English Professor Publishes Book of Critical Essays with Slavoj Zizek – Seton Hall University News & Events

Professor Russell Sbriglia (left) and Slavoj Zizek (right), co-authors ofSubject Lessons: Hegel, Lacan, and the Future of Materialism.

Professor Russell Sbriglia has published a new book with internationally renowned academic Slavoj Zizek. Titled Subject Lessons: Hegel, Lacan, and the Future of Materialism, the book, which Sbriglia co-edited with Zizek, assembles the work of a number of scholars at the forefront of philosophical and literary theory, their own included.

Sbriglia is an assistant professor of English and director of Undergraduate Literature Studies at Seton Hall. He is also the editor of the book Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Literature but Were Afraid to Ask Zizek.Slavoj Zizek is the author of more than 50 books. Foreign Policy not only describes him as "a celebrity philosopher," but has also named him one of its "Top 100 Global Thinkers." In addition, The Chronicle of Higher Education has dubbed him "the Elvis of cultural theory," and VICE has proclaimed him "the most dangerous philosopher in the West."

Northwestern University Press, the publisher of Subject Lessons, notes that

the contributors to this volume many of whom stand at the forefront of contemporary Hegel and Lacan scholarship agree with neovitalist thinkers that material reality is ontologically incomplete, in a state of perpetual becoming, yet they do so with one crucial difference: they maintain that this is the case not in spite of but rather because of the subject.

Brown University Professor Joan Copjec, a prominent American Lacanian psychoanalytic theorist, says of Subject Lessons:

A band of new materialists has come after the subject, knives drawn. In what ways do these thinkers differ from materialists past? From each other? What do they mean when they speak of materialism, of objects, or subjects? By confronting these basic questions directly, the essays in this collection cut through the babble of confused debate to offer clear accounts of the issues at stake.

Sbriglia and Zizek are scheduled to appear at a launch party for the book on the evening of Friday, April 24at Labyrinth Books in Princeton, co-sponsored by the English Department of Princeton University.

Zizek will appear on campus at Seton Hall the evening prior onThursday, April 23to present a public talk titled "The Rise of Obscene Masters," and again on the morning of April24to lead a faculty seminar for the College of Arts and Sciences'Center for the Humanities in the Public Sphere (CHIPS) on "The Apocalypse of a Wired Brain."

Video of Slavoj Zizek's prior appearance on campus,"Samuel Beckett as the Writer of Political Abstraction; or, What Can Beckett Tell Us about the Alt-Right and Political Correctness?"

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English Professor Publishes Book of Critical Essays with Slavoj Zizek - Seton Hall University News & Events

Bitcoin, Monero and Zcash Will Still Be Used in the Year 2414 According to Netflix’s Altered Carbon – Bitcoin News

Several cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, monero and zcash were featured on the recently released and highly anticipated second season of Altered Carbon, a cyberpunk Netflix series set about 400 years in the future. A scene from the show clearly depicts a shop where prices are set in crypto, with no fiat in sight.

Also Read: Cryptocurrency Explained on the Latest Episode of The Simpsons

Will the cryptocurrencies of today still be in use in the early 25th century? The creative minds at Netflix seem to think so.

Altered Carbon is a cyberpunk television series featuring off-world mining colonies, extinct space aliens, rogue artificial intelligence agents, mind uploading, digital immortality, corrupt corporate overloads and sword-wielding Yakuza members fighting against gritty bounty hunters armed with laser pistols. To this list of tropes we can now add using crypto assets to facilitate shopping for contraband and other illicit items.

The second season of Altered Carbon was released on Thursday, February 27, 2020, and it stars Anthony Mackie, best known for playing Falcon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The plot takes place approximately 30 years after the first season, which was mainly set in the year 2384, placing the events of the second season in the early 25th century.

The world of Altered Carbon suffers from extreme economic inequality and focuses on the effects that has on society. As such, the need for money is a central driver of events in the show but the characters usually only refer to it as credits and by no other name. However, a scene in the fifth episode of the second season reveals that, at least in some markets, cryptocurrencies are the real medium of exchange in this dark future.

Without giving away any spoilers, you can see that when the hero goes to get some gear from an augments repair shop for a major adventure all the prices in the venue are set in cryptos with the logos of bitcoin, monero, zcash, litecoin and a few others clearly shown. This might have been used to give the place the look and feel of a real life darknet market.

While it is impossible to predict how the economy will look in 400 years, the shows creators are most probably right about the lack of support for current fiat currencies in a future where humanity is spread out across dozens of plants. So if you ever plan to buy a replacement cyborg hand, military-grade clone body or the ability to enhance your senses with wolf DNA on the black market, youd better hold some privacy-enabling cryptos just in case.

Bitcoin has recently returned to appear more frequently on television, beyond the financial news shows where the topic is often in the headlines. In February 2020, for example, animated family sitcom The Simpsons featured an almost two-minute segment explaining how cryptocurrency and blockchain work with the actor who played Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory. In the segment, the animated Parsons tries to prove that he is not a nerd and actually super cool by the fact that he is talking about the subject.

In contrast, some parts of the media often like to employ anti-crypto tropes such as that bitcoin is only used by hackers or criminals. A recent example of this came from an episode of True Life Crime, a new series on MTV, that focused on the story of a $5 million SIM swapping scam. The producers brought on to talk about the incident included Rachel Siegel, a bitcoin advocate and proponent of mass adoption, but cut out all the positive things she had to say about cryptocurrencies.

What do you think about Netflixs Altered Carbon showing cryptocurrencies being used in the year 2400? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Images courtesy of Shutterstock, Netflix, Fair Use.

Verify and track bitcoin cash transactions on our BCH Block Explorer, the best of its kind anywhere in the world. Also, keep up with your holdings, BCH and other coins, on our market charts at Bitcoin.com Markets, another original and free service from Bitcoin.com.

Avi Mizrahi is an economist and entrepreneur who has been covering Bitcoin as a journalist since 2013. He has spoken about the promise of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology at numerous financial conferences around the world, from London to Hong-Kong.

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Bitcoin, Monero and Zcash Will Still Be Used in the Year 2414 According to Netflix's Altered Carbon - Bitcoin News

Britney Spears Posts Cryptic Message About ‘Mind Games’ A Day After Getting Loved Up With Sam Asghari! – The Union Journal

Got something on your mind, Britney Spears??

The pop symbol astonished her Instagram fans on Tuesday by uploading a message condemning those that play mind video games!

Video: Britney Shares The Moment Her Foot Broke

Eyebrows were elevated after Brit shared a photo of message that reviewed:

Mind video games do not make me think you are strange or intriguing. Mind video games do make me think you are a waste of my power, as well as a waste of my time.

Preach, gurl!

But the inquiry is that would certainly risk to play mind video games with Godney!?

Surely, it could not be her ever before helpful guy, Sam Asghari, whom Brit commemorated on her Gram simply a day previously, sharing:

No manner in which male plays mind video games with his lioness! At the very least, we sure wish not!

Maybe Brit was sending out a message to somebody else in her life? Or maybe she was simply passing along Insta- knowledge that reverberated with her.

What do U assume, Perezcious viewers? Ch- ch-check out the message (listed below) as well as speak up in the remarks.

[Image via WENN]

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Britney Spears Posts Cryptic Message About 'Mind Games' A Day After Getting Loved Up With Sam Asghari! - The Union Journal

How to Use LinkedIn: Must-Have Tips for Professional Success – G2

LinkedIn is the worlds leading social platform for business professionals.

Founded in 2002, the social network has grown to over 600 million active users from around the globe. On the site, users are able to highlight their professional experience, network with new and existing business connections, share thought leadership articles, and even apply to jobs. On the other end, employers use the platform to advertise open positions and recruit qualified talent.

If this is your first experience using LinkedIn, youll quickly learn that its very user-friendly and no more difficult to use than other social networks. Refer to this comprehensive guide to find everything you need to do in order to make the most of your LinkedIn profile.

If youre looking for something specific, feel free to skip ahead:Creating a LinkedIn profileHow to edit profile summaryHow to add experienceHow to add skillsUsing LinkedIn connectionsHow to change profile URLHow to post an article on LinkedInLinkedIn profile tipsHow to delete your account

LinkedIns interface is set up very similar to other social media platforms. Users are prompted to create a profile detailing their career experience, education, and any relevant skills or volunteer activities.

Once youre signed up, you are given access to your LinkedIn feed, which is powered by an algorithm that delivers status updates from your connections as well as other content that is deemed useful or relevant. The feed will populate with more content as you connect with more people and grow your network.

Users also have the option to follow high-profile industry influencers such as Oprah, Katie Couric, and Richard Branson.

To create a LinkedIn profile, start by creating an account. Be sure to choose an email that you check frequently, as you want to stay on top of any notifications or connection requests that you receive.

1. Fill out your basic information including your full name and phone number2. Upload a professional photo3. Add your location4. Import your contacts list

Once your account is ready, its time to start building out the rest of your profile. A LinkedIn profile is set up similar to a traditional resume. At the top is your picture with a headline, along with a short summary section.

The summary section of your LinkedIn profile is intended to be very similar to the type of summary that is usually included in a resume.

1. Click the Me icon at the top of the homepage2. Select View Profile3. Click the pencil icon on the right side of the About section4. Fill out summary text and click Save

Source: LinkedIn

Along with your picture and headline, your LinkedIn summary is one of the first things that someone viewing your profile will see. To put your best foot forward, its important to have a summary that is professional and up-to-date.

When it comes to what you say in your summary, its really up to you to decide. Some people choose to recap their work experience, while others prefer to show off their personalities and include a quote or something more creative.

Check out the templates below for some inspiration.

Currently [role] at [company]. Formerly [past role] at [past company]. Interested in [2-3 personal interests]. Lets connect!

This is your standard one-size-fits-all LinkedIn summary. In a few sentences, youve outlined your current and past experience, as well as shared things that youre passionate about. This is the perfect template if you prefer to keep things short and sweet.

Known best for [major accomplishment]. A [role] at [company] looking to [career goal you wish to accomplish].

This template is ideal if you have any major accomplishments youd like to highlight. Although you have the opportunity to do this under your work experience further down on your profile, your summary is an easy way to showcase your greatest achievements front and center.

To use my gifts of [2-3 qualities or skills] to [overarching goal you seek to reach].

A personal mission statement defines who you are as a person and a professional. It outlines the things youre most passionate about and what values are most important to you. If you want to get more personal in your LinkedIn summary, this is the way to do it.

Im a [job position] at [company]. [1-2 sentence description about what your company does, its mission or goals]. [Any additional information about your company and its role in the market]. [Link to company website or careers hub].

