thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-31--Twitter Bans Former KKK Leader David Duke

July 31 ( Reuters ) - Twitter Inc said on Friday it has permanently suspended the account of David Duke @ @ @ @ @ the white supremacist group Ku Klux Klan , as the social media company tries to @ @ @ @ @ content on its website .
Duke ’ s account had been suspended for repeatedly violating @ @ @ @ @ hateful content and harmful links , the micro-blogging site said .
Under Twitter ’ s @ @ @ @ @ threats of attacks directed at people on the basis of their religion , race or @ @ @ @ @ website .
Twitter has long been under pressure to clean up hateful content on its @ @ @ @ @ the scanner to control misinformation especially during the COVID-19 pandemic .
The KKK is the @ @ @ @ @ the United States and its roots trace back to the Reconstruction period in the South @ @ @ @ @ .
In addition to anti-Black views , the KKK has expressed anti-semitic , anti-immigrant and @ @ @ @ @ are happening now .
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July 31 (Reuters) - Twitter Inc said on Friday it has permanently suspended the account of David Duke, a former leader of the white supremacist group Ku Klux Klan, as the social media company tries to curb the spread of hateful content on its website.
Duke’s account had been suspended for repeatedly violating Twitter’s policy on hateful content and harmful links, the micro-blogging site said.
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Under Twitter’s hateful conduct policy, any threats of attacks directed at people on the basis of their religion, race or ethnicity is prohibited on its website.
Twitter has long been under pressure to clean up hateful content on its platform and has come under the scanner to control misinformation especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The KKK is the oldest white supremacist group in the United States and its roots trace back to the Reconstruction period in the South that followed the Civil War.
In addition to anti-Black views, the KKK has expressed anti-semitic, anti-immigrant and anti-gay views.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-31--Americans Increasingly Believe U.S. Is Handling Coronavirus Worse Than Other Nations

Americans take an increasingly negative view of how their country ’ s handling of the coronavirus pandemic compares with the rest of the world , a new HuffPost/YouGov survey finds .
A 46 % plurality of the public now says the U.S. is handling the outbreak worse than other countries , with 24 % saying it ’ s handling the outbreak as well as other countries and just 19 % saying it ’ s doing better than most .
The results reflect a continuing decline in confidence over the course of this year .
A March poll found that just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was handling the outbreak worse than other countries , while a May survey put that figure at 36 % .
Views of the country ’ s relative performance are shapely divided along partisan lines , although dissatisfaction has risen on both sides of the aisle .
A 71 % majority of Democrats say the U.S. is doing especially poorly in its fight against the pandemic , up from 49 % who said the same in March .
Among Republicans , 19 % share that judgment , up from just 2 % in March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just 8 % of Democrats currently think the U.S. is faring better than most other countries .
In March , 12 % of Democrats and 62 % of Republicans thought the U.S. stood out positively .
Broader views of the United States ’ place in the world don ’ t appear to have undergone a similarly pronounced shift over the past few months .
About a quarter of Americans say that the U.S. stands above all other countries , 41 % that it ’ s among the greatest countries , and 23 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. ― similar to what the public said in March .
The American public also remains rather closely divided on the best approach to international relations , with 41 % saying it ’ s best for the future of the country to be active in world affairs , and 46 % saying the country should pay less attention to overseas problems and more to problems at home .
Use the widget below to further explore the results of the HuffPost/YouGov survey , using the menu at the top to select survey questions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filter the data by subgroups : The HuffPost/YouGov poll consisted of 1,000 completed interviews conducted July 28-30 among U.S. adults , using a sample selected from YouGov ’ s opt-in online panel to match the demographics and other characteristics of the adult U.S. population .
HuffPost has teamed up with YouGov to conduct daily opinion polls .
You can learn more about this project and take part in YouGov ’ s nationally representative opinion polling .
More details on the polls ’ methodology are available here .
Most surveys report a margin of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential survey errors .
YouGov ’ s reports include a model-based margin of error , which rests on a specific set of statistical assumptions about the selected sample rather than the standard methodology for random probability sampling .
If these assumptions are wrong , the model-based margin of error may also be inaccurate .
Click here for a more detailed explanation of the model-based margin of error .

A scene from the Financial District of Lower Manhattan on July 12. zz/STRF/STAR MAX/IPx
Americans take an increasingly negative view of how their country’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic compares with the rest of the world, a new HuffPost/YouGov survey finds.
A 46% plurality of the public now says the U.S. is handling the outbreak worse than other countries, with 24% saying it’s handling the outbreak as well as other countries and just 19% saying it’s doing better than most.
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The results reflect a continuing decline in confidence over the course of this year. A March poll found that just 28% of Americans thought the U.S. was handling the outbreak worse than other countries, while a May survey put that figure at 36%.
Results of a HuffPost/YouGov poll on Americans' views of their country's relative handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Ariel Edwards-Levy/HuffPost
Views of the country’s relative performance are shapely divided along partisan lines, although dissatisfaction has risen on both sides of the aisle. A 71% majority of Democrats say the U.S. is doing especially poorly in its fight against the pandemic, up from 49% who said the same in March. Among Republicans, 19% share that judgment, up from just 2% in March.
Some 38% of Republicans and just 8% of Democrats currently think the U.S. is faring better than most other countries. In March, 12% of Democrats and 62% of Republicans thought the U.S. stood out positively.
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Broader views of the United States’ place in the world don’t appear to have undergone a similarly pronounced shift over the past few months. About a quarter of Americans say that the U.S. stands above all other countries, 41% that it’s among the greatest countries, and 23% that there are other countries better than the U.S. ― similar to what the public said in March. The American public also remains rather closely divided on the best approach to international relations, with 41% saying it’s best for the future of the country to be active in world affairs, and 46% saying the country should pay less attention to overseas problems and more to problems at home.
Use the widget below to further explore the results of the HuffPost/YouGov survey, using the menu at the top to select survey questions and the buttons at the bottom to filter the data by subgroups:
The HuffPost/YouGov poll consisted of 1,000 completed interviews conducted July 28-30 among U.S. adults, using a sample selected from YouGov’s opt-in online panel to match the demographics and other characteristics of the adult U.S. population.
HuffPost has teamed up with YouGov to conduct daily opinion polls. You can learn more about this project and take part in YouGov’s nationally representative opinion polling. More details on the polls’ methodology are available here.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-31--Boston Marathon Bomber's Death Sentence Overturned By Court

A three-judge panel of the 1st U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals ordered a new penalty-phase trial , finding that the judge who oversaw the case didn ’ t sufficiently vet jurors for biases .
“ But make no mistake : Dzhokhar will spend his remaining days locked up in prison , with the only matter remaining being whether he will die by execution , ” the judges said .
Tsarnaev ’ s lawyers acknowledged at the beginning of his trial that he and his older brother , Tamerlan Tsarnaev , set off the two bombs at the marathon finish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tsarnaev is less culpable than his brother , who they said was the mastermind behind the attack .
Tamerlan Tsarnaev died in a gunbattle with police a few days after the bombing .
Dzhokar Tsarnaev is now behind bars at a high-security supermax prison in Florence , Colorado .
Tsarnaev ’ s attorneys identified a slew of issues with his trial , but said in a brief filed with the court that the “ first fundamental error ” was the judge ’ s refusal to move the case out of Boston .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two jurors suggesting they harbored strong opinions even before the 2015 trial started .
The appeals judges , in a hearing on the case in early December , devoted a significant number of questions to the juror bias argument .
They asked why the two jurors had not been dismissed , or at least why the trial judge had not asked them follow-up questions after the posts came to light on the eve of the trial .
Tsarnaev ’ s lawyers say one of the jurors — who would go one to become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief spokesperson — published two dozen tweets in the wake of the bombings .
One post after Tsarnaev ’ s capture called him a “ piece of garbage.
” Tsarnaev was convicted on 30 charges , including conspiracy and use of a weapon of mass destruction .
An email was sent to his lawyer seeking comment .

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A federal appeals court on Friday tossed the death sentence of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the man convicted in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.
A three-judge panel of the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered a new penalty-phase trial, finding that the judge who oversaw the case didn’t sufficiently vet jurors for biases.
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“But make no mistake: Dzhokhar will spend his remaining days locked up in prison, with the only matter remaining being whether he will die by execution,” the judges said.
The April 15, 2013, attack killed three people and injured more than 260 others.
Tsarnaev’s lawyers acknowledged at the beginning of his trial that he and his older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, set off the two bombs at the marathon finish line. But they argued that Dzhokar Tsarnaev is less culpable than his brother, who they said was the mastermind behind the attack.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev died in a gunbattle with police a few days after the bombing. Dzhokar Tsarnaev is now behind bars at a high-security supermax prison in Florence, Colorado.
Tsarnaev’s attorneys identified a slew of issues with his trial, but said in a brief filed with the court that the “first fundamental error” was the judge’s refusal to move the case out of Boston. They also pointed to social media posts from two jurors suggesting they harbored strong opinions even before the 2015 trial started.
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The appeals judges, in a hearing on the case in early December, devoted a significant number of questions to the juror bias argument.
They asked why the two jurors had not been dismissed, or at least why the trial judge had not asked them follow-up questions after the posts came to light on the eve of the trial.
The judges noted that the Boston court has a longstanding rule obligating such an inquiry.
Tsarnaev’s lawyers say one of the jurors — who would go one to become the jury’s foreperson, or chief spokesperson — published two dozen tweets in the wake of the bombings. One post after Tsarnaev’s capture called him a “piece of garbage.”
Tsarnaev was convicted on 30 charges, including conspiracy and use of a weapon of mass destruction. An email was sent to his lawyer seeking comment.
___
Durkin Richer reported from West Harwich, Massachusetts.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-31--Hurricane Isaias Keeps Trump From Pocketing More Campaign Money – For Now

