt themselves. And all the nations of the earth will gather against it." (Zechariah 12:3)
Zechariah has much to say about the coming times. There is an incredible amount of last days prophecy throughout Zechariah's book, including parallels with Revelation. As Pastor Steve Hadley says, pound for pound, Zechariah has it almost over even Daniel in terms of prophecy. If you would like to listen to a preacher preach through this book, verse by verse, I'd recommend Steve Hadley at Harvest Family Fellowship, here.
Always keep your eyes on the Lord through His word. What He is doing is amazing. We look at the news in wonder but the real wonder comes when we read His valuable and precious word, and see what He has planned. Did you ever stop to think that it is amazing in itself that He even tells us what He plans to do? He is God after all. He doesn't have to. Just reading the bible is a miracle for us, because it is the place where His holiness and perfection and love is revealed. If your bible is dusty, brush it off and open it up. There are many wonders awaiting you there.
israel jews Obama petra prophecy turkey zechariah
Nina Stone March 24, 2013 at 1:40 PM
Here is an interesting article concerning Turkey and Israel you might want to check out: http://shoebat.com/2013/02/23/prophecy-what-lies-ahead/
Elizabeth Prata March 24, 2013 at 2:23 PM
Hi Nina, Thank you SO MUCH for thinking of me! Normally I do enjoy articles about the MidEast, but I do not consider Mr Shoebat a legitimate source in any way...sorry... :(
Hakam Adam March 27, 2013 at 10:31 PM
How about Joel Richardson?
http://www.joelstrumpet.com/ (for your reference). He wrote the book "The Islamic Antichrist," which I read in full on the website Answering-Islam way back in 2010 (that was when I was through investigating Scriptural inerrancy and Biblical creation, and needed to cover my bases and study Islam), under the title "Will Islam Be Our Future?" Based on his writing in that book, and what else I know about him, he's a theologically accurate dude and is probably the foremost Daniel-scholar of our generation (it's funny, in one of his videos you can see his bookcase ONLY consists of commentaries on Daniel).
I do not know Richardson. Use your discernment.
Joseph Grober March 25, 2013 at 7:38 AM
I honestly do not get it,
Joseph, what don't you get? I'll try to be clearer.
TheWatcher March 25, 2013 at 9:07 AM
The end is drawing near and Obama certainly is a type of the Antichrist to come, who will be revealed only after the restrainer is moved out of the way (2 Thessalonians 2:6). Everything in the world is moving quickly toward the day of our Lord's return. Please check out http://endtimestruth.com for more Biblical prophecies of the last days.
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Mancunian
51 reasons to visit Manchester. And more!
Posted on November 21, 2017 January 27, 2019 by thebritishberliner
Imperial War Museum North – Manchester
Ay Up!
As you know, I’m The British Berliner, and my original home country, is England.
You know the one.
Ye Olde England!
That’s right!
That famous and historical city – Manchester!
Now if you’ve met me in real life, you’d be shocked to discover that I actually hail from the Northern part of the country.
But you wouldn’t know it if you heard me speak!
When I talk, I sound as posh as any Sloane in Chelsea.
Put that down to an independent private education!
The Angel of the North – Gateshead – Tyne and Wear
Having said that, even though I sound rather plummy, I am in fact, a Northerner, and my original home town is Manchester.
Not industrial steel Manchester mind you, but the leafy suburbs of Cheadle!
In fact, not far from my parent’s home is Abney Hall Park – the inspiration for country house life, and indeed, many of the scenes – of Agatha Christie!
Makers Market in Cheadle Village
What I’m trying to say is that even though I sound as if I come from the manicured landscapes of Surrey, I’m from Up North!
And what was once the suburbs of Greater Manchester in Lancashire, is also part of the suburbs of Cheshire!
Follow the path and route in Cheshire
If you would like to know a little bit about England, Scotland and other British things, just follow the link here!
Manchester really needs no introduction, but if you insist…
Manchester began as a Roman fort called Mamucium or Mancunium, in about AD 79 and was historically a part of Lancashire, and until the 20th century, became a part of Cheshire.
The lovely Just So Festival is an annual weekend camping festival that’s actually in Cheshire, but billed as Manchester!
Manchester is fringed by the Cheshire Plain to the South, the Pennines to the North and East, and an arc of little towns surrounding it!
In fact, where I grew up, is technically no longer known as Manchester, but Cheshire!
Throughout the Middle Ages, Manchester remained a manorial township, but began to expand around the turn of the 19th century, brought on by a boom in textile manufacturing during the Industrial Revolution, bringing extreme wealth to Manchester, and making it the first industrialised city in the world!
Now even though I’m a Mancunian, I haven’t lived in Manchester since I went to university!
I haven’t been back to Manchester for quite some time!
And that’s quite some time ago!
I had planned some day trips but we went to Liverpool instead!
That notwithstanding, we did a historical walk, had a few beers, and then went to hipster Ancoats and the Northern Quarter!
Grab a few beers at Pot Kettle Black in Manchester!
There are so many things to do in Manchester that you need at least a week to do them all, so here’s a list of things you could do whenever you get there.
Go on then, choose your poison!
Dracula, starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, in Victorian England
© Nino Munoz/NBC
1. Discover the Victorian historical past of Manchester
I found a large collection of self-guided walking talks distributed by Discovering Britain and created by the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers – IBG), which you can find online! I picked The Slums, squalor and salvation – A self guided walk around Victorian Manchester. Being that I was named after Queen Victoria, I’ve always had a fascinating interesting in the era of that period! I enjoyed it very much, but ran ut of time!
2. Read a book at one of Manchester’s oldest libraries
The John Rylands Library is one of Manchester’s most majestic buildings, and as a little girl, I was very much a bookworm and a bit of a boffin, so this library was one of the libraries of my dreams! It’s a masterpiece of Victorian Gothic architecture and looks more like a castle than a library! Go see for yourself.
3. Go to Victoria Square – the first “industrial suburb”in the world!
Victoria Square in Ancoats was built in 1894, and is the first “industrial suburb” in the world! Ancoats became a cradle of the Industrial Revolution and was a thriving industrial district before it suffered economic decline and became quite a horrible slum! You can still see bit and pieces of it’s historical past, but you’d have to hurry as Ancoats is being turned into a gentrified Quarter of horrible glass and steel!
4. See the home of one of North England’s most famous writer
Once the home of famous novelist Elizabeth Gaskell, the building – Elizabeth Gaskell’s House is now open to the public, exhibiting her old kitchen, servant’s hall, a tea room, and beautiful recreated gardens.
5. Learn about Manchester’s industrial past
The Museum of Science and Industry is one of my favourite museums and is based on the site of the oldest passenger railway station in the world! As you know, I really like museums but most importantly, it’s completely free of charge, so why shouldn’t you visit?
Walter Greenhalgh in Tudor costume at Ordsall Hall – Manchester
6. Travel through time
Ordsall Hall is a fine example of Elizabethan architecture. Dating back to 1340, Ordsall Hall is one of Manchester’s oldest buildings and was built by the Radclyffes, an influential local family with close links to the monarchy! And certainly, when I was a young girl I never forgot the importance of Tudor and Stuart! Oh, and it doesn’t cost a penny!
7. Explore Art!
The Manchester Art Gallery is an amazing gallery that houses a huge collection of paintings, craft and design, and early 20th Century British art. Entry is free!
8. Imagine life during WWII
Be a modern day Doctor Who and wander through time via the original tunnels from the Stockport air raid shelters used during 1940 Wartime Britain. Opened in 1939, the shelters were the largest purpose-built civilian air raid shelters in the country, and provided shelter for up to 6,500 people!
9. Visit one of England’s finest Grade II listed buildings
One of the finest pieces of architecture is the Manchester Central Library. With it’s original historic features, cutting-edge design, impressive Wolfson Reading Room, as well as a fascinating collection of reading material, as a young girl, it inspired in me a love of dusty books!
10. Hail the Suffragettes!
The Pankhurst Centre was the home of Emmeline Pankhurst and her family, who led the Suffragette campaign for Votes for Women & the Women’s Social and Political Union. She was named as one of the 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century, and is a must visit for anyone interested in political history at the turn of the 20th century! It’s also free of charge!
Buying records in the Northern Quarter is a very good thing!
11. Stay trendy and cool in the Northern Quarter
Similar to Berlin’s Kreuzberg, the Northern Quarter is one of the most popular places to head to. Situated between Piccadilly and Ancoats, the Northern Quarter retains a unique character and charm, and is Manchester’s urban creative, urban heart and home, to countless independent fashion designers and stores, record shops, cafés, bars, restaurants, street art, and other creative hubs! We spent a little bit of time hanging out here. Note that the Quarter also has the bohemian hippy air of Copenhagen’s Freetown of Christiania!
12. Lose yourself in music
Since it opened in 1978, Piccadilly Records has become one of the world’s best independent record shops selling a wide variety of musical genres spanning from indie, disco, funk, house, psych and everything in between. If you can’t find what you’re looking for there, they’ll tell you where you can!
13. Rip your jeans at the centre of Manchester’s punk scene!
Manchester was very much a prominent part of the punk scene in the 1970’s where the Buzzcocks, the post-punk band The Fall, and Joy Division used to play before they hit the big time! Occupying a grand old Victorian building is the pub where it all started – Band on the Wall – with a reputation for hosting respected artists from all over the world. Visit, if you want to reveal Manchester’s 20th century music scene!
14. Take a stroll and do business
Situated in the heart of Manchester, Spinningfields is one of Europe’s most successful urban regeneration projects! It’s the leading regional business quarter in the UK and the centre of Manchester’s corporate community, over 165 world-class financial and commercial services organisations, luxury international fashion brands, restaurants and bars, and over 5.5 million tourists a year!
15. Be dramatic. Do theatre!
Once the largest trading hall in England, the Royal Exchange Theatre is soaked in history and was a prominent target in the Manchester Blitz in 1940! Today, the Royal Exchange Theatre attracts the very best acting and writing talent to the seven-sided, glass-walled capsule, and is uniquely suspended in the middle of the historic Cotton Exchange, so that each and every seat, is less than nine metres from the circular stage. We went to see a play there and it was remarkable!
The Imperial War Museum (IWM) North – Manchester
16. Experience the reality of war at the Imperial War Museum North
The Imperial War Museum North (IWM) at Salford Quays was initially established during the First World War! Housed in an iconic aluminium clad building, it represents a globe shattered by conflict and is the first museum in the UK to be designed by the internationally acclaimed architect Daniel Libeskind, and of course, is free of charge.
17. Power to the People!
My second favourite museum in Manchester is the People’s History Museum. It’s a national museum that shows the way ordinary people used to live, as well as the history of labour and democracy, in the UK. It’s very interactive and hands on. We visited a few years’ ago, and The Tall Young Gentleman was amazed to see an 1800 telephone that had both a mouth piece and an ear piece. He was so astonished, he didn’t know how to use it! Absolutely free of charge!
18. See the oldest library in the world. Probably!
Chetham’s Library was founded in 1653 and is the oldest public library in the English-speaking world! It’s housed in a building from 1421, and it’s entire collection is deemed to be a national and international treasure!
19. Visit Whitworth Park Gallery
The Whitworth is a gallery that I remember well as a young girl! It’s located in Whitworth Park, and is now a part of the University of Manchester and exhibits an extensive and eclectic collection of art and design, which is of international significance. It’s free of charge.
20. Run away to the circus. No! Visit the theatre!
The Lowry represents a diverse programme of theatre, opera, musicals, dance, music, comedy and visual art, as well as events and activities to expand the horizons of audiences and artists alike. One of the most familiar childhood places that I remember is that of the Lowry Gallery. The Gallery presents paintings, sculpture and photography, as well as the exhibitions of one of Britain’s best loved artists – LS Lowry.
Party on in Manchester!
21. Party on!
Housed in a venue built in 1878, The Deaf Institute, is a music hall ballroom with velvet curtains, a domed ceiling, a massive mirror ball, and parrots on the wall! It also hosts live gigs, comedy and club nights for big names in the early stage of their career, as well as craft beers served to rock ’n roll sound tracks!
22. Listen to live classical music
As one of the BBC’s six performing groups, the BBC Philharmonic offers a wonderful opportunity to experience live classical music at its very best. The BBC Philharmonic gives many concerts, nearly all of which are broadcast on BBC Radio 3, it also appears at the annual BBC Proms. If you’re interested, you can apply for free tickets for concerts in the studio, or purchase tickets for the annual season at Bridgewater Hall.
23. Experience musical talent at the Hallé
In my younger days, I used to play the clarinet and was a member not only a jazz-like Big Band, but also a symphony orchestra! And one of the places that I delighted in visiting was the Hallé. The Hallé is an 1857 English symphony orchestra that ranks among the UK’s top symphonic ensembles and supports youth choirs, children’s choirs, and youth orchestras, as well as releasing its recordings, on its own record label! It was a huge deal to perform there, and we did!
24. Listen to music under the Arches!
It can’t get any more authentic when you dive under the arches along the railway tracks. Gorilla is a mixture of film, comedy, live and club music space. It’s also a little gritty and is one of Manchester’s music haunts. And isn’t that what we all want!
25. Get it in, at Manchester City FC!
Enjoy an exciting Manchester City Stadium and Club Tour and bask in the pride and heritage of Manchester and it’s very own football team – Manchester City!
Sculptures of football legends, at Manchester United
26. Kick a ball for Manchester United
Travel to the home of the most successful football club in the world! Book yourself a Manchester United Museum & Stadium Tour, and enhance in the experience of a life-time as a premier league football player and a behind the scenes look at the most recognised football team in the world at Old Trafford!
27. Be a Viking and throw an axe!
If you’re looking for something different, why not visit the Great Northern Warehouse where Whistle Punks will show you how to throw an axe. Jaaaaaa!
28. Go to the clouds on the 23rd floor!
The highest point in Manchester is a unique venue on the 23rd floor! Cloud 23 at the Hilton has the most fabulous views of Manchester’s skyline as well as genteel afternoon tea, and elegant cocktails. Dress smartly. Note: Children under 18 are only allowed between 11:00 and 17:00.
29. Sip gin at the City of Manchester Gin Experience
The City of Manchester Gin Experience is a purpose-built space with a cinema screen and private bar. Take your time and tour the distillery, explore the history, learn about the intriguing history of gin, as well as drinking it. And then top it off by creating your own personalised bottle of gin!
30. Welcome to Chinatown!
Manchester, twinned with Wuhan in China, has the second largest Chinatown in Britain, and the third largest in Europe! Originally created in the 1970’s as a cultural hub for Chinese families in the north of England, Chinatown is now famed for its restaurants, grocery shops and bakeries, as well as Chinese New Year celebrations which attract thousands of visitors. In 1987, an impressive archway (a paifang) shipped from China – was built!
The original Bury Black Pudding – a breakfast delicacy of the North!
31. Put your finger in a Bury Black Pudding!
Black Pudding traditionally served with hearty favourites like bacon and fried egg is the ultimate Lancashire delicacy and dates back to 1865! There is an English speciality called Bury Black Puddings! It’s a Bury institution and a must have, when having an English breakfast in the North of England! I’m not a fan myself, but why not give it a try at least once!
32. Eat street food at a Farmers’ Market
Manchester has a huge number of local food and drink, produce, and Farmers’ Markets, so why not enjoy all that Manchester, and the North of England has to offer!
33. Sing carols at the Manchester Christmas Market!
Step into winter with a dose of European / British local food from the number of Christmas Markets scattered around the city. It won’t be traditionally German, but you’ll get food, drinks, wooden gifts, hand-made products and a good sprinkling of glühwein and sausages!
34. Visit Manchester’s Edwardian Corn Exchange
Take a step back in time and immerse yourself in Manchester’s rich past via the Edwardian Corn Exchange. Bask in the Gothic Quarter and take your senses through the quaint medieval cobbled streets, away from the hustle and bustle of Manchester city centre.
35. Sip coffee at Pot Kettle Black
Established in 1871, Manchester’s Barton Arcade is an industrial vintage space that is home to a speciality coffee shop – Pot Kettle Black. We went there for a snack and a few drinks, but sadly, they stopped serving meals at 16:00, and the cakes they had on offer were either filled with nuts, or crammed with chocolate! A beer it is then!
Manchester craft beer – Chorlton Pale Ale –
©thebeerinreview.co.uk
36. Enjoy craft beer
Manchester has a growing craft beer scene, with more than 80 breweries operating across Manchester! Try the beer, slap someone on the back, and buy a round for the locals!
37. Laugh your head off!
Located along Deansgate Locks, the Comedy Store Manchester is right in the heart of a popular nightlife spot. Housing a spacious bar and canal-side restaurant as well as an auditorium, this hugely popular venue showcases some of the best comedic talent from around the world building on its impressive heritage from the original London venue, which helped launched the careers of French and Saunders, Jack Dee, Paul Merton, Julian Clary, and Eddie Izzard. We went to one of the performances, and it was pretty alright!
38. Pub crawl through Deansgate Locks
The Deansgate Locks’ is home to not only the Comedy Store Manchester, but also ten converted railway arches with six bars, a walkway, and a bridge hanging over a part of the Manchester canal beneath! Not far away is the real Deansgate and also the longest road in the city centre, one of the oldest thoroughfares ,and dating right back to Roman times! Can you imagine that just 30 years ago, many of the gentrified gastro-pubs used to be working men pubs, or packed with underaged kids either wearing tightly ripped jeans and second-hand leather jackets, or listening to the 70’s post-punk music of The Police, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Smiths, and The Cure, before the area beame a desolated mess! In fact, when I went back a few years ago, I was shocked at how gentrified Deansgate Locks had become!
39. Drink at some of Manchester’s finest pubs and ale houses
You wouldn’t be in Manchester if you didn’t have a bevy of good old British pubs, serving real beers and traditional ales. Check out the Peveril of the Peak – one of Manchester’s most celebrated pubs – as the only ‘detached’ pub in Manchester city centre, and it’s distinguished two-tone green tiled exterior. It dates from the early 19th century and is said to be named after a stagecoach that ran from Manchester, across the Pennines. It’s an architectural gem, has original wooden benches, stained glass, etched mirrors and bells. Or perhaps The Briton’s Protection – a historic, grade II listed pub dating back from 1806! As well as serving real ale, it is known for offering a wide range of over 200 whiskies. A real British find!
40. Be fabulous and glow, at Manchester’s Gay Village
Located just south of Chinatown, along and around Canal Street, the Manchester Gay Village is both a place to party, and a piece of the people’s history. Like New York, London, and Berlin, Manchester is one of the world’s leading gay-friendly cities, so whether you’re part of the LGBT community or just a supporter of the cause, head out to Canal Street and paaarty!
Head to Manchester University!
41. Head to university!
Manchester is a university town and has over 99,000 students across four universities namely the University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University, the University of Salford and the University of Bolton. It’s also home to the University Campus Oldham and the Royal Northern College of Music. Like London and Berlin, Manchester has one of the largest student populations in the UK, and therefore, one of the largest entertainment and nightlife available and very cheap beers!
42. Shop ’til you drop
Manchester Arndale, otherwise known as the Arndale Centre, or the Arndale, is one of the largest shopping centres in the UK, and receives up to 41 million visitors every year! The Arndale was built in the 1970’s but was redeveloped after the 1996 Manchester IRA bombing, making it Europe’s third largest city-centre shopping mall! It’s so worth a visit!
43. Hop on the train
The best way to explore the North England region is by train! Northerners have a soft spot for heritage trains which can’t really be used for travel, but are a picturesque reminder of how we used to live! One of such, is the East Lancashire Railway. With a history stretching back to the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the East Lancashire Railway is the steam-powered heart of the Irwell Valley, pumping goods and people around the region for nearly 200 years!
44. Be a Children’s BBC (CBBC) presenter for a day
The CBBC, otherwise known as Children’s BBC, is the British children’s television strand owned by the BBC and aimed for older children aged from 6 to 12. BBC programming aimed at the under 6-year-old child is broadcast on the CBeebies channel. If you have young children, let them go behind the scenes, join one of the interactive tours, and discover how it feels to be a TV presenter. The CBBC tour lasts about 1.5 hours and is suitable for ages 6 to 11! Note: You can only watch the CBBC videos and games online, if you’re actually in the UK!
45. Visit a farm!
Set on 70 acres of rolling countryside, the Smithills Open Farm is a family run business, where children can meet and learn about a mixed bag of animals such as goats, cows, pigs and sheep, as well as reptiles, and more unusual species like Burmese pythons. Most animals can also be fed and held!
Hats off!
46. Hats off!
Hat Works is Stockport’s hat museum! It’s an attraction with two floors of interactive exhibits, taking you on a journey through the history of Stockport’s once thriving hatting industry. At Hat Works, visitors can step back in time and experience the world of hatting from its humble beginnings in the cottage industry, to the mass production of the early 19th century when hat manufacturing was a thriving industry, with over 100 hat factories and businesses in the area. You can even try on a huge collection of hats, or try your hand at making your own! Utterly free of charge!
47. Go rambling through the country
Manchester isn’t just city centred, but encompasses rural environments too. The Dovestone Reservoir lies at the convergence of the valleys of the Greenfield and Chew Brooks, above the village of Greenfield, on Saddleworth Moor. The reservoir is on the edge of Oldham and the Peak District National Park in the South Pennines, offering several walks amongst picturesque landscapes. The reservoir has its own sailing club, a permanent orienteering course, an extensive network of footpaths, and good links to areas of open access moorland. If you’re looking to ramble in the countryside, go sailing, cycling, orienteering, or horse-riding, then this is the place to do it!
48. Sail across the oldest man-made canal in the world!
Pack up your troubles nd put it on a barge by river cruising along the historic Bridgewater Canal opened in 1761! The canal flows through Dunham Massey, Sale, Stretford, Barton-upon-Irwell, Old Trafford, Boothstown, Worsley Village, and beyond. Relax in the gentle sounds of Manchester’s most historic waterways, or use Manchester Water Taxis, or a Waxi, to travel around!
49. Travel for free with the hop-on, hop off bus!
Within the Manchester city centre, you can travel for free! Yes, for free! The Metroshuttle is a free of charge ‘hop on, hop off’ service, linking all of the main rail stations, car parks, shopping districts and business areas. There are three services which operate on circular routes and operate in Manchester city centre (routes 1, 2 and 3), Bolton and Stockport. When in “town”, we also used the metroshuttle, and it’s very efficient. Just look for the bus stop signs dotted around the city centre. Free of charge!
50. Pop into Greggs for a meatpie
Greggs is the largest bakery chain in the United Kingdom! It specialises in savoury products such as pasties, sausage rolls, sandwiches, vanilla slices, and cream finger doughnuts! The first Greggs was opened in 1951 and is generally considered to be primarily based in the North of England. Prices are low and quality is really good for a quick snack. To be candid, you’re not in Manchester if you don’t pop into Greggs for a cheese pasty or a sausage roll!
The beautiful Edwardian Corn Exchange – Manchester.
This article isn’t sponsored, and even though I thoroughly enjoyed myself in my original home town, and some of the ideas are inspired by Visit Manchester, absolutely all opinions, and the great times I had in my childhood, are my very own!
I have so much to share with you.
In the Autumn, I’ll be visiting the UK and travelling around Cheshire, Staffordshire, Manchester, Blackpool, Derbyshire and Yorkshire!
November is going to be exciting!
The Music Producer at Piccadilly Gardens – The Northern Quarter – Manchester
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Have you ever been to Manchester? Do you like black pudding? Let me know in the comments below!
Posted in manchester, Manchester City, Manchester culture, Manchester Guide, Manchester United, motivation, MUSEUMS & GALLERIES, MUSIC, North England, river, things to do, THOUGHTS & IDEAS, TRAVEL, travel guide, travel the world, UK, Urban, Visit England, Visit Europe, Visit Manchester, walking tour, world travelTagged England, manchester, Manchester City, Manchester City Guide, Manchester culture, Manchester Guide, Manchester history, Manchester music scene, Manchester United, Manchester's industrial past, Mancunian, museums and galleries, North England, Northern Quarter, Reasons to visit Manchester, reasons to visit Northern England, the North, UK, Victorian history, Visit England, Visit Manchester, What to do in Manchester, Why visit Manchester19 Comments
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US energy policy
If you don’t like looking at wind farms, why not build them at sea?
June 22, 2015 4.17pm EDT
Clive Schofield, University of Wollongong, Tavis Potts, University of Aberdeen
Clive Schofield
Professor and Challenge Lead, Sustaining Coastal and Marine Zones, University of Wollongong
Tavis Potts
Senior Lecturer in Human Geography, University of Aberdeen
Clive Schofield receives funding from the Australian Research Council.
Tavis Potts receives funding from the UK Natural Environment Research Council and has previously been funded through the UK Economic and Social Research Council, Scottish Government Center for Expertise in Water, and the European Union.
University of Aberdeen provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation UK.
University of Wollongong provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU.
Could offshore wind be a solution to onshore wind’s problems? Statkraft/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND
The Australian government appears to be intent on scaling back wind farms in Australia. A Senate inquiry has recommended increasing regulation for wind farms in response to health concerns, and Prime Minister Tony Abbott recently commented to radio host Alan Jones that his government has managed to reduce the number of “these things” [wind turbines], but he personally would have preferred “to have reduced the number a whole lot more”.
But there’s another solution that would continue to build the capacity of wind energy while removing possible impacts on land-holders: put wind farms out to sea.
Terrible turbines?
The primary drivers for the government’s hostility to wind farms centre around the alleged socio-cultural and health impacts of wind turbines.
In the view of opponents, wind turbines represent an unsightly blight upon the landscape and cause intolerable noise pollution.
Concerns over their potential impacts on human health have also been raised although here it can be observed that the National Health and Medical Research Council recently stated that there is no direct evidence that turbines affect physical or mental health.
The Australian government’s stance is, however, increasingly out of step with the international community - both economically and morally.
In recent weeks the G7 group of nations announced their commitment to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide to 40-70% below current levels by 2050, and to eliminate the use of fossil fuels altogether by 2100. As a renewable energy source, wind farms can help to displace the use of fossil fuel generation in the electricity network.
And last week Pope Francis and his 183-page encyclical made a radical call to decarbonise and address climate change as a major existential issue.
The government-led attack on wind farms is therefore at odds with a global shift in the development of renewable energy with wind a leading technology in the renewable picture.
Stepping offshore
One approach that would serve to sidestep the problems of terrestrial wind farms (real or perceived) is to send the turbines offshore. Marine renewable energy, whether from wind, wave or tidal sources, is set to become a major supplier to global energy needs.
Among the differing technologies, offshore wind is emerging as the most efficient and competitive player with significant expansion in Europe and Asia.
In Europe more than 2,080 offshore turbines have been installed and connected to the grid in 11 European countries with a cumulative total of 6,562 megawatts (6.562 gigawatts, or GW) in 69 wind farms. Wind energy (both offshore and terrestrial) is a small but growing part of renewables produciton in the EU, consisting of 10.5 % of the EU-28’s renewable energy produced in 2013. The United Kingdom is the leading producer of offshore wind energy, with installed capacity of 4.5 GW, a further 12.6 GW in construction or approval, and 5.2 GW in planning.
Ambitious future forecasts include 40 GW of European offshore wind by 2020, meeting 4% of the EU’s electricity demand with a further 110GW to be installed between 2020 and 2030 that would meet 14% of EU demand.
In China 0.67 GW of offshore wind capacity is installed, with more on the way as renewable energy is increasingly recognised as an important and growing element of China’s energy mix. China produced 450 GW of renewable energy in 2014.
Meanwhile South Korea is forecast to become a major strategic player with numerous offshore wind farm sites in the planning phase, investing US$9 billion into a massive 2.5 GW wind power development led by Korea Electric, one of the world’s leaders in tidal energy production.
Small-scale but growing
In terms of the overall energy picture the amount of installed capacity from marine sources - wind, wave and tidal - is presently small. Of the 369 GW of global wind production, only 8.7 GW (2.3%) is from offshore wind.
Total ocean renewable energy as a proportion of the global renewable capacity (which includes hydropower and onshore wind) is also tiny, currently just 0.5%.
This situation is expected to substantially shift in coming years as terrestrial systems reach capacity in terms of competition for space, social opposition or in limits to generative capacity and the concept of the blue economy gains momentum in coastal states and regional clusters such as the European Union and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries.
Opportunities and challenges
Australia has a long coastline and abundant offshore wind, wave and tidal energy resources at its disposal. Pushing wind farms offshore would seem to circumvent the main objections to wind turbines on land whilst enabling the renewable energy sector an opportunity to grow.
Providing such an avenue for the renewable energy sector would grow the innovation and manufacturing base providing an avenue for a high skilled and technical workforce and giving Australia a stake in a growing global market.
Emerging technologies such as wave and tidal, while presently small, have been recently supported by coalition ministers including a recent world-first connection of a wave hub in Western Australia.
Arguably moving wind turbines offshore merely transfers the burden of their visual impacts to sea. Crucially though, few people (indeed, vocal voters) live where such turbines might be located.
Offshore wind turbines represent proven technology but are likely to be more expensive both to build and maintain, but recent estimates highlight that costs are falling, and are potentially cheaper than gas fired or nuclear options.
It can also be anticipated that existing marine users such as fishermen, are unlikely to welcome such a “new” and potentially competing offshore activity. That said, there are ways and means to overcome such apparently conflicting uses, for instance through processes of marine spatial planning that are emerging worldwide.
While implementation challenges exist for offshore wind energy developments, this option offers a pathway for Australia to stay in the renewable energy game, reduce our carbon emissions and develop innovative new industries.
Wind turbine syndrome
India’s power needs are growing at a staggering rate and coal won’t do the job. NASA
How do you power a billion lives?
Ocean power can be harnessed for electricity generation using both wave energy and the tide. Scottish Government
Explainer: what is ocean energy?
Victorian planning amendments treat wind farms as a menace on the horizon. greenery/Flickr
Regulating wind farms out of Victoria
Could offshore be a new dawn for wind power in Australia? Vattenfall
Europe has offshore wind farms … why can’t Australia?
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When sex education emphasizes shame, it doesn’t help youth who have been sexually abused
September 3, 2015 6.05am EDT
Monica Faulkner, University of Texas at Austin
Monica Faulkner
Research Professor, University of Texas at Austin
Monica Faulkner receives funding from S Department of Health and Human Services (PAWOS000012-01-00; $633,798) and Administration for Children and Families (Award #90AK0036-01-00 through Cardea Health Services, $161,033). .
No shame. Classroom image via www.shutterstock.com.
Sex education has long been a controversial topic in the United States. In Texas, where I work, sex education does not really exist, at least not in schools. About 47% of school districts provide nothing in terms of sex education and state-approved textbooks lack information on contraception. If a school chooses to teach sexual health education, they must emphasize abstinence and inform youth about the “emotional trauma” associated with sexual activity before marriage.
As a result, the school districts in Texas that do address sexual health convey a strong message that self-worth is tied to virginity. Twenty-four other states have similar policies that force educators to stress abstinence before marriage. Some programs even use the analogy that virginity is like gum or a candy bar. The take-away message is that no one wants a chewed up piece of gum or an unwrapped candy bar that has been passed around.
While evidence-based, comprehensive curricula offer more practical information about sex and contraception, they too can contain messages of shame about pregnancy and STDs.
How do you think those messages sound to a young person who has been sexually abused? Sex education curricula that tie premarital sex, getting pregnant or getting an STD to shame don’t leave much space for anyone to develop healthy views about sex and sexuality. But they are especially unhelpful, and even harmful, for youth who have been sexually abused.
Sexual abuse is not rare
Sexual abuse is a more common problem than many people realize. In the US, a conservative estimate is that 25% of girls and 16% of boys experience sexual abuse as a child.
We know that sexual trauma affects sexual health throughout a person’s life. Youth who experience sexual abuse are more likely to contract a sexually transmitted infection and/or get pregnant in their teen years. Perhaps the most telling example of this phenomenon is that half the girls in foster care will have been pregnant by the time they are 19.
Because there is so much shame associated with sexual abuse, victims integrate that shame into their self-image. A child may feel she is damaged and view what happened to her as her own fault. From an adult perspective, it might be logical to tell a child that sex against his will is not his fault. But children don’t think about these things from an adult perspective; they’re kids.
From the child’s perspective, disentangling consensual and non-consensual sex is confusing and often results in distorted views about choice, desire and pleasure. They view themselves as bad and sex as bad. Yet, they may ultimately engage in compulsive sexual behaviors that resemble the abuse they experienced because it allows them to feel a sense of power over their sexuality.
Despite the fact that so many children have been exposed to harmful sexual experiences and struggle with related shame, we put them in sex education classes as teenagers and tell them that sex, sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy are bad, gross – the worst things in the world. In short, we shame them and scare them in hopes that they will not have sex.
How sex ed can shame victims of sex abuse
I’ve come across this firsthand in my research. I am evaluating the impact of two evidence-based, comprehensive teen pregnancy prevention curricula on youth in juvenile detention, foster care and substance use treatment in Texas. These youth have the highest risk for pregnancy, but we don’t know very much about how these curricula impact them. That’s because sex education prevention curricula are often tested on youth in easy-to-reach populations like schools or youth groups.
Both male and female youth in our study have experienced intense sexual trauma including rape by multiple people, sex trafficking and sexual abuse beginning at early ages. Those experiences are related to their placement in foster care, juvenile detention and substance use treatment. Both their experience of sexual trauma and lack of stable caregivers leave them at high risk for pregnancy or a partner’s pregnancy.
In my study, youth attend six to eight one-hour sessions focusing on topics like life goals, relationships, STD prevention and pregnancy prevention. Because we are not working in schools, we are able to do condom demonstrations and provide information about birth control that would otherwise be prohibited.
But even though we are using comprehensive, evidence-based curricula, youth are still told that STDs are gross, unnatural and if you get one, it is your fault. Very little, if any, information is provided about consent and sexual trauma. And that, perhaps surprisingly, is common for evidence-based sex ed curricula regardless of whether it is abstinence-based or comprehensive. Given that the bulk of federal funding is rightfully designated for evidence based programs, there is little room for programs to choose anything but these curricula.
Our team has found the youth who go through these evidence-based classes learn more about their sexual and reproductive health. However, they emerge with the same confusion, avoidance, self-hate and deep shame related to sex and sexuality.
These curricula are failing to create a space to allow youth to understand that sex should be a healthy, consensual and (dare I say) pleasurable part of their lives when they are ready for it. And for those youth who have had an STD or pregnancy, they are definitely not receiving a message that they can be healthy and deserving of pleasure too.
Leaving the shame behind
Many scholars have advocated that sex education take a sex-positivist approach.
We need to make sure youth know how to identify, prevent and treat STDs, but they should also receive a message that they can heal and have healthy sex lives after an STD. We need to make sure youth hear a message that outcomes are best when pregnancies are wanted and planned, but that teen parents are not horrible people whose lives are ruined.
Most importantly, we need to make sure that survivors of sexual violence hear a consistent message that abuse is not their fault and that they are deserving of love and healthy sexual experiences.
To be clear, we should still use evidence-based curricula, talk to kids about abstinence, teach them about condoms and talk to them about when they want to be a parent. However, we have to push ourselves to have slightly braver conversations where adults listen more than they speak and where we leave the fear and shame aside, because ultimately, every child regardless of whether she has been abused, could benefit from a shame-free discussion about sex.
Section 28? Never heard of it. lewishamdreamer
We need a new sexuality education – and all schools should have to teach it
A page from a 1934 sex education manual that, like many of its era, managed to be less about sex than about policing racial boundaries. RPH West, Facts about Ourselves for Growing Boys and Girls (Public Health Department of the City of Johannesburg and the South African Red Cross Society, 1934). Wits Historical Papers, South African Institute of Race Relations Collection, AD 843 RJ/NA 18.
Let’s talk about sex education: race and shame in South Africa
Young sexual minority men aren’t getting the health care they need. Doctor's office from www.shutterstock.com
When it comes to health care, young gay men are falling through the cracks
Would sex ed have changed anything? Teenage pregancy via Photographee.eu/Shutterstock
Compulsory sex education won’t reduce rates of teenage pregnancy
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Looking Back At The First Royal Rumble 30 Years Later
by joeyyonkers123
The first televised Royal Rumble took place on January 24, 1988. It was in Canada at Copps Coliseum. There was actually a practice event late in 1987. That match took place in St. Louis. The One Man Gang won it. He actually went over with JYD (Junkyard Dog) simultaneously, but was awarded a title shot against Hulk Hogan. The stipulation was that whoever prevailed would receive a championship opportunity on the next St. Louis card in November. January’s match had basically nothing to gain. Ric Flair won 1992’s Royal Rumble for the vacant title, and after that winners were given a future title bout.
I used to think that the title opportunity for winning had not really been invented or thought of for years, but after reading about this 1987 event I saw that it was originally involved. Hacksaw Jim Duggan won that 1988 contest. Ironically, it came down to him and the 1987 winner. Duggan pulled down the rope and Gang fell over to end the match. Things changed dramatically after the first televised rumble. USA Network was used because of a PPV NWA event. Gorilla Monsoon stressed that it was a free attraction. This implied that you should choose WWF over the other event, although that NWA show wasn’t specifically mentioned.
I was surprised when Monsoon wasn’t announcing at Copps Coliseum. It seemed like maybe something came up. Suspicion was multiplied when Vince McMahon commentated at MSG one night later. It was McMahon’s first time commentating at MSG in five years. Eventually I would find out that Gorilla had suffered a mild heart attack. Monsoon was conspicuous by his absence. He loved to say that when a manager like Bobby Heenan was not at ringside to support one of his men. I didn’t know the exact definition until looking it up years later.
The Royal Rumble was very basic. Tito Santana and Bret Hart started. There was no special introduction. Those two were standing in the ring. It was supposed to be a new man entering every two minutes, but that time seemed questionable. At one point Nikolai Volkoff ran out and was held back. He seemed to have made a mistake and left the locker room prematurely. This match was overshadowed by other things that happened during the event.
Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant had a contract signing. This set up their huge bout on February 5. Earlier I mentioned being on free television. The February 5 show on NBC was seen by 33 million viewers. That was a record for American televised wrestling. There were many other parts to this show. New WWF Women’s Tag Team Champions were crowned. The Jumping Bomb Angels defeated Jimmy Hart’s Glamour Girls. They actually lost a fall before winning two. The Islanders also won a best 2 out of 3 falls match. They beat Paul Roma and Jim Powers. It appeared that Roma sustained a legitimate injury. Ricky Steamboat beat Rick Rude by disqualification. Perhaps the most memorable happening was Dino Bravo supposedly setting a new weightlifting record. Jesse Ventura clearly helped him lift the weight.
By 1989, things had started to change. The event was moved to PPV. There was a dramatic introduction for the first two men. They were regular partners Ax and Smash of Demolition. Music played each time. When Demolition’s theme song came on again, fans went wild. The 1989 match involved 30 wrestlers. That 1988 contest had 20. 2018’s event will be different than previous years. For the first time ever, WWE is presenting a women’s rumble. I guess I’ll watch. The NFL has moved their Pro Bowl to an afternoon game. Hopefully you enjoyed this trip down memory lane. If not, at least I got to relive it. Who else can educate you like this?
TagsRoyal Rumble • WWE
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SOV_CivilWar_StonewallJackson.1946.41
By Stephen M. Klugewicz|2016-04-02T22:38:19-05:00April 2nd, 2016|
About the Author: Stephen M. Klugewicz
Stephen Klugewicz is editor of The Imaginative Conservative. He holds a Ph.D. in American History, with expertise in the eras of the Founding and Early Republic. Dr. Klugewicz is the co-editor of History, on Proper Principles: Essays in Honor of Forrest McDonald and Founders and the Constitution: In Their Own Words. He is the former executive director of the Collegiate Network at ISI and of the Robert and Marie Hansen Foundation and has long experience in education, having been president of Franklin’s Opus, director of education at the National Constitution Center, and headmaster of Regina Luminis Academy.
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Cyprus finds another victim of suspected serial killer
NICOSIA (Reuters) - Police in Cyprus found human remains on Sunday in an ongoing investigation into a suspected serial killer thought to have gone on a killing spree that claimed seven female victims and went undetected for almost three years.
Police forensics officers, rescuers and divers retrieve a suitcase, which police say contains a female body, during an investigation for possible bodies of victims of a suspected serial killer in Kokkinopezoula lake, also known as "red lake", near the village of Mitsero, Cyprus, April 28, 2019. REUTERS/Marinos Meletiou
Police say the suspect, a career officer in the Cypriot army, has confessed to killing five women and the six- and eight-year-old daughters of two of his victims. He connected with the women on an online dating site.
Four bodies have so far been found, after a female body in a state of decomposition was found on Sunday in a suitcase retrieved from a highly toxic lake close to an abandoned mine west of the capital Nicosia, police sources said.
“After great and persistent effort and many difficulties a travel case was pulled from the lake, containing the body of a woman, and a block of cement,” said Neofytos Shailos, head of Nicosia Criminal Investigation Department.
It appeared to belong to an adult, Shailos told journalists.
Tourists stumbled upon the first victim, discovered by chance in a disused mining shaft, two weeks ago.
A mother and daughter from Romania are thought to have disappeared in September 2016, and the last of his victims, from the Philippines, around August 2018.
The bodies of three women have been discovered in recent days. One has been identified as Marry Rose Tiburcio, 39, reported missing in May 2018. The bodies of the other two victims are thought to belong to a woman from the Philippines and a woman from Nepal, who went missing last year.
Police have been accused of failing to investigate the disappearances properly when they were reported.
In response, police said a restrictive legal framework hampers the ability of authorities to check things such as phone records without a specific court order, issued only on the grounds that a criminal offence punishable by more than five years in prison is suspected.
Tiburcio, the first victim discovered, was found on April 14. Her six-year-old daughter Sierra is missing. Almost a week later a second victim was found in the same mine shaft, and on April 25 a third at a firing range some 15 km away.
Reporting by Michele Kambas; Editing by Dale Hudson and Toby Chopra
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Ambassador for Peace News
Lord King of West Bromwich Passed Away Yesterday
Lord Tarsem King of West Bromwich passed away yesterday. He was Universal Peace Federation (UPF) - UK Patron and a UPF Presiding Council Member. He was a fatherly man who was willing to support a wide range of good causes. He believed in interfaith dialogue and activities as a way to remove misunderstandings and allow human relationships to grow that would facilitate community cohesion. Lord King spoke about this issue numerous times in the UK, in a conference in Tel Aviv, Israel or in visits to South Korea. With his help many other groups were supported to develop humanitarian platforms such as MonCher, an organisation to help Mongolian Street Children, Association for the Development of Mongolian Women in Europe and the British Chinese Accounting Association who support the Love Bridge to assist Chinese orphans. He had an innate sense of fairness and decency that informed his decisions to support the human rights of women, persecuted groups and disadvantaged minorities. He hosted the UN International Women's Day annually for several years now and commemorated Human Rights Day, Africa Day, as well as sponsoring numerous human rights conferences often with the support of the UPF - UK and the Women's Federation for World Peace - UK. He hosted several conferences that highlighted issues of violence, both domestic and sexual, against women. He commented on the unfairness of the decision not to allow women Bishops in the Anglican Church of England in a recent meeting.
He supported raising the awareness in the UK of Satguru Ram Singh Ji who, among many other accomplishments, many promoted a non-violent opposition to British rule in India before the campaigns of Mahatma Ghandhi began. He hosted a number of conferences to raise awareness of steps that precede genocide and were a prelude to the Holocaust.
It became an annual event to highlight this issue in the House of Lords around the time of the UN Holocaust day. There were numerous human rights ssues that were raised and promoted with excellent good sense under his stewardship. Those issues included the prevention and eradication of torture, the violence caused by greed for conflict minerals in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the persecution of minorities or disadvantaged groups in nations such as North Korea, China and nations in the Middle East.
He was energised by the annual Youth Achievement Awards event he hosted each July. He listened intently to each young person's tesimony of their public service or meritorius work. He often said those events made him feel young again. In this way he supported the development of Youth UPF and WFWP youth activities. In the photo below he is listening to the experiences of a former child soldier who is working to raise awareness of the issue.
Lord King demonstrated a wisdom and enthusiasm for the importance of the family. He expressed this wisdom in the regular UN International Family Day events he held. He enjoyed presenting the UPF Family Award to worthy families. He and Lady King also participated in the marriage rededication and blessing event of the Universal Peace Federation and addressed other similar marriage rededication and blessing occasions.
It was in his role as a member of the Universal Peace Federation Presiding Council Member that he could express the heart of many of the close contacts and long standing supporters of Father and Mother Sun Myung Moon in the eulogy to Father Moon that he will be remembered by many worldwide Unificationists. His visit to South Korea, changing his schedule on the sudden news of Father Moon's passing, and the sincere preparation for that speech was very moving. Part of this speech is included here:
'I can think of no one who has devoted himself more thoroughly to the promotion of interfaith understanding and cooperation. Long before interfaith had become a mainstream idea, Father Moon has been its champion. He has even called upon the United Nations to take interfaith more seriously and to establish an interfaith council within the United Nations system.
Father Moon was no stranger to suffering and conflict. He witnessed first-hand the brutality of a North Korean communist prison camp, and the horrors of the Korean War. He always stood strong against dictatorship, for the sake of freedom and democracy, and especially religious freedom. If there is no religious freedom, humanity will decline. Thus Father Moon was always leading the way in the promotion of religious freedom. Father Moon also taught us to appreciate the value of marriage and family. He, together with Mother Moon, blessed in marriage millions of couples worldwide, calling each to pledge fidelity, true love and devotion to God. By strengthening marriage and family there is hope for the future.
In the Sikh tradition, marriage and family are sacred. This is our fundamental teaching. Therefore, Sikhs around the world can understand and appreciate Father Moon’s teaching. Mother Moon, you have visited the United Kingdom's Houses of Parliament and shared the vision of Father Moon. The people of the United Kingdom are grateful for your life of service to the highest and most noble ideals.
In closing I want to say once again how honoured I am to have known Father Moon. To Mother Moon and the entire family I extend my heartfelt appreciation and encouragement as we go forward to build a world of lasting peace.'
Lord Tarsem King of West Bromich will be missed by the UPF and their friends for all the campaigns that he has supported so enthusiastically over many years as well as for the values of public service that he typified in his life.(Photo below of a presentation of the Universal Peace Federation's Ambassador for Peace award to the Ambassador of Nepal at the UPF-UK annual Peace Council on December 8th 2012.)
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December 30 in Scientology history
Actress Allison Mack's lawyers argue her threat to leak NXIVM members' nudes isn't 'serious harm'
2018-12-30, Marlene Lenthang, Daily Mail
Smallville actress Allison Mack, who is believed to be second-in-command of the notorious alleged sex slave cult NXIVM, is claiming that leaking members' nudes and enforcing labor in the group doesn't count as 'serious harm'. Mack, 36, and cult founder Keith Raniere, 58, face charges of sex trafficking, conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, and forced labor for running the cult that pulled members from Hollywood. Members submitted naked photos and made disparaging statements about their family members to the group's leaders which were allegedly used as blackmail if members refused to comply with the cult's demands of forced labor and sex with Raniere.
Tags: 2009, Albany, Allison Mack, Brooklyn, Fox News, Hollywood, Keith Raniere, New York, NXIVM, Quicky, Texas, US Department of Justice
Critical Q&A #192
The weekly show where I answer viewer questions based on what has been left in the comment sections of my Q&A videos or sent to me by email to AskChrisShelton@gmail.com. This week, the questions I answer are: (1) I wanted know more about the Super Power Building and what are the new strange super power things that Scientologist are suppose to learn there. (2) When I blew from the Sea Org after 13 years, I went thru a long period of being afraid to let anyone know of my connection to Scientology. I felt embarrassed about that and lied on my job applications about my job history. Through the years I got used to thinking and speaking without all the habitual Scientology words and phrases, but there are a few I never came up with good enough English words for, such as "dev-t" and "serv-fac." Could you pass on your replacements for these and other Scn words please?
Tags: Critic, David Miscavige, Marcab, Quicky, Sea Org, Super Power Building, Tone Scale, Venus
Fast Eddie Whiffs Again
Another in the ongoing series of posts documenting the insane statements and lies of scientology's only public spokesperson, Fast Eddie Parkin. Eddie as you may recall from earlier posts is a long term staff member in the Office of Special Affairs International (he used to be an assistant to Heber Jentzsch before Heber was "disappeared" many years ago). Fast Eddie is busy on twitter. Though he blocks the people he constantly carps about, and in fact blocks ANYONE who questions him or any of his tweets, this self-proclaimed champion of free speech and human rights (as long as they are his) has people he has not blocked who see his tweets and pass them on to those he smears. He devotes most of his efforts to Leah Remini, me, The Aftermath, A&E and Disney.
Tags: A&E, David Miscavige, Debbie Cook, Ed Parkin, Heber Jentzsch, Leah Remini, Office of Special Affairs, OT, Quicky, STAND
Scientology's building projects & front groups under the microscope in 2018
On this final Sunday in 2018, we asked Rod Keller to give us his own year in review. We're so fortunate that Rod gives us a report every week while he keeps such a close eye on Scientology's "expansion" projects and front-group operations around the globe. January brought news that Scientology plans to open a new Narconon facility in the small town of Ballivor, Ireland. Residents there protested the construction site, and in November An Bord Plean�la, a national planning board, ruled that Scientology's drug rehab facility was a change of use, as the site was previously a nursing home. Given local opposition it now seems unlikely that planning permission will be given, adding Narconon Ireland to a long list of failed facilities. Scientology expressed shock that they were not welcomed with open arms as they plan their next move. They don't think this battle is over yet. In February we reported on the efforts of public Scientologists in Manchester to start renovations of the new Ideal Org building on their own, without professional help. That project has withered as the easy projects are now complete. Manchester set a goal to start professional renovations "by Christmas" but that date seems to have slipped. Hopes for a new Ideal Org in the UK by the end of 2019 are slim.
Tags: 1949, 1970, 1983, 1989, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, Aaron Smith-Levin, Abortion, Adelaide, Advanced Org, Affirmations, Africa, Alec Nevala-Lee, Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe, Amazon, Arkansas, Australia, Author Services Inc, Ballivor, Barcelona, Battlefield Scientology, Birthday Game, Bob Duggan, Brussels, Bryan Seymour, California, Canada, Castle Kyalami, Cathriona White, CCHR, Chris Shelton, Christi Gordon, Clearwater, Criminon, Dave Richards, David Miscavige, DC, Denver, Detroit, Dianetics, DirecTV, Disconnection, Dublin, Eileen Barker, England, Europe, Florida, Former Scientologists, Forrest Ackerman, Foundation for a Drug-Free World, France, Freewinds, Gay Ribisi, Heather Ruggeri, Hollywood, Ideal Org, International Association of Scientologists, International Cultic Studies Association, Ireland, Isaac Asimov, James Packer, Jennifer Linson, Jerry Whitfield, Jesse Prince, Jim Carrey, Johannesburg, John W. Campbell, Karla Taylor, Kha Khan, Knowledge Reports, L. Ron Hubbard Way, Laura DeCrescenzo, LAX, Leah Remini, London, Los Angeles, Louis Theroux, LRH Hall, Mace-Kingsley Ranch, Manchester, Margie Zacks, Mark Burton, Mark Ebner, Marty Rathbun, Mat Pesch, Melbourne, Mexico, Michigan, Mimi Faust, My Scientology Movie, Narconon, Narconon Ireland, Narconon Puebla, New Year's Eve, Orlando, OT, OT 8, Paulette Cooper, Perth, Phil Jones, Philadelphia, R.M. Seibert, Rehabilitation Project Force, Robert Almblad, Rod Keller, Russia, Safe Point, Scientology Network, Scientology TV, Sea Org, Snow White Program, South Africa, South America, Steve Cannane, Stuttgart, Sunny Pereira, Sydney, Sylvia DeWall, Tampa, Tax exempt, The Way to Happiness, Tom Cruise, Toronto, Trish Duggan, UK, US Supreme Court, Volunteer Ministers, Whale, Youth for Human Rights International
2017-12-30, Chris Shelton, YouTube
The show where I answer your questions. Please leave any comments or feedback in the comments section here below. I see everything and want to hear from you. SHOP FOR CRITICAL MERCHANDISE http://shop.spreadshirt.com/chrisshelton
Tags: Audio, Critic, Quicky, Scientology: A to Xenu
Life is So Much Better Since I Left Scientology
At First Scientology used to be fun�at least back in the day when I got involved. Everyone was young and looking to hook up. We'd go dancing at clubs after course. People threw parties in cheap rentals on the weekends. We'd get naked and sit in hot tubs under the stars� and if we didn't have to be on course the next day, we'd drink wine and beer. After a while, so many people were getting married, my significant other and I talked about budgeting money for wedding presents. The OT Levels were pie in the sky, the local Mission was far from ideal but always full, and eventually, we got married, too. A few years later, people started having babies. We may have been poor but times were good.
Tags: Basics, Bridge to Total Freedom, Central Files, David Miscavige, DC, E-meter, Europe, Facebook, Ideal Org, International Association of Scientologists, L. Ron Hubbard, Mission, OT, OT 7, Student Hat, Terra Cognita, Wall of Fire
Scientology Jokes That Would Count As Blasphemy
2017-12-30, Peter Nyiri, The Sea Organization
Just so everyone understands, joking is not allowed in Scientology. You get sent to Ethics and will probably undergo sec checking (confessional). Here is the theory:
Tags: Apollo, Clear, Ethics, Jesus, Jesus Christ, L. Ron Hubbard, OT, Quicky, Sec Check
While Scientology struggled, David Miscavige upped his game in 2017
We're continuing to look back at 2017's most significant stories here at the Underground Bunker and today it's a flashback to October in our annual Scientology year-in-review. On October 4, we asked a question that caused a stir: Is Scientology's "RPF" a thing of the past? Punishing Sea Org members with the "Rehabilitation Project Force" is legendary, and we've talked to people who were stuck for years on the prison-like detail. But recent defectors tell us that over the past several years, Scientology leader David Miscavige systematically disbanded the RPF in places around the world, complaining that it carried too many Hubbard-era rules and regulations. Sea Org members are still being punished, we're told, but no longer with trappings of the RPF � and we credited activists like Mike Rinder for exposing the RPF's legacy of mistreatment. The next day we provided another excerpt from a 1989 home video made aboard the Freewinds. This time we featured the remarkable OT 8 graduation speech of a woman named Margie Zacks. This is a Scientologist reaching the pinnacle of achievement after years of studying L. Ron Hubbard's "technology." But for many of us, seeing her talk about how she got there was simply sad.
Tags: 1949, 1950, 1989, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, Adelaide, Australia, Birmingham, Bob Duggan, Bob Peterson, Bryan Seymour, Cathriona White, Chris Owen, Clearwater, Continental Liaison Office, David Miscavige, Denver, Dianetics, England, Erin Hodges Plumb, Europe, Forrest Ackerman, Freewinds, Garry Scarff, Gay Ribisi, Guelph, Hollywood, Ideal Org, Int Base, International Association of Scientologists, Ireland, Jeffrey Augustine, Jennifer Linson, Jim Carrey, Karla Taylor, Knowledge Reports, Laura DeCrescenzo, LAX, Leah Remini, London, Los Angeles, Louis Theroux, Mace-Kingsley Ranch, Margie Zacks, Marie Bilheimer, Mark Burton, Mark Ebner, Marty Rathbun, Mat Pesch, Melbourne, Mike Rinder, Mimi Faust, Mirriam Francis, Miss Lovely, My Scientology Movie, Nathan Rich, New Mexico, Ontario, OT 8, Pasadena, Paulette Cooper, Perth, Pete Griffiths, Quicky, Ray Emmons, Rehabilitation Project Force, Rod Keller, Saint Hill, Sea Org, Steve Cannane, Sydney, Tampa, Tara Reile, Tom Cruise, US Supreme Court, Wally Hanks
Donald Trump is technology's befuddled (but dangerous) grandfather
2016-12-30, Sam Thielman, The Guardian
Technology? Bah humbug: "I think we ought to get on with our lives," said Donald Trump on Wednesday, summing up his take on the complex problem of apparently Russian phishing attacks on multiple Democratic party groups during the 2016 election. As the White House's current resident prepared to impose sanctions on Russia for hacking, Trump said: "I think that computers have complicated lives very greatly. The whole age of computer has made it where nobody knows exactly what's going on." It's not the first time the president-elect has been stumped by the digital world, like a technophobe who unwrapped a computer-operated nuclear arsenal on Christmas morning. And the trouble isn't that nobody knows exactly what's going on in the "age of computer" � it's that technology poses some of the most complex problems in human history to the incoming administration. And its leader is a man who refers to "the cyber" and seems more concerned about the weight of the hacker, or possibly the bed � his syntax is mysterious � than about who broke into the Democratic National Committee.
Tags: 2010, 2011, 2013, Barack Obama, China, Chinese, CIA, DC, Donald Trump, Gawker, Hillary Clinton, Hulk Hogan, Jeff Sessions, Mike Pompeo, Muslim, National Security Agency, North Korea, Palantir, Paypal, Peter Thiel, Russia, Twitter, White House, Yahoo News
Garcias file new motion asking judge to reject Scientology's sham arbitration
Luis and Rocio Garcia have tried again to convince Tampa Federal Judge James Whittemore that Scientology is making it impossible to resolve their allegations of fraud, and they've filed a new motion asking Judge Whittemore to reopen their lawsuit against the church. What's different this time is that Luis Garcia has detailed in a new affidavit his Kafkaesque attempts to work within Scientology's rules of internal arbitration, which he says is an impossible task. We don't know if this new material will sway Whittemore (he's disregarded similar requests in the past), but as a document, Luis's affidavit describing what it's like to be caught inside Scientology's bizarre "ethics" rules is a useful addition to the historic record. The Garcias sued the Church of Scientology in 2013, alleging that they'd been defrauded and lied to when they were pressured to donate hundreds of thousands to various church causes. In one memorable example, the California couple say they were convinced to donate $65,000 to pay for a giant Scientology cross that would go on the top of the new "Super Power Building" in Clearwater, Florida. But the church eventually admitted that it had hit up other wealthy members for the same thing.
Tags: 1949, 2013, 2014, 2015, A&E, Adelaide, Arbitration, Australia, Bob Duggan, Brandon Orlando, Bryan Seymour, California, Cathriona White, Clearwater, Daril Cinquanta, Denver, Donald Trump, Facebook, First Amendment, Flag Land Base, Florida, Forrest Ackerman, Garcia v. Scientology, Gay Ribisi, Hollywood, International Justice Chief, Ireland, Jennifer Linson, Jim Carrey, Judge James Whittemore, Karla Taylor, Kathy Slevin, Knowledge Reports, Laura DeCrescenzo, LAX, Leah Remini, London, Los Angeles, Louis Theroux, Luis and Rocio Garcia, Luis Garcia, Marcus Ettinger, Mark Burton, Mark Ebner, Marty Rathbun, Melbourne, Mike Ellis, Mike Rinder, Moises Agami, My Scientology Movie, Narconon, New Mexico, New York Times, Orlando, Paul Haggis, Perth, Private investigator, Rod Keller, Russia, Steve Cannane, Super Power Building, Suppressive Person, Sydney, Tampa, Ted Babbitt, Tom Cruise, US Supreme Court
Regraded Being
Tags: Quicky, Regraded Being
Scientologists in Scotland fail to confront & shatter SPs
2016-12-30, Suppressio Hibernicis, YouTube
Scotland's most famous scientologist, John Gourlay, "The Fearless Leader" fails to shatter the protesters and sends out one of his minions to "confront" Hayley Murfin SP, who in turn shatters his delusions.
Tags: Fearless Leader, Quicky, Scotland
Scientology and Abortion
2016-12-30, Father Frank Pavone, YouTube
Subscribe to more videos like this at Facebook.com/FatherFrankPavone See You There!
Tags: Abortion, Facebook, Quicky
The Latest Con
The cons just keep rolling in. Though they also have an element of armed robbery. You are presented with a unilateral dictate "here is how things are now, and that means you have to turn over more money to us." This one is a new angle I hadn't seen before. In "celebration" of the "golden" age of tech, they have issued NEW Clear and OT bracelets � "in accordance with LRH's precise instructions." Of course, they cost an arm and a leg. But tough. It's all justified when it is making "planetary clearing a reality."
Tags: 1966, Chairman of the Board, Clear, Colin Davie, L. Ron Hubbard, OT, Quicky, Vulture
What Scientology's 'social betterment' front groups are really all about
A lot of our coverage this year was about Scientology's numerous front groups. From Legoland giving the Scientology front Youth for Human Rights $10,000 to play with, to the various disasters of Narconon drug rehabs, Scientology's sneaky "social betterment" groups seemed to make a bigger push than ever to get L. Ron Hubbard's name out to the public in ways that weren't obviously connected to Scientology. But even with its increased efforts, Scientology can't really hope to become a force in the nation's schools with Applied Scholastics, or really make a dent in addiction treatment with Narconon, or crush the psychiatry industry with the Citizens Commission for Human Rights (CCHR). So what's really going on? At the Scientology website, the "social betterment" groups are said to be "supported by" the Church of Scientology...
Tags: 1949, 1981, 1982, 20/20, 2000, 2013, 2014, 2016, ABC, ABLE, Adelaide, Applied Scholastics, Arkansas, Australia, Austria, Battlefield Earth, Beck Hansen, Big Blue, Bob Duggan, Bryan Seymour, Cathriona White, CCHR, Celebrity Centre, Citizens Commission for Human Rights, Claire Headley, Congress, Dutch, End Phenomena, Erika Christensen, Europe, Forrest Ackerman, Gay Ribisi, Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief, Hollywood, Int Base, Ireland, Jeffrey Augustine, Jennifer Linson, Jim Carrey, Jonny Jacobsen, Knowledge Reports, Laura DeCrescenzo, LAX, Leah Remini, Legoland, London, Los Angeles, Louis Theroux, Mark Burton, Mark Ebner, Marty Rathbun, Melbourne, Mike Rinder, Mimi Rogers, My Scientology Movie, Narconon, Netherlands, Nick Xenophon, Office of Special Affairs, OT, Paulette Cooper, Perth, Pete Griffiths, Quicky, Sea Org, Seattle, Steve Cannane, Steve Wozniak, Steven Fishman, Sundance, Sydney, Sylvia DeWall, Tampa, Tax exempt, Tennessee, Texas, The Way to Happiness, Tipperary, Tom Cruise, Travis Case, US Supreme Court, Youth for Human Rights International
Corporate coercion, Landmark Education and AHS
2014-12-30, Charles Rusnell, CBC Investigates, CBC News
Documents obtained by CBC News through freedom of information show Alberta Health Services gave controversial personal development company Landmark Education free rein to operate for more than a year despite complaints from employees.
Tags: Alberta Health Service, Audio, Calgary, Landmark, Landmark Education
Scientology's 2014 in review: Our October surprise was all about the Duggans
Bob Duggan We're nearly done with our year-end look back at the most significant stories here in the Underground Bunker. And now we're looking at October, when we released our biggest investigative story of 2014. But first, there was a mess at PAC base that we needed help understanding... October began with some surprising changes for Scientology at its Los Angeles headquarters. Former church spokesman Mike Rinder helped us understand what had happened and why a sudden and massive staffing change was further proof that Scientology leader David Miscavige is getting increasingly desperate as his organization dwindles.
Tags: 1949, 2008, 2013, Angry Gay Pope, Bob Duggan, David Miscavige, Disconnection, Facebook, Forrest Ackerman, Halloween, Jamie DeWolf, Jonny Jacobsen, Karin Pouw, Kate Bornstein, Laura DeCrescenzo, Leah Remini, Los Angeles, Mark Ebner, Marty Rathbun, Mike Rinder, Nanette Asimov, Nation of Islam, New Year's Eve, PAC Base, Quicky, Rizza Islam, San Francisco Chronicle, SLAPP, South Africa, Tampa, Texas, Tom Cruise, Trish Duggan, US Supreme Court, Vance Woodward
Valley OTC Minutes
I have been accumulating copies of the Valley OTC Minutes. They never seemed that important, but they are of value in documenting what really happens in these orgs, and what their attention is on. Frankly, they more resemble an old women's knitting circle than the leading lights of the greatest civilizing force on earth.... It's also interesting to note how many ex-SO there are in the tiny number of people that compose these committees.
Tags: Abi Reitze, Alicia Kreisberg, Andrea Doven, Annie Sokoloff, Avner Golan, Ben Ghiora, Bob Brooks, Bob Duggan, Bob Welch, Bobbi Kassowitz, Bonita Wilson, Bruce Wiseman, Carol Loweree, Chuck Jacobs, Cindy Bamforth, CLO WUS, Colleen Bigler, Dali Bahat, David Wilson, Dean Glosup, Debbie Suplee, Diane Temps, Division 1, Division 2, Division 4, Division 6, Don Saito, England, Eric Krackow, Fundraising, Hagit Ron, Halloween, Heelah Cohen, Humanitarian, Ideal Org, Infinity Club, Irad Ron, Jennifer Jacobson, Jill Halverson, Karen Brown, Kathie Heard, Kathy DiGalbo, Kathy Morrill, Kathy Welch, L. Ron Hubbard, Larry Marshall, Lauren Perreau, Linda Massey, Manuela Meyer, Mark Anderson, Marty Kassowitz, Mary Ann O'Donnell, Mary Elizabeth Glosup, Mary Lee Krackow, Maryann O'Donnell, Nancy Parodi, Ofrah Bahat, OT Ambassador, OT Committee, OTC, Pasadena, Quicky, Quinn Taufer, Ralph Temps, Ray Loomis, Rochelle Goodrich, Scott Kreisberg, Shooting, Sue Kattoo, Susan Jacobs, Tamara Dahill, Terry Morrill, Valley Ideal Org, Vered Ziv, Vicki Shantz
Scientology's 2013 in review: Courtroom antics reported live and on the spot!
We're continuing our year in review here at the Underground Bunker and we've reached September and October, when legal matters really came to the fore � and sent your proprietor around the country for some eyewitness dramatics! September started out with yet another surprise: Scientology leader David Miscavige filed a personal declaration in an attempt to get himself removed as a defendant in Monique Rathbun's harassment lawsuit. It had been about 20 years since the last time Miscavige made a similar filing, and it gave us an indication of just how seriously Monique's lawsuit was being taken by the church. A few days later Monique fired back with a declaration by her husband Marty Rathbun, making it clear that they believed Miscavige had lied in his sworn statement. On September 2, we published one of our longer pieces here at the Bunker this year, an emotional tale about a young Australian couple torn apart by Scientology. Yannus Sufandi asked for the help of several ex-Scientologists to hold an intervention at the home of Tiziano Lugli for his girlfriend, Manuela Oliveira, and we just happened to be there. Last we heard, Manuela was still in Scientology's Sea Org, but had moved to Sydney.
Tags: 2015, Abortion, Atlanta, Australia, California, Comal County, Craigslist, David Miscavige, Dutch, Florida, France, Jason Beghe, Jefferson Hawkins, Jon Atack, Judge Dib Waldrip, Judge James Whittemore, Judge Ronald Sohigian, Laura DeCrescenzo, Leah Remini, Los Angeles, Luis and Rocio Garcia, Marty Rathbun, Monique Rathbun, New Braunfels, Quicky, Sea Org, SLAPP, Super Power Building, Sydney, Tampa, Tampa Bay Times, Texas, Tiziano Lugli, Tommy Davis, US Supreme Court, WhyWeProtest, Yannus Sufandi
Final Sunday Funnies of 2012: Scientology Targets the Rose Parade!
With our year in review finally over, we're left with one last Sunday in 2012, and what would a Sunday be without Funnies? Our tipsters have been terrific this year, and we're still getting great stuff from them every day. So let's send 2012 out in style by looking at the latest fundraising mailers that Scientology has sent to its members. Now, if you live in the Los Angeles area � and many of the dwindling remainder of Scientologists do � then you know all about the Rose Parade, the thing you do your best to wake up for and watch bleary-eyed on your television while fighting a nasty hangover.
Tags: 2013, Applied Scholastics, Colorado, David Miscavige, Dianetics, Egypt, Golden Age of Tech, Los Angeles, Nebraska, New Mexico, New Year's Eve, New York, NYPD, Oiliness table, OT, Pasadena, Quicky, Sunday Funnies, Super Power Building, Texas, UK, Valley Ideal Org
Tags: Quicky
Scientology in the Village Voice: 2011 in Review
Our last story of the year will be posted tomorrow morning, when we announce our Commenters of the Year awards. Along the way, we covered breaking stories, interviewed fascinating people, revealed formerly secret Scientology documents, and tried to put Scientology's various difficulties into perspective. Some of those stories brought more of you around to take a look than others. After the jump, we'll look at the most popular stories of the year...
Tags: 1996, 2006, 2007, Anonymous, Apollo, Arrest, Australia, Bryan Seymour, Chill EB, Chris Guider, Daniel Montalvo, David Miscavige, Disconnection, Fair Game, Fair Work Ombudsman, Freedom magazine, Freewinds, Grant Cardone, Humanitarian, Ingleside, Jan Eastgate, Janet Reitman, Karin Pouw, L. Ron Hubbard, Lawrence Wright, Lori Hodgson, Mark Ebner, Marty Rathbun, Matt Stone, Melissa Paris, Michael Sandlofer, New Yorker, Nick Xenophon, Office of Special Affairs, Paul Haggis, Paulette Cooper, Placido Domingo, Project Chanology, Ramana Dienes-Browning, San Francisco, Sea Org, Simon Wiesenthal Center, South Park, Squirrel Busters, Stacy Francis, Steve Cannane, Texas, Tom Cruise, Tommy Davis, Trey Parker, Valeska Paris, Xenu
Top Ten Posts of 2011
I have provided a list here with links to each of the top ten most visited posts of 2011, counting down from number ten to number one. If you have a few moments you might want to peruse it. It gives an interesting overview of the past year of activity. 10. A Letter From The San Patricio County Jail. September 17 9. Grant Cordone: Turnaround or Turncoat King. June 20
Tags: Corpus Christi, David Miscavige, Journalist, Michael Fairman, New Yorker, Quicky, San Patricio County, South Park, Tony Ortega
An Important Difference Between Radical Scientology and Independent Scientology
The following lecture passage succinctly differentiates between where the Church of Scientology is headed and where Independent Scientologists are going. It is LRH from History of Dianetics, 28 December 1954: Phenomenna, Phenomena. Phenomena. Phenomena. They wouldn't have turned up, don't you see, if we hadn't been going in a direction of ability. We're trying to discover ability so, naturally, disabilities announce themselves and all the phenomena there is, actually could be cataloged under disabilities. So you see the direction of research? Do you see why we got someplace in Dianetics and Scientology? We're goin in the opposite direction. We just reverse things. And instead of trying to write down, "The number of insanities are..." (fellow by the name Kraeplin did this) � number of insanities are catalog, catalog, catalog, catalog; category, category, category; catalog, catalog, catalog, catalog, category, category, category and unclassified. It's real cute. That's the most enormous list you ever saw in your life. It didn't get anybody on the road. Why? He was going around looking for disabilities, looking for disabilities, looking for disabilities, looking for more disabilities. And of course he'd find a disability, he'd simply fix on it because that's what a disability does. So research and investigation of disabilities would continually wind people up in trouble and with set ideas � with catalogs. It would wind them up with an enormous variety of disabilities, were they able to take their attention off the last disability they'd found. But they don't.
Tags: 1954, Dianetics, Independent Scientologists, Independent Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard, Quicky
2 Accusing Miscavige
2008-12-30, Jonny Jacobsen, Infinite Complacency
Former Scientology executive are speaking out against the movement's leader, David Miscavige, accusing him of ruling through violence and intimidation. For at least two years, it was one of the main topics of conversation on the Internet news groups and message groups devoted to exposing Scientology. But nobody was ready to go on the record. Then in 2008, a handful of senior former members of the movement began speaking out in public to whoever would listen. Their stories were shocking but consistent.
Tags: 1980, 1986, 1990, 2005, 2006, 2009, Anonymous, California, Celebrity, David Miscavige, Ex-member, Hamburg, Hemet, Int Base, Jefferson Hawkins, John Peeler, Katie Holmes, Los Angeles, Marc Headley, Nicole Kidman, Quicky, Rehabilitation Project Force, San Jacinto, Scientology executive, Suppressive Person, Tom Cruise
3 The Case against Miscavige
High-level defectors from Scientology are beginning to speak out about the movement's leader, David Miscavige and the beatings they say he hands out to fellow executives. Jeff Hawkins says he had no idea about David Miscavige's violence until he was himself attacked for the first time in 2002 - and he had been working at the base for more than 10 years. "People don't say 'Oh did you hear that Miscavige beat up so-and-so?' - it is just not mentioned," he said. It was only once he started attending regular meetings with Miscavige - or DM as he is known - that he says he found out the hard way.
Tags: 1984, 2002, Counterfeit Dreams, David Miscavige, George Orwell, Jefferson Hawkins, John Peeler, Karin Pouw, Portland Mercury, Quicky, Sea Org, Suppressive Person, Violence
4 A History of Violence
For celebrity member Tom Cruise, Scientology's leader David Miscavige embodies everything that is good about the movement: but some former colleagues insist he has a darker side. For actor Tom Cruise, Scientology's leader David Miscavige is a shining example of all that is best about the movement: a paragon of compassion, tolerance and intelligence. In October 2004, at a special event in England, Tom Cruise paid this tribute to Miscavige, Chairman of the Board (COB) of Scientology's Religious Technology Center.
Tags: 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1998, 2004, 2006, BBC, California, Chairman of the Board, David Beckham, David Mayo, David Miscavige, Denise Brennan, Don Larson, England, Florida, Happy Valley, Hemet, Italy, Katie Holmes, L. Ron Hubbard, La Quinta, Los Angeles, Marc Headley, Mary Sue Hubbard, Panorama, Pulitzer Prize, Quicky, Religious Technology Center, Scientology executive, St. Petersburg Times, Tom Cruise, Violence, Will Smith
6 Jeff Hawkins' Story
One of the new wave of Scientology defectors describes why he devoted decades of his life to the movement: and why he finally quit. Jeff Hawkins spent most of his adult life in Scientology before joining the recent wave of defectors from the top echelons of the movement. While he has still has fond memories of his time there, he has no regrets about leaving. "I got involved in Scientology when I was still quite young," he recalled. "I was living in Southern California and was part of the hippie culture. I was very actively involved in the anti-war movement, and was a voracious reader."
Tags: 1960, California, Chinese, Counterfeit Dreams, David Miscavige, Disconnection, Hemet, Int Base, Jefferson Hawkins, John Peeler, Quicky, Suppressive Person
8 Life at the Base
Former residents at Scientology's International Base recall a harsh regime where every aspect of life is tightly controlled. "I worked for many years for Scientology. Some of it was good, some bad," said Jeff Hawkins. "Then I was transferred to the International Base in Hemet and it went downhill from there." The International Base, a compound of 500 acres, lies at the base of a range of hills at the north end of the San Jacinto Valley, southern California, about 90 miles east of Los Angeles. It is the heart of Scientology's empire.
Tags: 1967, 1984, Abuse, California, David Miscavige, Disconnection, Ethics, George Orwell, Golden Era Productions, Hemet, Int Base, Jefferson Hawkins, John Peeler, Los Angeles, Master at Arms, Quicky, San Jacinto, Sea Org, Suppressive Person
Second Chance inmates may be coming back
2008-12-30, Carlsbad Current-Argus
Four inmates from Eddy County currently undergoing drug rehabilitation treatment at the Second Chance center in Albuquerque will probably have to serve their time in jail if the facility is closed, Carlsbad Magistrate Judge Henry Castaneda said. "The defendants from Eddy County will have to come back to jail here unless we can find another drug treatment center for them," Castaneda said. On Saturday, the Associated Press reported that on Friday, Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chaves had terminated the city's lease with Second Chance. The article also stated that the rehabilitation center has until Jan. 31 to vacate the facility.
Tags: Albuquerque, Joy Westrum, Judge Castaneda, Martin Chaves, New Mexico, Pete Dinelli, Second Chance
Scientology: A Tour of Clearwater
2006-12-30, Mark Bunker, YouTube
Retired Police Lt. Ray Emmons gives us a tour of Scientology's properties in Clearwater, Florida.
Tags: Clearwater, Florida, Police, Quicky, Ray Emmons
Report: Scientology Settles With IRS
1997-12-30, Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) _ The Church of Scientology paid the Internal Revenue Service $12.5 million as part of a settlement of a long-standing dispute with the tax agency, The Wall Street Journal reported today. Details of the 1993 settlement, which helped secure the tax-exempt status of the main Scientology church, previously had not been released. The details included the church's agreement to drop thousands of lawsuits against the IRS and to stop assisting others in other lawsuits against the agency based on claims before the Oct. 1, 1993, settlement date, the Journal said.
Tags: 1954, 1967, 1993, Dianetics, Frank Keith, Internal Revenue Service, IRS, Mental Health, Monique Yingling, Quicky, Scientology organization, Wall Street Journal
Scientologists and IRS settled for $12.5 million
1997-12-30, Elizabeth MacDonald, Wall Street Journal
According to a copy of the settlement, details of which have never before been made public, the church also agreed to set up a special "church tax-compliance committee," composed of high-level church officials, to monitor its adherence to the pact and to laws governing nonprofit organizations. Further, the church agreed to drop thousands of lawsuits filed against the IRS in courts around the country and to stop assisting people or groups suing the agency based upon claims prior to Oct. 1, 1993, the settlement date. Any Scientology member or organization that sues based on those claims could face IRS penalties. The 1993 agreement was nearly unprecedented and brought an end to an extraordinary battle. Starting in 1967, the IRS had argued that the main Scientology church should lose its tax-exempt status because it was a for-profit business that enriched church officials. The church's response was an all-out attack: filing suits against the IRS, feeding negative stories about the agency to news organizations, and supporting IRS whistle-blowers.
Tags: David Miscavige, Frank Keith, Freewinds, IRS, Monique Yingling, Secondary copy
Unamailer explains bombings
1996-12-30, CNET
Nordin speculated that it has something to do with a public-access cable show he directs, but in fact, the unamailer's letter states that he chose Nordin and three others because "the cult of scientology needs to be shot down. it is a criminal organization and should be treated as such." Ironically, Nordin said he's actually a critic of Scientology. "I guess it shows how good his research is," he said. "He's a bonehead."
Tags: Carolyn Meinel
TROUBLES AT STRAIGHT INC.
1991-12-30, Dan Beyers, Washington Post
Straight Inc.'s drug treatment center for adolescents is having a difficult time settling into its new home in Columbia. The program continues to run into regulatory troubles with Maryland authorities. It has suffered high staff turnover as a result of its move from Virginia. And Straight Inc. officials are having a hard time finding new clients; the center's enrollment, which stood at 52 clients in July, has dropped to fewer than 40. Straight Inc. went a couple of days without telephone service earlier this month. An official said a bookkeeping error left a bill unpaid. Service has since been restored.
Tags: Drug Free America, Joy Margolis, Maryland, Quicky, Virginia
Real Estate Developer Convicted Of Fraud In Scientology Trial
BOSTON (AP) _ A man has been convicted of trying to force the Church of Scientology to pay $100,000 for bogus information about a forged $1.5 million check on the account of the late church founder, L. Ron Hubbard. George T. Kattar, 67, of Methuen, was found guilt Monday of one count of extortion, but was acquitted of three counts of wire fraud and one of accepting stolen money. He faces up to 20 years in prison when he's sentenced Feb. 6. A co-defendant, lawyer Harvey Brower, 49, of Swampscott, was acquitted on all five counts by the U.S. District Court jury.
Tags: 1982, Boston, Convicted, Fraud, Geoffrey Shervell, George Kattar, Harvey Brower, Michael Avery, Michael Flynn, Quicky, Real estate, Trial
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New UK Research:
Is The Promise of Big Data Hampered by Skills Shortages and Poor Performance?
By: Steven Wastie
Ahead of Big Data London in November, Unravel Data worked with Sapio Research to find out how business leaders really feel about big data and how they are doing in executing against their deployment plans.
We’ve heard first hand from many of the UK’s largest financial services, telecommunications, and technology enterprises that they are facing significant challenges in harnessing the power of data to transform their businesses and create more compelling customer experiences. This new research suggests there is plenty of optimism from businesses about putting data to work. Yet addressing operational challenges as they morph and evolve is a pressing concern.
Although 84 percent of respondents claim their big data projects usually deliver on expectations, only 17 percent currently rate the performance of their big data stack as ‘optimal’. There are also stark differences between how managers and senior teams see their big data stacks: 13 percent of VPs, directors and C-suite members report their stack only meets half of its KPIs, but more than double the number of managers (29%) say the same.
It also seems businesses aren’t yet using big data applications to grow their businesses, instead seeing protection and compliance as the most worthwhile goals. The top four most valuable and effective uses of big data currently, according to business leaders, are:
Cybersecurity intelligence (42%);
Risk, regulatory, compliance reporting (41%);
Predictive analytics for preventative maintenance (35%);
Fraud detection and prevention (35%).
Further findings from the research:
According to survey respondents the two greatest aspirations of big data teams are delivering on the promise of big data and to improve big data performance
Lack of skills was cited as the top challenge (49%) to big data success in the enterprise; followed closely by challenges of handling data volumes, variety, and velocity (44%)
Lack of big data architects (45%) and big data engineers (43%) top the list of the most pressing skills that are lacking
Data analysis is the top priority for improvement, cited by 43% of respondents. This is followed by data transformation (39%) and data visualization (37%)
Cost reduction is the biggest expected benefit for big data applications, cited by 41% of respondents, followed by faster application release timings (37%)
78% of organisations are already running big data workloads in the cloud, and 82% have a strategy to move existing big data applications into the cloud
Only one in five have an ‘all cloud’ strategy, with more than half (54%) using a mix of cloud and on-premise applications
99% of business leaders report that their big data projects on delivering on business goals at least ‘some of the time’
The top level insight that we can derive from this primary research is that most organisations believe in the promise of big data – but the operational challenges are holding back enterprises from realising the full potential. This is due to a combination of factors, most notably performance and a shortage of experienced talent.
The challenge now is to ensure the big data stack performs reliably and efficiently, and that big data teams have the tools and expertise to deliver the next generation of applications, analytics, AI and Machine Learning. This is the Unravel mission: To radically simplify the tuning and optimisation of modern big data applications and infrastructure.
Unravel provides a single view of performance across platforms – whether on-premise or in the cloud, and delivers automated Insights and recommendations through machine learning to assure SLA’s are met and ensuring operational teams are as efficient as possible.
The full research report will be available in December. If you would like to receive a copy of the full report, please register your interest here.
The survey was conducted with 200 IT decision makers involved in big data in organisations with over 1,000 employees. The interviews were conducted in October 2018 via email and online panels.
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Agobard
Spanish saint
Occupations Priest
Countries Spain France
Birth Spain
Death (Saintes)
Authority ISNI id Library of congress id VIAF id
Agobard of Lyon (c. 779–840) was a Spanish-born priest and archbishop of Lyon, during the Carolingian Renaissance. The author of multiple treatises, ranging in subject matter from the iconoclast controversy to Spanish Adoptionism to critiques of the Carolingian royal family, Agobard is best known for his critiques of Jewish religious practices and political power in the Frankish realm. He was succeeded by Amulo of Lyons.
A native of Spain, Agobard moved to Lyon in 792. He was ordained as a priest c. 804, and was well-liked by the archbishop of Lyon, Leidrad (r. 799-816). At some point, Agobard was ordained as a chorbishop, or assistant bishop. Controversy arose in 814, when the aging Leidrad retired into a monastery, appointing Agobard as his successor. While emperor Louis the Pious did not object to the appointment, some of the other bishops did, calling a synod at Arles to protest the elevation of a new bishop while the old bishop still lived. Archbishop Leidrad died in 816, and the controversy fizzled out, leaving Agobard as the new archbishop. Soon after taking office, he confronted several issues, which included opposing trials by ordeal, and, in 818, writing against Felix of Urgel’s Spanish Adoptionist Christology.
Anti-Jewish Polemic
Agobard is notorious for his vocal attacks on the local Jewish population. Jewish communities in the Frankish realm (today's France) had been granted considerable freedoms under Louis the Pious son of Charlemagne, including a prohibition on Christian proselytizing. Louis appointed a magister Iudaeorum to ensure Jewish legal protection, and did not force Jews to allow baptism for their slaves. Agobard found this last provision particularly galling, and wrote his first anti-Jewish tract on the matter: De Baptismo Judaicorum Mancipiorum (c. 823). For the rest of the decade, Agobard campaigned against what he saw as the dangerous growth in power and influence of Jews in the kingdom that was contrary to canon law. It was during this time that he wrote such works as Contra Praeceptum Impium (c. 826), De Insolentia Judeorum (c. 827), De Judaicis Superstitionibus (c. 827), and De Cavendo Convictu et Societate Judaica ( c. 827). Agobard’s rhetoric, which included describing Jews as “filii diaboli,” – children of the devil – was indicative of the developing anti-Jewish strain of medieval Christian thought. As Jeremy Cohen has claimed, Agobard’s response was paradoxically both stereotypical and knowledgeable (he showed a great knowledge of contemporary Judaism, while maintaining and perpetuating stereotypes).
In the 820s, a controversy emerged over the iconoclastic policies of bishop Claudius of Turin. This stance was opposed by Dungal of Bobbio at the request of Louis the Pious. Agobard, in his Book on Paintings and Images, came out in opposition to Dungal’s method of using secular knowledge to justify veneration of images.
Political Problems
In the 820s, Agobard had already shown his willingness to challenge Louis the Pious on the subject of Jews and on secular holdings of church land. Agobard continued to confront the emperor, particularly on the issues of royal succession and the matter of land ownership. Agobard accused the emperor of abandoning his 817 Ordinatio imperii decree, which promoted an all-encompassing unity of church and empire. In both of the two rebellions against Louis, 830 and 833, Agobard supported the ill-fated revolt of Louis’ son Lothair I. In 833, when Lothair launched his second revolt, Agobard published his support for Lothair once more in several works: A Comparison of Ecclesiastical and Political Government and Wherein the Dignity of the Church Outshines the Majesty of Empires and the Liber Apologeticus in defense of the rebelling sons of Louis.
Exile and Return
After Louis was restored to his power, backed by his sons Louis the German and Pepin I of Aquitaine, Agobard was suspended from his episcopate by the Council of Thionville and exiled, replaced by the chorbishop Amalarius of Metz (c. 775 – c. 850). During his tenure in Lyon, Amalarius worked to impose liturgical reforms upon the archdiocese of Lyon. Amalarius’ reforms were characterized by a heavy reliance upon allegorical and symbolic representations within the Mass. Agobard, on the other hand, disdained Amalarius’ reforms as “theatrical” and “showy” and favored a more plain liturgy. Amalarius’ reforms were also opposed by Agobard’s disciple Florus of Lyon; Amalarius was deposed and accused of heresy in 838. Agobard wrote three works against Amalarius: On Divine Psalmody, On the Correction of the Antiphonary, and Liber officialis. When he returned to Lyon, Agobard worked to roll back Amalarius’ actions, with the support of Florus.
During his life, Agobard wrote more works on other issues, including several against pagan practices, two on the role of clergy, and a treatise on icons.
Agobard also wrote a treatise arguing against weather magic called De Grandine et Tonitruis ("On Hail and Thunder"). A passage in it mentions the popular belief in ships in the clouds whose sailors were thought to take crops damaged by hail or storms to their land of Magonia.
Many of his works were lost until 1605, when a manuscript was discovered in Lyons and published by Papirius Masson, and again by Baluze in 1666. Agobard's complete works can be found in Volume 104 of J.P. Migne's Patrologia Latina, and, in a more recent edition, in Van Acker's Agobardi Lugdunensis Opera Omnia.
Early life Anti-Jewish Polemic Icons Political Problems Exile and Return Other works
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DICOW
Dedo I, Count of Wettin
Son of Dietrich I von Wettin and Jutta von Merseburg
A.K.A. Dedo I von Wettin
Death November 13, 1009 (Zörbig, Anhalt-Bitterfeld, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany)
Father: Dietrich I of Wettin
Children: Theodoric IIMargrave of Lower Lusatia
Authority VIAF id
Dedo I, Count of Wettin (c. 950 – 13 November 1009), also known as Dedo I of Wettin, was a son of Theodoric I of Wettin and Jutta of Merseburg.
As a young man, Dedo spent his childhood with his relative Rikdag, Margrave of Meissen, Zeitz and Merseburg, and was thus closely related to one of the most influential men of East Saxony. Dedo married, before 985, Thietburga, the daughter of Dietrich of Haldensleben, Margrave of the Nordmark.
In the years 974-985 Dedo I was involved in the rebellion of Duke Henry II of Bavaria against the Holy Roman Emperor Otto II and later against his son Otto III, until June 985, when the Bavarian Duke was finally subjugated in Frankfurt.
In 976 Dedo commanded a Bohemian army, conquered the March of Zeitz and robbed the Bishop’s Church. It is alleged that he even took his own mother prisoner.
Dedo apparently had a good relationship with Archibishop Giselher of Magdeburg, who helped him gain comital rights in the northern Hassegau. Moreover, Dedo successfully claimed the Castle of Zörbig for himself and his brother Friedrich.
The years before Dedo’s death were overshadowed by a feud with the Counts of Walbeck. When his father-in-law was deposed as the Margrave of the Nordmark, Dedo claimed the office of margrave for himself. The office was granted instead to Lothair, Count of Derlingau and Nordthüringgau. Lothair ruled the Nordmark from 983 to 1003.
Bishop Thietmar of Merseburg, Lothair’s nephew, tells in his chronicle that Dedo I was involved in the devastation of the castle of Wolmirstedt which was in the possession of the Counts of Walbeck. Dedo’s dispute with the House of Walbeck continued with Lothair's son and successor Werner von Walbeck (1003-1009; † 1014). Dedo was killed by Werner on November 13, 1009 along with his vassals near Mose at the confluence of the Tange and Elbe rivers.
Dedo and Thietburga of Haldensleben had the following children:
Theodoric II Count of Wettin, and from 1031 Margrave of Lausitz (around 990, † 1034).
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111 views this week
John Kontostephanos (son of Stephen)
John Komnenos Kontostephanos (Greek: Ἰωάννης Κομνηνός Κοντοστέφανος; ca. 1128 – 1176/82) was a Byzantine aristocrat who served as provincial governor and military commander under his uncle, Emperor Manuel I Komnenos.
Emperor Manuel I Komnenos, uncle of John Kontostephanos
Born ca. 1128, John Kontostephanos was the eldest son of Stephen Kontostephanos, who held the title panhypersebastos and the rank of megas doux, and the "purple-born" princess Anna Komnene, daughter of Emperor John II Komnenos (r. 1118–43) and his empress Irene of Hungary; he was thus the nephew of Emperor Manuel I Komnenos (r. 1143–80). John had two younger brothers, Alexios and Andronikos, both prominent military commanders, and a sister, Irene. The Kontostephanoi were an aristocratic Byzantine family that rose to occupy a prominent place at the heart of Byzantine politics and power through their intermarrying with the imperial house of the Komnenoi. Andronikos himself married in ca. 1145/6 an unnamed member of the aristocracy—his wife has often been misidentified by modern scholars with the Theodora who married John's namesake first cousin. The couple had at least one son, named Stephen.
John's early life is unknown, and he first appears in November 1162 in a document concerning a property dispute of the Great Lavra monastery. At the time he served as doux (governor) of Thessalonica, with the parallel roles of apographeus and exisotes (tax assessor). He is then mentioned among the attendants of a synod at the Blachernae Palace in March 1166, along with his brother Alexios. John also appears to have taken part in his uncle Manuel I's campaigns, but with the exception of the campaign of 1176 against the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum, this is not explicitly attested. Even in the latter, he is only mentioned in the summer of 1176, when his brother Alexios died of an illness at Lopadion. It is hence unclear if he participated in the disastrous Battle of Myriokephalon on 17 September. As he is not mentioned thereafter, it is possible that he was one of the many members of the aristocracy who perished in the battle. According to Konstantinos Varzos, John was most likely dead by 1182, when his brother Andronikos rebelled against the usurper Andronikos I Komnenos.
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Boozy Artist Workshops at The Heights
By Amy Campbell. June 18, 2019.
by Amy Campbell June 18, 2019 Leave a comment
Tote and Go Canvas returns July 1st
Most of us have those exhausted-by-life periods; times when the days fly by while our own needs remain at the bottom of the to-do list. Jessica Ball was one of those people: a married mom, home with her three young boys during the day, working as a restaurant server in the evenings and catching sleep whenever she could.
“I love to paint and I love art,” she says. “I had been painting all the time, but after my third son was born that was missing from my life, because I was so tired from taking care of three children.”
To get art back into her life, Ball first interviewed with a wine-and-canvas company, hoping to reclaim her creative outlet as a painting teacher. But the company never called back. “It was a blessing,” she says, “because I decided to go out on my own.”
Starting a business, in your home
While starting a business is not the most obvious solution to the no-time-for-myself problem, launching Tote and Go Canvas last December was just what Ball needed to reclaim her passion. Not having a liquor license or the money for studio space, she decided to offer a home-party version of the wine-and-art experience instead.
“I figured if I did it in peoples’ homes it would be more comfortable for them,” she said. “They could have their own party and invite their own friends.”
In return, Ball gets to meet new people— which can be a challenge for parents of young children— and work with them to customize their painting party. In addition to offering a selection of existing painting designs, she’ll collaborate with the host on a design tailored to the group’s interests. She’s also had the opportunity to take her events to the community by offering classes, dubbed “Boozy Artist” events, at The Heights, the Renaissance Toledo Downtown Hotel’s rooftop bar, where she’s also a server. Boozy Artist events include painting supplies and instruction along with appetizers and a glass of wine for $60 per person.
“The students love the atmosphere at The Heights, and they love the view,” Ball said. “And there always comes a time when the class gets completely quiet, and you know they’re in the zone, painting.”
A lot of guests are skeptical of their own ability at first, Ball says, often comparing their paintings to their neighbors’. She reminds them that paintings are like handwriting— everyone’s handwriting is different, and everyone’s painting will be different— and says she hasn’t had a student leave disappointed.
Discovering a creative side
“A lot of people don’t know they have this creative side,” she said, adding that helping students discover it is one of the best parts of her job. “It’s like changing a life through art.”
The changes in the Ball household since the launch of Tote and Go Canvas have been taken in stride so far by her sons, ages 8, 6 and 2, and Ball said her husband, Kyle, supports her 100 percent. She’s also grateful that the Boozy Artist events have allowed her to take her company to a wider audience. “This really is my dream come true,” she said.
The next Boozy Artist event is July 1. Tickets are available at ToledoCityTix.com.
For more information on Tote and Go Canvas parties, visit facebook.com/JessicaBallToteandGoCanvas/
ArtOnline
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HEALTH OFFICIALS DETERMINE THE ISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS ARE ZIKA FREE
8.3.2018 21:38:00 CET | GlobeNewswire
World Health Organization and Center for Disease Control and Prevention Have Removed The Bahamas from Watch Lists of Zika Infected Areas, Deeming the Country Safe for Travelers
Nassau, Bahamas, March 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Two of the world's leading health organizations have recently declared that The Islands Of The Bahamas do not pose a known risk to travelers of contracting the Zika virus. No new cases of Zika have been identified in the country within the past 12 months.
On February 2, 2018 the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) removed The Bahamas from its list of "Areas with Risk of Zika," which, according to their website, identifies places where pregnant women should avoid travel, and where travelers should strictly follow steps to prevent mosquito bites and sexual transmission during and after the trip.
The CDC now includes The Bahamas under "Areas with Interrupted Transmission," meaning Zika was previously found in the locations on this list but scientists have determined the virus is no longer present. The CDC states that travelers, including pregnant women, can visit these destinations with no known risk of getting Zika from mosquitoes.
Also on February 2, the World Health Organization (WHO) downgraded The Bahamas from a Category 2 to a Category 3 on its Zika Virus (ZIKV) Classification Table, signifying that there have been no new cases of Zika identified in the area or from travelers in the past 12 months. This classification table evaluates the geographical distribution of Zika virus across four categories, Category 1 being the most threatening and Category 4 representing areas with no documented past or current transmissions.
THE BAHAMAS AND ZIKA
The Bahamas Ministry of Health confirmed that the last reported cases of Zika were in November 2016. At that time, all cases sought medical attention after having symptoms suggestive of Zika virus infection. All clients were treated for associated symptoms and did well. Based on the histories received from the cases, it was determined that there was a mix of travel-associated and local transmission.
Various government sectors in The Bahamas - the Ministry of Health, Department of Public Health and Department of Environmental Health - continue to work in partnership to operate an active surveillance program and intense vector control and mosquito management to prevent the threat of Zika transmission.
WHAT TRAVELERS SHOULD KNOW
Zika is spread mostly by the bite of an infected mosquito and by sexual transmission of an infected person. For tips on how to protect against Zika, visit the CDC's Zika Guide for Travelers. Also visit the CDC's Zika travel map and refer to the WHO's ZIKA Classification Table for the most up-to-date information on Zika around the world.
For further information about Zika and The Bahamas, contact the National Disease Surveillance Unit at 242-502-4776, 242-502-4790, 242-376-3809 or 242-376-4705.
ABOUT THE BAHAMAS
The Islands Of The Bahamas have a place in the sun for everyone. Each island has its own personality and attractions for a variety of vacation styles with some of the world's best scuba diving, fishing, sailing, boating, as well as, shopping and dining. The destination offers an easily accessible tropical getaway and provides convenience for travelers with preclearance through U.S. customs and immigration, and the Bahamian dollar is on par with the U.S. dollar. Do everything or do nothing, just remember It's Better in The Bahamas. For more information call 1-800-Bahamas or visit www.Bahamas.com. Look for The Bahamas on the web on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/64ebdfcb-fef3-478f-9dd4-c662dc06762f
Anita Johnson-Patty
General Manager, Global Communications - Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation
ajohnson@bahamas.com
Bahamas@webershandwick.com
Source: Bahamas Ministry of Tourism via Globenewswire
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NUMBER OF VICTIMS WE
HAVE HELPED TO DATE:
Victims First Northumbria Team
We have a dedicated team of Victim Care Co-ordinators who are all trained in supporting victims of crime based on their individual needs. We are skilled and empathetic listeners and if we identify that additional specialist support is needed we can connect you to the right organisation to meet your cope and recovery needs.
All support is free, confidential and independent. You dont have to have reported the incident to the Police to recieve support from Victims First Northumbria and we can help with all kinds of things from practical and emotional support, to support through court and beyond, access to restorative choice and options and anything else we can help with to help empower you to cope, recover and move on.
All of our staff recieve training in safeguarding for adults and children, domestic abuse, equality and diversity, risk assessment and data protection as standard
The board is responsible for the overall governance of Victims First Northumbria and takes care of our policy, strategy, direction and forward planning. Our Trustees are all volunteers with a broad range of skills, experience and personal qualities.
Board Member - Treasurer
David joined the Board of Trustees in April 2018 as Treasurer.
David joined a big 4 accounting firm in 2000 after completing a law degree at the University of Newcastle. He has remained at the firm and currently acts as a Director leading external audit engagements. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant and Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. He has gained significant experience working with clients across both the private and public sector.
David is passionate about the North East and ensuring that those who are a victims of crime in the region are provided with access to appropriate support. On joining the board has focused on helping Victims First Northumbria develop its financial governance framework.
Board Member Finance
Acting board lead, Peter has held the position of Gentoo’s Chief Executive and Executive Director since the transfer of Sunderland City Council's housing stock to the private sector in 2001 – although recently he has announced he is stepping down from this position.
Before the formation of Gentoo, Peter worked within the local government for 30 years. His career lead him to work as the Director of Health and Housing in Sunderland from 1979 to 2001. Peter has held positions with the Northern Consortium of Housing Authorities, Business in the Community and the Chartered Institute of Housing.
Peter is also a Prince of Wales ambassador for responsible business in the North East. Due to his experience working with victims, Peter has developed a passion for those suffering internet abuse. Peter hopes for legal change to ensure these victims have a quicker and more effective route to justice.
Ruth Thompson OBE
Board Member Business Development
Ruth is an experienced non-executive director, including economic development, energy, higher education, health, and charity sectors. A solicitor by profession, she began her career in local government, including adviser to Tyne & Wear Fire and Civil Defence Authority. She joined the energy industry to become Regional Solicitor for Northern Gas, then changed career to become Network Director of Transco plc and later Group Corporate Affairs Director of National Grid plc, dealing with UK and EU public policy and communications across the UK and USA. She was awarded an OBE in 2002 for services to New Deal.
By Royal appointment, she was High Sheriff for the County of Tyne and Wear 2014/15 when she worked extensively with those engaged in the administration of justice, business, public service as well as the charity and voluntary sectors: in addition, she specifically devoted her year in office to raising awareness of the impact of domestic violence and abuse on children and young people and supporting those working to help them.
Chief Constable Winton Keenen
Winton Keenen is the Chief Constable of Northumbria Police. His policing career commenced in 1985 when he joined Northumbria Police as a frontline Police Constable posted to Sunderland. Since then, he has had an extremely varied operational background, including being posted abroad. His expertise ranges from being a Strategic Firearms Commander to working in Professional Standards, Force Intelligence, Organised Crime and Special Branch.
In 2003/4, he was posted to Iraq as the first Contingent Commander for the deployment of United Kingdom non-military police officers, acting a mentor to members of the Iraq Police Service. While there he was appointed as the lead officer for a large, multi-national contingent of military and civilian personnel.
In October 2017, Winton Keenen was appointed as Acting Chief Constable for the Northumbria area which is the sixth largest force area in the country. In November 2017 he joined the Board of Trustees at Victims First Northumbria bringing with him a wealth of experience and passion to deliver outstanding policing and victim care. Winton has served as a Police Officer in Northumbria Police for over 30 years and continues to be dedicated to the role.
Janet Guy
Board Member Performance
Over the past 15 years Janet has worked at a board level within the public sector. In addition to working in a variety of voluntary organisations, Janet has gained experience in the field of corporate governance in Health, Policing, Probation and Education.
Janet has led a successful professional career as a solicitor practising in Northumberland and North Tyneside, initially in family and criminal law but has more recently engaged in probate, wills and trusts.
At present, Janet sits as an independent member on the Northumbria Police and Crime Panel, and scrutinises work carried out by the Police and Crime Commissioner of Northumbria. In addition to sitting as a lay member on disciplinary panels, her current position is now Lay Chair of the Clinical Commissioning Group in Northumberland.
Janet is passionate about making a positive difference to the lives of vulnerable people and particularly those who become victims of crime.
Trustee Privacy Notice
We have staff who are trained in specialist areas, for example
“As DV champion, i currently provide support to victims of domestic violence. I establish close links with other specialist Domestic Violence services. I will continually look to identify appropriate support to assist victims of DV to move forward and escape abusive relationships.”
“I have extensive experience of dealing with clients who have substance misuse issues and with the families of substance users. The reasons for substance and alcohol misuse are often complex and I aim to provide support and direct them to appropriate support without judgement.”
“I focus on victims of crime under the age of 18, including communication with families/carers. Individual support and outreach sessions are provided within the local community, schools and colleges to some of our most vulnerable members of society.”
“As fraud champion i am working on developing support for victims of Fraud, looking at new ways to improve preventative measures and support options available. We continue to offer innovative anti-fraud devices to prevent this happening in the first place.”
As well as our victim care coordinators we have a team of trained volunteers who can provide support from anyone who needs a listening ear or to bridge any gaps between any other support commencing.
We believe it is important to survey staff about their development and in a recent staff survey, 85% of staff said they were very satisfied with their role.
Independant Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVA’s)
Victims First Northumbria have 3 ISVAS who are all trained to support victims of serious sexual assaults and rape.
You dont have to have reported the incident to the Police to recieve support.
We also have a member of staff who is trained as a ChISVA – A Childrens Independant Sexual Violence Advisor.
“The Sexual Violence Champion role focuses upon supporting individuals who have experienced sexual violence / abuse at any stage in their life. Support is individually tailored to provide practical and emotional support to empower victims to cope and recover from their experiences. As a qualified Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA) within the Champion role, I am passionate about raising awareness of Sexual Violence throughout Northumbria and liaising with key partners to provide essential support to some of the most vulnerable individuals within our communities.”
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Sabres Sign Cozens to Entry Level Deal
Coast to Coast with George Noory
Pura Castell walks to a government-run butcher shop to buy chicken, after failing to find chicken the previous day in Bauta, Cuba, Friday, April 12, 2019. A neighbor informed her that chicken had arrived at the government store that distributes almost free monthly food rations. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
Shortages hit Cuba, raising fears of new economic crisis
BAUTA, Cuba (AP) — Just after 8 a.m., Pura Castell got in line behind about 100 other people waiting for a chance to buy frozen chicken legs. For two hours she leaned on her cane watching people leave the state-run market with their 5-pound limit.
The chicken ran out at 10 a.m. while the 80-year-old Castell still had 20 people in front of her. She returned the next morning, but no chicken. Then, relief. A neighbor told her that chicken had arrived at the government store that distributes heavily subsidized monthly food rations. Her household of three was due three pieces, either thighs or drumsticks.
"I've taken care of myself my whole life," said Castell, a retired janitor. "I don't just sit on my hands. I'm worn out but I walk all over town."
After two decades of relative stability fueled by cheap Venezuelan oil, shortages of food and medicine have once again become a serious daily problem for millions of Cubans. A plunge in aid from Venezuela, the end of a medical services deal with Brazil and poor performances in sectors including nickel mining, sugar and tourism have left the communist state $1.5 billion in debt to the vendors that supply products ranging from frozen chicken to equipment for grinding grain into flour, according to former Economy Minister José Luis Rodríguez.
Stores no longer routinely stock eggs, flour, chicken, cooking oil, rice, powdered milk and ground turkey, among other products. These basics disappear for days or weeks. Hours-long lines appear within minutes of trucks showing up with new supplies. Shelves are empty again within hours.
No one is starving in Cuba, but the shortages are so severe that ordinary Cubans and the country's leaders are openly referring to the "special period," the years of economic devastation and deep suffering that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union, Cuba's Cold War patron.
"It's not about returning to the harshest phase of the special period of the '90s," Communist Party head Raul Castro said last week. "But we always have to be ready for the worst."
Two days later, President Miguel Díaz-Canel said cutbacks were necessary because: "This harsh moment demands we set clearly defined priorities in order to not return to the worst moments of the special period."
The Trump administration is working hard to push Cuba toward economic crisis. Washington has sanctioned Venezuela's oil industry and the shipping companies that move Venezuelan oil to Cuba.
On Wednesday, U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton announced further measures against Cuba and its allies, including a new cap on the amount of money that families in the United States can send their relatives on the island and new restrictions on travel to Cuba. "The troika of tyranny — Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua — is beginning to crumble," he said.
The move followed the announcement a day earlier that lawsuits would now be permitted against foreign companies doing business in properties seized from Americans after the island's 1959 revolution. The policy could deal a severe blow to Cuba's efforts to draw foreign investment.
A senior Trump administration official said the economic pressure on Cuba was aimed at forcing the socialist government to stop helping its allies in Venezuela and Nicaragua. The U.S. has accused Cuba of sending soldiers and spies to both countries to strengthen their leaders against protests and potential defection. Cuba denies that.
"We're going to make sure they cannot afford subsidized adventurism, subsidized subversion of democracy outside of their borders," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about U.S. policy toward Cuba. "At an extraordinarily vulnerable time in their history, they're going to have to refocus on the domestic needs, their domestic pressures."
Despite some market-oriented reforms over the last decade, Cuba is one of the last countries on Earth to maintain a Soviet-style economy, with most business run by the state.
That economy is afflicted by deep inefficiency and corruption. Many state employees demand bribes to provide services to the public. Others spend only a few hours a day at their jobs, spending the rest of their time doing informal private work or selling supplies stolen from their office, warehouse or factory. Despite a highly educated and generally well-qualified workforce, Cuba's industrial sector is dilapidated after decades of underinvestment. The country produces little of value on the global market besides rum, tobacco and the professionals who earn billions for the government working as doctors, teachers or engineers in friendly third countries.
The agricultural sector is in shambles, requiring the country to import most of its food. Economy Minister Alejandro Gil said Saturday that Cuba would spend $5 billion on food and petroleum products this year.
Over the last 20 years, many of those billions came from Venezuela's socialist government, which has deep ties to Cuba's and sent nearly 100,000 barrels of oil daily for years. With Venezuela's economic collapse, that has roughly halved, along with deep cutbacks in the economic relationship across the board. And the news has been bad in virtually every other sector of the Cuban economy. Nickel production has dropped from 72,530 metric tons in 2011 to 50,000 last year, according to Rodríguez, the former economics minister. The sugar harvest dropped nearly 44%, to a million tons. The number of tourists grew only 1%, with many coming on cruise ships, a relatively unprofitable type of visitor. Overall GDP growth has been stuck at 1% for the last three years.
