Posts - Americans

Researchers Find Zoo Chimps Carefully Planned Attack Used To Take Down Research Drone

Culture

After studying video of chimps capturing a drone that was flying around their enclosure, animal researchers say the primates have more ability to pre-plan than had been thought. They say the video, which was taken in April at the Burgers Zoo in Holland, also confirmed Chimps have excellent tool use.

The research confirms that rather than being randomly bothered into taking action the Chimps carefully planned the attack using tools.

The video shows that when the drone had finished flying through and around the enclosure and had left, several chimps collected branches and then climbed with them to a spot where the drone had hovered the most. When the drone reappeared the chimps were ready, holding up their long branches to knock the drone to the ground, where after examining it closely, they destroyed it by ripping it apart.

According to primatologists, the video shows looks of exertion on the faces of the chimps, but not fear, which indicated they were not just flailing around in terror at the drone, but were acting deliberately.

Primatologist Jan van Hoof, who has been studying the zoo’s chimps for some time, said “The use of the stick as a weapon in this context was a unique action. It seemed deliberate, given the decision to collect it and carry it to a place where the drone might be attacked.”

He said the tool use of the chimps was impressive when one took into consideration they had not been taught how to use the branches as tools to capture the drone.

By studying the drone attacking chimps, the researchers have found the primates, simply by watching humans at the zoo, have figured out how to use 13 unique tools and which ones to use for particular tasks.

Van Hoof said the drone incident adds to increasing evidence, that chimps plan in advance when it comes to using tools.

Danish Commuters Can Now Take Public Electric Cars Using Their Transit Passes

Entertainment News

Public transit users in the Danish city of Copenhagen are being treated to the next iteration of ride-sharing thanks to the city’s new partnership with German ride sharing company DriveNow.

Commuters will be able to use their existing public transit cards in order to rent one of the newly purchased fleet of 400 BMW i3 electric sedans.

The new program will give users access to 600 charging ports across the city, which will be powered with renewable energy. If that wasn’t enough, it will soon be possible to book a connecting mode of transportation within the car.

DriveNow’s app is easy to subscribe to, only requiring a photo of both the user’s driver’s license and themselves to be submitted as well as a one-time fee. The app displays the nearest available vehicles on its map feature, and users are able to leave the vehicle in any public parking space in the city. Future plans will integrate DriveNow with the nation’s regional public transport system app known as Reiseplanen.

The company estimates that a car will be within 330 yards of any location at a cost of $0.52 per minute of use.

DriveNow also provides service in London, San Francisco, and various cities in Germany, where the company was founded. Although San Francisco’s 70 vehicle fleet was off to a slow start, its popularity has reached a level that may soon merit doubling that number, according to DriveNow CEO Rich Steinberg.

DriveNow’s worldwide fleet of vehicles is over 2,400, so it is not yet in direct competition with Uber or other rideshare companies. The requirement to drive the vehicle is also a distinguishing factor, but it is easy to envision a combination of the two company’s business models once the technology arrives. Once driverless cars become commonplace, consumers will be able to open their DriveNow or Uber app and simply order a car to show up at their doorstep.

New Legislation Proposed To Curb The Use Of Fake Cell Phone Towers By Law Enforcement

News

U.S. officials have introduced new legislation aimed at clamping down on law enforcement agencies use of cell-site simulator technology that tracks criminals and monitors their cell phones, citing concerns that it also invades the privacy of innocent citizens.

The technology, often referred to as ‘Stingrays’, is basically fake cell phone towers that can pinpoint a suspected criminal’s where abouts by locating their cell phone signals, and can then monitor and collect information from those phones.

U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Quillian Yates said effective immediately, agencies will need to apply for a search warrant before they can use the technology to track suspected criminals.

She said that although Stingrays are a valuable crime fighting tool, their ability to collect information from people other than suspected law breakers, had forced the legislation’s introduction.

“Cell-site simulator technology has been instrumental in aiding law enforcement in a broad array of investigations, including kidnappings, fugitive investigations and complicated narcotic cases,” she said.

“This new policy ensures our protocols for this technology are consistent, well-managed and respectful of individuals’ privacy and civil liberties.”.

The legislation is aimed mainly at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) , the United States Marshals Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Although it doesn’t affect local police forces, some states, including Virginia, Utah, Washington and Minnesota have imposed warrant requirements.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has been a long time critic of the technology that it says is used in 21 states by 53 law enforcement agencies. Although welcoming the legislation, ACLU lawyers say it was still not enough.

They say the law should apply across the board to all agencies and that it contained too many loopholes that will allow enforcers to use Stingrays without first obtaining a warrant.

The cell phone snooping technology is also used in other countries. GSMK Cryptophone, a German security firm, says it has evidence it is used in Great Britain but British police have yet to confirm or deny the claim.

Hacker Claims To Have Hillary Clinton’s Deleted Emails And Promises To Sell Them To Highest Bidder

News

A hacker has put emails allegedly belonging to Hillary Clinton during her time as Secretary of State on sale for a not insignificant amount of money. The hacker has offered the emails of the Democratic front runner to the highest bidder, promising that their contents will permanently damage Clinton’s campaign and even compromise America’s security.

The hacker has claimed that 32,000 emails belonging to Hillary Clinton are on sale with a starting price tag of $500,000. The hacker revealed he was in possession of the emails in a private conversation with RadarOnline.

According to officials from the site, the emails appeared to have sample subject lines for “what appear to be legitimate messages.” The subject lines shared include:

“H Libya security latest. Sid” (with attachment)
“H FYI, best analysis so far of hearing Sid,’ about the latest security in Libya”
“H Algeria latest French Intel on Algeria hostage Sid”
“H Latest French Intel in Algeria hostage Sid” (with attachment)
“H Latest Libya intel internal govt discussions high level” (with attachment)
“H HIGHLY IMPORTANT! Comprehensive Intel Report on (with attachment)”

The “computer specialist” who purports to have the emails said that Hillary, or someone from her camp, erased the outbox containing her emails, but forgot to erase the emails that were in her sent box.

He went on to warn, “If these emails get out to the public domain, not only is Hillary finished as a potential Presidential nominee, she could put our country’s national security at risk.”

The March revelations about Clinton’s use of private emails to send confidential security emails has erupted into a scandal that could just destroy her bid for America’s highest office. In August, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) launched an investigation into the security of Clinton’s private email server. If investigations find her culpable, she will be tried under a criminal charge, meaning her campaign would have been futile.

Clinton has admitted to sending office emails through her private server, something she said was “for convenience” and that she was “ill advised.”

Already, a poll done by Rasmussen Reports showed that 46 per cent of Americans believe the former first lady should suspend her campaign until the scandal is cleared.

Clinton’s campaign team has, however, downplayed the whole case, referring to it dismissively as a “civil matter” that would be handled and her name cleared.

Clinton’s email-gate has refused to die down, months after it first came to light. New evidence of the emails will surely tear apart the Democrat’s campaign or even worse, erode the confidence bestowed on her by the people of the U.S.

New Google Mapping Project Exposes China’s Deep Pollution Problem

Culture

Google will now display pollution reports from across China in collaboration with University of California Berkeley scientists using data from 1,500 sites around the nation. The new online map uses results published last month in PLoS One, which is the world’s largest peer reviewed scientific journal, and showed that heavy pollution areas were not limited to the nation’s major cities or low-lying areas.

Current statistics estimate that 1.4 million people in China die each year from air pollution alone and the map makes it easy to see why.

The vast majority of the country lives with health-affecting levels of pollution.

