title: No Limit Top Dogg

text: With this newfound freedom, Snoop sought out the help of former mentor and producer Dr. Dre. The album marks the first time they work together on record since Dre left Death Row. Regarding their relationship over the years, Snoop said "Behind the scenes, we've been basically helping each other out and critiquing each other's projects," He then added "We just went back to working with each other publicly ... the public wanted it, and we wanted it, and we're pushing for it and we're doing it." Attempts at reuniting date back to early 1998 when both collaborated on the song Zoom. However, contract problems emerged that prevented the release of said version (Snoop's verses were eventually replaced by east coast rapper LL Cool J and included in the soundtrack to the film Bulworth). Along with a slew of other former label mates and collaborators like Warren G, Nate Dogg, Jewell, DJ Quik, and Raphael Saadiq, Snoop himself viewed the album to be a companion piece to his debut album "Doggystyle".


title: No Limit Top Dogg

text: The album cover also marks a significant departure from the usual design style of all No Limit releases. In regards to this decision, Master P stated "When you look at that Snoop record, you know, you let Snoop be himself." He further stated "You look at his cover and it's got none of the bling and stuff that we always had, it's more about the dogs and what his image is about."


title: No Limit Top Dogg

text: In comparison to his previous release "Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told" which according to Snoop only took three weeks to make, work on this album spanned over many months beginning in 1998. The album also marks a departure from the southern sound of previous No Limit releases with only a few tracks featuring production and vocals from other No Limit artists and producers. Instead opting to work with more fellow west coast artists and producers in a "conscious effort" to return his brand of music that was present earlier in his career. Of the 19 songs on the album, three were produced by Dr. Dre. "It was matter of getting some shit from Dre that I didn't have, that would best represent him and would best represent me over his music," Snoop Dogg said. "He [directed] me on what to say and how to say it. I just chose the type of beats I wanted and the type of topics I wanted to rap about." In response to working again with Snoop and how times have changed since last working together, Dre stated the following:


title: No Limit Top Dogg

text: Snoop also continues a previous tradition on his albums to include a cover of an older Hip-Hop song with the song "Snoopafella" (a remake of the song "Cinderfella Dana Dane" by New York rapper Dana Dane). Despite limited involvement on a musical level from No Limit, Snoop has stated that Master P has influenced the album in other ways with the track "I Love My Momma". Snoop mentions "If I wouldn't be on No Limit, I wouldn't even did a song like that, but since Master P, every album he do, he got a song about his momma. He got a song about his dead brother." Snoop also took influence again in his vocal performance from Dr. Dre himself during the process of making and recording songs. He further commented on the chemistry they both still had despite being separate for a while as well as how Dre once again took on a mentor role with him.


title: No Limit Top Dogg

text: The overall production of the album has been noted to be heavily rooted in early '80s funk with a mixture of both West Coast and southern influences coming from his label at No Limit and his associates from his tenure at Death Row. In comparison to "Da Game", only two tracks on the whole album are produced by No Limit's in-house production team Beats by the Pound. Dr. Dre's involvement was a major point of interest of the album for both fans and critics at the time of release with his influence being prevalent throughout. Despite his involvement, the album also branches out to newer styles of music that differs from ones found on "The Chronic" and "Doggystyle". On tracks like "Buck 'Em", guitar elements were used that became present on other Dre productions of the time (like Eminem's "Role Model" from The Slim Shady LP) which hinted at what was to be featured on Dre's own 2001 album later that year. Other producers also make new contributions like the use of violins on the song "Trust Me", a rap ballad commenting about relationships. The album also ventures further into soul than previous releases with tracks like "Somethin' Bout Yo Bidness" and "I Love My Momma". Less apparent in the album's production is also the chiming keyboard loops found in Dre's earlier work that was highly popular at the time. The album is also a precursor to the West Coast Hip-Hop resurgence in popularity during that year.


title: No Limit Top Dogg

text: "Top Dogg" generally gained positive reviews with many critics citing it as a return to form after the mixed reception and different direction of the previous two albums released. Nathan Rabin of "The A.V. Club" noted "... Dogg sounds happier, looser, and more confident on "Top Dogg" than he has on any album since his "Chronic"/"Doggystyle" glory days." Later in the review he called it "... a vital album, and easily Snoop Dogg's best album since Doggystyle." "The Washington Post" highlighted the Dre-produced tracks "Just Dippin'" and "Buck 'Em" as one of the best Snoop-Dre collaborations. "Source" writer Frank Williams called it nearly flawless and said "By returning to his original 1993 flyness, Snoop meshes all his influences to create an album that will ride for a long time." The magazine later included the album on its "Top 10 Albums of the Year [1999]" list. Kevin Powell of "Rolling Stone" called the album "Snoop's finest work since his debut album...full of seductive party jams that will keep heads bobbing through the summer. Snoop has returned to West Coast G-funk with the help of some old friends...like Dr. Dre and DJ Quik." Neil Strauss of "The New York Times" positively compared the album to Snoop Dogg's previous release calling it a major musical improvement. "NME" mentioned "...the silken, sumptuous flow of yore is back, threading deluxe soul and full-bodied grooves...the cool drawl of Snoop...captivates, unveiling tales of love, thuggery, surviving and succeeding in the wild west...a certifiable return to form."