Meanwhile, under agreements Castro struck to rehabilitate Cuba's creditworthiness, the country is paying $2 billion in debt service to creditors such as Russia, Japan and the Paris Club.
State-run stores that sell low-quality Chinese household goods at double or triple their price outside the country are facing competition from vendors in Panama, Guyana, Mexico, Haiti and even Russia, where Cubans fly in, fill suitcases with goods, and return to sell them at a profit.
That overseas shopping has become a vacuum sucking precious hard currency out of Cuba. Economist Omar Everleny Pérez said he estimated that Cubans spent more than $2 billion a year buying products overseas.
With less cash on hand, there's been even less in the state-run stores.
The manager of the butcher shop where Castell waited for chicken last week said she needed 80 boxes of chicken to fill that day's demand and only 40 arrived.
Fears of a return to darker times are growing.
"During the special period we had it bad, like everyone. Even when we had money we couldn't buy anything," said Castell, a mother of six.
"It was really rough, blackouts, no food at all, I don't want to go back to that," said Ariadne Medina, a 47-year-old worker in a private restaurant who was waiting to buy chicken behind Castell.
Independent experts say a return to the depths of the special period is unlikely. Cuba does business with dozens of nations, hosts nearly 5 million tourists a year and Cubans can travel freely to dozens of countries on direct flights to the U.S., Europe and Latin America. Expatriates send billions home in annual remittances.
"The new government is trying to halt the deterioration, but it's a tough assignment," Pérez said. "It's going to take resources and time."
Follow Andrea Rodríguez on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ARodriguezAP
Associated Press writer Deb Riechmann contributed from Washington.
Base metals industry
Metals and minerals industry
Materials industry
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What the NBA Summer League taught us
Tyus Jones Wins 2016 NBA Summer League MVP In Nike Kyrie 1 [PHOTOS ... - footwearnews.com
The events in Las Vegas and Orlando left us with many takeaways involving the games's future stars.
by Steven Abramo Sabramo
July 24, 2016 at 2:13 PM Sun 24 Jul 2016 02:13:52 PM EDT
Video of the Day: The Toronto Raptors may trade Serge Ibaka
The 2016 Summer League concluded last week, an event that featured all 30 NBA teams consisted of first and second year players. Hosted in the cities of Las Vegas and Orlando, the games offered up an on slot of takeaways. For instance, it was the first chance to gauge the development of top picks Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram at the next-level. It also helped lay-out the blueprint of each team’s roster structure, evaluating which prospects to hand over or discard a contract from. Nonetheless, here’s what this year’s summer league taught us.
Bulls may have found a young star in Denzel Valentine
Chicago was at the forefront of one of the craziest free agencies in NBA history last month; losing veteran forwards Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah and point guard Derrick Rose, but also acquiring guards Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade. In order to institute a “pace and space” style that second-year head coach Fred Holberg demands, the Bulls drafted Michigan State’s 6-foot-5 shooting guard Denzel Valentine 14th overall in this year’s draft.
Valentine received high praise in college for his ability to score from all spots on the floor, as he tallied seven double-doubles during his senior season. During the Bulls run to the summer league title, Valentine contributed mightily by averaging 11.6 points, 6.7 rebounds while shooting 32.5 percent during 29 minutes of action. Valentine’s style of play fits in with slashers Rondo and Wade on the wing.
However it may just be Valentine’s strong shooting (making 40 percent of his threes in summer league) that could make it viable for Chicago to replicate last season’s success on the perimeter. As a team, the Bulls finished the 2015-16 regular season with the third highest 3-point shooting percentage in NBA – connecting on 37.1 percent of long-range shots.
Terry Rozier staked a claim for more minutes at point guard
Two months removed from an encouraging playoff stint, Terry Rozier yet again showed signs of progress in the summer league.
He was the Celtics’ best player in the event, averaging 20 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists per game through 29.2 minutes of action. In the six games he played in, the second-year pro shot 62 percent from the field (18-29), one of the more efficient shooting percentages in summer league history.
Celtics GM Danny Ainge selected Rozier 16th overall in 2015 draft, a move that at the time drew heavy criticism amongst the fanbase.
However, with Rozier’s steady rise in performance he has positioned himself to help fill the void left by Evan Turner’s departure on Boston’s second unit. With a hefty dose of minutes heading his way, Rozier will seek more time behind Isaiah Thomas as Boston’s back-up point guard.
Minnesota Timberwolves find talent everywhere
Minnesota is already poised for a promising future with cornerstone pieces Andrew Wiggins, Karl Anthony-Towns and Zach Lavine whom are all locked-up long-term.
Both Wiggins and Towns are Rookie of the Year recipients that hold the keys to the Timberwolves’ playoff puzzle which hopefully materializes sooner rather than later.
Minnesota only had one pick in the 2016 draft, however, they made the most of it by selecting PG Kris Dunn fifth overall. The Providence star showed no hesitation in making an impact during the summer league, leading the event in points (averaging 24.1), racking up nine boards a game while shooting 57.3 percent from the field. While Dunn is figured to be the ‘Wolves second option at point guard behind Ricky Rubio next season, Adreian Payne and Tyus Jones also flashed signs of optimism. Jones, who was originally drafted by Cleveland 24th overall in last year’s draft was sent to Minnesota hours later on draft night. Jones tallied up the most assists in the summer league (6.8 per game), as well as manufacturing 20.4 points. As the future of preserving Ricky Rubio grows, the Timberwolves are banking on Dunn as well as others to stabilize the point guard spot for the foreseeable future.
Nebraska football: Analyst believes Oklahoma back Morrison has lean towards Huskers
Raptors rumors: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid potential targets for Masai Ujiri
Steven Abramo Sabramo
I live in Kansas City where I spend my time supporting the Royals, Jayhawks, Oregon Ducks, Chiefs, and Celtics. On this site I write about football, basketball and baseball.
Follow Steven Abramo on Twitter
Read more on the same topic from Steven Abramo Sabramo:
How much better does Kevin Durant make Golden State? Nba free agency: the good, the bad and the ugly American league rookie of the year candidates
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Vancouver Art Gallery Library & Archives
Visual Arts News Digest, Compiled by the Vancouver Art Gallery Library, May 7, 2019
This entry was posted on May 7, 2019, in Visual Arts News and tagged Art and the environment, ceramics, collectors, Commercial galleries, Conservation, Inuit artists, photography, Women artists. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment
Selling Vancouver. Melanie O’Brian’s introduction to Vancouver Art & Economies—“Specious Speculation,” published in 2007 in anticipation of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics—examines Vancouver’s switch from a solely resource-extraction economy to an increasingly symbolic, globalized economy. The city’s daringly speculative real-estate market is the most obvious of these industries to develop out of that change, but the art market is another industry of significance. “The city is gambling its future vis-a-vis the Olympics by presenting to the world a cleaned-up image of itself absent of social inequities,” O’Brian wrote back then. “In doing so, the city reveals how marginalized groups, even the art community, may be vulnerable in the urban development scheme.” In the nine years since the Olympics, what’s emerged is perhaps not such a clear delineation between perpetrator (“urban development”) and victim (“art community”) as O’Brian hypothesized. Rather, in my view, there’s a fumbling, symbiotic relationship between the two, and this relationship is particularly visible in the case of Vancouver’s commercial art galleries. Canadian Art, May 2, 2019
Art exhibit shows lingering pain from Punjab disappearances. Decades have passed since thousands of Sikh families lost loved ones to disappearances and extrajudicial killings in India’s Punjab region, but for many the pain remains raw. A new international photo exhibit, launched Friday in Vancouver, seeks to remind people that those families are still grieving, yearning for answers and justice. Abhishek Madhukar’s haunting “Lapata. And the Left Behind” documents, in black and white, some of their stories. It runs at the The Space, An Art Gallery in Yaletown until Tuesday. Vancouver Sun, May 4, 2019
Stories Not Told. In September 2016, I was asked to present on a student panel at the second annual “Building Reconciliation” conference at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. It was your usual suit-and-tie, fancy NDNs-only affair. Branding with feathers and images of happy, traditionally dressed First Nations people draped every corner of the university gym where the conference was held. Of course, these images consisted solely of First Nations peoples in regalia. Notably absent was any semblance of Inuit representation. Canadian Art, May 6, 2019
Works from late Alberta pottery artist fetch thousands at online auction. When Mary Borgstrom took up pottery in the 1960s she didn’t know that it would lead to international recognition, the Olympics and even a YouTube series. Borgstrom was born in Saskatchewan in 1916, but spent much of her life in Provost, Alta., where she died on April 3 at the age of 102. Alex Archbold, owner of Curiosity Inc. in Edmonton, recently purchased the Borgstrom home in the small town about 300 kilometers southeast of Edmonton. The Canadian Women Artists History Initiative profile of Borgstrom says that a 1966 pottery workshop in Edmonton helped her uncover her abilities and by 1969 she began showing her work in group and solo exhibits. In 1971, after a show that included 25 pieces at the Canadian Guild of Handicrafts in Montreal, three of her creations were acquired by the Montreal Museum of Fine Art. That was followed in 1976 by an invitation to participate in the Arts and Culture program at the Summer Olympics in Montreal. CBC News, May 1, 2019
‘A legend in the Canadian art world’: hundreds flock to celebration of artist Joe Fafard’s life. As many as 500 people came to a celebration of life held at the MacKenzie Art Gallery in Regina, with several sharing funny and touching stories about a man that was not only an artist, but also a beloved family man and friend, a lover of poetry, philosophy and music. CBC News, May 5, 2019
Vija Celmins at the AGO: Her hyperrealistic drawings are all about the art of looking. Standing in a gallery full of her astoundingly realistic pencil drawings featuring nothing but the rippling waters of the Pacific Ocean, the American artist Vija Celmins announces: “There is no ocean here.” The New York artist, now 80, created her ocean series from photographs of the sea when she was living in Venice, Calif., in the 1960s. And her point is that these painstaking drawings, currently showing the Art Gallery of Ontario, were never intended to represent the water. Indeed, she quickly corrects a curator who unthinkingly uses the word “representation.” So, if they are not intended as seascapes, what are these drawings “about”? Globe & Mail, May 6, 2019
AGO show reveals Vija Celmins’s knack for deadpan re-creations. Perhaps you remember writing lines on the blackboard in grade school as punishment. Sometimes, maybe around the hundredth rendering of a phrase like “I must not talk in class,” one of the words would uncouple from its meaning. Suddenly, the alphabetical units joined for the term “must” seemed nonsensical — preposterous even. The phenomenon is known as “semantic satiation.” And the work of Latvian-American artist Vija Celmins produces a related experience. With focus and repetition, it turns the familiar into a curiosity. The 80-year-old New York-based Celmins is the subject of a career retrospective, Vija Celmins: To Fix the Image in Memory, with more than 110 artworks arriving at the Art Gallery of Ontario from the exhibition’s debut at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Toronto Star, May 3, 2019
Looking Out from Looking In: Geneviève Cadieux Shifts From the Polemic to the Poetic. “Milling through the Vancouver Art Gallery earlier this spring, I stopped before a towering diptych that paired a cartoon prince and a back-turned nude. The prince’s face has been whited-out, but familiarity flickered through: a blown-up reproduction of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s Petit Prince. Similarly, his counterpart, a grainy portrait of a prostitute by E.J. Bellocq (c. 1912), had been extended and partially scrubbed out. But where she was still performing her role – her backside broad, classically profiled, pear-shaped and inviting – the prince affected a citation: how did I know him? And, now, here, like this, what did he mean? The prince made a footnote, but the anonymous (and visibly erased) female form was its own site of desire, a place to pool want. Looking up at La blessure d’une cicatrice ou Les Anges (The wound of a scar or the angels, 1987), by Geneviève Cadieux, I was reminded of the artist’s stature in the 1980s, and the lasting power of her commentary… Weeks later, I paced a solo exhibition of Cadieux’s new show in Montreal. Her prints still loom and pitch and require long reading. They’re too big for a glance. But it seemed that here, in the spare, luminous rooms of her long-time gallerist René Blouin, the artist had shifted from body-as-polemic to what Barthes termed the “pleasure of the text.” – Sky Godden. Momus, April 27, 2019
Canadian couple’s art collection worth $50-million heading to U.S. auction amid debate over cultural exports. One of the most important private collections of modern art in Canada is being dispersed at international auctions this month – most of it produced just a few years too recently to be caught in the net of federal rules designed to keep cultural property in the county. Art from the estate of Arnold and Blema Steinberg of Montreal, including two works by U.S. abstractionist Mark Rothko that are valued in the tens of millions, will be sold at a series of sales in New York starting May 14. Sotheby’s auction house is billing the art as the most important collection of colour-field painting ever to come to auction. Meanwhile, the estate is also selling off Canadian art, including two million-dollar paintings by Jean-Paul Riopelle, that will be offered at a Toronto auction May 29. Globe & Mail, May 6, 2019
A final showing for acclaimed artist Hannah Franklin. Her people have been encased in clear plastic columns, rendered in acrylic paint and cast in bronze. These have been Hannah Franklin’s methods of clocking humanity through time, their passage on this earth being the theme that has marked her work for almost 50 years. Now she herself has reached a milestone, no longer able to make the art she loves and ready to close down her studio at 137 Saint-Ferdinand St., suite 220A, following an open house there on May 5 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. The event is spearheaded by her son, Jonathan Franklin, and curated by Joe Donohue, who also features some of her pieces on the Galerie Donohue website at galeriedonohue.com/hannah-franklin. The art ranges from thumb-size to human height. Canadian Jewish News, May 6, 2019
Resistance to new art gallery on Halifax waterfront is growing. There is growing resistance to plans to build a new art gallery on the Halifax waterfront. The provincial government has earmarked $70 to $80 million for the project, and the premier says he would like construction to begin as early as next year. But in a province where some people say there’s a healthcare crisis, there are also those who believe the gallery money could be better spent. Atlantic CTV News, May 2, 2019
Artists and Art Orgs Still Have Questions about Canada Council Changes. Over the past year, the Canada Council has overhauled its funding model dramatically. Artists and art organizations are broadly satisfied with the changes, but still have some questions. Canadian Art, May 2, 2019
Actor Steve Martin Amassed a Stellar Collection of Australian Aboriginal Art at Warp Speed—and Now You Can See It at Gagosian. With a hand from actor, comedian, and noted collector Steve Martin, Gagosian is shining a spotlight on Indigenous Australian painters—which could mean big things for this sector of the art market. Martin and his wife, Anne Stringfield, are lending works of Aboriginal art from their personal collection to a show at Gagosian’s Upper East Side location that opens today. “I never talk about our art collection, because it’s our private sanctuary, but I am so enthused about the Indigenous art,” Martin told Australia’s ABC, noting that he’s hung the Australian works in his collection alongside his paintings by Edward Hopper, Giorgio Morandi, and David Hockney. Artnet News, May 3, 2019
Art that breathes: Mexican murals aim to clean the air. A colourful mural of a 35m-tall tree in Mexico City is one of three environmentally friendly new public works made using Airlite paint, which purifies polluted air in a process similar to photosynthesis. Commissioned for the project Absolut Street Trees, backed by Pernod Ricard, the French alcohol manufacturer, the mural aims to increase oxygen levels in one of the western hemisphere’s most polluted cities, where ozone concentration levels remain high despite government regulations on fuel and cars. The Art Newspaper, May 6, 2019
Saatchi Gallery covers up artworks after Muslim visitors’ complaints. A leading contemporary art gallery covered up works featuring an Islamic declaration of faith after complaints from Muslim visitors who said the artworks were blasphemous. The Saatchi Gallery in west London hosted an exhibition of new material by the artist SKU featuring a variety of works. However, it decided to cover up two paintings that incorporated the text of the shahada, one of the five pillars of Islam, in Arabic script juxtaposed with images of nude women in the style of the US flag. The Guardian, May 5, 2019
Hidden Cupid resurfaces in one of Vermeer’s best-known works after two and a half centuries. A hidden Cupid in Vermeer’s Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window, one of the world’s most famous paintings, is set to resurface on the canvas after two and a half centuries behind a layer of paint. During restoration work, conservators discovered, to their surprise, that the naked figure—which dominates the upper right section of the picture—was overpainted long after the artist’s death. The Art Newspaper, May 7, 2019
« Visual Arts News Digest, Compiled by the Vancouver Art Gallery Library, May 6, 2019
Visual Arts News Digest, Compiled by the Vancouver Art Gallery Library, May 8, 2019 »
Visual Arts News Digest, Compiled by the Vancouver Art Gallery Library, July 10, 2019 July 10, 2019
Visual Arts News Digest, Compiled by the Vancouver Art Gallery Library, July 8, 2019 July 8, 2019
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Read Next: Russell Tovey on His 'Arrogant and Heroic' 'Years and Years' Character
January 8, 2016 7:00AM PT
BBC America Gives Series Order to ‘Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency’
CREDIT: Eric Charbonneau/REX/Shutterstock
BBC America has given an eight-episode order to an adaptation of the Douglas Adams novel series “Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency,” written by Max Landis.
“Dirk Gently” is a cult-favorite property from the novelist known for his “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” series. The series is co-produced by AMC Studios, Ideate Media and comic book publisher IDW Entertainment with Circle of Confusion producing. Exec producers are Landis, Ideate’s Arvind Ethan David and Zainir Aminullah, IDW Entertainment’s Ted Adams and David Ozer and David Alpert and Rick Jacobs from Circle of Confusion.
The series will follow the surreal adventures of the highly unconventional detective and his reluctant assistant Todd as they navigate one big metaphysical mystery per season. A four-episode adaptation of “Dirk Gently” starring Stephen Mangan aired on BBC4 in 2010 and 2012.
” ‘Dirk Gently’ is a very original series, fresh and unlike anything else. The novels have legions of fans, and with Max Landis’ brilliant and audacious take on this material we are excited to bring Dirk to life for our BBCA super-fans,” said BBC America president Sarah Barnett.
David has a long history with “Dirk Gently.” He was so taken with the character, who first appeared in 1987, that he wrote a stage adaptation while he was a student at the Stowe boarding school outside London. Adams, who died of a heart attack in 2001 at age 49, showed up to the performance and befriended David.
Landis read the books as a teenager. He credits Adams’ work as “one of the things that inspired me to be a writer.”
Landis, who made his mark as a screenwriter with the 2012 sci-fi thriller “Chronicle,” and David met about seven years ago in Los Angles through mutual friends at Circle of Confusion. When David secured the TV rights to “Dirk Gently,” he knew Landis had the understanding of the character to handle the adaptation. Landis said yes even as he was juggling numerous feature projects.
In his enthusiasm, Landis wrote the pilot on spec for Ideate and he wrote summaries for an additional nine episodes in the first season. “It was only after the fact that they told me I’m supposed to do that in a room with five other writers,” Landis said.
“Dirk Gently” was shopped around but BBC America was a natural home for the show given the British roots of the character. The TV series will see Gently heading to the U.S. — a storyline envisioned by Adams in drafts for a novel he was working at the time of his unexpected death.
David calls the deal with BBC America symbiotic as Adams served as the showrunner of the BBC’s “Doctor Who” for a period in the 1980s, and now BBC America is eyeing “Dirk Gently” as a companion piece to the enduring fantasy franchise.
“I’ve been waiting almost 20 years for TV to be ready for this and to find the right person to do it for TV,” David said of the “Dirk Gently” series.
“Dirk Gently” will also relaunch as a comic book series through IDW Entertainment that David will write.
“Dirk Gently” is Landis’ second TV project headed to the airwaves this year. He’s also co-writer of the horror anthology series “Channel Zero” bound for Syfy later this year.
(Pictured: Max Landis)
Max Landis
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Sensory Function in the Harbor Seal
Post on 28-Jul-2016
Sensory Function the Harbor Seal In
Amphibious in its habits, the harbor seal divides its time between land and water. In the ocean the seal must navigate, locate prey and
keep track of its pup; on land it gives birth, nurses its young and rests
A night seals navigate through murky waters to find fish; during the day they often haul out on land, where they lie in the sun and, once a year, give birth to their young. Dividing time between land and water in such a fashion has its price: seals, like other members of the Pinnipedia (the order to which seals, sea lions and walruses belong), have had to adapt to two separate sets of physical challenges. Sound and light behave differently in air and in water, and sensory organs that are adapted for one habitat tend to function differently in the other. Consider the seal's eye. How, if it is designed to function in water, does it also function on land? On what types of special sensory receptors does the seal rely to find its way through turbid, choppy waters?
For the past 19 years I have been studying sensory function in the harbor seal, Phoca vitulina. The species is a good model for understanding how pinnipeds in general have adapted to an amphibious existence and is of special interest to me because it is found in coastal waters near my home in Newfoundland. Still, after many years of observing the animal-both in its natural habitat and in captivity-I continue to be puzzled by some of its sensory capabilities.
DEANE RENOUF is associate professor of biopsychology at Memorial University of Newfoundland, where she has been a member of the faculty since 1975. She received a B.A. at Memorial University and a Ph.D. in psychology from Dalhou sie University in Nova Scotia. She and her husband, who is a general practitioner, have four children. They keep her busy when she is not observing seals and teaching animal behavior. lronically, her recreational activity is a daily workout in the swimming pool.
90 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN April 1989
by Deane Renouf
Although it is a common species along the northern coasts of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, P. vitulina is notoriously difficult to study under natural field conditions. It is extremely skittish and flees into the ocean at the slightest provocation. Such behavior makes quantitative studies nearly impossible and has discouraged many investigators. I have been lucky, however, because I have found a site on Miquelon Island (some 18 kilometers off the southeast tip of Newfounp.land) that is uniquely suited for observing seal colonies at close range.
During the reproductive season-in late spring and early summer-when the tide is low, about 800 seals (both male and female) cluster on exposed sand flats near the center of a large lagoon called the Grand Barachois. Females give birth at this time and remain with their pups until they are weaned at about four weeks of age. The seal's daily activities are synchronized with the tide: when the tide is high, the seals (including mothers and pups) are forced off the sand flats and into the water, where they stay until the tide recedes and the flats are again exposed. My colleagues and I have constructed elevated observation blinds adjacent to the sand flats, from which we can watch the seals at close range without disturbing them. We discovered that if we enter the blinds during high tide, the animals will pay us little or no attention when they return at low tide. From this vantage we have been able to observe how the seals have adapted to several crucial environmental challenges.
John W. Lawson, one of my graduate students, was the first to document controlled labor in the harbor seal, a physiological adaptation that allows females to accelerate or delay a pup's birth according to environmental con-
ditions. On three occasions when a female in the final stages of labor was disturbed by the arrival of a group of tourists, Lawson saw the emerging head of the pup disappear back into the birth canal and labor come to a halt, resuming only after the disturbance had passed. We suspect that the ability of a seal to control the timing of her pup's birth is an adaptation that minimizes the risk of predation and enables seals to synchronize their labor with the onset of low tide. le we were observing the
breeding colony from our elevated blinds I became inter
ested in the close relation that exists between females and their pups. The seal's amphibious habits and skittish behavior make bonding between mothers and their offspring somewhat problematic. I have seen a pup less than IS minutes old follow its mother into the ocean, where visibility is often low, the current is strong and the level of ambient noise (caused by wind, choppy water and turbulence) is high. If a mother and her pup become separated, the likelihood of reunion is slim; this prediction is underscored by the fact that in some colonies as many as 10 percent of the unweaned pups starve to death every year when they are separated from their mothers.
How-if the seals rush into the ocean at the slightest disturbancedoes a newborn pup manage to stay with its mother? It appears that a number of factors are responsible. The harbor seal pup demonstrates a following response (something like imprinting in birds) within the first few minutes of life and will follow its mother wherever she goes. The relationship is reciprocal: the mother in turn monitors the whereabouts of her pup. Females track their pups visually
1989 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, INC
(in the water they can be seen stretching their heads backward to get an upside-down look at them) and also acoustically: a harbor seal pup vocalizes almost continuously when following its mother, emitting a call that is transmitted in air and underwater simultaneously; the call disappears from its repertoire soon after weaning.
To test whether a mother can recognize her pup by its call, Elizabeth Perry, one of my graduate students, and I recorded the calls of newborn pups and analyzed them sonographically. We found that each pup's call has a unique frequency pattern and wondered whether these differences could be discerned by a female seal.
To answer that question we devised an experiment to test a female's ability to distinguish among calls. At the
Ocean Sciences Centre of Memorial University we trained a captive seal to open the door of a specific feeder when she heard one call and to open the door of another feeder when she heard a different call. Every time she made a correct assodation we rewarded her with herring. Six different calls were presented in various combinations; after a brief training period she was able to distinguish among the calls at least 80 percent of the time, a finding that leads us to believe females can recognize their pups in the ocean by their vocal emissions.
Vocalization is clearly an important means by which a mother and pup stay together, and yet the harbor seal lives in an environment dominated by high noise levels. How can a mother hear the call of her pup when the
background noise (above water) may reach 80 decibels or more (a level comparable to that generated in an urban setting by heavy traffic)? When the ambient noise levels are high, can seals detect sounds that for human beings and other animals are masked by background noise?
I initiated a series of experiments to determine the extent to which noise affects the auditory threshold of the harbor seal. I trained two animals to swim to a paddle on one side of the tarik when they heard a tone (a short burst of approximately 25 decibels, which was presented simultaneously with either 60-, 70- or 80-decibel white noise) and to swim to a paddle on the other side if they did not hear a tone. I found that the auditory threshold of a harbor seal is raised when back-
HARBOR SEAL, Phoca vitulina, shown off the coast of Newfoundland, has well-developed whiskers, called vibrissae, and eyes
that are adapted for seeing underwater. The species is common along northern coasts of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN April 1989 9 1 1989 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, INC
ground noise levels are high and that the seal, like other mammals, has no special ability to compensate for noise. Extrapolating from these findings, I calculated that a pup can be heard only if it stays within about eight meters of its mother.
LARGE BREEDING COLONY of harbor seals can be found every spring and summer on Miquelon Island, about 18 kilometers off the southern coast of Newfoundland. The seals haul out on sand flats (indicated on map by broken lines) that are exposed during low tide. At high tide, when the flats are flooded, the seals retreat to the ocean. If the author and her colleagues enter the observation blind when the tide is high (above), they will be tolerated when the seals return at low tide, a stratagem that allows the author to observe the otherwise skittish seals at exceptionally close range.
Within that radius of eight meters, however, females are adept at locating their young. I believe such an ability may be attributed to a unique quadraphonic hearing arrangement that enables them to determine from what direction a sound has come. On land
sound reaches the seal's inner ear-as it does in most mammals-through the auditory meatus, or canal, and its direction is determined by the difference in arrival time at each ear. (In addition, certain sound characteristics such as volume and wave pattern are
FEMALE SEALS may possess a special quadraphonic hearing arrangement that enables them to locate their pups in the ocean. When a pup cries, sound waves enter the air and water simultaneously. The author believes a mother may rely on the difference in the arrival time, and also in the phase and intensity of the two sets of sound waves, to determine
the direction of her pup's call. She can differentiate between the two sets because underwater sound waves, which travel about four times faster through water than through air, reach the seal's inner ear through a vertical band of sound-sensitive tissue (color), whereas aerial waves reach the inner ear through the external opening of the ear canal.
92 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN April 1989 1989 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, INC
affected by arrival time.) In water, where sound travels about four times faster than it does in air, the difference in arrival time is much more difficult to detect.
Bertel Mohl of the Zoological Institute in Aarhus, Denmark, has shown, however, that in water sound is conducted to the seal's inner ear through a special vertical band of tissue that extends downward from the ear. When a mother's head is partially submerged, it is possible that sound passes through both the auditory meatus and the band of auditory tissue, enabling her to hear both the aerial and the underwater version of her pup's call. Because the call arrives at these receptors at slightly different times, she may be able to discern the direction from which it has come more precisely than if she relied only on the underwater or aerial versions of the call.
Harbor seals have interesting visual systems that reflect their amphibious habits. Behavioral studies by Ronald j. Schusterman and his colleagues at the University of California at Santa Cruz and anatomical studies by Glen Jamieson of the University of British Columbia and others show that the seal eye is remarkably well adapted for seeing both underwater and on land. The lens is large and spherical and its shape is suited for underwater acuity. The size and shape of the eye compensate for the fact that the refractive index of water is almost the same as that of the cornea. Consequently light waves entering a seal's eye in water do not refract, or bend, when they pass through the cornea as they do in air. Instead they are refracted only by the lens, which channels them to the retina, or focusing plane, at the back of the eye.
In contrast, human beings, whose eyes function best on land, where the cornea is refractive, see poorly underwater. Without the help of the cornea, light is refracted by the lens so that the visual image no longer forms on the retina and the image is therefore blurred. In seals the visual image forms on the retina and is in focus.
In air the seal's cornea is astigmatic: its curvature is distorted, particularly along the horizontal plane of the eye, and light waves are affected by the distortion as they pass through the eye. In water this astigmatism is of no importance because light there is not refracted as it passes through the cornea. On land the seal compensates by having a stenopaic (vertically contracting) pupil. Because the pupil closes down to a narrow vertical slit that is
parallel to the axis of least astigmatism, the most astigmatic area of the cornea has little or no effect on the seal's vision. On foggy or dimly lit beaches the pupil does not contract and the seal has blurred vision. But when light levels are higher, as they usually are near the ocean or on ice, the pupil compensates for astigmatism and the seal's visual acuity in air should be comparable to that in water.
Underwater, harbor seals are extremely sensitive to low light levels; Douglas Wartzok of Purdue University has shown, for example, that on a moonlit night in clear water the seal can detect a moving object at depths as great as 466 meters.
How does the harbor seal, which spends much of its life in murky water where visibility is near zero and which feeds mostly at night, find the three kilograms or more of fish it must catch every day? In the 1960's Thomas C. Poulter of the Stanford Research Institute and others suggested that California sea lions (Zalophus calif ornianus) can find and identify prey by echolocation. Echolocation, which was first discovered in bats and was later described in birds, porpoises and dolphins, is similar in principle to radar. Animals that echolocate emit a series of high-frequency sound pulses that reflect off anything they strike; the reflections in turn are processed by the animal's brain, where they form an image that effectively enables the animal to "see" in the dark [see "More about Bat 'Radar,' '' by Donald R . Griffin; SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, July, 1958].
Although no one has conclusively demonstrated that sea lions or other
pinnipeds can echolocate, a growing amount of circumstantial evidence suggests that the harbor seal may indeed have that capability. Harbor seals emit click vocalizations: broad-frequency sounds that are produced in short, very fast bursts, most often at night. Recordings I have made of these vocalizations with special audio equipment reveal that many of the clicks are in the ultrasonic range (that is, above the upper limit of human hearing at 20 kilohertz). Working with captive seals, I have found that clicking increases when the seals are fed at night.
In 1968 Mohl was able to show that harbor seals can detect sound frequencies at least as high as...
Sensory Perception || Principles of function in the visual system
Acadia Institute of Oceanography Seal Harbor, Institute of Oceanography Seal Harbor, Maine ... attend the Acadia Institute of Oceanography. ... brochure letter-app 2014
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Is Islam And Muslim The Same Religion
Islam is, in essence, both religion and regime (din wa-dawla) and no area of human. At the same time, they have been used by Muslim regimes to bolster their.
Islamic faith in Turkey and Muslims, and all information related to the Islam religion. Evangelized by the Prophet Muhammed in the 600's AD, Islam is a religion. yet at the same time it provides guidelines for a just society, proper human.
Catholic Church Hilton Head Sea Pines he was a member of St. Luke Episcopal Church; the Sea Pines Club;and a member and Commander of the Hilton
Jan 1, 2014. The Impact of Islam as a Religion and Muslim Women on Gender. pairs, so men and women have been created of the same species.
The first of the Five Pillars of Islam is the shahada (Arabic, "testimony" or "witness"). The shahada is the Muslim profession of faith, expressing the two simple, fundamental beliefs that make one a Muslim:
Live Help by Chat. Islam and Muslims. The Arabic word ‘Islam’ means ‘submission’, and is derived from a word meaning ‘peace’. As such, the religion of Islam teaches that in order to achieve true peace of mind and surety of heart, one must submit to God and live according to His Divinely revealed Law.
That is why the traditional definition of worship in Islam is a comprehensive. told his companions that "seeking knowledge is a (religious) duty on every Muslim. The same fact has been emphasized by the Prophet (PBUH) in a different way.
(RNS) — Muslim prisoners in Arkansas. follow distinct religious teachings, the Arkansas Department of Correction requires followers of Islam, the Nation of Islam, and the Nation of Gods.
Sep 04, 2009 · Introduction Islamic Spain (711-1492) The Court of the Lions, Alhambra, Spain ©. Islamic Spain was a multi-cultural mix of the people of three great monotheistic religions: Muslims, Christians.
In the case of Muslims’ heinous agenda, the religious underpinnings of the two. Yet their singular objective is the same: to dominate the world. History has proven that to Islam, the ends justifies.
Muslims understand Islam to be the religion of Abraham. The biblical figure of Abraham is mentioned by name in the Qur'an 69 times—more than any other.
Islamic faith in Turkey and Muslims, and all information related to the Islam religion.
Islam was a major if not dominant theme. Aqsa intifada,” even in Fatah and PA discourse. The same religious zeal regarding the Palestinian cause can be found in the Arab world. The Egyptian Muslim.
World religions Menu Islam: The second largest world religion.and growing. About Islam: Islam is the second most popular religion in the world.
Is Islam a religion of peace? What are the origins of Islam? What are the Kaaba and Black Stone? Who wrote the Koran? Who was Mohammed? Since Islam is one of the world’s fastest growing religions, through conversion but mostly through reproduction, there is a tremendous need to address this subject, which, because of crazed Islamic fanatics, strikes fear in the hearts of many non-Muslims.
Islam (/ ˈ ɪ s l ɑː m /) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion teaching that there is only one God (), and that Muhammad is the messenger of God. It is the world’s second-largest religion with over 1.8 billion followers or 24% of the world’s population, most commonly known as Muslims. Muslims make up a majority of the population in 50 countries. Islam teaches that God is merciful, all.
It’s gone through the same shifts and changes and evolution that every religion has. is this becoming normal and routine, non-Muslims encountering Islam and kind of shrugging, being familiar.
Money Thousands True Religion Trousers If Toys R Us can emerge from bankruptcy with less debt and money. True Religion, founded in 2002, once held
The group offered an alternative word, muwathinun, or citizen, to emphasize that all religious people in Indonesia have equal standing. “With the nation state model, all community groups have the same.
Al Rashid Mosque Prayer Times Edmonton EDMONTON—Hundreds of Muslims filed into Al Rashid Mosque in north Edmonton for Friday afternoon prayer, while half a country away,
What are Hadith? Islam has two primary sources. First is the Quran which is the direct word of God inspired to the Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him.
May 2, 2018. My parents have raised five ambiguously tan American Muslim kids. Islam is often referred to as hip-hop's unofficial religion. in the prayer hall or immigrant parents who expect you to marry within the same culture.
Islam vs Christianity. In the past 2000 years, two major world religions have emerged from the sandy peninsula we now call the Middle East: Islam and Christianity.
Three months ago, the same wall was lined with a row of refrigerators. preventing them from freely practicing their religion. “Jews and Muslims are vulnerable minorities in Belgium and this decisio.
This one god is the same god whom Abraham followed. When Muhammad returned. Kadijah was the first person to convert to Islam, the name for Muhammad's religion. Those who follow Islam, are called Muslims. Muslims accept Abraham.
Therefore, Muslims believe that Islam is not a new religion with a new scripture. “He established for you the same religion as that which He established for.
Catholic Churches In Cornwall Ontario The Gospel Story Bible Marty Machowski Itching Ring Finger Spiritual Meaning The Royal Arch Purple also attempt to justify this
6 days ago. In Muslim-populated areas, tales of religious contradictions–some trivial, All the same, he manages to use his Islam cleverly to exploit the.
Regarding whether Islam’s God is “the same God that Christians worship” it hedged. by God in his wisdom,” and this is the basis for universal freedom of religion. Must Muslims believe God’s will pr.
In Europe, nearly every major right-wing populist party emphasizes cultural and religious objections to Muslim. at the same time either publicly observable or have public and legal implications. It.
Oct 9, 2001. Islam is an Arabic word that comes from the same root as the words salima. Islam is a religion which places great emphasis on individual.
Islam (Arabic for "submission") is a monotheistic faith based on revelations received by the Prophet Muhammad in 7th-century Saudi Arabia. It is currently the second-largest religion in the world, with about 1.6 billion followers.
Apostasy in Islam (Arabic: ردة riddah or ارتداد irtidād) is commonly defined as the conscious abandonment of Islam by a Muslim in word or through deed. It includes the act of converting to another religion or non-acceptance of faith to be irreligious, by a person who was born in a Muslim family or who had previously accepted Islam. The definition of apostasy from Islam, and.
Islam-Australia Incorporation is a non-profit organization (based in Perth ) dedicated to share the true teachings of Islam with non-Muslims and to provide social & spiritual services to new Muslims.
Jan 18, 2015. All religions have been violent, including Christianity. and we're so connected that if a market falls in one part of the world, the stocks fall all around the globe the same day.”. But the Muslim feminists will transform Islam.
Essential Tenets Of The Reformed Faith In the book on Islam that I’m intending to publish for a Latter-day Saint audience, I also plan to include
All Muslims are the same and all Muslims are either Sunni or Shi'a. 8. Islam oppresses. Muhammad was the founder of Islam, and Muslims worship him. 13. Muslims are lying. Islam is growing faster than any other religion. 1. Muslims live in.
Sep 07, 2009 · Most Muslim scholars would say that a foetus in the womb is recognised and protected by Islam as a human life. Protection of the mother’s life
KUALA LUMPUR: The sessions court today sentenced an unemployed man to seven months’ jail and fined him RM10,000, in default two months’ jail, for having insulted Islam and Prophet. insult concernin.
As is the case with all religions, there is a core set of beliefs and practices that. The testament of faith is the most fundamental and critical pillar of Islam. Muslims believe that they worship the same God that Jews and Christians worship.".
The Doc is deemed a historic détente between the Christian religion as represented by. defined by the Council of Nicaea in 325 as the same as God the Father ("homoousia") is totally rejected by the.
KUALA LUMPUR, March 11 (Bernama) — The Sessions Court today sentenced an unemployed man to seven months’ jail and fined him RM10,000, in default two months’ jail, for having insulted Islam. concer.
And of course Islam is not the only religion that can lead to violence, as. and killed a load of people in the past so its okay for muslims to do the same today.
Islam is the preserved pure religion of all prophets sent by ALLAH (GOD). ISLAM is not a new religion but the final culmination and fulfillment of the same basic truth. Therefore, all prophets were indeed MUSLIMS because they were true.
Jan 29, 2016. The Thomas More Law Center said that for non-Muslims, reciting the. is the same God worshipped by Christians and Islam is a 'religion of peace,'”. Students were also allegedly instructed that “the Islamic religion is a fact.
Although Muslims vary in their particular religious practices and cultural beliefs from region to region, the majority follow the same basic tenets of Islam (Esposito.
Thum says the new hard line against Kazakhs is motivated by the same "blend of Islamophobia and racism" toward Muslim minorities that has. memorize Communist Party songs and eat pork. Religion, par.
Islam is the second most popular religion in the world with over a thousand million followers. It is more often thought of as a complete way of life rather than a religion. Islam began in Arabia and was revealed to humanity by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
The idea was that the PJD capitalizes on “Islamic ethics as a political market,” with MPs that publically exhibit Islam-saturated public personae that clash with their personal lives. Critics said tha.
Presbyterian Church Preschool Near Me The Presbyterian Preschool provides an educational setting in a Christian environment. Sponsored by the First Presbyterian Church of Richmond, Kentucky
What is Islam. The History of Islam: Pre-Islamic. The Arabian Peninsula the birthplace of Islam is one of the hottest and driest regions in the world, consisting mainly of deserts.
Discover Islam, The Islamic Religion, Islam Holy Book, Muhammad, Muslim People and More.
PARIS — Plans by a major sporting goods company in France to sell a hijab designed for runners have incited yet another debate over what Muslim women wear, exposing once again the tensions between sec.
Islam vs Muslim. Nearly one quarter of the world’s population follows the religion that was revealed to the Prophet Mohammed and subsequently transcribed into the Quran. Despite its number of faithful followers that have now settled across the globe, many Westerners don’t have a clear idea of what this religion entails. Subsequently, even incredibly fundamental questions, such as the.
Islam, major world religion promulgated by the Prophet Muhammad in Arabia in the 7th century ce.The Arabic term islām, literally “surrender,” illuminates the fundamental religious idea of Islam—that the believer (called a Muslim, from the active particle of islām) accepts surrender to the will of Allah (in Arabic, Allāh: God). Allah is viewed as the sole God—creator, sustainer, and.
but did not do the same for the Muslims. (Like Glades, many jails and prisons do not have a Muslim chaplain on staff, though it is common practice for facilities to bring in a Muslim religious.
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Tanja Barnes
The Pacific Design Center (aka "PDC") by architect Cesar Pelli located in West Hollywood, California. This building is also known as the "Blue Whale".
Copyright: Tanja Barnes
Tags: pacific; design; center; west; hollywood
yunzen liu
the Namucuo Lake Tibet
Guillermo Palacios
Feria Nacional de Zacatecas
Andrea Biffi
Linea Cadorna sul Galbiga
Thang Bui
Thay Pagoda 2
Autumn in Kronvalda Park, Riga, Latvia
More About Los Angeles
The World : North America : USA : California : Los Angeles
Overview and History Alllllrightie now, here's your soundtrack. Please click on "Hollywood" before you make another move. "LA Woman" is next up on your playlist.Quick math lesson:"If you've got it, flaunt it. If you don't got it, invent it and then flaunt it."Los Angeles is the second biggest city in the USA, it's in Southern California where you can go surfing or snowboarding whenever you want, and it means "City of Angels."LA was first named in 1781 by a Spanish governor who called it "El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles de la Porciuncula", which means you need to go back to Spanish class.I mean, "The Village of our Lady the Queen of the Angels of Porziuncula." (The Porzincula part refers to a chapel in Italy dating back to the fourth century AD, not a native American tribe or anything local.)Mexico inherited Los Angeles when it won its independence from Spanish rule in 1821. Twenty-five years later LA became part of the United States territory in the treaty that ended the Mexican-American War. California became a state of the US soon after, and LA started getting excited for the arrival of Jim Morrison and the Doors.Railroads laid track to LA in 1876, which was very convenient for transporting the oil supply which was discovered in 1892 and Pow! The economy took off. With that, the population exploded, everybody ran out of water, you know, the usual story.Now that I think about it, LA has documented this story in a TV series called "The Beverly Hillbilles." Just watch the opening credits and you'll get the whole concept. This was one of the longest-running and most popular TV shows ever made in the States, which is why most Americans will think "swimming pools... movie stars..." when you say "Callyfurnia."And LA is where the TV and movies come from, specifically Hollywood, or Tinseltown, in the Hollywood Hills. This is where it all comes from, dancing pictures across the silver screen! If you've watched American TV, you've seen it. Here's the Bat Cave from "Batman".The first movie made in Hollywood dates to 1910, ("In Old California") and the first western TV station began broadcasting there in 1947.Oh, by the way, LA sits on the San Andreas geologic fault line. Fault lines are prone to earthquakes, and everybody expects LA to fall into the ocean someday.Getting There As soon as the wheels touch the ground, the cellphones flip open and you start overhearing people loudly telling everyone what their next appointment is. That's how you know you're in LA. The phone doesn't even have to be on.LAX is the main airport where it all goes down. Shuttle buses connect the airport to the city's Metro Green Line.TransportationLA is a driving city; you need a car so you have a place to sit while you are waiting in traffic. Worst traffic jams and road rage on earth.Contrary to popular belief, they actually do have a public transportation system with buses and a metro and everything in LA. Fares cost $1.25 for a single ride, $5.00 for a day pass, if you're interested. See, the thing is you need a window you can roll down to flip people the bird.Visit the LA Union Station just to see one of the last great railway stations, as it's known.People and Culture Rock and roll! Do you know what that means? That means you can do whatever the hell you want, really loud, and it should probably bounce up and down at some point... sort of like the Baroque Period, but instead of gold you can use neon and breast implants too. They both bounce a lot better than gold, anyway.Charles Mingus, The Doors, The Mothers of Invention, Guns N' Roses, Public Enemy, N.W.A, Snoop DoggThese people did not get there by asking anyone else for permission, see what I'm saying? Dr. Dre's classic album "The Chronic" will instruct you in everything else you need to know about L.A.Famous L.A. writers who did the same thing but on paper: Charles Bukowski, Raymond Chandler, John Fante.Q:How do you say, "F--- You" in LA?A: "Call me."Things to do & RecommendationsDisneyland is a massively popular vacation destination, especially for people with children. Walt Disney was the pioneer of animation who created Mickey Mouse, Bambi, Cinderalla and some interesting WWII training films.Architecture: Disney's Concert Hall designed by Frank Gehry. For more architecture, look up the architect Frank Lloyd Wright and visit some of the residences he built.For some of the artistic flavor of LA, you can do lunch at Casbah Cafe on Sunset Boulevard, and catch some live jazz at Spazio.Absorb the genius of Diego Rivera in the LA County Museum of Art, and then ask yourself how you will do something to keep up with him and Batman. Thank you L.A.! Text by Steve Smith.
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Love Much Mine Chapter 8 [R]
Nov. 10th, 2009 at 11:05 AM
Title: Love Much Mine ♥
Chapter: 8
Pairing: Yunho and Jaejoong
Chapter Rating: R
Summary: A pair of lovers, their brothers in all but blood, love, confusion and hope. Probably some dancing. Definitely some smex. Not necessarily in that order.
Previous: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Passion makes the world go round. Love just makes it a safer place. Ice T
“I am not going to talk to Changmin about my relationship with Jaejoong,” Yunho said. His tone flat, the man glared at Se7en, wondering when the other man had lost his mind. “There is no way I am ever going to discuss anything of a sexual nature with Min. Ever.”
“But you will with me?” Se7en scoffed. “What’s the difference?”
“I don’t love you.” He pointed out caustically. “Changmin is one of the members. I don’t…”
“See, this is what I’m talking about,” The other man said, stretching back. “You build up walls around you…”
“You’re one to talk,” Yunho snorted.
“What I’m saying is that Min has a good insight on things. A bit odd but good.” Se7en shrugged. “I was offering you my best advice. If you won’t take that, I can give you my second best advice.”
“Talking to me,” Se7en wiggled his eyebrows with a leer. “But you’re going to be talking about having sex with Jaejoong. You sure you want to share that kind of information with me?”
“You… I don’t care. You could be temporary for all I know,” Yunho said. “Min is permanent. He is Dong Bang Shin Ki.”
“Wow, you couldn’t have hurt me more if you tried,” Se7en winced. “Let’s get one thing straight, Leader-sshi. I’m not temporary.”
“You’re not one of us,” The other man replied. “I’m not saying that you aren’t a part of Min’s life but I… don’t see the relationship. Not like I see the others. We live with each other. We know everything about each other. You’re not there. You’re not there when we’re rubbing each others’ feet or popping blisters. You don’t know what it’s like to try to walk off stage so tired you’re dizzy and feel one of them put their arm around you to hold you up so you look strong. You don’t have that with us, Se7en. You won’t understand.”
“No, I don’t have that,” Se7en admitted. “But that doesn’t mean I love him less. If anything I feel like punching the shit out of you now for making Min’s love for me something you can scrape off your foot. You don’t have the right to do that, Yunnie-ah. Any more than I have the right to tell you that you don’t deserve Jaejoong.”
“I don’t deserve Jaejoong?” Yunho gasped. “I’ve given everything to be with Je Je.”
“You’ve given up shit,” The other man said. “You have everything your way. The relationship is secret and don’t give me any crap about how you want it to be open. You’re too traditional for that, Yunho. Even if Jaejoong looked at you one day and said, yes, love me openly, you would come up with something to keep him in the shadows. Your parents, your sister… your family wouldn’t have an easy time of it and he’d nod and step back behind you. You’re the leader of your group because you are the traditional face of our country. Everything you do is filial and discreet.”
“Jaejoong would be too much of a shock for anyone to handle and the group wouldn’t have been accepted as readily.” Se7en put down his bottle, watching the tightness in Yunho’s face increase. “Even in Japan, he looks to you and it appears as if you are the traditional family type. You’ve given up nothing you didn’t already have. He’s given up ever being seen as anything other than a pretty boy with a gorgeous face… a pretty boy that spends most of his time on his stomach or back instead of being an equal in a relationship he can’t even talk about.”
He braced for the punch, steeling himself with a stern reminder that he wasn’t going to take it from Yunho this time. Se7en swore he’d come out fighting, giving as many bruises as he got if the other man attacked him. Pursing his mouth, Yunho contemplated the other man, cocking his head to one side and letting the anger fill his eyes but he remained against the end of the couch, simply watching Se7en.
“You’ve got something to say?” Se7en challenged. “Or are you just waiting for me to shut up so you can knock my teeth back into my throat.”
“No.” Yunho exhaled slowly. “You’re right.”
Se7en swallowed, refusing to relax until he was certain he wasn’t being tricked. Being around Changmin for any length of time meant keeping on his toes and he wasn’t going to get sucked in by the group’s leader. Min would never let him forget it. “I’m right?”
“Yeah, you’re right.” The other man nodded. “I haven’t given Jaejoong anything. Hell, he still doesn’t think he’s worthy of being loved. I want to give him that. That’s why I want to do this. For him. To show him I love him and trust him. It scares the hell out of me for some stupid reason but I want to give him this. I want to give him me.”
“Are the two of you fighting again?” Min asked softly. He peered into the bag of take out, glumly looking at the white boxes.
“Why do you ask that?” Jae pulled at the hem of his jacket, trying to get his arm loose.
“Because you brought home take out food. That usually means you’re not cooking,” Changmin explained slowly, as if talking to a child. “You have the rest of today and all of tomorrow off but you’re not cooking for us. That usually means Yunho has pissed you off and you don’t want to risk giving us burnt food just because you’re mad at him.”
“I gave you burnt food once,” Jae said, making a face. Finally shaking the jacket loose, he stretched his arms out. “And no, we’re not fighting. I went to see Gakkun and he had food. He told me to bring home the leftovers so the rest of you could eat it. He orders too much. I think sometimes he’s lonely but doesn’t want to say anything. He spends too much time alone.”
“Ah,” Min replied, sniffing at a seafood stew in one of the containers. “I would agree with you. He’s intimidating. I can’t believe you talk to him like you’re talking to one of us.”
“He’s not that… scary,” Jaejoong shrugged. “I like him. I was thinking of inviting him over the next time we do shabu-shabu. I think he’d like it.”
“You’re crazy,” The younger man said, chewing on a piece of taro. “But sure, ask him over. Maybe he’ll scare Junsu into shutting up.”
“Knowing our Susu, he would take Gakkun’s stoic nature as a challenge to get him to laugh.” Jaejoong reflected on the quality of Junsu’s gags. “On second thought, maybe inviting him over here to be in the middle of us is a bad idea. I want Gakkun to keep liking me. One night of Junsu could change that.”
“Why did you go over to talk to him?” Min asked, sliding onto the couch. Lifting his long legs up, he looped them over the arm and picked at the containers with a pair of chopsticks, finding a plump piece of unagi and rice.
“Yunho and I… we’ve been talking about trying something new.”
“Yunho’s finally going to let you have him?” Min asked, casually guiding another piece of eel into his mouth.
“Dongsaeng!” Jae slapped at Min’s knee. “God, you’re horrible.”
“No, I’m right,” He pointed out, snicking a pinch of Jaejoong’s arm with the chopsticks. “He should bite his pillow for you. Se7en does for me and we both know the hyenas are constantly going at each other like a pair of Danish building blocks. Why should he be the only one to have that fun?”
“You’re crazy,” Jaejoong said, puffing out his cheeks.
“I might be crazy but I get to top my boyfriend.” Min chewed. “You don’t.”
“He’s got issues with it,” The older man admitted. “Gakkun thinks that Yunnie-ah might need some control, even if he’s…”
“The fuckee?” Min winced at another of Jae’s punches. “Quit hitting me. What else do I call him?”
“Uke,” Jaejoong made a face. “Never mind, I hate that word. It’s stupid.”
“What did Camui-san suggest?”
“He suggested getting Yunho drunk.” Jae sniffed. “And then seducing him.”
“Drunk works,” Changmin agreed. “Have you played with him? Or has it only been him touching you there and not the other way around?”
“How can you talk about…” Jae turned his head, breathing with his mouth open to relieve the heat on his face. “Changmin!”
“Look, it’s a natural thing,” Min grinned, resting his head back. “Well talking to you is natural. I still blush when I talk to Dong-Wook but that’s because I do things with him. I can imagine doing things with him while we’re talking about it. I don’t even think about you and Yunho that way so it’s more scientific.”
“Life is not always science,” The older man reminded him.
“No, but sex is,” Min replied, waving with his chopsticks. “It’s mechanics and lubrication. The emotions attached to it comes from your heart, not your body. That’s what turns it into love-making.”
“You make it sound simple.”
“It is simple,” The young man shrugged. “Either he feels comfortable with you touching him inside or he doesn’t. If he doesn’t then it’s not fair for you to push him on that. If he likes it, then you know you can try. It’s not hard to figure out.”
“He… likes it,” Jae admitted slowly. “I’ve… slid my finger inside of him while…”
“Sucking on him?” Min finished, reaching for another container. Finding noodles, he murmured with pleasure and dug in. “Okay so that’s good.”
“Do you have to slurp while we’re talking about this?” Jae rolled his shoulders, pulling himself back into the couch.
“You have two choices, listening to me slurp or waiting until I am done. I’m hungry. I haven’t eaten all day and I want to grab something fast before I shower and head over to Dong-Wook’s. We’re going to see a car show.”
“I’m surprised you two even make it outside of the apartment.” Jae teased.
“Unlike the two of you, we don’t have to live inside of each other,” Min shot back. “We can actually go outside without crawling back into one another. It’s called… living.”
“Funny,” The singer sneered. “We go out.”
“Rarely,” Changmin responded. “What are you doing tonight?”
“Um, I don’t know. We haven’t planned anything.”
“There? You see? You should plan something,” Min replied. “Maybe go out and see a sex show or go to a club. Have a date then come home and screw his brains out.”
“Too soon,” Jae said, shaking his head. “We just started talking about this. I can’t just…we can’t…”
“Sure you can.” Changmin wiped at his mouth with a napkin and flattened the take out containers he’d emptied. Standing, he covered his lips to burp and then rubbed his stomach appreciatively. “Yunho needs to have control and you want to be inside of him so lay on your back and let him ride you. That way, he can take in as much as he needs or wants and you can have him around you. No one says that the receiving lover can’t call the shots. Hell, most of the time, that’s the one that’s really in charge.”
min is a snarky evil genius.
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Doctor Who 11×06 “Demons Of The Punjab” Review
By Christian Bone @ChristianABone 8 months ago
Review of: Doctor Who 11x06
Christian Bone
Reviewed by: Christian Bone
Last modified:November 12, 2018
Its leisurely pace, heavy subject matter and lack of humor may alienate some fans who like their Doctor Who traditional, but it's hard to deny that "Demons of the Punjab" is a well-crafted piece of TV drama all-round.
It has to be said that the quality of Doctor Who season 11 has been a little up and down so far, but six episodes in and it seems a pattern’s emerging: historical adventures are where this new era of the show excels. Three weeks after the superlative “Rosa,” we have “Demons of the Punjab,” another installment that travels back to a dark period of human history and tells an intelligent, genuinely moving story.
Wanting to pull a Back to the Future and visit her grandmother Umbreen when she was younger, Yaz gets the Doctor to take the TARDIS to 1947, right on the cusp of the Partition of India. What’s more, it’s Umbreen’s wedding day to someone who’s not her grandfather, a Hindu man named Prem. As Yaz comes to terms with this discrepancy in her family history, the Doctor has to solve the mystery of what alien assassins are doing in the area and also must face the terrible truth of the human evil growing around them.
For starters, welcome to Doctor Who, writer Vinay Patel. On the strength of this episode, you’re welcome to pen another one for season 12. Much like showrunner Chris Chibnall and co-writer Malorie Blackman did in “Rosa,” Patel paints a strong portrait of the times through just a small group of characters who are effectively and efficiently fleshed-out. With little lightness to puncture the dark, it’s a sad, shocking journey that culminates in an real gut-punch of a climax. After all, we rarely see a real gun fired on the show, let alone when it’s someone killing their brother.
Take An Up-Close Look At Doctor Who's New TARDIS With These Gorgeous Pics
On a lighter note, “Demons” finally rights a major issue with the first five episodes of the season, as it actually gives Yaz something to do! Even though we met her family in episode 4, Mandip Gill has usually drawn the short straw with this cramped TARDIS crew, but here she gets to impress when Yaz has to face a personal and familiar dilemma, growing over the hour as she overcomes her own feelings of mistrust towards Prem and overcoming her hurt at Umbreen for keeping all this from her. Gill gives Yaz a big heart and youthful naivety and for the first time, it feels like we know her as a person.
Not that it impacted the quality in any way, but it’s also worth considering just how closely linked “Demons of the Punjab” is to “Rosa,” which is curious given how close they’re positioned to each other in the season. For sure, both episodes explore different time periods and conflicts, but the similarities are clear – the central cultural conflict, the brave, progressive woman at the center of it all and the tragic ending in which the Doctor and friends have to stand aside and watch the horror unfold. This episode plays out many of the same beats as its forebear but, while curious for a show that’s meant to be something different every week, crucially the sense of deja vu doesn’t affect its impact.
It’s been a recurring criticism from fans this year that season 11’s aliens have been a bit lacking but thankfully, “Demons of the Punjab” served up a nicely-conceived new species as well as a great switcheroo that helped the story. The Vajarians at first appeared to be much like the Stenza from episode 1 – evil aliens hunting a specific target on Earth – but it’s revealed that they aren’t assassins anymore and became sort of the kindly undertakers of the universe instead. Patel clearly relished the chance to create some truly original Doctor Who monsters here and he very much succeeded.
But, of course, the real monster turned out to be Prem’s brother, Manish, who sold his friends and family out to the marauders. It’s perhaps an obvious twist considering this story is all about families and friends turning against each other, but it feels much more in the comfort zone of Chibnall’s vision of Doctor Who – it’s less intrigued with invading aliens and sci-fi shenanigans and more interested in exploring the fallibility of human nature. It has to be said that it’s not often particularly subtle at doing this – Prem practically points at the audience when he talks of how we shouldn’t let differences tear communities apart – but it’s hard not to be impressed by its boldness.
One thing you also have to say about this season is that it’s some of the more gorgeous Doctor Who ever produced. After a couple of episodes filmed in South Africa, we get more overseas shooting this week as the Andalucia region of Spain doubles up for the titular Punjab. Some excellent direction for Jamie Childs really captures the beauty of the landscape, though the score from Segun Akinola is what really brings it to life. This might be his finest work on the series yet, with that Indian-styled redo of the classic Who theme being a real treat.
Needless to say, “Demons of the Punjab” is easily the joint-best episode of the season so far. Its leisurely pace, heavy subject matter and lack of humor may alienate some fans who like their Doctor Who traditional, but it’s hard to deny that it’s a well-crafted piece of TV drama all-round. We now can say for sure that this new version of the show is great at historical episodes, so let’s just hope we get to see some adventures set in the present and the future made with the same deft hand as this one was.
Doctor Who 11x06
Tags: doctor who, Reviews, TV Reviews
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About Your Library Press Room 5/24/2016 - Westerville Public Library is ranked one of 2016 Best Employers in Ohio.
Westerville Public Library was ranked one of 2016 Best Employers in Ohio.
The Westerville Public Library was named as one of the 2016 Best Employers in Ohio by the Ohio SHRM State Council and Best Companies Group. Thirty-nine companies were named for 2016. In the Small/Medium Employer Category, the library ranked as #14. (This was the second time that the library participated in the ranking. In 2014's Small/Medium Employer Category, the library ranked as #16.)
This statewide survey and awards program is designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in Ohio, benefiting the state's economy, its workforce and businesses.
To be considered for participation, a company was required to be a for-profit, not-for-profit business or government entity; be a publicly or privately held business; have a facility in the state of Ohio; have at least 15 employees working in Ohio; and be operating as a business a minimum of one year.
The two-part process called for the library to provide information regarding workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics and then asked each employee to complete a brief online survey that measured employee experience. The combined scores determined the top companies. The survey was completed by 80% of library staff, including full-time and part-time workers. At the time, the library had 105 employees.
For more information on the Best Employers in Ohio program, visit www.BestEmployersOH.com.
7/10/2019 - Library selected for $1,000 Grow with Google grant
5/17/2019 - Big Changes Are Coming
4/29/2019 - Library Earns Award for ‘Above and Beyond’ Service to Students
4/24/2019 - Library plays important role in smart city recognition
4/8/2019 - Library introduces auto-renewal to increase customer convenience
2/11/2019 - Letter from our Executive Director: Reflecting on 2018
11/27/2018 - Library Earns Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting
11/5/2018 - Westerville Public Library is a five-star library.
7/13/2018 - Fiscal Officer Receives Auditor of State Award
5/22/2018 - Voted Best Library Children's Area in Columbus Parent Magazine's Family Faves
3/16/2018 - Water leak causes damage at Westerville Library
8/17/2017 - Your library is now fines free.
4/5/2017 - Erin Francoeur Named Executive Director of the Westerville Public Library
5/24/2016 - Westerville Public Library is ranked one of 2016 Best Employers in Ohio.
Erin Francoeur
Kristin Michel
Steven O.
Katrina P.
Erin H.
Cheryl B.
Page Supervisor
Robin G.
Youth Services Manager
Jen T.
Julie K.
Outreach Manager
Nina T.
Local History Manager
Belinda M.
Collection Development Manager
Tamara M.
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Inside the Numbers w/ Davidson: Defensive issues, and just how important Jack Gibbs has been
BlogDavidson
By Grant Labedz Last updated Jan 28, 2016
Inside the Numbers is a series on Hoop Ten Harbor that looks at some of the most interesting statistics regarding each team in the Atlantic 10 conference. This week, we’ll take a look at Davidson, a team that’s been struggling this year due to injuries. The Wildcats sit at 3-3 in conference play and are most recently coming off a loss to Saint Louis. Today, we’ll go inside the numbers to look at Davidson’s defensive struggles and just how important Jack Gibbs has been for the Wildcats.
1. Defensive struggles
When looking at Davidson’s 6 losses this season, there’s something that really stands out about the Wildcats’ performances: they’re allowing opposing offenses to absolutely light them up. Davidson has allowed its opponents to score 90 or more points in 4 of these 6 losses; the other two had Davidson’s opponents total 86 and 80. In all 6 of these games, Davidson has allowed it opponent to shoot better than 50% from the field. Most recently, it gave up 96 points in a road loss to Saint Louis. With a starting lineup depleted by injury this season, it’s tough to blame the Wildcats for their struggles. That being said, this Wildcats team is having loads of trouble finding away to slow down opposing offenses.
Part of this issue falls on Davidson’s low steal percentage. According to Kenpom, Davidson ranks 331st in the nation in percentage of steals per 100 possessions at a mere 6.3%. Even worse, they’re averaging just 5.5% in conference play, placing them 12th in the Atlantic 10 in that category. Though the Wildcats have the most effective offense in the nation in terms of limiting giveaways (they rank 1st in turnover percentage at 13.1%), they’re not particularly good at forcing them. Their 16.9% in defensive turnover percentage is good for 270th in the nation.
Of course, this isn’t the only issue. Davidson also ranks 273rd in the nation in defensive three point field goal percentage (36.7%) and 237th in the nation in defensive two point field goal percentage (50.4%). This year, Davidson just doesn’t quite have the same effectiveness on defense as it does on offense. Often times, the Wildcats will find themselves getting lost on defense or just aren’t quick enough to keep up with stronger, more versatile players. Expect this need for improvement to be a focal point for Bob McKillop’s team moving forward.
2. Jack Gibbs’ Importance
It is unbelievable just how often Davidson uses Jack Gibbs on the offensive end of the floor. When looking at the stats, you’ll find that the junior ranks 8th in the nation in percentage of possessions involved in at 34.7%. This statistic from Kenpom measures the rate at which a player’s actions results in the end of a possession. In conference play alone, Gibbs ranks 1st with a whooping 38.1% involvement rate. To put that in perspective, Gibbs is the one who either scores, misses, or turns the ball over during almost 40% of Davidson’s possessions in Atlantic 10 play. The closest contender to Jack Gibbs in this category is La Salle’s Jordan Price, but he’s far behind at 30.0%. In addition, the junior is taking 36.3% of the Wildcats’ shots in conference play, which is once again, good enough to lead the Atlantic 10.
But none of this even accounts for Gibbs’ assist rate. The junior is dishing the ball out almost as well as he is scoring it. Gibbs leads the Atlantic 10 with an assist rate of 41.6. This stat divides assists by field goals made by teammates while this player is on the court. Incredibly, more than 40% of his teammates’ made field goals are a direct result of Gibbs’ distribution when he is on the floor. But saying “when” he is on the floor isn’t really necessary. The junior ranks 6th in the Atlantic 10 in percentage of minutes played at 93.3%. Simply put, Jack Gibbs has been so important for Davidson this year. Whether he’s scoring the basketball or dishing it out, he’s almost always involved. The Wildcats will continue to ride him this season, but they’ll also need to find some other contributors who can step up when he graduates in 2017.
Grant Labedz
Grant Labedz is a college basketball superfan who loves the entire sport but definitely has favorites in the A-10 and the Big Ten. He has written for SB Nation's BT Powerhouse (Big Ten Basketball) and The Champaign Room (Illinois Basketball). He also co-founded his own Illinois Basketball blog called The Groce Report. Grant is a member of the Davidson Class of 2020. Shoot him an email at [email protected]
Follow @GrantLabedz
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Caring for Our Heroes
Local Resources & Solutions
Those providing care for Vietnam Vets need more help
by Brian Mockenhaupt, AARP, November 10, 2017
Max Whittaker
Debbie Sprague, right, comforts her husband, Vietnam veteran Randy Sprague, at a doctor's appointment in Redding, California.
Randy Sprague joined the Navy at 19, volunteered for Vietnam and served two tours. The war came home with him and laid dormant for more than 30 years. Now he struggles with post-traumatic stress as well as diabetes and nerve damage in his legs, both linked to exposure to Agent Orange, a defoliant used to clear dense jungle in Vietnam. Back surgery three years ago has left him nearly bedridden with pain. For almost every need, he relies on his wife, Debbie.
“She does everything for me,” Randy says. “She’s been taking care of me day and night.”
Debbie Sprague sorts three weeks worth of medications for her husband. Randy takes 14 different medications every day.
Caregiving dominates Debbie Sprague’s waking hours. She helps Randy, 70, from bed in their Redding, Calif., home, prepares his insulin, checks his blood pressure and doles out 20-plus medications. She schedules and accompanies him to his medical appointments, sometimes several a week. Over one recent week, she spent 12 hours on the phone bouncing between Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) staff and medical providers to arrange an upcoming surgery to control his back pain. She spends an average of 10 hours a week helping Randy navigate paperwork related to his care. Add to that all the daily chores. “One hundred percent of the household duties fall on me,” she says.
Debbie Sprague, right, helps her husband, Vietnam veteran Randy Sprague, left, take his blood pressure at their home in Redding, California.
Sprague is far from alone. More than 5 million Americans care for an injured, sick or disabled military veteran — 80 percent of whom served before the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. That number will grow as the Americans who served during the Vietnam era age. About half of military caregivers are older than 55, and the support they provide is critical. Half of the veterans would require a skilled nursing home or assisted living facility if their family caregiver were no longer available, and another quarter say that would be necessary in the future, according to a 2017 survey by Disabled American Veterans (DAV).
“Caregivers have been burning the candle at both ends,” says Adrian Atizado, who works on health policy and advocacy for DAV. “They’re getting old, and they’re having their own health problems. They’re feeling put in the situation of saying, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’ They’re asking for a little bit of help so they can keep their veteran at home a little longer.”
Caregivers to veterans injured since 9/11 are entitled to special stipends, health coverage, medical training and 30 days a year of respite care to give them a break. Those same comprehensive benefits don’t extend to caregivers like Sprague. Yet older veterans are more likely to need help with daily activities, their caregivers face increased health issues and financial strains, and they are often caring for elderly parents or other family members, which can compound the stressors.
Randy recovers after going on a short walk with his wife and granddaughter at their home in Redding, California.
“Every day gets harder,” says Sprague, who is 64. “None of his problems are going to go away. He continues to get worse, so my caregiving is only going to get harder. It’s scary.” A year ago she had surgery for cancer. She’s healthy now but worries about the next health scare. “Who’s going to take care of me?” she says. “Who’s going to take care of him?”
The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq introduced a new generation of Americans to a timeless and searing reality: Combat can ravage minds and bodies with wounds that last long after the service member has returned home. As the wars stretched on and the ranks of wounded grew, lawmakers wanted to ease the burden on family members caring for veterans with mental trauma, amputations and traumatic brain injuries. The initial caregiver legislation was intended to cover all veterans, but to trim costs, lawmakers limited eligibility to post-9/11 veterans shortly before the bill passed in 2010, Atizado says. “There was an agreement that Congress would come back and expand it,” he says. “We’ve been fighting for the past seven years for Congress to make good on that.”
The Rand Corp. estimates that about a third of pre-9/11 military caregivers would be eligible for the benefits. The rest may not qualify because the veterans’ injuries don’t significantly limit their daily activities or weren’t caused by service during conflict. The expanded law would also cover service-related illnesses for all veterans.
The current program hasn’t run smoothly. The VA initially estimated that 4,000 caregivers would qualify, but the program soon swelled to 25,000. Some VA facilities cut hundreds of families from the program, often with little notice, and other caregivers had their stipend reduced. Veterans are placed in one of three tiers, depending on how much support they need — 10, 25 or 40 hours per week. The stipends range from about $7,700 to $29,000 per year, and average $15,600.
Melissa Comeau’s husband, who was medically retired in 2013 after nearly 13 years in the Marine Corps, started in the highest level. The VA dropped him to the lowest level but moved him to the middle after Comeau appealed the decision. Comeau, who directs the Military Veteran and Caregiver Network, expected bureaucratic hassles, but the indignities of the evaluation process can be difficult for veterans, she says. During home visits every three months, VA staff interviewed Comeau and her husband and observed their daily routines. Could he go to the bathroom on his own? Take a shower? Get dressed and feed himself? “It’s pretty invasive,” she says. “It’s proving all the things he doesn’t want highlighted about himself.”
While the process is meant to refine care and prevent fraud, advocates like Comeau want the program tweaked before it’s rolled out to other veterans. “We don’t want to put them through the bureaucracy, paperwork and the constant reevaluations,” she says.
Resources caregivers should know about
Members save $20 on their first new customer order of $50 from Schwan's Home Service.
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Up to 10% discount year-round
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What to do in Rio de Janeiro: new carioca attractions
4 rides that cannot miss on your next visit to the Marvelous City
Even those who have traveled to the Marvelous City have plenty of reasons to return. New attractions have emerged in all regions of the city, meaning there is always something new and surprising to see there. How about starting to plan the holiday trip right away? Check out our selection with the new tourist spots in Rio and know exactly what to do in Rio de Janeiro on the next visit.
VLT (Promotion image/Bruno Bartholini)
Take the VLT tour
The attraction of Rio de Janeiro that is causing a buzz is the Light Rail Vehicle, better known as VLT Carioca. Very similar to the traditional cable car, the transportation runs through the center and the port area to Santos Dumont Airport. Enjoy the trip to make strategic stops at tourist attractions in the city, such as AquaRio, the largest marine aquarium in South America, and the Rio Art Museum (MAR). Tip! after visiting all the exhibitions, have lunch at the Restaurant Mauá, located on the museum's roof.
Porto Maravilha (Promotion image/Beth Santos)
Get to know Porto Maravilha
After having undergone a revitalization process, the port area of Rio de Janeiro became one of the most interesting points for tourists. Today the place is called Porto Maravilha and keeps a number of cultural spaces and activities, such as food trade fairs, museums, concert halls, and monuments. The highlight is the colorful wall "Todos somos um", by renowned graffiti artist Eduardo Kobra. The work, which portrays different indigenous ethnicities, received the title of greatest graphite in the world by Guinness World Records. It is worth registering a selfie in front of the place!
Museu do Amanhã (Image: Getty Images)
Fall in love with the Museu do Amanhã (Museum of Tomorrow)
Impossible to go through Praça Mauá and not be impressed by the imposing architecture of the Museum of Tomorrow, one of the most incredible sights of Rio de Janeiro. The futuristic and scientific mood goes beyond the construction, designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. The museum promotes interections that show the impact of human actions on the environment, always focusing on sustainability. The main exhibit has five thematic rooms, which cover themes such as the cosmos, the earth, and human beings. Do not forget to take the camera to record everything.
AquaRio (Promotion image/Bruno Bartholini)
AquaRio, the largest aquarium in South America
The AquaRio is the newest tourist spot in Rio de Janeiro. The space has 28 tanks and enclosures and has the capacity for up to 8 thousand animals of 350 different species, spread by the 4.5 million liters of water. The environments portray life in the open sea and also some regions of the Brazilian coast, with sharks, rays, several kinds fish and many other marine animals. It's pure fun! The tour also has two museums: the Museum of Science - where you can explore the microscopic universe of sea creatures, and the Surf Museum - with pieces by surfer Ricardo de Souza, who tells the story of the sport in Brazil. The structure also has a cafe, parking, research center, kiosks and a shop where you can get a souvenir of the visit to the aquarium.
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Israel Pulse
Decades after discovery, Jerusalem’s Byzantine masterpiece may open to public
Ilan Ben Zion March 14, 2019
The underground vaults of Jerusalem’s Nea Church, a large complex erected by Emperor Justinian in the sixth century, have remained closed to visitors since their excavation in the 1970s.
The location of the Nea Church is shown on the ancient Madaba Mosaic Map of Jerusalem.
One of Jerusalem’s great archaeological wonders, long closed to the public, may soon be open to visitors for the first time since it was excavated in the 1970s. The New Church of the Theotokos, commonly referred to as the Nea Church, was a large Byzantine church constructed in sixth-century Jerusalem that has sat in ruins for a thousand years.
Byzantine Emperor Justinian I ordered the construction of the church in A.D. 534 as part of a vast imperial construction campaign, which was considered an engineering triumph by contemporary and modern historians but has been ignored by the general public.
When it was first constructed, the Nea Church was a massive edifice, rivaling the nearby Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the holiest site in Christendom, where Jesus is believed to have been crucified and buried. Both churches appear on the Madaba Mosaic, a sixth-century map depicting Jerusalem, in Jordan’s Church of Saint George in Madaba. Emperor Justinian’s chronicler, Procopius of Caesarea, said the emperor built the church “with which no other can be compared,” and detailed how Justinian “gave orders that it be built on the highest of the hills, specifying what the length and breadth of the building should be.”
Now, almost half a century after Israeli archaeologists plumbed its depths, a group of activists is pushing for the church's restoration and opening to visitors. Emek Shaveh, an Israeli nongovernmental organization that defends the cultural heritage of all faiths in Israel, petitioned March 3 the quasi-governmental Company for the Reconstruction and Development of the Jewish Quarter, which manages the Nea Church ruins, to “make the site presentable and safe for visitors and open the church’s gates to the general public all week long.”
Although the company describes the Nea Church as a “unique architectural monument in Jerusalem,” most of the enormous site has remained closed to visitors since Nahman Avigad's archaeological excavations ended in 1981. Avigad’s study of the site was part of a large number of excavations carried out by Israeli archaeologists in the Jewish Quarter after Israel captured Jerusalem's Old City in the 1967 war. Unlike other discoveries, such as a Roman-era neighborhood and marketplace and ancient fortifications, the Nea Church was never developed for tourists.
The church complex included a hostel for Christian pilgrims to the holy city, a monastery and a hospital. Like King Herod’s Temple Mount, atop which the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque stand today, Justinian had massive stone vaults constructed to provide the church a level foundation. These were plastered over and used as enormous underground cisterns. Archaeologists discovered a Greek inscription exalting the emperor inside the cisterns.
“This work too was donated by our most pious Emperor Justinian, through the provision and care of Constantine, most saintly priest and abbot, in the 13th year of the indiction,” reads the inscription that is now found in the Israel Museum.
Trying to enter the church’s ruins today is no simple task, which required wrangling with the Jewish Quarter development company’s bureaucracy. Only a tiny section of the church — a portion of its northeast apse — is open to the public, and there is little information for prospective visitors to make the necessary arrangements or find the entrance. Visiting the apse requires coordinating a visit with the company between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays and retrieving a key from the company’s unmarked office in the Old City. The entrance to the apse is situated inside the courtyard of an ultra-Orthodox kindergarten across the Jewish Quarter from the office, requiring navigation through the labyrinthine alleys of Jerusalem’s Old City and correctly identifying the entrance.
Inside is a chamber containing a few photographs of the Nea Church excavations overlooking a low wall, a small remnant of the once magnificent building.
The Nea Church’s subterranean vaults remain closed to the public but are tantalizingly visible from a park abutting the Old City walls. A third section of the church is fenced off, though a break in the fence allows the adventurous to venture inside the crumbling remains.
But Daniel Shukrun, secretary of the Company for the Reconstruction and Development of the Jewish Quarter, told Al-Monitor that the Nea Church vaults are presently unsafe for the general public. In late 2017, the company conducted a major clean-up operation inside the subterranean chambers to clear out years of accumulated bat droppings and refuse, but the area remains unsuitable for tourists, he said.
“The sanitation problems were so severe down there that we couldn’t even understand what we were up against,” he added. Nonetheless, Shukrun said that in light of Emek Shaveh’s petition, the company has gotten the ball rolling on evaluating a development plan for the Nea Church ruins.
He cautioned that while the company is interested in developing the church, and the wheels are now in motion, the Nea Church restoration project would cost an enormous, as yet indeterminate sum.
“The first thing we intend to do over the course of 2019 is to commission a comprehensive preservation survey,” Shukrun said. “Then we will see where things lead.”
Found in: Cultural heritage, Jerusalem, Civil Society
Ilan Ben Zion is a Jerusalem-based reporter for the Associated Press and a freelancer journalist. He holds a master's degree in diplomacy from Tel Aviv University and a bachelor's degree from the University of Toronto, graduating with honors in Near and Middle Eastern civilizations, Jewish studies and English.
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Freemasonry and the Gnostics
The hypothesis which seeks to trace a connection between Gnosticism and Freemasonry, and perhaps even an origin of the latter from the former, has been repeatedly advanced, and is therefore worthy of consideration.
The latest instance is in a work of Mr. C. W. King, published in 1864 under the title The Gnostics and their.Remains, Ancient and Medieval.
Mr. King is not a Freemason, and, like all the writers non-Masonic, such as Barnell, Robison, De Quincey, and a host of others, who have attempted to discuss the history and character of Freemasonry, he has shown a vast amount of ignorance. In fact, these self-constituted critics, when treating of subjects with which they are not and can not be familiar, remind one of the busybodies of Plautus, of whom he has said that, while pretending to know everything, they in fact know nothing-" Qui omnia se simulant scise nec quicquam sciunt. "
Very justly has Mr. Hughan called this work of King's, so far as its Masonic theories are concerned, one of an " unmasonic and unhistoric character." But King, it must be admitted, was not the first writer who sought to trace Freemasonry to a Gnostic origin. In a pamphlet published in 1725, a copy of which has been preserved in the Bodleian Library, among the manuscripts of Dn Rawlinson, and which bears the title of Two Letters to a Friend. The First concerning the Society of Free-masons. The second giving an Account of the Most Ancient Order of Gormogons, etc., we find, in the first letter, on the Freemasons, the following passage:
" But now, Sir, to draw towards a conclusion; and to give my opinion seriously, concerning these prodigious Virtuosi ;-My belief is, that if they fall under any denomination at all, or belong to any sect of men, which has hitherto appeared in the world, they may be ranked among the Gnostics, who took their original from Simon Magus; these were a set of men, which ridiculed not only Christianity, but even rational morality; teaching that they should be saved by their capacious knowledge and understanding of no mortal man could tell what. They babbled of an amazing intelligence they had, from nobody knows whence. They amused and puzzled the hair-brained, unwary crowd with superstitious interpretations of extravagant talismanic characters and abstruse significations of uncommon Cabalistic words; which exactly agrees with the proceedings of our modern Freemasons."
Although the intrinsic value of this pamphlet was not such as to have preserved it from the literary tomb which would have consigned it to oblivion, had not the zeal of an antiquary preserved a single copy as a relic, yet the notion of some relation of Freemasonry to Gnosticism was not in later years altogether abandoned.
Hutchinson says that "under our present profession of Masonry, we allege our morality was originally deduced from the school of Pythagoras, and that the Basilidian system of religion furnished us with some tenets, principles, and hieroglyphics." Basilides, the founder of the sect which bears his name, was the most eminent of the Egyptian Gnostics.
About the time of the fabrication of the High Degrees on the continent of Europe, a variety of opinions of the origin of Masonry -many of them absurd-sprang up among Masonic scholars. Among these theorists, there were not a few who traced the Order to the early Christians, because they found it, as they supposed, among the Gnostics, and especially its most important sect, the Basilidians. Some German and French writers have also maintained the hypothesis of a connection, more or less intimate, between the Gnostics and the Masons.
I do not know that any German writer has positively asserted the existence of this connection. But the doctrine has, at times, been alluded to without any absolute disclaimer of a belief in its truth.
Thus Carl Michaeler, the author of a Treatise on the Pheonician Mysteries, has written some observations on the subject in an article published by him in 1784, in the Vienna Journale fur Freimaurer, on the analogy between the Christianity of the early times and Freemasonry. In this essay he adverts to the theory of the Gnostic origin of Freemasonry. He is, however, very guarded in his deductions, and says conditionally that, if there is any connection between the two, it must be traced to the Gnosticism of Clement of Alexandria, and on which simply as a school of philosophy and history it may have been founded, while the differences between the two now existing must be attributed to changes of human conception in the intervening centuries.
But, in fact, the Gnosticism of Clement was something entirely different from that of Basilides, to whom Hutchinson and King attribute the origin of our symbols, and whom Clement vigorously opposed in his works. It was what he himself calls it, "a true Gnostic or Christian philosophy on the bads of faith." It was that higher knowledge, or more perfect state of Christian faith, to which St. Paul is supposed to allude when he says, in his First Epistle to the Corinthians, that he made known to those who were perfect a higher wisdom.
Reghellini speaks more positively, and says that the symbols and doctrines of the Ophites, who were a Gnostic sect, passed over into Europe, having been adapted by the Crusaders, the Rosicrucians, and the Templars, and finally reached the Masons.'
Finally, I may refer to the Leland MS., the author of which distinctly brought this doctrine to the public view, by asserting that the Masons were acquainted with the " facultys of Abrac," by which expression he alludes to the most prominent and distinctive of the Gnostic symbols. That the fabricator of this spurious document should thus have intimated the existence of a connection between Gnosticism and Freemasonry would lead us to infer that the idea of such a connection was not wholly unfamiliar to the Masonic mind at that period-an inference which will be strengthened by the passage already quoted from the pamphlet in the Rawlinson collection, which was published about a quarter of a century before.
But before we can enter into a proper discussion of this important question, it will be expedient for the sake of the general reader that something should be said of the Gnostics and of the philosophical and religious system which they professed.
I propose, therefore, very briefly to reply to the questions, What is Gnosticism, and Who were the Gnostics ?
Scarcely had the light of Christianity dawned upon the world before a multitude of heresies sprang up to disturb the new religion. Among these Gnosticism holds the most important position. the title of the sect is derived from the Greek word gnosis, "wisdom or knowledge," and -was adopted in a spirit of ostentation, to intimate that the disciples of the sect were in possession of a higher degree of spiritual wisdom than was attainable by those who had not been initiated into their mysteries.
At so early a period did the heresy of Gnosticism arise in the Christian Church, that we find the Apostle Paul warning the converts to the new faith of the innovations on the pure doctrine of Christ, and telling his disciple Timothy to avoid "profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science, falsely so called." The translators of the authorized version have so rendered the passage. But, in view of the greater light that has since their day been thrown upon the religious history and spirit of the apostolic age, and the real nature of the Gnostic element which disturbed it, we may better preserve the true sense of the original Greek by rendering it "oppositions of the false gnosis."
There were then two kinds of Gnosis, or Gnosticism-the true and the false, a distinction which St. Paul himself makes in a passage in his Epistle to the Corinthians, in which he speaks of the wisdom which he communicated to the perfect, in contradistinction to the wisdom of the world.
Of this true Gnosticism, Clement declared himself to be a follower. With it and Freemasonry there can be no connection, except that rnodified one admitted by Michaeler, which relates only to the investigation of philosophical and historical truth. The false Gnosis to which the Apostle refers is the Gnosticism which is the subject of our present inquiry.
When John the Baptist was preaching in the Wilderness, and for some time before, there were many old philosophical and religious systems which, emanating from the East, all partook of the mystical character peculiar to the Oriental mind. These various systems were, then, in consequence of the increased communication of different nations which followed the conquests of Alexander of Macedon, beginning to approximate each other. The disciples of Plato were acquiring some of the doctrines of the Eastern Magi, and these in turn were becoming more or less imbued with the philosophy of Greece. The traditions of India, Persia, Egypt, Chaldea, Judea, Greece, and Rome were commingling in one mass, and forming out of the conglomeration a mystical philosophy and religion which partook of the elements of all the ingredients out of which it was composed and yet contained within its bosom a mysticism which was peculiar to itself.
This new system was Gnosticism, which derived its leading doctrines from Plato, from the Zend-Avesta, the Cabala, the Vedas, and the hieroglyphs of Egypt. It taught as articles of fakth the existence of a Supreme Being, invisible, inaccessible, and incomprehensible, who was the creator of a spiritual world consisting of divine intelligences called aeons, emanating from him, and of matter which was eternal, the source of evil and the antagonist of the Supreme Being.
One of these aeons, the lowest of all called the Demiurge, created the world out of matter, which, though eternal, was inert and formless.
The Supreme Father, or First Principle of all things, had dwelt from all eternity in a pleroma or fullness of inaccessible light, and hence he was called Bythos, or the Abyss, to denote the unfathomable nature of his perfections. "This Being," says Dr. Burton, in his able exposition of the Gnostic system, in the Bam o Lectures ures, by an operation purely mental, or by acting upon himself, produced two other beings of different sexes, from whom by a series of descents, more or less numerous according to different schemes, several pairs of beings were formed, who were called aeons, from the periods of their existance before time was, or emanations from the mode of their production. These successive aeons or emanations appear to have been inferior each to the preceding; and their existence was indispensable to the Gnostic scheme, that they might account for the creation of the world, without making God the author of evil. These aeons lived through countless ages with their first Father. But the system of emanations seems to have resembled that of concentric circles, and they gradually deteriorated as they approached nearer and nearer to the extremity of the pleroma. Beyond this pleroma was matter, inert and powerless, though co-eternal with the Supreme God, and like him without beginning. At length one of the aeons (the Demiurge) passed the limits of the pleroma, and, meeting with matter, created the world after the form and model of an ideal world, which existed in the plemora or the mind of the Supreme God."
It is not necessary to enter into a minute recapitulation of the other points of doctrine which were evolved out of these three. It is sufficient to say that the old Gnosticism was not an original system, but was really a cosmogony, a religion and a philosophy which was made up of portions of the older Grecian and Oriental systems, including the Platonism of the Greeks, the Parsism of the Persians, and the Cabala of the Jews.
The advent of Christianity found this old Gnosticism prevailing in Asia and in Egypt. Some of its disciples became converts to the new religion, but brought with them into its fold many of the mystical views of their Gnostic philosophy and sought to apply them to the pure and simple doctrines of the Gospel.
Thus it happened that the name of Gnosticism was applied to a great variety of schools, differing from each other in their interpretations of the Christian faith, and yet having one common principle of unity-that they placed themselves in opposition to the conceptions of Christianity as it was generally received by its disciples. And this was because they deemed it insufficient to afford any germs of absolute truth, and therefore they claimed for themselves the possession of an amount of knowledge higher than that of ordinary believers.
"They seldom pretended," says the Rev. Dr. Wing, "to demonstrate the principles on which their systems were founded by historical evidence or logical reasonings, since they rather boasted that these were discovered by the intuitional powers of more highly endowed minds, and that the materials thus obtained, whether through faith or divine revelation, were then worked up into a scientific form, according to each one's natural power and culture. Their aim was to construct, not merely a theory of redemption, but of the universe-a cosmogony. No subject was beyond their investigations. Whatever God could reveal to the finite intellect they looked upon as within their range. What to others seemed only speculative ideas, were by. them hypostatized or personified into real beings or historical facts. It was in this way that they constructed systems of speculation on subjects entirely beyond the range of human knowledge, which startle us by their boldness and their apparent consciousness of reality."
Such was the Gnosticism whose various sects intruded with their mystical notions and their allegorical interpretations into the Church, before Christianity had been well established. Although denounced by St. Paul as " vain babblers," they increased in strength and gave rise to many heresies which lasted until the 4th century.
The most important of these sects, and the one from which the moderns have derived most of their views of what Christian Gnosticism is, was established in the 2d century by Basilides, the chief of the Egyptian Gnostics.
The doctrine of Basilides and the Basilidians was a further development of the original Gnostic system. It was more particularly distinguished by its adoption from Pythagoras of the doctrine of numbers and its use and interpretation of the word Abraxas-that word the meaning of which, according to the Leland MS., so greatly puzzled the learned Mr. Locke.
In the system of Basilides the Supreme God was incomprehensible, non-existent, and ineffable. Unfolded from his perfection were seven attributes or personified powers, namely, Mind, Reason, Thought, Wisdom, Power, Holiness, and Peace. Seven was a sacred number, and these seven powers referred to the seven days of the week. Basilides also supposed that there were seven similar beings in every stage or region of the spiritual world, and that these regions were three hundred and sixty-five in number, thus corresponding to the days in the solar year. These three hundred and sixty-five regions were so many heavenly mansions between the earth and the empyrean, and be supposed the existence of an equal number of angels. The number three hundred and sixty-five was in the Basilidian system one of sacred import. Hence he fabricated the word A B R A X A S, because the Greek letters of which it is composed have the numerical value, when added together, of exactly three hundred and sixty-five. The learned German theologian, Bellerman thinks that he has found the derivation in the Captu, or old Egyptian language, where the words abrah, signifying "word," and sadsch, signifying "blessed," "holy," or "adorable," and therefore abrahsadsch Hellenized into Abraxas, would denote "the holy, blessed, or adorable Word," thus approximating to the spirit of the Jewish Cabalists in their similar use of a Holy Name.
Whether the word was thus derived or was invented by Basilides on account of the numerical value of its letters, is uncertain. lie, however, applied it in his system as the name of the Supreme God. This word Abraxas, like the Tetragrammaton of the Jews, became one of great importance to the sect of Basilidians. Their reverence for it gave origin to what are called "abraxas gems."
These are gems, plates, or tablets of metal, which have been discovered principally in Egypt, but have also been found in France and Spain. They are inscribed with the word Abraxas and an image supposed to designate the Basilidian god. Some of them have on them Jewish words, such as Jehovah or Adonai, and others contain Persian, Egyptian, or Grecian symbols.
Montfaucon, who has treated the subject of " abraxas gems " elaborately, divides them into seven classes. 1. Those inscribed with the head of a cock as a symbol of the sun. 2. Those having the head of a lion, to denote the heat of the sun, and the word Mithras. 3. Those having the image of the Egyptian god Sera is. 4. Those having the images of sphinxes, apes, and other animals. 5. Those having human figures with the words Iao, Sabaoth, Adonai, etc. 6. Those having inscriptions without figures. 7. Those having monstrous forms.
From these gems we have derived our knowledge of the Gnostic or Basilidian symbols, which are said to have furnished ideas to the builders of the Middle Ages in their decorative art, and which Mr. King and some other writers have supposed to have been transmitted to the Freemasons.
The principal of these Gnostic symbols is that of the Supreme God, Abraxas. This is represented as a human figure with the head of a cock, the legs being two serpents. He brandishes a sword in one hand (sometimes a whip) and a shield in the other.
The serpent is also a very common symbol, having sometimes the head of a cock and sometimes that of a lion or of a hawk.
Other symbols, known to be of a purely Gnostic or rather Basilidian origin, from the accompanying inscription, Abraxas, or Iao, or both, are Horus, or the Sun, seated on a lotus flower, which is supported by a double lamp, composed of two phallic images conjoined at their bases; the dog ; the raven ; the tancross surmounted by a human head; the Egyptian god, Anubis, and Father Nilus, in a bending posture and holding in his hand the double, phallic lamp of Horus. This last symbol is curious because the word Heilos, like Mithras, which is also a Gnostic symbol, and Abraxas, expresses, in the value of the Greek letters of which it is composed, the number three hundred and sixty-five.
All these symbols, it will be seen, make some reference to the sun, ether as the representative of the Supreme God or as the source of light, and it might lead to the supposition that in the later Gnosticism, as in the Mithraic Mysteries, there was an allusion to sunworship, which was one of the earliest and most extensively dill used of the primitive religions. Evidently in both the Gnostic and the Mithraic symbolism the sun plays a very important part.
While the architects or builders of the Middle Ages may have borrowed and probably did borrow, some suggestions from the Gnostics in carrying out the symbolism of their art, it is not probable, from their ecclesiastical organization and their religious character, that they would be more than mere suggestions. Certainly they would not have been accepted by these orthodox Christians with anything of their real Gnostic interpretation.
We may apply to the use of Gnostic symbols by the mediaeval architects the remarks made by Mr. Paley on the subject of the adoption of certain Pagan symbols by the same builders. Their Gnostic origin was a mere accident. They were employed not as the symbolism of any Gnostic doctrine, but in the spirit of Christianity, and " the Church, in perfecting their development, stamped them with a purer and sublimer character." On a comparison of these Gnostic symbols with those of Ancient Craft or Speculative Masonry, I fail to find any reason to subscribe to the opinion of Hutchinson, that " the Basilidian system of religion furnished Freemasonry with some tenets, principles, and hieroglyphics." As Freemasons we will have to repudiate the tenets and principles" of the sect which was condemned by Clement and by Irenaeus; and as to its " hieroglyphics," by which is meant its symbols, we will look in vain for their counterpart or any approximation to them in the system of Speculative Masonry.
That the Masons at a very early period exhibited a tendency to the doctrine of sacred numbers, which has since been largely developed in the Masonry of the modern High Degrees, is true, but this symbolism was derived directly from the teachings of Pythagoras, with which the founders of the primitive rituals were familiar.
That the sun and the moon are briefly referred to in our rituals and may be deemed in some sort Masonic symbols, is also true, but the use made of this symbolism, and the interpretation of it, very clearly prove that it has not been derived from a Gnostic source.
The doctrine of the metempsychosis, which was. taught by the Basilidians, is another marked point which would widely separate Freemasonry from Gnosticism, the dogma of the resurrection being almost the foundation-stone on which the whole religious philosophy of the former is erected.
Mr. King, in his work on the Gnostics, to which allusion has already been made, seeks to trace the connection between Freemasonry and Gnosticism through a line of argument which only goes to prove his absolute and perhaps his pardonable ignorance of Masonic history. It requires a careful research, which must be stimulated by a connection with the Order, to enable a scholar to avoid the errors into which he has fallen.
"The foregoing considerations," he says, " seem to afford a rational explanation of the manner in which the genuine Gnostic symbols (whether still retaining any mystic meaning or kept as mere lifeless forms, let the Order declare) have come down to these times, still paraded as things holy and of deep significance. Treasured up amongst the dark sectaries of the Lebanon and the Sofis of Persia, communicated to the Templars, and transmitted to their heirs, the Brethren of the Rosy Cross, they have kept up an unbroken existence."
In the line of history which Mr. King has here pursued, he has presented a mere jumble of non-consecutive events which it would be impossible to disentangle. He has evidently confounded the old Rosicrucians with the more modern Rose Croix, while the only connection between the two is to be found in the apparent similarity of name. If he meant the former, he has failed to show a relation between them and the Freemasons; if the latter, he was wholly ignorant that there is not a Gnostic symbol in their system, which is .wholly constructed out of an ecclesiastical symbolism. Such inconsequential assertions need no refutation.
Finally he says that " Thus those symbols, in their origin, embodying the highest mysteries of Indian theosophy, afterward eagerly embraced by the subtle genius of the Alexandrian Greeks, and combined by them with the hidden wisdom of Egypt, in whose captivating and profound doctrines the few bright spirits of the Middle Ages sought a refuge from the childish fables then constituting orthodoxy, engendered by monkery upon the primal Buddhistic stock; these sacred symbols exist even now, but serve merely for the insignia of what at best is but a charitable, probably nothing more in its present form than a convivial institution."
These last lines indicate the precise amount of knowledge that he possesses of the character and the design of Freemasonry. It is to be regretted that he had not sought to explain the singular anomaly that "what at best is but a charitable, and probably nothing more than a convivial institution " has been made the depository of the symbols of an abstruse theosophy. Benevolent societies and convivial clubs do not, as a rule, meddle with matters of such high import.
But to this uncritical essay there need be no reply. When anyone shall distinctly point out and enumerate the Gnostic symbols that made a part of the pure and simple symbolism of the primitive Speculative Masons, it will be time enough to seek the way in which they came there.
For the present we need not undergo the needless labor of searching for that which we are sure can not be found.
Author: Albert Mackey
Honors from the craft
“Freemasonry regards no man for his worldly wealth or honors.” In her lodges all men meet on the level. That she should provide elaborate and ceremonious honors in many forms for those who love and labor for the Craft is one of he delightful inconsistences of the Order!
These orders are of several kinds - ceremonious, as in the receptions; salutary from the brethren to the Worshipful Master and to the Grand Master; titular when the brother honored receives the permanent right to the use of a Masonic title, usually accompanied by certain rights and privileges, and symbolic, when the recipient is presented with a decoration, emblem or other device to be worn upon proper occasions.
Highest of the salutary honors are the Grand honors; usually given upon four occasions; the visit to the lodge of a Grand Master, or a Deputy Grand Master acting for him; installations of Grand Masters and Worshipful Masters, the dedication of a Masonic Hall or Temple and the constitution of a new lodge. Their manner is esoteric and therefore cannot be described here.
Any who have read a history of the manners and customs of ancient Rome will at once see a resemblance between the prescribed form of both our private and public Grand Honors, and the carefully restricted and formal methods of laudation and applause practiced in those days.
In this modern era, applause by clapping the hands is common to the theater, the concert hall and the lecture room; such applause as is given at a baseball or football game would be considered ill-bred in a theater. In ancient Rome applause was even more particularly formal. Three kinds of laudation with the hands were prescribed to express various degrees of enthusiasm. “Bombi” was given by striking the cupped hands gently and frequently, a crowd thus produced a humming sound. “Imbrices” was similar to our usual applause, hands struck smartly palm to palm; while “Testae” was produced by hitting the palm of the left hand with the fingers of the right hand grouped to a point, producing a hollow sound (when done by many) something like that made by hitting a hollow vessel.
Freemasonry’s private Grand Honors given at corner-stone layings and funerals - crossing the arms on the breast, raising them over the head and dropping them to the sides - have evidently the same classical origin. The three motions are repeated three times; there is thus a succession of nine blows, as hands strike shoulders, strike each other overhead and strike thighs. This feature makes intelligible the phrase occasionally used “giving honors of three times three.” (There are different honors for this in Nevada.)
It is unnecessary (and illegal) to dwell upon the familiar salutes to the Master in the lodge room, since every Mason who can enter a lodge must know their origin and allusions. Suffice it to say here that when offered to a Worshipful Master, they but emphasize the respect and veneration which the Craft pays to the Oriental Chair, looking to its occupant for wisdom, guidance and counsel. Happy the brother in the East who deserves all the respect shown his office.
Conferring honorary membership in a lodge or Grand Lodge is a method of honoring a brother the greater, as its bestowal is rare. It is more common on the continent than in England or the United States. Some lodges provide in the their By-Laws for a definite number of honorary memberships, which cannot be exceeded without the trouble and inconvenience of an amendment. Other lodges refuse to consider thus honoring a brother. In a few instances honorary members pay dues. The lodge honoring them thus puts them on a parity with its own members in everything but the right to ballot on petitions and in elections, and the right to hold office. In some lodges honorary membership carries with it the privilege of the floor (under the pleasure of the Master); in others, it is a mere gesture and carries no inherent rights.
The gift of life membership by a lodge to one of its own members is an honor, indeed. By so doing the lodge says to the recipient:
“You are so beloved among us; your services to us and to the Craft have been so great that we desire to relieve you from the payment of dues for the rest of your life.” Life Memberships, as honors, are often presented in the form of a “Good Standing Card” made of gold, suitably engraved.
Inasmuch as financial experience has demonstrated that disposing of life memberships by purchase is often an unwise policy for lodges which give life memberships but rarely. When really earned by some outstanding service to a lodge, or to Masonry, life membership is among the most distinguished honor which can be conferred upon a brother.
It is the custom in most lodges to honor the retiring Worshipful Master with a jewel of the office he is then assuming, the honorable and honored station of Past Master. The jewel of the Past Master in the United States is universally the compasses (“compass” in six jurisdictions!) open sixty degrees upon an arc of the fourth part of a circle, and the legs of the compasses inclosing the sun. In England the Past Master’s jewel was formerly the square on a quadrant, but is now a square from which is suspended the 47th problem of Euclid.
Not all lodges give their Past Masters jewels as they become Past Masters. Failure to do so usually comes either from a lack of understanding that “Past Master” is something more than a mere empty title, or by finances too modest to stand the strain.
“Past Master” is not only a name given to the brother who has served his lodge in the East, when he makes way for his successor in office, but is also an honorary degree which all newly elected Masters must receive before they can legally be installed. The Past Master’s degree is given in the Chapter of Capitular Masonry, or in an Emergent Lodge of Past Masters called for that purpose. This requirement is very old - certainly as old, or older than the Mother Grand Lodge - and is universal in England and the United States.
Whether the degree is conferred in a Chapter or an Emergent Lodge of Past Masters, the recipient (who thus becomes a “virtual Past Master” before he is actually installed as Worshipful Master) is taught many esoteric lessons regarding his conduct while in the Oriental Chair. Past Masters are usually members of Grand Lodge, but, according to the most eminent Masonic authorities, not by inherent right but by the local regulations of their own Grand Lodge. In some Grand Lodges Past Masters have individual votes; in others they have only a fraction of a vote; all the Past Masters from any one lodge being given one whole vote between them.
The fact that a Past Master must receive that degree before he became an Installed Master, and that he is a member of Grand Lodge is evidence that the title is not empty. As it confers privileges, it also requires the performance of duties. The honor is in the state; the jewel is but the expression of the lodge’s appreciation of that honor. To most brethren their Past Masters’ jewel is their “Master’s Wages” to be cherished as, perhaps, the greatest honor which can ever be given them.
An additional honor usually accorded Past Masters is a special word of welcome extended by the Worshipful Master, who may, and often does, invite them to seats in the East. This is a courtesy entirely under the Worshipful master’s control. It is not required that he invite his predecessors to sit with him; neither is he forbidden to invite anyone in the lodge to sit in the East.
Another honor the Worshipful Master has wholly in his discretion is offering the gavel to a distinguished visitor. Usually this is reserved for the Grand Master or the Deputy Grand Master acting in his place, who are received with the lodge standing. In tendering such a distinguished visitor the Gavel the Worshipful Master says in effect: “In full knowledge of your wisdom I trust you to preside over my lodge.” The recipient of such an honor usually receives the gavel, seats the lodge, and returns it immediately to the Master. What to do with the brother who has served his lodge in some one capacity for so many years that he can neither successfully carry the burden longer nor decline the honor of re-election or appointment, has troubled many a Master. Borrowing the title Emeritus from the classic custom of universities may solve the problem.
Emeritus comes from the latin word “emerere,” meaning “to be greatly deserving.” The Secretary, Treasurer or Tiler who has served for a generation and now wishes to retire, may be appointed or elected “Treasurer Emeritus”, “Secretary Emeritus”, “Tiler Emeritus,” etc.
Such an honor says in effect: “You have served so long and so well that we cannot dispense with your services or your experience, but we wish you to enjoy them without burdening you with the cares of office. Therefore we give you the title and the honor and relieve you of the labor.” If salaried officers are retired with the title Emeritus, continuing their salary for life makes the honor practical. Receptions in lodges differ in different Jurisdictions, but all such honors express respect and veneration. Thus a Grand Master may be received by the Marshall, the Deacons and the Stewards. Escorted to the East, the Worshipful Master receives him, accords him the Grand Honors (Private or Public as is the case) and tenders the gavel. Less distinguished Grand Lodge officers may be received with the Marshall and Deacons only, Marshall and Stewards only, Marshall only, or with the lodge standing, without any escort. It is wise to adhere strictly to the form of reception prescribed by local regulations and never to offer such honors to any brethren not specified by regulations as entitled to them. To use them promiscuously is to lessen their dignity and their effectiveness.
If election as Worshipful Master is the greatest honor which a lodge may confer upon a brother, election to the “foot of the line” or appointment to any office in the line under the discretion of the Master, is less an honor by but a few degrees, since it is usual, though not invariable, that the brother who begins at the bottom ends at the top. Whatever his future career may be, at least either lodge or Master has said to the brother who thus takes service in the official family of his lodge: “We trust you; wee believe in you; we expect that you will demonstrate that we are right when we say we think in time you will be worthy to be Master of this lodge.”
Selection for membership on either of the four most important committees a Master may appoint; upon charity or upon trials, is a great honor. For these committees the Master naturally selects only brethren of wisdom, experience, knowledge and an unselfish willingness to serve.
Masonry honors her dead. Masonic funeral services conducted over the remains of a deceased brother show his surviving relatives and friends that we are mindful of his worth. As such, the ceremonies we conduct at the grave are an honor and should be so considered. Occasionally arises the problem of the active, hard-working brother, who has done much for the lodge, but who has never held an office, or who, if a Past Master, has received his jewel. Brethren become lodge instructors; serve for years upon the finance committee, are selected Lodge Trustees or whose advise and counsel is so valued that it is frequently sought. After long service of this kind a lodge may desire to express its affection in some concrete way.
The presentation Apron is one very pretty solution of this problem. Presentation Aprons may be obtained from Masonic regalia supply houses with any degree of elaboration and at any cost desired. They are particularly effective for bestowal upon brethren who have served more than one year as Master. It detracts from, not adds to, the value of a Past Master’s Jewel to present any brother with two or more of them! The presentation apron with the Past Master’s Emblem worked in gold embroidery upon it, is a graceful honor which can be worn in the Mother Lodge, or in lodges visited, and is cherished by all who receive it.
Every brother is familiar with the solemn words with which an Entered Apprentice receives his lambskin or white leather apron - “More Honorable Than the Star and Garter, or any other order - .” An honor, indeed, but sometimes less appreciated than it deserves because it is given to so many; given, indeed, to all who are permitted to knock upon the West Gate.
This honor differs from a Past Master’s jewel, or other permanent honors which Freemasonry may bestow, in this vital particular; it is given before the performance. Others come as a recognition of labor done and a Master’s Wages earned. The apron may become a great and distinguished honor, or it may be “merely a piece of white lambskin.” Which it will become is wholly in the power of the recipient to say.
When worthily worn, only one grant from Freemasonry may exceed it in value - the honor of being raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason. Here, too, the honor comes before the work. But if the work is done, if the wages are earned, if the newly made brother does indeed live according to the precepts of the Fraternity, then at long last, even if he has received the jewel of a Past Master - he will agree, and his brethren will unite in saying that there is no honor which Freemasonry can give to any man that is greater than that which lies in the simple words: “He is a true Master Mason.”
Masonic Talk Sept. 1930
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Lesotho: Opposition wins most Parliament seats in snap election
Lesotho's opposition party has won the most Parliamentary seats in the South African snap election over the weekend.
by Fahmida Miller
Lesotho's opposition party has won the most Parliamentary seats in the southern African kingdom's snap election over the weekend.
The election was called after a vote of no confidence against Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili and parliament was dissolved. It is the third election to be held in Lesotho in five years.
Supporters of the All Basotho Convention party have taken to the streets for huge celebrations.