Even if youre not looking to make a career move anytime soon, you still want to have a LinkedIn summary that is a strong reflection of who you are as a professional. With this option, you can highlight your current role and the company you work for, as well as advertise any job openings or upcoming events your organization is putting on.

The bulk of your LinkedIn profile will be made up of your experience. In this section, you are prompted to add current and past roles as well as short descriptions of your responsibilities at each position (the latter is optional).

1. Go to your profile by clicking the Me icon at the top of the page and select View Profile2. Scroll down until you see the Experience header and then click the big plus (+) sign3. In the pop-up, enter your company, job title, and other relevant details4. Click Save

Source: LinkedIn

Add any relevant and standout details related to your current and past positions. If you list any accomplishments in your summary, this is your opportunity to elaborate on them.

If youre on the hunt for a new gig, its a good idea to add your formal resume to your LinkedIn profile. Once its uploaded, it will show up at the bottom of the summary section.

1. On the homepage, select View Profile from the dropdown menu under the Me icon2. Click on the pencil icon to edit your profile3. In the pop-up, scroll down and click Upload under media4. Find your resume file and click Save

Source: LinkedIn

By uploading your resume, youre going the extra mile to show potential employers that youre eager to find a new position.

Skills and endorsements live at the very bottom of your LinkedIn profile. If you havent listed any skills on your page yet, this section will not appear on your profile.

Source: LinkedIn

To get started, follow these steps:1. Click the Me icon, followed by View Profile from the drop-down menu2. Select the blue Add profile section to the right side of your name3. Click Skills from the drop-down menu4. Type out which skills you want to add

Source: LinkedIn

Once you do this, a designated skills section will appear towards the bottom of your profile. You can always go back and add or remove skills by scrolling to this section.

Similar to a resume, you want to highlight your most marketable hard and soft skills on your LinkedIn profile. Dont be afraid to get specific when listing your skills this section is your opportunity to make your profile stand out.

These are technical skills that youve earned through education, certifications, or work experience.

Here are some examples of hard skills to list on your LinkedIn profile:

These skills are less related to your technical expertise and more related to your ability to collaborate and work with others. Soft skills are often more difficult to quantify.

Here are some examples of soft skills:

Organization

Be sure to list skills that are an accurate reflection of your abilities as a professional. To make your profile more credible, you can seek out endorsements from your LinkedIn connections. More on that later.

Your LinkedIn network is one the most powerful tools the platform has to offer. Your network is made up of connections or people who you have professional relationships with. This could be current or past coworkers, clients, and even mentors.

The more connections you have, the bigger your network is and the more opportunities you have to be noticed for job openings and show up in LinkedIn search results.

The first step toward growing your network is making connections. To connect with someone, follow these steps:

1. Click My Network at the top of your homepage. A list of possible connections will populate.2. Click on a persons profile that youd like to connect with3. Select Connect to the right of the persons name4. Fill out the pop-up box if you want to add a personal message with your connection request5. Click Done

Source: LinkedIn

Your connection request will be pending until its accepted by the person on the other end. If they accept, you will be notified of your new connection.

LinkedIn gives users the option to follow other users or brands. This is different than a connection in several ways. Using the follow feature allows you to see their posts and articles on your newsfeed, but they wont be able to see yours.

This is useful when following industry influencers that you may not know personally, but you still want to see their content.

One of the major benefits of growing your LinkedIn network is the ability to leverage your connections for endorsements. As previously mentioned, endorsements help boost your credibility since your peers are validating your skills.

A great way to start getting endorsements is by giving them, heres how:

1. Go to your connections profile by searching their name2. Scroll down to the Skills & Endorsements section3. Click the blue plus (+) sign to endorse a skill4. In the pop-up, select a skill level and how youre familiar with your connections skills

Source: LinkedIn

Its important to note that your connection will be notified of the endorsement and will have to accept it before it appears on their profile.

Just like any other social media network, LinkedIn is vulnerable to hosting users that misuse the platform outside of its intended purpose.

Its important to tread with caution and be aware of strangers that try to connect with you. If you suspect a user has bad intentions, it may be best to block them.

Follow these steps to learn how:

1. Go to the users profile2. Click More on the right side of their name3. From the drop-down menu, select Report/Block4. Click Block from the pop-up to confirm your decision

Source: LinkedIn

After a user is blocked, they will no longer be able to see your profile or contact you. If you change your mind down the line, you can always unblock the user.

When you first create your LinkedIn profile, you automatically get assigned a URL. Most of these auto-generated URLs look like a jumbled mix of letters and numbers.

Luckily, LinkedIn makes it easy for users to update and customize profile URLs.

1. Click Me at the top of your homepage, followed by View Profile2. In the top-right corner, select Edit public profile & URL3: Select the pencil icon and type out your desired URL4: Click Save

Source: LinkedIn

All LinkedIn profile URLs follow the same format. Your new URL will look like this: http://www.linkedin.com/in/custom-url-here.

One of LinkedIns less-known features allows users to publish long-form articles right on the platform. This is different than posting a status, which limits you to 1300 characters or less.

Follow these simple step-by-step instructions to post an article on LinkedIn:

1. At the top of your LinkedIn newsfeed, click Write an article on LinkedIn2. Write your article. Be sure to include a headline and any relevant images or videos3. Click Publish

Source: LinkedIn

Once you hit publish, the article will be shared with your network via the newsfeed. Users can like and leave comments on the piece.

The key to using LinkedIn effectively is knowing all of the platforms capabilities and leveraging them to your benefit. Creating a profile that is up-to-date is only scraping the surface of what LinkedIn can do for your career and professional brand.

Check out these tips to take your LinkedIn presence to the next level.

LinkedIn groups are online communities of people who share similar interests or experience. Joining a group is a great way to meet like-minded professionals in your industry, share knowledge, and expand your network.

You dont have to work in a creative industry to see value from adding pictures, videos, or other multimedia files to your summary. One of the easiest ways to make your experience stand out and highlight past projects youve worked on is by adding them directly to your profile.

Whether youre gearing up for an annual performance review or negotiating a final offer at a new company, its important to know your earning potential.

The LinkedIn Salary Insights tool offers wage information based on your role, location, company size, and how much other people in your role (or the position youre applying for) are earning.

Sending direct messages, or InMails, on LinkedIn is a low-pressure way to create deeper connections with your network. Always be sure to send a personalized InMail message if youre requesting to connect with someone outside of your primary network.

Additionally, remember to always keep things professional and format direct messages similar to a work email.

Keeping tabs on trending hashtags is a quick and effective way to stay in-the-know and share insights with others in your industry. To discover hashtags, enter the topic youd like to follow in the search bar. LinkedIn will populate your search results with hashtags that match your query.

LinkedIn is available at no cost; however, the platform does have a paid offering for users who want to unlock extra features and perks. Deciding which LinkedIn Premium plan is right for you will depend on what youre looking to get out of the platform. Popular paid features include access to analytics and a resume builder.

RELATED: If youre not ready to take the plunge into the full paid offering, LinkedIn offers a one-month free trial for users.

If there ever comes a time when you want to delete your LinkedIn account, its very simple to do.

1. Click the Me icon at the top of the homepage. In the drop-down menu, select Settings & Privacy2. Under the Account tab, scroll to Account Management and click Change3. Select a reason for deleting your account4. Enter your password and click Close Account

Source: LinkedIn

Once you close your account, it will be officially inactive and not visible to other users.

While the days of handing out business cards and filling out paper job applications may not be over just yet, more and more people are turning to digital platforms, such as LinkedIn, to job hunt, network, and build their professional brands.

With this guide in your back pocket, youll be a full-fledged LinkedIn guru in no time.

LinkedIn is far more than just a social media platform for job-seekers. Learn how businesses leverage LinkedIn as a marketing tool toadvertise job openings, attract qualified talent, and build brand awareness.

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How to Use LinkedIn: Must-Have Tips for Professional Success - G2

Lauren And Cameron Of ‘Love Is Blind’ Talk Representation In The White World Of Dating Shows – The Union Journal

Dating- based fact tv shows are infamously whitewashed. (See: The whole Bachelor cosmos.) But on Netflixs brand-new hit program Love Is Blind, the legendary, sweeping romance that followers can not quit swooning over has a Black female at its facility.

Lauren Speed, a 32- year-old web content maker from Michigan, and Cameron Hamilton, a 28- year-old information researcher from Maine, fulfilled and dropped in love throughout the dating experiment, in which a team of males and females are taken into husks and delegated speed-date for hrs throughout 10 days. The catch? They can not literally see each various other till theyre involved.

Well, Speed and Hamilton made that dedication, after that fulfilled face to face, and consequently relocated with each other inAtlanta Then, 38 days after their first intro, they made their method down the aisle and in fact claimed I do before a somewhat anxious team of friends and family.

Speed and Hamiltons love astounded visitors, that have actually remained to promote them in the days adhering to the Season 1 ending episode. During a meeting on HuffPosts Here To Make Friends podcast today, the pleased pair claimed they are humbled by and past happy for all the assistance they have actually obtained.

Being in an interracial relationship, I wanted to really just live my life authentically, Speed informed hosts Leigh Blickley and EmmaGray I wanted to talk about, What about our children? Its sad. I mean, we are in 2020, so it really shouldnt be an issue, but its real life.

We had to have these conversations about parenting in a mixed relationship, Hamilton included. Children who are mixed, how theyre going to be treated by society, what are other kids going to say to them at school, and how are we going to parent them when theyre being perceived as Black and are going to have different experiences than me as a white man? That was something that was critical for us to touch on, not because of the show, but because we were about to get married.

Speed additionally recognized just how essential it is for various other females to see a Black female as the lead of a dating program, specifically one that does not fit the mold and mildew of what they have actually pertained to anticipate on their displays.

You dont see a lot of Black women in reality TV being the object of affection or in the forefront or being admired, she claimed. Im a quirky, kind of nerdy Black girl. Kind of awkward, too. So its great because a lot of people are seeing me and I feel like Im representing a thing that wasnt there before.

In this modified meeting, Speed and Hamilton talk all points Love Is Blind, and share their expert point of view on the procedure that brought them per various other.

Cameron and Lauren, just how has it been? Just obtaining every one of this incredible comments and love from individuals that have binge-watched Love Is Blind?

Lauren: Oh male! Its actually incredibly incredible, specifically since for Cameron and I, we took this incredibly seriously. We were both really at risk whichs terrifying, specifically if youre being at risk before the world. So were so recognized that the world not just can relate to our tale and connect, however that they value it.

Were you a little cynical entering into the entire point?

Lauren:Yeah I was most definitely open up to it even if I went to a factor in my dating life where it sort of drawn. Lets be sincere. So I was similar to, what do I need to shed? Go there and fulfill someone excellent? And plus my mommy was sort of placing the stress on me like, Youre getting old, Lauren. I suggest, whats the most awful that can take place.

