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Stars react to Donald Trump’s State of the Union address – Fox News

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Danzig

President Donald Trump has declared that "the state of our union is stronger than ever before."

Among those who tuned in to watch the annual update from the president were celebrities like Bette Middler,Sarah Silverman and Chuck Woolery.

As Trump, 73, discussed unemployment, the economy and more, those stars and more offered their opinions online.

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"Where does he get the stats from? Stephen Miller?" tweeted Midler, 74. "He lies so much, why should we believe him tonight or ever? He THREW PEOPLE OFF food stamps, and didnt 'lift'people off welfare, he kicked them out to join the homeless."

"The horror is the point The cruelty is the feature," said actor John Cusack. "...Trump is literally lauding himself for kicking 7 million people off of food stamps and millions more off of welfare. Hes proud that struggling families are struggling more. The GOP applauded him. SMH."

"He literally has no idea what he's saying," said Natasha Rothwell.

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Rosie O'Donnell chimed in, saying "oh my god where is the lie counter?"

"So many black folks for the #SOTU," wrote actor Jeffrey Wright."So few for positions of power."

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"Right now is the perfect time to watch Little America, an anthology show based on true stories of immigrants to America, on@AppleTV Plus," wrote Kumail Nanjiani.

Rob Reiner, often a critic of Trump, wrote: "Only one thing to say about Rush Limbaugh getting a Presidential Medal [of] Freedom at The State of the Union: I loathe this f--king man."

Wanda Sykes said that she's avoiding the address this year, saying, "That j----ss is not going to ruin my #TacoTuesday."

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Silverman, 49, simply said: "fearmongering pig."

While many were in opposition, some stars did throw their support behind Trump.

"Democrats are seething as Trump introduces and lifts up and recognizes achievements of one Black person after another," tweeted Woolery, 78.

Actor Robert Davi joined in on the conversation, saying, "GREAT NEW LAW BY@POTUS@realDonaldTrump PROTECTING LAW ABIDING CITIZENS AGAINST THE CRIMINALS IN SANCTUARY CITIES LIKE SOME IN CA - here that STINKY NEWSOM@GavinNewsom."

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"The Devil Went Down to Georgia" singer Charlie Daniels wrote online: "Dont think Nancy much liked the State of the Union speech tonight, she ripped up the copy the president gave her. The truth hurts, dont it Ms Speaker????"

Kaya Jones, who was once a member of the Pussycat Dolls, wrote, "Best President ever! #DonaldTrump."

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Stars react to Donald Trump's State of the Union address - Fox News

Donald Trump Jr. is headed to Juneau for a hunting trip and you could join him – KTOO

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Danzig

Donald Trump Jr. at a campaign rally at Iowa State University, Nov. 1, 2016. (Creative Commons photo by Max Goldberg)

Donald Trump Jr. and his son will be embarking on a weeklong hunt for Sitka black-tailed deer and ducks in Southeast Alaska and a spot to join them is being auctioned off to the highest bidder.

For one Juneau-based guide, its a way to teach his guests about the importance of the Tongass National Forest at a crucial time.

Keegan McCarthy owns Coastal Alaska Adventures, a business that guides visitors on yacht-based hunts.

Hes also developing a new program that will help kids learn the subsistence values he grew up with. A big part of that revolves around Sitka black-tailed deer.

Thats what my family subsided on, he said. Growing up in Juneau, all we ate was Sitka black-tailed deer, and still do to this day. Thats what my family eats. So (I am) sharing that message and the importance of that resource with the young hunters.

McCarthy is well-connected in the guided hunt scene. In fact, he spoke on a cell phone where hes attending the Safari Club International convention in Reno, Nevada.

McCarthy is auctioning off the Alaska hunt there and online. Itll help fund his new youth program.

And he tapped a famous acquaintance to come along: Donald Trump Jr.

As a hunter, I do personally believe that his morals and ethics are excellent in the hunting world, McCarthy said.

Trump has been criticized by the Humane Society for his hunting practices. Photos of him posing next to a dead elephant in 2012 caused a stir among animal rights groups.

But McCarthy stresses Trump is conservation-minded. And the deer on this hunt arent being shot for just trophies. The meat will be served on board the yacht, taken home or donated.

You know, like farm to table type concepts, McCarthy said. We stress the importance of how we eat what we harvest.

But McCarthy has another thing he wants to teach Donald Trump Jr. and his guests about a subsistence lifestyle in Southeast Alaska: He thinks its largely dependent on protecting habitat in the Tongass National Forest.

McCarthy is outspoken in his opposition to changes to the Roadless Rule in the Tongass, which could increase logging. The Trump administration has been pushing for that.

But McCarthy said its not a secret that he would like to see an end to massive timber sales in the national forest. Hes spoken to Trump about it before, and that conversation will continue when he visits in November.

Hopefully, if anything, we can bend a sympathetic ear towards getting somebody potentially as influential as he is out there to really see what were doing, McCarthy said. And see how important the Tongass National Forest is. So I do think this can be beneficial if done right.

As of Friday, the auction was going for around $18,000. It closes on Saturday the final day of the Safari Club International convention.

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Donald Trump Jr. is headed to Juneau for a hunting trip and you could join him - KTOO

Opinion: Thanks to their impeachment meltdown, Democrats have made Trump stronger – Courier Journal

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Danzig

Scott Jennings, Opinion contributor Published 11:56 a.m. ET Feb. 3, 2020

DES MOINES, IowaFor a long time, I didnt understand this recurring image in my twitter feed Sesame Streets Elmo, a panicked look on his face and arms raised above his head while standing in front of a wall of flames. I guess because Elmo doesnt have eyelids he necessarily looks panicked all the time, but the inferno definitely adds to the vibe.

But now I get it.

When it became clear last week that Senate Republicans had heard enough and there would be no further witnesses in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump (further, because, despite what you heard, there were 18 witnesses and nearly 30,000 documents presented by the House managers), the panic among the Trump-obsessed began to manifest itself on social media, cable televisionand the floor of the U.S. Senate.

It was not pretty.

Trump is now functionally a king! The 2020 election is already stolen! Every future president will invite other countries to rig our elections! If John Bolton (who, amusingly, was one of the biggest boogeymen to the American left until he became their new hood ornament) isnt allowed to testify, then the Constitution is meaningless! Trump and his lawyers are like Stalin, Hitlerand Mussolini!

And so on and so forth.

Adult humans, many paid to help us find deeper meaning in our politics, morphed before our eyes into Inferno Elmo, arms up and ready to burn.

The Great American Impeachment Meltdown of 2020 followed the Great American Mueller Meltdown of 2019, which followed the Great American Kavanaugh Meltdown of 2018, which followed the Great American Inaugural Meltdown of 2017, which followed the Great American Election Meltdown of 2016.

Im not sure which puddle is deeper what I found on the streets of Des Moines during the Iowa Caucus as the snow gave way to unseasonably warm temperatures, or what the American Left has become after three years of Trumps presidency.

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We live in the greatest country the world has ever known, with the most durable and genius governmental framework ever devised by man. Our economy is humming. We are blessed with work (there are more jobs available than people who want them). Our ancestors struggled against the Nazis; we struggle to choose which emotional support iguana to take on our next vacation.

For Americans looking to leap from the nearest tall building over Trumps acquittal, please back away from the ledge. There is absolutely nothing wrong with American democracy. In fact, it is pretty darn healthy.

In 2018, we had the highest voter turnout for a midterm election in 100 years. This Novembers presidential election turnout will likely top 65%, with millions of additional people participating over four years ago.

In other words, things are fine. They were fine. Nobody is stealing this election, and nobody stole the last one. We will pick the next American president right on schedule after a free, fairand vigorous contest. Trump will win. Or he wont. And the world keeps spinning no matter what.

Opinion: If McConnell wasn't in lockstep with Trump, there might be justice in the Senate

If you hate Trump, heres some advice: Stop worrying about Ukraine and instead worry that impeachment actually helped him. The latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll found more Americans oppose Trumps removal (49% to 46%) than prefer it, and that the presidents political standing has strengthened in recent months, due largely to a more energized Republican Party base.

Trumps strongly approve number hit the highest mark of his presidency, he improved among independent voters, and gained ground against the leading Democratic candidates. The latest Associated Press national survey found that Democrats are nervous wrecks and Republican excitement has grown.