SAUL LOEB via Getty Images A planned gathering this weekend at the Trump National Doral resort ( seen here ) in Miami that would benefit President Donald Trump 's reelection campaign and his personal finances is off for now .
But `` it ’ ll be back , '' an informal White House adviser predicted .
That would have added to the $ 1.4 million that the Trump campaign , the Republican National Committee and two associated joint fundraising committees have already paid the struggling golf course between January 2017 and June 30 , 2020 , according to a review @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Federal Election Commission .
Trump , as the head of the party , essentially controls all four of those committees ’ spending .
Only Trump ’ s New York City hotel , which has received $ 1.7 million , and nearby Trump Tower , his mixed-use skyscraper that has gotten $ 1.6 million , have taken in more Trump campaign money than Doral .
The hotel has hosted fundraisers and rents rooms to RNC officials on business in New York .
Trump Tower has continued to receive $ 37,542 in rent per month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign is headquartered in an Arlington , Virginia , high-rise , about 3 miles from the White House .
Paying The Family Off The Books Taxpayer Dollars Also Going Into Trump ’ s Pockets In 2017 , according to documents obtained by the group Property of the People under the Freedom of Information Act , Trump ’ s Mar-a-Lago resort refused to lower its room charges below the legal maximum $ 546 a night for administration officials staying there , despite State Department requests to bring them into line with the government per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House ultimately also approved a $ 1,005.60 bar tab after the State Department would not do so .
Precisely how many taxpayer dollars wind up in Trump ’ s pocket from these stays can not be determined .
The White House , despite numerous queries from HuffPost over a period of many months , refuses to disclose how many executive branch employees are part of Trump ’ s entourage when he visits his own properties and how much it is costing taxpayers .
How much of that revenue winds up as profit flowing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he reneged on a campaign promise ― and decades of precedent for presidents and presidential nominees ― by refusing to disclose his tax returns .
“ Donald Trump ’ s self-dealing from inside the White House is perfectly consistent with his pattern of corruption and incompetence , ” said Eliana Locke , a spokesperson for the Democratic superPAC Priorities USA .
“ It is no surprise that during one of the biggest crises in American history , Donald Trump and his GOP allies are nickel and diming Americans struggling to stay in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump takes millions of tax dollars for himself.
” When Trump began his run for the White House in 2015 , he frequently boasted that he did not want contributions from the “ special interests ” and that he would fund his own campaign .
At one point , he claimed he would spend as much as $ 1 billion of his own money to win .
During much of 2015 , he actually spent only a few million of his own dollars and largely relied on the proceeds from selling “ Make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign web site .
He began spending more of his money as the GOP nomination appeared within reach , eventually passing $ 50 million .
But after he clinched his party ’ s nod , Trump immediately began raising large-dollar contributions ― and directing more of that money into his own pocket .
In July 2016 , he nearly quintupled the rent he was charging his campaign for office space in Trump Tower , from $ 35,458 a month to $ 169,758 , even though the number of employees remained the same .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ check for a final $ 10 million in October after he was told the campaign would be unable to buy needed TV advertising without it , but then immediately started recouping that upon taking office .
He opened his re-election account the day of his inauguration ― more than two years earlier than his predecessors ― and began paying himself rent at Trump Tower for office space that went largely unused .
And he had his campaign and the RNC hold events at his properties rather than less expensive alternatives .

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WASHINGTON ― A hyperactive hurricane season has finally done what the Republican Party has been unwilling to do: blocked President Donald Trump, at least temporarily, from funneling many tens of thousands of donor dollars into his own cash registers.
Since becoming president, Trump has directed $6.9 million in campaign money to himself, according to a HuffPost analysis. But he will miss out on rental and catering fees after a strengthening Hurricane Isaias forced GOP officials to cancel Saturday’s fundraiser at his golf resort next to Miami International Airport.
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The event was expected to bring in $5 million, with, if past events are indicative, close to $100,000 of that going to Trump National Doral.
That would have added to the $1.4 million that the Trump campaign, the Republican National Committee and two associated joint fundraising committees have already paid the struggling golf course between January 2017 and June 30, 2020, according to a review of the committees’ filings with the Federal Election Commission. Trump, as the head of the party, essentially controls all four of those committees’ spending.
“Throughout Trump’s presidency, the lines have been blurred between Trump’s personal interests, his political interests, and his official duties,” said Brendan Fischer, a lawyer with the non-partisan Campaign Legal Center. “The $6.9 million paid by Trump-controlled political groups to Trump properties is further evidence of how Trump and his family have profited off of the presidency.”
Only Trump’s New York City hotel, which has received $1.7 million, and nearby Trump Tower, his mixed-use skyscraper that has gotten $1.6 million, have taken in more Trump campaign money than Doral. The hotel has hosted fundraisers and rents rooms to RNC officials on business in New York. Trump Tower has continued to receive $37,542 in rent per month for office space – even though the campaign is headquartered in an Arlington, Virginia, high-rise, about 3 miles from the White House.
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Trump’s hotel in Washington has collected $905,073 so far in Trump campaign money, while Mar-a-Lago, his private club in Palm Beach, Florida, has collected $639,031.
In all, 13 different Trump business entities have benefited from Trump campaign spending, including his hotels in Las Vegas and Chicago and golf courses in suburban New Jersey and upstate New York. Trump’s campaign has even spent $1,769 on “Trump Ice” bottled water.
Rick Wilson, a longtime Florida-based GOP consultant and a founder of the anti-Trump Lincoln Project, said more news of Trump’s profiteering from his campaign is not likely to change the views of his most loyal supporters.
“His people genuinely don’t care what he does, no matter how sleazy. He could walk out the door tomorrow with every penny in the account and they wouldn’t give a damn,” Wilson said. “I’m just shocked he hasn’t ripped them off even more blatantly.”
Paying The Family Off The Books
The $6.9 million total does not include the $180,000 a year each the campaign is quietly paying the wife of one Trump son and the girlfriend of another through former campaign manager Brad Parscale’s private firm so as to keep those figures off the FEC books.
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“We cannot know how much Trump campaign cash may have secretly flowed to Trump family members or the Trump Organization via payments made through Brad Parscale’s conduit firms,” said Fischer, whose group earlier this week filed a complaint with the FEC asking for an investigation.
“Trump is a gangster who got the GOP contract and is doing what gangsters do: skimming off the top,” said Stuart Stevens, a Republican consultant who worked on the presidential campaigns of George W. Bush and Mitt Romney. “There will also be kickbacks. Does anyone really think Brad Parscale is keeping all that loot?”
According to FEC filings, Parscale’s firms have received $39 million from the Trump and RNC committees since January 2017.
Parscale did not respond to HuffPost queries about the payments to Kimberly Guilfoyle and Lara Trump. In April, he told HuffPost: “I can pay them however I want to pay them.”
Neither the campaign nor the RNC responded to queries about the spending at Trump properties. In the past, such as when the party held half-million dollar quarterly meetings at Doral, officials have said that RNC members and donors liked Trump properties and enjoyed visiting them on party business.
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On top of the $6.9 million Trump has received from committees he controls, he has also taken in $1.9 million from 162 different Republican candidates and political action committees, including $572,870 from America First Action, the superPAC that supports him and for which he has hosted fundraisers.
Of that $1.9 million, $1.6 million – or 84 percent ― was for room rental, restaurant charges and catering at Trump’s hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue, just blocks from the White House.
Taxpayer Dollars Also Going Into Trump’s Pockets
On top of the many millions in self-directed campaign dollars are several million, at least, that Trump has pocketed in taxpayer dollars, thanks to room and food charges for Secret Service agents and other government officials who have stayed at Trump properties during his repeated visits to them.
This January, for example, Trump’s Doral golf resort suddenly jacked up its rates for its least expensive rooms from $254 to $539 in the days before Trump made public his plans to travel to the RNC meeting there.
That higher figure is just under the maximum per-night rate federal government rules permit for a government employee’s use of a hotel in South Florida, and is triple the normal “per diem” rate employees are supposed to follow.
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In 2017, according to documents obtained by the group Property of the People under the Freedom of Information Act, Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort refused to lower its room charges below the legal maximum $546 a night for administration officials staying there, despite State Department requests to bring them into line with the government per diem of $182. The White House ultimately also approved a $1,005.60 bar tab after the State Department would not do so.
According to The Washington Post, Trump’s business charged Secret Service agents as much as $650 a night for rooms at Mar-a-Lago and $17,000 a month for a cottage at Trump’s golf resort in Bedminster, New Jersey.
Precisely how many taxpayer dollars wind up in Trump’s pocket from these stays cannot be determined. The White House, despite numerous queries from HuffPost over a period of many months, refuses to disclose how many executive branch employees are part of Trump’s entourage when he visits his own properties and how much it is costing taxpayers. How much of that revenue winds up as profit flowing to Trump also is not known because he reneged on a campaign promise ― and decades of precedent for presidents and presidential nominees ― by refusing to disclose his tax returns.
“Donald Trump’s self-dealing from inside the White House is perfectly consistent with his pattern of corruption and incompetence,” said Eliana Locke, a spokesperson for the Democratic superPAC Priorities USA. “It is no surprise that during one of the biggest crises in American history, Donald Trump and his GOP allies are nickel and diming Americans struggling to stay in their homes and feed their families while Donald Trump takes millions of tax dollars for himself.”
Self-Funded No More
When Trump began his run for the White House in 2015, he frequently boasted that he did not want contributions from the “special interests” and that he would fund his own campaign. At one point, he claimed he would spend as much as $1 billion of his own money to win. During much of 2015, he actually spent only a few million of his own dollars and largely relied on the proceeds from selling “Make America Great Again” hats from his campaign web site. He began spending more of his money as the GOP nomination appeared within reach, eventually passing $50 million.
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But after he clinched his party’s nod, Trump immediately began raising large-dollar contributions ― and directing more of that money into his own pocket. In July 2016, he nearly quintupled the rent he was charging his campaign for office space in Trump Tower, from $35,458 a month to $169,758, even though the number of employees remained the same.
Trump wound up writing his campaign a check for a final $10 million in October after he was told the campaign would be unable to buy needed TV advertising without it, but then immediately started recouping that upon taking office. He opened his re-election account the day of his inauguration ― more than two years earlier than his predecessors ― and began paying himself rent at Trump Tower for office space that went largely unused. And he had his campaign and the RNC hold events at his properties rather than less expensive alternatives.
That pattern was to continue Saturday, with the Doral fundraiser. How much, exactly, the Trump campaign and the RNC, which were jointly hosting it, had planned to spend and how much of that, if any, was a non-refundable deposit is unclear.
The Trump Organization, which operates Doral and all of Trump’s businesses, did not respond to a HuffPost query. When Trump held a lunchtime fundraiser there in June 2019, the RNC paid the golf course $84,822 three months in advance.
Of course, while Hurricane Isaias had the effect of canceling Saturday’s fundraiser, the storm will not be able to keep it off the books forever.
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“It’ll be back. Don’t you worry,” said one top White House informal adviser on condition of anonymity.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-31--Kayleigh McEnany Says Election Delay Is Undemocratic — In Hong Kong, Anyway