Cameron: We were cynical, however we entered into it with an open mind. And in the beginning it really felt a little man-made, however I believe when Lauren and I fulfilled each various other and we had this very first preliminary discussion concerning family members, the fact of it struck promptly and afterwards we actually began taking it really seriously.

DAMON DAHLEN/HUFFPOST; GENERATED BY CHRISTY HAVRANEK/HUFFPOST.

Can you describe the framework of the husks and just how much time you in fact obtained with each other to talk? How sometimes each day?

Lauren: So we began with 15 on each side women and men. And the husks resemble these magical reflection chambers, as we such as to call them. So the even more individuals that existed, you obtain much less time dating. But as it trimmed, if you really did not make a link with a person after that, certainly, that was that. But we would certainly have these ranking listings, so you would certainly simply state your leading 5, like out of every one of individuals that you dated they would certainly pair up like, OK, these 2 made a link. Thats just how it will certainly take place. And Cameron was constantly my top.

Cameron: Yeah, we wereNo 1 on each various others listing everyday.

Lauren: But as time took place, we would certainly have longer days, align to 4 hrs. And were speaking about several days a day, so there would certainly be times when we would certainly get on 16- hr days.

What are some discussions that perhaps could not make it right into the story that you want individuals had reached see?

Cameron: Yeah, we spoke about just how we would certainly elevate youngsters with each other and kind of have comparable family members worths. We spoke about spirituality; we spoke about domesticity

Lauren: All right stuff you do not speak about on a very first day.

Honestly, all the important things that I would certainly enjoy to see even more of on fact TELEVISION.

Cameron: It was simply an issue of time, actually. But there was a great deal of intricacy to our partnership that there simply had not been adequate time to reveal it.

When you initially saw each various other, what was that minute like and did anything actually shock you concerning the method you each looked?

Lauren: Well, I was a tense even if Im similar to, OK, this is mosting likely to be my fianc. First off, Im believing, suppose he does not like what I resemble?

Lauren: I suggest, however thats a genuine point. Just cause everybodys preference is various, though. But when I saw him, I was similar to, oh, hes so adorable. He resembles a royal prince. When I state he resembles Prince Charming, to me, essentially thats what I really felt. And it had not been also practically just how he literally looked. It was similar to, man! He has all the top qualities that I desired in my other half. So to me, thats my PrinceCharming Like, just how did you obtain so best? And it was simply unbelievable.

Cameron: Yeah, it was a really unique minute. I seemed like I could not actually also trust my eyes then.

Lauren: Oh yeah. His eyes were straying.

I make sure the sweat was simply putting down. I would certainly be so anxious.

Lauren: Oh yep, he was an accident.

Cameron: Yeah Cause were waiting before those reveal doors to open up for time. It might have been an infinity.

Lauren: I seem like they extended it out 2,000 years. We were waiting.

Cameron: Yeah I was standing there, simply shouting her name. I do not understand why.

Cameron: Well, cause I was mosting likely to, as you saw, re-propose to Lauren since she might see me, so I desired it to be, I do not understand I was simply claiming Lauren MichelleSpeed Lauren Michelle Speed.

Lauren: Oh, Cameron! You never ever informed me that!

Cameron: I never ever informed you that?

Lauren: Thats adorable, infant.

DAMON DAHLEN/HUFFPOST; GENERATED BY CHRISTY HAVRANEK/HUFFPOST.

Now that you men learnt more about each various other in the husks, you fulfilled face to face, youre re-engaged and afterwards youre blended off to a trip. What was the ambiance like that opening night when you men were with each other face to face attempting to find out your link?

Cameron: Like I claimed on the program, it resembled awakening from a desire to a desire and I suggest that appears corny, however it holds true. I actually could not think it. I was attempting to refine it.

Lauren: Yeah We essentially could not maintain our hands off each various other and Im uncomfortable anyhow. So I have actually seen remarks float where individuals resembled, Lauren is so awkward around cameras. No, Im simply uncomfortable, generally. So yeah We have actually developed this link and we have actually spoken, we have actually had all these deep discussions and I currently enjoy you and currently Im satisfying you for the very first time and I have the ability to touch you and scrub your skin and hold your face and consider your eyes. So we were simply head over heels.

And what was the procedure like of in fact incorporating items and relocating right into a home with each other?

Lauren: For me, it was sort of a battle in the beginning. Im not mosting likely to exist, since then in my life I was sort of a hermit. I was independent; I appreciated my very own area. I had my very own company and my dating life had not been actually that great. So I was sort of utilized to being by myself. So needing to relocate with a person I have actually never ever dealt with a guy previously, besides my family members so needing to share a room and simply existing with each various other at all times was something that I needed to obtain utilized to. And Cameron is really caring with that said, which I value, however I needed to find out just how to be, I presume, comfy with sharing that area cause that was various for me. So it was most definitely a change.

Cameron: And I really did not wish to press also difficult for her to relocate and I understood just how much her area actually indicated to her. So it was difficult also since I was actually thrilled for her to relocate, however I really did not, I do not wish to compel anything.

Lauren: You understand, it resembles when youre embeded in your means, cause I remain in my 30 s. So thats sort of where I was. But certainly it exercised penalty. Cameron was incredibly person with me. Hes like, Take your time. Its all good. I know when you need space, let me know. So it was great. We most definitely survived it.

Yeah, I bear in mind when you got on Camerons well, its currently your home, Im presuming

Lauren: Yes it is. Its our home.

But you were outdoors on the deck and you claimed, But can I keep my apartment?

Lauren: Oh yep, I did! Cause that was terrifying to me! Like, delay! I need to remove my area and relocate Like I claimed on the program, thats my haven. Im a loner. I enjoy remaining in my area, having my songs, simply being odd, whatever. And so the idea of that was distressing to me cause I resembled, oh my God, this is a full modification. In a method, I seemed like I was mosting likely to be rooted out despite the fact that thats not always the fact. Its sort of like I was expanding. I had not been being rooted out. But I wound up doing away with my area. Of training course, I maintained it for 3 months after we obtained wed since I still required that. I required that change. I could not simply go chilly turkey. Thats a whole lot for me. And Cameron was incredibly helpful with that said also, so it was excellent.

Cameron: Yeah One point I found out was that when I have the ability to provide her her area, she simply really feels better. And its not like its something that she requires at all times, however I found out that simply providing her that area is just how she charges her batteries, in a manner of speaking. And certainly we, like any type of couple, are constantly constructing our partnership. But that was one point that I needed to find out rather rapidly and Im grateful that I did.

And just how was it with your loved ones when you men resembled, Hey, doing this thing, see you in a while. Might come back engaged?

Lauren: Mostly, individuals were most definitely cynical in the beginning. But I seem like our loved ones count on us and they understand that were both sort of great courts of personality. So they resemble, If you feel like this then lets see what happens. Well, a minimum of my friends and family for certain. They resembled, This is crazy but OK, I support you.

Oh, your moms and dads are my favorites. Papa Speed had me wailing at your wedding celebration.

Lauren: Oh lady, I was also. I can not view that scene with me and my daddy without sobbing each time. If you played it currently, I would certainly begin sobbing even if me and my daddy, we have actually constantly been so close. Im a dads lady, for certain. And so it actually indicated a whole lot to me for him to simply accept this. Like, this is my other half and I understand we fulfilled in a strange method, however him barbecuing Cam, I seem like thats anything that any type of safety daddy would certainly provide for his child.

Cameron: Yeah I would certainly have done the very same.

Lauren: So it was stressful, for certain. But I seem like that is among the flows to your childs companions. You sort of need to go with that.

Yeah Lauren, you left the area [for that conversation], also

Lauren: For sure, they required to have a man-to-man.

Cameron: It was a required one.

So on the day of your wedding celebration, did you both enter into it resembling, Im saying yes?

Lauren: You understand what? For me, it was terrifying. It was a substantial dedication. So its most definitely something that I considered for a very long time. But, generally, I understood. But like I claimed, its a frightening point. So also as I remained in my bridal gown, Im similar to, OK, Lauren, are we actually ready to do this? Cause were chatting long-lasting dedication right here. But at some point I stood up out of my very own head and paid attention to my heart and resembled, yeah! Were not messing this up, lady.

Cameron: It was really quick by a lot of procedures. But you all understand that I was mosting likely to state yes. I believe that was rather clear.

Damon Dahlen/ HuffPost; Produced by Christy Havranek/ HuffPost.

So on our podcast, we speak about numerous fact dating shows, however emphasis largely on The Bachelor. And shows like The Bachelor are sort of infamously extremely white and undoubtedly you men are an interracial pair. You came to be sort of the main romance of this juggernaut fact TELEVISION program. Im questioning if thats something that either of you considered while recording and just how you have actually understood that as the program has actually broadcast and you have actually seen the reaction.

Lauren: Well, for me, it was most definitely something that I understood needed to be attended to. Being in an interracial partnership, we can not simply disregard that since its something thats genuine and we stay in a real life and it is what it is.

So I wished to actually simply live my life authentically. I wished to share my worries. I wished to speak about, What about our children? My close friends and peers, what would certainly they believe? This is brand-new for me. And its depressing, I suggest, we remain in 2020, to make sure that actually should not be a concern, however its reality. You understand what I suggest? So viewing it play out, its incredible, since numerous individuals have actually been touched by our openness in it and just how we were sincere with it and speaking about real-life points and just how it might influence us in our life and our family members.

And a great deal of females are actually satisfied since, like you claimed, you do not see a great deal of Black females in truth TELEVISION, also on dating shows, being the item of love or in the center or being appreciated or, you understand, so a great deal of individuals enjoy and they enjoy that its not as stereotyped catfight, loud. Im a wacky, sort of unpopular Black lady, sort of uncomfortable also. So I believe that its excellent since a great deal of individuals are seeing me and I seem like Im standing for a point that had not been there prior to. So Im actually satisfied of that.

What are your ideas on that particular, Cameron?

Cameron: For me, the major emphasis after we obtained involved was concentrating on our partnership exercising. The recording element of it, certainly, it exists, however I understood that these are discussions that we require to have if were mosting likely to have an effective marital relationship when every little thing all this things vanishes, the recording and all that. Were still mosting likely to be wed and were mosting likely to have youngsters and we require to see to it that theyre looked after on the planet and our family members at huge.

So we needed to have these discussions concerning parenting in a combined partnership, youngsters that are blended, just how theyre mosting likely to be dealt with by culture, what are various other youngsters mosting likely to state to them at institution and just how are we mosting likely to moms and dad them when they being regarded as black and are mosting likely to have various experiences than me as a white male? So that was something that was important for us to discuss, not as a result of the program, however since we will obtain wed

Lauren: Thats reality.

