Woot is ending the week with a refurbished sale on the 15-inch MacBook Pro, available in multiple storage sizes and colors. The sale starts with the 256GB SSD model (16GB RAM, Intel Core i7) for $1,579.99.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Woot. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

For more storage, the 512GB SSD model (16GB RAM, Intel Core i9) is on sale for $1,849.99. Woot's refurbished sales are offering more than $800 in savings when compared to the original prices of these notebooks, which began at $2,399.00 when they launched in May 2019.

Similar to previous Woot sales, each MacBook Pro comes with a One Year Limited Woot Warranty. Each device has been refurbished and is ensured to be in full working condition. When shipped, they are packaged in a generic white box.

You can find even more discounts on new MacBooks by visiting our Best Deals guide for MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. In this guide we track the steepest discounts for the newest MacBook models every week, so be sure to bookmark it and check back often if you're shopping for a new Apple notebook.

For this week's giveaway, we've once again teamed up with Throwboy to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win one of Throwboy's plushes modeled after classic Apple products and icons.


Throwboy makes a whole range of different plush pillow options priced at $30 to $40, with each one designed to look like an Apple product of some kind, including classic Macs, the iPod, the iPhone, and more. Each pillow features detailed embroidery and careful construction to highlight each component and to accurately represent Apple's designs.

The 1998 pillow, for example, is modeled after Apple's original iMac with its bright Bondi Blue design, while the 2001 pillow modeled after the original iPod comes complete with a screen and click wheel embroidery.


The 2007 pillow looks like the original ‌iPhone‌ with black bezels and a silver backing, and the Icon Pillow looks like Apple's classic happy Finder icon.


There's even a rainbow-colored Spinning Wheel Pillow that's designed to look like the dreaded spinning pinwheel that the cursor morphs into when an application is busy.


All of Throwboy's plushes are soft, squishy, huggable, and the perfect accent piece for an Apple fan. Each pillow is the ideal size to be used as a comfortable throw pillow for a couch or a chair. Photos of the pillows in action can be seen on Throwboy's Instagram account.


We have 10 of Throwboy's pillows to give away to MacRumors readers, and each winner will be able to pick their favorite pillow: ‌iMac‌, iPod, classic ‌iPhone‌, Finder Icon, or Spinning Wheel.

To enter to win our ‌giveaway‌, use the Gleam.io widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the ‌giveaway‌ restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

Apple in mid-April reopened Apple Garosugil, its lone store in South Korea, located in the Seoul's Gangnam District.


Apple's South Korea reopening has served as a test ground for further store reopenings, and Apple created an instructional video on reopening practices that's now being shared with other retail employees around the world as they prepare to reopen stores. We're not able to share the video, but it provides a good overview of the measures Apple is putting in place to safely operate retail locations.

Retail employees are following a strict set of guidelines that very heavily emphasize social distancing of two meters (or six feet in the United States). Apple is taking the following measures:

• Prior to when work starts, all employees undergo a health screening complete with a temperature check, with the results logged in a daily spreadsheet.


• Daily briefings are done in the mornings in the Forum area at Apple Stores, with employees making sure to sit at least two meters apart.


• Prior to being allowed in the store, customers are also given a temperature check.


• All ‌Apple Stores‌ are providing hand sanitizer, which customers are encouraged to use.


• Stores are limiting the number of people inside, forming lines with customers waiting at least two meters apart.


• Products purchased by customers or returned after repair are delivered from the back in a relay system, being handed off from employee to employee to allow each person to stay in a separated zone without back and forth.


• Product specialists and Genius Bar staff are positioning themselves across tables away from customers in order to maintain distance.


• In the forum area, employees sit one cube away from customers they're interacting with.


• Employees are encouraged to communicate with one another through the Talk app to cut down on unnecessary movement within the store.


• Half of the workstations in the back are empty, with employees working at alternating workstations to keep more distance between them.


• Tables have been rearranged to put products on corners to prevent customers from being near one another.


• Products on tables have been reduced.


• Communal tables and couches have been removed from employee break rooms and have been replaced with individual chairs evenly spaced about the room.


• Operating hours are reduced.


• Employees are all wearing face masks.

On Wednesday, May 1, 2019, Flayrah contributor 2cross2affliction wrote in the article 'Sonic the Hedgehog' ... the movie ... the trailer:

Fun fact: no movie directly adapted from a video game has ever scored as "fresh" on the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes. [...] But, a new challenger approaches! [...] The question of whether this movie is going to be any good, perhaps unfairly, has mostly already been answered by the Internet. The answer so far has been no. No. Just no. Okay, maybe Jim Carrey? But otherwise, why? Why the human teeth? Why ten times?

Whoops. Turns out Sonic the Hedgehog somehow, against the odds, is rated Fresh by Rotten Tomatoes, with a score of 64% positive reviews from 175 professional opinions, as of this writing.