The data showed that over 90 percent of the population experienced at least 120 hours of unhealthy air over a four month period in 2014. The color-coded map is produced based on sub-2.5 micron particulate concentrations, which are considered to be the most damaging to humans.

The new data comes amid recent changes by China to its Air Pollution Control Law, which will aim to cover previously unregulated shipping activities. China is home to eight of the top ten shipping ports in the world, and these areas heavily contribute to the nation’s air pollution problems. The new rules provide for a legal foundation for the government to control shipping emissions, in a first for the country.

Bilateral talks in June between the U.S. and China involved the exchange of industry best practices in the pursuit of cleaner air at shipping ports. The U.S. also invited representatives from Jiangsu’s Environmental Protection Bureau for a fall 2015 showcase of various technologies and practices for air quality control. Other discussions resulted in the promise by China to promote the use of clean cooking stoves in at least 40 million rural households by 2020 as part of the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves world goal of 100 million.

New terminals at Chinese ports will allow ships to be powered by shore-side electric power so that their diesel engines are not needed, and all ships will need certification to meet national air emission standards. China will also pursue a policy of controlling high pollution areas using new authority granted to its Ministry of Transport, to enforce stricter regulations on so-called Emissions Control Areas (ECAs). The U.S. only recently adopted a similar policy as a result of a 2009 agreement.

ISIS Militants Claim To Have Now Smuggled 4,000 Battle Hardened Fighters Into Europe

Entertainment News

ISIS operatives have claimed that more than 4000 trained and radicalized gunmen have crossed into Europe from Syria. The radical Islamic terror network has declared war on the west and has threatened to use all resources within its disposal to cause the massive deaths of western citizens.

Are the migrant terrorists their first act of war?

An ISIS operative, in his mid 30s, revealed the smuggling of thousands of trained gunmen into the west. The operative, who spoke to BuzzFeed on condition of anonymity, confirmed the smuggling of the operatives. He claimed they had more than 4000 covert gunmen “ready” all over the EU.

The operative said the smugglings were part of an undercover operation aimed at retaliating for the US-led airstrikes in their region. He said, “If someone attacks me then for sure I will attack them back.”

ISIS extremists took advantage of the EU’s softened stand on migrants to cross into the countries along various border points illegally. Turkish authorities have claimed that more than 1.5 million refugees have crossed into Turkey alone to escape the bloodshed in Syria. The radicals then move by ship from the port cities of Mersin and Izmir, into Italy and from there, to Britain, Germany and France.

Two ISIS operatives confirmed the smuggling claims. One said he had personally smuggled ten battle hardened gunmen into Europe under the pretense of asylum seekers. He went on to say, “I’m sending some fighters who want to go and visit their families.”

“Others just go to Europe to be ready. It’s our dream that there should be a caliphate not only in Syria but in all the world and we will have it soon, God willing.”

The operative agreed to meeting the journalists at the granting of permission by his immediate superior in ISIS, an unnamed “emir.” However, he was only allowed to divulge certain information. He said, “There are some things I’m allowed to tell you and some things I’m not.”

The new revelation comes only days after an ISIS jihadist called for terror attacks by muslims in the west. In the video, he said, “We repeat our call to Muslims in Europe, the infidel West, and everywhere to target the Crusaders in their home countries and wherever they find them.

“We will be enemies, in front of God, to any Muslim who can shed a drop of blood of a Crusader and abstains from doing that with a bomb, bullet, knife, car, rock or even a kick or a punch.”

Turkish officials have claimed they are not aware of any smuggling of ISIS operatives into their country or into the west.

ISIS has declared war on the west for its air strikes on their Syrian control towns. The group has lined up its vengeance through continued smuggling of “ready” gunmen into the EU for revenge attacks. These reports have not been confirmed by authorities and it remains to be seen whether the ISIS claims are indeed accurate

Migrant Trafficking Is Now A Bigger Business Than Drugs For Gangs In Eastern Europe

Entertainment News

Europe’s migrant crisis is not only a humanitarian crisis: It’s now a multi-billion dollar business worth more than the illicit trade of drugs and weapons.

Authorities have expressed concern over the worsening migrant crisis in Europe that is threatening to destabilize the region’s economy by straining its resources, flooding dirty money and attracting criminal gangs, all while inflicting a horrific human toll.

The business of ferrying immigrants across the Balkans and into Europe has grown substantially into a multi billion dollar business. According to Gerald Tatzgern, head of the Austrian police service fighting human trafficking, “It has developed into a business worth billions.”
The trade has attracted hundreds of criminal cartels eager to get a piece of the pie. Tatzgern reported that in Greece alone, 200 such cartels have emerged.

Head of Europe’s police agency (Europol), Ro Wainwright, said on an Irish network that up to 30,000 people were involved in the human smuggling trade.

Tatzgern said that the smugglers were spread throughout the Balkan region, in Hungary, Macedonia, Serbia and Bulgaria.

Officials at Frontex, which monitors the EU’s borders, said the groups varied in size and level of sophistication. The groups hire agents, of Syrian or Afghan nationality, to work on the ground in contact with likely clients eager to get to Europe. They target train stations and border points, moving freely within crowds and offering train rides for hundreds of dollars.

Izabella Cooper, Frontex spokeswoman said, “If a migrant has a lot of money, smugglers can get them a forged passport or a stolen ID card with a visa, together with a plane ticket to a chosen European country. But this option is affordable only for a handful of people.”

These migrants then have routes plotted out for them from Turkey all the way to Hungary, passed on from gang to gang until they get to their final destination.

However, not all of them make it to Europe.

Some gangs exploit the migrants’ desperation with phony travel packages then end up abandoning them in the woods or by remote roadsides. Recently, a group preying on migrants stuck at Keleti train station promised them rides to Austria. After paying, the migrants were locked in a windowless van and driven around in circles in Budapest before being dumped at a suburban shopping mall with gates that resembled border crossings.

Zoltan Bolek, head of Hungary’s Islamic Community said, “The smugglers are so tempting. Taxis willing to take them to the Austrian border are everywhere. It costs 1,000 euro, and if they are lucky, they actually get there.”

Only recently were the bodies of 71 migrants found decomposing in a stationary van by the roadside in Austria. The search for a better life, away from the ravages of war and famine, have sent many families into Europe through illegal means and by paying top dollar. The question authorities are facing is whether to legalize and even assist migrants into Europe as the only way to stop them from turning to preying criminal cartels.

Police Use Of Body Cams Turning Into Yet Another Gouging Opportunity By Contractors

News

Police departments have experienced great results using body cameras on their officers, but they are finding it difficult to keep up with the rising costs involved. During the last two months the police department in Birmingham, AL has employed 319 body cameras. Over this time, citizen complaints in that area have fallen by 71%, while the use of force by officers has decreased by 38%. The police department is extremely pleased with the result, and their plan is to incorporate another 300 body cameras into their system. Eventually, the department hopes to have a body camera on every officer wearing a uniform.

However, this success comes at a cost. Petabytes (1 million gigabytes) of video footage is being uploaded nationwide, and file management is becoming a major concern. Additionally, the vast amount of footage is causing cloud storage costs to rise. The cameras themselves also cost money. In Birmingham, the cameras value at around $180,000 in total. The Birmingham Police Department is due to exceed its five terabyte storage limit in less than six months. Going over the limit will cost the department millions of dollars to upgrade their storage plan.

