ba Becoming is a feel-good 90 minutes with former First Lady Michelle Obama By nationalpost.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 21:04:24 +0000 It's not hard-hitting journalism, says Chris Knight, but it gives fans lots of what they want Full Article Movies Culture Becoming Film review Michelle Obama Nadia Hallgren The Marquee
ba Elon Musk and Grimes can’t seem to agree on the pronunciation of baby X Æ A-12’s name By nationalpost.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 13:19:05 +0000 Is the Æ supposed to sound like 'eye' or 'ash'? We're just as confused too Full Article World Celebrity News Elon Musk grimes
ba Seinfeld stand-up special suffers from a pandemic of bad timing, says Chris Knight By nationalpost.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 13:45:04 +0000 Comedian takes on air travel, restaurants, ball games and other pastimes of the distant past that was 2019 Full Article Television Culture Movies 23 Hours to Kill Jerry Seinfeld Jerry Seinfeld: 23 Hours to Kill Netflix Seinfeld
ba 'Show us on the doll where Flynn hurt you': Rick Wilson's terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day only gets WORSE and LOL By twitchy.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 11:15:06 Z Full Article <![CDATA[Rick Wilson]]> <![CDATA[Trump]]> <![CDATA[Tom Nichols]]> <![CDATA[Flynn]]> <![CDATA[The Lincoln Project]]>
ba CORRUPTION 101: Mollie Hemingway SHREDS Obama admin for criminally leaking to a compliant media to take down Trump By twitchy.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 15:18:40 Z Full Article <![CDATA[documents]]> <![CDATA[Mollie Hemingway]]> <![CDATA[Obama]]> <![CDATA[Russia]]> <![CDATA[Trump]]> <![CDATA[Flynn]]>
ba 'Getting nervous'? House Dems demand IG investigate Bill Barr's 'improper political interference' into the improper political interference that was designed to take down Trump By twitchy.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 16:20:20 Z Full Article <![CDATA[Donald Trump]]> <![CDATA[House Judiciary Committee]]> <![CDATA[Robert Mueller]]> <![CDATA[Russia investigation]]> <![CDATA[Bill Barr]]>
ba 'How is that for precedent?' Jonathan Turley thread tears apart Obama's 'curious statement' on DOJ & Flynn (and uses Eric Holder to do it) By twitchy.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 09:44:20 Z Full Article <![CDATA[Barack Obama]]> <![CDATA[Donald Trump]]> <![CDATA[FBI]]> <![CDATA[Michael Flynn]]> <![CDATA[Jonathan Turley]]>
ba Former Obama official Evelyn Farkas, who under oath admitted collusion claim on MSNBC was a lie, pledges to hold Trump & family accountable if elected to Congress By twitchy.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 11:42:51 Z Full Article <![CDATA[Barack Obama]]> <![CDATA[Donald Trump]]> <![CDATA[Evelyn Farkas]]> <![CDATA[russia collusion]]>
ba Bad Company Singer Brian Howe Dead at 66 By rollingstoneindia.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 15:44:10 +0000 The British vocalist and singer-songwriter suffered a cardiac arrest on May 6th in Florida The post Bad Company Singer Brian Howe Dead at 66 appeared first on My Site. Full Article Home Flashbox News & Updates Bad Company Brian Howe Ted Nugent
ba Maati Baani: ‘Music is A Powerful Medium for Peace’ By rollingstoneindia.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 19:31:57 +0000 The world music duo on reinventing their 2011 track ‘Karpur Gauram’ with 17 musicians from nine countries The post Maati Baani: ‘Music is A Powerful Medium for Peace’ appeared first on My Site. Full Article News & Updates Adriano Piccioni Akshat Parikh Alisa Sadikova Amit Mishra Anaar Desai Stephens Argentina collaboration concerts covid-19 Devang Rachh Franco Prosperi gigs Govind Gawli india Ismel Leal Pich Israel italy Jess Townsend Jiro Yoshioka Joel Eisenkramer Karpur Gauram Kartik Shah Ligal Soffer Lockdown Maati Baani Madhav Haridas Max Fellermann NGO Nirali Kartik peace remote production Russia Spain streaming Switzerland Tao Issaro trends U.K. U.S.A.