title: No Limit Top Dogg

text: Despite the overall positive reception to the album it did receive some criticism from critics. The majority of it being aimed at the length of the whole project as well as the obligatory No Limit tracks. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of "Allmusic" said "...it runs way too long and is filled with superfluous, even irritating cameos, and also that Snoop is content to haul out low-rent gangsta clichés." He further comments on the lack of interesting and clever lyrics in comparison to his older material years ago. The A.V. Club also addresses the length being a problem with it being a few tracks too long. Criticism is also drawn to the tracks with features from other No Limit artists which writer Nathan Rabin considers to be the lowest points of the whole album. The Source's only criticism of the album is also aimed at the two No Limit tracks "Down 4 My Niggaz" and "Ghetto Symphony" calling them "overly-simplistic". Rolling Stone in particular criticized Snoop's lack of growth as a lyricist while declaring the whole album as not worthy of being compared to his debut.


title: No Limit Top Dogg

text: In a retrospective list by "Complex", the magazine placed "No Limit Top Dogg" at Number 17 on their list of "The Top 25 Best No Limit Albums" on April 5, 2013. This is the only album by Snoop Dogg on the label to be included on the list. "Entertainment Weekly" in 2015 ranked the album third overall as Snoop Dogg's best album only behind 2002's "Paid Tha Cost To Be Da Bo$$" and 1993's "Doggystyle" respectively.


title: No Limit Top Dogg

text: "No Limit Top Dogg" debuted at number-two and one on the US "Billboard" 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums respectively, selling 187,400 copies in its first week. which was second only to Ricky Martin's 1999 self-titled album with huge first week sales of 661,000 copies. The following week the album sold an additional 108,000 copies dropping to number-seven until eventually bowing out of the top ten the following week. Although the release of the single 'Bitch Please' which gained popularity on both the radio and television helped album sales with a 16% rise on the "Billboard" 200 after months of declining on the charts. Despite not being as commercially successful as Still a G Thang from his previous album as it failed to chart within the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 (peaking at 77), it still managed to peak at number-eight on the "Billboard Hot Rap Singles" on August 28 making it one of his highest ranking songs on that chart at the time. The music video also peaked at number-three on BET and charted within the top 20 most played videos on MTV. The video was directed by Dr. Dre.


title: No Limit Top Dogg

text: "Top Dogg" eventually spent 40 weeks on the "Billboard" 200 which is second only to "Doggystyle" on weeks spent on the charts for a Snoop Dogg album. Despite being Snoop Dogg's first album to not debut at number-one and have strong first-week album sales, it was certified platinum on October 13, 1999 and sold 1,100,000 copies by the end of 1999 making it the 73rd best selling album of the year. Some speculated the reason for the relatively low turn out for the first week sales of the album is a result of the anticipation for Ricky Martin's album released the same week. The low awareness for the album was also thought to be due to a lack of a video or hit single prior to the release. As of March 2008, the album has sold 1,518,000 copies in the United States and 2 million worldwide as of 2016.


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: The Crime Syndicate are teams of supervillains from one of DC Comics' parallel universes where they are the evil counterparts of the Justice League. The original team was specifically known as the Crime Syndicate of America and is sometimes abbreviated as CSA. This first superpowered Crime Syndicate team appeared in "Justice League of America" #29 in August 1964. The primary successive incarnation, known as the Crime Syndicate of Amerika (with the variant spelling of America), first appeared in the 2000 "" graphic novel.


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: A related successive group on Earth-3 is known as the Crime Society of America and first appeared in "52" #52, and was later featured in "Countdown to Final Crisis". A "Golden Age" supervillain group, the Crime Society was to Earth-2 what the Anti-Matter Crime Syndicate of Amerika was to Earth-0, until it was removed from continuity following DC's 2011 "Flashpoint" storyline and "The New 52" company-wide reboot. Following this, a singular Crime Syndicate is the Earth-3 counterpart of the Earth-0 Justice League, first appearing in "Justice League" (vol. 2) #23 (October 2013), and the main focus of the company-wide crossover storyline "Forever Evil". The events of that storyline have far-reaching consequences for the DC Universe and for the Crime Syndicate characters who survived and that remained on Earth-0 in one form or another after its events.


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: As detailed in "Justice League of America" #29 (August 1964), the Crime Syndicate of America originally lived on Earth-Three, a world where history was "reversed" from the real world (e.g., Christopher Columbus discovered Europe, British colonists declared their independence from America, and President John Wilkes Booth was assassinated by an actor named Abraham Lincoln). It initially had no superheroes, only the supervillains of the Crime Syndicate, though this changed with the later introduction of the heroic Lex Luthor who used his vast intelligence for good.