The use of body cameras by police departments has been growing nationwide. Two major manufacturers of body cameras, Taser and VieVu, claim to have shipped cameras to 41% of the America’s police departments. However, most of their income is obtained through cloud storage rather than the cameras themselves. According to Taser, last year their margin on storage was 51%, while their margin on hardware was only 15.6%. On average, police departments are estimated to pay Taser $25 to $30 per officer on a monthly basis.

Police departments have often been unable to keep up with these costs. Because of this, the departments are forced to make hard decisions when deciding which evidence to keep and which evidence must be deleted in order to free up space. It varies how long exactly a certain video will need to be retained, but some evidence, such as evidence relating to a murder, must be kept indefinitely. Lawsuits and civil litigations are also forcing evidence to be retained for longer periods of time. Maintaining these records and keeping them easily accessible is becoming increasingly costly for the police departments.

The camera manufacturer Taser has experienced fantastic growth as a result of this phenomenon. This year alone, more than one petabyte of police videos have been uploaded to the Taser storage system. A new police video is uploaded approximately every 2.9 seconds. According to the company, sales are up by 170% from last year. Taser estimates that its current sales for the year so far have reached $30.6 million.

The reason for the increased usage of body cameras by police departments stems from political pressure. The fatal shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO caused a significant shift in dynamics. Since the incident, requests for trial units of body cameras have increased by more than 75%.

Despite the costs involved, police departments have been pleased with the result. Studies have indicated that officers are less likely to use force, and citizens are less likely to issue complaints. By wearing cameras, officers are believed to be more careful in performing their duties. So far, most police departments have found that the costs are worth the results. The number of lawsuits has decreased, and police departments are saving money in the long run. It can be expected that the usage of body cameras by police departments will continue to increase in the future.

Five Months Later, Nepal Has Yet To Actually Spend Any Earthquake Aid Money

Entertainment News

In April and May of this year, Nepal suffered the worst natural disaster in the country’s history when huge twin earthquakes destroyed many buildings, homes and roadways. The quakes killed almost 9,000 people and left approximately three million survivors with nowhere to live – except in plastic tents – and desperately needing food, water, shelter and medical care.

Despite the dire needs of its people, the Nepalese government has yet to use the $4.1 billion it received from foreign countries and relief agencies. The government has not provided relief to the citizens of Nepal and no efforts have been made to clean up the debris strewn about or to tear down dangerous remains of buildings – let alone rebuild.

Chief executive officer of the recently created National Reconstruction Authority, Govind Raj Pokharel, stated that the Nepalese government was unlikely to start using the money until late fall because of continued delays in plan approvals. There is also concerns regarding starting construction during the monsoon season. Pokharel acknowledges the delays and that, “The government’s response has been slow. I accept that.”

Nepal has been criticized for both its failure to prepare for the quakes and with its relief efforts following the quakes. Experts predicted that earthquakes were imminent, but the government did not respond accordingly. Moreover, four months after the quakes, the mess is everywhere, and citizens are living in squalor getting eaten by bugs.

Pokharel points out that disputes among ministers has caused the government’s failure to utilize the funds. The ministers have yet to sign off on rebuilding and aid distribution plans. Another major problem is that the Nepalese government is attempting to pass a new constitution aimed at creating a new political system and dividing the country into different, new regions. These decisions have led to severe clashes between officials. The government argues that the new constitution will help the reconstruction of the country by creating a more stable nation.

However, the government should have focused first on the needs of its people rather than trying to create a new constitution. Pokharel stated that, “We would have liked it if they concentrated on the reconstruction first. That would have been better. We have lost time and now we need to catch up.”

Mobcrush, A Company You’ve Never Heard Of, Is Radically Re-Shaping eSports Media

Finance

In the video game industry, companies are quickly recognizing the market potential in the ever-increasing popularity of video game live-streams. In hopes of tapping into that market, the leading video-sharing website, YouTube, has launched a new website and app for live- streaming video games called YouTube Gaming. The offering joins an ever-crowded field that is now seeing upstarts like Mobcrush get in on the action with live streaming offerings.

YouTube Gaming was launched to the public earlier this week after several months of beta testing. The site hosts pages for greater than 25,000 video games. Users of YouTube Gaming can locate fellow gamers live-streaming their games. They can also find all sorts of media related to their favorite games. Additionally, users can upload their gameplay live-streams to the service for others to view.

Google, the owner of YouTube, first announced the new service earlier this summer when the company stated that the service is “built to be all about your favorite games and gamers, with more videos than anywhere else.”

Google also seeks to compete directly with the live-streaming video game service, Twitch. Google reportedly try to buy Twitch in 2014, but Amazon outbid Google and purchased the service for about $970 million.

A rapidly expanding market within this space is mobile game live-streaming – a facet of the live-streaming experience that does not exist quite yet. And relatively unknown company Mobcrush is looking to become the market leader.

Mobcrush is a community focused service that offers a way for users to stream and watch mobile gameplay from their handheld devices. Its a service similar to YouTube gaming or Twitch but with a focus on mobile-only games, which are usually more casual yet can still be highly entertaining.

The service also focuses on live streams, where users watch in real time rather than view the archived clips.

Since there are about one billion mobile gamers that play, Mobcrush recognizes the industry as having significant growth potential. In fact, the company has raised $11 million in its first significant round of venture capital fundraising. Mobcrush boasts that it had about 20,000 simultaneous viewers, watching a total of one million minutes of gameplay, during a Hearthstone tournament recently held in Boston.

With all of these forays by large companies into the video game live-streaming industry, it illustrates just how much people across the globe are willing to commit to their favorite games and underscores the rise of a whole new form of media.

Rare Saiga Antelope Herd Sees 60,000 Deaths In Four Days And Nobody Knows Why

Culture

In late May, geo-ecologist Steffen Zuther and his team travelled to Kazakhstan to observe and monitor a herd of saigas – antelopes that live on the grassy steppes of the land. The species is considered critically endangered as designated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Unfortunately, when Zuther and his team arrived, local veterinarians had reported that there were several dead antelopes. At first, scientists were not too alarmed since there had been recent “die-offs” of saigas in limited numbers.

This time however, the entire herd of 60,000 saiga died – within an amazingly short period of four days.

As researchers quickly tried to figure out the cause of the rapid die-offs, they determined that bacteria played a role in the deaths. But the identified bacteria are normally harmless, so why did they create such a problem? It remains a mystery.

Zuther stated that, “The extent of this die-off, and the speed it had, by spreading throughout the whole calving herd and killing all the animals, this has not been observed for any other species. It’s really unheard of.”

Saigas are quite important to the ecosystem found in the grassland steppes of Kazakhstan where the winters are so cold that they prevent plants from decomposing. The saigas graze on the plant matter and break it down so that the nutrients are recycled. A positive side effect of this process is that the chance of wildfires decreases because the saigas eat much of the loose leaf “litter” on the ground. The saigas also serve as prey for many predators in the region. Zuther pointed out that, “Where you find saiga, we recognize also that the other species are much more abundant.”

During the die-offs, the scientists took detailed samples of all elements of the environment in addition to conducting thorough necropsies of the animals. The fact that the females died first, followed by their calves, suggests that the mysterious killing “agent” was passed through the mothers’ milk.

An analysis of the tissue samples determined that certain bacteria normally found in saiga, caused significant bleeding in several of the organs of the animals.

These findings only deepen the mystery. Richard Kock, a wildlife veterinarian at Royal Veterinary College in the United Kingdom is simply baffled, stating that, “I have worked in veterinary diseases all my career and I have never seen 100% mortality. We had a herd of 60,000 aggregated and they all died. That is extraordinary.”