Essentially, impeachment was for people who already hated Trump while the rest of America either yawned or moved in his direction. Democrats setting their hair or Elmos fur on fire trying to beat Trump should rethink their strategy.

Conservatives and independents who were soft on Trump in 2016 tell me over and over that they still dont love the guys style but that Democratic antics during primary debates and the impeachment trial have driven them closer to the president than they ever thought possible. The people I know arent attracted to socialism or fatalism or perpetual outrage. They just want to live their lives, go to work, raise their kids and not be overly taxed, blamedor shamed for it.

And therein lies the strategic problem for Democrats. Acting like Inferno Elmo is simply incongruous with how most Americans feel about their country. And prescribing socialist solutions for a capitalist nation enjoying historic prosperity doesnt jibe with the mood of America, either.

Scott Jennings is a Republican adviser, CNN political contributor, and partner at RunSwitch Public Relations. He can be reached atScott@RunSwitchPR.comor on Twitter@ScottJenningsKY.

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Opinion: Thanks to their impeachment meltdown, Democrats have made Trump stronger - Courier Journal

Why Donald Trump Is On A Winning Streak – The National Interest Online

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Danzig

With the impeachment trial over,Donald Trump is going right back to his favorite postureon the attack. It began with his remarks at the National Prayer breakfast bashing Nancy Pelosi and Mitt Romney for what he deemed phony religious sentiments. This was followed by a victory celebration Thursday before leading Republicans at the White House, where he lauded Rep. Devin Nunes, called his opponents evil, referred to dirty cops, and emphasized the importance of firing former FBI director James B. Comey. Next, he stated Friday that the House impeachment verdict must be expunged as it was a total hoax. Lt. Col. Alexander S. Vindman, who testified against him, is being transferred from the National Security Council to the Pentagon, where he will presumably toil in some backwater. Im not happy with him, Trump declared in what must qualify as the understatement of the decade. Trump is also apparently considering dumping acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney overboard and replacing him with Rep. Mark Meadows.

Trump does not suffer from the turbulence around him. He thrives on it. The same cannot be said for the Democrats. We are losing our damn minds, James Carville, the former strategist for Bill Clinton, announced on MSNBC. He had a point. The Iowa primary, which was supposed to serve as a launching pad for the next Democratic presidential candidate, turned into a mess as a faulty app failed to transfer reliable results to state party headquarters. Turnout was low and the precise actual results may never be known (Tom Perez, the head of the Democratic National Committee, is urging a recount) though Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg appear to be in a tie for state delegates. The voting snafu has exacerbated divisions between the party establishment and the progressive wing of the party. Sanders followers are claiming that the establishment is either incompetent or tried to rig the results. Either way, Trump and the GOP could only gloat over the fiasco.

Trump himself is on winning streak. On Friday Trump got some good news from a federal appeals court in Washington. It unanimously dismissed a lawsuit filed by Democratic lawmakers that sought to prevent his businesses from receiving funds from foreign governments. Trump tweeted, Another win just in. Nervous Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats in Congress sued me, thrown out. This one unanimous, in the D.C. Circuit. Witch Hunt! Whether Trump really needs these foreign monies is an open question; a Washington Post article indicates that he is turning a good profit by charging the Secret Service exorbitant rates, up to $650 a night at some of his properties after claiming, at odds with the statement of Eric Trump to Yahoo Finance that If my father travels, they stay at our properties for free meaning, like, cost for housekeeping.

The Democrats have a chance to start turning around their fortunes in the debate Friday night in New Hampshireif everyone doesnt fall asleep by the time its over. Scheduled to last for up to three hours at St. Anselm College, it will turn into a snoozefest if the candidates continue to indulge in academic debates about the intricacies of healthcare rather than offering an actual vision for America. The Democrats, more often than not, seem to resemble Talleyrands remark about the BourbonsThey had learned nothing and forgotten nothing. It will be critical for Joe Biden, who has shaken up his campaign staff, putting veteran strategist Anita Dunn in charge, to have a stronger showing in New Hampshire or he will be a dead man walking.

For now, however, the Democrats continue to campaign in the shadow of Trump who effortlessly commands the spotlight. As Charlie Mahtesian notes in Politico, Trump has fundamentally redrawn the electoral map for 2020: Its something short of a historic realignment, but more than just a hiccup. Trump has thrown the battleground state map into flux, and punctured long-held shibboleths about the potential paths to the White House. Add in the Gallup poll showing Trump at a 49 percent approval rating and he is at the peak of his popularity and power. Can he maintain it? Or will the Democrats stage a comeback?

Jacob Heilbrunn is editor ofThe National Interest.

Donald Trump Sparks Health Worries Over His Intermittent Eye Dilation; Expert Reveals Possible Causes – International Business Times

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Danzig

KEY POINTS

Donald Trump recently sparked more health concerns after netizens noticed that his eyes oftentimes look as though they are dilated.

According to Political Flare, the fact that the symptoms for the POTUS dilated eyes are intermittent almost rules out possible medical conditions that can cause the problem.

But Dr. Jack Brown, a specialist, recently wrote on Medium.com the possible reasons for Trumps intermittent eye dilation. He said that it cannot have been caused by his cataract surgery and other similar medical conditions.

Brown said that it is possible the POTUSdilated eyes are a result of his previous and excessive drug use.

President Donald Trumps pupils are intermittently and significantly dilated from a medical standpoint, this is not normal. This intermittent pattern is not due to trauma, complications from surgery, or disease Donald Trumps intermittently dilated pupils are due to the side effects of drugs/medications, he wrote.

Brown admitted that he has not personally met the POTUS, and has never conducted his physical examinations. But his observations are based on the photos of Trump that he has seen.

There have also been ongoing rumors that Trump used Adderall in the past, and one of its active ingredients is amphetamines, which could cause eye dilations. Former employees on The Apprentice claimed to have seen Trump snorting the drug.

As of late, nothing has been confirmed yet regarding the POTUSs history of drug use. But Political Flare said that the presidents dilated eyes may also have something to do with the fact that he stays up very late at night or wakes up very early in the morning.

Meanwhile, Trumps health has been worrisome for his supporters and non-supporters. They have noticed that hes oftentimes slurring and sniffing during his speeches.

The POTUS also tends to hold on to the podium to keep his balance, and he has difficulty pronouncing certain words. As of late, Trump has not undergone his annual physical exam, which is normally scheduled every January.

With the impeachment controversy behind him, US President Donald Trump will focus on trumpeting his economic record as he seeks reelection in November Photo: AFP / Nicholas Kamm

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Donald Trump Sparks Health Worries Over His Intermittent Eye Dilation; Expert Reveals Possible Causes - International Business Times

Peter Strzok vows to respond to Donald Trump’s ‘attacks’ – Washington Times

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Danzig

Peter Strzok, the former FBI agent who was kicked off special counsel Robert Muellers probe for anti-Trump texts, vowed late Thursday night that he will respond to the presidents attacks on him.

I will have a great deal more to say about the presidents attacks on those with responsibility for holding him accountable. America deserves better, Mr. Strzok wrote in a tweet.

It was a rare message from Mr. Strzok, whose last tweet was from August when he thanked supporters and announced his wrongful termination lawsuit against the FBI.

The tweet was sent hours after President Trump mocked him during an impeachment victory celebration at the White House. Mr. Trump called the ex-agent and his mistress, former FBI attorney Lisa Page, lowlifes and referred to them as the FBI lovers.

I can tell you, in my opinion, these are the crookedest, most dishonest, dirtiest people Ive ever seen, Mr. Trump said. They said, this is Strzok, God, Hillary should win 100 million to one. This is about me. This is an agent from the FBI. Look how they let her off. Thirty-three thousand emails deleted. Nothing happens to her. Nothing happens. Its unbelievable.

Mr. Strzoks tweet was accompanied by a statement from his attorney Aitan Goelman, who called Mr. Trumps comments threats against public servants tasked with investigating or testifying about his serial misconduct.

Calling Mr. Strzok a patriotic career counterintelligence agent, Mr. Goelman said the presidents statements Thursday were another unhinged attack.

Mr. Strzok and Ms. Page were both part of the FBIs Russia probe and the Hillary Clinton email investigation. After the anti-Trump texts between the lovers were disclosed, Republicans quickly alleged they were part of a deep-state plot to undermine the Trump administration.