The Chinese government ’ s decision to delay upcoming elections in Hong Kong undermines the democratic process , White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Friday — even as her boss floated the possibility of doing exactly the same thing in the U.S. “ We condemn the Hong Kong government ’ s decision to postpone for one year its Legislative Council elections , ” McEnany said at a press conference .
“ This effort undermines the democratic processes and freedoms that have underpinned Hong Kong ’ s prosperity.
” Hong Kong ’ s chief executive , Carrie Lam , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be delayed because of the risks of spreading the coronavirus .
On Thursday , President Donald Trump floated the possibility of postponing the U.S. election in November , claiming without any basis in fact that the vote would be “ fraudulent ” due to more voting by mail amid the COVID-19 crisis .
Trump does not have the power to postpone the election .
With Universal Mail-In Voting ( not Absentee Voting , which is good ) , 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history .
It will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Delay the Election until people can properly , securely and safely vote ?
?
?
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) July 30 , 2020 The president repeated the baseless claims on Friday , calling the U.S. election “ fixed ” and “ rigged ” and the “ greatest election disaster in history ” before it even occurs .
He is currently polling behind his opponent , presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden .
Asked his thoughts about the Hong Kong election delay , Trump refused to discuss it : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this election , ” he said , meaning the one in the U.S. Trump ’ s proposal to delay the U.S. election has infuriated Democrats and has not been supported by Republicans .
Influential conservative law professor and co-founder of The Federalist Society Steve Calabresi said Thursday that Trump ’ s tweet is grounds for removal from office .
He called the tweet “ fascistic.
” Some critics see Trump ’ s move as a massive distraction from surging COVID-19 cases and a tanking economy on his watch .
Others believe Trump is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election and is grasping at anything to dodge that destiny — or at least begin creating an excuse .

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The Chinese government’s decision to delay upcoming elections in Hong Kong undermines the democratic process, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Friday — even as her boss floated the possibility of doing exactly the same thing in the U.S.
“We condemn the Hong Kong government’s decision to postpone for one year its Legislative Council elections,” McEnany said at a press conference. “This effort undermines the democratic processes and freedoms that have underpinned Hong Kong’s prosperity.”
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Hong Kong’s chief executive, Carrie Lam, said Friday that elections scheduled for early September will be delayed because of the risks of spreading the coronavirus.
Without a shred of irony, McEnany says the Trump administration condemns Hong Kong's decision to delay its election because it undermines democracy pic.twitter.com/nByQ91zaL2 — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 31, 2020
On Thursday, President Donald Trump floated the possibility of postponing the U.S. election in November, claiming without any basis in fact that the vote would be “fraudulent” due to more voting by mail amid the COVID-19 crisis. Trump does not have the power to postpone the election.
With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history. It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote??? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 30, 2020
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The president repeated the baseless claims on Friday, calling the U.S. election “fixed” and “rigged” and the “greatest election disaster in history” before it even occurs. He is currently polling behind his opponent, presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
Asked his thoughts about the Hong Kong election delay, Trump refused to discuss it: “I want to right now focus on this election,” he said, meaning the one in the U.S.
He promised a statement “soon” about Hong Kong and abruptly stopped taking questions.
Trump’s proposal to delay the U.S. election has infuriated Democrats and has not been supported by Republicans.
Influential conservative law professor and co-founder of The Federalist Society Steve Calabresi said Thursday that Trump’s tweet is grounds for removal from office. He called the tweet “fascistic.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-31--The Roadblock Young Adults Set For Themselves Over Voting

Young voters could have a huge influence on the November elections , when 10 % of eligible voters will be younger than 23 .
But first they have to show up , and new polling suggests that they may be more likely than older voters to think a lack of knowledge means they should skip it .
That could affect the decision to vote .
Only 16 % of Americans 18 to 29 would consider themselves very well informed , compared with 29 % of 30- to 34-year-olds , 39 % of 45- to 64-year-olds and about half of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HuffPost/YouGov poll .
Thirty-nine percent of voters under the age of 30 categorize themselves as somewhat well informed , 24 % as not very well informed and 11 % as not at all well informed .
Young voters have long gotten a bad rap for being uninterested in politics .
That ’ s not necessarily true ― and in recent years , young people have led demonstrations over racial justice , climate change and more .
But young voter turnout is still relatively low .
A perception that young voters don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ culprit .
“ There are young people who self-censor themselves from politics because they think they don ’ t know enough , ” said Abby Kiesa , the director of impact at the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement .
“ Our data suggests that there are more young people saying ‘ I don ’ t know enough so I ’ m not going to participate ’ than there are young people saying they know everything so they are going to cast a ballot.
” That means that candidates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get young voters engaged and excited , said Sarah Audelo , the executive director of the Alliance for Youth Action , a nationwide network of youth political advocacy organizations .
It also means that organizations like hers have to work to ensure that enthusiasm translates into actually casting ballots .
While participating is going to be difficult for everyone this fall ― not just young voters ― if turnout matches the enthusiasm we are seeing , I think we are going to be in a really great place .
Sarah Audelo , executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We are really hopeful , ” Audelo said .
“ While participating is going to be difficult for everyone this fall ― not just young voters ― if turnout matches the enthusiasm we are seeing , I think we are going to be in a really great place.
” A poll conducted by the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement indicated that young voters are seeking out information on politics .
Nearly three in four said they had read or watched the local news at least occasionally .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ they saw on the coronavirus .
“ We see young people that are engaged all over the country , ” Kiesa said .
“ We saw a midterm election in 2018 where youth voter turnout jumped for every state for which we have data , some states it jumped double digits , and all of that in our data analysis came from young people ’ s leadership and youth engaging other young people.
” Young people ’ s engagement in the political process is wider than just voting , Kiesa noted .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ casting a ballot on Election Day .
Political participation has changed drastically in the last couple of decades .
Young people donate to campaigns , volunteer for campaigns and encourage political activism on social media .
“ Young people ’ s political ideologies are diverse , young people ’ s partisanship is diverse and the way young people participate is diverse , and I think that is mirrored in how young people think about voting and , frankly , how they participate in elections , ” Kiesa said .
Most surveys report a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not all potential survey errors .
YouGov ’ s reports include a model-based margin of error , which rests on a specific set of statistical assumptions about the selected sample rather than the standard methodology for random probability sampling .
If these assumptions are wrong , the model-based margin of error may also be inaccurate .