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: In their first appearance, the Crime Syndicate, bored with the ease with which they were able to commit crimes on their Earth (and with no one to truly challenge them), discovered the existence of Earth-One and Earth-Two after Ultraman got "Ultra-Vision" from exposure to a large chunk of kryptonite and found he could peer between worlds. Intrigued by the existence of superheroes, they crossed the dimensional void and attacked the JLA and JSA. The villains were at first defeated but when they said the word "Volthoom", they sent themselves into Earth-Three thanks to a fail-safe created by Power Ring. The CSA was then able to capture the JSA by transporting them to Earth-Three and imprisoning them, intending to fight the JLA on Earth-2 to prove their superiority (the JLA had a natural advantage on Earth-1 and the CSA had a similar advantage on Earth-3, Earth-2 being chosen as a neutral environment where neither group would have an edge). However, the JLA defeated the CSA by tricking the members into unleashing more power than they could control, such as Ultraman acquiring so many powers he could not use any of them, Power Ring's ring generating constructs that were too large for him to control after Green Lantern gave it a boost, and Wonder Woman allowing Superwoman to 'steal' her Lasso of Truth, knowing that her opponent would not be able to use both of them. Following this defeat, the JLA freed the captured JSA heroes and imprisoned the CSA in an unbreakable bubble generated by Green Lantern's power ring that was placed in a "limbo" dimension between the Earths, where time has no meaning.


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: Over the ensuing years, the CSA or one of its members would occasionally escape and attempt to wreak havoc on Earth-One and/or Earth-Two. Power Ring, Johnny Quick, and Superwoman battled Captain Comet after being released by the Secret Society of Super Villains.


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: Ultraman once escaped and collaborated with Lex Luthor of Earth-One and Alexei Luthor of Earth-Two, but was defeated by Superman of Earth-One, Superman of Earth-Two, and Alexander Luthor Sr. of Earth-Three and was returned to his limbo prison.


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: On one occasion, the entire CSA were released by the time travelling villain Per Degaton when he was caught up in a time storm and stumbled upon their limbo prison. He freed them and they reluctantly agreed to help him take over his homeworld of Earth-Two in his present time of 1942 by stealing nuclear missiles from the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis of Earth-Prime. When they inevitably tried to double-cross him, a safety protocol he had created hurled the traitors uncontrollably into the time stream, where they landed coincidentally on the satellite headquarters of the JLA in the then-present day of 1982 (the year the story was published). An intricate tale then followed, involving the CSA escaping and the JLA traveling back in time to Earth-Two in 1942 and Earth-Prime in 1962 to prevent the CSA from helping Degaton. It was during the Earth-Two visit to the past that the JLA teamed up with America's superhero team of that era, the All-Star Squadron. The heroes succeeded in stopping Per Degaton and the CSA before their evil plan could be set in motion, effectively wiping these events from existence and everyone's memory.


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: Earth-Three and the original CSA were destroyed, along with the rest of DC's parallel worlds, in the 1985 12-issue maxiseries "Crisis on Infinite Earths". As shown in issue #1, Earth-Three and all of its inhabitants were obliterated by an anti-matter wave that was the catalyst for the story. The original Earth-Three Syndicate made a few Post-"Crisis" appearances, when Ultraman and Power Ring appeared in the "Animal Man" series and then again in "Infinite Crisis", when Earth-Three was temporarily recreated and models of the Earth-Three Ultraman, Superwoman, and Alexander Luthor Sr. were briefly merged with the Superman and Wonder Woman of Earth-1 and the Superman of Earth-Two and Wonder Woman of Earth-Two.


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: During the "Convergence" storyline, the Crime Syndicate had accidentally killed the Earth-Three version of Bruno Mannheim where Superwoman was arrested and sentenced to death. Despite the dome being over their Metropolis, Ultraman, Owlman, Power Ring, and Johnny Quick worked to infiltrate the prison and free Superwoman. Due to the interference of the Rogue Hunters, the Crime Syndicate failed to save Superwoman as the electric chair was activated. As the Rogue Hunters placed the shackles on the Crime Syndicate members, the domes fall around the cities as the Crime Syndicate breaks free. The Crime Syndicate soon found themselves fighting against Justice Legion Alpha from the 853rd Century's Metropolis.


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: A Post-"Crisis" version of the team, simply known as the "Crime Syndicate" (not 'of America'), was eventually introduced. This Post-"Crisis" version (revealed in 1992's "Justice League Quarterly" #8) was composed of Qwardians (residents of the antimatter counterpart of Oa) as well as being "more powerful than their counterparts", they are shown to be different from the Earth-Three incarnation by their enlarged eyes, resembling the Weaponers of Qward. They acted as Claire Montgomery's (Maxwell Lord's ex-wife) second Conglomerate team.