Ultimately, the FBI fired Mr. Strzok, and he filed a wrongful termination suit against the bureau last year. Ms. Page is suing the Justice Department and FBI, saying releasing the text messages violated her privacy.

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Peter Strzok vows to respond to Donald Trump's 'attacks' - Washington Times

DNC Mulls Asking Donald Trump To Run As Democrat In Effort To Stop Sanders – The Onion

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Danzig

WASHINGTONAs the beginning of primary season upped the stakes in their search for an alternative candidate, Democratic National Committee officials reportedly mulled Monday asking Donald Trump to run for president as a Democrat in an effort to stop Bernie Sanders. Hes obviously not our first choice, but Trump has a track record of winning elections, not to mention he does well with the conservative voters well need to swing some red states blueif thats who we need to ask to ensure Bernie doesnt win, well do it, said DNC chairman Tom Perez, who had circled Trumps name on a white board lising dozens of potential candidates the party could try to convince to jump into the Democratic Party primaries in order to obstruct a Sanders nomination. This late in the game, we need somebody with name recognition and a built-in following, which Trump definitely has. He has political experience working with Republicans, which will help him win over moderate voters who are turned off by the idea of a socialist president. Plus, hell have the backing of the Democratic donor base, who generally prefer him to Sanders. Look, sometimes politics makes strange bedfellows, but I think I speak for party leadership when I say that wed much rather see Donald Trump than Bernie Sanders as the Democratic nominee. At press time, Perez was in negotiations to ensure Trump was on every Democratic primary ballot for Super Tuesday and changing the requirements to allow Trump to qualify for the next Democratic debate.

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DNC Mulls Asking Donald Trump To Run As Democrat In Effort To Stop Sanders - The Onion

Andrew Yang Explains Why He’s The Only Democratic Candidate Donald Trump Hasn’t ‘Tweeted a Word About’ – Newsweek

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Danzig

Presidential candidate Andrew Yang said Monday he believes Donald Trump has not tweeted much about him because the president knows that Yang is "better at the internet."

Yang made the remarks in a Monday morning interview on MSNBC's Morning Joe. One of the show's hosts, Willie Geist, asked Yang to explain why he decided to ask attendees of an Iowa campaign event on Saturday to "give a round to applause" for those in the audience who voted for Trump in 2016.

The Democratic candidate replied that Iowa, as a "purple swing state" that Trump won in 2016, was bound to be full of people who had voted for Trump or had friends and neighbors who did. He stressed that is important to win the support of some of those voters in 2020.

"So the folks that voted for Trump and come to my events [who] are now excited about my campaign, that's how we're going to win," Yang said. "And head-to-head matchups between me and Trump show that I'm the heaviest favorite to beat him one-on-one, in large part because 18 percent of College Republicans say they'd support me over the president. Ten percent of Trump voters in New Hampshire, in one poll, said they'd support me over the president.

"You know who's figured this out?" Yang asked rhetorically. "President Trump. Because I'm the only candidate he has not tweeted a word about. He knows I'm better at the internet than he is."

Yang, an Ivy Leagueeducated entrepreneur and lawyer, launched his presidential campaign in November 2017. Yang has stayed in the race even as Democratic candidates with experience in government, like Senator Kamala Harris and Julin Castro, a former housing secretary, suspended their campaigns.

A Twitter search appeared to confirm Yang's claim that the presidentknown for his tweeting about, among other things, his political rivalshas not mentioned him on the platform. Trump has never used the term "Andrew Yang" in any of his tweets from his account, @realDonaldTrump. The only time Trump has used the word Yang in a tweet was in 2015and that was to quote an account named @yang_karl, which has since been suspended.

Trump has responded to a tweet that mentioned Yang. In September 2019, Kassy Dillon wrote on Twitter, "Here's the thing: I'm voting for Trump but I wouldn't be friends with Trump. I'm not voting for Yang but I'd definitely be his friend."

The next day, the president retweeted Dillon's remark with a response: "I'm OK with that!"

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Andrew Yang Explains Why He's The Only Democratic Candidate Donald Trump Hasn't 'Tweeted a Word About' - Newsweek

Bernie Sanders To Donald Trump: No, You’re The Real Socialist – The Federalist

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Danzig

During a Thursday night CNN town hall in Manchester, New Hampshire, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., was asked how we would confront the socialist label when debating Donald Trump. Sanders responded by suggesting Trump is the real socialist.

If youre the nominee, youre expected to face criticism such as President Trump saying, America will never be a socialist country. For Americans who hold this concern, whether well-founded or not, how would you successfully overcome that kind of labeling to convince them to vote for you? asked Peter Charalambous, a student at Dartmouth College.

In many ways Donald Trump is a socialist himself, Sanders said. Hes a socialist who believes in massive help to large corporations and the rich.

Its odd CNN would select a question asking a self-proclaimed Democratic socialist how he plans to overcome the stereotypes associated with being a socialist. Sanders outwardly embraces socialism as his policy platform and has for decades.

According to EconLib, socialism is a centrally planned economy in which the government controls all means of production. While giving special government favors to connected individuals and corporations is definitely cronyistic, its not the same as socialism. Sanders ought to know that by now. He is in fact the one advocating for government controlling whole industries such as education and health care.

Sanders response that being a socialist is somehow negative when your name is Donald Trump is comical as well. It also cuts against his own narrative that socialism is nothing to fear.

When Sanders claims Trump is a socialist who helps the rich, he negates the fact socialism tends to benefit the politically connected even more than other political systems do, because it makes all of human life subject to political control. If enacted, Sanders socialist programs would mean only the rich can access high-quality goods and services, while the rest of us are stuck with DMV-level services in every sector. The very thing he claims Trump is guilty of more accurately applies to him.

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Bernie Sanders To Donald Trump: No, You're The Real Socialist - The Federalist

Trophy hunting event to auction ‘dream hunt’ with Donald Trump Jr – The Guardian

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Danzig

A week-long dream hunt with the US presidents son Donald Trump Jr is being auctioned at an annual trophy hunting convention in Reno, Nevada alongside expeditions to shoot elephants, bears and giraffes.

The four-day event organized by Safari Club International (SCI) and advertised as a hunters heaven, will culminate on Saturday with an auction for a week-long Sitka black-tailed deer hunt in Alaska with Trump Jr, his son and a guide. At the time of writing, bidding for the yacht-based expedition stands at $10,000 (7,685).

Other prizes include the chance to shoot an elephant on a 14-day trip in Namibia, an all-inclusive hunt package to Zimbabwe to kill buffalo, giraffe and wildebeest, and a 10-day crocodile hunting expedition in South Africa. The proceeds from the auction, which campaigners say could exceed $5m, will fund SCIs hunter advocacy and wildlife conservation efforts, according to the organization.

Thousands of hunters from around the world are expected to attend the convention which begins on Wednesday, where Trump Jr, an avid trophy hunter, is set to give a keynote address.

The description of the auction prize states: This year we will be featuring Donald Trump Jr, a man who needs no introduction, and whose passion for the outdoors makes him the number one ambassador for our way of life.

Don Jr shares this heritage with his son and believes in handing down these lessons to young hunters. Don Jr and his son will be hosting this years hunt along with Keegan [the guide] in Alaska.

It comes just weeks after ProPublica revealed Trump Jr killed a rare species of endangered sheep during a hunting trip to Mongolia last summer.

Last week, anti-hunting campaigners condemned the annual SCI convention, and Brian Wilson and Al Jardine backed a boycott of their former band the Beach Boys, who are scheduled to appear at the event.

Kitty Block, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, said: This annual event is the largest meeting in the world of people who celebrate the senseless killing, buying and selling of dead animals for bragging rights.

As our planet suffers an extinction crisis, it is business as usual for the trophy hunting industry and SCI, who continue to revel in spending millions of dollars every year to destroy imperiled wildlife.

SCI hit back at the criticisms and called them the height of hypocrisy, arguing that hunting makes enormous contributions to conservation and described Trump Jr as an accomplished conservationist.

The regulations around importing hunting trophies has been loosened under Donald Trump, though he has previously described the practice as a horror show despite his sons affection for big-game hunting. In 2018 the administration moved to make it easier to import trophies from exotic big-game animals such as elephants and lions.