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Young voters could have a huge influence on the November elections, when 10% of eligible voters will be younger than 23. But first they have to show up, and new polling suggests that they may be more likely than older voters to think a lack of knowledge means they should skip it.
Forty percent of Americans ages 18 to 29 believe that people shouldn’t vote unless they’re well-informed about the elections, compared with 28% of Americans overall, according to a new poll conducted by YouGov and HuffPost.
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That could affect the decision to vote. Only 16% of Americans 18 to 29 would consider themselves very well informed, compared with 29% of 30- to 34-year-olds, 39% of 45- to 64-year-olds and about half of those 65 and older, according to the HuffPost/YouGov poll. Thirty-nine percent of voters under the age of 30 categorize themselves as somewhat well informed, 24% as not very well informed and 11% as not at all well informed.
Young voters have long gotten a bad rap for being uninterested in politics. That’s not necessarily true ― and in recent years, young people have led demonstrations over racial justice, climate change and more. But young voter turnout is still relatively low. A perception that young voters don’t know enough to participate could be a culprit.
“There are young people who self-censor themselves from politics because they think they don’t know enough,” said Abby Kiesa, the director of impact at the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement. “Our data suggests that there are more young people saying ‘I don’t know enough so I’m not going to participate’ than there are young people saying they know everything so they are going to cast a ballot.”
That means that candidates need to make a concerted effort to get young voters engaged and excited, said Sarah Audelo, the executive director of the Alliance for Youth Action, a nationwide network of youth political advocacy organizations. It also means that organizations like hers have to work to ensure that enthusiasm translates into actually casting ballots.
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The most recent election provided some positive signs. Following the 2018 midterm elections, the Census Bureau reported that turnout among voters ages 18 to 29 showed the largest percentage point increase of any age group , jumping from 20% in 2014 to 36% in 2018.
“While participating is going to be difficult for everyone this fall ― not just young voters ― if turnout matches the enthusiasm we are seeing, I think we are going to be in a really great place.” - Sarah Audelo, executive director of the Alliance for Youth Action
Though roughly 36% of eligible youth voters cast a ballot in 2018, their turnout was still much lower than the national average of 53.4%.
“We are really hopeful,” Audelo said. “While participating is going to be difficult for everyone this fall ― not just young voters ― if turnout matches the enthusiasm we are seeing, I think we are going to be in a really great place.”
Recent polls have shown this age group to be progressive, diverse and optimistic for change. And they may be more informed than they realize.
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A poll conducted by the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement indicated that young voters are seeking out information on politics. Nearly three in four said they had read or watched the local news at least occasionally. And 71% reported having fact-checked information they saw on the coronavirus.
That same data indicated that 41% of young people had also created content on politics, current events or social issues to share on social media platforms, with 21% saying they did that regularly.
“We see young people that are engaged all over the country,” Kiesa said. “We saw a midterm election in 2018 where youth voter turnout jumped for every state for which we have data, some states it jumped double digits, and all of that in our data analysis came from young people’s leadership and youth engaging other young people.”
Young people’s engagement in the political process is wider than just voting, Kiesa noted. That involvement may look quite different than just casting a ballot on Election Day. Political participation has changed drastically in the last couple of decades. Young people donate to campaigns, volunteer for campaigns and encourage political activism on social media.
“Young people’s political ideologies are diverse, young people’s partisanship is diverse and the way young people participate is diverse, and I think that is mirrored in how young people think about voting and, frankly, how they participate in elections,” Kiesa said.
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The HuffPost/YouGov poll consisted of 1,000 completed interviews conducted July 16-19 among U.S. adults, using a sample selected from YouGov’s opt-in online panel to match the demographics and other characteristics of the adult U.S. population.
HuffPost has teamed up with YouGov to conduct daily opinion polls. You can learn more about this project and take part in YouGov’s nationally representative opinion polling. More details on the polls’ methodology are available here.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-31--Rhode Island Boy Digs Up Gigantic 2 1/2-Pound Mollusk

Todd McLeish/University of Rhode Island via AP Cooper Monaco holds the large quahog he found Monday while clamming with his grandfather in Westerly , R.I .
The quahog is more than five inches across and weighing more than two pounds , and is among the largest ever harvested in the state .
NARRAGANSETT , R.I. ( AP ) — An 11-year-old Rhode Island boy clamming with his grandfather found a giant quahog that is thought to be one of the largest ever harvested in state waters .
Cooper Monaco , of Wakefield , found the massive mollusk Monday in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it to the University of Rhode Island ’ s Marine Science Research Facility in Narragansett , the university said in a statement Thursday .
The clam is 5.75 inches ( 14.5 centimeters ) across and weighs nearly 2 1/2 pounds ( 1.3 kilograms ) .
The state Department of Environmental Management does not keep quahog records , but a typical quahog grows to about 4 inches ( 10 centimeters ) across , the university said .
“ I was down on my hands and knees in the water looking for clams , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Cooper said in the statement .
“ I always pull out rocks and throw them to the side and look under them .
And then I felt the edge of it and I thought , ‘ holy moly , this is a clam.
’ So I pulled it out .
It was amazing.
” He knew it was unusually large , so told his mother not to cook it .
Ed Baker , the manager of the URI Marine Science Research Facility , plans to put the quahog on display .

Cooper Monaco holds the large quahog he found Monday while clamming with his grandfather in Westerly, R.I. The quahog is more than five inches across and weighing more than two pounds, and is among the largest ever harvested in the state. Todd McLeish/University of Rhode Island via AP
NARRAGANSETT, R.I. (AP) — An 11-year-old Rhode Island boy clamming with his grandfather found a giant quahog that is thought to be one of the largest ever harvested in state waters.
Cooper Monaco, of Wakefield, found the massive mollusk Monday in the Weekapaug section of Westerly, and donated it to the University of Rhode Island’s Marine Science Research Facility in Narragansett, the university said in a statement Thursday.
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The clam is 5.75 inches (14.5 centimeters) across and weighs nearly 2 1/2 pounds (1.3 kilograms). The state Department of Environmental Management does not keep quahog records, but a typical quahog grows to about 4 inches (10 centimeters) across, the university said.
“I was down on my hands and knees in the water looking for clams, and I touched this huge rock thing,” Cooper said in the statement. “I always pull out rocks and throw them to the side and look under them. And then I felt the edge of it and I thought, ‘holy moly, this is a clam.’ So I pulled it out. It was amazing.”
He knew it was unusually large, so told his mother not to cook it.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-31--Woman Arouses The Internet By Accidentally Buying Phallic Cutting Board

Georgia Rodgers Georgia Rodgers ' cutting board went viral when her friend posted a photo of its unique pattern .
But an Arkansas woman recently bought one that is arousing the interest of the internet thanks to an unusual phallic pattern in the marble .
Georgia Rodgers , 21 , made the purchase a few weeks ago because she needed new kitchen supplies for her return to school at Ouachita Baptist University this fall .
“ My mom knows all about kitchen stuff and knows what I like , ” Rodgers told HuffPost .
“ I told her I wanted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and black , and she ordered it on Amazon.
” While Rodgers is currently spending the summer in New York , the packages with her kitchen items were sent to her home in Little Rock .
“ My mom opened the packages and called me , saying the board didn ’ t ‘ look right , ’ and then she asked if I wanted to see , ” Rodgers said .
She wasn ’ t prepared for the photo that her mom sent a short time later .
Her cocky cutting board went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of it .
“ I ’ m actually getting offers from people who want to buy it , ” Rodgers said , adding that she has no plans to sell .
But while she declines to let the penis-patterned board go , Rodgers would like to know more about how it came to be .
“ I don ’ t know how accidental it was , but I ’ d like to know if it was done on purpose , ” she said .

Georgia Rodgers' cutting board went viral when her friend posted a photo of its unique pattern. Georgia Rodgers
As kitchen aids go, cutting boards aren’t exactly cutting edge.
But an Arkansas woman recently bought one that is arousing the interest of the internet thanks to an unusual phallic pattern in the marble.
Georgia Rodgers, 21, made the purchase a few weeks ago because she needed new kitchen supplies for her return to school at Ouachita Baptist University this fall.
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“My mom knows all about kitchen stuff and knows what I like,” Rodgers told HuffPost. “I told her I wanted a marble cutting board that was white and black, and she ordered it on Amazon.”
While Rodgers is currently spending the summer in New York, the packages with her kitchen items were sent to her home in Little Rock.
“My mom opened the packages and called me, saying the board didn’t ‘look right,’ and then she asked if I wanted to see,” Rodgers said.
She wasn’t prepared for the photo that her mom sent a short time later.
“My friend and I couldn’t believe a marble cutting board looked like a penis,” Rodgers said.
my friend ordered these cutting boards and this is what she got💀 pic.twitter.com/tHHCVIkvJL — ᵃᵇᵒᵍᵃⁱ ˡ ʙʟᴍ (@tbcstan) July 30, 2020
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Her cocky cutting board went viral after her friend tweeted a picture of it.
“I’m actually getting offers from people who want to buy it,” Rodgers said, adding that she has no plans to sell.
But while she declines to let the penis-patterned board go, Rodgers would like to know more about how it came to be.
“I don’t know how accidental it was, but I’d like to know if it was done on purpose,” she said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-31--Arrest Warrants Issued For 6 Hong Kong Democracy Activists, Including An American

Hong Kong issued arrest warrants for six prominent pro-democracy activists on Friday , including one American citizen — the first instance that the city ’ s controversial new national security law has been used against someone living in the U.S. Samuel Chu explained on Twitter that he had woken up to Hong Kong media reports proclaiming him a “ wanted fugitive ” accused of “ inciting secession ” and “ colluding with foreign powers.
” “ I might be the first non-Chinese citizen to be targeted , but I will not be the last , ” Chu wrote .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and any citizen of any nation who speaks out for Hong Kong can , and will be , too .
We are all Hong Kongers now.
” Chu has lived in the U.S. since 1996 , according to The Guardian .
On his website , he describes himself as a first-generation Hong Kong immigrant and the son of Reverend Chu Yiu-ming , a co-founder of Hong Kong ’ s 2014 Umbrella Revolution who in 2019 received a suspended 16-month sentence for his participation in the movement .
The younger Chu is also the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Council — a Washington , D.C.-based nonprofit focused on promoting human rights and universal suffrage in Hong Kong .
The Hong Kong national security law , instituted suddenly on June 30 , supersedes the local laws of the semi-autonomous metropolis , criminalizes a wide variety of acts as subversive and has largely been interpreted as a means for Beijing to crack down on pro-independence protesters .
“ We always knew that when the [ Hong Kong ] national security law went into effect there was a very troubling and illogical , irrational idea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claiming jurisdiction over anyone who is not even a Hong Kong resident , who is anywhere in the world , doing anything that they deemed threatening , ” Chu told The Guardian , referencing vague clauses in the law that grant Beijing the power to arrest anyone — even overseas residents who set foot in Hong Kong — if they engage in activities interpreted as going against the wishes of China ’ s central government .
The same day the arrest warrants were issued , Hong Kong ’ s local government announced it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elections in September by one year .
The city ’ s leader , Carrie Lam , cited the COVID-19 pandemic as the reasoning behind this move , but opposition critics have called it another attempt by mainland China to quell the pro-democracy movement .