No, definitely. I believe, equally as visitors, it was something that was amazing to view in fact be attended to because, once more, a great deal of these shows it seems like shot to exist in this world where, there is no race, there are no political sights.

Lauren: Right, and its really genuine!

So just how lives been considering that recording? Did you need to invest 18 months staying clear of uploading images of each various other on Instagram?

Lauren: We did! Trying to conceal our rings and photos. It was in fact nuts. Of training course, our close friends and family understood, however I needed to maintain my marital relationship a trick from several of my affiliates, my institution close friends. And that was hard. No uploading photos, no vacation things. Had to resemble I was by myself. Just article home plate, not the family members: Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Cameron: It was irritating cause you wish to share, specifically when you remain in a satisfied partnership, you wish to have the ability to share that, specifically in our day and age. We could not, and needing to sort of feign being solitary or what have you, I suggest it was simply irritating when youre gladly wed and you wish to be open concerning it and speak about it. That was such an essential experience for us in several means.

DAMON DAHLEN/HUFFPOST; GENERATED BY CHRISTY HAVRANEK/HUFFPOST. .

I can not also picture since despite The Bachelor, it resembles 3 to 4 months of privacy. That feels like a very long time.

Cameron: It was sort of the day-to-day psychological fight. Cause we really did not understand precisely when it was mosting likely to appear and we attempted not to think of it. I believe Lauren did a far better work than I did of managing it.

Lauren: Cause if we would certainly have come to be consumed with it, it simply would certainly have been excruciating. So I was similar to, OK, allows simply take this time around to concentrate on you and me and reinforce our partnership, which method if it does appear or when it appears, a minimum of well be solid.

So we did see the get-together, and I simply require to understand what was experiencing both of your heads when Amber pursued Jessica? You appeared like you wished to creep out of your skin.

Lauren: Right! I sort of did! I can not conceal my face, men. My face is so reactionary. So when she claimed that, I was similar to, Oh, do they have security? Cause it might be about to go down. Now its similar to, They better not come over here and hit me by mistake. But do you understand what? I saw Ambers face while when Jessica was chatting and I resembled, if she claims one incorrect point, Amber will go off. So it was sort of like, oh! When she claimed, You sheisty whatever, I resembled, OK, right here we go.

Cameron: I assumed it was mosting likely to be a truly lengthy day afterwards, however it was excellent to see everybody.

Lauren: I believe a great deal of individuals obtained a great deal of closure that they required from a great deal of individuals and obtained their sensations out, so

Cameron: People had some points to air.

Well, you remained in this experiment and you understand just how tiring maybe. But after that a person like Jessica has actually obtained a lots of objection. Awful, like, hate.

Lauren: Yeah Its misbehaved. Bullying.

I discover it unjust, however do you men really feel by doing this, also? To see a person that you belonged of a cast with sort of need to endure a little bit greater than others.

Lauren: Its incredibly regrettable, specifically since getting on a program such as this, you need to be at risk and also if youre attempting to live your fact, like if whatever Jessica did or claimed, with any luck that was her fact in the minute. And the truth that she exposed that and however the general public responds adversely. I might picture that might be painful. Whatever development she needed to go with in that procedure or whatever she carried out in that time, thats sort of painful. Like, male, I was simply claiming just how I really felt or doing this and currently Im being tortured for it. So its regrettable, however thats fact TELEVISION. You open your life to viewpoint and you never ever understand if its mosting likely to be great or poor.

Theres constantly a person prepared to take that objection also much.

Cameron: Just to couple it rather with what Lauren claimed, the susceptability was so high, bench that you needed to go to take part in properly. To fulfill a person and succumb to them. You needed to place everything around. Anyone thats paying attention, care versus evaluating individuals for this. Although we have actually yapped concerning it, its difficult to actually understand what the husks resembled and the entire experience generally. So, yeah.

We additionally found out that Gi and Damian are dating still, which is really amazing. A great spin.

Do you men socialize with them? Have you seen their partnership expand or

Lauren: Cameron is close with Damian.

Cameron: Yeah, I speak with Damian regular and I believe they have actually been dealing with it for time. They have a really one-of-a-kind partnership, Ill state. And Im not mosting likely to make believe like I understand the much deeper operations of it.

Lauren: Hey, if it helps y all, after that go all out.

Cameron: I actually wish they can function it out which they are functioning it out currently.

Lauren: I wish they enjoy.

Cameron: Yeah, I believe thats the main point as we simply desire them to be pleased. However it exercises.

Originally posted here:

Lauren And Cameron Of 'Love Is Blind' Talk Representation In The White World Of Dating Shows - The Union Journal

Man fills bathtub and toilet with Orbeez, pranking himself – The A.V. Club

Screenshot: Cyril Schreiner (YouTube)

Orbeez, the latest toy that kids are obsessed with, are tiny, multicolored polymer beads that expand like crazy when put into water. Obviously, because theyre meant to appeal to a childs mind, plenty of adults have also discovered that theyre perfect for doing dumb shit with on the internet. Amidst the unexpected, full-blown genre of video that involves putting lots of Orbeez places and uploading the results to social media, a guy in France named Cyril Schreiner has managed to stand out by destroying his bathroomand, he claims, his neighborhoods sewage systemwith them.

@yuqheis tweeted the chain of events with English commentary, beginning with a clip of Schreiner trying to figure out how to dispose of a bathtub filled with Orbeez after making a video with them. He pulls the plug to drain them, causing his toilet and sink to overflow with what looks like clown vomit. An attempt to vacuum up the mess causes his vacuum to break so he tries to use salt to clear the drains.

Geysers of raw sewage then begin to shoot out of the sink, but Schreiner keeps the footage going, showing himself crying and heading outside to find mounds of shit-covered beads collecting outside of manhole covers and into drainage ditches. This last clip ends with him receiving a letter from city hall that the Orbeez have damaged his entire neighborhoods sewers and that police are looking for the people responsible.

Another update shows Schreiner talking to a local official, trying to hide his crimes. He tapes the conversation, captioning it, appropriately enough, Listen, Im in shit!!

This is all, in all likelihood, fake. But, fake when it comes to filling a bathroom with tiny, slippery beads that expand when exposed to water doesnt mean all that much. A parents guide to Orbeez, for example, cautions: Never pour or flush [the beads] down the drain. As a result of their growth in water, the beads can clog pipes and even lead to bursting pipes. Even if Schreiner staged everythingwhich is probable, especially considering that his social channels are comprised mostly of joke videoshe still has to clean out an enormous mess that involves scooping out toilets and finding multicolored balls in every corner of his home for months to come. In short: Yeah, this whole thing is probably a prank, but its the kind of prank thats way more of a pain in the ass for the guy behind it than anyone watching his videos.

[via Digg]

Send Great Job, Internet tips to gji@theonion.com

Originally posted here:

Man fills bathtub and toilet with Orbeez, pranking himself - The A.V. Club

Is there a Reason to use Promotion Tools on Apple Music? – The African Exponent

Sleepless creative nights have borne fruit - you have on your hands the first track with a cool name and a shimmering horizon of possibilities. And then you get stuck: what to do next? You just need to find a place to be on Apple Music, Spotify, etc. Do not be lazy, upload your music to streaming services, and spend some time on Apple Music promotion services. Indeed, at any moment you can be shazammed" and found - be available to your potential listener!

When it comes to promoting their work, musicians are often not very creative. As a rule, all that comes to their mind is to organize a concert. This is not bad, but you can do so much better, no need in old tricks. Various promoting services will help you to become popular on Apple Music.

Getting into the main top-chart is a real chance for you, as an artist, to announce the directors of major radio stations and television channels about your track, album or video. Being at the top of Apple Music, you attract the millionth audience to your track. Do you know that 50 million people have already issued a paid subscription to the music streaming service? This was announced by Apple's top manager Tim Cook.

The future lies in the services, so Apple spares no effort in promoting and improving Apple Music. Although its charm is not that you can endlessly listen to verses that are familiar to your music, but constantly find something new. In any case, people love Apple Music precisely for such things, the services will tell you what to listen to, because everyone gets tired of running the same familiar tracks. That`s where you enter the stage.

But what to do in your case? How to promote? After uploading a track to the Internet, its really worth trying one of the many services for Apple Music promotion. After that, the song will appear in tops, popular playlists, and recommendations. New subscribers will want to not only listen to your music but also follow your creative life. To fill their needs, create accounts in all key social networks and provide subscribers with products of your creativity. Find own group of people, who will be interested in your music, and try to promote your music through them. Roughly speaking, try to get into the format: in the black metal community, nobody will appreciate your romantic lyrics.

In the field of the dynamic development of the Apple Music service, it becomes the main chart of the country where are no paid places. Apple Music is the most incorruptible service, but help isn`t corruption, right? I am sure that there will always be a place for such talent as you are.

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Is there a Reason to use Promotion Tools on Apple Music? - The African Exponent

Hollyoaks’ Stephanie Davis hospitalised with chest infection – digitalspy.com

Hollyoaks actress Stephanie Davis has been hospitalised with a chest infection.

Uploading a video onto her Instagram account, the 26-year-old informed her followers about the recent health scare, which is why she's been inactive on social media.

"The reason why I've not been about is because I've not been well," she began. "I've not wanted to post about it, or say anything. I didn't want anyone to worry because I'm alright now."

Related: Hollyoaks star Stephanie Davis opens up about high-functioning autism diagnosis

Stephanie continued: "I have been in for over a week. But I feel like I have turned a corner so I just wanted to come on.

"Sorry about the way I look... I've just been really run down for a long time, obviously since my relapse last year, and obviously when I tried to... and everything. I just haven't looked after myself for a long time, my chest, everything like that."

Last month, the soap star bravely opened up about a previous suicide attempt in an emotional statement.

"To feel like your life isn't worth something is the worst feeling I've ever experienced in my life, total despair and helplessness that I wouldn't wish on anyone," she wrote.

"And then I just got rapidly worse, I just gave up, I fought so hard to carry on to try, but I couldn't see a way out."

Adding that she was "in a really good place right now", she urged anyone experiencing a period of mental ill health to reach out, saying: "If it's not OK it's not the end. We can and will fight this together."

Hollyoaks airs Mondays through Fridays at 6.30pm on Channel 4, with first-look episodes airing on E4 at 7pm.

We would encourage anyone who identifies with the topics raised in this article to reach out. Organisations who can offer support include Samaritans on 116 123 (www.samaritans.org) or Mind on 0300 123 3393 (www.mind.org.uk). Readers in the US are encouraged to visit mentalhealth.gov or the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

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Read more news, spoilers and gossip on our Hollyoaks homepage

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Hollyoaks' Stephanie Davis hospitalised with chest infection - digitalspy.com

The 7 types of electronic music producer: which are you? – MusicRadar

Spend any amount of time in electronic music-making circles online or in real life and youll quickly realise that all producers can be neatly pigeon-holed into a mere seven categories.

Heres our guide to all of them, featuring extremely scientific analysis of their vital stats, distinguishing features, and habits.

DAW: FL StudioLocation: EverywhereAge: The entirety of Gen Z

Armed only with zero understanding of music production and a laptop recently stolen from a homeless person, Trap Kid knows the only way to avoid being eaten alive by rampant late-stage capitalism is to make a beat that catapults them to super-star status.

A mere three hours after beginning their production odyssey, the Trap Kid will start making their own tutorial content.

Naturally, the highly-motivated Trap Kid is eager to learn, and has two basic questions they need answered: Why cant I get my 808s in tune? and Where can I download synth plugins for free?

A mere three hours after beginning their production odyssey, the Trap Kid will start making their own tutorial content, and after a few weeks will be making no less than thirteen beats per day on top of their three day jobs.

While its easy and fun to deride the Trap Kid, they are the only category of producer whose music is capable of bringing genuine joy to another human being.

Good luck Trap Kid, youll need it!

DAW: N/ALocation: SuburbiaAge: A cool 45

DAWless and, indeed, wifeless, Mid-life Synth Crisis Mans newly single status means he has plenty of time and money to devote to a new passion: synthesizer hardware.

He may generate his hefty disposable income working in the marketing department of a company that develops facial recognition systems for pre-schools, but Mid-life Synth Crisis Man has the soul of an artist: theres nowhere hed rather be than surrounded by an array of music-making hardware and houseplants, jamming out another lengthy ambient drone session.

When you spend all day staring at Excel spreadsheets, the last thing you want to do is look at a computer screen in the evening, meaning Mid-life Synth Crisis Man has never seen or heard of Audacity. As such, he has only ever recorded his $60,000s worth of synth hardware on his phone, which only adds to his lo-fi/hi-cost aesthetic.

DAW: RenoiseLocation: EuropeAge: 30+

Although fully aware of the availability of proper DAWs, 90s throwback Trackerman doesnt have time for their accessibility, attractive design and array of convenient features. Preferring instead to stare at an indecipherable alphanumeric stream like something out of The flippin Matrix, Trackerman creates his intricate breakcore Amen edits by fluttering his fingers over a computer keyboard in the manner of a cyborg.

Trackerman creates his intricate breakcore Amen edits by fluttering his fingers over a computer keyboard in the manner of a cyborg.

Whats fascinating about Trackerman is his duality: hes intelligent enough to wield a piece of software that looks as if its designed to be operated by gifted robots, yet is dumb enough to keep using it.

Hearing this savants presumably astounding music is a tantalising prospect, but he isnt about to reveal his subversive activities to any shadowy extra-governmental agencies so doesnt have a SoundCloud.

DAW: Zoom H4nLocation: Southeast AsiaAge: Quarter-life crisis

Almost certainly running from something dreadful in their past, the City Ambience Uploader is permanently living in far-flung metropolises and has no kit, though they certainly seem to have an awful lot of time on their hands judging by their regular 50GB+ sample pack drops.

If youve ever needed an atmospheric urban soundscape then youre in luck, buddy, because City Ambience Uploader will be uploading comprehensive recordings of every street vendor in Chiang Mai every fortnight for the next 23 years. That is unless they manage to get some gear together, in which case theyll start uploading bumper volumes of Sad Guitar Loops instead.

DAW: ArdourLocation: The imaginationAge: N/A

Theres probably some kind of music software available on open-source operating system Linux, but no one really has any concrete proof of this because theres zero recorded evidence of anyone using the OS to make music.

Sure, you spoke to an Autechre fan at a party once who told you about Linux legitimacy as a music-making platform, and who argued that it offered some kind of vague advantage over mainstream operating systems, but did they play you any of their music? Of course not, because it never existed.

This archetype poses us with something of a koan: If someone has a laptop full of music-making software that theyve tuned to perfection, but has never actually made anything with it, are they still a producer?

We would apologise to any Linux Producers reading this, but bearing in mind the Schrodinger's Cat-style uncertainty over their existence, it feels like a waste of time.

DAW: ReaperLocation: ReaperAge: Reaper

Ask almost any question related to music production online and you can be sure that, before too long, a helpful Reaper zealot will pop up and strongly suggest trying out their favourite DAW.

So why not give it a go? Its free, after all, except not really, though in the inevitable event you dont make any money from your musical endeavours, you can get a cheaper license.

Whats more it has a low resource footprint, can be run from a USB drive, its cross-platform with an (of course) experimental build available for Linux, its super-customisable, and developer Cockos is always putting out updates and listening to community feedback, etc, etc, etc.

Sure, its all very enticing, but the thing the Reaper Evangelist doesnt realise is that not everyone wants or needs that much DAW power, especially not our final type of producer...

DAW: GarageBandLocation: Anywhere there are MacBooksAge: 20s

Proof the neurotypical can produce too, The Normie is a singer-songwriter who just wants to record their songs without having to get a computer science degree, and thanks to GarageBand, the only thing standing in their way is their inability to grasp what an audio interface is.

The owner of a USB microphone, The Normies musical aspirations are advanced by modern music-making softwares accessibility, and theyre happy to use compressor plugins that feature only thee knobs, blissfully unaware how or or even why anyone would use anything more complicated.

The Normie has more social media followers than you by several orders of magnitude thanks to their human face, and as such, their music will be listened to by actual people rather than the same old collection of three bots.

That said, theyll never make a physically-modelled accordion in Reaktor, so you can safely continue to consider them your inferior.

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The 7 types of electronic music producer: which are you? - MusicRadar

UK Home and Away Spoilers – Alf Proposes to Martha! – Back to the Bay

Theres a little bit of light in the wake of the weeks tragedies, when Alf (Ray Meagher) decides to propose to ex-wife Martha (Belinda Giblin)!

With the news of Mason (Orpheus Pledger) and Robbos (Jake Ryan) deaths shaking the community, Alf, Martha and Roo (Georgie Parker) reflect on how life is too short for holding back.

Martha tells Alf that if shed realised that years ago, before faking her death, their lives would have been very different.

This gives Alf food for thought, and later on at the candlelit vigil that hes organised on the beach, Alf realises its time to seize the day.

Alf has recently seen more and more of the woman he fell in love with all those years ago, and now he decides to propose. But expressing his feelings in that area is difficult for him, Ray told New Idea magazine. Hes definitely not a salesman of his own feelings!

As they sit together and reflect on their relationship, Alf asks the question, which leaves Martha stunned.

He casually drops it on Martha as if asking her to go to a restaurant, Ray continued in TV Week. It floors her.

Unimpressed, Martha heads home, and the next day theres clearly tension between the couple, which doesnt go unnoticed by Roo.

As Martha reveals what happened the night before, Roo is elated, until realising that Martha didnt actually answer Alfs question.

As far as Alf is concerned, thats a resounding No if ever there was one.

Alf tries to apologise for the circumstances by saying it wasnt exactly planned, but Martha says thats just the point.

Martha later confides in Roo that shes worried Alfs proposal was just a spur of the moment decision, caused by the emotion of everything that was going onthe news of Robbo and Mason, together with Leah being missing.

Shes worried that Alf will change his mind once all the chaos dies down.

Roo relays this to a grumpy Alf, and they return to the house where Roo gives them some space.

Alf explains to Martha that she was right, his proposal was brought on by the devastation that was surrounding them, but only because of his realisation that he needed to live for the moment.

Hed been planning to propose for months, but was too afraid to do so.

After a heartfelt speech, Alf gets down on one knee and delivers the proposal that Martha deserves. Martha tearfully replies that she would be honoured to marry him.

The second proposal is ever so romantic, Belinda told New Idea. They have both been through such a journey, and theyre both more than ready for it.

Alf s thrilled, Ray added. He realised he really wanted to be with Martha, and if he had to change his ways for that to happen, hed do so.

Sealing the deal with a kiss, Alf tells an overwhelmed Roo to come out from her hiding spot and the trio celebrate with champagne.

It wouldnt be a Stewart family occasion without some drama though, and that arrives when Ryder comes home sporting a shiner, having been hit by newcomer Nikau (Kawakawa Fox-Reo) when he tried to warn him to not get involved Jade (Mia Morrissey).

Ryder and Roo agreed to not let on to Alf and Martha about the charges hes facing, following Jades false allegations about him uploading their sex tape.

But Ryder now has no choice when hes forced to explain to his grandfather how he got into a fight.

Alf and Martha are stunned by Ryders revelation, but both vow to support him any way they can.

So when will the wedding of the year take place? Well, we wont have too long to wait.!

Heres a full rundown and video slideshow of this weeks episode spoilers:

Monday 9th March 2020 Season PremiereColby and Dean go rogue to try and save the hostages. Can Robbo convince Scott to spare his life and save Jasmine?

Tuesday 10th MarchHeartache and grief overwhelm the community in the aftermath of the hospital siege. Marilyn is traumatised after witnessing Masons murder. Robbo is rushed into surgery.

Wednesday 11th MarchJasmines world comes crashing down when Colby gives her devastating news. Alfs attempt to create a moment of joy with Martha backfires. Colby does his best to honour Robbos dying wish.

Thursday 12th MarchRoo helps Alf and Martha through their miscommunication. Ryders attempts to warn Nikau about Jade fail. Maggie looks to help others anyway she can.

Friday 13th MarchMarilyn attempts to cover her trauma and focus on helping the Paratas. Toris heartbroken when Justin shares more bad news. The Stewarts rally around Ryder to support him in his case against Jade. Alf and Martha have exciting news.

Excerpt from:

UK Home and Away Spoilers - Alf Proposes to Martha! - Back to the Bay

Trump launches an urgent fight to save his ticket to reelection – POLITICO

And theyre watching a flood of announcements from multinational U.S. companies signaling trouble that could strangle the American economy for months to come.

The frenzied push to boost the economy is colliding with Republican orthodoxy opposing short-term stimulus during the last recession. But its a reflection of what some Republicans recognize as an existential threat to Trumps reelection: a potential downturn in the economy and financial markets in the run-up to a close and heated presidential election.

I dont think its good policy, one senior administration official said. The whole litany of temporary measures to stimulate the economy ... I dont think it works.

During a meeting with lawmakers last week, Republican Sen. Steve Daines of Montana suggested to Trump the idea of a temporary payroll tax cut to give employed consumers additional cash an idea that Daines said Trump liked enough to then champion on Twitter.