FTC Announces First Fines For Undisclosed ‘Pay To Promote’ On Social Media

News

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced this week that one of the largest online networks for computer gamers and creators engaged in deceptive advertising by paying people to say good things about Xbox One.

In a released statement the FTC said some YouTubers were paid $30,000 by marketing network Machinima to sing Xbox One’s praises, as part of a 2013 secret advertising campaign agreement with Microsoft.

The agreement, which involved YouTubers contractually being blocked from any form of criticism of Xbox One, included supplying them with suggested video cuts and talking points.

The commission has “asked” Machinima to stop using other similar “deceptive conduct” and to require any future endorsers to clearly reveal when they have been paid to endorse products. Machinima has agreed to the requests.

Under its mandate the FTC can not seek civil fines without a court order in place, although according to it spokesman Jay Mayfield, if an order was in place and broken at a later date, a civil penalty of $16,000 can be imposed.

Mayfield said the Machinima case is the first time the FTC has issued orders over deceptive YouTube advertising by YouTube creators.

Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection Jessica Rich said .”When people see a product touted online, they have a right to know whether they’re looking at an authentic opinion or a paid marketing pitch. That’s true whether the endorsement appears in a video or any other media.”

Neither of Xbox One partners, Microsoft and Starcom were cited by the FTC for wrongdoings, and Microsoft was even sent a letter somewhat praising them for their involvement.

It read:

The failures to disclose here appear to be isolated incidents that occurred in spite of, and not in the absence of, policies and procedures designed to prevent such lapses. Microsoft had a robust compliance program in place when the Xbox One campaign was launched, including specific legal and marketing guidelines concerning the FTC’s Endorsement Guides, 16 C.P.R. Part 255, and relevant training made available to employees, vendors and Starcom personnel. Since the Xbox One campaign, Microsoft and Starcom have adopted additional safeguards regarding sponsored endorsements, and they have committed to, among other steps, specifically requiring their employees to monitor influencer campaigns conducted by subcontractors in the future. In addition, Microsoft and Starcom took swift action to require that Machinima insert disclosures into the campaign videos once they learned that Machinima had paid the influencer and that no disclosures had been made.

Microsoft and Machinima have yet to comment on the FTC’s actions.

Trump Signs GOP Loyalty Pledge, Cements Frontrunner Status

News

Donald Trump is making headlines again as sources close to Trump report that he plans to sign a “loyalty pledge” that will bind him in endorsing the eventual Republican nominee, whoever it is. The signing of the pledge also precludes Trump from running as a 3rd party.

It appears that Trump made the pledge, which he has thus far rejected, in order to avoid problems with getting listed on states’ primary ballots and to shut off a line of attack in debates going forward.

Additionally, it is likely that Trump has agreed to sign the pledge in order to portray to the public that his campaign and the possibility that he may become the Republican nominee are very real. Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s campaign manager, did not go so far as to confirm Trump’s plan but did state that, “I don’t think you can ‘expect’ ANYTHING from Mr. Trump.”

Sources report that “The rationale is that they have treated him fairly. He’s willing to sign it to avert any problems with his state filings – South Carolina asked for a pledge to support the nominee if you’re on the ballot.”

Republican National Committee chief strategist Sean Spicer echoed those sentiments that “[Trump’s] been treated fairly, like any candidate . . . And it takes away a line of attack for debates.”

The text of the pledge is as follows: “I [name] affirm that if I do not win the 2016 Republican nomination for president of the United States, I will endorse the 2016 Republican presidential nominee regardless of who it is. I further pledge that I will not seek to run as an independent or write-in candidate nor will I seek or accept the nomination for president of any other party.”

Trump received some major criticism for failing to make the pledge at the first Republican Candidate debate. Now, at the upcoming debate on September 16th, his attackers can not focus on that issue.

French Officials Confirm Debris Found Is That Of Doomed Flight MH370

Entertainment News

French authorities have confirmed a Boeing 777 wing part found on an island in the Indian Ocean is from missing Malaysian Airline flight MH370.

The announcement came after a month of forensic analysis on the 6 foot long, barnacle covered part found on the island of La Reunion.

Aircraft accident investigators matched a serial number on the wing part found on July 29th, to parts used in the plane’s manufacturer, which were confirmed by a technician from Airbus Defense, which had made the parts.

In a statement French investigators said “It is now possible to state with certainty that the flaperon found on July 29, 2015 corresponds to the flight MH370,” French investigators said in a statement about the first confirmed piece of wreckage from the flight, which went missing on March 8, 2014 with 239 passengers and crew on board during a scheduled flight between Kuala Lumpur and Beijing.

When the part was first discovered Malaysian authorities said it was linked to MH370 but French authorities wanted to be sure and sent it for forensic analysis conducted at a military laboratory near Toulouse, France

The Administrator Of Hillary Clinton’s Secret Email Server Intends To Plead The Fifth

News

In the latest wrinkle in Hillary Clinton’s email scandal, the former staffer who helped set up and maintain Clinton’s private email server, has promised to invoke the Fifth Amendment and refuse to answer questions asked of him.

Specifically, Bryan Pagliano was subpoenaed by the House Benghazi Committee to testify as to what he knew of Clinton’s email system during her tenure of Secretary of State.

In addition to requesting his testimony, the Committee asked for all of Pagliano’s documents regarding the email arrangement.

In response to the subpoena, Pagliano’s attorney submitted a letter to the Committee stating that his client will plead the Fifth amendment and will refrain from answering potentially self-incriminating questions. Pagliano is also refusing to turn over the requested documents due to the ongoing FBI investigation.

His attorney stated that, “While we understand that Mr. Pagliano’s response to this subpoena may be controversial in the current political environment, we hope that the members of the Select Committee will respect our client’s right.”

The response from Clinton’s camp is a statement that, “We have been confident from the beginning that Hillary Clinton’s use of a personal email was allowed and that she did not send or receive anything marked classified, facts confirmed by the State Department and the Inspector General. She has made every effort to answer questions and be as helpful as possible, and has encouraged her aides, current and former, to do the same, including Bryan Pagliano.”

Clinton’s aide further stated that, “Bryan is an utter professional and a wonderful young man who does not live in the public eye and understandably may not wish to be drawn into a political spectacle. So his decision is both understandable and yet also disappointing to us, because we believe he has every reason to be transparent about his IT assistance.”

Democratic Representative Elijah Cummings claims that Republicans have scared off Pagliano stating that, “Although multiple legal experts agree there is no evidence of criminal activity, it is certainly understandable that this witness’ attorneys advised him to assert his Fifth Amendment rights, especially given the onslaught of wild and unsubstantiated accusations by Republican presidential candidates, Members of Congress, and others based on false leaks about the investigation. Their insatiable desire to derail Secretary Clinton’s presidential campaign at all costs has real consequences for any serious congressional effort.”

Republicans disagree. Benghazi Committee Chairman,Republican Trey Gowdy, stated that he has absolutely no interest in poking at the email scandal that has caused Clinton such issues in her presidential campaign.

On the other hand, the Committee has been extremely frustrated by the State Department’s failure to timely produce requested documents and emails. The State Department counters that it is doing everything to work as speedily as possible. “The department has made every effort to cooperate with the Benghazi Committee, providing 32 witnesses for interviews and over 70,000 pages of documents, including over 20,000 pages in the last month alone. We are continuing to work with the committee on its numerous requests.”