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Hong Kong issued arrest warrants for six prominent pro-democracy activists on Friday, including one American citizen — the first instance that the city’s controversial new national security law has been used against someone living in the U.S.
Samuel Chu explained on Twitter that he had woken up to Hong Kong media reports proclaiming him a “wanted fugitive” accused of “inciting secession” and “colluding with foreign powers.”
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“I might be the first non-Chinese citizen to be targeted, but I will not be the last,” Chu wrote. “If I am targeted, any American and any citizen of any nation who speaks out for Hong Kong can, and will be, too. We are all Hong Kongers now.”
HK police is targeting a US citizen for lobbying my own gov't. I might be the 1st non-Chinese citizen to be targeted, but I will not be the last. If I am targeted, any American/any citizen of any nation who speaks out for HK can-and will be-too.
We are all Hong Kongers now. pic.twitter.com/KQYGcStY1e — Samuel Chu 朱牧民 (@samuelmchu) July 31, 2020
The younger Chu is also the founding director of the Hong Kong Democracy Council — a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit focused on promoting human rights and universal suffrage in Hong Kong.
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The Hong Kong national security law, instituted suddenly on June 30, supersedes the local laws of the semi-autonomous metropolis, criminalizes a wide variety of acts as subversive and has largely been interpreted as a means for Beijing to crack down on pro-independence protesters.
“We always knew that when the [Hong Kong] national security law went into effect there was a very troubling and illogical, irrational idea that [the Chinese government] were claiming jurisdiction over anyone who is not even a Hong Kong resident, who is anywhere in the world, doing anything that they deemed threatening,” Chu told The Guardian, referencing vague clauses in the law that grant Beijing the power to arrest anyone — even overseas residents who set foot in Hong Kong — if they engage in activities interpreted as going against the wishes of China’s central government.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-31--Supreme Court Declines To Block Trump Border Wall Construction

WASHINGTON ( Reuters ) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday declined a request from two groups seeking to prevent construction of President Donald Trump ’ s promised wall along the U.S.-Mexico border that is being funded by $ 2.5 billion approved by Congress for the Pentagon .
The court in a brief order rejected on a 5-4 vote the request by the groups , the Sierra Club and Southern Border Communities Coalition .
The vote was on ideological lines , with five conservatives in the majority and four liberals in dissent .
The court last July had previously allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an emergency request filed by the Trump administration .
The administration has since committed the money to constructing fences , roads and lighting at locations along the border identified as drug-smuggling corridors , the government said in court papers .
The two groups wanted the justices to prevent the construction from being completed before the litigation is finished and the case becomes moot .
Sierra Club is an environmental group .
The Southern Border Communities Coalition advocates for people living in border areas .
The groups said in court papers that circumstances had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ruling .

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday declined a request from two groups seeking to prevent construction of President Donald Trump’s promised wall along the U.S.-Mexico border that is being funded by $2.5 billion approved by Congress for the Pentagon.
The court in a brief order rejected on a 5-4 vote the request by the groups, the Sierra Club and Southern Border Communities Coalition. The vote was on ideological lines, with five conservatives in the majority and four liberals in dissent.
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The court last July had previously allowed the funds to be allocated, granting an emergency request filed by the Trump administration.
The administration has since committed the money to constructing fences, roads and lighting at locations along the border identified as drug-smuggling corridors, the government said in court papers. The two groups wanted the justices to prevent the construction from being completed before the litigation is finished and the case becomes moot.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-31--13 Amazing Photos You Missed This Week

13 Amazing Photos You Missed This Week

We ’ re highlighting exceptional photos from around the world for the week of July 25 to 31 .
Check @ @ @ @ @ : A horse-drawn carriage carrying the body of civil rights icon and Georgia congressman John @ @ @ @ @ Bridge on July 26 , 2020 , in Selma , Alabama .

We’re highlighting exceptional photos from around the world for the week of July 25 to 31. Check them out below.
Above: A horse-drawn carriage carrying the body of civil rights icon and Georgia congressman John Lewis crosses the Edmund Pettus Bridge on July 26, 2020, in Selma, Alabama.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-31--James Murdoch Resigns From News Corp Board

July 31 ( Reuters ) ― James Murdoch has resigned from News Corp ’ s board , citing disagreements over @ @ @ @ @ the company ’ s news outlets , the news publisher disclosed in a filing on @ @ @ @ @ resignation , Murdoch also cited differences over certain strategic decisions of the company .
The @ @ @ @ @ media tycoon Rupert Murdoch would leave the News Corp board with 10 directors .
The @ @ @ @ @ May had posted a $ 1 billion quarterly loss due to a writedown in the @ @ @ @ @ TV unit and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its businesses .
Important conversations @ @ @ @ @ your voice !
Join HuffPost Today !

James Murdoch resigned from News Corp’s board on Friday. David Moir / reuters
July 31 (Reuters) ― James Murdoch has resigned from News Corp’s board, citing disagreements over certain editorial content published by the company’s news outlets, the news publisher disclosed in a filing on Friday.
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While tendering the resignation, Murdoch also cited differences over certain strategic decisions of the company.
The departure of the son of media tycoon Rupert Murdoch would leave the News Corp board with 10 directors.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-31--TikTok Accuses Facebook Of 'Copycat Products,' Declares 'We Are Not The Enemy'

TikTok went on the offensive on Wednesday , publishing an open letter that called out rival Facebook for producing “ copycat products ” and proclaiming that despite the app ’ s Chinese ownership , “ we are not the enemy.
” In the letter , titled “ Fair competition and transparency benefits us all , ” TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer , who joined the company in May after a lengthy career at Disney , argued that Facebook was attempting to impede TikTok ’ s growth in the United States under the guise of patriotism .
“ At TikTok we welcome @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We think fair competition makes all of us better .
To those who wish to launch competitive products , we say bring it on .
Facebook is even launching another copycat product , Reels ( tied to Instagram ) , after their other copycat Lasso failed quickly .
But let ’ s focus our energies on fair and open competition in service of our consumers , rather than maligning attacks by our competitor – namely Facebook – disguised as patriotism and designed to put an end to our very presence in the US.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ service similar to TikTok that is expected to roll out in the U.S. in August .
The Wall Street Journal reported that Facebook has been courting key TikTok creators with financial incentives to migrate to Reels .
Lasso , Facebook ’ s previous attempt at a short video feature , was unveiled in 2018 and shut down on July 10 .
“ We are not political , we do not accept political advertising and have no agenda – our only objective is to remain a vibrant , dynamic platform for everyone to enjoy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can only benefit from the growth of healthy , successful platforms like TikTok and we will fight to continue to give American creators , users and brands an entertaining outlet for many years to come.
” In other sections of the statement , Mayer pointed out that TikTok had launched a Transparency and Accountability Center to share details about the company ’ s data practices , and addressed the fact that TikTok is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance .
“ The entire [ social media ] industry has received scrutiny , and rightly so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we have received even more scrutiny due to the company ’ s Chinese origins .
We accept this and embrace the challenge of giving peace of mind through greater transparency and accountability .
We believe it is essential to show users , advertisers , creators , and regulators that we are responsible and committed members of the American community that follows US laws.
” Alex Zhu , Mayer ’ s predecessor who now focuses on investments at ByteDance , previously told The New York Times that the company ’ s data is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and would not be shared with China .
Zhu said he would personally deny a hypothetical request from Chinese President Xi Jinping if ever asked to hand over such data .
A similar statement was published on TikTok ’ s blog , stressing that the company employs a U.S. moderation team in California and is “ not influenced by any foreign government , including the Chinese government.
” The statement also said that TikTok “ does not operate in China ” and does not “ have any intention of doing so in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have come under scrutiny from American politicians , particularly after a 2019 report from The Guardian revealed internal documents instructing TikTok moderators to censor political content , including topics sensitive to the Chinese Communist Party , such as the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests .
At the time , TikTok responded to the leaks by calling the documents outdated .

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TikTok went on the offensive on Wednesday, publishing an open letter that called out rival Facebook for producing “copycat products” and proclaiming that despite the app’s Chinese ownership, “we are not the enemy.”
In the letter, titled “Fair competition and transparency benefits us all,” TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer, who joined the company in May after a lengthy career at Disney, argued that Facebook was attempting to impede TikTok’s growth in the United States under the guise of patriotism.
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“At TikTok we welcome competition,” Mayer wrote. “We think fair competition makes all of us better. To those who wish to launch competitive products, we say bring it on. Facebook is even launching another copycat product, Reels (tied to Instagram), after their other copycat Lasso failed quickly. But let’s focus our energies on fair and open competition in service of our consumers, rather than maligning attacks by our competitor – namely Facebook – disguised as patriotism and designed to put an end to our very presence in the US.”
Instagram Reels is a short-form video service similar to TikTok that is expected to roll out in the U.S. in August. The Wall Street Journal reported that Facebook has been courting key TikTok creators with financial incentives to migrate to Reels. Lasso, Facebook’s previous attempt at a short video feature, was unveiled in 2018 and shut down on July 10.
Mayer went on to argue in the open letter that “without TikTok, American advertisers would again be left with few choices.
“We are not political, we do not accept political advertising and have no agenda – our only objective is to remain a vibrant, dynamic platform for everyone to enjoy,” Mayer wrote. “Consumers can only benefit from the growth of healthy, successful platforms like TikTok and we will fight to continue to give American creators, users and brands an entertaining outlet for many years to come.”
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In other sections of the statement, Mayer pointed out that TikTok had launched a Transparency and Accountability Center to share details about the company’s data practices, and addressed the fact that TikTok is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance.
“The entire [social media] industry has received scrutiny, and rightly so,” Mayer said. “Yet, we have received even more scrutiny due to the company’s Chinese origins. We accept this and embrace the challenge of giving peace of mind through greater transparency and accountability. We believe it is essential to show users, advertisers, creators, and regulators that we are responsible and committed members of the American community that follows US laws.”
On Friday, a Bloomberg report revealed that President Donald Trump is planning to sign an order compelling ByteDance to sell off Tiktok in order to quell data concerns, with Microsoft reportedly in acquisition talks.
Alex Zhu, Mayer’s predecessor who now focuses on investments at ByteDance, previously told The New York Times that the company’s data is stored on servers in Virginia and Singapore and would not be shared with China. Zhu said he would personally deny a hypothetical request from Chinese President Xi Jinping if ever asked to hand over such data.
A similar statement was published on TikTok’s blog, stressing that the company employs a U.S. moderation team in California and is “not influenced by any foreign government, including the Chinese government.” The statement also said that TikTok “does not operate in China” and does not “have any intention of doing so in the future.”
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ByteDance does operate a Chinese equivalent of TikTok with identical branding called Douyin, but it uses separate servers and is considered a different app.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-31--Florida Teen Arrested For Massive, High-Profile Twitter Hack