Al Jazeera's Fahmida Miller reports from Maseru, Lesotho.
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Arbor Capital
1400 West Benson Blvd., Ste 575
info@acminc.com
Anchorage Alaska Financial Management
Brexit Perspective
June 29, 2016 by Matthew Kolesky
51.9% of the voters of the UK wanted out
I honestly don’t have a strong opinion about this issue and have enjoyed being on the ground in London during and after the election, discussing the concerns and issues with people in London.
The Leave or Remain referendum should have been about sovereignty. It should have been a time for Britain to primarily reflect on and evaluate its relationship with the EU, and secondarily its relationship with the rest of the world. Countries do this from time to time. Think NAFTA and the TPP. Unfortunately, like most campaigns, it devolved into scare tactics.
Among many arguments these were the primary sound bites:
The LEAVE camp used fear of immigrants (sound familiar)
The REMAIN camp used fear of severe economic pain and the possibility for recession/depression
Going into this, I felt that either way the vote went, Britain’s economic strength wouldn’t be diminished. Perhaps a reshuffling of trading partners would occur, coupled with volatility in the Pound Sterling. What won’t change is that the UK has one of the strongest and most resilient economies in Europe which is open, promotes growth and opportunity.
Culturally, I don’t completely understand the tears and strong feelings about the results. Europe will still be close, flights will still go between London and Paris. In my 5 years primarily living in London, I’ve learned that many British consider themselves something different from those on the continent. They are stoic, resolute and calm and of course separated by a channel of water. This sense of difference was strong enough that the UK really only had 1 foot in the EU party as they kept the Pound Sterling and never switched to the Euro. France and Germany didn’t keep the Franc and Deutschmark. The UK also opted out of the Schengen Agreement which allows freedom of movement across borders in continental Europe. Anyone landing in the UK must produce a passport. When traveling from France to Germany, you don’t need to do this.
British Prime Minister David Cameron gave a long, heartfelt speech as he mapped out his resignation and transition, “the British people have made a choice, that not only needs to be respected but those on the losing side of the argument – myself included – should help make it work.” He continued, “I said before that Britain can survive outside the EU and indeed that we could find a way. Now the decision has been made to leave, we need to find the best way and I will do everything I can to help.”
As of this writing, we have HSBC, Unilever, Vodafone and Diageo as part of our Foreign Global Brands portfolio, all of which are headquartered in London. After the initial sell off, the FTSE 100 is higher today than it was before the vote.
Because you earned it.
Copyright © 2019 Arbor Capital • All Rights Reserved. • Website Disclosures • Website design by @okiave.
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Much has been said and written in the past two years about the proposed unitary EU patent and the impact it will have. Originally predicted to come into effect in January 2014, the new system now seems unlikely to be operational before 2016 at the earliest, and even that timescale is probably unlikely.
A precondition for implementation of the unitary patent is ratification of the Agreement by thirteen EU member states. A few ratifications have occurred and more are expected. However, the magic number of thirteen countries must include Germany, France and the UK before implementation can occur.
In the UK, a general election will take place on Thursday 7 May. Our incumbent Prime Minister, David Cameron, has stated clearly that if he remains Prime Minister after the election, whether as the leader of a majority Conservative government or, as many think likely, the leader of a coalition with one or more of the smaller parties, the UK will hold a referendum on whether it should continue to be a part of the European Union. The current proposal is that such a referendum will take place in 2017. The outcome of that referendum - if it takes place - is impossible to predict, but it appears distinctly possible that it might result in the UK leaving the EU, a process that would take some time to negotiate and implement.
Against that backdrop, if Mr Cameron does indeed still lead the country after the election, which most commentators seem to think will be most likely outcome, is it conceivable that the UK government would proceed with ratification of the Agreement necessary for the unitary patent to come into being? Ratification would commit the UK to establishing an EU institution, namely a branch of the Unified Patent Court Central Division, in London. Work would have to commence on that project, with the possibility hanging over it that within a couple of years the UK might choose to exit the EU, and hence (presumably) the unitary patent system.
The impact of their vote on the prospects for the unitary patent will not be a significant factor for many voters in the UK, but it seems to us that the outcome of the election could, at best, cause a substantial delay in the process of implementation, and at worst might derail it altogether.
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IS2 Israel & Egypt Tour
The Classic Combo
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:
Vibrant Tel Aviv; Historic Nazareth; Floating in the Dead Sea; Masada fortress; Jerusalem: Old City tour; The Great Pyramids & Sphinx; Museum of Egyptian Antiquities; Massive Karnak Temple; Donkey trek into Valley of the Kings; Deluxe Nile River cruise
MAP & HOTELS
To book this tour, please refer to the sidebar ►
Prices below are per person, twin-sharing costs in US Dollars (USD). Pricing does not include airfare to/from the tour and any applicable taxes. For single supplement rates and taxes (if any), please refer to the entries under the blue box below.
Sat 19 Oct 2019 Sat 09 Nov 2019 $7080 USD$6880 USD Discounted
Sat 07 Mar 2020 Sat 28 Mar 2020 $7120 USD
Sat 17 Oct 2020 Sat 07 Nov 2020 $7120 USD
The above prices are subject to an additional $125 for taxes/fees levied on flights that occur as part of the tour. The internal airfares ARE included (any exceptions are listed in red below), but we list the taxes separately on your invoice as they are beyond our control and can change at any time.
Optional Single Supplement: $1422 USD (number of singles limited).
Experience a land of timeless appeal, where cultures date back to an ancient time and are rich in their human history; a region where every corner seems to present a once in a lifetime experience, with wondrous sites and unforgettable destinations.
Discover a landscape as dramatic as it is beautiful all while joining a local expert that brings each site to life. Learn first hand why Israel and Egypt tours promise to amaze everyone, from first time visitors to seasoned travellers.
In a land as old as time, finding a historical site is never a difficult task while on our Israel and Egypt tours. From the calm waters and verdant green shores along the Nile River, to the pilgrimage sites that have been visited for a millennia across Israel, there is much to see in this relatively small region. Following our guides, from Egyptologists to archeologists, religious scholars to camel drivers, we capture an in-depth and comprehensive look at these intriguing countries.
Stand in awe beneath the Great Pyramids of Giza, one of the great mysteries of human history. Admire the painted petroglyphs still clearly visible in the tombs of the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens. Delight in the countless temples, with incredible details and built on an enormous scale such as that of Luxor or Karnak Temples.
Using a mix of overland transport and Nile cruise ship, we'll have the chance to explore the highlights of Egypt from the desert to the sea in a wide range of dynasties that ruled this ancient land.
Israel tours follow in the steps of Egypt's tours in terms of historical intrigue. Considered the birthplace of three of the world's largest religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, no trip to Israel would be complete without a thorough look at Jerusalem, a city holy to all three of those religions. Follow our guide to sacred sites such as Dome of the Rock, Western Wall, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, or Mount of Olives, to better understand their place in history and their position in modern life.
Follow the footsteps of prophets as well as ancient empires ranging from the Turks, Romans, Crusaders to the more modern Napoleon and British Empires as you wander alleys full of cafes, galleries and restaurants in the 4,000 year old Jaffa.
Sail the Sea of Galilee to Tiberias, a relaxed seaside resort located in the cradle of Christianity. Dip your toes or go for a float in the salty water of the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth with mineral-rich mud that acts as a natural spa.
Our Israel tours will not only focus on the historical importance of this holy land, but we will dive into modern times with a visit to the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, to better comprehend the nation of Israel and the complex establishment of this country.
If it is a land before time you seek, with larger than life historical monuments to explore, than joining our Israel and Egypt tours is a must for you.
Regions visited: Middle East
Countries visited: Israel and Egypt
Day 1 Arrive in Tel Aviv
Today we arrive in Tel Aviv and transfer to our hotel.
Stretched along the beautiful beach strip of the Mediterranean, Tel Aviv is Israel's largest city and main commercial center. It is a busy metropolis that inspires visitors with a unique energetic atmosphere. Tel Aviv presents a lively combination of entertainment venues, shopping malls, exotic markets, and golden beaches. It is also the country's greatest cultural center, home of a variety of museums, galleries, theatres and concert halls.
Please note: Given that today is Saturday (Shabbat), it is possible that hotels will be allowing check-in later than usual (+/- 5pm).
Overnight in Tel Aviv.
Included Meal(s): Dinner
Day 2 Tel Aviv & Jaffa
Today we have a tour of vibrant Tel Aviv, a modern city with a unique mix of European and Middle Eastern influences. We see the Independence Hall (possibly closed for renovations) and the colourful Carmel Market. We also visit the Ayalon Institute, now a museum. The Ayalon Institute was a secret ammunition factory disguised as part of a kibbutz to fool the British back in the 1940s. Jewish people used the factory in their efforts to fight for the independent state of Israel, and organizers went to extreme measures to build and sustain this secret factory within the kibbutz.
We then head off to the Old Port City of Jaffa (Yaffo), an ancient and beautiful city located in the south of Tel-Aviv. Jaffa claims over 4,000 years of history and is the place where the prophet Jonas was swallowed by the whale, and the Rock of Andromeda can be seen jutting from the water. The Turks, Napoleon and the British also established their rule of the region through control of this city. We have a walking tour of the old city of Jaffa, a major attraction with winding alleys full of cafes, restaurants and art galleries.
You will have free time for independent exploration. Jaffa is a mixed city with Jews, Christians, and Muslims living together in harmony.
Return to Tel Aviv.
Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Dinner
Day 3 Tel Aviv - Caesarea - Akko - Haifa
Travelling north along the scenic Mediterranean coast road, we will cross Netanya and visit the impressive ruins of Caesarea, once Roman capital of the Holy Land. Caesarea, whose construction began in 22 BC was dedicated by Herod to his patron Augustus Caesar. When it was completed 12 years later, only Jerusalem outshone it in its grandeur. The Roman theatre here once seated 3,600 people. By the main gate to the theatre is proof that Pontius Pilate, governor of Judea during the time of Jesus, actually lived in this area. At various times in its history, this beautiful coastal town has been a Roman Capital, a port and a major conquest for the Crusaders.
We continue through this historic and dramatic landscape to Haifa via Megiddo, named in the Book of Revelations as the place of Armageddon, the place where the forces of good and evil will meet in the final battle for mankind. Of particular interest are the outlines of 5,000 year old early Bronze Age temples.
After visiting Acre (Akko), with its underground Crusader city and the crypt of St John, we arrive at the beautiful city of Haifa.
Overnight in Haifa.
Day 4 Haifa - Nazareth - Tiberias
We begin our day with a visit to the summit of Mount Carmel with its breathtakingly panoramic view of the town, the bay, and a considerable part of western Galilee. Later we will tour the Persian Gardens and the Bahai Shrine.
We travel onwards to Nazareth where we visit the largest Basilica in the Middle East -- the Church of Annunciation. According to one of the ancient traditions, it was here that the archangel Gabriel foretold the coming of Jesus to the Virgin Mary. The interior of the present church has a most beautiful design, incorporating fragments of much older buildings.
We continue to Tiberias on the shore of the Sea of Galilee (Yam Kinerett).
Overnight in Tiberias.
Day 5 Tiberias - Capernaum - Tabgha - Tiberias
At the northern tip of the Sea of Galilee we visit Capernaum, one of the most important Jewish and Christian sites of the Roman and Byzantine period and home of some of the Disciples. Jesus is believed to have moved here from Nazareth because it was the home of his first converts, Peter and Andrew.
Continuing, we arrive at Tabgha where Jesus performed the miracle of the loaves and fishes. We visit the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes. The mosaic floor is incredible, featuring ancient Egyptian motifs.
We then board our boat for a delightful cruise* across the emerald Sea of Galilee to ancient Tiberias, a relaxed seaside resort located in the cradle of Christianity. We have an opportunity to visit Kibutz Ein Gev.
* Ever-changing water levels may require that we defer this activity if impractical.
Day 6 Tiberias - the Dead Sea
Today we journey through the Jordan Valley to the Dead Sea stopping at Beit Shean and Beit Alpha on the way. Once we check in at the hotel (after 2pm), you can use the hotel spa and beach where you will have the chance to bathe in the mineral-enriched mud or have a float on the Dead Sea.
Overnight at the Dead Sea.
Day 7 Dead Sea - Masada - Wadi David - Jerusalem
This morning we travel south to visit Masada.
This great flat-topped mountain and natural fortress was once held by a small band of Jewish zealots for three years despite the force of Roman armies. On this site 1,000 people committed mass suicide rather than be enslaved. Flavirus Josephus said, "Who decided a long time ago, brave soldiers that we are, not to be slaves of the Romans or of any person other than God; for he alone is the true and just master of men." We enjoy an introductory video before proceeding to the top of the mountain by cable car. After our formal guided tour, you will have time for some independent exploration.
From Masada we travel northward to the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve. After a short walk we reach Wadi David (David's Spring), a waterfall hidden in an oasis of luxuriant green vegetation that hangs clustered in a canyon wall.
We continue our journey toward Jerusalem. On the northwest shore of the Dead Sea we encounter the settlement of Qumran. In 1947 it was here that two shepherd boys made one of the most significant discovery in religious history, the Dead Sea Scrolls (written texts of the Old Testament) hidden in the caves. The people who wrote them are believed to have been the Essenes who lived here until AD 68.
Later in the day we arrive in Jerusalem, the City of David.
Overnight in Jerusalem.
Day 8 Jerusalem & Bethlehem*
Today we will see the Old City from the vantage point of the Mount of Olives.
We enter the old city and visit the Christian sites. Following the last steps of Christ along Via Dolorosa, we approach Calvary and the most sacred site in Christendom, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Most Christians venerate this site as the location of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.
We stop at Mount Zion to see St Peter in Galicantu and the Upper room.
From Jerusalem we continue to Bethlehem.* We visit the Church of the Nativity, the birthplace of Jesus. Built like a citadel over the cave where it is believed Jesus was born, the original 4th century church commissioned by Constantine was altered in AD 530 by Emperor Justinian. It was later captured by the Crusaders and then came under the jurisdiction of Saladin and then the Mamluks.
*NOTE: Due to security concerns/procedures that change frequently, Bethlehem exists in our program on a provisional and tentative basis only. In the event that a visit to the West Bank is not appropriate by departure time, we may remain in Jerusalem and expand our sightseeing there with a visit to the Israel Museum to see the Dead Sea scrolls and a model of the second temple.
Day 9 Jerusalem, Israel - Cairo, Egypt
Old and new merge seamlessly in Jerusalem. You may hear the Muslim call to prayer competing with the clanging of bells from Christian churches and the prayers of Jews bobbing before the Western Wall. Everywhere you turn you'll see reminders of the three religions - Islam, Judaism and Christianity - that have shaped this part of the world.
We have a morning visit to the Temple Mount, one of the glories of Islamic Jerusalem, where you will view the Dome of the Rock. We then enter through the Jewish Quarter to witness the Herodian Mansions, a lavish palace in antiquity and built formerly of white marble, followed by a visit to the most important site in Judaism, the Western Wall.
Our tour also takes us by way of the Knesset, Israel's Parliament, to the President's House and the Yad Vashem Memorial and Museum to the Holocaust.
Later this evening we fly to Cairo.
Overnight in Cairo.
Day 10 Cairo: Memphis & Saqqara, Great Pyramids & the Sphinx
This morning we travel to Memphis and Saqqara, chronologically the two most important sites in all of Egypt. Memphis was the capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom (ca 2700-2180 BC), and Saqqara was used as a burial place for residents of Memphis including kings, princes and nobles. Our drive this morning takes us through the suburbs of Giza, past some small, colourful villages and plantations in the fertile Nile Valley. At the ancient city of Memphis we will see several statues in a garden-like setting, including the colossal statue of Rameses the Great.
From Memphis we travel a short distance to Saqqara, the ancient burial site. On the site, considered by many archaeologists to be one of the world's most important excavations, is the Step Pyramid, constructed by Imhotep in the 27th century BC. The pyramid began as a simple mastaba, or long, flat tomb building. Over the course of time, Imhotep added to this mastaba five times -- the pyramid eventually measured 62m (203 feet) in height!
After lunch we pay a visit to the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx. Impressive in their grandeur, the pyramids are estimated to have been constructed over a period of 20 years using more than 100,000 labourers each year. The Great Pyramid of Cheops, constructed from over two million stone blocks, is 135m (443 feet) high! You may enter one of the pyramids through a long, narrow passageway and explore the deep inner chambers (extra fee applicable - ask your Tour Leader).
Later we visit the Sphinx. This feline-human was named by the Greeks because it resembled the mythical winged monster with a woman's head and lion's body. Legend has it that this "Sphinx" proposed a riddle to the Thebans and killed all who could not guess the correct answer! The Sphinx was carved from one solid piece of limestone and measures 50m (164 feet) in length and 22m (72 feet) in height.
Day 11 Cairo & Alexandria
Early this morning we travel by road from Cairo to Alexandria. The second largest city in Egypt, known as "The Pearl of the Mediterranean", has an atmosphere that is more Mediterranean than Middle Eastern; its ambience and cultural heritage distance it from the rest of the country although it is actually only 225 km from Cairo (3-4 hours, depending on traffic).
We head to the southwest of the city and a hill littered with the remains of ancient walls, architectural fragments and rubble on which stands Alexandria's largest ancient monument, Pompey's Pillar, rising from the ruins of the ancient and famous Serapeion (Temple of Serapis). This column of red Aswan granite with a Corinthian capital, standing on a badly ruined substructure and rising to a height of almost 90ft / 27m, is traditionally believed to have been erected by the Emperor Theodosius. We will also see the famous Roman theatre of Alexandria. Dating back to 2nd century AD, this theatre is the only one of its type in all of Egypt.
We also visit the Roman Catacombs, the last existing major construction for the sake of the old Egyptian religion. Though the funerary motifs are pure ancient Egyptian, the architects and artists were schooled in the Graeco-Roman style. Applied to the themes of Ancient Egyptian religion, it has resulted in an amazing integrated art, quite unlike anything else in the world.
Another highlight today is a visit to Bibliotheca Alexandria. Once the greatest library in the ancient world, the Bibliotheca is dedicated to "the writings of all nations." Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the modern Bibliotheka cost some USD150 million, all by donation from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Iraq.
We return to Cairo in time for dinner.
Day 12 Cairo - Aswan & Felucca Sailing
Early this morning we fly from Cairo to Aswan in Upper Egypt.* Aswan is Egypt's sunniest southern city and an ancient frontier town. Small enough to walk around and graced with the most beautiful setting on the Nile, the pace of life in Aswan is slow and relaxing.
Upon arrival we have a leisurely sail on a felucca, a traditional sailing vessel used for centuries for carrying goods and passengers along the Nile.
* NOTE: The actual order of our Aswan area sightseeing may vary depending on incoming flight schedules and other logisitical considerations.
Overnight in Aswan.
Day 13 Aswan: Abu Simbel & Philae Temple
Very early this morning we travel by road (+/- 3 hours, each way)* south from Aswan across the Western Desert to Nubia, or the "Land of the Gold". Our destination this morning is the impressive Abu Simbel -- the imposing rock temples of Rameses II and his queen, Nefertari.
We have a guided tour of this site, including the interior of the colossal temples. The Temple of Rameses II, with its immense statues of the Pharaoh seated on his throne, is one of the classic images of the power of the Pharaohs. Inside the temple you will see well-preserved wall decorations and several murals. There is a wonderful relief of Rameses presenting captives to various gods, including himself! We also gain insight into the reconstruction process by visiting the interior of the artificial mountain.
We travel back to Aswan making a brief stop at the High Dam en route. Constructed between 1960 and 1971, the High Dam collects and stores water over a number of years so that the annual Nile flood can be controlled. From here we will have a panoramic view of Aswan to the north and Lake Nasser to the south.
This evening we will attend the Sound & Light Show at Philae Temple. The temple is situated on an island, and we have to take a boat to get to the site. It is a good idea to have a small flashlight with you.
* We choose to travel by road instead of flying as the schedules tend to be rather restrictive and not allow enough time at the site (much time is taken up by check-in, security, boarding, transferring etc). Driving frees us from this inconvenience and adds flexibility, plus allows us to see the High Dam en route. Departing very early ensures that we are at the site at the optimal time for photography; later in the morning, shadows fall across the temple making conditions less than ideal.
Day 14 Aswan: San Simeon & Nile Cruise Embarkation
This morning we will take a private boat across the River Nile to the west bank. From here we travel by camel across the sandy desert to the Christian Monastery of St Simeon. Before we begin this easy trek our Tour Leader and camel trainer will teach you the technique of riding a camel. This is a journey that can be undertaken by anyone at any age (one rider per camel). Our trek is about 45 minutes to the monastery, and then 15 minutes back to the riverbank. Those who prefer not to ride can travel by open truck to the monastery and meet up with the group there.
Dating from the 6th century, and in use until the 13th century, the Monastery of St Simeon is one of the best preserved Christian sites in Egypt. Inside we will see the chapel, living quarters, kitchen and dining areas, wine press, bake area and storerooms. On our tour we will also see the remains of some Coptic frescoes -- depictions of Christ and saints as well as many geometric patterns.
We then return to the banks of the Nile and re-board our boat and ride among the islands dotting the Nile. Up the hill, above the river, is the Mausoleum of the Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the Ismailis, a Shi'ite sect based principally in India but with followers around the world. The tomb is an elegant pink granite structure of late 1950 origin.
The main island in the middle of the Nile is called Elephantine Island because many of the rocks look like elephants bathing in the Nile. On the west side of the river is the beautiful Kitchener's Island, where we will have time to stroll through the rich botanical gardens with trees, plants, and bushes.
At around midday we board our Nile cruise vessel (which remain docked in Aswan until tomorrow) and enjoy lunch on board. This afternoon you may enjoy a free afternoon in the town of Aswan either on board the ship or in the town of Aswan. During our time in Aswan, we will also include a visit to the 'Unfinished Obelisk' and Philae Temple, also already visited, but some passengers enjoy seeing it again during daylight hours. These visit may be operated by the cruise ship.
Overnight on Nile cruise. NTS cruise (or similar).
Included Meal(s): Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 15 Nile Cruise: Kom Ombo & Edfu
Today our cruise will make a stop and visit the Temple of Kom Ombo. In ancient times, Kom Ombo was strategically important as a trading town on the caravan route from Nubia to Cairo. Kom Ombo, actually two temples in one, is dedicated dually to Haroeris and Sobek, respectively the god of the sky and the crocodile-headed god. Here we are able to see the remains of a mummified crocodile. Crocodiles no longer exist in the Egyptian part of the River Nile, but in Pharaonic times they lived here in great numbers and were worshipped as gods!
From Kom Ombo we continue along the River Nile toward Edfu. As the largest and most completely preserved Pharaonic temple, albeit Greek-built, Edfu is dedicated to the god Horus. Construction of this temple began under Ptolemy III Euergetes I in 237 BC. We will allow time to explore this massive and impressive site, enclosed by walls and flanked by two large pylon gateways. Here we will also be able to see a Nilometer -- an ancient technique of measuring the Nile's water fluctuations and setting the level of taxes (depending on cruise schedules, this visit may take place tomorrow morning).
Day 16 Nile Cruise: Luxor Temple
Overnight or early this morning we will have arrived at Luxor.
Today we visit Luxor Temple. The temple was dedicated to the Theban Triad of Amun, Mut, and Chons and was built during the New Kingdom, the focus of the annual Opet Festival, in which a cult statue of Amun was paraded down the Nile from nearby Karnak Temple to stay there for a while, with his consort Mut, in a celebration of fertility. Luxor temple is considered one of the largest ancient Egyptian temple complexes situated on the eastern bank of the river Nile. At the entrance is a huge tower built by King Ramses II.
Overnight on Nile cruise (docked at Luxor). NTS cruise (or similar).
Day 17 Luxor: Cruise Disembarkation & Valley of the Queens
Today we disembark our cruise and move to our hotel in Luxor.
This morning we make an excursion the Valley of the Queens.* After crossing the Nile we will board our bus for the short journey to visit this wonderful necropolis on the western shore of the Nile.
The Valley of the Queens was used as a burial site for the royal women of the 18th, 19th and 20th Dynasties. Ancient Egyptians called this place "Set Neferu" meaning Seat Of Beauty, and today only a few of the eighty tombs are open to the public. We will visit 3 tombs. The Valley of the Queens holds far more than graves of queens.
As well as our visit to the Valley of the Queens we will also have a guided tour of the workers' village and the Madinat Habu temple. Madinat Habu, also known as the temple of Rameses III was known in ancient times as Djanet, and according to ancient belief, was the place were Amon first appeared. Both Hatshepsut and Tuthmosis III built a temple dedicated to Amon here, and later Rameses III constructed his larger memorial temple on the site.
* Due to periodic and unannounced closures of the tombs at the Valley of the Queens, your Tour Leader may substitute the Tombs of the Nobles, which are equally interesting.
Overnight in Luxor.
Day 18 Luxor: Valley of the Kings
Early this morning we cross the River Nile by boat to the West Bank where the wealth of antiquities is outstanding. On the other side we will meet our transport for our excursion into the Valley of the Kings.
We will accomplish part of our journey today by donkey. We'll "saddle-up" and begin a leisurely ride through the New Gourna Village and into the countryside. Avoiding the busier road, we will witness quiet village life along the way for about 40-45 minutes before re-uniting with our road transport for the final leg into the Valley of the Kings (alternative arrangements can be made for those who prefer not to ride).
Once in the isolated valley, dominated by large pyramid-shaped mountains, we will have a guided tour of three of the many tombs that are here.* The valley was the burial ground for kings throughout the New Kingdom. Note that some of the tombs have steep stairways and all are quite dark inside (you might find a pocket flashlight useful).
We then proceed to the funerary temple of Queen Hatshepsut -- the first woman to rule as pharaoh! We have a tour of this impressive complex, discovered in the mid-19th century and still under restoration.
After our tour we return by bus through the countryside back to the river and the East Bank.
Tonight you may choose to visit the Sound and Light show at Karnak Temple (optional).
* We do not include the tomb of King Tut, as it is very small and not very interesting, relatively speaking, but we allow time for you to see it if you wish (separate ticket).
Day 19 Luxor: Karnak Temple
This morning we visit one of the most fantastic archaeological sites in the world: Karnak Temple.
Karnak was built, added to, dismantled, restored, enlarged and decorated during its colourful history of over 1,500 years. At certain points in Egyptian history, this temple was the most important in all of Egypt. When we arrive at the temple you will be awed by the grandeur of the tremendous pylon gateway and the Avenue of 1,000 Sphinxes that originally ran all the way to the Nile and Luxor Temple! We will have a guided tour of the complex, massive by any standard.
During free time this afternoon, we suggest a visit to the excellent Luxor Museum or Mumification Museum.
Day 20 Luxor - Cairo: Archaeological Museum & Islamic Cairo
Today we fly back to Cairo.
On arrival we proceed to the famous Museum of Egyptian Antiquities* where enjoy a guided tour of some of Egypt's most beloved treasures. Among the 100,000 pieces housed on the museum's two floors is the famous exhibit of Tutankhamun whose tomb was discovered by Howard Carter in 1922. The tomb and treasures of this young Pharaoh, modest by Pharaonic Egyptian standards, is perhaps the best preserved of the discovered tombs. We also see archaeological relics from the Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, New Kingdom and Greco-Roman periods. We also allow some time for you to explore the treasures on your own (extra fee: ask your Tour Leader for the current rate).
We then proceed to Islamic Cairo where we will tour the Citadel, begun by Saladin in the 12th century. Today the Citadel's buildings are mainly from the Ottoman period, and are truly grand. From the Citadel, actually a complex of three mosques and four museums, we enjoy an amazing view of Cairo spread beneath the hilltop. Here we will see the fabulous Mosque of Mohammed Ali, also known as the "Alabaster Mosque."
* A new museum is being built, though the opening date is as yet unclear (projected 'partial' opening in December 2018). As the move takes place, some items may not be on display in either location. Once the museum opens, it will become a part of this itinerary.
Day 21 Cairo: Coptic Cairo & Khan el Khalili
Today we drive through the neat, tree-lined streets of the Garden City area to Coptic Cairo, the centre of Christianity in Cairo.* We will walk the cobblestone streets and stop at a few of the churches, including that of Saint Sergius, presumed to be the spot where the Holy Family lived during their flight into Egypt. The present building dates from the 11th century. As we stroll along we will come to the recently restored Synagogue of Ben Ezra, the oldest Jewish synagogue in Egypt. Despite the 45 Jewish families that remain in Cairo, the synagogue is no longer operational.
We then make a stop at the Khan el Khalili Bazaar, one of the most interesting bazaars, not only in Egypt, but also in the whole Middle East. The atmosphere of this traditional market, together with the labyrinthine layout of the streets, gives visitors a glimpse into what medieval markets once were like.
* The Coptic Cairo section of our program exists here in a tentative basis given ever-changing security considerations in this district. Your Tour Leader will advise of the current status once you have arrived on tour and a substitution may be put into place.
Day 22 Departure
Departure from Cairo.
RHLAH S'IDAH!
Included Meal(s): Breakfast
*The red tour trail on the map does not represent the actual travel path.
Hotel List
The following is a list of sample hotels at some locations included on this tour. The hotels shown here are meant to provide a general sense of the standard of hotel we usually aim for; they are not necessarily confirmed for your chosen departure.
Kibbutz Ein Gedi
Location: Dead Sea Israel
Location: Ein GeA kibbutz environment situated inside the magical botanical gardens, on a cliff plateau, overlooking the Dead Sea. It ... a true oasis within the Judean Desert. Facilities: Outdoor swimming pool (seasonal), bar. All rooms are located in the heart of the fabulous gardensand are on ground level.
Click here to visit hotel website
Moriah Classic
Moriah Classic Jerusalem Hotel (former Novotel Jerusalem) located at the unique meeting point of East and West, old and new, ... and spiritual. The hotel is 20 minutes walking from the Old City Walls, the Via Doloroza, the Wailing Wall, Jaffa Gate, the Oriental Bazaar. The hotel offers 397 fully air-conditioned rooms with private bathroom, mini bar, direct dial phone, and cable TV. Outdoor swimming pool (seasonal).
Offering pyramid views, this high-end hotel is 2 km from The Great Pyramid at Giza, The Grand Egyptian Museum and ... Great Sphinx of Giza.
Featuring views of the pyramids, the sophisticated rooms offer free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs and desks.
Movenpick Aswan
Location: Aswan
A 14-minute walk from Elephantine Island, this upscale resort hotel overlooking the River Nile is 2 km from Nubia Museum ... 3 km from the ancient Unfinished Obelisk museum.
Sonesta St George
Location: Luxor
Welcome to five-star splendor on the banks of the Nile in a city of ancient pharaonic treasures, the Sonesta St. ... Hotel Luxor redefines magnificent contemporary style. The hotel is luxurious, sophisticated and above all, elegant.
Come and enjoy a sweeping terrace with majestic views of the Nile, a grand entrance of polished marble and handsomely appointed furnishings with exquisite detail, a sumptuous health spa, an array of fine dining choices and every amenity to please the most discerning traveler. With the mystical Nile just a whisper away and the temples of Luxor and Karnak preserved in time, experience a city of fascinating antiquity and indulge in the rich splendor of the Sonesta St. George Hotel Luxor.
MS Sonesta Nile Goddess
This elegant Nile Cruise features deluxe accommodation with broad panoramic views, bathrooms with full-size bathtubs, Elevator on board and all ... conveniences. Enjoy a swim in the outdoor pool, experience the exciting nightlife in the ship’s discotheque or a relaxing massage treatment at the spa. Elegant amenities on the Nile Goddess cruise ship are delivered with deluxe touch of hospitality.
Breakfast and dinner are included daily; all meals on the cruise. All transport, accommodation, sightseeing and entrance fees for sites noted as 'visited' in the detailed itinerary. Gratuities for drivers, restaurant staff, porters, local guides. Airport transfers for land & air customers arriving/departing on tour dates.
International airfare to/from the tour. Tour Leader gratuities, most lunches, drinks, personal items (phone, laundry, etc), international (if applicable) and domestic air taxes, visa fees, and any excursions referenced as 'optional'. Airport transfers for Land Only customers. Optional trip cancellation insurance.* Our post-reservation trip notes offer further guidance on shopping, not included meals, and visas.
* Insurance: When considering travel insurance for this tour, please be especially mindful of possible exclusions of coverage for destinations that currently have government travel advisories in place. It is incumbent on you, the traveller, to ensure that you are comfortable with what your chosen policy will and will not cover.
Seasonality and Weather
This tour is offered in spring when temperatures are the most pleasant. Spring is green season in Israel; Egypt is dry year-round.
Transport and Travel Conditions
Over two weeks we travel by bus, felucca sailboat, luxury cruise boat, horse carriage, plane, donkey, and camel. Distances covered are not great and roads are good. The tour is not strenuous though it is busy; you must be steady on your feet and be able to endure some heat and some extensive archaeological sites. We also have some early starts, owing largely to internal air schedules and the imperative to maximize sightseeing time/conditions.
Though Egypt has enjoyed a prolonged period of stability and our tours are operating on a "business as usual" basis, we encourage all travellers (as we do for any destination) to review online government advisories that provide guidance on, among other things, issues concerning security. We are presently very confident that your journey will be problem-free, and want to ensure that you feel likewise before choosing to join this trip.
Am I suitable for this tour? Please refer to our self-assessment form.
Hotel accommodation used on tour is on average, 3-star in Israel, and 4-star (some 5-star) in Egypt. Most properties have outdoor swimming pools. Single rooms are limited and possibly smaller than twins. The cruise vessel is very comfortable with full air-conditioning, twin-berth, outside cabins with en suite bath / toilet.
Staff and Support
Tour Leader throughout, local drivers, local guides at various locations.
10-18 plus Tour Leader
IS2 TRIP DETAILS
DURATION22 days
TOUR STARTTel Aviv
TOUR ENDCairo
Trip style & rating definitions
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Uploaded: Wed, Feb 17, 2010, 11:47 am
Fatal crash causes major power outage
Power knocked out from Menlo Park to Mountain View when plane crashes in East Palo Alto in dense fog
A small plane crash in East Palo Alto caused a major power outage this morning. Power is out in parts of Menlo Park, Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, Stanford and Mountain View.
Palo Alto Utilities and PG&E are working to restore power but may not have it back until about 6 p.m., officials are reporting.
Three plane passengers are confirmed dead. There are no reports of fatalities on the ground.
The crash happened at 7:55 a.m. this morning in East Palo Alto near Beech and Pulgas Streets. Map of area
The plane hit the corner of a day care center, but nobody there was hurt, and at least two buildings. Power flickered as far north as San Carlos and Belmont.
The plane was twin-engine Cessna 310R flying under a dense fog advisory with zero to one-quarter mile visibility. The tail number indicated it was from Hawthorne, Calif.
The City of Palo Alto sent out an e-alert this morning saying the plane crashed appears to have caused the outage and there is no estimate as to when it will be restored.
Daytime classes for Foothill College are canceled at the Middlefield campus in Palo Alto.
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Patent Case Summaries September 6, 2013
Federal Circuit Patent Case Summaries for the Week Ending September 6, 2013
Michael (Mike) S. Connor
The following is a summary of the precedential patent-related opinions issued by the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit for the week ending September 6, 2013. Mike Connor prepared this edition.
Claim Interpretation: Ordinary Meaning
Claim Interpretation: Intrinsic Evidence: Specification
Bayer Cropscience AG v. Dow Agrosciences LLC, No. 13-1002 (Fed. Cir. (D. Del.) Sept. 3, 2013). Opinion by Taranto, joined by Prost and Bryson.
The Federal Circuit affirmed the district court’s summary judgment of noninfringement on the basis that the patent owner’s infringement claim depended on an overly-broad and incorrect claim construction.
Bayer Cropscience AG (“Bayer”) owns U.S. Patent No. 6,153,401 (“the ’401 patent”), which is directed to genetically modifying plants to provide resistance to a commonly used herbicide, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (“2,4-D”). The inventors determined that bacteria could grow on 2,4-D and convert 2,4-D to 2,4-dichlorophenol (“2,4-DCP”), and they identified a gene in the bacteria coded for enzymes that catalyze 2,4-D into 2,4-DCP. The scientists believed at the time that the enzymatic reaction required oxygen, but were unsure what happened to one of the two oxygen atoms during the reaction. In keeping with common scientific belief at the time of the patent application in 1989, the specification characterized the enzymes as monooxygenases to describe where one of the two atoms ends up in water and the second is incorporated into a product. This belief was later proved wrong, as scientists eventually discovered in 1993 that the enzymes were dioxygenase because both atoms are incorporated into products other than water. Bayer knew of this discovery but did not alter the claims of the ’401 patent, which issued in 2000.
Dow Agrosciences LLC (“Dow”) produces genetically modified seeds that are resistant to 2,4-D and includes modified genes that code for enzymes that are dioxygenases. In December 2010, Bayer sued Dow and accused Dow’s seeds of infringing the ’401 patent. During trial, the district court construed “biological activity of 2,4-D monooxygenase” to mean the established scientific meaning of monooxygenase. Under this construction, the district court granted Dow summary judgment of noninfringement.
On appeal, the Federal Circuit reviewed the claim construction de novo and held that accepting Bayer’s arguments was problematic. Specifically, the Federal Circuit decided that the word “monooxygenase” has had a clear established meaning (i.e., an enzyme catalyzing a reaction in which one oxygen atom is incorporated into water, and the second oxygen atom is incorporated into the product). Nevertheless, Bayer attempted to define the phrase “2,4-D monooxygenase” as bringing about cleavage of the side chain of 2,4-D without requiring any additional limitations. However, the Federal Circuit determined that the specification of the ’401 patent did not describe or attempt to define “monooxygenase” in any different fashion than the accepted meaning in the scientific community.
Further, Bayer’s proposed construction of “monooxygenase” attempts to encompass a broad class of enzymes defined by their function of cleaving the side chain of 2,4-D, but the specification of the ’401 patent merely identified one gene sequence and the enzyme it encoded. The Appeals Court held that this broad construction is incorrect because the claim would not meet the written description requirement of 35 U.S.C. § 112. Because the Federal Circuit determined Bayer’s claim construction to be overly broad and unsupported by the specification, the Appeals Court affirmed the district court’s summary judgment of noninfringement. The Federal Circuit also noted that it need not go further than its rejection of Bayer’s claim construction, since Bayer had not timely argued that it can prevail without the adoption of its broad construction, and because an affirmative construction of the claims was not necessary in order to affirm the district court’s judgment.
http://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/images/stories/opinions-orders/13-1002.Opinion.8-29-2013.1.PDF
Litigation Practice and Procedure: Procedure: Generally
Soverain Software LLC v. Newegg Inc., No. 11-1009 (Fed. Cir. (E.D. Tex.) Sept. 4, 2013). Per Curiam Opinion before Newman, Prost, and Reyna.
On a petition for rehearing, the Federal Circuit granted rehearing for the purpose of clarifying the court’s rulings with respect to Claims 34 and 35 of U.S. Patent No. 5,715,314 (“the ’314 patent”). In Soverain Software LLC v. Newegg, Inc., 705 F.3d 1333, 1337 (Fed. Cir. 2013), the court held that Claim 34 was representative of the “shopping cart” claims being litigated. Soverain Software LLC (“Soverain”) and Newegg, Inc. (“Newegg”) requested rehearing because the district court’s judgment referred to Claim 35 instead of Claim 34. The Federal Circuit granted rehearing and amended its judgment to indicate that Claim 34 is representative of claims including dependent Claim 35, and that Claim 35 is invalid for obviousness.
Claim 34 of the ’314 patent is directed to a network-based sales system that includes at least one buyer computer, at least one shopping cart computer, and a shopping cart database connected to the shopping cart computer. Further, Claim 34 requires that the buyer computer be connected to the shopping cart computer and that the buyer computer be programmed to receive requests from a user to add products to a shopping cart in a shopping cart database and send a plurality of messages to the shopping cart computer corresponding to the selected products. The shopping cart computer is configured to cause a payment message associated with the shopping cart to be created, and the buyer computer is configured to cause the payment message to be activated to initiate a payment transaction. Claim 35 further requires the shopping cart computer to cause the payment message to be created before the buyer computer causes the payment message to be activated.
During trial, the district court directed its obviousness analysis to the limitations in Claim 34. The district court also focused on infringement with respect to Claim 34, and did not discuss any limitations of Claim 35 with respect to obviousness or infringement. On appeal, the parties both focused their arguments on Claim 34. Claim 35 was not briefed on appeal, and the parties presented oral arguments directed towards Claim 34. On rehearing, Soverain did not provide any evidence in contradiction to Newegg’s expert witness, who had testified in district court that prior art disclosed a payment selection being created by a server before it was displayed. Because the parties provided no additional evidence as to whether a dispute exists on whether the element in Claim 35 is disclosed in the prior art, the Federal Circuit concluded that dependent Claim 35 is invalid on the grounds of obviousness along similar reasoning with respect to Claim 34, and the judgment was amended.
http://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/images/stories/opinions-orders/11-1009.pdf
Character of a Patent: Statutory Subject Matter
Litigation Practice and Procedure: Prior Adjudication: Claim Preclusion (Res Judicata)
Accenture Global Services, GmbH, et al. v. Guidewire Software, Inc., No. 11-1486, (Fed. Cir. (D. Del.) Sept. 5, 2013). Opinion by Lourie, joined by Reyna. Dissenting opinion by Rader.
In affirming the district court’s summary judgment as to the invalidity of U.S. Patent No. 7,013,284 (“the ’284 patent”), the Federal Circuit held that a system claim that offers no meaningful limitations to a related method claim directed toward an abstract idea is invalid under 35 U.S.C. § 101. Further, the Federal Circuit held that implementing an abstract idea without including meaningful limitations does not transform an ineligible claim into a patent-eligible claim.
Accenture Global Services, GmbH and Accenture LLP (collectively “Accenture”) filed suit against Guidewire Software, Inc. (“Guidewire”) in district court for infringement of the ’284 patent. The ’284 patent includes a system claim (independent Claim 1) that is directed toward a system for generating tasks to be performed by an insurance organization, and a related method claim (independent Claim 8) directed towards a method for generating tasks to be performed by an insurance organization. Guidewire asserted that the ’284 patent was invalid under 35 U.S.C. § 101 on the basis that the claims are drawn to ineligible subject matter. After the Supreme Court issued its decision in Bilski v. Kappos, the district court allowed Guidewire to renew a motion for summary judgment and subsequently granted the motion finding the patent invalid under 35 U.S.C. § 101.
On appeal, the Federal Circuit affirmed the invalidity of the ’284 patent because the district court’s judgment that the method claims are invalid was not appealed by Accenture and because the system claims are also invalid. The Appeals Court determined that the system claims include no meaningful limitations over the ineligible method claim, and because the judgment as to the method claims was not appealed, the judgment is final and conclusive. Further, the Federal Circuit determined that the system claims should rise and fall together with the method claims because the system claims merely include minor differences in terminology but essentially require the performance of the same process.
The Federal Circuit also held that when no additional substantive limitations narrow or confine the claims from an abstract idea, the claims are invalid under 35 U.S.C. § 101. The Appeals Court determined that Accenture’s attempts to limit the abstract idea of generating tasks to be completed upon the occurrence of an event to a computer implementation or the insurance industry does not provide additional substantive limitations. Accordingly, the Federal Circuit affirmed the district court’s decision to grant summary judgment of invalidity under 35 U.S.C. § 101.
In a dissenting opinion, Chief Judge Rader stated that the majority incorrectly focuses on the framework proposed by the plurality opinion of the Federal Circuit in CLS Bank Int’l v. Alice Corp. instead of Supreme Court precedent and other precedent from the Federal Circuit. Chief Judge Rader also concluded that Accenture’s failure to appeal the invalidation of the method claims should not bar it from arguing that the elements contained within the method claims, which are also shared by the system claims, are directed toward patent-eligible subject matter.
http://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/images/stories/opinions-orders/11-1486.Opinion.9-3-2013.1.PDF
Litigation Practice and Procedure: Courts: Choice of Law: Matters of Exclusive Federal Circuit Jurisdiction
Litigation Practice and Procedure: Jurisdiction: Subject Matter Jurisdiction
Wawrzynski v. H.J. Heinz Co., et al., No. 12-1624 (Fed. Cir. (W.D. Pa.) Sept. 6, 2013). Opinion by Plager, joined by Newman and Prost.
The Federal Circuit determined that it lacked jurisdiction over the merits of the appeal and therefore transferred the case to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Specifically, the Federal Circuit held that it lacked subject matter jurisdiction over state law claims alleged in the complaint because the complaint was not a well-pleaded complaint for patent infringement.
Mr. Wawrzynski is the owner of U.S. Patent No. 5,676,990 (“the ’990 patent”), which is directed towards a method for dipping and wiping a food article, such as a French fry, with a condiment, such as ketchup, in a specially designed condiment package. The food article exits the package such that excess condiment is wiped away from the food article. In March 2008, Mr. Wawrzynski sent H.J. Heinz Company (“Heinz”) a letter soliciting a meeting to present his packaging ideas. In April 2008, Mr. Wawrzynski met with representatives from Heinz, who asserted that they had been developing a new ketchup packaging. During this meeting, Mr. Wawrzynski alleges he disclosed to Heinz the idea of a dual purpose condiment package that allows a user to dip a food article into the condiment or squeeze the condiment out of the package. After the April 2008 meeting, Mr. Wawrzynski continued to send Heinz additional promotional material, but Heinz responded it was no longer interested in receiving additional material. Later, Heinz released a new condiment package that allowed for a user to pull a tab to reveal the condiment for dipping or to rip a portion of the packet to allow the condiment to be squeezed.
On October 5, 2010, Mr. Wawrzynski filed a lawsuit against Heinz in Michigan state court asserting claims relating to Heinz’s new condiment package. Heinz removed the action to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan on the basis of diversity jurisdiction. There, Mr. Wawrzynski filed an amended complaint including allegations of breach of implied contract and unjust enrichment. The amended complaint generally referenced the ’990 patent in the allegations. Heinz then filed a motion to transfer the case to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, and there, Heinz filed an answer, affirmative defenses, and a counterclaim that alleged Heinz did not infringe the ’990 patent and that the ’990 patent was invalid. Mr. Wawrzynski eventually filed an answer to Heinz’s counterclaim that stated he was not suing Heinz for infringement of the ’990 patent, and he also provided Heinz with a covenant not to sue Heinz on the basis of the ’990 patent. Heinz filed a motion for summary judgment arguing that federal patent law preempted Mr. Wawrzynski’s claims, which the district court granted. Mr. Wawrzynski now appeals the district court’s ruling.
The Federal Circuit held that whether a claim for patent infringement exists determines whether the Federal Circuit has subject matter jurisdiction over the appeal. Although both parties argued that the Federal Circuit had jurisdiction, the Appeals Court determined that both parties’ arguments were incorrect, and that it lacked jurisdiction.
Mr. Wawrzynski argued the Federal Circuit had jurisdiction under § 1295 of the America Invents Act (“AIA”) because that section gives the Federal Circuit jurisdiction over appeals from a civil action in which a party has asserted a compulsory counterclaim arising under any Act of Congress relating to patents. He argued that Heinz’s counterclaim of noninfringement met this requirement. The Federal Circuit disagreed and held that the AIA version of § 1295 is inapplicable because Mr. Wawrzynski’s suit was commenced upon a filing of a complaint prior to the effective date of the statute.
Heinz argued that the Federal Circuit had jurisdiction under the pre-AIA version of § 1295 because that section provided that the Federal Circuit shall have exclusive jurisdiction of an appeal from a final decision of a district court if the jurisdiction of that court was based, in whole or in part, on section 1338 of Title 38. The Federal Circuit concluded that Mr. Wawrzynski’s complaint aligned with state law claims and did not constitute a well-pleaded complaint for patent infringement. Thus, the Federal Circuit held that it lacked subject matter jurisdiction under this provision.
Accordingly, the Federal Circuit transferred the case to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Additional Notices
Alston & Bird's Federal Circuit Patent Case Summaries are intended to be informational and do not constitute legal advice or opinions regarding any specific situation. The material may also be considered advertising under certain rules of professional conduct or other law. This publication may be reprinted without the express permission of Alston & Bird as long as it is reprinted in its entirety including the copyright notice, ©2013.
Other Phone: 202.239.3378
Email: mike.connor@alston.com
Wesley C. Achey
Email: wes.achey@alston.com
Ross R. Barton
Email: ross.barton@alston.com
Kirk T. Bradley
Email: kirk.bradley@alston.com
Michele M. Glessner
Email: michele.glessner@alston.com
Patent Prosecution, Counseling & Review
Biotechnology, Chemical & Pharmaceutical
Mechanical Patents
Electrical, Software & Computer Science Patents
Post Grant Proceedings
News & Insights Federal Circuit Patent Case Summaries for the Week Ending September 6, 2013
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How Socialism Has Doomed France
By William Sullivan
The French government is wringing its hands in frustration about how to deal with wealthy French nationals who are expatriating to avoid France's crushing new tax hikes.
World-renowned actor Gérard Depardieu, for example, has recently decided to take up residence just across the Belgian border to avoid the tax penalty he would incur by remaining in France. This is merely an allegation at this point, of course, but it seems a safe guess that Depardieu has noticed French politicians' distaste for the wealthy -- which is not a feat of consciousness, considering that the new socialist president François Hollande has famously quipped, "I don't like the rich" while campaigning on promises to "tax annual income of more than one million euros per year at 75 percent."
It's just the latest of many black eyes for France's new administration. France's richest man, Bernard Arnault, has applied for Belgian citizenship, and according to The Telegraph, "among Mr. Depardieu's new neighbors in the village of Nechin will be members of the Mulliez family, who own the Auchan supermarket chain." And for months now, wealthy French families have been buying real estate in England, thanks in part to British Prime Minister David Cameron's shrewd marketing. Seeking to poach tax revenue from France, he has promised successful French families and businesses that the U.K. will "roll out the red carpet" in welcoming them. Understandably, they find that message a tad more attractive than Hollande's.
This presents problems for French socialists beyond the immediate loss of revenue which would finance their proposed top-down redistribution. There is also the issue of image. After all, convincing the world that France's socialist government is successful is a pretty tough sell when the successful want absolutely nothing to do with it.
It is no coincidence that those who would be required to finance a Utopian redistribution of wealth are rarely supporters of implementing such a model. John Locke observed that natural laws exist, independent of any system of government, and among these are not only the individual's fundamental right to life and liberty, but also a right to "property," which can be described as the product of a person's labor and enterprise.
Most Westerners would say that they accept this assumption in theory, but due to a curious caveat in human nature, many only limitedly accept it in practice. An individual will typically be far more concerned with the preservation of this natural right to "property" when it is his own "property" that is targeted for seizure. The Occupier of Zuccotti Park, for example, may find it a travesty that a homeless man steals his wallet to subsidize a livelihood, but when a homeless man has his livelihood subsidized by someone else's wallet in a transaction brokered by the government, the incident somehow becomes noble and necessary.
It is the tragic flaw by which the grand ambition of socialism has always failed, and will always fail. Human nature resists any attempt to seize one's property beyond what he would willingly give. This is the very basis of the social contract between a free man and a just government. A man chooses to take part. If that social contract is amended to be uniquely biased against his right to property, absent his consent, he may rightfully exercise his right to liberty and seek avenues to establish a new contract with a government, either by revolution or, more commonly today, expatriation.
France lacked the foresight to anticipate this natural outcome, which poses a massive problem for the country's future. In a sense, the fate of the nation is tied to the outcome of its redistributive endeavors. And so, France finds itself it the distinctive, though not unique, situation where left-wing socialism and far-right nationalism have become symbiotic bedfellows.
Therefore, these wealthy individuals, who have the audacity to abscond with their own property that the government has decided belongs to the collective, are being vilified from all angles. Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault stirs the anger of the socialism-loving French people by reminding them that "[w]e cannot fight poverty if those with the most, and sometimes with a lot, do not show solidarity and a bit of generosity." Consumption minister Benoit Hamon called the move by Depardieu, in particular, "anti-patriotic." Ever the tolerant ideologues, voices of the French left have kindly commented on Depardieu's personal choice by labeling him a "drunken, obese petit-bourgeois reactionary." And right-wing nationalists aren't letting the leftists poke all the fun, as National Front leader Marine Le Pen said that wealthy exiles like Depardieu just want to "have their cake and eat it," a phrase which arouses a particularly clever subtext in terms of the history of French nationalism.
Thankfully, Mr. Depardieu doesn't have a guillotine in his future. The ol' blade of French social justice is a bit grotesque for modern sensibilities, having recently been retired and all. (However, I absolutely anticipate French bloggers and upcoming political cartoons to make use of its symbolic value in calling for these greedy villains' heads.) But punishments for expatriation are being offered, including the threat to strip these rich defectors of their French citizenship if they refuse to pay the required tribute to their motherland. I expect that these punishments will only become more creative and painful as expatriation creates an increasingly large shortfall in the redistributive pot.
France is now presented with a choice, and frankly, it is not so dissimilar to our own, considering that Barack Obama's vision for America mirrors (though currently to a lesser extent) that of Hollande. France can continue on its projected path to discriminately seize substantially more property from the wealthy, and watch as its most successful producers leave the country with their ample resources, leaving an impossible burden upon the middle class to finance the collective welfare. Or it can continue on that same projected path, but choose to do what socialist governments have historically done when confronted with selfish well-to-dos who refuse to finance a collectivist paradise for the ne'er-do-wells. They can institute rigid policy to punish the wealthy brigands for their insolence and confiscate the demanded tribute by any means necessary -- and it will be presented as necessary, as the survival of France will depend on it.
At any rate, either path leads to failure in terms of freedom and prosperity. This is a fate that France now seems doomed to suffer.
France could, of course, take the third way, and abandon the foolish endeavor to redistribute its way to Utopia. But I harbor little hope for that, at least with the current administration -- on that side of the pond or this one.
William Sullivan blogs at http://politicalpalaverblog.blogspot.com and can be followed on Twitter.
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Four arrests made in Huxley shooting
By Marlys Barker Nevada Journal
Apr 12, 2019 at 12:01 AM Apr 13, 2019 at 8:42 PM
Four people have been arrested in connection with an early morning shooting in Huxley last month.
Huxley police were called to an apartment at 106 National Drive at about 2 a.m. on March 6 on a report of a shooting at the apartment complex just off U.S. Highway 69. No on was hurt in the incident.
Huxley Police Chief Gerry Stoll said that a man with a gun tried to gain entry into the apartment. When a woman inside who answered the door quickly shut it, shots were fired through the door and struck a wall and couch inside.
Charged in the case are Montrell McClellan, 22; Aundrea Keeney, 22; Chay Potts, 20; and Justin Cox, 24. Keeney, Potts and Cox are from Ames, while McClellan didn’t have a permanent address.
Huxley police Sgt. Joe Marchesano said each of the individuals is charged with first-degree robbery, while McClellan also faces a charge of intimidation with a dangerous weapon.
Marchesano said he has been working with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation on the case, and that the investigation is continuing.
“There are more parties we discovered that may be involved,” he said, adding that more arrests may be forthcoming.
Marchesano said he could not give further information at this time. Three of the suspects are being held in Story County jail.
According to the Story County jail online inmate roster, McClellan is being held in the jail on $35,000 bond. Keeney and Potts are each being held in the Story County jail on $25,000 bond. Online records show they were arrested Thursday.
Cox is being held in the Boone County jail on unrelated charges.
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What Is Anxiety?
Anxiety A-Z
General Anxiety
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder OCD
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD
Anxiety Disorders General Anxiety Social Anxiety Panic Disorder OCD PTSD Separation Anxiety Phobias Selective Mutism
How these numbers could be indicative of a growing benzodiazepine anxiety medication problem
After Medicare re-approved coverage for benzodiazepine, over 40 million prescriptions of the anti-anxiety drug were filled in just one year. Find out why many doctors and researchers are critical of this high volume of prescriptions.
Anxiety.org
In 2006, Medicare changed their coverage plan to exclude anti-anxiety medications (namely benzodiazepines), limiting access to these medications for many elderly and disabled individuals covered under Medicare. Then in 2013, the federal health program once again modified their coverage plan, adding anti-anxiety medications back to their coverage system.
Now, after this re-implementation, Medicare has filled almost 40 million prescriptions for benzodiazepine anti-anxiety medications in just one year, costing them over $377 million. These numbers indicate a stunningly high rate of use for these medications, and a huge volume of money provided by the government for anti-anxiety drugs. Morever, it was found that initially excluding benzodiazepines from Medicare didn't seem to discourage use - a majority of the prescriptions filled by Medicare in 2014 were refills for already existing prescriptions, not new ones, meaning that patients continued using benzodiazepines even while they weren't covered by Medicare. Doctors didn't stop prescribing these drugs, so patients were instead paying for medication out of pocket.
Benzodiazepines Aren't Always the Best Option for Treating Anxiety
So, why is this new finding concerning? It seems like these results should be a positive - those suffering from anxiety and covered under Medicare now have easier access to medication. However, many are concerned by this news, which indicates a huge rate of use for benzodiazepines. While benzodiazepines, which include Xanax (Alprazolam), Ativan (Lorazepam), Valim (Diazepa), and Klonopin (Clonazepam), are in the top 50 most prescribed drugs in the Medicare system, multiple studies are now examining and uncovering the possible downsides of the medication.
Benzodiazepines are traditionally used to treat anxiety, insomnia, and seizures, and are valued by doctors and panic attack sufferers because of their very quick-acting effects. However, benzodiazepines also have a tendency to be abused, and can become addictive. The tendency of patients to build a tolerance to benzodiazepines means that they should only be used as a short-term solution, rather than as a drug to rely on. However, many patients have use the medication for years.
Benzodiazepines can Present Serious Risks for the Elderly
Lastly, this news is also disturbing because of the demographics represented by those enrolled in Medicare coverage: the elderly. The American Geriatrics Society strongly urges against the use of benzodiazepines by seniors, citing possible cognitive impairment and delirium. In the geriatric population, the medication has been linked to high levels of abuse, increased risk of Alzheimer's disease, and an increased incidence of falls and fractures. Critics of the high numbers of benzodiazepine prescriptions are worried that doctors are recklessly prescribing the medication as a sedative, without considering the list of risks and downsides. This, unfortunately, creates more problems than it does solutions, and the 40 million prescriptions filled by Medicare in 2013 could be a strong indicator that doctors have to change the way they approach geriatric anxiety.
Date of original publication: June 18, 2015
Updated on: June 12, 2017
anti anxiety medication medication pharmaceuticals benzodiazepines anxiety panic attack treatment retirement aging news staff
Overcoming OCD: Choosing The Right Treatment
By: Michael Wheaton, Ph.D. from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) For PTSD: Research Update
Parent-Child Separation, Trauma, PTSD And Recovery
Anxious Attachment: How Does It Affect Relationships?
Anxiety And Emotional Face Processing
Can Parental Anxiety Make Children's Anxiety Even Worse?
Identifying Signs Of Anxiety In Children
Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor (SNRI) For Anxiety
The Breakup Survival Guide
Are You Taking SSRIs? What You Need To Know
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Grants and Funding: We proudly support the research and programs of 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations and institutions such as: the Anxiety Disorders program of the Jane & Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior at the University of California, Los Angeles; the Pacific Institute of Medical Research; the International Foundation for Research and Education on Depression (iFred); and SchoolsForHope.org, an iFred educational project. Working with these partners enables Anxiety.org to extend its commitment to its mission. All the donations received, as well as 100% of Anxiety.org revenue in 2019, will be contributed to build, develop, and further the understanding, investigation, discovery, and treatment of the full spectrum of anxiety and related disorders.
Disclaimer: Anxiety.org does not endorse or provide any medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition and cannot be substituted for the advice of physicians, licensed professionals, or therapists who are familiar with your specific situation. Consult a licensed medical professional or call 911, if you are in need of immediate assistance. Furthermore, the information reflects the opinions of the author alone and not those of the author’s employer or Anxiety.org. For more information, please carefully read our Privacy Policy and the Terms and Conditions of Use.
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Apeks regulators are some of the safest around and regularly top independent tests for build quality, ease of breathing and their performance in extreme conditions, whether that be depth or temperature.
Alternate Air Source Safety
The Apeks XTX range of regulators are the world’s first regulators designed to exceed the European standard in Auxiliary Emergency Breathing Systems.
More officially known as EN250:2014 including annex A. It’s a bit of a mouthful, but it’s important.
An Auxiliary Emergency Breathing System (commonly known as an Octopus or alternate air source when connected to the primary regulator) is a fundamental part of any diver’s kit, providing an emergency backup demand valve in case of primary demand valve failure and acting as an alternative source of air for a dive buddy.
The proposed minimum safety standards only require an alternate air source to be tested to 30 metres (98ft).
Apeks recognises that emergencies can happen beyond these limits and we are the first regulator manufacturer in the world to design, have independently tested and be awarded CE approval for alternate air source products which far exceed the proposed minimum requirements.
This means that an Apeks alternate air source matches the performance of the primary demand regulator that it is intended to work with, tested to depths of 50 metres (164ft) and in water temperatures below 10°C (50°F) where stated.
You can be confident that in an emergency or an out of air situation, your Apeks regulator can cope with the extra demand of your buddy breathing from your alternate air source and safely supply air to you both.
NORSOK Safety
You are at 200 metres (656ft) on a wreck. Then again you might not be, but it’s nice to know that Apeks regulators are extensively tested to perform at those depths and beyond.
The Norsok Standard U-101 accreditation is a demanding standard that was devised for equipment used by commercial divers in the petroleum industry. The regulators are tested to 200m (656ft) using a Heliox gas blend.
Apeks makes three of only four accredited regulators, the TEK 3, XTX200 AND XTX50. So whether you are at 20m (65.6ft) or 200m (656ft), there’s only one brand that you should trust – Apeks.
Diver Safety
Apeks products are designed and tested to thrive in the harshest of conditions. However, nothing replaces training, experience and common sense when it comes to any form of scuba diving. So while Apeks products can be found in some of the most demanding dive environments on Earth, never dive outside of your limits, whether that be in terms of your training, experience or physical ability.
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Iran, Pakistan Agree To Set Up Joint Border 'Reaction Force'
RFE
Iranian President Hassan Rohani and visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan have agreed to set up a joint border 'reaction force' to counter terrorism, Iranian state media reported.
'We agreed to create a joint rapid reaction force at the borders for combatting terrorism,' Rohani was quoted as saying on April 22 during a joint press conference with Khan, who was officially welcomed in the Iranian capital earlier in the day.
The announcement comes following tensions between the two countries who have in recent months accused each other of not doing enough to stamp out militants allegedly sheltering across the border.
Pakistan will not allow any militant group to operate from its soil, Khan said at the press conference while adding that the problem of terrorism was increasing differences between both countries.
'So it was very important for me to come here and come with our security chief that we resolve this issue,' Khan said.
Citing a militant attack on Pakistani security forces in Baluchistan on April 18, he said, Pakistans security chief will be meeting his Iranian counterpart on April 22 to discuss how both countries can cooperate in not allowing their soil to be used by militant groups.
Stressing that 'no third country' could harm Iran-Pakistan ties, an apparent reference to the United States, Rohani said Tehran was ready to boost trade and business ties with Islamabad.
For his part, Khan said his visit to Tehran aimed to 'find ways to increase trade and cooperation...in energy and other areas,' noting that two-way trade was 'very limited.'
Khan arrived in Iran on April 21 on his first official visit to the Islamic republic for talks set to focus on strengthening bilateral ties, fighting terrorism, and safeguarding borders, Iranian state media reported.
The two countries have in recent months accused each other of not doing enough to stamp out militants allegedly sheltering across the border.
The two-day trip started with a stopover in the holy city of Mashhad, where Khan visited the shrine of Imam Reza, who is revered by Shiite Muslims.
The visit comes a day after Pakistan asked Iran to take action against terrorist groups believed to be behind the killing of 14 Pakistani soldiers earlier this month.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on April 20 that 15 gunmen wearing military uniforms ambushed a bus in southwestern Balochistan Province on April 18, killing 14 Pakistani Army personnel.
Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said in a letter to the Iranian government that the assailants came from an alliance of three Baluch terrorist organizations based in Iran.
Qureshi told reporters that Khan would take up the matter with Iranian authorities.
Earlier this year, Iran called on Pakistan to take action against a militant group behind a deadly attack on the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
Twenty-seven IRGC members were killed in the February suicide car bombing near the border with Pakistan.
The Sunni Muslim extremist group Jaish al-Adl claimed responsibility for the attack in southeastern Iran.
With reporting by Reuters, AFP, IRNA, and dawn.com
Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Republished with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036
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Top confirmation names in the Archdiocese of Baltimore in 2017
George P. Matysek Jr.
George Matysek was named digital editor of the Archdiocese of Baltimore in 2017 following two decades at the Catholic Review, where he began as a writer and then served as senior correspondent, assistant managing editor and web editor.
In his current role, he manages archbalt.org and CatholicReview.org and is a host of the Catholic Baltimore radio program.
George has won more than 70 national and regional journalism awards from the Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association, the Catholic Press Association, the Associated Church Press and National Right to Life. He has reported from Guyana, Guatemala, Italy, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland.
A native Baltimorean, George is a proud graduate of Our Lady of Mount Carmel High School in Essex. He holds a bachelor's degree from Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore and a master's degree from UMBC.
George, his wife and five children live in Rodgers Forge, where they are parishioners of St. Pius X, Rodgers Forge/St. Mary of the Assumption, Govans.
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Why does Catholic Latin America need missionaries?
COCHABAMBA, Bolivia – Half a millennium has passed since missionaries arrived in what is now Latin America, and the region – which was then inhabited entirely by native peoples, some with complex civilizations – is now considered the most Catholic in the world.
So why does it need missionaries?
Meeting in Aparecida, Brazil, in 2007, the region’s bishops called for the Latin American church to be in a “permanent state of mission.”
The bishops realized that “Latin America is a continent of people who are baptized, but who are not really disciples, much less missionaries,” Jesuit Father Victor Codina, a theologian who lives in Bolivia, told Catholic News Service. “Many people have little sense of belonging to the church.”
Experts say that building a sense of belonging among Catholics and encouraging them to share their faith experience – which is the essence of missionary action – are challenges for the church in the region.
“You have to begin by encouraging people to have a spiritual or religious experience, which in technical terms is called mystagogy – initiation into the spiritual life,” Father Codina said. “Without that, there is no faith, no mission, no Christian life.”
At a symposium held in Cochabamba – a modern city with an indigenous Quechua face – in late August to mark the centennial of the U.S.-based Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, participants described challenges and new arenas for mission in Latin America.
Perhaps most important, they said, was viewing the church’s mission not as taking the Catholic faith to other people, but as a process of dialogue and developing relationships with others, especially those on the margins.
In Latin America, they said, that means listening to and learning from the people who lived in the region when the first Catholic missionaries arrived.
“There must be recognition of the values of the various indigenous people, who are the ones who suffered most from the impact of colonization,” said Franciscan Father Roberto Tomicha, who hails from a Chiquitano indigenous community in Bolivia’s eastern lowlands.
Today’s challenge is to establish a relationship of equals between the church and indigenous peoples, because the first European missionaries “had a paternalistic mentality,” Father Tomicha said. “We were considered to be like children who never grew up.”
According to Calixto Quispe, a permanent deacon in the El Alto Diocese outside La Paz who learned traditional Aymara rituals from his grandfather, the church needs “dialogue between cultures; dialogue between generations, between parents and the children of today; interreligious dialogue; and dialogue with problems in society.”
The role of the missionary, he said, is “to accompany that dialogue, valuing what should be valued and prophetically denouncing what must be denounced.”
Father Raymond Finch, former Maryknoll superior general and director of Maryknoll’s Latin American Mission Center in Cochabamba, agreed.
“One of the challenges is dialogue with indigenous spirituality and the indigenous world view. This is a second chance, 500 years after the conquest, of actually beginning a dialogue. It’s an opportunity to make up for past errors, and it’s very important if we’re talking about mission,” he said.
“Mission is going beyond ourselves to others, to share our experience of God and to discover their experience,” Father Finch said. If Catholics in Latin America do not do that with the largest group of people in the region who have a different world view, “what kind of mission are we talking about?”
From its beginnings as a language school for foreign missionaries, the Maryknoll center in Cochabamba has expanded its programs to provide comprehensive mission education for students from throughout Latin America. Some 400 people have completed the center’s programs, Father Finch said.
Recent additions to the curriculum include a diploma program on citizenship and intercultural ethics and another on Andean cosmovision and the Quechua language, aimed at schoolteachers.
“They don’t sound like missionary topics, but they are,” Father Finch said. “If you can help people feel more comfortable in their identity, then they’re more free to share it, and I think that’s a missionary contribution.”
Besides recognizing the history and cultural identity of the region’s indigenous people, responding to the Latin American bishops’ exhortation at Aparecida means addressing the rapid social changes that have occurred in the past few decades, said Dominican Sister Gabriela Zengarini, an Argentine theologian.
The shift from a predominantly rural, agrarian society to a primarily urban one has posed challenges to which the church has yet to respond effectively, she said. Those changes are amplified by the impact of economic globalization, with greater access to technology and communication, increased migration, consumerism and a faster pace of life.
But while most Latin American countries have seen significant economic growth in the past decade, largely spurred by high international prices for minerals and petroleum, millions of Latin Americans – especially indigenous people, women and children – still live in poverty, and income distribution is among the most unequal in the world.
The goal of mission is “for people to have life and have it in abundance,” Sister Gabriela said. “In Latin America, we still have a long way to go before people have life in abundance.”
The bishops’ exhortation at Aparecida calls all baptized people to become missionaries in their neighborhoods, communities and workplaces.
“The beautiful thing about Aparecida – which still needs to be put into practice – is that every believer is a disciple and a missionary,” Sister Gabriela said. Like the Samaritan woman who met Jesus at the well, they are called to encounter Christ and spread the word.
But in contrast with earlier views of mission, she said, “good news is not imposed – good news is shared.”
The Catholic Review is the official publication of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
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See More of Maria Sharapova's Dazzling California Residence
Step Inside Maria Sharapova's Sun-Drenched L.A. Home
Mayer Rus
Under the California Sun
A Mediterranean-Inspired Oasis Blooms in Los Angeles
Peter Haldeman
Mary E. Nichols
You have less than a year to decorate an 18,000-square-foot Tuscan-style villa. Please add a screening room, a screening room lounge and, while you're at it, a billiards room. Nervous? "I chewed my nails," admits Mark Boone, the Los Angeles–based interior designer who recently completed such a mission. "They didn't want to furnish it piecemeal, and it was a little overwhelming to do one big production. But it was also one of the most exciting projects I've done."
It helped that Boone knows the clients well. "They're like family," he says. Over the last dozen years he and his partner, Mimi London, of London Boone, have worked on the couple's French-style residence in San Francisco, their country house in Sonoma (see Architectural Digest, September 1993) and their contemporary getaway in Palm Springs. It helped, too, that he considers them exceptionally "realistic, decisive, clear and focused." And it didn't hurt that their new house, on Los Angeles's Westside, had the romance of a Medici palazzo. "The gates sweep open, and there's an allée of olive trees, and you're transported," says Boone.
"It's an Italian house, and modern furniture wouldn't work. What does work is the combination of antiques and modern art. We played chess with the pieces."
Only four years old, the house has deep porticoes and loggias, and the generous use of tile, brick and rubblestone distinguishes the exterior. Inside, soaring ceilings are vaulted or coffered, walls are finished with Venetian plaster, floors are made of wood and reclaimed French stone. But when Boone began the project, the place was cavernously bare. To provide the couple with a place to stay when they were in town during the design process, Boone started with the guesthouse—an airy second-story apartment accessed from the main house by an arched bridge over the motor court. He designed it to simulate "a suite at the Hotel Bel-Air," with a sunny terrace and a pastel palette inside.
In the main house, Boone started from the ground up. "By the time I was hired, I was already off and running, looking for museum-quality antique rugs for the house. We came back here with probably 10 rugs for every room and had a whole day of yea and nay." Each selection served as a jumping-off point for that room's colors. The golden hues of a 19th-century Ushak set the tone for the living room; another Ushak suggested a slate-blue palette for the family room; a hand-hooked rug brought the verdant energy of the garden into the dining room. A strain of soft terra-cotta helped link the rooms and amplify the Tuscan spirit.
Approachable is the word often used by Boone and the clients to describe the design. "I told Mark we didn't want the Ritz in Paris, we wanted the Bristol," says the husband. "My test for every room is, Is there a place where I can lie down and read a book?'" Comfort for gatherings large and small was critical, and Boone strove for flexibility: A pair of round Italian-inspired tables in the dining room expand from five feet across to seven feet across, and seating arrangements in the living room are easily reconfigured.
The first piece he acquired was a honey-colored 18th-century Italian inlaid chest for the living room that, like most of the antiques, is elegant without being ponderous. "It's an Italian house, and modern furniture wouldn't work," says Boone. "What does work is the combination of antiques and modern art. They have a big collection, and we played chess with the pieces, seeing what worked where." A vibrant de Kooning highlights the entrance hall; large black-and-white canvases by Sol LeWitt and Ellsworth Kelly anchor the family room; antic bronze figures by William Kentridge animate the living room and dining room mantels. All of these rooms open to the gardens that envelop the house, and the splash of fountains and the scent of roses also help ward off stuffiness.
The entertainment-oriented rooms that Boone built around an existing wine cellar were intended as "fun spaces." He designed the screening room (his first) to recall "an old-fashioned movie house from the '20s or '30s," with a barrel-vaulted gold-leafed ceiling, traditional theater seating and deep-fringed stage curtains. Nick and Nora Charles inspired the lounge off the screening room, and one can easily picture the Thin Man duo amid the damask-upholstered walls and Déco furnishings. The billiards room feels more like a classic gentlemen's club, with carved plaster ceiling tiles and snooker chairs.
These rooms get a lot of use, but then the whole house is well utilized—by grandchildren, nieces and nephews, too. "It's more of a family house than a big-time party house," says the husband. Still, his wife adds, "it's also great just with the two of us. It's a reflection of Mark's ability that we never feel like we're being swallowed up."
Explore20062010magazine05ad100interiordesigner:Mark Boone of London Boone
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Microsoft SharePoint taking business by storm
The versatile Microsoft server may not be perfect, but it is attracting interest as tool to address anything from collaboration to process management
John Fontana (Network World) 27 March, 2008 08:32
Impact Systems Technology
Microsoft's SharePoint Server is on a billion dollar juggernaut to potentially become the next must-have technology, offering companies tools for building everything from collaborative applications to Internet sites and potentially handing Microsoft its next cash cow.
"I have not seen anything like this since the early days of [Lotus] Notes," says Mike Gotta, an analyst with the Burton Group. In those days, corporate users were enamored with a shiny new technology that seemed to have infinite uses. "The talk [around SharePoint] is getting strategic now and people are talking about it as a middleware decision," Gotta says.
Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) 2007 is the fastest growing product in the company's history and seems to have as many uses as a Swiss Army knife. Its six focus areas are collaboration, portal, search, enterprise content management (ECM), business process management and business intelligence.
Just last month, Microsoft added a hosted alternative to fuel adoption. There is a "perfect storm," observers say, around SharePoint in terms of the popularity of Web-based computing, demand for less-expensive ECM and portal tools, collaboration technology and integration around Microsoft's Office suite.
The attention is a wake up call for competitors, especially IBM/Lotus, as SharePoint could pull customers to other Microsoft software because it is closely integrated with Microsoft's unified communications stack, its e-mail server, Office and Office applications including back-end file sharing repositories for Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
SharePoint was first introduced in 2001 to less than lukewarm reviews as SharePoint Portal Server. In 2003, a stripped down version was offered for free as part of Windows Server 2003 R2, which made it easy for users to test drive the software and soon end-user created team worksites began popping up all over corporate networks.
In 2008, SharePoint has evolved into the prototypical Microsoft tool -- good enough for small-to-midsize businesses, adaptable to large enterprises, and, most important, plenty of financial opportunities for third-party independent software vendors and systems integrators.
Partners involved in everything from directory management to archiving to single sign-on are reporting that SharePoint is improving their own revenue.
In March, Bill Gates, Microsoft's chief software architect, said SharePoint had passed 100 million licenses sold, had attracted 17,000 user companies, and eclipsed US$1 billion in sales for his company.
Many critics dispute the licensing number but not the message that SharePoint is on fire.
SharePoint, however, isn't without issues that users should consider, including the fact that it does not scale well given the way it stores data in SQL Server, a concern Microsoft is working to answer in the next version likely to ship in 2009.
Or that its social networking tools are considered rudimentary, that SharePoint's portal capabilities still don't measure up to enterprise-class platforms and that the server takes customizations to make it truly sing.
"I think there is going to be some buyer's remorse," Gotta says.
SharePoint does many things, but scaling is not one of them. SharePoint stores everything in SQL Server in what amounts to one universal table, which leads to lots of on-the-wire traffic and a Microsoft recommendation of only 2,000 items per list. By contrast, IBM WebSphere permits hundreds of millions of items per list.
The social networking tools are uninspiring and Microsoft is partnering with NewsGator (feed reader) and Atlassian (wiki) to cover bases, which will lead to inevitable feature clashes as SharePoint evolves.
"Compared to what is out there today, Microsoft's Web 2.0 tools look old and very static and are clunky and difficult to use," says Oliver Young, an analyst with Forrester.
More from Schneider Electric
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ArrestedMotion.net
Eminem, Marshal Mathers, Slim Shady. Where to begin? One of the most debated recording artists of all time, with an attitude and a drug problem, Eminem makes for one hell of a role model. When I was young I first started to listen to Eminem and fell in love with his music. Unfortunately at the time I was not old enough to comprehend the explicit lyrics he would scream into the microphone, but I certainly regurgitated them as if they were my own. (So much so it would get me into trouble). Personally, I believe that Eminem is one of the most underrated musicians of all time, his skill level surpasses those still recording today, and his lyrical intelligence matches the greatest minds of all time. His music describes the life of an abused child, a drug addicted teen and the life of a white rapper is a primarily African-American culture. Something I could never relate to, but still feel a connection when I listen to his music.
This is the most compelling album I have ever listened to, it talks about drug addiction and the struggle of growing up a small kid in a big world. This was the album I fell in love with, each track tells a different story, from a different high, to a different struggle.
The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. "Eminem (American Musician)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2014. This was an article i read when I was first getting into rap music. This inspired me to listen to Eminem, and really understand the life he went through to get to where he is today. This also gives readers the chance to respond to the criticism and hype he receives on a daily basis.
"Eminem." MTV Artists. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2014. MTV is a great source to view older articles about Eminem, from his arrests during the early years of his career, to his original songs and underground mix tapes that he composed before becoming who he is today.
"EMINEM." Www.eminem.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2014. This is Eminem's home page, a cite where fans can follow the latest news, music, and tours. Its also a place where fans can exchange thoughts about Eminem and articles including family life and home struggles he may be going through.
“The aim of every artist is to arrest motion, which is life, by artificial means and hold it fixed so that a hundred years later, when a stranger looks at it, it moves again since it is life.” –William Faulkner
BLIND MELON
Eminem, Marshal Mathers, Slim Shady. Where to...
Dragon Ball Z Abridged
Tim Bergling (Avicii)
Radiohead!
Fyodor Dostoevsky 1821 - 1881 <!--[if gte vml 1]...
Michelangelo (1475 – 1564)
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Top 10: National Parks
Jasper Anson
With such a giant landscape to work with, the United States holds a multitude of national parks for local and international tourists to sample any time of the year. Depending on when you visit and where you visit, chances are you'll see something new each time, and certainly something vastly different from the city life that some of us have grown accustomed to.
In putting together our list of the top 10 national parks, we are taking a number of different factors into account: First, we looked at parks that are significant to visitors in their historical or ecological roots (no pun intended). Secondly, we looked at national parks that aren't exclusively summer destinations. Finally, we took interesting wildlife and natural scenery into account. While there are a number of parks in the same state or region that could qualify, we have made an effort to choose national parks from as many different areas as possible.
Here are our picks for the best national parks in the country.
Home to striking rock formations, fossil beds, and rich prairie lands, Badlands National Park has been a stomping ground for Native Americans, fossil hunters and homesteaders for hundreds of years, and it lands at No. 10 on our top 10 national parks list. The park's diverse terrain is mainly due to sediments from the early Rocky Mountains, which traveled through streams and changed the landscape over millions of years.
Aspiring palaeontologists will be at home at Badlands. Here, you can expect to find fossilized remnants of rhinos, horses and turtles, among other things. As far as modern-day plants and animals go, the park is marked by a colorful array of wildflowers, hundreds of birds and mammals like bison and prairie dogs. Also of note is the black-footed ferret, the continent's most endangered species, which was recently brought into the Badlands. Lastly, a unique way to enjoy the park is on horseback: Horses can stay at the Sage Creek Campground with visitors. Just be sure to provide ample food and water, since horses are unlikely to drink the park's water.
Denali National Park & Preserve
First coined as a national park in 1917, the six-million acre plus Denali National Park and Preserve was home to Native Americans over 10,000 years ago, and the park is well-known today as the home of Mt. McKinley, North America's tallest mountain. With a habitat that ranges from forest to tundra to glacier, depending on elevation, the park boasts a high density of wildlife that includes grizzly bears, Dall sheep, wolves, squirrels, migratory birds, and lynx. The degree of wildlife in Denali is such that park staff monitor the movements of large animals to ensure that their interactions with humans are minimal.
Speaking of humans, there are about 400,000 visitors to Denali each year, with most arriving during the summer months and a few brave souls enduring the cold days of winter. Even in the warmest months (which reach daily highs of 75F), visitors can expect a mixture of rain and sun before the day is over. Denali is ideal for hiking and tenting, whether it's easily accessible wilderness camping or more remote backcountry camping.
On a quest to find gold fields in the mid-19th century, a group of explorers made their way through Death Valley and gave the area its name when one of their members didn't survive the unforgiving heat. Now the largest park in the country, Death Valley also features Badwater Basin, the Western Hemisphere's lowest point at 282 feet below sea level, and Telescope Peak, which stands over 11,000 feet high. With temperatures rising well over 100F in the summer, Death Valley is best experienced during the cooler months.
The extreme temperatures of Death Valley don't lend themselves to a lot of visible wildlife (most stay out of sight during the day), but there's no shortage of sights and activities for visitors. The Artist Drive is a collection of mineral-stained rocks that resemble an artistic creation, while the Devil's Golf Course is a visually striking field of oddly shaped salt crystals. Hikers will like the scenic Zabriskie Point and daredevils can try the Badwater ultramarathon, which runs from the depths of Badwater all the way up to Mt. Whitney's main trail.
National parks are great for family weekends and a way to escape city life...
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Mario Lopez Has a Lot on His Plate — Just How He Wants It
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Beetle (JR Kyushu)
Goliath tracked mine
Movie Characters
Beetles are a group of insects that form the order Coleoptera /koʊliːˈɒptərə/. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek κολεός, koleos, meaning "sheath"; and πτερόν, pteron, meaning "wing", thus "sheathed wing", because most beetles have two pairs of wings, the front pair, the "elytra", being hardened and thickened into a shell-like protection for the rear pair and the beetle's abdomen.
Taxonomy and evolution
The Coleopterans include more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known types of animal life forms. About 450,000 species of beetles occur – representing about 40% of all known insects. Some estimates put the total number of species, described and undescribed, at as high as 100 million, but a figure of one million is more widely accepted. Such a large number of species poses special problems for classification, with some families consisting of thousands of species and needing further division into subfamilies and tribes. This immense number of species allegedly led evolutionary biologist J. B. S. Haldane to quip, when some theologians asked him what could be inferred about the mind of the Creator from the works of His Creation, that God displayed "an inordinate fondness for beetles".
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/Beetle
Beetle (ビートル, Bītoru) is a hydrofoil ferry service that travels between Fukuoka, Japan and Busan, South Korea. It is operated by JR Kyushu Jet Ferry, a division of Kyushu Railway Company.
Although journey times are longer, ferry travel is generally much cheaper than flying, with direct connections available between several major Japanese port cities and China, Korea and Russia.
Ferry schedules are subject to seasonal changes and may vary according to the weather.
Beetle Ferries provide two seating areas and a duty-free shop.
Departure processing starts 2.5 hours before departure and ends 1 hour before departure. Passengers must fill out a boarding pass before travelling.
Arrival/Departure Cards
Arrival cards are required to enter Japan are available on the ferry. They can be filled out at the time as the Korean departure card.
The departure card (from Korea) must be filled out in Korean, while the arrival card for entry into Japan must be written either in Chinese characters or English.
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/Beetle_(JR_Kyushu)
The Goliath tracked mine - complete German name: Leichter Ladungsträger Goliath (Sd.Kfz. 302/303a/303b) - was a remote controlled German-engineered demolition vehicle, also known as the beetle tank to the Allies.
Employed by the Wehrmacht during World War II. It carried 60 or 100 kilograms (130 or 220 lb) of high explosives, depending on the model, and was intended to be used for multiple purposes, such as destroying tanks, disrupting dense infantry formations, and demolition of buildings and bridges.
Development and use
In late 1940, after recovering the prototype of a miniature tracked vehicle developed by the French vehicle designer Adolphe Kégresse near the Seine, the Wehrmacht's ordnance office directed the Carl F.W. Borgward automotive company of Bremen, Germany to develop a similar vehicle for the purpose of carrying a minimum of 50 kg of explosives. The result was the SdKfz. 302 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug, ‘special-purpose vehicle’), called the Leichter Ladungsträger (‘light charge carrier’), or Goliath, which carried 60 kilograms (130 lb) of explosives. The vehicle was steered remotely via a joystick control box. The control box was attached to the Goliath by a triple-strand cable connected to the rear of the vehicle, for transmitting power to the electric driven version. Two of the strands were used to move and steer the Goliath, while the third was used for detonation. The Goliath had 650 metres (2,130 ft) of cable. Each Goliath was disposable, being intended to be blown up with its target. Early model Goliaths used an electric motor but, as these were costly to make (3000 Reichsmarks) and difficult to repair in a combat environment, later models (known as the SdKfz. 303) used a simpler, more reliable gasoline engine.
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/Goliath_tracked_mine
'Beetle' is featured as a movie character in the following productions:
Profilez (2014)
Actors: Mobolaji Agbaje (actor), Camrus Johnson (actor), Nitin Madan (actor), Hannibal Miles (actor), Michael Momphery (actor), Nikki Padilla (actor), Craig Thomas Rivela (actor), Alex Salmaniego (actor), Valeria Angel (producer), Alyssa Barbanell (producer), A. Richard Fernandez (producer), Dan Enrique Fernandez (producer), Lilia Fernandez (producer), Camrus Johnson (producer), Matthew Ritacco (producer),
Plot: Profilez is about a Black NY teen caught within a racial profiling and Stop-and-Frisk era. Worm strolls his Brooklyn neighborhood on his way home from having lunch, but gets stopped in his tracks by a meddlesome crew of hoodlums and a lingering White cop. He just wants to get home with no trouble!
Genres: Drama, Short,
Jailbirds (1991)
Actors: Ritch Brinkley (actor), Jon Bruno (actor), Wayne Dehart (actor), Vernon Grote (actor), Grainger Hines (actor), David Knell (actor), Clyde Kusatsu (actor), Dennis Letts (actor), Albert Linton (actor), Dakin Matthews (actor), Spencer Prokop (actor), Ahmad Rashad (actor), T.E. Russell (actor), Maria Arita (actress), Joe Berryman (actor),
Genres: Action, Comedy,
Count It Higher: Great Music Videos from Sesame Street (1988)
Actors: Christopher Cerf (actor), Christopher Cerf (actor), Christopher Cerf (actor), Kevin Clash (actor), Jim Henson (actor), Jim Henson (actor), Jim Henson (actor), Richard Hunt (actor), Richard Hunt (actor), Richard Hunt (actor), Noel MacNeal (actor), Noel MacNeal (actor), Jeff Moss (actor), Thad Mumford (actor), Jerry Nelson (actor),
Genres: Comedy, Family, Music, Short,
The No Mercy Man (1973)
Actors: David Booth (actor), Richard Collier (actor), Sid Haig (actor), Chris Kelly (actor), Mike Lane (actor), Russell Morrell (actor), Daniel Oaks (actor), Michael Prichard (actor), Jess Riggle (actor), Steve Sandor (actor), Tom Scott (actor), Richard X. Slattery (actor), Rockne Tarkington (actor), Paul Thomas (actor), Ron Thompson (actor),
Genres: Action, Drama,
Taglines: You Damn Well Won't Forget Him! What did they do to the nicest town in the county to make it erupt in revenge? What did they do to the All-American boy to make him explode into The No-Mercy Man If you cross him...he'll kill ya!...Stone dead! He was war, then peace left the city.
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971)
Actors: John Allen (actor), John Amos (actor), Mikel Angel (actor), Michael Augustus (actor), Vincent Barbi (actor), Simon Chuckster (actor), Steve Cole (actor), Jerry Days (actor), John Dullaghan (actor), Nick Ferrari (actor), Norman Fields (actor), West Gale (actor), Jeff Goodman (actor), Ted Hayden (actor), Bruce Adams (actor),
Plot: Melvin Van Peebles wrote, directed, produced, edited, composed and starred in this powerful and inflammatory attack on White America. After the body of a black man is discovered, Sweetback helps two white 'acquaintances' in the police force to look good by agreeing to go with them to the station as a suspect. But he is forced to go on the run after brutally attacking the two policemen when they arrest and beat up a young black man.
Keywords: 1940s, 1970s, african-american, african-american-child, african-americans, anti-racism, avant-garde, betrayal, biker, biker-babe
Genres: Crime, Drama, Thriller,
Taglines: The Film that THE MAN doesn't want you to see! Rated X by an all white jury Dedicated to all the Brothers and Sisters who have had enough of the Man Sweet Sweetback will never die a natural death. You bled my Momma--You bled my Poppa--But you won't bleed me.
Muravyishka-khvastunishka (1961)
Actors: Aleksei Gribov (actor), Anatoliy Papanov (actor), Grigoriy Shpigel (actor), Georgiy Vitsin (actor), Irina Kartashyova (actress), Galina Novozhilova (actress), Elena Ponsova (actress), Mariya Vinogradova (actress), Vitalii Bianki (writer), Mikhail Volpin (writer), Eduard Kolmanovsky (composer), Vladimir Polkovnikov (director), Z. Pavlova (miscellaneous crew),
Genres: Animation,
The Dude Goes West (1948)
Actors: Eddie Albert (actor), Paul Bryar (actor), Roy Bucko (actor), Sonny Chorre (actor), Iron Eyes Cody (actor), Victor Cox (actor), Dick Elliott (actor), Frank Ellis (actor), Tom Fadden (actor), Douglas Fowley (actor), Edward Gargan (actor), James Gleason (actor), Herman Hack (actor), Chick Hannan (actor), Roger Alan (actor),
Plot: Daniel Bone ('Eddie Albert (I)' (qv)) leaves his Bowery gunsmith shop in New York City to seek his fortune in the American West, and, on the train, meets Liza Crockett (Gale Storm'), also heading west, where her father had been murdered after discovering a gold mine. The Pecos Kid ('Gilbert Roland (I)') tries to steal Liz's map to the mine, but is accidentally foiled by Dan'l. Liz and Dan'l part, after a quarrel, but meet again in Arsenic City where the mine is located.
Keywords: 1870s, 19th-century, b-movie, b-western, bowery-manhattan-new-york-city, cigarette-smoking, claim-in-title, drinking, drummer, drunkenness
Genres: Comedy, Western,
Taglines: HE WAS A GOOD MAN...AMONG THE BAD! (original print media ad - all caps)
Texas Jack Barton: Man alive! Where did a DUDE learn to shoot like that?::Daniel Bone: I told you. I'm a gunsmith. How would I know if I fixed a gun right if I couldn't shoot?
Fighting Caballero (1935)
Actors: Pinky Barnes (actor), Budd Buster (actor), Ed Carey (actor), George Chesebro (actor), Earl Douglas (actor), Paul Ellis (actor), Franklyn Farnum (actor), Barney Furey (actor), Herman Hack (actor), Marty Joyce (actor), Rex Lease (actor), Carl Mathews (actor), Clyde McClary (actor), Milburn Morante (actor), George Morrell (actor),
Plot: When her mine foreman is killed, the owner arrives to investigate. Also on hand are two agents working undercover as Mexicans. Jackson has taken over control of the mine and is using it for his counterfeiting operation. The two agents go to work and soon uncover Jackson's operation.
Keywords: mining
Genres: Western,
beetleslive.com
Rave On, Buddy Holly
Peggy Sue, Buddy Holly
Oh Boy!, Buddy Holly
It's So Easy, Buddy Holly
Heartbeat, Buddy Holly
Everyday, Buddy Holly
Dearest, Buddy Holly
Blue Days, Black Nights, Buddy Holly
Blue Suede Shoes, Buddy Holly
Because I Love You, Buddy Holly
Shake, Rattle & Roll, Buddy Holly
Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues (Single), Buddy Holly
(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care, Buddy Holly
Eath Angel, Buddy Holly
Changing All Those Changes (Overdubbed Version), Buddy Holly
Wishing, Buddy Holly
Learning The Game (Overdubbed Version), Buddy Holly
Blue Monday, Buddy Holly
Lonesome Tears, Buddy Holly
Listen To Me (Single Version), Buddy Holly
Send Me Some Lovin', Buddy Holly
Maybe Baby, Buddy Holly
That'll Be The Day, Buddy Holly
Gone, Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly, Buddy Holly
Reminiscing, Buddy Holly
Well...all Right, Buddy Holly
Take Your Time, Buddy Holly
True Love Ways, Buddy Holly
Empty Cup (And A Broken Date), Buddy Holly
Baby It's Love, Buddy Holly
Last Night, Buddy Holly
Rock-a-bye Rock, Buddy Holly
Don't Come Back Knockin', Buddy Holly
Ain't Got No Home, Buddy Holly
Memories, Buddy Holly
Baby Let's Play House, Buddy Holly
Baby, Won't You Come Out Tonight (Overdubbed Version), Buddy Holly
Love's Made A Fool Of You, Buddy Holly
Love Me, Buddy Holly
Look at Me, Buddy Holly
Rock Me My Baby, Buddy Holly
Little Baby, Buddy Holly
Fool's Paradise, Buddy Holly
Rock Around With Ollie Vee (Alternate Version), Buddy Holly
Think It Over, Buddy Holly
It Doesn't Matter Anymore (Stereo), Buddy Holly
Bo Diddley, Buddy Holly
Brown Eyed Handsome Man (Overdubbed Version), Buddy Holly
Raining In My Heart, Buddy Holly
1. We-he-he-hell, little things you say and domake me want to be with yo-hu-hu.
Rave on, it's a crazy feeling andI know it's got me reelin',
when you say : I love you ! Rave on.
2. The way you dance and hold me tight,
the way you kiss and say goodni-hi-hight,
when you say : I love you ! Rave on
Well, rave on it's a crazy feeling,
and I know, it's got me reelin',
I'm so glad that you're leaving you love for me.Rave on, rave on and tell me, tell me not to be lonely,
Latest News for: beetle
Blame it on the rain: Why DC area is experiencing a beetle invasion
Wtop 16 Jul 2019
area homeowners can blame it on the rain if they are seeing a lot more beetles crawling around their houses that are gobbling up their plants ... “Seems to be a perfect storm of leaf-eating scarab beetles at this moment in time,” said the Bug Guy Mike Raupp, an entomologist with the University of Maryland ... Japanese beetles can ruin plants in the garden....
Bugged out: VW Beetle was quirky, affordable
Toledo Blade 15 Jul 2019
The “Bug” is gone. Perhaps one of the most memorable cars for Baby Boomers and others, the likable Volkswagen Beetle is no longer being made. It is a cultural loss ... ....
Scout fields as Japanese beetles emerge
Ravalli Republic 15 Jul 2019
Japanese beetles — along with a complex of other insects, such as bean leaf beetles, grasshoppers and several caterpillar species — can contribute to defoliation in soybeans ......
Lego Volkswagen Beetle - the weekend build
Moneycontrol 15 Jul 2019
Lego Volkswagen Beetle - the weekend build ....
Tennessee Japanese beetle population expected to grow after two wet summers
Knox News 15 Jul 2019
With an unusually wet spring, the Japanese beetle is thriving and, due to all the rain the last few summers, are likely to have a population boom next summer. Experts weigh in on how to protect trees, gardens and lawn from destruction .......
What are Japanese beetles?
Japanese beetles, large beetles with bronze backs and metallic green heads, appear each year in the summer to chomp away at leaves on trees and plants .......
FINUCANE: It’s time to fight Japanese beetles in your garden
The Argus Press 15 Jul 2019
I’ve spotted my first Japanese beetle of the season. ....
The last VW Beetle has rolled off the assembly line — but here are some 2-door cars you can still buy for $35,000 or less
Business Insider 15 Jul 2019
With the last VW Beetles having rolled off the assembly line in Mexico, there's one less inexpensive two-door to choose from ... ....
Financial assistance available for private landowners to combat destructive southern pine beetle
Suwannee Democrat 15 Jul 2019
PERRY — The Florida Forest Service announced Monday that applications are now being accepted for the 2019 Southern Pine Beetle Assistance and Prevention Program ... The last major southern pine beetle outbreaks occurred between 1999 and 2002, resulting in an estimated $59 million in timber losses....
Japanese Beetles Are On The Move In Corn And Soybeans
Agweb 15 Jul 2019
Look for Japanese beetles in both corn and soybeans, and be prepared to take action. Ferrie says his concern is getting the corn crop pollinated before Japanese beetles do any significant silk clipping ... Silk clipping after pollination does not affect yield potential. In soybeans, the plants often are able to compensate for damage the beetles cause....
The last VW Beetle has rolled off the assembly line - but here are some 2-door cars you can still buy for $35,000 or less
The final Volkswagen Beetle has left the assembly line, and with it's discontinuation, ... With the last VW Beetles having rolled off the assembly line in Mexico, there's one less inexpensive two-door to choose from ... The Beetle Final Edition SEL that I recently tested cost $27,000....
The Beetle just got squashed by an SUV
Gulf News 15 Jul 2019
. Car launches are 10-a-penny so it’s very rare that a particular model’s demise captures the world’s attention. The Volkswagen Beetle, the last of which rolled off the production line in Mexico, was no ordinary vehicle though ... VW’s famous entreaty to Beetle customers to “think small” hasn’t worked out ... Tougher emissions standards ... — Bloomberg. ....
FRANKFURT, Germany — ... ....
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John Mayer releases "Clarity" single
"Clarity" is a song by John Mayer, sparsely arranged with piano and drums provided, in part, by The Roots drummer Questlove.
It was the second single from Mayer's 2003 album Heavier Things. The song's meaning is not immediately clear. Some interpretations have characterized the song as being about coming to terms with a relationship, while others have interpreted the song as being about a person's own self-perception. At his February 28, 2007, show at Madison Square Garden, John introduced "Clarity" as a song written about the first few seconds after waking up in the morning when you don't remember about all of the problems and worries in your life.
At the "Soundstage with Buddy Guy" concert, Mayer explained the song as one of the best he's done, in that it's the best in portraying his thoughts and feelings.
"Clarity" peaked at #13 on the Billboard Adult Top 40 chart and #25 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.
This song was covered by Najee in his album Rising Sun in 2007.
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The Boy Scouts of America Celebrates its 100th Anniversary
About 45,000 Boy Scouts and their leaders from around the country gathered in Virginia to celebrate Boy Scouts of America's 100th anniversary, only a small number of the people that have been touched by the program of kindness, training and hard work that British war hero Robert Baden-Powell started at the turn of the last century.
The first scout rally in London in 1909 brought together 10,000 boys and some girls interested in learning skills and building character.
Source: 'Boy Scouts celebrate 100th anniversary in U.S.'; Eileen Fitzgerald, Danbury News-Times, August 6, 2010. Added by: Colin Harris
Nearly 45,000 Boy Scouts from across the United States and from around the world are camping outdoors for 10 days of fun and adventure as the youth organization celebrates 100 years of scouting. Every four years the Boy Scouts of America holds its national jamboree, a large scale celebration that recognizes the organization's objectives of developing character, physical fitness and citizenship through community and outdoor activities.
The Boy Scouts National Jamboree is the crown jewel celebration for the organization that strives to develop positive qualities in boys through outdoor activities. Tens of thousands of Scouts from all 50 states and 26 other countries come to the United States every four years for 10 days of adventure and fun.
Source: 'Boy Scouts Celebrate 100th Anniversary During National Jamboree'; Chris Simkins, July 31, 2010, www1.voanews.com Added by: Colin Harris
The U.S. Postal Service gave the Boy Scouts of America its stamp of approval with the release of the Scouting stamp that went on sale yesterday.
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the national organization, the postal service commissioned the 44-cent stamp on which illustrator Craig Frazier depicts a backpacking Scout and a silhouette of a Scout overlooking the landscape. The stamp was unveiled in November at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum.
"The postal service receives over 50,000 stamp proposals a year. Creating the Scouting stamp speaks volumes of the significance of Scouting in America," said Robert Mazzuca, chief Scout executive of the Boy Scouts of America.
Source: 'New stamp marks Boy Scouts' 100th anniversary'; Althea Fung, Richmond Times-Dispatch, July 28, 2010. Added by: Colin Harris
View other events that happened on February 8
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WOW Blog
Magical Animation Workshop at Tramshed
Llun, Maw 26th, 2018 Written by Rhowan Alleyne
On Saturday we welcomed Cardiff families to a magical animation workshop facilitated by Lauren, Chris and Dani from Cardiff Animation Festival.
Take a look at some of the work they made, inspired by Studio Ponoc's Mary and the Witch's Flower.
WOW FILM FESTIVAL 2018
Banned Chinese gangster animation comes to Wales
Llun, Maw 12th, 2018 Ysgrifennwyd gan Dani Abram
‘The film that was banned from the Annecy International Animated Film Festival,’ while being a somewhat click-baity headline, is the reason you might have heard of this Chinese independent animated feature film. Have A Nice Day was programmed in competition in the world’s largest celebration of animation in 2017, but was suddenly removed from the festival’s line up just the week before. The festival cited ‘official pressures’ and that the decision was ‘imposed on them,’ by (what was largely reported at the time as) Chinese government officials.
I was attending the 2017 festival and, let me tell you, nothing makes me want to watch a film more than a government not allowing me to! The film was successfully released to a handful of other international animation festivals following the furore at Annecy, however, I didn’t get my chance to see what the fuss was about. Imagine my delight, then, on finding out it was coming to my home city!
WOW's 50% F-Rated programme
Maw, Maw 6th, 2018 Written by Rhowan Alleyne
It’s International Women’s Day this week (March 8th) and by way of marking the celebrations, it’s traditional for WOW to train it’s lens on women’s filmmaking around the world. Usually we focus on the handful of F-Rated movies in the current festival programme, but this year something different has happened. For the first time, 50% of the WOW Festival programme is F-Rated.
Since announcing this, we’ve been praised for being “groundbreaking”, but considering that approximately half of humanity would describe themselves as women or girls, the fact that half the films in WOW’s programme have been made by women shouldn’t really be anything remarkable, right? 100 years on from (some British, mostly white and wealthy) women first gaining the right to vote, shouldn’t this ground have been broken a long time ago?
Although 2018 coincides with both the centenary of women’s suffrage and the popularity of #metoo, this year’s 50% F-Rated programme hasn’t been a conscious response to either. Rather, it’s come about through a long-term commitment to sharing films made by women around the world, and a deep appreciation for the interesting ways that women’s voices can shed light on particular experiences.
That said, if there’s one film in this year’s festival that does tie into the mood of #metoo, it has to be Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania’s tense and at times nightmarish Beauty and the Dogs, in which a young woman, Mariam, fights back against the normalization of evil. From Mariam’s perspective, the trauma of a rape and its aftermath is cruel, but for the hospital staff and the police she encounters, it’s just another day at work. The difference between these two attitudes, that of personal tragedy and the insensitivity of institutions, defines the tone of the film.
Heavenly Nomadic to launch 2018 WOW Film Festival
Llun, Ion 8th, 2018 Written by Rhowan Alleyne
We're delighted to confirm that Heavenly Nomadic is to open the 2018 WOW Film Festival at Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea on Tuesday 13 March!
WOW’s special focus for 2018 is ‘Tales from the Silk Road’, a cinematic journey across the heart of the world. Following the ancient trade networks from China through Mongolia and Central Asia to the Mediterranean, this programme presents some outstanding films that have won festival awards across the world. At Taliesin we are featuring the beautiful Heavenly Nomadic from Krygyzstan about a family of horse breeders. With its wistful humour, this is a warm, atmospheric, sweet natured tale about nomadic traditions that are slowly disappearing from the magnificent mountains of Central Asia.
Set on the shores of the Caspian Sea the visually striking The Gulls plays out amongst the striking cultural mix of Kalmkyia, the only country in Europe where Buddhism is the national religion.
Details of the festival programme at Taliesin Arts Centre are now up on the venue's website: https://www.taliesinartscentre.co.uk/cinema.php
One of this year’s highlights is the hugely powerful, stunningly beautiful Aboriginal tale Sweet Country directed (and filmed) by Warwick Thornton who made the memorable Samson & Delilah.
Not to be missed is highly acclaimed The Square, a wickedly funny, bracingly surreal satire on the pretensions of high art.
Mohamed Jabaly in Swansea
Iau, Ebr 6th, 2017 Written by Rhowan Alleyne
Members of Swansea Palestine Community Link, David Gillam and Ambulance director David Gillam on stage following our recent screening of Ambulance at Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea.
Andrew Feinstein Q&A in Swansea
Andrew Feinstein, arms trade expert and former ANC activist, speaking to festival director David Gillam at Taliesin Arts Centre Swansea.
Demain Q&A in Swansea
Helen Iles, Wales Green Party and Fern Smith pictured at the post film discussion in Swansea. Photograph: Hywel Harris
Keeping Quiet
Gwe, Maw 17th, 2017 Written by Rhowan Alleyne
Rita Arqueros and Amanda Racktraw read Pablo Neruda's Keeping Quiet at Chapter on our opening evening of WOW Film Festival 2017.
In conversation with Olli Mäki director Juho Kuosmanen
As fiercely talented as he was modest, in 1962 Finnish boxer Olli Mäki swept into national stardom as he trained for a once-in-a-lifetime fight against the World Featherweight Champion. There was only one problem: he had just fallen in love. Inside of the ring, it was Finland vs. the USA, but outside, it was boxing vs. romance.
Based on this true story, Juho Kuosmanen's charming debut feature, The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki, was awarded the Un Certain Regard Prize at the Cannes Film Festival last year. Here Juho reveals why he found Olli Mäki's story so compelling.
"The resistance is still here" an interview with Obaidah Zytoon and Andreas Dalgaard, directors of The War Show
The Syrian Civil War is the most catastrophic humanitarian crisis of our era. The conflict has killed more than 400,000 people, wounded almost 2 million, and forced more than 11 million people to flee their homes – more than half Syria’s pre-war population. Of those who have fled their homes, 6.6 million are internally displaced, 4.8 million are refugees in neighbouring countries, and another 1 million have fled to Europe.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, half a million Syrians have been held prisoner or “disappeared” since 2011, mostly in government prisons and security facilities where torture has become industrialized, with some 60,000 people having been tortured to death or died as a result of inhumane conditions.
As of 2016, dozens of governments – including from the United States, Britain, France, Russia, Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, among many others – have spent billions of dollars either directly participating in the conflict or training, funding and arming different parties to the war. At the same time thousands of foreign nationals from dozens of countries have gone to Syria to fight with one or another side. Moving in the opposite direction, the Islamic State group is thought to have sent hundreds of operatives into Europe amongst the fleeing refugees, some of whom were responsible for terrorist attacks in Paris and in Brussels.
Against this backdrop, in this interview The War Show directors Obaidah Zytoon and Andreas Dalgaard discuss mainstream media's portrayal of Muslims, common misunderstandings about the conflict in Syria and what they would like the audience to take with them when watching the film.
An ode to cinema, the recording machine for memory and history
On the eve of International Women's Day, we're celebrating with a series of posts on the female directors whose films are appearing in the festival.
Here Anocha Suwichakornpong discusses history, memory and the 'past perfect progressive' tense in relation to her latest film By the Amser It Gets Dark.
Cychwyn
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Tudalen 2 o 6
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← Never Gonna Say Goodbye – the Pete Waterman interview
Public Service Broadcasting – Every Valley →
Calling Captain Summertime – the Nick Heyward interview
Posted on July 20, 2017 by writewyattuk
Woodland Wonder: Nick Heyward takes it easy, and waits for the plaudits (Photo: nickheyward.com)
While Woodland Echoes is Nick Heyward’s seventh solo album, it’s his 10th in total, going right back to 1981’s Haircut 100 debut Pelican West. And this highly personable Beckenham-born singer/songwriter, guitarist and pianist is rightly proud of his latest offering, telling us, ‘I’m glad I’m alive, I’m glad I’m writing and putting records out’.