ba Exclusive Premiere: Mumbai Metallers Targe Call on The Demonstealer for ‘The Cortege’ By rollingstoneindia.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 05:25:03 +0000 The year-old band also called on Zygnema’s Sidharth Kadadi to produce their second release The post Exclusive Premiere: Mumbai Metallers Targe Call on The Demonstealer for ‘The Cortege’ appeared first on My Site. Full Article Home Flashbox New Music News & Updates sahil makhija Targe the demonstealer
ba Little Richard, Founding Father of Rock Who Broke Musical Barriers, Dead at 87 By rollingstoneindia.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 13:47:57 +0000 Pianist-singer behind “Tutti Frutti,” “Good Golly Miss Molly” and “Long Tall Sally” set the template that a generation of musicians would follow The post Little Richard, Founding Father of Rock Who Broke Musical Barriers, Dead at 87 appeared first on My Site. Full Article Artists Home Flashbox News & Updates Little Richard obituary rock and roll
ba Researchers engineer photosynthetic bacteria to produce hydrogen By arstechnica.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 22:39:54 +0000 A solar-driven hydrogen-producing machine that makes more copies of itself. Full Article Science biochemistry bioengineering biofuels Biology cyanobacteria hydrogen photosynthesis renewable energy
ba Fired scientist back to peddling anti-vaxx COVID-19 conspiracy theories By arstechnica.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 17:50:18 +0000 YouTube, Facebook crack down on two viral videos for spreading medical misinformation. Full Article Science anti-vaxxer Biology cognitive bias conspiracy theories COVID-19 dr. anthony fauci fake news health misinformation medicine science
ba 'It is fantastic, better than travelling to the moon' – David Attenborough returns to the Great Barrier Reef By www.theguardian.com Published On :: 2015-12-21T13:53:19Z The 89-year-old naturalist and broadcaster is brimming with enthusiasm for his latest TV series, Great Barrier Reef, and the wonder of filming underwater in a submarine. The first of three shows starts on BBC1 on 30 December The first time I visited the Great Barrier Reef was in 1957 when I was on my way to New Guinea. In those days, television didn’t have a lot of money so, when you got to the other side of the world, you took advantage of it as you never knew when you were going to get back again, and so I took in the Barrier Reef on the way.It was right at the beginning of the era of underwater swimming. There had been a Viennese pair, Han and Lotte Hass, who had a show underwater called Diving to Adventure. Those of us who had television sets – our jaws dropped! This wonderful girl in this white costume just knocking sharks on the head with the camera. Amazing! Continue reading... Full Article Great Barrier Reef holidays Queensland holidays David Attenborough Australia holidays Australasia holidays Australia travel blog Travel Television Television & radio Culture
ba The jewellers of Jaipur's Johari Bazaar – a photo essay By www.theguardian.com Published On :: 2019-07-11T10:52:08Z Unesco has named the capital of Rajasthan, India, a world heritage site, partly for its jewellery and artisanal traditions, which continue to thrive on one of its main commercial streets ‘Sir, want precious stones?” a man asks me, quietly. I am on the Johari Bazaar, one of Jaipur’s most notable thoroughfares, a straight colonnade screened above by the facades of adjoining houses. Everything is painted orange, terracotta and burnt pink. The man wears white shalwar kameez, and an air of indifference. He unfolds white paper, revealing colourful stones. “Emeralds, sapphires, rubies …” he says. He is among one of several groups of men gathered in this area; they’re local dealers, discussing prices. The avenue, whose name means gem shop road, is lined with dozens of shops displaying magnificent necklaces, bracelets and rings. Continue reading... Full Article Rajasthan holidays Travel photography Heritage Shopping trips India holidays Asia Travel Photography Art and design Craft Life and style Heritage
ba Antarctic meteorites yield global bombardment rate By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Thu, 30 Apr 2020 03:15:39 -0400 UK scientists provide a new estimate for the amount of space rock falling to Earth each year. Full Article
ba What if You Don't Want to Go Back to the Office? By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Tue, 05 May 2020 15:11:13 -0400 For Jeff Anderson, 61, working from home during the coronavirus pandemic has been a respite from office politics and the chatter around the copy machine.But as the push to reopen the country's economy intensifies, so do feelings of dread at the idea of returning to the office, said Anderson, a self-described introvert and anthropology professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York."Just walking from the parking lot to my office I feel like I could be sick," he said. "It's that bad."In wanting to work alone, Anderson is not alone. People other than introverts view a return to the office with sadness and anxiety, and not just because they still risk getting infected. A Gallup poll found a majority of U.S. adults working from home would prefer to continue doing so "as much as possible" after the pandemic.These fans of online work worry that they -- and the country itself -- will lose important benefits discovered during this unprecedented experiment in mass remote work. People who have never liked schmoozing with colleagues have found new heights of productivity away from meetings and office chitchat. People worried about climate change are eager to reduce their carbon footprints by avoiding commutes by car. And while many parents are desperate for schools and day care centers to reopen, some working parents are appreciating more time with their children.Before the pandemic, Christine Reilley had to wake up at 4:30 a.m. to catch an early bus to Manhattan where she works as senior director of strategy and innovation for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers."I'm better rested. I can devote more time to my work," she said. "Just saving the time and money of commuting, I really like this personally."Impossible for Some and 'Overrated' for OthersIt did not take long for naysayers to declare that working from home was "overrated."And yes, it is an option mostly for white-collar office workers. Telecommuting is rarely possible for people in manufacturing or service jobs, and for the health workers, emergency responders, grocery store clerks and delivery people who have been deemed essential personnel. And the more than 30 million Americans who have lost their jobs since March may be impatient about complaints from people still drawing paychecks.Nor can the other downsides be denied. Trying to meet on Zoom from a kitchen table with bored children and annoyed spouses complaining in the background is hardly good for productivity. Women say that video calls make it harder for them to get in a word during meetings dominated by men. This crisis has also increased the burdens on working mothers.Telecommuting was already a growing trend that left out many low-wage workers and was viewed warily by employers who worried that people were slacking off at home. Researchers warned that problem solving and creativity suffer when workers are isolated from one another. Isolated work can lead to loneliness and boredom. Remote workers have also reported they have had to work even longer hours.OK, So What Are the Benefits?For remote work to be successful, employers need to provide the right equipment and other support, said Laurel Farrer, chief executive of Distribute Consulting, a business consulting firm. And the employees must be able to get work done without supervision. If set up properly, experts and advocates say, remote work has many benefits:-- Less time on the road. Commuting by car has been linked to increased stress, more pollution and respiratory problems. The average American who drives to work spends 54 hours per year stuck in traffic, according to an analysis by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute.-- Greater productivity. One well-known study from 2014 led by Stanford professor Nicholas Bloom examined remote workers at a Chinese travel agency and found that they were 13% more efficient than their office-based peers.-- A cleaner environment (maybe). According to estimates from Global Workplace Analytics, a research and consulting firm, if everyone in the United States worked remotely half the time, it could reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicle travel by more than 51 million metric tons a year. Graphics showing the reduction in air pollution and pictures of clearer skies over cities like Los Angeles have been among the silver linings of the pandemic. Of course, when people return to work, the roads may fill up again, especially if people fear getting the virus on public transit. And even if more people start working remotely, they might use their cars more for errands closer to home, said Bill Eisele, a senior research engineer at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute. Office commuters make up only about 18% of all traffic, he said.-- Money saved. Global Workplace Analytics estimated that people could save, on average, $2,000 to $6,500 every year by not spending on things like gasoline and day care. Companies could spend less on real estate. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office estimated it saved more than $38 million in 2015 by not using as much office space, according to a Harvard Business School working paper from November.-- More job satisfaction. A 2005 study found that job satisfaction increased with each additional hour people spent working remotely. But it stopped increasing beyond 15 hours worked remotely.-- Less sickness. Even as companies consider reconfiguring workplaces with plexiglass barriers on desks and special air filters, letting employees work from home can help keep them safe from communicable diseases (and not just COVID-19).-- More time for fitness. You may be able to squeeze in more workouts. "Having a little more time, if you're using it wisely, can be very beneficial," said Marilyn Skarbek, an assistant professor of exercise science at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. "There are a lot of other things you can do around the house to keep you moving: laundry, cleaning -- all of that keeps you active. My house is definitely cleaner than normal." But there is a risk you could be more sedentary, she warned.Kate Lister, president of Global Workplace Analytics, predicted that workers will be looking for the "happy medium," splitting time between remote work and showing up at the office. The hope is that the pandemic will have shown managers that workers can be trusted to do their jobs without constant supervision."Any kind of flexibility is something that people are really, really ripe for, just some control over where and when they work," she said.Happy Tales From the Home OfficeMany people who had never considered this kind of working life have now had a taste of it, and they love it.Jacquie Benetua-Rolens, communications and engagement coordinator at Santa Cruz Community Health Centers in Santa Cruz, California, has a 2-year-old son who has become a daily part of Zoom meetings with colleagues, waving at them in his pajamas."There is this softened, unfiltered, more honest version of ourselves that I'm enjoying getting to know," Benetua-Rolens said. "There