The July 15 attack saw accounts belonging to political figures like Joe Biden and Barack Obama , and tech founders like Elon Musk , Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos , among others , all temporarily wrested from their owners .
The hijacked accounts then directed followers to send bitcoin to an address , promising that those who followed through would see their money returned in double .
The cryptocurrency was not returned ; instead , Clark pocketed more than $ 100,000 in just one day , the Hillsborough State Attorney ’ s office told HuffPost .
Authorities also charged two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mason Sheppard , aka “ Chaewon , ” of Bognor Regis , in the United Kingdom ; and 22-year-old Nima Fazeli , aka “ Rolex , ” of Orlando , Florida .
A Twitter investigation found the trio initially targeted specific Twitter employees who had access to internal support tools .
Using their credentials , they pursued additional permissions available to other Twitter employees who oversee account support , which they then ultimately used to hack the accounts .
Of the 130 Twitter accounts he targeted , the group sent tweets from 45 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and downloaded data from seven , Twitter said .
Beyond the immediate theft , the hack raised grave concerns about Twitter ’ s security apparatus ― and what might happen if someone more interested in sowing chaos than stealing bitcoin were able to carry out a similar hack in the future .
The Hillsborough State Attorney ’ s Office is leading the prosecution because Florida law permits charging minors as adults in certain financial fraud cases .
The FBI and U.S. Department of Justice also contributed to the investigation .
“ This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committed the crime here , and he ’ ll be prosecuted here , ” State Attorney Andrew Warren said in a release .
“ Scamming people out of their hard-earned money is always wrong , ” he added .
“ Whether you ’ re taking advantage of someone in person or on the internet , trying to steal their cash or their cryptocurrency — it ’ s fraud , it ’ s illegal , and you won ’ t get away with it.
” Clark faces 30 felony charges , including one count @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one count of fraudulent use of personal information of 30 or more victims , 17 counts of communications fraud and 10 counts of fraudulent use of personal information .

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Authorities in Tampa, Florida, arrested 17-year-old Graham Clark early Friday morning and accused him of masterminding a massive hack of high-profile Twitter accounts earlier this month.
The July 15 attack saw accounts belonging to political figures like Joe Biden and Barack Obama, and tech founders like Elon Musk, Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, among others, all temporarily wrested from their owners. The hijacked accounts then directed followers to send bitcoin to an address, promising that those who followed through would see their money returned in double.
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The cryptocurrency was not returned; instead, Clark pocketed more than $100,000 in just one day, the Hillsborough State Attorney’s office told HuffPost.
Authorities also charged two other individuals in the scheme: 19-year-old Mason Sheppard, aka “Chaewon,” of Bognor Regis, in the United Kingdom; and 22-year-old Nima Fazeli, aka “Rolex,” of Orlando, Florida.
A Twitter investigation found the trio initially targeted specific Twitter employees who had access to internal support tools. Using their credentials, they pursued additional permissions available to other Twitter employees who oversee account support, which they then ultimately used to hack the accounts.
BREAKING: Hillsborough State Attorney @AndrewWarrenFL announces arrest of 17-year-old Graham Ivan Clark in “Bit-Con” hack of prominent Twitter users including Bill Gates, former President Barack Obama and Elon Musk. pic.twitter.com/4kkeITvJ22 — Aaron Mesmer FOX 13 (@AaronMesmer) July 31, 2020
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Of the 130 Twitter accounts he targeted, the group sent tweets from 45, accessed the direct messages of 36, and downloaded data from seven, Twitter said.
Beyond the immediate theft, the hack raised grave concerns about Twitter’s security apparatus ― and what might happen if someone more interested in sowing chaos than stealing bitcoin were able to carry out a similar hack in the future.
The Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office is leading the prosecution because Florida law permits charging minors as adults in certain financial fraud cases. The FBI and U.S. Department of Justice also contributed to the investigation.
“This defendant lives here in Tampa, he committed the crime here, and he’ll be prosecuted here,” State Attorney Andrew Warren said in a release.
“Scamming people out of their hard-earned money is always wrong,” he added. “Whether you’re taking advantage of someone in person or on the internet, trying to steal their cash or their cryptocurrency — it’s fraud, it’s illegal, and you won’t get away with it.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-31--Michigan Teen Jailed For Skipping Schoolwork Is Released

“ Give yourself a chance to follow through and finish something , ” the judge told her , according to @ @ @ @ @ The right thing is for you and your mom to be separated for right now.
@ @ @ @ @ her comes while the coronavirus pandemic has ripped through the country and killed more than @ @ @ @ @ are especially susceptible to spreading the coronavirus , and Democratic Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer issued @ @ @ @ @ to suspend detaining juveniles who violate probation unless they posed an immediate safety risk .
@ @ @ @ @ the Michigan appellate court to hear Grace ’ s case on an emergency basis and @ @ @ @ @ ProPublica reported .

“Give yourself a chance to follow through and finish something,” the judge told her, according to The Detroit News. “The right thing is for you and your mom to be separated for right now.”
The decision to detain her comes while the coronavirus pandemic has ripped through the country and killed more than 150,000 Americans. Detention centers are especially susceptible to spreading the coronavirus, and Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued an executive order in March to suspend detaining juveniles who violate probation unless they posed an immediate safety risk.
On Monday, prosecutors asked the Michigan appellate court to hear Grace’s case on an emergency basis and to order her release, ProPublica reported.
Dominique Mosbergen contributed reporting.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-31--Oil Giants Post Historic Losses As COVID-19 Obliterates Demand

The country ’ s two largest oil giants posted their steepest losses in modern history on Friday , as the coronavirus pandemic and a glut of crude oil destroyed the demand market over the past three months .
Exxon Mobil Corp. disclosed a $ 1.1 billion loss in the year ’ s second quarter .
Chevron Corporation lost $ 8.3 billion , driven in part by $ 5.2 billion in write-downs on assets the company deemed to have lost value .
The reports sent both firms ’ stock prices plunging .
The companies sought to downplay the historic losses as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to contain the COVID-19 disease across the world .
Neither Exxon Mobil CEO Darren Woods nor Chevron CEO Michael Wirth joined the Friday earnings calls ― doing so would have signaled to analysts that the companies wanted to soothe nervous investors amid worsening conditions .
“ We don ’ t think the long term has changed , ” Neil Chapman , Exxon Mobil ’ s senior vice president , said on his company ’ s 90-minute call .
“ The fundamentals have not changed .
The population will continue to grow .
Economies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between society progress , or you could describe it as human development , and energy consumption is absolutely clear.
” But even in the short term , it ’ s still unclear whether the worst effects of the coronavirus pandemic are over , said Fernando Valle , a senior oil and gas analyst at the research firm Bloomberg Intelligence .
“ We don ’ t know the magnitude of the pandemic yet because we ’ re seeing a new peak in the U.S. , ” he said by phone Friday .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but people will stop driving if the virus jumps back up .
We ’ ve seen that in Texas and California , where there aren ’ t government-mandated lockdowns per se , but demand has fallen because the virus is spiking in those regions.
” Earlier this month , Chevron bought drilling giant Noble Energy for $ 5 billion in a deal analysts say will actually help the oil behemoth ’ s balance sheet because it will allow the combined company to generate more cash .
Exxon Mobil ’ s net debt totaled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of June , prompting Woods to announce in Friday ’ s written earnings release that , “ We do not plan to take on any additional debt.
” The company has continued spending more on projects than it is earning from selling oil , gas and refined products .
This report marked the third in the past five quarters in which Exxon Mobil generated negative free cash flows , something that Clark Williams-Derry , an analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis , called a major shift .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to compare the two U.S. so-called oil “ supermajors ” to their European rivals .
Unlike Exxon Mobil or Chevron , Anglo-Dutch giant Royal Dutch Shell cut its dividend payment to investors and French behemoth Total has invested heavily in clean energy .
“ U.S .
supermajors are underperforming dramatically , while European majors are struggling mightily but don ’ t have the same depths of underperformance of Chevron and Exxon , ” Williams-Derry said .
“ The companies that are sticking to the old business model , that aren ’ t pivoting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The risks that rapidly worsening climate change pose to the oil industry ’ s fundamental business are the subject of a growing number of lawsuits in the U.S. , which accuse the country ’ s largest producers of lying for decades about the fossil fuel emissions ’ effects on the atmosphere .
The European Union is charging ahead with new green mandates as part of its coronavirus recovery package .
But most countries are loosening environmental enforcement in a bid to spur new growth .
In the U.S. , new renewable energy mandates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number of electric vehicles that can be rolled out quickly is limited , and “ there will be a lot of resistance to anything in the short term ” that would make cars , shipping , plastics or airlines more expensive , he said .