Even that quote takes me back to the first long player, Nick having ‘borrowed’ a little of the Lizette Reese-penned hymn Glad That I Live Am I for the last verse of Milk Film, as this ex-choirboy knew full well but was unlikely to let on to his mates.
If Nick was guilty of anything in those days – and for much of his career – it was for his relentlessly cheerful lyrics and tunes, as the early Haircuts hits underline. Fantastic Day speaks for itself, and who can forget Favourite Shirts‘ ‘Your favourite shirt is on the bed, do a somersault on your head.’ Not great advice for us with back and neck problems. In fact, his sole concern back then seemed to be a phobia of lakes, if Love Plus One‘s anything to go by. Yet Nick’s enthusiasm and optimism was contagious, and Pelican West still gets regular plays on my in-car system, not least when the sun’s out. What’s more, within a year he delivered another classic, a grown-up one by comparison.
But more of that later. Instead let’s focus on Woodland Echoes, his ‘first pop record in 18 years’ (since 1998 Creation rebirth of sorts, The Apple Bed), and an ‘accidentally-autobiographical reflection’ of the course Nick’s life has taken, its songs ‘influenced by love, nature, togetherness, ‘70s’ pop, America, open spaces and afternoon tea’. As the blurb has it, ‘This is the sound of a confident man in his mid-50s making music for nobody but himself’, Nick insisting it was only when he started compiling and sequencing the LP that he realised he had something different’.
As he puts it, “It came together like a storybook, a love story. I realised the songs were chapters. It starts with time passing; you find love and get a significant connection with your other half, in the forest of love. I’d never really had that connection. I didn’t know why I could always split up with people – it was either them or me.
“The passage of time is reflected on the album – it begins with a cuckoo clock ticking; as you age you become more selective about who you spend time with; no longer the hasty friendships of youth. Who is about the question of who do you keep and who you let go. When you stop looking for what you want, it is often there in front of your nose.”
Three listens in, I was impressed. There’s something of Skylarking-era XTC in places, such as opening track, Love is the Key by the Sea. While that’s quintessentially English, we cross the Atlantic for something of a Great Outdoors hoedown (complete with Jew’s harp) on Mountaintop before The Stars gives us old school Heyward quirkiness, as suggested by the line, ‘I’m a garden wall, you’re a spinning parasol’. A reflective, part-trippy Beautiful Morning carries traces of Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here, while Who is more Django Reinhardt goes camping, kind of Huck Finn’s Hot Club de France years. And Forest of Love would sit nicely on master songwriter Boo Hewerdine’s most recent offering, Swimming in Mercury.
He’s on top form for the guitar-driven Baby Blue Sky, inviting us on a coastal ride in a convertible on another perfect summer’s day. I’m channeling Paul McCartney (with George Harrison guitar touches) on radio-friendly love song, I Can See Her, while we’re catching Californian rays and filmic imagery on the evocative, somewhat epic Perfect Sunday Sun. Colourful, duelling acoustic guitars, glockenspiel and Fleet Foxes-style harmonies provide a semi-instrumental bridge – more Drake than Heyward – on New Beginning as we near journey’s end, Nick then back in classic pop territory on I Got a Lot – think Tom Petty guesting with the Lightning Seeds – and then talking to the trees again on For Always, at one with nature on a closing track somewhat reminiscent of Dodgy, another outfit in their element staying out for the summer.
Recorded on a houseboat in Key West, Florida, and back in his native UK at Zak Starkey’s Salo Sound studio, there’s definitely an unhurried feel as well as a holiday vibe from an artist in somewhat transitory mode at present, between short-term accommodation. And in Baby Blue Sky, the flip of his double-A-side lead single, it certainly seems that Nick’s coined the sound of summer … again. In fact, I suggest to him on the phone, there’s almost a Teenage Fanclub vibe there, something not so many would associate with this ‘80s pop icon.
“A lot of people … many millions, in fact … don’t know I was on Creation Records, and I toured with Teenage Fanclub in America. I’m a big fan.”
Meanwhile, Mountaintop – the other side of that first single – is totally different again, more country-tinged.
“That was recorded near the Everglades, using a local band. It’s all blues there, but there was definitely a country influence. We were driving through Nashville and doing stuff over there. That’s nothing like the rest of the album either. But they all have this connection, a celebration of nature. There’s a track called Who and it’s gypsy jazz, and an out-and-out rock number like early AC/DC, I couldn’t put on the album though – people would think I was all over the shop, like a fox running all over the garden, into every bit of foliage you could find.”
Maybe we have the blueprint there for an extended album – Wild Woodland Echoes maybe?
“Well yeah. I’m Springwatch, through and through!”
Do you spend a lot of time in the States?
“It seems to have been that way. It wasn’t planned though. Maybe that’s down to Ian Shaw, who I worked with in the ’90s, who worked with Julian Cope and Alan McGee’s assistant Edward Ball. I played bass on his records and Alan would come down a lot, and really liked my song Kite, and said I should come to Creation Records. Anyway, Ian later moved to Key West to be near his Dad, ending up building a houseboat, including studio equipment. My girlfriend – now my fiancée – is from way up North in Minnesota, and while visiting her parents in Florida I went to see Ian.”
The LP’s certainly a mixed bag, style-wise.
“Yeah, I think that’s because it was recorded over a long period. It was either I save up for a property or invest in me and make an album. The more I was making it the more I really wanted it to sound like a proper vinyl record, and it’s mixed by Chris Sheldon, so all that took more investment and more time.”
Having Fun: Nick Heyward, not at all fazed by writewyattuk’s questions (Photo: nickheyward.com)
Nick’s son Oliver, 29, was also involved in the recording process, as a studio engineer.
“Yes, he’s doing brilliantly with sound engineering, and just the other day he was working with Chris Thomas and Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook. He never wanted to play, but always looked at the equipment I had around and seemed to know how to work it. He does all the summer festivals, like Let’s Rock and Rewind shows I’m involved with.”
Nick also has a daughter, Katie, 26, who he says ‘writes lyrics effortlessly, but chooses at present not to get involved with music’. He hasn’t put her off, has he?
“I might have done! Ha!”
As it says on his website, ‘While the battle for the music industry was playing out as the ‘00s became the ‘10s, Nick stood aside from all this, released two albums under the radar, and got on with the business of life; seeing his children grow up, and finding love’.
It’s certainly been a full career so far, from major label, big money backing at Arista, Warner and Sony to more cult indie support with Creation, and now fully embracing the crowd-funding era. And that independent direct-to-audience concept seems to make sense for him, not least being so social media friendly. Yet while he has his own label these days, Glenhawk, he’s not averse to PR help, via his Pledge Music album initiative.
“That way I can carry on and do another album. That’s why touring is so important to me – from the summer gigs I can then invest back into making more music. And I’ve chosen that rather than owning a house, living in short-term rents.“
Until September that’s in Henley-on-Thames, near Oliver and much of his work. But now his daughter’s Sheffield-bound, he’s contemplating upping sticks again, possibly to there, or nearer Manchester or Liverpool. Speaking of the latter, he played The Cavern last November and previously featured at a show marking the end of the About the Young Idea exhibition at the Echo Arena, celebrating The Jam.
“Yeah, brilliant, and I’ve played with Russell Hastings and Bruce Foxton’s band (From The Jam) again recently, jumping on with them at Let’s Rock, doing Modern World.”
All Set: Nick Heyward awaits the next tricky question (Photo: nickheyward.com)
That’s a quality I like about this Kentish entertainer – it’s not about obvious covers. There’s also footage of him from 1994 playing The Jam’s Sounds from the Street for a TV show.
“Well, Fantastic Day was written when I was pogoing to The Jam! I’d go home inspired by them and others around that time, ending up buying a practice amp and guitar. I locked myself in my bedroom and kept playing D major, C major and G. I had to sing something over those chords, which just happened to be, ‘It’s a fantastic day’. I then thought, ‘Actually, that sounds like a song. I should write one of those other things you have in songs – a verse’. But I didn’t know any other chords, so just played C and G. Later, I learned another chord – F, so put that in just before the chorus.
“I then had this song I played in various bands, although it didn’t pop out until it was suggested in a rehearsal to play to a record company. So we did, and they decided to sign us.”
The rest was history, Nick having left school in 1977, aged 16, working as a commercial artist but soon realising his pop dream. And as the bit about Haircut 100 on his website says, ‘They played the pop game perfectly, tucking their Arran jumpers into their trousers, riding the post-new romantic funk wave, marrying Chic with the Monkees and opening their shows with a blistering cover of Low Rider by War.’
That all sounds pretty cool, but I still feel like I’m at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting when I stand up and admit to Nick that Pelican West and North of a Miracle were two of my favourite LPs of the 1980s.
“Wow! Really!”
My tastes were more punk and new wave then, but I’d still regularly listen to both albums, and still do to this day. So why should I have felt a need to keep that to myself and feel reluctant to publicly appreciate his early work? Was it because of all the Smash Hits and fashion and pop teen mag coverage?
“It’s interesting. I don’t know why that was the case for us and not Edwyn Collins and Roddy Frame, who had similar kind of acts. It might have something to do with the fact we played with the pin-up thing. I don’t think Edwyn and Roddy did. Now we’ve got stats suggesting it’s 90% male fans buying records. Maybe that smaller percentage of women made it … off-putting.”
It was a golden era for white pop-funk and dance, from more mainstream ABC, Duran Duran, Haircut 100 and Spandau Ballet to indie-crossover outfits like A Certain Ratio, The Associates, Aztec Camera, Orange Juice, and The Higsons. I loved the latter’s East Anglian neighbours The Farmer’s Boys too, a band that seemed to be like a tipsy version of the Haircuts to me. All those bands still sound fresh for these ears, and that can’t just be nostalgia on my part, can it? But – as I suggested to Nick – perhaps for me it was more about the songs than what his band were wearing on Top of the Pops.
“Yeah, I think that first album was closer to Steely Dan than anything. It was more complicated, but I got tarred with the icon thing, probably in the same way David Essex was. But musically that’s never affected me, and I’m still doing what I do. Maybe it’s just down to people not being able to openly admit that.
“I also put music first and was playing Dreamin’ by Cliff Richard last night. I don’t give a f*** that it was Cliff. It was written by Alan Tarney (and Leo Sayer), one of this country’s great producers, songwriters and bass players. The way he crafted pop records … I listen to great pop music regardless of who it’s by, but I suppose if I was doing an interview for the New Musical Express I probably wouldn’t say I was listening to Cliff Richard.”
It struck me in later years that Nick was barely 22 when he made North of a Miracle. Yet it’s such a mature album, the artist co-producing with Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick and involving quality session players. As Uncut later put it, ‘If Elvis Costello had released this album, it might just feature in the lower reaches of those lists of all-time greats’. And for a record of that era it’s remarkably unfettered by the synth touches that quickly aged so many LPs around then.
“Well, hopefully I’m going to be doing that album somewhere soon, and get Geoff along to do a talk. To me he’s not only the guy who made Sgt. Pepper but also Imperial Bedroom and so much amazing music. He was the guy who put the microphone six inches closer to the bass and made the guitar on Paperback Writer sound more rocky. For me, he was there at the birth of rock music!”
Is it true that XTC were in line to record that album as well as Geoff? I’d have loved to heard their spin on the album.
“Yeah, and I’d still like to work with Andy Partridge. I speak to Thomas Walsh, of Pugwash fame, a lot. He has me in fits of laughter – he’s the most eloquent, hilarious man – and knows Andy really well. So you never know!
“Back then, we were sat in a coffee bar around the corner from Air Studios and Andy said, ‘Maybe we could be your band’. I was such a fan and was just stunned. I was thinking, ‘He doesn’t really mean that’. But that was a younger, startled, gob-smacked me. Now I’d say, ‘Oh yeah! What time? Nine o’clock? I’ll be there!’”
The following period wasn’t Nick’s best, and while I bought the more club-friendly single Warning Sign, his final top-40 hit in late ‘84, and Postcards From Home in 1986, the latter was soon in the bargain bins. There are some fine songs on Nick’s second solo LP, but production-wise he lost me. Perhaps I felt he was more interested in winning over the audience that saw him support Wham! at their Wembley farewell shows.
“Yeah, I’d lost that … it’s weird. I got to work at Air Studios and with Geoff Emerick and have great musicians, but then didn’t have that power, so the studios weren’t so good and my manager wasn’t really a manager. As a songwriter you’re as good as who you work with. In hindsight I see quite clearly things weren’t sounding so good. Howard Jones and Nik Kershaw were doing well at the time so I was put with Pete Collins and the results sounded good, but I must say my songwriting wasn’t as good around that period.”
I’d moved on by the time of his Warner Bros. Records move and 1988’s third album I Love You Avenue, the single You’re My World just another that failed to chart. And however good the records that followed, it’s a fickle market, Nick struggling to pull back that wider fanbase. By the time of 1993’s From Monday to Sunday he was revitalised though, touring regularly, particularly in the US, alongside the likes of Belly, The Lemonheads, Mazzy Star and Therapy? I think I only picked up on that later though, missing Tangled too, the 1995 album that pushed him further on again. However, I fully appreciated both later, and thankfully he was on Creation’s radar by then, acclaimed 1998 album The Apple Bed seeing Nick finally publicly acknowledged as having returned to form, even if he didn’t seem to sit comfortably with the new breed when that resurgence in interest came around the time of the BritPop phenomenon.
“Yeah, that all followed me getting to work with Ian Shaw, doing demos. That’s where Kite came about, the single Alan (McGee) first liked, a demo all the way through really, because it just worked with acoustic guitar, a drum, cello, trumpet and bassoon sound. That was it, and it was just one of those magical recordings.
“Ian just gave me a beat to play along to, I then took it home, felt I really liked it, opened a little book – and I don’t usually write that way – and tried some lyrics. I went back the next day to see if it worked, and sang it in literally one take. It wasn’t going on the album, but was the song Rob Stringer at Sony heard and thought was great.
“That proved to be the turning point. Maybe I was trying too hard before. Up until then I’d been giving people what I thought they wanted, and it was working. But then there was pressure after North of a Miracle. I was trying to write a hit, and nothing happened. But then I started being creative again in the studio, all this new material starting to pop out.”
Plenty of songs from that era have stood the test of time, such as 1993’s January Man, which for me was kind of On a Sunday part two (although that accolade arguably falls more directly to the rather splendid Perfect Sunday Sun on the new LP). He was properly back with us.
“That was it. It was like a blip before then, despite little glimpses like Traffic in Fleet Street (from I Love You Avenue). But then it was back again.”
On Spec: Nick going for the studious look with his fellow Haircuts, back in the day
Time flies, and it’s now 40 years since Nick and schoolmates Graham Jones and Les Nemes initially started a band. When was your first gig?
“The first as the band? That’s an interesting question. I’ll have to find that out.”
There were plenty of names, including Rugby, Boat Party, Captain Pennyworth and Moving England, before they settled on Haircut 100.
“We changed names so quickly! But the first would have been the four-piece with Pat (Hunt) on drums, probably the Ski Club of Great Britain, in the bar, inviting our friends. I don’t think (music writer) Adrian Thrills came to that, but it was either there or another around the corner in Kensington at the university supporting a band called The Tropicanos. Herschell Holder was in the brass section, and we went on to work with him on the album.”
Incidentally, Herschell had already played with Graham Parker, Eddy Grant and Black Slate by that stage. But as Nick’s website biography concedes, ‘Haircut 100 burnt briefly and brightly – the ultimate group of pals who, within a year, had hit the big time. It finished as quickly as it began’. So while the rest of the band carried on and made a second album, 1984’s Paint and Paint – Marc Fox taking over lead vocal duties – Nick had already released his debut solo LP. Does he keep in touch with his former bandmates?
“Well, Blair (Cunningham, drums) plays on two tracks on my album, and we played together last summer, along with Echo and the Bunnymen, one in a girls’ school playground turned out to be the best gig of the summer! Last summer I had tea in Marc’s garden, him and his lovely lady, and before then I went to Graham Jones’ wedding. I never miss a Haircut wedding, and I’ve been to every one of Blair’s!”
Inevitably there was talk of animosity at first, but Nick was clearly destined to be out on his own.
“Well, it’s just a long boring story about a band without a manager – like a football team without a manager would be a rudderless ship, probably not even getting outside the harbour. It could be the best ship in the world and the greatest crew, but if you haven’t got direction and a leader … But I’m always open to the idea of the six of us playing together again.”
So that might happen again?
“It’s up to us – it takes six people collectively to do that. The last time was when VH1 got us together for a TV show. That was really enjoyable. In the meantime though, I’m not twiddling my thumbs!”
Guitar Man: Nick Heyward knows a few more chords these days (Photo: nickheyward.com)
True enough, not just with the new album but a series of dates too, this week’s headline show at 229, Great Portland Street, Marylebone, seeing Nick – as with his Cotton Clouds festival appearance in the North West (Sunday, August 12th) – backed by his own five-piece band. There are also appearances on the Rewind circuit at Scone Palace, Perth (Sunday, July 23rd) at Capesthorne Hall, Macclesfield (Sunday, August 6th) and in his current backyard at Temple Island Meadows, Henley-on-Thames (Sunday, August 19th), while Nick is set to see out the gigging year for Let’s Rock Christmas at Wembley Arena (Thursday, December 14th).
For those shows he’ll be working with house bands he’s got to know well, including his own players in the Let’s Rock band and a Rewind band drawn ‘mostly from ABC and again great guys’. And when we spoke, he was looking forward to Let’s Rock in Southampton with The Human League, Belinda Carlisle, Kid Creole and the Coconuts, Tony Hadley and recent writewyattuk interviewees Howard Jones and Katrina Leskanich. I’m guessing he’s having a ball. Is there good camaraderie between the acts?
“There really is, and it’s getting nicer, meeting up every summer and playing with them. We really put the effort in to make the day work too. It’s not so much the bands as the audiences that lift the day, and when the weather’s good, it really works.”
Then again, I bet it’s equally memorable when it’s chucking it down during Fantastic Day.
“I’ve played that song in all weathers! I remember one at Alnwick Castle where it was literally hailstones, wind, and icicles, with everyone still out there, singing along. How hardy are they!”
Scooting Off: Nick Heyward heads off, another interview complete (Photo: nickheyward.com)
Nick Heyward appears at the Cotton Clouds Festival on Saturday, August 12th, on a bill also featuring The Coral, The Sugarhill Gang, the Everly Pregnant Brothers, and a DJ set from Inspiral Carpets’ Clint Boon, with tickets £39 plus booking from the festival website. There are also official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.
And for all the latest from Nick Heyward and more detail about Woodland Echoes and where to order the LP, head here.
About writewyattuk
A freelance writer and family man being swept along on a wave of advanced technology, but somehow clinging on to reality. It's only a matter of time ... A highly-motivated scribbler with a background in journalism, business and life itself. Away from the features, interviews and reviews you see here, I tackle novels, short stories, copywriting, ghost-writing, plus TV, radio and film scripts for adults and children. I'm also available for assignments and write/research for magazines, newspapers, press releases and webpages on a vast range of subjects. You can also follow me on Facebook via https://www.facebook.com/writewyattuk/ and on Twitter via @writewyattuk. Legally speaking, all content of this blog (unless otherwise stated) is the intellectual property of Malcolm Wyatt and may only be reproduced with permission.
View all posts by writewyattuk →
This entry was posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music and tagged Alan McGee, Alan Tarney, Blair Cunningham, Cotton Clouds, Creation, Florida, Geoff Emerick, Graham Jones, Haircut 100, Henley-on-Thames, Herschell Holder, Ian Shaw, Key West, Les Nemes, Let's Rock, Marc Fox, Nick Heyward, North of a Miracle, Pelican West, Rewind, The Jam, Woodland Echoes, XTC, Zak Starkey. Bookmark the permalink.
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The Trump Russia Investigation.
See revision history
[Note: This summary is very out of date; the timeline, however, is updated regularly]
There are currently four active investigations into Russia’s interference into the 2016 and the Trump campaign’s potential involvement: FBI Special Counsel Robert Mueller, the Senate Intelligence Committee, the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the House Intelligence Committee. There are three main components to Trump/Russia: Russia's use of social media, the hacking of the DNC and John Podesta's emails, and the Trump campaign’s potential collusion with Russia.
Trump’s former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, pleaded guilty to lying to the F.B.I. about conversations with the Russian ambassador last December during the presidential transition, bringing the special counsel’s investigation into the president’s inner circle.
Former Trump campaign manager, Paul Manafort, and his deputy have been charged with a 12 count indictment by special counsel Robert Mueller, which includes money laundering and conspiracy against the US. Both pled not guilty and are currently under house arrest.
A former foreign policy advisor to Trump was arrested in July for lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian officials during the campaign. He has pled guilty, confirming his contacts with Russia in doing so, and has been “proactively cooperating” with the special counsel investigations. This hits closest to the heart of the collusion component.
The Senate Judiciary Committee’s investigation has gone its partisan ways and will be pursued separately by Republicans and Democrats on the committee. The committee’s focus has been obstruction of justice in relation to possible collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russia, as it has oversight of the FBI.
126 million. This is the latest estimate of how many users were potentially reached by Russia’s disinformation and social media war. Facebook, Twitter, and Google have been cooperating with Congress and the special counsel, as well as working to implement safeguards for 2018 and beyond.
Robert Mueller submitted his full report on Trump and Russia to the attorney general. The Justice Department notified Congress that it had received Mueller's report, but did not describe its contents. William Barr is expected to summarize the findings for lawmakers in the coming days, deciding how much of the report to share with Congress. White House lawyers are prepared to argue some material is protected by executive privilege, especially if the report discusses whether Trump's interactions with his aides or legal advisers are evidence of obstruction of justice. Mueller's work has led to criminal charges against 34 people, including six former Trump associates and advisers. Paul Manafort, Rick Gates, Michael Flynn, Michael Cohen, and George Papadopoulos all pleaded guilty. Roger Stone was indicted in January and accused of lying to Congress, but has pleaded not guilty. More than 24 people charged by Mueller are Russians. No Americans charged by Mueller have been accused of conspiring with Russia to interfere in the election. No further indictments are expected. (New York Times / Washington Post / NBC News / Politico / Bloomberg / USA Today / CNBC)
📌 Day 798: The Trump administration ignored the House Judiciary request for documents. House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler had set a Monday deadline asking for documents related the firing of James Comey, internal discussions about the decision of Jeff Sessions to recuse himself from the Russia probe, details about any talks to dismiss, as well as records about payments Trump made as part of a hush-money scheme to keep his alleged extramarital affairs from going public. (CNN / Politico)
poll/ 62% of Americans have confidence in the fairness of Mueller's investigation – with 33% very confident. 37%, however, are not very or not at all confident in a fair investigation. 63% are concerned about the Trump campaign's possible ties to Russia. (Associated Press)
poll/ 48% of Americans approve of Mueller's handling of the investigation into Russian interference in the presidential election in 2016, while 37% disapprove. 56% say they consider Russia's efforts to influence the election a serious matter that should be fully investigated, while 38% consider an effort to discredit Trump's presidency. (CNN)
The prosecutor who handled Michael Flynn's guilty plea has left the special counsel's office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zainab Ahmad is the third senior member of Mueller's team confirmed to leave the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts but hasn’t yet been sentenced. (Politico)
The Trump administration, however, ignored the House Judiciary request for documents. House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler had set a Monday deadline asking for documents related the firing of James Comey, internal discussions about the decision of Jeff Sessions to recuse himself from the Russia probe, details about any talks to dismiss, as well as records about payments Trump made as part of a hush-money scheme to keep his alleged extramarital affairs from going public. (CNN / Politico)
Trump attacked the late John McCain on Twitter for his involvement in sharing the dossier allegedly linking Trump to the Russian government. After the 2016 election, McCain turned the Steele dossier over to the FBI, which Trump called "unfortunately a very dark stain against John McCain." Trump incorrectly claimed that McCain had "sent the Fake Dossier to the FBI and Media hoping to have it printed BEFORE the Election." He continued to complain about that longtime Republican lawmaker, who died last year, "had far worse 'stains'" than the dossier, "including thumbs down on repeal and replace after years of campaigning to repeal and replace!" Trump's statements about McCain were actually quotes from Ken Starr, who recently appeared on Fox News. (CNBC / Washington Post / New York Times)
poll/ 52% of Americans have little or no trust in Trump's denials that his 2016 campaign colluded with Russia. 28%, meanwhile, say they have a lot of trust in Robert Mueller's investigation to be fair and accurate. 50% agree that Trump is the victim of a "witch hunt" while 47% disagree. (USA Today)
Trump pulled Rudy Giuliani from doing TV interviews after the lawyer claimed the Trump Tower Moscow talks may have lasted up until November 2016. The Sunday, January 20th appearance was Giuliani's last – other than a March 8 comment, where he said Paul Manafort's short jail sentence was fair. (Axios)
The House voted 420-0 for the public release of Robert Mueller's report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and whether Trump obstructed justice when he fired then-director of the FBI James Comey. While the resolution is non-binding and the House cannot force the Justice Department to take an action, the move is an attempt to "send a clear signal both to the American people and the Department of Justice" that lawmakers expect to see the full account of Mueller's work. The resolution will also put pressure on Attorney General William Barr, who did not commit to making Mueller's findings public during his Senate confirmation hearings. The Senate, however, is unlikely to take up a similar measure. (New York Times / Washington Post / Wall Street Journal / Politico / NBC News)
Adam Schiff suggested that Russians may have laundered money through the Trump Organization. While House Intelligence Committee is investigating the matter, Schiff said the committee is primarily concerned with whether or not Trump is "compromised by a foreign power." (Newsweek)
Michael Flynn has completed his cooperation agreement with the special counsel's Russia investigation, according to Robert Mueller. Flynn's lawyers, however, asked for a 90-day delay in sentencing because "there may be additional cooperation" with another federal probe: his former business partner's upcoming trial in Alexandria, Va. Flynn is expected to testify in the mid-July trial against Bijan Rafiekian, who faces charges of conspiracy and acting as an unregistered foreign government agent for Turkey. (Politico / Associated Press / Reuters / CNN)
Mike Pompeo accused Cuba and Russia of propping up Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro. Pompeo's statements came after the Treasury Department imposed new sanctions on a Russia-based bank that it accused of helping Maduro's government circumvent earlier American financial penalties. (New York Times)
Trump twisted Judge T. S. Ellis's remarks made while sentencing Manafort to falsely claim "there was no collusion with Russia." Judge Ellis said that Manafort was "not before this court for anything having to do with collusion with the Russian government to influence this election," because Manafort was not charged with or convicted of any crimes of collusion. Trump said that he was "very honored" by Judge Ellis's statement and that he feels "very badly" for Manafort after receiving his lenient sentence. (New York Times / Daily Beast)
Michael Cohen provided documents to the House Intelligence Committee showing edits to the 2017 false written statement he delivered to Congress about the Trump Organization's continued pursuit of the Trump Tower Moscow project during the 2016 campaign. It was Cohen's fourth appearance before Congress since last week. (CNN / ABC News / Washington Post)
House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff hired a former assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York to lead the committee's investigation into the Trump campaign's ties to Russia. Daniel Goldman has experience fighting Russian organized crime, and has served as the district's deputy chief of the organized crime unit and oversaw prosecutions into traditional organized crime, international organized crime and white collar crime. (Axios / New Yorker)
Robert Mueller notified a federal judge about Roger Stone's Instagram post that could be a violation of the judge's gag order. Mueller did not take a position on the post when notifying Judge Amy Berman of Stone's social media post suggesting that he'd been "framed" by the special counsel and ahead of the re-release of a book he co-wrote that explores the "myth of Russian collusion." If Jackson finds that Stone violated his gag order, she could have him jailed without bail pending his trial on charges of lying to Congress, witness tampering and obstructing justice. (CNBC / Politico)
House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff says there is "direct evidence" of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians. Schiff said the evidence can be found "in the emails from the Russians through their intermediary offering dirt on Hillary Clinton as part of what is described in writing as the Russian government effort to help elect Donald Trump." Schiff says the Russians offered dirt on Clinton and that "[t]here is an acceptance of that offer in writing from the president’s son, Don Jr., and there is overt acts and furtherance of that." (Fox News / CBS News)
The ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee said lawmakers found "enormous amounts of evidence" that Trump colluded with the Russians during the 2016 campaign. Sen. Mark Warner said there is "no one that could factually say there's not plenty of evidence of collaboration or communications between Trump Organization and Russians." (Politico / Fox News)
poll/ 41% of voters say they would vote to re-elect Trump in 2020 while 48% say they would probably vote for the Democratic candidate. 58% don't think Trump's been honest and truthful regarding the Russia probe, and 60% disapprove of his recent national emergency declaration to build a border wall. (NBC News)
Roger Stone suggested he has been "framed" by Robert Mueller in an Instagram post, possibly violating the gag order barring him from criticizing the prosecutors in the criminal case against him. Stone published the post less than 48 hours after Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered his lawyers to explain why they didn't tell her about the planned publication of a book by Stone that could violate her gag order on him. On Feb. 15, Stone said on Instagram that his book, "The Myth of Russian Collusion: The Inside Story of How Trump Really Won," would be published March 1. Digital versions of the book have been on sale since Feb. 19, however. (CNBC / Washington Post)
Michael Cohen and Felix Sater will both testify before the House Intelligence Committee on March 14 to testify about Trump's effort to build a skyscraper in Russia. Cohen interviewed with the House Intelligence Committee for more than seven hours yesterday. Sater is a Russian-born Trump Organization executive who worked on the Trump Tower Moscow project with Cohen. (CNN / Associated Press)
The House Oversight Committee will seek to interview Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Weisselberg. Michael Cohen indicated to Congress that all three were involved in hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels, and that Trump Jr. and Weisselberg signed one of the $35,000 checks reimbursing him for the payment. Cohen also said that he briefed Trump Jr. and Ivanka about Trump Tower Moscow approximately 10 times, though Trump Jr. testified to the Senate Intelligence Committee in 2017 that he was only "peripherally aware" of the project. (Politico / Wall Street Journal / Axios)
Robert Mueller corrected part of a previous allegation that Paul Manafort lied about his contacts with his Russian business associate, Konstantin Kilimnik. Mueller cited new evidence obtained less than two weeks ago from Trump's former deputy campaign manager, Rick Gates, which appears to suggest that Mueller made a mistake with one of his accusations against Manafort. Mueller's recently revised court filing says the revision should not change the ruling by Judge Amy Berman Jackson that Manafort lied about his interactions with Kilimnik because they have presented enough additional evidence to support the underlying allegation. (New York Times)
📌 Day 678: Trump told Robert Mueller that Roger Stone did not tell him about WikiLeaks and that he was not told about the 2016 Trump Tower meeting between Trump Jr., campaign officials, and a Russian lawyer promising dirt on Hillary Clinton. Trump added a caveat that his responses were to the best of his recollection. For comparison, Trump also does not “remember much” from the meeting with George Papadopoulos, where Papadopoulos offered to arrange a meeting with Putin. Trump, however, has previously claimed to have “one of the great memories of all time,” using it as justification for not using notes during his meeting with Kim Jong Un, and blaming Sgt. La David Johnson’s widow when he stumbled over the solider’s name during a condolence call. (CNN)
Cohen said he doesn't "know of direct evidence" that "Trump or his campaign colluded with Russia" during the 2016 election, "but I have my suspicions." Cohen said that he was in the room with Trump, "probably in early June 2016," when Trump Jr. "came into the room and walked behind his father's desk," leaned over "to his father and speaking in a low voice, which I could clearly hear, and saying: 'The meeting is all set.' I remember Mr. Trump saying, 'Ok good…let me know.'" Cohen added that "Trump had frequently told me and others that his son Don Jr. had the worst judgment of anyone in the world." (Daily Beast)
📌 Day 172: Donald Trump Jr. met with a Kremlin-connected Russian lawyer to acquire damaging information about Hillary Clinton in June 2016 at Trump Tower in New York City. On Saturday, Trump Jr. said the meeting was about the issue of US adoptions of Russian children and not the campaign. However, in March, Trump Jr. said he never met with any Russians while working in a campaign capacity. The meeting – attended by Trump Jr., Paul Manafort, and Jared Kushner – was disclosed when Kushner filed a revised form in order to obtain a security clearance. Manafort also recently disclosed the meeting, and Trump Jr.’s role in organizing it, to congressional investigators looking into his foreign contacts. (New York Times / Washington Post)
📌 Day 544: Michael Cohen says Trump knew in advance about Trump Jr.'s meeting at Trump Tower in June 2016 with a Russian lawyer promising dirt on Hillary Clinton. Cohen doesn't have evidence to back up his claim, but he is reportedly willing to make the assertion as part of his testimony to Robert Mueller. Cohen claims that he, along with several others, were in the room when Trump Jr. told Trump about the Russian's offer. According to Cohen, Trump approved the meeting with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya. Cohen's claim contradicts Trump, Trump Jr., their lawyers, and administration officials who have repeatedly said Trump didn't know about the meeting until he was asked about it in July 2017. Trump's response at the time was: "No. That I didn't know. Until a couple of days ago, when I heard about this. No I didn't know about that." A few days later, Trump was again asked whether he knew about the meeting. His response: "No, I didn't know anything about the meeting…. must have been a very unimportant meeting, because I never even heard about it … nobody told me."(CNN / NBC News / Washington Post)
📌 Day 554: Trump tweeted that he "did NOT know" in advance about Trump Jr.'s Trump Tower meeting , disputing Michael Cohen's assertion that he did and accusing him of "trying to make up stories." Cohen said he's willing to testify that then-candidate Trump knew in advance about the 2016 meeting in Trump Tower. In July 2017, it was reported that Trump personally dictated Trump Jr.'s statement about the latter's meeting with the Russian lawyer, claiming they had "primarily discussed a program about the adoption of Russian children." (Washington Post / CNN)
📌 Day 707: Michael Cohen's cell phone was briefly activated near Prague around time of the Russia meeting described in the Steele dossier, which purports that Cohen and one or more Kremlin officials met in or around the Czech capital to plot ways to limit discovery of the close "liaison" between the Trump campaign and Russia. Additionally, around the same period of late August or early September 2016, electronic eavesdropping by an Eastern European intelligence agency picked up Russians remarking that Cohen was in Prague. The cell phone and eavesdropping evidence was shared with Robert Mueller. (McClatchy DC)
📌Day 450: Robert Mueller has evidence that Michael Cohen made a secret trip to Prague during the 2016 presidential campaign, entering through Germany in "August or early September." Confirmation of the trip corroborates part of the Christopher Steele dossier that Cohen met with an ally of Putin. Cohen has denied that he has ever been in Prague and that he colluded with Russia during the campaign. (McClatchy DC)
Cohen is expected to publicly accuse and present documents that implicate Trump of "criminal conduct" while in office during public testimony before the House Oversight Committee tomorrow. Cohen will reportedly provide lawmakers with information about Trump's financial statements, including documentation of his reimbursement for the $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels. Cohen plans to share who signed the $35,000 monthly checks he received as reimbursement for his hush-money payments to Daniels. Cohen is also expected to detail how long Trump remained involved in discussions regarding a plan to build a Trump Tower in Moscow, as well as to detail his "behind-the-scenes" experience of working for Trump for over a decade. Cohen testified behind closed doors before the Senate Intelligence Committee today, where he apologized for the lies he told during his 2017 testimony. (CNN / Axios / Daily Beast / NBC News / Politico / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / Reuters)
U.S. Cyber Command "basically took the IRA offline" during the 2018 midterms. The Internet Research Agency, a Russian troll factory in St. Petersburg and underwritten by an oligarch close to Putin, was part of the cyber campaign to "influence" the 2016 election and undermine faith in U.S. democracy. (Washington Post)
House Democrats are planning to investigate Trump's personal finances to discover why Deutsche Bank was willing to lend to the Trump Organization when other banks wouldn't, and whether Russia was involved. (Politico)
Michael Cohen will be questioned by the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday. Cohen will not be questioned about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election or about possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia, but he is expected to be questioned about Trump's "debts and payments relating to efforts to influence the 2016 election" and his "compliance with campaign finance laws." (Washington Post / NBC News)
Russian state television aired a list of U.S. military facilities that Moscow would target in the event of a nuclear war and noted that Russia is developing hypersonic missiles that would be able to hit those targets in less than five minutes. The targets include the Pentagon and the presidential retreat at Camp David, Maryland. The unusually aggressive broadcast comes just days after Putin said Russia was ready for a "Cuban Missile"-style standoff with the United States if Washington deploys intermediate-range nuclear missiles in western Europe. (Reuters)
Robert Mueller's sentencing memorandum is due to today before midnight in the prosecution of Paul Manafort. In filings like these, prosecutors typically outline all of the defendant's crimes, convictions, and their cooperation, which could also shed more light on how Manafort fits into Mueller's larger Russian investigation. [Editor's note: I've basically been waiting all day for this to drop. I'll update the blog when this is filed to reflect the latest.] (CNN / Associated Press)
Mueller is not expected deliver a final report to the attorney general next week after all. It was previously reported that William Barr was preparing to announce the completion of the investigation into any links between Trump and Russia as soon as next week. Separately, the chairs of six House committees wrote Barr a letter suggesting that withholding evidence uncovered by Mueller could be the means for a "cover-up." 34 individuals and three companies so far have pleaded guilty, been indicted or been swept up in the inquiry. (CNBC / CNN / Reuters)
Sarah Sanders is confident that Mueller's report will not show collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign, claiming that Trump had no reason to collude because he was an "infinitely better" candidate. (Washington Post)
Senate investigators want to question a Moscow-based American businessman with deep ties to Trump after witnesses told lawmakers that the man could provide information about Trump's commercial and personal activities in Russia dating all the way back to the 1990s. The Senate Intelligence Committee has been interested in speaking with David Geovanis for several months. Geovanis helped organize a 1996 trip to Moscow for Trump while he was in the early stages of pursuing what would become his long-held goal of building a Trump Tower in Russia's capital city. Years later, Geovanis worked for Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska. (CNN)
The Justice Department will potentially announce the completion of Robert Mueller's Russia investigation as early as next week. When that happens, Attorney General Bill Barr will likely submit a summary of Mueller's confidential report to Congress. Mueller is required to submit a "confidential" report to the attorney general, which is not required to be shared with Congress or the public. Barr suggested during his confirmation hearing last month that the report might not become public, and has made clear that the Justice Department generally guards against publicizing "derogatory" information about uncharged individuals. Trump, meanwhile, will travel overseas next week for a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and Justice officials don't want to interfere with the White House's diplomatic efforts. Trump said "totally up to Bill Barr" as to whether Mueller's report comes out while he is overseas. (CNN / NBC News / Washington Post)
The FBI developed a backup plan to protect evidence in its Russia investigation after James Comey was fired in the event that other senior officials were also dismissed. (Associated Press)
Putin said he would respond to any deployment of new intermediate-range missiles placed in Europe by targeting the U.S. with Russia's own new field weapons that could reach U.S. decision-making centers. During his annual address to parliament, Putin said the U.S. has the right to think they can place missiles anywhere they want, "but can they count?" he asked. "I'm sure they can. Let them count the speed and the range of the weapons systems we are developing." Putin added that Russia is not looking for confrontation and would not take the first steps toward deploying missiles in the wake of Trump's decision to pull out of a landmark Cold War-era arms treaty. (CNBC / NBC News / Daily Beast)
Trump has publicly criticized the Russia investigation nearly 1,200 times. (New York Times)
Former acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe briefed congressional leaders in 2017 about the counterintelligence investigation he opened into Trump and that "no one objected," including Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan. McCabe ordered the obstruction of justice and counterintelligence investigations after Trump fired FBI Director James Comey in May of 2017, which made McCabe acting director of the bureau at the time. The FBI wanted to know whether Trump had been working on behalf of Russia against American interests. "The purpose of the briefing was to let our congressional leadership know exactly what we'd been doing," McCabe said, and that nobody raised concerns, "not on legal grounds, not on constitutional grounds, and not based on the facts." Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein also attended the meeting, which is when the appointment of a special counsel to oversee the Russia investigation was first announced. Eight days after Comey was fired, Rosenstein appointed special counsel Robert Mueller. (NBC News / CNBC / Politico / Daily Beast / The Atlantic / CBS News)
McCabe: Trump is unwilling to accept intelligence on North Korea given to him by U.S. officials, telling them, "I don't care, I believe Putin." Trump said he didn't believe that North Korea has missiles capable of reaching the U.S. mainland because Putin told him the missiles didn't exist. (The Hill / 60 Minutes)
House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff said there is "evidence in plain sight" of collusion between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia. Schiff rejected the conclusions of Senate Intelligence Chair Richard Burr, who said no such evidence exists. "You can see evidence in plain sight on the issue of collusion, pretty compelling evidence," Schiff said. "There is a difference between seeing evidence of collusion and being able to prove a criminal conspiracy beyond a reasonable doubt." (Politico)
Maria Butina, a self-confessed Russian agent, "manipulated" a Russian spy agency when arranging the NRA's trip to Moscow, according to her boyfriend, Paul Erickson. In a Nov. 25, 2015, email sent to then-incoming NRA President Pete Brownell, Erickson wrote that "most of the FSB agents 'assigned' to her want to marry her," which is how she arranged a tour of a Russian arms factory for the NRA delegation. (Daily Beast)
A federal judge ruled that Paul Manafort violated the terms of his cooperation deal by repeatedly lying to Robert Mueller and a grand jury about "his interactions and communications with [Konstantin] Kilimnik," a longtime aide who the FBI assessed to have ties to Russian intelligence. Judge Amy Berman Jackson found that Manafort also intentionally lied about $125,000 he received for legal bills and about another unnamed Justice Department criminal investigation. Manafort will not be able to retract his guilty plea, but he will still be required to hold up his end of the plea deal. The ruling does free Mueller's office from having to comply with the obligations in Manafort's cooperation agreement, notably offering Manafort a reduced sentence for his cooperation. The breach of the cooperation deal after his guilty plea could add years to Manafort's prison sentence, having been convicted last year of eight felonies, including tax and bank fraud. Manafort later pleaded guilty to two additional conspiracy counts. (CNN / Washington Post / New York Times / Politico / Vox / Wall Street Journal)
The Senate confirmed William Barr as attorney general, putting him in command of the Justice Department and its ongoing investigation into links between Russia's interference in the 2016 election and the Trump campaign. Last year, Barr sent a 19-page, unsolicited memo to the Justice Department and Trump's lawyers, arguing that Trump has the power to "start or stop a law enforcement proceeding," and therefore he could prevent Mueller from investigating whether Trump committed obstruction of justice when he pressured James Comey to drop an investigation into Michael Flynn. Barr previously served as George H.W. Bush's attorney general in the 1990s. (New York Times / Washington Post / Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg)
The former deputy F.B.I. director said Justice Department officials discussed recruiting cabinet members to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove Trump from office after Trump fired Comey – his former boss – in May 2017. Andrew McCabe ordered the team investigating Russia's election interference to look into whether Trump had obstructed justice by firing Comey, and examine whether Trump had been working on behalf of Russia against American interests. McCabe's order came two days after Comey was fired in order "to put the Russia case on absolutely solid ground, in an indelible fashion" so the investigation "could not be closed or vanish in the night without a trace". McCabe was fired last March and stripped of his pension days before his planned retirement, because he "lacked candor." (CBS News / Wall Street Journal / Washington Post / New York Times)
📌 Day 110: Trump fired James Comey on the recommendation of Jeff Sessions. In a letter dated Tuesday to Comey, Trump concurred "with the judgment of the Department of Justice that [Comey is not] able to effectively lead the bureau." Earlier, the FBI notified Congress that Comey misstated key findings involving the Clinton email investigation during testimony, saying that only a "small number" of emails had been forwarded to disgraced congressman Anthony Weiner, not the "hundreds and thousands" he’d claimed in his testimony. The move sweeps away the man who is responsible for the investigation into whether members of Trump's campaign team colluded with Russia in its interference in last year's election. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein laid out the reasons for Comey's firing, arguing that the handling of his investigation into Clinton's private server, his decision not to recommend charges be filed, and the news conference he held to explain his reasoning were the cause of his dismissal. Democrats reacted with shock and alarm, accusing Trump of ousting the FBI director to escape scrutiny over his campaign’s Russia ties. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer urged deputy Rosenstein to appoint a special prosecutor for the federal probe into the Trump campaign’s ties with Russian officials — warning that failing to do so will lead the public to “rightly suspect” that Comey’s surprise firing “was part of a cover-up.” (Washington Post / New York Times / NBC News / CNN / Politico)
📌 Day 725: The FBI opened a counterintelligence investigation into whether Trump had been working on behalf of Russia after he fired Comey in May 2017. Law enforcement officials became concerned that if Trump had fired Comey to stop the Russia investigation, his behavior would have constituted a threat to national security. Counterintelligence agents were also investigating why Trump was acting in ways that seemed to benefit Russia. No evidence has publicly emerged – yet – that Trump was secretly taking direction from Russian government officials. Sarah Huckabee Sanders called the report "absurd" and claimed that, compared to Obama, "Trump has actually been tough on Russia." (New York Times / CNN)
Trump is dramatically downsizing two teams of federal officials tasked with fighting election interference by foreign countries. The task forces are part of the Cyber Security and Infrastructure Agency and were assembled in response to Russian interference in the 2016 election. One of the task forces is half the size it was a few months ago, and there are no indications that senior political leadership plans to rebuild it. The other task force was reduced significantly after the 2018 midterms, before its staff could produce a full assessment of what happened during the election. DHS sources say "2020 is going to be the perfect storm." (Daily Beast)
Paul Manafort and Rick Gates met with a Russian political operative in August 2016. Prosecutors believe that Manafort and Konstantin Kilimnik may have exchanged key information relevant to Russia and Trump's presidential bid, including a proposed resolution to the conflict over Ukraine and Manafort sharing internal polling data from Trump's presidential campaign to the Russian associate. (Washington Post)
📌 Day 753: Robert Mueller's lead prosecutors disclosed that the special counsel is continuing to pursue collusion between Trump's campaign and Russia based on the conversations between Paul Manafort and Konstantin Kilimnik, who allegedly is linked to Russian intelligence. Prosecutors have been focused on discussions the two had about a "peace plan" to end the conflict following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and annexation of Crimea in 2014. The two repeatedly communicated about the plan for Ukraine starting in early August 2016, while Manafort was still running Trump's campaign, and continuing into 2018 – months after Manafort had been charged by Mueller's office related to his work in the country. (New York Times)
📌 Day 750: Mueller's team accused Paul Manafort of lying to them about "an extremely sensitive issue" in hopes of increasing "his chances for a pardon." Prosecutors allege that Manafort worked on Ukrainian political matters from August 2016 to December 2018 – after his first indictment by the special counsel in 2017 – and that he tried to avoid providing information that could be damaging to Konstantin Kilimnik, a Manafort business partner in Ukraine. Prosecutors believe Kilimnik is connected with Russian intelligence. Kilimnik also attended Trump's inauguration. (Politico / New York Times / Washington Post / Bloomberg / CNN)
📌 Day 727: Konstantin Kilimnik "appears to be at the heart of pieces of Mueller's investigation" into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Kilimnik is a Russian tied to Moscow's intelligence services and is connected to Manafort. Prosecutors filed a 31-page affidavit from an FBI agent, and another 406 blacked-out exhibits, after a federal judge ordered them to lay out the "factual and evidentiary basis" for their claims that Manafort repeatedly lied after his plea deal and as a result had breached his cooperation agreement. (CNN / Washington Post)
📌 Day 719: Paul Manafort gave 2016 polling data to a former employee with ties to Russian intelligence services. The exchange was inadvertently revealed when Manafort's lawyers failed to fully redact Manafort's interview with Robert Mueller in a court filing. Manafort's attorneys meant for Mueller's line of questioning to remain private, but the text in question was easily readable when opened with a word processor. (Washington Post / CNBC / Daily Beast)
House Democrats plan to launch their own probe into Trump's connections to Russia. Using their new subpoena power, Democrats plan to focus on potential money laundering by using the multiple committees they control to host hearings and public sessions that could stretch into 2020. Democratic members of Congress plan to interview new witnesses and go back to previous witnesses, who they believe "stonewalled" committees under the Republican majority. The House Intelligence Committee will lead the effort, with the House Financial Services Committee focusing on money laundering, and the House Foreign Affairs Committee looking into possible Russian connections. (Axios)
The Senate Intelligence Committee found "no direct evidence" of a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia. "We were never going to find a contract signed in blood saying, 'Hey Vlad, we're going to collude,'" one Democratic aide said. Democratic Senate investigators said that the more than 100 contacts between Trump's associates and various Russians show that the campaign was willing to accept help from a foreign adversary. Senate investigators also said they have uncovered facts yet to be made public. (NBC News)
Robert Mueller's lead prosecutors disclosed that the special counsel is continuing to pursue collusion between Trump's campaign and Russia based on the conversations between Paul Manafort and Konstantin Kilimnik, who allegedly is linked to Russian intelligence. Prosecutors have been focused on discussions the two had about a "peace plan" to end the conflict following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and annexation of Crimea in 2014. The two repeatedly communicated about the plan for Ukraine starting in early August 2016, while Manafort was still running Trump's campaign, and continuing into 2018 – months after Manafort had been charged by Mueller's office related to his work in the country. (New York Times)
Mueller's team accused Paul Manafort of lying to them about "an extremely sensitive issue" in hopes of increasing "his chances for a pardon." Prosecutors allege that Manafort worked on Ukrainian political matters from August 2016 to December 2018 – after his first indictment by the special counsel in 2017 – and that he tried to avoid providing information that could be damaging to Konstantin Kilimnik, a Manafort business partner in Ukraine. Prosecutors believe Kilimnik is connected with Russian intelligence. Kilimnik also attended Trump's inauguration. (Politico / New York Times / Washington Post / Bloomberg / CNN)
Ivanka Trump has "zero concerns" about any of her "loved ones" being caught up in Mueller's Russia investigation. She also insisted that the Trump Tower project in Russia – pursued during the 2016 campaign – is overblown and "there's nothing there." (Politico / Washington Post)
The Republican Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee said that "based on the evidence to date" the committee could not definitively say there was collusion between Trump and the Russians. Burr was Trump's national security adviser during the campaign. (CBS News / Politico)
📌Day 748: The House Intelligence Committee voted to send more than 50 witness interview transcripts from its Russia investigation to Robert Mueller, who could use them to then prosecute potential perjury or obstruction of justice by Trump associates. Among the transcripts are testimonies by Trump Jr. and Jared Kushner. Mueller has already prosecuted Michael Flynn for lying to both the House and Senate intelligence panels about the failed Trump Tower Moscow project. Mueller has also charged Roger Stone with lying to the House Intelligence Committee. (Politico / ABC News)
📌 Day 748: The House Intelligence Committee will also "investigate any credible allegation" into whether Trump's financial interests are driving his decision-making process. Chairman Adam Schiff announced that the committee would look "beyond Russia" and will examine "whether any foreign actor has sought to compromise or holds leverage, financial or otherwise, over Donald Trump, his family, his business, or his associates." (CNN)
poll/ 87% of Americans say Robert Mueller's investigators should produce a full, public report on their findings. 48% believe that Trump's campaign colluded with the Russian government to help get him elected. (CNN)
The boyfriend of Russian spy Maria Butina was indicted by a federal grand jury for wire fraud and money laundering. Paul Erickson was arrested and pled "not guilty" to charges that allege he used a chain of assisted living homes, called Compass Care, to run a criminal scheme from 1996 to 2018. He also allegedly defrauded his investors using a company called Investing with Dignity and claiming to be "in the business of developing a wheelchair that allowed people to go to the bathroom without being lifted out of the wheelchair." The indictment also alleges that Erickson fraudulently claimed to be building homes in the Bakken oil fields of North Dakota. His case is separate from the case against Butina in Washington, D.C. (Daily Beast)
The House Intelligence Committee voted to send more than 50 witness interview transcripts from its Russia investigation to Robert Mueller, who could use them to then prosecute potential perjury or obstruction of justice by Trump associates. Among the transcripts are testimonies by Trump Jr. and Jared Kushner. Mueller has already prosecuted Michael Flynn for lying to both the House and Senate intelligence panels about the failed Trump Tower Moscow project. Mueller has also charged Roger Stone with lying to the House Intelligence Committee. (Politico / ABC News)
The House Intelligence Committee will also "investigate any credible allegation" into whether Trump's financial interests are driving his decision-making process. Chairman Adam Schiff announced that the committee would look "beyond Russia" and will examine "whether any foreign actor has sought to compromise or holds leverage, financial or otherwise, over Donald Trump, his family, his business, or his associates." (CNN)
Trump has attended 17 intelligence briefings over the last 85 days and does not regularly read the Presidential Daily Brief prepared for him. From Nov. 7, 2018 to Feb. 1, 2019, Trump announced his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria and quit a nuclear arms treaty with Russia. (NBC News)
Russia is developing new hypersonic missiles that travel at more than five times the speed of sound and will be "invincible" in response to Trump's decision to pull out of the nuclear arms treaty. The new hypersonic missile is expected to be ready by 2021. (New York Times / NPR)
Archival footage shows Trump meeting with officials in Russia in the 1990s to discuss a potential building project in Russia. The video was allegedly aired by Russian state TV in 1995, and shows Trump meeting with members of the former mayor of Moscow's administration. "He had contacts," former mayor Yury Luzhkov said, "on matters related to the construction of the Okhotny Ryad underground mall on Manezh Square." The video was apparently discovered by someone who had been "going through the Russian TV archives." Trump has said on multiple occasions that "I have nothing to do with Russia. I don't have any jobs in Russia. I'm all over the world but we're not involved in Russia." (The Independent)
Trump wanted $20 million up front for the right to use the Trump name on a Moscow development in 2006. Trump was willing to accept a $4 million upfront branding fee and a cut of profits in his 2015 and 2016 efforts to build a Moscow tower. (Bloomberg)
SDNY prosecutors have been interviewing witnesses about foreign money flowing to three lobbying firms recruited by Paul Manafort to improve the image of the Russia-aligned president of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych, seven years ago. Mercury Public Affairs, the Podesta Group and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom are being scrutinized for representing foreign governments without registering as foreign agents. The case was originally referred by Mueller's investigation. (New York Times)
Trump won't commit to making Robert Mueller's final report public, and that he doesn't know if he wants the report made public at all, saying "it depends" on "what it's going to say." Trump did say that while he believes it's time to "get rid of the Russia witch hunt," he would leave the decision "totally up to the attorney general." William Barr, Trump's nominee for attorney general, said during his confirmation hearing that the public might see a summary report from the attorney general on Mueller's conclusions and not the full special counsel's report. (NBC News / New York Times / ABC News)
In late 2016, Deutsche Bank tried to shed a $600 million loan to VTB Group, a large Russian state-owned bank. The bank sold $300 million of the loan to another Russian financial institution, Alfa Bank, in December 2016. (Wall Street Journal)
A Russian-born lobbyist at the Trump Tower meeting in June 2016 received half a million dollars in payments before and after the meeting. The large cash deposits to Rinat Akhmetshin were deemed suspicious transactions by bank investigators. (BuzzFeed News)
Putin ordered Russia's military to develop new medium-range missiles in response to the U.S. leaving a key Cold War nuclear arms treaty. (ABC News)
In a wide-ranging interview in the Oval Office, Trump called negotiating with Congress over his border wall "a waste of time" (again), brushed off the Russia investigation and claimed that Rod Rosenstein told him he was not a target in the probe, dismissed the importance of the proposed Trump Tower his team was trying to build in Moscow during the 2016 campaign, denied he ever spoke with Roger Stone about WikiLeaks and the stolen Democratic emails, and insisted that he played no role in Jared Kushner receiving a security clearance despite concerns by both the FBI and CIA. The interview was arranged after Trump reached out to A. G. Sulzberger, the publisher of The New York Times, inviting him for an off-the-record dinner. Sulzberger initially declined, saying he would prefer an on-the-record interview that included two of his reporters. Trump agreed. During the interview, Trump told the Times "I love this job," but also complained that he's "lost massive amounts of money" since becoming president. He called the job of being president "one of the great losers of all time. You know, fortunately, I don't need money. This is one of the great losers of all time." [Editor's note: Just read the interview. Podcast and excerpt links below.] (New York Times)
🎧 LISTEN: Trump spoke with the New York Times about the Russia investigation, the government shutdown, and his plans for border security. Trump also spoke about the role of a free press. (New York Times)
Trump claimed that the Trump Tower Moscow development was "not important" and he was "not even sure they had a site." Hundreds of pages of business documents, emails, text messages, and architectural plans, however, show that the Trump Organization proposed building the skyscraper on an industrial complex near the Moscow River. Earlier this month, Rudy Giuliani also claimed that "No plans were ever made. There were no drafts. Nothing in the file." (BuzzFeed News)
Trump Jr.'s mysterious phone calls ahead of the 2016 Trump Tower meeting were not with his father, according to new evidence obtained by the Senate Intelligence Committee. The same day Trump Jr. spoke on the phone with Russian pop star Emin Agalarov, whose father set up the June 2016 meeting with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya at Trump Tower, he also talked to two business associates who used blocked numbers – Brian France, the chief executive of Nascar, and the investor Howard Lorber, who has made significant investments in Russia. Lorber also traveled to Moscow in 1996 with Trump as they considered building a Trump Tower there. A spokesman for Lorber said the real estate developer "does not recall conversations with Donald Trump Jr. in the summer of 2016," and that Lorber never discussed "any Russian matters" with Trump Jr. (CNN / ABC News / New York Times / Washington Post)
The U.S. will withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. Russia has been violating the 1987 arms control treaty for more than five years, and the U.S. gave Russia 60 days to return to compliance in December. The treaty prohibits the U.S. and Russia from possessing any land-based cruise missiles with a range of 310 to 3,410 miles. (NBC News / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / Washington Post)
Trump pinky-promised that he won't intervene with the Justice Department's decision-making process about whether to release Robert Mueller's report on possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election. "They'll have to make their decision within the Justice Department," Trump said, insisting that he hasn't spoken with acting AG Matthew Whitaker about the inquiry. Trump cautioned, however, that he "could've gotten involved in this. I could've terminated everything. I could've ended everything." (New York Times / Politico)
poll/ 62% of Americans believe that Trump knew that people like Roger Stone, Michael Cohen, Paul Manafort or others tried to conceal information from federal investigators. 50% believe that Trump personally asked people around him to provide misleading information about his businesses or Russian interference. (Monmouth University)
The Treasury Department pushed back against claims that Steve Mnuchin had a conflict of interest when he decided to lift sanctions against a Russian oligarch's businesses. The letter claimed that Mnuchin didn't sell his stake in RPDE (RatPac-Dune Entertainment) to Len Blavatnik, a Ukrainian-born oligarch, and that there was "no business conversations whatsoever" between Mnuchin and Blavatnik related to the Treasury Department's decision to lift the sanctions. (ABC News)
Trump attacked the U.S. intelligence community, claiming they're being "extremely passive and naive" and suggesting his intel chiefs need to "go back to school" because "they are wrong!" The outburst comes a day after senior American intelligence officials briefed Congress on their 2019 worldwide threat assessment, directly contradicted Trump on several of his foreign policy priorities, including Iran, North Korea, Syria, and ISIS. Trump, however, made no mention of Russia, which Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said was likely to target the 2020 elections. (Politico / New York Times / Reuters / CNN)
Trump met Putin at the G20 summit in November without a U.S. translator, notetaker, or staff member present. Melania Trump, however, was there, as well as Putin's own translator. The White House had previously said meeting was one of several "informal" talks, but didn't disclose that Trump did not have any official members of his team present. The Russian government said Trump and Putin spoke for roughly 15 minutes about various foreign policy issues, including an incident in the Azov Sea and the war in Syria. (Financial Times / Vox)
Trump Jr. met with a firm that gamed out how a foreign government could meddle in the U.S. political process. After Trump became the Republican nominee, Trump Jr. met with Wikistrat founder Joel Zamel to discuss simulations the firm conducted in 2015 about how illicit efforts could shape American politics. In April 2016, Rick Gates reviewed a plan by a company called Psy Group, which Zamel reportedly owns. The plan echoed both the real election interference by Russia as well as the scenario Wikistrat had gamed out. It's unclear if the Psy Group plans ever went forward, with some former employees saying Gates never pursued the campaign, while others said part of the plan was carried out. Wikistrat has been questioned by Robert Mueller's team. (Daily Beast)
Russians leaked more than 1,000 files Robert Mueller's office shared confidentially with indicted Russian hackers in an attempt to discredit the investigation into interference in the 2016 election. According to Mueller's court filing, the names and structure of folders containing the leaked files matched those used by the special counsel's office when it shared the data with Concord Management. The files appeared to have been uploaded to a filesharing site, which confirmed to the FBI that the account was registered in Russia. A pro-Russian Twitter account used the information as part of a disinformation campaign. (The Guardian / NBC News / CNN)
The NRA claimed "they played no official role" in a December 2015 trip to Moscow to meet with Russian nationals despite internal NRA emails and photos showing that the organization was significantly involved in the planning. Emails show that alleged Russian agent Maria Butina helped make travel arrangements for the NRA delegation, as well as organizing the meetings with senior Kremlin officials. One email suggested that the NRA would pay for travel expenses and provide "gifts" to their Russian hosts. In another, Butina told the delegation she'd meet them at the airport with "a big red sign saying Welcome NRA." The NRA met with Butina and her Russian handler, Alexander Torshin, who was Deputy Governor of the Russian Central Bank at the time and later sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury, Dmitry Rogozin, then-Russian Deputy Prime Minister who was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in 2014, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, a member of Putin's inner circle. (ABC News)
Democrats in Congress raised ethical concerns that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin decision to lift sanctions on a Russian oligarch was a conflict of interest. The Treasury Department repeatedly postponed implementing sanctions against Oleg Deripaska's companies, and later lifted them entirely after striking a deal to restructure the companies. Len Blavatnik is a major investor in Deripaska's aluminum company, Rusal, as well as a major Republican National Committee donor, where Mnuchin served as finance chairman for Trump's 2016 campaign. (New York Times)
U.S. intelligence chiefs contradicted Trump's claims about North Korea, Iran, and ISIS. Trump previously claimed that "We have won against ISIS" as justification for withdrawing 2,000 troops from Syria, he pledged that North Korea is on the path to fully denuclearize, and withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal, claiming the country posed a nuclear threat. The Worldwide Threat Assessment, released by Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, however, outlines that North Korea is "unlikely to give up" its nuclear stockpiles because Kim Jong-un sees them as "critical to regime survival," and that Iran is not "currently undertaking the key nuclear weapons-development activity" needed to make a bomb. Coats also said that ISIS "very likely will continue to pursue external attacks from Iraq and Syria against regional and Western adversaries, including the United States." The report also concluded that China is positioned to conduct cyberattacks against American infrastructure and that "Moscow is now staging cyberattack assets to allow it to disrupt or damage U.S. civilian and military infrastructure during a crisis." (New York Times / Washington Post / Politico / CNN / The Guardian)
Russia, China, and Iran are "probably already are looking to the 2020 U.S. elections as an opportunity to advance their interests," according the Worldwide Threat Assessment report. Dan Coats warned that these countries "will use online influence operations to try to weaken democratic institutions, undermine U.S. alliances and partnerships and shape policy outcomes in the United States and elsewhere." (Politico)
Russia offered North Korea a nuclear power plant after negotiations with the Trump administration to denuclearize stalled. The plan called for Moscow to operate the plant and transfer all waste back to Russia, reducing the risk that North Korea could use the power plant to build nuclear weapons. (Washington Post)
Roger Stone pleaded not guilty to witness tampering, obstruction of justice and lying to Congress. Stone's indictment alleges that he was the conduit between the Trump campaign and WikiLeaks, which published Democratic National Committee emails in the summer of 2016, and that "a senior Trump campaign official was directed to contact Stone about any additional releases and what other damaging information Organization 1 had regarding the Clinton campaign." Robert Mueller has previously accused 12 Russian intelligence officers of hacking those emails, and the U.S. intelligence community consensus is that those Russians "relayed material it acquired from the DNC and senior Democratic officials to WikiLeaks." (NPR / Washington Post / CNBC / ABC News / New York Times / Reuters)
The Trump administration has started making a new, low-yield nuclear weapon that the Department of Energy claims is designed to counter Russia. The W76-2 is believed to be about half as powerful as the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. The report claims that smaller nuclear warheads will help balance the threat from Russian forces. (NPR)
poll/ 57% of Americans support congressional Democrats investigating whether or not Trump's 2016 campaign colluded with Russia, 61% support investigating financial ties between Trump and foreign governments, and 59% support investigating Trump's relationship and communications with Putin. (Washington Post)
The Trump administration lifted sanctions against three companies owned by Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska. The Treasury Department originally sanctioned Deripaska, six other oligarchs, and their companies in April in response to Russia's "malign activity" around the world. The sanctions against Deripaska himself will remain in effect, but his companies launched a lobbying campaign to argue that the sanctions against aluminum giant Rusal would disrupt the aluminum market and damage U.S. companies. (Reuters / New York Times / Fox News / Bloomberg)
Trump and Jared Kushner thought firing Michael Flynn would end the "Russia thing," according to Chris Christie's forthcoming book, "Let Me Finish." Christie recalled that Trump told him "this Russia thing is all over now, because I fired Flynn." Trump went on to explain that "Flynn met with the Russians. That was the problem. I fired Flynn. It's over." Kushner added: "That's right, firing Flynn ends the whole Russia thing." (New York Times)
Roger Stone was arrested on seven counts of obstruction, lying to Congress and witness tampering as part of Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the election. Between June and July of 2016, Stone told a "senior Trump Campaign official" that he had information that WikiLeaks would release documents that would hurt the Clinton campaign. On July 22, 2016, WikiLeaks released its first batch of Democratic emails. After that the "senior Trump Campaign official was directed to contact Stone about any additional releases and what other damaging information" that WikiLeaks had about the Clinton campaign. Then, in October of 2016, a "high-ranking Trump Campaign official" asked Stone about "future releases by" WikiLeaks. Stone replied that WikiLeaks would release "a load every week going forward." In total, Stone interacted with at least four people close to the Trump campaign about WikiLeaks. The indictment also accused Stone of attempting to intimidate Randy Credico, who was in contact with Julian Assange in 2016. Separately, FBI agents were seen carrying hard drives and other evidence from Stone's apartment in New York City. (Washington Post / New York Times / CNBC / The Guardian / Politico / CNN / NBC News / Washington Post / Department of Justice)
Stone was released on $250,000 bond, denied working with Russia, and declared he would not "bear false witness" by testifying against Trump. (CBS News)
The Trump administration hasn't imposed required sanctions on Moscow nearly three months after determining that Russia had violated the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act in connection with the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal. (NBC News)
Russia warned the U.S. against launching a military intervention in Venezuela after Juan Guaido declared himself interim president in a coup d'etat and Trump threatened to use the "full weight" of U.S. economic and diplomatic power to stabilize the country. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said a U.S. military intervention in Venezuela "would be a catastrophic scenario that would shake the foundations of the development model which we see in Latin America." (NBC News)
Rudy Giuliani claimed that "no plans were ever made" for Trump Tower Moscow, despite hundreds of pages of business documents, emails, text messages, and architectural plans proving otherwise. For instance, by September 2015, an architect had completed plans for a 100 story high tower, and when Trump signed a finalized letter of intent on Oct. 28 2015, the tower would have "approximately 250 first class, luxury residential condominiums" and "approximately 15 floors" and contain "not fewer than 150 hotel rooms." The Trump team also considered an option to open "The Spa By Ivanka Trump," as well as giving a "$50 million penthouse to Putin." Trump's lawyer characterized this by saying "the proposal was in the earliest stage" and later adding "There were no drafts. Nothing in the file." (BuzzFeed News)
Trump was reportedly "apoplectic" and "furious" with Giuliani after his lawyer claimed that he had been involved in discussions to build a Trump Tower in Moscow through the end of the 2016 campaign. Giuliani's statement contradicted Trump's own public statements about the project. Trump has been "screaming" and is "so mad at Rudy," because he felt that Giuliani had "changed the headlines" for the worse and had obscured what he believed was a public relations victory when Robert Mueller's office disputed portions of a report that Trump directed Michael Cohen to lie to Congress. Trump is also being encouraged by Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner – among others – to fire Giuliani before it's too late. Giuliani blamed journalists for his gaffs, saying they've taken his hypothetical arguments literally, adding that Trump is "not pissed. He just wants it clarified." Giuliani also admitted this week that he is worried that his legacy would be that "he lied for Trump" and has told people privately that he "hates the job." (Politico / Vanity Fair / Associated Press)
Robert Mueller's team is interested in the Trump campaign's relationship with the NRA during the 2016 campaign. Mueller wants to know more about how and when Trump and his campaign first established a relationship with the NRA, and how Trump ended up as a speaker at the organization's annual meeting in 2015. The NRA is under scrutiny from lawmakers for its spending in support of Trump in 2016 and its ties to Russian nationals. (CNN)
Rudy Giuliani walked back his comments about Trump's involvement in the Trump Tower Moscow project, calling the statements "hypothetical" and "not based on conversations" he had with Trump. Giuliani originally said that negotiations over the project continued up until the day Trump won, and that Trump remembered having "fleeting conversations" about the deal after the Trump Organization signed a letter of intent. At question is whether or not Trump was engaged in ongoing negotiations with an American adversary while seeking the presidency and advocating that Obama lift sanctions against Russia. (New York Times / ABC News)
Giuliani also claimed that it didn't matter if Trump engaged in conversations with Russia about the Moscow deal, because it's not a crime. He went on to say that "there are no tapes, there are no texts, there is no corroboration," because he's personally "been through all the tapes, I have been through all the texts, I have been through all the e-mails, and I knew none existed." A few moments later, Giuliani tried to clarify: "I shouldn't have said tapes." Moments after that, Giuliani added: "Well, I have listened to tapes." Giuliani also tried to revise his previous statement that Trump told him the Trump Tower Moscow "discussions were going on from the day I announced to the day I won," saying simply: "He didn't have the conversations." [Editor's note: This is a wild interview. Worth the read.] (New Yorker)
Trump Jr. blamed Michael Cohen for the Trump Tower Moscow project, claiming the family "[doesn't] know anything about it." Trump Jr. also claimed that there was never a deal, contradicting the fact that Trump signed a letter of intent in October 2015 and the team of developers were revealed in 2017. (Axios)
A U.S. banker with ties to the Kremlin tried to schedule a meeting with Trump nine days after he won the presidency in the hopes of securing a role in the Trump administration. A producer from "The Apprentice" contacted one of Trump's closest advisers to set up a meeting with Robert Foresman, who is now chairman of the Swiss bank UBS's investment arm. Foresman lived in Moscow for years and led a $3 billion Russian investment firm and was touted as someone with connections to Putin's inner circle. Foresman did not end up getting a seat in Trump's administration, but did secure a sit-down meeting with Tom Barrack, then-chair of Trump's $100 million inaugural fund. (ABC News)
A Russian singer linked to the Trump Tower meeting canceled an upcoming tour of North America over concerns about Mueller's Russia probe. Emin Agalarov is said to have helped to arrange the 2016 Trump Tower meeting between Trump Jr. and Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya during the campaign. Agalarov's attorney confirmed that the cancellation is "most definitely" linked to Mueller's probe, saying "we don't want him to be subpoenaed or held under a material witness warrant or anything else." (NBC News)
The special counsel's office issued a rare statement disputing aspects of the BuzzFeed report that Trump directed Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about Trump's involvement in a real-estate deal with Russia during the 2016 campaign. A statement from Peter Carr, a spokesman for Mueller, called the report's "description of specific statements to the Special Counsel's Office" and the "characterization of documents and testimony obtained by this office" as it related to Cohen's Congressional testimony "not accurate." In response, BuzzFeed News Editor-in-Chief Ben Smith tweeted: "We stand by our reporting and the sources who informed it, and we urge the Special Counsel to make clear what he's disputing." BuzzFeed's story cited two anonymous law-enforcement sources. According to different anonymous people who claim to be familiar with the matter, "Mueller's denial […] aims to make clear that none of those statement in the story are accurate." And, another anonymous person claiming to be familiar with Cohen's testimony to Mueller's prosecutors said: "Cohen did not state that the president had pressured him to lie to Congress." The statement from the special counsel's office came nearly a day after the story was published. (New York Times / Washington Post / Wall Street Journal / The Guardian / Politico / CNN / Vox)
Trump was involved in negotiations to build a Trump Tower in Moscow throughout the entire 2016 presidential campaign – several months longer than any administration official or Trump associate has previously admitted. Rudy Giuliani said conversations between Trump and Michael Cohen about building a Trump Tower in Moscow "went on throughout 2016 […] probably up to, could be up to as far as October, November." Giuliani later clarified, quoting Trump that the discussions were "going on from the day I announced to the day I won." The new timetable means that Trump, who repeatedly claimed during the campaign that he had "no business" in Russia, was in fact seeking a deal in Russia when he said in July 2016 that he had "nothing to do with Russia." The timeline also conflicts with Cohen's 2017 testimony that the Moscow project ended in January 2016 – before the Republican primaries began. Cohen later pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about the deal, saying efforts continued through June 2016 before it fell apart – a month after Trump had secured the Republican Party's presidential nomination. (New York Times / Wall Street Journal / Politico / CNN / Bloomberg)
The Trump administration's deal to lift sanctions against a Russian oligarch contains provisions that will allow Oleg Deripaska to wipe out of hundreds of millions of dollars in debt while leaving him and his allies with majority ownership of his company. (New York Times)
Trump personally directed Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about his plans to build a Trump Tower in Moscow in order to obscure his involvement in the deal. Cohen and Trump had at least 10 face-to-face meetings about the deal during the campaign. Cohen acknowledged to Robert Mueller's team that he had given false testimony to the Senate and House intelligence committees that the Moscow tower negotiations ended in January 2016 were an attempt to "minimize links between the Moscow Project" and Trump "in hopes of limiting the ongoing Russia investigations." Trump also approved a plan by Cohen to visit Russia during the presidential campaign and meet with Putin in order to kick off the negotiations for the Moscow project. "Make it happen," Trump told Cohen. Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr. both regularly received "very detailed updates" about the project from Cohen. The revelation marks the first time Trump is known to have directly – and explicitly – ordered one of his subordinates to lie about his dealings with Russia. (BuzzFeed News)
Democrats in Congress vowed to investigate the report that Trump personally directed Cohen to lie to Congress, which could leave the president open to accusations of suborning perjury and obstruction of justice. House Intelligence Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff said "we will do what's necessary to find out if it's true" and that allegations that Trump "may have suborned perjury before our committee in an effort to curtail the investigation and cover up his business dealings with Russia is among the most serious to date." Rep. Jerry Nadler, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, tweeted that the panel's "job is to get to the bottom of it, and we will do that work," adding: "We know that the President has engaged in a long pattern of obstruction." (Washington Post / Wall Street Journal / CNN / The Guardian / NBC News)
[Opinion] This may be the smoking gun in the Russia investigation. Why, if there was nothing worrisome or untoward about Trump's dealings with Russia, would he instruct Cohen to lie to about the depth and breadth of the conversations between the Trumps and the Russians regarding a potential construction project in Moscow? (CNN)
Rudy Giuliani claimed that "I never said there was no collusion" between the Trump campaign and Russia. In a remarkable interview with CNN's Chris Cuomo on Wednesday night, Giuliani argued that he had only ever said Trump himself had not colluded with Russia during the 2016 election, leaving open the possibility that campaign aides could have colluded. "There is not a single bit of evidence the president of the United States committed the only crime you can commit here, conspired with the Russians to hack the DNC." Trump has tweeted at least 13 times directly saying there was no collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government. (CNN / The Guardian / Washington Post)
More than 130 Republicans joined House Democrats in opposing a Treasury Department plan to lift sanctions against companies controlled by a Putin ally. Senate Republicans narrowly blocked a similar measure yesterday. Oleg Deripaska is a Russian oligarch with ties to Paul Manafort. (Washington Post)
A Belarusian woman who claimed to have 16 hours of audio recordings linking Russia to Trump's election will be deported after spending nearly a year behind bars in Thailand. Anastasia Vashukevich pleaded guilty to charges of solicitation and conspiracy in the Pattaya Provincial Court. Vashukevich requested asylum in the U.S. in exchange for her recordings, which she claimed contained evidence that could help shed light on Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. The audio evidence that Vashukevich claimed to have has never materialized. (New York Times)
Trump called a New York Times reporter and defended Russia against claims of election interference the day after he met privately with Putin in July 2017. Trump insisted that the call remain off the record while arguing that the Russians had been falsely accused of interfering in the 2016 election. Trump and Putin have met five times in private and the U.S. has no records or notes from any of their conversations. (New York Times)
Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic effort to enforce sanctions against Russian companies controlled by a Putin ally, despite a group of 11 GOP senators joining Democrats in the vote. The vote fell three votes shy of the 60-vote threshold, ensuring that the sanctions on the companies tied to Oleg Deripaska, including the world's second-largest aluminum company, Rusal, will be lifted as part of a deal negotiated by the Treasury Department. (New York Times / CNN / The Hill)
Konstantin Kilimnik "appears to be at the heart of pieces of Mueller's investigation" into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Kilimnik is a Russian tied to Moscow's intelligence services and is connected to Manafort. Prosecutors filed a 31-page affidavit from an FBI agent, and another 406 blacked-out exhibits, after a federal judge ordered them to lay out the "factual and evidentiary basis" for their claims that Manafort repeatedly lied after his plea deal and as a result had breached his cooperation agreement. (CNN / Washington Post)
The U.S. rejected a Russian offer to save the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty, saying "we see no indication that Russia would choose compliance." The U.S. and its NATO allies want Russia to destroy its 9M729 nuclear-capable cruise missile system. Without a deal, a U.S. withdrawal over six months will start from Feb. 2. (Reuters)
Trump discussed withdrawing the U.S. from NATO with senior administration officials several times in 2018, saying he didn't see the point of the military alliance, which has been in place since 1949. National security officials believe that Russia is focused on undermining the alliance so Putin could have the freedom to behave as he wishes. (New York Times)
Michael Cohen's testimony before the House Oversight Committee next month is expected to be heavily restricted to avoid interfering with Mueller's Russia investigation. Cohen is scheduled to speak in a public hearing on Feb. 7 and won't be able to talk about topics that he has discussed with Mueller and may also be limited in what he can say about the on-going Manhattan U.S. attorney's office investigation. A person close to Cohen said "he's going to tell the story of what it's like to work for a madman, and why he did it for so long," adding that Cohen is "going to say things that will give you chills." (Wall Street Journal)
The FBI opened a counterintelligence investigation into whether Trump had been working on behalf of Russia after he fired Comey in May 2017. Law enforcement officials became concerned that if Trump had fired Comey to stop the Russia investigation, his behavior would have constituted a threat to national security. Counterintelligence agents were also investigating why Trump was acting in ways that seemed to benefit Russia. No evidence has publicly emerged – yet – that Trump was secretly taking direction from Russian government officials. Sarah Huckabee Sanders called the report "absurd" and claimed that, compared to Obama, "Trump has actually been tough on Russia." (New York Times / CNN)
Trump concealed details about his conversations with Putin from administration officials. On at least one occasion in 2017, Trump confiscated the notes from his interpreter and told the interpreter not to discuss the details of his Putin conversation with other administration officials. As a result, there is no record of Trump's face-to-face interactions with Putin at five locations from the past two years. U.S. officials only learned about Trump's actions when a White House adviser and a senior State Department official requested additional information about the meeting beyond what Rex Tillerson had provided. (Washington Post)
Fox News asked Trump if he is a Russian agent – he refused to directly answer. Instead, he called the question from Jeanine Pirro "the most insulting thing I've ever been asked." When asked about concealing the details of his private meetings with Putin, Trump replied: "We had a great conversation." Later, Trump said he "never worked for Russia" and called the report that the FBI opened a counterintelligence investigation "a whole big fat hoax" while labeling the FBI officials "known scoundrels" and "dirty cops." (New York Times / CNBC / Associated Press / Wall Street Journal / CNN / Washington Post)
Trump's nominee for attorney general said that "it is vitally important" that Robert Mueller be allowed to complete his Russia investigation. "On my watch, Bob will be allowed to complete his work," William Barr will tell senators at his confirmation hearing, and that Congress and the public should "be informed of the results of the special counsel's work." Barr added that his "goal will be to provide as much transparency as I can consistent with the law." (Associated Press / CNN / New York Times / The Guardian)
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs signed off on a plan by Alexander Torshin and Maria Butina to infiltrate the NRA and the American conservative movement. A U.S. intelligence report says Torshin, a Russian central bank official, courted NRA leaders for years and briefed the Kremlin on his efforts, recommending that they participate in the project. The report notes that the Kremlin was fine with Torshin and Butina's courtship of the NRA because those relationships would be valuable if a Republican was elected president in 2016. (Daily Beast)
Michael Cohen agreed to publicly testify in front of the House Oversight Committee before he goes to prison next month. Trump's former personal attorney said he appreciates the opportunity "to give a full and credible account" of the time he worked for Trump. Cohen will also answer questions from lawmakers about the Russia investigation during a closed-door session. (Washington Post / NBC News / New York Times / ABC News / CNN / The Hill)
Robert Mueller requested information last year from a Trump campaign pollster and colleague of Paul Manafort. Tony Fabrizio was interviewed by Mueller's team in February 2018; the meeting went unreported until now. The interview is significant in light of recent revelations that Mueller has been investigating Manafort's sharing of polling data with an associate tied to Russian intelligence. (CNN)
Steven Mnuchin delivered a classified briefing to Congress on his decision to lift sanctions on companies linked to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska. The briefing came after the chairs of seven House committees sent a letter to the Treasury Secretary and former Trump campaign finance chair demanding to know more about the decision. (NBC News)
A law firm that has represented both Russian interests and the Republican National Committee is involved in the subpoena case presumed to be between Mueller and "Company A." Alston & Bird previous represented Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, as well as the RNC in its efforts to obtain some of Hillary Clinton's emails. It is unclear whether the firm is currently representing "Company A," the country that owns "Company A," or the regulators of that country. (CNBC / CNN)
Paul Manafort gave 2016 polling data to a former employee with ties to Russian intelligence services. The exchange was inadvertently revealed when Manafort's lawyers failed to fully redact Manafort's interview with Robert Mueller in a court filing. Manafort's attorneys meant for Mueller's line of questioning to remain private, but the text in question was easily readable when opened with a word processor. (Washington Post / CNBC / Daily Beast)
Natalia Veselnitskaya worked secretly with the Russia prosecutor general to draft the Russian response to a U.S. money-laundering case. Veselnitskaya is the Russian lawyer who met with top Trump campaign officials at Trump Tower in 2016. The case in question isn't directly related to the Trump Tower meeting and instead involves a scheme to launder dirty money through New York real-estate purchases. The indictment says Veselnitskaya covertly drafted an "intentionally misleading" response, which constitutes obstruction of justice. (New York Times)
Shortly after being sworn in, freshman Michigan Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib told supporters: "We're gonna go in there and we're going to impeach the motherfucker." House Democratic leaders immediately tried to quell the impeachment talk, saying they should wait for Robert Mueller to file a report on his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign. Republicans, meanwhile, seized on the comments, saying it's proof that Democrats are playing politics rather than pursuing oversight. Trump responded to Tlaib's call for impeachment, saying: "You can't impeach somebody who's doing a great job." (Politico / The Guardian / CNN / CNBC / Washington Post / Wall Street Journal)
The American man held on espionage charges in Moscow also has British, Canadian and Irish citizenship. Russia arrested Paul Whelan on Dec. 28th, and charged him with espionage. [Editor's note: Not in itself very newsworthy, but I wanted to pin this in the event Whelan turns out to be a player.] (Washington Post / New York Times / Wall Street Journal)
Russia charged an American with espionage. Paul Whelan faces 20 years in Russia if convicted. Russia's Interfax news agency said Whelan was arrested on Dec. 28 "while on a spy mission." Another Russian news outlet, Rosbalt, claimed that Whelan, a former U.S. marine now detained in Moscow by Russia's Federal Security Service, was arrested minutes after receiving a USB drive that contained the names of people employed at a top secret state organization. Whelan's arrest comes weeks after Russian gun rights activist Maria Butina pleaded guilty to conspiring to act as an agent for the Kremlin from 2015 until her arrest in July. She agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors. (The Guardian / Washington Post / New York Times / USA Today / NPR / CNN)
A former Russian intelligence officer pressured Paul Manafort to pay back around $19 million he owed a Russian oligarch while he was running Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. Victor Boyarkin said Manafort "owed us a lot of money. And he was offering ways to pay it back." Less than two weeks before Trump accepted the Republican nomination, Manafort tried to offer "private briefings" about the presidential race to Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska to "get whole." Manafort sent the messages through his former business associate Konstantin Kilimnik. Both Boyarkin and Deripaska have been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department. Boyarkin also said he was approached by Robert Mueller's office, which is investigating ties between the Trump campaign and Russia, but he allegedly told investigators "to go dig a ditch." (Time / CNN)
An indicted Russian organization in a court filing referred to a "nude selfie" obtained by Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Mueller has collected nearly four million pages of material from the email and social media accounts in the case against the Internet Research Agency, an alleged Russian state-controlled troll farm. The IRA's lawyer, Eric Dubelier, questioned how there could be any national security concerns related to a nude selfie. Dubelier also represents Concord Management and Consulting LLC, which prosecutors alleged is controlled by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a businessman close to Putin with key ties to Russia's military and political establishment. Prigozhin is also known as "Putin's Chef." Dubelier did not provide information about who is depicted in the photo, but asked the court to lift a protective order that bans him from sending the millions of pages of pre-trial discovery to Russia. (Daily Beast / CNN / HuffPost / Law & Crime)
Michael Cohen's cell phone was briefly activated near Prague around time of the Russia meeting described in the Steele dossier, which purports that Cohen and one or more Kremlin officials met in or around the Czech capital to plot ways to limit discovery of the close "liaison" between the Trump campaign and Russia. Additionally, around the same period of late August or early September 2016, electronic eavesdropping by an Eastern European intelligence agency picked up Russians remarking that Cohen was in Prague. The cell phone and eavesdropping evidence was shared with Robert Mueller. (McClatchy DC)
📌Day 224: Trump's lawyer "vehemently" denied working with Russia to disrupt the election. Michael Cohen gave Congress a point-by-point rebuttal of the 35-page dossier compiled by retired British spy Christopher Steele, which alleges he has deep ties to Russian officials. Cohen denied the dossier's claims, including that he had secret meetings in Prague with a Russian official last summer. (New York Times)
poll/ 58% of Americans believe Trump tried to obstruct the investigation into his campaign's ties to Russia. 38% believe Trump did something illegal, 34% believe he did something unethical, but not illegal, and 25% Americans believe Trump did nothing wrong. (Associated Press)
A U.S. intelligence report concludes that Russia, China, and Iran "conducted influence activities and messaging campaigns" targeting the midterm elections. Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence, said they did not compromise the voting systems, however. (New York Times)
Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker declined to recuse himself from the Russia investigation despite a Justice Department ethics official advising him to step aside out of an "abundance of caution." The ethics official said that while a recusal was "a close call," there was no actual legal conflict of interest that would require Whitaker to recuse himself. Members of Congress are concerned about Whitaker's previous criticism of Robert Mueller's investigation. (CNN / ABC News / Politico)
The House Intelligence Committee voted to send the transcript of its 2017 interview with Roger Stone to Mueller, suggesting that the special counsel is close to charging Stone with a crime. It's the first time Mueller has formally asked the committee to hand over material gathered related to the Russia investigation. Stone's relationship with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and whether he played a role in the release of stolen DNC emails has been a focus of the special counsel's investigation for months. (Washington Post / CNN / Politico)
Treasury Department officials exchanged messages using unsecured Gmail accounts set up by their Russian counterparts during the 2016 election. [Editor's note: I don't even know where to begin with summarizing this, but it's important. You should read it and send me a three to four sentence summary to update this entry with.] (BuzzFeed News)
Putin praised Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria, calling it "correct." Trump, meanwhile, defended his surprise decision, despite mounting criticism from lawmakers in both parties, saying the U.S. doesn't "want to be the Policeman of the Middle East." (ABC News / Politico / New York Times / Washington Post)
Newly obtained document show Trump signed a letter of intent to build a Trump Tower in Moscow, contradicting Rudy Giuliani's claim that the document was never signed. The signed letter is dated Oct. 28, 2015. Trump Jr. testified on Sept. 7, 2017 that his father had signed a letter of intent for the Moscow project, which Michael Cohen worked on, but he knew "very little" about it. Cohen also told congressional committees investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election that Trump had signed the letter. On Sunday, Giuliani claimed: "It was a real estate project. There was a letter of intent to go forward, but no one signed it." During the 2016 campaign, Trump did not disclose that the Trump Organization explored the business deal with Russia. Instead, he repeatedly claimed he had "nothing to do with Russia." Read the signed letter of intent. (CNN)
Giuliani conceded that "of course" Trump signed the "bullshit" letter of intent to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. "I don't think I said nobody signed it," Giuliani claimed, despite telling CNN on Sunday that "no one signed" the letter. The deal would have given Trump's company $4 million upfront, plus a percentage on all sales, as well as marketing and design oversight. The hotel would have also named the spa after Ivanka Trump. (New York Daily News)
The Trump administration will lift sanctions on three Russian corporations controlled in part by Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, a billionaire who once loaned Paul Manafort $10 million. Deripaska agreed to cut his ownership stake in each company below 50%. In April, the U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on Deripaska, Rusal, En+ Group Plc, and JSC EuroSibEnergo, citing "malign activities" by Russia. (Bloomberg / Reuters)
The Justice Department ordered an unnamed foreign company to comply with Robert Mueller's grand jury subpoena to turn over information about its commercial activities as part of a secret court case. Very little is known about the details of the case, but the company fighting the subpoena has been identified as a foreign government-owned company tied to Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Court officials have taken drastic steps to ensure the identity of the company remains unknown. The case, referred to in public dockets as 18-3071 with the title Sealed v Sealed, began in August. (CNN / Politico / The Guardian / Vox)
Michael Cohen dropped a pair of libel suits against BuzzFeed and Fusion GPS over the publication of the Steele dossier, which detailed alleged ties between Trump and Russia. (Politico)
Michael Flynn agreed to delay his sentencing after U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan told Trump's former national security adviser "you sold your country out," and because of that, "I cannot assure you, if you proceed today, you will not receive a sentence of incarceration." Robert Mueller recommended that Flynn serve no jail time for his crimes because of the "substantial help" he provided to the special counsel and other investigations. Flynn was supposed to be sentenced today for lying to the FBI and acting as an unregistered agent for Turkey. The judge also asked the special counsel's office whether Flynn could be charged with "treason" after he acted as "an unregistered agent of a foreign country, while serving as the national security adviser to the president of the United States." Flynn's sentencing has been delayed until March 13th and will allow him to continue cooperating with the Russia investigation. Sullivan's last words to the court were: "Happy holidays." (New York Times / CNN / Washington Post / Wall Street Journal / BuzzFeed News)
Mueller released a memo from 2017 that summarizes Michael Flynn's contemporaneous interview with the FBI. The interview was the catalyst that led to the high-profile case against Trump's former national security adviser and felon. According to the memo, Flynn lied during the interview about his contact with then-Russian ambassador to the U.S., Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 presidential transition period. The memo includes clear examples of Flynn lying and claiming that he never made any policy requests of Russia as FBI agents prod him to provide fuller descriptions of his calls. (CNN)
Hours earlier, Trump wished Flynn – a confessed felon – "good luck" ahead of his sentencing hearing. "Will be interesting to see what he has to say," Trump tweeted, "despite tremendous pressure being put on him, about Russian Collusion in our great and, obviously, highly successful political campaign." Flynn will be the highest-ranking Trump administration aide to be sentenced as part of Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. (New York Times / CNBC)
Giuliani: Trump discussed a proposed Trump Tower in Moscow with Michael Cohen later than previously known. Trump previously claimed that discussions about the project ended in January 2016, but Giuliani indicated that the conversations could have been in June or July of 2016. (CNN)
The Russian disinformation campaign also targeted Mueller by falsely claiming that he was corrupt and that Russian interference in the 2016 election was just conspiracy theories. Russian operatives went after Mueller and his team via fake social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms. They also claimed that Mueller had a history of working with "radical Islamic groups." (Washington Post)
The Russian disinformation and influence campaign during the 2016 presidential election was more far-reaching than originally understood, according to the findings of two independent groups of researchers tasked by the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee. The report found that "active and ongoing interference operations remain on several platforms," including one campaign to support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and influence opinions on the Syrian Civil War. The Internet Research Agency created social media accounts under fake names and spread its messages across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Reddit, Tumblr, Pinterest, Vine and Google+, and other platforms. As attention was focused on Facebook and Twitter in 2017, the Russians shifted much of their activity to Instagram. The Internet Research Agency is owned by Yevgeny Prigozhin, an ally of Putin's. Prigozhin and a dozen Internet Research Agency employees were indicted last February as part of Robert Mueller's investigation. In particular, the campaigns urged the African-American community "to boycott the election and focus on other issues instead," while messaging to conservative and right-wing voters "patriotic and anti-immigrant slogans" designed to "elicit outrage […] about liberal appeasement of 'others' at the expense of U.S. citizens, and [to] encourage them to vote for Trump." The report concludes: "What is clear is that all of the messaging clearly sought to benefit the Republican Party — and specifically Donald Trump." (New York Times / Washington Post / Associated Press / Bloomberg)
poll/ 62% of Americans say Trump isn't telling the truth about the Russia investigation. 43% approve of the job Trump is doing as president compared with 54% who disapprove. (NBC News)
Mueller rejected Michael Flynn's suggestion that he was tricked into lying to FBI agents about his communications with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak. "The interview was voluntary, and lacked any indicia of coercion," Mueller's team wrote in new court documents, referring to the Jan. 24, 2017 interview at the White House four days after Trump's inauguration. Neither Flynn nor his lawyers have explained why he lied. (New York Times / USA Today / NBC News / Washington Post)
George Papadopoulos is considering a run for Congress. The former Trump campaign foreign policy aide just spent 12 days in prison after pleading guilty to making false statements to the FBI about contacts with a professor, Joseph Mifsud, who claimed to know that Russia had thousands of emails connected to Hillary Clinton. (Politico)
Maria Butina pleaded guilty to conspiring to act as a foreign agent of the Kremlin and influence U.S. politics from 2015 until her arrest in July. Butina tried to establish "unofficial lines of communication" with influential Americans in the NRA and in the Republican Party "under direction of" a former Russian senator and deputy governor of Russia's central bank, who matches the description of sanctioned Russian central banker Alexander Torshin. Butina is also expected to provide evidence against Paul Erickson, who helped her with what she called her "Diplomacy Project." Butina faces up to five years in prison but is expected to only serve six months based on "the sentencing guidelines cited as part of the plea agreement." (Washington Post / CNN / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / Politico) / NBC News)
Two Michael Flynn associates said he discussed a deal with Sergey Kislyak during the campaign about how Trump and Russia could work together if Trump won. According to Flynn's associates, the bargain he discussed with Russia's then-ambassador to the U.S. was that Moscow would cooperate with the Trump administration to resolve the Syrian conflict and in exchange the U.S. would end or ease sanctions imposed on Russia for its annexation of Crimea and military intervention in Ukraine. In mid-August 2016, Trump and Flynn received a briefing that noted the intelligence community had reached the preliminary conclusion that Moscow was behind the hacks of Democratic targets and the public disclosure of the stolen material. Flynn's "series of contacts" with Kislyak continued despite knowing Moscow was behind the efforts to subvert the U.S. election. (Mother Jones)
Trump claimed that Robert Mueller's prosecutors gave Michael Flynn "a great deal because they were embarrassed by the way he was treated." Mueller recommended Flynn serve no jail time due to his "substantial assistance" in the ongoing investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election after the former national security adviser pleaded guilty to lying about his contacts with the Russian ambassador to the U.S. last December. (The Hill)
📌 The Re-Up: Day 25: Michael Flynn resigned as National Security Adviser after it was revealed that he had misled Pence and other top White House officials about his conversations with the Russian ambassador to the United States. Flynn served in the job for less than a month. (New York Times)
📌 Day 26: Trump knew Flynn misled officials on Russia calls for "weeks," the White House says. The comment contrasts the impression Trump gave aboard Air Force One that he was not familiar with a report that revealed Flynn had not told the truth about the calls. White House counsel Don McGahn told Trump in a January briefing that Flynn had discussed U.S. sanctions with Russia. (Washington Post)
📌 Day 22: Flynn discussed sanctions with Russian ambassador, despite denials. Flynn's communications with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak were interpreted by some senior U.S. officials as an inappropriate and potentially illegal signal to the Kremlin that it could expect a reprieve from sanctions that were being imposed by the Obama administration in late December to punish Russia for its alleged interference in the 2016 election. (Washington Post)
Michael Flynn asked to be spared jail time because of his "extensive cooperation" with Mueller. Flynn pleaded guilty last December to lying to the FBI during its counterintelligence investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. He blamed the FBI agents for tricking him into lying by not warning him "that it was a crime to lie during an FBI interview." Flynn asked to receive a year of probation and 200 hours of community service in light of his cooperation, long service in the U.S. military, and his lack of a criminal record. Mueller's office similarly recommended little to no jail time last week because he had provided "substantial assistance" in the investigation that "likely affected the decisions of related firsthand witnesses to be forthcoming." (Politico / Wall Street Journal / New York Times / NBC News)
Trump continues to reject the assessment U.S. spy agencies lay out for him in daily briefings on world events. In particular, Trump has dismissed the intelligence community's assessments about Russia's interference in the 2016 election, North Korea's willingness to abandon its nuclear weapons program, Iran's nuclear and regional ambitions, the existence of climate change, and the role of the Saudi crown prince in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. (Washington Post)
poll/ 29% of Americans approve of the way Trump is handling the Russia investigation. 54%, meanwhile, think the things Trump has said publicly about the investigation have been false. (CNN)
Putin claimed "nobody" at Russia's spy agencies "knows anything about" Maria Butina, who agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy and cooperate with federal, state and local authorities in any ongoing investigations. (CNBC / ABC News)
An alleged Russian spy appears to have reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors involving accusations that she was working as an agent for the Kremlin in the U.S. Maria Butina is accused of working with a Russian banking official to develop relationships with American politicians through the National Rifle Association in an effort to advance Russian interests. Butina previously pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and acting as an agent of a foreign government, but attorneys and prosecutors filed a request for a "change of plea" hearing since "the parties have resolved this matter." Butina's case was brought by federal prosecutors in D.C. – not by Robert Mueller. (CNN / Washington Post / Wall Street Journal / New York Times)
Relevant: The NRA spent $30 million to support Trump in the 2016 election, and the two groups used the same consultants to execute complementary TV advertising strategies during the campaign. The FBI is also investigating whether a Russian banker – Alexander Torshin – illegally funneled money to the NRA in order to help Trump win the presidency.
