Split (2)

validation · 33.4k rows

text stringlengths 19 100k	meta dict
‘Tis the season of comparing space missions to Hollywood films again! In the last week, a Times of India article described the cost of India’s second mission to the Moon, Chandrayaan 2, expected to be launched in April this year, as being “cheaper than Hollywood film Interstellar“. A bevy of other publications have, enamoured by this spin, carried it forward in headlines of their own. The same thing happened with the Mars Orbiter Mission, launched in 2014, a technology-demonstrator that, according to many reports, cost less to execute than Hollywood’s Gravity. In the mainstream Indian media, these comparisons are made only when reporting on the country’s space programme. They are both meaningless and, in their own way, pernicious: frugal engineering plays its part but it is not an end unto itself. If it were, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) would have no room to ask for its foreign clientele for more money, even if the latter could afford it, and set a self-defeating precedent that would undermine the Indian space programme. Biased approach Each comparison is like saying the angular momentum of a frog is lower than the speed of light. “But of course,” you’re going to say, “we’re comparing angular momentum to speed – they have different dimensions”. Similarly, the production cost of a film and mission costs also have different dimensions beyond the ‘$’ prefix. That is because one can’t just pick up two dollar figures, decide which one’s lower and feel good about that without any social and economic context. For example, what explains the choice of films to compare mission costs to? Is it because Gravity and Interstellar were both set in space? Is it because both films are fairly famous? Is it also because both films were released recently? Or is it because they offered convenient numbers? It is probably the last one because there is no reason otherwise to have picked these two films over, say, After Earth, Elysium, The Martian, Independence Day: Resurgence or Alien: Covenant – all of which were set in space as well as cost less to make than Interstellar. Wouldn’t it then be equally fair to say that the cost of Chandrayaan 2 is higher than the budget of After Earth, Elysium, The Martian, Independence Day: Resurgence or Alien: Covenant? However, few are going to spin the cost claim like this because: The cost of anything has to be a rational, positive number, so saying cost Y is less than cost X would imply that X > Y ≥ 0; however, saying Y is greater than X doesn’t give us any real sense of what Y could be. It could approach infinity or… Make Y feel like it’s gigantic Only for space? Now, what comparing the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO’s) Chandrayaan 2’s cost to that of making Interstellar achieves very well is a sense of the magnitude of the number involved. It is an associative mnemonic that could help ensure you don’t forget how much Chandrayaan 2 cost – except you’d also have to know how much Interstellar cost. Without this bit of the statement, you have one equation and two variables. An unsolvable problem. Additionally, media outlets have not employed such comparisons when covering other beats. For example, when the Union budget was announced on February 1 this year, nobody compared any of the numbers to the production costs of assets that had a high cultural cachet. Rs 12.5 crore was Rs 12.5 crore; it was not framed as “India spends less on annual scholarships for students with disabilities than it cost to make Kabali“. Also read This is why ISRO rockets aren’t comparable to Falcons or Arianes Would ISRO launches be so cheap if Indian labour were not underpaid? SpaceX rocket blows up but let’s remember that #SpaceIsHard This suggests that such comparisons are reserved by those who make them for matters of space. In turn, this raises the possibility that they are prompted to think of costs in the space sector as something that must always be brought down. And this is how this belief becomes pernicious: it assumes a life of its own; it shouldn’t. Lowering costs becomes a priority only after scientists and engineers have checked many, many other boxes. Using only dollar figures to represent this effort mischaracterises it as simply being an exercise in cost reduction. So, comparing a mission cost to a movie budget tells us absolutely nothing of meaning or value. But thanks to how Times of India and others have phrased it, all we know now is that Chandrayaan 2 is going to cost less than $165 million (Rs 1,000 crore approx.) to make. Why not just say that and walk away? (While one could compare $165 million to mission costs at other space agencies, ISRO chief K. Sivan has advised against it; if one wants to compare it to other PSUs in India, that might not be a good idea either.) The need to bring Interstellar – an American product – into this, of course, is because of a prevalent obsession with the West and our obsession with showing it up. Instead, we should go beyond the monetary aspects of the missions ISRO executes and examine the scientific and technological achievements embedded therein, particularly as a way to explore what ISRO has to offer to the world of space exploration more than low costs. Prevailing trends indicate that, in the near future at least, space exploration will be driven by private intentions, commitments and contracts. In this environment, claiming “ISRO is cheap” will not bode well for the organisation, the skill and technique it commands and for the country it serves. But by focusing on the products of that skill and intellect, we acquire a more healthy sense of achievement and, as a bonus, a more robust sense of progress relative to what we have achieved in the past ourselves. For example, did you know that AstroSat, India’s first space-based telescope, has an instrument that is the best in the world at what it does? Let’s not compare Beyond the ‘$’ prefix, $165 million is a dimensionless number. Without any other details about Chandrayaan 2 itself, it is meaningless. Don’t celebrate frugality. It’s an unbecoming tag for any space programme. ISRO may have been successful in keeping costs down but, in the long run, the numbers will only go up. Frugality is a harmful aspiration vis-à-vis a sector banking on reliability and redundancy. Also, never compare: the act of it creates just the wrong ideas about what space agencies are doing, what they and re supposed to be doing and how they are doing it. For example, consider Sivan’s answer when asked by a Times of India reporter as to how ISRO kept its costs down: Simplifying the system, miniaturising the complex big system, strict quality control and maximising output from a product, make the missions of Indian space agency cost-effective. We keep strict vigil on each and every stage of development of a spacecraft or a rocket and, therefore, we are able to avoid wastage of products, which helps us minimise the mission cost. Sivan doesn’t say here what ISRO is doing differently from other space agencies (such as, say, accessing cheaper labour) but sticks to talking about what everyone already does. Do NASA and ESA waste products? Do they not remain vigilant during every stage of development? Do they not have robust quality control standards and enforcement regimes? Notice here that Sivan is not saying “we’re doing it cheaper than others”, only that doing these things keeps the space agency “cost-effective”. Cost-effective is not the same as frugal.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Ain’t it a bitch when you’re excited for a workout one day, yet it goes horribly? The weights that you normally rep-out on any other day are pinning you down on this certain day. Nothing else quite smacks the ego like a poor workout does. What explains an unprovoked drop in performance in the weight room? Well, if you’ve got the flu or injured one of your joints, it’s pretty self-explanatory. Barring an injury or illness, there are a few reasons why your workout went down the drain. Last Night’s Sleep Was Nothing to Brag About I’ve observed many people stumble into the gym after staying up really late (or for the entire night) and still successfully push through a workout. I’ve observed just as many do the same thing, but fail to complete their workout. They just gas out immediately, and that’s it. Bad workout: 1, lifter: 0. It’s logical. Sleep provides you with recovery from the previous day and energy for the following day. In fact, less time until exhaustion as well as increased perceived effort is correlated with sleep deprivation (Van Helder et. al). Failing to sleep well the night before isn’t a guarantee for poor performance, but it’s a bet you’re taking against yourself. You Drank Like a Fish, Ate Like Crap, or Are Dehydrated If you stayed up all night drinking, I think it’s safe to say you’re not going to be impressive in the gym the next day. Let’s say you drank quite a bit of alcohol earlier in the night and went to bed at a reasonable time. Should you still worry about your workout performance being effected? Depending on the amount of alcohol consumed, your “full night of sleep” may very well have been not so restorative and energizing. It appears that heavy alcohol-consumption decreases sleep quality (Carole et. al) (Roehrs, et. al). Now, I’ve got no evidence for this, but I believe eating a big greasy, unhealthy meal the night before can cause a bad workout, as well. I’ve experienced it a number of times. After getting some chicken fingers and mozzarella sticks, bad things happen in the gym for me. You’d think an excess of food would fuel the following workout! It’s difficult to explain, but my guess that despite this excess food, the quality (or lack of) I consume can make or break a workout. Broscience, yo. Now, dehydration is another obvious no-no for gym performance. If you wake up, urinate dark yellow liquid, and head straight to the gym, expect a bad workout. Dehydration negatively affects all aspects of fitness without fail (Judelson et. al). Your Head’s Not in the Game The mind is a powerful entity. Mere thoughts can influence the body to perform incredible things. Take the placebo-effect, for example. Simply taking a sugar pill but falsely believing it is medicine can cause someone to experience positive medicinal effects. If that is possible through the power of thinking, it doesn’t seem so far-fetched that mental state can affect physical performance. We’re all aware of the “home court advantage”. You’ve got two rival sports teams facing off at one-or-the-other’s home court/field/stadium/whatever. Despite the physical location of the game having no direct effect on a player’s skill or performance, playing home is still considered an advantage. It’s 100% mental, yet one study found did find an advantage for teams playing at home in college basketball (Harville et. al). So what if you’re not having a good day? Maybe you broke up with you significant other or someone at work put you down. Should you be afraid of having a bad workout (and further ruining your day)? Well, we’ve all seen and heard of athletes/lifters/etc. performing like crap while “not having a good day”. I have a difficult time arguing that mental state has no effect on physical performance. Doing Your Best to Avoid Bad Workouts Life happens. Occasionally, we cannot avoid the inevitable and suffer the consequences afterwards. Plenty of people don’t plan on getting piss drunk, binging on fast food, having insomnia, or feeling like a sad panda. We can’t always prevent these events that are pretty negative to our health and performance. Sometimes, avoiding a bad workout is the last thing on our minds. Yet, some people do amazingly well at keeping their performance to the max and avoiding bad workouts. Look at professional athletes. These folks train day-in and day-out, and are the best of the best. They surely can’t afford a bad workout. No way. How do they do it? Well, they do everything they can to keep their bodies as tuned up as possible. This includes: sleeping 9+ hours every night, eating only the best quality foods, not partying or staying out late, avoiding excess booze/drugs/vices, and separating themselves from anything or anyone that may screw with their mental state. Granted, these guys and gals make physical performance their careers. It would be very impractical for a lay-person to mimic this lifestyle. The takeaway is, however, that you and others can probably improve your lifestyle to prevent bad workouts and mishaps. Some ups and downs in the gym may not mean much to you, but take a look again at the potential causes for a bad workout. All of these are associated with an unhealthy lifestyle. Poor diet, poor sleep, stress – why would you want these things in your life anyway? In Conclusion People will experience bad workouts from time-to-time. Poor sleep, poor diet/hydration, excessive alcohol (and other vices), and a poor mental state can screw up your physical performance. If physical performance isn’t a top priority for you, consider the fact that these “causes” may also negatively affect your health in general. References: 1. Van Helder, T., and M. W. Radomski. “Sleep deprivation and the effect on exercise performance.” Sports Medicine 7.4 (1989): 235-247. 2. Carole, White, et al. “Alcohol increases sleep apnea and oxygen desaturation in asymptomatic men.” The American journal of medicine 71.2 (1981): 240-245. 3. Roehrs, Timothy, and Thomas Roth. “Sleep, sleepiness, and alcohol use.” Alcohol research and Health 25.2 (2001): 101-109. 4. Judelson, Daniel A., et al. “Hydration and muscular performance.” Sports Medicine 37.10 (2007): 907-921. 5. Harville, David A., and Michael H. Smith. “The home-court advantage: How large is it, and does it vary from team to team?.” The American Statistician 48.1 (1994): 22-28.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Live Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump both campaign in Florida on Tuesday after the state was hit by Hurricane Matthew.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Chinese consumers will soon be able to buy New Zealand chilled meat in supermarkets, adding value to this country's exports. New Zealand stands to add hundreds of millions of dollars to the value of its red meat exports to China, now that agreement has been reached over allowing chilled meat into the market. In 2015 New Zealand exported $1.55 billion worth of red meat products to China, composed of $631 million of sheepmeat and $550m of beef. The remainder was "co-products" such as offal and intestines. At present all of the meat is in frozen form, most of it ready cut in New Zealand. Prime Minister John Key said the two countries had agreed to the protocols relating to chilled meat, and the first shipments would be only a matter of a month or so away. READ MORE: * Chinese tourists to reach 1m, Key says * Key chalks up small win in push for free-trade upgrade * China's bargaining chip in talks * Security, trade, agriculture on Key's Beijing agenda * Key yet to get FTA assurance * The China FTA: What to know * NZ open to Chinese investment, John Key says Australia recently stole a march on New Zealand when it was given permission to export chilled meat on a trial basis. However with the latest agreement New Zealand may have leapfrogged Australia, depending on the protocols, said Sirma Karapeeva from the Meat Industry Association. If the protocols were not for a trial, then it was a better deal. "At the moment Australia has a small trial of shipments based on a handful of export premises, and we've taken that as a proxy for what it might mean for New Zealand," Karapeeva said. It was hard to be accurate about the figures as the Australian exporters were cagey about their commercial contracts. As an indication, in February New Zealand exported 5476 tonnes of chilled sheepmeat to the United Kingdom for $55m. Frozen sheepmeat exports to China of 18,251 tonnes for the same month were worth $69.6m. The chilled meat segment in China is a growing one, both with retail ready packs in supermarkets or high end restaurants. One of the factors militating against chilled meat has been concern over the logistics of keeping it safe. Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy welcomed the breakthrough. "We've got very strong air links, we've filling the planes with tourists coming down to New Zealand, coming back there's the opportunity for us to put chilled meat in the back of the plane," Guy said. Also this week the Ministry for Primary Industries and the China Certification and Accreditation Administration co-signed a new Halal Arrangement, under which China will recognise New Zealand's halal regulation and certification regime for halal goods exported to China. "This is a major step forward for New Zealand's halal meat producers, and it marks the first time China has recognised another county's halal regulatory and certification systems," Guy said. He said China was New Zealand's number one market for halal certified meat. In the 12 months to September 2015, about 77,672 tonnes of halal certified meat was exported to China, representing 33 per cent of New Zealand's total halal certified exports. There are 23 million Muslims in China, and it is a growing population. Guy also co-signed an arrangement with China's Minister of Agriculture, Han Changfu, for New Zealand and China to develop an Agricultural Growth Partnership (AGP). This is a public-private partnership that will use New Zealand expertise in research and training in areas such as agricultural policy exchange, dairy farmer training, livestock technology, animal health and disease control.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
As Mr. Eyman’s detailed and at times long-winded new book, “John Wayne,” makes very clear, the man Duke Morrison — born in 1907 with the unlikely name Marion Robert Morrison in the small town of Winterset, Iowa — was not synonymous with the John Wayne character he created on screen. “In Wayne’s own mind,” Mr. Eyman writes, “he was Duke Morrison. John Wayne was to him what the Tramp was to Charlie Chaplin — a character that overlapped his own personality, but not to the point of subsuming it.” Image John Wayne in the movie “The Big Trail,” from 1930, from a photograph included in the biography by Scott Eyman. A conscientious and tireless student, Duke started out as an extra and prop man, and spent a decade before his breakthrough role as the Ringo Kid in John Ford’s “Stagecoach” (1939), toiling away in B pictures, made in three, six or 10 days. During those years, he honed his craft and put together the pieces of a screen character — his distinctive start-and-stop phrasing; his low, slow growl of a voice; his graceful, rolling walk. It was a character that drew upon his easy charm and faith in self-reliance, but it was also modeled, he once said, on “the kind of man I’d liked to have been.” Mr. Eyman says the screen persona that Wayne devised for himself — of a man who was at once an outsider and an authority figure — helped transform an awkward, insecure boy into “the emphatic representation” of an “American masculinity” that was sure enough of itself to encompass a certain melancholy and vulnerability beneath the steadiness and self-assurance. This story of John Wayne’s invention of himself has been told many times before. “The Searchers: The Making of an American Legend,” Glenn Frankel’s succinct and powerful 2013 book about John Ford’s masterwork, discussed how the young Wayne studied the western star Harry Carey’s slow, soulful manner, and the lessons he learned from the accomplished stuntman Yakima Canutt, a former rodeo star. (“I studied him for many weeks, the way he walked and talked and rode a horse and pulled a gun.”) And Mr. Wills’s 1997 book, “John Wayne’s America,” which was less a biography than an extended essay about the dynamics of celebrity, also covered much of this same ground. Mr. Eyman’s book aims to be far more comprehensive than those earlier works; at times, it feels too comprehensive, doggedly chronicling more forgettable Wayne movies and offering tedious asides about the financing of various films. The author also spends an awful lot of space on issues that have been debated for decades (like the relationship between Wayne’s conservative politics and his choice of movies) without shedding new light on them.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Channing Tatum's Gambit Movie Gets a Production Start Date Channing Tatum is a matter of months away from beginning production on Gambit. According to Omega Underground, Gambit begins filming in New Orleans on March 19th. Tatum stars as Remy LeBeau, the mutant thief called Gambit. Gore Verbinski will direct the film. The plot will reportedly finds Gambit leading a motley mutant crew on a dangerous heist. Tatum has spoken before about why it is he loves Gambit so much. "There wasn't a comic store, but the cartoon was on TV and he was this cool Cajun guy," Tatum said. "And he was the easiest person to play as a kid because you could just unscrew the broom handle, get a pack of cards and wrap a bandana around your head. We had a lot of fun throwing cards and trying to take our friends' eyes out across the living room. "He is just cool, man. He is one of the few superheroes that has an actual culture to him. He doesn't talk like a vanilla American. He is from a specific geo-location, New Orleans, which is a really specific thing." Chris Claremont and Jim Lee created Gambit. The character first appeared in 1990. Many fans were first exposed to Gambit through the 1990s X-Men: Animated Series. The mutant has the ability to charge objects with kinetic energy, causing them to explode. Though he joined the X-Men, Gambit remained a scoundrel. This and his ill-fated romance with Rogue made him an instant hit with fans. Gambit currently has a 3.49 out of 5 ComicBook.com User Anticipation Rating. That makes it the 21st-most-anticipated upcoming coming book movie among ComicBook.com user. Let us know how excited you are about Gambit by giving the movie your own personal ComicBook.com User Rating below. Gambit opens in theaters on February 14, 2019. Other upcoming X-Men movies include The New Mutants on April 13th, the untitled Deadpool sequel on June 1st, and X-Men: Dark Phoenix on November 2nd. Disclosure: ComicBook is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of ViacomCBS.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Co-written by Beth Dakin and Mihnea-Vlad Ovidenie CSS Regions is an exciting technology that makes it easier than ever to create rich, magazine-like layouts within web content. Regions have been under development in WebKit for a while now, and we’re delighted to tell you that they are available for use in Safari on iOS 7, Safari 7 on Mavericks, and Safari 6.1 on Mountain Lion. Magazine-like Layout So I wrote this little article for my personal blog: That’s cool and all, but wouldn’t it be so much cooler if it had a more interesting layout like this? So fab! Without regions, achieving a layout like this is a pain. You have to figure out exactly which parts of the article can fit into each box and then hard-code the article content into the appropriate boxes. And after all that work, the design will get totally messed up if the user changes the font size! The layout looks cool, but doing it this way is a lot of work, and it isn’t even a little bit flexible. Regions make achieving this layout as easy as pie. They allow authors to indicate that some sections of content are intended to define an overall layout template for a portion of the document and that other sections of markup represent the content that is intended to fill that template. The semantically-related content that will flow through the template is called a “named flow.” In our example above, the named flow is the text of my article. Once it has been named, the named flow is distributed into disjointed containers called regions, which can be positioned in any way to achieve the desired layout. Our simple example only scratches the surface of what you can do with regions. We’ll get to more sophisticated applications later, but first let’s take a closer look at the code. What is a Named Flow? A named flow is a collection of HTML elements extracted from the document’s normal flow and displayed separately. Any HTML element can be part of a named flow. When an element is collected in a named flow, all of its children are collected with it. You identify a collection of HTML elements as a named flow by using the CSS property -webkit-flow-into . In our example, the named flow will be the elements that contain the text of our article: < style > #flow-content { -webkit-flow-into: pizza-manifesto; } </ style > < div id = "flow-content" > < h1 > Pizza is amazing </ h1 > … </ div > Our example only has one, but a document can have any number of named flows, each with its own name. Flowing Into Regions A region is a block-level element that displays content from a named flow instead of its own content. Regions can have any size and can be positioned anywhere in the document. They are not required to be siblings or to be positioned next to each other in the layout. A region consumes content from a single named flow. Most of the time, to achieve an interesting layout, there will be more than one region associated with a named flow, and when that is the case those regions form a region chain. When content from a named flow does not fit into a region, the content simply flows into the next region in the chain. Making an element a region is as easy as adding the -webkit-flow-from CSS property. In our example, the regions are the elements that form the layout template for the document’s overall design: < style > .region { -webkit-flow-from: pizza-manifesto; } </ style > < div class = "region" id = "region-1" > </ div > < img src = "pizza.jpg" width = "512" height = "342" > < div class = "region" id = "region-2" > </ div > < div class = "region" id = "region-3" > </ div > < div class = "region" id = "region-4" > </ div > < div class = "region" id = "region-5" > </ div > Take a look at the code for the actual document to see the code for the regions side-by-side with the code for the named flow. One key thing to remember about regions is that they are only visual containers. Region elements do not become the DOM parents of the elements flowed inside them; they only establish the bounding boxes that visually constrain the flow content. Advanced Regions Features One cool feature in the CSS Regions specification is region styling. With region styling, a designer can style the content based on which region it ends up flowing through. For example, if you wanted to change the color of the text displayed in the second region of the article flow, you could do so with region styling: @-webkit-region #region-2 { p { color : green ; } } The extra styles are dynamically applied behind the scenes whenever the layout of the article content in the regions changes. So for example, if the user resizes the browser window and different pieces of content end up flowing through the styled region, the content will update dynamically. At this time, you can only style regions with the CSS properties color and background-color , but we intend to progressively add support for more properties, so stay tuned! In the meantime, check out this version of our article that uses region styling. There is also a whole object model available for interacting with regions and named flows from within JavaScript. The proposed API will make it even easier to create fluid designs that adapt to layout changes. For example, authors can use the API to determine whether or not there are enough regions to display the content from the named flow. Handy stuff! Dreaming with Regions CSS regions are powerful, and when they are combined with other advanced CSS features like shapes, filters, flexible boxes, transforms, and media queries, incredibly sophisticated designs can emerge. Back in February, during a CSS regions pattern rodeo hosted by CodePen, Tyler Fry and Joshua Hibbert created some awesome regions demos. Tyler won the contest with his reading carousel made out of regions and transforms, and Joshua created an exploding book, featuring a nice hover effect when opening the book. The Adobe WebPlatform team has created some very compelling demos with regions in partnership with National Geographic. Check out this article that seamlessly integrates text and photographs to create a flexible design. Adobe has also created a demo that is so cutting edge you will need to download a WebKit Nightly to view it properly. This beautiful prototype uses regions, so the article content breaks up automatically across the different containers, and if font size or window size changes, or if the user zooms in, everything reflows automatically. Check out the source code here! We are so excited about regions as a technology and excited that they are already available for use in shipping browsers. We plan to continue to refine our implementation in WebKit and to add additional features, so be sure to check back for improvements.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Back to physics and LTC Hooke’s Law is what’s in play folks. From historical price set ups, the longer the stretch, the stronger the break out and I have emphasized that enough times. So maybe you should look at buying NEM, IOTA and Monero especially if it closes above that double top as trend resumes. Let’s have a look at other alt coin charts NEM IS BACK IN LINE As the week nears to an end, NEM is finally getting some traction and from yesterday’s analysis, all we need is a close above the 50% Fibonacci retracement. With higher highs, it is most likely and that is what we are waiting today. In line with this expectation, I recommend buyers to get in at the close of this candlestick. LUMENS DIPS TOWARDS MIDDLE BB IS ANOTHER BUYING OPPORTUNITY As long as XLM candlesticks continue to print, we remain buyers. At the moment, we have a minor spinning tops formation along the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement level and two things can happen. One, buyers may continue pushing prices higher-and that is what I think might happen or there might be a correction to the 50% retracement level and the middle BB. Of course, given the set-up that is ideal for “buy on dips” strategy and should offer a wonderful opportunity to profit with minimum risk for swingers. TRADE THE BREAK OUT AND BUY IOTA Now that we have a break out above the minor resistance trend line, we may as well as buy. Now, if prices correct, our first support will be the middle BB and below it, IOTA bulls should look to place their stops and account safety net. CLOSE ABOVE MONERO DOUBLE TOPS IS IMPORTANT FOR TREND CONTINUATION A simple Fibonacci retracement from last week’s high lows shows that prices reversed from around last week’s highs. Regardless of the current Monero higher highs, it would have been ideal if buyers jumped in from the main break out-now support line at 0.025 BTC. However, that has not been the case so we trade as per the trend. Of course from previous analysis, Monero is playing within a break out and the moment prices close above the double tops, then well, those who didn’t snatch Monero at a discount should load up. LTC HOOKE’S LAW I had to check twice to see if my chart was loading right. Yes, it was and LTC is still in a squeeeeeeezzzze!! The longer it gets the better and stronger the break out. It’s like the Hooke’s law in physics, the longer you stretch that rubber band the snap back will be more powerful and painful if you are on the receiving end. I’m net long and I recommend longs now with stops below 0.017 BTC. All charts courtesy of Trading View	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Radio Bío Bío tuvo acceso exclusivo a los mensajes incluidos en la denuncia del fiscal Sergio Moya en contra de su superior, Emiliano Arias. En este caso aparecieron antecedentes que incluyen diálogos, por la aplicación WhatsApp, registrados en 2017, entre Andrés Chadwick y el alcalde de Rancagua, Eduardo Soto, quien será formalizado el próximo mes por malversación de caudales públicos. A esta información, y otros datos, accedió el fiscal nacional, Jorge Abbott, para abrir una indagatoria penal a Arias a cargo del fiscal del caso Pacogate, Eugenio Campos. Por dos horas se prolongó el consejo extraordinario de fiscales convocado por el fiscal nacional para resolver la apertura de una causa penal por las denuncias que hizo Moya, en contra de su superior, el fiscal regional de O’Higgins, Emiliano Arias. Tras la cita, donde los fiscales debieron dejar fuera del auditorio sus respectivos teléfonos móviles, se designó al fiscal de Magallanes, Eugenio Campos, para dilucidar esta denuncia por presunto tráfico de influencias, violación de secreto y obstrucción a la investigación. La indagatoria penal se suma al sumario administrativo por estos mismos hechos que llevará el fiscal regional de Antofagasta, Alberto Ayala, quien tiene un plazo de cinco días, pero prorrogables según sus necesidades. La vocera del Ministerio Público Nacional, Marta Herrera, quien además es la jefa de la Unidad Anti Corrupción, al ser consultada si el Consejo de Fiscales tuvo acceso a los antecedentes que presentó Moya, contestó afirmativamente y calificó de graves los hechos. Entre estos antecedentes, a los que tuvo acceso en exclusiva Bío Bío La Radio en fuentes de la Fiscalía Nacional, aparecen los diálogos por WhatsApp entre Andrés Chadwick, registrados en abril de 2017, con el alcalde de Rancagua, Eduardo Soto, quien será formalizado por malversación de caudales públicos el próximo 24 de mayo, a raíz de las irregularidades en el Teatro Municipal de esa ciudad. A continuación los mensajes Chadwick: Sería bueno un apoyo al fiscal (Arias). Es muy injusto lo que ha hecho la fiscalía nacional al sancionarlo por investigar incendios. Un twitter tuyo sería un muy buen respaldo. Soto: Ok. Chadwick: tú bien? Soto: Esperando qué sucede Chadwick: mejor cara? Soto: Creo que sí. Ojalá no se enrede lo del teatro. Chadwick. Dios quiera. Soto: cualquier cosa te comento. Después, en junio 2017, están los mensajes entre el alcalde de Rancagua y su abogado Luis Hermosilla: Soto: respecto al teatro regional alguna novedad? Hermosilla: si vamos a declarar en próxima fecha y después archivar. Seis meses después, el alcalde le escribe a su abogado: Soto: Me acaba de escribir Emiliano En otra conversación, el edil le contesta a Hermosilla: Soto: Está disponible, Andrés lo conoce y eficiente cien por ciento. Consultada la vocera de la fiscalía nacional si la causa del teatro Municipal de Rancagua estaba a cargo de Arias, Marta Herrera aclaró que es Moya el responsable de la indagatoria. En la entrevista con nuestra emisora, el viernes recién pasado, el fiscal Moya detalló la denuncia contra su superior por el caso del teatro Municipal de Rancagua. El persecutor relató que el miércoles 15 de noviembre de 2017, antes de las elecciones presidenciales, Arias lo citó a su despacho donde se encontraba el abogado defensor del edil. Según Moya, su jefe le pidió que estuviera “atento a los requerimientos del abogado”. Al otro día, el jueves, Moya allanó las oficinas del alcalde Soto, donde incautó su teléfono móvil, una tablet y un computador. El viernes 17 de noviembre, según este relato, Arias le ordena devolver las especies a lo que Moya se niega. Marta Herrera, además, aclaró que el fiscal Arias se mantiene plenamente en sus funciones y con todas sus causas, entre las que se cuenta la investigación por los delitos de connotación sexual cometidos presuntamente por sacerdotes de la Iglesia Católica.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Exploring the emotion of hate through the Cronulla race riot that occurred on a Sydney beach in Australia in December 2005, this article’s principle concern is to interrogate the pleasure and the pain of hate, by asking what is happening to us when we hate? Analysing hate as an emotional response to and a soothing strategy for dealing with human alienation, it suggests that crucial to understanding hate is a grasp on the ontological entanglement of self, otherness and hate. Viewing hate through this lens it is possible to become attentive to the ways in which hate is mobilised by and for social institutions such as masculinity and nationalism and enacted as racial hate.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
At ACGHK 2019, Siliconera sat in on a game introduction session for Final Fantasy VII Remake with producer Yoshinori Kitase. During the introduction session, we were able to get a full look at the entire Bombing Mission opening sequence right up to before the boss shown off at E3 via a prerecorded gameplay video. Kitase first started off wit an introduction to the game, mentioning that the game, despite being a remake, still follows the Final Fantasy series tenets of innovation, challenging the limits of what they can make, and giving the player a fun experience. He also emphasized that the game is being developed by a mixture of original staff and new blood who grew up on the original game. Lots of international staff are also involved in the game. While we’ve seen snippets of the opening section of the game here and there, yesterday was the first time we’ve seen the thing in full. While the general structure of the area has been faithfully recreated, there are new areas that are original to the remake, as the team has taken care to create new architecture to flesh out the Mako reactor area in between where loading screens would be in the original game. During the first area, Cloud also showed off his moves in the new ARP-style combat, which consists of action combat, and Wait Mode where everything is immensely slowed down so the player can use abilities and magic. The sword abilities are also able to be activated via a shortcut with L1 for those good with action games, said Kitase. Meanwhile, Cloud had two modes of combat to switch between – Operator and Punisher mode. Operator Mode focuses on quick slashes, while Punisher mode heavily slows down Cloud as he takes a different stance, in exchange for higher damage. One thing that really did pop to me was how the remake has expanded on the early cast of Cloud, Barrett, Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie. When they first get off the train, Barrett is much more hostile and distrusting of Cloud than in the original, saying that one misstep and he’ll shoot Cloud down. Meanwhile, Jessie is much more exasperated at how loud and distrusting Barrett is being. While Cloud splits from the rest of the crew mid-way to not get caught, he rejoins them when they begin opening the doors to reach the reactor, and the game went into a cutscene. While Biggs is skeptical of Cloud’s abilities, Wedge is more friendly and shoots Cloud a thumbs-up that Cloud clearly has no idea how to respond to. These parts really help flesh out the relationships between the crew in ways that weren’t achieved in the original. The elevator sequence with Cloud, Barrett, and Jessie is also expanded upon. While waiting for the elevator to arrive, Jessie notes that Tifa was adamant on recommending Cloud for the job, and asks what Cloud’s relationship with Tifa is. Cloud is clearly struggling to come up with an appropriate reply, but is saved by the arrival of the elevator. Inside, Barrett gives his spiel about the world dying from Mako overconsumption, but goes full ham and mentions that he can hear the world crying for help, to which Cloud snarks that Barrett should go see a doctor. These moments of levity help lighten the tense mood, and also harkens back to Cloud’s depiction in the original game, where he wasn’t without a sense of humor. Leaving the elevator, Barrett finally joins the party, and Kitase explained how his long-range gatling is easily used by holding down Square, and suitable for long-range enemies Cloud can’t reach. Conveniently, there were a couple of cameras Barrett could use as target practice, and we watched as the video showed off character swapping and commanding other characters to take actions. Finally, Cloud and Barrett reached the ladders leading to the bottom of the reactor, which leads to the scorpion boss we’ve seen since E3. While undoubtedly this first chapter is only a small part of the full game, I could appreciate how it expanded upon the cast established in the original. With the first game completely set in Midgar, I’m looking forward to seeing what other nuances will be added to the interactions between the cast. Final Fantasy VII Remake will come to the PlayStation 4 on March 3, 2020.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
It is impossible to resolve the Syrian conflict without Russia, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said at a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Thursday. “I would like to point out that it is impossible to resolve the Syria issue without Russia,” he said. “Germany realizes its responsibility for what goes on in Europe and in German-Russian relations, this is what we will particularly talk about today. The prerequisite for dialogue between Germany and Russia, as well as between Europe and Russia, is that we do everything possible to listen to arguments concerning issues we disagree on, look to the future and search for ways to resolve serious issues the world has been facing. In this regard everyone can make their contribution, for instance as far as Syria goes,” Maas added. In addition, the German top diplomat said that ahead of Thursday’s talks, he had paid tribute to those killed during the Great Patriotic War laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Alexander Garden outside the Moscow Kremlin.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Philosopher Jonathan Kaplan recently published an article called Race, IQ, and the search for statistical signals associated with so-called “X”-factors: environments, racism, and the “hereditarian hypothesis,” which can be downloaded here. His thesis is that the black-white IQ gap could plausibly be due to racism and what he calls racialized environments. He presents simulations in support of this argument. He also argues that “given the actual state of the world there is no way to generate any reasonably strong evidence in favor of the hereditarian hypothesis.” I have written a detailed critique of his claims. In short, he is wrong. Here’s the abstract of my article: Jonathan Michael Kaplan recently published a challenge to the hereditarian account of the IQ gap between whites and blacks in the United States (Kaplan, 2014). He argues that racism and “racialized environments” constitute race-specific “X-factors” that could plausibly cause the gap, using simulations to support this contention. I show that Kaplan’s model suffers from vagueness and implausibilities that render it an unpromising approach to explaining the gap, while his simulations are misspecified and provide no support for his model. I describe the proper methodology for testing for X-factors, and conclude that Kaplan’s X-factors would almost certainly already have been discovered if they did in fact exist. I also argue that the hereditarian position is well-supported, and, importantly, is amenable to a definitive empirical test. The PDF is available at Open Differential Psychology. You can also read the article below the cut. The Elusive X-Factor: A Critique of J. M. Kaplan’s Model of Race and IQ Contents 1. Introduction 2. Background 3. Kaplan’s model 3.1. How racist is America? 3.1.1. Crime facts versus crime fiction 3.1.2. Race and policing 3.1.3. Labor market discrimination 3.1.4. Housing discrimination 3.2. Disparate treatment or disparate individuals? 3.3. The missing mechanisms 4. The nature of the IQ gap 5. Kaplan’s simulations 5.1. Unimportance of variance differences 5.2. Abilities and tests 5.2.1. Measurement invariance 5.2.2. Stereotype threat 5.2.3. Flynn effect 5.2.4. Rowe and colleagues’ findings 5.3. Can X-factors influence g? 6. Non-cognitive differences between blacks and whites 7. How to test HM 8. Discussion References 1. Introduction The hereditarian model (henceforth, HM) of the IQ gap between whites and blacks in the United States holds that the gap is mainly caused by genetic differences between the two races (Jensen, 1998; Rushton & Jensen, 2005). Kaplan (2014) challenges this view, arguing that racism and “racialized environments” are “X-factors” that can explain the gap. He presents simulations in support of this argument. He also claims that given the present state of science, there is no conceivable way to test HM. I will show that Kaplan’s attack on HM is not convincing. My argument consists of four parts. First, I will show that Kaplan’s suggested explanation of the black-white gap is theoretically too vague and underdeveloped to be regarded as a serious model. Second, I will show that even if Kaplan’s model were to be considered as plausible, his simulations do not provide any support for it, or any evidence against HM. This is due to the fact that Kaplan ignores basic psychometric principles and most of the facts pertinent to any explanation of the gap. I will describe the proper method that could be used to search for X-factors. Third, I will argue that Kaplan’s model predicts that there are large racial differences in various non-cognitive traits, whereas such differences do not in fact exist. Lastly, I will show that, contra Kaplan, HM is a fully testable scientific model. Before describing and dissecting Kaplan’s arguments, I will discuss the theoretical and conceptual background of the dispute. 2. Background Arthur Jensen (1998, pp. 447–458; see also Sesardic, 2005, pp. 138–142) noted that there are two different models of environmental causation that could, in principle, explain the observed white-black IQ gap of about one standard deviation (15 IQ points): 1) According to the “variable environments” or VE model, all environmental factors influencing IQ are common to the black and white populations, but vary so that some factors are more frequent and others less frequent in one race versus the other. There are thus no factors unique to either race, but the black IQ disadvantage is caused by their having been exposed to more negative factors and/or fewer positive ones. The black distribution of environmental effects is shifted into the negative direction, with the average black growing up in a “cognitive environment” similar to that experienced only by disadvantaged whites. 2) The X-factor model is based on the idea that there are race-specific environmental factors that affect only one race. This is typically conceptualized as there being cognitively detrimental factors that affect all blacks and no whites. Thus the black IQ mean is lower than the white one because American society singles out all blacks for very specific IQ-sapping experiences. Jensen gave the name X-factor to the unknown non-genetic variable (or set of variables) that would affect the IQs of blacks but not whites. If the VE model were true, it would mean that the environmental circumstances of the average black must be similar to those of the most deprived few percent of whites. The logic behind this calculation is the following. IQ has a high heritability within populations, perhaps as much as 80 percent in adults. If we assume that the genetic component does not cause racial differences, then the black-white gap must be entirely due to the environmental component, which accounts for as little as 20 percent of IQ variation. Environmental influences on IQ can be thought of as a unidimensional scale along which black and white individuals are distributed. Given that the total environmental effect on a given individual’s IQ can be conceptualized as the sum of a number of more or less independent negative and positive factors, the distributions of the total environmental effects must be roughly normal. If the environmental influence on IQ variation is only 20 percent, then, for the VE model to hold, the mean of the distribution of environmental effects for blacks would have to be about 2.2 standard deviations lower than the mean for whites on the same scale of total environmental effects. [1] This would entail that the average black is exposed to a worse cognitive environment than about 99 percent of whites. Even if we assume that heritability is lower, say, 50 percent, the cognitive environment of the average black must be worse than that of about 92 percent of whites. However, when black-white differences in the environmental factors that have traditionally been thought of as causes of the IQ gap have been investigated, it has been found that the differences are much too small to explain the gap. For example, differences in parental socioeconomic status can account for about one third of the gap (Herrnstein & Murray, 1994, p. 286), while according to Card & Rothstein (2007) residential segregation can explain about 25 percent of the SAT score gap (which is similar in size to the IQ gap). Similarly, Currie (2005) estimated that racial differences in health conditions explain at most 25 percent of the IQ gap in children. [2] Phillips et al. (1998) found that even after controlling for more than 30 variables related the economic, educational, cognitive, emotional, and health characteristics of parents and grandparents, about a third of the verbal IQ gap in children remained unexplained. The reason why it is very difficult to account for the gap in terms of environmental differences is that, firstly, they are usually not that strongly associated with IQ, and that, secondly, white and black distributions on those environmental variables overlap much more than what is expected on the basis of the VE model. However, the problems of the VE model go much deeper. Eric Turkheimer has crystallized the results of many decades of behavioral genetic research into three “laws” (Turkheimer, 2000). They represent empirical generalizations of the causes of human behavioral differences. The first law states that all behavioral traits are heritable, while according to the second law familial resemblance in behavioral traits is mainly due to shared genetic rather than shared environmental influences. The third law states that the non-shared or within-family environment is an important source of behavioral differences. These laws apply to IQ, too, particularly after childhood as the heritability of IQ increases and shared environmental influences subside. [3] It is important to understand that it follows from Turkheimer’s laws that proposed environmental effects on IQ are also expected to be confounded by genetic influences. Accordingly, behavioral genetic research indicates that “environmental” factors, such as measures of family environment, child rearing style, and peer relations, are under substantial genetic control (Plomin et al., 1994; Rowe et al., 1998; Kendler & Baker, 2007; Vinkhuyzen et al., 2010). Environments are not randomly distributed across the population, and an individual’s likelihood of encountering a specific environment may depend, in part, on his or her genotype or that of his or her parents, giving rise to spurious relationships between environmental factors and individual traits. “Partialing out” the influence of an “environmental” factor therefore typically also removes some of the genetic differences between individuals. Notably, the association between children’s IQ and parental socioeconomic status appears to be mostly due to the influence of the same genes on both variables (Trzaskowski et al., 2014). Therefore, the reported correlations between IQ and environmental factors purporting to explain (some of) the IQ gap are, at best, overestimates of the true causal effects. Moreover, it is clear that the shared family environment is not a major cause of IQ differences within races, whereas the proposed environmental causes of the gap are generally shared between family members. Environmental influences on IQ are overwhelmingly non-shared (i.e., non-familial) in character, and few of them have been identified (Turkheimer & Waldron, 2000). Much of the “missing” non-shared influence on IQ may be developmental noise (Kan et al., 2010) that affects both races more or less equally, and therefore cannot contribute to the gap. Simply put, it is not possible to explain the black-white IQ gap in terms of specific environmental differences because behavioral genetic studies indicate that very little of the IQ variation within races can be attributed to any identifiable environmental causes. While blacks grow up in environments that are in many respects inferior to those of whites, on the average, the distributions of environmental effects on IQ cannot be shown to greatly differ between races, which means that there is no credible evidence in favor of the VE model. If there were an IQ-sapping environmental factor that harms all blacks but leaves whites intact, it could potentially explain the IQ gap even if VE-type factors cannot do so. The problem is, as Jensen pointed out, that it is difficult to come up with plausible candidates for such an X-factor. Any environmental influence on black IQ that one might think of would affect many whites, too. Significantly, the black IQ disadvantage is found across all regions, social classes, and generations; wherever one looks, blacks appear to suffer from a similarly sized IQ deficiency compared to white peers. This means that the putative X-factor must have very little variance, inflicting an almost constant 15 IQ point deficit on virtually all blacks. One might think that racism against blacks would be a perfect candidate for an X-factor, but a moment’s reflection suggests that that racism much more closely resembles a VE-factor. More than thirty years ago, James Flynn articulated the inadequacy of racism as an X-factor in this way: “Racism is not some magic force that operates without a chain of causality. Racism harms people because of its effects and when we list those effects, lack of confidence, low self-image, emasculation of the male, the welfare mother home, poverty, it seems absurd to claim that any one of them does not vary significantly within both black and white America.” (Flynn, 1980, p. 60) The conceptual implausibility of the X-factor model and the empirical inadequacy of the VE model lend credence to the hereditarian explanation. 