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The country’s two largest oil giants posted their steepest losses in modern history on Friday, as the coronavirus pandemic and a glut of crude oil destroyed the demand market over the past three months.
Exxon Mobil Corp. disclosed a $1.1 billion loss in the year’s second quarter. Chevron Corporation lost $8.3 billion, driven in part by $5.2 billion in write-downs on assets the company deemed to have lost value. The reports sent both firms’ stock prices plunging.
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“Look, it was a challenging quarter,” Pierre Breber, Chevron’s chief financial officer, said on a call with investors Friday. “We had very volatile industry conditions.”
The earnings marked a dramatic turnaround from a year earlier. During the second three months of 2019, Exxon Mobil earned $3.1 billion, while Chevron brought in $4.3 billion.
The companies sought to downplay the historic losses as flukes caused by the abrupt national lockdowns to contain the COVID-19 disease across the world. Neither Exxon Mobil CEO Darren Woods nor Chevron CEO Michael Wirth joined the Friday earnings calls ― doing so would have signaled to analysts that the companies wanted to soothe nervous investors amid worsening conditions.
Over the past five years, the stock prices for Exxon Mobil and Chevron have fallen. Google Finance
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Instead, other company officials insisted production would return, even as cautioning that earnings projections for 2021 were subject to change.
“We don’t think the long term has changed,” Neil Chapman, Exxon Mobil’s senior vice president, said on his company’s 90-minute call. “The fundamentals have not changed. The population will continue to grow. Economies will continue to grow. This relationship between society progress, or you could describe it as human development, and energy consumption is absolutely clear.”
Chevron said: “We’re back to full production.”
But even in the short term, it’s still unclear whether the worst effects of the coronavirus pandemic are over, said Fernando Valle, a senior oil and gas analyst at the research firm Bloomberg Intelligence.
“We don’t know the magnitude of the pandemic yet because we’re seeing a new peak in the U.S.,” he said by phone Friday. “We don’t expect lockdowns again, but people will stop driving if the virus jumps back up. We’ve seen that in Texas and California, where there aren’t government-mandated lockdowns per se, but demand has fallen because the virus is spiking in those regions.”
Exxon Mobil and Chevron are in different places financially, meaning the impact of the pandemic on them could diverge in the month ahead.
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Earlier this month, Chevron bought drilling giant Noble Energy for $5 billion in a deal analysts say will actually help the oil behemoth’s balance sheet because it will allow the combined company to generate more cash.
Exxon Mobil’s net debt totaled more than $48 billion at the end of June, prompting Woods to announce in Friday’s written earnings release that, “We do not plan to take on any additional debt.” The company has continued spending more on projects than it is earning from selling oil, gas and refined products. This report marked the third in the past five quarters in which Exxon Mobil generated negative free cash flows, something that Clark Williams-Derry, an analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, called a major shift.
“This is a new phenomenon,” he said. “The coronavirus has accelerated a process that was already underway, a process of financial strain and under performance.”
“We don’t think the long term has changed.” - Neil Chapman, Exxon Mobil’s senior vice president
A starker comparison, he said, is to compare the two U.S. so-called oil “supermajors” to their European rivals. Unlike Exxon Mobil or Chevron, Anglo-Dutch giant Royal Dutch Shell cut its dividend payment to investors and French behemoth Total has invested heavily in clean energy.
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“U.S. supermajors are underperforming dramatically, while European majors are struggling mightily but don’t have the same depths of underperformance of Chevron and Exxon,” Williams-Derry said. “The companies that are sticking to the old business model, that aren’t pivoting, are the ones really suffering.”
The risks that rapidly worsening climate change pose to the oil industry’s fundamental business are the subject of a growing number of lawsuits in the U.S., which accuse the country’s largest producers of lying for decades about the fossil fuel emissions’ effects on the atmosphere.
But the political risk to the industry if Democrat Joe Biden defeats President Donald Trump, an unabashed promoter of the fossil fuel industry, is “very much overblown,” Valle said.
The European Union is charging ahead with new green mandates as part of its coronavirus recovery package. But most countries are loosening environmental enforcement in a bid to spur new growth. In the U.S., new renewable energy mandates may take time to get started, the number of electric vehicles that can be rolled out quickly is limited, and “there will be a lot of resistance to anything in the short term” that would make cars, shipping, plastics or airlines more expensive, he said.
He noted that when Barack Obama assumed the presidency in early 2009 amid a cratering economy, ”he was actually fairly benign to the industry because there was a need to get the country back on track. I don’t expect it’ll be any different” under Biden.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-31--Newly Released Documents Reveal More About Ghislaine Maxwell's Role In Alleged Abuse

The documents were part of a 2015 defamation case involving Maxwell and Virginia Giuffre , who has alleged that she was sexually abused by Epstein , Maxwell and many of their friends in the early 2000s at properties in New York City , Florida , London , New Mexico , the U.S. Virgin Islands and in private planes all over the world .
The case was settled in 2017 .
Investigators then shifted focus to Maxwell , 58 , and arrested her at a secluded mansion in New Hampshire on July 2 .
She pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the abuse of several underage girls between 1994 and 1997 , and is being held without bond at a facility in Brooklyn , New York .
Giuffre says she had been reading a book on massage therapy at Mar-a-Lago ― the Florida club owned by President Donald Trump where she worked in 2000 ― when Maxwell first approached her .
Maxwell then brought Giuffre to Epstein ’ s Florida home on the pretense of giving him a regular “ massage.
” However , Giuffre says in the records that the term always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Epstein .
One document asserts that Giuffre was forced to have sex with the British prince in three locations while she was a minor : Maxwell ’ s London apartment , an unspecified location in New York , and on Epstein ’ s private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands .
Buckingham Palace has denied all rape accusations against Prince Andrew , who has said he does not recall ever meeting Giuffre , despite the existence of a damning photo showing him with his arm around Giuffre ’ s waist and Maxwell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was taken by Epstein .
Former Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz , who Giuffre says also abused her , is described as having played “ a significant role ” in negotiating Epstein ’ s 2008 plea bargain .
Epstein received a shockingly light sentence for sexually abusing a minor in Florida : He was held in a private wing of a local jail and allowed to leave for up to 12 hours a day , six days per week .
He was released after serving a little more than a year .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s private island seemed to Giuffre to be from Eastern Europe .
In graphic testimony , Giuffre described Maxwell engaging in group sex with “ lots ” of other young girls on Epstein ’ s private island .
She could not answer confidently when asked where the others were from because they did not speak English , but Giuffre estimated that they may have been from Russia or the Czech Republic .
Giuffre said she also saw former President Bill Clinton on the island with young girls .
She recalled an incident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ island at a time when “ two young girls ” whom she did not know anything about — other than that they were from New York — were also present .
Clinton has not been accused of participating in the abuse , but his alleged presence on the island has drawn sharp criticism .
In a 2015 email , Epstein encouraged Maxwell to hold her “ head high ” — despite Maxwell ’ s claim that she cut off contact with the financier years before .
Maxwell and Epstein would regularly imply that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Giuffre said .