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Rick May, best known to furries and non-furries alike as the voice of Peppy Hare in the English version of the game Star Fox 64 passed away April 13, 2020 due to COVID-19. May was born September 21, 1940 (with the full name of Richard J. May), meaning he would have turned 80 later this year. May had also recently suffered a stroke in February, making him even more vulnerable to the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

May will forever be known as the man who originally uttered the memetic line "Do a barrel roll! (Z or R twice.)" in Star Fox 64, explaining to players how to perform what is technically an aileron roll in order to deflect enemy attacks. May also played the villain of Star Fox 64, Andross. Outside of furry video games, May is probably best known for voicing the Soldier of Team Fortress 2; furries might also recognize his voice behind the villainous Dr. M from the third Sly Cooper game. In addition to voice work for video games, May has had a long history of working both on and for the stage as both a director and actor, beginning with USO shows while stationed in Japan. His part in a Renton, Washington production of Cotton Patch Gospel featured a combination of his voice and stage work, as he used different voices to portray 21 characters in what was reportedly his favorite stage role.

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Fortnite Battle Royale (or just Fortnite) is a “battle royale” shooter that has been around since 2017, and while its getting a bit long in the tooth, it’s still hanging around and still free to play. Last year, the game finally implemented skill-based matchmaking, which means for casual and new players, it’s never been easier to get into. In many ways, it is comparable to Nintendo properties such as Super Smash Bros. or Mario Kart, taking a more traditionally “hardcore” video game genre and making it more accessible with gimmicky gameplay, goofy items, cartoony visuals and massive amounts of RNG.

Of course, the game isn’t exactly furry in and of itself, but the game makes its money selling cosmetic upgrades to player’s in game characters, and quite a few of them feature either characters in animal costumes, or, more recently, straight up anthropomorphic animals. In the time-honored tradition of clickbait listicals, here is my ranking of those skins.

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After being elected in 2008 on "hope and change", "change you can believe in", and "change the way Washington works", President Obama now says that he cannot change Washington from the inside? Then why should we re-elect him in 2012? Continue reading →

Berlin needs an independent candidate on its Town Council to counter and prevent the dominance of a major political party from unilaterally imposing its agenda and will on the citizens of Berlin. Our Town Council has been voting along strict party lines on key issues even though members pledged to reach across the aisle. It has dismissed or circumvented the results of referendums, reducing them to mere dog-and-pony shows. Berlin has more unaffiliated voters than those of the two major parties. Let's petition, nominate, and place on the ballot an independent candidate to represent these citizens and prevent the control of our Town by the dominant party on the Town Council. If interested, please contact us: berlinctpropertyownersassn@gmail.com. Continue reading →

December 6, 2015, 10:50 AM|Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, believes there must be an international coalition led by Arab nations in the fight against ISIS. Continue reading →

Green Party's Jill Stein says that what we Fear from Donald Trump is what we have already seen from Hillary Clinton. Continue reading →

Donald Trump sold out his supporters and the 99% by selecting Wall Streeters and war mongers for his top cabinet positions. Continue reading →

Lobbyists are buying our government out from under us Continue reading →

NCIS and NCIS: New Orleans will air the first new episodes of 2017 tonight. You can find sneak peeks, tweets and photos...

NCIS: Los Angeles will air the first new episode of 2017 tonight. “Kulinda” is scheduled to start at 8:00pm ET/PT. (If anything...

The Weather Company, an IBM Business announced today that it is enhancing its global flight operations solution WSI Fusion, with live flight tracking data from FlightAware. WSI Fusion provides early insight into changing flight, airport and airspace conditions, enabling aviation providers to carefully plan and track flights, optimize operations and reduce the impacts of disruptive events. With the addition of FlightAware’s data, including its private network of over 12,000 Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B) ground stations in over 160 countries, WSI Fusion customers will have access to enhanced flight following capabilities worldwide.

IBM Security, Packet Clearing House (PCH) and The Global Cyber Alliance (GCA) today launched a free service designed to give consumers and businesses added privacy and security protection as they access the internet. The new Quad9 Domain Name System (DNS) service helps protect users from accessing millions of malicious internet sites known to steal personal information, infect users with ransomware and malware, or conduct fraudulent activity.

My last column was about crisis management lessons I learned back in 1979 while investigating the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the President’s Commission on the Accident at Three Mile Island (TMI). Let’s just say that FEMA wasn’t ready for a nuclear meltdown. Today we turn to the other federal agency I investigated at that same time — the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). While FEMA was simply unprepared and incompetent, the NRC was unprepared and lied about it. Like FEMA, the NRC had recently undergone a rebranding from its previous identity as the Atomic Energy Commission — a schizoid agency that had been charged with both regulating nuclear power and promoting it. It’s difficult to be the major booster of technology while at the same […]






Digital Branding
Web Design
Marketing

As the new school year begins, elementary school teachers across the United States are now able to access a new, free online tool designed to provide elementary school teachers with targeted math resources for their kindergarten through fifth grade classrooms.