Meanwhile, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is pushing the idea of a one-time tax credit for companies that bring manufacturing back to the U.S. from China.

And Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said his agency would talk to independent bank regulators about easing rules for lenders. Mnuchin also said Treasury had set up a subtask force to examine how coronavirus is hitting small businesses.

The flurry of discussion comes as the White House struggles to settle on the best public health and economic response to the fast-traveling coronavirus of which there are now 77 cases in the U.S. throughout 14 states and cities and nine deaths.

The spread of the virus inside Italy, Iran, South Korea and the U.S. last week spooked investors and triggered the stock markets worst weekly decline since 2008. Now it threatens to disrupt a wide range of U.S. businesses such as manufacturers, airlines, automakers and the hospitality industry that either rely on China for materials or labor, or that are dependent on consumer confidence to maintain a robust bottom line.

The White House plans to meet with airline executives on Wednesday amid growing concerns about international air travel.

The widening worries across the U.S. are already spurring flight cancellations, school closures and unusual moves to corporate headquarters to encourage employees to work from home.

If we have rational behavior, we dont need a stimulus, said one Republican close to the administration. If you cant leave your house, or if kids cant go to school and the parents cant go to work, what good is a payroll tax cut? Its not like you can go out and buy stuff.

Trump himself told reporters on Tuesday that he would go along with a payroll tax cut as well as middle-class tax cuts, if Democrats would approve them. I think it would be a good time, he said.

Amid the frenzied backdrop, the Fed voted Tuesday to slash interest rates by half a percentage point, an emergency move intended to protect the U.S. economy from damage. The rate cut marked the first time the central bank has lowered interest rates outside of a regularly scheduled meeting since the 2008 global financial crisis.

The former chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, Kevin Hassett, is advising the White House on economic stimulus measures, said a second Republican close to the administration, while the National Economic Council held a meeting on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the coronavirus.

A second senior administration official stressed the White House has not made any decisions yet on a potential package, saying aides were still looking over the data to see if they needed to act.

When asked about a potential stimulus package on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, Mnuchin said, I dont really think thats the right question. This is an evolving situation where were meeting daily on this. Were looking at things.

If the coronavirus keeps up its path throughout the U.S., sectors like airlines, cruise ships and large conferences and events are likely to see business plunge and seek federal bailouts, similar to the billions of dollars farmers received last year to offset the aftermath of the trade war, Bruce Mehlman, a longtime Republican lobbyist said in his quarterly analysis on Washington politics.

Additional billions for emergency response and recovery costs are likely, if needed (as with natural disasters, regional costs are often borne by federal taxpayers), Mehlman wrote, calling a $7 billion to $8 billion emergency package imminent.

Some people are saying we should treat this like any other disaster, like after Hurricane Katrina. That will depend on how much it spreads and what it does to the economy, said former Republican Sen. Trent Lott, who now represents automakers and airlines as part of his practice at the firm Squire Patton Boggs. I dont think we are there yet. Congress is just trying to pass emergency funding now to benefit the CDC.

Claudia Sahm, director of macroeconomic policy at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, said the administration should first target stimulus measures toward individuals who are most economically vulnerable to the virus.

The individuals who become ill, who are quarantined, who are not able to go to work theres a nontrivial number of workers that if they do not show up to work for two weeks, they lose their job, said Sahm, a former Fed economist. She pointed out that a payroll tax cut wouldnt benefit those people.

Ideally, she said, the government would target discrete areas where the outbreak is concentrated, as the government does in a disaster declaration, and direct money toward those households, for example, to help them make their mortgage and auto payments.

It could get much worse for the economy as a whole, she added. Then, only then, do I think the conversation should shift to broad-based fiscal stimulus, like sending out checks.

The White House faces the unenviable challenge now of appearing calm in the face of a spreading virus, while also seeming responsive to volatile markets and an economy under pressure.

Several White House officials have expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of short-term stimulus measures even as outside allies and lawmakers push their own specific ideas.

I would say this is no different than any other severe situation. This is going to have an impact in the short term on the economy, Mnuchin told the House Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday.

Its very different than the financial crisis, he added. The good news here is there will be an end in sight. This will have an impact on the economy, but I have confidence in our health professionals that they will develop both viral medical treatments and vaccines, so this will have a time period."

Sarah Ferris, Marianne Levine, Theo Meyer, Zachary Warmbrodt and Caitlin Oprysko contributed to this report.

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Trump launches an urgent fight to save his ticket to reelection - POLITICO

Donald Trumps toolkit – The Economist

Mar 7th 2020

WASHINGTON, DC

AMERICAS GOVERNMENT, as all its citizens learn at school, comprises three branches: executive, legislative and judicial. At the top of the executive branch sits the actual executivethe president. But the branch also includes an array of agencies, both the departments represented in the cabinet, and othersincluding the National Security Council and the Council of Economic Advisersthat make up the Executive Office of the President (EOP). These agencies advise on and implement presidential policy. Most of the EOP gets repopulated with a change in administration, as it should: new presidents have new policy agendas, which require new personnel.

The exception to that rule is the EOPs biggest office: the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Most of its 500-odd employees are career civil servants who take pride in providing nonpartisan advice to presidents of both parties. In 1921 Charles Dawes, the first head of the OMBs predecessor agency, the Bureau of the Budget, explained that if Congress passed a law that garbage should be put on the White House steps, it would be our regrettable duty, as a bureau, in an impartial, nonpolitical and nonpartisan way, to advise the executive and Congress as to how the largest amount of garbage could be spread in the most expeditious and economical manner. Russell Vought, the OMBs acting director, calls his office the presidents Swiss army knife. It has been central to Donald Trumps efforts to loosen environmental regulations and to cut budgets. It also played a role in the Ukraine scandal.

When Congress refused to appropriate adequate funds for Mr Trumps border wall, OMB found it. When the government shut down in 2018-19, the OMB found ways for the Internal Revenue Service to send out tax refunds, and for the Department of Agriculture to provide food stamps. The OMBs job is to understand the mechanics of federal-government operations, and explain to the president and his staff how to get things done. Its titular head is Mick Mulvaney, who is also the presidents chief of staff, but Mr Vought, a former Hill staffer and vice-president of Heritage Action, a conservative policy-advocacy group, has operational control.

The OMB staff often have backgrounds in law or public policy, and tend to like their work: for the past five years, the OMB has ranked in the top quartile of small federal agencies in the Partnership for Public Services Best Places to Work in the Federal Government survey. (It had dipped early in the Obama administration; Peter Orszag, Mr Obamas first OMB director, was widely disliked.) One senior official in a previous administration praised the offices civil servants: I thought they were just so good, so knowledgeable. They were stubbornish about making clear what they thought, but they also did a lot of, Well, if you want to do that stupid thing, heres how you do it.

As the B in the offices name suggests, one of OMBs chief duties is to write the presidents annual budget, in consultation with agencies from across the federal government. Because Congress, not the executive, appropriates funds, the presidents budget is an expression of wishes, not an allocation of funds. To translate the presidents policy priorities into budgetary terms, the OMBs Resource Management Offices (RMOs), organised by broad oversight areas, weigh competing interests from different parts of government. For the Trump administration, that meant proposing a 27% cut in the funding of the Environmental Protection Agency and a 21% cut in the State Department this year.

Another duty, as the M suggests, is managerial. Once a budget passesor, as has grown increasingly common, there is a continuing resolution, that merely keeps current funding levels constantthe OMB advises and evaluates agency performance. The OMB also oversees a range of federal functions, including procurement, IT, personnel and financial management.

Within the OMB sits the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). OIRA reviews agencies proposed regulatory changes, ensuring that benefits outweigh costs, and, for new regulations, that agencies have fully considered non-regulatory alternatives to achieve their stated goals.

OIRA has been central to Mr Trumps deregulatory effort. Just days after his inauguration, the president issued an executive order requiring two regulations to be repealed for every new one introduced. In October his administration estimated that it had actually cut eight and a half regulations for every new one. Some take issue with how Mr Trumps OIRA conducts cost-benefit analysis of these regulations. Richard Revesz of NYU Law School argues that in its deregulatory zeal, the Trump administration has made a mockery of cost-benefit analysis [by] weighing broader indirect costs [of regulation], and insisting on ignoring any indirect benefits. In delaying Obama-era environmental regulations, for instance, he argues that the administration has ignored or downplayed unquantified benefits, such as long-term improvements to air and water quality, while overstating the costs of compliance to industry.

In its keenness to deregulate, OIRA has sometimes got in its own way. According to the Institute for Policy Integrity, a think-tank, the administration has won just five of the 71 court challenges it has faced over deregulation and other agency policy.

Although Mr Vought says morale at the OMB remains healthy, one recently retired veteran demurs. Career staff were asked [] give us options to do X. They would lay out a range of options, including ones they thought would be extreme enough to be a non-starter, and usually they chose the non-starter. The department has also become unusually high-profile for the wrong reasons: it was the OMBs associate director for national security programmes, Michael Duffey, who told the Pentagon that there was clear direction from POTUS to continue to hold military aid to Ukraine.

In January the Government Accountability Office (GAO), a non-partisan auditor, found that this action violated federal law. Mr Vought disputes that: he believes that the OMB had the right to delay funding, and that the GAOs analysis stems partly from partisan animus (the GAO answers to Congress rather than the president). He also notes that the White House has delayed other tranches of foreign aid, such as to Pakistan and Gaza, over policy concerns.

When not getting rid of regulations and holding up military aid to allies, the OMB has been doing the sort of good-government things it might have done under any administration, streamlining the federal grantmaking process or implementing a law which encourages government to use data better when drafting policy. Another ex-employee says he is impressed with peoples ability to continue to do their job even when the interest in a fair process isnt being respected by the leadership of the administration. Which is about as pejorative as a retired civil servant can be.

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Donald Trumps toolkit - The Economist

Exclusive: Trump to host Kim Kardashian West at the White House to discuss criminal justice reform – USA TODAY

President Trump granted clemency to Alice Marie Johnson, a 63-year-old woman sentenced to life in prison. The move comes a week after Trump met with Kim Kardashian West, who became involved in Johnsons case after viewing a viral video last year.

WASHINGTON PresidentDonald Trump will host Kim Kardashian Westat the White House on Wednesday to draw attention to criminal justice reform through star power and to meet three women whose prison sentences he recently commuted.

West has become an advocate for criminal justice issues and has worked closely with the White House on the issue. West's visit was confirmed by two officials who spoke to USA TODAY on the condition of anonymity because the meeting has not yet been made public.

West will be accompanied by newly freed ex-prisoners Tynice Nichole Hall, Crystal Munoz, and Judith Negron.

West is a friend of Ivanka Trump, who introduced her to her husband and presidential senior adviser Jared Kushner.Together, they worked on obtaining a commutation for Alice Johnson, who in turn brought other cases to the White Houses attention. Johnson will also attendWednesdays meeting with Trump, Kardashian, and the three former inmates.

Kardashian,a businesswoman and reality television star, spoke at a White House event in June. She pushed for the commutation of Johnsons prison sentence that Trump granted in 2018. At that time, Johnson was a 63-year-old great-grandmother serving a life sentence for a first drug offense.

Trump announced a wave of commutations and pardons last month, including for former Illinois Gov. RodBlagojevich and former New York City police commissioner Bernard Kerik. Trump has also often touted the "First Step Act," developed by Kushner anda bipartisan group of lawmakers, to improve rehabilitation programs for former prisoners.

Trump signed that law in late 2018.

More: Who got pardoned, who got shorter prison sentences under Trump's clemency?

Hall of Texas served nearly 14 years of an 18-year sentence for allowing her apartment to be used to distribute drugs.Munoz, of Odessa, Texas, spent the past 12 years in prison after she was convicted for her role in a marijuana smuggling ring.Negron, the owner of a Miami-area mental health company, was sentenced in 2011 to 35 years in prison for orchestrating a $205 million Medicare fraud scheme.

Contributing: John Fritze

President Donald Trump and Kim Kardashian(Photo: AP)

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Exclusive: Trump to host Kim Kardashian West at the White House to discuss criminal justice reform - USA TODAY

Donald Trump Just Shot Himself in the Foot With His New York Times Lawsuit – CCN.com

Donald Trump just fired a warning shot at the fake news media hes long criticized. Trump is suing both the New York Times and the Washington Post for allegedly printing untrue information about his impeachment proceedings.

By bringing these lawsuits, Trump has surprisingly left himself vulnerable to prosecution for other legal matters.

Two women have filed defamation lawsuits against Donald Trump. Jean E. Carroll and Summer Zervos have accused the President of making forceful sexual advances toward them well before he ran for office. The women both say when they later told their stories, Trump lied and defamed them publicly.

Summer Zervos case against the President has been delayed after Trump argued that the U.S. Constitution says that state cases of this nature cant proceed while hes in office. But if he can proceed with his own case against the New York Times, he might open the door for his accusers to proceed against him.

Trump and his legal team are using the same argument to delay the Carroll case. But this week, Jean E. Carrolls legal team prepared for battle, armed with the fact that Trump himself is suing for defamation. That hypocrisy could make it difficult for Donald Trumps lawyers to prove that Carrolls case should be delayed.

As Carrolls lawyer Roberta Kaplan put it,

The president shouldnt be able to pick and choose which cases he wants to do while president and which cases he doesnt want to do.

There are likely many reasons that Trump doesnt want to see these defamation cases against him to move forward. If he did sexually assault Carroll or Zervos and it can be proven, Trump could find himself in another impeachment mess.

Back in the 90s President Bill Clinton was in a similar situation when he denied having a sexual encounter with Monica Lewinski. After the affair had been proven, Clinton was impeached for perjury.

If guilty, Trump faces a similar dilemma. Donald Trumps testimony in the Carroll case is likely to match what hes been saying all along that he doesnt know her. But that could be difficult to prove if the dress that Carroll wore on the day of their encounter contains Donald Trumps DNA.

Last year, Carroll dropped a bombshell saying she still had the dress she was wearing when Trump allegedly assaulted her. She also claims it hasnt been washed. The dress was processed as evidence and male DNA discovered. Her legal team requested a sample of Trumps DNA for comparison but Trump moved to delay the case until hes out of office.

To be sure, theres a long road ahead for Carroll even if the New York Times lawsuit paves the way for the case to move forward. But Donald Trumps pride could be his undoing if his own defamation cases set a precedent for his accusers.

Theres some question as to whether Trumps NYT suit could also impact the delayed Summer Zervos case. Both Zervos and Trump will need to submit their arguments to the court by May 11.

If Carroll is successful in using Trumps current suits to push her own case forward, Zervos may be able to rely on the same logic. Either way, Trump may not be able to escape unscathed.

This article was edited by Aaron Weaver.

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Donald Trump Just Shot Himself in the Foot With His New York Times Lawsuit - CCN.com

On Afghanistan, I Have to Say This: Bravo, Donald Trump – The Intercept

Bravo, Donald Trump.

I never imagined I would ever write these three words. It pains me, in fact, to see them on the page.

But credit where credit is due. Over the weekend, at the Sheraton hotel in Doha, Qatar, the Trump administration was able to achieve in its first term what the Bush and Obama administrations were either unable or unwilling to do over two terms each: Sign a peace deal with the Taliban.

Officially entitled Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan, this three-part, four-page document guarantees a timeline of 14 months for the complete withdrawal of all U.S. and NATO troops from Afghanistan; a Taliban pledge that Afghan soil will not be used against the security of the United States and its allies; the launch of intra-Afghan negotiations by March 10; and a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire.

No peace deal is perfect, and the Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan is no exception to that rule. But it is the beginning of a much-delayed diplomatic process to bring an end to Americas longest and most unpopular war. Trump tried and failed to do it in 2019. In 2020, he may have succeeded.

Dont get me wrong: I have no doubt that if Barack Obama had signed such a deal with the Taliban, he would have been pilloried by the same Republican politicians and Fox News pundits now cheering Trumps agreement. Obama, for example, was scorned and slammed for releasing five Taliban detainees in exchange for a captured U.S. soldier, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, in 2014; Trump, on the other hand, has agreed to the release of an astonishing 5,000 Taliban prisoners.

I am also aware that Trump has never been consistent on Afghanistan, nor does he give a damn about ordinary Afghans. He has cut U.S. aid to the country; bragged about dropping the mother of all bombs on it; pardoned two U.S. army officers accused of committing war crimes in Afghanistan; and casually and repeatedly discussed killing millions of Afghans, including in his speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday. Last year, according to the U.N., there were more than 10,000 civilian casualties in Afghanistan, with around a quarter of them killed or wounded by the U.S. military and its allies. Their blood is on Trumps hands in the same way that the blood of thousands of Afghan civilians killed and injured between January 2009 and January 2017 is on Obamas.

For far too long, Iraq was the bad war and Afghanistan the good war. Yet there was nothing good about the decision to invade and occupy Afghanistan. None of the 19 hijackers were Afghans. The 9/11 plot was hatched in Hamburg, Germany, not Kabul or Kandahar. Yes, there were Al Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan but the Taliban, lest we forget, had agreed to hand over Osama bin Laden to a third country, on the condition that the United States provided some evidence of his guilt. The Bush administration refused.

Nevertheless, in September 2001, there was massive support across the political spectrum for attacking the Taliban in Afghanistan. The vast majority of Americans backed Bushs decision to invade and believed it would end in victory. So did the New York Times editorial board. The only member of Congress to oppose the conflict was the indomitable Rep. Barbara Lee, who warned of the danger of embarking on an open-ended war with neither an exit strategy nor a focused target.

Nearly two decades later, it is difficult to overstate what a catastrophic disaster this particular open-ended war has been both for the American and Afghan peoples. Where to begin? Some 2,400 American soldiers killed and more than 20,000 wounded. More than 58,000 Afghan security forces killed. More than 100,000 Afghan civilian casualties. More than half the population below the poverty line. More than $2 trillion spent. A quadrupling in opium production. Endemic corruption. War crimes. The cover-up of child sexual abuse. The rise of ISIS in Afghanistan. The list goes on.

Today, the Taliban control or contest nearly half the countrys districts which, according to data from the Pentagon, is more territory than at any point since 2001. Meanwhile, five months after the Afghan presidential election, the official winner Ashraf Ghani is still trying to form a government while his main rival Abdullah Abdullah has declared himself the victor, crying fraud and treason in the process.

It wasnt only the Iraq invasion that was defined by official deceit and dishonesty. As a damning investigation by the Washington Post, based on leaked government documents, revealed in December 2019, senior U.S. officials failed to tell the truth about the war in Afghanistan throughout the 18-year campaign, making rosy pronouncements they knew to be false and hiding unmistakable evidence the war had become unwinnable.

Those who now line up to criticize or condemn Trump for trying to end this unwinnable war have yet to grapple with the shocking revelations contained in these Afghanistan Papers. Trump, of course, isnt interested in peace or the truth. The U.S. president craves a photo op with Taliban leaders and knows that he also needs a diplomatic win. Above all else, he hopes to use a U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan to bolster his prospects for reelection in November.

But guess what? Sometimes bad people do the right thing for the wrong reasons. Yes, Trump is an awful president and an even more awful person. But just as only Nixon could go to China, perhaps only Trump could do this historic deal with the Taliban.

As political scientist Barnett Rubin, who has advised both the U.S. State Department and the United Nations on Afghanistan, told me, no rational, conventional, predictable U.S. politician would take the political risks needed to negotiate seriously with the Taliban.

Will a deal between the two sides hold? Can either Trump or the Taliban be trusted to stick to the terms of the agreement? Does it give away too much to the insurgents, in return for too little? Maybe. The bigger question, according to International Crisis Group President Robert Malley, is:Whats the alternative?

The fact that the Taliban got so much out of the deal is not, primarily, a result of anything the Trump administration did, Malley told me. It is because, after two decades, the U.S. has failed to win an unwinnable war.

For Malley, who was a senior foreign policy adviser to Obama, it would have been far preferable if a deal had been reached years ago, when the Taliban were in a weaker position but it would be far worse if a deal were not reached now, based on the illusory belief that, somehow, the Taliban will be in a weaker position tomorrow.

As with Iran and the nuclear agreement, though, there are plenty of hawks in Washington, D.C., who still want to hold out for a better deal in Afghanistan.

Theyre deluded.

For a deal to work, it requires agreement on all sides. A better deal that one side rejects is not a deal at all, but a dream of a better world, said Rubin. We all have such dreams, but eventually we have to wake up.

Unless, he added, we are dead.

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On Afghanistan, I Have to Say This: Bravo, Donald Trump - The Intercept

Trump says he will block U.S. funds to ‘sanctuary’ jurisdictions – Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Thursday said he would withhold money from so-called sanctuary jurisdictions after a U.S. court ruled that his administration could block federal law enforcement funds to states and cities that do not cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the National Association of Counties' 2020 Legislative Conference in Washington, U.S., March 3, 2020. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

The Republican president, who is seeking re-election in the Nov. 3 election, has taken a hardline stance toward legal and illegal immigration. His battle against Democratic-led sanctuary jurisdictions focuses on laws and policies that limit local law enforcement cooperation with federal U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials.

Cities and states that oppose such cooperation say it can discourage immigrants from coming forward to report crimes to law enforcement because of fears about their immigration status.