is room to be forgiving and understanding with each other and ourselves. And it's because we've all had to juggle."Benetua-Rolens said she often thinks of her small cubicle back at the office, which she decorated with plants and pictures of her two children."I used to love it," she said. "But I don't miss it at all. I don't want to go back to that even though my house is filthy."Jessica Keup, a 37-year-old single mother and a computer programmer in Ann Arbor, Michigan, moved to her parents' home in rural Tennessee with her 3-year-old son in mid-March, after her company told employees to work from home.Since then, she has been coding from the deck while her son plays with the goats, chickens and peacocks that roost on the vast property.Keup said the solitude has made her more focused and more productive. Her work is not interrupted by chatty colleagues who want to say hi or need help fixing a computer glitch."The people who are in the office who are extroverts stand out and talk a lot and can take the oxygen out of the room," she said.At least one poll from early in the pandemic suggests a strong preference for remote work. Gallup found that almost 60% of Americans working from home would prefer to work remotely "as much as possible" after restrictions are lifted, with 40% saying they preferred to return to the workplace. The online survey of 2,276 randomly selected adults was conducted from March 14 through April 2. It had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.At the very least, some workers would like to see employers put lessons of the pandemic into practice, including more compassionate management in general.Rico Sisney, who works for Greenpeace USA, said he would like to continue seeing the kinds of emails his organization has been sending lately encouraging employees to take walks and small breaks."Organizations can continue that even when there is not a pandemic," Sisney said. "Highlight mental health."Christine de Denus, a chemistry professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, said she has relished the quiet of working from her porch. She thinks workplaces should adapt to all styles of working."Go to the people and say, 'How can I help you thrive?'" de Denus said. "Just because I'm quiet in a meeting doesn't mean I don't have ideas."When the time comes to return to the office, Keup said she plans to ask if she can work two to four weeks a year from Tennessee."It's beautiful. It's resting and restorative," she said. "And I'll miss that."This article originally appeared in The New York Times.(C) 2020 The New York Times Company Full Article
ba Some landscapes show resistance to ash dieback By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 08:57:12 -0400 Certain habitats can help dampen the spread of ash dieback, which threatens ash trees. Full Article
ba UK scientists hit back at attempts to discredit scientific basis for lockdown By www.theguardian.com Published On :: 2020-05-09T13:27:00Z Letter seeks to dispel view that Prof Neil Ferguson was single architect of lockdown idea Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverage A group of leading UK scientists have insisted that the scientific basis for the coronavirus lockdown is the work of a large group of experts, and that epidemiologist Prof Neil Ferguson is just one voice among many.In a letter co-ordinated by Dr Thibaut Jombart, an associate professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, more than 25 prominent scientists said debates after Ferguson’s “individual error” – in which he flouted lockdown rules by receiving visits at home from his lover – had amplified a misconception that he alone persuaded the government to change policy. Continue reading... Full Article UK news Coronavirus outbreak Science Politics
ba WHO conditionally backs Covid-19 vaccine trials that infect people By www.theguardian.com Published On :: 2020-05-08T15:05:06Z ‘Challenge’ studies would deliberately give coronavirus to healthy volunteers Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageControversial trials in which volunteers are intentionally infected with Covid-19 could accelerate vaccine development, according to the World Health Organization, which has released new guidance on how the approach could be ethically justified despite the potential dangers for participants.So-called challenge trials are a mainstream approach in vaccine development and have been used in malaria, typhoid and flu, but there are treatments available for these diseases if a volunteer becomes severely ill. For Covid-19, a safe dose of the virus has not been established and there are no failsafe treatments if things go wrong. Continue reading... Full Article Medical research Coronavirus outbreak World Health Organization Infectious diseases Science World news Vaccines and immunisation
ba Poll: Most in US back curbing in-person worship amid virus By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 11:00:11 -0400 While the White House looks ahead to reopening houses of worship, most Americans think in-person religious services should be barred or allowed only with limits during the coronavirus pandemic — and only about a third say that prohibiting in-person services violates religious freedom, a new poll finds. States have taken different approaches to resuming gatherings as the coronavirus continues to spread, raising tough questions for religious leaders and the faithful about the appropriate time to return. Among that group is 54-year-old Andre Harris of Chicago, a onetime Sunday school teacher who has shifted his routine from physical worship to the conference calls his church is holding during the pandemic. Full Article
ba Cuba, Russia, Saudi Arabia are repressive regimes. They don’t belong on U.N. Human Rights Council | Opinion By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 15:23:43 -0400 Full Article