IBM and AT&T* today announced they have entered into a definitive agreement for IBM to acquire Sterling Commerce from AT&T for approximately $1.4 billion in cash. The acquisition of the Dublin, OH-based company will expand IBM's ability to help organizations create more intelligent and dynamic business networks by simplifying and automating the way they connect and communicate with customers, partners and suppliers both on-premise or through cloud computing delivery models.

IBM today announced new systems highly-tuned and optimised to help clients more quickly draw insights from vast amounts of data to anticipate emerging business trends, capture new opportunities and avoid risks. These new optimised systems support all environments in a data center, enabling clients to handle higher volumes of transactions and analyse data where it resides.

IBM Security today announced a new capability from IBM Trusteer that helps banks identify fraudulent accounts before they are opened. The technology also protects consumers even if they are not a customer of the bank being targeted with the fake account.

A Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre study has demonstrated the potential for artificial intelligence to help reduce the time for clinicians to match lung cancer patients to relevant clinical trials.

Questions and answers, the former from adrian_turtle, who is awesome, and at least one of the latter stolen from hobbitbabe, who is also awesome.

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Darth Sidious’s master plan becomes reality, and the galaxy will never be the same.

These lines are impressive. Most impressive.

Get behind-the-scenes peeks from the production of The Mandalorian with personal photos from Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, and many more.

Luke Skywalker discovers a powerful lesson that can be valuable to your own younglings.

Two StarWars.com writers debate Luke’s choice in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.

In the chilling series finale, Ahsoka and Rex try to survive Order 66 and plot one final escape.

When Chris and I were at GenCon this year, we had the chance to sit down with a few of our favorite publishers for some 1 on 1 interviews and get information on upcoming releases from their catalog. I wanted to share some of this info with you guys to aid you in planning your board game purchases. 

Japanime Games

Domina Anthology featuring Argot, Miraris, and Pralaya (2019 4th quarter or 2020 1st quarter expected Kickstarter delivery then retail release) .
This anthology of games from Japanime is illustrated by Qtonagi and features games originally released by Domina from 2015-2017. Argoat is a worker placement game in which players travel trough the land looking for pieces to get to Eden and escape the nightmare of their current reality (bonus – it’s colorblind friendly). Pralaya is  competitive press your luck set collection game reminiscent of Forbidden Island in which your island is sinking and you must collect relics and pay the boatman to get off the island before it sinks. Miraris is a competitive bidding social game in which a row of cards equal to the number of players is established. All players choose a card from their hand and then all chosen cards are revealed simultaneously and placed in numerical order in a new row above the existing row of cards. Players get to claim the card from the initial row located underneath their number. If more than 1 player has revealed the same number, none of them get to claim a card. Also, there are secret objectives involved. Note: Japanime is taking pre-orders for the Domina Anthology on the Kickstarter page here: https://japanimegames.pledgemanager.com/projects/domina-anthology-featuring-pralaya-miraris-and-arg/participate/

Tanto Cuore 10th Anniversary Edition (coming to Kickstarter in the near term. Exact date TBD).





Core Connection: Rise of Atlantis (straight to retail release 2020 1st quarter). Atlantis is rising and player must stop robots from taking over. Tableau building game. Pre-order here: https://japanimegames.com/products/core-connection-rise-of-atlantis





Finally, while details are still tightly under wraps, Japanime did let me in on the news that they are developing some non anime board games centered on themes of Japan such as Japanese cuisine. These will be a mix of Kickstarter and straight to retail offerings in 2020 and beyond.


Calliope Games

Ship Shape (out now; released at GenCon). This game, designed by Rob Daviau, centers on strategically arranging crates in the hull of a cargo ship in a attempt to earn the most victory points.
Scoring is based on what you can see in the hold when viewing directly from above. The game includes friendly catch-up mechanisms. The story goes that Rob had a loose idea in mind for a packing game but it wasn’t fully developed until after Calliope approached him and asked him to design a game for their audience (Calliope focuses exclusively on family friendly gateway games that can be played in under an hour and accommodate 2-6 players) .


Tsuro (originally released 10 years ago; Calliope still enjoys healthy sales of the game that started it all; expect to see 10th Anniversary press and promos forthcoming).

Spymaster (estimated retail release 2019 3rd quarter). Players take on the role of spy agency chiefs attempting to accomplish their missions.

Everyone Loves a Parade (estimated retail release 2019 3rd quarter). In this dice rolling game, players compete to create the best parade float.