Since the beginning of his administration Trump has tried to slash specific law enforcement grants to places that dont comply with ICE requests for information, but his efforts have been challenged in court.

On Feb. 26, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan ruled in favor of the administration and said the funding cuts were valid. But three other federal appeals courts have ruled against blocking such funds, setting up a possible appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Trump in a tweet said it would move forward with the cuts.

As per recent Federal Court ruling, the Federal Government will be withholding funds from Sanctuary Cities. They should change their status and go non-Sanctuary. Do not protect criminals! Trump tweeted on Thursday, although he gave no other details.

One such sanctuary policy opposed by the administration is a refusal by local jails to hold immigrants in the country illegally in detention beyond their scheduled release times so ICE officials can pick them up and process them for deportation.

Some officials in non-cooperative jurisdictions argue the requests are voluntary and honoring such detainer requests means holding people without a constitutionally valid reason.

The 2nd Circuit overturned a lower court ruling directing the release of federal funds to New York City and the states of New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Virginia and Washington.

Three federal appeals courts in Chicago, Philadelphia and San Francisco have upheld injunctions barring enforcement of at least some of the administrations conditions on the funds.

In addition to the funding threats, the administration is now opening up new fronts in the battle against the cities, filing lawsuits and issuing subpoenas in what Attorney General William Barr called part of a significant escalation in the fight against uncooperative jurisdictions.

Reporting by Susan Heavey in Washington D.C. and Mica Rosenberg in New York; Editing by Will Dunham and Chizu Nomiyama

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Trump says he will block U.S. funds to 'sanctuary' jurisdictions - Reuters

GOP scramble is on to succeed Donald Trump in 2024 – POLITICO

Pence, meanwhile, took time out from overseeing the administrations response to the coronavirus outbreak to address the conference Thursday afternoon.

It is no accident that CPAC has become a stomping ground for those with presidential ambitions: Many believe the confab helped to catapult Trump to the White House. The New York businessman first started attending the event in 2011, long before he was taken seriously as a presidential candidate. Trump became a regular, bringing a large entourage and a celebrity aura that over time helped turn him into a conservative favorite.

Trump was just the latest in a long line of Republican figures who made presidential forays at CPAC. Then-California Governor Ronald Reagan made his first appearance at the conference in 1974, and as president more than a decade later, he would remark that returning to the conference was an opportunity to dance with the one that brung ya.

Andy Surabian, a Republican strategist who worked on Trumps 2016 campaign, said the conference gives potential future candidates a rare opportunity to make a lasting impression on the GOP base.

Just ask President Donald Trump, Surabian added.

When Trump first started showing up at the conference, it seemed like a novelty act," said Seat, the former George W. Bush aide. But here we are. Hes not Mr. Trump. Hes President Donald J. Trump and it started here at CPAC.

The early 2024 activity hasnt been limited to CPAC. Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton is set to headline a New Hampshire political dinner in May. Pence has made several trips to South Carolina over the past year, even though the state has scrapped its 2020 Republican presidential primary and wont have another one until 2024.

And before last months Iowa caucuses, Florida Sen. Rick Scott raised eyebrows when he ran an unusual face-to-camera TV ad in the state in which he savaged Joe Biden and defended Trump.

Matt Mowers, a Republican congressional candidate from New Hampshire making the rounds at CPAC, said hes been in touch with some potential 2024 contenders. He said he wouldnt be surprised if early-state activity ramps up soon after the 2020 election.

Mowers, a longtime operative in the state who for a time served in the Trump administration, said his advice to would-be candidates is to focus on the presidents reelection first.

But he added: Its never too early to make friends.

Former Michigan Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, a conservative radio show host who waged a short-lived 2012 White House bid, offered a word of caution for those making the 2024 rounds. You dont want to look too eager while a sitting president is still running for reelection, he said.

The former congressman recalled some advice he once heard from a friend.

If youre gonna campaign, he said, dont look like youre campaigning.

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GOP scramble is on to succeed Donald Trump in 2024 - POLITICO

Trump Waited a Whole Week Before Blaming the Coronavirus on Obama – Vanity Fair

In a life filled with uncertainty, there are a few things we can always count on. One, that death spares no one. Two, that Jared and Ivanka will find a way to profit off of their government positions while maintaining they sacrificed everything to join the administration. And three, that when backed into a corner thanks to his own incompetence, greed, or history of undiagnosed traumatic brain injuries, Donald Trump will find a way to pin the blame on Barack Obama, even if the issue is, like, the DVR not recording Hannity or orange streaks on the White House bath towels because he was too impatient to let the self-tanner dry. (Previous, real-life examples have included blaming Obama for: the temperature in the Oval Office; his decision to rehire Mike Flynn, who Obama fired and warned him about; anti-Trump protests; and building a non-existent wall.)

Not surprisingly, today Trump managed to finger the 44th president of the United States for...the botched coronavirus response. Speaking to reporters alongside Mike Jesus will sort this out Pence one week after his big press conference on the matter, Trump claimed that the insane lack of testing of Americans presenting symptoms of the deadly disease is actually the fault of a guy who left office more than three years ago. The Obama administration made a decision on testing that turned out to be very detrimental to what were doing, and we undid that decision a few days ago so that the testing can take place at a much more accurate and rapid fashion, Trump said, before giving himself kudos for supposedly righting the supposed wrong. That was a decision we disagreed with. I dont think we would have made it, but for some reason it was made. But weve undone that decision.

Only, as critics were quick to point out, it was the Trump administration that wiped out the National Security Councils global health security unit created to counter pandemics, as well as its counterpart within the Department of Homeland Security. And appointed a paranoid pharma executive to run the Department of Health and Human Services, who reportedly failed to coordinate an effective response due to distrust of his own aides and a desire not to offend the president. And told officials not to do or say anything re: the virus that would spook the markets, including, apparently, telling the truth or devising a plan of action that doesnt sound like it was drawn up by Don Jr. and Eric from their super secret clubhouse with the NO GIRLS ALLOWED sign.

To be fair, when he wasnt blaming everything on Obama. Trump spent Wednesdaya day in which the U.S. coronavirus death count reached 11 people with at least 149 known cases nationallytotally focused on protecting Americans and taking the situation unusually seriously, by which I mean he devoted the morning and early afternoon to attacking Mike Bloomberg.

Clearly theres nothing to be concerned about with this guy on the case.

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Trump Waited a Whole Week Before Blaming the Coronavirus on Obama - Vanity Fair

Donald Trump tweets about Jeff Sessions runoff: This is what happens – AL.com

The president said former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions did not have wisdom or courage hours after voters determined Sessions will likely compete in a runoff for his old Senate seat.

Sessions will likely have to compete against former Auburn University head football coach Tommy Tuberville for the seat. With 96.93% of precincts counted, Tuberville narrowly led with 32.24% percent of the vote, compared to Sessions 31.15%. Neither man was near the 50% needed to avoid a runoff.

U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne was in third place, with 26.76% of the vote. Former Alabama State Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore, the Republican nominee during the 2017 special Senate election, held onto just 6.98%.

President Donald Trump tweeted early Wednesday morning about the race. "This is what happens to someone who loyally gets appointed Attorney General of the United States & then doesnt have the wisdom or courage to stare down & end the phony Russia Witch Hunt," he tweeted. "Recuses himself on FIRST DAY in office, and the Mueller Scam begins!"

Trump attached a tweet from Politico about the likely runoff.

Tuesday night, Trump retweeted the results of the race.

Sessions served as Alabamas junior senator for 20 years before resigning in 2017 to become the countrys 84th Attorney General under Trump. Tuberville, who coached the Tigers from 1999 to 2008, spoke during his election night speech about Sessions strained relationship with Trump.

And I know somebody that knows how to win in overtime, the former coach said. Were going to finish what President Trump started when he looked at Jeff Sessions from across the table and said, Youre fired."

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Donald Trump tweets about Jeff Sessions runoff: This is what happens - AL.com

Head of World Health Organization Praises Donald Trump For Tapping Pence to Lead Coronavirus Response – Newsweek

In this country, President Donald Trump has been criticized for tapping Vice President Mike Pence to lead the Coronavirus Task Force, but the designation and his involvement in the response to the outbreak have earned him praise from the World Health Organization (WHO).

"These are the approaches we are saying are the right ones, and these are the approaches we are saying are going to mobilize the whole government," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Thursday.

America has started to see community transmission of the virus in Washington state's King County, and cases in the U.S. rose to 148 on Thursday, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The virus has killed at least 11 people in the U.S., contributed to stock market plunges and made some people skeptical of traveling or attending social gatherings.

Under pressure to appoint a coronavirus czar, Trump in January created the Coronavirus Task Force, an advisory panel made up of various government officials, to manage America's response to the virus. He later put Pence at the task force's helm, a move that drew ire from those who question the vice president's past decisions and his ability to handle the current outbreak.

Ghebreyesus, however, said every country needs to escalate a coordinated response's leadership to the highest level of government, because the virus is going to "touch everything" in the country. If it's affecting politics, social fabrics and the economy, "no sector is immune," he said, and a quality response requires every aspect of government to be involved.

"Take it to a higher level. This is not just up to the ministry of health only," Ghebreyesus said. "That can be done by any country on earth."

Through the work of the entire government, members of society can be mobilized to take responsibility for their actions and help prevent the virus from spreading, according to Ghebreyesus. If individuals join the response effort, "we can push back on the virus, we can be successful in the containment strategy."

During a press conference Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she expressed concerns to Pence about his position, citing his response to the 2015 HIV/AIDS outbreak when he was governor of Indiana. Critics said Pence's delay in authorizing a needle exchange program allowed the virus to spread.

The vice president addressed that criticism during a briefing on Saturday, telling reporters that he permitted the needle exchange once the CDC made the recommendation. Seemingly trying to ease concerns, Pence named Debbie Birx, an internationally recognized HIV/AIDS expert, as the coronavirus response coordinator. The Joint United Nations Program on HIV and AIDS praised the decision as a "wise one."

Pence has since announced the addition of eight members to the task force: Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson, Commissioner of Food and Drugs Stephen Hahn, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Kelvin Droegemeier, Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, Surgeon General Jerome Adams, Director of the National Economic Council Larry Kudlow, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie and Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Seema Verma. This brings the total number of members, including Pence, to 22.

Besides applauding the U.S., Ghebreyesus praised Chilean President Sebastin Piera, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lfven and Chinese President Xi Jinping for taking leadership roles in responding to the outbreak.

"No government, no country has an excuse, because each and every country has a government," Ghebreyesus said.

Continued here:

Head of World Health Organization Praises Donald Trump For Tapping Pence to Lead Coronavirus Response - Newsweek