ba Libya gov't warns of escalation after attacks near embassies By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 15:36:12 -0400 Full Article
ba US blocks vote on UN's bid for global ceasefire over reference to WHO By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 17:07:56 -0400 Security council had spent weeks seeking resolution but Trump administration opposed mention of organizationThe US has blocked a vote on a UN security council resolution calling for a global ceasefire during the Covid-19 pandemic, because the Trump administration objected to an indirect reference to the World Health Organization.The security council has been wrangling for more than six weeks over the resolution, which was intended to demonstrate global support for the call for a ceasefire by the UN secretary general, António Guterres. The main source for the delay was the US refusal to endorse a resolution that urged support for the WHO’s operations during the coronavirus pandemic.Donald Trump has blamed the WHO for the pandemic, claiming (without any supporting evidence) that it withheld information in the early days of the outbreak.China insisted that the resolution should include mention and endorsement of the WHO.On Thursday night, French diplomats thought they had engineered a compromise in which the resolution would mention UN “specialized health agencies” (an indirect, if clear, reference to the WHO).The Russian mission signaled that it wanted a clause calling for the lifting of sanctions that affected the delivery of medical supplies, a reference to US punitive measures imposed on Iran and Venezuela. However, most security council diplomats believed Moscow would withdraw the objection or abstain in a vote rather than risk isolation as the sole veto on the ceasefire resolution.On Thursday night, it appeared that the compromise resolution had the support of the US mission, but on Friday morning, that position switched and the US “broke silence” on the resolution, raising objection to the phrase “specialist health agencies”, and blocking movement towards a vote.“We understood that there was an agreement on this thing but it seems that they changed their mind,” a western security council diplomat said.“Obviously they have changed their mind within the American system so that wording is still not good enough for them,” another diplomat close to the discussions said. “It might be that they just need a bit more time to settle it amongst themselves, or it might be that someone very high up has made a decision they don’t want it, and therefore it won’t happen. It is unclear at this moment, which one it is.”A spokesperson for the US mission at the UN suggested that if the resolution was to mention the work of the WHO, it would have to include critical language about how China and the WHO have handled the pandemic.“In our view, the council should either proceed with a resolution limited to support for a ceasefire, or a broadened resolution that fully addresses the need for renewed member state commitment to transparency and accountability in the context of Covid-19. Transparency and reliable data are essential to helping the world combat this ongoing pandemic, and the next one,” the spokesperson said.While the force of the resolution would be primarily symbolic, it would have been symbolism at a crucial moment. Since Guterres made his call for a global ceasefire, armed factions in more than a dozen countries had observed a temporary truce. The absence of a resolution from the world’s most powerful nations, however, undermines the secretary general’s clout in his efforts to maintain those fragile ceasefires.Talks will continue next week at the security council to explore whether some other way around the impasse can be found. Full Article
ba U.S. continues media battle with Beijing, limits Chinese journalists' visas By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 08:08:01 -0400 The back-and-forth continues.The Department of Homeland Security said Friday the United States will shorten the visa length for Chinese journalists working for non-American news outlets to 90 days. Previously, journalists with Chinese passports were granted open-ended visas. They can apply for extensions under the new rules, but renewed visas will also last just 90 days. The new limit won't apply to reporters from Hong Kong Macau, or to mainland Chinese citizens who hold green cards.It's the latest development in a media war between Washington and Beijing that has intensified during the coronavirus pandemic. American officials said the rules were meant to counterbalance the "suppression of independent journalism" in China, whose government expelled journalists from The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Washington Post in March. Before that, the U.S. reduced the number of Chinese citizens employed by multiple state-controlled Chinese news organizations to work in the country. The New York Times notes the move wasn't unexpected; U.S. intelligence officials have long believed some journalists at Beijing-run outlets are spies, and the Trump administration has designated some Chinese news agencies foreign government functionaries.The heightened tensions between the world's two biggest powers didn't just show up in the media world Friday. U.S. lawmakers wrote to nearly 60 countries asking them to support Taiwan's participation in the World Health Organization, a move that likely won't sit well with China. And Washington also blocked a United Nations security council resolution calling for a global ceasefire during the pandemic because it indirectly referenced the WHO, which the U.S. has blamed in conjunction with China for failing to suppress the outbreak.More stories from theweek.com Outed CIA agent Valerie Plame is running for Congress, and her launch video looks like a spy movie trailer 7 scathing cartoons about America's rush to reopen Trump says he couldn't have exposed WWII vets to COVID-19 because the wind was blowing the wrong way Full Article
ba In Flynn Case, Barr Again Takes Aim at Mueller Inquiry By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 10:41:58 -0400 WASHINGTON -- Shortly after admitting guilt to a federal judge in December 2017 for lying to the FBI, Michael Flynn issued a statement saying what he did was wrong, and "through my faith in God, I am working to set things right."It turns out that the only higher power that Flynn needed was Attorney General William Barr.Barr's extraordinary decision to drop the criminal case against Flynn shocked legal experts, won President Donald Trump's praise and prompted a career prosecutor to quit the case. It was the latest in Barr's steady effort to undo the results of the investigation by Robert Mueller, the special counsel. Barr has portrayed his effort as rectifying injustice, and the president more bluntly as an exercise in political payback.In his decisions and public comments over the past year, Barr has built an alternate narrative to the one that Mueller laid out in his voluminous report. Where the special counsel focused on Russia's expansive effort to interfere in the 2016 election, the Trump campaign's openness to it and the president's determination to impede the inquiry, Barr has focused instead on the investigators. He has suggested that they were unleashed by law enforcement and intelligence officials bent on bringing political harm to Trump.Barr has also mischaracterized the findings of the Mueller investigation, questioned why it began in the first place, used legal maneuvers to undo its courtroom successes and opened his own investigation by a hand-picked prosecutor that could bring criminal charges against former U.S. officials who played a part in setting the original inquiry into motion. Mueller and Barr, once close friends, have been like two students standing shoulder to shoulder at a blackboard: What one has diligently written down, the other has tried to steadily erase.In an interview Thursday with CBS News, Barr said he considered the Flynn case to be "part of a number of related acts -- and we're looking at the whole pattern of conduct." (The same day, Trump called it "just one piece of a very dishonest puzzle.")Recent disclosures about the FBI's handling of the Flynn case raise questions about why the bureau's leadership sent agents to interview Flynn without coordinating with top Justice Department officials, the latest in a series of revelations about FBI abuses in politically charged investigations in recent years. Barr, however, even suggested that a theory of the case embraced by Mueller and his team might have made them blind to the facts."One of the things you have to guard against, both as a prosecutor and I think as an investigator, is that if you get too wedded to a particular outcome and you're pursuing a particular agenda, you close your eyes to anything that sort of doesn't fit with your preconception," he said. "And I think that's probably the phenomenon we're looking at here."But when Mueller made his findings public, many criticized him for doing the opposite. His conclusions, especially about whether Trump had committed any obstruction of justice offenses by impeding the inquiry, were dense, burdened by legalese and appeared to reflect a tortured debate among the special counsel's team. They delivered no easy sound bite that the president's opponents could seize upon -- allowing Trump to distort the judgments by calling them a vindication of his behavior.The Mueller report "bends over backwards" to show that the special counsel's team considered all of the legal and political ramifications of investigating a sitting president, said Matthew J. Jacobs, a former federal prosecutor and now a partner at Vinson & Elkins."It gives the benefit of the doubt to the subject of the investigation that in any quote-unquote normal criminal case doesn't happen and wouldn't exist," said Jacobs, who once worked for Mueller at the U.S. attorney's office in San Francisco.Barr's decision to drop the charges against Flynn was "unlike anything I've seen before," Jacobs said, adding that he saw no evidence whatsoever "that Gen. Flynn was set up or entrapped."In an unsolicited memo he wrote to the White House while still a lawyer in private practice in 2018, Barr unspooled his thoughts about what he called a "fatally misconceived" obstruction of justice theory the special counsel was reportedly pursuing as part of his investigation. Trump named him attorney general months later, but during his confirmation hearing, he pledged not to interfere with the work of Mueller and his team.Barr drew criticism for the way he characterized Mueller's findings last year in a four-page letter that -- for weeks -- served as the public's only picture of Mueller's 22-month investigation. Mueller privately wrote to the attorney general, saying he had mischaracterized the findings -- a letter Barr described as "snitty" -- and over time, Barr has repeatedly tried to emphasize the harm done to the investigative targets of the FBI and the special counsel's office.Barr's handling of the Mueller findings prompted a stinging rebuke in March from a Republican-appointed federal judge, who said the attorney general put forward a "distorted" and "misleading" account of the findings and lacked credibility on the topic.Barr has long insisted that he works independently of the White House, and in February, he said that Trump's public comments about the Justice Department sometimes made it "impossible" for him to do