Tsuro: Phoenix Rising (estimated retail release 2019 4th quarter). 3rd and latest release in Tsuro line.






Matagot




Paris New Eden (will be released at Essen 2019). In this medium-weight worker placement dice game, players navigate a post-apocalyptic Paris landscape, attempting to use survivors to rebuild the city.





Kolossol Games



Omen: Heir to the Dunes (coming to Kickstarter 2019 3rd quarter). This is the latest release in the Omen series. A standalone expansion,  it’s the largest edition to the series since Omen: Reign of War that was released in 2011. It is set in ancient Egypt and introduces factions and structures.





Almanac (coming to Kickstarter date TBD) is a choose your own adventure system resource management game.



Renegade Game Studios

There are so many recently released and upcoming games coming out from Renegade that I’m going to break them down by quarter.

Recently Released

Proving Grounds is the first release in the solo hero series. These are immersive narrative dice games designed for solo mode. A novella or graphic novel is include with each release for full engagement.

Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated (not to be confused with the Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated - Upper Management Pack that is also out now). This game introduces legacy elements into Clank! . Players can create a franchise of the Aquisitions Incorporated company and steer the franchise in a direction toward victory.

2019 3rd Quarter

The Aquicorn Cove Board Game is based on a graphic novel. It has an environmental theme and features water dwelling unicorns. It’s a step up in complexity from the Tea Dragon Society card game but still family friendly and features a bit of the press your luck mechanism.

ClipCut Parks is a twist on the roll and write genre. It’s a roll and cut game and includes the required scissors. Players compete to build parks.

Gates of Delirium is the latest game from the designers of Lotus (Jordan and Mandy Goddard). Players take on the role of investigators exploring a map and trying to keep gates that hold back horrible monsters (from the H.P. Lovecraft universe of creatures) from opening. At least that’s what they do while they are sane. Actions available to players differ based on their mental state of sane or insane. When players are insane, they work to open the gates. Note: We had the chance to play this with one of the designers overseeing and available to answer questions at Renegade Rally during GenCon and I LOVED IT. I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy and get it on the table to give you guys a more thorough report.



2019 4th Quarter





Paladins of the West Kingdom is the second strategy game in the West Kingdom trilogy. It ships to Kickstarter backers in the 3rd quarter of 2019 but won’t be available in retail stores until the 4th quarter. This one will be a heavier game than Architects and features engine building as a path to victory.



Clank! In! Space!: Cyber Station 11 is the latest expansion for Clank in Space. I don’t have a lot of details on this upcoming release but I assume if you’ve been a fan of the previous CIS expansions, this one will not disappoint.

2020 1st Quarter

Fox in the Forest Duet. The follow up to the widely popular 2 player trick taking game Fox in the Forest, this new release is a cooperative trick taking game for 2 players.

Eternal: Chronicles of the Throne is a player vs player deck builder currently available from Renegade. The second title in the series will be released in the 1st quarter of 2020 with organized play kits for in store play also available.

Warp’s Edge by Scott Almes will be the second release in the solo hero series I described above.

In development for 2020 and beyond (no specific quarter details given)

Vampire: the Masquerade – Chapters is a narrative role playing board game for up to 4 players.
It includes detailed miniatures and you can track the Kickstarter launch here: http://www.vampirethemasquerade-chapters.com//

Power Rangers: Heroes of the Grid. Ok, so there is a detailed description of this upcoming release on the Renegade web site as well as on BGG but they lost me at Power Rangers so I couldn’t find the motivation to go look this up.

Gods of Metal RPG. I don’t have many details on this title but the slideshow presentation during the Renegade Rally was quite impressive. There a decent overlap between heavy metal music fans and RPG fans and Renegade has that intersection on the Venn diagram in mind with this release. What I do know is that you’re definitely going to want to curate a kick-ass soundtrack to play alongside this.

Wardlings RPG. In partnership with WizKids, every character has a familiar who whisks them away when their life is in danger (no death=kid-friendly). When a character is whisked away they wake up the next morning in their bed a year older. Eventually characters age out of the thematic setting and can be shifted to a standard D&D RPG.  This RPG was actually first announced back in March and the press release has more details.

Finally, there is a new title coming out set in the Scott Pilgrim universe featuring minis. There aren’t a lot of details available on it but if you loved the graphic novel or the 2010 movie, my guess is you will want to be all over this.

What’s Missing From the Coronavirus Bill

The public health and economic crises we’re experiencing are closely related. They reveal in stark terms the dangerous mythology of trickle-down self-sufficiency and the need for policies that respond to the real needs of people who are or will soon be affected.

But Trump doesn’t seem to understand that. Before agreeing to an actual coronavirus relief bill, his administration was considering more corporate tax cuts, tax cuts targeted to the airlines and hospitality industries, and a temporary payroll tax cut. 