U.S. Unveils Even More Sanctions Against Russian Leaders And Businesses For Invading Ukraine

Entertainment News

Tensions between the United States and Russia continue to flare as the West announced expanded sanctions against new Russian and Ukrainian businesses and individuals. The sanctions are imposed against this new group for their involvement in the invasion of Ukraine and for supporting and supplying the separatists.

Both the European Union and the United States remain steadfast in its conviction that applying economic pressure on Vladimir Putin is necessary in bringing an end to the Ukraine crisis.

Specifically, the United States announced yesterday that it had added 29 people to its sanctions list. The U.S. also added 33 companies and other entities to the list.

Those sanctioned include senior Russian lawmakers, advisors and rebel Ukrainian officials and leaders. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak has been sanctioned for his role in leading the charge to integrate Crimea into Russia after its annexation. Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin also was sanctioned for publicly calling for the seizure of Crimea. Additional parties receiving sanctions include the leader of Russia’s main intelligence directorate, Igor Sergun and senior Kremlin advisor Vladislav Surkov.

The sanctioned entities include subsidiaries of state-owned oil conglomerate, Rosneft, operated by Putin ally Igor Sechin. Also sanctioned is the company that manufactures Kalashnikov assault rifles. Crimea’s largest ferry operator and several shipping ports also were blacklisted.

The U.S. sanctions include a number of measures including making it harder for the individuals and companies to obtain export licenses for materials and goods from the United States.

In the meantime, the European Union plans to extend the visa bans and freezing of assets of those supporting the separatist movement in eastern Ukraine.

Russia is not taking the expanded sanctions lightly. The Russian Foreign Ministry chastised the sanctions as illegitimate and unwarranted and that they added to the “hostile actions” of the United States against Russia. The Ministry released a statement that, “The action of the United States devalues the signals that it is interested in cooperating with us in resolving a myriad of pressing international problems. The United States should have no illusions that it could continue this course without negative consequences for themselves.”

Greater than 6,400 people have died since the conflict in Ukraine began. The magnitude of the crisis has deteriorated the already frosty relationship between the United States and Russia – to lows not seen since the Cold War.

A Congolese Warlord Just Went On Trial And Experts Think He’ll Eventually Get Off

Entertainment News

Congolese warlord Bosco Ntaganda pleaded not guilty yesterday to charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, in proceedings that legal experts expect to be lengthy and have a slim chance of the Rwandan born general being found guilty.

The hearing took place at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

Ntaganda is accused of conspiring to give the Hema ethnic group control over Congo’s northeast Ituri province in the early 2000’s and thereby seizing the province’s vast diamond, gold and oil reserves.

The charges include rape, murder, pillage and ethnic persecution. Under international law he can be personally charged with crimes carried out by forces he was commanding.

Ntaganda, known as “The Terminator,” led the Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC) and an associated guerrilla army known as the Patriotic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (FPLC).

The court was told 5,000 civilians were killed during the 2002-03 ethnic war.

Although there has been a precedent set for Ntaganda case, as co-conspirator Thomas Lubanga was found guilty of similar charges in 2012 and is currently serving a 14-year prison sentence, experts say this holds little weight.

They cite the ICC’s record since its formation in 2002 of only convicting little-known warlords. They say most of the court’s high profile indictees remain at large or are still in power. The court’s recent case against Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta fizzled after many witnesses refused to testify.

Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda told the court of one incident where forces from Ntaganda’s UPC had tricked opposing ethnic Lendus, who were controlling the land they wanted, to attend bogus peace talks in order to kill them.

“Bosco Ntaganda was the UPC’s highest commander, in charge of operations and organization,” Bensouda told the court. She said Ntaganda allowed the killings to go unpunished and had praised the field commander responsible, calling him “a real man.”

The court heard about one witness who had found the bodies of his children and wife among slaughtered victims in a banana field.

Ms Bensouda also told of how female child soldiers had been used as sex slaves by soldiers under Ntaganda’s command.

Ntaganda was indicted in 2006 but remained on the run till 2013 when, fearing for his life, he handed himself in at the US embassy in Rwanda

He is reported to have said that handing himself in to face charges was “already a step towards relief and some rehabilitation.”

As China Flaunts Its Military Muscle, Neighbor Taiwan Counters With Plans To Build Modern Sub Fleet

Entertainment News

While China today showed off its military strength during its annual grand parade in Beijing, neighboring Taiwan has allocated $92.55 million towards beefing up its naval strength by building its own diesel-electric submarines.

There has been talk of the submarine build up since 2000 when technical and political constraints sunk a deal that the small Island state, whose sovereignty is disputed by the Chinese, had with the U.S. to purchase eight diesel-electric submarines.

The expansion plans comes at a time when the other regional navies build their submarine fleets in strategic moves against China’s growing naval presence in Asian waters.

Although Taiwan’s military overall is considered modern, its submarine fleet of four is considered out of date with two dating back to World War Two. China is known to have 70 submarines, dozens of surface ships and a recently modernized aircraft carrier.

Its also been increasingly vocal about controlling shared waters in the region, something its neighbors have started to respond to.

Necessary to Taiwan’s plans to build its own submarine fleet is the cooperation of the U.S. and other western nations, as it lacks the latest technology required to build modern subs. That need presents a political problem as China is against any form of military co-operation with Taiwan, even technological transfers or weapons sales to the country it considers a rogue province.

“Our determination to build indigenous submarines is very firm. The navy is very actively pushing this matter,” said Major-General David Lo, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense spokesman.

Taiwan’s government supported Ship and Ocean Industries R&D Center (SOIC), is expected to put together a consortium to lead contract negotiations for the initial design phase of the submarine program, with experts saying this will allow Taiwan to develop its ship building capabilities by acquiring the needed intellectual property.

Meanwhile, following today’s annual grand parade in Beijing, which was attended by Russian President Putin, Chinese leaders downplayed the concerns of neighboring countries of Chinese military threats. They hinted at cuts to troop numbers in 2017 and other military reforms though these just amount to a shift in focus to high-tech, low manpower weapons.

Arrest Warrant Issued For Guatemalan President As Country Descends Further Into Chaos

Entertainment News

Just days before a general election, Guatemalan President Otto Perez has been issued an arrest order on charges of graft. The country has been thrown into chaos by the detention order and the arrest or removal of other high ranking Government ministers and officials.

Lawmakers stripped Perez of any immunity from prosecution protection he had enjoyed and which had kept him from being charged ever since the graft scandal was “officially” discovered several months ago.

The irony behind his arrest order is that the 64-year-old retired general won the presidency campaigning on a crime and corruption ticket.

News of the president being issued an arrest warrant were tweeted by the office of Attorney General Thelma Aldana. The tweets said Perez would face charges of taking bribes, illicit association, and customs fraud. The judge who signed and issued the warrant was not named in order to protect him and his family from possible revenge attacks from Perez supporters. He was referred to as simply Judge “B”.

Perez, who is unable to seek re-election under the Guatemalan constitution and was due to handover the presidency to a newly elected president in January has claimed he is innocent and has to date refused to resign.

His Government has spent much of 2015 involved in corruption allegations and charges, with Perez himself firing several government ministers in May, a move experts say was a passing of the buck.

Vice President Roxana Baldetti resigned last May although denying any wrongdoing. After her resignation she was arrested on charges of bribery, illicit association, and fraud.

Prosecutors have said that If Perez is jailed, the courts could order the end of his presidency, with vice president Alejandro Maldonado stepping in.

Most of the charges relate to a customs racket which prosecutors have labelled “La Linea,” (the line) due to a phone hotline used by importers who avoided paying customs duties in exchange for bribes.