his job. Those comments came after Barr and other top department officials intervened to try to reduce a prison sentence in another case brought during the Mueller investigation: That of Roger Stone, a longtime friend of the president's who was convicted of lying to Congress, witness tampering and obstruction of justice in a bid to thwart a congressional inquiry that threatened Trump.The president has made it clear both to aides and foreign officials that he sees Barr as a crucial ally in the grinding battle against his perceived enemies. Last July, the day after Mueller's congressional testimony seemed to lower the curtain on a more than two-year drama that had imperiled the Trump presidency, Trump was on the phone with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of Ukraine asking him to assist the attorney general in an investigation "to get to the bottom of" how the Russia investigation began."As you saw yesterday, that whole nonsense ended with a very poor performance by a man named Robert Mueller," the president said. The requests to Zelenskiy helped form the basis of an impeachment case against Trump in the ensuing months.Weeks after that phone call, Barr was on a plane to Rome with John Durham -- the prosecutor leading the Justice Department's investigation into the origins of the Russia investigation -- to seek evidence from Italian officials that might bolster a conspiracy theory long held by Trump: That American intelligence and law enforcement officials plotted with American allies to try to prevent him from winning the presidency in 2016.They did not appear to find any evidence. It remains uncertain, however, what Durham will find over his investigation, expected to finish sometime this year, and what effect it will have on the legacy of the Mueller investigation.The president, of course, has not waited to pass judgment. He has long publicly complained that the Flynn case was a product of a cabal of former officials conspiring against him, and he seems certain to promote its collapse as he ramps up his campaign for reelectionOn Thursday, the day the Justice Department dropped the criminal charges against Flynn -- the first top White House official to have been ensnared in the Russia investigation -- Trump was on the phone with President Vladimir Putin of Russia to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe.Trump boasted that the call came at an opportune time. Things are "coming in line showing what a hoax this whole investigation was -- it was a total disgrace.""I wouldn't be surprised," he said he told Putin, "if you see a lot of things happen over the next number of weeks."This article originally appeared in The New York Times.(C) 2020 The New York Times Company Full Article
ba Ajit Pai uses bad data to claim ISPs are deploying broadband to everyone By arstechnica.com Published On :: Mon, 27 Apr 2020 19:48:28 +0000 Pai’s “baffling” report ignores broadband gaps and high prices, Democrats say. Full Article Biz & IT Policy ajit pai broadband FCC
ba Frontier, amid bankruptcy, is suspected of lying about broadband expansion By arstechnica.com Published On :: Fri, 01 May 2020 18:00:36 +0000 Small ISPs want investigation as Frontier tries to block FCC funding for rivals. Full Article Biz & IT Policy FCC frontier
ba Hacker buys old Tesla parts on eBay, finds them full of user data By arstechnica.com Published On :: Tue, 05 May 2020 22:58:09 +0000 Data can be retrieved even after owners perform a factory reset, researcher says. Full Article Biz & IT Cars hacking infotainment systems media control units personal information privacy Tesla
ba Canada focuses on mitigating COVID-19, placing virus origin search on backburner By globalnews.ca Published On :: Mon, 04 May 2020 22:11:39 +0000 It will be important to one day learn the true origin story of the global pandemic to defend against similar outbreaks in the future, Health Minister Patty Hajdu acknowledged Monday. Full Article Canada Health Politics Science World Coronavirus coronavirus origin story Coronavirus Origins COVID-19 Donald Trump Fox News how did the coronavirus start Justin Trudeau mystery coronavirus origin Patty Hajdu theresa tam
ba Global Boom, Pandemic, Crash: Is History Just Repeating Itself? (in Analysis) By feeds.feedblitz.com Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 19:39:00Z If Peter Turchin is right, we face the end of a 300-year cycle, as did previous far-flung empires. Related StoriesLet’s Debunk the Myth Living More Densely Breeds Disease (in Analysis)Now Would Be a Good Time to Get to Know the Ancient Stoics (in Analysis)The Other Virus Test: Who’s a True Leader? (in Analysis) Full Article
ba Here’s How BC Plans to Clear Surgical Backlog Caused by COVID-19 (in News) By feeds.feedblitz.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 20:55:00Z Some 30,000 patients added to waitlist as hospital beds held open for possible pandemic surge. Related StoriesBC Lifts the Veil on Easing Restrictions (in News)BC Is Winning the Battle, but Tough Prevention Measures Will Remain (in News)Disabled People Fear Being Denied Care in Worst Case Pandemic Scenarios (in News) Full Article
ba New discovery suggests London's story goes back more than 3,000 years longer than previously thought By www.independent.co.uk Published On :: 2020-04-08T15:05:00Z Evidence points to London being a ceremonial site from the fourth millennium BC Full Article
ba 'A bad time to be alive': Mass extinction 444 million years ago linked to loss of oxygen in Earth's oceans By www.independent.co.uk Published On :: 2020-04-14T09:33:00Z 'By expanding our thinking of how oceans behaved in the past, we could gain some insights into oceans today,' says scientist at Stanford University Full Article