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: Following a further "soft" reboot of DC continuity in 1994's "" (1994) crossover, the Crime Syndicate was introduced once again, in 2000, in the "" graphic novel by Grant Morrison, which combined the Pre-"Crisis" parallel Earth idea with the Pre-"Zero Hour" anti-matter universe concept. The Crime Syndicate's Post-"Zero Hour" anti-matter Earth possesses a "reversed" history similar to Earth-Three's, but with a much darker tone to both the team and its world. "JLA Secret Files and Origins 2004" provided additional history of this team, showing that even though they did partially resemble the Earth-Three Syndicate, they were still easily identifiable from their Pre-"Crisis" Earth-Three incarnation. Unlike the Crime Syndicate of Earth-Three, this Crime Syndicate of Amerika are able to rule their world (a change from their Pre-"Crisis" counterparts, who were unsuccessful in conquering their world) though they allow governments to continue operating and honest people are able to continue operating in pockets such as Gotham City Police Commissioner Thomas Wayne Sr. (father to Owlman and counterpart of the murdered father of Batman).


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: Superman later encounters Ultraman, Superwoman and Owlman after a scared and out of control superpowered baby appears out of nowhere. Ultraman and Owlman come to believe the child is the offspring of Ultraman and Superwoman. Owlman wants to kill it out of jealousy, Ultraman wants to raise it as his demented protégé, and Superman tries to save it from them both. When Superwoman arrives on the scene, adamant that she has never given birth, it is revealed that the superpowered infant is actually a reborn Brainiac from the antimatter universe, defeated by Ultraman in the "Earth-2" story. Brainiac's sentience is eventually dispersed and the villains return home to sort out their differences.


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: The Crime Syndicate reappear and lay waste to the planet Qward out of boredom. During their decimation of the planet, the entire Anti-Matter universe undergoes a reboot which causes some immediate changes, the most obvious of which is the sudden replacement of the white Power Ring with a black counterpart to John Stewart, the then-current Green Lantern in the JLA. In the story, it is explained that the reboot the Syndicate experiences is direct fallout from the events of 2003's "JLA/Avengers" crossover event. Not knowing of these events, the Crime Syndicate journey to the matter universe to attack Earth, blaming the JLA in the mistaken belief that the heroes are responsible for the changes that they have endured. It is during this time that they discover that the reboot of the antimatter universe wiped out the previous 24-hour rule, so the plan is changed to secretly take over the planet instead. Meanwhile, the defeated Qwardians rally behind a dimension-destroying weapon called the Void Hound and pursue the Syndicate to the matter universe, laying waste to hundreds of planets along the way. Reluctantly, the CSA teamed up with the JLA, but the Void Hound proved too powerful. The heroes finally defeated the Void Hound by using a former JLA foe, the Construct, to remove the artificial intelligence of the massive weapon and render it powerless. With the Void Hound defeated and the CSA owing the JLA a favor for saving them, the villains are sent back to the antimatter universe, where they discover to their horror that the Qwardians have also invaded their Earth, dismantling their entire criminal organization and freeing many imprisoned superheroes and rival supervillains.


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: "Superman/Batman" Annual #1 (2006) details Superman and Batman's first encounter with Ultraman and Owlman. Set years before Superman and Batman knew each other's secret identities, a vacationing Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne, and Lois Lane meet Ultraman, Owlman, and Superwoman when the villains appear on a cruise ship. This story also features the first appearance of Deathstroke's unnamed antimatter doppelganger. The Ultraman, Owlman, and Superwoman presented in the story have the same costumes as the antimatter universe version of the Syndicate. This tale however is being told by Mister Mxyzptlk and, as such, may "not" actually be canonical.


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: After the events of "Infinite Crisis", the original Pre-"Crisis" Ultraman appears in the bottle city of Kandor posing as Kal-El (Superman). It is also revealed that Saturn Queen, last seen in "Absolute Power", survived the reboot of the universe in "Infinite Crisis" and through flashbacks we learn that she has used her telepathic abilities to convince Ultraman that he is Kal-El and that she is his mother. His original personality seems intact, however, as he is portrayed as being as sadistic and self-centered as ever. Saturn Queen further manipulates events to place him in charge of Kandor and mind controls Kara Zor-El (Supergirl) into marrying him. Kara eventually breaks free and in a blind rage beats him to a pulp (at this point in time, Supergirl was portrayed as being slightly more powerful than Superman). Ultraman is saved when Saturn Queen provides information to Supergirl about her lost home of Argo City in exchange for sparing his life. From this point on, neither the Pre-"Crisis" Ultraman nor Saturn Queen are seen again and their fates were unknown at the time the universe was rebooted again during 2011's "Flashpoint".


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: Meanwhile, the antimatter CSA made their next appearance in "Trinity". Here, it is revealed that the Syndicate have gained control of their Earth again and have been abducting people from throughout all of the individual 52 universes in the current positive matter Multiverse to use as slave labor to repair their damaged Earth. After the hyper-powered Trinity heroes of the story defeat and imprison the Syndicate and free the slaves, the antimatter Earth falls into chaos.