This HIV Drug Is So Effective Health Officials Worry People Will Stop Fearing The Disease

Health & Wellness

A new drug, known as Truvada, has shown game changing results in fighting HIV. In a study of 650 individuals who took the drug over three years no HIV infections were detected in the trial group, demonstrating that the drug works in a real-world setting.

The clinical trial by Kaiser Permanente involved sexually active participants many of whom did not use condoms for protection. Half of the group contracted other sexually transmitted diseases during the study.

Truvada was originally intended as a treatment for HIV itself, but has now been shown to reduce the risk of infection for high risk individuals by at least 92 percent.

The drug must be taken daily and has a cost of around $50 a month for Kaiser patients, while the uninsured cost is around $1,500 a month. Side effects from the drug were minor and did not present in the majority of study participants.

Critics of the medication claim that it promotes unsafe sex, referring to the 41 percent of participants in the study who decreased their condom use. Study participants were also asked about other changes in sexual behavior, with 74 percent reporting no change in their number of sexual partners, 15 percent reporting a decrease, and 11 percent reporting an increase.

Michael Weinstein of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation is one of the critics, and decries the fact that Truvada’s availability is giving today’s generations a false sense of security. The CDC disagreed with this assessment, stating that the drug should be used as a prophylactic among those who have a high risk of infection. That group could include sex workers, those with HIV-positive partners, and IV drug users.

San Francisco health advocates view the drug as a means to success for its Getting to Zero program, which aims to make San Francisco the first city in the nation to bring its incidence of new HIV infections to zero, along with deaths from the disease.

The CIA Just Launched A New Drone Based Targeted Killing Program In Syria

News

The CIA, along with U.S. special operations forces, have launched a new campaign of targeted killings in Syria using armed drones. Several recent strikes in Syria are attributed to the program, which is being carried out by Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC).

The CIA’s role relates to the agency’s Counterterrorism Center (CTC), which is involved in target selection and location of ISIS members. U.S Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) oversees JSOC, but declined to comment on the program.

The choice to involve CIA and JSOC assets in the fight against ISIS illustrates an increase in the perceived risk from the militant group. The CTC previously used drones in the search for Osama bin Laden.

The program comes amid a push by the Obama administration to re-focus the CIA’s efforts on espionage, and away from its recent trend toward becoming a paramilitary force. Opposition from Capitol Hill lawmakers, however, has led to a shift in the administration’s strategy where the Syria offensive may be used as a model for future conflicts. This would have the CIA’s continued involvement in the targeting procedure, with JSOC responsible for the execution of the actual strike missions.

The JSOC group Delta Force was reported to have launched a raid in May of this year, killing an ISIS leader as well as capturing intelligence that helped to form the current list of targets for the Syria program.

A British militant known as Junaid Hussain was killed last month after being linked to the gunmen killed in Garland, Texas. U.S. officials stated that Hussain was involved in social media campaigning for ISIS, illustrating a shift in policy, which had previously barred the killing of terrorist suspects only involved in propaganda.

Syria is the latest battleground in a drone strike campaign that already includes Pakistan, Yemen, North Africa, and Somalia.

Canadian Airline Faces Class Action Lawsuit Over Cheap Tickets It Claims Were A Mistake

Finance

A first of its kind class action lawsuit has been filed against Canadian airline Air Canada over claims that customers from all over the world, including the United States, purchased tickets from the company at prices the company thereafter alleged were the result of a “computer error.”

The special was run on the website from August 25th-28th, where customers could book a 10-credit flight pass costing $800. This meant that customers could purchase 10 one-way flights for a total of $800, or $80 per flight.

Many customers jumped on the deal and purchased the pass. However, when they went to actually book their flights, they were unable to do so.

Apparently, Air Canada meant to run a deal for the 10-credit flight pass totalling $8,000 – not the $800 originally listed.

Yet the story gets stranger, as Air Canada did allow some people, who both bought the passes and then booked flights using the passes, to take the cheap flights. The company then denied others who had yet to redeem any of the passes.

Garrett Munroe, an attorney with the British Columbia firm Munroe and Company, filed the suit and said it could involve thousands of people. He stated that only Air Canada knows the exact number of people who bought the passes at the $800 price.

Munroe stated the lawsuit is based on basic contract principles: “Our view here is that Air Canada has made an enforceable contract, it delivered the flight packages to consumers and it has improperly taken them away. Air Canada is duty bound and legally obligated to honor its bargain.”

Air Canada, however, claims a “computer-loading” was responsible for the “temporary mispricing.” A statement released by the company indicates that, “Air Canada has contacted purchasers to apologize and provide a refund.” It said that passengers who (were quick enough) to purchase their tickets before the mistake was realized will be allowed to keep the discounted price. But, those who did not yet purchase their actual flights will not be allowed to do so at the discount.

Munroe wants the courts to force Air Canada to live up to their original deal. “They say it’s a mistake, but how much recklessness is reasonable in terms of allowing the website to show an offer that they don’t intend to be bound by. It would create a significant amount of confusion and uncertainty in the marketplace if consumers were conducting business with the possibility that the merchant is going to come back and attempt to undo the deal that it made.”

In fact, one customer sent to Air Canada a screenshot of the website showing Air Canada’s own statement that, “the price of the Flight Pass is guaranteed. You will pay nothing more if the price of the Flight Pass changes after you purchase it.”

That section in the company’s FAQ section was quickly removed.

Munroe pointed out that a class action rather than several lawsuits is the better course of action. “Rather than having tens-of-thousands of lawsuits, it can be dealt with as one.”

The outcome will be interesting for North American companies who increasingly price items using complex computer models. The models are becoming so complex that they can spit out unintended prices, either well above or well below the intended price.

If companies use such predatory pricing models, is it fair that they can simply retract prices the models spits out while keeping others that drive up profits? A Canadian court will soon decide, in a battle that could very well end up at the Supreme Court.

Obama Administration Eyes Charleston As Replacement For Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility

News

The closing of the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, came one step closer today with news that officials are inspecting and surveying the Consolidated Naval Brig in Charleston, South Carolina, as an alternative.

Official inspections and surveys are required to determine potential sites for detaining military prisoners and estimate the costs of doing so.

Cmdr. Gary Ross, a Defense Department spokesman, told reporters today that a “broad list” of military and civilian sites could be looked at to determine if they can hold “law-of-war detainees” securely and humanely.

“Only those locations that can hold detainees at a maximum security level will be considered,” said Ross, adding the list is “informed by past assessment efforts.”
The surveys are part of President Obama’s push to close Guantanamo before he leaves office next year. Cries of “not in my backyard” from state officials and lawmakers have put an end to earlier attempts to close the prison.

Guantanamo currently holds 116 detainees, with 52 having been cleared for transfer to third-party countries. The Obama administration wants the remaining prisoners to be held in the U.S.

Answering fears that holding prisoners in the U.S was dangerous, Ross said convicted terrorists had been held in the U.S. “for years” without incident, and that transferring prisoners now in Guantanamo “will not risk the wellbeing of nearby residents.”

Defense Secretary Ash Carter said this week that even though he supports Obama’s efforts to close Guantanamo, some prisoners held there were too dangerous to be moved.

He said “It ends up being part of jihadi recruiting and so forth and I would just as soon not leave that to a future president. But it’s tricky to do that. The reason it’s tricky to do that is this: some of the people who are there at Guantanamo Bay have to be detained indefinitely, they just gotta be locked up. So if they’re not locked up in Guantanamo Bay they need to be locked up somewhere, so we are looking at places in the United States, prisons and other places, where they can be moved.”