Find more age of extinction coverage here, and follow biodiversity reporters Phoebe Weston and Patrick Greenfield on Twitter for all the latest news and features

Trophy hunting event to auction 'dream hunt' with Donald Trump Jr - The Guardian

Accommodating Donald Trump cost the GOP its soul – cleveland.com

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Danzig

From the black rural South we get this nugget of wisdom, most often expressed in song: Dont let the devil ride. Dont let the devil ride. If you let him ride, he gon wanna drive; dont let him ride. Subsequent verses provide additional warnings. If you let him flag you down, hell turn you around. If you let him be your boss, hell make your soul be lost. But they all make the same point: Theres no power-sharing agreement with the dark side. Once you welcome it, you become its subject, and it becomes your ruler.

When Donald Trump was running for president, there were quite a number of Republicans who correctly called out his unfitness for the office. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina called the candidate a loser, a nut job and a race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot who doesnt represent my party. When Trump, who was being sued for fraud, claimed that he couldnt possibly get a fair hearing from federal judge of Mexican descent, Paul Ryan, then speaker of the House, called the comment a textbook case of a racist comment. These are the words and phrases Sen. Ted Cruz used to describe Trump: pathological liar, utterly amoral, a narcissist at a level I dont think this countrys ever seen and a serial philanderer. Cruz also called Trump a bully.

All those Republican critics of Trump were spot-on. He is what they said he is. But all of those critics gave him their political support and cover. They all seemed to believe that if he were elected then they would be able to effectively restrain him and rein him in when necessary.

There were right-leaning pundits and columnist making similar arguments. Dont worry, they said to those of us horrified at the 2016 election results, the Republican establishment is merely tolerating this guy; theyll keep him in check.

But all weve seen are Republicans falling down before him like supplicants around a throne. All the senators present answered affirmatively when Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts asked them, Do you solemnly swear that in all things appertaining to the trial of the impeachment of Donald John Trump, president of the United States, now pending, you will do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws, so help you god?" But most of them were lying. There was never any plan for the Republican members of the Senate to do anything other than acquit the president.

If you argue that it was always the plan for most Democrats to convict Trump, then youre right. The difference, though, is that an honest evaluation of the evidence supports Trumps conviction and removal from office. Entering the impeachment proceedings with a mind fixed on acquittal means deciding in advance that no evidence would matter.

Republican senators seem to be most concerned about what might happen to them at the polls if they were to oppose the president. But they ought to be most concerned about what will happen to this country if the person some of them have previously described as an amoral, lying, narcissistic nut job is rewarded and not punished for the lying, amorality and narcissism that led to his impeachment. Obviously, hes already emboldened, but the Senate endorsing his view that he did nothing wrong will only embolden him more.

On July 4, 2017, the first year of Trumps term, NPR published the Declaration of Independence line-by-line on Twitter. Theyd been broadcasting a reading of the document on air every year for 29 years, but when they also turned to social media to promote Americas founding document, Trump supporters accused the news outlet of Trump-bashing. Because who else could NPR have been referring to when it tweeted, A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people?

How does this country go from rejecting the monarchy and establishing a system to keep its chief executive in check to essentially establishing a monarchy by signaling a willingness to deny, look the other way or brazenly lie about the available evidence?

When we look back at it, well see that the first fatal step was believing that Trumps awfulness could co-exist with and be made subservient to the greater needs of the country. In short, that he would just climb aboard and be content to let other, less obnoxious leaders do the driving.

Instead, hes taken over everything. All the people in the White House who were supposed to be his minders are gone, and the two other branches that are supposed to check and balance his powers have all but waved the white flag of surrender.

The Trump-wont-be-that-bad crowd is awfully silent right now. One senses that they are shocked and disappointed at Republicans they believed would provide resistance.

But some of us arent shocked at all. We took the old folks warning to heart.

Jarvis DeBerry is a columnist at Cleveland.com and a member of the editorial board. Reach him at jdeberry@cleveland.com or on Twitter at @jarvisdeberry.

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Accommodating Donald Trump cost the GOP its soul - cleveland.com

This Woman Traveled To Every Country On Earth. Heres How She Did It (And You Can, Too) – Forbes

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Danzig

Meet Melissa Roythe first South Asian woman to visit every country in the world. Here, she is ... [+] pictured in Bangladesh, the 193rd country that she visited in honor of her late father.

Add Melissa Roy to the list of women making history by visiting every country in the world. On December 27, 2019, 34-year-old Roy visited Bangladeshthe birthplace of her late father and grandparentsand became the first woman of South Asian origin to travel to every country in the world. Though she doesnt plan to apply for a Guinness World Record (Im doing this for myself, she says), she joins a small, trailblazing group of people who have achieved this lofty goal of visiting every one of the sovereign nation recognized by the United Nations. Its still astounding to me that more people have gone to outer space than visited every country in the world, says Roy. And even more people have summited Mount Everest than visited all the countries.

Roys accomplishment is an unlikely one, considering that she rarely traveled as a child. She was born in the small Midwestern town of Monroe, Michigan, and grew up in Greenwood, Indiana. Until age 6, when her parents divorced, the family relocated to many different states because of her fathers job. I was subsequently raised by an immigrant single mother who worked a minimum wage job and barely spoke English. I faced the struggles that come with growing up as a first-generation minority in Middle America, says Roy. I never had a chance to travel growing up because, quite frankly, we didnt have the money to do so.

Despite the circumstances, Roy had a deep curiosity about the world beyond her small town. I never understood how some people want to sit in their one little corner of the globe and not want to see something bigger than them, she says. I have an insatiable curiosity for the unknown.

READ MORE:Quit Your Job And Live Abroad: 10 Places So Cheap You Might Be Able To Stop Working

Melissa Roy, celebrating her 30th birthday in Antarctica.

By age 19, Roy got her first taste of solo travel, studying abroad in Buenos Aires during her sophomore year at Pepperdine University. Having been bitten by the travel bug, Roy set sail on Semester at Sea the following year, circumnavigating the globe in 100 days. In just one semester, I saw things that most people arent able to see in a lifetime, says Roy. I thought I would be able to slow down and start a normal career, but I wasnt ready to settle down just yet.

It wasnt her original plan to visit every countryRoy didnt even think it was a possibilitybut the call of unfamiliar lands kept her traveling up to eight months each year. By the time Roy was 29, she realized she had already been to 66 countries and wanted to step up her travel game and inspire others. Traveling on a shoestring budget, I want to show the world that it doesnt matter where you come from or how much money you have, says Roy. All you need is an open heart and a desire to connect with others.

Heres the story of how she did it.

What Inspired Me: Having visited 66 countries by age 29, I decided to challenge myself and set a goal of visiting 100 countries and all seven continents before my 30th birthday. I ended up celebrating the big 3-0 in Antarctica with one of my favorite animals, the gentoo penguins. It was also my seventh continent. After that, I decided to keep going, with the goal of visiting all the sovereign UN countries.

READ MORE:The 43 Cheapest Places To Travel In 2020

Exploring the Okavango Delta in Botswana.

How I Paid For It: I am unusual in that I have no sponsorships or endorsementsI pay for all my travels out of my pocket. For the first decade or so, I would return to my home base in Hollywood, do various TV commercials, music videos, even background work, anything that would give me the flexibility to decide my own schedule. Meanwhile, Id be planning my next trip on a shoestring budget. I was lucky to be in Hollywood at a time where I was able to make decent wages and even luckier that I made some wise investment decisions in the stock/bond market, allowing me to use my returns to fund my travels.

Country Counting: I became the first woman of South Asian origin to travel to every sovereign nation in the worldwhen I visited my 193rd country, Bangladesh. As for the number of countries there are in the world, this is a big point of contention among travelers. I wanted to keep things as uncomplicated as possible and go with the list of actual UN members, of which there are 193. There are two more states that are not full fledged UN members but are under observer status. These are Palestine and Vatican City. Finally, Taiwan is a country that many other countries recognize but the UN views it under Chinese sovereignty.Those are the 196 that Guinness uses and I have been to all 196 of those but I just use the basic UN member list to keep things simple and less politically messy. If the UN recognizes it as a country, then all the members of the international community also recognize its sovereignty, and in my book that is enough to be a country. On the other hand, if I started counting disputed regions I wouldnt know where to draw the line. What about Kosovo, Somaliland, Western Sahara, Hong Kong, Tibet and overseas island dependencies such as Aruba, Curacao, St. Martin, etc? Ive been to well over 200, if you count some of those.