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: In "Justice League of America" (vol. 2) #43, Doctor Impossible and his cohorts use extra-dimensional superhero the Blue Jay to open up a gateway to the Multiverse. Owlman, Ultraman, and Superwoman are briefly seen standing atop a building, with shadows obscuring most of their identifying marks, thus making it unclear which versions they are. The full Crime Syndicate members later appear with the original Pre-"Crisis" iterations of Power Ring and Johnny Quick replacing their contemporary counterparts as a mirror to the events of "" and "". After arriving on New Earth following the destruction of their world at the hands of Alexander Luthor (who had built a weapon of mass destruction that detonated following his demise), the Syndicate attacks the Hall of Justice, where Luthor's corpse was interred after his murder at the hands of Joker during the finale of "Infinite Crisis". It is revealed that the Syndicate members were working with Doctor Impossible in order to create a machine that could resurrect the dead, hoping that they could revive Luthor and force him to undo the damage he had dealt to the Crime Syndicate's world. Just as the machine is to be activated, Doctor Impossible double-crosses the Syndicate and attempts to resurrect Darkseid rather than Luthor, but the machine malfunctions and instead creates an immensely powerful villain called the Omega Man.


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: In the ensuing storyline, Power Ring is killed and the members of the Justice League and the Crime Syndicate are forced to work together to stop the Omega Man. Realizing that the situation is hopeless, Owlman betrays the League and turns them over to the Omega Man, figuring that the Syndicate could take over the League's Earth after the Omega Man kills off most of the heroes. At the last second, Batman reveals that he anticipated the Syndicate's betrayal, and used the Tangent Universe's version of Green Lantern to resurrect Luthor behind the Syndicate's back. Though his resurrection is short-lived, Luthor builds a machine that ultimately sends the Syndicate back to their own ravaged world and seemingly destroys the Omega Man.


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: In "52" #52, an alternate version of Earth-Three is shown as a part of the new Multiverse. In the depiction are characters that are altered versions of the original Justice League of America, plus the Martian Manhunter. The names of the characters and the team are not mentioned in the two panels in which they appear.


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: Based on comments by Grant Morrison, this alternate universe is not the Pre-"Crisis" Earth-Three, making these new characters unrelated to previous versions. In "Countdown" #31, the name of this team is revealed to be the Crime Society of America. The Society are said to be evil doppelgangers of the heroes of Earth-2, and make their first solo appearance in "Countdown Presents The Search for Ray Palmer - Crime Society" #1 written by Sean McKeever and illustrated by Jamal Igle. In addition to the five known members, this version of the CSA includes evil versions of the Green Arrow, Wildcat, the Black Canary, Hawkwoman, Stargirl, and the Spectre. Later issues introduce Annataz Arataz (the evil counterpart of Zatanna), and counterparts of Supergirl (Kara Zor-El), Wonder Girl (Donna Troy), and Booster Gold.


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: Shortly after the Crime Society's introduction, they are offered a place among the Monarch's army. Already recruited into the Monarch's army, Johnny Quick wins a place in the Monarch's elite squad when he defeats his Earth-9 and Earth-2 counterparts in the "" miniseries. All of the Crime Society members who are present in the Earth-51 dimension at the end battle with Superman-Prime and the Monarch are killed, as the entire dimension is completely destroyed with only Superman-Prime and a single plant surviving the cataclysm. The original five members are not present at this battle, though their fates remain unknown.


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: In "The New 52", with the changes of this new timeline, Crime Syndicate was introduced as the true antagonists of the "Villains Month" event, and the "Forever Evil" series.


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: At the conclusion of "Trinity War", it is revealed that the leader of the Secret Society, previously known as "the Outsider", was actually an Earth-3 version of Alfred Pennyworth. He gains possession of Pandora's Box to open a portal to Earth-3, from which the Crime Syndicate emerges. The Crime Syndicate then proceeds to attack the fallen Justice League members and claims Prime Earth now belongs to them.