ba Coronavirus: Stray dogs eating bat meat could have sparked pandemic, scientist claims By www.independent.co.uk Published On :: 2020-04-14T20:13:59Z Other researchers have rejected the findings and say dog owners do not need to be concerned Full Article
ba Raw meat dog foods pose 'international public health risk' due to high levels of drug-resistant bacteria, scientists warn By www.independent.co.uk Published On :: 2020-04-20T13:12:00Z Uncooked pet food could be source of pathogens dangerous to humans, research suggests Full Article
ba Unearthed Ancient British chieftain and probable shaman reveal secrets about old burial rituals By www.independent.co.uk Published On :: 2020-04-23T14:01:00Z Exclusive: The key evidence for his high status is the unusually fine material buried with him for his journey to the next life, writes David Keys Full Article
ba Football players should practice mindfulness in training, new study says By www.independent.co.uk Published On :: 2020-04-24T08:55:29Z Iranian football subjects taught to focus on present moment, accept their thoughts and feelings, and commit to goals Full Article
ba Sliding glaciers 'a new threat' as global warming melts ice By www.independent.co.uk Published On :: 2020-04-29T18:09:16Z Meltwater caused a 500-metre slab of ice to cascade down an Alaskan valley — and researchers say warmer summers are making similar events more likely Full Article
ba 'Superfast' new manufacturing method could mean breakthrough in battery technology, scientists say By www.independent.co.uk Published On :: 2020-05-01T13:29:00Z 'Reinvention' of ceramics firing process could be used by artificial intelligence to create new materials with wide range of possible applications Full Article
ba Tesla applies to become UK energy provider raising hopes its giant batteries could help power the country By www.independent.co.uk Published On :: 2020-05-04T12:04:00Z The company has submitted an application to the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority "authorising it to generate electricity" Full Article
ba Target Circle Deals March 29th - April 4th: 40% Off Turtle Beach Battle Buds By www.cheapassgamer.com Published On :: Sun, 29 Mar 2020 07:52:34 +0000 Lots of gaming headphone deals for those brave enough to go into stores. These are the deals: 30% Off Turtle Beach Elite Atlas Aero Wireless headset for PC (Expires April 4th) 30% Off Turtle Beach Elite Atlas Pro Wired PC Gaming headset (Expires April 4th) 40% Off Turtle Beach Battle Buds In-ear Gaming headset (Expires April 4th) 15% Off Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Headset All Varieties (Expires April 4th) 30% Off ROCCAT Kone Aimo Owl-Eye Mouse Black & White (Expires April 4th) 30% Off ROCCAT Sense Aimo Mousepad for PC Gaming (Expires April 4th) Full Article
ba Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord $37.50 -- cdkeys.com (PC/Steam) By www.cheapassgamer.com Published On :: Thu, 02 Apr 2020 15:26:27 +0000 Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord is currently $37.50 on cdkeys.com. Yesterday it was $41. https://www.cdkeys.com/pc/games/mount-and-blade-ii-2-bannerlord-pc On Steam its MSRP is $50 with a limited time sale going on now for $45. The game just came out to Early Access 3/31. The question now is: jump now on the good price, or will the price continue to fall? Note: It's in Early Access and has been in development for like 8 years. Expect some clunk. Full Article
ba EA Access 12 Month Xbox One Membership Card Global $22.99 By www.cheapassgamer.com Published On :: Wed, 08 Apr 2020 02:25:22 +0000 EA Access 12 Month Xbox One Membership Card Global $22.99 https://www.bcdkey.com/ea-access-12-month-xbox-one-membership-card-global.html Full Article
ba Dragon Ball Z Kakarot $35 Gamestop Deal of the Day PS4/Xbox By www.cheapassgamer.com Published On :: Fri, 10 Apr 2020 18:04:14 +0000 As stated in the thread title https://www.gamestop.com/collection/dragon-ball-z-kakarot Didn’t see it posted and decided to post it in case someone was waiting for it to drop --> Full Article
ba Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle $15 Best Buy By www.cheapassgamer.com Published On :: Sun, 12 Apr 2020 19:29:40 +0000 https://www.bestbuy.com/site/mario-rabbids-kingdom-battle-nintendo-switch/5909500.p?skuId=5909500 Part of the 1-Day sale Full Article
ba Final Fantasy 7 remake deluxe back in stock GameStop.com By www.cheapassgamer.com Published On :: Mon, 13 Apr 2020 20:32:47 +0000 https://www.gamestop.com/video-games/playstation-4/games/products/final-fantasy-vii-remake-deluxe-edition/11094733.html Full Article
ba Xbox One X (as-is condition, console only FOR REPAIR, PARTS ONLY NOT NEW IN BOX, YOU MIGHT NEED TO FIX THEM understood? NOTNEW) $139.99 (Ebay seller) By www.cheapassgamer.com Published On :: Thu, 16 Apr 2020 11:56:12 +0000 https://www.ebay.com/itm/Microsoft-Xbox-One-X-1TB-Black-Console-as-is-for-repair-or-parts-only/264227168298 YMMV obviously--I ordered two of these a month ago and they have been running fine for me. All I had to do was reinstall the newest system update and they have both been fine with no issues. One system's issue noted was "freezes" and the other was "no video". It says he has only 2 in stock, but I bought two a while back and the listing has remained active for the entire time with stock available, so he probably leaves the number low to keep demand going. This is probably a bulk buyer who doesn't extensively troubleshoot the systems. I am not affiliated with the seller. Cosmetically, the systems are nice enough to trade in without taking a refurb fee when stores re-open for business. Full Article
ba Crash Bandicoot™ N. Sane Trilogy $19.99 @Microsoft By www.cheapassgamer.com Published On :: Tue, 28 Apr 2020 05:23:38 +0000 Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy (Xbox One) for $19.99 Full Article