📌 The Re-up: Day 543. The Justice Department charged a Russian national and accused her of acting as a Russian agent "for the purpose of advancing the interests of the Russian federation." Maria Butina tried to infiltrate the NRA and "create a back-channel line of communication" back to the Kremlin. Charging documents say Butina was directed by a "high-level official in the Russian government," who has been previously identified as Alexander Torshin, a senior official at the Russian central bank, who is also a longtime associate of the NRA. The charges were filed under seal the day after 12 Russian intelligence officers were indicted by the Justice Department for hacking Democratic computers. They were unsealed following Trump's press conference with Putin where he said he saw no reason the Russian leader would try to influence the presidential election. (Bloomberg / The Guardian / New York Times)
📌 Day 564. Maria Butina, the alleged Russian spy, socialized with a former Trump campaign aide weeks before the 2016 election. At the time, J.D. Gordon planned to join Trump's transition team, but ultimately never did. From March 2016 until August 2016, Gordon was the point person for an advisory group on foreign policy and national security for the Trump campaign. Paul Erickson, a GOP operative with whom Butina was in a romantic relationship, told her that Gordon was "playing a crucial role in the Trump transition effort and would be an excellent addition to any of the U.S./Russia friendship dinners" that might be held. (Washington Post / New York Times)
📌 Day 545. The Justice Department added a second charge against Russian national Maria Butina of acting as an unregistered foreign agent of the Kremlin since at least 2015. Butina was charged on Monday with conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government. Butina was arrested on Sunday because she appeared to have plans to flee the U.S. (Politico / Washington Post)
At least 16 Trump associates interacted with Russian nationals during the campaign and transition period, according to public records and interviews. After taking office, Trump and senior officials repeatedly lied about the campaign's contact with Russians, with Trump at one point claiming: "No. Nobody that I know of. I have nothing to do with Russia. To the best of my knowledge, no person that I deal with does." Hope Hicks, then Trump's spokeswoman, also lied, saying: "It never happened. There was no communication between the campaign and any foreign entity during the campaign." The contacts and communications occurred amidst "sustained efforts by the Russian government to interfere with the U.S. presidential election," according to Mueller's latest filing. The list of associates communicating with Russians includes Paul Manafort, Rick Gates, Michael Flynn, Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, George Papadopoulos, Carter Page, Jeff Sessions, JD Gordon, Roger Stone, Michael Caputo, Erik Prince, Avi Berkowitz, Michael Cohen, Ivanka Trump, and Felix Sater. (CNN / Washington Post)
Trump tweeted there is no "smocking gun" tying his campaign to Russia, misspelling "smoking gun" twice in the same tweet. Trump suggested that the payments to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal were not illegal campaign contributions, as federal prosecutors claim, but instead a "simple private transaction" that are only being scrutinized because investigators have not been able to find evidence of collusion between his 2016 campaign and Russia. "No Smocking Gun…No Collusion." (Washington Post)
Paul Manafort told "multiple," "discernible lies" to the FBI and the special counsel's office concerning five different matters after agreeing to cooperate with prosecutors. Federal prosecutors accused Manafort of lying about his "contact with administration officials" and his interactions with Konstantin Kilimnik, a Russian tied to Moscow's intelligence services. Manafort met with Kilimnik twice during the campaign. Robert Mueller's team said Manafort made multiple false statements that were "not instances of mere memory lapses" over the course of 12 meetings with the FBI and the special counsel after signing a plea agreement in September. (NBC News / New York Times / The Guardian / Washington Post / CNN)
Federal Prosecutors with the Southern District of New York said that while Michael Cohen gave federal investigators "relevant and useful" information, he still deserves a "substantial" prison term of about four years for his "extensive" criminal conduct. Prosecutors said Cohen "repeatedly used his power and influence for deceptive ends" and "repeatedly declined to provide full information about the scope of any additional criminal conduct in which he may have engaged or had knowledge." Mueller also revealed that Cohen told them that a well-connected Russian national offered Cohen "political synergy" with the Trump campaign in November 2015. The person claimed to be a "trusted person" in the Russian Federation offering the campaign "synergy on a government level." Federal prosecutors also implicated Trump in the illegal payments that violated campaign finance laws to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, saying Cohen "acted in coordination and at the direction of Individual-1," who we know as the person currently serving as president of the United States. (Washington Post / NBC News / New York Times / The Guardian / ABC News / CNN / Bloomberg)
Mueller cited Trump's time in the White House as relevant to the investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election, saying Cohen provided valuable information "concerning his contacts with persons connected to the White House during the 2017–2018 time period." Following Mueller's memos, Trump inexplicably tweeted: "Totally clears the President. Thank you!" While Trump did not explain his comment, federal prosecutors did say in the court filing that Cohen committed campaign finance crimes "in coordination with and at the direction of" Trump. [See item #2] (NBC News)
Trump also claimed that his lawyers are preparing a "major Counter Report" to rebut Mueller's findings in the investigation into possible coordination between Russia and Trump’s 2016 campaign. According to Trump, his lawyers have already completed 87 pages, adding, "obviously cannot complete until we the see the final Witch Hunt report." Trump's statement contradicts Rudy Giuliani, who said he hasn't had time to consider drafting a response plan, let alone work on a "counter report." Giuliani added that he spent the summer answering Mueller's questions, describing the process as "a nightmare" that took "about three weeks to do what would normally take two days." (Washington Post / The Atlantic)
poll/ 71% of Republicans believe Mueller's investigation is a "witch hunt," while 82% of Democrats and 55% of independents see the investigation as "fair." Overall, 54% of Americans believe the Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible collusion with the Trump campaign is fair. (NPR)
George Papadopoulos was released from prison after serving 12 whole days for lying to investigators about his contact with individuals tied to Russia during the 2016 campaign. Papadopoulos will have 12 months of supervised release, serve 200 hours of community service, and pay a $9,500 fine. (CNN)
James Comey met behind closed doors with the House Judiciary and Oversight committees. Lawmakers are expected to question Comey on a range of topics, including his memos about interactions with Trump, the details of his firing, the origins of the FBI's Russia probe, and whether bias contributed to the decisions to focus on Trump and to conduct surveillance on Carter Page. (Washington Post)
Trump blamed Robert Mueller's Russia investigation for his low approval rating, claiming that "without the phony Russia Witch Hunt […] my approval rating would be at 75% rather than the 50% just reported by Rasmussen." Trump's average approval rating is 43.3%, according to Real Clear Politics. And, according to FiveThirtyEight, Trump's approval rating is 42.1%. (Politico)
Robert Mueller's office recommended that Michael Flynn serve no jail time because he provided "substantial assistance" with the Russian probe. A court filing submitted by the special counsel's office says Flynn provided "firsthand information about the content and context of interactions between the transition team and Russian government officials." Flynn gave 19 interviews to Mueller's team and other investigators and, as a result, Mueller asked a federal judge not to sentence Flynn to prison. Flynn also provided details about other criminal investigations, but those details were heavily redacted from the court filing in order to keep information about ongoing probes secret. The redactions suggest there is more to come in the probe into Russian election interference. (Reuters / New York Times / CNN / Axios / NBC News / Washington Post / CNBC)
Prosecutors in Manhattan are ramping up their investigation into foreign lobbying by two firms that did work for Paul Manafort. Mueller referred the case to authorities because it fell outside his mandate of determining whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia. (Associated Press)
Mueller is expected to make a sentencing recommendation for Michael Flynn today. The memo should describe the crimes the former national security adviser committed that led to his guilty plea after 24 days on the job and how he has helped the Russia probe. Flynn pleaded guilty in December 2017 to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia. He will be sentenced by a federal judge on Dec. 18. Flynn's sentencing was delayed four times after Mueller said he needed more time "due to the status of the investigation." (Reuters / CNN / ABC News / The Guardian)
📌 The Re-Up: Day 25. Michael Flynn resigned as National Security Adviser after it was revealed that he had misled Pence and other top White House officials about his conversations with the Russian ambassador to the United States. Flynn served in the job for less than a month. (New York Times)
📌 Day 26. Trump knew Flynn misled officials on Russia calls for "weeks," the White House says. The comment contrasts the impression Trump gave aboard Air Force One that he was not familiar with a report that revealed Flynn had not told the truth about the calls. White House counsel Don McGahn told Trump in a January briefing that Flynn had discussed U.S. sanctions with Russia. (Washington Post)
📌 Day 22. Flynn discussed sanctions with Russian ambassador, despite denials. Flynn's communications with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak were interpreted by some senior U.S. officials as an inappropriate and potentially illegal signal to the Kremlin that it could expect a reprieve from sanctions that were being imposed by the Obama administration in late December to punish Russia for its alleged interference in the 2016 election. (Washington Post)
Paul Manafort tried to get Ecuador to hand over Julian Assange in exchange for debt relief from the U.S. Manafort originally flew to Ecuador in May 2017 to convince then-incoming President Lenín Moreno to let him broker an energy deal between China and Ecuador. But the talks shifted to Ecuador's desire to rid itself of Assange, who has been staying the Ecuadorean embassy in London since 2012. Manafort suggested that he could negotiate a deal to handover Assange, which fell apart once it became clear that Manafort was a major target of Mueller's Russia investigation. There is no evidence that Trump was aware of or involved in Manafort's dealings with Ecuador. (New York Times)
Trump complained about the cost of an "uncontrollable" arms race with Russia and China, despite previously bragging about his increase in military spending. (Associated Press)
Mike Pompeo said the U.S. would suspend its obligations to the 1987 Treaty on Intermediate-range Nuclear Force in 60 days unless Russia returns to compliance. If Russia fails to meet the deadline, the U.S. would be free to develop and test new ground-based missiles, Pompeo said. (Wall Street Journal)
Trump called for a "full and complete" sentence for Michael Cohen after his former lawyer asked to not be sent to prison. Cohen's lawyers argued that his cooperation with Robert Mueller warranted a sentence of "time-served." Cohen was also in "close and regular contact" with White House staff and Trump's legal team while preparing his statement to Congress about Trump's efforts to build a Trump Tower in Moscow during the 2016 campaign. In seeking leniency, Cohen's attorneys claim his false statement to Congress was based on Trump and his team's attempts to paint interactions with Russian representatives "as having effectively terminated before the Iowa caucuses of February 1, 2016." Cohen's attorneys, however, say he had a "lengthy substantive conversation with the personal assistant to a Kremlin official following his outreach in January 2016, engaged in additional communications concerning the project as late as June 2016, and kept [Trump] apprised of these communications." Cohen is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 12 after pleading guilty to tax evasion, making false statements to a bank, campaign finance violations, and lying to Congress. Trump tweeted that all of those charges were "unrelated to Trump." (Reuters /Politico / Washington Post / Bloomberg)
The top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee said the committee has made "a number of referrals" to Mueller's office for prosecution. Sen. Mark Warner added that while he doesn't know whether Cohen was instructed to lie to Congress, Cohen's plea contradicts Trump's multiple denials during the campaign that he did not have any business links to Russia. Warner called it a "very relevant question that the American people need an answer to." (CBS News)
The incoming chairman of the House Judiciary Committee: Cohen's cooperation is proof that Russia had "leverage" over Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign. "The fact that he was lying to the American people about doing business in Russia and the Kremlin knew he was lying gave the Kremlin a hold over him," Rep. Jerry Nadler said. "One question we have now is, does the Kremlin still have a hold over him because of other lies that they know about?"(NBC News)
The leading Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee: Cohen's cooperations confirms that "the president and his business are compromised." According to Rep. Adam Schiff, "there is now testimony, there is now a witness, who confirms that in the same way Michael Flynn was compromised, that the president and his business are compromised." Cohen admitted to misleading investigators about the Trump Organization's efforts to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. "[W]hat the president was saying," Schiff added, "what Michael Cohen was saying and others were saying about when this business deal ended was not true. And what's more, the Russians knew it wasn’t true." He continued: "It means that the president, whether he won or lost, was hoping to make money from Russia, was seeking at the same time to enlist the support of the Kremlin to make that money." (ABC News)
James Comey agreed to testify to Congress about the FBI's investigations during the 2016 campaign as long as lawmakers release the full transcript of his testimony within 24 hours. Comey and his attorney filed a legal challenge last week to the Republican-led effort to compel him to testify. His attorney argued that the legal action was "to prevent the Joint Committee from using the pretext of a closed interview to peddle a distorted, partisan political narrative about the Clinton and Russian investigations through selective leaks." As part of the deal, Comey will be free to make all or part of his testimony available to the public. (NBC News / Reuters / ABC News / New York Times)
Trump and Putin had an "informal" meeting at the G20 Summit. "As is typical at multilateral events," said Sarah Huckabee Sanders, "President Trump and the First Lady had a number of informal conversations with world leaders at the dinner last night, including President Putin." Trump previously canceled a formal meeting with Putin over Russia's recent seizure of Ukrainian ships and the detention of their crews. "I answered his questions about the incident in the Black Sea," said Putin. "He has his position. I have my own. We stayed in our own positions." (The Hill / Fox News)
Trump Jr.'s testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee conflicts with Michael Cohen's version of events regarding negotiations of a prospective Trump Tower in Moscow. In Cohen's version, he says the discussions with at least one Russian government official continued through June 2016. Trump Jr. testified in September 2017 that talks surrounding a Trump Tower in Moscow concluded without result "at the end" of 2014 and "certainly not [20]16. There was never a definitive end to it. It just died of deal fatigue." Trump Jr. told the Senate committee that he "wasn't involved," knew "very little," and was only "peripherally aware" of the deal other than a letter of intent was signed by Trump. He also said he didn't know that Cohen had sent an email to Putin's aide, Dmitry Peskov. In Cohen's guilty plea, he said he briefed Trump's family members about the continued negotiations. (NPR / USA Today)
📌 The Re-up: Day 223. The Senate Intelligence Committee wants Michael Cohen to testify as part of its investigation into Russia’s meddling. Cohen has been in the spotlight this week following new revelations about his outreach to Russian officials for help with a proposal for a Trump Tower in Moscow. Trump Jr. and Paul Manafort are also likely to appear for closed-door interviews. Trump Jr. agreed to testify privately before the Senate judiciary committee in the “next few weeks.” (Politico)
📌 Day 230. Trump Jr. will meet with the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday to discuss the Trump campaign’s contacts with Russia. It's the first time someone from Trump's inner circle will speak with the committee members about the campaign’s alleged attempts to engage with Kremlin surrogates. Committee members still hope to interview Paul Manafort and Jared Kushner about the meeting they held at Trump Tower with the Russian lawyer claiming to have damaging information about Hillary Clinton. Kushner and Manafort have already spoken to the Senate Intelligence Committee. (Washington Post)
📌 Day 482. Trump Jr. told the Senate Judiciary Committee he never mentioned the Trump Tower meeting to his father or the offer of compromising information about Hillary Clinton. He also said he couldn't "recall" if he discussed the Russia investigation with his father. Trump Jr. told the committee he didn't think there was anything wrong with meeting a Russian lawyer at Trump Tower ahead of the 2016 presidential election, saying "I didn't think that listening to someone with information relevant to the fitness and character of a presidential candidate would be an issue, no." (Associated Press)
The Trump Organization wanted to give Putin a $50 million penthouse in the proposed Trump Tower Moscow as the company continued to negotiate the real estate development during the 2016 campaign. Michael Cohen discussed the idea with Dmitry Peskov, who serves as Putin's press secretary, hoping that giving the penthouse to Putin would encourage other wealthy buyers to purchase their own. The plan fizzled when the project failed to materialize, and it is not clear whether Trump knew about the plan to give the penthouse to Putin. (BuzzFeed News / CNN)
Ivanka and Trump Jr. are both under increased scrutiny for their roles in the proposed Moscow project. Trump Jr. and Ivanka were involved in the project at some point before Jan. 2016, but it is still unclear how deeply they were involved or how long they worked on the project after that. It is also unclear whether or not they worked with Michael Cohen on the deal. (CNN / Yahoo News)
Investigators have publicly cast Trump as a central figure in Robert Mueller's investigation into whether the Trump campaign conspired with the Russian government during the 2016 campaign. Trump even has his own legal code name: "Individual 1." Documents reveal that investigators have evidence that Trump was in close contact with his most trusted aides and advisers as they dealt with both Russia and WikiLeaks, as well as evidence that they tried to cover their tracks. (Washington Post)
Mueller is also bearing down on Roger Stone and his relationship with WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange. Mueller is focusing on Stone's role as a potential go-between for the Trump campaign and WikiLeaks, which published thousands of DNC emails that were stolen by Russian intelligence officers. Mueller's team has evidence that Stone may have known in advance about the release of the emails, and investigators may also be looking into potential witness intimidation by Stone. (Wall Street Journal)
Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to making false statements to Congress, admitting that he continued to engage in negotiations to build a Trump Tower in Moscow well into the 2016 presidential campaign. Cohen previously said talks regarding the Moscow project stalled in January 2016, when in fact negotiations continued through June with Cohen traveling to Russia for meetings on the project. Cohen also told Congress that when the project allegedly stalled, he emailed Dmitry Peskov, a top aide to Putin, seeking help, but claimed he never received a response. That was also false. Cohen and Peskov discussed the project for 20 minutes by phone. Prosecutors also said that Cohen continued to have contact in 2016 with Felix Sater, a Russian developer assisting with the project. Cohen briefed Trump on the status of the project more than three times. In July 2016, Trump tweeted: "For the record, I have ZERO investments in Russia." And, in January 2017, Trump told reporters that he had no deals in Russia because he had "stayed away." In exchange for pleading guilty and continuing to cooperate with Robert Mueller, he hopes to receive a lighter sentence. It's Cohen's second guilty plea in four months. (Washington Post / New York Times / NPR / ABC News / Politico / CNN / NBC News)
📌 The Re-up: Day 221. Trump's company was pursuing a plan to develop a Trump Tower in Moscow while he was running for president. Discussions about the Moscow project began in September 2015 until it was abandoned just before the presidential primaries began in January 2016, emails show. The details of the deal had not previously been disclosed. The Trump Organization has turned over the emails to the House Intelligence Committee, pointing to the likelihood of additional contacts between Russia and Trump associates during the campaign. (Washington Post)
📌 Day 221. Trump's business associate promised that Putin would help Trump win the presidency if he built a Trump Tower in Moscow. “I will get Putin on this program and we will get Donald elected,” Felix Sater, a Russian immigrant, wrote to Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, in 2015. “Our boy can become president of the USA and we can engineer it,” Sater wrote in an email. “I will get all of Putins team to buy in on this, I will manage this process.” At the time, Sater was a broker for the Trump Organization and was paid to deliver real estate deals. (New York Times)
📌 Day 221. Trump discussed a proposal to build a Trump Tower in Moscow with his company’s lawyer three times. The project was abandoned in January 2016 “from solely a business standpoint” and had nothing to do with Trump’s campaign his attorney Michael Cohen told the House intelligence committee. "I made the decision to terminate further work on the proposal," Cohen said. “The Trump Tower Moscow proposal was not related in any way to Mr. Trump’s presidential campaign.” (Bloomberg)
📌 Day 221. Trump's attorney sent an email to Putin’s personal spokesman to ask for help advancing a stalled Trump Tower project in Moscow. Michael Cohen sent the email in January 2016 to Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin’s top press aide, at the recommendation of Felix Sater, a Russian-American businessman who was serving as a broker on the deal. "I respectfully request someone, preferably you, contact me so that I might discuss the specifics as well as arranging meetings with the appropriate individuals," Cohen wrote. "I thank you in advance for your assistance and look forward to hearing from you soon." The email marks the most direct documented interaction of a top Trump aide and a senior member of Putin’s government. (Washington Post)
📌 Day 221. Four months into the presidential campaign, Trump signed a “letter of intent” to pursue building a Trump Tower in Moscow. The involvement of then-candidate Trump in a proposed Russian development deal contradicts his repeated claims that his business had “no relationship to Russia whatsoever." The Trump Organization signed a non-binding letter of intent in October 2015. (ABC News)
📌 Day 222. Michael Cohen said he didn't inform Trump that he had sent the email to Putin’s top press official asking for "assistance" in arranging a licensing deal for a Trump Tower in Moscow. The Trump Organization attorney sent the email in January 2016 to Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin’s top press aide, at the recommendation of Felix Sater, a Russian-American businessman who was serving as a broker on the deal. Cohen said he never heard back from Peskov and the project never got off the ground. (Wall Street Journal / Politico)
📌 Day 223. The Kremlin confirmed that Trump’s personal lawyer reached out during the 2016 presidential campaign requesting assistance on a stalled Trump Tower real estate project in Moscow. Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said they received Michael Cohen’s email, but the Kremlin didn't reply. Peskov said that he had seen the email but that it was not given to Putin. (Associated Press / Washington Post)
📌 Day 278. Trump's personal lawyer met with the House Intelligence Committee today. Michael Cohen emailed Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, during the presidential campaign seeking help getting a Trump Tower built in Moscow. Peskov said he never responded to the email. (NBC News)
Trump's written responses to Mueller about building a Trump Tower in Moscow during the campaign reportedly align with what Cohen said in court, according to Trump's lawyers. Rudy Giuliani attempted to explain why Trump would call Cohen a liar if they had the same understanding of the facts, saying: "Cohen has just told us he's a liar. Given the fact that he's a liar, I can't tell you what he's lying about." (New York Times)
Trump abruptly canceled a planned meeting with Putin shortly after Cohen pleaded guilty in federal court to lying to Congress about his efforts to develop a Trump Tower in Moscow during the 2016 presidential campaign. He cited Moscow's seizure of Ukrainian assets and personnel for the cancellation. (NBC News / Politico / New York Times / Washington Post)
Trump told Robert Mueller that Roger Stone did not tell him about WikiLeaks and that he was not told about the 2016 Trump Tower meeting between Trump Jr., campaign officials, and a Russian lawyer promising dirt on Hillary Clinton. Trump added a caveat that his responses were to the best of his recollection. For comparison, Trump also does not "remember much" from the meeting with George Papadopoulos, where Papadopoulos offered to arrange a meeting with Putin. Trump, however, has previously claimed to have "one of the great memories of all time," using it as justification for not using notes during his meeting with Kim Jong Un, and blaming Sgt. La David Johnson's widow when he stumbled over the solider's name during a condolence call. (CNN)
Trump threatened to cancel his upcoming summit with Vladimir Putin over Russia's recent maritime skirmish with Ukraine. Trump said he is waiting for a full report on the incident, during which Putin captured three Ukrainian ships and their crews in the Black Sea on Sunday, before making a final decision on whether he will cancel the planned summit in Argentina this week. The report "will be very determinative," Trump said. "Maybe I won’t have the meeting. Maybe I won’t even have the meeting." Russia said that it still expects the meeting to go ahead as planned. (Washington Post / Associated Press)
Manafort allegedly held secret talks with Julian Assange inside the Ecuadoran embassy in London. Manafort met with the WikiLeaks founder around March 2016 – about the same time he joined Trump's presidential campaign. Several months later, WikiLeaks published the Democratic emails stolen by Russia. Manafort also met with Assange in 2013 and 2015. It's unclear why Manafort met with Assange or what they discussed. Manafort and WikiLeak both denied that Manafort had met with Assange. [Editor's Note: Something about this story doesn't smell right.] (The Guardian / CNBC)
George Papadopoulos was ordered to start his 14-day prison sentence today for lying to federal investigators in the Russia probe, Papdopoulos has asked to delay the start of his sentence while a constitutional challenge to the special counsel's investigation of Russian election interference remains unresolved. (CNN / New York Times / Washington Post)
The head of Russian military intelligence died "after a long and serious illness." In March, the Trump administration sanctioned Igor Korobov, citing the GRU's involvement "in interfering in the 2016 U.S. election through cyber-enabled activities." (Meduza / The Guardian)
The Office of Special Counsel is looking into whether acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker violated the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from accepting political contributions. According to the Office of Special Counsel guidance, "penalties for Hatch Act violations range from reprimand or suspension to removal and debarment from federal employment and may include a civil fine." The office has no connection to the Robert Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. (CNN)
The House Intelligence Committee's incoming Democratic majority is looking to hire money-laundering and forensic accounting experts for the purposes of examining unanswered financial questions about Trump and Russia. (Daily Beast)
Robert Mueller still wants to question Trump about his actions in the White House, in addition to the written answers Trump submitted in response to questions about Russian interference in the 2016 election. Rudy Giuliani signaled that the Trump team would fight any questions they believe violate executive privilege – especially if they relate to potential obstruction of justice. (Politico / CNN)
Trump submitted his written answers to Robert Mueller's questions "regarding the Russia-related topics of the inquiry," according to Trump's attorney, Jay Sekulow. Mueller has not ruled out trying to compel Trump to sit for an interview after reviewing the written answers. (Bloomberg / CNBC / New York Times / Associated Press)
poll/ 70% of Americans think Trump should allow the Russia investigation to continue. 52% of Americans think Congress should pass legislation to protect Mueller from being fired, while 67% of Republicans disagree. 51% of Americans think the Russia investigation is politically motivated. (CBS News)
Trump won't stop Whitaker from curtailing Mueller's investigation into possible collusion by Trump campaign officials with Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Trump said he would "not get involved" if Whitaker moved to restrict it. (Bloomberg / Reuters)
Trump said he answered Robert Mueller's written questions himself "very easily," but he hasn't submitted them because "you have to always be careful when you answer questions with people that probably have bad intentions." Rudy Giuliani said there are at least two dozen questions that relate to activities and episodes from before Trump's election. Trump spent more than five hours in meeting over three days this week with his attorneys working out written answers for Mueller about alleged collusion between his campaign and Russia during the 2016 presidential election. Despite telling reporters that "the questions were very routinely answered by me," Trump's temper boiled during all three meetings. Seemingly out of nowhere, Trump targeted Mueller on Twitter yesterday, calling the special counsel team "thugs" and the investigation a "witch hunt." (Associated Press / Reuters / CNN / Washington Post / The Guardian)
Trump made up an accusation that Robert Mueller was "horribly threatening" witnesses to force them to cooperate in the Russia probe. The renewed attack on the special counsel comes one day after Mitch McConnell blocked an effort to protect Mueller's work. Trump called Mueller's investigation "A TOTAL WITCH HUNT LIKE NO OTHER IN AMERICAN HISTORY!" and "a total mess" that has "gone absolutely nuts." Trump also defended his administration, saying it "is running very smoothly" and not "in chaos" or having a "meltdown," but rather the U.S. under his presidency has become "the envy of the world." He provided no evidence to support his claim. (New York Times / NBC News / Washington Post / Bloomberg / HuffPost)
A federal judge denied a Russian firm's motion to dismiss charges filed by Mueller's team. The special counsel has accused Concord Management and Consulting of funding a propaganda operation to sway the 2016 presidential election in Trump's favor. Concord was charged with conspiring to defraud the U.S. government by hiding its election-related activities and failing to register as a foreign agent trying to influence the U.S. political process. Concord is controlled by Russian businessman Evgeny Prigozhin, a Russian oligarch with close ties to Putin. (Reuters / Politico / CNN)
A man started shouting "Heil Hitler, Heil Trump" during intermission at a performance of "Fiddler on the Roof." The play is based on Yiddish stories and tells the tale of a Jewish family in Russia during the early 1900s. (Baltimore Sun / Talking Points Memo)
Trump claimed that he did not discuss Robert Mueller's Russia probe with Matthew Whitaker before appointing him acting attorney general. Trump defended Whitaker, calling him a "highly respected man," but also said "I don't know Matt Whitaker." Trump has been in more than a dozen meetings with Whitaker in the Oval Office. (Washington Post / Politico / CNBC / NBC News)
Whitaker will not recuse himself from overseeing Mueller's probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election. It's also unlikely that Whitaker would approve any subpoena of Trump as part of the investigation. (Washington Post)
Progressive groups are calling for nationwide protests today at 5 p.m. local time to demand protection for Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling and possible collusion with the Trump campaign. The protests will be held under the banner, "Nobody is Above the Law," and will be led by the activist group MoveOn. The protests were triggered by Trump's decision to fire Jeff Sessions and replace him with Matthew Whitaker, who will now have authority over the Russia investigation. Sessions recused himself after he was first appointed in 2016, giving Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein oversight of the probe. Whitaker has publicly called for Mueller's probe to be reigned in. (Reuters)
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, the pro-Russia Republican incumbent, lost to Democrat Harley Rouda in California's 48th House district. (Daily Beast / New York Times)
Jeff Sessions resigned at Trump's request. Matthew Whitaker – Sessions's chief of staff – will take over as acting attorney general and assume oversight of Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, and possible collusion by Trump's campaign. Rod Rosenstein was overseeing the probe because Sessions had recused himself from any involvement with the special counsel. A DOJ spokesperson indicated that Whitaker would take over "all matters under the purview of the Department of Justice" – including the Mueller probe. Trump has repeatedly attacked Sessions for recusing himself from oversight of the probe in 2017 after it was revealed that he had met more than once with the Russian ambassador to the U.S. during the 2016 campaign despite saying he had not met with any Russians during his confirmation hearing. Mueller, meanwhile, has been looking into Trump's previous statements about wanting to fire Sessions or force his resignation to determine whether those acts are part of a pattern of attempted obstruction of justice. Whitaker by law can serve as acting attorney general for a maximum of 210 days. (New York Times / Washington Post / Politico / CNBC / Wall Street Journal)
House Democrats are prepared to open multiple investigations of Trump when they take control in January. The House Judiciary Committee is expected to focus on health care, beginning with an investigation of Sessions's refusal to defend the Affordable Care Act against a lawsuit from Republican-led states. The House Intelligence Committee is expected to revisit Russian election meddling. The Education and Workforce Committee will likely examine Betsy DeVos's efforts to relax regulations for for-profit colleges and limit student loan forgiveness, and the Ways and Means Committee could use a 1924 law to request Trump's tax returns and then make them public with a simple majority vote. (Washington Post / Politico)
Trump Jr. told friends he expects to be indicted by Mueller soon. One former West Wing official who testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee, said "I'm very worried about Don Jr.," fearing that Mueller could demonstrate that Trump Jr. perjured himself after he testified that he never told his father beforehand about the June 2016 Trump Tower with Russian officials promising "dirt" on Hillary Clinton. Mueller is expected to submit his final report to the Justice Department in the coming months. John Kelly and former White House counsel McGahn urged Trump to wait until Mueller issues his report to fire Sessions. (New York Magazine / Politico / Vanity Fair)
41% approve of Robert Mueller's handling of the Russian investigation into interference in the 2016 election. 46% disapprove. 41% think the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election is mostly while 54% think it's politically motivated. (NBC News)
Trump will meet with Putin this weekend in Paris. The French had asked the Americans and Russians not to hold the meeting for fear that it would overshadow an event to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. (New York Times)
Facebook suspended 115 accounts believed to be engaged in "coordinated inauthentic behavior." Law enforcement believes the accounts may be linked to foreign entities. Almost all the Facebook pages appear to be in French or Russian. (USA Today / Politico)
A Navy reconnaissance plane in international airspace over the Black Sea was intercepted by a Russian fighter jet in an unsafe manner. (CNN)
U.S. intelligence agencies and the Pentagon are prepared to launch a cyber attack against Russia if the country is caught interfering in the 2018 midterm elections. The effort is one of the first major cyber battle plans organized under the new government policy that allows offensive cyber operations to be worked out in advance among key agencies. (Center for Public Integrity)
Jerome Corsi met with Mueller's investigators and is scheduled to appear before the federal grand jury probing Russia interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election on Friday. Corsi is one of at least 11 individuals associated with Stone who have been contacted by the special counsel. (ABC News)
poll/ 47% of American believe that Russia will try to influence the midterm elections. 48% believe Russians would try to help Republicans, while 15% say Russia would try to help Democrats. (Politico)
National security adviser John Bolton said Putin has been invited to visit Washington, D.C., early next year. It would be Putin's first visit to the White House since September 2005. (Politico)
Trump dismissed a report that Chinese and Russian spies were eavesdropping on his cellphone conversations, calling the report "boring" and "soooo wrong!" Trump's aides have repeatedly warned him that his calls from his personal iPhone are not secure and that Chinese and Russian spies are listening, but Trump refuses to give up his iPhone. U.S. officials said they have been concerned for months that Trump discusses sensitive information on an unsecured cellphone with informal advisers, including Sean Hannity of Fox News. "I only use Government Phones," Trump tweeted in response to the reports, "and have only one seldom used government cell phone." (New York Times / NBC News)
📌 Chinese and Russian spies are routinely eavesdropping on Trump's cellphone calls, despite aides repeatedly warning him that his personal iPhone is not secure. (Day 643)
Chinese and Russian spies are routinely eavesdropping on Trump's cellphone calls, despite aides repeatedly warning him that his personal iPhone is not secure. Trump has two official iPhones that have been secured by the National Security Agency, but he uses a personal iPhone because it can store contacts on it. As a presidential candidate, Trump regularly attacked Hillary Clinton for her use of an unsecured email server while she was secretary state. (New York Times)
Putin wants to hold direct discussions with Trump, suggesting they meet in Paris next month, where they'll both be to mark the 100th anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I. National Security Advisor John Bolton held firm that the U.S. would withdraw from the 31-year-old Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. (CNBC / Washington Post / Reuters / CNN)
Trump vowed to outspend Russia and China in building up its nuclear arsenal "until they come to their senses." Trump added: "We have more money than anybody else, by far." (Bloomberg / CNN)
The U.S. Cyber Command took its first countermeasure against Russian operatives to stop them from interfering in the upcoming midterm elections. The campaign attempts to deter Russian operatives from spreading disinformation by telling them that American agents know who they are and what they're doing. (New York Times)
Mikhail Gorbachev: The U.S. withdrawing from the nuclear disarmament treaty with Russia is not the work of "a great mind." Trump said the U.S. would withdraw from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty because Russia has violated the agreement. (New York Times / Reuters / Politico)
The Justice Department charged a Russian national with conspiracy for her role in an "information warfare" campaign designed to interfere with the midterm elections. Elena Khusyaynova managed the finances of an operation the Justice Department identified as "Project Lakhta," which was designed "to sow discord in the U.S. political system" and interfere in the 2016 and 2018 elections. The operation was "a Russian umbrella effort funded by Russian oligarch Yevgeniy Viktorovich Prigozhin and two companies he controls, Concord Management and Consulting LLC, and Concord Catering," the Justice Department said, which pushed arguments and misinformation online about immigration, the Confederate flag, gun control, the NFL national anthem protests, among other things. Prigozhin, known as "Putin's chef," and 12 other Russians were indicted by Robert Mueller in February on charges of interfering in the 2016 presidential election. (Washington Post / Bloomberg / New York Times / Wall Street Journal) / NBC News)
Top U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies warned that they're concerned about "ongoing campaigns" by Russia, China and Iran to interfere with the midterm elections and 2020 race. The joint statement by the Justice Department, FBI, Homeland Security Department and Office of the Director of National Intelligence said there is no "evidence of a compromise or disruption of infrastructure that would enable adversaries to prevent voting, change vote counts or disrupt our ability to tally votes in the midterm elections." (Bloomberg / Washington Post)
Trump plans to tell Russia the U.S. will exit the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. The U.S. argues that Russia is in violation of the treaty for deploying nuclear weapons to intimidate former Soviet states and that the treaty constrains the United States from deploying weapons to counter the intermediate-range weapons that China has deployed. (New York Times)
Aras Agalarov formed a U.S. shell company a month before the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting between Trump Jr. and Natalia Veselnitskaya, the Kremlin-linked Russian attorney offering damaging information about Hillary Clinton. The Russian billionaire moved almost $20 million to a U.S. bank account 11 days after the meeting using a company he formed anonymously with the help of an accountant who has had clients accused of money laundering and embezzlement. (The Guardian)
Robert Mueller is expected to issue findings after the midterm elections on whether Trump's 2016 campaign colluded with Russia and if Trump obstructed justice during the probe. Rod Rosenstein has indicated that he wants Mueller's probe to conclude as soon as possible. The findings may not be made public since Mueller can only present the findings to Rosenstein, who can then decide what is shared with Congress and what is publicly released. Trump, meanwhile, has signaled that he may replace Jeff Sessions and there are rumors that Rosenstein could resign or also be fired by Trump after the election. (Bloomberg)
Rosenstein defended Mueller's investigation as "appropriate and independent," contrasting Trump's description of the probe as a "witch hunt" and "rigged." Rosenstein added that the investigation has revealed a widespread effort by Russians to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. (Wall Street Journal)
A senior Treasury Department employee was charged with leaking confidential government reports about suspicious financial transactions related to Paul Manafort, Rick Gates, the Russian embassy and accused Russian agent Maria Butina. Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards disclosed suspicious activity reports related to Mueller's investigation of possible collusion between Trump's 2016 election campaign and Russia. SARs are submitted by banks to alert law enforcement to potentially illegal transactions. (Reuters / Wall Street Journal / Washington Post)
📌 The Re-Up: Day 601. Federal investigators are looking into a series of suspicious financial transactions involving people who attended the 2016 Trump Tower meeting. The transfers reveal how Aras Agalarov, a Russian billionaire with strong ties to Trump and Putin, used overseas accounts to distribute money through a web of banks to himself, his son, and at least two people who attended the meeting. Investigators are focusing on two bursts of activity: one occurring shortly before the Trump Tower meeting and one immediately after the 2016 election. (BuzzFeed News / The Hill)
A Trump campaign donor and Mar-a-Lago member gave $150,000 to help current and former Trump aides caught up in Robert Mueller's Russia probe. (Politico)
Trump's legal team is preparing written answers to questions provided by Robert Mueller related to the investigation into collusion between the Trump campaign and Russians. The two sides have still not agreed on whether Trump will be interviewed in person regarding obstruction of justice related to the firing of FBI Director James Comey. (CNN)
Trump accused Hillary Clinton of colluding with Russia during the 2016 election campaign. "There was collusion between Hillary, the Democrats and Russia," Trump claimed during a campaign rally in Erie, Pennsylvania. His supporters chanted "lock her up." (NBC News)
The Trump campaign argued that it can't be held legally responsible for the WikiLeaks publication of DNC emails because the First Amendment protects the campaign's "right to disclose information – even stolen information." The lawsuit, filed by two Democratic donors and a former employee of the Democratic National Committee, alleges that the Trump campaign and Roger Stone coordinated release and exploitation of the hacked emails with Russia and WikiLeaks, thereby violating the plaintiffs' privacy. (The Atlantic)
A federal judge sentenced Richard Pinedo to six months in prison and six months of home confinement after he pleaded guilty to a felony identity fraud tied to Russian trolls. It's the most severe penalty handed down yet in Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling. (Politico)
The infamous Russian troll factory was set on fire by an unknown suspect wielding a Molotov cocktail. The troll farm, run by Yevgeny Prigozhin, known as Putin's "cook," rebranded itself as a media company last year with 16 news websites generating more than 30 million pageviews every month. (Moscow Times)
Trump won't fire Rod Rosenstein after all, saying they have a "very good relationship." Trump and Rosenstein met following reports that Rosenstein wanted to wiretap the president and using the 25th Amendment to remove him from office. Rosenstein oversees the Russia probe led by Robert Mueller, whose work Trump has labeled a "witch hunt." (New York Times / CNN / Washington Post / Politico)
A Republican operative raised at least $100,000 in an effort to obtain Hillary Clinton's stolen emails just weeks before the 2016 election. In an email, Peter W. Smith sent wire instructions to "fund the Washington Scholarship Fund for the Russian students" with the donations days after WikiLeaks and DCLeaks began releasing emails damaging to Clinton's campaign. Robert Mueller's office has been investigating Smith's activities. He killed himself in May 2017 – 10 days after describing his efforts to a reporter. (Wall Street Journal)
Federal officials froze all of Oleg Deripaska's U.S.-based assets, including his mansions in Washington, D.C. and New York City. Deripaska is close with Putin and is allegedly involved in murder, money-laundering, bribery and racketeering. (New York Post)
🇷🇺 What We Learned Last Week in the Russia Probe: GOP operative and anti-Trumper, Cheri Jacobus, said the investigation of an email hacking/catfishing scheme that targeted her has been forwarded to Robert Mueller; Russia's Deputy Attorney General, who allegedly directed the foreign operations of Natalia Veselnitskaya, died last week in a mysterious helicopter crash in Russia; the pilot of the helicopter had two bullet wounds; the Russian sovereign wealth fund leader with whom Erik Prince met in the Seychelles, Kirill Dmitriev, "reached out to at least three additional individuals in close contact with the Trump transition team" in the days before Trump's inauguration; GOP operative Peter Smith, who killed himself in an alleged suicide, solicited and raised at least $100k in his search for Clinton's emails; Randy Credico told the Senate Intelligence Committee he would plead the 5th in response to a subpoena; Reddit's CEO admitted that "suspicious" Russian accounts have been active within the past month on the platform; Russian state TV and Russian trolls supported Kavanaugh and condemned what they call "malignant feminism"; Representative Eric Swalwell wrote an op-ed for the Fresno Bee accusing Devin Nunes of burying evidence on Russian meddling to protect Trump and endorsing his opponent, Andrew Janz; a coalition of voting rights activists announced they are filing a federal lawsuit against Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp for "using a racially-biased methodology" to remove roughly 700,000 voters from the state's voter rolls; and California's Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill on Friday banning companies from secretly using automated social media accounts to sell products or influence elections. (WTF Just Happened Today)
The Justice Department indicted seven Russian military intelligence officials for trying to hack anti-doping agencies in the U.S., Canada and Europe. The agencies exposed Russia's state-sponsored doping scheme that resulted in the country's athletes being banned from the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil and the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. (New York Times / CNBC / CNN / Reuters)
A Russian official linked to the lawyer who met senior Trump campaign officials at Trump Tower in 2016 died in a helicopter crash outside of Moscow. Russian Deputy Attorney General Saak Albertovich Karapetyan was linked to Natalia Veselnitskaya in a Swiss court case earlier this year for running a foreign recruitment operation that involved bribery, corruption, and double agents. It's unclear why Karapetyan and two others took off after nightfall in adverse conditions. (Daily Beast)
Robert Mueller's team gained possession of radio interviews between Roger Stone and radio host Randy Credico, who Stone claimed was his back channel to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The radio interviews took place between August 2016 and April 2017 on local New York station WBAI. Credico has denied Stone's claim that he was the intermediary between Stone and Assange. Mueller is investigating Stone's possible involvement in Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. (CNN)
The U.S. accused Russia of developing a banned cruise missile system that could allow Russia to launch a nuclear strike capable of hitting Europe or Alaska. The U.S. ambassador to NATO said Washington is committed to a diplomatic solution but would consider a military strike if Russian continues development of the medium-range system. (Reuters)
A Trump Victory Committee donor claimed to be "actively involved" in the presidential campaign and offered to brief a high-ranking Russian official in the final months of the campaign. A series of emails reveal that Simon Kukes, a Russian-born American businessman, requested a face-to-face meeting with Vyacheslav Pavlovsky, vice president of the state-owned Russian Railways. (NBC News)
A cooperating witness in Robert Mueller's probe said he "lives in a constant state of fear" after providing testimony that led to Russian nationals being indicted. Richard Pinedo pleaded guilty to charges of identity fraud in February for his role in unwittingly selling bank accounts to Russians. (ABC News)
The House Intelligence Committee voted to release the transcripts of interviews it conducted as part of its Russia investigation. The 53 transcripts could be released as soon as next week, provided the intelligence community doesn't take issue with releasing the information. (Washington Post / Reuters)
The House Intelligence Committee will vote on Friday to release dozens of interview transcripts from its now-defunct Russia investigation. The transcripts are from interviews that were conducted between June 2017 and March 2018, and will include testimony from Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, Hope Hicks, Roger Stone, and other people who have been close to Trump. The committee is expected to refer the transcripts to the intelligence community for assessment and redaction, which could lead to a rolling release schedule that continues through October. Republicans have called for the documents to be released before the November election. (Politico / Reuters)
Rod Rosenstein did not resign, but "offered to resign" in discussions with John Kelly. Rosenstein and Trump will meet on Thursday to discuss the deputy attorney general's future at the Justice Department. Rosenstein went to the White House this morning for a meeting where he "expect[ed] to be fired." The news follows reports that Rosenstein discussed the idea of wearing a wire last year to secretly record Trump in order to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove the President from office. Rosenstein has been overseeing Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and whether any Trump associates conspired with those efforts. Noel Francisco, the solicitor general, would take on oversight of Mueller's investigation and could fire or limit the investigation. (Axios / New York Times / Washington Post / Bloomberg / CNN / Wall Street Journal / CNBC)
Rob Goldstone said he believes the Trump Tower meeting could have been a set-up by Russian intelligence. Goldstone said Trump Jr. was willing to accept "opposition research" he believed was coming from the Russian government. (NBC News)
Trump reversed his demand to immediately declassify documents related to the Russia investigation, including the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court application to wiretap Carter Page. Less than a week later, Trump tweeted that the Justice Department inspector general would instead review the documents, adding that he "can always declassify if it proves necessary." Trump said that while DOJ officials told him the "declassification" of documents "may have a perceived negative impact on the Russia probe," he received calls from "key Allies," who asked him not to release the documents. (Washington Post / New York Times / CNN)
Robert Mueller is investigating $3.3 million in bank transactions between two of the men who orchestrated the Trump Tower meeting. On June 3, 2016, the money was moved from Aras Agalarov, a billionaire real estate developer close to both Putin and Trump, to Irakly "Ike" Kaveladze, a longtime Agalarov employee who was once investigated for money laundering – the same day that Trump Jr. received an email from Rob Goldstone offering dirt on Hillary Clinton as part of the Russian government's "support for Mr. Trump." In that email, Goldstone told Trump Jr. he was writing on behalf of a mutual friend, Emin Agalarov – Aras' son. The Trump Tower meeting occurred six days later. (BuzzFeed News)
Russian diplomats tried to help Julian Assange escape the U.K. The plan called for the WikiLeaks founder to be smuggled out of Ecuador's London embassy in a diplomatic vehicle and transported to another country – possibly Russia, where he wouldn't be extradited to the U.S. (The Guardian)
The Trump administration imposed sanctions against the Chinese military for purchasing fighter jets and missile systems from Russia. The purchases breach U.S. sanctions designed to punish Moscow for interfering in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The Chinese government has demanded that the sanctions be withdrawn. (Reuters)
Michael Cohen met with Robert Mueller's team multiple times over the last month for interview sessions lasting several hours. The special counsel has focused on Trump's dealings with Russia, including the investigation into collusion with Russia by the Trump campaign to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. Mueller's team is also interested in knowing whether Trump discussed the possibility of a pardon with Cohen, who is voluntarily participating in the meetings without any guarantee of leniency from prosecutors. (ABC News)
The Russia story so far: What we know and what it means. (New York Times)
What We've Learned in the Russia Probe: Week of Sept 9 - 15. (WTF Just Happened Today)
The Trump Russia Investigation. Everything we've learned so far. (WTF Just Happened Today)
Trump again lashed out at Jeff Sessions. He criticized the Attorney General on a wide range of issues, including immigration and Sessions' 2017 decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigation. "I don’t have an Attorney General," Trump said. "It’s very sad." (The Hill)
Trump ordered the declassification of the FISA application targeting Carter Page and the release of James Comey's text messages related to the Russia investigation. Trump also called for the release of a senior Justice official's notes from the investigation, as well as unredacted text messages from Andrew McCabe, Peter Strzok, and former FBI lawyer Lisa Page. (Politico / CNN)
Trump has made 5,000 false or misleading claims during his time in office. His 5,000th claim came yesterday in the form of a tweet about Robert Mueller: "Russian ‘collusion’ was just an excuse by the Democrats for having lost the Election!" (Washington Post)
Federal investigators are looking into a series of suspicious financial transactions involving people who attended the 2016 Trump Tower meeting. The transfers reveal how Aras Agalarov, a Russian billionaire with strong ties to Trump and Putin, used overseas accounts to distribute money through a web of banks to himself, his son, and at least two people who attended the meeting. Investigators are focusing on two bursts of activity: one occurring shortly before the Trump Tower meeting and one immediately after the 2016 election. (BuzzFeed News / The Hill)
Trump began the 17th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks by tweeting a defense of himself in the Russia investigation while also attacking the FBI. In a string of tweets that appeared to quote from a segment on Fox News, Trump blamed FBI agents Peter Strzok and Lisa Page for employing a "media leak strategy" to undermine his administration. He then blamed the FBI and Justice Department for doing "NOTHING" about it. Almost two hours later, Trump tweeted: "17 years since September 11th!" (NBC News / Washington Post / CNN)
Officials consider Russia to be the main suspect behind the mysterious "attacks" on U.S. personnel in Cuba and China. The U.S. believes sophisticated microwaves or other electromagnetic weapons were used against government employees, which led to brain injuries. There is not enough conclusive evidence, however, for the U.S. to officially blame Moscow for the alleged attacks. (NBC News)
The Trump campaign team was "fully aware" of George Papadopoulos' efforts to set up a Trump-Putin meeting. "I actively sought to leverage my contacts with the professor to host this meeting," Papadopoulos said. "The campaign was fully aware what I was doing" and Trump was "open to this idea," but deferred to Jeff Sessions, who was "quite enthusiastic." (ABC News / NBC News)
Trump is expected to declassify documents about the government's surveillance of Trump campaign adviser Carter Page and the investigative actions taken by Justice Department lawyer Bruce Ohr. Republicans on the House Intelligence and Judiciary committees allege that Ohr was an improper intermediary between the Justice Department, Christopher Steele, and Fusion GPS — the opposition research firm that created the Trump-Russia dossier. (Axios)
Federal prosecutors admitted that they wrongly accused Maria Butina of trading sex for influence with high-level Republicans on behalf of the Russian government. Butina is a Russian citizen who is currently in custody and facing charges of conspiracy and illegally acting as a foreign agent. Prosecutors acknowledged in court filings that they were "mistaken" in their interpretation of what were apparently joke text messages between Butina and a friend. (New York Times)
Omarosa Manigault Newman released a recording of Trump discussing Hillary Clinton and the Russia investigation. In the October 2017 meeting with the White House communications and press teams, Trump claimed that the "real Russia story is Hillary and collusion." He alleged that the Clinton campaign paid $9 million for an unidentified "phony report." Manigault Newman added that Trump frequently crashed meetings at the White House, "rambling from topic to topic," because he got bored "very often." (NBC News / The Hill / Daily Beast)
Pence said he would take a lie-detector test "in a heartbeat" in order to prove that he wasn't the anonymous author of the New York Times op-ed. He also said he is "more than willing" to sit down for an interview with Robert Mueller's team as part of their investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. (Washington Post / The Hill)
George Papadopoulos was sentenced to 14 days in jail, having pled guilty in October 2017 to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russians. In asking for leniency, Papadopoulos said he made "a terrible mistake, for which I have paid a terrible price, and am deeply ashamed," and that he was motivated to lie to the FBI try to "create distance between the issue, myself, and the president." Papadopoulos was the first campaign adviser to be arrested in connection with Mueller's investigation into Russian influence in the 2016 election. He was also ordered to pay a $9,500 fine and perform community service. His attorney said Trump "hindered this investigation more than George Papadopoulos ever did." (Bloomberg / Washington Post / CNN / New York Times)
Papadopoulos "can't guarantee" that he didn't tell anyone on the Trump campaign that Russia had damaging emails about Hillary Clinton. "I might have," Papadopoulos said, "but I have no recollection of doing so." (CNN)
Robert Mueller's office agreed to accept some written answers from Trump, according to a letter from the special counsel's office to Trump's lawyers. The questions would focus on whether his campaign coordinated with Russia to influence the 2016 election. Mueller still intends to interview Trump in person about questions relating to obstruction of justice at a later date. Editor's note: I added this at the last minute yesterday, but wanted to include more information today. (New York Times / NPR / Washington Post)
Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen called out Putin for interfering in the 2016 election, saying it was a "direct attack" on U.S. democracy. (CNN)
The U.K. charged two officers in Russia's military intelligence with attempted murder for poisoning a former Russian spy in England in March. Prosecutors did not request the extradition of the men from Russia, which does not send its nationals abroad for prosecution. (New York Times)
Putin claimed he doesn't know the two suspects behind the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter. Putin's foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said the names of the suspects "do not mean anything to me." (Associated Press)
Robert Mueller will accept some written answers from Trump about whether his campaign conspired with Russia to interfere in U.S. elections interference, according to a letter from the special counsel's office to Trump's lawyers. Mueller's investigation will also continue despite Giuliani's claims that the probe should have ended on Sept. 1, based on an informal Justice Department guideline that encourages investigators to avoid affecting elections. The midterm elections will be held on Nov. 6. (New York Times / Bloomberg)
Giuliani: The White House will likely attempt to block a full public release of Mueller's final report on his Russia investigation. Giuliani once again described the special counsel's investigation as a "witch hunt," and said that the White House would "object to the public disclosure of information that might be covered by executive privilege." When asked whether the White House would raise objections to the publication of the full report, Giuliani said, "I'm sure we will," and noted that Trump would be the one who "would make the final call." (HuffPost / New Yorker)
The Kremlin dismissed Trump's warning to the Syrian government not to attack a rebel-held stronghold in Idlib province. Trump warned Bashar al-Assad and his allies in Iran and Russia on Monday not to "recklessly attack" Syria's northwestern province, saying that hundreds of thousands of people could be killed. The Kremlin responded by claiming that the province was a "nest of terrorism" and saying that the presence of militants in Idlib was undermining the Syrian peace process. Russian forces resumed air strikes against insurgents in Idlib on Tuesday after a hiatus that lasted a few weeks. (Reuters / CNN)
A former associate of Paul Manafort and a Cambridge Analytica employee struck a plea deal and agreed to cooperate with Mueller's office. Sam Patten pleaded guilty to failing to register as a foreign lobbyist while working on behalf of a Ukrainian political party and to lying to a Senate committee investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election. Patten was a business partner of Konstantin Kilimnik, who was indicted along with Manafort on witness tampering charges. In previous court documents, Mueller's team said they believe Kilimnik was a Russian intelligence operative in 2016, when he was communicating with Manafort and Rick Gates as they worked for Trump's presidential campaign. (Politico / Bloomberg / Washington Post / Vox)
A senior Justice Department lawyer said Christopher Steele told him two years ago that Russian intelligence believed "they had Trump over a barrel," according to multiple people familiar with the previously unreported details. Bruce Ohr, who testified behind closed doors this week to the House Judiciary and Oversight committees, also said Trump campaign aide Carter Page had met with more-senior Russian officials than previously acknowledged. Ohr's meeting with Steele occurred on July 30, 2016, and the FBI opened its counterintelligence investigation the next day, but for entirely different reasons: the report that Russian hackers had penetrated Democratic email accounts, and George Papadopoulos' contacts with Russians who said they had "dirt" on Hillary Clinton in the form of emails. Earlier this month, Trump proposed stripping Ohr of his security clearance and has asked "how the hell" he remains employed. (Associated Press / CNN)
George Papadopoulos accepted a plea deal from Robert Mueller and pled guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts during the campaign with a professor who had "substantial connections to Russian government officials." Papadopoulos was strongly considering backing away from the deal earlier this month, but decided to accept the deal and cooperate with Mueller's probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election. (ABC News)
Trump accused NBC of "fudging" his May 2017 interview where he admitted that the decision to fire James Comey was related to the Russia investigation. Comey was the FBI director at the time and was in charge of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. During the NBC interview, Trump admitted that he had "this Russia thing" in mind when he decided to fire Comey. On Thursday, Trump accused NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt on Twitter of "fudging my tape on Russia," but provided no evidence to support the accusation. (Reuters)
Trump also lashed out at top NBC and CNN executives on Twitter and called on AT&T to fire CNN chief Jeff Zucker. "The hatred and extreme bias of me by @CNN has clouded their thinking and made them unable to function," Trump tweeted. "But actually, as I have always said, this has been going on for a long time. Little Jeff Z has done a terrible job, his ratings suck, & AT&T should fire him to save credibility!" He also predicted that NBC News chairman Andrew Lackey will be fired. "What's going on at @CNN," Trump tweeted, "is happening, to different degrees, at other networks - with @NBCNews being the worst. The good news is that Andy Lack(y) is about to be fired(?) for incompetence, and much worse. When Lester Holt got caught fudging my tape on Russia, they were hurt badly!" (Politico)
Trump called on the U.S. Supreme Court chief justice to tell the head of the FISA Court to question FBI and Justice Department officials about the use of the Steele dossier in the Russia probe. "This is a fraud on the court," Trump tweeted. "The Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court is in charge of the FISA court. He should direct the Presiding Judge, Rosemary Collier [sic], to hold a hearing, haul all of these people from the DOJ & FBI in there, & if she finds there were crimes committed, and there were, there should be a criminal referral by her." Judge Rosemary Collyer presides over the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Court, which oversees electronic surveillance and search warrant requests from federal authorities. (Reuters)
Trump accused China of hacking Hillary Clinton's emails during the 2016 presidential campaign. "Hillary Clinton's Emails, many of which are Classified Information, got hacked by China," Trump tweeted. "Next move better be by the FBI & DOJ or, after all of their other missteps (Comey, McCabe, Strzok, Page, Ohr, FISA, Dirty Dossier etc.), their credibility will be forever gone!" In an earlier tweet, Trump joked that Russia might be the culprit: "China hacked Hillary Clinton's private Email Server. Are they sure it wasn't Russia (just kidding!)? What are the odds that the FBI and DOJ are right on top of this? Actually, a very big story. Much classified information!" Trump offered no evidence to support his claims. (Reuters)
NATO is considering naming its new headquarters after the late Sen. John McCain, who made frequent visits to NATO member countries throughout his political career. McCain also criticized Russia's efforts to undermine the alliance, and voiced disappointment with Trump's handling of the U.S. relationship with NATO partners. (CNBC)
poll/ 63% of voters think Trump should voluntarily agree to an interview with Robert Mueller. 55% say they believe Mueller's investigation will be fair and accurate, compared to only 35% who say they believe Trump's denials of collusion with Russia during his campaign. (The Hill)
Lanny Davis says he was an anonymous source for a CNN story published in July that claimed his client, Michael Cohen, privately said that Trump knew in advance about the infamous Trump Tower meeting between Trump Jr. and Russians. The story said Cohen claimed to have personally witnessed Trump Jr. informing his father about the June 2016 meeting. Davis admitted that he served as an anonymous source for multiple news outlets seeking to confirm the story after CNN published it. Now, Davis says he is not certain that the claim is accurate and he regrets his role as anonymous source and his subsequent denial of his involvement in the reporting. Other news outlets that originally confirmed CNN's reporting have since retracted their own stories, but CNN has not. "We stand by our story," CNN said in a statement, "and are confident in our reporting of it." (BuzzFeed News / The Intercept)
Trump privately revived the idea of firing Jeff Sessions earlier this month. Trump's attorneys believe they have persuaded him — for now — not to fire Sessions while Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign is ongoing. (Washington Post)
After Jeff Sessions said he would not be influenced by politics, Trump tweeted that Sessions must "look into all of the corruption on the 'other side,'" adding: "Come on Jeff, you can do it, the country is waiting!" On Thursday, Trump criticized Sessions in a Fox News interview for failing to control the Justice Department, after which Sessions said the Department of Justice "will not be improperly influenced by political considerations." Trump mocked Sessions' response, tweeting, "Jeff, this is GREAT, what everyone wants." In particular, Trump wants Sessions to investigate "deleted Emails, Comey lies and leaks, Mueller conflicts, McCabe, Strzok, Page, Ohr, FISA abuse, Christopher Steele and his phony and corrupt Dossier, the Clinton Foundation, illegal surveillance of Trump Campaign, Russian collusion by Dems - and so much more." Nearly all which Sessions has recused himself from. (Associated Press / New York Times)
CIA informants close to the Kremlin have largely gone silent ahead of November's midterms, leaving the spy agency in the dark about what Putin's plans for the upcoming elections. Officials said the expulsion of American intelligence officers from Moscow and the outing of an FBI informant has had a chilling effect on intelligence collection. Putin has also said he is intent on killing spies, like the poisoning in March in Britain of a former Russian intelligence. Earlier this year, Devin Nunes, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, demanded that the full House and Senate Intelligence Committees be given access to documents about the FBI informant's role in the Trump campaign. Trump and the White House encouraged the FBI to make the classified information available. (New York Times)
The former Air Force contractor who leaked a top-secret government report in 2017 on Russian hacking efforts was sentenced to five years and three months in federal prison. Reality Winner pleaded guilty in June, and is the first person to be sentenced under the Espionage Act since Trump became president. She received the longest sentence ever imposed by a federal court for the unauthorized released of classified information to the media. Trump tweeted about Winner's sentence, comparing her actions to Hillary Clinton's. (New York Times / Gizmodo / Time)
Trump "would consider" pardoning Paul Manafort, according to Fox News host Ainsley Earhardt, who interviewed Trump. "I think he feels bad for Manafort," Earhardt said. "They were friends." Manafort was convicted on eight counts bank and tax fraud. While the White House maintains that Trump is not currently looking to pardon Manafort, Rudy Giuliani said Trump asked his lawyers several weeks ago for their advice on the possibility of pardoning Manafort and former aides under investigation. Trump's personal lawyers cautioned him against considering pardons until Robert Mueller's probe concludes to see if the special counsel's report accuses the president of trying to block the federal probe of his campaign's contacts with Russians. Giuliani said Trump agreed with their advice. (Reuters / Washington Post / New York Times / Mediaite / Politico)
👮 Everyone who's been charged as a result of the Mueller investigation. Between the Trump campaign and Russian officials, Mueller has issued more than 100 criminal counts against 32 people and three companies. (New York Times)
Trump complained that "flipping" and cooperating with prosecutors is "not fair" and should "almost be outlawed" during an interview with Fox News. "It's called flipping and it almost ought to be illegal." Trump continued: "It almost ought to be outlawed. It's not fair." Trump also attacked Jeff Sessions, questioning his character for recusing himself in the Russia investigation, and asking "What kind of man is this?" and that the "only reason I gave him the job" was because he felt "loyalty" to Sessions for signing on to the campaign. "I put in an attorney general who never took control of the Justice Department." (CNN / Wall Street Journal)
poll/ 59% of registered voters approve of Mueller's investigation – an 11 percentage point jump since July. 37% disapprove of Muller's investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, and possible obstruction of justice charges against Trump and members of his administration. (The Hill / Fox News)
Democrats, meanwhile, have drafted contingency plans should Mueller be fired or Trump tries to end the Russia investigation by firing Rod Rosenstein or pardoning key witnesses. (NBC News)
Russian hackers have been targeting conservative American think tanks critical of Trump's interactions with Putin. Microsoft also identified attempts by the Kremlin-linked hacking group Fancy Bear to infiltrate U.S. candidates, campaigns, and political groups by using malicious websites that mimicked the login pages of the United States Senate to try to trick people into handing over their passwords. Microsoft says it has no evidence that the group was successful, but it remains "concerned that these latest attempts pose security threats to a broadening array of groups connected with both American political parties in the run-up to the 2018 elections." (New York Times / Politico)
Christopher Steel won his libel case in the U.S. against three Russian oligarchs who sued him over allegations made in his dossier about the Trump campaign and its links with Moscow. The judge concluded that the dossier was covered by the first amendment, ruling that the oligarchs had failed to prove that Steele knew that some information in the dossier was inaccurate and acted "with reckless disregard as to its falsity." (The Guardian)
Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee are questioning whether John Bolton's ties to Russia were properly vetted before he joined the White House this year. The national security adviser worked with a Russian woman who was charged last month for failing to register as an agent of a foreign power in the U.S. (Politico)
Trump plans to revoke more security clearances from officials who have been critical of him or played a role in Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. Over the past 19 months, Trump has fired or threatened nearly a dozen current and former officials associated with the probe, which he calls a "rigged witch hunt." According to his aides, Trump believes he came out looking strong after he revoked former CIA Director John Brennan's security clearance, adding that Trump shows visible disdain for Brennan when he sees him on TV. (Washington Post)
Trump called a career Justice Department official "a disgrace" and threatened to revoke his security clearance "very soon." Bruce Ohr has no involvement in Mueller's investigation, but conspiracy theorists claim he helped start the investigation into Russian election interference. (New York Times / Washington Post)
poll/ 57% of Americans think Trump is too friendly with Russia. Overall, 41% consider Russia an enemy of the U.S. (CNN)
Trump admitted that he revoked John Brennan's security clearance because of his role in the Russia investigation. "I call it the rigged witch hunt, [it] is a sham," Trump said. "And these people led it. So I think it’s something that had to be done." Brennan called Trump's claims of "no collusion" with Russia to influence the 2016 election "hogwash" and that Trump "clearly has become more desperate to protect himself and those close to him, which is why he made the politically motivated decision to revoke my security clearance in an attempt to scare into silence others who might dare to challenge him." (ABC News / New York Times)
Trump has fired or threatened most senior officials related to the Russia investigation. Sally Yates was fired for refusing to defend Trump's travel ban and her security clearance threatened. Trump has repeatedly threatened to fire Jeff Sessions and Rod Rosenstein. James Comey, Andrew McCabe, and Peter Strzok were fired and their security clearances threatened. Trump has twice threatened to fire Robert Mueller. James Clapper and Susan Rice's security clearances were threatened and John Brennan's security clearance was revoked. (Washington Post)
The FBI has investigated several cyberattacks over the past year targeted at the Democratic opponent of Rep. Dana Rohrabacher. The 15-term incumbent is widely seen as the most pro-Russia and pro-Putin member of Congress, who has voted against Russian sanctions and was warned by the FBI that Moscow was trying to recruit him as an asset. Last month, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said the warning lights for future cyberattacks aimed at the U.S. were "blinking red" and last week Sen. Bill Nelson said that Russian hackers had "penetrated" county voting systems in Florida. (Rolling Stone)
The Treasury Department has delayed turning over financial records related to the Russia probe and has refused to provide an expert to make sense of the money trail. Some of the department's personnel have questioned whether the Treasury is intentionally impeding the investigation. At one point, the Treasury went at least four months before responding to a Senate Intelligence Committee request for sensitive financial documents. (BuzzFeed News)
Trump called Trump Jr. "a fuckup" after he released his emails about the 2016 Trump Tower meeting with a Russian lawyer, according to Omarosa's forthcoming book. The book says Trump erupted in anger after Omarosa mentioned that Trump Jr. had released screenshots of his email exchanges with Rob Goldstone on Twitter. "He is such a fuckup," Omarosa claims Trump said. "He screwed up again, but this time, he’s screwing us all, big-time!" (New York Daily News)
poll/ 66% of Americans think Robert Mueller should try to complete his investigation before the midterm elections. 70% believe Trump should testify under oath in Mueller's investigation and 34% approve of Trump's handling of the Russia investigation, compared to 55% who disapprove. 56% say Trump has interfered with the investigation. (CNN)
The FBI fired Peter Strzok for violating bureau policies. Strzok is the FBI senior counterintelligence agent who sent text messages critical of Trump to a former FBI lawyer, Lisa Page. Strzok helped lead the bureau's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election until officials discovered his text messages. FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich ordered Strzok fired even though the FBI's Office of Professional Responsibility concluded he should be suspended for 60 days and demoted. (New York Times / Washington Post)
A federal judge appointed by Trump ruled that Robert Mueller's investigation is constitutional and legitimate, rejecting an effort by a Russian company to invalidate the ongoing investigation. Concord Management is accused of financing a massive political influence operation in the U.S. The ruling marks the fourth time a federal judge has ruled that the Mueller investigation is constitutional. (Politico / Axios)
The federal judge overseeing the Paul Manafort trial granted Robert Mueller's team a request to seal the transcript of a private discussion in front of his bench after prosecutors argued that they needed to protect an "ongoing investigation." Defense attorney Kevin Downing had asked Rick Gates, "Were you interviewed on several occasions about your time at the Trump campaign?" Prosecutors objected, arguing that they needed to protect the secrecy of their investigation and limit the "disclosure of new information," suggesting that Gates may also be helping Mueller in the Russia investigation. The judge, T. S. Ellis III, ruled in their favor. (New York Times / CNN)
The Russian Embassy mocked Trump's Space Force, tweeting "Good Morning, Space Forces!" along with a graphic of a rocket being launched and features the Russian flag. Trump's 2020 reelection campaign asked supporters to vote on one of six logos that could be displayed on future Space Force merchandise, including one the resembles the NASA logo. (Politico)
Russia threatened to cut off a supply of rocket engines crucial to the U.S. space program in response to new sanctions stemming from the poisoning of Sergei Skripal in March. The U.S. announced new sanctions against Russia after determining that Moscow used a nerve agent against the former MI6 spy and his daughter. (Daily Beast / Times of London)
The Trump administration will sanction Russia for its use of a chemical weapon against a former Russian spy living in England. Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with a rare and toxic nerve agent on March 4th. British authorities accused Russia of being behind the attempt, a charge Moscow has denied. The new sanctions are expected to go into effect on Aug. 22. (NBC / New York Times)
Putin lobbied Trump on nuclear arms control, banning weapons in space, and several other issues during their private two-hour meeting in Helsinki last month, according to a leaked Russian document. Putin shared the document of proposed topics for negotiation with Trump during their two-hour conversation, which Trump's top advisers were not privy to at the time. Among the priorities, Putin wanted to extend an Obama-era nuclear-reduction treaty to ensure the "non-placement of weapons in space," which would hamper Trump's ability of establishing a Space Force. (Politico)
Rand Paul delivered a letter from Trump to Putin during his trip to Moscow earlier this week. Paul said he was "honored" to share the letter from Trump, which "emphasized the importance of further engagement in various areas including countering terrorism, enhancing legislative dialogue and resuming cultural exchange." Rand also said members of the Russian Federation agreed to visit Washington at his invitation despite the White House recently announcing that Trump would delay any meeting with Putin until the Russia investigation concludes. (NBC News)
Russians have "penetrated" some of Florida's election systems ahead of the 2018 midterms, according to Sen. Bill Nelson, "and they now have free rein to move about." Florida's primary is Aug. 28. (Tampa Bay Times)
Trump admitted that the 2016 Trump Tower meeting between top campaign aides and a Russian lawyer was to get dirt on Hillary Clinton. "This was a meeting to get information on an opponent, totally legal and done all the time in politics - and it went nowhere. I did not know about it!" Trump's tweet contradicted Trump Jr.'s original statement about the meeting – which was dictated by Trump – that the meeting was to discuss the adoption of Russian children. (New York Times / New Yorker / NBC News / NPR)
Trump told confidants that he is worried about how the Robert Mueller probe could impact Trump Jr.'s life. Mueller is investigating Trump Jr.'s role in organizing the June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower with Russians promising dirt on Hillary Clinton. One adviser said Trump doesn't believe his son intentionally broke the law, but that Trump Jr. may have inadvertently wandered into legal jeopardy. Trump tweeted that his concern about Trump Jr.'s potential legal exposure from the meeting was "Fake News reporting" and "a complete fabrication." (Washington Post / ABC News)
Marco Rubio said he'd consider altering bipartisan legislation to automatically sanction Russia for any future election meddling in order to get the DETER Act passed. The measure would bar foreign governments from buying ads to influence U.S. elections and would give the director of national intelligence the ability to deploy "national security tools," such as sanctions. (Politico)
Maria Butina, the alleged Russian spy, socialized with a former Trump campaign aide weeks before the 2016 election. At the time, J.D. Gordon planned to join Trump's transition team, but ultimately never did. From March 2016 until August 2016, Gordon was the point person for an advisory group on foreign policy and national security for the Trump campaign. Paul Erickson, a GOP operative with whom Butina was in a romantic relationship, told her that Gordon was "playing a crucial role in the Trump transition effort and would be an excellent addition to any of the U.S./Russia friendship dinners" that might be held. (Washington Post / New York Times)
Rand Paul invited Russian lawmakers to Washington after meeting Russian members of parliament in Moscow. Paul is also expected to meet with Russian deputy foreign minister Sergey Ryabkov and State Duma Foreign Affairs committee head Leonid Slutsky during his visit. (CNN)
The Russian Foreign Ministry tapped Steve Segal to help improve "relations between Russia and the United States in the humanitarian field, including cooperation in culture, arts, public and youth exchanges." (New York Times)
Kristin Davis, the "Manhattan Madam," is scheduled to testify before Robert Mueller's grand jury in Washington this week. Last week an investigator on Mueller’s team questioned Davis, an associate of former Trump adviser Roger Stone, about Russian collusion. (NBC News)
Trump's national security team said Russia is behind "pervasive" and "ongoing" attempts to interfere in upcoming U.S. elections. "The threat is real. It is continuing," said Dan Coats, Director of National Intelligence. Hours later, Trump defended his "great meeting with Putin," saying "the Russian hoax" is getting in the way of improved relations with the world's second-ranked nuclear power. (Reuters / CNBC / CNN)
Robert Mueller has requested an interview with the Russian pop star who helped set up the 2016 Trump Tower meeting. Emin Agalarov's lawyer said the "conversations are ongoing" but that it's "unclear how this will play out." Agalarov's father, Aras Agalarov, is a billionaire with ties to Putin; he partnered with the Trump Organization to bring the 2013 Miss Universe pageant to Moscow. (NBC News)
A federal judge ruled that a former Roger Stone aide must testify before Robert Mueller's grand jury. Andrew Miller tried to challenge the legitimacy of Mueller's appointment in an effort to block subpoenas from the special counsel related to the ongoing investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. (Washington Post / Politico)
Hours after his lawyers updated him on the Mueller investigation, Trump called on Jeff Sessions to end the special counsel's investigation into Russian election interference. On Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, Trump's lawyers updated him on the latest developments, including Mueller's proposal to limit obstruction-related questions. Shortly thereafter, Trump tweeted that Sessions should end the Mueller investigation "right now," calling it a "terrible situation" and a "disgrace to USA!" (CNN)
The Senate Intelligence Committee unanimously approved the release of documents related to the arrest and prosecution of alleged Russian agent Maria Butina. The documents contain records of the committee's interviews with Butina, who is accused of working as an unregistered Russian agent while attending American University in Washington from 2015 to 2017. (Politico)
A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation to "impose crushing sanctions" on Russia meant to stop Putin from "meddling in the U.S. electoral process." The measure also would impose new sanctions on oligarchs who aid corrupt activities on Putin's behalf, and require the State Department to determine whether Russia should be designated as a state sponsor of terrorism. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham called it a "sanctions bill from hell." (Bloomberg / Reuters)
Two senators say Trump "hasn't been paying attention" to Russia's threat to the 2018 elections. Republican senator James Lankford contended that nearly every senator has been a target of Russian hackers, calling it a "pretty regular thing around here." (CNN)
A Russian spy worked for the Secret Service at the U.S. embassy in Moscow for more than a decade. She was having regular, unauthorized meetings with members of the FSB, Russia's security agency, and is believed to have had full access to the agency's intranet and email systems. The Secret Service waited months to let her go and didn't launch a full inquiry after the State Department's Regional Security Office flagged the suspected spy in January 2017. (The Guardian)
Trump urged Jeff Sessions to end the Mueller investigation and "stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now." In a morning tweetstorm, Trump called Mueller's probe "a terrible situation" that should be stopped "before it continues to stain our country any further." Rod Rosenstein has been overseeing the probe since Sessions recused himself last March – before Mueller was appointed. Trump has said he would have never hired Sessions had he known he would recuse himself from the Russia investigation. Mueller, meanwhile, has been scrutinizing Trump's tweets and statements about Sessions and James Comey as potential evidence in an obstruction of justice case. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Trump's lawyers claimed that the message was not a formal order, but rather just the President of United States expressing his opinion. (New York Times / CNBC / CNN / Washington Post)
A scammer called a U.S. senator and pretended to represent a Latvian official in an attempt to get information about U.S. sanctions on Russia. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen was contacted by "Arturs Vaiders," who claimed to be working for the Latvian foreign ministry and needed to discuss the "prolongation of anti-Russian sanctions" and "general security with Kaspersky laboratory case." Shaheen contacted the Latvian government to confirm the caller's credentials, but the embassy responded that the outreach attempt was fake. (Daily Beast)
Facebook identified a coordinated political influence campaign involving 32 "inauthentic" pages and profiles engaging in divisive messaging ahead of the midterm elections. While the social media company said it couldn't directly link the activity to Russia, company officials told Capitol Hill that Russia was possibly involved. "It's clear that whoever set up these accounts went to much greater lengths to obscure their true identities than the Russian-based Internet Research Agency (IRA) has in the past," Facebook wrote. The company removed 32 pages and accounts. (New York Times / Washington Post / Politico / NBC News / Wall Street Journal)
Trump repeated Rudy Giuliani's defense that "Collusion is not a crime, but that doesn't matter because there was No Collusion." For months, Trump has repeatedly denied that there was collusion between his campaign and Russia. In December, Trump said that "collusion is not a crime," but legal experts believe that anyone found collaborating with Russia could be charged with other crimes, such as conspiracy, fraud and computer hacking. (CNN / Politico)
[Developing] Paul Manafort's tax and bank fraud trial started today. The trial is the first in connection with Robert Mueller's ongoing investigation into possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign. Collusion and Russia, however, are not likely to come up during the trial. Mueller is expected to focus on Manafort's business dealings and his lobbying work on behalf of the pro-Kremlin Ukrainian government. It is unclear whether Manafort will take the stand at any point during the trial. The jury was selected and sworn in. The prosecution's opening statements began with "Paul Manafort lied." (Politico / NPR / ABC News / Reuters)
Russia's top diplomat claimed his country has access to insider information about U.S. military plans. Sergey Lavrov said Moscow would be "provided with information about the schemes harbored by the militaries of both the U.S. and other Western countries against the Russian Federation." (Newsweek)
🇷🇺 What We Learned in the Russia Probe last week.
Rudy Giuliani: "Collusion is not a crime." Trump's lawyer told Fox and Friends "I don't even know if that's a crime, colluding about Russians," and that he's been "looking in the federal code trying to find collusion as a crime." Giuliani asserted that "the hacking is the crime. The president didn't hack. He didn't pay them for hacking," suggesting that Trump would have had to pay for Russia to interfere on his behalf. Trump has argued for more than a year that there was "no collusion" – not that collusion wasn't a crime. On Sunday, Trump tweeted that "There is No Collusion!" and that "the Witch Hunt is an illegal Scam!" (The Hill / Washington Post / CNN)
GOP Rep. Darrell Issa: "Nobody is going to be surprised" if Trump lied about Russia. "If he's proven to have not told the whole truth about the fact that campaigns look for dirt, and if someone offers it, you listen to them, nobody's going to be surprised," Issa said. "Businessmen listen to almost everyone who might be helpful." (Mediate / Think Progress)
Giuliani called Cohen a "pathological manipulator" and "a liar" following reports that Cohen is prepared to allege Trump knew about the 2016 Trump Tower meeting. Last week, Trump claimed that he had no prior knowledge of the meeting with a Russian lawyer, which Trump Jr. had attended in the hope of collecting negative information about Hillary Clinton. (Wall Street Journal)
The Treasury Department is considering lifting sanctions on a Russian company founded by one of Putin's closest allies. Rusal's former owner, oligarch Oleg Deripaska, was sanctioned this year by the U.S. in an attempt to punish the Kremlin for interfering in the 2016 election. Rusal was also sanctioned in April because of its ties to Deripaska. (CNN)
Michael Cohen says Trump knew in advance about Trump Jr.'s meeting at Trump Tower in June 2016 with a Russian lawyer promising dirt on Hillary Clinton. Cohen doesn't have evidence to back up his claim, but he is reportedly willing to make the assertion as part of his testimony to Robert Mueller. Cohen claims that he, along with several others, were in the room when Trump Jr. told Trump about the Russian's offer. According to Cohen, Trump approved the meeting with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya. Cohen's claim contradicts Trump, Trump Jr., their lawyers, and administration officials who have repeatedly said Trump didn't know about the meeting until he was asked about it in July 2017. Trump's response at the time was: "No. That I didn't know. Until a couple of days ago, when I heard about this. No I didn't know about that." A few days later, Trump was again asked whether he knew about the meeting. His response: "No, I didn't know anything about the meeting…. must have been a very unimportant meeting, because I never even heard about it … nobody told me."(CNN / NBC News / Washington Post)
Trump tweeted that he "did NOT know" in advance about Trump Jr.'s Trump Tower meeting, disputing Michael Cohen's assertion that he did and accusing him of "trying to make up stories." Cohen said he's willing to testify that then-candidate Trump knew in advance about the 2016 meeting in Trump Tower. In July 2017, it was reported that Trump personally dictated Trump Jr.'s statement about the latter's meeting with the Russian lawyer, claiming they had "primarily discussed a program about the adoption of Russian children." (Washington Post / CNN)
Russians unsuccessfully hacked Sen. Claire McCaskill as she began her 2018 re-election campaign, making her the first known target of the Kremlin's 2018 election interference campaign. There is no evidence that the attempt to penetrate her campaign or staff systems was successful. (Daily Beast / NPR)
Accused Russian spy Maria Butina had dinner last year with Dana Rohrabacher, a California Republican congressman on the House Foreign Relations Committee. Two years earlier, Butina arranged a meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, that included Rohrabacher and her mentor Alexander Torshin, who is one of Putin's closest allies. Rohrabacher also met Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya during an official trip he made to Moscow in April 2016. Later that summer, Rohrabacher traveled to London to meet with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. WikiLeaks released Hillary Clinton's hacked emails on July 22, 2016. (ABC News)
Nineteen months into the Trump presidency, there is no single person or agency in charge of combatting foreign election interference. This afternoon Trump presided over the first National Security Council meeting devoted to defending American democracy from foreign manipulation. Trump has called Russian election interference a hoax and its investigation a witch hunt. (NBC News)
Putin invited Trump to Moscow days after the White House postponed its plans to host the Russian president. Sarah Sanders said Trump is "open to visiting Moscow" and that "Trump looks forward to having President Putin to Washington after the first of the year." Putin said he was ready to meet either in Washington or Moscow. (New York Times / CNN / Reuters)
Trump again attacked NATO and Germany and complained about the news coverage of his recent trip to Europe. He told the crowd he was tough on Russia. "One thing I know about NATO, for sure," Trump said, "is that it's better for Europe than it is for us." (Independent)
Paul Ryan rejected the efforts by House conservatives to impeach Rosenstein, saying "I don't think we should be cavalier with this process or with this term." 11 of the 236 Republicans in the House accused Rosenstein of withholding documents and being insufficiently transparent in his handling of the Russia probe led by Robert Mueller. Ryan added that the House Republicans document request doesn't rise to the level of "high crimes and misdemeanors" that warrant impeachment under the Constitution. (Associated Press / Vox / Washington Post / Politico)
The lawyer Trump Jr. met with at Trump Tower during the campaign had worked more closely with Russian government officials than she previously let on. Natalia Veselnitskaya, who previously denied acting as a representative of Russian authorities, served as a ghostwriter for top Russian government lawyers and received assistance from senior Interior Ministry personnel. [This story is developing…] (Associated Press)
Mike Pompeo refused to provide details about what Trump discussed with Putin last week. The Secretary of State took exception to questions by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about Trump's private one-on-one with Putin, but claimed he is "very confident that I received a comprehensive debriefing from President Trump." (New York Times / Washington Post)
The White House corrected the official transcript of Trump's press conference with Putin in Helsinki to include a previously omitted question about whether Putin wanted Trump to win in 2016. Ten days after the press conference, the transcript has been updated to include the full question. (The Hill / CNN)
The White House deleted a key exchange between a reporter and Putin from the official transcript and video of Trump's recent summit with Putin in Helsinki. During the press conference in Helsinki, a Reuters reporter asks Putin, "Did you want President Trump to win the election and did you direct any of your officials to help him do that?" Putin then responds, "Yes, I did. Yes, I did. Because he talked about bringing the U.S.-Russia relationship back to normal." The White House omitted the first part of the question, leaving only the second part in the official transcript and video. The Russian government removed the entire exchange from their official record. [Editor's note: Apparently this was due to the audio feed switching between only the right channel and both channels. Regardless, it's unclear why the feed switched. White House transcripts are considered the official record of the president's comments.] (The Atlantic / MSNBC / HuffPost)
poll/ 64% of Americans don't think Trump has been tough enough on Russia. 47% of Republicans and 82% of Democrats surveyed also said Trump hasn't been tough enough on Russia. (NPR)
Two Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee want to examine whether NRA officials knew about Russia's attempts to contribute money to the Trump campaign through the gun rights group. The request from Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Sheldon Whitehouse come after federal authorities indicted Maria Butina last week for allegedly acting as a Kremlin agent. (The Hill)
Trump wants to delay his planned follow-up meeting with Putin until after the Robert Mueller investigation concludes. Yesterday, the Kremlin said it wanted the "dust to settle" on a follow-up meeting given the current "atmosphere" in Washington. (New York Times / Washington Post)
Trump claimed in a tweet that he is "concerned" Russia "will be pushing very hard for the Democrats" in the midterm elections, because "no President has been tougher on Russia than me." Last week, Trump cast doubt on the U.S. intelligence community's conclusion that Russia tried to help him get elected. Trump also told reporters "no," he doesn't believe Russia was still a threat. Trump capped his tweet off with "They definitely don't want Trump!" He offered no evidence to support his claims. (Reuters / The Hill / Washington Post)
Trump would agree to an interview with Robert Mueller as long as there were no questions about obstruction of justice, according to Rudy Giuliani. The only questions Trump would be willing to answer, according to Giuliani, are about potential collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign. Mueller has not responded to Giuliani's proposal. (Bloomberg)
poll/ 51% of Americans believe that Russia has compromising information on Trump. 35% of voters don't believe Moscow has compromising information on the president. Among Republicans, 70% don't believe there is compromising information. 52% of voters say Trump's summit with Putin in Helsinki was a failure for the U.S., with 73% saying it was a success for Russia. (Quinnipiac)
The Justice Department released a previously classified application to wiretap Carter Page, which shows that "the FBI believes Page has been the subject of targeted recruitment by the Russian government" to "undermine and influence the outcome of the 2016 U.S. presidential election." According to the October 2016 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act application, the FBI believed "the Russian government's efforts are being coordinated with Page and perhaps other individuals associated" with the Trump campaign to establish "relationships with Russian government officials, including Russian intelligence officers." The application says that Page "has been collaborating and conspiring with the Russian government." (New York Times / Washington Post / ABC News)
Trump tweeted that Russia's interference in the 2016 election was "all a big hoax," again reversing his position on whether he believes the U.S. intelligence community's conclusion that Russia interfered in the election. Instead, Trump deflected and placed blame on Obama, asking: "Why didn't he do something about it? Why didn't he tell our campaign?" Answering his own questions, Trump posited that it was because Obama "thought Crooked Hillary was going to win!!!" (Washington Post)
Trump renewed his call to end the Robert Mueller investigation, tweet-claiming that it's "totally conflicted and discredited." Trump cited the release of the FISA application to wiretap Carter Page, who was under suspicion by the FBI of being a Russian agent, as evidence that the investigation is both "a fraud and a hoax." (Politico / Washington Post)
Carter Page acknowledged working as "an informal adviser to the staff of the Kremlin" in a 2013 letter. On Sunday, Page said "there may have been a loose conversation" with Russian officials," but dismissed allegations that he was a Russian agent as "spin," a "ridiculous smear campaign" and "literally a complete joke." (Politico)
Russia's foreign minister told Mike Pompeo that the charges against Maria Butina were "fabricated" and she should be released. Butina was charged in federal court last week of acting as a Russian agent "for the purpose of advancing the interests of the Russian federation." Butina told the Senate Intelligence Committee in April that she received financial support from Konstantin Nikolaev, a Russian billionaire "with deep ties to the Russian Presidential Administration." While Nikolaev has never met Trump, his son, who is studying in the U.S., volunteered for Trump's 2016 campaign and was spotted at the Trump International Hotel in Washington during the inauguration. (New York Times / Washington Post)
poll/ 50% of Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of his meeting with Putin, while 33% approve. (Washington Post)
poll/ 56% of voters disapprove of Trump's doubting the U.S. intelligence community's conclusions that Russia tried to influence the 2016 election. 29% approve. (ABC News)
Trump is considering revoking the security clearances of James Comey, former CIA Director John Brennan, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, and other Obama-era national security officials who have criticized him. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump believed that the former officials "politicized" their positions by accusing him of inappropriate contact with Russia. (Bloomberg / Politico)
The FBI reopened the Hillary Clinton email investigation 11 days before the election because they were focused on investigating the Trump campaign's connections to Russia, according to the report of the Justice Department's inspector general. In late September 2016, FBI agents learned about a new batch of Clinton emails from the laptop of former congressman Anthony Weiner, who was under investigation for sexting a minor and was married at the time to Clinton aide Huma Abedin. The bureau was evidently overwhelmed with the urgency of the Trump-Russia investigation so that management lapses and communication breakdowns caused a monthlong delay in looking into the new Clinton emails. Nine days after announcing he was reopening the probe, James Comey said the FBI found nothing in the new emails to change the original July decision against bringing charges. (The Intercept)
A Russian company cited a decision by Trump's Supreme Court nominee arguing that the charges against the firm should be thrown out. The ruling by Brett Kavanaugh prohibited foreigners from contributing to candidates or political parties, but it did not rule out donations or expenditures on independent advocacy campaigns. Concord Management and Consulting is one of 16 Russian individuals or companies indicted by Robert Mueller. It is charged with paying $1.25 million a month to the Internet Research Agency to interfere with the 2016 election. (Washington Post)
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein revealed indictments against 12 Russians for the hacks of the Democratic National Committee, and we learned that Russian hackers went after Hillary Clinton's private office for the first time on the very day Trump said, "Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing." At the NATO summit in Brussels, Trump attacked a close European ally—Germany—and generally questioned the value of the alliance. Next, he visited the United Kingdom and trashed Prime Minister Theresa May. Then, in Helsinki, he met with Vladimir Putin privately for two hours, with no U.S. officials present other than a translator. After this suspicious meeting, he sang the Russian strongman's praises at a news conference at which he said he viewed Putin’s denials on a par with the unanimous and unchallenged conclusions of America’s intelligence agencies. (Politico)
Two weeks before his inauguration, Trump was briefed that Putin had personally ordered the cyberattacks to influence the 2016 election. The intelligence briefing included texts and emails from Russian military officers, as well as evidence from a source close to Putin, who had described how the Kremlin executed the hacking and disinformation campaign. After flip-flopping on whether he believed Putin's denial that Russia interfered in the election, Trump indirectly blamed Putin for meddling, "because he's in charge of the country." (New York Times)
Trump now "disagrees" with Putin's "incredible offer" to allow Moscow to interrogate 11 Americans in exchange for access to the 12 Russian military intelligence officers indicted for their role in trying to sabotage the 2016 election, according to Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Yesterday, the White House said Trump was entertaining Putin's proposal to swap officials for questioning, calling it "an interesting idea," which prompted a backlash from both Republicans and Democrats. It took Trump three days to come this conclusion. (Washington Post / New York Times / Reuters)
Russia's ambassador to the U.S. claimed Trump and Putin had reached several "important verbal agreements" on issues in the Middle East and nuclear proliferation. Senior U.S. military leaders, however, have little to no information about what the two leaders discussed or agreed to. (Washington Post / The Guardian)
Trump invited Putin to visit the White House this fall for a second summit despite his advisers struggling to ascertain what Trump and Putin agreed to. Earlier in the day, Trump tweeted that he is already looking "forward to our second meeting so we can start implementing some of the many things discussed." Sarah Huckabee Sanders then tweeted that Trump had asked National Security Adviser John Bolton to invite Putin, adding, the "discussions are already underway." (New York Times / Bloomberg / Associated Press)
Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee blocked an attempt to subpoena the interpreter who sat in on Trump's one-on-one meeting with Putin. Chairman Devin Nunes ruled that Adam Schiff's motion was out of order. (Politico / ABC News / The Hill)
FBI Director Christopher Wray: Russia is the "most aggressive actor" in election interference and is "very active" at "sowing discord and divisiveness in this country." Wray added: "My view has not changed, which is that Russia attempted to interfere with the last election and that it continues to engage in malign influence operations to this day." (CNN / NBC News / The Hill)
Sean Spicer contradicted Trump's claim that the Robert Mueller investigation is a witch hunt, saying that "I see no evidence that it is" and that "I think it's very important to be clear that Russia meddled in our election and there's no evidence of collusion." (NBC News)
Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen claimed she hasn't "seen evidence" that Russia tried to swing the 2016 election in Trump's favor. DHS later clarified her comments, saying she "agrees with" the U.S. intelligence agencies' conclusions that Russia tampered with the election. (HuffPost)
poll/ 79% of Republicans approve of the way Trump handled his press conference with Putin while 7% of Democrats of approve. Overall, 40% of Americans approve of Trump's performance. (Axios)
poll/ 70% of Americans believe the U.S. intelligence community's conclusion that Russia interfered in the 2016 elections. And 61% are very or somewhat concerned about Russia interfering in the 2018 elections. (CBS News)
Robert Mueller released an itemized list of more than 500 pieces of evidence prosecutors are considering using against Paul Manafort, who has been charged with a number of financial crimes, including bank fraud and money laundering. Prosecutors are using the items to demonstrate expensive purchases Manafort made with money he attempted to hide from U.S. authorities after working for pro-Russia political parties in Ukraine. (Politico / The Hill)
Trump said "no," he does not believe Russia is still targeting the U.S. with efforts to undermine American democracy, contradicting his director of national intelligence. Last week, Dan Coats said that "the digital infrastructure that serves this country is literally under attack." And, in particular, Russia is the "most aggressive foreign actor, no question. And they continue their efforts to undermine our democracy." Coats described Russia as one of the "worst offenders." Sarah Sanders said the Russian "threat still exists" and that Trump was saying "no" to answering more questions. Intelligence officials in the U.S. and U.K. also believe Russia is planning to ramp up digital operations targeting western countries now that the World Cup and the Trump-Putin Helsinki summit have ended. (Reuters / CNN / New York Times / Los Angeles Times)
Trump defended his summit with Putin, tweeting that "people at the higher ends of intelligence loved my press conference performance in Helsinki." The claim comes less than 24 hours after Trump attempted to backtrack and spin his statements that he mispoke and meant to say "I don't see any reason why it wouldn't be Russia" that interfered in the election. Trump promised "big results" and "many positive things." (Washington Post / New York Times)
Trump crossed out a line about bringing those responsible for election hacking to justice in his statement correcting his remarks during his press conference with Putin. Trump prepared four pages of handwritten notes for his meeting with congressional leaders yesterday, part of which read "I have on numerous occasions noted our intelligence findings that Russians attempted to interfere in our elections. A̶n̶y̶o̶n̶e̶ ̶i̶n̶v̶o̶l̶v̶e̶d̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶m̶e̶d̶d̶l̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶j̶u̶s̶t̶i̶c̶e̶." Trump used a black marker to cross out the part about bringing the hackers to justice. (Washington Post)
European newspapers described Trump as "weak," a "poodle," and a "stooge" following his summit with Putin. (ABC News)
Putin also claimed he misspoke about his claim that Hillary Clinton’s campaign had received $400 million in donations from investors accused of tax evasion in Russia. According to the Russian government, Putin "meant" to say that U.S.-born investor William Browder had donated $400,000 to Clinton’s campaign, which also appears to be inflated. (The Intercept)
The woman charged with secretly acting as a Russian intelligence official offered "sex in exchange" for influence at "a special interest organization" the FBI referred to as a "gun rights organization." Prosecutors argue that Butina "engaged in a yearslong conspiracy to work covertly in the U.S. as an undeclared agent of the Russian federation to advance the interests of her home country." Her actions are believed to have been directed by Alexander Torshin, one of Putin's closest allies, who the U.S. sanctioned in April. Butina and Torshin were also frequent attendees at NRA conventions. Butina is believed to have "cohabited and been involved in a personal relationship" with an unnamed U.S. person for the purpose of developing an influence operation. Her partner is believed to be Paul Erickson, a conservative activist and NRA member from South Dakota. (New York Times / Wall Street Journal / NBC News / ABC News / Washington Post)
A federal magistrate judge ordered that Maria Butina must be jailed ahead of her trial after prosecutors argued she was "an extreme risk of flight" and should be held without bond during her appearance in federal court. Prosecutors said she was ready to move out out of the country, had her boxes packed, terminated her lease, and wired money from her bank account back to Russia. (NPR / New York Times)
The Justice Department added a second charge against Russian national Maria Butina of acting as an unregistered foreign agent of the Kremlin since at least 2015. Butina was charged on Monday with conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government. Butina was arrested on Sunday because she appeared to have plans to flee the U.S. (Politico / Washington Post)
Democrats want the interpreter from Trump's private meeting with Putin to testify before Congress. "I'm calling for a hearing with the U.S. interpreter who was present during President Trump's meeting with Putin to uncover what they discussed privately," Sen. Jeanne Shaheen tweeted. Rep. Joe Kennedy echoed Shaheen's calls: "And that was only what we saw on live TV. @realDonaldTrump's translator should come before Congress and testify as to what was said privately immediately." (CNN / HuffPost)
poll/ 71% of Republicans approve of Trump's handling of Russia following his Helsinki summit with Putin, compared to 14% of Democrats. Overall, 55% of voters disapproved of Trump's handling of relations with Russia while 37% approved. (Reuters)
poll/ 68% of Americans consider Russia either unfriendly or an enemy of the U.S., a 9% increase from last year (59%). (NBC News / SurveyMonkey)
The Democratic National Committee has been trying and failing for months to notify Jared Kushner that it is suing him and others for allegedly colluding with the Russians to meddle in the 2016 election. The Secret Service has turned away DNC lawyers. (Bloomberg / Talking Points Memo)
A federal judge denied Paul Manafort's request to suppress evidence seized by the FBI from his home as part of Robert Mueller's ongoing Russia probe. Manafort's lawyers claimed the search warrant was overly broad and unconstitutional. (Reuters)
Cambridge Analytica's Facebook data set was accessed from Russia. Cambridge Analytica had gathered data on tens of millions of Americans. (CNN Money)
Trump backtracked and tried to spin his Helsinki summit comments. Reading from prepared remarks, Trump claimed he misspoke yesterday and meant to say "I don't see any reason why it wouldn't be Russia" that interfered in the election. Trump also said "I accept" the intelligence community's conclusion that Russia meddled in the 2016 election, but it "could be other people also." Trump asserted that "Russia's actions had no impact at all" on the election outcome. During yesterday's news conference, Trump said he doesn't "see any reason" why Russia would have meddled during the last election. Prior to that, Trump blamed the U.S. for acting with "foolishness and stupidity" toward Russia in the past. Trump also rejected the consensus of U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election. Instead, Trump said he believed Putin's denial. (Bloomberg / CNBC / Wall Street Journal / New York Times / Washington Post)
Trump tweeted that his meeting with Putin was "even better" than his "great meeting with NATO" allies while blaming the media for being "rude" and "going Crazy!" (Washington Post / Bloomberg / Reuters)
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer called on Republicans to "immediately" convene a public hearing and "demand testimony" from Trump's national security team "to assess what President Trump might have committed to President Putin in secret." (CNN / The Hill)
Mitch McConnell suggested the Senate might move forward on new sanctions against Russia following Trump's meeting with Putin. (Politico)
Paul Ryan would consider additional sanctions on Russia, saying that "Russia is a menacing government that does not share our interests and it does not share our values." (Reuters)
A Southeast Ohio county GOP chairman resigned in protest over Trump's meeting and press conference with Putin. Chris Gagin announced his resignation on Twitter: "I remain a proud conservative and Republican, but I resigned today as Belmont Co Ohio GOP Chairman. I did so as a matter of conscience, and my sense of duty." (Newsweek)
Trump rejected the consensus of U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election, saying he doesn't "see any reason why" Russia would have interfered, and that Putin "was extremely strong and powerful" in denying it during their summit in Helsinki. Trump's refusal to condemn Moscow clashed with the conclusions of U.S. intelligence agencies, and comes days after the Justice Department indicted 12 Russian intelligence agents for hacking the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign in an attempt to help Trump. Putin confirmed the he wanted Trump to win the election. Prior to the summit, Trump blamed "U.S. foolishness and stupidity" for poor Russian relations. The Russian foreign ministry responded to Trump's tweet with "We agree." (New York Times / Washington Post / Reuters / Politico)
Trump said he never thought of asking Putin to extradite the 12 Russian intelligence agents charged with hacking Democratic emails. Instead, he blamed blaming Democrats for "bad defenses" and for getting hacked during the 2016 campaign. (Washington Post)
Shortly before the summit with Putin began, Trump removed a senior official who is hawkish on Russia and supportive of NATO from his National Security Council. The circumstances surrounding retired Army Col. Richard Hooker's departure from the NSC on June 29 remain in dispute. It's not clear whether he was fired or whether his term was simply over. (Daily Beast)
Hannity will interview Trump following his summit with Putin, and their discussion will air Monday night of Fox News. Trump will also sit down with Tucker Carlson, which will air on his show Tuesday night. (The Hill / Fox News)
Dan Coats: "We have been clear in our assessments of Russian meddling in the 2016 election," saying the intelligence community "will continue to provide unvarnished and objective intelligence in support of our national security." The comment from the director of national intelligence came following Trump's refusal to back the U.S. intelligence community's assessment that Russia meddled in the U.S. 2016 election. Aboard Air Force One, Trump tweeted that he had confidence in his own intelligence officials, saying "I have GREAT confidence in MY intelligence people," but "the world's two largest nuclear powers, we must get along!" (Axios / CNN)
GOP senators called the Trump-Putin press conference "tragic," "bizarre," "flat-out wrong," "shameful" and a "missed opportunity" to hold Russia accountable for 2016 election meddling. Jeff Flake tweeted: "I never thought I would see the day when our American President would stand on the stage with the Russian President and place blame on the United States for Russian aggression." Lindsey Graham tweeted that Trump's response "will be seen by Russia as a sign of weakness and create far more problems than it solves." Ben Sasse added that "the United States is not to blame […] When the President plays these moral equivalence games, he gives Putin a propaganda win he desperately needs." And, John McCain called Trump's appearance "tragic" and "one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory." (CNN / ABC News / Politico)
Paul Ryan: "Russia is not our ally" and the U.S. must be "focused on holding Russia accountable." (The Guardian)
Mitch McConnell: "The Russians are not our friends. And I entirely believe the assessment of our intelligence community." (The Hill)
Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer called Trump's comments "thoughtless, dangerous, and weak." House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, meanwhile, called on Americans to "vote out the sell-outs" in the GOP and asserted that "the Russians have something on the president." (Associated Press / Reuters / The Hill)
Former U.S. intelligence chiefs condemned Trump's comments during his news conference with Putin. Former C.I.A. director John Brennan called Trump's performance "nothing short of treasonous." (CNN)
Trump called Robert Mueller's probe "ridiculous" and "a disaster for our country" during his press conference with Putin. "Getting along with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing," Trump said. "I think the world wants to see us get along." Prior to meeting with Putin, Trump called Mueller's probe a "rigged witch hunt." On Friday, Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence, said that "the warning lights are blinking red again" from cyberattacks by Russia and other nations" and that "the digital infrastructure that serves this country is literally under attack." White House National Security Adviser John Bolton added that he finds it "hard to believe" Putin didn't know about top Russian intelligence officials' efforts to interfere in the 2016 election. (NBC News / New York Times / ABC News)
Mueller has charged 32 people, including 26 Russians, since his May 2017 appointment. It's unlikely that 25 of the Russians will be arrested anytime soon. (Washington Post)
Twitter suspended Guccifer 2.0 and DCLeaks – two accounts that Robert Mueller has linked to a Russian intelligence operation to disrupt the 2016 U.S. presidential election. (Washington Post)
Maryland's voter registration system runs on software owned by a Russian-financed firm. There is no evidence there has been any breach or fraud in voter registration or voting, but state officials are concerned about the Russian connection to sensitive systems. (WBAL)
The Justice Department charged a Russian national and accused her of acting as a Russian agent "for the purpose of advancing the interests of the Russian federation." Maria Butina tried to infiltrate the NRA and "create a back-channel line of communication" back to the Kremlin. Charging documents say Butina was directed by a "high-level official in the Russian government," who has been previously identified as Alexander Torshin, a senior official at the Russian central bank, who is also a longtime associate of the NRA. The charges were filed under seal the day after 12 Russian intelligence officers were indicted by the Justice Department for hacking Democratic computers. They were unsealed following Trump's press conference with Putin where he said he saw no reason the Russian leader would try to influence the presidential election. (Bloomberg / The Guardian / New York Times)
Trump: "I think the European Union is a foe." Days before his meeting with Putin, Trump capped off a contentious NATO summit in the U.K. by naming the European Union when asked to identify his "biggest foe globally right now." Speaking at his golf course in Turnberry, Scotland, Trump added: "Well, I think we have a lot of foes. I think the European Union is a foe, what they do to us in trade. Now, you wouldn't think of the European Union, but they're a foe." (CBS News / CNN)
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announced that a grand jury returned indictments against 12 Russian intelligence officials on charges of hacking into the DNC, DCCC, and state election offices to steal and release documents in an attempt to influence the 2016 presidential election. The defendants worked for the Russian intelligence service known as the GRU. They used a tactic called "spearphishing" to trick users into revealing their account information. They used keystroke loggers and other malicious software to obtain account information and access sensitive U.S. computer systems and email accounts, which they later released to the public. (Washington Post / New York Times / Daily Beast / BuzzFeed News / USA Today / Law & Crime / ABC News / Politico)
Russian hackers went after Hillary Clinton's servers for the first time on the same day Trump said, "Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing." (New York Times)
Top Democrats are calling on Trump to cancel his planned one-on-one meeting with Putin next week in the wake of the indictments against 12 Russian intelligence officials. “President Trump should cancel his meeting with Vladimir Putin until Russia takes demonstrable and transparent steps to prove that they won’t interfere in future elections,” said Chuck Schumer. Mark Warner, Jack Reed, Dina Titus and others called on Trump to cancel the July 16 summit. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi did not echo their calls for cancellation, and instead called on Trump to "demand and secure a real, concrete and comprehensive agreement that the Russians will cease their ongoing attacks on our democracy." (NBC News / The Hill)
Trump said he won't rule out ceasing NATO military exercises in the Baltic States if Putin requests it during their upcoming meeting in Helsinki. Joint exercises involving 17 nations, including hundreds of U.S. troops and several warships, are currently underway in the Black Sea. If Trump chooses to pull the U.S. out of the military exercises, NATO allies could still conduct them on their own, but they would likely be forced to carry them out under a different banner since the U.S. can veto labeling them as NATO exercises. (CNN)
The White House ordered the FBI to give lawmakers more access to classified information about the informant used in 2016 to investigate possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. The director of national intelligence and the director of the FBI have tried to keep access to the classified documents tightly limited, but the files will now be made available to all members of the Senate and House Intelligence Committees. (New York Times)
FBI agent Peter Strzok rejected accusations that he let his personal political views bias his actions in the Hillary Clinton email and Russia investigations during a joint House Judiciary and Oversight Committee hearing. Strzok labeled the Republican attacks against him "another victory notch in Putin's belt and another milestone in our enemies' campaign to tear America apart." Republicans threatened Strzok with contempt after the committee devolved into partisan, chaotic arguments about what questions he could answer about the ongoing Russia investigation. Strzok has come under scrutiny after the Justice Department's inspector general discovered text messages critical of Trump that he exchanged during the 2016 campaign with Lisa Page, a senior FBI lawyer he was having an affair with. Republicans and Trump charge that Strzok's text messages undermine the integrity of Robert Mueller's investigation. Strzok was immediately removed from Mueller's probe when the text messages came to light. Page declined to comply with a subpoena from Republican lawmakers to appear for an interview on July 11. (New York Times / Washington Post / CNN / NBC News / CNBC)
Trump called recognizing Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea "an interesting question." Congress, however, has legislated that it is U.S. policy "to never recognize the illegal annexation of Crimea by the Government of the Russian Federation." Trump will meet with Putin on July 16. (Bloomberg)
Trump accused Germany of being "totally controlled" and "a captive of Russia" because it pays "billions and billions of dollars a year" to Russia for energy. Germany doesn't meet its NATO spending commitments, but has started construction on a second natural gas pipeline to Russia. Germany argues that it has increased its contributions to NATO and plans to spend even more on the alliance in the coming years. A few hours later, Trump told reporters that the United States has a "tremendous relationship" with Germany. (Washington Post / NBC News / Politico)
This is the Russian pipeline to Germany that Trump is mad about: an 800-mile-long, planned pipeline beneath the Baltic Sea. The project would roughly double Russia's gas export volume via the Baltic route. (Washington Post)
The Senate confirmed Brian Benczkowski to lead the Justice Department's Criminal Division despite concerns about his ties to a Russian bank run by oligarchs with close ties to Putin, which was also referenced in the Steele dossier. The 51-48 vote ended an 18-month delay in which the criminal division operated without a permanent leader. (NPR / Washington Post / CNN)
Trump said his sit-down with Putin will probably be easier than his meeting with NATO allies. "I have NATO. I have the UK, which is in somewhat turmoil. And I have Putin. Frankly, Putin may be the easiest of them all," Trump said. "Who would think?" He added that he sees Putin as a "competitor." (Politico / CNN / Axios)
During their trip to Moscow last week, an all-Republican delegation of U.S. lawmakers met with at least two Russian individuals who are currently sanctioned by the United States. Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama spoke with Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, who has been sanctioned since 2014 for Russia's "illegitimate and unlawful" activities in Ukraine. The group also heard from Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Konstantin Kosachev, who complained about the latest round of U.S. sanctions against Russian individuals. Kosachev was sanctioned in April over Russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 election and other "malign activity." (BuzzFeed News)
Two Republican senators are downplaying Russian election interference after their July 4th trip to Moscow. Sen. Ron Johnson suggested that Congress went too far in punishing Russia for meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, calling the meddling "unacceptable," but "not the greatest threat to our democracy" and that "we've blown it way out of proportion." Rep. Kay Granger, meanwhile, said she met with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and said the U.S. and Russia "can be competitors without being adversaries." (Roll Call / Law and Crime)
One Republican told Russian government officials to "stop screwing with our election." Sen. John Kennedy said he warned Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that Congress will "double down on sanctions … if you screw with the elections this fall." (CNN)
The U.S. opposed a United Nations resolution encouraging breast-feeding, siding with manufacturers of infant formula and stunning public health officials and foreign diplomats in the process this past spring. American officials wanted to soften the resolution by removing language that called on governments to "protect, promote and support breast-feeding." When the effort failed, the United States threatened to withdraw military aid and hit Ecuador and other countries with punitive trade measures if they didn't drop support for the resolution. The U.S., however, backed off when Russia introduced the resolution. (New York Times)
White House communications director Bill Shine will attend Trump's meeting with Putin in Helsinki on July 16. The West Wing delegation also includes John Kelly, deputy chief of staff Zach Fuentes, national security adviser John Bolton, Stephen Miller, social media director Dan Scavino, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Melania Trump, and other high-level staffers and their aides. (Politico)
Trump mocked the #MeToo movement in a speech in Montana on Thursday, repeatedly attacked Elizabeth Warren over her heritage, suggested Maxine Waters had an I.Q. in the "mid-60s," derided both John McCain and George H.W. Bush, and vouched for Putin. "You know what? Putin's fine," Trump told the crowd, referring to his upcoming meeting with the Russian leader. "He's fine. We're all fine. We're people. Will I be prepared? Totally prepared. I've been preparing for this stuff my whole life." (New York Times / CNN / Washington Post)
The Senate Intelligence Committee backed the intelligence community's assessment that Putin was trying to help Trump when Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election, breaking with their House Republican counterparts. (Politico / CNN)
Trump plans to meet one-on-one with Putin during their July 16 summit in Helsinki, Finland. Some US officials expressed concern that without aides present, the meeting will be without an official record — making it difficult to determine whether they reached any agreements. (CNN)
Konstantin Kilimnik helped strategize Paul Manafort's lobbying to clients in Russia and Ukraine. Robert Mueller's team has alleged that Kilimnik's ties to Russian intelligence remained active through the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign, which Kilimnik has denied. Among Manafort's clients was Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska and other wealthy Russians with close ties to Putin. (Associated Press)
Robert Mueller's team has likely already gained access to the NRA's tax filings and so-called "dark money" donors list, who financed $21 million of the group's $30 million-plus pro-Trump spending. The NRA's nonprofit status allowed it to hide those donors' names from the public, but not the IRS. Mueller's team is reportedly looking into NRA donors with links to Russia and whether they used the organization to illegally funnel foreign money to Trump's campaign. (McClatchy DC)
Justice Anthony Kennedy's son, Justin, worked at Deutsche Bank for more than a decade, helping loan Trump more than $1 billion at a time when other banks wouldn't. Since 1998, Deutsche has helped loan Trump at least $2.5 billion, of which at least $130 million is still owed to the bank. In 2017, Deutsche Bank AG agreed to pay $425 million to New York's banking regulator over a money laundering scheme that helped Russian investors move $10 billion out of Russia. Trump later waived the fines for the bank after Robert Mueller issued a subpoena to Deutsche for the banking records of people affiliated with him. Following Trump's first address to Congress in February 2017, he stopped to tell Justice Kennedy: "Say hello to your boy. Special guy." (New York Times)
Trump wants to make a deal with Putin on Syria that would allow the US to "get out ASAP." Trump's plan would let the Russians help Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad take back a region where the US-led coalition is experiencing increased opposition from "an unidentified hostile force" despite a previous ceasefire. (CNN)
Paul Manafort owed $10 million to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, who was sanctioned by the U.S. in April 2018. The unsealed search warrant application from July 2017 shows that Deripaska financially backed Manafort's consulting work in Ukraine when it started in 2005-06. Robert Mueller also indicted Konstantin Kilimnik, a political operative who served as an intermediary between Manafort and Deripaska, as well as allegedly having ties to Russian spy agencies. The search warrant also confirmed that Mueller has been investigating Manafort's role in the June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower between Trump Jr. and a Russian lawyer. (Reuters)
Trump and Putin will meet on July 16 in Helsinki to discuss a "range of national security issues," as well as "further development of Russian-American relations." Before the summit meeting was announced, Trump reported via Twitter that "Russia continues to say they had nothing to do with Meddling in our Election!" He added: "Why isn't Hillary/Russia being looked at?" The Helsinki talks will follow a NATO meeting in Brussels on July 11 and 12. Trump told leaders at the recent G7 summit in Canada that "NATO is as bad as NAFTA," stoking fears that Trump plans to undercut the alliance's values and commitments. (New York Times / Washington Post / Axios)
The House passed a resolution demanding that the Justice Department turn over documents related to the Russia investigation, potentially setting up Rod Rosenstein for impeachment if he doesn't comply within seven days. During a separate House Judiciary Committee meeting, Republicans accused Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher Wray of withholding details about surveillance tactics during the Russia investigation. (New York Times / Washington Post / NBC News)
Trump will meet Putin in the next few weeks, according to national security adviser John Bolton. The meeting is expected to take place in mid-July, when Trump will be in Europe for a previously scheduled NATO summit in Brussels on July 11-12. America's European allies are worried that Trump's meeting with Putin will undermine the NATO summit in the same way Trump clashed with allies at the G7 summit and then praised dictator Kim Jong-un. Asked why the meeting was taking place, Bolton replied: "I'd like to hear someone say this is a bad idea." (New York Times / CNN / Axios / Washington Post / Wall Street Journal)
Robert Mueller's team plans to produce conclusions and possible indictments related to the Trump-Russia investigation by fall. Mueller and investigators will then determine whether there is sufficient evidence to conclude that Trump attempted to obstruct justice. At least 13 people associated with Trump's presidential campaign had suspicious contacts with Russians. (Bloomberg)
Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Oath, Snap and Twitter met with the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security to discuss the upcoming midterm elections in an effort to ensure there is not a repeat of Russian interference. The eight tech companies shared details about disinformation campaigns they were witnessing on their platforms. However, neither the FBI nor the DHS provided the tech companies with information about specific threats, prompting frustration from Silicon Valley that intelligence officials weren't preparing them for the midterm elections. (New York Times / Washington Post)
Trump ally and Blackwater founder Erik Prince provided Robert Mueller with "total access to his phone and computer." Mueller's team has been scrutinizing allegations that Prince tried to establish a backchannel between the Trump administration and the Kremlin during a January 2017 meeting in the Seychelles. In April 2017, it was reported that the United Arab Emirates had arranged the meeting between Prince and a Russian close to Putin. The two-day meeting took place about nine days before Trump's inauguration. Last week, Prince said he had "spoken voluntarily to Congress" and has "cooperated with the special counsel." (ABC News)
The FBI turned over to House Republicans classified documents related to the Russia investigation, including the details about the FBI's justification to obtain a court-authorized warrant to spy on a former Trump campaign aide in October 2016. Lawmakers had threatened to hold Justice Department officials in contempt of Congress or impeach them if they didn't comply with the document request. (Politico / Associated Press)
Robert Mueller wants George Papadopoulos to be sentenced in September on the false-statement felony charge he pleaded guilty to last fall. Papadopoulos could be the second defendant sentenced in the investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. (Politico)
poll/ 41% of Americans approve of the way Robert Mueller is handling the Russia investigation, down from 48% in March. 55% of Americans, however, believe Mueller's investigation is a serious matter that he should continue to investigate. 35% think the investigation is an effort to discredit Trump's presidency. (CNN)
Trump will meet with Putin next month in Vienna, either before the NATO summit in Brussels on July 11 or after Trump's visit to the U.K. on July 13. Both the White House and the Kremlin declined to comment, but Trump's national security adviser, John Bolton, will visit Moscow next week. (Bloomberg / New York Times)
A lobbyist for the Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska visited Julian Assange nine times at the Ecuadorian embassy in London last year. Adam Waldman had more meetings with Assange in 2017 than almost anyone else. Deripaska is currently subject to U.S. sanctions. (The Guardian)
Erik Prince has "spoken voluntarily to Congress" and has "cooperated with the special counsel" as part of the ongoing investigation into the Trump campaign's ties to Russia during the 2016 election. Prince reportedly met with Trump Jr., George Nader, and Israeli social media specialist Joel Zamel at a secret meeting in the Seychelles during the campaign. He also met with Russian sovereign wealth fund manager Kirill Dmitriev during the transition period to set up a backchannel between the Trump administration and Russia. (Daily Beast)
Peter Strzok said he would be willing to testify without immunity and without invoking the 5th Amendment before the House Judiciary Committee and any other congressional committee. Strzok was removed from Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election for sending anti-Trump texts. Strzok's lawyer said: "He thinks that his position, character and actions have all been misrepresented and caricatured, and he wants an opportunity to remedy that." Trump, meanwhile, tweeted that Strzok was a "sick loser." (Washington Post / CNN)
Roger Stone met during the 2016 campaign with a Russian national who wanted Trump to pay $2 million for the political dirt on Hillary Clinton. Stone failed to disclose the May 2016 meeting with Henry Greenberg, who also goes by the name Henry Oknyansky, to congressional investigators. The meeting was set up by Trump campaign aide Michael Caputo. Stone rejected the offer, and soon after Caputo texted Stone asking if anything interesting came of the meeting. Stone replied: "waste of time." Both Stone and Caputo did not disclose the Greenberg meeting during testimony before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Caputo said he failed to disclose the encounter because he had "simply forgotten" about the meeting. Mueller is now investigating the previously undisclosed meeting. (Washington Post / NBC News)
Rudy Giuliani on Mueller's investigation: "When the whole thing is over, things might get cleaned up with some presidential pardons." The comment came shortly after Manafort was sent to jail and his bail revoked following an attempt to tamper with two witnesses in the Russia investigation. Giuliani claimed he had seen no evidence to warrant Manafort being sent to jail. (New York Daily News / Axios)
Trump held an interview with "Fox and Friends" on the White House lawn after musing on Twitter that "maybe I'll have to make an unannounced trip down to see them" and live-tweeting segments from the show. Trump called James Comey a criminal, said the FBI is a "den of thieves," blamed Democrats for the separation of families at the US border, said it's "great to give" Kim Jong-un credibility, and again blamed Obama for Russia's annexation of Crimea. (New York Times / CNN / Vox / The Hill)
A U.S. District Court judge ruled that a Russian company is not entitled to review grand jury materials. Concord Management and Consulting LLC has been charged with meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. (Reuters)
White House Counsel Don McGahn recused his entire staff from Robert Mueller's investigation last summer because many staffers "had been significant participants" in the firings of Michael Flynn and James Comey. Former White House lawyer Ty Cobb said McGahn's recusal was a key reason why he was hired last summer to manage Trump's response to the Russia investigation. (Politico)
Trump told G7 leaders that Crimea is Russian because everyone who lives there speaks Russian. In 2014, Russia invaded and annexed Crimea from Ukraine, leading to international condemnation and sanctions, and directly leading to Russia being kicked out of the then-G8. (BuzzFeed News)
Mueller's office claimed that Russian intelligence agencies are trying to meddle in the 2018 U.S. midterm elections. Prosecutors are trying to block foreign intelligence agencies and defendants from seeing evidence in the investigation of interference in the 2016 election, lest this "result in the release of information that would assist foreign intelligence services" and others in future operations against the U.S. Last February, Mueller obtained a grand jury indictment of three Russian companies and 13 Russian individuals on charges they sought to influence the 2016 presidential race. The only defendant in that case is the Russian firm Concord Management and Consulting, which is controlled by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Russian businessman known as Putin's chef. The pretrial process entitles a defendant the material assembled during the investigation. (Politico)
Michael Cohen told friends he believes he will soon be indicted and arrested as part of Robert Mueller's investigation into possible collusion between the Trump's campaign and Russia. Investigators are probing Cohen for bank fraud, wire fraud and campaign finance violations. (NY Daily News)
Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee want to interview Ivanka Trump as part of the investigation into Russian election interference. The committee wants to interview Ivanka about "two separate national security questions." Sen. Ron Wyden said investigators should ask about her role in connecting a Russian weightlifter, Dmitry Klokov, with Michael Cohen. Klokov offered to connect her father to Putin in order to facilitate building a Trump Tower in Moscow1. The other issue Wyden said investigators should ask about is China's decision to grant Ivanka trademarks around the same time her father promised to help Chinese telecom manufacturer ZTE stay in business. (BuzzFeed News)
Day 503: Obsessed. Ivanka Trump connected Michael Cohen with a Russian who offered to introduce Trump to Putin during the campaign in 2015 in order to facilitate a 100-story Trump Tower in Moscow. ↩
The millionaire businessman who bankrolled the Brexit campaign "met Russian officials multiple times before Brexit vote." Arron Banks gave about $16 million to the campaign, becoming the biggest donor in UK history. (The Guardian)
Several prominent Russians, including some in Putin's inner circle, met with NRA officials during the 2016 U.S. election campaign. The contacts have emerged as the Justice Department investigates whether Russian banker and lifetime NRA member Alexander Torshin illegally channeled money through the gun rights group to help Trump's 2016 presidential bid. (McClatchy DC)
The Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on five Russian entities and three individuals, saying they worked with Moscow's intelligence service on ways to conduct cyber attacks against the U.S. and its allies. (Reuters / CNN)
Robert Mueller filed witness tampering criminal charges against Paul Manafort and Russian national Konstantin Kilimnik. The superseding indictment charges the two men with obstructing justice, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and witness tampering. Kilimnik was indicted as part of the existing money laundering case against Manafort, who is also accused of illegal foreign lobbying and lying to federal officials. It's the first time Kilimnik was named, who was referred to as "Person A" and described as having links to Russian spy agencies in previous court filings. (CNBC / Bloomberg / New York Times / Washington Post / CNN / Reuters)
Trump called on the G7 to reinstate Russia after it was kicked out for annexing Crimea four years ago, putting him at odds with world leaders who have insisted that Moscow remain ostracized. "Russia should be in this meeting," Trump said. "Why are we having a meeting without Russia being in the meeting? … Whether you like it or not, and it may not be politically correct, but we have a world to run." Trump also threatened to withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement, and is now engaged in a series of trade wars with numerous countries in Europe, North America and Asia. Trump will leave the G7 summit early. (Washington Post / New York Times / Politico)
The Justice Department will brief lawmakers next week about the FBI's use of an informant in connection with its investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. The new offer is a concession to Republican demands for more information about the probe. The Justice Department and FBI "are prepared to brief members on certain questions specifically raised by the speaker and other members" and allow lawmakers "to review certain supporting documents that were made available during the prior briefing." Democrats are concerned that the briefings could allow Trump's legal team access to sensitive details of the investigation. (Washington Post / CNBC)
Paul Ryan insisted that there was "no evidence of collusion" between Trump's campaign and Russia, but that there is "more digging to do." (Associated Press)
Adam Schiff called on Republicans to release the House Intelligence Committee interview transcripts related to the Russia investigation, saying they could shed "additional light on the issues of collusion and obstruction of justice." Schiff said some witnesses "may have testified untruthfully" and that Robert Mueller and his team "should consider whether perjury charges are warranted." (NBC News)
Ivanka Trump connected Michael Cohen with a Russian who offered to introduce Trump to Putin during the campaign in 2015 in order to facilitate a 100-story Trump Tower in Moscow. Mueller's team and congressional investigators have reviewed emails and questioned witnesses about the interaction. There is no evidence that Ivanka's contact with former Olympic weightlifter Dmitry Klokov was illegal or election related. (BuzzFeed News)
Giuliani claimed Mueller's team is "trying very, very hard to frame [Trump] to get him in trouble when he hasn't done anything wrong." He added that Mueller's team "can't emotionally come to grips with the fact that this whole thing with Russian collusion didn't happen. They are trying to invent theories of obstruction of justice." Giuliani also reiterated the claim that Trump has the power to pardon himself, but won't do so because "he's innocent" and "he hasn't done anything wrong." (Associated Press)
Paul Ryan agreed that there is "no evidence" to support claims that the FBI spied on Trump's 2016 campaign for political purposes by using a confidential informant to contact members of the campaign while investigating its ties to Russia. Ryan added that Trump should not try to pardon himself, saying, "I don't know the technical answer to that question, but I think obviously the answer is he shouldn't. And no one is above the law." (New York Times / Politico)
Trump blamed Jeff Sessions for the ongoing Russia investigation into possible collusion, lamented asking Sessions to lead the Justice Department, and suggested that the probe would have been shut down by now if Sessions had not recused himself. In a tweet, Trump said the "Russian Witch Hunt Hoax continues, all because Jeff Sessions didn't tell me he was going to recuse himself." (Washington Post / Reuters / Politico)
George Papadopoulos' wife asked Trump to pardon her husband, who pleaded guilty last year to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russians. (The Hill)
Putin claimed that he and Trump have a close working relationship and "regularly talk over the phone." When asked why there has not been a bilateral summit between Putin and the Trump administration, he said "this is the result of the ongoing acute political struggle in the United States." Putin continued: "Indeed, Donald Trump and I have, firstly, met more than once at various international venues and secondly, we regularly talk over the phone." (Axios / Kremlin Presidential Executive Office)
Sarah Huckabee Sanders called herself "an honest person" while refusing to correct her August 2017 statement that Trump wasn't involved in drafting a misleading statement about Trump Jr.'s meeting with a Russian lawyer at Trump Tower. (Politico / CNN)
Trump's lawyers sent a 20-page letter to Mueller's office asserting that Trump cannot be compelled to testify. The letter also argues that it's impossible for Trump to obstruct justice in the Russia investigation because the U.S. Constitution empowers the president to, "if he wished, terminate the inquiry, or even exercise his power to pardon." Giuliani responded to news of the leaked letter, saying that "if Mueller tries to subpoena us, we're going to court" and that "our recollection keeps changing" about the 2016 Trump Tower meeting and that "this is the reason you don't let this president testify in the special counsel's Russia investigation." The letter confirms that Trump dictated a "short but accurate" statement issued by Trump Jr. about his 2016 Trump Tower meeting with a Russian lawyer who an intermediary claimed had "dirt" on Hillary Clinton. (New York Times / ABC News)
Sarah Huckabee Sanders refused to answers about her August 2017 claim that Trump "certainly didn't dictate" the Trump Tower statement. At the time, Sanders said Trump only "weighed in" on Trump Jr.'s statement about the Russia meeting, saying "the statement that Don Jr. issued is true, there's no inaccuracy in the statement." (The Hill)
Jared Kushner's close friend Andrew Gerson has come under scrutiny from Robert Mueller's team. Mueller is interested in Gerson's supposed knowledge of meetings in January 2017 between Trump associates and foreign officials in the Seychelles. Gerson was in the Seychelles around the same time that Erik Prince secretly met with Russian and UAE officials, including Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan of Abu Dhabi, also known as MBZ. Gerson met with MBZ and Lebanese-American businessman George Nader, who organized the meeting with Erik Prince. (NBC News / Daily Beast)
Former acting FBI director Andrew McCabe wrote a confidential memo about a May 2017 conversation he had with Rod Rosenstein regarding the firing of James Comey. The memo says Trump originally asked Rosenstein to reference Russia in the public memo used to justify firing Comey. McCabe thought that seemed like evidence that Comey's firing was actually about the Russia investigation and that Rosenstein was helping to provide a cover story by writing about the Clinton investigation. (New York Times)
Trump repeatedly pressured Jeff Sessions to reclaim control over the Russia investigation on at least four separate occasions. Three of those occasions were in-person, and the fourth was over the phone. The constant pressure made several other officials uncomfortable at the time, because they felt it was improper and could present its own legal and political problems. Two sources familiar with the conversations said Trump never directly ordered Sessions to reinsert himself into the investigation, but would instead ask Sessions whether he had "thought about" stepping back in. (Axios)
Robert Mueller is investigating Trump's request to Jeff Sessions that he reverse his decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigation in March 2017. Trump berated Sessions in public and in private over his decision to step away, but Sessions refused Trump's request. Mueller is investigating the previously unreported confrontation as part of the ongoing obstruction of justice probe. Mueller's interest in Sessions suggests the investigation may be even more broad than Trump's interactions with and subsequent firing of James Comey. (New York Times / Washington Post)
Trump bragged about a classified battle between U.S. forces and Russian mercenaries in Syria while speaking to donors at a closed-door fundraiser. Trump said he was amazed by the actions of American F-18 pilots, suggested that the strikes lasted "10 minutes," and claimed they killed up to 300 Russians. The details of the battle remain classified. (Politico)
The Russian journalist who was believed to have been killed yesterday in Kiev showed up at a press conference today, very much alive. Arkady Babchenko apologized to friends and family who believed he was dead. "I'm still alive," he said. Babchenko's death was faked as part of a sting operation by the Ukrainian Security Service. (NPR / Associated Press)
Trump claimed that Robert Mueller's team will meddle in the 2018 midterm elections in favor of Democrats. "The 13 Angry Democrats (plus people who worked 8 years for Obama) working on the rigged Russia Witch Hunt," Trump tweeted, "will be MEDDLING with the mid-term elections, especially now that Republicans (stay tough!) are taking the lead in Polls. There was no Collusion, except by the Democrats!" (CNN / Washington Post)
Mitch McConnell said he supports the Mueller investigation and that nothing in Thursday's secret briefing on the Russia probe changed his mind. "The two investigations going on that I think will give us the answers to the questions that you raise — the [inspector general] investigation in the Justice Department and the Mueller investigation," McConnell said. "I support both of them, and I don't really have anything to add to this subject based upon the Gang of Eight briefing that we had today, which was classified." (NPR / NBC News)
Mueller's team has been investigating Roger Stone's finances as part of the probe into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians during the 2016 election. Mueller has questioned Stone's associates about his finances, including his tax returns. Stone claims he has not been contacted by the special counsel's office, and that he played no role in colluding with Russia. (CNN)
A Russian billionaire with ties to the Kremlin met with Michael Cohen at Trump Tower 11 days before Trump's inauguration. Viktor Vekselberg met with Cohen to discuss their mutual desire to improve Russia's relationship with the U.S. under the incoming Trump administration, according to Andrew Intrater. Intrater is an American businessman who invests money on behalf of Vekselberg and was present at the meeting in question. A few days after Trump's inauguration, Intrater’s private equity firm, Columbus Nova, signed a $1 million consulting contract with Cohen. (New York Times)
The FBI seized control of a key server in Russia's global botnet of 500,000 hacked routers. One of the goals of the operation was to use the information from the seized server to build a comprehensive list of victims in order to short-circuit the Kremlin's ability to reinfect targets. The FBI went after a complicated malware program called "VPN Filter" that has been linked to the Russian hacking group responsible for the breach of the DNC and the Clinton campaign during the 2016 election. (Daily Beast)
An ally of Vladimir Putin suggested that the meeting in the Seychelles with Blackwater founder Erik Prince was more than a simple chance encounter "over a beer," as Prince told Congress. Kirill Dmitriev, a Russian fund manager who was present at the January 2017 meeting, said he had wanted to meet with Prince in order to improve relations between the U.S and Russia. (ABC News)
Newly obtained documents and interviews provide the first public on-the-ground accounting of a battle between American forces and around 500 pro-Syrian government forces and Russian mercenaries. The incident was one of the single-bloodiest battles the American military has faced in Syria since deploying to the country to fight the Islamic State. (New York Times)
Democrats will be allowed to join Republicans at today's White House briefing on the secret FBI source who aided Mueller's Russia probe. After a day of negotiations, the White House reversed its earlier decision to only invite Republican lawmakers the briefing. (Washington Post)
Michael Cohen's business partner took a plea deal that requires him to cooperate with the government as a potential witness in state and federal investigations. Evgeny Freidman is a Russian immigrant known as the "Taxi King," and he specifically agreed to assist government prosecutors in state or federal investigations, according to a person briefed on the matter. Freidman was disbarred earlier this month, has been accused of failing to pay $5 million in taxes, and is facing multiple counts of criminal tax fraud and one of grand larceny. Freidman's cooperation is seen as potential leverage to pressure Cohen into working with Mueller's team on the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 elections. (New York Times / Washington Post / Politico / CNBC / Vox)
Who is Evgeny Freidman? Michael Cohen's "Taxi King" business partner may be key to Russia investigation. (Newsweek)
The White House did not invite Democrats to a private briefing on the FBI informant involved in the investigation into the Trump campaign's contacts with Russians during and after the 2016 election. Two senior House Republicans were invited to the briefing, which was coordinated by John Kelly and will be held on Thursday. Democrats are demanding that Democratic lawmakers be included in the briefing. Sarah Huckabee-Sanders said Democrats weren't invited because they didn't specifically ask for details about the informant. (Politico)
poll/ A majority of Americans — 59% — don't think Mueller's investigation into Russia and the 2016 presidential campaign has uncovered evidence of any crimes, even though the special counsel has already secured five guilty pleas and issued 17 criminal indictments. (Vox / Navigator Research)
Mike Pompeo says the U.S. will fight back against what he called "continued efforts" by Russia to interfere in the 2018 midterm elections. Pompeo did not provide any details as to what the "appropriate measures" would entail, but he said the U.S. has so far been unable to establish "effective deterrence" to halt Russia's efforts. (Associated Press)
James Clapper said the FBI did not spy on the Trump campaign at any point. "They were not," Clapper told The View. "They were spying — a term I don't particularly like — on what the Russians were doing." (Politico / The Hill)
Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen pushed back on the intelligence community's assessment that Vladimir Putin intervened in the 2016 presidential elections in an attempt to help Trump and hurt Clinton. "I don't believe that I have seen that conclusion … that the specific intent was to help President Trump win," Nielsen said. (CNN)
Trump demanded that the Justice Department investigate whether the FBI "infiltrated or surveilled" his presidential campaign under Obama's orders. After accusing the FBI on Friday of sending a "spy" to infiltrate his campaign, Trump tweeted Sunday afternoon: "I hereby demand, and will do so officially tomorrow, that the Department of Justice look into whether or not the FBI/DOJ infiltrated or surveilled the Trump Campaign for Political Purposes, and if any such demands or requests were made by people within the Obama Administration!" The FBI opened its counterintelligence investigation into Russia's efforts to influence the 2016 campaign on July 31, 2016. They sent an informant, a retired American professor, to talk to George Papadopoulos, Carter Page, and Sam Clovis after receiving evidence that the pair had contacts linked to Russia during the campaign. (New York Times / Washington Post)
Rod Rosenstein, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats met with Trump at the White House. The meeting comes a day after Trump tweeted that he would "demand" the Justice Department investigate whether his campaign was improperly "infiltrated or surveilled" for political purposes. Rosenstein agreed that John Kelly would set up a meeting where congressional leaders can review "highly classified and other information they have requested" related to the Russia probe. (ABC News / CBS News / CNN / Bloomberg)
The RNC paid roughly half a million dollars to a law firm representing former White House communications director Hope Hicks and others involved in the Russia probe. Trout Cacheris & Janis received $451,780 from the RNC after Hicks hired the firm's founder as her personal attorney in September. The money used to pay the firm was originally meant to be used for election recounts and other legal matters, but RNC officials concluded that the money could be used to pay for the president's legal fees. (Washington Post)
Trump Jr. called a blocked number before and after the June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower. On June 6, Trump Jr. was in contact with a blocked number for three to four minutes. Immediately after ending that call, Trump Jr. called Emin Agalarov, the pop star son of Russian oligarch Aras Agalarov. Two hours after the Trump Tower meeting occurred on June 9th, Trump Jr. placed another call to a blocked number that lasted three minutes. Then-candidate Trump spent that day at Trump Tower, where the private residence has a blocked number, and held no public events. (CNN / Washington Post)
Giuliani said Robert Mueller agreed to limit the scope of a potential interview with Trump to two topics instead of five. Mueller, according to Giuliani, is not interested in Michael Cohen or his business dealings. "The main focus we want is Russia," Giuliani said, adding: "The President would testify tomorrow if it was about the truth. The truth is he had nothing to do with Russia. The President is not going to lie." (CNN / Associated Press)
Senate Democrats called for a multi-agency inspector general investigation into the Trump administration's failure to implement mandated sanctions against Russia. In a letter addressed to the inspectors general of the State Department, Treasury Department and Intelligence Community, Democratic lawmakers said the administration has not complied with the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act. (Daily Beast)
Trump marked Robert Mueller's one-year anniversary as special counsel by offering "congratulations" to America on "the greatest Witch Hunt in American History." Trump charged that the FBI had "SPIED" on his campaign with an "EMBEDDED INFORMANT," which makes the Russia investigation "bigger than Watergate!" Trump claimed he's had the "most successful first 17 month Administration in U.S. history," overcome a "disgusting, illegal and unwarranted Witch Hunt," and noted there is "still No Collusion and No Obstruction." He added that "the only Collusion was that done by Democrats who were unable to win an Election despite the spending of far more money!" (New York Times / Washington Post / CNN / NBC News)
Inside year one of the Mueller investigation. As the Mueller probe hits its one-year anniversary, the special counsel's team has brought charges against 22 people and companies, notched five guilty pleas and seen one person sentenced. While a number of those charges were related to Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election, so far none of them has extended to potential collusion between the Russian government and Trump associates. (CNN)
Is Trump's rhetoric about an informant in his campaign warranted? On the first anniversary of the appointment of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III to take over the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign and any overlap with Donald Trump’s campaign, now-President Trump used his preferred political superlatives to disparage that inquiry on Twitter. (Washington Post)
✨ Last Year Today: Rod Rosenstein appointed former FBI Director Bob Mueller to oversee the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election. (WTF Just Happened Today)
Mueller's office filed under seal an unredacted memorandum that outlines the scope of his probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. The filing was made as part of Mueller's criminal case against Paul Manafort, and was requested by the judge overseeing the case. (Reuters)
Mueller's team is examining a series of meetings that took place in the Seychelles, which have been characterized as an attempt by the U.S. to set up a backchannel with Russia. A Russian plane, owned by Andrei Skoch, a Russian billionaire and deputy in the Russian State Duma, the country's legislative body, flew into the Seychelles a day prior to the 2017 meeting. (NJ.com)
The Senate Intelligence Committee endorsed the U.S. intelligence community's assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election in order to help Trump and hurt Hillary Clinton. The Senate committee's bipartisan conclusion contradicts Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee, who dispute the intelligence community's findings that Putin was trying to help Trump. "We see no reason to dispute the conclusions," the Senate committee's chairman, Richard Burr, said. "There is no doubt that Russia undertook an unprecedented effort to interfere with our 2016 elections." (Washington Post / Politico / CNN / Wall Street Journal)
Senate Judiciary Democrats say the evidence is clear that the Trump campaign "was willing to accept Russia's assistance." The committee's preliminary findings on the Trump Tower meeting also suggest they found "evidence of multiple contacts" between the Trump campaign and Russia, including "offers of assistance and purported overtures from Vladimir Putin." The committee also found that Trump Jr. and the White House misled the public about the June 9, 2016, meeting with Russians at Trump Tower, and that Trump Jr., Paul Manafort, and Jared Kushner were frustrated "that more damaging information was not produced" at the meeting. (Feinstein / Senate.gov)
The Senate Judiciary Committee released more than 2,500 pages of testimony related to their investigation into the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting between Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, Paul Manafort and the Russian lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, a self-described Kremlin informant. Trump Jr. was promised damaging information about Hillary Clinton, but testimony largely confirms that Veselnitskaya did not provide dirt that could be used in the campaign. (New York Times / Washington Post)
Trump Jr. testified that his father signed a letter of intent to build a Trump Tower in Moscow in 2015. (Senate Judiciary Committee)
Trump Jr. told the Senate Judiciary Committee he never mentioned the Trump Tower meeting to his father or the offer of compromising information about Hillary Clinton. He also said he couldn't "recall" if he discussed the Russia investigation with his father. Trump Jr. told the committee he didn't think there was anything wrong with meeting a Russian lawyer at Trump Tower ahead of the 2016 presidential election, saying "I didn't think that listening to someone with information relevant to the fitness and character of a presidential candidate would be an issue, no." (Associated Press)
Robert Mueller issued two subpoenas to Roger Stone's social media consultant. Mueller has been probing whether anyone associated with the Trump campaign may have helped WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange or the Russians with the release of the hacked DNC emails. In particular, Mueller wants to know if Stone had advance knowledge of the hacked emails. Mueller has also been requesting interviews with former employees and friends of Stone in recent weeks, asking them about Stone's ties to Russia and Assange. (Reuters / Bloomberg)
Michael Cohen claimed in a January 2017 interview that the Trump Organization had no recent relationship or business dealings with Russia. Cohen, however, sent emails during Trump's 2016 presidential campaign seeking the assistance of the Kremlin in an effort to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. Trump launched his presidential campaign on June 16, 2015. The Moscow project was dropped in January 2016. (CNN)
A Ukrainian politician involved in the controversial plan to resolve Ukraine's conflict with Russian-backed rebels has been called to testify before a grand jury as part of the special counsel's investigation. Andrii Artemenko did not give any details about his upcoming grand jury appearance, but he said he assumes he will be asked about his communications with Michael Cohen from early 2017. Artemenko said he plans to cooperate with the subpoena and appear in person. (Politico)
A former senior Trump campaign and transition aide is helping a Russian oligarch's company shed US sanctions. Bryan Lanza is lobbying on behalf of the chairman of EN+ Group, an energy and aluminum firm controlled by Oleg Deripaska, who was the target of US sanctions imposed last month. The company wants to reduce Deripaska's ownership in the company enough to be freed from US sanctions. (CNN)
A Russian company indicted by Robert Mueller accused the special counsel of inventing a "make-believe crime" in order "to justify his own existence." Concord Management is challenging the legal basis of Mueller's charge that the company funded Moscow's effort to disrupt the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Concord is one of three Russian businesses and 13 Russian individuals indicted in February for funding for a Russian troll farm that directed a social media campaign aimed at sowing discord among Americans and at favoring Trump over Hillary Clinton. Concord is owned by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a wealthy businessman who is known as Putin's chef. (New York Times / Politico)
In 2014, the FBI warned that Viktor Vekselberg might be acting on behalf of Russia's intelligence services, saying a foundation he controlled "may be a means for the Russian government to access our nation's sensitive or classified research, development facilities and dual-use technologies with military and commercial applications." Earlier this week Michael Avenatti released a dossier that claims Columbus Nova, a Vekselberg company, made more than eight payments to Essential Consultants, totaling more than $1 million in payments between 2016 and 2017. Essential Consultants is owned by Michael Cohen, who is Trump's personal lawyer. Avenatti suggested that the Columbus Nova funds could have been used to reimburse Cohen for the $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence about her alleged affair with Trump. (NPR)
Robert Mueller's team is investigating several Trump inauguration donors, including Andrew Intrater and Leonard Blavatnik, a dual U.S. and British citizen with business ties to Russia. Intrater is the CEO of Columbus Nova, a U.S.-based affiliate of the the Renova Group, which is controlled by Viktor Vekselberg. In particular, Intrater made a $250,000 donation to the Trump inauguration committee in early January 2017, and later made two more donations: a $35,000 to the Trump Victory fundraising committee and $29,600 to the Republican National Committee. Blavatnik gave $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund through his company, Access Industries. Mueller's team also questioned Thomas Barrack, a longtime Trump friend and confidant who oversaw the $107 million inaugural fundraising effort. (ABC News)
The Russia-linked company that hired Michael Cohen registered a number of alt-right websites during the 2016 elections. Columbus Nova is listed as the registrant behind a handful of website domains named after the alt-right movement, including Alt-right.co, Alternate-right.com, Alternate-rt.com, Alt-rite.com, and others. The brother of Andrew Intrater, Columbus Nova's U.S. CEO, is named in the registration databases for the websites. Columbus Nova said Frederick Intrater was not acting on behalf of the company, even though he had used his work email address and listed the organization. Columbus Nova gave $500,000 to Cohen in the first half of 2017. (Washington Post)
Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee released 3,500 Facebook ads purchased by a Russian troll farm from mid-2015 to mid-2017. The ads, from the Kremlin-linked Internet Research Agency, reached at least 146 million people on Facebook and Instagram, spreading inflammatory and divisive messages on immigration, race, gun control, Islam, LGBT-centric topics, and more, in an attempt to polarize Americans. Facebook's targeting tools allowed the Russian agents to deliver their disinformation to groups of users according to their location, age, gender, and interests. (NBC News / USA Today / Washington Post)
"They sought to harness Americans' very real frustrations and anger over sensitive political matters in order to influence American thinking, voting and behavior," Rep. Adam B. Schiff said in a statement. "The only way we can begin to inoculate ourselves against a future attack is to see first-hand the types of messages, themes and imagery the Russians used to divide us."