In Sossusvlei, Namibia, home to the largest sand dunes in the world.

Why Im Not Going for the Guinness World Record: Im not going for a Guinness World Record because no record really corresponds to what I didI wasnt trying to be the fastest and I cant be the youngest because that record is currently held by my friend Lexie Alford, whos only 21 years old. Im doing this for myselfand okay, maybe for bragging rights for my future grandchildren who can tell their friends how crazy their granny was! Lastly, having to submit something like 7,000 pieces of evidence, witness statements, etc seems like it would take the fun out of traveling for me. But I have so much respect for Lexie and the ones who have gone that extra mile to get the record.

Why Bangladesh: I chose Bangladesh as my final country to honor the birthplace of my late father, Subhash Chandra Roy (whom Id seen for the last time on my sixth birthday) as well as all four of my grandparents. I wanted to try to find the village where my father was born but I thought it would be a shot in the dark because I didnt know a single person in Bangladesh. Most of my family had moved to India after my father moved to the US, so I didnt have any connections left in Bangladesh. Once we made contact, we went straight to the small village of Netrakona, and it was truly an emotional experience. Seeing the exact house where my father grew up was nothing short of powerful and moved me to tears. I had the privilege of staying with and meeting several of his childhood friends who were kind enough to share old photos and memories of him. I know he would have been proud of me.

Roy with her mother in Bangladesh, overlooking Cox's Bazar (the longest beach in the world)

Mixed Emotions: When I arrived in my final country, I experienced a combination of feelings: the euphoria that accompanies the accomplishment of a lifelong goal; the sense of relief that all the hard parts (ie. the bureaucracy and all the necessary sacrifices) were finally over; and the bittersweet feeling that I would no longer be able to have that adrenaline rush of landing in a new country. I was also one step closer to the inevitable, of having to figure out what I want to do for the rest of my life. I no longer had this as an excuse or a crutch, a reason to procrastinate or postpone the next chapter of adulting. Its the same feeling everyone experiences when they accomplish their biggest goal and then suddenly feel as if they have nothing left to work toward.

Best Experience: One of the highlights, of course, was reaching my final country with my mother by my side, whom I flew out to join me. Neither one of us had been to Bangladesh before, and both of our fathers were born there. This was also the first foreign country we had explored together as a mother-daughter duo. Seeing it as a symbolic homecoming to my roots and origins, I wanted to come full circle and end my journey where my family startedmy ancestral homeland.

Meeting locals on Funafuti, Tuvalu, a Polynesian island in the Pacific Ocean.

Meaningful Travel: Couchsurfing, which involves staying with a local host, is the way I travel in a deeper, more meaningful way. I was able to immerse myself in the local culture rather than insulating myself from it. The difference with couchsurfing, compared to Airbnb, is that it is a gift economy; hosts are not allowed to charge for lodging and is based on the idea that people are generally good and kind. It has renewed my faith in humanity time and time again.

Meeting Locals: I have been fortunate enough to take part in some incredible things that you could only do if you have a local host, friend or family in the country. For example, on the Pacific island of Kiribati I was invited to a wedding, a funeral and then an eight-hour wedding reception all in the course of one day. I had only stayed in Kiribati for five days, but I quickly became a part of the family and did things most people wouldnt even get to do in a month if they didnt know anyone there or were on a business trip staying in a hotel. In cases like this, staying for a few days with a local host makes a bigger impact on your life than staying for weeks but insulating yourself from the locals.

At the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan.

Best Birthday: Another highlight was Afghanistan. From the moment I went to their embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan to the moment I touched down on the tarmac in Kabul, I was treated with nothing but complete kindness and compassion, generosity and hospitality. At the embassy in Islamabad, I stared with awe and disbelief when they served me on a silver platter a four-course meal of chicken, biryani, salad and daal while I was waiting in the lobby for my visa. When I asked them if they do this for everyone, their answer was, You are a guest in our home. We do everything to make a guest feel welcome and dont let them go without eating. Because of that amazing experience, I chose to celebrate my 34th birthday in Afghanistan, though I didnt know a single soul beforehand. I happened to meet an interesting person on my flight to Kabul who said I should come to visit his coffee shop. Fast forward 24 hours: He closed down his coffee shop, invited about 15-20 of his friends and threw a full-blown birthday party, complete with speeches in different languages, a cake, candles, sparklers, balloons and even a handmade painting for a birthday present. Ive never even had family members throw a birthday party like this for me, let alone strangers Id met less than 24 hours ago.

Scuba diving in Cozumel, Mexico.

The Concept of Home: Home was never a happy place for me due to a traumatic childhood Id had with a lot of domestic fighting, police visits, my parents brutal divorce and custody battle leading to a restraining order, which led to me never being able to see my dad again, from age 6 until he passed away when I was 18. Throw into that mix a mental illness in my family, which led to more fighting, and you can see why I didnt like being at home. I always dreamt of being elsewhere and soon enough I made this dream a reality, escaping whatever chance I had. Eventually, faraway lands became my happy place and still to this day I never get homesick.

My Comfort Zone: Home and routine go hand in hand and the unpredictability of foreign places and new experiences also go hand in hand. So where most people have a comfort zone that is cozy and familiar to them, my comfort zone is actually constantly experiencing new things and I get scared when I think about settling into a life of monotony or routine.

The Kindness of Strangers: Growing up I never had much family around me. It was only my mother and me living in America, and so I came to trust strangers quite easily. Fast forward a decade or so, and I am trusting and sleeping in strangers homes, hitchhiking in different parts of the world and striking up deep, intimate conversations with random people anywhere on a bus, train, plane, to a post office, a public restroom or the lobby of a doctors office. Strangers have given me the shirts off their backs without having any sort of obligation to do so. I find something quite refreshing about that. When you arent required to do something and you still do it out of the kindness of your heart, it just seems that much more genuine and organic.

Connecting with a local child in Darjeeling, India.

Goals: My goals go beyond visiting every country in the world. I want to create meaningful connections with humans from every walk of life, shatter misconceptions and bring back faith in humanity. I hope to educate and inspire young women of all racial and socioeconomic backgrounds that they, too, can explore the world on their own, taking risks, pushing boundaries and discovering along the way the incredible lessons of other cultures, which connect them back to who they are.

Advice for Other Women Who Want to Do This: My advice for women who want to do this is the same advice that I would have for anyone wanting to do this. It is possibleso get the word cant and all the self doubts out of your mind and vocabulary. Honestly, though: If I can do it, I feel that anyone can. If cost is a hindrance, it is shocking how much you can save each month by cutting out things you dont need (daily Starbucks, monthly manicures, personal trainers). Ive often laughed at how much I save by traveling. Per month, it costs me more to live in one place in the States than it does to travel in most parts of the world.

At the pyramids of Giza, Egypt.

Advice for South Asian Women: Embrace your heritage and everything about yourself. Funny enough, growing up I had an identity crisis because I was the only Indian girl in my entire class of all-American (Caucasian) students in Middle America. I never felt that I fit in or belonged. Oh, how I wanted to fade awayliterally and figurativelyinto an anonymous, homogenous crowd of people and not stand out. Looking back, I cant imagine why I felt that way and didnt celebrate my differences and beautiful complexion. Maybe that is one of the catalysts that caused me to want to explore the world, to see where else I may be able to find people who look like me. The answer is a resounding everywhere. Something like 80% of the world is various shades of brown, so being South Asian actually helped me blend in, giving me a sense of belonging Id never felt. Id always joked that in my commercial acting career being ethnically ambiguous was an advantage I had, and I think this applied to my world travels as well. Sometimes Id think of it as casting myself as a local woman and dressing and playing the role as accurately as possible, studying the women and truly understanding where they were coming from. That, along with my psychology degree, really helped me get into the psyche of the local population.

Whats Next: Im still not 100% sure what I want to be when I grow up, but I have been considering working with some NGOs with missions close to my heart and eventually starting my own. I am very passionate about womens rights and empowerment of those that are vulnerable, which, lets face it, are women, in most of the world. Being of a South Asian background myself, I feel pulled to work with Indian and Bangladeshi women, and one issue I have taken notice of is the one around menstruationthe stigma and taboo that surrounds it, and the lack of education and access to hygiene products.I'd like to do a combination of humanitarian work, maybe get back into acting again, and of course, I've always got to have an element of travel in my life. I want to do all of this while balancing a healthy, fulfilling personal life. If I can marry those things into a single career, that would be the ultimate dream.