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: "The New 52" line-up of the Crime Syndicate consists of Ultraman, Superwoman, Owlman, Johnny Quick, Power Ring, Deathstorm, the Sea King (who does not survive the trip to Prime Earth) and two new members: Atomica, who had posed as the Atom while working as a mole for the Secret Society, and Grid, a sentient computer virus in a robot body made from Cyborg's old prosthetic parts. The Sea King, however, awakens after his body is placed at the bottom of the ocean. After Power Ring fell in battle against Sinestro, Grid informs Ultraman and Superwoman about it at the time when they are looking for Batman's kryptonite ring. Grid also informs them that the ring has released a pulse that was sensed throughout the Multiverse. Knowing the creature that destroyed their world has found them, Ultraman orders the Syndicate to regroup and heads to Maine with them. Batman, Lex Luthor and their team arrive at the fallen Watchtower and go in search of Grayson and the Crime Syndicate. Grid informs the Outsider of the intrusion and he goes to protect their hooded prisoner over Grayson, only for Black Manta to intercept the Outsider and kill him. Batman, Luthor, Catwoman and Bizarro enter the room with Grayson and see he has been placed in a "Murder Machine" originally intended for Doomsday. They realize that the machine is a detonator for a bomb that can only be stopped if Grayson's heart stops. The remaining Crime Syndicate members return to the Watchtower and attack Sinestro, Deathstroke, and Black Adam. Johnny Quick and Atomica attack Captain Cold and Black Manta, who have unmasked the prisoner and removed the tape from his mouth. Captain Cold fires his cold gun on Johnny Quick's leg and then breaks it off. Back with Grayson, Luthor prevents Batman from saving Grayson, choosing to save the group's lives over Grayson's. As Grayson dies, Batman attacks Luthor for murdering him with Luthor trying to reason with him that he has everything under control. With the hooded prisoner now free, he reveals himself as Alexander Luthor and yells "Mazahs!" to access the dark lightning. Alexander Luthor transforms into Mazahs and kills the injured Johnny Quick, taking his power. After the trapped superheroes are freed from the Firestorm Matrix, Superwoman reveals that the father of her child is actually Alexander Luthor. Mazahs destroy Deathstorm taking his powers as well as attacking Lex and Bizarro, where Mazahs defeats Bizarro. Mazahs is able to pin Lex, who says "Mazahs!", summoning the dark lightning as he sounds like Alexander Luthor. Lex Luthor is able to defeat him once he is back to Alexander Luthor and then kills him. Ultraman begins attacking Lex. As he does, Black Adam and Sinestro move the Moon, causing Ultraman to be hit with the sun, weakening him. Atomica reappears from underneath the rubble, only for Lex Luthor to kill her by stepping on her. Lex Luthor rejoins the heroes and saves Superman by removing the kryptonite placed in his brain by Atomica. In the aftermath, Ultraman and Superwoman are captured, with Owlman still on the loose. It is later revealed that the entity that destroyed the Crime Syndicate's world is the Anti-Monitor, who declares "Darkseid shall be mine".


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: In the "Darkseid War" story in "Justice League", Cyborg and Jessica Cruz, who has partially learned to harness Power Ring's Ring of Volthoom, seek out Superwoman in her maximum security prison for guidance on how to deal with the Anti-Monitor, who has killed Darkseid and now threatens all of existence. Seizing the opportunity to reunite the Syndicate, Volthoom seizes control of Jessica's body and when Cyborg attempts to interface with the ring, has the "Grid" personality re-uploaded and placed in control of his armor. As the trio plot to reunite with Ultraman, the heretofore-missing Owlman shows up and declares that the League and Syndicate must work together to stop the Anti-Monitor. At the climax of the story, Ultraman is incinerated by the Anti-Monitor, ignoring Superman's warnings that it was too powerful to fight alone. Superwoman gives birth to her baby and is shortly thereafter killed by the Anti-Monitor. Having abandoned his comrades, Owlman indicates he never cared for the Syndicate, and his ultimate goal was to sit on Metron's Chair, which would give him all knowledge in the multiverse. He strikes a bargain with Metron and sits in the chair, absorbing its secrets. Suddenly, he becomes aware of a presence but before he can react, he and Metron are seemingly vaporized by a blue light. With the deaths of the last remaining Syndicators, Superwoman's child becomes the sole survivor of Earth 3, paralleling Alexander Luthor Jr.'s survival after the first Crisis.


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: In 2016, DC Comics implemented another relaunch of its books called "DC Rebirth", which restored its continuity to a form much as it was prior to "The New 52". During the "Year of the Villain" event, the Crime Syndicate is revealed to still be alive along with their universe restored after the events of the "Watchmen" sequel "Doomsday Clock". They decide to align themselves with Perpetua in her conquest of the multiverse, secretly planning to take power for themselves. However, Owlman learns from John Stewart that there have been other versions of himself and thus he can never truly be erased as an Owlman will always exist in the multiverse. Upon this realization, Owlman betrays them and destroys his own world out of jealousy towards The Batman Who Laughs, and his belief that he will inevitably be reincarnated when the multiverse reforms.