A report from the Senate Intelligence Committee concludes that Russia conducted an "unprecedented, coordinated cyber campaign" in order to undermine confidence in U.S. voting systems starting as early as 2014 and continuing through Election Day 2016. Senators report that the Russians targeted at least 18 states looking for vulnerabilities, and in six states they tried to gain access to voting websites. In "a small number of states" they actually breached election computer defenses. The committee said it found no evidence that vote tallies or voter registration information were changed, but that Russian hackers were "in a position to, at a minimum, alter or delete voter registration data." (New York Times / The Hill)
Top White House officials withheld information sought by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, siding with senior FBI and national intelligence officials that the information could endanger a top-secret intelligence source. The Justice Department, however, invited Devin Nunes and Trey Gowdy for a classified briefing about their document request related to the Russia investigation after Nunes publicly suggested that he may try to hold Jeff Sessions in contempt for refusing to comply. Some administration officials worry that Trump will change his mind and support Nunes' argument that "Congress has a right and a duty to get this information." (Washington Post / CNN)
Robert Mueller's team interviewed Blackwater founder Erik Prince, who attended a meeting with the head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund in the Seychelles Islands on Jan. 11, 2017. The meeting is understood to have been an effort to establish a back channel between the incoming Trump administration and the Kremlin. (Daily Beast)
Let's try to untangle the latest news surrounding Michael Cohen, Russian oligarchs, and Stormy Daniels…
Michael Avenatti released an "executive summary" yesterday of material he says connects Trump's payment to Stormy Daniels to a Russian oligarch. Avenatti represents Daniels in her lawsuit against Trump and Michael Cohen. (NPR)
The Avenatti dossier claims that a company connected to Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg made eight payments to Essential Consultants, one of Cohen's shell companies, between January 2017 and August 2017. Avenatti suggested that the funds from Columbus Nova may have been used to reimburse Cohen for the $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence about her alleged affair with Trump. (Daily Beast)
Robert Mueller's investigators questioned Vekselberg about a $500,000 payment from Columbus Nova to Essential Consultants that was made shortly after the 2016 election. Vekselberg was placed on a list of sanctioned Russians for election interference and other activities last month by the Trump administration. The purpose of the payments and the nature of the business relationship between Vekselberg and Cohen is still unclear. (CNN)
The shell company Michael Cohen used to pay Stormy Daniels received more than $1 million in payments from an American company linked to a Russian oligarch and Fortune 500 companies with business before the Trump administration. At least $4.4 million flowed through the shell company Cohen used, Essential Consultants, starting shortly before Trump was elected president and continuing to this January. Essential Consultants received about $500,000 from Columbus Nova, an investment firm in New York whose biggest client is a company controlled by Viktor Vekselberg, the Russian oligarch. (New York Times)
Mueller's investigators questioned a Russian oligarch about $500,000 in payments made to Michael Cohen after the election. Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for Stormy Daniels, alleges that Cohen received about $500,000 from Viktor Vekselberg, a Russian oligarch close to Vladimir Putin who was placed on a list of sanctioned Russians related to election interference. According to a dossier published by Avenatti, "Vekselberg and his cousin Mr. Andrew Intrater routed eight payments to Mr. Cohen through a company named Columbus Nova LLC beginning in January 2017 and continuing until at least August 2017." Vekselberg is also one of two Russian oligarchs the FBI stopped earlier this year after their private jets landed in New York-area airports. (CNN / Daily Beast / NBC News)
Alex van der Zwaan turned himself in after being sentenced for lying to investigators as part of Robert Mueller's investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. van der Zwaan is the first person sentenced to prison as part of Mueller's investigation and will serve a 30-day sentence. (Politico)
poll/ 53% of Americans think Robert Mueller's investigation is politically motivated, while 44% think the Russia investigation is justified. 73% think Trump should cooperate and be interviewed by Mueller. (CBS News)
Trump: There is no obstruction of justice, "it's called Fighting Back." Trump attacked Robert Mueller's team, tweeting that "The Russia Witch Hunt is rapidly losing credibility." He added: "The 13 Angry Democrats in charge of the Russian Witch Hunt are starting to find out that there is a Court System in place that actually protects people from injustice…and just wait 'till the Courts get to see your unrevealed Conflicts of Interest!" (NPR / NBC News / The Hill / CNN)
Robert Mueller interviewed Tom Barrack, one of Trump's closest friends and confidants. The special counsel interviewed Barrack as part of the investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia in the 2016 election campaign and afterwards. The questioning focused on Paul Manafort and Rick Gates, financial issues related to the campaign, the transition and Trump's inauguration in January 2017. The interview was "months ago." (Associated Press)
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes threatened to hold Jeff Sessions in contempt of Congress for failing to hand over classified materials related to the Russia investigation. On Friday, the Justice Department informed Nunes that providing the information on a "specific individual" could harm national security. Nunes has previously threatened on several occasions to hold Justice Department officials in contempt of Congress for failing to turn over documents, only to not read the materials once they were made available to him. (CNN)
Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee plan to release a trove of 3,000 Russian-linked Facebook ads later this week. The release of the ads would offer a broad picture of how the social network was used by the pro-Russian Internet Research Agency during and after the 2016 presidential election. (Wall Street Journal)
Devin Nunes opted not to read Justice Department records after publicly demanding a fully uncensored version of the documents that explain how the Russia investigation began in 2016. Nunes threatened Rod Rosenstein with contempt of Congress if he didn't comply. (CNN)
Giuliani: The special counsel's request for an interview is an effort to "trap" Trump "into perjury, and we're not suckers." Giuliani added that Robert Mueller's "silly deposition is about a case in which he supposedly colluded with the Russians but there's no evidence." He called on Jeff Sessions to "step in and close it and say enough is enough." (Washington Post)
Former Trump campaign aide Michael Caputo said it's clear that Mueller's team is "still really focused on Russia collusion," adding that Mueller's team knows "more about the Trump campaign than anyone who ever worked there." Caputo was interviewed this week behind closed doors by the Senate Intelligence Committee. (CNN)
Robert Mueller warned Trump's legal team that he could subpoena the president to appear before a grand jury if he refuses to speak to federal investigators involved in the Russia probe. Mueller raised the possibility of a subpoena during a tense meeting in March after Trump's attorneys insisted that Trump was under no obligation to speak with investigators. Unlike an interview with the special counsel, Trump would not be allowed to bring his lawyers to a grand jury hearing. (Washington Post)
Ukraine stopped cooperating with Mueller regarding Paul Manafort at the same time the Trump administration was finalizing plans to sell the country anti-tank missiles. Ukrainian law enforcement also allowed Konstantin Kilimnika, a potential witness to possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, to leave for Russia, putting him out of reach for questioning. (New York Times)
Robert Mueller has at least 49 questions he wants to ask Trump regarding his ties to Russia and alleged obstruction of justice. The questions deal primarily with Trump's firing of James Comey and Michael Flynn, as well as his treatment of Jeff Sessions and the 2016 Trump Tower meeting between Trump campaign officials and Russians who claimed to have damaging information on Hillary Clinton. Other topics of inquiry include Trump's conversations with Michael Cohen about a real estate deal in Moscow, Jared Kushner's attempts to set up a backchannel to Russia, contacts Trump had with Roger Stone, and Trump's 2013 trip to Moscow for the Miss Universe pageant. (New York Times)
Trump tweeted that it was "So disgraceful that the questions concerning the Russian Witch Hunt were 'leaked' to the media." The leak didn't come from Mueller's office, but were provided to the New York Times by a person outside of Trump's legal team. "No questions on Collusion," Trump added. "Oh, I see…you have a made up, phony crime, Collusion, that never existed, and an investigation begun with illegally leaked classified information. Nice!" The list includes 13 questions related to possible cooperation between the Trump campaign and Russia. Trump followed up with another tweet 45 minutes later: "It would seem very hard to obstruct justice for a crime that never happened! Witch Hunt!"(Washington Post / Politico)
Former Trump campaign aide Michael Caputo met with the Senate Intelligence Committee investigators as part of the panel's probe into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. (ABC News)
The FBI questioned a Russian mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter linked to Putin, Trump, and Michael Cohen. The FBI showed up unannounced at Fedor Emelianenko's hotel room in Chicago. "All I can say is that, yeah, they showed up unannounced, knocking on our doors," Emelianenko's manager Jerry Millen said. Trump announced a joint venture involving MMA and Emelianenko in 2008. Cohen was the project's chief operating officer. (Associated Press / The Telegraph / NY Daily News)
The House Intelligence Committee found "no evidence that the Trump campaign colluded, coordinated, or conspired with the Russian government" in the 2016 election. The 253-page report criticized both the Trump and Hillary Clinton campaigns for "poor judgment and ill-considered actions" in their dealings with Russia-related figures. Democrats on the committee accused the Republicans of prematurely closing the investigation in "a systematic effort to muddy the waters and to deflect attention away from the President," asserting that Trump associates' willingness to accept Russian assistance suggests "a consciousness of wrongfulness, if not illegality." The report accused the intelligence community of "significant intelligence tradecraft failings," suggesting that Russia's main goal was to sow discord in the United States and not to help Trump win the election. (New York Times / Washington Post / Politico)
Minutes after the committee's report was released, Trump tweeted "Wow!" the Russia investigation is "A total Witch Hunt!" and "MUST END NOW." (The Hill)
Natalya Veselnitskaya, the Russian lawyer who met with Trump campaign officials at Trump Tower in 2016, was an informant for Russian Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika. "I am a lawyer, and I am an informant," she said in newly released emails. "Since 2013, I have been actively communicating with the office of the Russian prosecutor general." Veselnitskaya insists that she met with Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, Paul Manafort, and others in a private capacity – not as a representative of the Russian government – despite an intermediary promising that Veselnitskaya had documents that would incriminate Clinton. (New York Times)
A federal judge dismissed Paul Manafort's civil suit challenging Robert Mueller's authority. Manafort's attorneys asked the judge to throw out all charges against Manafort, arguing that Mueller had exceeded his authority by bringing charges unrelated to Russian election interference. (CBS News / Politico)
Trump confirmed that he spent the night in Moscow during the 2013 Miss Universe pageant and accused James Comey of putting "a lot of phony stuff" in his memos, which were released last week. "Of course I stayed there," Trump said. The admission contradicts statements Trump made to Comey on two separate occasions that he never stayed the night at the Ritz-Carlton during the trip, which is why – he claims – there is no way the "golden showers thing" happened. Flight records also confirm that Trump stayed overnight in Moscow. (The Hill / Bloomberg)
Trump on his presidency: "I would give myself an A-plus." Asked during a "Fox and Friends" interview how he would grade his presidency, Trump answered by first complaining that the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election is a "hoax" and a "witch hunt" orchestrated by Democrats before eventually replying: "I would give myself an A-plus." (The Hill)
poll/ 58% of voters approve of Robert Mueller's conduct so far, saying they believe he has "stayed within the boundaries of the Russia investigation." (The Hill)
Mueller's raid on Paul Manafort's condo and storage locker last July was to gather documents related to the Trump Tower meeting between Russian lobbyists and Manafort, Trump Jr., and Jared Kushner. A new court filing by the special counsel confirmed that Mueller's team raided Manafort's home in July 2017 to recover "Communications, records, documents, and other files involving any of the attendees of the June 9, 2016 meeting at Trump Tower, as well as Aras and Amin Agalorov." Manafort has been indicted on five counts, including conspiracy against the U.S., money laundering, and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government, and is fighting to suppress evidence collected in the raid. (Newsweek / Politico / Bloomberg / Law and Crime)
Russian hackers likely targeted more than 21 states before the 2016 election, a top Department of Homeland Security official said. (The Hill)
Flight records contradict Trump's claim he never spent the night in Moscow during the 2013 Miss Universe pageant. According to James Comey's memos, Trump twice told the now-former FBI director that there is no way the "golden showers thing" happened because he claims he arrived on the morning of the event and left shortly after it ended in the early hours of the next morning. Christopher Steele's dossier alleges that Trump had prostitutes perform "golden showers" on the bed in the Ritz-Carlton's presidential suite in 2013 during the Miss Universe pageant. Flights records show Trump arrived in Moscow on November 8th, 2013, and left at 3:58am on November 10th, 2013. (Bloomberg)
Trump's false claims to Comey about Moscow stay could aid Mueller. James Comey says the president told him that he never spent the night in Moscow in 2013, but flight records, social media and his bodyguard's testimony show otherwise. (Politico)
TIMELINE: An hour-by-hour recap of Trump's 2013 visit to Moscow. (Bloomberg)
Trump flew to Moscow on November 7th, 2013, landing Friday, November 8th.
The next day, Trump was at the Ritz-Carlton hotel, did a tour of Moscow, and attended the Miss Universe pageant, followed by an afterparty that started at 1am.
Keith Schiller, Trump's bodyguard, testified before Congress that "a Russian participant" offered to send five women to Trump's hotel room on November 9th. Schiller reportedly rejected the offer and stood outside Trump's hotel room until he went to bed for the night.
The jet Trump took to Moscow left at 3:58am on the night of November 9th, 2013, landing in New Jersey at 4:11am local time.
Trump's new national security adviser chaired a nonprofit that promoted misleading and anti-Muslim news. Bolton was chairman of the Gatestone Institute from 2013 until last month. The advocacy group claims that a "jihadist takeover" of Europe is leading to a "Great White Death," which was amplified by a Russian troll factory that sought to portray Western society as at risk of "Islamization." (NBC News)
Trump's legislative affairs director won't rule out Trump firing Robert Mueller or Rod Rosenstein, saying the special counsel has moved outside his original mandate. Marc Short said: "We believe the scope has gone well beyond what was intended to be Russian meddling in the election," adding, "We don't know how far off the investigation is going to veer." (Politico)
The Treasury Department eased sanctions on a Russian aluminum producer tied to Oleg Deripaska, a Russian oligarch who is close to Putin. (Politico)
The Democratic National Committee filed a lawsuit against the Russian government, the Trump campaign and WikiLeaks alleging a conspiracy to help Trump win the 2016 election. The 66-page lawsuit claims that Russian hacking, the Trump associates' contacts with Russia, and the public cheerleading by the campaign of the hacks amounted to conspiracy to interfere in the election and cause damage to the Democratic Party. DNC Chairman Tom Perez said in a statement: "This constituted an act of unprecedented treachery: the campaign of a nominee for President of the United States in league with a hostile foreign power to bolster its own chance to win the presidency." If the lawsuit proceeds, Trump and his campaign aides could be forced to submit to depositions that require them to answer questions under oath. (Washington Post / Reuters / New York Times / CNN)
Trump invited Putin to the U.S. during a phone call on March 20. Trump reportedly said he "would be glad to see [Putin] in the White House," according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. (Reuters)
Trump was annoyed with Michael Flynn for making Putin wait six days for a return congratulatory phone call. Trump complained that Flynn "has serious judgment issues" as a result. Days before Michael Flynn was fired, then-White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus asked Comey if Flynn's communications were being monitored under a FISA surveillance warrant. (Reuters / The Guardian)
Trump tweeted that Michael Flynn's life is now "totally destroyed" while "Shadey James Comey can Leak and Lie and make lots of money from a third rate book." Flynn pleaded guilty in December to lying to federal agents and is cooperating with Robert Mueller's probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election and whether the Trump campaign was involved. (Bloomberg)
Putin once told Trump that Russia has "some of the most beautiful hookers in the world," according to Comey. In a memo dated Feb. 8, 2017, Comey writes that Trump "brought up the 'Golden Showers thing,'" saying that "'the hookers thing' is nonsense." (The Hill)
Comey explained why he thinks "it's possible" that Russia has compromising information on Trump. First, he says, is that "the President is constantly bringing it up with me to deny it." And, second, Trump "wouldn't criticize Vladimir Putin even in private, which struck me as odd." (CNN)
Strzok helped oversee the probe of Hillary Clinton's email use and the investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Trump's congressional allies threatened to impeach Rod Rosenstein if he didn't provide them with documents about the FBI's conduct related to the Russia probe and the investigation into Hillary Clinton's email server. Representatives Mark Meadows and Jim Jordan said Rosenstein could also be held in contempt of Congress if he doesn't satisfy their demands for documents. Critics say the two Republicans are attempting to build a case against Rosenstein in hopes of closing the Mueller investigation. (Washington Post)
The special counsel suspects that Paul Manafort served as a "back channel" between the Trump campaign and Russians intent on meddling in the presidential election. Manafort "had long-standing ties to Russia-backed politicians," Justice Department attorney Michael Dreeben said. "Did they provide back channels to Russia? Investigators will naturally look at those things." Manafort's lawyers argued that Robert Mueller exceeded his authority when he indicted Manafort on charges of laundering millions of dollars while acting as an unregistered agent of the Ukrainian government. (Bloomberg)
Trump: We'll put sanctions on Russia "as soon as they very much deserve it," adding that "there has been nobody tougher on Russia than Donald Trump." The third-person comment capped a four-day stretch of confusion over whether the Trump administration would punish Moscow for its role in a recent chemical attack in Syria. (The Hill)
Michael Cohen dropped a pair of libel suits against BuzzFeed and Fusion GPS over the publication of the dossier that details alleged ties between Trump and Russia. The dossier claims Cohen met with Russian operatives somewhere in Europe to "clean up the mess" created by the public disclosures of Trump associates' ties to Russia. Pursuing the suit would require Cohen to "face a discovery process that would have forced him to defend his reputation and address the allegations of the Steele dossier under penalty of perjury." (Politico / Washington Post)
Defense Secretary James Mattis wanted to get Congressional approval before bombing Syria last week. Trump overruled him because he wanted his tweets to be supported by action, despite warnings that an overly aggressive strike could spark a larger dispute with Russia. A limited airstrike on three targets was the compromise. (New York Times)
Nikki Haley: "I don't get confused." The comment by the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations comes in response to a White House official attributing her statement that Trump would impose sanctions on Russia to "momentary confusion." Larry Kudlow, the president's national economics adviser, said Haley "got ahead of the curve." Later, Kudlow called Haley to apologize, saying "she was certainly not confused." He added: "She was basically following what she thought was policy. The policy was changed and she wasn't told about it, so she was in a box." The White House sent out a document – titled "White House talking points" – to surrogates on Saturday letting them know that Trump had decided to take punitive action against Moscow. (New York Times / Politico / CNN)
Trump denied that he fired James Comey because of the Russia investigation, directly contradicting his own comments on Comey's dismissal. In May 2017, Trump told NBC's Lester Holt that his decision to fire Comey was "this Russia thing," which he called "a made up story" and "an excuse by the Democrats for having lost an election that they should have won." Today, Trump tweeted that "Slippery James Comey, the worst FBI Director in history, was not fired because of the phony Russia investigation," adding the requisite all-caps "NO COLLUSION (except by the Dems)!" (CNN / Washington Post / Axios)
Trump rejected a new round of sanctions that would have been imposed against Russia on Monday. Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters that "a decision will be made in the near future," and Trump has now decided to not move forward with the sanctions. She added that Trump "has been clear that he's going to be tough on Russia, but at the same time he'd still like to have a good relationship with them." (New York Times)
Trump's National Economic Council chairman said Nikki Haley "got ahead" of herself in announcing new sanctions on Russia. Larry Kudlow insisted there was no confusion within the administration about the sanctions. Trump signed off on the sanctions package, but changed his mind following the airstrikes in Syria. "Russia sanctions were a part of the agreed-upon plan going into the strike and going into the weekend," said a senior administration official. "As recently as Saturday that was reconfirmed as part of the plan." (CNN / Politico)
The Trump campaign paid $66,000 to Keith Schiller's lawyer, Trump's former longtime bodyguard. Schiller's lawyers, Schertler & Onorato LLP, received a single payment in January, despite having left his White House job in September. Schiller testified to the House Intelligence Committee in November that someone made an offer to send five women to Trump's hotel room in Moscow during to the 2013 Miss Universe pageant. Schiller said he turned down the offer on Trump's behalf and that no women ever came, as far as he was aware. Federal election law allows the use of campaign money for legal fees, but only if the fees are related to a matter connected to the campaign. (NBC News)
poll/ Roughly 7 in 10 Americans support tougher U.S. sanctions on Russia, while nearly half say Trump has done "too little" to address Russia's alleged violations of international law. Meanwhile, 52% say Trump should invite Putin to the White House in order to help improve U.S.-Russia relations; 42% oppose the invitation because they feel it would give Putin legitimacy. (Washington Post-ABC News poll)
James Comey called Trump "morally unfit to be president" and likened "the loyalty oaths" to a mob boss at "the dominant center of everything" who is doing "tremendous damage" to institutional and cultural norms. In his Sunday interview with George Stephanopoulos, Comey said that it is "possible, but I don't know" if Russia has compromising information on Trump. (ABC News / Reuters)
The Pentagon said there has been a "2,000% increase in Russian trolls in the last 24 hours," following the airstrikes against Syria on Friday night. (Axios)
The Trump administration walked back Nikki Haley's announcement that the U.S. Treasury plans to issue additional sanctions on Russia following the chemical weapons attack in Syria last week. "We are considering additional sanctions on Russia and a decision will be made in the near future," Sarah Huckabee Sanders said. (The Hill)
Trump was "furious" that his administration was being portrayed in the media for taking the toughest stance on Russia following the announcement that the U.S. planned to expel 60 Russian diplomats and suspected spies. Trump believed that France and Germany would match the United States' response. Instead, they each expelled four Russian officials. (Washington Post)
The U.S., France, and Britain launched airstrikes targeting three Syrian chemical weapons facilities as Trump attempted to punish Bashar al-Assad for a chemical attack near Damascus last weekend that killed more than 40 people. The strikes targeted a scientific research center, a chemical weapons storage facility, and a command post. "We are prepared to sustain this response until the Syrian regime stops its use of prohibited chemical agents," Trump said from the White House, adding that the U.S. and its allies had "marshaled their righteous power." Putin called the airstrikes an "act of aggression against a sovereign state" and called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations' Security Council. (New York Times / NBC News / Wall Street Journal)
Nikki Haley: Trump is "locked and loaded" to strike again if Syria uses chemical weapons again. The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations' comment came during an emergency Security Council meeting called by Russia. (Washington Post)
Russian military claimed that Syrian air defenses shot down 71 of the 103 missiles fired by the US and its allies. The Pentagon denied the claim. (The Guardian)
Robert Mueller has evidence that Michael Cohen made a secret trip to Prague during the 2016 presidential campaign, entering through Germany in "August or early September." Confirmation of the trip corroborates part of the Christopher Steele dossier that Cohen met with an ally of Putin. Cohen has denied that he has ever been in Prague and that he colluded with Russia during the campaign. (McClatchy DC)
A former Russian spy worked on the Moscow Trump tower deal during the 2016 presidential campaign. The former agent, who had served in the GRU, negotiated for financing for a Trump-branded tower in Moscow from a Russian state-owned bank that was under US sanctions at the time. The former Russian spy also passed intelligence to the US on key national security matters, including al-Qaeda's weapons caches and North Korea's attempts to develop nuclear weapons. (BuzzFeed News)
James Comey called Trump an "unethical" man "untethered to truth and institutional values" in his new book, "A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Leadership." Comey describes Trump and his advisers as being unconcerned with whether Russia meddled in the election, but rather "debat[ing] how to position these findings for maximum political advantage." Trump, as president-elect, disputed the Steele dossier allegations that he watched sex workers urinate on each other. Comey writes that Trump insisted that "there's no way I would let people pee on each other around me" because he is a self-professed germaphobe. "I don't know," Comey told ABC News, if Trump "was with prostitutes peeing on each other in Moscow in 2013." (NBC News / New York Times / CNN)
poll/ 69% of Americans support Mueller's investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government. 64% support Mueller investigating Trump's business activities, and 58% support looking at allegations that Trump’s associates paid hush money to women who say they had affairs with him. (ABC News)
Trump has been pushing for an attack on Syria that would punish the Syrian regime, Russia, and Iran. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, meanwhile, is warning that retaliation must be balanced against the threat of a wider war in order to "keep this from escalating." (New York Times / Wall Street Journal)
A Trump interview with Robert Mueller is now unlikely to take place following Monday's FBI raid of Michael Cohen's home, office, and hotel room, which has "significantly complicated" negotiations for a presidential interview, according to a person familiar with the discussions. Trump's lawyers wanted a potential interview to last only a few hours, as well as force Mueller to release his report within three or four months. An interview was considered one of the last steps Mueller needed before closing the obstruction of justice portion of his Russia investigation. (NBC News)
Trump asked James Comey to investigate "the golden showers thing" and "prove it was a lie" in January 2017 so he could "lift the cloud" because it upset Melania Trump. The infamous dossier, compiled by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele, alleges that Trump watched sex workers urinate on themselves in the same Moscow suite that the Obamas had stayed in previously "as a way of soiling the bed." Comey said Trump was obsessed with the sex workers portion of the dossier, asking about it at least four times. (Washington Post)
The White House is preparing talking points designed to undermine Rod Rosenstein's credibility and cast the deputy attorney general as too conflicted to fairly oversee the Russia investigation. The White House is hoping that Trump's defenders will paint Rosenstein and Comey as close colleagues and argue that Rosenstein is approving an expanding investigation as "payback for the President firing one of his best friends." (CNN)
Trump tweeted that an attack on Syria "could be very soon or not soon at all!" Trump, trying to clarify his tweet yesterday that U.S. missiles "will be coming," claimed that he "never said when an attack on Syria would take place." In response, Syria moved its military aircraft to the Russian base near Latakia yesterday. (New York Times / Washington Post)
poll/ Obama is more admired than Trump in every country except one: Russia. Obama ranked first in 19 of 35 countries, including the U.S. Trump, meanwhile, ranked 2nd in the U.S. and 11th in Russia. Obama ranked 12th. (YouGov)
Trump tweets that "smart" missiles "will be coming" toward Syria in response to a chemical attack, taunting Russia to "get ready." Russia's ambassador to Lebanon said any U.S. missiles fired at Syria would be shot down and the launch sites targeted. Trump also condemned Moscow's backing of Bashar al-Assad, saying: "You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!" In a pair of subsequent tweets, Trump said relations between the U.S. and Russia are "worse now than it has ever been" and the "Fake and Corrupt Russia Investigation," Democrats, and everybody that worked for Obama are to blame. (New York Times / Washington Post)
The NRA said it accepted contributions from about 23 Russians, or Americans living in Russia, since 2015. (NPR)
Mueller is using the Paul Manafort investigation to probe Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, search warrant documents reveal. Mueller is seeking information from Manafort about foreign political donations and the meeting between top Trump campaign officials and Russian operatives in Trump Tower, in addition to Manafort's interactions with a Russian real estate magnate and possible campaign finance violations. (CNN / Associated Press)
The Russian military has been jamming the GPS systems of U.S. military drones operating in Syria. The Defense Department did not say whether the jamming is causing drones to crash. (NBC News)
Trump vowed to make "major decisions" in the next 24 to 48 hours about how to respond to a suspected chemical attack in Syria that killed dozens of people. Trump said there will be a "big price to pay" for the "atrocious," "horrible," and "barbaric act." Trump directly criticized Putin, Russia, and Iran for backing "Animal Assad" in a tweet. Later, Trump said "Everybody's going to pay a price. [Putin] will, everybody will." (New York Times / Washington Post / Reuters)
Mark Zuckerberg: Facebook should have done more to prevent third-party apps from collecting users' data without their permission and for being "too slow to spot and respond to Russian interference" during the U.S. election. In written testimony, Zuckerberg said that "It's clear now that we didn't do enough to prevent these tools from being used for harm as well" and that Facebook "didn't take a broad enough view of our responsibility, and that was a big mistake." Zuckerberg is scheduled to testify before the Senate Commerce and Judiciary committees on Tuesday, and the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Wednesday. The social network said it would form an independent commission of academic researchers to study social media's impact on elections. (Reuters / Washington Post / New York Times)
Robert Mueller has evidence that questions Erik Prince's congressional testimony about a chance meeting last year in the Seychelles with Kirill Dmitriev, the manager of a state-run Russian investment fund close to Putin. George Nader, a cooperating witness with limited immunity, told investigators that he facilitated and personally attended a meeting between Prince and Dmitriev days before Trump was inaugurated. The goal of the meeting was to discuss foreign policy and to establish a line of communication between the Russian government and the incoming Trump administration. Prince told the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence in November that "I didn't fly there to meet any Russian guy," and the meeting with Dmitriev was unexpected. Prince founded the private military contractor Blackwater USA and is the brother of Betsy DeVos, who serves as Trump's secretary of education. As of late March, Mueller's team has not asked Prince to appear before the grand jury. (ABC News)
Mueller's investigators questioned a Trump Organization associate about Michael Cohen's involvement in business deals in Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Russia. The special counsel's team showed up unannounced at the home of the business associate this week with a subpoena seeking information about the efforts by Trump's personal attorney and a former Trump Organization employee to expand the Trump brand abroad. (McClatchy DC)
The Trump administration imposed new sanctions on 17 Russian government officials, a state-owned weapons company, and seven oligarchs and 12 companies affiliated with them. "The Russian government operates for the disproportionate benefit of oligarchs and government elites," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said. "Russian oligarchs and elites who profit from this corrupt system will no longer be insulated from the consequences of their government's destabilizing activities." The sanctions were in response to the "totality of the Russian government's ongoing and increasingly malign activities in the world," including interfering in the 2016 election and aggressions in Crimea, Ukraine, and Syria. (New York Times / Politico / Washington Post / NBC News)
Trump considered replacing Jeff Sessions with Scott Pruitt as recently as this week. "He was 100% still trying to protect Pruitt because Pruitt is his fill-in for Sessions," a person familiar with Trump's thinking said. Trump remains frustrated that Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation more than a year ago. (CNN)
A cooperating witness in Robert Mueller's investigation may have information linking the United Arab Emirates to Russia. George Nader has received at least partial immunity for his cooperation. Nader's international connections helped him arrange several meetings that have drawn the attention of the special counsel, including a meeting in the Seychelles between Kirill Dmitriev, the manager of a state-run Russian investment fund, and a Trump adviser days before Trump took office. (New York Times)
Robert Mueller: Trump is not currently a criminal target in the Russia probe, but he remains under investigation. The special counsel also told Trump's lawyers during negotiations in early March regarding a possible Trump interview that he is preparing a report about Trump's actions and potential obstruction of justice. Mueller is required to report his conclusions confidentially to Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein, who has the authority to decide whether to release the information publicly. Mueller's investigators plan to report on their findings in stages, starting with the obstruction issue. Trump has privately expressed relief at his legal status and has repeatedly told allies that he is not a target of the probe and believes an interview will help him put the matter behind him. (Washington Post)
Analysis: Mueller told Trump he's not a criminal target in the Russia probe. That may not mean what you think. (Washington Post)
Mueller's team has been questioning Russian oligarchs who travel to the US. Investigators want to know if wealthy Russians illegally funneled money directly or indirectly into Trump's presidential campaign and inauguration. Foreign nationals are prohibited under campaign finance laws from donating to US political campaigns. Mueller's team has stopped at least three Russian oligarchs for questioning in recent weeks. (CNN)
H. R. McMaster denounced Russia and said "we have failed to impose sufficient costs" in his last public remarks as Trump's national security adviser. "Russia has used old and new forms of aggression to undermine our open societies and the foundations of international peace and stability," McMaster said. Hours earlier, Trump claimed that "nobody has been tougher on Russia than I have." (Washington Post)
Trump is expected this week to impose additional sanctions against Russia, which are designed to target oligarchs with ties to Putin. The United States is expected to target individuals on a list of influential Russian political and business leaders that the Treasury Department released in January. (Washington Post)
Rod Rosenstein authorized Robert Mueller to investigate Paul Manafort for allegedly "colluding with Russian government officials" in a classified August 2017 memo. Mueller was also given authority to probe Manafort's work for the Ukrainian government. The memo was disclosed in a court filing as Mueller's prosecutors seek to counter arguments by Manafort's lawyers that his indictment should be thrown out. (CNN / Wall Street Journal)
A senior leader in Russia's spy agency has agreed to plead partially guilty to sharing information with foreign intelligence. Dmitry Dokuchaev is wanted by the FBI and suspected to be linked to Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election. (McClatchy DC)
Trump invited Putin to the White House, according to Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov. "When our presidents spoke on the phone, Trump suggested having the meeting in Washington at the White House," Ushakov said. "This is quite an interesting, positive idea." During a March 20 phone call, Trump congratulated Putin for his reelection victory and discussed a possible meeting. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that "a number of potential venues, including the White House," were discussed during the phone call. (Washington Post / Bloomberg)
Trump told White House aides not to publicly discuss a plan to provide new U.S. weapons to Ukraine to help the country fight back against Russian-backed separatists. Officials said Trump was concerned that doing so might agitate Putin. "He doesn't want us to bring it up," said one White House official. "It is not something he wants to talk about." (NBC News)
Russia's ambassador to the U.S. can't remember a period of worse relations between Washington and Moscow. Anatoly Antonov also said it's "impossible to imagine" that the Kremlin was responsible for meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, adding that "there is great mistrust between the United States and Russia" at present. (NBC News)
The FBI detained Ted Malloch and issued him a subpoena to testify before Robert Mueller about potential collusion between Trump's campaign and the Russian government. FBI asked Malloch about his relationship with Roger Stone and if he had ever visited the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange resides. Malloch is reportedly close to Trump, Steve Bannon, UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage, and Stone. (The Guardian / NBC News)
Czech officials have extradited a Russian hacker to the U.S. to face charges that he hacked into LinkedIn, Dropbox, and other American companies. Yevgeniy Nikulin, who denies that he is a hacker, was arrested by Czech officials in Prague in cooperation with the FBI in October 2016. (Associated Press)
Congress is investigating an August 2016 flight from Moscow to New Jersey in connection with a meeting between Paul Manafort and Konstantin Kilimnik. The jet, which is linked to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, who has close ties with the Kremlin, landed in the U.S. shortly before Manafort and Kilimnik met in Manhattan. Kilimnik is the unnamed person with "ties to Russian intelligence" in Robert Mueller's indictment of Rick Gates. (Vice News)
Robert Mueller's team pushed Rick Gates last year to help them connect the Trump campaign to the Russians. Mueller's team plans to use information from Gates to tie Paul Manafort, the former Trump campaign chairman, directly to a Russian intelligence agency. As part of Gates' agreement to cooperate with the special counsel last month, he earned a reduced potential sentence and had several charges against him dropped. (CNN)
Mueller's team has also been questioning witnesses about an event attended by both Jeff Sessions and Sergei Kislyak during the 2016 Republican National Convention. The team also has been asking if Sessions had private discussions with the now former Russian Ambassador to the United States on the sidelines of a Trump campaign speech at the Washington Mayflower Hotel in April 2016. (Reuters)
Jeff Sessions said he will not name a second special counsel at this time. Instead, Sessions revealed that Utah's top federal prosecutor, John Huber, is investigating allegations that the FBI abused its powers in surveilling Carter Page, and that more should have been done to investigate Hillary Clinton's ties to a Russian nuclear energy agency. (CNN / Washington Post)
The FBI investigated Trump's plans to build a hotel in Latvia following Latvia's request for assistance with an anti-corruption investigation. The investigation targeted Igor Krutoy, a wealthy Putin supporter who was in on the plans and with whom Trump and daughter Ivanka met for several hours at Trump Tower in 2010. The hotel plan was abandoned after the investigation began. (The Guardian)
Russia will close the American consulate in St. Petersburg and kick out 60 U.S. diplomats. The move comes in response to the coordinated expulsion of Russian diplomats from the U.S. and several European countries. (Washington Post)
Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is raising funds to help cover costs defending against ongoing government probes. McCabe was fired by Jeff Sessions but says he was terminated because he is a witness in the Russia investigation. (Reuters)
Rick Gates knowingly communicated with "a former Russian Intelligence Officer" during the 2016 presidential campaign, according to documents filed by Robert Mueller's investigators. Gates was in frequent contact with "Person A" – who has been identified as Konstantin Kilimnik – during the time he worked for Trump's campaign, including September and October 2016. The documents Mueller filed indicate that the communications between Gates and Kilimnik are "pertinent to the investigation." Kilimnik worked with Paul Manafort for four years on behalf of a Kremlin-aligned Ukrainian political party. (New York Times / Washington Post)
Gates told Alexander van der Zwaan that Kilimnik was a former intelligence officer with Russia's foreign intelligence service. The London-based lawyer, who previously worked with Gates and Manafort, pleaded guilty last month to lying to special counsel Robert Mueller's investigators about his interactions with Gates and Kilimnik. Gates communicated with Kilimnik and van der Zwaan in a "series of calls" in September and October 2016. (CNN / Politico / The Hill)
poll/ 58% of Americans want to see the investigation into Russian interference fully investigated, compared to 36% who think it's an effort to discredit Trump's presidency. 55% of Americans don't think Trump is doing enough to cooperate with the investigation. (CNN)
The NRA confirmed that it accepts foreign donations but denied that it uses the money for election purposes. The Federal Election Commission is investigating whether a top Russian banker with Kremlin ties illegally funneled money to the NRA to aid Trump's campaign for president. (NPR)
The author of the Trump dossier provided a report to the FBI asserting that Putin's former media czar was beaten to death by hired thugs in Washington, DC. The assertion contradicts the US government's official finding that RT founder Mikhail Lesin died by accident. (BuzzFeed News)
Trump's personal legal team is down to one member as he struggles to find lawyers willing to represent him. Jay Sekulow is the only personal lawyer for Trump working full time on Robert Mueller's investigation. He is assisted by Ty Cobb, a White House lawyer paid by taxpayers to represent the institution of the presidency rather than Trump personally. John Dowd, who had been leading the team handling the Russia inquiry, resigned last week after strategy disputes with Trump, while Marc Kasowitz's role was reduced after a series of clashes with Trump over the summer. Emmet Flood, the lawyer who represented Bill Clinton during his impeachment process, said he will not represent Trump if Kasowitz has any role on the team, and another, Theodore Olson, declined to represent Trump. (New York Times / Washington Post)
The U.S. will expel 60 Russian diplomats in response to the poisoning of a former Russian spy on British soil. The Russian consulate in Seattle will also be closed as part of the response. (NBC News)
George Papadopoulos was encouraged to improve relations with Russia because it was a top foreign policy goal of the campaign. Emails turned over to investigators, show Papadopoulos had more contact with key Trump campaign and transition officials than has been publicly acknowledged. (Washington Post)
The "lone hacker" known as Guccifer 2.0 is actually a Russian intelligence officer. Guccifer claimed responsibility for the breach of the Democratic National Committee and the data dump of the stolen DNC emails. He publicly portrayed himself as the "lone hacker" who was able to penetrate the DNC, but a team of investigators identified him as an officer of Russia's military intelligence directorate, or GRU, after he failed to turn on the virtual private network (VPN) that he used to disguise his IP address. As a result, he left a real, Moscow-based IP address in the server logs of an American social media company. (The Daily Beast)
Mueller's team has discussed four main topics with Trump's lawyers for a potential Trump interview. Specifically, the special counsel wants to know about Trump's role in crafting a statement aboard Air Force One about Trump Jr.'s June 2016 meeting with Russians at Trump Tower; the circumstances surrounding the Trump Tower meeting; and the firings of James Comey and Michael Flynn. Mueller's team is also looking at connections between Trump's campaign and Cambridge Analytica and how the data firm collected and utilized voter data in battleground states. (CNN / Associated Press)
Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee voted to end their investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, concluding that the evidence failed to amount to collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government. (Politico)
The Senate Intelligence Committee recommended that states buy voting machines that produce paper ballots and that they secure voter databases ahead of November's midterm elections. Senators, concerned about Russian meddling in the midterms, called on Congress to "urgently" make funds available for states to update their voting systems, institute vote audits, and hire staff focused on cybersecurity. (New York Times)
Senators criticized the Trump administration for not doing enough to prepare for the 2018 midterms. "I hear no sense of urgency to really get on top of this issue," Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, said. Homeland Security secretary Kirstjen Nielsen testified before the committee, saying the 2018 midterms and future elections are "clearly potential targets for Russian hacking attempts." (CNN)
Trump ignored specific warnings from his national security advisers not to congratulate Putin on his recent election win. Instead, Trump called Putin and opened by congratulating him. A section in Trump's briefing materials was titled "DO NOT CONGRATULATE" in all-capital letters. (Washington Post)
Trump and John Kelly are reportedly furious over the leak that Trump congratulated Putin despite warnings from multiple national security advisers and briefing materials that said "DO NOT CONGRATULATE." It's still unclear if Trump read the guidance that was given to him by his advisers, but Trump defended his congratulatory call, tweeting that "Getting along with Russia… is a good thing," and that his "energy and chemistry" with Putin will be constructive. He capped off his second tweet with an all-caps: "PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH!" (CNN / Axios)
The former director of the CIA suggested that Russia may have compromising information on Trump "that they could always roll out and make his life more difficult." John Brennan, the CIA director under Obama, said the fact that Trump "had this fawning attitude toward Mr. Putin, has not said anything negative about him, I think continues to say to me that he does have something to fear and something very serious to fear." Brennan was the CIA director in 2016 when the dossier surfaced that claimed the Russians had compromising information on Trump. (CNN / New York Times)
Andrew McCabe oversaw a federal criminal investigation into whether Jeff Sessions lacked candor when testifying before Congress about contacts with Russians. McCabe authorized the investigation nearly a year before he was fired by Sessions for a "lack of candor." (ABC News)
Facebook's chief information security officer, Alex Stamos, is leaving the company following disagreements among top Facebook executives over their response to Russian interference in the 2016 presidential elections and potential interference in the 2018 midterms. The issue is rooted in how much Facebook should publicly share about the ways in which their platform was misused in the run-up to the 2018 midterm elections. Stamos oversaw Facebook's security team, which was once 120 people, but is currently down to three people. Stamos plans to leave the company by August. (New York Times)
Trump called Putin to congratulate him on his recent re-election. The call comes days after the White House imposed sanctions on Russia for meddling in the 2016 U.S. election and "malicious cyberattacks." The Trump administration has also recently criticized Russia for its apparent role in a nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy and his daughter in the U.K. (New York Times)
Three sources contradicted Jeff Sessions' claims that he "pushed back" against a George Papadopoulos proposal for Trump's campaign to meet with Russians in 2016. Some Democrats think the discrepancies in Sessions' testimony suggest the attorney general may have committed perjury. (Reuters)
Trump's personal lawyer wants Rod Rosenstein to end Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. "I pray that Acting Attorney General Rosenstein will follow the brilliant and courageous example of the FBI Office of Professional Responsibility and Attorney General Jeff Sessions and bring an end to alleged Russia Collusion investigation manufactured by McCabe's boss James Comey based upon a fraudulent and corrupt Dossier," John Dowd wrote in an email comment about McCabe's firing. Dowd initially said he was speaking on behalf of Trump "as his counsel," but later said he was not speaking on the president's behalf. (The Daily Beast)
Robert Mueller subpoenaed the Trump Organization to turn over documents related to Russia and other topics he's investigating. The subpoena was delivered in "recent weeks" and is the first known order directly related to Trump's businesses. (New York Times)
BuzzFeed wants to use Michael Cohen's libel suit against them to demand that Stormy Daniels preserve all records related to her relationship with Trump, including all negotiations, agreements, and payments involving Cohen and the $130,000 payment she received before the 2016 election as part of a nondisclosure agreement she is now trying to void. Cohen filed a libel suit in January against BuzzFeed and four staffers over the publication of the dossier of allegations about Trump's relationship with Russia.(Politico)
Trump imposed sanctions on Russian organizations and individuals in retaliation for interference in the 2016 presidential election and other "malicious" cyberattacks. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin called the cyberattacks "the most destructive and costly cyberattack in history," having caused billions of dollars in damage in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. (New York Times / Washington Post / Bloomberg)
The Trump administration accused Moscow of a deliberate, ongoing hacking operation to penetrate the U.S. energy grid, aviation systems, and other infrastructure. "Since at least March 2016, Russian government cyber actors" have targeted "government entities and multiple U.S. critical infrastructure sectors," including those of energy, nuclear, water and aviation, according to an alert issued by the Department of Homeland Security and F.BI. (Associated Press / Bloomberg / Politico)
Trey Gowdy contradicted his own Republican-led House Intelligence Committee's findings in the Russia probe. Gowdy said Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election was motivated in part "by a desire" to hurt Hillary Clinton's candidacy. The committee disagreed with the intelligence community's assessment "with respect to Putin's supposed preference for candidate Trump." (CNBC)
British Prime Minister Theresa May expelled 23 Russian "undeclared intelligence officers" following the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. May said there is "no alternative conclusion" other than Russia being responsible for their attempted murder. (Sky News)
Nikki Haley said U.S. believes Russia was responsible for the attempted assassination of a former Russian spy and his daughter in Britain. Haley told the U.N. Security Council it should hold the Kremlin "accountable." (NBC News)
Hours before being fired, Rex Tillerson called the poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter an "egregious act" that "clearly" came from Russia. He added that Russia is "an irresponsible force of instability in the world, acting with open disregard for the sovereignty of other states and the life of their citizens." On Monday, British Prime Minister Theresa May said it is "highly likely" Russia is responsible for the poisoning, either directly or because it lost control of the nerve agent. The two were poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent in the U.K. and were found unconscious. (NBC News)
Trump: "As soon as we get the facts straight, if we agree with them, we will condemn Russia or whoever it may be." (Reuters)
Russian exile Nikolai Glushkov was found dead at his home in London. The Metropolitan police said there was no evidence at present to suggest a link to the incident in Salisbury, where Sergei and Yulia Skripal remain in a critical condition. (The Guardian)
House Intelligence Committee Republicans said their investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election found no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians. The committee agreed with the findings of the intelligence community that Russia had interfered, but they disagreed that the Russians favored Trump. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the committee, said the Republican decision to end the investigation was "another tragic milestone for this Congress, and represents yet another capitulation to the executive branch," adding: "By ending its oversight role in the only authorized investigation in the House, the Majority has placed the interests of protecting the President over protecting the country, and history will judge its actions harshly." (New York Times / CNN)
In the spring of 2016, Roger Stone said he learned from WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange that the organization had obtained the emails of John Podesta and of the Democratic National Committee. WikiLeaks released the documents in late July and October. U.S. intelligence concluded the hackers who obtained the emails were working for Russia. Stone has since denied any communication with Assange or knowledge of the document dumps by WikiLeaks. Assange and WikiLeaks have also said they never communicated with Stone. (Washington Post)
Putin suggested that Jews were responsible for the cyberattacks during the 2016 election when asked about 13 Russian citizens charged by the special counsel Robert Mueller. "Maybe they are not even Russians," Putin mused, "but Ukrainians, Tatars or Jews, but with Russian citizenship, which should also be checked. Maybe they have dual citizenship or a Green Card. Maybe the U.S. paid them for this. How can you know that? I do not know either." Top Democratic leaders in the House and Senate urged Trump to employ "all resources available" to extradite the 13 Russians. (New York Times / NBC News)
More than two-thirds of House Democrats have signed a letter "strongly urging" Trump to enact sanctions on Russia and adhere to the law he signed last summer. At least 137 of the Democrats in the House have signed the letter, which urges Trump to "reverse course, follow the letter and spirit of the law, and demonstrate that the security of our country and integrity of elections are sacrosanct." (Reuters)
The House Intelligence Committee has finished interviewing witnesses in its probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election. The Republican-run committee is preparing a report based on witness testimony and thousands of pages of documents. The panel is unlikely to come to a bipartisan conclusion on some of the central questions in the probe. (Wall Street Journal)
Theresa May said it was "highly likely" that Russia was responsible for poisoning a former Russian double agent and his daughter last week in the U.K. The British leader said the poison was identified as a "military-grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia" and that Russia either engaged in an "indiscriminate and reckless" attack against Britain or it lost control of the nerve agent it developed. Russian officials called May's remarks "a provocation" and "circus show." (The Guardian / BBC / Washington Post)
Trump will meet with Kim Jong-un to negotiate "permanent denuclearization" of North Korea, which will cease all missile testing while the negotiations are being held. The two leaders are expected to meet in the next 60 days. News of a potential meeting has been met with positive reactions from China, Russia, and South Korea. (New York Times / Fox News)
Trump's lawyers want to trade a Trump interview with Robert Mueller in exchange for ending the Trump-related portion of the special counsel's Russia investigation. Trump's legal team wants Mueller to commit to ending the probe 60 days after the interview, as well as limiting the scope of the questioning. (Wall Street Journal / CNBC)
Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort pleaded not guilty to an 18-count indictment as part of Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. The judge set the trial to begin July 10. Last week Manafort pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to launder money and failing to register as a foreign agent. (ABC News / Reuters)
Robert Mueller has evidence about an effort to establish a back-channel between the incoming Trump administration and the Kremlin. Erik Prince, the founder of the private military company Blackwater, met with a Russian official close to Putin in January, 2017. Prince described the meeting to congressional investigators as a chance encounter. A cooperating witness told Mueller's investigators that the meeting was set up in advance so that a representative of the Trump transition could meet with an emissary from Moscow to discuss future relations between the two countries. (Washington Post)
Trump's personal attorney received leaked witness testimony from within the House Intelligence Committee. The lawyer representing Michael Cohen contacted the lawyer of a former John McCain staffer after someone from the House Committee told Cohen's lawyer that the former staffer had information about the Steele dossier that could help Cohen. The information came from closed-door, committee-sensitive testimony. The dossier alleges that Cohen met with Kremlin officials, which Cohen denies. The conversation was reported to the House Intelligence Committee. Robert Mueller, meanwhile, has requested documents and interviewed witnesses about two or more episodes involving Russian interests and Cohen's involvement. (The Daily Beast / Washington Post)
Kellyanne Conway violated the Hatch Act on two occasions, the Office of Special Counsel said as it referred its findings to Trump "for appropriate disciplinary action." In her official capacity, Conway endorsed and advocated against political candidates during two television appearances in 2017. The Hatch Act prohibits government employees from engaging in political activities. The OSC is not affiliated with special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. (The Hill / ABC News)
The ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee wants to interview Nunberg as part of its Russia investigation. Adam Schiff said Nunberg's assertion that Trump knew about the 2016 Trump Tower meeting before it occurred is an area that the committee needs to explore. Nunberg said he would be willing to testify. "I would go there, sure." (CNN / The Hill)
Sarah Huckabee Sanders refuted Nunberg's suggestion that the campaign colluded with Russia, saying "I definitely think he doesn't know that for sure, because he's incorrect. He hasn't worked at the White House, so I can't speak to him or the lack of knowledge he clearly has. As we've said many times before, there's been no collusion."
A Belarusian escort claims to have more than 16 hours of audio recordings that prove Russia meddled in the U.S. elections. Anastasia Vashukevich, who is close to a Russian oligarch, said she would hand over the recordings if the U.S. granted her asylum. (New York Times)
The author of the Trump dossier told Mueller's team that Russia asked Trump not to hire Mitt Romney as secretary of state. Instead Russia advised Trump to pick someone who would ease sanctions against Moscow for its actions in Ukraine. Christopher Steele spoke with the special counsel's investigators last September. In his 2012 presidential run, Romney called Russia "our No. 1 geopolitical foe." (The New Yorker)
The State Department has spent $0 of the $120 million it has been budgeted for combatting foreign interference in U.S. elections. None of the 23 analysts speak Russian at the Global Engagement Center, which is tasked with countering Moscow's disinformation campaigns. A hiring freeze has prevented the department from recruiting the kind of computer experts needed to track foreign efforts to meddle in the U.S. election process. (New York Times)
A Kremlin-linked Russian politician spent six years building leverage and connections in order to influence the NRA and gain access to American politics. Alexander Torshin, a Putin ally, also claimed that his ties to the NRA afforded him access to Trump. Robert Mueller's team is investigating whether Torshin, who serves as the deputy governor of the Bank of Russia, illegally funneled money to the NRA in order to help the Trump campaign in the 2016 presidential election. (NPR)
A large cache of internal documents from a Russian troll farm were leaked and put up for auction on a Russian "information exchange" in February 2017. The auction received no bids for the Internet Research Agency documents, which promised "working data from the department focused on the United States." The listing revealed details about the Kremlin-backed troll farm's efforts to push propaganda and disinformation in the U.S. (The Daily Beast)
Former Trump campaign deputy Rick Gates canceled a planned trip after an online commenter invoked the Russian mafia. Gates told a federal court that he and his wife believe it's "not prudent" to travel with their four children to Boston for spring break. (CNN)
Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee were behind the leak of text messages between the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee and a Russian-connected lawyer. The text messages between Senator Mark Warner and Adam Waldman, a Washington lawyer with Russian connections, were leaked to Fox News. They show that the senator tried to arrange a meeting with Christopher Steele, author of the so-called Trump dossier. Warner and Richard Burr, the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, were so "perturbed" by the leak that they met with Paul Ryan to raise their concerns about House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes and the Republicans willingness to leak classified text messages. (New York Times)
Putin warned that Russia has developed nuclear weapons that can't be intercepted by missile-defense systems and that they're planning to add nuclear-powered cruise missiles to their arsenal, which would allow them to strike any target on the globe. Putin added that Russia would consider any nuclear attack against itself or any of its allies an attack on Russia, warning that such an incident would lead to immediate retaliation. "No one listened to us," Putin warned. "Listen to us now." (Associated Press / Washington Post)
Robert Mueller's team is looking into Trump's attempts to fire Jeff Sessions last July, in order to determine whether those alleged efforts to oust Sessions were part of a larger pattern of attempted obstruction of justice by Trump and the administration. Mueller wants to know if Trump attempted to remove Sessions in order to install a loyal attorney general who would exercise control over the special counsel investigation into possible coordination between Trump associates and Russia during the 2016 presidential election campaign. (Washington Post)
Hope Hicks told the House Intelligence Committee that she sometimes has to lie for Trump. After an extended conversation with her lawyers, however, the White House communications director insisted that she has never lied about matters related to Russian interference or possible collusion with Trump associates. (New York Times)
Robert Mueller's investigators have been asking witnesses about Trump's business activities in Russia prior to the 2016 campaign. Mueller's team has been asking about the timing of Trump's decision to run, any potentially compromising information the Russians may have, and why a deal for a Trump Tower in Moscow fell through. (CNN)
Mueller's team is also asking witnesses whether Trump knew about the hacked Democratic emails before they were publicly released, and whether he was involved or aware of WikiLeaks' plan to publish the emails. Investigators have also asked about the relationship between GOP operative Roger Stone and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, and why Trump took policy positions favorable to Russia. (NBC News)
Hope Hicks refused to answer questions under instructions from the White House during a closed-door House Intelligence Committee session today on Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. "We got Bannoned," a member of the House intelligence committee said, in reference Steve Bannon's earlier refusal to answer committee questions. The White House communications director is one of Trump's closest confidants and advisers. She was originally expected to appear before the committee in January, but her interview was cancelled due to concerns about the scope of questioning and conflicts over the White House's assertions of executive privilege. (Bloomberg / CNN / Washington Post)
Russian operatives "compromised" election systems in seven states prior to 2016 election, from hacking state websites to penetrating voter registration databases, according to a top-secret intelligence reported requested by Obama during his last weeks in office. Three senior intelligence officials said the intelligence community believed the states were Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Texas, and Wisconsin. Several of those states were notified that foreign entities were probing their systems, but none were told the Russian government was behind it. (NBC News)
The NSA director told lawmakers that he has not received orders from Trump to stop Russian hacking targeting U.S. elections. US Cyber Command chief Adm. Mike Rogers told the Senate Armed Services Committee: "I haven't been granted any additional authorities," adding, "I need a policy decision that indicates there is specific direction to [disrupt Russian election hacking]. The president ultimately would make this decision in accordance with a recommendation from the secretary of Defense." (The Hill / CNN)
poll/ 58% of Americans don't think Trump is taking the Russia investigation seriously enough, and 60% say they are not confident Trump is doing enough to prevent foreign countries from influencing future American elections. Meanwhile, 55% believe Trump attempted to interfere with the Russia investigation, up from 51% in January. (CNN)
poll/ 48% of Americans believe it is likely or very likely that Russia will meddle in the upcoming midterm elections – a seven-point increase from earlier this month. (The Hill / Marist)
The Justice Department is investigating allegations from the House Republican memo that a FISA court was misled by prosecutors and FBI agents when applying for warrants to surveil a Trump campaign adviser with ties to Moscow. (Politico)
poll/ 58% of Americans say they trust Robert Mueller's investigation, while 57% say they don't trust Trump's denials, and 76% believe Russian will continue to meddle in American elections. (USA Today)
Rick Gates pleaded guilty to conspiracy and making false statements and will cooperate with Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election, according to a letter Gates gave to family and close friends. Gates admitted to taking part in a conspiracy to hide tens of millions of dollars he and Paul Manafort obtained for their lobbying and consulting work related to Ukraine. (New York Times / Politico / Washington Post / ABC News)
The Republican National Committee has been paying more than $37,000 a month in rent at Trump Tower after the RNC came under pressure to stop paying Trump's personal legal bills in the special counsel's Russia investigation. (CNBC)
A Russian oligarch with close ties to Putin, said Russian mercenaries who attacked US troops in Syria this month were in close touch with the Kremlin and Syrian officials shortly before and after the assault. (Washington Post)
A Trump-appointed federal judge who donated to the Trump campaign and worked on his presidential transition team is refusing to recuse himself from overseeing a legal battle involving Fusion GPS, the research firm that produced the dossier of intelligence that contains claims Trump has ties to Russia. U.S. District Court Judge Trevor McFadden donated $1,000 to Trump's presidential campaign. (ABC News)
Trump challenged Jeff Sessions to investigate the Obama administration for not doing enough to stop Russian interference in the 2016 election. "If all of the Russian meddling took place during the Obama Administration, right up to January 20th, why aren’t they the subject of the investigation?" Trump tweeted. "Why didn't Obama do something about the meddling? Why aren't Dem crimes under investigation? Ask Jeff Sessions!" Trump has singled out his own attorney general several times for not doing enough to protect him from the Russia probe. In July, Trump tweeted that Sessions "has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes." A few hours later, Trump called Sessions "beleaguered." (CNN / New York Times)
Alex van der Zwaan pleads guilty in Robert Mueller's probe. The son-in-law of a Russia-based billionaire admitted to lying to investigators about his communications with Rick Gates, the former Trump campaign aide. Van der Zwaan also admitted that he deleted records of emails that prosecutors had requested. It's the fourth guilty plea Mueller has secured, but van der Zwaan is the first not to enter into a cooperation agreement with the special counsel's office. (New York Times / Bloomberg)
Robert Mueller charged an attorney with making a false statement to federal authorities as part of the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Prosecutors charged Alex Van Der Zwaan with lying to the FBI and Mueller's office about conversations he had with Rick Gates, the former Trump campaign aide who is cooperating in the Mueller probe, about work done in Ukraine six years ago. Van Der Zwaan was charged by criminal information, which typically precedes a guilty plea because it can only be filed with a defendant's permission and usually indicates the person is cooperating with investigators. (Bloomberg / New York Times / Washington Post)
Robert Mueller's interest in Jared Kushner has expanded beyond his contacts with Russia and now includes his efforts to secure financing for his company from foreign investors during the presidential transition. Mueller's investigators have been asking about Kushner's conversations during the transition to finance a Kushner Companies-backed New York City office building facing financial troubles. (CNN)
Trump blamed everybody but Russia as he lashed out against the Russia investigation in a nine-hour, profanity-laced, and error-laden tweetstorm. He attacked the FBI, CNN, the Democratic Party, his national security adviser, former president Obama, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Hillary Clinton, and more. He never criticized Russia or Putin's attempts to undermine U.S. elections. (Politico / Washington Post / CNN)
"They are laughing their asses off in Moscow": Trump takes on the FBI, Russia probe and 2016 election. (Washington Post)
National Security Adviser H. R. McMaster said the "evidence is now incontrovertible" that Russia meddled in the U.S. political system, essentially telling the Munich Security Conference to ignore Trump's tweet. Trump countered on Twitter, naturally: "General McMaster forgot to say 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." (Washington Post)
Trump suggested that the FBI could have stopped the school shooter at a Florida high school if they spent less time on the Russia investigation. "Very sad that the FBI missed all of the many signals sent out by the Florida school shooter. 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!" Trump tweeted. (The Hill)
Robert Mueller's federal grand jury indicted 13 Russian nationals and three Russian entities for violating criminal laws with the intent to interfere "with U.S. elections and political processes." Mueller's office said that the government accuses all the defendants of conspiracy to defraud the United States. Three defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. The indictment charges that a Russian organization, the Internet Research Agency, waged "information warfare" against the U.S. by using social media platforms and fictitious American personas for "supporting the presidential campaign of then-candidate Donald J. Trump … and disparaging Hillary Clinton." Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said this "information warfare" didn’t affect the outcome of the presidential election. (CNBC / ABC News / Washington Post / New York Times / Bloomberg)
Mueller's investigation into collusion and potential obstruction of justice by Trump and his campaign is expected to continue for months. Trump, meanwhile, tweeted that the Russian indictments are vindication that there was "No collusion!" Rod Rosenstein said during his press conference today that there is "no allegation in this indictment that any American was a knowing participant" in the alleged scheme to interfere with the 2016 election. Mueller could still indict Americans for knowingly helping Russia. (Bloomberg)
Rick Gates is close to a plea deal with Robert Mueller. The former Trump campaign adviser has been involved in plea negotiations for about a month, and people familiar with the case say he is poised to cooperate with the investigation. If Gates agrees to a plea deal, he will be the third known cooperator in the special counsel's probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. (CNN)
Russia-linked bots are promoting pro-gun messages on Twitter in an attempt to sow discord in the aftermath of the Florida school shooting. (CNN)
Steve Bannon told the House Intelligence Committee yesterday that he had been instructed by the White House to invoke executive privilege on behalf of Trump and declined to answer questions pertinent to the Russia investigation. Lawmakers are considering whether to hold him in contempt. (CNN)
Steve Bannon was interviewed by Robert Mueller over several days this week, spending more than 20 hours in conversation with the team investigating possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Bannon and his legal team also appeared for a closed-door meeting with the House Intelligence Committee, despite the White House telling lawmakers Bannon would not be answering questions pertinent to the Russia investigation. (NBC News / ABC News / CNN)
Reince Priebus convinced Jeff Sessions not to resign shortly after Trump fired James Comey in May 2017. Trump berated Sessions for recusing himself from the Russia investigation in a meeting in the Oval Office, which lead to Sessions offering his resignation. (New York Times / Vanity Fair)
Trump doesn't believe Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election, even though the heads of U.S. intelligence agencies testified to the Senate Intelligence Committee that Russia meddled in 2016 and is planning to do so again in 2018. (CNN)
A former senior FBI official is leading BuzzFeed's effort to verify the Trump dossier and defend itself from a Russian billionaire's lawsuit. BuzzFeed in turn is suing the DNC for information the publisher believes could show a link between the Russian billionaire and the e-mail hacking, which would undercut his libel claim. (Foreign Policy / Vanity Fair)
U.S. intelligence agencies expect Russia to meddle in the 2018 midterm elections through hacking and social media manipulation. During testimony at the Senate Intelligence Committee's annual hearing on worldwide threats, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told the committee: "Frankly, the United States is under attack" and that Russia will continue to engage in cyber attacks to "degrade our democratic values and weaken our alliances." He added: "There should be no doubt that Russia perceives its past efforts as successful and views the 2018 U.S. midterm elections as a potential target for Russian influence operations." (New York Times / USA Today / NBC News)
More than 200 Russian mercenaries were killed in a clash with U.S. forces in Syria last week. The fighters attacked a base and refinery held by the U.S. and were defeated. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis called the situation "perplexing," because it's not clear whether the attack was a rogue operation or if it was ordered by Russia. (Bloomberg)
Rachel Brand quit the Justice Department in part over fears that she'd have to take over the Russia investigation if Trump fired Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. The Justice Department's No. 3 attorney had been unhappy with her job for months, telling friends that she felt overwhelmed and unsupported in her job, primarily because four of the 13 divisions she oversaw as the associate attorney general remained unfilled. (NBC News)
The Justice Department's No. 3 official resigned. Rachel Brand was next in line behind Rod Rosenstein, who is overseeing the special counsel's inquiry into Russian influence in the 2016 election. Trump has called the investigation a witch hunt and even considered firing Rosenstein. (New York Times / CNN)
The FBI was monitoring Carter Page when he spoke to Steve Bannon about Russia in January 2017. The details of the call are vague, but national security experts say the FBI would have retained the conversation as evidence if it seemed pertinent to their investigation into allegations that Trump associates coordinated with the Kremlin. (Politico)
Trump said the White House would release a letter regarding the possible release of the Democrat's memo written which rebuts a Republican document claiming FBI and Justice Department bias against him in the federal probe of Russia and the 2016 U.S. election. (Reuters)
Russian hackers penetrated voter registration rolls in several U.S. states before the 2016 presidential election. A Homeland Security Department official said that of the 21 states that were targeted, a "small number" were successfully penetrated. Officials maintain that there is no evidence that voter rolls were altered. (NBC News)
poll/ 57% of Americans believe Russia will try to influence this year's midterm elections and 55% believe the federal government isn't doing enough to prevent it. (NBC News)
Rex Tillerson: Russia is already trying to influence the 2018 midterm election. Tillerson warned that Russia has "a lot of different tools" that it can use to influence the election. He added: "I don't know that I would say we are better prepared, because the Russians will adapt, as well. The point is, if it's their intention to interfere, they are going to find ways to do that." (Fox News / NBC News)
Trump's lawyers want him to refuse an interview with Robert Mueller, because they're concerned that he could be charged with lying to investigators. Trump, however, has said that he is "looking forward" to speaking with Mueller as part of the investigation into possible collusion between his campaign and Russia's election interference, and whether he obstructed justice. Ty Cobb, the White House lawyer Trump tapped to deal with Mueller's investigation, has said the White House is in "total cooperation mode." (New York Times)
Steve Bannon will not testify before the House Intelligence Committee today, thus risking being held in contempt for failing to comply with a subpoena. The panel wants Bannon to testify a second time in its investigation of Russian election meddling. Bannon's January 16th appearance failed to satisfy members of the committee. (CNN / Reuters)
The Justice Department sided with Robert Mueller in a lawsuit filed against him by Paul Manafort. Manafort filed the civil suit against Mueller on January 3rd, saying the special counsel's investigation into collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia exceeded its legal authority. (Reuters)
The memo confirms that actions taken by George Papadopoulos, the former Trump foreign policy adviser, were a factor in the opening of the investigation. Papadopoulos pleaded guilty last year to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russians.
The Trump administration called for the development of two new, "lower-yield" types of nuclear weapons for ballistic and cruise missiles launched from submarines. The weapons could be used to respond to "extreme circumstances," including non-nuclear attacks. The White House also publicly acknowledged for the first time that Russia is "developing" a "new intercontinental, nuclear armed, nuclear-powered, undersea autonomous torpedo." (Politico)
K.T. McFarland asked to withdraw her stalled nomination to be the U.S. ambassador to Singapore. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee was concerned about her testimony to Congress over communications with Russia. (Reuters)
CIA Director Mike Pompeo met with the head of Russia's foreign intelligence agency, even though the head of the GRU was barred from entering the US under sanctions put in place in 2014. Pompeo defended the meeting and claimed that he and other officials only met with the Russian operatives "to keep Americans safe." The Russian Embassy in Washington announced the meeting with Pompeo in a tweet on January 30th. (CNN)
Hope Hicks allegedly told Trump that the emails involving Trump Jr. and the Trump Tower meeting "will never get out" because only a few people have access to them. The White House communications director's comment was in response to Mark Corallo, who served as the spokesman for Trump's legal team, saying the statement they drafted aboard Air Force One would backfire when documents surface that the meeting was setup to get political dirt about Hillary Clinton from the Russians – and not about Russian adoptions. Corallo believed Hicks' comment indicated that she could be contemplating obstructing justice. Corallo will tell Robert Mueller about the previously undisclosed conference call with Trump and Hicks when he meets with the special counsel's team sometime in the next two weeks. Corallo resigned from Trump's legal team in July. (New York Times / CNN)
Trump is telling friends that The Memo™ is a way of discrediting the Russia investigation. He believes it would expose bias at the FBI and that the bureau is prejudiced against him. (CNN)
Carter Page was on the radar of U.S. intelligence agencies several years before he became a member of Trump's campaign. Page had his first brush with a U.S. intelligence official back in 2013, when he was interviewed by FBI counterintelligence agent Gregory Monaghan about his contacts with Victor Podobnyy, who was serving as a junior attaché at the Russian consulate in New York City at the time. (Wall Street Journal)
Trump asked Rod Rosenstein if he was "on my team" during a December meeting at the White House. "Of course, we're all on your team, Mr. President," Rosenstein said, who wanted Trump to push back on the Nunes memo. Trump, however, wanted to know where Robert Mueller's Russia investigation was going. It's Trump's fourth loyalty request from a Justice Department official. Last year, Trump asked for Comey to pledge his loyalty at a private dinner seven days after the inauguration. Comey declined. (CNN / Axios)
The FBI is investigating a second Trump-Russia dossier. This one, written by former journalist Cody Shearer, was provided to the FBI by Christopher Steele in October 2016. Steele warned that he could not vouch for the accuracy of the memo, but provided a copy because it corroborated what he had separately heard from his own sources. The FBI is still assessing details in the "Shearer memo," which suggests investigators have taken some aspect of it seriously. Both documents allege that Trump was compromised during a 2013 trip to Moscow that involved prostitutes urinating on a bed where the Obamas once stayed. (The Guardian)
Paul Ryan called for a "cleanse" of the FBI as he defended the way that Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes handled a vote to declassify The Memo™ of alleged surveillance abuses by federal law enforcement agencies. Ryan, however, warned against trying to use it to discredit Robert Mueller's probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 election. "Let it all out, get it all out there," Ryan said. "Cleanse the organization." (Fox News / Washington Post)
Mitch McConnell sees no need to protect Robert Mueller's Russia investigation or Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. "My understanding is there's no effort under way to undermine or remove the special counsel," McConnell said. "Therefore I don't see any need to bring up legislation to protect someone who appears to need no protection." Trump has discussed both possibilities. (Bloomberg)
Trump will not impose new sanctions on Russia because the threat is already "serving as a deterrent," a State Department official said. A bipartisan bill overwhelmingly passed in July imposes penalties on companies doing "significant" business with Russian defense and intelligence entities. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said: "We estimate that foreign governments have abandoned planned or announced purchases of several billion dollars in Russian defense acquisitions." (Politico / Washington Post)
The US Treasury published a list of Russian oligarchs and senior officials at the Kremlin as part of the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act. The report includes 114 senior political figures with close ties to Putin and 96 oligarchs with a net worth of $1 billion or more. The list is designed to shame individuals and put them on notice that they could be the subject of future sanctions. (CNN)
The Congress-mandated sanctions report was lifted from the Forbes "200 richest businessmen in Russia 2017" list, a Treasury Department spokesperson confirmed. Almost all 96 oligarchs listed in the government-issued report appear in the Forbes' ranking. (BuzzFeed News)
CIA Director Mike Pompeo has "every expectation" that Russia will attempt to influence this year's midterm elections. Pompeo said he still sees Russia primarily as an adversary and he hasn't "seen a significant decrease in their activity." (BBC)
Julian Assange thought he sent a direct message to Sean Hannity on Twitter offering news about Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election. Instead it was just a fake Sean Hannity account. (The Daily Beast)
Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee voted to release The Memo™ that accuses the Justice Department and FBI of misusing their authority to obtain a secret surveillance order on Carter Page. The vote effectively declassifies the memo, which was written by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes. Trump now has five days to review the document and decide whether to prevent it from going public. Last week, Trump called for the release of The Memo™, despite his own Justice Department warning him that releasing the memo to the public would be "extraordinarily reckless." Trump reportedly erupted in anger aboard Air Force One when he learned that a top Justice Department official advised against releasing the memo, warning Jeff Sessions and others that they need to excel at their jobs or go down as the worst in history. Democrats said the three-and-a half-page document is an effort to build a false narrative in order to undercut the ongoing Russia investigation, using inaccurately summarizes classified investigative materials that are designed to smear the FBI. (New York Times / Washington Post / Bloomberg)
The deadline to implement the Russia sanctions is today. In August Trump reluctantly signed the sanctions, which are designed to punish Moscow for meddling in the 2016 election, into law. The Treasury Department is required to produce a report on Putin-linked oligarchs and impose sanctions on entities doing business with Russia's defense and intelligence sectors. (Politico)
Russia accused the US of meddling in its upcoming presidential election. Moscow called the timing of the US Treasury report on Russian sanctions "a direct and obvious attempt" to interfere with the upcoming vote. (CNN)
Sarah Huckabee Sanders claimed that "poll after poll" says that nobody cares about the Trump-Russia investigation. She did not cite a specific poll. However, poll, after poll, after poll, after poll, after poll, after poll, after poll suggest Americans do care about the issue. (Washington Post)
A Russian military jet came within five feet of a US Navy P-3 Orion surveillance plane while flying in international airspace over the Black Sea. (CNN)
The Russian lawyer from the Trump Tower meeting has been named in a Swiss court case involving bribery, corruption, and "unauthorized clandestine behavior." (The Daily Beast)
The Senate Judiciary Committee intends to share Trump Jr.'s testimony with Robert Mueller. Democrats suggested that Trump Jr. may have made false statements to the committee, and are pressing the committee's Republican chairman to give Mueller the transcripts from the panel's interviews with key witnesses in the Russia probe. Chairman Chuck Grassley said he wants to release the transcripts the committee has done about the meeting at Trump Tower. (Politico / Reuters)
Dutch intelligence spied on the Russian group believed to be behind the hack of the Democratic Party ahead of U.S. elections. AIVD provided information about the Moscow-based group known as Cozy Bear, who are believed to be linked to the Russian government to the FBI. (Reuters / de Volkskrant)
Trump said he was "looking forward" to speaking with Robert Mueller's team of prosecutors under oath as they investigate Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign, as well as possible obstruction of justice. "I would love to do it, and I would like to do it as soon as possible," Trump said. "I would do it under oath, absolutely." He is expected to talk to Mueller's team in two or three weeks. (CNBC / New York Times / Washington Post)
Michael Flynn didn't tell the White House about his 2017 interview with the FBI. Flynn met privately with FBI investigators a year ago today to discuss his communications with Russia's ambassador. The meeting took place without a lawyer present and without the knowledge of the president or top White House officials. (NBC News)
Jeff Sessions was questioned by Mueller's team last week as part of the investigation into Russia's meddling in the election and whether Trump had obstructed justice since taking office. As attorney general, Sessions was involved in the firing of James Comey and it's the first time that special counsel investigators have interviewed a member of Trump's cabinet. Sessions was not under subpoena and was questioned for several hours. (New York Times / CNN)
Omarosa Manigault-Newman may have taped confidential West Wing conversations. The former White House staffer believes she may become a fixture in Robert Mueller's investigation into possible connections between the Trump campaign and Russia's election meddling. (NY Daily News)
Ty Cobb said Trump is "very eager" to talk to Robert Mueller in the hope that this will help wrap up the Russia investigation as quickly as possible. Trump's personal lawyer expects the investigation to end in the next four to six weeks. (The Hill)
The White House's top lawyer may have a conflict of interest. Don McGahn was personally involved in instructing Steve Bannon about what questions he shouldn't answer from the House Intelligence Committee's Russia investigation. He is also a witness to events under investigation by both Congress and Robert Mueller. (Bloomberg)
The FBI is investigating whether a Russian banker illegally funneled money to the NRA in order to help Trump win the presidency. Alexander Torshin is the deputy governor of Russia's central bank and has a close relationship with Putin. Torshin spoke with Trump Jr. during an NRA gala in May 2016, when Trump won the NRA's presidential endorsement. The NRA spent $30 million to support Trump in the 2016 election – three times what they devoted to Mitt Romney in 2012. (McClatchy DC)
Trump accused Russia of helping North Korea evade sanctions and claimed that Pyongyang is getting "closer every day" to being able to deliver a long-range missile to the United States. Russian tankers were caught supplying fuel to North Korea on at least three occasions in recent months. North Korea requires imported fuel to keep its intercontinental ballistic missile and nuclear program functioning. "Russia is not helping us at all with North Korea," Trump said. (Reuters)
Steve Bannon cited executive privilege and refused to answer questions from the House Intelligence Committee yesterday. House investigators in both parties were outraged by his refusal, leading the committee to subpoena Bannon on the spot, vowing to force him to answer their questions about Russian interference in the 2016 election. (Politico)
Robert Mueller's team is investigating newly uncovered financial transactions from Russian diplomatic accounts and people or businesses inside the United States. Among them are transactions by former ambassador Sergey Kislyak 10 days after the 2016 presidential election and a blocked $150,000 cash withdrawal five days after the inauguration. (BuzzFeed News)
Steve Bannon was subpoenaed to testify in front of a grand jury as part of special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe. It's the first time Mueller has used a grand jury subpoena to get information from someone in Trump's inner circle. Mueller, however, may end up letting Bannon forgo the grand jury appearance if he allows investigators to question him at the special counsel's offices in Washington. (New York Times)
The FBI will notify U.S. companies and the public about Russian efforts to manipulate social media and interfere in upcoming elections. The FBI's "foreign influence" task force, which was created last year, could dramatically reshape the relationship between the government and social media companies. (Bloomberg)
Trump declined to commit to an interview with Robert Mueller when asked at a news conference today. He said it "seems unlikely," but that "we'll see what happens." Trump repeatedly argued there has been "no collusion" between his campaign and Russia, and questioned why he would need to be interviewed. (NBC News / Washington Post / New York Times)
A member of Trump's National Security Council proposed withdrawing U.S. forces from Eastern Europe as a way to please Putin during the first months of the Trump presidency. Kevin Harrington's proposal, which was rejected, is the first known instance of senior Trump aides attempting to alter U.S. military actions to please Putin. (The Daily Beast)
The Trump administration waived fines for Deutsche Bank and four other multinational banks convicted of manipulating global interest rates. Trump owes Deutsche at least $130 million in loans that were originally worth $300 million. The German bank was also fined $425 million by New York State for laundering $10 billion out of Russia. (International Business Times / USA Today)
A Senate Foreign Relations Committee report says the US is not prepared to defend against possible Russian meddling in the 2018 midterm elections or the 2020 presidential contest. (CNN)
Dianne Feinstein released the full transcript of Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson's testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. The head of the research firm behind the dossier of allegations against then-candidate Trump told congressional investigators that someone from inside Trump's network had also provided the FBI with corroborating information during the campaign. Simpson had asked the committee last week for the transcript to be made public, but Republican leaders declined prompting Feinstein to post the transcript today with "no agreement" from committee Republicans. (CNBC / Washington Post / Politico)
White House officials believe that Trump will be "sunk" if Robert Mueller looks into Trump's finances as part of the Russia probe. "People don't think in the White House — don't think that he colluded with Russia," Michael Wolff said, author of Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House. "They do think that if the investigation goes near his finances, he's sunk." (The Hill / CNBC)
The Russian lawyer met Ivanka Trump after the Trump Tower meeting with Trump Jr., Paul Manafort, and Jared Kushner in June 2016. Natalia Veselnitskaya said that as she was leaving the building and waiting for an elevator, she exchanged pleasantries with a blond-haired woman whom she believed was Trump. (NBC News)
Trump was named the world's most oppressive leader for "overall achievement in undermining global press freedom" by the Committee to Protect Journalists, beating out Erdoğan and Putin. Trump plans to announce his "MOST DISHONEST AND CORRUPT MEDIA AWARDS OF THE YEAR" on Wednesday. (HuffPost)
Trump's legal team anticipates that Special Counsel Robert Mueller will try to directly interview Trump as part of the Russia probe. The team wants to submit written responses to Mueller's questions instead of having Trump appear for a formal, one-on-one sit-down. Mueller informed Trump's lawyers last month that he may want to interview Trump "soon." A person with direct knowledge of the discussions described them as "preliminary and ongoing." (NBC News / Wall Street Journal / Washington Post)
Over the weekend, Trump defended his mental fitness, describing himself as a "very stable genius" in response to details in Michael Wolff's book that he is mentally unfit to serve. He insisted that opponents and the media were attacking his mental capacity because they had failed to prove collusion with Russia during the 2016 presidential campaign. Trump tweeted that "my two greatest assets have been mental stability and being, like, really smart." (New York Times / CNN / The Guardian)
Steve Bannon walked back his critical comments of Trump Jr. He said he "regrets" his "delay in responding to the inaccurate reporting" that the Trump Jr. meeting with Russians at Trump Tower during the campaign was "treasonous," "unpatriotic," and "bad shit." In a statement, Bannon called Trump Jr. "both a patriot and a good man," adding that "there was no collusion and the investigation is a witch hunt." (Axios / CNN)
National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster said there was already evidence of Russian meddling in Mexico's election, which is set for July. (Reuters)
Trump ordered the White House's top lawyer to stop Jeff Sessions from recusing himself from the Russia investigation, saying he expected his attorney general to protect him. Don McGahn unsuccessfully lobbied Sessions to remain in charge in March 2017. Trump reportedly erupted in anger in front of several White House officials. The previously unreported details have legal experts suggesting that there is currently a larger body of public evidence tying Trump to a possible crime of obstruction. Robert Mueller's investigation is currently investigating whether Trump obstructed justice while in office and whether there was collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. (New York Times)
Comey testified on May 3rd that the Russia investigation was ongoing to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
🇷🇺 What you need to know about the Russia investigation.
A third Republican called on Jeff Sessions to resign, saying he "is not able to take the reins and direct" the Russia probe because of his recusal. Chris Stewart, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, joins Mark Meadows, Freedom Caucus chair, and Jim Jordan, a member who sits on the oversight and judiciary committees in the US House of Representatives, who have called for Sessions to resign this week. (CNN)
Republican senators recommended possible criminal charges for the author of the Trump-Russia dossier. Charles Grassley and Lindsey Graham suggested that the Justice Department investigate Christopher Steele for possibly lying to the FBI. (Washington Post / New York Times)
Steve Bannon received a cease and desist letter from Trump's lawyer accusing him of breaching his confidentiality agreement by making "disparaging" and "outright defamatory statements" about Trump and his family. The letter comes after excerpts from Michael Wolff's book were made public, with Bannon calling the Trump Tower meeting with Russians "treasonous," "unpatriotic," and "bad shit." During the campaign, Trump had staffers sign a non-disclosure agreement which required all staff to refrain from making any disparaging comments about Trump, his family, or the campaign. (ABC News)
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and FBI Director Chris Wray met with Paul Ryan about the House Russia investigation. The meeting was related to a document request by House Intelligence Committee chairman Devin Nunes this summer. (Politico)
Steve Bannon called the Trump Tower meeting with Russians "treasonous," "unpatriotic," and "bad shit." He added: "The three senior guys in the campaign thought it was a good idea to meet with a foreign government inside Trump Tower … with no lawyers … You should have called the FBI immediately." Bannon's comments come from forthcoming book the Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, by Michael Wolff. (The Guardian)
Fusion GPS defended the dossier of alleged Trump-Russia ties and called on Republicans to release the firm's testimony. "The attack on our firm," the Fusion GPS founders wrote in a New York Times Op-Ed, "is a diversionary tactic by Republicans who don't want to investigate Donald Trump's ties to Russia." Glenn Simpson and Peter Fritsch write they hired Christopher Steele to investigate Trump's repeated efforts "to do deals in a notoriously corrupt police state that most serious investors shun." They added: "As we told the Senate Judiciary Committee in August, our sources said the dossier was taken so seriously because it corroborated reports the [FBI] had received from other sources, including one inside the Trump camp," referring to a drunk George Papadopoulos, who bragged about Russia having political dirt on Hillary Clinton to one of Australia's top diplomats. (New York Times)
A drunk George Papadopoulos bragged about the political dirt Russia had on Hillary Clinton to Australia's top diplomat at a London bar in May 2016. Australian officials passed the information about Papadopoulos to their American counterparts two months later, when leaked Democratic emails began appearing online. The FBI opened its counterintelligence investigation in July 2016 into Russia's attempts to disrupt the election following the revelation that the Trump campaign had information about the DNC's hacked emails Trump and his advisers have dismissed Papadopoulos' campaign role as just a "coffee boy." (New York Times)
White House aides are worried about 2018 as several senior officials are expected to depart in the coming year – with no replacements lined up – and Robert Mueller's Russia investigation looms. Aides expect few things to get done in Washington this year as they head into a contentious midterm election season. (Politico)
Trump: The Russia investigation makes the US "look very bad" and "puts the country in a very bad position." The comment came during an impromptu 30-minute interview with The New York Times at his golf club in West Palm Beach. Trump insisted 16 times that there has been "no collusion" discovered by Robert Mueller's investigation. Additional quotes below. (New York Times)
On collusion with Russia: "There is no collusion" and even if there was collusion, "it's not a crime."
Russia said the worsening relationship with the US is a major disappointment. A Putin spokesman told reporters that Russia still wants improved relations with the US, but they have to be based on a "mutual trust and mutual respect" and that "it takes two to tango." (Associated Press)
Robert Mueller is investigating whether the Trump campaign and the RNC coordinated their voter outreach using Russian-acquired information. Russian hackers stole voter information from election databases in several states in 2016. Mueller's prosecutors want to know if the Trump campaign used that information to target voters in key swing states and determine if the joint RNC-Trump campaign data operation effort was related to the activities of Russian trolls and bots aimed at influencing the election. Jared Kushner was in charge of the campaign's digital operation and has recently searched for a crisis public relations firm to handle press inquiries. (Yahoo News / Business Insider)
A jailed Russian said he can prove he hacked the Democratic National Committee computers on behalf of Russian intelligence. Konstantin Kozlovsky claims he left behind a data signature in a hidden data file that corresponds to his Russian passport number and the number of his visa to visit the Caribbean island of St. Martin. (McClatchy DC)
Trump claimed the "tainted" FBI is using the "bogus," "pile of garbage" dossier to go after him. The dossier contains allegations about Trump's connections to Russia and possible coordination between the campaign and the Kremlin during the 2016 election. Many of the details contained in the dossier have been verified. (Washington Post / Politico)
The FBI asked Cyprus for financial information about a defunct bank that was used by wealthy Russians with political connections. The FBI's request appears to be connected to Robert Mueller's ongoing investigation of Paul Manafort and money that flowed between former Soviet states and the US through Cypriot banks. (The Guardian)
Russian submarines have been prowling around undersea data cables that provide internet to North America and Europe. (Washington Post)
The House Intelligence Committee asked Steve Bannon and Corey Lewandowski to testify as part of their investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Both were asked to testify in early January as part of a voluntary, closed-door meeting. The committee hasn't received a response from either Bannon or Lewandowski, yet. (Bloomberg)
Carter Page failed his Ph.D. twice and blamed it on "anti-Russian bias." Examiners called the former Trump foreign policy advisor's thesis "verbose" and "vague." (The Guardian)
The White House counsel knew Michael Flynn had probably violated two federal laws in January. Don McGahn learned on December 29, 2016, that Flynn had counseled Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the United States, not to retaliate against economic sanctions imposed by the Obama administration. McGahn then researched federal laws dealing with lying to federal investigators and negotiating with foreign governments. He also warned Trump about Flynn's possible violations. (Foreign Policy)
Jeff Sessions asked the FBI to reexamine evidence in the dormant Uranium One deal. Trump and some Republicans have called the 2010 deal to sell U.S. uranium mining facilities to Russia's state atomic energy company corrupt, because several people involved had contributed millions of dollars to the Clinton Foundation. Hillary Clinton, however, wasn't involved in the decision while secretary of state, the State Department official who approved the deal has confirmed. (NBC News)
poll/ 47% of Americans approve of Robert Mueller's handling of the Russia investigation. 56% say Trump's comments on the Russia probe have been mostly or completely false. (CNN)
The Trump administration has approved the commercial sale of weapons to Ukraine, which will be used by Ukrainian forces fighting a Russian-backed separatist movement. (Washington Post)
Russian trolls promoted autocracy and fear during key events in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. They infiltrated the online conversations of millions of Americans on Facebook and Twitter. (NBC News)
Donald Trump Jr. suggested that "people at the highest levels of government" have conspired to block his father's agenda, saying they "don't want to let America be America." He added that the investigations into Russian election meddling and his father's campaign are evidence of a "rigged system." Trump Jr. made the comments at a gathering of young conservative activists during an event in West Palm Beach, Florida. (CNN)
The Senate Intelligence Committee is looking at Jill Stein for potential "collusion with the Russians." The Green Party candidate attended a 2015 dinner in Moscow, which was also attended by Michael Flynn. Putin was seated next to Flynn and across the table from Stein. (Washington Post)
The FBI warned Trump in 2016 that Russia would try to infiltrate his campaign. Both Trump and Hillary Clinton received counterintelligence briefings by senior FBI officials, which advised them to alert the FBI to any "suspicious overtures to their campaigns." Trump was "briefed and warned" at the session about potential espionage threats from Russia. (NBC News)
Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee are trying to wrap up their Russia probe by the end of the year. Democrats have requested as many as 30 additional interviews with new witnesses, but none have been scheduled beyond the end of this month. Some witnesses are scheduled to be interviewed in New York this week, leaving Democrats to choose between attending those depositions or voting on the tax bill coming before the House. (New York Times / NBC News)
Trump unveiled his "America First" foreign policy, presenting both Russia and China as "revisionist powers" who "want to shape a world antithetical to US values and interests." Trump's strategy has four organizing principles: protect the American homeland, protect American prosperity, preserve peace through strength, and advance US influence. Trump attacked past administrations on immigration, the Iran nuclear deal, the Paris climate accord, trade pacts, and more. (Washington Post / CNN)
Putin called Trump to thank him for CIA intelligence that allegedly stopped a planned bombing in St. Petersburg. A readout of the conversation said that Trump appreciated the call and "stressed the importance of intelligence cooperation to defeat terrorists wherever they may be." (NBC News)
Cambridge Analytica handed over employees' emails to Robert Mueller's team as part of the special counsel's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. The firm provided the Trump campaign with data, polling, and research services during the race. The emails had previously been voluntarily turned over to the House Intelligence Committee. (Wall Street Journal)
Internet traffic sent to and from Google, Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft was briefly routed through a previously unknown Russian Internet provider on Wednesday. Researchers called it suspicious and intentional. (Ars Technica)
Trump's daily intelligence briefings are often structured to avoid upsetting him. Russia-related intelligence, specifically, is usually only included in the written assessment and not addressed orally. When it is, the CIA analyst leading the briefing will adjust the presentation's structure in order to soften the impact (Washington Post)
Rex Tillerson told diplomats that Russia "interfered in democratic processes here," something Trump continues to call "fake news" intended to delegitimize his presidency. The comment came in a closed-door meeting with US diplomats where Tillerson also praised Trump for trying to focus on "productive engagement" with Russia. (The Daily Beast)
Trump's legal team is trying to protect him from Robert Mueller's "killers" in the Russia probe, while facing criticism that they are outmatched. (Washington Post)
Adam Schiff called the evidence of coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia is "pretty damning." The ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee said: "The Russians offered help. The campaign accepted help. The Russians gave help. And the president made full use of that help." (The Hill)
Robert Mueller's investigators are focused on an 18-day timeline related to possible obstruction of justice by Trump. Sally Yates testified that she told White House Counsel Don McGahn on January 26th that Michael Flynn had lied to senior members of the Trump team about his conversations with Russia's ambassador, Sergey Kislyak. Possible obstruction of justice hinges on when Trump knew about Flynn's conversations with Russia's ambassador during the transition and when he learned that Flynn had lied about those conversations to the FBI. Trump fired Flynn on February 13th, saying he did so because he had misled Pence. Mueller is trying to determine why Flynn remained in his job for 18 days after Trump learned of Yates' warning, and is interested in whether Trump directed him to lie to senior officials. (NBC News)
Putin ordered the partial withdrawal of Russian troops from Syria. Putin made a similar withdrawal announcement last year, but Russian military operations continued. (BBC)
Russian operatives tried to make contact with Hope Hicks at least twice since Trump took office and after US intelligence agencies publicly accused Moscow of trying to influence the presidential election. Hicks is one of Trump's top advisers and there is no evidence that Hicks did anything wrong. The FBI gave Hicks the names of the Russians who had contacted her, and said that they were not who they claimed to be. Hicks met with Robert Mueller's investigators this week as part of the investigation into Russia’s efforts to influence the 2016 election. (New York Times)
Trump Jr. cited attorney-client privilege and refused to discuss a phone call he had with his father about how to handle the fallout from his June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower with a Russian lawyer. He told the House Intelligence Committee that a lawyer was in the room during the call. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the committee, told reporters: "I don't believe you can shield communications between individuals merely by having an attorney present," adding "that's not the purpose of attorney-client privilege" and that "the presence of counsel does not make communications between father and son a privilege." (Politico / New York Times / Wall Street Journal)
Trump Jr.'s initial response was that the meeting focused on the issue of adoption. It was later revealed that Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort also attended the meeting after receiving an email stating that a Russian government lawyer would provide incriminating facts about Hillary Clinton as "part of Russia and its government's support for Mr. Trump." No damaging information was delivered.
poll/ 59% of Americans think the Trump team "definitely" or "probably" had improper contacts with Russia during last year's presidential campaign. 56% are very or somewhat confident Robert Mueller will conduct his probe fairly. (Pew Research Center)
The British publicist who arranged the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting encouraged Dan Scavino to make a page for candidate Trump on the Russian social networking site VK, telling him that "Don and Paul" were on board with the idea. Don and Paul, of course, refer to Donald Trump Jr. and Paul Manafort. The previously undisclosed emails from Rob Goldstone to a Russian participant and a member of Trump's inner circle later that summer raise new questions for congressional investigators about what was discussed at the meeting. Scavino is now the White House director of social media. (CNN)
Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee put KT McFarland's nomination on hold until she answers questions about her knowledge of communications between Michael Flynn and Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak. (CNN)
Devin Nunes met with Blackwater founder Erik Prince earlier this year despite his recusal from the Russia probe. Nunes discussed with Prince the House Intelligence Committee's investigation into the unmasking of Americans' identities in intelligence reports. (Business Insider)
Michael Flynn promised that sanctions against Russia would be "ripped up" as one of the Trump administration's first acts, according to a whistleblower. Flynn worked with Russia until June 2016 on a business venture to build nuclear power plants in the Middle East. Ending the sanctions would have allowed the project to move forward. During Trump's inaugural address, Flynn sent the whistleblower a text message directing him to tell those involved in the nuclear project to continue developing their plans and that the project was "good to go." The whistleblower approached the House Oversight Committee in June, but Robert Mueller's investigators asked him to "hold on the public release of this information until they completed certain investigative steps." (New York Times / Politico / CNN)
Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya told the Senate Judiciary Committee that Trump Jr. asked her for evidence of illegal donations to the Clinton Foundation during the June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower. Veselnitskaya said she told Trump Jr. that she didn't have any meaningful information about the Clintons, at which point Trump Jr. lost interest and the meeting fizzled out. Veselnitskaya said that she wasn't working for the Russian government and that her motivation for contacting the Trump campaign was to convince them to reexamine the incident that led to the Magnitsky Act. (NBC News)
Robert Mueller issued a subpoena for the banking records of people affiliated with Trump. The move forced Deutsche Bank – Trump's biggest lender – to turn over documents related to certain credit transactions and the $300 million Trump owes the lender. Legal experts said it showed Mueller was "following the money" in search of links between the campaign and the Kremlin since Deutsche Bank may have sold some of Trump's mortgage or loans to Russian-owned banks, which could potentially give Russia leverage over Trump. Jay Sekulow, one of Trump's personal lawyers, denied that a subpoena had been issued. Since 1998, Deutsche has helped loan at least $2.5 billion to companies affiliated with Trump, which he used to build or purchase highest-profile projects in Washington, New York, Chicago and Florida. (The Guardian / Bloomberg / Reuters / Wall Street Journal)
Paul Manafort was ghostwriting an op-ed with a longtime colleague "based in Russia and assessed to have ties to a Russian intelligence service" while out on bail last month. The editorial was related to Manafort's political work for Ukraine. Robert Mueller's investigators argue that Manafort's $10 million unsecured bail agreement should be revisited because it was written while he was on house arrest facing several felony charges, which would have violated a court order to not publicly discuss the case and "casts doubt on Manafort’s willingness to comply with court orders." If the court sides with Mueller, Manafort could remain under house arrest until his trial sometime next year. (New York Times / The Guardian / Washington Post / Associated Press)
Trump's former deputy national security advisor may have contradicted herself during Senate testimony about Michael Flynn's contacts with then-Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak. In July, K.T. McFarland told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that she did not discuss or have any knowledge of Flynn's contact with Kislyak. A December 29th email exchange, however, shows McFarland wrote a colleague that Flynn would be speaking with Kislyak later that day. (New York Times)
Pence's aides maintain he doesn't know anything about Russia and the Trump campaign. (Politico)
Robert Mueller's Russia investigation has cost at least $3.2 million so far. Other Justice Department agencies spent an additional $3.5 million to support the investigation. (USA Today)
Germany sees Trump as a bigger challenge than North Korea or Russia. (Reuters)
Trump tweeted that he fired Michael Flynn because he lied to the FBI about his conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the presidential transition last December. "I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI. He has pled guilty to those lies," Trump tweeted. (New York Times)
Emails dispute White House claims that Michael Flynn acted independently in his discussions with Russia during the presidential transition and then lied to his colleagues about the interactions. (New York Times)
A conservative operative offered the Trump campaign a "Kremlin Connect" by using an NRA convention to make "first contact." Russia, Paul Erickson wrote, was "quietly but actively seeking a dialogue with the U.S." (New York Times)
The Senate Judiciary Committee is building an obstruction of justice case, according to Dianne Feinstein, the panel's top Democrat. "I see it in the hyper-frenetic attitude of the White House, the comments every day, the continual tweets," Feinstein said. "And I see it most importantly in what happened with the firing of Director [James] Comey, and it is my belief that that is directly because he did not agree to ‘lift the cloud’ of the Russia investigation. That’s obstruction of justice." (NBC News)
Robert Mueller removed his top FBI agent this summer for sending anti-Trump text messages. During the presidential campaign, Peter Strzok and another member of Mueller's team had exchanged texts disparaging Trump and supporting Hillary Clinton. At the time, Strzok was investigating Clinton's use of a private email server. Strzok left the Russia investigation in August. (New York Times / Washington Post)
The Russia investigation is "wearing" on the White House and "everyone thinks they're being recorded." Michael Flynn's plea is the closest that Robert Mueller's probe into Russian meddling and collusion has come to the Oval Office. Flynn's plea deal includes an agreement that he could avoid a potential lengthy jail term in part by "participating in covert law enforcement activities." (CNN / Politico)
Michael Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about conversations he had with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the presidential transition last December. Flynn is the fourth Trump associate to be charged in Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. (New York Times)
Flynn promised "full cooperation" with Mueller's investigation and is prepared to testify that Trump directed him to make contact with the Russians. The FBI said Flynn communicated with Sergey Kislyak, then the Russian ambassador to the US, after being asked by a senior Trump transition official to find out where foreign governments stood on an upcoming UN Security Council resolution about Israel. The FBI did not name the officials. (ABC News / CNN)
Jared Kushner was the "very senior" Trump official who directed Michael Flynn to contact the Russian ambassador and several other foreign governments. Abbe Lowell, Kusher’s attorney, declined to comment. (Washington Post / CNN)
Trump lobbied several Senate Republicans over the summer "to wrap up" the Russia investigation. The chairman of the Intelligence Committee, Richard Burr, said Trump made a request "something along the lines of 'I hope you can conclude this as quickly as possible.'" Trump also approached Senator Roy Blunt, who sits on the committee, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell with requests to end the investigations. Trump has now asked at least seven officials in both houses of Congress and the Department of Justice to end the multiple investigations. The White House said Trump "at no point has attempted to apply undue influence on committee members." (New York Times / Newsweek)
Jeff Sessions declined to say if Trump ever asked him to obstruct the Russia investigation when questioned today during his House Intelligence Committee testimony. Sessions said his conversations with Trump were subject to executive privilege and he would not respond to the question either way. (The Hill)
Trump Jr. agreed to meet with the House Intelligence Committee on December 6th. It's the first opportunity for lawmakers to question Trump's son over his contacts with Russians during the campaign, including the June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower between campaign officials and Russian operatives promising dirt on Hillary Clinton. (CNN)
Michael Flynn may have violated federal law by failing to disclose a Middle Eastern trip on his security clearance renewal application in 2016. Flynn traveled to Egypt and Israel in 2015 as an advisor to a company hoping to build two dozen nuclear power plants in the region. The plan relied on help from Russians to build the plants and take possession of the spent fuel, which could be used to build a nuclear weapon. (Washington Post)
The FBI failed to notify US officials that their personal Gmail accounts were being targeted by Fancy Bear, a Russian-government-aligned cyberespionage group. Many officials learned of the hacking attempts only when informed by the Associated Press. (Associated Press)
The FBI warned Representative Dana Rohrabacher in 2012 that Russia regarded him as an intelligence source worthy of a Kremlin code name. (New York Times)
Roman Beniaminov, a low-profile real estate exec turned pop star manager, knew about Russia’s "dirt" on Hillary Clinton. (The Daily Beast)
Kushner failed to disclose that a senior Russian official tried to arrange a meeting between Putin and Trump. The Senate Judiciary Committee accused Kushner of withholding an email from Aleksander Torshin, who claimed to be acting at the behest of Putin in a May 2016 email. The subject line read: "Russian backdoor overture and dinner invite." Torshin's email came a few weeks after a professor with ties to the Russian government told George Papadopoulos that the Russians had "dirt" on Hillary Clinton in the form of "thousands of emails." Spanish anti-corruption officials say Torshin is a "godfather" of the Russian mafia. (New York Times / NBC News)
Robert Mueller issued a subpoena to Trump's campaign for Russia-related documents from more than a dozen officials. The subpoena, issued in mid-October, is the first time Trump's campaign has been ordered to turn over information. It does not compel any officials to testify but it surprised the campaign, which had been voluntarily complying with Mueller's requests for information. (Wall Street Journal)
Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak said he won't name all the Trump officials he's met with because "the list is so long" and that it would take him more than 20 minutes to do so. Kislyak made the remarks during an interview with Russia-1, a state-owned Russian TV channel. (CNBC)
The British publicist who helped set up the Trump Tower meeting will talk with Robert Mueller's office. Rob Goldstone has been living in Bangkok, Thailand and is expected to travel to the US at some point "in the near future" to discuss the meeting between Trump Jr. and a group of Russians in June 2016. (NBC News)
The Republican Party is no longer paying Trump's personal legal bills related to the Russia probe. Trump is working with the Office of Government Ethics and tax firm to use his personal funds to help current and former White House staffers caught up in the Justice Department's special counsel investigation with their legal costs. The RNC had previously paid out more than $230,000 for Trump's legal bills. (Bloomberg / CNN)
Jared Kushner forwarded emails about a "Russian backdoor overture and dinner invite" to campaign officials, according to a letter the Senate Judiciary Committee sent Kushner's lawyer. Kushner received emails in September 2016 about Russia and WikiLeaks, but failed to turn them over to lawmakers with the rest of his documents on November 3rd. In the letter to Kushner, Chuck Grassley and Dianne Feinstein wrote: "There are several documents that are known to exist but were not included." Kushner has been asked to turn over all relevant documents by November 27th. (Business Insider / Politico)
The author of the Trump dossier believes his report is 70-90% accurate. Christopher Steele's reports were commissioned by Fusion GPS as opposition report and detail allegations that the Kremlin had personally compromising material on Trump, including sex tapes recorded during a 2013 trip to Moscow, as well as evidence that Trump and his associates actively colluded with Russian intelligence to influence the election. (The Guardian)
Jeff Sessions told the House Judiciary Committee he didn't lie under oath, but he has "no clear recollection" of the proposed Trump-Putin meeting. Despite repeatedly answering "I do not recall" to questions about a March 2016 meeting where George Papadopoulos proposed that Trump meet with Putin, Sessions said he believes he rejected the suggested meeting. Later during testimony, Sessions was more direct: "At the meeting, I pushed back." In January, Sessions testified that he had no communications with Russians during the 2016 campaign. It was later revealed that he met with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak at least twice during the campaign. (Politico / Reuters / New York Times)
Sessions: There is "not enough basis" for assigning a new special counsel to investigate Hillary Clinton. Earlier, Sessions sent the House Judiciary Committee a letter informing them that the Justice Department was looking into whether a special counsel should be appointed to investigate the Clinton Foundation and a 2010 deal to sell a US uranium company to Russia. On November 3rd, Trump said he was "very unhappy," "disappointed," and "frustrated" with the Justice Department for not investigating Hillary Clinton. (Washington Post / New York Times / The Guardian)
The US embassy in Moscow hired a security firm owned by Putin's former KGB counter-intelligence director to provide "local guard services" for the US mission in Russia. Moscow forced Washington to cut its diplomatic staff in Russia from more than 1,200 to 455 in response to sanctions adopted against Russia in August. To make up for the loss of security guards, Washington awarded a $2.8 million no-bid contract to Elite Security, which was founded in 1997 by Viktor Budanov and his son Dmitry. Budanov retired from espionage in 1992. (The Telegraph / New York Times)
The FBI is investigating Russian embassy payments "to finance election campaign of 2016." The Russian foreign ministry made more than 60 wire transfers that exceeded $380,000 in total to its embassies around the world, most of them bearing the memo line "to finance election campaign of 2016." Nearly $30,000 was sent to the Russian embassy in Washington, D.C. (BuzzFeed News)
Trump asked Putin if Russia meddled in the election. Putin said they didn't. Trump believed him. After meeting on the sideline of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit meeting in Vietnam, Trump said he was done asking Putin about election meddling. "He said he didn’t meddle — I asked him again. You can only ask so many times … Every time he sees me he says, 'I didn’t do that,' and I really believe that when he tells me that, he means it." Trump added: "I think he is very insulted by it, which is not a good thing for our country." The comments came during a question-and-answer session with reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday. (New York Times / CNN)
Trump called US intelligence leaders "political hacks" and labeled the community's conclusion that Russia interfered in the election as an "artificial Democratic hit job." Later Trump tweeted: "When will all the haters and fools out there realize that having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing." On Sunday, Trump walked back his comments, saying "I'm with our agencies." (Politico / The Hill)
CIA Director Mike Pompeo said he stands by the US intelligence assessment that Russia meddled in the election. Pompeo had falsely claimed Russian meddling didn't affect the election results. (CNN)
Former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates called Trump "shamelessly unpatriotic" for accepting Putin’s denial that Russia interfered in the 2016 election. (The Hill)
The former CIA director said Trump is being "played" by Putin regarding election meddling. "By not confronting the issue directly and not acknowledging to Putin that we know you’re responsible for this, I think he’s giving Putin a pass," former CIA director John Brennan said. "I think it demonstrates to Mr. Putin that Donald Trump can be played by foreign leaders who are going to appeal to his ego and try to play upon his insecurities." Brennan added that Trump called him and two other top intelligence officials "political hacks" in order to "delegitimize" the intelligence community’s conclusion that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election. (Washington Post / Wall Street Journal)
Trump Jr. corresponded with Wikileaks during the campaign via Twitter direct messages, which were turned over to congressional investigators as part of its probe into Russian meddling. Wikileaks made multiple requests of Trump Jr., including asking for Trump's tax returns, urging the Trump campaign to reject the results of the election as rigged, not to concede if he lost, and, later, asking the president-elect to have Australia appoint Julian Assange as ambassador to the United States. Intelligence agencies believe Wikileaks was chosen by the Russian government to share the hacked DNC emails. (The Atlantic)
Robert Mueller is investigating Michael Flynn's role in a plan to extradite a Muslim cleric in the US and deliver him to Turkey in return for $15 million. Investigators are looking into the role Flynn and his son may have played in the alleged proposal to deliver Fethullah Gülen to the Turkish government. Erdoğan views Fethullah Gülen as a political enemy and has repeatedly pressed the US to extradite him. Flynn is facing military, congressional, and criminal investigations for concealing his financial ties to Turkey and Russia, and whether the ties played a role in his decisions as Trump's national security adviser. Any deal where a government official is bribed to act on behalf of a foreign government would involve multiple federal crimes. (NBC News / Wall Street Journal)
Mueller's team is investigating a meeting between Michael Flynn and a pro-Russia congressman. The meeting between Dana Rohrabacher and Flynn took place in Washington on September 20th, 2016, while Flynn was an adviser to Trump’s campaign. Rohrabacher has pushed for better relations with Russia, traveled to Moscow to meet with officials, and advocated for overturning the Magnitsky Act, a 2012 bill that froze the assets of Russian investigators and prosecutors. It's the first known time that Mueller's investigation has touched a member of Congress. (NBC News)
Robert Mueller interviewed Stephen Miller. The White House senior policy adviser is the highest-level aide still working at the White House known to have talked to investigators. Miller was at the March 2016 meeting where George Papadopoulos said that he could arrange a meeting between Trump and Putin. (CNN)
Michael Flynn is worried about his son's legal exposure as Robert Mueller continues to investigate Russian meddling and the business dealings of key campaign advisers to Trump. Flynn Jr. served as his father's chief of staff and top aide, and was actively involved in his father's consulting and lobbying work at their firm, Flynn Intel Group. In December 2015, the Flynns traveled to Moscow, where the elder Flynn dined with Putin at a gala for the RT television network, which US intelligence views as a Russian propaganda outlet. (CNN)
The House Intelligence Committee will interview the Russian-American lobbyist who was at the Trump Tower meeting with Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort. Rinat Akhmetshin will meet with House investigators next week. The panel last week interviewed Ike Kaveladze, a Russian who attended the meeting on behalf of Russian billionaire Aras Agalarov, the oligarch who initiated the session. (CNN)
Trump's bodyguard testified that Russians offered to "send five women" to Trump's hotel room in Moscow. "We don't do that type of stuff," Keith Schiller said. The comments came as Schiller disputed the allegations made in the dossier that describes Trump as having an encounter with prostitutes at the hotel during the 2013 Miss Universe Pageant. Schiller testified that Trump went to bed alone and that he stood outside the room for a time before going to bed. He could not say for sure what happened during the remainder of the night. (NBC News)
Corey Lewandowski's "memory has been refreshed" about Carter Page's trip to Russia. In March, Trump’s former campaign manager said he "never met Carter Page." On Tuesday, Lewandowski described Page as a "low-level volunteer" who had "no formal role in the campaign," and "to the best of my recollection, I don't know Carter Page." Page testified last week to the House Oversight Committee that he had asked Lewandowski and Hope Hicks for permission to travel to Moscow. After the trip, Page emailed Lewandowski, Hicks, Sam Clovis, JD Gordon, and then-Senator Jeff Sessions about his trip to Russia, where he met with Russian officials and discussed the presidential campaign. (Politico / Talking Points Memo)
Carter Page testified that he received permission from Corey Lewandowski to visit Moscow in July 2016, he told the House Intelligence Committee during his seven-hour testimony yesterday. Page also told senior campaign officials Sam Clovis, Hope Hicks, and JD Gordon, as well as then-Senator Jeff Sessions, about his trip to Russia. When he returned, Page sent an email to campaign officials saying he had received "incredible insights and outreach" from "senior members" of Putin’s administration and suggested that Trump should make a foreign policy speech in Russia and "raise the temperature a little bit." Page maintains that his trip was made as a private citizen and was unrelated to his role in the Trump campaign. (CNN / NBC News / Washington Post)
Jeff Sessions will testify before the House Judiciary Committee on November 14th about his past statements regarding contacts between Trump campaign and Russian intermediaries. Sessions is also expected appear in a closed session with the House Intelligence Committee on the same day. (Reuters)
Trump told CIA director Mike Pompeo to meet with a former intelligence officer who claimed the DNC emails were "leaked" – not hacked. Pompeo met last month with William Binney, who has challenged a January 2017 intelligence community report from the CIA, the FBI, and the NSA that concludes "Putin ordered an influence campaign … to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency." Trump has called the report "fake news." (The Intercept)
Trump urged North Korea to "come to the table" and discuss giving up its nuclear weapons, casting the threat as a global crisis that required cooperation from Russia and China. Trump previously called Rex Tillerson's effort to negotiate with North Korea a waste of time and threatened to unleash "fire and fury" against Kim Jong Un if he continued to provoke the US. (Bloomberg / Politico)
Robert Mueller has enough evidence to charge Michael Flynn and his son as part of the Russia probe. Mueller's team is looking at possible money laundering charges, lying to federal agents, and Flynn's role in a plan to remove an opponent of the Turkish president from the US in exchange for millions of dollars. (NBC News / Reuters)
A Russian lawyer said Trump Jr. offered to have an anti-Russian law re-examined if Trump won the election. "Looking ahead, if we come to power, we can return to this issue and think what to do about it," Trump Jr. said of the Magnitsky Act, which the lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, was lobbying against. Trump Jr. met with Veselnitskaya lawyer in June 2016 at Trump Tower with Paul Manafort and Jared Kushner after being promised "information that would incriminate" Hillary Clinton. (Bloomberg)
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross retained investments in a shipping company tied to Putin's inner circle. Ross and his private equity firm are the biggest shareholders in Navigator Holdings. Navigator's largest client is the Russian energy firm Sibur, which is partly owned by a Russian oligarch and Putin's son-in-law. The revelation comes after the so-called Paradise Papers were leaked to the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung. The trove of more than 13 million documents reveal how some wealthy individuals have used offshore havens to avoid paying taxes. (New York Times / The Daily Beast / Washington Post)
Russian tech leader Yuri Milner invested $850,000 in a startup called Cadre that Jared Kushner co-founded in 2014. Kushner did not disclose his ownership in Cadre on his initial financial disclosure form when he became a White House adviser. In July, Kushner told the Senate Intelligence Committee in a closed-door meeting that he never "relied on Russian funds to finance my business activities in the private sector." (New York Times)
At least nine Trump associates had contacts with Russians during the campaign or presidential transition and include Paul Manafort, Michael Cohen, Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, George Papadopoulos, Carter Page, J.D. Gordon, Michael Flynn, and Jeff Sessions. Experts who've studied Russian tactics see a concerted and multifaceted Kremlin effort to infiltrate Trump’s campaign. (Washington Post)
poll/ 44% of Americans are "very concerned" about the Trump campaign's contacts with the Russians, up from 27% who said so in July. (CNN)
Current Status: Trump and Jeff Sessions have denied knowing about the Trump campaign's contacts with Russia. Court documents suggest otherwise. Records show that at a March 31, 2016, meeting between Trump, Sessions, and the campaign's foreign policy team, George Papadopoulos introduced himself and said "that he had connections that could help arrange a meeting between then-candidate Trump and President Putin." (New York Times)
Trump does not "remember much" from the meeting with George Papadopoulos, where Papadopoulos offered to arrange a meeting between Trump and Putin. Trump called it a "very unimportant meeting [that] took place a long time [ago]. Don't remember much about it." According to a person present for the meeting, Trump didn't dismiss the idea of meeting with Putin, but Jeff Sessions did. Trump has described himself as having "one of the greatest memories of all time." (Politico / NPR)
Carter Page testified that he told Jeff Sessions about his 2016 trip to Russia during the presidential campaign. At a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing in June, Sessions testified that he had "no knowledge" of any conversations between "anyone connected to the Trump campaign." During his confirmation hearing, Sessions was asked if "anyone affiliated with the Trump campaign communicated with the Russian government" during the campaign. Sessions responded: "I'm not aware of any of those activities … I didn't have — did not have communications with the Russians, and I'm unable to comment on it." (CNN)
Republicans called on Robert Mueller to resign as special counsel over what they contend to be "obvious conflicts of interest." Matt Gaetz, Andy Biggs, and Louie Gohmert introduced a measure to put the House on record describing Mueller as unfit to lead the Russia probe because of his relationship with James Comey, who was Mueller's successor at the FBI. (Reuters / Politico)
The White House learned that Sam Clovis testified before the grand jury from media reports. Last week Clovis testified before the investigating grand jury and was questioned by Robert Mueller's team about his role on Trump’s campaign. Emails between Clovis and George Papadopoulos, whom he supervised, show Clovis encouraging Papadopoulos to engage with his Russian contacts. (ABC News)
Senate Democrats asked Jeff Sessions to clarify his confirmation hearing remarks regarding attempts by the campaign to coordinate a meeting between Trump and Putin. Both the Senate intelligence and judiciary committees asked Sessions to formally clarify his remarks after it was reported that Trump declined to rule out the idea proposed by George Papadopoulos. Sessions weighed in and rejected the proposal to use Papadopoulos' "Russian contacts" to arrange a meeting. During his confirmation testimony, Sessions testified that he was "not aware" of anyone from the Trump campaign communicating with the Russians. (CNN / NBC News)
Carter Page met with the House Intelligence Committee in private looking into Russian involvement in the 2016 election. Page originally wanted to be questioned by the panel in public. The committee agreed to release a transcript three days after the interview. (Bloomberg)
Paul Manafort wired millions of dollars into the US through a company linked to one of Russia’s most notorious criminals. The Cyprus-based Lucicle Consultants Limited received millions of dollars from a businessman and Ukrainian parliamentarian named Ivan Fursin, who is closely linked to Semion Mogilevich, who is frequently described as "the most dangerous mobster in the world." (The Daily Beast)
The Justice Department has identified at least six Russian government officials involved in the DNC hack that resulted in thousands of emails being released by WikiLeaks last year. Prosecutors have assembled evidence to charge the Russian officials and could bring a case next year. U.S. intelligence agencies have attributed the hack to Russian intelligence services. (Wall Street Journal)
The hackers who targeted Hillary Clinton's campaign had international targets corresponding with Russian interests. A digital "hit list" shows a multi-year operation that tried to break into the inboxes of 4,700 Gmail accounts worldwide and targeted the emails of Ukrainian officers, Russian opposition leaders, U.S. defense contractors, and more. The list was found by the cybersecurity firm Secureworks after the "Fancy Bear" hacking group forgot to set an active Bitly account to private. One of the experts who reviewed the list described the data as "a master list of individuals whom Russia would like to spy on, embarrass, discredit or silence." (Associated Press)
Trump and Jeff Sessions denied knowing if anybody from the campaign was in contact with the Russians. Records suggest otherwise. (New York Times)
Carter Page testified that he told Jeff Sessions about his trip to Russia. (CNN)
Trump did not dismiss the idea of meeting with Putin when it was suggested by George Papadopoulos in March 2016. "He didn't say yes and he didn't say no," according to a person in the room at the time. Jeff Sessions shot down the idea. However, in a July 2016 email to his Russian contact, Papadopoulos proposed a meeting in August or September between "my national chairman and maybe one other foreign policy adviser" and members of Putin's office and Russia's foreign ministry. "It has been approved by our side," Papadopoulos wrote. It's not clear if the meeting ever occurred, but Paul Manafort was the campaign chairman at the time. (CNN / Bloomberg)
Speculation: Jeff Sessions may have perjured himself. During his confirmation hearing in January, Sessions was asked "if there is any evidence that anyone affiliated with the Trump campaign communicated with the Russian government" during the campaign. Sessions responded: "I’m not aware of any of those activities… I didn’t have – did not have communications with the Russians, and I’m unable to comment on it." (New Republic)
Facebook, Google, and Twitter testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee. It was the second day in a row the tech companies answered questions on Capitol Hill. The tech firms admitted that they could have done more to prevent Russian meddling in the US election. Yesterday, the firms said that content by a Russian troll farm known as the Internet Research Agency sought "to create discord between Americans" during the election, but after the election, the troll farm sought to undermine Trump's legitimacy. (Washington Post / Politico)
Twitter offered Russian television network RT 15% of its US election advertising inventory for $3 million dollars. The US intelligence community describes RT as "the Kremlin’s principal international propaganda outlet." (BuzzFeed News)
Separately, Roger Stone told Trump that Kushner was giving him bad political advice. A former Trump campaign aide described "Jared [as] the worst political adviser in the White House in modern history," adding that "Trump is at 33 percent [approval] in Gallup. You can’t go any lower. He’s fucked." In a call with the New York Times, Trump said he was "not angry at anybody" and that the investigation into his campaign's links to Russia have "nothing to do with us." (Vanity Fair)
Court documents show that Papadopoulos shared his Russian outreach with several senior Trump campaign officials. Here's the breakdown:
"The Campaign Supervisor" named in the documents is Sam Clovis, who served as Trump's national campaign co-chairman. Clovis urged Papadopoulos to organize an "off the record" meeting with Russian officials.
The "High-Ranking Campaign Official" named is campaign manager Corey Lewandowski. Papadopoulos wrote to Lewandowski several times to let him know that the Russians were interested in forging a relationship with the campaign, including an email about discussing "Russia’s interest in hosting Mr. Trump."
"Another high-ranking campaign official" is Paul Manafort, who Papadopoulos sent an email to with the subject line "Request from Russia to meet Mr. Trump." Manafort forwarded the email to another campaign official, stating: "We need someone to communicate that DT is not doing these trips," referring to a trip to Russia. "It should be someone low level in the campaign so as not to send any signal." (Washington Post / US v. George Papadopoulos)
Sam Clovis was questioned by Robert Mueller's team last week and testified before the investigating grand jury. Clovis supervised George Papadopoulos during the campaign. The former co-chair and policy adviser to Trump’s campaign was also interviewed recently by the Senate Intelligence Committee’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election. He was described as "a fully cooperative witness." Clovis is Trump's pick to be the Department of Agriculture's chief scientist and is awaiting Senate confirmation. He is not a scientist. (NBC News / Politico)
Facebook, Twitter, and Google appeared before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee today for the first of three public hearings. Facebook told members that Russians bought 3,000 Facebook ads, which had the potential reach of 126 million users – equivalent to more than half of the total U.S. voting population. Google found 1,108 videos with 43 hours of content related to the Russian effort on YouTube. And Twitter identified 2,752 accounts controlled by Russian operatives and more than 36,000 bots that tweeted 1.4 million times during the election campaign. (Washington Post / Bloomberg / CNN)
poll/ 49% of voters support impeaching Trump, to 41% who are opposed to doing so. Of Trump voters, 79% think he should remain in office even if collusion is proven, and 75% claim the entire Russia story is “fake news." (Public Policy Polling)
In a 12-count indictment, Robert Mueller charged Paul Manafort and his associate Rick Gates with conspiracy to launder more than $18 million, making false statements to the Justice Department, and other charges stemming from probes into possible Russian influence in US political affairs. The indictment of Manafort, Trump's former campaign chairman, and Gates focused on their work advising a pro-Russia party in Ukraine between 2006 to 2015, laundering money through 2016, and continuing the conspiracy against the US in 2017. The charges – the first by Mueller – make no mention of Trump or Russian election meddling. Both Manafort and Gates surrendered to Justice Department and pleaded not guilty on all counts today. (New York Times / Washington Post / Wall Street Journal / Politico)
Trump's former foreign policy adviser pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about an April 2016 conversation with a professor with close ties to the Russian government that said Moscow had "dirt" on Hillary Clinton in the form of "thousands of emails." George Papadopoulos repeatedly tried to arrange a meeting between the Trump campaign and Russian government officials. Papadopoulos was arrested in July 2017 and has been working with Mueller ever since as a "proactive cooperator," court documents show. The single felony count against Papadopolous directly relates to the 2016 presidential campaign. (New York Times / Bloomberg / NBC News / Politico)
Russian agents began reaching out to Trump's campaign as early as March 2016, the Justice Department established in documents released Monday. (NPR)
Trump hasn't imposed sanctions on Russia because Rex Tillerson dissolved the office that implements them. After the Coordinator for Sanctions Policy office was eliminated just one mid-level official is now responsible for coordinating the implementation of sanctions across the State Department and other government agencies. The administration missed the October 1st deadline to implement new penalties against Russia, which were adopted by Congress in August. (Foreign Policy / The Hill)
Trump claimed that it's "commonly agreed" that he didn't collude with Russia. Instead, he accused Hillary Clinton of working with the Kremlin amid reports that Clinton and the DNC paid for the dossier of accusations about Trump and his ties to Russia. Trump tweeted that "after many months of COSTLY looking, that there was NO collusion between Russia and Trump. Was collusion with HC!" (Politico / The Hill)
Republican lawmakers intend to wind down their Trump-Russia investigations even though the issue of collusion remains unresolved. The Senate Intelligence Committee wants the panel’s investigation to end by February – ahead of the first 2018 primary elections – while the House Intelligence Committee hopes to finish before that. (Politico)
The memo Natalia Veselnitskaya brought to the Trump Tower meeting was coordinated with the Kremlin, undercutting the Russian lawyer's claim that she was an independent actor when she sat down with Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort. In the months before the meeting, Veselnitskaya had discussed allegations that Democratic donors were guilty of financial fraud and tax evasion with Russia’s prosecutor general, Yuri Y. Chaika. The memo she brought to the meeting closely followed a document that Chaika’s office had given to Representative Dana Rohrabacher, a California Republican who is considered to be one of the most pro-Russia lawmakers in Congress and who heads a subcommittee that helps oversee U.S. policy toward Russia. (New York Times)
Trump personally directed the Justice Department to lift an FBI informant's gag order so they could testify to Congress about Russia's attempt to gain influence in the uranium industry in the United States during the Obama administration. The request is unusual for two reasons: 1) The DOJ limits the White House's involvement in criminal law enforcement, and 2) the request is related to Obama and the Clintons.
Before Obama approved the 2010 deal to give Moscow control of a large swath of American uranium, the FBI had evidence showing Russian nuclear officials routing millions of dollars to the US designed to benefit Bill Clinton’s charitable foundation while Hillary Clinton was serving as Secretary of State. She was not involved in the review by the Committee on Foreign Investment, which approved the deal. (CNN / The Hill)
It's been more than three weeks since the October 1st deadline passed for the White House to imposed new sanctions on Russia. The administration still has not implemented the sanctions that Congress passed with veto-proof majorities in July. The State Department issued guidance on how to implement sanctions shortly after Bob Corker and other Senate Republicans pledged to find out if the White House was intentionally delaying them. Trump signed the bill in early August, imposing new sanctions and limiting his authority to lift them. He called the bill "seriously flawed," but signed it anyway. (The Daily Beast / CNN)
Foreign steel imports are up 24% since Trump's "Buy American" pledge. In particular, a Russian steel company has won several pipeline contracts, including the Keystone XL. The biggest shareholder in Evraz North America is an oligarch and Trump family friend. (Bloomberg)
Trump's personal lawyer met with the House Intelligence Committee today. Michael Cohen emailed Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, during the presidential campaign seeking help getting a Trump Tower built in Moscow. Peskov said he never responded to the email. (NBC News)
Trump's digital director will meet with the House Intelligence Committee about Russian meddling in last year’s election. It will be Brad Parscale’s first interview with any of the committees investigating the matter. Parscale claimed that Facebook, Google, and Twitter employees were "embedded" inside the Trump campaign. (Reuters)
Trump will spend at least $430,000 of his own money to cover the legal costs his aides have incurred related to the Russia investigation. The RNC has paid roughly $430,000 to lawyers representing Trump and Trump Jr. The White House said Trump has pledged to spend the same amount, from his personal finances, "to defray the costs of legal fees for his associates, including former and current White House aides." (Axios / Washington Post)
The State Department revoked the visa of a Putin critic after Russia placed Bill Browder on Interpol's wanted list. Browder was responsible for the Magnitsky Act, a law aimed at punishing Russian officials believed responsible for the death in a Moscow prison of Sergei Magnitsky. In response to the Magnitsky Act, Russia cut off the US adoption of Russian children, which was the premise for the Trump Tower meeting between the Russian lawyer and representatives of the Trump campaign. (NPR / The Guardian / The Hill)
The US rejected Russia's criminal complaint against Browder and allowed him into the country. The initial action blocking Browder had been taken automatically in response to an Interpol notice filed against him by Russia and was not an affirmative action by the American government. (New York Times)
Putin called on Americans to respect Trump. "Inside the country, disrespect is shown for him. This is a regrettable negative component of the U.S. political system," Putin said. He continued, saying that "Trump was elected by the American people. And at least for this reason, it is necessary to show respect for him, even if you do not agree with some of his positions." Putin's comments came the same day that U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley accused the Russian government of committing "warfare" against the United States. (The Hill)
Trump suggested that the Democratic Party, the FBI, or the Kremlin paid for the dossier alleging ties between him and the Russian government. "Workers of firm involved with the discredited and Fake Dossier take the 5th," Trump tweeted. "Who paid for it, Russia, the FBI or the Dems (or all)?" Two officials from Fusion GPS, the firm behind the dossier, invoked their Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination and refused to answer questions from the House Intelligence Committee yesterday. (Politico)
CIA Director Mike Pompeo falsely claimed Russian meddling didn't affect the election results. A US intelligence report released in January concluded that Moscow’s aims were to undermine the democratic process and help elect Trump. It did not reach a conclusion about whether meddling had altered the outcome, because the question was considered out of the scope of the report. (Washington Post / NBC News)
Trump's former campaign manager met with the Senate Intelligence Committee for a closed-door interview. Corey Lewandowski said earlier this year that he did not have any contact with Russian officials, but if there was contact, it was made by Manafort or others on the campaign and Trump didn't know about it. (CNN)
On November 1st, the general counsel for both Facebook and Twitter will testify before the House and Senate intelligence committees on Russia's use of technology to try to interfere with the 2016 presidential election. Google, which was also invited, has not said if it will send a representative to testify. (NBC News / The Hill)
An exiled Russian oligarch believes Putin tried to collaborate with the Trump campaign. "I am almost convinced that Putin's people have tried to influence the U.S. election in some way," Mikhail Khodorkovsky said. He added that the Russian banker Jared Kushner met with last December was not "acting on his own behalf." (NBC News)
Several Republicans have called for the three congressional Russia investigations to end this year. The GOP members contend that the Democrats on a fishing expedition, which Trump has called a "witch hunt." Democrats say they don't want to rush testimony from witnesses. (CNN)
Putin's "chef" is believed to have financed the Russian "troll factory" that used social media to spread fake news during the 2016 US presidential campaign. Yevgeny Prigozhin is a Russian oligarch and the main backer of the St. Petersburg-based Internet Research Agency. A declassified assessment by US intelligence concluded in January that the "likely financier of the so-called Internet Research Agency of professional trolls located in Saint Petersburg is a close Putin ally with ties to Russian intelligence." It did not name Prigozhin directly. Prigozhin was at one point, allegedly, Putin's "personal chef," in addition to having catering contracts with Russia's armed forces. He also once served caviar and truffles to George W. Bush during a summit in St. Petersburg. (CNN)
Sean Spicer met with Robert Mueller's team on Monday for an interview that lasted most of the day. Spicer was asked about the firing of former FBI director James Comey, his statements regarding the firing, and Trump’s meetings with Russians officials, including Sergei Lavrov in the Oval Office. (Politico)
The Senate Intelligence Committee subpoenaed Carter Page as part of its investigation into Russia meddling in the 2016 election. Page previously said he would not cooperate and would invoke his Fifth Amendment rights and refuse to answer questions. (NBC News)
Robert Mueller’s team interviewed Reince Priebus. The former chief of staff was present for many key moments, including Trump's efforts to limit questions about Russian meddling in the election and the discussions that led to James Comey’s firing. (Washington Post)
Paul Manafort's financial ties to a Russian oligarch total around $60 million over the past decade. Previously unreported documents revealed a $26 million loan between a Manafort-linked company and Oleg Deripaska, a billionaire with close ties to the Kremlin. (NBC News)
Trump's top allies aren't sure if he realizes his feuds with Republicans and lack of legislative wins are putting his presidency at risk. Top White House aides, lawmakers, donors, and political consultants have privately wondered if Trump grasps that losing the House next year could bring on new subpoenas, an intense focus on the Russia investigation, and possible impeachment proceedings. (CNN)
The background check chief said he has "never seen [the] level of mistakes" Jared Kushner made on his security clearance application. Kushner's initial SF-86 form did not mention any foreign contacts. He updated the form in the spring, listing about 100 contacts, but omitted the June 2016 meeting with the Russian lawyer, Trump Jr., and Paul Manafort. He updated the SF-86 forms once more in June to include that meeting. (CNN)
Twitter's privacy policy required it to delete data relevant to the Russia probe. Whenever a user removes a tweet, promotion, or account, Twitter is obligated to also delete that data from its servers. Because Russian operatives immediately erase all of their digital footprint, a substantial amount of valuable information held by Twitter has been lost. Twitter engineers are trying to determine what data is recoverable. (Politico)
Facebook removed thousands of posts from public view that were linked to the Russian disinformation campaign. The data was deleted a day after researcher Jonathan Albright published a report showing that the reach of the Russian campaign was at least twice what Facebook had said. Facebook claimed it simply fixed a "bug," which allowed researchers to access cached information from inactive Facebook Pages. (Washington Post)
Trump’s lawyers are open to having the president sit down for an interview with Robert Mueller in an effort to speed up the Russia probe and dispel suspicions surrounding Trump. Trump told reporters this spring that he was “100 percent” willing to testify under oath about alleged Russian ties to his campaign. Trump's personal lawyer, John Dowd, called the report that they were willing to cooperation with the special counsel “Totally false!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” (Politico)
Cambridge Analytica’s work for Trump’s campaign is now as part of the Russia probe. The company is in the process of turning over documents to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Steve Bannon had a stake in Cambridge Analytica worth between $1 million and $5 million as recently as April of this year. (The Daily Beast)
The House Intelligence Committee will publicly release the Facebook ads purchased by Russian operatives during last year’s presidential election. The committee received more than 3,000 politically divisive ads believed to have been purchased by Russia. (Reuters)
Russia hijacked Kaspersky Lab anti-virus software and turned it into a tool for spying. The software routinely scanned files looking for terms like "top secret" and classified code names of US government programs. (Wall Street Journal)
Carter Page told the Senate Intelligence Committee he will not cooperate with any requests to appear and would plead the Fifth. The Trump campaign's former foreign policy adviser met with Sergey Kislyak on the sidelines of the GOP convention last year. In addition, the FBI has been monitoring Page since he travelled to Russia and met with high-level associates of Putin last year. (Politico)
The House Intelligence Committee issued subpoenas to the partners who run Fusion GPS, the research firm that produced the dossier of memos of alleged Russian efforts to aid the Trump campaign. Chairman Devin Nunes signed off on the subpoenas that demand documents and testimony. Nunes recused himself from the House's panel earlier this year after going directly to the White House with information about “incidental” surveillance of Trump's transition team. (CNN)
The attorney for the Russian billionaire who pushed for the Trump Tower meeting said an email shows the meeting wasn't about Hillary Clinton. In the newly disclosed email, Natalia Veselnitskaya asked music publicist Rob Goldstone if she could bring a “lobbyist and trusted associate" to the meeting, because of his knowledge of the Magnitsky Act, a 2012 law that imposed financial sanctions on wealthy Russians as punishment for human rights abuses. The email was disclosed by Scott Balber, who represents Aras and Emin Agalarov, the billionaire real estate developer and his son who requested the June 2016 meeting.
The emails between Goldstone and Trump Jr. tell a different story, however. Goldstone requested the meeting Trump Jr., saying the Russian government wanted to help the Trump campaign by providing documents that “would incriminate Hillary" and "be very useful to your father.” Trump Jr. replied: “If it’s what you say I love it." (Washington Post / CNN)
Google said Russian agents bought ads aimed to spread disinformation on YouTube, Google Search, Gmail, and DoubleClick, the company’s ad network. The ads don't appear to be from the same Kremlin-affiliated troll farm that bought ads on Facebook. Google runs the world’s largest online advertising business, and YouTube is the world’s largest online video site. (Washington Post)
Robert Mueller's investigators met with the author of the Trump dossier, Christopher Steele, this past summer in an effort to understand if people associated with the Trump campaign and suspected Russian operatives broke any laws. US intelligence agencies reportedly took the Steele dossier more seriously than previously acknowledged, keeping it out of a publicly-released January report on Russian meddling in order to not divulge which parts of the dossier they had corroborated. Trump and his allies have repeatedly called the dossier "totally made-up stuff" written by a "failed spy." (CNN / Associated Press)
Christopher Steele is talking with the Senate Intelligence Committee about formally speaking with its leaders. The sticking point for the former British intelligence operative, who authored a 35-page dossier alleging that the Trump campaign had colluded with Russia, has been over his unwillingness to discuss who underwrote his work. Steele was hired by Fusion GPS to conduct opposition research, which was originally funded by undisclosed Republican opponents of Trump. During the general election, unknown Democrats began picking up the tab. Senators had previously said they have had unable to get traction on the dossier, because Steele had not agreed to meet with investigators or the senators. (NBC News)
Russian hackers stole NSA data about US cyber defense after an employee removed the highly classified material, put it on his home computer, and used an antivirus app made by Russia-based Kaspersky Lab. The US government had previously banned the use of Kaspersky Lab software over concerns of Russian cyberespionage. The stolen material includes details about how the NSA penetrates foreign computer networks, the code it uses, and how it defends networks inside the US. (Wall Street Journal)
Russian propaganda may have been shared hundreds of millions of times on Facebook, new research shows. From the 470 Facebook accounts that have been made public, the content had been “shared” 340 million times. (Washington Post)
The three Russians named in the Trump dossier are suing Fusion GPS for libel. Mikhail Fridman, Petr Aven and German Khan claim that their reputations have been unfairly ruined by the dossier. (Politico)
FBI deputy director on Russian hacking: We "should have seen this coming." Speaking at the Cambridge Cyber Summit, Andrew McCabe implied that Russian meddling hasn't stopped, either: "The experience in the 2016 elections allowed us to diagnose the problem. Have we cured it yet? Absolutely not." (CNN)
Two former CIA chiefs said Russia needed help targeting US voters and districts in the 2016 presidential campaign. "It is not intuitively obvious that they could have done this themselves," former CIA director Michael Hayden said. Russia either needed someone to help give it information on who to microtarget or it stole the necessary information through hacking. (Bloomberg)
Senate Judiciary Chairman said there is "no way of avoiding" a public hearing for Trump Jr., who has come under scrutiny from multiple committees in Congress for meeting with a Russian lawyer in June 2016. "Before this is over with," Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr said, "we will know everything about the Don Jr. meeting." (CNN)
Trump criticized the Senate Intelligence Committee for continuing its investigation into possible collusion between Russia and his campaign, tweeting: "Why Isn't the Senate Intel Committee looking into the Fake News Networks in OUR country to see why so much of our news is just made up-FAKE!" Trump tweeted. The tweet comes in response to yesterday's news that the committee is still investigating possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 presidential race. (The Hill / ABC News)
The Senate Intelligence Committee endorsed the conclusions of American intelligence agencies that Putin directed a campaign of hacking and propaganda to disrupt the 2016 presidential election. Richard Burr, chairman of the committee, said they "trust the conclusions" of the Intelligence Community Assessment that Russia was behind the hacking of the John Podesta’s email account and had attempted to exploit public opinion with false information through fake social media accounts. The issue of collusion remains open.
Senators also acknowledged that they have been unable to get traction on the Steele dossier, which contains a series of claims about Trump and Russia. The memos’ author, Christopher Steele, has not agreed to meet with investigators or the senators. Robert Mueller's special counsel has taken over FBI inquiries into the Steele dossier. (New York Times / Washington Post / ABC News)
Facebook and Twitter agreed to testify publicly before the Senate intelligence committee as part of the congressional probe into Russian interference during the 2016 presidential election. Facebook will also testify at the House Intelligence Committee hearing. Twitter and Facebook have already briefed both committees on their findings regarding Russian use of their platforms to influence the election. While invited, Google has not said if it will also appear at either hearing. (Recode / The Hill)
The House intelligence committee is focusing on Russian ads bought on Google, search engine manipulation, fake news, and the potential uses of YouTube. Google had initially said it found no evidence of targeted tactics like the thousands of election-related ads purchased on Facebook. (Bloomberg)
Russian-linked Facebook ads specifically targeted Michigan and Wisconsin, two states Trump won by less than 1% of the vote. The ads promoted divisiveness and anti-Muslim messages. Trump beat Hillary Clinton in Michigan by about 10,700 votes out of nearly 4.8 million ballots cast. In Wisconsin, Trump won by only about 22,700 votes. (CNN)
Robert Mueller's top legal counsel is researching limits on pre-emptive presidential pardons. Michael Dreeben has been researching past pardons to determine if any limits exist as Trump's current and former advisers come under the special counsel's scrutiny. Trump previously tweeted that "all agree the U. S. President has the complete power to pardon." Pardons of a president’s campaign workers, family members, and himself are largely uncharted legal territory. Mueller has a team of 16 seasoned prosecutors investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election as well as any potential collusion between Russian and members of Trump’s campaign. (Bloomberg)
The CIA denied a request by the Senate Judiciary Committee to let them view information about Russian meddling that the intelligence committee was allowed to see. The material pertains to obstruction of justice matters that are in the Judiciary Committee’s jurisdiction. (Politico)
Russian operatives used Facebook's retargeting tool to target specific ads and messages to voters who had visited misleading web sites and social media pages designed to mimicked those created by political activists. By using Facebook's Custom Audiences, Russian-linked ad buyers were able to spend $100,000 on more than 3,000 ads that were seen by roughly 10 million users — approximately 44% of which were seen before the November 8th election. (Washington Post / CNN)
Trump's associates had two more previously undisclosed contacts with Russia during the 2016 campaign. The documents were turned over to congressional committees and special counsel Robert Mueller. Trump’s personal attorney, Michael Cohen, was invited to a conference in Russia that would be attended by Putin; in the other case, Cohen received a second proposal for a Trump-branded Moscow project during the campaign. Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, Paul Manafort, low-level foreign policy advisers and, now, Cohen were all contacted by Russians with interests in business and politics in the weeks before or after Trump accepted the nomination. (Washington Post)
Paul Manafort attempted to leverage his role on Trump's campaign team to curry favor with a Russian oligarch close to Putin during the campaign. Emails turned over to investigators show how the former campaign chair tried to please Oleg Vladimirovich Deripaska, one of Russia’s richest men. Manafort was ousted from the Trump campaign after Manafort’s name was listed in a secret ledger of cash payments from a pro-Russian party in Ukraine that detailed his failed venture with Deripaska. At the time, Manafort was in debt to shell companies connected to pro-Russian interests in Ukraine for some $16 million. (The Atlantic)
The National Security Agency warned senior White House officials against using personal cellphones and email, which could make them vulnerable to espionage by Russia, China, Iran, and others. The briefing came shortly after Trump was sworn into office on January 20, and before some top aides began using their personal email and phones to conduct official business. At least five current and former White House officials have used private email, including Kushner, Ivanka Trump, Gary Cohn, Steve Bannon, and Reince Priebus. (Politico)
Facebook is turning over more than 3,000 Russian-linked advertisements to congressional investigators. The House and Senate Intelligence Committees and the Senate Judiciary Committee will receive copies of the ads. The Senate Intelligence Committee also wants Facebook, Google, and Twitter to testify before a Congressional panel on November 1 regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election. None of the companies have confirmed they will attend. The House Intelligence Committee will hold a public hearing in October, and would like the three companies to attend as well. (New York Times / ABC News / The Hill)
Russia warned the US not to take action against their government-funded media outlets RT and Sputnik: "every step against a Russian media outlet will be met with a corresponding response." Earlier this month, the Department of Justice notified the company supplying services for RT America that it is obligated to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act due to the work it does for RT. Federal investigators are also looking into whether RT and Sputnik were part of Russia's influence campaign in the 2016 election. (CNN)
Twitter briefed members of the Senate and House intelligence committees about fake news spread by Russian accounts and what steps the company took to stop it. Twitter told Congress that about 200 accounts are tied to some of the same Russian-linked sources that purchased ads on Facebook. The vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee criticized Twitter for failing to aggressively investigate the Russian misuse of its platform beyond the accounts linked to fraudulent profiles already identified by Facebook. Mark Warner said the company's presentation “showed an enormous lack of understanding from the Twitter team of how serious this issue is, the threat it poses to democratic institutions and again begs many more questions than they offered." He added: “Their response was frankly inadequate on every level.” (Recode / New York Times)
An Oxford University study shows there was a higher concentration of misinformation, polarizing political and conspiratorial news shared on Twitter from Russian, WikiLeaks, and junk news sources in the swing states Trump won than in uncontested states. (Oxford Internet Institute)
A Russian hacker who previously worked for Putin’s United Russia party was arrested in Barcelona on a US warrant. Prosecutors charged Peter Levashov with operating a network of tens of thousands of infected computers used by cyber criminals. (Reuters)
The Senate Intelligence Committee has asked Facebook, Google, and Twitter to testify on Russian meddling at a public hearing on November 1st. The House Intelligence Committee also wants to hold a public hearing next month with representatives from several unnamed technology companies (hint, hint) in an effort to “better understand how Russia used online tools and platforms to sow discord in and influence our election.” (Reuters / New York Times / Politico)
A Russian-backed group impersonated a real American Muslim organization on Facebook and Instagram to spread misinformation. The United Muslims of America pushed memes that claimed Hillary Clinton admitted the US “created, funded and armed” al-Qaeda and ISIS, claimed that John McCain was ISIS’ true founder, and alleged Osama bin Laden was a “CIA agent.” (The Daily Beast)
Russian-bought political Facebook ads criticized Hillary Clinton, promoted Trump, and supported Bernie Sanders even after his presidential campaign had ended. The ads appeared designed to create divisions while sometimes praising Trump, Sanders, and Green Party candidate Jill Stein. A number of the ads questioned Clinton’s authenticity and touted liberal criticisms of her candidacy. Trump took to Twitter to suggest that Facebook had colluded with the news media against him during the campaign, tweeting: "Facebook was always anti-Trump. The Networks were always anti-Trump hence, Fake News @nytimes (apologized) & @WaPo were anti-Trump. Collusion?" He added: "But the people were Pro-Trump! Virtually no President has accomplished what we have accomplished in the first 9 months – and economy roaring." (Politico / The Hill)
Three Americans with Russian business connections contributed almost $2 million to political funds controlled by Trump. All three men are associated with Viktor Vekselberg, one of the richest men in Russia, who holds frequent meetings with Putin. Donations began flowing to the RNC just as Trump was securing the Republican nomination and culminated in two large gifts – totaling $1.25 million – to the Trump inaugural fund following his victory. Unless the contributions were directed by a foreigner, they would be legal donations. (ABC News)
Roger Stone rejected all allegations of collusion between Trump's associates and Russia during the 2016 election. In a closed House of Representatives Intelligence Committee hearing, Trump's longtime ally denied he had any contact with Russian operatives during the campaign. Stone also denied that he had any advance knowledge that emails of Clinton’s campaign chairman would be hacked and his emails released by WikiLeaks, despite tweeting days before that John Podesta’s “time in the barrel” would soon be coming. (Reuters / Washington Post)
Robert Mueller could start interviewing current and former White House staff as soon as this week. On Mueller's short list are Reince Priebus, Sean Spicer, Hope Hicks, Don McGahn, Josh Raffel, and James Burnham. Related, Trump’s former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, has said he's been informed by Mueller that he will be indicted as part of the FBI's Russia probe. Mueller has been looking at Manafort's possible financial and tax crimes, his contacts with Russian officials, and his work as a foreign agent with links to the Kremlin and Ukraine's pro-Russia Party of Regions. A Democratic senator said he's "99% sure" Michael Flynn will also be indicted. (CNN / Yahoo / Business Insider / Politico)
Homeland Security notified 21 states that they had been targeted by Russian government hackers during the 2016 election campaign. Hackers penetrated computer systems in a handful of states, but there is no evidence that hackers tampered with voting machines. DHS left it to individual states to decide whether to publicly acknowledge if they had been targeted, but officials confirmed that Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Wisconsin and Washington were among the states targeted. (Washington Post)
The White House and Justice Department have missed deadlines and are withholding records related to the Russia investigation by the House intelligence committee and the Senate judiciary committee. The Senate judiciary committee has requested information about the DOJ's decision to prevent two senior FBI officials from sitting down for transcribed interviews to provide eyewitness accounts of the Comey firing. The House intelligence committee is threatening to hold a public hearing over documents the DOJ failed to turn over regarding the FBI's ties to the British operative who compiled a dossier of allegations on Trump's connections with Russia. (CNN)
After Paul Manafort left the Trump campaign in 2016, the United States placed him under surveillance as part of its early investigation into Russian election interference. The monitoring did not include listening to real-time phone conversations. It is currently unclear when the surveillance was suspended. (Wall Street Journal)
Facebook agreed to turn over to Congress details of ads sold to Russia-linked accounts during the 2016 election. The decision represents a reversal of the company's previous position. Facebook has already provided the ads and information to special counsel Robert Mueller's team. On Twitter, Trump dismissed potential nefarious Russian use of the social media platform as a "hoax." (CNN / Washington Post)
Writing through an intermediary, Paul Manafort offered to give private briefings to a Russian billionaire during the 2016 campaign. Oleg Deripaska is an aluminum magnate and former business associate of Manafort's with close ties to the Kremlin. It is unclear if Deripaska received or acted on the offer. (Washington Post)
Manafort also used his Trump campaign email account to communicate with Ukrainian political operative Konstantin Kilimnik, seeking payment for previous consulting work in Ukraine. Kilimnik is suspected to have ties to Russian intelligence operations. Manafort spokesman Jason Maloni said it is "no secret" Manafort "was owed money by past clients." (Politico)
Mueller interviewed Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein about the Comey firing. The interview occurred in June or July. Since Jeff Sessions recused himself from the investigation, Rosenstein is ultimately in charge of overseeing the Russia probe. (Wall Street Journal)
Paul Manafort was wiretapped following an FBI investigation in 2014, and the surveillance continued through this year (albeit interrupted). A Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrant was originally granted for Manafort's work for the former Ukrainian government and later discontinued due to lack of evidence. A second FISA warrant—concerning the Russia investigation—was obtained at some point last year. The details of the recorded communications have been provided to special counsel Robert Mueller. (CNN)
Trump is paying legal fees related to the Russia investigation with RNC and reelection campaign funds. Under the FEC, the move is legal, but Trump is the first president in modern history to use campaign funding in this manner. Trump lawyer John Dowd told reporters the question of financing Trump's legal bills was "none of your business.” (Reuters)
The Senate Intelligence Committee canceled an interview with former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen. Cohen was set to deny he'd ever "engaged with, been paid by, paid for or conversed with" Russia to interfere with the election. Cohen's lawyer said they look forward to "voluntarily cooperating with the House committee and with anyone else who has an inquiry in this area." (Washington Post)
Overheard in a Washington steakhouse, a White House counsel discussed the extent to which the administration should cooperate with the Russia investigation. Ty Cobb supports prompt turnover of all relevant emails and documents to special counsel Robert Mueller; Trump lawyer Don McGahn is concerned doing so might weaken the White House's future position. (New York Times)
Mike Flynn's family established a legal defense fund, citing a "tremendous financial burden" stemming from the Russia investigation. In a public statement, Flynn's siblings emphasized that the legal fees required of former Trump aides "far exceed their ability to pay." The Trump administration recently legalized anonymous donations to legal defense funds. (ABC News)
The Senate Judiciary Committee will take steps to ensure Trump cannot fire Robert Mueller. Two bills in development come after concerns that Trump was considering dismissing special counsel Mueller in his frustration about the Russia probe, despite White House claims to the contrary. House Judiciary Committee heads met with Mueller on Thursday. (CNN)
Flynn promoted a Middle East nuclear power plant deal while serving in the White House. The project, reported yesterday, originally involved several Russian companies, along with a group of former U.S. military officers with whom Flynn had worked on the potential deal. The deal would erect dozens of nuclear power plants in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the Middle East. (Wall Street Journal)
In a policy reversal, the Office of Government Ethics will now allow anonymous donations to White House legal defense funds. The anonymity frees up lobbyists and others "with business before the government" to step in and pay White House aides' legal fees, including those related to the Russia probe. (Politico)
Russia reduced the number of parking spots available to U.S. diplomats at their consulates. The move represents the latest in a series of U.S.–Russian diplomatic expulsions and denials. The parking spots were painted over with a pedestrian crossing. (AP)
Congressional Democrats told special counsel Robert Mueller that Michael Flynn failed to disclose a summer 2015 Middle East trip to broker a Saudi–Russian nuclear power deal. Upon returning to the States, the Democrats say, Flynn omitted his contacts with foreign nationals during his reapplication for security clearance, which includes paperwork and an FBI interview. (CNN)
Flynn's son, Michael G. Flynn, is a subject of the federal Russia probe, as well. The investigation focuses in part on Flynn's work with Mike Flynn's lobbying firm. (NBC News)
The U.S. government has banned the use of Kaspersky Lab software over concerns of Russian cyberespionage. Federal agencies will have three months to remove the software. Homeland Security called the risk that Russia could "capitalize on access provided by Kaspersky products" a national security threat. Kaspersky Lab denies any wrongdoing and claims it is "caught in the middle of a geopolitical fight." (Washington Post)
Earlier this summer, a handful of Trump lawyers believed Jared Kushner should step down due to legal complications arising from the Russia probe. After internal debate, the suggestion was ultimately dismissed as one of several efforts "focused on sabotaging" Kushner, who had several interactions with Russia during the 2016 campaign and transition. (Wall Street Journal / Washington Post)
Russian actors remotely organized and promoted pro-Trump, anti-immigrant protests via Facebook. A former FBI agent referred to the events as Russia's "next step" in its influence campaign. Facebook confirmed it "shut down several promoted events as part of the takedown" it reported last week. (Daily Beast)
The FBI is investigating whether Russian news agency Sputnik has violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The law bars organizations from acting as undeclared governmental propaganda arms. The FBI has obtained several thousand internal Sputnik documents and emails and has interviewed a former White House correspondent who was fired in May. It is unclear whether or not the investigation falls under Mueller's broader efforts. (Yahoo News)
Robert Mueller's team wants to interview White House staffers about Trump Jr.'s initial statement regarding his meeting with the Russian lawyer at Trump Tower during the campaign. Trump personally helped craft his son's misleading statement while aboard Air Force One. It claimed Trump Jr. "primarily discussed a program about the adoption of Russian children" during his meeting with the Russian lawyer. That claim was later debunked by multiple accounts of the meeting. Mueller wants to know whether information was intentionally left out and who was involved. (CNN)
Trump Jr. met with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya to determine Hillary Clinton's "fitness, character or qualifications" for office, according to a prepared statement delivered to Senate Judiciary Committee investigators. He maintains that nothing came of the meeting, and he denies explicit collusion with Russia. Trump Jr. took questions behind closed doors. (New York Times)
Facebook found $100,000 in ad spending during the election tied to a Russian “troll farm” with a history of pushing pro-Kremlin propaganda. Facebook said 3,300 ads had digital footprints that led to a Russian company targeting voters. The Facebook team also discovered 470 suspicious and likely fraudulent Facebook accounts and pages that were operated out of Russia. (Washington Post)
Trump Jr. will meet with the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday to discuss the Trump campaign’s contacts with Russia. It's the first time someone from Trump's inner circle will speak with the committee members about the campaign’s alleged attempts to engage with Kremlin surrogates. Committee members still hope to interview Paul Manafort and Jared Kushner about the meeting they held at Trump Tower with the Russian lawyer claiming to have damaging information about Hillary Clinton. Kushner and Manafort have already spoken to the Senate Intelligence Committee. (Washington Post)
The House intelligence committee subpoenaed the FBI and Justice Department last month, seeking documents related to a dossier that alleged Russia collected compromising material on Trump. The pair of subpoenas were issued last month and a
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© UNESCO / Thomas Schaaf
Preparatory assistance for the inscription of Issyk Kul warm-water lake, Kyrgyzstan
North of the Tian Shan Mountains, 1608 m above sea level, is the Issyk Kul Lake, Kyrgyzstan, a natural reservoir of warm water contained in a region famous for its natural resources.
In the Soviet era, the lake was a popular vacation spot for its landscapes and sanatoriums. In the early 2000s, the Kyrgyz authorities developed a tourism revival policy in the region through the enhancement of the major cultural and natural resources of the site. It is in this context that the national authorities requested preparatory assistance for the inscription of the property on the World Heritage List.
In September 2003, a first mission was sent to bring together all the elements necessary for the completion of the nomination proposal. The mission coordinated the work of the UNESCO Office in Moscow, the Kyrgyz National Commission and the Issyk Kul Biosphere Reserve. This support assisted in identification of natural features of Outstanding Universal Value, to understand the values and uniqueness of the property. However, based on the conclusions of this mission, as well as the results of a joint ICOMOS-IUCN evaluation, the World Heritage Centre, with the support of the France-UNESCO Cooperation Agreement, recommended the Kyrgyz authorities reformulate the nomination proposal for Issyk Kul as a cultural landscape rather than a natural landscape.
The nomination proposal was submitted in 2004, but was subsequently withdrawn by the State Party of Kyrgyzstan.
Categories: Site Management
Date Start: 01-Jan-2003
Date end: 31-Dec-2003
France-UNESCO Cooperation Agreement (CFU)
Preparatory assistance
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Bam and its Cultural Landscape
(Iran (Islamic Republic of))
Management activities
Management systems/ management plan
a) Lack of a comprehensive Management Plan;
b) The boundaries of the property inscribed on an emergency basis were not aligned with the written text of the original Nomination File;
c) Development pressure related to the post-disaster reconstruction process.
Threats for which the property was inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger
Severe damage to the property caused by the earthquake in December 2003;
Development pressures related to the post-disaster reconstruction process.
Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger
Adopted see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/1288
Corrective Measures for the property
Timeframe for the implementation of the corrective measures
UNESCO Extra-Budgetary Funds until 2012
Total amount provided to the property: USD 568,000 (2004-2007) from the UNESCO Japan Funds-in-Trust; USD 136, 985 (2005-2010) from the UNESCO Italy Funds-in-Trust; USD 20,000 (2004) from the World Bank Italian Trust Funds’ US$50,000 (2004) Emergency Assistance from the World Heritage Fund.
2004 Emergency Assistance request for Arg-e-Bam and Historic ... (Approved) 50,000 USD
Since January 2004: several UNESCO missions; October 2011: Joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS reactive monitoring mission.
2011 Report on the Joint World Heritage Centre / ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring Mission to Bam and its Cultural Landscape ...
2010 Report on the UNESCO Tehran Office Mission to Bam and its Cultural Landscape, 16-18 February 2010
A report on the state of conservation of the property was submitted by the State Party on 30 January 2012. From 16 to 22 October 2011, a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS reactive monitoring mission was carried out, as requested by the World Heritage Committee at its 34th session (Brasilia, 2010). The mission report is available at the following Web address: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1208/documents
a) Conservation of the Arg-e-Bam and other cultural heritage assets within the property
The State Party reports that, for the conservation of the main complexes and monuments of the citadel, conservation and restoration plans were prepared for the Stable, Mir Akbar house, western tower of the second gate, the governor’s house, the commander’s house, Mirza Naeim School, the main gate, the second gate and the large tower of the eastern wall of the second gate. The projects sought to address conservation needs as identified in the Management Plan and to facilitate visitors access. Additional plans were prepared for monuments at the cultural landscape including Kushk-e Rahim Abad, Chartaghi, Ghal`e dokhtar, Shahrbast fortifications, Gheysariyeh complex and Ameri house. Notwithstanding the progress made in regard to interventions, the State Party notes that remaining debris is still considered a threat to several parts. Conservation challenges are also still faced for the recovery of the Qanats. The report includes a work plan for interventions foreseen during 2012.
The October 2011 monitoring mission noted that conservation and restoration efforts are progressing well but that there remains significant work to be accomplished given that 11 of the 15 identified components are still in need of full or partial conservation works. In addition, archaeological and architectural records have not yet been finalised for these components, which is critical for the definition of conservation plans. The mission also highlighted that communication among the different disciplinary teams and a consistent methodological approach could be enhanced to improve linkages among the results derived from each working discipline. Conservation guidelines, in Farsi and in English, would also be beneficial for the systematic implementation of measures.
In regard to the interventions, the mission evaluated the conditions of authenticity and integrity. It expressed concern about several factors, including the use of a heavy retaining structure built in steel and cement at the Governor’s Seat tower and at tower 46. They also highlighted that some of the interventions on the walls have an overdesign in reconstruction, not only due to the fact that the original wall were not followed but also by the stylistic restoration from interventions prior to the earthquake. The identification of the historic fabric and new interventions should also be addressed. The mission also noted that there is a lack of unity in some of the citadel components as different conservation approaches have been used at the diverse sectors, depending on the institutions involved. Efforts should be made to coordinate the diverse interventions and obtain a balanced approach to the conservation of the site. It also notes that more extensive reconstruction has been carried out since 2009, which could affect the conditions of integrity and authenticity. Special attention needs to be placed in meeting existing guidelines and standards for conservation practice.
The October 2011 mission observed the existence of informal settlements and of a gas station near Chahar Taqi which are within the property boundaries. Previous UNESCO missions also formulated recommendations regarding the removal of these illegal settlements, as well as the gas station. Presently, the Governor of Bam is waiting for the court decision to remove the service station.
b) Completion of necessary scientific studies for the recognition, registration, and legal protection of properties with historical, cultural, and natural significance within the cultural landscape zone, as well as marking the protective boundaries around each property within this zone;
The State Party reports on several research activities that were carried out. These include investigations regarding the ancient water pipeline systems, urban planning, alleyways networks and residential blocks at the Citadel and the Konari area. These have served to enhance the understanding of the different historical periods. In addition to archaeological excavations several archaeogeophysics studies were carried to identify limits of potential sites. Findings were recorded in the existing data base bank. Research was also continued on the establishment of the typology of bricks and architectural elements. As for marking of boundaries, work was implemented in this respect although work is still pending on the installation of information signage to inform about legal restrictions.
The mission reported that the archaeological and geo-morphological maps have been fully completed for the citadel but not for the overall cultural landscape. In regard to the boundaries, 13 of the 15 components were visited and these had posts marking the boundaries.
c) Implementation of the Management Plan
The State Party indicates that different meetings were held in regard to the opportunities and challenges faced in the conservation of Bam and its cultural landscape. These meetings served as an opportunity to engage diverse stakeholders and facilitate conservation and management endeavours, as well as for fundraising. Participants in the meetings included both representatives from different government agencies at the national and local level as well as other social actors. The State Party also reports that work continued in the preparation of the Arg-e Bam tourist plan and the tourist routes for the whole of the cultural landscape. The report also notes that work has been carried out for the preparation of the geographic information system for Bam and its cultural landscape and for the monitoring of the buffer zone. Facilities have been established within the restored areas for the different offices required for the conservation and management of the property including a research centre, laboratory, storage areas, etc. Capacity building, at different levels, has continued in collaboration with universities and other higher educational centres.
The mission reports that the adopted Management Plan has been provided to all local stakeholders. It analysed the process followed for implementation and concluded that although progress is being made, an action plan to implement the provisions made would be beneficial in improving the current management system and decision-making mechanisms. It also notes that stronger regulatory measures are needed to be enforced to control construction at the buffer zone.
d) Precise understanding and definition of the outer boundaries of the heritage areas surrounding the property
Efforts have continued on the preparation of different maps to better understand the heritage assets that exist at Bam and its Cultural Landscape. 150 sites have been located so far and work is expected to be continued. In addition to maps, photogrammetric studies and aerial photographs have been produced. Monitoring at the property and the buffer zone has continued to detect illegal construction and activities.
The mission received the finalised topographic map of the citadel and verified that the outer boundaries of the property were clearly defined. However, it noted that the landscape topographic maps are still pending.
e) Adequate security of the heritage areas within the World Heritage property in addition to the Arg-e Bam
The mission reports that the measures taken to safeguard the property include the establishment of a Security Unit, operational since 2007, with 11 permanent guards equipped with vehicles. However, due to the limited number of guards, security efforts concentrate in the citadel. Municipal police protects the remaining 13 components within the landscape. The mission team observed that some of the components do not have systematic police protection, neither a minimum-security light at night.
The World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies are of the view that sustained and considerable efforts have been made by the State Party in the implementation of the identified corrective measures.
However, in spite of the progress made, the Desired state of conservation has not yet been achieved. They note that the issue of informal settlements within the property remains a management constraint if not addressed quickly. The World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies recommend that the World Heritage Committee urge the State Party to put into place some regulatory measures to restrict encroachment of illegal settlements within the property. They also recommend that community awareness-raising activities be undertaken to enhance a better understanding of the local population of the Outstanding Universal Value of the property.
They further recommend that the World Heritage Committee retain the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger to allow the State Party to fully implement the identified measures.
Bam and its Cultural Landscape (Islamic Republic of Iran) (C 1208 bis)
1. Having examined Document WHC-12/36.COM/7A,
2. Recalling Decision 35 COM 7A.25, adopted at its 35th session (UNESCO, 2011),
3. Welcomes the progress made by the State Party in the implementation of the corrective measures for the property and calls upon the international community to continue to support these efforts;
4. Takes note of the results of the October 2011 joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS reactive monitoring mission;
5. Requests the State Party to implement the mission’s recommendations, in particular to:
a) Systematically implement monitoring and security measures and enforce regulatory measures at the different component parts of the property to avoid encroachment and illegal construction,
b) Complement the Management Plan by defining the existing resources and allocating tasks and timeframes for its efficient implementation,
c) Secure human and financial resources and ensure their continuity for the sustained implementation of the Management Plan,
d) Develop guidelines for the physical stabilisation of structures, as well as criteria for conservation interventions and a manual for maintenance of earthen structures to ensure that the conditions of integrity and authenticity continue to be met and to promote a unity in conservation approaches,
e) Finalise the public use strategy, including the potential development of infrastructure and visitation routes and submit to the World Heritage Centre,
f) Consider the development of a proposal for the establishment of a training research centre to enhance capacity building and scientific research efforts,
g) Undertake community awareness-raising activities to enhance a better understanding by the local population of the Outstanding Universal Value of property;
6. Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2013, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 37th session in 2013;
7. Decides to retain Bam and its Cultural Landscape (Islamic Republic of Iran) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Establishment of the World Heritage List in Danger (Maintained Properties)
1. Following the examination of the state of conservation reports of properties inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger (WHC-12/36.COM/7A and WHC-12/36.COM/7A.Add),
2. Decides to maintain the following properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger:
Afghanistan, Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam (Decision 36 COM 7A.25)
Afghanistan, Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley (Decision 36 COM 7A.26)
Belize, Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System (Decision 36 COM 7A.15)
Central African Republic, Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park (Decision 36 COM 7A.1)
Chile, Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works (Decision 36 COM 7A.33)
Colombia, Los Katíos National Park (Decision 36 COM 7A.16)
Côte d'Ivoire, Comoé National Park (Decision 36 COM 7A.2)
Côte d'Ivoire / Guinea, Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (Decision 36 COM 7A.3)
Democratic Rep. of the Congo, Virunga National Park (Decision 36 COM 7A.4)
Democratic Rep. of the Congo, Kahuzi-Biega National Park (Decision 36 COM 7A.5)
Democratic Rep. of the Congo, Garamba National Park (Decision 36 COM 7A.6)
Democratic Rep. of the Congo, Salonga National Park (Decision 36 COM 7A.7)
Democratic Rep. of the Congo, Okapi Wildlife Reserve (Decision 36 COM 7A.8)
Egypt, Abu Mena (Decision 36 COM 7A.20)
Ethiopia, Simien National Park (Decision 36 COM 7A.9)
Georgia, Bagrati Cathedral and Gelati Monastery (Decision 36 COM 7A.30)
Georgia, Historical Monuments of Mtskheta (Decision 36 COM 7A.31)
Honduras, Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve (Decision 36 COM 7A.17)
Indonesia, Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra (Decision 36 COM 7A.13)
Iraq, Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat) (Decision 36 COM 7A.21)
Iraq, Samarra Archaeological City (Decision 36 COM 7A.22)
Islamic Republic of Iran, Bam and its Cultural Landscape (Decision 36 COM 7A.27)
Jerusalem, Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls (Decision 36 COM 7A.23.I)
Madagascar, Rainforests of the Atsinanana (Decision 36 COM 7A.10)
Niger, Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves (Decision 36 COM 7A.11)
Peru, Chan Chan Archaelogical Zone (Decision 36 COM 7A.34)
Senegal, Niokolo-Koba National Park (Decision 36 COM 7A.12)
Serbia, Medieval Monuments in Kosovo (Decision 36 COM 7A.32)
United Rep. of Tanzania, Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara (Decision 36 COM 7A.19)
Uganda, Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi (Decision 36 COM 7A.18)
United States of America, Everglades National Park (Decision 36 COM 7A.14)
Venezuela, Coro and its Port (Decision 36 COM 7A.35)
Yemen, Historic Town of Zabid (Decision 36 COM 7A.24)
36 COM 8E
Adoption of retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value
1. Having examined Document WHC-12/36.COM/8E,
2. Congratulates States Parties for the excellent work accomplished in the elaboration of retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value for World Heritage properties in their territories;
3. Adopts the retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value, as presented in the Annex of Document WHC-12/36.COM/8E, for the following World Heritage properties:
Australia: Great Barrier Reef; Lord Howe Island Group; Gondwana Rainforests of Australia; Wet Tropics of Queensland; Fraser Island; Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh / Naracoorte); Heard and McDonald Islands; Macquarie Island; Purnululu National Park;
Bangladesh: Historic Mosque City of Bagerhat;
Cambodia: Angkor;
China: Mount Taishan; The Great Wall; Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang; Mogao Caves; Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian; Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area; Temple and Cemetery of Confucius, and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu; Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains; Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Lhasa; Lushan National Park; Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area; Old Town of Lijiang; Temple of Heaven: an Imperial Sacrificial Altar in Beijing; Mount Wuyi; Dazu Rock Carvings; Mount Qincheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System; Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom; Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries – Wolong, Mt Siguniang and Jiajin Mountains;
Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea: Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve;
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: Complex of Koguryo Tombs;
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Virunga National Park; Garamba National Park; Kahuzi-Biega National Park; Salonga National Park;
Egypt: Wadi Al-Hitan (Whale Valley);
Estonia: Historic Centre (Old Town) of Tallinn;
Ethiopia: Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela; Lower Valley of the Awash; Lower Valley of the Omo; Harar Jugol, the Fortified Historic Town;
Gambia: Kunta Kinteh Island and Related Sites;
Gambia and Senegal: Stone Circles of Senegambia;
Ghana: Forts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions; Asante Traditional Buildings;
India: Taj Mahal; Keoladeo National Park; Sundarbans National Park; Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks;
Indonesia: Borobudur Temple Compounds; Prambanan Temple Compounds;
Islamic Republic of Iran: Bam and its Cultural Landscape;
Kazakhstan: Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi; Petroglyphs within the Archaeological Landscape of Tamgaly;
Madagascar: Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve; Royal Hill of Ambohimanga;
Malaysia: Gunung Mulu National Park;
Mali: Timbuktu; Cliff of Bandiagara (Land of the Dogons); Tomb of Askia;
Mongolia: Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape;
Nepal: Sagarmatha National Park; Kathmandu Valley; Chitwan National Park; Lumbini, the Birthplace of the Lord Buddha;
New Zealand: Te Wahipounamu – South West New Zealand; New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands;
Nigeria: Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove;
Pakistan: Archaeological Ruins at Moenjodaro;
Philippines: Baroque Churches of the Philippines; Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park;
Republic of Korea: Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple; Haeinsa Temple Janggyeong Pangeon, the Depositories for the Tripitaka Koreana Woodblocks; Jongmyo Shrine; Changdeokgung Palace Complex; Hwaseong Fortress; Gyeongju Historic Areas; Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites;
Solomon Islands: East Rennell;
Thailand: Historic City of Ayutthaya;
Turkmenistan: State Historical and Cultural Park “Ancient Merv”; Kunya-Urgench;
United Republic of Tanzania: Serengeti National Park; Kondoa Rock-Art Sites;
Uzbekistan: Historic Centre of Bukhara; Historic Centre of Shakhrisyabz; Samarkand – Crossroad of Cultures;
Viet Nam: Ha Long Bay; My Son Sanctuary; Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park;
Zambia and Zimbabwe: Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls;
Zimbabwe: Great Zimbabwe National Monument; Khami Ruins National Monument; Matobo Hills;
4. Decides that retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value for World Heritage properties in Danger will be reviewed by the Advisory Bodies in priority;
5. Further decides that, considering the high number of retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value to be examined, the order in which they will be reviewed by the Advisory Bodies will follow the Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting, namely:
World Heritage properties in the Arab States;
World Heritage properties in Africa;
World Heritage properties in Asia and the Pacific;
World Heritage properties in Latin America and the Caribbean;
World Heritage properties in Europe and North America.
Draft Decision: 36 COM 7A.27
Nomination records (Year): 2004, 2007
Category: Cultural
Criteria: (ii)(iii)(iv)(v)
Danger List (dates): 2004-2013
WHC-12/36.COM/7A
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Russian Revolution (1917)
From Mises Wiki, the global repository of classical-liberal thought
The Russian Revolution is the term used for a series of revolutions in Russia in 1917. These revolutions led to the downfall of the Tsarist autocracy [1]and ultimately led to the creation of the Soviet Union. The Tsar was deposed and replaced by a provisional government in the first revolution of February 1917. In the second revolution, during October, the Provisional Government was removed and replaced with a Communist government.[2]
↑ Stephen J. Lee page 1
↑ Rex A. Wade page 303
Stephen J. Lee. Russia and the USSR, 1855-1991: autocracy and dictatorship. Routledge. New edition. 21 Dec 2005. ISBN 978-0415335775
Rex A. Wade. The Russian Revolution, 1917. Cambridge University Press, 2nd edition. 21 April 2005. ISBN 978-0521841559
This article is a stub. You can help Mises Wiki by expanding it.
Retrieved from "https://wiki.mises.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Russian_Revolution_(1917)&oldid=6520"
Content is available under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported unless otherwise noted.
About Mises Wiki
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Santa Rosa de Mazan
Mass and other Times
Ministers Schedule
Saints Patrick and Raphael
Williamstown, Massachusetts
Fr. Michael Lillpopp, Pastor
www.williamstowncatholics.org
Debbie Cameron
Parish Secretary
(413) 458-4946 ext 11
saintspatrickandraphaelgmail.com
Debbie has been a resident of Williamstown for most of her life as well as a member of it's Catholic community. She became interested in the religious education program as her three sons became students involved in it. Through this process, she started teaching grade seven in the fall of 1988. She continued in that role for five years, at which time she became catechetical leader for the elementary portion of the program in September of 1994. November of 2000 was the time when she assumed responsibility for the entire religious education program.
Debbie feels strongly the we have an excellent staff of committed teachers who believe in and work diligently for the development of a strong moral base in our children. In her words "we all work together in an effort to create enthusiasm about religious education among the students, to implement good, solid programs, and to involve the students in special events that help them recognize the needs in our world and how they can make a difference."
The goal of the program is to bring Jesus into their hearts and through God's grace hopefully they will live their lives according to the Gospel and embrace success as Jesus would define it.
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1 hour ago / World
Featured / U.S. News
Rebecca Falconer updated May 13, 2019
Julian Assange: Sweden will reopen rape case probe
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. Photo: Alberto Pezzali/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Sweden's deputy director of public prosecutions, Eva-Marie Persson, announced at a news conference Monday that prosecutors would reopen an inquiry into a rape allegation against Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange.
Details: Persson said in her decision the Swedish courts have considered the preliminary investigation case several times since Assange entered London's Ecuadorian Embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden to face the claim. On each occasion, they found there existed "probable cause" to suspect him of the 2010 allegation, the decision says.
The big picture: The U.S. is seeking to extradite the 47-year-old Australian. A U.K. court sentenced Assange to 50 weeks in jail this month for skipping bail by seeking asylum in the embassy.
What's next? Persson said in the event of a conflict between a European arrest warrant and a U.S. request for extradition, "U.K. authorities will decide on the order of priority." She intends to seek another interview with Assange.
What they're saying: WikiLeaks’ editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson said in a statement the reopening of the inquiry would give Assange "a chance to clear his name," according to Reuters.
"Since Julian Assange was arrested on 11 April 2019, there has been considerable political pressure on Sweden to reopen their investigation, but there has always been political pressure surrounding this case."
— WikiLeaks’ editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson
Go deeper: Timeline: Julian Assange's 9-year legal limbo reaches its climax
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Partly cloudy. High 87F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..
A few clouds from time to time. Low 71F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.
Brady takes a knee - and he is the better man for it
It’s not like Tom Brady to take a knee with a big game on the line.
In Super Bowl XXXVI in New Orleans in February 2002, Brady and the Patriots had the ball with a minute and a half left and no timeouts in a 17-17 game against the supposedly unbeatable St. Louis Rams.
TV commentator John Madden famously said Brady should take a knee, settle for a tie in regulation time and try to win in overtime. Instead Brady drove his team down the field to set up Adam Vinatieri’s Super Bowl-winning field goal. Brady was the MVP.
On Friday, Tom Brady took a knee.
Brady said he will drop efforts to overturn the 4-game suspension handed down by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after kangaroo court proceedings in the trumped-up “cheating” scandal known as Deflategate.
On Wednesday, a federal appeals court declined to rehear the case. Brady had the option of appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court but chose not to, ending for now a contest that began in early 2015.
He announced the decision on Facebook, thanking team owner Robert Kraft, coach Bill Belichick and others for believing in him.
“I’m very grateful for the overwhelming support I’ve received from Mr. Kraft, the Kraft family, coach Belichick, my coaches and teammates, the NFLPA, my agents, my loving family and most of all, our fans. It has been a challenging 18 months and I have made the difficult decision to no longer proceed with the legal process. I’m going to work hard to be the best player I can be for the New England Patriots and I look forward to having the opportunity to return to the field this fall.”
The decision means Brady, the best quarterback in the NFL, will sit out the first four games this fall — a quarter of the 16-game season — and turn over the QB role to backup Jimmy Garoppolo.
There is an upside to this. Garoppolo gets to show what he can do. The Patriots enter the 2016-17 season motivated by the old us-against-them mentality that helped them win their first Superbowl. They’ll be primed to show the rest of the league and jealous Patriot haters across the land just how great they are.
The biggest downside is that an unjust decision is allowed to stand. Even if you believe that Brady did more than indicate a preference for footballs on the softer side of the legal inflation standards — and we don’t believe he did anything more than that — a four-game suspension was excessive.
It was a display of arrogance and pique by Goodell that will damage his reputation more than Brady’s in the long run. To satisfy his own ego, and just to show that he could, the commissioner of football deprived fans of the joy of watching the greatest quarterback in the history of the league performing in his prime.
Still, painful as it was, we believe that Brady made the right decision, and the smart one, in choosing not to pursue his appeal to the Supreme Court.
Not because the high court is too busy to be bothered by such pedestrian matters, as the usual anti-Patriots pundits argue. The case raises serious issues about the governance of a professional sports league that routinely puts players at risk of concussions and other debilitating injuries with no guarantee they will be paid if hurt while enriching a handful of wealthy owners and league grandees like Goodell.
Brady realized that he might delay the 4-game suspension only to have the high court reject his appeal, forcing him to sit out more decisive games at the end of the season.
So he took a knee. And lives to fight another day, perhaps next February in Houston.
As always, Brady chose to put winning, his team and his fans ahead of himself.
That’s what has made him great.
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Lineman Leeman the follows family tradition of starring for Andover football
By David Willis dwillis@eagletribune.com
For Cam Leeman, playing football for Andover High wasn’t just his dream, it was also a birthright.
Growing up, he was enthralled by the stories of Andover football told time and time again by his grandfather and father, both former Golden Warriors.
And when his older brother T.J. Leeman was starring as a lineman for Andover, Cam was a fixture on the sidelines as a water boy watching his heroes in Blue and Gold.
“I grew up dreaming of Andover football,” said Cam. “I was raised on the stories and I wanted to be just like my brother. So when I got the chance to play for Andover I was so thrilled. It was such an honor, and still is to this day.”
Now a starting guard and the anchor of Andover’s offensive line — a 6-foot-3, 240-pound tank with flowing hair past his shoulder pads — Leeman will play the final game of his football career on Thanksgiving.
On Thusday, Andover will play Year No. 2 of its new Thanksgiving Day rivalry with North Andover when the Scarlet Knights travel to Eugene V. Lovely field for a 10 a.m. kickoff.
The Warriors won a thriller last fall, making a stop at the goal line in the game’s final seconds.
“This is the game everyone’s been waiting for,” said Leeman. “Everyone is thrilled. We had a tough loss to Everett (in the Division 1 North final) last week, but we are going to rally together and finish strong.
“We love playing North Andover. We may have only played them one year on Thanksgiving, but it has always been an amazing rivalry. I had my eyes closed when Mikey (Comeau) recovered the onside kick last season.”
Andover coach E.J. Perry IV said the play of Leeman on the line was a major reason for Andover’s resurgence in the second half of the season, which included state tournament upsets of Lexington and St. John’s Prep.
“Leeman brings toughness, a great mental attitude and lots of tradition to the team,” said Perry. “He’s been a starter for two years and the anchor of our line for the last two years. He comes from a great tradition of football and he has made his own mark on the family legacy.”
The family’s football tradition began with Cam’s maternal grandfather Arthur Ricci, a Warrior captain that went on to become chief of the Andover police. He continues to attend every game cheering on his grandson.
Cam’s father Tim Leeman later was a standout for the Golden Warriors, where he was a teammate with now-coach Perry.
“He was No. 82 and I was No. 83 on the team,” said Perry. “Cam has similar size and toughness to his father. But he is a little more laid back. T.J.’s personality is a lot more like their father’s.”
Next on the list was Cam’s brother T.J. Leeman. As a junior, T.J. helped Andover win the Merrimack Valley Conference Division 1 title, and as a senior co-captian in 2011 he started on the offensive and defensive line, making 29 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
“I was on the sidelines watching T.J. and I wanted to be just like him,” said Cam of his brother, who played at Saint Anselm before a knee injury ended his career.
“In my opinion he is one of the best lineman to ever come through Andover High. He was amazing and I wanted to play the game just like him.”
After seeing limited varsity time as a sophomore, it was Cam Leeman’s time to shine last season when he earned a starting spot at guard.
“In the beginning I was very nervous,” he said. “But once I started playing I realized it was just playing football again. But it has been an amazing honor to be playing football for Andover.”
As an offensive lineman for Andover — of course — his No. 1 job for the last two seasons has been to protect Boston College-bound superstar QB E.J. Perry IV.
“The job is protect E.J.,” he said with a laugh. “Every time we see E.J. get hit we have to run over and make sure he is OK. You always feel terrible when he gets hit. But we just have to work as a unit. And I have always played with E.J., so I’m used ot all the pass protection.”
Since he does not plan to play college football, Leeman is emotional about Thanksgiving, which he expects will be his final game on the gridiron.
“It all went by so fast,” said Leeman. “It feels like just yesterday I was playing in the AJFL. I know this is my last game, but I don’t think it will sink in until after the game. Right now, all that matters is that we close out the year with a win over North Andover.”
Thanksgiving Clash
Who: Andover (5-5) vs. North Andover (4-6)
When: Thanksgiving Day, 10:30 a.m.
Where: Eugene V. Lovely Field, Andover
Last year: Andover won the inaugural Thanksgiving matchup 42-41 on a stop at the goal line with 0:34 left in the game
Reach sportswriter/videographer David Willis on Twitter at @DWillisET
Music to everyone's ears
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Made to Kill
by Adam Christopher
Hardback Publication Date: 01/02/2016
RRP $17.75 $17.35
On order from our local supplier
Once received into our distribution centre, we will despatch and inform you via email.
Arrives in 2-4 days after despatch for most Australian capitals.
When a familiar-looking woman arrives at the Los Angeles offices of Raymond Electromatic-PI turned hit man and the world's last robot - he takes on the case of a missing movie star, and is soon plunged into a glittering world of 1960s Hollywood: fame, fortune, and secrecy. But when he uncovers a sinister plot that goes much deeper than the silver screen, this robot is in the wrong place, at the wrong time.
Titan Books Limited
Adam Christopher is a novelist, comic writer, and award-winning editor. Adam is the author of The Burning Dark and the LA Trilogy, as well as co-writer of The Shield for Dark Circle Comics.
His debut novel, Empire State, was SciFiNow's Book of the Year and a Financial Times Book of the Year for 2012. Born in New Zealand, he has lived in Great Britain since 2006.
Be the first to review Made to Kill.
Crime & Mystery Science fiction
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Patrons, Trustees, Executive Committee and Advisory Council
The Attingham Summer School
French 18th Century Studies
Royal Collection Studies
The London House Course
The Attingham Study Programme
Attingham Ambassadors
American Friends of Attingham
The Attingham Trust
What is The Attingham Trust?
The Attingham Trust is an educational charitable trust. It offers specialised study courses for those who are professionally engaged in the study, care and interpretation of historic houses and palaces and their collections and garden and landscape settings, whether they work in the museum, university, historic house, or conservation sector.
Who set it up?
The first Attingham Summer School was set up in 1952 to offer American curators the opportunity to become acquainted with the realities and complexities of British country houses. Many of them had country house material in their museums. The school’s founders were Helen Lowenthal, founder of the Education Department at the Victoria and Albert Museum, and Sir George Trevelyan, a pioneer of the adult education movement and Warden of Attingham Park, Shropshire. A Summer School has been organised every year since that date and its alumni base has expanded internationally. Helena Hayward, Dr Geoffrey Beard, Annabel Westman, Lisa White and Giles Waterfield are among the notable scholars to have directed the Summer School.
What courses does the Trust provide?
Three residential summer programmes are organised by the Trust each year.
Two non-residential courses are also offered:
French Eighteenth-Century Studies
What do the courses offer?
The courses offer a unique opportunity to examine the history, architecture and contents of historic buildings and their gardens and estates, and to study how they are managed and interpreted by a wide variety of owners, both public and private. Academic excellence is delivered through special access, lectures, discussion, and on-site tuition which provides a comprehensive understanding of a wide range of disciplines.
All the courses, except for The Attingham Study Programme, can only be attended once.
Founded in 1952 as The Attingham Summer School Trust it was named after the great neo-Classical house in Shropshire in which the Summer School was first held. It works in close collaboration with the American Friends of Attingham established in New York in 1962.
Does the Trust operate on its own?
The Trust is a self-supporting organisation with its own boards in Britain and the United States. It collaborates with a number of heritage institutions and museums, including the National Trust, English Heritage, Historic England, the Royal Collection Trust, Historic Royal Palaces and the Victoria and Albert Museum. Members of the staff of these organisations customarily attend the courses and are involved in teaching.
How are the Courses publicised?
The courses are advertised in the relevant specialist press and through an extensive mailing list. From the considerable number of applicants from many countries, participants are chosen with an architectural, historical, conservation or academic background, or a close involvement with the fine and decorative arts. Whilst historically many of the participants have come from the United States, the programmes are now attended by a growing number of scholars and experts from Europe and Australia, and in recent years also from India, China and South America.
Does the Trust offer scholarships?
The Attingham Trust is a non profit-making organisation. From its own funds and from donations made by a number of trusts, foundations, and private individuals, the Trust offers scholarships and aims to ensure that nobody who deserves a place is prevented from attending for financial reasons.
70 Cowcross Street
London EC1M 6EJ
Registered as an Educational Charitable Trust: no. 262819
designed by yves lebrec
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Budget savings trigger federal courts merger
by Samantha Woodhill | 27 Oct 2015
Attorney-General George Brandis will unveil plans for the Federal Court to take over the running of the Family Court and Federal Circuit Courts as part of the Turnbull government’s court saving measures.
Already signed off by the cabinet, a new bill is expected to be introduced into parliament next month, according to The Australian.
With courts on track to blowout by about $75million in 2017-18, the new measures will save the government around $6m over four years. The announcement comes 18 months after KPMG consultants handed Brandis a report revealing the staggering figures.
According to The Australian, a spokesperson for Brandis said any savings would be kept by the courts themselves and that their independence would remain.
Under the new system, the Federal Court will administer the payroll, communications and services including commonwealth vehicles used by judges.
When the Rudd government tried to dismantle the Federal Circuit Court (then the Federal Magistrates Court) back in 2009, many federal magistrates threatened to resign so the back offices of the Family and Federal Circuit courts were merged. Media reports suggest that the government will allow the courts to continue to have their own budget allocations.
According to The Australian, the Family Court handled 19,650 filings, a jump of almost 10 per cent in 2013 - 14, while the Federal Circuit Court dealt with 92,000 filings, with a sharp ¬increase in migration work. The Federal Court handled just 5000 filings, a drop of almost 14 per cent on the previous year.
While the Family Court and the Federal Circuit Courts had been pushing for an independent body to administer all three courts, the Federal Court, the most efficiently run, was against having to share any resources. It made a surplus in 2013-14 of around $1.5m.
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Jay Sekulow: Is it Time for Attorney General Holder to Go?
Posted by Jay Sekulow
It was an extraordinary showdown between one of the most knowledgeable and respected members of the U.S. Senate and the Attorney General of the United States, the nation’s chief law enforcement officer.
At a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday, U.S. Senator John Cornyn had enough. After months and months of stonewalling, Sen. Cornyn, a key member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called on Attorney General Holder to resign. The last straw: the continued refusal of the Attorney General to turn over documents and information concerning Operation Fast & Furious, the botched gun-running program that killed a U.S. Border Patrol Agent.
“I would say that you leave me no alternative but to join those that call upon you to resign your office,” Cornyn said. “Americans deserve an attorney general that will be honest with them, they deserve an attorney general who will uphold the basic standards of political independence and accountability. You’ve proven time and time again, sadly, that you’re unwilling to do so.”
The fact is that it may very well be time for Holder to go. Facing a vote next week in the House – a vote that could find him in contempt of Congress – this may be the time for Holder to step down. His problems, of course, go well beyond Fast & Furious. There are also serious concerns about the way Holder is handling an investigation into the leaking of classified information.
As I told Megyn Kelly on FOX News today, this is all going to come down to a political decision. If Holder is too radioactive and too much of a liability as the election draws closer, then he will go.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuABMGl4hFY
Sen. Cornyn’s call for Holder to step down comes as Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he still wants to see at least 80,000 documents in response to a congressional subpoena. According to reports, the Justice Department so far claims to have produced about 7,600 of the documents.
Sen. Grassley told Fox News that only “when they cough up” the rest of those documents would he be satisfied. “If he’s willing to produce those documents in the next 10 days, I would say yes, it has avoided the confrontation that he’s created,” Sen. Grassley said.
And in the House, where the contempt vote is scheduled for next Wednesday, some new information coming late today. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) signaled that the contempt vote could be postponed if Holder gives him a “serious proposal” on how to resolve the Fast & Furious issue.
The bottom line is this: the future of the Attorney General – whether he stays or goes – is ultimately a political decision that will be made by the President and his re-election team.
Attorney General Eric Holder
Operation Fast and Furious
Subscribe to Faith & Justice
About Faith & Justice
A blog that examines the people and the cases behind the intersection of faith and public life. A look at the ever-growing challenges facing Christians and the action taken to protect religious freedom in America and abroad. Faith & Justice: Standing up for the rights of Christians - featuring leading constitutional attorney Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice.
Jay Sekulow: Will the State Department finally speak out for Pastor Saeed Abedini?
Jay Sekulow: Help Us Tell the Story of American Pastor Saeed, Imprisoned in Iran
Jay Sekulow: American Pastor Saeed Barred From His Trial in Iran
Jay Sekulow: American Pastor to Face Trial in Iranian Prison
Jay Sekulow: HHS Fines for Challenging Mandate? Not So Fast
ACLJ
Budget Crisis
Islamic Mosque
Memorial Crosses
Religious Broadcasting
Rights of Conscience
Listen to Jay Sekulow Live
Visit ACLJ Online
Jay on TV
Jay Sekulow on Faith & Justice Blog
Jay Sekulow is Chief Counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), a law firm and educational organization that focuses on constitutional law. He is also Chief Counsel of the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ).
Jay Sekulow is one of the leading defenders of constitutional rights and religious liberties in the United States. Over the past 25 years, Jay Sekulow has amassed an unparalleled record of accomplishment, arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court on 12 occasions. His aggressive litigation strategy before the Supreme Court has led to many landmark First Amendment victories.
In his first case before the Supreme Court, Jews for Jesus, Jay Sekulow secured the right of religious groups to pass out tracks in airports. In Mergens, Jay Sekulow successfully protected the right of students to form Bible clubs and prayer groups on public school campuses. In Lamb’s Chapel, Jay Sekulow cleared the way for churches to have equal access to public facilities in the same way that other groups are permitted to utilize those facilities. In the Bray and Operation Rescue cases, Jay Sekulow protected the free speech rights of pro-life advocates to be free from criminal prosecution for conveying their pro-life message. In McConnell v. FEC, Jay Sekulow protected the right of young people to engage in the political process by donating to the campaign of their choice. In Pleasant Grove, Jay Sekulow paved the way for governments to be able to display Ten Commandments monuments, and other monuments of their choosing, in public parks.
Through the ACLJ, Jay Sekulow engages the political, legal, and cultural battles facing America today. He routinely works with Members of Congress, advising them on proposed legislation and representing them in critical legal matters. Jay Sekulow has also testified before Congress on the constitutionality of proposed legislation.
Also, in addition to being a successful Supreme Court advocate, Jay Sekulow is a highly respected broadcaster. Jay Sekulow is the host of Jay Sekulow Live! which airs each weekday on over 850 radio stations nationwide, in addition Sirius and XM satellite radio. He brings insight and education to listeners daily through this national call-in radio program. He is also the host of the ACLJ This Week, the ACLJ’s weekly television program.
Jay Sekulow regularly appears on major media outlets, including FOX News, CNN, ABC, CBS, and NBC, where he is sought out for his vast experience in constitutional law and his unique insight into many of the pressing legal and political issues facing America today. He is frequently quoted in the nation's leading newspapers and often contributes opinion editorials to national publications. Jay Sekulow has also published numerous law review and other scholarly articles.
Jay Sekulow has received numerous honors for his groundbreaking legal work in the area of free speech and religious liberties. The Legal Times has named Sekulow one of “The 90 Greatest Washington Lawyers of the Last 30 Years” and the National Law Journal has twice named Sekulow one of the “100 Most Influential Lawyers” in the United States. In addition, TIME Magazine listed Jay Sekulow as one of the "25 Most Influential Evangelicals" in America.
Jay Sekulow’s legal work in defense of religious liberties and human rights extends beyond the United States, having founded the ECLJ in Strasbourg, France, which maintains consultative status with the United Nations. He has also opened offices in Pakistan, Africa, and Jerusalem, Israel. Jay Sekulow is a staunch defender of Israel, presenting arguments before the International Criminal Court at the Hague. His efforts in support of Israel’s right to defend itself from terrorist attacks have been commended by Israeli government officials, one official stating, "Jay was instrumentally-involved in projects that the President of Israel and the Prime Minister put on our national agenda."
Jay Sekulow also has a passion for educating the next generation of religious liberty advocates. He is a member of the Regent University Law School Faculty as a Distinguished Professor of Law and routinely teaches courses on constitutional law and presents guest lectures. Jay Sekulow has also started educational programs in international human rights law in Strasbourg, France and at Handong University in South Korea.
Jay Sekulow is a graduate of Mercer University, earning both a bachelor’s degree and doctor of jurisprudence. Sekulow served on the editorial staff of the Mercer Law Review and graduated cum laude. He later earned a Ph.D. from Regent University, writing his dissertation on American Legal History. Jay Sekulow also serves on the Board of Trustees for The Supreme Court Historical Society in Washington, D.C.
Jay Sekulow, ACLJ Chief Counsels full biography and video.
Jay Sekulow on Facebook.
Jay Sekulow on Twitter.
Jay Sekulow on YouTube.
Last Friday’s standing-room only hearing before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission was among the most dramatic I’ve witnessed. There was outrage – outrage not just from me as I declared the State Department “AWOL” in our quest to ...
By Jay Sekulow. Read full post
One of the most important things we can do is keep the story of Pastor Saeed Abedini in the spotlight. This U.S. citizen is facing eight years in a deadly Iranian prison, convicted for his Christian faith. We know that the situation he faces ...
It's unlike any judicial system in the world. On Monday, American Pastor Saeed Abedini went to court in Iran with his attorney to address charges of attempting to undermine the Iranian government. The real problem: he converted from Islam to ...
An American Pastor is being held in Iran’s most notorious prison – Pastor Saeed, a U.S. citizen, has been told that he “will hang” because of his Christian faith. And, now the Iranian government has put this case on the fast track – ...
We are on the front lines when it comes to challenging the HHS mandate which requires employers to provide health insurance for employees that include paying for abortion-producing drugs - or face still penalties including significant ...
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Stability of local secondary structure determines selectivity of viral RNA chaperones
View ORCID ProfileJack P.K. Bravo, View ORCID ProfileAlexander Borodavka, Anders Barth, Antonio N. Calabrese, Peter Mojzes, Joseph J.B. Cockburn, Don C. Lamb, Roman Tuma
Jack P.K. Bravo
Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UKSchool of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
ORCID record for Jack P.K. Bravo
Alexander Borodavka
Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UKSchool of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UKDepartment of Chemistry, Center for NanoScience (CeNS), Nanosystems Initiative Munich (NIM) and Centre for Integrated Protein Science Munich (CiPSM), Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany
ORCID record for Alexander Borodavka
Anders Barth
Department of Chemistry, Center for NanoScience (CeNS), Nanosystems Initiative Munich (NIM) and Centre for Integrated Protein Science Munich (CiPSM), Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany
Antonio N. Calabrese
Peter Mojzes
Institute of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, Ke Karlovu 5, CZ-12116 Prague 2, Czech Republic
Joseph J.B. Cockburn
Don C. Lamb
Roman Tuma
Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UKSchool of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UKFaculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
Posted May 16, 2018.
You are going to email the following Stability of local secondary structure determines selectivity of viral RNA chaperones
Jack P.K. Bravo, Alexander Borodavka, Anders Barth, Antonio N. Calabrese, Peter Mojzes, Joseph J.B. Cockburn, Don C. Lamb, Roman Tuma
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Jackson Five star Tito Jackson says he is moving to Wolverhampton
The Jackson 5 star has had to put his move to Wolverhampton on hold
Charlotte Regen
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Tito Jackson says he is looking for a new house - and he has one priority.
It has to be in Wolverhampton!
The star has been looking to move to the city from Los Angeles for a while but due to a busy schedule the move has had to be put on hold.
Speaking to Mostly Jazz Festival, Tito confessed his love for the city stating that he is a massive fan of Wolverhampton Wanderers.
"I was moving to Wolverhampton , which is still on my bucket list, it’s just a matter of touring and recording and performing so much, that I haven’t been able to," he said.
Tito Jackson performs on stage during the winner's parade through Wolverhampton (Image: PA)
Dad's heartbreak as daughter splits with boyfriend - before being killed by him week later
The main reason for Tito wanting to re-locate to the city is Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, who are currently enjoying a return to the Premier League and have also qualified for the 2019–20 UEFA Europa League - their first major European tournament in 39 years.
He said: "I love the Wolves, they did very well in the Premier League this year, more than people expected, I'm so proud of them."
Hailing from the US town of Gary, Indiana, the Jackson Five signed to Motown in the late-1960s, releasing a string of US chart-toppers, beginning with I Want You Back.
Renaming themselves The Jacksons, they embraced disco and funk, and continued to rack up hits throughout the 1980s, eventually amassing over 160 weeks in the UK singles charts.
Having returned to live touring in 2011 after a hiatus, The Jacksons - Tito, and brothers Jermaine, Marlon and Jackie - will headline opening night of Mostly Jazz Funk and Soul Festival, Birmingham, on Friday, July 12, 2019, as part of the festival's 10th anniversary.
Other artists appearing over the weekend include Acid Jazz heroes Brand New Heavies, on Saturday, July 13, and legendary American songwriter Burt Bacharach on July 14.
Cops hurt after being hit by car during dramatic Smethwick police pursuit
A new shop has opened at intu Merry Hill creating 10 jobs
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Mostly Jazz Festival
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Sierra Wireless Announces Retirement of CEO Jason Cohenour
Chair Kent Thexton is Named Interim CEO of the Company; Board of Directors Initiates Search for New CEO
VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sierra Wireless (NASDAQ: SWIR) (TSX: SW), the leading provider of fully integrated device-to-cloud solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT), today announced that Jason Cohenour will retire from his position as President and Chief Executive Officer and will be stepping down as a Director of the Company. Effective May 31, Kent Thexton, Chair of Sierra’s Board of Directors, has been named Interim Chief Executive Officer and the Board has initiated a search for a new CEO. Mr. Cohenour will continue to serve as an advisor to Mr. Thexton and the Company until June 30. In addition, Greg Aasen, a Sierra Wireless director since 1997, has been named Lead Independent Director of the Board.
“On behalf of the entire Board, I want to thank Jason for his significant contributions to Sierra Wireless throughout his 22 years with the company, including the last 12 years as CEO,” said Mr. Aasen. “Thanks to Jason’s vision and leadership, Sierra successfully refocused its strategy and transitioned into a global leader in the IoT market. The Board will be taking this opportunity to recruit a world class leader to guide the Company through its next phase of growth and value creation. Kent has extensive experience serving in senior leadership positions in the international wireless and technology industries, and I am confident he is the right person to guide Sierra while we conduct a thorough search for our next CEO.”
“Looking ahead, there is vast opportunity for Sierra and our IoT device to cloud solutions strategy,” said Mr. Thexton. “IoT market and technology trends, including lower wireless connectivity costs, LPWA, 5G, and artificial intelligence, are creating attractive growth opportunities for the Company’s device to cloud solutions. I look forward to working closely with Sierra’s talented team in aggressively pursuing these opportunities during this leadership transition.”
“I am extremely proud of the Company’s accomplishments over the past 12 years, including building a world leader in the IoT market, expanding our global customer base and establishing our device-to-cloud solutions business,” said Mr. Cohenour. “With all of the necessary ingredients in place, I believe Sierra is perfectly poised for the next chapter in its transformation.”
About Sierra Wireless
Sierra Wireless (NASDAQ: SWIR) (TSX: SW), is an IoT pioneer, empowering businesses and industries to transform and thrive in the connected economy. Customers start with Sierra because we offer a device to cloud solution, comprised of embedded and networking solutions seamlessly integrated with our secure cloud and connectivity services. OEMs and enterprises worldwide rely on our expertise in delivering fully integrated solutions to reduce complexity, turn data into intelligence and get their connected products and services to market faster. Sierra Wireless has 1,350 employees globally and operates R&D centers in North America, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.sierrawireless.com.
Certain statements and information in this press release are not based on historical facts and constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Canadian securities laws (“forward-looking statements”) including statements and information relating to our ability to recruit a qualified and experienced CEO, anticipated growth and value creation, anticipated business opportunities, and other statements regarding our strategy, plans and future operating performance. Forward-looking statements are provided to help you understand our views of our short and long term plans, expectations and prospects. We caution you that forward-looking statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. We do not intend to update or revise our forward-looking statements unless we are required to do so by securities laws.
Forward-looking statements:
Typically include words and phrases about the future such as “outlook”, “will”, “may", “estimates”, “intends”, “believes”, “plans”, “anticipates”, “opportunities”, “look forward”, “continue” and “expects”.
Are not promises or guarantees of future performance. They represent our current views and may change significantly.
Are based on a number of material assumptions, including, but not limited to, those listed below, which could prove to be significantly incorrect:
our ability to identify and recruit a qualified and experienced CEO;
our ability to develop, manufacture and sell new products and services that meet the needs of our customers and gain commercial acceptance;
our ability to continue to sell our products and services in the expected quantities at the expected prices and expected times;
expected cost of sales;
expected component supply constraints;
our ability to win new business;
our ability to integrate the business, operations and workforce of Numerex and to return the Numerex business to profitable growth and realize the expected benefits of the acquisition;
our ability to integrate other acquired businesses and realize expected benefits;
expected deployment of next generation networks by wireless network operators;
our operations not being adversely disrupted by other developments, operating, cyber-security or regulatory risks; and
expected tax rates and foreign exchange rates.
Are subject to substantial known and unknown material risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause our actual results, achievements and developments in our business to differ significantly from those expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements, including without limitation, the following factors. These risk factors and others are discussed in our Annual Information Form and Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, which may be found on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov and in our other regulatory filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission in the United States and the Provincial Securities Commissions in Canada:
our ability to attract or retain key personnel;
competition from new or established competitors or from those with greater resources;
risks related to the recent acquisition of Numerex;
disruption of, and demands on, our ongoing business and diversion of management's time and attention in connection with other acquisitions or divestitures;
the loss of or significant demand fluctuations from any of our significant customers;
cyber-attacks or other breaches of our information technology security;
failures of our products or services due to design flaws and errors, component quality issues, manufacturing defects, cyber-security vulnerabilities or other quality issues;
our financial results being subject to fluctuation;
our ability to respond to changing technology, industry standards and customer requirements;
risks related to infringement on intellectual property rights of others;
our ability to obtain necessary rights to use software or components supplied by third parties;
our ability to enforce our intellectual property rights;
difficult or uncertain global economic conditions;
our reliance on single source suppliers for certain components used in our products;
our dependence on a limited number of third party manufacturers;
unanticipated costs associated with litigation or settlements;
our dependence on mobile network operators to offer and promote acceptable wireless service programs;
risks related to contractual disputes with counterparties;
risks related to governmental regulation;
risks related to the transmission, use and disclosure of user data and personal information; and
risks inherent in foreign jurisdictions.
Investor and Media Contact:
David Climie, +1 (604) 231-1137
dclimie@sierrawireless.com
David G. McLennan, +1 (604) 231-1181
investor@sierrawireless.com
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Why Isn't Laura Dern In 'Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom'? Life Found A Way To Keep Her Pretty Busy
By Danielle Burgos
The '90s are back in a big way. Mom jeans are firmly entrenched as de rigueur for Instagram fashionistas, the Clintons are still popping up in the news, and who knows, we might even head back for another Gulf War. But nothing brings us back to the end of the 20th century like the time When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth, that is, when Jurassic Park hit box office gold and the theme song got stuck in everyone's head for the next 25 years. With Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom coming out now, the time of the dinosaurs may be back, but some cast members aren't. Seriously, why isn't Laura Dern in Jurassic World? It would've been so great to see the Jurassic Park alum show up in the film.
Dern first appeared as Ellie Sattler, whip-smart young archaeologist, in 1993's Jurassic Park. She reprised the role in 2001's Jurassic Park III, where, married with two kids, she and Dr. Grant discussed raptor intelligence. Since then, the franchise has rebooted with Jurassic World, starring Bryce Dallas Howard and Chris Pratt as a new crop of dinosaur wranglers and managers, with B.D. Wong the only cast member from the original series to make an appearance.
Yet Wong and Jeff Goldblum, who appeared as Dr. Ian Malcom in the original Jurassic Park and several sequels, are both back for the latest film, so why not Dern? For one thing, she's had a very busy schedule. In 2017 alone, the actor appeared as previously-unseen fan favorite Diane in Twin Peaks: The Return, showed up to steal scenes in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and managed to cram in a recurring role on Big Little Lies. And so far in 2018, Dern has shown absolutely no signs of slowing down. Her latest project, The Tale, is a harrowing look at childhood sexual abuse that just premiered on HBO, and there's also Season 2 of Big Little Lies that's being filmed right now.
With that kind of workload, you'd think there'd be little room for anything else, but Dern somehow also managed to cram in a project with director Noah Baumbach, pick up a role in the upcoming film JT Leroy Story, and begin production on a remake of a Norwegian revenge movie, currently titled Hard Powder. Really, even if she wanted to, would Dern have the time and energy to cram in a Jurassic World cameo?
Probably not, but hey, you never know if she'll appear in future installments. When asked about possibly returning to the Park at the premiere of her 2017 film Downsizing, Dern gave ET correspondents a big shrug and said it could be fun. "I mean I love Ellie Sattler! She's a strong feminist!" Dern said during the red-carpet interview. "We need her back." And according to Entertainment Weekly, Dern never discounted being in a sequel past Jurassic Park III. “As I said to the people who are making the new series, ‘If you guys make a last one, you gotta let Ellie Sattler come back,'" Dern said. "She’s always the one who’s saving the day, man!”
ET also had Chris Pratt on record as saying he'd love to have the blessing of one of the original cast members for the new franchise. Then there's returning cast member Jeff Goldblum, who told MovieWeb, "I don't want to pass on gossip like my character [Ian Malcom]. But it would be good news to me and to everyone, millions and billions of people all over the world... all over the universe and cosmos when Ellie Sattler returns."
Everyone's hoping for Ellie's return, but it's just a matter of whether the ultra-busy Dern can actually make the time.
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Istria /
Written by Hannah Stuart-Leach
Hannah Stuart-Leach was the very definition of a reluctant solo traveller. In this extract from her contribution to Roam Alone she explains the best way to combat travel anxiety - "feel the fear and do it anyway."
A Jeepney in Manila © Hannah Stuart-Leach
I’ve always been an anxious sort of person. I assumed it had developed over time, but my mother recently assured me that even as a toddler, I was terrified of snow – which means I must have been anxious from day one as it was snowing the day I was born.
Then, as an older child, I would happily sacrifice my own sister if we came face to face with a dog on the way home from school.
I’ve come to accept that worrying is part of who I am. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to let it stop me doing things. In fact, quite the opposite. The only way I’ve found to combat anxiety is – as self-help gurus so carelessly advise – to feel the fear and do it anyway.
This is how nine years ago I found myself ending a comfortable, but not-quite-right, relationship; how I left a stable, but uninspiring, job in London; and how I took a job as an English teacher, on the other side of the world, in South Korea.
I was so terrified at the prospect of the long-haul flight on a Korean airline – which historically suffered a slightly dodgy reputation – that I turned down the free journey, paid for by the school, and booked my own flight. I definitely felt my fears, and they cost me 600 pounds.
Although moving to South Korea sounds like a big step – and it was – it was still a relatively safe set-up. I lived with a great group of American, Canadian and English teachers and each weekend we headed out to explore Korea together. It was like being a student again, and much easier than my almost-adult life in the UK had been. During holidays and in between contracts I even went off to see more of Asia: Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, Taiwan. But I was always with someone else, and could share the stresses of strange lands.
Then one day, a bit fed up and bored during a lunch break at school, I checked my horoscope. ‘Travel, or taking on a new lifestyle or interest, will do you good,’ it said. Pretty standard. But it went on, ‘A change may be required in order to fulfil a dream.’ And then, to my great annoyance, I experienced a familiar nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach – it was time for a new adventure. Except this time, on my own.
I decided on a month-long volunteer programme in the Philippines, as an antidote to the very wealthy hagwon, or private school, I’d been working at in South Korea. It had started to seem a bit much, seeing three-year-old tots coming to school dressed head to toe in Burberry, their little lunchboxes concealed inside leather briefcases, and I wanted to help people less privileged.
The mangroves in Sugud © Hannah Stuart-Leach
Part of my anxiously inclined mind is determined to catastrophise, however, so the idea of the Philippines, at the time constantly in the news for its plane crashes, boat sinkings and natural disasters, was one big nightmare for me. Maybe subconsciously, that’s why I chose it. I knew it was a challenge. But, like many anxious people, I’m my own worst enemy. I combed the FCO’s travel advice, always overly alarming, and researched all the possible disasters that could occur and every hideous illness I could conceivably contract. Japanese encephalitis was a big one, where your brain oozes out of your ears. Despite the one-in-a-million odds, I wasn’t placated. All it takes is one mosquito bite, and if anyone’s going to get that mosquito bite, it’s bound to be me.
I managed to find a volunteer programme with a craft group, the Payawpao Orchids, who made all sorts of accessories out of recycled paper. With unemployment around 85 per cent in the village, many men left for the cities. Extra income, earned in a flexible way like this, was a lifeline for the women left behind. It was on Tablas, the largest of the Romblon islands, and the only way to reach it was by a twelve-hour overnight ferry. Just the thought made me seasick.
I boarded the ferry like a condemned woman, my heart thudding against my chest, palms clammy and clenched, looking up at the sky and analysing the colour and form of the clouds for signs of a storm.
It was just as chaotic as I’d imagined: women getting on with boxes of roosters, kids running around screaming, people and belongings sprawled all over the deck. To make matters worse, the captain was drunk. After a short time, just as rumblings of a storm started to rock the boat, he passed out on a bench with a can of San Miguel by his side.
On the ferry to Tablas © Hannah Stuart-Leach
I sat cross-legged on a plastic-covered bunk bed, barely moving or muttering a word. My diary entry from that long, long night on the top deck, half-exposed to the wind and rain, is jittery and rambling. I can still feel the nervous energy just looking at those frantic scrawlings. But there’s also a certain self-awareness: ‘At twenty seven I am finally brave enough to do this kind of thing, I think when I am alone I have more strength. If I’m with other people, I rely on them for reassurance, but alone I can’t do that, and if I am scared, I have no choice but to get on with it… I am coming to accept that I needed this.’
Want to read the rest of Hannah's story? Get 10% off Roam Alone: Inspiring Tales By Reluctant Solo Travellers here.
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Canadian Catholic Church Sued for Not Letting Boy Use Girl’s Bathroom
A Canadian mom is dragging the Catholic Church before the Alberta Human Rights Commission because the Catholic school district said her son had to use the boy’s bathroom. The woman’s son thinks he is a girl and the mother goes along with it.
According to CBC News, “The parents knew from the beginning that something was different about their child, but last September, the youngster made it clear.”
The seven-year-old boy said, “I just told my mom that I felt like a girl.”
The mother said that was when she knew her boy “was a girl who had a penis.” Apparently the boy told his parents that he had a “girl’s heart and a girl’s brain.”
The mother tried to get the Catholic school system to allow her son to use the little girl’s room and they refused. The school has even installed a special non-gendered bathroom for this situation, but the mother feels this solution is not good enough for her child; she claims no harm will come to anyone if he is allowed to use the girls’ restroom. She cited a doctor who said the boy has “gender dysphoria.”
At least one trustee of the Catholic school has spoken out in support of the boy. Patricia Grell called it a “social justice issue” and that “this little girl needs advocates. She needs people like us, trustees to stand up for her.”
Advocates for the boy are hopeful. The Ontario Human Rights Commission has already ordered the school system to allow confused boys and girls to use the bathroom of their choice and not the one corresponding to their sex.
Follow Austin Ruse on Twitter @austinruse
PoliticsCatholic ChurchCatholic SchoolGender Dysphoriasocial justice
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Minoan civilization
Minoan civilization, Bronze Age civilization of Crete that flourished from about 3000 bc to about 1100 bc. Its name derives from Minos, either a dynastic title or the name of a particular ruler of Crete who has a place in Greek legend.
Snake goddess, faience statuette from the temple depository of Knossos, c. 1600 bc. In the Archaeological Museum, Iraklion, Greece. Nimatallah/Art Resource, New York
Aegean civilizations
…of Crete has been called Minoan, after the legendary King Minos of Knossos, which was the chief city of the island throughout early times.…
A brief treatment of Minoan civilization follows. For full treatment, see Aegean civilizations.
Crete became the foremost site of Bronze Age culture in the Aegean Sea, and in fact it was the first centre of high civilization in that area, beginning at the end of the 3rd millennium bc. Reaching its peak about 1600 bc and the later 15th century, Minoan civilization was remarkable for its great cities and palaces, its extended trade throughout the Levant and beyond, and its use of writing. Its sophisticated art included elaborate seals, pottery (especially the famous Kamáres ware with its light-on-dark style of decoration), and, above all, delicate, vibrant frescoes found on palace walls. These frescoes display both secular and religious scenes, such as magical gardens, monkeys, and wild goats or fancifully dressed goddesses that testify to the Minoans’ predominantly matriarchal religion. Among the most familiar motifs of Minoan art are the snake, symbol of the goddess, and the bull; the ritual of bull-leaping, found, for example, on cult vases, seems to have had a religious or magical basis.
By about 1580 bc Minoan civilization began to spread across the Aegean to neighbouring islands and to the mainland of Greece. Minoan cultural influence was reflected in the Mycenean culture of the mainland, which began to spread throughout the Aegean about 1500 bc.
By the middle of the 15th century the palace culture on Crete was destroyed by conquerors from the mainland. They established a new order on Crete, with centres at Knossos and Phaistos. Following the conquest, the island experienced a wonderful fusion of Cretan and mainland skills. The Late Minoan period (c. 1400–c. 1100 bc), however, was a time of marked decline in both economic power and aesthetic achievement (see photograph).
Bridge-spouted jar decorated in polychrome, Late Minoan period (c. 1400–c. 1100 bc); in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford Courtesy of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
…of Crete has been called Minoan, after the legendary King Minos of Knossos, which was the chief city of the island throughout early times. The Bronze Age of the Cyclades is known as Cycladic, that of the mainland as Helladic, from Hellas, the Greek name for Greece. Early, middle, and…
Aegean civilizations: Religion
the Cretan and the Mycenaean tradition, were not fused but survived in separate sets of songs and tales.…
archaeology: The Mediterranean and the Middle East
…1900 and to discover the Minoan civilization, ancestor of classical Greece.…
metalwork: Minoan and Mycenaean
A profusion of gold jewelry was found in early Minoan burials at Mókhlos and three silver dagger blades in a communal tomb at Kumasa. Silver seals and ornaments of the same age are not uncommon. An elegant silver cup from Gournia belongs…
Zhou dynasty
Zhou dynasty, dynasty that ruled ancient China for some eight centuries, establishing the distinctive political and cultural characteristics that were to be identified with China for the next two millennia. The beginning date of the Zhou has long been debated. Traditionally, it has been given as…
More About Minoan civilization
21 references found in Britannica articles
major reference
In Aegean civilizations
In Aegean civilizations: Religion
In Greek mythology: Archaeological discoveries
toolmaking
In hand tool: Early metal designs
In archaeology: The Mediterranean and the Middle East
In Sir Arthur Evans
bull dancer
In myth: Animals and plants in myth
Greek dance
In Western dance: Dance in Classical Greece
In Western architecture: Aegean and eastern Mediterranean
In Anatolian art and architecture: Early Bronze Age
Peloponnesian War
Phaestus
Vapheio
Sir Arthur Evans
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Pearl Harbor attack
Pearl Harbor attack, (December 7, 1941), surprise aerial attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor…
American Civil War, four-year war (1861–65) between the United States and 11 Southern states that seceded…
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Invisible trade
Alternative Titles: invisible, invisible earnings
Invisible trade, in economics, the exchange of physically intangible items between countries. Invisible trade can be distinguished from visible trade, which involves the export, import, and reexport of physically tangible goods. Basic categories of invisible trade include services (receipts and payments arising from activities such as customer service or shipping); income from foreign investment in the form of interest, profits, and dividends; private or government transfers of monies from one country to another; and intellectual property and patents. (See also intellectual-property law.)
Services account for the vast majority of invisible trade. Such services include freight and passenger transport; banking, other financial services, and insurance; scientific-technical exchange; and international tourism. Income gained by foreign investment is the second largest contributor to invisible trade, and private and government transfer is the smallest.
In many developing countries, receipts for invisibles are exceeded by payments for them. This deficit is closely tied to the foreign debt and interest payments often made by developing countries to the developed countries. The growing external debt of some developing countries—and their inability to repay the loans and interest—not only threatens the economies of those developing countries but also threatens the foreign-investment sector of invisible-trade earnings for many developed countries. Conditions such as these have brought calls for creditor countries to offer debt relief to debtor countries.
United Kingdom: Finance
The share of invisible trade (receipts and payments from financial services; interest, profits, and dividends; and transfers between the United Kingdom and other countries) has been rising steadily since the 1960s—from about one-third to one-half of the country’s total foreign earnings. Within this area, service transactions have grown…
international payment and exchange: The current account
…continue to use the term invisibles for current services entering into international transactions. For many years the “visible” balance was taken to be equivalent to exports quoted FOB and imports CIF as explained above. The British authorities have more recently instituted another linguistic usage by which the visible balance is…
It is distinguished from invisible trade, which involves the export and import of physically intangible items such as services.…
Patent, a government grant to an inventor of the right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention, usually for a limited period. Patents are granted for new and useful machines, manufactured products, and industrial processes and for significant improvements of existing ones. Patents also are granted for…
intellectual-property law
Intellectual-property law, the legal regulations governing an individual’s or an organization’s right to control the use or dissemination of ideas or information. Various systems of legal rules exist that empower persons and organizations to exercise such control. Copyright law confers upon the creators of “original forms of expression” (e.g., books,…
More About Invisible trade
balance of payments accounting
In international payment and exchange: The current account
economy of United Kingdom
In United Kingdom: Finance
relation to visible trade
In visible trade
Unilateral transfer
Fascism, political ideology and mass movement that dominated many parts of central, southern, and eastern…
Democracy, literally, rule by the people. The term is derived from the Greek dēmokratiā, which was coined…
Education, discipline that is concerned with methods of teaching and learning in schools or school-like…
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Immigration priority for engineers welcomed
But dismay at removal of M&E from list of sectors in which migrants allowed to fill skills gap
The Association for Consultancy & Engineering (ACE) has welcomed the addition of engineering to the list of occupations in which migrant workers are permitted to fill a UK skills gap.
Engineering was one of limited additions made to the revised list after a panel of experts was asked by ministers to identify sectors with skills shortages.
However, the ACE is “dismayed” that M&E engineering has been removed from the list, which forms part of the new points-based migration system.
It said that the government needed to do much more to secure the engineering skills the nation needs, especially in the energy sector.
Nelson Ogunshakin, ACE chief executive, said: “We are pleased with the progressive action taken by the Migration Advisory Committee,” but added: “We are extremely disappointed and dismayed that the government has decided against including mechanical and electrical engineering professions on the list - skills that were on the June 2008 list but have now been removed.”
Citizens from EU states, excluding Bulgaria and Romania, can work in the UK without restrictions but unskilled workers from other parts of the world are banned.
The list is expected to come into force at the end of November, and will make it harder to employ skilled workers from outside the EU in trades not on the list.
An all-party group of MPs called for “balanced migration” on Sunday, as well as four-year limits on foreign workers' stay in the UK.
The group said that Britain would be unable to cope with the estimated 7 million extra migrants forecast to arrive by 2031.
Brown speaks up for migrants
Prime minister strongly rejects Lords' view that foreign workers do not benefit Britain
Industry attacks Lords’ immigration report
Construction industry leaders have rounded on a House of Lords committee that found there was little evidence that immigration had benefited the UK
Skills enabling priority immigration to be unveiled
Government to announce which skills will boost non-European immigrants' applications for UK jobs
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Home > Aerospace & Defence > Happy New Year – Now Let’s Get Back to Business!
Happy New Year – Now Let’s Get Back to Business!
By Susan Kohn Ross on January 13, 2019
Posted in Aerospace & Defence, Controlled Goods Program, Corporate Counsel, Cross-border deals, Cryptocurrencies, Customs Law, Export Controls & Economic Sanctions, Exports, Imports Restrictions, Legal Developments, tariffs, Trade Agreeements, Trade Remedies
Originally published by the Journal of Commerce in January 2019
One of the topics that consistently makes the top 5 in just about every survey of issues of concern to companies is the cost of regulatory compliance. This is true in large measure because the complexity of the issues covered by those regulations keeps increasing and the cost of compliance moves in the same upward direction.
In looking forward into the new year, looking back is instructive as well to identify at least one consistent theme when it comes to enforcement actions – the quality of the company’s compliance program, which includes the clarity of that compliance program and also the quality of the training given to staff, but then there is also the what were you thinking factor !!!!
In 2015, PayPal paid $7.65 million to settle a series of Office of Foreign Assets Control or OFAC violations. As many will recall, PayPal had screening software in place. Whether it worked as intended or not, what came through loud and clear in the settlement agreement was regardless of how well the software worked, the staff was not properly trained.
OFAC described the situation up to 2013 as one where the company did “not appear to have implemented effective compliance procedures and processes to identify, interdict, and prevent transactions” violating various OFAC sanctions programs. For many, the saga was an old one. The system gave alerts, the staff did not understand the reason for the alerts, and initially ignored them. When there were enough of them, corrective action was taken, but it was insufficient. Eventually, PayPal realized how non-compliant were its operations and took serious remedial action. That action included a voluntary self-disclosure which acknowledged:
A) 98 violations of the Cuba sanctions, involving goods worth $19,344.89;
B) 25 violations of one set of Iran sanctions, goods worth $2,109.82;
C) 100 violations of a different set of Iran sanctions, goods worth $6,147.84;
D) 33 violations of the Sudan sanctions, goods worth $3,314.43;
E) 94 violations of the terrorism sanctions, goods worth $5,925.27; and
F) 136 transactions of the weapons of mass destruction sanctions, worth $7,091.77.
Perhaps equally devastating to PayPal’s circumstances was the violations occurred over a 9 year period! As noted, eventually PayPal resolved the matter by paying a hefty fine, but it was also required within 6 months of settlement to make a presentation to OFAC establishing it had put effective internal controls in place so the problems did not continue.
Looking further back in time and focused on cybersecurity, there is the Target breach case. Readers will remember the Target system was hacked using stolen credentials. The first successful intrusion occurred on November 15, 2013, subsequent intrusions occurred triggering alerts which were not understood or timely acted upon. Target ended up paying $10 million to settle the class action lawsuit, $16.7 million to settle the payment processor/credit card companies litigation, another $18.5 million to settle claims brought by State Attorneys General. Target also reportedly spent more than $100 million to upgrade its system. This all occurred because the internal controls in place were neither precise, tested nor upgraded over time.. Alerts were not understood, timely acted upon and others were ignored, certain functionality had been turned off, the system did not work on a need to have access basis, and worst of all, the corporate (located locally and in a third country) IT staff did not communicate well among themselves or timely agree upon the seriousness of the situation and the first steps to be taken to minimize the damage.
One can look as well at the Equifax data breach case, where the hackers had 76 days to exfiltrate data! That hack was successful because a device meant to assist with detection was misconfigured and a digital certificate had expired. It also did not help that Equifax took approximately six (6) weeks to publicly announce the breach.
Then there is the Uber 2017 breach. Uber paid $148 million to various States to settle litigation. A 2014 breach was reported but with the 2016 breach, Uber sought to conceal it. Uber settled with the Federal Trade Commission which found the Uber system lacked unique access credentials, failure to limit access to a need to know basis, failed to employ multi-factor authentication, failed to store dats in the cloud encrypted. The FTC settlement terms are numerous, but perhaps most notable is the requirement for Uber to issue a yearly compliant report under penalty of perjury.
What the Equifax and Uber cases tell us is it is not enough to have a set of internal controls. First, you have to put them in place., then make sure everyone is adequately trained on those procedures. Then you implement them and then you test them. In reality this is a circular situation. The internal controls should be regularly updated and improved, and so should the training.
All that having been said, there is also the what were you thinking factor? And we have a very recent example of that. Zoltek Corporate and its affiliates settled a case with OFAC at the end of 2018. The company paid $7.772,102 which could have been avoided if only the right questions had been asked of the right people at the right time. The settlement agreement itself can be found at: https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/CivPen/Documents/20181220_zoltek_settlement.pdf and is worth reading. What you find is the American management was repeatedly made aware a supplier was listed on a denied parties list associated with the Belarus sanctions. Despite repeated email exchanges and discussions among executives within the firm, Zoltek kept doing business with the sanctioned entity, going so far at one point as to pivot the business to a third party trading company. To his credit, at least one executive questioned whether the trading company was a sham, but the transactions continued. This saga starts when the Belarus oil and chemical entity was put on the sanctions list in November 2007. This listing invoked OFAC’s 50% rule for that supplier, i.e., any entity (the supplier) owned 50% or more by a sanctioned party (the Belarus oil and chemical company) is itself sanctioned. Several years later, the supplier was itself designated as a sanctioned party. However, in the meantime, it had acquired one of Zoltek’s primary suppliers of a specific raw material and the business continued uninterrupted.
While all of this is going on, there are emails exchanged within management about the supplier itself being sanctioned. There are emails about seeking legal advice, which would have been the prudent step to take, but the advice sought was from a lawyer in a third country where Zoltek’s affiliate was located. Not surprisingly, he concluded U.S. law did not apply in that third country. You also have executives within the company refusing to sign any contract with the sanctioned supplier. There are outside third parties explaining repeatedly to Zoltek’s upper management that purchases from the sanctioned supplier are barred under U.S. law. Through it all, Zoltek’s upper management kept saying it was consulting with the U.S. government and never did. In the end, Zoltek made 13 purchases from the affiliate, later sanctioned party, with a total value of $10,390,920. How much more efficient and less costly would it have been for management to call a U.S. lawyer familiar with U.S. sanctions laws?
What these cases reminder us as the new year launches is internal controls continue to be one of the most important tools companies have to manage their risk. At the same time, the best internal controls program works only if staff is properly trained, the program is regularly tested, updated and improved. Even Zoltek could have avoided its problems if it had a robust sanctions program in place. When was the last time your internal controls were tested and upgraded? It’s the new year, now is the time to start!
Tags: #Complaince, #complianceprogram, #economicsanctions, #Equifax, #internalcontrols, #Zoltek, OFAC, PayPal, sanctions
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New visa rules affect Mexican Canadian parishes
Trending: Vatican missing persons investigation
By Sheila Dabu Nonato, The Catholic Register
{mosimage}TORONTO - It was supposed to be a summer reunion for Rosa Flores and five of her friends from Mexico.
But the St. Anthony’s Church parishioner says Canada’s new visa rules mean her friends won’t be coming to visit her in Toronto this August.
On July 14, the Canadian government imposed new visa requirements for Mexican and Czech citizens to deal with a heavy caseload of refugee claims by visitors from the two countries. Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said imposing these new rules is necessary to guard against fraudulent immigration claims.
“All too often, people who really need Canada’s protection find themselves in a long line, waiting for months and sometimes years to have their claims heard. This is unacceptable,” Kenney said in a press release.
According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada, refugee claims from Mexico have tripled to more than 9,400 within the last four years. The number of Czechs, mostly Roma, claiming refugee status is also up.
But Flores says this sudden announcement causes big headaches for visitors who have already bought their plane tickets and planned their trip in advance. Her friends might not get their money back and have to rebook to another destination, she said.
Yet Flores said she can also see the other side of the argument.
“I know that everybody has a right to look for a better future. But at the same time, I recognize that some people have been taking advantage of what this country offers,” she said.
The Canadian Council for Refugees has been more vocal about its reaction to the announcement. Janet Dench, executive director of the Montreal-based council, told The Catholic Register the new rules are “closing the door” for legitimate refugees who are fleeing persecution. There are significant human rights abuses in Mexico, she said, and many refugees are not coming for economic reasons. Dench added that some have come to Canada and left well-paying jobs because they felt their lives were at risk in Mexico.
Fr. Manuel Galvan, associate pastor at St. Anthony’s, said the new rules could affect a majority of the 200 parishioners who attend the parish’s Spanish Mass. Galvan arrived in Canada from Mexico two years ago, but he said the new rules won’t affect him when he vacations in Mexico in August.
It’s a complicated issue, he said. On the one hand, if people are coming to Canada under false pretenses, then he understands why the new rules are needed.
“But for those who come here to visit their family, it’s a little bit unfair for them,” Galvan said.
Associate pastor Fr. Josue Vargas says this could affect some parishioners at Toronto’s Our Lady of Guadalupe Church who are refugees from Mexico. Vargas arrived in Canada from Guadalajara just before the new rules were implemented, though he won’t be affected as he has a work permit.
“Everybody is not in the same situation,” he said.
But on the other hand, all Mexicans shouldn’t be painted with the same brush because there are many who visit Canada for legitimate purposes and don’t abuse the system, he added.
Meanwhile, in Calgary, recent graduate Monica Lopez says the growing problems in her hometown illustrate why many Mexicans find Canada an attractive country to live in. The crime-related violence in Monterrey is getting worse, she explained, which is why she decided to move back to Canada two months ago.
Lopez, who was completing an internship in Mexico, is a permanent resident of Canada. The 24-year-old mechanical engineer said she turned down a couple of job offers in Mexico because she wants to live in a safer country.
More in this category: « Bishops encourage Catholics to engage in battle against euthanasia Bishop Albert LeGatt appointed archbishop for Saint-Boniface »
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LYNN CHADWICK "RECLINING FIGURES" LITHO, 1971
Lynn Chadwick (1914-2003) is one of Britain's leading Modernist sculptors. He revitalized bronze sculpture with his signature and highly stylized forms that both embraced and evaded figuration.
Chadwick had initially studied architecture, which trained him to be an excellent draftsman. His early artwork were mobiles first created at the end of the 1940's. By 1952 Chadwick was part of a group of British sculptors exhibiting at the Venice Biennale. Four years later, he would represent the UK and win the highly prestigious International Sculpture prize. By this point he was informally anointed as the successor to Henry Moore.
In the mid 1960's Chadwick introduced his highly-stylized and iconic figures. Since the onset of his career he was considered a significant voice in abstract sculpture, so this was a brave and radical evolution.
This evocative and instantly recognizable print is a fantastic piece for a young collector. It was created at a high point in the artist's impressive career - just as he started to introduce drapery on his famed figures.
Additional images available on request.
Questions about this piece? Contact us or call +1.416.704.1720
Signed and numbered by the artist.
From an edition of 150
30"H 22"W
Very good condition.
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Law enforcement stepping up DUI patrols during Labor Day weekend
Law enforcement officers from around San Diego County will be out in full force tonight and throughout the long Labor Day weekend patrolling for intoxicated drivers.
Published: 2:10 AM PDT August 30, 2013
Updated: 1:21 PM PDT August 30, 2013
SAN DIEGO (CNS) - Law enforcement officers from around San Diego County will be out in force Friday night and throughout the long Labor Day weekend, patrolling for intoxicated drivers.
The San Diego County Sheriff's Department will set up a checkpoint somewhere within Poway city limits starting at 7 p.m. and extending until 3 a.m. Saturday, sheriff's Cpl. Todd Murphy. Sheriff's deputies will be on the lookout for drunken and drugged drivers and those without a valid driver's license, he said.
Murphy said the intent behind the checkpoint was to raise awareness of the dangers of drunken driving and to promote public safety.
A checkpoint operation at an undisclosed location in Oceanside is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. and extend until 3 a.m. Saturday, according to Oceanside police Sgt. Kenneth Gow. Officers will contact drivers and check for signs of intoxication, as well as ensure each motorist is properly licensed.
"Over the course of the past three years, DUI collisions have claimed eight lives and resulted in 164 injury crashes harming 258 of our friends and neighbors," Gow said.
The San Diego Police Department's traffic unit will conduct checkpoints at undisclosed locations in the city from 10 p.m. today to 4:30 a.m. Saturday, and again from 10 p.m. Saturday to 4:30 a.m. Sunday, according to San Diego police Officer Mark McCullough. Both will be staffed by officers who will screen drivers for signs of drug or alcohol impairment.
Well publicized checkpoints have proven effective in reducing the number of people killed or injured in drunken driving crashes, McCullough said.
The National City Police Department's ramped up end-of-summer crackdown will continue throughout the holiday weekend with increased police presence on area roadways and additional checkpoints, including one planned to begin at 7 p.m Sunday and extend to 2:30 a.m. Monday.
"The end of summer and Labor Day weekend is traditionally a time to have fun," National City police Manuel Rodriguez said. "Don't let it turn into a time of tragedy or jail visit by driving impaired by alcohol or drugs. We will be out looking for those making that unwise and dangerous choice."
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Lawsuit Investigation for Patients Denied Coverage for Hepatitis C Drug Harvoni
This Alert Affects:
People who weren’t covered by their health insurance for the cost of Harvoni, the first known drug to cure hepatitis C.
Attorneys working with ClassAction.org have reason to believe that some health insurance companies are wrongfully denying coverage for Harvoni for early-stage hepatitis C in an attempt to save money at the expense of patients’ health. The attorneys are now investigating whether class action lawsuits can be filed to help patients get the coverage they deserve.
How Could a Class Action Help?
A successful case could order insurance companies to change the way they handle coverage for hepatitis treatment and help recover money for patients whose insurers didn’t cover their prescriptions.
If you were denied coverage for your Harvoni prescription, fill out the form on this page. One of the attorneys handling this investigation may then reach out to you directly to explain more about your rights and why you may be owed money from your health insurer.
Attorneys working with ClassAction.org would like to speak to patients who weren’t covered by their health insurance for the cost of Harvoni, the first known drug to cure hepatitis C.
They have reason to believe some health insurance companies are purposely delaying coverage of this breakthrough medication until the patient has reached later stages of the disease in the hopes he or she will die or switch insurers before the company has to pay for the drug. The attorneys believe class action lawsuits could be filed against these health insurers, but first, they need to speak with patients who had this happen to them.
If you were denied coverage for Harvoni, you may be able to help get a class action lawsuit started against your insurance company.
To learn more, fill out the form on this page. After you get in touch, one of the attorneys handling this investigation may reach out to you directly. It doesn’t cost anything to speak to someone about your rights and the only people we will ever share your information with are the attorneys we work with.
How Is Harvoni Coverage Being Denied, Exactly?
Hepatitis C has five diagnosable stages. When a patient is in the early stages of the disease – that is, stage one through three – some insurance companies will deny coverage for Harvoni by claiming that the patient isn’t “sick enough” yet and that the drug, therefore, isn’t medically necessary. Yet, it’s only a matter of time until the patient progresses to the later stages.
It is suspected that the companies’ real motive for delaying coverage of the drug – which can cost $1,000 per pill and may need to be taken daily for up to 24 weeks – is to avoid paying for it entirely.
These insurance companies are said to be resting on the hope that the patient will either die or switch insurers before they ever have to pay for the drug.
Oftentimes, patients who are denied coverage for Harvoni are given little to no explanation as to why.
United Healthcare Sued, Settled Lawsuit Over Harvoni Denials
Several big health insurance companies have already been sued over claims that they were denying coverage for Harvoni. For instance, in 2015, United Healthcare was hit with a class action lawsuit over this very issue and resolved the case with a settlement that provided up to $2,400 per claimant.
It is believed that this practice is not limited to larger insurance companies like United Healthcare and may be a common practice throughout the health insurance industry.
How Can a Class Action Lawsuit Help?
A class action could help patients recover money for being denied treatment and could also force insurance companies to change the way they handle coverage for hepatitis C treatments.
If you were denied coverage for Harvoni, you may be able to take action against your insurance company. To learn more, fill out the form on this page.
ClassAction.org
By submitting this form, I agree to the Terms, Disclaimer and Privacy Notice
Your inquiry will be forwarded to one of the attorneys we work with.
Someone at the firm may then reach out to you. If a law firm contacts you, they may need more information. You should receive an e-mail within 24-48 hours with an update on your inquiry. You're not going to be charged anything, and you have no legal obligation after you've filled out this form.
What happens when I fill out this form?
ClassAction.org is a group of online professionals (designers, programmers and writers) with years of experience in the legal industry.
We work closely with class action and mass tort attorneys across the country and help with investigations into corporate wrongdoing.
Case Resources
Jones v. United Healthcare Services
Read a class action lawsuit filed against United Healthcare Services Inc. for allegedly denying coverage for Harvoni, the “breakthrough drug” for hepatitis C treatment, in the early stages of the disease.
New cases and investigations, settlement deadlines, and news straight to your inbox.
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Calgary man acquitted in controversial case now facing new charges
CALGARY — A Calgary man who was acquitted of sexual assault by a controversial judge is now facing seven new charges.
Alexander Wagar has been charged with assaulting and choking a man, and breaking into a shop.
He is scheduled to appear in court on the new charges next week.
Wagar was acquitted in 2014 by Robin Camp, who was then a provincial court judge, and then acquitted again after a retrial.
During the first trial, Camp asked the teenage complainant why she couldn’t keep her knees together, called her “the accused” numerous times and told her “pain and sex sometimes go together.”
The Canadian Judicial Council recommended that Camp be removed from the bench, and he later quit as a member of the Federal Court and apologized for his comments.
Federal Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould said the government planned to have Camp removed had he not quit.
The complainant, who was 19 at the time of the first trial, told the disciplinary hearing that Camp’s comments had made her hate herself. She said she had contemplated suicide as a result of her experience.
“He made me feel like I should have done something … that I was some kind of slut,” she said.
(The Canadian Press, CTV Calgary)
Ontario Children’s Aid Societies apologize for harm done to Indigenous Peoples
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This Week in History: the story of the False Armistice, November 7th, 1918
November 10th, 2018updated
Victoria commercial photographer Ernest Crocker, who was known as Trio, took thousands of photographs during the First World War.
Don Bourdon, curator of images and paintings for the Royal B.C. Museum, explains the significance of Trio’s work.
“He made thousands of photographs of troops departing Victoria on the steamships, headed for Vancouver, and then on the train east to places like Valcartier, Quebec for training, and then over to the western front.
“He made his living doing this all through the First World War and through the Second World War, and we have his collection here.”
The collection is a mix of both posed and candid photographs of the troops.
“There’s such great detail in these photographs,” says Bourdon.
“It’s as if they’re off on some big adventure. Especially in the early years of the war, people thought it would be over in no time, but it happened week after week after week in Victoria, and cities and towns all over Canada.”
Trio’s photos were hugely popular with local families.
“They were printed pretty much overnight,” says Bourdon, “and they were available at the cigar stand at the Empress Hotel.”
“In some instances, these may be the last photos taken of some of these men who didn’t return.”
In the fall of 1918, the allies were making huge gains.
“All of the photographers were poised in the fall of 1918 to try and capture public reaction when an armistice was signed, because it was inevitable that this was going to happen.”
And as rumours that the war was over spread, Trio, along with photographers around the world, captured the moments of celebration on film.
Except, the photographs were taken on November 7.
“I wouldn’t call it ‘fake news’ but a bit of false news, or premature news” Bourdon explains.
The rumour that the war was over reached Victoria on the morning of November 7th.
“Every ship in the Inner Harbour toots it horn,” says Bourdon.
“Every factory had steam whistles blowing. People pour out of their offices, and all of a sudden there is this huge gathering of people, primarily in the vicinity of Fort and Government streets.”
“And then” Bourdon continues, “a parade breaks out, and it basically goes all day. Then the next day, of course, on the 8th, it’s acknowledged that this was false news, and then people have to wait.”
While they waited for news of peace, the fighting continued.
Another 280 Canadian soldiers died before cease-fire was declared at 11 am, November 11th, 1918.
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Rising Stars - Performers Showing Pop in Rising performers - Page 4 of 13
Sorted By Fee: High to Low
Sorted By Fee: Low to High
Sorted By A to Z
Sorted By: Z to A
The von Trapps
Pop Add to Talent Cart
The von Trapps, descendants of the Trapp Family Singers, began their career performing in the play The Sound of Music. Theyve since toured all across the U.S. and beyond, often with the band Pink Martini. The von Trapps have been seen on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The View, Jack Hannas Into the Wild, The Today Show, and 19 Kids and... read full bio
The Gospel Youth are a British pop/rock band, made up of Samuel Little, Julian Bowen, Kev Deverick, Tom Aylott and Kurtis Maiden. Theyve performed with the likes of We Are The Ocean, Mallory Knox, Deaf Havana, Sam Duckworth, Verses, Hands Like Houses, and many more. After releasing three EPs- Kids, Empires, and The True Lost Boys- the band starting recording... read full bio
Emmi is a British/Australian singer-songwriter, who began her career with an Australian music publisher, penning tracks for the likes of Neil Davidge of Massive Attack and Little Nikki. Her very first single, My Kinda Swag, premiered with rave reviews on The Guardian. The song also received high praise from Tobi Oke of Complex magazine, who described it as a stunning... read full bio
The Three Tenors Of Take 6
Claude McKnight, Mark Kibble and Joey Kibble, accompanied by Roger Ryan Trio comprise this new entity from the 10x Grammy Award winning group TAKE 6. This 60-90 minute show includes individual performances by each member as well as collective performances of well know jazz standards along side some well known Take 6 classics.... read full bio
Debi Nova
Latin Add to Talent Cart
A massive star plus six Grammy nominated projects, and a No. 1 dance singlesinger, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Debi. Nova's thoughtful lyrics play out amidst a richly textured backdrop of acoustic and electric guitars, piano, Wurlitzer, percussion, strings, and inventive electronic programming. She has six Grammy nominated projects, including nods for her songwriting and/or vocalist work with Mendes, Black Eyed Peas,... read full bio
Well-Strung
One of the hottest groups touring the country today, Well-Strung, a New York City based string quartet, derives their unique blend of vocals and strings by fusing classical music with the pop music of today. Members Edmund Bagnell, Chris Marchant, Daniel Shevlin, and Trevor Wadleigh have been touring across the US and internationally, sharing their unique take on old and... read full bio
Rock Add to Talent Cart
Nothing But Thieves is an English alternative rock band, consisting of vocalist Conor Mason, guitarist Joe Langridge-Brown, guitarist/keyboardist Dominic Craik, drummer James Price and bassist Philip Blake. Their sound has been likened to artists such as Foals, The Neighbourhood, and Civil Twilight. Nothing But Thieves single Itch earned Hottest Record and Track Of The Day recognitions on Radio 1,... read full bio
Indie rock band Car Seat Headrest began as a solo endeavor for frontman Will Toledo. He released twelve albums on Bandcamp, all while building up a strong social media following, before signing to Matador Records five years later. All of his early work was self-produced and recorded with a lo-fi style, establishing himself as a prime example of the DIY... read full bio
L.A.-based band Chicano Batman plays a mix of Brazilian Tropicalia, psychedelic soul and romantic pop. Made up of Eduardo Arenas as a vocalist and bassist, Carlos Arevalo as a guitarist, Bardo Martinez as the lead vocalist, organist and guitartist, and Gabriel Villa as a drummer. The band has released three full-length albums entitled Chicano Batman, Cycles of Existential Rhyme, and... read full bio
VoicePlay
R&B Add to Talent Cart
VoicePlay is an a cappella group that competed in the the fourth season of the hit tv show, The Sing-Off. The group began as just three high school friends who liked to sing together in the halls of their high school but they eventually expanded into a group of five when they joined the theme park circuit of Orlando. The... read full bio
Kimberley Locke
Kimberley Locke, a pop/R&B singer, has had eight Top 20 Adult Contemporary hits, three #1 Dance hits, and eight #1s across various Billboard charts. She also had three #1 Christmas singles which led to a holiday tour with Dave Koz. She gained fame with her participation in American Idol, where she was second runner up to Ruben Studdard, and in... read full bio
We Got the Beat
Tribute Show Add to Talent Cart
We Got the Beat is the next-generation party band, for weddings, corporate events, galas, personal celebrations, and many other occasions. While they certainly arent your parents wedding band, they appreciate the importance of attention to detail, audience interaction, timeline, introductions, and creating a memorable experience for your and your guests. Let We Got the Beat provide your cocktail or dinner... read full bio
The Coasters are the supreme comedians of rock and roll. What's more, their impact has deepened with time. The Coasters have performed at The Apollo Theatre, Kennedy Center, Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, Carnegie Hall, and more. Their songs, their parodies and the tunes that became million-selling records are revived in this new generation of music. The Coasters... read full bio
Dala Girls
Folk Add to Talent Cart
Amanda Walther and Sheila Carabine of Dala have come a long. The two best friends, have since performed at Torontos legendary Massey Hall a total of six times. Darlings of the Canadian music scene, Dala are now poised to bring their fresh brand of acoustic pop music to the world. Drawing upon influences like The Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young... read full bio
Rusty Davis - Tribute To Wayne Newton
Rusty Davis looks so much like Wayne Newton that he's constantly mauled by fans of the Las Vegas Superstar! Like Newton, Rusty Davis plays several instruments, wears tuxedos, has a gold microphone and throws it. He wears high boots, raises the same eybrow and loves his fans. Rusty looks so much like Newton, he's even fooled big-time celebrities, once in... read full bio
Damhnait Doyle
Singer Damhnait Doyle began her professional music career in the middle of the '90s. The young singer landed award nominations for Female Artist of the Year, Single of the Year, Album of the Year, Entertainer of the Year, Best New Solo Artist, and Video of the Year. Not a bad start. She has some pretty impressive help with the album... read full bio
Street Corner Symphony
The members of Street Corner Symphony are from all over the Southeast US, and are proud to call Nashville, TN their home base. The a cappella group was formed for the sole purpose of winning NBC's The Sing Off, where they became finalists. SCS brings a unique laid back southern soul, demonstrating notable influences from artists like Take 6 and... read full bio
Neshama Carlebach
One of the leading superstars in Jewish Entertainment, Neshama Carlebach, continues her fathers already established fame as singer/songwriter Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach. Neshama has been singing and acting since the age of 15, but with the death of her father, she began moving into a professional music career. Neshamas talent and charisma captivate and endear her to people of all ages... read full bio
Three Phantoms In Concert
From the creator of Broadway Nights, Three Phantoms In Concert highlights the individual talents of three artists who have all played the Phantom, featuring solo numbers from the shows that made them the stars that they have become. The concert features solos, duets and trios, all from the Broadway male repertoire. Featuring songs from Les Misrables, Miss Saigon and The... read full bio
Sam Harris diversified career has run the gamut from singer and songwriter to actor on Broadway, film and television to writer, director, producer and now, author. After pulling a weekly audience of more than 25 million viewers and going on to win Star Search in it's premier season, Sam and his powerhouse pop, gospel and theater influenced vocals have never... read full bio
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Celebrity Talent International is a booking agent to help you hire pop risg performers for corporate functions, business or private parites, fairs or festivals, weddings, speaking engangments, print or online advertising campaigns, media events, endorsements, fundraisers, or appearances. Contact CTI by calling 760-729-2000 today or submitting a request in order to book talent like The von Trapps, The Gospel Youth, Emmi, The Three Tenors Of Take 6, Debi Nova, Well-Strung, Nothing But Thieves, Car Seat Headrest, Chicano Batman, VoicePlay, Kimberley Locke, We Got the Beat, The Coasters, Dala Girls, Rusty Davis - Tribute To Wayne Newton, Damhnait Doyle, Street Corner Symphony, Neshama Carlebach, Three Phantoms In Concert, Sam Harris and more!
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Exciting Shavuot Events Throughout UK and New Festival Website
Thursday, May 28, 2009 - 4:28 AM
Chabad centres around the UK expect to host hundreds of people in an array of different events during the Shavuot festival which celebrates the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai 3,321 years ago.
On Thursday evening, many will be engaging with the Torah by staying awake until dawn for all-night learning, while on Friday everyone – including children – are encouraged to gather in synagogue to hear and experience the reading of the Ten Commandments.
A full range of tasty traditional dairy delicacies will be served throughout the festival. Ice Cream parties are a popular event this year, appealing to children and adults alike. From Manchester to Edgware, Chabad centres have chosen to combine Ice Cream and Cheesecake parties… Read More »
Manchester Community Prepares for Holiday With Dead Sea Scrolls Lecture
Wednesday, May 27, 2009 - 5:23 PM
Few if any archaeological finds in the past century have elicited the interest or controversy that has surrounded the Dead Sea Scrolls. With that in mind, Jewish residents of Manchester, England, sat down to learn more about the scrolls, and what they can and cannot tell researchers, from one of the world’s leading scholars on the topic, New York University professor Lawrence H. Schiffman.
Schiffman, who serves as chair of NYU’s Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies and is a member of the university’s Centers for Ancient and Near Eastern Studies, began his pre-Shavuot address at the Beis Menachem Community Centre by referring to what he called the “mystique” of the scrolls.
Read… Read More »
Mothers Talk About Raising Good Citizens and Community Involvement
In honour of Mother's Day – which is celebrated in May in the USA and Canada - four women, considered to be exceptional mothers, were invited to discuss motherhood on the popular Professor Gerry Cammy Show on Canada's national talk radio.
Among them were Devora Caytak, a mother of twelve from Ottawa, and her daughter, Sara Loewenthal , co-director of Chabad of South Kensington in London.
Devora Caytak doesn't just confine herself to being a full-time mother of twelve. Rather, she is an integral part of Ottawa's Jewish community, busy running the city's Camp Gan Israel, a Montessori Jewish preschool, friendship circle and Jewish youth library.
"I see it as my duty to mould good citizens. I always pray for insight in fulfilling… Read More »
Brighton Student Centre's Shabbat Dinner Goes Vegan
Edith Einhorn couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Her granddaughter, who co-directs a Jewish Student Center on England’s South Coast, would be doing the unthinkable: Making a Friday night meal without meat, or eggs, or any animal product of any kind.
“What? No gefilte fish? No chicken soup? Challah without eggs?” exclaimed the incredulous grandmother, who lives in Israel. “No kugel? No matza balls?!”
New Online English Translation Celebrates 25 Years of Rambam Study Cycle
To mark 25 years of the Rambam study cycle, Chabad.org has unveiled a new and exciting multimedia section offering a full online English translation of Maimonides' classic work on Jewish law.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of righteous memory, encouraged every Jewish man, woman and child to add to their Torah learning by studying a portion of Maimonides' compendium of Jewish law, known as the Mishneh Torah.
"Unity among Jews is such an important matter that all efforts must be undertaken to achieve it," he said at a public gathering 1984 announcing the initiative.
"Since one of the principal elements in the study of Rambam is the unity of Jewry, as many Jews as possible, men… Read More »
Steinsaltz Visits Oxford to Debate Contemporary Western Society
Renowned Jewish scholar Rabbi Adin Even Yisroel Steinsaltz visited Oxford University’s Chabad Society this week to deliver a lecture in honor of Sir Isaiah Berlin, considered by many to be one of the most prominent liberal thinkers of the 20th century.
Not just content with simply presenting a lecture, though, the Israeli rabbi joined a group of students to tour Jewish sites of interest in the city, including the presumed location where Haggai of Oxford, a 13th century convert to Judaism, was executed by edict of the non-Jewish religious authorities. They held an afternoon prayer service at the site.
[Photo Gallery] Scholar’s Visit to Oxford Includes Tour of Historic Sites
Before inaugurating Chabad-Lubavitch of Oxford’s Sir Isaiah Berlin memorial lecture, renowned scholar Rabbi Adin Even Yisroel Steinsaltz took some time to tour the city’s Jewish sites with students from Oxford University’s Chabad Society.
Among the stops was an afternoon prayer service at the presumed location where Haggai of Oxford, a 13th-century convert to Judaism, was executed for his religious beliefs, and the university’s Bodleian Library to peruse its collection of rare Jewish manuscripts.
Close to 1,000 Fill Streets in North London for Annual Lag B'Omer Parade
Music and colourful banners filled the streets of Stamford Hill on Tuesday morning as close to one thousand people participated in the annual parade to celebrate Lag B’Omer – the day which marks the passing of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and the ceasation of a plague which claimed the lives of Rabbi Akiva’s 24,000 students.
Students from kindergartens and schools in North and North West London gathered with the wider community and civic leaders outside the headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement in the UK.
A rally was held with speeches delivered by Dayan L Y Raskin, rabbi of the Lubavitch community in London, and Councillor Mutallip Unluer, deputy speaker of Hackney Council, who commended the children for their… Read More »
Hundreds Flock to Lag B'Omer Bonfires and BBQs Throught the UK
Bonfires and BBQs burnt throughout Lag B’Omer as Chabad Lubavitch centres around the United Kingdom welcomed crowds to celebrate the day which marks the passing of the Talmudic Sage and author of the Zohar Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, and the cessation of the plague which claimed the lives of Rabbi Akiva’s 24,000 students.
In Leeds, over 150 people from across the community attended a family fun day organised by the Lubavitch Centre. A fascinating presentation by the “Animal Man” entertained the young and a bouncy castle let them burn off the extra calories from an appetising BBQ. As is the tradition on Lag B’Omer, an opshernish (first haircut) was also held for a young three year old boy.
Families also… Read More »
[Book Review] Pearls For the Shabbos Table
In Pearls For the Shabbos Table, by Rabbi Yosef Y. Alperowitz, co-director of Chabad Lubavitch of Bournemouth, the title doesn't lie.
Like real life precious pearls, shining ideas are compiled from the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson of blessed memory, and condensed into approximately 1500 letters on two pages.
A collection of thoughts on the weekly Torah portions and Jewish festivals, the 158 page book should stir the minds of anyone gathered for a Shabbos or Yom Tov meal.
As written on the back cover, its easy-to-read style is designed to be accessible to children as well as adults, while its powerful messages are sure to inspire deeper discussion even among the more seasoned… Read More »
New Course Takes Revolutionary Approach to Bible Study [Video Preview]
Friday, May 8, 2009 - 8:11 AM
This week marks the beginning of a new series of JLI – the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute – classes in London and Leeds.
The new course, entitled “Biblical Reflections: Find Yourself in the Stories of the Bible,” takes participants through the book of Genesis exploring the way in which the biblical narrative and characters capture the imagination and provide a window into the soul.
The six-session course, professionally designed for people at all levels of Jewish knowledge, began this week in London taught by Rabbi Dovid Katz, education director of Hendon Chabad House.
“In March we had a successful JLI course which explored Jewish civil law,” says Rabbi Katz.
“At the end we had a graduation… Read More »
Banned Documentary Sparks Oxford Discussion on Iranian Jews
Monday, May 4, 2009 - 9:54 AM
Renegade documentary filmmaker Ramin Farahani, whose latest film is banned in his home country of Iran, sat down with students at Oxford University’s Chabad centre for a Friday night Shabbat meal.
The get-together two weeks ago at the David Slager Chabad Jewish Student Centre came two days after "Jews in Iran" was screened as part of the Oxford International Film Festival. The Friday-evening discussion, meanwhile, accompanied a dinner of traditional Persian foods. Continue...
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Past Reports
Methodology & Data
Classement provincial et territorial
Sources de données
HCP Menu▼
Canada benchmarked against 15 countries
Education and Skills
+ See the provincial ranking for this category
The data on this page are current as of March 2013.
Canada earns an “A” on its Education and Skills report card, ranking 2nd among 16 peer countries.
Canada’s strength is in delivering a high-quality education with comparatively modest spending to people between the ages of 5 and 19.
Canada needs to improve workplace skills training and lifelong education. Canada also underperforms in the highest levels of skills attainment.
Putting Canadian Education and Skills in Context
In Canada, education is seen as the most desirable route to earning a decent living and to enhancing personal growth and happiness. Educated people not only earn higher incomes but also contribute disproportionally to business innovation, productivity, and national economic performance. There is a strong and direct relationship between investments in education, educational attainment, and economic growth. A 2003 multi-country study from the European Commission found that if the national average educational attainment level is increased by a single year, aggregate productivity increases by 6.2 per cent right away, and by a further 3.1 per cent in the long run.1 Recent evidence also suggests that educated people make decisions that lead to healthier and longer lives.2 Education drives success.
Grade Grade
High-school completion Students with high-level science skills
College completion Adult literacy rate—low-level skills
University completion Adult literacy rate—high-level skills
PhD graduates Performance of disadvantaged schools
Percentage of graduates in science, math, computer science, and engineering Adult participation in education
Students with low-level reading skills Equity in learning outcomes
Students with high-level reading skills Foreign student index
Students with low-level math skills Gender gap in tertiary education
Students with high-level math skills Return on investment in tertiary education, men
Students with low-level science skills Return on investment in tertiary education, women
What is new in this year’s report card?
Several important updates were made to our Education and Skills report card this year.
Italy was dropped from the Education and Skills report card because its income per capita is not high enough anymore for it to be considered a peer country under our methodology. While Italy has already been included in the most recent updates for the Health, Environment, and Society report cards, it is not included in the recent Education and Skills, Economy, and Innovation report cards.
The list of indicators in the Education and Skills category also changed. Two indicators were dropped from our analysis because the data are no longer being updated by the OECD—the proportions of students with high- and low-level problem-solving skills. Seven new indicators were added this year. They assess equity in education, the attractiveness of the education system to foreign students, the difference between the university attainment of men and women, lifelong learning, the difference in reading scores between students who speak the language of the test at home and those who do not, and the public and private financial payoff for getting a university degree.
Get updates about Conference Board research and events by signing up for our monthly newsletter.
How is education performance measured?
Education performance is assessed using 20 indicators across three levels of labour market participation:
Basic participants
Mainstream participants
Advanced participants
Basic participants: These people have low literacy and basic skills, are often unemployed, lack coping strategies, and when employed, cannot perform most jobs fully competently. The goal for this group of participants is to prevent social exclusion, minimize the poverty trap, and strengthen their connection to the labour force. This is done by decreasing the proportion of students with low-level reading, math, and science skills, by decreasing the proportion of adults with low-level literacy skills, and by improving the performance of disadvantaged schools.
Mainstream participants: These people have mid-range literacy and job-specific skills, are usually employed and performing their jobs reasonably competently, but may be experiencing difficulties in adjusting to workplace change. The goal for this group of participants is to develop entry-level skills for the modern economy and to improve their ability to adapt to change. This is done by ensuring that people complete high school, by increasing the proportion of students with high-level reading, math, and science skills, by boosting adult participation in non-formal job-related education, and by improving equity in learning outcomes.
Advanced participants: These people have high literacy and job-specific skills and advanced thinking skills that enable them to adapt to workplace change, innovate, and create new processes, products, and services. The goal for this group of participants is to ensure the acquisition of skills that provide intellectual leadership, create new products, companies, and processes, and that benefit other members of society. This is done by focusing on increasing the university, PhD, and college completion rates, by increasing the proportion of graduates in science, math, computer science, and engineering disciplines, by increasing the proportion of students with high-level reading, math, and science skills, by increasing the proportion of adults with high-level literacy skills, by boosting the foreign student index, by reducing the gender gap in tertiary education, and by enhancing the return on post-secondary education.
What is the link between education and earnings?
A 2009 OECD report on education confirms that, with few exceptions, earnings increase with each level of education.3 The earnings benefit of higher education can be seen in the following chart. The chart shows how much a person at each level of education (below high school, college, and university) earns for every $100 earned by a high-school graduate.
The chart tells us that people with a university degree in the U.S. earned $184 for every $100 earned by high-school graduates. Those with a college degree earned $111 for every $100 earned by high-school graduates, and those who did not graduate from high school earned only $66 for every $100 earned by high school graduates.
The returns to higher level education are lower in Canada. Canadians with a university degree earned $165 for every $100 earned by Canadian high school graduates. Those with a college degree earned $110 for every $100 earned by high school graduates, and those who did not graduate from high school earned only $80 for every $100 earned by high school graduates.
Several interesting observations can be made about the results shown in the chart:
The relative earnings benefit of a university education is highest in Ireland and lowest in Norway.
The relative earnings benefit of a college degree is higher than the benefits of a university degree in Norway.
The relative penalty for not completing high school is lowest in Finland and highest in the U.S. and Austria.
The relatively lower financial returns on university education in Norway and Canada may be due to the dominance of their energy sectors, which offer relatively high-paying jobs that do not require university educations.
How does Canadian education measure up?
When benchmarked against its peers, Canada earns an “A” grade on the Education and Skills report card. It ranks 2nd behind Finland. Canada achieves “A” or “B” grades on 13 of 20 indicators.
Canada's strength is in delivering a high-quality education with comparatively modest spending to people between the ages of 5 and 19.
To enlarge this report card in a new window, click on the image below.
The radar diagram below is a snapshot of Canadian education and skills performance (and the 16-country average performance) relative to that of the best-performing peer country—the outer ring—for each of the 20 education indicators. The chart has 20 axes—one for each indicator—that radiate out from the centre. A score closer to the centre represents worse performance, while a score closer to the outer circle represents better performance.
Use the pull-down menu to compare Canada's performance with that of any of its peers.
As the radar diagram shows, Canada’s performance is significantly above average4 on nine of the indicators: college completion, equity in learning outcomes, high school completion, performance of disadvantaged schools, students with high- and low-level reading skills, students with high- and low-level math skills, and students with low-level science skills. Canada is the top performer on the college completion rate and is almost at the outer ring (i.e., the top performer) for high school completion.
Canada ranks significantly below average5 on two indicators: participation in non-formal job-related education and the number of PhDs.
Has Canada’s performance improved over time?
Historical data were available for 12 of the 20 Education and Skills indicators.
The Conference Board ranks the change in performance on each indicator as “better,” “worse,” or “no change” (rather than A-B-C-D) and uses absolute performance (rather than relative performance, as in other main report card categories).
Canada’s performance improved for 6 of the 12 available indicators and worsened for 6.
Between 1998 and 2010, the high school completion rate increased from 78.7 per cent to 88.4 per cent, the college completion rate increased from 19.9 to 24.2, and the university completion rate increased from 18.2 to 26.4.
Students skills deteriorated somewhat. The proportion of students with high-level reading, math, and science skills dropped, while the proportion of students with low-level reading and math skills increased.
What are Canada’s strengths?
Canada’s strength is in delivering a high-quality education to people between the ages of 5 and 19 with comparatively modest spending. While Canadians are at school, they become well educated (for the most part) in core subjects like mathematics, reading, and science. Canada now has the second-highest rate of high school completion and the highest rate of college completion among its peers.
Canada also ranks well on two new indicators added this year. The equity in learning outcomes indicator measures the gap in student reading test scores of Canadian-born students who speak the language of the test (i.e., English or French) at home and the scores of Canadian-born second-generation students who do not speak the test language at home. Canada ranks in second place and gets an “A.” Canada's score puts it close behind first-place Australia and well ahead of its next closest competitor, the United Kingdom. The performance of disadvantaged schools indicator measures the difference in reading test scores between 15-year-old students in the most and least disadvantaged schools. The difference in reading scores between the most and least disadvantaged schools in Canada is 31 points—the equivalent of about 10.3 months of learning. This result earns Canada an “A” grade and 3rd spot behind Norway (13 points) and Finland (23 points). Countries with smaller learning outcomes gaps are considered to have more equitable and efficient learning systems.
What are Canada’s weaknesses?
Canada needs to improve workplace skills training and lifelong education. Canada’s adult literacy skills are mediocre, with a large proportion of adults lacking the literacy skills necessary to function in the workplace. Canada gets a “C” and ranks 10th out of 15 peer countries on the indicator measuring adult participation in job-related non-formal education.
Canada also underperforms in the highest levels of skills attainment. Canada produces relatively few graduates with PhDs and graduates in math, science, computer science and engineering. More graduates with advance qualifications in these fields would enhance innovation and productivity growth—and ultimately ensure a high and sustainable quality of life for all Canadians.
Canada’s middle-of-the-pack ranking on university completion may reflect the fact that the financial return from investing in university education in Canada is also middle-of-the-pack at best. Many other countries (and the individuals in those countries) get much better returns on their tertiary investments.
While not reflected in the report card due to lack of data and measurability challenges, there is a “learning recognition gap” in Canada. What this means is that people may hold knowledge and skills that are not formally recognized (through academic credits or trade/organization/professional certification) by employers or credential-granting institutions. An obvious example is immigrants whose foreign credentials are not recognized in Canada. The Alliance of Sector Councils stated that “every Canadian is affected by inefficient recognition. Canadians across the country are short of doctors and other health care workers, while thousands of highly educated newcomer health care workers are not allowed to provide the services that so many Canadians want.”6 People with prior learning gained through work and training are similarly hindered by a lack of learning recognition, as are those who transfer between post-secondary institutions or, in the case of licensed occupations, between provinces.
In 2001, The Conference Board of Canada conducted a study that estimated that the learning recognition gap was costing the country between $4 billion and $6 billion annually in lost income and higher unemployment.7 To address this challenge, there have been a number of programs established, such as the federal Foreign Credential Recognition Program. While helping to close the learning recognition gap, a mismatch remains that is costing the country in lost productivity and skill shortages.
What does Canada have to do to improve its grade?
Some long-term structural issues are not being adequately addressed through Canada's current approach to education and skills. To maintain its high ranking, Canadians need to have access to education and skills outside the traditional school system. Currently, Canadian employers are notably low investors in workplace training programs. And of what they do invest, only a very small percentage—less than 2 per cent—goes to basic literacy skills. As a result, the Canadian training system does not fill the skills gap for people who, for various reasons, have not acquired skills at school. Much more needs to be done in the workplace in order to improve Canada's adult literacy rate.
Demographic change in Canada offers an opportunity to shift resources from the formal education system into the skills system. Instead, as the population of school-aged Canadians declined in the 1990s, education spending on youth kept increasing. Canada will need to shift resources into other parts of the education and skills system as demand for traditional schooling continues to decline.
1 Angel de la Fuente, Human Capital in a Global and Knowledge-Based Economy, Part II: Assessment at the EU Country Level, Final report for the Employment and Social Affairs Directorate General, European Commission (Luxembourg: European Commission, 2003), 4.
2 OECD, Education at a Glance 2009 (Paris: OECD, 2009), 137.
4 More than 10 percentage points above the 16-country average on the normalized values for each indicator. For more information on the normalization methodology, see the Methodology section on this website.
6 The Alliance of Sector Councils, Who Does What in Foreign Credential Recognition: An Overview of Credentialing Programs and Services in Canada (Ottawa: The Alliance of Sector Councils, 2008), iii.
7 Michael Bloom and Michael Grant, Brain Gain: The Economic Benefits of Recognizing Learning and Learning Credentials in Canada (Ottawa: The Conference Board of Canada, 2001).
View data sources
High-School Completion
College Completion
University Completion
Percentage of Graduates in Science, Math, Computer Science, and Engineering
Students with Low-Level Reading Skills
Students with High-Level Reading Skills
Students with Low-Level Math Skills
Students with High-Level Math Skills
Students with Low-Level Science Skills
Students with High-Level Science Skills
Adult Literacy Rate—Low-Level Skills
Adult Literacy Rate—High-Level Skills
Performance of Disadvantaged Schools
Adult Participation in Education
Equity in Learning Outcomes
Foreign Student Index
Gender Gap in Tertiary Education
Return on Investment in Tertiary Education
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UK businesses remain uncertain as economy hit by market fundamentals
03 April 2018 Consultancy.uk
UK business face various uncertainties, partly related to the outcome of Brexit talks. New analysis from Grant Thornton shows that businesses face various barriers to growth, although many also see those barriers as offering opportunities for acceleration.
The Grant Thornton study, titled ‘Planning for growth: Don’t let uncertainty hold your business back’ is based on a survey of 1,000 business owners, CEOs, CFOs, and CSOs, at businesses with a turnover of between £10 million and £1 billion.
The number of businesses in the UK has risen steeply since 2012, with more than 2.7 million enterprises in 2017, up from 2.2 million. Exports continue to see relatively favourable conditions, with low exchange rates and a rise in exports in the coming 12 months.
However, while exporters are projected to see strong results, concerns around the wider UK economy continue to mount in the short-term, with GDP growth rates remaining lower than that of mainland allies such as Germany and France. Overall, GDP saw an 0.4% increase in Q4 2017, while in Germany and France 0.6% was recorded. GDP growth for the coming year is estimated at 1.5%, well below the 2.7% estimated for the US and 2.2% for the Euro area.
Productivity remains an issue, with the UK seeing relatively low growth rates over the past five years. Following a slight dip into the negatives in Q2 2016, following the referendum results, productivity climbed to around 1% growth by the following quarter. However, the latest quarter again saw a relatively low result, at 0.4% growth, at a time when France and Germany have seen strong increases to 1.5% growth. Business confidence in the UK also remains at relatively low levels, at a net 12% positive, down from 26% in 2016, while the global average has seen a sharp uptick, from a net 38% to a net 58% last year.
The research found that companies are in a period of acute, going on to chronic, insecurity – which has increasingly led, according to the survey, to a risk-averse leadership (41% of respondents). The study shows that the most recent investment aimed at growth was by and large between 3-5 years ago in terms of people, operating profit and top-line growth. Those in the 1-3 year segment account for around a quarter in the three segments, while in the past 12 months, figures for this segment have been particularly low – 9% for people investment, 5% for operating profit and 7% for top-line growth.
Technology is cited by 38% of respondents as the biggest hurdle facing their firm, while 34% cited brand, marketing and sales as the top going concern. Partnerships took third place, on 31% of respondents, while systems and processes stood at 31% of respondents. Talent and innovation, meanwhile was cited by 31% of respondents. Interestingly, inclusion and equality and Brexit strategy were not in the top ten (21% and 22% respectively), while governance and local prosperity come in last on 13% and 14% respectively.
In terms of the companies’ confidence in overcoming barriers, around half said that they expect to overcome technological issues, while 43% said that they are suited to deal with brand, marketing and sales issues. Most companies say that they will be able to deal with the increasingly contentious issue of inclusion and equal pay.
Technology is cited as the biggest accelerator by 37% of respondents, equal with those who that say partnerships could act as an accelerator. Brand, marketing and sales come in at 33% of respondents, while 32% say systems and processes could accelerate their business.
In terms of the area in which companies say that they can implement an accelerator, technology and talent and innovation are cited by 55%, while healthcare and wellbeing are noted by almost 70% of respondents as an area in which they have the ability to act. Vision, culture and purpose are also areas in which respondents note their ability to intervene, at 70%, while inclusion and equality was cited by 74% of respondents as an area in which they are well suited.
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Selected Awards and Recognitions
Ranked among the top trade association executives by CEO Update
"Top Lobbyists” by The Hill newspaper
The Hill newspaper’s “100 People to Watch” for the Fall of 2013
"Spirit of Franchising Award” presented by the International Franchise Association (IFA)
U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Association Committee of 100 - comprised of the top leaders of various industry trade associations.
President, Chief Executive Officer
rhunt@consumerbankers.com
@cajunbanker
Richard Hunt is President and CEO of the Consumer Bankers Association (CBA) representing the retail banking industry, including the nation’s largest bank holding companies as well as regional and super community banks.
Since his appointment in 2009, Hunt has led CBA and its members through an unprecedented regulatory environment and an era of technological transformation for the industry. He has also shaped CBA into anything but a typical trade association: one focused on the new era of retail banking. Through an overhaul of CBA’s mission and focus, Hunt has doubled annual revenue, increased membership substantially, and realigned CBA’s committee structure to tackle the industry’s most important issues. In addition, Hunt spearheaded the creation of CBA LIVE – the premier annual event for retail banking executives and oversaw the revamp of CBA’s educational programs to help train the next generation of industry leaders.
Drawing on a unique blend of political and legislative knowledge, industry stakeholders and policymakers count on his candid views to give the keen insight needed in an era of regulatory pressure and uncertainty. Hunt has been called on to testify before Congress, is regularly interviewed by national and trade media, and speaks around the country at various industry conferences.
Prior to joining CBA, Hunt served as senior vice president of federal policy for the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) and was also the senior managing director of the Securities Industry Association, which merged with the Bond Market Association in 2006 to form SIFMA. In these roles he led major initiatives on investment tax and retirement legislation, and various other financial services issues. Hunt began his career in the U.S. House of Representatives where he spent seven years serving as chief of staff, two years as district manager, and three years as district representative for Congressman Jim McCrery (R-LA). Originally from Louisiana, Hunt is a 1989 graduate of the University of Louisiana, home of the Ragin’ Cajuns, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in business marketing.
Hunt currently serves as Director-at-Large of the Exchequer Club of Washington, D.C.
More From Richard Hunt
Richard's Rapid Fire - August 21, 2015
Working with the CFPB—Advice from the Inside Here's what a former CFPB attorney had to say in the way of advice to lenders on how to better work with the CFPB. Gerald Sachs, formerly a senior counsel for enforcement strategy at the Bureau, told attendees at Automotive Resource Network's 2015 Annual Automotive Conference the CFPB "doesn't care" if consumer complaints represent a statistically irrelevant share of a lender's portfolio. The CFPB could have 100 consumer complaints, Sachs theorized, and a lender could say, but we have 3 million customers. According to Sachs, the CFPB nevertheless...
Just because Congress is on vacation doesn't mean the regulators are. Thanks again to all of you who joined our membership call on Monday. Discussion included an update on CBA's top legislative regulatory priorities. Stay tuned for our next call! TIME Waxes Nostalgic On Thursday, TIME magazine published a long-form article looking back on the CFPB's first four years. Disappointing read . Too bad the journalist included elementary errors which simple fact-checking would have prevented. A few key facts: With overwhelming support from Democrats—including then Chairman of the House Financial...
View from CBA - August 7, 2015
CFPB and the Question of Constitutionality "The constitutionality of the CFPB's structure is now on track for its first review by a federal appeals court. This is going to be interesting," wrote Alison Frankel for Reuters on Tuesday, August 4, 2015. The day before, the motions panel of the District of Columbia U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted PHH Corporation's motion, finding the company had "satisfied the stringent requirements for a stay pending appeal." According to Frankel, "That grant could be a very troubling development for the CFPB and its supporters. PHH isn't just challenging...
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The tulip is a wildflower said to originate from Persia. In the 1500s, tulips were extensively cultivated in Turkey, and because of their resemblance to the "tulbend" a turban worn by Turkish men were called tulipan.
In 1562, tulip bulbs from Constantinople reached Antwerp by ship. Before the turn of the century, tulips had been such a rarity that only the wealthy in Holland could afford them; consequently, tulips became a status symbol for the rich. However, by the 1620s, buying and selling tulips became an activity for merchants, and "tulip madness" ensued. Tulip trading crashed in 1637, throwing Holland into financial ruin. After the Dutch government enforced strict laws for cultivating and selling bulbs, the tulip became the national emblem of Holland.
Sentiment & Symbolism
Oriental legend recounts that a Persian youth, named Ferhad, fell in love with a maiden named Shirin. When Shirin did not accept Ferhad's feelings for her, he went out into the desert to die from his broken heart. As he pined, each tear that fell into the sand turned into a beautiful tulip.
Among the Persian people, the tulip is an offering a young man makes to his beloved. By offering her a tulip, he says, "as the redness of this flower, I am on fire with love." Shortly after World War II, the Dutch shipped hundreds of thousands of tulip bulbs to Ottawa, the capital city of Canada. This symbolic gesture showed their thanks, not only to Canadian soldiers for freeing Holland from German occupation, but also for the Canadian government's welcoming Queen Maria to reside in Ottawa while the war raged on. This remarkable gesture continues to this day.
Color Messages
For the most part, tulips are a declaration of love; a gift from a "perfect lover." Variegated tulips are for "beautiful eyes". Red tulips indicate an irresistible love, while yellow tulips denote a hopeless love with no chance of reconciliation.
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How an airport worker's quick thinking saved two teenage girls from being sex-trafficked
She spotted something unusual.
By Catriona Harvey-Jenner
An airport worker in California has been praised for having likely prevented two teenage girls from being sex trafficked.
Denice Miracle, a customer service worker for American Airlines was on shift at Sacramento International Airport when she was approached by two young girls, aged 17 and 15, at her ticket desk. Alerted by the fact that neither of the youngsters had any identification, they were unaccompanied by adults, yet they had two one-way first-class tickets to New York, Denice refused to let the girls fly, the Miami Herald reports.
"Between the two of them, they had a bunch of small bags. It seemed to me as if they were running away from home," the American Airlines worker said in a statement released by the airline. "They kept looking at each other in a way that seemed fearful and anxious. I had a gut feeling that something just wasn’t right."
Upon further investigation, it became clear that the teenagers' tickets had been booked by another person with a fraudulent credit card, which only grew suspicions further. After being denied entry to the boarding gate, the girls went off to make a phone call while Denice made a call to the local County Sheriff’s Department’s Airport Bureau.
The teenagers were instructed to board an American Airlines flight to New York
After questioning the youngsters, Deputy Todd Sanderson discovered the girls had been on the phone to a man named 'Drey' who they had met on Instagram. It emerged Drey had offered to fly the teens to New York for the weekend and pay them $2,000 (almost £1500) to model and star in music videos.
Authorities noticed, however, that Drey had failed to purchase a return flight for either of the girls, which led them to believe Drey had been planning on sex trafficking the young women. Neither of the youngsters had told their parents where they were going.
As it turned out, the teenagers were unaware their ticket had no return journey attached. "When I told them that they didn’t have a flight home, that’s when it kind of sunk in that maybe I was actually telling the truth," Sanderson said.
In a concerning turn of events, all attempts to contact Drey were unsuccessful; he disconnected his phone after receiving the teenagers' initial call to say they weren't allowed to fly, and he quickly deleted his Instagram page. He still hasn't been tracked down, and there are fears he may succeed in sex trafficking other young girls in a similar way.
Thankfully, both teenagers were reunited with their parents on this occasion, and no harm came to them - but that's solely thanks to Denice and her intuition that something was wrong.
"Without her, I wouldn’t have been called and we wouldn’t have intervened with these girls," Sanderson said in a statement.
Follow Cat on Instagram.
'I was sex trafficked and this is how I escaped'
Catriona Harvey-Jenner Digital Features Editor Cat is Cosmopolitan UK's features editor covering women's issues, health and current affairs.
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Cross Cultural Relationships
LGBTI Relationship Counselling
Performance Anxiety & Social Phobias
Effectiveness Of Psychotherapy
Irrational Beliefs
Men's Support Services
Counselling for Men
Fatherhood & Parenting
Sex Counselling
Same Sex Attraction
Addiction Counselling
Anger Counselling
Sexual Arousal Disorder
Christopher Swane
Jealousy Within Intimate Relationships
Jealousy is often experienced within intimate relationships due to perceived infidelity by a partner. But what is jealousy? Jealousy has been defined as, the cognitions, emotions, and behaviours that follow a loss or threat to self-esteem and/or existence or quality of a romantic relationship, (White and Mullen, 1989). There is a perception of a threat that one’s partner is romantically attracted to another person or rival. Jealousy may occur even if there is no substantiated proof that there is an affair or rival for your partner’s affections.
Although infidelity is often sited as the cause of jealousy, research has indicated that there may be many other forms of jealousy that may impact romantic relationships. They include; a partner’s involvement with a friend, hobbies, family, or work. These can all create jealousy within romantic relationships. Friendships with a member of the opposite-sex can also create jealousy in romantic relationships.
Jealousy may occur when there is a perception that a third party friendship (same or opposite-sex) may hold power and influence over a partner, more than they do. Also jealousy may arise if there is a belief that a partner is sharing intimate details with a third party to the exclusion of himself or herself.
Opposite-sex friendships may have a greater impact on romantic relationships than same-sex relationships. O’Meara (1989) defines opposite-sex friendships as; a specific type of friendship, a non romantic, non familial, personal relationship between a man and a woman. Opposite-sex friendships have a greater perceptual difference than same-sex friendships. For instance, men will view opposite-sex friendships as more satisfying than women do. Opposite-sex friends may need to engage in a clear discussion about their relationship’s boundaries. A clear distinction may need to be made, to identify the platonic nature of the relationship.
During opposite-sex friendships a clear monitoring of boundaries and behaviour may be required, so that there is no sexual or romantic misunderstanding or ambiguity between friends when showing affection. Research has shown that there are more arguments over friendship rule violation and communication breakdown in opposite-sex friendships than same-sex friendships. Also opposite-sex friendships have a heightened level of ambiguity which carries the potential for confusion regarding how to conduct oneself. And this may violate implicit relationship rules setting the stage for jealousy and reaction.
Christopher Swane - Relationship Counselling and Psychotherapy - Wellington
Tagged: relationships, couples, counselling, psychotherapy, jealousy, Wellington, intimate relationship, friendship, marriage
Newer PostDesired Traits In A Perfect Mate
Older PostCommunication In Intimate Relationships
Gerard - Coach, Counsellor, Therapist
Chris has an open communication counselling style, friendly and professional. He quickly made me feel at ease and prepared to discuss openly and honestly the issues that came up in our sessions. He checked in with me when issues were potentially emotionally challenging and made me feel safe in our counselling relationship. He is quite intuitive and has introduced a range of counselling/therapy during our sessions. Including cognitive behavioural, relationship and psycho dynamic processes in the exploring my issues. He has very effectively facilitated exploration of my family narrative which has assisted my recognition and understanding of several important emotional experiences and challenges which I am currently understanding and addressing.
Narelle - Retail Manager
I initially first started to see Chris as I was struggling with health and confidence issues as a result of an accident and the end of a significant long term relationship. In the time I was fortunate enough to see Chris I was able to move from someone who didn’t really want to face anotherdayto someone who could and wanted to navigate through whatever lay ahead. Chris helped guide me through these events whilst challenging and supporting me to work through them. Most importantly he found a way to help me see the possibilities of a happier healthier future. He provided a safe environment where I could take off my victim t-shirt and move on.
Ian - Industrial Manager
Working with Chris has given me the skills to empower myself. I've taken control of my life to pursue challenges and rewards that give me personal satisfaction.
Matthew - Police Officer
Chris is a very warm caring person, he had a peaceful & comfortable presence about him. his insights, way of explaining and "unpacking" what's discussed is what makes him unique.The therapy he's conducted has been very beneficial.
Infidelity And Its Many Causes
Although statistically, there has been a change in the number of people admitting to having an extramarital affair, there is still no accurate information on how common affairs are.
From Marriage To Infidelity
Although statistically there has been a change in the number of people admitting to having an extramarital affair, there is still no accurate information on how common affairs are.
Creating Intimacy In Interpersonal Relationships
As humans we all have a strong desire to become close to another person. The desire for intimacy can be found not only in romantic relationships, but also in deep friendships.
Desired Traits In A Perfect Mate
When we imagine our ideal mate most of us tend to create a mental check list. The list may include someone with the following attributes; a great sense of humour, career orientated,
Jealousy is often experienced within intimate relationships due to perceived infidelity by a partner. But what is jealousy? Jealousy has been defined as, the cognitions, emotions, and behaviours that follow a loss or threat to self-esteem and/or existence or quality of a romantic relationship,
Communication In Intimate Relationships
How we communicate within our intimate relationships can contribute to our overall happiness. It is not only important to listen to one’s partner it is also important to develop speaking skills that increase connection and lower the negative impact of disagreements.
From Jealousy To Envy - Changing As We Age
We have all experienced jealousy at some time in our lives. But what is jealousy? Jealousy has been described as a complex range of emotions that affect both men and women. Jealousy stems from a fear of being abandoned, and may include feelings of rage and humiliation.
Asexuality And Romantic Relationships
There is a general belief that people who identify as asexual do not form romantic relationships. New research indicates that this is not the case. Lori Brotton of the University of British Columbia suggests that there has always been a general assumption that sexual attraction and romantic attraction happen at the same time.
The Origins Of Romantic Love (Part 1)
Although romantic love inundates much of popular media, historically the origins of romantic love can be traced back 3,000 years to Egypt, and the love story between Isis and Osiris.
How Do Men Achieve Healthy Romantic Relationships?
Men appear to have little difficulty getting into intimate relationships, but they often appear ill-equipped to maintain a long term romantic relationship.
The Significance Of Saying “I Love You”
There are many times in the beginning of romantic relationships that are full of trepidation and anxiety.
Employment And The Male Ego
Despite what men would like to believe about themselves or what they may read in popular media, many still derive the majority of their self-esteem from their employment
Does The Internet Add Excitement to Monogamy?
We all know that the internet has changed the way we communicate and how we experience the world, but new research indicates that the internet may also be adding excitement to monogamous relationships.
Giving And Receiving Feedback In Romantic Relationships
How we give and receive feedback in romantic relationships may be an indication of our overall happiness. Research suggests that feelings of love, bliss, emotional connection, and physical attraction lie at the heart of how happy we are as individuals.
Romantic Relationships at Work
Are romantic relationships acceptable at your place of employment? An online survey suggests that about seventy percent of those polled believed that romantic relationships at work are acceptable.
Privacy In Romantic Relationships
Covert intrusive behaviour has been defined as investigating (without the partner’s consent) a partner’s private communications.
Same Sex Attracted Men and Masculinity
How we understand gender, which includes concepts of masculinity, can be understood through two distinctly separate theories. Biological Determinism suggests that we are all born with a fixed gender.
Forgiveness In Romantic Relationships
Romantic relationships bring happiness and joy into many peoples’ lives. But unfortunately people are bound to break their partner’s trust and expectations.
Women’s Leisure Behaviour Within Romantic Relationships
Do woman change their leisure behaviour when they become romantically attached?
Compatibility Issues in Same and Opposite Sex Attracted Couples.
Are there any similarities between how same sex attracted couples and opposite sex attracted couples view relationships? Research indicates that same sex attracted couples may have very similar relationship desires and needs as opposite sex attracted couples.
Sexual Myths - Should We All Be Experiencing Mind-Blowing Sex Lives?
During the 1970s and 1980s popular print media highlighted the importance of sexual pleasure and happiness for many in the western world. The emphasis was on liberating both men and women from the sexually oppressive 1950s.
Does Monogamy Really Equal Monotony?
After many years together couples may begin to feel that monogamy is slowly slipping into monotony. The once exciting sex life has disappeared under the weight of a mortgage, work, children, family commitments, and life in general.
Repairing Broken Trust
How do couples repair their relationship when trust has been broken?
Male Sexual Assault - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Male Sexual Assault and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a growing problem.
Happiness - Yoga - Mental Health Part 2
Recent research has explored the effect of yoga on a person’s overall health. A lot of the focus has been on the physical benefits of yoga. This is particularly about the impact yoga may have upon the symptoms associated with osteoarthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome and lower-back pain.
Happiness - Mental Health - Yoga Part 1
Yoga has long been associated with physical health. Traditionally Yoga has been defined as a union between mind, body and spirit. Classically Yoga is understood as the science of the mind.
Men's Health Mind Matters
Although men’s attitudes towards their mental well-being may have changed over the past ten years, ignorance and gender stereotypes still remain.
Does Divorce Affect Other Relationships?
When couples divorce they may experience more than the loss of their primary relationship.
Why Do Men Cheat?
A prevalent belief among social scientists is that extramarital affairs are tolerated more by men than they are by women.
Keeping Men Healthy
Men generally tend to sabotage their chances of good health because they are too shy, too macho, too busy, or too afraid to ask for help. Statistically men visit their GP half as often as women but globally men die younger than women. In contrast men are more sensitive to mild ailments such as flu and tend to over-rate how bad the symptoms are in comparison with women.
Get In Touch - Call 0274 582 219
2nd Floor, 2 Woodward Street, Wellington 6011
Copyright © Counselling Psychotherapy 2016 - All Rights Reserved - Website Design by Push Design & Powered by Squarespace
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- CounterPunch.org - https://www.counterpunch.org -
Ayotzinapa: One Year Later
Posted By Matthew Lorenzen On September 29, 2015 @ 1:50 am In articles 2015 | Comments Disabled
Saturday, September 26th, marked the one year commemoration of the attack, perpetrated by government security forces in the city of Iguala, in the State of Guerrero, Mexico, against students from the Ayotzinapa rural teacher’s college, in which six people were killed, over 40 were injured, and 43 students were forcefully disappeared.
Large demonstrations demanding truth, justice, that the students be found, and even that the President resign, were held in many Mexican cities. Smaller demonstrations were held in dozens of cities all around the world, from London and Paris to Santiago de Chile and Buenos Aires. The protest march in Mexico City was led by the parents of the disappeared students and many of their classmates. Its starting point was near Los Pinos –the official residence and workplace of the Mexican President– and it ended eight kilometers away, and five hours later, in El Zócalo, the main square in downtown Mexico City.
Similar demonstrations have been taking place in Mexico City on the 26th of every month since the attacks occurred. These marches were massive for the first few months, rallying over one hundred thousand people from all walks of life. Several of those first demonstrations ended in police repression after allegedly being infiltrated by government provocateurs. However, turnout greatly diminished since the beginning of 2015. The march last Saturday was once again massive –tens of thousands of people gathered despite the rain–, proving that the Ayotzinapa case is still at the center of public concern.
Saturday’s demonstrations came after several important developments. On September 6th, a group of independent experts (the Grupo Interdisciplinario de Expertos Independientes or GIEI), appointed by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to conduct a parallel investigation into the attacks, presented their preliminary results, which debunked (see this and this) many crucial points of the official government investigation. According to this official investigation, corrupt municipal police attacked the students, killing six people, and abducted 43 of them. They then handed the students over to members of the Guerreros Unidos drug cartel, who killed and incinerated them in a garbage dump. Their remains were then allegedly put into plastic bags and dumped in a river. The official explanation for the attacks was never clear and was changed several times –the last explanation was that the Guerreros Unidos cartel and corrupt local police had confused the students with members of a rival cartel.
The GIEI denied the possibility that the students were incinerated in the garbage dump and stated that many detained suspects had been tortured by authorities during their interrogation, which casts doubt on the veracity of their confessions. The experts also declared that municipal, state and federal police, as well as military forces, were monitoring the students’ movements in real time, were fully aware of the attacks and were present in the streets of Iguala that night. As a result, the motive for the attacks explained in the official investigation was ruled out, since all of the security forces were well aware of the identity of the students. The GIEI experts also pointed out that important evidence had been destroyed, and that they had repeatedly been denied the possibility of interviewing members of Iguala’s military battalion.
Another important development came on September 16th, as the attorney general Arely Gómez González declared that the remains, supposedly from the garbage dump, of a second student had been indentified by DNA analysis –the remains of a first student were identified in December 2014. However, a group of Argentine forensic experts that has participated in the investigation criticized the attorney general, explaining that the genetic matching between the samples and the student’s family was in fact low in statistical terms. These forensic experts also pointed out that the remains of both students were not found at the garbage dump but apparently in bag in a nearby river, although they were not present during the discovery of these remains and couldn’t vouch for their origin.
Parents of the 43 disappeared students, for their part, criticized the attorney general for her “lack of professional ethics, violating the agreement reached with the government to give information first to the families and then to the media.” Also, the director for the Americas of Amnesty International stated that: “the Mexican authorities’ unfounded allegations that they have identified the remains of Jhosivani [the second student] smell like desperation and a cruel attempt to show that they are taking action before the first anniversary of the students’ forced disappearance. It seems they are prepared to do anything so as to wash their hands of any responsibility in one the worst human rights tragedies in Mexico’s recent past.”
The last important development was that the parents of the 43 disappeared students met with President Enrique Peña Nieto on Thursday, September 24th. They made eight demands to the President:
* An acknowledgement of the legitimacy of their search for justice and that the case remain open.
* That the GIEI remain active investigating the case and that their reports and recommendations be accepted.
* That the investigation be redrawn and conducted by a specialized investigative unit, with international oversight. This unit would have two tasks: investigating the whereabouts of the students and investigating the government cover-up.
* Re-launching a search for the students with the use of all technology available.
* Immediate and dignified attention to those injured during the attacks and to the families of the students who were extrajudicially executed.
* Respect for the Ayotzinapa rural teacher’s college and that all attempts to criminalize the students be ceased.
* That mechanisms be put in place for a permanent and respectful communication between the government and the parents of the disappeared students.
* Recognition of the crisis of impunity, corruption and widespread violation of human rights in Mexico, and concrete actions to combat these issues.
The President refused to commit to all of these points, stating that the attorney general’s office and the Secretary of the Interior would study the demands. Instead, he announced six actions: to investigate all of the findings and possible culprits; to incorporate the GIEI’s results and recommendations into the official investigation; to continue to investigate what happened to each of the students; to insure that the victims get proper government attention; to re-analyze evidence in the garbage dump; and to create a special prosecutor’s office to investigate disappearances in general –mind you there are around 26,000 disappeared persons in Mexico, most during the last few years. Also, the GIEI was allowed to continue its investigation for another six months. However, the parents of the disappeared students had asked that the GIEI’s mission be extended a whole year.
Immediately after the meeting, the parents of the disappeared students denounced the President’s proposal, saying that some of the six points were just rehashed promises or things the government had the responsibility to do (and were not compromises), and insisting that they wanted an investigative unit, with international oversight, specifically for the Ayotzinapa case. They also decried the fact that the government continues to avoid recognizing that its investigation was wrong, and that it continues to deny the possibility for the GIEI to interview members of Iguala’s military battalion.
Saturday’s protest march also comes after signs of growing international pressure to elucidate the Ayotzinapa case. It is interesting to note that Jeremy Corbyn wrote a letter to the Mexican ambassador in the UK, expressing his concern about the Ayotzinapa investigation and about human rights in Mexico. The UN office in Mexico, for its part, called on the Mexican government to elucidate the irregularities and redraw its investigation. Even a group of senators from the US expressed concern about these irregularities and asked John Kerry to insist to Mexican authorities that the investigation be accurate and that the GIEI’s findings and recommendations be accepted.
Internal and international pressure will be of the upmost importance for a real investigation, with possible international oversight, to take place. What is certain is that the parents of the 43 disappeared students will not rest until they know the truth about what happened to their children, despite the government’s desire to wear them out and to close the case. As one of the parents declared at the end of Saturday’s march: “If he [the President] wagered on us becoming exhausted, he is losing. If he wagered on us forgetting, he is fucked. Because we, the 43 parents, will continue to fight for the 43 disappeared students.”
The social movement that has been generated by the Ayotzinapa case will not only be long lasting, but it is also set to instill a congregation of many separate social movements, as some intellectuals and prominent activists have been suggesting. The parents of the disappeared students acknowledged this at the protest march last Saturday. One of the parents stated that: “We are here not only to demand that our 43 students be found alive, but also to demand justice for over 25,000 disappeared persons in the country. We must also fight for those that have been dispossessed of their lands. Let there never be one more isolated struggle!”
A recent survey in 18 Latin-American countries revealed that Mexicans are the most unsatisfied with “democracy”, and that the Mexican President was one of the worst rated in the whole continent. As Mexicans’ trust in their institutions and in democracy keeps fading, the joining of social movements will be of essence to restructure the grave failings of the Mexican State.
Article printed from CounterPunch.org: https://www.counterpunch.org
URL to article: https://www.counterpunch.org/2015/09/29/ayotzinapa-one-year-later/
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