Celebrating Diwali at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India.

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This Woman Traveled To Every Country On Earth. Heres How She Did It (And You Can, Too) - Forbes

Dubai airport is the worlds busiest for international travel – MarketWatch

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Danzig

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Dubai International Airport said on Wednesday that it maintained its title as the worlds busiest for international travel, despite closing one of its runways for repairs last year and the ongoing grounding of the Boeing 737 Max.

The airport, home to long-haul carrier Emirates, saw 86.4 million passengers in 2019, 6 million more than second-place Heathrow Airport in London. Thats down 3% from 2018, which saw 89.1 million passengers at the massive airport.

The airport blamed the weaker numbers in part on a 45-day closure of its southern runway, the bankruptcy of Indias Jet Airways and the grounding of the Boeing 737 Max. Government-owned Emirates low-cost sister carrier, FlyDubai, had been flying a number of the Maxs in its fleet.

Its the sixth year for Dubai International Airport to hold the crown as the worlds busiest for international travel. The worlds busiest airport overall is HartsfieldJackson Atlanta International Airport.

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Dubai airport is the worlds busiest for international travel - MarketWatch

Coronavirus: The hit to the global economy will be worse than SARS – CNBC

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Danzig

A woman with a facial mask passes the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on February 3, 2020 at Wall Street in New York City.

Johannes Eisele | AFP | Getty Images

The new coronavirus outbreak will be worse for the global economy than the 2003 SARS epidemic was, data analysis firm IHS Markit predicts.

While both outbreaks originated in China, nearly two decades separate the SARS outbreak from the new coronavirus outbreak. In that time, China has grown from the world's sixth-largest economy to the second biggest today behind the U.S. The country has been a main growth driver worldwide, with the International Monetary Fund estimating that China alone accounted for 39% of global economic expansion in 2019.

"Coronavirus will have a larger negative effect on the global economy than the SARS outbreak in 2003," IHS Markit wrote, adding that China accounted for 4.2% of the global economy in 2003. The report says China now commands 16.3% of the world's GDP. "Therefore, any slowdown in the Chinese economy sends not ripples but waves across the globe."

SARS, which stands for severe acute respiratory syndrome, first emerged in China's Guangdong province before spreading to other countries. The virus infected about 8,000 people, claimed almost 800 lives worldwide and shaved 0.5% to 1% off China's growth in 2003, according to various estimates.

Though estimates vary, economists say that the SARS outbreak in China cost the global economy about $40 billion.

Most of the economic cost of the outbreak, though, "is not related to the virus," said CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council Gloria Guevara, who was the tourism minister for Mexico during the H1N1 outbreak. "It's related to the panic."

The long-term economic impact of the new coronavirus outbreak will be determined largely by China's containment measures, IHS Markit's report says. The Chinese government has quarantined Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, and, by IHS Markit's count, 11 provinces have extended the Chinese New Year holiday to keep workers at home and prevent the spread of the virus.

"If the current and unprecedented confinement measures in China stay in place until the end of February, and are lifted progressively beginning in March, the resulting economic impact will be concentrated in the first half of 2020," the report says, "with a reduction of global real GDP of 0.8% in Q1 and 0.5% in Q2."

If China ends those restrictions on Feb. 10, as is currently scheduled, the impact on the global economy will be much more limited, the report says. Most factories in China would be closed around this time for observance of the Chinese New Year, which is factored into expectations. However, the report says the outbreak threatens to severely hamper several industries, especially automotive manufacturing.

"The 11 Chinese provinces which have announced an extended holiday period are normally responsible for over two thirds of vehicle production in China," the report says.

Employees with Ford Motor and Fiat Chrysler who are able to do so are working from home this week, while production at both automakers' plants is scheduled to remain closed until at least next week, the companies confirmed to CNBC this week. Tesla has temporarily closed its stores in mainland China as of Sunday, Feb. 2, according to an online post from a company sales employee on that date.

General Motors, the largest U.S. automaker in China, last week told employees there that it will keep its Chinese factories shut down through Feb. 9

The uncertainty in China could also hamper global oil prices, the report says, adding that China accounted for half of the world's oil demand growth in 2019. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and some allies have been holding talks this week to respond to the outbreak.

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Coronavirus: The hit to the global economy will be worse than SARS - CNBC

Cramer’s week ahead: Coronavirus news ‘can steal the spotlight at any given time’ from earnings reports – CNBC

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Danzig

Monday: Allergan, Restaurant Brands, XPO Logistics earnings

Allergan reports earnings before the morning bell. The pharmaceutical company, which is merging with AbbView in a $63 billion deal, is projected to ring up nearly $4.1 billion of revenue and produce $4.57 of earnings per share in the December quarter.

"I hope Allergan talks about its miraculous new acute migraine drug, which was just approved," said Cramer, saying he is "betting it's a blockbuster."

Restaurant Brands is slated to release fourth-quarter results in the morning. The Burger King and Popeyes parent is projected to bring in $1.9 billion in revenue and yield 96 cents of profit per share.

"I'm worrying that its sales could be slowing, here," Cramer said. "We're seeing a real divide in the restaurant space between the haves and the have-nots, and Restaurant Brands may be slipping from the former to the latter."

XPO Logistics is delivering its quarterly performance after the market closes. Analysts estimate $4.2 billion in sales and $1.01 of earnings per share from the transports giant.

"We want to find out if they've found any takers for the divisions that they're trying to sell," the host said. "I think it makes sense to own this one going into the quarter."

Hasbro's quarterly earnings report will come out before the market opens. The Monopoly board game parent is expected to complete $1.4 billion of sales and 90 cents of profit per share, according to FactSet.

"We need to know what they can say about China," Cramer said. "Can the factories they need to make toys on the cheap stay open?"

Under Armour's fourth-quarter performance will also come out in the early morning. The sports apparel retailer is expected to report $1.46 billion on the top line and return 10 cents per share to stockholders.

"I hope they'll be able to make a comeback, but we have to stay close to their inventory issues and discontinued products," Cramer said.

Lyft will drop its fourth-quarter report after the closing bell. The ride-hailing app is projected to collect $984 million of revenue and lose 53 cents per share, which would be an improvement from a loss of $11.32 cents per share in the same three-month period the year prior.

CVS Health has an earnings report coming out before the market opens for trading. The health retailer is estimated to register $63.9 billion in revenue and yield $1.68 of earnings per share, according to FactSet.

"We need to know about the debt paydown, about possible assets they can sell, and about the health hub expansion," the host said. "I also want to find out how bad our regular flu season could be this year, not just the coronavirus."

Barrick Gold has an earnings release in the early morning. The gold miner is projected to show nearly $3.7 billion on the revenue line and to return 18 cents of earnings per share.

"I'm betting the numbers will be very good, but you own a gold stock like this one to vaccinate your portfolio against economic chaos," Cramer said.

Shopify reports earnings prior to the morning bell. The internet retailer is projected to record $482 million of revenue and 23 cents of earnings per share.

"They just keep delivering and delivering. I keep hoping the stock will come down" to give my charitable trust a "decent buying opportunity to get back in," Cramer said. "If it pulls back after the quarter, that could be the chance to get into Shopify."

PepsiCo reports earnings in the morning. The beverage giant is expected to bring in $20.2 billion of revenue and $1.44 of earnings per share.

Kraft Heinz reports fourth-quarter results before the market opens. The food producer is estimated to write down $6.6 billion on the revenue line and distribute 68 cents of earnings per share.

"I'd like to see some growth, acquired or otherwise ... or else this stock just remains dead in the water," Cramer said. "Kraft Heinz has become the hallmark of inconsistency."

Waste Management also reports in the morning. Analysts expect the print to show nearly $4 billion of revenue and $1.15 EPS.

"The stock's run in anticipation of a strong quarter on Thursday," the host said. "If you don't own it, I say wait."

Expedia Group will show its financial results for the fourth quarter after the closing bell. The travel agency is projected to report $2.76 billion in sales and $1.19 EPS, according to FactSet.

"I think world travel is being paralyzed by the coronavirus outbreak, but we'll know for sure when Expedia reports after the close," Cramer said. "It could be very downbeat."

Nvidia reports in the afternoon. The chipmaker is expected to show almost $2.96 billion of revenue and return $1.66 per share to stockholders.