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: Following the reboot of the Multiverse at the end of "" as seen during the ""Infinite Frontier"", a new Earth 3 is created with a new Crime Syndicate with a different origin like Superwoman being Donna Troy, Owlman still being Thomas Wayne Jr. whose parents were killed by a mugger named Harvey Bullock under orders from Boss Gordon who considered them rival crime lords, Ultraman being Kal-El who was exploited by Jonathan and Martha Kent, John Stewart being a former beat cop before becoming Emerald Knight, and Johnny Chambers is a criminal who was raised by a father who trained dogs for dog fighting. The Syndicate is brought together to fight off an invasion by the Starros, paralleling the original origin of the Justice League of America where they possessed characters like Black Siren, Doctor Chaos, Miss Martian, Red Beetle, and Sky Tyrant. The Starros claimed they were not invading but were seeking refuge from the Overlords of Oa, but were nevertheless killed by the Syndicate. Lex Luthor starts to put together a resistance against them called the Legion of Justice that include New God Lonar, her horse Thunderer, Power Tower, Red Hood (Earth 3's Harley Quinn), Savanna, Sinestro, and Venus where their first mission results in the death of Johnny Quick before he can be recruited into the Crime Syndicate. The Legion of Justice were aided by Ultraman's cousin Ultragirl in their fight against the Crime Syndicate of America. During the fight, Sinestro is killed by Emerald Knight, Atomica causes Ultragirl to die from a brain haemorrhage, and a badly-injured Lex Luthor is taken prisoner. One week after the battle, the remaining members of the Legion of Justice ally with Jester and the Crime Syndicate set up their base in the Legion of Justice's former satellite base. The Crime Syndicate holds a press conference advising all metahumans to serve them or else. While Ultraman is upset over Atomica causing Ultragirl's death, Atomica holds Emerald Knight accountable for Johnny's death, and Emerald Knight criticizes Ultraman's withdrawal weakness to Kryptonite and concern over Owlman's duplicity.


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: Later, the Crime Syndicate comes into conflict with the Suicide Squad, culminating in the "War for Earth-3" storyline, which sees Owlman and Ultraman defeated, with Superwoman, Johnny Quick, and Emerald Knight (now the new Power Ring) now working for Amanda Waller, who converted the Crime Syndicate into a new Justice League alongside operatives in her squad.


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: The following five members founded the original Crime Syndicate of America and have appeared in all additional iterations of the team:


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: The CSA's Post-"Crisis" world is primarily governed by the "favor bank", the only rule that is not consistently broken. If any person should grant a favor for someone else, that person is entitled to compensation whenever they see fit, no matter what the cost or hardship to the latter. Failure to pay back a favor results in inordinately harsh consequences, as seen in the beginning of "Syndicate Rules". A mobster, Jackson "Rat-Eyes" Drake, who failed to follow up on a favor owed, was put on "trial" by Owlman, who then had him incinerated by Ultraman as a favor.


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: A team of Qwardians based on the then-current Justice League International roster appeared on the Post-"Crisis"/Pre-"Zero Hour" Earth, although they did not call themselves the Crime Syndicate, even through their predecessors (Qwardian versions of the original Syndicate) did. Its members were:


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: There are other unnamed evil counterparts of Martian Manhunter, Stargirl, Hawkgirl, Wildcat and Spectre.


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: It is not clear if any of these characters exist in Post-"Zero Hour" or Post-"Infinite Crisis" continuity.


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: The "JLA: Earth 2" graphic novel featured several costumes in the Syndicate Satellite (the CSA Watchtower).


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: In addition to the five founding members, "The New 52" version of the team introduces five new members:


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: When Pandora was transported to Earth-3, she meets an unnamed counterpart of Martian Manhunter dying.


title: Crime Syndicate of America

text: Following Death Metal, the new lineup features Ultraman, Owlman, Atomica, Donna Troy as Superwoman, Jonathan Chambers as Johnny Quick, and John Stewart as Emerald Knight / Power Ring. After Amanda Waller takes over, Atomica disappears, Ultraman is imprisoned in the Phantom Zone, and Owlman's back is broken. Superwoman, Johnny Quick, and Power Ring are then joined by the Nocturna of an unknown reality, the Superboy clone Match serving as a new Ultraman, fellow Earth 3 native and Black Canary counterpart Black Siren, and the alternate Etrigan known as Etrigan the Brainiac 666.


title: Gwendolyn Osborne

text: Gwendolyn Osborne-Smith (born 7 August 1978) is a model and actress who spent 12 years on "The Price Is Right" as a model from 2005 to 2017. Born to a Jamaican mother and British father, Osborne married retired NBA player (and current TNT basketball analyst) Kenny Smith on 2 September 2006. They have two children together (Malloy and London) and Smith is stepfather to Osborne's daughter (Monique) from a previous relationship. On "The Price Is Right" it was announced that she would be leaving the show to pursue other interests.


title: Gwendolyn Osborne

text: Fresh off the set as an actor of ‘Wonder Woman 1984,’ which was released in June 2020 and was the beating Hamilton, Gwendolyn just completed an arc on General Hospital playing the fierce role of Police Chief Vic. She also plays Misandra on In the Cut on Bouncetv.


title: Gwendolyn Osborne

text: Along with her most recent film appearance in Wonder Woman 1984, she has years of multiple acting credits. To name a few, she has played Jade Dominquez in Miami for two seasons in Ocean Ave and had an appearance in Adam Sandler’s Jack and Jill.