But tax cuts will be useless. They’ll be too slow to stimulate the economy, and won’t reach households and consumers who should be the real targets. And they’ll reward the rich, who don’t spend much of their additional dollars, without getting money into the hands of the poor and middle-class, who do.

Thankfully, Congress has moved forward on some of the most urgent priorities like free coronavirus testing, strengthening unemployment insurance and food security programs. But it doesn’t go far enough.

Instead, Congress must immediately provide an emergency $500 billion to help all Americans protect themselves and their families, and keep the economy going.

The money should be used for:

Coronavirus testing and treatment. Diagnostic tests should be mandatory and universal, and free. And everyone with the virus should have access to treatment and to any future vaccines, regardless of ability to pay.

Guaranteed paid sick leave for ALL employees. The current relief bill does cover paid sick leave for some but has huge carve-outs, exempting all companies with over 500 employees and some small businesses under 50 employees. That exclusion could affect up to 20 million Americans. Without guaranteed paid sick leave and family leave, workers who are sick will not remain home and will end up exposing others.

Extended unemployment insurance. Without it, large numbers of Americans will be furloughed or laid off without adequate income to support themselves and their families. As it is, unemployment insurance reaches a measly 27 percent of the unemployed. 

Extended Medicaid. No one should avoid seeing a doctor because of fears about out-of-control medical bills. Right now, 28 million Americans have no health insurance, and countless more are reluctant to see a doctor because of large deductions or co-payments. Especially in a health emergency, health care should be available to all regardless of ability to pay. 

Immediate one-time payments of $1,500 to every adult and $500 per child, renewable if necessary. Some consumers might spend the money right away to meet rent if they lose their regular paycheck. Others might have stronger balance sheets and spend the money at whatever uncertain date the virus is contained. 

Suspension of the Trump administration’s “public charge” rule that enables federal officials to deny green cards to immigrants who use social safety net programs. Programs like, Medicaid, Food Stamps, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, and Women Infants and Children are more important than ever.

For the same reason, testing and treatment should be available to undocumented immigrants, without fear of deportation.

Trickle-down economics and trickle-down public health are deeply flawed. Corporate tax cuts won’t save us. The coronavirus doesn’t distinguish between rich and poor. We are in this imminent health and economic emergency together, and our own health and wellbeing are dependent on the health and wellbeing of everyone else. 

Each of us is only as healthy as the least-healthy among us.

Societies gripped by cataclysmic wars, depressions, or pandemics can become acutely sensitive to...

From Ukraine to Coronavirus: Trump’s Abuse of Power Continues

Donald Trump has spent a lifetime exploiting chaos for personal gain and blaming others for his losses. The pure madness in America’s response to the coronavirus pandemic – shortages of equipment to protect hospital workers, dwindling supplies of ventilators and critical medications, jaw-dropping confusion over how $2.2 trillion of aid in the recent coronavirus law will be distributed – has given him the perfect cover to hoard power and boost his chances of reelection.

As the death toll continues to climb and states are left scrambling for protective gear and crucial resources, Trump is focused on only one thing: himself. 

He’s told governors to find life-saving equipment on their own, claiming the federal government is “not a shipping clerk” and subsequently forcing states and cities into a ruthless bidding war.

Governors have been reduced to begging FEMA for supplies from the dwindling national stockpile, with vastly different results. While we haven’t seen what “formula” FEMA supposedly has for determining who gets what, reports suggest that Trump’s been promising things to governors who can get him on the phone. 

Our narcissist-in-chief has ordered FEMA to circumvent their own process and send supplies to states that are “appreciative”.

Michigan and Colorado have received fractions of what they need while Oklahoma and Kentucky have gotten more than what they asked for. Colorado and Massachusetts have confirmed shipments only to have them held back by FEMA. Ron DeSantis, the Trump-aligned governor of Florida, refused to order a shelter-in-place mandate for weeks, but then received 100% of requested supplies within 3 days. New Jersey waited for two weeks. New York now has more cases than any other single country, but Trump barely lifted a finger for his hometown because Governor Andrew Cuomo is “complaining” about the catastrophic lack of ventilators in the city.

A backchannel to the president is a shoe-in way to secure life-saving supplies. Personal flattery seems to be the most effective currency with Trump; the chain of command runs straight through his ego, and that’s what the response has been coordinated around.

He claims that as president he has “total authority” over when to lift quarantine and social distancing guidelines, and threatens to adjourn Congress himself so as to push through political appointees without Senate confirmation.

And throughout all of this, Trump has been determined to reject any attempt of independent oversight into his administration’s disastrous response.

When he signed the $2 trillion emergency relief package into law, he said he wouldn’t agree to provisions in the bill for congressional oversight – meaning the wheeling-and-dealing will be done in secret.

He has removed the inspector general leading the independent committee tasked with overseeing the implementation of the massive bill.

He appointed one of his own White House lawyers, who helped defend him in his impeachment trial, to oversee the distribution of the $500 billion slush fund for corporations. That same day, he fired Inspector General Michael Atkinson – the inspector general who handed the whistleblower complaint to Congress that ultimately led to Trump’s impeachment.

There should never have been any doubt that Trump would try to use this crisis to improve his odds of re-election.

Stimulus checks going to the lowest-income earners were delayed because Trump demanded each one of them bear his name. As millions of the hardest-hit Americans scrambled to put food on the table and worried about the stack of bills piling up, Trump’s chief concern was himself.

It doesn’t matter that this is a global pandemic. Abusing his power for personal gain is Trump’s MO.

Just three and a half months ago, Trump was impeached on charges of abuse of power and obstructing investigations. Telling governors that they need to “be appreciative” in order to receive life-saving supplies for their constituents is the same kind of quid pro quo that Trump tried to extort from Ukraine, and his attempts to thwart independent oversight are the same as his obstruction of Congress.

Trump called his impeachment a “hoax”. He initially called the coronavirus a “hoax”. But the real hoax is his commitment to America. In reality he will do anything – anything – to hold on to power.

To Donald Trump, the coronavirus crisis is just another opportunity.

It occurs to me I really ought to have mentioned here that an old friend of mine has been borrowing my YouTube account recently to let his friends know how he's coping with self-isolation. (The answer, perhaps unsurprisingly, is 'pretty well').

Here's the first, of seven so far.

U.S. Unemployment Reaches 14.7 Percent – Chart from Great Depression Shows Risks Ahead

By Pam Martens and Russ Martens: May 8, 2020 ~   The data is out this morning and it’s not pretty. Nonfarm payrolls collapsed by 20.5 million jobs in April and the unemployment rate rose to 14.7 percent. The United States is now seeing the worst unemployment rates since the Great Depression. We prepared the above chart from data available at the Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) archives at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Following the stock market crash of October 29, 1929, it was not until August 1931 that the unemployment rate reached 15.01 percent. We’re now at 14.7 percent unemployment from a rate of 3.5 percent just two months ago in February. Consider using the chart above to figure out just how much cash on hand you need to maintain.

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Well, nothing major to report this month, except at least we have some content: The conference I first showed my Reverse Emulation project at in 2018 (Deconstruct) finally posted the video of my talk, which was called "Improper Hierarchy." The talk is of course similar to the living room CRT video I put on youtube, but it might be interesting even if you've already seen that (watching it a year later, there are at least some funny ad-libbed parts IMO!). The video production is very high quality (in general the conference was very well run and the speaker experience in particular I heartily endorse) but also quite serious-seeming, so I like how it comes across as some bizarro-world TED talk.

This month I've made some progress on another video, which maybe I can wrap up this weekend. Nothing too grandeur, though. Sometimes hard to keep that under control!

Also: I played through Minit, which was a really excellent and creative little game (can finish it in an evening) that I super recommend. I just started The Messenger which definitely has some charms and surprises; I need to finish it before I can decide between "good" and "great" but I think I can at least recommend it if you like exploration-style platformers.

6月13日(土)開催バースデーライブ！「KIMERU Live 2020 Halloween Party Birthday」急遽アニメイトにてのチケット先行発売が決定！なんと!!!このアニメイト特別先行にてご購入の方には特典として「直筆サイン入り仮装衣装ブロマイド」が付いてきます！(特典はライブ当日に会場にてお渡しになります)ライブ当日にも着用する仮装衣装のブロマイド♪♪ライブの記念に是非Getしてください！受付期間は本日4月4日(土)10:00〜4月12日(日)までの約1週間の期間限定！まだチケットをゲットしてない方はこのレアな特典が付く先行にお申し込みを！！今回のライブに向けて新曲も制作中！先日はライブの衣装なども打ち合わせしました♪ライブに向けて着々と準備を進めております！ハロウィン×KIMERUバースデー!!KIMERUのライブはノリが良い曲も多く、一緒に体を動かしたり、コールをしたり、みんなで一緒に楽しめる曲も多くあります★初めての人でもご安心を！ライブ中に事前にKIMERUのレクチャーもありますので初めての人でも一緒に楽しめますよ♪6月はみんなで体を動かし声を日頃の鬱憤を発散しましょう！6月はライブでみなさんと一緒に楽しんでKIMERUのバースデーをお祝いできることを楽しみにしています♪ご来場お待ちしております！KIMERU Live 2020 Halloween Party Birthday Birthday×Halloween仮装のスペシャルライブ!!熱～～～～～いライブになること間違いなし★みんなで騒いで、KIMERUをお祝いしましょう!! ◇日程：6月13日(土)　 OPEN 12:30/START 13:00◇会場：青山RizM◇チケット　※別途ドリンク代・スタンディング　 5,500円◇チケットお申込み<先行発売> ※抽選●アニメイト特別先行申込URL:https://www.animate-onlineshop.jp/pn/pd/1776119/受付期間：4月4日（土）10:00～4月12日（日）23:59当落入金：4月15日（水）～4月19日（日）23:59特典：サイン入り仮装衣装ブロマイド ◇ライブに関する注意事項・ドレスコードはございません。・ペンライトは使用禁止と致します。・台風によりライブ中止になった同じ会場で調整しておりましたが、都合が合わず【青山RizM】に変更なりました。・同日開催ファンクラブ会員限定ツアーイベント 「KIMERUのミニトラ続きをみる

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6月13日〜14日開催！ ファンクラブ会員限定ツアーイベント「KIMERUのミニ・トラベリング・とらぶる？ vol.10.5A 〜箱根でバースデーハロウィン編〜」２次募集を本日より受付開始！受付は4月28日(火)15:00まで！これがお申し込みのラストチャンスです！ファンクラブ未会員の方でも、お申し込みと同時入会で参加可能！ご入会方法はこちら！ ★KIMERU FCでは、FC限定ページにて新コーナーのボイスブログ更新中！さらに会報誌ではFCだけでしか話さないエピソードやKIMERU手書きメッセージなど限定コンテンツも盛りだくさん！ 今回の旅は、1泊2日の箱根旅行！箱根でハロウィン！？バースデーのお祝い！？そんな今回のミニトラの旅行プランのおさらいです！6月13日のライブ後からのスタート♪(ライブチケット別途発売中です。詳しくはこちら)KIMERUとバスに乗り込んで、箱根へGO！！ホテルは「ザ・プリンス 箱根芦ノ湖」お泊まり♪ 1日目はホテルで仮装衣装のKIMERUと2shot撮影！仮装をしたい方は是非ともご準備を。さらに！初の試み！！あなたのカメラやスマートフォンでKIMERUを撮れる撮影会も！！ 2shot撮影&撮影会は事前に順番をお伝えしますので、それ以外の時間は各自でホテルで絶品料理のお食事&絶景温泉をご堪能ください♪ ちなみにホテルの温泉は芦ノ湖が一望できる絶景!!自家源泉「蛸川温泉」を使用されており、露天風呂や内湯、ミストサウナもあるそうですよ！ライブ後に入る温泉をKIMERUも楽しみにしてます♪ 1日目の締めは恒例のお部屋訪問！KIMERUがあなたのお部屋へおじゃまします♪お部屋でKIMERUのお祝いや1日目の感想を伝えたり...楽しいお時間をお過ごしください♪2日目は箱根観光！らくやき体験で絵付けにチャレンジ！もちろんKIMERUも参加します♪オリジナルのお土産を作って思い出と共にお持ち帰りできます♪今回のKIMERUデートタイムは2パターン☆海賊船でのデート or 箱根ガラスの美術館でのデート！当日どちらになるか決まります。あなたのKIMERUとデートはどちらになるかな！？バスや船の移動中もKIMERUとのトークを予定しています♪今回もボリューム満点の1泊2日の旅！本人も今から楽しみにしています！今回はなんと！旅行後にも楽しみが！！参加者全員には特典として6月17日KIMERUバースデー当日に「KIMERUからスペシャルメッセージ」がメールにて届きます♪常連さんはもちろん！初めての方でも！お一人様や男性のファンも皆さんwelcome★気になるけど初めてで不安...という方！KIMERUのファンクラブはアットホームなのでご安心ください♪(参加者みな"初参加"を体験してますので気持ちは同じです。。)食事などのグループ毎になる際は、KIMERUのFCイベントでは毎回恒例の"お一人様テーブル"をご用意！毎回お一人様テーブルも盛り上がり、ファン同士でお友達になっ続きをみる

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「VR Presents 『CROSS OVER CARNIVAL』」開催延期のお知らせ2020年5月17日(日)に東京・SHIBUYA REXで出演を予定しておりました「VR Presents 『CROSS OVER CARNIVAL』」公演ですが、新型コロナウイルス感染症拡大予防と、政続きをみる

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6月13日(土)開催のバースデーライブ「KIMERU Live 2020 Halloween Party Birthday」好評につき、アニメイトにてチケット追加先行が決定！追加先行でもアニメイト限定特典のブロマイドが付きますので、前回逃した方はこの機会にぜひお申込みください♪さらに！yahooチケット先行でも2次受付を開始！この受付が先行発売のラストチャンス★「KIMERU Live 2020 Halloween Party Birthday」◇日程2020年6月13日(土) OPEN 12:30/START 13:00◇会場青山RizM◇チケット　※別途ドリンク代・スタンディング　 5,500円●アニメイト追加先行申込URL:https://www.animate-onlineshop.jp/pn/pd/1776119/受付期間：4月21日(火)10:00～2020年5月19日(火)23:59当落入金：5月22日(金)～5月25日(月)23:59特典：仮装衣装ブロマイド 　※サインはありません。●Yahoo!チケット2次先行申込URL：https://ticket.yahoo.co.jp/tour/00004935/受付期間：4月22日(水)15:00～5月18日(月)23:59続きをみる

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6月13日〜14日開催のファンクラブ会員限定ツアーイベント！「KIMERUのミニ・トラベリング・とらぶる？ vol.10.5A 〜箱根でバースデーハロウィン編〜」の最終申込が4/28(火) 18:00まで！ファンクラブ未会員の方でも、お申し込みと同時入会で参加可能！これがお申し込みのラストチャンス！今回の旅は1泊2日の箱根旅行★トラとら？恒例の2shot撮影や、お部屋訪問デートタイムはもちろん！今回は初の試みの撮影会も!!詳しい内容はこちらをCheck！この状況下の為、みなさんの安全を第一に考慮し開催の判断を致しますが、みなさんで楽しい時間を過ごせることを祈って...ご参加お待ちしております♪-------------ファンクラブ会員限定ツアーイベント「KIMERUのミニ・トラベリング・とらぶる？ vol.10.5A 〜箱根でバースデーハロウィン編〜」■旅行期間2020年6月13日(土)〜14日(日)※旅行の詳細はお申込みサイトからご確認下さい。■早期申込み期間4月28日(火)15:00まで※最終募集とな続きをみる

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＜!!緊急告知!!＞ファンクラブShining限定オンラインイベント「KIMERUのティータイム」開催決定！このご時世だからこそ、今回限りの限定イベント緊急企画！KIMERUとオンラインでおしゃべり!!アカペラでリクエスト曲も歌うかも!?(※自宅なので大声は出せません)なかなかステージ上のKIMERUと会えない日々が続きますが、心は近くに。ステイホーム期間は自宅に居ながら、オンラインでKIMERUとまったりお話ししましょう♪なんと！1回につき最大5人！KIMERUを入れて6人でのレアなお茶会となります！1日5回開催の各日25人限定イベントを3日間開催！(ブログの最後にKIMERUからのメッセージ動画もあります♪) ===========ファンクラブShining限定オンラインイベント「KIMERUのティータイム」<日程>5月1日続きをみる

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舞台「リバースヒストリカ」公演延期のお知らせいつも舞台「リバースヒストリカ」を応援していただき誠にありがとうございます。新型コロナウイルスの感染拡大に伴う政府の緊急事態宣言及び地方自治体の方針を受け、協議の結果、ご来場いただくお客様、出演者、関わるスタッフ・関係者の健康と安全を最優先に考え、公演を延期することにいたしました。延期日程につきましては決まり次第、ご案内いたします。楽しみにしていただいた皆様には大変ご迷惑をおかけしますが、何卒、ご理解を賜りますようお願い申し上げます。＜チケットの払い戻しについて＞公演中止に伴い、チケットの払い戻しを実施させていただきます。払い戻し方法続きをみる

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「KIMERU Live 2020 Halloween Party Birthday」及び、ファンクラブ会員限定ツアーイベント「KIMERUのミニ・トラベリング・とらぶる？vol.10.5A 〜箱根でバースデーハロウィン編〜？」中止のお知らせ2020年6月13日(土)に開催を予定しておりました「KIMERU Live 2020 Halloween Party Birthday」及び、6月13日(土)～14日(日)に開催を予定しておりましたファンクラブ会員限定ツアーイベント「KIMERUのミニ・トラベリング・とらぶる？vol.10.5A 〜箱根でバースデーハロウィン編〜？」につきまして、新型コロナウイルス（COVID-19）の感染拡大に伴い、昨今の状況、緊急事態宣言を鑑みて、誠に残念ではございますが、開催を中止することにいたしました。楽しみにしていただいた皆様には大変心苦しくはありますが、ご来場予定のお客様なら続きをみる

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『NO TRAVEL,NO LIFE』 ボイスドラマ CD 販売決定!!原作:須田 誠 脚本・演出:吉田武寛■出演■<CUBA 編>反橋宗一郎 /中村裕香里/吉澤 翼/武藤賢人/千歳ゆう/鵜飼主水/伊藤玲奈<ASIA 編>反橋宗一郎/遠藤三貴/北乃颯希/久下恭平/星守紗凪/KIMERU/伊藤玲奈■販売■NO TRAVEL,NO LIFE ボイスドラマ CD (CUBA 編/ASIA続きをみる

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