"The stock's had a huge run, but with its new raytracing graphics chips for gaming, I think it's worth holding onto and I think you should buy some into weakness."

DexCom's fourth-quarter results come out in the after market. The medical device maker is estimated to deliver $441 million in revenue and 74 cents of earnings per share.

Newell Brands releases its quarterly report in the morning. The consumer goods company is expected to report about $2.58 billion in revenue and 38 cents EPS.

Disclosure: Cramer's charitable trust owns shares of Nvidia, Cisco, PepsiCo and CVS Health.

Questions for Cramer?Call Cramer: 1-800-743-CNBC

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Cramer's week ahead: Coronavirus news 'can steal the spotlight at any given time' from earnings reports - CNBC

Coronavirus in MENA – The Arab Weekly

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Danzig

With more than 700 dead and more than 34,000 confirmed cases, it is only normal that the coronavirus is on everybodys mind, including populations of the Middle East and North Africa.

The oil market is likely to be directly affected. With China being the second largest oil consumer in the world, oil prices have dropped since the outbreak and oil producers have contemplated production cuts. BPs chief financial officer said the coronavirus outbreak could reduce oil consumption by 300,000-500,000 barrels per day (bpd), about 0.5% of global demand.

Other estimates are higher. S&P Global Platts Analytics said the epidemic could cut oil demand at least 900,000 bpd in February and 650,000 bpd in March. If air travel is further affected by the cancellation of flights, demand could fall 2.6 million bpd.

Many airlines, such as Saudi Airlines, Egyptair and Air Maroc, suspended flights to and from China. Others, including Emirates and Air Algerie, chose not to or to do so selectively. Nationals are being repatriated.

For many MENA countries, the Chinese tourism market, which has a lot of potential, is being deeply disrupted. The H1N1 influenza outbreak in 2009 and the 2003 SARS outbreak cost the global tourism industry, respectively, $55 billion and $50 billion.

Reactions in the Arab world have shown huge room for better coordinated logistics (in matters of repatriation of nationals, for instance) and an uneven level of preparedness in preventing and dealing with cases of infection.

Accurate and efficient public communication will be needed to dispel erroneous notions about the outbreak and limit its damage. World Travel & Tourism Council President and CEO Gloria Guevara said: Containing the spread of unnecessary panic is as important as stopping the virus itself.

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Coronavirus in MENA - The Arab Weekly

moscowliving Best City Trip Is It Safe to Travel to Moscow? – The Moscow Times

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Danzig

SAFE

We often hear the question "is it safe to travel to Moscow?" and therefore we decided to write about it, as the answer is absolutely yes! And Moscow is not only a very safe city, it is also one of cleanest metropols we visited. We can honestly say that we feel more safe in Moscow, than we feel in Amsterdam, London, Paris or New York. A good indicator for the safety is that there's a high chance that, if you forgot something you will find it untouched at the exact same spot. Of course use your common sense as you would do in any major city and try to avoid random taxi's but download a taxi app, like "Gett taxi" or "Yandex taxi". Moscow's metro system is one of the most reliable, safe and most beautiful metro systems in the world. For more tips on public transport:https://www.moscowliving.org/post/public-transport-metro-minibus-taxi.

SCENIC - CULTURE - NIGHTLIFE

The biased image of Moscow as a grey "Soviet" city couldn't be more wrong. You will see colorful, well maintained buildings that are beautifully lit at night, which gives Moscow a great allure. Every season the city is impressively decorated in a theme that fits the season. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union this city has rapidly developed in a super modern & trendy place with many things to offer. It's a cultural mecca with its rich and sad history, it's a theater lovers paradise with world class performances in theaters you find on almost every street corner. And Moscow has a very vibrant nightlife, with restaurants and bars that beat the trendy places in New York or London in terms of decor and quality.

PEOPLE - KIDS FRIENDLY

Part of the reason for the rapid development and modernization is that they wanted Moscow to "shine" at the FIFA World Cup in 2018. A lot of money was invested in English signs and voice overs in the Metro, on constructing and updating buildings, sidewalks and parks. The World Cup also resulted in a much more open & friendly approach towards foreigners and you could see that the Russians where proud to share their beautiful Moscow with the rest of the world. There is definitely a language barrier and especially the older generation hardly speaks English. However, in many restaurants and among the younger generations the level of English is increasing rapidly. They will feel insecure about it, but if you're friendly and patient the Russians will definitely help you. Another very positive aspect of Russia is that the people are very kids friendly. You can skip lines, there are many kids facilities in restaurants and public places and people will help you in any way they can.

And if our personal experience after living for years in Moscow doesn't convince you, maybe this recognition by the World Travel Awards will:

Moscow wins tourism Oscar, overtaking Paris, London, NYC & others as worlds top city destination!

The World Travel awards is an organization that rewards leaders in the tourism, airline, hotel and hospitality sectors. Last year Moscow beat the usual suspects like London, Paris, New York and 15 other cities.

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin wrote on his Instagram account:

According to Sobyanin, almost 20 million tourists have already visited Moscow this year and the new visa policy will only make it easier for tourist to visit.

Enjoy this beautiful city!

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moscowliving Best City Trip Is It Safe to Travel to Moscow? - The Moscow Times

Travel guide to Athens: gods, sunshine, and souvlaki – Kiwi.com

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Danzig

For centuries, the living cradle of democracy has served as the immortal reminder of what humanity can accomplish and maintain

There arent many places carved in the history of humankind to such extent as Athens. From the invention of democracy to establishing the basics of drama and literature, outstanding architecture and innovation of every aspect of life, the Athenians have always been the pioneers of progress.

Group Created with Sketch. Athens cannot be called Western nor Eastern. Athens is Greek, and more importantly, Athenian ColorMaker / Shutterstock

While strolling through its streets, one cannot miss the variety of Athens different faces. With its tall buildings and contemporary shops, it can give the impression of being the first truly European city when approaching it from the East.

However, from the opposite direction, its food, music, and bustling street life give the visitor an undeniable Easter feeling. Nevertheless, it would be wrong to call Athens merely a memory of the Byzantine or the Ottoman Empire, and neither it could be called Western, nor Eastern. Athens is Greek, and more particularly, Athenian.

Despite having their line of development cut by foreign intruders for a few times in history, the people of Athens have always managed to start where they were forced to halt, to rebuild their heritage and place it on the worldspedestal.

While in the middle of the 19th century Athens was but a few villages scattered around the ruins of ancient temples, now the capital of Greece is home to more than 3.7 million inhabitants in its urban area almost one third of the whole Greek population.

Group Created with Sketch. Like other hilltop sites in ancient Greece, the Acropolis or the high city was both the place of worship or refuge when under attack Shutterstock

The metropolis now serves as the countryspolitical, economic, educational and cultural center and attracts huge numbers of visitors and expats.

With a plethora of temples, archaeological sites, and museums all around the area,Athens is a paradise for true history enthusiasts.

The city is home to the largest pedestrian zone in Europe. Stretching over 4 kilometers the area features an archaeological park that includes some of the numerous historical landmarks the city brims over with. Visitors can walk along the Ancient Agora, the Acropolis, Keramikos, or other places figures such as Pericles, Socrates or Plato strolled through in their everyday lives.

Like other hilltop sites in ancient Greece, the Acropolis or the high city was both the place of worship or refuge when under attack. Being the lasting testament of the Greek golden age, the sacred sites were built in the 5th century BCE.

Group Created with Sketch. Pantheon might have easily been the mightiest temple in the ancient world Shutterstock

Crowned by the mighty Parthenon temple, the site rises above modern Athens as the historical, cultural and literal highpoint. Once dedicated to the virgin god of wisdom and war, Athena, the massive structure, that might have easily been the mightiest temple in the ancient world, now relies on the support of modern cranes.

At the foot of the Acropolis, the Ancient Agora or a marketplace sprawls out from a surviving temple. For three thousand years Athenians gathered here to exchange goods, as well as news and gossip, making it the cultural hotspot of the old times.

While the Acropolis was the center or worship and ancient ceremonies, the Agora played the role of a beating heart of Athens where the roots of modern politics, culture, and science emerged during the times of Plato or Aristotle.