“Right now we’re working with Congress because they have to agree to this … to see if we can do that or not,” he continued. “It would be a nice thing to do and an important thing to do, but we gotta be realistic about the people who are in Guantanamo Bay — they are there for a reason.”

Josh Earnest, a White House spokesman said he could not rule out Obama taking e executive action to close the facility and moving the prisoners to the U.S.

“I think it is fair to say that we have taken a number of steps to try to reduce the prison population there so we can get closer to closing the prison,” he said. “The president and his team are always considering a wide array of options.”

Chinese Smartphone Giant Xiaomi Is Going To Use Cheap Laptops To Crack The U.S. Market

Finance

According to reliable sources, Xiaomi, which presently ranks as China’s most prominent smartphone seller, is mulling over the launch of its first laptop in early 2016, establishing a new front in its war against China’s Lenovo Group and Apple Corp.

Xiaomi’s laptop may be established in the first quarter of 2016 to face such premium brands as Lenovo’s ThinkPad and Apple’s MacBook Air, the sources said, asking to remain anonymous, because the matter is confidential.

According to the sources, Xiaomi has held discussions with Samsung Electronics to furnish them with memory chips, and that original contract may extend to supplying displays.

Only five years after its establishment, Xiaomi leaped into the international smartphone market’s top ranks by supplying stylish gadgets with premium components at average prices.

It has spent 2015 opening online stores in the United States and the United Kingdom though curiously has not offered many of its popular phones and tablets for sale. It has instead sold accessories like battery packs and headphones.

Yet at some point it will no doubt sell products that compete head-on with major western brands and it appears a laptop may be the first salvo in what will undoubtedly be a drawn out war.

Xiaomi’s entry into the computer business will bring extra cost pressures against market leaders Hewlett-Packard, Apple and Lenovo.

Furnishing Xiaomi with chips will boost Samsung’s components sector as its attempts to reduce dependence on supplying its own Galaxy devices with the components.

Xiaomi and Samsung were not willing to give statements on the matter.

The Chinese company co-founded by tycoon Lei Jun made its mark with less costly smartphones sold over the internet before venturing into higher-end gadgets, buoyed by a flourishing online community.

Xiaomi’s venture into personal computers comes as expansion in its core industry winds down. International smartphone sales recorded their slowest expansion rate since 2013 in the second quarter of 2015.

A quickly maturing domestic market has encouraged Xiaomi to focus on Brazil, India and other less saturated smartphone markets.

Samsung too is struggling with slow sales of its own high-end Galaxy class and in July, it recorded a fifth direct drop in quarterly profit.

It seems like this declining growth will nudge Xiaomi into launching a major product into the United States and all signs, at least at this stage, point to an inexpensive laptop.

China Is Preparing A Dramatic Shakeup Of Its Military That Will Give It Virtually The Same Capability As The United States’

Entertainment News

China will be sure to unveil its latest offerings of military technology in Thursday’s WW2 victory parade, but there are rumors that president Xi Jinping may announce a dramatic modernization plan for the Chinese military. The move would follow in the wake of dramatic increases in military spending over recent decades.

Xi may choose his final plan from among several proposals, but it is strongly suspected that it will include a shift away from an army-dominant structure, towards one in which the navy and air force share equal power to the army. Leadership spots in the Central Military Commission that are currently dominated by army generals, would be rebalanced to have more representation from the navy and air force.

Xi’s anti-corruption campaign has been one of the cornerstones of his policy, and it has extended to the military, with two vice-chairmen of the CMC having been removed in the past two years. Sources say that his original intent was to pursue the corruption in the military prior to attempting any organizational reforms.

The integration of the country’s naval forces is the most pressing issue, as it continues its territorial claims to waterways that have previously been claimed by its neighboring countries: the Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia. China has an extensive fleet of naval vessels to back up its claims to the area, but the current structure of the military is heavily compartmentalized with a lack of networking between the different service branches.

The U.S. has recognized China’s South China Sea shift, but has been fairly passive in its responses to the territorial disputes. The region is home to a majority of the world’s shipping lanes and may also hold a wealth of oil and natural gas deposits.

As Xi enjoys a morale boost following the V-day parade, he may be able to redirect the country’s attention away from its faltering economy towards the rising power of its military.

Despite Notable Gains, Politics Means School Lunches Won’t Be Getting Healthier Any Time Soon

News

U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama has proven to be a formidable opponent to Republicans and food business interests in her campaign for American schools to provide healthier lunches, but her dreams of kids eating more vegetables, fruit and whole grains in school may not be realized.

Laws governing school lunch standards are up for debate in the Senate this month, and because most companies supplying food to schools have gone as far as they will go, it looks like there will not be support for more stringent rules governing school lunch nutrition requirements, even though some companies have found providing healthier food options has been profitable.

The U.S. school lunch market is worth an estimated $10 billion annually.

The first lady lobbied heavily for The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act which was introduced in 2010 to provide healthier school lunches. She and the Act have been heavily criticised by Republicans who call it government interference.

Mrs Obama has made it clear she would like to see more fruit, vegetables, grains and fat free milk as legally required options, but experts say it is very unlikely this will happen.

Vice president of the education division at foodservice distribution company KeyImpact Sales & Systems, Gary Vonck, said “I think a large percentage doesn’t want to change at all. I think they feel like they’ve gone through all the changes they need to go through to follow the rules.”

The director of the Safe and Healthful Kids Food project at the Pew Charitable Trusts Jessica Donze Black, said food companies felt they had adapted to healthier food regulations already and so “it would probably be a mess if the pipeline changed dramatically. I think for some manufacturers, it’s been a great opportunity.”

The House Education and the Workforce Committee is reportedly drafting a new bill aimed at giving schools more flexibility in what they serve for lunches even though The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other experts says since the Act was introduced, studies have shown school children are generally eating healthier than they did previously.

Some school lunch providers like Schwan’s that were against the healthier school lunch initiative, have found they can actually make money by providing healthier food options. Schwan’s’ reduced-sodium Big Daddy’s pizza, reduced-fat Doritos and whole-grain rich Pillsbury breakfast cinnamon rolls are selling like hot cakes.

Pizza empire Domino’s has found that since entering the healthier school lunch market, it’s been nothing but good news. The company entered the K-12 school food market because of opportunities that came with nutrition requirement laws. It developed the whole grain, lower sodium, lower fat Smart Slice just for school cafeterias and expects it will be sold in 5,000 schools in 44 states this coming school year.

Yet despite the success and capitulation by many school lunch providers there seems to be little willingness to extend the gains made to date.

Trump’s Border Fence Idea Looks Dated Compared To High Tech Arizona ‘Virtual Fence’

News

The plans for a virtual fence along the southern U.S. border have been revived by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in recent weeks, after cancellation of the previous attempt in 2011 by then Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano.

The news comes as Republican presidential candidates have been putting forth their own proposals for dealing with illegal immigration.

The previous virtual fence known as the Secure Border Initiative Network (SBIN) will be replaced by a new series of sensor towers that are first being tested in Nogales, Arizona.

Homeland Security has designated $145 million for purchasing of up to six sets of towers in the state in order to detect illegal crossings.

The SBIN project’s failure was partially due to its poor implementation. Little collaboration between Boeing, who won the contract, and the border personnel who would be using the system led to many issues of poor performance. It also had difficulty coping with the harsh desert environment, and would sometimes alert border personnel to moving foliage and raindrops.

The current contract is with Elbit Systems of America, which has previously developed sensor technology for Israel’s wall with the West Bank. The company has also reportedly developed tunnel-detection systems for Israel.