3. Kaplan’s model Kaplan rejects the argument that racism is not a promising X-factor. He thinks that the effects of racism on black IQ are not exhausted by the fact that racism may cause poverty, low self-esteem, or other VE-type effects. Instead, he suggests that the everyday experiences of just about all blacks, while superficially similar to those of many whites, are in fact infused by racism and are therefore qualitatively different in ways that affect IQ. He gives the following specific examples of the potential influence of racism or “racialized environments” on IQ: 1) Black criminals are overrepresented in television news, which means that the experience of black and white children viewing the same tv programming is different. 2) Blacks are more likely than whites to be stopped by the police for questioning. 3) Blacks who go into retail establishments are more likely to be suspected of theft or treated rudely by clerks. 4) Blacks face discrimination in the labor market. 5) Landlords, real estate agents, and other “gatekeepers” discriminate against blacks to keep them out of certain neighborhoods. Kaplan suggests that such racialized environmental X-factors are prevalent in America, and that there are large numbers of them. He agrees that it is not plausible that their effect would be exactly the same on all blacks, but argues that if it is assumed that there are a number of uncorrelated X-factors, each with at most moderate variability, they would be very difficult to detect in a statistical analysis of test scores. He suggests that different classes of blacks are affected by different X-factors, but that all are affected to the same degree, causing a similarly sized IQ deficit in them regardless of class background and other VE-type circumstances. According to this model, the racism encountered by, for example, “young Black men in poor urban centers” is different in its outward character but not in its IQ-sapping effects from that encountered by “young Black women attending an elite university.” Kaplan’s model is depicted in Figure 1. Figure 1. Kaplan’s X-factor model. Various environmental X-factors negatively influence observed black IQs, but have no influence on observed white IQs._______________________________________ 3.1. How racist is America? While Kaplan appears to view the above list as clear-cut evidence of the pervasive influence of racism in American society, a closer look reveals that the evidence is ambiguous at best. The racial disparities discussed by Kaplan cannot be used as proof of racial bias or animus unless blacks are treated differently from non-blacks who behave the same way, and he offers no evidence that this is the case. I will next show how these examples of “racialized environments” can be plausibly interpreted in alternative, non-racial terms. 3.1.1. Crime facts versus crime fiction Black criminals are generally overrepresented in television news coverage in relation to the black share of the population as a whole. However, there is little evidence of their being overrepresented in relation to the black share of the perpetrators of crime (Gilliam et al., 1996; Dixon & Linz, 2000; Chiricos & Eschholz, 2002). The fact that black offenders are disproportionately portrayed in crime news can be regarded simply as a reflection of the great overrepresentation of black individuals in the ranks of criminals. A better test of racial bias in television—and also more pertinent to Kaplan’s concerns about children’s television viewing—is the portrayal of race in fictional crime shows. Unlike news programs, such shows are not constrained by verisimilitude, which means that gross racial biases in the portrayal of crime are possible. However, studies have consistently found that compared to real-life crime statistics, blacks are underrepresented among criminal offenders in crime dramas, while whites are greatly overrepresented (Potter et al., 1995; Eschholz, 2002; Eschholz et al., 2004; Deutsch & Cavendar, 2008; Case, 2013). For example, 75 percent of the violent offenders and suspects in the 2000–01 season of Law & Order were white, whereas in the late 1990s only 13 percent of real-life violent crime suspects were white in New York City where the show was set. For black offenders and suspects, the proportions were 14 percent in the fictional world of Law & Order versus 51 percent in real life. (Eschholz et al., 2004, Table 1.) 3.1.2. Race and policing Coviello & Persico (2013) found that while the New York City Police Department’s “stop-and-frisk” program led to blacks being stopped much more often than whites, the stops of whites were somewhat less “productive” in terms of arrests, which could be interpreted as evidence of a police bias against whites. To take another example, Worden et al. (2012) investigated vehicular stops made by the police in Syracuse, New York, over a period of four years, and found that African Americans were not more likely to be stopped during daylight than after dark when the police suffer an impaired ability to detect motorists’ race. This suggests that the greater propensity of black motorists to be stopped was not due to racial bias. From these examples it is clear that racial disparities in encounters with the police do not constitute prima facie evidence of racial bias. Even if the police never relied on the (generally reasonably accurate) racial stereotypes about criminal offending, racial disparities in police scrutiny would arise because blacks are more likely than whites to engage in suspicious and illegal activities. The same inevitably applies to private security guards singling out seemingly disproportionate numbers of blacks for scrutiny. More generally, the observed black-white differences in crime rates are predictable from black-white differences in IQ and aggressiveness (Beaver et al., 2013), and victim surveys indicate that the high arrest and conviction rates of blacks reflect their genuinely high rates of offending (New Century Foundation, 2005). The common belief that a racially biased criminal justice system underlies the high black crime rate is difficult to reconcile with these findings. 3.1.3. Labor market discrimination Racial discrimination in the labor market is another area where Kaplan jumps to unsupported conclusions. He cites experimental audit studies where employers were found to prefer white job applicants to black ones with identical qualifications, arguing that this proves racial discrimination to be pervasive. However, Heckman (1998) has identified many severe limitations in this research. First, the experimental designs of such studies are based on dubious and untestable assumptions. Second, even if the experiments do identify genuine discrimination, the typical study reports only small differences between races, explaining very little of the existing racial disparities in the labor market. Third, the effect of racial discrimination on labor market outcomes is ultimately not determined by discriminatory employers but by those that actually employ blacks. In a typical audit study, white and black “auditors” with matching (fictitious) credentials apply to low-skill, entry level positions, with the consequence that the studies have very poor ecological validity with respect to the labor market as a whole. The auditors sometimes exist only on paper, but experiments where actual persons are sent to job interviews are neither randomized (race cannot be assigned to individuals) nor double-blind (the auditors know the purpose of the study), which compromises any attempt to make causal inferences. The auditors can never be matched on all the variables that different employers may find important. It is often quite reasonable to regard white applicants as more qualified than ostensibly similar blacks. For example, the average IQ gap between black and white applicants to low-complexity jobs is 0.86 standard deviations, favoring whites (Roth et al., 2001), something that audit studies do not adjust for. Such racial differences may assume a greater-than-usual importance in the decision-making of the audited employers because many other characteristics that normally show racial differences in the applicant population have been experimentally equalized. In recruitment to cognitively more complex occupations, a rational employer would similarly expect a white graduate from a selective college to be smarter and more diligent than a black graduate from a similarly prestigious school, given the widespread use of racial preferences in college admissions. [4] A basic problem with many claims of group discrimination in modern, free labor markets is that they are based on the assumption that employers voluntarily leave money on the table. If the labor of some group were systematically undervalued by discriminatory employers, then surely some rational employers would step in and make a large profit on the basis of this market inefficiency. This would increase the demand on the labor of the discriminated-against group, driving up its wages. Widespread and significant labor market discrimination can continue only if there are legal or social norms that enforce discrimination even at a substantial economic cost to employers, but, as discussed below, such norms in today’s America encourage or mandate discrimination in favor of blacks. Significantly, the measured job performance of black employees is inferior to that of whites working in similar occupations (Roth et al., 2003), whereas the discrimination thesis predicts the opposite. There is no evidence that the labor of black employees is undervalued in today’s America. Racial differences in labor market outcomes are clearly driven by “pre-market” factors, such as differences in education and IQ. When blacks and whites are equated on even a limited set of relevant pre-market factors, differences in their labor market outcomes are greatly attenuated or eliminated (Johnson & Neal, 1998; Carneiro et al., 2005). Indeed, the black-white income gap is often reversed after such equating (Johnson & Neal, 1998; Nyborg & Jensen, 2001; Heckman et al., 2006), which may signal the presence of discrimination in favor of blacks. While it is difficult to establish whether anti-black discrimination plays any significant role in the labor market outcomes of today’s blacks, pro-black discrimination must play such a role, considering that it is something that is openly, legally, and widely practised in the name of “affirmative action”, “diversity”, and so on. For example, more than 60 percent of private sector workplaces in the US had affirmative action plans as of 2002 (Kalev et al., 2006), while federal and state agencies are bound by numerous rules concerning racial diversity in their hiring and contracting (e.g., Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, 2002). In fact, the disparate impact doctrine entails that many employers must in practice discriminate in favor of blacks so as to avoid legal repercussions (Wax, 2011). When one recognizes the fact that differences in skills and human capital are the primary reason for racial disparities in labor market outcomes, while also appreciating the prevalence of preferential treatment for blacks, it is apparent that Kaplan’s case for employment discrimination as a differentiating factor between whites and blacks is not credible. 3.1.4. Housing discrimination Finally, Kaplan mentions housing discrimination by landlords, real estate agents, and others. Even this paradigmatic example of racial discrimination turns out to be ambiguous when examined more carefully. While the practices mentioned by Kaplan may contribute to residential segregation by race, it is not clear that racial animus drives the ostensibly discriminatory practices. The reasons why one would want to control who gets to move into a neighborhood include such interlinked considerations as preserving property values, keeping crime levels down, and maintaining the quality of local public schools. In the presence of imperfect information, a rational actor interested in preserving a prosperous neighborhood would prefer whites to blacks as home buyers and tenants considering that the presence of blacks is statistically associated with many or all of the negative indicators for neighborhood value. Blacks may therefore end up being disproportionately turned down even when there is no racist intent. Considering that housing discrimination by race is illegal and thus a risky course of action, it is unclear if blacks are truly discriminated in the housing market when one compares them to objectively similar whites. To establish that a pair of black and white individuals are really comparable in all their relevant characteristics, it is not sufficient to match them on just a few variables. A good illustration of this is the fact that black and white borrowers with the same credit scores and current incomes are not equally creditworthy in terms of the probability of loan default. Blacks consistently default more often than whites after adjusting for such factors as payment and credit history and income (Ferguson & Peters, 1995; Laderman & Reid, 2008; Anacker et al., 2012). When one appreciates the fact that the distributions of many important personal characteristics are different in the black and white populations, with the means of the black distributions located lower than the means of the white distributions, it is easy to understand why black individuals are not truly as creditworthy as ostensibly similar whites, on the average. For example, as a result of the different income distributions of blacks and whites, the expected future income of a white individual is higher than that of a black individual who has the same income in a particular year (Sanandaji, 2009). Over time, the characteristics of individuals tend to regress toward population averages which differ between races. When deciding on who gets to rent or buy in a given neighborhood, it is not just the characteristics of a particular individual that may influence the decision. The way in which the family members of a prospective renter or buyer are perceived may also have an impact. Racial differences in the distributions of various psychological traits mean that the relatives of even highly accomplished black individuals tend to be inferior in many of their personal characteristics when compared to the relatives of seemingly similar whites. For example, the average levels of cognitive ability and academic achievement of upper-middle class black children do not resemble those of white children of the same social class but rather those of lower class whites (Herrnstein & Murray, 1994, p. 288; “Why Family Income”, 2008). The economic, social, and physical decay of many urban areas in the wake of swelling black populations and white flight was a defining feature of American race relations in the 20th century. Seen against this historical background, it is difficult to argue that whites’ (and other non-blacks’) concerns about the character of their black neighbors are irrational. 3.2. Disparate treatment or disparate individuals? The fact that blacks face adversities with disproportionate frequency is consistent with the racism explanation, but it is not the only possible explanation. Controlling for black-white differences in what can be plausibly interpreted as causally prior variables shows that many, if not all, of the outcome differences that Kaplan attributes to racism can be parsimoniously explained in non-racial terms. The same would in all likelihood apply to any further examples of racialized environments that he could come up with. After adjusting for relevant covariates, it is in fact not infrequently the case that whites rather than blacks appear to be targets of discrimination. Interestingly, while Kaplan thinks that the available research justifies very expansive claims about the prevalence and effects of racism in contemporary America, he expresses great scepticism about the results of human behavioral genetics. He claims that given the non-feasibility of experimental manipulations, it is “fiendishly difficult” to make any accurate estimates of the influence of genes and environments in humans. [5] I think Kaplan greatly underestimates the power of behavioral genetic research designs. While behavioral genetics is not properly experimental, it relies on the convergence of results from different natural experiment paradigms (e.g., twin, adoption, and GCTA designs) increasingly applied to many large and representative population samples from around the world. This, together with the field’s robust basis in both quantitative evolutionary theory and the results of non-human breeding studies, enables stronger causal inferences than are possible in almost any other area of social or behavioral science. In contrast, the research on racial discrimination cited by Kaplan relies on simple correlational analyses and single-blind quasi-experiments suffering from poor ecological validity and omitted variable bias. The causal interpretations Kaplan gives to these studies immediately crumble under even very simple robustness checks, as detailed in previous sections. Nevertheless, Kaplan thinks that not only is it not “fiendishly difficult” to make causal inferences about the influence of racism in the absence of experimental manipulations, it is positively easy: in his conception, a zero-order correlation between race and a negative outcome, or a quasi-experiment that is in all respects pitifully rudimentary compared to those routinely conducted in behavioral genetics enables one to draw far-ranging conclusions about the effects of racism in America. Kaplan’s epistemological double standard cannot be explained away by the fact that he only briefly and cursorily reviews research on racism in America. The studies he cites appear to be quite representative in terms of study designs that are prevalent in this area of research (cf., Pager & Shepherd, 2008). Kaplan’s sweeping condemnation of American society as imbued by anti-black racism is premature. Of course, he is not alone in making this error—the conviction that racism has great explanatory power is widespread in certain sections of American society despite the distinct weaknesses of the evidence behind this conviction. The individual differences approach reflected in HM presents a necessary corrective to such beliefs about racism: psychological differences within and between races explain many outcome differences, indicating that accusations of racism against various institutions are often misplaced. Only after a thorough appraisal of the origins and significance of racial differences in socially valued traits can racism be allotted its proper role in understanding American society. Uncovering the etiology of the black-white IQ gap is particularly important, given IQ’s pervasive importance in modern society (Gottfredson, 2002). 3.3. The missing mechanisms The very existence of the “racialized environments” proposed by Kaplan is doubtful, but even if we accepted that potential X-factors of this type exist (or at least are perceived to exist by most blacks), Kaplan’s model would still be highly inadequate. This is because he does not offer any reason to believe that such factors would influence cognitive ability (of all traits). Why would a security guard’s suspicious gaze at a store, a police officer’s gratuitous stop-and-frisk search, or a suspicion that a CV or an offer to purchase a house was overlooked because of racial bias cause an individual’s IQ to plummet? [6] Kaplan does not present even a hypothesized mechanism of how this could happen, let alone any evidence that it actually happens. Notably, he claims that his X-factors are very heterogeneous, with each section of the black community being affected to the same degree by partly different sets of X-factors. Thus we are to believe that there are numerous different X-factors that depress IQ scores in the same way, yet we know nothing about the actual mechanisms behind any of them. We do not even know if these X-factors are supposed to decrease IQ in a permanent manner (say, each stop-and-frisk lowers an individual’s IQ by 0.5 points for the rest of his or her life), or only temporarily (a black murderer on tv makes the viewer somewhat less intelligent for the next two weeks). Nor does Kaplan’s model suggest any explanation for the familiality of the black decifit, that is, the fact that the IQs of black individuals are predictable from the IQs of their relatives with the same accuracy that obtains for white individuals (Jensen, 1998, pp. 447, 467–471). This familiality suggests that X-factors would have to be tightly linked to family background, while from Kaplan’s description they appear to be much more randomly distributed. Another problem is that Kaplan’s model assumes experiences of racism to be ubiquitous, whereas only 1.7 percent of today’s black adults report that they are frequently treated poorly because of their race. A slightly higher proportion of whites, 2.3 percent, report often receiving such treatment. [7] Kaplan brings up stereotype threat (Steele & Aronson, 1995) as an example of a subtle environmental influence that can have a large effect on IQ scores, arguing that his X-factors could be similar in nature. However, stereotype threat is based on a causal theory of how anxiety about confirming a stereotype about intelligence hampers performance on intelligence tests. There is thus a direct and immediate link, supported by experimental evidence, between poor test performance and the proposed causal factor—something that certainly cannot be said of any of Kaplan’s far-fetched propositions. Furthermore, if Kaplan’s X-factors were real, their influence on IQ would have to be, for reasons discussed later in this article, far more subtle than that of stereotype threat. Kaplan’s X-factor model must be seen as a casual speculation rather than a well thought-out challenge to HM. It suffers from so many implausibilities and lacunae that it cannot provide a credible explanation of the black-white IQ gap. Nevertheless, the fundamentally vague and impressionistic (if not downright fantastical) character of the model will be disregarded in the following sections because it is instructive to examine why the simulations that Kaplan presents in support of his claims in fact provide no such support. 4. The nature of the IQ gap Before discussing Kaplan’s simulations, a consideration of certain facts about the black-white gap is in order. While Kaplan seems to conceive of HM exclusively in terms of VE-factors and X-factors, this particular argument is in fact just one piece in the body of evidence supporting HM. There are equally or more interesting arguments that Kaplan completely ignores. One of the most important discoveries made by Arthur Jensen in his research on the black-white IQ gap was the finding that its magnitude is not invariant across different tests but tracks their g loadings, or correlations with the latent general factor of intelligence. He devised the method of correlated vectors (MCV) to assess the strength of this association. In MCV analyses, a vector of g loadings from a test battery is correlated with a vector of the values of some other variable, such as the black-white gap on different tests. The MCV tests if the other variable’s association with test scores is driven by g or by other sources of variance that are orthogonal to g. Psychometrically, these other sources represent non-g factor variances, test specificities, and measurement error, but except for measurement error (which can be partialed out) the MCV usually cannot specify the nature of the non-g variance. If the MCV correlation is large and positive, it indicates that the association between test scores and the other variable is primarily due to g. Conversely, a large negative MCV correlation indicates that the association is driven by non-g sources of variance. If the MCV correlation is close to zero, the association between test scores and the other variable usually reflects some complex combination of influences that may involve both g and non-g components. In practice, MCV analyses are often subject to false positives and false negatives, and meta-analytic aggregation of MCV results is required for reliable inferences. In a meta-analysis of 149 tests from 15 test batteries, Jensen found an average correlation of 0.63 between the magnitudes of black-white gaps and g loadings (Jensen, 1998, pp. 377–378). [8] What this means is that the better a measure of the g factor a given cognitive test is, the greater the black-white gap on it usually is. The significance of this Jensen effect, as the positive MCV correlations between g loadings and other variables are called, is that such effects are otherwise only found for strongly genetically influenced biological variables. [9] Specifically, the g loadings and heritability coefficients of tests have been found to be intercorrelated moderately to highly in many studies (te Nijenhuis et al., 2014b; Rushton & Jensen, 2010). Jensen effects have also been detected for correlations between test performance and inbreeding depression, heterosis, and head size (Jensen, 1998, p. 419), the last being a highly heritable characteristic (Smit et al., 2010) robustly associated with IQ (Rushton & Ankney, 2009). In contrast, strong “anti-Jensen effects”, or negative MCV correlations between g loadings and other variables, have been reported for the environmentality coefficients of cognitive ability tests, that is, the complements of heritability coefficients (Rushton & Jensen, 2010); for the effects of retesting or practice on test performance (te Nijenhuis et al., 2007); and for the test score gains induced by the Head Start compensatory education programs (te Nijenhuis et al., 2014a). Similarly, the observed increases in the cognitive test scores of many populations across much of the last 100 years (the Flynn effect) are correlated at –0.38 with the g loadings of the tests (te Nijenhuis and van der Flier, 2013). [10] Notably, Flynn et al. (2014) found in a meta-analysis that “biological-environmental” effects, such as iodine deficiency and traumatic brain injury, have a strong negative influence on cognitive test performance, but that this effect is unrelated to g loadings (MCV correlation ~0). If the black-white IQ gap reflected environmental rather than genetic disparities, it would constitute a very unusual Jensen effect. Research on Jensen effects indicates that g is mainly a genetic phenomenon, and that variables that are positively associated with g are biological variables that share genetic influences with g. This is underscored by the finding that the kinds of environmental effects, such as brain injuries, that directly affect the neurobiological substrate of cognition do not cause g-linked cognitive changes. The principally genetic nature of g has also been supported in multivariate behavioral genetic analyses where genetic influences on different cognitive abilities have been found to be largely common rather than ability-specific (Plomin & Spinath, 2004; Trzaskowski et al., 2013b; see also Panizzon et al., 2014 where it was found that genetic correlations between different tests and abilities can be best explained in terms of a hierarchical g factor model). Kaplan does not consider the g-saturated nature of black-white cognitive differences at all, despite this finding’s centrality to the debate. What this means is that his proposed explanation of the gap cannot account for the pattern of cognitive differences that is actually observed. It also means that his simulations, discussed in more detail below, are misspecified and, for this reason alone, do not provide evidence for or against any realistic model of racial differences. It should be noted that one cannot nullify the importance of Jensen effects by simply denying the reality of the g factor as a source of cognitive differences. Regardless of the nature of g, environmental variables are differentially associated with g loadings than genetically saturated variables, and the black-white gap resembles genetic variables in this respect. Any alternative, non-g theory of intelligence must be capable of explaining why we see these consistent patterns of correlations between g factor loadings and other variables. 5. Kaplan’s simulations Kaplan presents a series of simulations of the effects of his hypothesized racialized environments on the IQs of blacks. He claims that the simulations show that such effects would generally not be statistically detectable in any study with a realistic sample size. He concludes that racism against blacks is therefore a promising explanation of the IQ gap, and that HM is not viable. Unfortunately, Kaplan’s simulations are psychometrically so flawed that they cannot provide evidence in favor of his model or against HM. The flaws can be summarized in the following three points: 1) The test for the equality of variances which Kaplan uses to test for the presence of X-factors cannot be used for that purpose. 2) There are well-established ways to model intelligence differences and methods that can be used to search for X-factors in the framework of such models, but Kaplan ignores them. 3) The simulations disregard the empirically observed pattern of correlations between g loadings and black-white cognitive differences. I will next discuss these three points in some detail. 5.1. Unimportance of variance differences Kaplan uses Levene’s test for the equality of variances to investigate whether his simulated X-factors inflate IQ variances to a statistically significant extent. He finds that given realistic sample sizes, the increases in variances are not generally statistically significant. He regards this as the main finding of his study, and concludes that X-factors are therefore not generally detectable. This conclusion is completely unwarranted. Given the abundance of data on black-white IQ differences, one could easily conduct a powerful meta-analysis of variance differences. For example, a 2001 meta-analysis of racial differences in general cognitive ability (Roth et al., 2001) had sample sizes in the millions, enabling very accurate estimation of population parameters. If the variances of black IQ scores were slightly but consistently higher than those of whites, a meta-analysis would show it with a high degree of statistical reliability. As it happens, the variances of IQ scores in blacks are typically smaller than those of whites. Jensen (1998, p. 353) found that black standard deviations are usually in the range of 11–14 IQ points, with a mean of 12, compared to the white standard deviation of 15 points. [11] This indicates that the outputs of Kaplan’s simulations do not even approximate actual IQ data. One of the peculiarities of his article is that he does not examine variance differences in any real-life data sets. However, a more important reason why Kaplan’s simulation results do not support his conclusions is that differences in IQ variances could be due to other causes besides X-factors. Specifically, one group could be inherently more variable than another group on a given phenotype. For example, the pigmentation of hair and eyes varies in Europeans much more than in black Africans, reflecting the fact that the genetic mutations causing this phenotypic diversity in Europeans arose, or at least became selectively advantageous, long after the evolutionary divergence of African and non-African lineages. Given that there is no a priori reason to expect different populations to have exactly the same “natural” IQ variances, Levene’s test, which assesses deviations from a null difference, cannot provide any useful evidence for or against the existence of environmental X-factors. The proper way to test for X-factors is discussed next. 5.2. Abilities and tests The predominant view among psychometricians and the one that is adopted in this article is that individual differences in intelligence can be conceptualized in terms of a factor hierarchy with a third-level general factor (g), second-level broad ability factors, and first-level test-specific variation (Deary, 2012). Higher-level sources of variation exert a causal influence on the lower levels of the hierarchy. Observed test scores, whether they be full- or subscale scores, subtest scores, or item scores, are regarded as reflections of the latent abilities that underlie performance on all cognitive tasks. [12] The distinction between abilities and test scores is completely ignored by Kaplan. His simulated X-factors directly influence observed, full scale IQ scores (see Figure 1 above). However, full scale IQ scores are typically composites of scores on different tests. The fact that any causal influence on test performance is almost inevitably differentially associated with different tests and abilities offers rich possibilities for testing for group differences in causal processes. There are standard methods for doing such analyses. In contrast, Kaplan’s simulations are based on manipulating single test scores, are focused on uninformative variance differences, and are not grounded in any realistic model of intelligence. This means that they tell us nothing about how difficult or easy it is to detect X-factors. 5.2.1. Measurement invariance A proper test of Kaplan’s model would involve the specification of a causal model for test score differences where X-factors would influence observed test scores in blacks alongside underlying abilities, whereas in whites only the underlying abilities (and unique variances) would influence test performance. [13] The plausibility of such a model could then be investigated through an analysis of measurement invariance in the framework of multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis. The analysis would examine whether simulated variance-covariance matrices and mean structures produced by the X-factor model could be statistically distinguished from those produced by the same model without X-factors. The X-factor-free white model and the black X-factor model are depicted in Figures 2a and 2b, respectively. [14] Figure 2a. Model for white test scores. The squares represent different cognitive tests, while the ellipses are latent ability constructs that, except for g, are unspecified here but could represent verbal, fluid, and spatial abilities, and short-term memory, for example. Residual variances are not shown but are assumed to be uncorrelated. The letters a–g are selected factor loadings. Figure 2b. X-factor model for black test scores. Various X-factors, conceptualized as latent variables, influence test scores alongside ability constructs. Residual variances are not shown but are assumed to be uncorrelated. The letters a–i are selected factor loadings._________________________________________ The test for measurement invariance that could be performed on the simulated variances, covariances, and means produced by the white and black models would essentially be a test of whether it is statistically plausible that the black test scores that were actually produced by the X-factor model could as well have been produced by the white model. Assuming that the white model shows an adequate fit to the data generated by the X-factor model in a single-group confirmatory factor analysis (if it does not, the X-factors have already been detected and the analysis can end), we can proceed to a multiple-group analysis, in which the following four conditions are examined (Brown, 2006, pp. 269–270): 1) Equal form. Across the two groups, the number of latent factors must be the same, and the same tests must load on the same factors. This condition will necessarily be true if the white model fits the data produced by the X-factor model in a single-group analysis, but the equal form condition of the multiple-group analysis serves as a baseline model for the next step of the analysis. 2) Equal factor loadings. The loadings (or regression slopes) of the tests on the factors must be equal across groups, that is, a change in the level of a factor must be associated with similarly-sized changes in the levels of the associated tests in both groups. [15] 3) Equal intercepts. When the tests are regressed on their respective factors, the intercepts must be equal across groups. This guarantees that any differences in the means of the tests can be attributed to differences in the means of the factors. If the intercepts are unequal, it indicates that group differences in test means are not due to group differences in the underlying abilities. 4) Equal residuals. The magnitudes of the residual (unique) variances of the tests must be equal across groups. This ensures that any variance differences in the tests can be attributed to the latent factors. [16] The plausibility of these four conditions is tested by sequentially introducing additional cross-group equality constraints on the model and examining whether the fit of the model deteriorates. If all the relevant parameters can be constrained to be equal across groups without a significant deterioration in model fit (compared to if the parameters were freely estimated for both groups), then strict measurement invariance holds across groups. [17] Strict invariance indicates that test score differences between groups can be fully attributed to the same underlying abilities that cause differences within groups (Lubke et al., 2003). It is easy to see how Kaplan’s X-factors could violate measurement invariance. For example, in terms of factor loadings a–i shown in Figures 2a and 2b, the model-implied correlation between tests #4 and #5, calculated using path tracing rules, is abcd in the white model and abcd + hi in the black model. [18] Because the measurement invariance model assumes that the black data can be explained using the parameters of the white model, the only way to account for the increased correlation (i.e., the term hi) between tests #4 and #5 in blacks is to make one or more of the factor loadings a–d larger. This jeopardizes measurement invariance because equal loadings across groups is one of its requirements. Constraining the loadings to values between the optimal white and black ones may well lead only to a non-significant deterioration in model fit if just a few loadings are modestly affected. But as the X-factors introduce a large number of new dependencies between tests, many loadings will be affected, some strongly, making factor loading invariance difficult to achieve. Another example of how X-factors can violate measurement invariance concerns the invariance model’s assumption that group differences in the means of the tests can be explained by group differences in the means of the latent factors. This necessitates that test score gaps be collinear with factor loadings that are constrained to be equal across groups, that is, the size of group differences on different tests must be consistent with the size of the group-invariant factor loadings of those tests (Wicherts & Dolan, 2010). For example, the size of the black-white gaps on tests #5, #6, #7, and #8 in Figures 2a and 2b must be fully predictable from the size of the factor loadings d, e, f, and g. This is tested by constraining the intercepts of the tests to be equal across groups, and examining whether the requirement to reproduce the mean differences in the tests from factor means leads to a deterioration in model fit compared to a model without this constraint. From Figure 2b it is apparent that multiple X-factors exert negative influences on the means of the tests in blacks in a way that is completely unrelated to the loadings of the tests on the ability factors. Therefore, X-factors tend to change the pattern of black-white gaps on different tests so that the gaps are no longer predictable from ability factor loadings, leading to non-invariant intercepts across groups. If the tests for measurement invariance showed (across many iterations) that the black and white models of intelligence produce significantly different variance-covariance matrices and mean structures, this would indicate that the invariance tests successfully detect the existence of X-factors. If, on the other hand, there were no significant differences between the black and white matrices and mean structures, we would conclude that the method is not sensitive enough to detect X-factors. Unfortunately, Kaplan’s model is psychometrically very underdeveloped, providing no information on how his X-factors would influence performance on different kinds of tests. Why is the black-white gap greatly attenuated on tests of short-term memory and perceptual speed, while it is particularly large on tests of general knowledge and abstract reasoning? Kaplan provides no explanation. Jensen explained such findings by reference to the varying g-loadings of cognitive tests, showing that controlling for the influence of g eliminates the vast majority of cognitive differences between the two races. [19] Given the lack of information on how Kaplan’s X-factors would influence different tests, it is not currently possible to analyze if they could be detected using the procedure just described. It has been repeatedly shown that black-white differences on IQ test batteries satisfy the requirements of measurement invariance (Dolan, 2000; Dolan & Hamaker, 2001; Lubke et al., 2003; Trundt, 2013). This indicates that the same latent abilities that explain test score differences within each race also explain the observed interracial IQ gap. The fact that statistical signals of race-specific X-factors are not empirically observed in the literature on IQ measurement invariance strongly suggests that Kaplan’s model is a non-starter. He could, of course, aver that his X-factors are so subtle that they would not violate measurement invariance, but he has not tested this claim and it cannot presently be tested given the sketchy nature of his model. 5.2.2. Stereotype threat However, we can get a good idea of whether a properly specified X-factor model would pass a test of measurement invariance by examining whether environmental factors known to influence test scores pass this test. In particular, Kaplan identifies stereotype threat (Steele & Aronson, 1995) as an influence analogous to his X-factors. Wicherts et al. (2005) found that the presence of experimentally induced stereotype threat led to measurement non-invariance between the experimental and control groups. The non-invariance was easy to detect in a multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis even when sample sizes were modest (N<100). As Sackett et al. (2004) point out, when stereotype threat was absent in the control condition of Steele and Aronson’s study, the IQs of the black and white college students participating in the experiment were what one would have expected them to be on the basis of their prior SAT scores. This indicates that rather than causing the black-white IQ gap, stereotype threat widens a pre-existing gap that is persistently observed regardless of social context. Stereotype threat appears to be no more than yet another curiosity of the psychological laboratory without real-world implications (Lee, 2009). Given the assumed similarity of stereotype threat and Kaplan’s X-factors, we would expect the latter to cause measurement non-invariance, too, something that has not been observed in analyses of white and black test scores in non-experimental settings. This strongly suggests that Kaplan’s X-factors are non-existent. 5.2.3. Flynn effect Kaplan believes that the Flynn effect presents another environmental influence supporting his thesis. He claims that there is “no evidence of an increase in overall variance, nor in the association with other variables, associated with the increase in IQ scores within particularly populations over time.” It is true that the Flynn effect is not associated with increased test score variances, underlining the inadequacy of Kaplan’s variance difference tests as a way to discover environmental influences. However, it is not true that more appropriate methods fail to detect the Flynn effect. When tests of measurement invariance, described above, and analogous differential item functioning tests have been applied to IQ data from different age cohorts, it has consistently been found that measurement invariance between cohorts is untenable (Wicherts et al., 2004; Beaujean & Osterlind, 2008; Must et al., 2009; Wai & Putallaz, 2011; Shiu et al., 2013; Pietschnig et al., 2013; Fox & Mitchum, 2013, 2014; Beaujean & Sheng, 2014). As Wicherts et al. (2004) point out, the fact that black-white IQ differences are associated with measurement invariance while the Flynn effect is not indicates that the two phenomena are separate, and that one of them does not tell us anything about the other. Consistently with this finding, Ang et al. (2010) found that the magnitude of the Flynn effect does not differ between races. The environmental improvements underlying the Flynn effect have reached blacks and whites equally, suggesting that the environmental factors influencing cognitive development are highly similar in the two races. Contrary to what Kaplan believes, the Flynn effect is easy to identify with standard psychometric methods and ordinary sample sizes. If he wants to maintain that his racial X-factors would not be detectable with the same methods, he must modify his thesis and argue that the influence of his X-factors is uniquely subtle and completely different in character from known environmental influences such as the Flynn effect. 5.2.4. Rowe and colleagues’ findings One of the principal targets of Kaplan’s article are two studies by David Rowe and colleagues (1994, 1995). These studies investigated variance-covariance and correlation matrices of “environmental” influences (e.g., quality of child’s home environment, mother’s education, and parents’ school involvement) and outcome variables (e.g., IQ, self-esteem, and delinquency) across different races and ethnic groups. This study design where the equality of matrices is directly compared represents a model-free analogue to the model-based analyses of measurement invariance discussed above (although mean vectors were not examined by Rowe et al.). While the model-based analyses examine the statistical structure of individual differences in IQ test performance, Rowe and colleagues extended the same logic to an analysis of a wide range of variables beyond tests. Both methods rely on the insight that the effects of X-factors will not be limited to a specific variable, but rather will ramify across a whole network of related variables, reorganizing their mutual relations in a way that can be detected with statistical techniques. X-factors are expected to cause differences especially in the covariances (or correlations) of observed variables across groups. Kaplan’s model assumes that “racialized environments” simultaneously reduce IQ and make the environmental circumstances of blacks worse, which should show up as increases in the covariances between IQ and measured environmental factors. Similarly, one would expect Kaplan’s X-factors, if they exist, to negatively influence not only the IQs of black children, but also their self-esteem and aspirations, increasing the associations between these variables. In contrast, there is no way to say if the variance of IQ scores, which is the only statistic that Kaplan is interested in, should be lower, the same, or higher in blacks due to the influence of X-factors, given that we do not know what the variance would be without the putative influence of the X-factors. Rowe and colleagues found the many matrices of environmental and outcome variables that they analyzed to be statistically indistinguishable across groups. Therefore, there appear to be no group-specific sources of developmental differences, or X-factors. This corroborates the consistent finding of measurement invariance between races in confirmatory factor analyses of IQ batteries. Group differences in the mean level of IQ can be attributed to differences in developmental antecedents that are common to all groups. Therefore, black individuals tend to have low IQ scores for the very same reasons that (a smaller proportion of) white individuals have low IQ scores. These reasons plausibly include genetic differences, but if group differences are to be explained in completely non-genetic terms, then the causes must be VE-type factors: the IQ-decreasing environments experienced by most blacks have to be similar to those experienced only by disadvantaged whites. However, as discussed above, the available empirical evidence argues strongly against the existence of such VE-factors. The task of the non-hereditarian is further complicated by the fact that genetic and environmental factors show differential associations with different cognitive ability parameters, and black IQ deficits closely resemble genetic influences in this respect. 