Group Created with Sketch. With colourful and cosy streets featuring many restaurants and souvenir shops, Plaka offers the calmer and more intimate side of Athens Nejdet Duzen / Shutterstock

Like many of major civilizations, ancient Greece had its peak and then it slowly vanished under the rule of their usurpers. To regain a majestic facade, Athens underwent a massive development in the 19th century. To explore the neoclassical style brought to the city during that period, head to Plaka.

Plaka offers the calmer and more intimate side of Athens, with colorful and cozy streets featuring many restaurants and souvenir shops, and mainly, lack of cars and noisy transportation.

To escape the speed and noise of the metropolis even more, head to Anafiotika. Built in the 19th century by the people who moved to Athens seeking work, this tiny oasis of tranquillity nestled beneath the walls of the Acropolis makes the buzz and hustle of Athens seem miles away.

Group Created with Sketch. Picturesque Anafiotika was built in the 19th century by the people who moved to Athens seeking work Shutterstock

To soak in the national pride of modern Greece, head to the Syntagma square. Guarded by flamboyant soldiers in peculiar uniforms, the royal palace now serves as the seat of the Greek parliament.

Syntagma square or constitution square remains a place of national importance. It was right there where the king promised a constitution to the Greek people after regaining the independence from the Ottoman Turks in the 19th century.

Group Created with Sketch. Soldiers guard the royal palace which now serves as the seat of the Greek parliament Shutterstock

Nowadays, Syntagma square belongs to the most crowded hubs in Athens with the largest metro station, a number of restaurants, cafes, and benches shadowed by trees that offer a short refuge from the strong Greek sun.

As the birthplace of the Olympic Games tradition, Athens can give you the notion of how ancient Greeks appreciated the culture of kalokagathia, the balance between a strong mind and body alike.

Group Created with Sketch. The all-marble Panathenaic Stadium hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the first modern Olympics in 1896 Shutterstock

As the only city in the world, Athen prides itself with a multi-purpose sports center made entirely of marble. After being refurbished, the Panathenaic Stadium or Kallimarmaro hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the first modern Olympics in 1896 while 4 of the 9 contested sports took place in the stadium as well.

Visit to Athens would not be even half the experience without trying the colorful supply of traditional dishes. As no Greek would take food lightly, there is the option of getting a Souvlaki, Saganaki, or Moussaka almost everywhere across the metropolis.

Group Created with Sketch. Greek cuisine is famous for its healthy and regional ingredients Shutterstock

Greek cuisine famously belongs to the healthiest and tastiest at the same time. The food underlines Mediterranean freshness and authentic taste, and it usually consists of local ingredients, mainly based on vegetables, olives and cheese, and the gifts of the sea. No Greek dinner could be served without the variety of tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini or aubergines, as well as fish and seafood.

Athens can easily be called one of the busiest hubs in the Aegean, Balkan, and East Mediterranean regions. Built in 2001 for the occasion of Athens being the host of the Olympic Games, its Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport belongs to the most passenger-friendly and efficient in the whole of Europe.

Located 27 kilometers from the center, the airport provides a plethora of connections. The airport Metro line an extension of the citysLine 3 heads to the downtown Syntagma and Monastirki stations.

Passengers can also use the suburban railway to Larissis Railway Station or express bus service to various stations across the metropolis.

Athens is also easily accessible by boat with the ancient and still functioning port Piraeus acting as the marine gateway to the city.

The whole city is connected by a metro system that has three lines in total. Some stations exhibit artifacts found during excavations for the system, which make the ride resemble an extraordinary visit to a museum.

There are also three tram lines that connect the metropolis with the southern suburbs, as well as diesel buses, natural gas buses and electric trolleybuses run by the Athens Urban Transport Organisation. As driving in the city can be rather stressful, it is recommended to leave your car at home.

Excerpt from:

Travel guide to Athens: gods, sunshine, and souvlaki - Kiwi.com

Mauritius to welcome prestigious polo tournament this summer – Breaking Travel News

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Danzig

Mauritius is set to host a prestigious polo match later in the year following the signing of a new partnership.

The news was announced at the annual Snow Polo World Cup, hosted each year in St. Moritz.

Arvind Bundhun, chief executive of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, made the announcement during a gala dinner hosted at Badrutts Palace Hotel.

He was welcomed to the stage by Reto Gaudenzi, chief executive of St. Moritz Snow Polo, and joined by Sanjiv Ramdanee, chief executive of Maradiva Villas Resort & Spa.

St Moritz hosts the only polo tournament on snow in the world.

More than 15,000 spectators were on hand to watch the action.

Polo enthusiasts from around the world gathered for an outstanding weekend of polo showcasing a variety of events.

These included polo clinics taught by former England team champion and Royal Salute World Polo ambassador, Malcolm Borwick, VIP luncheons on the frozen lake and endless flutes of Perrier-Jout champagne.

More Information

Arvind Bundhun, chief executive of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority is honoured by the World Travel Awards

Sanjiv Ramdanee, chief executive of Maradiva Villas Resort & Spa, claims a top World Travel Awards trophy

The date and host of the proposed Mauritian polo tournament will be revealed in the coming months.

Maradiva Villas Resort considered the Worlds Leading Luxury Villa Beach Resort - is expected to be closely involved.

Mauritius itself was recognised as the Worlds Most Romantic Destination, while also claiming the title of Indian Oceans Leading Tourist Board.

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Mauritius to welcome prestigious polo tournament this summer - Breaking Travel News

Beaches Resorts Debuts the All New Beaches Negril – eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Danzig

Sandals Resorts International is excited to announce that Beaches Negril, voted the most awarded resort for families in Negril, has completed an array of enhancements, making it the newest and trendiest resort for families everywhere. The new Beaches Negril offers guests the most spectacular interior dcor, furnishings and fixtures in all of its modern rooms, including the resorts luxurious walkout suites: the Tropical Beachfront Three-Bedroom Walkout Grand Butler Family Suite and the Tropical Beachfront One-Bedroom Walkout Grand Concierge Family Suite.

TheWalkout Grand Butler Family Suite features the most beautiful beachfront viewsimaginable, three bedrooms, four full bathrooms with a bathtub and shower, anda living room leading out to a private walkout patio for guests to bask in thetropical garden and beach views. The Walkout Grand Concierge Family Suite isconveniently just steps from the main pool, offering a king-size bed, spaciousliving room with French doors leading out to the patio, two pullout sofas, atrundle bed and two beautifully designed marble bathrooms. In addition to thereimagined walkout suites, Beaches Negril is also introducing its new andimproved family rooms the Grand Luxe Family Rooms. These rooms feature eithera king-size bed and single pullout sofa bed or two double beds to choose from,while offering a beautiful tropical garden view for families.

Justlast year, Beaches Negril kicked off the cosmetic upgrades by introducing ninenew luxurious rooms and suites for guests, giving them even morefamily-friendly accommodation options to choose from that each radiatesophistication. These new suites included: the Negril Luxury Double, which issituated near a variety of restaurants and the main pool, offering stunningviews of lush gardens from a private patio or balcony; the Tropical BeachfrontTwo-Bedroom Grand Butler Family Suite, which boasts two bedrooms, three fullbathrooms and a living room that leads out to a private balcony overlooking theresorts tropical gardens, and seven equally other amazing suites to choosefrom.

Asidefrom its reimagined luxurious room accommodations, Beaches Negril offers morequality 5-Star inclusions than any other family-resort in the Caribbean. From5-Star Global Gourmet dining at nine restaurants, including trendy Mexicancuisine at El Mariachi or delicious frozen yogurt at Yoyos, to nonstop actionat the 18,000 square-foot Pirates Island Waterpark, to the Caribbean Adventurewith Sesame Street themed activities, and to a wide variety of unlimited waterand land sports, Beaches Negril has been named Jamaicas LeadingAll-Inclusive Family Resort by the World Travel Awards for a reason.

Notto mention, Beaches Negril truly is the resort for everyone, as BeachesResorts attained the Advanced Certified Autism Center (ACAC) designation by theInternational Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards(IBCCES). This certification allows Beaches Negril to offer families withchildren on the spectrum a myriad of specialized services, engaging activitiesand custom dining options so that all families can enjoy a memorable, LuxuryIncluded vacation experience.

To learn more about the fully renovated, all-inclusive Beaches Negril, please visit https://www.beaches.com/resorts/negril/. For a list of current deals and resort specials please visit https://www.beaches.com/deals/resort-specials/.

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Beaches Resorts Debuts the All New Beaches Negril - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News

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