The first series of towers in Arizona cost $23 million and have been built and tested, with supplemental equipment consisting of truck-mounted cameras and ground sensors. According to the contract awarded to Elbit, the system will be able to detect persons travelling by foot, vehicle, or animal.

Donald Trump has received criticism for his proposals on illegal immigration, but his idea for a physical wall may become irrelevant if the system by Elbit proves successful. The U.S. Border Patrol statistics on illegal alien apprehensions have been on a downward trend dating back to 2005, stabilizing in recent years between 200,000 and 300,000 per year. That number would likely jump if the SBIN is the success many in the area hope it to be.

Sony Pictures Reportedly Toned Down NFL Culpability In ‘Concussion’ To Avoid Angering The League

News

The NFL seems to be making headlines daily. Some people (and players) view the NFL as the evil empire that controls the most popular sport on American television. Its reputation certainly has not improved as a result of its handling of “Deflategate” and its part in the concussion lawsuit brought by 5,000 former NFL players.

In fact, the issue of concussions is raised in a new movie released by Sony Pictures Entertainment starring Will Smith. Interestingly, Sony “softened” the movie, due out in December, in order to avoid the wrath of the NFL.

That move indicates both how powerful the league is and how damaging the concussion issue is to its product.

The movie, simply entitled “Concussion,” focuses on the death and dementia professional players have suffered from repeated blows to the head. It also emphasizes the NFL’s efforts towards covering up its knowledge of concussion-related diseases and on the research of the first scientists to discover and disclose the problem. Smith plays Dr. Bennet Omalu, whose research led to the diagnosis of C.T.E., a degenerative brain disease that develops as a result of multiple hits to the heads. Recent suicides of former NFL players has brought heightened scrutiny upon the NFL for its handling of the situation.

The reports that Sony tweaked the movie came as a result of the major hack of Sony studio emails that were published recently on WikiLeaks. The president of domestic marketing at Sony Pictures, Dwight Caines, wrote in an August 2014 email that, “Will [Smith] is not anti football (nor is the movie) and isn’t planning to be a spokesman for what football should be or shouldn’t be but rather is an actor taking on an exciting challenge. We’ll develop messaging with the help of [the] NFL consultant to ensure that we are telling a dramatic story and not kicking the hornet’s nest.”

Sony representatives maintain that the studio was in no way bowing to the NFL but rather wanted to make sure the movie accurately portrayed both the facts and the actions of individuals – rather than portray the NFL as a corrupt organization. Sony claims that it did not want to take too much creative license because it wanted to maintain the credibility of the movie – and not later be criticized for painting an exaggerated or untrue story.

The movie’s writer and director, Peter Landesman, stated in an interview that, “We don’t want to give the NFL a toehold to say, ‘They are making it up,’ and damage the credibility of the movie.” He added that, “There were things that might have been creatively fun to have actors say that might not have been accurate in the heads of the NFL or doctors. We might have gotten away with it legally, but it might have damaged our integrity as filmmakers. We didn’t have a need to make up anything because it was powerful and revelatory on its own.” He further emphasized that, “There was never an instance where we compromised the storytelling to protect ourselves from the NFL.”

It is not uncommon for companies to be wary of the NFL’s reaction to products or programming. In 2013, the NFL complained that ESPN was producing “League of Denial,” a documentary regarding the league’s response to the dangers of concussions and head trauma. ESPN produced the documentary with Frontline. After the NFL’s request, ESPN stopped working on the project, but it was later broadcast by Frontline.

In 2004, NFL complained to the Walt Disney Company, the parent company of ESPN, about a television series that portrayed a very repugnant depiction of professional football players. The show was not renewed for a second season.

In response to “Concussion,” the NFL commented only that it welcomes attention to safety and health issues. “We are encouraged by the ongoing focus on the critical issue of player health and safety. We have no higher priority. We all know more about this issue than we did 10 or 20 years ago. As we continue to learn more, we apply those learnings to make our game and players safe.”

Still, it probably is not a good idea to take on the evil empire. Sony certainly seems to think so.

China And Russia Just Announced Plans To Develop A Wide Body Plane To Fight Boeing’s Dominance

Entertainment News

In an effort to rely less on the United States and Europe for large jets, Russia and China are working together on a wide-body jet that is aimed at competing with aircraft from leading manufacturers Airbus Group SE and Boeing Co.

The collaboration between Russia’s United Aircraft Corp. and Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China is scheduled to be solidified by agreement later this year. It may expand to also include the development of a jet engine, something China has had particular difficulty producing despite long ago stealing detailed technical documents from leading engine manufacturers.

The wide-body aircraft would contain two aisles and seat over 160 passengers.

President Vladimir Putin is working with China on a variety of matters in order to offset the industry strength of the United States and Europe. The shift comes as tensions between the West and Russia have escalated due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Despite the growing ties between China, to date, Putin has made little progress in the partnership as the Chinese economy is in distress and the prices of oil and commodities have plummeted. As a result of those two factors, trade between Russia and China has actually decreased 29% in the first half of 2015, though that is largely due to oil prices.

The Russia-China plan to develop a viable wide-body aircraft will likely need investments totalling as much as $20 billion and the Russian government claims it is ready to fund the initial stage of the ambitious project.

In order to keep up with demand, airlines across the globe will need as many as almost 9,000 wide-body mets in the over the next 20 years. Demand in China alone requires the production of at least 1,500 aircraft.

Presently, Boeing and Airbus have had a combined monopoly over the production of wide-body aircraft. The more crowded narrow-body planes are manufactured by a few more companies with Boeing and Airbus leading the way.

In addition to the wide-body aircraft collaboration, Russia and China plan to sell Russia’s Superjet 100 regional plane in both China and other Asian markets under a leasing agreement framework signed earlier this year. The two countries plan to compete with market leaders both under the collaboration as well as separately. Russia’s United Aircraft Corp. is developing the MC-21 and Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China is developing the C919. Both planes are scheduled to for the first time by early 2016.

Federal Reserve Study Shows Americans Are Moving Back In With Their Parents At Highest Rate Ever

News

With an effect that is most pronounced among the millennial generation, a new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City has found that a growing share of adults from every age bracket are now moving back in with their parents. Overall, the percentage living with their parents from each age bracket has more than doubled between 1980 and 2013.

The new trend is due to multiple factors, with one among them being the shift in the median age of first marriage. Men typically first marry at 28, and women at 26, which is five years later than in 1970. With fewer marriages and the new families associated with them, there is also less of a need for new housing.

Another influence has been a wave of immigration from Asian and Latin American populations, who are more likely to live in multi-generational housing, than are Americans born in the U.S. This does not exclude native-born Americans from the trend, however.

Additionally, with the advent of safety net programs like Social Security and general improvements in health care during the 20th century, there was less of a need to live with multiple generations in one home. Adult children who used to perform caretaking tasks moved into their own homes, and by 1980 only 17% of those aged 65 and older lived in a multi-generational household. That number has since risen to 20% in 2008.

Most Baby Boomers are still in the workforce, and regardless of whether they choose to cohabitate with their children or downsize their homes and continue to live alone, the effects on the housing market will be considerable. Boomers who decide to stay independent would be in competition for housing of younger generations, whereas an increasing trend toward multi-generational housing would lower the demand for housing.

The findings have particular implications for city planners. Most cities are building a flurry of small condo and apartment units that are utterly unsuitable for multi-generational families. As the trend continues to rise it could lead to an exodus from cities, something most state officials are keen to avoid.