5.3. Can X-factors influence g? The prospect of Kaplan’s X-factors not being detected in an analysis of measurement invariance is very poor. This is because they present an influence on test scores that is orthogonal to the influence exerted by latent factors, whereas black-white cognitive differences can in fact be attributed to latent factors. In particular, black-white differences on cognitive tests are positively correlated with the g loadings of the tests, and can be mostly explained by a racial difference in the mean level of g. Kaplan’s model cannot account for the observed pattern of g-linked differences. However, there is a theoretical possibility of X-factors causing g-linked black-white gaps and not violating measurement invariance. That would happen if the X-factors directly influenced g, with their effect on observed test scores fully mediated by latent abilities. This would ensure that the X-factor-induced racial gaps could be attributed to the latent abilities (i.e., measurement invariance), and that the gaps would be correlated with g loadings (because X-factors would explain some of the variance in g). A model like this is depicted in Figure 3. Figure 3. A model where X-factors influence g directly and test scores indirectly. Residual variances are not shown._____________________________________ Is it plausible that X-factors would exclusively and directly influence g? As discussed earlier, it has consistently been found that environmental influences on test performance are negatively or not at all associated with g loadings, whereas genetic influences are associated strongly and positively with g loadings. Unless the nature of the racial X-factors is completely unique in the domain of environmental influences, they would not cause g-linked gaps. Furthermore, as we have seen, the environmental factors that Kaplan offers as analogues to his X-factors do not cause test score gaps that can be attributed to latent abilities—this is true of both the stable, trait-like gaps associated with the Flynn effect, and the ephemeral, state-like gaps associated with stereotype threat. While g is overwhelmingly a genetic phenomenon, there are nevertheless some non-genetic influences on it. For example, Panizzon et al. (2014) found that in a large sample of middle-aged male twins the heritability of the latent g factor was 86 percent, with 14 percent accounted for by the non-shared environment. Could X-factors be included in that 14 percent? As discussed above, no environmental factors directly affecting g have been identified, suggesting that environmental influences on g may not have anything to do with aspects of the social environment but rather that they may consist of random, noise-like influences affecting individual development regardless of external circumstances (Kan et al., 2010). Kaplan posits that there is a large number of environmental X-factors, many of them affecting only certain subgroups of blacks, so to assume that all these X-factors would have the same, laser-like focus on g, completely unlike how all known environmental factors influence test scores, makes this model so implausible as to leave it devoid of interest. 6. Non-cognitive differences between blacks and whites Kaplan’s model of the IQ gap presupposes that the daily lives of African Americans are saturated with racially motivated insults and humiliations that inflict serious psychological trauma on them. The nature of these negative experiences is such that one would expect them to have their most direct and most profound effects on non-cognitive rather than cognitive characteristics. If Kaplan had presented his model as an explanation of racial differences in the prevalence of some psychiatric disorder rather than in the mean level of IQ, it would have had some prior plausibility, given the well-established link between stressful life events and mental disorders (e.g., Hammen, 2005). “Racialized environments” would be expected to discourage blacks in their pursuits, lower their self-esteem, and lead to a high prevalence of mood disorders such as depression and social phobia among them. It is difficult to imagine why the emotional well-being, motivation, and self-concept of blacks would not suffer from the same experiences that supposedly greatly harm their cognitive abilities. Therefore, one would expect that if Kaplan’s model were correct, measures of relevant non-cognitive characteristics would show even larger white-black gaps than the ones seen on tests of cognitive ability. Table 1 lists variables related to emotional well-being, self-confidence, and optimism, broadly construed, with the gaps between whites and blacks on these variables reported in terms of Cohen’s d. The data are from various meta-analyses and large, nationally representative studies, as indicated in the table. They are coded in such a way that a positive (>0.00) gap always indicates that, on the average, blacks are better off on the particular variable than whites, while a negative (<0.00) gap indicates that whites are, on the average, better off. For example, the self-esteem gap of +0.19 means that blacks tend to have higher self-esteem, and the panic disorder gap of +0.28 means that the disorder is more common in whites, while the bipolar disorder gap of –0.10 indicates that this disorder is more common in blacks. For comparative purposes, the black-white IQ gap is also presented in the table. ___________ Two things are immediately evident from Table 1. Firstly, there are no racial differences in the non-cognitive variables that could be characterized as large or even medium-sized in terms of Cohen’s (1988) taxonomy of effect sizes. The differences are small to very small, providing a stark contrast to the IQ gap which stands at d = –1.10, representing a very large effect. Secondly, blacks appear to suffer from many psychiatric disorders somewhat less frequently than whites, and they generally have at least as optimistic and confident an outlook on life as whites. Several objections can be presented against these results. It is possible that due to lack of access to health care, blacks are underdiagnosed with respect to the disorders examined here. Similarly, the self-report measures used could reflect a greater tendency towards socially desirable responding in blacks, and black suicides may remain unidentified more often than white ones. However, the reported gaps generally favor blacks, and if the true effect sizes really had the opposite sign and were large, the bias in the measures used would have to be implausibly pervasive. For example, if the real gap in social phobia, obscured by underdiagnosis, were –1.10 (favoring whites), instead of the actually observed gap of 0.12 (favoring blacks), it would mean that the real lifetime prevalence of the disorder is more than 50 percent in blacks, compared to the observed prevalence of 10.8 percent, assuming that there is no underdiagnosis at all in whites whose observed lifetime prevalence is 12.6 percent. We can safely conclude that the basic pattern of results shown in Table 1 does not stem from measurement bias. Another objection might be that the levels of emotional well-being and self-esteem in blacks as compared to whites could be inherently higher (for genetic or cultural reasons), so that even very traumatic experiences would not altogether eliminate the black advantage. However, this explanation is entirely ad hoc and without evidentiary basis, and it is contrary to the tenor of Kaplan’s argument (so he would probably not endorse it). [20] An even less promising conjecture to explain the results in Table 1 is that racism has beneficial effects on blacks, making them strive more to prove themselves and providing protection against mental ailments, while simultaneously causing large cognitive and academic deficits in them. All in all, these results present a strong disconfirmation of Kaplan’s model, corroborating the psychometric evidence against the model presented in previous sections. The personal characteristics that one would expect to be most directly and potently affected by the kind of chronically racially biased society that Kaplan describes are in fact generally not affected at all. On the contrary, the data show African Americans to be at least as well-adjusted as whites. Black Americans appear to possess a great deal of confidence in their abilities and a very optimistic attitude to life, as exemplified by the fact that the educational and occupational aspirations of black adolescents and young adults are virtually identical to those of their white peers, in spite of the large white advantage in academic performance. [21] Kaplan’s portrayal of black Americans as psychologically traumatized victims of a racist society is bluntly contradicted by these findings. 7. How to test HM Kaplan argues that HM is not a testable scientific proposition. This claim is mistaken. As previously noted by Rowe (2005), Murray (2005), Rushton & Jensen (2005, p. 262), and Lee (2009), among others, one of the appealing features of HM is that there exists an experimentum crucis whose outcome could settle the issue once and for all. This natural experiment is fully feasible using current technology. The study design would exploit the fact that African Americans are an admixed population with a major West African and a smaller European element, while white Americans are almost exclusively descended from European immigrants (Lao et al., 2010). On the average, the ancestry of black Americans is approximately 80 percent African and 20 percent European, but, crucially, these percentages vary considerably across individuals—the standard deviation is about 12 percentage points (Bhatia et al., 2013). Modern genomic methods using ancestrally informative markers enable the accurate partition of an individual’s ancestry into African, European, and other ancestral components (Kosoy et al., 2009). Because genetic influence on IQ mostly reflects the additive effects of up to thousands of genes (Davies et al., 2011), HM predicts that there is a strongly positive and linear relation between IQ and the extent of white ancestry in African Americans. In other words, a greater amount of white admixture is assumed to bring with it a more advantageous mix of alleles influencing IQ. Therefore, one only needs to recruit a large, representative sample of black Americans and obtain from each of them a valid IQ score and a DNA-based estimate of European admixture. If HM is correct, there should be a strong correlation between white ancestry and IQ. To ensure that any possible association is not driven by correlations between ancestry and physical appearance, appropriate covariates (e.g., skin color) can be used in the analysis. The most direct and powerful way of ruling out the influence of confounding variables would be to use a sibling fixed effects design where IQ and ancestry are investigated within sibling pairs. This admixture design has been frequently used in biomedical research. The degree of African ancestry has been found to be associated with, for example, preterm birth (Tsai et al., 2011), osteoporosis (Chen et al., 2011), body mass index (Nassir et al., 2012), diabetes (Cheng et al., 2012), asthma (Flores et al., 2012), and hypertension (Kosoy et al., 2012). Of greater interest to the present discussion is the finding that African ancestry is negatively correlated with educational and occupational attainment and family income in black Americans (Cheng et al., 2012, Table S2). This finding greatly complicates theories that attribute the black-white IQ gap to social class differences. The feasibility of admixture analysis means, at the very least, that HM is falsifiable. If no correlation between IQ and ancestry were found in African Americans, HM would have to be rejected, and a redoubled effort at identifying environmental causes of racial differences could commence. In contrast, if white ancestry were found to be strongly associated with greater IQ, it would provide very powerful evidence in favor of HM, but I would expect that many committed anti-hereditarians would still not accept HM. Even so, a high correlation between ancestry and IQ would necessarily greatly constrain many proposed models of environmental causation. For example, Kaplan’s theory of racialized environments would have to be modified to accommodate the notion that the effects of racism on IQ are heavily moderated by largely cryptic differences in ancestry. Considering that few black Americans have knowledge of their precise ancestry, it would be very challenging to explain high IQ-ancestry correlations in purely social terms. Thus, contrary to Kaplan’s claim that “given the actual state of the world there is no way to generate any reasonably strong evidence in favor of the hereditarian hypothesis”, HM is an eminently testable scientific model. In contrast, the non-hereditarian explanation of the black-white IQ gap is essentially unfalsifiable because even in the face of overwhelming evidence in favor of HM, it is always possible to postulate that some exotic and imperceptible environmental influence is to blame for the gap. [22] 8. Discussion James Flynn has criticized researchers for assuming that racism is a magical ambient force rather than one whose possible effects are manifested through such ordinary mechanisms as poverty and poor self-esteem. Kaplan rejects this argument. Indeed, Kaplan’s racial X-factors resemble nothing so much as magic. He presents no evidence for the hypothesis that what he calls racialized environments have an effect on IQ, and his evidence for the very existence of these environments is very weak. Nevertheless, his model presupposes that such environments, no matter how heterogeneous, act like magic bullets, causing large, g-linked cognitive deficits in blacks from all backgrounds while miraculously bypassing all the brain systems that mediate emotional and motivational processes. Furthermore, the racial X-factors do all this in such a subtle way that no statistical signals of their presence can ever be observed, making racism a causal force completely unlike all known environmental influences on IQ scores. The essentially occult powers that Kaplan attributes to white racism take his arguments beyond the bounds of science. A fundamental flaw in Kaplan’s thesis is that of the many lines of evidence presented by hereditarians, he considers only one, Jensen’s binary of VE-factors and X-factors. Thinking that he has refuted this particular argument, Kaplan concludes that HM as a whole is untenable. However, HM consists of a large body of interlocking theoretical arguments and pieces of empirical evidence (not all of which have been explicitly considered in this article) which should not be investigated in isolation from each other. Postulating X-factors to explain the IQ gap is an empty exercise unless one shows that such factors fit the totality of evidence. Because Kaplan fails to consider all the relevant facts, his X-factor model could be correct only if a long list of assumptions that he leaves unstated and unexplored were correct. When those assumptions are spelled out, the model’s fatal flaws come into view. The fact that Kaplan’s proposed X-factors turn out to be very elusive upon closer inspection attests to the wisdom of Jensen’s argument about the non-existence of X-factors in general. Considering that Kaplan is an associate professor of philosophy, another lesson that might be drawn from his very confidently presented yet completely unsuccessful challenge to HM is that a philosophical education alone is without value in a scientific dispute. A good command of the theories, methods, and evidence pertinent to the particular area of research is necessary for making useful scientific contributions. Kaplan attacks HM on rather general grounds and appears to be largely ignorant of the extensive network of evidence that makes HM such a compelling model. In particular, the psychometric aspects of Kaplan’s model are so underdeveloped that it cannot be properly tested by simulation, but he nevertheless thinks that his simulations provide strong evidence against HM. If a properly elaborated version of Kaplan’s simulation model were put to test in a multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis framework, the chances of his X-factors going undetected would be very small. Kaplan is also oblivious to the fact that, perhaps uniquely among all the long-running disputes in social science, a definitive empirical resolution to the black-white IQ controversy is within the reach of contemporary science. The strong causal implications of DNA-based admixture studies have been frequently discussed in the literature, and the ability gap between blacks and whites is widely recognized as one of the most significant social problems in America (Jencks & Phillips, 1998; Paige & Witty, 2010; Giles, 2011). That there nevertheless has been no rush to use genomic methods to clarify the etiology of the gap testifies to the taboo nature of the hereditarian model. [23] However, continuous progress is being made in elucidating the molecular genetic basis of intelligence (Rietveld et al., 2013; Ward et al., 2014), so we will eventually find the answer anyway. _______________________________________ _______________________________________ References Anacker, K. B., Carr, J. H., & Pradhan, A. (2012). Analyzing foreclosures among high-income Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino borrowers in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Housing and Society, 39, 1–28. Ang, S., Rodgers, J. L., & Wänström, L. (2010). The Flynn effect within subgroups in the U.S.: Gender, race, income, education, and urbanization differences in the NLSY-Children data. Intelligence, 38, 367–384. Beaujean, A. A., & Osterlind, S. J. (2008). Using item response theory to assess the Flynn effect in the National Longitudinal Study of Youth 79 children and young adults data. Intelligence, 36, 455–463. Beaujean, A. A., & Sheng, Y. (2014). Assessing the Flynn effect in the Wechsler scales. Journal of Individual Differences, 35, 63–78. Beaver, K. M., DeLisi, M., Wright, J. P., Boutwell, B. B., Barnes, J. C., & Vaughn, M. G. (2013). No evidence of racial discrimination in criminal justice processing: Results from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Personality and Individual Differences, 55, 29–34. Bhatia, G., et al. (2013). Genome-wide scan of 29,141 African Americans finds no evidence of selection since admixture (Preprint). Retrieved from arXiv: http://arxiv.org/pdf/1312.2675.pdf. Blum, R. W., Beuhring, T., Shew, M., et al. (2000). The effects of race/ethnicity, income, and family structure on adolescent risk behaviors. American Journal of Public Health, 90, 1879–1884. Breslau, J., Aguilar-Gaxiola, S., Kendler, K., Su, M., Williams, D., & Kessler, R. (2012). Specifying race-ethnic differences in risk for psychiatric disorder in a USA national sample. Psychological Medicine, 35, 1–12. Brown, T. A. (2006). Confirmatory Factor Analysis for Applied Research. New York, NY: The Guilford Press. Card, D., & Rothstein, J. (2007). Racial Segregation and the Black-White Test Score Gap. Journal of Public Economics, 91, 2158–2184. Carneiro, P., Heckman, J. J., & Masterov, D. V. (2005). Labor market discrimination and racial differences in pre-market factors. Journal of Law and Economics, 47, 1–39. Case, P. (2013). Questioning Assumptions about Race, Social Class and Crime Portrayal: An Analysis of Ten Years of Law and Order. International Journal of Criminology and Sociology, 2, 240–256. Chen, F. F., Sousa, K. H., & West, S. G. (2005). Testing measurement invariance of second-order factor models. Structural Equation Modeling, 12, 471–492. Chen, Z., Qi, L., Beck, T. J., et al. (2011). Stronger bone correlates with African admixture in African-American women. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 26, 2307–2316. Cheng, C.–Y., et al. (2012). African Ancestry and Its Correlation to Type 2 Diabetes in African Americans: A Genetic Admixture Analysis in Three U.S. Population Cohorts. PLoS ONE 7(3): e32840. Chiricos, T., & Eschholz, S. (2002). The racial and ethnic typification of crime and the criminal typification of race and ethnicity in local television news. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 39, 400–420. Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Coviello, D., & Persico, N. (2013). An Economic Analysis of Black-White Disparities in NYPD’s Stop and Frisk Program (NBER Working Paper No. 18803). Retrieved from the National Bureau of Economic Research website: http://www.nber.org/papers/w18803. Currie, J. (2005). Health disparities and gaps in school readiness. Future of Children, 15, 117–138. Davies, G., et al. (2011). Genome-wide association studies establish that human intelligence is highly heritable and polygenic. Molecular Psychiatry, 16, 996–1005. De Neve, J. E., & Oswald, A. J. (2012). Estimating the influence of life satisfaction and positive affect on later income using sibling fixed effects. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109, 19953−19958. Deary, I. J. (2012). Intelligence. Annual Review of Psychology, 63, 453–482. Deutsch, S.K., & Cavendar, G. (2008). CSI and forensic realism. Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture, 15, 34–53. Dixon, T. L., & Linz, D. (2000). Overrepresentation and Underrepresentation of African Americans and Latinos as Lawbreakers on Television News. Journal of Communication, 50, 131–54. Dolan, C. V. (2000). Investigating Spearman’s hypothesis by means of multi-group confirmatory factor analysis. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 35, 21–50. Dolan, C. V., & Hamaker, E. L. (2001). Investigating Black–White differences in psychometric IQ: Multi-group confirmatory factor analyses of the WISC-R and K-ABC and a critique of the method of correlated vectors. In Frank Columbus (Ed.), Advances in Psychology Research, vol. 6 (pp. 31–59). Huntington, NY: Nova Science Publishers. Downey, D. B., Ainsworth, J. W., & Zhenchao, Q. (2009). Rethinking the Attitude-Achievement Paradox among Blacks. Sociology of Education, 82, 1–19. Eschholz, S. (2002). Racial composition of television offenders and viewers’ fear of crime. Critical Criminology, 11, 1–20. Eschholz, S., Mallard, M., & Flynn, S. (2004). Image of prime time justice: A content analysis of “NYPD Blue” and “Law and Order.” Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture, 10, 161–180. Espenshade, T. J., & Radford, A. W. (2009). No Longer Separate, Not Yet Equal: Race and Class in Elite College Admission and Campus Life. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Ferguson, M. F., & Peters, S. R. (1995). What Constitutes Evidence of Discrimination in Lending? The Journal of Finance, 50, 739–748. Fox, M. C., Mitchum, A. L. (2013). A knowledge-based theory of rising scores on “culture-free” tests. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 142, 979–1000. Fox, M. C., Mitchum, A. L. (2014) Confirming the Cognition of Rising Scores: Fox and Mitchum (2013) Predicts Violations of Measurement Invariance in Series Completion between Age-Matched Cohorts. PLOS ONE 9(5): e95780. Flores, C., Ma, S. F., Pino-Yanes, M., Wade, M. S., Perez-Mendez, L., Kittles, R. A., et al. (2012). African ancestry is associated with asthma risk in African Americans. PLoS One 7(1):e26807. Flynn, J. R. (1980). Race, IQ and Jensen. London, UK: Routledge. Flynn, J. R., te Nijenhuis, J., & Metzen, D. (2014). The g beyond Spearman’s g: Flynn’s paradoxes resolved using four exploratory meta-analyses. Intelligence, 44, 1–10. Giles, J. (2011). Social science lines up its biggest challenges. Nature, 470, 18–19. Gilliam, F. D., Jr., Iyengar, S., Simon, A., & Wright, O. (1996). Crime in Black and White: The Violent, Scary World of Local News. The Harvard International Journal of Press/Politics, 1, 6–23. Gottfredson, L. S. (2002). g: Highly general and highly practical. in R. J. Sternberg, & E. L. Grigorenko (Eds.), The general factor of intelligence: How general is it? (pp. 331–380). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Hammen, C. (2005). Stress and depression. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 1, 293–319. Heckman, J. J. (1998). Detecting Discrimination. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 12, 101–116. Heckman, J. J., Lochner, L. J., & Todd, P. E. (2006). Earnings functions, rates of return and treatment effects: The Mincer equation and beyond. In E. A. Hanushek, & F. Welch (Eds.), Handbook of the Economics of Education (pp. 307–458). Amsterdam, NL: North Holland. Herrnstein, R. J., & Murray, C. (1994). The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life. New York, NY: Free Press. Jencks, C., & Phillips, M. (1998). The Black-White Test Score Gap: An Introduction. In C. Jencks, & M. Phillips (Eds.), The Black–White Test Score Gap (pp. 1–51). Washington, DC: Brookings. Jensen, A. R. (1998). The g factor: The science of mental ability. Westport, CT: Praeger. Jensen, A. R., & Reynolds, C. R. (1982). Race, social class and ability patterns on the WISC-R. Personality and Individual Differences, 3, 423–438. Johnson, W. R., & Neal, D. (1998). Basic Skills and the Black-White Earnings Gaps. In C. Jencks, & M. Phillips (Eds.), The Black–White Test Score Gap (pp. 480–497). Washington, DC: Brookings. Kalev, A., Dobbin, F., & Kelly, E. (2006). Best Practices or Best Guesses? Assessing the Efficacy of Corporate Affirmative Action and Diversity Policies. American Sociological Review, 71, 589–617. Kan, K.-J., Ploeger, A., Raijmakers, M. E. J. , Dolan, C. V., & van der Maas H. L. J. (2010). Nonlinear epigenetic variance: review and simulations. Developmental Science, 13, 11–27. Kaplan, J. M. (2014). Race, IQ, and the search for statistical signals associated with so-called “X”-factors: environments, racism, and the “hereditarian hypothesis”. Biology & Philosophy. Advance online publication. Kendler, K. S., & Baker, J. H. (2007). Genetic influences on measures of the environment: A systematic review. Psychological Medicine, 37, 615–626. Kosoy, R., Nassir, R., Tian, C., et al. (2009). Ancestry informative marker sets for determining continental origin and admixture proportions in common populations in America. Human Mutation, 30, 69–78. Kosoy, R., Qi, L., Nassir, R., et al. (2012). Relationship between hypertension and admixture in post-menopausal African American and Hispanic American women. Journal of Human Hypertension, 26, 365–373. Laderman, E., & Reid, C. (2008). Lending in Low- and Moderate-Income Neighborhoods in California: The Performance of CRA Lending During the Subprime Meltdown (Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Working Paper 2008-05). Retrieved from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco website: http://www.frbsf.org/economic-research/files/wp08-05.pdf. Lao, O., Vallone, P. M., Coble, M. D., Diegoli, T. M., van Oven, M., et al. (2010). Evaluating self-declared ancestry of U.S. Americans with autosomal, Y-chromosomal and mitochondrial DNA. Human Mutation, 31, E1875–E1893. Lee, J. J. (2009). Review of Intelligence and How to Get It: Why Schools and Cultures Count. Personality and Individual Differences, 48, 247–255. Lubke, G. H., Dolan, C. V., Kelderman, H., & Mellenbergh, G. J. (2003). On the relationship between sources of within- and between-group differences. and measurement invariance in the context of the common factor model. Intelligence, 31, 543–566. MacDaniel, M. A., & Kepes, S. (2012). Spearman’s Hypothesis Is a Model for Understanding Alternative g Tests. Paper presented at the 27th Annual Conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, San Diego, CA. Mau, W.–C., & Bikos, L. H. (2000). Educational and Vocational Aspirations of Minority and Female Students: A Longitudinal Study. Journal of Counseling & Development, 78, 186–194. Mello, Z. R. (2009). Racial/ethnic group and socioeconomic status variation in educational and occupational expectations from adolescence to adulthood. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 30, 494–504. Murray, C. (2005). The Inequality Taboo. Commentary, 120, 13–22. Murray, C. (2007). The magnitude and components of change in the black–white IQ difference from 1920 to 1991: A birth cohort analysis of the Woodcock–Johnson standardizations. Intelligence, 35, 305−318. Nassir, R., Qi, L., Kosoy, R., et al. (2012). Relationship between adiposity and admixture in African-American and Hispanic-American women. International Journal of Obesity, 36, 304–313. New Century Foundation (2005). The Color of Crime. Race, Crime and Justice in America (2nd ed.). Oakton, VA: Author. Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (2002). Facts on Executive Order 11246—Affirmative Action. Retrieved from http://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/aa.htm. Pager, D., & Shepherd, H. (2008). The Sociology of Discrimination: Racial Discrimination in Employment, Housing, Credit, and Consumer Markets. Annual Review of Sociology, 34, 181–209. Paige, R., & Witty. E. (2010). The Black-White Achievement Gap: Why Closing It is the Greatest Civil Rights Issue of Our Time. New York, NY: American Management Association. Panizzon, M. S., et al. (2014). Genetic and environmental influences on general cognitive ability: Is g a valid latent construct? Intelligence, 43, 65–76. Phillips, M., et al. (1998). Family background, parenting practices, and the black–white test score gap. In C. Jencks, & M. Phillips (Eds.), The Black–White Test Score Gap (pp. 103–144). Washington, DC: Brookings. Pietschnig, J., Tran, U. S., & Voracek, M. (2013). Item-response theory modeling of IQ gains (the Flynn effect) on crystallized intelligence: Rodgers’ hypothesis yes, Brand’s hypothesis perhaps. Intelligence, 41, 791–801. Plomin, R., Reiss, D., Hetherington, E. M., & Howe, G. (1994). Nature and nurture: Genetic contributions to measures of the family environment. Developmental Psychology, 30, 32–43. Plomin, R., & Spinath, F. M. (2004). Intelligence: genetics, genes, and genomics. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 86, 112−129. Potter, W. J., Vaughan, M. W., Warren, R., Howley, K., Land, A., & Hagemeyer, J. C. (1995). How Real is the Portrayal of Aggression in Television Entertainment Programming? Journal of Broadcast Electronic Media, 39, 179–192. Rietveld, C. A., Medland, S. E., Derringer, J., Yang, J., Esko, T., & Martin, N. W. (2013). GWAS of 126,559 individuals identifies genetic variants associated with educational attainment. Science, 340, 1467–1471. Riolo, S. A., Nguyen, T. A., Greden, J. F., & King, C. A. (2005). Prevalence of depression by race/ethnicity: findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III. American Journal of Public Health, 95, 998–1000. Roberts, A., Cash, T. F., Feingold, A., Johnson, B. T. (2006). Are black-white differences in females’ body dissatisfaction decreasing? A meta-analytic review. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 74, 1121–1131. Roth, P. L., Bevier, C. A., Bobko, P., Switzer, F. S., & Tyler, P. (2001). Ethnic group differences in cognitive ability in employment and educational settings: a meta-analysis. Personnel Psychology, 54, 297–330. Roth, P. L, Huffcutt, A. I., & Bobko, P. (2003). Ethnic group differences in measures of job performance: a new meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88, 694–706. Rowe, D. C. (2005). Under the Skin: On the Impartial Treatment of Genetic and Environmental Hypothesis of Racial Differences. American Psychologist, 60, 60–70. Rowe, D. C., Vazsonyi, A. T., & Flannery, D. J. (1994). No more than skin deep: ethnic and racial similarity in developmental process. Psychological Review, 101, 396–413. Rowe, D. C, Vazsonyi, A. T., & Flannery, D. J. (1995). Ethnic and racial similarity in developmental process: a study of academic achievement. Psychological Science, 6, 33–38. Rowe, D. C., Vesterdal, W. J., & Rodgers, J. L. (1998). Herrnstein’s syllogism: Genetic and shared environmental influences on IQ, education, and income. Intelligence, 26, 405–423. Rushton, J. P., & Ankney, C. D. (2009). Whole brain size and general mental ability: A review. International Journal of Neuroscience, 119, 692–732. Rushton, J. P., & Jensen, A. R. (2005). Thirty years of research on Black-White differences in cognitive ability. Psychology, Public Policy and Law, 11, 235–294. Rushton, J. P., & Jensen, A. R. (2010). Editorial. The rise and fall of the Flynn effect as a reason to expect a narrowing of the Black–White IQ gap. Intelligence, 38, 213–219. Sackett, P. R., Hardison, C. M., & Cullen, M. J. (2004). On interpreting stereotypic threat as accounting for African American–White difference in cognitive tests. American Psychologist, 59, 7–13. Sanandaji, T. (2009). Reversion to the Racial Mean and Mortgate Discrimination (IFN Working Paper No. 811). Retrieved from the Research Institute of Industrial Economics website: http://www.ifn.se/eng/publications/wp/2009_1/811. Sesardic, N. (2005). Making Sense of Heritability. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Shiu, W., et al. (2013). An item-level examination of the Flynn effect on the National Intelligence Test in Estonia. Intelligence, 41, 770–779. Smit, D. J., et al. (2010). Heritability of head size in Dutch and Australian twin families at ages 0–50 years. Twin Research and Human Genetics, 13, 370–380. Steele, C. M., & Aronson, J. (1995). Stereotype threat and the intellectual test performance of African Americans. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69, 797–811. te Nijenhuis, J., Jongeneel-Grimen, B., & Kirkegaard, E. (2014a). Are Headstart gains on the g factor? A meta-analysis. Intelligence, 46, 209–215. te Nijenhuis, J., Kura, K., & Hur, Y.-M. (2014b). The correlation between g loadings and heritability in Japan: A meta-analysis. Intelligence, 46, 275–282. te Nijenhuis, J., & van der Flier, H. (2013). Is the Flynn effect on g?: A meta-analysis. Intelligence, 41, 802–807. te Nijenhuis, J., van Vianen, A. E. M., & van der Flier, H. (2007) Score gains on g-loaded tests: No g. Intelligence, 35, 283–300. Trundt, K. M. (2013). Construct Bias in the Differential Ability Scales, Second Edition (DAS-II): A comparison among African American, Asian, Hispanic, and White Ethnic Groups. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Texas, Austin, TX. Trzaskowski, M., Dale, P. S., & Plomin, R. (2013a). No genetic influence for childhood behavior problems from DNA analysis. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 52, 1048–1056. Trzaskowski, M., Davis, O. S. P., DeFries, J. C., Yang, J., Visscher, P. M., & Plomin, R. (2013b). DNA evidence for strong genome-wide pleiotropy of cognitive and learning abilities. Behavior Genetics, 43, 267–273. Trzaskowski, M., Harlaar, N., Arden, R., Krapohl, E., Rimfeld, K., McMillan, A., et al. (2014). Genetic influence on family socioeconomic status and children’s intelligence. Intelligence, 42, 83–88. Tsai, H.–J., et al. (2011). Role of African Ancestry and Gene-Environment Interactions in Predicting Preterm Birth. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 118, 1081–1089. Turkheimer, E. (2000). Three laws of behavior genetics and what they mean. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 9, 160–164. Turkheimer, E., & Waldron, M. (2000). Nonshared environment: A theoretical, methodological, and quantitative review. Psychological Bulletin, 126, 78–108. Twenge, J. M., & Crocker, J. (2002). Race and self-esteem: Meta-analyses comparing Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and American Indians and comment on Gray-Little and Hafdahl (2000). Psychological Bulletin, 128, 371–408. van der Maas, H. L. J., Kan, K.-J., & Borsboom, D. (2014). Intelligence Is What the Intelligence Test Measures. Seriously. Journal of Intelligence, 2, 12–15. Vinkhuyzen, A. A. E., van der Sluis, S., de Geus, E. J. C., Boomsma, D. I., & Posthuma, D. (2010). Genetic influences on ‘environmental’ factors. Genes, Brain, and Behavior, 9, 276–287. Ward, M. E., McMahon, G., St Pourcain, B., Evans, D. M., Rietveld, C. A., et al. (2014). Genetic Variation Associated with Differential Educational Attainment in Adults Has Anticipated Associations with School Performance in Children. PLoS ONE 9(7): e100248. Wax, A. (2011). Disparate Impact Realism. William & Mary Law Review, 53, 621–712. Why Family Income Differences Don’t Explain the Racial Gap in SAT Scores (2008). The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, 62, 10–12. Wicherts, J. M., & Dolan, C. V. (2010). Measurement invariance in confirmatory factor analysis: An illustration using IQ test performance of minorities. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 29, 39–47. Wicherts, J., Dolan, C., Hessen, D., Oosterveld, P., van Baal, C., Boomsma, D., & Span, M. (2004). Are intelligence tests measurement invariant over time? Investigating the nature of the Flynn effect. Intelligence, 32, 509–537. Williams D. R., & Jackson, P. B. (2005). Social sources of racial disparities in health. Health Affairs, 24, 325–334.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Unexpected rain during today’s Formula 1 test in Bahrain meant teams were unable to to run for several hours as they had not brought any suitable tyres. None of the 10 teams selected any intermediate or wet weather tyres for this week’s test. Bahrain typically sees around 10 millimetres of rainfall during April. However some rain fell before Sunday’s race and further rainfall occured on Tuesday during the test. With no suitable tyres to run on, teams stayed in their garages for several hours. “The rain was a bit of a surprise,” admitted Mercedes’ chief race engineer Andrew Shovlin. “It wasn’t forecast but ended up costing us four or five hours of our programme. “We selected the tyres for this test back in December and not expecting rain, we chose only dry tyres. So, once the track was properly wet we didn’t have any option but to wait for it to dry again.” “It was a very frustrating day for everyone here in Bahrain,” added Williams’ senior race engineer Dave Robson. “Conditions first thing this morning looked reasonable following the dust clouds yesterday and some overnight rain. “However, some further rain meant that little happened between mid-morning and early evening when conditions improved again. We were able to complete some aero testing early in the morning with George, concentrating on data gathering with the rake instrumentation. We then started a performance programme before the rain came.” The disruption to today’s running means the teams should have plenty of slick tyres available for tomorrow’s test, which is forecast to remain dry. When last year’s pre-season test at the Circuit de Catalunya was affected by snow several teams suggested moving more future tests to track in drier climates such as Bahrain. However they returned to the Spanish venue for this year’s pre-season test and all eight days were unaffected by wet weather. Don't miss anything new from RaceFans Follow RaceFans on social media: Advert \| Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free 2019 F1 season	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
FILE - In this July 15, 2014 file photo, Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper presents his drivers license for identification purposes to Heather Ditty, elections manager for the Sacramento County Registrar of Voters, as he turns in boxes of petitions for a ballot initiative that would ask voters to split California into six separate states in Sacramento, Calif. The court struck venture capitalist Draper's initiative from the ballot in July 2018 as part of a legal challenge in response to a lawsuit but didn't rule on the merits of the case. Draper says he's giving up on the effort after the state Supreme Court knocked it off the November 2018 ballot. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File) FILE - In this July 15, 2014 file photo, Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper presents his drivers license for identification purposes to Heather Ditty, elections manager for the Sacramento County Registrar of Voters, as he turns in boxes of petitions for a ballot initiative that would ask voters to split California into six separate states in Sacramento, Calif. The court struck venture capitalist Draper's initiative from the ballot in July 2018 as part of a legal challenge in response to a lawsuit but didn't rule on the merits of the case. Draper says he's giving up on the effort after the state Supreme Court knocked it off the November 2018 ballot. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File) SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The billionaire behind a measure to split California in three said he’s giving up on the effort to reimagine the nation’s most populous state after the state Supreme Court knocked it off the November ballot. “The political environment for radical change is right now,” venture capitalist Tim Draper wrote in a letter to the court dated Aug. 2 and made public by his opponents Thursday. “The removal of Proposition 9 from the November ballot has effectively put an end to this movement.” ADVERTISEMENT The court struck Draper’s measure in July in response to a lawsuit but didn’t rule on the merits of the case, allowing Draper the opportunity to fight to put it on future ballots. He’s not moving forward with the case. Draper spent more than $1.7 million to qualify his initiative for the ballot, which requires gathering hundreds of thousands of signatures. It’s not his first effort to break up California — his plan to split the state into six didn’t qualify for past ballots. He’s argued California has become ungovernable due to its size and diversity, politically and geographically. The latest plan would have divided California into three pieces. One would comprise the Bay Area, Silicon Valley, Sacramento and the rest of Northern California; the second would be a strip of land from Los Angeles to Monterey; and the third would include San Diego, the Central Valley and Orange County. The Planning and Conservation League sued to keep Draper’s initiative off the ballot, arguing that such a massive change to the state’s governance couldn’t be done through a ballot initiative. “At the end of the day, this was a billionaire’s massive and illegal use of the initiative process, and the court was correct in stopping this folly,” Carlyle Hall, an attorney who worked on the suit with the environmental group. Draper, meanwhile, said he had “no idea” if his initiative would have passed or if Congress would have given the necessary approval for the split but that the ballot measure would have spurred debate over government failings. “I wanted to let the voters debate, discuss and think about a different way forward — essentially a reboot. And, I wanted the political class to hear and witness the frustration of California’s voters with decades of inaction and decay,” he wrote. “I believed there was significant benefit to our democracy in that.”	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Sony will shift its European headquarters from Britain to the Netherlands to avoid Brexit-related customs issues, but operations at its current UK company will remain unchanged, a company spokesman said Dutch officials are in contact with more than 250 companies about a possible post-Brexit move, the government said Wednesday, after Sony revealed it would shift its base to the Netherlands. The Dutch government will announce a final figure in February but "every new arrival of a business, big or small, is a success," Michiel Bakhuizen, a spokesman for the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency, told AFP. Japanese electronics giant Sony is following Panasonic in moving its European headquarters across the North Sea to the Netherlands ahead of Britain's scheduled departure from the EU in March. While Prime Minister Mark Rutte said during a recent visit by Japanese premier Shinzo Abe that he "doesn't see Brexit as a business opportunity", the Netherlands has still pushed hard to win post-Brexit investment. Via the investment agency, the Dutch government is "in contact with more than 250 interested in an eventual move to the Netherlands because of Brexit", Bakhuizen said. "The number of businesses we are in contact with for a possible arrival is growing. At the start of 2017 it was 80, at the start of 2018 150, and now it's more than 250," he added. "This increase will continue and it's not strange, because there is great uncertainty at the moment in Britain. And if there is one thing that's bad for business, it's uncertainty." The spokesman said he would not comment on "individual" cases like Sony, but added that the Netherlands welcomed any such decision. "In mid-February we will announce the number of companies that have left the United Kingdom for the Netherlands because of Brexit," he added. Asked whether Abe's visit had helped with the Sony move, the spokesman said that "it's certain that these political and diplomatic moments help." However Rutte warned in a press conference with Abe that any extra investments would be offset by the overall "negative impact" of Brexit, particularly if Britain crashes out without a deal with the EU. Dutch officials said this week they are preparing for the "blue sea of uncertainty" that a no-deal Brexit would create. Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok told a parliamentary committee on Wednesday that "we have started early with our preparations, but of course it has become more intensive because of a possible no-deal Brexit."	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Skinny Baked Mozzarella Sticks 14836 shares 421 4941 9474 Jump to Recipe Save It Saved! Hot baked mozzarella sticks – I can’t think of a more popular finger food for both kids and adults alike. My oldest daughter Karina LOVES them and these never disappoint! Skinny Baked Mozzarella Sticks Made lighter with part-skim mozzarella then coated with crispy seasoned breadcrumbs and baked (not fried!) until hot and golden. Serve them with my quick marinara sauce and you have yourself an appetizer everyone will love! This would go great along side Mini Burger Bites for a party! I’ve revived these from the archives as Super Bowl is approaching, these would be a great appetizer. Baking them as opposed to frying and using part skim cheese doesn’t effect how good these are. The cheese still melts, see for yourself! See here for more Super Bowl party food ideas. Of course, you’ll want to serve them hot right out of the oven, because like any cheese, as they cool they harden fast. It actually took me several attempts to get these perfect. I played around with different brands of light string cheese to see which yielded the best results. The winner was Sargento part-skim, low-sodium. Although it’s not the cheese with the least amount of fat compared to some other brands, it had the best flavor and wasn’t as salty as I found some brands to be. These are freezer friendly, in fact these MUST be frozen before you bake them or you will have one big cheesy mess in your oven so it’s best to make them at least a day ahead! The good news is you can bread them all ahead of time then place them on a tray with wax paper and freeze them until you are ready to bake. I then transfer them to ziplock bags, so any time I want to bake a few I just pop them in the oven! I serve them with my marinara sauce or dipping, enjoy! Print 4.84 from 6 votes Did you make this recipe? Leave a review » Skinny Baked Mozzarella Sticks Prep Time: 1 hr 15 mins Cook Time: 10 mins Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins Hot mozzarella sticks – I can't think of a more popular finger food for both kids and adults alike. My oldest daughter Karina LOVES them and these never disappoint! Made lighter with part-skim mozzarella then coated with crispy seasoned breadcrumbs and baked (not fried!) until hot and golden. Serve them with my quick marinara sauce and you have yourself an appetizer everyone will love! Ingredients 12 sticks part-skim , reduced sodium mozzarella string cheese (Sargento) , 1 large egg , beaten , 2 tbsp flour 5 tbsp Italian seasoned breadcrumbs , or GF breadcrumbs , 5 tbsp panko crumbs 2 tsp parmesan cheese 1 tbsp dried parsley olive oil cooking spray , I used my misto Save Instructions Cut cheese in half to give you 24 pieces. Place cheese in the freezer until cheese is frozen. In small bowl, whisk the egg. Place the flour on another small dish. In separate bowl, combine bread crumbs, panko, parmesan cheese and dried parsley. Dip the frozen sticks in flour, shaking off excess, then into the egg, then coat with the crumbs. Repeat this process with the remaining cheese placing them on a tray with wax paper. Place cheese back into the freezer at least 1 hour until ready to bake (this is a MUST or they will melt before the crumbs get golden). When ready to bake preheat oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray with oil. Place frozen cheese sticks on baking sheet. Spray the tops of the mozzarella sticks with a little more oil and bake in the bottom third of your oven until crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes. Turn and bake an additional 4 - 5 minutes watching them closely so they don't melt. * There will be extra crumbs and flour after breading, I've deducted them from the nutritional info. Nutrition Serving: 2 pieces , Calories: 87 kcal , Carbohydrates: 7 g , Protein: 7.5 g , Fat: 5 g , Saturated Fat: 0.5 g , Cholesterol: 21 mg , Sodium: 168.5 mg , Fiber: 0.2 g , Sugar: 0.2 g Blue Smart Points: 2 Green Smart Points: 3 Purple Smart Points: 2 Points +: 2 Keywords: baked mozzarella sticks, baked mozzarella sticks recipe, kids party food ideas, party appetizers, Skinny Baked Mozzarella Sticks Pin It To Save For Later!	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Bryann Aguilar, CP24.com An 80-year-old woman has died in hospital after a three-vehicle collision in Vaughan Thursday afternoon. Emergency crews were called to the area of Weston and Rutherford roads just before 1:30 p.m. for reports of a crash. York Regional police said a blue Maserati and a black Hyundai collided and in the process, struck a third vehicle. York Region paramedics said they transported at least four people to a local hospital. Police said the woman, who is a resident of Vaughan and a passenger in the Tuscan, was pronounced dead in hospital. The driver of the Tuscan, an 83-year-old Vaughan man sustained serious injuries. The driver and passenger in the Maseratie suffered minor injuries. The cause of the collision has not been determined. Rutherford Road was closed between Weston Road and Highway 400 for the investigation but it has since reopened. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact police.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Como lo he escrito múltiples ocasiones en otros posts, los repositorios estables son a la vez la mejor y la peor parte de Debian. Por un lado, el software en los repositorios estables está, en teoría, garantizado que funcione sin problemas pero por otro lado eso significa no es raro encontrarse con que el software en los repositorios estables es software con varios años de antigüedad 😦 . GIMP es un ejemplo de esto, la versión en el repositorio estable de Debian es la 2.8.18 a pesar de que la versión 2.10 ya fue lanzada de forma oficial hace tiempo, así que si quieres probar la nueva versión de GIMP, los repositorios estables no son una opción. Es posible que la versión más reciente de GIMP esté disponible en repositorios como el de backports o el de debian-multimedia pero ahora la página oficial de GIMP ofrece un link a la versión para Flatpak que es lo más cercano a tener un ejectuable oficial. Para instalar y ejecutar GIMP para Flatpak basta ejecutar los comandos que aparecen en la página oficial de GIMP: flatpak install https://flathub.org/repo/appstream/org.gimp.GIMP.flatpakref flatpak run org.gimp.GIMP//stable Ya en el pasado hice un post sobre Flatpak también relacionado con GIMP, sobra mencionar que debes tener Flatpak instalado en tu sistema y que lo puedes instalar desde el gestor de paquetes de Debian Stretch. Si es la primera vez que instalas o ejecutas un programa de Flatpak se instalará una máquina virtual de Flatpak ya que, si recuerdas los posts anteriores, Flatpak es un sistema que ofrece una forma de virtualización que permite ejecutar programas aislados del resto del sistema y, sobre todo, gracias al uso de máquinas virtuales o runtimes, permite usar librerías diferentes a las instaladas en el sistema sin que estas causen conflictos. La versión de Flatpak es lo más cercano que tendremos a un ejecutable oficial de GIMP para Linux y sin duda es mejor y más sencillo que tener que compilarlo manualmente como lo hicimos alguna vez con la versión de desarrollo 2.9. Sin embargo, sabemos que me gusta tomar el camino más difícil así que decidí intentar compilar GIMP manualmente y crear un ejecutable nativo para Debian Stretch. El proceso fue largo y difícil ya que GIMP 2.10 tiene como dependencias muchas librerías que no están en el repositorio estable de Debian; además, muchas, si no es que la mayoría, de esas librerías también tienen versiones mínimas requeridas que son superiores a las que usamos antes para compilar GIMP 2.9 por lo que las versiones que usamos para compilar GIMP 2.9 ya no sirven. Después de cazar versiones recientes de muchas librerías, sistemas de compilación como meson y todas sus dependencias, después de luchar para compilar librerías que requieren opciones que no son nada obvias y de instalarlas en rutas personalizadas ajustando las respectivas variables de entorno, finalmente fui capaz de compilar exitosamente el GIMP 2.10 en Debian Stretch y, aunque escribí una larga lista de instrucciones detalladas para compilarlo, no creo que valga la pena obligar a nadie a pasar por todo eso ahora que existe la versión oficial para Flatpak. Todo ese trabajo para compilar GIMP 2.10 manualmente aún puede ser de utilidad si quieres probar la versión de desarrollo más reciente… tengo planeado un post sobre eso.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
A Queens park that got high grades in a new report is no bed of roses, local activists say. Little Bay Park earned an A-plus in a New Yorkers for Parks report released yesterday, including a grade of 93 for its bathrooms. But “there’s no bathrooms,” said local park advocate Alfredo Centola. Instead, the 55-acre park in Bayside has dingy port-a-potties — including one that was set on fire, leaving it melted into the weeded ground. “If they consider bushes bathrooms, they can get a 93,” Centola said. He said the park also needs more drinking fountains — despite scoring a 100 in that category — and better lawns and athletic equipment. The park has only two fountains, and none worked yesterday. The playing fields are currently uneven, and filled with holes, a Post reporter found. Crossbars on soccer goals were bent, and the goals’ netting were ripped to shreds. “There are flooding conditions the minute it rains,” said Centola. “Even in light rains, the kids playing on the soccer field slip in mud.” Holly Leicht, executive director of New Yorkers for Parks — which is listed on the city Parks Department Web site as a “partner” of the agency — said surveyors examined the parks in the summer. She acknowledged conditions might have changed. “These scores are a snapshot in time,” she said. New Yorkers for Parks surveyed 43 parks in the city last year ranging from 20 acres to 500 acres. Together, they scored an average of a B-plus rating for maintenance, up from a B in 2011. Judi Francis, co-chair of the NYC Sierra Club’s parks committee and a Brooklyn activist, said she’s not taking the grades serious. “They looked at many of top 40 or so larger parks in the city,” Francis said. “But what about the lower 40 — the ones that are not shiny examples that Mayor Bloomberg wants to show off?” But New Yorkers for Parks said it uses “an objective methodology to determine the parks surveyed,” adding it’s an independent group and that any suggestion that it “would only survey certain parks to make the administration look good is absurd.”	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
M3 with temperature sensor. Credit: Martin Vloet, University of Michigan Michigan Micro Mote (M3) is the world's smallest computer. How small? It's about the size of a grain of rice. A University of Michigan's March report can tell you that the team behind the computer have come up with a fully autonomous system that can act as a smart sensing system. "To be 'complete,' a computer system must have an input of data, the ability to process that data - meaning process and store it, make decisions about what to do next – and ultimately, the ability to output the data," said David Blaauw, one of the faculty members who achieved the Michigan Micro Mote. Kaustubh Katdare in Crazy Engineers said on Wednesday, "It requires no special imagination to understand that as more things get connected with each other, the size of computers operating behind the scenes must be smaller." He said "the Michigan Mote opens up new avenues towards the world of Internet of Things (IoT)." Sensors are the input; radios are the output. Solar cells power the battery with ambient light, said the university report detailing the work and features of this computer. Therein lies a key word in this story, "battery," or what the engineering world refers to as the size/power matchup. "As you shrink down in size," said Blaauw, the percentage of the system tends to be dominated by the battery. It's actually not hard to make chips small, but it is hard to make them low power. We could have very small chips, but we'd still end up with really large batteries." They use a 1mm2 solar cell producing 20nW. The device can harvest enough energy under ambient light to run perpetually. Standby power consumption is 2nA, "a million times less power than the average mobile phone consumes while on standby." Operating at low power during the "sleep" time is one of the many keys to the success of this technology, said the report. The computer is built in stacked layers. They communicate through a universal interface protocol, MBus. Just by exchanging one layer with another, a new sensing system is achieved. The computers can collect and transmit data as far as 2 meters; they can monitor a room for motion or anomalies in pressure and temperature, and communicate that data to a base station. Blaauw said the work ahead is getting the sensors to talk to one another and extend range to about 20m. David Wentzloff, another faculty member behind the computer, is leading the effort to increase its ability to communicate over longer distances, said the report. Cross-Section of the Michigan Micro Mote Imager. Of what practical use is this computer? A helpful way to get answers is to ask, who would need mini-computer sensing devices? The Michigan group is sending the computer to interested researchers. Home automation and industrial, medical and environmental monitoring are some of the potential application areas that would come to mind and, in the bigger picture, advance the Internet of Things. Those behind the achievement, said the report, are Michigan faculty members David Blaauw, Dennis Sylvester, David Wentzloff, Prabal Dutta and several key graduate students over the years. Some have already founded companies to exploit aspects of the technology. Explore further How can we really get to a trillion sensors to power the Internet of Things? © 2015 Tech Xplore	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA (Phys.org) -- In this image, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has captured the brilliance of the compact center of Messier 70, a globular cluster. Quarters are always tight in globular clusters, where the mutual hold of gravity binds together hundreds of thousands of stars in a small region of space. Having this many shining stars piled on top of one another from our perspective makes globular clusters a popular target for amateur skywatchers and scientists alike. Messier 70 offers a special case because it has undergone what is known as a core collapse. In these clusters, even more stars squeeze into the object's core than on average, such that the brightness of the cluster increases steadily towards its center. The legions of stars in a globular cluster orbit about a shared center of gravity. Some stars maintain relatively circular orbits, while others loop out into the cluster's fringes. As the stars interact with each other over time, lighter stars tend to pick up speed and migrate out toward the cluster's edges, while the heavier stars slow and congregate in orbits toward the center. This huddling effect produces the denser, brighter centers characteristic of core-collapsed clusters. About a fifth of the more than 150 globular clusters in the Milky Way have undergone a core collapse. Although many globular clusters call the galaxy's edges home, Messier 70 orbits close to the Milky Way's center, around 30 000 light-years away from the Solar System. It is remarkable that Messier 70 has held together so well, given the strong gravitational pull of the Milky Way's hub. Messier 70 is only about 68 light-years in diameter and can be seen, albeit very faintly, with binoculars in dark skies in the constellation of Sagittarius (The Archer). French astronomer Charles Messier documented the object in 1780 as the seventieth entry in his famous astronomical catalogue. This picture was obtained with the Wide Field Camera of Hubbles Advanced Camera for Surveys. The field of view is around 3.3 by 3.3 arcminutes. Explore further Glittering jewels of Messier 9	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Natural Beauty In My Life \| Aletha And Her 17 Years Of Au Naturale My sister, Aletha, and I were chillin' at the Parentals on Sunday afternoon and I was really interested on how she viewed her own natural hair. So I thought I would ask her a bunch of questions just to see how she felt about her hair. So I blurted, "I want to talk about your natural hair. Is that okay?" Aletha scream, "Yay!" This is awesome! She gets excited talking about her hair like I do mine. So here we go: Aletha And Her 17 Years Of Au Naturale All About My Natural How long have you been natural? All my life. That would be 17 years. How would you describe your hair? My hair is really thick and really curly. How long is your hair? My hair is a little past my arm pits. What made you stay natural as opposed to getting a relaxer? Well, getting a relaxer - I feel it would make my hair fall out. I really don't know too much about relaxers. And I like my curly hair. It really brings out my personality. I mean, it enhances my beauty. I really don't see myself with straight hair. What do you love most about your hair? I love how thick my hair is. Everyone tells me, "Oo girl you thick!" And I'm like, "Yasss hunty! Both ways baby!" But that's clearly off topic [chuckles]. I just love my thick, curly hair and no one can take that away from me. I feel awesome! How do you feel being a naturalista? I never really knew what 'being natural' meant at first. And before I knew that, I always wanted my hair straight. That was years ago. But now that I do know what 'being natural' means, I feel awesome about being a naturalista. My hair is very precious to me and I feel really good about myself. All About My Regimen And Products What are your fav hair products? I love aloe vera juice, Shea Moisture Smoothie, and Olive oil . That's all I need for my hair. Where do you get these products? I don't purchase my products. I get them from my sister, Christina. What is your hair routine like? Well, when I get up in the morning, I spray my hair with water and aloe vera juice. Then I massage olive oil on my scalp and edges. Then I add the Smoothie on my Afro to give it a bit fluffy-ness. I always wear an Afro puff, so that's about it for me. Oh! And I wear my satin bonnet every night. Very simple. Natural Beauty In My Life \| Aletha And Her 17 Years Of Au Naturale What is your Wash Day like? I use Suave shampoo and conditioner. I wash my hair twice a month. Not too hard. Are you improving your hair routine or do you have it down? Well, let me say this: at first, I was terrible - like I never did anything with my hair. I was a full-on tomboy with no hair ambition. I used to not pay attention to my hair at all. But now, I feel good about my hair. So my hair routine is improving. Do you make any DIY products for your hair? Other than the water, aloe vera juice, and olive oil in my spray bottle, not really. How do you handle your edges? I make sure I massage my edges when I can remember. Even when olive oil is in my spray bottle, I make sure I still massage my edges to give them that TLC. I care for my edges the most. Do you trim your hair? I do not trim my hair. I have never had a trim in my life. All About My Styling What are your favorite natural hair styles? My favs are the Afro and Afro puff. I do love faux hawks too. But anything Afro-tastic, I absolutely love. What styles would you like to try? Well, I actually like what I do. Afro-ness all the way! Natural Beauty In My Life \| Aletha And Her 17 Years Of Au Naturale Do you have any faux/extension styles you like? I have gotten extensions here and there, and they were cute. So every now and again, I would do braids to take a break from my hair. But nothing sewn, glued, hammed, or taped - I don't want anything like that. I feel like all that extra weave rips your hair out. I don't trust them. What are some things you see other naturalistas doing that you just cannot seem to do? I don't really pay attention to what other naturals do with their hair. I love their styles, but I don't compare my styles with theirs or wish I could do their styles on my hair. Do you use heat on your hair? I used to use heat, but I stopped doing it. For me, using any kind of heat is dumb. I don't like it. It takes too much time. And my hair stays straight for like...5 minutes! No point at all. Natural Beauty In My Life \| Aletha And Her 17 Years Of Au Naturale Do you color your hair? I have not colored my hair, but when I had extensions I would have red highlights. I would like to try a light brown and maybe a blonde. I would love blue hair one day. Like that royal blue. Yes all blue hair! All About Others and My Natural What are other's reactions to your hair? Like family, friends, and strangers. Family members say, 'You got some good hair,' and 'Your hair is so long.' But others would say, 'It's dry and you need to moisturize it...' and 'I don't like it...you should straighten it.' But I don't care either way. I love my hair! Friends would say, 'OMG! Girl you have so much hair.' 'I want your hair!' 'Can we switch hair?' 'Oh man! Your hair!!!' Strangers say, 'Oo! I love your curls' 'How do you get your hair like that?' Do you mind when strangers touch your hair? Not at all. I mean, just as long as they don't pull my hair. So yes, they can. Just don't pull and mess it up. Natural Beauty In My Life \| Aletha And Her 17 Years Of Au Naturale So let's say you are at a basketball game and you are sitting in your chair enjoying it. Then you feel someone touching your Afro puff...what would you say? It really depends. If the person is just resting their hand in my hair like an arm rest, I'll be like, "Get out of my hair please..." But if they compliment my hair while touching it, I wouldn't mind. All About My Memories And Experiences What has been the most memorable part of your hair journey? Well, I had to be 7 or 8 and I cut the top of my hair clean off. I mean, cut to the scalp of my head! Interesting story: My sisters played with Barbies and loved doing their hair. My sister, Christina, was always the hair dresser and would do hair cuts for the ones who would go in her shop. I think she really wanted to be a stylist. So I went to the bathroom to use my art scissors and cut the top of my hair right off!! How did other's react to that 'cutting catastrophe?' My mother was P.O.'d at my sisters about it. She really tried to cover the top of my hair by bringing the sides of my hair up to form a two strand twist on top...but you could clearly tell my hair was cut. I looked crazy! Natural Beauty In My Life \| Aletha And Her 17 Years Of Au Naturale [Christina insert: "I remember mom went to your (Aletha) school and spoke with the teacher [laughs uncontrollably] and said that you (Aletha) cut your hair. Mom said to make sure the children don't make fun of you [laughs crazy and without end]. I mean, you (Aletha) thought it was a game. You didn't know. [To Aletha] we had two Barbies that were exactly same. One with long hair and one with cut hair...Aletha thought she had a button to make her hair come back! [laughter and more laughter]. Was that the biggest mistake of your hair journey or are there other hair regrets? Nope, that was pretty much it [chuckles]. Do you ever feel overwhelmed or frustrated about your hair? Not at all. Natural Beauty In My Life \| Aletha And Her 17 Years Of Au Naturale Do you have any fav natural hair websites, blogs, YouTube videos, or books? Well, the only thing I look at is Christina's... Desire My Natural . But I'm still learning. All About My Goals and Inspirations What are your goals for your natural hair? My main goal is to just keep my hair healthy. That's about it. Just keeping my hair healthy and thick. Natural Beauty In My Life \| Aletha And Her 17 Years Of Au Naturale Anything else to add about your natural hair journey? My natural hair journey has actually been really important to me. Most of the help came from my sister. I know how to do my hair effectively, moisturize, and seal my hair. I know when my hair is dry and when I need to wash it. Basically, I just want to better my hair throughout my hair journey. Anything inspiration to others you are wanting to be natural? Well, check out my sister's website! That's where I learn all my stuff. Also, enjoy your hair and love yourself always. Natural Beauty In My Life \| Aletha And Her 17 Years Of Au Naturale Thank you love bug for doing this natural hair interview for my site! I'm sure you will inspire others with your hair journey. You surely have inspired me! Check out All About Aletha articles: Crochet Senegalese MoHawk With Freetress Braid Halloween Costumes \| The Characters Of The Wiz Natural hair says: natural hair interviews are a way to get others to tell their hair story in hopes of inspiring others to continue on their own. Find hair interviews and hair stories to read and indulge in. Take notes as well. You may find something inspiring you to continue on your own hair journey. Always Desire Your Natural, Christina J	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
INDIANAPOLIS – A thousand union members and their allies are sitting in and blocking the entrances to the state Senate chamber here. The demonstrators, singing, playing music and chanting slogans, say they are fighting two anti-union measures that Republicans are seeking to pass in the state legislature. Democrats, taking their lead from their counterparts in Wisconsin, are boycotting the senate proceedings, denying Republicans a quorum required to vote on the “right to work for less” proposals. The bill Republicans had hoped to ram through today would prevent Indiana companies from entering union contracts that require workers to either join a union or pay dues to a union. Another bill, HB 1585, would ban collective bargaining for state employees and would ban future governors from restoring it. Chris Sanders, a member of the United Food and Commercial Workers for southern Indiana and Kentucky, is among those sitting in, playing his guitar. He said the Republican proposals would “take down the living standard of Indiana workers by over $5,000.” In Wisconsin, meanwhile, thousands of union members and their allies continue their occupation of the state Capitol into its seventh day. The Steelworkers, led into the building last night by Leo Gerard, the union’s president, woke up this morning among hundreds who spent the night on the marble floors. While they slept in there were reports that the Southern Central Federation of Labor, the AFL-CIO chapter that covers Madison, has voted to “make preparations” for a general strike and wants its Education Committee to discuss the issue of such a strike with the membership. The measure is seen as a way to increase pressure on the Wisconsin business community to get the governor to back off his attacks on unions. Many businesses are already indicating that they would support a compromise. Photo: Melissa O’Rourke	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Re: Don't let New York donors push you into doing an Al Gore From:cheryl.mills@gmail.com To: john.podesta@gmail.com CC: jsullivan@hillaryclinton.com Date: 2015-05-10 09:51 Subject: Re: Don't let New York donors push you into doing an Al Gore Welcome to the world with ams! cdm > On May 10, 2015, at 5:10 AM, John Podesta <john.podesta@gmail.com> wrote: > > Can we switch HRC's email and not tell Anne-Marie? Jeez, she emails her more than the three of us do. > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: "Anne-Marie Slaughter" <slaughtr@princeton.edu> > Date: May 9, 2015 5:12 PM > Subject: Don't let New York donors push you into doing an Al Gore > To: "Hillary Clinton" <hdr29@hrcoffice.com> > Cc: "Huma Abedin" <huma@hrcoffice.com>, "Jake Sullivan" <jake.sullivan@gmail.com>, "Cheryl Mills" <cheryl.mills@gmail.com>, "Robby Mook" <robbymook2015@gmail.com>, "John Podesta" <john.podesta@gmail.com> > > Hillary, > I’ve been thinking about this a lot since our last foreign policy meeting. I’m worried that the hostility toward Obama among donors who buy Bibi’s line about his commitment to Israel could cause you to run away from his (and your) overall foreign policy record, which would be a big mistake in the same way that it will squeeze you into a corner that you do not need to be in and prevents you from making a bold case for your success as Secretary of State. > > Let’s assume a deal with Iran gets done. Then, as I write here, http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/obama-foreign-policy-record-by-anne-marie-slaughter-2015-04, Obama will have a foreign policy legacy to be proud of — doing exactly what he said he would do when he came in by opening up relations with Myanmar, Cuba, and Iran and thereby helping to to transform US relations with three distinct regions. These are diplomatic achievements rather than military, and economic as much as political. George W. Bush isolated us in the world; Barack Obama reconnected us in ways that allow us to advance peace and prosperity, etc. There’s still a gaping hole in terms of your kind of leadership, but he kept his eyes on the prize and did things that mattered. And you did one of those with him (Myanmar) and laid the indispensable groundwork for the other two. > > Finally, the entire “Obama doesn’t care about Israel” narrative shifts attention from the real issue with Israel, which is that this government is missing one of the greatest opportunities in Israel’s history to move from pariah state to political broker and economic anchor of the Middle East. I made that case in a few short paragraphs in the New York Times Up for Debate (reprinted below) yesterday; Fareed’s column this week makes almost exactly the same case. It’s not even about what is right for the Palestinians; it is about what Israel could be and do if it could just move to the next phase of its history rather than remaining mired in insecurity and hostility of its past. > > This didn’t seem like Mother’s Day reading, so wanted to get it off today! > Best, > AM > > Israel’s Rightward Shift Helps Make It Its Own Worst Enemy > > > It is a difficult and immensely frustrating time to be a friend of Israel. Never in Israel’s history would peace with the Palestinians yield such rich and enduring dividends, and never since the peace process began has the Israeli government been so resolutely opposed even to serious negotiations. > > Real peace could allow Israel to form political, military and economic alliances to make it a regional power broker and let Palestinians thrive. > > The center of the Middle East – Iraq and Syria – is disintegrating, mixing virulent and horrifically violent religious fanaticism with civil war and criminal and corrupt governments. But that conflagration has created a new set of actual and potential alignments. Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States are openly willing to work closely with Israel – against Assad, and in the Saudi case, against Iran. But Turkey and Iran would be willing to work with Israel – drawing on its superlative intelligence and military capabilities – against ISIS. And Egypt under President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is once again willing to work with Israel against Hamas. > > With a Palestinian peace that included normalizing relations with all Arab countries, as the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002 and 2007 proposed, Israel could move from pariah state to power broker overnight. > > On the economic front, the opportunities are even greater. An Israeli-Palestinian peace would lay the groundwork for Ispajor (an economic union of Israel, Palestine and Jordan), the Middle East equivalent to Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg). It’s hard for us to remember now, but Benelux was created as a customs union in 1944, when World War II was still raging and the entire European economy was in a shambles. It became the nucleus for the entire European Union. > > Israel and Palestine have the strongest tech economies in the region; a peace that would allow Israeli economic growth to extend to Palestine would then create opportunities for Jordan to join and turn its current divide between Palestinian Jordanians and native Jordanians into an advantage. Investors worldwide would flock to a stable and relatively well-governed bright spot in the region, with oil and gas resources, a port on the Mediterranean and highly educated Israelis and Arabs. It seems like a mirage today, but with an Israeli-Palestinian peace it would become a logical next step. > > Abba Eban, the great Israeli diplomat and author with a flair for epigrams, is supposed to have said, after the Geneva Peace Conference in 1973: “The Arabs never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.” Today it is the Israeli government that never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity. > > But Eban also said: “History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives.” Let us hope that the current Israeli government is the last alternative Israelis exhaust before they finally realize the tremendous opportunity of peace – if it is not too late. > >	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
MUMBAI: Amid the privacy and protection concerns voiced by various groups, the top team of Unique Identification Authority of India UIDAI ) is exploring the possibility of introducing dummy numbers that would add an extra layer of security to every Aadhaar cardholder.Such a framework would require an individual to share dummy or pseudo numbers — and not the real Aadhaar number — to government agencies, private utilities, banks and while withdrawing money from ATMs or moving funds from one bank account to another under the Aadhaar-enabled payment system. Besides the cardholder, the original Aadhaar number would be known only to UIDAI. Two senior persons in the industry told ET that the concept has been discussed at senior levels in UIDAI but is yet to be finalised.The creation of dummy numbers and the frequency at which it can be generated and used would depend on the design architecture of the system.“It may not help if a permanent dummy number is given against every Aadhaar number. The primary job of Aadhaar is authentication — to ensure whether the right person is using the services. So, if there can be a dynamic system where an individual authenticates with the electricity company using one dummy number, with the telephone company using another dummy number, and generates new dummy numbers for monetary transactions like one time passwords (OTPs), then there is no one Aadhaar number that can be traced back to the person. And, in the absence of a single number, it is very difficult to misuse Aadhaar to track someone’s personal data,” said a person familiar with the concept.However, there are no details available on UIDAI’s final stand on such a proposal — whether and in what form it could be brought in. Ajay Bhushan Pandey , chief executive of UIDAI, did not respond to texts, WhatsApp messages, and phone calls."It may be useful from the point of data security. But one has to think how convenient is the use of dummy numbers for various kinds of users,” said another person.UIDAI, a statutory authority, is responsible for Aadhaar enrolment and authentication, issuance of Aadhaar numbers as well as ensuring the security of identity information and authentication records of individuals. Its measures on data protection and development of new standards on technologies like Aadhaar-Pay are ongoing.The organization, however, currently finds itself in a situation where the provisions of the very law (Aadhaar Act 2016) under which it was established has been challenged in the country’s highest court of law.Toeing the government directive, banks, utilities and credit card issuers are repeatedly asking customers to link their Aadhaar details to respective accounts by 31 December 2017, failing which services would be discontinued. Critics of Aadhaar are resisting such coercion to link Aadhaar with multiple service providers. They are hoping that some of these rules may change after the Supreme Court ruling. The apex court hearing on the Aadhaar case is scheduled to begin on November 28.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) predicted on Monday that President Trump will be a “one-term President.” Sanders, a top tier candidate in the crowded Democrat field, issued his bold prediction in a tweet to his 9.6 million Twitter followers Monday: Donald Trump is going to be a one-term president. — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) September 9, 2019 Similar predictions were made in 2016, with Trump’s defeat of Hillary Clinton coming as a shock to political pundits and media personalities across the board. Sanders told supporters during a rally in Syracuse, New York, in 2016 that “Donald Trump will not become president”: Sanders made a similar prediction at a rally in Salem, Oregon, in 2016, telling the crowd, “Donald Trump is not going to become president”: Sanders has been slow to criticize his Democrat opponents but has upped his critiques of Trump in recent months, accusing him of suppressing votes, inspiring “violent extremists,” and “picking on minorities”: Donald Trump can’t win an election based on his ideas so he has to suppress the vote to win. What a coward. https://t.co/hYtHgaM7bm — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) August 14, 2019 Donald Trump has fueled a climate which emboldens violent extremists and where immigrants live in constant fear. We are going to defeat him and his bigotry. pic.twitter.com/J6s29hW0jR — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) August 15, 2019 Donald Trump is a racist and a liar, but he is not stupid. He thinks he can win re-election by picking on minorities. This is not a moment to throw our hands up in despair. This is a moment to take on racism, sexism and homophobia and fight for the nation we know we must become. pic.twitter.com/QBCS5KnwUc — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) July 26, 2019 He called the president an “idiot” last month for failing to embrace the progressive wing’s narrative on climate change: Donald Trump believes climate change is a hoax. Donald Trump is an idiot. — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) August 10, 2019 While the current Real Clear Politics average shows Sanders defeating Trump by a six-point spread in a hypothetical general election matchup, the Real Clear Politics average also showed Hillary Clinton defeating Trump by a 2.1 percent spread in 2016. At some points during the 2016 race, however, the average showed Clinton defeating Trump by over ten percentage points.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
TENNESSEE_FOOTBALL.JPG Tennessee head coach Butch Jones (center) and defensive coordinator John Jancek (left) react in the season-opening victory against Austin Peay on Aug. 31. (Amy Smotherman Burgess/The Associated Press ) EUGENE — Turnover on Oregon’s coaching staff is so rare it has been called the “gold standard” of coaching continuity. If staff at Tennessee can’t quite match Oregon’s unique tenure – four UO assistants rank among the 17 longest-serving coaches at the same school – it was still assembled with the same overriding philosophy of ensuring coaching consistency whenever possible, and eliminating mistakes because of it. Thus, when the No. 2 Ducks face Tennessee on Saturday at Autzen Stadium, they’ll be facing a well-oiled coaching machine whose start at Rocky Top was technically in December, but with roots that go back 15 years to Mount Pleasant, Mich. “You win with consistency,” Jones said Wednesday. “A lot of these players have had five or six coaches at their respective positions in our program so I think the overall development of a student-athlete is aided by consistency and continuity and it’s everywhere. It’s in recruiting, with coaches knowing the families first-hand, knowing their personalities, but it’s also feeding off the strengths of their coaching staff. Oregon is a great illustration of that, and I think we are, too.” It will certainly be a change-up from facing Virginia, which had five new coaches, including both coordinators, after head coach Mike London cleared house following a 4-8 season in 2012. The effect of having as many familiar faces as Tennessee does can be revealed a bit in video study of Jones’ previous teams. Since becoming head coach of Central Michigan in 2007, and Cincinnati in 2010, Jones has a 52-27 overall record. “They’re doing some of the same things that his staff did at Cincinnati,” said Oregon offensive coordinator Scott Frost, who has been in Eugene since 2009. Frost would need to stay on staff until 2039 to match the program-record 31 years Gary Campbell has spent as running backs coach. That’s four more years than any other assistant in the nation has spent at one school. Oregon also has 27 years of experience from offensive line coach Steve Greatwood (in two stints) and 22 from Nick Aliotti (in three stints). The hidden benefit of such stability doesn’t fully reveal itself, however, simply in similar formations, said Pete Roussel. He's a former assistant coach for six years who now runs coachingsearch.com, a website devoted to tracking the coaching industry, and he gave the Ducks their “gold” rating. College coaching can be a game of telephone that starts with one vision from the head coach but trickles differently through separate position groups. The key is when coaches understand the message the same, and deliver a consistent message to their units. “That’s a big reason that they’ve been able to get off to the terrific start and gain a lot of momentum in recruiting right away,” said Roussel, citing Rivals’ 21st-ranked recruiting class of 2013 – one spot higher than Oregon – that Jones and Co. threw together in two months. The Vols’ 2014 class is ranked second nationally. “With that kind of staff continuity they know how to anticipate the problems because they know the problems in their systems,” Roussel said. “I think they can really reduce a lot of the little things you might not notice as a general fan. They won’t have nearly as many communication errors on the sidelines because they’ve done this three different times together.” Oregon linebacker coach Don Pellum, in his 22nd year at his alma mater, said that applies to UO’s staff, as well. “If a guy says a certain thing you know exactly what it means,” Pellum said. “That’s opposed to someone new who you have to go through the process of interpreting it.” Five Tennessee assistants coached with Jones at both Cincinnati and Central Michigan. Another, safeties coach Willie Martinez, has known Jones since 1998, when Martinez coached the secondary and Jones the tight ends for the Chippewas. In March 2011, four of his then-Cincinnati assistants were offered “other BCS, high-caliber, high-profile jobs. And all four stayed.” Joe Bernardi has been a part of both staffs. After two years as Tennessee’s offensive line graduate assistant, he joined Oregon in the same role in February. Some traditions transcend a coaching staff, he cautioned. In Knoxville, coaches weren’t allowed inside the football center without wearing slacks, while at Oregon there is a more laid-back approach. When Bernardi showed up in dress pants on his first day, joked with him he was overdressed. Later that day, Helfrich drove Bernardi to get lunch at the Albertson’s grocery store deli. The goal – winning – is universal, however. Oregon and Tennessee’s method of achieving that has been perfected in years of practice together. “They all believe in Butch and so they’ve all stayed together,” Bernardi said. “Obviously his formula has worked.”	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
In January, The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that Gov. Ralph Northam’s proposed budget would give VCU the first right of refusal on the 20-acre ABC site. That item was approved. ABC expects to vacate the property in early 2021, when it intends to move into a new warehouse and headquarters site in Hanover County. The Flying Squirrels this offseason installed a $250,000 videoboard at The Diamond, which opened in 1985 and is outdated by modern ballpark standards. Lou DiBella, the franchise’s managing general partner, told The Times-Dispatch that the videoboard can be moved to a new stadium, and “we’ll be bringing that board with us in, hopefully, about three years. That’s my hope.” The Flying Squirrels, who open their 10th season at The Diamond on April 4, and the Eastern League have longed for a new stadium since Sept. 23, 2009, the day the franchise was relocated from Norwich, Conn., to Richmond. “I don’t think there’s any way in the world we anticipated 10 years ago that [The Diamond] would still be our home,” DiBella said. “We’ve done our best to make it as nice a place as it can be, which is really all we can do in that situation.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
(Dallas, Texas) – This week Students for Concealed Carry (SCC) announced that Antonia Okafor, a graduate student at The University of Texas at Dallas, will be the Southwest Regional Director and Texas State Director effective immediately. Antonia has already hit the ground running, debuting her first news appearance on Al Jeezera America, debating Colin Goddard of Everytown for Gun Safety, in favor of the campus concealed carry law recently passed in Texas. Antonia graduated from The University of Texas at Dallas with a Bachelors of Arts degree in international political economy and currently studies public policy as a graduate student. Her passion to protect student’s gun rights was exemplified during the recent Texas legislative session where she had the opportunity to advocate for campus concealed carry in the general assembly. Antonia is actively involved on campus as a Leadership Institute Campus Reform Correspondent, founder and President of the Network of enlightened Women chapter and a former Resident Assistant. She is also extensively involved in her hometown and state level politics, having served in and volunteered for several key political races and positions. “Madison [Welch, outgoing Texas and Southwest Regional Director] did a fantastic job this legislative session helping to right a wrong and move the ball downfield,” said Michael Newbern, SCC board member at large. “Antonia’s experience and network will help her carry on Students SCC’s efforts in Texas. We’re already making plans to further the great work Madison did and are confident Antonia is the best person for the job.”	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
UPDATE: Following yesterday's Ant-Man casting buzz, Simon Pegg returned to Twitter with an update on the photo of him at Marvel. As it turns out -- perhaps not surprisingly -- he wasn't hinting at anything at all (via Coming Soon ): "FFS the Internet," Pegg tweeted , "all I did was point at the central character in my dear friend's next movie, because I'm excited for him."The original story follows below... Without jumping to any conclusions, Simon Pegg tweeted an image of himself earlier today possibly hinting that he's in Edgar Wright's Ant-Man movie.Why do we think this? Well, check out the photo below and see for yourself (and note Pegg's sly index finger pointing at the Ant-Man figure on the wall): Of course, an image like this doesn't prove much of anything. Indeed, this could just be Pegg having a bit of fun with his followers. On the other hand, Pegg's involvement wouldn't be totally unbelievable. After all, he's starred in three of Wright's four feature films. As for whether he'd play Ant-Man himself or another character, well, that's up for discussion. Nevertheless, this could be our first whiff of casting news on the film (if Pegg's coy smirk is anything to go on).Would you like to see Pegg as Edgar Wright's Ant-Man? Let us know in the comments! Loading Max Nicholson is a writer for IGN, and he desperately seeks your approval. Show him some love by following @Max_Nicholson on Twitter, or MaxNicholson on IGN.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The family of Isaac Villafranca raised money and awareness Saturday about the immune system disease that took the high-schooler’s life this week. “No one should have to go through what Isaac went through,” his stepmom, Celeste Villafranca, told KXAN during an event to sell plates of food to pay for his funeral expenses and research into the disease. Isaac was 17, a senior at Akins High School in south Austin, when a cancer diagnosis turned his world upside down. He complained of shoulder pain, and doctors found a germ cell malignant tumor in his chest. He underwent surgery for 10 hours on Sept. 26, and everything looked good, Villafranca said. A few days later, though, he developed a fever that wouldn’t go away. It took a few days for doctors to diagnose him with HLH Syndrome, short for hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. “They did everything they could, but Isaac was so sick,” Villafranca said. “The doctors told us this is rare on top of rare.” HLH turns the body’s immune system against the body itself, destroying organs and bone marrow. The rare condition was triggered by the cancer, one of two ways it can manifest. Isaac’s HLH diagnosis came on Oct. 5. and five days later, he died from the immune system disorder. “It happened so fast,” his aunt, Freedom Garcia, said. Garcia remembers her nephew as “a great, wonderful kid who inspired so many.” Now she’s helping to inspire more research into HLH. She joined Villafranca, plus Isaac’s biological parents and stepdad, in cooking up burgers to sell to raise money. In addition to funeral expenses, the family wants it to go to better diagnosis and treatments. There are two GoFundMe pages set up to accept donations: one that his sister initiated during his cancer treatment to help pay the bills and one Villafranca set up after his death. “We just want to… prevent this from happening to another precious life,” Garcia said.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Image copyright BBC/Getty Images Image caption Chukky (left) is a dancehall choreographer - it's a genre which Sean Paul (right) has helped popularise "I used to be in the back of my yard in Jamaica dancing barefoot for hours in the sun, waiting for days like this," says dancehall choreographer Chukky. He's just been part of the choreography team for a big Christmas advert. In the ad, for M&S, people's jumpers make them dance - and a lot of the moves come from the Jamaican genre of dancehall. But there was a bit of backlash as some people felt the advert was co-opting a genre to sell jumpers, without giving credit to its Jamaican origins. BBC Radio 1Xtra DJ Seani B - who plays a lot of Caribbean music on his show - posted on Instagram: "People in the mainstream need to know where this... comes from." He put up a video of the ad which had replaced the original track (House of Pain's Jump Around) with dancehall song Flair is in the Air by Ding Dong. But once he realised that Chukky and other Jamaican dancehall choreographers were involved, he posted another video giving them props: "I'm smiling, I'm happy... but we gotta gatekeep the culture," he said In another Insta post, Seani B said "respect" needs to be shown to Ding Dong and his team Ravers Clavers - who he says originally came up with dance moves you see in the M&S advert. "This year Carnival and every festival where dancehall was played it was all about Gas. "Now for Xmas it looks like everyone is gonna be flinging their shoulders "I remember in 2017 I told label execs see your superstar here. They listened but never heard me." Chukky - real name Keyama Cammock - is happy to share the style of dance with whoever wants to be involved. He teaches classes in London, where he says "everyone is welcome." And he says he borrows from other genres such as Afrobeat when he's creating steps. The signature move of the M&S advert is a shoulder roll - not a dancehall move - but Chukky says he was happy to incorporate it into the choreography. Image copyright M&S Image caption M&S's festive clothing ad features people in Christmas jumpers dancing to the song Jump Around by House of Pain Chukky's been dancing professionally for over 10 years - but since he moved to the UK two years ago, he's seen the genre grow in popularity. "When I first came in, there was no real scene for dancers like that." Now, he says: "Everyone comes because it's knowledge. It's fun. It's a vibe. And people crave for these things." Along with dancehall moves being more popular, the music has also made its way into mainstream pop. Rihanna's Work, Drake's Controlla and Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber's I Don't Care are some examples of this. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Drake, Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran have used dancehall influences in their music A few acts - such as Sean Paul - successfully move between dancehall and pop music. But he's called out Drake in the past for not "giving more accolades" towards the Jamaican influence on songs such as One Dance. He told Newsbeat earlier this year that a "language barrier" might put people off the more hardcore dancehall music, but over time he thinks the genre will be better recognised. "One day we are going to get people logging on back to what we do," he said. "We just feel proud of that fact and we humbly wait for our turn to make the city burn again." Image caption Chukky with the Bulletproof 876 crew Chukky thinks the dancers do get credit from the outside - and he feels dancehall is having its moment now. "I've been preparing myself for this for many years," he says. "Big up to every dancer in Jamaica that creates their steps." He adds: "We all aim to be choreographers... that would be shown on big international TV someday and we've managed to do that." Chukky and his dance crew Bulletproof 876 have also worked on a Levi's advert and the music video for Nafe Smallz and Tory Lanez's track Good Love. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Chukky worked with Nafe Smallz and Tory Lanez in their music video Rather than trying to block others from being influenced by dancehall, Chukky wants to see more unity within the community. For him, it starts with more mutual respect between dancers and musicians. "Remember, dancers [in dancehall] have bigger fan bases than a lot artists. So if we dance to your song, and it goes viral, and then everyone starts listening, it's only right for you to give that credit." He says it's something the Afrobeats community is good at doing. He adds: "There's no specific way - even sometimes just through posting on your Instagram as an artist can mean a lot to a dancer." Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Your homework took you 2 hours to finish? It should have taken 4, next time I'll give you more problems to do 174 shares	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Want more great deals? Sign up for our Daily Digest emails! Leave some for the rest of us! Hey, you can only buy 1 of these. Long Flight Specially designed for on-the-go web browsing and communicating. Just not with your fellow passengers. "Let's see. 10 … 12 … here we are. 14B. Yep, that's me. I've got the window. You know, they claim they've added more leg room, but I'd have liked to know where exactly, am I right?" Yeah. It's a little cramped. "Oh, and don't worry. I know what you're thinking, but I'm not one of those super chatty guys. I brought my Asus Tablet and Keyboard Dock to keep me busy." It's fine. Really. "Well, it's a long flight and I can see that you're trying to sleep. So just wanted to let you know I won't be disturbing you. Great. Thanks. "What's it, like, 9 hours? Yeesh. But it's cool because I've got like 15 hours of extended battery life, so I'll totally be out of your hair." Cool. "I can't say the same for all those babies, though. I think I counted like four on my way back. Too bad you don't have one of these set-ups. The tablet has an incredible audio experience with ASUS Sonicmaster Technology and the keyboard features unique Android Fn keys so you can easily play video and music to drown out the screams." Yeah. Too bad. "Just let me know if this light bothers you. It's just the back-illuminated CMOS sensor on the crystal clear 8MP auto-focus camera. Not that I'll be taking a lot of photos of you while you're sleeping or anything. That would be weird." That would be weird. "Oh, and hey. If you get tired of sleeping and want to watch a movie, I don't mind if you look over my shoulder." That's very nice, thanks. "You should be able to see pretty well, actually. The IPS panel has viewable angles up to 178 degrees at a 1280 x 800 resolution. So what would you rather watch? I've got Tyler Perry's Diary of a Mad Black Woman and Ghost ... Good idea. Let's ask the Flight Attendant." Back to top	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Forking Good (Hardcover) An Unofficial Cookbook for Fans of The Good Place By Valya Dudycz Lupescu, Stephen H. Segal, Dingding Hu (Illustrator) Quirk Books, 9781683691556, 160pp. Publication Date: October 22, 2019 List Price: 19.99* * Individual store prices may vary. Description For fans of NBC's The Good Place, a pun-filled and fully illustrated cookbook of 30 original recipes inspired by the philosophy and food humor of the hit show. With its high concept, exceptional writing, eye-popping set design, stellar cast, meaningful explorations of what it means to be a good person, and clam chowder fountains, The Good Place has captured the hearts and minds of critics and viewers alike. For the first time ever, fans can indulge their cravings for The Good Place with delicious, comforting, original recipes like “Macaroni and Socra-cheese,” “I Think Therefore I Clam (Chowder),” “I Kant Believe It’s Not Buttermilk Pancakes,” and more. Each recipe title references a philosopher or philosophical concept from the show and uses food analogies to explain those concepts to readers who, like Eleanor, can’t always follow Chidi’s lectures. A refreshing and entertaining twist on cookbooks, Forking Good will help you plan your next viewing party as you re-binge your favorite show. About the Author Valya Dudycz Lupescu is the author of The Silence of Trees and the coauthor of Geek Parenting. Her story “Honey,” about dinnertime hospitality at moments of life-or-death, appeared in the Publishers Weekly starred anthology A World of Horror. Her food writing has most recently appeared in the cheese magazine Culture. Stephen H. Segal is the coauthor of Geek Wisdom and Geek Parenting and the Hugo Award– winning former editorial director of Weird Tales. He’s edited award-winning food writers at Philadelphia Weekly, WQED Pittsburgh, and InPittsburgh Weekly. He currently writes about death-related topics as senior editor at Legacy.com, the world’s largest online hub of obituaries. Dingding Hu is a New York based illustrator, best known for her delightful illustration work featuring adorable food and hilarious characters. She has worked on projects for Google, the Museum of Chinese in America, and MIT Media Lab. Her work has appeared in Time Out, the New York Times, and Lucky Peach. She is the recipient of a silver medal in the digital media category at the Comic and Cartoon Annual by the Society of Illustrators. For more information, visit dingdinghu.com and her Etsy shop, Hu is Hungry. Praise For Forking Good: An Unofficial Cookbook for Fans of The Good Place… A 2019 Goodreads Choice Awards Semifinalist Featured in Good Housekeeping’s “28 Funny Gag Gifts to Get Your Friends, Family, and Coworkers Laughing” List “Unlike any cookbook you've encountered previously...It's educational and thoughtful...And the resulting recipes? Well, they're absolutely delicious...Fans of The Good Place will absolutely love this cookbook.”—Hypable “[The recipes] include a fun, easy to understand philosophy lesson that might not keep the cook out of the Bad Place, but would make a fun dinner party.”—The Palm Beach Post “An extended inside joke that show fans will delight in adding to their shelves, Forking Good is a comfort-food laden, lightly philosophical cookbook worth indulging in.”—Foreword Reviews	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
U małp nie ma oznak, by możliwe było ponowne zakażenie się koronawirusem SARS-CoV-2 po przejściu choroby COVID-19 - informują naukowcy z kilku instytutów w Pekinie. Na platformie preprintów bioRxiv.org opublikowali właśnie wyniki badań na czterech makakach w związku z pojawieniem się doniesień o tym, że u niektórych wyzdrowiałych pacjentów koronawirus pojawił się ponownie. Nie było jasne, czy to oznacza, że u ludzi mogło dojść do nawrotu choroby, czy ponownej infekcji. Eksperymenty na zwierzętach, które są jednym z modeli wykorzystywanych w badaniach COVID-19 sugerują, że po przejściu choroby nabywa się odporność. To bardzo istotne z punktu widzenia szans opanowania epidemii i ważne w pracach nad szczepionką. Makak / Pixabay Zwierzęta zakażono w laboratorium i obserwowano przez cały czas objawy typowe dla COVID-19, w tym utratę wagi, replikację wirusa w nosie, gardle płucach i układzie pokarmowym, a także zapalenie płuc. Jedno ze zwierząt uśpiono w 7. dniu, by zbadać postępy choroby. Po wyzdrowieniu i ustaniu objawów u pozostałych trzech makaków, a także pojawieniu się we krwi specyficznych przeciwciał, dwa z badanych zwierząt próbowano zakazić ponownie, ale objawy choroby ani oznaki ponownej replikacji wirusa w ciągu 5 dni się się nie pojawiły. Nie było wirusa ani w wymazach, ani próbkach tkanek. Porównano wyniki badań wirusologicznych, radiologicznych i patologicznych zwierząt, którym ponownie podano wirusa i tego, które COVID-19 przechodziło raz. Wyniki były praktycznie takie same. Zdaniem autorów pracy wyniki sugerują, że przebycie infekcji wirusem SARS-CoV-2 powinno dać odporność przy ponownym kontakcie. Trzy makaki zostały uznane za wyzdrowiałe według stosowanych obecnie procedur, kiedy po 28 dniach od zakażenia nie wykazywały objawów, w ich organizmie w dwóch testach nie stwierdzono obecności wirusa, a wyniki prześwietlenia rentgenowskiego wróciły do normy. U dwóch zwierząt poddanych próbie ponownego zakażenia zauważono co najwyżej przejściowe podwyższenie temperatury. Zarówno badania laboratoryjne, jak i sekcja wykonana po uśpieniu jednego z nich, nie wykazały objawów choroby. Autorzy pracy zwracają uwagę, że ponowne zakażenie nie było możliwe po tym, jak na wczesnym etapie pierwszej infekcji w organizmie zwierząt pojawiły się neutralizujące koronawirusy przeciwciała. Można oczekiwać, że w przypadku ludzi, pacjenci po pojawieniu się tych przeciwciał nie powinni już zarażać. Badania tkanek makaków pokazały, że przy próbie ponownej infekcji wirus nie był w stanie nigdzie się replikować, a więc nie może się nigdzie przez dłuższy czas ukrywać. Jak więc wytłumaczyć opisane przypadki ponownego pojawienia się wirusa u tych już wcześniej wyleczonych? Zdaniem Chińczyków to prawdopodobnie skutek fałszywie negatywnych wyników testów. Być może pacjentów wypuszczono też ze szpitala przedwcześnie, mimo że spełniali przyjęte wtedy warunki wypisu. Te procedury z pewnością trzeba dopracować. Kluczowa informacja jest taka, że po przejściu choroby COVID-19 powinniśmy być na koronawirusa odporni. Kolejne badania powinny to jednak potwierdzić.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Among the four women flanking Donald Trump at his Facebook-Lived news conference before the second presidential debate, Paula Jones stood out. The women had been assembled by Trump to counter criticism following the leak of a 2005 video in which the GOP candidate bragged about using his star power to sexually assault women. And so he turned to Juanita Broaddrick, Kathleen Willey, Kathleen Shelton, and Jones, who all shared a mutual opposition to the Clintons—three, including Jones, had accused Bill Clinton of sexual assault or harassment in the past. The fourth, Kathleen Shelton, was raped when she was 12 years old. Hillary Clinton was her accused rapist’s defense lawyer. When a reporter asked Trump whether he’d actually groped women as he claimed in the leaked Access Hollywood video, Jones—a plucky 49-year old Arkansan wearing head-to-toe Victoria’s Secret loungewear and a bedazzled hat—snapped back in her trademarked drawl, “Why don’t you go ask Bill Clinton that? Why don’t you ask Hillary as well?” Two days before, Jones had railed against Trump having to apologize for his boorish comments, in effect saying, “Where is my apology?” Trump supporters praised Jones’s moxie online as reporters whipped up “Who is Paula Jones?” explainers for millennials, and far-right media outlets clamored for interviews. Jones’s dive back into the national spotlight via Trump’s campaign feels at once an unexpected and somehow wholly appropriate end to an election that’s laid bare the political truth that truly nothing matters. Trump, who once publicly ridiculed Jones as “a loser” for claiming Bill Clinton had sexually harassed her, was parading her onstage to distract voters from his own growing list sexual-assault accusations. Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton—who as first lady dismissed Jones as a pawn of her husband’s political enemies and called her accusations fiction—quietly changed the language in her sexual-assault platform, erasing the notion that professed victims should “be believed.” Meanwhile, the conservatives who, back in the ’90s, peddled in faux outrage to manipulate and profit from Jones and her claims—then deserted her when she no longer advanced their political agenda—are the same ones who are compromising their professed Christian values in order to embrace their undeniably vulgar, possibly criminal, Republican nominee. What’s most surprising, is that 16 years after acknowledging she’d been used by the far-right movement in a crusade to take down the Clintons, Jones is enthusiastically taking her place back on their team. Paula Jones’s story was, and is, catnip for conservatives: She has consistently claimed that in 1991, when she was a 24-year-old state employee making $6.35 an hour, Bill Clinton, then Arkansas’s governor, made several unwanted sexual advances and exposed himself to her in a Little Rock hotel room. When Jones expressed shock and disgust, she says Clinton stopped, and told her, “Well, I don’t want to make you do anything you don’t want to do.” After the alleged encounter, Jones claimed she was threatened, intimidated, and reassigned—all, she claimed, as retribution for refusing Clinton. The sexual-harassment lawsuit her allegations spawned dragged on five long years—thanks to a group of anti-Clinton conservatives who saw Jones as a means to take down the president—and ended with Clinton handing over an $850,000 out-of-court settlement but never an apology or acknowledgment of any wrongdoing. The president also survived the impeachment fight her case triggered. Clinton has steadfastly denied Jones’s allegations and maintained he doesn’t remember meeting her. “I’m glad it’s over with, that’s for sure,” Jones told Joe Conason in a 2000 Penthouse interview—the third, and only voluntary time, Jones appeared in the magazine. “And I wish it could have been over with a lot sooner. I’m not looking for fame or fortune or anything like that.” Jones had reason to be relieved; the ’90s had been hell. She had taken a beating from the Clinton camp and the national media, been ostracized or ignored by feminist groups, and used then discarded many times over—by the press and pornographers, as well as politically or financially motivated conservative groups that feigned to help her, while working against her best interests. Jones first appeared on the public eye in the pages of the American Spectator, the ultra-conservative magazine funded by billionaire Richard Mellon Scaife that acted as the central cog in what Hillary Clinton would famously described as “a vast right-wing conspiracy” out to ruin her husband. In a December 1993 article, “His Cheatin’ Heart,” by David Brock (a self-described reformed conservative who now supports Hillary Clinton), a former Arkansas state trooper described escorting a “Paula” to Bill Clinton’s hotel room in 1991. When she emerged an hour later, according to the trooper, “Paula told him she was available to be Clinton’s regular girlfriend if he so desired.” (Brock did not respond to requests for comment from The Daily Beast for this article.) The story only used her first name—an inclusion the Spectator editor in chief would later admit was an “editorial mistake”—but Little Rock was a small place and everyone, Jones thought, knew who the trooper was talking about. She’d never had sex with Clinton, as the article implied; in fact, she told family and friends, when the governor allegedly dropped his pants and asked her to “kiss it,” that she had rejected him. So at a friend’s suggestion, Jones sought legal counsel “to clear her good name.” Bill Clinton had been president for a year, and amassed plenty of enemies on his way to the White House. And Jones soon found that a horde of Clinton’s adversaries were happy to champion her cause. Jones and her lawyer held a press conference at the Conservative Political Action Conference. Jones then went on Pat Robertson’s 700 Club, telling the televangelist, “I felt raped. Whether he touched me or not, it was disgusting what he did.” Anti-abortion group Operation Rescue’s leader Patrick Mahoney created a legal defense fund for Jones, because he said, “sexual harassment is wrong.” (Mahoney has not formally endorsed a candidate in 2016, but on Twitter, called Trump’s behavior toward women during the campaign, “troubling and shameful.” Roberston defended Trump on his program last week, dismissing the leaked video as “macho talk.”) She also appeared on National Empowerment Television, a precursor to InfoWars that peddled in Clinton conspiracy theories alleging the Clintons to be murderers. Accuracy in Media, a conservative media watchdog, spent thousands on newspaper ads criticizing the hypocrisy of the liberal media for covering Anita Hill’s complaints while ignoring those from Jones. And Southern Baptist Old Time Gospel Hour televangelist Jerry Falwell, founder of Moral Majority, a political organization for religious conservatives, paid for, distributed, and tirelessly promoted The Clinton Chronicles, a truth-lite “documentary” which accused the president of being a drug-running, murderous womanizer, and prominently featured Jones and her husband, Steve. The tape sold for a donation of $40 plus $3 shipping and handling. The reaction from the left to Jones’ $700,000 civil suit against President Clinton—filed just days before the statute of limitations would run out—was equal and opposite from the support she received by the far-right. Clinton’s camp was cruel. Longtime loyalist James Carville famously said of Jones, “If you drag a hundred-dollar bill through a trailer park, you never know what you’ll find.” And women’s-rights groups were noticeably silent. Susan Estrich, a lawyer and feminist pioneer, wrote in Slate, “This is just one more political assault on the president, politically motivated and politically pursued. You can’t tell me this woman didn’t know whom she was hiring as a lawyer, whom she was allying herself with, whom she was using, and who being used by.” This year Estrich colorfully referred to Trump as “the most vulgar, rude, offensive, racist, bombastic, insensitive, unqualified, disrespectful boor ever to be nominated by a major party in our lifetimes”—then baffled feminists when she signed on to defend Roger Ailes against a sexual-harassment lawsuit brought by anchor Gretchen Carlson that led to the Fox News founder’s ouster. While not offering their exact support, eventually the National Organization for Women, which stood by Clinton, told the president’s supporters they had gone too far in their bashing of Jones. NOW President Patricia Ireland told the New York Daily News in 1997, “I would urge President Clinton to rein in his lawyers on this,” calling their threats to dig up further dirt on Jones in response to a defamation suit she brought, an “inappropriate and disappointing strategy using the so-called ‘nuts and sluts’ defense.” But none of it compared to Jones’s Penthouse treatment. Less than a year after coming forward, Jones’s lawyers were fighting to keep 12 nude photos of their client from being published. Penthouse argued the photos were protected by free-speech laws because of their newsworthiness—ostensibly that they betrayed Jones’s true character and undermined her “I’m not that kind of girl” defense. Jones’s lawyers contended publishing the photos, taken when Jones was 19 years old by her 31-year-old boyfriend, was a violation of New York privacy laws. A judge disagreed. “Publication of these photos was the functional equivalent of a rape—a public raping of Paula Jones—where the rapist instead of being punished gets paid for his behavior,” Jones’s attorney Joseph Cammarata said in response to the ruling. (Cammarata is currently representing seven women who say they were sexually assaulted by Bill Cosby.) While Jones was trying to repair her reputation, the 1995 article that accompanied the photos sought to destroy it. Through dozens of anecdotes—provided by Jones’s brother-in-law, former boyfriends, neighbors, even a manager at the shoe store where she once worked—writer Rudy Maxa crafted a profile of Jones as a “small-town vamp.” For rural Arkansas, Jones’s makeup and short skirts, her devil-may-care attitude, and popularity with boys all added up to something. “Jones’s accusations, detailed in a lawsuit filed against Clinton last spring, did nothing to to help raise the public’s perception of the president’s character,” Maxa wrote. “But what about Paula Jones’s character?… What about Paula Jones’s reputation?” To add insult to injury, Penthouse reprinted the photos in April 1998, the month a federal district judge dismissed Jones’s case. (She would appeal.) For this, Maxa went back to Arkansas for more local dirt on Jones’s alleged promiscuity and again rehashed back-fence gossip about her tight dresses and loose morals. Even the headline, “The Devil in Paula Jones,” was the same. Maxa wondered once more: Why had Paula Jones waited so long to come forward? And why had she not been more upset when telling family what Bill Clinton had allegedly asked of her in that hotel room? But he included new details, too: She’d supposedly had sex in a car once; Jones’s landlord said the Joneses never had money; her handyman allegedly said Jones flirted with him. According to the unnamed handyman, Jones responded to his rejection of her advances with, “You men… I can get back at you, you’ll see.” (If this seems like an unlikely quote, a look at Maxa’s own record raises further questions concerning the Penthouse writer’s dedication to facts and accuracy. Two months after the Jones story, Penthouse retracted an equally explosive article from Maxa on New York Episcopal priests who, he reported, had engaged in homosexual orgies with Brazilian men. Most of the allegations were found to be untrue. In 1991, he left or was booted from his gig at Washingtonian magazine shortly after the publication printed an apology and settled a libel suit with Washington Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke over a profile that painted him as racist who knew about the fixing of football games.) After the Penthouse shaming, some of Jones’s staunchest conservative supporters turned their backs on her; among them, Operation Rescue’s Rick Mahoney, who set up Paula’s first legal defense fund. “All the sudden these pictures surface and and then they dumped me like a hot potato,” Jones would later explain to Joe Conason. “I guess because I was dirty and this and that…” Meanwhile, Jones’s harassment suit was being commandeered for a greater cause—the takedown of a president. The search for evidence in Jones’s case uncovered the affair between the president and Monica Lewinsky, and the discovery that Clinton had lied under oath about his relationship with the White House intern, which in turn led to independent counsel Kenneth Starr’s report and Clinton’s impeachment. Things were moving fast for Jones, and it wasn’t always clear just who was in control of her case. In 1997, Jones was being represented by Gilbert Davis and Joseph Cammarata—two moderate Republicans who suggested that Jones accept a settlement offer of $700,000. For her part, Jones later said, “Oh, I instructed them many times to try and get the case settled…” But there were other lawyers steering the ship from behind the scenes, a group of young conservatives who referred to themselves as Elves (as in the muscle and magic that runs Santa’s workshop). These elves included George Conway—husband to Kellyanne Conway, Trump’s third and current campaign manager who has defended Trump’s trotting out of Jones and the other women, telling Anderson Cooper, “I believe that voters should know who Hillary Clinton is.” George Conway wrote the Supreme Court brief that allowed Jones’s case to continue and leaked to Matt Drudge details of a sealed affidavit that would later be used to discredit Jones—one in which she described a “distinguishing characteristic” of the president’s penis, specifically a bend, a condition that doctors who examined Clinton disputed. Another “Elf,” now-famous conservative firebrand Ann Coulter, was little-known outside far-right DC circles at the time, but made no secret of her distaste for the quick settlement that Jones said she always wanted. In Michael Isikoff’s Uncovering Clinton, Coulter called news of a settlement “a fucking disaster!” “We were terrified that Jones would settle,” Coulter reportedly said. “It was contrary to our purpose of bringing down the president.” While other accounts downplay Coulter’s actual contributions, Bob Guccione Jr., the eldest son to Penthouse magazine’s publisher, and one-time boyfriend to Coulter in the ’90s, said the blonde political commentator was clear about her role then, and what she thought of Jones. “[Coulter] boasted about surreptitiously writing Jones’s legal complaint with a couple of her conservative lawyer friends in DC,” Guccione Jr. told The Daily Beast. “She bemoaned that Jones made a fool of herself in the media, because not only had she not been involved in writing her own complaint, she hadn’t bothered to read it when it was done.” Coulter did not respond to a request for comment. When Susan Carpenter McMillan, an antiabortion activist who had befriended Jones, got wind of a settlement in the spring of 1997, she officially signed on as her official spokesperson, telling Jones’s lawyers: “I’m on board. You don’t have to like it, you don’t have to approve of it. I’m here. I’m going to defend her.” Jones’s advisers and husband convinced her not to take the 1997 settlement, leading her attorneys, Davis and Cammarata, to quit. McMillan held a press conference in front of her home to announce the split. No case was more publicized at the time, and Jones’s case was quickly taken over by Dallas lawyers provided by conservative a Christian legal organization, the Rutherford Institute, whose first order of business involved sending out direct-mail requests for donations. When the money didn’t come rolling in—they only collected $300,000—Rutherford President John Whitehead could only guess why. “There’s a sexual angle to the case that bothers some people,” Whitehead told the Associated Press. “I thought I would have people patting me on the back… but I haven’t heard a thing from anybody.” When a settlement was finally reached in 1998, Jones had incurred hundreds of thousands of dollars of unnecessary debt. Her reputation was ruined: She was mocked mercilessly on late-night television, and in a 1998 national poll, only a quarter of Americans said they believed Jones was telling the truth. After legal fees, her $850,000 settlement turned into $151,000, and because of mismanagement of one of her legal defense funds, Jones owed thousands in taxes and penalties to the IRS. A year after the settlement, Jones was an unemployed, broke, divorced mother of two boys, and all her conservative friends had disappeared. So she agreed to pose for a tasteful spread in the very magazine that she had sued to stay out of, the same one that had disparaged her twice before. The money, she said, would be used for her sons’ college funds. Upon hearing Jones was posing for Penthouse, conservatives who had abandoned her in droves, began to actively attack her. Ann Coulter made her disdain public, writing, “[Jones] used to be a hero in a David and Goliath conflict. She used to have dignity and nobility and tremendous courage. Now she’s just the trailer-park trash they said she was.” In 2000, Jones sat down for an accompanying Penthouse interview with Joe Conason, coauthor of that same year’s The Hunting of the President: The Ten-Year Campaign to Destroy Bill and Hillary Clinton. Jones still thought she had been “done wrong” by the Clintons and their attack machine, but she seemed to have also grown wary of the right, concluding, “I was used by a lot of people to get to him.” “I feel like I came out with the wrong end of the stick, you know?” she said. But that was then. These days, though many of the players are the same, Jones seems like a woman on her own mission. Jones came out against Hillary Clinton’s presidential bid in a 2015 interview with the Daily Mail and told Inside Edition in September, “I am a big Trump supporter, I think he would be our next best president since Ronald Reagan.” After joining Trump’s impromptu press conference last week, Jones appeared with the same women on non-journalist Sean Hannity’s Fox News show. There, Jones alluded to the conspiracy theories first pushed in the Clinton Chronicles in which she appeared decades ago: “There’s been so many things to happen to so many people that are connected to the Clintons.” When Hannity asked if Jones fears for her own life, she answered, “Absolutely I feel that way if she becomes the president. She’s going the rule the world.” Jones declined an interview with The Daily Beast. Her husband, with whom she lives in Arkansas, Steven McFadden, told me that Jones is cautious these days when it comes to the media, but in a brief telephone call, praised his wife for weathering more than most could imagine. “Paula’s definitely a strong lady. She’s not one that you want to back into a corner,” McFadden said. Jones hasn’t commented on the spate of women who came forward last week with stories alleging Donald Trump had sexually assaulted them, or his denials, which routinely invoke the unattractiveness of his accusers—a tactic with which Jones, ridiculed mercilessly for her appearance and social class, should feel all too familiar. She’s also stayed quiet regarding the recently rediscovered tapes of Trump disparaging her in the press. In 1998 on Fox News, Trump said that Bill Clinton himself had been a victim of a “truly an unattractive cast of characters,” naming Jones among them. He was more direct on MSNBC, telling Chris Matthews in 1998, “Paula Jones is a loser.” Still, if Jones harbors any animosity toward the Republican nominee or his alt-right backers who, not so long ago, used her for their own political agendas, she hasn’t made it known. For Jones, whatever happened in that Little Rock hotel room—and the price she ultimately paid for it—seems to trump all. Tatyana Bellamy-Walker contributed research.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Story highlights Stephanie Coontz: Indiana, Arkansas governors caught off guard by outrage, boycotts over anti-LGBT law She says religious conservatives who discriminate no longer hold sway in a culture comfortable with diversity, including same-sex marriage Stephanie Coontz teaches at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, and is director of research and public education at the Council on Contemporary Families. She is the author of "Marriage, a History: How Love Conquered Marriage." The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author. (CNN) The public outrage over the "religious freedom" bills recently passed in Arkansas and Indiana caught the governors of those states completely off-guard, judging by their confused and contradictory responses. As poll watchers, they surely knew that most Americans now oppose the discriminatory laws and practices they accepted as normal only a dozen years ago . But the politicians underestimated the pushback organized by local and national businesses, including companies with no previous record of public support for social equality. Stephanie Coontz They had better adjust to a new reality. For the past three decades, socially conservative evangelicals and pro-business interests have been powerfully allied against government regulations, environmental initiatives and social welfare programs, while supporting lower taxes for the wealthy and pushing back against the growing diversity in America's population. For many, this alliance been puzzling: Other, equally devout Christians who place more emphasis on Jesus Christ's message of unconditional love and on his denunciations of excessive wealth and neglect of the poor, have been uncomfortable with it, as have many business leaders. Their priorities, after all, are based on the bottom line. And companies that sell goods and services to the public are learning that support for discrimination -- or even passive acceptance of it -- threatens that bottom line.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
PRINT-N-PLAY (PnP) Your dollar gets you all of our updates, input on stretch goals, and a PnP version of Control. Retailers: Choose this reward and contact us for bulk options. Less	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Минюст задействовал все инструменты для возвращения украденного прошлой властью и расследования соответствующих уголовных дел, заявил Павел Петренко Закон о гражданской конфискации, разработанный Министерством юстиции, позволит вернуть в государственный бюджет $1,5 млрд средств, украденных экс-президентом Виктором Януковичем и лицами из его окружения. Об этом на брифинге сообщил глава ведомства Павел Петренко, передает корреспондент ЛІГА.net. "Хочу обратиться к депутатам парламента с предложением, чтобы на следующей сессионной неделе был рассмотрен закон о гражданской конфискации, который разрабатывался последние несколько месяцев Минюстом, народными депутатами и экспертами, который даст возможность в рамках гражданского производства вернуть те деньги, которые сейчас заблокированы в украинских банках. Речь идет о 50 млрд гривнях (1,5 млрд долларов), украденных из украинского бюджета", - сказал он. По словам Петренко, Минюст задействовал "все возможные" законодательные инструменты для возвращения активов Януковича и расследования соответствующих уголовных производств. "Украина с точки зрения законодательства является одной из наиболее продвинутых стран, а наши правоохранительные органы имеют огромный арсенал для расследований, конфискаций и возвращения коррупционных средств", - пояснил он. Читайте также: В Минюсте придумали, как вернуть украденные деньги Петренко добавил, что когда дела об украденных Януковичем и Семьей средствах попадут в украинские суды, у Минюста появится легальный инструмент международного сотрудничества со странами, где находятся заблокированные активы подозреваемых лиц из окружения беглого экс-президента. Подписывайтесь на аккаунт ЛІГА.net в Twitter и Facebook: в одной ленте - все, что стоит знать о политике, экономике, бизнесе и финансах. Если Вы заметили орфографическую ошибку, выделите её мышью и нажмите Ctrl+Enter.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
http://clones.soonlabel.com/public/improvfriday/20120811_one_way_ticket_to_mars_blues_ND.mp3 One Way Ticket to Mars Blues is an internet collaborative effort by bassist Glenn Smith and myself. The purpose of my post though is to illustrate a technique I developed many years ago to play my guitar in relative quiet while sounding like I have intensely loud amplification. The basic idea is to clamp a speaker to your guitar. Thus, this is temporary and doesn’t ruin anything if you are careful with what you are doing. Since I record direct in I use a Y connection to split the guitar signal between the amplifier driving the clamped speaker and my audio recoding device. Nearly any amplifier will do – right now I mostly use a honeytone practice amp that has a 1/8″ speaker by-pass socket I installed. What you see clamped is a Dayton Audio Sound Exciter DAEX25 – this works the best of everything I’ve tried so far. Like this: Like Loading...	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
It should be obvious that a car is not a smartphone. Apple Inc. is acting as if they’re the same. It’s no secret that Apple is working on self-driving vehicle technology; it is among dozens of companies that have California permits to test autonomous cars on public roads. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook, in his way, acknowledged the driverless transportation project in a 2017 Bloomberg Television interview, and the company last week confirmed earlier reports that it had acquired autonomous vehicle startup Drive.ai. And yet Apple remains far more closed than its peers. Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo, Uber Technologies Inc., Tesla Inc., General Motors Co.’s Cruise and other companies working on this technology talk fairly openly about their broad ambitions for autonomous transportation, milestones in progress and issues for the industry. Apple does none of this. It’s always Apple’s tendency to keep mum about a product in development until it’s perfect and ready for a world debut. But driverless cars are not smartphones or augmented reality glasses. Emerging technologies, particularly those that have the potential to save human life and also to take lives, need an open debate and deserve a relatively transparent process — warts and all. Driverless cars have the potential to transform the nature of cities, upend a country’s workforce, impact the environment and necessitate revisions to laws and ethics. The public is not well served by Apple’s inclination against engaging on a subject of such importance. Apple may not be well served by its approach, either. The driverless car industry as a whole has not been an open book. Advocates, and some regulators, have pushed companies to disclose far more than they do about safety metrics and to collaborate with rivals to ensure better and safer progress on autonomous technology. But Apple is taking the industry’s discretion to the absurd. Cook reiterated to stock analysts that Apple is interested in autonomous technology and has “a large project going and are making a big investment in this.” And that’s about it. “I don’t want to go any further with that,” Cook said. He’s been similarly vague since then. By comparison, Waymo executives regularly talk about the implications of driverless car technology and its potential drawbacks. In Alphabet’s most recent earnings call, executives talked about opening a Michigan facility with dedicated autonomous vehicle production, explained Waymo’s focus on Uber-like ride services and mentioned making its in-house vehicle sensors available to outside companies. Last week, an Alphabet executive answered a shareholder’s question about how autonomous vehicles might affect tax revenue. For Apple investors, driverless technology is a “free optionality” for long-term stock owners, CFRA Research said this week. The costs are already being absorbed. Apple’s operating margin is at its lowest level in a decade as a share of revenue. Largely that’s because spending on research and development — which presumably includes Apple’s driverless car project — amounted to 6 percent of Apple’s revenue in the last 12 months. It was 3 percent just five years ago. It’s possible Apple is keeping mum about driverless technology because openness is not in the company’s DNA. Or maybe Apple’s laggard status in the technology explains its silence. California regulatory reports show that Apple’s autonomous test cars require more intervention by human backup drivers than many other companies’ prototypes. (There is debate about whether this data is the best measure of progress, but it’s one of the few available publicly.) Apple has the power to shape public perception in a way that maybe no other company can. It uses that power to sell smartphones, of course, but also to win people over to the company’s views of U.S. immigration policy, the importance of teaching software coding to children and the pernicious effects of social media. Driverless cars won’t be ubiquitous on public roads for many years, but policies and public perception are being set now. People in the U.S. are skeptical about driverless cars, and if nothing else, a little more engagement from Apple might help change opinion.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
昨年１０月に脊髄損傷の大ケガを負い、手術を受けて長期のリハビリの末に復帰を果たした気象予報士の木原実さん（５８）が２７日、自身のブログを更新。負傷からちょうど１年目にあたって自身のＭＲＩ画像を公開した。「あれから１年」とのタイトルでブログを更新した木原さん。「２０１７年１０月２７日。あの日、救急車で運び込まれた東京医大へ今日検診に行きました」と検診を受けて来たことを報告し「ちょうど一年。これは怪我をした日の画像。左が体の正面で右が背中側。上が頭蓋骨。でそこから４つ目の頸骨と五つ目の頚骨がずれている首のＭＲＩ画像です」と大きくずれていることが鮮明なＭＲＩ画像を公開。「気持ち悪かったらごめんなさい」と一言添えた。手術後は動かない手が痛み、看護師を何度も呼んではさすってもらったことも。痛み止めの鎮静剤の副作用なのか「集中治療室の天井を錦絵の大名行列が動いていたり時計の文字盤がぐるぐるまわったり点滴のパイプにポリ袋がたくさん絡みついて見えたり」とおかしな幻覚にも苦しんだという。「それから病院を移って５ヶ月のリハビリ。退院、仕事に復帰して７ヶ月。そしてちょうど一年。書かずにはいられなくてキーボードを叩きました」と、今回のブログを書くこと、そしてＭＲＩ画像を公開した思いを明かした木原さん。「いつか忘れることが怖いからこのことを忘れないためにもここに書き残しておきます」とし、「一人ではどうしようもないことを大勢の人がなんとかしてくれたことを。寂しい気持ちを温めてくれたたくさんの人の言葉を。決して忘れないように。『ありがとう』そして立場が変わったら僕がもらったものを必ずお返ししますから。決して忘れないように。ここに記す。２０１８年１０月２７日」とケガからちょうど１年後の日付を刻んでブログを締めくくった。	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee shared an emotional embrace at the finish line as the brothers took the gold and silver medals in the Olympic Triathlon. Their younger brother, Edward, said while the pair have a great relationship, they "aren't always like that".	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Kathleen Turner says she had a great time; Butch and Pepe are on stage with the cast. Harry Shearer holds his “Thanks Tom” sign. Don Pardo announces the next show lineup with Roy “Jaws” Scheider and Billy “Loverboy” Ocean, before signing off as Don “Loverjaws” Pardo. Bruce Feirstein (Goldeneye, The World is Not Enough and Tomorrow Never Dies), Ron Richards (Not Necessarily The News) and Rosie Shuster are credited with additional sketches. Final Thoughts: A bit of a noticeable drop down in quality from the first half of the season; while the cast and writers’ professionalism prevents things from getting unwatchable, the first half of the show has quite a few duller pieces and a recurring sketch that’s starting to lose steam. As a host, Kathleen Turner was game, but she didn’t really bring too much to the sketches (aside from maybe the Joe Franklin Show), and the women in the cast didn’t get much to do tonight. However, there are a few funny unplanned moments this week, one of which livens up an otherwise overlong sketch, and Harry Shearer gets two of the better pieces into what ended up being his final show. As well, even though he only appears in the weaker first half of the show, Billy Crystal demonstrates that he has become the reliable backbone of the cast by this point in the season, doing an impressive six appearances in that span. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS: The Joe Franklin Show MacDouglass-Drummond Strictly From Blackwell Green Room SHOW LOWLIGHTS: Monologue Predictions MVP: Billy Crystal/Harry Shearer CAST & GUEST BREAKDOWN cast Jim Belushi : absent : absent Billy Crystal : 6 appearances [Green Room, Do You Know What I Hate? (IV), Nose Hair Trimmer, Fire Dance, The Joe Franklin Show, Boxer] : 6 appearances [Green Room, Do You Know What I Hate? (IV), Nose Hair Trimmer, Fire Dance, The Joe Franklin Show, Boxer] Mary Gross : 1 appearance [Predictions]; 1 voice-over [Fire Dance] : 1 appearance [Predictions]; 1 voice-over [Fire Dance] Christopher Guest : 5 appearances [Do You Know What I Hate? (IV), Nose Hair Trimmer, Fire Dance, The Joe Franklin Show, Saturday Night News] : 5 appearances [Do You Know What I Hate? (IV), Nose Hair Trimmer, Fire Dance, The Joe Franklin Show, Saturday Night News] Rich Hall : 3 appearances [Green Room, Nose Hair Trimmer, Saturday Night News] : 3 appearances [Green Room, Nose Hair Trimmer, Saturday Night News] Gary Kroeger : 3 appearances [Nose Hair Trimmer, Safeco, Saturday Night News] : 3 appearances [Nose Hair Trimmer, Safeco, Saturday Night News] Julia Louis-Dreyfus : 1 appearance [Fire Dance] : 1 appearance [Fire Dance] Harry Shearer : 2 appearances [MacDouglass-Drummond, Strictly From Blackwell]; 1 voice-over [Predictions] : 2 appearances [MacDouglass-Drummond, Strictly From Blackwell]; 1 voice-over [Predictions] Martin Short : 4 appearances [Fire Dance, The Joe Franklin Show, Scary Lady, Strictly From Blackwell] : 4 appearances [Fire Dance, The Joe Franklin Show, Scary Lady, Strictly From Blackwell] Pamela Stephenson: 1 appearance [Safeco] crew and extras Andy Breckman : 1 appearance [Scary Lady] : 1 appearance [Scary Lady] Butch : 1 appearance [Green Room] : 1 appearance [Green Room] Larry David : 1 appearance [Scary Lady]; 1 voice-over [Predictions] : 1 appearance [Scary Lady]; 1 voice-over [Predictions] Barry Nichols : 1 appearance [Scary Lady] : 1 appearance [Scary Lady] Pepe : 1 appearance [Green Room] : 1 appearance [Green Room] Rob Riley : 2 appearances [Green Room, Scary Lady] : 2 appearances [Green Room, Scary Lady] Rosie Shuster : 1 appearance [Scary Lady] : 1 appearance [Scary Lady] Dave Wilson: 1 voice-over [Monologue] guests Kathleen Turner : 5 appearances [Monologue, Nose Hair Trimmer, The Joe Franklin Show, Scary Lady, Killing Time] : 5 appearances [Monologue, Nose Hair Trimmer, The Joe Franklin Show, Scary Lady, Killing Time] John Waite: 1 appearance [“Saturday Night”] REBROADCAST HISTORY: April 27, 1985 Known alterations: Safeco and Killing Time removed Jogger Motel (from 10/31/81) added Additional screen captures from this episode are available here.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
The American Health Care Act, which narrowly won passage in the House on Thursday, could transform the nation’s health insurance system and create a new slate of winners and losers. While the Senate will probably demand changes, this bill, if it becomes law in its current form, will repeal and replace large portions of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). It will change the rules and subsidies for people who buy their own insurance coverage, and make major cuts to the Medicaid program, which funds care for the poor and disabled. Any sizable change in our complex health care system leaves some people and businesses better or worse off. For some, insurance will become more affordable — or their taxes will be lower. Others will lose out on financial support or health care coverage. You can see how you might be affected in our summary of winners and losers. Winners High-income earners: The bill eliminates two taxes on individuals earning more than $200,000 or couples earning more than $250,000: a 0.9 percent increase on the Medicare payroll tax, and a 3.8 percent tax on investment income. It also allows people to save more money in tax-excluded health savings accounts, a change most useful to people with enough money to have savings.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
For months, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders seemed to run for president in parallel universes. Clinton focused her criticism on Republicans and rarely targeted Sanders. She did not even say his name in public until long after the first debate. They raced like lap swimmers, each in their own lane. But with snow settling on New Hampshire and a loss likely in the Granite State on Tuesday, Clinton and her allies have turned their fire on the Vermont senator. In the last weeks, Clinton, her husband Bill, daughter Chelsea, allied super PACs, surrogates and members of Congress have by turns accused Sanders of hypocrisy, inconsistency and cutting corners. The Clintons, well-accustomed to decades of intense scrutiny by Republicans, now are giving Sanders a more thorough appraisal than he has ever had in his career. Frustrated Clinton aides believe that Sanders is a politician like any other. Sanders has flip-flopped on gun control, Wall Street donations and immigration reform, they say, changing his views when it is politically expedient. It is a view of Sanders that has become increasingly visible on the campaign trail. “The purity bubble is about to burst,” David Brock, the architect behind the pro-Clinton super PAC Correct the Record, told TIME. Clinton world’s focus on Sanders in recent weeks has been sundry and repeated. Her allies foresee a fine-toothed scrutiny of Sanders’ record, saying that he has benefitted in his career so far by escaping much scrutiny. “I think there’s a lot that has not yet been said and written about Senator Sanders and what he’s actually done,” New Hampshire Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, who is campaigning for Clinton, told TIME. “This is someone who has been in Washington almost 30 years. You don’t stay in Washington that long unless you’re a politician and you understand politics.” The Clinton campaign’s more heated tone reflects a growing realization among campaign aides that the primary against Sanders will be a long and grueling fight. The 74-year-old insurgent Vermont senator is poised to win in New Hampshire on Tuesday, and barely lost to Clinton in Iowa. He has said he will continue campaigning all the way to the Democratic convention in July, and will likely force Clinton to expend money and energy for months against him. With an open spigot of cash from his robust online fundraising operation, Sanders has little reason to end his campaign early. Clinton has begun to forcefully strike back at Sanders for questioning her Wall Street donations. At an event in a high-ceilinged building in Manchester on Monday, Clinton suggested Sanders was hypocritical for attacking her over her banking donors. Clinton pointed to a recent report that Sanders had indirectly received finance industry donations for his 2006 campaign. “Senator Sanders took about $200,000 from Wall Street firms. Not directly, but through the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee,” Clinton said. (Some of the DSCC cash for Sanders’ race originally came from Wall Street institutions.) In their latest debate on Thursday, Clinton called Sanders’ criticism over her Wall Street donations a “very artful smear,” suggesting Sanders was insulting her integrity. “If you’ve got something to say, say it, directly,” Clinton said. Former President Bill Clinton has been perhaps the most adamant critic of Sanders in recent days. At a campaign event on Sunday, he questioned Sanders’ honesty for misleadingly suggesting in his campaign ads that he received endorsements from newspapers. “Bernie took what they said was good about him and put it in his own endorsements,” the former president said on referring to an advertisement that suggested Sanders had an endorsement from the Valley News. (It has not.) And in a rebuke to Sanders for railing against the establishment, Bill Clinton said on Monday in Manchester that Sanders was being divisive and avoiding a substantive policy debate. “We can’t be in a place where we demonize everybody is against us,” he said. “Where everybody who’s on the other side is part of some mythical establishment. … We have to do this together, and producing results together.” Get our Politics Newsletter. The headlines out of Washington never seem to slow. Subscribe to The D.C. Brief to make sense of what matters most. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Now Check the box if you do not wish to receive promotional offers via email from TIME. You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Thank you! For your security, we've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered. Click the link to confirm your subscription and begin receiving our newsletters. If you don't get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder. In New Hampshire last month, Chelsea Clinton said Sanders wanted to “dismantle Obamacare, dismantle the [Children’s Health Insurance Program], dismantle Medicare, and dismantle private insurance,” referring to his plan for universal health care coverage, which has been criticized as thin and unworkable. Chelsea Clinton said she worried “that would strip millions and millions and millions of people off their health insurance.” Some Clinton supporters welcome a more combative candidate, saying they want a closer look at Sanders’ record. “There’s a lot of stuff that comes out about Hillary. She’s been scrutinized, scrutinized, scrutinized. I don’t see any of that about Bernie coming out—and there are things,” said Barbara Marzelli, who runs a gardening business in New Hampshire. “It’s like everybody’s throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks. They haven’t started to fling spaghetti at Bernie.” Hillary Clinton has also questioned whether Sanders is a true progressive, pointing to a mixed record on immigration and gun control. She has said Sanders following the gun lobby’s lead on a 2005 gun control bill, and aides point to Sanders’ vote against immigration reform in 2007. “The only person on [the debate] stage who voted against Ted Kennedy’s comprehensive immigration bill was Senator Sanders,” Clinton campaign pollster Joel Benenson said Friday at a breakfast with reporters in Manchester, N.H. “I don’t see how he gets to go out and decide who progressive is when he voted against that.” Brock, who runs Correct the Record, a super PAC that coordinates with Clinton’s campaign, outlined the main lines of attack against Sanders in an interview, pointing to what Brock called a lack of direct foreign policy experience, sketchily drawn policy proposals—and “hypocrisy.” Sanders’ hypocrisy “goes to to the question of his fundraising at the DSCC and the financial sector,” Brock said. “It goes to pledges that he’s not going to run a negative campaign and breaking the pledges.” Sanders’ campaign responded on Monday to the criticism. “It is very disturbing that, as the Clinton campaign struggles through Iowa and New Hampshire, they have become increasingly negative and dishonest,” campaign manager Jeff Weaver said. Meanwhile, Clinton and her aides have kept up more familiar forms of criticism. On the stump, Clinton points out that Sanders’ policy proposals would be extraordinarily difficult to pass and says Sanders would be unlikely to deliver, as a candidate and as a president. “We don’t want to over-promise,” Clinton said in a high school gym in southern New Hampshire on Monday night. “The last thing we want is promises that can’t be met.” They have also pointed to Sanders’ lack of foreign policy experience. “I think you really saw on that stage someone who can… be our commander-in-chief, protect our national security,” campaign manager Robby Mook said last week. “I think you saw Senator Sanders fail that test.” Whatever happens in New Hampshire on Tuesday, it is clear that some voters have been waiting for Clinton to open up on Sanders. “Nobody is immaculate except Mary, the mother of God,” said Barbara Waldmann, a retired schoolteacher from New York. “No one is immaculate.” -With additional reporting by Jay Newton-Small Contact us at letters@time.com.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