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Another batch of court records involving British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, the late financier Jeffrey Epstein and numerous other powerful people was unsealed Thursday night, revealing the clearest picture yet of Maxwell’s alleged participation in an international sex trafficking scheme.
The documents were part of a 2015 defamation case involving Maxwell and Virginia Giuffre, who has alleged that she was sexually abused by Epstein, Maxwell and many of their friends in the early 2000s at properties in New York City, Florida, London, New Mexico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and in private planes all over the world. The case was settled in 2017.
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Last August, New York judge Loretta Preska ordered the release of more than 2,000 pages of case records, which provided testimony from Epstein’s staff in support of Giuffre’s accusations, along with the names of wealthy individuals she says she was ordered to have sex with.
The day after the first batch of documents was released, Epstein was found dead of an apparent suicide in the Manhattan jail cell where he was being held awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. The newly public trove is the second part of the bundle of records Preska ordered released.
Investigators then shifted focus to Maxwell, 58, and arrested her at a secluded mansion in New Hampshire on July 2. She pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to six felony counts over her alleged participation in the abuse of several underage girls between 1994 and 1997, and is being held without bond at a facility in Brooklyn, New York.
While much of the information contained in the newly released documents has been previously reported, the records illustrate the alarming extent to which Maxwell allegedly participated in the Epstein scandal.
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Giuffre testified that Maxwell sexually abused underaged girls “virtually every day.”
In her deposition, Giuffre said that Maxwell abused girls nearly every day she was around the British heiress. When asked for descriptions of the girls Maxwell allegedly abused, Giuffre replied, “Well, there’s a lot of girls that were involved. We weren’t on a first name basis with each other.”
Giuffre says she had been reading a book on massage therapy at Mar-a-Lago ― the Florida club owned by President Donald Trump where she worked in 2000 ― when Maxwell first approached her. Maxwell then brought Giuffre to Epstein’s Florida home on the pretense of giving him a regular “massage.” However, Giuffre says in the records that the term always meant “erotic massage” to Maxwell and Epstein.
In addition to allegedly procuring young girls herself, Maxwell is accused of manipulating the girls she recruited ― including Giuffre ― to go out and recruit others. In previously released records, Epstein’s former house manager testified that his employer kept the names and numbers of dozens of young so-called massage therapists in a Rolodex.
“It’s very hard to tell how many girls were under the age of 18,” Giuffre said in her deposition. “My instruction from them was the younger the better.”
Alan Dershowitz and Prince Andrew were alleged participants.
One document asserts that Giuffre was forced to have sex with the British prince in three locations while she was a minor: Maxwell’s London apartment, an unspecified location in New York, and on Epstein’s private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Buckingham Palace has denied all rape accusations against Prince Andrew, who has said he does not recall ever meeting Giuffre, despite the existence of a damning photo showing him with his arm around Giuffre’s waist and Maxwell in the background ― which Giuffre testified was taken by Epstein.
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Giuffre said she was told to give Prince Andrew “whatever he demanded” and to then report details of the abuse to Epstein.
Former Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz, who Giuffre says also abused her, is described as having played “a significant role” in negotiating Epstein’s 2008 plea bargain. Epstein received a shockingly light sentence for sexually abusing a minor in Florida: He was held in a private wing of a local jail and allowed to leave for up to 12 hours a day, six days per week. He was released after serving a little more than a year.
Dershowitz denies the abuse accusations against him.
Giuffre testified that she was also instructed to “pleas[e]” businessman Glenn Dubin, model recruiter Jean Luc Brunel, former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, another unnamed prince, the unnamed owner of a “large hotel chain,” and a “foreign president” with dark hair whom Giuffre believed to be Spanish.
“[C]an I remember everybody’s name? No,” she said. The men were often introduced to her informally.
“These allegations and inferences are completely false. Governor Richardson has never even been contacted by any party regarding this lawsuit. To be clear, in Governor Richardson’s limited interactions with Mr. Epstein, he never saw him in the presence of young or underage girls. Governor Richardson has never met Ms. Giuffre,” a spokesperson for Richardson said in a statement.
Some of the other girls brought to Epstein’s private island seemed to Giuffre to be from Eastern Europe.
In graphic testimony, Giuffre described Maxwell engaging in group sex with “lots” of other young girls on Epstein’s private island. She could not answer confidently when asked where the others were from because they did not speak English, but Giuffre estimated that they may have been from Russia or the Czech Republic.
Giuffre said she was brought to the island more than 20 times, but probably less than 50.
She also testified that Maxwell regularly abused her on Epstein’s properties, in countries around the world and on private planes.
Giuffre said she also saw former President Bill Clinton on the island with young girls.
Giuffre testified that Epstein once told her “that everyone owes him favors.”
She recalled an incident in which she saw Clinton on the island at a time when “two young girls” whom she did not know anything about — other than that they were from New York — were also present. Clinton has not been accused of participating in the abuse, but his alleged presence on the island has drawn sharp criticism.
Giuffre also recalled that Maxwell had said she personally flew Clinton to the island on a helicopter, but Giuffre was not sure whether that was true because Maxwell liked to tell “fantastical” stories.
In a 2015 email, Epstein encouraged Maxwell to hold her “head high” — despite Maxwell’s claim that she cut off contact with the financier years before.
A few weeks after a story about Giuffre’s accusations ran in a British newspaper, Epstein sent Maxwell a typo-filled email.
He wrote on Jan. 25, 2015: “You have done nothing wrong and i woudl urge you to start acting like it. go outside, head high, not as an esacping convict. go to parties. deal with it.”
In another email, Epstein appears to help Maxwell compose a public statement denying Giuffre’s accusations and distancing herself from the financier.
Maxwell and Epstein would regularly imply that it was dangerous to upset them, Giuffre said.
Maxwell and Epstein never explicitly threatened Giuffre, she said in her testimony, but they made it clear that she should not cross them because they were very wealthy and knew many powerful people.
“It was on a constant basis,” she said. “I mean, there was no just one time that she said it. It was like a reminder, you know. And Jeffrey did a lot more of that than she did. But she definitely made [me] aware that we shouldn’t cross boundaries with them.”
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More documents from the defamation case between Giuffre and Maxwell are expected to be made public next week.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-31--Film Director Alan Parker Dead At 76

Film Director Alan Parker Dead At 76

Darrin Zammit Lupi / reuters British film director Sir Alan Parker , whose movies included “ Bugsy Malone , ” “ Midnight Express ” and “ Evita , ” has died at 76 .
LONDON ( AP ) — British filmmaker Alan Parker , whose movies included “ Bugsy Malone , ” “ Midnight Express ” and “ Evita , ” has died at 76 .
A statement from the director ’ s family says Parker died Friday in London after a long illness .
Parker was one of Britain ’ s most successful directors , whose diverse body of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Burning , “ The Commitments and “ Angela ’ s Ashes.
” Together his movies won 10 Academy Awards at 19 British Academy Film Awards .
Parker also championed Britain ’ s film industry , serving as the chairman of the British Film Institute and the U.K. Film Council .
He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2002 .
Fellow director David Puttnam said Parker “ was my oldest and closest friend – I was always in awe of his talent .
My life , and those of many others who loved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same again.
” He is survived by his wife Lisa Moran-Parker , his children Lucy , Alexander , Jake , Nathan and Henry , and seven grandchildren .
Important conversations are happening now .
Add your voice !
Join HuffPost Today !

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LONDON (AP) — British filmmaker Alan Parker, whose movies included “Bugsy Malone,” “Midnight Express” and “Evita,” has died at 76.
A statement from the director’s family says Parker died Friday in London after a long illness.
Parker was one of Britain’s most successful directors, whose diverse body of work includes “Fame,” “Mississippi Burning, “The Commitments” and “Angela’s Ashes.” Together his movies won 10 Academy Awards at 19 British Academy Film Awards.
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British film director Sir Alan Parker, whose movies included “Bugsy Malone,” “Midnight Express” and “Evita,” has died at 76. Darrin Zammit Lupi / reuters
Parker also championed Britain’s film industry, serving as the chairman of the British Film Institute and the U.K. Film Council. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2002.
Fellow director David Puttnam said Parker “was my oldest and closest friend – I was always in awe of his talent. My life, and those of many others who loved and respected him will never be the same again.”
He is survived by his wife Lisa Moran-Parker, his children Lucy, Alexander, Jake, Nathan and Henry, and seven grandchildren.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-01--Silent Republicans Get Stark Reminder Of Their Complicity In Joe Scarborough Op-Ed

Republicans who continue to defend President Donald Trump amid his myriad of controversies provoked the anger of MSNBC host Joe Scarborough in his latest column for The Washington Post .
In the op-ed published Friday , Scarborough chastized the self-described constitutional conservatives who remained silent this week even after Trump touted the idea of delaying the 2020 election over debunked concerns about mail-in voter fraud .
Trump does not have the authority to move the vote .
Scarborough , himself a former GOP representative who ’ s been at the sharp end of Trump ’ s baseless conspiracy theories , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speak out after Trump ’ s claim to have “ unlimited powers ” ; when he said there were “ very fine people on both sides ” during a white supremacy rally ; and when he sided repeatedly with Russian President Vladimir Putin .
“ I know Trump ’ s devotion to Putin deeply disturbs you , but somehow you swallow that bile and keep running cover for them both , ” Scarborough wrote .
He concluded : “ None dare call it treason , but perhaps one day they will.
” Important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voice !
Join HuffPost Today !

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Republicans who continue to defend President Donald Trump amid his myriad controversies provoked the anger of MSNBC host Joe Scarborough in his latest column for The Washington Post.
In the piece published Friday, Scarborough chastised the self-described constitutional conservatives who remained silent this week even after Trump touted the idea of delaying the 2020 election over debunked concerns about mail-in voter fraud.
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Trump does not have the authority to move the vote.
Scarborough, himself a former GOP representative who’s been at the sharp end of Trump’s baseless conspiracy theories, also hammered the Republicans who failed to speak out after Trump claimed to have “unlimited powers”; when he said there were “very fine people on both sides” during a white supremacist rally; and when he repeatedly sided with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I know Trump’s devotion to Putin deeply disturbs you, but somehow you swallow that bile and keep running cover for them both,” Scarborough wrote.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-01--Ex-GOP Congressman Nails Donald Trump’s Election Stunt With Flopping Fish Comparison

Former Rep. David Jolly ( R-Fla. ) on Friday dismissed President Donald Trump ’ s election delay stunt , suggesting it was indicative of someone who knew they were going to lose .
“ There ’ s a saying in politics that fish always flop around before they die .
You see candidates engage in erratic behavior when they know they ’ re going to lose , ” Jolly told MSNBC ’ s Nicolle Wallace .
“ It ’ s hard to measure that behavior with Donald Trump because he ’ s been erratic since the beginning , ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is someone who is reaching to justify a loss or to look for somewhere to blame.
” Trump floated the idea of delaying the election via Twitter on Thursday , citing unfounded allegations about mail-in voter fraud .
To be clear , Trump does not have the power to change the election date .
Jolly , who served in the House from 2014 to 2017 before quitting the GOP in October 2018 , later suggested Trump “ at some point ” will “ have to embrace the crisis we ’ re in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cratering economy .
“ Not because he is capable of fulfilling the role of empathetic leader ” but because his “ Keep America Great ” campaign message is “ so disconnected from the reality , ” said Jolly .
`` Fish always flop around before they die ... it 's hard to measure that behavior with Trump because he 's been erratic since the beginning but clearly this is someone who 's reaching to justify a loss or to look for someone to blame '' - @ DavidJollyFL w/ @ NicolleDWallace pic.twitter.com/15zGkX9QqJ — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July 31 , 2020

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Former Rep. David Jolly (R-Fla.) on Friday dismissed President Donald Trump’s election delay stunt, suggesting it was indicative of someone who knew they were going to lose.
“There’s a saying in politics that fish always flop around before they die. You see candidates engage in erratic behavior when they know they’re going to lose,” Jolly told MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace.
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“It’s hard to measure that behavior with Donald Trump because he’s been erratic since the beginning,” the former congressman acknowledged. “But clearly this is someone who is reaching to justify a loss or to look for somewhere to blame.”
Trump floated the idea of delaying the election via Twitter on Thursday, citing unfounded allegations about mail-in voter fraud.
To be clear, Trump does not have the power to change the election date.
Jolly, who served in the House from 2014 to 2017 before quitting the GOP in October 2018, later suggested Trump “at some point” will “have to embrace the crisis we’re in” regarding the coronavirus pandemic and the cratering economy.
“Not because he is capable of fulfilling the role of empathetic leader” but because his “Keep America Great” campaign message is “so disconnected from the reality,” said Jolly.
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Check out the full interview here: