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A Muslim student has filed a lawsuit against the Chicago Police Department claiming she was tackled by officers who tore her hijab from her face and head because they thought she was a terrorist. (Published Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016) A Muslim student has filed a lawsuit against the Chicago Police Department, claiming she was accosted by officers who tore her hijab from her face and head. Itemid Al-Matar was on her way home to celebrate the end of Ramadan but was taken to the ground by police while trying to board a Chicago Transit Authority train in an incident that was caught on camera. The student believes police officers thought she was a terrorist. “Her hijab was torn from her face and head, exposing her face to the public contrary to her religious beliefs,” according to a release from her attorney Gregory Kulis. Kulis said Al-Matar was charged with several counts of disorderly conduct but was later found not guilty during a court trial. Al-Matar also alleged that while in custody at the police station she was forced to remove her clothing and strip down to her undergarments as photos were taken of her. Chicago police declined to comment, saying it “cannot comment on pending lawsuits.” ||||| Muslim woman claims she was ‘attacked’ by police, sues This still frame, taken from a CTA surveillance video posted on YouTube, shows Itemid Al Matar just before she is grabbed and handcuffed by Chicago police at the State/Lake stop on the Loop L. A young Muslim woman is suing a group of Chicago Police officers for religious discrimination over her arrest in a CTA stairwell during which the officers allegedly ripped off her hijab. Itemid “Angel” Al Matar filed her federal lawsuit Thursday against six officers and the city, claiming she also became a victim of CPD’s code of silence when she was falsely arrested at the State and Lake station on the Fourth of July 2015. Her lawyer, Gregory Kulis, told reporters that police wrongly suspected her of being a “lone-wolf suicide bomber.” A YouTube video shows several officers tackling Al Matar as she climbed the CTA stairs that day. The arrest blocked the path of other would-be CTA riders, who stood and watched a portion of the arrest. Al Matar’s lawsuit alleges she saw the group of officers point at her, but she walked past them. She said they grabbed her on the stair landing, “pulling at her and ripping off her hijab.” A news release from CAIR-Chicago indicates the arrest happened during Ramadan, when Al Matar was “trying to catch the train to go home to break her fast by sunset.” She says she committed no crime, and the press release states she was later found not guilty of resisting arrest and reckless conduct. A CPD spokesman released a statement Thursday afternoon, saying, “While CPD does not comment on pending or proposed litigation our officers work hard each day to investigate suspicious activity and fight crime. We strive to treat all individuals with the highest levels of dignity and respect.”

– A Muslim woman is suing the city of Chicago and six police officers claiming they assaulted her at a train station. Itemid "Angel" Al-Matar's lawsuit, filed Thursday, claims officers grabbed her as she climbed the stairs of the downtown CTA State/Lake stop on July 4, 2015, then slammed her to the ground. A surveillance video shows five officers approach Al-Matar from behind; one grabs her left shoulder and takes her down, reports the Chicago Tribune. The officers then appear to search the 32-year-old, who was in religious garb. Her suit claims police removed her hijab and niqab, exposed her stomach, and later took photos of her in her undergarments, per NBC Chicago. The police report references a tip that she was a "lone wolf suicide bomber." Al-Matar, who moved from Saudi Arabia in 2014, was arrested and charged with reckless conduct—a judge later dismissed that charge—and multiple counts of obstructing justice, of which she was found not guilty. A rep for Chicago's Council on American-Islamic Relations says police "should not be in the business of attempting to protect us against people who look different." Al-Matar says simply, "I don't want that nightmare to happen again." A police rep would not comment directly on the case but tells the Chicago Sun-Times that officers "work hard each day to investigate suspicious activity and fight crime" and "strive to treat all individuals with the highest levels of dignity and respect."

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.A Muslim student has filed a lawsuit against the Chicago Police Department claiming she was tackled by officers who tore her hijab from her face and head because they thought she was a terrorist. (Published Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016) A Muslim student has filed a lawsuit against the Chicago Police Department, claiming she was accosted by officers who tore her hijab from her face and head. Itemid Al-Matar was on her way home to celebrate the end of Ramadan but was taken to the ground by police while trying to board a Chicago Transit Authority train in an incident that was caught on camera. The student believes police officers thought she was a terrorist. “Her hijab was torn from her face and head, exposing her face to the public contrary to her religious beliefs,” according to a release from her attorney Gregory Kulis. Kulis said Al-Matar was charged with several counts of disorderly conduct but was later found not guilty during a court trial. Al-Matar also alleged that while in custody at the police station she was forced to remove her clothing and strip down to her undergarments as photos were taken of her. Chicago police declined to comment, saying it “cannot comment on pending lawsuits.” ||||| Muslim woman claims she was ‘attacked’ by police, sues This still frame, taken from a CTA surveillance video posted on YouTube, shows Itemid Al Matar just before she is grabbed and handcuffed by Chicago police at the State/Lake stop on the Loop L. A young Muslim woman is suing a group of Chicago Police officers for religious discrimination over her arrest in a CTA stairwell during which the officers allegedly ripped off her hijab. Itemid “Angel” Al Matar filed her federal lawsuit Thursday against six officers and the city, claiming she also became a victim of CPD’s code of silence when she was falsely arrested at the State and Lake station on the Fourth of July 2015. Her lawyer, Gregory Kulis, told reporters that police wrongly suspected her of being a “lone-wolf suicide bomber.” A YouTube video shows several officers tackling Al Matar as she climbed the CTA stairs that day. The arrest blocked the path of other would-be CTA riders, who stood and watched a portion of the arrest. Al Matar’s lawsuit alleges she saw the group of officers point at her, but she walked past them. She said they grabbed her on the stair landing, “pulling at her and ripping off her hijab.” A news release from CAIR-Chicago indicates the arrest happened during Ramadan, when Al Matar was “trying to catch the train to go home to break her fast by sunset.” She says she committed no crime, and the press release states she was later found not guilty of resisting arrest and reckless conduct. A CPD spokesman released a statement Thursday afternoon, saying, “While CPD does not comment on pending or proposed litigation our officers work hard each day to investigate suspicious activity and fight crime. We strive to treat all individuals with the highest levels of dignity and respect.”

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

JetBlue has announced it will begin offering roundtrip flights to Cuba out of New York's Kennedy Airport each week. The Queens-based airline becomes the first major carrier to announce a new flight to Cuba from New York since travel restrictions were recently eased. The flights will begin July 3. The flight to Havana will leave JFK at noon each Friday, with a scheduled landing time of 3:30 p.m. at Havana's Jose Marti International Airport. A return flight each Friday departs Havana at 4:30 p.m. and lands in New York at 8 p.m. While operated by JetBlue, the flight is being offered by Cuba Travel Services, and travelers should make arrangements directly with the carrier service provider at cubatravelservices.com. Cuomo, NY Companies Look to Expand Business Relationships in Cuba Gov. Andrew Cuomo wrapped up his whirlwind trade mission to Cuba on Tuesday, laying the groundwork for trade between New York businesses and the communist island nation. Government Affairs Reporter Melissa Russo reports from Mariel, Cuba. (Published Tuesday, April 21, 2015) Gov. Andrew Cuomo said his recent trade mission to Cuba was aimed to developing new economic opportunities, and "JetBlue's exciting announcement today is proof that our approach is delivering results for New York businesses." Thet JetBlue charter flight to Cuba will be on an Airbus 150-seat A320. ||||| For the first time in five decades, the U.S. is allowing ferry service between Florida and Cuba. At least four companies said they were notified Tuesday of approvals by the U.S. Treasury and Commerce departments, the first since Washington imposed a trade embargo on Cuba. Licensed were Havana Ferry Partners of Fort Lauderdale, Baja Ferries of Miami, United Caribbean Lines Florida of Greater Orlando and Airline Brokers Co. of Miami and Fort Lauderdale. A Treasury spokeswoman confirmed approval of ferry licenses but would not say how many were approved. Cuba also must approve the operations. "I'm very excited, because this is a historical event in U.S.-Cuba relations," said Havana Ferry's managing partner, Leonard Moecklin Sr. The ferry companies plan to offer trips that would be less expensive than charter flights, while allowing more luggage free. Many Cuban-Americans haul down hefty supplies for family homes and new private businesses. Doreen Hemlock / Sun Sentinel Cuban stilt dancers entertain tourists and residents on a street in Old Havana. Cuban stilt dancers entertain tourists and residents on a street in Old Havana. (Doreen Hemlock / Sun Sentinel) (Doreen Hemlock / Sun Sentinel) President Obama since Dec. 17 has moved to re-establish diplomatic ties with Cuba and has eased travel and trade. The passenger ferries will be able to carry only authorized U.S. travelers to Cuba, including people in 12 categories who no longer need a license in advance to visit. Those categories include family visits as well as religious and educational activities, among others. Americans still are not allowed to travel to Cuba for general tourism under the terms of the U.S. embargo, which remains in place. Only Congress can lift the embargo. Here's what companies are planning: • Havana Ferry Partners hopes to launch its ferry service between Key West and Havana within weeks, possibly with a 200-passenger vessel, Moecklin said. It also plans to add overnight ferry service later from Fort Lauderdale and Miami to Havana using a larger vessel that could carry 300 to 500 passengers, Moecklin said. Plus, it's eyeing Port Manatee on Tampa Bay as a gateway with Cuba. Prices are not set, but Moecklin said Havana Ferry aims to charge passengers roughly $300 to $350 roundtrip, less than the roughly $400 to $500 price for charter flights to Cuba. Passengers could be allowed up to 200 pounds of luggage free. "We don't know the costs yet, because we don't know the costs on the Cuban side," Moecklin said. "I'm booking my flight to Cuba now" for talks with Cuban officials, he said. • Baja Ferries USA, an affiliate of United Americas of Miami, is looking to launch overnight service to Cuba possibly three times a week. It has held meetings with Port Everglades, Port Manatee and other Florida seaports to offer service. "We've been waiting for this," Baja Ferries executive Joe Hinson said of the license. The company already has ferry services in Mexico and between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. •United Caribbean Lines Florida, an Orlando area business, plans to "provide a comprehensive service from several ports," said president Bruce Nierenberg, a long-time cruise ship executive. He sees opportunities for passenger service to Cuba from Miami, Fort Lauderdale, the Tampa area and even from Port Canaveral in Central Florida. • Airline Brokers Co., a veteran company licensed to provide travel services to Cuba since 1982, is now developing its ferry plans, president Vivian Mannerud said. She is looking at Port Everglades as a potential departure site to Havana, among other alternatives. To date, at least five companies have applied for licenses to operate passenger ferry service between Florida and Cuba. CubaKat, based in the Jacksonville area, expects to receive its license in the next month or so, president Brian Hall said Tuesday. The business applied for its license later than others. CubaKat plans to start service from the Florida Keys this fall using a 200-passenger catamaran that can carry lots of baggage below deck. It has looked at serving Marathon Key but found problems with too few customs officials available there. It may operate instead from Key West, Hall said. The catamaran ferries aim to offer passenger service for $169 each way, Hall said. "We applaud everyone getting their ferry license, because we know ours is coming," Hall said. He said there's plenty of business for all of the companies applying for licenses and even more. "One ferry company can't pull this off by itself, he said. "There's so many people who want to go to Cuba." [email protected], 305-810-5009, @dhemlock on Twitter

– The US embargo on Cuba is still in place, but two developments today further suggest that its days are numbered: Ferry service: Two companies have gotten approval from the US to begin running ferries from Florida to Cuba for the first time in 50 years, reports the Sun Sentinel. The ferries can carry authorized travelers but still not regular tourists, at least while the embargo is still in place. A few other restrictions: No vehicles, and the boats must not make any stops in between. Weekly flight: JetBlue today announced it was adding a weekly flight from New York City to Havana, reports NBC New York. The flight will leave JFK at noon on Fridays starting in July, with a return flight getting home at 8pm. It's the first new flight by a major carrier since restrictions between the two countries were eased. Last month, President Obama shook hands with Cuba's Raul Castro.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.JetBlue has announced it will begin offering roundtrip flights to Cuba out of New York's Kennedy Airport each week. The Queens-based airline becomes the first major carrier to announce a new flight to Cuba from New York since travel restrictions were recently eased. The flights will begin July 3. The flight to Havana will leave JFK at noon each Friday, with a scheduled landing time of 3:30 p.m. at Havana's Jose Marti International Airport. A return flight each Friday departs Havana at 4:30 p.m. and lands in New York at 8 p.m. While operated by JetBlue, the flight is being offered by Cuba Travel Services, and travelers should make arrangements directly with the carrier service provider at cubatravelservices.com. Cuomo, NY Companies Look to Expand Business Relationships in Cuba Gov. Andrew Cuomo wrapped up his whirlwind trade mission to Cuba on Tuesday, laying the groundwork for trade between New York businesses and the communist island nation. Government Affairs Reporter Melissa Russo reports from Mariel, Cuba. (Published Tuesday, April 21, 2015) Gov. Andrew Cuomo said his recent trade mission to Cuba was aimed to developing new economic opportunities, and "JetBlue's exciting announcement today is proof that our approach is delivering results for New York businesses." Thet JetBlue charter flight to Cuba will be on an Airbus 150-seat A320. ||||| For the first time in five decades, the U.S. is allowing ferry service between Florida and Cuba. At least four companies said they were notified Tuesday of approvals by the U.S. Treasury and Commerce departments, the first since Washington imposed a trade embargo on Cuba. Licensed were Havana Ferry Partners of Fort Lauderdale, Baja Ferries of Miami, United Caribbean Lines Florida of Greater Orlando and Airline Brokers Co. of Miami and Fort Lauderdale. A Treasury spokeswoman confirmed approval of ferry licenses but would not say how many were approved. Cuba also must approve the operations. "I'm very excited, because this is a historical event in U.S.-Cuba relations," said Havana Ferry's managing partner, Leonard Moecklin Sr. The ferry companies plan to offer trips that would be less expensive than charter flights, while allowing more luggage free. Many Cuban-Americans haul down hefty supplies for family homes and new private businesses. Doreen Hemlock / Sun Sentinel Cuban stilt dancers entertain tourists and residents on a street in Old Havana. Cuban stilt dancers entertain tourists and residents on a street in Old Havana. (Doreen Hemlock / Sun Sentinel) (Doreen Hemlock / Sun Sentinel) President Obama since Dec. 17 has moved to re-establish diplomatic ties with Cuba and has eased travel and trade. The passenger ferries will be able to carry only authorized U.S. travelers to Cuba, including people in 12 categories who no longer need a license in advance to visit. Those categories include family visits as well as religious and educational activities, among others. Americans still are not allowed to travel to Cuba for general tourism under the terms of the U.S. embargo, which remains in place. Only Congress can lift the embargo. Here's what companies are planning: • Havana Ferry Partners hopes to launch its ferry service between Key West and Havana within weeks, possibly with a 200-passenger vessel, Moecklin said. It also plans to add overnight ferry service later from Fort Lauderdale and Miami to Havana using a larger vessel that could carry 300 to 500 passengers, Moecklin said. Plus, it's eyeing Port Manatee on Tampa Bay as a gateway with Cuba. Prices are not set, but Moecklin said Havana Ferry aims to charge passengers roughly $300 to $350 roundtrip, less than the roughly $400 to $500 price for charter flights to Cuba. Passengers could be allowed up to 200 pounds of luggage free. "We don't know the costs yet, because we don't know the costs on the Cuban side," Moecklin said. "I'm booking my flight to Cuba now" for talks with Cuban officials, he said. • Baja Ferries USA, an affiliate of United Americas of Miami, is looking to launch overnight service to Cuba possibly three times a week. It has held meetings with Port Everglades, Port Manatee and other Florida seaports to offer service. "We've been waiting for this," Baja Ferries executive Joe Hinson said of the license. The company already has ferry services in Mexico and between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. •United Caribbean Lines Florida, an Orlando area business, plans to "provide a comprehensive service from several ports," said president Bruce Nierenberg, a long-time cruise ship executive. He sees opportunities for passenger service to Cuba from Miami, Fort Lauderdale, the Tampa area and even from Port Canaveral in Central Florida. • Airline Brokers Co., a veteran company licensed to provide travel services to Cuba since 1982, is now developing its ferry plans, president Vivian Mannerud said. She is looking at Port Everglades as a potential departure site to Havana, among other alternatives. To date, at least five companies have applied for licenses to operate passenger ferry service between Florida and Cuba. CubaKat, based in the Jacksonville area, expects to receive its license in the next month or so, president Brian Hall said Tuesday. The business applied for its license later than others. CubaKat plans to start service from the Florida Keys this fall using a 200-passenger catamaran that can carry lots of baggage below deck. It has looked at serving Marathon Key but found problems with too few customs officials available there. It may operate instead from Key West, Hall said. The catamaran ferries aim to offer passenger service for $169 each way, Hall said. "We applaud everyone getting their ferry license, because we know ours is coming," Hall said. He said there's plenty of business for all of the companies applying for licenses and even more. "One ferry company can't pull this off by itself, he said. "There's so many people who want to go to Cuba." [email protected], 305-810-5009, @dhemlock on Twitter

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

By Kim Kalunian, WPRO News The owners of the Harrisville farm house whose haunted history is depicted in the 2013 film “The Conjuring” are being plagued by unwanted visitors – and not the supernatural kind. Norma Sutcliffe says she and her husband are kept awake at night by trespassers who peer into their windows and sneak onto their property, trying to get a glimpse inside their home. Now they’re suing Warner Brothers. “The movie industry just didn’t care,” Sutcliffe told WPRO in an interview last week. She said no one from Warner Brothers approached her or her husband prior to making the so-called “true life” movie about their home. She said because the movie creators used the real names of the previous owners and the actual location of her home in the film, people were easily able to find where she lived. Since then, the people haven’t stopped coming. RELATED: “It really, really has taken away our entire sense of peace [and] privacy,” said Sutcliffe, who said some people have become confrontational with her when she asks them to leave her land. She has signs posted to try and keep people at bay, but even that doesn’t work. “I live my life at the window, my entire time I’m in this house, I don’t even lay down anymore,” she said. Now she wants Warner Brothers to help her and her husband regain their sense of security. She said she and her husband want to stay at their beloved home of 27 years and would like to get a full security system to try and protect it. She said she knows life won’t ever be the way it was before the movie, but she wants to see if they can restore their sense of peace. Sutcliffe also has another gripe with Warner Brothers: she says the whole film is a fabrication and her home isn’t in the least bit haunted. “We’ve been victimized by a huge industry that just doesn’t care,” she said. “That’s the problem – this stigma will be on this house forever.” ||||| The couple who live in the house that inspired the horror movie "The Conjuring" are suing Warner Brothers, claiming the movie has done nothing but cause problems for them. Norma Sutcliffe said dozens of overzealous fans trespass on her property each month. "They somehow feel that they have a right to be on this property by any means that they choose," said Sutcliffe. "It's the worry of that one or two that could be more serious. And that's what we live with every day." Sutcliffe said she has put up "No Trespassing" signs on her property and uses motion detection alarms, but nothing has stopped fans from coming on her property. She also claimed that never knew "The Conjuring" was going to be a movie, saying nothing in the film is true. Sutcliffe and her husband are seeking an unspecified amount of damages and a security plan for them and their home. Other defendants named in the suit include people who went to the house and filmed videos that they posted on YouTube. (Copyright (c) 2015 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

– The owners of a Rhode Island farmhouse depicted in the 2013 horror film The Conjuring are suing Warner Bros., saying it's created a real-life nightmare for them. Norma Sutcliffe and her husband are suing the filmmaker and others—including people who've put up videos of her home on YouTube, WHDH reports—who they say have made a "mockery" of their Harrisville home since the movie hit the big screen. They claim they'll never see peace and privacy because of the film, which centers on paranormal investigators helping a family that moves into a secluded farmhouse. "Ever since the movie came out, we've been harassed, trespassed, stalked, and besieged," Sutcliffe tells the Boston Globe. "They come at all times of the day. Last Saturday, I called police at 3:30am because there was a whole group of them outside the house. It's horrendous." Sutcliffe tells WPRO that, without ever talking to her or her husband about making the movie, the filmmakers used the real names of the previous owners, as well as the location of the home, in the film, making it easy for people to find. She says they've posted signs to keep trespassers at bay, but people keep coming onto the property (and they say they've got online videos showing just that). "I live my life at the window, my entire time I'm in this house," she says. "I don't even lay down anymore." A Warner Bros. rep said Monday that the company hadn't seen the lawsuit, in which the couple is seeking unspecified monetary damages and a security system, the Globe notes. "It won't end," Sutcliffe says. "It's like [the Amityville Horror home]. Can you imagine the horror of trying to sell this house?"

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.By Kim Kalunian, WPRO News The owners of the Harrisville farm house whose haunted history is depicted in the 2013 film “The Conjuring” are being plagued by unwanted visitors – and not the supernatural kind. Norma Sutcliffe says she and her husband are kept awake at night by trespassers who peer into their windows and sneak onto their property, trying to get a glimpse inside their home. Now they’re suing Warner Brothers. “The movie industry just didn’t care,” Sutcliffe told WPRO in an interview last week. She said no one from Warner Brothers approached her or her husband prior to making the so-called “true life” movie about their home. She said because the movie creators used the real names of the previous owners and the actual location of her home in the film, people were easily able to find where she lived. Since then, the people haven’t stopped coming. RELATED: “It really, really has taken away our entire sense of peace [and] privacy,” said Sutcliffe, who said some people have become confrontational with her when she asks them to leave her land. She has signs posted to try and keep people at bay, but even that doesn’t work. “I live my life at the window, my entire time I’m in this house, I don’t even lay down anymore,” she said. Now she wants Warner Brothers to help her and her husband regain their sense of security. She said she and her husband want to stay at their beloved home of 27 years and would like to get a full security system to try and protect it. She said she knows life won’t ever be the way it was before the movie, but she wants to see if they can restore their sense of peace. Sutcliffe also has another gripe with Warner Brothers: she says the whole film is a fabrication and her home isn’t in the least bit haunted. “We’ve been victimized by a huge industry that just doesn’t care,” she said. “That’s the problem – this stigma will be on this house forever.” ||||| The couple who live in the house that inspired the horror movie "The Conjuring" are suing Warner Brothers, claiming the movie has done nothing but cause problems for them. Norma Sutcliffe said dozens of overzealous fans trespass on her property each month. "They somehow feel that they have a right to be on this property by any means that they choose," said Sutcliffe. "It's the worry of that one or two that could be more serious. And that's what we live with every day." Sutcliffe said she has put up "No Trespassing" signs on her property and uses motion detection alarms, but nothing has stopped fans from coming on her property. She also claimed that never knew "The Conjuring" was going to be a movie, saying nothing in the film is true. Sutcliffe and her husband are seeking an unspecified amount of damages and a security plan for them and their home. Other defendants named in the suit include people who went to the house and filmed videos that they posted on YouTube. (Copyright (c) 2015 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Between the Lines With columnist Anna Marie Lux. A mother's gift: Stranger to donate kidney to 8-year-old Anthony Wahl Kristi Goll's best Mother's Day gift comes from a stranger. Lindsey Bittorf will donate one of her kidneys to Goll's son, Jackson Arneson, this summer. Anthony Wahl Kristi Goll of Janesville shares a joyful moment with her son, Jackson Arneson. Jackson needs a new kidney, and Lindsey Bittorf, a police officer with the Town of Milton Police Department, plans to donate one of her kidneys. Bittorf did not know Goll or her son until she decided to become a donor. Anthony Wahl Lindsey Bittorf, left, will donate a kidney to Kristi Goll's son, Jackson Arneson, this summer. Eight-year-old Jackson attends Van Buren Elementary School in Janesville. Anthony Wahl Lindsey Bittorf, left, smiles as Kristi Goll tries to tickle her son, Jackson Arneson, to elicit a smile for a photo. Bittorf plans to donate a kidney to Jackson this summer. MORE INFORMATION To learn more about organ donation or to become a registered organ donor, visit donatelifewisconsin.org/ � � � � � � � � � � � � � � JANESVILLE—When police officer Lindsey Bittorf came to the door earlier this month, 8-year-old Jackson Arneson saw her light brown shirt with U.S. flag emblem and mistook her for a Boy Scout. He did not know the stranger who came to save his life. “I have an early Mother's Day gift for you,” Lindsey told Kristi Goll, Jackson's mom. Then Lindsey handed Kristi and Jackson creatively framed messages saying that she would donate a kidney to young Jackson. Kristi cried in disbelief. For months, the Janesville mother had worried whether a suitable kidney donor would be found for her third-grade son. At one point, Kristi was so discouraged she almost gave up hope. Then Lindsey appeared, and Kristi could do nothing but weep. “We cried a lot,” Kristi said. “We hugged a lot.” After all, what do you say to someone who appears out of nowhere to give your child the gift of life? Lindsey, an officer with the Town of Milton Police Department, came to the door with her husband, Ryan Bittorf, a deputy with the Rock County Sheriff's Office. They came in uniform because they know Jackson likes law enforcement officers. And they came only hours after Lindsey received the green light as a donor. Lindsey, the town's first female police officer, has taken an oath to serve and protect her community. “My kidney will now be able to serve and protect you,” Lindsey told Jackson. Lindsey, who also is a mom, learned about Jackson on social media. She immediately contacted University Hospital in Madison to find out if she qualified as a donor. “I would hope that someone would save my child's life,” Lindsey explained. “It takes a village to raise a child. We're all in a village here.” Lindsey sent Kristi a Facebook message saying that she was in the process of being tested. “I just knew it would be me,” Lindsey said. A child typically must be at least 24 months old to receive an adult kidney, and there is usually enough space for the new kidney to fit, Kristi said. Lindsey goes into the surgery with her eyes wide open. “I have a master's degree in psychology,” Lindsey said. “I understand the positives and negatives of the situation.” She will take two months of unpaid leave from her job for the surgery in June and recovery. “I'm excited,” Lindsey said. “It will be summer, and I will get to hang out with my kid.” Kristi still can't believe Lindsey's unexpected support. “She is helping to give Jackson a great future,” Kristi said. “With such a big life event, I am so glad we have formed this bond. She is going to always be a part of us. She is completely selfless.” Both women are 31. Both know many of the same people. But they did not meet each other until earlier this month. Lindsey insists she would volunteer for the surgery, even if she was not a mom. “Children are our future,” she explained. Lindsey went into law enforcement to help people in bad times. “I want to make their worst times better,” she said. Young Jackson, when learning about the kidney donation, wondered aloud if Lindsey's kidney will help him run faster. “He's really excited,” Kristi said, about feeling better. A student at Van Buren Elementary, Jackson told his class about his upcoming surgery, and one student asked if Jackson could buy a kidney at Target. Lindsey told Jackson that, after the surgery, a part of her will always be with him. “I'll be there if you ever get pulled over for speeding,” she said, smiling. Lindsey dismisses any reference to herself as a hero. Kristi and Jackson are the real heroes, she said. Jackson was born prematurely with a congenital condition called posterior urethral valves, which caused severe damage to his kidneys. He spent two month in the neonatal intensive care unit. Doctors said the child would need a new kidney someday. Last year, they said it was time to search for a donor. Kristi reached out via social media. After a story about her family's plight on television earlier this month, a number of people came forward. But Lindsey was the only one with the right blood type and other factors that make her a good match. Jackson is one of 2,174 people in Wisconsin waiting for transplants, and most are waiting for kidneys, a hospital spokesman said. Last year in Wisconsin, 389 people donated organs, and 160 were living donors. Most living donors are family and friends. Kristi and Jackson do not know how to thank Lindsey for being the life-giving stranger at the door. “It's been a long journey,” Kristi said. “This is the best Mother's Day gift I will ever receive.” Anna Marie Lux is a Sunday columnist for The Gazette. Call her with ideas or comments at 608-755-8264, or email [email protected]. ||||| 'I took an oath to serve and protect our community and now my kidney is going to serve and protect you," Officer Lindsey Bittorf told boy Police officer to donate kidney to boy, 8, she just met A police officer in Rock County is going above and beyond the call of duty to donate a kidney to a little boy she'd just met. Milton Township police officer Lindsey Bittorf was perusing Facebook in early December when she came across a post from a Janesville mother who'd made a public plea for potential donors. Kristi Goll turned to social media after years of testing determined that friends and family weren't a match for her boy, 8-year-old Jackson Arneson, who was born with a condition called Posterior Urethral Valves. Jackson’s father, Gregg, was a promising candidate, but doctors ultimately ruled him out after discovering he had a minor heart condition. "Virtually, his kidney function has always been below 30 percent," Goll explained of her son's condition. Bittorf doesn't know the family but was among the thousands to read the mother's plea. She was compelled to get tested. "I’m pretty set in my ways, so if I set my mind to something, there’s really not talking me out of doing this, I was doing it," she said. Bittorf passed the initial health test. She and Jackson both had blood type O+. She was within the age range and in general good health. For a kidney transplant, both people involved need to match a certain number of antigens. Bittorf and Jackson matched three, more than enough to proceed with a transplant. “And they (doctors) were kind of shocked like for a person who is not related, you are a pretty good match," said Bittorf. "This seriously like meant to be. Like it’s going to be me." Bittorf surprised Jackson and his family with the good news at their home last week. Gutzman Photography "We went to the door and this police officer walks in," Goll said, recalling the moment she met officer Bittorf. "I ripped [a gift] open and I saw the word 'kidney' and I didn’t even read the rest of it. I just saw ‘kidney’ and I looked over, and I was like, 'Oh my gosh, it’s you!'" Cell phone video shot by Goll's mom that day captured Bittort telling Jackson why she was giving him her kidney. “I took an oath to serve and protect our community and now my kidney is going to serve and protect you,” she said. Jackson now has a new hero. She’s a police officer, a mom, and until last week, a complete stranger. Now they share a bond that will last a lifetime. Both Jackson and officer Bittorf are scheduled for transplant surgery on June 22. AlertMe

– When Wisconsin police officer Lindsey Bittorf saw a Facebook post from a nearby mother begging for a kidney donor for her 8-year-old son, she knew she needed to try to help—even though she'd never met the family. The 30-year-old got tested to see if she was a match, and says doctors were "shocked" she was such a good one, considering she's not related to the boy, Jackson Arneson. "This is seriously, like, meant to be," she tells WISN. "It’s going to be me." Last week, Bittorf showed up at Jackson's home to surprise his family with the good news, ABC News reports. She told Jackson's mom, Kristi Goll, it was an "early Mother's Day gift," GazetteXtra reports. "I took an oath to serve and protect our community, and now my kidney’s going to serve and protect you," she told Jackson, who was born with a kidney condition known as Posterior Urethral Valves. Goll went on Facebook after family and friends got tested and none turned out to be a match. "I always knew these days would come, it’s just so hard when they are here," she said in her December post explaining that Jackson's kidney function was decreasing and he was in need of a donor. Bittorf, who is also a mom, says simply, "I would hope that someone would save my child's life" if needed. The transplant surgery is scheduled for June 22. (Other kidney donors have been found via messages on the side of an SUV, Reddit, and even Tinder.)

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Between the Lines With columnist Anna Marie Lux. A mother's gift: Stranger to donate kidney to 8-year-old Anthony Wahl Kristi Goll's best Mother's Day gift comes from a stranger. Lindsey Bittorf will donate one of her kidneys to Goll's son, Jackson Arneson, this summer. Anthony Wahl Kristi Goll of Janesville shares a joyful moment with her son, Jackson Arneson. Jackson needs a new kidney, and Lindsey Bittorf, a police officer with the Town of Milton Police Department, plans to donate one of her kidneys. Bittorf did not know Goll or her son until she decided to become a donor. Anthony Wahl Lindsey Bittorf, left, will donate a kidney to Kristi Goll's son, Jackson Arneson, this summer. Eight-year-old Jackson attends Van Buren Elementary School in Janesville. Anthony Wahl Lindsey Bittorf, left, smiles as Kristi Goll tries to tickle her son, Jackson Arneson, to elicit a smile for a photo. Bittorf plans to donate a kidney to Jackson this summer. MORE INFORMATION To learn more about organ donation or to become a registered organ donor, visit donatelifewisconsin.org/ � � � � � � � � � � � � � � JANESVILLE—When police officer Lindsey Bittorf came to the door earlier this month, 8-year-old Jackson Arneson saw her light brown shirt with U.S. flag emblem and mistook her for a Boy Scout. He did not know the stranger who came to save his life. “I have an early Mother's Day gift for you,” Lindsey told Kristi Goll, Jackson's mom. Then Lindsey handed Kristi and Jackson creatively framed messages saying that she would donate a kidney to young Jackson. Kristi cried in disbelief. For months, the Janesville mother had worried whether a suitable kidney donor would be found for her third-grade son. At one point, Kristi was so discouraged she almost gave up hope. Then Lindsey appeared, and Kristi could do nothing but weep. “We cried a lot,” Kristi said. “We hugged a lot.” After all, what do you say to someone who appears out of nowhere to give your child the gift of life? Lindsey, an officer with the Town of Milton Police Department, came to the door with her husband, Ryan Bittorf, a deputy with the Rock County Sheriff's Office. They came in uniform because they know Jackson likes law enforcement officers. And they came only hours after Lindsey received the green light as a donor. Lindsey, the town's first female police officer, has taken an oath to serve and protect her community. “My kidney will now be able to serve and protect you,” Lindsey told Jackson. Lindsey, who also is a mom, learned about Jackson on social media. She immediately contacted University Hospital in Madison to find out if she qualified as a donor. “I would hope that someone would save my child's life,” Lindsey explained. “It takes a village to raise a child. We're all in a village here.” Lindsey sent Kristi a Facebook message saying that she was in the process of being tested. “I just knew it would be me,” Lindsey said. A child typically must be at least 24 months old to receive an adult kidney, and there is usually enough space for the new kidney to fit, Kristi said. Lindsey goes into the surgery with her eyes wide open. “I have a master's degree in psychology,” Lindsey said. “I understand the positives and negatives of the situation.” She will take two months of unpaid leave from her job for the surgery in June and recovery. “I'm excited,” Lindsey said. “It will be summer, and I will get to hang out with my kid.” Kristi still can't believe Lindsey's unexpected support. “She is helping to give Jackson a great future,” Kristi said. “With such a big life event, I am so glad we have formed this bond. She is going to always be a part of us. She is completely selfless.” Both women are 31. Both know many of the same people. But they did not meet each other until earlier this month. Lindsey insists she would volunteer for the surgery, even if she was not a mom. “Children are our future,” she explained. Lindsey went into law enforcement to help people in bad times. “I want to make their worst times better,” she said. Young Jackson, when learning about the kidney donation, wondered aloud if Lindsey's kidney will help him run faster. “He's really excited,” Kristi said, about feeling better. A student at Van Buren Elementary, Jackson told his class about his upcoming surgery, and one student asked if Jackson could buy a kidney at Target. Lindsey told Jackson that, after the surgery, a part of her will always be with him. “I'll be there if you ever get pulled over for speeding,” she said, smiling. Lindsey dismisses any reference to herself as a hero. Kristi and Jackson are the real heroes, she said. Jackson was born prematurely with a congenital condition called posterior urethral valves, which caused severe damage to his kidneys. He spent two month in the neonatal intensive care unit. Doctors said the child would need a new kidney someday. Last year, they said it was time to search for a donor. Kristi reached out via social media. After a story about her family's plight on television earlier this month, a number of people came forward. But Lindsey was the only one with the right blood type and other factors that make her a good match. Jackson is one of 2,174 people in Wisconsin waiting for transplants, and most are waiting for kidneys, a hospital spokesman said. Last year in Wisconsin, 389 people donated organs, and 160 were living donors. Most living donors are family and friends. Kristi and Jackson do not know how to thank Lindsey for being the life-giving stranger at the door. “It's been a long journey,” Kristi said. “This is the best Mother's Day gift I will ever receive.” Anna Marie Lux is a Sunday columnist for The Gazette. Call her with ideas or comments at 608-755-8264, or email [email protected]. ||||| 'I took an oath to serve and protect our community and now my kidney is going to serve and protect you," Officer Lindsey Bittorf told boy Police officer to donate kidney to boy, 8, she just met A police officer in Rock County is going above and beyond the call of duty to donate a kidney to a little boy she'd just met. Milton Township police officer Lindsey Bittorf was perusing Facebook in early December when she came across a post from a Janesville mother who'd made a public plea for potential donors. Kristi Goll turned to social media after years of testing determined that friends and family weren't a match for her boy, 8-year-old Jackson Arneson, who was born with a condition called Posterior Urethral Valves. Jackson’s father, Gregg, was a promising candidate, but doctors ultimately ruled him out after discovering he had a minor heart condition. "Virtually, his kidney function has always been below 30 percent," Goll explained of her son's condition. Bittorf doesn't know the family but was among the thousands to read the mother's plea. She was compelled to get tested. "I’m pretty set in my ways, so if I set my mind to something, there’s really not talking me out of doing this, I was doing it," she said. Bittorf passed the initial health test. She and Jackson both had blood type O+. She was within the age range and in general good health. For a kidney transplant, both people involved need to match a certain number of antigens. Bittorf and Jackson matched three, more than enough to proceed with a transplant. “And they (doctors) were kind of shocked like for a person who is not related, you are a pretty good match," said Bittorf. "This seriously like meant to be. Like it’s going to be me." Bittorf surprised Jackson and his family with the good news at their home last week. Gutzman Photography "We went to the door and this police officer walks in," Goll said, recalling the moment she met officer Bittorf. "I ripped [a gift] open and I saw the word 'kidney' and I didn’t even read the rest of it. I just saw ‘kidney’ and I looked over, and I was like, 'Oh my gosh, it’s you!'" Cell phone video shot by Goll's mom that day captured Bittort telling Jackson why she was giving him her kidney. “I took an oath to serve and protect our community and now my kidney is going to serve and protect you,” she said. Jackson now has a new hero. She’s a police officer, a mom, and until last week, a complete stranger. Now they share a bond that will last a lifetime. Both Jackson and officer Bittorf are scheduled for transplant surgery on June 22. AlertMe

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

A woman in her early 40s sought ophthalmological care after a referral from an optometrist for bilateral eye pain, substantial eye watering, bilateral conjunctival lesions, and decreased vision, which she described as dim once the room was darkened. She had little to no improvement over the last few months with an artificial tear solution. She claimed to be in good health and denied any concurrent medical conditions. She had undergone a weight loss procedure known as a duodenal switch the year prior. ||||| A woman's vision loss and lesions on her eyes turned out to have an unexpected cause: a vitamin deficiency stemming from weight-loss surgery, according to a recent report of her case. The woman, in her early 40s, visited an ophthalmology clinic in Texas because she was having vision problems and eye pain, and had developed lesions on her eyes, according to the report published March 31 in the journal JAMA Ophthalmology. These symptoms are the effects of a severe vitamin A deficiency, said Kyle Kirkland, a medical student at the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine and the lead author of the case report. [16 Oddest Medical Cases] Vitamin A plays an important role in eye health, and deficiency can lead to severe dryness of the eye, night blindness and lesions called "Bitot spots" that form on the surface of the eye, Kirkland told Live Science. These raised bumpy lesions form on the white part of a person's eye, called the sclera, he said. While the lesions don't affect a person's vision, the process that causes the lesions to form can also cause severe dryness, which can alter vision, he said. But it's rare for people in the U.S. to have a vitamin A deficiency that's severe enough to cause eye problems, because it's easy to get enough of the vitamin from our diets, Kirkland said. (In developing countries, however, vitamin A deficiency is much more common — in fact, it’s a leading cause of preventable blindness, he added.) Indeed, the woman's vitamin A deficiency was actually the result of weight-loss surgery (also called bariatric surgery) that she had had a year before, according to the report. In the particular type of weight-loss surgery the woman had — known as a "duodenal switch" — the surgeon not only makes the stomach smaller, but also creates a bypass around a section of the small intestine. This is done by taking the beginning of the small intestine (called the duodenum) and connecting it to a lower-down part of the small intestine. The small intestine is where the nutrients in food are absorbed into the body, so by shortening the length of small intestine that the food travels through, the surgery lowers the amount of calories and nutrients the body can absorb from food, Kirkland said. Although the surgery has been shown to help with weight loss, it may also significantly lower a person's level of certain vitamins, including vitamin A, according to the report. [The Best Way to Keep Weight Off] The woman was told at the time of her surgery that vitamin deficiencies were a common side effect of the surgery, and she had been taking a multivitamin in order to prevent this from happening, Kirkland said. But the multivitamin "was not enough to keep her from getting severe vitamin A deficiency," he said. The woman's case is the second report of this specific type of weight-loss surgery led to eye-related symptoms, to the authors' knowledge, Kirkland said. Other types of weight-loss surgery have been reported to lead to vision problems, and as weight-loss surgeries become more common, it's possible that eye problems such as these may also become more common, Kirkland said. To treat the vitamin A deficiency, the woman was given intravenous (IV) vitamin A, according to the report. She did not return for a follow-up visit, but reported that her symptoms and vision problems had gone away. However, the authors noted that in order to prevent the symptoms from returning, she would need to keep receiving infusions of vitamin A until she could have another surgery, to alter her intestines to fix the problem permanently. In addition, while an IV dose of vitamin A alleviated this woman's symptoms, the damage that can occur from a vitamin A deficiency is not always reversible, "which is why it is critical to receive proper nutrition after such a procedure," Kirkland said. Follow Sara G. Miller on Twitter @SaraGMiller. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Originally published on Live Science.

– After a Texas woman had gastrointestinal surgery, she lost weight as expected—but she also lost her vision. According to a study published last week in JAMA Ophthalmology, the woman in her 40s started complaining of deteriorating vision, eye pain, and lesions on her eyes. Study author Kyle Kirkland tells Live Science those are all symptoms of a severe vitamin A deficiency. He says people who don't get enough vitamin A can suffer from dangerously dry eyes, leading to symptoms such as the woman was experiencing. The only catch: Vitamin A is plentiful in our food, and severe deficiencies are rare in the US. It turns out the woman's eye problems were caused by the weight-loss surgery she had a year earlier. The bariatric surgery made her stomach smaller but also created a bypass for part of her small intestine, which is responsible for absorbing both calories and nutrients. The surgery effectively reduced the amount of vitamin A her body could absorb. The woman's eye problems cleared up after she received vitamin A intravenously, but Kirkland says that's not a permanent fix and not all eye problems caused by vitamin A deficiencies are reversible. He worries eye problems like those suffered by the woman will become more common in the US as weight-loss surgeries continue their rise in popularity. (This implantable device approved by the FDA could make weight-loss surgeries obsolete.)

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.A woman in her early 40s sought ophthalmological care after a referral from an optometrist for bilateral eye pain, substantial eye watering, bilateral conjunctival lesions, and decreased vision, which she described as dim once the room was darkened. She had little to no improvement over the last few months with an artificial tear solution. She claimed to be in good health and denied any concurrent medical conditions. She had undergone a weight loss procedure known as a duodenal switch the year prior. ||||| A woman's vision loss and lesions on her eyes turned out to have an unexpected cause: a vitamin deficiency stemming from weight-loss surgery, according to a recent report of her case. The woman, in her early 40s, visited an ophthalmology clinic in Texas because she was having vision problems and eye pain, and had developed lesions on her eyes, according to the report published March 31 in the journal JAMA Ophthalmology. These symptoms are the effects of a severe vitamin A deficiency, said Kyle Kirkland, a medical student at the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine and the lead author of the case report. [16 Oddest Medical Cases] Vitamin A plays an important role in eye health, and deficiency can lead to severe dryness of the eye, night blindness and lesions called "Bitot spots" that form on the surface of the eye, Kirkland told Live Science. These raised bumpy lesions form on the white part of a person's eye, called the sclera, he said. While the lesions don't affect a person's vision, the process that causes the lesions to form can also cause severe dryness, which can alter vision, he said. But it's rare for people in the U.S. to have a vitamin A deficiency that's severe enough to cause eye problems, because it's easy to get enough of the vitamin from our diets, Kirkland said. (In developing countries, however, vitamin A deficiency is much more common — in fact, it’s a leading cause of preventable blindness, he added.) Indeed, the woman's vitamin A deficiency was actually the result of weight-loss surgery (also called bariatric surgery) that she had had a year before, according to the report. In the particular type of weight-loss surgery the woman had — known as a "duodenal switch" — the surgeon not only makes the stomach smaller, but also creates a bypass around a section of the small intestine. This is done by taking the beginning of the small intestine (called the duodenum) and connecting it to a lower-down part of the small intestine. The small intestine is where the nutrients in food are absorbed into the body, so by shortening the length of small intestine that the food travels through, the surgery lowers the amount of calories and nutrients the body can absorb from food, Kirkland said. Although the surgery has been shown to help with weight loss, it may also significantly lower a person's level of certain vitamins, including vitamin A, according to the report. [The Best Way to Keep Weight Off] The woman was told at the time of her surgery that vitamin deficiencies were a common side effect of the surgery, and she had been taking a multivitamin in order to prevent this from happening, Kirkland said. But the multivitamin "was not enough to keep her from getting severe vitamin A deficiency," he said. The woman's case is the second report of this specific type of weight-loss surgery led to eye-related symptoms, to the authors' knowledge, Kirkland said. Other types of weight-loss surgery have been reported to lead to vision problems, and as weight-loss surgeries become more common, it's possible that eye problems such as these may also become more common, Kirkland said. To treat the vitamin A deficiency, the woman was given intravenous (IV) vitamin A, according to the report. She did not return for a follow-up visit, but reported that her symptoms and vision problems had gone away. However, the authors noted that in order to prevent the symptoms from returning, she would need to keep receiving infusions of vitamin A until she could have another surgery, to alter her intestines to fix the problem permanently. In addition, while an IV dose of vitamin A alleviated this woman's symptoms, the damage that can occur from a vitamin A deficiency is not always reversible, "which is why it is critical to receive proper nutrition after such a procedure," Kirkland said. Follow Sara G. Miller on Twitter @SaraGMiller. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Originally published on Live Science.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE Share Tweet Post Email Coca-Cola Co. is halting production of sugar-sweetened beverages in Venezuela as the company’s namesake soda pop becomes the latest victim of a lack of raw materials in the cash-strapped country. The iconic drink is the latest to join a group of basic products becoming scarce in a country beset by currency controls, goods shortages and the world’s highest inflation rate. Kraft Heinz Co. and Clorox Co. have also had to interrupt operations in Venezuela, where it’s now common for citizens to wait in long lines for household items such as deodorant, toilet paper and medicine. “Sugar suppliers in Venezuela have informed us that they will temporarily cease operations,” Kerry Tressler, a Coca-Cola spokeswoman, said in an e-mail. The company is talking with suppliers, government authorities and others to work on a solution. Venezuela is experiencing the worst recession in decades as the falling price of oil, which accounts for about 95 percent of foreign currency earnings, pushes international reserves to a 13-year low of $12 billion. The economy contracted 5.7 percent in 2015 and is expected to shrink an additional 8 percent this year, according to the International Monetary Fund. The inflation rate is projected to climb to almost 500 percent. Military Exercise Rising political and economic tensions are gripping Venezuela, with the country holding the biggest military exercise in its history this weekend as the opposition pushes for a recall referendum on President Nicolas Maduro. The opposition has pledged further demonstrations nationwide to pressure Venezuela’s electoral board to process a petition to activate the referendum. Maduro’s critics accuse the government of stalling to avoid early elections. Price controls, rising costs and a lack of foreign exchange have resulted in a drop of sugar-cane production in the country, according to a 2015 report from the U.S. Agriculture Department. State Monopoly “The state monopolizes decisions to grant fixed dollars to import sugar raw material, since it is a regulated product,” said Luis Marin, president of the Industrial Chamber of Lara state, where four sugar-processing plants are located. “Venezuela has always imported, but there has been a major increase in the last couple of years.” Coca-Cola said the production of beverages without sugar, including bottled water and Coca-Cola Light, isn’t affected. Coca-Cola Femsa SAB, the distributor of the company’s products in Venezuela, declined to comment. Last month, Empresas Polar SA, Venezuela’s biggest brewer, said it would be forced to stop making beer because it can’t get the foreign currency it needs to purchase malted barley. — With assistance by Andrew Rosati, Noris Soto, Fabiola Zerpa, and Nathan Crooks ||||| Published on Aug 27, 2009 This is a restored version of the famous "I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke" ad from 1971. Called the "Hilltop" ad at the time, it is recognized as one of the most beloved and well-known commercials in history. The commercial was highly popular and was part of our 1971 "It's the Real Thing" campaign. It has been consistently celebrated as one of the most memorable and iconic spots in advertising history. "I'd Like To Teach the World to Sing, In Perfect Harmony," was later recorded by the New Seekers and released as a single. This link goes to the official history of the making of the ad: http://www.coca-colacompany.com/stori... ||||| Empty Coca-Cola cases are seen at a food stall on the street in Caracas, Venezuela May 24, 2016. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins (Reuters) - The Venezuelan bottler of Coca-Cola has halted production of the sugar-sweetened beverage due to a lack of sugar, a Coca-Cola Co (KO.N) spokeswoman said on Monday. Venezuela is in the midst of a deep recession, and spontaneous demonstrations and looting have become more common amid worsening food shortages, frequent power cuts and the world’s highest inflation. Production of sugar-sweetened drinks has stopped, but output of diet drinks such as Coca-Cola light and other zero-sugar beverages continued, spokeswoman Kerry Tressler wrote by email. “Sugar suppliers in Venezuela have informed us that they will temporarily cease operations due to a lack of raw materials,” Tressler added. Coca-Cola Femsa SAB (KOFL.MX), Latin America’s biggest coke bottler and operator of four plants in Venezuela, added that it was hoping the nation’s sugar inventories would recover “in the short term.” The bottler, which gets some 7 percent of its income in Venezuela, is a joint venture between Coca-Cola and Mexico’s Femsa (FMSAUBD.MX). Over the past several years, the combination of price controls, rising production costs, lack of foreign exchange, restrictive labor laws, and a lack of basic inputs such as fertilizer, have resulted in a drop in Venezuela’s sugar cane production with fewer planted hectares (acres) and lower yields. Many smaller farmers have turned to other crops that are not price controlled and thus provide greater income. The country is expected to produce 430,000 tonnes in 2016/17, down from 450,000 tonnes the previous year, and import 850,000 tonnes of raw and refined sugar, according to the USDA.

– Forget about buying the world a Coke—Venezuela can't even buy itself one now. Barely a month after the country's main brewery stopped beer production due to Venezuela's ongoing economic crisis, Coca-Cola has announced that it's also halting production of sugary beverages there because of a lack of the commodity needed to sweeten them, Bloomberg reports. "Sugar suppliers in Venezuela have informed us that they will temporarily cease operations due to a lack of raw materials," a company spokeswoman said in an email, per Reuters. Meanwhile, as Coca-Cola has discussions with government officials and suppliers to see what can be worked out, it will still churn out bottled water and Coca-Cola Light, neither of which require sugar. (Mobs are turning to vigilante justice in Venezuela.)

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.SHARE THIS ARTICLE Share Tweet Post Email Coca-Cola Co. is halting production of sugar-sweetened beverages in Venezuela as the company’s namesake soda pop becomes the latest victim of a lack of raw materials in the cash-strapped country. The iconic drink is the latest to join a group of basic products becoming scarce in a country beset by currency controls, goods shortages and the world’s highest inflation rate. Kraft Heinz Co. and Clorox Co. have also had to interrupt operations in Venezuela, where it’s now common for citizens to wait in long lines for household items such as deodorant, toilet paper and medicine. “Sugar suppliers in Venezuela have informed us that they will temporarily cease operations,” Kerry Tressler, a Coca-Cola spokeswoman, said in an e-mail. The company is talking with suppliers, government authorities and others to work on a solution. Venezuela is experiencing the worst recession in decades as the falling price of oil, which accounts for about 95 percent of foreign currency earnings, pushes international reserves to a 13-year low of $12 billion. The economy contracted 5.7 percent in 2015 and is expected to shrink an additional 8 percent this year, according to the International Monetary Fund. The inflation rate is projected to climb to almost 500 percent. Military Exercise Rising political and economic tensions are gripping Venezuela, with the country holding the biggest military exercise in its history this weekend as the opposition pushes for a recall referendum on President Nicolas Maduro. The opposition has pledged further demonstrations nationwide to pressure Venezuela’s electoral board to process a petition to activate the referendum. Maduro’s critics accuse the government of stalling to avoid early elections. Price controls, rising costs and a lack of foreign exchange have resulted in a drop of sugar-cane production in the country, according to a 2015 report from the U.S. Agriculture Department. State Monopoly “The state monopolizes decisions to grant fixed dollars to import sugar raw material, since it is a regulated product,” said Luis Marin, president of the Industrial Chamber of Lara state, where four sugar-processing plants are located. “Venezuela has always imported, but there has been a major increase in the last couple of years.” Coca-Cola said the production of beverages without sugar, including bottled water and Coca-Cola Light, isn’t affected. Coca-Cola Femsa SAB, the distributor of the company’s products in Venezuela, declined to comment. Last month, Empresas Polar SA, Venezuela’s biggest brewer, said it would be forced to stop making beer because it can’t get the foreign currency it needs to purchase malted barley. — With assistance by Andrew Rosati, Noris Soto, Fabiola Zerpa, and Nathan Crooks ||||| Published on Aug 27, 2009 This is a restored version of the famous "I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke" ad from 1971. Called the "Hilltop" ad at the time, it is recognized as one of the most beloved and well-known commercials in history. The commercial was highly popular and was part of our 1971 "It's the Real Thing" campaign. It has been consistently celebrated as one of the most memorable and iconic spots in advertising history. "I'd Like To Teach the World to Sing, In Perfect Harmony," was later recorded by the New Seekers and released as a single. This link goes to the official history of the making of the ad: http://www.coca-colacompany.com/stori... ||||| Empty Coca-Cola cases are seen at a food stall on the street in Caracas, Venezuela May 24, 2016. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins (Reuters) - The Venezuelan bottler of Coca-Cola has halted production of the sugar-sweetened beverage due to a lack of sugar, a Coca-Cola Co (KO.N) spokeswoman said on Monday. Venezuela is in the midst of a deep recession, and spontaneous demonstrations and looting have become more common amid worsening food shortages, frequent power cuts and the world’s highest inflation. Production of sugar-sweetened drinks has stopped, but output of diet drinks such as Coca-Cola light and other zero-sugar beverages continued, spokeswoman Kerry Tressler wrote by email. “Sugar suppliers in Venezuela have informed us that they will temporarily cease operations due to a lack of raw materials,” Tressler added. Coca-Cola Femsa SAB (KOFL.MX), Latin America’s biggest coke bottler and operator of four plants in Venezuela, added that it was hoping the nation’s sugar inventories would recover “in the short term.” The bottler, which gets some 7 percent of its income in Venezuela, is a joint venture between Coca-Cola and Mexico’s Femsa (FMSAUBD.MX). Over the past several years, the combination of price controls, rising production costs, lack of foreign exchange, restrictive labor laws, and a lack of basic inputs such as fertilizer, have resulted in a drop in Venezuela’s sugar cane production with fewer planted hectares (acres) and lower yields. Many smaller farmers have turned to other crops that are not price controlled and thus provide greater income. The country is expected to produce 430,000 tonnes in 2016/17, down from 450,000 tonnes the previous year, and import 850,000 tonnes of raw and refined sugar, according to the USDA.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

WASHINGTONCongressional committees are holding up a plan to send U.S. weapons to rebels fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad because of fears that such deliveries will not be decisive and the arms might end up in the hands of Islamist militants, five U.S. national security sources said. Both the Senate and House of Representatives intelligence committees have expressed reservations behind closed doors at the effort by President Barack Obama's administration to support the insurgents by sending them military hardware. None of the military aid that the United States announced weeks ago has arrived in Syria, according to an official from an Arab country and Syrian opposition sources. Democrats and Republicans on the committees worry that weapons could reach factions like the Nusra Front, which is one of the most effective rebel groups but has also been labeled by the United States as a front for al Qaeda in Iraq. Committee members also want to hear more about the administration's overall Syria policy, and about how it believes its arms plan will affect the situation on the ground, where Assad's forces have made recent gains. Funding that the administration advised the congressional committees it wanted to use to pay for arms deliveries to Assad's opponents has been temporarily frozen, the sources said. "As noted at the time we announced the expansion of our assistance to the Supreme Military Council, we will continue to consult closely with Congress on these matters," Bernadette Meehan, a spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council, said on Monday. Technically, the administration does not need specific congressional approval either through public legislation or some kind of legislative sanction process to move ahead with the weapons plan. The president already has legal authority to order such shipments, several sources said. However, under tacit rules observed by the executive branch and Congress on intelligence matters, administrations will not move ahead with programs like weapons deliveries to the Syrian opposition if one or both of the congressional intelligence committees express serious objections. UNCONVINCED BY KERRY, CIA Late last month, Secretary of State John Kerry and outgoing CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell briefed the intelligence committees in detail secretly about plans to arm the rebels in response to growing evidence that Assad's forces had used chemical weapons, the sources said. After that briefing, members of both committees expressed dissatisfaction with the plan, the sources said. Although initially the House committee voiced greater opposition than its Senate counterpart, after further consideration the Senate panel became concerned enough about the plan to write a letter to the administration raising questions about it, two of the sources said. At the same time, the appropriations committees of both chambers, which also routinely review secret intelligence or military aid programs, raised doubts. Syrian opposition sources and officials of governments in the region which support anti-Assad forces have begun to express puzzlement as to why new weapons shipments promised by Washington have not yet begun to arrive. One Arab government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed concern that the United States had only made the decision to provide weapons but had not yet determined exactly where to send them. The White House announced in June that it would arm vetted groups of Syrian rebels, after two years of avoiding involvement in the civil war which has killed more than 100,000 people. The only way the administration's plan will move forward, said the sources, is if congressional committees can work out a deal with the administration to resolve their concerns. Anti-Assad groups have been calling for more advanced weaponry since the government launched a new offensive in central Syria with the help of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Government forces are hammering the central city of Homs and have encircled rebel strongholds near the capital Damascus. Over the weekend, the Syrian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood said it felt "abandoned and disappointed" that the United States and Europe had failed to deliver promised military support to the rebels. A source in Washington who is close to the Syrian rebels also said he knew of no U.S. military aid that had been delivered to them. (Additional reporting by Susan Cornwell and Steve Holland; Editing by Alistair Bell and Mohammad Zargham) ||||| House and Senate Intelligence panel members have voted to block President Obama from arming Syrian rebels, committee insiders told The Hill. They did so by placing severe restrictions on funding. Lawmakers made their decision last month for fear that the administration plan would let weapons fall into the hands of terrorist groups, such as the many linked to al Qaeda. ADVERTISEMENT The exact nature of the restrictions is unknown because the committees voted privately on the basis of classified information. What is known is that the restrictions are sufficient to prevent the administration from delivering arms as planned, according to a source familiar with the actions. The committee “voted to allow them to make some movement on this, but it’s restricted,” said one Senate panel insider, who declined to elaborate on the total aid or the restrictions added by the Intelligence panels, which both met again on Tuesday. “It was a very restrictive amount.” Administration officials stopped shy of saying that the efforts had thwarted the effort to arm rebel groups, but said it certainly didn’t make it easier. “They’re raising a lot of questions without having alternative answers,” said one senior administration official. “Whatever we do, we have to make sure we do it right,” Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.), the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, said Tuesday. “If we are going to arm, we have to make sure we have control of what arms are out there and how people are trained to use those arms so they don’t fall into the hands of our enemy al Qaeda,” Ruppersberger said. Ruppersberger would not discuss what actions his committee had taken, but said that they were providing oversight. “We have funding oversight, and that’s part of the checks and balances,” he said. The administration has pushed to sell its plan to lawmakers in Congress, and Secretary of State John Kerry and Vice President Biden both briefed the panels in June on the administration’s plans in Syria. The White House announced in June that it would begin providing arms to the rebels, after it determined that Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime had used chemical weapons. The White House has resisted taking further steps, such as setting up a no-fly zone. Lawmakers said Tuesday, however, that they needed more evidence that the administration has thought its plan all the way through. Many of them are ardent supporters of arming the rebels. “It’s not clear to me that the administration has a workable policy,” said Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), a member of the Intelligence Committee. “We don’t have a clear picture of what the decision is by the administration,” said Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and an ex-officio member of the Intelligence panel. The Associated Press first reported last month that the Intelligence panels had rejected the Obama administration’s initial plans to arm the rebels. As news of the delay has leaked out in recent days, lawmakers on other committees — including some who want to arm Syria’s rebels — are rankled that they are not being consulted. Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee, accused the administration of trying to covertly get the Syria military aid approved behind the closed doors of the Intelligence Committee. “They should come and talk about this openly,” Corker told reporters Tuesday. “It puts the Intelligence Committee in a very awkward place. All of a sudden, they own it.” House Foreign Affairs ranking member Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) said that he wanted more extensive briefings on the arms plan for his committee. “I think that sometimes it’s just assumed that they can talk to the Intelligence Committee and they’ve met all the requirements,” Engel said. Intelligence Committee members said there’s no sleight of hand occurring. Ruppersberger said Tuesday that the situation is incredibly complex in Syria, with Hezbollah members fighting alongside Assad’s forces and the Al-Nusra Front, a group affiliated with al Qaeda, fighting among the opposition. “There’s a lot of difficult decisions to make right now,” Ruppersberger said. “That’s what we’re doing, working very closely with the White House.” White House press secretary Jay Carney did not discuss the reasons behind the congressional delays over the aid on Tuesday, but said it was coming nonetheless. “In keeping with the president’s announcement of our stepped-up assistance to the [Syrian opposition’s] Supreme Military Council, we are going to consult with Congress on these matters, and we intend to provide that stepped-up assistance,” Carney said at Tuesday’s White House briefing. “We were not bluffing. The president was very serious, as I think he made clear.” —Amie Parnes contributed to this story. —This report was updated at 8:21 p.m.

– Both House and Senate intelligence committees have voted to stop sending military aid to Syrian rebels by freezing the funding intended to ship arms, sources say. According to the Hill, the decision was made last month, amid fears that the weapons would end up in the hands of Islamist militants. The Senate committee "voted to allow them to make some movement on this, but it’s restricted," says one insider. "It was a very restrictive amount." Syrian rebels do not appear to have received any new US arms, Reuters adds, and are confused by the hold-up. "If we are going to arm, we have to make sure we have control of what arms are out there and how people are trained to use those arms so they don’t fall into the hands of our enemy al-Qaeda," says Dutch Ruppersberger, the ranking member of the House committee, per the Hill. He would not confirm the vote, but did say the committee had funding oversight for the Syrian aid. Though as Reuters notes, that "funding oversight" is more of a formality—the administration doesn't typically move ahead with this kind of program if one or both committees objects, but it could if it wanted to.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.WASHINGTONCongressional committees are holding up a plan to send U.S. weapons to rebels fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad because of fears that such deliveries will not be decisive and the arms might end up in the hands of Islamist militants, five U.S. national security sources said. Both the Senate and House of Representatives intelligence committees have expressed reservations behind closed doors at the effort by President Barack Obama's administration to support the insurgents by sending them military hardware. None of the military aid that the United States announced weeks ago has arrived in Syria, according to an official from an Arab country and Syrian opposition sources. Democrats and Republicans on the committees worry that weapons could reach factions like the Nusra Front, which is one of the most effective rebel groups but has also been labeled by the United States as a front for al Qaeda in Iraq. Committee members also want to hear more about the administration's overall Syria policy, and about how it believes its arms plan will affect the situation on the ground, where Assad's forces have made recent gains. Funding that the administration advised the congressional committees it wanted to use to pay for arms deliveries to Assad's opponents has been temporarily frozen, the sources said. "As noted at the time we announced the expansion of our assistance to the Supreme Military Council, we will continue to consult closely with Congress on these matters," Bernadette Meehan, a spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council, said on Monday. Technically, the administration does not need specific congressional approval either through public legislation or some kind of legislative sanction process to move ahead with the weapons plan. The president already has legal authority to order such shipments, several sources said. However, under tacit rules observed by the executive branch and Congress on intelligence matters, administrations will not move ahead with programs like weapons deliveries to the Syrian opposition if one or both of the congressional intelligence committees express serious objections. UNCONVINCED BY KERRY, CIA Late last month, Secretary of State John Kerry and outgoing CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell briefed the intelligence committees in detail secretly about plans to arm the rebels in response to growing evidence that Assad's forces had used chemical weapons, the sources said. After that briefing, members of both committees expressed dissatisfaction with the plan, the sources said. Although initially the House committee voiced greater opposition than its Senate counterpart, after further consideration the Senate panel became concerned enough about the plan to write a letter to the administration raising questions about it, two of the sources said. At the same time, the appropriations committees of both chambers, which also routinely review secret intelligence or military aid programs, raised doubts. Syrian opposition sources and officials of governments in the region which support anti-Assad forces have begun to express puzzlement as to why new weapons shipments promised by Washington have not yet begun to arrive. One Arab government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed concern that the United States had only made the decision to provide weapons but had not yet determined exactly where to send them. The White House announced in June that it would arm vetted groups of Syrian rebels, after two years of avoiding involvement in the civil war which has killed more than 100,000 people. The only way the administration's plan will move forward, said the sources, is if congressional committees can work out a deal with the administration to resolve their concerns. Anti-Assad groups have been calling for more advanced weaponry since the government launched a new offensive in central Syria with the help of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Government forces are hammering the central city of Homs and have encircled rebel strongholds near the capital Damascus. Over the weekend, the Syrian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood said it felt "abandoned and disappointed" that the United States and Europe had failed to deliver promised military support to the rebels. A source in Washington who is close to the Syrian rebels also said he knew of no U.S. military aid that had been delivered to them. (Additional reporting by Susan Cornwell and Steve Holland; Editing by Alistair Bell and Mohammad Zargham) ||||| House and Senate Intelligence panel members have voted to block President Obama from arming Syrian rebels, committee insiders told The Hill. They did so by placing severe restrictions on funding. Lawmakers made their decision last month for fear that the administration plan would let weapons fall into the hands of terrorist groups, such as the many linked to al Qaeda. ADVERTISEMENT The exact nature of the restrictions is unknown because the committees voted privately on the basis of classified information. What is known is that the restrictions are sufficient to prevent the administration from delivering arms as planned, according to a source familiar with the actions. The committee “voted to allow them to make some movement on this, but it’s restricted,” said one Senate panel insider, who declined to elaborate on the total aid or the restrictions added by the Intelligence panels, which both met again on Tuesday. “It was a very restrictive amount.” Administration officials stopped shy of saying that the efforts had thwarted the effort to arm rebel groups, but said it certainly didn’t make it easier. “They’re raising a lot of questions without having alternative answers,” said one senior administration official. “Whatever we do, we have to make sure we do it right,” Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.), the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, said Tuesday. “If we are going to arm, we have to make sure we have control of what arms are out there and how people are trained to use those arms so they don’t fall into the hands of our enemy al Qaeda,” Ruppersberger said. Ruppersberger would not discuss what actions his committee had taken, but said that they were providing oversight. “We have funding oversight, and that’s part of the checks and balances,” he said. The administration has pushed to sell its plan to lawmakers in Congress, and Secretary of State John Kerry and Vice President Biden both briefed the panels in June on the administration’s plans in Syria. The White House announced in June that it would begin providing arms to the rebels, after it determined that Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime had used chemical weapons. The White House has resisted taking further steps, such as setting up a no-fly zone. Lawmakers said Tuesday, however, that they needed more evidence that the administration has thought its plan all the way through. Many of them are ardent supporters of arming the rebels. “It’s not clear to me that the administration has a workable policy,” said Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), a member of the Intelligence Committee. “We don’t have a clear picture of what the decision is by the administration,” said Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and an ex-officio member of the Intelligence panel. The Associated Press first reported last month that the Intelligence panels had rejected the Obama administration’s initial plans to arm the rebels. As news of the delay has leaked out in recent days, lawmakers on other committees — including some who want to arm Syria’s rebels — are rankled that they are not being consulted. Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee, accused the administration of trying to covertly get the Syria military aid approved behind the closed doors of the Intelligence Committee. “They should come and talk about this openly,” Corker told reporters Tuesday. “It puts the Intelligence Committee in a very awkward place. All of a sudden, they own it.” House Foreign Affairs ranking member Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) said that he wanted more extensive briefings on the arms plan for his committee. “I think that sometimes it’s just assumed that they can talk to the Intelligence Committee and they’ve met all the requirements,” Engel said. Intelligence Committee members said there’s no sleight of hand occurring. Ruppersberger said Tuesday that the situation is incredibly complex in Syria, with Hezbollah members fighting alongside Assad’s forces and the Al-Nusra Front, a group affiliated with al Qaeda, fighting among the opposition. “There’s a lot of difficult decisions to make right now,” Ruppersberger said. “That’s what we’re doing, working very closely with the White House.” White House press secretary Jay Carney did not discuss the reasons behind the congressional delays over the aid on Tuesday, but said it was coming nonetheless. “In keeping with the president’s announcement of our stepped-up assistance to the [Syrian opposition’s] Supreme Military Council, we are going to consult with Congress on these matters, and we intend to provide that stepped-up assistance,” Carney said at Tuesday’s White House briefing. “We were not bluffing. The president was very serious, as I think he made clear.” —Amie Parnes contributed to this story. —This report was updated at 8:21 p.m.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

SAN BERNARDINO: Shooting kills father of kids whose mother died in ice cave collapse Share Pin It 1 of 3 More Galleries The Big Four Ice Caves in Washington are devoid of visitors Tuesday, July 7, 2015. On Tuesday, crews were trying to recover the body of a 34-year-old woman buried when rock and ice fell at the back of the cave. The ice caves area is prone to avalanches, falling rocks and ice, and visitors are urged not to leave the trail or enter the caves. MARK MULLIGAN, ASSOCIATED PRESS Related article » Witnesses sought San Bernardino police investigators said they are looking for witnesses to Cardona's shooting and asked anyone with information to call Detective Billy Flesher at 909-384-5655 or Sgt. Thomas Shank at 909-384-5965. If you'd like to help The family of Adrian Cardona is raising money for his funeral expenses and the care of his children. Donations may be made to a GoFundMe account at gofundme.com/zbfvv4c Four children from Moreno Valley were grieving this weekend over their mother's death in the July 6 collapse of an ice cave in Washington state and holding vigil for their uncle, who lay unresponsive in a hospital bed there. Then Monday, July 13, they received unfathomable news: Their father was shot to death late the previous night in San Bernardino. In the span of a week, the children -- two girls, ages 14, 12, and two sons, 8 and 1 -- had become orphans. "This is a nightmare," said Rachelle Randle, a family friend. Randle's 12-year-old son is close friends with one of the girls and is a classmate at Landmark Middle School in Moreno Valley. "There's so many of (her) friends out here that are hurting," Randle said. San Bernardino police said the father, Adrian Martinez Cardona, 35, of Redlands, got into an argument about 10 p.m. Sunday at a bar, Lulu's Hideout, at 1958 W. Rialto Ave. Cardona was asked to leave, and he was shot as he stood outside near his vehicle. No one had been arrested as of Monday afternoon, Lt. Rich Lawhead said, and no other circumstances of the shooting were immediately being released. A person who answered the phone at Cardona's home Monday declined to talk about him. Friends of Annalisa Santana, the woman whose body was found in the ice cave, are saying little about the family at their request. Randle said she has known the family for about two years. She didn't know whether Santana and Cardona ever married, but they were estranged at the time of their deaths, Randle said. The children all took their father's last name. Santana and her children flew to Washington on June 30, where they met up with her boyfriend, Dustin Wilson. On July 6, they visited the Big Four Ice Caves, a popular – and unstable – tourist destination formed by avalanches in the Cascade Range. Signs warn tourists that the cave can collapse. On the day Santana was killed, higher-than-normal temperatures were causing it to melt. Besides Santana, five people were injured. Among them were Santana's oldest child, who suffered an ankle injury, and Santana's brother, David, who had a head injury, Randle said. David Santana was in critical condition Monday, said Harborview Medical Center spokeswoman Susan Gregg. Adrian Cardona Sr. had spoken with his children daily after their mother's death, but he had been unable to go up to Washington, Randle said. "His loved his kids," Randle said. Randle bristled at comments on social media that criticized Santana for entering the cave and Cardona for getting in trouble at a bar. Whatever their choices, Randle said, the children need the public’s prayers and support. They have a large extended family to care for them, Randle said. ||||| Please enable Javascript to watch this video In less than a week, four children in Moreno Valley have become orphans after losing both of their parents in separate incidents miles apart. On July 6, mother of four Annalisa Santana was killed when an ice cave collapsed in Washington State where she and her family were visiting relatives. The 34-year-old, her children, fiance and brother were hiking inside the Big Four Ice Caves when large pile of ice and rock came down on top of them. Santana died instantly. Her son and fiance were injured, while her brother remained hospitalized Monday in critical condition. Then Sunday night, the children's 35-year-old father Adrian Cardona was shot and killed following an argument outside Lulu's Hideout Bar in San Bernardino. Surveillance video showed three men outside the bar at the time of the shooting. Anyone with information on the shooting was asked to call the San Bernardino Police Department at 909-384-5655 or 909-384-5965. Meantime, a GoFundMe account has been set up by Santana's family for the children who have been staying with relatives. On Tuesday, a separate GoFundMe account was established by the Cardona family. ||||| Four children were left orphaned after losing their mother and father in separate incidents. Gadi Schwartz reports for the NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on Monday, July 13, 2015. (Published Tuesday, Jul 14, 2015) (Published Tuesday, July 14, 2015) Tragedy struck twice in less than one month for four children who lost their mother last week in a hiking accident. Adrian Cardona, the father of the woman's four children, was killed Monday night after a dispute with a woman at a bar in San Bernardino, police said. Police were investigating the cause of the shooting. Police said they could not release a description of the shooter and had not made any arrests. The children's mother, Anna L. Santana, 34, died July 6 when ice and rocks fell inside of ice caves in Washington state. The accident happened when Santana, from Moreno Valley, went on a hiking excursion on a remote mountainside in Washington. Three people were also injured during that accident. Investigators said they were following up on leads in the shooting of Cardona. Police found a handgun at the scene of the shooting, but said the caliber does not match bullet that killed Cardona. A GoFundMe account has been set up to help the family of Anna Santana: http://www.gofundme.com/yzsf4s. A GoFundMe account has also been set up by the family of Adrian Cardona: http://www.gofundme.com/zbfvv4c. ||||| Annalisa,Adrian&kids; Double Tragedy Hello my names Christina an im from Colton, Ca. Annalisa is my cousin. This go fund me account I have created is to help pay for funeral services. Annalisa was on a mini vacation visiting her family in Washington. Where she an her family went to see a well known ice cave an it tragically collapsed killing her instantly. She leaves behind 4 kids; 2 girls an 2 boys ages 14, 12, 8 & 1. We need all the help we can get to give her proper services she deserves and also to help her children. The money will be given to her brother Gabriel Santana who is in charge of all financial responsibility. Everything is greatly appreciated. Thank You, Christina 2.9K TOTAL SHARES Share Tweet Donate COPY, PASTE & SHARE: http://www.gofundme.com/yzsf4s What is GoFundMe?

– When Annalisa Santana was killed in the collapse of an ice cave in Washington state on July 6, she left behind four children. On Sunday night, those children became orphans when their father was shot to death outside a bar, reports the NBC Los Angeles. The kids range in age from 1 to 14, reports the Press-Enterprise. Santana's death occurred after she flew from California to Washington for a hiking excursion with her kids in the Big Four Ice Caves. The collapse killed her and left five others injured, including her oldest child with an ankle injury and her brother with a serious head injury. On Monday, the kids learned that their father, Adrian Cardona, 35, had been killed. Details of what happened are skimpy, but police think Cardona got into an argument with a woman at a bar in San Bernardino, which resulted in him getting shot while standing by his car. Surveillance video shows three men at the scene, but no arrests have been made, reports KTLA. Cardona and Santana had been estranged for a while. "This is a nightmare," a family friend tells the Press-Enterprise, adding that she's angered by the number of people on social media criticizing Santana for taking a risky hike and at Cardona for his bar fight. She says Cardona had spoken with his children daily via phone following Santana's death. Supporters have set up a GoFundMe page for the kids. It's not clear who will raise them, but the friend says they have a large extended family. (Meanwhile, a fresh tragedy for parents whose 3-month-old died during his first day at daycare.)

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.SAN BERNARDINO: Shooting kills father of kids whose mother died in ice cave collapse Share Pin It 1 of 3 More Galleries The Big Four Ice Caves in Washington are devoid of visitors Tuesday, July 7, 2015. On Tuesday, crews were trying to recover the body of a 34-year-old woman buried when rock and ice fell at the back of the cave. The ice caves area is prone to avalanches, falling rocks and ice, and visitors are urged not to leave the trail or enter the caves. MARK MULLIGAN, ASSOCIATED PRESS Related article » Witnesses sought San Bernardino police investigators said they are looking for witnesses to Cardona's shooting and asked anyone with information to call Detective Billy Flesher at 909-384-5655 or Sgt. Thomas Shank at 909-384-5965. If you'd like to help The family of Adrian Cardona is raising money for his funeral expenses and the care of his children. Donations may be made to a GoFundMe account at gofundme.com/zbfvv4c Four children from Moreno Valley were grieving this weekend over their mother's death in the July 6 collapse of an ice cave in Washington state and holding vigil for their uncle, who lay unresponsive in a hospital bed there. Then Monday, July 13, they received unfathomable news: Their father was shot to death late the previous night in San Bernardino. In the span of a week, the children -- two girls, ages 14, 12, and two sons, 8 and 1 -- had become orphans. "This is a nightmare," said Rachelle Randle, a family friend. Randle's 12-year-old son is close friends with one of the girls and is a classmate at Landmark Middle School in Moreno Valley. "There's so many of (her) friends out here that are hurting," Randle said. San Bernardino police said the father, Adrian Martinez Cardona, 35, of Redlands, got into an argument about 10 p.m. Sunday at a bar, Lulu's Hideout, at 1958 W. Rialto Ave. Cardona was asked to leave, and he was shot as he stood outside near his vehicle. No one had been arrested as of Monday afternoon, Lt. Rich Lawhead said, and no other circumstances of the shooting were immediately being released. A person who answered the phone at Cardona's home Monday declined to talk about him. Friends of Annalisa Santana, the woman whose body was found in the ice cave, are saying little about the family at their request. Randle said she has known the family for about two years. She didn't know whether Santana and Cardona ever married, but they were estranged at the time of their deaths, Randle said. The children all took their father's last name. Santana and her children flew to Washington on June 30, where they met up with her boyfriend, Dustin Wilson. On July 6, they visited the Big Four Ice Caves, a popular – and unstable – tourist destination formed by avalanches in the Cascade Range. Signs warn tourists that the cave can collapse. On the day Santana was killed, higher-than-normal temperatures were causing it to melt. Besides Santana, five people were injured. Among them were Santana's oldest child, who suffered an ankle injury, and Santana's brother, David, who had a head injury, Randle said. David Santana was in critical condition Monday, said Harborview Medical Center spokeswoman Susan Gregg. Adrian Cardona Sr. had spoken with his children daily after their mother's death, but he had been unable to go up to Washington, Randle said. "His loved his kids," Randle said. Randle bristled at comments on social media that criticized Santana for entering the cave and Cardona for getting in trouble at a bar. Whatever their choices, Randle said, the children need the public’s prayers and support. They have a large extended family to care for them, Randle said. ||||| Please enable Javascript to watch this video In less than a week, four children in Moreno Valley have become orphans after losing both of their parents in separate incidents miles apart. On July 6, mother of four Annalisa Santana was killed when an ice cave collapsed in Washington State where she and her family were visiting relatives. The 34-year-old, her children, fiance and brother were hiking inside the Big Four Ice Caves when large pile of ice and rock came down on top of them. Santana died instantly. Her son and fiance were injured, while her brother remained hospitalized Monday in critical condition. Then Sunday night, the children's 35-year-old father Adrian Cardona was shot and killed following an argument outside Lulu's Hideout Bar in San Bernardino. Surveillance video showed three men outside the bar at the time of the shooting. Anyone with information on the shooting was asked to call the San Bernardino Police Department at 909-384-5655 or 909-384-5965. Meantime, a GoFundMe account has been set up by Santana's family for the children who have been staying with relatives. On Tuesday, a separate GoFundMe account was established by the Cardona family. ||||| Four children were left orphaned after losing their mother and father in separate incidents. Gadi Schwartz reports for the NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on Monday, July 13, 2015. (Published Tuesday, Jul 14, 2015) (Published Tuesday, July 14, 2015) Tragedy struck twice in less than one month for four children who lost their mother last week in a hiking accident. Adrian Cardona, the father of the woman's four children, was killed Monday night after a dispute with a woman at a bar in San Bernardino, police said. Police were investigating the cause of the shooting. Police said they could not release a description of the shooter and had not made any arrests. The children's mother, Anna L. Santana, 34, died July 6 when ice and rocks fell inside of ice caves in Washington state. The accident happened when Santana, from Moreno Valley, went on a hiking excursion on a remote mountainside in Washington. Three people were also injured during that accident. Investigators said they were following up on leads in the shooting of Cardona. Police found a handgun at the scene of the shooting, but said the caliber does not match bullet that killed Cardona. A GoFundMe account has been set up to help the family of Anna Santana: http://www.gofundme.com/yzsf4s. A GoFundMe account has also been set up by the family of Adrian Cardona: http://www.gofundme.com/zbfvv4c. ||||| Annalisa,Adrian&kids; Double Tragedy Hello my names Christina an im from Colton, Ca. Annalisa is my cousin. This go fund me account I have created is to help pay for funeral services. Annalisa was on a mini vacation visiting her family in Washington. Where she an her family went to see a well known ice cave an it tragically collapsed killing her instantly. She leaves behind 4 kids; 2 girls an 2 boys ages 14, 12, 8 & 1. We need all the help we can get to give her proper services she deserves and also to help her children. The money will be given to her brother Gabriel Santana who is in charge of all financial responsibility. Everything is greatly appreciated. Thank You, Christina 2.9K TOTAL SHARES Share Tweet Donate COPY, PASTE & SHARE: http://www.gofundme.com/yzsf4s What is GoFundMe?

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Tweet with a location You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more ||||| Julia Louis-Dreyfus teared up as she honored her father during her Emmys speech on Sunday night. "I'd like to dedicate this to my father, William Louis-Dreyfus, who passed away on Friday," she said at the end of her otherwise light-hearted speech. "I'm so glad he liked Veep because his opinion was the one that really mattered." The moving tribute by the Veep star brought audience members to tears as well. The cameras flashed to Jerry Seinfeld, her longtime co-star on Seinfeld , who was also visibly moved. VIEW GALLERY | 54 PHOTOS Priyanka Chopra arrives at the 68th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on Sept. 18, 2016 in Los Angeles. Steve Granitz—Getty Images Priyanka Chopra arrives at the 68th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on Sept. 18, 2016 in Los Angeles. Steve Granitz—Getty Images 1 of 54 Louis-Dreyfus has won the best actress in a comedy accolade five years in a row and eight times total.

– Julia Loius-Dreyfus won lead actress in a comedy series yet again for Veep, and her acceptance speech "made us go through every emoji," one Twitter user noted. Per the Week, Loius-Dreyfus first apologized for today's current political climate, saying her HBO show had "torn down the wall between comedy and politics." Veep "started out as a political satire but it now feels more like a sobering documentary, so I certainly do promise to rebuild that wall and make Mexico pay for it," she joked. Her emotions, and those of the audience, then suddenly did a 180 as she dedicated her win to dad William Louis-Dreyfus, who died at the age of 84 on Friday. "I'm so glad he liked Veep, because his opinion was the one that really mattered," she said tearfully, per Time.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Tweet with a location You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more ||||| Julia Louis-Dreyfus teared up as she honored her father during her Emmys speech on Sunday night. "I'd like to dedicate this to my father, William Louis-Dreyfus, who passed away on Friday," she said at the end of her otherwise light-hearted speech. "I'm so glad he liked Veep because his opinion was the one that really mattered." The moving tribute by the Veep star brought audience members to tears as well. The cameras flashed to Jerry Seinfeld, her longtime co-star on Seinfeld , who was also visibly moved. VIEW GALLERY | 54 PHOTOS Priyanka Chopra arrives at the 68th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on Sept. 18, 2016 in Los Angeles. Steve Granitz—Getty Images Priyanka Chopra arrives at the 68th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on Sept. 18, 2016 in Los Angeles. Steve Granitz—Getty Images 1 of 54 Louis-Dreyfus has won the best actress in a comedy accolade five years in a row and eight times total.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Starting in 1996, Alexa Internet has been donating their crawl data to the Internet Archive. Flowing in every day, these data are added to the Wayback Machine after an embargo period. Starting in 1996, Alexa Internet has been donating their crawl data to the Internet Archive. Flowing in every day, these data are added to the Wayback Machine after an embargo period. Outpost shows you the world like you’ve never seen it. The series lives at the intersection of investigative journalism and adventure travel, bringing you a local perspective on faraway places and inviting you to explore. The series premieres March 26 @ 8 and 11 PM on Fusion TV. In the first episode, transgender model Carmen Carrera travels to Brazil, a place where rates of violence against LGBT people are some of the highest in the world, to find out what’s happening, what life is like for young transgendered people in Brazil, and what the future might hold. Gabriel Leigh takes us to El Alto, Bolivia, where some of the craziest architecture on earth is taking shape as part of a surge in indigenous purchasing power. ||||| FILE - In this Monday, Oct. 10, 2016, file photo, Mike Tyson attends a World Team Tennis exhibition to benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation in Las Vegas. Tyson traveled to Suriname as part of the new... (Associated Press) FILE - In this Monday, Oct. 10, 2016, file photo, Mike Tyson attends a World Team Tennis exhibition to benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation in Las Vegas. Tyson traveled to Suriname as part of the new Fusion TV documentary series “Outpost” and was soundly beaten when he entered a bird in a songbird... (Associated Press) FILE - In this Monday, Oct. 10, 2016, file photo, Mike Tyson attends a World Team Tennis exhibition to benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation in Las Vegas. Tyson traveled to Suriname as part of the new Fusion TV documentary series “Outpost” and was soundly beaten when he entered a bird in a songbird... (Associated Press) FILE - In this Monday, Oct. 10, 2016, file photo, Mike Tyson attends a World Team Tennis exhibition to benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation in Las Vegas. Tyson traveled to Suriname as part of the new... (Associated Press) NEW YORK (AP) — Over his career, former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson recorded 50 wins and six losses. But he recently notched another big loss in Latin America — this time as a coach of a bird. Tyson traveled to Suriname as part of the new Fusion TV documentary series "Outpost " and was soundly beaten when he entered a bird in a songbird contest, a cherished local tradition. Cameras captured Iron Mike as he learned about the contest, located a bird to enter — he dubbed the tiny guy "Little Mike" — but then suffered a TKO when a competing champion cheeped and peeped more than his bird did in the same 15-minute period. "Little Mike let us down, man. I was in his corner, though," said Tyson by phone from Las Vegas. "It was just amazing meeting the people, meeting the culture — I had a great time." The series, kicking off on Sunday with Tyson's episode, mixes travel adventure, history and journalism to shine a light on global stories. The first season focuses on Latin America and includes as hosts "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" bandleader Jon Batiste, "Brain Games" star Jason Silva, and transgender model Carmen Carrera. Spanish versions air on UniMas. Tyson was lured onto the show by the chance to visit a country he'd never heard of and his love of birds. The former boxer has loved pigeons and raced them since he was a kid in Brooklyn. (Sunday's show recorded the moment Tyson lovingly released the bird in Suriname he competed with.) "My wife always says, 'The reason I keep my pigeons is they connect me to my childhood,'" Tyson said. "Once it's in your blood, it never leaves. It's just who you are." Back home, Tyson is watching his former profession lose out to professional mixed martial arts but thinks he may have the answer to put the "sweet science" back on top: A compelling boxer somehow unifies the heavyweight title. "We haven't had a really good, exciting heavyweight champion in a long time," he said. ___ Online: http://fusion.net/series/outpost

– Over his career, former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson recorded 50 wins and six losses. But he recently notched another big loss in Latin America—this time as a coach of a bird, reports the AP. Tyson traveled to Suriname as part of the new Fusion TV documentary series Outpost, and was soundly beaten when he entered a bird in a songbird contest, a cherished local tradition. Cameras captured Iron Mike as he learned about the contest, located a bird to enter—he dubbed the tiny guy "Little Mike"—but then suffered a TKO when a competing champion cheeped and peeped more than his bird did in the same 15-minute period. "Little Mike let us down, man. I was in his corner, though," said Tyson. "It was just amazing meeting the people, meeting the culture—I had a great time." The series, kicking off on Sunday with Tyson's episode, mixes travel adventure, history, and journalism to shine a light on global stories. The first season focuses on Latin America and includes as hosts The Late Show with Stephen Colbert bandleader Jon Batiste, Brain Games star Jason Silva, and transgender model Carmen Carrera. Spanish versions air on UniMas. Tyson was lured onto the show by the chance to visit a country he'd never heard of and his love of birds. The former boxer has loved pigeons and kept them since he was a kid in Brooklyn. (Sunday's show recorded the moment Tyson lovingly released his bird in Suriname.) "My wife always says the reason I keep my pigeons is they connect me to my childhood," Tyson said. "Once it's in your blood, it never leaves. It's just who you are."

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Starting in 1996, Alexa Internet has been donating their crawl data to the Internet Archive. Flowing in every day, these data are added to the Wayback Machine after an embargo period. Starting in 1996, Alexa Internet has been donating their crawl data to the Internet Archive. Flowing in every day, these data are added to the Wayback Machine after an embargo period. Outpost shows you the world like you’ve never seen it. The series lives at the intersection of investigative journalism and adventure travel, bringing you a local perspective on faraway places and inviting you to explore. The series premieres March 26 @ 8 and 11 PM on Fusion TV. In the first episode, transgender model Carmen Carrera travels to Brazil, a place where rates of violence against LGBT people are some of the highest in the world, to find out what’s happening, what life is like for young transgendered people in Brazil, and what the future might hold. Gabriel Leigh takes us to El Alto, Bolivia, where some of the craziest architecture on earth is taking shape as part of a surge in indigenous purchasing power. ||||| FILE - In this Monday, Oct. 10, 2016, file photo, Mike Tyson attends a World Team Tennis exhibition to benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation in Las Vegas. Tyson traveled to Suriname as part of the new... (Associated Press) FILE - In this Monday, Oct. 10, 2016, file photo, Mike Tyson attends a World Team Tennis exhibition to benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation in Las Vegas. Tyson traveled to Suriname as part of the new Fusion TV documentary series “Outpost” and was soundly beaten when he entered a bird in a songbird... (Associated Press) FILE - In this Monday, Oct. 10, 2016, file photo, Mike Tyson attends a World Team Tennis exhibition to benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation in Las Vegas. Tyson traveled to Suriname as part of the new Fusion TV documentary series “Outpost” and was soundly beaten when he entered a bird in a songbird... (Associated Press) FILE - In this Monday, Oct. 10, 2016, file photo, Mike Tyson attends a World Team Tennis exhibition to benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation in Las Vegas. Tyson traveled to Suriname as part of the new... (Associated Press) NEW YORK (AP) — Over his career, former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson recorded 50 wins and six losses. But he recently notched another big loss in Latin America — this time as a coach of a bird. Tyson traveled to Suriname as part of the new Fusion TV documentary series "Outpost " and was soundly beaten when he entered a bird in a songbird contest, a cherished local tradition. Cameras captured Iron Mike as he learned about the contest, located a bird to enter — he dubbed the tiny guy "Little Mike" — but then suffered a TKO when a competing champion cheeped and peeped more than his bird did in the same 15-minute period. "Little Mike let us down, man. I was in his corner, though," said Tyson by phone from Las Vegas. "It was just amazing meeting the people, meeting the culture — I had a great time." The series, kicking off on Sunday with Tyson's episode, mixes travel adventure, history and journalism to shine a light on global stories. The first season focuses on Latin America and includes as hosts "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" bandleader Jon Batiste, "Brain Games" star Jason Silva, and transgender model Carmen Carrera. Spanish versions air on UniMas. Tyson was lured onto the show by the chance to visit a country he'd never heard of and his love of birds. The former boxer has loved pigeons and raced them since he was a kid in Brooklyn. (Sunday's show recorded the moment Tyson lovingly released the bird in Suriname he competed with.) "My wife always says, 'The reason I keep my pigeons is they connect me to my childhood,'" Tyson said. "Once it's in your blood, it never leaves. It's just who you are." Back home, Tyson is watching his former profession lose out to professional mixed martial arts but thinks he may have the answer to put the "sweet science" back on top: A compelling boxer somehow unifies the heavyweight title. "We haven't had a really good, exciting heavyweight champion in a long time," he said. ___ Online: http://fusion.net/series/outpost

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Abstract Modern genetic sequencing studies have confirmed that the sperm of older men contain a greater number of de novo germline mutations than the sperm of younger men. Although most of these mutations are neutral or of minimal phenotypic impact, a minority of them present a risk to the health of future children. If demographic trends towards later fatherhood continue, this will likely lead to a more children suffering from genetic disorders. A trend of later fatherhood will accelerate the accumulation of paternal-origin de novo mutations in the gene pool, gradually reducing human fitness in the long term. These risks suggest that paternal age is of ethical importance. Children affected by de novo mutations arising from delayed fatherhood can be said to be harmed, in the sense of ‘impersonal’ harm or ‘non-comparative’ harm. Various strategies are open at societal and individual levels towards reducing deleterious paternal age effects. Options include health education to promote earlier fatherhood, incentives for young sperm donors and state-supported universal sperm banking. The latter approach would likely be of the greatest benefit and could in principle be implemented immediately. More futuristically, human germline genetic modification offers the potential to repair heritable mutational damage. ||||| Image copyright SPL The sperm of all 18-year-olds should be frozen for use in later life because of the risks attached with being an older father, a UK bioethicist has argued. Sperm becomes more prone to errors with age, increasing the risk of autism, schizophrenia and other disorders. Dr Kevin Smith, from Abertay University in Dundee, says sperm-banking on the NHS should "become the norm". The British Fertility Society said such a move would "provide a very artificial approach to procreation". It called for a greater focus in the UK on supporting young couples to have work and have children. Men are having children later - the average age of fatherhood in England and Wales has increased from 31 in the early 1990s to 33 now. But while it remains possible to have children well into old age, there are consequences. Making his case in the Journal of Medical Ethics, Dr Smith said even small increases in the risk of disease could have a big effect when scaled up across a whole nation. Image caption Dr Kevin Smith says sperm banks should "become the norm" He told the BBC News website: "I think on a society-wide basis, we do need to worry about it - it is a very real and pronounced effect. "It's time we took seriously the issue of paternal age and its effect on the next generation of children." His solution is sperm banking for everyone on the NHS so that in older age men can turn to the sperm from their younger selves. He said there was no fixed age when someone could become an "older dad" but that people in their 40s might want to return the sperm bank freezer. He said sperm should be banked ideally around the age of 18. It costs £150-200 per year to keep sperm privately, although an NHS equivalent should be cheaper to run. Image copyright SPL Allan Pacey, a professor of andrology at the University of Sheffield, said: "This is one of the most ridiculous suggestions I have heard in a long time." He said the risks from fathering children later in life were "really quite small". "We know that the sperm from the majority of men won't freeze very well, which is one of the reasons why sperm donors are in short supply," he added. "Therefore, men who froze their sperm at 18, and returned to use it later in life, would essentially be asking their wives to undergo one or more IVF procedures in order to start a family." 'False security' Professor Adam Balen, chairman of the British Fertility Society, disagreed with the need for a universal sperm bank. He said: "Not only does it provide a very artificial approach to procreation, but also a false sense of security as the technology does not guarantee a baby." He warned that frozen sperm were less fertile than fresh ones and couples would be likely to have to depend on IVF. Prof Balen argued: "I don't think we should be advising all women and men to freeze eggs and sperm for an uncertain future, but support young couples to have work and have children - that may require a societal shift in philosophy." He said other countries, particularly in Scandinavia, were better than the UK at providing childcare and maternity and paternity leave. Sheena Lewis, the chair of the British Andrology Society, said: "Men should think about their families much earlier in their lives. "We need to get the message across that it's really a much better idea for men as well as women to have their children in their 20s and 30s."

– When men are young and full of ... life, they should freeze some sperm for later use, a British bioethicist argues. Dr. Kevin Smith says the risks associated with older fathers—studies have pointed to higher rates of autism and a range of other mental disorders—are enough of a problem that the government should consider setting up a state-supported sperm bank where men can deposit their swimmers at 18 and come back for them if they decide to father a child in their 40s or later. "It's time we took seriously the issue of paternal age and its effect on the next generation of children," Smith tells the BBC, which notes that private sperm banking costs around $300 a year, but also that the UK's National Health Service could probably bring costs down considerably. Fertility experts, however, tell the BBC that the suggestion is "ridiculous" for several reasons, including the fact that the risks associated with older fathers are "really quite small," and the fact that most men's sperm doesn't freeze all that well. The chairman of the British Fertility Society tells the BBC that a national sperm bank isn't needed because it not only provides "a very artificial approach to procreation, but also a false sense of security as the technology does not guarantee a baby." In a paper published in the Journal of Medical Ethics, Smith says "health education to promote earlier fatherhood" and "incentives for young sperm donors" should also be considered. (Another study warns that pesticides could be killing our sperm.)

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Abstract Modern genetic sequencing studies have confirmed that the sperm of older men contain a greater number of de novo germline mutations than the sperm of younger men. Although most of these mutations are neutral or of minimal phenotypic impact, a minority of them present a risk to the health of future children. If demographic trends towards later fatherhood continue, this will likely lead to a more children suffering from genetic disorders. A trend of later fatherhood will accelerate the accumulation of paternal-origin de novo mutations in the gene pool, gradually reducing human fitness in the long term. These risks suggest that paternal age is of ethical importance. Children affected by de novo mutations arising from delayed fatherhood can be said to be harmed, in the sense of ‘impersonal’ harm or ‘non-comparative’ harm. Various strategies are open at societal and individual levels towards reducing deleterious paternal age effects. Options include health education to promote earlier fatherhood, incentives for young sperm donors and state-supported universal sperm banking. The latter approach would likely be of the greatest benefit and could in principle be implemented immediately. More futuristically, human germline genetic modification offers the potential to repair heritable mutational damage. ||||| Image copyright SPL The sperm of all 18-year-olds should be frozen for use in later life because of the risks attached with being an older father, a UK bioethicist has argued. Sperm becomes more prone to errors with age, increasing the risk of autism, schizophrenia and other disorders. Dr Kevin Smith, from Abertay University in Dundee, says sperm-banking on the NHS should "become the norm". The British Fertility Society said such a move would "provide a very artificial approach to procreation". It called for a greater focus in the UK on supporting young couples to have work and have children. Men are having children later - the average age of fatherhood in England and Wales has increased from 31 in the early 1990s to 33 now. But while it remains possible to have children well into old age, there are consequences. Making his case in the Journal of Medical Ethics, Dr Smith said even small increases in the risk of disease could have a big effect when scaled up across a whole nation. Image caption Dr Kevin Smith says sperm banks should "become the norm" He told the BBC News website: "I think on a society-wide basis, we do need to worry about it - it is a very real and pronounced effect. "It's time we took seriously the issue of paternal age and its effect on the next generation of children." His solution is sperm banking for everyone on the NHS so that in older age men can turn to the sperm from their younger selves. He said there was no fixed age when someone could become an "older dad" but that people in their 40s might want to return the sperm bank freezer. He said sperm should be banked ideally around the age of 18. It costs £150-200 per year to keep sperm privately, although an NHS equivalent should be cheaper to run. Image copyright SPL Allan Pacey, a professor of andrology at the University of Sheffield, said: "This is one of the most ridiculous suggestions I have heard in a long time." He said the risks from fathering children later in life were "really quite small". "We know that the sperm from the majority of men won't freeze very well, which is one of the reasons why sperm donors are in short supply," he added. "Therefore, men who froze their sperm at 18, and returned to use it later in life, would essentially be asking their wives to undergo one or more IVF procedures in order to start a family." 'False security' Professor Adam Balen, chairman of the British Fertility Society, disagreed with the need for a universal sperm bank. He said: "Not only does it provide a very artificial approach to procreation, but also a false sense of security as the technology does not guarantee a baby." He warned that frozen sperm were less fertile than fresh ones and couples would be likely to have to depend on IVF. Prof Balen argued: "I don't think we should be advising all women and men to freeze eggs and sperm for an uncertain future, but support young couples to have work and have children - that may require a societal shift in philosophy." He said other countries, particularly in Scandinavia, were better than the UK at providing childcare and maternity and paternity leave. Sheena Lewis, the chair of the British Andrology Society, said: "Men should think about their families much earlier in their lives. "We need to get the message across that it's really a much better idea for men as well as women to have their children in their 20s and 30s."

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Olympic gold medalist gymnast Aly Raisman delivered a 13-minute victim impact statement today in front of Ingham County Circuit Judge Rosemarie Aquilina and Larry Nassar himself, in which she excoriated not just Nassar for his sexual abuses against herself and nearly 150 other athletes, but also USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic Committee for what she sees as a systematic enabling of his crimes and an inadequate response to the devastating scandal on their doorstep. Raisman reached out to prosecutors last week asking to testify, and she did so with such a deliberate and severe tone, shying away from none of the injustices she and her fellow athletes have endured. Early in her statement, she appeared to look at Nassar himself, and said coldly: “You do realize now the women you so heartlessly abused over such a long period of time are now a force, and you are nothing.” She responded to a statement Nassar provided yesterday, telling the judge he was unsure if he had the mental stamina to listen to so many victim impact statements. Raisman did not mince words, telling her abuser that he is “pathetic to think that anyone would have sympathy for you.” She told Nassar that she and the other athletes he abused “will use our voices to make sure you get what you deserve: A life of suffering spent replaying the words delivered by this powerful army of survivors.” But Raisman’s most focused contempt came for USA Gymnastics and the USOC, and how they allowed the state of the sport to be uniquely influenced by Nassar. Both institutions received complaints about his abuses spanning back decades. She told Nassar that she “will not rest until every last trace of your influence on this sport has been destroyed like the cancer it is,” and, in addressing new USA Gymastics CEO Kerry Perry, said she had “taken on an organization that I feel is rotting from the inside.” Advertisement “This may not be what you thought you were getting into,” she said, “but you will be judged by how you deal with it.” Raisman is clearly fed up with the USAG’s toothless statements and responses to the growing crisis within its sport, saying that “continuing to issue statements of empty promises thinking that will pacify us will no longer work.” She begged USA Gymnastics and the USOC to conduct full and independent investigations into how Nassar’s abuses were allowed to go on for so long, and clean out any and all people who failed to protect her and her fellow gymnasts. Advertisement “I have represented the USA in two Olympics and have done so successfully,” Raisman said. “And both USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic Committee have been very quick to capitalize and celebrate my success, but did they reach out when I came forward? “No,” and then she paused. For this sport to go on, we need to demand real change, and we need to be willing to fight for it. It’s clear now that if we leave it up to these organizations, history is likely to repeat itself. Now is the time to acknowledge that the very person who sits before us now—who perpetrated the worst epidemic of sexual abuse in the history of sports, who is going to be locked up for a long, long time—this monster was also the architect of policies and procedures that are supposed to protect athletes from sexual abuse for both USA Gymnastics and the USOC. Advertisement Raisman asked the judge to sentence Nassar to the strongest possible allowed by law to send a message to abusers that their time is up. She added: “Please, your honor, stress the need to investigate how this happened so we can hold accountable those who enabled Larry Nassar.” At the end of her statement, Aquilina looked at Raisman and said: “I’m an adult, and I’m listening, and I’m sorry it took this long.” ||||| (CNN) Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman delivered a forceful speech in court Friday, praising the "army of survivors" who have spoken out against former team doctor Larry Nassar. "The tables have turned Larry," she said. "We are here. We have our voices, and we are not going anywhere." Raisman also accused USA Gymnastics of "rotting from the inside" and called on its new leader, Kerry Perry, to take responsibility and stop issuing statements full of empty promises. "Where is the honesty? Where is the transparency? Why must the manipulation continue?" she asked. The gymnast's statement came on the fourth day of a remarkable weeklong sentencing for Nassar , the former doctor for USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University. He has pleaded guilty to seven counts of criminal sexual conduct in Ingham County, Michigan, and admitted to sexually assaulting and abusing young girls under the guise of providing medical treatment. Raisman, who won three gold medals for the US women's gymnastics team in 2012 and 2016, said Friday that she represented USA Gymnastics and the US Olympic Committee at two Olympics, but they had not reciprocated. "They have been quick to capitalize on my success," she said. "But did they reach out when I came forward? No." Raisman had said on Twitter last week she did not plan to attend Nassar's sentencing, but she said she decided to do so after watching the proceedings from afar. Earlier Friday in court, Olympic gymnast Jordyn Wieber said she, too, was sexually abused by Nassar during her time at USA Gymnastics. "I thought that training for the Olympics would be the hardest thing that I would ever have to do, but in fact, the hardest thing I've ever had to do is process that I'm a victim of Larry Nassar," Wieber said. JUST WATCHED Ex-Olympian: I will not live life as a victim Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Ex-Olympian: I will not live life as a victim 01:47 Wieber's statement made her the fourth member of the 2012 women's gymnastics team, known as the "Fierce Five," to say Nassar abused them. A written statement from McKayla Maroney was read into court Thursday, and Gabby Douglas has also said publicly the former team doctor abused her. "But even though I'm a victim, I do not and will not live my life as one," Wieber said. "I'm an Olympian. Despite being abused, I worked so hard and managed to achieve my goal." As of Friday morning, more than 70 victims have stared down Nassar and spoken out about how he affected their lives in defiant, tear-filled statements. In all, 120 women are expected to speak about Nassar's abuse, according to prosecutors. The statements could last into Tuesday, Judge Rosemarie Aquilina said. Nassar has also pleaded guilty to three charges in Eaton County, Michigan, and he has already been sentenced to 60 years in prison for federal child pornography charges. Tales of abuse and anxiety Larry Nassar listens as a victim makes her impact statement during this week's sentencing hearing. Many of the victims -- or survivors, as they have also been called in court -- have reserved harsh words for Nassar, who they said used his power and professional renown in the sports community for his own sexual gratification. But they have also targeted institutions that they say enabled Nassar for more than two decades. USA Gymnastics and Michigan State have separately said they reported Nassar's abuse immediately when they learned about it, but a number of victims said they told authorities about the abuse years ago and were ignored. "Michigan State University, the school I loved and trusted, had the audacity to tell me that I did not understand the difference between sexual assault and a medical procedure," Amanda Thomashow said at sentencing. "That master manipulator took advantage of his title, he abused me, and when I found the strength to talk about what had happened, I was ignored and my voice was silenced." That criticism has not gone unheard. On Thursday, USA Gymnastics cut ties with the Karolyi Ranch , the women's gymnastics training facility where gymnasts said abuse went unchecked. And on Friday, Michigan State's Board of Trustees asked the Michigan attorney general to review the Nassar case, according to a statement CNN obtained. "The testimony of Nassar's victims this week made many of us, including me, listen to the survivors and the community in a different way," said university President Lou Anna K. Simon, who attended court Wednesday. "It is clear to the board and me that a review by the attorney general's office can provide the answers people need." Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette agreed to take on a "review, report and recommendation" of what happened at the university, he said in a statement. John Manly, an attorney representing more than 100 women in civil lawsuits, said the move was "too little, too late." "The only reason Ms. Simon asked for (an investigation) today is because MSU's culpability has been exposed," he said. ||||| CLOSE Former Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman reads her testimony at the sentencing hearing of former team doctor Larry Nassar. Time Buy Photo Olympic gold medalists Aly Raisman, left, and Jordyn Wieber sit in Circuit Judge Rosemarie Aquilina's courtroom Friday, Jan. 19, 2018, during the fourth day of the sentencing hearing for former sports medicine doctor Larry Nassar, who pleaded guilty to seven counts of sexual assault in Ingham County, and three in Eaton County. (Photo: Lansing State Journal file photo/Matthew Dae Smith)Buy Photo LANSING -- Three-time Olympic gold-medal-winning gymnast Aly Raisman called for sweeping changes in her sport while addressing serial abuser Larry Nassar during his sentencing hearing Friday. Raisman told Nassar that she would not rest until his influence was erased from the sport she loves. "The tables have turned, Larry," Raisman said. "We are here. We have our voices and we are not going anywhere. And now, Larry, it’s your turn to listen to me.” More: Read Aly Raisman's full statement to Larry Nassar Raisman said she is no longer the little girl Nassar met and began grooming at a competition in Australia. "Imagine how it feels to be an innocent teenager in a foreign country, hearing a knock on the door and it’s you," Raisman said. "I didn’t want you to be there but I don't have a choice. Treatments with you were mandatory. You took advantage of that. You even told on us if we didn't want to be treated by you." Raisman also took the opportunity to target the failings of USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic Committee. She said on the very day USA Gymnastics announced it was parting ways with a training center at the Karolyi Ranch in Texas, there were athletes still training at the facility. “It’s clear now, if you leave it up to these organizations, history is likely to repeat itself,” Raisman said. In remarks directed at the new president of USA Gymnastics, who was in the courtroom earlier in the week, Raisman said "You have taken on an organization that I feel is rotting from the inside." Buy Photo Aly Raisman addressed Larry Nassar in court January 19, 2018 (Photo: Matt Mencarini / Lansing State Journal) She noted that Nassar served on boards within USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic Committee where he was the "architect" of the very policies meant to protect athletes. Raisman said Nassar was the person gymnastics officials had "take the lead of athlete care" and provide "the foundation for our medical system." "I will not rest until every last trace of your influence on this sport has been destroyed like the cancer it is,” Raisman said. Raisman arrived in court at 9 a.m. accompanying her 2012 teammate Jordyn Wieber, who made the first victim statement of the morning. Wieber and Raisman had contacted the Michigan Attorney General's Office earlier this week asking for permission to speak on Friday, officials said. Nassar pleaded guilty to 10 sexual assault charges prosecuted by the Attorney General's Office. But his plea agreement allowed more than 100 women who have reported that he abused them to make victim impact statements. The Ingham County sentencing began Monday. An Eaton County sentencing is set for Jan. 31. Nassar was sentenced to 60 years on three child pornography charges by a U.S. District Court judge in December. Raisman was the first speaker after a late morning break. After spending time in a small conference room in the courthouse, Raisman took a few moments to mentally prepare herself, pacing in the hallway outside the coutroom. Buy Photo Former Olympian Aly Raisman confronts Larry Nassar in Circuit Judge Rosemarie Aquilina's courtroom Friday, Jan. 19, 2018, during the fourth day of victim impact statements regarding former sports medicine doctor, who pled guilty to seven counts of sexual assault in Ingham County, and three in Eaton County. (Photo: MATTHEW DAE SMITH/Lansing State Journal) "I'm ready," she said. "I'm ready I'm ready I'm ready." Kaylee Lorincz, hobbling out of the courtroom on crutches, stopped to chat. "We're gonna change things so the next generation doesn't have to deal with this," Raisman said. They hugged. Lorincz, 18, who first spoke out as a victim after Nassar pleaded guilty to his Ingham County charges in November, also spoke last month at a Michigan State University Board of Trustees meeting. Lorincz has not yet given her victim impact statement during the sentencing hearing, which continues Monday in Judge Rosemarie Aquilina's courtroom. "I'm gonna watch you on Monday," Raisman told Lorincz. "I'm not gonna be here but I'll watch you. I'm rooting for you." Shortly after the hearing broke for lunch, Raisman declined to comment further before leaving the courthouse. Contact Reporter Beth LeBlanc at 517-377-1167 or [email protected]. Read or Share this story: http://on.lsj.com/2Dus9ed

– "The women you so heartlessly abused over such a long period of time are now a force, and you are nothing," Deadspin quotes Aly Raisman as telling Larry Nassar Friday in court. In a blistering 13-minute speech, the Olympic gold medal-winner ripped into the doctor who allegedly molested her and more than 140 others, as well as the organizations she says enabled him. "The tables have turned, Larry," the Lansing State Journal quotes Raisman as saying. "We are here. We have our voices, and we are not going anywhere. And now, Larry, it’s your turn to listen to me.” She told Nassar he deserves "a life of suffering" and was "pathetic to think that anyone would have sympathy" for him after he complained of having to listen to impact statements from dozens of accusers during sentencing for criminal sexual conduct. "I will not rest until every last trace of your influence on this sport has been destroyed like the cancer it is,” Raisman told him. Raisman called for full independent investigations into USA Gymnastics, which she said "is rotting from the inside," and the US Olympic Committee to find out why Nassar was allowed to thrive. “It’s clear now, if you leave it up to these organizations, history is likely to repeat itself,” Raisman said. Both organizations had received complaints about Nassar's behavior dating back decades. Raisman warned new USAG CEO Kerry Perry that “continuing to issue statements of empty promises thinking that will pacify us will no longer work.” More than 120 women are expected to deliver impact statements to Nassar, who is already serving 60 years for child pornography, CNN reports. Before her statement, Raisman told fellow accuser Kaylee Lorincz, "We're gonna change things so the next generation doesn't have to deal with this."

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Olympic gold medalist gymnast Aly Raisman delivered a 13-minute victim impact statement today in front of Ingham County Circuit Judge Rosemarie Aquilina and Larry Nassar himself, in which she excoriated not just Nassar for his sexual abuses against herself and nearly 150 other athletes, but also USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic Committee for what she sees as a systematic enabling of his crimes and an inadequate response to the devastating scandal on their doorstep. Raisman reached out to prosecutors last week asking to testify, and she did so with such a deliberate and severe tone, shying away from none of the injustices she and her fellow athletes have endured. Early in her statement, she appeared to look at Nassar himself, and said coldly: “You do realize now the women you so heartlessly abused over such a long period of time are now a force, and you are nothing.” She responded to a statement Nassar provided yesterday, telling the judge he was unsure if he had the mental stamina to listen to so many victim impact statements. Raisman did not mince words, telling her abuser that he is “pathetic to think that anyone would have sympathy for you.” She told Nassar that she and the other athletes he abused “will use our voices to make sure you get what you deserve: A life of suffering spent replaying the words delivered by this powerful army of survivors.” But Raisman’s most focused contempt came for USA Gymnastics and the USOC, and how they allowed the state of the sport to be uniquely influenced by Nassar. Both institutions received complaints about his abuses spanning back decades. She told Nassar that she “will not rest until every last trace of your influence on this sport has been destroyed like the cancer it is,” and, in addressing new USA Gymastics CEO Kerry Perry, said she had “taken on an organization that I feel is rotting from the inside.” Advertisement “This may not be what you thought you were getting into,” she said, “but you will be judged by how you deal with it.” Raisman is clearly fed up with the USAG’s toothless statements and responses to the growing crisis within its sport, saying that “continuing to issue statements of empty promises thinking that will pacify us will no longer work.” She begged USA Gymnastics and the USOC to conduct full and independent investigations into how Nassar’s abuses were allowed to go on for so long, and clean out any and all people who failed to protect her and her fellow gymnasts. Advertisement “I have represented the USA in two Olympics and have done so successfully,” Raisman said. “And both USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic Committee have been very quick to capitalize and celebrate my success, but did they reach out when I came forward? “No,” and then she paused. For this sport to go on, we need to demand real change, and we need to be willing to fight for it. It’s clear now that if we leave it up to these organizations, history is likely to repeat itself. Now is the time to acknowledge that the very person who sits before us now—who perpetrated the worst epidemic of sexual abuse in the history of sports, who is going to be locked up for a long, long time—this monster was also the architect of policies and procedures that are supposed to protect athletes from sexual abuse for both USA Gymnastics and the USOC. Advertisement Raisman asked the judge to sentence Nassar to the strongest possible allowed by law to send a message to abusers that their time is up. She added: “Please, your honor, stress the need to investigate how this happened so we can hold accountable those who enabled Larry Nassar.” At the end of her statement, Aquilina looked at Raisman and said: “I’m an adult, and I’m listening, and I’m sorry it took this long.” ||||| (CNN) Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman delivered a forceful speech in court Friday, praising the "army of survivors" who have spoken out against former team doctor Larry Nassar. "The tables have turned Larry," she said. "We are here. We have our voices, and we are not going anywhere." Raisman also accused USA Gymnastics of "rotting from the inside" and called on its new leader, Kerry Perry, to take responsibility and stop issuing statements full of empty promises. "Where is the honesty? Where is the transparency? Why must the manipulation continue?" she asked. The gymnast's statement came on the fourth day of a remarkable weeklong sentencing for Nassar , the former doctor for USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University. He has pleaded guilty to seven counts of criminal sexual conduct in Ingham County, Michigan, and admitted to sexually assaulting and abusing young girls under the guise of providing medical treatment. Raisman, who won three gold medals for the US women's gymnastics team in 2012 and 2016, said Friday that she represented USA Gymnastics and the US Olympic Committee at two Olympics, but they had not reciprocated. "They have been quick to capitalize on my success," she said. "But did they reach out when I came forward? No." Raisman had said on Twitter last week she did not plan to attend Nassar's sentencing, but she said she decided to do so after watching the proceedings from afar. Earlier Friday in court, Olympic gymnast Jordyn Wieber said she, too, was sexually abused by Nassar during her time at USA Gymnastics. "I thought that training for the Olympics would be the hardest thing that I would ever have to do, but in fact, the hardest thing I've ever had to do is process that I'm a victim of Larry Nassar," Wieber said. JUST WATCHED Ex-Olympian: I will not live life as a victim Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Ex-Olympian: I will not live life as a victim 01:47 Wieber's statement made her the fourth member of the 2012 women's gymnastics team, known as the "Fierce Five," to say Nassar abused them. A written statement from McKayla Maroney was read into court Thursday, and Gabby Douglas has also said publicly the former team doctor abused her. "But even though I'm a victim, I do not and will not live my life as one," Wieber said. "I'm an Olympian. Despite being abused, I worked so hard and managed to achieve my goal." As of Friday morning, more than 70 victims have stared down Nassar and spoken out about how he affected their lives in defiant, tear-filled statements. In all, 120 women are expected to speak about Nassar's abuse, according to prosecutors. The statements could last into Tuesday, Judge Rosemarie Aquilina said. Nassar has also pleaded guilty to three charges in Eaton County, Michigan, and he has already been sentenced to 60 years in prison for federal child pornography charges. Tales of abuse and anxiety Larry Nassar listens as a victim makes her impact statement during this week's sentencing hearing. Many of the victims -- or survivors, as they have also been called in court -- have reserved harsh words for Nassar, who they said used his power and professional renown in the sports community for his own sexual gratification. But they have also targeted institutions that they say enabled Nassar for more than two decades. USA Gymnastics and Michigan State have separately said they reported Nassar's abuse immediately when they learned about it, but a number of victims said they told authorities about the abuse years ago and were ignored. "Michigan State University, the school I loved and trusted, had the audacity to tell me that I did not understand the difference between sexual assault and a medical procedure," Amanda Thomashow said at sentencing. "That master manipulator took advantage of his title, he abused me, and when I found the strength to talk about what had happened, I was ignored and my voice was silenced." That criticism has not gone unheard. On Thursday, USA Gymnastics cut ties with the Karolyi Ranch , the women's gymnastics training facility where gymnasts said abuse went unchecked. And on Friday, Michigan State's Board of Trustees asked the Michigan attorney general to review the Nassar case, according to a statement CNN obtained. "The testimony of Nassar's victims this week made many of us, including me, listen to the survivors and the community in a different way," said university President Lou Anna K. Simon, who attended court Wednesday. "It is clear to the board and me that a review by the attorney general's office can provide the answers people need." Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette agreed to take on a "review, report and recommendation" of what happened at the university, he said in a statement. John Manly, an attorney representing more than 100 women in civil lawsuits, said the move was "too little, too late." "The only reason Ms. Simon asked for (an investigation) today is because MSU's culpability has been exposed," he said. ||||| CLOSE Former Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman reads her testimony at the sentencing hearing of former team doctor Larry Nassar. Time Buy Photo Olympic gold medalists Aly Raisman, left, and Jordyn Wieber sit in Circuit Judge Rosemarie Aquilina's courtroom Friday, Jan. 19, 2018, during the fourth day of the sentencing hearing for former sports medicine doctor Larry Nassar, who pleaded guilty to seven counts of sexual assault in Ingham County, and three in Eaton County. (Photo: Lansing State Journal file photo/Matthew Dae Smith)Buy Photo LANSING -- Three-time Olympic gold-medal-winning gymnast Aly Raisman called for sweeping changes in her sport while addressing serial abuser Larry Nassar during his sentencing hearing Friday. Raisman told Nassar that she would not rest until his influence was erased from the sport she loves. "The tables have turned, Larry," Raisman said. "We are here. We have our voices and we are not going anywhere. And now, Larry, it’s your turn to listen to me.” More: Read Aly Raisman's full statement to Larry Nassar Raisman said she is no longer the little girl Nassar met and began grooming at a competition in Australia. "Imagine how it feels to be an innocent teenager in a foreign country, hearing a knock on the door and it’s you," Raisman said. "I didn’t want you to be there but I don't have a choice. Treatments with you were mandatory. You took advantage of that. You even told on us if we didn't want to be treated by you." Raisman also took the opportunity to target the failings of USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic Committee. She said on the very day USA Gymnastics announced it was parting ways with a training center at the Karolyi Ranch in Texas, there were athletes still training at the facility. “It’s clear now, if you leave it up to these organizations, history is likely to repeat itself,” Raisman said. In remarks directed at the new president of USA Gymnastics, who was in the courtroom earlier in the week, Raisman said "You have taken on an organization that I feel is rotting from the inside." Buy Photo Aly Raisman addressed Larry Nassar in court January 19, 2018 (Photo: Matt Mencarini / Lansing State Journal) She noted that Nassar served on boards within USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic Committee where he was the "architect" of the very policies meant to protect athletes. Raisman said Nassar was the person gymnastics officials had "take the lead of athlete care" and provide "the foundation for our medical system." "I will not rest until every last trace of your influence on this sport has been destroyed like the cancer it is,” Raisman said. Raisman arrived in court at 9 a.m. accompanying her 2012 teammate Jordyn Wieber, who made the first victim statement of the morning. Wieber and Raisman had contacted the Michigan Attorney General's Office earlier this week asking for permission to speak on Friday, officials said. Nassar pleaded guilty to 10 sexual assault charges prosecuted by the Attorney General's Office. But his plea agreement allowed more than 100 women who have reported that he abused them to make victim impact statements. The Ingham County sentencing began Monday. An Eaton County sentencing is set for Jan. 31. Nassar was sentenced to 60 years on three child pornography charges by a U.S. District Court judge in December. Raisman was the first speaker after a late morning break. After spending time in a small conference room in the courthouse, Raisman took a few moments to mentally prepare herself, pacing in the hallway outside the coutroom. Buy Photo Former Olympian Aly Raisman confronts Larry Nassar in Circuit Judge Rosemarie Aquilina's courtroom Friday, Jan. 19, 2018, during the fourth day of victim impact statements regarding former sports medicine doctor, who pled guilty to seven counts of sexual assault in Ingham County, and three in Eaton County. (Photo: MATTHEW DAE SMITH/Lansing State Journal) "I'm ready," she said. "I'm ready I'm ready I'm ready." Kaylee Lorincz, hobbling out of the courtroom on crutches, stopped to chat. "We're gonna change things so the next generation doesn't have to deal with this," Raisman said. They hugged. Lorincz, 18, who first spoke out as a victim after Nassar pleaded guilty to his Ingham County charges in November, also spoke last month at a Michigan State University Board of Trustees meeting. Lorincz has not yet given her victim impact statement during the sentencing hearing, which continues Monday in Judge Rosemarie Aquilina's courtroom. "I'm gonna watch you on Monday," Raisman told Lorincz. "I'm not gonna be here but I'll watch you. I'm rooting for you." Shortly after the hearing broke for lunch, Raisman declined to comment further before leaving the courthouse. Contact Reporter Beth LeBlanc at 517-377-1167 or [email protected]. Read or Share this story: http://on.lsj.com/2Dus9ed

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To view this content you need Flash and Javascript enabled in your browser. Please download Flash from the Adobe download website. ||||| Media caption Abu Qatada was freed from the Worcestershire jail under strict bail conditions Abu Qatada, accused of being one of the UK's most dangerous extremist preachers, has been released from Long Lartin top-security jail in Evesham. He was seen hiding his face in the back of a van which left the Worcestershire jail at around 21:15 GMT. The UK government says he is a threat to national security but has been blocked from deporting him to Jordan. Lib Dem peer Lord Carlile said people's incredulity over the 51-year-old's release was "entirely justified". Described by a Spanish judge as "spiritual head of the mujahideen in Britain" the UK authorities have previously said he gave advice to those who aimed "to engage in terrorist attacks, including suicide bombings". The Muslim preacher has also featured in hate sermons found on videos in the flat of one of the 11 September bombers, and was convicted in his absence in Jordan of involvement in a terror plot. A judge ended his six-year detention last week after the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) banned him from being deported to Jordan. The court blocked his deportation to Jordan, where he faces terror charges, saying evidence obtained by torture might be used against him there. The UK and Jordan had previously reached agreement that he would not be tortured if he was deported. Analysis Abu Qatada may have left prison, but by no means will he be a free man. He will live under some of the strictest bail restrictions under English law which he knows well from his previous release back in 2008. The restrictions and inevitable Security Service surveillance that he will face have two aims: to reduce the risk of offending and to minimise the risk of absconding. That means that the preacher, who has never been charged with an offence in the UK, will spend virtually all his waking hours under his roof. He cannot use the internet or a mobile phone, and will be handed a map of his neighbourhood, showing a boundary in thick ink around the streets near his home. If he crosses that line, hops on a bus or meets anyone on a long list of other alleged extremists, he will breach his bail. Lord Carlile, the government's former independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, said: "It is extraordinary that this man should remain in the United Kingdom. "We have to find a way of making him leave. There are legal, law of rule ways, of achieving that. It's just a pity it wasn't done before." Abu Qatada was freed under strict bail conditions, including a 22-hour curfew that only allows him to leave home for a maximum of an hour twice a day. He has also been electronically tagged. He is banned from attending a mosque, leading prayers, publishing any statement, or meeting any of 27 named individuals. Use of a mobile phone or the internet is also prohibited. Under his strict curfew terms, the preacher will not be able to take his children to school as some reports had suggested. The UK government must show significant progress towards deporting Abu Qatada within three months or his bail conditions could be lifted. Downing Street said "all the options" for removing Abu Qatada from the UK were being considered. "We will take all measures necessary to protect the public," said a No 10 spokesman on Monday. What about the human rights of all our citizens - our men and women and children? Peter Bone, Tory MP "We are committed to removing him from the country. We want to see him deported." But Labour's shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the government had not done all it could to stop Abu Qatada from being released from the high-security prison. She said that the government should have appealed against the ECHR ruling, while pursuing urgent deportation negotiations with the Jordanian government. "Instead the government did nothing, leaving a judge to decide there was little progress being made in deporting Qatada and that bail was the only option," she said. UK Prime Minister David Cameron and King Abdullah of Jordan spoke by phone last Thursday and agreed to work on finding a "solution" to the case. No 10 said Mr Cameron had explained the "frustration" that the ECHR ruling had caused. "They agreed on the importance of finding an effective solution to this case, in the interests of both Britain and Jordan," a Downing Street spokesman said. BBC home affairs editor Mark Easton said a Home Office delegation was heading to Jordan this week in the hope of getting assurances that would satisfy the ECHR. Human rights Tory MP Peter Bone said: "It cannot be right that a sovereign nation has someone who they think is an extremely dangerous individual who cannot possibly be allowed to stay in the country just because of the risk of his human rights. "What about the human rights of all our citizens - our men and women and children?" Abu Qatada has never been charged with a criminal offence in the UK but ministers have said he is "extremely dangerous". Human rights campaigners have said that any prosecution should take place in the UK because of concerns over whether he would get a fair trial in Jordan. Joel Bennathan QC, a leading defence barrister in counter-terrorism cases, said the preacher's case was similar to others where there had been allegations but no prosecution or conviction. He said: "Any 'jihadi' who says anything that could conceivably be seen as encouraging violence tends to get arrested and charged with incitement to murder, racial or religious hatred. "It is a fair guess that Abu Qatada has not done or said anything dangerous for years, if ever he did."

– Abu Qatada, a radical Muslim cleric whom British officials say is an al-Qaeda figurehead and a threat to national security, was freed from an English prison into virtual house arrest late today, British media reported. Judicial officials acknowledged earlier in the day that the 51-year-old extremist preacher's release from Long Lartin jail was imminent, but declined to comment on the reports from the BBC and Sky News, citing operational concerns. Both broadcasters aired photographs that appeared to show Abu Qatada in the backseat of a van as it left the high-security prison in central England. The Palestinian-Jordanian cleric has spent more than six years in prison, but a tribunal ruled last week he should be released on bail. British officials say he poses a serious threat to the country's security, but attempts to deport him to Jordan to face terrorism charges was blocked by the European Court of Human Rights. "We are clear we want to remove Abu Qatada at the earliest opportunity," said a spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.To view this content you need Flash and Javascript enabled in your browser. Please download Flash from the Adobe download website. ||||| Media caption Abu Qatada was freed from the Worcestershire jail under strict bail conditions Abu Qatada, accused of being one of the UK's most dangerous extremist preachers, has been released from Long Lartin top-security jail in Evesham. He was seen hiding his face in the back of a van which left the Worcestershire jail at around 21:15 GMT. The UK government says he is a threat to national security but has been blocked from deporting him to Jordan. Lib Dem peer Lord Carlile said people's incredulity over the 51-year-old's release was "entirely justified". Described by a Spanish judge as "spiritual head of the mujahideen in Britain" the UK authorities have previously said he gave advice to those who aimed "to engage in terrorist attacks, including suicide bombings". The Muslim preacher has also featured in hate sermons found on videos in the flat of one of the 11 September bombers, and was convicted in his absence in Jordan of involvement in a terror plot. A judge ended his six-year detention last week after the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) banned him from being deported to Jordan. The court blocked his deportation to Jordan, where he faces terror charges, saying evidence obtained by torture might be used against him there. The UK and Jordan had previously reached agreement that he would not be tortured if he was deported. Analysis Abu Qatada may have left prison, but by no means will he be a free man. He will live under some of the strictest bail restrictions under English law which he knows well from his previous release back in 2008. The restrictions and inevitable Security Service surveillance that he will face have two aims: to reduce the risk of offending and to minimise the risk of absconding. That means that the preacher, who has never been charged with an offence in the UK, will spend virtually all his waking hours under his roof. He cannot use the internet or a mobile phone, and will be handed a map of his neighbourhood, showing a boundary in thick ink around the streets near his home. If he crosses that line, hops on a bus or meets anyone on a long list of other alleged extremists, he will breach his bail. Lord Carlile, the government's former independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, said: "It is extraordinary that this man should remain in the United Kingdom. "We have to find a way of making him leave. There are legal, law of rule ways, of achieving that. It's just a pity it wasn't done before." Abu Qatada was freed under strict bail conditions, including a 22-hour curfew that only allows him to leave home for a maximum of an hour twice a day. He has also been electronically tagged. He is banned from attending a mosque, leading prayers, publishing any statement, or meeting any of 27 named individuals. Use of a mobile phone or the internet is also prohibited. Under his strict curfew terms, the preacher will not be able to take his children to school as some reports had suggested. The UK government must show significant progress towards deporting Abu Qatada within three months or his bail conditions could be lifted. Downing Street said "all the options" for removing Abu Qatada from the UK were being considered. "We will take all measures necessary to protect the public," said a No 10 spokesman on Monday. What about the human rights of all our citizens - our men and women and children? Peter Bone, Tory MP "We are committed to removing him from the country. We want to see him deported." But Labour's shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the government had not done all it could to stop Abu Qatada from being released from the high-security prison. She said that the government should have appealed against the ECHR ruling, while pursuing urgent deportation negotiations with the Jordanian government. "Instead the government did nothing, leaving a judge to decide there was little progress being made in deporting Qatada and that bail was the only option," she said. UK Prime Minister David Cameron and King Abdullah of Jordan spoke by phone last Thursday and agreed to work on finding a "solution" to the case. No 10 said Mr Cameron had explained the "frustration" that the ECHR ruling had caused. "They agreed on the importance of finding an effective solution to this case, in the interests of both Britain and Jordan," a Downing Street spokesman said. BBC home affairs editor Mark Easton said a Home Office delegation was heading to Jordan this week in the hope of getting assurances that would satisfy the ECHR. Human rights Tory MP Peter Bone said: "It cannot be right that a sovereign nation has someone who they think is an extremely dangerous individual who cannot possibly be allowed to stay in the country just because of the risk of his human rights. "What about the human rights of all our citizens - our men and women and children?" Abu Qatada has never been charged with a criminal offence in the UK but ministers have said he is "extremely dangerous". Human rights campaigners have said that any prosecution should take place in the UK because of concerns over whether he would get a fair trial in Jordan. Joel Bennathan QC, a leading defence barrister in counter-terrorism cases, said the preacher's case was similar to others where there had been allegations but no prosecution or conviction. He said: "Any 'jihadi' who says anything that could conceivably be seen as encouraging violence tends to get arrested and charged with incitement to murder, racial or religious hatred. "It is a fair guess that Abu Qatada has not done or said anything dangerous for years, if ever he did."

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

iPad mini Review: Apple aims for the everyman It’s an iPad, but smaller. Boiling down the iPad mini to its core premise may not tell you everything you need to know about the 7.9-inch tablet, but it does set the scene: Apple’s legendary build quality, iOS and the hundreds of thousands of tablet apps in the App Store, and a guarantee that it’s going to polarize consumers. Steve Jobs memorably dismissed smaller tablets, and yet Apple couldn’t have been more enthusiastic about its mini model at the launch event last week. Read on to find out whether, for a small slate, the iPad mini is actually a big deal. Hardware At first glance, the iPad mini’s familial resemblance is obvious. Available in white and black finishes – with matching aluminum rear shells, unlike the full-sized iPad with Retina display, which only changes bezel color – it’s considerably reduced in size, down 23-percent in thickness at 0.28-inches deep, and down 53-percent in weight, at 0.68-pounds for the Wi-Fi-only model. It’s the width and length which are most notable, however. Held in portrait orientation, the 5.3-inch frame is easy to grip in a single hand, your fingers tucked around the edges without feeling stretched. It makes the iPad mini a legitimate alternative to a Kindle or other, similarly-sized e-reader, light enough and scaled the right way to grip for extended periods in bed. The 7.87-inch length, meanwhile, makes for a tablet that’s great for thumb-typing when held in landscape orientation, the iPad mini cradled in your hands. Inside, there’s a dual-core 1GHz processor, the same Apple A5 dualcore as in the iPad 2, along with a choice of 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of storage. All versions have the same Wi-Fi a/b/g/n – with dual-band 802.11n support, for improved range and speeds with compatible routers – and Bluetooth 4.0, while Apple also offers Wi-Fi + Cellular models that support LTE on select networks (and HSPA+/DC-HSDPA on others). The cellular iPad mini also has true GPS and GLONASS, while the Wi-Fi-only makes do with assisted-GPS. Both variants use Apple’s new Lightning connector, and have a mono speaker and a stereo headset jack that, with a wired hands-free kit such as comes with the iPhone 5, can be used for voice calls such as over Skype. The cameras are carried over from the full-sized iPad, with a 1.2-megapixel front-facer above the display that supports 720p HD video recording as well as FaceTime calls over both Wi-Fi and cellular connections. On the back, there’s a 5-megapixel camera with a backside-illuminated sensor, five-element lens, hybrid IR filter, and autofocus; the size of the iPad mini makes it a far more comfortable device to actually use to take photos with, unlike the 9.7-inch iPad which can feel somewhat unwieldy and seems more suited to the occasional, impromptu shot when your smartphone isn’t immediately to hand. Panoramic shots benefit from the smaller size of the iPad mini, which makes it easier to hold still and steadily pan across the scene. Display Given Steve Jobs’ well-known attitude toward 7-inch tablets, Apple was never going to launch an iPad of quite that size. Instead, the company opted for a 7.9-inch screen for the iPad mini; while that 0.9-inch extra on the diagonal may not sound like much, it actually makes for a panel that’s 35-percent larger than a 7-inch screen on, say, Google’s Nexus 7. In total, you get 29.6 square inches of display, versus the 21.9 square inches of a 7-inch panel. The screen itself is an LCD IPS panel running at the same 1024 x 768 resolution as the iPad 2. It’s bright and clear, with great viewing angles no matter which way round you’re holding the tablet; as with the larger iPad, the iPad mini’s UI will flip to suit any of the four orientations. What you don’t get is “Retina” resolution, Apple’s shorthand for a display where the pixel density is so great that, at a typical operating distance, the average human eye can’t differentiate the individual dots. Higher-resolution displays of a similar size to that of the iPad mini are available; Apple’s compromise, however, is to maintain compatibility. By sticking to one of the two established resolutions – either 1024 x 768. or 2048 x 1536 as on the iPad with Retina display – it means all of the applications intended for existing iPads will fit properly on the iPad mini. Had Apple opted for a halfway measure with the ambition of increasing the pixel density from its current 163 ppi – picking a display somewhere between the resolution of the iPad 2 and the Retina version – it would have delivered smoother visuals but at the cost of simple compatibility. Developers would have to update their apps to suit a third resolution; as it stands, even though it’s a different size, the iPad mini has access to the near-300,000 iPad-friendly App Store apps out of the box. To accommodate that particular 4:3 aspect ratio panel, and achieve that all-important fit in the hand, Apple has dramatically shaved away the bezels on the longer edges. It can leave the iPad mini looking a little unusually proportioned at first glance, compared to the thicker frame of the full-sized 9.7-inch iPad, but it’s a decision that makes sense after a little time with the tablet. As for whether the 1024 x 768 resolution itself has an impact on usability, while it’s lower than 720p HD, video playback still looks solid. Webpages at minimum magnification in the browser inevitably require at least a little zooming in order to make the text a comfortable size for reading, though that’s more down to the sheer size of the text on a display of this scale, than it is the resolution it’s rendered at. One of the little-recognized reasons for the 9.7-inch iPad’s wider bezel is that it helps keep your thumbs away from the edges of the display when holding it. That avoids mis-touches or swipes, which can be particularly frustrating when they change page in an e-reader app like iBooks or Kindle for iOS. For the iPad mini, Apple has replaced the physical grip-space with software cleverness: the thumb-rejection system promises to differentiate between the touch of a typical grip on the body of the tablet, and a specific point of contact when selecting an app or control. Not all apps support thumb-rejection, at least initially, and we noticed around 10- to 15-percent of the time it didn’t work as expected. However, the remainder of the time it’s surprisingly effective: you can hold the iPad mini with the edge of your thumb resting along the border of the display, without it being recognized as a touch or swipe. Apple says the number of compatible apps will increase in time, as well. Apple offers both AirPlay Video for streaming up to 1080p Full HD to an Apple TV, or an optional video output dongle. The Lightning to Digital AV Adapter is compatible with the HDMI port found on most current TVs, while the Lightning to VGA Adapter hooks the iPad mini up to a computer display. Software and Performance iOS 6 on the iPad mini may be smaller than we’ve seen it on an Apple tablet before, but it’s a familiar platform and we were quickly up to speed despite the diminished scale. All of Apple’s regular apps are present – Safari, Mail, FaceTime, iTunes, Game Center, Maps, and more – along with Siri, which expanded to the iPad line over the summer. iBooks isn’t preloaded but is available free from the App Store, and now supports auto-scroll for touchless reading; again, it underscores the iPad mini’s suitability as an e-reader alternative. The iPad mini may not have the A6X processor of the new flagship fourth-gen iPad, but the A5 is sufficient to keep things moving smoothly without making a huge dent in battery life. Navigation around iOS shows no real lag or delay, and apps load quickly; the A5 doesn’t have to drive all the pixels involved in a Retina display, after all, and so it’s overall a satisfactory experience. For those particularly curious about raw benchmarks, the iPad mini scored 757 (higher is better; the iPad with Retina display scored 1,768 in comparison) in Geekbench and completed the SunSpider test of browser JavaScript performance in 1,698.9ms (lower is better; the iPad with Retina display managed an impressive 879.2ms). One of the more taxing challenges Apple’s tablet faces is video editing, and with its 5-megapixel camera and Full HD video capture, iMovie performance is an important metric. We tested the smaller tablet with both 1 minute and 5 minute video clips, each at both 720p and 1080p resolution. It processed the 720p short clip in 56.8 seconds, and the 1080p short clip in 1 minute 2 seconds. As for the 5-minute clip, that took 4 minutes 31 seconds for the 720p version and 4 minutes 56 seconds for the 1080p. They’re unsurprisingly slower than the iPad with Retina display managed, but not outlandishly so, flattering to the iPad mini’s potential. Video clips can also be imported using the Lightning to SD Card Adapter or Lightning to USB Camera Adapter, making the whole thing a competent portable movie studio. Opt for a 4G version and you could shoot, edit, process, and upload your entire movie while on the move, without ever having to plug the iPad mini – or your camera – into a computer. Compatibility with Bluetooth keyboards, meanwhile, means entering text is more straightforward, in effect turning the iPad mini into a tiny workstation. Battery Apple quotes up to 10hrs of wireless browsing over Wi-Fi for the iPad mini, or up to 9hrs if you’re using the tablet’s cellular connection. In practice, with a mixture of browsing, some video playback, games, music – both locally-stored and streaming – and messaging, we comfortably exceeded Apple’s estimate. In fact, we exceeded 11hrs of use before encountering a battery warning. Accessories With the same Lightning connector as on the iPhone 5 and the iPad with Retina display, the iPad mini has access to the same range of accessories as elsewhere in Apple’s range. In addition to the external display adapters for HDMI and VGA, and the SD Card and USB Camera import cables, there’s also a new iPad mini Smart Cover. The premise is the same as the existing Smart Cover Apple has been offering for its full-sized iPads: a flexible, rollable screen protector that both covers the display when not in use and wakes the tablet from sleep when opened. It can be folded into a stand to prop the iPad mini up at angles suited either for typing or for watching video, and attaches to the side of the slate magnetically. Unlike the metal bar hinge of the larger Smart Cover, the iPad mini gets a new, fabric-covered design, which is sleeker and doesn’t make the tablet bulky. On the inside there’s a microfiber lining, gentle to the touchscreen, while the outside is available in a choice of six colors: dark gray, light gray, blue, green, pink, and (PRODUCT) RED. iPad Mini vs Nexus 7 Wrap-up As the pre-launch rumors proliferated, some questioned whether Apple really needed a product that slotted in-between the 4-inch iPhone and iPod touch, and the 9.7-inch iPad. Others questioned what sort of price bands Apple would target: whether the iPad mini would be a budget option to directly take on the spray of low-cost Android tablets. Instead, the iPad mini is a product that’s resolutely “Apple”: it distills the essentials of the 9.7-inch iPad – iOS app compatibility, multimedia functionality, premium build quality, and comprehensive connectivity – without diluting them to unnecessarily meet a budget price point the company has no real interest in achieving. The iPad mini isn’t a cheap tablet in comparison to $199 Android-powered options, but it feels better in the hand, has a huge number of applications specifically intended for tablet use, and delivers what it promises to in a cohesive and predictable way. What it also means is that the iPad mini isn’t the iPad you buy simply because you can’t necessarily afford the larger iPad with Retina display. There are legitimate arguments for the smaller model, not undermined by flimsy construction or compromised capabilities. If you spend much of your time mobile, the iPad mini is easier to transport; if you’re a keen reader, the iPad mini is easier to hold and navigate through. If you’re addicted to the internet and don’t want to view it through the 4-inch window of the iPhone 5 or iPod touch, Safari on the iPad mini delivers more size at a scale that’s still bag or purse-friendly. In the end, it’s about an overall package, an experience which Apple is offering. Not the fastest tablet, nor the cheapest, nor the one that prioritizes the most pixel-dense display, but the one with the lion’s share of tablet applications, the integration with the iOS/iTunes ecosystem, the familiarity of usability and, yes, the brand cachet. That’s a compelling metric by which to judge a new product, and it’s a set of abilities that single the iPad mini out in the marketplace. If the iPad with Retina display is the flagship of Apple’s tablet range, then the iPad mini is the everyman model, and it’s one that will deservedly sell very well. ||||| Sadly, the Mini doesn’t gain Apple’s supercrisp Retina display. Nobody’s going to complain about the sharpness — it packs in 163 pixels per inch (ppi) — but it’s not the same jaw-dropping resolution as the big iPad (264 ppi). Gotta hold something back for next year’s model, right? You pay $330 for the base model (16 gigabytes of storage, Wi-Fi connections). Prices run all the way up to $660 for four times the storage and the option to go online over the cell network. By pricing the Mini so high, Apple allows the $200 class of seven-inch Android tablets and readers to live (Google Nexus, Kindle Fire HD, Nook HD). Those tablets also, by the way, have high-definition screens (1,280 by 800 pixels), which the Mini doesn’t. But the iPad Mini is a far classier, more attractive, thinner machine. It has two cameras instead of one. Its fit and finish are far more refined. And above all, it offers that colossal app catalog, which Android tablet owners can only dream about. Over all, the Mini gives you all the iPad goodness in a more manageable size, and it’s awesome. You could argue that the iPad Mini is what the iPad always wanted to be. Photo Barnes & Noble Nook HD The redesign of this $200 e-book reader/video player focuses on the three things that matter most in a hand-held e-book reader: weight, size and screen clarity. Advertisement Continue reading the main story In those ways, the Nook HD trounces its nemeses, Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD and Google’s Nexus 7. The Nook is lighter (11.1 ounces, versus 12 on the Nexus and 13.9 on the Kindle) and noticeably narrower, despite the same-size screen, because it has a far slimmer bezel. You can wrap your hand around its back, even if you’re dainty of hand. And the screen is much sharper: 1,440 by 900 pixels (versus 1,280 by 800). At 243 dots ppi, the Nook’s screen comes dangerously close to the iPad Retina’s 264 ppi. Wow, is this screen sharp. Movies, books and magazines pop. Whites are so white on this screen, it could be a Clorox commercial; the Nexus and Kindle screens look yellowish in comparison. (A 9-inch, $270 version, the Nook HD+, is also available.) The software continues to improve. You can now create up to six accounts, one for each family member, each listing different books and movies. (It doesn’t remember where each person stopped reading a given book, but B&N says that’s coming soon.) The base-model, $200 Nook comes with only 8 gigabytes of storage — half as much as the Kindle; on the other hand, it has a memory-card slot, so it’s simple and cheap to expand. The Nook includes a wall charger (it can’t charge from a USB jack), which the Kindle doesn’t. And the Nook doesn’t display ads, as the $200 Kindle does. Photo However, there’s no camera at all. (The company says it spent the money on the nicer screen.) And the speaker volume is way too low during movie playback, but B&N says a fix is coming this week.. Still, in the hardware war, Nook HD clearly wins this round. The Nook HD is fast, fluid and gorgeous; the Fire HD lags in all of those categories. Then again, Amazon’s movie service — rent, buy or stream for free as part of the $80-a-year Prime program — is mature and delightful; Barnes & Noble’s movie store is just starting up. If you can tolerate that fledgling store awhile, then you’ll love the way B&N exploited its second-mover advantage. Newsletter Sign Up Continue reading the main story Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up You will receive emails containing news content , updates and promotions from The New York Times. You may opt-out at any time. You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. Thank you for subscribing. An error has occurred. Please try again later. View all New York Times newsletters. Windows Phone 8 The good news in touch screens continues with Windows Phone 8. It’s what you’ll get on sleek coming phones like the Nokia Lumia 920 and HTC’s Windows Phone 8X (the one I tested). Advertisement Continue reading the main story Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 — a fresh, colorful, efficient, tile-based alternative to the icon-based design of iPhone and Android — earned rave reviews. But few phones run it and few people have it. Windows Phone 8 may look identical, but the company says it’s a complete rewrite based on underlying code from Windows 8 for PCs. It’s therefore ready for far more hardware flexibility than 7 was: multi-core processors, screens with different resolutions, phones with memory cards and so on. Photo The Start screen is more customizable; you can choose from three different tile sizes. Apps can modify your Lock screen automatically; for example, the Groupon app might display a special offer that’s tailored to where you are right now. If you swipe leftward from the Lock screen, you enter Kid Corner, a truly inspired idea. It’s a quarantined world containing only apps, music and videos that you’ve handpicked for your offspring. Next time you hear, “I’m bored — can I play on your phone?” you can hand the phone over without worry; the phone, Web and text messages are off-limits. More solid improvements: The desktop software can load the phone with your iTunes music and video libraries. “Rooms” are private groups — Bowling Buddies, Teen Party and so on — whose members can share their locations, calendars, photos and chats. You can now back up the phone online. Two juicy features are promised for the coming months: a “pay with your phone” option brought to you by NFC (near-field communication) chips in phones, and Data Sense, which tries to conserve Internet data and monitors your monthly allotment. Microsoft’s phone software is fast, simple and beautiful. But it still lacks universal dictation for quick text entry. Its new Maps app doesn’t offer spoken directions (in 2012? seriously?). And the audience won’t come until there are more great apps. There are promising signs; Microsoft says there are 110,000 Windows Phone apps, and that software companies can reuse chunks of code from their Windows 8 programs. That should make it easier to bring new apps to the phone. So there you have it: three touch-screen tech toys, each triumphant in its own way. One comes from a market leader hoping to swipe business from its bargain-basement rivals; two come from underdogs determined to make a bigger dent. Advertisement Continue reading the main story None of these products are themselves perfect. But they represent new highs on the graph that plots price against polish and pleasure — and for gadget lovers, that portends some very merry holidays indeed. ||||| Remember the iPod mini? When Apple launched that in January 2004, at a time when a huge swathe of the fast-growing digital music player market was still up for grabs, people thought Apple was crazy. Only 4GB of storage – less than in the original 5GB model launched in 2001? A $249 price tag – only $50 less than the base level "iPod". Well, said the critics, Apple had finally messed up after a couple of years of getting it right. It was doomed. Turned out it wasn't; the iPod mini became the best-selling iPod (until the iPod nano in September 2005). Why point this out? Because much the same critique has been applied to the iPad mini, Apple's 7.85in device. It's just smaller (though nobody seems to be calling it "a big iPod Touch" – perhaps that wore thin after the first few thousand times following the original iPad's launch). It's too pricey; there are others which are already in the market. As I've said earlier, there are some key differences between the iPod market of 2004 and today's mini-tablet market. The key one is that in the 2004 market, all the rivals needed to make a profit on their hardware; they couldn't make it up from selling music. This time round, Amazon and Google in particular can sell the hardware at a loss in order to goose their market share, if not immediately their profits. So Apple has a fight on its hands in pricing, not just design. But let's by dealing with the iPad mini as it is, on its own terms. Build quality: seamless Jonathan Ive doesn't like seams. He doesn't like any sort of break in the surface of objects, even manufactured ones. One of the notable things about the first iPod was that there was no obvious way to break it open, and the trend in all of Apple products – including the computers – is the same. You'll do well to get a scalpel blade between the iPad mini's screen and its bezel. There's no flex in the body; it's really solid. I was using a black model; it isn't obviously metal until you touch it. As with its bigger sibling, the headphone jack is on the top – unlike the iPhone 5, where it has migrated to the bottom. Dimensions This is worthy of mention because everyone has been focused on the Amazon Kindle Fire in comparison to the iPad mini (and of course Google Nexus 7). I compared an iPad mini beside a Kindle Fire, and was surprised to find that they're almost exactly the same size in both width and length, though the iPad mini is thinner. Similarly, compare it with the Nexus 7. Here are the figures for the iPad mini: 199mm x 133mm; the Nexus 7, 198.5mm x 120mm. You get 1.3cm – that's half an inch - width difference between the Nexus 7 and the iPad mini. This surprised me – I thought that the iPad mini would be substantially wider. But it's not, and at that width you can slip it into an outside jacket pocket or a roomy coat pocket or, of course, a bag. How though does the iPad mini manage to be so small if it has a 7.85in screen, while the others have just 7in screens? By having a much thinner border along the long edges. It's 20mm wide at the short edges, but just 5mm on the long ones. This isn't just a shrunk-down iPad, where the borders are 20mm and 17mm (short, long). Apple has made a definite effort to create something that can be slipped into generous pockets. Weight What will surprise you is the weight. The specs already show that the iPad mini is lighter than the Kindle Fire, 308g v 395g (and 340g for the Nexus 7); even if you add on a Smart Cover, it's still lighter than the uncovered Kindle Fire. It's thinner too. This is a device that will be ideal for holding in one hand for reading on train rides or other commuting; or you might even forget it's in that coat pocket. What the iPod mini demonstrated, and what the MacBook Air demonstrated, and pretty much every breakthrough in mobility demonstrates, is that lighter is better – and if you can do lighter and bigger, you're really onto a winner. (This is part of how the Samsung Galaxy S3 has done so well: big screen, light phone.) The iPad mini (308g) feels like it isn't really there. Certainly you'll not get tired of holding it, which could happen with the iPad (652g). Battery life As with previous iPads, battery life is easily in the nine-hour-plus mark. Charging is via the new Lightning connector, and as with the iPhone, the iPad now recharges very quickly – half an hour will easily add four or five times as much use. I didn't get a chance to try it out on a 4G/LTE network, so don't know how that affects battery life. (Mobile versions sold in the UK will initially be compatible with EE's 1800MHz network, and Three's next year.) Screen It's not a retina screen! It's only 1024x768, so that the resolution is 163ppi. This has been a big complaint (or snark, in some cases) that I've heard from people who haven't laid eyes on this device. If all you read is specifications, then the iPad mini screen is far worse than the Kindle Fire's or Nexus 7's, right? Well, put them beside each other, and the story changes. Web page rendering on the Kindle Fire is, frankly, awful. It's blocky, and there's a yellowish cast which personally I dislike. The iPad mini is bright, and white, and the text rendering is good – and there's no obvious pixellation. Kindle books look as good on the iPad mini as on the Kindle Fire. (The latter is optimised for reading those, but not for the web; Amazon would rather you bought books than surfed the web.) Icons on the iPad mini look sharp; on the Kindle Fire, not really. Scrolling With long lists, it's smooth and untroubled; this is something Apple has prioritised. Again, the comparison with Android, where scrolling has always been a bugbear, is stark; get a long article with lots of comments on a website, and you'll get a smooth scroll. That's not always the case on Android devices, where some will give jerky performance, no matter how many cores their processor has. Specs, eh? They can lead you astray. Setup experience If you have an iOS device already – iPod Touch, iPhone, iPad – then you can log into your iCloud account and all the apps and content you've already bought, plus all your settings including alarms can be transferred wirelessly. (If you've got multiple devices backed up, you get to choose which it's restored from. Alternatively, you can just use a wire and an iTunes backup.) Android tries, but doesn't quite get to the granular level that iCloud does, and that's a big difference in user-friendliness. User accounts There aren't any. This is the biggest failing in iOS at present. Now that Google has announced that Android will support a form of user accounts on tablets, and Windows Phone 8 offers "Kids Corner" (fenced-off apps you can let the kids use), and Windows RT tablets support multiple signins, iOS is starting to look like the odd one out. One tablet per person is great for Apple, but it's not so great for the squeezed middle. Single-user iPhones yes; multi-user iPads, yes please. Keyboard Of course, there isn't an inbuilt keyboard. But the question is, is the onscreen version too small to type on? No – used in landscape or portrait, the keys are large enough even for my hands. Despite the smaller screen, touch targets aren't too small either. In short, you can still type quite accurately (and certainly more accurately than on an iPhone) and manipulate onscreen objects. I don't think that many app developers will be redoing their existing iPad 2 apps. In fact, games developers are quite excited by the idea of the iPad mini, because they reckon it will mean more players using the device in landscape mode who will be able to span the bottom of the screen with their thumbs (personally, I could) – something that was impossible with the iPad, which anyway gets too heavy. Cameras Available front and back – here's an example shot with the camera on the back. There's no Panorama option with the rear camera, which is a strange omission. Apps Existing iPad apps work perfectly well. I tried the Brian Cox Wonders app, which includes videos. I criticised the Nexus 7 for the extent of letterboxing on its 16:9 screen, so will I do the same for the iPad mini? Yup – you get some pretty hefty letterboxing here too. Here's the thing, though: because the border around the long edges is so much thinner than at the edges, the overall effect is no worse than the Nexus 7; given that proportionally less of the space is lost to the border, you could argue it's a less compromised experience. For comparison, here's the Nexus 7 letterboxing: It might not be immediately obvious, but if you look closely then you can see that the physical border is much wider in the Nexus 7 than on the iPad mini. iPhone apps' behaviour can be hit-and-miss: some fit the screen neatly when expanded to the "2x" size, others overlap the edges (I'm looking at you, Tube Deluxe), others just look blocky (hello, Amazon – though there is a proper Amazon iPad app). There isn't the spare room that the larger iPad has around the edges when you expand the size of the iPhone app on the mini's screen. Then again, with the huge number of iPad apps available, this probably won't be a problem. Price Yes, let's talk about the price. As mentioned above, Apple isn't looking to race to the bottom on price, because its objective (make a profit on hardware) isn't aligned to that of Google and Amazon (sell hardware near cost, profit on content or from users' web browsing). That said, at £269 ($329) for the 16GB model, you're getting an impressively light, small tablet which (if you buy the connectors, or have them) can take your camera pictures, or just take pictures itself. There's AirPlay, the wireless audio and video connection – if you have an AppleTV (£99) ($99) then you can run iPlayer on the iPad and "throw" it over to the AppleTV and watch it on a big screen; no wires. And it's not hugely more expensive than the Nexus 7, though the Kindle Fire is much cheaper. If price is your only consideration, though, an iPad probably hasn't been on your shopping list anyway. Conclusion Those in favour: excellent build quality; very light, comparatively large screen, not significantly wider than competition (for putting in coat pockets), excellent text rendering, huge selection of apps, music, books and films, pain-free setup from iCloud backups for existing accounts; 3G/4G LTE option; fast-growing range of accessories. Those against: price is higher than rivals – at £239 ($329), it's £40 ($130) more than the 16GB Nexus 7; no expandable storage; letterboxing of films; no HDMI out (though AirPlay is a wireless equivalent). Lining those pluses and minuses up against those for the Nexus 7 – which garnered four stars – there's no doubt that this is indeed a five-star device. The 20% difference in comparative price is more than made up by the difference in build quality and software selection. Apple is going to sell a lot of these – quite possibly more than the "large" iPad – in this quarter. The only way Apple could improve on this product would be (as some people are already agitating) to give it a retina screen and somehow make it lighter. That might happen at some point. You can wait if you like; other people, in the meantime, will be buying this one. This article originally appeared on guardian.co.uk ||||| And, of course, it gives access to Apple's ecosystem of hundreds of thousands of tablet-friendly apps -- plus all the media iTunes has to offer. We can't help you decide which ecosystem, Apple or Google's, is better-suited to your interests, but we do imagine that will be the deciding factor for most. When it comes down to hardware, it's almost no contest between the two, with the iPad mini clearly winning out -- except in one area. That's the display. The Nexus 7 has a higher-resolution panel that's also 16:9, making it better for movie watching. It's also narrower, and thus easier to hold in your hand. We'd also be remiss if we didn't at least mention the $199 Kindle Fire HD. Amazon's latest also offers a higher-resolution, IPS LCD and has the extra selling point of stereo speakers. It also has a strong suite of content, courtesy of Amazon's many partnerships, but overall we have a hard time comparing these two. Amazon's device is clearly a cut-rate slate designed to push as much digital buying power into the hands of consumers as possible, while Apple's is simply a legitimately nice tablet. It's a legitimately nice tablet that Apple certainly would love for you to fill with premium content downloaded through iTunes, but it never feels like a shopping portal. The Kindle does. Accessories Surely, the most popular accessory for the iPad mini will be the new Smart Cover that, despite being both smaller and of considerably simpler construction, still costs the same $39 as the bigger, 10-inch version. That's a little unfortunate, especially because we don't think this version works as well. There is one positive change: the smaller Smart Cover moves away from the aluminum hinge on the bigger version, a good thing because we've seen plenty of scratches caused by that metal-on-metal contact. It's still attached magnetically, but where the 10-inch model will immediately snap into the perfect placement every time, we found the mini cover just as eager to attach either too high or too low. It requires a little more precision. Hardly a deal-breaker (how often are you removing your Smart Cover?) but a bit of an annoyance. The other accessories, and there are plenty of them, all make use of the device's Lightning connector, many existing only to add a little more life to your various iPod docks and chargers. The stubby 30-pin to Lightning adapter is $29, the same cost as the two camera adapters: one USB and one SD. (This is a change from the 30-pin Camera Connection Kit, which included both for $29.) The Lightning to 30-pin adapter (which includes a 0.2 meter cable in the middle) costs $39 and, finally, both the VGA and digital AV adapters are $49. Like the previous Digital AV adapter (which was $39), this one includes HDMI output and has an input so that you can still charge the tablet while it's in use. Handy for those digital signage applications -- or getting in one final, epic Lord of the Rings marathon before December. Wrap-up This isn't just an Apple tablet made to a budget. This isn't just a shrunken-down iPad. This is, in many ways, Apple's best tablet yet, an incredibly thin, remarkably light, obviously well-constructed device that offers phenomenal battery life. No, the performance doesn't match Apple's latest and yes, that display is a little lacking in resolution, but nothing else here will leave you wanting. At $329, this has a lot to offer over even Apple's more expensive tablets. Those comparing this to the Kindle Fire HD will have a hard time, as that's a tablet manufactured to a fixed cost and designed to sell you content. This is very much more. Similarly, the hardware here -- the materials, the lightness, the build quality, the overall package as it sits in your hand -- is much nicer than the Nexus 7 and it offers access to the comprehensively more tablet-friendly App Store, but whether that's worth the extra cost depends entirely on the size of your budget -- and your proclivity toward Android. Regardless, the iPad mini is well worth considering for anybody currently in the market for a tablet. Its cost is compelling, its design superb and it of course gives access to the best selection of tablet-optimized apps on the market. To consider it just a cheap, tiny iPad is a disservice. This is, simply, a great tablet. Update: This review originally stated (as does Apple's spec page) that the iPad mini has a mono speaker. It is, in fact, a stereo device. [Last photo by Will Lipman]

– Reviews of Apple's recently announced iPad Mini are hitting the streets, and critics are almost universally swooning over the baby iPad. Here's a look at what they're saying: Like pretty much everyone else, David Pogue, writing for the New York Times, loves the size. Not quite small enough for a blazer pocket, he notes, but still a great fit in your hand. "You could argue that the iPad mini is what the iPad always wanted to be." A lot of the chatter is about the screen, and some reviewers are upset that the iPad Mini doesn't feature a retina display like those on the iPad. But over at Business Insider, Charles Arthur says not to worry. The display "is bright, and white, and the text rendering is good—and there's no obvious pixellation." Vincent Nguyen praises the Mini as an "everyman machine," though its price tag ($360 for the base model) doesn't necessarily mean it's the tablet to buy when you can't afford the bigger version, he writes for Slashgear. It's great for those who are mobile a lot, enjoy reading on a tablet, or want a web-tool that's bigger than an iPod or smartphone but still "bag-friendly." The Mini is its own beast, says Tim Stevens at Engadget, and "to consider it just a cheap, tiny iPad is a disservice. This is, simply, a great tablet."

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.iPad mini Review: Apple aims for the everyman It’s an iPad, but smaller. Boiling down the iPad mini to its core premise may not tell you everything you need to know about the 7.9-inch tablet, but it does set the scene: Apple’s legendary build quality, iOS and the hundreds of thousands of tablet apps in the App Store, and a guarantee that it’s going to polarize consumers. Steve Jobs memorably dismissed smaller tablets, and yet Apple couldn’t have been more enthusiastic about its mini model at the launch event last week. Read on to find out whether, for a small slate, the iPad mini is actually a big deal. Hardware At first glance, the iPad mini’s familial resemblance is obvious. Available in white and black finishes – with matching aluminum rear shells, unlike the full-sized iPad with Retina display, which only changes bezel color – it’s considerably reduced in size, down 23-percent in thickness at 0.28-inches deep, and down 53-percent in weight, at 0.68-pounds for the Wi-Fi-only model. It’s the width and length which are most notable, however. Held in portrait orientation, the 5.3-inch frame is easy to grip in a single hand, your fingers tucked around the edges without feeling stretched. It makes the iPad mini a legitimate alternative to a Kindle or other, similarly-sized e-reader, light enough and scaled the right way to grip for extended periods in bed. The 7.87-inch length, meanwhile, makes for a tablet that’s great for thumb-typing when held in landscape orientation, the iPad mini cradled in your hands. Inside, there’s a dual-core 1GHz processor, the same Apple A5 dualcore as in the iPad 2, along with a choice of 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of storage. All versions have the same Wi-Fi a/b/g/n – with dual-band 802.11n support, for improved range and speeds with compatible routers – and Bluetooth 4.0, while Apple also offers Wi-Fi + Cellular models that support LTE on select networks (and HSPA+/DC-HSDPA on others). The cellular iPad mini also has true GPS and GLONASS, while the Wi-Fi-only makes do with assisted-GPS. Both variants use Apple’s new Lightning connector, and have a mono speaker and a stereo headset jack that, with a wired hands-free kit such as comes with the iPhone 5, can be used for voice calls such as over Skype. The cameras are carried over from the full-sized iPad, with a 1.2-megapixel front-facer above the display that supports 720p HD video recording as well as FaceTime calls over both Wi-Fi and cellular connections. On the back, there’s a 5-megapixel camera with a backside-illuminated sensor, five-element lens, hybrid IR filter, and autofocus; the size of the iPad mini makes it a far more comfortable device to actually use to take photos with, unlike the 9.7-inch iPad which can feel somewhat unwieldy and seems more suited to the occasional, impromptu shot when your smartphone isn’t immediately to hand. Panoramic shots benefit from the smaller size of the iPad mini, which makes it easier to hold still and steadily pan across the scene. Display Given Steve Jobs’ well-known attitude toward 7-inch tablets, Apple was never going to launch an iPad of quite that size. Instead, the company opted for a 7.9-inch screen for the iPad mini; while that 0.9-inch extra on the diagonal may not sound like much, it actually makes for a panel that’s 35-percent larger than a 7-inch screen on, say, Google’s Nexus 7. In total, you get 29.6 square inches of display, versus the 21.9 square inches of a 7-inch panel. The screen itself is an LCD IPS panel running at the same 1024 x 768 resolution as the iPad 2. It’s bright and clear, with great viewing angles no matter which way round you’re holding the tablet; as with the larger iPad, the iPad mini’s UI will flip to suit any of the four orientations. What you don’t get is “Retina” resolution, Apple’s shorthand for a display where the pixel density is so great that, at a typical operating distance, the average human eye can’t differentiate the individual dots. Higher-resolution displays of a similar size to that of the iPad mini are available; Apple’s compromise, however, is to maintain compatibility. By sticking to one of the two established resolutions – either 1024 x 768. or 2048 x 1536 as on the iPad with Retina display – it means all of the applications intended for existing iPads will fit properly on the iPad mini. Had Apple opted for a halfway measure with the ambition of increasing the pixel density from its current 163 ppi – picking a display somewhere between the resolution of the iPad 2 and the Retina version – it would have delivered smoother visuals but at the cost of simple compatibility. Developers would have to update their apps to suit a third resolution; as it stands, even though it’s a different size, the iPad mini has access to the near-300,000 iPad-friendly App Store apps out of the box. To accommodate that particular 4:3 aspect ratio panel, and achieve that all-important fit in the hand, Apple has dramatically shaved away the bezels on the longer edges. It can leave the iPad mini looking a little unusually proportioned at first glance, compared to the thicker frame of the full-sized 9.7-inch iPad, but it’s a decision that makes sense after a little time with the tablet. As for whether the 1024 x 768 resolution itself has an impact on usability, while it’s lower than 720p HD, video playback still looks solid. Webpages at minimum magnification in the browser inevitably require at least a little zooming in order to make the text a comfortable size for reading, though that’s more down to the sheer size of the text on a display of this scale, than it is the resolution it’s rendered at. One of the little-recognized reasons for the 9.7-inch iPad’s wider bezel is that it helps keep your thumbs away from the edges of the display when holding it. That avoids mis-touches or swipes, which can be particularly frustrating when they change page in an e-reader app like iBooks or Kindle for iOS. For the iPad mini, Apple has replaced the physical grip-space with software cleverness: the thumb-rejection system promises to differentiate between the touch of a typical grip on the body of the tablet, and a specific point of contact when selecting an app or control. Not all apps support thumb-rejection, at least initially, and we noticed around 10- to 15-percent of the time it didn’t work as expected. However, the remainder of the time it’s surprisingly effective: you can hold the iPad mini with the edge of your thumb resting along the border of the display, without it being recognized as a touch or swipe. Apple says the number of compatible apps will increase in time, as well. Apple offers both AirPlay Video for streaming up to 1080p Full HD to an Apple TV, or an optional video output dongle. The Lightning to Digital AV Adapter is compatible with the HDMI port found on most current TVs, while the Lightning to VGA Adapter hooks the iPad mini up to a computer display. Software and Performance iOS 6 on the iPad mini may be smaller than we’ve seen it on an Apple tablet before, but it’s a familiar platform and we were quickly up to speed despite the diminished scale. All of Apple’s regular apps are present – Safari, Mail, FaceTime, iTunes, Game Center, Maps, and more – along with Siri, which expanded to the iPad line over the summer. iBooks isn’t preloaded but is available free from the App Store, and now supports auto-scroll for touchless reading; again, it underscores the iPad mini’s suitability as an e-reader alternative. The iPad mini may not have the A6X processor of the new flagship fourth-gen iPad, but the A5 is sufficient to keep things moving smoothly without making a huge dent in battery life. Navigation around iOS shows no real lag or delay, and apps load quickly; the A5 doesn’t have to drive all the pixels involved in a Retina display, after all, and so it’s overall a satisfactory experience. For those particularly curious about raw benchmarks, the iPad mini scored 757 (higher is better; the iPad with Retina display scored 1,768 in comparison) in Geekbench and completed the SunSpider test of browser JavaScript performance in 1,698.9ms (lower is better; the iPad with Retina display managed an impressive 879.2ms). One of the more taxing challenges Apple’s tablet faces is video editing, and with its 5-megapixel camera and Full HD video capture, iMovie performance is an important metric. We tested the smaller tablet with both 1 minute and 5 minute video clips, each at both 720p and 1080p resolution. It processed the 720p short clip in 56.8 seconds, and the 1080p short clip in 1 minute 2 seconds. As for the 5-minute clip, that took 4 minutes 31 seconds for the 720p version and 4 minutes 56 seconds for the 1080p. They’re unsurprisingly slower than the iPad with Retina display managed, but not outlandishly so, flattering to the iPad mini’s potential. Video clips can also be imported using the Lightning to SD Card Adapter or Lightning to USB Camera Adapter, making the whole thing a competent portable movie studio. Opt for a 4G version and you could shoot, edit, process, and upload your entire movie while on the move, without ever having to plug the iPad mini – or your camera – into a computer. Compatibility with Bluetooth keyboards, meanwhile, means entering text is more straightforward, in effect turning the iPad mini into a tiny workstation. Battery Apple quotes up to 10hrs of wireless browsing over Wi-Fi for the iPad mini, or up to 9hrs if you’re using the tablet’s cellular connection. In practice, with a mixture of browsing, some video playback, games, music – both locally-stored and streaming – and messaging, we comfortably exceeded Apple’s estimate. In fact, we exceeded 11hrs of use before encountering a battery warning. Accessories With the same Lightning connector as on the iPhone 5 and the iPad with Retina display, the iPad mini has access to the same range of accessories as elsewhere in Apple’s range. In addition to the external display adapters for HDMI and VGA, and the SD Card and USB Camera import cables, there’s also a new iPad mini Smart Cover. The premise is the same as the existing Smart Cover Apple has been offering for its full-sized iPads: a flexible, rollable screen protector that both covers the display when not in use and wakes the tablet from sleep when opened. It can be folded into a stand to prop the iPad mini up at angles suited either for typing or for watching video, and attaches to the side of the slate magnetically. Unlike the metal bar hinge of the larger Smart Cover, the iPad mini gets a new, fabric-covered design, which is sleeker and doesn’t make the tablet bulky. On the inside there’s a microfiber lining, gentle to the touchscreen, while the outside is available in a choice of six colors: dark gray, light gray, blue, green, pink, and (PRODUCT) RED. iPad Mini vs Nexus 7 Wrap-up As the pre-launch rumors proliferated, some questioned whether Apple really needed a product that slotted in-between the 4-inch iPhone and iPod touch, and the 9.7-inch iPad. Others questioned what sort of price bands Apple would target: whether the iPad mini would be a budget option to directly take on the spray of low-cost Android tablets. Instead, the iPad mini is a product that’s resolutely “Apple”: it distills the essentials of the 9.7-inch iPad – iOS app compatibility, multimedia functionality, premium build quality, and comprehensive connectivity – without diluting them to unnecessarily meet a budget price point the company has no real interest in achieving. The iPad mini isn’t a cheap tablet in comparison to $199 Android-powered options, but it feels better in the hand, has a huge number of applications specifically intended for tablet use, and delivers what it promises to in a cohesive and predictable way. What it also means is that the iPad mini isn’t the iPad you buy simply because you can’t necessarily afford the larger iPad with Retina display. There are legitimate arguments for the smaller model, not undermined by flimsy construction or compromised capabilities. If you spend much of your time mobile, the iPad mini is easier to transport; if you’re a keen reader, the iPad mini is easier to hold and navigate through. If you’re addicted to the internet and don’t want to view it through the 4-inch window of the iPhone 5 or iPod touch, Safari on the iPad mini delivers more size at a scale that’s still bag or purse-friendly. In the end, it’s about an overall package, an experience which Apple is offering. Not the fastest tablet, nor the cheapest, nor the one that prioritizes the most pixel-dense display, but the one with the lion’s share of tablet applications, the integration with the iOS/iTunes ecosystem, the familiarity of usability and, yes, the brand cachet. That’s a compelling metric by which to judge a new product, and it’s a set of abilities that single the iPad mini out in the marketplace. If the iPad with Retina display is the flagship of Apple’s tablet range, then the iPad mini is the everyman model, and it’s one that will deservedly sell very well. ||||| Sadly, the Mini doesn’t gain Apple’s supercrisp Retina display. Nobody’s going to complain about the sharpness — it packs in 163 pixels per inch (ppi) — but it’s not the same jaw-dropping resolution as the big iPad (264 ppi). Gotta hold something back for next year’s model, right? You pay $330 for the base model (16 gigabytes of storage, Wi-Fi connections). Prices run all the way up to $660 for four times the storage and the option to go online over the cell network. By pricing the Mini so high, Apple allows the $200 class of seven-inch Android tablets and readers to live (Google Nexus, Kindle Fire HD, Nook HD). Those tablets also, by the way, have high-definition screens (1,280 by 800 pixels), which the Mini doesn’t. But the iPad Mini is a far classier, more attractive, thinner machine. It has two cameras instead of one. Its fit and finish are far more refined. And above all, it offers that colossal app catalog, which Android tablet owners can only dream about. Over all, the Mini gives you all the iPad goodness in a more manageable size, and it’s awesome. You could argue that the iPad Mini is what the iPad always wanted to be. Photo Barnes & Noble Nook HD The redesign of this $200 e-book reader/video player focuses on the three things that matter most in a hand-held e-book reader: weight, size and screen clarity. Advertisement Continue reading the main story In those ways, the Nook HD trounces its nemeses, Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD and Google’s Nexus 7. The Nook is lighter (11.1 ounces, versus 12 on the Nexus and 13.9 on the Kindle) and noticeably narrower, despite the same-size screen, because it has a far slimmer bezel. You can wrap your hand around its back, even if you’re dainty of hand. And the screen is much sharper: 1,440 by 900 pixels (versus 1,280 by 800). At 243 dots ppi, the Nook’s screen comes dangerously close to the iPad Retina’s 264 ppi. Wow, is this screen sharp. Movies, books and magazines pop. Whites are so white on this screen, it could be a Clorox commercial; the Nexus and Kindle screens look yellowish in comparison. (A 9-inch, $270 version, the Nook HD+, is also available.) The software continues to improve. You can now create up to six accounts, one for each family member, each listing different books and movies. (It doesn’t remember where each person stopped reading a given book, but B&N says that’s coming soon.) The base-model, $200 Nook comes with only 8 gigabytes of storage — half as much as the Kindle; on the other hand, it has a memory-card slot, so it’s simple and cheap to expand. The Nook includes a wall charger (it can’t charge from a USB jack), which the Kindle doesn’t. And the Nook doesn’t display ads, as the $200 Kindle does. Photo However, there’s no camera at all. (The company says it spent the money on the nicer screen.) And the speaker volume is way too low during movie playback, but B&N says a fix is coming this week.. Still, in the hardware war, Nook HD clearly wins this round. The Nook HD is fast, fluid and gorgeous; the Fire HD lags in all of those categories. Then again, Amazon’s movie service — rent, buy or stream for free as part of the $80-a-year Prime program — is mature and delightful; Barnes & Noble’s movie store is just starting up. If you can tolerate that fledgling store awhile, then you’ll love the way B&N exploited its second-mover advantage. Newsletter Sign Up Continue reading the main story Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up You will receive emails containing news content , updates and promotions from The New York Times. You may opt-out at any time. You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. Thank you for subscribing. An error has occurred. Please try again later. View all New York Times newsletters. Windows Phone 8 The good news in touch screens continues with Windows Phone 8. It’s what you’ll get on sleek coming phones like the Nokia Lumia 920 and HTC’s Windows Phone 8X (the one I tested). Advertisement Continue reading the main story Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 — a fresh, colorful, efficient, tile-based alternative to the icon-based design of iPhone and Android — earned rave reviews. But few phones run it and few people have it. Windows Phone 8 may look identical, but the company says it’s a complete rewrite based on underlying code from Windows 8 for PCs. It’s therefore ready for far more hardware flexibility than 7 was: multi-core processors, screens with different resolutions, phones with memory cards and so on. Photo The Start screen is more customizable; you can choose from three different tile sizes. Apps can modify your Lock screen automatically; for example, the Groupon app might display a special offer that’s tailored to where you are right now. If you swipe leftward from the Lock screen, you enter Kid Corner, a truly inspired idea. It’s a quarantined world containing only apps, music and videos that you’ve handpicked for your offspring. Next time you hear, “I’m bored — can I play on your phone?” you can hand the phone over without worry; the phone, Web and text messages are off-limits. More solid improvements: The desktop software can load the phone with your iTunes music and video libraries. “Rooms” are private groups — Bowling Buddies, Teen Party and so on — whose members can share their locations, calendars, photos and chats. You can now back up the phone online. Two juicy features are promised for the coming months: a “pay with your phone” option brought to you by NFC (near-field communication) chips in phones, and Data Sense, which tries to conserve Internet data and monitors your monthly allotment. Microsoft’s phone software is fast, simple and beautiful. But it still lacks universal dictation for quick text entry. Its new Maps app doesn’t offer spoken directions (in 2012? seriously?). And the audience won’t come until there are more great apps. There are promising signs; Microsoft says there are 110,000 Windows Phone apps, and that software companies can reuse chunks of code from their Windows 8 programs. That should make it easier to bring new apps to the phone. So there you have it: three touch-screen tech toys, each triumphant in its own way. One comes from a market leader hoping to swipe business from its bargain-basement rivals; two come from underdogs determined to make a bigger dent. Advertisement Continue reading the main story None of these products are themselves perfect. But they represent new highs on the graph that plots price against polish and pleasure — and for gadget lovers, that portends some very merry holidays indeed. ||||| Remember the iPod mini? When Apple launched that in January 2004, at a time when a huge swathe of the fast-growing digital music player market was still up for grabs, people thought Apple was crazy. Only 4GB of storage – less than in the original 5GB model launched in 2001? A $249 price tag – only $50 less than the base level "iPod". Well, said the critics, Apple had finally messed up after a couple of years of getting it right. It was doomed. Turned out it wasn't; the iPod mini became the best-selling iPod (until the iPod nano in September 2005). Why point this out? Because much the same critique has been applied to the iPad mini, Apple's 7.85in device. It's just smaller (though nobody seems to be calling it "a big iPod Touch" – perhaps that wore thin after the first few thousand times following the original iPad's launch). It's too pricey; there are others which are already in the market. As I've said earlier, there are some key differences between the iPod market of 2004 and today's mini-tablet market. The key one is that in the 2004 market, all the rivals needed to make a profit on their hardware; they couldn't make it up from selling music. This time round, Amazon and Google in particular can sell the hardware at a loss in order to goose their market share, if not immediately their profits. So Apple has a fight on its hands in pricing, not just design. But let's by dealing with the iPad mini as it is, on its own terms. Build quality: seamless Jonathan Ive doesn't like seams. He doesn't like any sort of break in the surface of objects, even manufactured ones. One of the notable things about the first iPod was that there was no obvious way to break it open, and the trend in all of Apple products – including the computers – is the same. You'll do well to get a scalpel blade between the iPad mini's screen and its bezel. There's no flex in the body; it's really solid. I was using a black model; it isn't obviously metal until you touch it. As with its bigger sibling, the headphone jack is on the top – unlike the iPhone 5, where it has migrated to the bottom. Dimensions This is worthy of mention because everyone has been focused on the Amazon Kindle Fire in comparison to the iPad mini (and of course Google Nexus 7). I compared an iPad mini beside a Kindle Fire, and was surprised to find that they're almost exactly the same size in both width and length, though the iPad mini is thinner. Similarly, compare it with the Nexus 7. Here are the figures for the iPad mini: 199mm x 133mm; the Nexus 7, 198.5mm x 120mm. You get 1.3cm – that's half an inch - width difference between the Nexus 7 and the iPad mini. This surprised me – I thought that the iPad mini would be substantially wider. But it's not, and at that width you can slip it into an outside jacket pocket or a roomy coat pocket or, of course, a bag. How though does the iPad mini manage to be so small if it has a 7.85in screen, while the others have just 7in screens? By having a much thinner border along the long edges. It's 20mm wide at the short edges, but just 5mm on the long ones. This isn't just a shrunk-down iPad, where the borders are 20mm and 17mm (short, long). Apple has made a definite effort to create something that can be slipped into generous pockets. Weight What will surprise you is the weight. The specs already show that the iPad mini is lighter than the Kindle Fire, 308g v 395g (and 340g for the Nexus 7); even if you add on a Smart Cover, it's still lighter than the uncovered Kindle Fire. It's thinner too. This is a device that will be ideal for holding in one hand for reading on train rides or other commuting; or you might even forget it's in that coat pocket. What the iPod mini demonstrated, and what the MacBook Air demonstrated, and pretty much every breakthrough in mobility demonstrates, is that lighter is better – and if you can do lighter and bigger, you're really onto a winner. (This is part of how the Samsung Galaxy S3 has done so well: big screen, light phone.) The iPad mini (308g) feels like it isn't really there. Certainly you'll not get tired of holding it, which could happen with the iPad (652g). Battery life As with previous iPads, battery life is easily in the nine-hour-plus mark. Charging is via the new Lightning connector, and as with the iPhone, the iPad now recharges very quickly – half an hour will easily add four or five times as much use. I didn't get a chance to try it out on a 4G/LTE network, so don't know how that affects battery life. (Mobile versions sold in the UK will initially be compatible with EE's 1800MHz network, and Three's next year.) Screen It's not a retina screen! It's only 1024x768, so that the resolution is 163ppi. This has been a big complaint (or snark, in some cases) that I've heard from people who haven't laid eyes on this device. If all you read is specifications, then the iPad mini screen is far worse than the Kindle Fire's or Nexus 7's, right? Well, put them beside each other, and the story changes. Web page rendering on the Kindle Fire is, frankly, awful. It's blocky, and there's a yellowish cast which personally I dislike. The iPad mini is bright, and white, and the text rendering is good – and there's no obvious pixellation. Kindle books look as good on the iPad mini as on the Kindle Fire. (The latter is optimised for reading those, but not for the web; Amazon would rather you bought books than surfed the web.) Icons on the iPad mini look sharp; on the Kindle Fire, not really. Scrolling With long lists, it's smooth and untroubled; this is something Apple has prioritised. Again, the comparison with Android, where scrolling has always been a bugbear, is stark; get a long article with lots of comments on a website, and you'll get a smooth scroll. That's not always the case on Android devices, where some will give jerky performance, no matter how many cores their processor has. Specs, eh? They can lead you astray. Setup experience If you have an iOS device already – iPod Touch, iPhone, iPad – then you can log into your iCloud account and all the apps and content you've already bought, plus all your settings including alarms can be transferred wirelessly. (If you've got multiple devices backed up, you get to choose which it's restored from. Alternatively, you can just use a wire and an iTunes backup.) Android tries, but doesn't quite get to the granular level that iCloud does, and that's a big difference in user-friendliness. User accounts There aren't any. This is the biggest failing in iOS at present. Now that Google has announced that Android will support a form of user accounts on tablets, and Windows Phone 8 offers "Kids Corner" (fenced-off apps you can let the kids use), and Windows RT tablets support multiple signins, iOS is starting to look like the odd one out. One tablet per person is great for Apple, but it's not so great for the squeezed middle. Single-user iPhones yes; multi-user iPads, yes please. Keyboard Of course, there isn't an inbuilt keyboard. But the question is, is the onscreen version too small to type on? No – used in landscape or portrait, the keys are large enough even for my hands. Despite the smaller screen, touch targets aren't too small either. In short, you can still type quite accurately (and certainly more accurately than on an iPhone) and manipulate onscreen objects. I don't think that many app developers will be redoing their existing iPad 2 apps. In fact, games developers are quite excited by the idea of the iPad mini, because they reckon it will mean more players using the device in landscape mode who will be able to span the bottom of the screen with their thumbs (personally, I could) – something that was impossible with the iPad, which anyway gets too heavy. Cameras Available front and back – here's an example shot with the camera on the back. There's no Panorama option with the rear camera, which is a strange omission. Apps Existing iPad apps work perfectly well. I tried the Brian Cox Wonders app, which includes videos. I criticised the Nexus 7 for the extent of letterboxing on its 16:9 screen, so will I do the same for the iPad mini? Yup – you get some pretty hefty letterboxing here too. Here's the thing, though: because the border around the long edges is so much thinner than at the edges, the overall effect is no worse than the Nexus 7; given that proportionally less of the space is lost to the border, you could argue it's a less compromised experience. For comparison, here's the Nexus 7 letterboxing: It might not be immediately obvious, but if you look closely then you can see that the physical border is much wider in the Nexus 7 than on the iPad mini. iPhone apps' behaviour can be hit-and-miss: some fit the screen neatly when expanded to the "2x" size, others overlap the edges (I'm looking at you, Tube Deluxe), others just look blocky (hello, Amazon – though there is a proper Amazon iPad app). There isn't the spare room that the larger iPad has around the edges when you expand the size of the iPhone app on the mini's screen. Then again, with the huge number of iPad apps available, this probably won't be a problem. Price Yes, let's talk about the price. As mentioned above, Apple isn't looking to race to the bottom on price, because its objective (make a profit on hardware) isn't aligned to that of Google and Amazon (sell hardware near cost, profit on content or from users' web browsing). That said, at £269 ($329) for the 16GB model, you're getting an impressively light, small tablet which (if you buy the connectors, or have them) can take your camera pictures, or just take pictures itself. There's AirPlay, the wireless audio and video connection – if you have an AppleTV (£99) ($99) then you can run iPlayer on the iPad and "throw" it over to the AppleTV and watch it on a big screen; no wires. And it's not hugely more expensive than the Nexus 7, though the Kindle Fire is much cheaper. If price is your only consideration, though, an iPad probably hasn't been on your shopping list anyway. Conclusion Those in favour: excellent build quality; very light, comparatively large screen, not significantly wider than competition (for putting in coat pockets), excellent text rendering, huge selection of apps, music, books and films, pain-free setup from iCloud backups for existing accounts; 3G/4G LTE option; fast-growing range of accessories. Those against: price is higher than rivals – at £239 ($329), it's £40 ($130) more than the 16GB Nexus 7; no expandable storage; letterboxing of films; no HDMI out (though AirPlay is a wireless equivalent). Lining those pluses and minuses up against those for the Nexus 7 – which garnered four stars – there's no doubt that this is indeed a five-star device. The 20% difference in comparative price is more than made up by the difference in build quality and software selection. Apple is going to sell a lot of these – quite possibly more than the "large" iPad – in this quarter. The only way Apple could improve on this product would be (as some people are already agitating) to give it a retina screen and somehow make it lighter. That might happen at some point. You can wait if you like; other people, in the meantime, will be buying this one. This article originally appeared on guardian.co.uk ||||| And, of course, it gives access to Apple's ecosystem of hundreds of thousands of tablet-friendly apps -- plus all the media iTunes has to offer. We can't help you decide which ecosystem, Apple or Google's, is better-suited to your interests, but we do imagine that will be the deciding factor for most. When it comes down to hardware, it's almost no contest between the two, with the iPad mini clearly winning out -- except in one area. That's the display. The Nexus 7 has a higher-resolution panel that's also 16:9, making it better for movie watching. It's also narrower, and thus easier to hold in your hand. We'd also be remiss if we didn't at least mention the $199 Kindle Fire HD. Amazon's latest also offers a higher-resolution, IPS LCD and has the extra selling point of stereo speakers. It also has a strong suite of content, courtesy of Amazon's many partnerships, but overall we have a hard time comparing these two. Amazon's device is clearly a cut-rate slate designed to push as much digital buying power into the hands of consumers as possible, while Apple's is simply a legitimately nice tablet. It's a legitimately nice tablet that Apple certainly would love for you to fill with premium content downloaded through iTunes, but it never feels like a shopping portal. The Kindle does. Accessories Surely, the most popular accessory for the iPad mini will be the new Smart Cover that, despite being both smaller and of considerably simpler construction, still costs the same $39 as the bigger, 10-inch version. That's a little unfortunate, especially because we don't think this version works as well. There is one positive change: the smaller Smart Cover moves away from the aluminum hinge on the bigger version, a good thing because we've seen plenty of scratches caused by that metal-on-metal contact. It's still attached magnetically, but where the 10-inch model will immediately snap into the perfect placement every time, we found the mini cover just as eager to attach either too high or too low. It requires a little more precision. Hardly a deal-breaker (how often are you removing your Smart Cover?) but a bit of an annoyance. The other accessories, and there are plenty of them, all make use of the device's Lightning connector, many existing only to add a little more life to your various iPod docks and chargers. The stubby 30-pin to Lightning adapter is $29, the same cost as the two camera adapters: one USB and one SD. (This is a change from the 30-pin Camera Connection Kit, which included both for $29.) The Lightning to 30-pin adapter (which includes a 0.2 meter cable in the middle) costs $39 and, finally, both the VGA and digital AV adapters are $49. Like the previous Digital AV adapter (which was $39), this one includes HDMI output and has an input so that you can still charge the tablet while it's in use. Handy for those digital signage applications -- or getting in one final, epic Lord of the Rings marathon before December. Wrap-up This isn't just an Apple tablet made to a budget. This isn't just a shrunken-down iPad. This is, in many ways, Apple's best tablet yet, an incredibly thin, remarkably light, obviously well-constructed device that offers phenomenal battery life. No, the performance doesn't match Apple's latest and yes, that display is a little lacking in resolution, but nothing else here will leave you wanting. At $329, this has a lot to offer over even Apple's more expensive tablets. Those comparing this to the Kindle Fire HD will have a hard time, as that's a tablet manufactured to a fixed cost and designed to sell you content. This is very much more. Similarly, the hardware here -- the materials, the lightness, the build quality, the overall package as it sits in your hand -- is much nicer than the Nexus 7 and it offers access to the comprehensively more tablet-friendly App Store, but whether that's worth the extra cost depends entirely on the size of your budget -- and your proclivity toward Android. Regardless, the iPad mini is well worth considering for anybody currently in the market for a tablet. Its cost is compelling, its design superb and it of course gives access to the best selection of tablet-optimized apps on the market. To consider it just a cheap, tiny iPad is a disservice. This is, simply, a great tablet. Update: This review originally stated (as does Apple's spec page) that the iPad mini has a mono speaker. It is, in fact, a stereo device. [Last photo by Will Lipman]

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The first satellite photo comparing before and after the earthquake in Kamaishi, Iwate prefecture, Japan. (Google/GeoEye) Officials in northeastern Japan are searching for thousands of people missing more than a day after a devastating earthquake and tsunami. The confirmed death toll from Friday's twin disasters is 763, but the government's chief spokesman said it could exceed 1,000. In Ottawa, the government confirmed that a Canadian had died in Japan. Diane Ablonczy, the minister of state of Foreign Affairs, told News Network that Foreign Affairs has been in contact with the family of the victims, whose name and hometown haven't been released. Foreign Affairs has issued a travel warning for Canadians to avoid non-essential travel to Miyagi, Ibaraki, Iwate, Fukushima and Aomori prefectures in northeast Japan. Devastation stretched hundreds of kilometres along the coast, where thousands of hungry survivors huddled in darkened emergency centres cut off from rescuers, electricity and aid. The scale of destruction was not yet known, but there were grim signs that the death toll could soar. One report said four whole trains had disappeared Friday and still not been located. It's not known how many people were on the trains but the Kyodo news agency reported that several passengers and crew members had been rescued. A man and child look out over destroyed homes in Sendai, northeastern Japan, on Saturday. Kyodo/Reuters A man and child look out over destroyed homes in Sendai, northeastern Japan, on Saturday. Kyodo/Reuters Other reports said 9,500 people were unaccounted for in the coastal town of Minamisanriku in Miyagi Prefecture. Kyodo said that represents more than half of the community's population. One of the few buildings not destroyed in Minamisanriku was the hospital, but seawater had reached the fourth of its five floors. On Saturday afternoon, there were around 300 patients stranded there waiting to be rescued, according to Japanese broadcaster NHK. At least 200 bodies had washed ashore elsewhere in the northeast. About 215,000 people have gone to emergency shelters following the 8.9-magnitude earthquake and the tsunami. Billions of dollars in damage The quake struck 125 kilometres off Japan's northeast coast. The majority of victims drowned in giant tsunami waves that swept 10 kilometres inland, created by the powerful tremor. Thousands of buildings and cars were washed away, along with the four passengers trains. Officials are closely watching nuclear power plants after an explosion and secondary emergency at one of two nuclear plants damaged by the quake. The government on Saturday doubled in size the evacuation area around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to a 20-kilometre radius. Kyodo quoted the power company as saying four workers were hurt but their injuries were not life-threatening. Canadians in Japan The Department of Foreign Affairs says it is trying to determine how many Canadians in Japan were affected by the earthquake. Friends and relatives seeking information on Canadian citizens believed to be in the affected area should call one of these numbers: 613-943-1055 or 1-800-387-3124. People can also send an email to [email protected]. A crisis response site has also been set up. Police said between 200 and 300 bodies were found along the coast in Sendai, the biggest city in the area near the quake's epicentre. It has a population of one million and is relatively flat. Kyodo, quoting the Fire and Disaster Management Agency and local police, said the coastal city of Rikuzentakata was "virtually destroyed" by a tsunami wave. "Our initial assessment indicated that there has already been enormous damage," said chief cabinet secretary Yukio Edano. Many buildings, including an oil refinery plant in Sendai, were still burning Saturday. An out-of-control blaze burned through the night in the city of Kesennuma. Japanese broadcaster NHK said local authorities had no way of tackling it. In the city of Ichihara, flames shot 30 metres into the air from a fire at an oil refinery. TV video showed a large building on fire in the Odaiba district of Tokyo. Smoke billows from an oil refinery plant on fire in Sendai on Saturday. (Koji Sasahara/Associated Press) Smoke billows from an oil refinery plant on fire in Sendai on Saturday. (Koji Sasahara/Associated Press) Early morning television scenes bordered on the apocalyptic. Jumbled piles of vehicles could be seen in farmland flooded with several metres of water. People are still stranded on rooftops. Many others were seen standing on cut-off rural roads, surrounded by huge seas of standing water. Rescue helicopters hovered over inundated homes, lifting people to safety. A ship with 81 people onboard was ripped from its moorings at a shipyard in Miyagi. It was later found at sea and those on board are being airlifted to safety, AFP reported, citing a report from the Jiji news agency. Residents stranded in a building wait for rescue in Kesennuma, Japan, on Saturday morning. Kyodo News/Associated Press Residents stranded in a building wait for rescue in Kesennuma, Japan, on Saturday morning. Kyodo News/Associated Press Many aftershocks There have been at least 125 powerful aftershocks since the quake struck. Among the strongest was a 6.6-magnitude tremor, which rattled Tokyo early Saturday. No tsunami warnings were issued and there were no reports of injuries. In Hawaii, a two-metre-high wave hit parts of Maui and smaller waves hit Oahu and Kauai. In northern California, authorities were searching for a man believed swept out to sea. No significant wave action was felt in B.C. Quake moved Honshu 2.5 metres Japan is used to earthquakes and has instituted strict building codes and carries out frequent earthquake and tsunami drills. But the sheer intensity of Friday's disaster was such that even the best preparation could only mitigate the tragedy. Officials said the initial quake was the most powerful one to hit the region in 1,200 years. The USGS says the force of the quake was so strong that Honshu — Japan's biggest island — was moved 2.5 metres to the east. The quake was 8,000 times more powerful than the one that struck Christchurch, New Zealand, in February. Aid agencies The Canadian Red Cross quickly launched a Japan Earthquake/Tsunami fund. In the first nine hours, officials told CBC News that Canadians had donated $176,000. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has also set up a Family Links website to help people trying to re-establish contact with missing family members and friends. The ICRC says the worst hit areas are in the prefectures of Miyagi, Fukushima, Tochigi and Ibaraki. Interactive video map Click on the points to see the best video and photos from around Japan: With files from The Associated Press ||||| On March 11, 2011, a huge 8.9 earthquake and subsequent tsunami hit Japan, causing widespread destruction. President Obama has already released a statement sending "deepest condolences" and promising support to the stricken country. "The United States stands ready to help the Japanese people in this time of great trial." Additionally, many organizations and funds have mobilized to provide relief to those affected by the disaster. In response to the quake, The Red Cross has already launched efforts in Japan. Visit Redcross.org or text REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10 from your phone. Save the Children has also responded. Eiichi Sadamatsu of the organization released a statement, saying: "We are extremely concerned for the welfare of children and their families who have been affected by the disaster. We stand ready to meet the needs of children who are always the most vulnerable in a disaster." The organization is currently organizing efforts and donations to its Children's Emergency Fund will support outreach. UNICEF is also coordinating efforts to help the children of Japan. Use this form on UNICEF's website to donate 100 percent of your desired amount to their fund designated for victims of the earthquake or text JAPAN to 864233 to donate $10. International Medical Corps is responding to the health needs of the disaster's victims. Nancy Aossey, President & CEO, International Medical Corps said in a statement: "We are putting together relief teams, as well as supplies, and are in contact with partners in Japan and other affected countries to assess needs and coordinate our activities." To donate or learn about other ways you can contribute to its medical response, visit Internationalmedicalcorps.org. Also, text MED to 80888 from any mobile phone to give $10. The Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund was launched at GlobalGiving.org to garner funds that will be given to a variety of relief organizations helping victims of the earthquake. It has already raised over $100,000, particularly from concerned Twitter users around the world. The project page explains: We are working with International Medical Corps, Save the Children, and other organizations on the ground to provide support. Our partners on the ground are working hard to provide immediate relief. Salvation Army personnel are organizing efforts in Tokyo and will soon send a team to help the severely damaged city of Sendai, Japan. To contribute to earthquake relief, text 'JAPAN' or 'QUAKE' to 80888 to make a $10 donation or visit SalvationArmyUSA.org. Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is sending two three-person teams to the Iwate and Miyagi prefectures in Japan. To learn more about the organization's efforts or make a donation, visit Doctorswithoutborders.org. Other relief organizations are also sending representatives to disaster sites, including AmeriCare and Shelterbox. MercyCorps is gathering donations for its overseas partner, Peace Winds Japan, which currently has personnel on the ground distributing emergency relief in Japan. Operation USA has also announced efforts to collect bulk corporate donations of health care supplies. Their first major shipment of supplies includes 130,000 pieces of winter clothing along with hand-crank radios, flashlights, hygiene supplies, portable lights and miscellaneous medical supplies. The organization is encouraging monetary donations through their website, OpUSA.org, so additional supplies can be purchased closer to disaster sites. The International Fund for Animal Welfare will soon be deploying a team to assess needs regarding animal rescue. Dick Green, the organization's emergency relief manager for disasters, wrote on IFAW's blog: "As we saw most recently in Haiti, major disasters require long-term planning and a concerted effort between NGO and governmental ranks to ensure that the greatest number of animals and humans benefit from the intervention." They are encouraging support through donations, which will be used to buy pet food, veterinary supplies, vaccines and other necessities for animals needing help. For any who have loved ones abroad, Google has stepped up to help. Along with a tsunami alert posted on its front page, Google has launched the Person Finder: 2011 Japan Earthquake to help connect people that may have been displaced due to the disaster. Google has also launched a crisis response page filled with local resources and emergency information. Judy Chang, head of PayPal's nonprofit group, announced that transactional fees incurred by money transfers to US 501(c)(3) organizations (or charities registered with the Canada Revenue Agency) between March 11 and April 10 will aid relief efforts in Japan. World Vision has announced global mobilization in response to tsunami warnings. Geoff Shepherd, the organization's humanitarian and emergency affairs director for the Asia-Pacific region, released a statement on World Vision's website, saying: “We’ve also alerted our Global Rapid Response Team and have put team members on standby for possible deployment to affected areas. This could be a very serious disaster in multiple countries and our staff are prepared to respond.” To donate to World Vision, follow the Impact links below:

– As the rescue mission continues in Japan, the first truly scary numbers are emerging. Government officials in the northern town of Minamisanriku say 9,500 are missing, according to the official Kyodo news agency. That represents about half the town's population, notes the CBC. Still, confusion is rampant, and the confirmed death toll after the 8.9 quake remains about 600 across the nation. More than 200,000 have sought refuge in emergency shelters. Click for information on ways to offer donations.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.The first satellite photo comparing before and after the earthquake in Kamaishi, Iwate prefecture, Japan. (Google/GeoEye) Officials in northeastern Japan are searching for thousands of people missing more than a day after a devastating earthquake and tsunami. The confirmed death toll from Friday's twin disasters is 763, but the government's chief spokesman said it could exceed 1,000. In Ottawa, the government confirmed that a Canadian had died in Japan. Diane Ablonczy, the minister of state of Foreign Affairs, told News Network that Foreign Affairs has been in contact with the family of the victims, whose name and hometown haven't been released. Foreign Affairs has issued a travel warning for Canadians to avoid non-essential travel to Miyagi, Ibaraki, Iwate, Fukushima and Aomori prefectures in northeast Japan. Devastation stretched hundreds of kilometres along the coast, where thousands of hungry survivors huddled in darkened emergency centres cut off from rescuers, electricity and aid. The scale of destruction was not yet known, but there were grim signs that the death toll could soar. One report said four whole trains had disappeared Friday and still not been located. It's not known how many people were on the trains but the Kyodo news agency reported that several passengers and crew members had been rescued. A man and child look out over destroyed homes in Sendai, northeastern Japan, on Saturday. Kyodo/Reuters A man and child look out over destroyed homes in Sendai, northeastern Japan, on Saturday. Kyodo/Reuters Other reports said 9,500 people were unaccounted for in the coastal town of Minamisanriku in Miyagi Prefecture. Kyodo said that represents more than half of the community's population. One of the few buildings not destroyed in Minamisanriku was the hospital, but seawater had reached the fourth of its five floors. On Saturday afternoon, there were around 300 patients stranded there waiting to be rescued, according to Japanese broadcaster NHK. At least 200 bodies had washed ashore elsewhere in the northeast. About 215,000 people have gone to emergency shelters following the 8.9-magnitude earthquake and the tsunami. Billions of dollars in damage The quake struck 125 kilometres off Japan's northeast coast. The majority of victims drowned in giant tsunami waves that swept 10 kilometres inland, created by the powerful tremor. Thousands of buildings and cars were washed away, along with the four passengers trains. Officials are closely watching nuclear power plants after an explosion and secondary emergency at one of two nuclear plants damaged by the quake. The government on Saturday doubled in size the evacuation area around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to a 20-kilometre radius. Kyodo quoted the power company as saying four workers were hurt but their injuries were not life-threatening. Canadians in Japan The Department of Foreign Affairs says it is trying to determine how many Canadians in Japan were affected by the earthquake. Friends and relatives seeking information on Canadian citizens believed to be in the affected area should call one of these numbers: 613-943-1055 or 1-800-387-3124. People can also send an email to [email protected]. A crisis response site has also been set up. Police said between 200 and 300 bodies were found along the coast in Sendai, the biggest city in the area near the quake's epicentre. It has a population of one million and is relatively flat. Kyodo, quoting the Fire and Disaster Management Agency and local police, said the coastal city of Rikuzentakata was "virtually destroyed" by a tsunami wave. "Our initial assessment indicated that there has already been enormous damage," said chief cabinet secretary Yukio Edano. Many buildings, including an oil refinery plant in Sendai, were still burning Saturday. An out-of-control blaze burned through the night in the city of Kesennuma. Japanese broadcaster NHK said local authorities had no way of tackling it. In the city of Ichihara, flames shot 30 metres into the air from a fire at an oil refinery. TV video showed a large building on fire in the Odaiba district of Tokyo. Smoke billows from an oil refinery plant on fire in Sendai on Saturday. (Koji Sasahara/Associated Press) Smoke billows from an oil refinery plant on fire in Sendai on Saturday. (Koji Sasahara/Associated Press) Early morning television scenes bordered on the apocalyptic. Jumbled piles of vehicles could be seen in farmland flooded with several metres of water. People are still stranded on rooftops. Many others were seen standing on cut-off rural roads, surrounded by huge seas of standing water. Rescue helicopters hovered over inundated homes, lifting people to safety. A ship with 81 people onboard was ripped from its moorings at a shipyard in Miyagi. It was later found at sea and those on board are being airlifted to safety, AFP reported, citing a report from the Jiji news agency. Residents stranded in a building wait for rescue in Kesennuma, Japan, on Saturday morning. Kyodo News/Associated Press Residents stranded in a building wait for rescue in Kesennuma, Japan, on Saturday morning. Kyodo News/Associated Press Many aftershocks There have been at least 125 powerful aftershocks since the quake struck. Among the strongest was a 6.6-magnitude tremor, which rattled Tokyo early Saturday. No tsunami warnings were issued and there were no reports of injuries. In Hawaii, a two-metre-high wave hit parts of Maui and smaller waves hit Oahu and Kauai. In northern California, authorities were searching for a man believed swept out to sea. No significant wave action was felt in B.C. Quake moved Honshu 2.5 metres Japan is used to earthquakes and has instituted strict building codes and carries out frequent earthquake and tsunami drills. But the sheer intensity of Friday's disaster was such that even the best preparation could only mitigate the tragedy. Officials said the initial quake was the most powerful one to hit the region in 1,200 years. The USGS says the force of the quake was so strong that Honshu — Japan's biggest island — was moved 2.5 metres to the east. The quake was 8,000 times more powerful than the one that struck Christchurch, New Zealand, in February. Aid agencies The Canadian Red Cross quickly launched a Japan Earthquake/Tsunami fund. In the first nine hours, officials told CBC News that Canadians had donated $176,000. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has also set up a Family Links website to help people trying to re-establish contact with missing family members and friends. The ICRC says the worst hit areas are in the prefectures of Miyagi, Fukushima, Tochigi and Ibaraki. Interactive video map Click on the points to see the best video and photos from around Japan: With files from The Associated Press ||||| On March 11, 2011, a huge 8.9 earthquake and subsequent tsunami hit Japan, causing widespread destruction. President Obama has already released a statement sending "deepest condolences" and promising support to the stricken country. "The United States stands ready to help the Japanese people in this time of great trial." Additionally, many organizations and funds have mobilized to provide relief to those affected by the disaster. In response to the quake, The Red Cross has already launched efforts in Japan. Visit Redcross.org or text REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10 from your phone. Save the Children has also responded. Eiichi Sadamatsu of the organization released a statement, saying: "We are extremely concerned for the welfare of children and their families who have been affected by the disaster. We stand ready to meet the needs of children who are always the most vulnerable in a disaster." The organization is currently organizing efforts and donations to its Children's Emergency Fund will support outreach. UNICEF is also coordinating efforts to help the children of Japan. Use this form on UNICEF's website to donate 100 percent of your desired amount to their fund designated for victims of the earthquake or text JAPAN to 864233 to donate $10. International Medical Corps is responding to the health needs of the disaster's victims. Nancy Aossey, President & CEO, International Medical Corps said in a statement: "We are putting together relief teams, as well as supplies, and are in contact with partners in Japan and other affected countries to assess needs and coordinate our activities." To donate or learn about other ways you can contribute to its medical response, visit Internationalmedicalcorps.org. Also, text MED to 80888 from any mobile phone to give $10. The Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund was launched at GlobalGiving.org to garner funds that will be given to a variety of relief organizations helping victims of the earthquake. It has already raised over $100,000, particularly from concerned Twitter users around the world. The project page explains: We are working with International Medical Corps, Save the Children, and other organizations on the ground to provide support. Our partners on the ground are working hard to provide immediate relief. Salvation Army personnel are organizing efforts in Tokyo and will soon send a team to help the severely damaged city of Sendai, Japan. To contribute to earthquake relief, text 'JAPAN' or 'QUAKE' to 80888 to make a $10 donation or visit SalvationArmyUSA.org. Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is sending two three-person teams to the Iwate and Miyagi prefectures in Japan. To learn more about the organization's efforts or make a donation, visit Doctorswithoutborders.org. Other relief organizations are also sending representatives to disaster sites, including AmeriCare and Shelterbox. MercyCorps is gathering donations for its overseas partner, Peace Winds Japan, which currently has personnel on the ground distributing emergency relief in Japan. Operation USA has also announced efforts to collect bulk corporate donations of health care supplies. Their first major shipment of supplies includes 130,000 pieces of winter clothing along with hand-crank radios, flashlights, hygiene supplies, portable lights and miscellaneous medical supplies. The organization is encouraging monetary donations through their website, OpUSA.org, so additional supplies can be purchased closer to disaster sites. The International Fund for Animal Welfare will soon be deploying a team to assess needs regarding animal rescue. Dick Green, the organization's emergency relief manager for disasters, wrote on IFAW's blog: "As we saw most recently in Haiti, major disasters require long-term planning and a concerted effort between NGO and governmental ranks to ensure that the greatest number of animals and humans benefit from the intervention." They are encouraging support through donations, which will be used to buy pet food, veterinary supplies, vaccines and other necessities for animals needing help. For any who have loved ones abroad, Google has stepped up to help. Along with a tsunami alert posted on its front page, Google has launched the Person Finder: 2011 Japan Earthquake to help connect people that may have been displaced due to the disaster. Google has also launched a crisis response page filled with local resources and emergency information. Judy Chang, head of PayPal's nonprofit group, announced that transactional fees incurred by money transfers to US 501(c)(3) organizations (or charities registered with the Canada Revenue Agency) between March 11 and April 10 will aid relief efforts in Japan. World Vision has announced global mobilization in response to tsunami warnings. Geoff Shepherd, the organization's humanitarian and emergency affairs director for the Asia-Pacific region, released a statement on World Vision's website, saying: “We’ve also alerted our Global Rapid Response Team and have put team members on standby for possible deployment to affected areas. This could be a very serious disaster in multiple countries and our staff are prepared to respond.” To donate to World Vision, follow the Impact links below:

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Starting in 1996, Alexa Internet has been donating their crawl data to the Internet Archive. Flowing in every day, these data are added to the Wayback Machine after an embargo period. ||||| To help you get a head start on the great American shopping traditions of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, your friends at Liftopia have wrangled up a special batch of lift ticket deals from over 150 winter resorts across North America. All quantities are limited so they won't last long and the sale starts today. Buy your lift tickets in advance and save!

– Black Friday and Cyber Monday aren't just about flat screens and electronic goodies: They might also help you find a nice vacation deal, writes travel blogger Mary Forgione in the Los Angeles Times. Check the websites of hotels and cruise lines and the like this weekend, and watch for tweets and Facebook posts on bargains. Forgione runs through some examples: Going abroad: Abercrombie & Kent is running a sale starting Monday offering up to 50% off winter trips to far-flung locales. A 10-day trip to Kenya, for example, is cut nearly in half to $4,330 per person. More here. Going skiing: Liftopia has decent discounts on lift tickets at more than 150 North American ski resorts. For instance, you can pick up one for California's Mountain High for $32, about half off. More here. Click for the full post and more deals.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Starting in 1996, Alexa Internet has been donating their crawl data to the Internet Archive. Flowing in every day, these data are added to the Wayback Machine after an embargo period. ||||| To help you get a head start on the great American shopping traditions of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, your friends at Liftopia have wrangled up a special batch of lift ticket deals from over 150 winter resorts across North America. All quantities are limited so they won't last long and the sale starts today. Buy your lift tickets in advance and save!

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

"It is a melting pot of 3rd world miscreants and ghetto thugs," he wrote of the city's downtown area. "It is void of culture. If you live down there you do it at your own risk and at your own peril. If you go down there after dark there is seriously something wrong with you." ||||| Sign in using your wftv profile By submitting your registration information, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Already have an account? We have sent a confirmation email to {* data_emailAddress *}. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Thank you for registering! Thank you for registering! We look forward to seeing you on [website] frequently. Visit us and sign in to update your profile, receive the latest news and keep up to date with mobile alerts. Click here to return to the page you were visiting.

– While the rest of the country organized blood drives and memorials for the 49 people killed at Pulse nightclub in Orlando last weekend, Florida Assistant State Attorney Kenneth Lewis penned a Facebook post blasting the entire city, which he called a "national embarrassment" and a "melting pot of third-world miscreants and ghetto thugs," WFTV reports. "Downtown Orlando has no bottom," Lewis wrote in the post. "The entire city should be leveled. It is void of any redeeming quality...It is void of culture." And it went on like that. The New York Daily News notes the "vile" and "sick" post was made less than eight hours after the Pulse massacre. On Friday, the State Attorney's Office suspended Lewis for violating its social media policy, according to ABC News. The post wasn't out of character for Lewis, who in 2014 posted the following message to Facebook: "Happy Mother's Day to all you crack hoes out there...It's never too late to tie your tubes, clean up your life." That post got him temporarily reassigned and ordered to sensitivity training. He's also used Facebook to argue that Justice Sotomayor would be working in fast food without affirmative action, that a 19-year-old burglar should have been "executed on the spot," and that Donald Sterling should be supported after he was banned by the NBA over racist remarks.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary."It is a melting pot of 3rd world miscreants and ghetto thugs," he wrote of the city's downtown area. "It is void of culture. If you live down there you do it at your own risk and at your own peril. If you go down there after dark there is seriously something wrong with you." ||||| Sign in using your wftv profile By submitting your registration information, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Already have an account? We have sent a confirmation email to {* data_emailAddress *}. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Thank you for registering! Thank you for registering! We look forward to seeing you on [website] frequently. Visit us and sign in to update your profile, receive the latest news and keep up to date with mobile alerts. Click here to return to the page you were visiting.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

GOP shoots down Democratic plan to change Senate rules By Josiah Ryan - Republican Senate Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) objected to a unanimous-consent request from Democrats on Tuesday on a resolution that would have weakened filibuster rules and stalling tactics usually deployed by the minority on the floor of the Senate. The resolution, supported in a spirited colloquy among Democratic Sens. Tom Udall (N.M.), Jeff Merkley (Ore.) and Tom Harkin (Iowa) for most of Tuesday afternoon, would have eliminated some forms of the filibuster, ended secret holds, guaranteed consideration of amendments for both the majority and minority, required talking filibusters and expedited the nominations approval process. The colloquy was heavily punctuated with references to the Jimmy Stewart film “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” and references to the wishes of the late Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), the widely acknowledged master of Senate procedure. “The U.S. Senate has become the place where good House bills go to die," complained Udall. “The Senate was once called the greatest deliberative body in the world. Today there is very little deliberation at all." Harkin said that the rules preventing Democrats from changing the rules were themselves unconstitutional. “Here in the Senate because of a change in rules that happened many years ago it has bound every senator thereafter,” said Harkin referring to a rule that requires a supermajority to change the rules. “I think that’s unconstitutional.” As Harkin and other Democrats pointed out, the Constitution requires a supermajority for presidential impeachment, to oust a member of Congress and for approval for international treaties, but allows each House to “determine the rules of its proceedings.” Republicans, for the most part, did not participate in the debate until the very end, when Alexander objected to the unanimous-consent request. Members of leadership in the chamber, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), have said that Democrats' attempt to change the rule is “a power grab.” ||||| A leader in the fight to curtail the filibuster, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), questioned Tuesday whether a modest plan to ease gridlock in the Senate gets “to the heart of the matter.” “Well, anything is probably better than what we have now, but the question is, do you take a couple little baby steps that don’t really get to the heart of the matter?” Harkin told POLITICO. “That’s what I consider most these to be, small baby steps. They don’t get to the heart of the matter.” Text Size - + reset POLITICO 44 Harkin was referring to a bipartisan plan developed by Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) that would institute some reforms but leave the filibuster intact. The proposed changes would limit the number of executive branch nominations subject to Senate confirmation; make it more difficult for senators to anonymously block legislation or nominees; and end a stall tactic that lets senators force clerks to read aloud the complete text of a bill if the measure has been made public. The Senate leaders, Democrat Harry Reid and Republican Mitch McConnell, are expected to reach a gentlemen’s agreement that will let the GOP offer more amendments but limit filibustering on motions to begin debate. But the efforts fall short of the push by progressives such Harkin and junior senators such as Democratic Sens. Tom Udall of New Mexico and Jeff Merkley of Oregon, who want to overhaul the filibuster and limit its use by changing the rules. Udall and Merkley want to employ an arcane procedure they call the “constitutional option” to force the Senate to change its rules by a simple majority of 51 votes, rather than a supermajority of 67. Even if the reformers got a vote to the floor, they appear to lack the votes for passage. Democratic leaders still worry that such an effort could create a damaging precedent if they lose the majority after 2012. It remains to be seen whether Udall, Merkley and Harkin push for the floor votes. That decision will likely be made after they take the temperature of their caucus during a Tuesday lunch meeting.

– A bid to overhaul the Senate's filibuster rules appears to have fallen short of the mark. Instead, lawmakers are expected to approve a set of modest changes in coming days as a compromise, reports the Washington Post. Some Democratic lawmakers wanted to require senators to actually stand and talk the entire time—as in Jimmy Stewart's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, a reference they cited several times in arguments, notes the Hill. (Or in a more modern example, Bernie Sanders' recent rant.) Instead of a "talking filibuster," the new rules will likely put an end to stalling tactics such as forcing clerks to read the complete text of the bill. They'll also make it harder to block legislation or the approval of nominees anonymously. “Well, anything is probably better than what we have now, but the question is, do you take a couple little baby steps that don’t really get to the heart of the matter?” Sen. Tom Harkin asks Politico. "That’s what I consider most these to be, small baby steps."

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.GOP shoots down Democratic plan to change Senate rules By Josiah Ryan - Republican Senate Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) objected to a unanimous-consent request from Democrats on Tuesday on a resolution that would have weakened filibuster rules and stalling tactics usually deployed by the minority on the floor of the Senate. The resolution, supported in a spirited colloquy among Democratic Sens. Tom Udall (N.M.), Jeff Merkley (Ore.) and Tom Harkin (Iowa) for most of Tuesday afternoon, would have eliminated some forms of the filibuster, ended secret holds, guaranteed consideration of amendments for both the majority and minority, required talking filibusters and expedited the nominations approval process. The colloquy was heavily punctuated with references to the Jimmy Stewart film “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” and references to the wishes of the late Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), the widely acknowledged master of Senate procedure. “The U.S. Senate has become the place where good House bills go to die," complained Udall. “The Senate was once called the greatest deliberative body in the world. Today there is very little deliberation at all." Harkin said that the rules preventing Democrats from changing the rules were themselves unconstitutional. “Here in the Senate because of a change in rules that happened many years ago it has bound every senator thereafter,” said Harkin referring to a rule that requires a supermajority to change the rules. “I think that’s unconstitutional.” As Harkin and other Democrats pointed out, the Constitution requires a supermajority for presidential impeachment, to oust a member of Congress and for approval for international treaties, but allows each House to “determine the rules of its proceedings.” Republicans, for the most part, did not participate in the debate until the very end, when Alexander objected to the unanimous-consent request. Members of leadership in the chamber, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), have said that Democrats' attempt to change the rule is “a power grab.” ||||| A leader in the fight to curtail the filibuster, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), questioned Tuesday whether a modest plan to ease gridlock in the Senate gets “to the heart of the matter.” “Well, anything is probably better than what we have now, but the question is, do you take a couple little baby steps that don’t really get to the heart of the matter?” Harkin told POLITICO. “That’s what I consider most these to be, small baby steps. They don’t get to the heart of the matter.” Text Size - + reset POLITICO 44 Harkin was referring to a bipartisan plan developed by Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) that would institute some reforms but leave the filibuster intact. The proposed changes would limit the number of executive branch nominations subject to Senate confirmation; make it more difficult for senators to anonymously block legislation or nominees; and end a stall tactic that lets senators force clerks to read aloud the complete text of a bill if the measure has been made public. The Senate leaders, Democrat Harry Reid and Republican Mitch McConnell, are expected to reach a gentlemen’s agreement that will let the GOP offer more amendments but limit filibustering on motions to begin debate. But the efforts fall short of the push by progressives such Harkin and junior senators such as Democratic Sens. Tom Udall of New Mexico and Jeff Merkley of Oregon, who want to overhaul the filibuster and limit its use by changing the rules. Udall and Merkley want to employ an arcane procedure they call the “constitutional option” to force the Senate to change its rules by a simple majority of 51 votes, rather than a supermajority of 67. Even if the reformers got a vote to the floor, they appear to lack the votes for passage. Democratic leaders still worry that such an effort could create a damaging precedent if they lose the majority after 2012. It remains to be seen whether Udall, Merkley and Harkin push for the floor votes. That decision will likely be made after they take the temperature of their caucus during a Tuesday lunch meeting.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

A 1969 painting by Francis Bacon set a world record for the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction and a sculpture by Jeff Koons broke a world auction record for a living artist at a Manhattan sale on Tuesday. FILE - This undated file photo provided by Christie's shows Mark Rothko's bright orange-yellow and white painting "Untitled (No. 11)" which will lead Christie's post-war and contemporary art sale on Tuesday,... (Associated Press) This undated photo provided by Christie's shows "Three Studies of Lucian Freud," a triptych by Francis Bacon of his friend and artist Lucian Freud. The painting is being offered Tuesday evening, Nov.... (Associated Press) "Three Studies of Lucian Freud" was purchased for $142.4 million at Christie's postwar and contemporary art sale Tuesday evening. The triptych depicts Bacon's artist friend. The work sold after "6 minutes of fierce bidding in the room and on the phone" to Acquavella Galleries in Manhattan, Christie's said in a statement. The price included the buyer's premium. The price tag surpassed the nearly $120 million paid for Edvard Munch's "The Scream," which set a world record when it was sold at Sotheby's in a 2012 sale. The previous record for Bacon's artwork sold at auction was the British artist's 1976 "Triptych." That sold for $86 million in 2008. Also up for sale at Christie's evening auction was Koons' whimsical "Balloon Dog (Orange)," a 10-foot-tall stainless steel sculpture resembling a twisted child's party balloon. It sold for $58.4 million, a world auction record for the artist and a world auction record for a living artist, said Christie's. The auction house did not reveal the buyer. It is one of five balloon dogs Koons has created in different colors. All are in private hands. It was sold by newsprint magnate Peter Brant to benefit his Brant Foundation Art Study in Greenwich, Conn. A 1977 painting by Willem De Kooning, "Untitled VIII," sold for over $32 million, a world auction record for the artist. In 2006, De Kooning's "Untitled XXV," sold for $27.1 million. Other highlights at Christie's included an iconic Andy Warhol, "Coca-Cola (3)," which fetched $57. 2 million. It was estimated to sell for $40 million to $60 million. The Warhol auction record is $71.7 million for "Green Car Crash (Green Burning Car I)," sold in 2007. Also on sale was a bright orange-yellow and white oil painting by Mark Rothko. Reminiscent of a radiating sunset, the 1957 large-scale "Untitled (No. 11)" garnered over $46 million. In May 2012, Christie's sold Rothko's "Orange, Red, Yellow" for $86.8 million, a record for any contemporary artwork at auction. The auction also featured a masterpiece by German painter Gerhard Richter from the collection of Eric Clapton. Painted in gold and orange hues, the 1994 "Abstract Painting" sold for $20.8 million. Richter's photo-based "Cathedral Square, Milan" brought $37 million at Sotheby's in May, setting a then record for any living artist at auction. Roy Lichtenstein's "Seductive Girl" was purchased for $31.5 million. The artist's auction record is $56 million for "Woman With Flowered Hat," sold at Christie's in May. Christie's said the Tuesday sale brought in over $691.5 million, which it said is the highest total for any single auction in history. ||||| Image caption Bacon painted Three Studies of Lucian Freud at London's Royal College of Art in 1969 A painting by Francis Bacon of his friend and fellow artist Lucian Freud has become the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction after it fetched $142m (£89m, 106m euros) in New York. The triptych, Three Studies of Lucian Freud (1969), is considered one of Bacon's greatest masterpieces. It was sold after six minutes of fierce bidding, Christie's auction house said. The price eclipsed the $119.9m (£74m) paid for Edvard Munch's The Scream last year. $100M ARTWORKS Edvard Munch, The Scream - $119.9m (2012) Picasso, Nude, Green Leaves, and Bust - $106.5m (2010) Alberto Giacometti, Walking Man I - $104.3m (2010) Picasso, Boy With a Pipe - $104.1m (2004) At the same auction, Jeff Koons broke the world record for a price paid for a single artwork by a living artist. His sculpture Balloon Dog (Orange) - one of a series of five stainless steel sculptures in varying colours - fetched $58,4m (£36.7m). The previous record for a living artist was set by a Gerhard Richter painting depicting an Italian city square, which sold in May for $37.1 million (£23.3m). It was the first time Three Studies of Lucian Freud had been offered at auction and bidding opened at $80m (£50m, 60m euros). Its presale estimate was $85m (£53m, 64m euros). Analysis In a world of supply and demand, it is not surprising that Bacon's huge triptych should sell for such an amount. It's unique, it's very high quality, and from an extremely famous period in the artist's life. The subject, and Bacon's remarkable use of colour, captures a moment in art history where his friendship with Freud was at its closest. It represents a relationship that has already moved into legend. What would be wonderful is if Freud's portrait of Bacon (painted around the same time but stolen from Berlin's National Gallery in 1988) was to be recovered and put back on public display, completing the story of these modern masters' mutual admiration. A telephone bidder won with an offer of $127 million (£80m), which, after commission, means they will pay a total of $142m. The auction house did not disclose the identity of the buyer. Bacon, known for his triptychs, painted Three Studies of Lucian Freud in 1969 at London's Royal College of Art, after his studio was destroyed in a fire. Francis Outred, head of Post-War and Contemporary Art at Christie's Europe, said the work was "a true masterpiece and one of the greatest paintings to come up for auction in a current generation". "It marks Bacon and Freud's relationship, paying tribute to the creative and emotional kinship between the two artists," he added. The pair met in 1945 and became close companions, painting each other on a number of occasions, before their relationship cooled during the 1970s. Exhibited in Bacon's renowned retrospective at the Grand Palais, Paris in 1971-1972, the three panels that form the painting were separated in the mid-1970s. One panel was shown at the Tate in 1985 before the three sections were reassembled. The complete work was displayed in New Haven, Connecticut in 1999. It got its first ever UK public viewing at Christie's in London in October this year.

– The world's super-rich toppled plenty of records at a Christie's art auction in New York City last night—including the record for most expensive auction, which now stands at $691.5 million. A big chunk of that came from a single painting, a 1969 Francis Bacon triptych of his fellow artist Lucian Freud. Three Studies of Lucian Freud sold for $142.5 million after six minutes of frenzied bidding, shattering the record for most expensive artwork ever sold, set by last year's $120 million sale of Edvard Munch's The Scream, the BBC reports. "I was expecting it to go for around $87 million," the disappointed director of Manhattan's Shin Gallery tells the New York Times. "I loved that painting and I couldn’t control myself. Maybe someday I’ll have another chance." In other sales, Jeff Koon's 12-foot Balloon Dog (Orange) sculpture sold for $58.4 million, a world record for a living artist. World record prices were set for a total of ten artists, including Christopher Wool and Donald Judd, while Andy Warhol's Coca-Cola (3) fetched $57.2 million, $14 million short of the Warhol record, the AP reports.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.A 1969 painting by Francis Bacon set a world record for the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction and a sculpture by Jeff Koons broke a world auction record for a living artist at a Manhattan sale on Tuesday. FILE - This undated file photo provided by Christie's shows Mark Rothko's bright orange-yellow and white painting "Untitled (No. 11)" which will lead Christie's post-war and contemporary art sale on Tuesday,... (Associated Press) This undated photo provided by Christie's shows "Three Studies of Lucian Freud," a triptych by Francis Bacon of his friend and artist Lucian Freud. The painting is being offered Tuesday evening, Nov.... (Associated Press) "Three Studies of Lucian Freud" was purchased for $142.4 million at Christie's postwar and contemporary art sale Tuesday evening. The triptych depicts Bacon's artist friend. The work sold after "6 minutes of fierce bidding in the room and on the phone" to Acquavella Galleries in Manhattan, Christie's said in a statement. The price included the buyer's premium. The price tag surpassed the nearly $120 million paid for Edvard Munch's "The Scream," which set a world record when it was sold at Sotheby's in a 2012 sale. The previous record for Bacon's artwork sold at auction was the British artist's 1976 "Triptych." That sold for $86 million in 2008. Also up for sale at Christie's evening auction was Koons' whimsical "Balloon Dog (Orange)," a 10-foot-tall stainless steel sculpture resembling a twisted child's party balloon. It sold for $58.4 million, a world auction record for the artist and a world auction record for a living artist, said Christie's. The auction house did not reveal the buyer. It is one of five balloon dogs Koons has created in different colors. All are in private hands. It was sold by newsprint magnate Peter Brant to benefit his Brant Foundation Art Study in Greenwich, Conn. A 1977 painting by Willem De Kooning, "Untitled VIII," sold for over $32 million, a world auction record for the artist. In 2006, De Kooning's "Untitled XXV," sold for $27.1 million. Other highlights at Christie's included an iconic Andy Warhol, "Coca-Cola (3)," which fetched $57. 2 million. It was estimated to sell for $40 million to $60 million. The Warhol auction record is $71.7 million for "Green Car Crash (Green Burning Car I)," sold in 2007. Also on sale was a bright orange-yellow and white oil painting by Mark Rothko. Reminiscent of a radiating sunset, the 1957 large-scale "Untitled (No. 11)" garnered over $46 million. In May 2012, Christie's sold Rothko's "Orange, Red, Yellow" for $86.8 million, a record for any contemporary artwork at auction. The auction also featured a masterpiece by German painter Gerhard Richter from the collection of Eric Clapton. Painted in gold and orange hues, the 1994 "Abstract Painting" sold for $20.8 million. Richter's photo-based "Cathedral Square, Milan" brought $37 million at Sotheby's in May, setting a then record for any living artist at auction. Roy Lichtenstein's "Seductive Girl" was purchased for $31.5 million. The artist's auction record is $56 million for "Woman With Flowered Hat," sold at Christie's in May. Christie's said the Tuesday sale brought in over $691.5 million, which it said is the highest total for any single auction in history. ||||| Image caption Bacon painted Three Studies of Lucian Freud at London's Royal College of Art in 1969 A painting by Francis Bacon of his friend and fellow artist Lucian Freud has become the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction after it fetched $142m (£89m, 106m euros) in New York. The triptych, Three Studies of Lucian Freud (1969), is considered one of Bacon's greatest masterpieces. It was sold after six minutes of fierce bidding, Christie's auction house said. The price eclipsed the $119.9m (£74m) paid for Edvard Munch's The Scream last year. $100M ARTWORKS Edvard Munch, The Scream - $119.9m (2012) Picasso, Nude, Green Leaves, and Bust - $106.5m (2010) Alberto Giacometti, Walking Man I - $104.3m (2010) Picasso, Boy With a Pipe - $104.1m (2004) At the same auction, Jeff Koons broke the world record for a price paid for a single artwork by a living artist. His sculpture Balloon Dog (Orange) - one of a series of five stainless steel sculptures in varying colours - fetched $58,4m (£36.7m). The previous record for a living artist was set by a Gerhard Richter painting depicting an Italian city square, which sold in May for $37.1 million (£23.3m). It was the first time Three Studies of Lucian Freud had been offered at auction and bidding opened at $80m (£50m, 60m euros). Its presale estimate was $85m (£53m, 64m euros). Analysis In a world of supply and demand, it is not surprising that Bacon's huge triptych should sell for such an amount. It's unique, it's very high quality, and from an extremely famous period in the artist's life. The subject, and Bacon's remarkable use of colour, captures a moment in art history where his friendship with Freud was at its closest. It represents a relationship that has already moved into legend. What would be wonderful is if Freud's portrait of Bacon (painted around the same time but stolen from Berlin's National Gallery in 1988) was to be recovered and put back on public display, completing the story of these modern masters' mutual admiration. A telephone bidder won with an offer of $127 million (£80m), which, after commission, means they will pay a total of $142m. The auction house did not disclose the identity of the buyer. Bacon, known for his triptychs, painted Three Studies of Lucian Freud in 1969 at London's Royal College of Art, after his studio was destroyed in a fire. Francis Outred, head of Post-War and Contemporary Art at Christie's Europe, said the work was "a true masterpiece and one of the greatest paintings to come up for auction in a current generation". "It marks Bacon and Freud's relationship, paying tribute to the creative and emotional kinship between the two artists," he added. The pair met in 1945 and became close companions, painting each other on a number of occasions, before their relationship cooled during the 1970s. Exhibited in Bacon's renowned retrospective at the Grand Palais, Paris in 1971-1972, the three panels that form the painting were separated in the mid-1970s. One panel was shown at the Tate in 1985 before the three sections were reassembled. The complete work was displayed in New Haven, Connecticut in 1999. It got its first ever UK public viewing at Christie's in London in October this year.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

In Game of Thrones season 7, episode 4, “The Spoils of War,” a particular dagger makes a reappearance after six seasons. Made of Valyrian steel and once wielded by an assassin sent to kill the recently injured Bran Stark in season 1, the knife shows up in Littlefinger’s hands as he gives it to Bran in an apparent attempt to forge a bond between them. Bran, who has no practical use for the dagger as the Three-Eyed Raven, bequeathes it to Arya, who wields it well in a spar against Brienne of Tarth. In season 1, the assassination attempt on Bran, and the subsequent suspicion Littlefinger places on Tyrion Lannister for being behind the attempt, helps trigger the war between House Stark and House Lannister, which was likely Littlefinger’s aim. (Chaos, after all, is a ladder that provides opportunities for ambitious men, as Littlefinger once told Varys — a quote Bran throws back in his face, as a hint that he’s seen more of Littlefinger’s behavior than any double-dealing schemer could want.) While the show hasn’t explored who’s truly behind the assassination attempt, in George R.R. Martin’s novels, Tyrion later hypothesizes that Joffrey was behind it for some fairly elaborate and not entirely convincing reasons. Since Joffrey and Catelyn are already dead, it’s unlikely the show will revisit this exact tidbit. However, Littlefinger does openly tell Bran that he doesn’t know who the dagger belonged to before the assassination attempt, opening up the possibility of different revelations about who may have been involved in the attempt on Bran’s life. In the show’s version of events, the dagger last appeared in Catelyn Stark’s hands as she tried to find who was responsible for the assassination attempt. But after she died at the Red Wedding, the dagger disappeared. Perhaps Littlefinger went through Catelyn’s things? Or visited her remains? He’s certainly not lacking in unsavory means to acquire what he wants. As Littlefinger passes the notorious blade to Bran, he mentions another, less intriguing dagger: the anonymous one used to cut Catelyn’s throat during the Red Wedding. He wanted to stop that one, he says. So why remind Bran of his failures to protect either Bran or his mother? Valyrian steel is valuable, but it’s still an awfully strange present. Still, it’s worth noting that Valyrian steel can kill White Walkers, and now Arya has a weapon in her hands that’s certainly going to turn up again in a significant way at some point in the series. ||||| Published on Aug 6, 2017 "Tell Sansa her sister's home." Get an inside look at Game of Thrones Season 7 Episode 4. Game of Thrones airs on HBO on Sundays at 9. ||||| Warning: Contains spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 7, episode 4. Assuming Jon Snow didn't hastily knock up those cavings paintings in a desperate attempt to convince Daenerys the White Walkers are real, there's a chance they might be able to tell us something. Because no detail in Game of Thrones is ever there by accident, right? So first, a quick recap: when Jon Snow led Daenerys into that dragonglass cave in on Sunday's episode, she was greeted with a bunch of weird twisty patterns like this: If those patterns look at all familiar to you, there's a good reason for that: we've seen them before. As showrunner David Benioff pointed out in the behind-the-scenes YouTube video for episode 4, the patterns are actually the same ones that the White Walkers previously made using frozen corpses in the snow. "One of the things we learned from these cave paintings is that the White Walkers didn't come up with those images," said Benioff. "They derived them from their creators, the children of the forest." Very pretty and creative. Image: hbo Seriously, who would've thought White Walkers could be so artistic? Image: hbo So that's all very well and good, but what do the patterns actually signify? "These are patterns that have mystical significance for the children of the forest," Benioff continued. "We're not sure exactly what they signify, but spiral patterns are important in a lot of different cultures in our world, and it makes sense that they would be in this world as well." If there's one person who might be able to shed some light on that issue, it's Bran. We can't imagine he'll be explaining it anytime soon, though. You can watch the full behind-the-scenes video here: ||||| “The Spoils of War” is the kind of episode Game of Thrones fans live for. You’ll sit through the talky episodes, or the bland scenes with lots of exposition, or even the enjoyable buddy comedy adventures of certain pairings — but you know you’re going to get to the big stuff eventually. And almost every time it hits one of these massive episodes, Game of Thrones delivers. I’ve spent much of season seven feeling as if the series was holding something back. Indeed, the last couple of episodes seemed to be trying to conserve the show’s budget, which I theorized was being held back for some massive setpiece later in the season. Well, the last 15 minutes of “Spoils” delivered on that front and then some. There was fire! There was chaos! There was heroism! There was a dragon! There was surprisingly adept action filmmaking from a man whose most prominent credit is directing 44 episodes of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia! And it all climaxed with the tease that Jaime Lannister himself might die. (Though, c’mon, Jaime’s not dying because he drowned.) The episode was, in short, a whole lot of fun and a bountiful cornucopia of Game of Thrones goodness. Yes, it will primarily be defined by that concluding battle between Daenerys’s and Cersei’s respective forces, but even the earlier scenes, which were largely the talky, exposition-filled scenes that have been so prevalent this season, had a spring in their step. With that in mind, here are 11 winners and no losers from “The Spoils of War” — because we’re all winners here. Winners: Daenerys, dragons, and the Dothraki, for setting everything on fire The most obvious comparison point for “The Spoils of War” is “Hardhome,” the best episode of Game of Thrones’ fifth season, which similarly started with a series of scenes checking in on characters around the show’s universe, then transitioned to a lengthy battle scene. In that case, Jon Snow and his Night’s Watch companions battled with the White Walkers, and Jon had his first real showdown with the Night King. That makes it all the more intriguing that the series has paired its big ice battle with a big fire battle, set in the midst of a battlefield that Dany’s forces have laid waste to. There are sequences and shots in the midst of this battle that capture the surreal hell that would be a war fought with gigantic, reptilian beasts that can breathe literal fire. But it’s worth talking about this sequence from a character perspective as well. After being soundly beaten back in the past two episodes, Dany wins a major victory here and destroys the Lannister army, reducing much of it to ash. I’m not entirely sure what the series is attempting to say with the argument that Dany needed to be personally responsible for her army in order for it to win, or how it’s attempting to contrast her with Cersei (who remains safely ensconced in the Red Keep), but the implication is clear: Daenerys Targaryen isn’t someone who can win by hiding in a massive fortress. She needs to be in the heat of battle, even if she risks injury or death. We also haven’t really seen the Dothraki on the battlefield very much over the course of the series. “Spoils” convincingly paints them as an absolutely terrifying force of nature — so numerous in number that it’s impossible to stand against their oncoming rush, and so ruthlessly efficient in how quickly they can kill you. At one point, a Dothraki warrior leans off his horse to cut off the foot of Bronn’s horse, and that seems like a succinct encapsulation of their fighting style. Just when you think you’ve figured out a winning strategy, they’ll find a way around it. Winner: Bronn, for stemming the tide While everybody else on Team Lannister is gobsmacked at how thoroughly they’ve been battered by a dragon, Bronn is the guy who makes the desperate scramble for the gigantic spear gun (called a “scorpion” in-episode), loads it all by himself, fires, misses, loads it again, then connects to bring the dragon down to earth. And as if that’s not enough, he’s the guy who comes racing in from out of nowhere to knock Jaime out of the path of oncoming dragon fire, that he might live another day (and/or die in a murky pool — but again, that won’t happen). Everybody else is losing their heads, but Bronn keeps his. Add to that a pretty impressive long take that follows him around the battlefield as he staggers toward the scorpion and his earlier suggestion that Jaime should get the hell out of Dodge, and you have the one guy who seems to realize that while the Lannisters have been winning a lot of late, they don’t have much room to get over-confident. It’s good to have Bronn back for more than a single shot. Winner: Director Matt Shakman, for a stirring Game of Thrones debut I referred to Matt Shakman above via his 44 episodes of It’s Always Sunny, which are his most prominent credit. But I left out that he’s directed episodes of everything from Fargo to Mad Men to You’re the Worst to The Good Wife, and his episodes have often added a necessary cinematic flair to even the scuzzy interiors of Sunny. He’s one of those TV directors who’s been around for ages (since 2002), but mostly working out of the limelight, bouncing between comedy and drama. (Also, he starred as “the son” in the late ’80s family sitcom Just the Ten of Us, which I just learned.) Well, Shakman likely won’t be an anonymous craftsman much longer. His Thrones debut is a pretty bold and brutal episode to make a mark with, and I loved many of his choices. In particular, the way his camera pans slowly across the horizon as the Dothraki can be heard but not yet seen — hidden just behind the crest of a hill — builds tension beautifully, until that dragon streaks in out of the sky. And the long take of Bronn stumbling through the battle, dragon fire burning everywhere, is much, much better than last season’s similar long take in “The Battle of the Bastards.” It conveys the chaos of battle, yes, but also gives you a good sense of just why Bronn takes every step and makes every move he makes. He’s saved by dumb luck, sure, but also because he thinks quickly on his feet. And the camera tilting up just in time to catch a dragon flying by is the coup de grace. Winner: Katie Wieland, for some excellent editing Editor Katie Weiland deserves tons of credit for this episode, too. In particular, the heightening tension as Jaime plunges toward Dany, knowing he’s probably doomed, with frequent cuts to Tyrion imploring his estranged brother not to piss off the giant dragon, made for a white-knuckle end to an already impressive episode. Winner: Bran Stark, for being creepy in a much better way Okay, other stuff happened in this episode, too, and lots of it happened up North, where the three surviving Stark children have been reunited for the first time since the series’ pilot. But I’ll come back to that. For now, I want to talk about Bran, who’s still creeping people out with his ability to see all of time and space. Last week, he used this to tell his sister he’d seen her horrible wedding night. But this week, he’s using it to clue Littlefinger in that he can see alllll of Littlefinger’s life. When Lord Baelish brings up chaos, Bran says, flatly, that, hey, “chaos is a ladder,” a reference to a memorable scene between Littlefinger and Varys back in season three, one that referenced Littlefinger’s constant need to keep spinning new conflicts in order to advance his position. Of course, one of the foremost ways Littlefinger has done this is in betraying Ned Stark, which led to the latter’s head being chopped off. Bran isn’t just letting Littlefinger know he’s seen that chat with Varys — he’s letting him know he’s seen everything else too. Shakman ends the scene on Littlefinger’s face in close-up, looking almost directly into the camera lens. It’s unsettling, but it’s meant to be so. Clearly, he’s spooked. (One complaint I have about Bran: I sort of don’t buy just how non-human he’s become. It feels like the series skipped over a couple of steps in its rush to get here, and maybe some of his scenes in season six would have been better served explaining just how he got from point A to point Three-Eyed Raven. Feign interest in Meera leaving, Bran! Feign it!) Winner: House Stark, for getting the band back together If the reunion between Sansa and Bran last week was intentionally frustrating, then the reunion between Sansa and Arya is cautious but moving. The sisterhood between the two characters drove a lot of the book’s early plot, especially the way they clearly loved each other but also clearly didn’t understand each other one bit. Now, Sansa’s running Winterfell, and Arya has a lengthy list of people to kill. They might not understand each other any better, but they’re glad to see each other. Of all the reunions this show has teased, the reunion of these two sisters has been the one that held the most potential for something moving. But Game of Thrones doesn’t dive in right away. It holds back — just as these two young women would hold each other at arm’s length at first. But within a few hours, they’re walking around the courtyard with Bran, the three of them talking about old times like it’s no big deal. And, honestly, with Arya’s combat skills, Sansa’s political wisdom, and Bran’s ability to see all of space and time (including, apparently, alternate realities — I almost read Bran’s invocation of Arya’s visit to the Inn at the Crossroads as a suggestion he saw both a future where she went to King’s Landing and one where she turned North), I wouldn’t bet against House Stark, even at this late date. Winner: Brienne, for gaining a new pupil Brienne bests Arya in combat, but only just, and the younger Stark sister is eager to learn from the woman who managed to beat the Hound all those years ago. The sequence where the two fight struggles a bit (as Thrones often does in close-quarters combat), but it’s worth it just for teasing an excellent new team-up possibility. Winner: The Iron Bank, for getting its money back — sooner or later The Lannisters could pay off their debts, which would mean the Iron Bank could move forward with backing Cersei’s push to reunite the Seven Kingdoms … but maybe now it will back Daenerys. (The gold made it to King’s Landing, but maybe Cersei will use it to rebuild her army instead of repay the bank.) But our favorite financial institution has its options open, and it has seemingly endless reserves of cash with which to torment whichever queen it doesn’t back. One thing’s for certain: Everything’s coming up banking! Winners: Dragonglass and Valyrian steel, for being your best friends in a tight spot, over the centuries As we all know by now, dragonglass and Valyrian steel are going to be humanity’s best hope at withstanding the White Walker invasion. (Jon would also argue “strategic political alliances” will do the trick, but we already knew that, Jon.) Both materials take center stage in “The Spoils of War.” The first turns up in a luminous underground cavern, in which Jon not only finds huge seams of dragonglass but also elaborate images of the Children of the Forest and the First Men banding together to fight the White Walkers, thousands upon thousands of years ago. The ancient history of Westeros is always compelling to me, and this is an appropriately eerie tribute to it, as this strange vision seems to only further convince Dany that Jon means some part of what he says. (Can one of those proposed Game of Thrones spinoffs be set during the Long Night?) Valyrian steel creeps back into the story in a much less expected fashion, however, in the form of the dagger meant to take Bran’s life way back in season one, which is gifted to him by Littlefinger. (Bran doesn’t seem particularly surprised to see it, but, then, he wouldn’t be.) The dagger wends its way from Littlefinger to Bran to Arya — in a potent moment that seems to suggest Bran knows his sister will need it someday — and it’s fun to observe which characters the series is arming with Valyrian steel, and which it isn’t. Winner: Book fans, who still have a bit of that smug superiority So far as I know, the show hasn’t really dealt much with the identity of the person who sent that assassin into Bran’s bedroom way back in season one, where the books have devoted a fair chunk of real estate (particularly within the heads of Catelyn Stark and Tyrion Lannister) to solving this particular mystery. Before this week, I thought the show had mostly exhausted everything the books had left to offer, but here, at last, is another area where book readers probably have a leg up on show viewers. Who tried to kill Bran? Readers have devoted a lot of time to puzzling that out, but the show hasn’t really encouraged viewers to hazard a guess. Now, belatedly, it is, and those who’ve read the books have a much bigger knowledge base, to the degree that the books have all but told readers who ordered the assassination — where the show has left viewers mostly in the dark. Winner: The passage of time, for existing again Credit where it’s due. After I wrote a piece mildly complaining about how the show seems to have taken complete and utter leave of temporal reality, “Spoils” was largely confined to a period of a week or two, and all the better for it. To be clear, I don’t think the show needs to show exactly how much time is passing (though a hint here or there wouldn’t hurt). There is a lot of stuff happening and a lot of ground to cover, and the show is right to skip past as many uninteresting bits as it can, even if it has to gleefully vault forward across weeks or even months. But “Spoils” reminded me, again, just how thrilling this show can be when it confines itself to smaller periods of time. When it focuses in on one conflict, or one particularly dark turn in the story, it gains a power from its immediacy, from the way that bad things turn to worse and good things quickly turn bad. Not every episode of Game of Thrones can work this way, or the show’s pace would become excruciatingly slow. But it’s always a treat when the series focuses in, with razor-sharp execution. Other winners: Arya, for being far better at combat than I ever imagined; Sam, for not having to do anything horrifying for one week; Theon, for living yet again; the other two dragons, for not having to sustain any massive injuries; Cersei, for receiving complimentary comparisons to her father; Game of Thrones fans, for getting a really great episode after a couple of hours stuck in neutral; the First Men and Children of the Forest, for making all of this possible. Other losers: There are no losers, only winners. But, okay, the guy who carved the Ned Stark tomb, for really missing what made that guy shine. Correction: As originally written, this post was more or less accurate in regards to what happened to the Lannisters’ plundered gold, but I amended it, later, to be inaccurate, stating the gold was destroyed in the dragon attack, after watching just the scene between Cersei and the Iron Bank’s representative, but not the later scene where the gold is declared to be safe at King’s Landing. Though it’s not clear that Cersei has actually used said gold to pay back the Iron Bank just yet, she does have it in her possession as the episode wraps. Let us never speak of this again. ||||| No fooling around: We have to talk about what just went down. When I called the episode “jaw-dropping,” I was referring to two jaws—mine and the one Dany’s dragon as he opened his mouth and shot giant jets of fire directly onto the heads of the Lannister army, burning them alive. Yes, tonight was Daenerys Strikes Back, but it didn’t come without a cost. Meanwhile: Three whole Starks were together in the same scene for the first time since season one! And Jaime? He appears to have taken a swim... ||||| Is that the Dothraki war cry that Jaime Lannister and his right-hand man Bronn hear in the distance … or is it Robert Plant's opening wail from "Immigrant Song"? Either way, it's one of the most intimidating sounds ever heard on television, and it's only a taste of the carnage to come. In tonight's episode – tellingly titled "The Spoils of War" – Daenerys Targaryen unleashes the full fury of her two greatest weapons: the unstoppable Dothraki hordes and the fires of her black dragon. The recipients are the unsuspecting forces of House Lannister. What follows is thrilling, no doubt. But it's So. Much. More. Related 'Game of Thrones' Season 7 Halftime Report: Who's Dead, Who's Alive From the casualties to the alliances, the reunions to the power plays – here's where we stand in the middle of a stunning (if short) Season 7 As far back as the show's first major battle set piece in "Blackwater," Game of Thrones knew that splitting our sympathies between both sides of a conflict can drive home the horror and waste of war in a way that few other things can. Would supporting the ruthless Stannis Baratheon against lovable Tyrion Lannister be worth it to see Joffrey and Cersei taken down? Two seasons later, the episode "The Watchers on the Wall" pulled a similar trick, pitting Jon Snow and his Night's Watch allies against wildlings like ex-girlfriend Ygritte and the charismatic Tormund Giantsbane, all of them simply fighting for the lives of their people. In conflicts like these, good and bad are irrelevant. In "The Spoils of War," these irresolvable conflicts get cranked up to an even more unbearable level. Jaime is a repentant villain deep into his redemption arc. Bronn is a mercenary who won over characters and audience alike with his wit and wisdom. Dany is a messianic conqueror who's saved countless lives; the very existence of her her magical beast Drogon is a miracle. How can anyone feel comfortable choosing sides? Sure, House Lannister are clearly the heels in this war, but a victory that reduces beloved characters to ash would be impossible to enjoy. Writers creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss and director Matt Shakman offer us precious little shelter from the zero-sum nature of this bloody game. Twice, they stage one-on-one conflicts between the major characters: First when Bronn stares down the beast with his massive "scorpion" crossbow; then when Jaime grabs a spear and charges the Khaleesi. These are shout-at-the-screen, cower-on-your-couch moments. Even though it appears everyone involved makes it out alive both times, it's to the filmmakers' credit that you feel inches away from the death of a credit-topping character during every second of screen time. And if you're afraid, hey, you're not the only one. After all, nothing sells the menace of the horselords – their tactics based on the real-world Mongols, who cut through armies from China and India to Iraq and Eastern Europe like a hot knife through butter – or the shock-and-awe power of Dany's pet monsters like seeing seasoned warriors like Jaime, Bronn, and Randyll Tarly (Sam's tough-as-nails dad) scared completely shitless for minutes on end. It's so rare for actor Jerome Flynn look anything but cocksure on this show that his panic during the assault should come with a trigger warning. Meanwhile, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau has long been an undervalued member of the cast, but he powerfully conveys the Kingslayer's terror, horror, and grief at watching his men get massacred. When he makes that almost-sure-to-be-fatal suicide run on Daenerys, it feels as much like his version of "suicide by cop" as a last-ditch effort to save the day. But there's much more to "The Spoils of War" than war itself. A series of interactions far from the field of battle pay off years-long storylines and make the stakes of the fight to come abundantly clear. In King's Landing, Cersei entertains Tycho Nestoris, the smooth-talking representative of the Iron Bank of Braavos, played by Sherlock co-creator Mark Gatiss. "I always thought your father was an efficient and effective man," he says admiringly, "but you appear to be redefining those terms." Since said terms include the word "man," you've got to imagine Cersei, who's spent her entire life growing more and more furious with her inability to be taken seriously by the patriarchal system, must take some pride in this – even if she's had to kill countless thousands to earn the acclaim. In the North, Arya Stark comes home to Winterfell, reuniting not just with her siblings Sansa and Bran but with Brienne of Tarth as well. The young Stark soon beats the towering warrior in swordplay, earning her admiration – but seemingly frightening her elder sister. Their reunion was awkward but ultimately tender, culminating in a hug near their father's crypt as they quietly agreed to let the worst parts of their stories since they last saw each other remain unspoken. But between her kid sister's "kill list" and their brother's combination of psychic power and psychological detachment, Lady Stark – not to mention Jon Snow's death and resurrection – Lady Stark is left wondering if the family with whom she's reconnected is really a family at all anymore. With Littlefinger skulking around, producing a Valyrian steel dagger and reopening the scarred-over wounds of the assassination attempt on Bran during his coma in Season One, she'd better hope they are. Related 25 Best 'Game of Thrones' Episodes – Updated From Blackwater to the Battle of the Bastards, we count down the HBO fantasy epic's most memorable hours Finally, on Dragonstone, the Khaleesi and the King in the North share a momentous discovery. Deep in the island's dragonglass cavern, they find ancient hieroglyphs and cave drawings depicting the alliance between the Children of the Forest and the First Men against the White Walkers. The resonance of the story, in which former enemies put aside their mistrust to fight a common foe, is obvious to both of them. The power of Jon taking Dany by the arm – the two of them touching for the first time – to show her this sight is palpable as well. And though the Queen still insists that the King bend the knee before she'll promise to aid him in his fight against the dead, their alliance seems likelier than ever. No, it's not just the mystical symbols and legends that tell us this. It's in what Missandei tells the King in the North and his hand, Ser Davos: The Khaleesi is a queen because her people have freely chosen her. "You can build a world that's different from the shit one they've always known," Jon tells her. After what we witnessed on that scorched-earth battlefield tonight, let's hope he's right. Previously: Queen Slates

– Last week's episode of Game of Thrones boasted a long-awaited meeting, and this week's offered another. Three Starks finally joined up in Winterfell, and that wasn't even the most exciting part of Season 7's portentously titled "The Spoils of War." What everyone's buzzing about the morning after: Vanity Fair notes that the "affectionate but awkward" reunion between Sansa and Arya (followed by a meetup with Bran) was the "most important yet" and that the show "nailed it." That's because of the "tense, emotional subtext" running through every scene—including the girls' backstory (they shared a lot of previous screen time together, making their reunion feel "earned"), a touch of jealousy and fear on Sansa's part, and the fact that the sisters "had so little in common as kids and don't yet know each other as adults." The fourth installment of the season was "the best episode yet," per Rolling Stone, which offers a detailed recap. At the top of the agenda: the (literally) scorched-earth conflict between Jaime Lannister's forces and those of Daenerys Targaryen, her dragon, and the Dothraki, in which "irresolvable conflicts get cranked up to an even more unbearable level." This episode-ending battle doesn't disappoint, with "shout-at-the-screen, cower-on-your-couch moments" that Game of Thrones fans live for. Over at io9, no time is wasted: Viewers jump right into a crowdsourced discussion about that "jaw-dropping ending." Vox agrees this episode was a triumph and pulls together a list of winners and losers—except this time around, there are no losers. At the top of the winners' list: an even creepier Bran Stark, Daenerys and Co. for "setting everything on fire," and this week's biggest winner, "the American viewing public." Mashable plumbs a little deeper into the mysterious paintings deep within the dragonglass caves. There's a reason they may have looked familiar (an HBO "Inside the Episode" clip delves into it as well). And the Verge explains the reemergence of a long-lost dagger, just another example of the show's meticulous attention to detail.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.In Game of Thrones season 7, episode 4, “The Spoils of War,” a particular dagger makes a reappearance after six seasons. Made of Valyrian steel and once wielded by an assassin sent to kill the recently injured Bran Stark in season 1, the knife shows up in Littlefinger’s hands as he gives it to Bran in an apparent attempt to forge a bond between them. Bran, who has no practical use for the dagger as the Three-Eyed Raven, bequeathes it to Arya, who wields it well in a spar against Brienne of Tarth. In season 1, the assassination attempt on Bran, and the subsequent suspicion Littlefinger places on Tyrion Lannister for being behind the attempt, helps trigger the war between House Stark and House Lannister, which was likely Littlefinger’s aim. (Chaos, after all, is a ladder that provides opportunities for ambitious men, as Littlefinger once told Varys — a quote Bran throws back in his face, as a hint that he’s seen more of Littlefinger’s behavior than any double-dealing schemer could want.) While the show hasn’t explored who’s truly behind the assassination attempt, in George R.R. Martin’s novels, Tyrion later hypothesizes that Joffrey was behind it for some fairly elaborate and not entirely convincing reasons. Since Joffrey and Catelyn are already dead, it’s unlikely the show will revisit this exact tidbit. However, Littlefinger does openly tell Bran that he doesn’t know who the dagger belonged to before the assassination attempt, opening up the possibility of different revelations about who may have been involved in the attempt on Bran’s life. In the show’s version of events, the dagger last appeared in Catelyn Stark’s hands as she tried to find who was responsible for the assassination attempt. But after she died at the Red Wedding, the dagger disappeared. Perhaps Littlefinger went through Catelyn’s things? Or visited her remains? He’s certainly not lacking in unsavory means to acquire what he wants. As Littlefinger passes the notorious blade to Bran, he mentions another, less intriguing dagger: the anonymous one used to cut Catelyn’s throat during the Red Wedding. He wanted to stop that one, he says. So why remind Bran of his failures to protect either Bran or his mother? Valyrian steel is valuable, but it’s still an awfully strange present. Still, it’s worth noting that Valyrian steel can kill White Walkers, and now Arya has a weapon in her hands that’s certainly going to turn up again in a significant way at some point in the series. ||||| Published on Aug 6, 2017 "Tell Sansa her sister's home." Get an inside look at Game of Thrones Season 7 Episode 4. Game of Thrones airs on HBO on Sundays at 9. ||||| Warning: Contains spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 7, episode 4. Assuming Jon Snow didn't hastily knock up those cavings paintings in a desperate attempt to convince Daenerys the White Walkers are real, there's a chance they might be able to tell us something. Because no detail in Game of Thrones is ever there by accident, right? So first, a quick recap: when Jon Snow led Daenerys into that dragonglass cave in on Sunday's episode, she was greeted with a bunch of weird twisty patterns like this: If those patterns look at all familiar to you, there's a good reason for that: we've seen them before. As showrunner David Benioff pointed out in the behind-the-scenes YouTube video for episode 4, the patterns are actually the same ones that the White Walkers previously made using frozen corpses in the snow. "One of the things we learned from these cave paintings is that the White Walkers didn't come up with those images," said Benioff. "They derived them from their creators, the children of the forest." Very pretty and creative. Image: hbo Seriously, who would've thought White Walkers could be so artistic? Image: hbo So that's all very well and good, but what do the patterns actually signify? "These are patterns that have mystical significance for the children of the forest," Benioff continued. "We're not sure exactly what they signify, but spiral patterns are important in a lot of different cultures in our world, and it makes sense that they would be in this world as well." If there's one person who might be able to shed some light on that issue, it's Bran. We can't imagine he'll be explaining it anytime soon, though. You can watch the full behind-the-scenes video here: ||||| “The Spoils of War” is the kind of episode Game of Thrones fans live for. You’ll sit through the talky episodes, or the bland scenes with lots of exposition, or even the enjoyable buddy comedy adventures of certain pairings — but you know you’re going to get to the big stuff eventually. And almost every time it hits one of these massive episodes, Game of Thrones delivers. I’ve spent much of season seven feeling as if the series was holding something back. Indeed, the last couple of episodes seemed to be trying to conserve the show’s budget, which I theorized was being held back for some massive setpiece later in the season. Well, the last 15 minutes of “Spoils” delivered on that front and then some. There was fire! There was chaos! There was heroism! There was a dragon! There was surprisingly adept action filmmaking from a man whose most prominent credit is directing 44 episodes of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia! And it all climaxed with the tease that Jaime Lannister himself might die. (Though, c’mon, Jaime’s not dying because he drowned.) The episode was, in short, a whole lot of fun and a bountiful cornucopia of Game of Thrones goodness. Yes, it will primarily be defined by that concluding battle between Daenerys’s and Cersei’s respective forces, but even the earlier scenes, which were largely the talky, exposition-filled scenes that have been so prevalent this season, had a spring in their step. With that in mind, here are 11 winners and no losers from “The Spoils of War” — because we’re all winners here. Winners: Daenerys, dragons, and the Dothraki, for setting everything on fire The most obvious comparison point for “The Spoils of War” is “Hardhome,” the best episode of Game of Thrones’ fifth season, which similarly started with a series of scenes checking in on characters around the show’s universe, then transitioned to a lengthy battle scene. In that case, Jon Snow and his Night’s Watch companions battled with the White Walkers, and Jon had his first real showdown with the Night King. That makes it all the more intriguing that the series has paired its big ice battle with a big fire battle, set in the midst of a battlefield that Dany’s forces have laid waste to. There are sequences and shots in the midst of this battle that capture the surreal hell that would be a war fought with gigantic, reptilian beasts that can breathe literal fire. But it’s worth talking about this sequence from a character perspective as well. After being soundly beaten back in the past two episodes, Dany wins a major victory here and destroys the Lannister army, reducing much of it to ash. I’m not entirely sure what the series is attempting to say with the argument that Dany needed to be personally responsible for her army in order for it to win, or how it’s attempting to contrast her with Cersei (who remains safely ensconced in the Red Keep), but the implication is clear: Daenerys Targaryen isn’t someone who can win by hiding in a massive fortress. She needs to be in the heat of battle, even if she risks injury or death. We also haven’t really seen the Dothraki on the battlefield very much over the course of the series. “Spoils” convincingly paints them as an absolutely terrifying force of nature — so numerous in number that it’s impossible to stand against their oncoming rush, and so ruthlessly efficient in how quickly they can kill you. At one point, a Dothraki warrior leans off his horse to cut off the foot of Bronn’s horse, and that seems like a succinct encapsulation of their fighting style. Just when you think you’ve figured out a winning strategy, they’ll find a way around it. Winner: Bronn, for stemming the tide While everybody else on Team Lannister is gobsmacked at how thoroughly they’ve been battered by a dragon, Bronn is the guy who makes the desperate scramble for the gigantic spear gun (called a “scorpion” in-episode), loads it all by himself, fires, misses, loads it again, then connects to bring the dragon down to earth. And as if that’s not enough, he’s the guy who comes racing in from out of nowhere to knock Jaime out of the path of oncoming dragon fire, that he might live another day (and/or die in a murky pool — but again, that won’t happen). Everybody else is losing their heads, but Bronn keeps his. Add to that a pretty impressive long take that follows him around the battlefield as he staggers toward the scorpion and his earlier suggestion that Jaime should get the hell out of Dodge, and you have the one guy who seems to realize that while the Lannisters have been winning a lot of late, they don’t have much room to get over-confident. It’s good to have Bronn back for more than a single shot. Winner: Director Matt Shakman, for a stirring Game of Thrones debut I referred to Matt Shakman above via his 44 episodes of It’s Always Sunny, which are his most prominent credit. But I left out that he’s directed episodes of everything from Fargo to Mad Men to You’re the Worst to The Good Wife, and his episodes have often added a necessary cinematic flair to even the scuzzy interiors of Sunny. He’s one of those TV directors who’s been around for ages (since 2002), but mostly working out of the limelight, bouncing between comedy and drama. (Also, he starred as “the son” in the late ’80s family sitcom Just the Ten of Us, which I just learned.) Well, Shakman likely won’t be an anonymous craftsman much longer. His Thrones debut is a pretty bold and brutal episode to make a mark with, and I loved many of his choices. In particular, the way his camera pans slowly across the horizon as the Dothraki can be heard but not yet seen — hidden just behind the crest of a hill — builds tension beautifully, until that dragon streaks in out of the sky. And the long take of Bronn stumbling through the battle, dragon fire burning everywhere, is much, much better than last season’s similar long take in “The Battle of the Bastards.” It conveys the chaos of battle, yes, but also gives you a good sense of just why Bronn takes every step and makes every move he makes. He’s saved by dumb luck, sure, but also because he thinks quickly on his feet. And the camera tilting up just in time to catch a dragon flying by is the coup de grace. Winner: Katie Wieland, for some excellent editing Editor Katie Weiland deserves tons of credit for this episode, too. In particular, the heightening tension as Jaime plunges toward Dany, knowing he’s probably doomed, with frequent cuts to Tyrion imploring his estranged brother not to piss off the giant dragon, made for a white-knuckle end to an already impressive episode. Winner: Bran Stark, for being creepy in a much better way Okay, other stuff happened in this episode, too, and lots of it happened up North, where the three surviving Stark children have been reunited for the first time since the series’ pilot. But I’ll come back to that. For now, I want to talk about Bran, who’s still creeping people out with his ability to see all of time and space. Last week, he used this to tell his sister he’d seen her horrible wedding night. But this week, he’s using it to clue Littlefinger in that he can see alllll of Littlefinger’s life. When Lord Baelish brings up chaos, Bran says, flatly, that, hey, “chaos is a ladder,” a reference to a memorable scene between Littlefinger and Varys back in season three, one that referenced Littlefinger’s constant need to keep spinning new conflicts in order to advance his position. Of course, one of the foremost ways Littlefinger has done this is in betraying Ned Stark, which led to the latter’s head being chopped off. Bran isn’t just letting Littlefinger know he’s seen that chat with Varys — he’s letting him know he’s seen everything else too. Shakman ends the scene on Littlefinger’s face in close-up, looking almost directly into the camera lens. It’s unsettling, but it’s meant to be so. Clearly, he’s spooked. (One complaint I have about Bran: I sort of don’t buy just how non-human he’s become. It feels like the series skipped over a couple of steps in its rush to get here, and maybe some of his scenes in season six would have been better served explaining just how he got from point A to point Three-Eyed Raven. Feign interest in Meera leaving, Bran! Feign it!) Winner: House Stark, for getting the band back together If the reunion between Sansa and Bran last week was intentionally frustrating, then the reunion between Sansa and Arya is cautious but moving. The sisterhood between the two characters drove a lot of the book’s early plot, especially the way they clearly loved each other but also clearly didn’t understand each other one bit. Now, Sansa’s running Winterfell, and Arya has a lengthy list of people to kill. They might not understand each other any better, but they’re glad to see each other. Of all the reunions this show has teased, the reunion of these two sisters has been the one that held the most potential for something moving. But Game of Thrones doesn’t dive in right away. It holds back — just as these two young women would hold each other at arm’s length at first. But within a few hours, they’re walking around the courtyard with Bran, the three of them talking about old times like it’s no big deal. And, honestly, with Arya’s combat skills, Sansa’s political wisdom, and Bran’s ability to see all of space and time (including, apparently, alternate realities — I almost read Bran’s invocation of Arya’s visit to the Inn at the Crossroads as a suggestion he saw both a future where she went to King’s Landing and one where she turned North), I wouldn’t bet against House Stark, even at this late date. Winner: Brienne, for gaining a new pupil Brienne bests Arya in combat, but only just, and the younger Stark sister is eager to learn from the woman who managed to beat the Hound all those years ago. The sequence where the two fight struggles a bit (as Thrones often does in close-quarters combat), but it’s worth it just for teasing an excellent new team-up possibility. Winner: The Iron Bank, for getting its money back — sooner or later The Lannisters could pay off their debts, which would mean the Iron Bank could move forward with backing Cersei’s push to reunite the Seven Kingdoms … but maybe now it will back Daenerys. (The gold made it to King’s Landing, but maybe Cersei will use it to rebuild her army instead of repay the bank.) But our favorite financial institution has its options open, and it has seemingly endless reserves of cash with which to torment whichever queen it doesn’t back. One thing’s for certain: Everything’s coming up banking! Winners: Dragonglass and Valyrian steel, for being your best friends in a tight spot, over the centuries As we all know by now, dragonglass and Valyrian steel are going to be humanity’s best hope at withstanding the White Walker invasion. (Jon would also argue “strategic political alliances” will do the trick, but we already knew that, Jon.) Both materials take center stage in “The Spoils of War.” The first turns up in a luminous underground cavern, in which Jon not only finds huge seams of dragonglass but also elaborate images of the Children of the Forest and the First Men banding together to fight the White Walkers, thousands upon thousands of years ago. The ancient history of Westeros is always compelling to me, and this is an appropriately eerie tribute to it, as this strange vision seems to only further convince Dany that Jon means some part of what he says. (Can one of those proposed Game of Thrones spinoffs be set during the Long Night?) Valyrian steel creeps back into the story in a much less expected fashion, however, in the form of the dagger meant to take Bran’s life way back in season one, which is gifted to him by Littlefinger. (Bran doesn’t seem particularly surprised to see it, but, then, he wouldn’t be.) The dagger wends its way from Littlefinger to Bran to Arya — in a potent moment that seems to suggest Bran knows his sister will need it someday — and it’s fun to observe which characters the series is arming with Valyrian steel, and which it isn’t. Winner: Book fans, who still have a bit of that smug superiority So far as I know, the show hasn’t really dealt much with the identity of the person who sent that assassin into Bran’s bedroom way back in season one, where the books have devoted a fair chunk of real estate (particularly within the heads of Catelyn Stark and Tyrion Lannister) to solving this particular mystery. Before this week, I thought the show had mostly exhausted everything the books had left to offer, but here, at last, is another area where book readers probably have a leg up on show viewers. Who tried to kill Bran? Readers have devoted a lot of time to puzzling that out, but the show hasn’t really encouraged viewers to hazard a guess. Now, belatedly, it is, and those who’ve read the books have a much bigger knowledge base, to the degree that the books have all but told readers who ordered the assassination — where the show has left viewers mostly in the dark. Winner: The passage of time, for existing again Credit where it’s due. After I wrote a piece mildly complaining about how the show seems to have taken complete and utter leave of temporal reality, “Spoils” was largely confined to a period of a week or two, and all the better for it. To be clear, I don’t think the show needs to show exactly how much time is passing (though a hint here or there wouldn’t hurt). There is a lot of stuff happening and a lot of ground to cover, and the show is right to skip past as many uninteresting bits as it can, even if it has to gleefully vault forward across weeks or even months. But “Spoils” reminded me, again, just how thrilling this show can be when it confines itself to smaller periods of time. When it focuses in on one conflict, or one particularly dark turn in the story, it gains a power from its immediacy, from the way that bad things turn to worse and good things quickly turn bad. Not every episode of Game of Thrones can work this way, or the show’s pace would become excruciatingly slow. But it’s always a treat when the series focuses in, with razor-sharp execution. Other winners: Arya, for being far better at combat than I ever imagined; Sam, for not having to do anything horrifying for one week; Theon, for living yet again; the other two dragons, for not having to sustain any massive injuries; Cersei, for receiving complimentary comparisons to her father; Game of Thrones fans, for getting a really great episode after a couple of hours stuck in neutral; the First Men and Children of the Forest, for making all of this possible. Other losers: There are no losers, only winners. But, okay, the guy who carved the Ned Stark tomb, for really missing what made that guy shine. Correction: As originally written, this post was more or less accurate in regards to what happened to the Lannisters’ plundered gold, but I amended it, later, to be inaccurate, stating the gold was destroyed in the dragon attack, after watching just the scene between Cersei and the Iron Bank’s representative, but not the later scene where the gold is declared to be safe at King’s Landing. Though it’s not clear that Cersei has actually used said gold to pay back the Iron Bank just yet, she does have it in her possession as the episode wraps. Let us never speak of this again. ||||| No fooling around: We have to talk about what just went down. When I called the episode “jaw-dropping,” I was referring to two jaws—mine and the one Dany’s dragon as he opened his mouth and shot giant jets of fire directly onto the heads of the Lannister army, burning them alive. Yes, tonight was Daenerys Strikes Back, but it didn’t come without a cost. Meanwhile: Three whole Starks were together in the same scene for the first time since season one! And Jaime? He appears to have taken a swim... ||||| Is that the Dothraki war cry that Jaime Lannister and his right-hand man Bronn hear in the distance … or is it Robert Plant's opening wail from "Immigrant Song"? Either way, it's one of the most intimidating sounds ever heard on television, and it's only a taste of the carnage to come. In tonight's episode – tellingly titled "The Spoils of War" – Daenerys Targaryen unleashes the full fury of her two greatest weapons: the unstoppable Dothraki hordes and the fires of her black dragon. The recipients are the unsuspecting forces of House Lannister. What follows is thrilling, no doubt. But it's So. Much. More. Related 'Game of Thrones' Season 7 Halftime Report: Who's Dead, Who's Alive From the casualties to the alliances, the reunions to the power plays – here's where we stand in the middle of a stunning (if short) Season 7 As far back as the show's first major battle set piece in "Blackwater," Game of Thrones knew that splitting our sympathies between both sides of a conflict can drive home the horror and waste of war in a way that few other things can. Would supporting the ruthless Stannis Baratheon against lovable Tyrion Lannister be worth it to see Joffrey and Cersei taken down? Two seasons later, the episode "The Watchers on the Wall" pulled a similar trick, pitting Jon Snow and his Night's Watch allies against wildlings like ex-girlfriend Ygritte and the charismatic Tormund Giantsbane, all of them simply fighting for the lives of their people. In conflicts like these, good and bad are irrelevant. In "The Spoils of War," these irresolvable conflicts get cranked up to an even more unbearable level. Jaime is a repentant villain deep into his redemption arc. Bronn is a mercenary who won over characters and audience alike with his wit and wisdom. Dany is a messianic conqueror who's saved countless lives; the very existence of her her magical beast Drogon is a miracle. How can anyone feel comfortable choosing sides? Sure, House Lannister are clearly the heels in this war, but a victory that reduces beloved characters to ash would be impossible to enjoy. Writers creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss and director Matt Shakman offer us precious little shelter from the zero-sum nature of this bloody game. Twice, they stage one-on-one conflicts between the major characters: First when Bronn stares down the beast with his massive "scorpion" crossbow; then when Jaime grabs a spear and charges the Khaleesi. These are shout-at-the-screen, cower-on-your-couch moments. Even though it appears everyone involved makes it out alive both times, it's to the filmmakers' credit that you feel inches away from the death of a credit-topping character during every second of screen time. And if you're afraid, hey, you're not the only one. After all, nothing sells the menace of the horselords – their tactics based on the real-world Mongols, who cut through armies from China and India to Iraq and Eastern Europe like a hot knife through butter – or the shock-and-awe power of Dany's pet monsters like seeing seasoned warriors like Jaime, Bronn, and Randyll Tarly (Sam's tough-as-nails dad) scared completely shitless for minutes on end. It's so rare for actor Jerome Flynn look anything but cocksure on this show that his panic during the assault should come with a trigger warning. Meanwhile, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau has long been an undervalued member of the cast, but he powerfully conveys the Kingslayer's terror, horror, and grief at watching his men get massacred. When he makes that almost-sure-to-be-fatal suicide run on Daenerys, it feels as much like his version of "suicide by cop" as a last-ditch effort to save the day. But there's much more to "The Spoils of War" than war itself. A series of interactions far from the field of battle pay off years-long storylines and make the stakes of the fight to come abundantly clear. In King's Landing, Cersei entertains Tycho Nestoris, the smooth-talking representative of the Iron Bank of Braavos, played by Sherlock co-creator Mark Gatiss. "I always thought your father was an efficient and effective man," he says admiringly, "but you appear to be redefining those terms." Since said terms include the word "man," you've got to imagine Cersei, who's spent her entire life growing more and more furious with her inability to be taken seriously by the patriarchal system, must take some pride in this – even if she's had to kill countless thousands to earn the acclaim. In the North, Arya Stark comes home to Winterfell, reuniting not just with her siblings Sansa and Bran but with Brienne of Tarth as well. The young Stark soon beats the towering warrior in swordplay, earning her admiration – but seemingly frightening her elder sister. Their reunion was awkward but ultimately tender, culminating in a hug near their father's crypt as they quietly agreed to let the worst parts of their stories since they last saw each other remain unspoken. But between her kid sister's "kill list" and their brother's combination of psychic power and psychological detachment, Lady Stark – not to mention Jon Snow's death and resurrection – Lady Stark is left wondering if the family with whom she's reconnected is really a family at all anymore. With Littlefinger skulking around, producing a Valyrian steel dagger and reopening the scarred-over wounds of the assassination attempt on Bran during his coma in Season One, she'd better hope they are. Related 25 Best 'Game of Thrones' Episodes – Updated From Blackwater to the Battle of the Bastards, we count down the HBO fantasy epic's most memorable hours Finally, on Dragonstone, the Khaleesi and the King in the North share a momentous discovery. Deep in the island's dragonglass cavern, they find ancient hieroglyphs and cave drawings depicting the alliance between the Children of the Forest and the First Men against the White Walkers. The resonance of the story, in which former enemies put aside their mistrust to fight a common foe, is obvious to both of them. The power of Jon taking Dany by the arm – the two of them touching for the first time – to show her this sight is palpable as well. And though the Queen still insists that the King bend the knee before she'll promise to aid him in his fight against the dead, their alliance seems likelier than ever. No, it's not just the mystical symbols and legends that tell us this. It's in what Missandei tells the King in the North and his hand, Ser Davos: The Khaleesi is a queen because her people have freely chosen her. "You can build a world that's different from the shit one they've always known," Jon tells her. After what we witnessed on that scorched-earth battlefield tonight, let's hope he's right. Previously: Queen Slates

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Story highlights President Obama takes on Republican foes, vowing to take matters into his own hands Obama reprises campaign themes of equal opportunity for all The president seeks to frame the political debate with major budget, debt issues looming An Obama goal is to put new pressure on Republicans to work with Democrats President Barack Obama vowed Wednesday to focus his energy for the rest of his presidency on the core tenet of his election victories -- equal opportunity for all Americans -- starting with campaign-style speeches on the economy that appeared to launch this year's budget battle with Republicans. Confronting the deep partisan divide over federal spending, tax reform and raising the debt ceiling later this year, Obama told a large crowd at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg that reversing a growing inequality between haves and have-nots should be the top priority of Congress. He chastised Congress for inaction and vowed to take matters into his own hands during the remaining 1,276 days he has in office. "Where I can act on my own, I'm going to. I'm not going to wait for Congress," he said in the second of two speeches that kicked off a series of economic-themed addresses across the country. It was a sentiment he expressed earlier in the day during a speech to hundreds at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. "This growing inequality isn't just morally wrong; it's bad economics," Obama said. During the speech at Knox College, he blended populist imagery from his campaign stump speech last year with the criticism of conservative Republicans who, according to the president, only stood for repealing his signature 2010 health care reform law and slashing federal spending in an effort to shrink government. "Repealing Obamacare and cutting spending is not an economic plan. It's not," Obama said, challenging the political right to work with him on budget and tax polices that promote economic fairness for all, especially the middle class and people aspiring to join it. His voice rising, Obama declared that "the one thing I care about is how to use every minute of the remaining 1,276 days of my term to make this country work for working Americans again." As the audience stood to applaud and cheer, he added: "That's all I care about. I don't have another election." Earlier Wednesday, White House spokesman Jay Carney acknowledged to CNN that a goal of Obama's speeches was to ratchet up pressure on Republicans to work with Democrats and the president, noting that "in the end, members of Congress respond to their constituents." Republicans called Obama's speeches a retread strategy that lacked fresh ideas to further bolster an economy that everyone agrees should be growing faster. "We've heard most of it before," GOP Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama told CNN, adding that Obama's economic policies had failed. "He's a good politician," Shelby said of Obama, noting that the president was telling people what they wanted to hear. "But he's not doing what he needs to do to create good jobs." Despite slow but steady growth over the past four years, polls show many Americans are still concerned about unemployment and the economy overall even though indicators show an improving recovery and Wall Street is again in record territory. Two new surveys on Wednesday indicated less than half of Americans approve of the president's handling of the economy. Both polls, by NBC News/Wall Street Journal and ABC News/Washington Post, found more respondents disapprove of how Obama has dealt with the economy, which remained the top issue for the public. The first six months of Obama's second term have been dominated by issues like gun violence and immigration reform, with legislation on both currently mired in partisan wrangling, as well as controversies such as Internal Revenue Service targeting of groups seeking tax-exempt status. Reframing political debate His speeches Wednesday sought to reframe the political debate as the government approaches the end of its fiscal year on September 30 and a potential shutdown if Congress fails to overcome the gridlock that has become its trademark. Knox College is where Obama delivered his first major economic address of his national political career eight years ago, and he used the setting to emphasize progress made since then in overcoming the recession his administration inherited to launch a slow but steady economic recovery. At the same time, Obama said the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century demanded new thinking and policies to capitalize on America's potential and end the pattern of worsening inequality from previous decades. He called for Washington to focus on "rebuilding our manufacturing base, educating our workforce, upgrading our transportation systems, upgrading our information networks" instead of what he labeled "an endless parade of distractions, political posturing and phony scandals." Obama was particularly tough on conservative House Republicans, whom he blamed for blocking progress on issues such as immigration reform agreed to by their GOP colleagues in the Senate. He said he would work with anyone with good ideas while using executive authority and calling on on business leaders, philanthropists, labor leaders -- "anybody who can help" -- to push for economic changes promoting equal opportunity. "I will not allow gridlock or inaction or willful indifference to get in our way," Obama said. Later in the day, Obama headed to the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg for another address expected to focus on education. Looming budget battle Regardless of the political focus of recent months, the national debate was certain to focus on the federal budget this summer and fall. Pitched political battles over spending and taxes have dominated Obama's presidency, and Republican leaders spurred on by conservative House Republicans facing congressional elections next year are threatening hardline negotiating tactics over the budget and affiliated issues of tax reform and forced spending cuts known as sequestration that took effect this year. Both the Republican-majority House and Democratic-majority Senate have passed spending proposals for fiscal year 2014, but the measures bear little resemblance to each other in terms of priorities. Any attempt to reconcile differences through negotiation faces complications from related issues such as whether the sweeping government spending cuts that took effect in March and hit the military and discretionary accounts hard should continue unchanged. Another potential landmine is the opposition by conservative Republicans, including some GOP leaders in Congress, to funding the implementation of the health care reform law pushed through by Democrats with Obama's backing in 2010. Further complicating the debate is the certain need for Congress to authorize an increase in the government's borrowing limit, or debt ceiling, sometime this fall. 'The Boehner rule' House Speaker John Boehner has made clear that any rise in the debt ceiling would require an equal cut in government spending to get GOP support, a demand known as the Boehner rule as set by the Ohio Republican. The White House has said it will not negotiate on the debt ceiling, and some congressional Republicans balk at linking it to specific demands, such as cuts in funds for implementing health care reform, but insist that more must be done to reduce deficits and debt. "I think holding the debt limit a hostage to any specific thing is probably not the best negotiating place," GOP Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri told MSNBC. "Where we ought to be now is, we need more spending cuts." Blunt specifically called for reforms to popular entitlement programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security to reduce their costs "so they last." However, Democrats and Republicans remain far apart on entitlements, long a target of conservatives seeking to shrink government, especially programs that they say lead to federal dependence. Democrats argue the government pension program and health care for the elderly and poor are part of a vital social contract that ensures the well-being of vulnerable citizens. Obama said Wednesday that Democrats must "question old assumptions" and "be willing to redesign or get rid of programs that don't work as well as they should." He has come under fire from some liberals for already proposing a change in how the annual cost-of-living index for federal benefits gets calculated as part of a broad but so far unreachable deficit reduction deal with Republicans. ||||| President Barack Obama on Wednesday repackaged his economic message, a six-point plan for putting a floor under the country's diminishing middle class, and lashed out at opponents for creating "an endless parade of distractions, political posturing and phony scandals." FILE - In this Aug. 17, 2011 file photo, President Barack Obama huddles with the Galesburg High School football team in Galesburg, Ill., during a three-day economic bus tour. The president has developed... (Associated Press) FILE - In this Aug. 17, 2011 file photo, President Barack Obama reacts to catching a football tossed to him as he visits the Galesburg High School football team in Galesburg, Ill., during a three-day... (Associated Press) The president, returning to Knox College where he gave his first big speech on the economy as a newly elected U.S. senator, vowed "to use every minute of the 1,276 days remaining in my term make this country work for working Americans again." While proposing nothing new, the president was obviously setting the table for what will likely be a bitter fight with congressional Republicans over the need this fall to again raise the U.S. government's borrowing limit to pay its bills and to fend off deep spending cuts being written into an upcoming Republican budget proposal. Obama played heavily on the need to put the brakes on growing income inequality, a repeated theme in all his remarks on the economy. "Even though our businesses are creating new jobs and have broken record profits, nearly all the income gains of the past ten years have continued to flow to the top 1%," Obama said to heavy applause. "The average CEO (chief executive officer) has gotten a raise of nearly 40% since 2009, but the average American earns less than he or she did in 1999. And companies continue to hold back on hiring those who have been out of work for some time." Top Republicans in Washington, even before Obama spoke, issued withering criticism of the president's return to the economy and foreshadowed continuing and relentless partisan opposition to programs Obama needs support for in Congress. "Welcome to the conversation, Mr. President. We've never left it," said House Speaker John Boehner. He suggested that approving the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada to the U.S. Gulf Coast and delaying Obama's health care law would do more to create jobs than delivering speeches would. "If Washington Democrats were really serious about turning the economy around, they'd be working collaboratively with Republicans to do just that, instead of just sitting on the sidelines and waiting to take their cues from the endless political road-shows the president cooks up whenever he feels like changing the topic," added Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell. In his speech, Obama shot back that he had tools that could work against a recalcitrant Congress and said its opposition "must stop." "I will not allow gridlock, inaction, or willful indifference to get in our way," Obama said. "Whatever executive authority I have to help the middle class, I'll use it. Where I can't act on my own, I'll pick up the phone and call CEOs, and philanthropists, and college presidents - anybody who can help - and enlist them in our efforts. Because the choices that we, the people, make now will determine whether or not every American will have a fighting chance in the 21st century." Obama ticked off his plan to tackle needed infrastructure upgrades _ new roads, bridges, airports; better education, including government -funded pre-school for children at 4-years-old; an overhaul of the home mortgage system; tax reform; continued implementation of his health care overhaul; and programs to rebuild deteriorating American cities while raising the minimum wage. To his political opponents, Obama issued a challenge: "I am laying out my ideas to give the middle class a better shot. Now it's time for you to lay out yours. If you're willing to work with me to strengthen American manufacturing and rebuild this country's infrastructure, let's go. ... If you are serious about a balanced, long-term fiscal plan that replaces the mindless cuts currently in place, or tax reform that closes corporate loopholes and gives working families a better deal, I'm ready to work - but know that I will not accept deals that do not meet the test of strengthening the prospects of hard-working families." In returning to Knox College and Galesburg he chose an example of the nation's economic struggles. One year before Obama's first speech at Knox, a Maytag appliance plant in town shuttered its doors, leaving hundreds of people unemployed. The old factory still sits vacant, and Galesburg's unemployment rate sits just under 8 percent. About 23 percent of the town's population lives in poverty _ 10 percent more than the state as a whole. Later Wednesday, The president speaks at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg. A third speech is set for Thursday at the Jacksonville Port Authority in Florida. The economy largely has been overshadowed in the first six months of Obama's second term, partly driven by a White House that chose to invest time and political capital on other parts of his agenda, such as the failed effort to enact stricter gun laws after December's school massacre in Connecticut and the push for an immigration bill. Circumstances outside of the White House's control also played a role, including the civil war in Syria, the coup in Egypt and renewed attention by Congress to the deadly attack on Americans in Benghazi, Libya. Closer to home, the targeting of political groups by the Internal Revenue Service and the seizure of journalists' telephone records by the Justice Department also required large investments of White House time. The economy has showed slow improvement throughout, registering gains in the housing and stock markets and consumer confidence. The national unemployment rate, though it remains high, is down to 7.6 percent. But the coming fiscal deadlines threaten to undo that progress, adding a sense of urgency to the push Washington and the public at large to focus on the economy. ___ AP writers Julie Pace, Darlene Superville and Steven R. Hurst contributed to this report. ||||| During a speech on the economy at Knox College in Illinois, President Obama said that while the economy is steadily improving, it still has not completely recovered after the recession. (Nicki Demarco/The Washington Post) During a speech on the economy at Knox College in Illinois, President Obama said that while the economy is steadily improving, it still has not completely recovered after the recession. (Nicki Demarco/The Washington Post) President Obama delivered the following remarks on the economy at Knox College in Galesburg, Ill., on July 24, 2013. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Hello, Galesburg! (Cheers, applause.) Well, it's good to be home in Illinois. (Cheers, applause.) It is good to be back. (Cheers, applause.) It's good to be back. Thank you. Thank you so much, everybody. (Cheers, applause.) Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. (Cheers, applause.) Thank you so much. Thank you. Everybody have a seat. Have a seat. Well, it is good to be back. I want to -- I want to, first of all, thank Knox College -- (cheers, applause) -- I -- I want to thank Knox College and your president, Teresa Amott, for having me here today. Give Teresa a big round of applause. (Cheers, applause.) I want to thank your congresswoman, Cheri Bustos, who's here. (Cheers, applause.) Where's Cheri? There she is. We've got Governor Quinn here. (Cheers, applause.) I'm told we've got -- your lieutenant governor, Sheila Simon, is here. (Cheers, applause.) There she is. Attorney General Lisa Madigan is here. (Cheers, applause.) I see -- I see a bunch of my former colleagues, some -- some folks who I haven't seen in years and I'm looking forward to saying hi to. One in particular I've got to mention. One of favorites from the Illinois senate, John Sullivan, is in the house. (Cheers, applause.) Yeah, John -- John was one of my earliest supporters when I was running for the U.S. Senate, and it came in really handy because he's got like 10 brothers, and his wife -- and sisters, and his wife's got 10 brothers and sisters. (Laughter.) So -- so they've got this entire precinct just in their family. (Laughter.) And they all look like John, the brothers do, so you know, he doesn't have to go to every event. He can just send one of his brothers out. (Laughter.) It is good to see them. Dick Durbin couldn't make it today, but he sends his best. And we love Dick. (Cheers, applause.) He is doing a great job. And we've got one of my favorite neighbors, the senator from Missouri Claire McCaskill, in the house, because we're going to Missouri later this afternoon. (Cheers, applause.) So -- and all of you are here, and it's great to see you. (Cheers, applause.) And I hope -- I hope everybody's having a wonderful summer. The weather is perfect. Whoever was in charge of that, good job. (Laughter.) So eight years ago, I came here to deliver the commencement address for the Class of 2005. Now, things were a little different back then. For example, I had no gray hair. (Laughter.) Or a motorcade. (Laughter.) Didn't even have a prompter. In fact, there was a problem in terms of printing out the speech because the printer didn't work here and we had to drive it in from somewhere. (Laughter.) But it was my first big speech as your newest senator. And on the way here I was telling Cheri and Claire about how important this area was -- one of the areas that I spent the most time in outside of Chicago and how much it represented what's best in America and folks who are willing to work hard and do right by their families. And I came here to talk about what a changing economy was doing to the middle class and what we as a country needed to do to give every American a chance to get ahead in the 21st century. See, I had just spent a year traveling the state and listening to your stories of proud Maytag workers losing their jobs when the plant moved down to Mexico -- (applause) -- a lot of folks here remember that -- of teachers whose salaries weren't keeping up with the rising cost of groceries -- (applause) -- of young people who had the drive and the energy but not the money to afford a college education. (Cheers, applause.) So these were stories of families who had worked hard, believed in the American dream, but they felt like the odds were increasingly stacked against them. And they were right. Things had changed. In the period after World War II, a growing middle class was the engine of our prosperity. Whether you owned a company or swept its floors or worked anywhere in between, this country offered you a basic bargain, a sense that your hard work would be rewarded with fair wages and decent benefits, the chance to buy a home, to save for retirement and -- and most of all, a chance to hand down a better life for your kids. But over time that engine began to stall, and a lot of folks here saw it. That bargain began to fray. Technology made some jobs obsolete. Global competition sends a lot of jobs overseas. It became harder for unions to fight for the middle class. Washington doled out bigger tax cuts to the very wealthy and smaller minimum wage increases for the working poor. And so what happened was that -- (applause) -- the -- the link between higher productivity and people's wages and salaries was broken. Used to be that as companies did better, as profits went higher, workers also got a better deal. And that started changing. So the income of the top 1 percent nearly quadrupled from 1979 to 2007, but the typical family's incomes barely budged. And towards the end of those three decades, a housing bubble, credit cards, a churning financial sector was keeping the economy artificially juiced up, so sometimes it papered over some of these long-term trends. But by the time I took office in 2009 as your president, we all know the bubble had burst. And it cost millions of Americans their jobs and their homes and their savings. And I know a lot of folks in this area were hurt pretty bad. And the decadeslong erosion that had been taking place, the erosion of middle-class security, was suddenly laid bare for everybody to see. Now, today, five years after the start of that Great Recession, America has fought its way back. We've fought our way back. (Cheers, applause.) Together we saved the auto industry, took on a broken health care system. (Cheers, applause.) We invested in new American technologies to reverse our addiction to foreign oil. We doubled wind and solar power. (Cheers, applause.) Together we put in place tough new rules on big banks and protections to crack down on the worst practices of mortgage lenders and credit card companies. (Applause.) We changed a tax code too skewed in favor of the wealthiest at the expense of working families. So we changed that. We locked in tax cuts for 98 percent of Americans, and we asked those at the top to pay a little bit more. (Applause.) So you add it all up, and over the past 40 months our businesses have created 7.2 million new jobs. This year we're off to our strongest private sector job growth since 1999. And because we bet on this country, suddenly foreign companies are too. Right now more -- more of Honda's cars are made in America than anyplace else on Earth. (Applause.) Yeah. Airbus, the -- the European aircraft company -- they're building new planes in Alabama. (Applause.) Then American companies like Ford are replacing outsourcing with insourcing. They're bringing jobs back home. (Cheers, applause.) We sell more products made in America to the rest of the world than ever before. We now produce more natural gas than any country on Earth. We're about to produce more of our own oil than we buy from abroad for the first time in nearly 20 years. (Applause.) The cost of health care is growing at its slowest rate in 50 years. (Cheers, applause.) And our deficits are falling at the fastest rate in 60 years. (Cheers, applause.) So thanks to the grit and resilience and determination of the American people, of folks like you, we've been able to clear away the rubble from the financial crisis. We've started to lay a new foundation for stronger, more durable economic growth. And you know, it's happening in our own personal lives as well, right? A lot of us tightened our belts, shed debt, maybe cut up a couple of credit cards, refocused on those things that really matter. As a country, we've recovered faster and gone further than most other advanced nations in the world, with new American revolutions in -- in energy and technology and manufacturing and health care. We're actually poised to reverse the forces that battered the middle class for so long and start building an economy where everyone who works hard can get ahead. But -- and here's the big "but" -- I'm here to tell you today that we're not there yet. We all know that. We're not there yet. We've got more work to do. Even though our businesses are creating new jobs and have broken record profits, nearly all the income gains of the past 10 years have continued to flow to the top 1 percent. The average CEO has gotten a raise of nearly 40 percent since 2009. The average American earns less than he or she did in 1999. And companies continue to hold back on hiring those who've been out of work for some time. Today more students are earning their degree, but soaring costs saddle them with unsustainable debt. Health care costs are slowing down, but a lot of working families haven't seen any of those savings yet. The stock market rebound helped a lot of families get back much of what they had lost in their 401(k)s, but millions of Americans still have no idea how they're going to be able to retire. So in many ways, the trends that I spoke about here in 2005, eight years ago, the trend of a winner-take-all economy where a few are doing better and better and better while everybody else just treads water -- those trends have been made worse by the recession. And that's a problem. This growing inequality not just of result, inequality of opportunity, this growing inequality -- it's not just morally wrong; it's bad economics because when middle-class families have less to spend, guess what? Businesses have fewer consumers. When wealth concentrates at the very top, it can inflate unstable bubbles that threaten the economy. When the rungs on the ladder of opportunity grow farther and farther apart, it undermines the very essence of America, that idea that if you -- if you work hard, you can make it here. And that's why reversing these trends has to be Washington's highest priority. (Applause.) It has to be Washington's highest priority. It's certainly my highest priority. (Applause.) Unfortunately, over the past couple of years in particular, Washington hasn't just ignored this problem. Too often, Washington's made things worse. (Applause.) And I have to say that, you know -- because I'm looking around the room -- I've got some friends here not just who are Democrats; I've got some friends here who are Republicans and who worked -- (applause) -- you know, I worked with in the state legislature, and they did great work. But right now, what we've got in Washington -- we've seen a sizable group of Republican lawmakers suggest that they wouldn't vote to pay the very bills that Congress rang up. And that fiasco harmed a fragile recovery in 2011, and we can't afford to repeat that. Then, rather than reduce our deficits with a scalpel, by cutting out programs we don't need, fixing ones that we do need that maybe are in need of a reform -- making government more efficient -- instead of doing that, we've got folks who have insisted on leaving in place a meat cleaver called the sequester that's cost jobs. It's harmed growth, it's hurt our military, it's gutted investments in education and science and medical research. (Applause.) Almost every credible economist will tell you it's been a huge drag on this recovery, and it means that we're underinvesting in the things that this country needs to make it a magnet for good jobs. Then over the last six months, this gridlock's gotten worse. I didn't think that was possible. (Laughter.) The good news is a growing number of Republican senators are looking to join their Democratic counterparts and try to get things done in the Senate. So that's good news. (Applause.) For example, they worked together on an immigration bill that economists say will boost our economy by more than a trillion dollars, strengthen border security, make the system work. But you've got a faction of Republicans in the House who won't even give that bill a vote, and that same group gutted a farm bill that America's farmers depend on but also America's most vulnerable children depend on. AUDIENCE MEMBER: Boo! (Scattered applause.) PRESIDENT OBAMA: And if you ask some of these folks, some of these folks mostly in the House, about their economic agenda, how it is that they'll strengthen the middle class, they'll shift the topic to out-of-control government spending, despite the fact that we've cut the deficit by nearly half as a share of the economy since I took office. (Cheers, applause.) Or they'll talk about government assistance for the poor, despite the fact that they've already cut early education for vulnerable kids, they've already cut insurance for people who've lost their jobs through no fault of their own. Or they'll bring up "Obamacare" -- this is tried and true -- despite the fact that our businesses have created nearly twice as many jobs in this recovery as businesses had at the same point in the last recovery, when there was no "Obamacare." (Applause.) So -- AUDIENCE MEMBER: (My daughter ?) has insurance now. PRESIDENT OBAMA: I appreciate that. (Cheers, applause.) That's what that's about. That's what this is about. That's -- that's what we've been fighting for. But with this endless parade of distractions and political posturing and phony scandals, Washington's taken its eye off the ball. And I'm here to say this needs to stop. (Applause.) This needs to stop. (Cheers, applause.) AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible) -- Boehner. PRESIDENT OBAMA: This moment does not require short-term thinking. It does not require having the same old stale debates. Our focus has to be on the basic economic issues that the matter most to you -- the people we represent. (Applause.) That's what we have to spend our time on and our energy on and our focus on. And as Washington prepares to enter another budget debate, the stakes for our middle class and everybody who's fighting to get into the middle class could not be higher. The countries that are passive in the face of a global economy -- those countries will lose the competition for good jobs. They will lose the competition for high living standards. That's why America has to make the investments necessary to promote long-term growth and shared prosperity, rebuilding our manufacturing base, educating our workforce, upgrading our transportation systems -- (cheers, applause) -- upgrading our information networks. That's what we need to be talking about. That's what Washington needs to be focused on. And that's why over the next several weeks in towns across this country, I will be engaging the American people in this debate. (Cheers, applause.) I'll lay out my ideas for how we build on the cornerstones of what it means to be middle-class in America and what it takes to work your way into the middle class in America: job security with good wages and durable industries, a good education, a home to call your own, affordable health care when you get sick, a secure retirement even if you're not rich -- (cheers, applause) -- reducing poverty, reducing inequality, growing opportunity. That's what we need. (Cheers, applause.) That's what we need. That's what we need right now. (Cheers, applause.) That's what we need to be focused on. Now -- now, some of these ideas I've talked about before. Some of the ideas I offer will be new. Some will require Congress. Some I will pursue on my own. (Cheers, applause.) Some ideas will benefit folks right away. Some will take years to fully implement. But the key is to break through the tendency in Washington to just bounce from crisis to crisis. What we need is not a three-month plan, or even a three-year plan. We need a long-term American strategy based on steady, persistent effort to reverse the forces that have conspired against the middle class for decades. (Applause.) That has to be our project. (Cheers, applause.) Now, of course we'll keep pressing on other key priorities. I want to get this immigration bill done. We still need to work on reducing gun violence. (Cheers, applause.) We've -- we've got to -- we've got to continue to end the war in Afghanistan, rebalance our fight against al-Qaida. (Cheers, applause.) We need to combat climate change. We've got to stand up for civil rights. We've got to stand up for women's rights. (Cheers, applause.) So all -- all those issues are important, and we'll be fighting on every one of those issues. But if we don't have a growing, thriving middle class, then we won't have the resources to solve a lot of these problems. We don't have the resolve, the optimism, sense of unity that we need to solve many of these other issues. Now, in this effort, I will look to work with Republicans as well as Democrats wherever I can. And I -- I sincerely believe that there are members of both parties who understand this moment, understand what's at stake, and I will welcome ideas from anybody across the political spectrum. But I will not allow gridlock or inaction or willful indifference to get in our way. (Cheers, applause.) That means whatever executive authority I have to help the middle class, I'll use it. (Cheers, applause.) Where I can't act on my own and Congress isn't cooperating, I'll pick up the phone, I'll call CEOs, I'll call philanthropists, I'll call college presidents, I'll call labor leaders, I'll call anybody who can help and enlist them in our efforts -- (cheers, applause) -- because the choices that we, the people, make right now will determine whether or not every American has a fighting chance in the 21st century. And it'll -- it'll lay the foundation for our children's future, our grandchildren's future for all Americans. So let me give you a quick preview of what I'll be fighting for and why. The first cornerstone of a strong, growing middle class has to be, as I said before, an economy that generates more good jobs and durable, growing industries. That's how this area was built. That's how America prospered, because anybody who was willing to work -- they could go out there, and they could find themselves a job, and they could build a life for themselves and their family. Now, over the past four years, for the first time since the 1990s, the number of American manufacturing jobs has actually gone up instead of down. That's the good news. (Cheers, applause.) But we -- we can do more. So I'm going to push new initiatives to help more manufacturers bring more jobs back to the United States. We're going to continue to focus -- (applause) -- on strategies to -- to make sure our tax code rewards companies that are not shipping jobs overseas but creating jobs right here in the United States of America. (Applause.) We want to make sure that we're going to create strategies to make sure that good jobs in wind and solar and natural gas that are lowering costs and at the same time reducing dangerous carbon pollution happen right here in the United States. (Cheers, applause.) And -- and something that Sherri (sp) and I were talking about on the way over here -- I'm going to be pushing to open more manufacturing innovation institutes that turn regions left behind by global competition into global centers of cutting-edge jobs. So let's tell the world that America is open for business. (Cheers, applause.) I know there is an old site right here in Galesburg, over on Monmouth Boulevard. Let's -- let's put some folks to work. (Cheers, applause.) Tomorrow I'll also visit the port of Jacksonville, Florida, to offer new ideas for doing what America has always done best, which is building things. You know, Pat and I were talking before I came backstage, Pat Quinn. He was talking about how I came over the Don Moffitt bridge, you know, the -- (cheers, applause) -- But -- but we've got to -- work to do all across the country. We've got ports that aren't ready for the new supertankers that are going to begin passing through the new Panama Canal in two years' time. If we don't get that done, those tankers are going to do someplace else. We've got more than a hundred thousand bridges that are old enough to qualify for Medicare. (Laughter, applause.) Businesses depend on our transportation systems, on our power grids, on our communications networks, and rebuilding them creates good- paying jobs right now that can't be outsourced. (Applause.) And -- and -- and by the way, this didn't -- this isn't a Democratic idea. You know, Republicans built a lot of stuff. This is the land of Lincoln. He -- Lincoln was all about building stuff. (Cheers, applause.) First Republican president. And yet, as a share of our economy, we invest less in our infrastructure than we did two decades ago. And that's inefficient at a time when it's as cheap as it's been since the 1950s to build things. It's inexcusable at a time when so many of the workers who build stuff for a living are sitting at home waiting for a call. The longer we put this off, the more expensive it will be, and the less competitive we will be. Businesses of tomorrow will not locate near old roads and outdated ports. They'll relocate to places with high-speed Internet and high-tech schools and systems that move air and auto traffic faster and, not to mention, will get parents home quicker from work because we'll be eliminating some of these traffic jams. And we can watch all of that happen in other countries and start falling behind, or we can choose to make it happen right here in the United States. (Cheers, applause.) In an age when jobs know no borders, companies are also going to seek out the countries that boast the most talented citizens, and they'll reward folks who've had the skills and the talents they need -- they'll reward those folks with good pay. You know, the days when the wages for a worker with a high school degree could keep pace with earnings of somebody who got some sort of higher education -- those days are over. Everybody here knows that. There are a whole bunch of folks where whose dads or grandpas, you know, worked at a plant, might -- didn't need a high school education. You could just go there -- if you were willing to work hard, you might be able to get two jobs. And you could support your family, have a vacation, own your home. But technology and global competition -- they're not going away. Those old days aren't coming back. So we can either throw up our hands and resign ourselves to diminishing living standards, or we can do what America has always done, which is adapt and pull together and fight back and win. That's what we have to do. (Cheers, applause.) And that brings me to the second cornerstone of the strong middle class -- and everybody here knows it: an education that prepares our children and our workers for the global competition that they're going to face. (Cheers, applause.) And if you think education is expensive, wait until you see how much ignorance costs in the 21st century. (Applause.) If we don't make this investment, we're going to put our kids, our workers and our country at a competitive disadvantage for decades. So we have to begin in the earliest years, and that's why I'm going to keep pushing to make high-quality preschool available for every four- year-old in America -- (cheers, applause) -- not just because we know it works for our kids, but because it provides a vital support system for working parents. And I'm going to take action in the education area to spur innovation that don't require Congress. (Applause.) So today, for example, as we speak -- as we speak, federal agencies are moving on my plan to connect 99 percent of America's students to high-speed Internet over the next five years. (Applause.) We're making that happen right now. We've already begun meeting with business leaders and tech entrepreneurs and innovative educators to identify the best ideas for redesigning our high schools so that they teach the skills required for a high-tech economy. AUDIENCE MEMBER: Right. PRESIDENT OBAMA: And we're also going to keep pushing new efforts to train workers for changing jobs. So here in Galesburg, for example, a lot of the workers that were laid off at Maytag chose to enroll in retraining programs like the one at Carl Sandburg College. (Cheers, applause.) And -- and while it didn't pay off for everyone, all lot of the folks who were retrained found jobs that suited them even better and paid even more than the ones they had lost. And that's why I've asked Congress to start a Community College to Career initiative, so that workers can earn the skills that high- tech jobs demand without leaving their hometown. And I'm going to challenge CEOs -- (applause) -- I'm going to challenge CEOs from some of America's best companies to hire more Americans who've got what it takes to fill that job opening but have been laid off so long nobody's giving their resume an honest look. AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.) PRESIDENT OBAMA: True -- that too. I'm also going to use the power of my office over the next few months to highlight a topic that's straining the budgets of just about every American family, and that's the soaring cost of higher education. (Cheers, applause.) Everybody's touched by this, including your president, who had a whole bunch of loans he had to pay off. (Laughter.) Three years ago I worked with Democrats to reform the student loan system so that taxpayer dollars stopped padding the pockets of big banks and instead helped more kids afford college. (Cheers, applause.) Then I capped loan repayments at 10 percent of monthly incomes for responsible borrowers so that if -- if somebody graduated and they decide to take a teaching job, for example, that didn't pay a lot of money, they knew that they were never going to pay more than 10 percent of their income, and they could afford to go into a profession that they loved. That's in place right now. And this week we're working with both parties -- (applause) -- this week we're working with both parties to reverse the doubling of student loan rates that happened a few weeks ago because of congressional inaction. (Cheers, applause.) So this is all a good start, but it isn't enough. Families and taxpayers can't just keep paying more and more and more into an undisciplined system where costs just keep on going up and up and up. We'll never have enough loan money, we'll never have enough grant money to keep up with costs that are going up five, six, seven percent a year. We've got to get more out of what we pay for. Now, some colleges are testing new approaches to shorten the path to a degree or blending teaching with online learning to help students master material and earn credits in less time. And some states are testing new ways to fund college based not just on how many students enroll but how many of them graduate, how well do they do. So this afternoon I'll visit the University of Central Missouri to highlight their efforts to deliver more bang for the buck to their students. And in the coming months, I will lay out an aggressive strategy to shake up the system, tackle rising costs and improve value for middle-class students and their families. It is critical that we make sure that college is affordable for every single American who's willing to work for it. (Cheers, sustained applause.) Now -- so you got a good job. You get a good education. Those have always been the key stepping stones into the middle class. But a home of your own has always been the clearest expression of middle- class security. For most families, that's your biggest asset. For most families, that's where, you know, your life's work has been invested. And that changed during the crisis when we saw millions of middle-class families experience their home values plummeting. The good news is over the past four years we've helped more responsible homeowners stay in their homes, and today sales are up and prices are up and fewer Americans see their homes underwater. But we're not done yet. The key now is to encourage homeownership that isn't based on unrealistic bubbles but instead is based on a solid foundation, where buyers and lenders play by the same set of rules, rules that are clear and transparent and fair. So already I've asked Congress to pass a really good bipartisan idea, one that was championed, by the way, by Mitt Romney's economic adviser. And this is the idea to give every homeowner the chance to refinance their mortgage while rates are still low so they can save thousands of dollars a year. (Cheers, applause.) It would be like a tax cut for families who can refinance. And I'm also acting on my own to cut red tape for responsible families who want to get a mortgage, but the bank's saying no. We'll work with both parties to turn the page on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and build a housing finance system that's rock-solid for future generations. So we've got more work to do to strengthen homeownership in this country. But along with homeownership, the fourth cornerstone of what it means to be middle-class in this country is a secure retirement. And -- (cheers, applause) -- I hear from too many people across the country, face to face or in letters that they send me, that they feel as if retirement is just receding from their grasp. It's getting farther and farther away. They -- they can't see it. Now, today a rising stock market has millions of retirement balances going up, and some of the losses that had taken place during the financial crisis have been recovered. But we still live with an upside-down system where those at the top, folks like me, get generous tax incentives to save while tens of millions of hardworking Americans who are struggling -- they get none of those breaks at all. AUDIENCE MEMBER: Right. PRESIDENT OBAMA: So as we work to reform our tax code -- (scattered applause) -- we should find new ways to make it easier for workers to put away money and free middle-class families from the fear that they won't be able to retire. (Cheers, applause.) And if Congress is looking for a bipartisan place to get started, I should just say, they don't have to look far; we mentioned immigration reform before, the Economist show that immigration reform makes undocumented workers pay their full fare -- share of taxes, and that actually shores up the Social Security system for years. So we should get that done. (Cheers, applause.) Good job, good education for your kids, home of your own, secure retirement. Fifth, I'm going to keep focusing on health care, because middle-class families and small business owners -- (applause) -- deserve the security of knowing that neither an accident or an illness is going to threaten the dreams that you've worked a lifetime to build. As we speak, we're well on our way to fully implementing the Affordable Care Act. (Cheers, applause.) We're going to implement it. Now, if you're one of the 85 percent of Americans who already have health insurance, either through the job or Medicare or Medicaid, you don't have to do anything, but you do have new benefits and better protections than you did before. You may not know it, but you do: free checkups, mammograms, discounted medicines if you're on Medicare. That's what the Affordable Care Act means. You're already getting a better deal. No lifetime limits. If you don't have health insurance, then starting on October 1st, private plans will actually compete for your business. And you'll be able to comparison shop online. There will be a marketplace online, just like you'd buy a flat screen TV or plane tickets or anything else you're doing online. And you'll be able to buy an insurance package that fits your budget and is right for you. And if you're one of the up to half of all Americans who've been sick or have a pre-existing condition -- if you look at this auditorium, about half of you probably have a pre-existing condition that insurance companies could use to not give you insurance if you lost your job or lost your insurance. Well, this law means that beginning January 1st, insurance companies will finally have to cover you and charge you the same rates as everybody else, even if you have a pre-existing condition. (Cheers, applause.) That's what the Affordable Care Act does. (Cheers and applause continuing.) That's what it does. Now -- (applause continuing). Look, I know -- because I've been living it -- (chuckles) -- that there are folks out there who are actively working to make this law fail. I may -- and I don't always understand exactly what their logic is here, why they think giving insurance to folks who don't have it and making folks with insurance a little more secure -- why they think that's a bad thing. But despite the politically motivated misinformation campaign, the states that have committed themselves to making this law work are finding that competition and choice are actually pushing costs down. So just last week, New York announced that premiums for consumers who buy their insurance in these online marketplaces will be at least 50 percent lower than what they're paying today. (Applause.) Fifty percent lower. So folks' premiums in the individual market will drop by 50 percent. And for them and for the millions of Americans who've been able to cover their sick kids for the first time, like this gentleman who just said his daughter's got health insurance, or have been able to cover their employees more cheaply, or are able to have their kids who are younger than -- who are 25 or 26 stay on their parents' plan -- (applause) -- for all those folks -- for all those folks, you'll have the security of knowing that everything you've worked hard for is no longer one illness away from being wiped out. (Applause.) Now, finally, as we work to strengthen these cornerstones of middle-class security -- good job with decent wages and benefits, a good education, home of your own, retirement security, health care security -- I'm going to make the case for why we've got to rebuild ladders of opportunity for all those Americans who haven't quite made it yet, who are working hard but are still suffering poverty wages -- (applause) -- who are struggling to get full-time work. There are a lot of folks who are still struggling out here, too many people in poverty. You know, here in America, we've never guaranteed success. That's not what we do. More than some other countries, we expect people to be self- reliant. Nobody's going to do something for you. (Applause.) We've tolerated a little more inequality for the sake of a more dynamic, more adaptable economy. That's all for the good. But that idea has always been combined with a commitment to equality of opportunity, to upward mobility -- the idea that no matter how poor you started, if you're willing to work hard and discipline yourself and defer gratification, you can make it too. That's the American idea. (Applause.) Unfortunately, opportunities for upward mobility in America have gotten harder to find over the past 30 years, and that's a betrayal of the American idea. And that's why we have to do a lot more to give every American the chance to work their way into the middle class. Now, the best defense against all of these forces -- global competition, economic polarization, is the strength of the community. So we need to -- we need a new push to rebuild run-down neighborhoods. We need new partnerships -- (applause) -- we need new partnerships with some of the hardest-hit towns in America to get them back on their feet. (Applause.) And because no one who works full-time in America should have to live in poverty, I am going to keep making the case that we need to raise the minimum wage, because it's lower right now than it was when Ronald Reagan took office. (Cheers, applause.) It's time for the minimum wage to go up. (Cheers, applause.) We're not a people who allow chance of birth to decide life's biggest winners or losers. And after years in which we've seen how easy it can be for any of us to fall on hard times, folks in Galesburg, folks in the Quad Cities, you know there are good people who work hard -- sometimes they get a bad break. Plant leaves, somebody gets sick, somebody loses a home. We've seen it in our family and our friends and our neighbors. We've seen it happen, and that means we cannot turn our backs when bad breaks hit any of our fellow citizens. So good jobs, a better bargain for the middle class and the folks who are working to get into the middle class, an economy that grows from the middle out, not the top down -- (applause) -- that's where I will focus my energies. (Cheers, applause.) That's where I'll focus my energies not just for the next few months but for the remainder of my presidency. These are the plans that I'll lay out across this country. But I won't be able to do it alone, so I'm going to be calling on all of us to take up this cause. We'll need our businesses, who are some of the best in the world, to pressure Congress to invest in our future. And I'll be asking our businesses to set an example by providing decent wages and salaries to their own employees. And I'm going to highlight the ones -- (applause) -- that do just that. You know, there are companies like -- like Costco, which pays good wages and offers good benefits -- (cheers, applause) -- companies like -- you know, there are companies like The Container Store that -- that prides itself on training its employees and -- and on employee satisfaction, because these companies prove that it's not just good for the employees; it's good for their businesses to treat workers well. It's good for America. (Applause.) So I'm going to be -- I'm going to be calling on the private sector to step up. I will be saying to Democrats, we've got to question some of our old assumptions. We've got to be willing to redesign or get rid of programs that don't work as well as they should. (Applause.) We've got to be willing to -- we've got to embrace changes to cherished priorities so that they work better in this new age. We can't just -- Democrats can't just stand pat and just defend whatever government's doing. If we believe that government can give the middle class a fair shot in this new century -- and I believe that -- we've got an obligation to prove it. And that means that we've got to be open to new ways of doing things. And we'll need Republican -- (audio break) -- Congress to set aside short-term politics and work with me to find common ground. (Cheers, applause.) Now -- you know, it's interesting. In the run-up to this speech, a lot of reporters say, well, you know, Mr. President, these are all good ideas, but some of them, you've said before, some of them sound great, but you can't get those through Congress; Republicans won't agree with you. And I say, look, the fact is there are Republicans in Congress right now who privately agree with me on a lot of the ideas I'll be proposing. I know because they've said so. But they worry they'll face swift political retaliation for cooperating with me. Now, there are others who will dismiss every idea I put forward -- (laughter) -- either because they're playing to their most strident supporters or, in some cases, because sincerely they have a fundamentally different vision for America -- one that says inequality is both inevitable and just; one that says an unfettered free market without any restraints inevitably produces the best outcomes, regardless of the pain and uncertainty imposed on ordinary families. And government's the problem and we should just shrink it as -- as small as we can. In either case, I say to these members of Congress: I'm laying out my ideas to give the middle class a better shot. So now it's time for you to lay out your ideas. (Applause.) You can't just be against something. You got to be for something. (Cheers, applause.) Even if you think I've done everything wrong, the trends I just talked about were happening well before I took office. So it's not enough for you to just oppose me. You got to be for something. What are your ideas? If you're willing to work with me to strengthen American manufacturing and rebuild this country's infrastructure, let's go. If you've got better ideas to bring down the cost of college for working families, let's hear them. If the -- if you think you have a better plan for making sure that every American has the security of quality, affordable health care, then stop taking meaningless repeal votes and share your concrete ideas with the country. (Cheers, applause.) Repealing "Obamacare" and cutting spending is not an economic plan. It's not. If you're serious about a balanced long-term fiscal plan that replaces the mindless cuts currently in place, or if you're interested in tax reform that closes corporate loopholes and gives working families a better deal, I'm ready to work. (Applause.) But you should know that I will not accept deals that don't meet the basic test of strengthening the prospects of hardworking families. This is the agenda we have to be working on. (Cheers, applause.) We've come a long way since I first took office. (Applause.) You know, as a country -- as a country, we're older and wiser. I don't know if I'm wiser, but I'm certainly older. (Laughter.) And, you know, as long as Congress doesn't manufacture another crisis -- as long as we don't shut down the government just because I'm for keeping it open -- (laughter); as long as we -- as long as we don't risk a U.S. default over paying bills that we've already racked up, something that we've never done -- we can probably muddle along without taking bold action. If we stand pat and we don't do any of the things I talked about, our economy will grow, although slower than it should. New businesses will form, and the unemployment rate will probably tick down a little bit. Just by virtue of our size and our natural resources, and most of all because of the talent of our people, America will remain a world power, and the majority of us will figure out how to get by. But you know, if that's our choice, if we just stand by and do nothing in the face of immense change, understand that -- that part of our character will be lost. Our founding precept about wide-open opportunity, each generation doing better than the last, that will be a myth, not reality. The position of the middle class will erode further. Inequality will continue to increase. Money's power will distort our politics even more. Social tensions will rise as various groups fight to hold on to what they have, or start blaming somebody else for why their position isn't improving. And the fundamental optimism that's always propelled us forward will give way to cynicism or nostalgia. And that's not the vision I have for this country. It's not the vision you have for this country. That's not the America we know. That's not the vision we should be settling for. That's not a vision we should be passing onto our children. I have now run my last campaign. I do not intend to wait until the next campaign or the next president before tackling the issues that matter. I care about one thing and one thing only, and that's how to use every minute -- (applause) -- the only thing I care about is how to use every minute of the remaining 1,276 days of my term to make this country work for working Americans again. (Cheers, applause.) That's all I care about. I don't have another election. Because I'll tell you, Galesburg, that's where I believe America needs to go. I believe that's where the American people want to go. And it may seem hard today, but if we're willing to take a few bold steps, if Washington will just shake off its complacency and set aside the kind of slash-and-burn partisanship that we've just seen for way too long, if we just make some common-sense decisions, our economy will be stronger a year from now. It'll be stronger five years from now. It'll be stronger 10 years from now. (Applause.) If we focus on what matters, then more Americans will know the pride of that first paycheck. More Americans will have the satisfaction of flipping the sign to "open" on their own business. More Americans will have the joy of -- of, you know, scratching the height of their kid on that door of their brand new home. (Applause.) And -- and -- and -- and in the end, isn't that what makes us special? It's not the ability to generate incredible wealth for the few, it's our ability to give everybody a chance to pursue their own true measure of happiness. (Applause.) We haven't just wanted success for ourselves; we want it for our neighbors, too. That's why -- (cheers, applause) -- I mean, when we think about our own communities, we're -- we're not a mean people. We're not a selfish people. We're not a people that just looks out for number one. Why should our politics reflect those kinds of values? That's why we don't call it John's dream or Susie's dream or Barack's dream or Pat's dream. We call it the American Dream. And that's what makes this country special, the idea that no matter who you are or what you look like or where you come from or who you love, you can make it if you try. (Applause.) That's what we're fighting for. (Cheers, applause.) So, yes, Congress is tough right now. But that's not going to stop me. We're going to do everything we can wherever we can, with or without Congress, to make things happen. We're going to -- we're going to take -- go on the road and talk to you. And you'll have ideas, and we want to see which ones we can -- we can implement. But we're going to focus on this thing that matters. You know, one of America's greatest writers, Carl Sandburg, born right here in Galesburg over a century ago -- (applause) -- he saw the railroads bring the world to the prairie, and then the prairie send out its bounty to the world. And he saw the advent of new industries, new technologies. And he watched populations shift. He saw fortunes made and lost. And he saw how change could be painful, how a new age could unsettle long-held customs and ways of life. But he had that frontier optimism, and so he saw something more on the horizon. And he wrote, I speak of new cities and new people. The past is a bucket of ashes. Yesterday is a wind gone down, a sun dropped in the west. There is only an ocean of tomorrows -- a sky of tomorrows. Well, America, we've made it through the worst of yesterday's winds. We just have to have the courage to keep moving forward. We've got to set our eyes on the horizon. We will find an ocean of tomorrows. We will find a sky of tomorrows for the American people and for this great country that we love. So thank you, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America. (Cheers, applause.) ||||| The Senate’s top Republicans took to the Senate floor Wednesday morning to launch a pre-emptive strike on President Barack Obama’s economic speech slated for Wednesday afternoon, portraying his pivot back to the economy as predictable and old news. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said the president will deliver a partisan speech that will pander to “radical elements” of his base that belong in the same “flat-earth society” that Obama says includes global warming deniers. And while the White House is portraying the president’s speech as Obama’s latest vision for rebuilding the middle class, McConnell likened the president’s speech to a “midday rerun of some ’70s B movie” rather than a blockbuster feature film. Text Size - + reset “He’ll probably try and cast this as some titanic struggle between those who believe in ‘investing’ in the country and those who supposedly want to eliminate paved roads, or stop signs, or whatever ridiculous straw man he invents this time,” McConnell said. “Give me a break. There is a real philosophical debate going on in our country, but it’s not anything like how he imagines it.” The Republican leader also praised the bipartisan work on a student loans bill expected to get a vote in the Senate on Wednesday, calling it a key juxtaposition to a Senate working together and a president giving speeches. “Every time he goes out and gives one of these speeches, it generates little more than a collective bipartisan eye roll,” McConnell said. “It’s just such a colossal waste of time and energy: Resources that would be better spent actually working with both parties in Congress to grow the economy and create jobs.” McConnell’s deputy, Minority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas), said he expects yet another of the president’s “repetitive pivots to the economy.” Cornyn rapped the president for not approving the Keystone XL pipeline, not fulfilling promised growth in the manufacturing sector and not increasing take-home pay for the middle class. “I’m afraid if we continue with the policies of the last four years, we will create a lost generation of young Americans who cannot find good, full-time jobs. None of us — Republicans, Democrats alike — none of us want that to happen,” Cornyn said. ||||| WASHINGTON — Congressional Republicans are moving to gut many of President Obama’s top priorities with the sharpest spending cuts in a generation and a new push to hold government financing hostage unless the president’s signature health care law is stripped of money this fall. As Mr. Obama prepares to deliver a major economic address on Wednesday in Illinois, Republicans in Washington are delivering blow after blow to programs he will promote as vital to a more robust economic recovery and a firmer economic future — from spending on infrastructure and health care to beefing up regulatory agencies. While Mr. Obama would like to keep the economic conversation lofty, his adversaries in Congress are already fighting in the trenches. On Tuesday, a House Appropriations subcommittee formally drafted legislation that would cut the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget by 34 percent and eliminate his newly announced greenhouse gas regulations. The bill cuts financing for the national endowments for the arts and the humanities in half and the Fish and Wildlife Service by 27 percent. For the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1, Mr. Obama requested nearly $3 billion for renewable energy and energy efficiency programs — a mainstay of his economic agenda since he was first elected. The House approved $826 million. Senate Democrats want to give $380 million to ARPA-E, an advanced research program for energy. The House allocated $70 million.

– President Obama gave the first of a series of speeches today intended to refocus attention on the economy, reports CNN. "America has fought its way back," he declared, but "we're not there yet." He hit familiar themes in his speech at Knox College in Illinois, which, as the Wall Street Journal notes, was the site of his big first economic speech in 2005. Some examples: “With this endless parade of distractions and political posturing and phony scandals, Washington’s taken its eye off the ball. And I am here to say this needs to stop." "Even though our businesses are creating new jobs and have broken record profits, nearly all the income gains of the past 10 years have continued to flow to the top 1%. The average CEO has gotten a raise of nearly 40% since 2009. The average American earns less than he or she did in 1999." "This growing inequality, it's not just morally wrong, it's bad economics," he said. "Reversing these trends must be Washington's highest priority." He said his main focus will be on "how to use every minute of the 1,276 days remaining in my term to make this country work for working Americans again," reports AP. GOP reaction: Color Mitch McConnell unimpressed, reports Politico. “Every time he goes out and gives one of these speeches, it generates little more than a collective bipartisan eye roll. It’s just such a colossal waste of time and energy: Resources that would be better spent actually working with both parties in Congress to grow the economy and create jobs.” Coming battles: As Obama hits the speaking trail, House Republicans already are taking tangible steps to limit his agenda, reports the New York Times. The fall is shaping up to be yet another major battle over the debt ceiling and all things related to the budget. Full transcript: The text of Obama's speech is here.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Story highlights President Obama takes on Republican foes, vowing to take matters into his own hands Obama reprises campaign themes of equal opportunity for all The president seeks to frame the political debate with major budget, debt issues looming An Obama goal is to put new pressure on Republicans to work with Democrats President Barack Obama vowed Wednesday to focus his energy for the rest of his presidency on the core tenet of his election victories -- equal opportunity for all Americans -- starting with campaign-style speeches on the economy that appeared to launch this year's budget battle with Republicans. Confronting the deep partisan divide over federal spending, tax reform and raising the debt ceiling later this year, Obama told a large crowd at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg that reversing a growing inequality between haves and have-nots should be the top priority of Congress. He chastised Congress for inaction and vowed to take matters into his own hands during the remaining 1,276 days he has in office. "Where I can act on my own, I'm going to. I'm not going to wait for Congress," he said in the second of two speeches that kicked off a series of economic-themed addresses across the country. It was a sentiment he expressed earlier in the day during a speech to hundreds at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. "This growing inequality isn't just morally wrong; it's bad economics," Obama said. During the speech at Knox College, he blended populist imagery from his campaign stump speech last year with the criticism of conservative Republicans who, according to the president, only stood for repealing his signature 2010 health care reform law and slashing federal spending in an effort to shrink government. "Repealing Obamacare and cutting spending is not an economic plan. It's not," Obama said, challenging the political right to work with him on budget and tax polices that promote economic fairness for all, especially the middle class and people aspiring to join it. His voice rising, Obama declared that "the one thing I care about is how to use every minute of the remaining 1,276 days of my term to make this country work for working Americans again." As the audience stood to applaud and cheer, he added: "That's all I care about. I don't have another election." Earlier Wednesday, White House spokesman Jay Carney acknowledged to CNN that a goal of Obama's speeches was to ratchet up pressure on Republicans to work with Democrats and the president, noting that "in the end, members of Congress respond to their constituents." Republicans called Obama's speeches a retread strategy that lacked fresh ideas to further bolster an economy that everyone agrees should be growing faster. "We've heard most of it before," GOP Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama told CNN, adding that Obama's economic policies had failed. "He's a good politician," Shelby said of Obama, noting that the president was telling people what they wanted to hear. "But he's not doing what he needs to do to create good jobs." Despite slow but steady growth over the past four years, polls show many Americans are still concerned about unemployment and the economy overall even though indicators show an improving recovery and Wall Street is again in record territory. Two new surveys on Wednesday indicated less than half of Americans approve of the president's handling of the economy. Both polls, by NBC News/Wall Street Journal and ABC News/Washington Post, found more respondents disapprove of how Obama has dealt with the economy, which remained the top issue for the public. The first six months of Obama's second term have been dominated by issues like gun violence and immigration reform, with legislation on both currently mired in partisan wrangling, as well as controversies such as Internal Revenue Service targeting of groups seeking tax-exempt status. Reframing political debate His speeches Wednesday sought to reframe the political debate as the government approaches the end of its fiscal year on September 30 and a potential shutdown if Congress fails to overcome the gridlock that has become its trademark. Knox College is where Obama delivered his first major economic address of his national political career eight years ago, and he used the setting to emphasize progress made since then in overcoming the recession his administration inherited to launch a slow but steady economic recovery. At the same time, Obama said the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century demanded new thinking and policies to capitalize on America's potential and end the pattern of worsening inequality from previous decades. He called for Washington to focus on "rebuilding our manufacturing base, educating our workforce, upgrading our transportation systems, upgrading our information networks" instead of what he labeled "an endless parade of distractions, political posturing and phony scandals." Obama was particularly tough on conservative House Republicans, whom he blamed for blocking progress on issues such as immigration reform agreed to by their GOP colleagues in the Senate. He said he would work with anyone with good ideas while using executive authority and calling on on business leaders, philanthropists, labor leaders -- "anybody who can help" -- to push for economic changes promoting equal opportunity. "I will not allow gridlock or inaction or willful indifference to get in our way," Obama said. Later in the day, Obama headed to the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg for another address expected to focus on education. Looming budget battle Regardless of the political focus of recent months, the national debate was certain to focus on the federal budget this summer and fall. Pitched political battles over spending and taxes have dominated Obama's presidency, and Republican leaders spurred on by conservative House Republicans facing congressional elections next year are threatening hardline negotiating tactics over the budget and affiliated issues of tax reform and forced spending cuts known as sequestration that took effect this year. Both the Republican-majority House and Democratic-majority Senate have passed spending proposals for fiscal year 2014, but the measures bear little resemblance to each other in terms of priorities. Any attempt to reconcile differences through negotiation faces complications from related issues such as whether the sweeping government spending cuts that took effect in March and hit the military and discretionary accounts hard should continue unchanged. Another potential landmine is the opposition by conservative Republicans, including some GOP leaders in Congress, to funding the implementation of the health care reform law pushed through by Democrats with Obama's backing in 2010. Further complicating the debate is the certain need for Congress to authorize an increase in the government's borrowing limit, or debt ceiling, sometime this fall. 'The Boehner rule' House Speaker John Boehner has made clear that any rise in the debt ceiling would require an equal cut in government spending to get GOP support, a demand known as the Boehner rule as set by the Ohio Republican. The White House has said it will not negotiate on the debt ceiling, and some congressional Republicans balk at linking it to specific demands, such as cuts in funds for implementing health care reform, but insist that more must be done to reduce deficits and debt. "I think holding the debt limit a hostage to any specific thing is probably not the best negotiating place," GOP Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri told MSNBC. "Where we ought to be now is, we need more spending cuts." Blunt specifically called for reforms to popular entitlement programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security to reduce their costs "so they last." However, Democrats and Republicans remain far apart on entitlements, long a target of conservatives seeking to shrink government, especially programs that they say lead to federal dependence. Democrats argue the government pension program and health care for the elderly and poor are part of a vital social contract that ensures the well-being of vulnerable citizens. Obama said Wednesday that Democrats must "question old assumptions" and "be willing to redesign or get rid of programs that don't work as well as they should." He has come under fire from some liberals for already proposing a change in how the annual cost-of-living index for federal benefits gets calculated as part of a broad but so far unreachable deficit reduction deal with Republicans. ||||| President Barack Obama on Wednesday repackaged his economic message, a six-point plan for putting a floor under the country's diminishing middle class, and lashed out at opponents for creating "an endless parade of distractions, political posturing and phony scandals." FILE - In this Aug. 17, 2011 file photo, President Barack Obama huddles with the Galesburg High School football team in Galesburg, Ill., during a three-day economic bus tour. The president has developed... (Associated Press) FILE - In this Aug. 17, 2011 file photo, President Barack Obama reacts to catching a football tossed to him as he visits the Galesburg High School football team in Galesburg, Ill., during a three-day... (Associated Press) The president, returning to Knox College where he gave his first big speech on the economy as a newly elected U.S. senator, vowed "to use every minute of the 1,276 days remaining in my term make this country work for working Americans again." While proposing nothing new, the president was obviously setting the table for what will likely be a bitter fight with congressional Republicans over the need this fall to again raise the U.S. government's borrowing limit to pay its bills and to fend off deep spending cuts being written into an upcoming Republican budget proposal. Obama played heavily on the need to put the brakes on growing income inequality, a repeated theme in all his remarks on the economy. "Even though our businesses are creating new jobs and have broken record profits, nearly all the income gains of the past ten years have continued to flow to the top 1%," Obama said to heavy applause. "The average CEO (chief executive officer) has gotten a raise of nearly 40% since 2009, but the average American earns less than he or she did in 1999. And companies continue to hold back on hiring those who have been out of work for some time." Top Republicans in Washington, even before Obama spoke, issued withering criticism of the president's return to the economy and foreshadowed continuing and relentless partisan opposition to programs Obama needs support for in Congress. "Welcome to the conversation, Mr. President. We've never left it," said House Speaker John Boehner. He suggested that approving the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada to the U.S. Gulf Coast and delaying Obama's health care law would do more to create jobs than delivering speeches would. "If Washington Democrats were really serious about turning the economy around, they'd be working collaboratively with Republicans to do just that, instead of just sitting on the sidelines and waiting to take their cues from the endless political road-shows the president cooks up whenever he feels like changing the topic," added Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell. In his speech, Obama shot back that he had tools that could work against a recalcitrant Congress and said its opposition "must stop." "I will not allow gridlock, inaction, or willful indifference to get in our way," Obama said. "Whatever executive authority I have to help the middle class, I'll use it. Where I can't act on my own, I'll pick up the phone and call CEOs, and philanthropists, and college presidents - anybody who can help - and enlist them in our efforts. Because the choices that we, the people, make now will determine whether or not every American will have a fighting chance in the 21st century." Obama ticked off his plan to tackle needed infrastructure upgrades _ new roads, bridges, airports; better education, including government -funded pre-school for children at 4-years-old; an overhaul of the home mortgage system; tax reform; continued implementation of his health care overhaul; and programs to rebuild deteriorating American cities while raising the minimum wage. To his political opponents, Obama issued a challenge: "I am laying out my ideas to give the middle class a better shot. Now it's time for you to lay out yours. If you're willing to work with me to strengthen American manufacturing and rebuild this country's infrastructure, let's go. ... If you are serious about a balanced, long-term fiscal plan that replaces the mindless cuts currently in place, or tax reform that closes corporate loopholes and gives working families a better deal, I'm ready to work - but know that I will not accept deals that do not meet the test of strengthening the prospects of hard-working families." In returning to Knox College and Galesburg he chose an example of the nation's economic struggles. One year before Obama's first speech at Knox, a Maytag appliance plant in town shuttered its doors, leaving hundreds of people unemployed. The old factory still sits vacant, and Galesburg's unemployment rate sits just under 8 percent. About 23 percent of the town's population lives in poverty _ 10 percent more than the state as a whole. Later Wednesday, The president speaks at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg. A third speech is set for Thursday at the Jacksonville Port Authority in Florida. The economy largely has been overshadowed in the first six months of Obama's second term, partly driven by a White House that chose to invest time and political capital on other parts of his agenda, such as the failed effort to enact stricter gun laws after December's school massacre in Connecticut and the push for an immigration bill. Circumstances outside of the White House's control also played a role, including the civil war in Syria, the coup in Egypt and renewed attention by Congress to the deadly attack on Americans in Benghazi, Libya. Closer to home, the targeting of political groups by the Internal Revenue Service and the seizure of journalists' telephone records by the Justice Department also required large investments of White House time. The economy has showed slow improvement throughout, registering gains in the housing and stock markets and consumer confidence. The national unemployment rate, though it remains high, is down to 7.6 percent. But the coming fiscal deadlines threaten to undo that progress, adding a sense of urgency to the push Washington and the public at large to focus on the economy. ___ AP writers Julie Pace, Darlene Superville and Steven R. Hurst contributed to this report. ||||| During a speech on the economy at Knox College in Illinois, President Obama said that while the economy is steadily improving, it still has not completely recovered after the recession. (Nicki Demarco/The Washington Post) During a speech on the economy at Knox College in Illinois, President Obama said that while the economy is steadily improving, it still has not completely recovered after the recession. (Nicki Demarco/The Washington Post) President Obama delivered the following remarks on the economy at Knox College in Galesburg, Ill., on July 24, 2013. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Hello, Galesburg! (Cheers, applause.) Well, it's good to be home in Illinois. (Cheers, applause.) It is good to be back. (Cheers, applause.) It's good to be back. Thank you. Thank you so much, everybody. (Cheers, applause.) Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. (Cheers, applause.) Thank you so much. Thank you. Everybody have a seat. Have a seat. Well, it is good to be back. I want to -- I want to, first of all, thank Knox College -- (cheers, applause) -- I -- I want to thank Knox College and your president, Teresa Amott, for having me here today. Give Teresa a big round of applause. (Cheers, applause.) I want to thank your congresswoman, Cheri Bustos, who's here. (Cheers, applause.) Where's Cheri? There she is. We've got Governor Quinn here. (Cheers, applause.) I'm told we've got -- your lieutenant governor, Sheila Simon, is here. (Cheers, applause.) There she is. Attorney General Lisa Madigan is here. (Cheers, applause.) I see -- I see a bunch of my former colleagues, some -- some folks who I haven't seen in years and I'm looking forward to saying hi to. One in particular I've got to mention. One of favorites from the Illinois senate, John Sullivan, is in the house. (Cheers, applause.) Yeah, John -- John was one of my earliest supporters when I was running for the U.S. Senate, and it came in really handy because he's got like 10 brothers, and his wife -- and sisters, and his wife's got 10 brothers and sisters. (Laughter.) So -- so they've got this entire precinct just in their family. (Laughter.) And they all look like John, the brothers do, so you know, he doesn't have to go to every event. He can just send one of his brothers out. (Laughter.) It is good to see them. Dick Durbin couldn't make it today, but he sends his best. And we love Dick. (Cheers, applause.) He is doing a great job. And we've got one of my favorite neighbors, the senator from Missouri Claire McCaskill, in the house, because we're going to Missouri later this afternoon. (Cheers, applause.) So -- and all of you are here, and it's great to see you. (Cheers, applause.) And I hope -- I hope everybody's having a wonderful summer. The weather is perfect. Whoever was in charge of that, good job. (Laughter.) So eight years ago, I came here to deliver the commencement address for the Class of 2005. Now, things were a little different back then. For example, I had no gray hair. (Laughter.) Or a motorcade. (Laughter.) Didn't even have a prompter. In fact, there was a problem in terms of printing out the speech because the printer didn't work here and we had to drive it in from somewhere. (Laughter.) But it was my first big speech as your newest senator. And on the way here I was telling Cheri and Claire about how important this area was -- one of the areas that I spent the most time in outside of Chicago and how much it represented what's best in America and folks who are willing to work hard and do right by their families. And I came here to talk about what a changing economy was doing to the middle class and what we as a country needed to do to give every American a chance to get ahead in the 21st century. See, I had just spent a year traveling the state and listening to your stories of proud Maytag workers losing their jobs when the plant moved down to Mexico -- (applause) -- a lot of folks here remember that -- of teachers whose salaries weren't keeping up with the rising cost of groceries -- (applause) -- of young people who had the drive and the energy but not the money to afford a college education. (Cheers, applause.) So these were stories of families who had worked hard, believed in the American dream, but they felt like the odds were increasingly stacked against them. And they were right. Things had changed. In the period after World War II, a growing middle class was the engine of our prosperity. Whether you owned a company or swept its floors or worked anywhere in between, this country offered you a basic bargain, a sense that your hard work would be rewarded with fair wages and decent benefits, the chance to buy a home, to save for retirement and -- and most of all, a chance to hand down a better life for your kids. But over time that engine began to stall, and a lot of folks here saw it. That bargain began to fray. Technology made some jobs obsolete. Global competition sends a lot of jobs overseas. It became harder for unions to fight for the middle class. Washington doled out bigger tax cuts to the very wealthy and smaller minimum wage increases for the working poor. And so what happened was that -- (applause) -- the -- the link between higher productivity and people's wages and salaries was broken. Used to be that as companies did better, as profits went higher, workers also got a better deal. And that started changing. So the income of the top 1 percent nearly quadrupled from 1979 to 2007, but the typical family's incomes barely budged. And towards the end of those three decades, a housing bubble, credit cards, a churning financial sector was keeping the economy artificially juiced up, so sometimes it papered over some of these long-term trends. But by the time I took office in 2009 as your president, we all know the bubble had burst. And it cost millions of Americans their jobs and their homes and their savings. And I know a lot of folks in this area were hurt pretty bad. And the decadeslong erosion that had been taking place, the erosion of middle-class security, was suddenly laid bare for everybody to see. Now, today, five years after the start of that Great Recession, America has fought its way back. We've fought our way back. (Cheers, applause.) Together we saved the auto industry, took on a broken health care system. (Cheers, applause.) We invested in new American technologies to reverse our addiction to foreign oil. We doubled wind and solar power. (Cheers, applause.) Together we put in place tough new rules on big banks and protections to crack down on the worst practices of mortgage lenders and credit card companies. (Applause.) We changed a tax code too skewed in favor of the wealthiest at the expense of working families. So we changed that. We locked in tax cuts for 98 percent of Americans, and we asked those at the top to pay a little bit more. (Applause.) So you add it all up, and over the past 40 months our businesses have created 7.2 million new jobs. This year we're off to our strongest private sector job growth since 1999. And because we bet on this country, suddenly foreign companies are too. Right now more -- more of Honda's cars are made in America than anyplace else on Earth. (Applause.) Yeah. Airbus, the -- the European aircraft company -- they're building new planes in Alabama. (Applause.) Then American companies like Ford are replacing outsourcing with insourcing. They're bringing jobs back home. (Cheers, applause.) We sell more products made in America to the rest of the world than ever before. We now produce more natural gas than any country on Earth. We're about to produce more of our own oil than we buy from abroad for the first time in nearly 20 years. (Applause.) The cost of health care is growing at its slowest rate in 50 years. (Cheers, applause.) And our deficits are falling at the fastest rate in 60 years. (Cheers, applause.) So thanks to the grit and resilience and determination of the American people, of folks like you, we've been able to clear away the rubble from the financial crisis. We've started to lay a new foundation for stronger, more durable economic growth. And you know, it's happening in our own personal lives as well, right? A lot of us tightened our belts, shed debt, maybe cut up a couple of credit cards, refocused on those things that really matter. As a country, we've recovered faster and gone further than most other advanced nations in the world, with new American revolutions in -- in energy and technology and manufacturing and health care. We're actually poised to reverse the forces that battered the middle class for so long and start building an economy where everyone who works hard can get ahead. But -- and here's the big "but" -- I'm here to tell you today that we're not there yet. We all know that. We're not there yet. We've got more work to do. Even though our businesses are creating new jobs and have broken record profits, nearly all the income gains of the past 10 years have continued to flow to the top 1 percent. The average CEO has gotten a raise of nearly 40 percent since 2009. The average American earns less than he or she did in 1999. And companies continue to hold back on hiring those who've been out of work for some time. Today more students are earning their degree, but soaring costs saddle them with unsustainable debt. Health care costs are slowing down, but a lot of working families haven't seen any of those savings yet. The stock market rebound helped a lot of families get back much of what they had lost in their 401(k)s, but millions of Americans still have no idea how they're going to be able to retire. So in many ways, the trends that I spoke about here in 2005, eight years ago, the trend of a winner-take-all economy where a few are doing better and better and better while everybody else just treads water -- those trends have been made worse by the recession. And that's a problem. This growing inequality not just of result, inequality of opportunity, this growing inequality -- it's not just morally wrong; it's bad economics because when middle-class families have less to spend, guess what? Businesses have fewer consumers. When wealth concentrates at the very top, it can inflate unstable bubbles that threaten the economy. When the rungs on the ladder of opportunity grow farther and farther apart, it undermines the very essence of America, that idea that if you -- if you work hard, you can make it here. And that's why reversing these trends has to be Washington's highest priority. (Applause.) It has to be Washington's highest priority. It's certainly my highest priority. (Applause.) Unfortunately, over the past couple of years in particular, Washington hasn't just ignored this problem. Too often, Washington's made things worse. (Applause.) And I have to say that, you know -- because I'm looking around the room -- I've got some friends here not just who are Democrats; I've got some friends here who are Republicans and who worked -- (applause) -- you know, I worked with in the state legislature, and they did great work. But right now, what we've got in Washington -- we've seen a sizable group of Republican lawmakers suggest that they wouldn't vote to pay the very bills that Congress rang up. And that fiasco harmed a fragile recovery in 2011, and we can't afford to repeat that. Then, rather than reduce our deficits with a scalpel, by cutting out programs we don't need, fixing ones that we do need that maybe are in need of a reform -- making government more efficient -- instead of doing that, we've got folks who have insisted on leaving in place a meat cleaver called the sequester that's cost jobs. It's harmed growth, it's hurt our military, it's gutted investments in education and science and medical research. (Applause.) Almost every credible economist will tell you it's been a huge drag on this recovery, and it means that we're underinvesting in the things that this country needs to make it a magnet for good jobs. Then over the last six months, this gridlock's gotten worse. I didn't think that was possible. (Laughter.) The good news is a growing number of Republican senators are looking to join their Democratic counterparts and try to get things done in the Senate. So that's good news. (Applause.) For example, they worked together on an immigration bill that economists say will boost our economy by more than a trillion dollars, strengthen border security, make the system work. But you've got a faction of Republicans in the House who won't even give that bill a vote, and that same group gutted a farm bill that America's farmers depend on but also America's most vulnerable children depend on. AUDIENCE MEMBER: Boo! (Scattered applause.) PRESIDENT OBAMA: And if you ask some of these folks, some of these folks mostly in the House, about their economic agenda, how it is that they'll strengthen the middle class, they'll shift the topic to out-of-control government spending, despite the fact that we've cut the deficit by nearly half as a share of the economy since I took office. (Cheers, applause.) Or they'll talk about government assistance for the poor, despite the fact that they've already cut early education for vulnerable kids, they've already cut insurance for people who've lost their jobs through no fault of their own. Or they'll bring up "Obamacare" -- this is tried and true -- despite the fact that our businesses have created nearly twice as many jobs in this recovery as businesses had at the same point in the last recovery, when there was no "Obamacare." (Applause.) So -- AUDIENCE MEMBER: (My daughter ?) has insurance now. PRESIDENT OBAMA: I appreciate that. (Cheers, applause.) That's what that's about. That's what this is about. That's -- that's what we've been fighting for. But with this endless parade of distractions and political posturing and phony scandals, Washington's taken its eye off the ball. And I'm here to say this needs to stop. (Applause.) This needs to stop. (Cheers, applause.) AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible) -- Boehner. PRESIDENT OBAMA: This moment does not require short-term thinking. It does not require having the same old stale debates. Our focus has to be on the basic economic issues that the matter most to you -- the people we represent. (Applause.) That's what we have to spend our time on and our energy on and our focus on. And as Washington prepares to enter another budget debate, the stakes for our middle class and everybody who's fighting to get into the middle class could not be higher. The countries that are passive in the face of a global economy -- those countries will lose the competition for good jobs. They will lose the competition for high living standards. That's why America has to make the investments necessary to promote long-term growth and shared prosperity, rebuilding our manufacturing base, educating our workforce, upgrading our transportation systems -- (cheers, applause) -- upgrading our information networks. That's what we need to be talking about. That's what Washington needs to be focused on. And that's why over the next several weeks in towns across this country, I will be engaging the American people in this debate. (Cheers, applause.) I'll lay out my ideas for how we build on the cornerstones of what it means to be middle-class in America and what it takes to work your way into the middle class in America: job security with good wages and durable industries, a good education, a home to call your own, affordable health care when you get sick, a secure retirement even if you're not rich -- (cheers, applause) -- reducing poverty, reducing inequality, growing opportunity. That's what we need. (Cheers, applause.) That's what we need. That's what we need right now. (Cheers, applause.) That's what we need to be focused on. Now -- now, some of these ideas I've talked about before. Some of the ideas I offer will be new. Some will require Congress. Some I will pursue on my own. (Cheers, applause.) Some ideas will benefit folks right away. Some will take years to fully implement. But the key is to break through the tendency in Washington to just bounce from crisis to crisis. What we need is not a three-month plan, or even a three-year plan. We need a long-term American strategy based on steady, persistent effort to reverse the forces that have conspired against the middle class for decades. (Applause.) That has to be our project. (Cheers, applause.) Now, of course we'll keep pressing on other key priorities. I want to get this immigration bill done. We still need to work on reducing gun violence. (Cheers, applause.) We've -- we've got to -- we've got to continue to end the war in Afghanistan, rebalance our fight against al-Qaida. (Cheers, applause.) We need to combat climate change. We've got to stand up for civil rights. We've got to stand up for women's rights. (Cheers, applause.) So all -- all those issues are important, and we'll be fighting on every one of those issues. But if we don't have a growing, thriving middle class, then we won't have the resources to solve a lot of these problems. We don't have the resolve, the optimism, sense of unity that we need to solve many of these other issues. Now, in this effort, I will look to work with Republicans as well as Democrats wherever I can. And I -- I sincerely believe that there are members of both parties who understand this moment, understand what's at stake, and I will welcome ideas from anybody across the political spectrum. But I will not allow gridlock or inaction or willful indifference to get in our way. (Cheers, applause.) That means whatever executive authority I have to help the middle class, I'll use it. (Cheers, applause.) Where I can't act on my own and Congress isn't cooperating, I'll pick up the phone, I'll call CEOs, I'll call philanthropists, I'll call college presidents, I'll call labor leaders, I'll call anybody who can help and enlist them in our efforts -- (cheers, applause) -- because the choices that we, the people, make right now will determine whether or not every American has a fighting chance in the 21st century. And it'll -- it'll lay the foundation for our children's future, our grandchildren's future for all Americans. So let me give you a quick preview of what I'll be fighting for and why. The first cornerstone of a strong, growing middle class has to be, as I said before, an economy that generates more good jobs and durable, growing industries. That's how this area was built. That's how America prospered, because anybody who was willing to work -- they could go out there, and they could find themselves a job, and they could build a life for themselves and their family. Now, over the past four years, for the first time since the 1990s, the number of American manufacturing jobs has actually gone up instead of down. That's the good news. (Cheers, applause.) But we -- we can do more. So I'm going to push new initiatives to help more manufacturers bring more jobs back to the United States. We're going to continue to focus -- (applause) -- on strategies to -- to make sure our tax code rewards companies that are not shipping jobs overseas but creating jobs right here in the United States of America. (Applause.) We want to make sure that we're going to create strategies to make sure that good jobs in wind and solar and natural gas that are lowering costs and at the same time reducing dangerous carbon pollution happen right here in the United States. (Cheers, applause.) And -- and something that Sherri (sp) and I were talking about on the way over here -- I'm going to be pushing to open more manufacturing innovation institutes that turn regions left behind by global competition into global centers of cutting-edge jobs. So let's tell the world that America is open for business. (Cheers, applause.) I know there is an old site right here in Galesburg, over on Monmouth Boulevard. Let's -- let's put some folks to work. (Cheers, applause.) Tomorrow I'll also visit the port of Jacksonville, Florida, to offer new ideas for doing what America has always done best, which is building things. You know, Pat and I were talking before I came backstage, Pat Quinn. He was talking about how I came over the Don Moffitt bridge, you know, the -- (cheers, applause) -- But -- but we've got to -- work to do all across the country. We've got ports that aren't ready for the new supertankers that are going to begin passing through the new Panama Canal in two years' time. If we don't get that done, those tankers are going to do someplace else. We've got more than a hundred thousand bridges that are old enough to qualify for Medicare. (Laughter, applause.) Businesses depend on our transportation systems, on our power grids, on our communications networks, and rebuilding them creates good- paying jobs right now that can't be outsourced. (Applause.) And -- and -- and by the way, this didn't -- this isn't a Democratic idea. You know, Republicans built a lot of stuff. This is the land of Lincoln. He -- Lincoln was all about building stuff. (Cheers, applause.) First Republican president. And yet, as a share of our economy, we invest less in our infrastructure than we did two decades ago. And that's inefficient at a time when it's as cheap as it's been since the 1950s to build things. It's inexcusable at a time when so many of the workers who build stuff for a living are sitting at home waiting for a call. The longer we put this off, the more expensive it will be, and the less competitive we will be. Businesses of tomorrow will not locate near old roads and outdated ports. They'll relocate to places with high-speed Internet and high-tech schools and systems that move air and auto traffic faster and, not to mention, will get parents home quicker from work because we'll be eliminating some of these traffic jams. And we can watch all of that happen in other countries and start falling behind, or we can choose to make it happen right here in the United States. (Cheers, applause.) In an age when jobs know no borders, companies are also going to seek out the countries that boast the most talented citizens, and they'll reward folks who've had the skills and the talents they need -- they'll reward those folks with good pay. You know, the days when the wages for a worker with a high school degree could keep pace with earnings of somebody who got some sort of higher education -- those days are over. Everybody here knows that. There are a whole bunch of folks where whose dads or grandpas, you know, worked at a plant, might -- didn't need a high school education. You could just go there -- if you were willing to work hard, you might be able to get two jobs. And you could support your family, have a vacation, own your home. But technology and global competition -- they're not going away. Those old days aren't coming back. So we can either throw up our hands and resign ourselves to diminishing living standards, or we can do what America has always done, which is adapt and pull together and fight back and win. That's what we have to do. (Cheers, applause.) And that brings me to the second cornerstone of the strong middle class -- and everybody here knows it: an education that prepares our children and our workers for the global competition that they're going to face. (Cheers, applause.) And if you think education is expensive, wait until you see how much ignorance costs in the 21st century. (Applause.) If we don't make this investment, we're going to put our kids, our workers and our country at a competitive disadvantage for decades. So we have to begin in the earliest years, and that's why I'm going to keep pushing to make high-quality preschool available for every four- year-old in America -- (cheers, applause) -- not just because we know it works for our kids, but because it provides a vital support system for working parents. And I'm going to take action in the education area to spur innovation that don't require Congress. (Applause.) So today, for example, as we speak -- as we speak, federal agencies are moving on my plan to connect 99 percent of America's students to high-speed Internet over the next five years. (Applause.) We're making that happen right now. We've already begun meeting with business leaders and tech entrepreneurs and innovative educators to identify the best ideas for redesigning our high schools so that they teach the skills required for a high-tech economy. AUDIENCE MEMBER: Right. PRESIDENT OBAMA: And we're also going to keep pushing new efforts to train workers for changing jobs. So here in Galesburg, for example, a lot of the workers that were laid off at Maytag chose to enroll in retraining programs like the one at Carl Sandburg College. (Cheers, applause.) And -- and while it didn't pay off for everyone, all lot of the folks who were retrained found jobs that suited them even better and paid even more than the ones they had lost. And that's why I've asked Congress to start a Community College to Career initiative, so that workers can earn the skills that high- tech jobs demand without leaving their hometown. And I'm going to challenge CEOs -- (applause) -- I'm going to challenge CEOs from some of America's best companies to hire more Americans who've got what it takes to fill that job opening but have been laid off so long nobody's giving their resume an honest look. AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.) PRESIDENT OBAMA: True -- that too. I'm also going to use the power of my office over the next few months to highlight a topic that's straining the budgets of just about every American family, and that's the soaring cost of higher education. (Cheers, applause.) Everybody's touched by this, including your president, who had a whole bunch of loans he had to pay off. (Laughter.) Three years ago I worked with Democrats to reform the student loan system so that taxpayer dollars stopped padding the pockets of big banks and instead helped more kids afford college. (Cheers, applause.) Then I capped loan repayments at 10 percent of monthly incomes for responsible borrowers so that if -- if somebody graduated and they decide to take a teaching job, for example, that didn't pay a lot of money, they knew that they were never going to pay more than 10 percent of their income, and they could afford to go into a profession that they loved. That's in place right now. And this week we're working with both parties -- (applause) -- this week we're working with both parties to reverse the doubling of student loan rates that happened a few weeks ago because of congressional inaction. (Cheers, applause.) So this is all a good start, but it isn't enough. Families and taxpayers can't just keep paying more and more and more into an undisciplined system where costs just keep on going up and up and up. We'll never have enough loan money, we'll never have enough grant money to keep up with costs that are going up five, six, seven percent a year. We've got to get more out of what we pay for. Now, some colleges are testing new approaches to shorten the path to a degree or blending teaching with online learning to help students master material and earn credits in less time. And some states are testing new ways to fund college based not just on how many students enroll but how many of them graduate, how well do they do. So this afternoon I'll visit the University of Central Missouri to highlight their efforts to deliver more bang for the buck to their students. And in the coming months, I will lay out an aggressive strategy to shake up the system, tackle rising costs and improve value for middle-class students and their families. It is critical that we make sure that college is affordable for every single American who's willing to work for it. (Cheers, sustained applause.) Now -- so you got a good job. You get a good education. Those have always been the key stepping stones into the middle class. But a home of your own has always been the clearest expression of middle- class security. For most families, that's your biggest asset. For most families, that's where, you know, your life's work has been invested. And that changed during the crisis when we saw millions of middle-class families experience their home values plummeting. The good news is over the past four years we've helped more responsible homeowners stay in their homes, and today sales are up and prices are up and fewer Americans see their homes underwater. But we're not done yet. The key now is to encourage homeownership that isn't based on unrealistic bubbles but instead is based on a solid foundation, where buyers and lenders play by the same set of rules, rules that are clear and transparent and fair. So already I've asked Congress to pass a really good bipartisan idea, one that was championed, by the way, by Mitt Romney's economic adviser. And this is the idea to give every homeowner the chance to refinance their mortgage while rates are still low so they can save thousands of dollars a year. (Cheers, applause.) It would be like a tax cut for families who can refinance. And I'm also acting on my own to cut red tape for responsible families who want to get a mortgage, but the bank's saying no. We'll work with both parties to turn the page on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and build a housing finance system that's rock-solid for future generations. So we've got more work to do to strengthen homeownership in this country. But along with homeownership, the fourth cornerstone of what it means to be middle-class in this country is a secure retirement. And -- (cheers, applause) -- I hear from too many people across the country, face to face or in letters that they send me, that they feel as if retirement is just receding from their grasp. It's getting farther and farther away. They -- they can't see it. Now, today a rising stock market has millions of retirement balances going up, and some of the losses that had taken place during the financial crisis have been recovered. But we still live with an upside-down system where those at the top, folks like me, get generous tax incentives to save while tens of millions of hardworking Americans who are struggling -- they get none of those breaks at all. AUDIENCE MEMBER: Right. PRESIDENT OBAMA: So as we work to reform our tax code -- (scattered applause) -- we should find new ways to make it easier for workers to put away money and free middle-class families from the fear that they won't be able to retire. (Cheers, applause.) And if Congress is looking for a bipartisan place to get started, I should just say, they don't have to look far; we mentioned immigration reform before, the Economist show that immigration reform makes undocumented workers pay their full fare -- share of taxes, and that actually shores up the Social Security system for years. So we should get that done. (Cheers, applause.) Good job, good education for your kids, home of your own, secure retirement. Fifth, I'm going to keep focusing on health care, because middle-class families and small business owners -- (applause) -- deserve the security of knowing that neither an accident or an illness is going to threaten the dreams that you've worked a lifetime to build. As we speak, we're well on our way to fully implementing the Affordable Care Act. (Cheers, applause.) We're going to implement it. Now, if you're one of the 85 percent of Americans who already have health insurance, either through the job or Medicare or Medicaid, you don't have to do anything, but you do have new benefits and better protections than you did before. You may not know it, but you do: free checkups, mammograms, discounted medicines if you're on Medicare. That's what the Affordable Care Act means. You're already getting a better deal. No lifetime limits. If you don't have health insurance, then starting on October 1st, private plans will actually compete for your business. And you'll be able to comparison shop online. There will be a marketplace online, just like you'd buy a flat screen TV or plane tickets or anything else you're doing online. And you'll be able to buy an insurance package that fits your budget and is right for you. And if you're one of the up to half of all Americans who've been sick or have a pre-existing condition -- if you look at this auditorium, about half of you probably have a pre-existing condition that insurance companies could use to not give you insurance if you lost your job or lost your insurance. Well, this law means that beginning January 1st, insurance companies will finally have to cover you and charge you the same rates as everybody else, even if you have a pre-existing condition. (Cheers, applause.) That's what the Affordable Care Act does. (Cheers and applause continuing.) That's what it does. Now -- (applause continuing). Look, I know -- because I've been living it -- (chuckles) -- that there are folks out there who are actively working to make this law fail. I may -- and I don't always understand exactly what their logic is here, why they think giving insurance to folks who don't have it and making folks with insurance a little more secure -- why they think that's a bad thing. But despite the politically motivated misinformation campaign, the states that have committed themselves to making this law work are finding that competition and choice are actually pushing costs down. So just last week, New York announced that premiums for consumers who buy their insurance in these online marketplaces will be at least 50 percent lower than what they're paying today. (Applause.) Fifty percent lower. So folks' premiums in the individual market will drop by 50 percent. And for them and for the millions of Americans who've been able to cover their sick kids for the first time, like this gentleman who just said his daughter's got health insurance, or have been able to cover their employees more cheaply, or are able to have their kids who are younger than -- who are 25 or 26 stay on their parents' plan -- (applause) -- for all those folks -- for all those folks, you'll have the security of knowing that everything you've worked hard for is no longer one illness away from being wiped out. (Applause.) Now, finally, as we work to strengthen these cornerstones of middle-class security -- good job with decent wages and benefits, a good education, home of your own, retirement security, health care security -- I'm going to make the case for why we've got to rebuild ladders of opportunity for all those Americans who haven't quite made it yet, who are working hard but are still suffering poverty wages -- (applause) -- who are struggling to get full-time work. There are a lot of folks who are still struggling out here, too many people in poverty. You know, here in America, we've never guaranteed success. That's not what we do. More than some other countries, we expect people to be self- reliant. Nobody's going to do something for you. (Applause.) We've tolerated a little more inequality for the sake of a more dynamic, more adaptable economy. That's all for the good. But that idea has always been combined with a commitment to equality of opportunity, to upward mobility -- the idea that no matter how poor you started, if you're willing to work hard and discipline yourself and defer gratification, you can make it too. That's the American idea. (Applause.) Unfortunately, opportunities for upward mobility in America have gotten harder to find over the past 30 years, and that's a betrayal of the American idea. And that's why we have to do a lot more to give every American the chance to work their way into the middle class. Now, the best defense against all of these forces -- global competition, economic polarization, is the strength of the community. So we need to -- we need a new push to rebuild run-down neighborhoods. We need new partnerships -- (applause) -- we need new partnerships with some of the hardest-hit towns in America to get them back on their feet. (Applause.) And because no one who works full-time in America should have to live in poverty, I am going to keep making the case that we need to raise the minimum wage, because it's lower right now than it was when Ronald Reagan took office. (Cheers, applause.) It's time for the minimum wage to go up. (Cheers, applause.) We're not a people who allow chance of birth to decide life's biggest winners or losers. And after years in which we've seen how easy it can be for any of us to fall on hard times, folks in Galesburg, folks in the Quad Cities, you know there are good people who work hard -- sometimes they get a bad break. Plant leaves, somebody gets sick, somebody loses a home. We've seen it in our family and our friends and our neighbors. We've seen it happen, and that means we cannot turn our backs when bad breaks hit any of our fellow citizens. So good jobs, a better bargain for the middle class and the folks who are working to get into the middle class, an economy that grows from the middle out, not the top down -- (applause) -- that's where I will focus my energies. (Cheers, applause.) That's where I'll focus my energies not just for the next few months but for the remainder of my presidency. These are the plans that I'll lay out across this country. But I won't be able to do it alone, so I'm going to be calling on all of us to take up this cause. We'll need our businesses, who are some of the best in the world, to pressure Congress to invest in our future. And I'll be asking our businesses to set an example by providing decent wages and salaries to their own employees. And I'm going to highlight the ones -- (applause) -- that do just that. You know, there are companies like -- like Costco, which pays good wages and offers good benefits -- (cheers, applause) -- companies like -- you know, there are companies like The Container Store that -- that prides itself on training its employees and -- and on employee satisfaction, because these companies prove that it's not just good for the employees; it's good for their businesses to treat workers well. It's good for America. (Applause.) So I'm going to be -- I'm going to be calling on the private sector to step up. I will be saying to Democrats, we've got to question some of our old assumptions. We've got to be willing to redesign or get rid of programs that don't work as well as they should. (Applause.) We've got to be willing to -- we've got to embrace changes to cherished priorities so that they work better in this new age. We can't just -- Democrats can't just stand pat and just defend whatever government's doing. If we believe that government can give the middle class a fair shot in this new century -- and I believe that -- we've got an obligation to prove it. And that means that we've got to be open to new ways of doing things. And we'll need Republican -- (audio break) -- Congress to set aside short-term politics and work with me to find common ground. (Cheers, applause.) Now -- you know, it's interesting. In the run-up to this speech, a lot of reporters say, well, you know, Mr. President, these are all good ideas, but some of them, you've said before, some of them sound great, but you can't get those through Congress; Republicans won't agree with you. And I say, look, the fact is there are Republicans in Congress right now who privately agree with me on a lot of the ideas I'll be proposing. I know because they've said so. But they worry they'll face swift political retaliation for cooperating with me. Now, there are others who will dismiss every idea I put forward -- (laughter) -- either because they're playing to their most strident supporters or, in some cases, because sincerely they have a fundamentally different vision for America -- one that says inequality is both inevitable and just; one that says an unfettered free market without any restraints inevitably produces the best outcomes, regardless of the pain and uncertainty imposed on ordinary families. And government's the problem and we should just shrink it as -- as small as we can. In either case, I say to these members of Congress: I'm laying out my ideas to give the middle class a better shot. So now it's time for you to lay out your ideas. (Applause.) You can't just be against something. You got to be for something. (Cheers, applause.) Even if you think I've done everything wrong, the trends I just talked about were happening well before I took office. So it's not enough for you to just oppose me. You got to be for something. What are your ideas? If you're willing to work with me to strengthen American manufacturing and rebuild this country's infrastructure, let's go. If you've got better ideas to bring down the cost of college for working families, let's hear them. If the -- if you think you have a better plan for making sure that every American has the security of quality, affordable health care, then stop taking meaningless repeal votes and share your concrete ideas with the country. (Cheers, applause.) Repealing "Obamacare" and cutting spending is not an economic plan. It's not. If you're serious about a balanced long-term fiscal plan that replaces the mindless cuts currently in place, or if you're interested in tax reform that closes corporate loopholes and gives working families a better deal, I'm ready to work. (Applause.) But you should know that I will not accept deals that don't meet the basic test of strengthening the prospects of hardworking families. This is the agenda we have to be working on. (Cheers, applause.) We've come a long way since I first took office. (Applause.) You know, as a country -- as a country, we're older and wiser. I don't know if I'm wiser, but I'm certainly older. (Laughter.) And, you know, as long as Congress doesn't manufacture another crisis -- as long as we don't shut down the government just because I'm for keeping it open -- (laughter); as long as we -- as long as we don't risk a U.S. default over paying bills that we've already racked up, something that we've never done -- we can probably muddle along without taking bold action. If we stand pat and we don't do any of the things I talked about, our economy will grow, although slower than it should. New businesses will form, and the unemployment rate will probably tick down a little bit. Just by virtue of our size and our natural resources, and most of all because of the talent of our people, America will remain a world power, and the majority of us will figure out how to get by. But you know, if that's our choice, if we just stand by and do nothing in the face of immense change, understand that -- that part of our character will be lost. Our founding precept about wide-open opportunity, each generation doing better than the last, that will be a myth, not reality. The position of the middle class will erode further. Inequality will continue to increase. Money's power will distort our politics even more. Social tensions will rise as various groups fight to hold on to what they have, or start blaming somebody else for why their position isn't improving. And the fundamental optimism that's always propelled us forward will give way to cynicism or nostalgia. And that's not the vision I have for this country. It's not the vision you have for this country. That's not the America we know. That's not the vision we should be settling for. That's not a vision we should be passing onto our children. I have now run my last campaign. I do not intend to wait until the next campaign or the next president before tackling the issues that matter. I care about one thing and one thing only, and that's how to use every minute -- (applause) -- the only thing I care about is how to use every minute of the remaining 1,276 days of my term to make this country work for working Americans again. (Cheers, applause.) That's all I care about. I don't have another election. Because I'll tell you, Galesburg, that's where I believe America needs to go. I believe that's where the American people want to go. And it may seem hard today, but if we're willing to take a few bold steps, if Washington will just shake off its complacency and set aside the kind of slash-and-burn partisanship that we've just seen for way too long, if we just make some common-sense decisions, our economy will be stronger a year from now. It'll be stronger five years from now. It'll be stronger 10 years from now. (Applause.) If we focus on what matters, then more Americans will know the pride of that first paycheck. More Americans will have the satisfaction of flipping the sign to "open" on their own business. More Americans will have the joy of -- of, you know, scratching the height of their kid on that door of their brand new home. (Applause.) And -- and -- and -- and in the end, isn't that what makes us special? It's not the ability to generate incredible wealth for the few, it's our ability to give everybody a chance to pursue their own true measure of happiness. (Applause.) We haven't just wanted success for ourselves; we want it for our neighbors, too. That's why -- (cheers, applause) -- I mean, when we think about our own communities, we're -- we're not a mean people. We're not a selfish people. We're not a people that just looks out for number one. Why should our politics reflect those kinds of values? That's why we don't call it John's dream or Susie's dream or Barack's dream or Pat's dream. We call it the American Dream. And that's what makes this country special, the idea that no matter who you are or what you look like or where you come from or who you love, you can make it if you try. (Applause.) That's what we're fighting for. (Cheers, applause.) So, yes, Congress is tough right now. But that's not going to stop me. We're going to do everything we can wherever we can, with or without Congress, to make things happen. We're going to -- we're going to take -- go on the road and talk to you. And you'll have ideas, and we want to see which ones we can -- we can implement. But we're going to focus on this thing that matters. You know, one of America's greatest writers, Carl Sandburg, born right here in Galesburg over a century ago -- (applause) -- he saw the railroads bring the world to the prairie, and then the prairie send out its bounty to the world. And he saw the advent of new industries, new technologies. And he watched populations shift. He saw fortunes made and lost. And he saw how change could be painful, how a new age could unsettle long-held customs and ways of life. But he had that frontier optimism, and so he saw something more on the horizon. And he wrote, I speak of new cities and new people. The past is a bucket of ashes. Yesterday is a wind gone down, a sun dropped in the west. There is only an ocean of tomorrows -- a sky of tomorrows. Well, America, we've made it through the worst of yesterday's winds. We just have to have the courage to keep moving forward. We've got to set our eyes on the horizon. We will find an ocean of tomorrows. We will find a sky of tomorrows for the American people and for this great country that we love. So thank you, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America. (Cheers, applause.) ||||| The Senate’s top Republicans took to the Senate floor Wednesday morning to launch a pre-emptive strike on President Barack Obama’s economic speech slated for Wednesday afternoon, portraying his pivot back to the economy as predictable and old news. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said the president will deliver a partisan speech that will pander to “radical elements” of his base that belong in the same “flat-earth society” that Obama says includes global warming deniers. And while the White House is portraying the president’s speech as Obama’s latest vision for rebuilding the middle class, McConnell likened the president’s speech to a “midday rerun of some ’70s B movie” rather than a blockbuster feature film. Text Size - + reset “He’ll probably try and cast this as some titanic struggle between those who believe in ‘investing’ in the country and those who supposedly want to eliminate paved roads, or stop signs, or whatever ridiculous straw man he invents this time,” McConnell said. “Give me a break. There is a real philosophical debate going on in our country, but it’s not anything like how he imagines it.” The Republican leader also praised the bipartisan work on a student loans bill expected to get a vote in the Senate on Wednesday, calling it a key juxtaposition to a Senate working together and a president giving speeches. “Every time he goes out and gives one of these speeches, it generates little more than a collective bipartisan eye roll,” McConnell said. “It’s just such a colossal waste of time and energy: Resources that would be better spent actually working with both parties in Congress to grow the economy and create jobs.” McConnell’s deputy, Minority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas), said he expects yet another of the president’s “repetitive pivots to the economy.” Cornyn rapped the president for not approving the Keystone XL pipeline, not fulfilling promised growth in the manufacturing sector and not increasing take-home pay for the middle class. “I’m afraid if we continue with the policies of the last four years, we will create a lost generation of young Americans who cannot find good, full-time jobs. None of us — Republicans, Democrats alike — none of us want that to happen,” Cornyn said. ||||| WASHINGTON — Congressional Republicans are moving to gut many of President Obama’s top priorities with the sharpest spending cuts in a generation and a new push to hold government financing hostage unless the president’s signature health care law is stripped of money this fall. As Mr. Obama prepares to deliver a major economic address on Wednesday in Illinois, Republicans in Washington are delivering blow after blow to programs he will promote as vital to a more robust economic recovery and a firmer economic future — from spending on infrastructure and health care to beefing up regulatory agencies. While Mr. Obama would like to keep the economic conversation lofty, his adversaries in Congress are already fighting in the trenches. On Tuesday, a House Appropriations subcommittee formally drafted legislation that would cut the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget by 34 percent and eliminate his newly announced greenhouse gas regulations. The bill cuts financing for the national endowments for the arts and the humanities in half and the Fish and Wildlife Service by 27 percent. For the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1, Mr. Obama requested nearly $3 billion for renewable energy and energy efficiency programs — a mainstay of his economic agenda since he was first elected. The House approved $826 million. Senate Democrats want to give $380 million to ARPA-E, an advanced research program for energy. The House allocated $70 million.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

"I'm not going to the White House," McCourty wrote in a text message from the team bus, according to Time.com. "Basic reason for me is I don't feel accepted in the White House. With the president having so many strong opinions and prejudices I believe certain people might feel accepted there while others won't." ||||| Martellus Bennett said before the Super Bowl that he would pass on visiting President Donald Trump's White House and he plans to stick to it. The Patriots ensured they would be making a trip to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. after winning their fifth championship in overtime Sunday against the Falcons. "I'm not going to go," the ex-Bears tight end told reporters after the game. "I'm going to elaborate later on in life." “It is what it is. People know how I feel about it,” Bennett said, according to the Dallas Morning-News. “Just follow me on Twitter.” Checking in on his Twitter Monday morning, Bennett hadn't added any insight. But a look at his past social media posts indicate how the vocal Hillary Clinton supporter feels about Trump. In December, he tweeted, "So Kanye (West) didn't take the time to vote. And now he holding on to Trump's coattail like Peter Pettigrew to Lord Voldemort. Kanye Pettigrew." And on election night he posted onInstagram: "If you decide to move to outer space after tonight's election, I may or may not have room on my spaceship so state your case in my comments. #theimaginationagency #FieldTripWithMarty #IWannaGo #DamnBro #imwithher." The Associated Press and Tribune news services contributed. [email protected] Twitter @_phil_thompson ||||| After the New England Patriots completed their historic 34-28 comeback win over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI, Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett told reporters he would skip the team’s ceremonial visit to the White House now that it’s occupied by President Donald Trump. It appears he won’t be alone. On Monday, Patriots defensive back Devin McCourty told TIME he, too, will skip the congratulatory trip. “I’m not going to the White House,” McCourty wrote in a text message to TIME from the team bus. “Basic reason for me is I don’t feel accepted in the White House. With the president having so many strong opinions and prejudices I believe certain people might feel accepted there while others won’t.” McCourty said he believed attending the event is a personal choice and “I can’t imagine a way I go there.” Bennett and McCourty would not be the first pro athletes to sit out the presidential photo-op. But their decision has taken on particular resonance because of the very public ties between Trump, Patriots owner Robert Kraft, coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady. Although they are three people most responsible for the current Patriots dynasty, Bennett said after the Super Bowl that he is not worried about potential backlash from the team. Bennett and McCourty have been active in the player protests against racial and economic inequality sparked by San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick, raising their fists following the national anthem before a September game. “If you see something you feel is wrong in society, why not help out? Why not try to raise awareness?” McCourty said to TIME then. Their protests are the latest in a wave of high profile pro athletes taking stands against the Trump administration. The NBA star LeBron James refused to stay at a Trump hotel when his team visited New York in December, and the Dallas Mavericks, Milwaukee Bucks and Memphis Grizzles have also reportedly opted to stay elsewhere. The typically sunny team White House visit has been turned into a political forum before. Tim Thomas, the MVP of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, refused to join his Boston Bruins teammates at the White House under President Barack Obama. “I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People,” Thomas explained on Facebook. “Because I believe this, today I exercised my right as a Free Citizen, and did not visit the White House. This was not about politics or party, as in my opinion both parties are responsible for the situation we are in as a country. This was a choice I had to make as an INDIVIDUAL!” In 2013, Baltimore Ravens center Matt Birk skipped the White House visit after Baltimore won that year’s Super Bowl because of Obama’s support for Planned Parenthood. “I am Catholic,” Birk reportedly said. “I am active in the pro-life movement, and I just like I couldn’t deal with that. I couldn’t endorse that in any way.” In October of 2008, President George W. Bush honored Henry Cejudo, who won a wrestling gold medal in Beijing, and his fellow U.S. Olympians. Cejudo says he valued the visit and wouldn’t turn down a similar invitation from Trump even though his parents were undocumented immigrants from Mexico and Trump made tightening immigration a centerpiece of his political appeal. “I would be there to build a bridge, rather than to build a wall,” says Cejudo. How many athletes will see it like Cejudo? We have four years to find out. Write to Sean Gregory at [email protected].

– New England Patriots defensive back Devin McCourty says he "doesn't feel accepted" in the White House with Donald Trump as president and that he'll be skipping the team's ceremonial visit following their stunning Super Bowl win. "With the president having so many strong opinions and prejudices, I believe certain people might feel accepted there while others won't," McCourty tells Time, adding that the visit is a personal choice and "I can't imagine a way I go there." Another Patriot, tight end Martellus Bennett, announced even before the game that he'd be boycotting Trump's White House, the Chicago Tribune reports. "I'm not going to go," Bennett told reporters after the Patriots win. "I'm going to elaborate later on in life," he said, adding that people already know how he feels. The New York Daily News notes that both McCourty and Bennett took part in the protests inspired by Colin Kaepernick this season, raising their fists as the national anthem played. (Goalie Tim Thomas skipped the Stanley Cup-winning Boston Bruins' White House visit in 2012 because he thought the federal government was out of control.)

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary."I'm not going to the White House," McCourty wrote in a text message from the team bus, according to Time.com. "Basic reason for me is I don't feel accepted in the White House. With the president having so many strong opinions and prejudices I believe certain people might feel accepted there while others won't." ||||| Martellus Bennett said before the Super Bowl that he would pass on visiting President Donald Trump's White House and he plans to stick to it. The Patriots ensured they would be making a trip to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. after winning their fifth championship in overtime Sunday against the Falcons. "I'm not going to go," the ex-Bears tight end told reporters after the game. "I'm going to elaborate later on in life." “It is what it is. People know how I feel about it,” Bennett said, according to the Dallas Morning-News. “Just follow me on Twitter.” Checking in on his Twitter Monday morning, Bennett hadn't added any insight. But a look at his past social media posts indicate how the vocal Hillary Clinton supporter feels about Trump. In December, he tweeted, "So Kanye (West) didn't take the time to vote. And now he holding on to Trump's coattail like Peter Pettigrew to Lord Voldemort. Kanye Pettigrew." And on election night he posted onInstagram: "If you decide to move to outer space after tonight's election, I may or may not have room on my spaceship so state your case in my comments. #theimaginationagency #FieldTripWithMarty #IWannaGo #DamnBro #imwithher." The Associated Press and Tribune news services contributed. [email protected] Twitter @_phil_thompson ||||| After the New England Patriots completed their historic 34-28 comeback win over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI, Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett told reporters he would skip the team’s ceremonial visit to the White House now that it’s occupied by President Donald Trump. It appears he won’t be alone. On Monday, Patriots defensive back Devin McCourty told TIME he, too, will skip the congratulatory trip. “I’m not going to the White House,” McCourty wrote in a text message to TIME from the team bus. “Basic reason for me is I don’t feel accepted in the White House. With the president having so many strong opinions and prejudices I believe certain people might feel accepted there while others won’t.” McCourty said he believed attending the event is a personal choice and “I can’t imagine a way I go there.” Bennett and McCourty would not be the first pro athletes to sit out the presidential photo-op. But their decision has taken on particular resonance because of the very public ties between Trump, Patriots owner Robert Kraft, coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady. Although they are three people most responsible for the current Patriots dynasty, Bennett said after the Super Bowl that he is not worried about potential backlash from the team. Bennett and McCourty have been active in the player protests against racial and economic inequality sparked by San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick, raising their fists following the national anthem before a September game. “If you see something you feel is wrong in society, why not help out? Why not try to raise awareness?” McCourty said to TIME then. Their protests are the latest in a wave of high profile pro athletes taking stands against the Trump administration. The NBA star LeBron James refused to stay at a Trump hotel when his team visited New York in December, and the Dallas Mavericks, Milwaukee Bucks and Memphis Grizzles have also reportedly opted to stay elsewhere. The typically sunny team White House visit has been turned into a political forum before. Tim Thomas, the MVP of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, refused to join his Boston Bruins teammates at the White House under President Barack Obama. “I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People,” Thomas explained on Facebook. “Because I believe this, today I exercised my right as a Free Citizen, and did not visit the White House. This was not about politics or party, as in my opinion both parties are responsible for the situation we are in as a country. This was a choice I had to make as an INDIVIDUAL!” In 2013, Baltimore Ravens center Matt Birk skipped the White House visit after Baltimore won that year’s Super Bowl because of Obama’s support for Planned Parenthood. “I am Catholic,” Birk reportedly said. “I am active in the pro-life movement, and I just like I couldn’t deal with that. I couldn’t endorse that in any way.” In October of 2008, President George W. Bush honored Henry Cejudo, who won a wrestling gold medal in Beijing, and his fellow U.S. Olympians. Cejudo says he valued the visit and wouldn’t turn down a similar invitation from Trump even though his parents were undocumented immigrants from Mexico and Trump made tightening immigration a centerpiece of his political appeal. “I would be there to build a bridge, rather than to build a wall,” says Cejudo. How many athletes will see it like Cejudo? We have four years to find out. Write to Sean Gregory at [email protected].

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

An oil spill that fouled an Arkansas town is raising questions about the U.S. pipeline network and the safety of importing Canadian heavy crude, as President Barack Obama weighs whether to approve the Keystone XL project. Environmental groups said the rupture of the Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) pipe on March 29 in Mayflower, Arkansas, shows why Obama should reject Keystone, which would be a major new conduit between the U.S. and Canada for a type of fuel critics say is more corrosive than more conventional forms of oil. “Without question, this underscores the risks of transporting this stuff,” Jim Murphy, senior counsel at the National Wildlife Federation, said yesterday in a phone interview. The U.S. State Department is reviewing TransCanada Corp.’s (TRP) Keystone project to link Alberta’s oil sands with refineries along the Gulf Coast because it crosses an international border. White House press secretary Jay Carney said yesterday the White House takes the safety of the pipeline system “very seriously.” He said the Environmental Protection Agency is working with local officials and Exxon on the Arkansas spill. Republicans and some Democrats in Congress argue Keystone will create thousands of jobs and improve U.S. energy security. The Senate on March 22 approved 62-37 a non-binding resolution encouraging the project’s development. If built, the pipeline each day could carry more than 800,000 barrels of diluted bitumen, or dilbit. Photographer: Alan English/The Log Cabin Democrat via AP Photo Crews set out containment booms as they cleanup and check wildlife in Mayflower, Arkansas. Close Crews set out containment booms as they cleanup and check wildlife in Mayflower, Arkansas. Close Open Photographer: Alan English/The Log Cabin Democrat via AP Photo Crews set out containment booms as they cleanup and check wildlife in Mayflower, Arkansas. Pegasus Pipeline Exxon’s pipeline, known as Pegasus, can carry 96,000 barrels a day. The 20-inch (51-centimeter) line runs to Nederland, Texas, from Patoka, Illinois. The pipeline carried a type of dilbit similar to what would be transported on Keystone. One question central to the debate is whether this type of fuel is more corrosive than conventional crude. Fuel from Alberta’s oil sands can pose a greater risk if it is transported at a higher temperature or under greater pressure, Richard Kuprewicz, president of Accufacts Inc., a Redmond, Washington-based pipeline safety consultant, said yesterday in a telephone interview. Operators using modern pipeline-safety techniques can manage the risks by cleaning out the line more frequently or carefully monitoring how the bitumen is diluted, he said. “You just don’t write off the corrosion threat,” he said. “You’ve got to be sure you’re managing it.” ‘Stronger Standards’ The National Wildlife Federation, based in Reston, Virginia, asked the U.S. last month to develop stronger standards for transporting tar-sands oil. The group said in a statement that the fuel has the consistency of “gritty peanut butter.” Because it’s heavier than conventional crude, it is often tougher to clean up, particularly if it leaks into water bodies where it sinks to the bottom rather than floating on top, Murphy said. “Whether it’s the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, or this mess in Arkansas, Americans are realizing that transporting large amounts of this corrosive and polluting fuel is a bad deal for American taxpayers and for our environment,” Representative Edward Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, said in a statement. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last month directed Enbridge Inc. (ENB) to perform more dredging in Michigan’s Kalamazoo River as part of a cleanup from a July 2010 rupture of a 30-inch pipeline that also carried heavy crude. More than 843,000 gallons spilled during the leak. The oil flowed into Talmadge Creek before entering the Kalamazoo River, coating birds and wildlife with an oily residue. Late 1940s Exxon said the section that ruptured in the Arkansas town of Mayflower, about 22 miles northwest of Little Rock, was installed in the late 1940s. Larry Farnsworth, a spokesman for Representative Lee Terry, a Nebraska Republican who supports Keystone, said the spill shows the need for the U.S. to upgrade its infrastructure. A portion of the pipeline would cross Terry’s home state. Keystone will be the “most modern and highly engineered pipeline that can be built,” Farnsworth said in a phone interview yesterday. Shawn Howard, a spokesman for TransCanada, said the company has agreed to higher safety standards with U.S. regulators for the Keystone XL, such as increasing the number of shutoff valves, boosting inspections and burying the pipe deeper in the ground. The Arkansas spill “is an unfortunate circumstance and demonstrates the pipeline industry must continue to focus on the safe, reliable operation of its energy infrastructure,” Howard said in an e-mail yesterday. 364 Spills Last year, there were 364 spills from pipelines in the U.S. that released about 54,000 barrels of oil and refined products, according to the Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, a division within the Department of Transportation. Any incident in which more than five gallons of fuel leaked is counted as a spill. Each year, about 11.9 billion barrels of oil, gasoline and other refined products are pumped across the network of pipelines, said John Stoody, director of government and public relations for the Association of Oil Pipe Lines, a Washington- based group whose members own about 85 percent of the liquid pipelines in the U.S. “Incidents do happen, but they’re rare,” Stoody said in an interview. There are 119,000 miles of pipelines carrying crude oil and refined products in the U.S., Stoody said. “The properties of Canadian oil sands crude are similar to other heavy crudes from California, Venezuela and other places and transported safely across the U.S. for decades,” Stoody said in an e-mail. In Arkansas, Exxon has said it collected about 12,000 barrels of oil and water from the spill, according to a statement yesterday from the Mayflower Incident Unified Command Joint Information Center. The town recommended that 22 homes be evacuated, it said. Exxon (XOM) said no oil had reached nearby Lake Conway. To contact the reporters on this story: Jim Snyder in Washington at [email protected]; Bradley Olson in Houston at [email protected] To contact the editor responsible for this story: Timothy Franklin at [email protected] ||||| The environmental impacts of an oil spill in central Arkansas began to come into focus Monday as officials said a couple of dead ducks and 10 live oily birds were found after an ExxonMobil pipeline ruptured last week. Oil covers the ground around a slide in Mayflower, Ark., on Monday, April 1, 2013, days after a pipeline ruptured and spewed oil over lawns and roadways. (AP Photo/Jeannie Nuss) (Associated Press) Faulkner County Judge Allen Dodson talks to reporters in Mayflower, Ark., on Monday, April 1, 2013, days after a crude oil pipeline ruptured and spewed oil over lawns and roadways. (AP Photo/Jeannie Nuss) (Associated Press) Workers clean up oil in Mayflower, Ark., on Monday, April 1, 2013, days after a pipeline ruptured and spewed oil over lawns and roadways. (AP Photo/Jeannie Nuss) (Associated Press) A worker cleans up oil in Mayflower, Ark., on Monday, April 1, 2013, days after a pipeline ruptured and spewed oil over lawns and roadways. (AP Photo/Jeannie Nuss) (Associated Press) "I'm an animal lover, a wildlife lover, as probably most of the people here are," Faulkner County Judge Allen Dodson told reporters. "We don't like to see that. No one does." Officials are urging people in Mayflower, a small city about 20 miles northwest of Little Rock, not to touch any injured or oiled animals as crews clean up Friday's spill. About 12,000 barrels of oil and water have been recovered since ExxonMobil's Pegasus pipeline sprung a leak, spewing oil onto lawns and roadways and nearly fouling a nearby lake. Dodson said he expects a few more oily birds to turn up in the coming days. "I don't expect a great number of them," he said. "I'll be thoroughly disappointed if there are." Investigators are still working to determine what caused the spill, which led authorities to evacuate nearly two dozen homes in a subdivision. It's not clear when residents will be able to return to their homes, but Dodson said it could be within days for some people. "Our focus is to protect the community," said Karen Tyrone, vice president of operations for ExxonMobil Pipeline Co. "We have air monitoring going on seven days a week, 24 hours a day ... and to date, we have no indication that there's a health impact on the community." Still, the air smells like oil, and area residents say it has for days. "We live five miles out in the country and we've had the smell out there," Karen Lewis, 54, said outside a local grocery store. Its parking lot, like much of this small city, is teeming with cleanup crews and their trucks. Meanwhile, in the neighborhood where the pipeline burst, workers in yellow suits waded in an oil-soaked lawn Monday as they tried to clean up part of the area where the spill began. The pipeline that ruptured dates back to the 1940s, according to ExxonMobil, and is part of the Pegasus pipeline that carries crude oil from the Midwest to refineries in the Gulf of Mexico. Exxon spokesman Charlie Engelmann said the oil is conventionally produced Canadian heavy crude. "Crude oil is crude oil," Dodson said. "None of it is real good to touch." ___ Follow Jeannie Nuss at http://twitter.com/jeannienuss ||||| Emergency crews work to clean up an oil spill near Interstate 40 in Mayflower, Arkansas March 31, 2013. Spilled crude oil is seen in a drainage ditch near evacuated homes near Starlite Road in Mayflower, Arkansas March 31, 2013. Emergency crews work to clean up an oil spill near Interstate 40 in Mayflower, Arkansas March 31, 2013. Emergency crews work to clean up an oil spill in front of evacuated homes on Starlite Road in Mayflower, Arkansas March 31, 2013. Emergency crews work to clean up an oil spill near Interstate 40 in Mayflower, Arkansas March 31, 2013. Spilled crude oil is seen in a drainage ditch near Starlite Road in Mayflower, Arkansas March 31, 2013. Workers scrub crude oil from their boots in the Northwoods subdivision where an ExxonMobil pipeline ruptured in Mayflower, Arkansas, April 1, 2013. MAYFLOWER, Ark./HOUSTON (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil Corp continued efforts on Monday to clean up thousands of barrels of heavy Canadian crude oil spilled from a near 65-year-old pipeline in Arkansas, as a debate raged about the safety of transporting rising volumes of the fuel into the United States. The Pegasus pipeline, which ruptured in a housing development near the town of Mayflower on Friday, spewing oil across lawns and down residential streets, remained shut and a company spokesman declined to speculate about when it would be fixed and restarted. Exxon, which was fined in 2010 for not inspecting another portion of the Pegasus line with sufficient frequency, had yet to excavate the area around the Pegasus pipeline breach on Monday, a critical step in assessing damage and determining how and why it leaked. Police set up a check point keeping residents away from the affected area, while helicopters mapping the spill continuously circled the neighborhood on Monday. A strong smell of oil, which resembled asphalt, permeated the town well beyond the affected area, according to a Reuters witness. Two front lawns less than fifty feet from where the rupture occurred were blackened by oil. Crews in yellow hazmat suits bagged up oil-covered leaves from the yards. Exxon said in a statement that 10 "oiled ducks" were being treated at a local animal welfare center. Two more ducks had been found dead, the oil major said. The spill in this small commuter town has stoked a discussion about the environmental dangers of using aging pipelines to transport heavy crude from Canada, including tar sands, as a boom in oil and gas production in North America increases volumes moving across the continent. The Pegasus line, which can transport more than 90,000 barrels per day of crude from Patoka, Illinois to Nederland, Texas, was carrying Canadian Wabasca Heavy crude at the time of the leak, a bitumen oil from the massive Pelican Lake field in northern Alberta. It needs to be blended with lighter oils or natural gas liquids to flow through pipelines. Traders said a prolonged disruption of Canadian crude supplies on the Pegasus line could bolster prices for physical crude in the Gulf Coast. Heavy Mars crude, produced in the Gulf of Mexico, saw its premium to benchmark West Texas Intermediate rise on Monday. "An influx of tar sands on the U.S. pipeline network poses greater risks to pipeline integrity, challenges for leak detection systems and significantly increased impacts to sensitive water resources," environmental group the Natural Resources Defense Council said in an emailed note on Monday. Some environmentalists argue that oil sands crudes are more corrosive to pipelines than conventional oil, although a report this year for the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association by consultancy Penspen argued diluted bitumen is no more corrosive than other heavy crude. Exxon did not have a specific figure of how much oil was released when the 20-inch line ruptured on Friday. The company repeated on Monday a statement it made on Sunday that 12,000 barrels of oil and water had been recovered. Exxon Mobil's Pegasus pipeline crosses 13 miles of the Lake Maumelle watershed. Many are concerned this poses a risk to Central Arkansas's water supply, which includes the drinking water for Little Rock, the capital and the largest city of the state of Arkansas The Pegasus line was last "pigged" in July 2010, Exxon said, with a device that runs through the pipe to detect corrosion, thinning of the pipe wall, dents and other potential problems that could need repair. Such devices, called "smart pigs," are standard in maintaining pipeline integrity. PIPELINE MAINTENANCE Exxon, the world's largest publicly traded oil company, is no stranger to incidents on its lines and has in the past been fined for not inspecting Pegasus frequently enough. In November 2010, the U.S. Department of Transportation slapped ExxonMobil Pipeline Co with a fine of $26,200 for allegedly allowing more than 5 years to lapse between inspections of a stretch of Pegasus that underlies the Mississippi River, between Missouri and Illinois, last decade. The Exxon subsidiary did not contest the fine levied by the Office of Pipeline Safety, according to documents on the PHMSA website. Since 2006, according to PHMSA, "incidents" on pipelines controlled by ExxonMobil Pipeline Co or Mobil Pipeline Co caused more than $147 million in property damage and spilled 6,830 "gross barrels" of hazardous liquids. Another pipeline company operated by an oil major, Shell Pipeline Co LP, inflicted around $50 million in property damage over the same period, according to PHMSA data, spilling 11,019 gross barrels. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) said in a recent report that more than half of the nation's pipelines were built in the 1950s and 1960s in response to higher energy demand after World War II. Some, like Pegasus, were built earlier. Exxon spokesman Charles Engelmann said the ruptured section of the pipeline was installed in the late 1940s. Nearly two years ago Exxon grappled with another crude oil pipeline rupture that sent 1,500 barrels into the Yellowstone River in Montana. The 40,000 barrel-per-day Silvertip pipeline ruptured underneath the river in July 2011 after heavy flooding and did not fully restart until September that year after Exxon had dug deeper under the riverbed to install the new section. A week ago, PHMSA proposed that Exxon pay a $1.7 million fine over pipeline safety violations stemming from the Silvertip spill. (Writing by Edward McAllister in New York. Additional reporting by Scott Haggett in Calgary and Joshua Schneyer in New York; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick, David Gregorio, Nick Zieminski and Andre Grenon)

– Ten surviving "oiled ducks" and two dead ones have turned up following a pipeline leak in Arkansas, Exxon Mobil says. "I'm an animal lover, a wildlife lover, as probably most of the people here are," says a local judge. "We don't like to see that." The air around the town of Mayflower smells like oil, the AP reports, and two front lawns have been soaked by the stuff. An Exxon rep says there's "no indication" of health dangers, but the spill's cause remains a mystery as Exxon workers clean up. The company was fined in 2010 for a failure to inspect another part of the Pegasus oil line often enough, Reuters notes. As of yesterday, the company still hadn't dug up the ground around the leak. Meanwhile, the disruption of the line, which runs from Patoka, Illinois, to Nederland, Texas, continued to fuel debate over the Keystone XL pipeline. The Pegasus line transported oil similar to what the Keystone pipeline would carry, Bloomberg notes, and there's controversy over whether this diluted bitumen is more corrosive than regular crude. Last year saw 364 US pipeline spills totaling 54,000 barrels. National Geographic has more photos of the latest spill.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.An oil spill that fouled an Arkansas town is raising questions about the U.S. pipeline network and the safety of importing Canadian heavy crude, as President Barack Obama weighs whether to approve the Keystone XL project. Environmental groups said the rupture of the Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) pipe on March 29 in Mayflower, Arkansas, shows why Obama should reject Keystone, which would be a major new conduit between the U.S. and Canada for a type of fuel critics say is more corrosive than more conventional forms of oil. “Without question, this underscores the risks of transporting this stuff,” Jim Murphy, senior counsel at the National Wildlife Federation, said yesterday in a phone interview. The U.S. State Department is reviewing TransCanada Corp.’s (TRP) Keystone project to link Alberta’s oil sands with refineries along the Gulf Coast because it crosses an international border. White House press secretary Jay Carney said yesterday the White House takes the safety of the pipeline system “very seriously.” He said the Environmental Protection Agency is working with local officials and Exxon on the Arkansas spill. Republicans and some Democrats in Congress argue Keystone will create thousands of jobs and improve U.S. energy security. The Senate on March 22 approved 62-37 a non-binding resolution encouraging the project’s development. If built, the pipeline each day could carry more than 800,000 barrels of diluted bitumen, or dilbit. Photographer: Alan English/The Log Cabin Democrat via AP Photo Crews set out containment booms as they cleanup and check wildlife in Mayflower, Arkansas. Close Crews set out containment booms as they cleanup and check wildlife in Mayflower, Arkansas. Close Open Photographer: Alan English/The Log Cabin Democrat via AP Photo Crews set out containment booms as they cleanup and check wildlife in Mayflower, Arkansas. Pegasus Pipeline Exxon’s pipeline, known as Pegasus, can carry 96,000 barrels a day. The 20-inch (51-centimeter) line runs to Nederland, Texas, from Patoka, Illinois. The pipeline carried a type of dilbit similar to what would be transported on Keystone. One question central to the debate is whether this type of fuel is more corrosive than conventional crude. Fuel from Alberta’s oil sands can pose a greater risk if it is transported at a higher temperature or under greater pressure, Richard Kuprewicz, president of Accufacts Inc., a Redmond, Washington-based pipeline safety consultant, said yesterday in a telephone interview. Operators using modern pipeline-safety techniques can manage the risks by cleaning out the line more frequently or carefully monitoring how the bitumen is diluted, he said. “You just don’t write off the corrosion threat,” he said. “You’ve got to be sure you’re managing it.” ‘Stronger Standards’ The National Wildlife Federation, based in Reston, Virginia, asked the U.S. last month to develop stronger standards for transporting tar-sands oil. The group said in a statement that the fuel has the consistency of “gritty peanut butter.” Because it’s heavier than conventional crude, it is often tougher to clean up, particularly if it leaks into water bodies where it sinks to the bottom rather than floating on top, Murphy said. “Whether it’s the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, or this mess in Arkansas, Americans are realizing that transporting large amounts of this corrosive and polluting fuel is a bad deal for American taxpayers and for our environment,” Representative Edward Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, said in a statement. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last month directed Enbridge Inc. (ENB) to perform more dredging in Michigan’s Kalamazoo River as part of a cleanup from a July 2010 rupture of a 30-inch pipeline that also carried heavy crude. More than 843,000 gallons spilled during the leak. The oil flowed into Talmadge Creek before entering the Kalamazoo River, coating birds and wildlife with an oily residue. Late 1940s Exxon said the section that ruptured in the Arkansas town of Mayflower, about 22 miles northwest of Little Rock, was installed in the late 1940s. Larry Farnsworth, a spokesman for Representative Lee Terry, a Nebraska Republican who supports Keystone, said the spill shows the need for the U.S. to upgrade its infrastructure. A portion of the pipeline would cross Terry’s home state. Keystone will be the “most modern and highly engineered pipeline that can be built,” Farnsworth said in a phone interview yesterday. Shawn Howard, a spokesman for TransCanada, said the company has agreed to higher safety standards with U.S. regulators for the Keystone XL, such as increasing the number of shutoff valves, boosting inspections and burying the pipe deeper in the ground. The Arkansas spill “is an unfortunate circumstance and demonstrates the pipeline industry must continue to focus on the safe, reliable operation of its energy infrastructure,” Howard said in an e-mail yesterday. 364 Spills Last year, there were 364 spills from pipelines in the U.S. that released about 54,000 barrels of oil and refined products, according to the Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, a division within the Department of Transportation. Any incident in which more than five gallons of fuel leaked is counted as a spill. Each year, about 11.9 billion barrels of oil, gasoline and other refined products are pumped across the network of pipelines, said John Stoody, director of government and public relations for the Association of Oil Pipe Lines, a Washington- based group whose members own about 85 percent of the liquid pipelines in the U.S. “Incidents do happen, but they’re rare,” Stoody said in an interview. There are 119,000 miles of pipelines carrying crude oil and refined products in the U.S., Stoody said. “The properties of Canadian oil sands crude are similar to other heavy crudes from California, Venezuela and other places and transported safely across the U.S. for decades,” Stoody said in an e-mail. In Arkansas, Exxon has said it collected about 12,000 barrels of oil and water from the spill, according to a statement yesterday from the Mayflower Incident Unified Command Joint Information Center. The town recommended that 22 homes be evacuated, it said. Exxon (XOM) said no oil had reached nearby Lake Conway. To contact the reporters on this story: Jim Snyder in Washington at [email protected]; Bradley Olson in Houston at [email protected] To contact the editor responsible for this story: Timothy Franklin at [email protected] ||||| The environmental impacts of an oil spill in central Arkansas began to come into focus Monday as officials said a couple of dead ducks and 10 live oily birds were found after an ExxonMobil pipeline ruptured last week. Oil covers the ground around a slide in Mayflower, Ark., on Monday, April 1, 2013, days after a pipeline ruptured and spewed oil over lawns and roadways. (AP Photo/Jeannie Nuss) (Associated Press) Faulkner County Judge Allen Dodson talks to reporters in Mayflower, Ark., on Monday, April 1, 2013, days after a crude oil pipeline ruptured and spewed oil over lawns and roadways. (AP Photo/Jeannie Nuss) (Associated Press) Workers clean up oil in Mayflower, Ark., on Monday, April 1, 2013, days after a pipeline ruptured and spewed oil over lawns and roadways. (AP Photo/Jeannie Nuss) (Associated Press) A worker cleans up oil in Mayflower, Ark., on Monday, April 1, 2013, days after a pipeline ruptured and spewed oil over lawns and roadways. (AP Photo/Jeannie Nuss) (Associated Press) "I'm an animal lover, a wildlife lover, as probably most of the people here are," Faulkner County Judge Allen Dodson told reporters. "We don't like to see that. No one does." Officials are urging people in Mayflower, a small city about 20 miles northwest of Little Rock, not to touch any injured or oiled animals as crews clean up Friday's spill. About 12,000 barrels of oil and water have been recovered since ExxonMobil's Pegasus pipeline sprung a leak, spewing oil onto lawns and roadways and nearly fouling a nearby lake. Dodson said he expects a few more oily birds to turn up in the coming days. "I don't expect a great number of them," he said. "I'll be thoroughly disappointed if there are." Investigators are still working to determine what caused the spill, which led authorities to evacuate nearly two dozen homes in a subdivision. It's not clear when residents will be able to return to their homes, but Dodson said it could be within days for some people. "Our focus is to protect the community," said Karen Tyrone, vice president of operations for ExxonMobil Pipeline Co. "We have air monitoring going on seven days a week, 24 hours a day ... and to date, we have no indication that there's a health impact on the community." Still, the air smells like oil, and area residents say it has for days. "We live five miles out in the country and we've had the smell out there," Karen Lewis, 54, said outside a local grocery store. Its parking lot, like much of this small city, is teeming with cleanup crews and their trucks. Meanwhile, in the neighborhood where the pipeline burst, workers in yellow suits waded in an oil-soaked lawn Monday as they tried to clean up part of the area where the spill began. The pipeline that ruptured dates back to the 1940s, according to ExxonMobil, and is part of the Pegasus pipeline that carries crude oil from the Midwest to refineries in the Gulf of Mexico. Exxon spokesman Charlie Engelmann said the oil is conventionally produced Canadian heavy crude. "Crude oil is crude oil," Dodson said. "None of it is real good to touch." ___ Follow Jeannie Nuss at http://twitter.com/jeannienuss ||||| Emergency crews work to clean up an oil spill near Interstate 40 in Mayflower, Arkansas March 31, 2013. Spilled crude oil is seen in a drainage ditch near evacuated homes near Starlite Road in Mayflower, Arkansas March 31, 2013. Emergency crews work to clean up an oil spill near Interstate 40 in Mayflower, Arkansas March 31, 2013. Emergency crews work to clean up an oil spill in front of evacuated homes on Starlite Road in Mayflower, Arkansas March 31, 2013. Emergency crews work to clean up an oil spill near Interstate 40 in Mayflower, Arkansas March 31, 2013. Spilled crude oil is seen in a drainage ditch near Starlite Road in Mayflower, Arkansas March 31, 2013. Workers scrub crude oil from their boots in the Northwoods subdivision where an ExxonMobil pipeline ruptured in Mayflower, Arkansas, April 1, 2013. MAYFLOWER, Ark./HOUSTON (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil Corp continued efforts on Monday to clean up thousands of barrels of heavy Canadian crude oil spilled from a near 65-year-old pipeline in Arkansas, as a debate raged about the safety of transporting rising volumes of the fuel into the United States. The Pegasus pipeline, which ruptured in a housing development near the town of Mayflower on Friday, spewing oil across lawns and down residential streets, remained shut and a company spokesman declined to speculate about when it would be fixed and restarted. Exxon, which was fined in 2010 for not inspecting another portion of the Pegasus line with sufficient frequency, had yet to excavate the area around the Pegasus pipeline breach on Monday, a critical step in assessing damage and determining how and why it leaked. Police set up a check point keeping residents away from the affected area, while helicopters mapping the spill continuously circled the neighborhood on Monday. A strong smell of oil, which resembled asphalt, permeated the town well beyond the affected area, according to a Reuters witness. Two front lawns less than fifty feet from where the rupture occurred were blackened by oil. Crews in yellow hazmat suits bagged up oil-covered leaves from the yards. Exxon said in a statement that 10 "oiled ducks" were being treated at a local animal welfare center. Two more ducks had been found dead, the oil major said. The spill in this small commuter town has stoked a discussion about the environmental dangers of using aging pipelines to transport heavy crude from Canada, including tar sands, as a boom in oil and gas production in North America increases volumes moving across the continent. The Pegasus line, which can transport more than 90,000 barrels per day of crude from Patoka, Illinois to Nederland, Texas, was carrying Canadian Wabasca Heavy crude at the time of the leak, a bitumen oil from the massive Pelican Lake field in northern Alberta. It needs to be blended with lighter oils or natural gas liquids to flow through pipelines. Traders said a prolonged disruption of Canadian crude supplies on the Pegasus line could bolster prices for physical crude in the Gulf Coast. Heavy Mars crude, produced in the Gulf of Mexico, saw its premium to benchmark West Texas Intermediate rise on Monday. "An influx of tar sands on the U.S. pipeline network poses greater risks to pipeline integrity, challenges for leak detection systems and significantly increased impacts to sensitive water resources," environmental group the Natural Resources Defense Council said in an emailed note on Monday. Some environmentalists argue that oil sands crudes are more corrosive to pipelines than conventional oil, although a report this year for the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association by consultancy Penspen argued diluted bitumen is no more corrosive than other heavy crude. Exxon did not have a specific figure of how much oil was released when the 20-inch line ruptured on Friday. The company repeated on Monday a statement it made on Sunday that 12,000 barrels of oil and water had been recovered. Exxon Mobil's Pegasus pipeline crosses 13 miles of the Lake Maumelle watershed. Many are concerned this poses a risk to Central Arkansas's water supply, which includes the drinking water for Little Rock, the capital and the largest city of the state of Arkansas The Pegasus line was last "pigged" in July 2010, Exxon said, with a device that runs through the pipe to detect corrosion, thinning of the pipe wall, dents and other potential problems that could need repair. Such devices, called "smart pigs," are standard in maintaining pipeline integrity. PIPELINE MAINTENANCE Exxon, the world's largest publicly traded oil company, is no stranger to incidents on its lines and has in the past been fined for not inspecting Pegasus frequently enough. In November 2010, the U.S. Department of Transportation slapped ExxonMobil Pipeline Co with a fine of $26,200 for allegedly allowing more than 5 years to lapse between inspections of a stretch of Pegasus that underlies the Mississippi River, between Missouri and Illinois, last decade. The Exxon subsidiary did not contest the fine levied by the Office of Pipeline Safety, according to documents on the PHMSA website. Since 2006, according to PHMSA, "incidents" on pipelines controlled by ExxonMobil Pipeline Co or Mobil Pipeline Co caused more than $147 million in property damage and spilled 6,830 "gross barrels" of hazardous liquids. Another pipeline company operated by an oil major, Shell Pipeline Co LP, inflicted around $50 million in property damage over the same period, according to PHMSA data, spilling 11,019 gross barrels. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) said in a recent report that more than half of the nation's pipelines were built in the 1950s and 1960s in response to higher energy demand after World War II. Some, like Pegasus, were built earlier. Exxon spokesman Charles Engelmann said the ruptured section of the pipeline was installed in the late 1940s. Nearly two years ago Exxon grappled with another crude oil pipeline rupture that sent 1,500 barrels into the Yellowstone River in Montana. The 40,000 barrel-per-day Silvertip pipeline ruptured underneath the river in July 2011 after heavy flooding and did not fully restart until September that year after Exxon had dug deeper under the riverbed to install the new section. A week ago, PHMSA proposed that Exxon pay a $1.7 million fine over pipeline safety violations stemming from the Silvertip spill. (Writing by Edward McAllister in New York. Additional reporting by Scott Haggett in Calgary and Joshua Schneyer in New York; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick, David Gregorio, Nick Zieminski and Andre Grenon)

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

An Ohio mom had her teenage wish come true when her son took her to his senior prom, an event she never got to attend. When MelissaRoshan Potter was a teenager, she was transitioning from foster care to motherhood. So when her 18-year-old son Trey asked her to his senior prom at Gahanna-Lincoln High School in Gahanna, Ohio, she jumped at the chance. "I was initially shocked because it's an incredibly selfless act and my heart was just overwhelmed with gratitude because it was so sweet," she told ABC News of being asked to prom. "I felt very stoked and excited. I was like, 'Oh my God. I'm about to get the best dress and turn up at the prom!'" Her son Trey said he asked his mother to prom because "she was a teen mom and from all the stories she told me it's made me realize that to be a parent it takes a lot of sacrifice and a lot of time and energy." A photo posted by Trey Potter (@mr_adiflow) on Nov 23, 2015 at 4:14pm PST MelissaRoshan, 36, lived with her son in a homeless shelter for the first two years of his life due to financial struggles stemming from her difficult childhood. "My mother had me at 13 by rape. So I was subsequently placed in the foster care system when I was 10," she explained. "I've lived in 23 foster care and group homes, and have endured physical abuse, sexual abuse and child labor abuse. There was many times I thought I wasn't going to make it out of the system." The Columbus, Ohio, mom said it was the love she had for Trey that made her defy the odds, later becoming a makeup artist and an advocate for foster care youth. She's even a spokeswoman for Children's Rights, a non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for foster children. Courtesy of Melissa Roshan Potter "It wasn't easy. Emotionally it was hard seeing my friends going off to prom [and] getting ready to graduate, when I had a baby," MelissaRoshan said. "But he was so precious and so cute...when I first had him. He cracked me this smile and I thought to myself, 'I will never leave you.'" MelissaRoshan told ABC News she had a ball at the April 16 prom, held inside the Lifestyle Communities Pavilion in downtown Columbus, wearing a coral Vera Wang gown. "I didn't miss out on prom. I gained," she said. "When I made the choice to have [Trey], I knew I was going to 'miss' a lot of things but when you choose love, it's a gain and it's all worth it. And I truly mean that." ||||| GAHANNA, OH (WCMH) — A Gahanna-Lincoln High School student surprised his mom by asking her to prom. Trey Potter said he wanted to show his mother, MelissaRoshan (MelRo) Potter how much he admires her after everything she’s been through in her life. “She never had that experience and she’s risked so much for throughout my life and made so many sacrifices I thought it would be the right thing to do,” Trey Potter said. MelRo Potter grew up living in 23 different foster care homes. She ended up pregnant and homeless at sixteen-years-old. Touching promposal View as list View as gallery Open Gallery “My mother was raped when she was 13, and I am the product from that rape. And as a result I lived in the foster care system and didn’t hear any positive reinforcements that I was valuable or worthy,” mother MelRo Potter said. MelRo was abused in some of the foster homes, but fought through the pain and raised her son alone. She was later discovered as a model and landed several magazine covers. “When I was pregnant with him well, I heard, ‘Mel because you lived in the foster care system, you’re probably not going to raise a thriving individual. It just doesn’t happen. You can’t give him what you don’t have.’ So seeing who he has become and knowing the sacrifices that have been made and how much I love him and seeing that come to fruition, I’ve proved him wrong,” Potter said. Potter turned her life around and is now an advocate for foster care children. “I think it shows her how much I appreciate her cause i really do after all she’s been through and all I’ve been through with her,” Trey Potter said. What others are clicking on: ||||| As a teen, MelissaRoshan Potter was unable to go to prom. But years later, she finally got the chance to experience this rite of passage -- thanks to her son. Potter didn't attend her first prom because she was pregnant with her son, Trey. She told The Huffington Post her son was aware she never went, and when he was 12, he mentioned taking her to prom as his date since she missed out. Potter thought the gesture was sweet, but didn't think it'd actually happen. "I really didn’t take him seriously," she said. "I was like, 'Oh okay, buddy. Sure.'" Now 18, Potter's son followed through on his promise. MelissaRoshan Potter When he was 12, MelissaRoshan Potter's son said he'd take his mom to prom. Years later, he followed through with that promise. Potter told HuffPost she felt "like Cinderella" on the big night. She also explained that she thinks part of her son's offer stemmed from his appreciation of the sacrifices she made as a single parent as well as her advocacy work for foster kids. "I think that’s why he was like, 'I really want to honor my mom,'" she told HuffPost. In a TED Talk she gave in Ohio last year, Potter told the audience that she was born as a product of her mother's rape. Abused throughout her childhood, she grew up in 23 different foster homes. Today she works to support foster children and speak up for them. "My purpose all along has been to be a fierce advocate and a champion for foster youth and be a voice for them," she told HuffPost. "So I have dedicated my life to advocacy work." Potter, who described going to prom with her son as "a blessing," saw the night as not only a way to recognize both her and her son's accomplishments, but as a celebration of life.

– MelissaRoshan Potter lived in 23 foster homes from the time she was 10 years old. As she was transitioning out of the foster care system, and around the time her own high school prom was held, she got pregnant and never attended the dance. Her son Trey knew that, and at age 12, told her he'd take her to his own prom someday. "I really didn’t take him seriously. I was like, ‘Oh, OK, buddy. Sure,'" Potter, 36, tells the Huffington Post. But, now 18, Trey made good on that promise last month, leaving his mom feeling "like Cinderella" in her Vera Wang gown at Ohio's Gahanna-Lincoln High School prom, she says. "It was hard seeing my friends going off to prom [and] getting ready to graduate, when I had a baby," Potter, now a makeup artist and an advocate for foster kids, tells ABC News. So when her son asked her to the dance, "I felt very stoked and excited. I was like, 'Oh my God. I'm about to get the best dress and turn up at the prom!'" As for why he asked, "She never had that experience and she’s risked so much for throughout my life and made so many sacrifices I thought it would be the right thing to do," Trey tells WCMH. "It just makes her happy, and that's all that really matters."

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.An Ohio mom had her teenage wish come true when her son took her to his senior prom, an event she never got to attend. When MelissaRoshan Potter was a teenager, she was transitioning from foster care to motherhood. So when her 18-year-old son Trey asked her to his senior prom at Gahanna-Lincoln High School in Gahanna, Ohio, she jumped at the chance. "I was initially shocked because it's an incredibly selfless act and my heart was just overwhelmed with gratitude because it was so sweet," she told ABC News of being asked to prom. "I felt very stoked and excited. I was like, 'Oh my God. I'm about to get the best dress and turn up at the prom!'" Her son Trey said he asked his mother to prom because "she was a teen mom and from all the stories she told me it's made me realize that to be a parent it takes a lot of sacrifice and a lot of time and energy." A photo posted by Trey Potter (@mr_adiflow) on Nov 23, 2015 at 4:14pm PST MelissaRoshan, 36, lived with her son in a homeless shelter for the first two years of his life due to financial struggles stemming from her difficult childhood. "My mother had me at 13 by rape. So I was subsequently placed in the foster care system when I was 10," she explained. "I've lived in 23 foster care and group homes, and have endured physical abuse, sexual abuse and child labor abuse. There was many times I thought I wasn't going to make it out of the system." The Columbus, Ohio, mom said it was the love she had for Trey that made her defy the odds, later becoming a makeup artist and an advocate for foster care youth. She's even a spokeswoman for Children's Rights, a non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for foster children. Courtesy of Melissa Roshan Potter "It wasn't easy. Emotionally it was hard seeing my friends going off to prom [and] getting ready to graduate, when I had a baby," MelissaRoshan said. "But he was so precious and so cute...when I first had him. He cracked me this smile and I thought to myself, 'I will never leave you.'" MelissaRoshan told ABC News she had a ball at the April 16 prom, held inside the Lifestyle Communities Pavilion in downtown Columbus, wearing a coral Vera Wang gown. "I didn't miss out on prom. I gained," she said. "When I made the choice to have [Trey], I knew I was going to 'miss' a lot of things but when you choose love, it's a gain and it's all worth it. And I truly mean that." ||||| GAHANNA, OH (WCMH) — A Gahanna-Lincoln High School student surprised his mom by asking her to prom. Trey Potter said he wanted to show his mother, MelissaRoshan (MelRo) Potter how much he admires her after everything she’s been through in her life. “She never had that experience and she’s risked so much for throughout my life and made so many sacrifices I thought it would be the right thing to do,” Trey Potter said. MelRo Potter grew up living in 23 different foster care homes. She ended up pregnant and homeless at sixteen-years-old. Touching promposal View as list View as gallery Open Gallery “My mother was raped when she was 13, and I am the product from that rape. And as a result I lived in the foster care system and didn’t hear any positive reinforcements that I was valuable or worthy,” mother MelRo Potter said. MelRo was abused in some of the foster homes, but fought through the pain and raised her son alone. She was later discovered as a model and landed several magazine covers. “When I was pregnant with him well, I heard, ‘Mel because you lived in the foster care system, you’re probably not going to raise a thriving individual. It just doesn’t happen. You can’t give him what you don’t have.’ So seeing who he has become and knowing the sacrifices that have been made and how much I love him and seeing that come to fruition, I’ve proved him wrong,” Potter said. Potter turned her life around and is now an advocate for foster care children. “I think it shows her how much I appreciate her cause i really do after all she’s been through and all I’ve been through with her,” Trey Potter said. What others are clicking on: ||||| As a teen, MelissaRoshan Potter was unable to go to prom. But years later, she finally got the chance to experience this rite of passage -- thanks to her son. Potter didn't attend her first prom because she was pregnant with her son, Trey. She told The Huffington Post her son was aware she never went, and when he was 12, he mentioned taking her to prom as his date since she missed out. Potter thought the gesture was sweet, but didn't think it'd actually happen. "I really didn’t take him seriously," she said. "I was like, 'Oh okay, buddy. Sure.'" Now 18, Potter's son followed through on his promise. MelissaRoshan Potter When he was 12, MelissaRoshan Potter's son said he'd take his mom to prom. Years later, he followed through with that promise. Potter told HuffPost she felt "like Cinderella" on the big night. She also explained that she thinks part of her son's offer stemmed from his appreciation of the sacrifices she made as a single parent as well as her advocacy work for foster kids. "I think that’s why he was like, 'I really want to honor my mom,'" she told HuffPost. In a TED Talk she gave in Ohio last year, Potter told the audience that she was born as a product of her mother's rape. Abused throughout her childhood, she grew up in 23 different foster homes. Today she works to support foster children and speak up for them. "My purpose all along has been to be a fierce advocate and a champion for foster youth and be a voice for them," she told HuffPost. "So I have dedicated my life to advocacy work." Potter, who described going to prom with her son as "a blessing," saw the night as not only a way to recognize both her and her son's accomplishments, but as a celebration of life.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are skipping campaigning Sunday to focus on preparing for their debate Tuesday night, with the incumbent trying to rebound from a widely panned performance at the first face-off and the Republican nominee hoping to repeat his strong showing. Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney picks up a baby as he campaigns in front of The Golden Lamb Inn and Restaurant in Lebanon, Ohio, Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012. (AP... (Associated Press) President Barack Obama walks to greet people on the tarmac as he arrives at Newport News Williamsburg International Airport on Air Force One, Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012, in Williamsburg, Va. (AP Photo/Carolyn... (Associated Press) Graphic compares electoral and popular vote for presidential elections since 1960, shift in party preference by state since 1992, exit poll results from 2004 and 2008, state voting history since 1976,... (Associated Press) The president was gathering with advisers at a riverfront resort in Williamsburg while Romney was sticking to his Boston-area home ahead of the prime-time town-hall style debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., exactly three weeks before the Nov. 6 election. After a listless first debate Oct. 3, Obama was working with aides on more pointed and aggressive responses to his Republican rival in the tight race. While dismissing Romney's debate tenor as "magical and theatrical," Obama adviser Robert Gibbs predicted the president would step up his game in the second matchup. "He knew when he walked off that stage, and he also knew as he watched the tape of that debate, that he has to be more energetic. I think you'll see somebody who is very passionate about the choice that our country faces," Gibbs said on CNN's "State of the Union." Romney will be ready for a more aggressive Obama, adviser Ed Gillespie said. "The president can change his style, he can change his tactics, he can't change his record and he can't change his policies. And that's what this election is about," Gillespie told CNN. Romney's campaign released a new television advertisement using footage from running mate Paul Ryan's debate last week with Vice President Joe Biden. The ad features clips of Ryan saying the government "can't keep spending money we don't have." His comments are juxtaposed with video from the debate of Biden laughing. The campaign did not say in which states the ad would run. Obama aides have tried to make debate preparations a higher priority for the president this time. Ahead of first debate, some of Obama's practice sessions were cut short, and others were canceled, mainly because of developments in Libya, where four Americans were killed at a U.S. consulate. Aides say Obama is still dealing with those matters and others. But the urgency that led to interruptions during earlier debate preparations has subsided, and the campaign is trying to ensure that Obama stays more fully engaged in his practice sessions. Despite questions about the effectiveness of his debate preparation, Obama is working with the same team this time around. Advisers David Axelrod and David Plouffe, along with former White House officials Anita Dunn and Ron Klain, are running the preparations. Deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes has been added to the team because the second and third debates involve foreign policy. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., is playing the role of Romney. One of the priorities during the practice sessions is sharpening the president's retorts to Romney and drawing a sharper contrast between what the campaign says are Romney's shifting positions on key issues. The president may have picked up a few pointers from Biden. Obama watched Thursday's debate with aides in a conference room on Air Force One as he traveled back to Washington. The president said little throughout the debate, but did chime in when Biden would deliver a particularly pointed counter to Ryan. Romney returned to Massachusetts on Saturday night after campaigning in Ohio. He planned to spend most of his two days at home in Belmont getting ready for the debate. With Romney is Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, who's playing Obama in mock debates. ___ Associated Press writers Kasie Hunt in Boston and Jim Kuhnhenn in Washington contributed to this report. ||||| Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) claims that the Obama administration has "been misleading us" on what happened during the fatal attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, because it doesn't fit the White House "narrative" of what is happening in the Middle East. Senior administration officials initially said the the Benghazi incident was a spontaneous riot brought about by rage over an anti-Muslim video. But President Barack Obama and other administration officials now acknowledge it was a terrorist attack that left U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans dead. "My belief is that was known by the administration within 24 hours," said Graham said on CBS's "Face the Nation." "They're trying to sell a narrative, quite frankly, that the Mideast, the wars are receding and al Qaeda has been dismantled. And to admit that our embassy has been attacked by al Qaeda operatives and Libya - leading from behind - didn't work, I think undercuts that narrative," Graham said. "They never believed the media would investigate. Congress was out of session. This caught up with them. I think they've been misleading us and it finally caught up with them." "Either they're misleading the American people or incredibly incompetent," Graham concluded. Stevens' death and the Benghazi attack has emerged as a campaign issue. Republican challenger Mitt Romney has repeatedly slammed the president and his aides for failing to bolster security in Benghazi and not being forthright about what happened - and who is responsible - for the attack. Graham asserted that the Obama administration is quick to leak details on military and intelligence victories to the press but covers up mistakes or defeats. "They're very political when it comes to foreign policy," Graham charged. "When something goes bad, they deny, they deceive and they delay... The truth is the foreign policy choices of President Obama is allowing the region to come unraveled." Read more about: Barack Obama, Lindsey Graham, Libya ||||| Sen. Rob Portman said on Sunday that Mitt Romney could still win the White House without carrying the senator's home state of Ohio, though he suggested that the Republican presidential nominee's path would be much narrower without the prized battleground. "He can probably win the presidency without Ohio, but I wouldn’t want to take the risk," Portman said on ABC's "This Week." "No Republican has." The Republican senator said the race is "dead even" in his state and the "momentum is on our side," saying the Romney team's ground game has been much more aggressive there than Republicans were in 2008. "I’ve never seen this kind of enthusiasm or energy on the ground," Portman said. "It’s turning our way." Read more about: Mitt Romney, Ohio, Rob Portman, Swing States ||||| Satirist Stephen Colbert says some of his political guests on his late night comedy show don't seem to be in on the joke. In an interview aired Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press," Colbert said he tells politicos that he performs his show in character -- whom he refers to as an "active idiot" who is "willfully ignorant of what you know and care about." Colbert said he tells his guests: "Please honestly disabuse me of my ignorance, and we'll have a great time." But he said they sometimes forget. Take former Democratic Sen. Bob Kerrey, who is now running for the open Nebraska Senate seat. In 2005, Kerrey was a guest on the show discussing the aftermath of 9/11 as well as the invasion of Iraq. "And we were about three minutes into a seven-minute interview. And I don't know what I said, but he turned to me and he said, 'What the hell are you talking about?'" Colbert recalled in his interview with "Meet the Press" host David Gregory. "But in the middle of the interview, I couldn't explain to him what it was. ... And then he just [took the] mic off and then left as soon as the interview was over. So I hope at some point someone explained to him that I was just fooling, senator. And I'm very sorry." In the same NBC interview, Colbert - acting in character - said that Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney is "on fire" after his first debate performance. "He is on a rocket ride to plausible at this point," Colbert said. "Did you watch?" After Gregory indicated he did, Colbert shot back: "What was it like? I didn't see it." "I don't really watch the news so much," Colbert added "You don't?" Gregory asked. "I come in around 6:30 and then I just say the opposite of whatever Rachel Maddow said the night before," Colbert said. "And I'm usually good." Read more about: Stephen Colbert, Bob Kerrey, Colbert Report ||||| Robert Gibbs, senior advisor to the Obama campaign, criticized GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney for "playing politics" with the recent deadly attack in Benghazi, Libya, that left the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans dead. Romney and other Republicans have harshly criticized President Barack Obama and other top White House officials, claiming requests for more security at the Benghazi consulate were turned down for political - rather than security - reasons. Gibbs pushed back on the GOP claims during an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union." "I think what we need to do is stop playing politics with this issue," Gibbs said. "Ambassador [Chris] Stevens' own father said this shouldn't be a political issue. This is an issue we get to the bottom of for our investigation and bring those that did this to justice." "We don't need wing tip cowboys. We don't need shot-from-the-hip diplomacy," Gibbs added. "When Mitt Romney first responded to what happened in Libya, his own party called him out for insensitivity... He has done nothing but politicize what happened in Libya." Read more about: Robert Gibbs, Libya ||||| The vice president's son, Beau Biden, roundly dismissed Republican criticism Sunday that his father's facial expressions and body gestures were unbecoming on the national debate stage last week with Rep. Paul Ryan, the GOP vice presidential nominee. "Any time the other side, Karl Rove or folks on the far right are going after my father for smiling too much, you know that's a victory," said Biden, who's the Delaware attorney general. "This isn't, Jake, about how much my father smiled or how many gallons of water that the congressman drank nervously on that stage. It's about speaking directly to the American people about very important facts," Biden told host Jake Tapper on ABC's "This Week." Read more about: Debate, Beau Biden

– With President Obama and Mitt Romney hunkered down in debate prep, their surrogates took to the airwaves today, as did Steven Colbert, both in and out of character, reports Politico. Assessing Romney's post-debate trajectory, Colbert quipped, "He is on a rocket ride to plausible at this point." He later turned serious in breaking down differences between the two candidates, saying Obama might be "a more aggressive reformer" in his second term, while Romney "might govern as a technocrat." But "he can't tell us what he's gonna do, 'cause he hasn't seen the books yet." If Romney wins, "I hope he's a good president." As for Obama, "I hope he keeps some of the promises he didn't keep the first time." Other highlights from around the Sunday dial, as per Politico: Lindsey Graham on White House handling of Benghazi attack: "They're trying to sell a narrative that the Mideast, the wars are receding and al-Qaeda has been dismantled. And to admit that our embassy has been attacked undercuts that narrative. They never believed the media would investigate. I think they've been misleading us and it finally caught up with them." Robert Gibbs on Romney's handling to Benghazi attack: "We don't need wing tip cowboys. We don't need shot-from-the-hip diplomacy. He has done nothing but politicize what happened in Libya." Rob Portman on Ohio: Romney "can probably win the presidency without Ohio, but I wouldn’t want to take the risk. No Republican has." Momentum, however, "is on our side. It's turning our way." Beau Biden on his grinning dad: "This isn't about how much my father smiled or how many gallons of water that the congressman drank nervously on that stage. It's about speaking directly to the American people about very important facts."

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are skipping campaigning Sunday to focus on preparing for their debate Tuesday night, with the incumbent trying to rebound from a widely panned performance at the first face-off and the Republican nominee hoping to repeat his strong showing. Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney picks up a baby as he campaigns in front of The Golden Lamb Inn and Restaurant in Lebanon, Ohio, Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012. (AP... (Associated Press) President Barack Obama walks to greet people on the tarmac as he arrives at Newport News Williamsburg International Airport on Air Force One, Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012, in Williamsburg, Va. (AP Photo/Carolyn... (Associated Press) Graphic compares electoral and popular vote for presidential elections since 1960, shift in party preference by state since 1992, exit poll results from 2004 and 2008, state voting history since 1976,... (Associated Press) The president was gathering with advisers at a riverfront resort in Williamsburg while Romney was sticking to his Boston-area home ahead of the prime-time town-hall style debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., exactly three weeks before the Nov. 6 election. After a listless first debate Oct. 3, Obama was working with aides on more pointed and aggressive responses to his Republican rival in the tight race. While dismissing Romney's debate tenor as "magical and theatrical," Obama adviser Robert Gibbs predicted the president would step up his game in the second matchup. "He knew when he walked off that stage, and he also knew as he watched the tape of that debate, that he has to be more energetic. I think you'll see somebody who is very passionate about the choice that our country faces," Gibbs said on CNN's "State of the Union." Romney will be ready for a more aggressive Obama, adviser Ed Gillespie said. "The president can change his style, he can change his tactics, he can't change his record and he can't change his policies. And that's what this election is about," Gillespie told CNN. Romney's campaign released a new television advertisement using footage from running mate Paul Ryan's debate last week with Vice President Joe Biden. The ad features clips of Ryan saying the government "can't keep spending money we don't have." His comments are juxtaposed with video from the debate of Biden laughing. The campaign did not say in which states the ad would run. Obama aides have tried to make debate preparations a higher priority for the president this time. Ahead of first debate, some of Obama's practice sessions were cut short, and others were canceled, mainly because of developments in Libya, where four Americans were killed at a U.S. consulate. Aides say Obama is still dealing with those matters and others. But the urgency that led to interruptions during earlier debate preparations has subsided, and the campaign is trying to ensure that Obama stays more fully engaged in his practice sessions. Despite questions about the effectiveness of his debate preparation, Obama is working with the same team this time around. Advisers David Axelrod and David Plouffe, along with former White House officials Anita Dunn and Ron Klain, are running the preparations. Deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes has been added to the team because the second and third debates involve foreign policy. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., is playing the role of Romney. One of the priorities during the practice sessions is sharpening the president's retorts to Romney and drawing a sharper contrast between what the campaign says are Romney's shifting positions on key issues. The president may have picked up a few pointers from Biden. Obama watched Thursday's debate with aides in a conference room on Air Force One as he traveled back to Washington. The president said little throughout the debate, but did chime in when Biden would deliver a particularly pointed counter to Ryan. Romney returned to Massachusetts on Saturday night after campaigning in Ohio. He planned to spend most of his two days at home in Belmont getting ready for the debate. With Romney is Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, who's playing Obama in mock debates. ___ Associated Press writers Kasie Hunt in Boston and Jim Kuhnhenn in Washington contributed to this report. ||||| Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) claims that the Obama administration has "been misleading us" on what happened during the fatal attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, because it doesn't fit the White House "narrative" of what is happening in the Middle East. Senior administration officials initially said the the Benghazi incident was a spontaneous riot brought about by rage over an anti-Muslim video. But President Barack Obama and other administration officials now acknowledge it was a terrorist attack that left U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans dead. "My belief is that was known by the administration within 24 hours," said Graham said on CBS's "Face the Nation." "They're trying to sell a narrative, quite frankly, that the Mideast, the wars are receding and al Qaeda has been dismantled. And to admit that our embassy has been attacked by al Qaeda operatives and Libya - leading from behind - didn't work, I think undercuts that narrative," Graham said. "They never believed the media would investigate. Congress was out of session. This caught up with them. I think they've been misleading us and it finally caught up with them." "Either they're misleading the American people or incredibly incompetent," Graham concluded. Stevens' death and the Benghazi attack has emerged as a campaign issue. Republican challenger Mitt Romney has repeatedly slammed the president and his aides for failing to bolster security in Benghazi and not being forthright about what happened - and who is responsible - for the attack. Graham asserted that the Obama administration is quick to leak details on military and intelligence victories to the press but covers up mistakes or defeats. "They're very political when it comes to foreign policy," Graham charged. "When something goes bad, they deny, they deceive and they delay... The truth is the foreign policy choices of President Obama is allowing the region to come unraveled." Read more about: Barack Obama, Lindsey Graham, Libya ||||| Sen. Rob Portman said on Sunday that Mitt Romney could still win the White House without carrying the senator's home state of Ohio, though he suggested that the Republican presidential nominee's path would be much narrower without the prized battleground. "He can probably win the presidency without Ohio, but I wouldn’t want to take the risk," Portman said on ABC's "This Week." "No Republican has." The Republican senator said the race is "dead even" in his state and the "momentum is on our side," saying the Romney team's ground game has been much more aggressive there than Republicans were in 2008. "I’ve never seen this kind of enthusiasm or energy on the ground," Portman said. "It’s turning our way." Read more about: Mitt Romney, Ohio, Rob Portman, Swing States ||||| Satirist Stephen Colbert says some of his political guests on his late night comedy show don't seem to be in on the joke. In an interview aired Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press," Colbert said he tells politicos that he performs his show in character -- whom he refers to as an "active idiot" who is "willfully ignorant of what you know and care about." Colbert said he tells his guests: "Please honestly disabuse me of my ignorance, and we'll have a great time." But he said they sometimes forget. Take former Democratic Sen. Bob Kerrey, who is now running for the open Nebraska Senate seat. In 2005, Kerrey was a guest on the show discussing the aftermath of 9/11 as well as the invasion of Iraq. "And we were about three minutes into a seven-minute interview. And I don't know what I said, but he turned to me and he said, 'What the hell are you talking about?'" Colbert recalled in his interview with "Meet the Press" host David Gregory. "But in the middle of the interview, I couldn't explain to him what it was. ... And then he just [took the] mic off and then left as soon as the interview was over. So I hope at some point someone explained to him that I was just fooling, senator. And I'm very sorry." In the same NBC interview, Colbert - acting in character - said that Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney is "on fire" after his first debate performance. "He is on a rocket ride to plausible at this point," Colbert said. "Did you watch?" After Gregory indicated he did, Colbert shot back: "What was it like? I didn't see it." "I don't really watch the news so much," Colbert added "You don't?" Gregory asked. "I come in around 6:30 and then I just say the opposite of whatever Rachel Maddow said the night before," Colbert said. "And I'm usually good." Read more about: Stephen Colbert, Bob Kerrey, Colbert Report ||||| Robert Gibbs, senior advisor to the Obama campaign, criticized GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney for "playing politics" with the recent deadly attack in Benghazi, Libya, that left the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans dead. Romney and other Republicans have harshly criticized President Barack Obama and other top White House officials, claiming requests for more security at the Benghazi consulate were turned down for political - rather than security - reasons. Gibbs pushed back on the GOP claims during an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union." "I think what we need to do is stop playing politics with this issue," Gibbs said. "Ambassador [Chris] Stevens' own father said this shouldn't be a political issue. This is an issue we get to the bottom of for our investigation and bring those that did this to justice." "We don't need wing tip cowboys. We don't need shot-from-the-hip diplomacy," Gibbs added. "When Mitt Romney first responded to what happened in Libya, his own party called him out for insensitivity... He has done nothing but politicize what happened in Libya." Read more about: Robert Gibbs, Libya ||||| The vice president's son, Beau Biden, roundly dismissed Republican criticism Sunday that his father's facial expressions and body gestures were unbecoming on the national debate stage last week with Rep. Paul Ryan, the GOP vice presidential nominee. "Any time the other side, Karl Rove or folks on the far right are going after my father for smiling too much, you know that's a victory," said Biden, who's the Delaware attorney general. "This isn't, Jake, about how much my father smiled or how many gallons of water that the congressman drank nervously on that stage. It's about speaking directly to the American people about very important facts," Biden told host Jake Tapper on ABC's "This Week." Read more about: Debate, Beau Biden

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

A mother-of-two who was given breast implants she didn't ask for during a double mastectomy was later diagnosed with cancer after doctors 'missed' her tumours. Distraught Donna Finegan-White, 44, from Swindon, only agreed to have her breasts removed in a bid to avoid cancer because it runs in her family. But when she woke up from the operation at The Great Western Hospital in 2014 she was shocked to find she had implants she never asked for - which were much bigger than the breasts she had removed. Ms Finegan-White received a £10,000 payout from the hospital, which she now claims is also responsible for failing to spot two inoperable tumours. The 44-year-old says doctors gave her the devastating news she has a rare terminal cancer of the trachea in March after apologising for the oversight. She is seeking legal action again after the tumours left her with just two years to live. Donna Finegan-White, 44, woke up in hospital to find she had been given larger-then-before breast implants. She had to have them removed and went on to have more surgery after a blood clot developed after the removal The Great Western Hospital in Swindon is yet to comment on the claims but have been contacted for comment. They deny any wrongdoing over Ms Finegan-White's breast implants, which she had to wait two years to have removed at another hospital in 2016. She said: 'I'm fuming, it's not just one mistake that place has made. 'They've made the mistake with me, not just once but twice.' Ms Finegan-White underwent the double-mastectomy to reduce the risk of her developing breast cancer. She had the surgery in October 2014 after both her late mother, Carol Manola and her aunt were diagnosed with the disease. Donna had asked for 'temporary expanders' - which stretch the skin and pectoral muscle - but never agreed to implants. Instead she claims she received permanent sub-pectoral breast implants, which she never agreed to. Donna Finegan-White was shocked when she had breast implants inserted without her permission after she had a double mastectomy She told MailOnline: 'I hadn't seen an implant in my life, let alone wanting one put in my body. 'In a consultation they asked me about re-construction surgery and I said I'd have to think about it. 'I was a 32A, so I didn't mind being flat chested, it's not like I was going to miss anything. So I only signed to have my breasts removed. 'They cut corners to save themselves time and money by doing it without consent. 'They butchered me back in 2014.' Following the surgery Ms Finegan-White, who has a son Dominic, 25 and a daughter, Shakira, 23, sought medical help several times for severe pain and swelling in her breasts and suffered a significant psychological reaction. She finally underwent corrective surgery to remove the implants at a different hospital in Oxford on 23 February, 2016. But after being discharged that evening, she felt a pain in the right side of her body. She was rushed back to hospital for another life-saving operation after doctors discovered she had a blood clot. The Great Western Hospital in Swindon where a woman was given breast implant surgery without her consent After receiving her payout, in March this year she was told she had a rare cancer of the trachea, which she believes is linked to tumours missed by doctors. She is now planning to sue The Great Western Hospital Trust again, blaming them for missing the cancer on CT scans she had following her initial surgery in 2014. She said: 'They came over to my bedside when I was in hospital and they said 'Sorry Donna we've looked back at your CT scans from 2014 and we didn't spot your tumours. 'My friend was sat next to me when they told me, so I've got a witness to prove it.' Describing the incident with her breasts she said: 'I expected to come out of the surgery risk free of breast cancer and without permanent implants as this is what had been agreed upon. 'Yet, I woke up with implants, which I had never signed for in the consultations with the surgeon. 'At this point, I felt shocked and very upset and frustrated as it was completely unexpected. 'We put a great deal of trust in medical staff, relying on them for expert care. I just feel totally let down and angry by the care I received. 'I suffered a great deal of pain and trauma for months because of the implants that I never signed up for. 'By speaking out I hope my story reminds hospitals of the importance of upholding patient consent.' Ms Finegan-White has called on hospital trusts to ensure they honour the wishes of patients. She has instructed specialist medical negligence lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate the level of care she received from Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The trust denied it had acted negligently but admitted the issue of whether Donna consented to the implants fell below 'reasonable standards'. It settled the matter out of court. A Great Western Hospital spokesman told MailOnline: 'We were given consent by the patient for implants in 2014, we did not act negligently and the case was settled in 2016. 'We have clear and effective consent processes that are followed across the Trust, which outline the risks that patients may face during and after any surgery, including the common risk of blood clots. 'As part of our continued improvement in services we are further strengthening our consent processes.' James Pink, expert medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing Donna, said: 'Donna had undergone counselling at the request of the Hospital Trust to prepare psychologically for double mastectomy so was incredibly shocked and upset to come out of surgery with implants she had not consented to. 'This was already a distressing time and this just compounded her problems. 'The NHS had shown care and compassion in helping Donna prepare for her surgery. 'However, what was meant to be an operation designed to reduce the risk of Donna being diagnosed with breast cancer ended up causing her much unnecessary distress and suffering. 'We now call on the NHS Trust to ensure it learns lessons from Donna's case and realises the importance of ensuring policies and checks surrounding patient consent are upheld at all times.' ||||| A U.K. woman sued a hospital after a doctor allegedly gave her breast implants without her consent, following a double mastectomy. Donna Finegan-White, 44, said that she woke up from the procedure at Great Western Hospital in Swindon, England in Oct. 2014 and was “angry” to find that she suddenly had breast implants. Plus, she said that the artificial implants were larger than the ones she would have selected if given the chance, Finegan-White told The Times. Finegan-White said that the implants led to swelling and extreme pain, along with “a significant psychological reaction” due to the unexpected procedure. To complicate matters, Finegan-White said she was unable to get the implants removed for four months, and when she was finally able to, she developed a life-threatening blood clot that required an additional surgery. “I feel totally let down and angry by the care I received,” Finegan-White said. “I suffered a great deal of pain and trauma for months because of the implants that I never signed up for.” PEOPLE has contacted Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for comment. Finegan-White said that she elected to undergo the double mastectomy, with support from her doctors, because she had a high risk of developing breast cancer. Her mother had the disease and was successfully treated for it at age 50, while her aunt died of breast cancer, also at age 50. The Times reports that Finegan-White and Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust settled the lawsuit for an undisclosed sum before going to court.

– A UK woman went into the hospital in October 2014 to have a double mastectomy and woke to find she had breasts—and sued over it. Donna Finegan-White alleged that upon emerging from the elective surgery, which she opted to have due to a family history of breast cancer, she discovered that she had been given breast implants. The Times of London reports she had not consented to the procedure, and that the implants' size was larger than her natural breasts had been. And she was stuck with them: The 44-year-old wasn't able to have them removed for quite some time (reports differ as to whether it was February 2015 or February 2016), and in the interim she experienced swelling, intense pain, and "a significant psychological reaction," per People. But all was not smooth post-removal: She says she developed a blood clot that required surgery. The Daily Mail reports she settled with the hospital in 2016 for £10,000, or what would currently be about $13,000, and it explains why a years-old case is in the news: The Mail reports she intends to sue the Great Western Hospital Trust again, this time for not spotting tumors that showed up on her 2014 CT scan. She says she learned in March that she has terminal cancer of the trachea, and says doctors admitted to her the tumors were present on the 2014 scan but they missed them.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.A mother-of-two who was given breast implants she didn't ask for during a double mastectomy was later diagnosed with cancer after doctors 'missed' her tumours. Distraught Donna Finegan-White, 44, from Swindon, only agreed to have her breasts removed in a bid to avoid cancer because it runs in her family. But when she woke up from the operation at The Great Western Hospital in 2014 she was shocked to find she had implants she never asked for - which were much bigger than the breasts she had removed. Ms Finegan-White received a £10,000 payout from the hospital, which she now claims is also responsible for failing to spot two inoperable tumours. The 44-year-old says doctors gave her the devastating news she has a rare terminal cancer of the trachea in March after apologising for the oversight. She is seeking legal action again after the tumours left her with just two years to live. Donna Finegan-White, 44, woke up in hospital to find she had been given larger-then-before breast implants. She had to have them removed and went on to have more surgery after a blood clot developed after the removal The Great Western Hospital in Swindon is yet to comment on the claims but have been contacted for comment. They deny any wrongdoing over Ms Finegan-White's breast implants, which she had to wait two years to have removed at another hospital in 2016. She said: 'I'm fuming, it's not just one mistake that place has made. 'They've made the mistake with me, not just once but twice.' Ms Finegan-White underwent the double-mastectomy to reduce the risk of her developing breast cancer. She had the surgery in October 2014 after both her late mother, Carol Manola and her aunt were diagnosed with the disease. Donna had asked for 'temporary expanders' - which stretch the skin and pectoral muscle - but never agreed to implants. Instead she claims she received permanent sub-pectoral breast implants, which she never agreed to. Donna Finegan-White was shocked when she had breast implants inserted without her permission after she had a double mastectomy She told MailOnline: 'I hadn't seen an implant in my life, let alone wanting one put in my body. 'In a consultation they asked me about re-construction surgery and I said I'd have to think about it. 'I was a 32A, so I didn't mind being flat chested, it's not like I was going to miss anything. So I only signed to have my breasts removed. 'They cut corners to save themselves time and money by doing it without consent. 'They butchered me back in 2014.' Following the surgery Ms Finegan-White, who has a son Dominic, 25 and a daughter, Shakira, 23, sought medical help several times for severe pain and swelling in her breasts and suffered a significant psychological reaction. She finally underwent corrective surgery to remove the implants at a different hospital in Oxford on 23 February, 2016. But after being discharged that evening, she felt a pain in the right side of her body. She was rushed back to hospital for another life-saving operation after doctors discovered she had a blood clot. The Great Western Hospital in Swindon where a woman was given breast implant surgery without her consent After receiving her payout, in March this year she was told she had a rare cancer of the trachea, which she believes is linked to tumours missed by doctors. She is now planning to sue The Great Western Hospital Trust again, blaming them for missing the cancer on CT scans she had following her initial surgery in 2014. She said: 'They came over to my bedside when I was in hospital and they said 'Sorry Donna we've looked back at your CT scans from 2014 and we didn't spot your tumours. 'My friend was sat next to me when they told me, so I've got a witness to prove it.' Describing the incident with her breasts she said: 'I expected to come out of the surgery risk free of breast cancer and without permanent implants as this is what had been agreed upon. 'Yet, I woke up with implants, which I had never signed for in the consultations with the surgeon. 'At this point, I felt shocked and very upset and frustrated as it was completely unexpected. 'We put a great deal of trust in medical staff, relying on them for expert care. I just feel totally let down and angry by the care I received. 'I suffered a great deal of pain and trauma for months because of the implants that I never signed up for. 'By speaking out I hope my story reminds hospitals of the importance of upholding patient consent.' Ms Finegan-White has called on hospital trusts to ensure they honour the wishes of patients. She has instructed specialist medical negligence lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate the level of care she received from Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The trust denied it had acted negligently but admitted the issue of whether Donna consented to the implants fell below 'reasonable standards'. It settled the matter out of court. A Great Western Hospital spokesman told MailOnline: 'We were given consent by the patient for implants in 2014, we did not act negligently and the case was settled in 2016. 'We have clear and effective consent processes that are followed across the Trust, which outline the risks that patients may face during and after any surgery, including the common risk of blood clots. 'As part of our continued improvement in services we are further strengthening our consent processes.' James Pink, expert medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing Donna, said: 'Donna had undergone counselling at the request of the Hospital Trust to prepare psychologically for double mastectomy so was incredibly shocked and upset to come out of surgery with implants she had not consented to. 'This was already a distressing time and this just compounded her problems. 'The NHS had shown care and compassion in helping Donna prepare for her surgery. 'However, what was meant to be an operation designed to reduce the risk of Donna being diagnosed with breast cancer ended up causing her much unnecessary distress and suffering. 'We now call on the NHS Trust to ensure it learns lessons from Donna's case and realises the importance of ensuring policies and checks surrounding patient consent are upheld at all times.' ||||| A U.K. woman sued a hospital after a doctor allegedly gave her breast implants without her consent, following a double mastectomy. Donna Finegan-White, 44, said that she woke up from the procedure at Great Western Hospital in Swindon, England in Oct. 2014 and was “angry” to find that she suddenly had breast implants. Plus, she said that the artificial implants were larger than the ones she would have selected if given the chance, Finegan-White told The Times. Finegan-White said that the implants led to swelling and extreme pain, along with “a significant psychological reaction” due to the unexpected procedure. To complicate matters, Finegan-White said she was unable to get the implants removed for four months, and when she was finally able to, she developed a life-threatening blood clot that required an additional surgery. “I feel totally let down and angry by the care I received,” Finegan-White said. “I suffered a great deal of pain and trauma for months because of the implants that I never signed up for.” PEOPLE has contacted Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for comment. Finegan-White said that she elected to undergo the double mastectomy, with support from her doctors, because she had a high risk of developing breast cancer. Her mother had the disease and was successfully treated for it at age 50, while her aunt died of breast cancer, also at age 50. The Times reports that Finegan-White and Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust settled the lawsuit for an undisclosed sum before going to court.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

A Long Island couple is suing neighboring homeowners for building a knockoff version of their copyrighted mansion. Seth and Rivka Fortgang thought they were living in a unique dream house in the village of Lawrence that was the creation of Rivka, an exterior and interior designer who copyrighted the architectural plans, according to the lawsuit filed in Long Island Federal Court. Although imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, the Fortgangs contacted their lawyers when they learned of plans for a home being constructed on Villa Place in nearby Cedarhurst, which looked remarkably similar. The suit alleges there is smoking gun evidence that the copycats went to the Village of Lawrence Building Department and requested the Fortgangs' architectural plans. Daniel Schloss, the lawyer for Daniella and Ari Schwartz who are building the Cedarhurst mansion, argues in court papers that the Fortgangs' design features are not so special that they are covered under the Copyright Act. "We note that the exterior façade of the Fortgang residence consists of several windows, rather generic gables, and entry way doors," Schloss sniffed. "However in the interests of professional courtesy, our clients have agreed to temporarily postpone construction of the present design … pending certain changes and amendments to its exterior façade elements," he wrote. But the suit contends that Rivka Fortgang has suffered substantial damage to her reputation and her business in the upscale Five Towns community as a result of the copying. The Fortgangs' lawyers did not respond to a request for comment. According to the real estate website Zillow, the Fortgangs' mansion is valued at $1.48 million. ||||| There’s no place like home, there’s no place like … wait, that one’s pretty close. A Long Island couple says an architect ripped off the blueprint to their one-of-a-kind dream house — to build a carbon copy in the town next door. Rivka Fortgang, an interior and exterior home designer from Five Towns, and her husband, Seth are now suing to block the mansion on Villa Place in Cedarhurst from being built because it will look nearly identical to their own home on Auerbach Lane in Lawrence, just a mile away. The Fortgangs “constructed their unique home from the ground up, creating a visually distinctive and unique exterior stucco façade” in 2005 and copyrighted the original architectural drawings under the name “Fortgang Residence I,” according to the suit, filed Thursday in Long Island federal court. The couple claims the firm Pereiras Architects Ubiquitous and property owners Daniella and Ari Schwartz accessed their exclusive plans in property records last August through the Lawrence buildings department — without their permission. “There is no doubt that you have accessed and intentionally copied the plans of the Fortgang residence intending to create a replica of our clients’ home and distinctive exterior,” the Fortgang’s lawyer Steven Stern wrote in a cease-and-desist letter dated June 7. The Villa home is in the early stages of construction but renderings show that it will be “substantially similar” to the Fortgang’s McMansion, the complaint says. Their home features several giant, black-rimmed windows on the front and peaked windows on the roof. The Villa residence design also has similarly styled-windows. A lawyer for Daniella Schwartz argued that the two designs are, in fact, different. “We note that the exterior façade of the Fortgang resident consists of several windows, rather generic gables, and entry way doors,” attorney Daniel Schloss wrote in a court filing. Schloss also noted that the Villa property is “literally in another town and separated from the Fortgang residence by several major thoroughfares and commercial districts.” The accused copycats agreed to temporarily halt construction “pending certain changes and amendments to its exterior façade elements,” court papers show. But new color renderings of the Villa home were hardly changed, spurring the copyright infringement lawsuit. The Fortgangs are suing for unspecified damages. Rivka also claims her business and reputation as a designer in the Five Towns community has suffered due to the housing hoopla. The Fortgang’s fortress boasts more than 4,400 square feet of space and 5 ¹/₂ bathrooms, according to Zillow.com, which estimates it’s worth $1.4 million. A representative from Pereiras Architects Ubiquitous declined to comment. Schwartz’s lawyer did calls for comment. ||||| BUILD YOUR OWN: Long Island couple sues neighbors for copying their mansion https://t.co/KW59ZTXO5G pic.twitter.com/pevWEYnfnJ — New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) July 7, 2016 In what might be the snootiest case of copyright infringement ever recorded, a Long Island couple is suing another wealthy Long Island couple for allegedly copying the design of their custom mansion, according to the New York Daily News. The original mansion, located in the village of Lawrence, was designed and built by home designer Rivka Fortgang, according to plans she herself created, and copyrighted. The facade of the home consists of a pair of outset banks of windows that straddle the front door and another set of windows above it, beneath a gabled roof that has a trio of peaked attic windows. There are some Art Deco flourishes as well, giving the building a modern look and feel, while invoking more traditional home design. It’s a good looking home, which is why the Schwartzes of nearby village Cedarhurst may have copied it. According to the lawsuit filed by the Fortgangs, the Schwartz couple accessed the architectural plans for the Fortgang house from the Lawrence Building Department to help design their new home. The Schwartzes’ prospective mansion does seem to share a number of features with the Fortgang home including the window and gable placement. A lawyer defending the Schwartz couple argued that those design aspects just aren’t that special, according to the Daily News. Quite the burn. But Rivka Fortgang claims that the copied building is hurting her reputation, and the Schwartz family has agreed to postpone construction on the home until the matter can be settled.

– In 2005, Long Island couple Seth and Rivka Fortgang built their dream home in the village of Lawrence and copyrighted the architectural plans to ensure that it remained truly one-of-a-kind. Now Rivka, an interior and exterior designer who envisioned the whole project, says her business and reputation are suffering because a nearly identical house is being built in Cedarhurst just a mile away, reports the New York Post. Among the Fortgangs' accusations, per their copyright infringement lawsuit: "There is no doubt that [Daniella and Ari Schwartz] have accessed and intentionally copied the plans of the Fortgang residence" by way of the Lawrence Buildings Department with the intention of aping the design. Atlas Obscura observes that the locations of the window and gables do seem similar. The Schwartzes have thus far responded through their attorney, Daniel Schloss, and contend that while the design features being shared are too "generic" to be covered under the Copyright Act, they are temporarily postponing construction "in the interests of professional courtesy," reports the New York Daily News. The Fortgangs' attorney hasn't commented beyond the lawsuit. Real estate website Zillow puts the Fortgang house, which is 4,400 square feet and features 5.5 bathrooms, at $1.48 million. (Check out where this reclusive heiress hid the architectural plans of a mansion she never spent a night in.)

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.A Long Island couple is suing neighboring homeowners for building a knockoff version of their copyrighted mansion. Seth and Rivka Fortgang thought they were living in a unique dream house in the village of Lawrence that was the creation of Rivka, an exterior and interior designer who copyrighted the architectural plans, according to the lawsuit filed in Long Island Federal Court. Although imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, the Fortgangs contacted their lawyers when they learned of plans for a home being constructed on Villa Place in nearby Cedarhurst, which looked remarkably similar. The suit alleges there is smoking gun evidence that the copycats went to the Village of Lawrence Building Department and requested the Fortgangs' architectural plans. Daniel Schloss, the lawyer for Daniella and Ari Schwartz who are building the Cedarhurst mansion, argues in court papers that the Fortgangs' design features are not so special that they are covered under the Copyright Act. "We note that the exterior façade of the Fortgang residence consists of several windows, rather generic gables, and entry way doors," Schloss sniffed. "However in the interests of professional courtesy, our clients have agreed to temporarily postpone construction of the present design … pending certain changes and amendments to its exterior façade elements," he wrote. But the suit contends that Rivka Fortgang has suffered substantial damage to her reputation and her business in the upscale Five Towns community as a result of the copying. The Fortgangs' lawyers did not respond to a request for comment. According to the real estate website Zillow, the Fortgangs' mansion is valued at $1.48 million. ||||| There’s no place like home, there’s no place like … wait, that one’s pretty close. A Long Island couple says an architect ripped off the blueprint to their one-of-a-kind dream house — to build a carbon copy in the town next door. Rivka Fortgang, an interior and exterior home designer from Five Towns, and her husband, Seth are now suing to block the mansion on Villa Place in Cedarhurst from being built because it will look nearly identical to their own home on Auerbach Lane in Lawrence, just a mile away. The Fortgangs “constructed their unique home from the ground up, creating a visually distinctive and unique exterior stucco façade” in 2005 and copyrighted the original architectural drawings under the name “Fortgang Residence I,” according to the suit, filed Thursday in Long Island federal court. The couple claims the firm Pereiras Architects Ubiquitous and property owners Daniella and Ari Schwartz accessed their exclusive plans in property records last August through the Lawrence buildings department — without their permission. “There is no doubt that you have accessed and intentionally copied the plans of the Fortgang residence intending to create a replica of our clients’ home and distinctive exterior,” the Fortgang’s lawyer Steven Stern wrote in a cease-and-desist letter dated June 7. The Villa home is in the early stages of construction but renderings show that it will be “substantially similar” to the Fortgang’s McMansion, the complaint says. Their home features several giant, black-rimmed windows on the front and peaked windows on the roof. The Villa residence design also has similarly styled-windows. A lawyer for Daniella Schwartz argued that the two designs are, in fact, different. “We note that the exterior façade of the Fortgang resident consists of several windows, rather generic gables, and entry way doors,” attorney Daniel Schloss wrote in a court filing. Schloss also noted that the Villa property is “literally in another town and separated from the Fortgang residence by several major thoroughfares and commercial districts.” The accused copycats agreed to temporarily halt construction “pending certain changes and amendments to its exterior façade elements,” court papers show. But new color renderings of the Villa home were hardly changed, spurring the copyright infringement lawsuit. The Fortgangs are suing for unspecified damages. Rivka also claims her business and reputation as a designer in the Five Towns community has suffered due to the housing hoopla. The Fortgang’s fortress boasts more than 4,400 square feet of space and 5 ¹/₂ bathrooms, according to Zillow.com, which estimates it’s worth $1.4 million. A representative from Pereiras Architects Ubiquitous declined to comment. Schwartz’s lawyer did calls for comment. ||||| BUILD YOUR OWN: Long Island couple sues neighbors for copying their mansion https://t.co/KW59ZTXO5G pic.twitter.com/pevWEYnfnJ — New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) July 7, 2016 In what might be the snootiest case of copyright infringement ever recorded, a Long Island couple is suing another wealthy Long Island couple for allegedly copying the design of their custom mansion, according to the New York Daily News. The original mansion, located in the village of Lawrence, was designed and built by home designer Rivka Fortgang, according to plans she herself created, and copyrighted. The facade of the home consists of a pair of outset banks of windows that straddle the front door and another set of windows above it, beneath a gabled roof that has a trio of peaked attic windows. There are some Art Deco flourishes as well, giving the building a modern look and feel, while invoking more traditional home design. It’s a good looking home, which is why the Schwartzes of nearby village Cedarhurst may have copied it. According to the lawsuit filed by the Fortgangs, the Schwartz couple accessed the architectural plans for the Fortgang house from the Lawrence Building Department to help design their new home. The Schwartzes’ prospective mansion does seem to share a number of features with the Fortgang home including the window and gable placement. A lawyer defending the Schwartz couple argued that those design aspects just aren’t that special, according to the Daily News. Quite the burn. But Rivka Fortgang claims that the copied building is hurting her reputation, and the Schwartz family has agreed to postpone construction on the home until the matter can be settled.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

If large mammals continue to die off, incredibly big rats may one day become the dominant species on Earth. That’s not the plot for an upcoming sci-fi miniseries. “Sharknado” was fantasy, but rats the size of sheep or even cows will likely populate Earth’s future one day, says a scientist from the United Kingdom. Dr. Jan Zalasiewicz of the University of Leicester’s Department of Geology says that as large mammals continue to go extinct, we should expect to see opportunistic rats step up to wield greater and greater influence in their place. Rats Will Have No Problem Filling an Ecological Niche It’s all a matter of available ecospace and the hardy, competitive nature of rats, says Dr. Zalasiewicz. “Rats are one of the best examples of a species that we have helped spread around the world, and that have successfully adapted to many of the new environments that they found themselves in,” Dr. Zalasiewicz said in a University of Leicester press release. “They are now on many, if not most, islands around the world – and once there, have proved extraordinarily hard to eradicate. They’re often there for good, essentially. Once there, they have out-competed many native species and at times have driven them to extinction,” he noted. “As a result, ecospace is being emptied – and rats are in a good position to re-fill a significant chunk of it, in the mid to far geological future.” Watch Dr. Zalasiewicz discuss his prediction here: Dr. Zalasiewicz notes that during the era of the dinosaurs, mammals existed but were all comparatively small creatures the size of current-day rats and mice. “Only once the dinosaurs were out of the way did these tiny mammals evolve into many different forms, including some very large and impressive ones: brontotheriums, horses, mastodons, mammoths, rhinoceri and more,” he said. It’s a phenomenon known as “gigantism.” When an ecological niche is left empty by the absence of a larger species, a smaller animal will take advantage of it. It will begin to evolve, growing larger to fill the void simply because it now has the opportunity to do so. Fifty million years ago, even the ancestor to today’s blue whale was merely a sea mammal about the size of a wolf. Over millions of years, because the vastness of the ocean allowed such growth, they evolved into the much larger mammals we know today. “Animals will evolve, over time, into whatever designs will enable them to survive and to produce offspring,” Dr. Zalasiewicz noted. Monstrous rodents would not be new to our planet. Three million years ago, a now-extinct rodent called the Josephoartegasia monesi grew to weigh over a ton. The largest rodent on Earth today is the 17 pound capybara, which lives in South America. “Rat Islands“ Give Us a Preview of What May Lie Ahead Rats have managed to reach almost every land mass and island around the world, thanks to the unwitting help of man and his ships and planes. Dr. Zalasiewicz believes that observing how rats evolve on the various islands they inhabit provides a valuable clue to their eventual staying power on Earth. “Each island that rats are now present on is in effect a laboratory of future evolution, and each will produce different results,” he said. ”So there will be future thin rats, future fat rats, slow and heavy rats, fast and ferocious rats, probably future aquatic rats — the list goes on. Other animals will likely follow the same pattern, such as domestic cats, rabbits, goats and more.” Bottom line: when Big is gone, Little evolves and becomes the next Big. The lesson here may be that we need to try harder to preserve our jumbo-sized threatened and endangered species – the elephants, the rhinos, the hippos and the rest. If we don’t, be prepared to cede dominion of the Earth to Gargantua, the Rat King. ||||| In the film "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes," a mutant chimp named Caesar can speak English. In the newly released film, "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes," humans and apes vie for dominance after a virus has made apes hyperintelligent while wiping out most humans. But though apes riding horses, reading and writing in English, and hunting like Stone Age humans is probably far-fetched, the idea of another species or life form dominating the planet isn't, scientists say. In fact, depending on how dominance is defined, other creatures may already be in charge, experts say. [The 5 Smartest Non-Primates on the Planet] Tough competition With humans around, it's very difficult for another superintelligent species to evolve, said Jan Zalasiewicz, a paleobiologist at the University of Leicester. "Humans have been quite good at removing the competition," Zalasiewicz told Live Science. Over several million years of evolution, modern humans have already outcompeted several primates and other human species, such as Denisovans, hobbitlike creatures dubbed Homo floresiensis, and Neanderthals, he said. Still, the movie's premise isn't too realistic. Apes are unlikely to supplant us, given that gorillas and chimpanzees are already struggling in the wild, with slightly more than 100,000 gorillas worldwide and less than 250,000 chimpanzees worldwide, according to the World Wildlife Fund. (No other primate populations exceed 100,000.) With 7 billion humans on the planet, even if 95 percent of them perished as a result of an engineered virus, the remainder would still greatly outnumber the apes. Planet of the pigs? But assuming humans had managed to kill themselves off with famine, plague, war or climate change, it could take many millions of years for a new species to evolve the intelligence and abilities to dominate the Earth. After all, creatures as intelligent as humans only evolved once in the nearly 3.5 billion years of life on the planet, Zalasiewicz said. Rats, ubiquitous pests that live on virtually every scrap of land on the planet, are already intelligent and have a highly evolved social structure. In many millions of years, oversized rats could become a hyperintelligent species that could rule the Earth. Pigs, too, have complex social structures and a high level of intelligence, Zalasiewicz said. If they evolved an ability to use tools and continued to evolve intelligence over millions of years, they could conceivably take over the planet, he said. But realistically, the biggest threat to humans is not a naturally evolving creature, but rather artificial intelligence, he said. [Super-Intelligent Machines: 7 Robotic Futures] "If something else intelligent arises, it will be electronic and [we'll have] made it," Zalasiewicz said. Researchers recently reported that a machine had passed the Turing Test, exhibiting behavior that could pass as "human." (In the Turing Test, if a human interviewer cannot tell the difference between responses from a machine and a human, then the machine is said to show intelligent behavior.) And futurist Ray Kurzweil has long predicted that the singularity, a hypothetical point when machine intelligence overtakes human smarts, will be here by 2045. Hidden rulers On some level, humans don't dominate the Earth now. Bacteria beat out humans in many ways, said Robert J. Sternberg, a professor of human development at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. "Humans only imagine they dominate the Earth. Bacteria dominate the Earth," Sternberg wrote in an email to Live Science. "There are infinitely more of them — well, almost — than there are of us. Much of our own weight is bacterial. They reproduce faster and they mutate faster. They have been around far longer than we have been and they will be around after we are gone." And bacteria aren't the only contenders for world domination. "Ants already control the planet," said Mark W. Moffett, an entomologist at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and author of "Adventures Among Ants: A Global Safari with a Cast of Trillions" (University of California Press, 2011). "They just do it under our feet." For instance, there are many more ants than there are humans, and their total weight, or biomass, equals or exceeds that of humans, Moffett said. They also use traditional military rules of engagement to wage war. For instance, they rely on "shock and awe," in essence swarming their enemies with sheer numbers to overcome them. Ants also throw the weakest, scrawniest members of the colony out front while keeping their "supersoldier" ants to the rear, just as the front lines in many battles are made up of the least trained and most poorly equipped soldiers, Moffett said. This strategy has proven incredibly successful. For instance, individual African army ants may not be scary on their own, but they create swarms that are 100 feet (30.5 meters) long and millions-strong. With their little bladelike teeth, they can swarm and devour a tethered cow — or potentially an unattended human baby — in minutes, he said. "There is a reason why women in equatorial Africa carry babies on their back and don't put them in a crib," Moffett told Live Science. The Argentine Ant first hitched a train ride to California in 1910. Now, a supercolony stretches across most of California, and is waging all-out war to expand its turf with another supercolony in Mexico, he said. And while any one ant isn't all that intelligent, they can still solve extraordinary problems with their hive mind, Moffett said. "Individual ants are the equivalent to the neurons in your brain — each one doesn't have a lot to say but in combination they can get a lot of things done," Moffett said. Follow Tia Ghose on Twitteand Google+. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science. ||||| • Matt Berridge is trying to destroy us all. Well, maybe not. But he’s doing something crazy, that much is clear. A wildlife caretaker at the Toronto Zoo, Berridge is giving orangutans iPads. Not just for fun, either; it’s for learning. The program he uses, “Apps for Apes” is currently in 13 zoos and animal centers across the world and is exactly what it sounds like. The program’s goals, according to the official website, are “1. To provide stimulating enrichment & immediate gratification for the orangutans using iPads, 2. To raise awareness among zoo visitors of the critical need to protect orangutans in the wild, and 3. To promote the conservation efforts of Orangutan Outreach.” It sounds nice, right? But can we really trust orangutans with some of the same tools we’re using to mold young elementary minds in schools across the country? “Orangutans learn by watching and imitation,” says Berridge. “Applying [observational learning] to an iPad and apps I think has a great potential for opening the door to simple communication and learning.” “I don’t think there would be any reason for [dolphins] to become anything like us. It would honestly be a step down,” says Dr. Lori Marino, laughing. “It really would be.” Oh, Berridge, they have you so fooled, don’t they? What the Toronto Zoo, and each of its 12 counterparts participating in the “Apps for Apes” program doesn’t seem to realize is that giving orangutans iPads can be a terrible idea. What if orangutans are quietly plotting the takeover of Earth, and want only to destroy us? Yes, the future is bleak for humanity if people like Berridge and his fellow caretakers continue to teach animals how to succeed and adapt in our modern world. Like me, you may be worried that the orangutan’s newfound use of technology could lead to an uprising, an ape revolution if you will, as prophesied in the popular Planet of the Apes franchise. Well, according to Berridge, you can stop worrying. “Orangutans as a species are believed to be 15 million years old. They evolved without human interference up until 200 years ago,” Berridge says. “I believe they had a greater understanding of how their ecosystem could meet their needs and functioned very efficiently. If humans hadn’t made such a negative impact on their ecosystem, things would probably carry on for millions more.” So maybe the time has come and gone for the orangutan’s chance to rule. But what about the 10 million other species on Earth? What animal, given some time to evolve, and barring human interference, could be the next us? What species could form something that we today would recognize as an intelligent society? DOLPHINS AND PORPOISES Dolphins and porpoises, of the order Cetacea, are already considered to be the second most intelligent species on the planet. In a 2004 study, Dr. Lori Marino, neuroscientist and marine mammal expert from Emory University, found that dolphins and porpoises have encephalization levels (a rough estimate of intelligence that compares brain mass to an organism’s total body mass) below only modern humans, and above any other mammal. “Bottle nosed dolphins have an encephalization of about four, so their brains are about four times the size you would expect for their body size. The highest encephalization in dolphins goes up to about five,” Marino says. “So they’re pretty close to us, yeah.” For comparison, human encephalization is approximately 7.5. What if dolphins aren’t the cute, playful sea mammals we think they are? What if they’re more than just tools for our amusement at aquatic parks, a species of super geniuses, biding their time, waiting for us to show a sign of weakness? You guys do what you want: I’ll be over here, finding a way off of this liquid planet. “I don’t think anyone will take our place. Especially not dolphins,” Marino says. “The reason is: Dolphins have been successful as a very smart species, or rather, an order of mammals, for tens of millions of years. If we disappear, the only thing that really would happen is that they would be free to continue their lives. I don’t think there would be any reason for them to become anything like us. It would honestly be a step down,” she says, laughing. “It really would be.” In Marino’s study, she found that dolphins developed their high encephalization level between 60 million and 20 million years ago. So, in other words, dolphins have had, at the very least, 20 million years to run this town, and either have had no reason to do it, or have chosen not to. CEPHALOPODS: OCTOPUSES, SQUIDS, ETC. Octopuses, squids, cuttlefish. The names evoke terror in humans across the planet. They have a lot of arms, most of them do that ink thing, and they look sticky. So sure, there’s an intimidation factor when you’re talking about cephalopods. But could they take over? Dr. Russell Burke, a Hofstra University biology professor specializing in ecology and evolution, has a few predictions that’ll make your highly encephalized brain spin. “[Cephalopods] have a lot of the characteristics that we think of as being important in humans,” Burke says. “So first, they have relatively large brains. Relative to their body size; they have large brains.” Check. “They have big eyes, connected with the big brain, which means they work in the same kind of world that we do,” he adds. “They’re large eyes, they’re very complex eyes, and they work much like ours.” You read it here first: Cephalopods have the perfect eyes for world domination. But that’s not all. “You make a big fuss about opposable thumbs, imagine if we had eight of them,” Burke says, though I’d really rather not. “Cephalopods clearly manipulate objects, they clearly use tools. They don’t build things, aside from shelters, but its certainly imaginable that given the time, given some other factors, those kinds of things could happen.” “If a cephalopod learns something, tries some trick and it works and another cephalopod sees it? I mean, they definitely learn by watching each other, so if those pattern behaviors developed, it could pass among groups very quickly,” Burke says. So the only thing stopping octopuses from destroying us is a lack of leadership? We’re just hoping that an octopus version of Ben Franklin, or perhaps a squid Napoleon, isn’t born? “It begs the question, Why haven’t they [evolved more], you know? I don’t know the answer to that. Maybe they’re waiting ‘til we’re not watching,” says Burke, laughing a terrified laugh in his office (which, mind you, does not contain any cephalopods). “But anybody who’s kept an octopus in an aquarium can tell you, they’re constantly reaching out of the tank and feeling stuff. They’ll pull a filter into the water; anything they can reach will be pulled in and played with. So I’m buying cephalopods.” OK, so cephalopods seem like a good option. They resemble what we imagine when we think about aliens, they have the tentacles, the big eyes, the brains; they’re looking like a safe bet for next in line. But what else has the potential to rule? BEARS “Take humans out of the equation and we are left with a world that is changing at a much slower rate,” says Ashley Bennison, an evolutionary and behavioral ecology post grad student from the University of Exeter in Cornwall, England. “In a much slower world I would expect the rise of the herbivores at first, only to be capitalized by carnivores later on. Bears, cats, and dogs—already incredibly clever animals—could potentially become fantastically efficient predators capitalizing on the much higher numbers of available prey.” What I’m hearing is that, with more prey in a world without humans, large carnivores could have the chance to sit back, relax, and focus less on eating and more on developing societies. “This could, in effect, lead to many clever animals starting to converge on our niche, if you will,” Bennison says. “So my vote? Probably the bears. Those guys are awesome.” Go online and do what I did: re-watch some old episodes of Care Bears. The show takes on a whole new meaning if you imagine it’s all taking place in a not-so-distant future where nearly all humans are extinct and bears rule the Earth. RACCOONS AND THE REST “Raccoons. Sometimes you think raccoons are just going to take over the world,” says Marino. “Those kinds of animals that have to deal with the same pressures as humans, especially in the urban environment. I think they’re facing a lot of pressure to improve selection.” Jason G. Goldman, author of the Scientific American blog, The Thoughtful Animal, agrees with Marino’s sentiment, stating, “It’s certainly possible that something like a rat or raccoon could eventually evolve human-level intelligence.” But Goldman thinks another animal would do it before raccoons. “What species could achieve human-like language, human-like teaching, and human-like tool use after a few million years of evolution?” he asks. “The candidate species might be chimpanzees or bonobos, or dolphins and whales, or elephants, or ants. Each of these species is already part of the way there for each of these elements. Notice that each of the candidate species is social—I think this is key.” “WELL IF THE DINOSAURS hadn’t gone extinct, would they have become us? The answer, of course, is no,” Marino says. “But a lot of people assume that one of them would have eventually gone bipedal, put on a suit, and went to work on Wall Street.” Marino and many other scientists believe that human-like society is not necessary for many already-successful species, so it will not happen. There really is no absolute answer to a question like this. We have the candidates and the potential, but there are many factors that could keep anything from taking our place. Setting up the “no more humans” scenario, though, was necessary because we are wreaking havoc on our planet and every species inhabiting it. “We’re in a mass extinction event,” Marino says. “There’s no hope for adaptation out of this situation for these animals. They’re going out. We’re kind of like that comet that hit the dinosaurs, only we’re a comet that’s hitting every day.”

– Humans have been ruling Earth for a while now, but are we just a flash in the pan? Scientists are analyzing other species and asking whether any will eventually take over should we perish by plague, climate change, war, famine, you name it. Or perhaps one already dominates without our realizing it. Among the contenders: Of course, rats. They're intelligent, they thrive around the world, and have an impressive social structure, LiveScience reports. And don't be underwhelmed by their size: One expert notes that precursors to big creatures like horses, mastodons, and mammoths were only about rat-sized until the dinosaurs died off, Care2 reports. Then the little guys took advantage and grew—a phenomenon known as "gigantism." Bacteria already outperform humans in some ways, a professor tells LiveScience. "There are infinitely more of them—well, almost—than there are of us," he says. They also reproduce faster, have been around longer, and "will be around after we are gone." Ants are also silent rulers, outweighing us in numbers and total weight. African army ants are so effective that some move in 100-foot-long swarms that can kill a tethered cow or possibly a human baby. "There is a reason why women in equatorial Africa carry babies on their back and don't put them in a crib," an entomologist says. Should we die off, contenders include dolphins and porpoises (intelligence) and cephalopods like octopuses and squids (relatively big brains and eyes)—at least underwater, Pacific Standard reports. One expert notes that all contenders are social species, yet there's one exception: artificial intelligence. "If something else intelligent arises, it will be electronic and [we'll have] made it," a paleobiologist tells LiveScience. (See how humans may have made mammoths go extinct.)

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.If large mammals continue to die off, incredibly big rats may one day become the dominant species on Earth. That’s not the plot for an upcoming sci-fi miniseries. “Sharknado” was fantasy, but rats the size of sheep or even cows will likely populate Earth’s future one day, says a scientist from the United Kingdom. Dr. Jan Zalasiewicz of the University of Leicester’s Department of Geology says that as large mammals continue to go extinct, we should expect to see opportunistic rats step up to wield greater and greater influence in their place. Rats Will Have No Problem Filling an Ecological Niche It’s all a matter of available ecospace and the hardy, competitive nature of rats, says Dr. Zalasiewicz. “Rats are one of the best examples of a species that we have helped spread around the world, and that have successfully adapted to many of the new environments that they found themselves in,” Dr. Zalasiewicz said in a University of Leicester press release. “They are now on many, if not most, islands around the world – and once there, have proved extraordinarily hard to eradicate. They’re often there for good, essentially. Once there, they have out-competed many native species and at times have driven them to extinction,” he noted. “As a result, ecospace is being emptied – and rats are in a good position to re-fill a significant chunk of it, in the mid to far geological future.” Watch Dr. Zalasiewicz discuss his prediction here: Dr. Zalasiewicz notes that during the era of the dinosaurs, mammals existed but were all comparatively small creatures the size of current-day rats and mice. “Only once the dinosaurs were out of the way did these tiny mammals evolve into many different forms, including some very large and impressive ones: brontotheriums, horses, mastodons, mammoths, rhinoceri and more,” he said. It’s a phenomenon known as “gigantism.” When an ecological niche is left empty by the absence of a larger species, a smaller animal will take advantage of it. It will begin to evolve, growing larger to fill the void simply because it now has the opportunity to do so. Fifty million years ago, even the ancestor to today’s blue whale was merely a sea mammal about the size of a wolf. Over millions of years, because the vastness of the ocean allowed such growth, they evolved into the much larger mammals we know today. “Animals will evolve, over time, into whatever designs will enable them to survive and to produce offspring,” Dr. Zalasiewicz noted. Monstrous rodents would not be new to our planet. Three million years ago, a now-extinct rodent called the Josephoartegasia monesi grew to weigh over a ton. The largest rodent on Earth today is the 17 pound capybara, which lives in South America. “Rat Islands“ Give Us a Preview of What May Lie Ahead Rats have managed to reach almost every land mass and island around the world, thanks to the unwitting help of man and his ships and planes. Dr. Zalasiewicz believes that observing how rats evolve on the various islands they inhabit provides a valuable clue to their eventual staying power on Earth. “Each island that rats are now present on is in effect a laboratory of future evolution, and each will produce different results,” he said. ”So there will be future thin rats, future fat rats, slow and heavy rats, fast and ferocious rats, probably future aquatic rats — the list goes on. Other animals will likely follow the same pattern, such as domestic cats, rabbits, goats and more.” Bottom line: when Big is gone, Little evolves and becomes the next Big. The lesson here may be that we need to try harder to preserve our jumbo-sized threatened and endangered species – the elephants, the rhinos, the hippos and the rest. If we don’t, be prepared to cede dominion of the Earth to Gargantua, the Rat King. ||||| In the film "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes," a mutant chimp named Caesar can speak English. In the newly released film, "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes," humans and apes vie for dominance after a virus has made apes hyperintelligent while wiping out most humans. But though apes riding horses, reading and writing in English, and hunting like Stone Age humans is probably far-fetched, the idea of another species or life form dominating the planet isn't, scientists say. In fact, depending on how dominance is defined, other creatures may already be in charge, experts say. [The 5 Smartest Non-Primates on the Planet] Tough competition With humans around, it's very difficult for another superintelligent species to evolve, said Jan Zalasiewicz, a paleobiologist at the University of Leicester. "Humans have been quite good at removing the competition," Zalasiewicz told Live Science. Over several million years of evolution, modern humans have already outcompeted several primates and other human species, such as Denisovans, hobbitlike creatures dubbed Homo floresiensis, and Neanderthals, he said. Still, the movie's premise isn't too realistic. Apes are unlikely to supplant us, given that gorillas and chimpanzees are already struggling in the wild, with slightly more than 100,000 gorillas worldwide and less than 250,000 chimpanzees worldwide, according to the World Wildlife Fund. (No other primate populations exceed 100,000.) With 7 billion humans on the planet, even if 95 percent of them perished as a result of an engineered virus, the remainder would still greatly outnumber the apes. Planet of the pigs? But assuming humans had managed to kill themselves off with famine, plague, war or climate change, it could take many millions of years for a new species to evolve the intelligence and abilities to dominate the Earth. After all, creatures as intelligent as humans only evolved once in the nearly 3.5 billion years of life on the planet, Zalasiewicz said. Rats, ubiquitous pests that live on virtually every scrap of land on the planet, are already intelligent and have a highly evolved social structure. In many millions of years, oversized rats could become a hyperintelligent species that could rule the Earth. Pigs, too, have complex social structures and a high level of intelligence, Zalasiewicz said. If they evolved an ability to use tools and continued to evolve intelligence over millions of years, they could conceivably take over the planet, he said. But realistically, the biggest threat to humans is not a naturally evolving creature, but rather artificial intelligence, he said. [Super-Intelligent Machines: 7 Robotic Futures] "If something else intelligent arises, it will be electronic and [we'll have] made it," Zalasiewicz said. Researchers recently reported that a machine had passed the Turing Test, exhibiting behavior that could pass as "human." (In the Turing Test, if a human interviewer cannot tell the difference between responses from a machine and a human, then the machine is said to show intelligent behavior.) And futurist Ray Kurzweil has long predicted that the singularity, a hypothetical point when machine intelligence overtakes human smarts, will be here by 2045. Hidden rulers On some level, humans don't dominate the Earth now. Bacteria beat out humans in many ways, said Robert J. Sternberg, a professor of human development at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. "Humans only imagine they dominate the Earth. Bacteria dominate the Earth," Sternberg wrote in an email to Live Science. "There are infinitely more of them — well, almost — than there are of us. Much of our own weight is bacterial. They reproduce faster and they mutate faster. They have been around far longer than we have been and they will be around after we are gone." And bacteria aren't the only contenders for world domination. "Ants already control the planet," said Mark W. Moffett, an entomologist at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and author of "Adventures Among Ants: A Global Safari with a Cast of Trillions" (University of California Press, 2011). "They just do it under our feet." For instance, there are many more ants than there are humans, and their total weight, or biomass, equals or exceeds that of humans, Moffett said. They also use traditional military rules of engagement to wage war. For instance, they rely on "shock and awe," in essence swarming their enemies with sheer numbers to overcome them. Ants also throw the weakest, scrawniest members of the colony out front while keeping their "supersoldier" ants to the rear, just as the front lines in many battles are made up of the least trained and most poorly equipped soldiers, Moffett said. This strategy has proven incredibly successful. For instance, individual African army ants may not be scary on their own, but they create swarms that are 100 feet (30.5 meters) long and millions-strong. With their little bladelike teeth, they can swarm and devour a tethered cow — or potentially an unattended human baby — in minutes, he said. "There is a reason why women in equatorial Africa carry babies on their back and don't put them in a crib," Moffett told Live Science. The Argentine Ant first hitched a train ride to California in 1910. Now, a supercolony stretches across most of California, and is waging all-out war to expand its turf with another supercolony in Mexico, he said. And while any one ant isn't all that intelligent, they can still solve extraordinary problems with their hive mind, Moffett said. "Individual ants are the equivalent to the neurons in your brain — each one doesn't have a lot to say but in combination they can get a lot of things done," Moffett said. Follow Tia Ghose on Twitteand Google+. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science. ||||| • Matt Berridge is trying to destroy us all. Well, maybe not. But he’s doing something crazy, that much is clear. A wildlife caretaker at the Toronto Zoo, Berridge is giving orangutans iPads. Not just for fun, either; it’s for learning. The program he uses, “Apps for Apes” is currently in 13 zoos and animal centers across the world and is exactly what it sounds like. The program’s goals, according to the official website, are “1. To provide stimulating enrichment & immediate gratification for the orangutans using iPads, 2. To raise awareness among zoo visitors of the critical need to protect orangutans in the wild, and 3. To promote the conservation efforts of Orangutan Outreach.” It sounds nice, right? But can we really trust orangutans with some of the same tools we’re using to mold young elementary minds in schools across the country? “Orangutans learn by watching and imitation,” says Berridge. “Applying [observational learning] to an iPad and apps I think has a great potential for opening the door to simple communication and learning.” “I don’t think there would be any reason for [dolphins] to become anything like us. It would honestly be a step down,” says Dr. Lori Marino, laughing. “It really would be.” Oh, Berridge, they have you so fooled, don’t they? What the Toronto Zoo, and each of its 12 counterparts participating in the “Apps for Apes” program doesn’t seem to realize is that giving orangutans iPads can be a terrible idea. What if orangutans are quietly plotting the takeover of Earth, and want only to destroy us? Yes, the future is bleak for humanity if people like Berridge and his fellow caretakers continue to teach animals how to succeed and adapt in our modern world. Like me, you may be worried that the orangutan’s newfound use of technology could lead to an uprising, an ape revolution if you will, as prophesied in the popular Planet of the Apes franchise. Well, according to Berridge, you can stop worrying. “Orangutans as a species are believed to be 15 million years old. They evolved without human interference up until 200 years ago,” Berridge says. “I believe they had a greater understanding of how their ecosystem could meet their needs and functioned very efficiently. If humans hadn’t made such a negative impact on their ecosystem, things would probably carry on for millions more.” So maybe the time has come and gone for the orangutan’s chance to rule. But what about the 10 million other species on Earth? What animal, given some time to evolve, and barring human interference, could be the next us? What species could form something that we today would recognize as an intelligent society? DOLPHINS AND PORPOISES Dolphins and porpoises, of the order Cetacea, are already considered to be the second most intelligent species on the planet. In a 2004 study, Dr. Lori Marino, neuroscientist and marine mammal expert from Emory University, found that dolphins and porpoises have encephalization levels (a rough estimate of intelligence that compares brain mass to an organism’s total body mass) below only modern humans, and above any other mammal. “Bottle nosed dolphins have an encephalization of about four, so their brains are about four times the size you would expect for their body size. The highest encephalization in dolphins goes up to about five,” Marino says. “So they’re pretty close to us, yeah.” For comparison, human encephalization is approximately 7.5. What if dolphins aren’t the cute, playful sea mammals we think they are? What if they’re more than just tools for our amusement at aquatic parks, a species of super geniuses, biding their time, waiting for us to show a sign of weakness? You guys do what you want: I’ll be over here, finding a way off of this liquid planet. “I don’t think anyone will take our place. Especially not dolphins,” Marino says. “The reason is: Dolphins have been successful as a very smart species, or rather, an order of mammals, for tens of millions of years. If we disappear, the only thing that really would happen is that they would be free to continue their lives. I don’t think there would be any reason for them to become anything like us. It would honestly be a step down,” she says, laughing. “It really would be.” In Marino’s study, she found that dolphins developed their high encephalization level between 60 million and 20 million years ago. So, in other words, dolphins have had, at the very least, 20 million years to run this town, and either have had no reason to do it, or have chosen not to. CEPHALOPODS: OCTOPUSES, SQUIDS, ETC. Octopuses, squids, cuttlefish. The names evoke terror in humans across the planet. They have a lot of arms, most of them do that ink thing, and they look sticky. So sure, there’s an intimidation factor when you’re talking about cephalopods. But could they take over? Dr. Russell Burke, a Hofstra University biology professor specializing in ecology and evolution, has a few predictions that’ll make your highly encephalized brain spin. “[Cephalopods] have a lot of the characteristics that we think of as being important in humans,” Burke says. “So first, they have relatively large brains. Relative to their body size; they have large brains.” Check. “They have big eyes, connected with the big brain, which means they work in the same kind of world that we do,” he adds. “They’re large eyes, they’re very complex eyes, and they work much like ours.” You read it here first: Cephalopods have the perfect eyes for world domination. But that’s not all. “You make a big fuss about opposable thumbs, imagine if we had eight of them,” Burke says, though I’d really rather not. “Cephalopods clearly manipulate objects, they clearly use tools. They don’t build things, aside from shelters, but its certainly imaginable that given the time, given some other factors, those kinds of things could happen.” “If a cephalopod learns something, tries some trick and it works and another cephalopod sees it? I mean, they definitely learn by watching each other, so if those pattern behaviors developed, it could pass among groups very quickly,” Burke says. So the only thing stopping octopuses from destroying us is a lack of leadership? We’re just hoping that an octopus version of Ben Franklin, or perhaps a squid Napoleon, isn’t born? “It begs the question, Why haven’t they [evolved more], you know? I don’t know the answer to that. Maybe they’re waiting ‘til we’re not watching,” says Burke, laughing a terrified laugh in his office (which, mind you, does not contain any cephalopods). “But anybody who’s kept an octopus in an aquarium can tell you, they’re constantly reaching out of the tank and feeling stuff. They’ll pull a filter into the water; anything they can reach will be pulled in and played with. So I’m buying cephalopods.” OK, so cephalopods seem like a good option. They resemble what we imagine when we think about aliens, they have the tentacles, the big eyes, the brains; they’re looking like a safe bet for next in line. But what else has the potential to rule? BEARS “Take humans out of the equation and we are left with a world that is changing at a much slower rate,” says Ashley Bennison, an evolutionary and behavioral ecology post grad student from the University of Exeter in Cornwall, England. “In a much slower world I would expect the rise of the herbivores at first, only to be capitalized by carnivores later on. Bears, cats, and dogs—already incredibly clever animals—could potentially become fantastically efficient predators capitalizing on the much higher numbers of available prey.” What I’m hearing is that, with more prey in a world without humans, large carnivores could have the chance to sit back, relax, and focus less on eating and more on developing societies. “This could, in effect, lead to many clever animals starting to converge on our niche, if you will,” Bennison says. “So my vote? Probably the bears. Those guys are awesome.” Go online and do what I did: re-watch some old episodes of Care Bears. The show takes on a whole new meaning if you imagine it’s all taking place in a not-so-distant future where nearly all humans are extinct and bears rule the Earth. RACCOONS AND THE REST “Raccoons. Sometimes you think raccoons are just going to take over the world,” says Marino. “Those kinds of animals that have to deal with the same pressures as humans, especially in the urban environment. I think they’re facing a lot of pressure to improve selection.” Jason G. Goldman, author of the Scientific American blog, The Thoughtful Animal, agrees with Marino’s sentiment, stating, “It’s certainly possible that something like a rat or raccoon could eventually evolve human-level intelligence.” But Goldman thinks another animal would do it before raccoons. “What species could achieve human-like language, human-like teaching, and human-like tool use after a few million years of evolution?” he asks. “The candidate species might be chimpanzees or bonobos, or dolphins and whales, or elephants, or ants. Each of these species is already part of the way there for each of these elements. Notice that each of the candidate species is social—I think this is key.” “WELL IF THE DINOSAURS hadn’t gone extinct, would they have become us? The answer, of course, is no,” Marino says. “But a lot of people assume that one of them would have eventually gone bipedal, put on a suit, and went to work on Wall Street.” Marino and many other scientists believe that human-like society is not necessary for many already-successful species, so it will not happen. There really is no absolute answer to a question like this. We have the candidates and the potential, but there are many factors that could keep anything from taking our place. Setting up the “no more humans” scenario, though, was necessary because we are wreaking havoc on our planet and every species inhabiting it. “We’re in a mass extinction event,” Marino says. “There’s no hope for adaptation out of this situation for these animals. They’re going out. We’re kind of like that comet that hit the dinosaurs, only we’re a comet that’s hitting every day.”

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Mad Men got off to a very slow start on Sunday night, as though daring you to become absorbed in it again, but as the two hours proceeded, the show launched at least four rather magnificent set-piece scenes that remind you not just how good the series can be, but also how different it is from anything else TV has seen. The themes of the evening could not have been more simple and direct: Everyone is insecure; everyone wants to find his or her place in the world. Have I written enough now to pause for a new paragraph and insert the obligatory SPOILER ALERT: DON’T READ FURTHER UNLESS YOU’VE WATCHED THE SEASON PREMIERE OF MAD MEN? Ah, good… Don is indeed hitched to Megan, whose lovely naked back is now burned into the retinas of little Sally when she tried to enter a door she thought was the bathroom in Don and Megan’s new digs. How those children of divorce suffer, stumbling upon sights they can have trouble comprehending. It’s Don’s time with the kids, and they’re still fond of cheerful Megan, they’re still plopped into cars without seat belts. Don dropped them off at their mother’s house, instructing the tykes to “give Morticia and Lurch my love.” This was triple-effective: A sarcasm that invoked The Addams Family and let us know Don still dislikes Betty, and — no Betty was seen: January Jones’ glower was saved for a rainy day. Don Draper’s birthday is June 1st; he turned 40. The “real” Don turned 40 some months before, as he reminds Megan in part to explain why he doesn’t want any fuss over his milestone birthday this year. Megan knows Don’s secret, but she’s also eager to play the role of Draper wife so loyally that she planned a surprise party for him. (This is also a measure of their age difference: Megan herself wants to party; she truly can’t imagine why Don wouldn’t want a frolic with noisemakers. The party proved to be a little masterpiece of awkwardness and misjudgment. Roger spoiled the surprise; the guest list included people Don didn’t want into his abode (i.e., pretty much the entire guest list). And Megan performed a sexy-time dance that had jaws dropping like anvils in a Tex Avery cartoon. Everyone was turned on except Don, who got turned on only later, when Megan, stripped to her undies, was down on all fours, sulkily cleaning up the joint, and her mixture of unself-conscious sensuality and anger riled up our boy in every way — he was hungry for her. Megan’s anger, her objectification of her sexuality (“You don’t like presents. You don’t like nice things… You don’t want people thinking you’re getting this. You don’t get to have this!”) — well, knowing Don as we do, it was no wonder his switch was finally flipped as electrically as it was for the other men earlier, watching Megan dance at the party. But sex is fleeting; work is forever: As Don knew it would, the party became instantly legendary, and a new weak chink in Don’s office armor — you can bet he’s going to nurture Megan’s misreading of how the party would be received for a long time. He must already be thinking, Betty could be lousy and stupid, but she wouldn’t have pulled a stunt like that. Another excellent sequence was the “bean ballet”: Peggy’s pitch to Heinz designed to animate baked beans and have them cascade attractively across a TV screen. The client literally wasn’t buying it, going all literal-minded on her: “Where’s the bite-and-smile?” he droned. He just wants what he’s always gotten: A scene with some happy SOBs chomping into a plate o’ beans and grinning at their good luck at having cans of these slimy things in the cupboard. Peggy’s pitching was impeccable as always, which means she was three steps ahead of the client in creativity and had over-thought it. To top it off, Don came in and instead of helping her clinch the deal by doing his Don-as-oracular-shaman act, he just told the guy he was right and they’d work on in. Angry, hurt, betrayed, and baffled, Peggy complained bitterly about Don to doofus Stan, “Clients are right all of a sudden? I don’t recognize that man. He’s kind and patient. It concerns me.” Elisabeth Moss was breathtakingly good. The saga of Joan was another bravura set-piece. She was introduced this season via a close-up of her baby’s bum, as she slathered it with zinc to prevent diaper rash. Yes, it’s come to this — Joan, her husband absent, living with her meddling mom (who’s moved in to “help”), bored silly with this kid already. Well, she’s ambivalent about the tyke, especially when she gets put in a plot device straight out of a 1960s sitcom — she misunderstood a prank ad SCDP printed to irk rival Young and Rubicam, thinking it was a want ad for her job. This led to a visit to the office, a series of scenes shot with bustling energy, emphasizing Christina Hendricks’ curves as a metaphor for the vitality the office has been missing. When Joan was assured by Lane that the ad was fake, that her temporary replacements are “imbeciles,” Joan burst into tears — the tears of a housebound new-mom, tired and convinced that the world beyond the baby’s room has forgotten her. Lane, since I’ve brought him up, was the focus of an elegant subplot that emphasized what a pathetic soul he is. Having found a wallet during a taxi ride, and in it, a picture of a girl who seems to hold out endless possibilities, Lane contrived to meet her, only to be met instead by the wallet’s coarse owner. His oafish condescension toward Lane — a nice twist for this character, who can usually use his British accent to get over on most confrontations with rube Americans — brought home to Lane how lonely and foolish he is just now. A final set-piece was Pete’s furious attempt to get a bigger office, another plot that could have been humorous but instead, with the help a superb performance by Vincent Kartheiser, became near-heroic. We’d seen early on that Pete doesn’t like commuting back and forth to the suburbs and Trudy; he’d rather be in Manhattan. Similarly, he’s frustrated at work — he’d rather be one of the firm’s power-players and has proven his worth by currently pulling in a lot more business than Roger. Yet just as he is thwarted by his wife having chosen their home-life, he’s thwarted at work by his partners’ unwillingness to reward his desires. He got a bigger office, ultimately, but being handed Harry’s wasn’t much of a victory. Pete is still not sure where he fits in, in this hierarchy. The season premiere was framed by faces rarely seen on Mad Men: black ones. The moments were relatively brief. In the beginning, we saw how male Madison Avenue whites reacted to civil rights demonstrations: With the mixture of bafflement and anger, the feeling of being threatened. At the start of the show, we thought the pale pranksters who’d dropped water balloons on blacks below them on the street would be shamed when the victims came up to the office to confront them, but these whites are too foolish, too ignorant of the import of what’s going on, to feel anything close to shame. Similarly, at the end, a group of black applicants for the SCDP fake ad appeared in the lobby proffering their resumes. None of our Mad men knew what to do about this, other than understanding that they could no longer just tell the black people suddenly in their midst to go away, as their fathers could have just a decade or so before. A lesser show than Mad Men would have come down heavily on this, using these scenes as teaching moments, for the characters and for us. But this is one great example why Matthew Weiner should not be so obsessed with “spoilers”: I or anyone could describe those two scenes I just mentioned to you, but you wouldn’t understand how subtle they were, how their small amount of screen time artfully corresponded to the small amount of psychic space the civil rights movement takes up in the heads of our “heroes.” It wouldn’t have mattered if you knew last week that Mad Men was going to, as hacks say about such things, “tackle the civil rights issue.” It’s all in the execution, in the witnessing of it yourself, as you watch the show. Nothing this good can be “spoiled”; it can only be savored. What did you think of the Mad Men season premiere? Twitter: @kentucker ||||| Hills, the daughter of an English travel-writer and a Polish poet, spent her childhood in France, where she was spotted by Roger Vadim, the producer who also discovered (and married) Brigitte Bardot. She subsequently starred in Beat Girl, aka Wild for Kicks, a 1960 British teensploitation movie (tagline: "Hop-Head U.K. School Girls Get in Trouble"; you can watch the whole thing on YouTube). In 1966, the year tonight's Mad Men episode takes place, Hills appeared in Blow-Up, perhaps the quintessential Swinging Sixties film (the movie was a surprise hit in the U.S., and helped kill off the Production Code). She played an aspiring model who has a threesome with the lead character, a photographer played by David Hemmings, and another aspiring model, played by Jane Birkin. (Hills sort of reprised this role in A Clockwork Orange, in which her character partcipates, to quote IMDb, "in an afternoon sex marathon to the music of the William Tell overture" with the protagonist, Alex, and her character's best friend.) ||||| Michael Yarish/AMC NOTE: Because AMC is not sending out advance screeners of Mad Men this season, I won’t be doing postairing reviews of each episode — the show needs time to be reviewed right, and I’m too often on deadline for magazine pieces Monday. I’ll occasionally post about the show — not whole episodes but specific scenes and themes — when I have something to say and time to say it. But I did get the season premiere ahead of time, so I had a chance to write out some of the spoilery thoughts I left out of my earlier preview/review: The review screeners critics got of Mad Men‘s two-hour premiere came with a long list of “spoilers” Matthew Weiner asked that we avoid: what year the episode was set in, what happened with Don and Megan, what happened with Don and Faye, did Joan have her baby, what’s going on with Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce’s business and “other issues.” I don’t think all these requests were reasonable. (Don and Faye?) But I more or less avoided them anyway. Although you could argue I blew all of them by simply saying that there were no real plot bombshells in the pilot. (Read: Mad Men: “All You Get to Do Is Watch”) Because there weren’t. Because there aren’t in a Mad Men season premiere. A typical amount of time passes in a cable drama. (We left in 1965. We’re back in 1966. Gasp!) The things the finale gave you every reason to believe would happen have happened — just as Peggy really did give away her baby and Don and Betty really did divorce. Mad Men does not throw sudden curveballs at the season return just to shock you — it would be a different, probably worse show if it did — which is why the proscription against spoilers especially amuses me with this show. So Joan had her baby. And so Don and Megan, having gotten engaged, got married. The latter fact is not especially interesting in that it happened; what makes it interesting, and what makes it worth discussing, is how it’s played out in this first episode. The engagement, after all, was a big change (if one that was reasonably well telegraphed in Season 4). Making Megan into a suddenly central character was a surprise, and maybe a concern, because we saw her the way Don’s associates did. She wasn’t that well characterized yet. She was a supporting player. We didn’t really know her. Now suddenly she’s essentially the female lead (or at least a female lead)? I’ll be honest: I’m glad to have Mad Men back, but “A Little Kiss” was not a great episode. Mad Men return episodes generally aren’t: they take their time and do a lot of table setting. There were moments that seemed tonally off; Mad Men is a funny show, for instance, but things like Pete’s Staten Island Ferry prank on Roger and the comic beats between Joan and the new receptionist felt almost sitcom-like. And the civil rights protest that bracketed the episode has a lot of potential as an arc, but it felt stilted for now. The Y&R water bombing was lifted from a 1966 incident, and the dialogue is taken verbatim from a New York Times account (hat tip to Alan Sepinwall, who mentioned that to me). And it felt like it: the story is not really going to work until there’s a new black character(s) who feels like part of Mad Men‘s creative world and voice, not a newspaper clipping. (READ: Top Ten Things We Miss About the Mad Men Era) But the episode was interesting, in that it shows us Weiner using Megan’s unfamiliarity as an advantage and as a storytelling device. The very fact that she is an unknown quantity among these very well-known quantities may give us a chance to see everyone we think we know differently — through the eyes of a relative stranger. First, there’s the idea of Megan as a catalyst, someone shaking up the settled order of this world. There was a lot being set up in “A Little Kiss”: the civil rights issue, the Pete-Roger standoff, SCDP’s scrambling for business. But so much of this episode was about Megan— even when it was about other people. There was Sally, stumbling into the master bedroom, getting a glimpse of the small of Megan’s back and thus of her father as a sexual being. Peggy, reacting to the fact that Megan strolled into the kind of copywriting job she’d fought to get by marrying the boss. (“We’re really locked into the five cents off, but good idea!”) Joan, worried for her job, noting that someone once started as a receptionist and ended up getting everything. There’s also Roger, comparing his souring marriage unfavorably with Don’s new one. Harry, finding in Megan another chance to totally Harry up a situation. (There may even be an echo of sexual jealousy in Lane’s obsession with Dolores and Pete’s remark that Trudy once would not leave the house in her robe: a lot of older and/or married men sizing Megan up as a trophy.) And Don, who — is it the whiskey (or lack thereof) talking, or does he look, briefly … happy? Uncomplicatedly happy? The fulcrum of all these gazes is the party and the “Zou Bisou Bisou” performance, the greatest set piece of the episode. (It’s a mark of Mad Men, which has always tried to avoid too-obvious pop-culture cues, that it would go with not a British Invasion or American pop tune but a French ye-ye number by Gillian Hills.) It’s sexy, and it’s awkward, and it’s kind of funny. But it’s also kind of awesome. Literally: the scene manufactures a feeling of awe in the room among all these repressed, ironic, arch characters, seeing this rare bird light in the middle of the room, expressing unashamed affection and energy. (This sense is conveyed even in the design of the apartment — furnished from scratch, entirely new and modern, unhaunted by any past.) Don is mortified, of course, and it doesn’t entirely end well, but for a second it’s as if someone opened a window on the whole show, and not to let out the smell of pot smoke. But it’s not just about Megan as the object of gazes. She’s also a significant gazer in this episode, and this may be part of her function in this series. She’s not an idiot, and it doesn’t take Harry’s pantomimed hip thrusting to make her see how the rest of the office sees her. But she in turn lets us see the familiar characters anew, through the eyes of someone who doesn’t know them that well and thus can still be surprised by them. In places, her newness is just practically functional: it gives her an excuse to remind us of the show’s bench of characters by having her plan an invite list and name-drop Freddy Rumsen and Duck Phillips (nice brief pained reaction by Elisabeth Moss on that one). And in the surprise-party fallout, she lets us see how, well, horrible these people we’ve come to follow can be. “What is wrong with you people?” she asks. “You’re all so cynical. You don’t smile, you smirk.” It’s not that they’re bad people, necessarily. But in a way, maybe they’re worse: they refuse to permit themselves happiness; they close themselves off from the idea of uncomplicated joy. And there is, of course, no more sturdily constructed joy-prevention fortress than Megan’s new husband Don. He’s horrified by the surprise party, or really by its implication — the idea of letting all these people literally into his world. He seems in love with Megan. He seems in lust with her. But he is more comfortable basking in the reflection of her openness and optimism than embracing it himself. Even when they reconcile at the end, it’s in a peculiar sex game in which Megan gets on her knees, cleans the floor and mocks the 40-year-old man for his decrepitude. (Masochistic? Maybe. But we’ve seen, in his encounter with the hooker, that our Don enjoys him a good slapping.) Postcoitally, Don reassures Megan that it’s not her, it’s them: “You think you’re a splinter. You’re not. The whole foot’s been infected for years.” You have to suspect that Don is not talking only about other people here. Don likes newness. He likes, as Faye said, the beginnings of things. But does he really like surprises? ||||| See all of Slate’s coverage of Mad Men, Season 5 here. Julia, Patrick, Clipboard, © 2012 AMC Tonight’s long-awaited season premiere was titled “A Little Kiss,” but it was more like a big wet kiss, the kind you plant on a loved one you haven’t seen in way too long. Matthew Weiner has said he wanted to welcome fans back after the long hiatus with something special, and did he ever. It wasn’t that this episode was groundbreaking—it was actually rather mundane in its outlines. But what Weiner wisely recognized was that after 18 months, we Mad Men fanatics were desperate just to spend some quality time with the gang again. We didn’t need ominous plot developments, looming historical events, or lawn equipment mishaps. We needed to put on our party plaid and head over to Don’s new apartment for drinks and dancing. And what a party. Julia, you noted last season that no TV series knows how to throw a shindig like Mad Men, and tonight’s was a worthy addition to a list that includes Sally’s Cheever-esque birthday from Season 1, Roger’s retrograde Derby Day bash from Season 3, and last season’s conga-rrific Christmas party. I loved Harry’s perfectly terrible gift to Don (“the Steinway of walking sticks”), Peggy’s beatnik dance steps, and the revelation that Cosgrove’s literary side lives on, in the form of tea-infused poetry recitals. And, of course, the pièce de résistance, Megan’s NSFW performance of Gillian Hill’s earworm “Zou Bisou Bisou,” which is sure to be as much a subject of water cooler talk around America tomorrow as it was at SCDP. One of the biggest questions we all had going into this season is how Megan would fit into Don’s life. That question remains very much open, but I learned enough in this premiere to make me far more interested in this plotline than I ever thought I’d be. In my preseason post, I accused Don of impulsively marrying the latest pretty face to succumb to his charms. I take it back—and not just because Megan is a devotee of the French way of housekeeping. There’s far more to Don’s new wife than I’d given her credit for. She’s ambitious, working over the weekend to get her coupons done, yet enough of an outsider at SCDP to be a clear-eyed critic of the place. “What is wrong with you people? You’re so cynical,” she says to Peggy. “You don’t smile, you smirk.” You people—Mrs. Draper isn’t sure she wants to be part of this world. Her relationship with Don is equally fraught. On the one hand, she’s clearly still figuring him out—she’s the only employee of SCDP who thinks this is a man who will appreciate a surprise party. And she doesn’t appear to grasp the seriousness of the secret Don has shared with her—perhaps as a former actress, the idea of assuming a new identity doesn’t seem so foreign to her or a cause for such protracted brooding. But in other ways, Megan knows exactly what makes Don tick. Patrick, I shared your fear that Don would “lose interest and subject her to the standard indignities.” Well, he subjects her to some indignities all right, but I don’t see him losing interest any time soon. When it comes to the bedroom—or the living room floor—Megan knows what Don wants, and knows how to get what she wants out of him. Megan Calvet is no Betty Draper, who was conspicuously absent tonight. And she’s no Jane Siegel. Just ask the unlucky so-and-so in the three-piece suit. Advertisement Of course, we’re talking about Mad Men here, and this is clearly not going to be a season entirely given over to party-planning and sexual experimentation between Masters and Johnson. Anyone needing a reminder of the mine field that is the SCDP offices got one when Joan brought her baby boy in for a visit. The sequence was Mad Men at its best. The coded repartee between Joan and Roger was priceless (“there’s my baby!”) and a stark contrast with the exchange between Peggy and Pete, who goes white as a sheet when he sees Pegs standing next to a pram. This was as joyous an episode as I can recall, but the season’s coming conflicts were hiding in plain sight, like a rifle poking out of a banker’s box. A theme Patrick identified two seasons ago seems primed to take center stage this year: The conflict between workhorses and show horses. Pete and Peggy have long been the company’s workhorses, putting in the long hours to advance the firm and their own careers. And they’re growing increasingly irritated that their contributions aren’t properly recognized. Pete has solidified his status as SCDP’s rainmaker and is understandably upset that his reward is an office with a load-bearing beam and a pickled senior partner determined to poach his leads, even if it means riding the Staten Island ferry at dawn. (A not unrelated aside: Pete seems to have joined some kind of cult run by management consultants, or maybe Barney Stinson. When Cosgrove reassures him that the firm’s finances are “stable,” Pete offers this proverb: “Stable is that step backwards between successful and failing.” When Pete shares his frustrations with Trudy, she reminds him, “Dissatisfaction is a symptom of ambition; it’s the coal that fuels the fire—you know that.”) Peggy, meanwhile, continues to annoy everyone around her by nattering on about how hard she works. She seems headed for a showdown with Don, SCDP’s most prized show horse. Don’s work habits have always been … untraditional. But despite the naps and nooners and the unannounced retreats to Palm Springs, he’s always had drive. He’s relished swooping in at the last minute, making the show-stopping sell, reveling in the awed hush his ideas inspire. But tonight we glimpsed a different Don, one who seemed unusually contented. He doesn’t have a single appointment on his calendar. When he waltzes in during Peggy’s pitch to the Heinz people, he doesn’t pull a Draper and convince them that they would be Neanderthals not to recognize the genius of the bean ballet. He lets them off the hook, promising to do better on the next go round. Granted, that might have been the sound business move in this situation—they clearly weren’t buying the dancing legumes (“where’s the bite and smile?”). But recall the Don of last season, who kicked the guys from Jantzen out of the boardroom for not appreciating his risqué bikini ad. As Peggy says, “The clients are right all of a sudden—I don’t recognize that man.” I certainly didn’t recognize the man who, after a roll in the white carpeting, tells his new wife that he doesn’t care about work. The workhorses have never been this uppity, the show horses so logy. I can’t imagine it will be long before there’s drama in the paddock. There’s so much more in this rich double episode to discuss, but I’m running late for the status meeting, so I’m going to pass the walking stick to you guys. One major development I’m eager to hear you guys discuss is one that Tanner Colby predicted in Slate two weeks ago: It seems that race may finally come to the fore this season. As the protests that opened the episode suggest, de world’s got troubles, and SCDP won’t be insulated from them for much longer. How will hiring a black secretary change the firm? And what did you guys make of Joan’s testy relationship with her mom? Of Sally’s newly husky voice? Will either of you come to the defense of what I thought was the episode’s only wrong note: Lane and the case of the missing wallet? ||||| A New Don Making sense of the radically changed Don Draper By Chuck Klosterman on March 26, 2012 Television has certain advantages over film, but few are more meaningful than the flexibility provided by time. Because their duration is open-ended, TV shows can radically modify secondary characters to better serve whatever narrative path they decide to pursue. There's a long tradition of this (especially in soap operas), and it usually involves a mild antagonist evolving into a sympathetic protagonist (Ed Helms on The Office is the easiest present-tense example). When this happens gradually, only the superviewers notice, particularly if the tweaks occur on the periphery of the story. A casual consumer might not notice at all. However, just about everyone notices when a program's main character changes, because that's rare. It transforms the show in totality. And this is why most people thinking and writing about Mad Men this morning are collectively wondering, What in the hell is going on with Don Draper? The Draper in last night's fifth-season premiere is not the man we are supposed to know. This man walks into work late and seems disconnected from his job. This man chases a woman home from the office when she gets unjustifiably upset about a surprise party he never wanted. He is uninterested in the life he created; the job that once defined his ethos is now an empty, unsatisfying nuisance. He seems closer to the drunken plagiarist who stole the phrase "The cure for the common breakfast" and pitched it to Life cereal, except now he's sober. He's only drunk on apathy. This being the case, asking "What's going on with Don Draper?" seems like a reasonable query. We've only seen one episode of the new season, so that answer is impossible to irrefutably deduce (and the writing on this show is too good to make it that easy). But what if the answer is this: What if the 40-year-old Don Draper we're seeing now — the one we don't fully recognize — is actually the real person he's always been? There are so many quality threads woven through Mad Men that it's always possible to create your own personal meaning for what the show is "about." It's pretty easy to make the argument that this show is "about" the sixties, or feminism, or masculinity, or the nature of work, or the dissonance between the intellectual notion of advertising and the fabricated society that advertising generates. I suppose it's about all of those things, to varying degrees. But I've always believed the true vortex of Mad Men was the process of Don Draper consciously inventing himself. It was not that he merely changed his personality — he stole an identity and constructed a life as someone who did not exist. He's (literally) a self-made man who's fundamentally unreal. But because of the way television works — because he was introduced as a cool, bold, brilliant machine with absolute control of his day-to-day existence — it was impossible not to infer that those qualities were the concrete composition of his actual character. This creation, it seemed, was who he was. But that cannot be. That version of Draper is the first one we see, but it's the second iteration of reality. It's an iteration he selected and manufactured. The qualities we associate with "Don Draper" are simply the qualities he elected to adopt and promote; they are advertisements for the unreal product of him. Look at it like this: Think about your most successful friend. Think about how you'd describe this friend to other people, and think about the elements of their personality you'd use to define their character. What would happen if everything you know about this friend suddenly proved to be false? Assume they've lied to you about every single aspect of who they are, including their name and origin. Now, it's possible you'd continue to have a relationship with this person. He or she might continue to exist as your friend, and perhaps you'd even like them more. But he or she would not be the person you thought you knew; instead, they would be someone in between the person they were born as and the person they invented. They would become a third iteration of themselves (and they wouldn't get to control what that means or how that looks). What if this is Don's third iteration? The fact that he was once Dick Whitman is no longer a dangerous secret: His ex-wife knows, his new wife knows, Pete Campbell knows, Bert Cooper knows (I can't remember if Roger knows, but I'm sure he wouldn't care if he did). That first reinvention no longer matters, because there's no longer any fear that he'll lose everything if his past is exposed. And that was what made Don Draper unstoppable — fear. He stoically lived in wordless fear, and that made him work harder (and better) than all those around him. But that period is over. The fear is gone. The unafraid person we now see might be the human he really is: Kind of lazy, distracted by cheap desires, and unable to reconcile the existential despair of excelling at a profession that's as unreal as the personality he occupied for most of his adult life. It's hard to find real-world examples of people who invented themselves as completely as Don Draper, but here's one: Robert Van Winkle. Van Winkle was a motocross racer from Dallas who turned himself into Vanilla Ice, presenting himself as a street-smart, cop-hating rapper from Miami. Obviously, that charade collapsed. So now he's in his third iteration — that of a failed reality star who's a better-than-average carpenter. It's weirder than his original version and less exciting than his second, but it feels natural. When I see Vanilla Ice hanging drywall on the DIY Network, I no longer believe I'm seeing something fake. It's a mediated event, but not a hoax; it's sad, but not pathetic. I feel the same way about this third iteration of Don. It was uncomfortable to see him showing up late for work, but not unrealistic. It was strange to see him emotively controlled by Megan, but that's probably what he unconsciously wants. He's not faking it anymore, and that means he will lose. But this is the central question of personhood: Is there anything more important than being whoever you actually are? The answer is probably. But the difference is negligible.

– Critics eager for the return of Mad Men weren't blown away by the first episode of the fifth season—but that doesn't mean the show has lost its magic. What they're saying: "I'm glad to have Mad Men back, but 'A Little Kiss' was not a great episode," writes James Poniewozik in Time. "There were moments that seemed tonally off" and "almost sitcom-like," but it's forgivable: With this show, return episodes "take their time and do a lot of table-setting." In Entertainment Weekly, Ken Tucker notes that the episode is "slow" to start. Still, it contains "magnificent set-piece scenes that remind you not just how good the series can be, but also how different it is from anything else TV has seen." Don Draper was very different, writes Chuck Klosterman in Grantland. This guy "is not the man we are supposed to know," he notes. "He is uninterested in the life he created; the job that once defined his ethos is now an empty, unsatisfying nuisance." Sure, it was "rather mundane in its outlines," but that's no problem, observes John Swansburg in Slate. "After 18 months, we Mad Men fanatics were desperate just to spend some quality time with the gang again." If you're going bananas over "Zou Bisou Bisou," the song featured on the episode, click here.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Mad Men got off to a very slow start on Sunday night, as though daring you to become absorbed in it again, but as the two hours proceeded, the show launched at least four rather magnificent set-piece scenes that remind you not just how good the series can be, but also how different it is from anything else TV has seen. The themes of the evening could not have been more simple and direct: Everyone is insecure; everyone wants to find his or her place in the world. Have I written enough now to pause for a new paragraph and insert the obligatory SPOILER ALERT: DON’T READ FURTHER UNLESS YOU’VE WATCHED THE SEASON PREMIERE OF MAD MEN? Ah, good… Don is indeed hitched to Megan, whose lovely naked back is now burned into the retinas of little Sally when she tried to enter a door she thought was the bathroom in Don and Megan’s new digs. How those children of divorce suffer, stumbling upon sights they can have trouble comprehending. It’s Don’s time with the kids, and they’re still fond of cheerful Megan, they’re still plopped into cars without seat belts. Don dropped them off at their mother’s house, instructing the tykes to “give Morticia and Lurch my love.” This was triple-effective: A sarcasm that invoked The Addams Family and let us know Don still dislikes Betty, and — no Betty was seen: January Jones’ glower was saved for a rainy day. Don Draper’s birthday is June 1st; he turned 40. The “real” Don turned 40 some months before, as he reminds Megan in part to explain why he doesn’t want any fuss over his milestone birthday this year. Megan knows Don’s secret, but she’s also eager to play the role of Draper wife so loyally that she planned a surprise party for him. (This is also a measure of their age difference: Megan herself wants to party; she truly can’t imagine why Don wouldn’t want a frolic with noisemakers. The party proved to be a little masterpiece of awkwardness and misjudgment. Roger spoiled the surprise; the guest list included people Don didn’t want into his abode (i.e., pretty much the entire guest list). And Megan performed a sexy-time dance that had jaws dropping like anvils in a Tex Avery cartoon. Everyone was turned on except Don, who got turned on only later, when Megan, stripped to her undies, was down on all fours, sulkily cleaning up the joint, and her mixture of unself-conscious sensuality and anger riled up our boy in every way — he was hungry for her. Megan’s anger, her objectification of her sexuality (“You don’t like presents. You don’t like nice things… You don’t want people thinking you’re getting this. You don’t get to have this!”) — well, knowing Don as we do, it was no wonder his switch was finally flipped as electrically as it was for the other men earlier, watching Megan dance at the party. But sex is fleeting; work is forever: As Don knew it would, the party became instantly legendary, and a new weak chink in Don’s office armor — you can bet he’s going to nurture Megan’s misreading of how the party would be received for a long time. He must already be thinking, Betty could be lousy and stupid, but she wouldn’t have pulled a stunt like that. Another excellent sequence was the “bean ballet”: Peggy’s pitch to Heinz designed to animate baked beans and have them cascade attractively across a TV screen. The client literally wasn’t buying it, going all literal-minded on her: “Where’s the bite-and-smile?” he droned. He just wants what he’s always gotten: A scene with some happy SOBs chomping into a plate o’ beans and grinning at their good luck at having cans of these slimy things in the cupboard. Peggy’s pitching was impeccable as always, which means she was three steps ahead of the client in creativity and had over-thought it. To top it off, Don came in and instead of helping her clinch the deal by doing his Don-as-oracular-shaman act, he just told the guy he was right and they’d work on in. Angry, hurt, betrayed, and baffled, Peggy complained bitterly about Don to doofus Stan, “Clients are right all of a sudden? I don’t recognize that man. He’s kind and patient. It concerns me.” Elisabeth Moss was breathtakingly good. The saga of Joan was another bravura set-piece. She was introduced this season via a close-up of her baby’s bum, as she slathered it with zinc to prevent diaper rash. Yes, it’s come to this — Joan, her husband absent, living with her meddling mom (who’s moved in to “help”), bored silly with this kid already. Well, she’s ambivalent about the tyke, especially when she gets put in a plot device straight out of a 1960s sitcom — she misunderstood a prank ad SCDP printed to irk rival Young and Rubicam, thinking it was a want ad for her job. This led to a visit to the office, a series of scenes shot with bustling energy, emphasizing Christina Hendricks’ curves as a metaphor for the vitality the office has been missing. When Joan was assured by Lane that the ad was fake, that her temporary replacements are “imbeciles,” Joan burst into tears — the tears of a housebound new-mom, tired and convinced that the world beyond the baby’s room has forgotten her. Lane, since I’ve brought him up, was the focus of an elegant subplot that emphasized what a pathetic soul he is. Having found a wallet during a taxi ride, and in it, a picture of a girl who seems to hold out endless possibilities, Lane contrived to meet her, only to be met instead by the wallet’s coarse owner. His oafish condescension toward Lane — a nice twist for this character, who can usually use his British accent to get over on most confrontations with rube Americans — brought home to Lane how lonely and foolish he is just now. A final set-piece was Pete’s furious attempt to get a bigger office, another plot that could have been humorous but instead, with the help a superb performance by Vincent Kartheiser, became near-heroic. We’d seen early on that Pete doesn’t like commuting back and forth to the suburbs and Trudy; he’d rather be in Manhattan. Similarly, he’s frustrated at work — he’d rather be one of the firm’s power-players and has proven his worth by currently pulling in a lot more business than Roger. Yet just as he is thwarted by his wife having chosen their home-life, he’s thwarted at work by his partners’ unwillingness to reward his desires. He got a bigger office, ultimately, but being handed Harry’s wasn’t much of a victory. Pete is still not sure where he fits in, in this hierarchy. The season premiere was framed by faces rarely seen on Mad Men: black ones. The moments were relatively brief. In the beginning, we saw how male Madison Avenue whites reacted to civil rights demonstrations: With the mixture of bafflement and anger, the feeling of being threatened. At the start of the show, we thought the pale pranksters who’d dropped water balloons on blacks below them on the street would be shamed when the victims came up to the office to confront them, but these whites are too foolish, too ignorant of the import of what’s going on, to feel anything close to shame. Similarly, at the end, a group of black applicants for the SCDP fake ad appeared in the lobby proffering their resumes. None of our Mad men knew what to do about this, other than understanding that they could no longer just tell the black people suddenly in their midst to go away, as their fathers could have just a decade or so before. A lesser show than Mad Men would have come down heavily on this, using these scenes as teaching moments, for the characters and for us. But this is one great example why Matthew Weiner should not be so obsessed with “spoilers”: I or anyone could describe those two scenes I just mentioned to you, but you wouldn’t understand how subtle they were, how their small amount of screen time artfully corresponded to the small amount of psychic space the civil rights movement takes up in the heads of our “heroes.” It wouldn’t have mattered if you knew last week that Mad Men was going to, as hacks say about such things, “tackle the civil rights issue.” It’s all in the execution, in the witnessing of it yourself, as you watch the show. Nothing this good can be “spoiled”; it can only be savored. What did you think of the Mad Men season premiere? Twitter: @kentucker ||||| Hills, the daughter of an English travel-writer and a Polish poet, spent her childhood in France, where she was spotted by Roger Vadim, the producer who also discovered (and married) Brigitte Bardot. She subsequently starred in Beat Girl, aka Wild for Kicks, a 1960 British teensploitation movie (tagline: "Hop-Head U.K. School Girls Get in Trouble"; you can watch the whole thing on YouTube). In 1966, the year tonight's Mad Men episode takes place, Hills appeared in Blow-Up, perhaps the quintessential Swinging Sixties film (the movie was a surprise hit in the U.S., and helped kill off the Production Code). She played an aspiring model who has a threesome with the lead character, a photographer played by David Hemmings, and another aspiring model, played by Jane Birkin. (Hills sort of reprised this role in A Clockwork Orange, in which her character partcipates, to quote IMDb, "in an afternoon sex marathon to the music of the William Tell overture" with the protagonist, Alex, and her character's best friend.) ||||| Michael Yarish/AMC NOTE: Because AMC is not sending out advance screeners of Mad Men this season, I won’t be doing postairing reviews of each episode — the show needs time to be reviewed right, and I’m too often on deadline for magazine pieces Monday. I’ll occasionally post about the show — not whole episodes but specific scenes and themes — when I have something to say and time to say it. But I did get the season premiere ahead of time, so I had a chance to write out some of the spoilery thoughts I left out of my earlier preview/review: The review screeners critics got of Mad Men‘s two-hour premiere came with a long list of “spoilers” Matthew Weiner asked that we avoid: what year the episode was set in, what happened with Don and Megan, what happened with Don and Faye, did Joan have her baby, what’s going on with Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce’s business and “other issues.” I don’t think all these requests were reasonable. (Don and Faye?) But I more or less avoided them anyway. Although you could argue I blew all of them by simply saying that there were no real plot bombshells in the pilot. (Read: Mad Men: “All You Get to Do Is Watch”) Because there weren’t. Because there aren’t in a Mad Men season premiere. A typical amount of time passes in a cable drama. (We left in 1965. We’re back in 1966. Gasp!) The things the finale gave you every reason to believe would happen have happened — just as Peggy really did give away her baby and Don and Betty really did divorce. Mad Men does not throw sudden curveballs at the season return just to shock you — it would be a different, probably worse show if it did — which is why the proscription against spoilers especially amuses me with this show. So Joan had her baby. And so Don and Megan, having gotten engaged, got married. The latter fact is not especially interesting in that it happened; what makes it interesting, and what makes it worth discussing, is how it’s played out in this first episode. The engagement, after all, was a big change (if one that was reasonably well telegraphed in Season 4). Making Megan into a suddenly central character was a surprise, and maybe a concern, because we saw her the way Don’s associates did. She wasn’t that well characterized yet. She was a supporting player. We didn’t really know her. Now suddenly she’s essentially the female lead (or at least a female lead)? I’ll be honest: I’m glad to have Mad Men back, but “A Little Kiss” was not a great episode. Mad Men return episodes generally aren’t: they take their time and do a lot of table setting. There were moments that seemed tonally off; Mad Men is a funny show, for instance, but things like Pete’s Staten Island Ferry prank on Roger and the comic beats between Joan and the new receptionist felt almost sitcom-like. And the civil rights protest that bracketed the episode has a lot of potential as an arc, but it felt stilted for now. The Y&R water bombing was lifted from a 1966 incident, and the dialogue is taken verbatim from a New York Times account (hat tip to Alan Sepinwall, who mentioned that to me). And it felt like it: the story is not really going to work until there’s a new black character(s) who feels like part of Mad Men‘s creative world and voice, not a newspaper clipping. (READ: Top Ten Things We Miss About the Mad Men Era) But the episode was interesting, in that it shows us Weiner using Megan’s unfamiliarity as an advantage and as a storytelling device. The very fact that she is an unknown quantity among these very well-known quantities may give us a chance to see everyone we think we know differently — through the eyes of a relative stranger. First, there’s the idea of Megan as a catalyst, someone shaking up the settled order of this world. There was a lot being set up in “A Little Kiss”: the civil rights issue, the Pete-Roger standoff, SCDP’s scrambling for business. But so much of this episode was about Megan— even when it was about other people. There was Sally, stumbling into the master bedroom, getting a glimpse of the small of Megan’s back and thus of her father as a sexual being. Peggy, reacting to the fact that Megan strolled into the kind of copywriting job she’d fought to get by marrying the boss. (“We’re really locked into the five cents off, but good idea!”) Joan, worried for her job, noting that someone once started as a receptionist and ended up getting everything. There’s also Roger, comparing his souring marriage unfavorably with Don’s new one. Harry, finding in Megan another chance to totally Harry up a situation. (There may even be an echo of sexual jealousy in Lane’s obsession with Dolores and Pete’s remark that Trudy once would not leave the house in her robe: a lot of older and/or married men sizing Megan up as a trophy.) And Don, who — is it the whiskey (or lack thereof) talking, or does he look, briefly … happy? Uncomplicatedly happy? The fulcrum of all these gazes is the party and the “Zou Bisou Bisou” performance, the greatest set piece of the episode. (It’s a mark of Mad Men, which has always tried to avoid too-obvious pop-culture cues, that it would go with not a British Invasion or American pop tune but a French ye-ye number by Gillian Hills.) It’s sexy, and it’s awkward, and it’s kind of funny. But it’s also kind of awesome. Literally: the scene manufactures a feeling of awe in the room among all these repressed, ironic, arch characters, seeing this rare bird light in the middle of the room, expressing unashamed affection and energy. (This sense is conveyed even in the design of the apartment — furnished from scratch, entirely new and modern, unhaunted by any past.) Don is mortified, of course, and it doesn’t entirely end well, but for a second it’s as if someone opened a window on the whole show, and not to let out the smell of pot smoke. But it’s not just about Megan as the object of gazes. She’s also a significant gazer in this episode, and this may be part of her function in this series. She’s not an idiot, and it doesn’t take Harry’s pantomimed hip thrusting to make her see how the rest of the office sees her. But she in turn lets us see the familiar characters anew, through the eyes of someone who doesn’t know them that well and thus can still be surprised by them. In places, her newness is just practically functional: it gives her an excuse to remind us of the show’s bench of characters by having her plan an invite list and name-drop Freddy Rumsen and Duck Phillips (nice brief pained reaction by Elisabeth Moss on that one). And in the surprise-party fallout, she lets us see how, well, horrible these people we’ve come to follow can be. “What is wrong with you people?” she asks. “You’re all so cynical. You don’t smile, you smirk.” It’s not that they’re bad people, necessarily. But in a way, maybe they’re worse: they refuse to permit themselves happiness; they close themselves off from the idea of uncomplicated joy. And there is, of course, no more sturdily constructed joy-prevention fortress than Megan’s new husband Don. He’s horrified by the surprise party, or really by its implication — the idea of letting all these people literally into his world. He seems in love with Megan. He seems in lust with her. But he is more comfortable basking in the reflection of her openness and optimism than embracing it himself. Even when they reconcile at the end, it’s in a peculiar sex game in which Megan gets on her knees, cleans the floor and mocks the 40-year-old man for his decrepitude. (Masochistic? Maybe. But we’ve seen, in his encounter with the hooker, that our Don enjoys him a good slapping.) Postcoitally, Don reassures Megan that it’s not her, it’s them: “You think you’re a splinter. You’re not. The whole foot’s been infected for years.” You have to suspect that Don is not talking only about other people here. Don likes newness. He likes, as Faye said, the beginnings of things. But does he really like surprises? ||||| See all of Slate’s coverage of Mad Men, Season 5 here. Julia, Patrick, Clipboard, © 2012 AMC Tonight’s long-awaited season premiere was titled “A Little Kiss,” but it was more like a big wet kiss, the kind you plant on a loved one you haven’t seen in way too long. Matthew Weiner has said he wanted to welcome fans back after the long hiatus with something special, and did he ever. It wasn’t that this episode was groundbreaking—it was actually rather mundane in its outlines. But what Weiner wisely recognized was that after 18 months, we Mad Men fanatics were desperate just to spend some quality time with the gang again. We didn’t need ominous plot developments, looming historical events, or lawn equipment mishaps. We needed to put on our party plaid and head over to Don’s new apartment for drinks and dancing. And what a party. Julia, you noted last season that no TV series knows how to throw a shindig like Mad Men, and tonight’s was a worthy addition to a list that includes Sally’s Cheever-esque birthday from Season 1, Roger’s retrograde Derby Day bash from Season 3, and last season’s conga-rrific Christmas party. I loved Harry’s perfectly terrible gift to Don (“the Steinway of walking sticks”), Peggy’s beatnik dance steps, and the revelation that Cosgrove’s literary side lives on, in the form of tea-infused poetry recitals. And, of course, the pièce de résistance, Megan’s NSFW performance of Gillian Hill’s earworm “Zou Bisou Bisou,” which is sure to be as much a subject of water cooler talk around America tomorrow as it was at SCDP. One of the biggest questions we all had going into this season is how Megan would fit into Don’s life. That question remains very much open, but I learned enough in this premiere to make me far more interested in this plotline than I ever thought I’d be. In my preseason post, I accused Don of impulsively marrying the latest pretty face to succumb to his charms. I take it back—and not just because Megan is a devotee of the French way of housekeeping. There’s far more to Don’s new wife than I’d given her credit for. She’s ambitious, working over the weekend to get her coupons done, yet enough of an outsider at SCDP to be a clear-eyed critic of the place. “What is wrong with you people? You’re so cynical,” she says to Peggy. “You don’t smile, you smirk.” You people—Mrs. Draper isn’t sure she wants to be part of this world. Her relationship with Don is equally fraught. On the one hand, she’s clearly still figuring him out—she’s the only employee of SCDP who thinks this is a man who will appreciate a surprise party. And she doesn’t appear to grasp the seriousness of the secret Don has shared with her—perhaps as a former actress, the idea of assuming a new identity doesn’t seem so foreign to her or a cause for such protracted brooding. But in other ways, Megan knows exactly what makes Don tick. Patrick, I shared your fear that Don would “lose interest and subject her to the standard indignities.” Well, he subjects her to some indignities all right, but I don’t see him losing interest any time soon. When it comes to the bedroom—or the living room floor—Megan knows what Don wants, and knows how to get what she wants out of him. Megan Calvet is no Betty Draper, who was conspicuously absent tonight. And she’s no Jane Siegel. Just ask the unlucky so-and-so in the three-piece suit. Advertisement Of course, we’re talking about Mad Men here, and this is clearly not going to be a season entirely given over to party-planning and sexual experimentation between Masters and Johnson. Anyone needing a reminder of the mine field that is the SCDP offices got one when Joan brought her baby boy in for a visit. The sequence was Mad Men at its best. The coded repartee between Joan and Roger was priceless (“there’s my baby!”) and a stark contrast with the exchange between Peggy and Pete, who goes white as a sheet when he sees Pegs standing next to a pram. This was as joyous an episode as I can recall, but the season’s coming conflicts were hiding in plain sight, like a rifle poking out of a banker’s box. A theme Patrick identified two seasons ago seems primed to take center stage this year: The conflict between workhorses and show horses. Pete and Peggy have long been the company’s workhorses, putting in the long hours to advance the firm and their own careers. And they’re growing increasingly irritated that their contributions aren’t properly recognized. Pete has solidified his status as SCDP’s rainmaker and is understandably upset that his reward is an office with a load-bearing beam and a pickled senior partner determined to poach his leads, even if it means riding the Staten Island ferry at dawn. (A not unrelated aside: Pete seems to have joined some kind of cult run by management consultants, or maybe Barney Stinson. When Cosgrove reassures him that the firm’s finances are “stable,” Pete offers this proverb: “Stable is that step backwards between successful and failing.” When Pete shares his frustrations with Trudy, she reminds him, “Dissatisfaction is a symptom of ambition; it’s the coal that fuels the fire—you know that.”) Peggy, meanwhile, continues to annoy everyone around her by nattering on about how hard she works. She seems headed for a showdown with Don, SCDP’s most prized show horse. Don’s work habits have always been … untraditional. But despite the naps and nooners and the unannounced retreats to Palm Springs, he’s always had drive. He’s relished swooping in at the last minute, making the show-stopping sell, reveling in the awed hush his ideas inspire. But tonight we glimpsed a different Don, one who seemed unusually contented. He doesn’t have a single appointment on his calendar. When he waltzes in during Peggy’s pitch to the Heinz people, he doesn’t pull a Draper and convince them that they would be Neanderthals not to recognize the genius of the bean ballet. He lets them off the hook, promising to do better on the next go round. Granted, that might have been the sound business move in this situation—they clearly weren’t buying the dancing legumes (“where’s the bite and smile?”). But recall the Don of last season, who kicked the guys from Jantzen out of the boardroom for not appreciating his risqué bikini ad. As Peggy says, “The clients are right all of a sudden—I don’t recognize that man.” I certainly didn’t recognize the man who, after a roll in the white carpeting, tells his new wife that he doesn’t care about work. The workhorses have never been this uppity, the show horses so logy. I can’t imagine it will be long before there’s drama in the paddock. There’s so much more in this rich double episode to discuss, but I’m running late for the status meeting, so I’m going to pass the walking stick to you guys. One major development I’m eager to hear you guys discuss is one that Tanner Colby predicted in Slate two weeks ago: It seems that race may finally come to the fore this season. As the protests that opened the episode suggest, de world’s got troubles, and SCDP won’t be insulated from them for much longer. How will hiring a black secretary change the firm? And what did you guys make of Joan’s testy relationship with her mom? Of Sally’s newly husky voice? Will either of you come to the defense of what I thought was the episode’s only wrong note: Lane and the case of the missing wallet? ||||| A New Don Making sense of the radically changed Don Draper By Chuck Klosterman on March 26, 2012 Television has certain advantages over film, but few are more meaningful than the flexibility provided by time. Because their duration is open-ended, TV shows can radically modify secondary characters to better serve whatever narrative path they decide to pursue. There's a long tradition of this (especially in soap operas), and it usually involves a mild antagonist evolving into a sympathetic protagonist (Ed Helms on The Office is the easiest present-tense example). When this happens gradually, only the superviewers notice, particularly if the tweaks occur on the periphery of the story. A casual consumer might not notice at all. However, just about everyone notices when a program's main character changes, because that's rare. It transforms the show in totality. And this is why most people thinking and writing about Mad Men this morning are collectively wondering, What in the hell is going on with Don Draper? The Draper in last night's fifth-season premiere is not the man we are supposed to know. This man walks into work late and seems disconnected from his job. This man chases a woman home from the office when she gets unjustifiably upset about a surprise party he never wanted. He is uninterested in the life he created; the job that once defined his ethos is now an empty, unsatisfying nuisance. He seems closer to the drunken plagiarist who stole the phrase "The cure for the common breakfast" and pitched it to Life cereal, except now he's sober. He's only drunk on apathy. This being the case, asking "What's going on with Don Draper?" seems like a reasonable query. We've only seen one episode of the new season, so that answer is impossible to irrefutably deduce (and the writing on this show is too good to make it that easy). But what if the answer is this: What if the 40-year-old Don Draper we're seeing now — the one we don't fully recognize — is actually the real person he's always been? There are so many quality threads woven through Mad Men that it's always possible to create your own personal meaning for what the show is "about." It's pretty easy to make the argument that this show is "about" the sixties, or feminism, or masculinity, or the nature of work, or the dissonance between the intellectual notion of advertising and the fabricated society that advertising generates. I suppose it's about all of those things, to varying degrees. But I've always believed the true vortex of Mad Men was the process of Don Draper consciously inventing himself. It was not that he merely changed his personality — he stole an identity and constructed a life as someone who did not exist. He's (literally) a self-made man who's fundamentally unreal. But because of the way television works — because he was introduced as a cool, bold, brilliant machine with absolute control of his day-to-day existence — it was impossible not to infer that those qualities were the concrete composition of his actual character. This creation, it seemed, was who he was. But that cannot be. That version of Draper is the first one we see, but it's the second iteration of reality. It's an iteration he selected and manufactured. The qualities we associate with "Don Draper" are simply the qualities he elected to adopt and promote; they are advertisements for the unreal product of him. Look at it like this: Think about your most successful friend. Think about how you'd describe this friend to other people, and think about the elements of their personality you'd use to define their character. What would happen if everything you know about this friend suddenly proved to be false? Assume they've lied to you about every single aspect of who they are, including their name and origin. Now, it's possible you'd continue to have a relationship with this person. He or she might continue to exist as your friend, and perhaps you'd even like them more. But he or she would not be the person you thought you knew; instead, they would be someone in between the person they were born as and the person they invented. They would become a third iteration of themselves (and they wouldn't get to control what that means or how that looks). What if this is Don's third iteration? The fact that he was once Dick Whitman is no longer a dangerous secret: His ex-wife knows, his new wife knows, Pete Campbell knows, Bert Cooper knows (I can't remember if Roger knows, but I'm sure he wouldn't care if he did). That first reinvention no longer matters, because there's no longer any fear that he'll lose everything if his past is exposed. And that was what made Don Draper unstoppable — fear. He stoically lived in wordless fear, and that made him work harder (and better) than all those around him. But that period is over. The fear is gone. The unafraid person we now see might be the human he really is: Kind of lazy, distracted by cheap desires, and unable to reconcile the existential despair of excelling at a profession that's as unreal as the personality he occupied for most of his adult life. It's hard to find real-world examples of people who invented themselves as completely as Don Draper, but here's one: Robert Van Winkle. Van Winkle was a motocross racer from Dallas who turned himself into Vanilla Ice, presenting himself as a street-smart, cop-hating rapper from Miami. Obviously, that charade collapsed. So now he's in his third iteration — that of a failed reality star who's a better-than-average carpenter. It's weirder than his original version and less exciting than his second, but it feels natural. When I see Vanilla Ice hanging drywall on the DIY Network, I no longer believe I'm seeing something fake. It's a mediated event, but not a hoax; it's sad, but not pathetic. I feel the same way about this third iteration of Don. It was uncomfortable to see him showing up late for work, but not unrealistic. It was strange to see him emotively controlled by Megan, but that's probably what he unconsciously wants. He's not faking it anymore, and that means he will lose. But this is the central question of personhood: Is there anything more important than being whoever you actually are? The answer is probably. But the difference is negligible.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Agents find drug tunnel after significant drug bust SAN LUIS, Ariz - Homeland Security Investigations and Border Patrol held a press conference Wednesday morning disclosing more details of the cross-border found in San Luis, Ariz. believed to be used for drug smuggling. San Luis Tunnel Video HSI said a traffic stop conducted Monday, August 13, by the San Luis Police Department led to the discovery of narcotics that were removed from the former Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant located at 552 San Luis Plaza Drive in San Luis, Ariz. San Luis police stopped Ivan Lopez, a resident of Yuma, Ariz. and a canine unit alerted officers to two toolboxes that were found in the trailer of the truck Lopez was driving. Authorities said they found 168 kilograms of hard narcotics inside the toolboxes. HSI's Special Agent in Charge Scott Brown said authorities found 118 kilograms of methamphetamine, six grams of cocaine, three kilograms of fentanyl, 13 kilograms of white heroin, and six kilograms of brown heroin inside the toolboxes. The fentanyl alone could supply three million dosage units. Brown said Lopez, who is also the owner of the building that formerly served as a KFC restaurant, had been seen removing the toolboxes from the building earlier that day. Agents executed a search warrant at both the former restaurant and Lopez’s residence. The entrance of the tunnel was found in the kitchen area. It is only eight inches in diameter. HSI officials said the tunnel was 22 feet deep and extended to 590 feet long towards its end point at a residence in San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora, Mexico. Yuma Sector Border Patrol Yuma Sector Border Patrol At the Mexican side, a trap door was found underneath a bed. Authorities believe the narcotics being smuggled through the tunnel were being pulled up with a rope. ||||| These crawls are part of an effort to archive pages as they are created and archive the pages that they refer to. That way, as the pages that are referenced are changed or taken from the web, a link to the version that was live when the page was written will be preserved.Then the Internet Archive hopes that references to these archived pages will be put in place of a link that would be otherwise be broken, or a companion link to allow people to see what was originally intended by a page's authors.The goal is to fix all broken links on the web . Crawls of supported "No More 404" sites. ||||| Image copyright Homeland Security Investigations/Yuma Sector BP Image caption The tunnel is suspected to have been used to shuffle drugs from Mexico into the US US authorities have found a secret drug tunnel stretching from a former KFC in the state of Arizona to Mexico. The 600ft (180m) passageway was in the basement of the old restaurant in San Luis, leading under the border to a home in San Luis Rio Colorado. Authorities made the discovery last week and have arrested the southern Arizona building's owner. They were alerted to the tunnel after the suspect, Ivan Lopez, was pulled over, according to KYMA News. During the traffic stop, police dogs reportedly led officers to two containers of hard narcotics with a street value of more than $1m in Lopez's vehicle. Investigators say the containers held more than 118kg (260lb) of methamphetamine, 6kg of cocaine, 3kg of fentanyl, and 19kg of heroin. Agents searched Lopez's home and his old KFC, discovering the tunnel's entrance in the kitchen of the former fast-food joint. Image copyright Homeland Security Investigations/Yuma Sector BP Image caption The tunnel led from an old KFC restaurant to a home in Mexico Image copyright Homeland Security Investigations/Yuma Sector BP Image caption A video showing the tunnel walls The passageway was 22ft deep, 5ft tall and 3ft wide, and ended at a trap door under a bed in a home in Mexico, said US officials. The drugs are believed to have been pulled up through the tunnel with a rope. This is not the first such discovery - two years ago a 2,600ft tunnel was found by authorities in San Diego, California. Authorities said it was one of the longest such drug tunnels ever discovered, used to transport an "unprecedented cache" of cocaine and marijuana. In July alone, US Border Patrol seized 15kg of heroin, 24lbs of cocaine, 327kg of methamphetamine and 1,900kg of marijuana at border checkpoints nationwide.

– A 600-foot tunnel was discovered leading from under a bed in Mexico to the kitchen of a former KFC restaurant in Arizona—and authorities do not believe a fast food aficionado was responsible. Authorities say the cross-border tunnel was used to smuggle drugs including methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl, the BBC reports. The tunnel was found after Yuma, Arizona, resident Ivan Lopez was pulled over on Aug. 13 and officers found hundreds of pounds of narcotics in the trailer his pickup was towing, including 7 pounds of fentanyl, enough for about 3 million doses of the powerful opioid, KYMA reports. Authorities say the drugs had a street value of around $1.2 million. Court records state that Lopez bought the abandoned KFC building, which sits around 200 yards north of the Mexican city of San Luis Colorado, in April, paying $390,000 in cash, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. The tunnel was discovered after investigators searched the building and spotted a hole in the floor. "This tunnel would take this drug trafficking organization a long time to construct and would have been very expensive," a federal complaint states. It would have required a "combination of several individuals on both sides of the border, engaged in an intricate, risky transnational conspiracy to construct such a secretive structure." (A 2,600-foot drug tunnel was found in California in 2016.)

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Agents find drug tunnel after significant drug bust SAN LUIS, Ariz - Homeland Security Investigations and Border Patrol held a press conference Wednesday morning disclosing more details of the cross-border found in San Luis, Ariz. believed to be used for drug smuggling. San Luis Tunnel Video HSI said a traffic stop conducted Monday, August 13, by the San Luis Police Department led to the discovery of narcotics that were removed from the former Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant located at 552 San Luis Plaza Drive in San Luis, Ariz. San Luis police stopped Ivan Lopez, a resident of Yuma, Ariz. and a canine unit alerted officers to two toolboxes that were found in the trailer of the truck Lopez was driving. Authorities said they found 168 kilograms of hard narcotics inside the toolboxes. HSI's Special Agent in Charge Scott Brown said authorities found 118 kilograms of methamphetamine, six grams of cocaine, three kilograms of fentanyl, 13 kilograms of white heroin, and six kilograms of brown heroin inside the toolboxes. The fentanyl alone could supply three million dosage units. Brown said Lopez, who is also the owner of the building that formerly served as a KFC restaurant, had been seen removing the toolboxes from the building earlier that day. Agents executed a search warrant at both the former restaurant and Lopez’s residence. The entrance of the tunnel was found in the kitchen area. It is only eight inches in diameter. HSI officials said the tunnel was 22 feet deep and extended to 590 feet long towards its end point at a residence in San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora, Mexico. Yuma Sector Border Patrol Yuma Sector Border Patrol At the Mexican side, a trap door was found underneath a bed. Authorities believe the narcotics being smuggled through the tunnel were being pulled up with a rope. ||||| These crawls are part of an effort to archive pages as they are created and archive the pages that they refer to. That way, as the pages that are referenced are changed or taken from the web, a link to the version that was live when the page was written will be preserved.Then the Internet Archive hopes that references to these archived pages will be put in place of a link that would be otherwise be broken, or a companion link to allow people to see what was originally intended by a page's authors.The goal is to fix all broken links on the web . Crawls of supported "No More 404" sites. ||||| Image copyright Homeland Security Investigations/Yuma Sector BP Image caption The tunnel is suspected to have been used to shuffle drugs from Mexico into the US US authorities have found a secret drug tunnel stretching from a former KFC in the state of Arizona to Mexico. The 600ft (180m) passageway was in the basement of the old restaurant in San Luis, leading under the border to a home in San Luis Rio Colorado. Authorities made the discovery last week and have arrested the southern Arizona building's owner. They were alerted to the tunnel after the suspect, Ivan Lopez, was pulled over, according to KYMA News. During the traffic stop, police dogs reportedly led officers to two containers of hard narcotics with a street value of more than $1m in Lopez's vehicle. Investigators say the containers held more than 118kg (260lb) of methamphetamine, 6kg of cocaine, 3kg of fentanyl, and 19kg of heroin. Agents searched Lopez's home and his old KFC, discovering the tunnel's entrance in the kitchen of the former fast-food joint. Image copyright Homeland Security Investigations/Yuma Sector BP Image caption The tunnel led from an old KFC restaurant to a home in Mexico Image copyright Homeland Security Investigations/Yuma Sector BP Image caption A video showing the tunnel walls The passageway was 22ft deep, 5ft tall and 3ft wide, and ended at a trap door under a bed in a home in Mexico, said US officials. The drugs are believed to have been pulled up through the tunnel with a rope. This is not the first such discovery - two years ago a 2,600ft tunnel was found by authorities in San Diego, California. Authorities said it was one of the longest such drug tunnels ever discovered, used to transport an "unprecedented cache" of cocaine and marijuana. In July alone, US Border Patrol seized 15kg of heroin, 24lbs of cocaine, 327kg of methamphetamine and 1,900kg of marijuana at border checkpoints nationwide.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

NY Daily News hires ex-News of the World ed Colin Myler Colin Myler has now worked for - and against - News International on both sides of the Atlantic Continue reading the main story Related Stories Colin Myler, the last editor of the News of the World, has been named top editor of the New York Daily News. The Daily News, a tabloid, is a direct competitor to Rupert Murdoch's New York Post, where Mr Myler previously worked as executive editor. He replaces editor-in-chief Kevin Convey as the company moves towards a more digital operation. Mr Myler led the News of the World when it was closed in July 2011 amid an escalating scandal over phone hacking. He has since testified about the paper's involvement in the phone hacking scandal before the UK's Leveson inquiry into press standards. He told the inquiry that he feared there were "bombs under the newsroom floor", referring to the prospect that there may have been widespread wrongdoing at the paper in the past. Circulation war Mr Myler took over editing the News of the World in January 2007, succeeding Andy Coulson after royal editor Clive Goodman and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire were jailed for illegally accessing the voicemails of royal aides. But Mr Myler denied the News of the World had carried out a "cover-up" by paying out £425,000 ($660,000) plus costs to settle a case. He worked at the New York Post from 2001 until 2007 after resigning from the Sunday Mirror in the UK, another Murdoch tabloid competitor. He will begin at the Daily News, owned by real estate and media magnate Mort Zuckerman, on 10 January. Both the Daily News and the Post's daily circulation are among the top 10 in the US. The Daily News has a circulation over 600,000 to the Post's 512,000, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations. ||||| In the Daily News newsroom this afternoon, a memo announcing that editor-in-chief Kevin Convey was being replaced was met with "shock" and "amazement," according to newsroom sources. His replacement, Colin Myler, is a tabloid veteran who most recently worked for Rupert Murdoch, which is interesting in light of News owner Mort Zuckerman's tabloid battle against Murdoch's local paper, the New York Post, helmed by the editorially bellicose Col Allan. Myler might be a great general in that battle though, as he was the editor of The News of the World before Murdoch shut it down in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal that rocked Britain and Murdoch's News Corp. last year. ("Prediction: Colin Myler will soon be back at NYPost as No. 2 to Col Allen and Rebekah Brooks will take role at corporate in NY soon," tweeted Peter Lauria, a former media reporter for Murdoch's New York Post when the paper was shut down back in July and Myler was out of a job.) Myler has, since his exit, not always played ball with the Murdochs in testimony before Parliament that sought to locate the source of responsibility for illegal practices in the News of the World newsroom. And now he's playing against his old boss. Anyway he'd only been at News of the World since 2007, after a stint as managing editor and executive editor of ... The New York Post. He went there from another Murdoch competitor, England's Daily Mirror, a Labor-left "red-top" newspaper, after a dust-up with a judge, in 2001. The Mirror conducted an interview with the father of a man who, police charged, had been beaten by two Leeds United footballers, and the interview caused a mistrial of the athletes. Myler resigned, and came to New York to work for Murdoch at the Post. (We wrote much more about Myler here.) At least one former editor of the New York Post thinks Myler will make Murdoch a formidable opponent: Ken Chandler, who was editor of the Post from 1993 through 2001. "I think its a great choice," Chandler told Capital, "and a great way for Mort Zuckerman to stick it to Rupert Murdoch. He's got an editor there who will give the New York Post a run for its money." Convey's time at the News has been marked by significant shifts in management organization, with a recent shakeup putting more digitally-minded managing editors beneath Convey rather than the traditional lineup of section editors and the like. And then there were layoffs. (And in fact, in conversations with newsroom staffers, we've confirmed that there were three layoffs yesterday; we'll get to the details later.) Staff contacted by Capital say Convey was never quite at home at the News. "People felt he was definitely not ready for New York City" after editing the relatively small Boston Herald, one newsroom source said. Said another newsroom source: "People could never really get over that this guy had never worked in New York, and he looked lost from the start; he even had to be led to the subway. "He made a few rah-rah speeches about pushing the News' digital agenda and did a bunch of online reader chats," the source added, "but Convey wasn't much of a presence at the News. Plus, he dressed funny. What type of editor-in-chief wears Chuck Taylor All-Stars to work?" And another source with knowledge of the company's management told Capital that Convey's contract with the paper was not set to expire until the summer, which makes today's announcement a little early. Still, one person close to Convey told Capital, "I don't think this came as any big surprise" to the outgoing editor. But Zuckerman's choice of an outsider, a choice he's made before, might have surprised some who saw this new crop of second-tier editors installed under Convey as horse-race contestants for the job. Reached for comment, a Daily News spokeswoman said she had nothing to add to the internal memo below:

– It's Rupert Murdoch editor vs. bounced Murdoch man in New York City's tabloid wars. In a decision met with "shock" and "amazement" in the newsroom, according to Capital New York, Publisher Mort Zuckerman has booted editor-in-chief Kevin Convey and hired former News of the World editor Colin Myler to helm the New York Daily News. Myler, 59, will now take over the battle against the New York Post, where he worked as managing editor and executive editor for five years. He left the Post to become the mop-up editor of the News of the World as the newspaper's phone hacking scandal blew up, amid an increasingly strained relationship with the Murdoch family, notes the BBC. Myler was left without a job when Murdoch shuttered the paper. Now might be the time for some payback. Myler was "obviously very upset at what transpired at News of the World," former Daily News editor Martin Dunn tells the Guardian. "This will be a great opportunity for him to take his journalistic skills into battle with the Murdoch family in Rupert's own backyard." After his bruising time in London, the Guardian speculates that Myler will likely view the New York showdown as little more than a "pillow fight." Myler replaces Convey, who left the Boston Herald to take over the job as editor-in-chief of the News over a year ago.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.NY Daily News hires ex-News of the World ed Colin Myler Colin Myler has now worked for - and against - News International on both sides of the Atlantic Continue reading the main story Related Stories Colin Myler, the last editor of the News of the World, has been named top editor of the New York Daily News. The Daily News, a tabloid, is a direct competitor to Rupert Murdoch's New York Post, where Mr Myler previously worked as executive editor. He replaces editor-in-chief Kevin Convey as the company moves towards a more digital operation. Mr Myler led the News of the World when it was closed in July 2011 amid an escalating scandal over phone hacking. He has since testified about the paper's involvement in the phone hacking scandal before the UK's Leveson inquiry into press standards. He told the inquiry that he feared there were "bombs under the newsroom floor", referring to the prospect that there may have been widespread wrongdoing at the paper in the past. Circulation war Mr Myler took over editing the News of the World in January 2007, succeeding Andy Coulson after royal editor Clive Goodman and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire were jailed for illegally accessing the voicemails of royal aides. But Mr Myler denied the News of the World had carried out a "cover-up" by paying out £425,000 ($660,000) plus costs to settle a case. He worked at the New York Post from 2001 until 2007 after resigning from the Sunday Mirror in the UK, another Murdoch tabloid competitor. He will begin at the Daily News, owned by real estate and media magnate Mort Zuckerman, on 10 January. Both the Daily News and the Post's daily circulation are among the top 10 in the US. The Daily News has a circulation over 600,000 to the Post's 512,000, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations. ||||| In the Daily News newsroom this afternoon, a memo announcing that editor-in-chief Kevin Convey was being replaced was met with "shock" and "amazement," according to newsroom sources. His replacement, Colin Myler, is a tabloid veteran who most recently worked for Rupert Murdoch, which is interesting in light of News owner Mort Zuckerman's tabloid battle against Murdoch's local paper, the New York Post, helmed by the editorially bellicose Col Allan. Myler might be a great general in that battle though, as he was the editor of The News of the World before Murdoch shut it down in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal that rocked Britain and Murdoch's News Corp. last year. ("Prediction: Colin Myler will soon be back at NYPost as No. 2 to Col Allen and Rebekah Brooks will take role at corporate in NY soon," tweeted Peter Lauria, a former media reporter for Murdoch's New York Post when the paper was shut down back in July and Myler was out of a job.) Myler has, since his exit, not always played ball with the Murdochs in testimony before Parliament that sought to locate the source of responsibility for illegal practices in the News of the World newsroom. And now he's playing against his old boss. Anyway he'd only been at News of the World since 2007, after a stint as managing editor and executive editor of ... The New York Post. He went there from another Murdoch competitor, England's Daily Mirror, a Labor-left "red-top" newspaper, after a dust-up with a judge, in 2001. The Mirror conducted an interview with the father of a man who, police charged, had been beaten by two Leeds United footballers, and the interview caused a mistrial of the athletes. Myler resigned, and came to New York to work for Murdoch at the Post. (We wrote much more about Myler here.) At least one former editor of the New York Post thinks Myler will make Murdoch a formidable opponent: Ken Chandler, who was editor of the Post from 1993 through 2001. "I think its a great choice," Chandler told Capital, "and a great way for Mort Zuckerman to stick it to Rupert Murdoch. He's got an editor there who will give the New York Post a run for its money." Convey's time at the News has been marked by significant shifts in management organization, with a recent shakeup putting more digitally-minded managing editors beneath Convey rather than the traditional lineup of section editors and the like. And then there were layoffs. (And in fact, in conversations with newsroom staffers, we've confirmed that there were three layoffs yesterday; we'll get to the details later.) Staff contacted by Capital say Convey was never quite at home at the News. "People felt he was definitely not ready for New York City" after editing the relatively small Boston Herald, one newsroom source said. Said another newsroom source: "People could never really get over that this guy had never worked in New York, and he looked lost from the start; he even had to be led to the subway. "He made a few rah-rah speeches about pushing the News' digital agenda and did a bunch of online reader chats," the source added, "but Convey wasn't much of a presence at the News. Plus, he dressed funny. What type of editor-in-chief wears Chuck Taylor All-Stars to work?" And another source with knowledge of the company's management told Capital that Convey's contract with the paper was not set to expire until the summer, which makes today's announcement a little early. Still, one person close to Convey told Capital, "I don't think this came as any big surprise" to the outgoing editor. But Zuckerman's choice of an outsider, a choice he's made before, might have surprised some who saw this new crop of second-tier editors installed under Convey as horse-race contestants for the job. Reached for comment, a Daily News spokeswoman said she had nothing to add to the internal memo below:

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

A rapidly spreading wildfire three times the size of San Francisco roared in to Yosemite National Park on Friday, fanning fears that California would actually see the fiery summer many envisioned following the bone-dry winter. On Thursday, the Rim Fire nearly quadrupled in size in 24 hours to more than 63,000 acres, or one-fifth the total land burned in California so far this year, prompting tourists to flee the Yosemite area, closing the main highway access to the renowned national park and damaging the Hetch Hetchy water and power system. The Strawberry Music Festival at Camp Mather, a popular bluegrass destination for Bay Area music fans scheduled for next week, was canceled. Overnight into Friday morning, the Rim Fire nearly doubled in size again to about 106,000 acres, or almost the size of San Jose. The number of homes threatened jumped from 2,500 to 4,500 Friday and the fire crossed over the Yosemite National Park boundary for the first time. Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for Tuolumne County, five days after the fire started, saying that statewide resources were needed to help with evacuations and emergency shelters as the cost to fight the fire hit $5.4 million. Sixteen structures were destroyed, and one firefighter suffered heat exhaustion. The cause of the blaze is under investigation. Bay Area crews were among the 2,000 firefighters called in to douse the blaze, which workers had only 2 percent contained as they struggled to get fire trucks into the steep canyons bordering Yosemite. "It's extremely difficult terrain to work in," said Dennis Mathisen, a spokesman for Cal Fire, which is leading the joint effort of state, federal and local firefighters. "It just takes a lot of resources and time to get to where they need to be." The blaze is even more significant because California had thus far gotten off pretty easy this fire season. Across the Golden State, 216,948 acres of state and federal land had burned in wildfires this year through Tuesday, just before the Rim Fire exploded in size, according to the U.S. Forest Service. But even when including the Rim Fire, that's still fewer than half the 529,761 acres that had burned by this time last year -- and about half the amount of land charred on average over the last five years. "In general, drier years are worse fire years, and this is a drier year. But you need lots of other things" such as high temperatures, low humidity and winds, said Jan Null, a forecaster with Golden Gate Weather Services in Saratoga. Plus, when you factor in human mistakes and arson, "there's a lot of randomness that goes into it beside the weather." The fire season was expected to be worse after Californians enjoyed sunny skies much of the winter. San Francisco, at 3½ inches of rain since January, had the driest start to the year on record since 1850, Null said. San Jose's rainfall during the past year was 60 percent of normal and Oakland's was 70 percent of normal, mirroring trends around the state, according to the National Weather Service. But the Bay Area and other parts of California, including the Sacramento and Fresno areas, were a couple of degrees cooler on average in August, Null said, helping keep the risk of fires low. Now, as the Diablo and Santa Ana winds start to whip up, the fire danger could change quickly, said Craig Clements, director of the Fire Weather Research Lab at San Jose State University. September and October in California are typically the worst two month for fires as timber reaches its driest state. "We are getting into more critical conditions," Clements said. "The total acres burned this year? That could triple by Sept. 1 or Sept. 15." Fire officials fear that the busy season kicked off with the Rim Fire, which spread through the tiny rural communities around Groveland. Yosemite, though, was mostly untouched. Still, a main route to the park from the Bay Area, Highway 120, was closed for four miles, forcing detours that officials estimated would tack on 15 to 20 minutes per drive. The park also closed its Hodgdon Meadow Campground, which includes 105 campsites, and was monitoring the fire as it stood about five miles from Yosemite on Thursday afternoon. "Everything basically is business as usual," Yosemite spokesman Scott Gediman said. While smoke is visible from the western edge of the park, he said, "Where I am, in Yosemite Valley, it's crystal clear blue skies." The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, which owns the Hetch Hetchy system that originates at a reservoir in Yosemite, said despite damage to its infrastructure, water quality and supply was not affected Thursday. The city was buying extra power to make up for hydropower plants that went offline and typically power municipal buildings, schools and San Francisco International Airport. And officials were monitoring ash that threatened to float into the reservoir for the system that supplies water to 2.6 million Bay Area residents and businesses. Tuolumne County residents and businesses braced for the worst. "This fire, it's killing our financial picture," said Corinna Loh, whose family owns the still-open Iron Door Saloon and Grill in Groveland. "This is our high season and it has gone to nothing; we're really hurting." Loh said most of her employees have left town. And the family's Spinning Wheel Ranch, where they rent cabins to tourists, has also been evacuated because it's directly in the line of fire. Two outbuildings have burned at the ranch, Loh said, and she still has no word whether the house and cabins survived. "We're all just standing on eggshells, waiting," Loh said. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Contact Mike Rosenberg at 408-920-5705. Follow him at twitter.com/RosenbergMerc. ||||| UPDATE, 3:45 p.m. Authorities have scheduled a community meeting Friday to discuss the Rim fire with residents and answer questions. The meeting is set for 7 p.m. at Tenaya School, 19177 Hwy 120, Groveland. According to the United States Forest Service, members of the Incident Management Team will present an update on the current fire situation and plans for the immediate future and be available for questions. Click here for video. UPDATE, 12:50 p.m. Organizers of the Film Fest Twain Harte have canceled the event, scheduled next week. "The Rim Fire here has been growing every day, our neighboring communities are directly affected but the air quality is such that we cannot assure clean air next weekend.," said Christine Ravely, marketing director for the event. "In fact, we’ve been told by our fire chief that smoke could be a factor for the coming weeks." Ticketholders can get refunds or use their tickets for next year's event, she said. Update, 12:30 p.m. Fire has destroyed four homes, 12 outbuildings and three commercial buildings. More than 2,000 firefighters and other personnel are now working the blaze. They have come from throughout the state and the nation. UPDATE, 11:20 a.m. TUOLUMNE CITY — Deputies and firefighters are going door-to-door this morning in Tuolumne City and Ponderosa Hills advising residents to leave because of the Rim fire. Tuolumne County sheriff's Sgt. Scott Johnson said officials are not ordering residents to leave but advising them to do so. About 1,800 people live in Tuolumne City and a much smaller number in Ponderosa Hills. The Tuolumne County Sheriff's Department is getting help from 60 law enforcement officers from Stanislaus County agencies, including the Sheriff's Department, and the police departments in Oakdale, Turlock, Ceres and Modesto. Additionally, 58 firefighters from fire agencies throughout Stanislaus County are helping fight the Rim fire. Johnson did not know how many people have evacuated because of the fire. He said deputies ordered people in 268 homes in a section of Pine Mountain Lake to leave Thursday. He said residents in an additional 1,000 to 1,500 homes in Pine Mountain Lake have been advised to leave their homes. He did not know how many of the homes were occupied because Pine Mountain Lake is a recreational area and some residents have second homes there and it is not their primary residence. UPDATE, 9:20 a.m.: The Rim fire has crossed the boundary into Yosemite National Park, the United States Forest Service says. The fire is in a remote area of the park and the valley is unaffected. The fire is growing to the north, southeast and east. Authorities say the Rim fire jumped again overnight, and has consumed more than 105,000 acres. More than 2,000 firefighters are battling the blaze, which now threatens 4,500 structures. The Rim fire continued to devour thousands of acres of brush, pine and oak trees as it burned out of control near Yosemite National Park. The wildfire had consumed 63,366 acres as of Thursday and threatened 2,500 homes around Pine Mountain Lake near Groveland. Containment was at 1 percent as more than 1,849 firefighters and other personnel battled the blaze in the Stanislaus National Forest. The blaze was expected to continue up the Tuolumne River Canyon and spread north and east. Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors Chairman Randy Hanvelt said there has not been a fire of this magnitude in his county since the Stanislaus Complex fire a quarter century ago. In the summer of 1987, dry weather and parched vegetation were catalysts for a dry-lightning fire that burned 147,000 acres in the Stanislaus National Forest. The Stanislaus Complex fire killed one firefighter and forced the evacuation of almost 2,000 people from their mountain homes. "This is running the same footprint as the 1987 Complex fire," Hanvelt said. "It has the potential of being very, very dangerous. But we have the best possible teams involved. Cal Fire is doing a great job," he said of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency Thursday for Tuolumne County after county officials requested that he do so. Tuolumne County Administrator Craig Pedro said in a news release that the governor's declaration "opens the doors for additional state resources" to fight the fire, as well as for financial help with the costs and recovery from the fire. He added that the declaration makes it possible for the county to seek federal financial help with the fire. The Rim fire started Saturday in a remote area near Groveland. It nearly quadrupled in size from Wednesday to Thursday, growing from more than 16,000 acres to 63,366 acres. Highway 120 into Yosemite remains closed. It has destroyed two homes, seven outbuildings and three commercial buildings. The fire has shrouded much of the county in smoke, leaving some people with stinging eyes, scratchy throats and trouble breathing. The county's Public Health Department is advising vulnerable people, such as the elderly, to limit their time outdoors. Sonora schools are taking precautions with their students, such as keeping them indoors when the air quality is poor. Officials have closed campgrounds along Highway 120 and were asking residents living near Pine Mountain Lake to consider leaving their homes. Thursday evening, the Tuolumne County Sheriff's Department issued an evacuation order for residents north of Ferretti Road to Elderberry Road because of the immediate threat to life and property. The Red Cross has set up a shelter at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds in Sonora. Fifty-eight people spent Wednesday there, with officials expecting more Thursday evening. Bob and Shirley Haliwell left their Pine Mountain Lake home and spent Wednesday night in their travel trailer at the fairgrounds. They had planned to take a short trip through Idaho, Montana, Canada, Washington and Oregon. They have reconsidered that, because much of the western United States is on fire and their home remains at risk. "We don't want to leave without knowing what will happen," Bob Haliwell, 69, said. "And I really don't want to go to Idaho with all that smoke and fire." Three wildfires have burned nearly 400,000 acres in Idaho. So the Haliwells will stay put at the fairgrounds along with other Pine Mountain Lake neighbors. "This is a great place," Bob Haliwell said. "It has full hookups (for recreational vehicles and travel trailers), is centrally located, and a lot of our friends are here." Others stayed with their Pine Mountain Lake homes. Wayne Wilkins, 67, did not want to leave, though he had taken precautions by moving his RV and two horses out of harm's way. He had packed his and wife Merrily's keepsakes and other valuables in case they had to leave in a hurry. Flames got within five miles of their home Wednesday before firefighters knocked down the fire. "If they come by and say it's a mandatory evacuation, I'm ready to go," Wilkins said. On the Net: www.inciweb.org/incident/3660. Bee staff writer Kevin Valine can be reached at [email protected] or (209) 578-2316.

– Tourists fled the area around Yosemite National Park yesterday, as a wildfire headed for the park quadrupled in size. The Rim Fire is now 63,000 acres, or about twice the size of San Francisco, the San Jose Mercury News reports. The main highway leading to the park was closed down, as Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for the county. There were 1,850 firefighters battling the blaze as of yesterday, and the cost of doing so has grown to $5.4 million. But the fire is still only 1% contained, the Modesto Bee reports. It currently threatens 2,500 homes. "This is running the same footprint as the 1987 Complex fire," said a county official, referring to a blaze that wound up burning 147,000 acres. "It has the potential of being very, very dangerous."

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.A rapidly spreading wildfire three times the size of San Francisco roared in to Yosemite National Park on Friday, fanning fears that California would actually see the fiery summer many envisioned following the bone-dry winter. On Thursday, the Rim Fire nearly quadrupled in size in 24 hours to more than 63,000 acres, or one-fifth the total land burned in California so far this year, prompting tourists to flee the Yosemite area, closing the main highway access to the renowned national park and damaging the Hetch Hetchy water and power system. The Strawberry Music Festival at Camp Mather, a popular bluegrass destination for Bay Area music fans scheduled for next week, was canceled. Overnight into Friday morning, the Rim Fire nearly doubled in size again to about 106,000 acres, or almost the size of San Jose. The number of homes threatened jumped from 2,500 to 4,500 Friday and the fire crossed over the Yosemite National Park boundary for the first time. Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for Tuolumne County, five days after the fire started, saying that statewide resources were needed to help with evacuations and emergency shelters as the cost to fight the fire hit $5.4 million. Sixteen structures were destroyed, and one firefighter suffered heat exhaustion. The cause of the blaze is under investigation. Bay Area crews were among the 2,000 firefighters called in to douse the blaze, which workers had only 2 percent contained as they struggled to get fire trucks into the steep canyons bordering Yosemite. "It's extremely difficult terrain to work in," said Dennis Mathisen, a spokesman for Cal Fire, which is leading the joint effort of state, federal and local firefighters. "It just takes a lot of resources and time to get to where they need to be." The blaze is even more significant because California had thus far gotten off pretty easy this fire season. Across the Golden State, 216,948 acres of state and federal land had burned in wildfires this year through Tuesday, just before the Rim Fire exploded in size, according to the U.S. Forest Service. But even when including the Rim Fire, that's still fewer than half the 529,761 acres that had burned by this time last year -- and about half the amount of land charred on average over the last five years. "In general, drier years are worse fire years, and this is a drier year. But you need lots of other things" such as high temperatures, low humidity and winds, said Jan Null, a forecaster with Golden Gate Weather Services in Saratoga. Plus, when you factor in human mistakes and arson, "there's a lot of randomness that goes into it beside the weather." The fire season was expected to be worse after Californians enjoyed sunny skies much of the winter. San Francisco, at 3½ inches of rain since January, had the driest start to the year on record since 1850, Null said. San Jose's rainfall during the past year was 60 percent of normal and Oakland's was 70 percent of normal, mirroring trends around the state, according to the National Weather Service. But the Bay Area and other parts of California, including the Sacramento and Fresno areas, were a couple of degrees cooler on average in August, Null said, helping keep the risk of fires low. Now, as the Diablo and Santa Ana winds start to whip up, the fire danger could change quickly, said Craig Clements, director of the Fire Weather Research Lab at San Jose State University. September and October in California are typically the worst two month for fires as timber reaches its driest state. "We are getting into more critical conditions," Clements said. "The total acres burned this year? That could triple by Sept. 1 or Sept. 15." Fire officials fear that the busy season kicked off with the Rim Fire, which spread through the tiny rural communities around Groveland. Yosemite, though, was mostly untouched. Still, a main route to the park from the Bay Area, Highway 120, was closed for four miles, forcing detours that officials estimated would tack on 15 to 20 minutes per drive. The park also closed its Hodgdon Meadow Campground, which includes 105 campsites, and was monitoring the fire as it stood about five miles from Yosemite on Thursday afternoon. "Everything basically is business as usual," Yosemite spokesman Scott Gediman said. While smoke is visible from the western edge of the park, he said, "Where I am, in Yosemite Valley, it's crystal clear blue skies." The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, which owns the Hetch Hetchy system that originates at a reservoir in Yosemite, said despite damage to its infrastructure, water quality and supply was not affected Thursday. The city was buying extra power to make up for hydropower plants that went offline and typically power municipal buildings, schools and San Francisco International Airport. And officials were monitoring ash that threatened to float into the reservoir for the system that supplies water to 2.6 million Bay Area residents and businesses. Tuolumne County residents and businesses braced for the worst. "This fire, it's killing our financial picture," said Corinna Loh, whose family owns the still-open Iron Door Saloon and Grill in Groveland. "This is our high season and it has gone to nothing; we're really hurting." Loh said most of her employees have left town. And the family's Spinning Wheel Ranch, where they rent cabins to tourists, has also been evacuated because it's directly in the line of fire. Two outbuildings have burned at the ranch, Loh said, and she still has no word whether the house and cabins survived. "We're all just standing on eggshells, waiting," Loh said. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Contact Mike Rosenberg at 408-920-5705. Follow him at twitter.com/RosenbergMerc. ||||| UPDATE, 3:45 p.m. Authorities have scheduled a community meeting Friday to discuss the Rim fire with residents and answer questions. The meeting is set for 7 p.m. at Tenaya School, 19177 Hwy 120, Groveland. According to the United States Forest Service, members of the Incident Management Team will present an update on the current fire situation and plans for the immediate future and be available for questions. Click here for video. UPDATE, 12:50 p.m. Organizers of the Film Fest Twain Harte have canceled the event, scheduled next week. "The Rim Fire here has been growing every day, our neighboring communities are directly affected but the air quality is such that we cannot assure clean air next weekend.," said Christine Ravely, marketing director for the event. "In fact, we’ve been told by our fire chief that smoke could be a factor for the coming weeks." Ticketholders can get refunds or use their tickets for next year's event, she said. Update, 12:30 p.m. Fire has destroyed four homes, 12 outbuildings and three commercial buildings. More than 2,000 firefighters and other personnel are now working the blaze. They have come from throughout the state and the nation. UPDATE, 11:20 a.m. TUOLUMNE CITY — Deputies and firefighters are going door-to-door this morning in Tuolumne City and Ponderosa Hills advising residents to leave because of the Rim fire. Tuolumne County sheriff's Sgt. Scott Johnson said officials are not ordering residents to leave but advising them to do so. About 1,800 people live in Tuolumne City and a much smaller number in Ponderosa Hills. The Tuolumne County Sheriff's Department is getting help from 60 law enforcement officers from Stanislaus County agencies, including the Sheriff's Department, and the police departments in Oakdale, Turlock, Ceres and Modesto. Additionally, 58 firefighters from fire agencies throughout Stanislaus County are helping fight the Rim fire. Johnson did not know how many people have evacuated because of the fire. He said deputies ordered people in 268 homes in a section of Pine Mountain Lake to leave Thursday. He said residents in an additional 1,000 to 1,500 homes in Pine Mountain Lake have been advised to leave their homes. He did not know how many of the homes were occupied because Pine Mountain Lake is a recreational area and some residents have second homes there and it is not their primary residence. UPDATE, 9:20 a.m.: The Rim fire has crossed the boundary into Yosemite National Park, the United States Forest Service says. The fire is in a remote area of the park and the valley is unaffected. The fire is growing to the north, southeast and east. Authorities say the Rim fire jumped again overnight, and has consumed more than 105,000 acres. More than 2,000 firefighters are battling the blaze, which now threatens 4,500 structures. The Rim fire continued to devour thousands of acres of brush, pine and oak trees as it burned out of control near Yosemite National Park. The wildfire had consumed 63,366 acres as of Thursday and threatened 2,500 homes around Pine Mountain Lake near Groveland. Containment was at 1 percent as more than 1,849 firefighters and other personnel battled the blaze in the Stanislaus National Forest. The blaze was expected to continue up the Tuolumne River Canyon and spread north and east. Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors Chairman Randy Hanvelt said there has not been a fire of this magnitude in his county since the Stanislaus Complex fire a quarter century ago. In the summer of 1987, dry weather and parched vegetation were catalysts for a dry-lightning fire that burned 147,000 acres in the Stanislaus National Forest. The Stanislaus Complex fire killed one firefighter and forced the evacuation of almost 2,000 people from their mountain homes. "This is running the same footprint as the 1987 Complex fire," Hanvelt said. "It has the potential of being very, very dangerous. But we have the best possible teams involved. Cal Fire is doing a great job," he said of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency Thursday for Tuolumne County after county officials requested that he do so. Tuolumne County Administrator Craig Pedro said in a news release that the governor's declaration "opens the doors for additional state resources" to fight the fire, as well as for financial help with the costs and recovery from the fire. He added that the declaration makes it possible for the county to seek federal financial help with the fire. The Rim fire started Saturday in a remote area near Groveland. It nearly quadrupled in size from Wednesday to Thursday, growing from more than 16,000 acres to 63,366 acres. Highway 120 into Yosemite remains closed. It has destroyed two homes, seven outbuildings and three commercial buildings. The fire has shrouded much of the county in smoke, leaving some people with stinging eyes, scratchy throats and trouble breathing. The county's Public Health Department is advising vulnerable people, such as the elderly, to limit their time outdoors. Sonora schools are taking precautions with their students, such as keeping them indoors when the air quality is poor. Officials have closed campgrounds along Highway 120 and were asking residents living near Pine Mountain Lake to consider leaving their homes. Thursday evening, the Tuolumne County Sheriff's Department issued an evacuation order for residents north of Ferretti Road to Elderberry Road because of the immediate threat to life and property. The Red Cross has set up a shelter at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds in Sonora. Fifty-eight people spent Wednesday there, with officials expecting more Thursday evening. Bob and Shirley Haliwell left their Pine Mountain Lake home and spent Wednesday night in their travel trailer at the fairgrounds. They had planned to take a short trip through Idaho, Montana, Canada, Washington and Oregon. They have reconsidered that, because much of the western United States is on fire and their home remains at risk. "We don't want to leave without knowing what will happen," Bob Haliwell, 69, said. "And I really don't want to go to Idaho with all that smoke and fire." Three wildfires have burned nearly 400,000 acres in Idaho. So the Haliwells will stay put at the fairgrounds along with other Pine Mountain Lake neighbors. "This is a great place," Bob Haliwell said. "It has full hookups (for recreational vehicles and travel trailers), is centrally located, and a lot of our friends are here." Others stayed with their Pine Mountain Lake homes. Wayne Wilkins, 67, did not want to leave, though he had taken precautions by moving his RV and two horses out of harm's way. He had packed his and wife Merrily's keepsakes and other valuables in case they had to leave in a hurry. Flames got within five miles of their home Wednesday before firefighters knocked down the fire. "If they come by and say it's a mandatory evacuation, I'm ready to go," Wilkins said. On the Net: www.inciweb.org/incident/3660. Bee staff writer Kevin Valine can be reached at [email protected] or (209) 578-2316.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Most mammalian species produce facial expressions, which form meaningful and adaptive components of the animal’s behavioural repertoire. The facial architecture underlying such facial expressions is highly conserved among mammals1, suggesting that human facial expression is based on evolutionarily ancient systems. Therefore, it would seem reasonable to debate the extent to which such facial expressions are underpinned by sophisticated cognitive processes. Historically, animal facial expressions (including human, to an extent) have been considered inflexible and involuntary displays e.g.2,3, reflecting an individual’s emotional state rather than active attempts to communicate with others. There is some evidence that non-human primate facial expressions can be mediated by the presence of an audience, suggesting that the sender has some understanding of whether the expressions can be seen by others4,5,6,7,8. Waller et al. (2015) showed that the production of facial expressions in orangutans is more intense and more complex during play when a recipient is directed towards them suggesting that the production of these expressions is not necessarily an automated response and subject to audience effects6. Similarly, Scheider et al. (2016) showed that Gibbons presented their facial expressions more often and over a longer duration when facing other individuals compared to non-facing situation7. To date there is no systematic experimental evidence, however, that facial expressions in species other than primates, are produced with similar sensitivity to the attention of the audience. With the current study, we aimed to test whether domestic dog facial expressions change in response to an highly arousing but non-social stimulus (food) and/or the changing attentional state of their human audience. Domestic dogs are a potentially interesting model for this kind of research as they have a unique history. Dogs have been living with humans for about 30,000 years9, during which time selection pressures seem to have acted on dogs’ ability to communicate with humans. [see for a review10 and11,12 for a recent discussion]. There is broad evidence that domestic dogs attend to a human’s attentional state13,14,15, which is one indicator of intentionality16. After being told not to take a piece of food, dogs steal the food more often when the human’s eyes are closed compared to situations during which the human’s eyes are open, the human has her back turned to the dog or she is distracted13,15. Dogs are also sensitive to the human’s attentional state during communicative interactions with humans. Dogs follow communicative gestures more once the humans eyes are visible and the gesture is clearly directed at them16. Dogs also follow the gaze of a human to a target only if eye contact had been established prior to the gaze shift17. Waller et al. (2013) analysed the facial expressions of dogs waiting to be rehomed in shelters, and found a negative correlation between the frequency of facial movements the dogs produced when interacting with a stranger, and the rate at which they were re-homed. The more often dogs produced a specific facial movement, Action Unit 101 (which raises the inner eyebrow) the quicker they were re-homed18. Raising the inner eyebrow changes the visual appearance of the eyes and makes them look bigger, a key feature of paedomorphism (juvenile features present in the adult). One hypothesis is therefore that by picking dogs that raise their inner eye brow more, humans simply follow their preference for paedomorphic facial characteristics, a preference which might have acted as a selection pressure during dog domestication18,19. It is possible, therefore, that dogs have also evolved the ability to use these facial expressions differentially depending on their audience. In which case, during domestication dogs may have gained additional cognitive control of their facial expressions. The current study investigated whether dog facial expressions can be subject to so called audience effects, and can therefore be tailored to the human’s attentional state, which might suggest some social communicative function and possible voluntary control. The alternative is that dog facial expressions are a simple emotional display based on the dog’s state of arousal. In order to try and discriminate between these two possible explanations, the human, depending on the condition, presented a piece of food, as a non-social and arousing stimulus (a recent study, using thermal imaging, shows that food seems to be more arousing for dogs than social contact with a human as long as the human remains silent20). Therefore, if dogs produce facial expressions merely as an emotional display, we would expect them to not necessarily differentiate between the social (human attention) and the non social (food) conditions. However, if the dogs behave in different ways in responds to the social and the non-social stimuli, this would provide some evidence that dogs discriminate between the conditions based on social context and one possible explanation for such discrimination that dogs exercise some voluntary control. ||||| Dogs produce more facial expressions when humans are looking at them, according to new research from the University of Portsmouth. Scientists at the University's Dog Cognition Centre are the first to find clear evidence dogs move their faces in direct response to human attention. Dogs don't respond with more facial expressions upon seeing tasty food, suggesting that dogs produce facial expressions to communicate and not just because they are excited. Brow raising, which makes the eyes look bigger -- so-called puppy dog eyes -- was the dogs' most commonly used expression in this research. Dog cognition expert Dr Juliane Kaminski led the study, which is published in Scientific Reports. She said: "We can now be confident that the production of facial expressions made by dogs are dependent on the attention state of their audience and are not just a result of dogs being excited. In our study they produced far more expressions when someone was watching, but seeing food treats did not have the same effect. "The findings appear to support evidence dogs are sensitive to humans' attention and that expressions are potentially active attempts to communicate, not simple emotional displays." Most mammals produce facial expressions -- such expressions are considered an important part of an animal's behavioural repertoire -- but it has long been assumed that animal facial expressions, including some human facial expressions, are involuntary and dependent on an individual's emotional state rather than being flexible responses to the audience Dr Kaminski said it's possible dogs' facial expressions have changed as part of the process of becoming domesticated. The researchers studied 24 dogs of various breeds, aged one to 12. All were family pets. Each dog was tied by a lead a metre away from a person, and the dogs' faces were filmed throughout a range of exchanges, from the person being oriented towards the dog, to being distracted and with her body turned away from the dog. The dogs' facial expressions were measured using DogFACS, an anatomically based coding system which gives a reliable and standardised measurement of facial changes linked to underlying muscle movement. Co-author and facial expression expert Professor Bridget Waller said "DogFACS captures movements from all the different muscles in the canine face, many of which are capable of producing very subtle and brief facial movements. "FACS systems were originally developed for humans, but have since been modified for use with other animals such as primates and dogs." Dr Kaminski said: "Domestic dogs have a unique history -- they have lived alongside humans for 30,000 years and during that time selection pressures seem to have acted on dogs' ability to communicate with us. "We knew domestic dogs paid attention to how attentive a human is -- in a previous study we found, for example, that dogs stole food more often when the human's eyes were closed or they had their back turned. In another study, we found dogs follow the gaze of a human if the human first establishes eye contact with the dog, so the dog knows the gaze-shift is directed at them. "This study moves forward what we understand about dog cognition. We now know dogs make more facial expressions when the human is paying attention." It is impossible yet to say whether dogs' behaviour in this and other studies is evidence dogs have flexible understanding of another individual's perspective -- that they truly understand another individual's mental state -- or if their behaviour is hardwired, or even a learned response to seeing the face or eyes of another individual. Puppy dog eyes is a facial expression which, in humans, closely resembles sadness. This potentially makes humans more empathetic towards the dog who uses the expression, or because it makes the dog's eyes appear bigger and more infant-like -- potentially tapping into humans' preference for child-like characteristics. Regardless of the mechanism, humans are particularly responsive to that expression in dogs. Previous research has shown some apes can also modify their facial expressions depending on their audience, but until now, dogs' abilities to do use facial expression to communicate with humans hadn't been systematically examined. ||||| Showing tongues and puppy eyes, and facial movement in general, was more likely when scientists faced the animals, suggesting conscious communication Dogs really do turn on the puppy eyes when humans look at them, according to researchers studying canine facial expressions. Scientists have discovered that dogs produce more facial movements when a human is paying attention to them – including raising their eyebrows, making their eyes appear bigger – than when they are being ignored or presented with a tasty morsel. The research pushes back against the belief that animal facial expressions are largely unconscious movements, that reflect internal sentiments, rather than a way to communicate. Their expressions are responsive to humans – not just to other dogs. That show us how domestication has shaped them “Facial expression is often seen as something that is very emotionally driven and is very fixed, and so it isn’t something that animals can change depending on their circumstances,” said Bridget Waller, professor of evolutionary psychology at the University of Portsmouth, and an author of the study. The research joins a number of studies probing the extraordinary relationship between humans and their canine companions, including work suggesting dogs understand both the words and the tone of human speech. Published in the journal Scientific Reports, the study involved researchers using a video camera to record the facial movements of 24 dogs over a series of experiments in which a human either faced the animal, or faced away, and presented the dog with a tidbit, or did not. The recordings were then examined by the team frame by frame to determine changes in the facial muscles of the canines. The results reveal that the pooches produced far more facial expressions when the human was facing the dog, than when they turned away – in particular, the animals were more likely to show their tongues and raise their inner eyebrows. The men who live as dogs: 'We're just the same as any person on the high street' Read more But the presence of food had no impact on the animals’ expressions. That suggested canine facial expressions were not just down to excitement, and cast doubt over whether dogs use their facial expressions to twist their owners around their paws, said Waller. “We wanted to see if dogs would produce the most facial expressions when they saw the face and the food, because that might then tell us they are trying to intentionally manipulate the human in order to get the food – and we didn’t see that,” said Waller. The study suggested doggy expressions were not simply the result of internal emotions, but could be a mechanism of communication. The team noted their work didn’t show whether dogs simply learn to pull faces when a human pays attention to them, or whether it reflect a deeper connection. But, they said, it was notable that the animals tended to make their eyes appear bigger – a trait humans are known to find cute. What is this dog thinking? Scientists now have some fascinating answers | John Bradshaw Read more “[The research] tells us that their facial expressions are probably responsive to humans – not just to other dogs,” said Waller. “[That] tells us something about how domestication has shaped [dogs], and that it has changed them in order to be more communicative with humans, in a sense.” However, the team stressed the research does not shed light on what the dogs might be trying to communicate, or whether the movements are intentional. “I think this adds to a growing body of evidence that dogs are sensitive to our attention,” said Juliane Kaminski, another author of the study, also from the University of Portsmouth. “Which is not necessarily something that a dog owner would be surprised about.”

– Yes, your puppy is making those absolutely adorable faces just for you. At least that's the takeaway from a study published Thursday in Scientific Reports. Researchers from the University of Portsmouth's Dog Cognition Centre studied 24 dogs of various breeds and came away with the first evidence that dogs move their faces more when they know humans are looking, according to a press release. Scientists have long believed the facial expressions of mammals are involuntary responses to emotions. This study shows that, at least for domesticated dogs, that may not be the case. "The findings appear to support evidence dogs are sensitive to humans' attention and that expressions are potentially active attempts to communicate, not simple emotional displays." researcher Dr. Juliane Kaminksi says. Researchers also found that presenting dogs with food didn't cause an increase in facial expressions—more evidence facial expressions are about communication and not emotion and also a sign dogs aren't using facial expressions to, as researcher Bridget Waller puts it, "intentionally manipulate the human in order to get food," the Guardian reports. However, the most common facial expression seen by researchers was a raising of the brow to create "puppy dog eyes." That a dog's most common facial expression is one that humans find cute could be important. “[That] tells us something about how domestication has shaped [dogs], and that it has changed them in order to be more communicative with humans, in a sense," Waller says.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Most mammalian species produce facial expressions, which form meaningful and adaptive components of the animal’s behavioural repertoire. The facial architecture underlying such facial expressions is highly conserved among mammals1, suggesting that human facial expression is based on evolutionarily ancient systems. Therefore, it would seem reasonable to debate the extent to which such facial expressions are underpinned by sophisticated cognitive processes. Historically, animal facial expressions (including human, to an extent) have been considered inflexible and involuntary displays e.g.2,3, reflecting an individual’s emotional state rather than active attempts to communicate with others. There is some evidence that non-human primate facial expressions can be mediated by the presence of an audience, suggesting that the sender has some understanding of whether the expressions can be seen by others4,5,6,7,8. Waller et al. (2015) showed that the production of facial expressions in orangutans is more intense and more complex during play when a recipient is directed towards them suggesting that the production of these expressions is not necessarily an automated response and subject to audience effects6. Similarly, Scheider et al. (2016) showed that Gibbons presented their facial expressions more often and over a longer duration when facing other individuals compared to non-facing situation7. To date there is no systematic experimental evidence, however, that facial expressions in species other than primates, are produced with similar sensitivity to the attention of the audience. With the current study, we aimed to test whether domestic dog facial expressions change in response to an highly arousing but non-social stimulus (food) and/or the changing attentional state of their human audience. Domestic dogs are a potentially interesting model for this kind of research as they have a unique history. Dogs have been living with humans for about 30,000 years9, during which time selection pressures seem to have acted on dogs’ ability to communicate with humans. [see for a review10 and11,12 for a recent discussion]. There is broad evidence that domestic dogs attend to a human’s attentional state13,14,15, which is one indicator of intentionality16. After being told not to take a piece of food, dogs steal the food more often when the human’s eyes are closed compared to situations during which the human’s eyes are open, the human has her back turned to the dog or she is distracted13,15. Dogs are also sensitive to the human’s attentional state during communicative interactions with humans. Dogs follow communicative gestures more once the humans eyes are visible and the gesture is clearly directed at them16. Dogs also follow the gaze of a human to a target only if eye contact had been established prior to the gaze shift17. Waller et al. (2013) analysed the facial expressions of dogs waiting to be rehomed in shelters, and found a negative correlation between the frequency of facial movements the dogs produced when interacting with a stranger, and the rate at which they were re-homed. The more often dogs produced a specific facial movement, Action Unit 101 (which raises the inner eyebrow) the quicker they were re-homed18. Raising the inner eyebrow changes the visual appearance of the eyes and makes them look bigger, a key feature of paedomorphism (juvenile features present in the adult). One hypothesis is therefore that by picking dogs that raise their inner eye brow more, humans simply follow their preference for paedomorphic facial characteristics, a preference which might have acted as a selection pressure during dog domestication18,19. It is possible, therefore, that dogs have also evolved the ability to use these facial expressions differentially depending on their audience. In which case, during domestication dogs may have gained additional cognitive control of their facial expressions. The current study investigated whether dog facial expressions can be subject to so called audience effects, and can therefore be tailored to the human’s attentional state, which might suggest some social communicative function and possible voluntary control. The alternative is that dog facial expressions are a simple emotional display based on the dog’s state of arousal. In order to try and discriminate between these two possible explanations, the human, depending on the condition, presented a piece of food, as a non-social and arousing stimulus (a recent study, using thermal imaging, shows that food seems to be more arousing for dogs than social contact with a human as long as the human remains silent20). Therefore, if dogs produce facial expressions merely as an emotional display, we would expect them to not necessarily differentiate between the social (human attention) and the non social (food) conditions. However, if the dogs behave in different ways in responds to the social and the non-social stimuli, this would provide some evidence that dogs discriminate between the conditions based on social context and one possible explanation for such discrimination that dogs exercise some voluntary control. ||||| Dogs produce more facial expressions when humans are looking at them, according to new research from the University of Portsmouth. Scientists at the University's Dog Cognition Centre are the first to find clear evidence dogs move their faces in direct response to human attention. Dogs don't respond with more facial expressions upon seeing tasty food, suggesting that dogs produce facial expressions to communicate and not just because they are excited. Brow raising, which makes the eyes look bigger -- so-called puppy dog eyes -- was the dogs' most commonly used expression in this research. Dog cognition expert Dr Juliane Kaminski led the study, which is published in Scientific Reports. She said: "We can now be confident that the production of facial expressions made by dogs are dependent on the attention state of their audience and are not just a result of dogs being excited. In our study they produced far more expressions when someone was watching, but seeing food treats did not have the same effect. "The findings appear to support evidence dogs are sensitive to humans' attention and that expressions are potentially active attempts to communicate, not simple emotional displays." Most mammals produce facial expressions -- such expressions are considered an important part of an animal's behavioural repertoire -- but it has long been assumed that animal facial expressions, including some human facial expressions, are involuntary and dependent on an individual's emotional state rather than being flexible responses to the audience Dr Kaminski said it's possible dogs' facial expressions have changed as part of the process of becoming domesticated. The researchers studied 24 dogs of various breeds, aged one to 12. All were family pets. Each dog was tied by a lead a metre away from a person, and the dogs' faces were filmed throughout a range of exchanges, from the person being oriented towards the dog, to being distracted and with her body turned away from the dog. The dogs' facial expressions were measured using DogFACS, an anatomically based coding system which gives a reliable and standardised measurement of facial changes linked to underlying muscle movement. Co-author and facial expression expert Professor Bridget Waller said "DogFACS captures movements from all the different muscles in the canine face, many of which are capable of producing very subtle and brief facial movements. "FACS systems were originally developed for humans, but have since been modified for use with other animals such as primates and dogs." Dr Kaminski said: "Domestic dogs have a unique history -- they have lived alongside humans for 30,000 years and during that time selection pressures seem to have acted on dogs' ability to communicate with us. "We knew domestic dogs paid attention to how attentive a human is -- in a previous study we found, for example, that dogs stole food more often when the human's eyes were closed or they had their back turned. In another study, we found dogs follow the gaze of a human if the human first establishes eye contact with the dog, so the dog knows the gaze-shift is directed at them. "This study moves forward what we understand about dog cognition. We now know dogs make more facial expressions when the human is paying attention." It is impossible yet to say whether dogs' behaviour in this and other studies is evidence dogs have flexible understanding of another individual's perspective -- that they truly understand another individual's mental state -- or if their behaviour is hardwired, or even a learned response to seeing the face or eyes of another individual. Puppy dog eyes is a facial expression which, in humans, closely resembles sadness. This potentially makes humans more empathetic towards the dog who uses the expression, or because it makes the dog's eyes appear bigger and more infant-like -- potentially tapping into humans' preference for child-like characteristics. Regardless of the mechanism, humans are particularly responsive to that expression in dogs. Previous research has shown some apes can also modify their facial expressions depending on their audience, but until now, dogs' abilities to do use facial expression to communicate with humans hadn't been systematically examined. ||||| Showing tongues and puppy eyes, and facial movement in general, was more likely when scientists faced the animals, suggesting conscious communication Dogs really do turn on the puppy eyes when humans look at them, according to researchers studying canine facial expressions. Scientists have discovered that dogs produce more facial movements when a human is paying attention to them – including raising their eyebrows, making their eyes appear bigger – than when they are being ignored or presented with a tasty morsel. The research pushes back against the belief that animal facial expressions are largely unconscious movements, that reflect internal sentiments, rather than a way to communicate. Their expressions are responsive to humans – not just to other dogs. That show us how domestication has shaped them “Facial expression is often seen as something that is very emotionally driven and is very fixed, and so it isn’t something that animals can change depending on their circumstances,” said Bridget Waller, professor of evolutionary psychology at the University of Portsmouth, and an author of the study. The research joins a number of studies probing the extraordinary relationship between humans and their canine companions, including work suggesting dogs understand both the words and the tone of human speech. Published in the journal Scientific Reports, the study involved researchers using a video camera to record the facial movements of 24 dogs over a series of experiments in which a human either faced the animal, or faced away, and presented the dog with a tidbit, or did not. The recordings were then examined by the team frame by frame to determine changes in the facial muscles of the canines. The results reveal that the pooches produced far more facial expressions when the human was facing the dog, than when they turned away – in particular, the animals were more likely to show their tongues and raise their inner eyebrows. The men who live as dogs: 'We're just the same as any person on the high street' Read more But the presence of food had no impact on the animals’ expressions. That suggested canine facial expressions were not just down to excitement, and cast doubt over whether dogs use their facial expressions to twist their owners around their paws, said Waller. “We wanted to see if dogs would produce the most facial expressions when they saw the face and the food, because that might then tell us they are trying to intentionally manipulate the human in order to get the food – and we didn’t see that,” said Waller. The study suggested doggy expressions were not simply the result of internal emotions, but could be a mechanism of communication. The team noted their work didn’t show whether dogs simply learn to pull faces when a human pays attention to them, or whether it reflect a deeper connection. But, they said, it was notable that the animals tended to make their eyes appear bigger – a trait humans are known to find cute. What is this dog thinking? Scientists now have some fascinating answers | John Bradshaw Read more “[The research] tells us that their facial expressions are probably responsive to humans – not just to other dogs,” said Waller. “[That] tells us something about how domestication has shaped [dogs], and that it has changed them in order to be more communicative with humans, in a sense.” However, the team stressed the research does not shed light on what the dogs might be trying to communicate, or whether the movements are intentional. “I think this adds to a growing body of evidence that dogs are sensitive to our attention,” said Juliane Kaminski, another author of the study, also from the University of Portsmouth. “Which is not necessarily something that a dog owner would be surprised about.”

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

§ 1111. Rape defined A. Rape is an act of sexual intercourse involving vaginal or anal penetration accomplished with a male or female who is not the spouse of the perpetrator and who may be of the same or the opposite sex as the perpetrator under any of the following circumstances: 1. Where the victim is under sixteen (16) years of age; 2. Where the victim is incapable through mental illness or any other unsoundness of mind, whether temporary or permanent, of giving legal consent; 3. Where force or violence is used or threatened, accompanied by apparent power of execution to the victim or to another person; 4. Where the victim is intoxicated by a narcotic or anesthetic agent, administered by or with the privity of the accused as a means of forcing the victim to submit; 5. Where the victim is at the time unconscious of the nature of the act and this fact is known to the accused; 6. Where the victim submits to sexual intercourse under the belief that the person committing the act is a spouse, and this belief is induced by artifice, pretense, or concealment practiced by the accused or by the accused in collusion with the spouse with intent to induce that belief. In all cases of collusion between the accused and the spouse to accomplish such act, both the spouse and the accused, upon conviction, shall be deemed guilty of rape; 7. Where the victim is under the legal custody or supervision of a state agency, a federal agency, a county, a municipality or a political subdivision and engages in sexual intercourse with a state, federal, county, municipal or political subdivision employee or an employee of a contractor of the state, the federal government, a county, a municipality or a political subdivision that exercises authority over the victim, or the subcontractor or employee of a subcontractor of the contractor of the state or federal government, a county, a municipality or a political subdivision that exercises authority over the victim; 8. Where the victim is at least sixteen (16) years of age and is less than twenty (20) years of age and is a student, or under the legal custody or supervision of any public or private elementary or secondary school, junior high or high school, or public vocational school, and engages in sexual intercourse with a person who is eighteen (18) years of age or older and is an employee of the same school system; or 9. Where the victim is nineteen (19) years of age or younger and is in the legal custody of a state agency, federal agency or tribal court and engages in sexual intercourse with a foster parent or foster parent applicant. B. Rape is an act of sexual intercourse accomplished with a male or female who is the spouse of the perpetrator if force or violence is used or threatened, accompanied by apparent power of execution to the victim or to another person. ||||| Sorry, this zipcode is not in our deliverable area for this subscription service. Re-enter zip code or sign up for digital access. Get digital access ||||| Tulsa prosecutors say they are angry over a ruling by Oklahoma’s highest criminal court that the state’s forcible sodomy law doesn’t apply when the victim is intoxicated or unconscious. The decision by the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals contrasts with a national push to step up enforcement of sexual assault laws and toughen rules of sexual consent. On March 24, the Court of Criminal Appeals found that because of the way the state’s sodomy law is written, “forcible sodomy cannot occur where a victim is so intoxicated as to be completely unconscious at the time of the sexual act of oral copulation.” The ruling denied an appeal by the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office in a case arising from an incident between two high school students in 2014. The appeals court wrote that the original ruling in November by a Tulsa County judge dismissing the case was not in error. Although Oklahoma’s rape law says a rape can occur when the victim is intoxicated or unconscious, the forcible sodomy law does not contain that language. The appeals court unanimously ruled that because the law lacks that provision, the defendant could not be prosecuted. The boy, who was 17 at the time, was charged as a youthful offender, meaning, if convicted, he could have been moved to a prison at age 19 if he didn’t meet certain conditions in the juvenile system. “We will not, in order to justify prosecution of a person for an offense, enlarge a statute beyond the fair meaning of its language,” the appeals court wrote in what is called an “unpublished opinion,” meaning it cannot be cited as a precedent. Benjamin Fu, Tulsa County assistant district attorney and director of the office’s special victims unit, called the court’s interpretation “insane,” “dangerous” and “offensive.” He said the court had the authority and precedent to determine that the Legislature intended to include intoxication and unconsciousness in the sodomy law. As a comparison, Fu referred to the fact that an intruder who enters the unlocked door of a home can be still charged with breaking and entering. “I told the court that this (argument) is absurd,” said Fu, the lead prosecutor in the case. “And their response was essentially, ‘We’re not going to create a crime where one does not exist.’” Fu said he and law enforcement officials plan to push for legislation to address the discrepancy in rape and sodomy laws. The case in question involves two high school students who were drinking and smoking marijuana with several friends at a Tulsa park into the early morning hours of June 1, 2014. The female student, who was 16 at the time, had drunk a large quantity of vodka; blood tests would later show her blood-alcohol level at .341, more than four times the legal limit to drive and indicative of severe alcohol poisoning, court records state. (Oklahoma Watch is withholding the names of the defendant and the victim because of their ages and because it generally does not identify victims of sexual assault.) Court transcripts showed several other minors who were present testified that the girl was stumbling and falling. The group agreed to allow the defendant in the case, who attended the same school, to take her somewhere to stay in his car. Records state that two boys had to pick the girl up and carry her to the car. Another boy who rode with the two but was later dropped off testified that the girl was drifting in and out of consciousness and could not walk. Later, the defendant brought the girl, who still was not conscious, to her grandmother’s house, and the family took her to a Tulsa hospital. A sexual assault examination was conducted, and the boy’s DNA was found on her, court records show. In an interview with police, the defendant said the victim engaged in consensual oral sex with him and it was her idea. The girl told officers she could not remember anything after being at the park. Prosecutors initially charged the boy with first-degree rape and forcible oral sodomy, but because there was no evidence showing he had raped the girl, that charge was dismissed. Later, Tulsa County District Court Judge Patrick Pickerill dismissed the forcible oral sodomy charge, stating unconsciousness and intoxication are not present in the law’s definition of the crime. Fu said he does not blame the Legislature for not addressing the issue earlier; rather he blames the court’s interpretation of the statute. “My argument was that if you rule today that because she was intoxicated it can’t be force, then … you’ll have to engage in what I can only refer to as the ‘orifice test,’” Fu said. “Whereby the contact by the defendant and the state of mind of the victim are the exact same. It just depends on (the location of the sexual act).” Shannon McMurray, attorney for the defendant, said prosecutors handled the case poorly and a charge of sexual battery would have been more appropriate. However, because the girl did not remember, it would still be difficult to prove she did not consent, McMurray said. “They (prosecutors) were trying to substitute one element for the other, meaning intoxication in the rape statute, when there was absolutely no evidence of force or him doing anything to make this girl give him oral sex other than she was too intoxicated to consent,” McMurray said. “The court agreed what the state was attempting to do was rewrite statute and add an element,” McMurray said. “You can’t substitute force with intoxication under the law.” Because the case was unpublished, it does not set a hard legal precedent, Fu said. But the interpretation could allow others convicted under similar circumstances to be freed if they appeal. The argument is also already being used in similar cases and would make it much harder for some sexual assault victims to come forward and report the crime, he said. “All this does is add to the fire,” Fu said. “Their (sexual assault victims’) biggest fear is that people they tell the story to won’t understand or will judge them for their behavior. If they had that concern, the Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed that, 5-0.” Update, May 5 Rep. Scott Biggs, R-Chickasha, has introduced language into an existing bill that would amend the state’s forcible oral sodomy law to include instances in which the victim is unconscious or intoxicated. House Bill 2398 also changes the definition of sexual consent to state that consent cannot be given by a person who is asleep, physically incapacitated by drugs or alcohol, or is under duress, being threatened or being forced to perform a sexual act. Update, April 28 State Rep. Scott Biggs, R-Chickasha, says he plans to amend a bill to include unconscious victims in Oklahoma’s forcible sodomy law. In a news release, Biggs said, ““I am horrified by the idea that we would allow these depraved rapists to face a lower charge simply because the victim is unconscious. I think the judges made a grave error, but if they need more clarification, we are happy to give it to them by fixing the statute.” ||||| TULSA, Okla., April 28 (UPI) -- An Oklahoma court has shocked local prosecutors by ruling that, according to state law, oral sex with an unconscious victim is not rape. The state's criminal appeals court made the unanimous ruling late last month, setting off fierce opinions about how many of the country's laws have troublingly antiquated ideas about rape. The ruling stems from a 2014 case of a 17-year-old boy allegedly assaulting a 16-year-old girl after offering to drive the girl -- who witnesses said was drunk and unconscious -- to her grandmother's house. The girl was still unconscious after being dropped off and was taken to a hospital where doctors found the boy's DNA around the girl's mouth and on the back of her legs. The girl said she had no memory of leaving the park and Tulsa County prosecutors charged the boy with forcible oral sodomy. "We will not, in order to justify prosecution of a person for an offense, enlarge a statute beyond the fair meaning of its language," the appeals court wrote in its opinion. County District Attorney Benjamin Fu called the ruling "insane," "dangerous" and "offensive," and argued an intruder entering an unlocked house can be still charged with breaking and entering. Because the court's opinion was unpublished, it can't be used as legal precedent, Fu said, but the ruling might lead to those convicted under similar circumstances to be freed on appeal or make reporting the crime much more difficult for victims. "All this does is add to the fire," Fu said. "[Sexual assault victims'] biggest fear is that people they tell the story to won't understand or will judge them for their behavior. If they had that concern, the Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed that, 5-0."

– Prosecutors in Tulsa say Oklahoma's Court of Criminal Appeals misfired badly by ruling that the state's forcible sodomy law isn't applicable to intoxicated or unconscious victims, reports UPI. In what Benjamin Fu, Tulsa County assistant DA, calls an "insane" and "dangerous" interpretation of the law, the court noted in its March 24 decision that because of semantics, "forcible sodomy cannot occur where a victim is so intoxicated as to be completely unconscious at the time of the sexual act of oral copulation," Oklahoma Watch reports. In its "unpublished opinion"—which, per the website, means future cases can't cite it—the court added, "We will not, in order to justify prosecution of a person for an offense, enlarge a statute beyond the fair meaning of its language." (The state's rape law does use language protecting those in an intoxicated, unconscious state.) The defendant in this case was 17 at the time of the 2014 incident, in which he was accused of forcing a heavily intoxicated 16-year-old girl into oral sex. Court records note the girl's blood alcohol content was high enough to be considered severe alcohol poisoning, and witnesses said she was falling in and out of consciousness while being driven home. The defendant says the oral sex was consensual and the victim's idea, even though the girl says she can't remember the event. The defendant's lawyer argued that "you can't substitute force with intoxication under the law" and that the state shouldn't have tried to "rewrite statute and add an element." But Fu says the ruling is "absurd." Victims' "biggest fear is that people they tell the story to won't understand or will judge them," he says. "The Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed that, 5-0."

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.§ 1111. Rape defined A. Rape is an act of sexual intercourse involving vaginal or anal penetration accomplished with a male or female who is not the spouse of the perpetrator and who may be of the same or the opposite sex as the perpetrator under any of the following circumstances: 1. Where the victim is under sixteen (16) years of age; 2. Where the victim is incapable through mental illness or any other unsoundness of mind, whether temporary or permanent, of giving legal consent; 3. Where force or violence is used or threatened, accompanied by apparent power of execution to the victim or to another person; 4. Where the victim is intoxicated by a narcotic or anesthetic agent, administered by or with the privity of the accused as a means of forcing the victim to submit; 5. Where the victim is at the time unconscious of the nature of the act and this fact is known to the accused; 6. Where the victim submits to sexual intercourse under the belief that the person committing the act is a spouse, and this belief is induced by artifice, pretense, or concealment practiced by the accused or by the accused in collusion with the spouse with intent to induce that belief. In all cases of collusion between the accused and the spouse to accomplish such act, both the spouse and the accused, upon conviction, shall be deemed guilty of rape; 7. Where the victim is under the legal custody or supervision of a state agency, a federal agency, a county, a municipality or a political subdivision and engages in sexual intercourse with a state, federal, county, municipal or political subdivision employee or an employee of a contractor of the state, the federal government, a county, a municipality or a political subdivision that exercises authority over the victim, or the subcontractor or employee of a subcontractor of the contractor of the state or federal government, a county, a municipality or a political subdivision that exercises authority over the victim; 8. Where the victim is at least sixteen (16) years of age and is less than twenty (20) years of age and is a student, or under the legal custody or supervision of any public or private elementary or secondary school, junior high or high school, or public vocational school, and engages in sexual intercourse with a person who is eighteen (18) years of age or older and is an employee of the same school system; or 9. Where the victim is nineteen (19) years of age or younger and is in the legal custody of a state agency, federal agency or tribal court and engages in sexual intercourse with a foster parent or foster parent applicant. B. Rape is an act of sexual intercourse accomplished with a male or female who is the spouse of the perpetrator if force or violence is used or threatened, accompanied by apparent power of execution to the victim or to another person. ||||| Sorry, this zipcode is not in our deliverable area for this subscription service. Re-enter zip code or sign up for digital access. Get digital access ||||| Tulsa prosecutors say they are angry over a ruling by Oklahoma’s highest criminal court that the state’s forcible sodomy law doesn’t apply when the victim is intoxicated or unconscious. The decision by the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals contrasts with a national push to step up enforcement of sexual assault laws and toughen rules of sexual consent. On March 24, the Court of Criminal Appeals found that because of the way the state’s sodomy law is written, “forcible sodomy cannot occur where a victim is so intoxicated as to be completely unconscious at the time of the sexual act of oral copulation.” The ruling denied an appeal by the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office in a case arising from an incident between two high school students in 2014. The appeals court wrote that the original ruling in November by a Tulsa County judge dismissing the case was not in error. Although Oklahoma’s rape law says a rape can occur when the victim is intoxicated or unconscious, the forcible sodomy law does not contain that language. The appeals court unanimously ruled that because the law lacks that provision, the defendant could not be prosecuted. The boy, who was 17 at the time, was charged as a youthful offender, meaning, if convicted, he could have been moved to a prison at age 19 if he didn’t meet certain conditions in the juvenile system. “We will not, in order to justify prosecution of a person for an offense, enlarge a statute beyond the fair meaning of its language,” the appeals court wrote in what is called an “unpublished opinion,” meaning it cannot be cited as a precedent. Benjamin Fu, Tulsa County assistant district attorney and director of the office’s special victims unit, called the court’s interpretation “insane,” “dangerous” and “offensive.” He said the court had the authority and precedent to determine that the Legislature intended to include intoxication and unconsciousness in the sodomy law. As a comparison, Fu referred to the fact that an intruder who enters the unlocked door of a home can be still charged with breaking and entering. “I told the court that this (argument) is absurd,” said Fu, the lead prosecutor in the case. “And their response was essentially, ‘We’re not going to create a crime where one does not exist.’” Fu said he and law enforcement officials plan to push for legislation to address the discrepancy in rape and sodomy laws. The case in question involves two high school students who were drinking and smoking marijuana with several friends at a Tulsa park into the early morning hours of June 1, 2014. The female student, who was 16 at the time, had drunk a large quantity of vodka; blood tests would later show her blood-alcohol level at .341, more than four times the legal limit to drive and indicative of severe alcohol poisoning, court records state. (Oklahoma Watch is withholding the names of the defendant and the victim because of their ages and because it generally does not identify victims of sexual assault.) Court transcripts showed several other minors who were present testified that the girl was stumbling and falling. The group agreed to allow the defendant in the case, who attended the same school, to take her somewhere to stay in his car. Records state that two boys had to pick the girl up and carry her to the car. Another boy who rode with the two but was later dropped off testified that the girl was drifting in and out of consciousness and could not walk. Later, the defendant brought the girl, who still was not conscious, to her grandmother’s house, and the family took her to a Tulsa hospital. A sexual assault examination was conducted, and the boy’s DNA was found on her, court records show. In an interview with police, the defendant said the victim engaged in consensual oral sex with him and it was her idea. The girl told officers she could not remember anything after being at the park. Prosecutors initially charged the boy with first-degree rape and forcible oral sodomy, but because there was no evidence showing he had raped the girl, that charge was dismissed. Later, Tulsa County District Court Judge Patrick Pickerill dismissed the forcible oral sodomy charge, stating unconsciousness and intoxication are not present in the law’s definition of the crime. Fu said he does not blame the Legislature for not addressing the issue earlier; rather he blames the court’s interpretation of the statute. “My argument was that if you rule today that because she was intoxicated it can’t be force, then … you’ll have to engage in what I can only refer to as the ‘orifice test,’” Fu said. “Whereby the contact by the defendant and the state of mind of the victim are the exact same. It just depends on (the location of the sexual act).” Shannon McMurray, attorney for the defendant, said prosecutors handled the case poorly and a charge of sexual battery would have been more appropriate. However, because the girl did not remember, it would still be difficult to prove she did not consent, McMurray said. “They (prosecutors) were trying to substitute one element for the other, meaning intoxication in the rape statute, when there was absolutely no evidence of force or him doing anything to make this girl give him oral sex other than she was too intoxicated to consent,” McMurray said. “The court agreed what the state was attempting to do was rewrite statute and add an element,” McMurray said. “You can’t substitute force with intoxication under the law.” Because the case was unpublished, it does not set a hard legal precedent, Fu said. But the interpretation could allow others convicted under similar circumstances to be freed if they appeal. The argument is also already being used in similar cases and would make it much harder for some sexual assault victims to come forward and report the crime, he said. “All this does is add to the fire,” Fu said. “Their (sexual assault victims’) biggest fear is that people they tell the story to won’t understand or will judge them for their behavior. If they had that concern, the Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed that, 5-0.” Update, May 5 Rep. Scott Biggs, R-Chickasha, has introduced language into an existing bill that would amend the state’s forcible oral sodomy law to include instances in which the victim is unconscious or intoxicated. House Bill 2398 also changes the definition of sexual consent to state that consent cannot be given by a person who is asleep, physically incapacitated by drugs or alcohol, or is under duress, being threatened or being forced to perform a sexual act. Update, April 28 State Rep. Scott Biggs, R-Chickasha, says he plans to amend a bill to include unconscious victims in Oklahoma’s forcible sodomy law. In a news release, Biggs said, ““I am horrified by the idea that we would allow these depraved rapists to face a lower charge simply because the victim is unconscious. I think the judges made a grave error, but if they need more clarification, we are happy to give it to them by fixing the statute.” ||||| TULSA, Okla., April 28 (UPI) -- An Oklahoma court has shocked local prosecutors by ruling that, according to state law, oral sex with an unconscious victim is not rape. The state's criminal appeals court made the unanimous ruling late last month, setting off fierce opinions about how many of the country's laws have troublingly antiquated ideas about rape. The ruling stems from a 2014 case of a 17-year-old boy allegedly assaulting a 16-year-old girl after offering to drive the girl -- who witnesses said was drunk and unconscious -- to her grandmother's house. The girl was still unconscious after being dropped off and was taken to a hospital where doctors found the boy's DNA around the girl's mouth and on the back of her legs. The girl said she had no memory of leaving the park and Tulsa County prosecutors charged the boy with forcible oral sodomy. "We will not, in order to justify prosecution of a person for an offense, enlarge a statute beyond the fair meaning of its language," the appeals court wrote in its opinion. County District Attorney Benjamin Fu called the ruling "insane," "dangerous" and "offensive," and argued an intruder entering an unlocked house can be still charged with breaking and entering. Because the court's opinion was unpublished, it can't be used as legal precedent, Fu said, but the ruling might lead to those convicted under similar circumstances to be freed on appeal or make reporting the crime much more difficult for victims. "All this does is add to the fire," Fu said. "[Sexual assault victims'] biggest fear is that people they tell the story to won't understand or will judge them for their behavior. If they had that concern, the Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed that, 5-0."

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Image copyright Shutterstock A South African woman is recovering in hospital after being discovered alive in a mortuary fridge. The woman was taken to Carletonville morgue, in Gauteng province, having been declared dead by paramedics following a road accident. Ambulance company Distress Alert said she had shown "no form of life", South Africa's TimesLive website reports. But when a morgue worker returned to check on the body in the fridge, he found the woman was breathing. An official has confirmed to the BBC the woman is now being treated in a hospital east of Johannesburg after being referred by forensics officers. She has not been named. An investigation into the incident is being carried out, with the family demanding answers. "As a family we won't talk about this unless the police, paramedics and the mortuary officials who were involved are present. We need answers," a family member told the BBC, speaking on condition of anonymity. The man said the family was in shock. "The issue is that we need answers, that's all we want and we don't have any clarity now," he added. Distress Alert operations manager Gerrit Bradnick said there was "no proof of any negligence" on his company's behalf. "This did not happen because our paramedics are not properly trained," he told TimesLive. Mr Bradnick told TimesSelect she was one of several people involved in a car accident which left two others dead on Sunday, 24 June. This is not the first time this year someone has woken up in a mortuary after being declared dead. In January an inmate at a jail in Spain's Asturias region regained consciousness hours before an autopsy was due to be performed. Three doctors had certified him dead. It is also not the first time this has happened in South Africa. Seven years ago, a 50-year-old man woke up screaming in an Eastern Cape morgue. In 2016 another road accident victim, from KwaZulu Natal, was declared dead, only to be found breathing the next day. He died five hours after the discovery. ||||| These crawls are part of an effort to archive pages as they are created and archive the pages that they refer to. That way, as the pages that are referenced are changed or taken from the web, a link to the version that was live when the page was written will be preserved.Then the Internet Archive hopes that references to these archived pages will be put in place of a link that would be otherwise be broken, or a companion link to allow people to see what was originally intended by a page's authors.The goal is to fix all broken links on the web . Crawls of supported "No More 404" sites.

– They apparently thought she was dead when they placed her inside, but a South African woman was reportedly very much alive when she was recently taken out of a mortuary refrigerator. Per Times Select, the woman was one of several people involved in a June 24 vehicular accident and was taken to a morgue after she was declared dead at the scene. However, a morgue employee happened to check on the body at some later point and discovered she was, in fact, breathing. The woman was transferred to a Johannesburg-area hospital. The victim has not been named, but the BBC reports that her family is demanding answers because, thus far, they say authorities have offered them no "clarity" regarding how the massive mistake was made. The ambulance company has maintained the woman "showed no form of life" after paramedics checked for a pulse and signs of breathing. They said she was pronounced dead after they found none. An official investigation is now underway. (Back stateside, a similar investigation was opened after police covered a still-breathing gunshot victim with a sheet last month.)

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Image copyright Shutterstock A South African woman is recovering in hospital after being discovered alive in a mortuary fridge. The woman was taken to Carletonville morgue, in Gauteng province, having been declared dead by paramedics following a road accident. Ambulance company Distress Alert said she had shown "no form of life", South Africa's TimesLive website reports. But when a morgue worker returned to check on the body in the fridge, he found the woman was breathing. An official has confirmed to the BBC the woman is now being treated in a hospital east of Johannesburg after being referred by forensics officers. She has not been named. An investigation into the incident is being carried out, with the family demanding answers. "As a family we won't talk about this unless the police, paramedics and the mortuary officials who were involved are present. We need answers," a family member told the BBC, speaking on condition of anonymity. The man said the family was in shock. "The issue is that we need answers, that's all we want and we don't have any clarity now," he added. Distress Alert operations manager Gerrit Bradnick said there was "no proof of any negligence" on his company's behalf. "This did not happen because our paramedics are not properly trained," he told TimesLive. Mr Bradnick told TimesSelect she was one of several people involved in a car accident which left two others dead on Sunday, 24 June. This is not the first time this year someone has woken up in a mortuary after being declared dead. In January an inmate at a jail in Spain's Asturias region regained consciousness hours before an autopsy was due to be performed. Three doctors had certified him dead. It is also not the first time this has happened in South Africa. Seven years ago, a 50-year-old man woke up screaming in an Eastern Cape morgue. In 2016 another road accident victim, from KwaZulu Natal, was declared dead, only to be found breathing the next day. He died five hours after the discovery. ||||| These crawls are part of an effort to archive pages as they are created and archive the pages that they refer to. That way, as the pages that are referenced are changed or taken from the web, a link to the version that was live when the page was written will be preserved.Then the Internet Archive hopes that references to these archived pages will be put in place of a link that would be otherwise be broken, or a companion link to allow people to see what was originally intended by a page's authors.The goal is to fix all broken links on the web . Crawls of supported "No More 404" sites.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Everyone enjoys a good Yogi-ism, or has a favorite Yogi Berra story—whether or not it’s actually true. Here’s mine: One spring, when Yogi was managing the Yankees, a streaker darted onto the field in nothing but a pair of sneakers and a paper bag. Asked later whether the streaker was a man or woman, Yogi purportedly replied, “I don’t know, they had a bag over their head.” On the occasion of Berra’s 90th birthday on Tuesday, there will surely be a flood of yarns and one-liners that have come to define the Hall of Fame catcher... ||||| ST. LOUIS (KMOX)- Baseball Hall of Famer Yogi Berra’s family is mounting a campaign to get the 90-year-old St. Louis native awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama. Born on “The Hill” in St. Louis, the longtime New York Yankees catcher, coach, and manager appeared in 21 World Series, winning 13 of them. Berra served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. His museum and learning center on the campus of Montclair State University in Little Falls NJ is helping coordinate petition efforts for the medal of freedom campaign. Click here to visit the petition page. Here is the text accompanying the online petition for the medal: “Yogi Berra should be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. A man of unimpeachable integrity and respect, he befriended the first black and Latino baseball players in Major League Baseball. He is currently an ambassador for Athlete Ally, which promotes LGBT rights in sports. Berra enlisted in the U. S. Navy during World War Il and served during the D-Day invasion. He continues to be an avid supporter of our armed forces. Berra greatly values education. While with the Yankees, he created a scholarship at Columbia University that is still active 50 years later. His namesake Museum & Learning Center serves 20,000 students annually with character education programs and teaches the values of respect, sportsmanship and inclusion that Berra has demonstrated throughout his life and career.”

– An online petition has been started by the family of Yogi Berra to convince President Obama to award the New York Yankees legend the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom, reports CBS St. Louis. Since going live on May 9, it's amassed 15,000 signatures; it needs 100,000 to get a White House review. While he's best known for his achievements in pinstripes (13 of his 21 World Series appearances ended in his favor), petitioners make the case that he did much more. He's a WWII US Navy vet/military supporter who's an education activist, "befriended the first black and Latino baseball players in Major League Baseball," and serves as an ambassador for Athlete Ally, "which promotes LGBT rights in sports." Berra turned 90 yesterday, a milestone the Wall Street Journal marked by sharing a "profound act of kindness" by the baseball great.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Everyone enjoys a good Yogi-ism, or has a favorite Yogi Berra story—whether or not it’s actually true. Here’s mine: One spring, when Yogi was managing the Yankees, a streaker darted onto the field in nothing but a pair of sneakers and a paper bag. Asked later whether the streaker was a man or woman, Yogi purportedly replied, “I don’t know, they had a bag over their head.” On the occasion of Berra’s 90th birthday on Tuesday, there will surely be a flood of yarns and one-liners that have come to define the Hall of Fame catcher... ||||| ST. LOUIS (KMOX)- Baseball Hall of Famer Yogi Berra’s family is mounting a campaign to get the 90-year-old St. Louis native awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama. Born on “The Hill” in St. Louis, the longtime New York Yankees catcher, coach, and manager appeared in 21 World Series, winning 13 of them. Berra served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. His museum and learning center on the campus of Montclair State University in Little Falls NJ is helping coordinate petition efforts for the medal of freedom campaign. Click here to visit the petition page. Here is the text accompanying the online petition for the medal: “Yogi Berra should be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. A man of unimpeachable integrity and respect, he befriended the first black and Latino baseball players in Major League Baseball. He is currently an ambassador for Athlete Ally, which promotes LGBT rights in sports. Berra enlisted in the U. S. Navy during World War Il and served during the D-Day invasion. He continues to be an avid supporter of our armed forces. Berra greatly values education. While with the Yankees, he created a scholarship at Columbia University that is still active 50 years later. His namesake Museum & Learning Center serves 20,000 students annually with character education programs and teaches the values of respect, sportsmanship and inclusion that Berra has demonstrated throughout his life and career.”

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

America's third most famous narcissist, dubious ass-player, and meme-gone-rogue Kanye West finally released The Life of Pablo on something other than his ghost town of a vanity project Tidal. Well, kind of. The financially dyslexic hip-hop artist, in a typically cheeky move, released just one song from TLOP on Spotify, Apple Music, and Google Play today: the Taylor Swift diss track, "Famous." The Rihanna-featuring "Famous" made headlines with its salty T Swift-deriding lyrics ("I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex / Why? I made that bitch famous (God damn) / I made that bitch famous"), which he claimed the pop-singer and colonialist cosplayer came up with in a series of Tweets, a claim her spokespeople vehemently denied. Listen to it here: ||||| Yeezus! Kanye West doesn't think that he dissed Taylor Swift in his new song "Famous," in which he says that he "might have sex" with her because he made "that bitch famous." The rapper took to Twitter to address the critics on Friday, February 12, just hours after he debuted the song during his Yeezy 3 collection presentation in NYC. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Yeezy Season 3 "I did not diss Taylor Swift and I’ve never dissed her. First thing is I’m an artist and as an artist I will express how I feel with no censorship," West, 38 tweeted on Friday. "2nd thing I asked my wife [Kim Kardashian] for her blessings and she was cool with it." Kevin Winter/MTV1415/Getty Images For MTV But that's not all. West claims that the "Bad Blood" singer, 26, actually came up with the idea herself. "3rd thing I called Taylor and had a hour long convo with her about the line and she thought it was funny and gave her blessings," he wrote. "I’m not even gone take credit for the idea… it’s actually something Taylor came up with," he continued. "She was having dinner with one of our friends who’s name I will keep out of this and she told him I can’t be mad at Kanye because he made me famous! #FACTS." West also shared that "bitch" is actually an "endearing term in hip hop." And despite the backlash, he's proud of what he accomplished on Thursday night. "They want to control us with money and perception and mute the culture but you can see at Madison Square Garden that you can stop us," he wrote. In his No. 9 point, he added: "It felt like a seen from The Warriors ALL GODS ALL GODS ALL GODS in the buildin. not just the famous people there but the kids the moms the dads the families that came to share this moment with us." (West and Swift previously buried the hatchet in February 2015 after his infamous 2009 VMAs stage-crash performance. They were photographed hugging at the Grammy Awards at the time.) For more of West's tweets, check out below: I did not diss Taylor Swift and I’ve never dissed her… — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 12, 2016 First thing is I’m an artist and as an artist I will express how I feel with no censorship — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 12, 2016 2nd thing I asked my wife for her blessings and she was cool with it — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 12, 2016 3rd thing I called Taylor and had a hour long convo with her about the line and she thought it was funny and gave her blessings — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 12, 2016 5th thing I’m not even gone take credit for the idea… it’s actually something Taylor came up with … — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 12, 2016 She was having dinner with one of our friends who’s name I will keep out of this and she told him — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 12, 2016 I can’t be mad at Kanye because he made me famous! #FACTS — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 12, 2016 6th Stop trying to demonize real artist Stop trying to compromise art — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 12, 2016 7th I miss that feeling so that’s what I want to help restore — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 12, 2016 8th They want to control us with money and perception and mute the culture — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 12, 2016 but you can see at Madison Square Garden that you can stop us — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 12, 2016 9th It felt like a seen from The Warriors ALL GODS ALL GODS ALL GODS in the buildin — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 12, 2016 not just the famous people there but the kids the moms the dads the families that came to share this moment with us — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 12, 2016

– Whether Kanye West has actually finished The Life of Pablo is unclear. But as of Tuesday, one song from the so-called "anti-album" is finally up on Spotify, Apple Music, and Google Play, Esquire reports. The song is "Famous," featuring Rihanna and the "I made that bitch famous" line that Kanye says Taylor Swift herself came up with (her camp denies it). As Billboard notes, West had previously said listeners could only access tracks from the album on the not-free Tidal service—and just last month he insisted on Twitter that "my album will never never never be on Apple. And it will never be for sale." "Famous" showed up with no explanation Monday morning on Apple and the other streaming services. (Kanye may also be busy writing Kim Kardashian's tweets.)

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.America's third most famous narcissist, dubious ass-player, and meme-gone-rogue Kanye West finally released The Life of Pablo on something other than his ghost town of a vanity project Tidal. Well, kind of. The financially dyslexic hip-hop artist, in a typically cheeky move, released just one song from TLOP on Spotify, Apple Music, and Google Play today: the Taylor Swift diss track, "Famous." The Rihanna-featuring "Famous" made headlines with its salty T Swift-deriding lyrics ("I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex / Why? I made that bitch famous (God damn) / I made that bitch famous"), which he claimed the pop-singer and colonialist cosplayer came up with in a series of Tweets, a claim her spokespeople vehemently denied. Listen to it here: ||||| Yeezus! Kanye West doesn't think that he dissed Taylor Swift in his new song "Famous," in which he says that he "might have sex" with her because he made "that bitch famous." The rapper took to Twitter to address the critics on Friday, February 12, just hours after he debuted the song during his Yeezy 3 collection presentation in NYC. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Yeezy Season 3 "I did not diss Taylor Swift and I’ve never dissed her. First thing is I’m an artist and as an artist I will express how I feel with no censorship," West, 38 tweeted on Friday. "2nd thing I asked my wife [Kim Kardashian] for her blessings and she was cool with it." Kevin Winter/MTV1415/Getty Images For MTV But that's not all. West claims that the "Bad Blood" singer, 26, actually came up with the idea herself. "3rd thing I called Taylor and had a hour long convo with her about the line and she thought it was funny and gave her blessings," he wrote. "I’m not even gone take credit for the idea… it’s actually something Taylor came up with," he continued. "She was having dinner with one of our friends who’s name I will keep out of this and she told him I can’t be mad at Kanye because he made me famous! #FACTS." West also shared that "bitch" is actually an "endearing term in hip hop." And despite the backlash, he's proud of what he accomplished on Thursday night. "They want to control us with money and perception and mute the culture but you can see at Madison Square Garden that you can stop us," he wrote. In his No. 9 point, he added: "It felt like a seen from The Warriors ALL GODS ALL GODS ALL GODS in the buildin. not just the famous people there but the kids the moms the dads the families that came to share this moment with us." (West and Swift previously buried the hatchet in February 2015 after his infamous 2009 VMAs stage-crash performance. They were photographed hugging at the Grammy Awards at the time.) For more of West's tweets, check out below: I did not diss Taylor Swift and I’ve never dissed her… — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 12, 2016 First thing is I’m an artist and as an artist I will express how I feel with no censorship — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 12, 2016 2nd thing I asked my wife for her blessings and she was cool with it — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 12, 2016 3rd thing I called Taylor and had a hour long convo with her about the line and she thought it was funny and gave her blessings — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 12, 2016 5th thing I’m not even gone take credit for the idea… it’s actually something Taylor came up with … — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 12, 2016 She was having dinner with one of our friends who’s name I will keep out of this and she told him — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 12, 2016 I can’t be mad at Kanye because he made me famous! #FACTS — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 12, 2016 6th Stop trying to demonize real artist Stop trying to compromise art — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 12, 2016 7th I miss that feeling so that’s what I want to help restore — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 12, 2016 8th They want to control us with money and perception and mute the culture — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 12, 2016 but you can see at Madison Square Garden that you can stop us — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 12, 2016 9th It felt like a seen from The Warriors ALL GODS ALL GODS ALL GODS in the buildin — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 12, 2016 not just the famous people there but the kids the moms the dads the families that came to share this moment with us — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 12, 2016

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi security forces fanned out across the Baghdad neighborhood Monday morning where three Americans were reportedly kidnapped over the weekend, closing streets and conducting house-to-house searches. An Iraqi government intelligence official told The Associated Press the Americans were kidnapped from their interpreter's home in the southern Baghdad neighborhood of Dora. The kidnapping occurred, the official said, after the Americans were invited into the home of their interpreter. The individuals were then taken to Sadr city, the official said, "after (the kidnapping) all communications and contact stopped in Sadr city." The official spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to brief the press. A local policeman in Dora said the individuals were taken from their car on Saturday along a highway in southwest Dora while driving to Baghdad International Airport. The two differing accounts of the events could not immediately be reconciled. The policeman spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to brief the press. The U.S. Embassy confirmed Sunday that "several" Americans have gone missing in Iraq, after local media reported that three Americans had been kidnapped in the Iraqi capital. U.S. Embassy spokesman Scott Bolz said, "We are working in full cooperation with Iraqi authorities to locate the missing Americans." Bolz did not identify the missing Americans or say what they were doing in Iraq. State Department spokesman John Kirby said that "due to privacy considerations" he had nothing further to add about the missing Americans. "The safety and security of Americans abroad is our highest priority," Kirby said. Col. Steve Warren, the Baghdad based spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State group, confirmed that the individuals were civilians. The comments by U.S. officials came after the Arab news channel, al-Arabiya, citing its own sources, reported that three Americans had been kidnapped by militias in Baghdad. There were no immediate claims of responsibility. Kidnappings in Iraq have been carried out by the Islamic State group, Shiite militias and criminal gangs often demanding ransom payments or seeking to resolve workplace disputes. Following the IS takeover of Iraq's second largest city Mosul and large swaths of territory in the country's north and west, Iraq has witnessed a deterioration in security as government forces were sent to front lines and Shiite militias were empowered to aid in the fight following the collapse of the Iraqi military. Last month a Qatari hunting party was kidnapped in Iraq's south by unidentified gunmen and their whereabouts are still unknown. In September 18 Turkish workers were kidnapped from their construction site in Baghdad's Sadr city by masked men in military uniforms. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi blamed organized crime for the kidnapping. The workers were released later that month. ___ Associated Press writer Murtada Faraj contributed to this report. ||||| A group of Americans who disappeared in Baghdad over the weekend were kidnapped from their interpreter's apartment, according to multiple Iraqi sources. A U.S. official tells Fox News all three Americans are male. The State Department and FBI are leading the investigation. A police major general described the apartment as a brothel, The Washington Post reports, adding that it was subject to frequent raids by Iran-backed Shiite militias. However, many people in the region refer to any building that accepts foreigners as a "brothel," and the Iraqi military reportedly denied that was the apartment's use. "We are in very direct contact with the Iraqi authorities... there is a very full effort going to find them as soon as possible," Secretary of State John Kerry told Fox News Monday. An Iraqi intelligence official told the Associated Press that the Americans were invited into the apartment in the neighborhood of Dora. After they were abducted, they were taken to Sadr City, at which point the official said, "all communications and contact stopped." A spokesman for Baghdad's Joint Operations Command told The Washington Post that the three citizens were Iraqis who had acquired U.S. citizenship. A Baghdad police official said they worked as contractors at Baghdad International Airport, but did not say which country employed them. There were no immediate claims of responsibility. Kidnappings in Iraq have been carried out by ISIS, Shiite militias and criminal gangs often demanding ransom payments or seeking to resolve workplace disputes. Following the ISIS takeover of Iraq's second largest city Mosul and large swaths of territory in the country's north and west, Iraq has witnessed a deterioration in security as government forces were sent to front lines and Shiite militias were empowered to aid in the fight following the collapse of the Iraqi military. Last month a Qatari hunting party was kidnapped in Iraq's south by unidentified gunmen and their whereabouts are still unknown. In September 18 Turkish workers were kidnapped from their construction site in Baghdad's Sadr city by masked men in military uniforms. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi blamed organized crime for the kidnapping. The workers were released later that month. The most recent incident comes after a week that has seen a deterioration of security in and around the Iraqi capital after months of relative calm. ISIS claimed a number of attacks in Baghdad and Diyala province last week that killed more than 50 people, including a high profile attack on a mall in the Iraqi capital. Fox News Channel's Conor Powell, Lucas Tomlinson and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Click for more from The Washington Post.

– Conflicting reports still abound about a group of Americans reported kidnapped in Baghdad over the weekend, as Iraqi security forces infiltrated the Dora neighborhood Monday, going house to house in search of clues, the AP reports. Even the number of Americans missing is still unclear: Local media has reported three—and the Washington Post notes that number has been confirmed by Baghdad Operations Command—while the US Embassy has simply confirmed "several" missing. The location they were taken from is also up in the air. Per the AP, a local cop reports the Americans were taken Saturday from their car on a highway to Baghdad's international airport, while an Iraqi government official says they were at their interpreter's home in southwest Dora when they were "taken" to Sadr city, after which "all communications and contact stopped." And the Post notes that the interpreter's apartment was known as a neighborhood "brothel," per a building resident and a local police official. The paper adds that sex dens, bars, and liquor stores in the area are often raided by Shiite militias for being "un-Islamic." "They went to an inappropriate place," an Iraqi lawmaker says. "Iraqi security forces are working very hard now to locate them." As are US officials, per Fox News. "There is a very full effort going to find them as soon as possible," Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday. Meanwhile, Iraqi security forces are remaining tight-lipped about the captives, whom the Post identifies as two men and a woman of Iraqi origin who worked as contractors at the airport, per various security and police sources. "The government is taking major steps to withhold information," a provincial security head tells the Post. "They don't want to jeopardize the investigation."

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi security forces fanned out across the Baghdad neighborhood Monday morning where three Americans were reportedly kidnapped over the weekend, closing streets and conducting house-to-house searches. An Iraqi government intelligence official told The Associated Press the Americans were kidnapped from their interpreter's home in the southern Baghdad neighborhood of Dora. The kidnapping occurred, the official said, after the Americans were invited into the home of their interpreter. The individuals were then taken to Sadr city, the official said, "after (the kidnapping) all communications and contact stopped in Sadr city." The official spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to brief the press. A local policeman in Dora said the individuals were taken from their car on Saturday along a highway in southwest Dora while driving to Baghdad International Airport. The two differing accounts of the events could not immediately be reconciled. The policeman spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to brief the press. The U.S. Embassy confirmed Sunday that "several" Americans have gone missing in Iraq, after local media reported that three Americans had been kidnapped in the Iraqi capital. U.S. Embassy spokesman Scott Bolz said, "We are working in full cooperation with Iraqi authorities to locate the missing Americans." Bolz did not identify the missing Americans or say what they were doing in Iraq. State Department spokesman John Kirby said that "due to privacy considerations" he had nothing further to add about the missing Americans. "The safety and security of Americans abroad is our highest priority," Kirby said. Col. Steve Warren, the Baghdad based spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State group, confirmed that the individuals were civilians. The comments by U.S. officials came after the Arab news channel, al-Arabiya, citing its own sources, reported that three Americans had been kidnapped by militias in Baghdad. There were no immediate claims of responsibility. Kidnappings in Iraq have been carried out by the Islamic State group, Shiite militias and criminal gangs often demanding ransom payments or seeking to resolve workplace disputes. Following the IS takeover of Iraq's second largest city Mosul and large swaths of territory in the country's north and west, Iraq has witnessed a deterioration in security as government forces were sent to front lines and Shiite militias were empowered to aid in the fight following the collapse of the Iraqi military. Last month a Qatari hunting party was kidnapped in Iraq's south by unidentified gunmen and their whereabouts are still unknown. In September 18 Turkish workers were kidnapped from their construction site in Baghdad's Sadr city by masked men in military uniforms. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi blamed organized crime for the kidnapping. The workers were released later that month. ___ Associated Press writer Murtada Faraj contributed to this report. ||||| A group of Americans who disappeared in Baghdad over the weekend were kidnapped from their interpreter's apartment, according to multiple Iraqi sources. A U.S. official tells Fox News all three Americans are male. The State Department and FBI are leading the investigation. A police major general described the apartment as a brothel, The Washington Post reports, adding that it was subject to frequent raids by Iran-backed Shiite militias. However, many people in the region refer to any building that accepts foreigners as a "brothel," and the Iraqi military reportedly denied that was the apartment's use. "We are in very direct contact with the Iraqi authorities... there is a very full effort going to find them as soon as possible," Secretary of State John Kerry told Fox News Monday. An Iraqi intelligence official told the Associated Press that the Americans were invited into the apartment in the neighborhood of Dora. After they were abducted, they were taken to Sadr City, at which point the official said, "all communications and contact stopped." A spokesman for Baghdad's Joint Operations Command told The Washington Post that the three citizens were Iraqis who had acquired U.S. citizenship. A Baghdad police official said they worked as contractors at Baghdad International Airport, but did not say which country employed them. There were no immediate claims of responsibility. Kidnappings in Iraq have been carried out by ISIS, Shiite militias and criminal gangs often demanding ransom payments or seeking to resolve workplace disputes. Following the ISIS takeover of Iraq's second largest city Mosul and large swaths of territory in the country's north and west, Iraq has witnessed a deterioration in security as government forces were sent to front lines and Shiite militias were empowered to aid in the fight following the collapse of the Iraqi military. Last month a Qatari hunting party was kidnapped in Iraq's south by unidentified gunmen and their whereabouts are still unknown. In September 18 Turkish workers were kidnapped from their construction site in Baghdad's Sadr city by masked men in military uniforms. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi blamed organized crime for the kidnapping. The workers were released later that month. The most recent incident comes after a week that has seen a deterioration of security in and around the Iraqi capital after months of relative calm. ISIS claimed a number of attacks in Baghdad and Diyala province last week that killed more than 50 people, including a high profile attack on a mall in the Iraqi capital. Fox News Channel's Conor Powell, Lucas Tomlinson and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Click for more from The Washington Post.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

If there’s no two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict soon, Israel risks becoming “an apartheid state,” Secretary of State John Kerry told a room of influential world leaders in a closed-door meeting Friday. Senior American officials have rarely, if ever, used the term “apartheid” in reference to Israel, and President Obama has previously rejected the idea that the word should apply to the Jewish state. Kerry's use of the loaded term is already rankling Jewish leaders in America—and it could attract unwanted attention in Israel, as well. It wasn't the only controversial comment on the Middle East that Kerry made during his remarks to the Trilateral Commission, a recording of which was obtained by The Daily Beast. Kerry also repeated his warning that a failure of Middle East peace talks could lead to a resumption of Palestinian violence against Israeli citizens. He suggested that a change in either the Israeli or Palestinian leadership could make achieving a peace deal more feasible. He lashed out against Israeli settlement-building. And Kerry said that both Israeli and Palestinian leaders share the blame for the current impasse in the talks. Kerry also said that at some point, he might unveil his own peace deal and tell both sides to “take it or leave it.” “A two-state solution will be clearly underscored as the only real alternative. Because a unitary state winds up either being an apartheid state with second-class citizens—or it ends up being a state that destroys the capacity of Israel to be a Jewish state,” Kerry told the group of senior officials and experts from the U.S., Western Europe, Russia, and Japan. “Once you put that frame in your mind, that reality, which is the bottom line, you understand how imperative it is to get to the two-state solution, which both leaders, even yesterday, said they remain deeply committed to.” According to the 1998 Rome Statute, the “crime of apartheid” is defined as “inhumane acts… committed in the context of an institutionalized regime of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over any other racial group or groups and committed with the intention of maintaining that regime.” The term is most often used in reference to the system of racial segregation and oppression that governed South Africa from 1948 until 1994. Former president Jimmy Carter came under fire in 2007 for titling his book on Middle East peace Palestine: Peace or Apartheid. Carter has said publicly that his views on Israeli treatment of the Palestinians are a main cause of his poor relationship with President Obama and his lack of current communication with the White House. But Carter explained after publishing the book that he was referring to apartheid-type policies in the West Bank, not Israel proper, and he was not accusing Israel of institutionalized racism. “Apartheid is a word that is an accurate description of what has been going on in the West Bank, and it’s based on the desire or avarice of a minority of Israelis for Palestinian land,” Carter said. Leading experts, including Richard Goldstone, a former justice of the South African Constitutional Court who led the United Nations fact-finding mission on the Gaza conflict of 2008 and 2009, have argued that comparisons between the Israeli treatment of the Palestinians and “apartheid” are offensive and wrong. “One particularly pernicious and enduring canard that is surfacing again is that Israel pursues ‘apartheid’ policies,” Goldstone wrote in The New York Times in 2011. “It is an unfair and inaccurate slander against Israel, calculated to retard rather than advance peace negotiations.” In a 2008 interview with Jeffrey Goldberg, then-Sen. Barack Obama shot down the notion that the word “apartheid” was acceptable in a discussion about Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians: “There’s no doubt that Israel and the Palestinians have tough issues to work out to get to the goal of two states living side by side in peace and security, but injecting a term like apartheid into the discussion doesn’t advance that goal,” Obama said. “It’s emotionally loaded, historically inaccurate, and it’s not what I believe.” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told The Daily Beast that Kerry was simply repeating his view, shared by others, that a two-state solution is the only way for Israel to remain a Jewish state in peace with the Palestinians. “Secretary Kerry, like Justice Minister Livni, and previous Israeli Prime Ministers Olmert and Barak, was reiterating why there's no such thing as a one-state solution if you believe, as he does, in the principle of a Jewish State. He was talking about the kind of future Israel wants and the kind of future both Israelis and Palestinians would want to envision,” she said. “The only way to have two nations and two peoples living side by side in peace and security is through a two-state solution. And without a two-state solution, the level of prosperity and security the Israeli and Palestinian people deserve isn't possible.” But leaders of pro-Israel organizations told The Daily Beast that Kerry’s reference to “apartheid” was appalling and inappropriately alarmist because of its racial connotations and historical context. “One particularly pernicious and enduring canard that is surfacing again is that Israel pursues ‘apartheid’ policies,” Goldstone wrote in The New York Times in 2011. “It is an unfair and inaccurate slander against Israel, calculated to retard rather than advance peace negotiations.” Yet Israel’s leaders have employed the term, as well. In 2010, for example, former Prime Minister and Defense Minister Ehud Barak used language very similar to Kerry’s. “As long as in this territory west of the Jordan River there is only one political entity called Israel it is going to be either non-Jewish, or non-democratic,” Barak said. “If this bloc of millions of ­Palestinians cannot vote, that will be an apartheid state.” “While we’ve heard Secretary Kerry express his understandable fears about alternative prospects for Israel to a two-state deal and we understand the stakes involved in reaching that deal, the use of the word ‘apartheid’ is not helpful at all. It takes the discussion to an entirely different dimension,” said David Harris, executive director of the American Jewish Committee, an organization that has been supportive of Kerry’s peace process initiative. “In trying to make his point, Kerry reaches into diplomatic vocabulary to raise the stakes, but in doing so he invokes notions that have no place in the discussion.” Get The Beast In Your Inbox! Daily Digest Start and finish your day with the top stories from The Daily Beast. Cheat Sheet A speedy, smart summary of all the news you need to know (and nothing you don't). By clicking “Subscribe,” you agree to have read the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Subscribe Thank You! You are now subscribed to the Daily Digest and Cheat Sheet. We will not share your email with anyone for any reason. Kerry has used dire warnings twice in the past to paint a picture of doom for Israel if the current peace process fails. Last November, Kerry warned of a third intifada of Palestinian violence and increased isolation of Israel if the peace process failed. In March, Democrats and Republican alike criticized Kerry for suggesting that if peace talks fail, it would bolster the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. “It’s in the Palestinian playbook to tie Israel to these extreme notions of time being on the Palestinian side, that demographics are on the Palestinian side, and that Israel has to confront notions of the Jewishness of the state,” Harris said. Kerry on Friday repeated his warning that a dissolution of the peace process might lead to more Palestinian violence. “People grow so frustrated with their lot in life that they begin to take other choices and go to dark places they’ve been before, which forces confrontation,” he said. The secretary of state also implied, but did not say outright, that if the governments of Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu or Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas left power, there could be a change in the prospects for peace. If “there is a change of government or a change of heart,” Kerry said, “something will happen.” Kerry criticized Israeli settlement construction as being unhelpful to the peace process and he also criticized Palestinian leaders for making statements that declined to recognize the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish state. “There is a fundamental confrontation and it is over settlements. Fourteen thousand new settlement units announced since we began negotiations. It’s very difficult for any leader to deal under that cloud,” Kerry said. He acknowledged that the formal negotiating process that he initiated and led since last summer may soon stop. But he maintained that his efforts to push for a final settlement will continue in one form or another. “The reports of the demise of the peace process have consistently been misunderstood and misreported. And even we are now getting to the moment of obvious confrontation and hiatus, but I would far from declare it dead,” Kerry said. “You would say this thing is going to hell in a handbasket, and who knows, it might at some point, but I don’t think it is right now, yet.” Kerry gave both Israeli and Palestinian leaders credit for sticking with the peace process for this long. But he added that both sides were to blame for the current impasse in the talks; neither leader was ready to make the tough decisions necessary for achieving peace. “There’s a period here where there needs to be some regrouping. I don’t think it’s unhealthy for both of them to have to stare over the abyss and understand where the real tensions are and what the real critical decisions are that have to be made,” he said. “Neither party is quite ready to make it at this point in time. That doesn’t mean they don’t have to make these decisions.” Kerry said that he was considering, at some point, publicly laying out a comprehensive U.S. plan for a final agreement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, in a last-ditch effort to forge a deal before the Obama administration leaves office in 2017. “We have enough time to do any number of things, including the potential at some point in time that we will just put something out there. ‘Here it is, folks. This is what it looks like. Take it or leave it,’” Kerry said. ||||| The Anti-Defamation League said on Monday it was "disappointed" by remarks made by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who cautioned that Israel risks becoming an apartheid state if a two-state solution isn’t agreed upon in the near future. "It is startling and deeply disappointing that a diplomat so knowledgeable and experienced about democratic Israel chose to use such an inaccurate and incendiary term," wrote ADL National Director Abe Foxman in a statement. According to Foxman, while the ADL appreciates Kerry's commitment to a peaceful solution in the Middle East, his comments "used the repugnant language of Israel's adversaries and accusers" and were "undiplomatic, unwise and unfair." "Such references," wrote Foxman, "are not seen as expressions of friendship and support." On Monday, the Daily Beast reported on Kerry's statements, which he made last Friday at a closed meeting in Washington before senior officials from the U.S., Europe, Russia and Japan. “A two-state solution," Kerry said, "will be clearly underscored as the only real alternative. Because a unitary state winds up either being an apartheid state with second class citizens—or it ends up being a state that destroys the capacity of Israel to be a Jewish state. “Once you put that frame in your mind, that reality, which is the bottom line, you understand how imperative it is to get to the two-state solution, which both leaders, even yesterday, said they remain deeply committed to.” It was the first time a U.S. official of Kerry's importance has used the contentious term "apartheid" in the context of Israel, even if only as a warning for the future.

– John Kerry tossed the A-word around Friday during a closed door meeting, saying that Israel could become "an apartheid state" if peace talks with Palestine failed to generate a two-state solution. The Daily Beast acquired a recording of Kerry's comments, which came during a Trilateral Commission meeting. Kerry told the assembled world leaders that he might eventually unveil a peace deal and tell the sides to "take it or leave it." A two-state solution, he said, is "the only real alternative. Because a unitary state winds up either being an apartheid state with second-class citizens—or it ends up being a state that destroys the capacity of Israel to be a Jewish state." US officials generally avoid the word "apartheid" in relation to Israel, and President Obama has previously called it inappropriate. The Anti-Defamation League has issued a statement calling Kerry's comments "startling and deeply disappointing," Haaretz reports. Meanwhile, Rand Paul is burnishing his pro-Israel credentials by introducing a bill banning US aid to Palestine until Palestine recognizes Israel's right to exist, Politico reports.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.If there’s no two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict soon, Israel risks becoming “an apartheid state,” Secretary of State John Kerry told a room of influential world leaders in a closed-door meeting Friday. Senior American officials have rarely, if ever, used the term “apartheid” in reference to Israel, and President Obama has previously rejected the idea that the word should apply to the Jewish state. Kerry's use of the loaded term is already rankling Jewish leaders in America—and it could attract unwanted attention in Israel, as well. It wasn't the only controversial comment on the Middle East that Kerry made during his remarks to the Trilateral Commission, a recording of which was obtained by The Daily Beast. Kerry also repeated his warning that a failure of Middle East peace talks could lead to a resumption of Palestinian violence against Israeli citizens. He suggested that a change in either the Israeli or Palestinian leadership could make achieving a peace deal more feasible. He lashed out against Israeli settlement-building. And Kerry said that both Israeli and Palestinian leaders share the blame for the current impasse in the talks. Kerry also said that at some point, he might unveil his own peace deal and tell both sides to “take it or leave it.” “A two-state solution will be clearly underscored as the only real alternative. Because a unitary state winds up either being an apartheid state with second-class citizens—or it ends up being a state that destroys the capacity of Israel to be a Jewish state,” Kerry told the group of senior officials and experts from the U.S., Western Europe, Russia, and Japan. “Once you put that frame in your mind, that reality, which is the bottom line, you understand how imperative it is to get to the two-state solution, which both leaders, even yesterday, said they remain deeply committed to.” According to the 1998 Rome Statute, the “crime of apartheid” is defined as “inhumane acts… committed in the context of an institutionalized regime of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over any other racial group or groups and committed with the intention of maintaining that regime.” The term is most often used in reference to the system of racial segregation and oppression that governed South Africa from 1948 until 1994. Former president Jimmy Carter came under fire in 2007 for titling his book on Middle East peace Palestine: Peace or Apartheid. Carter has said publicly that his views on Israeli treatment of the Palestinians are a main cause of his poor relationship with President Obama and his lack of current communication with the White House. But Carter explained after publishing the book that he was referring to apartheid-type policies in the West Bank, not Israel proper, and he was not accusing Israel of institutionalized racism. “Apartheid is a word that is an accurate description of what has been going on in the West Bank, and it’s based on the desire or avarice of a minority of Israelis for Palestinian land,” Carter said. Leading experts, including Richard Goldstone, a former justice of the South African Constitutional Court who led the United Nations fact-finding mission on the Gaza conflict of 2008 and 2009, have argued that comparisons between the Israeli treatment of the Palestinians and “apartheid” are offensive and wrong. “One particularly pernicious and enduring canard that is surfacing again is that Israel pursues ‘apartheid’ policies,” Goldstone wrote in The New York Times in 2011. “It is an unfair and inaccurate slander against Israel, calculated to retard rather than advance peace negotiations.” In a 2008 interview with Jeffrey Goldberg, then-Sen. Barack Obama shot down the notion that the word “apartheid” was acceptable in a discussion about Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians: “There’s no doubt that Israel and the Palestinians have tough issues to work out to get to the goal of two states living side by side in peace and security, but injecting a term like apartheid into the discussion doesn’t advance that goal,” Obama said. “It’s emotionally loaded, historically inaccurate, and it’s not what I believe.” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told The Daily Beast that Kerry was simply repeating his view, shared by others, that a two-state solution is the only way for Israel to remain a Jewish state in peace with the Palestinians. “Secretary Kerry, like Justice Minister Livni, and previous Israeli Prime Ministers Olmert and Barak, was reiterating why there's no such thing as a one-state solution if you believe, as he does, in the principle of a Jewish State. He was talking about the kind of future Israel wants and the kind of future both Israelis and Palestinians would want to envision,” she said. “The only way to have two nations and two peoples living side by side in peace and security is through a two-state solution. And without a two-state solution, the level of prosperity and security the Israeli and Palestinian people deserve isn't possible.” But leaders of pro-Israel organizations told The Daily Beast that Kerry’s reference to “apartheid” was appalling and inappropriately alarmist because of its racial connotations and historical context. “One particularly pernicious and enduring canard that is surfacing again is that Israel pursues ‘apartheid’ policies,” Goldstone wrote in The New York Times in 2011. “It is an unfair and inaccurate slander against Israel, calculated to retard rather than advance peace negotiations.” Yet Israel’s leaders have employed the term, as well. In 2010, for example, former Prime Minister and Defense Minister Ehud Barak used language very similar to Kerry’s. “As long as in this territory west of the Jordan River there is only one political entity called Israel it is going to be either non-Jewish, or non-democratic,” Barak said. “If this bloc of millions of ­Palestinians cannot vote, that will be an apartheid state.” “While we’ve heard Secretary Kerry express his understandable fears about alternative prospects for Israel to a two-state deal and we understand the stakes involved in reaching that deal, the use of the word ‘apartheid’ is not helpful at all. It takes the discussion to an entirely different dimension,” said David Harris, executive director of the American Jewish Committee, an organization that has been supportive of Kerry’s peace process initiative. “In trying to make his point, Kerry reaches into diplomatic vocabulary to raise the stakes, but in doing so he invokes notions that have no place in the discussion.” Get The Beast In Your Inbox! Daily Digest Start and finish your day with the top stories from The Daily Beast. Cheat Sheet A speedy, smart summary of all the news you need to know (and nothing you don't). By clicking “Subscribe,” you agree to have read the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Subscribe Thank You! You are now subscribed to the Daily Digest and Cheat Sheet. We will not share your email with anyone for any reason. Kerry has used dire warnings twice in the past to paint a picture of doom for Israel if the current peace process fails. Last November, Kerry warned of a third intifada of Palestinian violence and increased isolation of Israel if the peace process failed. In March, Democrats and Republican alike criticized Kerry for suggesting that if peace talks fail, it would bolster the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. “It’s in the Palestinian playbook to tie Israel to these extreme notions of time being on the Palestinian side, that demographics are on the Palestinian side, and that Israel has to confront notions of the Jewishness of the state,” Harris said. Kerry on Friday repeated his warning that a dissolution of the peace process might lead to more Palestinian violence. “People grow so frustrated with their lot in life that they begin to take other choices and go to dark places they’ve been before, which forces confrontation,” he said. The secretary of state also implied, but did not say outright, that if the governments of Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu or Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas left power, there could be a change in the prospects for peace. If “there is a change of government or a change of heart,” Kerry said, “something will happen.” Kerry criticized Israeli settlement construction as being unhelpful to the peace process and he also criticized Palestinian leaders for making statements that declined to recognize the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish state. “There is a fundamental confrontation and it is over settlements. Fourteen thousand new settlement units announced since we began negotiations. It’s very difficult for any leader to deal under that cloud,” Kerry said. He acknowledged that the formal negotiating process that he initiated and led since last summer may soon stop. But he maintained that his efforts to push for a final settlement will continue in one form or another. “The reports of the demise of the peace process have consistently been misunderstood and misreported. And even we are now getting to the moment of obvious confrontation and hiatus, but I would far from declare it dead,” Kerry said. “You would say this thing is going to hell in a handbasket, and who knows, it might at some point, but I don’t think it is right now, yet.” Kerry gave both Israeli and Palestinian leaders credit for sticking with the peace process for this long. But he added that both sides were to blame for the current impasse in the talks; neither leader was ready to make the tough decisions necessary for achieving peace. “There’s a period here where there needs to be some regrouping. I don’t think it’s unhealthy for both of them to have to stare over the abyss and understand where the real tensions are and what the real critical decisions are that have to be made,” he said. “Neither party is quite ready to make it at this point in time. That doesn’t mean they don’t have to make these decisions.” Kerry said that he was considering, at some point, publicly laying out a comprehensive U.S. plan for a final agreement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, in a last-ditch effort to forge a deal before the Obama administration leaves office in 2017. “We have enough time to do any number of things, including the potential at some point in time that we will just put something out there. ‘Here it is, folks. This is what it looks like. Take it or leave it,’” Kerry said. ||||| The Anti-Defamation League said on Monday it was "disappointed" by remarks made by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who cautioned that Israel risks becoming an apartheid state if a two-state solution isn’t agreed upon in the near future. "It is startling and deeply disappointing that a diplomat so knowledgeable and experienced about democratic Israel chose to use such an inaccurate and incendiary term," wrote ADL National Director Abe Foxman in a statement. According to Foxman, while the ADL appreciates Kerry's commitment to a peaceful solution in the Middle East, his comments "used the repugnant language of Israel's adversaries and accusers" and were "undiplomatic, unwise and unfair." "Such references," wrote Foxman, "are not seen as expressions of friendship and support." On Monday, the Daily Beast reported on Kerry's statements, which he made last Friday at a closed meeting in Washington before senior officials from the U.S., Europe, Russia and Japan. “A two-state solution," Kerry said, "will be clearly underscored as the only real alternative. Because a unitary state winds up either being an apartheid state with second class citizens—or it ends up being a state that destroys the capacity of Israel to be a Jewish state. “Once you put that frame in your mind, that reality, which is the bottom line, you understand how imperative it is to get to the two-state solution, which both leaders, even yesterday, said they remain deeply committed to.” It was the first time a U.S. official of Kerry's importance has used the contentious term "apartheid" in the context of Israel, even if only as a warning for the future.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

How do you hide billions of dollars from the world when you’re one of the most famous people on Earth? According to a massive new leak that’s being called the largest of its kind in history, it’s not so hard these days. On Sunday, the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung released what it’s calling the Panama Papers, amounting to 2.6 terabytes of data, 11.5 million files The reveal concerns Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonesca, the world’s fourth biggest offshore law firm, which specializes in managing money in offshore jurisdictions like the British Virgin Islands. The leak, given to Süddeutsche Zeitung by an anonymous whistleblower, was handled collaboratively by 400 journalists from more than 100 media organizations, over 80 countries. From Süddeutsche Zeitung: Among others, Mossack Fonsecas’ clients include criminals and members of various Mafia groups. The documents also expose bribery scandals and corrupt heads of state and government. The alleged offshore companies of twelve current and former heads of state make up one of the most spectacular parts of the leak, as do the links to other leaders, and to their families, closest advisors, and friends. The Panamanian law firm also counts almost 200 other politicians from around the globe among its clients, including a number of ministers. The Guardian notes that some of the biggest players connected to these offshore accounts include Pakistan’s prime minister Nawaz Sharif,Ayad Allawi, ex-interim prime minister and former vice-president of Iraq; Ukranian president Petro Poroshenko; Alaa Mubarak, son of Egypt’s former president; and Iceland’s Prime Minister Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson. Most notably, Russian president Vladimir Putin has been connected to accounts totaling $2 billion, taken out in the name of his closest friend and associate, musician Sergei Roldugin. His trail of money from the accounts was even used on loan to a private ski resort where his younger daughter, Katerina, was married in 2013. Biggest leak in the history of data journalism just went live, and it's about corruption. https://t.co/dYNjD6eIeZ pic.twitter.com/638aIu8oSU — Edward Snowden (@Snowden) April 3, 2016 [Image via Getty] ||||| A massive leak of documents shines new light on the fabulous fortunes of the Russian president’s inner circle A network of secret offshore deals and vast loans worth $2bn has laid a trail to Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin. An unprecedented leak of documents shows how this money has made members of Putin’s close circle fabulously wealthy. Though the president’s name does not appear in any of the records, the data reveals a pattern – his friends have earned millions from deals that seemingly could not have been secured without his patronage. The documents suggest Putin’s family has benefited from this money – his friends’ fortunes appear his to spend. The files are part of an unprecedented leak of millions of papers from the database of Mossack Fonseca, the world’s fourth biggest offshore law firm. They show how the rich and powerful are able to exploit secret offshore tax regimes in myriad ways. The offshore trail starts in Panama, darts through Russia, Switzerland and Cyprus – and includes a private ski resort where Putin’s younger daughter, Katerina, got married in 2013. The Panama Papers shine a particular spotlight on Sergei Roldugin, who is Putin’s best friend. Roldugin introduced Putin to the woman he subsequently married, Lyudmila, and is godfather to Putin’s older daughter, Maria. A professional musician, he has apparently accumulated a fortune – having been placed in ostensible control of a series of assets worth at least $100m, possibly more. Roldugin appears to have been picked for this role because of his lesser profile. He has denied in documents to bank officials in Switzerland and Luxembourg that he is close to any Russian public figures. He has also said he is not a businessman. Yet the files reveal Putin’s longstanding intimate has a 12.5% stake in Russia’s biggest TV advertising agency, Video International, which has annual revenues of more than £800m. Previously, its ownership was a closely guarded secret. Roldugin was also secretly given an option to buy a minority stake in the Russian truck manufacturer Kamaz, which makes army vehicles, and has 15% of a Cyprus-registered company called Raytar. He also owns 3.2% of Bank Rossiya. The St Petersburg private bank has been described as Putin’s “crony bank�?. The US imposed sanctions on it after Russia’s 2014 invasion of Ukraine. These assets are only part of a series of linked financial schemes revealed in the documents that revolve round Bank Rossiya. The bank is headed by Yuri Kovalchuk. The US alleges he is the “personal banker�? for many senior Russian government officials including Putin. The Panama Papers disclose that Kovalchuk and Bank Rossiya achieved the transfer of at least $1bn to a specially created offshore entity called Sandalwood Continental. These funds came from a series of enormous unsecured loans from the state-controlled Russian Commercial Bank (RCB) located in Cyprus and other state banks. There is no explanation in the files of why the banks agreed to extend such unorthodox credit lines. Some of the cash obtained from RCB was also lent back onshore in Russia at extremely high interest rates, with the resulting profits siphoned off to secret Swiss accounts. A $6m yacht was purchased by Sandalwood and shipped to a port near St Petersburg. Cash was also handed over directly to the Putin circle, this time in the form of very cheap loans, made with no security and with interest rates as low as 1%. It is not clear whether any loans have been repaid. In 2010 and 2011, Sandalwood made three loans worth $11.3m to an offshore company called Ozon, which owns the upmarket Igora ski resort in the Leningrad region. Ozon belongs to Kovalchuk and a Cypriot company. Putin is the resort’s star patron and a reputed resident. Eighteen months after the loans, the president used Igora as the venue for the wedding of Katerina. Her groom was Kirill Shamalov, the son of another of Putin’s old St Petersburg friends. News of the ceremony, from which cameras were banished, only emerged in 2015. The records were obtained from an anonymous source by the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung and shared by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists with the Guardian and the BBC. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Sergei Roldugin, Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev, then Russian president, tour the House of Music in St Petersburg in 2009. Photograph: Dmitry Astakhov/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool/EPA They reveal a number of other manoeuvres by the Putin circle to move cash offshore. There is nothing inherently illegal in using offshore companies. The transactions, however, include apparently fake share deals, with shares “traded�? retrospectively; multimillion-dollar charges for vague “consultancy�? services; and repeated payments of large sums in “compensation�? for allegedly cancelled share deals. In 2011 a Roldugin company buys the rights to a $200m loan for $1. “This is not business, this is creating the appearance of business in order to continually move and hide assets,�? Andrew Mitchell QC, a leading authority on money-laundering, told BBC Panorama. Such layers of secrecy surrounded the offshore deals that Bank Rossiya staff in St Petersburg sent all their instructions to a confidential intermediary – a firm of Swiss lawyers in Zurich. The Swiss lawyers in turn arranged for Mossack Fonseca to set up shell companies, typically registering them in the secretive British Virgin Islands, with sham nominee directors from Panama to sign approvals for the deals. Even Mossack’s confidential records of true owners have frequently turned out to be further fronts. Speculation over the size of Putin’s personal fortune has gone on for almost a decade, following reports in 2007 that he was worth at least $40bn, based on leaks from inside his own presidential administration. In 2010, US diplomatic cables suggested Putin held his wealth via proxies. The president formally owned nothing, they added, but was able to draw on the wealth of his friends, who now control practically all of Russia’s oil and gas production and industrial resources. Guys, to be honest I am not ready to give comments now Sergei Roldugin In 2014, after Russia seized Crimea, the White House imposed sanctions on leading members of Putin’s circle, including Kovalchuk, citing their close ties to “a senior official of the Russian Federation�? – a euphemism for Putin himself. The Panama Papers reveal that the Putin group appeared to have become nervous for unclear reasons after October 2012. Sandalwood was closed down and its operations switched to another offshore entity registered in the BVI, called Ove Financial Corp. One of the companies linked to Ove Financial Corp belonged to Mikhail Lesin, Putin’s media tsar and former press minister. Lesin founded the Kremlin’s propaganda TV channel Russia Today but later fell out of favour. He was mysteriously found dead last November in a Washington hotel room with blunt force injuries to the head. Asked about the offshore companies linked to him last week, Rodulgin said: “Guys, to be honest I am not ready to give comments now … These are delicate issues. I was connected to this business a long time ago. Before ‘perestroika’. It happened … And then it started growing and such things happened. The House of Music [in St Petersburg] is subsidised from this money.�? Roldugin declined to answer further written questions. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Roldugin presents a diploma to Sir Paul McCartney, in front of St Petersburg’s then governor, Valentina Matviyenko, in 2003. Photograph: PhotoXPress The Putin circle’s use of offshore companies contrasts with the president’s call for “deoffshoreisation�?, urging Russians to bring cash hidden abroad home. Others who make use of offshore companies include oil trader Gennady Timchenko, Putin’s friend of 30 years. The US imposed sanctions on him in 2014. Others in the data are Arkady and Boris Rotenberg, Putin’s childhood friends and former judo partners. They are now billionaire construction tycoons. The Arsenal FC shareholder Alisher Usmanov also appears. He has at least six companies registered in the Isle of Man. There is no suggestion this is illegal. Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s official spokesman, declined to comment on specific allegations against the president. Speaking last week, Peskov said western spy agencies were behind an all-out “information attack�? against him to destabilise Russia before elections. Peskov dismissed the investigation by the Guardian and others as an “undisguised, paid-for hack job�?. He said Russia had “legal means�? to defend Putin’s dignity and honour. RCB Cyprus said it could not disclose information about its clients. It said that in October 2013 it had “refined its strategy�?. It had opened a branch in Luxembourg, received a new investor, and was now under direct European Central Bank supervision. Given this, it was “utterly unfounded�? to suggest the bank was a “pocket�? for top Russian officials. The bank said it had voluntarily submitted the allegations to Cyprus’s money-laundering authority. The auditor PwC Cyprus said it had audited RCB’s accounts but that it did not provide services to Sandalwood. Lawyers for Kovalchuk said information about Bank Rossiya was publicly available. “We do not understand why you address these questions to Mr Kovalchuk.�? US political scientist Karen Dawisha said it was inconceivable that Putin’s friends had become rich without his patronage. “He takes what he wants. When you are president of Russia, you don’t need a written contract. You are the law.�? Panama Papers reporting team: Juliette Garside, Luke Harding, Holly Watt, David Pegg, Helena Bengtsson, Simon Bowers, Owen Gibson and Nick Hopkins

– A massive document leak apparently shows how friends of Vladimir Putin hid about $2 billion in secret, offshore accounts—money that likely ended up benefiting Putin's family, the Guardian reports. The documents from Mossack Fonseca, an offshore law firm in Panama, show wealthy Russians moving money through Russia, Switzerland, and Cyprus in ways that generated vague "consultancy" charges and other payments worth millions of dollars. "This is not business, this is creating the appearance of business in order to continually move and hide assets," says a money-laundering expert. The deals also involve Putin's best friend, cellist Sergei Roldugin—who seems to control at least $100 million in assets—and the Igora ski resort, where Putin is said to reside. The scheme revolves around a bank that's closely linked to Putin and his allies. The bank, Bank Rossiya, apparently received huge, unsecured loans from Russian state-owned banks and funneled billions into offshore transactions. About $1 billion went through a shell company created by Mossack Fonseca; among other things, the company bought a $6 million yacht and loaned $11.3 million to the owner of the Igora resort. But none of the alleged players have admitted to anything. "Guys, to be honest I am not ready to give comments now," says Roldugin, who mysteriously owns 3.2% of Bank Rossiya. "These are delicate issues." The so-called "Panama Papers" also link other world leaders to Mossack Fonseca shell companies, including Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, and Icelandic PM Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, Gawker reports.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.How do you hide billions of dollars from the world when you’re one of the most famous people on Earth? According to a massive new leak that’s being called the largest of its kind in history, it’s not so hard these days. On Sunday, the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung released what it’s calling the Panama Papers, amounting to 2.6 terabytes of data, 11.5 million files The reveal concerns Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonesca, the world’s fourth biggest offshore law firm, which specializes in managing money in offshore jurisdictions like the British Virgin Islands. The leak, given to Süddeutsche Zeitung by an anonymous whistleblower, was handled collaboratively by 400 journalists from more than 100 media organizations, over 80 countries. From Süddeutsche Zeitung: Among others, Mossack Fonsecas’ clients include criminals and members of various Mafia groups. The documents also expose bribery scandals and corrupt heads of state and government. The alleged offshore companies of twelve current and former heads of state make up one of the most spectacular parts of the leak, as do the links to other leaders, and to their families, closest advisors, and friends. The Panamanian law firm also counts almost 200 other politicians from around the globe among its clients, including a number of ministers. The Guardian notes that some of the biggest players connected to these offshore accounts include Pakistan’s prime minister Nawaz Sharif,Ayad Allawi, ex-interim prime minister and former vice-president of Iraq; Ukranian president Petro Poroshenko; Alaa Mubarak, son of Egypt’s former president; and Iceland’s Prime Minister Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson. Most notably, Russian president Vladimir Putin has been connected to accounts totaling $2 billion, taken out in the name of his closest friend and associate, musician Sergei Roldugin. His trail of money from the accounts was even used on loan to a private ski resort where his younger daughter, Katerina, was married in 2013. Biggest leak in the history of data journalism just went live, and it's about corruption. https://t.co/dYNjD6eIeZ pic.twitter.com/638aIu8oSU — Edward Snowden (@Snowden) April 3, 2016 [Image via Getty] ||||| A massive leak of documents shines new light on the fabulous fortunes of the Russian president’s inner circle A network of secret offshore deals and vast loans worth $2bn has laid a trail to Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin. An unprecedented leak of documents shows how this money has made members of Putin’s close circle fabulously wealthy. Though the president’s name does not appear in any of the records, the data reveals a pattern – his friends have earned millions from deals that seemingly could not have been secured without his patronage. The documents suggest Putin’s family has benefited from this money – his friends’ fortunes appear his to spend. The files are part of an unprecedented leak of millions of papers from the database of Mossack Fonseca, the world’s fourth biggest offshore law firm. They show how the rich and powerful are able to exploit secret offshore tax regimes in myriad ways. The offshore trail starts in Panama, darts through Russia, Switzerland and Cyprus – and includes a private ski resort where Putin’s younger daughter, Katerina, got married in 2013. The Panama Papers shine a particular spotlight on Sergei Roldugin, who is Putin’s best friend. Roldugin introduced Putin to the woman he subsequently married, Lyudmila, and is godfather to Putin’s older daughter, Maria. A professional musician, he has apparently accumulated a fortune – having been placed in ostensible control of a series of assets worth at least $100m, possibly more. Roldugin appears to have been picked for this role because of his lesser profile. He has denied in documents to bank officials in Switzerland and Luxembourg that he is close to any Russian public figures. He has also said he is not a businessman. Yet the files reveal Putin’s longstanding intimate has a 12.5% stake in Russia’s biggest TV advertising agency, Video International, which has annual revenues of more than £800m. Previously, its ownership was a closely guarded secret. Roldugin was also secretly given an option to buy a minority stake in the Russian truck manufacturer Kamaz, which makes army vehicles, and has 15% of a Cyprus-registered company called Raytar. He also owns 3.2% of Bank Rossiya. The St Petersburg private bank has been described as Putin’s “crony bank�?. The US imposed sanctions on it after Russia’s 2014 invasion of Ukraine. These assets are only part of a series of linked financial schemes revealed in the documents that revolve round Bank Rossiya. The bank is headed by Yuri Kovalchuk. The US alleges he is the “personal banker�? for many senior Russian government officials including Putin. The Panama Papers disclose that Kovalchuk and Bank Rossiya achieved the transfer of at least $1bn to a specially created offshore entity called Sandalwood Continental. These funds came from a series of enormous unsecured loans from the state-controlled Russian Commercial Bank (RCB) located in Cyprus and other state banks. There is no explanation in the files of why the banks agreed to extend such unorthodox credit lines. Some of the cash obtained from RCB was also lent back onshore in Russia at extremely high interest rates, with the resulting profits siphoned off to secret Swiss accounts. A $6m yacht was purchased by Sandalwood and shipped to a port near St Petersburg. Cash was also handed over directly to the Putin circle, this time in the form of very cheap loans, made with no security and with interest rates as low as 1%. It is not clear whether any loans have been repaid. In 2010 and 2011, Sandalwood made three loans worth $11.3m to an offshore company called Ozon, which owns the upmarket Igora ski resort in the Leningrad region. Ozon belongs to Kovalchuk and a Cypriot company. Putin is the resort’s star patron and a reputed resident. Eighteen months after the loans, the president used Igora as the venue for the wedding of Katerina. Her groom was Kirill Shamalov, the son of another of Putin’s old St Petersburg friends. News of the ceremony, from which cameras were banished, only emerged in 2015. The records were obtained from an anonymous source by the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung and shared by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists with the Guardian and the BBC. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Sergei Roldugin, Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev, then Russian president, tour the House of Music in St Petersburg in 2009. Photograph: Dmitry Astakhov/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool/EPA They reveal a number of other manoeuvres by the Putin circle to move cash offshore. There is nothing inherently illegal in using offshore companies. The transactions, however, include apparently fake share deals, with shares “traded�? retrospectively; multimillion-dollar charges for vague “consultancy�? services; and repeated payments of large sums in “compensation�? for allegedly cancelled share deals. In 2011 a Roldugin company buys the rights to a $200m loan for $1. “This is not business, this is creating the appearance of business in order to continually move and hide assets,�? Andrew Mitchell QC, a leading authority on money-laundering, told BBC Panorama. Such layers of secrecy surrounded the offshore deals that Bank Rossiya staff in St Petersburg sent all their instructions to a confidential intermediary – a firm of Swiss lawyers in Zurich. The Swiss lawyers in turn arranged for Mossack Fonseca to set up shell companies, typically registering them in the secretive British Virgin Islands, with sham nominee directors from Panama to sign approvals for the deals. Even Mossack’s confidential records of true owners have frequently turned out to be further fronts. Speculation over the size of Putin’s personal fortune has gone on for almost a decade, following reports in 2007 that he was worth at least $40bn, based on leaks from inside his own presidential administration. In 2010, US diplomatic cables suggested Putin held his wealth via proxies. The president formally owned nothing, they added, but was able to draw on the wealth of his friends, who now control practically all of Russia’s oil and gas production and industrial resources. Guys, to be honest I am not ready to give comments now Sergei Roldugin In 2014, after Russia seized Crimea, the White House imposed sanctions on leading members of Putin’s circle, including Kovalchuk, citing their close ties to “a senior official of the Russian Federation�? – a euphemism for Putin himself. The Panama Papers reveal that the Putin group appeared to have become nervous for unclear reasons after October 2012. Sandalwood was closed down and its operations switched to another offshore entity registered in the BVI, called Ove Financial Corp. One of the companies linked to Ove Financial Corp belonged to Mikhail Lesin, Putin’s media tsar and former press minister. Lesin founded the Kremlin’s propaganda TV channel Russia Today but later fell out of favour. He was mysteriously found dead last November in a Washington hotel room with blunt force injuries to the head. Asked about the offshore companies linked to him last week, Rodulgin said: “Guys, to be honest I am not ready to give comments now … These are delicate issues. I was connected to this business a long time ago. Before ‘perestroika’. It happened … And then it started growing and such things happened. The House of Music [in St Petersburg] is subsidised from this money.�? Roldugin declined to answer further written questions. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Roldugin presents a diploma to Sir Paul McCartney, in front of St Petersburg’s then governor, Valentina Matviyenko, in 2003. Photograph: PhotoXPress The Putin circle’s use of offshore companies contrasts with the president’s call for “deoffshoreisation�?, urging Russians to bring cash hidden abroad home. Others who make use of offshore companies include oil trader Gennady Timchenko, Putin’s friend of 30 years. The US imposed sanctions on him in 2014. Others in the data are Arkady and Boris Rotenberg, Putin’s childhood friends and former judo partners. They are now billionaire construction tycoons. The Arsenal FC shareholder Alisher Usmanov also appears. He has at least six companies registered in the Isle of Man. There is no suggestion this is illegal. Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s official spokesman, declined to comment on specific allegations against the president. Speaking last week, Peskov said western spy agencies were behind an all-out “information attack�? against him to destabilise Russia before elections. Peskov dismissed the investigation by the Guardian and others as an “undisguised, paid-for hack job�?. He said Russia had “legal means�? to defend Putin’s dignity and honour. RCB Cyprus said it could not disclose information about its clients. It said that in October 2013 it had “refined its strategy�?. It had opened a branch in Luxembourg, received a new investor, and was now under direct European Central Bank supervision. Given this, it was “utterly unfounded�? to suggest the bank was a “pocket�? for top Russian officials. The bank said it had voluntarily submitted the allegations to Cyprus’s money-laundering authority. The auditor PwC Cyprus said it had audited RCB’s accounts but that it did not provide services to Sandalwood. Lawyers for Kovalchuk said information about Bank Rossiya was publicly available. “We do not understand why you address these questions to Mr Kovalchuk.�? US political scientist Karen Dawisha said it was inconceivable that Putin’s friends had become rich without his patronage. “He takes what he wants. When you are president of Russia, you don’t need a written contract. You are the law.�? Panama Papers reporting team: Juliette Garside, Luke Harding, Holly Watt, David Pegg, Helena Bengtsson, Simon Bowers, Owen Gibson and Nick Hopkins

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The man suspected of placing a failed explosive device inside a Jefferson County mall last week will make his first appearance in federal court tomorrow afternoon. Earl Albert Moore, 65, was arrested this morning in Boulder after someone spotted him drinking coffee at Starbucks inside a King Soopers, sources said. Moore was arrested shortly before 7:30 a.m. at the King Soopers at Table Mesa Drive and Broadway, Boulder police spokesperson Kim Kobel said. A woman in the store noticed Moore drinking coffee around 6:30 a.m. and told a manager, who called 911, Kobel said. The woman recognized Moore from news reports. When Moore realized police were coming into the store in pursuit of him, he tried to Earl Albert Moore has been identified as a suspect in the attempted bombing at Southwest Plaza Mall on April 20, 2011. (FBI - Denver) leave but was apprehended in the parking lot. Moore was unarmed and complied with the officer's orders to get on the ground. After he was frisked and handcuffed, Moore gave officers a fake name, Kobel said. Moore remained in a patrol car until he was turned over to the FBI. Authorities released few details during a briefing for the media in Jefferson County this afternoon, but said Moore would remain in federal custody at least through tomorrow's court appearance. Details of the charges against him remain sealed. Last Wednesday's incident at Southwest Plaza occurred one week after Moore was released from federal prison for a 2005 bank robbery in West Virginia. His criminal record also includes multiple larceny convictions, a drug offense and reckless driving. Court records show he also had financial problems leading up to the 2005 bank robbery. Moore lived in Colorado for several years prior to the bank robbery, according to public records, though police searched his prior residences and did not locate him there. It is unclear what connection, if any, he has to Boulder or how long he had been there. King Soopers spokeswoman Kelli McGannon said King Soopers has security cameras that were able to identify all the areas in the store that Moore had visited before having coffee. Security staff have made sure the building is safe, and no suspicious devices have been found. Moore is expected to face federal charges. Sara Burnett: 303-954-1661 or [email protected] The Daily Camera of Boulder contributed to this report. ||||| A man suspected of leaving a pipe bomb and two propane tanks at a Denver-area shopping mall has been arrested 30 miles northwest in Boulder, authorities said Tuesday. FILE - This undated photo released by the Denver FBI shows Earl Albert Moore, 65, who was captured Tuesday, April 26, 2011 at a grocery store after being suspected of leaving a pipe bomb and two propane... (Associated Press) Earl Albert Moore, 65, was captured Tuesday at a grocery store, said Boulder Police spokeswoman Kim Kobel. He was taken into custody by the FBI but it wasn't immediately clear where he was being held. Authorities have been searching for Moore since the explosives were discovered April 20 at the Southwest Plaza Mall in the south Denver suburbs. The bomb and tanks were found after a fire, but they didn't detonate. No injuries were reported. The fire occurred on the 12th anniversary of the shootings at Columbine High School, which is about two miles from the mall. Authorities also noted that the times of the mall fire and the Columbine shootings were similar, as was the use of a pipe bomb and propane tanks, which were used during the attack at the school in 1999 that killed 12 students and a teacher. But on Monday, the FBI said the fire was likely not related to Columbine. Investigators said they found a motive but have not released additional information. Authorities scheduled a news conference for Tuesday afternoon. The bomb and tanks were found in a hallway of the mall's food court after firefighters responded to a fire. The explosives prompted an evacuation of the mall. No one was injured. The FBI on Sunday alerted field offices covering all 50 states and Puerto Rico to be on the lookout for Moore. Surveillance video showed images of him in the mall and on a bus. Federal Bureau of Prisons records show that Moore was released from prison April 13 after serving time in a federal prison in Atlanta and Estill, S.C. Federal court record show that Moore pleaded guilty in May 2005 to robbing a bank in Crab Orchard, W.Va., of $2,546. A judge sentenced Moore to 18 years in prison for the bank robbery, but a federal appeals court in 2006 ruled his stiff sentence was "unreasonable" and Moore's sentence was reduced to seven years. Federal Bureau of Prisons spokesman Edmond Ross said Moore received a "good conduct" release from prison after serving six years of his sentence. Moore has an extensive criminal record. Colorado Bureau of Investigation records show several arrests for possession of dangerous drugs, theft, and possession of burglary tools dating to 1984. Court records show that an arrest warrant had been issued for Moore in September 2004, six months before the West Virginia bank robbery, for his failure to appear at a court hearing related to a burglary case. Moore also served a year in Danbury, Conn., federal prison in 1983, according to Ross. In 1985, Moore pleaded guilty to unlawful escape from custody of the attorney general and possession of an unregistered firearm. Details of that case, including where he served his prison sentence, were not immediately available from the Federal Records Center in suburban Denver. Moore has used at least seven aliases that include variations of the names Earl Albert Buchannan, Donald Charles Morelli and Gary Steele, according to state arrest records. In addition, the FBI said Moore also uses the alias John Lindzy. Moore lived in Colorado at least part time from the mid-1980s to 2004, according to public records.

– Boulder police tracked down and arrested bombing suspect Earl Albert Moore this morning at a suburban grocery store—where he was spotted drinking coffee at the in-store Starbucks—concluding a nationwide manhunt, the Denver Post and the AP report. Authorities believe Moore planted a pipe bomb and two propane tanks at a Denver-area mall last Wednesday, just a week after finishing a stint in prison for a 2005 bank robbery. He has been handed over to the FBI. The bomb and tanks failed to detonate; they were found following a fire at the mall on the anniversary of the infamous shooting at Columbine High School, which is just two miles from the mall. However today the FBI said the fire and the Columbine anniversary were likely unrelated. They have not yet identified a motive.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.The man suspected of placing a failed explosive device inside a Jefferson County mall last week will make his first appearance in federal court tomorrow afternoon. Earl Albert Moore, 65, was arrested this morning in Boulder after someone spotted him drinking coffee at Starbucks inside a King Soopers, sources said. Moore was arrested shortly before 7:30 a.m. at the King Soopers at Table Mesa Drive and Broadway, Boulder police spokesperson Kim Kobel said. A woman in the store noticed Moore drinking coffee around 6:30 a.m. and told a manager, who called 911, Kobel said. The woman recognized Moore from news reports. When Moore realized police were coming into the store in pursuit of him, he tried to Earl Albert Moore has been identified as a suspect in the attempted bombing at Southwest Plaza Mall on April 20, 2011. (FBI - Denver) leave but was apprehended in the parking lot. Moore was unarmed and complied with the officer's orders to get on the ground. After he was frisked and handcuffed, Moore gave officers a fake name, Kobel said. Moore remained in a patrol car until he was turned over to the FBI. Authorities released few details during a briefing for the media in Jefferson County this afternoon, but said Moore would remain in federal custody at least through tomorrow's court appearance. Details of the charges against him remain sealed. Last Wednesday's incident at Southwest Plaza occurred one week after Moore was released from federal prison for a 2005 bank robbery in West Virginia. His criminal record also includes multiple larceny convictions, a drug offense and reckless driving. Court records show he also had financial problems leading up to the 2005 bank robbery. Moore lived in Colorado for several years prior to the bank robbery, according to public records, though police searched his prior residences and did not locate him there. It is unclear what connection, if any, he has to Boulder or how long he had been there. King Soopers spokeswoman Kelli McGannon said King Soopers has security cameras that were able to identify all the areas in the store that Moore had visited before having coffee. Security staff have made sure the building is safe, and no suspicious devices have been found. Moore is expected to face federal charges. Sara Burnett: 303-954-1661 or [email protected] The Daily Camera of Boulder contributed to this report. ||||| A man suspected of leaving a pipe bomb and two propane tanks at a Denver-area shopping mall has been arrested 30 miles northwest in Boulder, authorities said Tuesday. FILE - This undated photo released by the Denver FBI shows Earl Albert Moore, 65, who was captured Tuesday, April 26, 2011 at a grocery store after being suspected of leaving a pipe bomb and two propane... (Associated Press) Earl Albert Moore, 65, was captured Tuesday at a grocery store, said Boulder Police spokeswoman Kim Kobel. He was taken into custody by the FBI but it wasn't immediately clear where he was being held. Authorities have been searching for Moore since the explosives were discovered April 20 at the Southwest Plaza Mall in the south Denver suburbs. The bomb and tanks were found after a fire, but they didn't detonate. No injuries were reported. The fire occurred on the 12th anniversary of the shootings at Columbine High School, which is about two miles from the mall. Authorities also noted that the times of the mall fire and the Columbine shootings were similar, as was the use of a pipe bomb and propane tanks, which were used during the attack at the school in 1999 that killed 12 students and a teacher. But on Monday, the FBI said the fire was likely not related to Columbine. Investigators said they found a motive but have not released additional information. Authorities scheduled a news conference for Tuesday afternoon. The bomb and tanks were found in a hallway of the mall's food court after firefighters responded to a fire. The explosives prompted an evacuation of the mall. No one was injured. The FBI on Sunday alerted field offices covering all 50 states and Puerto Rico to be on the lookout for Moore. Surveillance video showed images of him in the mall and on a bus. Federal Bureau of Prisons records show that Moore was released from prison April 13 after serving time in a federal prison in Atlanta and Estill, S.C. Federal court record show that Moore pleaded guilty in May 2005 to robbing a bank in Crab Orchard, W.Va., of $2,546. A judge sentenced Moore to 18 years in prison for the bank robbery, but a federal appeals court in 2006 ruled his stiff sentence was "unreasonable" and Moore's sentence was reduced to seven years. Federal Bureau of Prisons spokesman Edmond Ross said Moore received a "good conduct" release from prison after serving six years of his sentence. Moore has an extensive criminal record. Colorado Bureau of Investigation records show several arrests for possession of dangerous drugs, theft, and possession of burglary tools dating to 1984. Court records show that an arrest warrant had been issued for Moore in September 2004, six months before the West Virginia bank robbery, for his failure to appear at a court hearing related to a burglary case. Moore also served a year in Danbury, Conn., federal prison in 1983, according to Ross. In 1985, Moore pleaded guilty to unlawful escape from custody of the attorney general and possession of an unregistered firearm. Details of that case, including where he served his prison sentence, were not immediately available from the Federal Records Center in suburban Denver. Moore has used at least seven aliases that include variations of the names Earl Albert Buchannan, Donald Charles Morelli and Gary Steele, according to state arrest records. In addition, the FBI said Moore also uses the alias John Lindzy. Moore lived in Colorado at least part time from the mid-1980s to 2004, according to public records.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Mylan said on Monday the auto-injector EpiPen's pretax profits were 60 percent higher than it told Congress, according to Dow Jones. Without a tax-related reduction, the pharmaceutical company's profits on the EpiPen two-pack would be about $160, higher than the $100 figure the company gave Congress. The company said any lack of clarity was not intentional. On Monday, Mylan also submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission an analysis of the profitability of the EpiPen in the United States. "Tax is typically included in a standard profitability analysis and the information provided to Congress has made clear that tax was part of the EpiPen Auto-Injector profitability analysis. In fact, Mylan has provided Congress with a detailed analysis of EpiPen Auto-Injector profitability," Mylan said in a statement. The company added, "It also is important to note that use of a statutory tax rate for the jurisdiction being analyzed (in this instance, the U.S.) is standard. Just as we did not use a blended global tax rate, we also did not allocate corporate expenses associated with running the business, which would have further reduced its profitability. We believe it is most appropriate, and conservative, to focus entirely on EpiPen(r) Auto-Injector specific costs and associated taxes." Shares of Mylan dropped more than 1 percent in intraday trading Monday after the news. Last week, Mylan CEO Heather Bresch testified before a congressional committee about steep price increases on the lifesaving anti-allergic-reaction drug. House members asked Bresch to provide more evidence for the company's claim that its profits were just $100 for a two-pack of the injectors, despite a $608 list price, according to Dow Jones. In August, Mylan was scrutinized after consumers saw a five-fold price increase for the EpiPen since 2008. Mylan's chief told CNBC she was "frustrated" with EpiPen's high prices and said the real problem is with the overall health care system. In response, the company announced plans to increase access to its leading product and offered a generic version at half the price. This story is developing. Please check back for further updates. ||||| Mylan NV on Monday clarified the profit it said it made from its lifesaving EpiPen drug, days after House members badgered the company’s CEO to justify the device’s steep price increases. Testifying before a congressional committee last week, CEO Heather Bresch said Mylan’s profit was $100 for a two-pack of the injectors, despite a $608 list price. But...

– If you thought it seemed just a bit bananas that Mylan makes only $100 profit per EpiPen two-pack, which it sells for $608, you weren't alone. CEO Heather Bresch testified to that fact in front of the House Government Oversight Committee last Wednesday, as one disbelieving congressman flat-out asked, "Is that the truth?" Not precisely, reports the Wall Street Journal. Mylan tells the paper (and told the committee on Monday via more detailed financials) Bresch's figure was a post-tax one, meaning the profit is actually 60% higher at $160. The pharmaceutical company says the statutory US tax rate of 37.5% was slapped on, though neither Bresch nor a poster she had brought with her detailing per-pack revenue mentioned taxes. A heath-care analyst who spoke to the Journal puts Mylan's 2015 overall tax rate at 7.4%, and its US tax rate at basically zero. How a USC law and business professor reacted to the news in comments to the Los Angeles Times: "It is intellectually dishonest to include tax provisions for US taxes that aren't due, and that the company does not in fact anticipate ever having to pay." Mylan defended its math in a statement, per CNBC, that says "tax is typically included in a standard profitability analysis" and that "just as we did not use a blended global tax rate, we also did not allocate corporate expenses associated with running the business, which would have further reduced its profitability." It called its approach the "most appropriate, and conservative" one.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Mylan said on Monday the auto-injector EpiPen's pretax profits were 60 percent higher than it told Congress, according to Dow Jones. Without a tax-related reduction, the pharmaceutical company's profits on the EpiPen two-pack would be about $160, higher than the $100 figure the company gave Congress. The company said any lack of clarity was not intentional. On Monday, Mylan also submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission an analysis of the profitability of the EpiPen in the United States. "Tax is typically included in a standard profitability analysis and the information provided to Congress has made clear that tax was part of the EpiPen Auto-Injector profitability analysis. In fact, Mylan has provided Congress with a detailed analysis of EpiPen Auto-Injector profitability," Mylan said in a statement. The company added, "It also is important to note that use of a statutory tax rate for the jurisdiction being analyzed (in this instance, the U.S.) is standard. Just as we did not use a blended global tax rate, we also did not allocate corporate expenses associated with running the business, which would have further reduced its profitability. We believe it is most appropriate, and conservative, to focus entirely on EpiPen(r) Auto-Injector specific costs and associated taxes." Shares of Mylan dropped more than 1 percent in intraday trading Monday after the news. Last week, Mylan CEO Heather Bresch testified before a congressional committee about steep price increases on the lifesaving anti-allergic-reaction drug. House members asked Bresch to provide more evidence for the company's claim that its profits were just $100 for a two-pack of the injectors, despite a $608 list price, according to Dow Jones. In August, Mylan was scrutinized after consumers saw a five-fold price increase for the EpiPen since 2008. Mylan's chief told CNBC she was "frustrated" with EpiPen's high prices and said the real problem is with the overall health care system. In response, the company announced plans to increase access to its leading product and offered a generic version at half the price. This story is developing. Please check back for further updates. ||||| Mylan NV on Monday clarified the profit it said it made from its lifesaving EpiPen drug, days after House members badgered the company’s CEO to justify the device’s steep price increases. Testifying before a congressional committee last week, CEO Heather Bresch said Mylan’s profit was $100 for a two-pack of the injectors, despite a $608 list price. But...

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A Lake Elsinore, California, man is recovering from a snake bite on his hand after a photo op gone wrong. Alex Gomez, 36, found a 4-foot rattlesnake in a lot near his home Monday and decided to pick it up and take photos with it. He managed to snap a picture with the rattler around his neck, but when he tried to adjust it for a different pose it bit him on the thumb. "I was going to take it off my neck and do something else with it, but it turned sideways, and it sunk its one tooth into my hand," Gomez told Los Angeles TV station KTLA in an interview from his sickbed. Credit: KTLA Alex Gomez says he's learned his lesson: "Don't mess with snakes." Gomez dropped the snake and ran to a neighbor's house. He was rushed to a local hospital and received anti-venom treatment en route. His mother said her son could have died over a "stupid" stunt. “I’m shocked he would have that thing around his neck,” Debra Gomez told CBS Los Angeles. “It could’ve bit his neck and that would’ve been it.” It's possible Gomez will lose his thumb or never regain full use of his right hand. Gomez says he's learned a valuable lesson: "Don't mess with snakes. Leave them alone." In July, a San Diego man also tried to take a selfie with a rattlesnake. He wound up in the hospital with a bite on his arm and a $153,000 medical bill to show for it. ||||| Police officers in Connecticut arrested two twentysomethings on Sunday for making bad choices after going to a KFC/Taco Bell. The intruders boarded a boat named the “Dolce Vita,” which is basically Italian for YOLO, at a marina in Norwalk. The pair later told police, according to The Hour, that they had never “been on a boat, and had wanted to take some selfies.” The boat they had picked, however, was already occupied by a sleeping family of five that quickly woke up when a flash started going off at 2 a.m. on Sunday. When a sleepy and likely perturbed person let the intruders know they could be stopped even though they were on a boat, they ran away, leaving behind a still-warm bag of food from a KFC/Taco Bell — and a receipt that had one of the intruders’ information on it. At least two other crimes involving selfies or Taco Bell took place in the past week. ||||| A thrill-obsessed subculture claimed another life this week. A 17-year-old named Xenia Ignatyeva fell 30 feet to her death from a railway bridge in the Krasnogvardeysky district of Saint Petersburg, Russia. Following a new trend that has Russian youths climbing any tall structure they can to snap a victorious selfie at the top, Ignatyeva had hoped for a nighttime shot with the train tracks stretching away behind her. According to her devastated grandmother, Olga, she wanted “the most dramatic effect.” As Ignatyeva lost her balance, she frantically grabbed a live wire that sent 1,500 volts of electricity coursing through her body. Oksana Zhankova, a friend of the same age who had been waiting on the ground, was found by emergency services crouched near her friend’s body in a state of shock. It’s possible Ignatyeva was alive for a few moments after hitting the concrete, they said. An anonymous call about kids playing on the bridge had brought police to the scene of the tragedy, but too late. “We need to look at the deeper meaning of photos taken on railway tracks,” said Martin Voigt, a psychologist with Munich University. “The photo is not so much about the theme of it, but the component behind it—they play with danger.” The comment is a stark reminder that for every hilarious kick in the head, some poor adventurous kid is not so lucky. H/T International Business Times | Photo by inyucho/Flickr (CC BY 2.0) ||||| Photo: Harris County Jail Image 1 of / 15 Caption Close Image 1 of 15 Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, (pictured) and Dillian Thompson, 22, have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, (pictured) and Dillian Thompson, 22, have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Photo: Harris County Jail Image 2 of 15 Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, (pictured) and Dillian Thompson, 22, have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, (pictured) and Dillian Thompson, 22, have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Photo: Harris County Jail Image 3 of 15 Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, (pictured) and Dillian Thompson, 22, have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, (pictured) and Dillian Thompson, 22, have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Photo: Harris County Jail Image 4 of 15 Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, (pictured) and Dillian Thompson, 22, have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, (pictured) and Dillian Thompson, 22, have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Photo: Harris County Jail Image 5 of 15 Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, (pictured) and Dillian Thompson, 22, have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, (pictured) and Dillian Thompson, 22, have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Photo: Harris County Jail Image 6 of 15 Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, (pictured) and Dillian Thompson, 22, have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, (pictured) and Dillian Thompson, 22, have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Photo: Harris County Jail Image 7 of 15 Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, (pictured) and Dillian Thompson, 22, have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, (pictured) and Dillian Thompson, 22, have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Photo: Harris County Jail Image 8 of 15 Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, and Dillian Thompson, 22, (pictured) have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, and Dillian Thompson, 22, (pictured) have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Photo: Harris County Jail Image 9 of 15 Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, and Dillian Thompson, 22, (pictured) have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, and Dillian Thompson, 22, (pictured) have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Photo: Harris County Jail Image 10 of 15 Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, (pictured) and Dillian Thompson, 22, have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, (pictured) and Dillian Thompson, 22, have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Photo: Harris County Jail Image 11 of 15 Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, and Dillian Thompson, 22, (pictured) have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, and Dillian Thompson, 22, (pictured) have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Photo: Harris County Jail Image 12 of 15 Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, (pictured) and Dillian Thompson, 22, have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, (pictured) and Dillian Thompson, 22, have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Photo: Harris County Jail Image 13 of 15 A copy of Dorian Walker-Gaines' court orders in Harris County court. A copy of Dorian Walker-Gaines' court orders in Harris County court. Photo: Harris County District Clerk's Office Image 14 of 15 A copy of Dorian Walker-Gaines' court orders in Harris County court. A copy of Dorian Walker-Gaines' court orders in Harris County court. Photo: Harris County District Clerk's Office ||||| Sign up using Facebook we won't post anything without permission or fill out the form below Email Username Password Verify password Birthday Male Female Other Gender

– From documenting their crimes to taking photos in dangerous locales, there is something about a trying to capture the perfect selfie that apparently causes some people to abandon their common sense. Below are 7 selfies that did not end well: It's not a good idea to take selfies while driving, especially if you have seven passengers in your car. A Maine man learned this lesson the hard way when, mid-selfie, his car veered off the road and slammed into a tree, injuring several of his friends. A word of advice: Rattlesnakes are not always willing to cooperate and pose for selfies with you. Two twentysomethings with the KFC/Taco Bell munchies decided to follow up their fast food binge by climbing on board a boat harbored in a Connecticut marina and taking some selfies. Unfortunately for them, the flashes from the camera woke up the family asleep on the boat, and the alleged intruders ran away, leaving their fast food bag and receipt behind as evidence. They were later arrested. A 19-year-old Texas man was taking selfies with a loaded gun when he fatally shot himself in the throat by accident. If you're going to (allegedly) rob a church, you probably shouldn't leave your phone behind at the crime scene, especially if there are selfies on it that the police can use to identify you. Likewise, taking selfies with the $5,000 you allegedly stole from a truck, using the victim's stolen iPad to take the photos, is basically the equivalent of turning yourself in, claims one Reddit user in a thread that helped track the thieves down. The incriminating photos were posted to the alleged victim's own iCloud account. A Russian teen plunged to her death from the top of a railway bridge after snapping a selfie in a seeming attempt to impress her friends. Click-through for 30 animals that could teach people a thing or two about taking a good selfie.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.A Lake Elsinore, California, man is recovering from a snake bite on his hand after a photo op gone wrong. Alex Gomez, 36, found a 4-foot rattlesnake in a lot near his home Monday and decided to pick it up and take photos with it. He managed to snap a picture with the rattler around his neck, but when he tried to adjust it for a different pose it bit him on the thumb. "I was going to take it off my neck and do something else with it, but it turned sideways, and it sunk its one tooth into my hand," Gomez told Los Angeles TV station KTLA in an interview from his sickbed. Credit: KTLA Alex Gomez says he's learned his lesson: "Don't mess with snakes." Gomez dropped the snake and ran to a neighbor's house. He was rushed to a local hospital and received anti-venom treatment en route. His mother said her son could have died over a "stupid" stunt. “I’m shocked he would have that thing around his neck,” Debra Gomez told CBS Los Angeles. “It could’ve bit his neck and that would’ve been it.” It's possible Gomez will lose his thumb or never regain full use of his right hand. Gomez says he's learned a valuable lesson: "Don't mess with snakes. Leave them alone." In July, a San Diego man also tried to take a selfie with a rattlesnake. He wound up in the hospital with a bite on his arm and a $153,000 medical bill to show for it. ||||| Police officers in Connecticut arrested two twentysomethings on Sunday for making bad choices after going to a KFC/Taco Bell. The intruders boarded a boat named the “Dolce Vita,” which is basically Italian for YOLO, at a marina in Norwalk. The pair later told police, according to The Hour, that they had never “been on a boat, and had wanted to take some selfies.” The boat they had picked, however, was already occupied by a sleeping family of five that quickly woke up when a flash started going off at 2 a.m. on Sunday. When a sleepy and likely perturbed person let the intruders know they could be stopped even though they were on a boat, they ran away, leaving behind a still-warm bag of food from a KFC/Taco Bell — and a receipt that had one of the intruders’ information on it. At least two other crimes involving selfies or Taco Bell took place in the past week. ||||| A thrill-obsessed subculture claimed another life this week. A 17-year-old named Xenia Ignatyeva fell 30 feet to her death from a railway bridge in the Krasnogvardeysky district of Saint Petersburg, Russia. Following a new trend that has Russian youths climbing any tall structure they can to snap a victorious selfie at the top, Ignatyeva had hoped for a nighttime shot with the train tracks stretching away behind her. According to her devastated grandmother, Olga, she wanted “the most dramatic effect.” As Ignatyeva lost her balance, she frantically grabbed a live wire that sent 1,500 volts of electricity coursing through her body. Oksana Zhankova, a friend of the same age who had been waiting on the ground, was found by emergency services crouched near her friend’s body in a state of shock. It’s possible Ignatyeva was alive for a few moments after hitting the concrete, they said. An anonymous call about kids playing on the bridge had brought police to the scene of the tragedy, but too late. “We need to look at the deeper meaning of photos taken on railway tracks,” said Martin Voigt, a psychologist with Munich University. “The photo is not so much about the theme of it, but the component behind it—they play with danger.” The comment is a stark reminder that for every hilarious kick in the head, some poor adventurous kid is not so lucky. H/T International Business Times | Photo by inyucho/Flickr (CC BY 2.0) ||||| Photo: Harris County Jail Image 1 of / 15 Caption Close Image 1 of 15 Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, (pictured) and Dillian Thompson, 22, have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, (pictured) and Dillian Thompson, 22, have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Photo: Harris County Jail Image 2 of 15 Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, (pictured) and Dillian Thompson, 22, have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, (pictured) and Dillian Thompson, 22, have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Photo: Harris County Jail Image 3 of 15 Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, (pictured) and Dillian Thompson, 22, have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, (pictured) and Dillian Thompson, 22, have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Photo: Harris County Jail Image 4 of 15 Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, (pictured) and Dillian Thompson, 22, have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, (pictured) and Dillian Thompson, 22, have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Photo: Harris County Jail Image 5 of 15 Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, (pictured) and Dillian Thompson, 22, have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, (pictured) and Dillian Thompson, 22, have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Photo: Harris County Jail Image 6 of 15 Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, (pictured) and Dillian Thompson, 22, have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, (pictured) and Dillian Thompson, 22, have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Photo: Harris County Jail Image 7 of 15 Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, (pictured) and Dillian Thompson, 22, have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, (pictured) and Dillian Thompson, 22, have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Photo: Harris County Jail Image 8 of 15 Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, and Dillian Thompson, 22, (pictured) have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, and Dillian Thompson, 22, (pictured) have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Photo: Harris County Jail Image 9 of 15 Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, and Dillian Thompson, 22, (pictured) have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, and Dillian Thompson, 22, (pictured) have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Photo: Harris County Jail Image 10 of 15 Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, (pictured) and Dillian Thompson, 22, have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, (pictured) and Dillian Thompson, 22, have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Photo: Harris County Jail Image 11 of 15 Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, and Dillian Thompson, 22, (pictured) have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, and Dillian Thompson, 22, (pictured) have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Photo: Harris County Jail Image 12 of 15 Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, (pictured) and Dillian Thompson, 22, have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Dorian Walker-Gaines, 20, (pictured) and Dillian Thompson, 22, have each pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the theft of a large amount of cash and electronic devices from a truck. Photo: Harris County Jail Image 13 of 15 A copy of Dorian Walker-Gaines' court orders in Harris County court. A copy of Dorian Walker-Gaines' court orders in Harris County court. Photo: Harris County District Clerk's Office Image 14 of 15 A copy of Dorian Walker-Gaines' court orders in Harris County court. A copy of Dorian Walker-Gaines' court orders in Harris County court. Photo: Harris County District Clerk's Office ||||| Sign up using Facebook we won't post anything without permission or fill out the form below Email Username Password Verify password Birthday Male Female Other Gender

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CLOSE Republicans took over the Senate from Democrats and captured big wins across the country in a convincing and dramatic victory in the 2014 elections. VPC Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., celebrates his win Tuesday night in Louisville, Ky. (Photo: J. Scott Applewhite, AP) Election night 2014 was like a tsunami, as Republicans wiped out Democrats to take control of the Senate and won governorships in states that easily re-elected President Obama. A look at some winners and losers: WINNERS Mitch McConnell won more than just a sixth term to represent Kentucky. He'll soon be formally elected as Senate majority leader, a job he's long coveted, and take responsibility for setting the legislative agenda. McConnell's challenge is producing results for the GOP with a Democrat in the White House. Chris Christie wasn't on the ballot, but the chairman of the Republican Governors Association can claim victory. The New Jersey governor stumped for embattled GOP incumbents in Florida and Wisconsin, and helped candidates score upsets in traditional Democratic strongholds such as Maryland and Illinois. Not a bad start to a potential 2016 White House bid. Rand Paul, who arrived in the Senate as a Tea Party firebrand, was a team player and worked with mainstream Republicans to bring the GOP into power. When his candidate didn't win the North Carolina Senate nomination, Paul immediately rallied behind Thom Tillis. When the U.S. Chamber of Commerce wanted to reach independent voters in Alaska, the group turned to Paul. The senator's PAC paid for last-minute advertising in key states, including in Kansas to help Sen. Pat Roberts win another term. Two years ago, it would have seemed impossible that Mitt Romney would appear on an election winner's list. But the 2012 GOP presidential nominee was a popular surrogate in the battleground states that redefined the Senate. The former Massachusetts governor said recently he traveled to 27 states because "almost all those people helped me in 2012." In a bad night for their party, a trio of New Hampshire Democratic women bucked the trend. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, Gov. Maggie Hassan and Rep. Ann Kuster each fought back tough challenges to win new terms. While Rep. Carol Shea-Porter's loss means the Granite State will no longer have an all-female leadership team, the ability of these Democrats to fend off the GOP wave stands out. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and New Hampshire Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan wave to the crowd at a rally on Nov. 2, 2014 in Nashua, N.H., that was also attended by former secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. (Photo: Jim Cole, AP) LOSERS President Obama made headlines during the campaign when he said that his "policies are on the ballot." If that's the case, this was a near total repudiation. Democrats lost most of the battleground contests, as Republicans succeeded in linking their opponents to the president and his low approval ratings. Now, Obama will spend the final two years of his presidency working with a GOP-controlled Congress. President Obama and then-Florida Governor Charlie Crist in 2009. (Photo: Joe Raedle, Getty Images) No one will likely find their political standing more diminished than Harry Reid. His nearly eight years as Senate majority leader will come to an end. Reid, who beat back a Tea Party challenger in Nevada four years ago, could face another tough re-election fight back home in 2016. Southern Democrats, once dominant, had reason to hope they could make inroads in 2014. Even though they were defending Senate seats in Louisiana (which will now head to a runoff), Arkansas and North Carolina, they made strong pushes in Kentucky against McConnell and in Georgia's governor and Senate races. Bill Clinton was actively involved in races back home in Arkansas. It wasn't meant to be. Former president Bill Clinton talks with Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., during a campaign rally on Nov. 2 in Texarkana, Ark. (Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images) Scott Brown and Martha Coakley: Brown was once the toast of the GOP after capturing Ted Kennedy's Senate seat by beating Coakley in 2010. But after losing his seat to Elizabeth Warren in 2012, he moved to New Hampshire and lost to Shaheen in a strong Republican year. Maybe Coakley's timing hasn't been great, but the Democratic attorney general now has lost two winnable statewide races in Massachusetts. Charlie Crist: The former Florida governor has the dubious distinction of voters souring on him as a Republican and independent in the 2010 Senate race. Now, as a Democrat, he failed to get his old job back. That pretty much says it all. Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1qoXG0o ||||| The GOP gained control of the Senate Tuesday night, taking hold of the legislative agenda in that chamber. Here are three of the policies Republicans are likely to tackle as they take the reins in January 2015. (Julie Percha/The Washington Post) Elections are all about winning and losing. And there was lots and lots of that on Tuesday night -- with Republicans doing most of the winning and Democrats doing the bulk of the losing. Having dug out from the avalanche of election results and with a few hours of sleep, I came up with some of the less obvious bests and worsts of the night that was. Agree? Disagree? The comments section awaits. Winners * Mitch McConnell: All this guy does is win. In a race that was supposed to be the closest of his life, the senator was named the winner of his reelection race moments after the polls closed in Kentucky. And, given the developments in other parts of the country, McConnell looks very likely to take over as Senate majority leader when the 114th Congress convenes in January. * Chris Christie: If not for the Republican takeover of the Senate, all the political world would be talking about this morning would be the remarkable success the GOP had in the governors' contests. They won where they should have (Illinois, Arkansas etc) and where they shouldn't have (Maryland and Maine). Leading that effort as the chairman of the Reupublican Governors Association was New Jersey's Christie, who will assuredly use the showing from his side as a springboard for his own 2016 ambitions. * National Republican Senatorial Committee: Yes, they had a terrific map. And, yes, it got better when Democrats such as Max Baucus, Jay Rockefeller and Tim Johnson decided to retire. But, they still had to go out and win it. And, after struggling to beat virtually any Senate Democrats in the past few cycles, they ousted Sens. Mark Pryor in Arkansas and Mark Udall in Colorado and might beat Sens. Kay Hagan in North Carolina and Mark Warner in Virginia. And, they managed to save Sen. Pat Roberts from himself in Kansas. * John Kasich: The Republican Ohio governor, as expected, won a crushing victory over Ed FitzGerald, who may well have been the worst heavily-hyped candidate of the election. Winning so big in a state that is at the center of every electoral vote calculation made by 2016 strategists in both parties. Kasich has been mostly mute on his interest in running for president in 2016, but Tuesday night solidified his résumé should he decide to do just that. * Ed Gillespie: Win or (narrowly) lose, Gillespie drastically overperformed expectations in his challenge to Virginia's Sen. Mark Warner (D). And, even if he winds up losing, Gillespie will be very well positioned to run for governor in 2017 in a relatively weak field that could include former state attorney general Mark Obenshain and former lieutenant governor Bill Bolling. * Shelley Moore Capito: Quietly, the West Virginia congresswoman ran one of the best campaigns in the country. She easily won the race to replace retiring Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D) and will be an interesting moderate GOP voice in the Senate. * Al Franken: The Democratic Minnesota senator won the closest race in the country six years ago, and many Republicans promised to make him a one-termer. Franken made no news -- on purpose -- and played down his former celebrity status. It worked brilliantly. * Florida vote counting: Giant state. Fast count. Kudos for a place that has seen its share of criticism of the way it conducts its elections. * America Rising: The Republican opposition research shop -- run by Mitt Romney's 2012 campaign manager -- proved its value this cycle. They had trackers in 36 states and unearthed some gems of opposition research on Democratic challengers, including Iowa Rep. Bruce Braley's pejorative comments about farmers and the detailed memo from Michelle Nunn's campaign about her weaknesses and their overall strategy. Oppo research isn't the sexiest part of campaigns, but it might be the most important. * The Corys: The Senate now has two men named Cory in it: Cory Gardner (R) from Colorado and Cory Booker (D) from New Jersey. I really only made them a winner so I could link to this picture of the other Two Corys. Losers * Southern Democrats: Sen. Kay Hagan in North Carolina, Alison Lundergan Grimes in Kentucky and Sen. Mark Pryor in Arkansas did everything they could to run away from President Obama and insist they were their own independent voices. Ditto Michelle Nunn in Georgia. Didn't work. They all lost. And even Sen. Mark Warner, long considered to be impregnable, found himself in a tight race with former Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie. The results affirmed just how difficult it is for Democrats to win federal races in the South -- particularly in an election cycle like this one where a Democratic president is decidedly unpopular in the region. (An NBC/Marist poll released on Sunday showed Obama with a 32 percent approval rating in Kentucky.) Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) narrowly defeated Democrat Charlie Crist, ending a race that frequently turned nasty and personal. Crist, who served as Florida's governor from 2006 to 2010 as a Republican, was hammered repeatedly by the Scott campaign for being a political opportunist. (WSVN) * Charlie Crist: Crist, as recently as five years ago, was the most popular politician in Florida by a mile. Today he is a two-time losing party switcher with no political future. Crist's abandonment of the Republican Party backfired on him in the 2010 Senate race, and he couldn't overcome Gov. Rick Scott (R), who was deeply unpopular in the state, as a Democrat. Sen. Mark Udall (D) conceded to Rep. Cory Gardner (R) in Colorado Tuesday night. Critics argued Udall's campaign put too much focus on women's issues as the race tightened. (KMGH) * Scott Brown: Speaking of two-time losers, Brown, the former Massachusetts senator, is probably done in politics after losing to New Hampshire's Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. I will always wonder why Brown opted not to run for governor in Massachusetts, a race that was quite clearly very winnable. Speaking of Massachusetts... * Martha Coakley: It's a very, very difficult thing to lose two major statewide races in Massachusetts as a Democrat. But Coakley, the sitting attorney general who had already lost a U.S. Senate seat to Scott Brown in 2010, did just that when she came up short against Gov.-elect Charlie Baker. Might be time to find another line of work. * Martin O'Malley: The entire race to replace Democrat O'Malley as Maryland's governor was cast as a referendum on his two terms in office by Republican Larry Hogan. Make that Gov.-elect Hogan, who pulled off the most stunning upset of the night when he ousted heavily favored Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown (D). O'Malley's 2016 presidential prospects were never great, but they took a major blow Tuesday night as he couldn't even put down a rebellion in his own back yard. * Mark Udall: Ask any Democrat what happened to Colorado Sen. Mark Udall and they all tell you the same thing: He got caught napping. Sen-elect Cory Gardner (R) initially said "no" to the race but reversed course as the political environment faded for President Obama. Udall's strict focus on reproductive rights -- which Democrats were convinced was a silver bullet against Gardner -- didn't work. At all. * Turnout operations: In a neutral political environment, the superior ground game can matter for a point or so. But in a year in which the national playing field is so clearly tilted to Republicans, the touted Bannock Street Project, Democrats' much-discussed turnout operation, couldn't make the difference. Texas Democrat Wendy Davis, who faced long odds in the contest for Texas governor, conceded to Republican Greg Abbott Tuesday night, telling her supporters "your work is not in vain" during her emotional speech to supporters. (NBC) * Wendy Davis: No one thought Davis was going to be the next governor of Texas. But, few thought the Democrat would lose as badly as she did. Davis was on track to underperform not only Bill White' 42 percent in 2010 but also, potentially, Tony Sanchez's 40 percent in 2002. For a candidate whom many saw as the leading edge of the Democratic resurgence in Texas, that is really, really bad. ||||| Some of the most intriguing races remain undecided as election night winds down. If you’ve read any headlines so far, it’s easy to see Democrats were clear losers Tuesday. But this year’s midterms were about more than who controls Congress and the candidates themselves. So, who else -- or what else -- won or lost? The Huffington Post is taking a look at the broader picture. Loser: Political Legacies Despite the help they got on the campaign trail, candidates with family political legacies did not fare well Tuesday. Georgia state Sen. Jason Carter (D), the grandson of former President Jimmy Carter, lost in his bid for the state’s governorship. Democrat Michelle Nunn, the daughter of former U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn (D-Ga.), lost in Georgia’s Senate race. Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) had assistance from his mother and father, former U.S. Sen. David Pryor (D-Ark.), during his re-election campaign. Yet he lost his seat to Rep. Tom Cotton (R). And Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) moved on to a runoff instead of winning re-election outright, despite being the daughter of former New Orleans Mayor Moon Landrieu (D). Perhaps the brightest spot for political offspring on Tuesday was a win for Gwen Graham, the daughter of former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham (D-Fla.). She defeated incumbent Rep. Steve Southerland in Florida’s 2nd Congressional District. Winner: Voter Disenfranchisement Even before Election Day, voters in Texas were having trouble casting ballots because of a new state voter ID law that the Supreme Court allowed to stand. And on Election Day the reports of voters being turned away continued. I witnessed three people turned away from the polls for having the wrong ID in just 10 minutes. One man was hopping mad. — Michael Barnes (@outandabout) November 4, 2014 The Texas law, which Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg called an “unconstitutional poll tax” in her October dissent to the court's decision, requires voters to provide one of seven types of photo ID in order to vote. Concealed handgun licenses are valid, but college IDs are not. The law’s strict provisions have led civil rights groups to argue it was designed to hamper turnout from minorities and young people, who tend to vote Democratic. Texas isn’t the only place new laws were implemented. In all, 14 states are navigating new rules related to voting. Loser: 'Lingerie Parties' Rep. Steve Southerland (R-Fla.) was the first incumbent House representative to lose on Tuesday night, falling to Democratic challenger Gwen Graham in a race in which the congressman's comments about women became a major point of contention. In September, Southerland came under fire for a men-only fundraiser his campaign had held earlier in the year. An invitation to the event told invited members to "tell the misses not to wait up." When Graham's campaign made issue of the fundraiser, Southerland replied by likening it to a "lingerie party." The back and forth led Democrats with Graham's campaign to charge that Southerland was partaking in the so-called "war on women," and the congressman later faced attacks for his vote against reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act. Winner: Bullies For Rep. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.), winning a third term was as easy as taking candy from a baby. Vote tallies on election night showed Grimm with more than a 10-point lead over his challenger, Democrat Dominic Recchia, even though the congressman is facing a host of federal tax fraud charges and earlier this year was caught on tape threatening to break a TV reporter "in half." Grimm will face trial in February for 20 counts of mail and tax fraud relating to a restaurant he once owned, the New York Observer reports. Loser: Immigration Reform Sweeping immigration reform was dealt another blow Tuesday as Republicans took control of the U.S. Senate. With control of both chambers, the GOP could pass an immigration reform bill on its own terms, in hopes it would boost the party’s standing with Latinos for the 2016 elections. If that were to happen, President Barack Obama would probably feel inclined to sign the bill. However, it’s unlikely to encompass all the changes reform groups -- and Democrats -- have been pushing for. On the other hand, Obama has said he plans to pursue reform through executive action after the elections regardless, so Congress’ unwillingness to address the issue might not prevent it from happening. Winner: Fear-Mongering It’s hard to prove whether campaign tactics of fear won an election for any candidate, but it’s clear plenty of campaigns were cultivating fear about Ebola, the Islamic State and immigration, yet didn’t suffer any major retribution. Even a GOP candidate who used an image from an Islamic State beheading in his campaign ad was polling within 15 percentage points of Sen. Tom Udall shortly before Election Day. Loser: Independent Candidates Even before Election Day, Maine’s independent gubernatorial candidate, Eliot Cutler, told supporters to vote their conscience when he was running behind in the polls. The statement served as a signal that he knew he wasn’t going to win, even though he wasn’t dropping out of the race. Kansas independent Senate candidate Greg Orman, however, was in a tight race with unpopular GOP incumbent Sen. Pat Roberts as voters went to the polls Tuesday. However, he couldn’t pull out a win. Winner: Abortion Rights Abortion rights were upheld Tuesday as two “personhood” amendments on state ballots were rejected. North Dakota rejected Measure 1, which would have added a statement to the state constitution that declared, “The inalienable right to life of every human being at any stage of development must be recognized and protected.” Coloradans rejected Amendment 67 on their ballot. The measure would have included fetuses in the state’s criminal code where the words “person” or “child” were used. The state’s voters have turned down personhood measures in the past. On the other hand, Tennessee’s Amendment 1, which passed in the red state, declares that the state constitution doesn’t protect a woman’s right to an abortion or the funding of abortions. Loser: 2016 Democratic Presidential Candidate This doesn’t bode well for Democratic presidential hopefuls: In recent presidential elections with no incumbent, the party that controls Congress has taken the White House. President Barack Obama was elected in 2008, while Democrats controlled both chambers. When George W. Bush was elected in 2000, the GOP had the House and Senate. Democrats ran Congress in 1992, when Bill Clinton won the presidency. But not all hope is lost. GOP Presidents George H.W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon and Dwight Eisenhower all won while Democrats controlled Congress. Winner: Low-Wage Workers Measures to raise the minimum wage were on the ballot in five states Tuesday. In four Republican-leaning states -- Alaska, Arkansas, Nebraska and South Dakota -- voters considered binding measures to enact hikes, while in Illinois, the referendum was only advisory. Voters in Alaska approved a measure to raise the minimum wage to $9.75 from its current $7.75. In Nebraska, a similar push to hike the hourly wage to $9 from the federal minimum of $7.25 also passed. And in Arkansas and South Dakota, which both currently use the federal minimum wage, voters decided to change the minimum wage to $8.50 an hour. The non-binding referendum in Illinois to raise the minimum wage to $10, from the current statewide $8.25, won as well. First and foremost, this is a win for the low-wage workers who will see more take-home pay next year. But there have been ongoing disputes over the potential long-term effects of wage increases, with some economists suggesting that they will lead to lost jobs and make it harder for low-skilled workers to find work. Others have said the overall effects on the job market will be negligible. FiveThirtyEight has a more complete analysis on how these hikes could affect the workforces in various states. Politically, however, this could be a sign that Obama's campaign to raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 is an increasingly popular issue that plays well in elections -- perhaps particularly for Democrats, who have stood behind the president's push. While a number of GOP candidates from the states that voted on minimum wage measures eventually announced support for those initiatives, Republicans in Congress have consistently resisted similar nationwide efforts. Loser: Atheist Congressional Representation Going into the 2014 election cycle, there were exactly zero admitted atheists serving in Congress. That didn't change on Tuesday night, as the most viable candidate, James Woods, a blind Democrat running in a deeply red congressional district in Arizona, failed to pull off an upset against longtime GOP Rep. Matt Salmon. Various areligious groups have claimed in the past that there are a number of congressional representatives who don't believe in God. At this point, however, they remain unwilling to express such views in public. Loser: Infidelity Voters on Tuesday told the “kissing congressman” not to return to Congress. Rep. Vance McAllister (R-La.), who was caught on tape with a married former employee earlier this year, said a couple of weeks after the video surfaced that he wouldn’t run for re-election. However, two months later, he re-entered the race. In the end, voters decided to give someone else a shot at his seat. Although the race will go to a runoff, McAllister will not be on the ballot. Winner: GOP Dark Money Just five Senate races received half of all dark money spending -- funds whose sources don’t have to be disclosed under federal rules -- in the 2014 cycle. The majority of the money supported GOP candidates -- and all five of those Republicans won. $92.8 million of the $190 million in dark money spent in the cycle went toward Senate races in Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Kentucky and North Carolina As of mid-October, super PACs spent $29.2 million against Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.), and she lost to Thom Tillis (R). More than $18 million went to support Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R), who won in Kentucky. Some $14.1 million was spent against Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.), who lost to Rep. Cory Gardner (R). In Arkansas, $10.4 million was spent against Sen. Mark Pryor (D), who lost to Rep. Tom Cotton (R). In Alaska, $11.7 million in dark money was spent, with $6.6 million backing the winner, Republican Dan Sullivan, and $5.1 million backing Sen. Mark Begich (D). Loser: Perennial Losers Martha Coakley in Massachusetts, Charlie Crist in Florida, Scott Brown in whichever state he’s currently in … all lost once in high-profile statewide races, and then came back this cycle to lose again. Brown has made history with his losses to women, though. Winner: Legal Weed After the passage of some state initiatives Tuesday night, recreational marijuana is on track to be legal in at least three states and Washington, D.C. Oregon’s Initiative Petition 53, which passed, would allow adults 21 and over to possess up to 8 ounces of marijuana at home and 1 ounce when in public. Initiative 71 in D.C. also passed and would allow adults to possess up to 2 ounces and grow up to six plants for personal use. Marijuana sales would still be illegal in D.C., however. Alaska voters approved Ballot Measure 2, which would allow adults 21 and over in the state to possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana and grow up to six plants for their own use. Marijuana paraphernalia could also legally be made and sold. Colorado and Washington were the first states to legalize recreational marijuana in 2012. Medical marijuana is legal in 23 states and D.C., though an amendment to legalize it in Florida on Tuesday was just shy of the 60 percent approval that was required for passage. Politicians in other states have already been talking about proposing legalization in the coming years. Winner: Universal Background Checks For Gun Sales Voters in Washington state on Tuesday approved a ballot measure to require background checks on all gun sales. It was one of two gun-related initiatives, with a competing proposal that would have prevented the state from imposing additional background check requirements unless first enacted by the federal government. The passage of this ballot measure comes more than 18 months after Congress rejected a federal background check measure proposed in the wake of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, despite polls showing that about 90 percent of Americans supported the policy at the time. With politicians at both the state and national levels having shown little interest in gun control legislation in the period since, this small victory could suggest to proponents that their best chances of success are with voters. The issue of guns was also on the ballot in Alabama, where voters passed an amendment to declare that every citizen "has a fundamental right to bear arms and that any restriction on this right would be subject to strict scrutiny." At any rate, Alabama is a deep red state, and it seemed unlikely legislators would have moved aggressively on any sort of gun control measure in the first place. Loser: The Clintons Tuesday wasn’t a good night for the Clintons, whose endorsed candidates largely failed to pull off wins across the country. Shushannah Walshe of ABC News noted their tallies on Twitter: How did @hillaryclinton do? She stumped for 26 candidates, 10 wins, 14 losses, @ABC has not projected 1 race, and she backed Landrieu. — Shushannah Walshe (@shushwalshe) November 5, 2014 And how did @billclinton do? Out of 41 candidates, 10 wins, 21 losses, Mary Landrieu will go to a run off & @ABC has not projected 10 races — Shushannah Walshe (@shushwalshe) November 5, 2014 That said, many are expecting Hillary to focus on becoming a winner between now and 2016. This post has been updated to include sections on low-wage workers and the Clintons, and to reflect the passage of Alaska's Ballot Measure 2 and results of Alaska's Senate race. ||||| Texas Democrats started the 2014 election cycle with a dream of turning the state blue for the first time in two decades, buoyed by a progressive hero on the ballot and an influx of outside cash and organizers. Instead, the nation's biggest red state just got even redder. On Tuesday, for the fifth consecutive cycle, Texas Republicans swept statewide offices, including the race for governor, where Republican attorney general Greg Abbott cruised past Democratic state Sen. Wendy Davis. It was Abbott who made the decision to hire now-Sen. Ted Cruz to be the state's first solicitor general, and it was Abbott—more so even than retiring Gov. Rick Perry—who epitomized his state's antagonistic relationship with Washington, suing the Obama administration no fewer than 27 times in his first five years. ("I go into the office, I sue Barack Obama, and then I go home," Abbott likes to tell Republican audiences.) Lest he be tempted to move to the center, voters also tapped state Sen. Dan Patrick to be his lieutenant governor, a position that's disproportionately powerful in Texas because it serves a dual legislative and executive function. Patrick has said that God speaks to the world through Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson, and warned that migrants are bringing "third-world diseases" with them across the border. Winning in the Lone Star State was always supposed to be an uphill battle for Democrats in 2014, a point that Battleground Texas, the field-organizing outfit launched last spring by a group of Obama campaign volunteers, made clear from the get-go. When Davis jumped into the race, the time-frame shifted. As the group's executive director, Jenn Brown, told me in September, Davis' candidacy settled a chicken-and-egg dilemma that had been confounding organizers: "Great people don't want to run unless they feel there's an infrastructure to support them, but it's hard to get great infrastructure without great candidates." But Davis—and Battleground—also had the effect of throwing a football at a hornet's nest. FreedomWorks, a conservative political outfit, launched an $8-million "Come and Take It" project last year designed to thwart Democratic gains. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who faced minimal Democratic resistance in his re-election bid this year, nonetheless asked for donations to combat "out-of-state organizers"—and "Keep it Red." (That's not to be confused with another group, "Let's Keep it Texas Red," which was formed before Cornyn's group but which per its campaign finance report exists mainly to sell t-shirts.) Even conservative provocateur James O'Keefe—recently seen crossing the border dressed as Osama Bin Laden—got in on the action, publishing a sting video purporting to show Battleground volunteers illegally cribbing phone numbers from voter registration rolls. (The practice is not illegal.) No one took the threat more seriously than Abbott, who warned that Democratic groups constituted "an assault far more dangerous than what the leader of North Korea threatened when he said he was going to add Austin, Texas, as one of the recipients of his nuclear weapons." He walked the walk, too, making repeated visits to heavily Hispanic, heavily Democratic South Texas in the hopes of offsetting any gains the Davis campaign hoped it could make. ||||| You can't win every vote. Interested in ? Add as an interest to stay up to date on the latest news, video, and analysis from ABC News. Add Interest One Kentucky voter showed his disapproval for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell today when he ran into the senator at a Louisville polling location. The campaign for McConnell’s opponent, Alison Lundergan Grimes, quickly turned the photobomb into a messaging opportunity on Twitter. The tweet, which has since been deleted, can be found on the Sunlight Foundation’s archive of politicians’ deleted tweets. ||||| On a night when Republicans took over the Senate and Democrats experienced even more losses than they were originally expecting, some of the longer-term winners and losers were people who didn't have their name on a ballot. Interested in ? Add as an interest to stay up to date on the latest news, video, and analysis from ABC News. Add Interest Fortuitous fundraising and a focus on presidential prospects helped a few Republicans on Tuesday, while two candidates who tried to game the system -- by physically moving to another state in one race and moving to a new political party for another -- didn't work out for them in the end. National Exit Poll Reveals Major Voter Discontent PHOTOS: The Unusual Places Where Americans Vote Updated Results From Around the Country WINNERS J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo Mitch McConnell Not only was Mitch McConnell able to hold onto his job as Senator from Kentucky, but now he gets a promotion as well after Republicans were able to tilt the balance of power in the Senate. Chris Christie The tough-talking New Jersey governor wasn't listed on any ballots this year but, because of his role as the head of the Republican Governor's Association, he increased his national presence and has the results to prove it. With some races left to call, at least 21 of the 34 candidates that he stumped for ended up winning. Morry Gash/AP Photo Scott Walker After keeping his post as Governor of Wisconsin, Scott Walker has essentially shown his critics that his constituents are fans of his attempts to break unions. This also secured his spot as a top Republican presidential contender. House Republicans While the Senate was the center of most analysts' attention during the race, Republicans in the House also had a good night because now their majority is even stronger than before. Gerry Broome/AP Photo Kay Hagan The incumbent Democratic Senator no longer has a job, but she also lost her job in the most expensive race of the entire election. The cumulative fight between Hagan and Republican challenger Thom Tillis is estimated to have cost more than $1 million. LOSERS President Obama Many are casting these midterms as a referendum on President Obama's policies and a general reflection on Americans' general displeasure with this administration. His low approval ratings and attempts by candidates to distance themselves meant that the president tried to steer clear of the campaign trail for much of the lead up to the election, but he still ended up being the biggest loser on Tuesday night. Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Getty Images Harry Reid The Nevada Senator did not have a race to run himself but -- because of how the other races played out -- ended up losing a title out. Reid will have to hand over the Majority Leader mantle to McConnell. Chris OMeara/AP Photo Charlie Crist The fan behind his podium wasn't enough to keep his campaign cool, as Charlie Crist now has the distinct honor of being considered a loser for each political party. He started his political career as a Republican, but decided to rebrand himself an Independent when Marco Rubio beat him in the 2010 Senate race. His time as an Independent didn't work that well either, so he registered as a Democrat in 2012. He lost as a Democrat on Tuesday. Elise Amendola/AP Photo Scott Brown Though he never switched parties, former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown did try running in another state this time around, but that didn't turn out too well. Brown, who has had a summer home in New Hampshire for years, lost that state's race against incumbent Democrat Jeanne Shaheen. Martha Coakley The former Massachusetts Attorney General isn't going to be able to lose her unfortunate nickname (of "Choakley") after Tuesday's race. She was first appointed to fill Ted Kennedy's Senate seat after he died, but then was beaten by Scott Brown in a special election. This time around, her former foe had moved up north in hopes of friendlier folk in New Hampshire, but that didn't help her new gubernatorial cause as she still ended up losing this race to Republican Charlie Baker.

– Last night's victory for Mitch McConnell was a big one: He was expected to face a neck-and-neck race, but instead he was called the winner just after the polls closed, Chris Cillizza writes in the Washington Post. Starting next year, he's the Senate majority leader. Among the night's other key winners and losers: The National Republican Senatorial Committee finally had a great night after years of trouble against Democrats. They managed to knock out Sens. Mark Pryor, Kay Hagan, and Mark Udall, while keeping a struggling Pat Roberts in the Senate. As chair of the Republican Governors Association, another 2016 contender, Chris Christie, fought hard for important victories in Florida, Wisconsin, Maryland, and Illinois, USA Today reports. On a more conceptual level, the Huffington Post saw it as a big night for "bullies." New York Rep. Michael Grimm beat out Domenic Recchia, even amid tax fraud charges and after a threat—caught on TV—to break a reporter "in half." His win helped Republicans gain what ABC News notes is an even larger majority in the House. As for losers last night, President Obama was a big one: He earlier said that his "policies are on the ballot." The results, then, were a "near total repudiation" of those policies, USA Today notes. What's more, chances for a Democratic presidential victory in 2016 look weaker, the Huffington Post adds: The past three presidents have been elected under Congresses run by their parties. Wendy Davis lost badly in the Texas gubernatorial race. She wasn't expected to win, Cillizza notes, but she was also an icon for those who hoped to see Texas eventually go blue. Instead, Republicans swept last night's races for Texas state offices, Mother Jones reports. Harry Reid is out as Senate majority leader, and he could struggle even to keep his seat during the next election, USA Today reports. (The incoming majority leader, however, did get photobombed at the polls.)

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.CLOSE Republicans took over the Senate from Democrats and captured big wins across the country in a convincing and dramatic victory in the 2014 elections. VPC Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., celebrates his win Tuesday night in Louisville, Ky. (Photo: J. Scott Applewhite, AP) Election night 2014 was like a tsunami, as Republicans wiped out Democrats to take control of the Senate and won governorships in states that easily re-elected President Obama. A look at some winners and losers: WINNERS Mitch McConnell won more than just a sixth term to represent Kentucky. He'll soon be formally elected as Senate majority leader, a job he's long coveted, and take responsibility for setting the legislative agenda. McConnell's challenge is producing results for the GOP with a Democrat in the White House. Chris Christie wasn't on the ballot, but the chairman of the Republican Governors Association can claim victory. The New Jersey governor stumped for embattled GOP incumbents in Florida and Wisconsin, and helped candidates score upsets in traditional Democratic strongholds such as Maryland and Illinois. Not a bad start to a potential 2016 White House bid. Rand Paul, who arrived in the Senate as a Tea Party firebrand, was a team player and worked with mainstream Republicans to bring the GOP into power. When his candidate didn't win the North Carolina Senate nomination, Paul immediately rallied behind Thom Tillis. When the U.S. Chamber of Commerce wanted to reach independent voters in Alaska, the group turned to Paul. The senator's PAC paid for last-minute advertising in key states, including in Kansas to help Sen. Pat Roberts win another term. Two years ago, it would have seemed impossible that Mitt Romney would appear on an election winner's list. But the 2012 GOP presidential nominee was a popular surrogate in the battleground states that redefined the Senate. The former Massachusetts governor said recently he traveled to 27 states because "almost all those people helped me in 2012." In a bad night for their party, a trio of New Hampshire Democratic women bucked the trend. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, Gov. Maggie Hassan and Rep. Ann Kuster each fought back tough challenges to win new terms. While Rep. Carol Shea-Porter's loss means the Granite State will no longer have an all-female leadership team, the ability of these Democrats to fend off the GOP wave stands out. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and New Hampshire Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan wave to the crowd at a rally on Nov. 2, 2014 in Nashua, N.H., that was also attended by former secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. (Photo: Jim Cole, AP) LOSERS President Obama made headlines during the campaign when he said that his "policies are on the ballot." If that's the case, this was a near total repudiation. Democrats lost most of the battleground contests, as Republicans succeeded in linking their opponents to the president and his low approval ratings. Now, Obama will spend the final two years of his presidency working with a GOP-controlled Congress. President Obama and then-Florida Governor Charlie Crist in 2009. (Photo: Joe Raedle, Getty Images) No one will likely find their political standing more diminished than Harry Reid. His nearly eight years as Senate majority leader will come to an end. Reid, who beat back a Tea Party challenger in Nevada four years ago, could face another tough re-election fight back home in 2016. Southern Democrats, once dominant, had reason to hope they could make inroads in 2014. Even though they were defending Senate seats in Louisiana (which will now head to a runoff), Arkansas and North Carolina, they made strong pushes in Kentucky against McConnell and in Georgia's governor and Senate races. Bill Clinton was actively involved in races back home in Arkansas. It wasn't meant to be. Former president Bill Clinton talks with Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., during a campaign rally on Nov. 2 in Texarkana, Ark. (Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images) Scott Brown and Martha Coakley: Brown was once the toast of the GOP after capturing Ted Kennedy's Senate seat by beating Coakley in 2010. But after losing his seat to Elizabeth Warren in 2012, he moved to New Hampshire and lost to Shaheen in a strong Republican year. Maybe Coakley's timing hasn't been great, but the Democratic attorney general now has lost two winnable statewide races in Massachusetts. Charlie Crist: The former Florida governor has the dubious distinction of voters souring on him as a Republican and independent in the 2010 Senate race. Now, as a Democrat, he failed to get his old job back. That pretty much says it all. Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1qoXG0o ||||| The GOP gained control of the Senate Tuesday night, taking hold of the legislative agenda in that chamber. Here are three of the policies Republicans are likely to tackle as they take the reins in January 2015. (Julie Percha/The Washington Post) Elections are all about winning and losing. And there was lots and lots of that on Tuesday night -- with Republicans doing most of the winning and Democrats doing the bulk of the losing. Having dug out from the avalanche of election results and with a few hours of sleep, I came up with some of the less obvious bests and worsts of the night that was. Agree? Disagree? The comments section awaits. Winners * Mitch McConnell: All this guy does is win. In a race that was supposed to be the closest of his life, the senator was named the winner of his reelection race moments after the polls closed in Kentucky. And, given the developments in other parts of the country, McConnell looks very likely to take over as Senate majority leader when the 114th Congress convenes in January. * Chris Christie: If not for the Republican takeover of the Senate, all the political world would be talking about this morning would be the remarkable success the GOP had in the governors' contests. They won where they should have (Illinois, Arkansas etc) and where they shouldn't have (Maryland and Maine). Leading that effort as the chairman of the Reupublican Governors Association was New Jersey's Christie, who will assuredly use the showing from his side as a springboard for his own 2016 ambitions. * National Republican Senatorial Committee: Yes, they had a terrific map. And, yes, it got better when Democrats such as Max Baucus, Jay Rockefeller and Tim Johnson decided to retire. But, they still had to go out and win it. And, after struggling to beat virtually any Senate Democrats in the past few cycles, they ousted Sens. Mark Pryor in Arkansas and Mark Udall in Colorado and might beat Sens. Kay Hagan in North Carolina and Mark Warner in Virginia. And, they managed to save Sen. Pat Roberts from himself in Kansas. * John Kasich: The Republican Ohio governor, as expected, won a crushing victory over Ed FitzGerald, who may well have been the worst heavily-hyped candidate of the election. Winning so big in a state that is at the center of every electoral vote calculation made by 2016 strategists in both parties. Kasich has been mostly mute on his interest in running for president in 2016, but Tuesday night solidified his résumé should he decide to do just that. * Ed Gillespie: Win or (narrowly) lose, Gillespie drastically overperformed expectations in his challenge to Virginia's Sen. Mark Warner (D). And, even if he winds up losing, Gillespie will be very well positioned to run for governor in 2017 in a relatively weak field that could include former state attorney general Mark Obenshain and former lieutenant governor Bill Bolling. * Shelley Moore Capito: Quietly, the West Virginia congresswoman ran one of the best campaigns in the country. She easily won the race to replace retiring Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D) and will be an interesting moderate GOP voice in the Senate. * Al Franken: The Democratic Minnesota senator won the closest race in the country six years ago, and many Republicans promised to make him a one-termer. Franken made no news -- on purpose -- and played down his former celebrity status. It worked brilliantly. * Florida vote counting: Giant state. Fast count. Kudos for a place that has seen its share of criticism of the way it conducts its elections. * America Rising: The Republican opposition research shop -- run by Mitt Romney's 2012 campaign manager -- proved its value this cycle. They had trackers in 36 states and unearthed some gems of opposition research on Democratic challengers, including Iowa Rep. Bruce Braley's pejorative comments about farmers and the detailed memo from Michelle Nunn's campaign about her weaknesses and their overall strategy. Oppo research isn't the sexiest part of campaigns, but it might be the most important. * The Corys: The Senate now has two men named Cory in it: Cory Gardner (R) from Colorado and Cory Booker (D) from New Jersey. I really only made them a winner so I could link to this picture of the other Two Corys. Losers * Southern Democrats: Sen. Kay Hagan in North Carolina, Alison Lundergan Grimes in Kentucky and Sen. Mark Pryor in Arkansas did everything they could to run away from President Obama and insist they were their own independent voices. Ditto Michelle Nunn in Georgia. Didn't work. They all lost. And even Sen. Mark Warner, long considered to be impregnable, found himself in a tight race with former Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie. The results affirmed just how difficult it is for Democrats to win federal races in the South -- particularly in an election cycle like this one where a Democratic president is decidedly unpopular in the region. (An NBC/Marist poll released on Sunday showed Obama with a 32 percent approval rating in Kentucky.) Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) narrowly defeated Democrat Charlie Crist, ending a race that frequently turned nasty and personal. Crist, who served as Florida's governor from 2006 to 2010 as a Republican, was hammered repeatedly by the Scott campaign for being a political opportunist. (WSVN) * Charlie Crist: Crist, as recently as five years ago, was the most popular politician in Florida by a mile. Today he is a two-time losing party switcher with no political future. Crist's abandonment of the Republican Party backfired on him in the 2010 Senate race, and he couldn't overcome Gov. Rick Scott (R), who was deeply unpopular in the state, as a Democrat. Sen. Mark Udall (D) conceded to Rep. Cory Gardner (R) in Colorado Tuesday night. Critics argued Udall's campaign put too much focus on women's issues as the race tightened. (KMGH) * Scott Brown: Speaking of two-time losers, Brown, the former Massachusetts senator, is probably done in politics after losing to New Hampshire's Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. I will always wonder why Brown opted not to run for governor in Massachusetts, a race that was quite clearly very winnable. Speaking of Massachusetts... * Martha Coakley: It's a very, very difficult thing to lose two major statewide races in Massachusetts as a Democrat. But Coakley, the sitting attorney general who had already lost a U.S. Senate seat to Scott Brown in 2010, did just that when she came up short against Gov.-elect Charlie Baker. Might be time to find another line of work. * Martin O'Malley: The entire race to replace Democrat O'Malley as Maryland's governor was cast as a referendum on his two terms in office by Republican Larry Hogan. Make that Gov.-elect Hogan, who pulled off the most stunning upset of the night when he ousted heavily favored Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown (D). O'Malley's 2016 presidential prospects were never great, but they took a major blow Tuesday night as he couldn't even put down a rebellion in his own back yard. * Mark Udall: Ask any Democrat what happened to Colorado Sen. Mark Udall and they all tell you the same thing: He got caught napping. Sen-elect Cory Gardner (R) initially said "no" to the race but reversed course as the political environment faded for President Obama. Udall's strict focus on reproductive rights -- which Democrats were convinced was a silver bullet against Gardner -- didn't work. At all. * Turnout operations: In a neutral political environment, the superior ground game can matter for a point or so. But in a year in which the national playing field is so clearly tilted to Republicans, the touted Bannock Street Project, Democrats' much-discussed turnout operation, couldn't make the difference. Texas Democrat Wendy Davis, who faced long odds in the contest for Texas governor, conceded to Republican Greg Abbott Tuesday night, telling her supporters "your work is not in vain" during her emotional speech to supporters. (NBC) * Wendy Davis: No one thought Davis was going to be the next governor of Texas. But, few thought the Democrat would lose as badly as she did. Davis was on track to underperform not only Bill White' 42 percent in 2010 but also, potentially, Tony Sanchez's 40 percent in 2002. For a candidate whom many saw as the leading edge of the Democratic resurgence in Texas, that is really, really bad. ||||| Some of the most intriguing races remain undecided as election night winds down. If you’ve read any headlines so far, it’s easy to see Democrats were clear losers Tuesday. But this year’s midterms were about more than who controls Congress and the candidates themselves. So, who else -- or what else -- won or lost? The Huffington Post is taking a look at the broader picture. Loser: Political Legacies Despite the help they got on the campaign trail, candidates with family political legacies did not fare well Tuesday. Georgia state Sen. Jason Carter (D), the grandson of former President Jimmy Carter, lost in his bid for the state’s governorship. Democrat Michelle Nunn, the daughter of former U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn (D-Ga.), lost in Georgia’s Senate race. Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) had assistance from his mother and father, former U.S. Sen. David Pryor (D-Ark.), during his re-election campaign. Yet he lost his seat to Rep. Tom Cotton (R). And Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) moved on to a runoff instead of winning re-election outright, despite being the daughter of former New Orleans Mayor Moon Landrieu (D). Perhaps the brightest spot for political offspring on Tuesday was a win for Gwen Graham, the daughter of former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham (D-Fla.). She defeated incumbent Rep. Steve Southerland in Florida’s 2nd Congressional District. Winner: Voter Disenfranchisement Even before Election Day, voters in Texas were having trouble casting ballots because of a new state voter ID law that the Supreme Court allowed to stand. And on Election Day the reports of voters being turned away continued. I witnessed three people turned away from the polls for having the wrong ID in just 10 minutes. One man was hopping mad. — Michael Barnes (@outandabout) November 4, 2014 The Texas law, which Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg called an “unconstitutional poll tax” in her October dissent to the court's decision, requires voters to provide one of seven types of photo ID in order to vote. Concealed handgun licenses are valid, but college IDs are not. The law’s strict provisions have led civil rights groups to argue it was designed to hamper turnout from minorities and young people, who tend to vote Democratic. Texas isn’t the only place new laws were implemented. In all, 14 states are navigating new rules related to voting. Loser: 'Lingerie Parties' Rep. Steve Southerland (R-Fla.) was the first incumbent House representative to lose on Tuesday night, falling to Democratic challenger Gwen Graham in a race in which the congressman's comments about women became a major point of contention. In September, Southerland came under fire for a men-only fundraiser his campaign had held earlier in the year. An invitation to the event told invited members to "tell the misses not to wait up." When Graham's campaign made issue of the fundraiser, Southerland replied by likening it to a "lingerie party." The back and forth led Democrats with Graham's campaign to charge that Southerland was partaking in the so-called "war on women," and the congressman later faced attacks for his vote against reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act. Winner: Bullies For Rep. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.), winning a third term was as easy as taking candy from a baby. Vote tallies on election night showed Grimm with more than a 10-point lead over his challenger, Democrat Dominic Recchia, even though the congressman is facing a host of federal tax fraud charges and earlier this year was caught on tape threatening to break a TV reporter "in half." Grimm will face trial in February for 20 counts of mail and tax fraud relating to a restaurant he once owned, the New York Observer reports. Loser: Immigration Reform Sweeping immigration reform was dealt another blow Tuesday as Republicans took control of the U.S. Senate. With control of both chambers, the GOP could pass an immigration reform bill on its own terms, in hopes it would boost the party’s standing with Latinos for the 2016 elections. If that were to happen, President Barack Obama would probably feel inclined to sign the bill. However, it’s unlikely to encompass all the changes reform groups -- and Democrats -- have been pushing for. On the other hand, Obama has said he plans to pursue reform through executive action after the elections regardless, so Congress’ unwillingness to address the issue might not prevent it from happening. Winner: Fear-Mongering It’s hard to prove whether campaign tactics of fear won an election for any candidate, but it’s clear plenty of campaigns were cultivating fear about Ebola, the Islamic State and immigration, yet didn’t suffer any major retribution. Even a GOP candidate who used an image from an Islamic State beheading in his campaign ad was polling within 15 percentage points of Sen. Tom Udall shortly before Election Day. Loser: Independent Candidates Even before Election Day, Maine’s independent gubernatorial candidate, Eliot Cutler, told supporters to vote their conscience when he was running behind in the polls. The statement served as a signal that he knew he wasn’t going to win, even though he wasn’t dropping out of the race. Kansas independent Senate candidate Greg Orman, however, was in a tight race with unpopular GOP incumbent Sen. Pat Roberts as voters went to the polls Tuesday. However, he couldn’t pull out a win. Winner: Abortion Rights Abortion rights were upheld Tuesday as two “personhood” amendments on state ballots were rejected. North Dakota rejected Measure 1, which would have added a statement to the state constitution that declared, “The inalienable right to life of every human being at any stage of development must be recognized and protected.” Coloradans rejected Amendment 67 on their ballot. The measure would have included fetuses in the state’s criminal code where the words “person” or “child” were used. The state’s voters have turned down personhood measures in the past. On the other hand, Tennessee’s Amendment 1, which passed in the red state, declares that the state constitution doesn’t protect a woman’s right to an abortion or the funding of abortions. Loser: 2016 Democratic Presidential Candidate This doesn’t bode well for Democratic presidential hopefuls: In recent presidential elections with no incumbent, the party that controls Congress has taken the White House. President Barack Obama was elected in 2008, while Democrats controlled both chambers. When George W. Bush was elected in 2000, the GOP had the House and Senate. Democrats ran Congress in 1992, when Bill Clinton won the presidency. But not all hope is lost. GOP Presidents George H.W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon and Dwight Eisenhower all won while Democrats controlled Congress. Winner: Low-Wage Workers Measures to raise the minimum wage were on the ballot in five states Tuesday. In four Republican-leaning states -- Alaska, Arkansas, Nebraska and South Dakota -- voters considered binding measures to enact hikes, while in Illinois, the referendum was only advisory. Voters in Alaska approved a measure to raise the minimum wage to $9.75 from its current $7.75. In Nebraska, a similar push to hike the hourly wage to $9 from the federal minimum of $7.25 also passed. And in Arkansas and South Dakota, which both currently use the federal minimum wage, voters decided to change the minimum wage to $8.50 an hour. The non-binding referendum in Illinois to raise the minimum wage to $10, from the current statewide $8.25, won as well. First and foremost, this is a win for the low-wage workers who will see more take-home pay next year. But there have been ongoing disputes over the potential long-term effects of wage increases, with some economists suggesting that they will lead to lost jobs and make it harder for low-skilled workers to find work. Others have said the overall effects on the job market will be negligible. FiveThirtyEight has a more complete analysis on how these hikes could affect the workforces in various states. Politically, however, this could be a sign that Obama's campaign to raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 is an increasingly popular issue that plays well in elections -- perhaps particularly for Democrats, who have stood behind the president's push. While a number of GOP candidates from the states that voted on minimum wage measures eventually announced support for those initiatives, Republicans in Congress have consistently resisted similar nationwide efforts. Loser: Atheist Congressional Representation Going into the 2014 election cycle, there were exactly zero admitted atheists serving in Congress. That didn't change on Tuesday night, as the most viable candidate, James Woods, a blind Democrat running in a deeply red congressional district in Arizona, failed to pull off an upset against longtime GOP Rep. Matt Salmon. Various areligious groups have claimed in the past that there are a number of congressional representatives who don't believe in God. At this point, however, they remain unwilling to express such views in public. Loser: Infidelity Voters on Tuesday told the “kissing congressman” not to return to Congress. Rep. Vance McAllister (R-La.), who was caught on tape with a married former employee earlier this year, said a couple of weeks after the video surfaced that he wouldn’t run for re-election. However, two months later, he re-entered the race. In the end, voters decided to give someone else a shot at his seat. Although the race will go to a runoff, McAllister will not be on the ballot. Winner: GOP Dark Money Just five Senate races received half of all dark money spending -- funds whose sources don’t have to be disclosed under federal rules -- in the 2014 cycle. The majority of the money supported GOP candidates -- and all five of those Republicans won. $92.8 million of the $190 million in dark money spent in the cycle went toward Senate races in Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Kentucky and North Carolina As of mid-October, super PACs spent $29.2 million against Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.), and she lost to Thom Tillis (R). More than $18 million went to support Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R), who won in Kentucky. Some $14.1 million was spent against Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.), who lost to Rep. Cory Gardner (R). In Arkansas, $10.4 million was spent against Sen. Mark Pryor (D), who lost to Rep. Tom Cotton (R). In Alaska, $11.7 million in dark money was spent, with $6.6 million backing the winner, Republican Dan Sullivan, and $5.1 million backing Sen. Mark Begich (D). Loser: Perennial Losers Martha Coakley in Massachusetts, Charlie Crist in Florida, Scott Brown in whichever state he’s currently in … all lost once in high-profile statewide races, and then came back this cycle to lose again. Brown has made history with his losses to women, though. Winner: Legal Weed After the passage of some state initiatives Tuesday night, recreational marijuana is on track to be legal in at least three states and Washington, D.C. Oregon’s Initiative Petition 53, which passed, would allow adults 21 and over to possess up to 8 ounces of marijuana at home and 1 ounce when in public. Initiative 71 in D.C. also passed and would allow adults to possess up to 2 ounces and grow up to six plants for personal use. Marijuana sales would still be illegal in D.C., however. Alaska voters approved Ballot Measure 2, which would allow adults 21 and over in the state to possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana and grow up to six plants for their own use. Marijuana paraphernalia could also legally be made and sold. Colorado and Washington were the first states to legalize recreational marijuana in 2012. Medical marijuana is legal in 23 states and D.C., though an amendment to legalize it in Florida on Tuesday was just shy of the 60 percent approval that was required for passage. Politicians in other states have already been talking about proposing legalization in the coming years. Winner: Universal Background Checks For Gun Sales Voters in Washington state on Tuesday approved a ballot measure to require background checks on all gun sales. It was one of two gun-related initiatives, with a competing proposal that would have prevented the state from imposing additional background check requirements unless first enacted by the federal government. The passage of this ballot measure comes more than 18 months after Congress rejected a federal background check measure proposed in the wake of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, despite polls showing that about 90 percent of Americans supported the policy at the time. With politicians at both the state and national levels having shown little interest in gun control legislation in the period since, this small victory could suggest to proponents that their best chances of success are with voters. The issue of guns was also on the ballot in Alabama, where voters passed an amendment to declare that every citizen "has a fundamental right to bear arms and that any restriction on this right would be subject to strict scrutiny." At any rate, Alabama is a deep red state, and it seemed unlikely legislators would have moved aggressively on any sort of gun control measure in the first place. Loser: The Clintons Tuesday wasn’t a good night for the Clintons, whose endorsed candidates largely failed to pull off wins across the country. Shushannah Walshe of ABC News noted their tallies on Twitter: How did @hillaryclinton do? She stumped for 26 candidates, 10 wins, 14 losses, @ABC has not projected 1 race, and she backed Landrieu. — Shushannah Walshe (@shushwalshe) November 5, 2014 And how did @billclinton do? Out of 41 candidates, 10 wins, 21 losses, Mary Landrieu will go to a run off & @ABC has not projected 10 races — Shushannah Walshe (@shushwalshe) November 5, 2014 That said, many are expecting Hillary to focus on becoming a winner between now and 2016. This post has been updated to include sections on low-wage workers and the Clintons, and to reflect the passage of Alaska's Ballot Measure 2 and results of Alaska's Senate race. ||||| Texas Democrats started the 2014 election cycle with a dream of turning the state blue for the first time in two decades, buoyed by a progressive hero on the ballot and an influx of outside cash and organizers. Instead, the nation's biggest red state just got even redder. On Tuesday, for the fifth consecutive cycle, Texas Republicans swept statewide offices, including the race for governor, where Republican attorney general Greg Abbott cruised past Democratic state Sen. Wendy Davis. It was Abbott who made the decision to hire now-Sen. Ted Cruz to be the state's first solicitor general, and it was Abbott—more so even than retiring Gov. Rick Perry—who epitomized his state's antagonistic relationship with Washington, suing the Obama administration no fewer than 27 times in his first five years. ("I go into the office, I sue Barack Obama, and then I go home," Abbott likes to tell Republican audiences.) Lest he be tempted to move to the center, voters also tapped state Sen. Dan Patrick to be his lieutenant governor, a position that's disproportionately powerful in Texas because it serves a dual legislative and executive function. Patrick has said that God speaks to the world through Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson, and warned that migrants are bringing "third-world diseases" with them across the border. Winning in the Lone Star State was always supposed to be an uphill battle for Democrats in 2014, a point that Battleground Texas, the field-organizing outfit launched last spring by a group of Obama campaign volunteers, made clear from the get-go. When Davis jumped into the race, the time-frame shifted. As the group's executive director, Jenn Brown, told me in September, Davis' candidacy settled a chicken-and-egg dilemma that had been confounding organizers: "Great people don't want to run unless they feel there's an infrastructure to support them, but it's hard to get great infrastructure without great candidates." But Davis—and Battleground—also had the effect of throwing a football at a hornet's nest. FreedomWorks, a conservative political outfit, launched an $8-million "Come and Take It" project last year designed to thwart Democratic gains. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who faced minimal Democratic resistance in his re-election bid this year, nonetheless asked for donations to combat "out-of-state organizers"—and "Keep it Red." (That's not to be confused with another group, "Let's Keep it Texas Red," which was formed before Cornyn's group but which per its campaign finance report exists mainly to sell t-shirts.) Even conservative provocateur James O'Keefe—recently seen crossing the border dressed as Osama Bin Laden—got in on the action, publishing a sting video purporting to show Battleground volunteers illegally cribbing phone numbers from voter registration rolls. (The practice is not illegal.) No one took the threat more seriously than Abbott, who warned that Democratic groups constituted "an assault far more dangerous than what the leader of North Korea threatened when he said he was going to add Austin, Texas, as one of the recipients of his nuclear weapons." He walked the walk, too, making repeated visits to heavily Hispanic, heavily Democratic South Texas in the hopes of offsetting any gains the Davis campaign hoped it could make. ||||| You can't win every vote. Interested in ? Add as an interest to stay up to date on the latest news, video, and analysis from ABC News. Add Interest One Kentucky voter showed his disapproval for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell today when he ran into the senator at a Louisville polling location. The campaign for McConnell’s opponent, Alison Lundergan Grimes, quickly turned the photobomb into a messaging opportunity on Twitter. The tweet, which has since been deleted, can be found on the Sunlight Foundation’s archive of politicians’ deleted tweets. ||||| On a night when Republicans took over the Senate and Democrats experienced even more losses than they were originally expecting, some of the longer-term winners and losers were people who didn't have their name on a ballot. Interested in ? Add as an interest to stay up to date on the latest news, video, and analysis from ABC News. Add Interest Fortuitous fundraising and a focus on presidential prospects helped a few Republicans on Tuesday, while two candidates who tried to game the system -- by physically moving to another state in one race and moving to a new political party for another -- didn't work out for them in the end. National Exit Poll Reveals Major Voter Discontent PHOTOS: The Unusual Places Where Americans Vote Updated Results From Around the Country WINNERS J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo Mitch McConnell Not only was Mitch McConnell able to hold onto his job as Senator from Kentucky, but now he gets a promotion as well after Republicans were able to tilt the balance of power in the Senate. Chris Christie The tough-talking New Jersey governor wasn't listed on any ballots this year but, because of his role as the head of the Republican Governor's Association, he increased his national presence and has the results to prove it. With some races left to call, at least 21 of the 34 candidates that he stumped for ended up winning. Morry Gash/AP Photo Scott Walker After keeping his post as Governor of Wisconsin, Scott Walker has essentially shown his critics that his constituents are fans of his attempts to break unions. This also secured his spot as a top Republican presidential contender. House Republicans While the Senate was the center of most analysts' attention during the race, Republicans in the House also had a good night because now their majority is even stronger than before. Gerry Broome/AP Photo Kay Hagan The incumbent Democratic Senator no longer has a job, but she also lost her job in the most expensive race of the entire election. The cumulative fight between Hagan and Republican challenger Thom Tillis is estimated to have cost more than $1 million. LOSERS President Obama Many are casting these midterms as a referendum on President Obama's policies and a general reflection on Americans' general displeasure with this administration. His low approval ratings and attempts by candidates to distance themselves meant that the president tried to steer clear of the campaign trail for much of the lead up to the election, but he still ended up being the biggest loser on Tuesday night. Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Getty Images Harry Reid The Nevada Senator did not have a race to run himself but -- because of how the other races played out -- ended up losing a title out. Reid will have to hand over the Majority Leader mantle to McConnell. Chris OMeara/AP Photo Charlie Crist The fan behind his podium wasn't enough to keep his campaign cool, as Charlie Crist now has the distinct honor of being considered a loser for each political party. He started his political career as a Republican, but decided to rebrand himself an Independent when Marco Rubio beat him in the 2010 Senate race. His time as an Independent didn't work that well either, so he registered as a Democrat in 2012. He lost as a Democrat on Tuesday. Elise Amendola/AP Photo Scott Brown Though he never switched parties, former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown did try running in another state this time around, but that didn't turn out too well. Brown, who has had a summer home in New Hampshire for years, lost that state's race against incumbent Democrat Jeanne Shaheen. Martha Coakley The former Massachusetts Attorney General isn't going to be able to lose her unfortunate nickname (of "Choakley") after Tuesday's race. She was first appointed to fill Ted Kennedy's Senate seat after he died, but then was beaten by Scott Brown in a special election. This time around, her former foe had moved up north in hopes of friendlier folk in New Hampshire, but that didn't help her new gubernatorial cause as she still ended up losing this race to Republican Charlie Baker.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average hit its latest milestone on Wednesday: 22,000. Photo: Getty Images The Dow Jones Industrial Average has been shattering record after record lately. Barely six months after it crossed the 20,000 mark, the Dow hit 22,000 on Wednesday morning, before pulling back slightly. It’s another milestone that might not mean much for your portfolio, but it is symbolic of the enormous bull run the market has enjoyed since 2009. Here’s some background on the Dow and what’s driven it to such soaring heights: What is the Dow Jones Industrial Average anyway? The Dow is the oldest and most-widely followed U.S. stock market index, composed of 30 large public companies. Meant to represent a broad cross section of the market, the index is composed of a diverse group of blue chip companies such as Pfizer, Boeing, Coca-Cola, Goldman Sachs, Walmart, and Disney. Get the best of Barron's Next every weekday. By signing up, I agree to the Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy I'd like to receive updates and special offers from Dow Jones and affiliates. Email address is not valid. Agree to the policies to sign up. Subscribe Congratulations! You have been subscribed to our daily Barron’s Next newsletter Newsletters will start being sent to you within 48 hours. Review our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy How is it calculated? The DJIA is a “price-weighted” index, which means that it is calculated by adding up the 30 companies’ stock prices and then dividing them by a magic number called the Dow Divisor. The divisor is adjusted to account for stock splits, dividends, or spinoffs, which affect the share prices of Dow components. Because it is price-weighted, stocks with a higher price carry a greater weight in the index. For example, A 10% change in 3M’s $204 stock will add more points to the Dow than a 10% change in Cisco’s $31 stock. The S&P 500, another widely-followed index, is market-cap weighted, meaning that an equal percentage change in any of its components will have the same effect on the index’s value, regardless of stock price. Which specific companies powered the Dow to 22,000? In the 107 trading days since the Dow reached 21,000 on March 1, Boeing led the pack, rising 54% and adding 370 points to the index. McDonald’s and UnitedHealth Group followed, adding 189 and 172 points, respectively. IBM was the main drag on the Dow, declining 37.5% since March and costing the index 257 points. Why did the Dow just smash through another record? Promise of regulatory and tax reform: President Trump and the Republican party have campaigned on business-friendly policies such as a lower corporate tax rate and softer regulations. If successfully implemented, investors believe that corporate earnings will increase. Strong economic fundamentals: Low unemployment, slow but steady GDP growth, and other economic indicators point to a still improving economic climate, encouraging optimism which leads to more investment and spending. Low interest rates: The Federal Reserve has increased interest rates three times since December, another reason to be optimistic about the economy. Nevertheless, rates are still near historical lows, meaning that investors looking to earn a reasonable return have few options besides the stock market, driving share prices higher. Strong corporate earnings: Companies have been earning higher profits and expect to earn more in the future as the economy improves and business and consumer spending increase. Weakening dollar: Many of the Dow’s components have large international operations. The U.S. dollar has fallen 10% since the start of the year relative to other currencies, meaning that foreign profits are worth more in dollars and making U.S.-produced goods cheaper and more competitive abroad. What does Dow 22k mean for me? On the surface, not much. The number 22,000 itself is a relatively meaningless milestone and isn’t technically any different than the DJIA hitting 21,756 or 22,011. What’s relevant is the trend, and this year it’s been practically nothing but up. ||||| The latest on developments in financial markets (All times local): 4:00 p.m. The Dow Jones industrial average closed above 22,000 points for the first time, driven by a big gain in Apple on an otherwise mixed day for the market. Health care and household goods companies fell Wednesday. Prescription drug distributor Cardinal Health dropped 8.2 percent. Movie theater companies plunged after AMC Entertainment gave a weak profit forecast amid a sluggish summer at the box office. AMC slumped 27 percent. The Dow Jones industrials rose 52 points, or 0.2 percent, to 22,016. The move was almost entirely due to the jump in Apple's stock. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index edged up 1 point, less than 0.1 percent, to 2,477. The Nasdaq edged down less than a point to 6,362. More stocks fell than rose on the New York Stock Exchange. ___ 11:45 a.m. A big earnings gain from Apple is sending the Dow Jones industrial average above 22,000 points for the first time, but otherwise stocks are mostly lower. Apple soared 5 percent in midday trading Wednesday, accounting for all of the Dow's gain. Apple reported another solid quarter and released a strong forecast late Tuesday. Other industries mostly fell, led by drops in health care and household goods companies. Prescription drug distributor Cardinal Health plunged 9.6 percent. Movie theater companies fell sharply after AMC Entertainment gave a weak forecast. AMC's stock sank 24 percent. The Dow Jones industrials rose 45 points, or 0.2 percent, to 22,010. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 4 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,472. The Nasdaq composite lost 24 points, or 0.4 percent, to 6,338. ___ 9:35 a.m. A big earnings gain from Apple is sending the Dow Jones industrial average above 22,000 points for the first time. Apple soared 6 percent in the first few minutes of trading Wednesday, accounting for all of the Dow's gain. Apple reported another strong quarter and released a strong forecast late Tuesday. Drugmaker Illumina jumped 12 percent after beating its earnings forecasts and issuing a strong outlook. The Dow was up 68 points, or 0.3 percent, to 22,031. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 2 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,478. The Nasdaq composite increased 25 points, or 0.4 percent, to 6,388. ||||| Yet those concerns have yet to halt the stock market’s seemingly unstoppable advance. Mr. Trump has repeatedly pointed to record highs in the Dow as a validation of his administration, posting on Twitter on Tuesday morning: “Stock Market could hit all-time high (again) 22,000 today. Was 18,000 only 6 months ago on Election Day. Mainstream media seldom mentions!” And while it is true that there has been little in terms of legislative action to back up his boast, investment experts say that the president’s promise to slash regulations and cut taxes — even if unfulfilled — has stoked long-dormant animal spirits among investors. That corporate earnings are excelling and the global economy is growing faster than many expected has only added to the bullish vibe. “Whether you like the administration, the people, the rhetoric or not, there is no overstating just how powerful the animal spirits have been,” said Atul Lele, chief investment officer for Deltec International Group, an investment firm based in Nassau, Bahamas. “You are seeing it in the data and it is evident in the financial markets as well.” While there is no doubt that the animal spirits have done their work, just as important to the market’s recent rally has been the significant fall in the dollar — not just against the euro and the yen, but against more volatile currencies like the Mexican peso and the Brazilian real. Even the Chinese renminbi, once criticized by Mr. Trump as artificially low, has gained value against the dollar, climbing more than 3 percent for the year. ||||| U.S. large-cap stocks in the Dow Jones Industrials index stretched to another record high on Tuesday, the sixth consecutive gain, despite disappointing auto sales and tepid economic data. The real highlight came after the close, however, with Apple (AAPL) climbing more than 6 percent in post-market trading after reporting better-than-expected revenues and earnings. The stock market's performance, and the Dow's approach of the 22,000 level, has attracted the attention of regular investors who are aggressively chasing this market higher. But the risks to this uptrend are also growing more numerous as memories of the last significant sell-off fade (the last 5 percent pullback was more than a year ago) and sentiment glows white hot. I can't shake the feeling of foreboding. Because everywhere I look, sharp contrasts are in play. For example, the split between the Dow's melt-up and the rollover in U.S. "hard" economic data (chart below), which will eventually affect corporate earnings growth. When that happens, the bulls won't be able to ignore the reality on the ground any longer. President Trump is touting the stock market gains since Election Day on Twitter, a sharp reversal of his pre-election warnings of an ugly bubble. Apple's after-hours rise on Tuesday stands in opposition to the weakness other big-cap tech stocks are showing, including Amazon (AMZN) and Google parent Alphabet (GOOGL) -- both of which have slipped below the $1,000-a-share level. Right now, with analyst earnings expectations still lofty, Wall Street is comfortably insulated from the disappointments on the ground. That's a sharp contrast to the midyear decline in earnings expectations seen over the past five years, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch (chart above). The difference this time has been the energy price rebound. While oil prices have indeed recovered from their early 2016 lows, the rest of the economy seems to have hit a wall in recent months as expected pro-growth legislation from the Republicans in Congress and the Trump White House has failed to materialize amid intra-party rancor, turmoil and gridlock. Personal income growth has stalled, pushing real disposable income down on a monthly basis for the first time since December as the post-election ebullience fades. Manufacturing activity is coming off boil. U.S. auto sales have returned to lows not seen since 2014. And consumer sentiment is in steady decline. Perhaps this explains the sharp drop underway in the Dow Jones Transportation index, which is down more than 6 percent from the high set a few weeks ago. Or in key blue-chip stocks like General Electric (GE), which has entered a bear market down nearly 21 percent from its December high (chart below). Or IBM (IBM), Starbucks (SBUX) and Exxon Mobil (XOM). In fact, with the S&P 500 flirting with record highs, exactly 100 of its issues are in downtrends and trading below both their 50-day and 200-day moving averages. The percentage trading above their 150-day moving average has fallen to just 71 percent, down from a high of 83.4 percent in March. According to SentimenTrader's Jason Goepfert, since 1928 when the Dow Transports and the Dow Industrials diverged to such an extent as now, the Industrials were down 3.2 percent on average six months later, with a maximum risk of a 10.1 percent drop and a maximum upside gain of 5.8 percent. There's more. According to the latest American Association of Individual Investors survey, folks are holding their lowest cash allocation since 2000 at a time when stocks are near historic levels of overvaluation. The current cyclically adjusted price-earnings ratio is eclipsing the level it held heading into the 1929 market crash. And finally, August through September is historically the worst two-month period of the year for stocks. Since 1980, the S&P 500 has fallen 0.1 percent and 0.7 percent, respectively, on average during this time -- the only two months to show an average negative return. If the Dow scratches up and over the 22,000 mark, enjoy it while it lasts. ||||| These crawls are part of an effort to archive pages as they are created and archive the pages that they refer to. That way, as the pages that are referenced are changed or taken from the web, a link to the version that was live when the page was written will be preserved.Then the Internet Archive hopes that references to these archived pages will be put in place of a link that would be otherwise be broken, or a companion link to allow people to see what was originally intended by a page's authors.The goal is to fix all broken links on the web . Crawls of supported "No More 404" sites. ||||| CLOSE It took years for the Dow to climb to 19K, but in just months it has soared to 22K and isn't slowing down. USA TODAY This file photo taken on December 8, 2016 shows the Wall Street Bull sculpture in the Financial District in New York. (AFP PHOTO / Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty Images) (Photo: BRYAN R. SMITH, AFP/Getty Images) The Dow hit a fresh milestone Wednesday, cracking the 22,000 barrier for the first time in its 121-year history. So-called "Dow 22K" is the latest sign that the stock market's long climb that began in March 2009 and that has gained momentum this year amid a global economic recovery continues to charge ahead. The Dow topped 22,000 minutes into the trading session, climbed as high as 22,036.10 before closing up 52 points, or 0.24%, at 22,016.24. The Dow's first-ever close above 22,000 was fueled by a 4.7% advance and record high finish for iPhone maker Apple, which reported strong earnings late Tuesday. The latest milestone for the blue-chip stock gauge, which includes iconic U.S. companies such as Boeing, Coca-Cola, McDonald's and Johnson & Johnson, ignited a fresh debate on Wall Street as to whether the stock price run-up has more room to go or if a market peak is nearing. The Dow Jones industrial average has gained 11.4% this year. It is up 236% since its bear market low of 6547.05, which means a $10,000 investment would be worth $33,600 now. Joe Quinlan, chief market strategist at New York-based U.S. Trust, downplayed the significance of the Dow's latest 1,000-point climb. The reason? It represents just a 4.3% gain since it topped 21,000 on March 1. What would worry Quinlan, however, would be if investors on Wall Street and Main Street get overly excited and start to pile into the market and quickly push the Dow up another 3,000 points. "Chatter about Dow 25,000 would worry me," he says, calling it "a sign of a market top" and "too much exuberance." Related: It took the Dow 154 calendar days to climb from 21,000 to 22,000, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices. In contrast, it took the Dow 2,119 days -- or nearly six years -- to jump from 14,000 to 15,000 due to the Dow's more than 50% plunge during the 2007 to 2009 bear market. The Dow's advance is being powered by better business conditions, recovering economies and improving corporate profits in the U.S. and overseas. Stock market optimists say the Dow's current rally is based on improving sales and revenues for U.S. companies and not irrational exuberance like the dot-com stock hysteria back in 2000. "Don't let the milestones cause you to miss the simple underlying story: corporate earnings are at all-time highs. So stocks are at all-time highs," says Donald Luskin, chief investment officer at TrendMacro in Chicago. That's how it is supposed to work, he adds. CLOSE Following an announcement about legislation to overhaul the U.S. immigration system, President Donald Trump touted the record high of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, saying "we picked up four trillion dollars in net worth." (Aug. 2) AP A weakening dollar against a basket of foreign currencies is also helping boost profits at big U.S. companies like McDonald's and Boeing that do a lot of business abroad. That's because it makes their products more affordable when purchased with stronger currencies. The Federal Reserve's patient approach to raising interest rates -- which are still near historic lows -- is also providing support for stocks. Stocks "can work their way higher, maybe much higher" if interest rates stay very low and central banks around the world continue to provide stimulus to markets, adds David Kotok, chief investment officer at Cumberland Advisors, an investment firm based in Sarasota, Fla. Milestones are fun to celebrate, but they don't necessarily tell you where the market is headed next, says Lindsey Bell, an investment strategist at CFRA, a market research firm in New York. "I don't think it foretells the next leg of the market," says Bell. Risks still remain. The Dow, in addition to getting pricey relative to the earnings streams of its 30 components, also faces potential risk from the inability of Washington lawmakers to work together and get things done, Bell says. The delay in getting many of President Trump's economic agenda items passed through Congress could also weigh on stocks, as a lack of tax cuts and infrastructure spending could curtail growth, Bell adds. Potential budgetary gridlock in coming months could also spook investors. Critics of the Dow's recent assault of 22,000 note that it is a "price-weighted" index -- which means its up and down moves are driven largely by its most expensive stocks -- which distorts the true health of the index and the broader market. For example, Boeing, which is now the Dow's highest-priced name at $237.95 per share, soared nearly 25% in July and had surged more than 14% in the four trading days after its strong earnings report on July 26 -- accounting for a big chunk of the Dow's gains in its final run to 22,000. The shares slipped less than 1% Wednesday. "The Dow is a flawed index where price matters and nothing else," says Mark Arbeter, president of Arbeter Investments, a Holland, Pa., firm that analyzes the health of the market by stock chart patterns, trading volume and trendlines. In the past six trading days, the Dow has risen 403 points. Boeing accounted for 43% of that gain. "When should an index be dominated by one stock? Never," says Arbeter. Investors should also never get overly confident, no matter how strong the stock market is acting, warns U.S. Trust's Quinlan. "Investors tend to forget about risk levels as markets hit new highs every session," says Quinlan. Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2wlFU8a ||||| The Dow Jones industrial average broke above 22,000 on Wednesday, just 107 trading days after hitting 21,000 for the first time. The 30-stock index has gained nearly 1,000 points since March 1, when it hit 21,000 on an intraday and closing basis, thanks in large part to a handful of stocks. Boeing shares have had the biggest points impact on the price-weighted Dow, contributing 380.29 points since March 1, followed by McDonald's and UnitedHealth Group with 171.14 and 166.35 points, respectively. Caterpillar and 3M rounded out the top five points contributors, adding 99.44 and 91.22 points, respectively, to the Dow since March 1. But the Dow could have reached the elusive 22,000 mark well before had it not been for IBM, Goldman Sachs, General Electric, Chevron and ExxonMobil shares. Since March 1, these stocks have contributed the biggest amount of losses to the Dow. Below is a chart showing the biggest contributors of point gains, and losses, to the Dow since it first reached 21,000.

– The Dow eclipsed 22,000 for the first time in its 121-year history on Wednesday, helped to the mark soon after the opening bell by a strong earnings report from Apple. The index fell below the mark at points during the day but closed in milestone territory at 22,016, per the AP. (The S&P 500 ticked up incrementally to 2,477 and the Nasdaq ticked down a smidge to 6,362.) The Dow's record has prompted a flood of commentary and factoids. Examples: Biggest gainer: Since March 1, shares of Boeing had contributed 380 points to the Dow as of Wednesday morning, more than any other company and ahead of McDonald's (171), UnitedHealth (166), Caterpillar (99), and 3M (91), per CNBC. The biggest detractor? IBM had the largest loss over the same span, 251 points. Dollar's role: As the Dow has risen, the US dollar has declined, losing about 10% of its value against major world currencies. The New York Times explores how the two are related, as does USA Today, which notes that a weak dollar helps big companies that do business abroad because their products are more affordable in foreign currencies. Trump's start: The Dow's close above 22,000 means that it has risen 20% in the 183 trading days since Election Day, per the Wall Street Journal. For a new president, that's second only to George HW Bush (171 days) and ahead of Barack Obama (537), George W. Bush (1,626), and Bill Clinton (308). Hold the applause: At MarketWatch, Rex Nutting argues that the cheerleading over the Dow's rise is overblown, given that most Americans don't own very many shares. The rise helps the richest Americans, while the young in particular are out of luck. "I bought my first shares for my retirement account back in the 1970s, so I've benefited from the incredible gains since then," he writes. "But my children are buying high, not low." Warning signs: At MoneyWatch, Anthony Mirhaydari is worried about weak economic fundamentals in regard to personal income growth, manufacturing, US auto sales, consumer sentiment, and more. As for this current surge: "Enjoy it while it lasts." Why the rise? President Trump has been touting the surging Dow for a while now, and a post at Barron's suggests he's due some of the credit. He and the GOP "have campaigned on business-friendly policies such as a lower corporate tax rate and softer regulations," writes Nicholas Jasinski. "If successfully implemented, investors believe that corporate earnings will increase." Also at play: low unemployment, low interest rates, and the aforementioned weak dollar.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.The Dow Jones Industrial Average hit its latest milestone on Wednesday: 22,000. Photo: Getty Images The Dow Jones Industrial Average has been shattering record after record lately. Barely six months after it crossed the 20,000 mark, the Dow hit 22,000 on Wednesday morning, before pulling back slightly. It’s another milestone that might not mean much for your portfolio, but it is symbolic of the enormous bull run the market has enjoyed since 2009. Here’s some background on the Dow and what’s driven it to such soaring heights: What is the Dow Jones Industrial Average anyway? The Dow is the oldest and most-widely followed U.S. stock market index, composed of 30 large public companies. Meant to represent a broad cross section of the market, the index is composed of a diverse group of blue chip companies such as Pfizer, Boeing, Coca-Cola, Goldman Sachs, Walmart, and Disney. Get the best of Barron's Next every weekday. By signing up, I agree to the Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy I'd like to receive updates and special offers from Dow Jones and affiliates. Email address is not valid. Agree to the policies to sign up. Subscribe Congratulations! You have been subscribed to our daily Barron’s Next newsletter Newsletters will start being sent to you within 48 hours. Review our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy How is it calculated? The DJIA is a “price-weighted” index, which means that it is calculated by adding up the 30 companies’ stock prices and then dividing them by a magic number called the Dow Divisor. The divisor is adjusted to account for stock splits, dividends, or spinoffs, which affect the share prices of Dow components. Because it is price-weighted, stocks with a higher price carry a greater weight in the index. For example, A 10% change in 3M’s $204 stock will add more points to the Dow than a 10% change in Cisco’s $31 stock. The S&P 500, another widely-followed index, is market-cap weighted, meaning that an equal percentage change in any of its components will have the same effect on the index’s value, regardless of stock price. Which specific companies powered the Dow to 22,000? In the 107 trading days since the Dow reached 21,000 on March 1, Boeing led the pack, rising 54% and adding 370 points to the index. McDonald’s and UnitedHealth Group followed, adding 189 and 172 points, respectively. IBM was the main drag on the Dow, declining 37.5% since March and costing the index 257 points. Why did the Dow just smash through another record? Promise of regulatory and tax reform: President Trump and the Republican party have campaigned on business-friendly policies such as a lower corporate tax rate and softer regulations. If successfully implemented, investors believe that corporate earnings will increase. Strong economic fundamentals: Low unemployment, slow but steady GDP growth, and other economic indicators point to a still improving economic climate, encouraging optimism which leads to more investment and spending. Low interest rates: The Federal Reserve has increased interest rates three times since December, another reason to be optimistic about the economy. Nevertheless, rates are still near historical lows, meaning that investors looking to earn a reasonable return have few options besides the stock market, driving share prices higher. Strong corporate earnings: Companies have been earning higher profits and expect to earn more in the future as the economy improves and business and consumer spending increase. Weakening dollar: Many of the Dow’s components have large international operations. The U.S. dollar has fallen 10% since the start of the year relative to other currencies, meaning that foreign profits are worth more in dollars and making U.S.-produced goods cheaper and more competitive abroad. What does Dow 22k mean for me? On the surface, not much. The number 22,000 itself is a relatively meaningless milestone and isn’t technically any different than the DJIA hitting 21,756 or 22,011. What’s relevant is the trend, and this year it’s been practically nothing but up. ||||| The latest on developments in financial markets (All times local): 4:00 p.m. The Dow Jones industrial average closed above 22,000 points for the first time, driven by a big gain in Apple on an otherwise mixed day for the market. Health care and household goods companies fell Wednesday. Prescription drug distributor Cardinal Health dropped 8.2 percent. Movie theater companies plunged after AMC Entertainment gave a weak profit forecast amid a sluggish summer at the box office. AMC slumped 27 percent. The Dow Jones industrials rose 52 points, or 0.2 percent, to 22,016. The move was almost entirely due to the jump in Apple's stock. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index edged up 1 point, less than 0.1 percent, to 2,477. The Nasdaq edged down less than a point to 6,362. More stocks fell than rose on the New York Stock Exchange. ___ 11:45 a.m. A big earnings gain from Apple is sending the Dow Jones industrial average above 22,000 points for the first time, but otherwise stocks are mostly lower. Apple soared 5 percent in midday trading Wednesday, accounting for all of the Dow's gain. Apple reported another solid quarter and released a strong forecast late Tuesday. Other industries mostly fell, led by drops in health care and household goods companies. Prescription drug distributor Cardinal Health plunged 9.6 percent. Movie theater companies fell sharply after AMC Entertainment gave a weak forecast. AMC's stock sank 24 percent. The Dow Jones industrials rose 45 points, or 0.2 percent, to 22,010. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 4 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,472. The Nasdaq composite lost 24 points, or 0.4 percent, to 6,338. ___ 9:35 a.m. A big earnings gain from Apple is sending the Dow Jones industrial average above 22,000 points for the first time. Apple soared 6 percent in the first few minutes of trading Wednesday, accounting for all of the Dow's gain. Apple reported another strong quarter and released a strong forecast late Tuesday. Drugmaker Illumina jumped 12 percent after beating its earnings forecasts and issuing a strong outlook. The Dow was up 68 points, or 0.3 percent, to 22,031. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 2 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,478. The Nasdaq composite increased 25 points, or 0.4 percent, to 6,388. ||||| Yet those concerns have yet to halt the stock market’s seemingly unstoppable advance. Mr. Trump has repeatedly pointed to record highs in the Dow as a validation of his administration, posting on Twitter on Tuesday morning: “Stock Market could hit all-time high (again) 22,000 today. Was 18,000 only 6 months ago on Election Day. Mainstream media seldom mentions!” And while it is true that there has been little in terms of legislative action to back up his boast, investment experts say that the president’s promise to slash regulations and cut taxes — even if unfulfilled — has stoked long-dormant animal spirits among investors. That corporate earnings are excelling and the global economy is growing faster than many expected has only added to the bullish vibe. “Whether you like the administration, the people, the rhetoric or not, there is no overstating just how powerful the animal spirits have been,” said Atul Lele, chief investment officer for Deltec International Group, an investment firm based in Nassau, Bahamas. “You are seeing it in the data and it is evident in the financial markets as well.” While there is no doubt that the animal spirits have done their work, just as important to the market’s recent rally has been the significant fall in the dollar — not just against the euro and the yen, but against more volatile currencies like the Mexican peso and the Brazilian real. Even the Chinese renminbi, once criticized by Mr. Trump as artificially low, has gained value against the dollar, climbing more than 3 percent for the year. ||||| U.S. large-cap stocks in the Dow Jones Industrials index stretched to another record high on Tuesday, the sixth consecutive gain, despite disappointing auto sales and tepid economic data. The real highlight came after the close, however, with Apple (AAPL) climbing more than 6 percent in post-market trading after reporting better-than-expected revenues and earnings. The stock market's performance, and the Dow's approach of the 22,000 level, has attracted the attention of regular investors who are aggressively chasing this market higher. But the risks to this uptrend are also growing more numerous as memories of the last significant sell-off fade (the last 5 percent pullback was more than a year ago) and sentiment glows white hot. I can't shake the feeling of foreboding. Because everywhere I look, sharp contrasts are in play. For example, the split between the Dow's melt-up and the rollover in U.S. "hard" economic data (chart below), which will eventually affect corporate earnings growth. When that happens, the bulls won't be able to ignore the reality on the ground any longer. President Trump is touting the stock market gains since Election Day on Twitter, a sharp reversal of his pre-election warnings of an ugly bubble. Apple's after-hours rise on Tuesday stands in opposition to the weakness other big-cap tech stocks are showing, including Amazon (AMZN) and Google parent Alphabet (GOOGL) -- both of which have slipped below the $1,000-a-share level. Right now, with analyst earnings expectations still lofty, Wall Street is comfortably insulated from the disappointments on the ground. That's a sharp contrast to the midyear decline in earnings expectations seen over the past five years, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch (chart above). The difference this time has been the energy price rebound. While oil prices have indeed recovered from their early 2016 lows, the rest of the economy seems to have hit a wall in recent months as expected pro-growth legislation from the Republicans in Congress and the Trump White House has failed to materialize amid intra-party rancor, turmoil and gridlock. Personal income growth has stalled, pushing real disposable income down on a monthly basis for the first time since December as the post-election ebullience fades. Manufacturing activity is coming off boil. U.S. auto sales have returned to lows not seen since 2014. And consumer sentiment is in steady decline. Perhaps this explains the sharp drop underway in the Dow Jones Transportation index, which is down more than 6 percent from the high set a few weeks ago. Or in key blue-chip stocks like General Electric (GE), which has entered a bear market down nearly 21 percent from its December high (chart below). Or IBM (IBM), Starbucks (SBUX) and Exxon Mobil (XOM). In fact, with the S&P 500 flirting with record highs, exactly 100 of its issues are in downtrends and trading below both their 50-day and 200-day moving averages. The percentage trading above their 150-day moving average has fallen to just 71 percent, down from a high of 83.4 percent in March. According to SentimenTrader's Jason Goepfert, since 1928 when the Dow Transports and the Dow Industrials diverged to such an extent as now, the Industrials were down 3.2 percent on average six months later, with a maximum risk of a 10.1 percent drop and a maximum upside gain of 5.8 percent. There's more. According to the latest American Association of Individual Investors survey, folks are holding their lowest cash allocation since 2000 at a time when stocks are near historic levels of overvaluation. The current cyclically adjusted price-earnings ratio is eclipsing the level it held heading into the 1929 market crash. And finally, August through September is historically the worst two-month period of the year for stocks. Since 1980, the S&P 500 has fallen 0.1 percent and 0.7 percent, respectively, on average during this time -- the only two months to show an average negative return. If the Dow scratches up and over the 22,000 mark, enjoy it while it lasts. ||||| These crawls are part of an effort to archive pages as they are created and archive the pages that they refer to. That way, as the pages that are referenced are changed or taken from the web, a link to the version that was live when the page was written will be preserved.Then the Internet Archive hopes that references to these archived pages will be put in place of a link that would be otherwise be broken, or a companion link to allow people to see what was originally intended by a page's authors.The goal is to fix all broken links on the web . Crawls of supported "No More 404" sites. ||||| CLOSE It took years for the Dow to climb to 19K, but in just months it has soared to 22K and isn't slowing down. USA TODAY This file photo taken on December 8, 2016 shows the Wall Street Bull sculpture in the Financial District in New York. (AFP PHOTO / Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty Images) (Photo: BRYAN R. SMITH, AFP/Getty Images) The Dow hit a fresh milestone Wednesday, cracking the 22,000 barrier for the first time in its 121-year history. So-called "Dow 22K" is the latest sign that the stock market's long climb that began in March 2009 and that has gained momentum this year amid a global economic recovery continues to charge ahead. The Dow topped 22,000 minutes into the trading session, climbed as high as 22,036.10 before closing up 52 points, or 0.24%, at 22,016.24. The Dow's first-ever close above 22,000 was fueled by a 4.7% advance and record high finish for iPhone maker Apple, which reported strong earnings late Tuesday. The latest milestone for the blue-chip stock gauge, which includes iconic U.S. companies such as Boeing, Coca-Cola, McDonald's and Johnson & Johnson, ignited a fresh debate on Wall Street as to whether the stock price run-up has more room to go or if a market peak is nearing. The Dow Jones industrial average has gained 11.4% this year. It is up 236% since its bear market low of 6547.05, which means a $10,000 investment would be worth $33,600 now. Joe Quinlan, chief market strategist at New York-based U.S. Trust, downplayed the significance of the Dow's latest 1,000-point climb. The reason? It represents just a 4.3% gain since it topped 21,000 on March 1. What would worry Quinlan, however, would be if investors on Wall Street and Main Street get overly excited and start to pile into the market and quickly push the Dow up another 3,000 points. "Chatter about Dow 25,000 would worry me," he says, calling it "a sign of a market top" and "too much exuberance." Related: It took the Dow 154 calendar days to climb from 21,000 to 22,000, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices. In contrast, it took the Dow 2,119 days -- or nearly six years -- to jump from 14,000 to 15,000 due to the Dow's more than 50% plunge during the 2007 to 2009 bear market. The Dow's advance is being powered by better business conditions, recovering economies and improving corporate profits in the U.S. and overseas. Stock market optimists say the Dow's current rally is based on improving sales and revenues for U.S. companies and not irrational exuberance like the dot-com stock hysteria back in 2000. "Don't let the milestones cause you to miss the simple underlying story: corporate earnings are at all-time highs. So stocks are at all-time highs," says Donald Luskin, chief investment officer at TrendMacro in Chicago. That's how it is supposed to work, he adds. CLOSE Following an announcement about legislation to overhaul the U.S. immigration system, President Donald Trump touted the record high of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, saying "we picked up four trillion dollars in net worth." (Aug. 2) AP A weakening dollar against a basket of foreign currencies is also helping boost profits at big U.S. companies like McDonald's and Boeing that do a lot of business abroad. That's because it makes their products more affordable when purchased with stronger currencies. The Federal Reserve's patient approach to raising interest rates -- which are still near historic lows -- is also providing support for stocks. Stocks "can work their way higher, maybe much higher" if interest rates stay very low and central banks around the world continue to provide stimulus to markets, adds David Kotok, chief investment officer at Cumberland Advisors, an investment firm based in Sarasota, Fla. Milestones are fun to celebrate, but they don't necessarily tell you where the market is headed next, says Lindsey Bell, an investment strategist at CFRA, a market research firm in New York. "I don't think it foretells the next leg of the market," says Bell. Risks still remain. The Dow, in addition to getting pricey relative to the earnings streams of its 30 components, also faces potential risk from the inability of Washington lawmakers to work together and get things done, Bell says. The delay in getting many of President Trump's economic agenda items passed through Congress could also weigh on stocks, as a lack of tax cuts and infrastructure spending could curtail growth, Bell adds. Potential budgetary gridlock in coming months could also spook investors. Critics of the Dow's recent assault of 22,000 note that it is a "price-weighted" index -- which means its up and down moves are driven largely by its most expensive stocks -- which distorts the true health of the index and the broader market. For example, Boeing, which is now the Dow's highest-priced name at $237.95 per share, soared nearly 25% in July and had surged more than 14% in the four trading days after its strong earnings report on July 26 -- accounting for a big chunk of the Dow's gains in its final run to 22,000. The shares slipped less than 1% Wednesday. "The Dow is a flawed index where price matters and nothing else," says Mark Arbeter, president of Arbeter Investments, a Holland, Pa., firm that analyzes the health of the market by stock chart patterns, trading volume and trendlines. In the past six trading days, the Dow has risen 403 points. Boeing accounted for 43% of that gain. "When should an index be dominated by one stock? Never," says Arbeter. Investors should also never get overly confident, no matter how strong the stock market is acting, warns U.S. Trust's Quinlan. "Investors tend to forget about risk levels as markets hit new highs every session," says Quinlan. Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2wlFU8a ||||| The Dow Jones industrial average broke above 22,000 on Wednesday, just 107 trading days after hitting 21,000 for the first time. The 30-stock index has gained nearly 1,000 points since March 1, when it hit 21,000 on an intraday and closing basis, thanks in large part to a handful of stocks. Boeing shares have had the biggest points impact on the price-weighted Dow, contributing 380.29 points since March 1, followed by McDonald's and UnitedHealth Group with 171.14 and 166.35 points, respectively. Caterpillar and 3M rounded out the top five points contributors, adding 99.44 and 91.22 points, respectively, to the Dow since March 1. But the Dow could have reached the elusive 22,000 mark well before had it not been for IBM, Goldman Sachs, General Electric, Chevron and ExxonMobil shares. Since March 1, these stocks have contributed the biggest amount of losses to the Dow. Below is a chart showing the biggest contributors of point gains, and losses, to the Dow since it first reached 21,000.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

BOULDER CREEK (KPIX 5) — A blind dog that was lost in the Santa Cruz Mountains was missing for more than a week before someone found her. Sage is back home now thanks to some luck, and a little kindness. Sage and her owner Beth Cole are closer than ever. The 12-year-old Labrador lost both eyes to glaucoma and suffered a recent tumor. And for eight days, the family dog was alone, lost in the thick woods and steep terrain of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The family mistakenly thought she had been brought into the house, only to realize after about an hour outside, Sage was gone. “It was horrible, we just didn’t know,” Cole said. “You know it was cold, she’s kind of helpless as far as being able to find her way back on her own.” Stories of Sage’s disappearance spread on social media. Desperate to find her, the family even hired a professional dog tracker from Southern California to search the dense woods. But after no sign of her, Cole had just about given up. Until her next door neighbor spotted her near lifeless body near a shallow stream. He happened to be walking with a friend in the woods. Boulder Creek resident Dan Estrada said, “I saw what I thought was a trash bag in the stream and as I looked a little bit closer, I could tell it was Sage, and the very moment I saw Sage, my heart fell into my stomach and I was overwhelmed with sadness because I knew at that point that it would be a body recovery.” Estrada is a veteran firefighter and paramedic for the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department and this rescue was a bit different. “As soon as I saw her in the stream, I ran to her, and I just dropped right there in the water, and I wrapped my arms around her and I gave her a big hug and a kiss. And immediately she held her head up,” Estrada said. He carried her over his shoulders about a 100 yards up the canyon. He believes the water from the creek likely saved her. “If dogs could smile I think she was smiling at the time,” he said. Fortunately, Sage is doing okay after a visit to the vet and back on her bed. Cole said, “I think she was just waiting for us, and fortunately Dan came along.” Estrada turned down the $1,000 reward, but he earned something else. He said, “Sage definitely taught me a lesson of hope and a lesson of never to give up. I mean it’s something that we train to do all the time.” Sometimes, a dog’s determination is the best reminder of that. There will be a celebration for Sage at Joe’s Bar next Saturday in Boulder Creek. It’s a fundraiser to benefit the Santa Cruz County animal shelter. ||||| As Barnabas looks on, Dan Estrada holds Sage shortly after the 12-year-old labrador retriever’s rescue. (Contributed -- Vincent Lopez) CELEBRATION FOR SAGE WHAT: Celebration for the blind labrador retriever who has inspired the San Lorenzo Valley community and fundraiser for the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter. WHEN: 4-6 p.m. March 18. WHERE: Joe’s Bar, 13118, Highway 9, Boulder Creek. INFORMATION: facebook.com/events/1899018457000304. BOULDER CREEK >> At the end of one of the darkest, wettest winters in memory, a bright spot has lit up the San Lorenzo Valley community in the form of an old, blind dog who went missing in the mountains for seven days. On Feb. 24, the Cole family went to bed for the night in their home outside Boulder Creek, each believing someone else had brought in Sage, their 12-year-old labrador retriever. Alas, left to her own devices, sightless Sage wandered into the forest on that cold night and disappeared. “Our neighbors and other members of the community helped us search day and night for a week,” said Beth Cole. “We looked everywhere.” Yet after seven days passed with no sign of Sage, the family began to fear the worst. In addition to cold nights, the Boulder Creek community has reported higher than normal mountain lion activity. On the eighth day, neighbor Dan Estrada was taking longtime friend Victor Lopez on a hike around the land behind their house. “At first I thought it was a garbage bag in the water,” said Estrada. “My vision is not very good so it wasn’t until I got closer that I saw it’s actually a white lab laying there lifeless in this stream — her chin just above water level.” Estrada was convinced they had found Sage’s body and he would now have to bear the bad news to his neighbors. Then Sage lifted her head a little, perking up when she sensed Estrada’s two dogs Coelsch and Barnabas nearby. “When we saw she was alive, I jumped in the stream and hugged her,” Estrada said. “Man, it was really emotional.” Sage’s rescue couldn’t have been better timed, according to Estrada. “It had been dry that week and the new rain was moving in,” said Estrada. “When we found her she didn’t have the energy to lift herself out. That streambed would have been flowing during a rainstorm.” Estrada, a paramedic and EMT for the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department, put Sage over his shoulders and carried the exhausted dog out of the steep, densely forested canyon. “My wife and kids were waiting for us at the top,” said Estrada. “Everyone was crying.” Beth Cole said her family is deeply grateful to Estrada and Lopez, as well as the entire community. “I can’t emphasize enough the amount of support we’ve received from everyone,” Cole said. “It’s been amazing. Since she’s returned home people have been bring by snacks for her; one neighbor cooked her a steak.” Advertisement As for Estrada, it was not his first rescue. He adopted his rednose pitbull, Coelsch, while working for the Oakland Fire Department. “Someone dropped him off at the station and said they couldn’t take care of him anymore,” said Estrada. “When I brought him into my room in the firehouse, the other guys thought I was crazy.” Barnabas, Estrada’s dachsund-terrier mix, was rescued from a Modesto trailer park as a puppy. “I was in this crime-ridden part of Modesto sharing scripture as part of our street ministry. I knew he wouldn’t have a shot at a good life there so I brought him with me,” said Estrada. “He’s very intelligent, very feisty. He’s the alpha dog.” As a result, when Sage’s family offered Estrada a reward, he declined it. Instead he’s decided to use the opportunity to help more dogs. Estrada and Lopez, who also founded Wolfpak Leatherworks, created seven custom leather dog leashes — one for each day Sage was lost. Raffle tickets to win the leashes will be available at a March 18 celebration of Sage at Joe’s Bar in Boulder Creek. All proceeds will be donated to the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter. CELEBRATION FOR SAGE WHAT: Celebration for the blind labrador retriever who has inspired the San Lorenzo Valley community and fundraiser for the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter. WHEN: 4-6 p.m. March 18. WHERE: Joe’s Bar, 13118, Highway 9, Boulder Creek. INFORMATION: facebook.com/events/1899018457000304.

– She is old, blind, and was lost for a week in the Santa Cruz Mountains, but the labrador retriever Sage has been found and reunited with her family. Sage, 12, who lost her sight to glaucoma, was mistakenly left outside on the night of Feb. 24 and wandered into woods frequented by mountain lions. Owner Beth Cole says family and friends searched the rough terrain day and night for a week; not even a professional dog tracker could find her, reports KPIX. On the eighth day, hopelessness was setting in. Then her Boulder Creek, Calif., neighbor Dan Estrada went on a walk with a friend and saw what looked to be a trash bag in a stream—and realized it was Sage. "I was overwhelmed with sadness because I knew at that point that it would be a body recovery,” says the firefighter/paramedic. But Estrada tells the Santa Cruz Sentinel he noted some movement in response to the noise of his own two dogs, and when he jumped in the water and embraced Sage, she lifted her head. He carried her over his shoulders out of the canyon and to his car, and perhaps not a moment too soon: After a dry week, rain was coming, and Estrada says he found Sage with her chin just above the water. Once the rains hit, he doesn't think she would have had the energy to lift her head out of the higher waters. Cole isn't the only one who's joyful: "Since she's returned home people have been bringing by snacks for her; one neighbor cooked her a steak," she tells the Sentinel. Estrada refused the $1,000 reward for himself, instead asking that it go to an animal group, reports KSBW. (This might be the biggest dog sanctuary in the world.)

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.BOULDER CREEK (KPIX 5) — A blind dog that was lost in the Santa Cruz Mountains was missing for more than a week before someone found her. Sage is back home now thanks to some luck, and a little kindness. Sage and her owner Beth Cole are closer than ever. The 12-year-old Labrador lost both eyes to glaucoma and suffered a recent tumor. And for eight days, the family dog was alone, lost in the thick woods and steep terrain of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The family mistakenly thought she had been brought into the house, only to realize after about an hour outside, Sage was gone. “It was horrible, we just didn’t know,” Cole said. “You know it was cold, she’s kind of helpless as far as being able to find her way back on her own.” Stories of Sage’s disappearance spread on social media. Desperate to find her, the family even hired a professional dog tracker from Southern California to search the dense woods. But after no sign of her, Cole had just about given up. Until her next door neighbor spotted her near lifeless body near a shallow stream. He happened to be walking with a friend in the woods. Boulder Creek resident Dan Estrada said, “I saw what I thought was a trash bag in the stream and as I looked a little bit closer, I could tell it was Sage, and the very moment I saw Sage, my heart fell into my stomach and I was overwhelmed with sadness because I knew at that point that it would be a body recovery.” Estrada is a veteran firefighter and paramedic for the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department and this rescue was a bit different. “As soon as I saw her in the stream, I ran to her, and I just dropped right there in the water, and I wrapped my arms around her and I gave her a big hug and a kiss. And immediately she held her head up,” Estrada said. He carried her over his shoulders about a 100 yards up the canyon. He believes the water from the creek likely saved her. “If dogs could smile I think she was smiling at the time,” he said. Fortunately, Sage is doing okay after a visit to the vet and back on her bed. Cole said, “I think she was just waiting for us, and fortunately Dan came along.” Estrada turned down the $1,000 reward, but he earned something else. He said, “Sage definitely taught me a lesson of hope and a lesson of never to give up. I mean it’s something that we train to do all the time.” Sometimes, a dog’s determination is the best reminder of that. There will be a celebration for Sage at Joe’s Bar next Saturday in Boulder Creek. It’s a fundraiser to benefit the Santa Cruz County animal shelter. ||||| As Barnabas looks on, Dan Estrada holds Sage shortly after the 12-year-old labrador retriever’s rescue. (Contributed -- Vincent Lopez) CELEBRATION FOR SAGE WHAT: Celebration for the blind labrador retriever who has inspired the San Lorenzo Valley community and fundraiser for the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter. WHEN: 4-6 p.m. March 18. WHERE: Joe’s Bar, 13118, Highway 9, Boulder Creek. INFORMATION: facebook.com/events/1899018457000304. BOULDER CREEK >> At the end of one of the darkest, wettest winters in memory, a bright spot has lit up the San Lorenzo Valley community in the form of an old, blind dog who went missing in the mountains for seven days. On Feb. 24, the Cole family went to bed for the night in their home outside Boulder Creek, each believing someone else had brought in Sage, their 12-year-old labrador retriever. Alas, left to her own devices, sightless Sage wandered into the forest on that cold night and disappeared. “Our neighbors and other members of the community helped us search day and night for a week,” said Beth Cole. “We looked everywhere.” Yet after seven days passed with no sign of Sage, the family began to fear the worst. In addition to cold nights, the Boulder Creek community has reported higher than normal mountain lion activity. On the eighth day, neighbor Dan Estrada was taking longtime friend Victor Lopez on a hike around the land behind their house. “At first I thought it was a garbage bag in the water,” said Estrada. “My vision is not very good so it wasn’t until I got closer that I saw it’s actually a white lab laying there lifeless in this stream — her chin just above water level.” Estrada was convinced they had found Sage’s body and he would now have to bear the bad news to his neighbors. Then Sage lifted her head a little, perking up when she sensed Estrada’s two dogs Coelsch and Barnabas nearby. “When we saw she was alive, I jumped in the stream and hugged her,” Estrada said. “Man, it was really emotional.” Sage’s rescue couldn’t have been better timed, according to Estrada. “It had been dry that week and the new rain was moving in,” said Estrada. “When we found her she didn’t have the energy to lift herself out. That streambed would have been flowing during a rainstorm.” Estrada, a paramedic and EMT for the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department, put Sage over his shoulders and carried the exhausted dog out of the steep, densely forested canyon. “My wife and kids were waiting for us at the top,” said Estrada. “Everyone was crying.” Beth Cole said her family is deeply grateful to Estrada and Lopez, as well as the entire community. “I can’t emphasize enough the amount of support we’ve received from everyone,” Cole said. “It’s been amazing. Since she’s returned home people have been bring by snacks for her; one neighbor cooked her a steak.” Advertisement As for Estrada, it was not his first rescue. He adopted his rednose pitbull, Coelsch, while working for the Oakland Fire Department. “Someone dropped him off at the station and said they couldn’t take care of him anymore,” said Estrada. “When I brought him into my room in the firehouse, the other guys thought I was crazy.” Barnabas, Estrada’s dachsund-terrier mix, was rescued from a Modesto trailer park as a puppy. “I was in this crime-ridden part of Modesto sharing scripture as part of our street ministry. I knew he wouldn’t have a shot at a good life there so I brought him with me,” said Estrada. “He’s very intelligent, very feisty. He’s the alpha dog.” As a result, when Sage’s family offered Estrada a reward, he declined it. Instead he’s decided to use the opportunity to help more dogs. Estrada and Lopez, who also founded Wolfpak Leatherworks, created seven custom leather dog leashes — one for each day Sage was lost. Raffle tickets to win the leashes will be available at a March 18 celebration of Sage at Joe’s Bar in Boulder Creek. All proceeds will be donated to the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter. CELEBRATION FOR SAGE WHAT: Celebration for the blind labrador retriever who has inspired the San Lorenzo Valley community and fundraiser for the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter. WHEN: 4-6 p.m. March 18. WHERE: Joe’s Bar, 13118, Highway 9, Boulder Creek. INFORMATION: facebook.com/events/1899018457000304.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

The family of Jahi McMath and their attorney lashed out Thursday at a state report concluding that Children's Hospital Oakland complied with medical regulatory standards in its handling of the young girl's case. Critics of the hospital questioned the thoroughness of the report, conducted by the state Department of Health, discussing for the first time details from the 13-year-old girl's medical records they say raise serious questionsabout her care at the East Bay facility. They said these details should have been addressed in the investigation. Omari Sealey, right, the uncle of 13-year-old Jahi McMath, answers questions from the media at a press conference with attorney Chris Dolan at Dolan's San Francisco offices, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014. McMath, a patient at Children's Hospital Oakland who was declared brain dead three weeks ago after suffering complications from a tonsillectomy, was "successfully" moved by ambulance from the hospital to an undisclosed care facility Sunday evening. (D. Ross Cameron/Bay Area News Group) ( D. ROSS CAMERON ) Calling it a "B.S. report," Jahi's uncle, Omari Sealey, in tweets questioned why the family was not interviewed as part of the investigation, which was prompted by the Oakland's girls tonsil surgery and two other procedures to treat her sleep apnea. The Oakland girl wound up bleeding significantly after her surgery and was later declared brain-dead. "The State never interviewed the family who was THERE to witness Jahi bleeding to 'CA brain death' & there is no answer why she bled?" Sealey wrote in a series of tweets. "What's done in the dark, will come to light." The state would not comment on specific Jahi-related questions, citing patient confidentiality laws. They would only say the survey was conducted after receiving a complaint about Jahi's care. Advertisement "The California Department of Public Health conducted a comprehensive survey of care and services received by each patient sampled in the survey," according to the state agency. The hospital also defended the level of the investigation and the results. Along with observing patients in the hospital at the time of the survey, reviewing relevant documents and interviewing staff, the state investigation included "patient/family interviews with patients and/or family willing to participate."The state did not immediately respond to an inquiry about the Jahi family's allegations that they were not interviewed. Family attorney Christopher Dolan released a statement saying the report was an example of doctors protecting doctors and stressed that just because the hospital was found to follow general institutional criteria, it did not mean there was not medical negligence in Jahi's case. The night of her surgery, after massive bleeding, Jahi went into cardiac arrest at midnight and remained "Code Blue" until 3:40 a.m., said Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog, who added he has consulted with sources who have reviewed Jahi's medical records. He said her Code Blue lasted much longer than most. "Either something was missing in the record or they were not attending to her," Court said. Attorney Chris Dolan, left, and Omari Sealey, the uncle of 13-year-old Jahi McMath, speak at a press conference at Dolan's San Francisco offices, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014. McMath, a patient at Children's Hospital Oakland who was declared brain dead three weeks ago after suffering complications from a tonsillectomy, was "successfully" moved by ambulance from the hospital to an undisclosed care facility Sunday evening. (D. Ross Cameron/Bay Area News Group) ( D. ROSS CAMERON ) Consumer Watchdog filed a complaint with the state Attorney General's Office on behalf of Jahi shortly after her case went public. The organization has highlighted Jahi's case as a reason to remove the cap on medical malpractice cases. Jahi's mother has criticized nurses' response to her daughter's bleeding. However, there were no nursing notes detailing the hemorrhaging episode, Court said. "The records are worse than incomplete, but even what's there still has red flags," Court said. "That's often how they conceal medical negligence." In a statement Thursday, Children's Hospital said a team of six surveyors, including nurses, physicians and state investigators, reviewed 239 federal standards and their report was "comprehensive." "Mr. Dolan can voice his own opinions unchallenged while we are precluded from addressing the issues raised since we have never received a signed authorization for us to speak to any aspect of this case," said spokeswoman Melinda Krigel. "While we again cannot comment on this specific case, if there was evidence of a delay in response to an emergency or treatment, this would have been a finding of a review." State investigators reviewed Jahi's patient file and 28 others chosen at random from the same time period. The report includes no patient names and no specifics into patients' postoperative conditions or whether any of them suffered postoperative bleeding. The report, obtained by this newspaper through a public records request, found the hospital was "in compliance with the Medicare Conditions of Participation." General acute care hospitals must follow certain federal standards to receive Medicare and Medicaid funding. The state's report found one area of "deficiency" in how the hospital handled the patients' medical records, but it is unclear if Jahi's case was one of those mishandled cases. Dolan said he felt "betrayed by the medical profession." "People need to be clear what (this) report is ... It's akin to an investigation after a motor vehicle death, where they inspect the vehicle, its maintenance records and tread depth of its tires, and whether the driver was licensed. It does not examine the defendant driver's conduct before the fatal collision. It does not evaluate whether, in a specific case, there was medical negligence," Dolan said. "It is members of the medical profession reviewing conduct of the medical profession. A classic example of the fox guarding the henhouse." UC Berkeley law professor Stephen Sugarman, who specializes in medical malpractice, said the state report does not doom a potential lawsuit, which Dolan has said Jahi's family will file at some point. "The report, while quite positive with respect to Children's Hospital, does not preclude a lawsuit for medical malpractice and with the needed evidence a jury could perhaps find that there was malpractice," he said. "Yet just because the tragic events occurred does not in itself prove malpractice." Meanwhile, Jahi, now more than three months on a ventilator since being declared brain-dead, is doing better than she was while at the Oakland hospital, said Dolan, who added he's visited her at an undisclosed location. "She has not had a miracle happen but she ... is receiving the dignified care a beautiful young girl should (and) has a chance," Dolan said. "She has outlived all expectations. She's a fighter." Contact Matthias Gafni at 925-952-5026. Follow him at Twitter.com/mgafni. ||||| Family says brain-dead Jahi McMath showing signs of life Photo: Associated Press Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Image 1 of 1 This undated photo provided by the McMath family and Omari Sealey shows Jahi McMath. This undated photo provided by the McMath family and Omari Sealey shows Jahi McMath. Photo: Associated Press Family says brain-dead Jahi McMath showing signs of life 1 / 1 Back to Gallery Despite being declared brain-dead three months ago, 13-year-old Jahi McMath of Oakland is tossing and turning in her hospital bed and signaling that she's aware of what's going on around her, a family member said Friday. Jahi suffered what doctors say were terminal complications from a tonsillectomy at Children's Hospital Oakland on Dec. 9 and was certified dead three days later. But her family has refuted the certification and moved the teen's body to an undisclosed care facility, where she remains connected to a ventilator and feeding tube. National attention The family's battle with the hospital over her state of consciousness has garnered national attention - and the family has drawn criticism for their insistence that Jahi is alive. In an interview with The Chronicle on Friday at the office of the family's attorney, Jahi's uncle Omari Sealy, 27, said that while his niece remains unconscious, she looks healthy and moves her head, legs and arms regularly. Showing such signs of life, he said, the family is not going to give up on her. She even turns in the direction of visitors when they enter her hospital room, an indication that she understands her surroundings, Sealy said. "She moves so much, she can turn on her side," he said. "They have to keep her bed rails up. They're afraid she could fall out of bed." Medical experts insist that brain-dead people are not alive. They say movement by people on mechanical support is not uncommon; it's the product of muscle and spinal reflexes. Experts also say patients can remain on support machines for weeks or even months, but their condition is bound to deteriorate. Sealy, however, said none of what the family has been told by doctors has come true. Jahi's complexion color is good, her heart and lungs remain strong and she has shown increasing signs of awareness, he said. 'Knows where she is' "She definitely knows where she is and that we're present," he said. "One of the misconceptions out there is that she's deteriorating or is going to deteriorate over time. But her skin looks better than mine." He wore a button on his shirt with a picture of his smiling niece. Jahi was released from Children's Hospital Oakland to the family on Jan. 5 after the family won a court order to keep her on a ventilator before taking possession of her body through the Alameda County coroner's office. Family attorney Christopher Dolan argued that families, not doctors, should decide when a brain-dead patient is dead. The hospital was prepared to remove the teen from support machines after doctors declared her death on Dec. 12. The certification was corroborated by an independent neurologist from Stanford University. Jahi suffered cardiac arrest after the removal of her tonsils, uvula and adenoids to treat sleep apnea. Children's Hospital Oakland is prohibited from discussing what went wrong with the surgery because of patient confidentiality laws. But a state Department of Public Health report released this week found that the hospital met government standards in its treatment of patients including Jahi. The family and their attorney have been critical of the hospital's procedures and the recent report. They've chosen not to reveal where Jahi is staying out of privacy and security concerns. They've revealed only that she's receiving good care from professionals. 'They treat her very well' "They treat her like a live human being," Dolan said. "They treat her very well." Dolan, too, said he has seen Jahi move and show signs that she could recover. Sealy said he visits his niece as often as he can, declining to say just how often for fear of giving away her location. Her mother, her sister and her sister's husband are with her every day, he said, and other family members and friends have visited. "She's progressed since I first saw her" at the hospital, he added. Asked what he hopes will come of his niece, Sealy said "that she wake up, that she open her eyes."

– Jahi McMath's family insists that the girl who has been declared brain-dead is very much alive. "She definitely knows where she is and that we're present," uncle Omari Sealy tells the San Francisco Chronicle. He says the 13-year-old remains unconscious but turns in the direction of visitors to her room at an undisclosed rehab facility. Sealy says her skin "looks better than mine," despite predictions that she would quickly deteriorate. No medical professional corroborates Sealy's claims, and the Chronicle points out that movement by brain-dead people can be the result of muscle reflexes. The teen's case drew national attention three months ago after she suffered cardiac arrest following a tonsillectomy at Children's Hospital Oakland. The hospital declared her brain-dead and wanted to remove her from a ventilator, but the family fought successfully to have her moved elsewhere. A state report this week cleared the hospital of any wrongdoing related to the case, but Sealy called the report "BS" online and the family attorney called it a coverup, reports the Contra Costa Times. A hospital spokesperson said the facility can't address specifics because of patient confidentiality laws, but "if there was evidence of a delay in response to an emergency or treatment, this would have been a finding of a review." Click for previous stories about the case.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.The family of Jahi McMath and their attorney lashed out Thursday at a state report concluding that Children's Hospital Oakland complied with medical regulatory standards in its handling of the young girl's case. Critics of the hospital questioned the thoroughness of the report, conducted by the state Department of Health, discussing for the first time details from the 13-year-old girl's medical records they say raise serious questionsabout her care at the East Bay facility. They said these details should have been addressed in the investigation. Omari Sealey, right, the uncle of 13-year-old Jahi McMath, answers questions from the media at a press conference with attorney Chris Dolan at Dolan's San Francisco offices, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014. McMath, a patient at Children's Hospital Oakland who was declared brain dead three weeks ago after suffering complications from a tonsillectomy, was "successfully" moved by ambulance from the hospital to an undisclosed care facility Sunday evening. (D. Ross Cameron/Bay Area News Group) ( D. ROSS CAMERON ) Calling it a "B.S. report," Jahi's uncle, Omari Sealey, in tweets questioned why the family was not interviewed as part of the investigation, which was prompted by the Oakland's girls tonsil surgery and two other procedures to treat her sleep apnea. The Oakland girl wound up bleeding significantly after her surgery and was later declared brain-dead. "The State never interviewed the family who was THERE to witness Jahi bleeding to 'CA brain death' & there is no answer why she bled?" Sealey wrote in a series of tweets. "What's done in the dark, will come to light." The state would not comment on specific Jahi-related questions, citing patient confidentiality laws. They would only say the survey was conducted after receiving a complaint about Jahi's care. Advertisement "The California Department of Public Health conducted a comprehensive survey of care and services received by each patient sampled in the survey," according to the state agency. The hospital also defended the level of the investigation and the results. Along with observing patients in the hospital at the time of the survey, reviewing relevant documents and interviewing staff, the state investigation included "patient/family interviews with patients and/or family willing to participate."The state did not immediately respond to an inquiry about the Jahi family's allegations that they were not interviewed. Family attorney Christopher Dolan released a statement saying the report was an example of doctors protecting doctors and stressed that just because the hospital was found to follow general institutional criteria, it did not mean there was not medical negligence in Jahi's case. The night of her surgery, after massive bleeding, Jahi went into cardiac arrest at midnight and remained "Code Blue" until 3:40 a.m., said Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog, who added he has consulted with sources who have reviewed Jahi's medical records. He said her Code Blue lasted much longer than most. "Either something was missing in the record or they were not attending to her," Court said. Attorney Chris Dolan, left, and Omari Sealey, the uncle of 13-year-old Jahi McMath, speak at a press conference at Dolan's San Francisco offices, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014. McMath, a patient at Children's Hospital Oakland who was declared brain dead three weeks ago after suffering complications from a tonsillectomy, was "successfully" moved by ambulance from the hospital to an undisclosed care facility Sunday evening. (D. Ross Cameron/Bay Area News Group) ( D. ROSS CAMERON ) Consumer Watchdog filed a complaint with the state Attorney General's Office on behalf of Jahi shortly after her case went public. The organization has highlighted Jahi's case as a reason to remove the cap on medical malpractice cases. Jahi's mother has criticized nurses' response to her daughter's bleeding. However, there were no nursing notes detailing the hemorrhaging episode, Court said. "The records are worse than incomplete, but even what's there still has red flags," Court said. "That's often how they conceal medical negligence." In a statement Thursday, Children's Hospital said a team of six surveyors, including nurses, physicians and state investigators, reviewed 239 federal standards and their report was "comprehensive." "Mr. Dolan can voice his own opinions unchallenged while we are precluded from addressing the issues raised since we have never received a signed authorization for us to speak to any aspect of this case," said spokeswoman Melinda Krigel. "While we again cannot comment on this specific case, if there was evidence of a delay in response to an emergency or treatment, this would have been a finding of a review." State investigators reviewed Jahi's patient file and 28 others chosen at random from the same time period. The report includes no patient names and no specifics into patients' postoperative conditions or whether any of them suffered postoperative bleeding. The report, obtained by this newspaper through a public records request, found the hospital was "in compliance with the Medicare Conditions of Participation." General acute care hospitals must follow certain federal standards to receive Medicare and Medicaid funding. The state's report found one area of "deficiency" in how the hospital handled the patients' medical records, but it is unclear if Jahi's case was one of those mishandled cases. Dolan said he felt "betrayed by the medical profession." "People need to be clear what (this) report is ... It's akin to an investigation after a motor vehicle death, where they inspect the vehicle, its maintenance records and tread depth of its tires, and whether the driver was licensed. It does not examine the defendant driver's conduct before the fatal collision. It does not evaluate whether, in a specific case, there was medical negligence," Dolan said. "It is members of the medical profession reviewing conduct of the medical profession. A classic example of the fox guarding the henhouse." UC Berkeley law professor Stephen Sugarman, who specializes in medical malpractice, said the state report does not doom a potential lawsuit, which Dolan has said Jahi's family will file at some point. "The report, while quite positive with respect to Children's Hospital, does not preclude a lawsuit for medical malpractice and with the needed evidence a jury could perhaps find that there was malpractice," he said. "Yet just because the tragic events occurred does not in itself prove malpractice." Meanwhile, Jahi, now more than three months on a ventilator since being declared brain-dead, is doing better than she was while at the Oakland hospital, said Dolan, who added he's visited her at an undisclosed location. "She has not had a miracle happen but she ... is receiving the dignified care a beautiful young girl should (and) has a chance," Dolan said. "She has outlived all expectations. She's a fighter." Contact Matthias Gafni at 925-952-5026. Follow him at Twitter.com/mgafni. ||||| Family says brain-dead Jahi McMath showing signs of life Photo: Associated Press Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Image 1 of 1 This undated photo provided by the McMath family and Omari Sealey shows Jahi McMath. This undated photo provided by the McMath family and Omari Sealey shows Jahi McMath. Photo: Associated Press Family says brain-dead Jahi McMath showing signs of life 1 / 1 Back to Gallery Despite being declared brain-dead three months ago, 13-year-old Jahi McMath of Oakland is tossing and turning in her hospital bed and signaling that she's aware of what's going on around her, a family member said Friday. Jahi suffered what doctors say were terminal complications from a tonsillectomy at Children's Hospital Oakland on Dec. 9 and was certified dead three days later. But her family has refuted the certification and moved the teen's body to an undisclosed care facility, where she remains connected to a ventilator and feeding tube. National attention The family's battle with the hospital over her state of consciousness has garnered national attention - and the family has drawn criticism for their insistence that Jahi is alive. In an interview with The Chronicle on Friday at the office of the family's attorney, Jahi's uncle Omari Sealy, 27, said that while his niece remains unconscious, she looks healthy and moves her head, legs and arms regularly. Showing such signs of life, he said, the family is not going to give up on her. She even turns in the direction of visitors when they enter her hospital room, an indication that she understands her surroundings, Sealy said. "She moves so much, she can turn on her side," he said. "They have to keep her bed rails up. They're afraid she could fall out of bed." Medical experts insist that brain-dead people are not alive. They say movement by people on mechanical support is not uncommon; it's the product of muscle and spinal reflexes. Experts also say patients can remain on support machines for weeks or even months, but their condition is bound to deteriorate. Sealy, however, said none of what the family has been told by doctors has come true. Jahi's complexion color is good, her heart and lungs remain strong and she has shown increasing signs of awareness, he said. 'Knows where she is' "She definitely knows where she is and that we're present," he said. "One of the misconceptions out there is that she's deteriorating or is going to deteriorate over time. But her skin looks better than mine." He wore a button on his shirt with a picture of his smiling niece. Jahi was released from Children's Hospital Oakland to the family on Jan. 5 after the family won a court order to keep her on a ventilator before taking possession of her body through the Alameda County coroner's office. Family attorney Christopher Dolan argued that families, not doctors, should decide when a brain-dead patient is dead. The hospital was prepared to remove the teen from support machines after doctors declared her death on Dec. 12. The certification was corroborated by an independent neurologist from Stanford University. Jahi suffered cardiac arrest after the removal of her tonsils, uvula and adenoids to treat sleep apnea. Children's Hospital Oakland is prohibited from discussing what went wrong with the surgery because of patient confidentiality laws. But a state Department of Public Health report released this week found that the hospital met government standards in its treatment of patients including Jahi. The family and their attorney have been critical of the hospital's procedures and the recent report. They've chosen not to reveal where Jahi is staying out of privacy and security concerns. They've revealed only that she's receiving good care from professionals. 'They treat her very well' "They treat her like a live human being," Dolan said. "They treat her very well." Dolan, too, said he has seen Jahi move and show signs that she could recover. Sealy said he visits his niece as often as he can, declining to say just how often for fear of giving away her location. Her mother, her sister and her sister's husband are with her every day, he said, and other family members and friends have visited. "She's progressed since I first saw her" at the hospital, he added. Asked what he hopes will come of his niece, Sealy said "that she wake up, that she open her eyes."

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Play Facebook Twitter Google Plus Embed Trump Apologizes for 2005 Comments About Women 1:29 autoplay autoplay Copy this code to your website or blog While the audio of Donald Trump making lewd remarks about women sparked a storm of criticism, a number of celebrities and fellow politicians leaped to his defense overnight. "Duck Dynasty" star Phil Robertson said that evangelical leaders who have come out against Trump, "need to lighten up … and give him some time." In a Friday night interview with WABC Radio Host Rita Cosby, the reality TV show star enthusiastically defended Trump, adding "he's a sinner, that's a start" and calling for people "not condemn anybody." He also took the tack other Trump's defenders had adopted: Diverting attacks to Democrats — and Bill and Hillary Clinton in particular. "That's about the most ungodly bunch I've ever seen," Robertson said of Trump's opponents. Faith and Freedom Coalition President Ralph Reed and Family Research Council President Tony Perkins also continued to back the presidential candidate, BuzzFeed News reported. "Voters of faith are voting on issues like who will protect unborn life, defend religious freedom, create jobs, and oppose the Iran nuclear deal," Reed told the media outlet in an email. "Ten-year-old tapes of private conversation with a television talk show host rank very low on their hierarchy of concerns." Conservative commentator Pastor Mark Burns turned to scripture and urged forgiveness, saying in part that Trump had "repented and God has forgiven him...so should you." "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: OLD THINGS ARE PASSED AWAY, ALL things are new" 2 Cor 5:17https://t.co/qgdUAGsDrt — Pastor Mark Burns (@pastormarkburns) October 8, 2016 Yes @realDonaldTrump repented and God has forgiven him...so should you. God is Love...! https://t.co/NftgfbITJr — Pastor Mark Burns (@pastormarkburns) October 8, 2016 Republican businessman Paul Nehlen, who lost to House Speaker Paul Ryan in the Wisconsin primary, also defended Trump before diverting attention to claims that Bill Clinton raped a woman and that Hillary Clinton bullied women. Related: Bill Clinton Defends Against GOP's 'Personal Attacks' "Trump loves women. Clintons rape and batter them," he tweeted, also retweeting an allegation by Juanita Broderick that Bill Clinton had raped her. The Clintons have hit back against what they call the "relentless personal attacks." Nehlen also took aim at Ryan and Republican chairman Reince Priebus. Trump loves women. Clintons rape and batter them. — Paul Nehlen (@pnehlen) October 8, 2016 Let no crisis go to waste, huh @PRyan and @Reince? You're with her October surprise, her unvetted refugees, her rapist husband. Not w women. — Paul Nehlen (@pnehlen) October 8, 2016 Ryan and Preibus had been quick to condemn and distance themselves from the presidential nominee. Some Republicans, including Utah's Rep. Jason Chaffetz and former Gov. Jon Huntsman, have gone so far as to withdraw their endorsements. Some of Trump's most ardent supporters did not defend the candidate's comments but instead turned their attention to attacking the Clintons. Play Facebook Twitter Google Plus Embed Newly-Surfaced Trump Audio: 'I Did Try to (Expletive) Her, She Was Married' 2:31 autoplay autoplay Copy this code to your website or blog "Clearly this is not how women should be spoken about but we're not choosing a Sunday school teacher here," said former Trump top aide Corey Lewandowski on CNN. "Is this defensible? Absolutely not." Lewandowski also added: "He speaks from the heart...he speaks the way many people speak around the dinner table." Meanwhile, Fox News host Sean Hannity came out against Trump's remarks but also turned his attention to the Clintons. "You can't defend, it is wrong it is inappropriate it is outrageous, I don't think anyone is going to argue about that," he said. Hannity's guest on the show, television personality and judge Jeanine Pirro, called the comments "shameful" and "horrific." "But when you juxtapose words against the actions of a woman who sold arms to ISIS, against the actions of a woman whose life was the destroy the women who was victimized by her husband," she added. Patrick Walsh, a member of Trump's Catholic advisory committee, continued to defend Trump. "I'm doubling down my support for Mr. Trump," Patrick Walsh, member of Trump's Catholic advisory cmte tells me. Says recording is irrelevant — Michael C. Bender (@MichaelCBender) October 8, 2016 And Trump's apology also appeared to go a long way for the group Students For Trump, which called it "an excellent statement" in a tweet. The group also added "Remember- he is fighting for us." .@realDonaldTrump made an excellent statement just a little while ago regarding the tape from 11 years ago. Remember- he is fighting for us. — Students For Trump (@TrumpStudents) October 8, 2016 ||||| Melania blasts 'offensive' Trump, says she accepts apology CLOSE Skip in Skip x Embed x Share Melania Trump is speaking out almost 24 hours after audio of a lewd conversation between her husband Donald Trump and Billy Bush was made public. USA TODAY Almost 24 hours after the initial video that showed Donald Trump talking about being able to grope woman because of his celebrity status, his wife, Melania Trump, sent out an official statement. "The words my husband used are unacceptable and offensive to me. This does not represent the man that I know. He has the heart and mind of a leader. I hope people will accept his apology, as I have, and focus on the important issues facing our nation and the world. " Trump’s comments were picked up from a hot mic from a 2005 taping of Access Hollywood and published by The Washington Post on Friday afternoon. The comments have sent the Republican Party into a frenzy. Many elected officials are calling on him to drop out and give the nomination to his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence. Trump has apologized for making the remarks but vowed to stay in the race. Trump's wife has remained relatively out of the spotlight since the Republican National Convention in July, where she gave a speech that included a section taken from Michelle Obama's 2008 Democratic National Convention speech. An aide to the family took the fall for pulling the text, but Trump's wife has stayed out of the spotlight since then. Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/2ee6WJh ||||| Donald Trump, under pressure to step aside as the Republican presidential candidate after the disclosure of his having made lewd comments about women, said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Saturday that there is “zero chance I’ll quit.” “I never, ever give up,” Mr. Trump said. He also said his campaign isn’t in crisis: “The support I’m getting is unbelievable, because Hillary Clinton is a horribly flawed candidate.” Mr. Trump said the commotion over his remarks will blow over as it did in other instances, such as after his attacks on Sen. John McCain and his proposed ban on Muslims About his sexually charged statements caught on tape, Mr. Trump said, “People get it. They get life.” Asked about the reaction of the two women with whom he is closest, wife Melania Trump and daughter Ivanka Trump, he replied: “I was with Ivanka yesterday; I’m with Melania now. They fully understand, and they’re very loyal.” Unlike in a video he taped and released last night, Mr. Trump, who spoke on Saturday from his Manhattan home in Trump Tower, offered no apologies in the Journal interview, but rather went on the offensive. “Go behind closed doors of the holier-than-thou politicians and pundits and see what they’re saying. I look like a baby.” Since the disclosure of the 2005 video in which Mr. Trump describes his attempt to have sex with a married woman and talks in graphic terms about how he makes advances on women, a growing stream of Republican figures have either rescinded their endorsements of his candidacy or have asked him to leave the top of the GOP ticket. On game day in a crucial Midwestern swing state, students at Ohio State University who supported Donald Trump either defended his use of crude language, or said now they planned to not vote at all. WSJ’s Jason Bellini reports from Columbus. Former GOP presidential contender Carly Fiorina on Saturday called on him to quit the campaign, as did Sens. Mike Crapo of Idaho and Mike Lee of Utah. New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte, in a tight race to save her seat, withdrew her endorsement. Responding to that wave of defections, Mr. Trump said such a reaction from Republicans “is why they don’t win presidential elections.” Meanwhile, he said, “my phone hasn’t stopped ringing, emails are coming in and even people outside Trump Tower are supporting me.” Meanwhile, Mr. Trump’s GOP running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, released a statement declaring himself “offended” by the lewd remarks Mr. Trump was recorded saying. “I do not condone his remarks and cannot defend them,” Mr. Pence said. “I am grateful that he has expressed remorse and apologized to the American people. We pray for his family and look forward to the opportunity he has to show what is in his heart when he goes before the nation tomorrow night.” On the same day that Mr. Trump’s lewd remarks to an “Access Hollywood” host were leaked, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton also was hit with a damaging disclosure. “ “Go behind closed doors of the holier-than-thou politicians and pundits and see what they’re saying. I look like a baby.” ” —Donald Trump, in his WSJ interview on Saturday Online publisher of secret information Wikileaks on Friday released what it claimed were emails regarding her private speeches to financial firms in the past that showed her taking a tone in private that is more favorable to free trade and to banks than she has often taken on the campaign trail. The Clinton campaign declined to comment on the emails’ authenticity. “Of course, I’d expect the media to focus more on me,” Mr. Trump said in Saturday’s Journal interview. Donald Trump speaks during a town hall in Sandown, N.H., on Thursday. Photo: Evan Vucci/Associated Press For the rest of Saturday, the GOP candidate said he is “preparing and studying” for Sunday’s nationally televised debate with Mrs. Clinton, but he wouldn’t offer specifics. “I don’t like to get into that,” he said. But he said his focus in Sunday night’s debate, to be held in a town-hall format, will be: “If you want to make America great again, vote for me. If you want four more years of Obama, the failed Obamacare, open borders and horrible trade deals, vote for Hillary.” Write to Monica Langley at [email protected] ||||| In the wake of a new Washington Post report showing Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaking in very lewd terms about women in 2005, some Republicans are calling for Trump to step down as nominee. (Thomas Johnson/The Washington Post) In the wake of a new Washington Post report showing Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaking in very lewd terms about women in 2005, some Republicans are calling for Trump to step down as nominee. (Thomas Johnson/The Washington Post) Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said in an interview Saturday that he would not drop out of the race under any circumstances, following calls from several prominent members of his party to do so. “I’d never withdraw. I’ve never withdrawn in my life,” Trump told The Washington Post in a phone call from his home in Trump Tower in New York. “No, I’m not quitting this race. I have tremendous support.” “People are calling and saying, ‘Don’t even think about doing anything else but running,” Trump said when asked about Republican defections. “You have to see what’s going on. The real story is that people have no idea about the support. I don’t know how that’s going to boil down, but people have no idea about the support. “Running against her,” Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, makes keeping the party behind him easier, Trump added. “It’s because she’s so bad. She’s so flawed as a candidate. Running against her, I can’t say it’d be the same if I ran against someone else, but running against her makes it a lot easier, that’s for sure,” he said. In this video from 2005, Donald Trump prepares for an appearance on "Days of Our Lives" with actress Arianne Zucker. He is accompanied to the set by "Access Hollywood" host Billy Bush. The Post has edited this video for length. (Obtained by The Washington Post) Trump’s comments came less than 24 hours after The Post published a video Friday where Trump bragged in vulgar terms about kissing, groping and trying to have sex with women during a 2005 conversation caught on a hot microphone. [Trump offers brief, defiant apology for lewd remarks] Trump acknowledged that the video has consumed the presidential race — “it certainly has” — but he said he has endured past controversies, not only during his 2016 bid but during his career. “I’ve been here before, I’ll tell ya, in life,” Trump said. “I understand life and how you make it through. You go through things. I’ve been through many. It’s called life. And it’s always interesting.” Trump said “thousands and thousands” of backers have sent him letters and emails since The Post’s story was published. “You have no idea what it’s like,” he said. “So many people.” Trump pointed to his disparagement of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) during the early months of last year’s Republican primary campaign as an example of how he has weathered political storms. “Everyone said, ‘It’s over, it’s over.’ The people didn’t say that, but the reporters said that,” Trump said. When asked to explain his ability in the past to survive, Trump said it’s because “I’m change.” 1 of 28 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad × Here are some of the Republicans who cut ties with Trump after lewd remarks View Photos These Republicans cut ties with Trump after lewd remarks: Following a Friday report by The Washington Post on a 2005 video of the GOP presidential nominee, various Republicans have said they no longer plan to vote for him. Caption Following a Friday report by The Washington Post on a 2005 video of the GOP presidential nominee, various Republicans have said they no longer plan to vote for him and some call for him to drop out. Sen. John McCain Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) joined the cavalcade of Republicans withdrawing their support for Trump. “There are no excuses for Donald Trump’s offensive and demeaning comments in the just released video; no woman should ever be victimized by this kind of inappropriate behavior. He alone bears the burden of his conduct and alone should suffer the consequences,” McCain said in a statement. Susan Walsh/AP Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue. [There’s no longer any way for the GOP to boot Trump from the ballot] Reflecting on his state of mind as he watched news coverage from his apartment, Trump said: “I’m holding up well. I’m holding up well.” Of Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), who retracted his support for Trump on Friday, Trump said that as a Republican, Chaffetz should be going after Clinton rather than criticizing him. “Chaffetz should spend the same energy going after Hillary Clinton as he does going after the person that won the primary with a record vote,” Trump said. “It’s all talk. All talk and nothing happens when he goes after Clinton.” [When was America Great? It depends on who you are.] Trump said he met with his advisers and family Friday night at Trump Tower and agreed to record a video response. He said there were “many opinions” expressed by those around him, but he declined to share details about those discussions. But he said that his position, throughout the evening, was to stay in the race and remain as upbeat as possible before Sunday’s presidential debate in St. Louis. “They’re not going to make me quit, and they can’t make me quit,” Trump said of associates and party leaders who have urged him to step aside. “The Republicans, you’ve got to remember, have been running for a long time. The reason they don’t win is because they don’t stick together.” Trump said he may make a speech or remarks on Saturday evening, perhaps in a suburb of New York City, as a way of encouraging his supporters. “That’s what I’m thinking about,” he said. “We’ll see.” Trump insisted, again, that any possible speech would not be a departure from the race. “Forget that,” Trump said dismissively of the suggestion. “That’s not my deal.” Asked for a final time, Trump said: “Zero chance. I’ve never quit in my life. . . . I can give you my word that I’m never leaving.”

– Donald Trump has a message for those calling on him to drop out of the race after his videotape scandal: There is "zero chance I'll quit," he tells the Wall Street Journal. He expresses a similar sentiment to the Washington Post: “I’d never withdraw. I’ve never withdrawn in my life,” he says. "No, I’m not quitting this race. I have tremendous support.” His remarks come as more than three dozen GOP lawmakers, including John McCain, ditched Trump, and as running mate Mike Pence delivered what the New York Times calls "an unheard-of rebuke" by refusing to appear on Trump's behalf at a GOP gathering in Wisconsin. Pence pronounced himself "offended" by the lewd remarks Trump made about women in a newly surfaced "hot mic" tape from 2005. Trump's wife, Melania, is both criticizing him and standing by him. "The words my husband used are unacceptable and offensive to me," she says in a statement, per USA Today. "This does not represent the man that I know. He has the heart and mind of a leader. I hope people will accept his apology, as I have, and focus on the important issues facing our nation and the world." Support Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty fame, meanwhile, says people "need to lighten up," reports NBC News, which rounds up similar sentiments from others. “I never, ever give up,” Trump tells the Journal. "The support I’m getting is unbelievable, because Hillary Clinton is a horribly flawed candidate.”

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Play Facebook Twitter Google Plus Embed Trump Apologizes for 2005 Comments About Women 1:29 autoplay autoplay Copy this code to your website or blog While the audio of Donald Trump making lewd remarks about women sparked a storm of criticism, a number of celebrities and fellow politicians leaped to his defense overnight. "Duck Dynasty" star Phil Robertson said that evangelical leaders who have come out against Trump, "need to lighten up … and give him some time." In a Friday night interview with WABC Radio Host Rita Cosby, the reality TV show star enthusiastically defended Trump, adding "he's a sinner, that's a start" and calling for people "not condemn anybody." He also took the tack other Trump's defenders had adopted: Diverting attacks to Democrats — and Bill and Hillary Clinton in particular. "That's about the most ungodly bunch I've ever seen," Robertson said of Trump's opponents. Faith and Freedom Coalition President Ralph Reed and Family Research Council President Tony Perkins also continued to back the presidential candidate, BuzzFeed News reported. "Voters of faith are voting on issues like who will protect unborn life, defend religious freedom, create jobs, and oppose the Iran nuclear deal," Reed told the media outlet in an email. "Ten-year-old tapes of private conversation with a television talk show host rank very low on their hierarchy of concerns." Conservative commentator Pastor Mark Burns turned to scripture and urged forgiveness, saying in part that Trump had "repented and God has forgiven him...so should you." "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: OLD THINGS ARE PASSED AWAY, ALL things are new" 2 Cor 5:17https://t.co/qgdUAGsDrt — Pastor Mark Burns (@pastormarkburns) October 8, 2016 Yes @realDonaldTrump repented and God has forgiven him...so should you. God is Love...! https://t.co/NftgfbITJr — Pastor Mark Burns (@pastormarkburns) October 8, 2016 Republican businessman Paul Nehlen, who lost to House Speaker Paul Ryan in the Wisconsin primary, also defended Trump before diverting attention to claims that Bill Clinton raped a woman and that Hillary Clinton bullied women. Related: Bill Clinton Defends Against GOP's 'Personal Attacks' "Trump loves women. Clintons rape and batter them," he tweeted, also retweeting an allegation by Juanita Broderick that Bill Clinton had raped her. The Clintons have hit back against what they call the "relentless personal attacks." Nehlen also took aim at Ryan and Republican chairman Reince Priebus. Trump loves women. Clintons rape and batter them. — Paul Nehlen (@pnehlen) October 8, 2016 Let no crisis go to waste, huh @PRyan and @Reince? You're with her October surprise, her unvetted refugees, her rapist husband. Not w women. — Paul Nehlen (@pnehlen) October 8, 2016 Ryan and Preibus had been quick to condemn and distance themselves from the presidential nominee. Some Republicans, including Utah's Rep. Jason Chaffetz and former Gov. Jon Huntsman, have gone so far as to withdraw their endorsements. Some of Trump's most ardent supporters did not defend the candidate's comments but instead turned their attention to attacking the Clintons. Play Facebook Twitter Google Plus Embed Newly-Surfaced Trump Audio: 'I Did Try to (Expletive) Her, She Was Married' 2:31 autoplay autoplay Copy this code to your website or blog "Clearly this is not how women should be spoken about but we're not choosing a Sunday school teacher here," said former Trump top aide Corey Lewandowski on CNN. "Is this defensible? Absolutely not." Lewandowski also added: "He speaks from the heart...he speaks the way many people speak around the dinner table." Meanwhile, Fox News host Sean Hannity came out against Trump's remarks but also turned his attention to the Clintons. "You can't defend, it is wrong it is inappropriate it is outrageous, I don't think anyone is going to argue about that," he said. Hannity's guest on the show, television personality and judge Jeanine Pirro, called the comments "shameful" and "horrific." "But when you juxtapose words against the actions of a woman who sold arms to ISIS, against the actions of a woman whose life was the destroy the women who was victimized by her husband," she added. Patrick Walsh, a member of Trump's Catholic advisory committee, continued to defend Trump. "I'm doubling down my support for Mr. Trump," Patrick Walsh, member of Trump's Catholic advisory cmte tells me. Says recording is irrelevant — Michael C. Bender (@MichaelCBender) October 8, 2016 And Trump's apology also appeared to go a long way for the group Students For Trump, which called it "an excellent statement" in a tweet. The group also added "Remember- he is fighting for us." .@realDonaldTrump made an excellent statement just a little while ago regarding the tape from 11 years ago. Remember- he is fighting for us. — Students For Trump (@TrumpStudents) October 8, 2016 ||||| Melania blasts 'offensive' Trump, says she accepts apology CLOSE Skip in Skip x Embed x Share Melania Trump is speaking out almost 24 hours after audio of a lewd conversation between her husband Donald Trump and Billy Bush was made public. USA TODAY Almost 24 hours after the initial video that showed Donald Trump talking about being able to grope woman because of his celebrity status, his wife, Melania Trump, sent out an official statement. "The words my husband used are unacceptable and offensive to me. This does not represent the man that I know. He has the heart and mind of a leader. I hope people will accept his apology, as I have, and focus on the important issues facing our nation and the world. " Trump’s comments were picked up from a hot mic from a 2005 taping of Access Hollywood and published by The Washington Post on Friday afternoon. The comments have sent the Republican Party into a frenzy. Many elected officials are calling on him to drop out and give the nomination to his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence. Trump has apologized for making the remarks but vowed to stay in the race. Trump's wife has remained relatively out of the spotlight since the Republican National Convention in July, where she gave a speech that included a section taken from Michelle Obama's 2008 Democratic National Convention speech. An aide to the family took the fall for pulling the text, but Trump's wife has stayed out of the spotlight since then. Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/2ee6WJh ||||| Donald Trump, under pressure to step aside as the Republican presidential candidate after the disclosure of his having made lewd comments about women, said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Saturday that there is “zero chance I’ll quit.” “I never, ever give up,” Mr. Trump said. He also said his campaign isn’t in crisis: “The support I’m getting is unbelievable, because Hillary Clinton is a horribly flawed candidate.” Mr. Trump said the commotion over his remarks will blow over as it did in other instances, such as after his attacks on Sen. John McCain and his proposed ban on Muslims About his sexually charged statements caught on tape, Mr. Trump said, “People get it. They get life.” Asked about the reaction of the two women with whom he is closest, wife Melania Trump and daughter Ivanka Trump, he replied: “I was with Ivanka yesterday; I’m with Melania now. They fully understand, and they’re very loyal.” Unlike in a video he taped and released last night, Mr. Trump, who spoke on Saturday from his Manhattan home in Trump Tower, offered no apologies in the Journal interview, but rather went on the offensive. “Go behind closed doors of the holier-than-thou politicians and pundits and see what they’re saying. I look like a baby.” Since the disclosure of the 2005 video in which Mr. Trump describes his attempt to have sex with a married woman and talks in graphic terms about how he makes advances on women, a growing stream of Republican figures have either rescinded their endorsements of his candidacy or have asked him to leave the top of the GOP ticket. On game day in a crucial Midwestern swing state, students at Ohio State University who supported Donald Trump either defended his use of crude language, or said now they planned to not vote at all. WSJ’s Jason Bellini reports from Columbus. Former GOP presidential contender Carly Fiorina on Saturday called on him to quit the campaign, as did Sens. Mike Crapo of Idaho and Mike Lee of Utah. New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte, in a tight race to save her seat, withdrew her endorsement. Responding to that wave of defections, Mr. Trump said such a reaction from Republicans “is why they don’t win presidential elections.” Meanwhile, he said, “my phone hasn’t stopped ringing, emails are coming in and even people outside Trump Tower are supporting me.” Meanwhile, Mr. Trump’s GOP running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, released a statement declaring himself “offended” by the lewd remarks Mr. Trump was recorded saying. “I do not condone his remarks and cannot defend them,” Mr. Pence said. “I am grateful that he has expressed remorse and apologized to the American people. We pray for his family and look forward to the opportunity he has to show what is in his heart when he goes before the nation tomorrow night.” On the same day that Mr. Trump’s lewd remarks to an “Access Hollywood” host were leaked, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton also was hit with a damaging disclosure. “ “Go behind closed doors of the holier-than-thou politicians and pundits and see what they’re saying. I look like a baby.” ” —Donald Trump, in his WSJ interview on Saturday Online publisher of secret information Wikileaks on Friday released what it claimed were emails regarding her private speeches to financial firms in the past that showed her taking a tone in private that is more favorable to free trade and to banks than she has often taken on the campaign trail. The Clinton campaign declined to comment on the emails’ authenticity. “Of course, I’d expect the media to focus more on me,” Mr. Trump said in Saturday’s Journal interview. Donald Trump speaks during a town hall in Sandown, N.H., on Thursday. Photo: Evan Vucci/Associated Press For the rest of Saturday, the GOP candidate said he is “preparing and studying” for Sunday’s nationally televised debate with Mrs. Clinton, but he wouldn’t offer specifics. “I don’t like to get into that,” he said. But he said his focus in Sunday night’s debate, to be held in a town-hall format, will be: “If you want to make America great again, vote for me. If you want four more years of Obama, the failed Obamacare, open borders and horrible trade deals, vote for Hillary.” Write to Monica Langley at [email protected] ||||| In the wake of a new Washington Post report showing Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaking in very lewd terms about women in 2005, some Republicans are calling for Trump to step down as nominee. (Thomas Johnson/The Washington Post) In the wake of a new Washington Post report showing Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaking in very lewd terms about women in 2005, some Republicans are calling for Trump to step down as nominee. (Thomas Johnson/The Washington Post) Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said in an interview Saturday that he would not drop out of the race under any circumstances, following calls from several prominent members of his party to do so. “I’d never withdraw. I’ve never withdrawn in my life,” Trump told The Washington Post in a phone call from his home in Trump Tower in New York. “No, I’m not quitting this race. I have tremendous support.” “People are calling and saying, ‘Don’t even think about doing anything else but running,” Trump said when asked about Republican defections. “You have to see what’s going on. The real story is that people have no idea about the support. I don’t know how that’s going to boil down, but people have no idea about the support. “Running against her,” Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, makes keeping the party behind him easier, Trump added. “It’s because she’s so bad. She’s so flawed as a candidate. Running against her, I can’t say it’d be the same if I ran against someone else, but running against her makes it a lot easier, that’s for sure,” he said. In this video from 2005, Donald Trump prepares for an appearance on "Days of Our Lives" with actress Arianne Zucker. He is accompanied to the set by "Access Hollywood" host Billy Bush. The Post has edited this video for length. (Obtained by The Washington Post) Trump’s comments came less than 24 hours after The Post published a video Friday where Trump bragged in vulgar terms about kissing, groping and trying to have sex with women during a 2005 conversation caught on a hot microphone. [Trump offers brief, defiant apology for lewd remarks] Trump acknowledged that the video has consumed the presidential race — “it certainly has” — but he said he has endured past controversies, not only during his 2016 bid but during his career. “I’ve been here before, I’ll tell ya, in life,” Trump said. “I understand life and how you make it through. You go through things. I’ve been through many. It’s called life. And it’s always interesting.” Trump said “thousands and thousands” of backers have sent him letters and emails since The Post’s story was published. “You have no idea what it’s like,” he said. “So many people.” Trump pointed to his disparagement of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) during the early months of last year’s Republican primary campaign as an example of how he has weathered political storms. “Everyone said, ‘It’s over, it’s over.’ The people didn’t say that, but the reporters said that,” Trump said. When asked to explain his ability in the past to survive, Trump said it’s because “I’m change.” 1 of 28 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad × Here are some of the Republicans who cut ties with Trump after lewd remarks View Photos These Republicans cut ties with Trump after lewd remarks: Following a Friday report by The Washington Post on a 2005 video of the GOP presidential nominee, various Republicans have said they no longer plan to vote for him. Caption Following a Friday report by The Washington Post on a 2005 video of the GOP presidential nominee, various Republicans have said they no longer plan to vote for him and some call for him to drop out. Sen. John McCain Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) joined the cavalcade of Republicans withdrawing their support for Trump. “There are no excuses for Donald Trump’s offensive and demeaning comments in the just released video; no woman should ever be victimized by this kind of inappropriate behavior. He alone bears the burden of his conduct and alone should suffer the consequences,” McCain said in a statement. Susan Walsh/AP Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue. [There’s no longer any way for the GOP to boot Trump from the ballot] Reflecting on his state of mind as he watched news coverage from his apartment, Trump said: “I’m holding up well. I’m holding up well.” Of Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), who retracted his support for Trump on Friday, Trump said that as a Republican, Chaffetz should be going after Clinton rather than criticizing him. “Chaffetz should spend the same energy going after Hillary Clinton as he does going after the person that won the primary with a record vote,” Trump said. “It’s all talk. All talk and nothing happens when he goes after Clinton.” [When was America Great? It depends on who you are.] Trump said he met with his advisers and family Friday night at Trump Tower and agreed to record a video response. He said there were “many opinions” expressed by those around him, but he declined to share details about those discussions. But he said that his position, throughout the evening, was to stay in the race and remain as upbeat as possible before Sunday’s presidential debate in St. Louis. “They’re not going to make me quit, and they can’t make me quit,” Trump said of associates and party leaders who have urged him to step aside. “The Republicans, you’ve got to remember, have been running for a long time. The reason they don’t win is because they don’t stick together.” Trump said he may make a speech or remarks on Saturday evening, perhaps in a suburb of New York City, as a way of encouraging his supporters. “That’s what I’m thinking about,” he said. “We’ll see.” Trump insisted, again, that any possible speech would not be a departure from the race. “Forget that,” Trump said dismissively of the suggestion. “That’s not my deal.” Asked for a final time, Trump said: “Zero chance. I’ve never quit in my life. . . . I can give you my word that I’m never leaving.”

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Every generation finds, eventually, a mode of expression that suits it. Cavemen drew lines on their cave walls. Sixties kids marched. My generation, we Gchat, a million tiny windows blinking orange with hopes and dreams and YouTube links, with five-year plans and lunch plans. So as I began to search for a single phrase that could, preposterously, describe our entire cohort, post-crash, I did what I always do in moments of crisis. I Gchatted my 24-year-old sister Clare, who happens to be living back at home with our parents while she looks for a job: (10:24 p.m.) CLARE: how about they just call us SAA self-absorbed assholes ME: booo CLARE: we need a D to make it really good SAD—self-absorbed delusionals ps (10:26) can i send you a cover letter right quick? ME: sure (10:28) CLARE: our generation is: delayed afraid immature (10:29) independent fame and glory hungry (ambitious?) weirdly apathetic when it comes to things outside of the internet (10:32) ME: delayed is not our fault CLARE: ok, you know what i always think about when i think of our generation? i read the david brooks book, “the social animal” and while it was only mediocre, he had this one really great bit that really stuck with me—the Greek ideal of “thumos”, which is the lust not for money or success (in the conventional sense) but the lust for glory we want glory through our ideas-we want to know we matter (10:33) the cold truth is that not all of us are brilliant we are not all big thinkers. Not everyone’s TED talks will change the world some of us will just dissipate into the ether (10:34) but it is the digital connectivity, that proximity to these people, that makes us think that perhaps we will succeed as well (10:35) ok, i’m done (10:36) no i’m not here’s why the recession is so devastating to us we grew up, all the way through college, with everything seeming so ripe and possible (10:37) we had a PC education—people tried to hide from us as long as possible that not everyone is equal we were told we all have a fair chance of making it that’s just not so and we’re starting to realize that (10:39) are you even listening to me anymore? (10:41) ME: hi sorry (10:42) i was writing an email i am filing your comments in my file. (10:43) i think your cover letter is good! CLARE: i thought it was ok (10:47) but I am, to be honest, expecting a rejection. I know this might read as very woe-is-us, but these are the facts: Nearly 14 percent of college graduates from the classes of 2006 through 2010 can’t find full-time work, and overall just 55.3 percent of people ages 16 to 29 have jobs. That’s the lowest percentage since World War II, as you might have heard an Occupy Wall Street protester point out. (Not coincidentally, one in five young adults now lives below the poverty line.) Almost a quarter more people ages 25 to 34—in other words, people who should be a few years into their independent lives—are living with their parents than at the beginning of the recession. Being young is supposed to mean you have the luxury of time. But in hard times, a few fallow years can become a lifetime drag on what you earn, sort of the opposite of compound interest. Because the average person grabs 70 percent of their total pay bumps during their first ten years in the workforce, according to a paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research, having stagnant or nonexistent ­wages during that period means you hit that springboard at a crawl. Economist Lisa Kahn explained to The Atlantic in 2010 that those who graduate into a recession are still earning an average of 10 percent less nearly two decades into their careers. In hard, paycheck-shrinking numbers, the salary lost over that stretch totals around $100,000. That works out to $490 or so less a month, money that could go, say, toward repaying student loans, which for the class of 2009 average $24,000. Those student loans (the responsible borrowing option!) have reportedly passed credit cards as the nation’s largest source of debt. This is not just a rotten moment to be young. It’s a putrid, stinking, several-months-old-stringy-goat-meat moment to be young. Earlier generations have weathered recessions, of course; this stall we’re in has the look of something nastier. Social Security and Medicare are going to be diminished, at best. Hours worked are up even as hiring staggers along: Blood from a stone looks to be the normal order of things “going forward,” to borrow the business-speak. Economists are warning that even when the economy recuperates, full employment will be lower and growth will be slower—a sad little rhyme that adds up to something decidedly ­unpoetic. A majority of Americans say, for the first time ever, that this generation will not be better off than its parents. ||||| Last week in New York magazine, 27-year-old Noreen Malone (a former Slate staffer) wrote that her generation, the Millennials—battered by the economy and yet still somehow convinced that they'll "do better" than their parents—were "hoping for the chance to put on a tie and report to their cubes." In response, Gizmodo writer Mat Honan, who turns 39 this week, posted a screed on his blog that read in part: "Generation X is tired of your sense of entitlement. Generation X also graduated during a recession. It had even shittier jobs … Generation X is used to being fucked over." I'm older than Noreen but younger than Mat, and neither characterization rang exactly true to me (most demographers place me and my peers at the tail end of Generation X). I was born during Jimmy Carter's presidency, a one-term administration remembered mostly for the Iran hostage crisis, the New York City blackout, and stagflation. The Carter babies—anyone born between his inauguration in January 1977 and Reagan's in January 1981—are now 30 to 34, and, like Carter himself, the weirdly brilliant yet deeply weird born-again Christian peanut farmer, this micro-generation is hard to pin down. We identify with some of Gen X's cynicism and suspicion of authority—watching Pee-Wee Herman proclaim, "I'm a loner, Dottie. A rebel," will do that to a kid—but we were too young to claim Singles and Reality Bites and Slacker as our own (though that didn't stop me from buying the soundtracks). And, while the proud alienation of the Gen X worldview doesn't totally sit right, we certainly don't yearn for the Organization Man-like conformity that the Millennials seem to crave. Advertisement But what seemed to be the best moniker for our micro-generation was a Teen Vogue editor's suggestion: "Generation Catalano." Jared Leto's Jordan Catalano was a main character in the 1994-95 ABC series My So-Called Life, a show that starred Claire Danes as Angela Chase, a high school sophomore struggling with the thing that teenagers will struggle with as long as there are high schools: who she is. "People are always saying you should be yourself, like yourself is this definite thing, like a toaster. Like you know what it is even,'" she says in a voice-over in a midseason episode. So even though the themes of the show are in many ways timeless, today, My So-Called Life also seems like a time capsule, and not just because of the Scrunchies. There's no texting; Jordan leaves a note for Angela in her locker. There's also no Facebook or instant-messaging or cyberbullying (just regular old bullying). It was a show that most accurately portrayed my high school experience, minus the dating of Jared Leto, in part because it aired while I was actually in high school. Claire Danes' Angela—and Heathers' Veronica Sawyer and Freaks and Geeks' Lindsay Weir—also fall into a trope of television and film that's an especially apt representation of Generation Catalano (or at least those of us who were white and from the suburbs): the girl who doesn't know where exactly she fits in, because she's smart (full disclosure: the struggle Lindsay has over whether to stay on the Mathletes hit a little too close to home), wants to be popular, and has to leave her old, dorky friends behind. The show or movie's dramatic tension is then largely about her identity crisis as she ping-pongs among different cliques and wrestles with the seemingly monumental decision of whether to stay in on a Friday night and do her calculus homework or go to a keg party in the woods. Yet My So-Called Life and Freaks and Geeks each only made it through one season before being canceled; they failed to resonate with a broader audience. In contrast, the relatively bland main characters on much more successful, Millennial-targeted shows of the late 1990s and early 2000s, like Dawson's Creek, One Tree Hill, and The O.C., presaged the current crop of high school-centric series like Glee, Pretty Little Liars, and Gossip Girl, whose lead characters—much like Millennials themselves—are convinced that it's not just possible, but expected to be pretty, popular, and go to Brown. (My Millennial sister—who was born in 1984, and is now a lawyer—watched Legally Blonde and found much to admire in Elle Woods' equal devotion to her wardrobe and her legal career.) Meanwhile, the post-Millennials seem solely obsessed with fame; hugely popular shows like Hannah Montana and iCarly reinforce the idea that you can be a "regular" kid who's also world-famous. Advertisement This urge to define generations is also about a yearning for a collective memory in an increasingly atomized world, at least where my generation is concerned. Indeed, where the Millennials tend to define themselves in terms of the way they live now, people in my cohort find fellowship more in what happened in the past, clinging to cultural totems as though our shared experiences will somehow lead us to better figure out who we are. The Internet is littered with quick-hit nostalgia websites like I'm Remembering, which posts pictures of toys and TV characters and old photos from the '80s and '90s. Certainly, discovering that someone else also had a Cabbage Patch Kid does immediately create a sense of shared history, no matter how superficial. This aligns us more with Gen X, which has also always bonded through nostalgia. Millennials, on the other hand, seem to be always looking forward, imbued with a sense of optimism and hope that to us reads as naive. In her story, Malone writes that "every generation finds, eventually, a mode of expression that suits it," but perhaps every generation is also granted, eventually, a name that it deserves. Though Douglas Coupland didn't invent the term "Generation X" (that credit goes to the photographer Robert Capa, who used it to describe the generation of kids growing up after World War II), his 1991 book of the same name was what made it apply to this age group. Millennials, on the other hand, have Ad Age to thank for helping define their generation; the advertising trade publication first used the term "Generation Y" in 1993 to characterize the post-Gen X cohort. Later, William Strauss and Neil Howe's 2000 book Millennials Rising would become instrumental in defining this group; in his review of the book for the New York Times, David Brooks noted that "kids have a much more positive attitude toward parents and adult authority figures than earlier cohorts did." In Generation X, one of the protagonists, Andy, reflects that "we live small lives on the periphery; we are marginalized and there's a great deal in which we choose not to participate." It's no coincidence that Gen X's greatest artistic legacy is probably grunge, which is all about glorifying marginalization and alienation. Millennials, though, have been forced to live lives on the periphery, when they had always expected that they would be at the center. As Malone points out, the Fleet Foxes, led by 25-year-old Robin Pecknold, sing about thinking that they were "special snowflakes" but finding that they are in fact "cogs in some great machinery." In contrast, the most famous musician from Generation Catalano is probably 34-year-old Kanye West, who actually is something of a special snowflake—and at the same time that he has released some of the best music of the last few years (and gotten very rich off of it), he's also been engaged a very public battle with himself. Like West, Generation Catalano is never fully comfortable with its place in the world; we wander away from the periphery and back again.

– Perhaps last week’s Generation X screed didn’t quite ring true to you—but neither did the article about the Millennial Generation that prompted it. If so, you might be a member of “Generation Catalano,” born during the Carter administration and forever stuck between two groups that get far more attention. You “identify with some of Gen X's cynicism and suspicion of authority,” but you’re just a little too young to claim Reality Bites, writes Doree Shafrir in Slate. You “don't yearn for the Organization Man-like conformity that the Millennials seem to crave,” yet neither are you as proudly alienated as Gen X. Despite the fact that, technically, this group of 30- to 34-year-olds is part of Generation X, Shafrir thinks “Generation Catalano”—referring to Jared Leto’s iconic My So-Called Life character—is a much more fitting title for her micro-generation. Claire Danes’ Angela represents many “Generation Catalano” members, “the girl who doesn't know where exactly she fits in.” Later Millennial-targeted shows, by contrast, feature lead characters who “are convinced that it's not just possible, but expected to be pretty, popular, and go to Brown … much like Millennials themselves.” Generation Catalano, Shafrir concludes, “is never fully comfortable with its place in the world; we wander away from the periphery and back again.” Click for Shafrir's full column.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Every generation finds, eventually, a mode of expression that suits it. Cavemen drew lines on their cave walls. Sixties kids marched. My generation, we Gchat, a million tiny windows blinking orange with hopes and dreams and YouTube links, with five-year plans and lunch plans. So as I began to search for a single phrase that could, preposterously, describe our entire cohort, post-crash, I did what I always do in moments of crisis. I Gchatted my 24-year-old sister Clare, who happens to be living back at home with our parents while she looks for a job: (10:24 p.m.) CLARE: how about they just call us SAA self-absorbed assholes ME: booo CLARE: we need a D to make it really good SAD—self-absorbed delusionals ps (10:26) can i send you a cover letter right quick? ME: sure (10:28) CLARE: our generation is: delayed afraid immature (10:29) independent fame and glory hungry (ambitious?) weirdly apathetic when it comes to things outside of the internet (10:32) ME: delayed is not our fault CLARE: ok, you know what i always think about when i think of our generation? i read the david brooks book, “the social animal” and while it was only mediocre, he had this one really great bit that really stuck with me—the Greek ideal of “thumos”, which is the lust not for money or success (in the conventional sense) but the lust for glory we want glory through our ideas-we want to know we matter (10:33) the cold truth is that not all of us are brilliant we are not all big thinkers. Not everyone’s TED talks will change the world some of us will just dissipate into the ether (10:34) but it is the digital connectivity, that proximity to these people, that makes us think that perhaps we will succeed as well (10:35) ok, i’m done (10:36) no i’m not here’s why the recession is so devastating to us we grew up, all the way through college, with everything seeming so ripe and possible (10:37) we had a PC education—people tried to hide from us as long as possible that not everyone is equal we were told we all have a fair chance of making it that’s just not so and we’re starting to realize that (10:39) are you even listening to me anymore? (10:41) ME: hi sorry (10:42) i was writing an email i am filing your comments in my file. (10:43) i think your cover letter is good! CLARE: i thought it was ok (10:47) but I am, to be honest, expecting a rejection. I know this might read as very woe-is-us, but these are the facts: Nearly 14 percent of college graduates from the classes of 2006 through 2010 can’t find full-time work, and overall just 55.3 percent of people ages 16 to 29 have jobs. That’s the lowest percentage since World War II, as you might have heard an Occupy Wall Street protester point out. (Not coincidentally, one in five young adults now lives below the poverty line.) Almost a quarter more people ages 25 to 34—in other words, people who should be a few years into their independent lives—are living with their parents than at the beginning of the recession. Being young is supposed to mean you have the luxury of time. But in hard times, a few fallow years can become a lifetime drag on what you earn, sort of the opposite of compound interest. Because the average person grabs 70 percent of their total pay bumps during their first ten years in the workforce, according to a paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research, having stagnant or nonexistent ­wages during that period means you hit that springboard at a crawl. Economist Lisa Kahn explained to The Atlantic in 2010 that those who graduate into a recession are still earning an average of 10 percent less nearly two decades into their careers. In hard, paycheck-shrinking numbers, the salary lost over that stretch totals around $100,000. That works out to $490 or so less a month, money that could go, say, toward repaying student loans, which for the class of 2009 average $24,000. Those student loans (the responsible borrowing option!) have reportedly passed credit cards as the nation’s largest source of debt. This is not just a rotten moment to be young. It’s a putrid, stinking, several-months-old-stringy-goat-meat moment to be young. Earlier generations have weathered recessions, of course; this stall we’re in has the look of something nastier. Social Security and Medicare are going to be diminished, at best. Hours worked are up even as hiring staggers along: Blood from a stone looks to be the normal order of things “going forward,” to borrow the business-speak. Economists are warning that even when the economy recuperates, full employment will be lower and growth will be slower—a sad little rhyme that adds up to something decidedly ­unpoetic. A majority of Americans say, for the first time ever, that this generation will not be better off than its parents. ||||| Last week in New York magazine, 27-year-old Noreen Malone (a former Slate staffer) wrote that her generation, the Millennials—battered by the economy and yet still somehow convinced that they'll "do better" than their parents—were "hoping for the chance to put on a tie and report to their cubes." In response, Gizmodo writer Mat Honan, who turns 39 this week, posted a screed on his blog that read in part: "Generation X is tired of your sense of entitlement. Generation X also graduated during a recession. It had even shittier jobs … Generation X is used to being fucked over." I'm older than Noreen but younger than Mat, and neither characterization rang exactly true to me (most demographers place me and my peers at the tail end of Generation X). I was born during Jimmy Carter's presidency, a one-term administration remembered mostly for the Iran hostage crisis, the New York City blackout, and stagflation. The Carter babies—anyone born between his inauguration in January 1977 and Reagan's in January 1981—are now 30 to 34, and, like Carter himself, the weirdly brilliant yet deeply weird born-again Christian peanut farmer, this micro-generation is hard to pin down. We identify with some of Gen X's cynicism and suspicion of authority—watching Pee-Wee Herman proclaim, "I'm a loner, Dottie. A rebel," will do that to a kid—but we were too young to claim Singles and Reality Bites and Slacker as our own (though that didn't stop me from buying the soundtracks). And, while the proud alienation of the Gen X worldview doesn't totally sit right, we certainly don't yearn for the Organization Man-like conformity that the Millennials seem to crave. Advertisement But what seemed to be the best moniker for our micro-generation was a Teen Vogue editor's suggestion: "Generation Catalano." Jared Leto's Jordan Catalano was a main character in the 1994-95 ABC series My So-Called Life, a show that starred Claire Danes as Angela Chase, a high school sophomore struggling with the thing that teenagers will struggle with as long as there are high schools: who she is. "People are always saying you should be yourself, like yourself is this definite thing, like a toaster. Like you know what it is even,'" she says in a voice-over in a midseason episode. So even though the themes of the show are in many ways timeless, today, My So-Called Life also seems like a time capsule, and not just because of the Scrunchies. There's no texting; Jordan leaves a note for Angela in her locker. There's also no Facebook or instant-messaging or cyberbullying (just regular old bullying). It was a show that most accurately portrayed my high school experience, minus the dating of Jared Leto, in part because it aired while I was actually in high school. Claire Danes' Angela—and Heathers' Veronica Sawyer and Freaks and Geeks' Lindsay Weir—also fall into a trope of television and film that's an especially apt representation of Generation Catalano (or at least those of us who were white and from the suburbs): the girl who doesn't know where exactly she fits in, because she's smart (full disclosure: the struggle Lindsay has over whether to stay on the Mathletes hit a little too close to home), wants to be popular, and has to leave her old, dorky friends behind. The show or movie's dramatic tension is then largely about her identity crisis as she ping-pongs among different cliques and wrestles with the seemingly monumental decision of whether to stay in on a Friday night and do her calculus homework or go to a keg party in the woods. Yet My So-Called Life and Freaks and Geeks each only made it through one season before being canceled; they failed to resonate with a broader audience. In contrast, the relatively bland main characters on much more successful, Millennial-targeted shows of the late 1990s and early 2000s, like Dawson's Creek, One Tree Hill, and The O.C., presaged the current crop of high school-centric series like Glee, Pretty Little Liars, and Gossip Girl, whose lead characters—much like Millennials themselves—are convinced that it's not just possible, but expected to be pretty, popular, and go to Brown. (My Millennial sister—who was born in 1984, and is now a lawyer—watched Legally Blonde and found much to admire in Elle Woods' equal devotion to her wardrobe and her legal career.) Meanwhile, the post-Millennials seem solely obsessed with fame; hugely popular shows like Hannah Montana and iCarly reinforce the idea that you can be a "regular" kid who's also world-famous. Advertisement This urge to define generations is also about a yearning for a collective memory in an increasingly atomized world, at least where my generation is concerned. Indeed, where the Millennials tend to define themselves in terms of the way they live now, people in my cohort find fellowship more in what happened in the past, clinging to cultural totems as though our shared experiences will somehow lead us to better figure out who we are. The Internet is littered with quick-hit nostalgia websites like I'm Remembering, which posts pictures of toys and TV characters and old photos from the '80s and '90s. Certainly, discovering that someone else also had a Cabbage Patch Kid does immediately create a sense of shared history, no matter how superficial. This aligns us more with Gen X, which has also always bonded through nostalgia. Millennials, on the other hand, seem to be always looking forward, imbued with a sense of optimism and hope that to us reads as naive. In her story, Malone writes that "every generation finds, eventually, a mode of expression that suits it," but perhaps every generation is also granted, eventually, a name that it deserves. Though Douglas Coupland didn't invent the term "Generation X" (that credit goes to the photographer Robert Capa, who used it to describe the generation of kids growing up after World War II), his 1991 book of the same name was what made it apply to this age group. Millennials, on the other hand, have Ad Age to thank for helping define their generation; the advertising trade publication first used the term "Generation Y" in 1993 to characterize the post-Gen X cohort. Later, William Strauss and Neil Howe's 2000 book Millennials Rising would become instrumental in defining this group; in his review of the book for the New York Times, David Brooks noted that "kids have a much more positive attitude toward parents and adult authority figures than earlier cohorts did." In Generation X, one of the protagonists, Andy, reflects that "we live small lives on the periphery; we are marginalized and there's a great deal in which we choose not to participate." It's no coincidence that Gen X's greatest artistic legacy is probably grunge, which is all about glorifying marginalization and alienation. Millennials, though, have been forced to live lives on the periphery, when they had always expected that they would be at the center. As Malone points out, the Fleet Foxes, led by 25-year-old Robin Pecknold, sing about thinking that they were "special snowflakes" but finding that they are in fact "cogs in some great machinery." In contrast, the most famous musician from Generation Catalano is probably 34-year-old Kanye West, who actually is something of a special snowflake—and at the same time that he has released some of the best music of the last few years (and gotten very rich off of it), he's also been engaged a very public battle with himself. Like West, Generation Catalano is never fully comfortable with its place in the world; we wander away from the periphery and back again.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

An asteroid is anticipated to come within 310,000 miles of Earth, its nearest approach is estimated at 11:14 a.m. Eastern on October 31. Jim Webb quits the Democratic race: Will he run as an independent? This image provided by NASA/JPL-Caltech shows a simulation of asteroid 2012 DA14 approaching from the south as it passes through the Earth-moon system on Friday, Feb. 15, 2013. Another asteroid, called 2015 TB145, is set to pass within 310,000 miles of Earth on Halloween. Back in August, in response to a viral conspiracy theory, NASA released a statement denying that Earth would be struck by a large asteroid a few weeks hence, causing widespread destruction. It turns out that the space agency was right. But what about the one headed our way on Halloween? An asteroid is anticipated to come within 310,000 miles of Earth – about a third longer than the average distance to the moon – its nearest approach is estimated at 11:14 a.m. Eastern on October 31, according to NASA. Called 2015 TB145, the asteroid was spotted by astronomers on October 10 using the Panoramic Survey Telescope & Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) at the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy. NASA estimates the space rock measures between 984 and 1,542 feet in diameter and is traveling "unusually fast," according to the space agency, at about 78,000 miles per hour. "The flyby presents a truly outstanding scientific opportunity to study the physical properties of this object," NASA said in a statement. NASA's Near-Earth Object Project has been detecting so-called Near-Earth objects since 1998, coordinating efforts worldwide with hundreds of other programs and astronomers to locate, track, and research potentially dangerous asteroids and comets that could come close to Earth. According to NASA, no known object poses an imminent threat, but a more grassroots approach sprung up in 2013 to help catalogue those space rocks that have yet to be identified. Called the Grand Challenge, the NASA program asks amateur astronomers around the world to help NASA "track all asteroid threats to human populations, and to know what to do about them," Jason Kessler, the director of the program said in an interview with CNN. "We have discovered about 95% of the one kilometer or larger asteroids, that's roughly the size of the one that is thought to have wiped out the dinosaurs upon impact," Mr. Kessler said. "Unfortunately we only know about roughly 1% of those asteroids that get down to the 30 meter size, so there's a tremendous amount out there that we have yet to discover." He added that, although the data sounds menacing, "Nothing we know of is threatening Earth right now." As of October 16, 13,256 Near-Earth objects (NEOs) have been identified; of those, 1,635 have been classified as Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) due to their size. ||||| Learn more about asteroids: A strikingly spooky asteroid is expected to whiz curiously close to Earth on Halloween, NASA has announced. Discovered within the last two weeks, the large asteroid, 2015 TB145, will pass Earth at 1.3 times the moon's distance (approximately 310,000 miles). 2015 TB145's pass is the closest of any object its size since 2006; not until August 2027 will another large object pass so close to Earth. 2015 TB145's closest approach will occur at 11:14 a.m. EST on Oct. 31, 2015. According to EarthSky.org, the asteroid will be best observed in the Western Hemisphere during the early morning hours of Oct. 31. Skywatchers will need a telescope to see the asteroid.

– In what sounds like the setup to a sci-fi horror movie, an asteroid deemed "extremely eccentric" by NASA and "strikingly spooky" by Discovery will be very close to Earth on Halloween. NASA says the asteroid, 2015 TB145, is up to 1,542 feet in diameter and will be moving "unusually fast" when it comes within 310,000 miles of our planet, which is around 1.3 times the distance to the moon, the Christian Science Monitor reports. It will be at its closest just before sunrise in North America on Oct. 31, NASA says, but the waning moon will make it hard to see with small telescopes. "The flyby presents a truly outstanding scientific opportunity to study the physical properties of this object," NASA says. The last time an asteroid this size came this close to Earth was 2006, NASA says, and there isn't another one expected until 2027—but since this one wasn't detected until Oct. 10 this year, there could be more surprises in store. NASA says the asteroid will zip by safely, and the strangeness of its orbit may explain why it was spotted so late, Gizmodo reports. (A space mission in 2022 will be a test run on preventing asteroid collisions with Earth.)

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.An asteroid is anticipated to come within 310,000 miles of Earth, its nearest approach is estimated at 11:14 a.m. Eastern on October 31. Jim Webb quits the Democratic race: Will he run as an independent? This image provided by NASA/JPL-Caltech shows a simulation of asteroid 2012 DA14 approaching from the south as it passes through the Earth-moon system on Friday, Feb. 15, 2013. Another asteroid, called 2015 TB145, is set to pass within 310,000 miles of Earth on Halloween. Back in August, in response to a viral conspiracy theory, NASA released a statement denying that Earth would be struck by a large asteroid a few weeks hence, causing widespread destruction. It turns out that the space agency was right. But what about the one headed our way on Halloween? An asteroid is anticipated to come within 310,000 miles of Earth – about a third longer than the average distance to the moon – its nearest approach is estimated at 11:14 a.m. Eastern on October 31, according to NASA. Called 2015 TB145, the asteroid was spotted by astronomers on October 10 using the Panoramic Survey Telescope & Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) at the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy. NASA estimates the space rock measures between 984 and 1,542 feet in diameter and is traveling "unusually fast," according to the space agency, at about 78,000 miles per hour. "The flyby presents a truly outstanding scientific opportunity to study the physical properties of this object," NASA said in a statement. NASA's Near-Earth Object Project has been detecting so-called Near-Earth objects since 1998, coordinating efforts worldwide with hundreds of other programs and astronomers to locate, track, and research potentially dangerous asteroids and comets that could come close to Earth. According to NASA, no known object poses an imminent threat, but a more grassroots approach sprung up in 2013 to help catalogue those space rocks that have yet to be identified. Called the Grand Challenge, the NASA program asks amateur astronomers around the world to help NASA "track all asteroid threats to human populations, and to know what to do about them," Jason Kessler, the director of the program said in an interview with CNN. "We have discovered about 95% of the one kilometer or larger asteroids, that's roughly the size of the one that is thought to have wiped out the dinosaurs upon impact," Mr. Kessler said. "Unfortunately we only know about roughly 1% of those asteroids that get down to the 30 meter size, so there's a tremendous amount out there that we have yet to discover." He added that, although the data sounds menacing, "Nothing we know of is threatening Earth right now." As of October 16, 13,256 Near-Earth objects (NEOs) have been identified; of those, 1,635 have been classified as Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) due to their size. ||||| Learn more about asteroids: A strikingly spooky asteroid is expected to whiz curiously close to Earth on Halloween, NASA has announced. Discovered within the last two weeks, the large asteroid, 2015 TB145, will pass Earth at 1.3 times the moon's distance (approximately 310,000 miles). 2015 TB145's pass is the closest of any object its size since 2006; not until August 2027 will another large object pass so close to Earth. 2015 TB145's closest approach will occur at 11:14 a.m. EST on Oct. 31, 2015. According to EarthSky.org, the asteroid will be best observed in the Western Hemisphere during the early morning hours of Oct. 31. Skywatchers will need a telescope to see the asteroid.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Jeb Bush’s commencement address at the University of South Carolina on Monday was mostly devoid of politics. But the appearance alone, in a state that could be pivotal to his 2016 prospects, was just the latest sign that the former Florida governor was inching closer to a presidential campaign. On Tuesday, the Republican made his intentions a bit more clear. He announced on Facebook that he will “actively explore the possibility” of a White House run and that he will launch a leadership PAC to let him travel and talk with voters. Story Continued Below Few early primary states, people close to Bush say, will be as important to Bush as South Carolina — the same state that paved the way for his brother, George W. Bush, to win the Republican nomination in 2000 and for his father, George H.W. Bush, in 1988. (Mike Allen reports: Carolina on Jeb's Mind) Beyond that history are the realities of the political map. The first two primary states, Iowa and New Hampshire, present potential challenges to the former governor. Iowa, a caucus state, has in recent years been won by candidates deemed most conservative; New Hampshire is often most friendly to libertarian-minded candidates — someone, perhaps, like Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, who is likely to run. South Carolina, which is traditionally next in the primary lineup, could be friendlier terrain, people close to Bush say. Its Republican voting pool is larger and more ideologically diverse, and it has long supported Republican presidential contenders seen as most in line with the GOP establishment, including Bob Dole, John McCain and Bush’s brother and father. “It’s his road to the White House,” said Katon Dawson, a former South Carolina Republican Party chairman. “It’s where he rights his ship.” (Also on POLITICO: Murthy confirmed as attorney general) Others believe that the former Florida governor has a built-in supply of supporters in those who also backed George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush. Among those who helped coordinate the Monday commencement speech, according to one source, was Eddie Floyd, a South Carolina physician who was a top fundraiser for both Bushes. Other South Carolina Bush allies likely to join in a campaign include Robert Royall, who was ambassador to Tanzania under George W. Bush, and David Wilkins, a former longtime state legislator who was ambassador to Canada during Bush’s second term. “I think Jeb has an advantage in South Carolina in that he has an infrastructure that could be resuscitated,” said Barry Wynn, a former South Carolina Republican Party chairman who supported the primary campaigns of George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. “I think there’s an organization — one that’s older and wiser.” Bush has been careful to cultivate South Carolina. In 2007, for example, he made multiple stops in the state to raise money for then-Gov. Mark Sanford. Bush’s South Carolina speech came in the wake of other apparent steps to ready a campaign. Over the weekend, Bush announced that he’d be releasing 250,000 emails from his time as governor in hopes of providing “transparency.” He also said that he is writing an e-book that will describe his approach to governing. (Also on POLITICO: Obama's big Clinton moment) On Monday, Bush was careful to veer his graduation speech away from politics, choosing instead to focus on career counseling. He advised the midyear graduates to “dream big” and “don’t be afraid to shake things up.” The closest Bush came to the partisan waters was when he heaped praise on his father, whom he called “my favorite person in the world.” “Right now, we’re all in the game of interpreting the political implications of every move Jeb makes,” said Ana Navarro, a Republican strategist in Florida who is close to the former governor. “But Jeb’s been very conscious of not getting us all into froth before he makes a decision. He made today’s speech about sharing life lessons with the graduates and not about politics.” Still, few believe Bush would have South Carolina to himself in what’s likely to be a crowded Republican field. Other would-be Republican candidates are also making early moves in the state. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has signed on Jason Miller, who helped guide Sanford’s comeback 2013 congressional campaign, as a top strategist. Paul, according to one source, is in talks with Tom Davis, a politically savvy state legislator, about taking on a campaign role. And in a state with deep pockets of conservatism, some of Bush’s fiercest allies believe he will come under pressure from his right for his moderate positions on some issues, such as his support for comprehensive immigration reform and Common Core education standards. “Politically speaking,” said Wynn, “I think there are some challenges he’d have to overcome.” ||||| Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah! Like many of you, our family was blessed with the opportunity to gather together over the recent Thanksgiving holiday. Columba and I are so proud of the wonderful adults our children have become, and we loved spending time with our three precious grandchildren. We shared good food and watched a whole lot of football. We also talked about the future of our nation. As a result of these conversations and thoughtful consideration of the kind of strong leadership I think America needs, I have decided to actively explore the possibility of running for President of the United States. In January, I also plan to establish a Leadership PAC that will help me facilitate conversations with citizens across America to discuss the most critical challenges facing our exceptional nation. The PAC’s purpose will be to support leaders, ideas and policies that will expand opportunity and prosperity for all Americans. In the coming months, I hope to visit with many of you and have a conversation about restoring the promise of America. Best wishes to you and your families for a happy holiday season. I’ll be in touch soon. Onward, Jeb Bush

– Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush today took his most definitive step yet toward running for president, announcing plans to "actively explore" a campaign and form a new political operation allowing him to raise money for like-minded Republicans. In a holiday message posted on Bush's Facebook page and Twitter account, the son and brother of past Republican presidents said he discussed the "future of our nation" and a potential bid for the White House with members of his family over the Thanksgiving holiday. "As a result of these conversations and thoughtful consideration of the kind of strong leadership I think America needs, I have decided to actively explore the possibility of running for president of the United States," Bush wrote in the message, which was reportedly first "riddled with typos" but has apparently since been fixed. "In the coming months, I hope to visit with many of you and have a conversation about restoring the promise of America." Kristy Campbell, a spokeswoman for Bush, 61, said he will announce his final decision on whether to seek the nomination next year "after gauging support." "This is a natural next step and represents a new phase of his consideration process," Campbell said. That phase will include an expansion of Bush's political operations. He said today he will start his own leadership political action committee in January, which will allow him to raise money and use it to support candidates in other races. In his statement, Bush said the committee "will help me facilitate conversations with citizens across America to discuss the most critical challenges facing our exceptional nation. The PAC's purpose will be to support leaders, ideas and policies that will expand opportunity and prosperity for all Americans." Politico reported yesterday that South Carolina could be pivotal to Bush's success.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Jeb Bush’s commencement address at the University of South Carolina on Monday was mostly devoid of politics. But the appearance alone, in a state that could be pivotal to his 2016 prospects, was just the latest sign that the former Florida governor was inching closer to a presidential campaign. On Tuesday, the Republican made his intentions a bit more clear. He announced on Facebook that he will “actively explore the possibility” of a White House run and that he will launch a leadership PAC to let him travel and talk with voters. Story Continued Below Few early primary states, people close to Bush say, will be as important to Bush as South Carolina — the same state that paved the way for his brother, George W. Bush, to win the Republican nomination in 2000 and for his father, George H.W. Bush, in 1988. (Mike Allen reports: Carolina on Jeb's Mind) Beyond that history are the realities of the political map. The first two primary states, Iowa and New Hampshire, present potential challenges to the former governor. Iowa, a caucus state, has in recent years been won by candidates deemed most conservative; New Hampshire is often most friendly to libertarian-minded candidates — someone, perhaps, like Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, who is likely to run. South Carolina, which is traditionally next in the primary lineup, could be friendlier terrain, people close to Bush say. Its Republican voting pool is larger and more ideologically diverse, and it has long supported Republican presidential contenders seen as most in line with the GOP establishment, including Bob Dole, John McCain and Bush’s brother and father. “It’s his road to the White House,” said Katon Dawson, a former South Carolina Republican Party chairman. “It’s where he rights his ship.” (Also on POLITICO: Murthy confirmed as attorney general) Others believe that the former Florida governor has a built-in supply of supporters in those who also backed George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush. Among those who helped coordinate the Monday commencement speech, according to one source, was Eddie Floyd, a South Carolina physician who was a top fundraiser for both Bushes. Other South Carolina Bush allies likely to join in a campaign include Robert Royall, who was ambassador to Tanzania under George W. Bush, and David Wilkins, a former longtime state legislator who was ambassador to Canada during Bush’s second term. “I think Jeb has an advantage in South Carolina in that he has an infrastructure that could be resuscitated,” said Barry Wynn, a former South Carolina Republican Party chairman who supported the primary campaigns of George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. “I think there’s an organization — one that’s older and wiser.” Bush has been careful to cultivate South Carolina. In 2007, for example, he made multiple stops in the state to raise money for then-Gov. Mark Sanford. Bush’s South Carolina speech came in the wake of other apparent steps to ready a campaign. Over the weekend, Bush announced that he’d be releasing 250,000 emails from his time as governor in hopes of providing “transparency.” He also said that he is writing an e-book that will describe his approach to governing. (Also on POLITICO: Obama's big Clinton moment) On Monday, Bush was careful to veer his graduation speech away from politics, choosing instead to focus on career counseling. He advised the midyear graduates to “dream big” and “don’t be afraid to shake things up.” The closest Bush came to the partisan waters was when he heaped praise on his father, whom he called “my favorite person in the world.” “Right now, we’re all in the game of interpreting the political implications of every move Jeb makes,” said Ana Navarro, a Republican strategist in Florida who is close to the former governor. “But Jeb’s been very conscious of not getting us all into froth before he makes a decision. He made today’s speech about sharing life lessons with the graduates and not about politics.” Still, few believe Bush would have South Carolina to himself in what’s likely to be a crowded Republican field. Other would-be Republican candidates are also making early moves in the state. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has signed on Jason Miller, who helped guide Sanford’s comeback 2013 congressional campaign, as a top strategist. Paul, according to one source, is in talks with Tom Davis, a politically savvy state legislator, about taking on a campaign role. And in a state with deep pockets of conservatism, some of Bush’s fiercest allies believe he will come under pressure from his right for his moderate positions on some issues, such as his support for comprehensive immigration reform and Common Core education standards. “Politically speaking,” said Wynn, “I think there are some challenges he’d have to overcome.” ||||| Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah! Like many of you, our family was blessed with the opportunity to gather together over the recent Thanksgiving holiday. Columba and I are so proud of the wonderful adults our children have become, and we loved spending time with our three precious grandchildren. We shared good food and watched a whole lot of football. We also talked about the future of our nation. As a result of these conversations and thoughtful consideration of the kind of strong leadership I think America needs, I have decided to actively explore the possibility of running for President of the United States. In January, I also plan to establish a Leadership PAC that will help me facilitate conversations with citizens across America to discuss the most critical challenges facing our exceptional nation. The PAC’s purpose will be to support leaders, ideas and policies that will expand opportunity and prosperity for all Americans. In the coming months, I hope to visit with many of you and have a conversation about restoring the promise of America. Best wishes to you and your families for a happy holiday season. I’ll be in touch soon. Onward, Jeb Bush

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Story highlights Student tells local station other band members went under SUV Six of the injured are middle school students; 6 are high school students (CNN) Twelve Alabama students were injured Tuesday when a Ford Expedition taking part in a Mardi Gras parade plowed into a marching band ahead of it, officials said. Three students are in critical condition but stable, Gulf Shores city spokesman Grant Brown said. The victims' ages range from 12 to 17. Brown said a 73-year-old man was driving the SUV, which accelerated before it hit the Gulf Shores High School marching band. It was not immediately clear why the driver accelerated, but authorities do not believe the crash was intentional. "Every indication is that it was a tragic accident," police Chief Ed Delmore said. Emergency crews respond to the scene of the parade, which was canceled. Senior Jeremy Koonce told CNN affiliate WPMI that he was in the section of woodwind players that was hit, but someone pushed him out of the way. Read More ||||| This morning, an SUV veered into a crowd at a Mardi Gras parade on the Gulf Coast of Alabama, just days after a similar incident occurred in New Orleans. At least 12 people were injured in the accident, and four of them are in critical condition, according to police. The driver was a 73-year-old man, police said. Witnesses told ABC affiliate WPMI in Alabama that his foot slipped off the brake pedal and onto the gas, causing the car to plow into the Gulf Shores High School marching band from behind. The Gulf Shores Police Department held a press conference on the incident. "At 10 a.m. this morning a local Gulf Shores youth band in a Mardi Gras parade was entering Highway 59 when a vehicle behind them lurched forward and injured 11 members of the band," said Grant Brown, a spokesman for the Gulf Shores Police Department. Seeking Assistance: If you witnessed and/or captured photos /video send any images of the scene to LT. Cowan at [email protected] — Gulf Shores Police (@GulfShoresPD) February 28, 2017 "The vehicle behind the band was part of the parade, and it is unknown at this time why the vehicle lurched forward. All 11 children were transported to a local hospital. The children are young teenagers," he continued. Unlike the incident in New Orleans, in which the driver was intoxicated, police said that they have no indication the driver had taken drugs or alcohol before the incident and they they do not believe it was an intentional act. The driver is being interviewed and drug tested voluntarily, police said. Nine injured students were transported to South Baldwin Medical Center in Foley, Alabama, two were taken to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, Florida, and one was taken was taken to Baptist Hospital, also in Pensacola. Gulf Shores said it is closing Highway 59 indefinitely until the police clear the scene. The city has asked that any witnesses or people with photos or videos come forward. The FBI said it is investigating the incident. This is a breaking story. Please check back for updates. ||||| Tragedy abruptly stopped the Gulf Shores Mardi Gras Parade as it was beginning at midmorning Fat Tuesday, leaving several school band members injured, some critically. A 2008 Ford Expedition SUV assigned as a unit in the parade suddenly accelerated into the Gulf Shores High School Band from behind just as the Mardi Gras Parade was beginning, at 10:05 a.m., according to authorities. A witness said the vehicle "plowed into" the band members. "Something went terribly wrong, and that vehicle that was staging behind the band accelerated," said Gulf Shores city spokesman Grant Brown. The young people who were struck were attended to right away by emergency responders on the street. Twelve members of the Gulf Shores High School Band, ages 12 to 17, were injured, and four of those were at first listed in critical condition, said Brown during an 11:45 a.m. news conference at Gulf Shores City Hall. Later, during a 3 p.m. news conference, Brown said the number of band members listed in critical condition had been revised to three after one student's condition had been upgraded. The young musicians who were injured included six middle school students and six high school students, according to Baldwin County Schools Superintendent Eddie Tyler. Brown said most of the injured young people were transported to the South Baldwin Regional Medical Center. Others were transported to Sacred Heart Hospital and Baptist Hospital in Pensacola, Fla., he said. FOX10 News learned later Tuesday that one of the students in critical condition was taken to USA Medical Center in Mobile. Early Tuesday evening, it was announced all the students taken to South Baldwin have been treated and released. The Expedition was driven by a 73-year-old man from Fairhope, officials said. During the news conferences, officials said there was no indication the driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Gulf Shores Police Chief Edward Delmore said authorities are "certain" the incident was not intentional and that it was an accident. "Beyond that, we are still investigating," Delmore said during the 3 p.m. news conference. Officials did not name the driver of the SUV. Delmore said the driver was cooperating with authorities and had voluntarily given blood samples and statements. Police have acquired cell phone video as well as surveillance video of the incident, FOX10 News has learned. Investigators are reviewing the footage as part of their ongoing investigation. A senior Gulf Shores band member spoke to FOX10 News at South Baldwin Regional Medical Center, where he had gone to check on fellow band members. He said he was pushed out of the way when the SUV plowed into the woodwind section of the marching band. He said it appeared as though the vehicle was going about 30 miles per hour. "I saw a couple people get rolled under the truck, and I saw people roll out from underneath it, and they were clutching themselves, and they were in pain, but I wasn't able to run and help anybody," said band member Jeremy Koonce. "I witnessed people just getting hit, and it was so fast, and I just started sobbing. " Cindy Diehl, mother of an injured band member, described the frantic scene. She said, "I looked back, and I saw band students on the ground, and when I saw that, I knew something happened, so I ran back, and it was just chaotic." Diehl said her daughter, who is just 15 years old and plays flute in the band, is still in the hospital. She is unable to bear weight on her legs. "All Hannah wants to see is her friends from marching band," her mother said. "She wants to know how everybody's doing, just really worried about her friends." The city of Gulf Shores canceled the Mardi Gras parade immediately after the incident. Witnesses told FOX10 News Tuesday morning that a white vehicle with MOAA on its sides and driven by an elderly man drove into the band at Alabama 59 near Clubhouse Drive. MOAA is the Military Officers Association of America. Via Twitter Tuesday afternoon, MOAA stated, "We have been made award of the incident, and our staff is gathering facts at this time. We don't know the circumstances and we're unaware of the cause of the incident involving our Gulf Shores Chapter. We're concerned about those who have been injured and our hearts and prayers go out to them and their families as they deal with the unfortunate mishap." A witness said other band members were among those who ran to the aid of the trapped and injured, attempting to pull them from underneath the vehicle. Video posted to the Gulf Shores Fire Rescue Facebook page shows the band performing in the street minutes before the parade was to start. The white Ford Expedition can be seen stopped in the street behind the band. A band member roll call was taken soon after the incident. FOX10 News was told all the band members were accounted for, and members not injured were being reunited with parents at the high school. "It was just a very terrible thing," said Harold Hoeferkamp, a retired pastor who prayed with the victims. "I'm just so sorry, and I feel for those parents and the children and the band members and the whole community. We just ask all the pastors in the community this Sunday to pray for everybody." Concerned parents rushed to the scene to offer any help they could. Kristy Wallace said she looked back and saw kids screaming and running. "I turned and a van was running over them, a white looking van, with a MOAA on it so I assumed it was in the parade and I could see kids stuck underneath the vehicle and other ones fleeing and some of them just rolling behind it," Wallace said. Dozens of children witnessed the tragic scene. School officials said crisis counselors will be on hand Wednesday to help children cope with the ordeal. Tyler said having some sense of normalcy will help the kids get through this while their peers are in the hospital. But the school will also be providing counseling services, he said. "Whatever is needed for the principals and the teachers and the students, our services will be there," the Baldwin superintendent told FOX10 News. "These people were trained to handle these kinds of situations so tomorrow morning that will be in place." Gov. Robert Bentley issued a statement that reads in part, "My thoughts and prayers are with all those impacted by this tragic event at the Gulf Shores Mardi Gras parade. I have directed the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency to assist local law enforcement agencies with any resources they may need, and that coordination effort is currently underway. We will ensure all state resources needed to help with this investigation will be made available." Bentley also said, "To the students, band members, families and community, please know I, and the people of this state, are praying for you.” The emergency response Tuesday morning was quick, as numerous rescue and law enforcement units were already on hand for the parade. Response came, as well, from other stations. Gulf Shores Fire Rescue, the Gulf Shores Police Department and other agencies responded. At the 2 p.m. Orange Beach Mardi Gras Parade, first responders carried the banner for the Gulf Shores High School Band in the parade to show their support for the ensemble and the injured band members. All content © 2017, WALA; Mobile, AL. (A Meredith Corporation Station). All Rights Reserved. ||||| A float rider tosses beads during the Krewe of Bacchus Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans, Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) (Associated Press) NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Latest on Mardi Gras celebrations that end with Fat Tuesday, the culmination of the Carnival season (all times local): 11:23 a.m. Police in the Alabama beach town of Gulf Shores say a car participating in the city's Fat Tuesday parade accidentally plowed into a band, leaving three young people in critical condition and eight others with less-severe injuries. City spokesman Grant Brown tells The Associated Press that the band had just entered the parade route Tuesday morning when a car behind the group lurched forward into the group. Brown says the vehicle struck multiple people, injuring 11 in all. Details on the most severe injuries weren't immediately available. Brown says there is no indication the crash was anything other than what he calls a "horrific accident." Brown says he's not sure whether the band was from a school in Gulf Shores or elsewhere. Video and photos from the scene show emergency workers helping the injured on the main highway running toward the beach. ___ 11:20 a.m. Candace Crawford, a New Yorker who has lived in New Orleans for three years, wore bright leggings and a black shawl from which a grinning skull nestled against her left cheek. Skeleton hands emerged as if one arm was around her neck and the outer at her waist. "This is my little skull and bones guardian, and this is his little friend, "she said, while pointing to a skull near her waist. "Everyone's so colorful at Mardi Gras. I said, 'Oh. I'm going to darken it up." ___ 11 a.m. Although clarinetist Pete Fountain died last year, Pete Fountain's Half-Fast Walking Club strutted from Commander's Palace restaurant to the French Quarter on Tuesday, tossing beads and doubloons to recordings of his music. A banner bore a photo of Fountain showing his eyes closed and hands folded in prayer. That was the only solemn note. Club members were decked out from hat to shoes in nearly fluorescent spring green. ___ 10:30 a.m. The sidewalk along St. Charles Avenue near Canal Street barely had room for pedestrians. Either there were two rows of chairs or a row of chairs and ladder seats for small children with ice chests and portable benches along a building wall. Elaine Thomson of Silver Spring, Maryland, in a group of eight, says she'd been there since 7 a.m. Tuesday. The 48-year-old Thomson's group included two "Mardi Gras virgins" whom she'd met during Day's Bacchus parade. Melinda Zetrouer (ZET'-roh-uhr), whose chair was in front of Thomson's, had arrived at 5:45 a.m. and got the last four front-row spots. The 56-year-old Zetrouer said she couldn't count the years since her parents began taking her to parades rather than dropping her off at her grandfather's house. Thomson says, "This is my 23rd Mardi Gras. Every year they do it bigger and better." She says she'd go back to her hotel after the Rex parade if she could get across the street. She wasn't sure whether she'd be able to do so before the truck parades began. ___ 10 a.m. Costumes, costumes and more costumes. And the costumes and creativity were on display Tuesday as hundreds of people gathered in the Marigny neighborhood of New Orleans for the St. Anne's parade. Gabrielle Begue describes her costume as "shrubs, greens, topiary" although she conceded that the leaves festooned around her body were a bit unruly to be called topiary. Begue and her husband, Erik Winkowski, were dressed as what could best be described as large bushes put together with fake ivy and the liberal use of a glue gun. Begue said with all of the year's heated political commentary they wanted outfits that were "full whimsical." The St. Anne's parade is a walking parade that goes from the Bywater and Marigny neighborhoods into the French Quarter and features people wearing an eclectic mix of homemade costumes. ___ 9:501 a.m. Jim Segreto of New Orleans was a photo magnet with his Trump's wall costume: blue sateen pants, an Uncle Sam hat and a cardboard box marked with black lines for cinderblocks. A computer printed label read, "Trump's $26 billion wall. Mexico offers 'nada.' We're stuck with the bill." He says, "Unlike Trump's plan, it only cost me about 26 cents." Segreto says he doesn't always wear a costume for Mardi Gras. He says, "This is a political year. This year I had to have something that made a statement." ___ 8:25 a.m. A half dozen pirates on the ferry from New Orleans' west bank sliver were heading across the Mississippi River to join a much bigger crowd on the city's east bank. They were all active duty or retired military and families, heading to an annual Navy League breakfast called the Krewe of Eggs. Charlene Wenrich, wearing an orange-red wig under her tricorn hat, said the group chooses a costume theme each year. "Last year was Harley. This year it's pirates." Gerry (GAR'-ee) Leonard says pirates made for a much easier costume than motorcycle gang members: "You just throw on an earring and you're good to go." ___ 8 a.m. The 30 or so people taking the 7 a.m. Tuesday ferry to Canal Street includes a couple of groups in tutus and a half-dozen pirates. Craig Channell (shuh-NEL') says, "this is the one time of year people can act like fools and get away with it." Channell, his wife, Darlene Channell, and friend Dian Walsh are visiting from Tampa, Florida. Host Bill Tucker is pulling a wagon holding a big cooler and four roll-up chairs. Tucker says the cooler holds water and soft drinks. All agree that it's too early for drinking anything stronger. With three of the four wearing tutus, Tucker is accessorized with a wide studded leather belt. Craig Channell's costume consists of a jester's hat. He jokes that his tutu is in the wash. They went to the glitzy Endymion parade Saturday. Channell says Tampa's Gasparilla parade cannot compare. ___ 7:45 a.m. The port city of Mobile, Alabama, is transforming itself into one big parade route for the climax of Mardi Gras season, Fat Tuesday. Government offices and many businesses will be closed as parades roll almost continuously through the city starting Tuesday morning. The weather is supposed to be good, and tens of thousands of people are expected to line parade routes trying to catch colorful beads, Moon Pies and Mardi Gras trinkets. Alabama parades also are planned in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach on the Baldwin County side of Mobile Bay. New Orleans gets most of the crowds and attention around Mardi Gras, but Mobile bills itself as having the nation's oldest Mardi Gras celebration. The Christian season of Lent leading up to Easter begins Wednesday. ___ 2:35 a.m. Thousands of people are expected to throng the streets for Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans. Fat Tuesday is the culmination of the city and region's Carnival season. Some of the biggest parades will take place along the St. Charles Avenue parade route. Families, tourists and locals generally set up their chairs and ladders early to get a good seat for catching the trinkets thrown by riders on the floats. In another part of the city, people dressed in elaborate costumes will take part in the St. Anne's parade, an eclectic walking parade. At the stroke of midnight, police on horseback will do a ceremonial clearing of revelers on Bourbon Street to mark the formal end of the Mardi Gras season before Lent begins Wednesday.

– Police in the Alabama beach town of Gulf Shores say a car participating in the city's Fat Tuesday parade accidentally plowed into a marching band, leaving around a dozen young people injured; an earlier AP report says 11 were hurt, with three critically injured, while CNN puts the number at 12, with four suffering more serious injuries. City spokesman Grant Brown tells the AP the band had just entered the parade route Tuesday morning when a car behind the group lurched forward into the group and struck multiple people. The driver of the car was a 73-year-old man who appears to have unintentionally hit the gas, with the local police chief noting it looks to be "a tragic accident by an elderly man." Drugs and alcohol don't appear to have played a part, Brown adds. Fox News reports the victims from Gulf Shores High School are between the ages of 12 and 17. Witnesses tell FOX10 the vehicle was a white SUV with "MOAA" (for Military Officers Association of America) on the side; officials are trying to confirm whether the vehicle was actually part of the Mardi Gras parade, which ended up being canceled. Details on the most severe injuries weren't immediately available. The FBI is investigating, per ABC News, and the Department of Homeland Security is also keeping an eye on developments, per Fox. Meanwhile, a Baldwin County Board of Education member tells CNN a crisis counselor was sent to a nearby high school to help those who witnessed the mayhem. "It's going to be a very difficult day," she says.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Story highlights Student tells local station other band members went under SUV Six of the injured are middle school students; 6 are high school students (CNN) Twelve Alabama students were injured Tuesday when a Ford Expedition taking part in a Mardi Gras parade plowed into a marching band ahead of it, officials said. Three students are in critical condition but stable, Gulf Shores city spokesman Grant Brown said. The victims' ages range from 12 to 17. Brown said a 73-year-old man was driving the SUV, which accelerated before it hit the Gulf Shores High School marching band. It was not immediately clear why the driver accelerated, but authorities do not believe the crash was intentional. "Every indication is that it was a tragic accident," police Chief Ed Delmore said. Emergency crews respond to the scene of the parade, which was canceled. Senior Jeremy Koonce told CNN affiliate WPMI that he was in the section of woodwind players that was hit, but someone pushed him out of the way. Read More ||||| This morning, an SUV veered into a crowd at a Mardi Gras parade on the Gulf Coast of Alabama, just days after a similar incident occurred in New Orleans. At least 12 people were injured in the accident, and four of them are in critical condition, according to police. The driver was a 73-year-old man, police said. Witnesses told ABC affiliate WPMI in Alabama that his foot slipped off the brake pedal and onto the gas, causing the car to plow into the Gulf Shores High School marching band from behind. The Gulf Shores Police Department held a press conference on the incident. "At 10 a.m. this morning a local Gulf Shores youth band in a Mardi Gras parade was entering Highway 59 when a vehicle behind them lurched forward and injured 11 members of the band," said Grant Brown, a spokesman for the Gulf Shores Police Department. Seeking Assistance: If you witnessed and/or captured photos /video send any images of the scene to LT. Cowan at [email protected] — Gulf Shores Police (@GulfShoresPD) February 28, 2017 "The vehicle behind the band was part of the parade, and it is unknown at this time why the vehicle lurched forward. All 11 children were transported to a local hospital. The children are young teenagers," he continued. Unlike the incident in New Orleans, in which the driver was intoxicated, police said that they have no indication the driver had taken drugs or alcohol before the incident and they they do not believe it was an intentional act. The driver is being interviewed and drug tested voluntarily, police said. Nine injured students were transported to South Baldwin Medical Center in Foley, Alabama, two were taken to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, Florida, and one was taken was taken to Baptist Hospital, also in Pensacola. Gulf Shores said it is closing Highway 59 indefinitely until the police clear the scene. The city has asked that any witnesses or people with photos or videos come forward. The FBI said it is investigating the incident. This is a breaking story. Please check back for updates. ||||| Tragedy abruptly stopped the Gulf Shores Mardi Gras Parade as it was beginning at midmorning Fat Tuesday, leaving several school band members injured, some critically. A 2008 Ford Expedition SUV assigned as a unit in the parade suddenly accelerated into the Gulf Shores High School Band from behind just as the Mardi Gras Parade was beginning, at 10:05 a.m., according to authorities. A witness said the vehicle "plowed into" the band members. "Something went terribly wrong, and that vehicle that was staging behind the band accelerated," said Gulf Shores city spokesman Grant Brown. The young people who were struck were attended to right away by emergency responders on the street. Twelve members of the Gulf Shores High School Band, ages 12 to 17, were injured, and four of those were at first listed in critical condition, said Brown during an 11:45 a.m. news conference at Gulf Shores City Hall. Later, during a 3 p.m. news conference, Brown said the number of band members listed in critical condition had been revised to three after one student's condition had been upgraded. The young musicians who were injured included six middle school students and six high school students, according to Baldwin County Schools Superintendent Eddie Tyler. Brown said most of the injured young people were transported to the South Baldwin Regional Medical Center. Others were transported to Sacred Heart Hospital and Baptist Hospital in Pensacola, Fla., he said. FOX10 News learned later Tuesday that one of the students in critical condition was taken to USA Medical Center in Mobile. Early Tuesday evening, it was announced all the students taken to South Baldwin have been treated and released. The Expedition was driven by a 73-year-old man from Fairhope, officials said. During the news conferences, officials said there was no indication the driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Gulf Shores Police Chief Edward Delmore said authorities are "certain" the incident was not intentional and that it was an accident. "Beyond that, we are still investigating," Delmore said during the 3 p.m. news conference. Officials did not name the driver of the SUV. Delmore said the driver was cooperating with authorities and had voluntarily given blood samples and statements. Police have acquired cell phone video as well as surveillance video of the incident, FOX10 News has learned. Investigators are reviewing the footage as part of their ongoing investigation. A senior Gulf Shores band member spoke to FOX10 News at South Baldwin Regional Medical Center, where he had gone to check on fellow band members. He said he was pushed out of the way when the SUV plowed into the woodwind section of the marching band. He said it appeared as though the vehicle was going about 30 miles per hour. "I saw a couple people get rolled under the truck, and I saw people roll out from underneath it, and they were clutching themselves, and they were in pain, but I wasn't able to run and help anybody," said band member Jeremy Koonce. "I witnessed people just getting hit, and it was so fast, and I just started sobbing. " Cindy Diehl, mother of an injured band member, described the frantic scene. She said, "I looked back, and I saw band students on the ground, and when I saw that, I knew something happened, so I ran back, and it was just chaotic." Diehl said her daughter, who is just 15 years old and plays flute in the band, is still in the hospital. She is unable to bear weight on her legs. "All Hannah wants to see is her friends from marching band," her mother said. "She wants to know how everybody's doing, just really worried about her friends." The city of Gulf Shores canceled the Mardi Gras parade immediately after the incident. Witnesses told FOX10 News Tuesday morning that a white vehicle with MOAA on its sides and driven by an elderly man drove into the band at Alabama 59 near Clubhouse Drive. MOAA is the Military Officers Association of America. Via Twitter Tuesday afternoon, MOAA stated, "We have been made award of the incident, and our staff is gathering facts at this time. We don't know the circumstances and we're unaware of the cause of the incident involving our Gulf Shores Chapter. We're concerned about those who have been injured and our hearts and prayers go out to them and their families as they deal with the unfortunate mishap." A witness said other band members were among those who ran to the aid of the trapped and injured, attempting to pull them from underneath the vehicle. Video posted to the Gulf Shores Fire Rescue Facebook page shows the band performing in the street minutes before the parade was to start. The white Ford Expedition can be seen stopped in the street behind the band. A band member roll call was taken soon after the incident. FOX10 News was told all the band members were accounted for, and members not injured were being reunited with parents at the high school. "It was just a very terrible thing," said Harold Hoeferkamp, a retired pastor who prayed with the victims. "I'm just so sorry, and I feel for those parents and the children and the band members and the whole community. We just ask all the pastors in the community this Sunday to pray for everybody." Concerned parents rushed to the scene to offer any help they could. Kristy Wallace said she looked back and saw kids screaming and running. "I turned and a van was running over them, a white looking van, with a MOAA on it so I assumed it was in the parade and I could see kids stuck underneath the vehicle and other ones fleeing and some of them just rolling behind it," Wallace said. Dozens of children witnessed the tragic scene. School officials said crisis counselors will be on hand Wednesday to help children cope with the ordeal. Tyler said having some sense of normalcy will help the kids get through this while their peers are in the hospital. But the school will also be providing counseling services, he said. "Whatever is needed for the principals and the teachers and the students, our services will be there," the Baldwin superintendent told FOX10 News. "These people were trained to handle these kinds of situations so tomorrow morning that will be in place." Gov. Robert Bentley issued a statement that reads in part, "My thoughts and prayers are with all those impacted by this tragic event at the Gulf Shores Mardi Gras parade. I have directed the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency to assist local law enforcement agencies with any resources they may need, and that coordination effort is currently underway. We will ensure all state resources needed to help with this investigation will be made available." Bentley also said, "To the students, band members, families and community, please know I, and the people of this state, are praying for you.” The emergency response Tuesday morning was quick, as numerous rescue and law enforcement units were already on hand for the parade. Response came, as well, from other stations. Gulf Shores Fire Rescue, the Gulf Shores Police Department and other agencies responded. At the 2 p.m. Orange Beach Mardi Gras Parade, first responders carried the banner for the Gulf Shores High School Band in the parade to show their support for the ensemble and the injured band members. All content © 2017, WALA; Mobile, AL. (A Meredith Corporation Station). All Rights Reserved. ||||| A float rider tosses beads during the Krewe of Bacchus Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans, Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) (Associated Press) NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Latest on Mardi Gras celebrations that end with Fat Tuesday, the culmination of the Carnival season (all times local): 11:23 a.m. Police in the Alabama beach town of Gulf Shores say a car participating in the city's Fat Tuesday parade accidentally plowed into a band, leaving three young people in critical condition and eight others with less-severe injuries. City spokesman Grant Brown tells The Associated Press that the band had just entered the parade route Tuesday morning when a car behind the group lurched forward into the group. Brown says the vehicle struck multiple people, injuring 11 in all. Details on the most severe injuries weren't immediately available. Brown says there is no indication the crash was anything other than what he calls a "horrific accident." Brown says he's not sure whether the band was from a school in Gulf Shores or elsewhere. Video and photos from the scene show emergency workers helping the injured on the main highway running toward the beach. ___ 11:20 a.m. Candace Crawford, a New Yorker who has lived in New Orleans for three years, wore bright leggings and a black shawl from which a grinning skull nestled against her left cheek. Skeleton hands emerged as if one arm was around her neck and the outer at her waist. "This is my little skull and bones guardian, and this is his little friend, "she said, while pointing to a skull near her waist. "Everyone's so colorful at Mardi Gras. I said, 'Oh. I'm going to darken it up." ___ 11 a.m. Although clarinetist Pete Fountain died last year, Pete Fountain's Half-Fast Walking Club strutted from Commander's Palace restaurant to the French Quarter on Tuesday, tossing beads and doubloons to recordings of his music. A banner bore a photo of Fountain showing his eyes closed and hands folded in prayer. That was the only solemn note. Club members were decked out from hat to shoes in nearly fluorescent spring green. ___ 10:30 a.m. The sidewalk along St. Charles Avenue near Canal Street barely had room for pedestrians. Either there were two rows of chairs or a row of chairs and ladder seats for small children with ice chests and portable benches along a building wall. Elaine Thomson of Silver Spring, Maryland, in a group of eight, says she'd been there since 7 a.m. Tuesday. The 48-year-old Thomson's group included two "Mardi Gras virgins" whom she'd met during Day's Bacchus parade. Melinda Zetrouer (ZET'-roh-uhr), whose chair was in front of Thomson's, had arrived at 5:45 a.m. and got the last four front-row spots. The 56-year-old Zetrouer said she couldn't count the years since her parents began taking her to parades rather than dropping her off at her grandfather's house. Thomson says, "This is my 23rd Mardi Gras. Every year they do it bigger and better." She says she'd go back to her hotel after the Rex parade if she could get across the street. She wasn't sure whether she'd be able to do so before the truck parades began. ___ 10 a.m. Costumes, costumes and more costumes. And the costumes and creativity were on display Tuesday as hundreds of people gathered in the Marigny neighborhood of New Orleans for the St. Anne's parade. Gabrielle Begue describes her costume as "shrubs, greens, topiary" although she conceded that the leaves festooned around her body were a bit unruly to be called topiary. Begue and her husband, Erik Winkowski, were dressed as what could best be described as large bushes put together with fake ivy and the liberal use of a glue gun. Begue said with all of the year's heated political commentary they wanted outfits that were "full whimsical." The St. Anne's parade is a walking parade that goes from the Bywater and Marigny neighborhoods into the French Quarter and features people wearing an eclectic mix of homemade costumes. ___ 9:501 a.m. Jim Segreto of New Orleans was a photo magnet with his Trump's wall costume: blue sateen pants, an Uncle Sam hat and a cardboard box marked with black lines for cinderblocks. A computer printed label read, "Trump's $26 billion wall. Mexico offers 'nada.' We're stuck with the bill." He says, "Unlike Trump's plan, it only cost me about 26 cents." Segreto says he doesn't always wear a costume for Mardi Gras. He says, "This is a political year. This year I had to have something that made a statement." ___ 8:25 a.m. A half dozen pirates on the ferry from New Orleans' west bank sliver were heading across the Mississippi River to join a much bigger crowd on the city's east bank. They were all active duty or retired military and families, heading to an annual Navy League breakfast called the Krewe of Eggs. Charlene Wenrich, wearing an orange-red wig under her tricorn hat, said the group chooses a costume theme each year. "Last year was Harley. This year it's pirates." Gerry (GAR'-ee) Leonard says pirates made for a much easier costume than motorcycle gang members: "You just throw on an earring and you're good to go." ___ 8 a.m. The 30 or so people taking the 7 a.m. Tuesday ferry to Canal Street includes a couple of groups in tutus and a half-dozen pirates. Craig Channell (shuh-NEL') says, "this is the one time of year people can act like fools and get away with it." Channell, his wife, Darlene Channell, and friend Dian Walsh are visiting from Tampa, Florida. Host Bill Tucker is pulling a wagon holding a big cooler and four roll-up chairs. Tucker says the cooler holds water and soft drinks. All agree that it's too early for drinking anything stronger. With three of the four wearing tutus, Tucker is accessorized with a wide studded leather belt. Craig Channell's costume consists of a jester's hat. He jokes that his tutu is in the wash. They went to the glitzy Endymion parade Saturday. Channell says Tampa's Gasparilla parade cannot compare. ___ 7:45 a.m. The port city of Mobile, Alabama, is transforming itself into one big parade route for the climax of Mardi Gras season, Fat Tuesday. Government offices and many businesses will be closed as parades roll almost continuously through the city starting Tuesday morning. The weather is supposed to be good, and tens of thousands of people are expected to line parade routes trying to catch colorful beads, Moon Pies and Mardi Gras trinkets. Alabama parades also are planned in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach on the Baldwin County side of Mobile Bay. New Orleans gets most of the crowds and attention around Mardi Gras, but Mobile bills itself as having the nation's oldest Mardi Gras celebration. The Christian season of Lent leading up to Easter begins Wednesday. ___ 2:35 a.m. Thousands of people are expected to throng the streets for Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans. Fat Tuesday is the culmination of the city and region's Carnival season. Some of the biggest parades will take place along the St. Charles Avenue parade route. Families, tourists and locals generally set up their chairs and ladders early to get a good seat for catching the trinkets thrown by riders on the floats. In another part of the city, people dressed in elaborate costumes will take part in the St. Anne's parade, an eclectic walking parade. At the stroke of midnight, police on horseback will do a ceremonial clearing of revelers on Bourbon Street to mark the formal end of the Mardi Gras season before Lent begins Wednesday.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Copyright 2018 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. (City of Duquesne Police Department photo) DUQUESNE, Penn. (WFLA) - A Pennsylvania woman recently learned the hard way you can't always trust your GPS. Late Wednesday night, police received a call about a car on railroad tracks in Duquesne, a city in the Pittsburgh area. When responding officers spoke to the driver, she told them "her GPS advised her to go this way." In a Facebook post, police said the woman was completely sober and did not have any medical conditions that would impact her decision-making. In the comments, they clarified that there was no turn involved. "This vehicle was going straight on the highway and veered off," they said. The car was towed from the tracks and the driver was ticketed for careless driving. ||||| CLOSE There are many ways to get from point A to point B, but which app truly gives you the best route? Time The City of Duquesne Police Department says a woman who was following GPS directions veered off a road and onto railroad tracks, leaving her car stranded and resulting in a careless driving ticket. (Photo: Screen capture of a Facebook post by The City of Duquesne Police Department) Pennsylvania police say a woman who was following GPS directions veered off a road and onto railroad tracks, leaving her car stranded and resulting in a careless driving ticket. The City of Duquesne Police Department posted about the incident to social media Wednesday, beginning the post "The GPS told me to do it…" The post includes a photo showing a disabled white sedan sitting on railroad tracks that run parallel to a multilane road. The woman was "100% sober and had no medical conditions affecting her decision-making," police say. The Pennsylvania woman told officers "her GPS advised her to go this way," when they arrived at the scene. The incident happened about 10 miles outside of Pittsburgh at 10 p.m. Wednesday. The car needed to be towed away. It's not the first time GPS navigation issues have made headlines. In the wake of Hurricane Florence, North Carolina officials warned that GPS apps were advising drivers to take routes that were flooded. "It is not safe now to trust (the travel apps) with your life," the North Carolina Department of Transportation tweeted in September. And in 2016, a driver who was following GPS directions turned too quickly and crashed — leaving the car suspended vertically on wires attached to a utility pole. No one was injured in that incident. Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/11/24/pennsylvania-woman-guided-gps-drives-onto-railroad-tracks/2100458002/

– A woman learned the limits of GPS Wednesday when she turned off a road onto railway tracks and got stuck there—parallel to the tracks, USA Today reports. To make matters worse, cops gave her a ticket. "The GPS told me to do it..." quipped the City of Duquesne Police Department in a Facebook post about her driving mishap. Seems police found her white sedan at about 10pm stuck along the tracks and said "the female was 100% sober and had no medical conditions affecting her decision-making. The vehicle was towed from the scene and the driver was cited for careless driving." As WFLA notes, police made clear in the comments section that she hadn't turned onto a road by the tracks. "Just to be clear," the department writes. "This vehicle was going straight on a highway and veered off. There was no turn involved here." Otherwise, the comments section is littered with people griping about that location ("seems like a common occurrence at that same spot"), GPS ("My GPS tells me wrong directions as well"), and the unlucky driver ("And I'll bet she votes"). The police didn't get off so easy either: "She was sober and the GPS directed her that way and instead of helping her the police did what????!!!??" (One woman spent months in jail over a cotton-candy mixup.)

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Copyright 2018 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. (City of Duquesne Police Department photo) DUQUESNE, Penn. (WFLA) - A Pennsylvania woman recently learned the hard way you can't always trust your GPS. Late Wednesday night, police received a call about a car on railroad tracks in Duquesne, a city in the Pittsburgh area. When responding officers spoke to the driver, she told them "her GPS advised her to go this way." In a Facebook post, police said the woman was completely sober and did not have any medical conditions that would impact her decision-making. In the comments, they clarified that there was no turn involved. "This vehicle was going straight on the highway and veered off," they said. The car was towed from the tracks and the driver was ticketed for careless driving. ||||| CLOSE There are many ways to get from point A to point B, but which app truly gives you the best route? Time The City of Duquesne Police Department says a woman who was following GPS directions veered off a road and onto railroad tracks, leaving her car stranded and resulting in a careless driving ticket. (Photo: Screen capture of a Facebook post by The City of Duquesne Police Department) Pennsylvania police say a woman who was following GPS directions veered off a road and onto railroad tracks, leaving her car stranded and resulting in a careless driving ticket. The City of Duquesne Police Department posted about the incident to social media Wednesday, beginning the post "The GPS told me to do it…" The post includes a photo showing a disabled white sedan sitting on railroad tracks that run parallel to a multilane road. The woman was "100% sober and had no medical conditions affecting her decision-making," police say. The Pennsylvania woman told officers "her GPS advised her to go this way," when they arrived at the scene. The incident happened about 10 miles outside of Pittsburgh at 10 p.m. Wednesday. The car needed to be towed away. It's not the first time GPS navigation issues have made headlines. In the wake of Hurricane Florence, North Carolina officials warned that GPS apps were advising drivers to take routes that were flooded. "It is not safe now to trust (the travel apps) with your life," the North Carolina Department of Transportation tweeted in September. And in 2016, a driver who was following GPS directions turned too quickly and crashed — leaving the car suspended vertically on wires attached to a utility pole. No one was injured in that incident. Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/11/24/pennsylvania-woman-guided-gps-drives-onto-railroad-tracks/2100458002/

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Such practices drew sharp criticism from advocates for civil and immigrant rights but made him popular with many Arizonans and turned him into a national icon for opponents of illegal immigration. He campaigned for Donald Trump during last year's presidential race and continued to be a leading proponent of the lie that President Obama was not born in the United States after Trump dropped it. ||||| PHOENIX (AP) — Former Sheriff Joe Arpaio was convicted of a criminal charge Monday for refusing to stop traffic patrols that targeted immigrants, marking a final rebuke for a politician who once drew strong popularity from such crackdowns but was ultimately booted from office as voters became frustrated over his headline-grabbing tactics and deepening legal troubles. The verdict from U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton represents a victory for critics who voiced anger over Arpaio's unusual efforts to get tough on crime, including jailing inmates in tents during triple-digit heat, forcing them to wear pink underwear and making hundreds of arrests in crackdowns that divided immigrant families. Arpaio, who spent 24 years as the sheriff of metro Phoenix, skirted two earlier criminal investigations of his office. But he wasn't able to avoid legal problems when he prolonged his signature immigration patrols for nearly a year and a half after a different judge ordered him to stop. That judge later ruled they racially profiled Latinos. The lawman who made defiance a hallmark of his tenure was found guilty of misdemeanor contempt-of-court for ignoring the 2011 court order to stop the patrols. The 85-year-old faces up to six years in jail, though attorneys who have followed the case doubt that someone his age would be incarcerated. Critics hoped Arpaio's eight-day trial in federal court in Phoenix would bring a long-awaited comeuppance for lawman who had managed to escape accountability through much of his six terms. Prosecutors say Arpaio violated the order so he could promote his immigration enforcement efforts in an effort to boost his 2012 re-election campaign and even bragged about his continued crackdowns. He had acknowledged prolonging his patrols but insisted it was not intentional. He blamed one of his former attorneys in the profiling case for not properly explaining the importance of the court order. His defense also focused on what his attorneys said were weaknesses in the court order that failed to acknowledge times when deputies would detain immigrants and later hand them over to federal authorities. Unlike other local police leaders who left immigration enforcement to U.S. authorities, Arpaio made hundreds of arrests in traffic patrols that sought out immigrants and business raids in which his officers targeted immigrants who used fraudulent IDs to get jobs. The efforts are similar to local immigration enforcement that President Donald Trump has advocated. To build his highly touted deportation force, Trump is reviving a long-standing program that deputizes local officers to enforce federal immigration law. Arpaio's immigration powers were eventually stripped away by the courts and federal government. The contempt-of-court case marked the first time federal authorities had prosecuted Arpaio on a criminal charge, though his office had been the subject of past investigations. Federal authorities had looked into Arpaio's misspending of $100 million in jail funds and his criminal investigations of political enemies. Neither investigation led to prosecution of the sheriff or his employees. Arpaio's criminal charges are believed to have contributed heavily to his crushing defeat in November to little-known retired Phoenix police Sgt. Paul Penzone. Arpaio was ousted in the same election that sent Trump to the White House. Trump used some of the same immigration rhetoric that helped make Arpaio a national figure in the debate over the U.S.-Mexico border. ___ Follow Jacques Billeaud at twitter.com/jacquesbilleaud. His work can be found at https://www.apnews.com/search/jacques%20billeaud .

– The crackdowns that made him famous are the ones that have now sealed his demise. Former Sheriff Joe Arpaio was on Monday found guilty of criminal contempt of court, reports the Arizona Republic, marking a final rebuke for a politician who once drew strong popularity from his traffic patrols that targeted immigrants. The verdict from US District Judge Susan Bolton came more than a month after closing arguments in the case were given, reports the Los Angeles Times, and represents a victory for critics who voiced anger over Arpaio's unusual efforts to get tough on crime—including jailing inmates in tents during triple-digit heat and forcing them to wear pink underwear, reports the AP. Arpaio, who spent 24 years as the sheriff of metro Phoenix, skirted two earlier criminal investigations of his office. But he wasn't able to avoid legal problems when he prolonged his signature immigration patrols for nearly a year and a half after a different judge in 2011 ordered him to stop. That judge later ruled they racially profiled Latinos. The 85-year-old faces up to six month in jail, though attorneys who have followed the case doubt that someone his age would be incarcerated. Prosecutors say Arpaio violated the order so he could promote his immigration enforcement efforts in an effort to boost his 2012 re-election campaign and even bragged about his continued crackdowns. He had acknowledged prolonging his patrols but insisted it was not intentional. Sentencing is slated for Oct. 5.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Such practices drew sharp criticism from advocates for civil and immigrant rights but made him popular with many Arizonans and turned him into a national icon for opponents of illegal immigration. He campaigned for Donald Trump during last year's presidential race and continued to be a leading proponent of the lie that President Obama was not born in the United States after Trump dropped it. ||||| PHOENIX (AP) — Former Sheriff Joe Arpaio was convicted of a criminal charge Monday for refusing to stop traffic patrols that targeted immigrants, marking a final rebuke for a politician who once drew strong popularity from such crackdowns but was ultimately booted from office as voters became frustrated over his headline-grabbing tactics and deepening legal troubles. The verdict from U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton represents a victory for critics who voiced anger over Arpaio's unusual efforts to get tough on crime, including jailing inmates in tents during triple-digit heat, forcing them to wear pink underwear and making hundreds of arrests in crackdowns that divided immigrant families. Arpaio, who spent 24 years as the sheriff of metro Phoenix, skirted two earlier criminal investigations of his office. But he wasn't able to avoid legal problems when he prolonged his signature immigration patrols for nearly a year and a half after a different judge ordered him to stop. That judge later ruled they racially profiled Latinos. The lawman who made defiance a hallmark of his tenure was found guilty of misdemeanor contempt-of-court for ignoring the 2011 court order to stop the patrols. The 85-year-old faces up to six years in jail, though attorneys who have followed the case doubt that someone his age would be incarcerated. Critics hoped Arpaio's eight-day trial in federal court in Phoenix would bring a long-awaited comeuppance for lawman who had managed to escape accountability through much of his six terms. Prosecutors say Arpaio violated the order so he could promote his immigration enforcement efforts in an effort to boost his 2012 re-election campaign and even bragged about his continued crackdowns. He had acknowledged prolonging his patrols but insisted it was not intentional. He blamed one of his former attorneys in the profiling case for not properly explaining the importance of the court order. His defense also focused on what his attorneys said were weaknesses in the court order that failed to acknowledge times when deputies would detain immigrants and later hand them over to federal authorities. Unlike other local police leaders who left immigration enforcement to U.S. authorities, Arpaio made hundreds of arrests in traffic patrols that sought out immigrants and business raids in which his officers targeted immigrants who used fraudulent IDs to get jobs. The efforts are similar to local immigration enforcement that President Donald Trump has advocated. To build his highly touted deportation force, Trump is reviving a long-standing program that deputizes local officers to enforce federal immigration law. Arpaio's immigration powers were eventually stripped away by the courts and federal government. The contempt-of-court case marked the first time federal authorities had prosecuted Arpaio on a criminal charge, though his office had been the subject of past investigations. Federal authorities had looked into Arpaio's misspending of $100 million in jail funds and his criminal investigations of political enemies. Neither investigation led to prosecution of the sheriff or his employees. Arpaio's criminal charges are believed to have contributed heavily to his crushing defeat in November to little-known retired Phoenix police Sgt. Paul Penzone. Arpaio was ousted in the same election that sent Trump to the White House. Trump used some of the same immigration rhetoric that helped make Arpaio a national figure in the debate over the U.S.-Mexico border. ___ Follow Jacques Billeaud at twitter.com/jacquesbilleaud. His work can be found at https://www.apnews.com/search/jacques%20billeaud .

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Focused crawls are collections of frequently-updated webcrawl data from narrow (as opposed to broad or wide) web crawls, often focused on a single domain or subdomain. Pandora's "Music Genome Project" explores the cold hard facts of how we interact with music Twenty-five music analysts "grade" 10,000 songs a month. It's a mountainous job, writes Rob Pegoraro, but the results will be serious business. Among the algorithms that run our online lives, Pandora's Music Genome Project may not be as critical as Google's search equations, but the math behind the self-programming Web-radio service seems just as opaque. Some of that mystery is by design, but Pandora's been a little more public about how it gathers and grades the more than one million tracks in its collection. And over a long briefing at its Oakland offices and subsequent follow-ups over e-mail, it told me a few more details. First, humans grade the songs, not computers--and it's surprising how much effort is involved. Pandora's 25 or so music analysts have to assign either one-to-five rankings or more quantitative measures (say, beats per minute) for as many as 450 "genome units" per song. For example, vocals get graded on terms like "Smooth or Silky" (Tom Waits' "Come On Up to the House" earned a totally unsurprising 1), "Delivery Spoken-to-Sung" and "Child or Child-like." Music can be broken down by metrics such as "Melodicism Lo-to-Hi" (how easily could you play this back?) and "Melodic Articulation Clean-to-Dirty" (how precisely does the melody hit the beat?). Each of Pandora's analysts--many hired from the Bay Area scene via word-of-mouth--can handle four songs an hour, for about 10,000 songs graded a month. Is it possible to listen to music like a normal human being after you leave the office? "It's something I can turn on or off," said analyst Steve Hogan during my briefing in May. "It hasn't interfered with my ability to enjoy a piece of music." (In his spare time, he plays the organ at San Francisco Giants home games.) Secomd, they don't care about your location, or if you buy music through the service. I'd like to be able to request songs that come from artists near me--locavore listening!--but Pandora reflects its origins. It's a service that predates location-aware smartphones. "One of the themes that runs through [our listener feedback] is the ability to localize the music selections," said founder Tim Westergren. He allowed that the bigger potential might be at the other end of the system--letting musicians see where they're finding an audience. "Boy, what if you could allow a artist to log into Pandora and see a heat map of where their fans are and plot out a tour?" Musicians can make money more directly from an engaged Pandora listening by selling tracks through the service's click-through links. You might think that this transaction--the most direct fan support possible through the app--would weigh heavily in its calculations, but it's not factored in either. Apple's iTunes Radio makes for an interesting comparison, since it can start to customize music stations not based on one artist but on the content of a user's entire iTunes library. Finally, negative feedback is given more weight than positive feedback. Years ago, Pandora let its listeners' use of the thumbs-up button drive what what they'd hear. But as more of its usage has shifted to mobile devices, it's found that people "thumbs-up" less but hit the thumbs-down and skip buttons as much as ever. "We stopped chasing thumbs-up and started chasing total listening hours," said Eric Bieschke, head of Pandora's playlist engineering team. For a song to serve that goal, it had to rank highly in four areas--some of which seem to contradict each other. Prediction accuracy, in the sense of matching the right music to the right listener, seems to clash with the virtue of " surprisal" (Bieschke's term). And variety, taken to a sufficient degree, conflicts with relevance. And that's where Pandora lets me down most often. Heard over hours at a stretch--for instance, when I'm testing a smartphone's battery life--its talent pool can look a little shallow. Not just the same artists but the same albums crop up repeatedly; for instance, the Pandora station I modeled after my friend Eric Brace's band Last Train Home seems guaranteed to serve up Ryan Adams and the Cardinals' "Cold Roses" within the first two hours. In a 3,172-word post in 2010, University of Virginia music researcher Jason Kirby, pursuing a Ph.D. in music, poked at a similar hole in Pandora's output. "I find homogeneity of songs’ tempo an issue," he wrote. "The Genome’s platform, as it currently works, seems unable to deliver the ebbs and flows in tempo and musical texture which I enjoy in a good mix tape or college radio show." Alas, mixtapes are dead, and college radio can be heard nowhere near me. ||||| Hello. In my last blog, I began my discussion of Pandora.com, the streaming audio website which offers a new kind of web radio to listeners. Enter a “seed” song into Pandora’s search engine, and the site will create a streaming “station” composed of songs that resemble your seed song. This process is powered by the Music Genome Project, a massive research endeavor which began in the early 2000s and is based out of the company’s Oakland, California headquarters. How is Pandora’s song-recommendation engine different than web radio platforms that came before it? Well, the majority of other online radio stations, such as last.fm, operate off a system called collaborative filtering. What is collaborative filtering? In layperson’s terms, collaborative filtering involves matching one user’s taste to another’s (or a series of other people). On a site like last.fm, over time a user amasses a playlist of songs they’ve expressed a preference for—a sort of musical taste profile. Last.fm’s search tools automatically identify other users with whom your tastes seem to overlap, and uses this information to power “radio” stations you can stream on the site. The process is pretty simple, and based on personal intuition and the data existing users have already entered into the system. Collaborative filtering powers aspects of many media websites, such as Amazon.com’s personal recommendation feature for shoppers. It does have some limitations for online radio listeners, however. As Pandora’s founder Tim Westergren pointed out in a 2006 interview with Leo Laporte and Amber MacArthur, collaborative filtering-powered online radio stations have a tendency to only recommend what is broadly popular in contemporary pop music. While independent-label music certainly has a strong presence on last.fm, a quick scan of various users’ profiles on the site may suggest that Westergren has a point. Even among “indie” users on last.fm, there’s a whole lot of Death Cab for Cutie and Modest Mouse ruling the playlists (nothing against either of these bands). Collaborative filtering doesn’t necessarily ensure that the site’s users will discover truly obscure stuff they hadn’t heard of before. And in keeping with my interest in genre boundaries vis-à-vis Internet radio, in interviews Westergren has attributed the problem to the mainstream music business’ interest in keeping consumers bracketed into genre-specific niches. In the aforementioned chat with Laporte and MacArthur, Westergren cited the “age-old problem in the music industry” wherein a tiny percentage of music released by a given label typically accounts for nearly all its sales—a problem codified by genre boundaries. Pandora, through its Music Genome Project, aims to circumvent this problem, by offering its users a new kind of recommendation engine. As I mentioned in my earlier post, the Music Genome is a systematic endeavor to deconstruct and analyze individual pop songs using over 400 “musical attributes” that the company has identified. These attributes include everything from tempo, to vocal timbre, to harmonic movement—even sound production aspects like echo and reverb. In other words, it is essentially a musicological approach in the strictest sense of the word. The focus is on sound itself, rather than a band’s cultural associations with other bands (as is the case in collaborative filtering). Indeed, Westergren bragged in the aforementioned interview that “when we recommend to you a piece of music, we don’t even know how popular it is.” Instead, what the Music Genome Project entails is the company’s roughly fifty analysts sitting down in the Oakland, CA headquarters and methodically tagging a given song using these 400+ attributes. Westergren has described the process in ways akin to the scientific method, noting that a percentage of songs the analysts deconstruct are reviewed twice for quality. The songs, categorized by attributes, are added to the Project’s over 500,000 songs (and counting) accumulating in the company’s database. Songs sharing a similar musical “DNA” are then automatically matched and linked by Pandora’s search engine when you enter in a “seed” song. Westergren has called the Genome “kind of like a musical taxonomy,” and I don’t think this language is accidental. As Fabian Holt has pointed out about musical genres, “Discourse on the temporal dimensions of categories is saturated with organicist metaphors, as in discussions of how genres are born, how they grow, mature, branch off, explode, and die.”1 Even though Pandora in fact aims to get around genre, it seems to me that this biologic language informs the company’s mission and direction. In any case, as a Pandora user, I have often benefited from the happy accidents occasioned by the way the Music Genome Project works. For instance, I entered in Pandora as a “seed” Bob Dylan’s song “Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You”, a lilting, mid-tempo country-rock stroll. The Genome built a streaming station for me that included folk-rocky chestnuts by relatively obscure ‘60s and ‘70s groups like UFO and Earth Opera. It’s likely that I would not have heard about these groups without Pandora, or at least that I would’ve heard about them years from now in another context. In this regard, it seems that Westergren does have something to boast about regarding his claim that Pandora’s search engine connects listeners with “invisible” music in a way that mainstream, genre-bound, multinational music corporations just can’t. On the other hand, there are several notable gaps in the logic and execution of Pandora and the Music Genome Project model. The first gap I feel compelled to point out is a very practical one. Returning to my example of the station based around “Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You,” Pandora is skilled in giving a user a lot of what they like. Enter in a twangy rock song like Dylan’s and you’ll get a station with loads of twangy rock songs. But there can be too much of a good thing; namely, I find homogeneity of songs’ tempo an issue on Pandora stations. “Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You” is a bit plodding, and I’ve found that over a few hours of playing this station, I mostly get one plodding song after the next. This can be useful in terms of finding hidden gems, but makes for monotonous, even frustrating listening over a span of a few hours. I do know that Pandora makes much of its “Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down” feature, which allows the user to indicate her or his preference for a given song. Pandora’s algorithms will adjust the playlist’s direction (ever so slightly) upon a “Thumbs Down” for a song you don’t care for. In a 2006 interview with the New York Times, Westergren describes this feature as a concession to human subjectivity (within an otherwise “objective” platform), and I agree. The “Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down” feature requires active listening and participation on the user’s part—generally a good thing, I’ll admit. But what if I want to just sit back with a cold beverage and let the music play? The Genome’s platform, as it currently works, seems unable to deliver the ebbs and flows in tempo and musical texture which I enjoy in a good mixtape or college radio show. These kind of practical gaps in Pandora’s service point me toward a larger theoretical problem worth discussing. In its insistence upon musical sound as the key ingredient for making song recommendations, the Music Genome Project willingly suspends belief in some basic social facts about the way music works. Music is undeniably social, cultural, and political. It’s the soundtrack to our lives as we dance, eat dinner, exercise, commute to work, fall in love, and so on. Music blasts out of loudspeakers at political rallies. We argue with friends over drinks about the relative merit of this or that musical group. And music is always part of a commercial marketplace, even in this age of file-sharing. Given all this, I find Westergren’s claim that a band’s marketplace popularity is “completely irrelevant to what we do” a wee bit disingenuous, or at the very least requiring a willing suspension of disbelief regarding music’s social and marketplace role. The Music Genome Project’s near-exclusive focus on sound itself, coupled with its organicist rhetoric regarding “musical DNA”, seems to suggest the company believes it can map out music in its totality—that it can “crack the code” of music, so to speak. As an aspiring musicologist, this reminds me a bit of another massive scholarly endeavor which worked toward a similar goal of cataloging music: Alan Lomax’s Cantometrics project. Developed by Lomax in the late 1950s and into the ‘60s, Cantometrics was a project wherein Lomax and several co-researchers analyzed the performance styles of (mostly traditional “folk”) songs from hundreds of different cultures around the world, tagging them with a variety of traits. These performance traits, such as vocal timbre, were organized into a computerized system wherein elements of the different musics could be compared. Lomax made the bold claim that one could draw conclusions about the social structure of a given society based on some of these performance traits (societies noted for a certain style of singing were sexually repressive, for instance). Of course, this claim was quite controversial, and has been challenged by other scholars since as overly reductive and essentialist. Fortunately, the Music Genome Project doesn’t attempt to make the connection between music and social structures the way Cantometrics did; indeed, as I said, the Genome Project’s rhetoric seems to deny aspects of the social world, if anything. However, in the desire to systematically categorize and compare different aspects of music, one could say that the Genome Project and Cantometrics spring from a shared wellspring of human curiosity. One issue with this categorizing mission, though, is the problem of sample size. Lomax’s research was criticized for not casting a broad enough net in collecting these comparable performance traits. One could ask similar questions about the Music Genome Project’s scope. As I mentioned, the company’s website points out that its database currently features over 500,000 songs, and counting. This seems like a lot, but how useful is that number, when one considers the thousands and thousands of songs which are released commercially every year? And how can one ensure that multiple varieties, styles, and (yes, even) genres of music are adequately represented within those 500,000 songs? Additionally, Pandora shares potentially problematic assumptions with Cantometrics regarding humans’ ability to fully categorize and catalog the world, to reduce music to its essence. This descends from the Enlightenment idea that our natural world is fully knowable through empirical and objective observation. That bedrock assumption has been the basis for the natural sciences, and one can see its influence on a project like Alan Lomax’s. The problem is: while an empirical observation approach might work well for classifying different varieties of tree frogs, when one wades into the murky waters of human behavior, it’s a lot more difficult to claim objectivity. Indeed, for myself and for a growing number of musicologists and humanities scholars more broadly, it is basically impossible to claim objectivity in one’s understanding of the world. This is not to say that Pandora explicitly makes a claim of total objectivity, on their website or elsewhere. But as with Cantometrics, the fact that the company breaks songs down into discrete components and then makes comparisons and connections based on those components suggests that they believe music is knowable in some objective way. Pandora hasn’t made public a list of its over 400 “musical attributes”, but shares a handful of them on their website’s Frequently Asked Questions page. Some of the attributes they share make a lot of sense, and could even be called “objective”: major or minor key tonality, for instance. But consider an attribute like “headnodic beats”: in its FAQ entry, Pandora’s analysts admit they created the term themselves (it describes hip-hop beats which are strong, but not forceful enough to dance to). Given that probably almost no one outside of the Pandora offices uses this term, it can’t reasonably be called objective. This is not to say that an identification of some subjectivity within Pandora’s research model makes the whole enterprise come crashing down. Rather, I just wish to point out that while company prides itself on the cold objectivity of a computer algorithm choosing your music for you, human beings with subjective viewpoints created the components which power that algorithm. Related to this, both Pandora and Cantometrics raise questions regarding musical gatekeepers, tastemakers, and their authority. Indeed, as ethnomusicologist Steven Feld has mused in response to Lomax’s work, “What are the sources of authority, wisdom, and legitimacy about sounds and music? Who can know about sound? Is musical knowledge public, private, ritual, esoteric?”.2 Many researchers of pop music, pop culture, and genre agree that this issue of who is doing the classifying, categorizing, and ranking is a really important question. For instance, snobby clerks at your local independent record store may decide that Gillian Welch’s music belongs in the “folk” rather than “rock” section of the store. But where does the authority behind their judgment come from? Their judgment is informed by their life experiences and backgrounds as (mostly) well-educated middle-class white males. These gatekeepers’ judgments are also informed by a deep knowledge of various musical genres: the ability to distinguish glam from punk from grunge, and so on. Since Pandora’s fifty music analysts perform a similar function, I find this aspect of their job paradoxical: though the company seems to pride itself on getting beyond musical genre, these analysts must be extremely well-versed in genre in order to do their jobs well. In a recent video post on Pandora’s blog, Westergren states that the purpose of the Music Genome Project is ultimately to connect musicians with audiences, in ways the traditional music business can’t.3 This is notably egalitarian rhetoric; it works off the assumption that consumers and musicians are empowered enough to seek each other out, and that they don’t need tastemakers dictating what music they should like. As I noted above, however, the computerized system that listeners use to connect with musicians is designed and maintained by a group of (relatively) elite tastemakers. And in Westergren’s public statements about these analysts’ qualifications, I read a certain degree of anxiety over what kind of authority is vested in that role of analyst. In his 2006 interview with Leo Laporte and Amber MacArthur, Westergren pointed out that while all their analysts are regularly-gigging musicians, in order to carry out the depth of analysis required for the Music Genome Project, one really “need[s] an academic background”. Thus, in addition to being a working musician, an analyst employed by Pandora also needs at least a four-year undergraduate degree in music theory. On a practical level, this makes a lot of sense to me. If you’re going to employ folks to analyze songs for you, wouldn’t you want them to have an understanding of musical principles on several different levels? On the other hand, on a theoretical level, Pandora’s insistence on both “street” and “book” smarts from its analysts demonstrates an unresolved subliminal conflict over whether “brains and corporate no-how” or “gut, ‘Id’ feelings” are what shape the music we listen to. Thus, in this way, Pandora and the Music Genome Project struggle with these issues of taste and knowledge hierarchies just like other public pop prognosticators, even as their seemingly objective research platform denies this social fact. This may read as though I am beating up on Pandora, but I hope the position I’m staking out is subtler than that. Rather, I have simply been attempting to point out some slight contradictions of logic within the Music Genome Project’s overall research platform. On a practical, user’s level, I enjoy the site. And to be fair to Pandora’s employees, on a certain level they seem to recognize the issues I am brining up here. For instance, in a recent post on Pandora’s official blog by one of its music analysts, Michael Zapruder likens evaluating songs to judging a baby beauty contest, and then points out, “The idea that all music is equal and deserves equal rights is somehow fundamentally a democratic idea; as is the corresponding idea that the public, and not some small cadre of experts, is the best judge of musical quality. But the fact that some music not only attracts more listeners, but also seems to mean more to more people over a longer period of time, indicates that there is actually something fundamentally unequal about music as well.”4 In other words, perhaps this issue of taste isn’t an “either/or” problem, but rather a “both/and” one. And by its nature, it’s most likely a problem with no definitive answer. It seems that in his blog entry, Pandora employees like Zapruder are trying to find a practical, everyday way of working around and through this problem—and I can’t fault them for that. Certainly, the academic in me bristles when I see Pandora present something like “headnodic beats” as some kind of objective criteria for judging music. But on a practical level, it seems that these classifications, even if they’re vague (such as “vinyl ambience,” or what have you) are perhaps vague at least partly in the service of the listener’s experience—of trying to match users to interesting new music. It doesn’t seem that the point of the Genome is to categorize musical attributes simply for the sake of categorization. Rather, the point seems to be to put that information to use, making musical connections for the listener. So perhaps it’s a utilitarian reason why the Music Genome cuts certain logical corners on the “objective vs. subjective” question. Ultimately, Pandora’s service rests upon the assumption that sound itself is the only aspect which really matters when analyzing different forms of music. It assumes that sound automatically trumps the sociocultural boundaries of genre, taste, and marketplace. This isn’t true, of course: in the real world we live in, rhetoric surrounding genre and taste guide the musical choices we all make, from Walmart AC/DC lovers to bebop nerds. But the Music Genome Project’s fiction regarding the supremacy of sound is an important, if very one-sided, position to have out there in the world. In fact, it’s almost counter-cultural in a way, because journalists and advertisers often focus so much on image when considering contemporary pop music. Pandora’s vision is a kind of imagined musical utopia, making a particularly 21st-century-specific stand for the importance of musical sound—a stand made possible by the shared cultural resource of the Internet. Finally, closing with an idea my professor Fred Maus pointed out to me, when you’re confronted with enjoying a song you didn’t think you would like on Pandora (you enter in a Turbonegro song as your “seed” and are rewarded with a Poison song, for example), that tells us something important about genre boundaries. Your bemusement proves that musical genres exist. They’re cultural; they don’t hold up to objective scrutiny. And they’re based on something more than just musical sound; they’re built around assumptions that have to do with hierarchies of taste and class. Thus, paradoxically, we can learn quite a bit about the rules of genre from a website devoted to transcending those rules.

– Pandora relies on complex computer software to grade it songs ... right? Not so, reports Rob Pegoraro at BoingBoing: About 25 music analysts at the company's Music Genome Project personally rank and quantify each song with up to 450 "genome units." For example, vocals are graded from 1 to 5 on "Melodic Articulation Clean-to-Dirty" (how well the melody hits the beat), "Delivery Spoken-to-Sung" or "Smooth or Silky" (Tom Waits' "Come On Up to the House" received an unsurprisingly low 1). Pandora's analysts, often hired by word-of-mouth in the Bay Area music scene, can analyze about 4 songs per hour, or 10,000 monthly. Next, your playlists are are balanced by factors that balance relevance with variety—and that, writes Pegoraro, is where the company "lets me down most often." He finds the "talent pool can look a little shallow. Not just the same artists but the same albums crop up repeatedly." (Music researcher Jason Kirby raised a similar issue at Scholars' Lab a few years back, calling "homogeneity of songs' tempo an issue.") Other tidbits on the Genome Project: It doesn't care where you are (there's no "locavore listening"), and gives more weight to negative feedback than positive.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Focused crawls are collections of frequently-updated webcrawl data from narrow (as opposed to broad or wide) web crawls, often focused on a single domain or subdomain. Pandora's "Music Genome Project" explores the cold hard facts of how we interact with music Twenty-five music analysts "grade" 10,000 songs a month. It's a mountainous job, writes Rob Pegoraro, but the results will be serious business. Among the algorithms that run our online lives, Pandora's Music Genome Project may not be as critical as Google's search equations, but the math behind the self-programming Web-radio service seems just as opaque. Some of that mystery is by design, but Pandora's been a little more public about how it gathers and grades the more than one million tracks in its collection. And over a long briefing at its Oakland offices and subsequent follow-ups over e-mail, it told me a few more details. First, humans grade the songs, not computers--and it's surprising how much effort is involved. Pandora's 25 or so music analysts have to assign either one-to-five rankings or more quantitative measures (say, beats per minute) for as many as 450 "genome units" per song. For example, vocals get graded on terms like "Smooth or Silky" (Tom Waits' "Come On Up to the House" earned a totally unsurprising 1), "Delivery Spoken-to-Sung" and "Child or Child-like." Music can be broken down by metrics such as "Melodicism Lo-to-Hi" (how easily could you play this back?) and "Melodic Articulation Clean-to-Dirty" (how precisely does the melody hit the beat?). Each of Pandora's analysts--many hired from the Bay Area scene via word-of-mouth--can handle four songs an hour, for about 10,000 songs graded a month. Is it possible to listen to music like a normal human being after you leave the office? "It's something I can turn on or off," said analyst Steve Hogan during my briefing in May. "It hasn't interfered with my ability to enjoy a piece of music." (In his spare time, he plays the organ at San Francisco Giants home games.) Secomd, they don't care about your location, or if you buy music through the service. I'd like to be able to request songs that come from artists near me--locavore listening!--but Pandora reflects its origins. It's a service that predates location-aware smartphones. "One of the themes that runs through [our listener feedback] is the ability to localize the music selections," said founder Tim Westergren. He allowed that the bigger potential might be at the other end of the system--letting musicians see where they're finding an audience. "Boy, what if you could allow a artist to log into Pandora and see a heat map of where their fans are and plot out a tour?" Musicians can make money more directly from an engaged Pandora listening by selling tracks through the service's click-through links. You might think that this transaction--the most direct fan support possible through the app--would weigh heavily in its calculations, but it's not factored in either. Apple's iTunes Radio makes for an interesting comparison, since it can start to customize music stations not based on one artist but on the content of a user's entire iTunes library. Finally, negative feedback is given more weight than positive feedback. Years ago, Pandora let its listeners' use of the thumbs-up button drive what what they'd hear. But as more of its usage has shifted to mobile devices, it's found that people "thumbs-up" less but hit the thumbs-down and skip buttons as much as ever. "We stopped chasing thumbs-up and started chasing total listening hours," said Eric Bieschke, head of Pandora's playlist engineering team. For a song to serve that goal, it had to rank highly in four areas--some of which seem to contradict each other. Prediction accuracy, in the sense of matching the right music to the right listener, seems to clash with the virtue of " surprisal" (Bieschke's term). And variety, taken to a sufficient degree, conflicts with relevance. And that's where Pandora lets me down most often. Heard over hours at a stretch--for instance, when I'm testing a smartphone's battery life--its talent pool can look a little shallow. Not just the same artists but the same albums crop up repeatedly; for instance, the Pandora station I modeled after my friend Eric Brace's band Last Train Home seems guaranteed to serve up Ryan Adams and the Cardinals' "Cold Roses" within the first two hours. In a 3,172-word post in 2010, University of Virginia music researcher Jason Kirby, pursuing a Ph.D. in music, poked at a similar hole in Pandora's output. "I find homogeneity of songs’ tempo an issue," he wrote. "The Genome’s platform, as it currently works, seems unable to deliver the ebbs and flows in tempo and musical texture which I enjoy in a good mix tape or college radio show." Alas, mixtapes are dead, and college radio can be heard nowhere near me. ||||| Hello. In my last blog, I began my discussion of Pandora.com, the streaming audio website which offers a new kind of web radio to listeners. Enter a “seed” song into Pandora’s search engine, and the site will create a streaming “station” composed of songs that resemble your seed song. This process is powered by the Music Genome Project, a massive research endeavor which began in the early 2000s and is based out of the company’s Oakland, California headquarters. How is Pandora’s song-recommendation engine different than web radio platforms that came before it? Well, the majority of other online radio stations, such as last.fm, operate off a system called collaborative filtering. What is collaborative filtering? In layperson’s terms, collaborative filtering involves matching one user’s taste to another’s (or a series of other people). On a site like last.fm, over time a user amasses a playlist of songs they’ve expressed a preference for—a sort of musical taste profile. Last.fm’s search tools automatically identify other users with whom your tastes seem to overlap, and uses this information to power “radio” stations you can stream on the site. The process is pretty simple, and based on personal intuition and the data existing users have already entered into the system. Collaborative filtering powers aspects of many media websites, such as Amazon.com’s personal recommendation feature for shoppers. It does have some limitations for online radio listeners, however. As Pandora’s founder Tim Westergren pointed out in a 2006 interview with Leo Laporte and Amber MacArthur, collaborative filtering-powered online radio stations have a tendency to only recommend what is broadly popular in contemporary pop music. While independent-label music certainly has a strong presence on last.fm, a quick scan of various users’ profiles on the site may suggest that Westergren has a point. Even among “indie” users on last.fm, there’s a whole lot of Death Cab for Cutie and Modest Mouse ruling the playlists (nothing against either of these bands). Collaborative filtering doesn’t necessarily ensure that the site’s users will discover truly obscure stuff they hadn’t heard of before. And in keeping with my interest in genre boundaries vis-à-vis Internet radio, in interviews Westergren has attributed the problem to the mainstream music business’ interest in keeping consumers bracketed into genre-specific niches. In the aforementioned chat with Laporte and MacArthur, Westergren cited the “age-old problem in the music industry” wherein a tiny percentage of music released by a given label typically accounts for nearly all its sales—a problem codified by genre boundaries. Pandora, through its Music Genome Project, aims to circumvent this problem, by offering its users a new kind of recommendation engine. As I mentioned in my earlier post, the Music Genome is a systematic endeavor to deconstruct and analyze individual pop songs using over 400 “musical attributes” that the company has identified. These attributes include everything from tempo, to vocal timbre, to harmonic movement—even sound production aspects like echo and reverb. In other words, it is essentially a musicological approach in the strictest sense of the word. The focus is on sound itself, rather than a band’s cultural associations with other bands (as is the case in collaborative filtering). Indeed, Westergren bragged in the aforementioned interview that “when we recommend to you a piece of music, we don’t even know how popular it is.” Instead, what the Music Genome Project entails is the company’s roughly fifty analysts sitting down in the Oakland, CA headquarters and methodically tagging a given song using these 400+ attributes. Westergren has described the process in ways akin to the scientific method, noting that a percentage of songs the analysts deconstruct are reviewed twice for quality. The songs, categorized by attributes, are added to the Project’s over 500,000 songs (and counting) accumulating in the company’s database. Songs sharing a similar musical “DNA” are then automatically matched and linked by Pandora’s search engine when you enter in a “seed” song. Westergren has called the Genome “kind of like a musical taxonomy,” and I don’t think this language is accidental. As Fabian Holt has pointed out about musical genres, “Discourse on the temporal dimensions of categories is saturated with organicist metaphors, as in discussions of how genres are born, how they grow, mature, branch off, explode, and die.”1 Even though Pandora in fact aims to get around genre, it seems to me that this biologic language informs the company’s mission and direction. In any case, as a Pandora user, I have often benefited from the happy accidents occasioned by the way the Music Genome Project works. For instance, I entered in Pandora as a “seed” Bob Dylan’s song “Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You”, a lilting, mid-tempo country-rock stroll. The Genome built a streaming station for me that included folk-rocky chestnuts by relatively obscure ‘60s and ‘70s groups like UFO and Earth Opera. It’s likely that I would not have heard about these groups without Pandora, or at least that I would’ve heard about them years from now in another context. In this regard, it seems that Westergren does have something to boast about regarding his claim that Pandora’s search engine connects listeners with “invisible” music in a way that mainstream, genre-bound, multinational music corporations just can’t. On the other hand, there are several notable gaps in the logic and execution of Pandora and the Music Genome Project model. The first gap I feel compelled to point out is a very practical one. Returning to my example of the station based around “Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You,” Pandora is skilled in giving a user a lot of what they like. Enter in a twangy rock song like Dylan’s and you’ll get a station with loads of twangy rock songs. But there can be too much of a good thing; namely, I find homogeneity of songs’ tempo an issue on Pandora stations. “Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You” is a bit plodding, and I’ve found that over a few hours of playing this station, I mostly get one plodding song after the next. This can be useful in terms of finding hidden gems, but makes for monotonous, even frustrating listening over a span of a few hours. I do know that Pandora makes much of its “Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down” feature, which allows the user to indicate her or his preference for a given song. Pandora’s algorithms will adjust the playlist’s direction (ever so slightly) upon a “Thumbs Down” for a song you don’t care for. In a 2006 interview with the New York Times, Westergren describes this feature as a concession to human subjectivity (within an otherwise “objective” platform), and I agree. The “Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down” feature requires active listening and participation on the user’s part—generally a good thing, I’ll admit. But what if I want to just sit back with a cold beverage and let the music play? The Genome’s platform, as it currently works, seems unable to deliver the ebbs and flows in tempo and musical texture which I enjoy in a good mixtape or college radio show. These kind of practical gaps in Pandora’s service point me toward a larger theoretical problem worth discussing. In its insistence upon musical sound as the key ingredient for making song recommendations, the Music Genome Project willingly suspends belief in some basic social facts about the way music works. Music is undeniably social, cultural, and political. It’s the soundtrack to our lives as we dance, eat dinner, exercise, commute to work, fall in love, and so on. Music blasts out of loudspeakers at political rallies. We argue with friends over drinks about the relative merit of this or that musical group. And music is always part of a commercial marketplace, even in this age of file-sharing. Given all this, I find Westergren’s claim that a band’s marketplace popularity is “completely irrelevant to what we do” a wee bit disingenuous, or at the very least requiring a willing suspension of disbelief regarding music’s social and marketplace role. The Music Genome Project’s near-exclusive focus on sound itself, coupled with its organicist rhetoric regarding “musical DNA”, seems to suggest the company believes it can map out music in its totality—that it can “crack the code” of music, so to speak. As an aspiring musicologist, this reminds me a bit of another massive scholarly endeavor which worked toward a similar goal of cataloging music: Alan Lomax’s Cantometrics project. Developed by Lomax in the late 1950s and into the ‘60s, Cantometrics was a project wherein Lomax and several co-researchers analyzed the performance styles of (mostly traditional “folk”) songs from hundreds of different cultures around the world, tagging them with a variety of traits. These performance traits, such as vocal timbre, were organized into a computerized system wherein elements of the different musics could be compared. Lomax made the bold claim that one could draw conclusions about the social structure of a given society based on some of these performance traits (societies noted for a certain style of singing were sexually repressive, for instance). Of course, this claim was quite controversial, and has been challenged by other scholars since as overly reductive and essentialist. Fortunately, the Music Genome Project doesn’t attempt to make the connection between music and social structures the way Cantometrics did; indeed, as I said, the Genome Project’s rhetoric seems to deny aspects of the social world, if anything. However, in the desire to systematically categorize and compare different aspects of music, one could say that the Genome Project and Cantometrics spring from a shared wellspring of human curiosity. One issue with this categorizing mission, though, is the problem of sample size. Lomax’s research was criticized for not casting a broad enough net in collecting these comparable performance traits. One could ask similar questions about the Music Genome Project’s scope. As I mentioned, the company’s website points out that its database currently features over 500,000 songs, and counting. This seems like a lot, but how useful is that number, when one considers the thousands and thousands of songs which are released commercially every year? And how can one ensure that multiple varieties, styles, and (yes, even) genres of music are adequately represented within those 500,000 songs? Additionally, Pandora shares potentially problematic assumptions with Cantometrics regarding humans’ ability to fully categorize and catalog the world, to reduce music to its essence. This descends from the Enlightenment idea that our natural world is fully knowable through empirical and objective observation. That bedrock assumption has been the basis for the natural sciences, and one can see its influence on a project like Alan Lomax’s. The problem is: while an empirical observation approach might work well for classifying different varieties of tree frogs, when one wades into the murky waters of human behavior, it’s a lot more difficult to claim objectivity. Indeed, for myself and for a growing number of musicologists and humanities scholars more broadly, it is basically impossible to claim objectivity in one’s understanding of the world. This is not to say that Pandora explicitly makes a claim of total objectivity, on their website or elsewhere. But as with Cantometrics, the fact that the company breaks songs down into discrete components and then makes comparisons and connections based on those components suggests that they believe music is knowable in some objective way. Pandora hasn’t made public a list of its over 400 “musical attributes”, but shares a handful of them on their website’s Frequently Asked Questions page. Some of the attributes they share make a lot of sense, and could even be called “objective”: major or minor key tonality, for instance. But consider an attribute like “headnodic beats”: in its FAQ entry, Pandora’s analysts admit they created the term themselves (it describes hip-hop beats which are strong, but not forceful enough to dance to). Given that probably almost no one outside of the Pandora offices uses this term, it can’t reasonably be called objective. This is not to say that an identification of some subjectivity within Pandora’s research model makes the whole enterprise come crashing down. Rather, I just wish to point out that while company prides itself on the cold objectivity of a computer algorithm choosing your music for you, human beings with subjective viewpoints created the components which power that algorithm. Related to this, both Pandora and Cantometrics raise questions regarding musical gatekeepers, tastemakers, and their authority. Indeed, as ethnomusicologist Steven Feld has mused in response to Lomax’s work, “What are the sources of authority, wisdom, and legitimacy about sounds and music? Who can know about sound? Is musical knowledge public, private, ritual, esoteric?”.2 Many researchers of pop music, pop culture, and genre agree that this issue of who is doing the classifying, categorizing, and ranking is a really important question. For instance, snobby clerks at your local independent record store may decide that Gillian Welch’s music belongs in the “folk” rather than “rock” section of the store. But where does the authority behind their judgment come from? Their judgment is informed by their life experiences and backgrounds as (mostly) well-educated middle-class white males. These gatekeepers’ judgments are also informed by a deep knowledge of various musical genres: the ability to distinguish glam from punk from grunge, and so on. Since Pandora’s fifty music analysts perform a similar function, I find this aspect of their job paradoxical: though the company seems to pride itself on getting beyond musical genre, these analysts must be extremely well-versed in genre in order to do their jobs well. In a recent video post on Pandora’s blog, Westergren states that the purpose of the Music Genome Project is ultimately to connect musicians with audiences, in ways the traditional music business can’t.3 This is notably egalitarian rhetoric; it works off the assumption that consumers and musicians are empowered enough to seek each other out, and that they don’t need tastemakers dictating what music they should like. As I noted above, however, the computerized system that listeners use to connect with musicians is designed and maintained by a group of (relatively) elite tastemakers. And in Westergren’s public statements about these analysts’ qualifications, I read a certain degree of anxiety over what kind of authority is vested in that role of analyst. In his 2006 interview with Leo Laporte and Amber MacArthur, Westergren pointed out that while all their analysts are regularly-gigging musicians, in order to carry out the depth of analysis required for the Music Genome Project, one really “need[s] an academic background”. Thus, in addition to being a working musician, an analyst employed by Pandora also needs at least a four-year undergraduate degree in music theory. On a practical level, this makes a lot of sense to me. If you’re going to employ folks to analyze songs for you, wouldn’t you want them to have an understanding of musical principles on several different levels? On the other hand, on a theoretical level, Pandora’s insistence on both “street” and “book” smarts from its analysts demonstrates an unresolved subliminal conflict over whether “brains and corporate no-how” or “gut, ‘Id’ feelings” are what shape the music we listen to. Thus, in this way, Pandora and the Music Genome Project struggle with these issues of taste and knowledge hierarchies just like other public pop prognosticators, even as their seemingly objective research platform denies this social fact. This may read as though I am beating up on Pandora, but I hope the position I’m staking out is subtler than that. Rather, I have simply been attempting to point out some slight contradictions of logic within the Music Genome Project’s overall research platform. On a practical, user’s level, I enjoy the site. And to be fair to Pandora’s employees, on a certain level they seem to recognize the issues I am brining up here. For instance, in a recent post on Pandora’s official blog by one of its music analysts, Michael Zapruder likens evaluating songs to judging a baby beauty contest, and then points out, “The idea that all music is equal and deserves equal rights is somehow fundamentally a democratic idea; as is the corresponding idea that the public, and not some small cadre of experts, is the best judge of musical quality. But the fact that some music not only attracts more listeners, but also seems to mean more to more people over a longer period of time, indicates that there is actually something fundamentally unequal about music as well.”4 In other words, perhaps this issue of taste isn’t an “either/or” problem, but rather a “both/and” one. And by its nature, it’s most likely a problem with no definitive answer. It seems that in his blog entry, Pandora employees like Zapruder are trying to find a practical, everyday way of working around and through this problem—and I can’t fault them for that. Certainly, the academic in me bristles when I see Pandora present something like “headnodic beats” as some kind of objective criteria for judging music. But on a practical level, it seems that these classifications, even if they’re vague (such as “vinyl ambience,” or what have you) are perhaps vague at least partly in the service of the listener’s experience—of trying to match users to interesting new music. It doesn’t seem that the point of the Genome is to categorize musical attributes simply for the sake of categorization. Rather, the point seems to be to put that information to use, making musical connections for the listener. So perhaps it’s a utilitarian reason why the Music Genome cuts certain logical corners on the “objective vs. subjective” question. Ultimately, Pandora’s service rests upon the assumption that sound itself is the only aspect which really matters when analyzing different forms of music. It assumes that sound automatically trumps the sociocultural boundaries of genre, taste, and marketplace. This isn’t true, of course: in the real world we live in, rhetoric surrounding genre and taste guide the musical choices we all make, from Walmart AC/DC lovers to bebop nerds. But the Music Genome Project’s fiction regarding the supremacy of sound is an important, if very one-sided, position to have out there in the world. In fact, it’s almost counter-cultural in a way, because journalists and advertisers often focus so much on image when considering contemporary pop music. Pandora’s vision is a kind of imagined musical utopia, making a particularly 21st-century-specific stand for the importance of musical sound—a stand made possible by the shared cultural resource of the Internet. Finally, closing with an idea my professor Fred Maus pointed out to me, when you’re confronted with enjoying a song you didn’t think you would like on Pandora (you enter in a Turbonegro song as your “seed” and are rewarded with a Poison song, for example), that tells us something important about genre boundaries. Your bemusement proves that musical genres exist. They’re cultural; they don’t hold up to objective scrutiny. And they’re based on something more than just musical sound; they’re built around assumptions that have to do with hierarchies of taste and class. Thus, paradoxically, we can learn quite a bit about the rules of genre from a website devoted to transcending those rules.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings. / Updated COLUMBUS, Ohio — For years, scientists have been looking for ways to bring the long-extinct woolly mammoth back to life — and although the exercise sounds like a science-fiction movie plot of "Jurassic Park" proportions, there's progress to report. The result almost certainly won't be a resurrection of the tusked behemoth exactly as it was thousands of years ago. It's more likely to be a genetically modified elephant that's adapted to the mammoth's traditionally chilly Pleistocene habitat. "If we can make one, the second one will be easier," Harvard geneticist George Church, who's spearheading a project to engineer a cold-resistant elephant, told NBC News. Church discussed the de-extinction effort this week during the ScienceWriters2014 conference in Columbus. Building a more mammoth-like elephant involves blending ancient mammoth DNA and modern-day elephant cells, but there are at least two approaches to the task: One research team has been trying to recover intact DNA from a 28,000-year-old mammoth carcass recovered from Siberian permafrost. The remains appear to have been preserved well enough to retain liquid blood, but so far, the blood samples have been too degraded to provide useful genetic material, Russian scientists say. The team still hopes to find suitable samples. Starting with the elephant In contrast, Church and his colleagues are starting with the elephant rather than the mammoth: They're editing the elephant genome to insert the codes for traits associated with woolly mammoths, using a gene-splicing method known as CRISPR. Fifteen changes have been made so far, focusing on factors ranging from freeze-resistant hemoglobin to subcutaneous fat to sweat glands, Church said. The researchers are being guided by the genetic sequence that was extracted in 2008 from woolly mammoth hairballs that were found frozen in Siberia. "We are not limited by it, but we are certainly inspired by it," Church said of the mammoth genome. To test out those changes, the edited genetic code would be inserted into elephant stem cells, which would then be coaxed to grow into organoids, cellular structures that perform organ functions in the lab. Church said that placental cells and umbilical-cord cells harvested during the recent birth of a baby elephant in Tucson, Arizona, should serve his purpose nicely. Church said it would take "a couple of years" to put the organoids through their test runs. Once the fully edited genome is ready to go, the mammoth-like traits would be inserted into an elephant egg cell for activation and implantation. Church suspects that an Asian elephant would be better-suited for the project, on the grounds that its genome is a closer match for mammoths. Why do it? To some, tweaking the elephant genome to produce creatures that are more like mammoths may sound like an adaptation of mad-scientist tales ranging from "Frankenstein" to "Jurassic Park." But Church and others argue that humans would have at least as much justification for restoring extinct species as they did for rendering them extinct in the first place. "De-extinction" is seen as a way to make up for what our ancestors did to such species as passenger pigeons, dodos and thylacines. Another objection has to do with the idea of reviving a cold-tolerant species in a warming world. Is it really such a good idea to make elephants more like mammoths if the ancient permafrost is fading? Church maintains that mammoths might be just what the Siberian ecosystem needs. "Returning this keystone species to the tundras could stave off some effects of warming," he argued last year in a Scientific American essay. ||||| Scientists at Harvard University are one step closer to bringing Woolly mammoths back to life, after successfully inserting some sequences of mammoth DNA into an elephant genome. The study is yet to be published, though, as there is still work to do. No recreation of the Ice Age would be complete without large, shaggy woolly mammoths stomping across the frozen tundra. That is what George Church, a professor of genetics at Harvard University and his team ultimately hope to achieve once more. Taking a preserved Arctic permafrost specimen of a Woolly mammoth, scientists analyzed mammoth DNA before reproducing exact copies of fourteen mammoth genes. “We prioritized genes associated with cold resistance including hairiness, ear size, subcutaneous fat and, especially, hemoglobin,” Church told The Sunday Times. The woolly mammoth was one of the last in the line of the species that emerged in the early Pliocene age some 2.5 million years ago but almost completely died 10,000 years ago. Some mammoths, however, continued to survive on Wrangel Island in the Arctic Ocean, between the Chukchi Sea and East Siberian Sea, until around 3,300 years ago. These were the specimens which researchers used for the DNA analysis. The scientists inserted mammoth genes into the cells of its closest living relative, the Asian elephant. The introduction of the genes was done through a new developed technique CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat), that allows for precise editing of DNA taking out parts of modern elephant DNA and replacing them the prehistoric genes. “We now have functioning elephant cells with mammoth DNA in them,” Church announced. “We have not published it in a scientific journal because there is more work to do, but we plan to do so,” he added. Beth Shapiro, University of California professor, in her new book, ‘How to Clone a Mammoth: The Science of De-Extinction’ explores the possibility of mammoth resurrection, as a number of well-preserved species have been found in the past. “If we really want to bring mammoths back to life, then we’re in luck, as far as DNA preservation goes. It’s in pretty shoddy condition, so hard to piece together, but if we sort through these tiny pieces, finding where they fit along the elephant genome, then we can slowly build a lot of the mammoth genome.” Professor Church believes that bringing the ancient mammoth back eventually could have a positive impact on the ecosystems in Russia. “The Siberian permafrost is melting with climate change, but research suggests large mammals could stabilize it,” he said.

– For the first time since the woolly mammoth went extinct, its genes are working again, Popular Science reports. Sure, it's only in a lab; woolly mammoths haven't wandered the planet for about 4,000 years. But the effort at Harvard has brought the return of the animal a tiny bit closer, the magazine notes. Researchers were able to splice mammoth genes—specifically, those coding for aspects of their hair, ears, and fat—into the DNA of Asian elephants. The genes came from a mammoth preserved in Arctic permafrost, RT reports. "We now have functioning elephant cells with mammoth DNA in them," geneticist George Church told the Sunday Times, per RT. But it's a baby step, because "just making a DNA change isn’t that meaningful," Church says. The next step is getting the cells to become specific tissues; after that, the goal would be combined mammoth-elephant embryos to be placed in artificial wombs—though developing the wombs themselves is still pie in the sky. Why do all this? One idea is to engineer hybrid elephants that can survive in colder climates, thus helping them avoid the dangers of humans and other threats. Church's work offers hope for the idea of "de-extinction" by genetic splicing, but that's just one method under investigation: As NBC News reported last year, other teams have been working on simply getting usable woolly mammoth DNA from existing remains. We may owe it to the animals to bring them back, as the possible cause of their extinction. (There's also a chance dogs could be responsible.)

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings. / Updated COLUMBUS, Ohio — For years, scientists have been looking for ways to bring the long-extinct woolly mammoth back to life — and although the exercise sounds like a science-fiction movie plot of "Jurassic Park" proportions, there's progress to report. The result almost certainly won't be a resurrection of the tusked behemoth exactly as it was thousands of years ago. It's more likely to be a genetically modified elephant that's adapted to the mammoth's traditionally chilly Pleistocene habitat. "If we can make one, the second one will be easier," Harvard geneticist George Church, who's spearheading a project to engineer a cold-resistant elephant, told NBC News. Church discussed the de-extinction effort this week during the ScienceWriters2014 conference in Columbus. Building a more mammoth-like elephant involves blending ancient mammoth DNA and modern-day elephant cells, but there are at least two approaches to the task: One research team has been trying to recover intact DNA from a 28,000-year-old mammoth carcass recovered from Siberian permafrost. The remains appear to have been preserved well enough to retain liquid blood, but so far, the blood samples have been too degraded to provide useful genetic material, Russian scientists say. The team still hopes to find suitable samples. Starting with the elephant In contrast, Church and his colleagues are starting with the elephant rather than the mammoth: They're editing the elephant genome to insert the codes for traits associated with woolly mammoths, using a gene-splicing method known as CRISPR. Fifteen changes have been made so far, focusing on factors ranging from freeze-resistant hemoglobin to subcutaneous fat to sweat glands, Church said. The researchers are being guided by the genetic sequence that was extracted in 2008 from woolly mammoth hairballs that were found frozen in Siberia. "We are not limited by it, but we are certainly inspired by it," Church said of the mammoth genome. To test out those changes, the edited genetic code would be inserted into elephant stem cells, which would then be coaxed to grow into organoids, cellular structures that perform organ functions in the lab. Church said that placental cells and umbilical-cord cells harvested during the recent birth of a baby elephant in Tucson, Arizona, should serve his purpose nicely. Church said it would take "a couple of years" to put the organoids through their test runs. Once the fully edited genome is ready to go, the mammoth-like traits would be inserted into an elephant egg cell for activation and implantation. Church suspects that an Asian elephant would be better-suited for the project, on the grounds that its genome is a closer match for mammoths. Why do it? To some, tweaking the elephant genome to produce creatures that are more like mammoths may sound like an adaptation of mad-scientist tales ranging from "Frankenstein" to "Jurassic Park." But Church and others argue that humans would have at least as much justification for restoring extinct species as they did for rendering them extinct in the first place. "De-extinction" is seen as a way to make up for what our ancestors did to such species as passenger pigeons, dodos and thylacines. Another objection has to do with the idea of reviving a cold-tolerant species in a warming world. Is it really such a good idea to make elephants more like mammoths if the ancient permafrost is fading? Church maintains that mammoths might be just what the Siberian ecosystem needs. "Returning this keystone species to the tundras could stave off some effects of warming," he argued last year in a Scientific American essay. ||||| Scientists at Harvard University are one step closer to bringing Woolly mammoths back to life, after successfully inserting some sequences of mammoth DNA into an elephant genome. The study is yet to be published, though, as there is still work to do. No recreation of the Ice Age would be complete without large, shaggy woolly mammoths stomping across the frozen tundra. That is what George Church, a professor of genetics at Harvard University and his team ultimately hope to achieve once more. Taking a preserved Arctic permafrost specimen of a Woolly mammoth, scientists analyzed mammoth DNA before reproducing exact copies of fourteen mammoth genes. “We prioritized genes associated with cold resistance including hairiness, ear size, subcutaneous fat and, especially, hemoglobin,” Church told The Sunday Times. The woolly mammoth was one of the last in the line of the species that emerged in the early Pliocene age some 2.5 million years ago but almost completely died 10,000 years ago. Some mammoths, however, continued to survive on Wrangel Island in the Arctic Ocean, between the Chukchi Sea and East Siberian Sea, until around 3,300 years ago. These were the specimens which researchers used for the DNA analysis. The scientists inserted mammoth genes into the cells of its closest living relative, the Asian elephant. The introduction of the genes was done through a new developed technique CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat), that allows for precise editing of DNA taking out parts of modern elephant DNA and replacing them the prehistoric genes. “We now have functioning elephant cells with mammoth DNA in them,” Church announced. “We have not published it in a scientific journal because there is more work to do, but we plan to do so,” he added. Beth Shapiro, University of California professor, in her new book, ‘How to Clone a Mammoth: The Science of De-Extinction’ explores the possibility of mammoth resurrection, as a number of well-preserved species have been found in the past. “If we really want to bring mammoths back to life, then we’re in luck, as far as DNA preservation goes. It’s in pretty shoddy condition, so hard to piece together, but if we sort through these tiny pieces, finding where they fit along the elephant genome, then we can slowly build a lot of the mammoth genome.” Professor Church believes that bringing the ancient mammoth back eventually could have a positive impact on the ecosystems in Russia. “The Siberian permafrost is melting with climate change, but research suggests large mammals could stabilize it,” he said.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Back to previous page Romney leaves Iowa with same problems he had in 2008 By Philip Rucker, DES MOINES — There was a dark side to Mitt Romney’s close finish in the Iowa caucuses. After first approaching Iowa with reservation and then scrambling hard in the final weeks to win, he leaves here with about the same share of votes he snagged four years ago in the Republican presidential caucuses. “It’s been a great victory for us here,” Romney told supporters , adding: “We’ve got some work ahead.” But his Iowa showing — finishing just eight votes ahead of former senator Rick Santorum (Pa.) — highlighted the big problems that still dog Romney: suspicions about his avowed conservatism, struggles to connect with voters and an inability to rally more Republicans around his candidacy. “The result has some real fissure lines in terms of Romney being able to unite the party with the argument of electability,” said Robert Haus, a veteran Iowa operative who was co-chairman of Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s campaign here. “If you can’t convince members of your own party and expand that space four years later after millions of dollars of investments, how can you expand it this fall?” This quandary has guided Romney’s decision-making all year. What Romney lacks in passion, he has tried to make up for with organizational precision and careful strategy. An examination of Romney’s efforts in Iowa illustrate how plentiful resources and smart tactics may not be enough for Romney to grow his support among important swaths of the party. Romney’s team claimed momentum heading into New Hampshire, a must-win state. But what happened Tuesday night in Iowa, a presidential proving ground that has never been hospitable to the former Massachusetts governor, may say as much about the evolution of Romney’s campaign as anything thus far. That he found himself in a position to win in the end came down to equal parts luck, imperative and design, according to recent interviews with a dozen Romney advisers and senior campaign officials. Even before he launched his campaign, Romney and his advisers calculated that he couldn’t win Iowa outright. In 2008, Romney left Iowa spooked and scorned after squandering $10 million and finishing a debilitating second. Romney never quite understood Iowa. And Iowa, it turned out, never quite understood Romney. So this go-round, Romney’s team tried to engineer expectations to redefine what it meant to win. Although Romney has been the national front-runner, his team worked aggressively to try to make second or a strong third seem as good as first. Instead of an aircraft carrier, Romney built a torpedo boat. He went from 50 staffers to five, from 11 months of television advertising to one. Through the fall, Romney barely existed here. He had skipped the August straw poll and made just two visits to the state all year. Ready to ‘pivot’ Then, sometime this fall, an invitation arrived. Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, a natural ally who had not endorsed, was throwing himself a 65th-birthday bash at Adventureland. Romney wanted to go. But an influential group of Christian conservatives had a candidates forum the same day. Romney skipped all such forums, and his advisers decided he couldn’t show up at one event and publicly snub the other. So he declined Branstad’s invitation, and his Iowa campaign stayed under the radar that much longer. At the same time, however, Romney’s stealth Iowa effort quietly was gaining steam. An October Des Moines Register poll showed Romney tied for the lead and the social conservative base still scattered. Suddenly, there was an opportunity. And Romney, a competitive creature always, moved in to seize it. When Romney returned to Iowa in early November, his campaign staged two slick events in his eastern strongholds. It sent a professional video crew to shoot an Iowa ad campaign. “We always made it so you could pivot one way or another,” said Rich Beeson, Romney’s national political director. “We weren’t building bricks-and-mortar here.” A few weeks later, his effort came into full view. His campaign set up shop in a shuttered Blockbuster in Des Moines. Staffers relocated from Boston. They recruited as shock troops hundreds of small-business leaders to spread Romney’s free-enterprise message. And they mailed fliers and dialed likely caucus-goers. On Dec. 1, a campaign that said it had spent less than $250,000 to date launched a television advertising blitz costing more than $1 million. As Newt Gingrich surged in the polls, Romney’s advisers viewed him as the most durable threat. Vanquishing him in Iowa became imperative — the fastest and cheapest way to stop him. To that end, an independent super PAC run by former Romney aides unleashed nearly $3 million in negative advertising on the former House speaker. Romney bore no legal responsibility for the onslaught, enabling him to deliver a mostly upbeat message here about his gauzy vision of America. Two days after Christmas, something unusual happened. Romney touched down in Iowa for his last campaign sprint and supporters, hundreds of them, came to see him. After six days and 16 crowded events, on the eve of the caucuses, Romney exclaimed: “We’re going to win this thing.” How to define a win All along, Mitt Romney knew he had to win in Iowa. But first he had to define, in his terms, what it meant to win. In the 2008 race, high expectations in Iowa became Romney’s Achilles’ heel. Romney ran a textbook campaign but was eclipsed by Mike Huckabee, a charismatic former Baptist preacher who consolidated the social conservatives who distrusted Romney. In the years since, Romney maintained his network. He funneled $118,000 to state candidates and kept in touch with loyal supporters such as Joni Scotter of Cedar Rapids. She said Romney called her often, once just to say, “It’s so good to hear your voice.” Early last year, months before Romney launched his 2012 bid, he dispatched two top aides — Matt Rhoades, who would become his campaign manager, and Beth Myers, a senior adviser — to Des Moines for two days of meetings with David Kochel, Romney’s Iowa strategist. The first agenda item was how to manage expectations such that, as Kochel said, “we define a win in Iowa appropriately.” One of the trademarks of Romney 2.0 is flexibility. New Hampshire would be Romney’s lodestar, but Rhoades and his lieutenants decided to compete in Iowa as well, proceeding cautiously and allowing outside circumstances and the changing political climate to dictate when and how he would compete here. “We needed to leave Iowa with the wind at our back and not at our face,” Kochel said. For Romney, the challenge was to project momentum without actually growing his base of support. He started by dramatically scaling down his Iowa effort. Aides aggressively shaped a media narrative that Romney couldn’t win the Iowa caucuses — and wasn’t trying. In the spring, Kochel and Sara Craig, the Iowa state director, started calling and e-mailing many of the 29,949 Iowans who caucused for Romney four years ago. They hired only one field staffer, Phil Valenziano, who toiled away like the solitary Tom Hanks in “Cast Away” out of an attic that didn’t have air conditioning until mid-summer. But Romney’s agitated supporters wondered where the candidate was. Over and over again, Romney’s team soothed them: “Hang in there. We’re coming.” The turning point for Romney was in mid-October. Perry, once seen as the likeliest to consolidate conservatives, was tanking, Herman Cain was surging and Gingrich showed potential. With no conservative emerging to spread-eagle the field, the opening was clear. Romney’s reliable quarter share of the vote looked better and better. Every two weeks, his brain trust in Boston made fresh assessments. And after each assessment, the candidate hungered to compete. “You tell him you’re going to be in a race, and he wants to win it,” said Russ Schriefer, Romney’s senior media adviser. “His mind-set was: ‘Look, if you guys think it’s worth me going to Iowa, great. Send me there. . . . But can we win? And what does winning mean?’ ” Staff writers Jason Horowitz in Des Moines and T.W. Farnam in Washington contributed to this report. ||||| 12.30 pm. Two last things: McCain will endorse Romney tomorrow. And Frum takes on Kristol: Bill Kristol saying this is a real race in NH between Romney and Santorum. No it's not. Birth control pretty popular outside Iowa. 12.22 pm. Santorum starts by quoting C.S. Lewis, movingly, about his wife. Then it's on to God and Iowa. As Romney overtakes him in the count. I want to sleep now. 12.19 am. A word from Radley Balko: Was already clear, but GOP establishment reaction to Paul tonight confirms that party's most important issue is promotion of perpetual war. Perpetual pre-emptive war - and the national security state to buttress it. 12.17 am. A reader writes about Bachmann's concession speech: The definition of tone-deaf: The entire country thinks your husband is gay, and the cute little anecdote you choose to pull out about him is that, while you were all campaigning, he was buying accessories for your dog. 12.15 am. Geraghty, pooping the party: Btw, man of the hour Rick Santorum did not file petitions in Virginia. Not "didn't file enough signatures"; didn't turn them in at all. 12.03 am. From my perusal of the counties yet to report, most of them have Romney slightly ahead. So it could still tighten or change - with about 100 votes or so currently between them. When it's that close, I don't think you can make a huge deal out of the actual winner. But Romney could well still win this. I suspect that this event has rather indeed winnowed the field, with Perry and Bachmann heading for the exit, Ron Paul headed for more delegates and a possible third party run, Romney doing a little worse than he did last time around. But fair's fair: Santorum is the big surprise and the big winner. He has coalesced the evangelical vote behind him, and given the religious nature of the current GOP, that matters. But how remarkable that the Tea Party infused GOP has picked two of the most fiscally liberal candidates as their final two. Now Newt and Santorum will savage Romney; and the press will expose Santorum. Paul will have his delegates and will have to be handled right if he is not to indirectly re-elect Obama in a landslide. 11.59 pm. Perry says he will go back to Texas and reassess his candidacy. That's big news. But he looks relieved in a way. If you out-spend your opponents by this vast amount and come in fifth, you really need to drop out. And it looks as if he will. 11.53 pm. A shout out to Al Giordano's aside in a December 22 post: “Before concluding, I’ll say a few words about former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum. He could still surprise in Iowa. With the graceless falls of Bachman and Perry, it’s now between Santorum and Gingrich as to who can possibly coalesce the Evangelical right behind one candidate in Iowa. But that would require a sudden Santorum surge in the New Year’s Des Moines Register poll.” 11.51 pm. Bret Baier: "The brown there is Rick Santorum." You realize the puns are going to, er, surge now, after this frothy late-night three-way. 11.37 pm. Santorum looks like he could win this. Amazing. He wins 53 percent in the "evangelical epicenters". The question now is: can he win in the South? 11.32 pm. Scott Galupo gets it right: If anyone attracted new and younger voters to the caucuses, it was Ron Paul — who I can say with certainty will not be the nominee. Romney, for his part, does well among wealthy, older voters. Tonight’s results are mildly troubling for Romney—but more than mildly troubling for the GOP long-term. The party appeals mostly to a segment of the country that’s literally dying. A party that repels and even demonizes the one candidate able to bring new voters to its ranks is not a healthy party. 11.24 pm. Gingrich is summarizing the core Republican message: a war on Iran, and the "survival" of the US and Israel. Then he calls Romney "a moderate from Massachusetts" who would preside over "the management of decay." He's talking about a months-long campaign in the primaries. And he's going to go negative in New Hampshire. As will Santorum with whatever money he now gets. 11.23 pm. Gingrich says Santorum ran a totally positive campaign. Yesterday, Santorum called Ron Paul "disgusting". 11.22 pm. John Hinderaker does his best to encourage Ron Paul to pursue a third party run. 11.21 pm. There are now 13 votes between Santorum and Romney. 11.13 pm. There's some buzz about Palin's return to her original (pre-McCain) position on foreign policy and her kind words for Ron Paul. There is a right-wing populism out there that Romney cannot harvest and Santorum - who is deeply suspicious of individual freedom - cannot appeal to beyond the Christianists and theocons. 11.10 pm. Paul's Iowa speech focuses on two themes: "freedom is popular" and that his supporters are people who actually "believe in something!" If his supporters are deflated, he doesn't seem it at all. He's a player. But in a Santorum-Romney race, his supporters will flee the GOP. As they should. 11.02 pm. The mood chez Paul is deflated; and Fox just declared that he will come third. That's a rough result for him after his surge. Geraghty assesses Santorum's chances now: A big question about Santorum has been whether he can assemble a campaign infrastructure in all the states to come, but somehow I suspect that the considerable number of anybody-but-Romney Republicans will eagerly step forward and help assemble that infrastructure. If the race comes down to Romney & Santorum, the former Pennsylvania senator will have access to funds from the grassroots. Perhaps not enough to go toe-to-toe with Romney, but enough to make it competitive. 10.56 pm. Romney wins Polk County. Santorum is killing it in the West of the state, especially Woodbury county, where Sioux City is. He may become the evangelicals' not-Romney. He sure didn't win the Catholic vote in Dubuque. 10.49 pm. A shift: Romney is pulling ahead at 25 percent. If he wins this, even technically, he has a great storyline for New Hampshire and then the firewall of South Carolina. But it's still very tight, and some Paul strongholds have yet to report. Silver: It's still early, but it appears the eventual winner in Iowa tonight may end up with a somewhat dubious distinction: the smallest share of the electorate by any winner. That title to date is held by Bob Dole, who won the Republican caucus in Iowa in 1996 with 26 percent of the vote (that was, as Nate said, the closest Iowa caucus in history). Right now, no candidate has more than 24 percent. Advantage: Romney, right? But Romney is under-performing compared with how he did in 2008. It's a mess, isn't it? 10.46 pm. Tobin has some smart analysis: The greatest danger to Romney’s hopes of winning the nomination was for one of his conservative rivals to break out from the pack. So long as the various not-Romneys are fighting each other, the actual Romney wins. So no matter who comes out ahead in this three-way tangle, the fact that there is no single rival for him in the top tier constitutes a strategic victory for him. Even so, his own inability to do better than the same 20-25 percent he’s had all along doesn’t make him look good. That’s why a first place finish would be sweet for him no matter how narrow the margin of victory. And a third-place finish will feel like a defeat. So my bet is on second. 10.39 pm. Two possible straws in the wind: the western counties which favor Santorum have yet to report; the same can be said for the big delegate count in Des Moines, where Paul is edging his opponents and where the results are only 37 percent in. 10.33 pm. Romney's Super-PAC worked. Of those who said their vote was influenced by political ads, Romney came in first. 10.30 pm. "More people are tweeting this caucus than are voting in it. Literally." Good one, JPod. And the movement right is not thrilled. Erickson tweets: 10.28 pm. Fox projects that Newt will beat Perry. Perry is one of the most embarrassingly awful candidates for a national party since Sarah Palin. He should quit but won't. 10.20 pm. So we may not find out for quite a while, given how close this is, and how some of Paul's and Santorum's strongest counties have yet to report fully. It's got to be excruciating for the GOP. Romney may get about the same support in Iowa this time as last, and slightly below his national average. Paul gets to be taken seriously at last and is showing, I think, his potential as a third-party candidate. Santorum, meanwhile, has captured the Christianist vote over Perry. Can he replicate that in South Carolina? Who knows? What will now happen to Santorum's fundraising? All of which is to say: this could go on for a long time, and damage everyone involved. Once the vetting of Santorum gets going, we'll have another major turn-off for anyone under 30. Romney is still failing to catch fire, having more of his supporters with reservations than anyone else. And in a year when the GOP was supposed to be rearing to defeat Obama , they cannot turn out more people than last time around, in the dark days of Bush-Cheney. Obama cannot be too worried tonight, can he? 10.17 pm. Tweet of the minute: 10.12 pm. Santorum is strong in the eastern counties, as expected. Better than expected, actually. But the general result looks like a clean divide between those favoring libertarianism, Christianism, and Romneyism. So take your pick. 10.09 pm. There's a slight shift toward Romney and Santorum, edging ahead with 24 percent to Paul's 22 percent. But it's still way too close to call. 10.06 pm. Palin actually says the GOP must not now marginalize Ron Paul. She declines to back Santorum. 10.05 pm. A woman with a very bad wig is now on Fox. What's her name again? 10.03 pm. Turnout is poor, and the winner is still highly uncertain. In general, that seems like bad news for the GOP. The enthusiasm just isn't there, is it, except for Paul among the young. And the field is deeply split. 9.57 pm. Does it matter who wins, when it's this close? Of course, there's a bump from any actual victory. But if I were Romney, I wouldn't want to come in third, especially if he gets fewer votes this time than in 2008. Nonetheless, it seems to me that Santorum's late surge has hurt Paul and denied him what would have been a stunner. Bachmann is surely toast; Perry has long since become a joke; and Gingrich has shown how vulnerable he is to Super-Pac sliming. 9.54 pm. Gingrich's New Hampshire pitch: "FUNDAMENTALLY MORE TALENTED VERSION OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN." 9.50 pm. Intrade goes for Paul: 9.44 pm. Yglesias Award Nomination for Rich Lowry: I think the “there is no bad result for Romney in Iowa” theme in the media is overdone. If he badly under-performs, say slips to 19%, he’s going to experience an immediate downdraft. So the results we’re about to start seeing do really matter for that and many other reasons. But so far, Romney is holding up. 9.40 pm. Roger Ebert: Leaving politics out of it, what sets Ron Paul aside from every other GOP candidate? He's the only one who's cool. 9.38 pm. Krauthammer is spinning for Romney and Santorum, and notes Paul's collapse among the final deciders. But he's right about Perry: a disaster, given the enormous amount of money Perry spent in the state. 9.37 pm. A reader writes: &OMG. Fox News is actually showing a list of hot Google searches, talking about how many people are Googling "Santorum." And they are wholly clueless about what that search reveals. Fair and balanced -- but not fact-checked in advance! 9.36 pm. With almost a third of the vote in, there's no daylight really between the top three. 9.33 pm. A fascinating entrance poll nugget: Paul wins the intensity vote, with 28 percent of his voters strongly favoring him, compared with Romney's 20 percent. More to the point, 28 percent of Romney supporters said they had reservations about him. Only 18 percent of Paul's voters had reservations. 9.25 pm. Paul seems to be winning both Polk and Dallas counties: must-wins for Romney or Santorum, according to the WaPo. But Santorum and Romney are by no means out of it yet. It really is a three-way race. But a remarkable feat for the candidate Roger Ailes has decreed cannot win. 9.18 pm. Some interesting factoids from the entrance polls: Paul beats Santorum among those without a college education; Paul easily wins the under-30s and the lower income brackets. Alana Goodman: Thirty-two percent of voters say that being able to beat President Obama is the “most important” quality in a candidate. Out of that group, 48 percent are backing Romney, 10 percent Santorum, and 7 percent Paul. 9.16 pm. Withdrawn tweet from Paul to Huntsman: "we found your one Iowa voter, you might want to call him and say thanks" 9.09 pm. The independents have flooded in, doubling their impact over 2008, thanks to Ron Paul. Silver: Almost 30 percent of voters identify as either independent or Democratic, much higher than in 2008 and toward the high range of the estimates that pollsters made in their likely voter models. The entrance polls report that about half of those voters are breaking for Ron Paul. Likewise, the percentage of moderates according to the the exit polls is about 20 percent - twice as high as in 2008 - and those voters so far are breaking for Mr. Paul as well. Santorum is beating Romney among conservatives. This is interesting because New Hampshire really favors candidates with an outreach to independents. And Paul has reversed the youthful exodus from the GOP. Why would any Republicans want that? 9.07 pm. With 14 percent in state-wide, it's basically a three way tie, with Paul just in front. It's exactly the same as CNN's entrance poll results. 9.06 pm. Huntsman gets 1 percent and disses Iowans: "Welcome to New Hampshire. Nobody cares." 9.01 pm. The newsletters do not seem to have hurt, as even Weigel concedes: So much for the newsletter story. Paul cleans up with "liberal or moderate" voters, winning 40 percent of them, and wins 48 percent of independents. Who wants a Republican candidate who can appeal to the young, moderates and liberals? I mean, as Marc Thiessen would say, seriously. 8.57 pm. A reader writes: You're going to be flooded with emails from Canadian readers after the "Santorum/sweater vest" post. In the 2008 election here in Canada, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, generally not known as the cuddly type, (in)famously made over his image by appearing in ads wearing a blue sweater vest. The sweater-vest-as-political-prop has become kind of a meme here in Canada, and for those of us who dislike the Harper conservatives, it's now a symbol of disingenuousness and smarmy politicking. Nevertheless, the makeover seems to have worked; Mr. Harper won that election, and this year, as you know, he finally got his long-sought-after majority government. The website of the political consulting company that devised the sweater-vest strategy is here. 8.51 pm. Here's a terrific map which helps you judge the actual caucus precinct based on its demographics. It too is showing a strong Paul presence. With 6 percent of the votes in, it's a three way race between Santorum, Paul and Romney. Money quote from earlier today: There are only four Monied Burb counties in Iowa (around Des Moines in the state’s center and in the west near Omaha, NE), but in 2008 they produced 26 percent of all the caucus votes. In 2012, they could be good territory for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. The Burbs, which are wealthier than average, tend to be less focused on cultural issues like gay marriage and more on the economy. They should be Romney’s strong suit. If Texas Congressman Ron Paul wins in the Burbs, it means populist anger in these counties is running high. The results are still very slim, but Paul is well ahead of Romney in those burbs. It could well change over the night, of course. 8.50 pm. Which candidate had a speaker at every caucus? Ron Paul. 8.47 pm. Tweets from the field show a pretty lame showing for Perry and Bachmann, as do the entrance polls. Ron Paul wins the total entrance poll from CNN, just ahead of Romney. 8.45 pm. Direct results available here. Some are already dribbling in. 8.44 pm. CNN has the born-again vote going to Paul. Paul is second among the non-evangelicals as well. Hmmm. 8.38 pm. David Frum deserves a reply to this post: Here’s my question for Ron Paul supporters: why the denial of the undeniable? Perhaps you like Paul’s message of legalized marijuana? Why not just say so? You don’t think it’s important to stop Iran from gaining nuclear weapons? Argue it forthrightly. If you regard Social Security and Medicare as literally the moral equivalents of slavery, go ahead, make your case. But all this excuse-making, special pleading and jiggering of the rules of evidence so as to exculpate Ron Paul from the record of his whole political life? For what? Well, for my part, I have often made the case for legalizing marijuana, for containing, not bombing, Iran, and for serious cuts in Medicare and social security. And I do not believe Paul should be absolved from responsibility for the newsletters. He said himself it was a flaw on the Sunday talk shows, which seems like taking responsibility to me. My question back to David is: which other Republican candidate favors an end to the drug war, reforming entitlements, cutting defense and not launching a new war on Iran? None so far as I can tell. And the whole record of Paul's public life is not defined by the extremes David cites. 8.36 pm. Never under-estimate the Paulites. 8.35 pm Tweet of the minute: 8.30 pm. CNN's early "entrance polls" show a tie between Romney and Paul, with Santorum close behind. Meanwhile, Ron Paul is busy on this night emphasizing his anti-war foreign policy in Alkeny. ||||| The 2012 Iowa caucuses were, in the end, a nailbiter. After months of predictions of a boring race and polls showing Mitt Romney leading, the final race was confusing — and uncalled — down to the wire. The muddled result has a series of effects going forward. Text Size - + reset Winners & Losers in 60 seconds Santorum victory speech Perry to head home, 'assess results' By early morning, Romney had won by eight votes, and a win is a win, especially against the conservative alternative his team would most prefer to face, and when the campaign spent little to achieve it. Below are POLITICO’s seven takeaways from the Iowa caucuses. 1) Rick Santorum was the story of the night As the clock struck midnight, just a few votes separated Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney in the Iowa caucuses. But Santorum was unquestionably the story of the contest. The former Pennsylvania senator, derided or ignored by much of the media and close to broke for much of the year, managed to fight to a virtual tie with the national front-runner and fundraising leader in one of the closest GOP caucus finishes in years. Romney’s camp for months had minimized expectations in the state that sank his presidential hopes in 2008. He barely campaigned in Iowa for much of the year, skipped the Ames Straw Poll and kept his paid staff low. Toward the end, his team saw the potential for a win and played harder. Romney stumped hard in the state in the final days. His team sought to minimize the expectations of a flat-out win, which works in his favor, despite his own slip-up on the eve of the caucuses when he declared that he could “win this thing” (his camp insisted he meant the nomination). But at the end of the day, Romney wasn’t able to expand on his 2008 percentage, receiving almost exactly the same level of support. Caucus-goers in the conservative-leaning Iowa GOP electorate simply have never warmed much to him. And the questions about whether he can expand his base of support — roughly 75 percent of GOP voters did not vote for him — live on for another day. Santorum will now head to the next phase of the campaign with momentum, and into New Hampshire — a state that often likes to go in the opposite direction of Iowa. He was never expected to win, and now he’s the man of the hour. His lengthy Senate record is about to get a vetting the likes of which he’s never experienced, and Romney’s supporters will continue to beat the drum of “electability.” Romney is still the odds-on favorite for the nomination, especially since resources still matter in states like Florida. But now the former Massachusetts governor faces a winnowed field and a clear conservative alternative — one who is an able debater, can connect with voters and relishes a fight. 2) Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich are going to help Santorum Their methods won’t be the same. But at the end of the day, Perry and Gingrich are going to shore up Santorum as the conservative candidate. Perry, in a gracious and politically wise speech, told his supporters he is planning to “reassess” whether he has a path forward. Few people usually make that statement and then decide to continue. ||||| DES MOINES — All year long the story of the Republican race for president was Mitt Romney and a rotating cast playing the role of Someone Else. On Tuesday night, Someone Else was played by two candidates: Rick Santorum , the longtime champion of social conservative issues that were supposedly taking a backseat in this jobs-centric presidential race, and Ron Paul , the noninterventionist Texan who represents an almost 180-degree turn from the Republican Party ’s direction. The down-to-the-wire result between Mr. Romney and Mr. Santorum, with Mr. Paul close behind, ensured that the primary contests would be fought aggressively for additional weeks or months. Iowa is an unpredictable starting gate of presidential politics, and Mr. Romney retains many strengths, including a formidable position in New Hampshire, where he has comfortably led in polls all year. But more than anything else, the Iowa caucuses cast in electoral stone what has played out in the squishy world of polls and punditry for the last 12 months: The deep ideological divisions among Republicans continue to complicate their ability to focus wholly on defeating President Obama, and to impede Mr. Romney’s efforts to overcome the internal strains and win the consent if not the heart of the party. Mr. Romney may have the most money, the best organization and, often, the best poll numbers in hypothetical matchups against Mr. Obama. But he has not yet been able to tap into the antigovernment, populist zeal in the party or convince more traditional conservatives that he is an acceptable standard-bearer in an election that much of the right hopes can not only unseat Mr. Obama but permanently shift the nation’s values and direction. Mr. Santorum’s strong performance could force Mr. Romney to engage on potentially divisive social issues to a degree he has largely been able to avoid this year. Mr. Paul’s third-place finish ensures that his anti-foreign intervention, pro-drug legalization, libertarian platform will continue to share the stage at a time when Mr. Romney would like to be moving toward general election voters. Still, for now, the intensity of the desire to unseat Mr. Obama may be Mr. Romney’s most important ally, overcoming whatever qualms various strains of conservatives have about him. Surveys of Iowans entering caucus sites on Tuesday night showed that slightly more people thought it most important to choose a candidate that can beat Mr. Obama than one who is a “true conservative.” “The key is not whether Romney can unite the party, but whether Obama can unite the party,” said Richard Land, the head of the ethics commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. ”And the answer to that is a resounding yes.” Mr. Romney’s showing here was strong enough to leave intact his plan to tough out a long delegate-accumulation campaign if that is what it takes to become the nominee. And Iowa results have a habit of being quickly erased by those in New Hampshire, where polls show Mr. Romney with consistent and substantial leads. But even a resounding victory there will leave him facing the need to knit together a party searching for an identity in ways not seen since the aftermath of Watergate. Mr. Romney is seeking to take control of a party still in search of a post-Bush identity and divided into factions. Republicans were energized by the rise of the Tea Party movement in 2010. But the movement’s influence on Congressional Republicans — its willingness to press its principles right up to the brink of a government shutdown, make life difficult for its own party’s leaders and take provocative positions on issues like Medicare — have also sparked a countermovement from the left focused on income inequality, and provided Mr. Obama another chance to occupy the center. The question is whether Mr. Romney can use the next three contests to get over all of that, persuade his party to coalesce behind him, and get on with the business of defeating Mr. Obama. Even some of Mr. Romney’s most enthusiastic backers do not pretend to believe he will necessarily emerge as a transformational figure who will define Republicanism the way Ronald Reagan — and to a lesser extent, George W. Bush — did. Declaring the Reagan-Bush era over as of 2008, former Senator Jim Talent of Missouri, a Romney booster, said, “We’re moving to something new and I don’t know if Governor Romney, if he’s the nominee, will be that new person or if he’ll be a transitional person.” But Mr. Talent argued that Mr. Romney was the most capable, electable and acceptable candidate for Republicans at large, and argued the party should focus on getting him into office and then return to the internal deliberations about its direction. “The whole Tea Party movement has tremendous influence and has a passionate group of activists who don’t like what is going on but beyond that, don’t necessarily agree on what they do want done,” Mr. Talent said. “For others who aren’t sure the direction they want to go in, he’s at least the person to put your trust in as a capable person who can win and who they do trust will address the tremendous problems we’re facing now.”

– Mitt Romney snatched an 8-vote victory in Iowa, but a lot of analysts say "man of the hour" Rick Santorum looks like the real winner. He can now portray himself as the clear alternative to Romney, and to win the nomination he "won’t have to outrun the bear, as the old joke goes, he’ll just have to outrun Mitt," a GOP strategist tells Politico. Other takeaways from last night: But Santorum shouldn't gloat just yet, writes James Hohmann for Politico, because this pesky thing called reality is also in the room. "He doesn’t have the money or infrastructure to keep up with Romney in New Hampshire, and he hasn’t been in South Carolina since Nov. 12." Sure, he'll grab a ton of headlines this week, but he needs to "dramatically expand his campaign apparatus virtually overnight." The virtual tie between Romney and Santorum, with a strong third-place finish for Ron Paul, signals a long and messy fight ahead, meaning President Obama is also a winner, notes Andrew Sullivan at the Daily Beast. The headline of Philip Rucker's piece in the Washington Post sums up his sentiment: "Romney leaves Iowa with same problems he had in 2008." He has a tough time reeling in more Republicans, truly connecting with voters, and calming "suspicions about his avowed conservatism." But Romney could get a tiny bit of a break in the conservatism-analysis department, notes the New York Times. Last night's entrance polls revealed that voters favored "a candidate who can beat Obama" slightly over "a true conservative." And Iowa itself surprised, writes Maggie Haberman for Politico. Though 57% of caucusgoers are evangelical, more than half the vote went to Mormon or Catholic candidates. As for the Ames Straw Poll, writes Haberman, Ames-winner Michele Bachmann's dismal showing doesn't "bode well for the future of the straw poll as a mandatory stop for candidates competing in Iowa."

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Back to previous page Romney leaves Iowa with same problems he had in 2008 By Philip Rucker, DES MOINES — There was a dark side to Mitt Romney’s close finish in the Iowa caucuses. After first approaching Iowa with reservation and then scrambling hard in the final weeks to win, he leaves here with about the same share of votes he snagged four years ago in the Republican presidential caucuses. “It’s been a great victory for us here,” Romney told supporters , adding: “We’ve got some work ahead.” But his Iowa showing — finishing just eight votes ahead of former senator Rick Santorum (Pa.) — highlighted the big problems that still dog Romney: suspicions about his avowed conservatism, struggles to connect with voters and an inability to rally more Republicans around his candidacy. “The result has some real fissure lines in terms of Romney being able to unite the party with the argument of electability,” said Robert Haus, a veteran Iowa operative who was co-chairman of Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s campaign here. “If you can’t convince members of your own party and expand that space four years later after millions of dollars of investments, how can you expand it this fall?” This quandary has guided Romney’s decision-making all year. What Romney lacks in passion, he has tried to make up for with organizational precision and careful strategy. An examination of Romney’s efforts in Iowa illustrate how plentiful resources and smart tactics may not be enough for Romney to grow his support among important swaths of the party. Romney’s team claimed momentum heading into New Hampshire, a must-win state. But what happened Tuesday night in Iowa, a presidential proving ground that has never been hospitable to the former Massachusetts governor, may say as much about the evolution of Romney’s campaign as anything thus far. That he found himself in a position to win in the end came down to equal parts luck, imperative and design, according to recent interviews with a dozen Romney advisers and senior campaign officials. Even before he launched his campaign, Romney and his advisers calculated that he couldn’t win Iowa outright. In 2008, Romney left Iowa spooked and scorned after squandering $10 million and finishing a debilitating second. Romney never quite understood Iowa. And Iowa, it turned out, never quite understood Romney. So this go-round, Romney’s team tried to engineer expectations to redefine what it meant to win. Although Romney has been the national front-runner, his team worked aggressively to try to make second or a strong third seem as good as first. Instead of an aircraft carrier, Romney built a torpedo boat. He went from 50 staffers to five, from 11 months of television advertising to one. Through the fall, Romney barely existed here. He had skipped the August straw poll and made just two visits to the state all year. Ready to ‘pivot’ Then, sometime this fall, an invitation arrived. Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, a natural ally who had not endorsed, was throwing himself a 65th-birthday bash at Adventureland. Romney wanted to go. But an influential group of Christian conservatives had a candidates forum the same day. Romney skipped all such forums, and his advisers decided he couldn’t show up at one event and publicly snub the other. So he declined Branstad’s invitation, and his Iowa campaign stayed under the radar that much longer. At the same time, however, Romney’s stealth Iowa effort quietly was gaining steam. An October Des Moines Register poll showed Romney tied for the lead and the social conservative base still scattered. Suddenly, there was an opportunity. And Romney, a competitive creature always, moved in to seize it. When Romney returned to Iowa in early November, his campaign staged two slick events in his eastern strongholds. It sent a professional video crew to shoot an Iowa ad campaign. “We always made it so you could pivot one way or another,” said Rich Beeson, Romney’s national political director. “We weren’t building bricks-and-mortar here.” A few weeks later, his effort came into full view. His campaign set up shop in a shuttered Blockbuster in Des Moines. Staffers relocated from Boston. They recruited as shock troops hundreds of small-business leaders to spread Romney’s free-enterprise message. And they mailed fliers and dialed likely caucus-goers. On Dec. 1, a campaign that said it had spent less than $250,000 to date launched a television advertising blitz costing more than $1 million. As Newt Gingrich surged in the polls, Romney’s advisers viewed him as the most durable threat. Vanquishing him in Iowa became imperative — the fastest and cheapest way to stop him. To that end, an independent super PAC run by former Romney aides unleashed nearly $3 million in negative advertising on the former House speaker. Romney bore no legal responsibility for the onslaught, enabling him to deliver a mostly upbeat message here about his gauzy vision of America. Two days after Christmas, something unusual happened. Romney touched down in Iowa for his last campaign sprint and supporters, hundreds of them, came to see him. After six days and 16 crowded events, on the eve of the caucuses, Romney exclaimed: “We’re going to win this thing.” How to define a win All along, Mitt Romney knew he had to win in Iowa. But first he had to define, in his terms, what it meant to win. In the 2008 race, high expectations in Iowa became Romney’s Achilles’ heel. Romney ran a textbook campaign but was eclipsed by Mike Huckabee, a charismatic former Baptist preacher who consolidated the social conservatives who distrusted Romney. In the years since, Romney maintained his network. He funneled $118,000 to state candidates and kept in touch with loyal supporters such as Joni Scotter of Cedar Rapids. She said Romney called her often, once just to say, “It’s so good to hear your voice.” Early last year, months before Romney launched his 2012 bid, he dispatched two top aides — Matt Rhoades, who would become his campaign manager, and Beth Myers, a senior adviser — to Des Moines for two days of meetings with David Kochel, Romney’s Iowa strategist. The first agenda item was how to manage expectations such that, as Kochel said, “we define a win in Iowa appropriately.” One of the trademarks of Romney 2.0 is flexibility. New Hampshire would be Romney’s lodestar, but Rhoades and his lieutenants decided to compete in Iowa as well, proceeding cautiously and allowing outside circumstances and the changing political climate to dictate when and how he would compete here. “We needed to leave Iowa with the wind at our back and not at our face,” Kochel said. For Romney, the challenge was to project momentum without actually growing his base of support. He started by dramatically scaling down his Iowa effort. Aides aggressively shaped a media narrative that Romney couldn’t win the Iowa caucuses — and wasn’t trying. In the spring, Kochel and Sara Craig, the Iowa state director, started calling and e-mailing many of the 29,949 Iowans who caucused for Romney four years ago. They hired only one field staffer, Phil Valenziano, who toiled away like the solitary Tom Hanks in “Cast Away” out of an attic that didn’t have air conditioning until mid-summer. But Romney’s agitated supporters wondered where the candidate was. Over and over again, Romney’s team soothed them: “Hang in there. We’re coming.” The turning point for Romney was in mid-October. Perry, once seen as the likeliest to consolidate conservatives, was tanking, Herman Cain was surging and Gingrich showed potential. With no conservative emerging to spread-eagle the field, the opening was clear. Romney’s reliable quarter share of the vote looked better and better. Every two weeks, his brain trust in Boston made fresh assessments. And after each assessment, the candidate hungered to compete. “You tell him you’re going to be in a race, and he wants to win it,” said Russ Schriefer, Romney’s senior media adviser. “His mind-set was: ‘Look, if you guys think it’s worth me going to Iowa, great. Send me there. . . . But can we win? And what does winning mean?’ ” Staff writers Jason Horowitz in Des Moines and T.W. Farnam in Washington contributed to this report. ||||| 12.30 pm. Two last things: McCain will endorse Romney tomorrow. And Frum takes on Kristol: Bill Kristol saying this is a real race in NH between Romney and Santorum. No it's not. Birth control pretty popular outside Iowa. 12.22 pm. Santorum starts by quoting C.S. Lewis, movingly, about his wife. Then it's on to God and Iowa. As Romney overtakes him in the count. I want to sleep now. 12.19 am. A word from Radley Balko: Was already clear, but GOP establishment reaction to Paul tonight confirms that party's most important issue is promotion of perpetual war. Perpetual pre-emptive war - and the national security state to buttress it. 12.17 am. A reader writes about Bachmann's concession speech: The definition of tone-deaf: The entire country thinks your husband is gay, and the cute little anecdote you choose to pull out about him is that, while you were all campaigning, he was buying accessories for your dog. 12.15 am. Geraghty, pooping the party: Btw, man of the hour Rick Santorum did not file petitions in Virginia. Not "didn't file enough signatures"; didn't turn them in at all. 12.03 am. From my perusal of the counties yet to report, most of them have Romney slightly ahead. So it could still tighten or change - with about 100 votes or so currently between them. When it's that close, I don't think you can make a huge deal out of the actual winner. But Romney could well still win this. I suspect that this event has rather indeed winnowed the field, with Perry and Bachmann heading for the exit, Ron Paul headed for more delegates and a possible third party run, Romney doing a little worse than he did last time around. But fair's fair: Santorum is the big surprise and the big winner. He has coalesced the evangelical vote behind him, and given the religious nature of the current GOP, that matters. But how remarkable that the Tea Party infused GOP has picked two of the most fiscally liberal candidates as their final two. Now Newt and Santorum will savage Romney; and the press will expose Santorum. Paul will have his delegates and will have to be handled right if he is not to indirectly re-elect Obama in a landslide. 11.59 pm. Perry says he will go back to Texas and reassess his candidacy. That's big news. But he looks relieved in a way. If you out-spend your opponents by this vast amount and come in fifth, you really need to drop out. And it looks as if he will. 11.53 pm. A shout out to Al Giordano's aside in a December 22 post: “Before concluding, I’ll say a few words about former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum. He could still surprise in Iowa. With the graceless falls of Bachman and Perry, it’s now between Santorum and Gingrich as to who can possibly coalesce the Evangelical right behind one candidate in Iowa. But that would require a sudden Santorum surge in the New Year’s Des Moines Register poll.” 11.51 pm. Bret Baier: "The brown there is Rick Santorum." You realize the puns are going to, er, surge now, after this frothy late-night three-way. 11.37 pm. Santorum looks like he could win this. Amazing. He wins 53 percent in the "evangelical epicenters". The question now is: can he win in the South? 11.32 pm. Scott Galupo gets it right: If anyone attracted new and younger voters to the caucuses, it was Ron Paul — who I can say with certainty will not be the nominee. Romney, for his part, does well among wealthy, older voters. Tonight’s results are mildly troubling for Romney—but more than mildly troubling for the GOP long-term. The party appeals mostly to a segment of the country that’s literally dying. A party that repels and even demonizes the one candidate able to bring new voters to its ranks is not a healthy party. 11.24 pm. Gingrich is summarizing the core Republican message: a war on Iran, and the "survival" of the US and Israel. Then he calls Romney "a moderate from Massachusetts" who would preside over "the management of decay." He's talking about a months-long campaign in the primaries. And he's going to go negative in New Hampshire. As will Santorum with whatever money he now gets. 11.23 pm. Gingrich says Santorum ran a totally positive campaign. Yesterday, Santorum called Ron Paul "disgusting". 11.22 pm. John Hinderaker does his best to encourage Ron Paul to pursue a third party run. 11.21 pm. There are now 13 votes between Santorum and Romney. 11.13 pm. There's some buzz about Palin's return to her original (pre-McCain) position on foreign policy and her kind words for Ron Paul. There is a right-wing populism out there that Romney cannot harvest and Santorum - who is deeply suspicious of individual freedom - cannot appeal to beyond the Christianists and theocons. 11.10 pm. Paul's Iowa speech focuses on two themes: "freedom is popular" and that his supporters are people who actually "believe in something!" If his supporters are deflated, he doesn't seem it at all. He's a player. But in a Santorum-Romney race, his supporters will flee the GOP. As they should. 11.02 pm. The mood chez Paul is deflated; and Fox just declared that he will come third. That's a rough result for him after his surge. Geraghty assesses Santorum's chances now: A big question about Santorum has been whether he can assemble a campaign infrastructure in all the states to come, but somehow I suspect that the considerable number of anybody-but-Romney Republicans will eagerly step forward and help assemble that infrastructure. If the race comes down to Romney & Santorum, the former Pennsylvania senator will have access to funds from the grassroots. Perhaps not enough to go toe-to-toe with Romney, but enough to make it competitive. 10.56 pm. Romney wins Polk County. Santorum is killing it in the West of the state, especially Woodbury county, where Sioux City is. He may become the evangelicals' not-Romney. He sure didn't win the Catholic vote in Dubuque. 10.49 pm. A shift: Romney is pulling ahead at 25 percent. If he wins this, even technically, he has a great storyline for New Hampshire and then the firewall of South Carolina. But it's still very tight, and some Paul strongholds have yet to report. Silver: It's still early, but it appears the eventual winner in Iowa tonight may end up with a somewhat dubious distinction: the smallest share of the electorate by any winner. That title to date is held by Bob Dole, who won the Republican caucus in Iowa in 1996 with 26 percent of the vote (that was, as Nate said, the closest Iowa caucus in history). Right now, no candidate has more than 24 percent. Advantage: Romney, right? But Romney is under-performing compared with how he did in 2008. It's a mess, isn't it? 10.46 pm. Tobin has some smart analysis: The greatest danger to Romney’s hopes of winning the nomination was for one of his conservative rivals to break out from the pack. So long as the various not-Romneys are fighting each other, the actual Romney wins. So no matter who comes out ahead in this three-way tangle, the fact that there is no single rival for him in the top tier constitutes a strategic victory for him. Even so, his own inability to do better than the same 20-25 percent he’s had all along doesn’t make him look good. That’s why a first place finish would be sweet for him no matter how narrow the margin of victory. And a third-place finish will feel like a defeat. So my bet is on second. 10.39 pm. Two possible straws in the wind: the western counties which favor Santorum have yet to report; the same can be said for the big delegate count in Des Moines, where Paul is edging his opponents and where the results are only 37 percent in. 10.33 pm. Romney's Super-PAC worked. Of those who said their vote was influenced by political ads, Romney came in first. 10.30 pm. "More people are tweeting this caucus than are voting in it. Literally." Good one, JPod. And the movement right is not thrilled. Erickson tweets: 10.28 pm. Fox projects that Newt will beat Perry. Perry is one of the most embarrassingly awful candidates for a national party since Sarah Palin. He should quit but won't. 10.20 pm. So we may not find out for quite a while, given how close this is, and how some of Paul's and Santorum's strongest counties have yet to report fully. It's got to be excruciating for the GOP. Romney may get about the same support in Iowa this time as last, and slightly below his national average. Paul gets to be taken seriously at last and is showing, I think, his potential as a third-party candidate. Santorum, meanwhile, has captured the Christianist vote over Perry. Can he replicate that in South Carolina? Who knows? What will now happen to Santorum's fundraising? All of which is to say: this could go on for a long time, and damage everyone involved. Once the vetting of Santorum gets going, we'll have another major turn-off for anyone under 30. Romney is still failing to catch fire, having more of his supporters with reservations than anyone else. And in a year when the GOP was supposed to be rearing to defeat Obama , they cannot turn out more people than last time around, in the dark days of Bush-Cheney. Obama cannot be too worried tonight, can he? 10.17 pm. Tweet of the minute: 10.12 pm. Santorum is strong in the eastern counties, as expected. Better than expected, actually. But the general result looks like a clean divide between those favoring libertarianism, Christianism, and Romneyism. So take your pick. 10.09 pm. There's a slight shift toward Romney and Santorum, edging ahead with 24 percent to Paul's 22 percent. But it's still way too close to call. 10.06 pm. Palin actually says the GOP must not now marginalize Ron Paul. She declines to back Santorum. 10.05 pm. A woman with a very bad wig is now on Fox. What's her name again? 10.03 pm. Turnout is poor, and the winner is still highly uncertain. In general, that seems like bad news for the GOP. The enthusiasm just isn't there, is it, except for Paul among the young. And the field is deeply split. 9.57 pm. Does it matter who wins, when it's this close? Of course, there's a bump from any actual victory. But if I were Romney, I wouldn't want to come in third, especially if he gets fewer votes this time than in 2008. Nonetheless, it seems to me that Santorum's late surge has hurt Paul and denied him what would have been a stunner. Bachmann is surely toast; Perry has long since become a joke; and Gingrich has shown how vulnerable he is to Super-Pac sliming. 9.54 pm. Gingrich's New Hampshire pitch: "FUNDAMENTALLY MORE TALENTED VERSION OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN." 9.50 pm. Intrade goes for Paul: 9.44 pm. Yglesias Award Nomination for Rich Lowry: I think the “there is no bad result for Romney in Iowa” theme in the media is overdone. If he badly under-performs, say slips to 19%, he’s going to experience an immediate downdraft. So the results we’re about to start seeing do really matter for that and many other reasons. But so far, Romney is holding up. 9.40 pm. Roger Ebert: Leaving politics out of it, what sets Ron Paul aside from every other GOP candidate? He's the only one who's cool. 9.38 pm. Krauthammer is spinning for Romney and Santorum, and notes Paul's collapse among the final deciders. But he's right about Perry: a disaster, given the enormous amount of money Perry spent in the state. 9.37 pm. A reader writes: &OMG. Fox News is actually showing a list of hot Google searches, talking about how many people are Googling "Santorum." And they are wholly clueless about what that search reveals. Fair and balanced -- but not fact-checked in advance! 9.36 pm. With almost a third of the vote in, there's no daylight really between the top three. 9.33 pm. A fascinating entrance poll nugget: Paul wins the intensity vote, with 28 percent of his voters strongly favoring him, compared with Romney's 20 percent. More to the point, 28 percent of Romney supporters said they had reservations about him. Only 18 percent of Paul's voters had reservations. 9.25 pm. Paul seems to be winning both Polk and Dallas counties: must-wins for Romney or Santorum, according to the WaPo. But Santorum and Romney are by no means out of it yet. It really is a three-way race. But a remarkable feat for the candidate Roger Ailes has decreed cannot win. 9.18 pm. Some interesting factoids from the entrance polls: Paul beats Santorum among those without a college education; Paul easily wins the under-30s and the lower income brackets. Alana Goodman: Thirty-two percent of voters say that being able to beat President Obama is the “most important” quality in a candidate. Out of that group, 48 percent are backing Romney, 10 percent Santorum, and 7 percent Paul. 9.16 pm. Withdrawn tweet from Paul to Huntsman: "we found your one Iowa voter, you might want to call him and say thanks" 9.09 pm. The independents have flooded in, doubling their impact over 2008, thanks to Ron Paul. Silver: Almost 30 percent of voters identify as either independent or Democratic, much higher than in 2008 and toward the high range of the estimates that pollsters made in their likely voter models. The entrance polls report that about half of those voters are breaking for Ron Paul. Likewise, the percentage of moderates according to the the exit polls is about 20 percent - twice as high as in 2008 - and those voters so far are breaking for Mr. Paul as well. Santorum is beating Romney among conservatives. This is interesting because New Hampshire really favors candidates with an outreach to independents. And Paul has reversed the youthful exodus from the GOP. Why would any Republicans want that? 9.07 pm. With 14 percent in state-wide, it's basically a three way tie, with Paul just in front. It's exactly the same as CNN's entrance poll results. 9.06 pm. Huntsman gets 1 percent and disses Iowans: "Welcome to New Hampshire. Nobody cares." 9.01 pm. The newsletters do not seem to have hurt, as even Weigel concedes: So much for the newsletter story. Paul cleans up with "liberal or moderate" voters, winning 40 percent of them, and wins 48 percent of independents. Who wants a Republican candidate who can appeal to the young, moderates and liberals? I mean, as Marc Thiessen would say, seriously. 8.57 pm. A reader writes: You're going to be flooded with emails from Canadian readers after the "Santorum/sweater vest" post. In the 2008 election here in Canada, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, generally not known as the cuddly type, (in)famously made over his image by appearing in ads wearing a blue sweater vest. The sweater-vest-as-political-prop has become kind of a meme here in Canada, and for those of us who dislike the Harper conservatives, it's now a symbol of disingenuousness and smarmy politicking. Nevertheless, the makeover seems to have worked; Mr. Harper won that election, and this year, as you know, he finally got his long-sought-after majority government. The website of the political consulting company that devised the sweater-vest strategy is here. 8.51 pm. Here's a terrific map which helps you judge the actual caucus precinct based on its demographics. It too is showing a strong Paul presence. With 6 percent of the votes in, it's a three way race between Santorum, Paul and Romney. Money quote from earlier today: There are only four Monied Burb counties in Iowa (around Des Moines in the state’s center and in the west near Omaha, NE), but in 2008 they produced 26 percent of all the caucus votes. In 2012, they could be good territory for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. The Burbs, which are wealthier than average, tend to be less focused on cultural issues like gay marriage and more on the economy. They should be Romney’s strong suit. If Texas Congressman Ron Paul wins in the Burbs, it means populist anger in these counties is running high. The results are still very slim, but Paul is well ahead of Romney in those burbs. It could well change over the night, of course. 8.50 pm. Which candidate had a speaker at every caucus? Ron Paul. 8.47 pm. Tweets from the field show a pretty lame showing for Perry and Bachmann, as do the entrance polls. Ron Paul wins the total entrance poll from CNN, just ahead of Romney. 8.45 pm. Direct results available here. Some are already dribbling in. 8.44 pm. CNN has the born-again vote going to Paul. Paul is second among the non-evangelicals as well. Hmmm. 8.38 pm. David Frum deserves a reply to this post: Here’s my question for Ron Paul supporters: why the denial of the undeniable? Perhaps you like Paul’s message of legalized marijuana? Why not just say so? You don’t think it’s important to stop Iran from gaining nuclear weapons? Argue it forthrightly. If you regard Social Security and Medicare as literally the moral equivalents of slavery, go ahead, make your case. But all this excuse-making, special pleading and jiggering of the rules of evidence so as to exculpate Ron Paul from the record of his whole political life? For what? Well, for my part, I have often made the case for legalizing marijuana, for containing, not bombing, Iran, and for serious cuts in Medicare and social security. And I do not believe Paul should be absolved from responsibility for the newsletters. He said himself it was a flaw on the Sunday talk shows, which seems like taking responsibility to me. My question back to David is: which other Republican candidate favors an end to the drug war, reforming entitlements, cutting defense and not launching a new war on Iran? None so far as I can tell. And the whole record of Paul's public life is not defined by the extremes David cites. 8.36 pm. Never under-estimate the Paulites. 8.35 pm Tweet of the minute: 8.30 pm. CNN's early "entrance polls" show a tie between Romney and Paul, with Santorum close behind. Meanwhile, Ron Paul is busy on this night emphasizing his anti-war foreign policy in Alkeny. ||||| The 2012 Iowa caucuses were, in the end, a nailbiter. After months of predictions of a boring race and polls showing Mitt Romney leading, the final race was confusing — and uncalled — down to the wire. The muddled result has a series of effects going forward. Text Size - + reset Winners & Losers in 60 seconds Santorum victory speech Perry to head home, 'assess results' By early morning, Romney had won by eight votes, and a win is a win, especially against the conservative alternative his team would most prefer to face, and when the campaign spent little to achieve it. Below are POLITICO’s seven takeaways from the Iowa caucuses. 1) Rick Santorum was the story of the night As the clock struck midnight, just a few votes separated Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney in the Iowa caucuses. But Santorum was unquestionably the story of the contest. The former Pennsylvania senator, derided or ignored by much of the media and close to broke for much of the year, managed to fight to a virtual tie with the national front-runner and fundraising leader in one of the closest GOP caucus finishes in years. Romney’s camp for months had minimized expectations in the state that sank his presidential hopes in 2008. He barely campaigned in Iowa for much of the year, skipped the Ames Straw Poll and kept his paid staff low. Toward the end, his team saw the potential for a win and played harder. Romney stumped hard in the state in the final days. His team sought to minimize the expectations of a flat-out win, which works in his favor, despite his own slip-up on the eve of the caucuses when he declared that he could “win this thing” (his camp insisted he meant the nomination). But at the end of the day, Romney wasn’t able to expand on his 2008 percentage, receiving almost exactly the same level of support. Caucus-goers in the conservative-leaning Iowa GOP electorate simply have never warmed much to him. And the questions about whether he can expand his base of support — roughly 75 percent of GOP voters did not vote for him — live on for another day. Santorum will now head to the next phase of the campaign with momentum, and into New Hampshire — a state that often likes to go in the opposite direction of Iowa. He was never expected to win, and now he’s the man of the hour. His lengthy Senate record is about to get a vetting the likes of which he’s never experienced, and Romney’s supporters will continue to beat the drum of “electability.” Romney is still the odds-on favorite for the nomination, especially since resources still matter in states like Florida. But now the former Massachusetts governor faces a winnowed field and a clear conservative alternative — one who is an able debater, can connect with voters and relishes a fight. 2) Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich are going to help Santorum Their methods won’t be the same. But at the end of the day, Perry and Gingrich are going to shore up Santorum as the conservative candidate. Perry, in a gracious and politically wise speech, told his supporters he is planning to “reassess” whether he has a path forward. Few people usually make that statement and then decide to continue. ||||| DES MOINES — All year long the story of the Republican race for president was Mitt Romney and a rotating cast playing the role of Someone Else. On Tuesday night, Someone Else was played by two candidates: Rick Santorum , the longtime champion of social conservative issues that were supposedly taking a backseat in this jobs-centric presidential race, and Ron Paul , the noninterventionist Texan who represents an almost 180-degree turn from the Republican Party ’s direction. The down-to-the-wire result between Mr. Romney and Mr. Santorum, with Mr. Paul close behind, ensured that the primary contests would be fought aggressively for additional weeks or months. Iowa is an unpredictable starting gate of presidential politics, and Mr. Romney retains many strengths, including a formidable position in New Hampshire, where he has comfortably led in polls all year. But more than anything else, the Iowa caucuses cast in electoral stone what has played out in the squishy world of polls and punditry for the last 12 months: The deep ideological divisions among Republicans continue to complicate their ability to focus wholly on defeating President Obama, and to impede Mr. Romney’s efforts to overcome the internal strains and win the consent if not the heart of the party. Mr. Romney may have the most money, the best organization and, often, the best poll numbers in hypothetical matchups against Mr. Obama. But he has not yet been able to tap into the antigovernment, populist zeal in the party or convince more traditional conservatives that he is an acceptable standard-bearer in an election that much of the right hopes can not only unseat Mr. Obama but permanently shift the nation’s values and direction. Mr. Santorum’s strong performance could force Mr. Romney to engage on potentially divisive social issues to a degree he has largely been able to avoid this year. Mr. Paul’s third-place finish ensures that his anti-foreign intervention, pro-drug legalization, libertarian platform will continue to share the stage at a time when Mr. Romney would like to be moving toward general election voters. Still, for now, the intensity of the desire to unseat Mr. Obama may be Mr. Romney’s most important ally, overcoming whatever qualms various strains of conservatives have about him. Surveys of Iowans entering caucus sites on Tuesday night showed that slightly more people thought it most important to choose a candidate that can beat Mr. Obama than one who is a “true conservative.” “The key is not whether Romney can unite the party, but whether Obama can unite the party,” said Richard Land, the head of the ethics commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. ”And the answer to that is a resounding yes.” Mr. Romney’s showing here was strong enough to leave intact his plan to tough out a long delegate-accumulation campaign if that is what it takes to become the nominee. And Iowa results have a habit of being quickly erased by those in New Hampshire, where polls show Mr. Romney with consistent and substantial leads. But even a resounding victory there will leave him facing the need to knit together a party searching for an identity in ways not seen since the aftermath of Watergate. Mr. Romney is seeking to take control of a party still in search of a post-Bush identity and divided into factions. Republicans were energized by the rise of the Tea Party movement in 2010. But the movement’s influence on Congressional Republicans — its willingness to press its principles right up to the brink of a government shutdown, make life difficult for its own party’s leaders and take provocative positions on issues like Medicare — have also sparked a countermovement from the left focused on income inequality, and provided Mr. Obama another chance to occupy the center. The question is whether Mr. Romney can use the next three contests to get over all of that, persuade his party to coalesce behind him, and get on with the business of defeating Mr. Obama. Even some of Mr. Romney’s most enthusiastic backers do not pretend to believe he will necessarily emerge as a transformational figure who will define Republicanism the way Ronald Reagan — and to a lesser extent, George W. Bush — did. Declaring the Reagan-Bush era over as of 2008, former Senator Jim Talent of Missouri, a Romney booster, said, “We’re moving to something new and I don’t know if Governor Romney, if he’s the nominee, will be that new person or if he’ll be a transitional person.” But Mr. Talent argued that Mr. Romney was the most capable, electable and acceptable candidate for Republicans at large, and argued the party should focus on getting him into office and then return to the internal deliberations about its direction. “The whole Tea Party movement has tremendous influence and has a passionate group of activists who don’t like what is going on but beyond that, don’t necessarily agree on what they do want done,” Mr. Talent said. “For others who aren’t sure the direction they want to go in, he’s at least the person to put your trust in as a capable person who can win and who they do trust will address the tremendous problems we’re facing now.”

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

The band Van Halen has a long history of guitar solos, radio hits, and teases of reunions that end up going nowhere. But this weekend the band announced more-concrete-than-usual plans for a second reunion tour with their original singer, David Lee Roth (though they gave no release date or details about the alleged new album the group has been working on for Interscope). Tickets go on sale January 10, according to their website, and you know they're good for it: After all, they finished their whole 2007 reunion tour, even making up the dates they had to postpone when Eddie Van Halen ducked into rehab for a refresher course. So get ready to see Dave high kick and wave microphone stands phallically like only a 57-year-old can!* * This post was corrected to fix multiple errors. ||||| This post has been updated. See below for details. There are some universal truths that most rock fans can’t deny, be they punkers, funkers, rockers or metalheads: That at their prime in the 1970s and '80s, Van Halen was one of the greatest flat-out rock bands on the planet, and that the combination of David Lee Roth, Eddie Van Halen, Michael Anthony and Alex Van Halen was a force of nature. The band, which rose in Los Angeles in the mid-'70s, announced on Monday an extensive 2012 tour -- minus bassist Anthony, unfortunately. At their peak, the best rock band to ever come out of Pasadena had all the bases covered: As a rhythm section, Alex Van Halen and Anthony worked as a solid but fluid unit in support of Eddie with the magic riffs and fingers, who showboated his technique but understood the importance of a solid melody. (That’s him, remember, soloing on Michael Jackson’s “Beat It.") And "Diamond" David Lee Roth: There was no better lead singer in all of rock in the '80s than Roth at his peak, a funny, charismatic charmer whose onstage scissor kicks created a template for dozens of lesser hair metal singers who arrived in his wake. Van Halen's evolution has tested the limits of its fan base. There was that whole Gary Cherone nightmare of 1998; and, at the risk of taking sides in a long-running argument, the Sammy Hagar years are best left unmentioned. In 2007 three of the original members -- without Anthony, who was replaced on bass by Eddie’s son Wolfgang Van Halen -- undertook part of a tour before canceling it midway through so Eddie, who was drinking heavily, could enter rehab. The aborted tour had been well received, and in 2010 rumors started flying about Van Halen being in the studio, and upcoming tour plans. The band signed to Interscope Records in November 2011. No word yet on a release date for the record or specific stops on the tour. But videos on the band’s website say that tickets will go on sale on Jan. 10, and show a revived band doing their best approximation of its '80s peak -- absent, unfortunately, Anthony, swinging across the stage slugging Jack Daniels. And it’s a pretty good bet that Diamond Dave won’t be singing "Right Now," “Why Can’t This Be Love?” or anything else from the Van Hagar years. ALSO: Tyler, the Creator arrested after Roxy show melee For politically aware songs, the '00s were all for naught Etta James hospitalized after experiencing difficulty breathing Updated: The original version of this misidentified the year in which Gary Cherone performed with Van Halen. It was 1998, not 2006. -- Randall Roberts Photo: Van Halen's Eddie Van Halen, left, and David Lee Roth perform in 2008 in Las Vegas. Credit: Ronda Churchill / Associated Press

– Van Halen is back: The iconic rock band announced a tour yesterday featuring original members Eddie and Alex Van Halen and David Lee Roth. (Eddie’s son, Wolfgang Van Halen, replaced original bassist Michael Anthony in 2007.) The band has had its problems—the Los Angeles Times cites “that whole Gary Cherone nightmare of 1998,” as well as the “best left unmentioned” Sammy Hagar era. A 2007 tour featuring the same mostly-original line-up was well-received, but ended early so Eddie could go to rehab. A 2006 tour, that one featuring Hagar instead of Roth, was also canceled due to Eddie’s drinking problem, New York notes. This time around, thanks to his stint in rehab, the tour is much more likely to see its way to completion—but “Diamond Dave” did claim to be leaving the band, again, just last month, so refundable tickets are advised. Also last month, Van Halen signed to Interscope Records. No details yet on the band’s upcoming record or tour stops, but tickets will go on sale Jan. 10.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.The band Van Halen has a long history of guitar solos, radio hits, and teases of reunions that end up going nowhere. But this weekend the band announced more-concrete-than-usual plans for a second reunion tour with their original singer, David Lee Roth (though they gave no release date or details about the alleged new album the group has been working on for Interscope). Tickets go on sale January 10, according to their website, and you know they're good for it: After all, they finished their whole 2007 reunion tour, even making up the dates they had to postpone when Eddie Van Halen ducked into rehab for a refresher course. So get ready to see Dave high kick and wave microphone stands phallically like only a 57-year-old can!* * This post was corrected to fix multiple errors. ||||| This post has been updated. See below for details. There are some universal truths that most rock fans can’t deny, be they punkers, funkers, rockers or metalheads: That at their prime in the 1970s and '80s, Van Halen was one of the greatest flat-out rock bands on the planet, and that the combination of David Lee Roth, Eddie Van Halen, Michael Anthony and Alex Van Halen was a force of nature. The band, which rose in Los Angeles in the mid-'70s, announced on Monday an extensive 2012 tour -- minus bassist Anthony, unfortunately. At their peak, the best rock band to ever come out of Pasadena had all the bases covered: As a rhythm section, Alex Van Halen and Anthony worked as a solid but fluid unit in support of Eddie with the magic riffs and fingers, who showboated his technique but understood the importance of a solid melody. (That’s him, remember, soloing on Michael Jackson’s “Beat It.") And "Diamond" David Lee Roth: There was no better lead singer in all of rock in the '80s than Roth at his peak, a funny, charismatic charmer whose onstage scissor kicks created a template for dozens of lesser hair metal singers who arrived in his wake. Van Halen's evolution has tested the limits of its fan base. There was that whole Gary Cherone nightmare of 1998; and, at the risk of taking sides in a long-running argument, the Sammy Hagar years are best left unmentioned. In 2007 three of the original members -- without Anthony, who was replaced on bass by Eddie’s son Wolfgang Van Halen -- undertook part of a tour before canceling it midway through so Eddie, who was drinking heavily, could enter rehab. The aborted tour had been well received, and in 2010 rumors started flying about Van Halen being in the studio, and upcoming tour plans. The band signed to Interscope Records in November 2011. No word yet on a release date for the record or specific stops on the tour. But videos on the band’s website say that tickets will go on sale on Jan. 10, and show a revived band doing their best approximation of its '80s peak -- absent, unfortunately, Anthony, swinging across the stage slugging Jack Daniels. And it’s a pretty good bet that Diamond Dave won’t be singing "Right Now," “Why Can’t This Be Love?” or anything else from the Van Hagar years. ALSO: Tyler, the Creator arrested after Roxy show melee For politically aware songs, the '00s were all for naught Etta James hospitalized after experiencing difficulty breathing Updated: The original version of this misidentified the year in which Gary Cherone performed with Van Halen. It was 1998, not 2006. -- Randall Roberts Photo: Van Halen's Eddie Van Halen, left, and David Lee Roth perform in 2008 in Las Vegas. Credit: Ronda Churchill / Associated Press

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Jay McDowell, a teacher in Howell, Michigan, was temporarily suspended without pay earlier this month after telling a student wearing a Confederate flag and a student making anti-gay remarks to get out of his class. At a school-board meeting on Friday, openly gay 14-year-old high-school student Graeme Taylor came to McDowell's defense, thanking the teacher for doing "an amazing thing" in a town home to the KKK, and urging the school board to give McDowell his pay and reverse the disciplinary actions. The inspiring video has made its way around the Internet, because how cool is this kid? ||||| A video of a southeast Michigan teen has caught national attention this morning after he delivered an impassioned defense of a Howell High School teacher who was disciplined for a heated exchange about gay rights with two students. Graeme Taylor, 14 of Ann Arbor, addressed the Howell School Board last Monday, saying he had tried to kill himself at the hands of bullying when he was 9. The video of Taylor was shot and produced by a Free Press sister paper, the Daily Press and Argus in Livingston, and has been featured on prominent national blogs like Gawker, Perez Hilton and New York Magazine. It ...

– Video of a 14-year-old student’s incredibly eloquent defense of a suspended Michigan teacher is making waves on the web, the Detroit Free Press reports. The clip shows Graeme Taylor speaking at a school board meeting about his experience as a 9-year-old driven to a suicide attempt by bullying. Taylor spoke in defense of Jay McDowell, who was suspended for a day without pay after he asked two students to leave his classroom at Howell High School; one was wearing a Confederate flag belt buckle, the other was making anti-gay comments, notes New York magazine. Howell has ties to the Ku Klux Klan, Taylor notes, "And you probably want to get rid of that, so how would you like more headlines of 'Howell Denies Gays'?" He asked that the decision be reversed and McDowell's pay given to him, and continued, "This teacher finally stood up and said something. He did an amazing thing." “If you only watch one video today this should be it,” noted the anti-bullying It Gets Better Project. Click here to watch.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Jay McDowell, a teacher in Howell, Michigan, was temporarily suspended without pay earlier this month after telling a student wearing a Confederate flag and a student making anti-gay remarks to get out of his class. At a school-board meeting on Friday, openly gay 14-year-old high-school student Graeme Taylor came to McDowell's defense, thanking the teacher for doing "an amazing thing" in a town home to the KKK, and urging the school board to give McDowell his pay and reverse the disciplinary actions. The inspiring video has made its way around the Internet, because how cool is this kid? ||||| A video of a southeast Michigan teen has caught national attention this morning after he delivered an impassioned defense of a Howell High School teacher who was disciplined for a heated exchange about gay rights with two students. Graeme Taylor, 14 of Ann Arbor, addressed the Howell School Board last Monday, saying he had tried to kill himself at the hands of bullying when he was 9. The video of Taylor was shot and produced by a Free Press sister paper, the Daily Press and Argus in Livingston, and has been featured on prominent national blogs like Gawker, Perez Hilton and New York Magazine. It ...

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

KUALA LUMPUR/WASHINGTON The FBI is helping Malaysian authorities to analyze data from a flight simulator belonging to the captain of a missing Malaysian airliner, a U.S. official said on Wednesday as investigators grasped for clues 12 days after the plane vanished. Malaysia's police chief, Khalid Abu Bakar, said an examination of the simulator, taken from the home of pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah, 53, showed its data log had been cleared on February 3, more than a month before the airliner, carrying 239 people, disappeared on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. "The experts are looking at what are the logs that have been cleared," he told a news conference. No wreckage has been found from Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which vanished from air traffic control screens off Malaysia's east coast at 1:21 a.m. local time on March 8 (1721 GMT March 7), less than an hour after taking off. Malaysia has now made available to the FBI electronic data generated by both pilots of Flight MH370, including data from a hard drive attached to the captain's flight simulator, and from electronic media used by the co-pilot, Fariq Abdul Hamid, a U.S. law enforcement official told Reuters. The official said he could not confirm that some data had been wiped from the simulator and stressed that there was no guarantee the FBI analysis would turn up any fresh clues. U.S. investigators had become increasingly frustrated in recent days that Malaysian authorities had not asked them for more help. The FBI has extensive experience investigating airplane crashes, including those of TWA 800 and EgyptAir 990 off the U.S. east coast in the 1990s and Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. In the case of EgyptAir 990, the FBI helped air safety investigators establish that the crash was caused by a suicidal co-pilot, while in the case of Pan Am 103, the agency worked with British and U.S. intelligence to build a case against the government of Libya. In Kuala Lumpur, at the headquarters of a search operation that has so far turned up few leads, Chinese relatives' anger over sparse information on the fate of their relatives sparked chaotic scenes on Wednesday. Malaysia's transport minister ordered an inquiry after security guards carried out the distraught mother of a passenger from a briefing room where she had protested about a lack of transparency. "They are just saying wait for information. Wait for information. We don't know how long we have to wait," cried the woman before being whisked away from a massive media scrum. Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said he regretted the anguish. "Malaysia is doing everything in its power to find MH370 and hopefully bring some degree of closure for those whose family members are missing," he said in a statement. DWINDLING HOPES Prospects that a 26-nation operation would lead to quick results appeared to be dwindling, however, as investigators confirmed they were focusing on the remote southern Indian Ocean after failing to find any traces of the jet further north. "Our top priority is being given to that area," Hishammuddin told the news conference, confirming an earlier Reuters report. Australia is leading the search in the southern part of the southern corridor, with assistance from the U.S. Navy. It has shrunk its search field based on satellite tracking data and analysis of weather and currents, but it still covers an area of 600,000 sq km (230,000 sq miles), roughly the size of Spain and Portugal. The unprecedented search for the Boeing 777-200ER had focused on two vast search corridors: one arcing north overland from Laos towards the Caspian Sea, the other curving south across the Indian Ocean from west of Indonesia's Sumatra island to west of Australia. "The working assumption is that it went south, and furthermore that it went to the southern end of that corridor," said a source close to the investigation. That view is based on the lack of any evidence from countries along the northern corridor that the plane entered their airspace, and the failure to find any trace of wreckage in searches in the upper part of the southern corridor. Some sources involved in the investigation have voiced fears it could stall due to the reluctance of countries in the region to share militarily sensitive radar data that might shed new light on the direction the jet took. Two people familiar with the investigation said the search had been hampered in some cases by delays over the paperwork needed to allow foreign maritime surveillance aircraft into territorial waters without a formal diplomatic request. "These are basically spy planes; that's what they were designed for," said one source close to the investigation, explaining the hesitance of some nations to give blanket permission for other countries to scour their waters. Hishammuddin confirmed that some assets that could be involved in the search were waiting for diplomatic clearance. "The search for MH370 involves diplomatic, technical and logistical challenges," he told the news conference, held in a Kuala Lumpur airport hotel that has served as a temporary crisis coordination centre and a base for dozens of news organizations. DELIBERATELY DIVERTED Malaysian and U.S. officials believe the aircraft was deliberately diverted perhaps thousands of miles off course, but an exhaustive background search of the passengers and crew aboard has not yielded anything that might explain why. If the plane did indeed end up in the southern Indian Ocean, one of the remotest places on Earth and also one of the deepest seas, it increases the chance it may never be found - and investigators may never know for sure what happened on board. Officials believe that someone with detailed knowledge of both the Boeing 777 and commercial aviation navigation switched off two vital datalinks: the ACARS system, which relays maintenance data back to the ground, and the transponder, which enables the plane to be seen by civilian radar. U.S. agencies have looked for evidence that anyone other than the pilots knew how disable ACARS but have found nothing. (Additional reporting by Siva Govindasamy and Niluksi Koswanage in Kuala Lumpur, Andrea Shalal and Mark Hosenball in Washington, Jane Wardell in Sydney, Peter Apps in London, Daniel Bosley in Male and Shihar Aneez in Colombo; Writing by Alex Richardson and Tim Hepher; Editing by Nick Macfie and Ross Colvin) ||||| After Mr. Abbott made his statement, Mr. Najib also issued a statement, saying that the two leaders had spoken about the sighting. But after nearly two weeks of almost daily hopes that brightened and then dimmed, Mr. Najib urged caution. Advertisement Continue reading the main story “Australian officials have yet to establish whether these objects are indeed related” to the missing plane, he said in the emailed statement. Lisa Martin, a spokeswoman for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, said: “There is imagery that suggests that there could be an object. At this stage it is an object in the southern part of the search area. Photo “There are no details; it is literally an object,” Ms. Martin added. “It is based on satellite imagery. There is a plane en route to the area.” Advertisement Continue reading the main story It was not immediately clear why her agency said there was only one object when Mr. Abbott said there were two. Advertisement Continue reading the main story Cmdr. William J. Marks, the spokesman for the United States Navy Seventh Fleet, which has helped oversee the American military contribution to the search for the missing plane, said in a brief email on Thursday that he had not heard word of finding any objects possibly from the aircraft. On Wednesday, Commander Marks said, “If suspect debris were spotted, the aircraft would more than likely use the EO/IR camera at close range to identify exactly what was detected.” He was referring to a camera with electro-optical and infrared functions that can discern objects much more sharply than a naked human eye. The aircraft, he added, “could provide the necessary information to lead salvage ships to the wreckage.” Photo As the possible break in what had been a fruitless search was being pursued, the Malaysian authorities were seeking help from the F.B.I. to help retrieve deleted computer data from a homemade flight simulator belonging to the captain of the Malaysia Airlines jet that vanished 11 days ago, their first request for high-level American assistance in solving the mystery of the missing plane. Malaysian and American investigators are homing in on the pilot, Capt. Zaharie Ahmad Shah, 53, and his first officer, Fariq Abdul Hamid, 27, though they have not excluded different possibilities. Advertisement Continue reading the main story “It’s all focused on the pilots,” said a senior American law enforcement official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid jeopardizing his access to information about the investigation. “We, and they, have done everything we could on the passengers and haven’t found a thing.” The F.B.I. will relay the contents of the simulator’s hard drive to agents and analysts in the United States who specialize in retrieving deleted computer files. Video “Right now, it’s the best chance we have of finding something,” the law enforcement official said. Unless the pilot used very sophisticated technology to erase files, he added, the F.B.I. will most likely be able to recover them. Advertisement Continue reading the main story More than two dozen nations are searching for any trace of the missing airliner, a challenge that has seemed to grow more complicated and more contentious with each passing day. Advertisement Continue reading the main story As the geographic scope of the search has widened, Australia as well as China, India, France, the United States and other nations have offered naval ships, surveillance planes, satellites and experts to Malaysia, which is leading the effort. The investigators face a formidable set of mechanical, avionic and satellite communication puzzles. Flight 370 was about 40 minutes into a six-hour trip to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital, early on March 8 when it suddenly stopped communicating with air traffic controllers and turned far off course, cutting back across peninsular Malaysia, over the Strait of Malacca and toward the Indian Ocean. Military radar tracked it for a while, but the operators did not seek to identify the plane or alert anyone. A satellite over the ocean picked up automated signals for several more hours — facts not released publicly for days after the plane vanished. Tracking Flight 370 The sequence of events known by the authorities, in local times. Mar. 8, 2014 00:41 AM A Boeing 777-200 operated by Malaysia Airlines leaves Kuala Lumpur bound for Beijing with 227 passengers, of which two-thirds are Chinese, and a Malaysian crew of 12. Mar. 8, 2014 01:07 AM The airplane's Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System, or Acars, which transmits data about the plane's performance, sends a transmission. It is not due to transmit again for a half-hour. Mar. 8, 2014 01:19 AM The cockpit crew acknowledges a message from ground control, saying, "Good night Malaysian three seven zero." No further voice messages are received from the plane. Mar. 8, 2014 01:21 AM Two minutes after the last voice transmission, the plane's transponder, which signals its identity, altitude and speed to other aircraft and to monitors on the ground, is shut off or fails. Detecting a Plane Mar. 8, 2014 01:37 AM The Acars system fails to send its scheduled signal, indicating that it has been shut off or has failed sometime in the past half-hour. Mar. 8, 2014 02:15 AM An unidentified plane flying westward is detected by military radar. It ascends to 45,000 feet, above the approved limit for a Boeing 777, then descends unevenly to 23,000 feet and eventually flies out over the Indian Ocean. Investigators later conclude that it was Flight 370. It was last plotted 200 miles northwest of Panang. Q. and A. Mar. 8, 2014 06:30 AM By now Flight 370 was scheduled to have landed in Beijing. Mar. 8, 2014 07:24 AM Malaysia Airlines announces that it has lost contact with the aircraft. Mar. 8, 2014 08:11 AM The last complete signal is received from an automated satellite system on the plane, suggesting that it was still intact and flying. The Malaysian authorities say the jet had enough fuel to keep flying for perhaps a half-hour after this. Search Area Expanded Mar. 8, 2014 08:19 AM Inmarsat, a satellite communications company, says an incomplete signal representing a “partial handshake" may have been received. Further analysis of satellite data confirms that the jet went down in the southern Indian Ocean. Mar. 15, 2014 00:00 AM The Malaysian authorities say the investigation has become a criminal matter because the jet appears to have been deliberately diverted. The plane's first turn off course, to the west, was executed using an onboard computer, probably programmed by someone with knowledge of aircraft systems. The authorities say two passengers were Iranians who boarded using stolen European passports, but no links to terrorist groups are found. The satellite “pings” led investigators to conclude that the plane had made its way to some point along one of two long, arcing corridors that together embrace 2.24 million square nautical miles of sea and land. Advertisement Continue reading the main story On Wednesday, protesters who said they represented families of missing Chinese passengers raged against the confusion and missteps that have dogged the search effort. In the same hotel meeting room where Malaysian officials have tried each day to maintain a tone of calm resolve while briefing reporters, several protesters unfurled a banner that read: “We oppose the Malaysian government concealing the truth. Delaying time for saving lives.” Advertisement Continue reading the main story “All our feelings are the same: We demand to know the truth,” said Xu Dengwang, one of the protesters. Security guards soon ejected them from the room. Advertisement Continue reading the main story Investigators have said the plane’s extraordinary diversion from its intended course was probably carried out by someone who had aviation experience. The Malaysian police, who found that Mr. Zaharie had built a flight simulator at his home, said Wednesday that some data had been erased from the simulator on Feb. 3, more than a month before the ill-fated flight. Evidence suggests that whoever diverted the plane knew how to disable its communications systems and program course changes, and the data recorded in the pilot’s flight simulator may shed light on whether he was involved. But building and using flight simulators at home is a popular hobby among aviation enthusiasts, and the deletion of data from Mr. Zaharie’s simulator may have been routine housekeeping. Mr. Zaharie did not keep his simulator a secret: He posted a video on YouTube more than a year ago showing him sitting in front of it. Advertisement Continue reading the main story The computer search could reveal impulses or plans linked to the plane’s disappearance. But the investigators could also conclude that Mr. Zaharie deleted files just as the average person does to clean out a computer. ||||| Story highlights Australian Prime Minister says two objects are seen in the southern Indian Ocean An Australian air force plane is attempting a closer inspection, Australian media report President Barack Obama says search for Flight 370 is ''a top priority'' No information of significance has so far been found on any passengers, authorities say Authorities have spotted two objects in the Indian Ocean that are possibly related to the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Thursday. "New and credible information has come to light in relation to the search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in the southern Indian Ocean," Abbott said in the the Australian House of Representatives in Canberra. "The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has received information based on satellite imagery of objects possibly related to the search. "Following specialist analysis of this satellite imagery, two possible objects related to the search have been identified," he said. "I can inform the House that a Royal Australian Air Force Orion has been diverted to attempt to locate the objects." Three other planes will carry out a "more intensive follow-up search," he said. Australian search teams have been at the forefront of the hunt for the missing plane in the remote southern Indian Ocean. The announcement from Abbott raises hopes of finding parts of the plane after a huge search that is now in its 13th day. Previous reports of debris found in the sea have not turned out to be related to the passenger jet, which vanished over Southeast Asia earlier this month. But those reports came before the search area was massively expanded into two large arcs, one that heads northwest into Asia, the other southwest into the Indian Ocean. The Malaysian military is checking the new information from Australian authorities, a source close to the investigation told CNN. "Verification might take some time. It is very far and it will take some time to locate and verify the objects," the source said. Malaysia's Acting Transportation Secretary Hishammuddin Hussein said Abbott had informed Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak of the development Thursday. "At this stage, Australian officials have yet to establish whether these objects are indeed related to the search for MH370," Hishammuddin said. Other pieces of information related to the investigation into the plane's disappearance had emerged Wednesday. Flight simulator probed Investigators looking at the flight simulator taken from the home of Capt. Zaharie Ahmad Shah, the pilot of the plane, have discovered that some data had been deleted from it, Hishammuddin said at a news conference. What the revelation means is unclear. It could be another dead end in an investigation that has been full of them so far, or it could provide further evidence for the theory that one or more of the flight crew may have been involved in the plane's disappearance 12 days ago. "It may not tell us anything. It's a step in the process," one U.S. law enforcement source told CNN. "It could be a very insignificant detail in the process." Investigators have been looking into the background of all 239 passengers and crew members aboard the plane that vanished in the early morning hours of March 8 while en route from the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Particular attention has focused on the pilot and first officer on Flight 370, but authorities have yet to come up with any evidence explaining why either of them would have taken the jetliner off course. Hishammuddin didn't say what had been deleted, but simulation programs can store data from previous sessions for later playback. He also did not say who might have deleted the data. FBI examination Specialists are examining the simulator in hopes of recovering the data that was deleted, Hishammuddin said. JUST WATCHED Malaysia probe focuses on westerly turn Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Malaysia probe focuses on westerly turn 01:25 JUST WATCHED Data deleted from pilot's simulator? Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Data deleted from pilot's simulator? 03:53 JUST WATCHED See officials remove screaming mothers Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH See officials remove screaming mothers 03:06 JUST WATCHED Who was in command of missing airplane? Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Who was in command of missing airplane? 13:00 Photos: The search for MH370 Photos: The search for MH370 Two years after Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 went missing, a relative of one of the passengers burns incense in Beijing on March 8, 2016. Flight 370 vanished on March 8, 2014, as it flew from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing. There were 239 people on board. Hide Caption 1 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 On July 29, police carry a piece of debris on Reunion Island, a French territory in the Indian Ocean. A week later, authorities confirmed that the debris was from the missing flight. Hide Caption 2 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Staff members with the Australian Transport Safety Bureau examine a piece of aircraft debris at their laboratory in Canberra, Australia, on July 20. The flap was found in June by residents on Pemba Island off the coast of Tanzania, and officials had said it was highly likely to have come from Flight 370. Experts at the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, which is heading up the search for the plane, confirmed that the part was indeed from the missing aircraft. Hide Caption 3 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 In late February, American tourist Blaine Gibson found a piece of plane debris off Mozambique, a discovery that renewed hope of solving the mystery of the missing flight. The piece measured 35 inches by 22 inches. A U.S. official said it was likely the wreckage came from a Boeing 777, which MH370 was. Hide Caption 4 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Relatives of the flight's passengers console each other outside the Malaysia Airlines office in Subang, Malaysia, on February 12, 2015. Protesters had demanded that the airline withdraw the statement that all 239 people aboard the plane were dead. Hide Caption 5 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A police officer watches a couple cry outside the airline's office building in Beijing after officials refused to meet with them on June 11, 2014. The couple's son was on the plane. Hide Caption 6 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Members of the media scramble to speak with Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, director general of Malaysia's Civil Aviation Department, at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on May 27, 2014. Data from communications between satellites and the missing flight was released the day before, more than two months after relatives of passengers said they requested it be made public. Hide Caption 7 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Operators aboard the Australian ship Ocean Shield move Bluefin-21, the U.S. Navy's autonomous underwater vehicle, into position to search for the jet on April 14, 2014. Hide Caption 8 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A member of the Royal New Zealand Air Force looks out of a window while searching for debris off the coast of western Australia on April 13, 2014. Hide Caption 9 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 The HMS Echo, a vessel with the British Roya; Navy, moves through the waters of the southern Indian Ocean on April 12, 2014. Hide Caption 10 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A Royal Australian Air Force AP-3C Orion, on a mission to drop sonar buoys to assist in the search, flies past the Australian vessel Ocean Shield on April 9, 2014. Hide Caption 11 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A relative of a missing passenger cries at a vigil in Beijing on April 8, 2014. Hide Caption 12 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Australian Defense Force divers scan the water for debris in the southern Indian Ocean on April 7, 2014. Hide Caption 13 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A towed pinger locator is readied to be deployed off the deck of the Australian vessel Ocean Shield on April 7, 2014. Hide Caption 14 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A member of the Royal New Zealand Air Force looks at a flare in the Indian Ocean during search operations on April 4, 2014. Hide Caption 15 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 On March 30, 2014, a woman in Kuala Lumpur prepares for an event in honor of those aboard Flight 370. Hide Caption 16 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 The sole representative for the families of Flight 370 passengers leaves a conference at a Beijing hotel on March 28, 2014, after other relatives left en masse to protest the Malaysian government's response to their questions. Hide Caption 17 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A member of the Royal Australian Air Force is silhouetted against the southern Indian Ocean during the search for the missing jet on March 27, 2014. Hide Caption 18 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Flight Lt. Jayson Nichols looks at a map aboard a Royal Australian Air Force aircraft during a search on March 27, 2014. Hide Caption 19 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 People in Kuala Lumpur light candles during a ceremony held for the missing flight's passengers on March 27, 2014. Hide Caption 20 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, center, delivers a statement about the flight on March 24, 2014. Razak's announcement came after the airline sent a text message to relatives saying it "deeply regrets that we have to assume beyond any reasonable doubt that MH 370 has been lost and that none of those onboard survived." Hide Caption 21 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Grieving relatives of missing passengers leave a hotel in Beijing on March 24, 2014. Hide Caption 22 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A passenger views a weather map in the departures terminal of Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 22, 2014. Hide Caption 23 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A Chinese satellite captured this image, released on March 22, 2014, of a floating object in the Indian Ocean, according to China's State Administration of Science. It was a possible lead in the search for the missing plane. Surveillance planes were looking for two objects spotted by satellite imagery in remote, treacherous waters more than 1,400 miles from the west coast of Australia. Hide Caption 24 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Satellite imagery provided by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority on March 20, 2014, showed debris in the southern Indian Ocean that could have been from Flight 370. The announcement by Australian officials raised hopes of a breakthrough in the frustrating search. Hide Caption 25 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Another satellite shot provided by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority shows possible debris from the flight. Hide Caption 26 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A distraught relative of a missing passenger breaks down while talking to reporters at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 19, 2014. Hide Caption 27 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 On March 18, 2014, a relative of a missing passenger tells reporters in Beijing about a hunger strike to protest authorities' handling of information about the missing jet. Hide Caption 28 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 U.S. Navy crew members assist in search-and-rescue operations in the Indian Ocean on March 16, 2014. Hide Caption 29 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Members of the Chinese navy continue search operations on March 13, 2014. After starting in the sea between Malaysia and Vietnam, the plane's last confirmed location, search efforts expanded west into the Indian Ocean. Hide Caption 30 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A Vietnamese military official looks out an aircraft window during search operations March 13, 2014. Hide Caption 31 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Malaysian air force members look for debris near Kuala Lumpur on March 13, 2014. Hide Caption 32 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Relatives of missing passengers wait for the latest news at a hotel in Beijing on March 12, 2014. Hide Caption 33 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A member of the Vietnamese air force checks a map while searching for the missing plane on March 11, 2014. Hide Caption 34 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A Vietnamese air force plane found traces of oil that authorities had suspected to be from the missing Malaysia Airlines plane, the Vietnamese government online newspaper reported on March 8, 2014. However, a sample from the slick showed it was bunker oil, typically used to power large cargo ships, Malaysia's state news agency, Bernama, reported on March 10, 2014. Hide Caption 35 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A U.S. Navy Seahawk helicopter lands aboard the USS Pinckney to change crews on March 9, 2014, before returning to search for the missing plane in the Gulf of Thailand. Hide Caption 36 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Buddhist monks at Kuala Lumpur International Airport offer a special prayer for the missing passengers on March 9, 2014. Hide Caption 37 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Members of a Chinese emergency response team board a rescue vessel at the port of Sanya in China's Hainan province on March 9, 2014. Hide Caption 38 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 The rescue vessel sets out from Sanya in the South China Sea on March 9, 2014. Hide Caption 39 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, center, arrives to meet family members of missing passengers at the reception center at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 8, 2014. Hide Caption 40 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A relative of two missing passengers reacts at their home in Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014. Hide Caption 41 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Chinese police at the Beijing airport stand beside the arrival board showing delayed Flight 370 in red on March 8, 2014. Hide Caption 42 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Malaysia Airlines Group CEO Ahmad Juahari Yahya, front, speaks during a news conference at a hotel in Sepang on March 8, 2014. "We deeply regret that we have lost all contacts" with the jet, he said. Hide Caption 43 of 43 Among them are experts at the FBI's forensics lab in Quantico, Virginia, who are examining a copy of the simulator's hard drive, as well as a copy of the hard drive from the computer of co-pilot Fariq Ab Hamid, law enforcement sources told CNN. The FBI examination of the computer drives involves sorting through a large volume of data, according to a senior U.S. official with knowledge of the investigation. "It is going to take some period of time, but we are analyzing it with a great degree of urgency. It is prioritized right at the top because the world is trying to figure this out," the official said on condition of anonymity. Deleted files from Shah's simulator could reveal it had been used to practice diverting the plane and flying it to an unfamiliar airport, experts said. But even if investigators retrieve past simulations showing that Zaharie practiced flying to seemingly odd locations, that doesn't necessarily indicate evidence of anything nefarious, said Mary Schiavo, a CNN aviation analyst and former inspector general for the U.S. Department of Transportation. "You put in strange airports and try to land there, just to see if you can do it," said Schiavo, adding that she sometimes does just that on the flight simulation program on her home computer. 'Grasping at straws' President Barack Obama called the search for Flight 370 "a top priority," telling KDFW of Dallas on Wednesday that the United States will keep working on it. "We have put every resource that we have available at the disposal of the search process," he said. But beyond help with the computer drives, the Malaysian government has not put in a formal request for additional FBI help overseas, according to the senior U.S. official. "We have made it clear we are ready to provide help whenever they need it," the official said. "We are grasping at straws. No one is running on anything white hot." More than 60 ships and 50 aircraft are participating in the search. But at least two aircraft, a Japanese search plane and a U.S. Navy P-3 Orion, sat on a runway at a Subang air base this week after Indonesia refused to allow the planes to fly through its airspace. "From what I understand, this is an international operation," Cmdr. William Marks, spokesman for the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet, told CNN by telephone. "...I'm confident we're going to be flying today or very soon." Later, Indonesia's military spokesman told CNN clearance was given to all search planes. Although the search area spans nearly 3 million square miles, a U.S. government official familiar with the investigation said the missing plane is most likely somewhere in the southern Indian Ocean. "This is an area out of normal shipping lanes, out of any commercial flight patterns, with few fishing boats, and there are no islands," the official said, warning that the search could well last "weeks and not days." Angry families want answers The lack of progress has angered and frustrated families, who have accused Malaysian officials of withholding information. Some family members staged a protest at the Kuala Lumpur hotel where media covering the search are staying. Their efforts were cut short by security guards who removed them through a crush of reporters, dragging one as she screamed. JUST WATCHED 'No motive' in disappearance of airplane Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH 'No motive' in disappearance of airplane 05:27 JUST WATCHED Watch flight simulator attempt theory Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Watch flight simulator attempt theory 02:09 JUST WATCHED Families not getting enough support Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Families not getting enough support 01:40 JUST WATCHED Why were no calls made from Flight 370? Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Why were no calls made from Flight 370? 03:06 "I don't care what your government does," one woman shouted, referring to the Malaysians. "I just want my son back." The agony of the wait is also being felt by families in Beijing, the scheduled destination for Flight 370. They gather daily for a briefing with officials. Ye Lun, whose brother-in-law is on the missing plane, says every day is the same. He and his group leave the hotel in the morning for a daily briefing, and that's it. They go back to the hotel to watch the news on television. In a statement, Hishammuddin said Malaysian authorities "regret the scenes at this afternoon's press conference." "One can only imagine the anguish they are going through," he said of the families. "Malaysia is doing everything in its power to find MH370 and hopefully bring some degree of closure for those whose family members are missing." An abrupt change in direction The disappearance continues to intrigue the public and frustrate officials, who have turned up no sign of the plane despite the involvement of teams from 26 nations. On Tuesday, a law enforcement official told CNN that the aircraft's first major change of course -- an abrupt westward turn that took the plane off its route to China and back across the Malay Peninsula -- was almost certainly programmed by somebody in the cockpit. The change was entered into the plane's system at least 12 minutes before a person in the cockpit, believed to be the co-pilot, signed off to air traffic controllers. Two minutes after the signoff, the plane's transponder stopped communicating details about the plane's altitude, speed and heading. Some experts said the change in direction could have been part of an alternate flight plan programmed in advance in case of emergency; others suggested it could show something more nefarious was afoot. But Hishammuddin said Wednesday that "there is no additional waypoint on MH370's documented flight plan, which depicts normal routing all the way to Beijing." The Thai military, meanwhile, said it had spotted the plane turning west toward the Strait of Malacca early on March 8. That supports the analysis of Malaysian military radar that has the plane flying out over the Strait of Malacca and into the Indian Ocean. But it didn't make it any clearer where the plane went next. Authorities say information from satellites suggests the plane kept flying for about six hours after it was last detected by Malaysian military radar. Malaysian authorities, who are coordinating the search, say the available evidence suggests the missing plane flew off course in a deliberate act by someone who knew what they were doing. JUST WATCHED Analyst: MH370 is game changer like 9/11 Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Analyst: MH370 is game changer like 9/11 01:59 JUST WATCHED Examining MH370 conspiracy theories Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Examining MH370 conspiracy theories 05:39 Background checks Investigators are looking into the background of all the passengers and crew members on board the plane, as well as its ground crew, Malaysian officials have said. They've received background checks for all passengers on board, with the exception of those from Russia and Ukraine, Hishammuddin said. So far, no information of significance has been found about any passengers, Hishammuddin said. China says it has found nothing suspicious during background checks on its citizens on the flight -- a large majority of the plane's passengers. And some experts have warned against hastily jumping to conclusions about the role of the pilots. "I've worked on many cases were the pilots were suspect, and it turned out to be a mechanical and horrible problem," said Schiavo. "And I have a saying myself: Sometimes, an erratic flight path is heroism, not terrorism." Ticking clock Searchers are racing the clock in their efforts to find the plane and its flight-data and cockpit-voice recorders. The devices have batteries designed to send out pings for 30 days. That leaves 18 days until the batteries are expected to run out. The task is being complicated by the scope of the search area, as well as the depth of some of the waters being searched -- up to 23,000 feet (7,000 meters). Searchers trying to find and retrieve wreckage and bodies from Air France Flight 447, which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean in 2009, had to use unmanned submarines. It took nearly two years to find the bulk of the wreckage, including the flight data recorders, in waters nearly 12,000 feet deep. It took even longer to determine what happened to the plane.

– Momentum seems to be building behind one definitive conclusion: Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 did not follow the northern arc, or so say a growing chorus of sources. China is among the Asian countries searching that huge arc for the plane, and experts say they'd be amazed if it had somehow slipped through the country's radar. While countries along the suspected route are understandably tight-lipped about their air defenses, analysts believe radar systems in China—along with those covering India's tense northern border and around US bases in Afghanistan—are far too robust for an unidentified Boeing 777 to pass through the region undetected, the New York Times finds. Reuters' source says much the same, and then some: "The working assumption is that it went south, and furthermore that it went to the southern end of that corridor," based on the absence of northern radar data and lack of debris in the initial part of the southern corridor. More: The southern Indian Ocean is "one of the remotest places on Earth and also one of the deepest seas," notes Reuters, diminishing the chances we'll ever find the plane. And the clock is ticking. In 18 days, the batteries that are sending out pings from the box that holds the flight-data and cockpit-voice recorders will likely die, reports CNN. Australia, which is at the helm of the search in the southern part of the southern corridor, has winnowed its search area to 89,000 square nautical miles—about the size of Italy, reports the Times.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.KUALA LUMPUR/WASHINGTON The FBI is helping Malaysian authorities to analyze data from a flight simulator belonging to the captain of a missing Malaysian airliner, a U.S. official said on Wednesday as investigators grasped for clues 12 days after the plane vanished. Malaysia's police chief, Khalid Abu Bakar, said an examination of the simulator, taken from the home of pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah, 53, showed its data log had been cleared on February 3, more than a month before the airliner, carrying 239 people, disappeared on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. "The experts are looking at what are the logs that have been cleared," he told a news conference. No wreckage has been found from Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which vanished from air traffic control screens off Malaysia's east coast at 1:21 a.m. local time on March 8 (1721 GMT March 7), less than an hour after taking off. Malaysia has now made available to the FBI electronic data generated by both pilots of Flight MH370, including data from a hard drive attached to the captain's flight simulator, and from electronic media used by the co-pilot, Fariq Abdul Hamid, a U.S. law enforcement official told Reuters. The official said he could not confirm that some data had been wiped from the simulator and stressed that there was no guarantee the FBI analysis would turn up any fresh clues. U.S. investigators had become increasingly frustrated in recent days that Malaysian authorities had not asked them for more help. The FBI has extensive experience investigating airplane crashes, including those of TWA 800 and EgyptAir 990 off the U.S. east coast in the 1990s and Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. In the case of EgyptAir 990, the FBI helped air safety investigators establish that the crash was caused by a suicidal co-pilot, while in the case of Pan Am 103, the agency worked with British and U.S. intelligence to build a case against the government of Libya. In Kuala Lumpur, at the headquarters of a search operation that has so far turned up few leads, Chinese relatives' anger over sparse information on the fate of their relatives sparked chaotic scenes on Wednesday. Malaysia's transport minister ordered an inquiry after security guards carried out the distraught mother of a passenger from a briefing room where she had protested about a lack of transparency. "They are just saying wait for information. Wait for information. We don't know how long we have to wait," cried the woman before being whisked away from a massive media scrum. Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said he regretted the anguish. "Malaysia is doing everything in its power to find MH370 and hopefully bring some degree of closure for those whose family members are missing," he said in a statement. DWINDLING HOPES Prospects that a 26-nation operation would lead to quick results appeared to be dwindling, however, as investigators confirmed they were focusing on the remote southern Indian Ocean after failing to find any traces of the jet further north. "Our top priority is being given to that area," Hishammuddin told the news conference, confirming an earlier Reuters report. Australia is leading the search in the southern part of the southern corridor, with assistance from the U.S. Navy. It has shrunk its search field based on satellite tracking data and analysis of weather and currents, but it still covers an area of 600,000 sq km (230,000 sq miles), roughly the size of Spain and Portugal. The unprecedented search for the Boeing 777-200ER had focused on two vast search corridors: one arcing north overland from Laos towards the Caspian Sea, the other curving south across the Indian Ocean from west of Indonesia's Sumatra island to west of Australia. "The working assumption is that it went south, and furthermore that it went to the southern end of that corridor," said a source close to the investigation. That view is based on the lack of any evidence from countries along the northern corridor that the plane entered their airspace, and the failure to find any trace of wreckage in searches in the upper part of the southern corridor. Some sources involved in the investigation have voiced fears it could stall due to the reluctance of countries in the region to share militarily sensitive radar data that might shed new light on the direction the jet took. Two people familiar with the investigation said the search had been hampered in some cases by delays over the paperwork needed to allow foreign maritime surveillance aircraft into territorial waters without a formal diplomatic request. "These are basically spy planes; that's what they were designed for," said one source close to the investigation, explaining the hesitance of some nations to give blanket permission for other countries to scour their waters. Hishammuddin confirmed that some assets that could be involved in the search were waiting for diplomatic clearance. "The search for MH370 involves diplomatic, technical and logistical challenges," he told the news conference, held in a Kuala Lumpur airport hotel that has served as a temporary crisis coordination centre and a base for dozens of news organizations. DELIBERATELY DIVERTED Malaysian and U.S. officials believe the aircraft was deliberately diverted perhaps thousands of miles off course, but an exhaustive background search of the passengers and crew aboard has not yielded anything that might explain why. If the plane did indeed end up in the southern Indian Ocean, one of the remotest places on Earth and also one of the deepest seas, it increases the chance it may never be found - and investigators may never know for sure what happened on board. Officials believe that someone with detailed knowledge of both the Boeing 777 and commercial aviation navigation switched off two vital datalinks: the ACARS system, which relays maintenance data back to the ground, and the transponder, which enables the plane to be seen by civilian radar. U.S. agencies have looked for evidence that anyone other than the pilots knew how disable ACARS but have found nothing. (Additional reporting by Siva Govindasamy and Niluksi Koswanage in Kuala Lumpur, Andrea Shalal and Mark Hosenball in Washington, Jane Wardell in Sydney, Peter Apps in London, Daniel Bosley in Male and Shihar Aneez in Colombo; Writing by Alex Richardson and Tim Hepher; Editing by Nick Macfie and Ross Colvin) ||||| After Mr. Abbott made his statement, Mr. Najib also issued a statement, saying that the two leaders had spoken about the sighting. But after nearly two weeks of almost daily hopes that brightened and then dimmed, Mr. Najib urged caution. Advertisement Continue reading the main story “Australian officials have yet to establish whether these objects are indeed related” to the missing plane, he said in the emailed statement. Lisa Martin, a spokeswoman for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, said: “There is imagery that suggests that there could be an object. At this stage it is an object in the southern part of the search area. Photo “There are no details; it is literally an object,” Ms. Martin added. “It is based on satellite imagery. There is a plane en route to the area.” Advertisement Continue reading the main story It was not immediately clear why her agency said there was only one object when Mr. Abbott said there were two. Advertisement Continue reading the main story Cmdr. William J. Marks, the spokesman for the United States Navy Seventh Fleet, which has helped oversee the American military contribution to the search for the missing plane, said in a brief email on Thursday that he had not heard word of finding any objects possibly from the aircraft. On Wednesday, Commander Marks said, “If suspect debris were spotted, the aircraft would more than likely use the EO/IR camera at close range to identify exactly what was detected.” He was referring to a camera with electro-optical and infrared functions that can discern objects much more sharply than a naked human eye. The aircraft, he added, “could provide the necessary information to lead salvage ships to the wreckage.” Photo As the possible break in what had been a fruitless search was being pursued, the Malaysian authorities were seeking help from the F.B.I. to help retrieve deleted computer data from a homemade flight simulator belonging to the captain of the Malaysia Airlines jet that vanished 11 days ago, their first request for high-level American assistance in solving the mystery of the missing plane. Malaysian and American investigators are homing in on the pilot, Capt. Zaharie Ahmad Shah, 53, and his first officer, Fariq Abdul Hamid, 27, though they have not excluded different possibilities. Advertisement Continue reading the main story “It’s all focused on the pilots,” said a senior American law enforcement official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid jeopardizing his access to information about the investigation. “We, and they, have done everything we could on the passengers and haven’t found a thing.” The F.B.I. will relay the contents of the simulator’s hard drive to agents and analysts in the United States who specialize in retrieving deleted computer files. Video “Right now, it’s the best chance we have of finding something,” the law enforcement official said. Unless the pilot used very sophisticated technology to erase files, he added, the F.B.I. will most likely be able to recover them. Advertisement Continue reading the main story More than two dozen nations are searching for any trace of the missing airliner, a challenge that has seemed to grow more complicated and more contentious with each passing day. Advertisement Continue reading the main story As the geographic scope of the search has widened, Australia as well as China, India, France, the United States and other nations have offered naval ships, surveillance planes, satellites and experts to Malaysia, which is leading the effort. The investigators face a formidable set of mechanical, avionic and satellite communication puzzles. Flight 370 was about 40 minutes into a six-hour trip to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital, early on March 8 when it suddenly stopped communicating with air traffic controllers and turned far off course, cutting back across peninsular Malaysia, over the Strait of Malacca and toward the Indian Ocean. Military radar tracked it for a while, but the operators did not seek to identify the plane or alert anyone. A satellite over the ocean picked up automated signals for several more hours — facts not released publicly for days after the plane vanished. Tracking Flight 370 The sequence of events known by the authorities, in local times. Mar. 8, 2014 00:41 AM A Boeing 777-200 operated by Malaysia Airlines leaves Kuala Lumpur bound for Beijing with 227 passengers, of which two-thirds are Chinese, and a Malaysian crew of 12. Mar. 8, 2014 01:07 AM The airplane's Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System, or Acars, which transmits data about the plane's performance, sends a transmission. It is not due to transmit again for a half-hour. Mar. 8, 2014 01:19 AM The cockpit crew acknowledges a message from ground control, saying, "Good night Malaysian three seven zero." No further voice messages are received from the plane. Mar. 8, 2014 01:21 AM Two minutes after the last voice transmission, the plane's transponder, which signals its identity, altitude and speed to other aircraft and to monitors on the ground, is shut off or fails. Detecting a Plane Mar. 8, 2014 01:37 AM The Acars system fails to send its scheduled signal, indicating that it has been shut off or has failed sometime in the past half-hour. Mar. 8, 2014 02:15 AM An unidentified plane flying westward is detected by military radar. It ascends to 45,000 feet, above the approved limit for a Boeing 777, then descends unevenly to 23,000 feet and eventually flies out over the Indian Ocean. Investigators later conclude that it was Flight 370. It was last plotted 200 miles northwest of Panang. Q. and A. Mar. 8, 2014 06:30 AM By now Flight 370 was scheduled to have landed in Beijing. Mar. 8, 2014 07:24 AM Malaysia Airlines announces that it has lost contact with the aircraft. Mar. 8, 2014 08:11 AM The last complete signal is received from an automated satellite system on the plane, suggesting that it was still intact and flying. The Malaysian authorities say the jet had enough fuel to keep flying for perhaps a half-hour after this. Search Area Expanded Mar. 8, 2014 08:19 AM Inmarsat, a satellite communications company, says an incomplete signal representing a “partial handshake" may have been received. Further analysis of satellite data confirms that the jet went down in the southern Indian Ocean. Mar. 15, 2014 00:00 AM The Malaysian authorities say the investigation has become a criminal matter because the jet appears to have been deliberately diverted. The plane's first turn off course, to the west, was executed using an onboard computer, probably programmed by someone with knowledge of aircraft systems. The authorities say two passengers were Iranians who boarded using stolen European passports, but no links to terrorist groups are found. The satellite “pings” led investigators to conclude that the plane had made its way to some point along one of two long, arcing corridors that together embrace 2.24 million square nautical miles of sea and land. Advertisement Continue reading the main story On Wednesday, protesters who said they represented families of missing Chinese passengers raged against the confusion and missteps that have dogged the search effort. In the same hotel meeting room where Malaysian officials have tried each day to maintain a tone of calm resolve while briefing reporters, several protesters unfurled a banner that read: “We oppose the Malaysian government concealing the truth. Delaying time for saving lives.” Advertisement Continue reading the main story “All our feelings are the same: We demand to know the truth,” said Xu Dengwang, one of the protesters. Security guards soon ejected them from the room. Advertisement Continue reading the main story Investigators have said the plane’s extraordinary diversion from its intended course was probably carried out by someone who had aviation experience. The Malaysian police, who found that Mr. Zaharie had built a flight simulator at his home, said Wednesday that some data had been erased from the simulator on Feb. 3, more than a month before the ill-fated flight. Evidence suggests that whoever diverted the plane knew how to disable its communications systems and program course changes, and the data recorded in the pilot’s flight simulator may shed light on whether he was involved. But building and using flight simulators at home is a popular hobby among aviation enthusiasts, and the deletion of data from Mr. Zaharie’s simulator may have been routine housekeeping. Mr. Zaharie did not keep his simulator a secret: He posted a video on YouTube more than a year ago showing him sitting in front of it. Advertisement Continue reading the main story The computer search could reveal impulses or plans linked to the plane’s disappearance. But the investigators could also conclude that Mr. Zaharie deleted files just as the average person does to clean out a computer. ||||| Story highlights Australian Prime Minister says two objects are seen in the southern Indian Ocean An Australian air force plane is attempting a closer inspection, Australian media report President Barack Obama says search for Flight 370 is ''a top priority'' No information of significance has so far been found on any passengers, authorities say Authorities have spotted two objects in the Indian Ocean that are possibly related to the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Thursday. "New and credible information has come to light in relation to the search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in the southern Indian Ocean," Abbott said in the the Australian House of Representatives in Canberra. "The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has received information based on satellite imagery of objects possibly related to the search. "Following specialist analysis of this satellite imagery, two possible objects related to the search have been identified," he said. "I can inform the House that a Royal Australian Air Force Orion has been diverted to attempt to locate the objects." Three other planes will carry out a "more intensive follow-up search," he said. Australian search teams have been at the forefront of the hunt for the missing plane in the remote southern Indian Ocean. The announcement from Abbott raises hopes of finding parts of the plane after a huge search that is now in its 13th day. Previous reports of debris found in the sea have not turned out to be related to the passenger jet, which vanished over Southeast Asia earlier this month. But those reports came before the search area was massively expanded into two large arcs, one that heads northwest into Asia, the other southwest into the Indian Ocean. The Malaysian military is checking the new information from Australian authorities, a source close to the investigation told CNN. "Verification might take some time. It is very far and it will take some time to locate and verify the objects," the source said. Malaysia's Acting Transportation Secretary Hishammuddin Hussein said Abbott had informed Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak of the development Thursday. "At this stage, Australian officials have yet to establish whether these objects are indeed related to the search for MH370," Hishammuddin said. Other pieces of information related to the investigation into the plane's disappearance had emerged Wednesday. Flight simulator probed Investigators looking at the flight simulator taken from the home of Capt. Zaharie Ahmad Shah, the pilot of the plane, have discovered that some data had been deleted from it, Hishammuddin said at a news conference. What the revelation means is unclear. It could be another dead end in an investigation that has been full of them so far, or it could provide further evidence for the theory that one or more of the flight crew may have been involved in the plane's disappearance 12 days ago. "It may not tell us anything. It's a step in the process," one U.S. law enforcement source told CNN. "It could be a very insignificant detail in the process." Investigators have been looking into the background of all 239 passengers and crew members aboard the plane that vanished in the early morning hours of March 8 while en route from the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Particular attention has focused on the pilot and first officer on Flight 370, but authorities have yet to come up with any evidence explaining why either of them would have taken the jetliner off course. Hishammuddin didn't say what had been deleted, but simulation programs can store data from previous sessions for later playback. He also did not say who might have deleted the data. FBI examination Specialists are examining the simulator in hopes of recovering the data that was deleted, Hishammuddin said. JUST WATCHED Malaysia probe focuses on westerly turn Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Malaysia probe focuses on westerly turn 01:25 JUST WATCHED Data deleted from pilot's simulator? Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Data deleted from pilot's simulator? 03:53 JUST WATCHED See officials remove screaming mothers Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH See officials remove screaming mothers 03:06 JUST WATCHED Who was in command of missing airplane? Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Who was in command of missing airplane? 13:00 Photos: The search for MH370 Photos: The search for MH370 Two years after Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 went missing, a relative of one of the passengers burns incense in Beijing on March 8, 2016. Flight 370 vanished on March 8, 2014, as it flew from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing. There were 239 people on board. Hide Caption 1 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 On July 29, police carry a piece of debris on Reunion Island, a French territory in the Indian Ocean. A week later, authorities confirmed that the debris was from the missing flight. Hide Caption 2 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Staff members with the Australian Transport Safety Bureau examine a piece of aircraft debris at their laboratory in Canberra, Australia, on July 20. The flap was found in June by residents on Pemba Island off the coast of Tanzania, and officials had said it was highly likely to have come from Flight 370. Experts at the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, which is heading up the search for the plane, confirmed that the part was indeed from the missing aircraft. Hide Caption 3 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 In late February, American tourist Blaine Gibson found a piece of plane debris off Mozambique, a discovery that renewed hope of solving the mystery of the missing flight. The piece measured 35 inches by 22 inches. A U.S. official said it was likely the wreckage came from a Boeing 777, which MH370 was. Hide Caption 4 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Relatives of the flight's passengers console each other outside the Malaysia Airlines office in Subang, Malaysia, on February 12, 2015. Protesters had demanded that the airline withdraw the statement that all 239 people aboard the plane were dead. Hide Caption 5 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A police officer watches a couple cry outside the airline's office building in Beijing after officials refused to meet with them on June 11, 2014. The couple's son was on the plane. Hide Caption 6 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Members of the media scramble to speak with Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, director general of Malaysia's Civil Aviation Department, at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on May 27, 2014. Data from communications between satellites and the missing flight was released the day before, more than two months after relatives of passengers said they requested it be made public. Hide Caption 7 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Operators aboard the Australian ship Ocean Shield move Bluefin-21, the U.S. Navy's autonomous underwater vehicle, into position to search for the jet on April 14, 2014. Hide Caption 8 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A member of the Royal New Zealand Air Force looks out of a window while searching for debris off the coast of western Australia on April 13, 2014. Hide Caption 9 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 The HMS Echo, a vessel with the British Roya; Navy, moves through the waters of the southern Indian Ocean on April 12, 2014. Hide Caption 10 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A Royal Australian Air Force AP-3C Orion, on a mission to drop sonar buoys to assist in the search, flies past the Australian vessel Ocean Shield on April 9, 2014. Hide Caption 11 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A relative of a missing passenger cries at a vigil in Beijing on April 8, 2014. Hide Caption 12 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Australian Defense Force divers scan the water for debris in the southern Indian Ocean on April 7, 2014. Hide Caption 13 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A towed pinger locator is readied to be deployed off the deck of the Australian vessel Ocean Shield on April 7, 2014. Hide Caption 14 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A member of the Royal New Zealand Air Force looks at a flare in the Indian Ocean during search operations on April 4, 2014. Hide Caption 15 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 On March 30, 2014, a woman in Kuala Lumpur prepares for an event in honor of those aboard Flight 370. Hide Caption 16 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 The sole representative for the families of Flight 370 passengers leaves a conference at a Beijing hotel on March 28, 2014, after other relatives left en masse to protest the Malaysian government's response to their questions. Hide Caption 17 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A member of the Royal Australian Air Force is silhouetted against the southern Indian Ocean during the search for the missing jet on March 27, 2014. Hide Caption 18 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Flight Lt. Jayson Nichols looks at a map aboard a Royal Australian Air Force aircraft during a search on March 27, 2014. Hide Caption 19 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 People in Kuala Lumpur light candles during a ceremony held for the missing flight's passengers on March 27, 2014. Hide Caption 20 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, center, delivers a statement about the flight on March 24, 2014. Razak's announcement came after the airline sent a text message to relatives saying it "deeply regrets that we have to assume beyond any reasonable doubt that MH 370 has been lost and that none of those onboard survived." Hide Caption 21 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Grieving relatives of missing passengers leave a hotel in Beijing on March 24, 2014. Hide Caption 22 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A passenger views a weather map in the departures terminal of Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 22, 2014. Hide Caption 23 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A Chinese satellite captured this image, released on March 22, 2014, of a floating object in the Indian Ocean, according to China's State Administration of Science. It was a possible lead in the search for the missing plane. Surveillance planes were looking for two objects spotted by satellite imagery in remote, treacherous waters more than 1,400 miles from the west coast of Australia. Hide Caption 24 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Satellite imagery provided by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority on March 20, 2014, showed debris in the southern Indian Ocean that could have been from Flight 370. The announcement by Australian officials raised hopes of a breakthrough in the frustrating search. Hide Caption 25 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Another satellite shot provided by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority shows possible debris from the flight. Hide Caption 26 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A distraught relative of a missing passenger breaks down while talking to reporters at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 19, 2014. Hide Caption 27 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 On March 18, 2014, a relative of a missing passenger tells reporters in Beijing about a hunger strike to protest authorities' handling of information about the missing jet. Hide Caption 28 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 U.S. Navy crew members assist in search-and-rescue operations in the Indian Ocean on March 16, 2014. Hide Caption 29 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Members of the Chinese navy continue search operations on March 13, 2014. After starting in the sea between Malaysia and Vietnam, the plane's last confirmed location, search efforts expanded west into the Indian Ocean. Hide Caption 30 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A Vietnamese military official looks out an aircraft window during search operations March 13, 2014. Hide Caption 31 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Malaysian air force members look for debris near Kuala Lumpur on March 13, 2014. Hide Caption 32 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Relatives of missing passengers wait for the latest news at a hotel in Beijing on March 12, 2014. Hide Caption 33 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A member of the Vietnamese air force checks a map while searching for the missing plane on March 11, 2014. Hide Caption 34 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A Vietnamese air force plane found traces of oil that authorities had suspected to be from the missing Malaysia Airlines plane, the Vietnamese government online newspaper reported on March 8, 2014. However, a sample from the slick showed it was bunker oil, typically used to power large cargo ships, Malaysia's state news agency, Bernama, reported on March 10, 2014. Hide Caption 35 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A U.S. Navy Seahawk helicopter lands aboard the USS Pinckney to change crews on March 9, 2014, before returning to search for the missing plane in the Gulf of Thailand. Hide Caption 36 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Buddhist monks at Kuala Lumpur International Airport offer a special prayer for the missing passengers on March 9, 2014. Hide Caption 37 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Members of a Chinese emergency response team board a rescue vessel at the port of Sanya in China's Hainan province on March 9, 2014. Hide Caption 38 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 The rescue vessel sets out from Sanya in the South China Sea on March 9, 2014. Hide Caption 39 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, center, arrives to meet family members of missing passengers at the reception center at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 8, 2014. Hide Caption 40 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A relative of two missing passengers reacts at their home in Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014. Hide Caption 41 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Chinese police at the Beijing airport stand beside the arrival board showing delayed Flight 370 in red on March 8, 2014. Hide Caption 42 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Malaysia Airlines Group CEO Ahmad Juahari Yahya, front, speaks during a news conference at a hotel in Sepang on March 8, 2014. "We deeply regret that we have lost all contacts" with the jet, he said. Hide Caption 43 of 43 Among them are experts at the FBI's forensics lab in Quantico, Virginia, who are examining a copy of the simulator's hard drive, as well as a copy of the hard drive from the computer of co-pilot Fariq Ab Hamid, law enforcement sources told CNN. The FBI examination of the computer drives involves sorting through a large volume of data, according to a senior U.S. official with knowledge of the investigation. "It is going to take some period of time, but we are analyzing it with a great degree of urgency. It is prioritized right at the top because the world is trying to figure this out," the official said on condition of anonymity. Deleted files from Shah's simulator could reveal it had been used to practice diverting the plane and flying it to an unfamiliar airport, experts said. But even if investigators retrieve past simulations showing that Zaharie practiced flying to seemingly odd locations, that doesn't necessarily indicate evidence of anything nefarious, said Mary Schiavo, a CNN aviation analyst and former inspector general for the U.S. Department of Transportation. "You put in strange airports and try to land there, just to see if you can do it," said Schiavo, adding that she sometimes does just that on the flight simulation program on her home computer. 'Grasping at straws' President Barack Obama called the search for Flight 370 "a top priority," telling KDFW of Dallas on Wednesday that the United States will keep working on it. "We have put every resource that we have available at the disposal of the search process," he said. But beyond help with the computer drives, the Malaysian government has not put in a formal request for additional FBI help overseas, according to the senior U.S. official. "We have made it clear we are ready to provide help whenever they need it," the official said. "We are grasping at straws. No one is running on anything white hot." More than 60 ships and 50 aircraft are participating in the search. But at least two aircraft, a Japanese search plane and a U.S. Navy P-3 Orion, sat on a runway at a Subang air base this week after Indonesia refused to allow the planes to fly through its airspace. "From what I understand, this is an international operation," Cmdr. William Marks, spokesman for the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet, told CNN by telephone. "...I'm confident we're going to be flying today or very soon." Later, Indonesia's military spokesman told CNN clearance was given to all search planes. Although the search area spans nearly 3 million square miles, a U.S. government official familiar with the investigation said the missing plane is most likely somewhere in the southern Indian Ocean. "This is an area out of normal shipping lanes, out of any commercial flight patterns, with few fishing boats, and there are no islands," the official said, warning that the search could well last "weeks and not days." Angry families want answers The lack of progress has angered and frustrated families, who have accused Malaysian officials of withholding information. Some family members staged a protest at the Kuala Lumpur hotel where media covering the search are staying. Their efforts were cut short by security guards who removed them through a crush of reporters, dragging one as she screamed. JUST WATCHED 'No motive' in disappearance of airplane Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH 'No motive' in disappearance of airplane 05:27 JUST WATCHED Watch flight simulator attempt theory Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Watch flight simulator attempt theory 02:09 JUST WATCHED Families not getting enough support Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Families not getting enough support 01:40 JUST WATCHED Why were no calls made from Flight 370? Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Why were no calls made from Flight 370? 03:06 "I don't care what your government does," one woman shouted, referring to the Malaysians. "I just want my son back." The agony of the wait is also being felt by families in Beijing, the scheduled destination for Flight 370. They gather daily for a briefing with officials. Ye Lun, whose brother-in-law is on the missing plane, says every day is the same. He and his group leave the hotel in the morning for a daily briefing, and that's it. They go back to the hotel to watch the news on television. In a statement, Hishammuddin said Malaysian authorities "regret the scenes at this afternoon's press conference." "One can only imagine the anguish they are going through," he said of the families. "Malaysia is doing everything in its power to find MH370 and hopefully bring some degree of closure for those whose family members are missing." An abrupt change in direction The disappearance continues to intrigue the public and frustrate officials, who have turned up no sign of the plane despite the involvement of teams from 26 nations. On Tuesday, a law enforcement official told CNN that the aircraft's first major change of course -- an abrupt westward turn that took the plane off its route to China and back across the Malay Peninsula -- was almost certainly programmed by somebody in the cockpit. The change was entered into the plane's system at least 12 minutes before a person in the cockpit, believed to be the co-pilot, signed off to air traffic controllers. Two minutes after the signoff, the plane's transponder stopped communicating details about the plane's altitude, speed and heading. Some experts said the change in direction could have been part of an alternate flight plan programmed in advance in case of emergency; others suggested it could show something more nefarious was afoot. But Hishammuddin said Wednesday that "there is no additional waypoint on MH370's documented flight plan, which depicts normal routing all the way to Beijing." The Thai military, meanwhile, said it had spotted the plane turning west toward the Strait of Malacca early on March 8. That supports the analysis of Malaysian military radar that has the plane flying out over the Strait of Malacca and into the Indian Ocean. But it didn't make it any clearer where the plane went next. Authorities say information from satellites suggests the plane kept flying for about six hours after it was last detected by Malaysian military radar. Malaysian authorities, who are coordinating the search, say the available evidence suggests the missing plane flew off course in a deliberate act by someone who knew what they were doing. JUST WATCHED Analyst: MH370 is game changer like 9/11 Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Analyst: MH370 is game changer like 9/11 01:59 JUST WATCHED Examining MH370 conspiracy theories Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Examining MH370 conspiracy theories 05:39 Background checks Investigators are looking into the background of all the passengers and crew members on board the plane, as well as its ground crew, Malaysian officials have said. They've received background checks for all passengers on board, with the exception of those from Russia and Ukraine, Hishammuddin said. So far, no information of significance has been found about any passengers, Hishammuddin said. China says it has found nothing suspicious during background checks on its citizens on the flight -- a large majority of the plane's passengers. And some experts have warned against hastily jumping to conclusions about the role of the pilots. "I've worked on many cases were the pilots were suspect, and it turned out to be a mechanical and horrible problem," said Schiavo. "And I have a saying myself: Sometimes, an erratic flight path is heroism, not terrorism." Ticking clock Searchers are racing the clock in their efforts to find the plane and its flight-data and cockpit-voice recorders. The devices have batteries designed to send out pings for 30 days. That leaves 18 days until the batteries are expected to run out. The task is being complicated by the scope of the search area, as well as the depth of some of the waters being searched -- up to 23,000 feet (7,000 meters). Searchers trying to find and retrieve wreckage and bodies from Air France Flight 447, which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean in 2009, had to use unmanned submarines. It took nearly two years to find the bulk of the wreckage, including the flight data recorders, in waters nearly 12,000 feet deep. It took even longer to determine what happened to the plane.

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Image copyright AP Image caption Tariq Aziz (right) was the instantly-recognisable face of Saddam Hussein's regime As former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's main link with the world, Tariq Aziz became a familiar figure around the globe, most notably during the Gulf wars of 1991 and 2003. With his cheery, urbane manner and passing resemblance to Groucho Marx, Tariq Aziz was the instantly-recognisable face of Saddam Hussein's regime. But, behind the scenes, the Iraqi foreign minister and deputy prime minister proved to be a formidable negotiator and diplomat. A fluent English speaker, Tariq Aziz was the only Christian - a Chaldean Catholic - in Iraq's cabinet. He was born Michael Yuhanna in 1936 near Mosul in northern Iraq. His family circumstances were humble - his father was a waiter. The young Yuhanna read English literature at Baghdad University before pursuing a career as a teacher of English, then as a journalist. Kuwait invasion He also joined the Baath party, changed his name to Tariq Aziz, and was involved in propaganda work after the 10-month Baathist coup in 1963. After the Baathists took power in 1968, he became editor of the regime's newspaper and then information minister. In 1977, he joined the Revolutionary Command Council - the committee of senior Baath Party officials which effectively ruled Iraq. In 1983 Saddam, who shied away from travelling abroad, made Aziz his foreign minister. Image copyright AP Image caption Tariq Aziz with then UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in 1998 Within months he had rebuilt diplomatic bridges with the United States, after a hiatus of 17 years. He managed to convince Donald Rumsfeld, then a private emissary from President Ronald Reagan, that Iraq was a crucial buffer against the Islamist state of Iran, which Iraq was then fighting. Then, after the invasion of Kuwait in August 1990, when Iraq was almost totally isolated, Aziz deftly negotiated a pact with Iran. In a series of drawn-out meetings with the-then UN Secretary-General, Perez de Cuellar, and the US Secretary of State, James Baker, Aziz consistently put forward the view that Kuwait was part of Iraq and that any negotiations must take in the whole Palestinian question. Afterwards Aziz said: "When it comes to the Arabs, you raise the stick, and we are fed up with this policy of double standards." Prison plea But the US-led attack which followed did little to damage Aziz's career. In the run-up to the 2003 Gulf War, he once more played a leading role in negotiations. While arguing that Iraq posed no military threat, he believed that conflict was inevitable and laid the blame squarely on two factors - "oil and Israel". He surrendered to US troops on 24 April 2003 despite having previously declared that he would rather die than become a prisoner of war. Image copyright AP Image caption Tariq Aziz with then Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov at a press conference in Baghdad In a letter published in the Observer newspaper in May 2005, Aziz wrote: "We have been in prison for a long time and we have been cut off from our families. No contacts, no phones, no letters. Even the parcels sent to us by our families are not given to us. We need a fair treatment, a fair investigation and finally a fair trial. Please help us." In October 2005, evidence allegedly given by Aziz formed the basis of a claim in a US Senate report that the UK MP, George Galloway, had lied while under oath in a Senate hearing. Mr Galloway, a friend of Tariq Aziz, has vigorously denied claims that he received 23 million barrels of oil from Saddam Hussein, which should have formed part of Iraq's oil-for-food programme. In April 2008, Aziz finally went on trial accused of complicity in the execution of 42 Iraqi traders who had been accused of manipulating food prices while Iraq was subject to international trade sanctions. He was convicted in March 2009 of crimes against humanity and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment. Five months later he was convicted of having been involved in the forced displacement of Kurds in northern Iraq and given another seven years behind bars. Though Saddam Hussein was said to listen to him, Aziz was never a powerful or influential member of the regime. This was reflected in his lowly ranking as the eight of spades in the US military's famous "deck of cards" that was used to identify the most-wanted members. Above all, Aziz was loyal to his master, who trusted him to act as his mouthpiece before the world. ||||| Tariq Aziz, Iraq's former deputy prime minister and foreign minister, has died in prison aged 79 years old. Iraqi officials said Aziz, who was one of the former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's top deputies, died on Friday afternoon after suffering a heart attack on Thursday. Al Jazeera has learned that Aziz's son, Ziad, expressed outrage that Iraqi officials had not informed him of his father's death, and he had instead found out through local media reports. Aziz was Iraq's foreign minister between 1983 and 1991 and deputy prime minister between 1979 and 2003. Born Mikhail Yuhanna in 1936, Aziz was the highest ranking Christian official under Saddam's presidency and a member of the former ruling Baath Party's inner circle. He was sentenced to death by the Iraqi High Tribunal in 2010 for his role in human rights abuses committed under the former government, which was overthrown in 2003 when Iraq was invaded by a US-led alliance. Iraq's public face Aziz surrendered to US forces shortly after the invasion and had been a prisoner since. Al Jazeera's Imran Khan, reporting from Baghdad, said Aziz was one of the most hated figures from the old regime and Iraqi TV stations had largely ignored his death. "There will be no eulogies for him, no day of mourning for him. He was hated as a member of the former regime," he said. One of the best known faces of Saddam's Iraq, Aziz travelled globally where he defended his leader against the many accusations of alleged human rights abuses. When the US prepared for its campaign to end the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait prior to the first Gulf War, Aziz hit out at Arab states, calling them "subservient Arab weaklings". Aziz remained loyal to his boss in the aftermath of defeat during that war, and through the 12 years of sanctions that followed. In the run-up to the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, Aziz was the "eight of spades" on the famous deck of cards of Iraq's most wanted released by US authorities. "He was always seen as someone who could try and prevent the impending US invasion. He was always seen as a diplomat," Al Jazeera's Khan said. ||||| Image copyright AFP Image caption Tariq Aziz (right) played a prominent role in Saddam Hussein's reign as Iraq's president Tariq Aziz, known as the face of Saddam Hussein's regime on the world stage for many years, has died in an Iraqi hospital, officials say. Aziz, 79, served as foreign minister and deputy prime minister and was a close adviser to the former leader. He was sentenced to death by the Iraqi Supreme Court in 2010 for the persecution of religious parties under Saddam's rule but was never executed. He surrendered to US troops in 2003 shortly after the fall of Baghdad. A local health official told reporters that he was taken to hospital from prison after suffering a heart attack. Initial reports said he had died in prison. He had long been in poor health, suffering from heart and respiratory problems, high blood pressure and diabetes, and his family repeatedly called for his release from custody. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The BBC's Caroline Hawley: "He surrendered shortly after the regime was toppled" His wife, Violet, had visited him in prison on Thursday, their daughter Zeinab told the AP news agency. She said her father had suffered several strokes that left him confined to a wheelchair and unable to speak during her parents' final meeting. "He didn't move. He couldn't talk. He didn't say a word to her. He just looked at her," said Zeinab, adding: "It is so sad that he had to go this way." 'Eight of spades' Aziz, who was known for his black-rimmed glasses and love of cigars, first came to prominence while serving as foreign minister during the first Gulf War in 1991. As a Christian in a mainly Sunni Muslim government, he was not considered a member of Saddam Hussein's innermost circle. A fluent English speaker, he played a vocal role before the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, meeting Pope John Paul II in the Vatican to call for peace. But when Baghdad fell, his lack of influence was reflected in his lowly ranking as the eight of spades in the US military's famous "deck of cards" used to identify the most-wanted players in Saddam's regime. Analysis: Paul Adams, BBC diplomatic correspondent Image copyright AFP Image caption As a fluent English speaker, Aziz was often deployed to explain Saddam's actions Tariq Aziz was one of the most visible of Saddam Hussein's lieutenants and, it seems, one of the most loyal. He frequently represented Iraq on the international stage, speaking fluent English and giving a monstrous regime an urbane, often charming face. And like Saddam, he was often seen puffing on fat Cuban cigars. When Iraq found itself in dock, as it did after its invasion of Kuwait in 1990, it invariably fell to Tariq Aziz to explain Saddam's actions to an exasperated world. He did it doggedly, often infuriatingly, for decades. As an ethnic Chaldean from northern Iraq, he was also the only Christian member of Saddam's entourage, which made him useful as an envoy for an secular regime. It also made him an outsider in Baghdad. Western diplomats never doubted his loyalty to Saddam, but wondered how much he really knew about his master's secrets. Obituary: Tariq Aziz Tariq Aziz: Saddam's dangerously loyal courtier In 2009, Aziz was sentenced to 15 years for the execution of 42 Iraqi traders who had been accused of manipulating food prices while Iraq was subject to international trade sanctions. Five months later, he was sentenced to another seven years in prison for his role in the forced displacement of Kurds. Despite being sentenced to death in 2010, there never seemed any huge pressure to carry out the sentence, according to BBC Arab affairs editor Sebastian Usher. ||||| Tariq Aziz, the debonair Iraqi diplomat who made his name by staunchly defending Saddam Hussein to the world during three wars and was later sentenced to death as part of the regime that killed hundreds of thousands of its own people, has died in a hospital in southern Iraq, officials said. He was 79. Aziz, who had been in custody in a prison in the south awaiting execution, died Friday afternoon after he was taken to the al-Hussein hospital in the city of Nasiriyah following a heart attack, according to the provincial governor, Yahya al-Nassiri. Aziz, the highest-ranking Christian in Saddam's regime, was its international face for years. He was sentenced in 2010 to hang for persecuting members of the Shiite Muslim religious parties that now dominate Iraq. His wife, Violet, had visited him in prison Thursday, their daughter Zeinab told The Associated Press in the Jordanian capital, Amman, where most of the family lives. Her father had suffered several strokes that left him confined to a wheelchair and unable to speak during their parents' final meeting, she said. "He didn't move. He couldn't talk. He didn't say a word to her. He just looked at her," said Zeinab, 46, fighting back tears. "It is so sad that he had to go this way," she said, speaking outside the family's Amman home, where friends and relatives gathered. "So sad that he didn't see his grandchildren, so sad that he had to spend his last years alone, sick and alone, and in this very humiliating circumstance." "But I want people to remember what he did," she added. "He really fought for his country, in his own way." Al-Nassiri, the governor of Dhi Qar province, said doctors could not save Aziz at the hospital in Nasiriyah, about 320 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Baghdad. "The medical staff did their best to rescue him, but they failed. It is God's will," he said, adding that Aziz had been a chain smoker and suffered from diabetes and high blood pressure for a long time. Local Iraqi authorities later told the family it can take Aziz's body from the hospital morgue. The only Christian among Saddam's inner circle, Aziz's religion rescued him from the hangman's noose that was the fate of other members of the top regime leadership. After he was sentenced to death, the Vatican asked for mercy for him as a Christian. Iraq's president at the time, Jalal Talabani, then refused to give the death sentence his required signature, citing Aziz's age and religion. Even before he was sentenced, the ailing Aziz appeared to know that he would die in custody. He had had several strokes while in custody undergoing trial multiple times for various regime crimes. "I have no future. I have no future," Aziz told The AP, looking frail and speaking with difficulty because of a recent stroke, in a jailhouse interview in September 2010. At that stage, he had been sentenced to more than two decades in prison. "I'm sick and tired but I wish Iraq and Iraqis well," he said. Elegant and eloquent, Aziz spoke fluent English, smoked Cuban cigars and was loyal to Saddam to the last, even naming one of his sons after the dictator. His posts included that of foreign minister and deputy prime minister, and he sat on the Revolutionary Command Council, the highest body in Saddam's regime.

– Tariq Aziz, who during his years as Iraq's foreign minister and deputy prime minister was one of Saddam Hussein's close advisers, has died at the age of 79, the BBC reports. Iraqi officials say Aziz suffered a heart attack yesterday at the Iraqi prison where he had been jailed, and he died earlier today, per al-Jazeera. The AP notes he died in a hospital in southern Iraq. The highest-ranked Christian in Hussein's regime surrendered to US troops in 2003 and was sentenced to death in 2010 by the Iraqi Supreme Court for religious persecution; he had been imprisoned since then. With his large glasses and what the BBC calls a "passing resemblance to Groucho Marx," Aziz was a recognizable face around the world during the Gulf War in the early '90s and the 2003 US invasion of Iraq. His status as a Christian may have played a role in saving his life: After his death sentence was handed down, the Vatican asked for mercy for him, and Iraq's then-president opted not to sign the paperwork to greenlight his hanging, the AP notes. But Aziz appeared to realize he would die behind bars: He had multiple strokes while imprisoned, per the news agency, and spoke with difficulty during a 2010 jailhouse interview with the AP. "I have no future. I have no future," he said at the time. "I'm sick and tired, but I wish Iraq and Iraqis well."

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Image copyright AP Image caption Tariq Aziz (right) was the instantly-recognisable face of Saddam Hussein's regime As former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's main link with the world, Tariq Aziz became a familiar figure around the globe, most notably during the Gulf wars of 1991 and 2003. With his cheery, urbane manner and passing resemblance to Groucho Marx, Tariq Aziz was the instantly-recognisable face of Saddam Hussein's regime. But, behind the scenes, the Iraqi foreign minister and deputy prime minister proved to be a formidable negotiator and diplomat. A fluent English speaker, Tariq Aziz was the only Christian - a Chaldean Catholic - in Iraq's cabinet. He was born Michael Yuhanna in 1936 near Mosul in northern Iraq. His family circumstances were humble - his father was a waiter. The young Yuhanna read English literature at Baghdad University before pursuing a career as a teacher of English, then as a journalist. Kuwait invasion He also joined the Baath party, changed his name to Tariq Aziz, and was involved in propaganda work after the 10-month Baathist coup in 1963. After the Baathists took power in 1968, he became editor of the regime's newspaper and then information minister. In 1977, he joined the Revolutionary Command Council - the committee of senior Baath Party officials which effectively ruled Iraq. In 1983 Saddam, who shied away from travelling abroad, made Aziz his foreign minister. Image copyright AP Image caption Tariq Aziz with then UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in 1998 Within months he had rebuilt diplomatic bridges with the United States, after a hiatus of 17 years. He managed to convince Donald Rumsfeld, then a private emissary from President Ronald Reagan, that Iraq was a crucial buffer against the Islamist state of Iran, which Iraq was then fighting. Then, after the invasion of Kuwait in August 1990, when Iraq was almost totally isolated, Aziz deftly negotiated a pact with Iran. In a series of drawn-out meetings with the-then UN Secretary-General, Perez de Cuellar, and the US Secretary of State, James Baker, Aziz consistently put forward the view that Kuwait was part of Iraq and that any negotiations must take in the whole Palestinian question. Afterwards Aziz said: "When it comes to the Arabs, you raise the stick, and we are fed up with this policy of double standards." Prison plea But the US-led attack which followed did little to damage Aziz's career. In the run-up to the 2003 Gulf War, he once more played a leading role in negotiations. While arguing that Iraq posed no military threat, he believed that conflict was inevitable and laid the blame squarely on two factors - "oil and Israel". He surrendered to US troops on 24 April 2003 despite having previously declared that he would rather die than become a prisoner of war. Image copyright AP Image caption Tariq Aziz with then Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov at a press conference in Baghdad In a letter published in the Observer newspaper in May 2005, Aziz wrote: "We have been in prison for a long time and we have been cut off from our families. No contacts, no phones, no letters. Even the parcels sent to us by our families are not given to us. We need a fair treatment, a fair investigation and finally a fair trial. Please help us." In October 2005, evidence allegedly given by Aziz formed the basis of a claim in a US Senate report that the UK MP, George Galloway, had lied while under oath in a Senate hearing. Mr Galloway, a friend of Tariq Aziz, has vigorously denied claims that he received 23 million barrels of oil from Saddam Hussein, which should have formed part of Iraq's oil-for-food programme. In April 2008, Aziz finally went on trial accused of complicity in the execution of 42 Iraqi traders who had been accused of manipulating food prices while Iraq was subject to international trade sanctions. He was convicted in March 2009 of crimes against humanity and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment. Five months later he was convicted of having been involved in the forced displacement of Kurds in northern Iraq and given another seven years behind bars. Though Saddam Hussein was said to listen to him, Aziz was never a powerful or influential member of the regime. This was reflected in his lowly ranking as the eight of spades in the US military's famous "deck of cards" that was used to identify the most-wanted members. Above all, Aziz was loyal to his master, who trusted him to act as his mouthpiece before the world. ||||| Tariq Aziz, Iraq's former deputy prime minister and foreign minister, has died in prison aged 79 years old. Iraqi officials said Aziz, who was one of the former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's top deputies, died on Friday afternoon after suffering a heart attack on Thursday. Al Jazeera has learned that Aziz's son, Ziad, expressed outrage that Iraqi officials had not informed him of his father's death, and he had instead found out through local media reports. Aziz was Iraq's foreign minister between 1983 and 1991 and deputy prime minister between 1979 and 2003. Born Mikhail Yuhanna in 1936, Aziz was the highest ranking Christian official under Saddam's presidency and a member of the former ruling Baath Party's inner circle. He was sentenced to death by the Iraqi High Tribunal in 2010 for his role in human rights abuses committed under the former government, which was overthrown in 2003 when Iraq was invaded by a US-led alliance. Iraq's public face Aziz surrendered to US forces shortly after the invasion and had been a prisoner since. Al Jazeera's Imran Khan, reporting from Baghdad, said Aziz was one of the most hated figures from the old regime and Iraqi TV stations had largely ignored his death. "There will be no eulogies for him, no day of mourning for him. He was hated as a member of the former regime," he said. One of the best known faces of Saddam's Iraq, Aziz travelled globally where he defended his leader against the many accusations of alleged human rights abuses. When the US prepared for its campaign to end the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait prior to the first Gulf War, Aziz hit out at Arab states, calling them "subservient Arab weaklings". Aziz remained loyal to his boss in the aftermath of defeat during that war, and through the 12 years of sanctions that followed. In the run-up to the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, Aziz was the "eight of spades" on the famous deck of cards of Iraq's most wanted released by US authorities. "He was always seen as someone who could try and prevent the impending US invasion. He was always seen as a diplomat," Al Jazeera's Khan said. ||||| Image copyright AFP Image caption Tariq Aziz (right) played a prominent role in Saddam Hussein's reign as Iraq's president Tariq Aziz, known as the face of Saddam Hussein's regime on the world stage for many years, has died in an Iraqi hospital, officials say. Aziz, 79, served as foreign minister and deputy prime minister and was a close adviser to the former leader. He was sentenced to death by the Iraqi Supreme Court in 2010 for the persecution of religious parties under Saddam's rule but was never executed. He surrendered to US troops in 2003 shortly after the fall of Baghdad. A local health official told reporters that he was taken to hospital from prison after suffering a heart attack. Initial reports said he had died in prison. He had long been in poor health, suffering from heart and respiratory problems, high blood pressure and diabetes, and his family repeatedly called for his release from custody. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The BBC's Caroline Hawley: "He surrendered shortly after the regime was toppled" His wife, Violet, had visited him in prison on Thursday, their daughter Zeinab told the AP news agency. She said her father had suffered several strokes that left him confined to a wheelchair and unable to speak during her parents' final meeting. "He didn't move. He couldn't talk. He didn't say a word to her. He just looked at her," said Zeinab, adding: "It is so sad that he had to go this way." 'Eight of spades' Aziz, who was known for his black-rimmed glasses and love of cigars, first came to prominence while serving as foreign minister during the first Gulf War in 1991. As a Christian in a mainly Sunni Muslim government, he was not considered a member of Saddam Hussein's innermost circle. A fluent English speaker, he played a vocal role before the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, meeting Pope John Paul II in the Vatican to call for peace. But when Baghdad fell, his lack of influence was reflected in his lowly ranking as the eight of spades in the US military's famous "deck of cards" used to identify the most-wanted players in Saddam's regime. Analysis: Paul Adams, BBC diplomatic correspondent Image copyright AFP Image caption As a fluent English speaker, Aziz was often deployed to explain Saddam's actions Tariq Aziz was one of the most visible of Saddam Hussein's lieutenants and, it seems, one of the most loyal. He frequently represented Iraq on the international stage, speaking fluent English and giving a monstrous regime an urbane, often charming face. And like Saddam, he was often seen puffing on fat Cuban cigars. When Iraq found itself in dock, as it did after its invasion of Kuwait in 1990, it invariably fell to Tariq Aziz to explain Saddam's actions to an exasperated world. He did it doggedly, often infuriatingly, for decades. As an ethnic Chaldean from northern Iraq, he was also the only Christian member of Saddam's entourage, which made him useful as an envoy for an secular regime. It also made him an outsider in Baghdad. Western diplomats never doubted his loyalty to Saddam, but wondered how much he really knew about his master's secrets. Obituary: Tariq Aziz Tariq Aziz: Saddam's dangerously loyal courtier In 2009, Aziz was sentenced to 15 years for the execution of 42 Iraqi traders who had been accused of manipulating food prices while Iraq was subject to international trade sanctions. Five months later, he was sentenced to another seven years in prison for his role in the forced displacement of Kurds. Despite being sentenced to death in 2010, there never seemed any huge pressure to carry out the sentence, according to BBC Arab affairs editor Sebastian Usher. ||||| Tariq Aziz, the debonair Iraqi diplomat who made his name by staunchly defending Saddam Hussein to the world during three wars and was later sentenced to death as part of the regime that killed hundreds of thousands of its own people, has died in a hospital in southern Iraq, officials said. He was 79. Aziz, who had been in custody in a prison in the south awaiting execution, died Friday afternoon after he was taken to the al-Hussein hospital in the city of Nasiriyah following a heart attack, according to the provincial governor, Yahya al-Nassiri. Aziz, the highest-ranking Christian in Saddam's regime, was its international face for years. He was sentenced in 2010 to hang for persecuting members of the Shiite Muslim religious parties that now dominate Iraq. His wife, Violet, had visited him in prison Thursday, their daughter Zeinab told The Associated Press in the Jordanian capital, Amman, where most of the family lives. Her father had suffered several strokes that left him confined to a wheelchair and unable to speak during their parents' final meeting, she said. "He didn't move. He couldn't talk. He didn't say a word to her. He just looked at her," said Zeinab, 46, fighting back tears. "It is so sad that he had to go this way," she said, speaking outside the family's Amman home, where friends and relatives gathered. "So sad that he didn't see his grandchildren, so sad that he had to spend his last years alone, sick and alone, and in this very humiliating circumstance." "But I want people to remember what he did," she added. "He really fought for his country, in his own way." Al-Nassiri, the governor of Dhi Qar province, said doctors could not save Aziz at the hospital in Nasiriyah, about 320 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Baghdad. "The medical staff did their best to rescue him, but they failed. It is God's will," he said, adding that Aziz had been a chain smoker and suffered from diabetes and high blood pressure for a long time. Local Iraqi authorities later told the family it can take Aziz's body from the hospital morgue. The only Christian among Saddam's inner circle, Aziz's religion rescued him from the hangman's noose that was the fate of other members of the top regime leadership. After he was sentenced to death, the Vatican asked for mercy for him as a Christian. Iraq's president at the time, Jalal Talabani, then refused to give the death sentence his required signature, citing Aziz's age and religion. Even before he was sentenced, the ailing Aziz appeared to know that he would die in custody. He had had several strokes while in custody undergoing trial multiple times for various regime crimes. "I have no future. I have no future," Aziz told The AP, looking frail and speaking with difficulty because of a recent stroke, in a jailhouse interview in September 2010. At that stage, he had been sentenced to more than two decades in prison. "I'm sick and tired but I wish Iraq and Iraqis well," he said. Elegant and eloquent, Aziz spoke fluent English, smoked Cuban cigars and was loyal to Saddam to the last, even naming one of his sons after the dictator. His posts included that of foreign minister and deputy prime minister, and he sat on the Revolutionary Command Council, the highest body in Saddam's regime.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Beijing has revved up its 2009 GDP volume at more than US$5.29 trillion, exceeding Japan's US$5.08 trillion. China's National Bureau of Statistics revised up the country's GDP (gross domestic product) growth rate for 2009 from 8.7 percent to 9.1 percent. After a detailed check-up, the bureau modified the volume of GDP, a major gauge of a country or a region's economic production, to 34.0507 trillion yuan (US$5.296 trillion) last year, according to a Xinhua report. With the upward revisions, China has surpassed Japan as the world's second-largest economy. Japan posted nominal GDP of US$ 5.085 trillion last year. Most economists forecast China's economy will grow more than 10 percent in 2010, powered by strong domestic consumption and government-inspired investments in high-speed trains and new energies. By People's Daily Online ||||| With China’s government publishing revised figures on the nation’s economic output, it’s time once again to check in on a closely-watched statistical horse-race with Japan. Fast-growing China is expected to soon surpass Japan as the world’s second-largest national economy after the U.S. -- in terms of annual output measured in U.S. dollars at market exchange rates. (There are other ways of ranking economies that would produce different results: in terms of purchasing power parity, China has been the world’s second-largest economy for a long time. And if you count the European Union as a single economy, it is the world’s largest, pushing the U.S. to second place.) ||||| China on Friday revised up 2009 gross domestic product growth to 9.1% from 8.7% on the back of higher output from industry and services. The revision means China was even closer at the end of 2009 to overtaking Japan as the world's second-largest economy -- a status it is virtually certain to secure this year on current growth trends. China's output last year totalled 34.05 trillion yuan (USD 5.02 trillion), up from an initial estimate of 33.54 trillion yuan, the National Bureau of Statistics said on its website, www.stats.gov.cn. At last December's exchange rate that was about USD 4.98 trillion, compared with USD 5.1 trillion for Japan, according to the International Monetary Fund. The NBS revised growth in China's industrial sector to 9.9% from 9.5%. Services expanded by 9.3%, revised from 8.9%. The growth rate of the agricultural sector was unchanged at 4.2%. After the revisions, industry made up 46.3% of total GDP (48.6% in 2008), services 43.4 percent (40.1% in 2008) and agriculture 10.3% (11.3% in 2008). On World Bank figures, Japan's GDP was 11.9 percent bigger than China's at the end of 2008. Using the so-called Atlas method that the bank prefers to measure the relative sizes of economies, Japan was 20 percent bigger than China in 2008. (Reporting by Zhou Xin and Langi Chiang; Editing by Alan Wheatley and Chris Lewis) (For more business news on Reuters India click http://in.reuters.com) ||||| China came closer to surpassing Japan as the world’s second biggest economy Friday as the National Board of Statistics revised its 2009 GDP figure up from 8.7 per cent to 9.1. The move helped to reverse earlier losses on the mainland’s main Shanghai index after Goldman Sachs revised its full-year 2010 GDP growth forecast from 11.4 per cent to 10.1.Goldman’s bearish tone triggered a 2.3 per cent fall on the Shanghai Composite, to hit a 15-month intraday low. The NBS revision did little to appease investors in Hong Kong where Hang Seng fell 1.1 per cent to a three week low of 19,905, as anticipation for AgBank’s listing mops up liquidity in the market. Asian markets were mixed, reflecting a lack of clarity on the direction of regional economic growth.China’s renminbi made its biggest gain against the dollar since its revaluation, after the central bank set its yuan reference rate against the dollar at 6.7720 – the highest level since 2005. It reached a pitch of 6.7700 against the dollar in day trading. The Hong Kong Hang Seng dropped 1.1 per cent where China-based Foxconn International, the world’s top contract manufacturer of mobile phones, sank 4.5 per cent to HK$4.88. Chinese state-controlled oil company Cnooc fell 3.3 per cent to HK$12.94. In Shanghai, the Composite was up 0.4 per cent to 2,382.901, as investors questioned whether the market was seriously oversold. China’s biggest producer of copper, Jiangxi Copper fell 1.4 per cent to 23.02 yuan, while Aluminum Copper fell 1.7 per cent to 8.76 yuan. Yanzhou mining dropped 1.7 per cent to 15.53 yuan. The Shenzhen composite was down 0.6 per cent to 925.678. Taiwan was the regional bright spot, where the main index rose 1.1 per cent after President Ma Ying-jeou said Taiwan’s trade accord with China this week would “accelerate economic integration in the region.” The index closed at 7,330.74. Singapore’s Straits Times index up 0.9 per cent to 2,844.19. In Indonesia the IDX composite was down 0.1 per cent at 2,871.554. Shares on the main index in Manila were down 0.7 per cent at3,290.98. Thailand’s SET index was up 0.7 per cent at 802.57. Vietnam’s main index was down 0.1 per cent at 503.65. India’s Sensex index was down 0.3 per cent to 17,460.95.

– The US is the world's No. 1 economy, but who's No. 2? It depends who you ask. In the English-language version of the People's Daily Online, China declares that its newly revised GDP puts it in second place over Japan. But a slew of other observers, including the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and MoneyControl say Beijing remains in third (barely) based on IMF exchange rates. Though even if they're right, it's just a matter of time. "Close, but no cigar," writes Andrew Batson at the Journal. "China is still likely to have to wait until the end of 2010 to pass this symbolic milestone."

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Beijing has revved up its 2009 GDP volume at more than US$5.29 trillion, exceeding Japan's US$5.08 trillion. China's National Bureau of Statistics revised up the country's GDP (gross domestic product) growth rate for 2009 from 8.7 percent to 9.1 percent. After a detailed check-up, the bureau modified the volume of GDP, a major gauge of a country or a region's economic production, to 34.0507 trillion yuan (US$5.296 trillion) last year, according to a Xinhua report. With the upward revisions, China has surpassed Japan as the world's second-largest economy. Japan posted nominal GDP of US$ 5.085 trillion last year. Most economists forecast China's economy will grow more than 10 percent in 2010, powered by strong domestic consumption and government-inspired investments in high-speed trains and new energies. By People's Daily Online ||||| With China’s government publishing revised figures on the nation’s economic output, it’s time once again to check in on a closely-watched statistical horse-race with Japan. Fast-growing China is expected to soon surpass Japan as the world’s second-largest national economy after the U.S. -- in terms of annual output measured in U.S. dollars at market exchange rates. (There are other ways of ranking economies that would produce different results: in terms of purchasing power parity, China has been the world’s second-largest economy for a long time. And if you count the European Union as a single economy, it is the world’s largest, pushing the U.S. to second place.) ||||| China on Friday revised up 2009 gross domestic product growth to 9.1% from 8.7% on the back of higher output from industry and services. The revision means China was even closer at the end of 2009 to overtaking Japan as the world's second-largest economy -- a status it is virtually certain to secure this year on current growth trends. China's output last year totalled 34.05 trillion yuan (USD 5.02 trillion), up from an initial estimate of 33.54 trillion yuan, the National Bureau of Statistics said on its website, www.stats.gov.cn. At last December's exchange rate that was about USD 4.98 trillion, compared with USD 5.1 trillion for Japan, according to the International Monetary Fund. The NBS revised growth in China's industrial sector to 9.9% from 9.5%. Services expanded by 9.3%, revised from 8.9%. The growth rate of the agricultural sector was unchanged at 4.2%. After the revisions, industry made up 46.3% of total GDP (48.6% in 2008), services 43.4 percent (40.1% in 2008) and agriculture 10.3% (11.3% in 2008). On World Bank figures, Japan's GDP was 11.9 percent bigger than China's at the end of 2008. Using the so-called Atlas method that the bank prefers to measure the relative sizes of economies, Japan was 20 percent bigger than China in 2008. (Reporting by Zhou Xin and Langi Chiang; Editing by Alan Wheatley and Chris Lewis) (For more business news on Reuters India click http://in.reuters.com) ||||| China came closer to surpassing Japan as the world’s second biggest economy Friday as the National Board of Statistics revised its 2009 GDP figure up from 8.7 per cent to 9.1. The move helped to reverse earlier losses on the mainland’s main Shanghai index after Goldman Sachs revised its full-year 2010 GDP growth forecast from 11.4 per cent to 10.1.Goldman’s bearish tone triggered a 2.3 per cent fall on the Shanghai Composite, to hit a 15-month intraday low. The NBS revision did little to appease investors in Hong Kong where Hang Seng fell 1.1 per cent to a three week low of 19,905, as anticipation for AgBank’s listing mops up liquidity in the market. Asian markets were mixed, reflecting a lack of clarity on the direction of regional economic growth.China’s renminbi made its biggest gain against the dollar since its revaluation, after the central bank set its yuan reference rate against the dollar at 6.7720 – the highest level since 2005. It reached a pitch of 6.7700 against the dollar in day trading. The Hong Kong Hang Seng dropped 1.1 per cent where China-based Foxconn International, the world’s top contract manufacturer of mobile phones, sank 4.5 per cent to HK$4.88. Chinese state-controlled oil company Cnooc fell 3.3 per cent to HK$12.94. In Shanghai, the Composite was up 0.4 per cent to 2,382.901, as investors questioned whether the market was seriously oversold. China’s biggest producer of copper, Jiangxi Copper fell 1.4 per cent to 23.02 yuan, while Aluminum Copper fell 1.7 per cent to 8.76 yuan. Yanzhou mining dropped 1.7 per cent to 15.53 yuan. The Shenzhen composite was down 0.6 per cent to 925.678. Taiwan was the regional bright spot, where the main index rose 1.1 per cent after President Ma Ying-jeou said Taiwan’s trade accord with China this week would “accelerate economic integration in the region.” The index closed at 7,330.74. Singapore’s Straits Times index up 0.9 per cent to 2,844.19. In Indonesia the IDX composite was down 0.1 per cent at 2,871.554. Shares on the main index in Manila were down 0.7 per cent at3,290.98. Thailand’s SET index was up 0.7 per cent at 802.57. Vietnam’s main index was down 0.1 per cent at 503.65. India’s Sensex index was down 0.3 per cent to 17,460.95.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Yet, here we are at the start of another primary season, with Romney once again awaiting the verdict from New Hampshire that could sink or propel the presidential ambitions he’s harbored at least since his father’s were dashed in 1968. And here we are, once again, watching the media and blogosphere — even the sober Wall Street Journal — fixate on Romney’s treatment of his dog nearly three decades ago. I’m wading in again because I’ve come to believe that the endurance of the Seamus story sheds fascinating light on our media and political cultures. Just as interesting is the light it sheds on Romney himself. To recap: Sometime during a 12-hour drive from Boston to Canada in 1983, Mitt’s oldest son, Tagg, noticed a brown liquid running down the rear window of the family station wagon. Realizing the liquid was being discharged by their dog, Mitt pulled off the highway and into a gas station, borrowed a hose to wash down Seamus and the car, and then returned the dog to his rooftop carrier for the duration of the trip. Most media reports have accurately relayed those basics. However, exaggerations and faulty assumptions have been advanced, most notably by New York Times columnist Gail Collins, who has trotted out the ghost of poor Seamus in more than 30 of her pieces since 2007. ||||| Newt Gingrich is on the attack against Mitt Romney, over his work at Bain Capital, over his record as Massachusetts and now over how he treats his pets. A web ad released today by the Gingrich campaign revives the story of a Romney family road trip 25 years ago during which Romney strapped a dog carrier, with the family's Irish setter Seamus inside, to the roof of his station wagon for the 12-hour drive from Boston to Ontario, Canada. Word of Romney's dog-on-the-roof, road-trip seating chart infuriated animal activists and pet owners during his 2008 White House bid after a Boston Globe story detailed the incident. At a campaign event in South Carolina last week, a protester with a sign that read " Dogs Against Romney" greeted Romney supporters while standing next to a car with a stuffed animal dog strapped to the roof. "This is a completely air-tight kennel, mounted on the top of our car," Romney says in the ad, defending his dog placement in a Fox News clip. "He was in a kennel at home a great deal of time as well. It was where he was comfortable." The video then shows white words flashing across a black screen: "Imagine what Obama would do with a candidate like that." The ad, titled "For the Dogs," includes six other clips of Romney's most often-cited verbal gaffes including his "corporations are people too" argument at the Iowa state fair, his "I like to fire people" statement earlier this week nd his "$10,000 bet" from a GOP debate last month. As of now, the ad will not air on television, Gingrich spokesman RC Hammond said. Gingrich and Romney are squaring off for an ad battle royale in South Carolina. Super PACs supporting the two candidates have announced ad buys that total a combined $5 million in the Palmetto State .

– A long-dead Irish setter and a revived issue has provided Newt Gingrich with more ammunition to use against Mitt Romney. In 1983, Romney and his family drove from Boston to Canada with Seamus, the family dog, in a carrier strapped to the roof of the car. At some point during the 12-hour drive, Seamus suffered a bout of diarrhea and Romney hosed down the dog and the car before returning him to the carrier. A new Gingrich ad uses a clip from an old interview in which Romney defends his treatment of the dog, ABC reports. "This is a completely air-tight kennel, mounted on the top of our car,” Romney says in the ad. “He was in a kennel at home a great deal of time as well. It was where he was comfortable." The Seamus story first surfaced during Romney's previous White House bid, and Neil Swidey, the Boston Globe reporter who unearthed it, says he finds its endurance fascinating. The story "struck me as a valuable window into how Romney operates," he writes. "In everything the guy does, he functions on logic, not emotion."

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Yet, here we are at the start of another primary season, with Romney once again awaiting the verdict from New Hampshire that could sink or propel the presidential ambitions he’s harbored at least since his father’s were dashed in 1968. And here we are, once again, watching the media and blogosphere — even the sober Wall Street Journal — fixate on Romney’s treatment of his dog nearly three decades ago. I’m wading in again because I’ve come to believe that the endurance of the Seamus story sheds fascinating light on our media and political cultures. Just as interesting is the light it sheds on Romney himself. To recap: Sometime during a 12-hour drive from Boston to Canada in 1983, Mitt’s oldest son, Tagg, noticed a brown liquid running down the rear window of the family station wagon. Realizing the liquid was being discharged by their dog, Mitt pulled off the highway and into a gas station, borrowed a hose to wash down Seamus and the car, and then returned the dog to his rooftop carrier for the duration of the trip. Most media reports have accurately relayed those basics. However, exaggerations and faulty assumptions have been advanced, most notably by New York Times columnist Gail Collins, who has trotted out the ghost of poor Seamus in more than 30 of her pieces since 2007. ||||| Newt Gingrich is on the attack against Mitt Romney, over his work at Bain Capital, over his record as Massachusetts and now over how he treats his pets. A web ad released today by the Gingrich campaign revives the story of a Romney family road trip 25 years ago during which Romney strapped a dog carrier, with the family's Irish setter Seamus inside, to the roof of his station wagon for the 12-hour drive from Boston to Ontario, Canada. Word of Romney's dog-on-the-roof, road-trip seating chart infuriated animal activists and pet owners during his 2008 White House bid after a Boston Globe story detailed the incident. At a campaign event in South Carolina last week, a protester with a sign that read " Dogs Against Romney" greeted Romney supporters while standing next to a car with a stuffed animal dog strapped to the roof. "This is a completely air-tight kennel, mounted on the top of our car," Romney says in the ad, defending his dog placement in a Fox News clip. "He was in a kennel at home a great deal of time as well. It was where he was comfortable." The video then shows white words flashing across a black screen: "Imagine what Obama would do with a candidate like that." The ad, titled "For the Dogs," includes six other clips of Romney's most often-cited verbal gaffes including his "corporations are people too" argument at the Iowa state fair, his "I like to fire people" statement earlier this week nd his "$10,000 bet" from a GOP debate last month. As of now, the ad will not air on television, Gingrich spokesman RC Hammond said. Gingrich and Romney are squaring off for an ad battle royale in South Carolina. Super PACs supporting the two candidates have announced ad buys that total a combined $5 million in the Palmetto State .

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Operation Shady RAT: The Biggest Hacking Attack Ever Researchers from security software concern McAfee say they have discovered the biggest series of computer intrusions ever, covering some 72 organizations and governments around the world, including the U.S., Taiwan, Vietnam, South Korea, Canada and India — some of them dating back as far as 2006. (See the map of targets, courtesy of McAfee, below.) And these aren’t the kind of cyber attacks carried out by bumbling troublemakers like the LulzSec gang, which make headlines but really only cause a nuisance for companies like Sony. In these cases, networks were compromised by remote access tools — or RATs, as they’re known in the industry. These tools — and they are tools, because they have legitimate uses for system administrators — give someone the ability to access a computer from across the country or around the world. In this case, however, they were secretly placed on the target systems, hidden from the eyes of day-to-day users and administrators, and were used to rifle through confidential files for useful information. It’s not for nothing that McAfee is calling this Operation Shady RAT. McAfee says the attacker was a “state actor,” though it declined to name it. I’ll give you three guesses who the leading candidate is, though you’ll probably need only one: China. Dmitri Alperovitch, McAfee’s Vice President, Threat Research, makes a statement in his blog entry on the discovery that should give everyone minding a corporate or government network pause: “I am convinced that every company in every conceivable industry with significant size and valuable intellectual property and trade secrets has been compromised (or will be shortly), with the great majority of the victims rarely discovering the intrusion or its impact.” He further divides the worldwide corporate landscape into two camps: Those who have been compromised and know it, and those who simply don’t know it yet. This has been a particularly nasty year on the cyber security front. (I hate to say it, but I told you so.) Prior to this, the big attack whose full impact has not yet been fully sized up was the one against the RSA SecureID system, which uses popular keychain devices that create a constantly changing series of numbers that in turn create a second password for access to system resources. They’re widely used in government and military circles and among defense contractors. Google has been a regular target in recent years. The RSA attack and Operation Shady RAT are examples, Alperovitch says, of an “Advanced Persistent Threat.” The phrase has come to be a buzzword that, loosely translated into English, means the worst kind of cyber attack you can imagine. Unlike the denial-of-service attacks and network intrusions carried out by LulzSec and its ilk, which require only minimal skill and marginal understanding of how networks and servers work, an APT is carried out by someone of very high skill who picks his targets carefully and sneaks inside them in a way that is difficult to detect, which allows access to the target system on an ongoing basis that may persist for years. How did these attacks happen? Its very simple: Someone at the target organization received an email that looked legitimate, but which contained an attachment that wasn’t. This is called “spear phishing,” and it has become the weapon of choice for sophisticated cyber attackers. The attachments are not what they appear to be — Word documents or spreadsheets or other routine things — and contain programs that piggyback on the targeted user’s level of access to the network. These programs then download malware which gives the attackers further access. This all happens in an automated way, but soon after, live attackers log in to the system to dig through what they can find, copy what they can, and make a getaway — though they often leave the doors unlocked so they can come back for repeat visits. Alperovitch notes — correctly, to my mind — that the phrase has been picked up and overused by the marketing departments of numerous security companies. His larger point is that too often those attacked in this way refuse to come forward and disclose what they’ve learned, thereby allowing the danger to continue for everyone else. Alperovitch says that the data taken in Operation Shady RAT adds up to several petabytes worth of information. It’s not clear how it has been used. But, as he says, “If even a fraction of it is used to build better competing products or beat a competitor at a key negotiation (due to having stolen the other team’s playbook), the loss represents a massive economic threat not just to individual companies and industries but to entire countries that face the prospect of decreased economic growth.” It’s also bad for a target’s national security, because defense contractors dealing in sensitive military matters are often the targets. The best thing that can happen is that victims start talking about their attacks and sharing information with each other so that everyone can be ready for the next one, which is surely coming. ||||| RAT - Remote Access Tool - is a technique that hackers use to gain access to computers and servers that allows it to siphon off data. In Operation Shady RAT, that data could include military and industrial secrets, emails from industries and more. If it could be stolen, it probably was. Victims range from the U.S. government, real estate agencies, the International Olympic Committee and small governments such as that of Taiwan. While many media organizations will call this "the biggest hack ever," it really should come as no surprise to anyone in the security field. Anybody involved in the IT and cybersecurity industry knows that every major industry and government agency around the world is under threat of intrusion through Advanced Persistent Threats (APT). Security company McAfee is reporting one of the largest cases of intrusion ever in a campaign the company calls Operation Shady RAT (PDF) that has infiltrated 72 known (and many other unknown) governments and corporations over the last five years. McAfee's white paper that details the exploits of Shady RAT does not mention who might have been perpetrating this particular APT. McAfee released the report to Vanity Fair that has made the assertion that the campaign probably originates in China. While that may be true, McAfee itself does not make that assertion. The reasoning behind blaming China is fairly simple - the data shows that almost every major country around China was hacked except for China itself. There is also the bit where the IOC (and Olympic committees for various countries) were hacked just ahead of the Bejing summer games in 2008. In that regard, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was also hacked. McAfee says that 13 defense contractors were also breached, which brings up recent memories of Anonymous hacking Booz Allen Hamilton in July and leaking 90,000 military related emails. McAfee was able to track the malware signatures (the RAT, more or less) and track it back to a single command-and-control server "in a Western country" that allowed it to track the IP addresses of the victims. What McAfee does not report is exactly what information was actually stolen or how high the intrusions go within each particular organization. As Graham Cluley of Sophos points out, it is one thing to breach the intern's computer, it is quite another to breach Joe the CEO. McAfee does not report how many computers were hacked, who they belonged to or what was stolen. "Without those details, it is sort of same old, same old," said Cluley over the phone to ReadWriteWeb. "The juicy bit never arrived." If Shady RAT has been in effect for five years and McAfee has known and been tracking it for a while, the company could have reported it at any time .Yet, the news comes out today (in Vanity Fair, no less) which is the first day of the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas, the biggest hacker/security conference of the year. "McAfee's PR team are skilled operators in this regard (there was similar coincidental timing when they issued their "NightDragon" investigation as the RSA Conference opened in February this year)," Cluley wrote in a blog post at Sophos's Naked Security blog. NightDragon was a similar campaign against corporations, reported by McAfee in February this year. Of other grandiose named campaigns of note in the recent past is Operation Aurora, which was the alleged APT against Google, industries, and the U.S. and foreign governments, reported earlier this year. Cluley does not think that any more specific information will be coming from McAfee about the nature of the attacks. "If their PR people found something more interesting, they would have reported it," Cluley said.

– McAfee says it's uncovered the biggest hack in history with Operation Shady RAT, in which at least 70 governments and businesses around the world were breached. At Naked Security, expert Graham Cluley isn't quite ready to join the frenzied coverage. "To be honest, there's nothing particularly surprising in McAfee's report to those of us who have an interest in computer security," he writes. (Ditto for Dan Rowinski at ReadWriteWeb.) One big caveat is that the McAfee report doesn't say "precisely what information was stolen from the targeted organizations, and how many computers at each business were affected," writes Cluley. It's tough to call it the "biggest hack ever" without knowing that. As for blaming China: Probably not a bad bet, but what government isn't spying via the Internet? Both bloggers note that McAfee released its report just in time to grab headlines as the BlackHat security conference gets under way in Vegas. But even if Operation Shady RAT is a bit over-hyped, it still offers security lessons to organizations, adds Cluley. As Arik Hesseldahl at AllThingsD writes, "How did these attacks happen? It's very simple: Someone at the target organization received an email that looked legitimate, but which contained an attachment that wasn’t."

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Operation Shady RAT: The Biggest Hacking Attack Ever Researchers from security software concern McAfee say they have discovered the biggest series of computer intrusions ever, covering some 72 organizations and governments around the world, including the U.S., Taiwan, Vietnam, South Korea, Canada and India — some of them dating back as far as 2006. (See the map of targets, courtesy of McAfee, below.) And these aren’t the kind of cyber attacks carried out by bumbling troublemakers like the LulzSec gang, which make headlines but really only cause a nuisance for companies like Sony. In these cases, networks were compromised by remote access tools — or RATs, as they’re known in the industry. These tools — and they are tools, because they have legitimate uses for system administrators — give someone the ability to access a computer from across the country or around the world. In this case, however, they were secretly placed on the target systems, hidden from the eyes of day-to-day users and administrators, and were used to rifle through confidential files for useful information. It’s not for nothing that McAfee is calling this Operation Shady RAT. McAfee says the attacker was a “state actor,” though it declined to name it. I’ll give you three guesses who the leading candidate is, though you’ll probably need only one: China. Dmitri Alperovitch, McAfee’s Vice President, Threat Research, makes a statement in his blog entry on the discovery that should give everyone minding a corporate or government network pause: “I am convinced that every company in every conceivable industry with significant size and valuable intellectual property and trade secrets has been compromised (or will be shortly), with the great majority of the victims rarely discovering the intrusion or its impact.” He further divides the worldwide corporate landscape into two camps: Those who have been compromised and know it, and those who simply don’t know it yet. This has been a particularly nasty year on the cyber security front. (I hate to say it, but I told you so.) Prior to this, the big attack whose full impact has not yet been fully sized up was the one against the RSA SecureID system, which uses popular keychain devices that create a constantly changing series of numbers that in turn create a second password for access to system resources. They’re widely used in government and military circles and among defense contractors. Google has been a regular target in recent years. The RSA attack and Operation Shady RAT are examples, Alperovitch says, of an “Advanced Persistent Threat.” The phrase has come to be a buzzword that, loosely translated into English, means the worst kind of cyber attack you can imagine. Unlike the denial-of-service attacks and network intrusions carried out by LulzSec and its ilk, which require only minimal skill and marginal understanding of how networks and servers work, an APT is carried out by someone of very high skill who picks his targets carefully and sneaks inside them in a way that is difficult to detect, which allows access to the target system on an ongoing basis that may persist for years. How did these attacks happen? Its very simple: Someone at the target organization received an email that looked legitimate, but which contained an attachment that wasn’t. This is called “spear phishing,” and it has become the weapon of choice for sophisticated cyber attackers. The attachments are not what they appear to be — Word documents or spreadsheets or other routine things — and contain programs that piggyback on the targeted user’s level of access to the network. These programs then download malware which gives the attackers further access. This all happens in an automated way, but soon after, live attackers log in to the system to dig through what they can find, copy what they can, and make a getaway — though they often leave the doors unlocked so they can come back for repeat visits. Alperovitch notes — correctly, to my mind — that the phrase has been picked up and overused by the marketing departments of numerous security companies. His larger point is that too often those attacked in this way refuse to come forward and disclose what they’ve learned, thereby allowing the danger to continue for everyone else. Alperovitch says that the data taken in Operation Shady RAT adds up to several petabytes worth of information. It’s not clear how it has been used. But, as he says, “If even a fraction of it is used to build better competing products or beat a competitor at a key negotiation (due to having stolen the other team’s playbook), the loss represents a massive economic threat not just to individual companies and industries but to entire countries that face the prospect of decreased economic growth.” It’s also bad for a target’s national security, because defense contractors dealing in sensitive military matters are often the targets. The best thing that can happen is that victims start talking about their attacks and sharing information with each other so that everyone can be ready for the next one, which is surely coming. ||||| RAT - Remote Access Tool - is a technique that hackers use to gain access to computers and servers that allows it to siphon off data. In Operation Shady RAT, that data could include military and industrial secrets, emails from industries and more. If it could be stolen, it probably was. Victims range from the U.S. government, real estate agencies, the International Olympic Committee and small governments such as that of Taiwan. While many media organizations will call this "the biggest hack ever," it really should come as no surprise to anyone in the security field. Anybody involved in the IT and cybersecurity industry knows that every major industry and government agency around the world is under threat of intrusion through Advanced Persistent Threats (APT). Security company McAfee is reporting one of the largest cases of intrusion ever in a campaign the company calls Operation Shady RAT (PDF) that has infiltrated 72 known (and many other unknown) governments and corporations over the last five years. McAfee's white paper that details the exploits of Shady RAT does not mention who might have been perpetrating this particular APT. McAfee released the report to Vanity Fair that has made the assertion that the campaign probably originates in China. While that may be true, McAfee itself does not make that assertion. The reasoning behind blaming China is fairly simple - the data shows that almost every major country around China was hacked except for China itself. There is also the bit where the IOC (and Olympic committees for various countries) were hacked just ahead of the Bejing summer games in 2008. In that regard, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was also hacked. McAfee says that 13 defense contractors were also breached, which brings up recent memories of Anonymous hacking Booz Allen Hamilton in July and leaking 90,000 military related emails. McAfee was able to track the malware signatures (the RAT, more or less) and track it back to a single command-and-control server "in a Western country" that allowed it to track the IP addresses of the victims. What McAfee does not report is exactly what information was actually stolen or how high the intrusions go within each particular organization. As Graham Cluley of Sophos points out, it is one thing to breach the intern's computer, it is quite another to breach Joe the CEO. McAfee does not report how many computers were hacked, who they belonged to or what was stolen. "Without those details, it is sort of same old, same old," said Cluley over the phone to ReadWriteWeb. "The juicy bit never arrived." If Shady RAT has been in effect for five years and McAfee has known and been tracking it for a while, the company could have reported it at any time .Yet, the news comes out today (in Vanity Fair, no less) which is the first day of the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas, the biggest hacker/security conference of the year. "McAfee's PR team are skilled operators in this regard (there was similar coincidental timing when they issued their "NightDragon" investigation as the RSA Conference opened in February this year)," Cluley wrote in a blog post at Sophos's Naked Security blog. NightDragon was a similar campaign against corporations, reported by McAfee in February this year. Of other grandiose named campaigns of note in the recent past is Operation Aurora, which was the alleged APT against Google, industries, and the U.S. and foreign governments, reported earlier this year. Cluley does not think that any more specific information will be coming from McAfee about the nature of the attacks. "If their PR people found something more interesting, they would have reported it," Cluley said.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

(ABC News) Police and organizers shut down proceedings at one of Missouri's largest caucuses today, as Ron Paul supporters feuded with local GOP leaders. "It's like the Hatfields and the McCoys around here," St. Charles County's former GOP chairman told ABC News, after police arrived on-scene with a helicopter and removed Paul backers. In St. Charles, an exurb of St. Louis and one of the state's largest GOP counties, Paul supporters sought to elect their own chairman and adopt their own rules when proceedings opened - both of which are part of standard caucus rules and procedure. But as they argued with the caucus chair, Paul supporters held video cameras - against caucus rules, according to a GOP official who was there - and things became contentious. "It turned into a little food fight within the caucus, between the caucus chairman trying to control the caucus and certain elements, I guess with Ron Paul, trying to be heard," said Tom Kipers, a former chairman of the St. Charles GOP, who attended the caucus at Francis Howell North High School. An off-duty police officer, hired as security, eventually filed a trespassing complaint against the Paul supporters and notified on-duty police in the area municipality of St. Peters, who, along with police from other jurisdictions, arrested two Paul supporters and ended the caucuses early. A joint-jurisdictional police helicopter arrived on the scene. Kipers said about 10 officers arrived in total. "Two people were arrested for trespassing after receiving numerous warnings to leave the school property," the St. Peters police said in a press release. "Both subjects were transported to St. Peters Justice Center where they were booked for Trespassing and released on a summons." The St. Peters police identified the Paul supporters as Brent Safford, 45, of O'Fallon, Mo., and Kenneth Suitter, 55, of St. Charles. Caucus business never really got started. The St. Charles GOP said in an official statement that it still plans to send delegates to the congressional-district and state conventions, but none were elected at the caucus on Saturday. Saturday's episode was a near repeat of 2008, when Paul backers succeeded in overwhelming other factions at the St. Charles caucus, according to Kipers. Their elected delegates were subsequently tossed from the congressional-district convention for being verifiable Libertarians (by primary voter rolls) and not Republicans, although Missouri has no voter registration by party. At the state convention, in a spirit of reconciliation according to Kipers, they were reinstated and the officials who had barred them were themselves barred for having done so. "Did I expect this to happen? Kind of," Kipers said of Saturday's episode. "That's why we hired … policemen." It's too early to tell which candidate performed best, and the Missouri GOP said anecdotal evidence indicates that very few counties chose to "bind" their delegates to any particular candidate. The county caucuses are Missouri's main event in the 2012 primary season. There will be no traditional "winner": caucusers did not vote on presidential candidates, even in a "straw-poll" or "beauty-contest" sense, as in Iowa. Instead, caucusers chose first-tier delegates to Missouri's congressional-district and state conventions, who will then elect and allocate 49 of the state's 52 national delegates. Rick Santorum won the state's nonbinding Feb. 7 primary, 55 percent to Mitt Romney's 25 percent. Newt Gingrich was not on the ballot, having made no attempt to qualify. The state party tried to cancel that event after a complex intra-state political saga. Santorum supporters prevailed in Chesterfield, one of the largest caucus sites in St. Louis County, the only Missouri county holding multiple caucuses. Attendees elected slates of first-tier delegates who support Santorum, according to a local GOP official. Paul supporters, meanwhile prevailed in Boone, a mid-sized county that encompasses Columbia and the University of Missouri. The county elected a slate of 48 Paul-supporting delegates and five who back Romney, the local GOP chairman said. Paul supporters and local officials get along well in Boone, chairman Bruce Cornett said, although one 75-year-old county GOP member referred to them as "loud" and "obnoxious" at Saturday's event. The caucuses won't end until next week. Nearly all the caucuses took place today, but Jackson County, which encompasses Kansas City and is one of Missouri's largest counties by GOP votes, will not caucus until March 24. ||||| Call it a “bloodbath,” call it “mass hysteria,” or just call it a presidential caucus.Call it what you want, but a day of electoral uncertainty in Missouri has proven what many already knew: The Show-Me State won’t be showing its cards in the Republican president-making game any time soon.“Vote your conscience!” Rick Santorum told a crowd in St. Louis on Saturday morning before hustling off to several other bite-sized campaign stops, all to snipe at Romney and shore up support in a state he’d already swept in a nonbinding February primary.But conscience-voting wouldn’t quite cut it in Missouri on Saturday. The state’s Republicans first had to wade through a widely expected political pileup in order to complete the next stage of Missouri’s convoluted nomination process.“It’s gonna be a bloodbath,” said Jay Zvirgzdins, 32, a fuzzy, blond-bearded, bespectacled Ron Paul fan, before his caucus Saturday morning in a little city called (really) Town and Country, Mo.He was waving his thermos at the crowd that had assembled to caucus at the Westminster Christian Academy, where Santorum had stopped by to speak to a few dozen fans and a handful of placard-wielding Mitt Romney supporters in this St. Louis suburb.The caucusing -- in which Missourians picked the delegates who will elect the delegates who will cast their votes for a Republican nominee, the layers of it all a bit like a giant political nesting doll -- went smoothly in some places, and more, um, bloodbath-like in others.The Kansas City Star reported that in Clay County, “arguments between Paul supporters and others became so intense the caucus chairman threatened to have voters removed by force."Across the state, some argued that delegates should honor the February vote; others said that the delegates should be proportional.In St. Charles, political blogger John Combest tweeted that order broke down in the first 10 seconds of the caucus, with Santorum, Romney and Paul groups butting heads in a “mass hysteria” over how to proceed.State representative Matt Ehlen tried to take order, announcing that, as Combest tweeted, “The police are ready to shut us down.” As of last word, the caucus gave up and there had been no vote on delegates. “All we need is Ernie Hays on the organ to play ‘Three Blind Mice’ or the Jeopardy theme,” Combest tweeted.

– It's not a party until something gets broken, and it's not a political party until someone gets arrested. This spring's GOP primary battle is now a party, as GOP leaders and enthusiastic supporters squared off in one of Missouri's largest caucuses yesterday, reports ABC News. At least two people were arrested and a police helicopter was called in, after organizers and enthusiastic attendees in St. Charles County fought heatedly over the event's proceedings—in addition to a caucus' usual squabbling over rules and results, Ron Paul supporters apparently insisted on filming the caucus, despite that being against the rules. “It’s like the Hatfields and the McCoys around here,” said one GOP operative. Caucuses weren't much better in the rest of the state, with organizers using words like "bloodbath" and "mass hysteria" to describe them, reports the LA Times. But at least most of the caucuses were able to function. In Clay County, organizers threatened to remove rowdy Paul supporters, but did not actually do so. “It could have been messier,” said one committee chairman. “We were expecting a large contingent of Ron Paul voters.” Missouri's primary in February was nonbinding, and the caucus process of choosing delegates is relatively complicated and layered.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.(ABC News) Police and organizers shut down proceedings at one of Missouri's largest caucuses today, as Ron Paul supporters feuded with local GOP leaders. "It's like the Hatfields and the McCoys around here," St. Charles County's former GOP chairman told ABC News, after police arrived on-scene with a helicopter and removed Paul backers. In St. Charles, an exurb of St. Louis and one of the state's largest GOP counties, Paul supporters sought to elect their own chairman and adopt their own rules when proceedings opened - both of which are part of standard caucus rules and procedure. But as they argued with the caucus chair, Paul supporters held video cameras - against caucus rules, according to a GOP official who was there - and things became contentious. "It turned into a little food fight within the caucus, between the caucus chairman trying to control the caucus and certain elements, I guess with Ron Paul, trying to be heard," said Tom Kipers, a former chairman of the St. Charles GOP, who attended the caucus at Francis Howell North High School. An off-duty police officer, hired as security, eventually filed a trespassing complaint against the Paul supporters and notified on-duty police in the area municipality of St. Peters, who, along with police from other jurisdictions, arrested two Paul supporters and ended the caucuses early. A joint-jurisdictional police helicopter arrived on the scene. Kipers said about 10 officers arrived in total. "Two people were arrested for trespassing after receiving numerous warnings to leave the school property," the St. Peters police said in a press release. "Both subjects were transported to St. Peters Justice Center where they were booked for Trespassing and released on a summons." The St. Peters police identified the Paul supporters as Brent Safford, 45, of O'Fallon, Mo., and Kenneth Suitter, 55, of St. Charles. Caucus business never really got started. The St. Charles GOP said in an official statement that it still plans to send delegates to the congressional-district and state conventions, but none were elected at the caucus on Saturday. Saturday's episode was a near repeat of 2008, when Paul backers succeeded in overwhelming other factions at the St. Charles caucus, according to Kipers. Their elected delegates were subsequently tossed from the congressional-district convention for being verifiable Libertarians (by primary voter rolls) and not Republicans, although Missouri has no voter registration by party. At the state convention, in a spirit of reconciliation according to Kipers, they were reinstated and the officials who had barred them were themselves barred for having done so. "Did I expect this to happen? Kind of," Kipers said of Saturday's episode. "That's why we hired … policemen." It's too early to tell which candidate performed best, and the Missouri GOP said anecdotal evidence indicates that very few counties chose to "bind" their delegates to any particular candidate. The county caucuses are Missouri's main event in the 2012 primary season. There will be no traditional "winner": caucusers did not vote on presidential candidates, even in a "straw-poll" or "beauty-contest" sense, as in Iowa. Instead, caucusers chose first-tier delegates to Missouri's congressional-district and state conventions, who will then elect and allocate 49 of the state's 52 national delegates. Rick Santorum won the state's nonbinding Feb. 7 primary, 55 percent to Mitt Romney's 25 percent. Newt Gingrich was not on the ballot, having made no attempt to qualify. The state party tried to cancel that event after a complex intra-state political saga. Santorum supporters prevailed in Chesterfield, one of the largest caucus sites in St. Louis County, the only Missouri county holding multiple caucuses. Attendees elected slates of first-tier delegates who support Santorum, according to a local GOP official. Paul supporters, meanwhile prevailed in Boone, a mid-sized county that encompasses Columbia and the University of Missouri. The county elected a slate of 48 Paul-supporting delegates and five who back Romney, the local GOP chairman said. Paul supporters and local officials get along well in Boone, chairman Bruce Cornett said, although one 75-year-old county GOP member referred to them as "loud" and "obnoxious" at Saturday's event. The caucuses won't end until next week. Nearly all the caucuses took place today, but Jackson County, which encompasses Kansas City and is one of Missouri's largest counties by GOP votes, will not caucus until March 24. ||||| Call it a “bloodbath,” call it “mass hysteria,” or just call it a presidential caucus.Call it what you want, but a day of electoral uncertainty in Missouri has proven what many already knew: The Show-Me State won’t be showing its cards in the Republican president-making game any time soon.“Vote your conscience!” Rick Santorum told a crowd in St. Louis on Saturday morning before hustling off to several other bite-sized campaign stops, all to snipe at Romney and shore up support in a state he’d already swept in a nonbinding February primary.But conscience-voting wouldn’t quite cut it in Missouri on Saturday. The state’s Republicans first had to wade through a widely expected political pileup in order to complete the next stage of Missouri’s convoluted nomination process.“It’s gonna be a bloodbath,” said Jay Zvirgzdins, 32, a fuzzy, blond-bearded, bespectacled Ron Paul fan, before his caucus Saturday morning in a little city called (really) Town and Country, Mo.He was waving his thermos at the crowd that had assembled to caucus at the Westminster Christian Academy, where Santorum had stopped by to speak to a few dozen fans and a handful of placard-wielding Mitt Romney supporters in this St. Louis suburb.The caucusing -- in which Missourians picked the delegates who will elect the delegates who will cast their votes for a Republican nominee, the layers of it all a bit like a giant political nesting doll -- went smoothly in some places, and more, um, bloodbath-like in others.The Kansas City Star reported that in Clay County, “arguments between Paul supporters and others became so intense the caucus chairman threatened to have voters removed by force."Across the state, some argued that delegates should honor the February vote; others said that the delegates should be proportional.In St. Charles, political blogger John Combest tweeted that order broke down in the first 10 seconds of the caucus, with Santorum, Romney and Paul groups butting heads in a “mass hysteria” over how to proceed.State representative Matt Ehlen tried to take order, announcing that, as Combest tweeted, “The police are ready to shut us down.” As of last word, the caucus gave up and there had been no vote on delegates. “All we need is Ernie Hays on the organ to play ‘Three Blind Mice’ or the Jeopardy theme,” Combest tweeted.

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by Fox News | September 26, 2011 If Mitt Romney was in New York City Monday to kiss the ring of business mogul Donald Trump, he didn't seem to want the press to capture his reaction afterwards. According to Fox News producer Nicole Busch, Romney's director of operations stood with the media the entire time they waited to catch a glimpse of the former Massachusetts Governor...only to tell reporters and cameras after an hour that Romney had already come and went. "Chicken Mitt!!" DNC spokesperson Brad Woodhouse wrote in a rapid fire email to reporters upon learning the Romney aide had misled the press while the candidate departed another exit. "Bwok-Bwok!" he continued. But in contrast to the DNC's caricature of Romney's actions, Donald Trump told Fox News Channel anchor Neil Cavuto afterwards that he and Romney had a "really had a great hour together" and that he was "impressed by certain things" Romney said during their meeting. "I thought he was very good at the debate, I think he did a good job, I did tell him that," Trump said, although he has yet to endorse a candidate. Mitt Romney requested the one-on-one meeting with Donald Trump, their first since Romney declared a run for the Oval Office; fellow Republican hopefuls Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry have already met with the reality television host. Herman Cain has a meeting scheduled next week. In the interview with Cavuto, Trump walked back from less than flattering comments he has made about Romney in the past. "Mitt Romney is a basically small business guy, if you really think about it," Trump said of his potential rival in April as he pondered the idea of a presidential run. "He was a hedge fund. He was a fund guy. He walked away with some money from a very good company that he didn't create. He worked there. He didn't create it." The hither-to lack of fuzzy feelings between the two men did not stop the DNC from trying to lump the two men together in a web video released Monday morning, entitled "Trump, Romney: You're Fired!" You can watch the DNC web video here. ||||| Fresh off a victory in the Michigan straw poll, Mitt Romney will be reaching out to another sizable part of the Republican base Monday -- Donald Trump Romney will be meeting with His Trumpness in New York on Monday afternoon, becoming the latest GOP presidential aspirant to court the developer/TV host/former potential candidate/birth certificate investigator. Rick Perry dined with Trump earlier this month at pricey, exclusive Jean-Georges in Manhattan. (You might recall that in June, Trump and Sarah Palin shared some slices of pizza in Times Square . Read into that what you will.) Michele Bachmann has also met with the Donald and plans to do so again.Why court the blessings of Trump? That’s a good question. Well, for one thing, there are still those out there who believe Trump should be president of the United States. There’s a whole website and everything. (It includes items such as “Trump Answers Boy’s Prayer for New Bike.”) For another, say what you will about the man, but he has a platform. He can pretty much show up on Piers Morgan ’s CNN show or Fox News just about whenever he likes. (And don’t forget “Celebrity Apprentice” on NBC . Don’t worry. He’s not going to let you forget it.) Third, he has money. And he knows other people with money. Presidential candidates like money.But Democrats are just as eager to associate Trump with the GOP, as the candidates seem to be to meet with him. Part of it is that it makes Perry, Romney and the like look a little less, well, serious. The other is that Trump is sort of the epitome of the fatcatness that Democrats argue the GOP protects. (This is what GOP calls "class warfare.")The Democratic National Committee, in fact, has released a video in advance of the Romney-Trump summit, imaginatively titled “You’re Fired” that paints both men as uber-capitalists who care little about the middle-class, education, Medicare or Social Security.Romney is on a small roll. He was widely viewed as handily winning the Fox News- Google debate Thursday night while his top rival, Perry, turned in a shaky performance. Then Perry lost a Florida straw poll he had been expected to win to Herman Cain . On Sunday, Romney trounced Perry and all others in a straw poll in his home state of Michigan.But can he win the coveted Trump endorsement? If there’s one thing to be sure of, it’s that Trump will keep America in suspense as long as possible before answering that question.

– If you’re looking for the Republican presidential nomination, you’d better get the Donald’s blessing. Both Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann (as well as Sarah Palin, hmmm) have paid visits to Trump, and Mitt Romney met Trump this afternoon, the Los Angeles Times reports. But Romney ducked out rather than face reporters lingering outside: Hanging out with the journos, Romney's operations director suddenly told them the candidate had left an hour before, Fox News reports. "Chicken Mitt!!" wrote DNC spokesperson Brad Woodhouse in a quick email. "Bwok-Bwok!" Democrats are even using the opportunity to ridicule both men—check out the DNC ad in the gallery. But Trump took a calmer tone in a Fox News chat after the duck-out: "I thought he was very good at the debate ... I did tell him that," Trump said. Better than his characterization of Romney back in April as "a basically small business guy ... [who] walked away with some money from a very good company that he didn't create."

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.by Fox News | September 26, 2011 If Mitt Romney was in New York City Monday to kiss the ring of business mogul Donald Trump, he didn't seem to want the press to capture his reaction afterwards. According to Fox News producer Nicole Busch, Romney's director of operations stood with the media the entire time they waited to catch a glimpse of the former Massachusetts Governor...only to tell reporters and cameras after an hour that Romney had already come and went. "Chicken Mitt!!" DNC spokesperson Brad Woodhouse wrote in a rapid fire email to reporters upon learning the Romney aide had misled the press while the candidate departed another exit. "Bwok-Bwok!" he continued. But in contrast to the DNC's caricature of Romney's actions, Donald Trump told Fox News Channel anchor Neil Cavuto afterwards that he and Romney had a "really had a great hour together" and that he was "impressed by certain things" Romney said during their meeting. "I thought he was very good at the debate, I think he did a good job, I did tell him that," Trump said, although he has yet to endorse a candidate. Mitt Romney requested the one-on-one meeting with Donald Trump, their first since Romney declared a run for the Oval Office; fellow Republican hopefuls Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry have already met with the reality television host. Herman Cain has a meeting scheduled next week. In the interview with Cavuto, Trump walked back from less than flattering comments he has made about Romney in the past. "Mitt Romney is a basically small business guy, if you really think about it," Trump said of his potential rival in April as he pondered the idea of a presidential run. "He was a hedge fund. He was a fund guy. He walked away with some money from a very good company that he didn't create. He worked there. He didn't create it." The hither-to lack of fuzzy feelings between the two men did not stop the DNC from trying to lump the two men together in a web video released Monday morning, entitled "Trump, Romney: You're Fired!" You can watch the DNC web video here. ||||| Fresh off a victory in the Michigan straw poll, Mitt Romney will be reaching out to another sizable part of the Republican base Monday -- Donald Trump Romney will be meeting with His Trumpness in New York on Monday afternoon, becoming the latest GOP presidential aspirant to court the developer/TV host/former potential candidate/birth certificate investigator. Rick Perry dined with Trump earlier this month at pricey, exclusive Jean-Georges in Manhattan. (You might recall that in June, Trump and Sarah Palin shared some slices of pizza in Times Square . Read into that what you will.) Michele Bachmann has also met with the Donald and plans to do so again.Why court the blessings of Trump? That’s a good question. Well, for one thing, there are still those out there who believe Trump should be president of the United States. There’s a whole website and everything. (It includes items such as “Trump Answers Boy’s Prayer for New Bike.”) For another, say what you will about the man, but he has a platform. He can pretty much show up on Piers Morgan ’s CNN show or Fox News just about whenever he likes. (And don’t forget “Celebrity Apprentice” on NBC . Don’t worry. He’s not going to let you forget it.) Third, he has money. And he knows other people with money. Presidential candidates like money.But Democrats are just as eager to associate Trump with the GOP, as the candidates seem to be to meet with him. Part of it is that it makes Perry, Romney and the like look a little less, well, serious. The other is that Trump is sort of the epitome of the fatcatness that Democrats argue the GOP protects. (This is what GOP calls "class warfare.")The Democratic National Committee, in fact, has released a video in advance of the Romney-Trump summit, imaginatively titled “You’re Fired” that paints both men as uber-capitalists who care little about the middle-class, education, Medicare or Social Security.Romney is on a small roll. He was widely viewed as handily winning the Fox News- Google debate Thursday night while his top rival, Perry, turned in a shaky performance. Then Perry lost a Florida straw poll he had been expected to win to Herman Cain . On Sunday, Romney trounced Perry and all others in a straw poll in his home state of Michigan.But can he win the coveted Trump endorsement? If there’s one thing to be sure of, it’s that Trump will keep America in suspense as long as possible before answering that question.

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He never had a chance. From the moment he appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s on April 19, 2005, to greet the faithful, Benedict XVI faced an insurmountable problem: He was not John Paul II. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Benedict’s decision to resign the papacy is being blamed on his age – nearly 86 – and his health – never robust. He might just as well have been diagnosed with a broken papal heart. Because his nearly eight years on the Throne of the Fisherman never really produced the results he hoped for. He did not unite the conservative and progressive wings of the Catholic Church. He did not re-establish its place in Europe, the work of a previous Pope Benedict and the reason he took that name. Nor did he expand its foothold in Asia, cement its dominance in Latin America, or make serious inroads in Africa. And he did not bring to fruition the ecumenical understanding with other major faiths that he hoped would bloom during his reign. Benedict’s decision to resign the papacy is being blamed on his age – nearly 86 – and his health – never robust. He might just as well have been diagnosed with a broken papal heart. Benedict faced nearly impossible odds, even before he was elected. Joseph Ratzinger -- his given name -- was already white-haired and stooped when he became pope. He was a German of the World War II generation, and as a boy had served, involuntarily, as a member of the Hitler Youth. His last job in Rome as Cardinal Ratzinger was to head the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith – the branch of the Vatican charged with enforcing dogma and rooting out dissent. For that, he was dubbed The Chief Inquisitor and The Rottweiler. His idea of a wild night was a single glass of Riesling and an hour of playing his piano – he was an accomplished interpreter of Beethoven and Mozart. That’s who he is. But what stymied him was who he isn’t. His Polish predecessor as Pope, Karol Wojtyla of Krakow, exploded into worldwide prominence and popularity in 1978 as a strong, smiling face for a church that had not elected a non-Italian for nearly 500 years. In combining as his papal name both John and Paul, Wojtyla suggested to the Church that he would follow the prudent style of rule set forth by John XXIII and Paul VI – neither of them firebrands. Then, John Paul revealed his true nature: a brilliant, conservative theologian, a master politician and historian, a nonpareil philosopher, a polished performer thanks to his youthful acting career, an unapologetic anti-communist, and an inveterate traveler. He also didn’t mind showing off. He skied. He hiked. He canoed. He sported sneakers. He watched bare-breasted African women do traditional dances. And he never stopped talking, in any of the seven or eight languages he spoke fluently, about how God loves us. By contrast, Benedict’s meek initial outings were public relations meltdowns. His smile, though genuine, looked somehow sinister, as if he were about to bite his audience. Determined to restore the Church’s luster in Europe, where it is often treated like a dotty old aunt, Benedict gave a lecture in Regensburg, Germany, in 2006 that appeared to denigrate Islam. The non-Catholic world howled; the Vatican cringed and apologized. On his first visit to the U.S. as pope, Benedict offered contrite apologies for the Church’s ham-handed treatment of the U.S. church’s sex scandal involving its priests. Even the pope’s humble mien did not satisfy some, who pronounced him cold and unfeeling toward the plight of victims of clergy abuse. He joined the Twitterati, but his first attempt was a sterile: “I am pleased to get in touch with you through Twitter. I bless all of you from my heart.” At least he stayed under 140 characters. In nearly eight years, Benedict issued three encyclicals – direct messages to the faithful that often reveal a pope’s enthusiasms and interests. Benedict’s first – entitled “God is Love” -- is a caressing, simply worded, logic-based reassurance that our Lord loves us. Yet even his writing about love suffers in comparison with John Paul’s towering, intellectual yet intimate canon of work. None of which lessens Benedict’s place in the line of Vicars of Christ. His decision to resign was a brave one, based on personal humility, in keeping with his message to the faithful that the things of Earth are transient, but the promise of heaven lasting and infinite. For that he should be remembered. John Moody is Executive Vice President, Executive Editor for Fox News. A former Vatican correspondent and Rome bureau chief for Time magazine, he is the author of four books, including "Pope John Paul II : Biography." ||||| Pope Benedict's announcement that he's about to become the first Pope to resign since the 1500s gives the Catholic Church an opportunity--to deal with sex-abuse victims more honestly, and to wake up and listen to the parishioners who have been widely ignoring Church teaching for decades. He says it's for health reasons, and one look at him confirms the likelihood that that's true. But we all know that it may not be the only reason. As Cardinal Ratzinger, he was in charge of handling the child abuse scandals for the four years before he became Pope. There's the well-know case in Munich, where as archbishop he allegedly reassigned a molesting priest who molested again. And if you've been following the revolting recent stories out of Los Angeles, Ratzinger would have been overseeing the handling of some of those cases, too. Not being Catholic, I don't feel it's really for me to bring the hammer down here with great thunder. Not only am I not Catholic, but my mother left the Church as a young woman (before marriage--dad was basically an atheist and wanted no part of the Catholic Church at all) and was glad of it. The only photo of a living human that adorned the walls of our house when I was a kid? Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. So you know where I'm coming from. It sure has been sickening to watch, thinking about all those young men, and women, damaged or destroyed by the very people they are instructed to respect the most. Sexual abuse of a child being pretty much the single worst thing a human being can do, it's kind of difficult to imagine many things in life more offensive and disgraceful than that. Covering it up is a pretty close second. Then there are all the non-scandal questions on which the Church is so behind our times. Forget gays. That'll take a while. Just letting priests marry, for God's sake. No brainer. And making social justice and compassion at least as important as abortion. How long is the Church going to resist the flow of history and keep choosing conservatives or reactionaries? This is a chance for the Church to join the modern world as it did in the early 1960s under John XXIII. But I would imagine it's an opportunity the Church won't take. ||||| Pope Benedict XVI's abrupt resignation on Monday heralds the end of a sad and storm-tossed eight-year papacy. The former Joseph Ratzinger came to the highest office in the Roman Catholic church with a reputation as a challenging, conservative intellectual. But the messages he sought to convey were all but drowned out, first by a string of controversies that were largely of his own making, and subsequently by the outcry – particularly in Europe – over sexual abuse of young people by Catholic clerics. Ratzinger had spent almost a quarter of a century in the Vatican, so it was reasonable for the cardinals who elected him to assume he understood it inside out, and would be keen to improve its workings. But, although he had been an influential and trusted lieutenant of John Paul II, the new German pope was a paradox. On the one hand, he was intellectually remorseless. Not for nothing had he attracted the nickname "God's rottweiler". Yet, like many scholars, he was timid – wholly lacking in that desk-thumping vigour needed to foist reforms on clerics whose resistance to change is the stuff of legend. Clergy abuse scandals The abuse scandals dominated his nearly eight years as leader of the world's Catholics. Before his accession, there had been scandals in the US and Ireland. But in 2010, evidence of clerical sexual abuse was made public in a succession of countries in continental Europe, notably Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway and Germany. The pope was personally affected by one of these scandals. It emerged that, while he was archbishop of Munich, a known molester was quietly reassigned, allowing him in time to return to pastoral duties and make contact with young people. The flood of allegations represented a vast setback for the project at the heart of Benedict's papacy. The goal he had set for himself, and for which he had been elected, was to launch the re-evangelisation of Europe, Catholicism's heartland: it was why he adopted as his papal name that of the continent's patron saint, Benedict of Nursia. But if the numbers of the faithful in Europe as the pope leaves office are fewer than when he was elected, then – surveys have repeatedly indicated – it is in large part because of anger and despair in the Catholic laity over the sex abuse scandals. For his supporters, this was richly ironic – and monstrously unfair. In 2001, his predecessor, John Paul II, transferred the responsibility for dealing with sexual abuse cases to the congregation for the doctrine of the faith (CDF), the Vatican department then headed by Ratzinger. Nothing if not diligent, the future Pope Benedict personally read much of the testimony and, say his apologists, was deeply shocked and moved by what he learned. From that point on, they argue, he was determined, in a way his predecessor had never been, to do all in his power to prevent the sexual abuse of children and adolescents by Catholic priests. And it is this that he appears to have been referring to when, in 2005, as John Paul lay dying, he decried the "filth there is in the church". Insufficient vigour Before he was elected to be pope, Ratzinger undoubtedly tightened the procedures for dealing with clerics sexually attracted to young people. But critics have argued that a letter he issued in 2001 to dioceses around the world did not make sufficiently clear the responsibility of bishops to inform the civil authorities. Their frequent reluctance to do so was a key reason why evidence of sexual abuse did not surface earlier. Insufficient vigour in the pursuit of his aims was a charge also levelled at Benedict after he became pope. He showed no interest, for example, in introducing specific reforms to filter out potential abusers before they were appointed to pastoral care. As he made clear in his 2010 letter to Irish Catholics, he believed that the sins of the clergy were an expression of insufficient sanctity rather than a product of defective procedures. It was not until the same year that he created a Vatican department charged with the mission that was originally central to his pontificate. Even then, the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelisation was viewed by Vatican insiders as lacking clout. Curia reform thwarted A subsidiary aim of – or hope for – Benedict's papacy had been that he would use it to shake up the Roman curia, the central administration of the Catholic church. The charismatic Pope John Paul II was not the sort of man to occupy his time with the reorganisation of a bureaucracy, and by the end of his 26-year pontificate, the curia was sorely in need of modernisation. Twice Pope Benedict tried to merge departments and twice he was foiled. The creation of the new department for re-evangelisation meant that the Vatican bureaucracy is actually larger and more complex at the end of his tenure than it was at the start. His retiring personality also meant he came to the job with a limited range of contacts in the curia. And it showed in his appointments. He gave the top post of secretary of state to his former deputy at the CDF, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, an affable cleric, but with no experience of the department on which he was imposed. The pope's failure to establish a grip on the curia was to cost him dear, all the more because he showed a marked reluctance to consult others, especially on the impact that his words and decisions might have in the world beyond the Vatican. Public gaffes The result was a series of gaffes in the early years of his pontificate. In 2006, he outraged Muslims when, in a scholarly lecture at his old university in Regensburg, he used a quotation to the effect that the contributions made by Muhammad were "only evil and inhuman". That, at least, had the effect of stimulating an exchange with a group of Muslim scholars. But little that was positive emerged from other controversies. Pope Benedict offended indigenous Latin Americans by claiming that the colonisation of their continent had not involved "the imposition of a foreign culture". And he angered Jews by allowing wider use of the old Tridentine liturgy, which includes a Good Friday plea that they be "delivered from their darkness". That decision stemmed from the pope's keenness to heal the breach with the ultra-traditionalists of the Society of Saint Pius X. In 2009, another raging controversy erupted when he lifted the excommunication of four of the society's bishops. One was a Holocaust-denying Briton, Richard Williamson. The Vatican said Pope Benedict had been unaware of Williamson's views when he acted. But its disclaimer only raised the question of why that should have been so, particularly given the vulnerability in this area of a pope who, as a boy, had belonged to the Hitler Youth. The cardinals who elected Benedict had clearly hoped for a short papacy after the lengthy reign of his predecessor. Ratzinger was the oldest man to be given the job since 1730, his advancing years increasingly apparent during his most recent international forays and his much-vaunted attempt to keep up with the modern world by opening a Twitter account. By choosing someone who had advised Pope John Paul on some of his most important decisions and teachings, they also showed they were voting for continuity. But if the aim of the 2005 conclave was to cue up a tranquil, stopgap, tread-water pontificate, then the cardinals who composed it were comprehensively thwarted. Mixed messages Yet another row blew up in 2009 when Pope Benedict argued that the distribution of condoms in Africa, far from alleviating the problem of HIV, was actually making it worse. His claim brought widespread international condemnation, not only from campaigners but also from governments and international bodies. So it was odd that the same pope should have been responsible for a profoundly ambiguous reference on the same critically important subject. In an interview published in 2010, he said that the use of a condom by a prostitute who was attempting to protect his or her client from the HIV virus could be justified on the grounds that it could represent an assumption of moral responsibility. Vatican officials stressed that Pope Benedict was not condoning artificial methods of birth control. But his remark nevertheless called into question his church's refusal to sanction the use of condoms, even for purposes of disease prevention. It could yet turn out to have been the most significant initiative of Pope Benedict's papacy.

– As the world comes to terms with the sudden and incredibly unusual resignation of the papacy by Pope Benedict XVI, the general consensus appears to be that Joseph Ratzinger was a scholarly, introverted conservative who will ultimately be remembered most for the controversies that surrounded him. Among the opinions: Despite trying twice, Benedict was never able to tame the wild and Byzantine Vatican bureaucracy. "The pope's failure to establish a grip on the Curia was to cost him dear, all the more because he showed a marked reluctance to consult others," writes John Hooper in the Guardian, noting the Church bureaucracy is actually larger and more complex than it was at the start of his tenure. Another failed goal: "to launch the re-evangelization of Europe"; instead, sex-abuse scandals overtook the continent. After the charismatic, 26-year reign of John Paul II, Benedict "never had a chance," writes John Moody for Fox News. In contrast to John Paul II's popular brilliance and willingness to show off, "Benedict’s meek initial outings were public relations meltdowns." Other goals for the Church—to "expand its foothold in Asia, cement its dominance in Latin America, or make serious inroads in Africa"—went unachieved. But Moody adds that Benedict's willingness to resign shows both bravery and humility. "For that he should be remembered." Actually, Benedict could end up with a legacy of dealing with the secular world in "a remarkably liberal, if agonizingly slow, way," writes Martin Baccardax for the International Business Times. He notes that Benedict made the first, tentative steps toward changing the Church's views of contraception and criticized the Church's response to its global child abuse scandal. (Hooper agrees that Benedict's remarks on condoms "could yet turn out to have been the most significant initiative of [his] papacy.") But others aren't so willing to give Benedict credit in those areas. The resignation presents a chance for the Church to "deal with sex-abuse victims more honestly, and to wake up and listen to the parishioners who have been widely ignoring Church teaching for decades," writes Michael Tomasky in the Daily Beast. "But I would imagine it's an opportunity the Church won't take." Click to see a list of five names being floated as the potential next pope.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.He never had a chance. From the moment he appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s on April 19, 2005, to greet the faithful, Benedict XVI faced an insurmountable problem: He was not John Paul II. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Benedict’s decision to resign the papacy is being blamed on his age – nearly 86 – and his health – never robust. He might just as well have been diagnosed with a broken papal heart. Because his nearly eight years on the Throne of the Fisherman never really produced the results he hoped for. He did not unite the conservative and progressive wings of the Catholic Church. He did not re-establish its place in Europe, the work of a previous Pope Benedict and the reason he took that name. Nor did he expand its foothold in Asia, cement its dominance in Latin America, or make serious inroads in Africa. And he did not bring to fruition the ecumenical understanding with other major faiths that he hoped would bloom during his reign. Benedict’s decision to resign the papacy is being blamed on his age – nearly 86 – and his health – never robust. He might just as well have been diagnosed with a broken papal heart. Benedict faced nearly impossible odds, even before he was elected. Joseph Ratzinger -- his given name -- was already white-haired and stooped when he became pope. He was a German of the World War II generation, and as a boy had served, involuntarily, as a member of the Hitler Youth. His last job in Rome as Cardinal Ratzinger was to head the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith – the branch of the Vatican charged with enforcing dogma and rooting out dissent. For that, he was dubbed The Chief Inquisitor and The Rottweiler. His idea of a wild night was a single glass of Riesling and an hour of playing his piano – he was an accomplished interpreter of Beethoven and Mozart. That’s who he is. But what stymied him was who he isn’t. His Polish predecessor as Pope, Karol Wojtyla of Krakow, exploded into worldwide prominence and popularity in 1978 as a strong, smiling face for a church that had not elected a non-Italian for nearly 500 years. In combining as his papal name both John and Paul, Wojtyla suggested to the Church that he would follow the prudent style of rule set forth by John XXIII and Paul VI – neither of them firebrands. Then, John Paul revealed his true nature: a brilliant, conservative theologian, a master politician and historian, a nonpareil philosopher, a polished performer thanks to his youthful acting career, an unapologetic anti-communist, and an inveterate traveler. He also didn’t mind showing off. He skied. He hiked. He canoed. He sported sneakers. He watched bare-breasted African women do traditional dances. And he never stopped talking, in any of the seven or eight languages he spoke fluently, about how God loves us. By contrast, Benedict’s meek initial outings were public relations meltdowns. His smile, though genuine, looked somehow sinister, as if he were about to bite his audience. Determined to restore the Church’s luster in Europe, where it is often treated like a dotty old aunt, Benedict gave a lecture in Regensburg, Germany, in 2006 that appeared to denigrate Islam. The non-Catholic world howled; the Vatican cringed and apologized. On his first visit to the U.S. as pope, Benedict offered contrite apologies for the Church’s ham-handed treatment of the U.S. church’s sex scandal involving its priests. Even the pope’s humble mien did not satisfy some, who pronounced him cold and unfeeling toward the plight of victims of clergy abuse. He joined the Twitterati, but his first attempt was a sterile: “I am pleased to get in touch with you through Twitter. I bless all of you from my heart.” At least he stayed under 140 characters. In nearly eight years, Benedict issued three encyclicals – direct messages to the faithful that often reveal a pope’s enthusiasms and interests. Benedict’s first – entitled “God is Love” -- is a caressing, simply worded, logic-based reassurance that our Lord loves us. Yet even his writing about love suffers in comparison with John Paul’s towering, intellectual yet intimate canon of work. None of which lessens Benedict’s place in the line of Vicars of Christ. His decision to resign was a brave one, based on personal humility, in keeping with his message to the faithful that the things of Earth are transient, but the promise of heaven lasting and infinite. For that he should be remembered. John Moody is Executive Vice President, Executive Editor for Fox News. A former Vatican correspondent and Rome bureau chief for Time magazine, he is the author of four books, including "Pope John Paul II : Biography." ||||| Pope Benedict's announcement that he's about to become the first Pope to resign since the 1500s gives the Catholic Church an opportunity--to deal with sex-abuse victims more honestly, and to wake up and listen to the parishioners who have been widely ignoring Church teaching for decades. He says it's for health reasons, and one look at him confirms the likelihood that that's true. But we all know that it may not be the only reason. As Cardinal Ratzinger, he was in charge of handling the child abuse scandals for the four years before he became Pope. There's the well-know case in Munich, where as archbishop he allegedly reassigned a molesting priest who molested again. And if you've been following the revolting recent stories out of Los Angeles, Ratzinger would have been overseeing the handling of some of those cases, too. Not being Catholic, I don't feel it's really for me to bring the hammer down here with great thunder. Not only am I not Catholic, but my mother left the Church as a young woman (before marriage--dad was basically an atheist and wanted no part of the Catholic Church at all) and was glad of it. The only photo of a living human that adorned the walls of our house when I was a kid? Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. So you know where I'm coming from. It sure has been sickening to watch, thinking about all those young men, and women, damaged or destroyed by the very people they are instructed to respect the most. Sexual abuse of a child being pretty much the single worst thing a human being can do, it's kind of difficult to imagine many things in life more offensive and disgraceful than that. Covering it up is a pretty close second. Then there are all the non-scandal questions on which the Church is so behind our times. Forget gays. That'll take a while. Just letting priests marry, for God's sake. No brainer. And making social justice and compassion at least as important as abortion. How long is the Church going to resist the flow of history and keep choosing conservatives or reactionaries? This is a chance for the Church to join the modern world as it did in the early 1960s under John XXIII. But I would imagine it's an opportunity the Church won't take. ||||| Pope Benedict XVI's abrupt resignation on Monday heralds the end of a sad and storm-tossed eight-year papacy. The former Joseph Ratzinger came to the highest office in the Roman Catholic church with a reputation as a challenging, conservative intellectual. But the messages he sought to convey were all but drowned out, first by a string of controversies that were largely of his own making, and subsequently by the outcry – particularly in Europe – over sexual abuse of young people by Catholic clerics. Ratzinger had spent almost a quarter of a century in the Vatican, so it was reasonable for the cardinals who elected him to assume he understood it inside out, and would be keen to improve its workings. But, although he had been an influential and trusted lieutenant of John Paul II, the new German pope was a paradox. On the one hand, he was intellectually remorseless. Not for nothing had he attracted the nickname "God's rottweiler". Yet, like many scholars, he was timid – wholly lacking in that desk-thumping vigour needed to foist reforms on clerics whose resistance to change is the stuff of legend. Clergy abuse scandals The abuse scandals dominated his nearly eight years as leader of the world's Catholics. Before his accession, there had been scandals in the US and Ireland. But in 2010, evidence of clerical sexual abuse was made public in a succession of countries in continental Europe, notably Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway and Germany. The pope was personally affected by one of these scandals. It emerged that, while he was archbishop of Munich, a known molester was quietly reassigned, allowing him in time to return to pastoral duties and make contact with young people. The flood of allegations represented a vast setback for the project at the heart of Benedict's papacy. The goal he had set for himself, and for which he had been elected, was to launch the re-evangelisation of Europe, Catholicism's heartland: it was why he adopted as his papal name that of the continent's patron saint, Benedict of Nursia. But if the numbers of the faithful in Europe as the pope leaves office are fewer than when he was elected, then – surveys have repeatedly indicated – it is in large part because of anger and despair in the Catholic laity over the sex abuse scandals. For his supporters, this was richly ironic – and monstrously unfair. In 2001, his predecessor, John Paul II, transferred the responsibility for dealing with sexual abuse cases to the congregation for the doctrine of the faith (CDF), the Vatican department then headed by Ratzinger. Nothing if not diligent, the future Pope Benedict personally read much of the testimony and, say his apologists, was deeply shocked and moved by what he learned. From that point on, they argue, he was determined, in a way his predecessor had never been, to do all in his power to prevent the sexual abuse of children and adolescents by Catholic priests. And it is this that he appears to have been referring to when, in 2005, as John Paul lay dying, he decried the "filth there is in the church". Insufficient vigour Before he was elected to be pope, Ratzinger undoubtedly tightened the procedures for dealing with clerics sexually attracted to young people. But critics have argued that a letter he issued in 2001 to dioceses around the world did not make sufficiently clear the responsibility of bishops to inform the civil authorities. Their frequent reluctance to do so was a key reason why evidence of sexual abuse did not surface earlier. Insufficient vigour in the pursuit of his aims was a charge also levelled at Benedict after he became pope. He showed no interest, for example, in introducing specific reforms to filter out potential abusers before they were appointed to pastoral care. As he made clear in his 2010 letter to Irish Catholics, he believed that the sins of the clergy were an expression of insufficient sanctity rather than a product of defective procedures. It was not until the same year that he created a Vatican department charged with the mission that was originally central to his pontificate. Even then, the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelisation was viewed by Vatican insiders as lacking clout. Curia reform thwarted A subsidiary aim of – or hope for – Benedict's papacy had been that he would use it to shake up the Roman curia, the central administration of the Catholic church. The charismatic Pope John Paul II was not the sort of man to occupy his time with the reorganisation of a bureaucracy, and by the end of his 26-year pontificate, the curia was sorely in need of modernisation. Twice Pope Benedict tried to merge departments and twice he was foiled. The creation of the new department for re-evangelisation meant that the Vatican bureaucracy is actually larger and more complex at the end of his tenure than it was at the start. His retiring personality also meant he came to the job with a limited range of contacts in the curia. And it showed in his appointments. He gave the top post of secretary of state to his former deputy at the CDF, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, an affable cleric, but with no experience of the department on which he was imposed. The pope's failure to establish a grip on the curia was to cost him dear, all the more because he showed a marked reluctance to consult others, especially on the impact that his words and decisions might have in the world beyond the Vatican. Public gaffes The result was a series of gaffes in the early years of his pontificate. In 2006, he outraged Muslims when, in a scholarly lecture at his old university in Regensburg, he used a quotation to the effect that the contributions made by Muhammad were "only evil and inhuman". That, at least, had the effect of stimulating an exchange with a group of Muslim scholars. But little that was positive emerged from other controversies. Pope Benedict offended indigenous Latin Americans by claiming that the colonisation of their continent had not involved "the imposition of a foreign culture". And he angered Jews by allowing wider use of the old Tridentine liturgy, which includes a Good Friday plea that they be "delivered from their darkness". That decision stemmed from the pope's keenness to heal the breach with the ultra-traditionalists of the Society of Saint Pius X. In 2009, another raging controversy erupted when he lifted the excommunication of four of the society's bishops. One was a Holocaust-denying Briton, Richard Williamson. The Vatican said Pope Benedict had been unaware of Williamson's views when he acted. But its disclaimer only raised the question of why that should have been so, particularly given the vulnerability in this area of a pope who, as a boy, had belonged to the Hitler Youth. The cardinals who elected Benedict had clearly hoped for a short papacy after the lengthy reign of his predecessor. Ratzinger was the oldest man to be given the job since 1730, his advancing years increasingly apparent during his most recent international forays and his much-vaunted attempt to keep up with the modern world by opening a Twitter account. By choosing someone who had advised Pope John Paul on some of his most important decisions and teachings, they also showed they were voting for continuity. But if the aim of the 2005 conclave was to cue up a tranquil, stopgap, tread-water pontificate, then the cardinals who composed it were comprehensively thwarted. Mixed messages Yet another row blew up in 2009 when Pope Benedict argued that the distribution of condoms in Africa, far from alleviating the problem of HIV, was actually making it worse. His claim brought widespread international condemnation, not only from campaigners but also from governments and international bodies. So it was odd that the same pope should have been responsible for a profoundly ambiguous reference on the same critically important subject. In an interview published in 2010, he said that the use of a condom by a prostitute who was attempting to protect his or her client from the HIV virus could be justified on the grounds that it could represent an assumption of moral responsibility. Vatican officials stressed that Pope Benedict was not condoning artificial methods of birth control. But his remark nevertheless called into question his church's refusal to sanction the use of condoms, even for purposes of disease prevention. It could yet turn out to have been the most significant initiative of Pope Benedict's papacy.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Participants A total of 545 men were randomly assigned to active monitoring, 553 to radical prostatectomy, and 545 to radiotherapy. The median age of the participants was 62 years (range, 50 to 69), the median PSA level at the prostate-check clinic was 4.6 ng per milliliter (range, 3.0 to 19.9), 77% had tumors with a Gleason score of 6 (on a scale from 6 to 10, with higher scores indicating a worse prognosis), and 76% had stage T1c disease; there were no meaningful differences at baseline among the three randomized groups.6 Information on baseline demographic and clinical characteristics according to assigned treatment group is provided in Table S2 in the Supplementary Appendix, available with the full text of this article at NEJM.org. Trial Design and Oversight Figure 1. Figure 1. Randomization, Treatment, and Follow-up. A total of 88% of the men assigned to active monitoring, 71% of the men assigned to surgery, and 74% of men assigned to radiotherapy received the assigned treatment within 9 months after randomization. A total of 14 patients were lost to follow-up for secondary outcomes, but data on deaths were captured for all participants. Details of the screening, randomization, and follow-up of patients in the ProtecT trial were published previously6 and are shown in Figure 1. Approval for the trial was obtained from the U.K. East Midlands (formerly Trent) Multicenter Research Ethics Committee (01/4/025). The trial was overseen by an independent trial steering committee and a separate data and safety monitoring committee. All the participants provided written informed consent. The authors vouch for the accuracy and completeness of the data and for the fidelity of the trial to the protocol, available at NEJM.org. Randomization Treatment options were discussed with the men, and 1643 men (62% of the eligible participants) agreed to undergo randomization. Treatment assignments were stratified according to site, with stochastic minimization to improve the balance across the groups with respect to age, Gleason score (<7, 7, or 8 to 10 points), and the mean of the baseline and first biopsy PSA test results together (<6.0, 6.0 to 9.9, or >9.9 ng per milliliter). After randomization, clinicians and participants were aware of the group assignments. Treatment Procedures and Clinical Management Clinical management was standardized with the use of trial-group–specific pathways. The purpose of active monitoring was to minimize the risk of overtreatment by avoiding immediate radical intervention and by monitoring disease progression regularly, so that radical treatment with curative intent could be given as necessary. Triggers to reassess patients and consider a change in clinical management were based largely on changes in PSA levels. This was very different from “watchful waiting” in the Scandinavian Prostate Cancer Group Study Number 4 (SPCG-4) and in the U.S. Prostate Cancer Intervention versus Observation Trial (PIVOT), which had no planned protocol for curative radical intervention on disease progression.2,4 Serum PSA levels were measured every 3 months in the first year and every 6 to 12 months thereafter. Changes in PSA levels were assessed. An increase of at least 50% during the previous 12 months triggered a review. Management options included continued monitoring or further tests and radical or palliative treatments as required. The radiotherapy protocol included neoadjuvant androgen-deprivation therapy for 3 to 6 months before and concomitantly with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy delivered at a total dose of 74 Gy in 37 fractions. The protocol for quality assurance followed the RT01 trial procedures.7-9 The trial oncologist held a review appointment with participants if PSA levels rose by at least 2.0 ng per milliliter above the nadir or if concerns were raised about progression. Management options included continued monitoring, additional testing, salvage therapy, or palliative treatments. In men assigned to surgery, postoperative PSA levels were measured every 3 months for the first year, every 6 months for 2 years, and yearly thereafter. Adjuvant or salvage radiotherapy was discussed with patients who had positive surgical margins, extracapsular disease, or a postoperative PSA level of 0.2 ng per milliliter or higher. In all groups, androgen-deprivation therapy was offered when PSA levels reached 20 ng per milliliter or less, if indicated. Imaging of the skeleton was recommended if the PSA level reached 10 ng per milliliter. Clinical Outcome Measures The primary outcome measure was prostate-cancer mortality at a median of 10 years of follow-up, with prostate-cancer–related deaths defined as deaths that were definitely or probably due to prostate cancer or its treatment. The process for ascertaining cause of death was adapted from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial and the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC).10-12 The independent cause-of-death evaluation committee, whose members were unaware of the treatment assignments, reviewed summaries of anonymized records. Deaths were categorized as definitely, probably, possibly, probably not, or definitely not due to prostate cancer.13,14 Secondary outcomes included all-cause mortality and the rates of metastases, clinical progression, primary treatment failure, and treatment complications. Metastatic disease was defined as bony, visceral, or lymph-node metastases on imaging or PSA levels above 100 ng per milliliter. Patients were considered to have clinical progression if they had any of the following: evidence of metastases, diagnosis of clinical T3 or T4 disease, long-term androgen-deprivation therapy, ureteric obstruction, rectal fistula, or the need for a urinary catheter owing to local tumor growth. Primary treatment failure after surgery was defined as a PSA level of 0.2 ng per milliliter or higher at 3 months after surgery, and primary treatment failure after radiotherapy was defined according to the Phoenix Consensus Conference recommendations.15 Although some events of clinical progression such as metastases could be reported uniformly, manifestations of local progression could differ between men receiving radical treatment and those receiving active monitoring because of differences in treatment assignments. After surgery, the serious intervention-related complications that were recorded were death, transfusion of more than 3 units of blood, thromboembolic or cardiovascular events, rectal injury, and anastomotic problems requiring intervention. After radiotherapy, the complications that were recorded were death and any treatment-related toxic effect resulting in major surgical intervention. Intervention-related complications within 90 days after the completion of treatment were recorded. Statistical Analysis A prespecified statistical analysis plan was developed before the data for the primary analysis were accessed16 (see the Supplementary Appendix). The primary outcome of prostate-cancer mortality (the rate of death due to prostate cancer or its treatment) was compared among the three assigned treatment groups on an intention-to-treat basis with the use of Cox proportional-hazards regression adjusted for trial center, age at baseline, Gleason score, and PSA level at baseline (log-transformed). The results of an alternative cumulative-incidence approach with competing risks regression are shown in Figs. S1 and S2 and Table S1 in the Supplementary Appendix. Prostate-cancer–specific mortality is reported with 95% confidence intervals for each treatment group, and pairwise significance tests were planned if a test of the null hypothesis of no difference in 10-year disease-specific risk of death across all three groups yielded a P value of less than 0.05. This conditional approach was designed to keep the overall false positive rate at 5%.17 The primary analysis approach was adapted as necessary for secondary outcomes. Four prespecified subgroup analyses were conducted with the use of relevant interaction terms: age, clinical stage, Gleason score, and PSA level. All analyses were conducted with the use of Stata software, version 14.1 (StataCorp). ||||| TIME Health For more, visit TIME Health Prostate cancer has always been an exception in the cancer field. Unlike most forms of the disease, it’s slow-growing, and while it can be fatal, in most cases it’s indolent enough that men are more likely to die of other causes than the cancer itself. So screening for prostate cancer, as well as figuring out the best ways to treat it, has triggered vigorous debate and conflicting opinions in recent years. Doctors have raised concerns about the use of PSA screening, since it has led to some over-treatment of prostate cancer and caused more side effects—including sexual dysfunction and urinary problems. Some experts advocate a hands-off approach of so-called “active surveillance” rather than treating it immediate with surgery or radiation, but there’s confusion about what such monitoring means—it’s not just doing nothing. Instead, it involves regular testing and tracking of the cancer to ensure it’s not starting to grow too rapidly. Still, the studies to indicate that a man should opt for one option over the other has been wanting. Now, a new study published in New England Journal of Medicine may change that. It’s the first to compare active surveillance, surgery and radiation in a group of men whose PSA tests indicate their levels are a little high. The 1,643 men agreed to be randomly assigned to one of the three treatments, and to be followed for 10 years. Among all three groups, the death rate from prostate cancer was low, at about 1%, and nearly identical. That suggests that regardless of which treatment option men chose, their likelihood of dying of prostate cancer was the same. Considering the side effects and adverse results of prostate cancer treatment, these new results may help some men make the choice to forgo aggressive treatment in lieu of less invasive options. “I hope this helps patients to be better informed and to not rush into treatment decisions,” says Dr. Freddie Hamdy, professor of surgery and urology at University of Oxford and lead author of the study. “In the end, we’re giving them good news. If you have this kind of cancer, you’re going to have to wait a long time for that to damage your health and affect your mortality in any significant way.” There were some observed differences in the men. The active surveillance group had twice as much progression of their prostate cancer, including metastases to other tissues including bone and lymph nodes, than men who were assigned to surgery or radiation. But more cancer doesn’t always mean higher risk of death, as this study found. That’s not easy to get your head around, and among men who saw their cancers grow, nearly 55% decided to get surgery or radiation and dropped out of the active monitoring group. “These results tell me that active surveillance is still a fairly safe way to go,” says Dr. David Penson, chair of urologic surgery at Vanderbilt Medical Center and spokesperson for the American Urological Association. “But it underscores the fact that we are going to have to select the right patient.” The aggressiveness of the prostate cancer, how advanced the disease is, as well as a man’s overall health status are likely all factors that will help determine whether active monitoring is the right option. For older men who may be unhealthy and already suffering from other health issues, for example, the findings should reassure them that they likely won’t need to take immediate action if they are diagnosed with prostate cancer. They can choose active monitoring since they are more likely to die of other causes. But for younger, healthy men diagnosed with the disease, the choice might be harder. Because of their age, over time their cancer is more likely to spread, and they will therefore more likely need to treat it with hormonal therapy after surgery or radiation. And because they are healthy, that would significantly alter their quality of life, compared to men who might have chosen surgery or radiation earlier, not had the cancer spread, and only needed temporary hormone therapy. How men will interpret these results will clearly depend on their individual health status, and their own tolerance for side effects. But these findings at least will provide them with more information to make treatment decisions with a little more confidence. ||||| Douglas Collett, a retired construction worker from Cromhall, England, speaks about his prostate cancer diagnosis on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2016. The 73-year-old says, "My initial reaction was to get rid... (Associated Press) Douglas Collett, a retired construction worker from Cromhall, England, speaks about his prostate cancer diagnosis on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2016. The 73-year-old says, "My initial reaction was to get rid of it." But after reading up on the risks and benefits of surgery and radiation, he feels more men should... (Associated Press) LONDON (AP) — Men with early prostate cancer who choose to closely monitor their disease are just as likely to survive at least 10 years as those who have surgery or radiation, finds a major study that directly tested and compared these options. Survival from prostate cancer was so high — 99 percent, regardless of which approach men had — that the results call into question not only what treatment is best but also whether any treatment at all is needed for early-stage cases. And that in turn adds to concern about screening with PSA blood tests, because screening is worthwhile only if finding cancer earlier saves lives. "There's been no hard evidence that treating early disease makes a difference," said Dr. Freddie Hamdy of the University of Oxford, the study's leader. "Because we cannot determine very well which is aggressive cancer and which is not, men and clinicians can both be anxious about whether the disease will progress," he said. "And that pushes them toward treatment." Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society, welcomed the results but said it would be a struggle to convince men diagnosed with early prostate cancer in the U.S. to skip surgery or radiation. He said he often suggests monitoring but "it's a challenging process to explain to people that certain cancers just don't need to be treated." "Our aggressive approach to screening and treating has resulted in more than 1 million American men getting needless treatment," said Brawley, who had no role in the study. The research was published online Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine . It was paid for by Britain's National Institute for Health Research. The study involved more than 82,000 men in the United Kingdom, aged 50 to 69, who had tests for PSA, or prostate specific antigen. High levels can signal prostate cancer but also may signal more harmless conditions, including natural enlargement that occurs with age. Researchers focused on the men diagnosed with early prostate cancer, where the disease is small and confined to the prostate. Of those men, 1,643 agreed to be randomly assigned to get surgery, radiation or active monitoring. That involves blood tests every three to six months, counseling, and consideration of treatment only if signs suggested worsening disease. A decade later, researchers found no difference among the groups in rates of death from prostate cancer or other causes. More men being monitored saw their cancers worsen — 112 versus 46 given surgery and 46 given radiation. But radiation and surgery brought more side effects, especially urinary, bowel or sexual problems. PSA testing remains popular in the U.S. even after a government task force recommended against it, saying it does more harm than good by leading to false alarms and overtreatment of many cancers that would never threaten a man's life. In Europe, prostate cancer screening is far less common. Other experts said scientists should focus on how to figure out which cancers are so slow growing they don't need treatment and those that do. "We need something to allow us to identify men with aggressive disease earlier," said Dr. Malcolm Mason, a prostate cancer expert at the charity Cancer Research U.K. He said the study confirmed that for men in the early stages of the disease, there is no wrong treatment decision. Some participants who had surgery or radiation said they didn't regret it despite learning now that they probably could have done just as well without it. Tony Hancock, 60, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer eight years ago in Newcastle, said he originally wanted to have his disease monitored but the study assigned him to have surgery. "Within about 24 hours, I persuaded myself that it was the best option," he said. "I started to think, 'how could you live like that, knowing there's a cancer growing inside you and you're not doing anything about it?'" Although he suffered side effects including some incontinence and pain, Hancock was glad he had the surgery. "Psychologically, I know the cancer has been removed because my prostate is gone and I've never looked back since then." Douglas Collett, a retired construction worker from Cromhall, said he was horrified when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. "It hit me like a sledgehammer," the 73-year-old said. "My initial reaction was to get rid of it." But after reading up on the risks and benefits of surgery and radiation, Collett said he was relieved to have been assigned to the monitoring group, and feels more men should be fully informed about the various strategies. "Maybe the first option shouldn't be surgery or radiotherapy," he said. "I'm quite happy to have avoided any of those side effects. I feel just fine now so maybe I never needed anything else."

– There is no difference in the survival rate for men with early prostate cancer who opt for treatment, such as surgery or radiation, and those who simply monitor their cancer, a new study found. In fact, the 10-year survival rate was so high—99%—that researchers are calling into question whether any treatment is needed for early stage prostate cancer, the AP reports, or even whether early screening is worthwhile. "There's been no hard evidence that treating early disease makes a difference," Dr. Freddie Hamdy, lead author of the study in the New England Journal of Medicine. PSA (prostate specific antigen) blood tests have already been criticized by doctors who warn they have led to over-treatment of early prostate cancer with debilitating side effects such as sexual dysfunction and urinary problems, reports Time. In Europe, PSA testing is far less common, notes the AP. High levels can indicate cancer but also a natural prostate enlargement that comes with age. Prostate cancer is one of the slowest-moving cancers, yet Hamdy noted that men often choose aggressive treatment at the outset because it is not known which cases will develop rapidly. “I hope this helps patients to be better informed and to not rush into treatment decisions,” Hamdy said, per Time. The study looked at more than 82,000 British men, aged 50 to 69. Of those whose PSA test showed they were in the early stages, 1,643 agreed to be assigned surgery, radiation, or active monitoring every three to six months. Although more men in the monitoring group saw their cancers worsen after 10 years, those assigned treatment experienced unpleasant side effects. Death rates among all the men were equal. But Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society, said it will be difficult to convince men to choose monitoring. "Our aggressive approach to screening and treating has resulted in more than 1 million American men getting needless treatment," he told the AP. (Smoking and cancer is a deadly combination.)

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Participants A total of 545 men were randomly assigned to active monitoring, 553 to radical prostatectomy, and 545 to radiotherapy. The median age of the participants was 62 years (range, 50 to 69), the median PSA level at the prostate-check clinic was 4.6 ng per milliliter (range, 3.0 to 19.9), 77% had tumors with a Gleason score of 6 (on a scale from 6 to 10, with higher scores indicating a worse prognosis), and 76% had stage T1c disease; there were no meaningful differences at baseline among the three randomized groups.6 Information on baseline demographic and clinical characteristics according to assigned treatment group is provided in Table S2 in the Supplementary Appendix, available with the full text of this article at NEJM.org. Trial Design and Oversight Figure 1. Figure 1. Randomization, Treatment, and Follow-up. A total of 88% of the men assigned to active monitoring, 71% of the men assigned to surgery, and 74% of men assigned to radiotherapy received the assigned treatment within 9 months after randomization. A total of 14 patients were lost to follow-up for secondary outcomes, but data on deaths were captured for all participants. Details of the screening, randomization, and follow-up of patients in the ProtecT trial were published previously6 and are shown in Figure 1. Approval for the trial was obtained from the U.K. East Midlands (formerly Trent) Multicenter Research Ethics Committee (01/4/025). The trial was overseen by an independent trial steering committee and a separate data and safety monitoring committee. All the participants provided written informed consent. The authors vouch for the accuracy and completeness of the data and for the fidelity of the trial to the protocol, available at NEJM.org. Randomization Treatment options were discussed with the men, and 1643 men (62% of the eligible participants) agreed to undergo randomization. Treatment assignments were stratified according to site, with stochastic minimization to improve the balance across the groups with respect to age, Gleason score (<7, 7, or 8 to 10 points), and the mean of the baseline and first biopsy PSA test results together (<6.0, 6.0 to 9.9, or >9.9 ng per milliliter). After randomization, clinicians and participants were aware of the group assignments. Treatment Procedures and Clinical Management Clinical management was standardized with the use of trial-group–specific pathways. The purpose of active monitoring was to minimize the risk of overtreatment by avoiding immediate radical intervention and by monitoring disease progression regularly, so that radical treatment with curative intent could be given as necessary. Triggers to reassess patients and consider a change in clinical management were based largely on changes in PSA levels. This was very different from “watchful waiting” in the Scandinavian Prostate Cancer Group Study Number 4 (SPCG-4) and in the U.S. Prostate Cancer Intervention versus Observation Trial (PIVOT), which had no planned protocol for curative radical intervention on disease progression.2,4 Serum PSA levels were measured every 3 months in the first year and every 6 to 12 months thereafter. Changes in PSA levels were assessed. An increase of at least 50% during the previous 12 months triggered a review. Management options included continued monitoring or further tests and radical or palliative treatments as required. The radiotherapy protocol included neoadjuvant androgen-deprivation therapy for 3 to 6 months before and concomitantly with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy delivered at a total dose of 74 Gy in 37 fractions. The protocol for quality assurance followed the RT01 trial procedures.7-9 The trial oncologist held a review appointment with participants if PSA levels rose by at least 2.0 ng per milliliter above the nadir or if concerns were raised about progression. Management options included continued monitoring, additional testing, salvage therapy, or palliative treatments. In men assigned to surgery, postoperative PSA levels were measured every 3 months for the first year, every 6 months for 2 years, and yearly thereafter. Adjuvant or salvage radiotherapy was discussed with patients who had positive surgical margins, extracapsular disease, or a postoperative PSA level of 0.2 ng per milliliter or higher. In all groups, androgen-deprivation therapy was offered when PSA levels reached 20 ng per milliliter or less, if indicated. Imaging of the skeleton was recommended if the PSA level reached 10 ng per milliliter. Clinical Outcome Measures The primary outcome measure was prostate-cancer mortality at a median of 10 years of follow-up, with prostate-cancer–related deaths defined as deaths that were definitely or probably due to prostate cancer or its treatment. The process for ascertaining cause of death was adapted from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial and the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC).10-12 The independent cause-of-death evaluation committee, whose members were unaware of the treatment assignments, reviewed summaries of anonymized records. Deaths were categorized as definitely, probably, possibly, probably not, or definitely not due to prostate cancer.13,14 Secondary outcomes included all-cause mortality and the rates of metastases, clinical progression, primary treatment failure, and treatment complications. Metastatic disease was defined as bony, visceral, or lymph-node metastases on imaging or PSA levels above 100 ng per milliliter. Patients were considered to have clinical progression if they had any of the following: evidence of metastases, diagnosis of clinical T3 or T4 disease, long-term androgen-deprivation therapy, ureteric obstruction, rectal fistula, or the need for a urinary catheter owing to local tumor growth. Primary treatment failure after surgery was defined as a PSA level of 0.2 ng per milliliter or higher at 3 months after surgery, and primary treatment failure after radiotherapy was defined according to the Phoenix Consensus Conference recommendations.15 Although some events of clinical progression such as metastases could be reported uniformly, manifestations of local progression could differ between men receiving radical treatment and those receiving active monitoring because of differences in treatment assignments. After surgery, the serious intervention-related complications that were recorded were death, transfusion of more than 3 units of blood, thromboembolic or cardiovascular events, rectal injury, and anastomotic problems requiring intervention. After radiotherapy, the complications that were recorded were death and any treatment-related toxic effect resulting in major surgical intervention. Intervention-related complications within 90 days after the completion of treatment were recorded. Statistical Analysis A prespecified statistical analysis plan was developed before the data for the primary analysis were accessed16 (see the Supplementary Appendix). The primary outcome of prostate-cancer mortality (the rate of death due to prostate cancer or its treatment) was compared among the three assigned treatment groups on an intention-to-treat basis with the use of Cox proportional-hazards regression adjusted for trial center, age at baseline, Gleason score, and PSA level at baseline (log-transformed). The results of an alternative cumulative-incidence approach with competing risks regression are shown in Figs. S1 and S2 and Table S1 in the Supplementary Appendix. Prostate-cancer–specific mortality is reported with 95% confidence intervals for each treatment group, and pairwise significance tests were planned if a test of the null hypothesis of no difference in 10-year disease-specific risk of death across all three groups yielded a P value of less than 0.05. This conditional approach was designed to keep the overall false positive rate at 5%.17 The primary analysis approach was adapted as necessary for secondary outcomes. Four prespecified subgroup analyses were conducted with the use of relevant interaction terms: age, clinical stage, Gleason score, and PSA level. All analyses were conducted with the use of Stata software, version 14.1 (StataCorp). ||||| TIME Health For more, visit TIME Health Prostate cancer has always been an exception in the cancer field. Unlike most forms of the disease, it’s slow-growing, and while it can be fatal, in most cases it’s indolent enough that men are more likely to die of other causes than the cancer itself. So screening for prostate cancer, as well as figuring out the best ways to treat it, has triggered vigorous debate and conflicting opinions in recent years. Doctors have raised concerns about the use of PSA screening, since it has led to some over-treatment of prostate cancer and caused more side effects—including sexual dysfunction and urinary problems. Some experts advocate a hands-off approach of so-called “active surveillance” rather than treating it immediate with surgery or radiation, but there’s confusion about what such monitoring means—it’s not just doing nothing. Instead, it involves regular testing and tracking of the cancer to ensure it’s not starting to grow too rapidly. Still, the studies to indicate that a man should opt for one option over the other has been wanting. Now, a new study published in New England Journal of Medicine may change that. It’s the first to compare active surveillance, surgery and radiation in a group of men whose PSA tests indicate their levels are a little high. The 1,643 men agreed to be randomly assigned to one of the three treatments, and to be followed for 10 years. Among all three groups, the death rate from prostate cancer was low, at about 1%, and nearly identical. That suggests that regardless of which treatment option men chose, their likelihood of dying of prostate cancer was the same. Considering the side effects and adverse results of prostate cancer treatment, these new results may help some men make the choice to forgo aggressive treatment in lieu of less invasive options. “I hope this helps patients to be better informed and to not rush into treatment decisions,” says Dr. Freddie Hamdy, professor of surgery and urology at University of Oxford and lead author of the study. “In the end, we’re giving them good news. If you have this kind of cancer, you’re going to have to wait a long time for that to damage your health and affect your mortality in any significant way.” There were some observed differences in the men. The active surveillance group had twice as much progression of their prostate cancer, including metastases to other tissues including bone and lymph nodes, than men who were assigned to surgery or radiation. But more cancer doesn’t always mean higher risk of death, as this study found. That’s not easy to get your head around, and among men who saw their cancers grow, nearly 55% decided to get surgery or radiation and dropped out of the active monitoring group. “These results tell me that active surveillance is still a fairly safe way to go,” says Dr. David Penson, chair of urologic surgery at Vanderbilt Medical Center and spokesperson for the American Urological Association. “But it underscores the fact that we are going to have to select the right patient.” The aggressiveness of the prostate cancer, how advanced the disease is, as well as a man’s overall health status are likely all factors that will help determine whether active monitoring is the right option. For older men who may be unhealthy and already suffering from other health issues, for example, the findings should reassure them that they likely won’t need to take immediate action if they are diagnosed with prostate cancer. They can choose active monitoring since they are more likely to die of other causes. But for younger, healthy men diagnosed with the disease, the choice might be harder. Because of their age, over time their cancer is more likely to spread, and they will therefore more likely need to treat it with hormonal therapy after surgery or radiation. And because they are healthy, that would significantly alter their quality of life, compared to men who might have chosen surgery or radiation earlier, not had the cancer spread, and only needed temporary hormone therapy. How men will interpret these results will clearly depend on their individual health status, and their own tolerance for side effects. But these findings at least will provide them with more information to make treatment decisions with a little more confidence. ||||| Douglas Collett, a retired construction worker from Cromhall, England, speaks about his prostate cancer diagnosis on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2016. The 73-year-old says, "My initial reaction was to get rid... (Associated Press) Douglas Collett, a retired construction worker from Cromhall, England, speaks about his prostate cancer diagnosis on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2016. The 73-year-old says, "My initial reaction was to get rid of it." But after reading up on the risks and benefits of surgery and radiation, he feels more men should... (Associated Press) LONDON (AP) — Men with early prostate cancer who choose to closely monitor their disease are just as likely to survive at least 10 years as those who have surgery or radiation, finds a major study that directly tested and compared these options. Survival from prostate cancer was so high — 99 percent, regardless of which approach men had — that the results call into question not only what treatment is best but also whether any treatment at all is needed for early-stage cases. And that in turn adds to concern about screening with PSA blood tests, because screening is worthwhile only if finding cancer earlier saves lives. "There's been no hard evidence that treating early disease makes a difference," said Dr. Freddie Hamdy of the University of Oxford, the study's leader. "Because we cannot determine very well which is aggressive cancer and which is not, men and clinicians can both be anxious about whether the disease will progress," he said. "And that pushes them toward treatment." Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society, welcomed the results but said it would be a struggle to convince men diagnosed with early prostate cancer in the U.S. to skip surgery or radiation. He said he often suggests monitoring but "it's a challenging process to explain to people that certain cancers just don't need to be treated." "Our aggressive approach to screening and treating has resulted in more than 1 million American men getting needless treatment," said Brawley, who had no role in the study. The research was published online Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine . It was paid for by Britain's National Institute for Health Research. The study involved more than 82,000 men in the United Kingdom, aged 50 to 69, who had tests for PSA, or prostate specific antigen. High levels can signal prostate cancer but also may signal more harmless conditions, including natural enlargement that occurs with age. Researchers focused on the men diagnosed with early prostate cancer, where the disease is small and confined to the prostate. Of those men, 1,643 agreed to be randomly assigned to get surgery, radiation or active monitoring. That involves blood tests every three to six months, counseling, and consideration of treatment only if signs suggested worsening disease. A decade later, researchers found no difference among the groups in rates of death from prostate cancer or other causes. More men being monitored saw their cancers worsen — 112 versus 46 given surgery and 46 given radiation. But radiation and surgery brought more side effects, especially urinary, bowel or sexual problems. PSA testing remains popular in the U.S. even after a government task force recommended against it, saying it does more harm than good by leading to false alarms and overtreatment of many cancers that would never threaten a man's life. In Europe, prostate cancer screening is far less common. Other experts said scientists should focus on how to figure out which cancers are so slow growing they don't need treatment and those that do. "We need something to allow us to identify men with aggressive disease earlier," said Dr. Malcolm Mason, a prostate cancer expert at the charity Cancer Research U.K. He said the study confirmed that for men in the early stages of the disease, there is no wrong treatment decision. Some participants who had surgery or radiation said they didn't regret it despite learning now that they probably could have done just as well without it. Tony Hancock, 60, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer eight years ago in Newcastle, said he originally wanted to have his disease monitored but the study assigned him to have surgery. "Within about 24 hours, I persuaded myself that it was the best option," he said. "I started to think, 'how could you live like that, knowing there's a cancer growing inside you and you're not doing anything about it?'" Although he suffered side effects including some incontinence and pain, Hancock was glad he had the surgery. "Psychologically, I know the cancer has been removed because my prostate is gone and I've never looked back since then." Douglas Collett, a retired construction worker from Cromhall, said he was horrified when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. "It hit me like a sledgehammer," the 73-year-old said. "My initial reaction was to get rid of it." But after reading up on the risks and benefits of surgery and radiation, Collett said he was relieved to have been assigned to the monitoring group, and feels more men should be fully informed about the various strategies. "Maybe the first option shouldn't be surgery or radiotherapy," he said. "I'm quite happy to have avoided any of those side effects. I feel just fine now so maybe I never needed anything else."

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Two pages from the manuscript show bird-headed figures preparing matzoh for Passover A page from the Birds' Head Haggadah showing the Passover Seder A page from the Birds' Head Haggadah showing the splitting of the Red Sea A page from the Birds' Head Haggadah showing Moses receiving the Ten Commandments A page from the Birds' Head Haggadah A page from the Birds' Head Haggadah showing the Binding of Isaac A page from the Birds' Head Haggadah showing Jacob and Esau A 13th-century book used in the celebration of Passover, now in the collection of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, is at the centre of an ownership row. The manuscript, known as the Birds’ Head Haggadah for its colourful illustrations, was once owned by the family of the German-Jewish politician Ludwig Marum, who was an early victim of the Nazi regime. His heirs are pushing to have their title to the work recognised and receive compensation, but they say they want the book to remain on public view at the museum.The manuscript, dated to 1300, is a work in pen, ink and tempera on parchment by a scribe named Menahem from southern Germany. It is described by the museum as the earliest Ashkenazi Jewish illuminated Haggadah. Parts of the book were reproduced in full colour in the popular edition The Medieval Haggadah: Art, Narrative, and Religious Imagination, published by Yale University Press in 2011. In a postcard sold in the museum gift shop, two pages from the manuscript show bird-headed figures preparing matzoh for Passover.The book was the property of the family of Johanna Benedikt, who married Ludwig Marum, a lawyer based in Karlsruhe. He was a member of the Social Democratic Party, which opposed Hitler, and served in the Reichstag from 1928 until 1933. He was arrested in March of that year and later transferred to Kislau, a Nazi concentration camp, where he was strangled in late March 1934—although his death was reported as a suicide. Marum’s three children fled Germany after 1933, to the US, Mexico and France. Today, Marum is remembered as an early victim of the Nazi regime and a high school in Karlsruhe is named after him.In 1946, the haggadah was sold for $600 to the National Bezalel Museum in Palestine by Herman Kahn, a Jewish refugee who had been a teacher in Karlsruhe. The purchase was covered in the local press at the time but it is not clear how Kahn obtained the book. The Bezalel Museum was later incorporated into the Israel Museum, where the manuscript was reproduced in a catalogue, shown with a plaque noting that it was “in the possession” of the Marum family before the Nazi Era.Elisabeth Lunau, Marum’s surviving daughter, visited the Israel Museum in 1984 and viewed the manuscript in the permanent galleries. In a letter to the museum’s curator of Judaica, she stressed that the work was sold without the family’s consent and that its “rightful owners” should be recognised in the object’s name. She added: “the family Marum, however, thought the haggadah should remain in the Israel Museum for the benefit of the public.”Eli Barzilai—born Ernst Peter Marum in 1941—said there is no longer a plaque that names the Marum family near the manuscript. (Eli’s mother, Brigitte, was Marum’s daughter who fled to France. She was deported after the Nazi invasion of the country and killed in the Sobibór camp.) The museum’s website, however, does mention Ludwig and Johanna Marum’s possession of the manuscript The family’s lawyer in the US is E. Randol Schoenberg, who is best known for helping Maria Altmann successfully recover a group of paintings by Gustav Klimt from the Belvedere Museum in Vienna in 2006. Speaking to The Art Newspaper from Los Angeles, Schoenberg stressed that the Marum family has always been clear in its view that the haggadah was stolen. “I do not see any indication that anyone in the family ever relinquished title to the Haggadah,” he said. “The question now is whether the Museum will at last acknowledge the Marum family’s ownership of the Haggadah… or whether we will be forced to take legal steps to enforce the family’s rights.”Speaking for the family, Barzilai said the heirs are asking for “less than $10m” and he put the manuscript’s market value at several times that amount. He added that the family would rather the haggadah remain at the museum.The Israel Museum did not respond to The Art Newspaper’s requests for comment. In a 31 March email to Schoenberg, the museum’s lawyer said: “There is no dispute that the Haggadah was owned by the Marum family for a period of time up until 1933. There is also no dispute that the Haggadah was in the hands of Mr Kahn in 1946 and that the Museum acquired the Haggadah from him.” The museum also requested documents from the heirs tracing the haggadah’s ownership after 1933. ||||| The Birds’ Head Haggadah Photo Credit: Screenshot The descendants of a German Jewish lawyer and member of parliament who was murdered by the Nazis in 1934, are demanding the return of his possession, the 13th century colorfully illustrated “Birds’ Head Haggadah,” which is part of the collection of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. The heirs are asking for “less than $10 million” for the rare work, whose market value is several times that amount. The heirs do not wish to remove the Haggadah from the museum. The so-called “Birds’ Head Haggadah,” a work in pen, ink and tempera on parchment by the scribe Menahem, gets its name from the images in the manuscript, where the human figures are depicted as having birds’ heads with beaks for mouths. Some figures also have pointed animal ears. All the men wear the compulsory conical “Jew’s hat,” imposed on the Jews of Germany in 1215. According to The Art Newspaper, the Birds’ Head Haggadah used to belong to Ludwig Marum, a lawyer from Karlsruhe, Germany, who was a member of the anti-Nazi Social Democratic Party and served in the Reichstag from 1928 until 1933. He was arrested and sent to the Kislau concentration camp, where he was murdered in 1934 (his death was reported as a suicide). Marum’s children fled Germany shortly thereafter. In 1946, Herman Kahn, a Jewish refugee from Karlsruhe, sold the Birds’ Head Haggadah for $600 to the National Bezalel Museum (later part of the Israel Museum). No one knows how Kahn got hold of the work. The manuscript was reproduced in a catalogue, with a note that it was “in the possession” of the Marum family before the war. But the museum display does not offer a similar acknowledgement. Marum’s daughter, Elisabeth Lunau, visited the Israel Museum in 1984 and saw the manuscript on permanent display there. She sent a letter to the museum’s curator of Judaica, arguing that the Haggadah had been sold without the family’s consent and demanded that the “rightful owners” be recognized in the display. She wrote: “The family Marum, however, thought the Haggadah should remain in the Israel Museum for the benefit of the public.” According to TAN, the family’s attorney handling the lawsuit is E. Randol Schoenberg, who in 2006 helped Maria Altmann successfully recover paintings by Gustav Klimt, including, most notably, “Woman in Gold,” from the Belvedere Museum in Vienna. About the Author: JNi.Media provides editors and publishers with high quality Jewish-focused content for their publications. If you don't see your comment after publishing it, refresh the page. Our comments section is intended for meaningful responses and debates in a civilized manner. We ask that you respect the fact that we are a religious Jewish website and avoid inappropriate language at all cost. If you promote any foreign religions, gods or messiahs, lies about Israel, anti-Semitism, or advocate violence (except against terrorists), your permission to comment may be revoked.

– The Birds' Head Haggadah—the oldest illustrated Passover manuscript in the world and one of its most intriguing—has been a prized possessions of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem for the past 70 years, the AP reports. Now the grandchildren of a Jewish lawyer killed by the Nazis say the 700-year-old Haggadah belongs to them. The grandchildren, led by 75-year-old Eli Barzilai, don't want Israel's most important museum to return the manuscript, but they do want compensation—less than $10 million, according to the Art Newspaper —and a plaque noting their family's ownership of the manuscript. The museum doesn't dispute the Haggadah was owned by Ludwig Marum for a time until 1933. It's what happened after that's a mystery. Marum was arrested by the Nazis and died in a concentration camp in 1934, the Jewish Press reports. A coworker who remembered the Haggadah, which features illustrations of humans with bird heads, from Marum's office saw it was in the museum's possession and decided to investigate. The museum told him it bought the manuscript from a Jewish immigrant for $600. The immigrant said he got it from a Jewish doctor, but the doctor denied it, and the trail went cold. Barzilai says that's because the manuscript was stolen from his family. The museum wants documentation from Barzilai showing what happened to the Haggadah between 1933 and 1946. The family has hired an American lawyer recently portrayed by Ryan Reynolds in the film Woman in Gold to represent them. (A painting looted by Nazis recently turned up in an Ohio home .)

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Two pages from the manuscript show bird-headed figures preparing matzoh for Passover A page from the Birds' Head Haggadah showing the Passover Seder A page from the Birds' Head Haggadah showing the splitting of the Red Sea A page from the Birds' Head Haggadah showing Moses receiving the Ten Commandments A page from the Birds' Head Haggadah A page from the Birds' Head Haggadah showing the Binding of Isaac A page from the Birds' Head Haggadah showing Jacob and Esau A 13th-century book used in the celebration of Passover, now in the collection of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, is at the centre of an ownership row. The manuscript, known as the Birds’ Head Haggadah for its colourful illustrations, was once owned by the family of the German-Jewish politician Ludwig Marum, who was an early victim of the Nazi regime. His heirs are pushing to have their title to the work recognised and receive compensation, but they say they want the book to remain on public view at the museum.The manuscript, dated to 1300, is a work in pen, ink and tempera on parchment by a scribe named Menahem from southern Germany. It is described by the museum as the earliest Ashkenazi Jewish illuminated Haggadah. Parts of the book were reproduced in full colour in the popular edition The Medieval Haggadah: Art, Narrative, and Religious Imagination, published by Yale University Press in 2011. In a postcard sold in the museum gift shop, two pages from the manuscript show bird-headed figures preparing matzoh for Passover.The book was the property of the family of Johanna Benedikt, who married Ludwig Marum, a lawyer based in Karlsruhe. He was a member of the Social Democratic Party, which opposed Hitler, and served in the Reichstag from 1928 until 1933. He was arrested in March of that year and later transferred to Kislau, a Nazi concentration camp, where he was strangled in late March 1934—although his death was reported as a suicide. Marum’s three children fled Germany after 1933, to the US, Mexico and France. Today, Marum is remembered as an early victim of the Nazi regime and a high school in Karlsruhe is named after him.In 1946, the haggadah was sold for $600 to the National Bezalel Museum in Palestine by Herman Kahn, a Jewish refugee who had been a teacher in Karlsruhe. The purchase was covered in the local press at the time but it is not clear how Kahn obtained the book. The Bezalel Museum was later incorporated into the Israel Museum, where the manuscript was reproduced in a catalogue, shown with a plaque noting that it was “in the possession” of the Marum family before the Nazi Era.Elisabeth Lunau, Marum’s surviving daughter, visited the Israel Museum in 1984 and viewed the manuscript in the permanent galleries. In a letter to the museum’s curator of Judaica, she stressed that the work was sold without the family’s consent and that its “rightful owners” should be recognised in the object’s name. She added: “the family Marum, however, thought the haggadah should remain in the Israel Museum for the benefit of the public.”Eli Barzilai—born Ernst Peter Marum in 1941—said there is no longer a plaque that names the Marum family near the manuscript. (Eli’s mother, Brigitte, was Marum’s daughter who fled to France. She was deported after the Nazi invasion of the country and killed in the Sobibór camp.) The museum’s website, however, does mention Ludwig and Johanna Marum’s possession of the manuscript The family’s lawyer in the US is E. Randol Schoenberg, who is best known for helping Maria Altmann successfully recover a group of paintings by Gustav Klimt from the Belvedere Museum in Vienna in 2006. Speaking to The Art Newspaper from Los Angeles, Schoenberg stressed that the Marum family has always been clear in its view that the haggadah was stolen. “I do not see any indication that anyone in the family ever relinquished title to the Haggadah,” he said. “The question now is whether the Museum will at last acknowledge the Marum family’s ownership of the Haggadah… or whether we will be forced to take legal steps to enforce the family’s rights.”Speaking for the family, Barzilai said the heirs are asking for “less than $10m” and he put the manuscript’s market value at several times that amount. He added that the family would rather the haggadah remain at the museum.The Israel Museum did not respond to The Art Newspaper’s requests for comment. In a 31 March email to Schoenberg, the museum’s lawyer said: “There is no dispute that the Haggadah was owned by the Marum family for a period of time up until 1933. There is also no dispute that the Haggadah was in the hands of Mr Kahn in 1946 and that the Museum acquired the Haggadah from him.” The museum also requested documents from the heirs tracing the haggadah’s ownership after 1933. ||||| The Birds’ Head Haggadah Photo Credit: Screenshot The descendants of a German Jewish lawyer and member of parliament who was murdered by the Nazis in 1934, are demanding the return of his possession, the 13th century colorfully illustrated “Birds’ Head Haggadah,” which is part of the collection of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. The heirs are asking for “less than $10 million” for the rare work, whose market value is several times that amount. The heirs do not wish to remove the Haggadah from the museum. The so-called “Birds’ Head Haggadah,” a work in pen, ink and tempera on parchment by the scribe Menahem, gets its name from the images in the manuscript, where the human figures are depicted as having birds’ heads with beaks for mouths. Some figures also have pointed animal ears. All the men wear the compulsory conical “Jew’s hat,” imposed on the Jews of Germany in 1215. According to The Art Newspaper, the Birds’ Head Haggadah used to belong to Ludwig Marum, a lawyer from Karlsruhe, Germany, who was a member of the anti-Nazi Social Democratic Party and served in the Reichstag from 1928 until 1933. He was arrested and sent to the Kislau concentration camp, where he was murdered in 1934 (his death was reported as a suicide). Marum’s children fled Germany shortly thereafter. In 1946, Herman Kahn, a Jewish refugee from Karlsruhe, sold the Birds’ Head Haggadah for $600 to the National Bezalel Museum (later part of the Israel Museum). No one knows how Kahn got hold of the work. The manuscript was reproduced in a catalogue, with a note that it was “in the possession” of the Marum family before the war. But the museum display does not offer a similar acknowledgement. Marum’s daughter, Elisabeth Lunau, visited the Israel Museum in 1984 and saw the manuscript on permanent display there. She sent a letter to the museum’s curator of Judaica, arguing that the Haggadah had been sold without the family’s consent and demanded that the “rightful owners” be recognized in the display. She wrote: “The family Marum, however, thought the Haggadah should remain in the Israel Museum for the benefit of the public.” According to TAN, the family’s attorney handling the lawsuit is E. Randol Schoenberg, who in 2006 helped Maria Altmann successfully recover paintings by Gustav Klimt, including, most notably, “Woman in Gold,” from the Belvedere Museum in Vienna. About the Author: JNi.Media provides editors and publishers with high quality Jewish-focused content for their publications. If you don't see your comment after publishing it, refresh the page. Our comments section is intended for meaningful responses and debates in a civilized manner. We ask that you respect the fact that we are a religious Jewish website and avoid inappropriate language at all cost. If you promote any foreign religions, gods or messiahs, lies about Israel, anti-Semitism, or advocate violence (except against terrorists), your permission to comment may be revoked.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Joe Skipper/Reuters Last week, New York magazine’s John Heilemann pointed out a deep truth about Newt Gingrich’s peculiar presidential campaign: The very media elite that Gingrich delights in hammering has actually been in his corner all along. The press likes a horse race; the press likes outsize personalities; the press favors an underdog; and the press even takes a strange sort of delight in being ruthlessly attacked. Of course most political reporters don’t want Gingrich in the White House. But they’ve had every incentive to keep him in the headlines and overrate his odds of defeating Mitt Romney for the nomination. Tuesday night’s Floridian drubbing won’t change those incentives, so we can expect a last burst of media chatter about how Gingrich could still recover, ride a wilderness campaign to a Super Tuesday comeback and fight Romney tooth and nail all the way to the convention. But chatter is all it will be. For Gingrich and his media enablers alike, the dream died in Florida – and here are four reasons why. If Gingrich can’t compete in Florida, he can’t compete nationally. To date, all of the Republican primary contests have been held in smallish states with distinctive demographic profiles. This made it possible to play up the significance of Gingrich’s convincing South Carolina victory, while downplaying Romney’s New Hampshire win as an independent-abetted, only-in-New-England fluke. But Florida’s primary was closed to independents, Florida’s electorate was as conservative and Tea Party-friendly (though not as evangelical-heavy) as South Carolina’s and Florida’s large senior population once looked like it would give Gingrich an edge. If the former speaker couldn’t even come close to beating Romney in such relatively favorable terrain, it’s hard to see how he can hope to compete with him anywhere outside the Deep South. The anti-Romney vote isn’t as big as Gingrich likes to think it is. As the Florida polls turned against them, Gingrich’s campaign began hinting that Rick Santorum should drop out of the race and give Gingrich a clear shot at consolidating conservatives against Romney. If Santorum weren’t in the race, one of Gingrich’s campaign chairmen in Florida told CNN on Monday, “we would clearly be beating Romney right now.” But as it turned out, Romney received as many votes as his two nearest rivals combined. And more importantly, pre-primary polls showed that without Santorum in the race, Romney would still have led Gingrich by a wide margin – as much as 16 points, according to an NBC/Marist poll. The fact that a majority of Republicans still have reservations about Romney, in other words, doesn’t mean that a majority would ever vote for Gingrich. Romney’s down-and-dirty Florida campaign eased right-wing doubts about his toughness. Romney hammered Gingrich in the debates, and then carpet-bombed him with negative advertisements. 68 percent of the ads that ran in Florida were negative spots attacking Gingrich, and Romney’s only positive ad was a Spanish-language spot that aired 15 times in total. While this gloves-off approach may have tarnished Romney’s image with swing voters, it helped reassure the many conservatives who were attracted to Gingrich because they want a no-holds-barred fighter for the fall campaign. As John Podhoretz wrote on Monday in the New York Post, Florida was a test of Romney’s mettle: “The clean-cut Boy Scout Ken-doll candidate from Massachusetts needed to show his fellow Republicans that he could be mean, tough and merciless on the attack — that he could take it to his rival and best him.” Consider that mission accomplished. Gingrich’s lackluster debate performances permanently undercut the strongest rationale for his candidacy. In truth, the idea that the former speaker’s skills as a debater would give him a significant general-election edge over President Obama was never particularly plausible. Still, many Republican primary voters seemed to be believe it: The promise of a Lincoln-Douglas-style showdown with the president has been one of Gingrich’s more effective rhetorical flourishes, and his showstopping performances in South Carolina were crucial to his upset victory. But it’s hard to see how Gingrich’s Master Debater reputation recovers from his poor showings in the debates in Florida. Even if he stays in the race long enough to get another crack at Romney, voters will always remember that he can be bested – that if you prick him, he might just bleed. Once lost, an aura of invincibility is an awfully hard thing to regain. Without his debating magic, Gingrich doesn’t have any cards left to play. He won Herman Cain’s endorsement in Florida, but it didn’t help his cause. Sarah Palin had his back, but it didn’t seem to matter. Sheldon Adelson funded his ads, but Romney still massively outspent him. Santorum could have dropped out, and Gingrich still would have lost by double-digits. There’s nobody waiting in the wings to help him, no endorsement or donation that can change the fundamentals of the race. If he keeps going now – and there’s every reason to think he will – he’ll be pinning his hopes on a deus ex machina. Every realistic path leads only to defeat. ||||| Topics: Opening Shot Mitt Romney spent the 10 days between South Carolina and Florida acting very much like a man with a primary to worry about, viciously and repeatedly attacking Newt Gingrich in speeches, interviews and debates. But when he took the stage at his victory party in Tampa Tuesday night, he abruptly switched gears and presented himself as the presumptive Republican Party nominee, acknowledging Gingrich (and Rick Santorum and Ron Paul) only in passing and littering the air with carefully scripted put-downs of Barack Obama intended for general election ears. “Thomas Paine is reported to have said, ‘Lead, follow or get out of the way,’” Romney declared. “Mr. President, you were elected to lead, you chose to follow and now it’s time for you to get out of the way!” This was a speech by a man who dearly hopes the Republican leaders and voters who have been so hesitant to embrace him will consider the Florida results and at last yield to his inevitability, bringing the competitive phase of the GOP primary season to an end before it hurts him any further. And then Newt took the stage at his own Florida party and delivered a rambling and somewhat bizarre speech that nonetheless guaranteed Romney will face at least six more weeks of grief before he can put the nomination battle behind him. Standing at a podium decorated with a sign that read “46 states to go,” Gingrich vowed that “we are going to contest every place and we are going to win.” His defiant posture was more of a confirmation than a revelation. As it became clear he was going to lose Florida by a wide margin the past few days, Gingrich repeatedly affirmed his intent to keep his campaign alive through the GOP convention. Since he’s 68 years old and not angling for position in a future election, it’s easy to believe that he means it, and that he’s made his spite with Romney clear only adds to his motivation to press on. And since Gingrich only really knows the language of attack politics, the potential problem for Romney is obvious. How do you unify your party if your main opponent won’t stop shouting that you’re a dirty, dishonest apostate? So the real question coming out of Florida is how long Gingrich can actually go on. The literal answer is: as long as he wants. But from Romney’s standpoint, the issue is how long the political world will continue to treat Gingrich like a serious candidate. That is to say, Gingrich can remain an active candidate until the convention balloting if he wants; but if he’s getting clobbered in primaries and caucuses, accumulating few delegates, unable to force Romney into debates and largely ignored by the media, then his lingering presence won’t really be a problem for Romney. This makes the next move of Sheldon Adelson, the 78-year-old Las Vegas casino magnate who has underwritten the last few years of Gingrich’s political life, crucial. When Adelson unexpectedly poured $5 million into a pro-Newt super PAC after the former speaker crashed and burned in Iowa and New Hampshire, it made it possible for Gingrich to bounce back and win South Carolina. If Adelson, whose wife gave another $5 million to the Super PAC in the run up to Florida, makes a similar play now, it will buy Gingrich priceless credibility with the media and political class. As long as Adelson keeps writing monster checks, Gingrich will be a factor, if only because the money will have the potential to damage Romney. The other major factor is the calendar. February will be a light month when it comes to primary and caucus activity, with the limited playing field tilted heavily in Romney’s favor – Nevada, Arizona and Michigan are the headline contests. Assuming Romney wins these states comfortably, he’ll have an opportunity to build momentum in February and open up a significant lead over Gingrich in national polls, delegates and in later-voting states. But Gingrich can probably maintain his relevance through all of this simply by pointing to the early weeks of March, when the Old Confederacy will finally get its say. The basic cultural and demographic characteristics that defined the South Carolina GOP electorate – heavy on Yankee-phobic, Tea Party-friendly conservative evangelicals – will be present in Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and Louisiana when they vote in March. Gingrich can credibly sell those contests as the ultimate test of his “bold Reagan conservative” versus “timid Massachusetts moderate” framing of the GOP race, making it difficult to ignore him between now and then. If he were then to win those states, all of the talk about Romney as a fatally flawed candidate for the Tea Party era would restart and the race would almost certainly last all the way to the GOP convention. It would be the modern equivalent of Ronald Reagan’s upset win in the 1976 North Carolina primary, which stopped Gerald Ford from putting away with the GOP race and triggered a late string of Reagan wins that kept the nomination from being settled before Kansas City. On the flip side, a Romney sweep of Dixie in early March really would shatter the rationale for Gingrich’s campaign. At that point, it wouldn’t really matter if Gingrich stayed in the race; he would then be about as relevant to the GOP race as Jerry Brown was to the Democratic contest in the spring months of 1992. But that’s six weeks from now. Between now and then, Romney can pretend all he wants that the race is over and that his new opponent is Barack Obama; every time Newt Gingrich opens his mouth, the press will be there to cover it, reminding Romney that he’s not out of the woods yet. Continue Reading Close ||||| If you'd just landed here in Orlando from a Gingrich-inspired moon colony this evening you wouldn't have known that Newt had just had his clock cleaned by Mitt Romney by a 15-point margin. Magnanimous Newt was not in attendance. Apparently, no one had told the former House Speaker this was supposed to be a concession speech. Who knows, perhaps no one even told him he'd lost. He mentioned Romney only in passing - "Massachusetts moderate" - and never came close to congratulating him, or Rick Santorum (who he needs to butter up) and Ron Paul. There was World Historical Newt. How could he defeat Romney? "It was stated at a historic moment in 1863, in dedicating our first national military cemetery by the president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, who said we have government of the people, by the people, for the people. And we’re going to have people power defeat money power in the next six months." Newt Gingrich speaks in Orlando, but doesn't concede. Photo: Toby Harnden. There was Grandiose Newt. After a long digression into the stump speech he'd been giving all week, he stated: "The reason I’m comfortable telling you all this is I have been studying what America needs to do, since the fall of 1958, when my dad was stationed in Europe in the Army." He finished by pledging "my life, my fortune and my sacred honour" if he became president. Coming from a man who avoided service in Vietnam (as did Romney) despite coming from a military family, I can't imagine how this could sound to someone who has sacrificed a limb or a loved one in Iraq or Afghanistan. Angry Newt was there, getting steamed up about the "five-to-one onslaught" against him and playing being the victim of "the elite media" who "said I was dead in June and July and said I was gone after Iowa, who seemed totally quiet the night of the South Carolina victory" - while at the same time name-dropping David Broder, the late dean of Washington political reporters. Denial may not be just a river in Egypt, but Newt was adrift on it in any case. "I think Florida did something very important, coming on top of South Carolina," said Denial Newt. "It is now clear that this will be a two-person race between the conservative leader, Newt Gingrich, and the Massachusetts moderate. And the voters of Florida really made that clear." The voters in Florida made a few things clear but Gingrich's uncontested leadership of the American conservative movement wasn't one of them. As Santorum said quite reasonably in his speech in Las Vegas, the result could be interpreted as a message to Gingrich that he'd "had his opportunity" to be the conservative alternative to Romney and it was now someone else's turn. No amount of grousing about super PACs, negative ads and being outspent can explain away a 15-point loss after surfing into the state on a double-digit poll lead and a wave of momentum generated by his landslide South Carolina win. Disppointed Gingrich supporters listen to his speech. Photo: Toby Harnden. Reality Newt, however, was missing in action. In South Carolina 11 days ago, Romney responded to his humiliation at the hands of Gingrich by congratulating and at the same time laying out a new line of attack that he followed through on in Florida. Gingrich offered nothing new tonight and gave no clues about how he will compete on a broader battlefield that very much favours Romney between now and Super Tuesday on March 6th. The signs said "46 States To Go" but Gingrich said nothing beyond airy generalities about how he would win them. It was as if he had refused to come to terms with the reality of his defeat in the Sunshine State. The speech, it has to be said, was also a downer. Romney is by no means invincible, as Gingrich showed in South Carolina. But a week in which Gingrich lost his temper, whined about negative attacks while launching even nastier and less truthful ones himself and was unable to move from defence to effective offence will hardly give his high-level backers much cheer. Gingrich can clearly see a future in which he is President if only everyone was as wise as him, meaning wise enough to recognise his greatness. Alas for Newt, imagining himself into the White House is no more realistic a proposition than his promise to establish a moon colony by 2020. Two young fans carrying the Gingrich message. Photo: Toby Harnden. ||||| Even after he loses today's primary in Florida, Newt Gingrich has promised to soldier on all the way to the convention in August. As John Heilemann wrote earlier this week, the former Speaker, unlike many candidates who vow perseverance to the end, might be crazy enough to actually mean it. Gingrich's chances aren't great: As TPM points out this morning, he lacks the money, the organization, and the party support of, say, Hillary Clinton when she took her second-place campaign all the way to the end of the Democratic primaries. But if you ask us, there are plenty of reasons for Gingrich to stay in the race. Here are five of them:

– Mitt Romney positively trounced Newt Gingrich in Florida last night, and the pundits agree that Gingrich's shot at the presidency has been all but obliterated. They also, however, agree that he won't drop out anytime soon: In the New York Times, Ross Douthat offers up four reasons why Gingrich's campaign is "going, going, gone." Here's one: He would have lost to Romney in Florida even if Rick Santorum had dropped out and every single Santorum backer had voted for him—and "if Gingrich can't compete in Florida, he can't compete nationally." From here on out, "every realistic path leads only to defeat." Toby Harnden is even harsher in the Daily Mail. "For Newt, imagining himself into the White House is no more realistic a proposition than his promise to establish a moon colony by 2020." But you wouldn't know it from last night's concession speech, which featured a defiant Gingrich steeped in denial. "The voters in Florida made a few things clear," Harnden points out, "but Gingrich's uncontested leadership of the American conservative movement wasn't one of them." Dan Amira acknowledges that Gingrich has little reason left to hope, but even so, in New York he offers up five reasons Gingrich should stay in the race anyway. He could experience a third enormous surge in the polls, he has a billionaire casino owner backing him, and "maybe a former Bain executive will turn up and admit that he and Romney used to smoke cigars filled with $100 bills as they laughed maniacally about the companies they'd looted." Gingrich will certainly stay in the race, writes Steve Kornacki at Salon, but the big question is: for how long? He can stay in "as long as he wants," but the political world may not continue to take him seriously much longer. "If he’s getting clobbered in primaries and caucuses, accumulating few delegates, unable to force Romney into debates, and largely ignored by the media, then his lingering presence won’t really be a problem for Romney."

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Joe Skipper/Reuters Last week, New York magazine’s John Heilemann pointed out a deep truth about Newt Gingrich’s peculiar presidential campaign: The very media elite that Gingrich delights in hammering has actually been in his corner all along. The press likes a horse race; the press likes outsize personalities; the press favors an underdog; and the press even takes a strange sort of delight in being ruthlessly attacked. Of course most political reporters don’t want Gingrich in the White House. But they’ve had every incentive to keep him in the headlines and overrate his odds of defeating Mitt Romney for the nomination. Tuesday night’s Floridian drubbing won’t change those incentives, so we can expect a last burst of media chatter about how Gingrich could still recover, ride a wilderness campaign to a Super Tuesday comeback and fight Romney tooth and nail all the way to the convention. But chatter is all it will be. For Gingrich and his media enablers alike, the dream died in Florida – and here are four reasons why. If Gingrich can’t compete in Florida, he can’t compete nationally. To date, all of the Republican primary contests have been held in smallish states with distinctive demographic profiles. This made it possible to play up the significance of Gingrich’s convincing South Carolina victory, while downplaying Romney’s New Hampshire win as an independent-abetted, only-in-New-England fluke. But Florida’s primary was closed to independents, Florida’s electorate was as conservative and Tea Party-friendly (though not as evangelical-heavy) as South Carolina’s and Florida’s large senior population once looked like it would give Gingrich an edge. If the former speaker couldn’t even come close to beating Romney in such relatively favorable terrain, it’s hard to see how he can hope to compete with him anywhere outside the Deep South. The anti-Romney vote isn’t as big as Gingrich likes to think it is. As the Florida polls turned against them, Gingrich’s campaign began hinting that Rick Santorum should drop out of the race and give Gingrich a clear shot at consolidating conservatives against Romney. If Santorum weren’t in the race, one of Gingrich’s campaign chairmen in Florida told CNN on Monday, “we would clearly be beating Romney right now.” But as it turned out, Romney received as many votes as his two nearest rivals combined. And more importantly, pre-primary polls showed that without Santorum in the race, Romney would still have led Gingrich by a wide margin – as much as 16 points, according to an NBC/Marist poll. The fact that a majority of Republicans still have reservations about Romney, in other words, doesn’t mean that a majority would ever vote for Gingrich. Romney’s down-and-dirty Florida campaign eased right-wing doubts about his toughness. Romney hammered Gingrich in the debates, and then carpet-bombed him with negative advertisements. 68 percent of the ads that ran in Florida were negative spots attacking Gingrich, and Romney’s only positive ad was a Spanish-language spot that aired 15 times in total. While this gloves-off approach may have tarnished Romney’s image with swing voters, it helped reassure the many conservatives who were attracted to Gingrich because they want a no-holds-barred fighter for the fall campaign. As John Podhoretz wrote on Monday in the New York Post, Florida was a test of Romney’s mettle: “The clean-cut Boy Scout Ken-doll candidate from Massachusetts needed to show his fellow Republicans that he could be mean, tough and merciless on the attack — that he could take it to his rival and best him.” Consider that mission accomplished. Gingrich’s lackluster debate performances permanently undercut the strongest rationale for his candidacy. In truth, the idea that the former speaker’s skills as a debater would give him a significant general-election edge over President Obama was never particularly plausible. Still, many Republican primary voters seemed to be believe it: The promise of a Lincoln-Douglas-style showdown with the president has been one of Gingrich’s more effective rhetorical flourishes, and his showstopping performances in South Carolina were crucial to his upset victory. But it’s hard to see how Gingrich’s Master Debater reputation recovers from his poor showings in the debates in Florida. Even if he stays in the race long enough to get another crack at Romney, voters will always remember that he can be bested – that if you prick him, he might just bleed. Once lost, an aura of invincibility is an awfully hard thing to regain. Without his debating magic, Gingrich doesn’t have any cards left to play. He won Herman Cain’s endorsement in Florida, but it didn’t help his cause. Sarah Palin had his back, but it didn’t seem to matter. Sheldon Adelson funded his ads, but Romney still massively outspent him. Santorum could have dropped out, and Gingrich still would have lost by double-digits. There’s nobody waiting in the wings to help him, no endorsement or donation that can change the fundamentals of the race. If he keeps going now – and there’s every reason to think he will – he’ll be pinning his hopes on a deus ex machina. Every realistic path leads only to defeat. ||||| Topics: Opening Shot Mitt Romney spent the 10 days between South Carolina and Florida acting very much like a man with a primary to worry about, viciously and repeatedly attacking Newt Gingrich in speeches, interviews and debates. But when he took the stage at his victory party in Tampa Tuesday night, he abruptly switched gears and presented himself as the presumptive Republican Party nominee, acknowledging Gingrich (and Rick Santorum and Ron Paul) only in passing and littering the air with carefully scripted put-downs of Barack Obama intended for general election ears. “Thomas Paine is reported to have said, ‘Lead, follow or get out of the way,’” Romney declared. “Mr. President, you were elected to lead, you chose to follow and now it’s time for you to get out of the way!” This was a speech by a man who dearly hopes the Republican leaders and voters who have been so hesitant to embrace him will consider the Florida results and at last yield to his inevitability, bringing the competitive phase of the GOP primary season to an end before it hurts him any further. And then Newt took the stage at his own Florida party and delivered a rambling and somewhat bizarre speech that nonetheless guaranteed Romney will face at least six more weeks of grief before he can put the nomination battle behind him. Standing at a podium decorated with a sign that read “46 states to go,” Gingrich vowed that “we are going to contest every place and we are going to win.” His defiant posture was more of a confirmation than a revelation. As it became clear he was going to lose Florida by a wide margin the past few days, Gingrich repeatedly affirmed his intent to keep his campaign alive through the GOP convention. Since he’s 68 years old and not angling for position in a future election, it’s easy to believe that he means it, and that he’s made his spite with Romney clear only adds to his motivation to press on. And since Gingrich only really knows the language of attack politics, the potential problem for Romney is obvious. How do you unify your party if your main opponent won’t stop shouting that you’re a dirty, dishonest apostate? So the real question coming out of Florida is how long Gingrich can actually go on. The literal answer is: as long as he wants. But from Romney’s standpoint, the issue is how long the political world will continue to treat Gingrich like a serious candidate. That is to say, Gingrich can remain an active candidate until the convention balloting if he wants; but if he’s getting clobbered in primaries and caucuses, accumulating few delegates, unable to force Romney into debates and largely ignored by the media, then his lingering presence won’t really be a problem for Romney. This makes the next move of Sheldon Adelson, the 78-year-old Las Vegas casino magnate who has underwritten the last few years of Gingrich’s political life, crucial. When Adelson unexpectedly poured $5 million into a pro-Newt super PAC after the former speaker crashed and burned in Iowa and New Hampshire, it made it possible for Gingrich to bounce back and win South Carolina. If Adelson, whose wife gave another $5 million to the Super PAC in the run up to Florida, makes a similar play now, it will buy Gingrich priceless credibility with the media and political class. As long as Adelson keeps writing monster checks, Gingrich will be a factor, if only because the money will have the potential to damage Romney. The other major factor is the calendar. February will be a light month when it comes to primary and caucus activity, with the limited playing field tilted heavily in Romney’s favor – Nevada, Arizona and Michigan are the headline contests. Assuming Romney wins these states comfortably, he’ll have an opportunity to build momentum in February and open up a significant lead over Gingrich in national polls, delegates and in later-voting states. But Gingrich can probably maintain his relevance through all of this simply by pointing to the early weeks of March, when the Old Confederacy will finally get its say. The basic cultural and demographic characteristics that defined the South Carolina GOP electorate – heavy on Yankee-phobic, Tea Party-friendly conservative evangelicals – will be present in Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and Louisiana when they vote in March. Gingrich can credibly sell those contests as the ultimate test of his “bold Reagan conservative” versus “timid Massachusetts moderate” framing of the GOP race, making it difficult to ignore him between now and then. If he were then to win those states, all of the talk about Romney as a fatally flawed candidate for the Tea Party era would restart and the race would almost certainly last all the way to the GOP convention. It would be the modern equivalent of Ronald Reagan’s upset win in the 1976 North Carolina primary, which stopped Gerald Ford from putting away with the GOP race and triggered a late string of Reagan wins that kept the nomination from being settled before Kansas City. On the flip side, a Romney sweep of Dixie in early March really would shatter the rationale for Gingrich’s campaign. At that point, it wouldn’t really matter if Gingrich stayed in the race; he would then be about as relevant to the GOP race as Jerry Brown was to the Democratic contest in the spring months of 1992. But that’s six weeks from now. Between now and then, Romney can pretend all he wants that the race is over and that his new opponent is Barack Obama; every time Newt Gingrich opens his mouth, the press will be there to cover it, reminding Romney that he’s not out of the woods yet. Continue Reading Close ||||| If you'd just landed here in Orlando from a Gingrich-inspired moon colony this evening you wouldn't have known that Newt had just had his clock cleaned by Mitt Romney by a 15-point margin. Magnanimous Newt was not in attendance. Apparently, no one had told the former House Speaker this was supposed to be a concession speech. Who knows, perhaps no one even told him he'd lost. He mentioned Romney only in passing - "Massachusetts moderate" - and never came close to congratulating him, or Rick Santorum (who he needs to butter up) and Ron Paul. There was World Historical Newt. How could he defeat Romney? "It was stated at a historic moment in 1863, in dedicating our first national military cemetery by the president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, who said we have government of the people, by the people, for the people. And we’re going to have people power defeat money power in the next six months." Newt Gingrich speaks in Orlando, but doesn't concede. Photo: Toby Harnden. There was Grandiose Newt. After a long digression into the stump speech he'd been giving all week, he stated: "The reason I’m comfortable telling you all this is I have been studying what America needs to do, since the fall of 1958, when my dad was stationed in Europe in the Army." He finished by pledging "my life, my fortune and my sacred honour" if he became president. Coming from a man who avoided service in Vietnam (as did Romney) despite coming from a military family, I can't imagine how this could sound to someone who has sacrificed a limb or a loved one in Iraq or Afghanistan. Angry Newt was there, getting steamed up about the "five-to-one onslaught" against him and playing being the victim of "the elite media" who "said I was dead in June and July and said I was gone after Iowa, who seemed totally quiet the night of the South Carolina victory" - while at the same time name-dropping David Broder, the late dean of Washington political reporters. Denial may not be just a river in Egypt, but Newt was adrift on it in any case. "I think Florida did something very important, coming on top of South Carolina," said Denial Newt. "It is now clear that this will be a two-person race between the conservative leader, Newt Gingrich, and the Massachusetts moderate. And the voters of Florida really made that clear." The voters in Florida made a few things clear but Gingrich's uncontested leadership of the American conservative movement wasn't one of them. As Santorum said quite reasonably in his speech in Las Vegas, the result could be interpreted as a message to Gingrich that he'd "had his opportunity" to be the conservative alternative to Romney and it was now someone else's turn. No amount of grousing about super PACs, negative ads and being outspent can explain away a 15-point loss after surfing into the state on a double-digit poll lead and a wave of momentum generated by his landslide South Carolina win. Disppointed Gingrich supporters listen to his speech. Photo: Toby Harnden. Reality Newt, however, was missing in action. In South Carolina 11 days ago, Romney responded to his humiliation at the hands of Gingrich by congratulating and at the same time laying out a new line of attack that he followed through on in Florida. Gingrich offered nothing new tonight and gave no clues about how he will compete on a broader battlefield that very much favours Romney between now and Super Tuesday on March 6th. The signs said "46 States To Go" but Gingrich said nothing beyond airy generalities about how he would win them. It was as if he had refused to come to terms with the reality of his defeat in the Sunshine State. The speech, it has to be said, was also a downer. Romney is by no means invincible, as Gingrich showed in South Carolina. But a week in which Gingrich lost his temper, whined about negative attacks while launching even nastier and less truthful ones himself and was unable to move from defence to effective offence will hardly give his high-level backers much cheer. Gingrich can clearly see a future in which he is President if only everyone was as wise as him, meaning wise enough to recognise his greatness. Alas for Newt, imagining himself into the White House is no more realistic a proposition than his promise to establish a moon colony by 2020. Two young fans carrying the Gingrich message. Photo: Toby Harnden. ||||| Even after he loses today's primary in Florida, Newt Gingrich has promised to soldier on all the way to the convention in August. As John Heilemann wrote earlier this week, the former Speaker, unlike many candidates who vow perseverance to the end, might be crazy enough to actually mean it. Gingrich's chances aren't great: As TPM points out this morning, he lacks the money, the organization, and the party support of, say, Hillary Clinton when she took her second-place campaign all the way to the end of the Democratic primaries. But if you ask us, there are plenty of reasons for Gingrich to stay in the race. Here are five of them:

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

LUCCA, Italy (Reuters) - Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) major industrialized nations met in Italy on Monday, looking to put pressure on Russia to break its ties with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. In a shift in Washington’s strategy, U.S. missiles hit a Syrian air base last week in retaliation for what the United States and its allies say was a poison gas attack by Syria’s military in which scores of civilians died. The Syrian government has denied it was behind the assault. COMMENTARY: Why Assad used chemical weapons U.S. President Donald Trump had previously appeared disinclined to intervene against the Syrian leader and the attack raised expectations that he might now be ready to adopt a tougher-than-expected stance with Russia, Assad’s main backer. Calling the strike a “game changer”, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said support for the Syrian president “was toxifying the reputation of Russia” and suggested sanctions could be imposed on Moscow if it refused to change course. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is due to travel to Moscow on Tuesday at the end of the two-day gathering in the Tuscan city of Lucca with his Italian, German, French, British, Japanese and Canadian counterparts. “What we’re trying to do is to give Rex Tillerson the clearest possible mandate from us as the West, the U.K., all our allies here, to say to the Russians ‘this is your choice: stick with that guy, stick with that tyrant, or work with us to find a better solution’,” Johnson said after meeting Tillerson. Russia has rejected accusations that Assad used chemical arms against his own people and has said it will not cut its ties with Assad, who has been locked in a six-year-old civil war that has devastated Syria and displaced half its population. “Returning to pseudo-attempts to resolve the crisis by repeating mantras that Assad must step down cannot help sort things out,” Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, said on Monday. Johnson said he was keen to seen further sanctions imposed on both Syrian and Russian “military figures”. Speaking to reporters in France, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country was also ready to stiffen sanctions on Moscow. German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel (L), U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (C) and Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, pose for a family photo during a G7 for foreign ministers in Lucca, Italy April 10, 2017. REUTERS/Max Rossi “CRIMES AGAINST INNOCENTS” Tillerson said at the weekend the main priority for the United States was the defeat of one of Assad’s main foes, the Islamic State militant movement, and it is unclear how far he will want to push the Russians on Tuesday. On Monday, the former oilman-turned-diplomat visited the site of a World War Two Nazi massacre in Italy and said the United States would never let such abuses go unchallenged. “We rededicate ourselves to holding to account any and all who commit crimes against the innocents anywhere in the world,” he said in Sant’Anna di Stazzema before heading to Lucca. As the talks began, a few dozen anti-G7 protesters clashed with baton-wielding riot police on the edges of the walled city. Looking to build their case against Assad, Italy has invited the foreign ministers from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Qatar to sit down with the G7 group on Tuesday to discuss Syria. All oppose Assad’s rule. Before the meeting started, the foreign minister of Iran, which supports Assad, asked to speak to Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano to discuss Syria, Italian diplomats said. Details of their conversation were not disclosed. The foreign ministers’ discussions will prepare the way for a G7 leaders’ summit in Sicily at the end of May, which looks set to be Trump’s first overseas trip since becoming president. The ministers will also talk about growing tensions with North Korea, with the United States moving a navy strike group near the Korean peninsula amid concerns over Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions. They will also debate Libya. Italy is hoping for vocal support for a United Nations-backed government in Tripoli which has struggled to establish its authority even in the city, let alone in the rest of the country. Slideshow (7 Images) The Trump administration has not yet defined a clear policy and Rome fears Washington may fall into step with Egypt and Russia, which both support general Khalifa Haftar, a powerful figure in eastern Libya. The struggle against terrorism, relations with Iran and instability in Ukraine are also on the agenda, with the meeting expected to finish by midday on Tuesday. ||||| Image copyright EPA Image caption Last Wednesday's suspected chemical attack claimed 89 lives G7 nations are meeting in Italy to try to hammer out a unified approach to the Syria conflict, in the wake of last week's suspected chemical attack. Foreign ministers will seek to pressure Russia to distance itself from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said possible sanctions against Russian military officials would be discussed. Allies will also be seeking clarity from the US on its Syria policy, after some apparently mixed messages. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has strongly criticised Russia for failing to prevent Syria from carrying out the chemical attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun last Wednesday that left 89 people dead. But he also said there had been "no change to our military posture" in Syria following a retaliatory US strike against a Syrian airbase, and that Washington's "first priority" in Syria was to defeat so-called Islamic State (IS). Image copyright Reuters Image caption Rex Tillerson attended a wreath-laying ceremony to honour those killed in a Nazi massacre Ahead of the meeting in the city of Lucca, in Tuscany, on Monday, Mr Tillerson took part in an international wreath-laying ceremony to remember those killed in a Nazi massacre of villagers at Sant'Anna di Stazzema in 1944. He drew a parallel to last week's chemical attack, saying: "We rededicate ourselves to holding to account any and all who commit crimes against the innocents anywhere in the world." Separately on Monday, US Defence Secretary James Mattis said the retaliatory US air strike had damaged or destroyed 20% of Syria's operational aircraft. "The Syrian government would be ill-advised ever again to use chemical weapons," he said. What are the options for pressuring Russia? Boris Johnson said the message from the meeting should be clear - that Russian President Vladimir Putin must be made to abandon his support for Mr Assad. "He's toxifying the reputation of Russia by his continual association with a guy who has flagrantly poisoned his own people," Mr Johnson said. Image copyright AFP Image caption Boris Johnson said sanctions on the Syrian and Russian militaries were being discussed He said the meeting would be "discussing the possibility of further sanctions certainly on some of the Syrian military figures and indeed on some of the Russian military figures who have been involved in co-ordinating the Syrian military efforts". Decoding Russia's response to Johnson's cancelled trip Russia is already under a raft of sanctions imposed by the US and EU in response to the annexation of Crimea and the crisis in eastern Ukraine. These target Russian individuals and businesses, and key sectors of the Russian economy closely connected to the ruling elite. These would be the first sanctions against Russian figures over Syria if they were to be adopted, but it is far from clear they will be. Mr Tillerson will want to go from the G7 talks to Moscow on Tuesday to confront the Russians with a unified set of demands. However, Reuters news agency quoted one senior European diplomat as saying that the US was "navigating aimlessly in the dark" in the search for a transfer of power in Syria. The G7 groups Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US, with the European Union also represented. Sanctions already on Russia over Crimea What is US policy on Syria? That is what the other G7 ministers will be seeking to clarify. In addition to Mr Tillerson's comments, the US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, appears to have given mixed signals. Image copyright Reuters Image caption Mr Tillerson (L) has made it clear the US priority in Syria is to eliminate IS "In no way do we see peace in that area with Assad as the head of the Syrian government," she told NBC's Meet the Press, a week after she had said that Mr Assad's removal was no longer a US priority. White House sources said any difference in nuance between her comments and administration policy was "inadvertent and unintentional". Firing 59 cruise missiles at Syria's Shayrat airbase following the suspected chemical attack was the kind of direct intervention in Syria's six-year-old civil war that Donald Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama, had avoided. Until Friday's strike, so did Mr Trump. He opposed military action in 2013 and campaigned on a platform of fixing problems in the US, not Syria. During the election campaign he expressed wariness that US military action in Syria might lead to conflict with Russia. And while viewing the airbase strike as decisive, most commentators are not seeing a radical change in the US approach to Syria. Is Trump slipping into Syria quagmire? Trump acts decisively in Syria: Now what? Why was Shayrat airbase bombed? What are Syria and its allies saying? Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Moscow newspaper: "We believed in you comrade Donald." Syria has denied using any chemical agents, and Russia says the US has failed to provide evidence Syria has chemical weapons. Russia and Iran, President Assad's key military backers, are also threatening retaliation if there are any further American air strikes, saying the US attack had crossed "red lines". "From now on we will respond with force to any aggressor or any breach of red lines from whoever it is and America knows our ability to respond well," said a statement on Sunday from a joint command centre comprising the forces of President Assad's allies. Syria 'chemical attack': What we know ||||| A statement released by "the joint command operation center of Syrian allies," a group that includes Russia and Iran, warned the U.S. against further military actions in the war-torn country, following a missile strike on a Syrian air base last week. Interested in Syria? Add Syria as an interest to stay up to date on the latest Syria news, video, and analysis from ABC News. Add Interest Referring to its defense of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime, the group warned that they would support Syria and its people "with all means that we have." "The United States crossed red lines by attacking Syria, from now on we will respond to anyone, including America if it attacks Syria and crosses the red lines," the statement read. "America knows very well our ability and capabilities to respond well to them, [and] we will respond without taking into consideration any reaction and consequences." The statement did not include critical details like what kind of military operation would cross such a red line, or what kind of response would be made on the part of Syria and its allies, but noted that they would work to "liberate" Syria from occupation. "Rest assured that we will liberate Syria from all kinds of occupying forces, it does not matter from where they came to the occupied part of Syria," the statement warned. "Russia and Iran will not allow the United States to be the only superpower in world." The statement warned the U.S. that allies of Syria were "closely and deeply following American forces' moves and presence" in the areas of northern Syria and northwestern Iraq, and that they will "consider them [to be] an occupying force." Russia and Iran have backed Assad in Syria’s six-year-long conflict, as has the Shia militia Hezbollah. The United States and other Western countries have thrown their support behind rebels fighting the Syrian regime. The statement follows heated rhetoric from American lawmakers suggesting that Syrian allies like Russia may have had prior knowledge of the chemical attack that took place in Syria last week, killing scores of civilians, including many children. Earlier on Sunday, Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said on ABC News' "This Week" that Russia is "complicit" in the chemical attack in Syria. "Absolutely they're complicit," Schiff told ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos. "Russian intelligence may not be as good as ours, but it's good enough to know the Syrians had chemical weapons, were using chemical weapons." The question of Russian complicity in the attack also came up in an earlier interview on "This Week" Sunday with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Tillerson said he has "not seen any hard evidence" that Russians were involved in planning or carrying out the attack. But the secretary of state said when he meets with the Russian foreign minister this week, he will bring up Russia's obligation under a 2013 agreement to ensure the Syrian government got rid of its chemical weapons. "It agreed to be the guarantor of the elimination of the chemical weapons, and why Russia has not been able to achieve that is unclear to me," Tillerson said. "Clearly they've been incompetent and perhaps they've just simply been out-maneuvered by the Syrians." ||||| With Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, Chuck Schumer and a slew of liberal pundits supporting Donald Trump’s airstrikes against Syria, the president finds himself in an unusual position. Even CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, who has twice called Trump a BS’er on the air (using the actual word), said the military attack was the moment that Trump became president. There is, as I’ve said, a rally-round-the-president effect. One moment, the media were depicting Trump as a bumbling leader who couldn’t even pass a health bill. In the next, he was a bold and decisive commander-in-chief responding to Bashir al-Assad’s horrifying chemical attack against his own people. But there are some dissenting voices, which I’ll get to in a moment. Even some former Barack Obama aides, in backing Trump’s decision, are now admitting that the former president should not have declared a red line against Syria and failed to enforce it in 2013, settling instead for a deal on chemical weapons that obviously didn’t remove all of them from the country. I’ve been wondering why Trump wasn’t hit harder on the charge of flip-flopping. To be sure, many news outlets have noted that Trump has changed his position against intervening in the Middle East, a staple of his campaign rhetoric. As recently as October, he said Clinton might start World War III in Syria. And Trump tweeted at Obama four years ago. “TO OUR VERY FOOLISH LEADER, DO NOT ATTACK SYRIA - IF YOU DO MANY VERY BAD THINGS WILL HAPPEN & FROM THAT FIGHT THE U.S. GETS NOTHING!” Trump tweeted then. My conclusion: Journalists care far less about flip-flopping if you flip in their direction. And foreign policy commentators tend to reflect a Beltway bias toward U.S. military intervention. For the moment, Trump is letting the results speak for themselves, even as Syria has used the damaged air strip to resume bombing the town where the chemical attack took place. Kellyanne Conway told me yesterday on “Media Buzz” that there are no immediate plans for a televised speech on the issue, but that Trump went out of his way to take a nonpartisan approach. So what happens next? From the right, National Review says: “If it is a one-off, this strike is the very definition of a symbolic pinprick… “We are skeptical of the wisdom of this approach. It may be that the strike is enough to deter Assad from future chemical attacks, but it also could have unwelcome unintended consequences. If Assad decides to defy us, we will be forced into further action against his regime without any idea of what would replace it.” The Weekly Standard questions the legality: “Lost in the praise for the strike is the lingering constitutional question: On what grounds did the White House rest its decision to attack a nation with which we are not formally at war and which has not attacked us? Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's statement that ‘if there are weapons of this nature available in Syria, the ability to secure those weapons and not have them fall into the hands of those who would bring those weapons to our shores to harm American citizens’ is lame if it's meant to satisfy the conditions for defensive preemption. Hitting the air base was no more likely to secure those weapons than taking out cell towers so Assad can't call his bankers in London and Geneva.” Laura Ingraham, the radio talk show host who spoke at Trump’s convention, does not sound pleased, tweeting: “Missiles flying. Rubio's happy. McCain ecstatic. Hillary's on board. A complete policy change in 48 hrs.” From the left, Slate objects to the praise on the grounds that, well, Trump is a dangerous guy: “If you are looking for extra reasons why these commentators may be looking to extend a warm hand to Trump, here's another one: There is something comforting about Trump acting in a manner that much elite opinion has been in favor of for years. Barack Obama was criticized for not launching an attack on Assad after the latter crossed Obama's ‘red line, and many people have made cases—ranging from completely legitimate and thoughtful to entirely bonkers—that America should be more involved in the anti-Assad side of the Syrian conflict… “But Trump is not—and will never be—a normal president. He is an uninformed and dangerously unstable one. If he wants to conduct military action without congressional approval, he should be challenged, not lauded." Of course the media need to keep pressing these questions: What is Trump’s larger strategy? What is he willing to commit in terms of military resources? What risks is he prepared to take? What if Americans are captured in this effort? What about the fallout with Russia? Can the United States really affect the Syrian civil war without boots on the ground? As retired generals flood the airwaves to praise the airstrikes, the media must avoid getting swept away as they were in 2003, when most news organizations covered the runup to the Iraq war with minimal skepticism. At the moment, Trump is basking in some rare praise. But the situation in Syria may look very different in the coming weeks and months. Howard Kurtz is a Fox News analyst and the host of "MediaBuzz" (Sundays 11 a.m.). He is the author of five books and is based in Washington. Follow him at @HowardKurtz. Click here for more information on Howard Kurtz.

– Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will travel to Moscow on Tuesday, and the visit is highly unlikely to be the love-in that some predicted in the Trump administration's earlier days. Tillerson talked tough on Russia in interviews Sunday, calling for the country to end its support of Syria's Bashar al-Assad or face the consequences, the New York Times reports. He called Moscow "incompetent" for failing to hold up its end of a deal to rid Syria of chemical weapons, and accused Russia of interfering in European—but not American—elections. He said, however, that there was no change to US "military posture" in Syria, and the fight against ISIS will still come first. In other developments: Tillerson's remarks to the media made it clear that the Russian relationship with Syria will be a main focus of talks, the Washington Post reports. "I hope Russia is thinking carefully about its continued alliance with Bashar al-Assad, because every time one of these horrific attacks occurs, it draws Russia closer into some level of responsibility," he said on ABC's This Week. Before he travels to Russia, Tillerson will be in Italy Monday for a meeting of Group of Seven foreign ministers, who are hoping he will provide some clarity on the new US approach to Syria. Reuters describes America's US allies as "confused and frustrated" by mixed messages, with Nikki Haley describing regime change as a priority and Tillerson saying the fight against ISIS comes first. The Italy talks will likely be dominated by efforts by the US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the UK to find ways to persuade Vladimir Putin to drop Assad, but that task may be "as enormous as ever," notes the BBC. Russia doesn't seem ready to make deals: ABC reports that the "joint command of Syrian allies," which includes Iran as well as Russia, issued a statement Sunday saying the US had "crossed red lines" with its strike on a Syrian airbase, and warning that any similar attacks will be met a response. "America knows very well our ability and capabilities to respond well to them," and "we will respond without taking into consideration any reaction and consequences," the statement said. Fox notes that the Syria strike has won President Trump plenty of praise from liberal pundits, who largely aren't calling him out for "flip-flopping," though there have been notes of dissent from both liberal and conservative outlets, which may grow depending on what happens in the weeks and months ahead.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.LUCCA, Italy (Reuters) - Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) major industrialized nations met in Italy on Monday, looking to put pressure on Russia to break its ties with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. In a shift in Washington’s strategy, U.S. missiles hit a Syrian air base last week in retaliation for what the United States and its allies say was a poison gas attack by Syria’s military in which scores of civilians died. The Syrian government has denied it was behind the assault. COMMENTARY: Why Assad used chemical weapons U.S. President Donald Trump had previously appeared disinclined to intervene against the Syrian leader and the attack raised expectations that he might now be ready to adopt a tougher-than-expected stance with Russia, Assad’s main backer. Calling the strike a “game changer”, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said support for the Syrian president “was toxifying the reputation of Russia” and suggested sanctions could be imposed on Moscow if it refused to change course. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is due to travel to Moscow on Tuesday at the end of the two-day gathering in the Tuscan city of Lucca with his Italian, German, French, British, Japanese and Canadian counterparts. “What we’re trying to do is to give Rex Tillerson the clearest possible mandate from us as the West, the U.K., all our allies here, to say to the Russians ‘this is your choice: stick with that guy, stick with that tyrant, or work with us to find a better solution’,” Johnson said after meeting Tillerson. Russia has rejected accusations that Assad used chemical arms against his own people and has said it will not cut its ties with Assad, who has been locked in a six-year-old civil war that has devastated Syria and displaced half its population. “Returning to pseudo-attempts to resolve the crisis by repeating mantras that Assad must step down cannot help sort things out,” Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, said on Monday. Johnson said he was keen to seen further sanctions imposed on both Syrian and Russian “military figures”. Speaking to reporters in France, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country was also ready to stiffen sanctions on Moscow. German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel (L), U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (C) and Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, pose for a family photo during a G7 for foreign ministers in Lucca, Italy April 10, 2017. REUTERS/Max Rossi “CRIMES AGAINST INNOCENTS” Tillerson said at the weekend the main priority for the United States was the defeat of one of Assad’s main foes, the Islamic State militant movement, and it is unclear how far he will want to push the Russians on Tuesday. On Monday, the former oilman-turned-diplomat visited the site of a World War Two Nazi massacre in Italy and said the United States would never let such abuses go unchallenged. “We rededicate ourselves to holding to account any and all who commit crimes against the innocents anywhere in the world,” he said in Sant’Anna di Stazzema before heading to Lucca. As the talks began, a few dozen anti-G7 protesters clashed with baton-wielding riot police on the edges of the walled city. Looking to build their case against Assad, Italy has invited the foreign ministers from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Qatar to sit down with the G7 group on Tuesday to discuss Syria. All oppose Assad’s rule. Before the meeting started, the foreign minister of Iran, which supports Assad, asked to speak to Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano to discuss Syria, Italian diplomats said. Details of their conversation were not disclosed. The foreign ministers’ discussions will prepare the way for a G7 leaders’ summit in Sicily at the end of May, which looks set to be Trump’s first overseas trip since becoming president. The ministers will also talk about growing tensions with North Korea, with the United States moving a navy strike group near the Korean peninsula amid concerns over Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions. They will also debate Libya. Italy is hoping for vocal support for a United Nations-backed government in Tripoli which has struggled to establish its authority even in the city, let alone in the rest of the country. Slideshow (7 Images) The Trump administration has not yet defined a clear policy and Rome fears Washington may fall into step with Egypt and Russia, which both support general Khalifa Haftar, a powerful figure in eastern Libya. The struggle against terrorism, relations with Iran and instability in Ukraine are also on the agenda, with the meeting expected to finish by midday on Tuesday. ||||| Image copyright EPA Image caption Last Wednesday's suspected chemical attack claimed 89 lives G7 nations are meeting in Italy to try to hammer out a unified approach to the Syria conflict, in the wake of last week's suspected chemical attack. Foreign ministers will seek to pressure Russia to distance itself from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said possible sanctions against Russian military officials would be discussed. Allies will also be seeking clarity from the US on its Syria policy, after some apparently mixed messages. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has strongly criticised Russia for failing to prevent Syria from carrying out the chemical attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun last Wednesday that left 89 people dead. But he also said there had been "no change to our military posture" in Syria following a retaliatory US strike against a Syrian airbase, and that Washington's "first priority" in Syria was to defeat so-called Islamic State (IS). Image copyright Reuters Image caption Rex Tillerson attended a wreath-laying ceremony to honour those killed in a Nazi massacre Ahead of the meeting in the city of Lucca, in Tuscany, on Monday, Mr Tillerson took part in an international wreath-laying ceremony to remember those killed in a Nazi massacre of villagers at Sant'Anna di Stazzema in 1944. He drew a parallel to last week's chemical attack, saying: "We rededicate ourselves to holding to account any and all who commit crimes against the innocents anywhere in the world." Separately on Monday, US Defence Secretary James Mattis said the retaliatory US air strike had damaged or destroyed 20% of Syria's operational aircraft. "The Syrian government would be ill-advised ever again to use chemical weapons," he said. What are the options for pressuring Russia? Boris Johnson said the message from the meeting should be clear - that Russian President Vladimir Putin must be made to abandon his support for Mr Assad. "He's toxifying the reputation of Russia by his continual association with a guy who has flagrantly poisoned his own people," Mr Johnson said. Image copyright AFP Image caption Boris Johnson said sanctions on the Syrian and Russian militaries were being discussed He said the meeting would be "discussing the possibility of further sanctions certainly on some of the Syrian military figures and indeed on some of the Russian military figures who have been involved in co-ordinating the Syrian military efforts". Decoding Russia's response to Johnson's cancelled trip Russia is already under a raft of sanctions imposed by the US and EU in response to the annexation of Crimea and the crisis in eastern Ukraine. These target Russian individuals and businesses, and key sectors of the Russian economy closely connected to the ruling elite. These would be the first sanctions against Russian figures over Syria if they were to be adopted, but it is far from clear they will be. Mr Tillerson will want to go from the G7 talks to Moscow on Tuesday to confront the Russians with a unified set of demands. However, Reuters news agency quoted one senior European diplomat as saying that the US was "navigating aimlessly in the dark" in the search for a transfer of power in Syria. The G7 groups Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US, with the European Union also represented. Sanctions already on Russia over Crimea What is US policy on Syria? That is what the other G7 ministers will be seeking to clarify. In addition to Mr Tillerson's comments, the US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, appears to have given mixed signals. Image copyright Reuters Image caption Mr Tillerson (L) has made it clear the US priority in Syria is to eliminate IS "In no way do we see peace in that area with Assad as the head of the Syrian government," she told NBC's Meet the Press, a week after she had said that Mr Assad's removal was no longer a US priority. White House sources said any difference in nuance between her comments and administration policy was "inadvertent and unintentional". Firing 59 cruise missiles at Syria's Shayrat airbase following the suspected chemical attack was the kind of direct intervention in Syria's six-year-old civil war that Donald Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama, had avoided. Until Friday's strike, so did Mr Trump. He opposed military action in 2013 and campaigned on a platform of fixing problems in the US, not Syria. During the election campaign he expressed wariness that US military action in Syria might lead to conflict with Russia. And while viewing the airbase strike as decisive, most commentators are not seeing a radical change in the US approach to Syria. Is Trump slipping into Syria quagmire? Trump acts decisively in Syria: Now what? Why was Shayrat airbase bombed? What are Syria and its allies saying? Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Moscow newspaper: "We believed in you comrade Donald." Syria has denied using any chemical agents, and Russia says the US has failed to provide evidence Syria has chemical weapons. Russia and Iran, President Assad's key military backers, are also threatening retaliation if there are any further American air strikes, saying the US attack had crossed "red lines". "From now on we will respond with force to any aggressor or any breach of red lines from whoever it is and America knows our ability to respond well," said a statement on Sunday from a joint command centre comprising the forces of President Assad's allies. Syria 'chemical attack': What we know ||||| A statement released by "the joint command operation center of Syrian allies," a group that includes Russia and Iran, warned the U.S. against further military actions in the war-torn country, following a missile strike on a Syrian air base last week. Interested in Syria? Add Syria as an interest to stay up to date on the latest Syria news, video, and analysis from ABC News. Add Interest Referring to its defense of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime, the group warned that they would support Syria and its people "with all means that we have." "The United States crossed red lines by attacking Syria, from now on we will respond to anyone, including America if it attacks Syria and crosses the red lines," the statement read. "America knows very well our ability and capabilities to respond well to them, [and] we will respond without taking into consideration any reaction and consequences." The statement did not include critical details like what kind of military operation would cross such a red line, or what kind of response would be made on the part of Syria and its allies, but noted that they would work to "liberate" Syria from occupation. "Rest assured that we will liberate Syria from all kinds of occupying forces, it does not matter from where they came to the occupied part of Syria," the statement warned. "Russia and Iran will not allow the United States to be the only superpower in world." The statement warned the U.S. that allies of Syria were "closely and deeply following American forces' moves and presence" in the areas of northern Syria and northwestern Iraq, and that they will "consider them [to be] an occupying force." Russia and Iran have backed Assad in Syria’s six-year-long conflict, as has the Shia militia Hezbollah. The United States and other Western countries have thrown their support behind rebels fighting the Syrian regime. The statement follows heated rhetoric from American lawmakers suggesting that Syrian allies like Russia may have had prior knowledge of the chemical attack that took place in Syria last week, killing scores of civilians, including many children. Earlier on Sunday, Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said on ABC News' "This Week" that Russia is "complicit" in the chemical attack in Syria. "Absolutely they're complicit," Schiff told ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos. "Russian intelligence may not be as good as ours, but it's good enough to know the Syrians had chemical weapons, were using chemical weapons." The question of Russian complicity in the attack also came up in an earlier interview on "This Week" Sunday with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Tillerson said he has "not seen any hard evidence" that Russians were involved in planning or carrying out the attack. But the secretary of state said when he meets with the Russian foreign minister this week, he will bring up Russia's obligation under a 2013 agreement to ensure the Syrian government got rid of its chemical weapons. "It agreed to be the guarantor of the elimination of the chemical weapons, and why Russia has not been able to achieve that is unclear to me," Tillerson said. "Clearly they've been incompetent and perhaps they've just simply been out-maneuvered by the Syrians." ||||| With Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, Chuck Schumer and a slew of liberal pundits supporting Donald Trump’s airstrikes against Syria, the president finds himself in an unusual position. Even CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, who has twice called Trump a BS’er on the air (using the actual word), said the military attack was the moment that Trump became president. There is, as I’ve said, a rally-round-the-president effect. One moment, the media were depicting Trump as a bumbling leader who couldn’t even pass a health bill. In the next, he was a bold and decisive commander-in-chief responding to Bashir al-Assad’s horrifying chemical attack against his own people. But there are some dissenting voices, which I’ll get to in a moment. Even some former Barack Obama aides, in backing Trump’s decision, are now admitting that the former president should not have declared a red line against Syria and failed to enforce it in 2013, settling instead for a deal on chemical weapons that obviously didn’t remove all of them from the country. I’ve been wondering why Trump wasn’t hit harder on the charge of flip-flopping. To be sure, many news outlets have noted that Trump has changed his position against intervening in the Middle East, a staple of his campaign rhetoric. As recently as October, he said Clinton might start World War III in Syria. And Trump tweeted at Obama four years ago. “TO OUR VERY FOOLISH LEADER, DO NOT ATTACK SYRIA - IF YOU DO MANY VERY BAD THINGS WILL HAPPEN & FROM THAT FIGHT THE U.S. GETS NOTHING!” Trump tweeted then. My conclusion: Journalists care far less about flip-flopping if you flip in their direction. And foreign policy commentators tend to reflect a Beltway bias toward U.S. military intervention. For the moment, Trump is letting the results speak for themselves, even as Syria has used the damaged air strip to resume bombing the town where the chemical attack took place. Kellyanne Conway told me yesterday on “Media Buzz” that there are no immediate plans for a televised speech on the issue, but that Trump went out of his way to take a nonpartisan approach. So what happens next? From the right, National Review says: “If it is a one-off, this strike is the very definition of a symbolic pinprick… “We are skeptical of the wisdom of this approach. It may be that the strike is enough to deter Assad from future chemical attacks, but it also could have unwelcome unintended consequences. If Assad decides to defy us, we will be forced into further action against his regime without any idea of what would replace it.” The Weekly Standard questions the legality: “Lost in the praise for the strike is the lingering constitutional question: On what grounds did the White House rest its decision to attack a nation with which we are not formally at war and which has not attacked us? Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's statement that ‘if there are weapons of this nature available in Syria, the ability to secure those weapons and not have them fall into the hands of those who would bring those weapons to our shores to harm American citizens’ is lame if it's meant to satisfy the conditions for defensive preemption. Hitting the air base was no more likely to secure those weapons than taking out cell towers so Assad can't call his bankers in London and Geneva.” Laura Ingraham, the radio talk show host who spoke at Trump’s convention, does not sound pleased, tweeting: “Missiles flying. Rubio's happy. McCain ecstatic. Hillary's on board. A complete policy change in 48 hrs.” From the left, Slate objects to the praise on the grounds that, well, Trump is a dangerous guy: “If you are looking for extra reasons why these commentators may be looking to extend a warm hand to Trump, here's another one: There is something comforting about Trump acting in a manner that much elite opinion has been in favor of for years. Barack Obama was criticized for not launching an attack on Assad after the latter crossed Obama's ‘red line, and many people have made cases—ranging from completely legitimate and thoughtful to entirely bonkers—that America should be more involved in the anti-Assad side of the Syrian conflict… “But Trump is not—and will never be—a normal president. He is an uninformed and dangerously unstable one. If he wants to conduct military action without congressional approval, he should be challenged, not lauded." Of course the media need to keep pressing these questions: What is Trump’s larger strategy? What is he willing to commit in terms of military resources? What risks is he prepared to take? What if Americans are captured in this effort? What about the fallout with Russia? Can the United States really affect the Syrian civil war without boots on the ground? As retired generals flood the airwaves to praise the airstrikes, the media must avoid getting swept away as they were in 2003, when most news organizations covered the runup to the Iraq war with minimal skepticism. At the moment, Trump is basking in some rare praise. But the situation in Syria may look very different in the coming weeks and months. Howard Kurtz is a Fox News analyst and the host of "MediaBuzz" (Sundays 11 a.m.). He is the author of five books and is based in Washington. Follow him at @HowardKurtz. Click here for more information on Howard Kurtz.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Court of Appeal judges in London have stuck two fingers up to Nestle's attempts to trademark the shape of its famous four-fingered KitKat bar. The ruling is the latest twist in a decade-long UK chocolate wars saga between Nestle and Cadbury. The Dairy Milk maker failed in its own attempt to trademark the shade of purple it uses after Nestle complained. But on Wednesday, it was the Cadbury bosses celebrating the latest attempt to foil KitKat's plans. Nestle claimed that the shape of the bar was so unique, it should be protected by law. But time after time, judges have thrown out the attempt. Its case was not helped by the existence of a similar Norwegian bar, called Kvikk Lunsj, which means "quick lunch" and has been around since 1937. Image caption Norway's "Kvikk Lunsj" looks similar to the KitKat and is available in some parts of the UK A spokesperson for Nestle said the company is weighing up its options. "Nestle is disappointed by the Court of Appeal judgment and is considering next steps. "KitKat is much loved around the world and its four-finger shape is well known by consumers. "Nestlé's four-finger shape has been granted trademark registration in many countries of the world, for instance Germany, France, Australia, South Africa and Canada, further protecting it from imitations." Copycat versions Cadbury's owner, Mondelez, which fought the attempt, said: "We are pleased with the Court of Appeal's decision today and welcome their conclusion. "As we have previously stated, we do not believe the shape of the KitKat bar should be protected as a trademark in the UK." The ruling could lead to copycat versions of the bars hitting shelves, a practice some discounter supermarkets have popularised. Aldi and Lidl have both been accused of selling own-brand versions that are remarkably similar to famous brands. KitKats were first snapped up by the public in 1935 by Rowntree, when it was called the Chocolate Crisp. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Cadbury failed to trademark its famous purple colour In September 2015, Nestle failed to persuade European judges of its arguments. The European Court of Justice said that the company had to demonstrate the public relied on the shape alone to identify the snack. They concluded this was difficult to prove if goods also showed a brand name, such as KitKat. Nestle has experience of trying to register difficult trade marks. It took more than 40 years for it to register the slogan "Have a Break" as a trade mark, finally succeeding in 2006. Chocolate wars Nestle first tried to trademark the shape of the four-fingered chocolate bar in 2010, but its attempts were opposed by Cadbury. The two have also battled over other trademarks. In 2013, Nestle blocked Cadbury's attempts to register the shade of purple used in the packaging of Dairy Milk. Nestle has not sought to trademark the two-fingered bar. Shapes can be trademarked for certain distinctive products - such as the familiar Coca-Cola bottle - but others can struggle. Get news from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning ||||| Court of appeal rules against Nestlé in its protracted battle with Cadbury over whether format should be protected by law It’s enough to make anyone need a sit-down with a cup of tea and a four-fingered chocolate wafer biscuit. The confectionery multinational Nestlé has lost the latest round of its long-running battle with rivals Cadbury to trademark the shape of the KitKat bar in the UK. The court of appeal ruled that the four-finger design had “no inherent distinctiveness”. After deliberating for months, the three appeals judges delivered their judgment on Wednesday in a 16,000-word ruling that found the KitKat shape was not a “badge of origin”. “We are concerned here with ... the three-dimensional shape of a chocolate product, that has no inherent distinctiveness,” said Lord Justice Kitchin. The ruling marks the latest stage in a bitter-tasting battle between Nestlé and Mondelēz, the US owner of Cadbury, that have been battling over the KitKat trademark for seven years. Nestle’s appeal followed a UK high court ruling in January last year that blocked the trademark attempt. The European court of justice had previously found that the four-fingered shape, breaking apart with a snap, was not distinctive enough to merit a trademark and that such a designation would not comply with European law. The ruling clears the way for competitors, including the major supermarkets as well as other confectioners, to produce their own copycat KitKats without fear of legal consequences. But a Nestlé spokesperson indicated the Swiss firm was not necessarily prepared to give up, saying it was considering its next move. The company could potentially try to take the case to the UK supreme court. “Nestlé is disappointed by the court of appeal judgment and is considering its next steps,” said the spokesperson. “KitKat is much loved around the world and its four-finger shape is well known by consumers. Nestlé’s four-finger shape has been granted trademark registration in many countries of the world, for instance Germany, France, Australia, South Africa and Canada, further protecting it from imitations.” Following the appeal ruling, a Mondelēz spokesperson said: “As we have previously stated, we do not believe the shape of the KitKat bar should be protected as a trademark in the UK.” The case turned on whether a the product’s shapewas sufficiently distinctive to the brand to prevent any other manufacturer using a similar format. Protected “shape marks” are not without precedent — Toblerone, which is owned by Mondelēz, has successfully trademarked its “zigzag prism” shape. But the appeal judges found that while the four-finger shape might be “very well known” in association with KitKat, “that does not necessarily mean that the public have come to perceive the shape as a badge of origin such that they would rely upon it alone to identify the product as coming from a particular source. “They might simply regard the shape as a characteristic of products of that kind or they might find it brings to mind the product and brand name with which they have become familiar. “These kinds of recognition and association do not amount to distinctiveness for trademark purposes.” The judges also noted that the chocolate bar’s shape had not been central to its marketing in recent years: “It has nothing, therefore, to do with the informed choices that consumers make between similar products.” The judges heard that Nestlé had spent between £3m and £11m a year advertising and promoting KitKats between 1996 and 2007. More than 40m were sold in Britain in 2010. “The appeal court’s ruling indicates that shape marks are going to be increasingly difficult to obtain,” said Guy Wilmot, partner who specialises in intellectual property law at Russell-Cooke. “The court were ... concerned that if they granted the trade mark, Nestlé would have a potentially permanent monopoly on the four-finger shape, which they felt would be unfair given that KitKat had never used the shape alone to promote KitKats.” Clare Jackman, an intellectual property lawyer at Norton Rose Fulbright, said the fact the two multinationals were prepared to battle through the courts for so long showed the value of what was at stake. “Trademarks are very important and valuable business assets. They confer monopoly rights, so I can see entirely why Nestlé thought, ‘our four-finger bar KitKat has been around for ages, let’s register it, because we can stop anyone from producing a bar in four fingers’”, she said. “It is typically brand owners in this space that will spend the money and push the boundaries, in trying to get as much protection as possible, because at the end of the day trademarks can potentially last forever, so it really is a signficant monopoly right.” Asked if she could foresee a challenge in supreme court, Jackman said: “I’m not going to rule it out, because I think these are two brand owners who are prepared to push this as far as it can go.” The four-fingered battle is not the only protracted legal disputes between the two confectioners. In 2004, Cadbury attempted to trademark the shade of purple it uses for its Dairy Milk bars, registering Pantone 2685C in a move that was initially successful before the court of appeal backed Nestlé challenge in 2013. An attempt last year by Cadbury to resurrect an earlier trademark on the colour was rejected by the high court. The first KitKat-type bar was sold in Britain by Rowntree in 1935, when it was called Chocolate Crisp, and the shape has changed little since then. Nestlé acquired Rowntree in 1998. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Freia’s rival Kvikk Lunsj bar is available in the UK as well as its native Norway. Photograph: Freia A lookalike called Kvikk Lunsj, translated as “quick lunch”, launched in Norway in 1937 and is available in some UK shops. • This article was amended on 18 May 2017. The judge’s ruling was not a “badge of origin”, a previous version said the judge’s ruling was not a “badge or origin”.

– Nestle may find itself muttering "give me a break," but perhaps with an expletive tossed in at the end. The company on Wednesday lost its latest attempt to trademark its four-finger chocolate bar shape in the UK, in what has been a 7-year battle. The Guardian reports that after months of deliberation, a three-judge appeals panel explained in 16,000 words that the KitKat shape is not a "badge of origin" and has "no inherent distinctiveness." Ouch. The global confectionery has been fighting its rival Mondelez, the US owner of Cadbury, on the issue since 2010. The BBC reports that the two have gone at it over other would-be trademarks, calling out Cadbury's failed attempt in 2013 to register the shade of purple used in its Dairy Milk packaging (Pantone 2685C, for the curious). Shapes can in fact be trademarked if proven distinctive enough (think Coca-Cola's bottle, or, on the candy front, Toblerone's "zigzag prism" bar), but it's often a slog, and a long one at that. An intellectual property lawyer explains what's at stake in cases like these: Trademarks "confer monopoly rights, so I can see entirely why Nestle thought ... let’s register it, because we can stop anyone from producing a bar in four fingers." And they aren't the only ones to produce such a bar; the similarly-shaped Norwegian bar Kvikk Lunsj, which means "quick lunch," has been around since 1937—nearly as long as KitKat. Nestle could try to get its case in front of the UK supreme court. (In other food news, a new Pepsi flavor isn't wowing soda fans.)

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Court of Appeal judges in London have stuck two fingers up to Nestle's attempts to trademark the shape of its famous four-fingered KitKat bar. The ruling is the latest twist in a decade-long UK chocolate wars saga between Nestle and Cadbury. The Dairy Milk maker failed in its own attempt to trademark the shade of purple it uses after Nestle complained. But on Wednesday, it was the Cadbury bosses celebrating the latest attempt to foil KitKat's plans. Nestle claimed that the shape of the bar was so unique, it should be protected by law. But time after time, judges have thrown out the attempt. Its case was not helped by the existence of a similar Norwegian bar, called Kvikk Lunsj, which means "quick lunch" and has been around since 1937. Image caption Norway's "Kvikk Lunsj" looks similar to the KitKat and is available in some parts of the UK A spokesperson for Nestle said the company is weighing up its options. "Nestle is disappointed by the Court of Appeal judgment and is considering next steps. "KitKat is much loved around the world and its four-finger shape is well known by consumers. "Nestlé's four-finger shape has been granted trademark registration in many countries of the world, for instance Germany, France, Australia, South Africa and Canada, further protecting it from imitations." Copycat versions Cadbury's owner, Mondelez, which fought the attempt, said: "We are pleased with the Court of Appeal's decision today and welcome their conclusion. "As we have previously stated, we do not believe the shape of the KitKat bar should be protected as a trademark in the UK." The ruling could lead to copycat versions of the bars hitting shelves, a practice some discounter supermarkets have popularised. Aldi and Lidl have both been accused of selling own-brand versions that are remarkably similar to famous brands. KitKats were first snapped up by the public in 1935 by Rowntree, when it was called the Chocolate Crisp. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Cadbury failed to trademark its famous purple colour In September 2015, Nestle failed to persuade European judges of its arguments. The European Court of Justice said that the company had to demonstrate the public relied on the shape alone to identify the snack. They concluded this was difficult to prove if goods also showed a brand name, such as KitKat. Nestle has experience of trying to register difficult trade marks. It took more than 40 years for it to register the slogan "Have a Break" as a trade mark, finally succeeding in 2006. Chocolate wars Nestle first tried to trademark the shape of the four-fingered chocolate bar in 2010, but its attempts were opposed by Cadbury. The two have also battled over other trademarks. In 2013, Nestle blocked Cadbury's attempts to register the shade of purple used in the packaging of Dairy Milk. Nestle has not sought to trademark the two-fingered bar. Shapes can be trademarked for certain distinctive products - such as the familiar Coca-Cola bottle - but others can struggle. Get news from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning ||||| Court of appeal rules against Nestlé in its protracted battle with Cadbury over whether format should be protected by law It’s enough to make anyone need a sit-down with a cup of tea and a four-fingered chocolate wafer biscuit. The confectionery multinational Nestlé has lost the latest round of its long-running battle with rivals Cadbury to trademark the shape of the KitKat bar in the UK. The court of appeal ruled that the four-finger design had “no inherent distinctiveness”. After deliberating for months, the three appeals judges delivered their judgment on Wednesday in a 16,000-word ruling that found the KitKat shape was not a “badge of origin”. “We are concerned here with ... the three-dimensional shape of a chocolate product, that has no inherent distinctiveness,” said Lord Justice Kitchin. The ruling marks the latest stage in a bitter-tasting battle between Nestlé and Mondelēz, the US owner of Cadbury, that have been battling over the KitKat trademark for seven years. Nestle’s appeal followed a UK high court ruling in January last year that blocked the trademark attempt. The European court of justice had previously found that the four-fingered shape, breaking apart with a snap, was not distinctive enough to merit a trademark and that such a designation would not comply with European law. The ruling clears the way for competitors, including the major supermarkets as well as other confectioners, to produce their own copycat KitKats without fear of legal consequences. But a Nestlé spokesperson indicated the Swiss firm was not necessarily prepared to give up, saying it was considering its next move. The company could potentially try to take the case to the UK supreme court. “Nestlé is disappointed by the court of appeal judgment and is considering its next steps,” said the spokesperson. “KitKat is much loved around the world and its four-finger shape is well known by consumers. Nestlé’s four-finger shape has been granted trademark registration in many countries of the world, for instance Germany, France, Australia, South Africa and Canada, further protecting it from imitations.” Following the appeal ruling, a Mondelēz spokesperson said: “As we have previously stated, we do not believe the shape of the KitKat bar should be protected as a trademark in the UK.” The case turned on whether a the product’s shapewas sufficiently distinctive to the brand to prevent any other manufacturer using a similar format. Protected “shape marks” are not without precedent — Toblerone, which is owned by Mondelēz, has successfully trademarked its “zigzag prism” shape. But the appeal judges found that while the four-finger shape might be “very well known” in association with KitKat, “that does not necessarily mean that the public have come to perceive the shape as a badge of origin such that they would rely upon it alone to identify the product as coming from a particular source. “They might simply regard the shape as a characteristic of products of that kind or they might find it brings to mind the product and brand name with which they have become familiar. “These kinds of recognition and association do not amount to distinctiveness for trademark purposes.” The judges also noted that the chocolate bar’s shape had not been central to its marketing in recent years: “It has nothing, therefore, to do with the informed choices that consumers make between similar products.” The judges heard that Nestlé had spent between £3m and £11m a year advertising and promoting KitKats between 1996 and 2007. More than 40m were sold in Britain in 2010. “The appeal court’s ruling indicates that shape marks are going to be increasingly difficult to obtain,” said Guy Wilmot, partner who specialises in intellectual property law at Russell-Cooke. “The court were ... concerned that if they granted the trade mark, Nestlé would have a potentially permanent monopoly on the four-finger shape, which they felt would be unfair given that KitKat had never used the shape alone to promote KitKats.” Clare Jackman, an intellectual property lawyer at Norton Rose Fulbright, said the fact the two multinationals were prepared to battle through the courts for so long showed the value of what was at stake. “Trademarks are very important and valuable business assets. They confer monopoly rights, so I can see entirely why Nestlé thought, ‘our four-finger bar KitKat has been around for ages, let’s register it, because we can stop anyone from producing a bar in four fingers’”, she said. “It is typically brand owners in this space that will spend the money and push the boundaries, in trying to get as much protection as possible, because at the end of the day trademarks can potentially last forever, so it really is a signficant monopoly right.” Asked if she could foresee a challenge in supreme court, Jackman said: “I’m not going to rule it out, because I think these are two brand owners who are prepared to push this as far as it can go.” The four-fingered battle is not the only protracted legal disputes between the two confectioners. In 2004, Cadbury attempted to trademark the shade of purple it uses for its Dairy Milk bars, registering Pantone 2685C in a move that was initially successful before the court of appeal backed Nestlé challenge in 2013. An attempt last year by Cadbury to resurrect an earlier trademark on the colour was rejected by the high court. The first KitKat-type bar was sold in Britain by Rowntree in 1935, when it was called Chocolate Crisp, and the shape has changed little since then. Nestlé acquired Rowntree in 1998. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Freia’s rival Kvikk Lunsj bar is available in the UK as well as its native Norway. Photograph: Freia A lookalike called Kvikk Lunsj, translated as “quick lunch”, launched in Norway in 1937 and is available in some UK shops. • This article was amended on 18 May 2017. The judge’s ruling was not a “badge of origin”, a previous version said the judge’s ruling was not a “badge or origin”.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Enlarge The Coca-Cola Co. has introduced a special-edition Coke bottle made entirely of ice.… more… more Atlanta-based The Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO) has come up with a bottle for Coke drinkers who like the beverage ice-cold, and like to help out the environment – a bottle made of ice. The special-edition bottle, which is shaped like the traditional glass Coke bottle and has the company’s iconic script lettering etched in ice, is being offered only in Colombia for now. No word if the bottles will make it to the United States. The bottle has proved popular in Colombia, Coke's website says, adding that beachside drink servers have sold 265 frozen bottles an hour, on average. Enlarge The special-edition bottle,… more Enlarge The special-edition bottle,… more Enlarge The special-edition bottle,… more According to the website, the production process starts with pouring micro-filtered water into silicone molds, then freezing the water to-25 °C and filling the molds with Coke. Each bottle is wrapped with a rubber Coke-logoed band that allows the drinker to hold the bottle without getting frozen fingers. Once the bottle melts, the band doubles as a keepsake bracelet, the company said. An advertisement for the product notes it is "Eco Friendly." Some critics say the refrigeration necessary to keep the bottles frozen kind of cancels out the green benefits, according to ABCNews.com. Click here to access the Coke website and a link to view a video featuring the ice Coke bottle. ||||| From the unconventional and awe-inspiring, to the hilarious and heartwarming, here's a look at some of the most interesting photos, videos and stories that have our newsroom talking today. What's capturing your attention, filling your inbox and cluttering your Facebook/Twitter feed? Tweet us the stories you're talking about using #InstantIndex or email us at [email protected] and they could appear on World News. Coke Introduces Bottle Made Out of Ice There's an intriguing idea coming to the classic American soft drink. Coca-Cola is introducing a bottle made entirely of ice. Although it is only available in Colombia for now, it makes ice cubes obsolete and, once you finish your drink, the ice melts. It's eco-friendly, though, critics point out, all that extra refrigeration to keep it from melting cancels out the green benefits. (Coca-Cola) Florida Kayaker Spooked by Alligators A woman was kayaking in the Florida Everglades through an area known for its wildlife when she found out why. "I'm stuck and there's two very large alligators out here and I can't, I can't kayak, I'm, I'm, I'm sinking," she is heard saying on recordings of her 9-1-1 call. "There's two really big alligators in here and I'm just sitting here now." The gators bit her boat and it sank, but a search-and-rescue team plucked her to safety before the gators could get her. She's uninjured but shaken up. Teacher Wears the Same Outfit for 40 Years of Yearbook Photos Meet Dale Irby, a Dallas teacher with a cringe-worthy vault of yearbook photos. In 1973, Irby pulled a polyester shirt and wool sweater out of his closet. The next year, he accidently chose the same outfit. The third year, as a joke, his wife dared him to wear it again. He did and kept doing it 40 years. He retires this year and the local paper called this year's photo "one last echo of disco fashion." For the record, back in 1973, his outfit was in fashion.

– Better drink up fast: Coke is experimenting with a bottle made entirely of ice, reports the Atlanta Morning Call. It's available only in Colombia for now, and there's no word on whether the company will roll it out elsewhere. (Coke swears it's a hit with beach-goers, though.) The water gets frozen into bottle shapes at 13-below zero, and the bottles have a rubber band that drinkers use to hold them. They melt into nothing when the drink is gone, but ABC News reports that critics aren't wowed by the seemingly green product—because of all the extra refrigeration required.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Enlarge The Coca-Cola Co. has introduced a special-edition Coke bottle made entirely of ice.… more… more Atlanta-based The Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO) has come up with a bottle for Coke drinkers who like the beverage ice-cold, and like to help out the environment – a bottle made of ice. The special-edition bottle, which is shaped like the traditional glass Coke bottle and has the company’s iconic script lettering etched in ice, is being offered only in Colombia for now. No word if the bottles will make it to the United States. The bottle has proved popular in Colombia, Coke's website says, adding that beachside drink servers have sold 265 frozen bottles an hour, on average. Enlarge The special-edition bottle,… more Enlarge The special-edition bottle,… more Enlarge The special-edition bottle,… more According to the website, the production process starts with pouring micro-filtered water into silicone molds, then freezing the water to-25 °C and filling the molds with Coke. Each bottle is wrapped with a rubber Coke-logoed band that allows the drinker to hold the bottle without getting frozen fingers. Once the bottle melts, the band doubles as a keepsake bracelet, the company said. An advertisement for the product notes it is "Eco Friendly." Some critics say the refrigeration necessary to keep the bottles frozen kind of cancels out the green benefits, according to ABCNews.com. Click here to access the Coke website and a link to view a video featuring the ice Coke bottle. ||||| From the unconventional and awe-inspiring, to the hilarious and heartwarming, here's a look at some of the most interesting photos, videos and stories that have our newsroom talking today. What's capturing your attention, filling your inbox and cluttering your Facebook/Twitter feed? Tweet us the stories you're talking about using #InstantIndex or email us at [email protected] and they could appear on World News. Coke Introduces Bottle Made Out of Ice There's an intriguing idea coming to the classic American soft drink. Coca-Cola is introducing a bottle made entirely of ice. Although it is only available in Colombia for now, it makes ice cubes obsolete and, once you finish your drink, the ice melts. It's eco-friendly, though, critics point out, all that extra refrigeration to keep it from melting cancels out the green benefits. (Coca-Cola) Florida Kayaker Spooked by Alligators A woman was kayaking in the Florida Everglades through an area known for its wildlife when she found out why. "I'm stuck and there's two very large alligators out here and I can't, I can't kayak, I'm, I'm, I'm sinking," she is heard saying on recordings of her 9-1-1 call. "There's two really big alligators in here and I'm just sitting here now." The gators bit her boat and it sank, but a search-and-rescue team plucked her to safety before the gators could get her. She's uninjured but shaken up. Teacher Wears the Same Outfit for 40 Years of Yearbook Photos Meet Dale Irby, a Dallas teacher with a cringe-worthy vault of yearbook photos. In 1973, Irby pulled a polyester shirt and wool sweater out of his closet. The next year, he accidently chose the same outfit. The third year, as a joke, his wife dared him to wear it again. He did and kept doing it 40 years. He retires this year and the local paper called this year's photo "one last echo of disco fashion." For the record, back in 1973, his outfit was in fashion.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Photo Advertisement Continue reading the main story The King James Bible is the most widely read work in English literature, a masterpiece of translation whose stately cadences and transcendent phrases have long been seen, even by secular readers, as having emerged from a kind of collective divine inspiration. But now, in an unassuming notebook held in an archive at the University of Cambridge, an American scholar has found what he says is an important new clue to the earthly processes behind that masterpiece: the earliest known draft, and the only one definitively written in the hand of one of the roughly four dozen translators who worked on it. The notebook, which dates from 1604 to 1608, was discovered by Jeffrey Alan Miller, an assistant professor of English at Montclair State University in New Jersey, who announced his research on Wednesday in an article in The Times Literary Supplement. While the notebook has yet to be examined by other scholars, experts who have reviewed Professor Miller’s research called it perhaps the most significant archival find relating to the King James Bible in decades. Photo David Norton, an emeritus professor at the Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand and the author of several books about the King James Bible, called it “a major discovery” — if not quite equal to finding a draft of one of Shakespeare’s plays, “getting on up there.” Gordon Campbell, a fellow in Renaissance studies at the University of Leicester and a consultant for the planned Museum of the Bible in Washington, said the new manuscript shed fresh light on how the King James translators actually did their work, as opposed to how they had been told to do it. Studying the creation of the King James Bible “is like working with a jigsaw puzzle where 90 percent of the pieces are missing,” Mr. Campbell said. “You can arrange the surviving pieces as you wish, but then you find something new and you realize you put it together the wrong way.” The King James Bible, published in 1611, was produced by six teams of translators, known as “companies,” in London, Oxford and Cambridge, who were charged with creating an authorized version that would support the Church of England against the Puritan influence seen in some earlier translations. Along with Shakespeare’s First Folio of 1623, it is one of the most influential books in the history of English and the wellspring of common phrases like “salt of the earth,” “drop in the bucket” and “fight the good fight,” to name only a few. While some records of the committee that supervised the overall translation survive, only three manuscripts of the text itself have been known to exist until now. The Bodleian Library at Oxford owns nearly complete drafts of the Old Testament and the Gospels, in the form of corrected pages of the Bishops’ Bible, a 16th-century translation that the King James teams used as a base text. Lambeth Palace Library in London has a partial draft of the New Testament epistles. Professor Miller discovered the manuscript last fall, when he was in the archives at Sidney Sussex College in Cambridge, researching an essay about Samuel Ward, one of the King James translators and, later, the college’s master. He was hoping to find an unknown letter, which he did. Advertisement Continue reading the main story Advertisement Continue reading the main story “I thought that would be my great discovery,” he recalled. But he also came across an unassuming notebook about the size of a modern paperback, wrapped in a stained piece of waste vellum and filled with some 70 pages of Ward’s nearly indecipherable handwriting. The notebook had been cataloged in the 1980s as a “verse-by-verse biblical commentary” with “Greek word studies, and some Hebrew notes.” But as Professor Miller tried to puzzle out which passages of the Bible it concerned, he realized what it was: a draft of parts of the King James Version of the Apocrypha, a disputed section of the Bible that is left out of many editions, particularly in the United States. Photo “There was a kind of thunderstruck, leap-out-of-bathtub moment,” Professor Miller said. “But then comes the more laborious process of making sure you are 100 percent correct.” The draft, Professor Miller argues, dates from between 1604, when the King James Bible was commissioned, and 1608, when the six teams were asked to send their work to the general committee for review. Unlike the other surviving drafts, which scholars date to later parts of the process, it shows an individual translator’s initial puzzling over aspects of the Greek text of the Apocrypha, indicating the reasoning behind his translation choices, with reference to Hebrew and Latin as well. “You can actually see the way Greek, Latin and Hebrew are all feeding into what will become the most widely read work of English literature of all time,” Professor Miller said. “It gets you so close to the thought process, it’s incredible.” The draft, he argues, also complicates one long-cherished aspect of the “mythos,” as he put it, surrounding the King James: that it was a collaborative project through and through. The companies were charged with doing their work as a group, rather than subdividing it by assigning individual books to individual translators, as was the case with the Bishops’ Bible. But the Ward notebook, Professor Miller said, suggests “beyond a reasonable doubt” that at least some of the companies ignored the instructions and divided up the work among individuals, at least initially. Further, he said, the notebook contains a complete draft for the book of the Apocrypha known as 1 Esdras, but then, after a run of blank pages, only a partial manuscript for the book known as the Wisdom of Solomon, suggesting that Ward picked up the slack for another translator. “Some of them, being typical academics, either fell down on the job or just decided not to do it,” Professor Miller said, with a laugh. “It really testifies to the human element of this kind of great undertaking.” In recent years, scholars have chipped away at the idea of Shakespeare’s plays as the product of an isolated genius, emphasizing instead the intensely collaborative nature of Elizabethan theater. Professor Miller said that the origins of the other great monument of 17th-century English literature is due for a similar reconsideration. “There’s a strong desire to see the King James Bible as a uniform object, and a belief that it’s great because of its collaborative nature,” Professor Miller said. “It was incredibly collaborative,” he continued. “But it was done in a much more complicated, nuanced, and at times individualistic way than we’ve ever really had good evidence to believe.” ||||| An American scholar has discovered what he believes is the earliest known draft of the King James Bible, hidden in a notebook that lay for centuries in an all but forgotten collection of papers at a Cambridge College. Jeffrey Miller, an assistant professor of English at Montclair State University in New Jersey, says the discovery for the firsttime sheds light on how the bible was composed by companies of translators tasked with publishing a new version. Their work was completed in 1611 and is considered one of the towering achievements of English literature. Prof Miller discovered the notebook as he searched the archives of Sidney Sussex College for a historic letter, he explained in The Times Literary Supplement . As he did so he looked through a notebook belonging to Samuel Ward. He served as the college's master after working as one of seven men in Cambridge who translated disputed passages for the King James Bible. As he leafed through the notes he noticed “verse-by-verse biblical commentary” with “Greek word studies, and some Hebrew notes” and tried to work out from where in the Bible they came. “There was a kind of thunderstruck, leap-out-of-bathtub moment,” Prof Miller told The New York Times. “But then comes the more laborious process of making sure you are 100 percent correct.” King James I commissioned a new, third translation of the Bible at Hampton Court in 1604, in part to limit Puritan influence on earlier texts. Church of England scholars worked in six companies - two at the University of Oxford, two at the University of Cambridge, and two at Westminster. It was designed to be read aloud and its poetic language is still preferred by many traditionalists. Photo: Heritage Images/Corbis Dozens of common expressions such as “den of thieves”, “fight the good fight” and “the skin of my teeth” appear for the first time in its pages. And it is frequently described alongside Shakespeare's works as one of the most influential books in Western civilisation. Yet still little is known about how it was put together. Only two partial drafts and some working documents are known to exist. Ward's notebook adds to the clues. It dates from 1604 to 1608. No-one even knew of its existence until the 1980s when it was catalogued and its contents had never been properly documented. Prof Miller said: “The true value of Ward’s draft, though, lies less in the sheer fact of its uniqueness, and more in what the draft, in its uniqueness, helps to reveal about one of the seventeenth century’s most extraordinary cultural achievements.” • First edition of King James Bible found in church cupboard In particular, he said, Ward appeared to work alone suggesting that the King James Bible may be less the product of committee than had previously been thought. “The King James Bible, in short, may be far more a patchwork of individual translations – the product of individual translators and individual companies working in individual ways – than has ever been properly recognised,” he said. ||||| Fruit of good labours JEFFREY ALAN MILLER Discovering the earliest known draft of the King James Bible Samuel Ward, by an unknown artist We hope you enjoy this piece from the TLS, which is available every Thursday in print and via the TLS app. Also in this week’s issue: corresponding with Isaiah Berlin; should we eat seaweed?; the pull of dark tourism; why empathy is not always morally right; Picasso’s protean, revolutionary sculpture at the MoMA – and much more. Very few drafts and other working documents that must have been made in the process of composing the King James Bible (KJB) have ever been found. A draft of the majority of the Old Testament and the Gospels is held in the Bodleian Library, in the form of a heavily annotated Bishops’ Bible. This was the prior English translation that the KJB translators were ordered merely to revise as little as possible, rather than producing an entirely new version of their own. Additionally, Lambeth Palace Library possesses a partial draft of the New Testament Epistles, providing a fair copy of revised verses from the Bishops’ Bible’s rendering. Until now, as far as actual drafts of the KJB are concerned, that has been all, the most valuable of the other working documents hitherto unearthed being two copies of a set of notes recording some of the discussion that took place between members of the committee tasked with reviewing the translation as a whole before publication. While the survival of even this much is nothing to sniff at – Shakespeare scholars would give a great deal for even a single partial draft of Hamlet – the limited nature of what has previously come to light has left a lot to be desired, and many questions unanswered. For one thing, all of the aforementioned drafts represent later stages in the composition process of the KJB, after a great deal of work on the translation had already been done. All the drafts are also written in as yet unidentified hands, and it seems likely that they in fact belong not to any of the translators themselves, but rather to professional scribes producing copies of now lost drafts on their behalf. Moreover, certain parts of the Bible have been left without any extant drafts behind them whatever, making the composition process not just for those specific portions of the translation, but for the work as a whole, even harder to assess in full. Thanks to a newly discovered draft in Cambridge, however, a number of these gaps and others can at last begin to be filled. For in the archives of Sidney Sussex College there survives now the earliest known draft of any part of the King James Bible, unmistakably in the hand of one of the King James translators. The draft appears in a manuscript notebook formerly belonging to Samuel Ward (1572–1643), who was part of the team of seven men in Cambridge charged with translating the Apocrypha. At the time of his selection as a translator, probably in 1604, Ward was still a young Fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge. In 1610, though, he became Master of Sidney Sussex, a post he held until his death. Today, a trove of Ward’s notebooks and other manuscripts survive in the college’s archives, and among them is a small notebook now identified as MS Ward B. For centuries, Ward’s papers in the college lay almost entirely neglected and uncatalogued. This situation persisted until 1985. That year, Margo Todd published a landmark study of the collection, in which she supplied the Ward manuscripts with the alphabetical classifications they now possess and gave a brief description of each manuscript’s contents. Todd described MS Ward B as containing a “verse-by-verse biblical commentary”, with “Greek word studies, and some Hebrew notes”. When I looked at the notebook myself for the first time, there didn’t seem to be much more to it than that. The part of the Bible to which Ward was referring, however, had been left tantalizingly unspecified, both in Todd’s description and in the notebook itself. And as I sought to determine the biblical verses concerned, and which translation Ward seemed to be using, the manuscript’s true significance suddenly came into focus. It is worth saying something about the term “draft” as it applies to the KJB, for an ill-fitting notion of what a draft of the work might resemble may be one of the reasons why so few have ever been discovered. All the evidence suggests that the KJB translators took to heart the injunction that their translation be a revision of the Bishops’ Bible. Hence, for example, the decision, even at later stages of the work, to produce nearly full drafts of the Old Testament and the Gospels in the form of emendations and marginal annotations made directly to pages of the Bishops’ Bible itself, forty unbound copies of which had been supplied to the translators to aid them in their work. Indeed, the KJB may ultimately have been printed from an annotated Bishops’ Bible. This means that if, in looking for drafts of the King James translation, one looks only for manuscripts where the translation of even a single book has been worked out or written out in full, then such a draft might never materialize. The draft shows Ward making mistakes and changing his mind The draft found in MS Ward B throws this vividly into relief. In two different places in the notebook, there appears what seems to be nothing but a sequence of running notes on the Bishops’ Bible’s translation of two different Apocryphal books. The longer of the two sequences – occupying sixty-six pages of the notebook in total – covers all nine chapters, from the first verse to the last, of the book known as 1 Esdras or 3 Ezra, positioned first in the KJB among the Apocrypha. The shorter sequence, on the other hand, spans just chapters three and four of the Apocryphal book Wisdom. In each case, the notes typically take a similar form. A verse number is given, followed by a quotation from the Bishops’ Bible’s translation, often only a word or phrase. This Ward encloses in a single bracket, and then proceeds to provide an alternative English translation, usually juxtaposing it with the corresponding portion of the verse in Greek, the language in which the vast majority of the Apocryphal books were known to survive at the time. For instance, a note in Ward’s draft for 1 Esdras 1:2 reads simply, “he set] having sett” (sic), followed by a transcription of the Greek word from 1 Esdras in question. The entry represents Ward’s suggestion that the Greek word translated as “he set” in the Bishops’ Bible should instead be translated as “having set”. On turning to the KJB as it appeared in 1611, we find that this is exactly what was done. I say that the entry represents Ward’s suggestion advisedly. In fact, this may be one of the most striking things revealed by the draft. Because the process of composing the KJB was famously divided into teams or “companies” of translators – in contrast to work on the Bishops’ Bible, where individual books were assigned to individual translators – it has tended to be taken largely for granted that the various companies worked on their respective portions of the translation together as a group. This may have been what happened in some cases. Ward’s draft, however, strongly implies that his company, the so-called Second Cambridge Company, went about translating the Apocrypha in a different way. No other hand besides Ward’s appears in the draft. Moreover, it clearly shows him not just recording group decisions about the translation after the fact, or even doing so in the process of group decisions being made, but rather working out the translation for himself as he went along, making mistakes and changing his mind. At one point, for instance, one finds Ward wrestling with the syntax of 1 Esdras 6:32. In the Bishops’ Bible, the verse relates, in somewhat convoluted fashion, the declaration of King Darius that anyone found disobeying his decrees “of his own goods should a tree be taken, and he thereon be hanged”. Proposing a revision to the front half of the passage, Ward at first began, “A tre”, but then crossed it out. No, “out of h”, he started writing on second thought, but then crossed that out, too. At last, he reverted back to the more straightforward construction with which he had abortively begun, which also more closely mirrors the Greek of the passage: “a tree should be taken out of his possession”. Moments like this simply do not chime with seeing Ward’s draft as the product, in the main, of a company discussion. Such an example, however, also shows the complex relationship that Ward’s draft has to the translation as eventually published. In the KJB, only a very small piece of Ward’s proposed revision for 1 Esdras 6:32 has been followed. The Bible broadly retains the Bishops’ Bible’s syntax, even as it includes the clarifying “out” recommended by Ward, specifying that the convicted man should be hanged on a tree taken “out of” his own property. Furthermore, there appears an additional revision to the passage not suggested in Ward’s draft at all: the word “goods” in the Bishops’ Bible, which Ward had proposed changing to “possession”, instead appears in the KJB as “house”. In full, the King James translation of the passage would come to read, “out of his own house should a tree be taken, and he thereon be hanged”. Disparities like this between the KJB and Ward’s proposals run throughout the draft of 1 Esdras and Wisdom 3–4. They are, indeed, part of what helps identify Ward’s draft as a draft, and not a mere record of the changes made to the Bishops’ Bible in composing the KJB after the fact. Sometimes the King James translation went on to follow Ward’s proposed rendering to the letter. In the case of Wisdom 3:15, for example, Ward’s draft recommends changing the Bishops’ Bible’s declaration that “glorious is the fruit of the good labour” to “glorious is the fruit of good labours” – a translation that accords more with the Greek of the verse, as Ward notes, and which also aligns with the Geneva Bible, the English translation predating the KJB that the Puritan Ward clearly favoured. Here the KJB reproduces Ward’s proposed revision exactly.

– An American professor was searching last year for a letter relating to Samuel Ward, one of the translators of the King James Bible, in the archives of Sidney Sussex College in Cambridge. "I thought that would be my great discovery," Jeffrey Alan Miller of Montclair State University tells the New York Times. Instead, that honor has ended up going to something else he found: a paperback-sized notebook once belonging to Ward that had been cataloged in the 1980s as including "verse-by-verse biblical commentary." As Miller flipped through it, "there was a kind of thunderstruck, leap-out-of-bathtub moment," he says. It looked to be an early draft of the King James Bible, containing a book from the often-omitted section, the Apocrypha, and pieces of the Wisdom of Solomon. King James I commissioned the new Bible translation in 1604, and Miller says the 70-page draft dates from 1604 to 1608. If validated, the find will become the earliest known draft of the King James Bible, one of only four manuscripts of the text ever found, and the only one definitively written by a translator. It would also offer insights into how the book—which gave us phrases like "fight the good fight" and "the skin of my teeth"—came to be. The Telegraph reports scholars worked to prepare it in teams or "companies" at the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and Westminster. But Miller says Ward's notebook suggests he worked alone, at least in the early stages. "It clearly shows him ... working out the translation for himself as he went along, making mistakes and changing his mind," Miller writes in the Times Literary Supplement, raising the possibility that the Bible "may be far more a patchwork of individual translations ... than has ever been properly recognized." (The oldest known Gospel was just found in a mummy mask.)

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Photo Advertisement Continue reading the main story The King James Bible is the most widely read work in English literature, a masterpiece of translation whose stately cadences and transcendent phrases have long been seen, even by secular readers, as having emerged from a kind of collective divine inspiration. But now, in an unassuming notebook held in an archive at the University of Cambridge, an American scholar has found what he says is an important new clue to the earthly processes behind that masterpiece: the earliest known draft, and the only one definitively written in the hand of one of the roughly four dozen translators who worked on it. The notebook, which dates from 1604 to 1608, was discovered by Jeffrey Alan Miller, an assistant professor of English at Montclair State University in New Jersey, who announced his research on Wednesday in an article in The Times Literary Supplement. While the notebook has yet to be examined by other scholars, experts who have reviewed Professor Miller’s research called it perhaps the most significant archival find relating to the King James Bible in decades. Photo David Norton, an emeritus professor at the Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand and the author of several books about the King James Bible, called it “a major discovery” — if not quite equal to finding a draft of one of Shakespeare’s plays, “getting on up there.” Gordon Campbell, a fellow in Renaissance studies at the University of Leicester and a consultant for the planned Museum of the Bible in Washington, said the new manuscript shed fresh light on how the King James translators actually did their work, as opposed to how they had been told to do it. Studying the creation of the King James Bible “is like working with a jigsaw puzzle where 90 percent of the pieces are missing,” Mr. Campbell said. “You can arrange the surviving pieces as you wish, but then you find something new and you realize you put it together the wrong way.” The King James Bible, published in 1611, was produced by six teams of translators, known as “companies,” in London, Oxford and Cambridge, who were charged with creating an authorized version that would support the Church of England against the Puritan influence seen in some earlier translations. Along with Shakespeare’s First Folio of 1623, it is one of the most influential books in the history of English and the wellspring of common phrases like “salt of the earth,” “drop in the bucket” and “fight the good fight,” to name only a few. While some records of the committee that supervised the overall translation survive, only three manuscripts of the text itself have been known to exist until now. The Bodleian Library at Oxford owns nearly complete drafts of the Old Testament and the Gospels, in the form of corrected pages of the Bishops’ Bible, a 16th-century translation that the King James teams used as a base text. Lambeth Palace Library in London has a partial draft of the New Testament epistles. Professor Miller discovered the manuscript last fall, when he was in the archives at Sidney Sussex College in Cambridge, researching an essay about Samuel Ward, one of the King James translators and, later, the college’s master. He was hoping to find an unknown letter, which he did. Advertisement Continue reading the main story Advertisement Continue reading the main story “I thought that would be my great discovery,” he recalled. But he also came across an unassuming notebook about the size of a modern paperback, wrapped in a stained piece of waste vellum and filled with some 70 pages of Ward’s nearly indecipherable handwriting. The notebook had been cataloged in the 1980s as a “verse-by-verse biblical commentary” with “Greek word studies, and some Hebrew notes.” But as Professor Miller tried to puzzle out which passages of the Bible it concerned, he realized what it was: a draft of parts of the King James Version of the Apocrypha, a disputed section of the Bible that is left out of many editions, particularly in the United States. Photo “There was a kind of thunderstruck, leap-out-of-bathtub moment,” Professor Miller said. “But then comes the more laborious process of making sure you are 100 percent correct.” The draft, Professor Miller argues, dates from between 1604, when the King James Bible was commissioned, and 1608, when the six teams were asked to send their work to the general committee for review. Unlike the other surviving drafts, which scholars date to later parts of the process, it shows an individual translator’s initial puzzling over aspects of the Greek text of the Apocrypha, indicating the reasoning behind his translation choices, with reference to Hebrew and Latin as well. “You can actually see the way Greek, Latin and Hebrew are all feeding into what will become the most widely read work of English literature of all time,” Professor Miller said. “It gets you so close to the thought process, it’s incredible.” The draft, he argues, also complicates one long-cherished aspect of the “mythos,” as he put it, surrounding the King James: that it was a collaborative project through and through. The companies were charged with doing their work as a group, rather than subdividing it by assigning individual books to individual translators, as was the case with the Bishops’ Bible. But the Ward notebook, Professor Miller said, suggests “beyond a reasonable doubt” that at least some of the companies ignored the instructions and divided up the work among individuals, at least initially. Further, he said, the notebook contains a complete draft for the book of the Apocrypha known as 1 Esdras, but then, after a run of blank pages, only a partial manuscript for the book known as the Wisdom of Solomon, suggesting that Ward picked up the slack for another translator. “Some of them, being typical academics, either fell down on the job or just decided not to do it,” Professor Miller said, with a laugh. “It really testifies to the human element of this kind of great undertaking.” In recent years, scholars have chipped away at the idea of Shakespeare’s plays as the product of an isolated genius, emphasizing instead the intensely collaborative nature of Elizabethan theater. Professor Miller said that the origins of the other great monument of 17th-century English literature is due for a similar reconsideration. “There’s a strong desire to see the King James Bible as a uniform object, and a belief that it’s great because of its collaborative nature,” Professor Miller said. “It was incredibly collaborative,” he continued. “But it was done in a much more complicated, nuanced, and at times individualistic way than we’ve ever really had good evidence to believe.” ||||| An American scholar has discovered what he believes is the earliest known draft of the King James Bible, hidden in a notebook that lay for centuries in an all but forgotten collection of papers at a Cambridge College. Jeffrey Miller, an assistant professor of English at Montclair State University in New Jersey, says the discovery for the firsttime sheds light on how the bible was composed by companies of translators tasked with publishing a new version. Their work was completed in 1611 and is considered one of the towering achievements of English literature. Prof Miller discovered the notebook as he searched the archives of Sidney Sussex College for a historic letter, he explained in The Times Literary Supplement . As he did so he looked through a notebook belonging to Samuel Ward. He served as the college's master after working as one of seven men in Cambridge who translated disputed passages for the King James Bible. As he leafed through the notes he noticed “verse-by-verse biblical commentary” with “Greek word studies, and some Hebrew notes” and tried to work out from where in the Bible they came. “There was a kind of thunderstruck, leap-out-of-bathtub moment,” Prof Miller told The New York Times. “But then comes the more laborious process of making sure you are 100 percent correct.” King James I commissioned a new, third translation of the Bible at Hampton Court in 1604, in part to limit Puritan influence on earlier texts. Church of England scholars worked in six companies - two at the University of Oxford, two at the University of Cambridge, and two at Westminster. It was designed to be read aloud and its poetic language is still preferred by many traditionalists. Photo: Heritage Images/Corbis Dozens of common expressions such as “den of thieves”, “fight the good fight” and “the skin of my teeth” appear for the first time in its pages. And it is frequently described alongside Shakespeare's works as one of the most influential books in Western civilisation. Yet still little is known about how it was put together. Only two partial drafts and some working documents are known to exist. Ward's notebook adds to the clues. It dates from 1604 to 1608. No-one even knew of its existence until the 1980s when it was catalogued and its contents had never been properly documented. Prof Miller said: “The true value of Ward’s draft, though, lies less in the sheer fact of its uniqueness, and more in what the draft, in its uniqueness, helps to reveal about one of the seventeenth century’s most extraordinary cultural achievements.” • First edition of King James Bible found in church cupboard In particular, he said, Ward appeared to work alone suggesting that the King James Bible may be less the product of committee than had previously been thought. “The King James Bible, in short, may be far more a patchwork of individual translations – the product of individual translators and individual companies working in individual ways – than has ever been properly recognised,” he said. ||||| Fruit of good labours JEFFREY ALAN MILLER Discovering the earliest known draft of the King James Bible Samuel Ward, by an unknown artist We hope you enjoy this piece from the TLS, which is available every Thursday in print and via the TLS app. Also in this week’s issue: corresponding with Isaiah Berlin; should we eat seaweed?; the pull of dark tourism; why empathy is not always morally right; Picasso’s protean, revolutionary sculpture at the MoMA – and much more. Very few drafts and other working documents that must have been made in the process of composing the King James Bible (KJB) have ever been found. A draft of the majority of the Old Testament and the Gospels is held in the Bodleian Library, in the form of a heavily annotated Bishops’ Bible. This was the prior English translation that the KJB translators were ordered merely to revise as little as possible, rather than producing an entirely new version of their own. Additionally, Lambeth Palace Library possesses a partial draft of the New Testament Epistles, providing a fair copy of revised verses from the Bishops’ Bible’s rendering. Until now, as far as actual drafts of the KJB are concerned, that has been all, the most valuable of the other working documents hitherto unearthed being two copies of a set of notes recording some of the discussion that took place between members of the committee tasked with reviewing the translation as a whole before publication. While the survival of even this much is nothing to sniff at – Shakespeare scholars would give a great deal for even a single partial draft of Hamlet – the limited nature of what has previously come to light has left a lot to be desired, and many questions unanswered. For one thing, all of the aforementioned drafts represent later stages in the composition process of the KJB, after a great deal of work on the translation had already been done. All the drafts are also written in as yet unidentified hands, and it seems likely that they in fact belong not to any of the translators themselves, but rather to professional scribes producing copies of now lost drafts on their behalf. Moreover, certain parts of the Bible have been left without any extant drafts behind them whatever, making the composition process not just for those specific portions of the translation, but for the work as a whole, even harder to assess in full. Thanks to a newly discovered draft in Cambridge, however, a number of these gaps and others can at last begin to be filled. For in the archives of Sidney Sussex College there survives now the earliest known draft of any part of the King James Bible, unmistakably in the hand of one of the King James translators. The draft appears in a manuscript notebook formerly belonging to Samuel Ward (1572–1643), who was part of the team of seven men in Cambridge charged with translating the Apocrypha. At the time of his selection as a translator, probably in 1604, Ward was still a young Fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge. In 1610, though, he became Master of Sidney Sussex, a post he held until his death. Today, a trove of Ward’s notebooks and other manuscripts survive in the college’s archives, and among them is a small notebook now identified as MS Ward B. For centuries, Ward’s papers in the college lay almost entirely neglected and uncatalogued. This situation persisted until 1985. That year, Margo Todd published a landmark study of the collection, in which she supplied the Ward manuscripts with the alphabetical classifications they now possess and gave a brief description of each manuscript’s contents. Todd described MS Ward B as containing a “verse-by-verse biblical commentary”, with “Greek word studies, and some Hebrew notes”. When I looked at the notebook myself for the first time, there didn’t seem to be much more to it than that. The part of the Bible to which Ward was referring, however, had been left tantalizingly unspecified, both in Todd’s description and in the notebook itself. And as I sought to determine the biblical verses concerned, and which translation Ward seemed to be using, the manuscript’s true significance suddenly came into focus. It is worth saying something about the term “draft” as it applies to the KJB, for an ill-fitting notion of what a draft of the work might resemble may be one of the reasons why so few have ever been discovered. All the evidence suggests that the KJB translators took to heart the injunction that their translation be a revision of the Bishops’ Bible. Hence, for example, the decision, even at later stages of the work, to produce nearly full drafts of the Old Testament and the Gospels in the form of emendations and marginal annotations made directly to pages of the Bishops’ Bible itself, forty unbound copies of which had been supplied to the translators to aid them in their work. Indeed, the KJB may ultimately have been printed from an annotated Bishops’ Bible. This means that if, in looking for drafts of the King James translation, one looks only for manuscripts where the translation of even a single book has been worked out or written out in full, then such a draft might never materialize. The draft shows Ward making mistakes and changing his mind The draft found in MS Ward B throws this vividly into relief. In two different places in the notebook, there appears what seems to be nothing but a sequence of running notes on the Bishops’ Bible’s translation of two different Apocryphal books. The longer of the two sequences – occupying sixty-six pages of the notebook in total – covers all nine chapters, from the first verse to the last, of the book known as 1 Esdras or 3 Ezra, positioned first in the KJB among the Apocrypha. The shorter sequence, on the other hand, spans just chapters three and four of the Apocryphal book Wisdom. In each case, the notes typically take a similar form. A verse number is given, followed by a quotation from the Bishops’ Bible’s translation, often only a word or phrase. This Ward encloses in a single bracket, and then proceeds to provide an alternative English translation, usually juxtaposing it with the corresponding portion of the verse in Greek, the language in which the vast majority of the Apocryphal books were known to survive at the time. For instance, a note in Ward’s draft for 1 Esdras 1:2 reads simply, “he set] having sett” (sic), followed by a transcription of the Greek word from 1 Esdras in question. The entry represents Ward’s suggestion that the Greek word translated as “he set” in the Bishops’ Bible should instead be translated as “having set”. On turning to the KJB as it appeared in 1611, we find that this is exactly what was done. I say that the entry represents Ward’s suggestion advisedly. In fact, this may be one of the most striking things revealed by the draft. Because the process of composing the KJB was famously divided into teams or “companies” of translators – in contrast to work on the Bishops’ Bible, where individual books were assigned to individual translators – it has tended to be taken largely for granted that the various companies worked on their respective portions of the translation together as a group. This may have been what happened in some cases. Ward’s draft, however, strongly implies that his company, the so-called Second Cambridge Company, went about translating the Apocrypha in a different way. No other hand besides Ward’s appears in the draft. Moreover, it clearly shows him not just recording group decisions about the translation after the fact, or even doing so in the process of group decisions being made, but rather working out the translation for himself as he went along, making mistakes and changing his mind. At one point, for instance, one finds Ward wrestling with the syntax of 1 Esdras 6:32. In the Bishops’ Bible, the verse relates, in somewhat convoluted fashion, the declaration of King Darius that anyone found disobeying his decrees “of his own goods should a tree be taken, and he thereon be hanged”. Proposing a revision to the front half of the passage, Ward at first began, “A tre”, but then crossed it out. No, “out of h”, he started writing on second thought, but then crossed that out, too. At last, he reverted back to the more straightforward construction with which he had abortively begun, which also more closely mirrors the Greek of the passage: “a tree should be taken out of his possession”. Moments like this simply do not chime with seeing Ward’s draft as the product, in the main, of a company discussion. Such an example, however, also shows the complex relationship that Ward’s draft has to the translation as eventually published. In the KJB, only a very small piece of Ward’s proposed revision for 1 Esdras 6:32 has been followed. The Bible broadly retains the Bishops’ Bible’s syntax, even as it includes the clarifying “out” recommended by Ward, specifying that the convicted man should be hanged on a tree taken “out of” his own property. Furthermore, there appears an additional revision to the passage not suggested in Ward’s draft at all: the word “goods” in the Bishops’ Bible, which Ward had proposed changing to “possession”, instead appears in the KJB as “house”. In full, the King James translation of the passage would come to read, “out of his own house should a tree be taken, and he thereon be hanged”. Disparities like this between the KJB and Ward’s proposals run throughout the draft of 1 Esdras and Wisdom 3–4. They are, indeed, part of what helps identify Ward’s draft as a draft, and not a mere record of the changes made to the Bishops’ Bible in composing the KJB after the fact. Sometimes the King James translation went on to follow Ward’s proposed rendering to the letter. In the case of Wisdom 3:15, for example, Ward’s draft recommends changing the Bishops’ Bible’s declaration that “glorious is the fruit of the good labour” to “glorious is the fruit of good labours” – a translation that accords more with the Greek of the verse, as Ward notes, and which also aligns with the Geneva Bible, the English translation predating the KJB that the Puritan Ward clearly favoured. Here the KJB reproduces Ward’s proposed revision exactly.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Gov. John Kasich rejected a request for executive clemency for Dennis McGuire, a convicted murderer scheduled to be executed next week by the state. McGuire, 53, was convicted of raping, choking and stabbing a 22-year-old woman in 1989 in Preble County in western Ohio. Prosecutors there have said a death sentence is appropriate for such a shocking crime. His victim, Joy Stewart, was newly married and about 30 weeks pregnant. Lawyers for McGuire, 53, pleaded for mercy from the state on his behalf at a hearing in December before the Ohio Parole Board. They argued then that he was mentally, physically and sexually abused as a child, lacked proper supervision and role models growing up and had impaired brain function that makes him prone to act impulsively. The parole board unanimously recommended that McGuire’s clemency be rejected. His execution is scheduled to take place Jan. 16 at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville. McGuire is in line to be the first person put to death in Ohio using a new and untried lethal-injection cocktail. Ohio was forced to seek new alternatives for lethal injection because of a shortage of pentobarbital that was the result of a European manufacturers’ reluctance to sell the drug for executions. The new method involves midazolam, a sedative, and hydromorphone, a morphine derivative. The combination has never been used in a U.S. execution. The state announced the new method in October and had planned to use it for the execution of Ronald Phillips, 40, who was scheduled to die in November for killing a 3-year-old girl. Kasich delayed Phillips execution, though, to allow time to study if the state could meet Phillips’ request to donate his organs. ||||| COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio inmate facing execution next week from an untried method is at substantial risk of a medical phenomenon known as air hunger, which will cause him to experience terror as he strains to catch his breath, an anesthesiologist testified Friday at a federal court hearing. Because condemned killer David McGuire has several characteristics of someone with sleep apnea, or the struggle to breathe while asleep, the chances are even greater he will be subjected to feelings of suffocation, said David Waisel, a professor at Harvard Medical School. "Mr. McGuire is at a substantial risk of experiencing the terror of air hunger during the first five minutes of the execution," Waisel testified as a witness for defense attorneys trying to stop McGuire's execution Thursday. "Air hunger is a horrible feeling," Waisel added. "It's the inability to get your breath." Waisel testified at the beginning of a two-day hearing on the state's new lethal drug process. Ohio plans to use intravenous doses of two drugs, midazolam, a sedative, and hydromorphone, a painkiller, to put McGuire to death. The method has been part of Ohio's execution process since 2009, though never used. It was chosen because of a shortage of other lethal injection drugs. The state says its own anesthesiology expert is ready to argue that experiments have shown nothing of the sort will happen. Such dueling arguments have taken place often in federal judge Gregory Frost's courtroom over the years. Frost has heard numerous arguments for and against Ohio's lethal injection process. He has never ruled the drugs themselves unconstitutional, but he has at times harshly criticized the state for conducting haphazard executions by not closely following its own policies. McGuire, 53, was sentenced to die for the 1989 rape and fatal stabbing of Joy Stewart in Preble County in western Ohio. The 22-year-old Stewart was newly married and pregnant. "McGuire will experience the agony and terror of air hunger as he struggles to breathe for five minutes after defendants intravenously inject him with the execution drugs," the inmate's attorneys said in a Monday court filing. Higher courts have twice rejected claims that the drugs pose a risk of severe pain, the state argued in opposing McGuire's attempt to stop his execution. The state says that because courts have upheld the use of those drugs in the backup method, McGuire can't challenge their use just because they are to be given intravenously. There is no excuse for not raising this claim years ago, "much less presenting it for the first time in an eleventh-hour stay of execution," lawyers for the Ohio attorney general's office said in their filing. Late Wednesday, McGuire's attorneys filed a separate appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court, saying information about his chaotic childhood of abuse and neglect could have prevented him from being sentenced to death if it was presented at trial. The filings argue McGuire was so malnourished as a child that his stomach was swollen and distended. He also had to frequently steal food for himself and his younger sister, the appeal said. McGuire was physically abused by at least four different parental figures and shows signs of brain damage from head trauma, the attorneys said. The filings say jurors who sentenced McGuire to death never got to hear the full extent of his chaotic childhood because his trial attorneys didn't properly investigate reasons he should be spared. Even without the full picture of McGuire's life, a juror held out for 12 hours before relenting, a sign that a full investigation might have led to a different outcome, the lawyers said. In Ohio, one juror can block a death sentence by voting against it. The state's response to that claim is expected Monday.

– A death-row inmate in Ohio will likely suffer the "terror" of a suffocation-like phenomenon known as air hunger during his execution, an anesthesiologist told a judge today. "Air hunger is a horrible feeling," said the expert at a federal court hearing, reports AP. "It's the inability to get your breath." Attorneys for Dennis McGuire are trying to get the state to hold off on executing the 53-year-old next week using a combination of two drugs untested in the US. "Mr. McGuire is at a substantial risk of experiencing the terror of air hunger during the first five minutes of the execution," said the anesthesiologist, who added that McGuire is at especially high risk because he has sleep apnea. The hearing might be his best hope to at least delay Thursday's execution because the governor rejected a clemency plea earlier this week, reports Cleveland.com. McGuire raped and murdered a 22-year-old newlywed, who was 30 weeks pregnant at the time, in 1989.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.COLUMBUS, Ohio – Gov. John Kasich rejected a request for executive clemency for Dennis McGuire, a convicted murderer scheduled to be executed next week by the state. McGuire, 53, was convicted of raping, choking and stabbing a 22-year-old woman in 1989 in Preble County in western Ohio. Prosecutors there have said a death sentence is appropriate for such a shocking crime. His victim, Joy Stewart, was newly married and about 30 weeks pregnant. Lawyers for McGuire, 53, pleaded for mercy from the state on his behalf at a hearing in December before the Ohio Parole Board. They argued then that he was mentally, physically and sexually abused as a child, lacked proper supervision and role models growing up and had impaired brain function that makes him prone to act impulsively. The parole board unanimously recommended that McGuire’s clemency be rejected. His execution is scheduled to take place Jan. 16 at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville. McGuire is in line to be the first person put to death in Ohio using a new and untried lethal-injection cocktail. Ohio was forced to seek new alternatives for lethal injection because of a shortage of pentobarbital that was the result of a European manufacturers’ reluctance to sell the drug for executions. The new method involves midazolam, a sedative, and hydromorphone, a morphine derivative. The combination has never been used in a U.S. execution. The state announced the new method in October and had planned to use it for the execution of Ronald Phillips, 40, who was scheduled to die in November for killing a 3-year-old girl. Kasich delayed Phillips execution, though, to allow time to study if the state could meet Phillips’ request to donate his organs. ||||| COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio inmate facing execution next week from an untried method is at substantial risk of a medical phenomenon known as air hunger, which will cause him to experience terror as he strains to catch his breath, an anesthesiologist testified Friday at a federal court hearing. Because condemned killer David McGuire has several characteristics of someone with sleep apnea, or the struggle to breathe while asleep, the chances are even greater he will be subjected to feelings of suffocation, said David Waisel, a professor at Harvard Medical School. "Mr. McGuire is at a substantial risk of experiencing the terror of air hunger during the first five minutes of the execution," Waisel testified as a witness for defense attorneys trying to stop McGuire's execution Thursday. "Air hunger is a horrible feeling," Waisel added. "It's the inability to get your breath." Waisel testified at the beginning of a two-day hearing on the state's new lethal drug process. Ohio plans to use intravenous doses of two drugs, midazolam, a sedative, and hydromorphone, a painkiller, to put McGuire to death. The method has been part of Ohio's execution process since 2009, though never used. It was chosen because of a shortage of other lethal injection drugs. The state says its own anesthesiology expert is ready to argue that experiments have shown nothing of the sort will happen. Such dueling arguments have taken place often in federal judge Gregory Frost's courtroom over the years. Frost has heard numerous arguments for and against Ohio's lethal injection process. He has never ruled the drugs themselves unconstitutional, but he has at times harshly criticized the state for conducting haphazard executions by not closely following its own policies. McGuire, 53, was sentenced to die for the 1989 rape and fatal stabbing of Joy Stewart in Preble County in western Ohio. The 22-year-old Stewart was newly married and pregnant. "McGuire will experience the agony and terror of air hunger as he struggles to breathe for five minutes after defendants intravenously inject him with the execution drugs," the inmate's attorneys said in a Monday court filing. Higher courts have twice rejected claims that the drugs pose a risk of severe pain, the state argued in opposing McGuire's attempt to stop his execution. The state says that because courts have upheld the use of those drugs in the backup method, McGuire can't challenge their use just because they are to be given intravenously. There is no excuse for not raising this claim years ago, "much less presenting it for the first time in an eleventh-hour stay of execution," lawyers for the Ohio attorney general's office said in their filing. Late Wednesday, McGuire's attorneys filed a separate appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court, saying information about his chaotic childhood of abuse and neglect could have prevented him from being sentenced to death if it was presented at trial. The filings argue McGuire was so malnourished as a child that his stomach was swollen and distended. He also had to frequently steal food for himself and his younger sister, the appeal said. McGuire was physically abused by at least four different parental figures and shows signs of brain damage from head trauma, the attorneys said. The filings say jurors who sentenced McGuire to death never got to hear the full extent of his chaotic childhood because his trial attorneys didn't properly investigate reasons he should be spared. Even without the full picture of McGuire's life, a juror held out for 12 hours before relenting, a sign that a full investigation might have led to a different outcome, the lawyers said. In Ohio, one juror can block a death sentence by voting against it. The state's response to that claim is expected Monday.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Image copyright KCNA Image caption Yo-jong in a 2015 picture alongside her brother North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister Kim Yo-jong looks set for much more public exposure than she's used to, despite being a member of the country's ruling elite. She will be the most senior member of the Kim family to ever visit the South when she attends the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang later this week. Part of the high-level delegation sent by Pyongyang, Ms Kim is the younger sister of the North Korean leader and a close adviser. As recently as October 2017, Ms Kim had seen her role significantly strengthened by being promoted to the powerful politburo. She was already influential as vice-director of the propaganda and agitation department and had replaced her aunt as a member of the country's top decision-making body. Ms Kim has been on the US sanctions list for a year over alleged links to human rights abuses in North Korea. That means US citizens are prohibited from conducting any transactions with her. Any property and assets in the US would be frozen. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Ms Kim's trip is seen as part of a great propaganda offensive What is she like? Ms Kim has been described as having a sweet, good-natured disposition, with a bit of a tomboy streak in her, North Korea leadership expert Michael Madden told the BBC. But reports say she has also had a sheltered upbringing, and other members of the Kim family have not interacted with her much. School officials in Switzerland have said she was over-protected by the coterie of guards and caretakers - she once reportedly had a mild cold and was immediately pulled from school and taken to hospital. Where does she fit in the ruling family? Kim Yo-jong is the youngest daughter of late leader Kim Jong-il, and shares the same mother as Kim Jong-un and brother Kim Jong-chol, according to North Korea Leadership Watch, a website run by Michael Madden. Born in 1987, she is said to be very close to Kim Jong-un, who is four years older than her. The two of them lived and studied in Berne, Switzerland at the same time. She is reportedly married to the son of Choe Ryong-hae, the powerful party secretary. Image copyright EPA Image caption Kim Yo-jong (circled) has often appeared alongside her brother What does she do? Before joining the politburo, Kim Yo-jong's main job has been to protect her brother's image, taking up a key role in the party's propaganda department in 2014. She is said to have managed all his public appearances as well as acting as a political adviser. She has sporadically been in the spotlight in recent years, appearing at the state funeral of her father in 2011 and the election of her brother in 2014. Ms Kim has occasionally been seen with her brother in state media pictures. In October 2015 she was rumoured to have been sacked from the propaganda department by Mr Kim for doing a poor job. But a top job in the leadership is thought to have been carved out for her as early as 2008 during succession planning as Kim Jong-il's health deteriorated. There was even speculation she might be a candidate, albeit an unlikely one, to take over from her brother after he disappeared from public view for a prolonged period in 2014. Image copyright AFP Image caption Kim Yo-jong was seen here behind Kim Jong-un at his election in 2014 When Ms Kim was given a key post at the country's rare ruling party congress in 2016, it was widely expected that she would soon take up an important role in the politburo. ||||| SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un said his nuclear weapons were a “powerful deterrent” that guaranteed its sovereignty, state media reported on Sunday, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said “only one thing will work” in dealing with the isolated country. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during the Second Plenum of the 7th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang October 8, 2017. KCNA/via REUTERS. Trump did not make clear to what he was referring, but his comments seemed to be a further suggestion that military action was on his mind. In a speech to a meeting of the powerful Central Committee of the ruling Workers’ Party on Saturday, a day before Trump’s most recent comments, state media said Kim had addressed the “complicated international situation”. North Korea’s nuclear weapons are a “powerful deterrent firmly safeguarding the peace and security in the Korean peninsula and Northeast Asia,” Kim said, referring to the “protracted nuclear threats of the U.S. imperialists.” In recent weeks, North Korea has launched two missiles over Japan and conducted its sixth nuclear test, and may be fast advancing toward its goal of developing a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland. North Korea is preparing to test-launch such a missile, a Russian lawmaker who had just returned from a visit to Pyongyang was quoted as saying on Friday. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during the Second Plenum of the 7th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang October 8, 2017. KCNA/via REUTERS. Donald Trump has previously said the United States would “totally destroy” North Korea if necessary to protect itself and its allies. The situation proved that North Korea’s policy of “byungjin”, meaning the parallel development of nuclear weapons and the economy was “absolutely right”, Kim Jong Un said in the speech. “The national economy has grown on their strength this year, despite the escalating sanctions,” said Kim, referring to U.N. Security Council resolutions put in place to curb Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile program. SISTER PROMOTION The meeting also handled some personnel changes inside North Korea’s secretive and opaque ruling center of power, state media said. Kim Jong Un’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, was made an alternate member of the politburo - the top decision-making body over which Kim Jong Un presides. Alongside Kim Jong Un himself, the promotion makes Kim Yo Jong the only other millennial member of the influential body. Slideshow (3 Images) Her new position indicates the 28-year-old has become a replacement for Kim Jong Un’s aunt, Kim Kyong Hui, who had been a key decision maker when former leader Kim Jong Il was alive. “It shows that her portfolio and writ is far more substantive than previously believed and it is a further consolidation of the Kim family’s power,” said Michael Madden, a North Korea expert at Johns Hopkins University’s 38 North website. In January, the U.S. Treasury blacklisted Kim Yo Jong along with other North Korean officials over “severe human rights abuses”. Kim Jong Sik and Ri Pyong Chol, two of the three men behind Kim’s banned rocket program, were also promoted. State media announced that several other high ranking cadres were promoted to the Central Committee in what the South Korean unification ministry said could be an attempt by North Korea to navigate a way through its increasing isolation. “The large-scale personnel reshuffle reflects that Kim Jong Un is taking the current situation seriously, and that he’s looking for a breakthrough by promoting a new generation of politicians,” the ministry said in a statement. North Korea’s foreign minister Ri Yong Ho, who named Donald Trump “President Evil” in a bombastic speech to the U.N. General Assembly last month, was promoted to full vote-carrying member of the politburo. “Ri can now be safely identified as one of North Korea’s top policy makers,” said Madden. “Even if he has informal or off the record meetings, Ri’s interlocutors can be assured that whatever proposals they proffer will be taken directly to the top,” he said.

– In the midst of continued war threats between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un this weekend, the North Korean leader took time out to promote his sister to the top decision-making body in the country. Reuters reports that the promotion of Kim Yo Jung, the youngest daughter of former leader Kim Jong-Il, to the politburo was made Saturday at a meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party and represents a further consolidation of family power in North Korea. The 28-year-old was made an alternate member of the politburo, replacing her aunt, Kim Kyong Hui, who was a powerful advisor to Kim Jong Il. Kim Yo Jung, who was blacklisted by the US Treasury Department in January over "severe human rights abuses," has long been an influential member of her brother's government, helping create his public image in her role as the vice-director of Pyongyang's Propaganda and Agitation Department, CNN reports. At the same meeting Saturday, Kim Jong Un claimed that his country's nuclear weapons program has proven to be a "powerful deterrent" against the "protracted nuclear threats of the U.S. imperialists." Just hours later, the Washington Post reports, Trump tweeted that North Korea has been "making fools" of the U.S. for 25 years, and that "only one thing will work!"

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Image copyright KCNA Image caption Yo-jong in a 2015 picture alongside her brother North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister Kim Yo-jong looks set for much more public exposure than she's used to, despite being a member of the country's ruling elite. She will be the most senior member of the Kim family to ever visit the South when she attends the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang later this week. Part of the high-level delegation sent by Pyongyang, Ms Kim is the younger sister of the North Korean leader and a close adviser. As recently as October 2017, Ms Kim had seen her role significantly strengthened by being promoted to the powerful politburo. She was already influential as vice-director of the propaganda and agitation department and had replaced her aunt as a member of the country's top decision-making body. Ms Kim has been on the US sanctions list for a year over alleged links to human rights abuses in North Korea. That means US citizens are prohibited from conducting any transactions with her. Any property and assets in the US would be frozen. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Ms Kim's trip is seen as part of a great propaganda offensive What is she like? Ms Kim has been described as having a sweet, good-natured disposition, with a bit of a tomboy streak in her, North Korea leadership expert Michael Madden told the BBC. But reports say she has also had a sheltered upbringing, and other members of the Kim family have not interacted with her much. School officials in Switzerland have said she was over-protected by the coterie of guards and caretakers - she once reportedly had a mild cold and was immediately pulled from school and taken to hospital. Where does she fit in the ruling family? Kim Yo-jong is the youngest daughter of late leader Kim Jong-il, and shares the same mother as Kim Jong-un and brother Kim Jong-chol, according to North Korea Leadership Watch, a website run by Michael Madden. Born in 1987, she is said to be very close to Kim Jong-un, who is four years older than her. The two of them lived and studied in Berne, Switzerland at the same time. She is reportedly married to the son of Choe Ryong-hae, the powerful party secretary. Image copyright EPA Image caption Kim Yo-jong (circled) has often appeared alongside her brother What does she do? Before joining the politburo, Kim Yo-jong's main job has been to protect her brother's image, taking up a key role in the party's propaganda department in 2014. She is said to have managed all his public appearances as well as acting as a political adviser. She has sporadically been in the spotlight in recent years, appearing at the state funeral of her father in 2011 and the election of her brother in 2014. Ms Kim has occasionally been seen with her brother in state media pictures. In October 2015 she was rumoured to have been sacked from the propaganda department by Mr Kim for doing a poor job. But a top job in the leadership is thought to have been carved out for her as early as 2008 during succession planning as Kim Jong-il's health deteriorated. There was even speculation she might be a candidate, albeit an unlikely one, to take over from her brother after he disappeared from public view for a prolonged period in 2014. Image copyright AFP Image caption Kim Yo-jong was seen here behind Kim Jong-un at his election in 2014 When Ms Kim was given a key post at the country's rare ruling party congress in 2016, it was widely expected that she would soon take up an important role in the politburo. ||||| SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un said his nuclear weapons were a “powerful deterrent” that guaranteed its sovereignty, state media reported on Sunday, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said “only one thing will work” in dealing with the isolated country. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during the Second Plenum of the 7th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang October 8, 2017. KCNA/via REUTERS. Trump did not make clear to what he was referring, but his comments seemed to be a further suggestion that military action was on his mind. In a speech to a meeting of the powerful Central Committee of the ruling Workers’ Party on Saturday, a day before Trump’s most recent comments, state media said Kim had addressed the “complicated international situation”. North Korea’s nuclear weapons are a “powerful deterrent firmly safeguarding the peace and security in the Korean peninsula and Northeast Asia,” Kim said, referring to the “protracted nuclear threats of the U.S. imperialists.” In recent weeks, North Korea has launched two missiles over Japan and conducted its sixth nuclear test, and may be fast advancing toward its goal of developing a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland. North Korea is preparing to test-launch such a missile, a Russian lawmaker who had just returned from a visit to Pyongyang was quoted as saying on Friday. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during the Second Plenum of the 7th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang October 8, 2017. KCNA/via REUTERS. Donald Trump has previously said the United States would “totally destroy” North Korea if necessary to protect itself and its allies. The situation proved that North Korea’s policy of “byungjin”, meaning the parallel development of nuclear weapons and the economy was “absolutely right”, Kim Jong Un said in the speech. “The national economy has grown on their strength this year, despite the escalating sanctions,” said Kim, referring to U.N. Security Council resolutions put in place to curb Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile program. SISTER PROMOTION The meeting also handled some personnel changes inside North Korea’s secretive and opaque ruling center of power, state media said. Kim Jong Un’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, was made an alternate member of the politburo - the top decision-making body over which Kim Jong Un presides. Alongside Kim Jong Un himself, the promotion makes Kim Yo Jong the only other millennial member of the influential body. Slideshow (3 Images) Her new position indicates the 28-year-old has become a replacement for Kim Jong Un’s aunt, Kim Kyong Hui, who had been a key decision maker when former leader Kim Jong Il was alive. “It shows that her portfolio and writ is far more substantive than previously believed and it is a further consolidation of the Kim family’s power,” said Michael Madden, a North Korea expert at Johns Hopkins University’s 38 North website. In January, the U.S. Treasury blacklisted Kim Yo Jong along with other North Korean officials over “severe human rights abuses”. Kim Jong Sik and Ri Pyong Chol, two of the three men behind Kim’s banned rocket program, were also promoted. State media announced that several other high ranking cadres were promoted to the Central Committee in what the South Korean unification ministry said could be an attempt by North Korea to navigate a way through its increasing isolation. “The large-scale personnel reshuffle reflects that Kim Jong Un is taking the current situation seriously, and that he’s looking for a breakthrough by promoting a new generation of politicians,” the ministry said in a statement. North Korea’s foreign minister Ri Yong Ho, who named Donald Trump “President Evil” in a bombastic speech to the U.N. General Assembly last month, was promoted to full vote-carrying member of the politburo. “Ri can now be safely identified as one of North Korea’s top policy makers,” said Madden. “Even if he has informal or off the record meetings, Ri’s interlocutors can be assured that whatever proposals they proffer will be taken directly to the top,” he said.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

CLOSE Millions of little girls and young women have been subjected to a painful rite of passage that involves cutting their genitals — often without anesthesia — for centuries in parts of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Detroit Free Press Buy Photo Judge Bernard Friedman photographed in his office at the Theodore Levin U.S. Courthouse in Detroit, Michigan on Tuesday Sept. 22, 2015. (Photo: Eric Seals, Detroit Free Press)Buy Photo In a major blow to the federal government, a judge in Detroit has declared America's female genital mutilation law unconstitutional, thereby dismissing the key charges against two Michigan doctors and six others accused of subjecting at least nine minor girls to the cutting procedure in the nation's first FGM case. The historic case involves minor girls from Michigan, Illinois and Minnesota, including some who cried, screamed and bled during the procedure and one who was given Valium ground in liquid Tylenol to keep her calm, court records show. The judge's ruling also dismissed charges against three mothers, including two Minnesota women whom prosecutors said tricked their 7 -year-old daughters into thinking they were coming to metro Detroit for a girls' weekend, but instead had their genitals cut at a Livonia clinic as part of a religious procedure. U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman concluded that "as despicable as this practice may be," Congress did not have the authority to pass the 22-year-old federal law that criminalizes female genital mutilation, and that FGM is for the states to regulate. FGM is banned worldwide and has been outlawed in more than 30 countries, though the U.S. statute had never been tested before this case. "As laudable as the prohibition of a particular type of abuse of girls may be ... federalism concerns deprive Congress of the power to enact this statute," Friedman wrote in his 28-page opinion, noting: "Congress overstepped its bounds by legislating to prohibit FGM ... FGM is a 'local criminal activity' which, in keeping with long-standing tradition and our federal system of government, is for the states to regulate, not Congress." Currently, 27 states have laws that criminalize female genital mutilation, including Michigan, whose FGM law is stiffer than the federal statute, punishable by up to 15 years in prison, compared with five under federal law. Michigan's FGM law was passed last year in the wake of the historic case and applies to both doctors who conduct the procedure, and parents who transport a child to have it done. The defendants in this case can't be retroactively charged under the new law. Gina Balaya, spokesperson for the U.S. Attorneys Office, said the government is reviewing the judge’s opinion and will make a determination whether or not to appeal at some point in the future. Friedman's ruling stems from a request by Dr. Jumana Nagarwala and her codefendants to dismiss the genital mutilation charges, claiming the law they are being prosecuted under is unconstitutional. A victory for the defendants The defendants are all members of a small Indian Muslim sect known as the Dawoodi Bohra, which has a mosque in Farmington Hills. The sect practices female circumcision and believes it is a religious rite of passage that involves only a minor "nick." The defendants have argued that “Congress lacked authority to enact" the genital mutilation statute, "thus the female genital mutilation charges must be dismissed.” They also argue that they didn't actually practice FGM, but rather performed a benign procedure involving no cutting. "Oh my God, we won!," declared Shannon Smith, Nagarwala's lawyer, who expects the government to appeal. "But we are confident we will win even if appealed." Smith has maintained all along that her client did not engage in FGM. "Dr. Nagarwala is just a wonderful human being. She was always known as a doctor with an excellent reputation," Smith said. "The whole community was shocked when this happened. She's always been known to be a stellar doctor, mother, person." For FGM survivor and social activist Mariya Taher, who heads a campaign out of Cambridge, Massachusetts, to ban FGM worldwide, Friedman's ruling was a punch to the gut. "Oh my God, this is crazy," said Taher, stressing she fears the ruling will put more young women in harm's way. "Unfortunately, this is going to embolden those who believe that this must be continued ... they’ll feel that this is permission, that it’s OK to do this." Taher, who, at 7, was subjected to the same type of religious cutting procedure that's at issue in the Michigan case, said she doesn't expect laws alone to end FGM. But they are needed, she stressed. "This is a violation of one person’s human rights. It's a form of gender violence. … This is cultural violence," 35-year-old Taher said. Yasmeen Hassan, executive global director for Equality Now, an international women's rights organization, agreed, saying the ruling sends a disturbing message to women and girls. "It says you are not important," Hassan said, calling the ruling a "federal blessing" for FGM. "In this day and age, for FGM to still occur — and a federal government can’t regulate this with a human rights violation — is very bizarre," she said. "This is not what I expected. It's so not what I expected." Hassan added: "I don't think it's possible for the federal government not to appeal this case. My feeling is that it will go all the way to the Supreme Court." Friedman's ruling also drew the ire of Sen. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge. “I’m angry that the federal judge dismissed this horrific case that affected upwards of a hundred girls who were brutally victimized and attacked against their will," Jones said in a statement, noting 23 states don't have FGM laws. “This is why it was so important for Michigan to act. We set a precedent that female genital mutilation will not be tolerated here, and we did so by passing a state law that comes with a 15-year felony punishment," Jones said. "I hope other states will follow suit.” The federal statute at issue states: "Whoever knowingly circumcises, excises or infibulates the whole or any part of the labia majora or labia minora or clitoris of another person" under the age of 18 shall be fined or imprisoned for up to five years, or both. Related stories: Genital mutilation victims break their silence: 'This is demonic' Religious defense planned in landmark Detroit genital mutilation case Prosecutors argue Nagarwala, the lead defendant, did exactly that when she cut the genitals of two 7-year-old Minnesota girls who were tricked into the procedure in 2017 by their mothers. They said Nagarwala did this with the help of Dr. Fakhuruddin Attar, who is accused of letting Nagarwala use his Livonia clinic after hours to carry out the procedures; and his wife, Farida Attar, who is accused of assisting Nagarwala in the examination room during the procedures and holding the girls' hands. Prosecutors allege that Nagarwala may have subjected up to 100 girls to the procedure over a 12-year period, though they have cited nine victims in the case: two 7-year-old girls from Minnesota; four Michigan girls ages 8-12, and three Illinois girls. Law deemed unconstitutional Nagarwala has long maintained that she committed no crime and that she was charged under a law that slid through Congress without proper vetting. “The law was never debated on the floor of either chamber of Congress nor was there ever any legislative hearing addressing the justification or need for the federal law. Instead, all that exists is the criminal statute itself,” defense lawyers have argued in court documents, claiming the driving force behind the legislation was one lawmaker's belief that the prohibited conduct was 'repulsive and cruel.' " But the Constitution demands more than that, the defense has argued, claiming Congress could not have passed a female genital mutilation ban under the Commerce clause because "notably, here, the activity being regulated has absolutely no effect on interstate commerce." The judge agreed. "There is nothing commercial or economic about FGM," Friedman writes. "As despicable as this practice may be, it is essentially a criminal assault. ... FGM is not part of a larger market and it has no demonstrated effect on interstate commerce. The commerce clause does not permit Congress to regulate a crime of this nature." The prosecution disagrees, arguing genital mutilation is an illegal, secretive and dangerous health care service that involves interstate commerce on a number of fronts: text messages are used to arrange the procedure; parents drive their children across state lines to get the procedure; and the doctor uses medical tools in state-licensed clinics to perform the surgeries. In defending the statute, prosecutors also have noted that FGM is condemned worldwide -- it's illegal in more than 30 countries. And they've cited the legislative history of the law, along with U.S. Sen. Harry Reid's comments in pushing for a genital mutilation ban. “I want everyone within the sound of my voice to understand that what I am going to talk about here today does not deal with religion and it does not deal with sex. It deals with violation of a person’s human rights. It deals with degradation of women and young girls. It deals with the most inhumane thing a person can imagine,” Reid stated in 1994. On September 30, 1996, the female genital mutilation law was signed, with Reid stressing: “There is no medical reason for this procedure. ... It is used as a method to keep girls chaste and to ensure their virginity until marriage, and to ensure that after marriage they do not engage in extramarital sex.” Nagarwala, meanwhile, is still facing a conspiracy charge and an obstruction count that could send her to prison for 20 years, along with the Attars. If convicted of conspiracy, Nagarwala faces up to 30 years in prison. The case is set to go to trial in April 2019. Buy Photo Dr. Fakhruddin S. Attar has an office at the Burhani Medical Clinic building in Livonia. (Photo: Elaine Cromie/Detroit Free Press) Contact Tresa Baldas: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @Tbaldas Read or Share this story: https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2018/11/20/female-genital-mutilation-michigan/1991712002/ ||||| DETROIT (AP) — A federal judge dismissed some charges Tuesday against eight people — including two doctors — in the genital mutilation of nine girls at a suburban Detroit clinic, finding it's up to states rather than Congress to regulate the practice. U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman dismissed mutilation and conspiracy charges against Dr. Jumana Nagarwala, who performed the surgery, and Dr. Fakhruddin Attar, who allowed his clinic in Livonia, Michigan, to be used for the procedure. The same charges were dismissed against Attar's wife, Farida, and Tahera Shafiq, who assisted in the procedure, as well as four women who took their daughters to the clinic. Four of girls are from Michigan; the others are residents of Illinois and Minnesota. "Congress overstepped its bounds by legislating to prohibit (female genital mutilation)," Friedman wrote in a 28-page opinion. Michigan was the 26th U.S. state to officially ban the practice, also known as female circumcision or cutting. The state law was passed a few months after Nagarwala's April 2017 arrest. Female genital mutilation has been condemned by the United Nations but is common for girls in some parts of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Nagarwala said she performed a religious custom on girls from her Muslim sect, the India-based Dawoodi Bohra. She still faces conspiracy to travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and obstruction charges. Others in the case face obstruction charges. "I did think he would rule in our favor," defense attorney Shannon Smith said of Friedman. Smith filed a motion on behalf of Nagarwala to have the charges dismissed. "When I first started researching, I was not sure how strong (the motion) would be, but I became more confident this would be the right result," she said. A spokeswoman said Tuesday that the U.S. attorney's office was reviewing Friedman's opinion. Smith said that if the ruling is appealed that "we're hoping the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court agree that the 1996 law was unconstitutional."

– A Michigan judge acknowledged that female genital mutilation is "despicable"—in a 28-page opinion that concluded the federal government's 22-year-old law against the practice is unconstitutional. As such, the mutilation charges against two Michigan doctors have been dismissed. Dr. Jumana Nagarwala, who allegedly performed the surgery, and Dr. Fakhruddin Attar, who allegedly allowed his Livonia clinic to be used, were defendants in America's first female genital mutilation case, which involves 9 alleged victims. Lawyers for the doctors argued the constitutionality point, and US District Judge Bernard Friedman found "FGM is a 'local criminal activity' which, in keeping with long-standing tradition and our federal system of government, is for the states to regulate, not Congress." The Detroit Free-Press explains the federal law was passed under the Commerce clause; Friedman determined there was "nothing commercial or economic" about the mutilation, while the prosecution argued interstate commerce can be at play, as when parents drive their girls across state lines to undergo the procedure. As for state regulation, 27 states ban it, and Michigan is included in that list. But its law was passed subsequent to Nagarwala's April 2017 arrest, reports the AP; as such, it can't be applied to the doctors, and so prosecutors were relying on the federal law, which carries a sentence of up to five years. Prosecutors say they will decide whether to appeal the ruling. Nagarwala isn't off the hook, however, and faces conspiracy and obstruction charges that carry a sentence of up to 20 years if she's convicted. The trial is set to begin in April. (This year, the US deported a man back to Ethiopia over the practice.)

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.CLOSE Millions of little girls and young women have been subjected to a painful rite of passage that involves cutting their genitals — often without anesthesia — for centuries in parts of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Detroit Free Press Buy Photo Judge Bernard Friedman photographed in his office at the Theodore Levin U.S. Courthouse in Detroit, Michigan on Tuesday Sept. 22, 2015. (Photo: Eric Seals, Detroit Free Press)Buy Photo In a major blow to the federal government, a judge in Detroit has declared America's female genital mutilation law unconstitutional, thereby dismissing the key charges against two Michigan doctors and six others accused of subjecting at least nine minor girls to the cutting procedure in the nation's first FGM case. The historic case involves minor girls from Michigan, Illinois and Minnesota, including some who cried, screamed and bled during the procedure and one who was given Valium ground in liquid Tylenol to keep her calm, court records show. The judge's ruling also dismissed charges against three mothers, including two Minnesota women whom prosecutors said tricked their 7 -year-old daughters into thinking they were coming to metro Detroit for a girls' weekend, but instead had their genitals cut at a Livonia clinic as part of a religious procedure. U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman concluded that "as despicable as this practice may be," Congress did not have the authority to pass the 22-year-old federal law that criminalizes female genital mutilation, and that FGM is for the states to regulate. FGM is banned worldwide and has been outlawed in more than 30 countries, though the U.S. statute had never been tested before this case. "As laudable as the prohibition of a particular type of abuse of girls may be ... federalism concerns deprive Congress of the power to enact this statute," Friedman wrote in his 28-page opinion, noting: "Congress overstepped its bounds by legislating to prohibit FGM ... FGM is a 'local criminal activity' which, in keeping with long-standing tradition and our federal system of government, is for the states to regulate, not Congress." Currently, 27 states have laws that criminalize female genital mutilation, including Michigan, whose FGM law is stiffer than the federal statute, punishable by up to 15 years in prison, compared with five under federal law. Michigan's FGM law was passed last year in the wake of the historic case and applies to both doctors who conduct the procedure, and parents who transport a child to have it done. The defendants in this case can't be retroactively charged under the new law. Gina Balaya, spokesperson for the U.S. Attorneys Office, said the government is reviewing the judge’s opinion and will make a determination whether or not to appeal at some point in the future. Friedman's ruling stems from a request by Dr. Jumana Nagarwala and her codefendants to dismiss the genital mutilation charges, claiming the law they are being prosecuted under is unconstitutional. A victory for the defendants The defendants are all members of a small Indian Muslim sect known as the Dawoodi Bohra, which has a mosque in Farmington Hills. The sect practices female circumcision and believes it is a religious rite of passage that involves only a minor "nick." The defendants have argued that “Congress lacked authority to enact" the genital mutilation statute, "thus the female genital mutilation charges must be dismissed.” They also argue that they didn't actually practice FGM, but rather performed a benign procedure involving no cutting. "Oh my God, we won!," declared Shannon Smith, Nagarwala's lawyer, who expects the government to appeal. "But we are confident we will win even if appealed." Smith has maintained all along that her client did not engage in FGM. "Dr. Nagarwala is just a wonderful human being. She was always known as a doctor with an excellent reputation," Smith said. "The whole community was shocked when this happened. She's always been known to be a stellar doctor, mother, person." For FGM survivor and social activist Mariya Taher, who heads a campaign out of Cambridge, Massachusetts, to ban FGM worldwide, Friedman's ruling was a punch to the gut. "Oh my God, this is crazy," said Taher, stressing she fears the ruling will put more young women in harm's way. "Unfortunately, this is going to embolden those who believe that this must be continued ... they’ll feel that this is permission, that it’s OK to do this." Taher, who, at 7, was subjected to the same type of religious cutting procedure that's at issue in the Michigan case, said she doesn't expect laws alone to end FGM. But they are needed, she stressed. "This is a violation of one person’s human rights. It's a form of gender violence. … This is cultural violence," 35-year-old Taher said. Yasmeen Hassan, executive global director for Equality Now, an international women's rights organization, agreed, saying the ruling sends a disturbing message to women and girls. "It says you are not important," Hassan said, calling the ruling a "federal blessing" for FGM. "In this day and age, for FGM to still occur — and a federal government can’t regulate this with a human rights violation — is very bizarre," she said. "This is not what I expected. It's so not what I expected." Hassan added: "I don't think it's possible for the federal government not to appeal this case. My feeling is that it will go all the way to the Supreme Court." Friedman's ruling also drew the ire of Sen. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge. “I’m angry that the federal judge dismissed this horrific case that affected upwards of a hundred girls who were brutally victimized and attacked against their will," Jones said in a statement, noting 23 states don't have FGM laws. “This is why it was so important for Michigan to act. We set a precedent that female genital mutilation will not be tolerated here, and we did so by passing a state law that comes with a 15-year felony punishment," Jones said. "I hope other states will follow suit.” The federal statute at issue states: "Whoever knowingly circumcises, excises or infibulates the whole or any part of the labia majora or labia minora or clitoris of another person" under the age of 18 shall be fined or imprisoned for up to five years, or both. Related stories: Genital mutilation victims break their silence: 'This is demonic' Religious defense planned in landmark Detroit genital mutilation case Prosecutors argue Nagarwala, the lead defendant, did exactly that when she cut the genitals of two 7-year-old Minnesota girls who were tricked into the procedure in 2017 by their mothers. They said Nagarwala did this with the help of Dr. Fakhuruddin Attar, who is accused of letting Nagarwala use his Livonia clinic after hours to carry out the procedures; and his wife, Farida Attar, who is accused of assisting Nagarwala in the examination room during the procedures and holding the girls' hands. Prosecutors allege that Nagarwala may have subjected up to 100 girls to the procedure over a 12-year period, though they have cited nine victims in the case: two 7-year-old girls from Minnesota; four Michigan girls ages 8-12, and three Illinois girls. Law deemed unconstitutional Nagarwala has long maintained that she committed no crime and that she was charged under a law that slid through Congress without proper vetting. “The law was never debated on the floor of either chamber of Congress nor was there ever any legislative hearing addressing the justification or need for the federal law. Instead, all that exists is the criminal statute itself,” defense lawyers have argued in court documents, claiming the driving force behind the legislation was one lawmaker's belief that the prohibited conduct was 'repulsive and cruel.' " But the Constitution demands more than that, the defense has argued, claiming Congress could not have passed a female genital mutilation ban under the Commerce clause because "notably, here, the activity being regulated has absolutely no effect on interstate commerce." The judge agreed. "There is nothing commercial or economic about FGM," Friedman writes. "As despicable as this practice may be, it is essentially a criminal assault. ... FGM is not part of a larger market and it has no demonstrated effect on interstate commerce. The commerce clause does not permit Congress to regulate a crime of this nature." The prosecution disagrees, arguing genital mutilation is an illegal, secretive and dangerous health care service that involves interstate commerce on a number of fronts: text messages are used to arrange the procedure; parents drive their children across state lines to get the procedure; and the doctor uses medical tools in state-licensed clinics to perform the surgeries. In defending the statute, prosecutors also have noted that FGM is condemned worldwide -- it's illegal in more than 30 countries. And they've cited the legislative history of the law, along with U.S. Sen. Harry Reid's comments in pushing for a genital mutilation ban. “I want everyone within the sound of my voice to understand that what I am going to talk about here today does not deal with religion and it does not deal with sex. It deals with violation of a person’s human rights. It deals with degradation of women and young girls. It deals with the most inhumane thing a person can imagine,” Reid stated in 1994. On September 30, 1996, the female genital mutilation law was signed, with Reid stressing: “There is no medical reason for this procedure. ... It is used as a method to keep girls chaste and to ensure their virginity until marriage, and to ensure that after marriage they do not engage in extramarital sex.” Nagarwala, meanwhile, is still facing a conspiracy charge and an obstruction count that could send her to prison for 20 years, along with the Attars. If convicted of conspiracy, Nagarwala faces up to 30 years in prison. The case is set to go to trial in April 2019. Buy Photo Dr. Fakhruddin S. Attar has an office at the Burhani Medical Clinic building in Livonia. (Photo: Elaine Cromie/Detroit Free Press) Contact Tresa Baldas: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @Tbaldas Read or Share this story: https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2018/11/20/female-genital-mutilation-michigan/1991712002/ ||||| DETROIT (AP) — A federal judge dismissed some charges Tuesday against eight people — including two doctors — in the genital mutilation of nine girls at a suburban Detroit clinic, finding it's up to states rather than Congress to regulate the practice. U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman dismissed mutilation and conspiracy charges against Dr. Jumana Nagarwala, who performed the surgery, and Dr. Fakhruddin Attar, who allowed his clinic in Livonia, Michigan, to be used for the procedure. The same charges were dismissed against Attar's wife, Farida, and Tahera Shafiq, who assisted in the procedure, as well as four women who took their daughters to the clinic. Four of girls are from Michigan; the others are residents of Illinois and Minnesota. "Congress overstepped its bounds by legislating to prohibit (female genital mutilation)," Friedman wrote in a 28-page opinion. Michigan was the 26th U.S. state to officially ban the practice, also known as female circumcision or cutting. The state law was passed a few months after Nagarwala's April 2017 arrest. Female genital mutilation has been condemned by the United Nations but is common for girls in some parts of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Nagarwala said she performed a religious custom on girls from her Muslim sect, the India-based Dawoodi Bohra. She still faces conspiracy to travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and obstruction charges. Others in the case face obstruction charges. "I did think he would rule in our favor," defense attorney Shannon Smith said of Friedman. Smith filed a motion on behalf of Nagarwala to have the charges dismissed. "When I first started researching, I was not sure how strong (the motion) would be, but I became more confident this would be the right result," she said. A spokeswoman said Tuesday that the U.S. attorney's office was reviewing Friedman's opinion. Smith said that if the ruling is appealed that "we're hoping the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court agree that the 1996 law was unconstitutional."

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

A new study from the Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba shows eating peanuts while breastfeeding may actually prevent babies from developing peanut allergies later in life. The study, released Tuesday in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, used data from an allergy and asthma study that tracked 342 kids born in Winnipeg and Vancouver in 1995 from birth to the age of 15. "At that time was the time period where we were recommending the avoidance of peanuts and thinking that that would help prevent allergies," explained Meghan Azad, assistant professor and research scientist at the Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, who decided to review the data from the previous research after a number of recent studies have shown early introduction of peanuts to a baby's diet may help to prevent peanut allergies. Meghan Azad, assistant professor and research scientist at the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba. (Jeff Stapleton/CBC) It got Azad thinking about whether breastfeeding while eating peanuts would help too. "I'm a breastfeeding researcher and the recent studies that have come out showing that early peanut introduction is better have really ignored breastfeeding, and to me that was curious because we know from some of the other research that peanut proteins actually make their way into breast milk," she said. "I realized that we had this old study and the data was still laying around and we might have a chance to address this question." Because the previous study had divided the children into two groups — one was told not to introduce peanuts and the other wasn't given any recommendations — Azad and her fellow researchers were able to see exactly what happened to the kids whose moms hadn't eaten peanuts while breastfeeding. "We looked back and sure enough we'd asked the moms about their peanut consumption and about their breastfeeding practices and then we followed the babies for a number of years and we knew which ones developed peanut sensitization and which ones didn't," explained Azad. About 60 of the participants had mothers who ate peanuts while breastfeeding and had peanuts introduced in their diets early, she said. Only one developed a peanut sensitization. "So it's under two per cent — whereas in the other categories it was up around 15 or 16 per cent," she said. Azad said around six per cent of the children studied who didn't receive either early exposure to peanuts or their mother didn't eat peanuts while breastfeeding developed allergies to peanuts. "It seemed to be really that the combination was important — it had to be that the moms ate peanuts and breastfed, and the babies got peanuts before they turned one," said Azad of the findings. "If one or the other of those things happened then we didn't' see this effect." Azad is hopeful the results of the study will be used for further research that may be used to develop strategies for preventing peanut allergies in the future. "I think this is an important piece of the puzzle," she said. "We know that there are many amazing things in breast milk including antibodies and immune factors and all of these could be interacting with the peanut proteins to induce tolerance to peanut in the baby and the more that we can learn about that the better. "It'll be really interesting now that this research is out there to see what other groups around the world doing allergy research will find in their data." ||||| The government’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SCAN), which advises Public Health England and the NHS, is currently reviewing advice on peanuts as part of a wide ranging report on child nutrition and is due to report later this year. But it is likely to follow recommendations made by the Food Standards Agency’s Committee on Toxicity which recently warned that the �?deliberate exclusion or delayed introduction of specific allergenic foods may increase the risk of allergy’. In January, the National Institute of Health in the US updated its own guidelines saying that infants should be exposed to peanut-containing food from as early as four months to desensitise their immune system. However the new study suggests that mothers could begin building tolerance from day one. The allergy epidemic is growing annually in the UK, with number of sufferers increasing by five per cent each year. In 2011/2012 here were 18,471 hospital admissions for allergies in England, but that had grown to 25, 093 by 2015/2016 and the number of cases of life-threatening anaphylactic shock has risen six fold in 20 years.

– New moms can lower their child's risk of developing a peanut allergy in the kids' very first meals, according to Canadian researchers. A study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology suggests that children breastfed by peanut-eating moms are less likely to develop a nut allergy later, reports the Telegraph. But the other factor in providing protection is to directly give peanuts to the kids in their first year of life, per the study. Researcher Meghan Azad of Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba dug into the breastfeeding angle after studies began to suggest that early introduction of peanuts helped, reports the CBC. But though "peanut proteins actually make their way into breast milk," Azad found no published research on peanuts and breastfeeding. She did, however, find a 1995 study that tracked 342 kids from birth to age 7 when they were tested for a peanut allergy, which included data on mothers' peanut consumption during breastfeeding. Of those kids, 60 were breastfed by moms who snacked on peanuts and were given peanuts in their first year, and only one of them ended up with an allergy later. "So it's under 2%, whereas in the other categories, it was up around 15 or 16%," she says. "It seemed to be really that the combination was important." Azad is still working to understand the benefits but says antibodies and immune factors in breast milk "could be interacting with the peanut proteins to induce tolerance." (Could there be a peanut allergy cure?)

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.A new study from the Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba shows eating peanuts while breastfeeding may actually prevent babies from developing peanut allergies later in life. The study, released Tuesday in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, used data from an allergy and asthma study that tracked 342 kids born in Winnipeg and Vancouver in 1995 from birth to the age of 15. "At that time was the time period where we were recommending the avoidance of peanuts and thinking that that would help prevent allergies," explained Meghan Azad, assistant professor and research scientist at the Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, who decided to review the data from the previous research after a number of recent studies have shown early introduction of peanuts to a baby's diet may help to prevent peanut allergies. Meghan Azad, assistant professor and research scientist at the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba. (Jeff Stapleton/CBC) It got Azad thinking about whether breastfeeding while eating peanuts would help too. "I'm a breastfeeding researcher and the recent studies that have come out showing that early peanut introduction is better have really ignored breastfeeding, and to me that was curious because we know from some of the other research that peanut proteins actually make their way into breast milk," she said. "I realized that we had this old study and the data was still laying around and we might have a chance to address this question." Because the previous study had divided the children into two groups — one was told not to introduce peanuts and the other wasn't given any recommendations — Azad and her fellow researchers were able to see exactly what happened to the kids whose moms hadn't eaten peanuts while breastfeeding. "We looked back and sure enough we'd asked the moms about their peanut consumption and about their breastfeeding practices and then we followed the babies for a number of years and we knew which ones developed peanut sensitization and which ones didn't," explained Azad. About 60 of the participants had mothers who ate peanuts while breastfeeding and had peanuts introduced in their diets early, she said. Only one developed a peanut sensitization. "So it's under two per cent — whereas in the other categories it was up around 15 or 16 per cent," she said. Azad said around six per cent of the children studied who didn't receive either early exposure to peanuts or their mother didn't eat peanuts while breastfeeding developed allergies to peanuts. "It seemed to be really that the combination was important — it had to be that the moms ate peanuts and breastfed, and the babies got peanuts before they turned one," said Azad of the findings. "If one or the other of those things happened then we didn't' see this effect." Azad is hopeful the results of the study will be used for further research that may be used to develop strategies for preventing peanut allergies in the future. "I think this is an important piece of the puzzle," she said. "We know that there are many amazing things in breast milk including antibodies and immune factors and all of these could be interacting with the peanut proteins to induce tolerance to peanut in the baby and the more that we can learn about that the better. "It'll be really interesting now that this research is out there to see what other groups around the world doing allergy research will find in their data." ||||| The government’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SCAN), which advises Public Health England and the NHS, is currently reviewing advice on peanuts as part of a wide ranging report on child nutrition and is due to report later this year. But it is likely to follow recommendations made by the Food Standards Agency’s Committee on Toxicity which recently warned that the �?deliberate exclusion or delayed introduction of specific allergenic foods may increase the risk of allergy’. In January, the National Institute of Health in the US updated its own guidelines saying that infants should be exposed to peanut-containing food from as early as four months to desensitise their immune system. However the new study suggests that mothers could begin building tolerance from day one. The allergy epidemic is growing annually in the UK, with number of sufferers increasing by five per cent each year. In 2011/2012 here were 18,471 hospital admissions for allergies in England, but that had grown to 25, 093 by 2015/2016 and the number of cases of life-threatening anaphylactic shock has risen six fold in 20 years.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Just so you know, x86 machine-code is now a "high-level" language. What instructions say, and what they do, are very different thi... ||||| A new security vulnerability known as the Bash or Shellshock bug could spell disaster for major digital companies, small-scale Web hosts and even Internet-connected devices. The quarter-century-old security flaw allows malicious code execution within the bash shell (commonly accessed through Command Prompt on PC or Mac's Terminal application) to take over an operating system and access confidential information. A post from open-source software company Red Hat warned that "it is common for a lot of programs to run Bash shell in the background," and the bug is "triggered" when extra code is added within the lines of Bash code. Security expert Robert Graham has warned that the Bash bug is bigger than Heartbleed because "the bug interacts with other software in unexpected ways" and because an "enormous percentage" of software interacts with the shell. "We'll never be able to catalogue all the software out there that is vulnerable to the Bash bug," Graham said. "While the known systems (like your Web server) are patched, unknown systems remain unpatched. We see that with the Heartbleed bug: six months later, hundreds of thousands of systems remain vulnerable." Ars Technica reports that the vulnerability could affect Unix and Linux devices, as well as hardware running Max OS X. According to Ars, a test on Mac OS X Mavericks (version 10.9.4) showed that it has "a vulnerable version of Bash". I think I was wrong saying #shellshock was as big as #heartbleed. It's bigger. — Robert Graham (@ErrataRob) September 25, 2014 Graham warned that the Bash bug was also particularly dangerous for connected Internet-of-things devices because their software is built using Bash scripts, which are "less likely to be patched...[and] more likely to expose the vulnerability to the outside world". Similarly, Graham said the bug has existed for a "long, long time" meaning a great number of older devices will be vulnerable. "The number of systems needing to be patched, but which won't be, is much larger than Heartbleed," he said. The Heartbleed bug, the major security vulnerability revealed in April, was introduced into OpenSSL more than two years ago, allowing random bits of memory to be retrieved from impacted servers. Security researcher Bruce Schneier called the flaw "catastrophic". "On the scale of 1 to 10, this is an 11," he said, estimating that half a million websites were vulnerable. Patching the shell Tod Beardsley, an engineering manager at security firm Rapid7, warned that even though the vulnerability's complexity was low, the wide range of devices affected require that system administrators apply patches immediately. "This vulnerability is potentially a very big deal," Beardsley told CNET. "It's rated a 10 for severity, meaning it has maximum impact, and 'low' for complexity of exploitation -- meaning it's pretty easy for attackers to use it. "The affected software, Bash, is widely used so attackers can use this vulnerability to remotely execute a huge variety of devices and Web servers. Using this vulnerability, attackers can potentially take over the operating system, access confidential information, make changes etc. Anybody with systems using bash needs to deploy the patch immediately." Attackers can potentially take over the operating system, access confidential information, make changes. Tod Beardsley After conducting a scan of the Internet to test for the vulnerability, Graham reported that the bug "can easily worm past firewalls and infect lots of systems" which he says would be "'game over' for large networks". Similar to Beardsley, Graham said the problem needed immediate attention. "Scan your network for things like Telnet, FTP, and old versions of Apache (masscan is extremely useful for this). Anything that responds is probably an old device needing a Bash patch. And, since most of them can't be patched, you are likely screwed." Updated at 5:22 p.m. AEST to include initial background on the Bash bug. ||||| With a bug as dangerous as the “shellshock” security vulnerability discovered yesterday, it takes less than 24 hours to go from proof-of-concept to pandemic. As of Thursday, multiple attacks were already taking advantage of that vulnerability, a long-standing but undiscovered bug in the Linux and Mac tool Bash that makes it possible for hackers to trick Web servers into running any commands that follow a carefully crafted series of characters in an HTTP request. The shellshock attacks are being used to infect thousands of machines with malware designed to make them part of a botnet of computers that obey hackers’ commands. And in at least one case the hijacked machines are already launching distributed denial of service attacks that flood victims with junk traffic, according to security researchers. The attack is simple enough that it allows even unskilled hackers to easily piece together existing code to take control of target machines, says Chris Wysopal, chief technology officer for the web security firm Veracode. “People are pulling out their old bot kit command and control software, and they can plug it right in with this new vulnerability,” he says. “There’s not a lot of development time here. People were compromising machines within an hour of yesterday’s announcement.” Wysopal points to attackers who are using a shellshock exploit to install a simple Perl program found on the open source code site GitHub. With that program in place, a command and control server can send orders to the infected target using the instant messaging protocol IRC, telling it to scan other networked computers or flood them with attack traffic. “You install it on the server that you’re able to get remote command execution on and now you can control that machine,” says Wysopal. The hackers behind another widespread exploit using the Bash bug didn’t even bother to write their own attack program. Instead, they rewrote a proof-of-concept script created by security researcher Robert David Graham Wednesday that was designed to measure the extent of the problem. Instead of merely causing infected machines to send back a “ping” as in Graham’s script, however, the hackers’ rewrite instead installed malware that gave them a backdoor into victim machines. The exploit code politely includes a comment that reads “Thanks-Rob.” The “Thanks-Rob” attack is more than a demonstration. The compromised machines are lobbing distributed denial of service attacks at three targets so far, according to researchers at Kaspersky Labs, though they haven’t yet identified those targets. The researchers at the Russian antivirus firm say they used a “honeypot” machine to examine the malware, locate its command and control server and intercept the DDoS commands it’s sending, but haven’t determined how many computers have already been infected. Based on his own scanning before his tool’s code was repurposed by hackers, Graham estimates that thousands of machines have been caught up in the botnet. But millions may be vulnerable, he says. And the malware being installed on the target machines allows itself to be updated from a command and control server, so that it could be changed to scan for and infect other vulnerable machines, spreading far faster. Many in the security community fear that sort of “worm” is the inevitable result of the shellshock bug. “This is not simply a DDoS trojan,” says Kaspersky researcher Roel Schouwenberg. “It’s a backdoor, and you can definitely turn it into a worm.” The only thing preventing hackers from creating that worm, says Schouwenberg, may be their desire to keep their attacks below the radar—too large of a botnet might attract unwanted attention from the security community and law enforcement. “Attackers don’t always want to make these things into worms, because the spread becomes uncontrollable,” says Schouwenberg. “It generally makes more sense to ration this thing out rather than use it to melt the internet.” The Bash bug, first discovered by security researcher Stéphane Chazelas and revealed Wednesday in an alert from the US Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT), still doesn’t have a fully working patch. On Thursday Linux software maker Red Hat warned that a patch initially released along with CERT’s alert can be circumvented. But Kaspersky’s Schouwenberg recommended that server administrators still implement the existing patch; While it’s not a complete cure for the shellshock problem, he says it does block the exploits he’s seen so far. In the meantime, the security community is still bracing for the shellshock exploit to evolve into a fully self-replicating worm that would increase the volume of its infections exponentially. Veracode’s Chris Wysopal says it’s only a matter of time. “There’s no reason someone couldn’t modify this to scan for more bash bug servers and install itself,” Wysopal says. “That’s definitely going to happen.” ||||| But Shellshock could be a bigger threat. While Heartbleed could be used to do things like steal passwords from a server, Shellshock can be used to take over the entire machine. And Heartbleed went unnoticed for two years and affected an estimated 500,000 machines, but Shellshock was not discovered for 22 years. That a flawed piece of code could go unnoticed for more than two decades could be surprising to many. But not to programmers. Many of the commercial tools that individual users and large corporations depend upon are built on top of programs that are written and maintained by a few unpaid volunteers in what is called the open-source community. That community, along with big companies like Google, adjusts and builds new things on top of older work. The Macintosh operating system, for example, is routinely updated, but it is built on top of older programs like Unix. Sometimes there are flaws in that code. And over the years, the flaw becomes part of all sorts of products. Mr. Fox maintained Bash — which serves as a sort of software interpreter for different commands from a user — for five years before handing over the reins to Chet Ramey, a 49-year-old programmer who, for the last 22 years, has maintained the software as an unpaid hobby. That is, when he is not working at his day job as a senior technology architect at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio.

– Remember the Heartbleed bug that made the Internet a sitting duck for hackers? We're now experiencing another security breach that's as bad or worse, reports CNET. One weird aspect, at least to laymen: The flaw has been around for 22 years but went unnoticed until this week. Known as "Shellshock," the bug affects a piece of software called Bash that's built into 70% of machines connected to the Web, the New York Times reports. That includes Macs and PCs with Linux and Unix operating systems. An Apple statement to CNET says the "vast majority" of users of its OS X operating system were not at risk. Ars Technica, meanwhile, explains how to determine if a Linux or Unix system is vulnerable. In theory, hackers could exploit a weakness in Bash that would allow them to take over an operating system and grab personal data, rather than just steal passwords. The National Institute of Standards and Technology gives it a 10 out of 10 for severity, and though the makers of Linux released a patch with news of the bug Wednesday, it now says the patch can be circumvented, Wired reports. "The number of systems needing to be patched, but which won't be, is much larger than Heartbleed," security expert Robert Graham writes at Errata Security. The bug is already being exploited, writes Wired's Andy Greenberg: "The shellshock attacks are being used to infect thousands of machines with malware designed to make them part of a botnet of computers that obey hackers' commands." And it's likely to get much worse: Soon, hackers will transform the bug into a worm "to scan for more bash bug servers and install itself," says another expert. "That's definitely going to happen."

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Just so you know, x86 machine-code is now a "high-level" language. What instructions say, and what they do, are very different thi... ||||| A new security vulnerability known as the Bash or Shellshock bug could spell disaster for major digital companies, small-scale Web hosts and even Internet-connected devices. The quarter-century-old security flaw allows malicious code execution within the bash shell (commonly accessed through Command Prompt on PC or Mac's Terminal application) to take over an operating system and access confidential information. A post from open-source software company Red Hat warned that "it is common for a lot of programs to run Bash shell in the background," and the bug is "triggered" when extra code is added within the lines of Bash code. Security expert Robert Graham has warned that the Bash bug is bigger than Heartbleed because "the bug interacts with other software in unexpected ways" and because an "enormous percentage" of software interacts with the shell. "We'll never be able to catalogue all the software out there that is vulnerable to the Bash bug," Graham said. "While the known systems (like your Web server) are patched, unknown systems remain unpatched. We see that with the Heartbleed bug: six months later, hundreds of thousands of systems remain vulnerable." Ars Technica reports that the vulnerability could affect Unix and Linux devices, as well as hardware running Max OS X. According to Ars, a test on Mac OS X Mavericks (version 10.9.4) showed that it has "a vulnerable version of Bash". I think I was wrong saying #shellshock was as big as #heartbleed. It's bigger. — Robert Graham (@ErrataRob) September 25, 2014 Graham warned that the Bash bug was also particularly dangerous for connected Internet-of-things devices because their software is built using Bash scripts, which are "less likely to be patched...[and] more likely to expose the vulnerability to the outside world". Similarly, Graham said the bug has existed for a "long, long time" meaning a great number of older devices will be vulnerable. "The number of systems needing to be patched, but which won't be, is much larger than Heartbleed," he said. The Heartbleed bug, the major security vulnerability revealed in April, was introduced into OpenSSL more than two years ago, allowing random bits of memory to be retrieved from impacted servers. Security researcher Bruce Schneier called the flaw "catastrophic". "On the scale of 1 to 10, this is an 11," he said, estimating that half a million websites were vulnerable. Patching the shell Tod Beardsley, an engineering manager at security firm Rapid7, warned that even though the vulnerability's complexity was low, the wide range of devices affected require that system administrators apply patches immediately. "This vulnerability is potentially a very big deal," Beardsley told CNET. "It's rated a 10 for severity, meaning it has maximum impact, and 'low' for complexity of exploitation -- meaning it's pretty easy for attackers to use it. "The affected software, Bash, is widely used so attackers can use this vulnerability to remotely execute a huge variety of devices and Web servers. Using this vulnerability, attackers can potentially take over the operating system, access confidential information, make changes etc. Anybody with systems using bash needs to deploy the patch immediately." Attackers can potentially take over the operating system, access confidential information, make changes. Tod Beardsley After conducting a scan of the Internet to test for the vulnerability, Graham reported that the bug "can easily worm past firewalls and infect lots of systems" which he says would be "'game over' for large networks". Similar to Beardsley, Graham said the problem needed immediate attention. "Scan your network for things like Telnet, FTP, and old versions of Apache (masscan is extremely useful for this). Anything that responds is probably an old device needing a Bash patch. And, since most of them can't be patched, you are likely screwed." Updated at 5:22 p.m. AEST to include initial background on the Bash bug. ||||| With a bug as dangerous as the “shellshock” security vulnerability discovered yesterday, it takes less than 24 hours to go from proof-of-concept to pandemic. As of Thursday, multiple attacks were already taking advantage of that vulnerability, a long-standing but undiscovered bug in the Linux and Mac tool Bash that makes it possible for hackers to trick Web servers into running any commands that follow a carefully crafted series of characters in an HTTP request. The shellshock attacks are being used to infect thousands of machines with malware designed to make them part of a botnet of computers that obey hackers’ commands. And in at least one case the hijacked machines are already launching distributed denial of service attacks that flood victims with junk traffic, according to security researchers. The attack is simple enough that it allows even unskilled hackers to easily piece together existing code to take control of target machines, says Chris Wysopal, chief technology officer for the web security firm Veracode. “People are pulling out their old bot kit command and control software, and they can plug it right in with this new vulnerability,” he says. “There’s not a lot of development time here. People were compromising machines within an hour of yesterday’s announcement.” Wysopal points to attackers who are using a shellshock exploit to install a simple Perl program found on the open source code site GitHub. With that program in place, a command and control server can send orders to the infected target using the instant messaging protocol IRC, telling it to scan other networked computers or flood them with attack traffic. “You install it on the server that you’re able to get remote command execution on and now you can control that machine,” says Wysopal. The hackers behind another widespread exploit using the Bash bug didn’t even bother to write their own attack program. Instead, they rewrote a proof-of-concept script created by security researcher Robert David Graham Wednesday that was designed to measure the extent of the problem. Instead of merely causing infected machines to send back a “ping” as in Graham’s script, however, the hackers’ rewrite instead installed malware that gave them a backdoor into victim machines. The exploit code politely includes a comment that reads “Thanks-Rob.” The “Thanks-Rob” attack is more than a demonstration. The compromised machines are lobbing distributed denial of service attacks at three targets so far, according to researchers at Kaspersky Labs, though they haven’t yet identified those targets. The researchers at the Russian antivirus firm say they used a “honeypot” machine to examine the malware, locate its command and control server and intercept the DDoS commands it’s sending, but haven’t determined how many computers have already been infected. Based on his own scanning before his tool’s code was repurposed by hackers, Graham estimates that thousands of machines have been caught up in the botnet. But millions may be vulnerable, he says. And the malware being installed on the target machines allows itself to be updated from a command and control server, so that it could be changed to scan for and infect other vulnerable machines, spreading far faster. Many in the security community fear that sort of “worm” is the inevitable result of the shellshock bug. “This is not simply a DDoS trojan,” says Kaspersky researcher Roel Schouwenberg. “It’s a backdoor, and you can definitely turn it into a worm.” The only thing preventing hackers from creating that worm, says Schouwenberg, may be their desire to keep their attacks below the radar—too large of a botnet might attract unwanted attention from the security community and law enforcement. “Attackers don’t always want to make these things into worms, because the spread becomes uncontrollable,” says Schouwenberg. “It generally makes more sense to ration this thing out rather than use it to melt the internet.” The Bash bug, first discovered by security researcher Stéphane Chazelas and revealed Wednesday in an alert from the US Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT), still doesn’t have a fully working patch. On Thursday Linux software maker Red Hat warned that a patch initially released along with CERT’s alert can be circumvented. But Kaspersky’s Schouwenberg recommended that server administrators still implement the existing patch; While it’s not a complete cure for the shellshock problem, he says it does block the exploits he’s seen so far. In the meantime, the security community is still bracing for the shellshock exploit to evolve into a fully self-replicating worm that would increase the volume of its infections exponentially. Veracode’s Chris Wysopal says it’s only a matter of time. “There’s no reason someone couldn’t modify this to scan for more bash bug servers and install itself,” Wysopal says. “That’s definitely going to happen.” ||||| But Shellshock could be a bigger threat. While Heartbleed could be used to do things like steal passwords from a server, Shellshock can be used to take over the entire machine. And Heartbleed went unnoticed for two years and affected an estimated 500,000 machines, but Shellshock was not discovered for 22 years. That a flawed piece of code could go unnoticed for more than two decades could be surprising to many. But not to programmers. Many of the commercial tools that individual users and large corporations depend upon are built on top of programs that are written and maintained by a few unpaid volunteers in what is called the open-source community. That community, along with big companies like Google, adjusts and builds new things on top of older work. The Macintosh operating system, for example, is routinely updated, but it is built on top of older programs like Unix. Sometimes there are flaws in that code. And over the years, the flaw becomes part of all sorts of products. Mr. Fox maintained Bash — which serves as a sort of software interpreter for different commands from a user — for five years before handing over the reins to Chet Ramey, a 49-year-old programmer who, for the last 22 years, has maintained the software as an unpaid hobby. That is, when he is not working at his day job as a senior technology architect at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – Nearly two weeks since the disappearance of missing Maury County teen Elizabeth Thomas, there are claims from her father that suggest she once hid from Tad Cummins at her workplace. One of the Thomas family’s attorneys told News 2 Elizabeth’s father said Cummins went into Elizabeth’s work and she begged a co-worker to tell him she wasn’t there. Elizabeth reportedly hid in the bathroom while Cummins was in the business. PHOTOS: AMBER Alert for Elizabeth Thomas Elizabeth’s friend Ashlee Riggins told News 2 she just hopes she makes it home safely. “She’s helped me through so many things, she’s been there with me through the hard times. I want her back, I want my best friend back,” said Ashlee. Elizabeth Thomas was last seen on March 13 after she was dropped off at the Shoney’s in Columbia by a friend around 8 a.m. She was reported missing later that same day by her parents and is believed to be in the company of 50-year-old Tad Cummins, who is believed to be armed with two handguns. Thomas is a 15-year-old white female, with hazel eyes, stands 5 feet tall and weighs 120 pounds. She was last seen wearing a flannel shirt and black leggings. Cummins is a white male, who stands 6 feet tall, weighs approximately 200 pounds, and has brown hair and eyes. He was last seen driving a Silver Nissan Rogue with TN license plate 976ZPT. Anyone who spots the SUV and can verify the license plate should call 911. Cummins faces kidnapping in the AMBER Alert case and is also charged with sexual contact with a minor after he allegedly kissed Thomas at school earlier this year. Anyone with information on their whereabouts should call 1-800-TBI-FIND. As of Saturday afternoon, the TBI had received 985 tips, with 116 still open and being pursued. Click here for more on the AMBER Alert for Elizabeth Thomas. ||||| Tad Cummins and Elizabeth Thomas (Photo: ABC) ABC News ) -- As law enforcement officers across the country continue to hunt for Tennessee teen Elizabeth Thomas and her former teacher Tad Cummins --- the 50-year-old man who allegedly kidnapped the 15-year-old -- investigators have shed light on their relationship, revealing that emails between the pair have uncovered a "romantic interest in each other." Thomas and Cummins wrote emails to each other but did not send them -- instead they would save the email in the drafts folder of Cummins' school email account, the Maury County District Attorney and the Sheriff's Office revealed Friday. "They would write the message and let it save as a draft," Maury County District Attorney Brent Cooper explained to ABC affiliate WAAY in Huntsville, Alabama. "The other person would log in, read the message and then delete it and then write another message that was saved as a draft." Investigators said the pair wrote inappropriate messages to each other, but Cooper declined to elaborate. "If you read them you would immediately recognize you are reading messages between two people who have a romantic interest in each other," Cooper said. The lead investigator on the case shared one of the emails with WAAY. NEW PICTURE: Here's Tad Cummins and Elizabeth Thomas at school in January, days before his alleged inappropriate contact with her. pic.twitter.com/BzyIz8KPpY — TBI (@TBInvestigation) March 21, 2017 "'I saw you standing next to you backpack this morning' and [Cummins] makes a reference to a body part of hers and how nice that looked," said Marcus Alright with the Maury County Sheriff's Department. UPDATE: We have determined the purchase of hair dye by Tad Cummins was not part of his intended plan for #ElizabethThomas. #TNAMBERAlert pic.twitter.com/mzrPlhvOhQ — TBI (@TBInvestigation) March 21, 2017 Chandler Anderson, a nurse practitioner in Columbia, Tennessee, first met Cummins in 1998. Prior to being a teacher he was a respiratory therapist. Anderson says he's worried about Thomas. "You've got to do something to motivate people to be more vigilant about trying to find this young girl, because this is not going to end well if we don't get her home, and get her home soon," he said. © 2017 ABC News

– Elizabeth Thomas, the 15-year-old girl believed to have been abducted by teacher Tad Cummins two weeks ago, once hid from Cummins when he turned up at her workplace, her family says. One of the Thomas family's lawyers tells News 2 that, according to Elizabeth's father, she hid in the bathroom when the 50-year-old teacher visited the business and begged co-workers to tell him that she wasn't there. Investigators say they've uncovered emails that make it clear there was some kind of romantic connection between the pair, who posted cryptic messages on Instagram before they disappeared March 13, reports WHAS 11. Maury County DA Brent Cooper says that instead of sending emails to each other, Cummins and Elizabeth would both use Cummins' school email account and leave messages to each other saved in the draft folder. "If you read them you would immediately recognize you are reading messages between two people who have a romantic interest in each other," Cooper says. NBC News reports that on Sunday, Thomas' family released a video of the girl in the hopes someone would recognize the girl's voice, and Cummins' wife, Jill, again urged him to turn himself in. "You know you can't hide forever," she said. "For your sake and for Beth's sake, please go to the police or please just drop Beth off somewhere safe."

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – Nearly two weeks since the disappearance of missing Maury County teen Elizabeth Thomas, there are claims from her father that suggest she once hid from Tad Cummins at her workplace. One of the Thomas family’s attorneys told News 2 Elizabeth’s father said Cummins went into Elizabeth’s work and she begged a co-worker to tell him she wasn’t there. Elizabeth reportedly hid in the bathroom while Cummins was in the business. PHOTOS: AMBER Alert for Elizabeth Thomas Elizabeth’s friend Ashlee Riggins told News 2 she just hopes she makes it home safely. “She’s helped me through so many things, she’s been there with me through the hard times. I want her back, I want my best friend back,” said Ashlee. Elizabeth Thomas was last seen on March 13 after she was dropped off at the Shoney’s in Columbia by a friend around 8 a.m. She was reported missing later that same day by her parents and is believed to be in the company of 50-year-old Tad Cummins, who is believed to be armed with two handguns. Thomas is a 15-year-old white female, with hazel eyes, stands 5 feet tall and weighs 120 pounds. She was last seen wearing a flannel shirt and black leggings. Cummins is a white male, who stands 6 feet tall, weighs approximately 200 pounds, and has brown hair and eyes. He was last seen driving a Silver Nissan Rogue with TN license plate 976ZPT. Anyone who spots the SUV and can verify the license plate should call 911. Cummins faces kidnapping in the AMBER Alert case and is also charged with sexual contact with a minor after he allegedly kissed Thomas at school earlier this year. Anyone with information on their whereabouts should call 1-800-TBI-FIND. As of Saturday afternoon, the TBI had received 985 tips, with 116 still open and being pursued. Click here for more on the AMBER Alert for Elizabeth Thomas. ||||| Tad Cummins and Elizabeth Thomas (Photo: ABC) ABC News ) -- As law enforcement officers across the country continue to hunt for Tennessee teen Elizabeth Thomas and her former teacher Tad Cummins --- the 50-year-old man who allegedly kidnapped the 15-year-old -- investigators have shed light on their relationship, revealing that emails between the pair have uncovered a "romantic interest in each other." Thomas and Cummins wrote emails to each other but did not send them -- instead they would save the email in the drafts folder of Cummins' school email account, the Maury County District Attorney and the Sheriff's Office revealed Friday. "They would write the message and let it save as a draft," Maury County District Attorney Brent Cooper explained to ABC affiliate WAAY in Huntsville, Alabama. "The other person would log in, read the message and then delete it and then write another message that was saved as a draft." Investigators said the pair wrote inappropriate messages to each other, but Cooper declined to elaborate. "If you read them you would immediately recognize you are reading messages between two people who have a romantic interest in each other," Cooper said. The lead investigator on the case shared one of the emails with WAAY. NEW PICTURE: Here's Tad Cummins and Elizabeth Thomas at school in January, days before his alleged inappropriate contact with her. pic.twitter.com/BzyIz8KPpY — TBI (@TBInvestigation) March 21, 2017 "'I saw you standing next to you backpack this morning' and [Cummins] makes a reference to a body part of hers and how nice that looked," said Marcus Alright with the Maury County Sheriff's Department. UPDATE: We have determined the purchase of hair dye by Tad Cummins was not part of his intended plan for #ElizabethThomas. #TNAMBERAlert pic.twitter.com/mzrPlhvOhQ — TBI (@TBInvestigation) March 21, 2017 Chandler Anderson, a nurse practitioner in Columbia, Tennessee, first met Cummins in 1998. Prior to being a teacher he was a respiratory therapist. Anderson says he's worried about Thomas. "You've got to do something to motivate people to be more vigilant about trying to find this young girl, because this is not going to end well if we don't get her home, and get her home soon," he said. © 2017 ABC News

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This article is over 1 year old Pascal Troadec’s sister and brother-in-law held in connection with disappearance, say sources close to investigation French police have arrested two people in connection with the disappearance of Pascal Troadec and his family, who have been missing since mid-February. The sister and brother-in-law of Troadec have been remanded in custody, sources close to the case said. The couple had already been questioned by police at the beginning of the investigation into the disappearance of the Troadec family, the sources said, confirming reports in a local newspaper. Pierre Sennes, a Nantes prosecutor, confirmed that two people were in custody but declined to give their identities. The pair were detained in Brest, Brittany, the region the Troadecs came from and where several personal items belonging to them have been found. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Charlotte Troadec and her brother, Sebastien. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images Troadec, his wife, Brigitte, and their son, Sebastien, 21, and daughter, Charlotte, 18, went missing on 16 February. An investigation into murder, abduction and illegal confinement is under way. In searches at the parents’ home in a suburb of Nantes, police discovered Sebastien’s mobile phone and his mother’s watch covered with blood, police said. Traces of blood from Sebastien and his parents, but not his sister, were found throughout the house, as well as signs of efforts to clean them up. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Police officers block access to a street in Orvault, Nantes, where the Troadec family home is situated. Photograph: SIPA/Rex/Shutterstock Police said in a bulletin dated 24 February that the 21-year-old was suspected of “putting in place a macabre plan aimed at snuffing out the members of his family and maybe himself”. Investigators have found his car, while items belonging to his sister were discovered by a jogger in a forested area three hours’ drive from where she was last seen. A judicial investigation into murder, abduction and illegal confinement was opened last week. ||||| Pierre Sennes, a Nantes prosecutor, said on Sunday that the two had been detained in connection with the Troadec family's disappearance but declined to give their identities. Sources close to the case told a local newspaper that the pair - the brother-in-law and sister of 49-year-old Pascal Troadec - had been questioned at the start of the probe. The two were taken into custody in the city of Brest, in the west of Brittany, as the police try to decipher if the family's disappearance was related to some sort of family dispute. The case has gripped France since Pascal, his wife Brigitte, their son Sebastien, 21, and their daughter Charlotte, 18, vanished on February 16. Police searched the parents' home, where they discovered traces of blood, as well as signs that someone had attempted to wash away the blood. Mounting evidence Later, a jogger found further potential evidence, including charge cards and a pair of pants belonging to Charlotte, in a wooded area outside of the city. Then, last Friday, the son's car was discovered in Nantes, about 300 kilometers (186 miles) from where the daughter's possessions were found. Though Sennes told French media following the discovery that the case was progressing rapidly, he said, "it is still very premature to imagine any scenario with certainty." However, authorities also said they suspect the son, Sebastien, of murdering his family. The last time anyone saw or heard from the family was on February 16, the same day the mother and daughter notified police that someone had used Charlotte's bank card to pay for online video games. Neighbors said Sebastien suffered from mental illness, and he once got in trouble with the law for making death threats online. On Thursday, investigators announced that they had widened their search and would employ the use of divers and helicopters in the hopes of locating the bodies. blc/sms (AFP, EFE) ||||| Image copyright AFP Image caption The Troadec family was last seen on 16 February French police investigating the mysterious disappearance of a family of four have arrested two of their relatives, local media report. The sister and brother-in-law of Pascal Troadec, one of the missing, have been detained in the city of Brest, where several items belonging to the family have been found. There is still the possibility that some of them are alive, officials say. An inquiry into murder, abduction and illegal confinement is under way. The family lived in a suburb of Nantes, in western France. Pascal and Brigitte, both aged around 50, their son Sebastien, 21, and daughter Charlotte, 18 were last seen on 16 February. The couple were arrested in Brest, some 300km (186 miles) from Nantes. They had already been questioned by police at the beginning of the investigation, AFP news agency reports, citing unnamed sources. Prosecutor Pierre Sennes said on Friday that investigators did not exclude the possibility that some of the missing were still alive, French newspaper Le Figaro says. On Thursday, police found Sebastien's car in Saint-Nazaire - the family's two other cars had been left parked in front of their house. Image copyright AFP Image caption Sebastien's car was found in a parking lot in Saint-Nazaire Image copyright AFP Image caption Charlotte's belongings were found in a forested area A day earlier, a social security card and a pair of trousers belonging to Charlotte had been found by a jogger in a forested area near Brest. In a search of the family's house last week, investigators found bloodstains matching the DNA of the parents and Sebastien, but not of the daughter. Traces of blood were found on Sebastien's phone, on Brigitte's watch and under the stairs, and it appeared that someone had tried to wipe them away, Mr Sennes said. Image copyright Reuters Image caption Police searched the two-storey house of the Troadec family last week Authorities were informed of the family's disappearance by Brigitte's sister. Investigators had initially focused on Sebastien, who had been sentenced to carry out community service after being convicted in 2013, when he was a minor, of making death threats on his blog. Police had said in a bulletin on 24 February that he was suspected of "putting in place a macabre plan aimed at snuffing out the members of his family and maybe himself", AFP reports. Reports on French media had suggested Sebastien had psychological problems while his dad had once suffered from depression. ||||| A murder investigation was opened after the family vanished and bloodstains were found throughout their suburban home in Nantes, also in western France. Mr Troadec’s sister and her ex-husband were detained after forensic officers discovered traces of his DNA in the house and Sébastien’s car, which was found parked about thirty miles from the family home on Thursday. It appeared to have been cleaned but traces of blood were still found in the boot, sources close to the investigation said. Police suspect there may have been a family dispute over an inheritance last year, according to local newspapers.

– The mystery of a missing French family has deepened with the arrests of two people believed to be the sister and brother-in-law of missing father Pascal Troadec. The 49-year-old vanished around Feb. 16 along with wife Brigitte, son Sebastien, 21, and 18-year-old daughter Charlotte. Investigators had earlier said they suspected the son of "putting in place a macabre plan aimed at snuffing out the members of his family," but sources told local media in Brest, almost 200 miles from the family's home in Nantes, that the sister and brother-in-law were arrested amid suspicions the disappearances were linked to a family dispute over inheritances, Deutsche Welle reports. Chilling clues including bloodstains somebody had tried to wipe away were found in the Troadec home, though investigators said Friday they still believed there was a chance family members could be found alive, the BBC reports. Police say blood found in the home belonged to Sebastian and his parents but not Charlotte; some of her belongings were found by a jogger about three hours away from where she was last seen, reports AFP. The Telegraph reports that investigators, who described the scattering of clues as a "morbid treasure hunt," targeted the brother-in-law after finding his DNA in Sebastien's car, which was found abandoned 30 miles away from the family's home.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.This article is over 1 year old Pascal Troadec’s sister and brother-in-law held in connection with disappearance, say sources close to investigation French police have arrested two people in connection with the disappearance of Pascal Troadec and his family, who have been missing since mid-February. The sister and brother-in-law of Troadec have been remanded in custody, sources close to the case said. The couple had already been questioned by police at the beginning of the investigation into the disappearance of the Troadec family, the sources said, confirming reports in a local newspaper. Pierre Sennes, a Nantes prosecutor, confirmed that two people were in custody but declined to give their identities. The pair were detained in Brest, Brittany, the region the Troadecs came from and where several personal items belonging to them have been found. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Charlotte Troadec and her brother, Sebastien. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images Troadec, his wife, Brigitte, and their son, Sebastien, 21, and daughter, Charlotte, 18, went missing on 16 February. An investigation into murder, abduction and illegal confinement is under way. In searches at the parents’ home in a suburb of Nantes, police discovered Sebastien’s mobile phone and his mother’s watch covered with blood, police said. Traces of blood from Sebastien and his parents, but not his sister, were found throughout the house, as well as signs of efforts to clean them up. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Police officers block access to a street in Orvault, Nantes, where the Troadec family home is situated. Photograph: SIPA/Rex/Shutterstock Police said in a bulletin dated 24 February that the 21-year-old was suspected of “putting in place a macabre plan aimed at snuffing out the members of his family and maybe himself”. Investigators have found his car, while items belonging to his sister were discovered by a jogger in a forested area three hours’ drive from where she was last seen. A judicial investigation into murder, abduction and illegal confinement was opened last week. ||||| Pierre Sennes, a Nantes prosecutor, said on Sunday that the two had been detained in connection with the Troadec family's disappearance but declined to give their identities. Sources close to the case told a local newspaper that the pair - the brother-in-law and sister of 49-year-old Pascal Troadec - had been questioned at the start of the probe. The two were taken into custody in the city of Brest, in the west of Brittany, as the police try to decipher if the family's disappearance was related to some sort of family dispute. The case has gripped France since Pascal, his wife Brigitte, their son Sebastien, 21, and their daughter Charlotte, 18, vanished on February 16. Police searched the parents' home, where they discovered traces of blood, as well as signs that someone had attempted to wash away the blood. Mounting evidence Later, a jogger found further potential evidence, including charge cards and a pair of pants belonging to Charlotte, in a wooded area outside of the city. Then, last Friday, the son's car was discovered in Nantes, about 300 kilometers (186 miles) from where the daughter's possessions were found. Though Sennes told French media following the discovery that the case was progressing rapidly, he said, "it is still very premature to imagine any scenario with certainty." However, authorities also said they suspect the son, Sebastien, of murdering his family. The last time anyone saw or heard from the family was on February 16, the same day the mother and daughter notified police that someone had used Charlotte's bank card to pay for online video games. Neighbors said Sebastien suffered from mental illness, and he once got in trouble with the law for making death threats online. On Thursday, investigators announced that they had widened their search and would employ the use of divers and helicopters in the hopes of locating the bodies. blc/sms (AFP, EFE) ||||| Image copyright AFP Image caption The Troadec family was last seen on 16 February French police investigating the mysterious disappearance of a family of four have arrested two of their relatives, local media report. The sister and brother-in-law of Pascal Troadec, one of the missing, have been detained in the city of Brest, where several items belonging to the family have been found. There is still the possibility that some of them are alive, officials say. An inquiry into murder, abduction and illegal confinement is under way. The family lived in a suburb of Nantes, in western France. Pascal and Brigitte, both aged around 50, their son Sebastien, 21, and daughter Charlotte, 18 were last seen on 16 February. The couple were arrested in Brest, some 300km (186 miles) from Nantes. They had already been questioned by police at the beginning of the investigation, AFP news agency reports, citing unnamed sources. Prosecutor Pierre Sennes said on Friday that investigators did not exclude the possibility that some of the missing were still alive, French newspaper Le Figaro says. On Thursday, police found Sebastien's car in Saint-Nazaire - the family's two other cars had been left parked in front of their house. Image copyright AFP Image caption Sebastien's car was found in a parking lot in Saint-Nazaire Image copyright AFP Image caption Charlotte's belongings were found in a forested area A day earlier, a social security card and a pair of trousers belonging to Charlotte had been found by a jogger in a forested area near Brest. In a search of the family's house last week, investigators found bloodstains matching the DNA of the parents and Sebastien, but not of the daughter. Traces of blood were found on Sebastien's phone, on Brigitte's watch and under the stairs, and it appeared that someone had tried to wipe them away, Mr Sennes said. Image copyright Reuters Image caption Police searched the two-storey house of the Troadec family last week Authorities were informed of the family's disappearance by Brigitte's sister. Investigators had initially focused on Sebastien, who had been sentenced to carry out community service after being convicted in 2013, when he was a minor, of making death threats on his blog. Police had said in a bulletin on 24 February that he was suspected of "putting in place a macabre plan aimed at snuffing out the members of his family and maybe himself", AFP reports. Reports on French media had suggested Sebastien had psychological problems while his dad had once suffered from depression. ||||| A murder investigation was opened after the family vanished and bloodstains were found throughout their suburban home in Nantes, also in western France. Mr Troadec’s sister and her ex-husband were detained after forensic officers discovered traces of his DNA in the house and Sébastien’s car, which was found parked about thirty miles from the family home on Thursday. It appeared to have been cleaned but traces of blood were still found in the boot, sources close to the investigation said. Police suspect there may have been a family dispute over an inheritance last year, according to local newspapers.

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Pat Sajak is best known as the long-time host of the impossibly successful syndicated game show Wheel of Fortune. He is lesser known for hosting failed national late-night talk show that appeared on CBS in 1989 to 1990 in which he claims to have introduced the nation to an up-and-coming sportscaster named Keith Olbermann. Oh and for that last bit, he now apologizes for putting on the air the “bitter-sounding, hate-mongering name-caller he’s become.” Mr. Sajak is known to have a rather clear right-of-center bent, and is in fact the External Director of conservative publishing house Eagle Publishing. Appearing on Ricochet.com. Mr. Sajak writes: Keith was a sportscaster at the local CBS affiliate in Los Angeles at the same time I was doing a talk show for that network. I thought Keith was pretty funny on the air, and I suggested we have him come on the show and talk sports. This was the first of several appearances he made on the show, and he always did a nice job. Keith tended to wear out his welcome at stations and networks, and he bounced around to several places before he found his niche at MSNBC. When he first went on the air there, he was actually quite entertaining. He was wry and amusing, and he looked at the news at a kind of cockeyed angle that I enjoyed. I’m not sure how he morphed into the bitter-sounding, hate-mongering name-caller he’s become, but I’m sorry he did. I liked the guy, and he was always a good guest. Maybe it’s just show business and trying to find a place in it and building an audience, but I don’t know. We were never friends away from the show, so I can’t even guess what drives him. Watch the video from the The Pat Sajak Show which appears to have come from January, the week preceding Super Bowl XXIII. Update: Mr. Olbermann clarifies via his Twitter feed ” As I said yesterday, I worked for CNN ’81-84, had a TODAY piece done on me in ’86, CBS Evening News piece in ’88,” then adding in response to Mediaite’s own Tommy Christopher “But when they fired Pat for mailing in that talk show, they did interview me to succeed him, so THAT he introduced me to.” To Mr. Olbermann’s point, in terms of current cultural relevance and influence, it does seem odd that a game show host would have the chutzpah to be critical of Mr. Olbermann. Update #2 – Mr. Olbermann has released the following statement regarding Mr. Sajak’s claim: From Keith Olbermann: Pat Sajak has made a claim picked up pretty widely – Hollywood Reporter, Daily News, etc – that he “introduced me to America.” He didn’t. I started on CNN the same year he started on “Wheel” (1981) and by the time I guested on his show in 1989, I’d already spent three years as a national sports correspondent for CNN, had a feature done on me by The Today Show (1986), been on the CBS Evening News (1988), and begun guest-hosting on ESPN (1989). I think if he needs to apologize for anything it needs to be that talk show. When he was canceled, he was replaced by a crime-and-skin series called “Silk Stalkings,” for God’s sake. Obviously we guests must’ve really stunk. ||||| Earlier today we posted the story and video Wednesday of a 1980s Keith Olbermann on the short-lived late-night Pat Sajak show. Sajak had taken credit — or was rather apologizing for — introducing Olbermann to America. Well tonight, Olbermann responded to, and corrected Sajak’s account. Pat Sajak did not introduce me to America. I started on CNN the same year he started on “Wheel” (1981) and by the time I guested on his show in 1989, I’d already spent three years as a national sports correspondent for CNN, had a feature done on me by The Today Show (1986), been on the CBS Evening News (1988), and begun guest-hosting on ESPN (1989). I think if he needs to apologize for anything it needs to be that talk show. When he was canceled, he was replaced by a crime-and-skin series called “Silk Stalkings,” for God’s sake. Obviously we guests must’ve really stunk.

– Pat Sajak certainly ruffled Keith Olbermann's feathers yesterday, when the talk show host apologized on his blog for being the one who introduced Olbermann to America. Olbermann took to Twitter to swing back ... then swung again and again. But he saved the best dig for last: "I think if he needs to apologize for anything it needs to be that talk show. When he was canceled, he was replaced by a crime-and-skin series called Silk Stalkings, for God’s sake. Obviously we guests must’ve really stunk." Click here for more.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Pat Sajak is best known as the long-time host of the impossibly successful syndicated game show Wheel of Fortune. He is lesser known for hosting failed national late-night talk show that appeared on CBS in 1989 to 1990 in which he claims to have introduced the nation to an up-and-coming sportscaster named Keith Olbermann. Oh and for that last bit, he now apologizes for putting on the air the “bitter-sounding, hate-mongering name-caller he’s become.” Mr. Sajak is known to have a rather clear right-of-center bent, and is in fact the External Director of conservative publishing house Eagle Publishing. Appearing on Ricochet.com. Mr. Sajak writes: Keith was a sportscaster at the local CBS affiliate in Los Angeles at the same time I was doing a talk show for that network. I thought Keith was pretty funny on the air, and I suggested we have him come on the show and talk sports. This was the first of several appearances he made on the show, and he always did a nice job. Keith tended to wear out his welcome at stations and networks, and he bounced around to several places before he found his niche at MSNBC. When he first went on the air there, he was actually quite entertaining. He was wry and amusing, and he looked at the news at a kind of cockeyed angle that I enjoyed. I’m not sure how he morphed into the bitter-sounding, hate-mongering name-caller he’s become, but I’m sorry he did. I liked the guy, and he was always a good guest. Maybe it’s just show business and trying to find a place in it and building an audience, but I don’t know. We were never friends away from the show, so I can’t even guess what drives him. Watch the video from the The Pat Sajak Show which appears to have come from January, the week preceding Super Bowl XXIII. Update: Mr. Olbermann clarifies via his Twitter feed ” As I said yesterday, I worked for CNN ’81-84, had a TODAY piece done on me in ’86, CBS Evening News piece in ’88,” then adding in response to Mediaite’s own Tommy Christopher “But when they fired Pat for mailing in that talk show, they did interview me to succeed him, so THAT he introduced me to.” To Mr. Olbermann’s point, in terms of current cultural relevance and influence, it does seem odd that a game show host would have the chutzpah to be critical of Mr. Olbermann. Update #2 – Mr. Olbermann has released the following statement regarding Mr. Sajak’s claim: From Keith Olbermann: Pat Sajak has made a claim picked up pretty widely – Hollywood Reporter, Daily News, etc – that he “introduced me to America.” He didn’t. I started on CNN the same year he started on “Wheel” (1981) and by the time I guested on his show in 1989, I’d already spent three years as a national sports correspondent for CNN, had a feature done on me by The Today Show (1986), been on the CBS Evening News (1988), and begun guest-hosting on ESPN (1989). I think if he needs to apologize for anything it needs to be that talk show. When he was canceled, he was replaced by a crime-and-skin series called “Silk Stalkings,” for God’s sake. Obviously we guests must’ve really stunk. ||||| Earlier today we posted the story and video Wednesday of a 1980s Keith Olbermann on the short-lived late-night Pat Sajak show. Sajak had taken credit — or was rather apologizing for — introducing Olbermann to America. Well tonight, Olbermann responded to, and corrected Sajak’s account. Pat Sajak did not introduce me to America. I started on CNN the same year he started on “Wheel” (1981) and by the time I guested on his show in 1989, I’d already spent three years as a national sports correspondent for CNN, had a feature done on me by The Today Show (1986), been on the CBS Evening News (1988), and begun guest-hosting on ESPN (1989). I think if he needs to apologize for anything it needs to be that talk show. When he was canceled, he was replaced by a crime-and-skin series called “Silk Stalkings,” for God’s sake. Obviously we guests must’ve really stunk.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

If you’ve ever walked barefoot on asphalt on a hot summer day, you know that it gets pretty darn hot. It also does a really great job of sharing all that stored heat with its surroundings. That can make a huge difference in the temperature in areas where there’s a lot of blacktop around. In the heavily-paved neighborhoods of Los Angeles, for example, the heat island effect is a very real concern. L.A. Street Services is working on a fix. The workers in that picture aren’t cleaning up a spill, they’re spreading a white (actually very, very light gray) topcoat on several L.A. roadways. Hitting control-I on the color palette makes a big difference — as much as 10 degrees on a summer afternoon, according to Street Services. Streets in all 15 of L.A.’s electoral districts have been coated as part of the pilot project. If the results are anywhere near as positive as they’ve been elsewhere in California, crews will no doubt be whitewashing a whole lot more. A similar test in Canoga Park, a city of 60,000 about 30 miles from Los Angeles, saw the temperature on one stretch of road reduced from 93 to 70 degrees. In Encino, a parking lot that was coated dropped from a blistering 160 degrees down to a much more bearable 130. This isn’t the first push L.A. has made to combat the heat island effect. Three years ago residents were offered rebates for doing the very same thing to their roofs, with some experts saying that the change from black to white could reduce average temperatures in California by as much as two degrees. That might not seem like much, but every notch on the thermometer helps these days. Los Angeles broke 90 degrees four times in July, and the monthly average has climbed more than 3.5 degrees over the past 5 years. Let us know what you like about Geek by taking our survey. ||||| Our Free Tree Programs If you live or own property in the City of LA, you are eligible to receive free trees from City Plants. Learn about our programs here! Shade Trees Delivered to Your Home Did you know that if you live or own property within the City of Los Angeles, you are eligible to receive up to seven free shade trees from City Plants? If you qualify, our partner the Los Angeles Conservation Corps, will deliver them to your home along with stakes, ties, and fertilizer pellets. Enjoy planting them with your family! Apply here to see if you are eligible: REQUEST SHADE TREES Tree Adoption Events Do you want a tree for your home? We host adoption events throughout Los Angeles where you can take home a tree to plant in your yard. Events are held intermittently, but spring is our busiest season. Please read adoption rules at the bottom of the page. Check out our calendar of events to see what events are scheduled! EVENTS CALENDAR Parkway Trees A parkway is the space between your sidewalk and the street. If you are a resident of the City of LA, we may be able to plant trees in front of your home. Apply for trees below and be sure to specify in the comments section that you want parkway trees. We will come out to your house to see if planting in the parkway is possible - not all parkways have enough room for a tree. If you get a parkway tree, you will be responsible for watering it during the first five years while it establishes its roots. REQUEST PARKWAY TREES Free Trees for Your Business Trees mean business- they bring in customers, get them to stay longer, and get them to spend more money while they're in your shopping district. Also, if you plant large trees to the west, south, or east of your building, they can shade your building and save energy (cooler temps mean less need for air conditioning). We will give you free trees if you agree to water and care for them. If you want trees to plant on your own private property, we can deliver them for you to plant. If you want trees along the street and have an open parkway or an empty tree well, we can plant them for you if you agree to water and care for them. Also, if you and your business district would like to cover the cost of cutting tree wells along your street, we can take care of the City's permitting process for you. REQUEST TREES FOR YOUR BUSINESS Adoption Event Rules: You must be resident of the City of Los Angeles or own property within the City to be eligible to take home a tree. Verification will be required (ID/Driver's License or copy of a DWP utility bill). Supplies are limited and will be distributed on a first come, first served basis. Limit one adopted tree per property address. Are you not sure about whether or not you live in the City of LA? Type in your address here to find out! If your address yields information with the council district number, then you are a resident. If your address is not found, you do not reside in the City proper. If you postal address says “ Los Angeles” it is possible that you live in an unincorporated area of LA County, meaning that your neighborhood is not a part of an official city.

– As the largest wildfire in Los Angeles history scorches the edge of a city experiencing record-breaking temperatures, LA street workers have started painting streets white as part of a larger effort to tackle warming average temps head-on. Technically, the paint is a very light gray called CoolSeal, and it could lower the temps of black asphalt streets and parking lots by 10 degrees, reports Popular Science. "This is an urgent challenge, and it's much bigger than one person," LA Mayor Eric Garcetti recently said. "Climate change is a fact of life that people in Los Angeles and cities around the world live with every day." The material was initially developed for military air bases so that spy planes idling on blistering hot tarmacs could stay cool. And it worked, so pilot projects sprung up in Encino and Canoga Park; road temps dropped from 93 to 70 degrees in one instance, and a parking lot plummeted from 160 to 130 degrees, reports Geek.com. Streets in all 15 of LA's electoral districts have been coated. The project follows on the heels of a push three years ago for residents to earn rebates if they painted their dark roofs white, and there's been encouragement to plant more trees for shade as well. (This summer became too hot for planes to even fly in Phoenix.)

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.If you’ve ever walked barefoot on asphalt on a hot summer day, you know that it gets pretty darn hot. It also does a really great job of sharing all that stored heat with its surroundings. That can make a huge difference in the temperature in areas where there’s a lot of blacktop around. In the heavily-paved neighborhoods of Los Angeles, for example, the heat island effect is a very real concern. L.A. Street Services is working on a fix. The workers in that picture aren’t cleaning up a spill, they’re spreading a white (actually very, very light gray) topcoat on several L.A. roadways. Hitting control-I on the color palette makes a big difference — as much as 10 degrees on a summer afternoon, according to Street Services. Streets in all 15 of L.A.’s electoral districts have been coated as part of the pilot project. If the results are anywhere near as positive as they’ve been elsewhere in California, crews will no doubt be whitewashing a whole lot more. A similar test in Canoga Park, a city of 60,000 about 30 miles from Los Angeles, saw the temperature on one stretch of road reduced from 93 to 70 degrees. In Encino, a parking lot that was coated dropped from a blistering 160 degrees down to a much more bearable 130. This isn’t the first push L.A. has made to combat the heat island effect. Three years ago residents were offered rebates for doing the very same thing to their roofs, with some experts saying that the change from black to white could reduce average temperatures in California by as much as two degrees. That might not seem like much, but every notch on the thermometer helps these days. Los Angeles broke 90 degrees four times in July, and the monthly average has climbed more than 3.5 degrees over the past 5 years. Let us know what you like about Geek by taking our survey. ||||| Our Free Tree Programs If you live or own property in the City of LA, you are eligible to receive free trees from City Plants. Learn about our programs here! Shade Trees Delivered to Your Home Did you know that if you live or own property within the City of Los Angeles, you are eligible to receive up to seven free shade trees from City Plants? If you qualify, our partner the Los Angeles Conservation Corps, will deliver them to your home along with stakes, ties, and fertilizer pellets. Enjoy planting them with your family! Apply here to see if you are eligible: REQUEST SHADE TREES Tree Adoption Events Do you want a tree for your home? We host adoption events throughout Los Angeles where you can take home a tree to plant in your yard. Events are held intermittently, but spring is our busiest season. Please read adoption rules at the bottom of the page. Check out our calendar of events to see what events are scheduled! EVENTS CALENDAR Parkway Trees A parkway is the space between your sidewalk and the street. If you are a resident of the City of LA, we may be able to plant trees in front of your home. Apply for trees below and be sure to specify in the comments section that you want parkway trees. We will come out to your house to see if planting in the parkway is possible - not all parkways have enough room for a tree. If you get a parkway tree, you will be responsible for watering it during the first five years while it establishes its roots. REQUEST PARKWAY TREES Free Trees for Your Business Trees mean business- they bring in customers, get them to stay longer, and get them to spend more money while they're in your shopping district. Also, if you plant large trees to the west, south, or east of your building, they can shade your building and save energy (cooler temps mean less need for air conditioning). We will give you free trees if you agree to water and care for them. If you want trees to plant on your own private property, we can deliver them for you to plant. If you want trees along the street and have an open parkway or an empty tree well, we can plant them for you if you agree to water and care for them. Also, if you and your business district would like to cover the cost of cutting tree wells along your street, we can take care of the City's permitting process for you. REQUEST TREES FOR YOUR BUSINESS Adoption Event Rules: You must be resident of the City of Los Angeles or own property within the City to be eligible to take home a tree. Verification will be required (ID/Driver's License or copy of a DWP utility bill). Supplies are limited and will be distributed on a first come, first served basis. Limit one adopted tree per property address. Are you not sure about whether or not you live in the City of LA? Type in your address here to find out! If your address yields information with the council district number, then you are a resident. If your address is not found, you do not reside in the City proper. If you postal address says “ Los Angeles” it is possible that you live in an unincorporated area of LA County, meaning that your neighborhood is not a part of an official city.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

To the Editor: As Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens’s mother, I am writing to object to any mention of his name and death in Benghazi, Libya, by Donald Trump’s campaign and the Republican Party. I know for certain that Chris would not have wanted his name or memory used in that connection. I hope that there will be an immediate and permanent stop to this opportunistic and cynical use by the campaign. MARY F. COMMANDAY Oakland, Calif. ||||| John Tiegen, a U.S. Marine Corp veteran, left, and Mark Geist, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who fought in Benghazi, speak during the opening day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Monday,... (Associated Press) John Tiegen, a U.S. Marine Corp veteran, left, and Mark Geist, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who fought in Benghazi, speak during the opening day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Monday, July 18, 2016. . (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) (Associated Press) CLEVELAND (AP) — The mother of a State Department employee killed in the deadly attacks in Benghazi, Libya, angrily lashed out at Hillary Clinton on Monday at the Republican National Convention, accusing Clinton of lying to her about her son's death. Two Marine Corps veterans who fought in Benghazi as part of a security team posted near the U.S. diplomatic compound also blamed Clinton for lax security before the attacks on Sept. 11, 2012, that killed four Americans, including the U.S. ambassador. The accusations came during the opening night of the convention, as Republicans cast Donald Trump as a strong leader who can keep Americans safe in a dangerous world. Security officers Mark "Oz" Geist and John Tiegen spoke harshly about Clinton, but did not repeat a widely debunked claim by some conservatives that high-level officials in Washington had issued a "stand down" order delaying a military rescue in Benghazi. Pat Smith, the mother of State Department employee Sean Smith, accused Clinton of lying to her by blaming the assault on an anti-Muslim video, instead of labeling it a calculated terrorist attack. Clinton was secretary of state when the attacks occurred and now is the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. "I blame Hillary Clinton personally for the death of my son," Smith said in an emotional speech applauded by delegates. Smith noted that Clinton had told her daughter, Chelsea, in an email that the attacks were likely terrorism, but told Smith and other family members a different story. Clinton told the House Benghazi committee last year that "some" people had wanted to use the offensive, anti-Muslim video to "justify" the attack that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. She rejected that justification, Clinton said. Clinton and other officials have acknowledged inadequate security in Benghazi — a point also made by numerous congressional investigations and an independent panel. Geist and Tiegen, the former Marines who fought in Benghazi, also focused on the lack of security — and blamed Clinton. The two men and Smith all support Trump for president. "Hillary failed to protect her people on the ground," said Geist, who has appeared in TV ads sponsored by the NRA in support of Trump. In a 30-minute address, Geist and Tiegen said they defied a "stand down" order by a local CIA station chief to try to rescue Stevens and others at the diplomatic outpost. "We took off and went to the consulate," Geist said in a claim also repeated in the book and movie "13 Hours." Geist and Tiegen were co-authors of the book, a detailed account of the attacks. The Senate Intelligence Committee found "no evidence of intentional delay or obstruction" of movement by the team from the CIA annex, although some members of the security team expressed frustration that they were unable to respond more quickly. U.S. military leaders told the House Benghazi committee they thought an evacuation was imminent, slowing any response. The Benghazi panel said in a report last month that Marines based more than 2,000 miles away in Rota, Spain, changed into and out of their uniforms four times as officials debated whether to launch a full military response. The attacks occurred in waves at two locations over 13 hours. Democrats accuse Republicans of exploiting the tragedy for political reasons and note that the Benghazi panel has spent more than two years and $7 million investigating the attacks. Democrats eagerly point to comments last year by House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., suggesting that the Benghazi panel could take credit for Clinton's slumping poll numbers. The report last month by Republicans on the Benghazi panel accused the Obama administration of lethal mistakes, but produced no new evidence pointing to wrongdoing by Clinton. Clinton has said the Benghazi report "found nothing to contradict" the findings of multiple earlier investigations into the attacks. "I think it's pretty clear it's time to move on," she said last month. David M. Perry, a cousin of Stevens, accused Republicans of politicizing his death. His cousin "loved Arabic, diplomacy, internationalism. I reject politicization of his death," Perry said on Twitter. ___ Follow Matthew Daly: http://twitter.com/MatthewDalyWDC

– Last week saw the mother of an American who died in Benghazi angrily indict Hillary Clinton in her son's death, using the Republican National Convention as her medium. Now, the mother of another American slain in the attack at the Libyan consulate, Ambassador Chris Stevens, takes to the pages of the New York Times to plead for the opposite: "As Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens’s mother, I am writing to object to any mention of his name and death in Benghazi, Libya, by Donald Trump’s campaign and the Republican Party," writes Mary F. Commanday in a letter to the editor. "I know for certain that Chris would not have wanted his name or memory used in that connection. I hope that there will be an immediate and permanent stop to this opportunistic and cynical use by the campaign."

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.To the Editor: As Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens’s mother, I am writing to object to any mention of his name and death in Benghazi, Libya, by Donald Trump’s campaign and the Republican Party. I know for certain that Chris would not have wanted his name or memory used in that connection. I hope that there will be an immediate and permanent stop to this opportunistic and cynical use by the campaign. MARY F. COMMANDAY Oakland, Calif. ||||| John Tiegen, a U.S. Marine Corp veteran, left, and Mark Geist, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who fought in Benghazi, speak during the opening day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Monday,... (Associated Press) John Tiegen, a U.S. Marine Corp veteran, left, and Mark Geist, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who fought in Benghazi, speak during the opening day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Monday, July 18, 2016. . (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) (Associated Press) CLEVELAND (AP) — The mother of a State Department employee killed in the deadly attacks in Benghazi, Libya, angrily lashed out at Hillary Clinton on Monday at the Republican National Convention, accusing Clinton of lying to her about her son's death. Two Marine Corps veterans who fought in Benghazi as part of a security team posted near the U.S. diplomatic compound also blamed Clinton for lax security before the attacks on Sept. 11, 2012, that killed four Americans, including the U.S. ambassador. The accusations came during the opening night of the convention, as Republicans cast Donald Trump as a strong leader who can keep Americans safe in a dangerous world. Security officers Mark "Oz" Geist and John Tiegen spoke harshly about Clinton, but did not repeat a widely debunked claim by some conservatives that high-level officials in Washington had issued a "stand down" order delaying a military rescue in Benghazi. Pat Smith, the mother of State Department employee Sean Smith, accused Clinton of lying to her by blaming the assault on an anti-Muslim video, instead of labeling it a calculated terrorist attack. Clinton was secretary of state when the attacks occurred and now is the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. "I blame Hillary Clinton personally for the death of my son," Smith said in an emotional speech applauded by delegates. Smith noted that Clinton had told her daughter, Chelsea, in an email that the attacks were likely terrorism, but told Smith and other family members a different story. Clinton told the House Benghazi committee last year that "some" people had wanted to use the offensive, anti-Muslim video to "justify" the attack that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. She rejected that justification, Clinton said. Clinton and other officials have acknowledged inadequate security in Benghazi — a point also made by numerous congressional investigations and an independent panel. Geist and Tiegen, the former Marines who fought in Benghazi, also focused on the lack of security — and blamed Clinton. The two men and Smith all support Trump for president. "Hillary failed to protect her people on the ground," said Geist, who has appeared in TV ads sponsored by the NRA in support of Trump. In a 30-minute address, Geist and Tiegen said they defied a "stand down" order by a local CIA station chief to try to rescue Stevens and others at the diplomatic outpost. "We took off and went to the consulate," Geist said in a claim also repeated in the book and movie "13 Hours." Geist and Tiegen were co-authors of the book, a detailed account of the attacks. The Senate Intelligence Committee found "no evidence of intentional delay or obstruction" of movement by the team from the CIA annex, although some members of the security team expressed frustration that they were unable to respond more quickly. U.S. military leaders told the House Benghazi committee they thought an evacuation was imminent, slowing any response. The Benghazi panel said in a report last month that Marines based more than 2,000 miles away in Rota, Spain, changed into and out of their uniforms four times as officials debated whether to launch a full military response. The attacks occurred in waves at two locations over 13 hours. Democrats accuse Republicans of exploiting the tragedy for political reasons and note that the Benghazi panel has spent more than two years and $7 million investigating the attacks. Democrats eagerly point to comments last year by House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., suggesting that the Benghazi panel could take credit for Clinton's slumping poll numbers. The report last month by Republicans on the Benghazi panel accused the Obama administration of lethal mistakes, but produced no new evidence pointing to wrongdoing by Clinton. Clinton has said the Benghazi report "found nothing to contradict" the findings of multiple earlier investigations into the attacks. "I think it's pretty clear it's time to move on," she said last month. David M. Perry, a cousin of Stevens, accused Republicans of politicizing his death. His cousin "loved Arabic, diplomacy, internationalism. I reject politicization of his death," Perry said on Twitter. ___ Follow Matthew Daly: http://twitter.com/MatthewDalyWDC

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

“In every nation involved, this negotiation is a proxy for something bigger,” argues Robert Litwak, a Wilson Center scholar and author of “Iran’s Nuclear Chess: Calculating America’s Moves.” Advertisement Continue reading the main story “Here it is a test of Obama’s strength and strategy,” he said. “In Tehran it is a proxy for a fundamental choice: whether Iran is going to continue to view itself as a revolutionary state, or whether it’s going to be a normal country,” which so many of its young people yearn for it to become. So far, Mr. Khamenei has avoided making that choice, intelligence assessments by the United States and its allies conclude. While he has authorized President Hassan Rouhani and his foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, to negotiate with the United States and its partners, they believe that the supreme leader may decide whether to approve a deal only after his negotiators come home with the details. That is what happened with a much smaller deal in 2009, which he killed after an agreement was reached in Vienna. And surrounding the ayatollah are hard-liners who have opposed any accord, as well as leaders of the Revolutionary Guards Corps, which is responsible for the military side of the nuclear program. Photo But Mr. Litwak’s observation about how the deal is a proxy for other issues applies equally to the rest of the key players in the negotiations: Israel, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Western Europe. Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has described Iran as an “existential threat” for so long that it is hard for American officials to imagine any deal Israel would support. For years a succession of Israeli governments have described Iran as just six months or so away from a bomb; last year the Netanyahu government opposed even the modest lifting of sanctions. In recent weeks Mr. Netanyahu has repeated his warning that “the Islamic State of Iran is not a partner of America, it’s an enemy of America,” and said Israel would not abide by any arrangement that leaves Iran as a “threshold” nuclear state — one poised to build a weapon in a matter of months or years. Israeli officials play down their influence in Congress on the issue and disagree internally on the merits of a deal; some in the intelligence agencies see advantages to more intrusive inspections in Iran. “We have no formal status and no real capacity” in the talks, said Yuval Steinitz, the strategic affairs minister who has been Israel’s primary point man, apart from the prime minister himself, on Iran. “We can only convince, we can only speak and explain.” The Saudis have a parallel worry: that any deal with Iran would be the opening wedge to a reordering of American alliances in the region, one in which Washington would begin to work on regional issues with the Shiite Iranian state instead of with Sunni Saudi Arabia. Advertisement Continue reading the main story No one has been more outspoken on the issue than Saudi Arabia’s former intelligence chief, Prince Turki bin Faisal, who in recent weeks has warned that the Saudis will build uranium enrichment facilities to match whatever Iran is allowed to retain — even if the kingdom has no use for them. That has raised the specter of an arms race, even if a deal is struck. Newsletter Sign Up Continue reading the main story Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. Thank you for subscribing. An error has occurred. Please try again later. View all New York Times newsletters. Perhaps the most complex political player is Russia. It has remained a key element of the negotiating team, despite its confrontations with the West over Ukraine. It has been a central player in negotiating what may prove the key to a deal: a plan for Iran to ship much of its low-enriched uranium to Russian territory for conversion into fuel for the Bushehr nuclear power plant. But Russian officials may want an extension of the talks that keeps any real agreement in limbo — and thus keeps Iranian oil off the market, so that it cannot further depress falling prices. Apart from Mr. Obama, the most unambiguous proponents of reaching a deal are the European nations, said Mark Fitzpatrick, an Iran nuclear expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London. Many Europeans feel little threat from Iran, and believe that Israel, with its own unacknowledged but widely known nuclear arsenal, exaggerates the threat of a nuclear-able Tehran. The notable exception are the French, who have publicly argued for tougher terms in the negotiations and say they see their role as to serve, in the words of one Western diplomat, as “a significant counterweight on the impulse of Obama to make concessions.” But the biggest counterweight to a negotiating success with Iran may be the new Republican majority in the Senate — including some members, like Senator Lindsey Graham, who have argued that Mr. Obama is overly eager for a deal. Obama administration officials reject the charge and say that though Mr. Obama is hopeful, he would never sign an accord that did not put Iran a year or more away from being able to produce enough fuel for a single bomb. “Whatever we negotiate we will have to sell in Congress, sooner rather than later,” said one of Mr. Obama’s senior strategists, declining to speak on the record because of diplomatic sensitivities. “And that works to our advantage in the negotiating room, because it means we can say to Zarif,” the Iranian foreign minister, “ ‘Even if we agreed to lifting sanctions early, or letting you keep all your centrifuges in place — and we wouldn’t — Congress would rebel.’ ” That rebellion has started. When Congress came back into session last week Senator Robert Menendez, the New Jersey Democrat who leads the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois issued a statement saying that “as co-authors of bipartisan sanctions laws that compelled Iran to the negotiating table, we believe that a good deal will dismantle, not just stall, Iran’s illicit nuclear program and prevent Iran from ever becoming a threshold nuclear state.” They would enact new sanctions “if a potential deal does not achieve these goals.” Advertisement Continue reading the main story It is a view the new Republican majority will back, along with many Democrats. Mr. Obama could always veto new sanctions, but the warnings themselves may make it harder, administration officials fear, to get Iran to reach a final agreement. Mr. Obama has made clear that in the near term, he would act on his own authority to temporarily suspend sanctions step by step, as the Iranians complied with a deal; a vote to repeal those sanctions might not come for several years. But he confronts that problem only if there is a deal. If not, American officials hint, they will press for another extension of talks — betting that the combination of falling oil prices, the threat of new sanctions, and the possibility of more sabotage or military action will eventually lead to an accord. Yet Mr. Khamenei, American and European intelligence officials say, may be betting that time is on Iran’s side. They have concluded that the supreme leader believes the recent election has weakened Mr. Obama, and that the talks have already led to an acknowledgment of Iran’s right to enrich uranium on its own soil — at least in small amounts — and an understanding that whenever a final agreement expires, it will be able to have an industrial enrichment ability much as Japan does. “What the Iranians are looking for is a narrative of victory,” one American diplomat said last week, “a way to say the West backed down, and admitted Iran will be able to produce its own nuclear fuel one day, in unlimited quantity.” What Congress needs, the diplomat said, “is a narrative that Iran was forced to dismantle what it has.” Satisfying both, he added, “is what makes the politics of this so much harder than the physics of slowing the bomb program.” ||||| By Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org The U.S. Senate has the right and duty to examine any nuclear deal reached with Iran, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said, vowing that the Senate would block a “bad deal” with the Islamic Republic. In Graham’s view, a bad deal is any agreement that permits Iran to enrich uranium. “Today, there are new bosses in Washington,” Graham said in interview with Israel Hayom, referencing the Republican Party’s recent retaking of a Senate majority. “The biggest losers, after the midterm elections, are Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Iranian nuclear program.” Graham said he intends to submit a bill in January to the new Senate majority leader, expected to be U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-K.Y.), that would require President Barack Obama to allow the Senate to review any agreement with Iran on the nuclear issue. “With Iran, we do not want to end up getting the same result we got with North Korea, which ultimately, despite the negotiations and the agreements, became a nuclear power,” Graham said. “It is very important that the Senate examine the agreement [with Iran]. Today, a majority of senators from both parties oppose the idea that Iran will enrich uranium.” So what kind of agreement would Graham accept? “If the agreement is good for the U.S., Israel, and other U.S. partners and if it protects the national security of the U.S.—then we will support it,” he said. “However, if the agreement is bad, then we will oppose it, and I will personally make sure it does not pass.” The New York Times, however, reported before the midterm elections that Obama plans to bypass Congress on the Iran nuclear issue. “The U.S. Senate has not only the right, but also the duty, to examine the agreement,” Graham said. “It is Congress which voted for the sanctions against Iran and it is Congress which is supposed to cancel them, if needed. I find it strange that the president said it was necessary to go to Congress regarding action in Syria and Iraq, but does not need Congress in the case of an agreement with Iran. I assure you that the Senate intends to engage in a tough fight to bring the agreement before us. The regime of the ayatollahs is the big loser of the midterm elections.” Regarding the dangers that would be posed by a “bad” nuclear agreement with Iran, Graham said, “One must understand that a bad deal with Iran could change the face of the world. I don’t think there is a single Israel who could sleep well at night knowing that Iran is capable of developing a nuclear bomb.” Graham also expressed concern that the Obama administration views a nuclear agreement with Iran as a potential legacy achievement. On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met in Muscat, Oman, with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and former European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton (the representative of the six world powers negotiating with Iran) in a bid to make progress in the negotiations ahead of the Nov. 24 deadline for a final agreement. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, like Graham, warned against a “bad deal” with Iran. “Better no deal than a bad deal that leaves Iran with a capacity to enrich uranium for a nuclear bomb,” Netanyahu said Friday. Netanyahu said the battle against Islamic State “should not come at the expense of the efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.” Yet the Wall Street Journal reported last week that President Barack Obama recently wrote a letter to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, expressing shared interest in the fight against Islamic State jihadists in Syria and Iraq. “[The Iranian and Islamic State threats] should be pursued independently and not linked to one another,” said Netanyahu. Khamenei, meanwhile, tweeted over the weekend, “This barbaric, wolflike & infanticidal regime of #Israel which spares no crime has no cure but to be annihilated.” Graham, a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, said he recently told U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that the U.S. would halt funding for the U.N. Human Rights Council (UNHRC) if the body continues to fixate on Israel. The UNHRC is currently investigating Israel’s role in the 50-day summer war in Gaza, but is not looking into the actions of the Palestinian terror group Hamas. “I don’t think American taxpayers want to help [the UNHRC] with this agenda,” Graham said. —With reporting by Israel Hayom’s Boaz Bismuth, Eli Leon, and Shlomo Cesana. Download this story in Microsoft Word format here. ||||| Diplomats arriving in Austrian capital warned that failure to agree end to deadlock over Iran’s nuclear programme is not an option Iran, the US and other world powers meeting in Vienna this week are close to a historic, comprehensive agreement that could bring a permanent end to 12 years of deadlock over Iran’s nuclear programme. With a deadline for the talks looming in a week’s time, diplomats are converging on the Austrian capital for the last stretch of marathon negotiations beginning Tuesday, with the outcome still in the balance. Compromises have been found on previously contentious issues, and detailed text for different versions of a final deal has been drafted. Some diplomats describe their work as 95% done, pending political decisions to be made in national capitals over Iran’s capacity to enrich uranium over the next few years, and the sequence in which international sanctions are lifted. Several leading arms-control experts have argued that the residual obstacles are more political than substantial, determined by the need of President Barack Obama’s administration and President Hassan Rouhani’s reformist government in Iran to reassure conservatives at home, rather than by the actual requirements of Iran’s nuclear energy programme or genuine nonproliferation concerns. There are also differences among the six-nation group involved in the negotiations with Iran. France has consistently been more opposed to nuclear concessions than the other five (the US, UK, Germany, Russia and China). John Kerry, the US secretary of state, flew to Paris on 4 November for talks with Laurent Fabius, the French foreign minister, seeking assurances that he would not make a public intervention in the last few days of negotiations. In the closing stages of talks over the 2013 interim deal, Fabius warned against western concessions, saying Paris would not play along with a “fool’s game”. Accounts vary as to whether Kerry was able to secure a guarantee from Fabius not to break ranks in the eleventh hour of talks. “For Fabius, the ties with the Gulf Arabs – Saudi Arabia and Qatar – are much more important economically, and for French jobs in the next few years, than Iran,” said a French source familiar with the discussions. The Sunni monarchies in the Gulf are as opposed as Israel to western endorsement of an Iranian nuclear programme on any scale. The consequences of a collapse in the negotiations could be serious and rapid. The US Congress is poised to impose fresh sanctions on Iran, and after the Republican capture of the Senate in this month’s elections it will be hard for Obama to sustain a veto on new punitive measures. In response, hardliners in Tehran are likely to demand an end to the partial freeze on the Iranian programme negotiated in an interim agreement a year ago. Mutual escalation could quickly push the 12-year nuclear standoff back to the brink of war. Israel has repeatedly threatened to take military action if diplomacy fails to contain Iran’s nuclear aspirations. “I think extension is the least likely scenario because of the domestic political ramifications for all sides,” said Reza Marashi, a former state department official, who is research director of the National Iranian American Council in Washington. “In the words of the negotiators themselves: failure is not an option.” Given the high stakes, all sides at the Vienna talks will be extremely reluctant to break off negotiations if a complete agreement is not reached by 24 November, the deadline agreed in the interim deal, at Geneva a year ago. One option would be to announce a framework agreement, leaving gaps to be worked out later, or simply extend the talks. But neither option would be politically sustainable for long without proof of genuine progress. Congress is already sceptical of the talks, claiming Iran is playing for time. “It’s now or never,” said Jim Walsh, an expert on the Iranian nuclear programme at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “If you put this off six months, does Obama come back stronger, able to deliver a deal? Does Rouhani? No. “My hope is that, at the last moment, they stare into the abyss and realise the consequences of not doing a deal now are very, very bad.” Ali Vaez, an analyst at the International Crisis Group, suggested that, at most, the parties would have the remaining two months of the lame duck Congress to resolve the last remaining issues. Those outstanding obstacles, enrichment capacity and the sequence of sanctions relief, have long been the most politically charged and difficult issues on the table. The west is offering a temporary suspension of some US sanctions through a presidential waiver of measures imposed by Congress, along with the unfreezing of blocked Iranian assets around the world. The lifting of major oil and banking sanctions would be left until later. Tehran wants the permanent lifting of the major sanctions early in the lifetime of a deal, including those imposed by the UN security council. Iran has 19,000 centrifuges installed in two enrichment plants. Of those, 10,200 first-generation machines are in operation. The west would like that cut to fewer than 4,000 (the limits are measured in overall capacity, so a smaller number of more advanced centrifuges would be allowed), with the aim that it would take Iran a year to amass enough fissile material for a warhead, if Tehran took the decision to make a weapon. For its part, Iran does not want to cut capacity, and wants assurances that it will be allowed to expand in line with its nuclear energy needs. The rigid positions adopted by both sides have come under criticism from arms control experts. Daryl Kimball, of the Arms Control Association, pointed out that Russia had guaranteed the supply of fuel for Iran’s reactor at Bushehr and for at least two new reactors that Moscow and Tehran had agreed to build last week. “Iran’s practical need in the near term is close to zero,” said Kimball, the head of the association. “Tehran is within sight of a compromise on a linchpin issue. It would be a tragic and historic mistake if Iran passed up the chance for this agreement, if they refused to compromise in order to hold on to a couple of thousand old-fashioned, inefficient centrifuges.” Several nonproliferation specialists have also questioned the US-led insistence that Iran’s “breakout capacity” (the time it would take it to make a warhead) is kept to a year. Jeffrey Lewis, at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, said that if Iran wanted to make nuclear weapons, it would do so at covert sites rather than use facilities under constant international monitoring. “The Iranians are not going to use a declared facility. That would provoke an immediate crisis. Maybe they were be able to build one or two bombs but they would get hit,” said Lewis, who runs the ArmsControlWonk.com website. “If they were going to do it, they would do it in a covert facility. So everything we do should be focused on verification, not on numbers of declared centrifuges.” The guiding principle over nine months of talks on a comprehensive nuclear agreement has been that “nothing is solved until everything is solved”, reflecting the intertwined nature of the issues. But sources close to the talks say several difficult problems are close to a solution. • Lifetime of the deal – Iran originally wanted it to last no more than three years. The west wanted a 20-year deal. A likely compromise is in the eight- to 10-year range. • Cooperation with an International Atomic Energy Agency inquiry into alleged past Iranian development work on nuclear weapons – the IAEA would have to confirm full cooperation before the last major sanctions are lifted. • Heavy water reactor being build in Arak, central Iran – this would be redesigned to produce less plutonium as a byproduct. Iran would undertake not to build a reprocessing facility for extracting plutonium. • Underground enrichment site at Fordow – a small-scale research-and-development centre would be allowed under strict IAEA supervision • Transparency – Iran would accept a permanent IAEA presence at its nuclear facilities, while the agency would be able to inspect undeclared sites for signs of nuclear activity and monitor centrifuge-making plants. The negotiators could decide to bank those gains as the deadline of Monday night next week looms, issuing a statement on progress while asking for more time for the remaining obstacles – but that may not be enough to convince conservatives in the US and Iran to accept an extension.

– Foreign diplomats begin the tough work in Vienna tomorrow of negotiating with Iran on an agreement about its nuclear weapons program, possibly even bringing it to a grinding halt, the Guardian reports. But while the Obama administration has been working to jump-start the process—the president wrote a private letter to Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei last month—he's got a queue of people who aren't sure if a deal should be pushed through, if at all, the New York Times reports. On Obama's side: the US, UK, Germany, Russia, and China, the Guardian notes. Decidedly less in favor of a deal: Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu—who has called Iran an "existential threat" and said that "it's an enemy of America"—France (which has set itself apart from other European nations by lobbying for stiffer negotiation terms), and even the GOP, the Times notes. Sen. Lindsay Graham, for instance, announced that the Senate would fight a "bad deal" with Iran, JNS.org reports. Obama officials counter that by arguing he would never greenlight a deal that would put Iran within a year of being able to make a bomb. Also in opposition are the Saudis, who fear a deal could switch up American allegiances in the region to focus more on Shiite Iranians than on Sunni Saudis. The odds of reaching a deal are so-so: Senior White House officials put the chances of an agreement this time around at 40% to 50%, notes the Times. Some fear the results of failed negotiations, as Israel has threatened military action if diplomacy fails, the Guardian notes. "In the words of the negotiators themselves: failure is not an option," says a former State Department official. (John Kerry says such deals aren't based on trust but on verification.)

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.“In every nation involved, this negotiation is a proxy for something bigger,” argues Robert Litwak, a Wilson Center scholar and author of “Iran’s Nuclear Chess: Calculating America’s Moves.” Advertisement Continue reading the main story “Here it is a test of Obama’s strength and strategy,” he said. “In Tehran it is a proxy for a fundamental choice: whether Iran is going to continue to view itself as a revolutionary state, or whether it’s going to be a normal country,” which so many of its young people yearn for it to become. So far, Mr. Khamenei has avoided making that choice, intelligence assessments by the United States and its allies conclude. While he has authorized President Hassan Rouhani and his foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, to negotiate with the United States and its partners, they believe that the supreme leader may decide whether to approve a deal only after his negotiators come home with the details. That is what happened with a much smaller deal in 2009, which he killed after an agreement was reached in Vienna. And surrounding the ayatollah are hard-liners who have opposed any accord, as well as leaders of the Revolutionary Guards Corps, which is responsible for the military side of the nuclear program. Photo But Mr. Litwak’s observation about how the deal is a proxy for other issues applies equally to the rest of the key players in the negotiations: Israel, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Western Europe. Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has described Iran as an “existential threat” for so long that it is hard for American officials to imagine any deal Israel would support. For years a succession of Israeli governments have described Iran as just six months or so away from a bomb; last year the Netanyahu government opposed even the modest lifting of sanctions. In recent weeks Mr. Netanyahu has repeated his warning that “the Islamic State of Iran is not a partner of America, it’s an enemy of America,” and said Israel would not abide by any arrangement that leaves Iran as a “threshold” nuclear state — one poised to build a weapon in a matter of months or years. Israeli officials play down their influence in Congress on the issue and disagree internally on the merits of a deal; some in the intelligence agencies see advantages to more intrusive inspections in Iran. “We have no formal status and no real capacity” in the talks, said Yuval Steinitz, the strategic affairs minister who has been Israel’s primary point man, apart from the prime minister himself, on Iran. “We can only convince, we can only speak and explain.” The Saudis have a parallel worry: that any deal with Iran would be the opening wedge to a reordering of American alliances in the region, one in which Washington would begin to work on regional issues with the Shiite Iranian state instead of with Sunni Saudi Arabia. Advertisement Continue reading the main story No one has been more outspoken on the issue than Saudi Arabia’s former intelligence chief, Prince Turki bin Faisal, who in recent weeks has warned that the Saudis will build uranium enrichment facilities to match whatever Iran is allowed to retain — even if the kingdom has no use for them. That has raised the specter of an arms race, even if a deal is struck. Newsletter Sign Up Continue reading the main story Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. Thank you for subscribing. An error has occurred. Please try again later. View all New York Times newsletters. Perhaps the most complex political player is Russia. It has remained a key element of the negotiating team, despite its confrontations with the West over Ukraine. It has been a central player in negotiating what may prove the key to a deal: a plan for Iran to ship much of its low-enriched uranium to Russian territory for conversion into fuel for the Bushehr nuclear power plant. But Russian officials may want an extension of the talks that keeps any real agreement in limbo — and thus keeps Iranian oil off the market, so that it cannot further depress falling prices. Apart from Mr. Obama, the most unambiguous proponents of reaching a deal are the European nations, said Mark Fitzpatrick, an Iran nuclear expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London. Many Europeans feel little threat from Iran, and believe that Israel, with its own unacknowledged but widely known nuclear arsenal, exaggerates the threat of a nuclear-able Tehran. The notable exception are the French, who have publicly argued for tougher terms in the negotiations and say they see their role as to serve, in the words of one Western diplomat, as “a significant counterweight on the impulse of Obama to make concessions.” But the biggest counterweight to a negotiating success with Iran may be the new Republican majority in the Senate — including some members, like Senator Lindsey Graham, who have argued that Mr. Obama is overly eager for a deal. Obama administration officials reject the charge and say that though Mr. Obama is hopeful, he would never sign an accord that did not put Iran a year or more away from being able to produce enough fuel for a single bomb. “Whatever we negotiate we will have to sell in Congress, sooner rather than later,” said one of Mr. Obama’s senior strategists, declining to speak on the record because of diplomatic sensitivities. “And that works to our advantage in the negotiating room, because it means we can say to Zarif,” the Iranian foreign minister, “ ‘Even if we agreed to lifting sanctions early, or letting you keep all your centrifuges in place — and we wouldn’t — Congress would rebel.’ ” That rebellion has started. When Congress came back into session last week Senator Robert Menendez, the New Jersey Democrat who leads the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois issued a statement saying that “as co-authors of bipartisan sanctions laws that compelled Iran to the negotiating table, we believe that a good deal will dismantle, not just stall, Iran’s illicit nuclear program and prevent Iran from ever becoming a threshold nuclear state.” They would enact new sanctions “if a potential deal does not achieve these goals.” Advertisement Continue reading the main story It is a view the new Republican majority will back, along with many Democrats. Mr. Obama could always veto new sanctions, but the warnings themselves may make it harder, administration officials fear, to get Iran to reach a final agreement. Mr. Obama has made clear that in the near term, he would act on his own authority to temporarily suspend sanctions step by step, as the Iranians complied with a deal; a vote to repeal those sanctions might not come for several years. But he confronts that problem only if there is a deal. If not, American officials hint, they will press for another extension of talks — betting that the combination of falling oil prices, the threat of new sanctions, and the possibility of more sabotage or military action will eventually lead to an accord. Yet Mr. Khamenei, American and European intelligence officials say, may be betting that time is on Iran’s side. They have concluded that the supreme leader believes the recent election has weakened Mr. Obama, and that the talks have already led to an acknowledgment of Iran’s right to enrich uranium on its own soil — at least in small amounts — and an understanding that whenever a final agreement expires, it will be able to have an industrial enrichment ability much as Japan does. “What the Iranians are looking for is a narrative of victory,” one American diplomat said last week, “a way to say the West backed down, and admitted Iran will be able to produce its own nuclear fuel one day, in unlimited quantity.” What Congress needs, the diplomat said, “is a narrative that Iran was forced to dismantle what it has.” Satisfying both, he added, “is what makes the politics of this so much harder than the physics of slowing the bomb program.” ||||| By Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org The U.S. Senate has the right and duty to examine any nuclear deal reached with Iran, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said, vowing that the Senate would block a “bad deal” with the Islamic Republic. In Graham’s view, a bad deal is any agreement that permits Iran to enrich uranium. “Today, there are new bosses in Washington,” Graham said in interview with Israel Hayom, referencing the Republican Party’s recent retaking of a Senate majority. “The biggest losers, after the midterm elections, are Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Iranian nuclear program.” Graham said he intends to submit a bill in January to the new Senate majority leader, expected to be U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-K.Y.), that would require President Barack Obama to allow the Senate to review any agreement with Iran on the nuclear issue. “With Iran, we do not want to end up getting the same result we got with North Korea, which ultimately, despite the negotiations and the agreements, became a nuclear power,” Graham said. “It is very important that the Senate examine the agreement [with Iran]. Today, a majority of senators from both parties oppose the idea that Iran will enrich uranium.” So what kind of agreement would Graham accept? “If the agreement is good for the U.S., Israel, and other U.S. partners and if it protects the national security of the U.S.—then we will support it,” he said. “However, if the agreement is bad, then we will oppose it, and I will personally make sure it does not pass.” The New York Times, however, reported before the midterm elections that Obama plans to bypass Congress on the Iran nuclear issue. “The U.S. Senate has not only the right, but also the duty, to examine the agreement,” Graham said. “It is Congress which voted for the sanctions against Iran and it is Congress which is supposed to cancel them, if needed. I find it strange that the president said it was necessary to go to Congress regarding action in Syria and Iraq, but does not need Congress in the case of an agreement with Iran. I assure you that the Senate intends to engage in a tough fight to bring the agreement before us. The regime of the ayatollahs is the big loser of the midterm elections.” Regarding the dangers that would be posed by a “bad” nuclear agreement with Iran, Graham said, “One must understand that a bad deal with Iran could change the face of the world. I don’t think there is a single Israel who could sleep well at night knowing that Iran is capable of developing a nuclear bomb.” Graham also expressed concern that the Obama administration views a nuclear agreement with Iran as a potential legacy achievement. On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met in Muscat, Oman, with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and former European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton (the representative of the six world powers negotiating with Iran) in a bid to make progress in the negotiations ahead of the Nov. 24 deadline for a final agreement. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, like Graham, warned against a “bad deal” with Iran. “Better no deal than a bad deal that leaves Iran with a capacity to enrich uranium for a nuclear bomb,” Netanyahu said Friday. Netanyahu said the battle against Islamic State “should not come at the expense of the efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.” Yet the Wall Street Journal reported last week that President Barack Obama recently wrote a letter to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, expressing shared interest in the fight against Islamic State jihadists in Syria and Iraq. “[The Iranian and Islamic State threats] should be pursued independently and not linked to one another,” said Netanyahu. Khamenei, meanwhile, tweeted over the weekend, “This barbaric, wolflike & infanticidal regime of #Israel which spares no crime has no cure but to be annihilated.” Graham, a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, said he recently told U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that the U.S. would halt funding for the U.N. Human Rights Council (UNHRC) if the body continues to fixate on Israel. The UNHRC is currently investigating Israel’s role in the 50-day summer war in Gaza, but is not looking into the actions of the Palestinian terror group Hamas. “I don’t think American taxpayers want to help [the UNHRC] with this agenda,” Graham said. —With reporting by Israel Hayom’s Boaz Bismuth, Eli Leon, and Shlomo Cesana. Download this story in Microsoft Word format here. ||||| Diplomats arriving in Austrian capital warned that failure to agree end to deadlock over Iran’s nuclear programme is not an option Iran, the US and other world powers meeting in Vienna this week are close to a historic, comprehensive agreement that could bring a permanent end to 12 years of deadlock over Iran’s nuclear programme. With a deadline for the talks looming in a week’s time, diplomats are converging on the Austrian capital for the last stretch of marathon negotiations beginning Tuesday, with the outcome still in the balance. Compromises have been found on previously contentious issues, and detailed text for different versions of a final deal has been drafted. Some diplomats describe their work as 95% done, pending political decisions to be made in national capitals over Iran’s capacity to enrich uranium over the next few years, and the sequence in which international sanctions are lifted. Several leading arms-control experts have argued that the residual obstacles are more political than substantial, determined by the need of President Barack Obama’s administration and President Hassan Rouhani’s reformist government in Iran to reassure conservatives at home, rather than by the actual requirements of Iran’s nuclear energy programme or genuine nonproliferation concerns. There are also differences among the six-nation group involved in the negotiations with Iran. France has consistently been more opposed to nuclear concessions than the other five (the US, UK, Germany, Russia and China). John Kerry, the US secretary of state, flew to Paris on 4 November for talks with Laurent Fabius, the French foreign minister, seeking assurances that he would not make a public intervention in the last few days of negotiations. In the closing stages of talks over the 2013 interim deal, Fabius warned against western concessions, saying Paris would not play along with a “fool’s game”. Accounts vary as to whether Kerry was able to secure a guarantee from Fabius not to break ranks in the eleventh hour of talks. “For Fabius, the ties with the Gulf Arabs – Saudi Arabia and Qatar – are much more important economically, and for French jobs in the next few years, than Iran,” said a French source familiar with the discussions. The Sunni monarchies in the Gulf are as opposed as Israel to western endorsement of an Iranian nuclear programme on any scale. The consequences of a collapse in the negotiations could be serious and rapid. The US Congress is poised to impose fresh sanctions on Iran, and after the Republican capture of the Senate in this month’s elections it will be hard for Obama to sustain a veto on new punitive measures. In response, hardliners in Tehran are likely to demand an end to the partial freeze on the Iranian programme negotiated in an interim agreement a year ago. Mutual escalation could quickly push the 12-year nuclear standoff back to the brink of war. Israel has repeatedly threatened to take military action if diplomacy fails to contain Iran’s nuclear aspirations. “I think extension is the least likely scenario because of the domestic political ramifications for all sides,” said Reza Marashi, a former state department official, who is research director of the National Iranian American Council in Washington. “In the words of the negotiators themselves: failure is not an option.” Given the high stakes, all sides at the Vienna talks will be extremely reluctant to break off negotiations if a complete agreement is not reached by 24 November, the deadline agreed in the interim deal, at Geneva a year ago. One option would be to announce a framework agreement, leaving gaps to be worked out later, or simply extend the talks. But neither option would be politically sustainable for long without proof of genuine progress. Congress is already sceptical of the talks, claiming Iran is playing for time. “It’s now or never,” said Jim Walsh, an expert on the Iranian nuclear programme at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “If you put this off six months, does Obama come back stronger, able to deliver a deal? Does Rouhani? No. “My hope is that, at the last moment, they stare into the abyss and realise the consequences of not doing a deal now are very, very bad.” Ali Vaez, an analyst at the International Crisis Group, suggested that, at most, the parties would have the remaining two months of the lame duck Congress to resolve the last remaining issues. Those outstanding obstacles, enrichment capacity and the sequence of sanctions relief, have long been the most politically charged and difficult issues on the table. The west is offering a temporary suspension of some US sanctions through a presidential waiver of measures imposed by Congress, along with the unfreezing of blocked Iranian assets around the world. The lifting of major oil and banking sanctions would be left until later. Tehran wants the permanent lifting of the major sanctions early in the lifetime of a deal, including those imposed by the UN security council. Iran has 19,000 centrifuges installed in two enrichment plants. Of those, 10,200 first-generation machines are in operation. The west would like that cut to fewer than 4,000 (the limits are measured in overall capacity, so a smaller number of more advanced centrifuges would be allowed), with the aim that it would take Iran a year to amass enough fissile material for a warhead, if Tehran took the decision to make a weapon. For its part, Iran does not want to cut capacity, and wants assurances that it will be allowed to expand in line with its nuclear energy needs. The rigid positions adopted by both sides have come under criticism from arms control experts. Daryl Kimball, of the Arms Control Association, pointed out that Russia had guaranteed the supply of fuel for Iran’s reactor at Bushehr and for at least two new reactors that Moscow and Tehran had agreed to build last week. “Iran’s practical need in the near term is close to zero,” said Kimball, the head of the association. “Tehran is within sight of a compromise on a linchpin issue. It would be a tragic and historic mistake if Iran passed up the chance for this agreement, if they refused to compromise in order to hold on to a couple of thousand old-fashioned, inefficient centrifuges.” Several nonproliferation specialists have also questioned the US-led insistence that Iran’s “breakout capacity” (the time it would take it to make a warhead) is kept to a year. Jeffrey Lewis, at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, said that if Iran wanted to make nuclear weapons, it would do so at covert sites rather than use facilities under constant international monitoring. “The Iranians are not going to use a declared facility. That would provoke an immediate crisis. Maybe they were be able to build one or two bombs but they would get hit,” said Lewis, who runs the ArmsControlWonk.com website. “If they were going to do it, they would do it in a covert facility. So everything we do should be focused on verification, not on numbers of declared centrifuges.” The guiding principle over nine months of talks on a comprehensive nuclear agreement has been that “nothing is solved until everything is solved”, reflecting the intertwined nature of the issues. But sources close to the talks say several difficult problems are close to a solution. • Lifetime of the deal – Iran originally wanted it to last no more than three years. The west wanted a 20-year deal. A likely compromise is in the eight- to 10-year range. • Cooperation with an International Atomic Energy Agency inquiry into alleged past Iranian development work on nuclear weapons – the IAEA would have to confirm full cooperation before the last major sanctions are lifted. • Heavy water reactor being build in Arak, central Iran – this would be redesigned to produce less plutonium as a byproduct. Iran would undertake not to build a reprocessing facility for extracting plutonium. • Underground enrichment site at Fordow – a small-scale research-and-development centre would be allowed under strict IAEA supervision • Transparency – Iran would accept a permanent IAEA presence at its nuclear facilities, while the agency would be able to inspect undeclared sites for signs of nuclear activity and monitor centrifuge-making plants. The negotiators could decide to bank those gains as the deadline of Monday night next week looms, issuing a statement on progress while asking for more time for the remaining obstacles – but that may not be enough to convince conservatives in the US and Iran to accept an extension.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

(CNN) Synthetic cannabinoids -- often called Spice, K2 or fake weed -- have been tied to 56 cases of severe bleeding , including two deaths, across Chicago and areas in central Illinois. All of the cases required hospitalization related to coughing up blood, blood in the urine, bloody nose, bleeding gums and other symptoms. Nine of the cases tested positive for brodifacoum, or rat poison, according to a statement from the Illinois Department of Public Health on Monday. Now, state officials are working to identify any common synthetic cannabinoid products related to those cases and to determine where the products were obtained. There are still many questions about the illnesses; officials are not aware what exactly caused the drug contamination, but investigators and toxicologists are continuing to evaluate. "This is the first time we've seen an outbreak of this magnitude in the area," Melaney Arnold, a spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Public Health, said Monday. "We're working with numerous different partners across the city and state as we investigate this outbreak," she said. Synthetic cannabinoids are sold in convenience stores, gas stations, drug paraphernalia shops, novelty stores and even online. Health officials warn that anyone who has a reaction to synthetic cannabinoids immediately should call 911 or be taken to an emergency department. 'There could be additional deaths coming' "We continue to see the number of cases rise," Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health , said in the statement. The department "is continuing to work with local health departments and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with other partners, to try to identify common products," he said. "Without more information, IDPH does not know how much contaminated product is circulating or where. We strongly urge everyone not to use synthetic cannabinoids." Though 17 of the recent cases were tied to synthetic cannabinoid products in Chicago, contaminated products could be statewide, the Department of Public Health noted There also were five cases in Cook County, two in Kankakee County, 14 in Peoria County, 12 in Tazewell County and one in each of the counties of DuPage, Kane, McLean and Will. Two other cases are under investigation. One of the deaths was in Chicago and the other in central Illinois. Officials had never before seen a death in Chicago related to fake weed, Arnold said. "There could be additional deaths coming; it is difficult to say," she added. "We're doing whatever we can with regards to outreach to notify any who may be impacted by this outbreak." What is fake weed? This isn't the first time a region of the United States has seen an outbreak of health problems tied to synthetic cannabinoids. Last year, 102 people in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania , overdosed on synthetic marijuana within three days. None of those cases was fatal. In 2016, 33 people in Brooklyn were made ill from suspected overdoses of synthetic pot. During that time, physicians treated 456 patients total for synthetic cannabinoid intoxications. Synthetic cannabinoids, or fake weed , are human-made chemicals that can be sprinkled on dried, shredded plant material and smoked, or can be consumed as vaporized liquids inhaled through an e-cigarette or other device. These mind-altering chemicals are called cannabinoids, since they are similar to the chemicals found in marijuana, though they can cause serious side effects that are different from those of marijuana. One study of a synthetic cannabinoid found that it was 85 times as potent as tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the mind-altering chemical in marijuana. That study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2016. JUST WATCHED How synthetic drugs are killing kids Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH How synthetic drugs are killing kids 04:20 People who smoke synthetic cannabinoids can have rapid heart rate, vomiting, agitation, confusion and hallucinations, according to the CDC. In the past few years, doctors have become familiar with the health outcomes people can face when they are exposed to synthetic cannabinoids, said Dr. Patrick Lank, an emergency physician and assistant professor of emergency medicine at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Illinois. Follow CNN Health on Facebook and Twitter See the latest news and share your comments with CNN Health on Facebook and Twitter. "They include things like seizures, heart attack, kidney failure," said Lank, who was not involved in the recent synthetic cannabinoid cases. "What's happening in Illinois is different, and these are bleeding complications. Why they're happening? We're still uncertain," he said. "We don't know if the supply of synthetic cannabinoids in Illinois and the Chicago area have been tainted by someone with brodifacoum, or rat poison. Or if this is potentially a new side effect of a new synthetic cannabinoid." ||||| SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is reporting the death of a second individual who experienced severe bleeding and reported using synthetic cannabinoids, often called Spice, K2, or fake weed. To date, IDPH has reports of 56 people, including two deaths, in the Chicago area and in central Illinois who have experienced severe bleeding and reported using synthetic cannabinoids. All cases have required hospitalization for symptoms such as coughing up blood, blood in the urine, severe bloody nose, and/or bleeding gums. Nine of these cases have tested positive for brodifacoum, a lethal anticoagulant often used as a rodenticide, or rat poison. “We continue to see the number of cases rise,” said IDPH Director Nirav D. Shah, M.D., J.D. “IDPH is continuing to work with local health departments and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with other partners, to try to identify common products. Without more information, IDPH does not know how much contaminated product is circulating or where. We strongly urge everyone not to use synthetic cannabinoids.” Synthetic cannabinoids are human-made, mind-altering chemicals that are sprayed on to dried plant material. They can be smoked or sold as liquids to be vaporized in e-cigarettes and other devices. These chemicals are called cannabinoids because they are similar to chemicals found in the marijuana plant. The health effects from using synthetic cannabinoids can be unpredictable, harmful, and deadly. IDPH continues to investigate to try to identify any common products and determine where they were obtained. Synthetic cannabinoids are found across Illinois and the U.S. in convenience stores, gas stations, drug paraphernalia shops, novelty stores, and online. Anyone who has a reaction to synthetic cannabinoids, such as severe bleeding, should call 911 or have someone take them to the emergency department immediately. To maintain confidentiality, additional information about the cases, including the two deaths, is not available. The number of cases and counties of residence are posted on the IDPH website at 1:30 p.m. each weekday. ### ||||| State and local health officials have issued a warning about a synthetic pot in Illinois that has caused users to experience severe bleeding. On Friday, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported that 32 people in the past few weeks visited emergency rooms with severe bleeding after using a synthetic cannabinoid product. That’s up from the 22 cases the state reported just the day before. The department also released a geographic breakdown, reporting eight cases in Chicago, four in suburban Cook County and one each in Will, DuPage, Kane and McLean counties. The hot spot seems to be the Peoria area, with Tazewell County reporting 10 cases and neighboring Peoria County six. Most of those affected were in the Chicago area, but health officials warned the contaminated products also could be present elsewhere across the state, said department spokeswoman Melaney Arnold. The health department said Thursday that symptoms have included bleeding from the eyes and ears. On Friday, officials clarified that while this can happen, those affected in Illinois have reported other symptoms, like coughing up blood, blood in urine, bloody noses, bleeding gums and, for women, heavier than usual menstrual flow. Though synthetic pot has long been considered dangerous, severe bleeding is not a known side effect, said Dr. Melissa Millewich, an emergency room physician at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove. “This bleeding is not expected, at least in such a significant population so quickly,” she said. Despite a statewide ban, Arnold said manufacturers could be slightly tweaking the molecular makeup of the products as a way to “get around” the law, allowing for them to be sold legally. They are also sold on the street, she said, and those experiencing the bleeding said they obtained the products in convenience stores and from dealers and friends. Health officials reported 32 people who experienced the symptom since March 7, and they continue to track the situation, Arnold said. So far, there are no deaths reported. A change in the latest formula could be behind the new, dangerous symptom, Millewich said. Because health officials don’t know the exact makeup of the products, it’s unclear what’s causing the bleeding, she added. While there have been no such cases at Good Samaritan’s ER, Millewich said, synthetic pot, often called “fake weed,” “K2” or “spice,” has previously displayed life-threatening symptoms like kidney failure, along with psychosis. “People don’t realize how dangerous this is,” she said. The man-made substance is a mixture of hundreds of chemicals, often called cannabinoids because they affect the same brain cell receptors as the main ingredient in marijuana. Cannabinoids are sometimes sprayed on plant material for smoking, or are sold as liquids to be vaporized and inhaled in e-cigarettes and other devices, the health department’s warning said. The products are also sometimes referred to as herbal or liquid incense. Recent patient reports of severe bleeding led health officials to warn the public not to use any synthetic cannabinoid products. While those affected by the outbreak admitted using cannabinoids, it’s been difficult to determine their exact source for the substance, Arnold said. Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the public health department, says there’s an erroneous perception that synthetic cannabinoids are a safe and legal alternative to marijuana. Shah says they're unsafe because it's difficult to know what chemicals they contain or what an individual's reaction will be. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found there’s also an association between teens who use synthetic pot and a heightened risk for violent behavior, risky sex and abuse of other drugs. Anyone who uses these drugs and experiences unexplained bleeding or bruising is advised to call 911 or have someone take them to an emergency room. Associated Press contributed. [email protected] Twitter @knthayer

– Two people have now been reported dead among dozens of cases of synthetic marijuana users who've turned up at Illinois hospitals in recent weeks complaining of severe bleeding. Per CNN, the more than 50 cases all involve hospitalizations in and around Chicago, where complaints have ranged from bloody noses to bloody coughs, blood in urine and other startling symptoms. While officials are continuing to evaluate what is causing the previously unseen bleeding, the Illinois Department of Public Health said Monday that nine of the cases have come up positive for a rat poison called brodifcoum, which acts as a powerful anti-coagulant. As of last week, officials had reported 22 people taken to the ER with severe bleeding connected to synthetic cannabinoid products since March 7, the Chicago Tribune reports. To date, the IDPH has tallied 56 cases involving severe bleeding linked to synthetic marijuana use in Chicago and central Illinois. In addition to other symptoms, fake weed users are bleeding from their eyes and ears. Official are now working to try to identify any common products and determine where they were obtained. Per the IDPH, synthetic cannabinoids are human-made, mind-altering chemicals that are sprayed onto dried plant material. They can be smoked or sold as liquids to be vaporized in e-cigarettes and other devices. These chemicals are called cannabinoids because they are similar to chemicals found in the marijuana plant; however their effects on health can be unpredictable, harmful, and even deadly.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.(CNN) Synthetic cannabinoids -- often called Spice, K2 or fake weed -- have been tied to 56 cases of severe bleeding , including two deaths, across Chicago and areas in central Illinois. All of the cases required hospitalization related to coughing up blood, blood in the urine, bloody nose, bleeding gums and other symptoms. Nine of the cases tested positive for brodifacoum, or rat poison, according to a statement from the Illinois Department of Public Health on Monday. Now, state officials are working to identify any common synthetic cannabinoid products related to those cases and to determine where the products were obtained. There are still many questions about the illnesses; officials are not aware what exactly caused the drug contamination, but investigators and toxicologists are continuing to evaluate. "This is the first time we've seen an outbreak of this magnitude in the area," Melaney Arnold, a spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Public Health, said Monday. "We're working with numerous different partners across the city and state as we investigate this outbreak," she said. Synthetic cannabinoids are sold in convenience stores, gas stations, drug paraphernalia shops, novelty stores and even online. Health officials warn that anyone who has a reaction to synthetic cannabinoids immediately should call 911 or be taken to an emergency department. 'There could be additional deaths coming' "We continue to see the number of cases rise," Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health , said in the statement. The department "is continuing to work with local health departments and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with other partners, to try to identify common products," he said. "Without more information, IDPH does not know how much contaminated product is circulating or where. We strongly urge everyone not to use synthetic cannabinoids." Though 17 of the recent cases were tied to synthetic cannabinoid products in Chicago, contaminated products could be statewide, the Department of Public Health noted There also were five cases in Cook County, two in Kankakee County, 14 in Peoria County, 12 in Tazewell County and one in each of the counties of DuPage, Kane, McLean and Will. Two other cases are under investigation. One of the deaths was in Chicago and the other in central Illinois. Officials had never before seen a death in Chicago related to fake weed, Arnold said. "There could be additional deaths coming; it is difficult to say," she added. "We're doing whatever we can with regards to outreach to notify any who may be impacted by this outbreak." What is fake weed? This isn't the first time a region of the United States has seen an outbreak of health problems tied to synthetic cannabinoids. Last year, 102 people in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania , overdosed on synthetic marijuana within three days. None of those cases was fatal. In 2016, 33 people in Brooklyn were made ill from suspected overdoses of synthetic pot. During that time, physicians treated 456 patients total for synthetic cannabinoid intoxications. Synthetic cannabinoids, or fake weed , are human-made chemicals that can be sprinkled on dried, shredded plant material and smoked, or can be consumed as vaporized liquids inhaled through an e-cigarette or other device. These mind-altering chemicals are called cannabinoids, since they are similar to the chemicals found in marijuana, though they can cause serious side effects that are different from those of marijuana. One study of a synthetic cannabinoid found that it was 85 times as potent as tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the mind-altering chemical in marijuana. That study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2016. JUST WATCHED How synthetic drugs are killing kids Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH How synthetic drugs are killing kids 04:20 People who smoke synthetic cannabinoids can have rapid heart rate, vomiting, agitation, confusion and hallucinations, according to the CDC. In the past few years, doctors have become familiar with the health outcomes people can face when they are exposed to synthetic cannabinoids, said Dr. Patrick Lank, an emergency physician and assistant professor of emergency medicine at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Illinois. Follow CNN Health on Facebook and Twitter See the latest news and share your comments with CNN Health on Facebook and Twitter. "They include things like seizures, heart attack, kidney failure," said Lank, who was not involved in the recent synthetic cannabinoid cases. "What's happening in Illinois is different, and these are bleeding complications. Why they're happening? We're still uncertain," he said. "We don't know if the supply of synthetic cannabinoids in Illinois and the Chicago area have been tainted by someone with brodifacoum, or rat poison. Or if this is potentially a new side effect of a new synthetic cannabinoid." ||||| SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is reporting the death of a second individual who experienced severe bleeding and reported using synthetic cannabinoids, often called Spice, K2, or fake weed. To date, IDPH has reports of 56 people, including two deaths, in the Chicago area and in central Illinois who have experienced severe bleeding and reported using synthetic cannabinoids. All cases have required hospitalization for symptoms such as coughing up blood, blood in the urine, severe bloody nose, and/or bleeding gums. Nine of these cases have tested positive for brodifacoum, a lethal anticoagulant often used as a rodenticide, or rat poison. “We continue to see the number of cases rise,” said IDPH Director Nirav D. Shah, M.D., J.D. “IDPH is continuing to work with local health departments and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with other partners, to try to identify common products. Without more information, IDPH does not know how much contaminated product is circulating or where. We strongly urge everyone not to use synthetic cannabinoids.” Synthetic cannabinoids are human-made, mind-altering chemicals that are sprayed on to dried plant material. They can be smoked or sold as liquids to be vaporized in e-cigarettes and other devices. These chemicals are called cannabinoids because they are similar to chemicals found in the marijuana plant. The health effects from using synthetic cannabinoids can be unpredictable, harmful, and deadly. IDPH continues to investigate to try to identify any common products and determine where they were obtained. Synthetic cannabinoids are found across Illinois and the U.S. in convenience stores, gas stations, drug paraphernalia shops, novelty stores, and online. Anyone who has a reaction to synthetic cannabinoids, such as severe bleeding, should call 911 or have someone take them to the emergency department immediately. To maintain confidentiality, additional information about the cases, including the two deaths, is not available. The number of cases and counties of residence are posted on the IDPH website at 1:30 p.m. each weekday. ### ||||| State and local health officials have issued a warning about a synthetic pot in Illinois that has caused users to experience severe bleeding. On Friday, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported that 32 people in the past few weeks visited emergency rooms with severe bleeding after using a synthetic cannabinoid product. That’s up from the 22 cases the state reported just the day before. The department also released a geographic breakdown, reporting eight cases in Chicago, four in suburban Cook County and one each in Will, DuPage, Kane and McLean counties. The hot spot seems to be the Peoria area, with Tazewell County reporting 10 cases and neighboring Peoria County six. Most of those affected were in the Chicago area, but health officials warned the contaminated products also could be present elsewhere across the state, said department spokeswoman Melaney Arnold. The health department said Thursday that symptoms have included bleeding from the eyes and ears. On Friday, officials clarified that while this can happen, those affected in Illinois have reported other symptoms, like coughing up blood, blood in urine, bloody noses, bleeding gums and, for women, heavier than usual menstrual flow. Though synthetic pot has long been considered dangerous, severe bleeding is not a known side effect, said Dr. Melissa Millewich, an emergency room physician at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove. “This bleeding is not expected, at least in such a significant population so quickly,” she said. Despite a statewide ban, Arnold said manufacturers could be slightly tweaking the molecular makeup of the products as a way to “get around” the law, allowing for them to be sold legally. They are also sold on the street, she said, and those experiencing the bleeding said they obtained the products in convenience stores and from dealers and friends. Health officials reported 32 people who experienced the symptom since March 7, and they continue to track the situation, Arnold said. So far, there are no deaths reported. A change in the latest formula could be behind the new, dangerous symptom, Millewich said. Because health officials don’t know the exact makeup of the products, it’s unclear what’s causing the bleeding, she added. While there have been no such cases at Good Samaritan’s ER, Millewich said, synthetic pot, often called “fake weed,” “K2” or “spice,” has previously displayed life-threatening symptoms like kidney failure, along with psychosis. “People don’t realize how dangerous this is,” she said. The man-made substance is a mixture of hundreds of chemicals, often called cannabinoids because they affect the same brain cell receptors as the main ingredient in marijuana. Cannabinoids are sometimes sprayed on plant material for smoking, or are sold as liquids to be vaporized and inhaled in e-cigarettes and other devices, the health department’s warning said. The products are also sometimes referred to as herbal or liquid incense. Recent patient reports of severe bleeding led health officials to warn the public not to use any synthetic cannabinoid products. While those affected by the outbreak admitted using cannabinoids, it’s been difficult to determine their exact source for the substance, Arnold said. Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the public health department, says there’s an erroneous perception that synthetic cannabinoids are a safe and legal alternative to marijuana. Shah says they're unsafe because it's difficult to know what chemicals they contain or what an individual's reaction will be. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found there’s also an association between teens who use synthetic pot and a heightened risk for violent behavior, risky sex and abuse of other drugs. Anyone who uses these drugs and experiences unexplained bleeding or bruising is advised to call 911 or have someone take them to an emergency room. Associated Press contributed. [email protected] Twitter @knthayer

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Argentina's Lionel Messi kneels on the pitch during the round of 16 match between France and Argentina, at the 2018 soccer World Cup at the Kazan Arena in Kazan, Russia, Saturday, June 30, 2018. (AP Photo/Thanassis... (Associated Press) Argentina's Lionel Messi kneels on the pitch during the round of 16 match between France and Argentina, at the 2018 soccer World Cup at the Kazan Arena in Kazan, Russia, Saturday, June 30, 2018. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) (Associated Press) MOSCOW (AP) — Lionel Messi stared, hands on hips, pain etched across a face once boyish and filled with limitless joy, now obscured by a brown beard and hardened by expectations for his nation unmet. Four hours later and 950 miles (1,530 kilometers) away, Cristiano Ronaldo's eyes were wide in anger as he shouted in protest just ahead of the final whistle, once again arguing with a referee. The tirade got Ronaldo a second yellow card that would have suspended him for the next match. No worries, Portugal's World Cup ended with a loss. Saturday will likely mark the end of an era for the World Cup, a decade in which much of the hype and pre-tournament talk has been about the best players in the world, the Spanish league rivals who have evenly split the last 10 FIFA Player of the Year Awards. Once again, both men have failed to replicate their club success for their countries. Messi is a week past his 31st birthday and Ronaldo 33, former phenoms unlikely to reach Qatar 2022 or retain their exceptional skill if they manage to hang on. For both superstars, a World Cup title remained an unreachable star. On Saturday, they were both outshined by a pair of Paris Saint-Germain teammates, France's Kylian Mbappe and Uruguay's Edinson Cavani. Younger legs have more speed and endurance. Most importantly, Cavani and Mbappe had more support and less pressure. Messi hasn't won a senior title with his nation, losing finals at the 2014 World Cup, and the 2007, '15 and '16 Copa Americas, the last when Messi failed on his penalty kick during a shootout. He faced massive criticism at home and retired from the national team only to be lured back for this World Cup cycle. Ronaldo lost a World Cup semifinal in 2006 but never got past the second round again. He did help Portugal to its first European Championship in 2016. If Argentina and Portugal won Saturday, the rivals would have matched up for a spot in the semifinals. Instead, they'll race to the airport. Argentina lost to France 4-3 in Kazan and Portugal fell to Uruguay 2-1 at Sochi. Brazil's Pele and Argentina's Diego Maradona became national treasures at home, celebrated for World Cup titles and global superstars. Fans who never saw them play for their clubs know of Pele and Maradona's accomplishments every four years at the global tournament. Messi and Ronaldo will be remembered for great club success, but not country triumph. Barcelona signed the 13-year-old Messi to a contract scrawled on a napkin in 2000. He was 17 when he made his competitive first-team debut. Titles accumulated at an unprecedented rate: four in the Champions League, nine in La Liga and six in the Copa del Rey. Adulation at Camp Nou turned into worship; media called him "La Pugla (The Flea)" for his small frame and unparalleled acceleration, and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger equated Messi's moves with a video-game creation, proclaiming he was "like a PlayStation." He scored at a rate once unfathomable: 383 goals in 418 league matches, 100 in 125 Champions League games and 552 in 637 first-team appearances overall. He was a lifer for one of the most popular clubs in the world, a brand of his own, earning love in Spain but detachment from his countrymen in South America. Too often, his World Cup failures were compared to Maradona's successes. Ronaldo, too, debuted at 17, for Sporting Lisbon. His crossover dribble was already famous when Alex Ferguson snatched him for Manchester United ahead of the 2003-04 season and gave him the No. 7 of just-departed David Beckham. After six seasons that included three Premier League titles, one Champions League and one FA Cup, he moved to Real Madrid and scored 450 goals in 438 matches, winning four Champions League titles, and the league and cup twice each. He's set a Champions League record with 120 goals, leaving Messi a distant second. They were soccer's yin and yang, Messi understated and distant, Ronaldo flamboyant with a model girlfriend and attention-grabbing hairdos. They are global spokesmen, Ronaldo for Nike, Toyota and many more; Messi for the likes of Adidas and Pepsi. Ronaldo grew a goatee for this World Cup. He said it was because of a bet with Portugal teammate Ricardo Quaresma, but it coincided with the release of a commercial of Messi with a real goat — as in "Greatest of All Time." They have entertained, becoming household names in continents far afield, royalty of the internet age when satellites beamed their twice-a-week matches to homes, bars and laptops in ways Pele, Maradona and predecessors couldn't envisage. But now their time at the top has come to an end. Mbappe, just 19, and others in the next generation are ready for leading roles. It is too soon to proclaim which will emerge to become the best. As dusk descended late on a midsummer Russian night, dawn was just ahead. ___ More AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/WorldCup ||||| Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup French players celebrate with the World Cup trophy after defeating Croatia in the final on Sunday, July 15. Hide Caption 1 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup French midfielder Paul Pogba celebrates with the trophy. Hide Caption 2 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup France mobs Kylian Mbappe after his goal gave the team a 4-1 lead. Hide Caption 3 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Croatia's Ivan Strinic reacts during the match. Hide Caption 4 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup France manager Didier Deschamps is lifted by his players after the victory. Deschamps was also a player on the 1998 French team that won the World Cup. Hide Caption 5 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris makes a jumping save against Croatia. Hide Caption 6 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup French players celebrate after the final whistle. Hide Caption 7 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup French President Emmanuel Macron shows his excitement while watching the match. Hide Caption 8 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Paul Pogba, bottom, runs to the corner after scoring France's third goal. Hide Caption 9 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup France's Lucas Hernandez tackles Ante Rebic. Hide Caption 10 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup The referee used video review on this play late in the first half and called for a penalty after Ivan Perisic handled the ball in the Croatian box. Antoine Griezmann stepped up to convert the penalty and give France a 2-1 lead. Hide Caption 11 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Perisic, bottom left, scored a spectacular first-half goal to tie the match at 1-1. Hide Caption 12 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Will Smith and Nicky Jam perform during the closing ceremony held before the final. Hide Caption 13 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Belgian players celebrate Eden Hazard's goal in the third-place match against England on Saturday, July 14. The Belgians won 2-0. Hide Caption 14 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Thomas Meunier opened the scoring for Belgium in the fourth minute. Hide Caption 15 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup English goalkeeper Jordan Pickford reacts after the first goal against Belgium. Hide Caption 16 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Mario Mandzukic scores against England late in extra time to give Croatia a 2-1 victory in the semifinals on Wednesday, July 11. Hide Caption 17 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Mandzukic celebrates after his goal. Hide Caption 18 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Croatia's Ivan Strinic, right, challenges England's Jesse Lingard. Hide Caption 19 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Croatian defender Sime Vrsaljko goes over Ashley Young for a header. Hide Caption 20 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup A photographer is knocked over by members of the Croatian team as they celebrate the late Mandzukic goal. Hide Caption 21 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Players collide during the Croatia-England semifinal. Croatia played 120 minutes for the third straight match. Hide Caption 22 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Lingard shields the ball in the corner. Hide Caption 23 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup France's Antoine Griezmann celebrates at the end of the semifinal match against Belgium on Tuesday, July 10. France won 1-0 to advance to the final. Hide Caption 24 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup France's Olivier Giroud kisses teammate Samuel Umtiti after Umtiti scored on a header against Belgium. Hide Caption 25 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Giroud is challenged by Belgium defender Vincent Kompany. Hide Caption 26 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup France's teenage sensation, Kylian Mbappe, jumps over Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. Hide Caption 27 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Thierry Henry, assistant coach for Belgium and former French captain, consoles Belgian players after the semifinal loss. Hide Caption 28 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Luka Modric jumps for the ball during Croatia's quarterfinal victory over Russia on July 7. Hide Caption 29 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Croatian players celebrate after defeating Russia in a penalty shootout. The match was tied 2-2 after extra time. Hide Caption 30 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Russian forward Fedor Smolov reacts after the Croatia match. Hide Caption 31 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Croatia's Mario Mandzukic, left, and Russia's Mario Fernandes go for the ball. Hide Caption 32 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Croatia's Andrej Kramaric celebrates after scoring the opening goal against Russia. Hide Caption 33 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup English defenders Harry Maguire, left, and John Stones celebrate their quarterfinal victory over Sweden on July 7. Maguire scored the opening goal in the 2-0 win. Hide Caption 34 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup English manager Gareth Southgate celebrates his team's win. Hide Caption 35 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Dele Alli scores on a header for England's second goal. Hide Caption 36 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Swedish players are dejected at the end of the match. Hide Caption 37 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Belgian players celebrate the second goal in their 2-1 win over Brazil on July 6. They advanced to play France in the semifinals. Hide Caption 38 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Brazilian star Neymar reacts after the final whistle. Hide Caption 39 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Belgium celebrates their first goal, which came off a deflected header in the 13th minute. Hide Caption 40 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois leaps for a loose ball in the box. Hide Caption 41 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Kevin De Bruyne controls the ball against Brazil. Hide Caption 42 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup France's Olivier Giroud, left, and Uruguay's Martin Caceres battle for the ball during their quarterfinal match on July 6. France won 2-0. Hide Caption 43 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Uruguayan goalkeeper Fernando Muslera watches the ball leak into the net after he misplayed an Antoine Griezmann shot in the second half. Hide Caption 44 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup France's Benjamin Pavard, top, and Uruguay's Cristian Rodriguez compete for a header. Hide Caption 45 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup A France supporter cheers ahead of the match. Hide Caption 46 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup English players react after their shootout win over Colombia on July 3. It was England's first-ever shootout win at a World Cup. Hide Caption 47 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Colombian striker Radamel Falcao heads the ball toward goal on July 3. Hide Caption 48 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup England's Harry Kane tries to control the ball against Colombia. He scored a penalty during regulation time. It was his tournament-leading sixth goal. Hide Caption 49 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Falcao reacts after receiving a yellow card. Hide Caption 50 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Sweden's Emil Forsberg, left, celebrates after scoring against Switzerland on July 3. Sweden won 1-0 to advance to the quarterfinals. Hide Caption 51 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup A Sweden fan shows his support during the Switzerland match. Hide Caption 52 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Switzerland's Xherdan Shaqiri is challenged by Ludwig Augustinsson. Hide Caption 53 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Belgium players celebrate after Nacer Chadli, third from right, scored with just seconds remaining to win the round-of-16 match against Japan on July 2. Hide Caption 54 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Chadli slides the ball past Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima to finish off Belgium's 3-2 comeback victory. It is the first time since 1970 that a team has come back from two goals down to win in the World Cup knockout stage. Hide Caption 55 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup A Japan supporter cries after the match. Hide Caption 56 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Takashi Inui, left, gave Japan a 2-0 lead early in the second half. Hide Caption 57 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Belgium defender Vincent Kompany nearly scores in the first half. Hide Caption 58 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Brazilian star Neymar is fouled by Mexican defender Edson Alvarez during their round-of-16 match on July 2. Brazil won 2-0. Hide Caption 59 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Neymar stretches for a cross to score Brazil's first goal in the 51st minute. Hide Caption 60 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Neymar is held on Paulinho's shoulders after the first goal. Hide Caption 61 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Mexico's Hirving Lozano watches the ball during the Brazil match. This is the seventh straight time that Mexico has been eliminated in the World Cup's round of 16. Hide Caption 62 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Croatia's Luka Modric celebrates with teammates after their victory over Denmark on July 1. Croatia won on penalties after the match ended 1-1. Hide Caption 63 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Croatia's Ivan Perisic stops the ball during the Denmark match. Hide Caption 64 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev saves an Iago Aspas penalty to give Russia an upset victory over Spain in the round of 16. The match went to penalties after ending 1-1. Hide Caption 65 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Russian players mob Akinfeev after the final save. Hide Caption 66 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Russia's Artem Dzyuba celebrates after scoring against Spain in the first half. Hide Caption 67 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Spain's Isco and Russia's Mario Fernandes vie for the ball. Hide Caption 68 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Dzyuba is defended by Sergio Busquets. Hide Caption 69 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Edinson Cavani celebrates his second goal in a 2-0 victory over Portugal on June 30. Hide Caption 70 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo receives a yellow card from referee Cesar Ramos near the end of the match. Hide Caption 71 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Argentina's Lionel Messi reacts after his team was knocked out of the World Cup by France on June 30. Messi had two assists in the 4-3 loss. Hide Caption 72 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Kylian Mbappe was the star in France's victory over Argentina. The teenage sensation scored twice and drew a penalty that gave France its first goal. Hide Caption 73 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup An Argentina fan reacts after the match. Hide Caption 74 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Gabriel Mercado deflected a Messi shot past Hugo Lloris to give Argentina a brief 2-1 lead. Hide Caption 75 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup French players celebrate after Benjamin Pavard tied the match at 2-2. Hide Caption 76 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup France fans celebrate during the match against Argentina. Hide Caption 77 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Colombian defender Yerry Mina controls the ball during a match against Senegal on June 28. Mina headed in a second-half goal to lift his team to a 1-0 victory -- and first place in Group H. Hide Caption 78 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Colombia's Juan Quintero jumps over Senegal's Idrissa Gana Gueye. Senegal finished with four points in Group H, the same as Japan, but Japan advanced on the "fair play points" tiebreaker. Japan had two fewer yellow cards in the tournament than Senegal. Hide Caption 79 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Senegal fans salute before the match against Colombia. Hide Caption 80 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Poland's Jan Bednarek, left, competes for the ball with Japan's Gotoku Sakai on June 28. Poland won 1-0, but Japan advanced to the next round. Hide Caption 81 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Poland forward Robert Lewandowski dribbles through two Japan players. Hide Caption 82 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Japan supporters clear litter from the stands after the match. Hide Caption 83 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Belgium's Adnan Januzaj curls in a stunning goal against England on June 28. It was the only goal of the match. Hide Caption 84 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup The Belgium-England match was notable for how many top players didn't see the field. With both teams already assured a spot in the knockout stage, many of their usual starters took the night off. Among those on the bench for Belgium were captain Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne. Hide Caption 85 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Tunisia's Wahbi Khazri, center, celebrates with his teammates after scoring the winning goal against Panama on June 28. Tunisia won 2-1. Hide Caption 86 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Panama players celebrate after an own goal gave them an early lead against Tunisia. Hide Caption 87 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Germany's Marco Reus reacts after his team lost to South Korea and was knocked out of the World Cup on June 27. The defending champions lost 2-0 and finished at the bottom of Group F. Hide Caption 88 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup South Korea's Lee Jae-sung, left, chases down a ball with Germany's Jonas Hector. Hide Caption 89 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Ludwig Augustinsson celebrates after scoring Sweden's first goal in its 3-0 victory over Mexico on June 27. The result meant that Sweden would top Group F and Mexico would finish in second. Hide Caption 90 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Mexican defender Hector Moreno heads the ball in front of Swedish forward Marcus Berg. Hide Caption 91 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Brazilian defender Thiago Silva celebrates after his powerful header gave Brazil a 2-0 lead over Serbia on June 27. Brazil won Group E with two victories and a draw. Hide Caption 92 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Brazil's Willian and Serbia's Filip Kostic fight for the ball. Hide Caption 93 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Brazilian star Neymar controls the ball during the Serbia match. Hide Caption 94 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Switzerland's Blerim Dzemaili celebrates after scoring the first goal in his team's 2-2 draw with Costa Rica on June 27. Switzerland finished second in its group to advance to the knockout stage. Hide Caption 95 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Kendall Waston had a goal for Costa Rica in the match against Switzerland. Hide Caption 96 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Costa Rican defender Cristian Gamboa, right, closes in on Switzerland's Ricardo Rodriguez. Hide Caption 97 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Argentina star Lionel Messi rides on the back of Marcos Rojo after Rojo's late winner against Nigeria on June 26. With the 2-1 victory, Argentina clinched a spot in the next round of the tournament. Hide Caption 98 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Rojo controls the ball earlier in the match against Nigeria. Hide Caption 99 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Argentina legend Diego Maradona was in the crowd once again, drawing attention from fans just as he did when he was a player. Hide Caption 100 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Croatia's Josip Pivaric prepares to chest the ball during the team's 1-0 win against Iceland on June 26. Croatia improved its record to 3-0 in the tournament. Hide Caption 101 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Croatia supporters kiss ahead of the match against Iceland. Hide Caption 102 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Danish players acknowledge fans after their scoreless draw with France on June 26. Both teams advanced to the knockout stage. Hide Caption 103 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Denmark's Martin Braithwaite, left, is tracked by France's N'Golo Kante, center, and Presnel Kimpembe. Hide Caption 104 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Australian player Mark Milligan is joined by his children after a 2-0 loss to Peru on June 26. Hide Caption 105 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Milligan stretches to clear a cross. Hide Caption 106 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Aaron Mooy tugs on the jersey of Peru's Paolo Guerrero. Hide Caption 107 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Portugal's Ricardo Quaresma, left, is embraced by Cristiano Ronaldo after scoring against Iran on June 25. Iran scored late to tie the match, but the 1-1 result was enough to see Portugal into the next round. Hide Caption 108 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup An Iran fan enjoys the pre-match atmosphere. Hide Caption 109 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Iranian forward Sardar Azmoun shields the ball from Portuguese defender Jose Fonte. Hide Caption 110 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Moroccan goalkeeper Munir catches the ball against Spain. That match ended 2-2, with Spain winning the group. Hide Caption 111 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Egyptian star Mohamed Salah reacts after Saudi Arabia's winning goal in second-half stoppage time on June 25. Egypt lost all three of its matches at this World Cup. Hide Caption 112 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Salem Al-Dawsari celebrates with a flip after scoring the match-winning goal against Egypt. Hide Caption 113 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Russia's Artem Dzyuba, in white, competes with Uruguay's Sebastian Coates during Uruguay's 3-0 victory on June 25. Uruguay won all three of its matches in the group stage. This was Russia's first loss. Hide Caption 114 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup A Uruguay fan, right, poses with a Russia fan before the match. Hide Caption 115 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez, left, reacts after the second goal deflected past Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev. Hide Caption 116 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Colombian forward Falcao celebrates after scoring against Poland on June 24. Colombia won 3-0. Hide Caption 117 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Colombian defender Yerry Mina opened the scoring with a header in the first half. Hide Caption 118 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup A Colombia fan before the Poland match. Hide Caption 119 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Senegalese players huddle up before the second half of their match against Japan on June 24. The two teams tied 2-2. Hide Caption 120 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup A shot of the crowd at the Ekaterinburg Arena during the Japan-Senegal match. Hide Caption 121 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup English striker Harry Kane celebrates after scoring a penalty in the 6-1 rout of Panama on June 24. Kane finished with a hat trick. Hide Caption 122 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Panama players gather after their defeat. Hide Caption 123 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup German players celebrate after Toni Kroos scored on a late free kick to stun Sweden 2-1 on June 23. Hide Caption 124 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup South Korea's Ki Sung-yueng, right, argues with Mexico's Edson Alvarez as Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa lies on the ground on June 23. Mexico won 2-1. Hide Caption 125 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup South Korea's Lee Yong, left, duels for the ball with Mexico's Hirving Lozano. Hide Caption 126 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup A Mexico fan waits for the start of the match against South Korea. Hide Caption 127 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Belgium's Romelu Lukaku scores against Tunisia on June 23. He had a pair of goals in the match, which Belgium won 5-2. Hide Caption 128 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Captain Eden Hazard also scored two for Belgium. Hide Caption 129 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Players watch the ball during the Belgium-Tunisia match. Hide Caption 130 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Belgium's Jan Vertonghen, left, challenges Tunisia's Wahbi Khazri. Hide Caption 131 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Swiss midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri celebrates after scoring the winning goal against Serbia on June 22. Switzerland won 2-1. Hide Caption 132 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Swiss players defend Serbia's Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. Hide Caption 133 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer catches the ball over Milinkovic-Savic. Hide Caption 134 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Nigerian midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo kicks the ball during a 2-0 victory over Iceland on June 22. Hide Caption 135 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Ahmed Musa celebrates after scoring his second goal of the match against Iceland. Hide Caption 136 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Iceland fans perform their famous viking clap. Hide Caption 137 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Neymar celebrates his last-second goal that finished off Brazil's 2-0 victory over Costa Rica on June 22. Hide Caption 138 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Neymar taps in his goal late in the match. Hide Caption 139 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Croatian players celebrate the second goal in their 3-0 victory over Argentina on June 21. The victory clinched them a spot in the knockout stage. Hide Caption 140 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Croatia's Luka Modric is tackled by Argentina's Nicolas Tagliafico. Hide Caption 141 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Willy Caballero is dejected after his flubbed clearance gifted Croatia its first goal. Hide Caption 142 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup France's Kylian Mbappe, right, celebrates with teammate Antoine Griezmann after scoring against Peru on June 21. It was the only goal of the match. Hide Caption 143 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Peru's Andre Carrillo is challenged by French players Paul Pogba, left, and N'Golo Kante. Hide Caption 144 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup A Peruvian supporter waits for the start of the match. Hide Caption 145 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Australia's Robbie Kruse, foreground, and Denmark's Henrik Dalsgaard go for a header during the teams' 1-1 draw on June 21. Hide Caption 146 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Australia's Joshua Risdon jumps over Thomas Delaney. Hide Caption 147 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Spain's Diego Costa, right, celebrates with teammate Isco after scoring against Iran on June 20. Spain won 1-0. Hide Caption 148 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup A fan has his face painted with the colors of the Spanish flag on June 20. Hide Caption 149 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Referee Andres Cunha speaks with Iranian midfielder Ehsan Hajsafi during the match. Hide Caption 150 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Cristiano Ronaldo scored the only goal in Portugal's 1-0 win over Morocco on June 20. Hide Caption 151 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Uruguay fans cheer outside the stadium before the match with Saudi Arabia on June 20. Hide Caption 152 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Saudi Arabia's Fahad Al-Muwallad, left, challenges Uruguay's Diego Godin. Hide Caption 153 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Uruguay's Luis Suarez celebrates after scoring against Saudi Arabia. It was the only goal of the match, and the final result meant Uruguay and Russia would both advance to the tournament's knockout stage. Hide Caption 154 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Mohamed Salah kisses the ball before scoring a penalty for Egypt on June 19. Russia won, however, by a final score of 3-1. Hide Caption 155 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Egypt's Tarek Hamed, left, and Russia's Aleksandr Golovin compete for the ball. Hide Caption 156 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Russia's first goal came when the ball deflected off Egypt's Ahmed Fathi. Hide Caption 157 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Members of the Senegal team celebrate after defeating Poland 2-1 in their match on June 19. Hide Caption 158 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Japanese defender Gen Shoji climbs over Colombia's Radamel Falcao to win a header in their World Cup opener on June 19. Japan won the match 2-1. Hide Caption 159 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup The referee shows a red card to Colombia's Carlos Sanchez in the third minute. Sanchez was deemed to have deliberately handled the ball in the box. Hide Caption 160 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup English players celebrate Harry Kane's first goal in the 2-1 win over Tunisia on June 18. Kane later added the winner in second-half stoppage time. Hide Caption 161 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup A Tunisia fan shows his dejection after the final whistle. Hide Caption 162 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Belgium's Dries Mertens, right, competes for the ball with Panama's Jose Luis Rodriguez during their World Cup opener on June 18. Mertens scored a goal in Belgium's 3-0 victory. Hide Caption 163 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Panamanian forward Gabriel Torres controls the ball during the match against Belgium. Hide Caption 164 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Sweden's Pontus Jansson, top left, and South Korea's Ki Sung-yueng try to head the ball during Sweden's 1-0 victory on June 18. Hide Caption 165 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Switzerland's Steven Zuber celebrates after scoring a goal against Brazil on June 17. The two teams tied 1-1. Hide Caption 166 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Brazil's Philippe Coutinho and Switzerland's Breel Embolo compete for the ball. Hide Caption 167 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Brazilian star Neymar recently came back from a foot injury. Hide Caption 168 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Mexico's Hirving Lozano, left, celebrates with Jesus Gallardo after scoring the only goal in the upset victory over Germany on June 17. Hide Caption 169 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Fans wave German flags before facing off with Mexico. Hide Caption 170 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa makes a late save against Mario Gomez. Hide Caption 171 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Marcos Ureña runs onto the pitch during Costa Rica's opening match against Serbia on June 17. Serbia won 1-0. Hide Caption 172 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Croatian players celebrate after Luka Modric scored the second goal of their 2-0 win against Nigeria on June 16. Hide Caption 173 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Nigerian captain John Obi Mikel runs with the ball during the Croatia match. Hide Caption 174 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Denmark's Yussuf Poulsen reacts after he scored a goal against Peru on June 16. It turned out to be the only goal in the match. Hide Caption 175 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Peru's Luis Advincula, left, and Denmark's Martin Braithwaite fight for the ball. Hide Caption 176 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Argentina star Lionel Messi appears downcast at the end of a 1-1 draw with Iceland on June 16. Messi missed a penalty in the match. Hide Caption 177 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Messi and Iceland's Hordur Magnusson struggle for the ball. Hide Caption 178 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Fans of France share a kiss before the team's opening match with Australia on June 16. Hide Caption 179 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup French midfielder Paul Pogba keeps his eye on the ball against Australia. His shot deflected off an Australian for the match-winning goal. Hide Caption 180 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates his first-half penalty against Spain on June 15. He added two more goals in the 3-3 draw. Hide Caption 181 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Spanish defender Nacho, left, competes for a header with Portugal's Bruno Fernandes. Nacho conceded the early penalty to Ronaldo but responded with a second-half goal. Hide Caption 182 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Fernando Hierro was making his debut as Spain's manager. The former captain took over when Spain fired Julen Lopetegui just before the tournament. Hide Caption 183 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Portuguese defender Raphael Guerreiro controls the ball in the match against Spain. Hide Caption 184 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Morocco's Aziz Bouhaddouz lies on the ground after heading the ball into his own net late in stoppage time on June 15. The whistle was blown just a few moments later, and Iran won 1-0. Hide Caption 185 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Iran's Alireza Jahanbakhsh grimaces in pain in front of Morocco's Romain Saiss. Hide Caption 186 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Uruguay's Luis Suarez, left, and Egypt's Sam Morsy battle for the ball on June 15. Uruguay won 1-0. Hide Caption 187 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Fans watch the Egypt-Uruguay match from temporary seats set up at the Ekaterinburg Arena. The seats had to be installed to meet FIFA's minimum-seating requirement. Hide Caption 188 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Egyptian midfielder Abdallah Said heads the ball during the match against Uruguay. Hide Caption 189 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Fedor Smolov fights off two Saudi defenders during the tournament opener, which Russia won 3-0 on June 14. Russia and Saudi Arabia came into the match as the lowest-ranked teams in the tournament. Hide Caption 190 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Fans watching from Yekaterinburg, Russia, celebrate Russia's first goal. Hide Caption 191 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup The ball flies past Saudi Arabian goalkeeper Abdullah Al-Mayouf for Russia's fourth goal. Hide Caption 192 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup A fan wears body paint in Russia's colors before the opening match. Hide Caption 193 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks to the crowd before kickoff at the Luzhniki Stadium. Hide Caption 194 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Performers take part in the tournament's opening ceremony. Hide Caption 195 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup British pop star Robbie Williams headlined the opening ceremony. Hide Caption 196 of 197

– Lionel Messi stared, hands on hips, pain etched across a face once boyish and filled with limitless joy, now hardened by unmet expectations for his nation. Four hours later and 950 miles away, Cristiano Ronaldo's eyes were wide in anger as he shouted in protest just ahead of the final whistle, again arguing with a referee. The tirade got Ronaldo a second yellow card that would have suspended him for the next match. No worries, Portugal's World Cup ended, reports the AP. Saturday will likely mark the end of an era for the World Cup, a decade in which much of the hype has been about the best players in the world, the Spanish league rivals who have evenly split the last 10 FIFA Player of the Year Awards. Once again, both men have failed to replicate their club success for their countries. Messi is a week past his 31st birthday and Ronaldo 33, former phenoms unlikely to reach Qatar 2022. For both superstars, a World Cup title remained an unreachable star. On Saturday, they were both outshone by two Paris Saint-Germain teammates, CNN notes, France's Kylian Mbappe and Uruguay's Edinson Cavani. Messi hasn't won a senior title with his nation, losing finals at the 2014 World Cup, and the 2007, '15 and '16 Copa Americas, the last when Messi failed on his penalty kick during a shootout. He faced massive criticism at home and retired from the national team only to be lured back for this World Cup cycle. Ronaldo lost a World Cup semifinal in 2006 but never got past the second round again. They were soccer's yin and yang, Messi understated and distant, Ronaldo flamboyant with a model girlfriend and attention-grabbing hairdos. They are global spokesmen, Ronaldo for Nike, Toyota, and more; Messi for the likes of Adidas and Pepsi. But their time at the top has come to an end.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Argentina's Lionel Messi kneels on the pitch during the round of 16 match between France and Argentina, at the 2018 soccer World Cup at the Kazan Arena in Kazan, Russia, Saturday, June 30, 2018. (AP Photo/Thanassis... (Associated Press) Argentina's Lionel Messi kneels on the pitch during the round of 16 match between France and Argentina, at the 2018 soccer World Cup at the Kazan Arena in Kazan, Russia, Saturday, June 30, 2018. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) (Associated Press) MOSCOW (AP) — Lionel Messi stared, hands on hips, pain etched across a face once boyish and filled with limitless joy, now obscured by a brown beard and hardened by expectations for his nation unmet. Four hours later and 950 miles (1,530 kilometers) away, Cristiano Ronaldo's eyes were wide in anger as he shouted in protest just ahead of the final whistle, once again arguing with a referee. The tirade got Ronaldo a second yellow card that would have suspended him for the next match. No worries, Portugal's World Cup ended with a loss. Saturday will likely mark the end of an era for the World Cup, a decade in which much of the hype and pre-tournament talk has been about the best players in the world, the Spanish league rivals who have evenly split the last 10 FIFA Player of the Year Awards. Once again, both men have failed to replicate their club success for their countries. Messi is a week past his 31st birthday and Ronaldo 33, former phenoms unlikely to reach Qatar 2022 or retain their exceptional skill if they manage to hang on. For both superstars, a World Cup title remained an unreachable star. On Saturday, they were both outshined by a pair of Paris Saint-Germain teammates, France's Kylian Mbappe and Uruguay's Edinson Cavani. Younger legs have more speed and endurance. Most importantly, Cavani and Mbappe had more support and less pressure. Messi hasn't won a senior title with his nation, losing finals at the 2014 World Cup, and the 2007, '15 and '16 Copa Americas, the last when Messi failed on his penalty kick during a shootout. He faced massive criticism at home and retired from the national team only to be lured back for this World Cup cycle. Ronaldo lost a World Cup semifinal in 2006 but never got past the second round again. He did help Portugal to its first European Championship in 2016. If Argentina and Portugal won Saturday, the rivals would have matched up for a spot in the semifinals. Instead, they'll race to the airport. Argentina lost to France 4-3 in Kazan and Portugal fell to Uruguay 2-1 at Sochi. Brazil's Pele and Argentina's Diego Maradona became national treasures at home, celebrated for World Cup titles and global superstars. Fans who never saw them play for their clubs know of Pele and Maradona's accomplishments every four years at the global tournament. Messi and Ronaldo will be remembered for great club success, but not country triumph. Barcelona signed the 13-year-old Messi to a contract scrawled on a napkin in 2000. He was 17 when he made his competitive first-team debut. Titles accumulated at an unprecedented rate: four in the Champions League, nine in La Liga and six in the Copa del Rey. Adulation at Camp Nou turned into worship; media called him "La Pugla (The Flea)" for his small frame and unparalleled acceleration, and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger equated Messi's moves with a video-game creation, proclaiming he was "like a PlayStation." He scored at a rate once unfathomable: 383 goals in 418 league matches, 100 in 125 Champions League games and 552 in 637 first-team appearances overall. He was a lifer for one of the most popular clubs in the world, a brand of his own, earning love in Spain but detachment from his countrymen in South America. Too often, his World Cup failures were compared to Maradona's successes. Ronaldo, too, debuted at 17, for Sporting Lisbon. His crossover dribble was already famous when Alex Ferguson snatched him for Manchester United ahead of the 2003-04 season and gave him the No. 7 of just-departed David Beckham. After six seasons that included three Premier League titles, one Champions League and one FA Cup, he moved to Real Madrid and scored 450 goals in 438 matches, winning four Champions League titles, and the league and cup twice each. He's set a Champions League record with 120 goals, leaving Messi a distant second. They were soccer's yin and yang, Messi understated and distant, Ronaldo flamboyant with a model girlfriend and attention-grabbing hairdos. They are global spokesmen, Ronaldo for Nike, Toyota and many more; Messi for the likes of Adidas and Pepsi. Ronaldo grew a goatee for this World Cup. He said it was because of a bet with Portugal teammate Ricardo Quaresma, but it coincided with the release of a commercial of Messi with a real goat — as in "Greatest of All Time." They have entertained, becoming household names in continents far afield, royalty of the internet age when satellites beamed their twice-a-week matches to homes, bars and laptops in ways Pele, Maradona and predecessors couldn't envisage. But now their time at the top has come to an end. Mbappe, just 19, and others in the next generation are ready for leading roles. It is too soon to proclaim which will emerge to become the best. As dusk descended late on a midsummer Russian night, dawn was just ahead. ___ More AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/WorldCup ||||| Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup French players celebrate with the World Cup trophy after defeating Croatia in the final on Sunday, July 15. Hide Caption 1 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup French midfielder Paul Pogba celebrates with the trophy. Hide Caption 2 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup France mobs Kylian Mbappe after his goal gave the team a 4-1 lead. Hide Caption 3 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Croatia's Ivan Strinic reacts during the match. Hide Caption 4 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup France manager Didier Deschamps is lifted by his players after the victory. Deschamps was also a player on the 1998 French team that won the World Cup. Hide Caption 5 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris makes a jumping save against Croatia. Hide Caption 6 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup French players celebrate after the final whistle. Hide Caption 7 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup French President Emmanuel Macron shows his excitement while watching the match. Hide Caption 8 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Paul Pogba, bottom, runs to the corner after scoring France's third goal. Hide Caption 9 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup France's Lucas Hernandez tackles Ante Rebic. Hide Caption 10 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup The referee used video review on this play late in the first half and called for a penalty after Ivan Perisic handled the ball in the Croatian box. Antoine Griezmann stepped up to convert the penalty and give France a 2-1 lead. Hide Caption 11 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Perisic, bottom left, scored a spectacular first-half goal to tie the match at 1-1. Hide Caption 12 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Will Smith and Nicky Jam perform during the closing ceremony held before the final. Hide Caption 13 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Belgian players celebrate Eden Hazard's goal in the third-place match against England on Saturday, July 14. The Belgians won 2-0. Hide Caption 14 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Thomas Meunier opened the scoring for Belgium in the fourth minute. Hide Caption 15 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup English goalkeeper Jordan Pickford reacts after the first goal against Belgium. Hide Caption 16 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Mario Mandzukic scores against England late in extra time to give Croatia a 2-1 victory in the semifinals on Wednesday, July 11. Hide Caption 17 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Mandzukic celebrates after his goal. Hide Caption 18 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Croatia's Ivan Strinic, right, challenges England's Jesse Lingard. Hide Caption 19 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Croatian defender Sime Vrsaljko goes over Ashley Young for a header. Hide Caption 20 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup A photographer is knocked over by members of the Croatian team as they celebrate the late Mandzukic goal. Hide Caption 21 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Players collide during the Croatia-England semifinal. Croatia played 120 minutes for the third straight match. Hide Caption 22 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Lingard shields the ball in the corner. Hide Caption 23 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup France's Antoine Griezmann celebrates at the end of the semifinal match against Belgium on Tuesday, July 10. France won 1-0 to advance to the final. Hide Caption 24 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup France's Olivier Giroud kisses teammate Samuel Umtiti after Umtiti scored on a header against Belgium. Hide Caption 25 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Giroud is challenged by Belgium defender Vincent Kompany. Hide Caption 26 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup France's teenage sensation, Kylian Mbappe, jumps over Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. Hide Caption 27 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Thierry Henry, assistant coach for Belgium and former French captain, consoles Belgian players after the semifinal loss. Hide Caption 28 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Luka Modric jumps for the ball during Croatia's quarterfinal victory over Russia on July 7. Hide Caption 29 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Croatian players celebrate after defeating Russia in a penalty shootout. The match was tied 2-2 after extra time. Hide Caption 30 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Russian forward Fedor Smolov reacts after the Croatia match. Hide Caption 31 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Croatia's Mario Mandzukic, left, and Russia's Mario Fernandes go for the ball. Hide Caption 32 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Croatia's Andrej Kramaric celebrates after scoring the opening goal against Russia. Hide Caption 33 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup English defenders Harry Maguire, left, and John Stones celebrate their quarterfinal victory over Sweden on July 7. Maguire scored the opening goal in the 2-0 win. Hide Caption 34 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup English manager Gareth Southgate celebrates his team's win. Hide Caption 35 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Dele Alli scores on a header for England's second goal. Hide Caption 36 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Swedish players are dejected at the end of the match. Hide Caption 37 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Belgian players celebrate the second goal in their 2-1 win over Brazil on July 6. They advanced to play France in the semifinals. Hide Caption 38 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Brazilian star Neymar reacts after the final whistle. Hide Caption 39 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Belgium celebrates their first goal, which came off a deflected header in the 13th minute. Hide Caption 40 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois leaps for a loose ball in the box. Hide Caption 41 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Kevin De Bruyne controls the ball against Brazil. Hide Caption 42 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup France's Olivier Giroud, left, and Uruguay's Martin Caceres battle for the ball during their quarterfinal match on July 6. France won 2-0. Hide Caption 43 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Uruguayan goalkeeper Fernando Muslera watches the ball leak into the net after he misplayed an Antoine Griezmann shot in the second half. Hide Caption 44 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup France's Benjamin Pavard, top, and Uruguay's Cristian Rodriguez compete for a header. Hide Caption 45 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup A France supporter cheers ahead of the match. Hide Caption 46 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup English players react after their shootout win over Colombia on July 3. It was England's first-ever shootout win at a World Cup. Hide Caption 47 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Colombian striker Radamel Falcao heads the ball toward goal on July 3. Hide Caption 48 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup England's Harry Kane tries to control the ball against Colombia. He scored a penalty during regulation time. It was his tournament-leading sixth goal. Hide Caption 49 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Falcao reacts after receiving a yellow card. Hide Caption 50 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Sweden's Emil Forsberg, left, celebrates after scoring against Switzerland on July 3. Sweden won 1-0 to advance to the quarterfinals. Hide Caption 51 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup A Sweden fan shows his support during the Switzerland match. Hide Caption 52 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Switzerland's Xherdan Shaqiri is challenged by Ludwig Augustinsson. Hide Caption 53 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Belgium players celebrate after Nacer Chadli, third from right, scored with just seconds remaining to win the round-of-16 match against Japan on July 2. Hide Caption 54 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Chadli slides the ball past Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima to finish off Belgium's 3-2 comeback victory. It is the first time since 1970 that a team has come back from two goals down to win in the World Cup knockout stage. Hide Caption 55 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup A Japan supporter cries after the match. Hide Caption 56 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Takashi Inui, left, gave Japan a 2-0 lead early in the second half. Hide Caption 57 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Belgium defender Vincent Kompany nearly scores in the first half. Hide Caption 58 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Brazilian star Neymar is fouled by Mexican defender Edson Alvarez during their round-of-16 match on July 2. Brazil won 2-0. Hide Caption 59 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Neymar stretches for a cross to score Brazil's first goal in the 51st minute. Hide Caption 60 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Neymar is held on Paulinho's shoulders after the first goal. Hide Caption 61 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Mexico's Hirving Lozano watches the ball during the Brazil match. This is the seventh straight time that Mexico has been eliminated in the World Cup's round of 16. Hide Caption 62 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Croatia's Luka Modric celebrates with teammates after their victory over Denmark on July 1. Croatia won on penalties after the match ended 1-1. Hide Caption 63 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Croatia's Ivan Perisic stops the ball during the Denmark match. Hide Caption 64 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev saves an Iago Aspas penalty to give Russia an upset victory over Spain in the round of 16. The match went to penalties after ending 1-1. Hide Caption 65 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Russian players mob Akinfeev after the final save. Hide Caption 66 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Russia's Artem Dzyuba celebrates after scoring against Spain in the first half. Hide Caption 67 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Spain's Isco and Russia's Mario Fernandes vie for the ball. Hide Caption 68 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Dzyuba is defended by Sergio Busquets. Hide Caption 69 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Edinson Cavani celebrates his second goal in a 2-0 victory over Portugal on June 30. Hide Caption 70 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo receives a yellow card from referee Cesar Ramos near the end of the match. Hide Caption 71 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Argentina's Lionel Messi reacts after his team was knocked out of the World Cup by France on June 30. Messi had two assists in the 4-3 loss. Hide Caption 72 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Kylian Mbappe was the star in France's victory over Argentina. The teenage sensation scored twice and drew a penalty that gave France its first goal. Hide Caption 73 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup An Argentina fan reacts after the match. Hide Caption 74 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Gabriel Mercado deflected a Messi shot past Hugo Lloris to give Argentina a brief 2-1 lead. Hide Caption 75 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup French players celebrate after Benjamin Pavard tied the match at 2-2. Hide Caption 76 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup France fans celebrate during the match against Argentina. Hide Caption 77 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Colombian defender Yerry Mina controls the ball during a match against Senegal on June 28. Mina headed in a second-half goal to lift his team to a 1-0 victory -- and first place in Group H. Hide Caption 78 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Colombia's Juan Quintero jumps over Senegal's Idrissa Gana Gueye. Senegal finished with four points in Group H, the same as Japan, but Japan advanced on the "fair play points" tiebreaker. Japan had two fewer yellow cards in the tournament than Senegal. Hide Caption 79 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Senegal fans salute before the match against Colombia. Hide Caption 80 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Poland's Jan Bednarek, left, competes for the ball with Japan's Gotoku Sakai on June 28. Poland won 1-0, but Japan advanced to the next round. Hide Caption 81 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Poland forward Robert Lewandowski dribbles through two Japan players. Hide Caption 82 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Japan supporters clear litter from the stands after the match. Hide Caption 83 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Belgium's Adnan Januzaj curls in a stunning goal against England on June 28. It was the only goal of the match. Hide Caption 84 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup The Belgium-England match was notable for how many top players didn't see the field. With both teams already assured a spot in the knockout stage, many of their usual starters took the night off. Among those on the bench for Belgium were captain Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne. Hide Caption 85 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Tunisia's Wahbi Khazri, center, celebrates with his teammates after scoring the winning goal against Panama on June 28. Tunisia won 2-1. Hide Caption 86 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Panama players celebrate after an own goal gave them an early lead against Tunisia. Hide Caption 87 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Germany's Marco Reus reacts after his team lost to South Korea and was knocked out of the World Cup on June 27. The defending champions lost 2-0 and finished at the bottom of Group F. Hide Caption 88 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup South Korea's Lee Jae-sung, left, chases down a ball with Germany's Jonas Hector. Hide Caption 89 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Ludwig Augustinsson celebrates after scoring Sweden's first goal in its 3-0 victory over Mexico on June 27. The result meant that Sweden would top Group F and Mexico would finish in second. Hide Caption 90 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Mexican defender Hector Moreno heads the ball in front of Swedish forward Marcus Berg. Hide Caption 91 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Brazilian defender Thiago Silva celebrates after his powerful header gave Brazil a 2-0 lead over Serbia on June 27. Brazil won Group E with two victories and a draw. Hide Caption 92 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Brazil's Willian and Serbia's Filip Kostic fight for the ball. Hide Caption 93 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Brazilian star Neymar controls the ball during the Serbia match. Hide Caption 94 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Switzerland's Blerim Dzemaili celebrates after scoring the first goal in his team's 2-2 draw with Costa Rica on June 27. Switzerland finished second in its group to advance to the knockout stage. Hide Caption 95 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Kendall Waston had a goal for Costa Rica in the match against Switzerland. Hide Caption 96 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Costa Rican defender Cristian Gamboa, right, closes in on Switzerland's Ricardo Rodriguez. Hide Caption 97 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Argentina star Lionel Messi rides on the back of Marcos Rojo after Rojo's late winner against Nigeria on June 26. With the 2-1 victory, Argentina clinched a spot in the next round of the tournament. Hide Caption 98 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Rojo controls the ball earlier in the match against Nigeria. Hide Caption 99 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Argentina legend Diego Maradona was in the crowd once again, drawing attention from fans just as he did when he was a player. Hide Caption 100 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Croatia's Josip Pivaric prepares to chest the ball during the team's 1-0 win against Iceland on June 26. Croatia improved its record to 3-0 in the tournament. Hide Caption 101 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Croatia supporters kiss ahead of the match against Iceland. Hide Caption 102 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Danish players acknowledge fans after their scoreless draw with France on June 26. Both teams advanced to the knockout stage. Hide Caption 103 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Denmark's Martin Braithwaite, left, is tracked by France's N'Golo Kante, center, and Presnel Kimpembe. Hide Caption 104 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Australian player Mark Milligan is joined by his children after a 2-0 loss to Peru on June 26. Hide Caption 105 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Milligan stretches to clear a cross. Hide Caption 106 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Aaron Mooy tugs on the jersey of Peru's Paolo Guerrero. Hide Caption 107 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Portugal's Ricardo Quaresma, left, is embraced by Cristiano Ronaldo after scoring against Iran on June 25. Iran scored late to tie the match, but the 1-1 result was enough to see Portugal into the next round. Hide Caption 108 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup An Iran fan enjoys the pre-match atmosphere. Hide Caption 109 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Iranian forward Sardar Azmoun shields the ball from Portuguese defender Jose Fonte. Hide Caption 110 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Moroccan goalkeeper Munir catches the ball against Spain. That match ended 2-2, with Spain winning the group. Hide Caption 111 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Egyptian star Mohamed Salah reacts after Saudi Arabia's winning goal in second-half stoppage time on June 25. Egypt lost all three of its matches at this World Cup. Hide Caption 112 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Salem Al-Dawsari celebrates with a flip after scoring the match-winning goal against Egypt. Hide Caption 113 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Russia's Artem Dzyuba, in white, competes with Uruguay's Sebastian Coates during Uruguay's 3-0 victory on June 25. Uruguay won all three of its matches in the group stage. This was Russia's first loss. Hide Caption 114 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup A Uruguay fan, right, poses with a Russia fan before the match. Hide Caption 115 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez, left, reacts after the second goal deflected past Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev. Hide Caption 116 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Colombian forward Falcao celebrates after scoring against Poland on June 24. Colombia won 3-0. Hide Caption 117 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Colombian defender Yerry Mina opened the scoring with a header in the first half. Hide Caption 118 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup A Colombia fan before the Poland match. Hide Caption 119 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Senegalese players huddle up before the second half of their match against Japan on June 24. The two teams tied 2-2. Hide Caption 120 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup A shot of the crowd at the Ekaterinburg Arena during the Japan-Senegal match. Hide Caption 121 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup English striker Harry Kane celebrates after scoring a penalty in the 6-1 rout of Panama on June 24. Kane finished with a hat trick. Hide Caption 122 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Panama players gather after their defeat. Hide Caption 123 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup German players celebrate after Toni Kroos scored on a late free kick to stun Sweden 2-1 on June 23. Hide Caption 124 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup South Korea's Ki Sung-yueng, right, argues with Mexico's Edson Alvarez as Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa lies on the ground on June 23. Mexico won 2-1. Hide Caption 125 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup South Korea's Lee Yong, left, duels for the ball with Mexico's Hirving Lozano. Hide Caption 126 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup A Mexico fan waits for the start of the match against South Korea. Hide Caption 127 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Belgium's Romelu Lukaku scores against Tunisia on June 23. He had a pair of goals in the match, which Belgium won 5-2. Hide Caption 128 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Captain Eden Hazard also scored two for Belgium. Hide Caption 129 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Players watch the ball during the Belgium-Tunisia match. Hide Caption 130 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Belgium's Jan Vertonghen, left, challenges Tunisia's Wahbi Khazri. Hide Caption 131 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Swiss midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri celebrates after scoring the winning goal against Serbia on June 22. Switzerland won 2-1. Hide Caption 132 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Swiss players defend Serbia's Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. Hide Caption 133 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer catches the ball over Milinkovic-Savic. Hide Caption 134 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Nigerian midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo kicks the ball during a 2-0 victory over Iceland on June 22. Hide Caption 135 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Ahmed Musa celebrates after scoring his second goal of the match against Iceland. Hide Caption 136 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Iceland fans perform their famous viking clap. Hide Caption 137 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Neymar celebrates his last-second goal that finished off Brazil's 2-0 victory over Costa Rica on June 22. Hide Caption 138 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Neymar taps in his goal late in the match. Hide Caption 139 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Croatian players celebrate the second goal in their 3-0 victory over Argentina on June 21. The victory clinched them a spot in the knockout stage. Hide Caption 140 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Croatia's Luka Modric is tackled by Argentina's Nicolas Tagliafico. Hide Caption 141 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Willy Caballero is dejected after his flubbed clearance gifted Croatia its first goal. Hide Caption 142 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup France's Kylian Mbappe, right, celebrates with teammate Antoine Griezmann after scoring against Peru on June 21. It was the only goal of the match. Hide Caption 143 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Peru's Andre Carrillo is challenged by French players Paul Pogba, left, and N'Golo Kante. Hide Caption 144 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup A Peruvian supporter waits for the start of the match. Hide Caption 145 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Australia's Robbie Kruse, foreground, and Denmark's Henrik Dalsgaard go for a header during the teams' 1-1 draw on June 21. Hide Caption 146 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Australia's Joshua Risdon jumps over Thomas Delaney. Hide Caption 147 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Spain's Diego Costa, right, celebrates with teammate Isco after scoring against Iran on June 20. Spain won 1-0. Hide Caption 148 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup A fan has his face painted with the colors of the Spanish flag on June 20. Hide Caption 149 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Referee Andres Cunha speaks with Iranian midfielder Ehsan Hajsafi during the match. Hide Caption 150 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Cristiano Ronaldo scored the only goal in Portugal's 1-0 win over Morocco on June 20. Hide Caption 151 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Uruguay fans cheer outside the stadium before the match with Saudi Arabia on June 20. Hide Caption 152 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Saudi Arabia's Fahad Al-Muwallad, left, challenges Uruguay's Diego Godin. Hide Caption 153 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Uruguay's Luis Suarez celebrates after scoring against Saudi Arabia. It was the only goal of the match, and the final result meant Uruguay and Russia would both advance to the tournament's knockout stage. Hide Caption 154 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Mohamed Salah kisses the ball before scoring a penalty for Egypt on June 19. Russia won, however, by a final score of 3-1. Hide Caption 155 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Egypt's Tarek Hamed, left, and Russia's Aleksandr Golovin compete for the ball. Hide Caption 156 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Russia's first goal came when the ball deflected off Egypt's Ahmed Fathi. Hide Caption 157 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Members of the Senegal team celebrate after defeating Poland 2-1 in their match on June 19. Hide Caption 158 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Japanese defender Gen Shoji climbs over Colombia's Radamel Falcao to win a header in their World Cup opener on June 19. Japan won the match 2-1. Hide Caption 159 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup The referee shows a red card to Colombia's Carlos Sanchez in the third minute. Sanchez was deemed to have deliberately handled the ball in the box. Hide Caption 160 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup English players celebrate Harry Kane's first goal in the 2-1 win over Tunisia on June 18. Kane later added the winner in second-half stoppage time. Hide Caption 161 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup A Tunisia fan shows his dejection after the final whistle. Hide Caption 162 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Belgium's Dries Mertens, right, competes for the ball with Panama's Jose Luis Rodriguez during their World Cup opener on June 18. Mertens scored a goal in Belgium's 3-0 victory. Hide Caption 163 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Panamanian forward Gabriel Torres controls the ball during the match against Belgium. Hide Caption 164 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Sweden's Pontus Jansson, top left, and South Korea's Ki Sung-yueng try to head the ball during Sweden's 1-0 victory on June 18. Hide Caption 165 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Switzerland's Steven Zuber celebrates after scoring a goal against Brazil on June 17. The two teams tied 1-1. Hide Caption 166 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Brazil's Philippe Coutinho and Switzerland's Breel Embolo compete for the ball. Hide Caption 167 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Brazilian star Neymar recently came back from a foot injury. Hide Caption 168 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Mexico's Hirving Lozano, left, celebrates with Jesus Gallardo after scoring the only goal in the upset victory over Germany on June 17. Hide Caption 169 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Fans wave German flags before facing off with Mexico. Hide Caption 170 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa makes a late save against Mario Gomez. Hide Caption 171 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Marcos Ureña runs onto the pitch during Costa Rica's opening match against Serbia on June 17. Serbia won 1-0. Hide Caption 172 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Croatian players celebrate after Luka Modric scored the second goal of their 2-0 win against Nigeria on June 16. Hide Caption 173 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Nigerian captain John Obi Mikel runs with the ball during the Croatia match. Hide Caption 174 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Denmark's Yussuf Poulsen reacts after he scored a goal against Peru on June 16. It turned out to be the only goal in the match. Hide Caption 175 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Peru's Luis Advincula, left, and Denmark's Martin Braithwaite fight for the ball. Hide Caption 176 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Argentina star Lionel Messi appears downcast at the end of a 1-1 draw with Iceland on June 16. Messi missed a penalty in the match. Hide Caption 177 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Messi and Iceland's Hordur Magnusson struggle for the ball. Hide Caption 178 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Fans of France share a kiss before the team's opening match with Australia on June 16. Hide Caption 179 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup French midfielder Paul Pogba keeps his eye on the ball against Australia. His shot deflected off an Australian for the match-winning goal. Hide Caption 180 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates his first-half penalty against Spain on June 15. He added two more goals in the 3-3 draw. Hide Caption 181 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Spanish defender Nacho, left, competes for a header with Portugal's Bruno Fernandes. Nacho conceded the early penalty to Ronaldo but responded with a second-half goal. Hide Caption 182 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Fernando Hierro was making his debut as Spain's manager. The former captain took over when Spain fired Julen Lopetegui just before the tournament. Hide Caption 183 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Portuguese defender Raphael Guerreiro controls the ball in the match against Spain. Hide Caption 184 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Morocco's Aziz Bouhaddouz lies on the ground after heading the ball into his own net late in stoppage time on June 15. The whistle was blown just a few moments later, and Iran won 1-0. Hide Caption 185 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Iran's Alireza Jahanbakhsh grimaces in pain in front of Morocco's Romain Saiss. Hide Caption 186 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Uruguay's Luis Suarez, left, and Egypt's Sam Morsy battle for the ball on June 15. Uruguay won 1-0. Hide Caption 187 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Fans watch the Egypt-Uruguay match from temporary seats set up at the Ekaterinburg Arena. The seats had to be installed to meet FIFA's minimum-seating requirement. Hide Caption 188 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Egyptian midfielder Abdallah Said heads the ball during the match against Uruguay. Hide Caption 189 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Fedor Smolov fights off two Saudi defenders during the tournament opener, which Russia won 3-0 on June 14. Russia and Saudi Arabia came into the match as the lowest-ranked teams in the tournament. Hide Caption 190 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Fans watching from Yekaterinburg, Russia, celebrate Russia's first goal. Hide Caption 191 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup The ball flies past Saudi Arabian goalkeeper Abdullah Al-Mayouf for Russia's fourth goal. Hide Caption 192 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup A fan wears body paint in Russia's colors before the opening match. Hide Caption 193 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks to the crowd before kickoff at the Luzhniki Stadium. Hide Caption 194 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup Performers take part in the tournament's opening ceremony. Hide Caption 195 of 197 Photos: The best photos of the 2018 World Cup British pop star Robbie Williams headlined the opening ceremony. Hide Caption 196 of 197

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Image copyright AFP/Getty Images Image caption The whereabouts of Nefertiti's remains are still a mystery An archaeologist says he may have found evidence that Nefertiti, the former Queen of Egypt, is secretly buried inside Tutankhamun's tomb. The whereabouts of Nefertiti's remains are not known, although those of Tutankhamun - who may have been her son - were found in 1922. New tests have shown there may be a portal leading from King Tut's tomb. Nicholas Reeves, an archaeologist at the University of Arizona, says he believes Nefertiti may lie inside. One leading Egyptologist urged caution over the conclusion but said that, if confirmed, it would be "brilliant". The finds were made last year, after the Spanish artistic and preservation specialists, Factum Arte, were commissioned to produce detailed scans of Tutankhamun's tomb. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The BBC's Rajan Datar has been inside the replica tomb of Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun The scans were then used to produce a facsimile of the tomb near the site of the original Valley of the Kings in Luxor. While assessing the scans last February, Dr Reeves spotted what he believed were marks indicating where two doorways used to be. "I have been testing the evidence ever since, looking for indications that what I thought I was seeing was, in fact, not there," Dr Reeves told the BBC. "But the more I looked, the more information I found that I seemed to be looking at something pretty real." The layout of Tutankhamun's tomb has been a puzzle for some time - in particular, why it was smaller than those of other kings' tombs. Dr Reeves believes there are clues in the design of the tomb that indicate it was designed to store the remains of a queen, not a king. "If I'm wrong, I'm wrong," he said. "But if I'm right, the prospects are frankly staggering. The world will have become a much more interesting place - at least for Egyptologists." Image copyright Hulton Archive/Getty Images Image caption The tomb of Tutankhamun was almost intact when it was opened in 1923 After being discovered by English archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922, the tomb of Tutankhamun was opened in February the following year. It was the most intact Egyptian tomb ever discovered, and very few objects appeared to have been plundered. Close to 2,000 objects were found, and it took archaeologists nine years to catalogue them all. If the same amount of objects were found elsewhere in the tomb, it would represent "quite a coup," said Dr Reeves. Neither Egyptian authorities nor Factum Arte have responded to the claims. "I think there are certainly some signs that there might have been some activity around those doorways," said Joyce Tyldesley, an Egyptologist with the University of Manchester. "Whether we can deduct from that that we actually the burial site of Nefertiti might be a step too far. "But if it was true, it would be absolutely brilliant." ||||| NOTHING has inspired generations of archaeologists like the discovery in 1922 of the treasure-packed tomb of Tutankhamun. What if another untouched Egyptian trove lies buried, not in a distant patch of desert, nor even nearby amid the overlapping tomb-shafts of Luxor’s Valley of the Kings, but instead just a millimetre’s distance from plain view? This is the dramatic hypothesis of a just-published paper by Nicholas Reeves, a British Egyptologist who co-discovered an undisturbed Egyptian tomb in 2000, and who is at the University of Arizona. His key evidence is disarmingly simple, and in fact free to see on the internet in the form of photographs published by Factum Arte, a Madrid- and Bologna-based specialist in art replication that recently created a spectacular, life-sized facsimile of Tutankhamun’s tomb, intended for tourists to visit without endangering the original. Get our daily newsletter Upgrade your inbox and get our Daily Dispatch and Editor's Picks. What Mr Reeves found in these ultra-high-resolution images, which reveal the texture of walls beneath layers of paint in the original tomb, was a number of fissures and cracks that suggest the presence of two passages that were blocked and plastered to conceal their existence. (See image, with proposed new areas in yellow.) One of these would probably lead to a storeroom; its position and small size mirror that of an already-uncovered storeroom inside the multi-chambered tomb. The other, bigger possible doorway in the north wall of Tutankhamun’s burial chamber suggests something much more exciting. There are several oddities about Tutankhamun’s tomb. It is small compared with others in the valley. The objects found in it, while magnificent, seemed hurriedly placed and were found to be largely second-hand; even the boy-king’s famous gilded funerary mask sports the strangely unmanly feature of pierced ears. The tomb’s main axis is angled to the right of the entrance shaft, an arrangement typical of Egyptian queens rather than kings. Noting that the bigger of the two doorways he may have located aligns perfectly with both sides of the tomb’s entrance chamber, Mr Reeves thinks it could conceal a corridor continuing along the same axis, in the scale and shape of other nearby royal tombs. All this, as well as evidence that the tomb’s decoration and construction were executed at different stages, leads him to conclude that this corridor would lead to the burial chamber of a queen, or perhaps several princesses. Among the tombs and royal mummies that archaeologists have identified from Tutankhamun’s dynasty, Ancient Egypt’s 18th, there remains one gaping absence. Nefertiti, the wife of Tutankhamun’s father Akhenaten, was not only a famed beauty, as the world knows from her famous bust in Berlin. Her titles indicate that she served as co-regent and possibly also as a pharaoh in her own right after Akhenaten’s death, meaning Nefertiti’s tomb and its contents would be every bit as magnificent as her stepson’s. Indeed, if Mr Reeves is right, what Tutankhamun got was her leftovers; even his face mask might originally have been intended for the queen. Egyptologists are habitually reticent about each other’s work, and will no doubt wait to embrace this especially bold claim, but Mr Reeves’s paper has already aroused keen interest. “It’s a fascinating argument and an impressive first step,” says Kent Weeks, an American archaeologist who has minutely mapped the Valley of the Kings and in 1995 discovered the extent of its biggest known tomb. Mr Reeves’s theory would be simple to test using non-invasive techniques, says Mr Weeks. A radar scan, for a start, would quickly reveal any hollows. Impatient as he is to find out, Mr Reeves understands the difficulties. He credits Egypt’s antiquities authorities for commissioning the detailed photography that bolsters his theory, and is confident they will take a careful, consultative approach to test it. If the doorways do exist, modern archaeology will require a team of experts to work out how to enter them, and more delicate tools than the picks and shovels used by Howard Carter when he discovered Tutankhamun’s tomb. “Each piece of evidence on its own is not conclusive, but put it all together and it’s hard to avoid my conclusion.” So says Mr Reeves before adding reflectively, “If I’m wrong I’m wrong, but if I’m right this is potentially the biggest archaeological discovery ever made.”

– Tutankhamun's tomb was discovered in 1922. Now, nearly a century later, a University of Arizona archaeologist says that tomb may hold a long-buried secret: the remains of Nefertiti. Nicholas Reeves says he stumbled upon the possibility while analyzing scans posted online in early 2014 by Spanish art-replication experts. The Economist reports they were creating a way for tourists to "visit" the site without damaging it. "Unprecedented" high-def color photos of the walls of Tutankhamun's tomb—given the number KV 62—were released, along with a scans of those walls, whose surfaces were painted to such a degree that the "underlying architecture is almost wholly obscured," writes Reeves. The long-running assumption has been that bedrock lay beneath. But eying them over the course of several months "yielded results which are beyond intriguing," says Reeves. He sees "indications of two previously unknown doorways ... both seemingly untouched since antiquity." Reeves believes one passage led to a storeroom, and the other to the former Queen of Egypt, the stepmother to Tutankhamun. Reeves makes his case in a paper titled "The Burial of Nefertiti?" KV 62's modest size has long been considered much too small for a king, with Egyptologists theorizing it was a private tomb that was enlarged for Tutankhamun's use upon his sudden death. Reeves suggests KV 62 is actually the "outermost portion of an extended, corridor-style 'tomb-within-a-tomb.'" The Economist writes that if Reeves is correct, the treasures found in Tut's tomb would be her leftovers, and would provide an intriguing explanation for his iconic funerary mask, which "sports the strangely unmanly feature of pierced ears." The BBC notes Egyptian authorities haven't yet commented; an American archaeologist tells the Economist a radar scan would be able to confirm any open spaces. "If I'm wrong I'm wrong," says Reeves, "but if I'm right this is potentially the biggest archaeological discovery ever made."

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Image copyright AFP/Getty Images Image caption The whereabouts of Nefertiti's remains are still a mystery An archaeologist says he may have found evidence that Nefertiti, the former Queen of Egypt, is secretly buried inside Tutankhamun's tomb. The whereabouts of Nefertiti's remains are not known, although those of Tutankhamun - who may have been her son - were found in 1922. New tests have shown there may be a portal leading from King Tut's tomb. Nicholas Reeves, an archaeologist at the University of Arizona, says he believes Nefertiti may lie inside. One leading Egyptologist urged caution over the conclusion but said that, if confirmed, it would be "brilliant". The finds were made last year, after the Spanish artistic and preservation specialists, Factum Arte, were commissioned to produce detailed scans of Tutankhamun's tomb. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The BBC's Rajan Datar has been inside the replica tomb of Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun The scans were then used to produce a facsimile of the tomb near the site of the original Valley of the Kings in Luxor. While assessing the scans last February, Dr Reeves spotted what he believed were marks indicating where two doorways used to be. "I have been testing the evidence ever since, looking for indications that what I thought I was seeing was, in fact, not there," Dr Reeves told the BBC. "But the more I looked, the more information I found that I seemed to be looking at something pretty real." The layout of Tutankhamun's tomb has been a puzzle for some time - in particular, why it was smaller than those of other kings' tombs. Dr Reeves believes there are clues in the design of the tomb that indicate it was designed to store the remains of a queen, not a king. "If I'm wrong, I'm wrong," he said. "But if I'm right, the prospects are frankly staggering. The world will have become a much more interesting place - at least for Egyptologists." Image copyright Hulton Archive/Getty Images Image caption The tomb of Tutankhamun was almost intact when it was opened in 1923 After being discovered by English archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922, the tomb of Tutankhamun was opened in February the following year. It was the most intact Egyptian tomb ever discovered, and very few objects appeared to have been plundered. Close to 2,000 objects were found, and it took archaeologists nine years to catalogue them all. If the same amount of objects were found elsewhere in the tomb, it would represent "quite a coup," said Dr Reeves. Neither Egyptian authorities nor Factum Arte have responded to the claims. "I think there are certainly some signs that there might have been some activity around those doorways," said Joyce Tyldesley, an Egyptologist with the University of Manchester. "Whether we can deduct from that that we actually the burial site of Nefertiti might be a step too far. "But if it was true, it would be absolutely brilliant." ||||| NOTHING has inspired generations of archaeologists like the discovery in 1922 of the treasure-packed tomb of Tutankhamun. What if another untouched Egyptian trove lies buried, not in a distant patch of desert, nor even nearby amid the overlapping tomb-shafts of Luxor’s Valley of the Kings, but instead just a millimetre’s distance from plain view? This is the dramatic hypothesis of a just-published paper by Nicholas Reeves, a British Egyptologist who co-discovered an undisturbed Egyptian tomb in 2000, and who is at the University of Arizona. His key evidence is disarmingly simple, and in fact free to see on the internet in the form of photographs published by Factum Arte, a Madrid- and Bologna-based specialist in art replication that recently created a spectacular, life-sized facsimile of Tutankhamun’s tomb, intended for tourists to visit without endangering the original. Get our daily newsletter Upgrade your inbox and get our Daily Dispatch and Editor's Picks. What Mr Reeves found in these ultra-high-resolution images, which reveal the texture of walls beneath layers of paint in the original tomb, was a number of fissures and cracks that suggest the presence of two passages that were blocked and plastered to conceal their existence. (See image, with proposed new areas in yellow.) One of these would probably lead to a storeroom; its position and small size mirror that of an already-uncovered storeroom inside the multi-chambered tomb. The other, bigger possible doorway in the north wall of Tutankhamun’s burial chamber suggests something much more exciting. There are several oddities about Tutankhamun’s tomb. It is small compared with others in the valley. The objects found in it, while magnificent, seemed hurriedly placed and were found to be largely second-hand; even the boy-king’s famous gilded funerary mask sports the strangely unmanly feature of pierced ears. The tomb’s main axis is angled to the right of the entrance shaft, an arrangement typical of Egyptian queens rather than kings. Noting that the bigger of the two doorways he may have located aligns perfectly with both sides of the tomb’s entrance chamber, Mr Reeves thinks it could conceal a corridor continuing along the same axis, in the scale and shape of other nearby royal tombs. All this, as well as evidence that the tomb’s decoration and construction were executed at different stages, leads him to conclude that this corridor would lead to the burial chamber of a queen, or perhaps several princesses. Among the tombs and royal mummies that archaeologists have identified from Tutankhamun’s dynasty, Ancient Egypt’s 18th, there remains one gaping absence. Nefertiti, the wife of Tutankhamun’s father Akhenaten, was not only a famed beauty, as the world knows from her famous bust in Berlin. Her titles indicate that she served as co-regent and possibly also as a pharaoh in her own right after Akhenaten’s death, meaning Nefertiti’s tomb and its contents would be every bit as magnificent as her stepson’s. Indeed, if Mr Reeves is right, what Tutankhamun got was her leftovers; even his face mask might originally have been intended for the queen. Egyptologists are habitually reticent about each other’s work, and will no doubt wait to embrace this especially bold claim, but Mr Reeves’s paper has already aroused keen interest. “It’s a fascinating argument and an impressive first step,” says Kent Weeks, an American archaeologist who has minutely mapped the Valley of the Kings and in 1995 discovered the extent of its biggest known tomb. Mr Reeves’s theory would be simple to test using non-invasive techniques, says Mr Weeks. A radar scan, for a start, would quickly reveal any hollows. Impatient as he is to find out, Mr Reeves understands the difficulties. He credits Egypt’s antiquities authorities for commissioning the detailed photography that bolsters his theory, and is confident they will take a careful, consultative approach to test it. If the doorways do exist, modern archaeology will require a team of experts to work out how to enter them, and more delicate tools than the picks and shovels used by Howard Carter when he discovered Tutankhamun’s tomb. “Each piece of evidence on its own is not conclusive, but put it all together and it’s hard to avoid my conclusion.” So says Mr Reeves before adding reflectively, “If I’m wrong I’m wrong, but if I’m right this is potentially the biggest archaeological discovery ever made.”

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

This Saturday, Aug. 1, 2015 photo shows a variety of miniature tomatoes displayed for sale at a farmers market in Falls Church, Va. Cooling tomatoes below 54 degrees stops them from making some of the substances that contribute to their taste, say researchers. That robs the fruit of flavor, whether it happens in a home refrigerator or in cold storage before the produce reaches the grocery shelf, according to a report released Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) If you buy tomatoes from John Banscher at his farmstand in New Jersey, he'll recommend keeping them out of the fridge or they'll lose some of their taste. Now scientists have figured out why: It's because some of their genes chill out, says a study that may help solve that problem. Cooling tomatoes below 54 degrees stops them from making some of the substances that contribute to their taste, according to researchers who dug into the genetic roots of the problem. That robs the fruit of flavor, whether it happens in a home refrigerator or in cold storage before the produce reaches the grocery shelf, they said. With the new detailed knowledge of how that happens, "maybe we can breed tomatoes to change that," said researcher Denise Tieman of the University of Florida in Gainesville. She and colleagues there, in China and at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, report their findings in a paper published Monday by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. They showed that after seven days of storage at 39 degrees, tomatoes lost some of their supply of substances that produce their characteristic aroma, which is a key part of their flavor. Three days of sitting at room temperature didn't remedy that, and a taste test by 76 people confirmed the chilled tomatoes weren't as good as fresh fruit. Tomatoes stored for just one or three days didn't lose their aroma substances. Further research showed that the prolonged chilling reduced the activity of certain genes that make those compounds, Tieman said. Her lab is already looking into the possibility of breeding tomatoes that don't lose flavor in the cold, she said. In the meantime, "Just leave them out on the counter, or leave them in a shaded area, something like that," said Banscher, whose farm is in Gloucester County. "A tomato has a decent shelf life." Explore further: Two approaches to enhancing tomato flavor More information: Chilling-induced tomato flavor loss is associated with altered volatile synthesis and transient changes in DNA methylation, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1613910113 ||||| Significance Cold storage is widely used to extend shelf-life of agriculture products. For tomato, this handling results in reduced flavor quality. Our work provides major insights into the effects of chilling on consumer liking, the flavor metabolome and transcriptome, as well as DNA methylation status. Transcripts for some key volatile synthesis enzymes and the most important ripening-associated transcription factors are greatly reduced in response to chilling. These reductions are accompanied by major changes in the methylation status of promoter regions. Transient increases in DNA methylation occur during chilling. Our analysis provides insight into the molecular mechanisms of tomato fruit flavor loss caused by chilling. Abstract Commercial tomatoes are widely perceived by consumers as lacking flavor. A major part of that problem is a postharvest handling system that chills fruit. Low-temperature storage is widely used to slow ripening and reduce decay. However, chilling results in loss of flavor. Flavor-associated volatiles are sensitive to temperatures below 12 °C, and their loss greatly reduces flavor quality. Here, we provide a comprehensive view of the effects of chilling on flavor and volatiles associated with consumer liking. Reduced levels of specific volatiles are associated with significant reductions in transcripts encoding key volatile synthesis enzymes. Although expression of some genes critical to volatile synthesis recovers after a return to 20 °C, some genes do not. RNAs encoding transcription factors essential for ripening, including RIPENING INHIBITOR (RIN), NONRIPENING, and COLORLESS NONRIPENING are reduced in response to chilling and may be responsible for reduced transcript levels in many downstream genes during chilling. Those reductions are accompanied by major changes in the methylation status of promoters, including RIN. Methylation changes are transient and may contribute to the fidelity of gene expression required to provide maximal beneficial environmental response with minimal tangential influence on broader fruit developmental biology. The modern commercial tomato is widely perceived as lacking flavor and is a major source of consumer dissatisfaction. Postharvest handling and retail systems are major contributors to poor flavor, particularly the commonly used practice of chilling fruit. Many consumers store purchased fruits in the refrigerator, further contributing to flavor deterioration (1). Tomato flavor is produced by a combination of sugars, acids, and volatiles (2, 3). Production of flavor-associated volatiles is sensitive to temperatures below 12 °C and loss of volatiles has been observed during cold storage (4, 5). In contrast, taste-related chemicals, sugars, and acids, are not significantly affected by cold storage (6, 7). Flavor-imparting volatiles are derived from amino acids, fatty acids, and carotenoids, and multiple genes essential for their synthesis have been functionally validated (8). For example, C6 volatiles are synthesized by a lipoxygenase, LoxC (9), hydroperoxide lyase (HPL) (10), and ALCOHOL DEHYDROGENASE2 (ADH2) (11). Volatile esters are synthesized by an ALCOHOL ACETYLTRANSFERASE1 (AAT1) (12). The CAROTENOID CLEAVAGE DIOXYGENASE1 (CCD1) contributes to synthesis of volatile apocarotenoids (13). Synthesis of many tomato flavor volatiles increases during fruit ripening. The ripening mutants, Colorless nonripening (Cnr) and nonripening (nor) produce substantially lower levels of lipid-derived volatiles than wild-type (14). One of the main transcription factors (TFs) mediating ripening is RIPENING INHIBITOR (RIN). RIN-binding sites are frequently demethylated upon ripening and binding occurs in concert with demethylation (15), indicating that promoter methylation state influences expression of RIN-dependent genes. Transcriptomic analysis has identified genes associated with tomato fruit chilling. For example, 14-d chilling of Micro-Tom fruit resulted in differential expression of many genes related to photosynthesis, lipid metabolism, cell wall modification, and antioxidant production (16). Although this work has provided insights into chilling-induced gene expression, it did not directly address the molecular basis for loss of flavor volatiles. Several groups have analyzed changes in LOX activity and C6 volatiles in response to cold storage; reduced production of C6 volatiles cannot be directly explained by LOX activity alone (1, 5). These observations provide a framework for analysis of the molecular mechanism underlying chilling-induced loss of tomato flavor. In addition to the economic impact of flavor quality loss, the tomato fruit provides an ideal system in which to examine the effects of environmental stress on a genome scale. Here, we provide a comprehensive analysis of the effect of chilling on the transcriptome and flavor metabolome. The large transcriptional reprogramming that occurred in response to chilling and following a recovery period was correlated with alterations in DNA methylation. Discussion Although modern high-yielding varieties of tomatoes are not as flavorful as older varieties (8), a significant part of the perceived problem in modern commercial tomatoes can be attributed to postharvest chilling (4). Exposure to temperatures as low as 4 °C causes severe damage to flavor quality (1). To determine the underlying molecular basis for that flavor deterioration, we undertook a systematic analysis of fruits exposed to chilling temperature, examining changes in the flavor metabolome, the transcriptome, and alterations in patterns of DNA methylation. Chilling did not alter fruit sugar and acid contents (Fig. 1). However, significant loss of flavor volatiles was observed for fruit stored at 5 °C for 8 d. Even after a 1-d recovery period at 20 °C, volatile composition was still significantly lower than in unchilled fruit, resulting in lower overall consumer liking. Twelve volatiles were significantly altered by cold storage in multiple seasons and cultivars. We observed significant reductions in the contents of volatiles associated with the C5/C6, branched-chain amino acid and ester pathways (Fig. 1C). These reductions were correlated with significantly lower transcript abundance of genes whose products are essential for their synthesis. Although transcript content of some of these genes increased after moving fruits to room temperature for 24 h, most remained significantly lower than in unchilled fruits (Fig. 3). Unlike sugars and acids, volatiles are freely diffusible through the stem scar and must be constantly replenished to maintain appropriate levels within harvested fruit. Because expression of genes encoding essential biosynthetic enzymes is significantly lower at 5 °C, chilling leads to depletion of important flavor volatiles and reduced flavor quality. Although total fruit volatile content was significantly lower in chilled fruits, a subset of flavor volatiles increased during chilling. The contents of two volatiles derived from lycopene cleavage, MHO and geranial, were higher after chilling (Fig. 3D and SI Appendix, Fig. S1B). These volatiles are produced by oxidative cleavage of lycopene, which makes up ∼85% of the carotenoid pool in a ripe fruit (13, 34, 35). Cleavage can be either enzymatic, catalyzed by carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases, or nonenzymatic. The CCD1B transcript is significantly lower in chilled fruit, as are transcripts of multiple carotenoid biosynthetic pathway genes (Fig. 3D and SI Appendix, Fig. S6). The most likely explanation for increased MHO and geranial content is chilling-induced nonenzymatic carotenoid oxidation. Production of reactive oxygen species is one of the main responses of fruit subjected to abiotic stresses, such as high light and cold, and carotenoids were reported to be the main quenchers for singlet oxygen (36, 37). Nonenzymatic oxidation of carotenoids is the main mechanism for production of apocarotenoid volatiles in Arabidopsis exposed to high light stress (38). Compared with ripe fruit on the day of harvest, RNA-Seq analysis detected 5,413 DEGs during cold storage, and 528 DEGs after recovery at ambient temperature (SI Appendix, Fig. S5A), indicating that expression of many genes is sensitive to temperature shift. A global view of transcriptional changes showed that carbohydrate metabolism was significantly down-regulated (Fig. 2A), indicating that energy metabolism is suppressed during cold storage. Our transcriptome data are consistent with previously described proteome changes in chilled tomato fruit, in which proteins belonging to energy metabolism BINs were significantly suppressed (7). Functional classes associated with amino acids, fatty acids, and secondary metabolism were reduced by cold storage followed by a recovery after transfer to 20 °C. In line with the major reprogramming of gene expression during chilling, multiple TFs associated with fruit development exhibited significantly altered transcript abundance in response to chilling (Fig. 3E). In particular, TFs that are essential to ripening are down, including RIN (39), NOR (40), and CNR (41). Reduced expression of these TFs in response to chilling would be expected to globally reduce many ripening-associated processes, permitting the organ to redirect metabolic resources into more suitable stress responses. In addition to these TFs, transcripts of FUL1, a RIN-interacting MADS domain protein affecting aspects of ripening, including volatile synthesis (42), as well as HB-1, a positive regulator of ethylene synthesis (43), are down during chilling. Expression of other TFs that regulate specific aspects of fruit development, including TAGL1 (44, 45) and AP2a (46, 47), increased during chilling. Notably, AP2a is a negative regulator of ethylene synthesis and fruit ripening. Thus, an increase in its expression is consistent with the observed reduction in expression of ethylene synthesis genes. The tomato chilling response also includes CBF transcriptional activators. Transcripts of all three CBF genes (CBF1–3) were significantly elevated in response to chilling and returned to basal levels upon return to ambient temperature (Fig. 2B). Previous comparison of CBF action in tomato indicated that the tomato CBF regulon is considerably smaller than its Arabidopsis counterpart (21). We examined chilling-induced expression of all of the closest homologs of the Arabidopsis regulon. The Arabidopsis regulon consists of 133 up-regulated and 39 down-regulated genes (22). Of the combined 172 genes, 27 exhibited significantly different expression during chilling and that differential expression was often in the opposite direction as in Arabidopsis (SI Appendix, Table S4). Thus, although there is a CBF-associated response to chilling, that response is substantially different from the chilling tolerant Arabidopsis. Finally, tomato fruit ripening is associated with major alterations in DNA (cytosine) methylation, particularly in RIN-binding promoter regions, likely mediated by DML2. This epigenetic reprogramming is essential for ripening (15, 33). We identified 30,918 DMRs in chilled fruits, with 9,951 being in promoter regions. Interestingly, much of the methylation was transient, returning to a prechilled state after 24 h at room temperature. Notably, RIN and many—although not all—of its target genes, displayed an inverse correlation between promoter methylation and transcript abundance (Fig. 5 and SI Appendix, Fig. S6). Our data do not permit us to conclude whether DNA methylation is the cause or an effect of reduced expression. We can conclude that chilling stress causes major changes in the methylation status of the genome and many of these changes occur in promoters of genes known to contribute to ripening, quality, and flavor volatile synthesis, and are altered in response to chilling. It is possible that this methylation associated with reduced expression is an added level of insurance against expression of genes that are not essential to respond to this environmental stress. This point is especially relevant, given that many of the chilling-induced alterations in transcriptome activity appear to operate through broadly acting fruit developmental regulators, such as RIN. It will be interesting to determine whether stress-induced changes in methylation are fruit-specific or generalized to other biotic and abiotic stresses in the tomato plant. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that chilling of ripe tomato fruits results in significantly reduced flavor quality. That reduction is associated with major alterations in contents of volatiles associated with consumer liking. Reduced levels of specific volatiles are associated with greatly reduced levels of transcripts for some key volatile synthesis enzymes. Expression of genes encoding TFs that are essential for ripening, including RIN, NOR, and CNR, are also reduced in response to chilling and may be responsible for reduced transcript levels in the many genes during chilling. Those reductions are accompanied by major changes in the methylation status of promoters, including those of the aforementioned TFs, and may contribute to the fidelity of gene expression required to provide maximal beneficial environmental response with minimal tangential influence on broader fruit developmental biology. Materials and Methods Tomato Fruit Treatment. Tomatoes were grown in a greenhouse on the University of Florida campus. Fruit at the full red ripe stage, free of visual defects, and uniform in size were selected, washed with water, and air dried. Tomatoes were divided into three groups: (i) stored at 5 °C with 92% relative humidity for 7 d, and then transferred to 20 °C for 1-d recovery; (ii) held at 5 °C for 8 d without recovery at ambient temperature; and (iii) fruit on the day of harvest as controls. The first two groups were harvested 8 d before the third group, and fruit were subjected to consumer test on the day of the third harvest. Consumer Tests Analysis. All consumer tests were approved by the University of Florida Institutional Review Board. Taste panels consisted of 76 persons. Panelists rated overall liking of chilled and unchilled Ailsa Craig tomatoes using a hedonic general labeled magnitude scale, as described previously (3). Chilled tomatoes were less liked than unchilled tomatoes when panelists’ liking scores were compared as matched pairs using a one-tailed t test, sign test, or Wilcoxon signed rank test. After measurement of flavor quality, pericarp tissue was frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at −80 °C until sugar and acid analysis. Ethylene Production Analysis. Fruit were sealed in 500-mL containers for 1 h, and 1 mL of headspace gas samples were analyzed using a HP5890 series II gas chromatograph (Hewlett Packard) equipped with a flame ionization detector. The temperature program was 110 °C for oven, 110 °C for injection port, and 130 °C for detector. Volatile Analysis. Volatile analysis was performed according to the method described previously (48), with three biological replicates of six pooled fruit each. Chopped ripe tomatoes were enclosed in glass tubes flowing with filtered air for 1 h, and volatiles were extracted using a Super Q column. Volatiles were eluted with methylene chloride using nonyl acetate as an internal control, and separated on an Agilent 6890N gas chromatograph equipped with a DB-5 column (Agilent). Retention times were compared with authentic standards, and volatile contents were calculated as ng⋅g−1 fresh weight (FW) h−1. Sugars and Acids Analysis. Contents of glucose, fructose, malic acid, and citric acid were determined as described previously (35). Analysis was performed on three biological replicates, each consisting of six fruit. RNA Isolation and High-Throughput Sequencing. RNA was extracted using an RNeasy Mini kit (Qiagen) following the manufacturer’s instructions, and quality was monitored by gel electrophoresis and A260/A280. Libraries for high-throughput Illumina strand-specific RNA-Seq were prepared as described previously (49). Three biological replicates for each treatment were prepared, each consisting of multiple pooled fruits. The statistics of sequencing quality and correlation data illustrated the global relative relationship between biological replicates and among fruit samples are presented in SI Appendix, Tables S10 and S11. DNA Sequencing. Illumina DNA sequencing was performed on a HiSeq2500 using reagents and protocols provided by Illumina, alignment to the reference tomato genome (v2.40) and determination of expression for each gene were performed as described previously (17). DNA Methylation. Genomic DNA was extracted using a Qiagen DNeasy Plant Mini Kit (https://www.qiagen.com/us), and quality was monitored by gel electrophoresis and a ratio of A260/A280. Bisulfite conversion of tomato genomic DNA and Illumina sequencing were performed as described previously (15). All of the chilling-related methylome data generated for this paper are archived at single-base resolution in the tomato epigenome database at ted.bti.cornell.edu/epigenome/. Statistical Analysis. Volatile emissions were subjected to one-way ANOVA analysis (OriginPro 9.0, Microcal Software). PCA was selected to provide an overview of changes in detected volatiles and global gene-expression patterns in response to cold storage (www.metaboanalyst.ca). DEGs were defined by reads per kilobase per million (RPKM) fold-change > 2 and FDR < 0.05. GO enrichment (geneontology.org/) was performed. DEGs were classified into functional categories defined by MapMan BINs (mapman.gabipd.org). Wilcoxon test and Benjamini–Hochberg correction were performed to provide a statistical-based graphic display of enriched BINs (19). Acknowledgments We thank Drs. Charles Sims and Asli Odabasi for their help with the consumer panel; Dawn Bies for help with volatile collection; Mark Taylor for help with plant care; and Michael Thomashow for invaluable advice. This work was supported by National Science Foundation Grants IOS-0923312 (to H.J.K., J.J.G., and Z.F.); National Key Research and Development Program 2016YFD0400101; Program of International Science and Technology Cooperation Grant 2011DFB31580; the New Star Program from Zhejiang University; and the China Scholarship Council. Footnotes Author contributions: B.Z., J.J.G., and H.J.K. designed research; B.Z., D.M.T., C.J., and Y.X. performed research; B.Z., D.M.T., C.J., Z.F., J.J.G., and H.J.K. analyzed data; B.Z., K.C., Z.F., J.J.G., and H.J.K. wrote the paper; and K.C. provided support and partial supervision of B.Z. Reviewers: R.M.A., University of Wisconsin–Madison; and G.B.S., University of Nottingham. The authors declare no conflict of interest. Data deposition: All of the chilling-related methylome data generated for this paper are archived at single-base resolution in the tomato epigenome database at ted.bti.cornell.edu/epigenome/. Raw sequence reads of methylome and transcriptome have also been deposited in NCBI Sequence Read Archive (SRA) under accession numbers SRP082267 and SRP082266, respectively. This article contains supporting information online at www.pnas.org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1073/pnas.1613910113/-/DCSupplemental. ||||| Photo The tomato hitching a ride home in your grocery bag today is not the tomato it used to be. No matter if you bought plum, cherry or heirloom, if you wanted the tastiest tomato, you should have picked it yourself and eaten it immediately. That’s because a tomato’s flavor — made up of sugars, acids and chemicals called volatiles — degrades as soon as it’s picked from the vine. There’s only one thing you can do now: Keep it out of the fridge. Researchers at The University of Florida have found in a study published Monday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that when tomatoes are stored at the temperature kept in most refrigerators, irreversible genetic changes take place that erase some of their flavors forever. Harry J. Klee, a professor of horticultural sciences who led the study, and his colleagues took two varieties of tomatoes — an heirloom and a more common modern variety — and stored them at 41 degrees Fahrenheit before letting them recover at room temperature (68 degrees Fahrenheit). When they looked at what happened inside the tomatoes in cold temperatures, Dr. Klee said the subtropical fruit went into shock, producing especially damaging changes after a week of storage. After they were allowed to warm up, even for a day, some genes in the tomatoes that created its flavor volatiles had turned off and stayed off. It’s like a symphony: “Remove the violins and the woodwinds,” Dr. Klee wrote in an email. “You still have noise, but it’s not the same. Add back just the violins and it still isn’t right. You need that orchestra of 30 or more chemicals in the right balance to give you a good tomato.” Advertisement Continue reading the main story When you can get fresh tomatoes, Dr. Klee recommends storing them at room temperature, to preserve their flavor, and eating them within a week of bringing them home. If you see your grocer storing them at temperatures that are too cold, tell them not to, he says. But this research may seem mostly academic. The average American consumes nearly 20 pounds of fresh tomatoes a year. And despite researchers, industries and farmers all striving to create the tastiest tomatoes, there are some things we can’t yet control. Sign Up for the Science Times Newsletter Every week, we’ll bring you stories that capture the wonders of the human body, nature and the cosmos. Sign-up for free NYT Newsletters Opinion Today Thought-provoking commentary, weekdays First Draft Political news and analysis, weekdays Cooking Delicious recipes and more, 5 times a week Bits Latest technolgy news, daily Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up Receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. Thank you for subscribing. An error has occurred. Please try again later. View all New York Times newsletters. After all, most of the tomatoes we eat out of season are plucked from their vines probably in Florida or Mexico, just as they started to ripen. They are sorted, sized, graded and packed into a box with other tomatoes, totaling 25 pounds. Then they stay in a humidity and temperature-controlled room (no less than 55 degrees Fahrenheit) and ingest ethylene, a gas to make them ripen, for two to four days before being transported on a temperature-controlled truck to a warehouse. There they are repackaged, re-sorted and shipped to your grocer. There, if demand is low or if there’s no room, they may be stored in a fridge, and by the time you get them, it’s been a week to ten days. “It’s probably never going to equal the one that matured in your backyard over the 80 or 90 days that you grew it, but it beats stone soup” said Reggie Brown, a manager at Florida Tomato Committee, which produces up to half of America’s fresh tomatoes in the winter. In cold months, should you endure a tomatoless diet? There are alternatives, says Dan Barber, chef at Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York, who has received multiple James Beard Awards. “My advice for consumers is don’t eat a tomato in the winter,” he said. “Make a tomato jam in the summer and store and preserve it. Use dried tomatoes from the store. Make a tomato ketchup and can it — you can have it for the whole winter.” ||||| These crawls are part of an effort to archive pages as they are created and archive the pages that they refer to. That way, as the pages that are referenced are changed or taken from the web, a link to the version that was live when the page was written will be preserved.Then the Internet Archive hopes that references to these archived pages will be put in place of a link that would be otherwise be broken, or a companion link to allow people to see what was originally intended by a page's authors.The goal is to fix all broken links on the web . Crawls of supported "No More 404" sites.

– It may seem practical to keep fruits and veggies from spoiling by storing them in the fridge, but there's one variety that should stay out on the counter. The New York Times reports on new research out of the University of Florida that finds when tomatoes are harbored in temps typically found in refrigerators, their flavor weakens, and some of that flavor doesn't come back. The study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that chilling tomatoes can cause "altered volatile synthesis" and "transient changes in DNA methylation"—a fancy way of saying that even when the tomatoes are brought back to room temperature, the genes that make a tomato taste like a tomato have been "turned off," and the change is irreversible, per the Los Angeles Times. Study lead author Harry Klee compares it to a symphony in which the violins and woodwinds have been taken out. "You still have noise, but it's not the same." For a tasty tomato—made up of a complex mixture of acids, sugars, and chemicals known as volatile organic compounds—it's necessary for an "orchestra of 30 or more chemicals in the right balance." Klee's team stored heirlooms and other tomatoes for a week in a chilly (around 40 degrees Fahrenheit) environment, followed by a recovery period at 68 degrees, per Phys.org. The tomatoes went into "shock" while chilling, and even after a full day back at room temperature, they didn't regain their former gastronomical glory in terms of taste. Even if you're diligent about keeping tomatoes away from the cold, the LA Times notes tomatoes found at the market are often kept chilled both at distribution hubs and at the store itself. (A way to make store-bought tomatoes taste better.)

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.This Saturday, Aug. 1, 2015 photo shows a variety of miniature tomatoes displayed for sale at a farmers market in Falls Church, Va. Cooling tomatoes below 54 degrees stops them from making some of the substances that contribute to their taste, say researchers. That robs the fruit of flavor, whether it happens in a home refrigerator or in cold storage before the produce reaches the grocery shelf, according to a report released Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) If you buy tomatoes from John Banscher at his farmstand in New Jersey, he'll recommend keeping them out of the fridge or they'll lose some of their taste. Now scientists have figured out why: It's because some of their genes chill out, says a study that may help solve that problem. Cooling tomatoes below 54 degrees stops them from making some of the substances that contribute to their taste, according to researchers who dug into the genetic roots of the problem. That robs the fruit of flavor, whether it happens in a home refrigerator or in cold storage before the produce reaches the grocery shelf, they said. With the new detailed knowledge of how that happens, "maybe we can breed tomatoes to change that," said researcher Denise Tieman of the University of Florida in Gainesville. She and colleagues there, in China and at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, report their findings in a paper published Monday by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. They showed that after seven days of storage at 39 degrees, tomatoes lost some of their supply of substances that produce their characteristic aroma, which is a key part of their flavor. Three days of sitting at room temperature didn't remedy that, and a taste test by 76 people confirmed the chilled tomatoes weren't as good as fresh fruit. Tomatoes stored for just one or three days didn't lose their aroma substances. Further research showed that the prolonged chilling reduced the activity of certain genes that make those compounds, Tieman said. Her lab is already looking into the possibility of breeding tomatoes that don't lose flavor in the cold, she said. In the meantime, "Just leave them out on the counter, or leave them in a shaded area, something like that," said Banscher, whose farm is in Gloucester County. "A tomato has a decent shelf life." Explore further: Two approaches to enhancing tomato flavor More information: Chilling-induced tomato flavor loss is associated with altered volatile synthesis and transient changes in DNA methylation, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1613910113 ||||| Significance Cold storage is widely used to extend shelf-life of agriculture products. For tomato, this handling results in reduced flavor quality. Our work provides major insights into the effects of chilling on consumer liking, the flavor metabolome and transcriptome, as well as DNA methylation status. Transcripts for some key volatile synthesis enzymes and the most important ripening-associated transcription factors are greatly reduced in response to chilling. These reductions are accompanied by major changes in the methylation status of promoter regions. Transient increases in DNA methylation occur during chilling. Our analysis provides insight into the molecular mechanisms of tomato fruit flavor loss caused by chilling. Abstract Commercial tomatoes are widely perceived by consumers as lacking flavor. A major part of that problem is a postharvest handling system that chills fruit. Low-temperature storage is widely used to slow ripening and reduce decay. However, chilling results in loss of flavor. Flavor-associated volatiles are sensitive to temperatures below 12 °C, and their loss greatly reduces flavor quality. Here, we provide a comprehensive view of the effects of chilling on flavor and volatiles associated with consumer liking. Reduced levels of specific volatiles are associated with significant reductions in transcripts encoding key volatile synthesis enzymes. Although expression of some genes critical to volatile synthesis recovers after a return to 20 °C, some genes do not. RNAs encoding transcription factors essential for ripening, including RIPENING INHIBITOR (RIN), NONRIPENING, and COLORLESS NONRIPENING are reduced in response to chilling and may be responsible for reduced transcript levels in many downstream genes during chilling. Those reductions are accompanied by major changes in the methylation status of promoters, including RIN. Methylation changes are transient and may contribute to the fidelity of gene expression required to provide maximal beneficial environmental response with minimal tangential influence on broader fruit developmental biology. The modern commercial tomato is widely perceived as lacking flavor and is a major source of consumer dissatisfaction. Postharvest handling and retail systems are major contributors to poor flavor, particularly the commonly used practice of chilling fruit. Many consumers store purchased fruits in the refrigerator, further contributing to flavor deterioration (1). Tomato flavor is produced by a combination of sugars, acids, and volatiles (2, 3). Production of flavor-associated volatiles is sensitive to temperatures below 12 °C and loss of volatiles has been observed during cold storage (4, 5). In contrast, taste-related chemicals, sugars, and acids, are not significantly affected by cold storage (6, 7). Flavor-imparting volatiles are derived from amino acids, fatty acids, and carotenoids, and multiple genes essential for their synthesis have been functionally validated (8). For example, C6 volatiles are synthesized by a lipoxygenase, LoxC (9), hydroperoxide lyase (HPL) (10), and ALCOHOL DEHYDROGENASE2 (ADH2) (11). Volatile esters are synthesized by an ALCOHOL ACETYLTRANSFERASE1 (AAT1) (12). The CAROTENOID CLEAVAGE DIOXYGENASE1 (CCD1) contributes to synthesis of volatile apocarotenoids (13). Synthesis of many tomato flavor volatiles increases during fruit ripening. The ripening mutants, Colorless nonripening (Cnr) and nonripening (nor) produce substantially lower levels of lipid-derived volatiles than wild-type (14). One of the main transcription factors (TFs) mediating ripening is RIPENING INHIBITOR (RIN). RIN-binding sites are frequently demethylated upon ripening and binding occurs in concert with demethylation (15), indicating that promoter methylation state influences expression of RIN-dependent genes. Transcriptomic analysis has identified genes associated with tomato fruit chilling. For example, 14-d chilling of Micro-Tom fruit resulted in differential expression of many genes related to photosynthesis, lipid metabolism, cell wall modification, and antioxidant production (16). Although this work has provided insights into chilling-induced gene expression, it did not directly address the molecular basis for loss of flavor volatiles. Several groups have analyzed changes in LOX activity and C6 volatiles in response to cold storage; reduced production of C6 volatiles cannot be directly explained by LOX activity alone (1, 5). These observations provide a framework for analysis of the molecular mechanism underlying chilling-induced loss of tomato flavor. In addition to the economic impact of flavor quality loss, the tomato fruit provides an ideal system in which to examine the effects of environmental stress on a genome scale. Here, we provide a comprehensive analysis of the effect of chilling on the transcriptome and flavor metabolome. The large transcriptional reprogramming that occurred in response to chilling and following a recovery period was correlated with alterations in DNA methylation. Discussion Although modern high-yielding varieties of tomatoes are not as flavorful as older varieties (8), a significant part of the perceived problem in modern commercial tomatoes can be attributed to postharvest chilling (4). Exposure to temperatures as low as 4 °C causes severe damage to flavor quality (1). To determine the underlying molecular basis for that flavor deterioration, we undertook a systematic analysis of fruits exposed to chilling temperature, examining changes in the flavor metabolome, the transcriptome, and alterations in patterns of DNA methylation. Chilling did not alter fruit sugar and acid contents (Fig. 1). However, significant loss of flavor volatiles was observed for fruit stored at 5 °C for 8 d. Even after a 1-d recovery period at 20 °C, volatile composition was still significantly lower than in unchilled fruit, resulting in lower overall consumer liking. Twelve volatiles were significantly altered by cold storage in multiple seasons and cultivars. We observed significant reductions in the contents of volatiles associated with the C5/C6, branched-chain amino acid and ester pathways (Fig. 1C). These reductions were correlated with significantly lower transcript abundance of genes whose products are essential for their synthesis. Although transcript content of some of these genes increased after moving fruits to room temperature for 24 h, most remained significantly lower than in unchilled fruits (Fig. 3). Unlike sugars and acids, volatiles are freely diffusible through the stem scar and must be constantly replenished to maintain appropriate levels within harvested fruit. Because expression of genes encoding essential biosynthetic enzymes is significantly lower at 5 °C, chilling leads to depletion of important flavor volatiles and reduced flavor quality. Although total fruit volatile content was significantly lower in chilled fruits, a subset of flavor volatiles increased during chilling. The contents of two volatiles derived from lycopene cleavage, MHO and geranial, were higher after chilling (Fig. 3D and SI Appendix, Fig. S1B). These volatiles are produced by oxidative cleavage of lycopene, which makes up ∼85% of the carotenoid pool in a ripe fruit (13, 34, 35). Cleavage can be either enzymatic, catalyzed by carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases, or nonenzymatic. The CCD1B transcript is significantly lower in chilled fruit, as are transcripts of multiple carotenoid biosynthetic pathway genes (Fig. 3D and SI Appendix, Fig. S6). The most likely explanation for increased MHO and geranial content is chilling-induced nonenzymatic carotenoid oxidation. Production of reactive oxygen species is one of the main responses of fruit subjected to abiotic stresses, such as high light and cold, and carotenoids were reported to be the main quenchers for singlet oxygen (36, 37). Nonenzymatic oxidation of carotenoids is the main mechanism for production of apocarotenoid volatiles in Arabidopsis exposed to high light stress (38). Compared with ripe fruit on the day of harvest, RNA-Seq analysis detected 5,413 DEGs during cold storage, and 528 DEGs after recovery at ambient temperature (SI Appendix, Fig. S5A), indicating that expression of many genes is sensitive to temperature shift. A global view of transcriptional changes showed that carbohydrate metabolism was significantly down-regulated (Fig. 2A), indicating that energy metabolism is suppressed during cold storage. Our transcriptome data are consistent with previously described proteome changes in chilled tomato fruit, in which proteins belonging to energy metabolism BINs were significantly suppressed (7). Functional classes associated with amino acids, fatty acids, and secondary metabolism were reduced by cold storage followed by a recovery after transfer to 20 °C. In line with the major reprogramming of gene expression during chilling, multiple TFs associated with fruit development exhibited significantly altered transcript abundance in response to chilling (Fig. 3E). In particular, TFs that are essential to ripening are down, including RIN (39), NOR (40), and CNR (41). Reduced expression of these TFs in response to chilling would be expected to globally reduce many ripening-associated processes, permitting the organ to redirect metabolic resources into more suitable stress responses. In addition to these TFs, transcripts of FUL1, a RIN-interacting MADS domain protein affecting aspects of ripening, including volatile synthesis (42), as well as HB-1, a positive regulator of ethylene synthesis (43), are down during chilling. Expression of other TFs that regulate specific aspects of fruit development, including TAGL1 (44, 45) and AP2a (46, 47), increased during chilling. Notably, AP2a is a negative regulator of ethylene synthesis and fruit ripening. Thus, an increase in its expression is consistent with the observed reduction in expression of ethylene synthesis genes. The tomato chilling response also includes CBF transcriptional activators. Transcripts of all three CBF genes (CBF1–3) were significantly elevated in response to chilling and returned to basal levels upon return to ambient temperature (Fig. 2B). Previous comparison of CBF action in tomato indicated that the tomato CBF regulon is considerably smaller than its Arabidopsis counterpart (21). We examined chilling-induced expression of all of the closest homologs of the Arabidopsis regulon. The Arabidopsis regulon consists of 133 up-regulated and 39 down-regulated genes (22). Of the combined 172 genes, 27 exhibited significantly different expression during chilling and that differential expression was often in the opposite direction as in Arabidopsis (SI Appendix, Table S4). Thus, although there is a CBF-associated response to chilling, that response is substantially different from the chilling tolerant Arabidopsis. Finally, tomato fruit ripening is associated with major alterations in DNA (cytosine) methylation, particularly in RIN-binding promoter regions, likely mediated by DML2. This epigenetic reprogramming is essential for ripening (15, 33). We identified 30,918 DMRs in chilled fruits, with 9,951 being in promoter regions. Interestingly, much of the methylation was transient, returning to a prechilled state after 24 h at room temperature. Notably, RIN and many—although not all—of its target genes, displayed an inverse correlation between promoter methylation and transcript abundance (Fig. 5 and SI Appendix, Fig. S6). Our data do not permit us to conclude whether DNA methylation is the cause or an effect of reduced expression. We can conclude that chilling stress causes major changes in the methylation status of the genome and many of these changes occur in promoters of genes known to contribute to ripening, quality, and flavor volatile synthesis, and are altered in response to chilling. It is possible that this methylation associated with reduced expression is an added level of insurance against expression of genes that are not essential to respond to this environmental stress. This point is especially relevant, given that many of the chilling-induced alterations in transcriptome activity appear to operate through broadly acting fruit developmental regulators, such as RIN. It will be interesting to determine whether stress-induced changes in methylation are fruit-specific or generalized to other biotic and abiotic stresses in the tomato plant. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that chilling of ripe tomato fruits results in significantly reduced flavor quality. That reduction is associated with major alterations in contents of volatiles associated with consumer liking. Reduced levels of specific volatiles are associated with greatly reduced levels of transcripts for some key volatile synthesis enzymes. Expression of genes encoding TFs that are essential for ripening, including RIN, NOR, and CNR, are also reduced in response to chilling and may be responsible for reduced transcript levels in the many genes during chilling. Those reductions are accompanied by major changes in the methylation status of promoters, including those of the aforementioned TFs, and may contribute to the fidelity of gene expression required to provide maximal beneficial environmental response with minimal tangential influence on broader fruit developmental biology. Materials and Methods Tomato Fruit Treatment. Tomatoes were grown in a greenhouse on the University of Florida campus. Fruit at the full red ripe stage, free of visual defects, and uniform in size were selected, washed with water, and air dried. Tomatoes were divided into three groups: (i) stored at 5 °C with 92% relative humidity for 7 d, and then transferred to 20 °C for 1-d recovery; (ii) held at 5 °C for 8 d without recovery at ambient temperature; and (iii) fruit on the day of harvest as controls. The first two groups were harvested 8 d before the third group, and fruit were subjected to consumer test on the day of the third harvest. Consumer Tests Analysis. All consumer tests were approved by the University of Florida Institutional Review Board. Taste panels consisted of 76 persons. Panelists rated overall liking of chilled and unchilled Ailsa Craig tomatoes using a hedonic general labeled magnitude scale, as described previously (3). Chilled tomatoes were less liked than unchilled tomatoes when panelists’ liking scores were compared as matched pairs using a one-tailed t test, sign test, or Wilcoxon signed rank test. After measurement of flavor quality, pericarp tissue was frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at −80 °C until sugar and acid analysis. Ethylene Production Analysis. Fruit were sealed in 500-mL containers for 1 h, and 1 mL of headspace gas samples were analyzed using a HP5890 series II gas chromatograph (Hewlett Packard) equipped with a flame ionization detector. The temperature program was 110 °C for oven, 110 °C for injection port, and 130 °C for detector. Volatile Analysis. Volatile analysis was performed according to the method described previously (48), with three biological replicates of six pooled fruit each. Chopped ripe tomatoes were enclosed in glass tubes flowing with filtered air for 1 h, and volatiles were extracted using a Super Q column. Volatiles were eluted with methylene chloride using nonyl acetate as an internal control, and separated on an Agilent 6890N gas chromatograph equipped with a DB-5 column (Agilent). Retention times were compared with authentic standards, and volatile contents were calculated as ng⋅g−1 fresh weight (FW) h−1. Sugars and Acids Analysis. Contents of glucose, fructose, malic acid, and citric acid were determined as described previously (35). Analysis was performed on three biological replicates, each consisting of six fruit. RNA Isolation and High-Throughput Sequencing. RNA was extracted using an RNeasy Mini kit (Qiagen) following the manufacturer’s instructions, and quality was monitored by gel electrophoresis and A260/A280. Libraries for high-throughput Illumina strand-specific RNA-Seq were prepared as described previously (49). Three biological replicates for each treatment were prepared, each consisting of multiple pooled fruits. The statistics of sequencing quality and correlation data illustrated the global relative relationship between biological replicates and among fruit samples are presented in SI Appendix, Tables S10 and S11. DNA Sequencing. Illumina DNA sequencing was performed on a HiSeq2500 using reagents and protocols provided by Illumina, alignment to the reference tomato genome (v2.40) and determination of expression for each gene were performed as described previously (17). DNA Methylation. Genomic DNA was extracted using a Qiagen DNeasy Plant Mini Kit (https://www.qiagen.com/us), and quality was monitored by gel electrophoresis and a ratio of A260/A280. Bisulfite conversion of tomato genomic DNA and Illumina sequencing were performed as described previously (15). All of the chilling-related methylome data generated for this paper are archived at single-base resolution in the tomato epigenome database at ted.bti.cornell.edu/epigenome/. Statistical Analysis. Volatile emissions were subjected to one-way ANOVA analysis (OriginPro 9.0, Microcal Software). PCA was selected to provide an overview of changes in detected volatiles and global gene-expression patterns in response to cold storage (www.metaboanalyst.ca). DEGs were defined by reads per kilobase per million (RPKM) fold-change > 2 and FDR < 0.05. GO enrichment (geneontology.org/) was performed. DEGs were classified into functional categories defined by MapMan BINs (mapman.gabipd.org). Wilcoxon test and Benjamini–Hochberg correction were performed to provide a statistical-based graphic display of enriched BINs (19). Acknowledgments We thank Drs. Charles Sims and Asli Odabasi for their help with the consumer panel; Dawn Bies for help with volatile collection; Mark Taylor for help with plant care; and Michael Thomashow for invaluable advice. This work was supported by National Science Foundation Grants IOS-0923312 (to H.J.K., J.J.G., and Z.F.); National Key Research and Development Program 2016YFD0400101; Program of International Science and Technology Cooperation Grant 2011DFB31580; the New Star Program from Zhejiang University; and the China Scholarship Council. Footnotes Author contributions: B.Z., J.J.G., and H.J.K. designed research; B.Z., D.M.T., C.J., and Y.X. performed research; B.Z., D.M.T., C.J., Z.F., J.J.G., and H.J.K. analyzed data; B.Z., K.C., Z.F., J.J.G., and H.J.K. wrote the paper; and K.C. provided support and partial supervision of B.Z. Reviewers: R.M.A., University of Wisconsin–Madison; and G.B.S., University of Nottingham. The authors declare no conflict of interest. Data deposition: All of the chilling-related methylome data generated for this paper are archived at single-base resolution in the tomato epigenome database at ted.bti.cornell.edu/epigenome/. Raw sequence reads of methylome and transcriptome have also been deposited in NCBI Sequence Read Archive (SRA) under accession numbers SRP082267 and SRP082266, respectively. This article contains supporting information online at www.pnas.org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1073/pnas.1613910113/-/DCSupplemental. ||||| Photo The tomato hitching a ride home in your grocery bag today is not the tomato it used to be. No matter if you bought plum, cherry or heirloom, if you wanted the tastiest tomato, you should have picked it yourself and eaten it immediately. That’s because a tomato’s flavor — made up of sugars, acids and chemicals called volatiles — degrades as soon as it’s picked from the vine. There’s only one thing you can do now: Keep it out of the fridge. Researchers at The University of Florida have found in a study published Monday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that when tomatoes are stored at the temperature kept in most refrigerators, irreversible genetic changes take place that erase some of their flavors forever. Harry J. Klee, a professor of horticultural sciences who led the study, and his colleagues took two varieties of tomatoes — an heirloom and a more common modern variety — and stored them at 41 degrees Fahrenheit before letting them recover at room temperature (68 degrees Fahrenheit). When they looked at what happened inside the tomatoes in cold temperatures, Dr. Klee said the subtropical fruit went into shock, producing especially damaging changes after a week of storage. After they were allowed to warm up, even for a day, some genes in the tomatoes that created its flavor volatiles had turned off and stayed off. It’s like a symphony: “Remove the violins and the woodwinds,” Dr. Klee wrote in an email. “You still have noise, but it’s not the same. Add back just the violins and it still isn’t right. You need that orchestra of 30 or more chemicals in the right balance to give you a good tomato.” Advertisement Continue reading the main story When you can get fresh tomatoes, Dr. Klee recommends storing them at room temperature, to preserve their flavor, and eating them within a week of bringing them home. If you see your grocer storing them at temperatures that are too cold, tell them not to, he says. But this research may seem mostly academic. The average American consumes nearly 20 pounds of fresh tomatoes a year. And despite researchers, industries and farmers all striving to create the tastiest tomatoes, there are some things we can’t yet control. Sign Up for the Science Times Newsletter Every week, we’ll bring you stories that capture the wonders of the human body, nature and the cosmos. Sign-up for free NYT Newsletters Opinion Today Thought-provoking commentary, weekdays First Draft Political news and analysis, weekdays Cooking Delicious recipes and more, 5 times a week Bits Latest technolgy news, daily Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up Receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. Thank you for subscribing. An error has occurred. Please try again later. View all New York Times newsletters. After all, most of the tomatoes we eat out of season are plucked from their vines probably in Florida or Mexico, just as they started to ripen. They are sorted, sized, graded and packed into a box with other tomatoes, totaling 25 pounds. Then they stay in a humidity and temperature-controlled room (no less than 55 degrees Fahrenheit) and ingest ethylene, a gas to make them ripen, for two to four days before being transported on a temperature-controlled truck to a warehouse. There they are repackaged, re-sorted and shipped to your grocer. There, if demand is low or if there’s no room, they may be stored in a fridge, and by the time you get them, it’s been a week to ten days. “It’s probably never going to equal the one that matured in your backyard over the 80 or 90 days that you grew it, but it beats stone soup” said Reggie Brown, a manager at Florida Tomato Committee, which produces up to half of America’s fresh tomatoes in the winter. In cold months, should you endure a tomatoless diet? There are alternatives, says Dan Barber, chef at Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York, who has received multiple James Beard Awards. “My advice for consumers is don’t eat a tomato in the winter,” he said. “Make a tomato jam in the summer and store and preserve it. Use dried tomatoes from the store. Make a tomato ketchup and can it — you can have it for the whole winter.” ||||| These crawls are part of an effort to archive pages as they are created and archive the pages that they refer to. That way, as the pages that are referenced are changed or taken from the web, a link to the version that was live when the page was written will be preserved.Then the Internet Archive hopes that references to these archived pages will be put in place of a link that would be otherwise be broken, or a companion link to allow people to see what was originally intended by a page's authors.The goal is to fix all broken links on the web . Crawls of supported "No More 404" sites.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

The Romney campaign stressed Monday that states should take the lead in responding to emergencies like hurricanes. But the campaign said Romney would not abolish the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “Gov. Romney believes that states should be in charge of emergency management in responding to storms and other natural disasters in their jurisdictions,” Romney spokesman Ryan Williams said in a statement. “As the first responders, states are in the best position to aid affected individuals and communities, and to direct resources and assistance to where they are needed most. This includes help from the federal government and FEMA.” Text Size - + reset Yard signs as missiles (PHOTOS: Hurricane Sandy) A campaign official added that Romney would not abolish FEMA. The statement came after The Huffington Post highlighted Romney’s comments from a June 2011 CNN primary debate in which Romney said states should take on a bigger role in responding to disasters. “Mitt Romney In GOP Debate: Shut Down Federal Disaster Agency, Send Responsibility To The States,” read the Huffington Post’s headline. “FEMA is about to run out of money, and there are some people who say, ‘Do it on a case-by-case basis.’ And there are some people who say, ‘You know what, maybe we’re learning a lesson here that the states should take on more of this role.’ How do you deal with something like that?” debate moderator John King asked Romney during the debate, pointing to the May 2011 tornado that killed more than 150 people in Joplin, Mo. “Absolutely. And every time you have an occasion to take something from the federal government and send it back to the states, that’s the right direction. And if you can go even further and send it back to the private sector, that’s even better,” Romney responded. “Instead of thinking in the federal budget, ‘What we should cut?’ we should ask ourselves the opposite question, ‘What should we keep?’ We should take all of what we’re doing at the federal level and say, ‘What are the things we’re doing that we don’t have to do?’ And those things we’ve got to stop doing,” Romney continued. (PHOTOS: Political plans: Rock me like a hurricane) ||||| Back when he was being “severely conservative,” Mitt Romney suggested that responsibility for disaster relief should be taken from the big, bad federal government and given to the states, or perhaps even privatized. Hurricane Sandy would like to know if he’d care to reconsider. The absurd, and dangerous, policy prescription came in a GOP primary debate in June. Moderator John King said he had recently visited communities affected by severe weather and noted that the Federal Emergency Management Agency “is about to run out of money.” Eugene Robinson writes a twice-a-week column on politics and culture, contributes to the PostPartisan blog, and hosts a weekly online chat with readers. In a three-decade career at The Post, Robinson has been city hall reporter, city editor, foreign correspondent in Buenos Aires and London, foreign editor, and assistant managing editor in charge of the paper’s Style section. View Archive “There are some people . . . who say, you know, maybe we’re learning a lesson here that the states should take on more of this role,” King said. “How do you deal with something like that?” Romney replied: “Absolutely. Every time you have an occasion to take something from the federal government and send it back to the states, that’s the right direction. And if you can go further and send it back to the private sector, that’s even better.” Romney went on to express the general principle that, given the crushing national debt, “we should take all of what we’re doing at the federal level and say, ‘What are the things we’re doing that we don’t have to do?’ ” King gave him a chance to back off: “Including disaster relief, though?” Romney didn’t blink. “We cannot afford to do those things without jeopardizing the future for our kids,” he said, adding that “it is simply immoral . . . to rack up larger and larger debts and pass them on to our kids.” Now, with an unprecedented and monstrous storm bashing the East Coast, this glib exercise in ideological purity is newly relevant. Was Romney really saying that the federal government should abdicate the task of responding to natural disasters such as the one now taking place? Yes, he was. Did he really mean it? Well, with Romney, that’s always another question. As the legendary Watergate source Deep Throat never actually said: “Follow the money.” The dishonest “solution” proposed by Romney and running mate Paul Ryan for the federal government’s budget woes relies largely on a shell game: Transfer unfunded liabilities to the states. Most disastrously, this is what Romney and Ryan propose for Medicaid, the health-care program for the poor. The GOP plan would give the states block grants that would not begin to cover Medicaid’s rising costs. Governors and legislatures would be forced to impose draconian cuts, with potentially catastrophic impact for millions of Americans. Medicaid’s most expensive role — and thus, under Romney, the most imperiled — is to fund nursing-home care for seniors who classify as “poor” only because they have exhausted their life savings. Transferring the onus of Medicaid and other programs to the states would save money only by making it impossible to provide services at current levels. For the hard-right ideologues who control the Republican Party, this would be a good thing. Our society has become too dependent on government, they believe, too “entitled” to benefits; we are unwilling to “take personal responsibility and care for” our lives, as Romney said in his secretly recorded “47 percent” speech. Romney’s budget proposals would end all this coddling — except for the Pentagon and its contractors, who would get a big boost in federal largess, and of course, the wealthy, who would get a huge tax cut. So-called “discretionary” federal spending would be sharply reduced. This would include spending for such agencies as FEMA. So yes, even if Romney was just pandering to the right-wing base at that June debate, one consequence of his policies would be to squeeze funding for federal emergency relief. I guess having to survive a few hurricanes, tornados and earthquakes on our own would certainly foster personal responsibility. And by the way, why is it that we’re having such a huge hurricane make landfall in such an unusual place at such a late date in the season? Is this another of those freakish once-in-a-century weather events that seem to be happening so often these days? I know it’s impossible to definitively blame any one storm on human-induced atmospheric warming. But I’m sorry, these off-the-charts phenomena are becoming awfully commonplace. By the time scientists definitively establish what’s happening, it will be too late. As has been noted, the words “climate change” were not spoken during the presidential debates. Hurricane Sandy wants to know why. [email protected]

– There's something of a Sandy-related brouhaha swirling around comments Mitt Romney made in the ancient days of 2011: Seems that when asked during a Republican debate about disaster relief, Romney sounded like he wanted to gut FEMA, saying he'd shift responsibility for disaster management to the states—or even private firms. Said Romney: "Every time you have an occasion to take something from the federal government and send it back to the states, that’s the right direction. And if you can go further and send it back to the private sector, that’s even better." Asks Eugene Robinson at the Washington Post: "Hurricane Sandy would like to know if he’d care to reconsider." "Even if Romney was just pandering to the right-wing base at that June debate, one consequence of his policies would be to squeeze funding for federal emergency relief." The New York Times editorial board echoes Robinson, asking, "Does Mr. Romney really believe that financially strapped states would do a better job than a properly functioning federal agency?" The Romney campaign took the opportunity to clarify its position, Politico reports: "States should be in charge of emergency management in responding to storms and other natural disasters in their jurisdictions." But he wouldn't abolish FEMA: The states would act "with help from the federal government and FEMA."

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.The Romney campaign stressed Monday that states should take the lead in responding to emergencies like hurricanes. But the campaign said Romney would not abolish the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “Gov. Romney believes that states should be in charge of emergency management in responding to storms and other natural disasters in their jurisdictions,” Romney spokesman Ryan Williams said in a statement. “As the first responders, states are in the best position to aid affected individuals and communities, and to direct resources and assistance to where they are needed most. This includes help from the federal government and FEMA.” Text Size - + reset Yard signs as missiles (PHOTOS: Hurricane Sandy) A campaign official added that Romney would not abolish FEMA. The statement came after The Huffington Post highlighted Romney’s comments from a June 2011 CNN primary debate in which Romney said states should take on a bigger role in responding to disasters. “Mitt Romney In GOP Debate: Shut Down Federal Disaster Agency, Send Responsibility To The States,” read the Huffington Post’s headline. “FEMA is about to run out of money, and there are some people who say, ‘Do it on a case-by-case basis.’ And there are some people who say, ‘You know what, maybe we’re learning a lesson here that the states should take on more of this role.’ How do you deal with something like that?” debate moderator John King asked Romney during the debate, pointing to the May 2011 tornado that killed more than 150 people in Joplin, Mo. “Absolutely. And every time you have an occasion to take something from the federal government and send it back to the states, that’s the right direction. And if you can go even further and send it back to the private sector, that’s even better,” Romney responded. “Instead of thinking in the federal budget, ‘What we should cut?’ we should ask ourselves the opposite question, ‘What should we keep?’ We should take all of what we’re doing at the federal level and say, ‘What are the things we’re doing that we don’t have to do?’ And those things we’ve got to stop doing,” Romney continued. (PHOTOS: Political plans: Rock me like a hurricane) ||||| Back when he was being “severely conservative,” Mitt Romney suggested that responsibility for disaster relief should be taken from the big, bad federal government and given to the states, or perhaps even privatized. Hurricane Sandy would like to know if he’d care to reconsider. The absurd, and dangerous, policy prescription came in a GOP primary debate in June. Moderator John King said he had recently visited communities affected by severe weather and noted that the Federal Emergency Management Agency “is about to run out of money.” Eugene Robinson writes a twice-a-week column on politics and culture, contributes to the PostPartisan blog, and hosts a weekly online chat with readers. In a three-decade career at The Post, Robinson has been city hall reporter, city editor, foreign correspondent in Buenos Aires and London, foreign editor, and assistant managing editor in charge of the paper’s Style section. View Archive “There are some people . . . who say, you know, maybe we’re learning a lesson here that the states should take on more of this role,” King said. “How do you deal with something like that?” Romney replied: “Absolutely. Every time you have an occasion to take something from the federal government and send it back to the states, that’s the right direction. And if you can go further and send it back to the private sector, that’s even better.” Romney went on to express the general principle that, given the crushing national debt, “we should take all of what we’re doing at the federal level and say, ‘What are the things we’re doing that we don’t have to do?’ ” King gave him a chance to back off: “Including disaster relief, though?” Romney didn’t blink. “We cannot afford to do those things without jeopardizing the future for our kids,” he said, adding that “it is simply immoral . . . to rack up larger and larger debts and pass them on to our kids.” Now, with an unprecedented and monstrous storm bashing the East Coast, this glib exercise in ideological purity is newly relevant. Was Romney really saying that the federal government should abdicate the task of responding to natural disasters such as the one now taking place? Yes, he was. Did he really mean it? Well, with Romney, that’s always another question. As the legendary Watergate source Deep Throat never actually said: “Follow the money.” The dishonest “solution” proposed by Romney and running mate Paul Ryan for the federal government’s budget woes relies largely on a shell game: Transfer unfunded liabilities to the states. Most disastrously, this is what Romney and Ryan propose for Medicaid, the health-care program for the poor. The GOP plan would give the states block grants that would not begin to cover Medicaid’s rising costs. Governors and legislatures would be forced to impose draconian cuts, with potentially catastrophic impact for millions of Americans. Medicaid’s most expensive role — and thus, under Romney, the most imperiled — is to fund nursing-home care for seniors who classify as “poor” only because they have exhausted their life savings. Transferring the onus of Medicaid and other programs to the states would save money only by making it impossible to provide services at current levels. For the hard-right ideologues who control the Republican Party, this would be a good thing. Our society has become too dependent on government, they believe, too “entitled” to benefits; we are unwilling to “take personal responsibility and care for” our lives, as Romney said in his secretly recorded “47 percent” speech. Romney’s budget proposals would end all this coddling — except for the Pentagon and its contractors, who would get a big boost in federal largess, and of course, the wealthy, who would get a huge tax cut. So-called “discretionary” federal spending would be sharply reduced. This would include spending for such agencies as FEMA. So yes, even if Romney was just pandering to the right-wing base at that June debate, one consequence of his policies would be to squeeze funding for federal emergency relief. I guess having to survive a few hurricanes, tornados and earthquakes on our own would certainly foster personal responsibility. And by the way, why is it that we’re having such a huge hurricane make landfall in such an unusual place at such a late date in the season? Is this another of those freakish once-in-a-century weather events that seem to be happening so often these days? I know it’s impossible to definitively blame any one storm on human-induced atmospheric warming. But I’m sorry, these off-the-charts phenomena are becoming awfully commonplace. By the time scientists definitively establish what’s happening, it will be too late. As has been noted, the words “climate change” were not spoken during the presidential debates. Hurricane Sandy wants to know why. [email protected]

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

If you were inspired by Wild and Eat, Pray, Love, you’ll love this extraordinary true story of a woman taking the greatest risk of her life in order to heal from the unthinkable. After escaping an abusive marriage, Cara Brookins had four children to provide for and no one to turn to but herself. In desperate need of a home but without the means to buy one, she did something incredible. Equipped only with YouTube instructional videos, a small bank loan and a mile-wide stubborn streak, Cara built her own house from the foundation up with a work crew made up of her four children. It would be the hardest thing she had ever done. With no experience nailing together anything bigger than a bookshelf, she and her kids poured concrete, framed the walls and laid bricks for their two story, five bedroom house. She had convinced herself that if they could build a house, they could rebuild their broken family. This must-read memoir traces one family’s rise from battered victims to stronger, better versions of themselves, all through one extraordinary do-it-yourself project. ||||| SHARE COPY LINK In this excerpt from her podcast "Raise My Roof" author Cara Brookins and her oldest daughter Hope discuss what it was like to build their house from scratch, armed with a love for DIY and YouTube tutorials. Both women have their own businesses an McClatchy Courtesy of Cara Brookins, www.carabrookins.com/raisemyroof In this excerpt from her podcast "Raise My Roof" author Cara Brookins and her oldest daughter Hope discuss what it was like to build their house from scratch, armed with a love for DIY and YouTube tutorials. Both women have their own businesses an McClatchy Courtesy of Cara Brookins, www.carabrookins.com/raisemyroof

– In 2008, Cara Brookins had just left a husband she describes as "physically violent" and wanted desperately to give her four children a home where they'd each have their own room. Her solution? She began studying home-construction tutorials on YouTube. The computer analyst calculated that she could afford to take out a loan to buy an acre of land and construction materials; all she'd need to do is build the thing herself, reports the Miami Herald. At the time, her kids were 17, 15, 12, and 2, and the army of five—with regular advice from their local Home Depot—rolled up their sleeves and got the job done after work and school. Brookins, author of several books, writes on her website that through all the sweat and tears, "We also rebuilt our broken family." "We figured out how to lay a foundation block," she tells KTHV. They poured concrete, framed windows and walls, laid bricks, and after nine months their two-story, five-bedroom brick home was complete. The days were so long that “it hurt," Brookins tells CBS News. But, she adds, "There was no plan B." They'd work into the night, "sometimes by headlights," but she says her kids were resilient. "It was the first time they had felt any sort of power," she says. "They knew how much they needed it." And they went from daily "survival mode" to learning, she tells ABC News, "how to take direction from one another, how to laugh." Today, she says, her kids are "fearless." Her book Rise chronicles the project. (New guardians against domestic violence: hairdressers.)

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.If you were inspired by Wild and Eat, Pray, Love, you’ll love this extraordinary true story of a woman taking the greatest risk of her life in order to heal from the unthinkable. After escaping an abusive marriage, Cara Brookins had four children to provide for and no one to turn to but herself. In desperate need of a home but without the means to buy one, she did something incredible. Equipped only with YouTube instructional videos, a small bank loan and a mile-wide stubborn streak, Cara built her own house from the foundation up with a work crew made up of her four children. It would be the hardest thing she had ever done. With no experience nailing together anything bigger than a bookshelf, she and her kids poured concrete, framed the walls and laid bricks for their two story, five bedroom house. She had convinced herself that if they could build a house, they could rebuild their broken family. This must-read memoir traces one family’s rise from battered victims to stronger, better versions of themselves, all through one extraordinary do-it-yourself project. ||||| SHARE COPY LINK In this excerpt from her podcast "Raise My Roof" author Cara Brookins and her oldest daughter Hope discuss what it was like to build their house from scratch, armed with a love for DIY and YouTube tutorials. Both women have their own businesses an McClatchy Courtesy of Cara Brookins, www.carabrookins.com/raisemyroof In this excerpt from her podcast "Raise My Roof" author Cara Brookins and her oldest daughter Hope discuss what it was like to build their house from scratch, armed with a love for DIY and YouTube tutorials. Both women have their own businesses an McClatchy Courtesy of Cara Brookins, www.carabrookins.com/raisemyroof

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Article Tools Font size – + Share This Peter Butera Peter Butera -- the valedictorian and class president of Wyoming Area’s Class of 2017 -- did an interview with Jimmy Kimmel about having his microphone silenced mid-speech during Friday’s graduation ceremony. The interview will air tonight at 11:35 p.m. on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” Butera said. He did the interview via Skype around 7:30 p.m., and it lasted one or two minutes, he said. "I thought it went pretty well," Butera said. He said he also did interviews with the Washington Post and CNN. National and international media picked up the story after an article about his graduation speech appeared Monday in The Citizens' Voice. Butera had just started to criticize his school's administration when he was approached by Wyoming Area Secondary School Principal Jon Pollard to leave the stage at Sobieski Stadium. "Peter provided me a copy of his speech on Thursday via email, and we reviewed it in my office the morning of graduation after the final practice," Pollard said in a statement he released after Tuesday's school board meeting. "Protecting the students and staff are my number one concern. When he veered off of the speech he had practiced, I was obligated to act to ensure the remainder of Peter's speech was not demeaning or derogatory to his classmates, the underclassmen, faculty, staff or administration." Pollard also said he, his wife and children "have been subjected to abusive social media posts, text messages, emails and phone calls from across the nation both at work and home." He said he "would make the same decision again because it was the right one on Friday" and will be the right decision "the next time a student attempts to hijack the ceremony for their own agenda." Right before the sound was cut during Butera’s speech, he noted that those involved in student government — from class president to student council — really have no influence in how the school operates and that will hold graduates back in the real world. “Despite some of the outstanding people in this school, a lack of real student government — and the authoritative nature that a few administrators and school members have — prevents students from developing as true leaders. Hopefully, this will change ... ” At that point, the audio was turned off. ||||| Peter Butera veered off the preapproved speech at his graduation ceremony on June 16, to criticize Pennsylvania's Wyoming Area School District for its handling of the student government. (Wyoming Area School District) Peter Butera, class president for the entirety of his life as a high school student — all four often-frustrating years of it — took the stage at Friday’s graduation ceremony after the recital of the class poem, which had offended no one. When the principal of Wyoming Area Secondary Center in Exeter, Pa., had finished applauding the poem, Butera walked up and laid his speech on the podium: the lines he’d dutifully cleared with administrators, and those he had not. Butera was 18, bound for Villanova University in a few months. He was his class valedictorian, and he was beginning to get nervous about his plan to go rogue at the last possible minute. “Good evening, everyone,” Butera began, innocuously enough. “The past four years at Wyoming Area have been very interesting, to say the least.” [The valedictorian who was kicked off stage for an unapproved speech got to finish it — on Kimmel] Across the field, by the running track, Butera’s family watched with his girlfriend, who was taking video. In front of the stage sat nearly 200 classmates, nearly all of whom Butera said he knew well, for he had lived here his whole life. On the chair to Butera’s left sat the principal, Jon Pollard, who barely looked up at him. “To everyone here today, we cannot thank you enough for everything you’ve done for us,” Butera said. Pollard scratched his face. So far so good. Butera kept thanking people for a while: Teachers he was close to, “a couple great administrators as well.” He did not name Pollard among them — an omission not lost on one of the few people there who knew exactly how his speech would end. “It was always Dr. Pollard,” Albert Sciandra, Butera’s friend and vice president in the student government, told The Washington Post. “He was the one who kept shooting everything Peter wanted to do down.” The day before the ceremony, Sciandra said, the school had put on a talent show. Butera wanted to do a comedy skit: poke fun at the only teacher who ate the cafeteria lunch, stuff like that. But such jokes were deemed too extreme, Sciandra said. “Peter rewrote them so many times. Pollard said, ‘You’re not doing it because I said so.’ ” [A teacher’s decision to be ‘visibly queer’ in his photo with President Trump] All of high school had been like that, Sciandra told The Post. No matter that they’d both been in student government every single year, he said — any idea that went beyond decorations for some school-approved event got shot down. So when, a week or so before the ceremony, Butera told his friend that he’d written a secret end to the approved speech — that he planned to expose a system he saw as a sham — Sciandra understood it had to be done. Though as he sat on the field Friday, Sciandra still doubted his class president would go through with it. Butera’s speech was now nearing its end. “I have pursued every leadership opportunity available to me,” he told the crowd. He’d been repeatedly elected class president. An honor each time. “I would like to thank you all for that one final time,” he said. “It really means a lot.” But it hadn’t meant much to the school, he was thinking, Butera later told The Washington Post. He was remembering the past summer, when he and Sciandra organized protests of a proposed dress code. “Me and Peter, we went to every council meeting and school-board meeting,” Sciandra said. They packed the seats with students and parents and made speeches, and filled a petition with signatures. And none of it mattered, the students said: The dress code passed anyway. “It really means a lot,” Butera continued from the stage. “However …” Pollard still was not looking at him, but Sciandra braced in his seat. “At our school, the title of class president can more accurately be class party planner,” Butera said. “Student council’s main obligation is to paint signs every week.” At that moment, from his chair, Pollard made what may have been a grimace and finally turned to watch the valedictorian as he hit the climax of his speech. “Despite some of the outstanding people in our school,” Butera went on, “a lack of a real student government combined with the authoritative attitude that a few teachers, administrators and board members have …” The principal mouthed something to someone offstage. ” … prevented students from truly developing as true leaders …” A mechanical bang interrupted his words as the microphone shut down. When Butera spoke his next line, his voice was naked. He had not expected that. “Hopefully this will change,” he said, speaking louder, trying to be heard. “Hopefully, for the sake of future students, more people in this school — ” [A radio host was warned not to criticize President Trump. So he quit.] Butera would have said more. He would have said he hoped future classes would have more educators who valued empowering students as much as they valued educating them. That leadership is a hard thing to learn within the strictures of a public school system. “It is not what we have done as Wyoming Area students or athletes that will define our lives,” he had written on the paper his principal had not seen, “but what we will go on to do as Wyoming Area Alumni.” Butera didn’t get to say the last lines. Now Pollard was on his feet, tapping the student’s elbow, mouthing something above a dead microphone. “He said, ‘Alright Peter. You’re done,’ ” Butera told The Post. But neither man could be heard now. The field was erupting with cheers, boos and screams: “Let him speak! Let him speak! Let him speak!” In the back, by Butera’s mother, father, girlfriend, grandma, aunt and uncle, someone said: “I’m so proud.” The rest of the ceremony would go more or less as officials had planned. The faculty would take turns making speeches. Pollard would give the Class of 2017 his advice: “Read good books and watch bad movies,” and “Clean your room and learn to do you own laundry.” And “watch what you put on social media.” Irony. A few days after the ceremony, a grainy video of Butera’s speech spread wildly across the Internet — more than 75,000 endorsements on Reddit alone. Then came the news stories. While Pollard didn’t immediately respond to The Post, superintendent Janet Serino defended his silencing. “The young man submitted his graduation speech to his principal and delivered a speech different from the speech that was submitted,” she wrote. But she had since reached out to Butera, requesting a meeting to discuss his concerns. Wyoming Area Secondary Center’s valedictorian for 2017 had not called out his principal or superintendent or anyone else in his speech — not the approved version, or the rogue ending, or even the part he didn’t get to read. And Butera declined to criticize any school authority by name when he spoke to The Post. He said that hadn’t been the point of his final act as class president. “I’m supposed to represent the students,” he said. And on his last day of high school, when the principal cut off his microphone and waved him off the stage and he walked back to his seat through a standing ovation, he felt that he finally had. More reading: The story behind a powerful photo of a Czech girl’s contempt for neo-Nazis How one man’s pause became a haunting symbol of Aleppo’s destruction Terrorists are building drones. France is destroying them with eagles.

– When Peter Butera got up to begin his valedictorian speech at his high school graduation ceremony in Exeter, Pa., on Friday, he probably never dreamed he'd be finishing it on Jimmy Kimmel Live! four days later. But on Tuesday night the 18-year-old class president appeared via Skype on the late-night talk show to recite the tail end of a speech that had been cut off by Wyoming Area Secondary Center administrators the week before. CBS Philly reports that administrators shut off Butera's microphone after he veered off his pre-approved script to condemn what he called the "authoritative attitude" of some of the school's faculty and staff, an attitude, he said, that "prevents students from developing as true leaders. Hopefully, this will change." At which point his mic went silent. The Wilkes-Barre Citizens' Voice quotes a statement from principal Jon Pollard in which he explains he felt obligated to stop Butera's speech in order to "ensure the remainder of [it] was not demeaning or derogatory to his classmates, the underclassmen, faculty, staff or administration." The Washington Post talks to a friend of Butera's who says Butera was frustrated by having numerous ideas turned down by Pollard during his four years as class president. (Other off-script lines from Butera: "At our school, the title of class president can more accurately be class party planner. Student council’s main obligation is to paint signs every week.") The Villanova-bound Butera doesn’t think his speech could have gone any better: "I got my point across and them cutting the microphone proved my point to be true." (Valedictorians have had issues before.)

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Article Tools Font size – + Share This Peter Butera Peter Butera -- the valedictorian and class president of Wyoming Area’s Class of 2017 -- did an interview with Jimmy Kimmel about having his microphone silenced mid-speech during Friday’s graduation ceremony. The interview will air tonight at 11:35 p.m. on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” Butera said. He did the interview via Skype around 7:30 p.m., and it lasted one or two minutes, he said. "I thought it went pretty well," Butera said. He said he also did interviews with the Washington Post and CNN. National and international media picked up the story after an article about his graduation speech appeared Monday in The Citizens' Voice. Butera had just started to criticize his school's administration when he was approached by Wyoming Area Secondary School Principal Jon Pollard to leave the stage at Sobieski Stadium. "Peter provided me a copy of his speech on Thursday via email, and we reviewed it in my office the morning of graduation after the final practice," Pollard said in a statement he released after Tuesday's school board meeting. "Protecting the students and staff are my number one concern. When he veered off of the speech he had practiced, I was obligated to act to ensure the remainder of Peter's speech was not demeaning or derogatory to his classmates, the underclassmen, faculty, staff or administration." Pollard also said he, his wife and children "have been subjected to abusive social media posts, text messages, emails and phone calls from across the nation both at work and home." He said he "would make the same decision again because it was the right one on Friday" and will be the right decision "the next time a student attempts to hijack the ceremony for their own agenda." Right before the sound was cut during Butera’s speech, he noted that those involved in student government — from class president to student council — really have no influence in how the school operates and that will hold graduates back in the real world. “Despite some of the outstanding people in this school, a lack of real student government — and the authoritative nature that a few administrators and school members have — prevents students from developing as true leaders. Hopefully, this will change ... ” At that point, the audio was turned off. ||||| Peter Butera veered off the preapproved speech at his graduation ceremony on June 16, to criticize Pennsylvania's Wyoming Area School District for its handling of the student government. (Wyoming Area School District) Peter Butera, class president for the entirety of his life as a high school student — all four often-frustrating years of it — took the stage at Friday’s graduation ceremony after the recital of the class poem, which had offended no one. When the principal of Wyoming Area Secondary Center in Exeter, Pa., had finished applauding the poem, Butera walked up and laid his speech on the podium: the lines he’d dutifully cleared with administrators, and those he had not. Butera was 18, bound for Villanova University in a few months. He was his class valedictorian, and he was beginning to get nervous about his plan to go rogue at the last possible minute. “Good evening, everyone,” Butera began, innocuously enough. “The past four years at Wyoming Area have been very interesting, to say the least.” [The valedictorian who was kicked off stage for an unapproved speech got to finish it — on Kimmel] Across the field, by the running track, Butera’s family watched with his girlfriend, who was taking video. In front of the stage sat nearly 200 classmates, nearly all of whom Butera said he knew well, for he had lived here his whole life. On the chair to Butera’s left sat the principal, Jon Pollard, who barely looked up at him. “To everyone here today, we cannot thank you enough for everything you’ve done for us,” Butera said. Pollard scratched his face. So far so good. Butera kept thanking people for a while: Teachers he was close to, “a couple great administrators as well.” He did not name Pollard among them — an omission not lost on one of the few people there who knew exactly how his speech would end. “It was always Dr. Pollard,” Albert Sciandra, Butera’s friend and vice president in the student government, told The Washington Post. “He was the one who kept shooting everything Peter wanted to do down.” The day before the ceremony, Sciandra said, the school had put on a talent show. Butera wanted to do a comedy skit: poke fun at the only teacher who ate the cafeteria lunch, stuff like that. But such jokes were deemed too extreme, Sciandra said. “Peter rewrote them so many times. Pollard said, ‘You’re not doing it because I said so.’ ” [A teacher’s decision to be ‘visibly queer’ in his photo with President Trump] All of high school had been like that, Sciandra told The Post. No matter that they’d both been in student government every single year, he said — any idea that went beyond decorations for some school-approved event got shot down. So when, a week or so before the ceremony, Butera told his friend that he’d written a secret end to the approved speech — that he planned to expose a system he saw as a sham — Sciandra understood it had to be done. Though as he sat on the field Friday, Sciandra still doubted his class president would go through with it. Butera’s speech was now nearing its end. “I have pursued every leadership opportunity available to me,” he told the crowd. He’d been repeatedly elected class president. An honor each time. “I would like to thank you all for that one final time,” he said. “It really means a lot.” But it hadn’t meant much to the school, he was thinking, Butera later told The Washington Post. He was remembering the past summer, when he and Sciandra organized protests of a proposed dress code. “Me and Peter, we went to every council meeting and school-board meeting,” Sciandra said. They packed the seats with students and parents and made speeches, and filled a petition with signatures. And none of it mattered, the students said: The dress code passed anyway. “It really means a lot,” Butera continued from the stage. “However …” Pollard still was not looking at him, but Sciandra braced in his seat. “At our school, the title of class president can more accurately be class party planner,” Butera said. “Student council’s main obligation is to paint signs every week.” At that moment, from his chair, Pollard made what may have been a grimace and finally turned to watch the valedictorian as he hit the climax of his speech. “Despite some of the outstanding people in our school,” Butera went on, “a lack of a real student government combined with the authoritative attitude that a few teachers, administrators and board members have …” The principal mouthed something to someone offstage. ” … prevented students from truly developing as true leaders …” A mechanical bang interrupted his words as the microphone shut down. When Butera spoke his next line, his voice was naked. He had not expected that. “Hopefully this will change,” he said, speaking louder, trying to be heard. “Hopefully, for the sake of future students, more people in this school — ” [A radio host was warned not to criticize President Trump. So he quit.] Butera would have said more. He would have said he hoped future classes would have more educators who valued empowering students as much as they valued educating them. That leadership is a hard thing to learn within the strictures of a public school system. “It is not what we have done as Wyoming Area students or athletes that will define our lives,” he had written on the paper his principal had not seen, “but what we will go on to do as Wyoming Area Alumni.” Butera didn’t get to say the last lines. Now Pollard was on his feet, tapping the student’s elbow, mouthing something above a dead microphone. “He said, ‘Alright Peter. You’re done,’ ” Butera told The Post. But neither man could be heard now. The field was erupting with cheers, boos and screams: “Let him speak! Let him speak! Let him speak!” In the back, by Butera’s mother, father, girlfriend, grandma, aunt and uncle, someone said: “I’m so proud.” The rest of the ceremony would go more or less as officials had planned. The faculty would take turns making speeches. Pollard would give the Class of 2017 his advice: “Read good books and watch bad movies,” and “Clean your room and learn to do you own laundry.” And “watch what you put on social media.” Irony. A few days after the ceremony, a grainy video of Butera’s speech spread wildly across the Internet — more than 75,000 endorsements on Reddit alone. Then came the news stories. While Pollard didn’t immediately respond to The Post, superintendent Janet Serino defended his silencing. “The young man submitted his graduation speech to his principal and delivered a speech different from the speech that was submitted,” she wrote. But she had since reached out to Butera, requesting a meeting to discuss his concerns. Wyoming Area Secondary Center’s valedictorian for 2017 had not called out his principal or superintendent or anyone else in his speech — not the approved version, or the rogue ending, or even the part he didn’t get to read. And Butera declined to criticize any school authority by name when he spoke to The Post. He said that hadn’t been the point of his final act as class president. “I’m supposed to represent the students,” he said. And on his last day of high school, when the principal cut off his microphone and waved him off the stage and he walked back to his seat through a standing ovation, he felt that he finally had. More reading: The story behind a powerful photo of a Czech girl’s contempt for neo-Nazis How one man’s pause became a haunting symbol of Aleppo’s destruction Terrorists are building drones. France is destroying them with eagles.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

West Palm Beach, Florida (CNN) A senior National Security Council adviser was reassigned to his old job at the National Defense University, a White House spokeswoman confirmed Sunday, after he criticized the Trump administration's Latin American policies. Craig Deare was removed from his role as a senior adviser at the National Security Council's Western Hemisphere division Friday and "sent back to his original position," said Sarah Sanders, a White House spokeswoman. Deare had been assigned to the NSC by the Trump administration. CNN could not independently confirm the account, and Deare did not respond to a request for comment. Fielding questions about Deare's reassignment, Sanders said that people who don't agree with President Donald Trump should not have a job in his White House. "I don't think that any person that is there in order to carry out the President's agenda should be against the President's agenda," Sanders said during a briefing with reporters in West Palm Beach, Florida. "It seems pretty silly that you would have someone who is not supportive of what you are trying to accomplish there to carry out that very thing." Sanders said she was "not extending a blanket policy here" but later added: "If you don't support the President's agenda then you shouldn't have a job in the White House." Deare's reassignment returns him to the National Defense University, an appointed position he's held since January 2001. Just a few days before he reportedly was reassigned, Deare was the subject of a scathing op-ed in The Miami Herald written by a former colleague of his who called for him to be fired from the NSC. Martin Andersen, who worked with Deare at the National Defense University, made several personal allegations that he said revealed a "checkered record of support for and involvement with some of the Western Hemisphere's most notorious human-rights abusers." "The National Security Council can do better," Andersen wrote. This is not the first time a senior administration official has been removed from their post because of comments about Trump. Republican consultant Shermichael Singleton, a political appointee at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, was fired last week for an op-ed he wrote before the election that criticized then-candidate Trump, a source with knowledge of the situation told CNN. The op-ed, which was published in October, said Trump was leading to low morale within the Republican Party. Singleton, according to a source, was told he was dismissed because of the op-ed. "We allowed that hostile takeover to happen on our watch," he wrote. "This individual recognized a moment of great disparity in the Republican base and, like cancer, attacked and spread, consuming everything in his path." However, some of Trump's closest aides have also criticized him in the past. JUST WATCHED Graham: 2017 year of kicking Russia in the ass Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Graham: 2017 year of kicking Russia in the ass 01:18 Kellyanne Conway, now a top White House official, once said Trump took advantage of "the little guy" to build his real estate empire. "He says he's for the little guy but he's actually built a lot of his business on the backs of the little guy," she said on CNN in February 2016 when she ran a super PAC looking to help Sen. Ted Cruz's presidential campaign. Conway, in April, also told CNN that Trump should release his tax returns. "It's completely transparent," Conway said about an alliance between Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich. "Donald Trump's tax returns aren't, I would like to see those be transparent." Sean Spicer, now Trump's press secretary, once knocked the then-presidential candidate for saying that Sen. John McCain, who was held as a POW for six years in Vietnam, was not a war hero because he was caught. "He is a war hero because he was captured," Trump said during a town hall. "I like people that weren't captured, OK?" Spicer, then the communications director for the Republican National Committee, said in a statement that McCain "is an American hero because he served his country and sacrificed more than most can imagine. Period." "There is no place in our party or our country for comments that disparage those who have served honorably," Spicer added. ||||| WASHINGTON (AP) — A senior Trump administration official was fired following criticism in a private speech of President Donald Trump's policies and his inner circle of advisers. Craig Deare, whom Trump appointed a month ago to head the National Security Council's Western Hemisphere division, was on Friday escorted out of the Executive Office Building, where he worked in Washington. A senior White House official confirmed that Deare is no longer working at the NSC and has returned to the position he previously held at the National Defense University. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an incident not otherwise made public, and provided no further details. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Sunday that Deare "was sent back to his original position." Asked if government employees should be concerned that they could be fired for criticizing the president, she said: "I don't think any person that is there in order to carry out the president's agenda should be against the president's agenda." Current and former administration officials say Deare's termination was linked to remarks he made Thursday at a private talk at the Wilson Center, a Washington think tank. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter. According to one person who attended the discussion, Deare slammed the Trump administration for its policies on Latin America, specifically its rocky start to relations with Mexico. That person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a private event. Trump signed an order in the first week of his presidency to build a border wall with Mexico, jumpstarting a campaign promise. The move prompted Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto to cancel his trip to Washington in late January. The person who attended the Wilson Center discussion also said that Deare openly expressed frustration over being cut out of most of the policy discussions about Mexico, saying that members of Trump's inner circle, including chief strategist Steve Bannon and Trump's son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner, have not consulted with NSC directorates as the White House formulates policy. Deare has been on the faculty of National Defense University in Washington since 2001. He joined the university's College of International Security Affairs in 2010 and most recently served as dean of administration. The person who attended the Wilson Center talk also noted that Deare made several remarks about how attractive Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump, appeared, remarks that person described as "awkward." Deare did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Officials with the Wilson Center also declined a request for information, saying the discussion was off the record. Deare is the second senior NSC official to leave in under a week. On Monday, Trump's national security adviser, retired Gen. Michael Flynn, resigned after revelations that he discussed sanctions with a Russian diplomat before Trump was sworn in, then misled Vice President Mike Pence about the nature of those conversations.

– A senior Trump administration official was fired following criticism in a private speech of President Trump's policies and his inner circle of advisers. Craig Deare, whom Trump appointed a month ago to head the National Security Council's Western Hemisphere division, was on Friday escorted out of the Executive Office Building, where he worked in Washington, the AP reports. A senior White House official confirmed that Deare is no longer working at the NSC and has returned to the position he previously held at the National Defense University. Current and former administration officials say Deare's termination was linked to remarks he made Thursday at a private talk at the Wilson Center, a Washington think tank. According to one person who attended the discussion, Deare slammed the Trump administration for its policies on Latin America, specifically its rocky start to relations with Mexico. The source says Deare openly expressed frustration over being cut out of most of the policy discussions about Mexico—and also made "awkward" remarks about Ivanka Trump's appearance. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders confirmed Sunday that Deare had been sent back to his old job, CNN reports. "If you don't support the president's agenda, then you shouldn't have a job in the White House," she said. Deare's firing came less than a week after another NSC official, national security adviser Mike Flynn, abruptly departed.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.West Palm Beach, Florida (CNN) A senior National Security Council adviser was reassigned to his old job at the National Defense University, a White House spokeswoman confirmed Sunday, after he criticized the Trump administration's Latin American policies. Craig Deare was removed from his role as a senior adviser at the National Security Council's Western Hemisphere division Friday and "sent back to his original position," said Sarah Sanders, a White House spokeswoman. Deare had been assigned to the NSC by the Trump administration. CNN could not independently confirm the account, and Deare did not respond to a request for comment. Fielding questions about Deare's reassignment, Sanders said that people who don't agree with President Donald Trump should not have a job in his White House. "I don't think that any person that is there in order to carry out the President's agenda should be against the President's agenda," Sanders said during a briefing with reporters in West Palm Beach, Florida. "It seems pretty silly that you would have someone who is not supportive of what you are trying to accomplish there to carry out that very thing." Sanders said she was "not extending a blanket policy here" but later added: "If you don't support the President's agenda then you shouldn't have a job in the White House." Deare's reassignment returns him to the National Defense University, an appointed position he's held since January 2001. Just a few days before he reportedly was reassigned, Deare was the subject of a scathing op-ed in The Miami Herald written by a former colleague of his who called for him to be fired from the NSC. Martin Andersen, who worked with Deare at the National Defense University, made several personal allegations that he said revealed a "checkered record of support for and involvement with some of the Western Hemisphere's most notorious human-rights abusers." "The National Security Council can do better," Andersen wrote. This is not the first time a senior administration official has been removed from their post because of comments about Trump. Republican consultant Shermichael Singleton, a political appointee at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, was fired last week for an op-ed he wrote before the election that criticized then-candidate Trump, a source with knowledge of the situation told CNN. The op-ed, which was published in October, said Trump was leading to low morale within the Republican Party. Singleton, according to a source, was told he was dismissed because of the op-ed. "We allowed that hostile takeover to happen on our watch," he wrote. "This individual recognized a moment of great disparity in the Republican base and, like cancer, attacked and spread, consuming everything in his path." However, some of Trump's closest aides have also criticized him in the past. JUST WATCHED Graham: 2017 year of kicking Russia in the ass Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Graham: 2017 year of kicking Russia in the ass 01:18 Kellyanne Conway, now a top White House official, once said Trump took advantage of "the little guy" to build his real estate empire. "He says he's for the little guy but he's actually built a lot of his business on the backs of the little guy," she said on CNN in February 2016 when she ran a super PAC looking to help Sen. Ted Cruz's presidential campaign. Conway, in April, also told CNN that Trump should release his tax returns. "It's completely transparent," Conway said about an alliance between Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich. "Donald Trump's tax returns aren't, I would like to see those be transparent." Sean Spicer, now Trump's press secretary, once knocked the then-presidential candidate for saying that Sen. John McCain, who was held as a POW for six years in Vietnam, was not a war hero because he was caught. "He is a war hero because he was captured," Trump said during a town hall. "I like people that weren't captured, OK?" Spicer, then the communications director for the Republican National Committee, said in a statement that McCain "is an American hero because he served his country and sacrificed more than most can imagine. Period." "There is no place in our party or our country for comments that disparage those who have served honorably," Spicer added. ||||| WASHINGTON (AP) — A senior Trump administration official was fired following criticism in a private speech of President Donald Trump's policies and his inner circle of advisers. Craig Deare, whom Trump appointed a month ago to head the National Security Council's Western Hemisphere division, was on Friday escorted out of the Executive Office Building, where he worked in Washington. A senior White House official confirmed that Deare is no longer working at the NSC and has returned to the position he previously held at the National Defense University. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an incident not otherwise made public, and provided no further details. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Sunday that Deare "was sent back to his original position." Asked if government employees should be concerned that they could be fired for criticizing the president, she said: "I don't think any person that is there in order to carry out the president's agenda should be against the president's agenda." Current and former administration officials say Deare's termination was linked to remarks he made Thursday at a private talk at the Wilson Center, a Washington think tank. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter. According to one person who attended the discussion, Deare slammed the Trump administration for its policies on Latin America, specifically its rocky start to relations with Mexico. That person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a private event. Trump signed an order in the first week of his presidency to build a border wall with Mexico, jumpstarting a campaign promise. The move prompted Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto to cancel his trip to Washington in late January. The person who attended the Wilson Center discussion also said that Deare openly expressed frustration over being cut out of most of the policy discussions about Mexico, saying that members of Trump's inner circle, including chief strategist Steve Bannon and Trump's son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner, have not consulted with NSC directorates as the White House formulates policy. Deare has been on the faculty of National Defense University in Washington since 2001. He joined the university's College of International Security Affairs in 2010 and most recently served as dean of administration. The person who attended the Wilson Center talk also noted that Deare made several remarks about how attractive Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump, appeared, remarks that person described as "awkward." Deare did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Officials with the Wilson Center also declined a request for information, saying the discussion was off the record. Deare is the second senior NSC official to leave in under a week. On Monday, Trump's national security adviser, retired Gen. Michael Flynn, resigned after revelations that he discussed sanctions with a Russian diplomat before Trump was sworn in, then misled Vice President Mike Pence about the nature of those conversations.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Snap Inc. shares closed up 44% Thursday after the Snapchat parent company made its highly anticipated debut on the New York Stock Exchange. Shares of Snap SNAP, -0.84% opened at $24 after the company priced its initial batch of shares at $17. Snap sold 200 million shares to raise $3.4 billion, making it the largest U.S. initial public offering since Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.’s BABA, +1.04% offering in 2014. The IPO price commanded an initial market capitalization of $19.7 billion, though that valuation rises to roughly $24 billion on a fully diluted basis. Both figures are above Snap’s last reported private market valuation of $17.8 billion. The stock traded up as much as 53% above its IPO price Thursday, hitting an intraday high of $26.05 See also: Six things to know about Snap as it goes public Alibaba raised $21.8 billion in its initial offering, but that total rose to $25 billion after underwriters also sold the so-called green shoe, extra shares companies make available at IPO time. Snap offered its underwriters the option to purchase up to an additional 30 million shares in its green shoe, and will disclose at a later date if they were sold. Despite the share pop, Santosh Rao, head of research at Manhattan Venture Partners, said the sentiment from investors has been largely negative due to Snap’s expensive valuation compared with its revenue. The app launched in 2011, but generated no revenue until 2015. While advertising efforts have ramped up since, with total revenue reaching $404.5 million in 2016, the company is paying far more to keep the service running and generating huge net losses. Still, Snapchat is the first major venture-backed technology IPO of 2017, after the number of such offerings plummeted in 2016, and investors wanted to get in on it, he said. “I think people just want to get in and say, ‘Hey, what’s the worst that can happen?,’” Rao said. First Take: Snap’s high price and big pop mean nothing In a sense, it is nice to see investors excited about a new issue, said Kathleen Smith, principal at Renaissance Capital, a manager of IPO-focused exchange-traded funds. But given the large share move alongside the high valuation, she too feels investors may not have fully evaluated the company’s fundamentals. “It’s the kind of first day pop that suggests some sort irrational exuberance,” Smith said. Investors last year were more cautious, as the average IPO priced below the midpoint of the range and had an average one-day pop of 5%, according to Renaissance Capital. Don’t miss: Two views of Snapchat: An app that has peaked or a platform set to blossom Snapchat has grabbed the attention of a generation of younger smartphone users, who post and share photos and videos on the app that can disappear after a set amount of time. The app—developed by Stanford University students, two of whom are still executives at Snap—had 158 million daily active users as of December 2016, according to the company’s prospectus. Snap has big plans for the future, though. The first hardware offering from the company—Snapchat Spectacles, sunglasses that have a small camera installed and can upload video to the app—launched last year, and executives described Snap as “a camera company” in the run-up to the IPO. The app also has a payments feature called Snapcash. Read also: Snapchat founders, investors cash out nearly $1 billion in IPO Future innovations, whether it be in cameras or in additions to its social platform, are what investors were buying into, according to Ethan Kurzweil, partner at Bessemer Venture Partners. “You’re counting on them to come up with something that will reignite their growth,” Kurzweil said. Snap will have to fend off rivals for its core business as it attempts to develop new sources of revenue. The company admitted in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it experienced “increased competition” in 2016, which many understood as an acknowledgment that Facebook Inc.’s FB, +0.52% Instagram Stories offering had managed to steal traffic away from Snapchat’s feature that is also called Stories. See also: How Snap stacks up against Facebook and Twitter The competition from Instagram, as well as the recent uptick in the market, likely played into Snap’s decision to go public at this time, Rao said. “I think what they decided was Instagram is coming on strong, they’re copying everything that we have and it was stealing the thunder a little bit,” Rao said. Snap initially set a price range of $14 to $16 for the Class A common shares it sold in the IPO, which don't have voting rights, a rare and potentially unprecedented move. The Snap co-founders who are still with the company, Chief Executive Evan Spiegel and Chief Technology Officer Bobby Murphy, will together control more than 88% of voting power in the company thanks to that move. Related: Can IPO market Snap out of its doldrums? There were only 21 U.S. tech IPOs last year, according to global IPO investment adviser Renaissance Capital, which said 2016 was the worst year for IPO returns since 2003 and had the lowest number of offerings since 2009. Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs were the lead underwriters on the offering. ||||| Snap's cofounders, Evan Spiegel, 26, and Robert Murphy, 28, rang the opening bell on the exchange earlier Thursday. Lucas Jackson/Reuters Snap Inc. surged in its debut as a publicly traded company Thursday, after raising a greater than expected $3.4 billion in an initial public offering. Shares of Snapchat's parent company opened for trading at $24, up about 41% from the IPO price of $17 apiece. At the opening price, Snap had a valuation of about $33 billion. The stock closed at $24.48, up 44%. Snap's cofounders, Evan Spiegel, 26, and Robert Murphy, 28, rang the opening bell on the exchange earlier Thursday. At the IPO price, Spiegel's stake in the company is worth at least $4.5 billion. Murphy's stake in Snap is valued at closer to $3.9 billion. The shares opened for trading at 11:19 a.m. after a period of "price discovery" during which traders on the floor of the exchange try to corral demand for the stock. Speaking on the floor of the exchange, Glenn Carell, director of NYSE floor operations for Global Trading Systems, said the price discovery took a long time because of heavy demand from buyers who didn't get allocations they wanted in the IPO itself. Carell expects the stock to end its first day of trading around $24 or $25 a share. Snap's is the first tech IPO of the year, the first offering from a social network since Twitter went public, and the largest tech deal since Alibaba went public in 2014. Lucas Jackson/Reuters It is going public at an opportune time. Stock benchmarks hit record highs on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average closing above the 21,000 mark for the first time. Since it was launched in 2011, Snapchat has matured from a "sexting app" to one that still deletes messages by default, but is a viable competitor to companies like Facebook and Twitter. According to its IPO prospectus, it posted a net loss of $514.6 million in 2016 and warned that it may never be able to achieve or maintain profitability. It earned $404.4 million in revenue in 2016, up from $58.6 million in 2015. Snap is "significantly overvalued given the likely scale of its long-term opportunity and the risks associated with executing against that opportunity," said Brian Wieser, an analyst at Pivotal Research Group, in a note on Thursday. He rated the stock a "sell" with a $10 price target. During the roadshow, investors raised questions about the slowdown in the rate of active users, and how much potential Snapchat has as an advertising platform. Snap said its biggest revenue opportunity is the growing budget for worldwide mobile advertising, which could reach $196 billion by 2020 from $66 billion now. "Snapchat's slowing user growth ultimately caps its long-term revenue opportunity," said Anthony DiClemente, a Nomura analyst who sees 6% downside to the stock, in a note. Snap's stock is listed under the ticker SNAP. The shares offered to investors will have no voting rights.Portia Crowe contributed reporting.

– Shares of Snap Inc. opened for trading on the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday at $24 per share, up from the IPO price of $17 per share—and kept climbing, per MarketWatch. As of this writing, prices have risen 48% to over $25 per share. Snap co-founders Evan Spiegel, 26, and Robert Murphy, 28—with $4.5 billion and $3.9 billion in Snap stock at the IPO price, respectively—rang the bell to open the exchange, both wearing smiles, reports Business Insider.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Snap Inc. shares closed up 44% Thursday after the Snapchat parent company made its highly anticipated debut on the New York Stock Exchange. Shares of Snap SNAP, -0.84% opened at $24 after the company priced its initial batch of shares at $17. Snap sold 200 million shares to raise $3.4 billion, making it the largest U.S. initial public offering since Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.’s BABA, +1.04% offering in 2014. The IPO price commanded an initial market capitalization of $19.7 billion, though that valuation rises to roughly $24 billion on a fully diluted basis. Both figures are above Snap’s last reported private market valuation of $17.8 billion. The stock traded up as much as 53% above its IPO price Thursday, hitting an intraday high of $26.05 See also: Six things to know about Snap as it goes public Alibaba raised $21.8 billion in its initial offering, but that total rose to $25 billion after underwriters also sold the so-called green shoe, extra shares companies make available at IPO time. Snap offered its underwriters the option to purchase up to an additional 30 million shares in its green shoe, and will disclose at a later date if they were sold. Despite the share pop, Santosh Rao, head of research at Manhattan Venture Partners, said the sentiment from investors has been largely negative due to Snap’s expensive valuation compared with its revenue. The app launched in 2011, but generated no revenue until 2015. While advertising efforts have ramped up since, with total revenue reaching $404.5 million in 2016, the company is paying far more to keep the service running and generating huge net losses. Still, Snapchat is the first major venture-backed technology IPO of 2017, after the number of such offerings plummeted in 2016, and investors wanted to get in on it, he said. “I think people just want to get in and say, ‘Hey, what’s the worst that can happen?,’” Rao said. First Take: Snap’s high price and big pop mean nothing In a sense, it is nice to see investors excited about a new issue, said Kathleen Smith, principal at Renaissance Capital, a manager of IPO-focused exchange-traded funds. But given the large share move alongside the high valuation, she too feels investors may not have fully evaluated the company’s fundamentals. “It’s the kind of first day pop that suggests some sort irrational exuberance,” Smith said. Investors last year were more cautious, as the average IPO priced below the midpoint of the range and had an average one-day pop of 5%, according to Renaissance Capital. Don’t miss: Two views of Snapchat: An app that has peaked or a platform set to blossom Snapchat has grabbed the attention of a generation of younger smartphone users, who post and share photos and videos on the app that can disappear after a set amount of time. The app—developed by Stanford University students, two of whom are still executives at Snap—had 158 million daily active users as of December 2016, according to the company’s prospectus. Snap has big plans for the future, though. The first hardware offering from the company—Snapchat Spectacles, sunglasses that have a small camera installed and can upload video to the app—launched last year, and executives described Snap as “a camera company” in the run-up to the IPO. The app also has a payments feature called Snapcash. Read also: Snapchat founders, investors cash out nearly $1 billion in IPO Future innovations, whether it be in cameras or in additions to its social platform, are what investors were buying into, according to Ethan Kurzweil, partner at Bessemer Venture Partners. “You’re counting on them to come up with something that will reignite their growth,” Kurzweil said. Snap will have to fend off rivals for its core business as it attempts to develop new sources of revenue. The company admitted in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it experienced “increased competition” in 2016, which many understood as an acknowledgment that Facebook Inc.’s FB, +0.52% Instagram Stories offering had managed to steal traffic away from Snapchat’s feature that is also called Stories. See also: How Snap stacks up against Facebook and Twitter The competition from Instagram, as well as the recent uptick in the market, likely played into Snap’s decision to go public at this time, Rao said. “I think what they decided was Instagram is coming on strong, they’re copying everything that we have and it was stealing the thunder a little bit,” Rao said. Snap initially set a price range of $14 to $16 for the Class A common shares it sold in the IPO, which don't have voting rights, a rare and potentially unprecedented move. The Snap co-founders who are still with the company, Chief Executive Evan Spiegel and Chief Technology Officer Bobby Murphy, will together control more than 88% of voting power in the company thanks to that move. Related: Can IPO market Snap out of its doldrums? There were only 21 U.S. tech IPOs last year, according to global IPO investment adviser Renaissance Capital, which said 2016 was the worst year for IPO returns since 2003 and had the lowest number of offerings since 2009. Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs were the lead underwriters on the offering. ||||| Snap's cofounders, Evan Spiegel, 26, and Robert Murphy, 28, rang the opening bell on the exchange earlier Thursday. Lucas Jackson/Reuters Snap Inc. surged in its debut as a publicly traded company Thursday, after raising a greater than expected $3.4 billion in an initial public offering. Shares of Snapchat's parent company opened for trading at $24, up about 41% from the IPO price of $17 apiece. At the opening price, Snap had a valuation of about $33 billion. The stock closed at $24.48, up 44%. Snap's cofounders, Evan Spiegel, 26, and Robert Murphy, 28, rang the opening bell on the exchange earlier Thursday. At the IPO price, Spiegel's stake in the company is worth at least $4.5 billion. Murphy's stake in Snap is valued at closer to $3.9 billion. The shares opened for trading at 11:19 a.m. after a period of "price discovery" during which traders on the floor of the exchange try to corral demand for the stock. Speaking on the floor of the exchange, Glenn Carell, director of NYSE floor operations for Global Trading Systems, said the price discovery took a long time because of heavy demand from buyers who didn't get allocations they wanted in the IPO itself. Carell expects the stock to end its first day of trading around $24 or $25 a share. Snap's is the first tech IPO of the year, the first offering from a social network since Twitter went public, and the largest tech deal since Alibaba went public in 2014. Lucas Jackson/Reuters It is going public at an opportune time. Stock benchmarks hit record highs on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average closing above the 21,000 mark for the first time. Since it was launched in 2011, Snapchat has matured from a "sexting app" to one that still deletes messages by default, but is a viable competitor to companies like Facebook and Twitter. According to its IPO prospectus, it posted a net loss of $514.6 million in 2016 and warned that it may never be able to achieve or maintain profitability. It earned $404.4 million in revenue in 2016, up from $58.6 million in 2015. Snap is "significantly overvalued given the likely scale of its long-term opportunity and the risks associated with executing against that opportunity," said Brian Wieser, an analyst at Pivotal Research Group, in a note on Thursday. He rated the stock a "sell" with a $10 price target. During the roadshow, investors raised questions about the slowdown in the rate of active users, and how much potential Snapchat has as an advertising platform. Snap said its biggest revenue opportunity is the growing budget for worldwide mobile advertising, which could reach $196 billion by 2020 from $66 billion now. "Snapchat's slowing user growth ultimately caps its long-term revenue opportunity," said Anthony DiClemente, a Nomura analyst who sees 6% downside to the stock, in a note. Snap's stock is listed under the ticker SNAP. The shares offered to investors will have no voting rights.Portia Crowe contributed reporting.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

The Back-up Plan April 21, 2010 Cast & Credits Zoe Jennifer Lopez Stan Alex O'Loughlin Mona Michaela Watkins Clive Eric Christian Olsen Playground Dad Anthony Anderson CBS Films presents a film directed by Alan Poul. Written by Kate Angelo. Running time: 104 minutes. Rated PG-13 (for sexual content including references, some crude material and language). Printer-friendly » E-mail this to a friend » Some movies are no better than second-rate sitcoms. Other movies are no better than third-rate sitcoms. "The Back-up Plan" doesn't deserve comparison with sitcoms. It plays like an unendurable TV commercial about beautiful people with great lifestyles and not a thought in their empty little heads. So timid is this film that when it finally arrives at its inevitable childbirth scene, it bails out after two "pushes"! Jennifer Lopez has never looked better. That's about all she does here, is look better. She is talented and deserves more than this bird-brained plot about characters who have no relationship to life as it is lived by, you know, actual people. The movie deals with artificial insemination, romance, sex and organic goat cheese, which are promising areas for investigation, but it's so watered-down, it approaches homeopathy. Lopez plays Zoe, a Manhattan pet shop owner who despairs of finding the perfect inseminator and decides to become artificially impregnated. Leaving the doctors' office, she is so happy she finds herself singin' in the rain. Then she hails a cab and a strange man pops into the back seat the same moment she does. As a Meet Cute, this ranks right down there with two characters bending over to pick up the same thing and bumping heads, which is what Tony Randall is always doing whenever I think of Meet Cutes. This stranger is Stan (Alex O'Loughlin). We know, according to the Law of Conservation of Dramatic Resources, that (a) Zoe will become pregnant, and (b) she and Stan will fall in love. Consider the alternatives: (a1) she doesn't become pregnant, and (b2) they never see each other again. Anyway, fate brings them together, and then again, and soon they're falling for each other. This Stan is a prime catch. Not only does he personally sell organic goat cheese in a ridiculously upscale farmers' market, but he produces it himself, on his own upstate farm. I am at a loss to explain why the movie squandered an opportunity to show Lopez milking a goat. Or having a goat eat her shoes, or whatever goats usually do in movies of this sort. Obviously, the only way to make this movie reach a feature length is for Zoe and Stan to break up and get back together again, which they do, I think, three times. Their break-ups tend toward communications difficulties, as one or the other idiotically misunderstands dialogue that is crystal clear for everyone in the audience. In Little Movie Glossary lore this is Damon Knight's famous Idiot Plot, in which all difficulties could be resolved by the uttering of one or two words. I don't believe "The Back-up Plan" is intended to be set in the real Manhattan. Take a close look at the farmers' market. It's more of a Farmers' Faire at a church benefit in a rich suburb. Farmer Stan and his goats, indeed. But consider the scene where Zoe is a bridesmaid at a wedding, and her water breaks. What does she do? Rush to the hospital? No, she commandeers the wedding's rented white Bentley and is driven to the market, where the auto shoulders its way right down the middle of the street and halts before the organic goat cheese stall, where Zoe can leap out and make up with Stan right there in public, while onlookers all smile and listen like benevolent insiders, instead of New Yorkers wondering who the hell these jerks are. Does Stan happen to have one of those little boxes with a ring in it handy? What does a goat do in the woods? I have neglected poor little Nuts, Zoe's Boston terrier. Nuts follows her everywhere, and whenever he gets a closeup, he barks appropriately, as if he understands what is said. When was the last time in a movie where somebody said something, and there was a cut to a dog who barked, and you thought, "That's so funny! Nuts is paralyzed from the waist down and pulls himself everywhere on his little cart, without the benefit of much loving and cooing from his mistress, who relates to him as exactly what he is, a prop. But the little tyke can really wheel around and is always there when he's needed on camera. This movie is desperately boring. No one says much of anything interesting. They have extremely limited ranges of interest. There are older characters: Zoe's nana (Linda Lavin) and grandpa (Tom Bosley) and gynecologist (Robert Klein). They seem human, so the camera cuts away, lest they get started on something. At the playground where Stan hangs out (allegedly fascinated by the prospect of fatherhood), there's "Playground Dad" (Anthony Anderson) as a proud black father who gives Stan pep talks on the joys of parenting. African-Americans are so wise in movies like this, always playing proud dads and wise advisers and God and so forth, it's a wonder the movies are about anyone else. ||||| Peter Iovino / CBS Films / AP Jennifer Lopez in a scene from The Back-Up Plan. My pregnancy lasted 41 weeks and five days, involved morning, afternoon and night sickness and culminated in 25 hours of labor capped off by an emergency C-section. Yet all that seems like a walk in the park compared with the 100 minutes I spent watching Jennifer Lopez mug her way through The Back-Up Plan, a romantic comedy about single motherhood — or mom-rom-com — that manages to be both bland and offensive. (See Earth Day photos of the earth from above.) Lopez plays Zoe, a pet-store owner whom we are introduced to on the morning she is being artificially inseminated. Zoe plans to be a single mother, but there are signs tipping us off to the unlikelihood of that becoming reality. For one thing, she lives in New York City, where the vast majority of sad cinematic single women are delivered from their tragic manless state by the time the credits roll. For another, her girlish concern that her doctor (the amusing Robert Klein) will be offended by her lack of a fresh pedicure or a waxing suggests she's not exactly a radical freethinker. (See the best and worst moms ever.) As she leaves the doctor's office, the only question is how long it will take for a man to — wait, there's one trying to steal her cab! His name is Stan (Alex O'Loughlin), and while he's obnoxious and weirdly aggressive, he does in his favor have two legs, two arms and a full head of hair. Plus, he's an artisanal cheesemaker, the 2010 version of a sexy carpenter. With the arrival of this walking fantasy of manhood, presumably Zoe can put aside her nonsensical plan to become a mother on her own. But screenwriter Kate Angelo (who wrote for TV's Will & Grace and What About Brian) is not done ridiculing the very notion that a woman like Zoe, pretty and with financial means, might willingly become a single mother. Despite having a man in her sights, Zoe joins a group called Single Mothers and Proud, where she is the only rose without obvious thorns. The group includes a rotund earth mother named Carol (Melissa McCarthy), a strident man hater (Maribeth Monroe) and a woman still nursing what appears to be a kindergartner. None of them want to hear Zoe's angst over meeting her dream man on the day she got pregnant in a doctor's office, and who could blame them? These glowering stereotypes might make you chuckle a few times — militant-single-mothers groups do exist, and perhaps Angelo visited one as research — but there is something truly poisonous in the way they are trotted out as representations of the last thing any attractive, successful woman would want to be. Certainly it's hard to imagine Lopez joining their earthy ranks. The actress who charmed in The Wedding Planner and held her own with George Clooney in Out of Sight seems to have forgotten everything she ever knew about acting. The best that can be said about her is that she's game for some mortifying on-screen moments. But whether Zoe is having a pelvic exam or a spontaneous screaming orgasm brought on by kissing (supposedly generated by pregnancy hormones, but we're dubious), Lopez always looks more like she's posing for In Style than embodying a real woman. The way Zoe simpers with Stan is unbearable; she's either giving us a little moue or playfully hooking a finger between her teeth like a coquette from silent-screen days. You want her wry best friend Mona (played winningly by Michaela Watkins) to tell her to stop voguing. As for O'Loughlin, he struggles limply with a character who is supposed to be wildly romantic — Stan names a new "sassy and complex" goat cheese after Zoe — but also legitimately conflicted about the odd situation he's landed in. They barely know each other, and his resentment of Zoe's emotional and physical disappearance into the throes of pregnancy isn't tempered by a biological father's excitement at meeting his offspring. So Stan whines. When he tosses her pregnancy pillow out the window because she's become more reliant on it than on him, he does not appear to be a man of anyone's dreams. The movie, though, is too traditional in mind-set not to make him a keeper, rather than letting Zoe descend into the horror of water births surrounded by drum-beating womyn. Ultimately, the message of The Back-Up Plan seems to be, Don't have one — because you never know when a semiprize like Stan might come along. (Stan would likely win the endorsement of Lori Gottlieb, the single mother whose authorship of Marry Him: The Case for Settling for Mr. Good Enough suggests she regrets her choice.) This summer, Jennifer Aniston will star in another mom-rom-com, The Switch, about a single woman whose male best friend secretly swaps his own product for her sperm-bank purchase. It's hard not to see that one ending in wedding bells too. You know what would be really contemporary? A movie about a woman who goes to a sperm bank and returns home with a baby — not a mate. See the all-TIME best 100 movies. ||||| Critic's Rating: 2 1/2 stars The first scene of "The Back-Up Plan" shows Jennifer Lopez's feet in stirrups. And for a sex symbol, I have to say, she has some gnarly toes. I mention this because it is pretty much the only surprise "The Back-Up Plan" offers. Although the actors do their level best, there are no surprises offered and no romance/pregnancy/childbirth cliché unused. And yet, I have to admit, the movie was enjoyable. It felt like re-watching that favorite DVD that you pull out over and over. You barely have to look at the screen, you can answer the phone and wander around the house, but you always know exactly what's going on. In "The Back-Up Plan," Lopez plays a professionally successful woman who is lacking in the romance department. When she tries artificial insemination in an attempt to start a family of her own, she gets more than she bargained for. Not only does it work the first time, but she meets Mr. Right (Alex O'Loughlin) on the way home. The cuteness level of "Plan" is off the charts in the beginning. We hear Lopez's precious musings as she is inseminated. She and O'Loughlin meet cute in a cab. They both have sweet jobs - she bought a pet store to save puppy-mill puppies, he sells artisanal goat cheese at the farmers market. He lives on a farm (with ponies!); she lives in a great apartment with an adorable handicapped dog. But Lopez, O'Loughlin and company manage to keep things afloat with a full-on charm offensive as the roller coaster of pregnancy challenges their budding romance. Especially fun (despite a serious ick factor) is Lopez's friend's birthing scene and appearances by nostalgic-TV faves Linda Lavin and Tom Bosley. There are a smattering of moments of salty reality that give tantalizing and somewhat irritating hints at the better movie "The Back-Up Plan" could have been if the filmmakers had reined in the sweet a bit. Still, for those with a high sugar tolerance, "Plan" is a guilty pleasure. The Back-Up Plan ** 1/2 Cast: Jennifer Lopez, Alex O'Loughlin, Michaela Watkins, Linda Lavin, Eric Christian Olsen, Anthony Anderson, Noureen DeWulf, Tom Bosley, Robert Klein, Danneel Harris, Melissa McCarthy, Maribeth Monroe Behind the scenes: Produced by Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch. Written by Kate Angelo. Directed by Alan Poul. Rated: PG-13; sexual content, some crude material, language Approximate running time: 106 minutes ||||| We few, we (mostly) happy few who get paid to watch and think about and write about movies are often accused by lay (and paying) moviegoers of ‘being out of touch with the public,’ of liking movies only when (we think) they aspire to the level of art, of denigrating the sorts of films that ordinary folks attend for the purposes of fun, entertainment and recreation. Well, yes, in fact, that’s right. The point of the watching and thinking parts of a critic’s job is, in fact, to separate the better from the worse, the make-work from the inspiration, the films made by people who were born to make movies from those made by people who were paid to do it. And that, frankly, often means avoiding the mainstream and seeking gold in harder-to-find places. There are happy coincidences when critics and audiences respond in kind. Recent examples include “How to Train Your Dragon,” “Avatar,” “Star Trek,” “Up,” “Slumdog Millionaire,” “The Dark Knight,” “Iron Man” and “Wall-E.” (Notice how many are sci-fi and/or animation? Hmmm....) But, in fact, critics and mass audiences are different breeds with different purposes for attending films. Critics are seeking to understand the medium and evaluate new works against the standing cannon or in the context of the current cultural/social/political climate. The big audience is looking, by and large, to escape home and work and care for a few hours. Now and again, a critic can lead an audience to a film it might otherwise have overlooked and score a point, in effect, for the cinema as an art form. More often, critics say awful things about popular movies and irritate the folks who turn them into hits. These tendencies are especially acute in the area of genre movies -- action films and chick flicks, notably -- where the movie studios have traditionally chosen to ignore what critics might say and try to find the sweet spot in the audience’s palate. Frankly, there are so many new films to consider in a given year that I (and many other critics of tenure similar to mine) have taken to flat-out ignoring these pictures. I don’t like ‘em, not the majority of ‘em at any rate, and the people who do like ‘em don’t really care what I have to say about ‘em. So, in the spirit of perversity that seems hard-wired into the critic’s mind, I thought it would be interesting to have a look at a new action movie and a new romantic comedy just to see how the genres are faring nowadays. And they fare, alas, fairly -- if not worse. “The Losers,” based on a comic book series, is a breezy, dumb and lightweight film that has the benefit of not trying terribly hard to be about much of anything and succeeding (bravo?). Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chris Evans and Idris Elba are part of a super-secret military team sent to Bolivia to assassinate a bad guy, only to discover that their superior means to kill them as well. Written off as dead, they combine forces (reluctantly) with a mystery woman (Zoe Saldana) and sneak back into the USA to hunt down their traitorous boss (Jason Patric) and revenge themselves. Boom-boom, bang-bang, and even kiss-kiss it goes, with a few comic interludes (Evans, especially; Patric not so much) and an agreeable forward-seeking energy. Director Sylvain White (“Stomp the Yard”) has a visual flair and a cheeky honesty about just how much of the thing is hokum. In a nifty opening shootout, for instance, he freeze-frames the deaths of anonymous bad guys to remind us of the material’s pulp origins. The acting is, to use a kind word, stoic, and the story gets sillier, inevitably, as it goes along. But it moves with pep and a wink, both of which are saving graces. “The Back-Up Plan” isn’t nearly as charming. A rom-com-slash-mom-com about a career gal (Jennifer Lopez) who meets the perfect man (Alex O’Laughlin) only after becoming pregnant by artificial means, it suffers from sludgy pacing, flat writing and acting, and a strange and puzzling fondness for scatology and coarse language. Lopez is a tad more relaxed than in some of her other romantic roles, in which her off-screen diva-ness was barely contained. But she still doesn’t feel real or credible very often. Nor, for that matter, do O’Laughlin, who can barely register a facial expression, or the crude and (not very) comic sidekick played by Michaela Watkins. There’s a pair of lovely little turns, though, by Linda Lavin and Tom Bosley as retirement home sweethearts: those two have more credibility in their eyelashes than any of the rest of the film, with its smotheringly over-determined décor, wardrobe and set pieces. Director Alan Poul has worked on “Six Feet Under” and “Big Love,” and those series carry far more heft and credibility than this limp and charmless would-be romp. So, did the curmudgeonly art lover enjoy himself at these films? Well, no, not much. “The Losers” is made with the sort of attention to visuals that mark the touch of an actual filmmaker, while being drawn down to gutter level by the material, the workmanly acting and the plotting. And “The Back-Up Plan” is pretty awful all the way through, save those moments or two of human realism provided by the veterans in the cast. I haven’t given up hope that there are action movies or romantic comedies out there that can please both a fussbudget like me and a large audience. But these two are pretty wide of the mark -- and, frankly, I don’t sense that anyone involved in making them cares. That’s a big part of the issue right there. As someone who’s invested personally in the medium of cinema, I take actual offense at half-hearted (and half-brained and half-other parts) efforts that reek of pure commercial motive: getting butts in and out of seats in about 100 minutes so that more butts can replace them. The movies have always been thus -- no art form has ever been so wildly profitable, after all. But that doesn’t mean there’s no reason to demand better, whether you’re a critic or -- especially -- a paying moviegoer. “The Back-Up Plan” (104 min., PG-13, multiple locations) Grade: C “The Losers” (94 min., PG-13, multiple locations) Grade: B-minus

– Jennifer Lopez stars as a perennially single woman who meets Mr Right just after her artificial insemination is a success in The Back-Up Plan, a romantic comedy that spawned more contempt than kudos among critics. Mary Pols at Time suffered through 41 weeks of pregnancy and 25 hours of labor, but that was a "walk in the park" compared to Back-Up Plan's "bland and offensive" 100 minutes, she writes. Lopez seems more relaxed here than in her earlier romantic roles, writes Shawn Levy at the Oregonian, but the movie suffers from "sludgy pacing, flat writing and acting, and a strange and puzzling fondness for scatology and coarse language." There's no surprises here, and "no romance/pregnancy/childbirth cliché unused," writes Cathy Jakicic at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, but the movie's sweet enough to be enjoyable "for those with a high sugar tolerance." "Jennifer Lopez has never looked better," writes Roger Ebert at the Chicago Sun-Times, who believes her talents deserve something better than this "bird-brained plot about characters who have no relationship to life as it is lived by, you know, actual people."

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.The Back-up Plan April 21, 2010 Cast & Credits Zoe Jennifer Lopez Stan Alex O'Loughlin Mona Michaela Watkins Clive Eric Christian Olsen Playground Dad Anthony Anderson CBS Films presents a film directed by Alan Poul. Written by Kate Angelo. Running time: 104 minutes. Rated PG-13 (for sexual content including references, some crude material and language). Printer-friendly » E-mail this to a friend » Some movies are no better than second-rate sitcoms. Other movies are no better than third-rate sitcoms. "The Back-up Plan" doesn't deserve comparison with sitcoms. It plays like an unendurable TV commercial about beautiful people with great lifestyles and not a thought in their empty little heads. So timid is this film that when it finally arrives at its inevitable childbirth scene, it bails out after two "pushes"! Jennifer Lopez has never looked better. That's about all she does here, is look better. She is talented and deserves more than this bird-brained plot about characters who have no relationship to life as it is lived by, you know, actual people. The movie deals with artificial insemination, romance, sex and organic goat cheese, which are promising areas for investigation, but it's so watered-down, it approaches homeopathy. Lopez plays Zoe, a Manhattan pet shop owner who despairs of finding the perfect inseminator and decides to become artificially impregnated. Leaving the doctors' office, she is so happy she finds herself singin' in the rain. Then she hails a cab and a strange man pops into the back seat the same moment she does. As a Meet Cute, this ranks right down there with two characters bending over to pick up the same thing and bumping heads, which is what Tony Randall is always doing whenever I think of Meet Cutes. This stranger is Stan (Alex O'Loughlin). We know, according to the Law of Conservation of Dramatic Resources, that (a) Zoe will become pregnant, and (b) she and Stan will fall in love. Consider the alternatives: (a1) she doesn't become pregnant, and (b2) they never see each other again. Anyway, fate brings them together, and then again, and soon they're falling for each other. This Stan is a prime catch. Not only does he personally sell organic goat cheese in a ridiculously upscale farmers' market, but he produces it himself, on his own upstate farm. I am at a loss to explain why the movie squandered an opportunity to show Lopez milking a goat. Or having a goat eat her shoes, or whatever goats usually do in movies of this sort. Obviously, the only way to make this movie reach a feature length is for Zoe and Stan to break up and get back together again, which they do, I think, three times. Their break-ups tend toward communications difficulties, as one or the other idiotically misunderstands dialogue that is crystal clear for everyone in the audience. In Little Movie Glossary lore this is Damon Knight's famous Idiot Plot, in which all difficulties could be resolved by the uttering of one or two words. I don't believe "The Back-up Plan" is intended to be set in the real Manhattan. Take a close look at the farmers' market. It's more of a Farmers' Faire at a church benefit in a rich suburb. Farmer Stan and his goats, indeed. But consider the scene where Zoe is a bridesmaid at a wedding, and her water breaks. What does she do? Rush to the hospital? No, she commandeers the wedding's rented white Bentley and is driven to the market, where the auto shoulders its way right down the middle of the street and halts before the organic goat cheese stall, where Zoe can leap out and make up with Stan right there in public, while onlookers all smile and listen like benevolent insiders, instead of New Yorkers wondering who the hell these jerks are. Does Stan happen to have one of those little boxes with a ring in it handy? What does a goat do in the woods? I have neglected poor little Nuts, Zoe's Boston terrier. Nuts follows her everywhere, and whenever he gets a closeup, he barks appropriately, as if he understands what is said. When was the last time in a movie where somebody said something, and there was a cut to a dog who barked, and you thought, "That's so funny! Nuts is paralyzed from the waist down and pulls himself everywhere on his little cart, without the benefit of much loving and cooing from his mistress, who relates to him as exactly what he is, a prop. But the little tyke can really wheel around and is always there when he's needed on camera. This movie is desperately boring. No one says much of anything interesting. They have extremely limited ranges of interest. There are older characters: Zoe's nana (Linda Lavin) and grandpa (Tom Bosley) and gynecologist (Robert Klein). They seem human, so the camera cuts away, lest they get started on something. At the playground where Stan hangs out (allegedly fascinated by the prospect of fatherhood), there's "Playground Dad" (Anthony Anderson) as a proud black father who gives Stan pep talks on the joys of parenting. African-Americans are so wise in movies like this, always playing proud dads and wise advisers and God and so forth, it's a wonder the movies are about anyone else. ||||| Peter Iovino / CBS Films / AP Jennifer Lopez in a scene from The Back-Up Plan. My pregnancy lasted 41 weeks and five days, involved morning, afternoon and night sickness and culminated in 25 hours of labor capped off by an emergency C-section. Yet all that seems like a walk in the park compared with the 100 minutes I spent watching Jennifer Lopez mug her way through The Back-Up Plan, a romantic comedy about single motherhood — or mom-rom-com — that manages to be both bland and offensive. (See Earth Day photos of the earth from above.) Lopez plays Zoe, a pet-store owner whom we are introduced to on the morning she is being artificially inseminated. Zoe plans to be a single mother, but there are signs tipping us off to the unlikelihood of that becoming reality. For one thing, she lives in New York City, where the vast majority of sad cinematic single women are delivered from their tragic manless state by the time the credits roll. For another, her girlish concern that her doctor (the amusing Robert Klein) will be offended by her lack of a fresh pedicure or a waxing suggests she's not exactly a radical freethinker. (See the best and worst moms ever.) As she leaves the doctor's office, the only question is how long it will take for a man to — wait, there's one trying to steal her cab! His name is Stan (Alex O'Loughlin), and while he's obnoxious and weirdly aggressive, he does in his favor have two legs, two arms and a full head of hair. Plus, he's an artisanal cheesemaker, the 2010 version of a sexy carpenter. With the arrival of this walking fantasy of manhood, presumably Zoe can put aside her nonsensical plan to become a mother on her own. But screenwriter Kate Angelo (who wrote for TV's Will & Grace and What About Brian) is not done ridiculing the very notion that a woman like Zoe, pretty and with financial means, might willingly become a single mother. Despite having a man in her sights, Zoe joins a group called Single Mothers and Proud, where she is the only rose without obvious thorns. The group includes a rotund earth mother named Carol (Melissa McCarthy), a strident man hater (Maribeth Monroe) and a woman still nursing what appears to be a kindergartner. None of them want to hear Zoe's angst over meeting her dream man on the day she got pregnant in a doctor's office, and who could blame them? These glowering stereotypes might make you chuckle a few times — militant-single-mothers groups do exist, and perhaps Angelo visited one as research — but there is something truly poisonous in the way they are trotted out as representations of the last thing any attractive, successful woman would want to be. Certainly it's hard to imagine Lopez joining their earthy ranks. The actress who charmed in The Wedding Planner and held her own with George Clooney in Out of Sight seems to have forgotten everything she ever knew about acting. The best that can be said about her is that she's game for some mortifying on-screen moments. But whether Zoe is having a pelvic exam or a spontaneous screaming orgasm brought on by kissing (supposedly generated by pregnancy hormones, but we're dubious), Lopez always looks more like she's posing for In Style than embodying a real woman. The way Zoe simpers with Stan is unbearable; she's either giving us a little moue or playfully hooking a finger between her teeth like a coquette from silent-screen days. You want her wry best friend Mona (played winningly by Michaela Watkins) to tell her to stop voguing. As for O'Loughlin, he struggles limply with a character who is supposed to be wildly romantic — Stan names a new "sassy and complex" goat cheese after Zoe — but also legitimately conflicted about the odd situation he's landed in. They barely know each other, and his resentment of Zoe's emotional and physical disappearance into the throes of pregnancy isn't tempered by a biological father's excitement at meeting his offspring. So Stan whines. When he tosses her pregnancy pillow out the window because she's become more reliant on it than on him, he does not appear to be a man of anyone's dreams. The movie, though, is too traditional in mind-set not to make him a keeper, rather than letting Zoe descend into the horror of water births surrounded by drum-beating womyn. Ultimately, the message of The Back-Up Plan seems to be, Don't have one — because you never know when a semiprize like Stan might come along. (Stan would likely win the endorsement of Lori Gottlieb, the single mother whose authorship of Marry Him: The Case for Settling for Mr. Good Enough suggests she regrets her choice.) This summer, Jennifer Aniston will star in another mom-rom-com, The Switch, about a single woman whose male best friend secretly swaps his own product for her sperm-bank purchase. It's hard not to see that one ending in wedding bells too. You know what would be really contemporary? A movie about a woman who goes to a sperm bank and returns home with a baby — not a mate. See the all-TIME best 100 movies. ||||| Critic's Rating: 2 1/2 stars The first scene of "The Back-Up Plan" shows Jennifer Lopez's feet in stirrups. And for a sex symbol, I have to say, she has some gnarly toes. I mention this because it is pretty much the only surprise "The Back-Up Plan" offers. Although the actors do their level best, there are no surprises offered and no romance/pregnancy/childbirth cliché unused. And yet, I have to admit, the movie was enjoyable. It felt like re-watching that favorite DVD that you pull out over and over. You barely have to look at the screen, you can answer the phone and wander around the house, but you always know exactly what's going on. In "The Back-Up Plan," Lopez plays a professionally successful woman who is lacking in the romance department. When she tries artificial insemination in an attempt to start a family of her own, she gets more than she bargained for. Not only does it work the first time, but she meets Mr. Right (Alex O'Loughlin) on the way home. The cuteness level of "Plan" is off the charts in the beginning. We hear Lopez's precious musings as she is inseminated. She and O'Loughlin meet cute in a cab. They both have sweet jobs - she bought a pet store to save puppy-mill puppies, he sells artisanal goat cheese at the farmers market. He lives on a farm (with ponies!); she lives in a great apartment with an adorable handicapped dog. But Lopez, O'Loughlin and company manage to keep things afloat with a full-on charm offensive as the roller coaster of pregnancy challenges their budding romance. Especially fun (despite a serious ick factor) is Lopez's friend's birthing scene and appearances by nostalgic-TV faves Linda Lavin and Tom Bosley. There are a smattering of moments of salty reality that give tantalizing and somewhat irritating hints at the better movie "The Back-Up Plan" could have been if the filmmakers had reined in the sweet a bit. Still, for those with a high sugar tolerance, "Plan" is a guilty pleasure. The Back-Up Plan ** 1/2 Cast: Jennifer Lopez, Alex O'Loughlin, Michaela Watkins, Linda Lavin, Eric Christian Olsen, Anthony Anderson, Noureen DeWulf, Tom Bosley, Robert Klein, Danneel Harris, Melissa McCarthy, Maribeth Monroe Behind the scenes: Produced by Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch. Written by Kate Angelo. Directed by Alan Poul. Rated: PG-13; sexual content, some crude material, language Approximate running time: 106 minutes ||||| We few, we (mostly) happy few who get paid to watch and think about and write about movies are often accused by lay (and paying) moviegoers of ‘being out of touch with the public,’ of liking movies only when (we think) they aspire to the level of art, of denigrating the sorts of films that ordinary folks attend for the purposes of fun, entertainment and recreation. Well, yes, in fact, that’s right. The point of the watching and thinking parts of a critic’s job is, in fact, to separate the better from the worse, the make-work from the inspiration, the films made by people who were born to make movies from those made by people who were paid to do it. And that, frankly, often means avoiding the mainstream and seeking gold in harder-to-find places. There are happy coincidences when critics and audiences respond in kind. Recent examples include “How to Train Your Dragon,” “Avatar,” “Star Trek,” “Up,” “Slumdog Millionaire,” “The Dark Knight,” “Iron Man” and “Wall-E.” (Notice how many are sci-fi and/or animation? Hmmm....) But, in fact, critics and mass audiences are different breeds with different purposes for attending films. Critics are seeking to understand the medium and evaluate new works against the standing cannon or in the context of the current cultural/social/political climate. The big audience is looking, by and large, to escape home and work and care for a few hours. Now and again, a critic can lead an audience to a film it might otherwise have overlooked and score a point, in effect, for the cinema as an art form. More often, critics say awful things about popular movies and irritate the folks who turn them into hits. These tendencies are especially acute in the area of genre movies -- action films and chick flicks, notably -- where the movie studios have traditionally chosen to ignore what critics might say and try to find the sweet spot in the audience’s palate. Frankly, there are so many new films to consider in a given year that I (and many other critics of tenure similar to mine) have taken to flat-out ignoring these pictures. I don’t like ‘em, not the majority of ‘em at any rate, and the people who do like ‘em don’t really care what I have to say about ‘em. So, in the spirit of perversity that seems hard-wired into the critic’s mind, I thought it would be interesting to have a look at a new action movie and a new romantic comedy just to see how the genres are faring nowadays. And they fare, alas, fairly -- if not worse. “The Losers,” based on a comic book series, is a breezy, dumb and lightweight film that has the benefit of not trying terribly hard to be about much of anything and succeeding (bravo?). Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chris Evans and Idris Elba are part of a super-secret military team sent to Bolivia to assassinate a bad guy, only to discover that their superior means to kill them as well. Written off as dead, they combine forces (reluctantly) with a mystery woman (Zoe Saldana) and sneak back into the USA to hunt down their traitorous boss (Jason Patric) and revenge themselves. Boom-boom, bang-bang, and even kiss-kiss it goes, with a few comic interludes (Evans, especially; Patric not so much) and an agreeable forward-seeking energy. Director Sylvain White (“Stomp the Yard”) has a visual flair and a cheeky honesty about just how much of the thing is hokum. In a nifty opening shootout, for instance, he freeze-frames the deaths of anonymous bad guys to remind us of the material’s pulp origins. The acting is, to use a kind word, stoic, and the story gets sillier, inevitably, as it goes along. But it moves with pep and a wink, both of which are saving graces. “The Back-Up Plan” isn’t nearly as charming. A rom-com-slash-mom-com about a career gal (Jennifer Lopez) who meets the perfect man (Alex O’Laughlin) only after becoming pregnant by artificial means, it suffers from sludgy pacing, flat writing and acting, and a strange and puzzling fondness for scatology and coarse language. Lopez is a tad more relaxed than in some of her other romantic roles, in which her off-screen diva-ness was barely contained. But she still doesn’t feel real or credible very often. Nor, for that matter, do O’Laughlin, who can barely register a facial expression, or the crude and (not very) comic sidekick played by Michaela Watkins. There’s a pair of lovely little turns, though, by Linda Lavin and Tom Bosley as retirement home sweethearts: those two have more credibility in their eyelashes than any of the rest of the film, with its smotheringly over-determined décor, wardrobe and set pieces. Director Alan Poul has worked on “Six Feet Under” and “Big Love,” and those series carry far more heft and credibility than this limp and charmless would-be romp. So, did the curmudgeonly art lover enjoy himself at these films? Well, no, not much. “The Losers” is made with the sort of attention to visuals that mark the touch of an actual filmmaker, while being drawn down to gutter level by the material, the workmanly acting and the plotting. And “The Back-Up Plan” is pretty awful all the way through, save those moments or two of human realism provided by the veterans in the cast. I haven’t given up hope that there are action movies or romantic comedies out there that can please both a fussbudget like me and a large audience. But these two are pretty wide of the mark -- and, frankly, I don’t sense that anyone involved in making them cares. That’s a big part of the issue right there. As someone who’s invested personally in the medium of cinema, I take actual offense at half-hearted (and half-brained and half-other parts) efforts that reek of pure commercial motive: getting butts in and out of seats in about 100 minutes so that more butts can replace them. The movies have always been thus -- no art form has ever been so wildly profitable, after all. But that doesn’t mean there’s no reason to demand better, whether you’re a critic or -- especially -- a paying moviegoer. “The Back-Up Plan” (104 min., PG-13, multiple locations) Grade: C “The Losers” (94 min., PG-13, multiple locations) Grade: B-minus

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

A woman in Arlington, Virginia, heard noises in her home in the middle of the night -- and police found a man living in the attic. (Published Wednesday, July 26, 2017) Man Found Living in Attic After Va. Woman Hears Noises Above A woman in Arlington, Virginia, heard noises in her home in the middle of the night -- and police found a man living in the attic. The woman, who asked not to be identified publicly, said she heard the noises Friday in the house she rents on 22nd Street S., near the Pentagon City neighborhood. "I heard footsteps above me, and I checked in with my landlord, because sometimes he's used the storage above," she said. The landlord alerted Arlington County Police about 1:30 a.m. Officers searched the attic and found Anthony Jones, a 60-year-old homeless man, police said. "As we [officers] were coming up that staircase, they announced that officers were on scene and that if you were in the attic, to come forward," police spokeswoman Ashley Savage said. Jones came forward, and officers took him into custody without incident, Savage said. He was charged with unlawful entry and is being held without bail. Police are charging Anthony Jones, 60, with unlawful entry. Officers found Jones' backpack, clothing and bedding in the attic. Information was not released immediately on how long he may have been in the house. He's believed to have entered through an open sliding glass door. "It would be scary for anyone," Savage said. The tenant said police acted quickly, which left her feeling "much safer." If you ever hear noises and fear someone has broken into your home, don't hesitate to call police for help, Savage said "We will come and investigate," she said. "Don't put yourself in harm's way." ||||| This report is published every weekday, except County holidays. The information in each report covers significant criminal incidents generally from the day before; reports published on Monday cover the preceding Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Some incidents may appear a day or two after the occurrence. This report is not a comprehensive list of every police event in Arlington County in the stated time frame. Addresses shown indicate blocks and not specific addresses. For more information on crime in your area, visit our online crime mapping tool. Note: Information contained in the Daily Crime Report is generally based on initial reports made to the Police Department. Follow-up investigations may reveal different or additional information. REPORTS ROBBERY, 2017-07230093, 5800 block of Washington Boulevard. At approximately 9:20 a.m. on July 23, police responded to the report of a strong armed robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined that an employee was assaulted after confronting two male suspects attempting to steal merchandise. The suspects then fled the scene with the merchandise. The first suspect is described as a 40-50 year old black male, approximately 6’2”, wearing a black t-shirt underneath a tan long-sleeve shirt and khaki pants. The second suspect is described as a 40-50 year old black male, approximately 5’8” with a heavy build. He was wearing a polo shirt, jean shorts and black and white sneakers. The investigation is ongoing. UNLAWFUL ENTRY, 2017-07210024, 800 block of 22nd Street S. At approximately 1:24 a.m. on July 21, police responded to the report of a possible unlawful entry. Upon arrival, it was determined that police were contacted after a tenant reported hearing footsteps in the attic. Police searched the residence and located the suspect. Anthony Jones, 60, of No Fixed Address was arrested and charged with Unlawful Entry. He was held without bail. LARCENY FROM AUTO, 2017-07240069, 4200 block of 31st Street S. LARCENY, 2017-07240113, 4500 block of Lee Highway SHOPLIFTING, 2017-07240157, 1400 block of S. Hayes Street LARCENY, 2017-07240178, 3100 block of Wilson Boulevard DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY, 2017-07240184, 100 block of N. Wayne Street DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY, 2017-07240279, 5500 block of Columbia Pike STOLEN VEHICLE 07/24/17, VA VKE5119, 2004 Dodge Caravan, White 4500 block of 31st Street S.

– A Virginia woman was surprised to learn the nocturnal noises coming from the attic weren't from the expected sources. It wasn't critters creaking the floorboards, or even her landlord, who uses the space. When police investigated, they found a homeless man had set up camp. The drama began early last Friday. "I heard footsteps above me, and I checked in with my landlord, because sometimes he's used the storage above," the unidentified woman tells NBC Washington. The landlord called Arlington police around 1:30am. Responding officers called out as they climbed the stairs, and "the subject came forward,” says spokeswoman Ashley Savage, per the New York Times, and "was taken into custody without any incident." The man, identified as Anthony Jones, 60, was booked on an unlawful entry charge, per a police statement. Officers found his backpack, clothes, and bedding in the attic. He refused to speak to cops and it's unclear how long he had been living there, though he's thought to have entered the house through a sliding glass door. Jones was being held without bail. The Times notes the homeless population in Arlington has dipped since the Washington, DC, suburb launched a "10-year plan to end homelessness" in 2008. There were 232 people on the streets in an annual count last January, up from 174 one year earlier. The Arlington homeless rate of 5.9 per 10,000 is far lower than the national average of 17 per 10,000 people. (New homeowners in Houston found a scary surprise in the attic.)

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.A woman in Arlington, Virginia, heard noises in her home in the middle of the night -- and police found a man living in the attic. (Published Wednesday, July 26, 2017) Man Found Living in Attic After Va. Woman Hears Noises Above A woman in Arlington, Virginia, heard noises in her home in the middle of the night -- and police found a man living in the attic. The woman, who asked not to be identified publicly, said she heard the noises Friday in the house she rents on 22nd Street S., near the Pentagon City neighborhood. "I heard footsteps above me, and I checked in with my landlord, because sometimes he's used the storage above," she said. The landlord alerted Arlington County Police about 1:30 a.m. Officers searched the attic and found Anthony Jones, a 60-year-old homeless man, police said. "As we [officers] were coming up that staircase, they announced that officers were on scene and that if you were in the attic, to come forward," police spokeswoman Ashley Savage said. Jones came forward, and officers took him into custody without incident, Savage said. He was charged with unlawful entry and is being held without bail. Police are charging Anthony Jones, 60, with unlawful entry. Officers found Jones' backpack, clothing and bedding in the attic. Information was not released immediately on how long he may have been in the house. He's believed to have entered through an open sliding glass door. "It would be scary for anyone," Savage said. The tenant said police acted quickly, which left her feeling "much safer." If you ever hear noises and fear someone has broken into your home, don't hesitate to call police for help, Savage said "We will come and investigate," she said. "Don't put yourself in harm's way." ||||| This report is published every weekday, except County holidays. The information in each report covers significant criminal incidents generally from the day before; reports published on Monday cover the preceding Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Some incidents may appear a day or two after the occurrence. This report is not a comprehensive list of every police event in Arlington County in the stated time frame. Addresses shown indicate blocks and not specific addresses. For more information on crime in your area, visit our online crime mapping tool. Note: Information contained in the Daily Crime Report is generally based on initial reports made to the Police Department. Follow-up investigations may reveal different or additional information. REPORTS ROBBERY, 2017-07230093, 5800 block of Washington Boulevard. At approximately 9:20 a.m. on July 23, police responded to the report of a strong armed robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined that an employee was assaulted after confronting two male suspects attempting to steal merchandise. The suspects then fled the scene with the merchandise. The first suspect is described as a 40-50 year old black male, approximately 6’2”, wearing a black t-shirt underneath a tan long-sleeve shirt and khaki pants. The second suspect is described as a 40-50 year old black male, approximately 5’8” with a heavy build. He was wearing a polo shirt, jean shorts and black and white sneakers. The investigation is ongoing. UNLAWFUL ENTRY, 2017-07210024, 800 block of 22nd Street S. At approximately 1:24 a.m. on July 21, police responded to the report of a possible unlawful entry. Upon arrival, it was determined that police were contacted after a tenant reported hearing footsteps in the attic. Police searched the residence and located the suspect. Anthony Jones, 60, of No Fixed Address was arrested and charged with Unlawful Entry. He was held without bail. LARCENY FROM AUTO, 2017-07240069, 4200 block of 31st Street S. LARCENY, 2017-07240113, 4500 block of Lee Highway SHOPLIFTING, 2017-07240157, 1400 block of S. Hayes Street LARCENY, 2017-07240178, 3100 block of Wilson Boulevard DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY, 2017-07240184, 100 block of N. Wayne Street DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY, 2017-07240279, 5500 block of Columbia Pike STOLEN VEHICLE 07/24/17, VA VKE5119, 2004 Dodge Caravan, White 4500 block of 31st Street S.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is taking a leave of absence from the law firm he joined earlier this year, Greenberg Traurig LLP, as his support of Donald Trump’s presidential race ramps up. Greenberg’s executive chairman, Richard Rosenbaum, said in a statement that the departure is an “amicable and mutual leave of absence” and the... ||||| Caroline Giuliani, pictured in 2010, also supported Barack Obama for president. "I love Hillary... My dad knows. I was for Barack in 2012. " | AP Photo Giuliani’s daughter is for Clinton On Facebook, Trump’s most vocal New York supporter sees his daughter jump to the other side. Caroline Giuliani is “With Her.” The daughter of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani -- a key adviser to Donald Trump and one of his most vocal surrogates -- has been “pro-Hillary all along,” she wrote on her Facebook page. POLITICO Screen grab Story Continued Below The younger Giuliani is currently using the campaign’s “H” logo as her profile picture, and posted the #ImWithHer campaign slogan banner as the wallpaper to her page. She has posted multiple photographs and links online, declaring her support for the Democratic nominee. In one photograph of a friend, Jason Lubin, and a pet rabbit, she described the scene as “my handsome guys cheering HRC on in the first debate.” POLITICO Screen grab Reached at her Los Angeles office, Caroline Giuliani confirmed the page was hers. "I love Hillary, I think she's by far the most qualified candidate that we've had in a long while," she told POLITICO. "My dad knows. I was for Barack in 2012. He knows and is fully comfortable with it and thinks I have a right to my opinion." She declined to comment about her father's support for Trump. In another post online, she shared a photograph from Clinton’s official Facebook page of manicured nails that read “Who Run The World,” with a picture of Clinton and added her own commentary: “Yes please.” POLITICO Screen grab The younger Giuliani is not the only one who has drifted from her father this election -- the New York Times reported that many of the former mayor's most loyal former aides have rejected Trump’s candidacy, and have expressed concerns about Giuliani’s embrace of the Manhattan mogul and his more extreme views, specifically on immigration. Some of his former staffers, like his onetime press secretary Matt Higgins, have endorsed Clinton. POLITICO Screen grab It’s also not the first time Caroline Giuliani has strayed from her father’s party. In 2008, when her father was running for President, the then-17-year-old posted on Facebook that her political views were “liberal” and joined a group called “Barack Obama (One Million Strong for Barack).” She quickly cleaned it up and deleted her page after the news went viral online. At the time, a spokeswoman said that her Facebook post was "not intended as an indication of support in a presidential campaign." A spokesman for Giuliani did not reply to a request for comment. ||||| Her dad's with him, but she's with her. Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani's daughter says she's backing Hillary Clinton despite her father's fascination with Donald Trump. "I can confirm that I do support Hillary Clinton for President," Caroline Giuliani told the Daily News. "Enthusiastically." Caroline Giuliani says she's supporting Hillary Clinton. (Louis Lanzano/AP) New York's former first daughter shared the news on her Facebook page, where she replaced her profile picture with a photo of her face embedded in Clinton's signature Hillary-arrow logo. She also posted the #ImWithHer campaign slogan banner on her page. Rudy Giuliani leaves law firm to stump for Donald Trump It's not the first time Caroline Giuliani has defied her famous father. In 2008, when Giuliani was running for President, Caroline, then 17, appeared to be backing Barack Obama. According to her Facebook profile, she belonged to Democrat Barack Obama's Facebook group "Barack Obama (One Million Strong for Barack)." Caroline, is Giuliani's daughter with his second wife, Donna Hanover.

– Rudy Giuliani is one of Donald Trump's leading surrogates, but his daughter has made it very clear that she won't be joining him on the Trump train. "I can confirm that I do support Hillary Clinton for president. Enthusiastically," Caroline Giuliani tells the New York Daily News. "I love Hillary, I think she's by far the most qualified candidate that we've had in a long while," the 27-year-old tells Politico, adding that her dad is "fully comfortable with it and thinks I have a right to my opinion." Caroline Giuliani supported Obama in 2012 and in the 2008 race, when her dad was also running for president. The former New York City mayor hasn't commented on the political leanings of his daughter, who has changed her profile picture to include Clinton's campaign logo. He has, however, announced that he's taking leave from Greenberg Traurig LLP, the law firm he joined earlier this year, to concentrate on the Trump campaign, the Wall Street Journal reports. Giuliani says he plans to return to the firm the day after the election. (The Commercial Finance Association had to apologize to its members for the "unscripted personal opinions" about Mexicans that Giuliani included in a speech last month.)

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is taking a leave of absence from the law firm he joined earlier this year, Greenberg Traurig LLP, as his support of Donald Trump’s presidential race ramps up. Greenberg’s executive chairman, Richard Rosenbaum, said in a statement that the departure is an “amicable and mutual leave of absence” and the... ||||| Caroline Giuliani, pictured in 2010, also supported Barack Obama for president. "I love Hillary... My dad knows. I was for Barack in 2012. " | AP Photo Giuliani’s daughter is for Clinton On Facebook, Trump’s most vocal New York supporter sees his daughter jump to the other side. Caroline Giuliani is “With Her.” The daughter of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani -- a key adviser to Donald Trump and one of his most vocal surrogates -- has been “pro-Hillary all along,” she wrote on her Facebook page. POLITICO Screen grab Story Continued Below The younger Giuliani is currently using the campaign’s “H” logo as her profile picture, and posted the #ImWithHer campaign slogan banner as the wallpaper to her page. She has posted multiple photographs and links online, declaring her support for the Democratic nominee. In one photograph of a friend, Jason Lubin, and a pet rabbit, she described the scene as “my handsome guys cheering HRC on in the first debate.” POLITICO Screen grab Reached at her Los Angeles office, Caroline Giuliani confirmed the page was hers. "I love Hillary, I think she's by far the most qualified candidate that we've had in a long while," she told POLITICO. "My dad knows. I was for Barack in 2012. He knows and is fully comfortable with it and thinks I have a right to my opinion." She declined to comment about her father's support for Trump. In another post online, she shared a photograph from Clinton’s official Facebook page of manicured nails that read “Who Run The World,” with a picture of Clinton and added her own commentary: “Yes please.” POLITICO Screen grab The younger Giuliani is not the only one who has drifted from her father this election -- the New York Times reported that many of the former mayor's most loyal former aides have rejected Trump’s candidacy, and have expressed concerns about Giuliani’s embrace of the Manhattan mogul and his more extreme views, specifically on immigration. Some of his former staffers, like his onetime press secretary Matt Higgins, have endorsed Clinton. POLITICO Screen grab It’s also not the first time Caroline Giuliani has strayed from her father’s party. In 2008, when her father was running for President, the then-17-year-old posted on Facebook that her political views were “liberal” and joined a group called “Barack Obama (One Million Strong for Barack).” She quickly cleaned it up and deleted her page after the news went viral online. At the time, a spokeswoman said that her Facebook post was "not intended as an indication of support in a presidential campaign." A spokesman for Giuliani did not reply to a request for comment. ||||| Her dad's with him, but she's with her. Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani's daughter says she's backing Hillary Clinton despite her father's fascination with Donald Trump. "I can confirm that I do support Hillary Clinton for President," Caroline Giuliani told the Daily News. "Enthusiastically." Caroline Giuliani says she's supporting Hillary Clinton. (Louis Lanzano/AP) New York's former first daughter shared the news on her Facebook page, where she replaced her profile picture with a photo of her face embedded in Clinton's signature Hillary-arrow logo. She also posted the #ImWithHer campaign slogan banner on her page. Rudy Giuliani leaves law firm to stump for Donald Trump It's not the first time Caroline Giuliani has defied her famous father. In 2008, when Giuliani was running for President, Caroline, then 17, appeared to be backing Barack Obama. According to her Facebook profile, she belonged to Democrat Barack Obama's Facebook group "Barack Obama (One Million Strong for Barack)." Caroline, is Giuliani's daughter with his second wife, Donna Hanover.

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

A series of sonic booms that rattled part of the Eastern seaboard Thursday afternoon -- felt from southern New Jersey to Long Island -- was likely caused by Naval aircraft testing in the area, the Navy said. The Naval Test Wing Atlantic, based out of the Naval Air Station in Patuxent River, Md., was conducting routine flight testing in the Atlantic Test Ranges this afternoon "that included activities which may have resulted in sonic booms," the Navy said in a statement. Other military aircraft, including both the Navy and Air Force, frequently use the ranges for testing and training. "The test wing is critical to the safe test and evaluation of all types of Navy and Marine Corps aircraft in service and in development," the Navy said. A single-engine F-35C fighter jet from the Naval Air Station in Maryland was conducting supersonic testing in a cleared military flight area off the east coast earlier today, accompanied by an F/A-18 fighter jet, the military said. Military aircraft routinely conduct supersonic flights offshore in an area called the Test Track, which parallels the entire coast of the Delmarva Peninsula near Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. Test aircraft from the naval air station executes supersonic flights almost daily, and most of the sonic booms are never heard on the ground, according to the Navy. "As with all flight operations, the Navy takes precautions to lessen the impact of testing and training activities on the community," the military said in a statement. Certain weather conditions increased potential to hear the sonic boom, according to the Navy. Some initially believed that it was an earthquake. Not an earthquake but a sonic boom in New Jersey: https://t.co/eUr4sB28Wm pic.twitter.com/TQFlkGr633 — USGS (@USGS) January 28, 2016 Earthquake confirmed in Hammonton New Jersey. No injuries reported. — Ocean County Sheriff (@OceanCounty911) January 28, 2016 The boom was centered north of Hammontown, NJ, around 1:30 p.m. It was the first of nine booms reported in southern New Jersey and along the Eastern Seaboard to Long Island, New York in the hours following the initial boom, the USGS said. The National Weather Service in Mount Holly said it contacted researchers at Columbia University who confirmed that the trembling was not an earthquake. We contacted Lamont Doherty Observatory @ Columbia University who confirmed that it was not an earthquake & likely result of a sonic boom. — NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) January 28, 2016 A sonic boom is the thunder-like noise a person hears when an airplane, travels faster than the speed of sound. The boom travels through the air with the plane, so it arrives at different ground locations at different times, the USGS said. Since many have asked: A sonic boom travels through the air w/ the airplane so it arrives at different ground locations at different times. — USGS (@USGS) January 28, 2016 A military facility in Trenton, the Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst, said it doesn't house any aircraft capable of supersonic flights. The base also said it wasn't conducting any ground artillery training. "It wasn't us," a spokesperson for the Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst said. The 177th Air National Guard, which flies F-16 jets, also they were not conducting any flights in the region. The Federal Aviation Administration and the North American Aerospace Defense Command confirmed to ABC News that there were no planes – commercial or military – operating in the area that could have caused a sonic boom. ||||| TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Sonic booms heard and felt along the eastern shoreline were caused by military fighter jets conducting tests, officials said. An F-35C, which has a top speed of nearly 1,200 mph, and an F-18 from Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland were conducting supersonic testing off the coast Thursday afternoon, according to a Navy spokeswoman. Residents reported hearing loud booms and feeling the ground and buildings shake from New Jersey to Long Island. The booms were heard as far away as Connecticut. Navy spokeswoman Connie Hempel said supersonic tests flights are done almost daily in the same area but that most sonic booms aren't felt on land. They are conducted offshore in an area called the Test Track, parallel to the coast of the Delmarva Peninsula which is occupied by Delaware, Maryland and Viriginia. Certain atmospheric conditions can increase the chance of hearing the booms. Thursday's tests were done around 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. A geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey said there were nine total booms. Bruce Presgrave said recordings show they occurred over the span of 90 minutes. The Department of Defense employs a hotline for noise disturbances for the Naval Air Station in Patuxent River. Questions can be referred to 866-819-9028. ||||| The mystery of the shaking at the shore revealed. NBC 10's George Spencer explains what caused the sonic boom and how it caused panic for some. (Published Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016) Naval tests with fancy jets were likely responsible for shaking homes up and down the New Jersey Coast multiple times Thursday afternoon leading to police begging people to stop calling 911 as they awaited word on what caused the tremors.What Shook Parts of New Jersey? Residents around the Garden State reported hearing a loud boom and then shaking Thursday afternoon. NBC10's Cydney Long has the details. (Published Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016) NBC10 Philadelphia’s own Ted Greenberg was one of the many people in Atlantic County and other New Jersey counties who felt something around 1:30 p.m. There were fears of an earthquake and Hamilton Township Police reported that they received numerous calls about the shaking and asked people to only call 911 if they had an actual emergency. Eventually, the National Weather Service in Mount Holly reported the incidents to be caused by a sonic boom. Dr. Mitchell Gold at Columbia's Lamont Doherty Cooperative Seismographic Network told NBC New York that it didn't look seismic based on the seismographs and also leaned toward a sonic boom being the culprit for the shaking. A few minutes later, the U.S. Geological Survey centered the shaking near Trenton Road (U.S. Route 206) in Hammonton, Atlantic County -- not far from tiny Hammonton Municipal Airport -- at 1:24 p.m. and called it a "probable sonic boom" that caused shaking over a series of time. Officials from the Navy said the sonic booms were caused by military fighter jets conducting tests around 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. An F-35C, which has a top speed of nearly 1,200 mph, and an F-18 from Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland were conducting supersonic testing off the coast Thursday afternoon, according to a Navy spokeswoman. Navy spokeswoman Connie Hempel said supersonic tests flights are done almost daily in the same area but that most sonic booms aren't felt on land. They are conducted offshore in an area called the Test Track, parallel to the coast of the Delmarva Peninsula which is occupied by Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. Certain atmospheric conditions can increase the chance of hearing the booms. Residents in Margate and Egg Harbor reported feeling the shaking -- as did people as far away as Leesburg in Cumberland County; Lakewood, Ocean County; and even Amityville on Long Island. Different shakes kept being felt on and off, said people in various towns. Greenberg reported feeling more rattling around 2, 2:15 and 2:25 p.m. The booms were heard as far away as Connecticut. Police in Barnegat Township, Ocean County blamed a crack in the Sheetrock of a home on Susan Drive on rattling. There weren't any other reports of damage and no reports of injuries. Toms River, Ocean County, police also asked that people not call 911 and said they had received various reports of "earthquake-type-feel" shaking around 2:20 p.m. "It almost sounded like an airplane was coming and then the whole house was shaking," said Angel Itri, who was house and babysitting along Pomona Road in Galloway, Atlantic County at the time. "We heard something like a boom or like a swishing sound and then the whole house, the windows were shaking." Itri and her friend felt that boom twice in about 10 minutes then another eight times after that. A geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey said there were nine total booms. Bruce Presgrave said recordings show they occurred over the span of 90 minutes. "A sonic boom is the thunder-like noise a person on the ground hears when an aircraft or other type of aerospace vehicle flies overhead faster than the speed of sound or supersonic," explains NASA. "Air reacts like a fluid to supersonic objects. As objects travel through the air, the air molecules are pushed aside with great force and this forms a shock wave much like a boat creates a bow wave. The bigger and heavier the aircraft, the more air it displaces." Top News Photos of the Week There were no reports of planned military training Thursday and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst says they had nothing going on Thursday. And Dover Air Force Base in Delaware said it has no aircraft capable of producing a sonic boom and had no planes flying in the area Thursday. After a sonic boom in South Carolina Wednesday, College of Charleston Department of Geology associate professor Dr. Erin Beutel said sonic booms "are perceived by the people on the ground differently under different atmospheric conditions. "It can also take between 2-60 seconds after the plane passes through for the boom to be heard, and over the ocean, the pressure wave can travel further and be heard by more people than on land," said Beutel. Besides sonic booms and quakes, other things such as big trucks, military exercises and noisy machinery have also been known to cause shaking. The Department of Defense employs a hotline for noise disturbances for the Naval Air Station in Patuxent River. Questions can be referred to 866-819-9028. Did you feel the shaking? Please share your experience in the comment section. Copyright Associated Press / NBC 10 Philadelphia

– New Jersey was shaking more than the crowd at a Bruce Springsteen concert Thursday afternoon, ABC News reports. Tremors—initially believed to be an earthquake—shook houses from southern Jersey to Long Island starting around 1:30pm local time. "It almost sounded like an airplane was coming and then the whole house was shaking," an Atlantic County babysitter tells NBC Philadelphia. And police had to ask people to stop calling 911 to report the tremors. According to NJ.com, things didn't settle down for more than an hour. The United States Geological Survey tweeted that the shaking was caused by a sonic boom, not an earthquake. The agency states nine total booms were felt in the region Thursday afternoon, ABC reports. But what caused the sonic booms? Initially, there was plenty of head-scratching, with everyone from NASA to a Delaware military base denying responsibility. But, finally, mystery solved: Military fighter jets were the culprit. A Navy rep confirmed an F-35C (top speed almost 1,200mph) and an F-18 from Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland were running supersonic tests over the Atlantic Thursday afternoon. What's wild is that these test flights occur nearly daily in the "Test Track," a region that runs parallel to the coast of parts of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. The AP notes that "certain atmospheric conditions can increase the chance of hearing the booms."

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.A series of sonic booms that rattled part of the Eastern seaboard Thursday afternoon -- felt from southern New Jersey to Long Island -- was likely caused by Naval aircraft testing in the area, the Navy said. The Naval Test Wing Atlantic, based out of the Naval Air Station in Patuxent River, Md., was conducting routine flight testing in the Atlantic Test Ranges this afternoon "that included activities which may have resulted in sonic booms," the Navy said in a statement. Other military aircraft, including both the Navy and Air Force, frequently use the ranges for testing and training. "The test wing is critical to the safe test and evaluation of all types of Navy and Marine Corps aircraft in service and in development," the Navy said. A single-engine F-35C fighter jet from the Naval Air Station in Maryland was conducting supersonic testing in a cleared military flight area off the east coast earlier today, accompanied by an F/A-18 fighter jet, the military said. Military aircraft routinely conduct supersonic flights offshore in an area called the Test Track, which parallels the entire coast of the Delmarva Peninsula near Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. Test aircraft from the naval air station executes supersonic flights almost daily, and most of the sonic booms are never heard on the ground, according to the Navy. "As with all flight operations, the Navy takes precautions to lessen the impact of testing and training activities on the community," the military said in a statement. Certain weather conditions increased potential to hear the sonic boom, according to the Navy. Some initially believed that it was an earthquake. Not an earthquake but a sonic boom in New Jersey: https://t.co/eUr4sB28Wm pic.twitter.com/TQFlkGr633 — USGS (@USGS) January 28, 2016 Earthquake confirmed in Hammonton New Jersey. No injuries reported. — Ocean County Sheriff (@OceanCounty911) January 28, 2016 The boom was centered north of Hammontown, NJ, around 1:30 p.m. It was the first of nine booms reported in southern New Jersey and along the Eastern Seaboard to Long Island, New York in the hours following the initial boom, the USGS said. The National Weather Service in Mount Holly said it contacted researchers at Columbia University who confirmed that the trembling was not an earthquake. We contacted Lamont Doherty Observatory @ Columbia University who confirmed that it was not an earthquake & likely result of a sonic boom. — NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) January 28, 2016 A sonic boom is the thunder-like noise a person hears when an airplane, travels faster than the speed of sound. The boom travels through the air with the plane, so it arrives at different ground locations at different times, the USGS said. Since many have asked: A sonic boom travels through the air w/ the airplane so it arrives at different ground locations at different times. — USGS (@USGS) January 28, 2016 A military facility in Trenton, the Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst, said it doesn't house any aircraft capable of supersonic flights. The base also said it wasn't conducting any ground artillery training. "It wasn't us," a spokesperson for the Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst said. The 177th Air National Guard, which flies F-16 jets, also they were not conducting any flights in the region. The Federal Aviation Administration and the North American Aerospace Defense Command confirmed to ABC News that there were no planes – commercial or military – operating in the area that could have caused a sonic boom. ||||| TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Sonic booms heard and felt along the eastern shoreline were caused by military fighter jets conducting tests, officials said. An F-35C, which has a top speed of nearly 1,200 mph, and an F-18 from Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland were conducting supersonic testing off the coast Thursday afternoon, according to a Navy spokeswoman. Residents reported hearing loud booms and feeling the ground and buildings shake from New Jersey to Long Island. The booms were heard as far away as Connecticut. Navy spokeswoman Connie Hempel said supersonic tests flights are done almost daily in the same area but that most sonic booms aren't felt on land. They are conducted offshore in an area called the Test Track, parallel to the coast of the Delmarva Peninsula which is occupied by Delaware, Maryland and Viriginia. Certain atmospheric conditions can increase the chance of hearing the booms. Thursday's tests were done around 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. A geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey said there were nine total booms. Bruce Presgrave said recordings show they occurred over the span of 90 minutes. The Department of Defense employs a hotline for noise disturbances for the Naval Air Station in Patuxent River. Questions can be referred to 866-819-9028. ||||| The mystery of the shaking at the shore revealed. NBC 10's George Spencer explains what caused the sonic boom and how it caused panic for some. (Published Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016) Naval tests with fancy jets were likely responsible for shaking homes up and down the New Jersey Coast multiple times Thursday afternoon leading to police begging people to stop calling 911 as they awaited word on what caused the tremors.What Shook Parts of New Jersey? Residents around the Garden State reported hearing a loud boom and then shaking Thursday afternoon. NBC10's Cydney Long has the details. (Published Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016) NBC10 Philadelphia’s own Ted Greenberg was one of the many people in Atlantic County and other New Jersey counties who felt something around 1:30 p.m. There were fears of an earthquake and Hamilton Township Police reported that they received numerous calls about the shaking and asked people to only call 911 if they had an actual emergency. Eventually, the National Weather Service in Mount Holly reported the incidents to be caused by a sonic boom. Dr. Mitchell Gold at Columbia's Lamont Doherty Cooperative Seismographic Network told NBC New York that it didn't look seismic based on the seismographs and also leaned toward a sonic boom being the culprit for the shaking. A few minutes later, the U.S. Geological Survey centered the shaking near Trenton Road (U.S. Route 206) in Hammonton, Atlantic County -- not far from tiny Hammonton Municipal Airport -- at 1:24 p.m. and called it a "probable sonic boom" that caused shaking over a series of time. Officials from the Navy said the sonic booms were caused by military fighter jets conducting tests around 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. An F-35C, which has a top speed of nearly 1,200 mph, and an F-18 from Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland were conducting supersonic testing off the coast Thursday afternoon, according to a Navy spokeswoman. Navy spokeswoman Connie Hempel said supersonic tests flights are done almost daily in the same area but that most sonic booms aren't felt on land. They are conducted offshore in an area called the Test Track, parallel to the coast of the Delmarva Peninsula which is occupied by Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. Certain atmospheric conditions can increase the chance of hearing the booms. Residents in Margate and Egg Harbor reported feeling the shaking -- as did people as far away as Leesburg in Cumberland County; Lakewood, Ocean County; and even Amityville on Long Island. Different shakes kept being felt on and off, said people in various towns. Greenberg reported feeling more rattling around 2, 2:15 and 2:25 p.m. The booms were heard as far away as Connecticut. Police in Barnegat Township, Ocean County blamed a crack in the Sheetrock of a home on Susan Drive on rattling. There weren't any other reports of damage and no reports of injuries. Toms River, Ocean County, police also asked that people not call 911 and said they had received various reports of "earthquake-type-feel" shaking around 2:20 p.m. "It almost sounded like an airplane was coming and then the whole house was shaking," said Angel Itri, who was house and babysitting along Pomona Road in Galloway, Atlantic County at the time. "We heard something like a boom or like a swishing sound and then the whole house, the windows were shaking." Itri and her friend felt that boom twice in about 10 minutes then another eight times after that. A geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey said there were nine total booms. Bruce Presgrave said recordings show they occurred over the span of 90 minutes. "A sonic boom is the thunder-like noise a person on the ground hears when an aircraft or other type of aerospace vehicle flies overhead faster than the speed of sound or supersonic," explains NASA. "Air reacts like a fluid to supersonic objects. As objects travel through the air, the air molecules are pushed aside with great force and this forms a shock wave much like a boat creates a bow wave. The bigger and heavier the aircraft, the more air it displaces." Top News Photos of the Week There were no reports of planned military training Thursday and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst says they had nothing going on Thursday. And Dover Air Force Base in Delaware said it has no aircraft capable of producing a sonic boom and had no planes flying in the area Thursday. After a sonic boom in South Carolina Wednesday, College of Charleston Department of Geology associate professor Dr. Erin Beutel said sonic booms "are perceived by the people on the ground differently under different atmospheric conditions. "It can also take between 2-60 seconds after the plane passes through for the boom to be heard, and over the ocean, the pressure wave can travel further and be heard by more people than on land," said Beutel. Besides sonic booms and quakes, other things such as big trucks, military exercises and noisy machinery have also been known to cause shaking. The Department of Defense employs a hotline for noise disturbances for the Naval Air Station in Patuxent River. Questions can be referred to 866-819-9028. Did you feel the shaking? Please share your experience in the comment section. Copyright Associated Press / NBC 10 Philadelphia

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

Best Buy to Pull CDs, Target Threatens to Pay Labels for CDs Only When Customers Buy Them If the majors don't play ball and give in to Target's new sale terms, it could considerably hasten the phase down of the CD format. Even though digital is on the upswing, physical is still performing relatively well on a global basis -- if not in the U.S. market, where CD sales were down 18.5 percent last year. But things are about to get worse here, if some of the noise coming out of the big-box retailers comes to fruition. Best Buy has just told music suppliers that it will pull CDs from its stores come July 1. At one point, Best Buy was the most powerful music merchandiser in the U.S., but nowadays it's a shadow of its former self, with a reduced and shoddy offering of CDs. Sources suggest that the company's CD business is nowadays only generating about $40 million annually. While it says it's planning to pull out CDs, Best Buy will continue to carry vinyl for the next two years, keeping a commitment it made to vendors. The vinyl will now be merchandised with the turntables, sources suggest. Meanwhile, sources say that Target has demanded to music suppliers that it wants to be sold on what amounts to a consignment basis. Currently, Target takes the inventory risk by agreeing to pay for any goods it is shipped within 60 days, and must pay to ship back unsold CDs for credit. With consignment, the inventory risk shifts back to the labels. According to those sources, Target gave the ultimatum to both music and video suppliers in the fourth quarter of last year that it wants to switch to scanned-based trading, with a target date of Feb. 1. But while it is proceeding to push DVD vendors to switch to scan-based trading terms (i.e. the chain would pay for DVDs after they are sold or scanned while being rung up at the register), it has moved the deadline back to music suppliers to either April 1 or May 1. So far, music manufacturers are not sure what they are going to do, but sources within the various camps say that at least one major is leaning no, while the other two majors are undecided. If the majors don't play ball and give in to the new sale terms, it could considerably hasten the phase down of the CD format. Target has greatly reduced its music presence over the years. Once upon a time carried as many as 800 music titles, and nowadays seems to carry less than 100 titles in most stores. Yet, it can still be a powerful force on big titles. For example, the chain moved over 500,000 CDs of Taylor Swift's Reputation album. Music manufacturers suggest they are waiting to see what happens with DVDs. If the studios don't give into Target's demands, will Target pull DVDs from the store? How that plays out will likely influence what happens in music, sources suggest. Yet a statement from Target seems to suggest that the chain will remain committed to entertainment software, even if it tinkers with its business model. "Entertainment has been and continues to be an important part of Target’s brand," says the company in a statement. "We are committed to working closely with our partners to bring the latest movies and music titles, along with exclusive content, to our guests. The changes we’re evaluating to our operating model, which shows a continued investment in our Entertainment business, reflect a broader shift in the industry and consumer behavior." Feb. 5, 6:50 p.m. EST — Updated with Target statement. ||||| CLOSE The nation’s largest consumer electronics retailer, Best Buy, is saying farewell to CDs in summer 2018. USA TODAY Shoppers enter a Best Buy store in New York City. (Photo: Bebeto Matthews, AP) The shiny compact disc, once as essential to every living-room music system as a copy of Michael Jackson's Thriller album, is quickly going the way of the eight-track and cassette tape. The rise of streaming music services such as Apple Music, Spotify and Pandora, as well as the availability of digitally downloadable tracks and albums, are making the CD extinct. The latest nail in the coffin comes from the nation's largest store-based electronics retailer, Best Buy, which is reportedly planning to quit selling music CDs at its stores by July 1, according to a report in Billboard. Another retail giant, Target, is also considering a change in how it acquires CDs, which could reduce inventory in its stores and leave fewer choices for music fans, Billboard also reported. Best Buy declined to comment on the report, but CD sales have fallen at its stores. During the retailer's 2017 fiscal year, which ended Jan. 31, entertainment (gaming, music and movies) accounted for 7% of domestic revenue ($36.2 billion). But entertainment sales were down 13.8% from the previous year, while overall domestic sales revenue dipped only 0.3%. Target denied news reports that it might quit selling CDs but hinted in a statement that it is exploring a way to make sales more cost-effective. "We are committed to working closely with our partners to bring the latest movies and music titles, along with exclusive content, to our guests," its statement read. "The changes we’re evaluating to our operating model, which shows a continued investment in our entertainment business, reflect a broader shift in the industry and consumer behavior." Target has historically had exclusive versions of new CD releases, including Taylor Swift's most recent album Reputation — a savvy sales strategy to increase store traffic. The music CD, which first made a dent in the U.S. market in 1983, is admittedly showing its age. More than three decades old, the format eventually was embraced by music lovers for its convenience and quality, amounting to $13.2 billion in sales in 2000 — far outpacing Hollywood's box office of $7.7 billion that year. But physical sales of CDs has been on the decline since then and currently account for less than one-tenth of sales, making the case for some stores to eventually abandon them altogether, says Neil Saunders, managing director of Global Data Retail. “While some retailers like Best Buy and Target still stock CDs, trends dictate that over the next five years, this category will deliver diminishing returns," he says. "As such, it makes sense to look at how the space CDs occupy can be put to better and more profitable use.’’ Saunders adds that CDs typically offer retailers a meager profit margin of at most 9 cents on the dollar, “and it’s likely a player like Best Buy may (take) a slight loss when all overheads are accounted for.” A major retailer jettisoning the music CD business isn't unprecedented. Kmart stopped selling CDs in 2016. Getting rid of CDs can free up space for laptops, smart phones and tech-related gear that yield stronger profits and a more engaged in-store experience, says Sean Maharaj, a director in the retail practice of consultancy AArete. “This move is long overdue,’’ he says. Maharaj added that Best Buy’s departure from CD sales might spark similar moves by others. “I believe the likes of Target, Walmart and Guitar Center could follow suit, if they haven’t already," he says. Music CD sales fell 20% to $1.2 billion in 2016, the most recent year's sales available from the Recording Industry Association of America. In comparison, paid music subscriptions nearly doubled to $2.3 billion, RIAA says. Digital downloads of albums fell 20% to $876 million. Subscriptions to music services "is what is driving the growth in the industry that we have seen recently," said Josh Friedlander, the RIAA's senior vice president for strategic data analysis. "People have been talking about the decline of the CD for quite a long time now. But CDs are still a billion-dollar business in the U.S.," he said. "It's still a pretty significant business." Vinyl is a format that, having gone dormant for nearly two decades, has re-emerged and accounted for $430 million in sales in 2016, RIAA says. Sales of vinyl LPs rose 9% to 14.3 million last year, up from 13.1 million in 2016, according to Nielsen Music. CDs album unit sales in 2017 fell 19% to 85.4 million, Nielsen Music says. At the peak, consumers bought nearly 712 million CD albums in 2001. What the future holds for the CD is uncertain. Music CD sales are still sold at concerts and many musicians rely on that income. But some artists have begun selling digital codes, too. Automakers began phasing out CD players several years ago. Since U.S. consumers have purchased more than 14 billion CDs over the years, according to RIAA, most manufacturers still offer CD players on some models. For supporters of the format, the news that Best Buy may be bailing on it could be a signal that the end is near. "Well, it's not good, and probably accelerates the ongoing, double-digit downturn," said Paul Resnikoff, founder and publisher of online site Digital Music News. "But there are still people who will buy CDs, so this just gives them one less place to buy them." It's not a given that other retailers will follow suit and quit stocking the music discs. “A retailer like Barnes & Noble has some customers who rely on the store to get traditional music in a CD format,’’ Saunders says. “Removing them from the assortment could alienate that customer and mean they stop shopping there for other things, like books as well.’’ Follow USA TODAY reporters Charisse Jones and Mike Snider on Twitter: @charissejones & @MikeSnider. Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2nGMvYy

– Bad news for the future of CDs (and, let's face it, probably the future of CD wallets, too). Billboard reports two major CD retailers—Best Buy and Target—are reconsidering their relationship with the three-decade-old music format. Sources say Best Buy—which has gone from the "most powerful" music seller in the US to a "reduced and shoddy" selection that brings in only about $40 million a year—will stop selling CDs on July 1. Meanwhile, sources say Target—which is carrying far fewer CDs these days but still managed to move over 500,000 copies of Taylor Swift's most recent album—wants to change to a consignment model where it wouldn't have to pay suppliers for any CDs that go unsold. Sources say at least one major label is considering pulling its music from Target rather than agree to the new financial risk that would represent. The changes at Best Buy and Target could speed up the CD's demise, but they're far from the first signs of its impending doom. USA Today reports CD sales hit $13.2 billion in 2000, and 712 million CDs were sold in 2001. In the 14 years since that peak, recorded music lost 40% of its global value, according to NPR. In 2016, streaming took over as Americans' main means of listening to music and Kmart stopped selling CDs. In 2017, Ford manufactured its first car without a CD player in 25 years. That same year, CD sales in the US dropped 18.5%. However, while things look bleak now, CDs could always make a vinyl-like comeback a few years down the road. In fact, while Best Buy is giving up on CDs, it will reportedly continue selling vinyl records for another two years. (Speaking of: Sony is doing an about-face after helping kill vinyl.)

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.Best Buy to Pull CDs, Target Threatens to Pay Labels for CDs Only When Customers Buy Them If the majors don't play ball and give in to Target's new sale terms, it could considerably hasten the phase down of the CD format. Even though digital is on the upswing, physical is still performing relatively well on a global basis -- if not in the U.S. market, where CD sales were down 18.5 percent last year. But things are about to get worse here, if some of the noise coming out of the big-box retailers comes to fruition. Best Buy has just told music suppliers that it will pull CDs from its stores come July 1. At one point, Best Buy was the most powerful music merchandiser in the U.S., but nowadays it's a shadow of its former self, with a reduced and shoddy offering of CDs. Sources suggest that the company's CD business is nowadays only generating about $40 million annually. While it says it's planning to pull out CDs, Best Buy will continue to carry vinyl for the next two years, keeping a commitment it made to vendors. The vinyl will now be merchandised with the turntables, sources suggest. Meanwhile, sources say that Target has demanded to music suppliers that it wants to be sold on what amounts to a consignment basis. Currently, Target takes the inventory risk by agreeing to pay for any goods it is shipped within 60 days, and must pay to ship back unsold CDs for credit. With consignment, the inventory risk shifts back to the labels. According to those sources, Target gave the ultimatum to both music and video suppliers in the fourth quarter of last year that it wants to switch to scanned-based trading, with a target date of Feb. 1. But while it is proceeding to push DVD vendors to switch to scan-based trading terms (i.e. the chain would pay for DVDs after they are sold or scanned while being rung up at the register), it has moved the deadline back to music suppliers to either April 1 or May 1. So far, music manufacturers are not sure what they are going to do, but sources within the various camps say that at least one major is leaning no, while the other two majors are undecided. If the majors don't play ball and give in to the new sale terms, it could considerably hasten the phase down of the CD format. Target has greatly reduced its music presence over the years. Once upon a time carried as many as 800 music titles, and nowadays seems to carry less than 100 titles in most stores. Yet, it can still be a powerful force on big titles. For example, the chain moved over 500,000 CDs of Taylor Swift's Reputation album. Music manufacturers suggest they are waiting to see what happens with DVDs. If the studios don't give into Target's demands, will Target pull DVDs from the store? How that plays out will likely influence what happens in music, sources suggest. Yet a statement from Target seems to suggest that the chain will remain committed to entertainment software, even if it tinkers with its business model. "Entertainment has been and continues to be an important part of Target’s brand," says the company in a statement. "We are committed to working closely with our partners to bring the latest movies and music titles, along with exclusive content, to our guests. The changes we’re evaluating to our operating model, which shows a continued investment in our Entertainment business, reflect a broader shift in the industry and consumer behavior." Feb. 5, 6:50 p.m. EST — Updated with Target statement. ||||| CLOSE The nation’s largest consumer electronics retailer, Best Buy, is saying farewell to CDs in summer 2018. USA TODAY Shoppers enter a Best Buy store in New York City. (Photo: Bebeto Matthews, AP) The shiny compact disc, once as essential to every living-room music system as a copy of Michael Jackson's Thriller album, is quickly going the way of the eight-track and cassette tape. The rise of streaming music services such as Apple Music, Spotify and Pandora, as well as the availability of digitally downloadable tracks and albums, are making the CD extinct. The latest nail in the coffin comes from the nation's largest store-based electronics retailer, Best Buy, which is reportedly planning to quit selling music CDs at its stores by July 1, according to a report in Billboard. Another retail giant, Target, is also considering a change in how it acquires CDs, which could reduce inventory in its stores and leave fewer choices for music fans, Billboard also reported. Best Buy declined to comment on the report, but CD sales have fallen at its stores. During the retailer's 2017 fiscal year, which ended Jan. 31, entertainment (gaming, music and movies) accounted for 7% of domestic revenue ($36.2 billion). But entertainment sales were down 13.8% from the previous year, while overall domestic sales revenue dipped only 0.3%. Target denied news reports that it might quit selling CDs but hinted in a statement that it is exploring a way to make sales more cost-effective. "We are committed to working closely with our partners to bring the latest movies and music titles, along with exclusive content, to our guests," its statement read. "The changes we’re evaluating to our operating model, which shows a continued investment in our entertainment business, reflect a broader shift in the industry and consumer behavior." Target has historically had exclusive versions of new CD releases, including Taylor Swift's most recent album Reputation — a savvy sales strategy to increase store traffic. The music CD, which first made a dent in the U.S. market in 1983, is admittedly showing its age. More than three decades old, the format eventually was embraced by music lovers for its convenience and quality, amounting to $13.2 billion in sales in 2000 — far outpacing Hollywood's box office of $7.7 billion that year. But physical sales of CDs has been on the decline since then and currently account for less than one-tenth of sales, making the case for some stores to eventually abandon them altogether, says Neil Saunders, managing director of Global Data Retail. “While some retailers like Best Buy and Target still stock CDs, trends dictate that over the next five years, this category will deliver diminishing returns," he says. "As such, it makes sense to look at how the space CDs occupy can be put to better and more profitable use.’’ Saunders adds that CDs typically offer retailers a meager profit margin of at most 9 cents on the dollar, “and it’s likely a player like Best Buy may (take) a slight loss when all overheads are accounted for.” A major retailer jettisoning the music CD business isn't unprecedented. Kmart stopped selling CDs in 2016. Getting rid of CDs can free up space for laptops, smart phones and tech-related gear that yield stronger profits and a more engaged in-store experience, says Sean Maharaj, a director in the retail practice of consultancy AArete. “This move is long overdue,’’ he says. Maharaj added that Best Buy’s departure from CD sales might spark similar moves by others. “I believe the likes of Target, Walmart and Guitar Center could follow suit, if they haven’t already," he says. Music CD sales fell 20% to $1.2 billion in 2016, the most recent year's sales available from the Recording Industry Association of America. In comparison, paid music subscriptions nearly doubled to $2.3 billion, RIAA says. Digital downloads of albums fell 20% to $876 million. Subscriptions to music services "is what is driving the growth in the industry that we have seen recently," said Josh Friedlander, the RIAA's senior vice president for strategic data analysis. "People have been talking about the decline of the CD for quite a long time now. But CDs are still a billion-dollar business in the U.S.," he said. "It's still a pretty significant business." Vinyl is a format that, having gone dormant for nearly two decades, has re-emerged and accounted for $430 million in sales in 2016, RIAA says. Sales of vinyl LPs rose 9% to 14.3 million last year, up from 13.1 million in 2016, according to Nielsen Music. CDs album unit sales in 2017 fell 19% to 85.4 million, Nielsen Music says. At the peak, consumers bought nearly 712 million CD albums in 2001. What the future holds for the CD is uncertain. Music CD sales are still sold at concerts and many musicians rely on that income. But some artists have begun selling digital codes, too. Automakers began phasing out CD players several years ago. Since U.S. consumers have purchased more than 14 billion CDs over the years, according to RIAA, most manufacturers still offer CD players on some models. For supporters of the format, the news that Best Buy may be bailing on it could be a signal that the end is near. "Well, it's not good, and probably accelerates the ongoing, double-digit downturn," said Paul Resnikoff, founder and publisher of online site Digital Music News. "But there are still people who will buy CDs, so this just gives them one less place to buy them." It's not a given that other retailers will follow suit and quit stocking the music discs. “A retailer like Barnes & Noble has some customers who rely on the store to get traditional music in a CD format,’’ Saunders says. “Removing them from the assortment could alienate that customer and mean they stop shopping there for other things, like books as well.’’ Follow USA TODAY reporters Charisse Jones and Mike Snider on Twitter: @charissejones & @MikeSnider. Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2nGMvYy

According to the context, please answer with the summary and highlights.

The Associated Press has been breaking news since 1846. In that time, AP has endeavored to always be accurate, trustworthy and responsive. As news is transmitted in more ways than ever before and in more formats than ever, we remain committed to the highest standards of integrity in all areas of business at AP: from newsgathering to corporate behavior. This blog aims to provide further understanding of AP and transparency in our operations and mission. ||||| Widely Cited The Times is one of the first major news organizations to take a firm stand against a growing and disliked practice. The Times has dismantled its environmental pod and discontinued the Green blog. The public editor looks into a test drive of an electric car that caused a storm. The statistical wizard's offer to wager on the outcome of the presidential race is a bad choice. How does The Times decide which comments to post on NYTimes.com? The public editor gets answers from The Times's online commenting managers. Readers complained to the public editor over The Times's decision to display a photograph of the unconscious ambassador in Libya. Government Secrecy and Bradley Manning Those who reveal classified material are being punished like never before. When the government asks newspapers to keep quiet, the bar should be very high for saying yes. Editors were asked by the C.I.A. to withhold information and did so for months before publishing it online Tuesday night. Scott Shane, a Times national security reporter, was referred to in the government’s prosecution of a former C.I.A. official. Bradley Manning and WikiLeaks are a major story for The Times, so why was the paper so late to cover the soldier’s pretrial hearing? The testimony is riveting and the surrounding issues are newsworthy. Just who is it that the United States is killing with strikes by unmanned aircraft in Yemen and Pakistan? The First Amendment matters for many reasons, some of them not on the world stage. False Balance and Objectivity in Reporting The public editor travels to Harvard’s Shorenstein Center. With audio. Is the concept outdated or even more important in the new media era? The journalistic ideal of impartiality is coming under attack. My column for this week. The public editor speaks with Times editors about how they plan to fact-check the first presidential debate. When opinion appears in news pages, it needs to be labeled and displayed as just that. Whatever the conclusions, whatever the effectiveness, of challenging facts, the idea that we have to debate the necessity of the media doing so strikes me as absurd. Language and Semantics The Times is reconsidering the use of the term "illegal immigrant." An article coyly wrote around a business name that used an unprintable word according to The Times's standards. A crisis in North Africa and a reader’s query bring up crucial distinctions in usage. Families are rightfully upset by some of the early reporting done on the Newtown, Conn., shootings. The research and development team’s Chronicle tool may distract you while you’re waiting for the returns to come in. Unidentified sources make it difficult for readers to know what to believe regarding negotiations between the United States and Iran. The public editor's judgment is not about immigration reform; it's about clarity and accuracy. An activist wants The Times to stop using the term "illegal immigrant" in its reporting. Gender, Race and Ethnicity After criticism on Twitter and elsewhere, the first sentence of an obituary for Yvonne Brill was changed. A front-page article involving the New York Police Department's internal communication could have provided greater context. A headline ignites a discussion about its "undermining" question. News organizations should evaluate the motivations of parents who want to take their child’s story public. Parental approval and the child’s own willingness should rule the day. Readers complained about the absence of people of color in T: The Times Style Magazine. The Times Magazine interviewer offended some high-profile female writers with his questions. Where, after what seemed like women's night on Tuesday at the Democratic National Convention, was the coverage of pay equity, along with gender-economic issues in general? Culture Criticism Michael Kimmelman views architecture in terms of public policy as well as aesthetics. The criticism of a new restaurant in Times Square was delicious, even if the food was not. The critic Pete Wells gave his first “poor” restaurant rating in The Times -- and he did it memorably. Cathy Horyn's work can't please everyone -- but this is ridiculous. ||||| Associated Press rethinks ‘illegal immigrant’ The Associated Press announced this Stylebook change on Tuesday afternoon: AP notice “Illegal immigrant” no more The AP Stylebook today is making some changes in how we describe people living in a country illegally. Senior Vice President and Executive Editor Kathleen Carroll explains the thinking behind the decision: The Stylebook no longer sanctions the term “illegal immigrant” or the use of “illegal” to describe a person. Instead, it tells users that “illegal” should describe only an action, such as living in or immigrating to a country illegally. Why did we make the change? The discussions on this topic have been wide-ranging and include many people from many walks of life. (Earlier, they led us to reject descriptions such as “undocumented,” despite ardent support from some quarters, because it is not precise. A person may have plenty of documents, just not the ones required for legal residence.) Those discussions continued even after AP affirmed “illegal immigrant” as the best use, for two reasons. A number of people felt that “illegal immigrant” was the best choice at the time. They also believed the always-evolving English language might soon yield a different choice and we should stay in the conversation. Also, we had in other areas been ridding the Stylebook of labels. The new section on mental health issues argues for using credibly sourced diagnoses instead of labels. Saying someone was “diagnosed with schizophrenia” instead of schizophrenic, for example. And that discussion about labeling people, instead of behavior, led us back to “illegal immigrant” again. We concluded that to be consistent, we needed to change our guidance. So we have. Is this the best way to describe someone in a country without permission? We believe that it is for now. We also believe more evolution is likely down the road. Will the new guidance make it harder for writers? Perhaps just a bit at first. But while labels may be more facile, they are not accurate. I suspect now we will hear from some language lovers who will find other labels in the AP Stylebook. We welcome that engagement. Get in touch at [email protected] or, if you are an AP Stylebook Online subscriber, through the “Ask the Editor” page. Change is a part of AP Style because the English language is constantly evolving, enriched by new words, phrases and uses. Our goal always is to use the most precise and accurate words so that the meaning is clear to any reader anywhere. # The updated entry is being added immediately to the AP Stylebook Online and Manual de Estilo Online de la AP, the new Spanish-language Stylebook. It also will appear in the new print edition and Stylebook Mobile, coming out later in the spring. It reads as follows: illegal immigration Entering or residing in a country in violation of civil or criminal law. Except in direct quotes essential to the story, use illegal only to refer to an action, not a person: illegal immigration, but not illegal immigrant. Acceptable variations include living in or entering a country illegally or without legal permission. Except in direct quotations, do not use the terms illegal alien, an illegal, illegals or undocumented. Do not describe people as violating immigration laws without attribution. Specify wherever possible how someone entered the country illegally and from where. Crossed the border? Overstayed a visa? What nationality? People who were brought into the country as children should not be described as having immigrated illegally. For people granted a temporary right to remain in the U.S. under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, use temporary resident status, with details on the program lower in the story. —- From a Tuesday post on the Minnesota Public Radio (MRP) website: “Today, MPR ran an Associated Press story — Bill: Instate tuition for illegal immigrants — that used the term [‘illegal immigrant’] three times.” UPDATE: New York Times is also reconsidering its use of “illegal immigrant” (nytimes.com) if( class_exists('Add_to_Any_Subscribe_Widget') ) { Add_to_Any_Subscribe_Widget::display(); } ? Comments comments

– From now on, the Associated Press will no longer refer to people living in the country illegally as "illegal immigrants" or "illegals," notes the JimRomenesko blog. The term "illegal immigration" remains in play because, in that case, the word illegal describes an action and not a person, executive editor Kathleen Carroll explains in an AP blog entry. (By the same logic, the AP recently tweaked its style to avoid the term "schizophrenic." Instead, reporters are to write of a person diagnosed with schizophrenia.) The new AP entry: illegal immigration Entering or residing in a country in violation of civil or criminal law. Except in direct quotes essential to the story, use illegal only to refer to an action, not a person: illegal immigration, but not illegal immigrant. Acceptable variations include living in or entering a country illegally or without legal permission. The New York Times continues to use the term "illegal immigrant," but public editor Margaret Sullivan writes that a style revision is coming soon. She doesn't think the newspaper will ban the term outright, but an editor tells her the change will result in "more nuance and options" for reporters.

You are a helpful assistant named xDAN-Agent,excellent in reading and summary. Heres the context you need to read and summary.The Associated Press has been breaking news since 1846. In that time, AP has endeavored to always be accurate, trustworthy and responsive. As news is transmitted in more ways than ever before and in more formats than ever, we remain committed to the highest standards of integrity in all areas of business at AP: from newsgathering to corporate behavior. This blog aims to provide further understanding of AP and transparency in our operations and mission. ||||| Widely Cited The Times is one of the first major news organizations to take a firm stand against a growing and disliked practice. The Times has dismantled its environmental pod and discontinued the Green blog. The public editor looks into a test drive of an electric car that caused a storm. The statistical wizard's offer to wager on the outcome of the presidential race is a bad choice. How does The Times decide which comments to post on NYTimes.com? The public editor gets answers from The Times's online commenting managers. Readers complained to the public editor over The Times's decision to display a photograph of the unconscious ambassador in Libya. Government Secrecy and Bradley Manning Those who reveal classified material are being punished like never before. When the government asks newspapers to keep quiet, the bar should be very high for saying yes. Editors were asked by the C.I.A. to withhold information and did so for months before publishing it online Tuesday night. Scott Shane, a Times national security reporter, was referred to in the government’s prosecution of a former C.I.A. official. Bradley Manning and WikiLeaks are a major story for The Times, so why was the paper so late to cover the soldier’s pretrial hearing? The testimony is riveting and the surrounding issues are newsworthy. Just who is it that the United States is killing with strikes by unmanned aircraft in Yemen and Pakistan? The First Amendment matters for many reasons, some of them not on the world stage. False Balance and Objectivity in Reporting The public editor travels to Harvard’s Shorenstein Center. With audio. Is the concept outdated or even more important in the new media era? The journalistic ideal of impartiality is coming under attack. My column for this week. The public editor speaks with Times editors about how they plan to fact-check the first presidential debate. When opinion appears in news pages, it needs to be labeled and displayed as just that. Whatever the conclusions, whatever the effectiveness, of challenging facts, the idea that we have to debate the necessity of the media doing so strikes me as absurd. Language and Semantics The Times is reconsidering the use of the term "illegal immigrant." An article coyly wrote around a business name that used an unprintable word according to The Times's standards. A crisis in North Africa and a reader’s query bring up crucial distinctions in usage. Families are rightfully upset by some of the early reporting done on the Newtown, Conn., shootings. The research and development team’s Chronicle tool may distract you while you’re waiting for the returns to come in. Unidentified sources make it difficult for readers to know what to believe regarding negotiations between the United States and Iran. The public editor's judgment is not about immigration reform; it's about clarity and accuracy. An activist wants The Times to stop using the term "illegal immigrant" in its reporting. Gender, Race and Ethnicity After criticism on Twitter and elsewhere, the first sentence of an obituary for Yvonne Brill was changed. A front-page article involving the New York Police Department's internal communication could have provided greater context. A headline ignites a discussion about its "undermining" question. News organizations should evaluate the motivations of parents who want to take their child’s story public. Parental approval and the child’s own willingness should rule the day. Readers complained about the absence of people of color in T: The Times Style Magazine. The Times Magazine interviewer offended some high-profile female writers with his questions. Where, after what seemed like women's night on Tuesday at the Democratic National Convention, was the coverage of pay equity, along with gender-economic issues in general? Culture Criticism Michael Kimmelman views architecture in terms of public policy as well as aesthetics. The criticism of a new restaurant in Times Square was delicious, even if the food was not. The critic Pete Wells gave his first “poor” restaurant rating in The Times -- and he did it memorably. Cathy Horyn's work can't please everyone -- but this is ridiculous. ||||| Associated Press rethinks ‘illegal immigrant’ The Associated Press announced this Stylebook change on Tuesday afternoon: AP notice “Illegal immigrant” no more The AP Stylebook today is making some changes in how we describe people living in a country illegally. Senior Vice President and Executive Editor Kathleen Carroll explains the thinking behind the decision: The Stylebook no longer sanctions the term “illegal immigrant” or the use of “illegal” to describe a person. Instead, it tells users that “illegal” should describe only an action, such as living in or immigrating to a country illegally. Why did we make the change? The discussions on this topic have been wide-ranging and include many people from many walks of life. (Earlier, they led us to reject descriptions such as “undocumented,” despite ardent support from some quarters, because it is not precise. A person may have plenty of documents, just not the ones required for legal residence.) Those discussions continued even after AP affirmed “illegal immigrant” as the best use, for two reasons. A number of people felt that “illegal immigrant” was the best choice at the time. They also believed the always-evolving English language might soon yield a different choice and we should stay in the conversation. Also, we had in other areas been ridding the Stylebook of labels. The new section on mental health issues argues for using credibly sourced diagnoses instead of labels. Saying someone was “diagnosed with schizophrenia” instead of schizophrenic, for example. And that discussion about labeling people, instead of behavior, led us back to “illegal immigrant” again. We concluded that to be consistent, we needed to change our guidance. So we have. Is this the best way to describe someone in a country without permission? We believe that it is for now. We also believe more evolution is likely down the road. Will the new guidance make it harder for writers? Perhaps just a bit at first. But while labels may be more facile, they are not accurate. I suspect now we will hear from some language lovers who will find other labels in the AP Stylebook. We welcome that engagement. Get in touch at [email protected] or, if you are an AP Stylebook Online subscriber, through the “Ask the Editor” page. Change is a part of AP Style because the English language is constantly evolving, enriched by new words, phrases and uses. Our goal always is to use the most precise and accurate words so that the meaning is clear to any reader anywhere. # The updated entry is being added immediately to the AP Stylebook Online and Manual de Estilo Online de la AP, the new Spanish-language Stylebook. It also will appear in the new print edition and Stylebook Mobile, coming out later in the spring. It reads as follows: illegal immigration Entering or residing in a country in violation of civil or criminal law. Except in direct quotes essential to the story, use illegal only to refer to an action, not a person: illegal immigration, but not illegal immigrant. Acceptable variations include living in or entering a country illegally or without legal permission. Except in direct quotations, do not use the terms illegal alien, an illegal, illegals or undocumented. Do not describe people as violating immigration laws without attribution. Specify wherever possible how someone entered the country illegally and from where. Crossed the border? Overstayed a visa? What nationality? People who were brought into the country as children should not be described as having immigrated illegally. For people granted a temporary right to remain in the U.S. under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, use temporary resident status, with details on the program lower in the story. —- From a Tuesday post on the Minnesota Public Radio (MRP) website: “Today, MPR ran an Associated Press story — Bill: Instate tuition for illegal immigrants — that used the term [‘illegal immigrant’] three times.” UPDATE: New York Times is also reconsidering its use of “illegal immigrant” (nytimes.com) if( class_exists('Add_to_Any_Subscribe_Widget') ) { Add_to_Any_Subscribe_Widget::display(); } ? Comments comments

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