What new hardware and software is likely in the pipeline for the bestselling $35 credit card-sized board? Image: Matt Richardson mrichardson23@gmail.com This year, the $35 Raspberry Pi leaped forward a generation, with the release of the third iteration of the credit card-sized computer. But while 2017 will likely be a somewhat quieter year, there are still upgrades in the pipeline and new hardware to look forward to. Here are the a few predictions about what you should, and shouldn't, expect concerning the best-selling board next year. Launch of the Compute Module 3 Expect to see the Raspberry Pi powering far more appliances in 2017, following the release of the Compute Module 3 (CM3). Due to be launched "very early next year", the CM3 will pack the same quad-core Broadcom BCM2837 processor and 1GB memory used on the Pi 3 onto a slimmer and smaller board. SEE: Raspberry Pi: The smart person's guide The compact design of the Compute Module, which comes with 4GB eMMC Flash storage, makes it better suited to being built into electronic products. The CM3 marks a significant leap forward in processing power, since the previous Compute Module was based on the first-generation, single-core Raspberry Pi, which is up to ten times slower than the third-generation board. When released, it will also be the first Compute Module to run Windows 10 IoT Core, a cut-down version of Windows 10 designed to support Internet of Things appliances. Following the launch of the Compute Module, the electronics giant NEC has pledged to build a custom version of the CM3 into 40-, 48-, and 55-inch screens. Raspberry Pi 3 Model A release Originally expected to release last year, the Raspberry Pi 3 Model A now looks likely to be launched in the coming year. Like the Pi 1 Model A, the board will be a version of the Pi 3 that has no Ethernet and only one USB port, but that sells for a cheaper price. Unlike the Pi 1 Model A, the lack of an Ethernet port and single USB will be compensated for by the inclusion of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity in the Pi 3 Model A. Speaking in February, the Raspberry Pi co-creator Eben Upton said he expected the Pi 3 Model A to launch in the middle of this year, so a 2017 release date seems likely, however the Raspberry Pi Foundation didn't respond when asked for an update on when the Pi 3 Model A was likely to launch. New operating systems The Raspberry Pi is already home to a plethora of operating systems, but 2017 promises to see even more OSes ported to the $35 board. Making this possible will be ongoing work to unlock more of the visual processing power of the board using the open-source VC4 graphics driver, which is continuing to be refined by Eric Anholt. Speaking earlier this year, Upton said that this open-source driver, combined with the faster, 64-bit processor on the Pi 3, would make it easier to port over new operating systems. New operating systems continue to be brought to the Pi, most recently the preview release of Android Things, a bare bones version of Google's OS focused on IoT devices rather than mobile. Don't expect the Raspberry Pi 4 Upton has all but ruled out the release of the next generation of Raspberry Pi in 2017. While the third-generation board was only released one year after the second, the leap to the fourth generation will likely be more tricky. The rapid release of the Pi 3 is something of a one-off, he said earlier this year, made possible by the availability of the board's more powerful chipset and a fall in the cost of producing the Pi, which enabled Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to be added without increasing the price. "We're kind of at the end of that particular roadmap. I would expect a longer pause, a couple of years at least, before any kind of major bump to the platform," he said at the time. Don't expect more memory Upton has also cautioned against expecting the Pi's memory to be increased beyond 1GB in the near future. In an interview this autumn, Upton said that in the short term, it was unlikely to be possible to squeeze more memory onto to board without increasing the price and size of the Pi. While he suggested that 2GB "might be feasible in a few years' time", he said that in the meantime the Foundation would focus on optimising software to run on the 1GB of memory on the Raspberry Pi 3. Open Source Weekly Newsletter You don't want to miss our tips, tutorials, and commentary on the Linux OS and open source applications. Delivered Tuesdays Sign up today Read more about the Raspberry Pi	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Feminist media critic Anita Sarkeesian is facing a barrage of criticism since her unprovoked outburst at popular YouTuber Carl “Sargon of Akkad” Benjamin at Vidcon 2017 last week. The feminist berated Benjamin before an audience, calling him a “garbage human” for criticizing her work on YouTube. Since then, Sarkeesian has been claiming victimhood — describing Benjamin’s presence at her panel as an act of intimidation in a blog post, and in an interview on Polygon where she called for the creation of a blacklist for those who “harass” her. Despite Sarkeesian’s claims, game developers are now accusing her of promoting harassment. One prominent creator spoke out against her for publishing a piece of fiction about murdering him. The feminist critic often rails against video game players, claiming they direct abuse and misogynist harassment at women in the gaming industry. With enough “fuck you” money to speak out against the feminist outrage mob on social media without fear of reprisal, billionaire Minecraft developer Markus Persson called out the social justice ideologue and her supporters. “I thought you were ok after our brief talk at my house,” tweeted Persson. “You seemed sane and level headed. Unfortunately, you have turned more evil.” “She’s an empty vessel, a wrench, a tool to be used. She’s a sinister greedy fuck,” he added. Not one to mince words, Persson said that Anita’s behavior was akin to that of a “cunt.” He also took aim at gaming website Polygon for supporting her false narrative that demonized Carl Benjamin and his friends as “misogynist harassers.” Persson called the website “toxic filth” that is “actively harming any healing that could ever happen.” Adding to the discussion was Randy Pitchford, the CEO and owner of Gearbox Software, the game studio best known for “Borderlands.” Despite being an outspoken progressive liberal who often voices his support for feminist causes, Pitchford told Persson that he was subject to Sarkeesian’s bullying. “She posted a fiction story about murdering me,” wrote Pitchford. “My child read it – that’s how I found out about it. In person later, she did not apologize.” Sarkeesian has not responded to these claims, and the murder fantasy remains live on the official Tumblr account for Feminist Frequency.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
GADTs are obviously currently a hot topic in functional programming research. Most of the papers focus only on the GADT mechanism (how type checking works etc.). The only example that one usually sees is the "typed evaluator". I am not an expert on this topic, and I'd like to know more about how they would actually be useful in practical programming. For example, I wonder how a parser would look like if it is impossible to construct "wrong" ASTs. Would type checking then effectively take place during parsing? How would a type error in the parsed program be detected and thrown? What other interesting applications exist? In general, how do GADTs change the programming model?	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Women and men from majority Muslim areas of Russia, including Chechnya, have traveled to Syria and Iraq to fight alongside the Islamic State there, and dozens have begun to return as the group has lost most of its territory. The restive region of Chechnya was the site of two separatist wars in the 1990s. Following those conflicts, Mr. Kadyrov, with the backing of the Russian government, has cracked down on dissent. Human rights groups have accused his forces of abuses including torture, kidnapping and murder. Grozny once had a substantial ethnic Russian, Christian population but most of them fled during the wars. The church that was attacked Saturday is in the center of the city and was at the heart of some of the battles of the 1990s. Mr. Kadyrov condemned Saturday’s assault and said he immediately went to the church and was with the police as they responded. He vowed to crush anyone who attempted attacks in his region. “I once again very seriously declare that you can try to commit any actions aimed at undermining the security of the residents of Grozny and other settlements,” he said. “But anyone who makes the first step along this path will be immediately destroyed.” He made the statement via the Telegram messaging app, where he regularly posts information after being kicked off both Instagram and Facebook after he was added to a United States sanctions list.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
The Russian beauty queen at the centre of a divorce row with the former King of Malaysia has challenged him to take a DNA test after he claimed their son may not be his. Rihana Oksana Veovodina married Sultan Muhammad V last year and he dramatically gave up his throne in January amid growing pressure over their relationship. The Sultan now claims they have divorced, and is said to have 'disinherited' their two-month-old child Leon after raising doubts over the baby's parentage. His lawyer Koh told a Singapore newspaper there was 'no objective evidence as yet as to the biological father of the child'. But friends of the former Miss Moscow insist the marriage is still valid and have angrily rejected the Sultan's suggestion that someone else fathered the child - claiming that father and son 'share one face'. Mother and son: Rihana Oksana Veovodina holds her baby Leon, who is at the centre of a row between the couple after the ex-King of Malaysia 'disinherited' him Sultan Muhammad V (pictured as King of Malaysia in July 2018) gave up his throne in January this year to be with the Russian model Oksana, who is now living with her child in a country house near Moscow, is now demanding a 'public apology' from the former head of state. Her close friend Liliya Nastaeva, 32, said today of the Sultan's fatherhood claims: 'What nonsense. 'We are very sorry that his royal, though former, highness chose such a talkative and unprofessional lawyer. 'All people close to Oksana - her parents, friends, family - are waiting for a public apology from him. 'And if (the former king) has some suspicions, then he can always do a DNA test. Oksana, for her part, is ready for this - I can tell you as I am her closest friend. Rihana Oksana Veovodina married Sultan Muhammad V (pictured together) last year and he dramatically gave up his throne in January amid growing pressure over their relationship 'If Oksana had ever shown the face of a child, no one would have any doubts, because father and son share one face.' Asked if the Sultan had seen the child, Liliya - who formerly ran a Moscow beauty parlour with Oksana - replied: 'I don't think I can talk about it.' Oksana's lawyer in Moscow, Evgeny Tarlo, a former Russian senator, told MailOnline the fatherhood claims were 'lies' and a 'vulgar stupidity'. He challenged the Singapore lawyer to prove he was acting for the ex-king. 'I do not know who Mr Koh Tien Hua is, and by what right is he commenting on the personal life of Oksana Voevodina,' he said. 'He must show his credentials.' He insisted to Komsomolskaya Pravda news paper in Moscow that there had been no divorce, despite widespread reports to the contrary. 'There was no divorce, I tell you with all responsibility,' he said. 'As for paternity, what is there to comment on? It is they who must prove that the child is a stranger, and it is not for us to justify ourselves. Lyudmila Gorbatemko (pictured) is the mother of the bride, and is believed to be helping take care of the two-month-old baby in Moscow Friends of the former Miss Moscow (pictured in her beauty queen days) insist the marriage is still valid and have rejected the Sultan's suggestion that someone else could have fathered the child 'Oksana is a married woman, and Faris [the ex-king] is the father of her child. It is immutable.' Royal sources have said that the Sultan intends to 'provide for' the mother and child but they have not been granted royal titles. The couple married in a secret Islamic ceremony on June 7 last year, when Muhammad V still ruled as King of Malaysia. A further ceremony then followed in November 2018 in Moscow, details of which leaked out to the media. Concerns began to grow in Malaysia after lurid reports emerged about the beauty queen's past, including a Russian reality show appearance in which she was reportedly filmed having sex in a swimming pool. A collection of raunchy modelling pictures also began to circulate, fuelling further discontent in conservative Malaysia. Facing growing pressure, Sultan Muhammad V dramatically gave up his throne in January this year to be with the Russian model. The couple married in Moscow last year in a shock ceremony, before Muhammad abdicated his throne in January. She gave birth in May Oksana Veovodina, the Russian beauty queen who married a Malaysian sultan, released a video of the pair talking about their marriage amid reports that they have gotten divorced The abdication was the first for the country since its independence from British rule in 1957. Lawyers for the Sultan insist that the couple have now divorced after Muhammad performed a ceremony in which he rejected his wife three times in the presence of witnesses. However, the divorce proceedings have been shrouded in secrecy, and Kelantan officials earlier denied any knowledge of them. Oksana has not commented directly on the latest twists but posted: 'When you are a good person, you don't lose people, people lose you.' Earlier she insisted she was 'so proud that Malaysian blood flows in the veins of my son', also saying she hoped one day he would be Malaysian king. The royal bride's father Andrey Gorbatenko refused to comment on the scandal. 'I'm sorry, I won't say anything, I'm on holiday,' he said. Previously he said that if he doubted the king he would not have given his blessing to their marriage. After Muhammad's abdication, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah - a keen athlete who holds a string of positions on sporting bodies - was chosen as Malaysia's new king during a special meeting of the country's Islamic royalty. Malaysia has unique arrangement where the national throne changes hands every five years between the Islamic royal rulers of the country's nine states.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
1.35.12 First Look! It's been another exciting week here at Rat HQ! We're working hard on the next content release for WWII Online and the Dev team was able to create the first alpha build for version 1.35.12 last night! Check out what we've been up to! This release will include the first set of new content planned for 2018 including the long awaited Italian Troopers! The Italians will, after a long wait, be in game fighting side by side with their German allies. The Italians will be integrated into the German OrBat and will not have a separate persona for this initial introduction. The Italians will share support equipment with their German Allies and will be outfitted with unique and iconic equipment including the Carcano rifle and Beretta SMG. The first of the Close Support vehicles will also be included in this release! We're excited to include another new way to support your team and assault the enemy positions! The new Close Support vehicle variants that are included with this release will be: Matilda Mk II CS Crusader Mk II CS Vickers Mk VIc with the upgraded Besa 15mm main armament The CS variants will be equipped with larger caliber main weapons with HE and Smoke loadouts to support the infantry advances and take out soft targets! There may also be a couple of surprises with this release, in addition to a number of bug fixes that we're continuously working to include! We know we have lots more work to do but, this is an exciting start to 2018! You can count on our team at Cornered Rat Software to continue what it has demonstrated over the last year, and that is: DELIVER. So consider backing us up for an extended period of time and giving us the proper tools to do the job even better. Upgrade your subscription now by going to http://www.wwiionline.com/account, and if you need any help the support guys are waiting for you at http://support.wwiionline.com. We'll see you on the battlefield! S! Dagger	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Export/Download Printable Text (.txt) CSV Multiverse id (.txt) Markdown/Reddit MTGO (.dek) MTG Salvation MTG Arena Copy to clipboard 2 Dauntless Escort (C16) 192 1 Dryad Arbor (FUT) 3 Fecundity (C13) 165 8 Forest (ZNR) 278 4 Green Sun's Zenith (EMA) 169 3 Heartmender (SHM) 2 Juniper Order Ranger (C16) 207 4 Kitchen Finks (MMA) 216 2 Melira, Sylvok Outcast (NPH) 115 1 Novablast Wurm (WWK) 2 Oran-Rief, the Vastwood (C20) 296 4 Phyrexian Altar (INV) 232 1 Phytohydra (RAV) 4 Plains (ZNR) 266 2 Privileged Position (GK1) 116 2 Rancor (MYS1) 186 4 Safehold Elite (SHM) 220 2 Saffi Eriksdotter (TSP) 2 Sigil Captain (CMD) 2 Stirring Wildwood (C17) 281 4 Sunpetal Grove (XLN) 257 1 Wilt-Leaf Liege (MM2) 200 2 Eldrazi Monument (MYS1) 216 2 Knight of New Alara (ARB) 6 3 Quest for Renewal (WWK) 3 Spidersilk Armor (DDG) Copied to clipboard. You can now import it in the MTG Arena client. In TappedOut's comments/forums In TappedOut's comments/forums with pie-chart On your blog This will require TappedOut.js included in your blog.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Pumping nutrients into the water supply at the front end would tend to boost the fertilizing potency of sewer water discharged at the other end. The area’s sewage treatment plant had recently spent millions of dollars to reduce the area’s nutrient discharges, which cause excessive algae and weed growths in lakes and streams, and officials didn’t want to offset those gains, Grande said. But the alternative, replacing lead pipes, would be costly, and the water utility was legally responsible only for the lead pipe that ran from the iron water mains under the streets to the property line of a home or business. The rest of the lead connection leading to the tap was the property owner’s responsibility. Grande said the DNR insisted on a guarantee that all the lead would be replaced, so the city passed an ordinance requiring residents in older properties to replace their pipes, setting off a backlash over costs that would run to thousands of dollars for each homeowner. “We had to figure out a way, particularly for low-income people, how they were going to be able to afford that,” said Sue Bauman, who was mayor from 1997 to 2003.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
The 6’3, 210-pound defenseman recently completed his senior season at Boston College, recording career highs in points (13), assists (12), games played (37, tied) and penalty minutes (54) and registered a plus-14 rating this season. Wey helped Boston College to a 22-12-4 record and a berth in the NCAA tournament. He was named a 2013 Hockey East Second-Team All-Star and named Hockey East’s 2013 Best Defensive Defenseman. In 133 career games with Boston College, Wey collected 33 points (four goals, 29 assists) and 147 penalty minutes. He helped Boston College win the NCAA National Championship in 2011-12 and tallied one goal and three assists in four tournament games. Boston College also won the Hockey East Championship and the NCAA regular-season championship last season as Wey was named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team at the Northeast Regional. The Pittsburgh native helped the United States win the bronze medal at the 2011 Under-20 World Junior Championship, appearing in six tournament games. Wey was drafted by Washington in the fourth round (115th overall) in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
OK, it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that this board gets H-O-T. It's not something to be held in the palm of your hand, so it's not that critical. Until it is. Because, as all/most CPUs, it more...	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Religious conservatives, who have the upper hand in Iran’s power structure, appear completely confused by the outbreak of coronavirus. On 23 February, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called it “a ridiculous disease used as a good pretext” by Iran’s enemies to discourage people from voting in parliamentary elections. But on 3 March, after a growing number of government officials contracted the illness or died of the disease, he recommended that people read the seventh prayer of Sahifeh Sajjadieh, a collection of prayers attributed to the fourth Shia imam, to fight the disease. Qom: Centre of the epidemic The centre of Iran’s coronavirus epidemic is the holy city of Qom, the religious capital of Iran. It is home to the Shrine of Hazrat-e Masoumeh, the sister of the eighth Shia imam, Imam Reza, and dozens of seminaries. Qom is the bastion of hardliners. Imam Reza’s shrine, in the city of Mashhad, is an unshakable part of the conservative Shia belief system that these two shrines are “houses of healing”, and every year, millions seek relief from their ills at the two shrines. When whispers about shutting down the shrine of Hazrat-e Masoumeh to contain the disease began to spread, Seyyed Mohammad Saeedi, the custodian of the shrine, said that “people should be able to come here and heal from their ills, so it must stay open”. The organisation in charge of the shrine said in a statement that it was “at the highest level of antibacterial nature … and is a strong barrier against the coronavirus epidemic”. Coronavirus in the Middle East and North Africa: What is the latest? Read More » It was initially unthinkable that the two shrines be closed to contain the spread of the virus. But in a clear retreat from ideology, the Imam Reza shrine is now almost completely closed, with all prayer books removed, and Hazrat-e Masoumeh shrine was also officially shut down. This has already provoked protests in Qom, with police dispersing crowds who defied the shutdown and entered the Imam Reza shrine and the Hazrat-e Masoumeh shrine on Monday night. How long this unprecedented situation can be maintained without further unrest remains to be seen. Iran’s economy is in crisis. You can hardly find an economist in Iran, irrespective of political orientation, who does not view corruption and mismanagement as having as much responsibility for Iran’s economic woes as US sanctions. The central problem, even when US sanctions were lifted, was and remains the accelerating unequal distribution of wealth, which is in part the product of corruption. The economic macro indexes do not reflect the realities, including widening income inequality, as the wealthy do not declare their real income. Deprived of services A couple of years ago, the Mehr news agency published a thoroughly researched and shocking report on the deplorable living conditions of Iranian “countrysiders”. According to the report, which has since disappeared from the website, the countrysiders flood to large cities from rural areas in hope of finding jobs. Because they cannot afford to live in cities, they build their own slums around them, deprived of services such as health and education. It is an open secret that participants in Iran’s corrupt system, ranking 147 out of 176 countries in Transparency International's global corruption index, accumulate wealth through patronage, nepotism, cronyism and “rent seeking activities”, including bribery and other shady dealings involving misuse of the public sector. 7. The #COVIDー19 in Iran and elsewhere will affect the underlying state-society relations governing health with profound, understated & below the surface effects on people's relation to authority & their ideas of healthcare and welfare. It rehabilitates medicine in politics. — Maziyar Ghiabi • مازیار غیابی (@MaziGhiabi) March 15, 2020 Against this backdrop, the coronavirus epidemic has deepened the misery of the poor. Many have lost income due to the recession, and cannot afford hygiene items at skyrocketing prices to resist the disease. Masoud Nili, a renowned economist who advised President Hassan Rouhani, in a shocking warning recently wrote: “The continuation of the recent trend could lead to the point where the poor … would be unable to protect themselves against coronavirus … they would become the epicentre of contracting and spreading the disease.” Iran's Deputy Health Minister, Iraj Harirchi, affirmed this, saying on Tuesday: "Concentration of coronavirus disease is mainly in poor neighbourhoods." Abbas Abdi, a prominent reformist activist and journalist, says that resolving the coronavirus epidemic is the mother of all tests of the Iranian political system. He argues that the government needs to exercise its authority to bring under control the current chaotic situation. But people are not cooperating with the government. Health Minister Saeed Namaki has expressed his deep grievances about people ignoring the ministry’s instructions. Abdi maintains that the “coronavirus crisis has involved all the institutions of the nation without exception, from family, to the education system, to religion, to the economy, to the government”. To combat such a far-reaching crisis, people must trust the government as the responsible body to fight the epidemic - but this trust has been seriously damaged in the last few months. Erosion of trust Last November, an abrupt decision to hike petrol prices sparked protests in cities and towns across Iran. Internet access was shut down, and while the country was disconnected from the outside world, hundreds were killed in an iron-fisted clampdown. Then came the downing of the Ukrainian passenger plane and the killing of 176 passengers and crew. Initially, Iran strongly denied that the jetliner was downed by an Iranian missile, despite video evidence to the contrary. After the government ultimately admitted responsibility, furious protesters took to the streets. These days, the army and the Revolutionary Guards have been instructed to clear streets, shops and public places across the country to combat the spread of coronavirus Coverup appears to have held sway again during the coronavirus outbreak. There is a huge discrepancy between the official number of deaths (429 as of 10 March) and the number of deaths announced by local authorities and medical schools across the country: at least 853, excluding Tehran and Qom, the two cities with the highest number of COVID-19 deaths. The erosion of trust and vast discontent in large cities were on display during recent parliamentary elections. In Tehran, an unprecedented 75 percent of eligible voters did not vote. Simmering restlessness could transform into unrest driven by the poor, who are prepared to fight for their survival. These days, the army and the Revolutionary Guards have been instructed to clear streets, shops and public places across the country to combat the spread of coronavirus. Could this be a sign of the system preparing itself for the worst? The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye. This article is available in French on Middle East Eye French edition.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Según un informe de Focus Market, publicado en ámbito.com, las harinas incrementaron (+ 122,9%), las pastas secas (+108,8%), los enlatados de pescado (+ 101,1%), los huevos (+ 91,7%), y la mayonesa (+ 82,4%). aumento productos Productos que más aumentaron en un año Le siguen el papel higiénico (+76,5%), el aceite (+74,8%), el arroz (+73,7%), las hamburguesas (+ 73,5%), la lavandina (+ 71,2%), y los suavizantes (+70,9 %). La consultora seleccionó un conjunto de 104 skus que engloban a 1104 productos de diferentes marcas y presentaciones a los efectos de evaluar la evolución de precios de enero de 2019. En lo que refiere a los productos que más aumentaron en enero frente a diciembre pasado aparecen los panes blandos (+9,5%), los yogures (+ 8,9%), la lavandina (+8 %), las cremas dentales (+7 %), y la mayonesa (+6,4 %). Otros importantes incrementos los anotaron los desodorantes (+5,8%), las galletas (+4,7%), los jabones (+4,6 %), el dulce de leche (+4,5%), los enlatados de pescado (+4,4 %), y la leche (+4,4%). La nota llamativa de este informe es que la contracción de la demanda ha generado en el mes de enero que algunos productos tengan que revisar sus listado de precios a la baja, como postres (- 0,2%), las pastas secas (-0,4 %), el aceite (- 0,5%), los budines (-1,1 %), y las pilas (- 1,3%).	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
A year ago, more than 300,000 people took to the streets in New York to demand action from their leaders on climate change. Nearly the same number took part in similar events in 161 countries across the globe. For 24 hours, the sun did not set on the largest climate protest in history. These grassroots activists are part of a powerful global movement for change that has continued to grow as crucial UN climate talks in Paris in December have drawn nearer, bolstered by interventions from other important global voices – Pope Francis, Graça Machel, Desmond Tutu and Mary Robinson, to name a few. The pope last week repeated his message of climate justice and change to world leaders at the UN. Crucially, that change is now beginning to take hold, with clean energy on the march and the low-carbon economy becoming a reality on the ground, rather than just a PowerPoint aspiration. It is against this backdrop that the Guardian is launching the next stage of its climate change campaign as our team of environment correspondents around the world champion a rare commodity in the climate change debate – hope. There is hope in the many voices who are now calling for action from their leaders. There is hope in the rapidly falling cost of renewable energy that is starting to transform our dirty energy system. There is hope in the pledge by G7 countries to phase out coal power. There is hope in the communities and innovators around the world who are getting on with the job rather than waiting for the politicians. In short, the world is beginning to get to grips with the biggest problem it faces, but has arrived at a crossroads. Powerful forces are still at work against a meaningful agreement in Paris. So those who believe that climate change needs urgent solutions cannot let up the pressure. More of that later. First a recap. Six months ago, the Guardian took a stand on climate change with an editorial push and campaign. The intention was to highlight the uncomfortable fact that a large proportion of the oil, coal and gas reserves that states and companies already hold have to stay untapped in order to avoid dangerous climate change. It is estimated that the world can afford to burn between one-fifth and one-third of proven reserves before there is a reasonable chance of tipping the planet over the 2C danger threshold of warming. Uncomfortable is putting it mildly. As our reporting has sought to demonstrate, the implications of this analysis are huge for our economies, the stability of our financial system and the way we live our everyday lives. The project has also sought new and better ways to cover the biggest and most important issue of the age – one that affects so much else that the Guardian’s journalists around the world report on every day. Extreme weather, food and water shortages, conflict, migration, energy bills, technology and many other issues are influenced by the steady march of climate change. Guardian Environment (@guardianeco) A story of hope: we launch phase II of Keep it in the Ground, our climate change campaign http://t.co/V56iefvBh4 #keepitintheground Aside from making a big investment in investigative journalism and reportage from locations as diverse as the Arctic, China, Brazil, Australia and South Africa, the Guardian also launched a campaign in partnership with the NGO 350.org to persuade the world’s two largest health charities – the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Wellcome Trust – to move their investments out of fossil fuel-producing companies. The Guardian’s own commercial board took the decision to divest its £800m fund from coal, oil and gas. There was always a broader context, however – the Paris climate talks. In December, governments will attempt to thrash out a deal that many hope will chart a course to transforming the world’s dirty energy system and so keep at bay the worst consequences of climate change. Keep it in the ground phase one began to turn up the heat on politicians in advance of those talks by highlighting the stratospheric growth of the fossil fuel divestment movement. In 43 countries, more than 400 organisations with a collective worth of $2.6tn – including Stanford University, the Church of England, the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund and the Australian city with the largest coal port on the planet – have made commitments to move their investments out of fossil fuels. This is civil society putting serious money where its mouth is – something those involved in the talks have noticed. With just over two months to go until the talks it is right that we shift the focus of the campaign. We will continue to highlight the message that the majority of fossil fuels must be kept under the ground and to make the divestment case to the Wellcome Trust and Gates Foundation. But it is time for a new direction. Facebook Twitter Pinterest 60-second climate fix: can the sun cool down the Earth? Naturally, the journalistic focus now moves to the talks themselves. Which countries are the heroes and which the villains? Will the deal be fair to the poorest nations? Most importantly, can the agreement save the world? Despite a relentless diplomatic push by the French hosts to make the talks a success, an ambitious agreement is far from certain. Notwithstanding the importance of the UN process, focusing solely on Paris would be to tell only part of the story. One of the most significant features of the Keep it in the ground campaign so far has been the response from Guardian readers. More than 226,000 of you have signed up as supporters from more than 170 countries – and you have been central to what we and 350.org have done. You bombarded us with ideas for stories to cover. Hundreds of you wrote well-informed and often moving letters to the Wellcome Trust board requesting divestment. Many of you took part in a video appeal direct to Bill Gates. And numerous others in his home town of Seattle have joined the cause with their own campaign. Nearly 1,000 health professionals – including the editors of the British Medical Journal and the Lancet – signed a letter urging health organisations to “do no harm” and divest their assets on grounds of medical ethics. Thank you for your support so far. The new cold war: drilling for oil and gas in the Arctic Read more So when deciding where Keep it in the ground should go next it made sense for us to ask this global movement where they wanted us to shift the focus. Naturally, there was a range of ideas but one clear message kept coming through time and again. It can be summed up in one word – hope. Supporters told us they wanted to hear more about the positive climate stories – the new technologies that are capturing the sun’s energy even more efficiently; the rapid drops in the price of renewable energy; the currently off-grid communities in Africa that are developing clean power; the smart technology helping homeowners to use less energy. Another message that came through was a desire to hear about the other side of the divestment coin. If you take your money out of the problem, where should you put it to be part of the solution? We’ve heard about “divest”, now what about “invest”? Facebook Twitter Pinterest Children touch a solar panel at their school. Photograph: Alamy Above all, you told us that even though the Gates Foundation and Wellcome Trust have not yet chosen to move their investments, the Guardian must not give up on the climate issue. With global warming so high on the world agenda, it would be wrong to abandon the momentum that Keep it in the ground has created. So a major strand of our climate coverage up to Paris and beyond will be about climate change as a story of hope. That doesn’t mean wilfully ignoring the gravity of the situation we face. Far from it. The Guardian will continue to report on the science of climate change, visit the places around the globe that will experience the worst impacts and uncover bad corporate behaviour and misinformation where it happens. But we will also make a point of bringing positive stories to the fore. In particular, the next phase of Keep it in the ground will champion the amazing growth of solar power and its potential to transform the global energy supply. Since the disappointing outcome at the Copenhagen climate summit in 2009, the cost of solar panels has dropped by about 70% and continues to fall, meaning that solar is now as cheap or cheaper than fossil fuels in some countries. In Queensland, Australia, last year, wholesale energy prices went negative during the day for the first time because of the expansion of solar installations to more than 350,000 rooftops across the state. There was so much power on the grid its price crashed. In the US, solar is the fastest-growing source of power with residential rooftop installations up 70% year on year. And politicians there have woken up. Last month, President Obama announced measures to encourage more take-up by home owners. He was speaking in a Las Vegas casino that has 20 acres of solar panels on its roof. Hillary Clinton has made solar a big part of her pitch for the presidency with a pledge for half a billion panels across the country. Republicans too – even those who don’t regard climate change as a problem – are seeing the potential of solar to give households energy independence and security. “Rooftop solar makes it harder for terrorists to render a devastating blow to our power grid,” says Debbie Dooley, who was one of 22 organisers of the first nationwide Tea Party protest in 2009. Around the world, far-sighted countries are helping investors to put serious money into solar. A few months ago, a deal was signed in conflict-riven Burundi for a solar field that will provide 15% of that country’s energy-generating capacity. Tanzania has a plan to give a million homes access to solar energy by the end of 2017. Bangladesh aims to expand solar power to every home by 2021. Morocco plans to build five big new solar plants by 2020 at a cost of $9bn (£6bn) and become a major energy exporter to Europe. Technology improvements can and will help drive this transition by making clean energy cheaper, but we are no longer waiting for some mythical breakthrough invention to solve climate change. Many of the tools already exist. With so much momentum behind clean energy around the world, it is all the more jarring that the British government is going in the opposite direction. With the opposition distracted, the Conservatives have moved to systematically remove support for renewable energy. The government is consulting on subsidy changes that will make it essentially uneconomic for people to install solar panels on their roofs. The Australian government too has acted as a brake on solar energy when we need an accelerator. Facebook Twitter Pinterest A 10MW solar power station in Delingha, in China’s Qinghai province, is the first phase of a solar-thermal plant with a total capacity of 50MW. Photograph: Zhang Hongxiang/Corbis In the coming weeks and months, the Guardian will increase its reporting all of these developments and more. We will look in detail at the potential for solar power and the obstacles it faces. And campaign supporters will continue to play a crucial role. The Guardian will ask readers what you want to see covered and we’ll bring you closer to the experts who can help answer your questions. We will be at the Global Climate March in Paris on 29 November and will give information on what individuals around the world can do to get behind the climate movement. So whether you are already a supporter of Keep it in the ground or whether you are seeing the Guardian’s campaign for the first time, please sign up to find out more. By doing so, you will receive regular updates on our coverage and the progress of the campaign, as well as an opportunity to participate and influence the direction we take. This is the most exciting and hopeful time for anyone interested in solving the biggest problem that humanity faces. As Pope Francis put it in his encyclical on the environment in June: “All is not lost. Human beings, while capable of the worst, are also capable of rising above themselves, choosing again what is good, and making a new start … to embark on new paths to authentic freedom.” That new start is already rising from the dirty energy system we inherited from the 19th and 20th centuries but for now it is just that – a start. It is only with unrelenting pressure from below that world leaders will continue with enough purpose on the right path. The time is now. Join us. •You can also receive latest updates on the campaign by selecting “Follow series” in the Guardian app •Everything you wanted to ask about the Guardian’s climate change campaign •Got a question about Keep it in the Ground that we haven’t covered? Email the team on keep.it@theguardian.com	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
As discussed, the remaining carbon budget can be defined as the remaining amount of CO 2 emissions that can still be emitted while keeping the global average temperature increase due to human activities to below a specific temperature limit. The framework set out below applies to a situation in which one aims to limit peak (or maximum) warming and its associated impacts. It can, however, also be extended to apply to a situation where temperature rise has temporarily exceeded an intended temperature limit, often referred to as a temperature overshoot (see Supplementary Text 1). We present in equation (1) an estimate of the remaining carbon budget (B lim ) for a specific temperature change limit (T lim ) as a function of five terms that represent aspects of the geophysical and coupled human–environment system (equation (1): the historical human-induced warming to date (T hist ), the non-CO 2 contribution to future temperature rise $\left({T}_{{{\rm{nonCO}}}_{{\rm{2}}}}\right)$, the zero-emissions commitment (T ZEC ), the TCRE, and an adjustment term for sources of unrepresented Earth system feedback (E Esfb ). These terms are visualized in Fig. 1 and are described and discussed in turn below. $${B}_{{\rm{lim}}}=({T}_{{\rm{lim}}}-{T}_{{\rm{hist}}}-{T}_{{{\rm{nonCO}}}_{{\rm{2}}}}-{T}_{{\rm{ZEC}}})/{\rm{TCRE}}-{E}_{{\rm{Esfb}}}$$ (1) Fig. 1: Schematic of factors contributing to the quantification of a remaining carbon budget. The schematic shows how the remaining carbon budget can be estimated from various independently assessable quantities, including the historical human-induced warming T hist , the zero-emissions commitment T ZEC , the contribution of future non-CO 2 warming (consistent with global net-zero CO 2 emissions or otherwise) ${T}_{{{\rm{nonCO}}}_{{\rm{2}}}}$, the transient climate response to cumulative emissions of carbon (TCRE), and further correcting for unrepresented Earth system feedback E Esfb . The grey shading illustrates how uncertainty in TCRE propagates from the start point. Arrows and dashed lines are visual guides illustrating how the various factors combine to provide an estimate of the remaining carbon budget. Besides estimating the remaining carbon budget B lim , the framework can also be applied to understand, decompose and discuss estimates of carbon budgets calculated by other methods. The relative sizes of the various contributions shown in this schematic are not to scale. Full size image Transient climate response to cumulative emissions Arguably the most central term to estimating the remaining carbon budget is the TCRE (in units of °C per gigatonne of carbon dioxide (Gt CO 2 ); see equation (1). In essence, the remaining carbon budget is estimated by multiplying the remaining allowable warming with the inverse of the TCRE, where the magnitude of the remaining allowable warming is the result of various contributions shown in Fig. 1 and discussed below. The TCRE can be estimated from several lines of evidence, including the observational record10,12,49,50,51, CO 2 -only simulations10 and multi-gas simulations12,31,49,50,51,52,53 with Earth system models of varying complexity. In its latest assessment54, the IPCC reported the TCRE to fall within the range of 0.2–0.7 °C per 1,000 Gt CO 2 with a probability of at least 66%. TCRE, and hence the linear proportionality of warming to cumulative emissions of CO 2 , has also been found to be robust up to about 7,300 Gt CO 2 of cumulative emissions54,55 and probably more56. This domain of application easily spans the range of carbon budgets consistent with warming limits of 1.5 °C and 2 °C. Historical and maximum temperature increase After TCRE, the combined remaining allowable warming (represented by T lim − T hist − ${T}_{{{\rm{nonCO}}}_{{\rm{2}}}}$ − T ZEC ) is the next key determinant for estimating the remaining carbon budget. Its first term is the specific temperature limit of interest relative to preindustrial levels (T lim , in units of °C), and its second term represents the historical human-induced warming (T hist , in units of °C); see equation (1). T hist is the amount of human-induced warming since preindustrial times until a more recent reference period, such as the 2006–2015 period. The estimation of T hist is a central factor affecting the size of the remaining carbon budget, because it determines how far we currently are from policy-relevant temperature limits (1.5 °C or 2 °C). The assessment of T hist should adequately isolate the human-induced warming signal from the effects of natural forcing and variability57,58. The same is true for T lim , and if T lim is intended to represent an internationally agreed climate goal in line with the Paris Agreement it should do so by definition15. Two additional choices play an important role in determining or setting T hist and T lim : the choice of the preindustrial reference period and the temperature metric for determining global average temperature increase. Neither the preindustrial reference period nor the specific warming metric are explicitly defined by the Paris Agreement and recent literature has explored the implications and interpretations of this ambiguity34,35,59. The 1850–1900 period is often used as a proxy for preindustrial levels because observational temperature records stretch back to the beginning of that period60, and key scientific reports that fed into the Paris Agreement also used this proxy1,59,61,62 (see Supplementary Text 2 for more details). Other periods have been suggested63,64,65, but ultimately the crux lies in that T hist and T lim should always be expressed relative to the same preindustrial reference period to avoid introducing erroneous changes to the remaining allowable warming and therewith the remaining carbon budget. Besides defining an appropriate preindustrial reference period, the choice of metric by which warming is estimated from that period is also important. Studies analysing climate model simulations or observational products can use different metrics to estimate global mean temperature change (see Supplementary Text 2). The impact of this metric choice has been highlighted recently with studies34,59 showing that this choice can result in variations in the estimated global warming of the order of 10% (Supplementary Fig. 1), leading to a potential variation in remaining carbon budget estimates of more than 400 billion tonnes of CO 2 (ref. 59). The IPCC has typically specified carbon budgets based on global area-averaged change in surface air temperature48,66. Other studies, however, have used different metrics and at times have even changed metrics between observations and projections (Supplementary Table 1, Fig. 2). This limits the comparability of these budget estimates59—a situation this new framework attempts to avoid. Fig. 2: Comparison of recent remaining carbon budget estimates for limiting global warming to 1.5 °C (blue) and to 2 °C (red) relative to preindustrial levels, and overview of factors affecting their variation. Estimates are shown for a 50% probability of limiting warming to the indicated temperature levels (additional estimates for a 66% probability are provided in Supplementary Table 2). Several studies do not report formal probabilities, but report the frequency distribution across model simulations instead. The latter estimates are marked N in the ‘Formal TCRE uncertainty distribution’ column. Estimates shown with dashed lines indicate carbon budget estimates with an imprecise level of implied global warming, for example, because they were reported for a radiative forcing target instead. TEB means threshold exceedance budget37; TAB means threshold avoidance budget37 (see Box 1). Data are taken from the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 °C (ref. 48), ref. 39 (with values for 1.5 °C based on our own calculations using the same method), the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (ref. 28) and refs 12,30,31,32,36,41,43. The latest IPCC assessment of the remaining carbon budget48 assumes 0.97 °C of historical warming until 2006–2015, whereas other estimates assume either higher or lower warming for that period (Supplementary Table 1). The background and values for all studies are provided in Supplementary Tables 1 and 2. The assumptions made for each study are coloured (right-hand side of figure) for ease of visual grouping: N, no; Y, yes; SAT, global near-surface air temperatures; BT, blended temperatures (surface air temperature over land and sea-ice regions combined with sea surface temperature over open ocean); RCP, Representative Concentration Pathway; CMIP5, Phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project. Full size image Non-CO 2 contribution to future warming Another term affecting the remaining allowable warming is the non-CO 2 contribution to future global temperature rise (${T}_{{{\rm{nonCO}}}_{{\rm{2}}}}$, in units of °C) (see equation (1) and Fig. 1). Current and future warming depends on both CO 2 -induced warming and warming due to non-CO 2 forcing. Future non-CO 2 warming might be considerable, given that reducing emissions of cooling sulphur dioxide causes warming67 and the knowledge that no obvious mitigation options have been identified that can completely eliminate several important sources of non-CO 2 greenhouse gases68,69. To include ${T}_{{{\rm{nonCO}}}_{{\rm{2}}}}$ in the remaining carbon budget framework, the non-CO 2 warming contribution between a recent reference period (for example, the same period as T hist ) and a specific time in the future has to be estimated. We suggest that this non-CO 2 contribution to future temperature rise should be estimated from scenarios with an internally consistent evolution of greenhouse gases and other climate forcers36,70,71,72,73,74 and at the moment at which global CO 2 emissions reach net zero48. Estimating the non-CO 2 warming contribution at that moment in time reflects a situation in which global cumulative emissions of CO 2 are effectively capped and hence allows us to directly inform the question of how much CO 2 can be emitted while keeping warming to a given temperature level. If non-CO 2 warming were to be estimated at other moments in time, its usefulness for informing mitigation requirements would potentially be strongly reduced. Besides the future evolution of non-CO 2 emissions, the non-CO 2 warming contribution also depends on estimates of the corresponding radiative forcing, including potential changes in surface albedo43. Non-CO 2 forcing and warming can be estimated with the help of simple climate models43,75,76, inferred from more complex climate model runs77, or taken from the literature37,48. Importantly, non-CO 2 emissions would continue to affect warming levels after the time when net CO 2 reaches zero, which creates uncertainty in methods that estimate budgets by integrating changes over time and after an overshoot (for example, see refs 36,43 and Box 1). These uncertainties are reduced in the framework proposed in this Perspective by focusing on the time of reaching net-zero CO 2 emissions and by considering internally consistent non-CO 2 emissions. Under these assumptions, non-CO 2 emissions are projected to result in a constant or declining forcing and warming after the time of net-zero CO 2 (refs 48,73). However, if under alternative assumptions one would project non-CO 2 warming to continue to increase irrespective of the level of CO 2 emissions78, this further increase should also be accounted for within ${T}_{{{\rm{nonCO}}}_{{\rm{2}}}}$ because it would add to future peak warming. Zero-emissions commitment The zero-emissions commitment, T ZEC (in units of °C) is the next term in the remaining carbon budget framework represented by equation (1). T ZEC is defined as the additional contribution to peak warming that is still to be expected after a complete cessation of CO 2 emissions79,80, and hence provides a correction term for the instantaneous linearity postulated by the concept of the TCRE. T ZEC can be positive, negative or zero. For estimates of the remaining carbon budget, the T ZEC when CO 2 emissions approach net-zero levels is of particular interest. In more general terms, this could also be formulated as an assessment of the lag in CO 2 -induced warming at current and declining emissions rates50,79. When T ZEC is positive, not all warming will have been experienced by the time global CO 2 emissions reach net zero. The estimated additional warming would hence also have to be reduced from the allowable remaining temperature increase. At present, T ZEC is frequently neglected in carbon budget studies (see Supplementary Table 1, with exceptions only hypothesizing the effect of its contribution37) and is hence implicitly assumed to be zero or negative. Several studies suggest, however, that there might be a smaller79,80,81,82 or larger83,84 lag between the time when CO 2 emissions have ceased and the time of maximum warming caused by those emissions. Instead of being accounted for as a separate term, the T ZEC could also be integrated within the assessment of TCRE, although a dedicated methodological framework to do so is currently lacking. Unrepresented sources of Earth system feedback	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
While it’s open to having conversations with any of them, a NASCAR executive said Monday morning the sanctioning body has no plans to punish the various drivers who delivered retaliatory acts over the weekend at Watkins Glen International. Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR’s chief racing development officer, briefly addressed the on-track drama from the road course on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s “The Morning Drive.” “We’ll certainly talk to the drivers who want to have a conversation with us. That’s fair,” O’Donnell said. “We always kind of get through the weekend, emotions run high and then check in with folks before they head to the next race, but from our perspective nothing to come of what took place on the race track. The drama started on Saturday with Ross Chastain and Justin Allgaier in the Xfinity Series. Chastain turned Allgaier into a tire barrier on Lap 14. Allgaier then returned the favor on the final lap of Stage 1 when he forced Chastain off track and into a Turn 5 tire barrier. Afterwards, Allgaier said he only wanted to spin Chastain, not wreck him. On Sunday, the action started early when Kyle Busch spun from contact with William Byron in Turn 1 on Lap 2. Busch later gave Byron a push through the inner loop grass. Byron’s crew chief, Chad Knaus, then instructed him to retaliate against Busch, which he did during the first stage break, significantly damaging his own car. Busch’s rough day continued when Bubba Wallace blamed Busch for wrecking him in Turn 5 on Lap 39. After pitting for repairs, Wallace banged doors with Busch multiple times on the front stretch before he finally dumped Busch as they neared Turn 1. Wallace delivered an expletive filled rant against Busch after the race. ICYMI: @NASCAR Executive Vice President @odsteve told @TheMikeBagley & @PPistone on #TMDNASCAR there will be no punishments coming from the on track incidents we saw at @WGI this weekend pic.twitter.com/cnjm2N58uA — SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) August 5, 2019	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
たびたび“相棒”が代わる『相棒』シリーズ（テレビ朝日系）で初回から最新のシーズン14まで鑑識課の課員・米沢守役で出演している六角精児。水谷豊が演じる杉下右京の捜査を助け、シリーズを通してみれば寺脇康文、及川光博、成宮寛貴、反町隆史といった歴代の“相棒”以上の相棒といえる存在だった。「16年もやってきて、新たなことをやりたかった。それを水谷さんも応援してくれたんです」落ち着いた口調でそう話した六角。なんと『相棒』を降板するという。「六角さんが演じる米沢は、最新のシーズン14の最終回で、突如、警察学校の教官に就任しました。劇中では、杉下右京との会話の中で“数年後にはまた現場に戻ってきたい”と話していましたが、最終回のサブタイトルが『ラストケース』だったこともあり、六角さんが降板するのではないか、というウワサが飛び交いました」(テレビ誌ライター) 憶測はあったが、テレビ朝日からの正式な発表はない中、6月24日に東京・下北沢のライブハウスで彼の誕生日ライブが行われた。「彼は『六角精児バンド』というグループを友人と結成していて、定期的に音楽ライブを行っているんです。この日はちょうど自分の誕生日と重なったこともあり、バースデーライブとして開催したのでしょう」(芸能プロ関係者) ‘96年に仲間と組んで結成された。「バンドは'14年にアルバムもリリースしています。六角さんはボーカルとギターを担当。ちなみに俳優の相島一之さんもブルースハープ担当でときどき、参加しています」(音楽ライター) そんな自身の誕生日を祝うライブの途中、演奏が一段落すると、彼は静かにこう語りだした。「実は、このたび長らく出演させていただいていた『相棒』にひと区切りをつけることになりまして……」突然の告白に、場内も静まり返る。そして、ここから冒頭のセリフにつながったのだ。ただ、終始しんみりとしていたわけではない。「よ～く考えてみると、定期収入ってのはすごく大事だから、辞めないほうがよかったかなって今になって少し思ったりもするんですけどね」ライブの終盤には、そうハニカミながら話すと、場内からも笑い声が漏れた。六角の降板について、テレビ朝日に問い合わせてみた。「シーズン14の最終回で、警察学校の教官になっているので、これまでのように直接事件にかかわる鑑識という立場での登場はなくなりますが、米沢守というキャラクター自体は、立場を変えて引き続き『相棒』ワールドに存在しているので……。今後、登場するかしないかは、10月から始まる新シリーズを見ていただければと思います」あくまで「降板」という言葉は使わなかったが、出番はどうもなさそうだ。誕生日ライブで発表したこと自体については、未確認だった模様。「シーズンオフまで、役者さんの活動を追っているわけではないので……」(テレビ朝日宣伝部) 六角の所属事務所に発言の真意について問い合わせるも、期日までに返答はなかった。	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
(Image: Shutterstock) Now that we're half way through the university semester, I'm finding myself inundated with a lot of marking. Sometimes, I try to tackle this work at home, but being the skilled procrastinator that I am, this will inadvertently lead me into the land of daytime television. It was here the other day that I caught a few minutes of Oprah, and noted that in that short timeframe, I found my reaction changing from a sort of admiration to a feeling best described as a prolonged wince. The reason for this abrupt change of heart was essentially the appearance of Jenny McCarthy in what looked like a correspondence role – she of the celebrity ilk, noteworthy for being a very powerful advocate of some very shaky medical advice. I won't go into too much detail here about her travails, since they've been covered extensively here at Boingboing and elsewhere in the media, but suffice to say, both the medical and scientific communities overwhelmingly take issue with her claims regarding linkage between the MMR vaccine and Autism. Indeed, her opinion has not changed, despite recent studies that showed that much of the data in the Wakefield paper (the scientific article that laid the media groundwork for this linkage) was actually fraudulent in nature. Anyway, this is interesting to me. Ms. Winfrey by all accounts seems to have her heart in the right place, and as a person of considerable media clout, you would think that she (or at least her team) would have carefully thought through the ramifications of associating with such a notorious individual. Except that when you look a bit deeper, you find other instances where her brand chooses to ignore a very simple and sensible idea: that "claims," especially claims that operate best under scientific ways of knowing, should only be supported when there is robust evidence to back them up. An obvious example of this is her recommendation of The Secret. This is a book written by Rhonda Byrnes and which appears to be a very elaborate and (if I can be cynical here) lucrative interpretation of the placebo effect. Specifically, the author claims that an individual can "change their electromagnetic frequency," so as to change outcomes in their life. Such language is striking because if you were to ask an expert who knows a thing or two about electromagnetic radiation – say a physicist – you would learn that this phrase is entirely nonsensical. More importantly, you could even ask physicists of different moral leanings, political sensibilities, and/or cultural backgrounds, and you would still get the same answer – because the evidence that refutes her claims stands on its own objective merits. We could go on with other examples of Ms. Winfrey's fondness of pseudoscientific trends – from the establishment of Dr. Oz, to providing the center stage to individuals like Susanne Sommers and Christiane Northrup – but I think you get the point. Let me also be clear: I do think there is some value to these things if individuals truly feel that they are benefiting from them. However, what's worrying to me is when lines regarding safety are being crossed. All to say that for me, there's a bit of irony here, because before seeing Ms. McCarthy on her show, one of things I applauded Oprah Winfrey for was her work in South Africa, particularly her involvement on the HIV/AIDS front. As many already know, this is a country that continues to be devastated by the effects of this disease. According to the latest UNAIDS statistics (based on 2009 data), South Africa currently has the highest infection numbers, estimated at 5.6 million of its population. This includes a startling 17.8% prevalence in individuals aged between 15 and 49. It's also no secret that a significant part of this deadly reality is due to poor government policy, whereby from 1999 to 2008, the former President Thabo Mebki and his health minister, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang were willing advocates of a variety of pseudoscientific claims made by AIDS denialists. Many of these deterred the provision of life-saving antiretroviral medicines: most infamously, Manto herself promoted the use of "beetroot and garlic consumption" as an effective treatment regime. This narrative is strikingly similar to those that allude to Ms. McCarthy or The Secret. The difference, of course, is that with HIV/AIDS in South Africa, Ms. Winfrey chose to side with reason, data, and good evidence. More to the point: having both Ms. McCarthy and the South African HIV/AIDS issue being so prominent under a single brand is an odd dichotomy that begs us to wonder what to make of it. It is, quite simply, a mixed message. At best, it is confusing in a world where the glut of information is already a burden. And more seriously, it is an insult to the good people who have worked so hard on HIV/AIDS education, treatment, and research. But at its worst, it is an affront to all those who have been victims of the propagation of such dangerous claims, whether it is the people of South Africa or the millions of viewers that follow Ms. Winfrey's every suggestion, every recommendation, and every action.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Image caption Shopping may offer exercise and companionship Shopping prolongs life, at least for the over 65s in Taiwan, according to research. Even after adjusting for factors like physical and mental infirmity, men and women who shopped daily lived longer than those who shunned retail therapy, say scientists. Shopping may provide companionship, exercise and an opportunity to maintain a healthy diet, they report in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health. A leading UK expert said the findings "made sense" since shopping involves physical activity, social interaction and keeping mentally active. In the study, published online in the academic journal, researchers led by Dr Yu-Hung Chang of the Institute of Population Health Sciences, Taiwan, studied nearly 2,000 men and women aged 65 and over who lived in their own homes. They found those who shopped regularly lived longer than those who shopped just once a week or less, even after adjusting for factors such as physical limitations and cognitive decline. The data Taiwanese researchers studied 1,850 people aged 65 plus All were living independently at home During a survey in 1999-2000 they were asked how often they went shopping The team tracked how long they lived by linking individuals to national death registries between 1999 and 2008 Those who shopped daily were 27% less likely to die than those who shopped infrequently, with the biggest effect seen in men They acknowledge that shopping could be a marker for those in good health to begin with, but suggest shopping itself may improve health. "Shopping is often for pleasure with the potential to increase psychological wellbeing," they conclude. "Compared to other types of leisure-time physical activity, like formal exercise, which usually requires motivation and sometimes professional instruction, shopping activity is easier to undertake and maintain." David Oliver, visiting professor of medicine for older people at City University, London, said the findings "made sense". He told the BBC: "What the Taiwanese researchers have shown is that continuing to shop is independently predictive of better well-being and longer life. "Shopping is going to involve physical activity, social interaction with other shoppers and because it's quite a complex task it's going to keep you mentally active. "It makes sense that it would be a predictor of better physical and psychological well-being."	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
50Plus heeft duizenden handtekeningen aangeboden aan de Kiesraad. Het zijn steunbetuigingen voor het plan van de partij om een referendum te organiseren over het afschaffen van het belastingvoordeel voor mensen die hun huis hebben afgelost. Volgens voorman Krol zijn er meer dan tienduizend geldige handtekeningen verzameld. Dat aantal is nodig om de procedure in gang te zetten om uiteindelijk tot een volksraadpleging te komen. Of het er inderdaad zo veel zijn, gaat de Kiesraad nu controleren. De handtekeningen werden aangeboden bij de locatie van de Kiesraad in Heerlen. Daar staat de apparatuur die nodig is voor het controleren en tellen. Over een week moet duidelijk zijn of 50Plus in zijn opzet is geslaagd.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Im Gegensatz zu VW-Fahrern in den USA sind die Europäer Kunden zweiter Klasse - sie werden deutlich schlechter behandelt. In den USA hat VW in der Abgas-Affäre eine Einigung gefunden. Doch in Europa kommen die Kunden zu kurz. Kommentar von Thomas Fromm Volkswagen würde nichts lieber tun, als die Affäre um manipulierte Abgasmessungen bei Dieselautos von heute auf morgen abzuhaken. Zukunft statt Vergangenheit, Elektroautos statt Diesel. Der Vergleich mit den US-Behörden kostet zwar fast 15 Milliarden Dollar, also über 13 Milliarden Euro, aber in Wolfsburg sieht man die Einigung als ersten Schritt in Richtung Normalität. Denn von sämtlichen Straf- und Schadensersatzforderungen, von denen VW überzogen wird, gilt die US-Front als härtester Brocken. Die Einigung löst ein Problem, aber schafft gleichzeitig ein neues. Der Konzern sitzt nun in der Falle, weil er seinen Kunden im Rest der Welt erklären muss, warum Amerikaner besser behandelt werden als sie selbst. Für europäische Kunden, die jahrelang mit einer Manipulations-Software im Motor herumfahren mussten, ist das der nächste Schlag. Denn von den vielen Milliarden, die VW in den USA zahlen muss, gehen rund zehn an die Besitzer der betroffenen 480 000 Dieselfahrzeuge - 5000 bis 10 000 Dollar Entschädigung will das Unternehmen jedem Kunden zahlen. Zu Recht fordern deutsche und europäische Kunden nun eine Gleichbehandlung, die VW mit dem Verweis auf unterschiedliche Rechtssysteme ablehnt. Die Einigung in den USA schafft Verdruss in Deutschland Großzügige Entschädigungen hier, nur ein bezahlter Werkstattbesuch mit Software-Update da - das dürfte den Kunden in Deutschland schwerer zu verkaufen sein als ein Zwei-Liter-Diesel aus dem Jahre 2010. Die Käufer, deren Anwälte und auch die EU-Industriekommissarin Elżbieta Bieńkowska laufen deshalb Sturm gegen die Ungleichbehandlung. Hinter dem juristischen Manöver aus Wolfsburg steht eine ganz einfache Rechnung. Weltweit sind elf Millionen Diesel-Fahrzeuge betroffen, allein in Deutschland 2,4 Millionen. Übertrüge man das US-Modell allein auf Deutschland, wäre man sehr schnell bei anderen Summen als in den USA. Bereits der dort jetzt ausgehandelte Vergleich zehrt die für den Skandal beiseitegelegten 16 Milliarden Euro fast auf. Entschädigungen für Millionen Kunden nach dem Vorbild der USA aber dürften VW finanziell das Genick brechen. Das Dilemma: Bleibt VW bei seiner harten Position, wird man für die Menschen in Deutschland und Europa auf lange Zeit jener Konzern sein, der zwischen Kunden erster und zweiter Klasse unterscheidet. Das ist gefährlich, denn ein langjähriger Vertrauensverlust könnte VW am Ende teurer zu stehen kommen als Sammelklagen und Vergleiche. In ihren Marketingkampagnen zeichnen die VW-Strategen gerne das Bild eines kundennahen Unternehmens. Sie zeigen Bilder glücklicher Kleinfamilien mit ihren Autos - als blechgewordene Familienmitglieder sozusagen. Es sind nostalgisch aufgeladene Werbespots, wie sie alle Hersteller gerne von sich zeigen. Bei VW aber haben gefühlige Botschaften gerade in diesen Zeiten eine besondere Bedeutung. Sie können für die Kunden, die schon lange zur Familie gehören, schnell in Realsatire umschlagen.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
The Triumph Street and Speed Triple have often made me feel a little like Goldilocks. The Street Triple is a fantastic motorcycle, but one that makes you wring its neck to get speed out. The Speed Triple is an absolute monster, but begins to feel piggish for a wide variety of riding. Something that fell in between could be juuuust right. I rode a Monster 821 a bit at the same time I was doing my testing for the Triumph Street Triple R review, and while the Ducati didn't feel as well sorted out, it's still the bike I would buy between the two. The Street Triple is incredibly capable, but just doesn't wow me. With the Yamaha FZ-09 stealing sales from the little triple and MV Agusta getting their affairs in order (the 800 cc triple in that Brutale is simply stunning), it's no surprise that Triumph took a good look at the 800 cc motor in the Tiger and found a way to re-work it for sportier applications. The chart below is from Triumph's market research and has made the rounds on the web. Just as the Tiger 800 line has split into different slices, this document suggests Triumph will upsize the Street Triple and make four versions. This graph, created from Triumph Market research, shows the different variations planned for the Street Triple 800. Triumph photo. The Tiger only makes 94 horsepower from its 800 cc triple, 10 less than the 675 cc Street Triple, because its 61.9 mm x 74 mm bore x stroke is tuned for more torque lower in the rev range. To hit the 125 horsepower target in the chart, Triumph will need to drastically re-work the motor to resemble something closer to the one found in the Brutale, which has a bore and stroke of 79 mm x 54 mm. These new bikes range from 110 to 125 horsepower (10-15 more than the Monster) and feature multiple riding modes, as well as vastly updated displays. The R becomes the middle-of-the-road option, with a faired RT (touring) model and top-level RS (sport) model above it. The RS comes with fully adjustable Ohlins suspension, lean angle traction control, track ABS, and additional riding modes. Between new Street Triples, the Bobber, and the Street Tracker, it could be a really busy launch season for the Brits, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if these new Street Triples weren't unveiled next year as 2017 models.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Schizophrenia, depression, and bipolar disorder have more in common than previously thought. Not only are they linked through shared genes, the genetic mutations associated with them also work together to govern immunity, brain signaling, and genome function later in life, according to a Nature Neuroscience study. The new finding may mean that only one drug will be required to treat all these disorders in the future. These psychiatric disorders share more than individual genes This is the first study to show the genetic overlap between psychiatric disorders leads to meaningful paths for treatment, says Peter Holmans, a biostatistician at King's College London and a co-author the study. Essentially, it translates the genetic information into a roadmap for drug discovery. Approximately 50 percent of adults in the US will develop a mental illness in their lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression will affect about 1 percent, 4 percent, and 17 percent of adults in the US, respectively, over the course of their life — and these disorders can be costly to treat. Most people diagnosed with mental illness are either poorly treated or untreated, according to a study of US mental health services published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Overall, the cost of mental illness in the US amounts to $300 billion a year for treatment, lost wages, and disability benefits. Drug discovery for many of these disorders has essentially stalled out; today's finding may lead to new approaches that could ultimately benefit patients. Because this is the first study to demonstrate the mechanistic relationship between these disorders, more research needs to take place to characterize how psychiatric illness functions in the body, Holmans says. He hopes his results will encourage the field to look at biological pathways, which are sets of genes that work together to carry out essential processes in the body. "They're likely to be more promising druggable targets than individual genes," he says. In the study, Holmans and his team of researchers analyzed 60,000 people — 33,000 of whom had diagnosed psychiatric disorders and 28,000 of whom didn't. The participants' genomes allowed researchers to examine the genes that act together along pathways in the body. By comparing the two groups, the researchers aimed to find out if certain pathways have a higher proportion of genetic mutations relevant to psychiatric illness. They then ranked the pathways by their contribution to disease risk for each illness, including depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. Eventually, they were able to use those rankings to find out which pathways are most relevant across multiple disorders, instead of in individual illnesses. The researchers demonstrated that many of the genetic variants that have already been shown to increase the lifetime risk of developing a mental illness work in clusters, playing majors roles in immunity, brain signaling, and genome function later in life. "That’s the very novel thing that we are showing," Holmans says. Not only do these disorders share genetic mutations in common, he says, but the mutations actually cluster together to carry out essential processes in the body. The findings may bolster the 2010 move by the National Institutes of Mental Health to develop clinically useful measures based on genetics and neuroscience. "Future studies of psychiatric illness should perhaps be based on the actual symptoms observed in the patients rather than the traditional [diagnostic] criteria," Holmans says, especially since many symptoms overlap among illnesses, and people can develop one set of symptoms and not the other. The next step is to see if clusters of symptoms from psychiatric disorders match certain pathways in the body, Holmans says. Such an analysis might lead to developing drugs that target specific symptoms present in more than one disorder. It might even lead to a drug that decreases a person's likelihood of developing one of these disorders in the first place — although that application seems speculative at the moment. The study may also help shift doctors from illness categories to symptomatic diagnosis Of course, genetics aren't the whole story. A person's lived experience also plays a role in the risk of developing serious mental illness. Still, Holmans says, genetic factors are "pretty important." Finding a way to regulate these pathways might not prevent everyone who's at risk from developing a mental disorder, but it may one day give at-risk people better chances of avoiding mental illness, or of making their mental illness less severe.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
On this stage, duty is hitting the eye of the beholder. Screenshot : Wonderbelly Games Launching on Steam, Switch, and Xbox One on Friday the 13th (and PS4 later), Roundguard is basically Peggle turned into a dungeon-crawling role-playing game. A ball-bouncing roguelike, if you will. In other words, it’s my jam. Seattle-based Wonderbelly Games combined the Pachinko-style gameplay of Peggle with randomized loot, character-specific skills, and RPG progression to create this charming amalgam of good stuff. Bouncing down the balls of heartache, bang bang. Screenshot : Wonderbelly Games Players choose one of three classes, rogue, warrior, or wizard, each with a particular set of skills that makes them a nightmare for creatures like spiders, skellingtons, orcs, and the odd beholder. The rounded adventurers are fired into the fray, bouncing off treasure, potions, and the aforementioned fantasy creatures. When a creature is hit, the player’s character does damage but also takes damage. Bouncing off healing potions is essential for adventuring success. Each character is aided by skills and equipment randomly awarded as they advance through the dungeon. The rogue, my favorite character, gets a “double jump” skill that allows her to use mana to redirect her trajectory in mid-flight. Randomized equipment also aids in adventuring, adding extra damage and other beneficial buffs or affecting enemies adversely. Roundguard is a clever concept implemented in a charming fashion. It takes a relatively harmless casual classic and gives it extra teeth. Don’t worry, the points have been rounded off. Update 3/13: As of today, Roundgaurd is also available on Apple Arcade. More Peggle Advertisement	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
People who aren't actually carpooling driving in the carpool lane is a sad fact of life in the Bay Area, and probably the world over. The California Highway Patrol doesn't hesitate to publicly shame people during their more inventive attempts at avoiding detection, riding with various mannequins and dolls in order to create the illusion of fellow passengers. CASUAL CARPOOL: I pay $1 to get from the East Bay to SF Such was the case with one driver apprehended by Oakland CHP officers on eastbound Interstate 80 who chose to mask his carpool cheating with a crew of multiple dummies in the back seat, the CHP said Thursday. One wore an eye-catching neon-green windbreaker while the other was outfitted in a hoodie. "Don't Be a Dummy & follow the rules!" the CHP wrote on Twitter. "Clever Carpool offender caught cheating system with TWO dummies in back seat. Clever officer checked both dummies' pulse to make sure!" "Dolls, dummies, pets, infants inside wombs, & ghosts don't count!" they added. The driver in question was also driving on a suspended license, so in addition to facing the $500 HOV violation fine, his car was towed, according to the CHP. In the past, others cheaters have brought along creepy mannequins and, in at least one instance, a Chucky doll in order to disguise unauthorized use of the carpool lane. You can see some of the more egregious examples in the gallery above. While the dolls and dummies may not be a common sight, the cheating is: A 2016 study found that nearly a quarter of drivers in the carpool lanes during the morning commute in the Bay Area are there without the requisite number of riders.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Woman and children injured in Oldham dog attack Police say the dog was ‘dangerously out of control’ A dog has been destroyed in Oldham after it left a woman with serious injuries and attacked two children on Saturday (6th July). Police were called at around 11.55am to reports that a woman had been bitten by a dog at a house on Lower Lime Road in Oldham. Officers attended and discovered the dog was dangerously out of control and two children had also been bitten. The woman has been taken to hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries. The two children have also been taken to hospital with minor injuries. In line with officers’ priority to keep the public safe, the dog was destroyed at the scene due to concerns for the people at the property and the wider public.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Karnataka: BSP MLA quits Congress-JDS alliance, resigns as minister India oi-Chennabasaveshwar P Bengaluru, Oct 11: BSP MLA N Mahesh, Primary and Secondary Education Minister in Congress-JDS coalition government, resigned on Thursday. BSP will rather fight alone than beg for seats in alliance: Mayawati His resignation comes in the wake of Bahujan Samaj Party Supremo Mayawati boycotting the Congress ahead of the Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan state elections and this has created ripples in Karnataka. He had said that he will walk out of the Congress-JDS alliance if Mayawati asks him to. Mahesh had also accused the Congress, BJP, and Janata Dal of being castist parties. After BSP, Congress loses out on SP and CPM in 5 poll bound states "I'm saying this openly, whether it is Congress or BJP or Janata Dal, their workers will not understand the ideology that I'm speaking about. They don't need it because until there is this caste system and inequality- Congress, BJP and Janata Dal will continue to exist," Mr Mahesh said at a BSP event at Chamarajanagar. "The day the caste system and inequality is eradicated, that day Bahujan Samaj Party, the party of Basavanna (12th-century social reformer) will come to power, " he said. N Mahesh was the first MLA to become a minister outside Uttar Pradesh. He is the MLA from Chamarajanagar's Kollegal constituency. (With PTI inputs)	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
By Bernie Woodall (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department has opened an investigation into child sex abuse by priests in Pennsylvania, six Roman Catholic Church dioceses said on Thursday. The investigation is the first statewide probe by federal authorities of allegations of sex abuse and cover-up by the Catholic Church in the United States, according to groups representing abuse victims. The Church in Chile, Australia and Ireland is also reeling from crises involving sexual abuse of minors with surveys showing the scandal has eroded confidence in the Church and Pope. The Pennsylvania dioceses said they had received federal subpoenas following a state grand jury report that alleged over 300 Catholic priests in Pennsylvania had sexually abused children over 70 years. The Associated Press first reported the Justice Department investigation on Thursday. The dioceses of Allentown, Erie, Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Scranton said they were cooperating with the investigation but declined further comment. The Justice Department and U.S. Attorney's Office in Philadelphia declined to comment. An 884-page report made public in August by Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro after a two-year investigation contained graphic examples of children being groomed and sexually abused by clergymen. Shapiro said at the time that it was largely based on documents from secret archives kept by the dioceses, including handwritten confessions by priests. The report cited 301 priests, some of whom have died. Tim Lennon, president of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), said the investigation was long overdue. Four statewide grand juries in Pennsylvania since 2003 identified around 500 alleged sexual predators among acting or former Catholic clergy, he said. "In what other institution could you have 500 criminals and not be prosecuted?" asked Lennon, who said he was raped by a Catholic priest when he was a child. Lennon said SNAP had asked the federal government three times since 2002 for a nationwide investigation of 15,000 active or retired Catholic clergy accused of being sexual predators. Story continues "This is a first. Federal law enforcement has been awfully silent on the Catholic abuse problem, and it's about time," said Anne Barrett-Doyle, co-director of BishopAccountability.org, a U.S.-based resource center that tracks cases of clerical abuse worldwide. She said the only other U.S. federal probe was of a bishop in Boston in the early 2000s. In September, U.S. Catholic bishops said they would set up a hotline for accusations of sexual abuse against bishops and other church leaders, or allegations of cover ups by such people. (Reporting by Bernie Woodall in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Writing by Andrew Hay; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Toni Reinhold)	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
The Trump presidency has brought into focus just how ugly American politics has become. Of course, our politics have had a dark side long before Trump came to Washington. But the Trump era has taken us to a new low. While many Americans are aware of our dire situation, a closer examination should help concentrate our attention on the urgent need to remedy this catastrophic state of affairs. First, let’s look at Trump’s cabinet. He demonstrated his desire to dismantle or undermine much of the executive branch by appointing cabinet members who, in large part, had little or no expertise in the subject matter of their respective departments, e.g. Rick Perry, the new Secretary of Energy. It’s alarming that he has no background in nuclear weapons policy, a major role of the Energy Department. Or, worse yet, Trump nominated people like anti-environmentalist Scott Pruitt, Director of the Environmental Protection Agency, whose intended goals were in direct conflict with the mission of the departments they were chosen to lead. Next, Trump tried to intimidate his former FBI director, James Comey, into silence by threatening to release secret recordings of their conversations, which, in fact, he never possessed. At the same time, Trump ignored the real threat to our democracy, the Russian meddling in our elections, while he accepted Putin’s denials and encouraged America’s intelligence chiefs to belittle the FBI’s Russia probe. Then, Trump used the presidency for his personal profit; for example, doubling the membership fee at his Mar-a-Lago private club after he became president. At the same time, Trump’s companies continue to register trademarks in foreign countries since his taking office, which is not only ethically questionable, but likely violates the Constitution. The list of Trump’s abuses of presidential power goes on and on. Most recently, Trump intensified his assault on the media with a tweet of a video showing him tackling and beating someone who clearly represented CNN. Such outrageous messages could very well lead to physical attacks on members of the media, or worse. What’s just as troubling, however, is the fact that almost nothing is being done to curb or halt Trump’s un-American abuses of the presidency. Yes, Congress and the independent counsel are investigating Trump’s activities. But, these investigations could drag on for months, if not years. Meanwhile, Trump’s Republican Party seems unable or unwilling to take any action to rein him in. While some Republican officials call Trump’s behavior disturbing, they cower and do nothing. Their failure to stand up to Trump and protect our democratic values exposes how little they really care about the future of the United States or their constituents. Unfortunately, the Democratic Party is not much better at pushing back against Trump’s corrupt politics. As the minority party with very little power, they still blast him on television and file lawsuits to deter him. Democratic senators, however, could bring Senate business to a practical standstill through numerous time-consuming procedural hurdles. Additionally, they could use the filibuster as frequently as the Republicans did against Obama, which was a record-breaking number of times. In any event, Trump pays little attention to them, and continues to trample on our civil liberties and dismantle our regulatory protections. Our democracy is sadly crumbling before our very eyes and respect for our country around the world is plummeting. Nevertheless, there may still be reason for hope. The resistance to Trump and his Republican enablers is growing among the American people. In the most recent Gallup Poll, only 37 percent of Americans approved of Trump’s performance. The GOP Senate version of Trump’s healthcare plan received a dismal 17 percent approval rating. And, around the country, more and more Americans want Trump impeached. Last week forty-five marches calling for his impeachment occurred in cities across the country. So what is the cure for Trump’s plague on America? We, the people! The key is building a broad-based, massive grassroots movement, which presents a positive alternative to Trump’s destructive administration. Beyond resistance, Americans must organize a Democracy movement to replace Trump’s regime. This must include a coming together of disaffected Republicans as well as Democrats and Independents, ethnic minorities, rich and poor, and all the various interest groups whose issues Trump has ignored or derailed. Next month at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, the Democracy Convention (See https://www.democracyconvention.org) will bring people from all sectors of society together to unite them “in a common, deeply rooted, broad based, movement for democracy.” In addition, Our Revolution (See https://ourrevolution.com.), which arose out of Bernie Sander’s presidential campaign has a progressive agenda for America’s future that is gaining a good deal of support. Indivisible (See https://www.indivisibleguide.com.) is yet another group fighting to reverse the Trump fiasco. It is happening, but it will take all of us rolling up our sleeves and working together. I urge you not to sit on the sidelines. Join the millions of Americans who are mobilizing to save our crippled democracy.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
The Steelers begin their 2019 season in New England as they take on the Patriots at Gillette Stadium	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Stone Temple Pilots have announced that they will be capping off a busy year with a first-ever live album, Live 2018. The limited release comes to us via Rhino for Record Store Day Black Friday on November 23. As per the PR: “Live 2018 features STP founding members Dean DeLeo, Robert DeLeo, Eric Kretz, along with Gutt, on 11 live performances captured during the band’s 2018 tour. The collection weaves live renditions of classic STP tracks such as “Sex Type Thing” and “Vasoline” with songs from the band’s new studio album such as “Meadow” and “Roll Me Under.” The album concludes with live acoustic versions of “Big Empty,” “Interstate Love Song,” and “Pretty Penny.” Live 2018 will be available on red vinyl as a limited edition of 5000 through participating independent retailers. SOURCE: Press Release – October 9, 2018	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Google is responding to the disastrous earthquake in Haiti with a $1 million donation that will go to organizations "on the ground that are rescuing those still trapped and providing clean water, food, medical care, shelter and support to those affected." The generous donation was announced this morning on Google's blog. It's being made in conjunction with the search giant's continued efforts to encourage and support your donations to organizations. As we reported this morning, Google is also providing a satellite view of the damage in Haiti using Google Earth. It's also using YouTube as a means to collect and share video from Haiti and expand the outreach. Google's efforts, combined with text message donations to the Red Cross — which now total more that $3 million — show the power of social media to inspire action, and the significance of individuals and companies pulling together to support the hundreds of thousands of people in need in Haiti. Haiti Earthquake: Additional Coverage [img credit: thesuperph, iStockphoto]	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Former Weather Underground terrorist group leader Bill Ayers on Tuesday said he was on an airplane “dancing in the aisles” over news that President Obama commuted the sentence of FALN activist Oscar López Rivera, whose group was linked to over 100 bombs placed in U.S. cities in the 1970s and 1980s. Ironically, Ayers, a former associate of Obama’s, was on his way from Havana, where he wrote that he was celebrating the 75th birthday of his wife, fellow Weather Underground member Bernadine Dohrn. Like the FALN, Ayers’ Weather Underground was also linked to bombings in U.S. cities, including those targeting the U.S. Capitol building, the Pentagon, and numerous New York police stations. Ayers wrote on his Facebook page on Tuesday: Still in the air, dancing in the aisles: Just in from sister Jan Susler: We are thrilled to announce that today President Obama made the wise and just decision to grant unconditional executive clemency to Puerto Rican political prisoner Oscar López Rivera, who served 35 years in U.S. prison. One day earlier, he had tweeted that he was on his way to Havana and would return “in time to rise up in Washington” – seemingly a reference to the protests slated for President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Friday. Oscar Lopez freed! Chelsea Manning out!!! Great news! Joy an Justice! Free Leonard! Pardon Ethel! Keep rolling! — Bill Ayers (@WilliamAyers) January 17, 2017 Obama commuted the sentence of Rivera, the longest-serving FALN member who was convicted of numerous crimes, including seditious conspiracy, conspiracy to commit robbery and transport explosives with intent to destroy government property, and later a conspiracy to escape from prison. The New York Times reported thusly on Rivera’s FALN, which is the Spanish acronym for the Armed Forces of National Liberation: The F.A.L.N., which waged a violent campaign for the independence of Puerto Rico, was considered by the authorities to be among the most elusive and resilient terrorist groups to operate in the United States. Among its notable attacks was a bombing at Fraunces Tavern in New York in 1975 that killed four people. The group was known for its tight-knit membership, fanatical zeal and hit-and-run tactics, as exemplified by the bombings of four government buildings in Manhattan and Brooklyn on New Year’s Eve in 1982 that seriously wounded three police officers. Mr. Lopez Rivera was not specifically charged in the Fraunces Tavern bombing but more broadly with, among other things, the interstate transportation of firearms with the intent to commit violent crimes, and transportation of explosives with intent to kill and injure people and to destroy government buildings and property. From 1999 to 2002, Obama served alongside Ayers as a paid director of the Chicago nonprofit the Woods Fund. Obama also worked closely with Ayers in 1995 at the Chicago Annenberg Challenge education group, according to the CAC’s archived records. I previously reported: The records also show Obama’s and Ayers’ foundation granted money to radical leftist activist causes. News reports, archived records, interviews and Ayers’ own curriculum vitae document that Ayers was a founder of the CAC, which billed itself as a school-reform organization. Ayers also served as co-chairman of the Chicago School Reform Collaborative, one of the two operational arms of the CAC, from its formation in 1995 until 2000. Ayers made presentations to board meetings chaired by Obama. Ayers also spoke for the Chicago School Reform Collaborative before Obama’s board, while Obama periodically spoke for the board at meetings of the collaborative, according to CAC documents. According to the documents, first reviewed by National Review Online writer Stanley Kurtz, the CAC granted money to far-left causes, such as the now-defunct Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN. “Everything was absolutely ideal on the day I bombed the Pentagon,” Ayers wrote in his memoirs, Fugitive Days. He added a disclaimer that he didn’t personally plant the explosives. Aaron Klein is Breitbart’s Jerusalem bureau chief and senior investigative reporter. He is a New York Times bestselling author and hosts the popular weekend talk radio program, “Aaron Klein Investigative Radio.” Follow him on Twitter @AaronKleinShow. Follow him on Facebook. With additional research by Joshua Klein.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
I followed a link and ended up on Redstate to read a post by their leader, Eric Erickson. It's extremely rare that I end up on that site (less than 5 times I think in my life), but this was a fun article. It seems that the rubes of the right wing have been suckered out of a lot of cash by con men calling themselves conservatives. You'd almost think they don't like the market for political contributions. :-) Maybe they want regulations? The dumbshit haters are being fleeced. Made me smile. My mother constantly gets mail at her house begging her for money to fight the good fight. More often than not, the groups begging her for help have “Tea Party” in their name and they are all scams. snip The professional right bled Mitt Romney dry, scammed millions of conservatives out of their hard earned money so that consultants could fly on Gulfstream jets, and sent kids to bars in Wisconsin to get drunk while actual grassroots groups went door to door only to see the professional groups take credit for work they did not do. In a party based on rapacious exploitation of people, he should not be surprised that the Republican grass roots get exploited also. Seems like justice to me.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Sign up to get the latest Burton news in a daily email bulletin Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email Shamed sex text MP Andrew Griffiths will be able to vote tonight to help keep Theresa May in power after the Conservative party whip was restored, it has been revealed. Mr Griffiths had been suspended from the Tory Party since mid-July for sending a series of vile sex texts to two Burton barmaids, but the Chief Whip has restored his place in the Party to enable him to vote. He has already told Burton Live that he will be supporting Mrs May in the fight to keep her position. He said: “Theresa May has shown huge determination and bravery in negotiating and arguing for her deal. "I believe she remains the best person to deliver the Brexit people in Burton and Uttoxeter voted for, and I will be supporting her in tonight’s ballot.” He has been sitting as an independent MP since his suspension from the Party. He also resigned as minister for small business but has refused to step down as MP for Burton and Uttoxeter. But Mrs May now needs his support in the secret ballot as a Conservative MP to help win a majority and save her job following the decision to call a vote of no confidence. The vote will be cast tonight after some Conservative MPs were unhappy about the progress of Mrs May's Brexit negotiations and the required total of 48 MPs casting votes of no confidence - 15 per cent of the Tories - has now been achieved. There are 315 MPs sitting for the Conservative Party. Mrs May needs to win the backing of at least 50 per cent of the vote plus one, which equates to at least 158 votes. However, voting numbers had been unclear because Mr Griffiths and MP Chris Elphicke had the whip removed. Mr Elphicke has been suspended by the Conservatives after "serious allegations" over alleged sexual offences that have been referred to the police, the party has said. Mr Elphicke, a former party whip who has been the MP for Dover since 2010, has denied any wrongdoing. RELATED STORIES:	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Germany's Leading Digital Rights Blog Netzpolitik.org Accused Of 'Treason' After Leaking Bulk Surveillance Plans from the still-enough-disk-space dept Netzpolitik.org is arguably the most influential German blog in the realm of digital rights. It played a key role in marshalling protests against ACTA three years ago. You'd think the German government would be proud of it as an example of local digital innovation, but instead, it seems to regard it as some kind of traitor: The president of the German domestic secret service has filed criminal charges with the public prosecutor because of two of our articles. The accusation: leaking state secrets. Those two articles concerned a leak about extending bulk surveillance of online users (original in German), and plans to create a new department of the German secret service to extend its Internet surveillance capabilities (in English.) As Netzpolitik's founder and Editor-in-chief, Markus Beckedahl, explains, he decided to publish this information because it showed that despite Edward Snowden's revelations about NSA surveillance, the German government still thinks the best way of spending taxpayers' money is by spying on them. He adds: Naturally, we uploaded the original documents relating to our article because there was still enough disk space and because it is part of our philosophy to enable our readers to inform themselves using the original source. Thus, they can scrutinise us and our reporting. Apparently, this suffices for a twice charge for treason because it seems to be confidential when the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution expands the Internet’s surveillance and keeps social networks under surveillance using the dragnet principle. This affects everybody, e.g. we could be under surveillance because we have sign up for the same Facebook event as a potential terrorist. But a public debate thereon is undesired. This is not the first time that the German government has given Netzpolitik.org a hard time: Already in the autumn of 2014, the German Federal Chancellery (German: Bundeskanzleramt, translator’s note) has threatened us with a charge which was also announced but later on abandoned. Like the present case, that seems a clear attempt to intimidate reporting. As Beckedahl points out, even though the new hunt for whistleblowers is not aimed directly at the blog and its journalists, they are likely to be caught up in any investigation, probably just to act as a warning: It is very rare that the German Federal Public Prosecutor investigates against journalistic sources. We could not find any case since 2005. Now we shall experience the full rigour of the constitutional state. The charge is not directed straight to our reporting but we are nevertheless affected. We are mentioned and have to expect to be under surveillance and possibly to be subject to a house search. What makes this kind of bullying doubly outrageous is that there is a rather bigger story regarding the press in Germany: the fact that both the NSA and CIA spied on the news magazine Der Spiegel. And yet rather than investigate that fact, or that other newspapers seem to have been victims too, the German government is more concerned about intimidating journalists that dare to report on its own plans to spy on millions of its citizens. Follow me @glynmoody on Twitter or identi.ca, and +glynmoody on Google+ Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community. Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis. While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you. –The Techdirt Team Filed Under: chilling effects, digital rights, germany, investigative reporting, surveillance, treason, whistleblowing Companies: nezpolitik	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
I suppose you can’t blame Westworld for trying. The HBO series, which launches its third season on March 15, has had some trouble working its way to the galactic center of the zeitgeist the way its erstwhile sibling, Game of Thrones, did. They are two very different shows, of course—but I do think that HBO hoped Westworld, an expensive series plagued by production problems, would become a similar kind of international watercooler hit. (Remember gathering ‘round the watercooler, before COVID forced us all into isolation?) Despite decent ratings, Westworld hasn’t permeated the cultural discourse like its Westerosi brethren. Especially not in its second season, which doubled down on the foundational mysteries at the heart of the series—about a futuristic amusement park where rich humans visit their fantasies upon an increasingly conscious population of robots—to sometimes inscrutable effect. Audiences were handed a knot of intricately woven timelines that was pretty hard to untie into coherent strands, on top of having to unpack a black box full of dreamy existential babble about self and soul and autonomy. I really liked the season’s moody, opaque operatics—some episodes were downright stunning—but plenty of people understandably did not. How, then, would Westworld proceed, in perhaps its last chance to become a genuinely big deal? A strategy is near immediately apparent in Season 3, which explores the world outside the park. (The Season 2 finale gave us a glimpse, in what would have been a perfect series closer, ahem.) The four episodes I’ve seen ramp up the red-meat butt-kicking stuff while uncomplicating the mysteries and motivations that have heretofore guided the series into its enticing abstractions. This new iteration of the show is, to use a dated word, a bit basic. It’s got some cool sci-fi stuff going on, but the twists and loops have been ironed out to create a smoother surface for more action-movie content. But will the show’s transformation into something more easily legible and digestible be enough to attract new eyeballs? Or should Westworld have not worried so much about an imagined wider audience and just stuck to its six-shooters, delivering a third (and final) season that stood strong in its idiosyncrasy—putting it in the same league not as Game of Thrones, but HBO’s The Leftovers? At this point, the latter seems like it would have been the wiser—or at least more fulfilling—option. I don’t love this leaner, meaner Westworld. The show suddenly seems so much less sexy and dangerous and alluring than it once did: it’s flat, more obvious, occasionally hokey. It tries a bit too hard to appeal to those who only want a shoot-and-stab-’em-up about sexy robots. Westworld has always been a violent show, one that, quite like its fictional park guests, is a bit turned-on by wanton bloodshed. But the show used to be careful to offset that, at least a little bit, with some horror and revulsion in response to that annihilation. Less so in this new version, which happily makes a monotonously butt-kicking badass out of lead robot Dolores as she charges along on her quest to, I think, destroy humanity. What the show has smartly retained, for the most part, is its core cast. Evan Rachel Wood manages to find levels within Dolores’s newfound monomania. She’s clever and frightening, satisfyingly shrewd with a jolt of danger. Tessa Thompson, as the robot now pretending to be corporate shark Charlotte Hale, gives off that same purring menace, though she’s given a bit more emotional roundness to work with. Charlotte, or this version of Charlotte, brings to mind the conflicted, confused robots of older Westworld, unsure of her purpose while programmed to pursue it.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
In a movement that is as much political as it is religious, China’s Uighurs, a Muslim community of about 10 million (0.8 percent of China’s population), have been agitating for an independent nation for decades. All too often, that has involved the use of terrorist violence that’s barely distinguishable from that committed by the Uighurs’ extremist brethren in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Chechnya, and so on. Here‘s the latest example: Fifteen people were killed when a group threw explosives into a crowded street where vendors were selling food in China’s restive region of Xinjiang, the official Xinhua news agency said on Saturday. Eleven were attackers who were killed by the police, the agency said, and 14 people were injured. The attackers also stabbed people in Friday’s attack in Shache County, state-owned Xinjiang news website Tianshan News said. It said police found detonation devices, large knives and axes at the scene. Deadly attacks in the north-western region in recent years have left hundreds dead. The government has mostly blamed attacks on ethnic Uighur separatists, who it says want to form an independent country called East Turkestan. Heavy restrictions on journalists in Xinjiang have made verifying details about such incidents difficult. Knife-wielding attackers killed 38 people in an incident in Shache County in July. A local court sentenced 12 of the attackers to death in October. China has tightened its controls over the region as unrest grows. On Friday, the Xinjiang People’s Congress passed a regulation banning people from wearing or forcing others to wear logos or clothes associated with religious extremism, state-backed newspaper China Daily reported on Saturday. Vital caveat: It’s hard to know the exact extent and scale of Uighur violence, and even harder to know the possible provocations that preceded it (not that there can be any excuse for the indiscriminate mass murder of innocents). The Chinese government is not only a known suppressor of religious freedom, including the Uighurs’, but also controls the Uighur narrative in almost obsessive fashion. Then again, it’s somewhere between plausible and confirmed that in 2014 alone, Uighur separatists have carried out a number of horrifically violent operations. Wikipedia supplies this list: – On 1 March 2014, a group of knife-wielding assailants attacked people at the Kunming Railway Station killing at least 29 and injuring 130 others… – On 30 April 2014, two attackers stabbed people before detonating their suicide vests at an Ürümqi train station. Three people, including the two attackers, were killed. – On 22 May 2014, twin suicide car bombings occurred after the occupants had thrown multiple explosives out of their vehicles at an Ürümqi street market. The attacks killed 31 people. … – On 28 July, 2014, … Chinese state media Xinhua said 37 civilians were killed by a gang armed with knives and axes in Xinjiang, with 59 attackers killed by security forces. … The incident is disputed as the Uyghur American Association (UAA) said that local Uyghurs had been protesting at the time of the attack. – On 30 July 2014, the imam of China’s largest mosque, Jume Tahir, in the city of Kashgar in Xinjiang, died after reportedly being stabbed after morning prayers for his reported pro-Beijing stance. – On September 21, 2014, Chinese state media Xinhua reported a series of bomb blasts killed in total 50 people in Luntai County, southwest of the regional capital, Ürümqi. … – On October 12, 2014, four ethnic minority Uyghur men armed with knives and explosives attacked a farmers’ market in northwestern China’s Xinjiang region, which according to police, left 22 people dead — including police officers and the attackers themselves. The string of attacks will do nothing to dispel the notion that Islam is anything but a religion of peace.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Ian Kinsler only spent four seasons with the Detroit Tigers, but he felt like a native son from day one. His quiet, “f*** you” attitude on the field is as Detroit as it gets, and he was a hard-nosed player who gave his all in a Tigers uniform — including that time he was bleeding all over the place. He played Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” as his walk-up song, just because. He and Detroit native Jack White are BFFs, and now make baseball bats together. And now the Tigers are interested in a reunion with the 36-year-old second baseman. A reun-Ian, if you will. The Tigers aren’t the only club interested in Kinsler’s services. According to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, the Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics, and Washington Nationals have all checked in on Kinsler’s availability at the Winter Meetings. All three teams need a second baseman this winter, and Kinsler is one of several options available on the free agent market. Morosi notes that D.J. LeMahieu is one of the bigger fish out there, and a certain former All-Star shortstop might consider switching positions in the right situation. In other words, get your grubby hands off our Kinsler, other teams. Even if you ignore all of the feels we would get from seeing Kinsler don a Tigers uniform again, this would be a good fit for both parties. Kinsler is entering his age-37 season, and has clearly taken a couple steps back from his lengthy and productive prime. He hit just .240/.301/.380 in 534 plate appearances last season, and produced a horrible 64 OPS+ in 37 games with the Boston Red Sox. He is now two years removed from his last above-average season at the plate, and has declined as a baserunner as well (despite 30 steals in 42 attempts). A team looking to contend probably shouldn’t bet the farm on a 37-year-old suddenly bouncing back at the plate. The Tigers, on the other hand, could use Kinsler’s veteran savvy and defensive prowess. He bounced back defensively after a down year in 2017, and posted +10 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) last year. That total was tied for the American League lead at second base — only LeMahieu finished with more across baseball — and resulted in Kinsler’s second career Gold Glove. Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR) also thought he was better; his +9.7 UZR in 2018 was his best total since 2011. Both sides would also benefit from a one-year deal. Sure, Kinsler might like to get paid for seasons beyond 2019, but his declining on-field production might not warrant such a contract. The Tigers have several interesting players that could potentially take over at second base in the future, including teenage sensation Isaac Paredes and 2018 third round pick Kody Clemens. Dawel Lugo is also in the mix, but is coming off a down year at Triple-A Toledo. And while Niko Goodrum likely isn’t a future starter at second, he spent plenty of time there in 2018, and could spell Kinsler with regularity in order to keep him fresh throughout the season. Kinsler could also benefit from Detroit’s newly vacant designated hitter spot, in case he does somehow rediscover his stroke at the plate. Is there a downside here? Not really, if you’re the Tigers. Sure, they could stand to spend a bit more on an actual solution at the position — we like LeMahieu just fine, thank you — and force one of the young prospects to actually win the job down the line. However, since it seems unlikely that the Tigers will spend that kind of coin this winter, someone like LeMahieu, Jed Lowrie, or Marwin Gonzalez may not be in the cards. Enter Kinsler, who will likely be had for a relatively cheap one-year contract. As for Kinsler? It kind of depends on what his priorities are in 2019 and beyond. He finally won a championship in 2018, and may be content with returning to Detroit for one last hurrah before riding off into the sunset. Getting a chance to hang out with former teammates, Jack White, and whoever else he made friends with in his four years in Detroit could be more appealing than getting accustomed to a new city and clubhouse — even if that new home offers him a chance at more championship glory. Either way, please make this happen, Tigers.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Can I put my girlfriend on my health insurance if she lives with me? Or do we have to be married? Can I put my girlfriend on my health insurance if she lives with me? Or do we have to be married? ANSWER: I suggest you to visit this internet site where one can compare… Continue reading Can I put my girlfriend on my health insurance if she lives with me? Or do we have to be married?	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Posted on May 1, 2014 in Overviews \| By Henry Seltzer for ASTROGRAPH Horoscopes The astrology of May follows a month that was very intense in its transformational import, including a stressed-out Earth Day, and therefore represents something of an aftermath to this significant time for the planet and for ourselves, thus a month when we could find ourselves taking stock, and attempting to further understand the changes taking place within us. This is indeed an excellent time for introspection with the retrograde of Mars in Libra coming into mutual reception with Venus in Aries, and stationing to direct motion on the 19th. Just before this month began, the Solar Eclipse New Moon of Tuesday, April 28th, taking place in Taurus, indicated that we have yet another intense month ahead of us. This extra-potent New Moon had many chimes with the Uranus-Pluto square that therefore remains largely active in the current month. Although this powerful collision of outer planet energies begins to fade after this month's cycle, it returns in December, thus promising by the end of this year further developments in the ongoing transformation that we remain in the midst of. With Venus, the ruler of Taurus, poised to enter Aries, we have a very active relationship equation brewing. We may well come to review more completely and reflect on the way that relationships work themselves out in our lives. Venus conjoins Uranus by the time of the mid-month Full Moon, taking place on Wednesday, May 14th. Interestingly, Saturn is also bi-quintile Uranus just as Venus conjuncts it. This is a very dynamic Full Moon, with Mercury also participating, and Mars preparing to station in aspect to the degree of the recent eclipse. This implies greater consciousness around the issues of assertion and relationship, along with taking greater responsibility for relationship issues that we have been gradually facing up to. Another astrological archetype that remains a powerful factor in these May skies is Chiron, the Wounded Healer, which is trined by Jupiter for much of the month, most especially at the time of the mid-month Full Moon. Saturn forms a grand trine in Water signs with Chiron and Jupiter at the time of New Moon of April 28th, an aspect pattern that perfects by mid-month. We are looking more closely into our wounding, and that residue of early trauma that prevents us from entering into the transformative nature of these times more wholeheartedly. We can unlock an amazing degree of power and freedom for constructive change once we are able to accept ourselves in the dark places within us, and begin to move beyond their crippling effect on our lives. Uranus and Pluto continue to some extent all this year in their storied square, symbolizing the drastic realizations of this period and the urge to act in concert with them. Uranus and Pluto remain only a degree or two apart for the entire month of May. Over the summer this potent aspect wanes, returning in December. We are therefore making the requisite adjustments required in our lives, however reluctantly or slowly at times, at other times more quickly, over this entire period, indeed right up through to the end of the decade. These two years, of 2014 and 2015, do seem to represent the crux of the decade, at least as far as this aspect of radical transformative change is concerned. These times of epiphany and change do make a difference. However we can come to this, we need to know that our faith in the universe will be repaid, and that our actions actually matter, in order that we truly succeed in what we are currently attempting.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Bay Area emo-rockers Tommy Boys are teaming up with AP to bring you an early listen to their debut self-titled album, which is streaming in full below. Produced by Sam Pura (State Champs, Basement, the Story So Far), the record will be officially released January 27 via Other People Records. (Pre-orders are on sale now.) “We spent way too much time writing and refining this record,” singer/bassist Robbie Donovan tells AP, “but it was purely a labor of love. Hopefully, a few years from now, we'll be able to look back and be proud of the excruciating amount of sweat and blood we put into making this happen. [We] cannot wait to hit the road hard in 2015.”	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
With The Outer Worlds done and dusted, Obsidian Entertainment is switching gears to move onto a triple-a role-playing game for next-generation platforms. The unannounced project was already known to be in the works but now, an indirect confirmation has arrived alongside some minor details. Earlier today, Obsidian Entertainment updated its careers website to open over two dozen job listings across the board. Many of the senior positions mention an unknown next-generation role-playing game that will feature both melee and ranged combat, as well as “exceptional” gunplay, in first-person perspective. Multiplayer elements have also been mentioned and in traditional Obsidian Entertainment fashion, the upcoming triple-a project will have voiced characters and branching dialogues to make a “fun” narrative. In regards to the destined platforms, the developer has cited next-generation consoles and PC. That can perhaps be taken as an indication that Microsoft will not be trying for an Xbox Series X exclusivity. The company has been touting accessibility over exclusivity for the next generation, and even The Outer Worlds landed on PlayStation 4 and will so on Nintendo Switch. Hence, whatever Obsidian Entertainment is working on will possibly release for PlayStation 5. Take note that Obsidian Entertainment is currently working on Grounded, an adorable survival game set for spring. The developer is also working to bring The Outer Worlds to Steam and Nintendo Switch, which remains on a temporary hiatus due to the coronavirus outbreak. In addition, Obsidian Entertainment will probably want to return with a sequel to The Outer Worlds in the future. That being said, the aforementioned triple-a role-playing offering is something completely new and not to be confused with another The Outer Worlds installment. Development looks to be in the early stages, meaning that a release should not be expected anytime soon.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
On Monday, three Democratic presidential candidates—Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton and Martin O’Malley—gave half-hour speeches at the National Council of La Raza’s annual convention in Kansas City. While Clinton spoke with familiarity to an audience she’s long known, it was Sanders whose speech was the most riveting, drawing twice as many applause interruptions as Clinton's. Sanders' speech to the nation's largest Latino civil rights organization was notable because he confronted the "stain of racism," his father’s immigrant experience and his impoverished upbringing, and he went into greater detail than Clinton about what federal government could and should do to create more dignity and economic security for individuals and families. Many pundits have written that Sanders has a problem addressing audiences of color, because he comes from nearly all-white Vermont. But Sanders’ La Raza speech shows that he can deeply connect with Latino audiences. What follows is a transcript of excerpts from his remarks that prompted 45 applauses and a concluding standing ovation. Excerpts from Sanders' La Raza Speech These are tough times for our country. And it is absolutely essential that we involve more people in the political process, that we provide a voice for those people who have no voice, for those people who are in the shadows, and that we engage in serious debate on serious issues—and that is exactly what La Raza has been doing and will do. (applause) I want to focus on three issues. I want to talk about the stain of racism in this country. I want to talk about the need for real immigration reform. (applause) And I want to talk about economic policies that address the grotesque levels of income and wealth inequality in America (applause) and the need to create an economy that works for all of us and not just a handful of billionaires. (applause) Brothers and sisters, throughout history, for whatever reason — and I’m not a psychiatrist — racism has been a stain on human existence… This issue was raised, interestingly enough, just a few days ago when Pope Francis, one of the very great leaders in this world today, stated and I quote, “I humbly ask forgiveness. Not only for the offense of the church herself, but also for the crimes committed against the Native people during the so-called conquest of America.” End of quote. That’s Pope Francis. (applause) Racism has plagued this country for centuries. We should be proud, however, that in recent decades, we have made significant progress, real progress, in overcoming racism and in defeating it; in creating a country where we judge people, as Martin Luther King Jr. reminded us, not on the color of their skin. Not on the language they speak. Not on the country where they came from. But on their character and qualities as human beings. (applause) We are making progress in the country and there will be no turning back. And let me be very clear in stating that no one—not Donald Trump, not anyone else—will be successful dividing us on race or our country of origin. (applause) America becomes a greater nation, a stronger nation, when we stand together as one people and in a very loud and clear voice, we say no to all forms of racism and bigotry. (applause) I know something about immigration, because my dad came to this country from Poland at the age of 17 without a nickel in his pocket, without much of an education, and without knowing the English language. Like immigrants before and since, he worked hard to give his family a better life in the United States. He never made much money. We lived in a three-and-a-half-room rent-controlled apartment in Brooklyn, New York. But he worked hard. My mom worked hard. And they were able to create a situation where their two kids went to college. (applause) When we talk about the Latino community, and in fact, when we talk about America, one critical piece that must be talked about is the need for comprehensive immigration reform. (applause) Let us be frank. Today’s undocumented workers play an extraordinarily important role in our economy. Without these folks, it is likely that our agricultural system would collapse. (applause) Undocumented workers are doing the extremely difficult work of harvesting our crops, building our homes, cooking our meals and caring for our children. They are part of the fabric of America. (applause) Let me tell you my experience, one of my experiences, with undocumented workers. In 2007, I heard about horrendous exploitation in Immokalee, Florida, where undocumented workers grow tomatoes… I saw the conditions, of workers working horrendously long hours and very low wages; very bad working conditions and awful housing. And I’m happy to say that with people working together, we made some progress. Today workers there get better wages, better working conditions and better housing. (applause) Eleven million people came to this country, who today are undocumented, so that they could feed their families, escape gang violence and desperate economic circumstances. Let me also be very clear, that people came to this country because they knew that there were jobs here. And if anyone thinks that employers—employers throughout this country—did not know that the workers that they were hiring were undocumented, they know nothing about what’s gone on in this country for 50 years. (applause) Where do we go from here… I believe there should be a responsible path to citizenship so individuals can come out of the shadows (applause), people can walk the streets (applause) with safety, people can hold their heads high. (applause) The [2013] Senate bill tried to accomplish this important goal, and the time is long overdue for the House of Representatives to take up comprehensive immigration reform. (applause) The Senate bill contained the provisions of the Dream Act, which I strongly support, and which would offer the opportunity of permanent residency and eventual citizenship of young people who are brought to the United States as children. (applause) It is my belief that we should recognize the young men and women who comprise the dreamers for what they are—American kids who deserve the right to legally be in the country they know as home. (applause) This is not to say that I do not have significant criticisms of this long and complicated bill. I believe the pathway to citizenship was unnecessarily linked to border security treaties—measures that many believe were put in place so that the path to citizenship would be delayed or even denied for the millions of undocumented people here; and I want to change those provisions. (applause) I also believe that the penalties and fines of the bill would be hard for the poor, essentially preventing them from accessing the path to legal residency and eventual citizenship. (applause) To be meaningful, a pathway to citizenship needs to be achievable for the millions of workers at the low end of the economic class. These and other barriers of the bill, including the use of more than a decade that it would take to achieve citizenship, make it a flawed piece of legislation and needs to be improved. (applause) Until we can pass comprehensive immigration reform, we must be aggressive in pursuing policies that are humane and sensible and that keep families together. (applause) This includes taking measures that are currently available, including using the presidential power of executive order when it is appropriate. (applause) While the Senate passed the Dream Act in its immigration bill, and the House has not acted, I think President Obama did exactly the right thing with his executive order for childhood arrivals. That was a good first step, but it should be expanded. Deferred action should include the parents of citizens (applause), the parents of legal permanent residents (applause) and the parents of dreamers. (applause) We should be pursuing policies that unite families, not tear them apart. (applause) Let me now touch on a broader issue that impacts all Americans, but especially lower-income people, whether Latino, African American, white, Native American, Asian or whatever. And here is the reality. The reality is that for the last 40 years, the great middle class of this country has been disappearing… And while millions of Americans are working longer hours for lower wages, there is another reality that we have got to put on the table: and that is that almost all of the new wealth and income being created in America today, and in the last many years, has gone to the top 1 percent. And that’s wrong. (applause) It is not acceptable that youth unemployment in this country has reached tragic proportions… For white kids, that number is 33 percent. For Hispanic kids, it is 36 percent. For African-American kids, it is 51 percent. That is unacceptable. And maybe, just maybe, instead of building more jails, and locking up more people (applause) …maybe, just maybe, we should be investing in jobs and education for our young people. (applause) I want America to be known as the best-educated country in the world, not the country with more people in jail than any other country. (applause) When we talk about the problems of America, it is not only jobs; it is income. We need to raise the minimum wage, which today is a starvation wage of $7.25 to $15 an hour, so that anyone who works (applause) in this country does not live in poverty. (applause) We talk about the need to compete in a highly competitive global economy. If we are going to compete effectively, we need the best-educated workforce in the world. And today in America we have the shameful situation of hundreds of thousands of bright qualified young people who want to go to college, but can’t go to college, because their families do not have enough money. That is grossly unfair to those young people and grossly unfair, and dumb for the future of the American economy—that is why I have introduced legislation that would make public colleges and public universities tuition-free. (applause) In my view, furthermore, to be a great country, our government has to start protecting working families and not just wealthy campaign contributors. (applause) That means policies which end voter suppression. (applause) There are politicians who are simply cowardly, are afraid to face the people because they know their ideas do not represent the majority. The only way they win is by creating situations that make it difficult for people to vote. I want to see us have the highest voter turnout in the world. I want to see us make it easier to vote, (applause) not harder for people to vote. (applause) The United States is the only major industrialized country that does not guarantee medical and parental leave for its people. That’s wrong. When a woman has a baby, regardless of her income, she should be able to stay home with that baby (applause) and not be forced to go back to work. (applause) We need to overturn this disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision (applause) which allows billionaires to buy elections. (applause) I voted for the Affordable Care Act, but it doesn’t go far enough. Every other major industrialized country guarantees healthcare to all of its people as a right, and so should we in the United States of America. (applause) We are, in America today, the wealthiest country in the history of the world. But most people don’t know that because almost all of the wealth rests in the hands of the few. So what I would like you to do is to think big, not small. Think of a nation where every working parent has quality and affordable childcare. (applause) Think of a nation… where every person, regardless of income, can get all of the education that they need. (applause) Think of a nation where youth unemployment is not over 30 percent, but are in school or have training or have quality jobs. (applause) Last but not least, think of a nation where every person in this country—no matter their race, no matter their country of origin, no matter their religion, no matter their disability, no matter their sexual orientation—that all come together, to create the greatest country that anyone has even seen; a country that works for all of our people, and we do it when we stand together, and we do not allow people to divide us, divide us, divide us. (applause)”	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
This is an argument Trump’s allies have made for weeks. “Case closed,” Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) said nine days ago when asked about whether he would call former White House counsel Donald McGahn to testify. “It’s over, folks,” White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said immediately after the Mueller report was released. The White House even declared “case closed” before we saw the report. “I don’t think it is going to be damaging,” press secretary Sarah Sanders said of the report, after Attorney General William P. Barr’s letter summarized its top conclusions. “We consider this to be case closed.” AD AD That early declaration should show you just how much of a tactic this is. There are a whole host of reasons this claim is problematic — both procedurally and rhetorically. The main reason is that Mueller expressly left this as a matter for others to decide. He decided not to render a traditional opinion on whether to accuse Trump of obstruction of justice, citing existing Justice Department policy against indicting a sitting president. He also said he would have exonerated Trump on obstruction if he could, but added explicitly that the report “does not exonerate him.” And while doing so, Mueller noted that impeachment is an alternative method for holding a president accountable — and also that a president isn’t immune from criminal prosecution after leaving office. “A possible remedy through impeachment for abuses of power would not substitute for potential criminal liability after a President leaves office,” Mueller wrote in a footnote. He explicitly declined to clear Trump and noted potential future actions that could be taken. AD AD The second reason is that there are plenty of unresolved questions. Even if you accept Graham’s argument that McGahn’s 30 hours of cooperation are contained in the report and that his testimony would be redundant, there are the 14 cases Mueller referred out, some of which are ongoing. There is the Southern District of New York’s investigation, which has implicated Trump in Michael Cohen’s criminal campaign finance violations. There are the questions about Trump’s finances and his still-unreleased tax returns, which Mueller didn’t deal with in his report. The New York Times reported that Trump and his siblings obtained their father’s wealth through, in some cases, “outright fraud.” And there are of course Mueller’s newly revealed concerns about Barr’s handling of his report. As I wrote Monday, there are some key unresolved questions on which Mueller could provide some important clarity, even if he is circumspect in testifying, as many expect he would be. The last word from Mueller right now is that he believes Barr fed misinformation about his report and that the public was misunderstanding it. Perhaps he’s satisfied now that the full report is out and people can draw their own conclusions, but we don’t know that to be the case. And just from a strictly rhetorical perspective, the “case closed” claim is pretty discordant. Trump spent much of his 2016 fomenting “Lock her up!” chants about Hillary Clinton, despite the FBI having announced explicitly that it wouldn’t charge her with a crime. And in that case, it was because of the evidence — not some Justice Department policy saying they couldn’t indict Clinton. AD AD The Mueller report also revealed that Trump, after taking office, tried at least three times to get the Justice Department to prosecute Clinton. So Trump wanted the Justice Department to prosecute someone whom it had explicitly declined to, but his White House and allies say a report that explicitly does not “exonerate” him is “case closed.” The argument from there, I suppose, would be that Mueller may not have cleared Trump, but that Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein then concluded they wouldn’t accuse Trump. Even if you set aside that Trump recently appointed Barr, and Barr’s controversial handling of the matter, he was confirmed by the Senate as attorney general and does have authority over the probe. He’s welcome to make what conclusion he wanted to. But even in his testimony last week, Barr made a point to emphasize that he hadn’t completely cleared Trump. AD AD “No, I didn’t exonerate,” Barr said. “I said that we did not believe that there was sufficient evidence to establish an obstruction, an offense which is the job of the Justice Department, and the job of the Justice Department is now over.” Wait, you might be saying, so Barr said it was case closed? Not exactly. Here’s what came next. “The report is now in the hands of the American people,” he said. “Everyone can decide for themselves. There’s an election in 18 months. That’s a very democratic process, but we’re out of it.” Congress is part of that Democratic process, as the representatives of the American people. Congress also holds in its power the only remedy for holding a president accountable while he or she is in office. Exactly what course it should take is up for it and the people who elect it to decide. McConnell and the White House have decided it’s time to move on, and from a political standpoint that’s not surprising.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Richard premiered Courtney Barnett's new single; spoke to Alison Wonderland about her new song and her continuing US success; plus hear new Khalid, Hein Cooper, Jai Wolf, Amber Mark, and more...	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Goldman Sachs strategists have cut their rating on global stocks to “underweight” over a three-month horizon, citing pricey valuations and poor earnings growth. The bank’s gauge for how investors are feeling about stocks and other riskier assets also isn’t inspiring confidence, said Goldman strategists Christian Mueller-Glissman, Ian Wright and Peter Oppenheimer in a note dated Sunday.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Sign up to our free newsletter for the top North Wales stories sent straight to your e-mail Sign up now! Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Invalid Email A cycle path which may be easier to follow after a couple of drinks has caught the attention of a world record-breaking cyclist. Former professional cyclist Jens Voigt, 43, was left almost speechless when he saw a picture of one of Colwyn Bay’s less impressive contributions to the Wales Cycle Path - the zig-zagging section on the promenade. German superstar Voigt, who broke the one-hour cycling world record in Switzerland last year, posted the picture on his Facebook page with the hashtag “wow”. He cycled 51.115km in an hour to break the record in September. (Image: Steve Lewis) Voigt’s post on Colwyn Bay’s unusual cycle path has been “liked” more than 6,500 times and shared almost 1,000 times. As the photograph on his Facebook page shows, the path was painted in a distinctive zig-zag pattern to avoid lampposts on the prom. As our more recent photo shows, the lampposts have now been removed but the zig-zag path remains. Those who wrote on the German cycling legend’s Facebook page claimed it’s not just in Wales that you get such cycleways. According to one poster called Kunigunde Müller, there is a similar path in Karlsrühe in Germany. Georg Michael said Colwyn Bay’s cycle lane looked like it had been designed for the drunken cyclist. Voigt is currently in New York and was unavailable for further comment. Conwy council and Sustrans, who look after the cycle paths, said: "The cycle lane used to weave in and out around lighting columns on the seaward side of the promenade. "These lighting columns have now been moved to the other side of the road to reduce the corrosion that was occurring due to seawater spray. "We’re currently drawing up plans to rationalise and straighten the lane markings now that the lighting columns have been relocated."	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Despite failing to get into gear, France recorded a dominant, bonus point win over Romania after fielding a second string side	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Ayodhya case hearing in Supreme Court draws to a close. A look at key arguments india Updated: Oct 16, 2019 11:38 IST As the 40-day daily hearing in the 70-year-old Ayodhya title dispute draws to close, all eyes are on the five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi that is expected to pronounce a verdict by November 17. The bench is hearing 14 appeals filed in the apex court against the 2010 Allahabad High Court judgment, delivered in four civil suits, that the 2.77-acre land in Ayodhya be partitioned equally among the three parties -- the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla In September, the apex court had set October 18 deadline to wrap up hearing followed by moulding of relief in the Ayodhya dispute and accordingly developed a schedule after having consultation with lawyers from both sides. In October, the apex court revised the deadline to October 17. Here is a look at the key arguments in the case: KEY ARGUMENTS BY HINDU LITIGANTS # ‘Ram janmasthan is a juridical person, janmasthan has become a personification of the deity and hence, an object of worship. It is believed that the God’s spirit lives in the janmasthan. # Faith is itself evidence that the janmasthan is where Lord Ram was born. # Entire disputed land at Ayodhya was Lord Ram’s janmasthan or birthplace by faith and belonged to him and was indivisible. # Ramjanmabhoomi’s divinity was not lost even after a mosque was constructed over it. The temple’s sanctity remains even if it is destroyed # Even if because Muslims may have offered prayers at the disputed Ayodhya site it does not give them the right to lay claim over it. “Just as prayers being offered on a street (by Muslims) doesn’t mean claim can be laid to its ownership. This place was never considered a mosque.” # Citing photographic evidence, the side argued that images of human beings and animals can be seen inside the Babri structure, which discount the claim that that it is a mosque. Images are contrary to Islamic belief. Muslims do not have image in their place of worship, whether of a human being or animals. # The Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI’s) report of 2003 says that there was a temple at the disputed site and keeping the faith and belief of people in mind and preponderance of probability the place was a temple. # Hindus’ right to worship is an unfettered right and it flows from centuries. It should be protected # Nirmohi Akahara claims Shebaiti rights (as agent of the deity) in relation to deity of Lord Ram # Argumensts based on documentary evidence, which claimed that though a structure in the form of masjid did exist, the ownership and possession of the structure (including the mosque) was with the Akhara. # Nirmohi Akhara managed the land and till 1941, revenue records show continuous possession in the name of Akhara. # Quran, the central religious text of Islam, does not permit the building of the mosque on disputed land. # Babur did not get the mosque constructed nor he was the owner of the disputed land, hence the Sunni Waqf Board did not have any claim in the case. KEY ARGUMENTS BY MUSLIM PARTIES # ASI report is inconclusive on the issue whether any temple/structure was demolished and mosque constructed on the disputed site. ASI report should not be given any evidentiary value. # ASI report is unsigned and it is unknown as to who has done the final analysis of the report and prepared the report. # Earlier, Hindus were worshipping at the Ram Chabutara, in the outer courtyard. # On the intervening night of December 22-23, 1949, the idol was shifted from Ram Chabutara (in the outer courtyard) to Central Dome (in the inner courtyard). # No averment that the central dome was the birth place. # Property in suit is not the birth place of Lord Ram and is a mosque called Babri Masjid constructed during the reign of Babur # there is no evidence of Hindus praying inside the central dome and it was the Ram Chabutara in the outer courtyard, which they believed was where Ram was born and it was here that the idols were kept and worshipped. # Idols were kept under the central dome for the first time in 1949 # The inclusion of Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas as petitioner is a special purpose vehicle to get rid of the past temple and build a grand temple for the future by and through the Nyas and to get rid of the shebait and put the management of the temple in the socio-political hands of the Sangh Parivar. # Mere parikrama does not establish title. Parikrama is a form of practice not claim of ownership or domain as in ashwamedha. # Travellers’ accounts and gazettes show intermittent belief but not a janmabhoomi. Virtually all gazetteers affirm the physical existence of the mosque, none confirms janmanbhoomi as an area. This is a later invention. # The entire argument was based on belief from scattered sources such as travellers’ accounts and gazetteers which have been found to be inconsistent and inconclusive. # Do not go into the legitimacy of the actions of past rulers and rewrite history, as it will open up Pandora’s Box. If Babur gets involved, Ashoka’s action will also be judged. # The Hindus have based their rights on only illegal acts, criminal trespass in the mosque, desecration of the mosque on December 22/23, 1949 and demolition of the mosque on December 6,1992. HINDUS HAVE TRIED TO PROVE : # that a temple was built centuries ago possibly by Emperor Vikramaditya and rebuilt around 11th Century. # the temple was destroyed by Babur in 1526 or possibly by Aurangzeb in the 17th Century. # Sanskrit texts (i.e Sjanda Purana and later additions, travellers stories and gazettes show people have a belief that Ayodhya was the birth place of Lord Ram. # Islamic texts on the mosque are in violation of the koran and Hadith. # Witness evidence shows that belief has existed for centuries that Ayodhya is the birth place of Lord Ram. # ASI report shows existence of a temple and its subsequent destruction. MUSLIMS CASE RELIED ON: # Mosque has been present at the disputed site since 1528. # Physical existence of the mosque which was attacked in 1855, 1934, trespassed in 1949 and destroyed in 1949. # British government recognised the grant given by Babur and continued by nawabs. # Various documents of the 1885 suit recognised the existence of mosque # Muslims were in possession of the place throughout and offered prayers till December 22/23 1949. #ASI report does not conclude that a temple structure was demolished and a mosque constructed at the disputed site. ASI report at the best can be taken as only an expert opinion.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
After enduring more than a year of rumors and studio delays, some “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” devotees may be appeased by Paramount’s fairly faithful film reboot of their beloved reptilian superheroes. But more are likely to be disappointed to discover that the talking Turtles have been reduced to sidekicks to the actual focus of this film: summer-movie sexpot Megan Fox. The film opens with an engaging, animated prologue that retells the legend of the sewer-dwelling, genetically modified turtles and their rat sensei, Splinter (voice of Tony Shalhoub), and explains how above ground, New York City faces its biggest threat in the form of ruthless villain Shredder (Tohoru Masamune) and his menacing Foot Clan. Then it switches to 20 minutes of Fox, who as television news reporter April O’Neil desperately tries to convince her incredulous boss (Whoopi Goldberg) she’s got proof of vigilantes battling Shredder’s goons. When April finally has her first full run-in with the mysterious crime fighters, she faints, but not before she hears the Turtles call out their Renaissance names (Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo) and squeak, “She’s so hot! I can feel my shell is tightening!” And that’s part of the problem with the movie. Although the character of April was attractive in earlier “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” iterations, it’s disappointing (if predictable) that she’s overly sexualized in this installment. Mikey (Noel Fisher), he of the aroused carapace, is supposed to be smitten, but must he talk only about her hotness? Meanwhile, April’s loyal cameraman, Vern (Will Arnett), is perpetually ogling her body — even in moments of extreme peril. Maybe we shouldn’t be surprised by such fare from producer Michael Bay, but the character — not to mention young viewers of this Nickelodeon co-production — deserve better. The film’s insistent focus on April extends to overly convenient plot points that tie her to the Turtles before their super-sized transformation. Those implausible connections lead April to reveal the existence of the Turtles to shady scientist Eric Sachs (William Fichtner, lacking only a mustache to twirl), the very man responsible for their mutation. When the film moves past Fox to focus on the Turtles, the heroes in a half shell are undeniably impressive in ninja mode. Director Jonathan Liebesman (“Wrath of the Titans” and “Battle: Los Angeles”) knows how to highlight ILM’s performance-capture technology, which makes the Turtles’ movements so realistic. Liebesman lets the Turtles — Leo (voiced by Johnny Knoxville but played by Pete Ploszek), Donnie (Jeremy Howard), Rapha (Alan Ritchson) and Mikey — shine as they kick, jump and parry in various large-scale action sequences. And the Turtles themselves are charming enough, even though there’s not much time invested in their personalities beyond the obvious broad strokes: Leo’s the focused leader, Donnie’s the tech genius, Rapha’s the hothead and Mikey’s the funny one who gets to shout “Cowabunga!” Unfortunately, even during crowd-pleasing thrills, the comic relief once again circles back to the script’s favorite topic: April’s sex appeal. “Yes, that’s good,” Vern says, leering as she attempts a daredevil pose in a moving car. Perhaps the lingering shots of Fox will help young men in the audience overlook the continuity errors and sillier plot details. At one point, Sachs menacingly commands a henchman, “We’ll drain out every drop of blood, even if it kills him.” Why, yes, billionaire geneticist, that would kill him. Considering that two sequels are in the works, it’s clear the filmmakers believe tweens and teens won’t care about the movie’s deficits and will just concentrate on the fun of wisecracking, weapon-wielding turtles (and, naturally, Fox’s hotness). And while this reboot is fun, it’s also forgettable and occasionally infuriating. 0 Chen is a freelance writer. ★ ★ PG-13. At area theaters. Contains sci-fi action violence. 101 minutes.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Ontario's Liberal government will introduce legislation tomorrow to implement a provincewide ban on the cosmetic use of pesticides, keeping one of their key election promises from last year. Premier Dalton McGuinty promised the pesticide ban during last fall's election campaign after intensive lobbying from environmental activists and health professionals. McGuinty and Environment Minister John Gerretsen will visit a private home in Toronto tomorrow – Earth Day – to announce the ban on the cosmetic use of pesticides on lawns. Gerretsen was reluctant to reveal any details today, but said members of the public who visited the ministry's website overwhelmingly supported the ban. "We always said it was a priority when we came out with our platform last year, and it's had tremendous support around the province from what we've received as far as the environmental registry is concerned," Gerretsen said. "Ninety per cent of the people that responded to it responded in a favourable way." The provincewide ban is aimed at replacing a patchwork of local pesticide bylaws, but Ontario farmers will be exempt. There's no word yet if the province also plans to exempt golf courses from the ban. The Conservatives and New Democrats said today they would likely support the legislation, but they first want to make sure the ban will actually help the environment and isn't just a public relations move by the Liberal government. "I think our inclination is to probably support it, but at the same time we want to hear from the folks who are experts in this area, and whether they think it's all politics or whether there is going to be some meaningful benefit to the environment," said Opposition Leader Bob Runciman. "We've seen a lot of initiatives from this government that don't have a lot of substance but look good and tend to make headlines, and this is maybe another one." NDP environmental critic Peter Tabuns said he wants a ban that includes real penalties for people who continue to use pesticides for cosmetic purposes. "If they bring forward legislation that has teeth in it, that's useful, then obviously we're going to be inclined to support it," Tabuns said. "But we don't know what they're bringing forward. We don't know if it's going to be useful or just simply fluff." The Ontario College of Family Physicians has said the long-term effects of exposure to pesticides can be devastating, especially to pregnant women and children, leading to learning disabilities, birth defects and miscarriages. The Canadian Cancer Society, the David Suzuki Foundation, Environmental Defence and the Ontario Medical Association have all urged Ontario to follow Quebec's lead and pass the ban on pesticides.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
A Campbell Newman billboard in Ashgrove has been declared legally parked, but that hasn't stopped vandals leaving a political message of their own. The trailer, bearing a picture of the Premier with the slogan "Keep Ashgrove and Qld strong", was parked along Settlement Road at The Gap several days ago. By Wednesday morning, the phrase "Ashgrove hates U" had been spray-painted across it.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }

Subsets and Splits

No community queries yet

The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.