title: Gwendolyn Osborne

text: Gwendolyn is a reality producer wrapping a full season that showcases herself and her whole family '’ on TBS.


title: Gwendolyn Osborne

text: Working with the Global production group ITV America as a producer, Gwendolyn was recently nominated for the segment ‘’ on TRUTV in the Cynopsis Short Form Video Festival.


title: Gwendolyn Osborne

text: Expanding her horizons and following her passion for music, Gwen has released her single "Give My Love".


title: Unbreakable (Janet Jackson album)

text: Unbreakable is the eleventh studio album by American singer Janet Jackson. It was released on October 2, 2015, and is the first album released under her independent label Rhythm Nation, distributed by BMG Rights Management through a partnership with the singer. Jackson had parted ways with Island Records in 2008 due to dissatisfaction over the company's lack of promotion for her tenth studio album, "Discipline" (2008). The singer began recording new material with producer Rodney Jerkins the following year, but eventually abandoned the project. She became busy with film roles and embarked on a worldwide concert tour, and in 2013 announced her third marriage to Qatari businessman Wissam Al Mana. Two years later in May 2015, Jackson announced that she would embark on the Unbreakable World Tour and release "Unbreakable".


title: Unbreakable (Janet Jackson album)

text: Jackson reunited with songwriting/production duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, their last collaboration being on her ninth studio album "20 Y.O." (2006). Additional songwriting and production was provided by Dem Jointz, Tommy McClendon and Thomas Lumpkins. Featured artists include rappers J. Cole and Missy Elliott. "Unbreakable"s theme reflects various experiences over the course of Jackson's life—including aspects of her childhood and the death of her brother Michael—in addition to socially conscious messages prevalent in her 1989 album "Rhythm Nation 1814". Its lead single "No Sleeep" became her 40th entry on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 singles chart, peaking at number 63, as well as her most successful entry on the US Adult R&B Songs chart, topping the chart for twelve non-consecutive weeks.


title: Unbreakable (Janet Jackson album)

text: The album debuted at number one on the "Billboard" 200, becoming Jackson's seventh album to top the chart in the United States. This made her the third act in the history of the chart to have a number one album in each of the last four decades. It also peaked within the top 40 of most major music markets. It received mostly positive reviews from music critics, with some commenting that it reflected her maturation. "Unbreakable" was named by several publications as one of the best album releases of 2015. As of April 2016, the album has sold over 253,000 copies in the United States.


title: Unbreakable (Janet Jackson album)

text: After releasing her tenth studio album "Discipline" in 2008, Jackson parted ways with her label home of 14 months, Island Records. A spokesperson for the singer added, "[Jackson] will have autonomy over her career, without the restrictions of a label system... Always known to break new ground and set trends, Jackson's departure from Island Records makes her one of the first superstar artists to have the individual freedom to promote their work through a variety of avenues such as iTunes, mobile carriers and other diverse and innovative channels."<ref name="Billboard - Janet/label split"></ref> Mariel Concepcion of "Billboard" magazine suggested "Jackson would seem to be a natural fit at Live Nation Artists, which is already home to Jay-Z, Nickelback and Shakira." The following year, she suffered the unexpected death of her brother Michael Jackson; she later performed a special tribute to him at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. She also ended her seven-year relationship with record producer Jermaine Dupri.


title: Unbreakable (Janet Jackson album)

text: As a joint venture with EMI, Universal Music Enterprises subsequently released her second greatest hits compilation, "Number Ones" (2009) under A&M Records. Although she began recording new material with producer Rodney Jerkins, she eventually abandoned the project, still unwilling to specify whether she intended to sign with a major label or release music independently. UMe and A&M later released her third compilation "" (2010) as the debut of the "Icon" album series, designed to feature "the greatest hits, signature tunes and fan favorites of the most popular artists in music history." After starring in feature films "Why Did I Get Married Too?" and "For Colored Girls" in 2010, she embarked on the world concert tour Number Ones, Up Close and Personal in 2011 to promote her second compilation. In 2013, she indicated she was once again working on a new record. Later that year, she also revealed that she was married to her third husband, Qatari businessman Wissam Al Mana. She announced in May 2015, that she would embark on the Unbreakable World Tour and release her eleventh studio album through her newly formed, independent record label as a result of a partnership between herself and BMG.


title: Unbreakable (Janet Jackson album)

text: In October 2009, just a month before Jackson released her second compilation album "Number Ones" (2009), American producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins revealed that they were working together on the singer's eleventh studio album:


title: Unbreakable (Janet Jackson album)

text: Since we've been working ... I feel like the studio has become a second home for her because with the whole situation with Michael [Jackson] happening, and I feel like right now, emotionally, she can come here and let all her feelings out. [...] You gotta understand, she lost her brother. She was in a relationship for seven years [with Jermaine Dupri] that's over now. There's things that she told me that I didn't even realize. You know, certain [things] like self-esteem that I didn't even realize that she dealt with for years that, you know. ... She's working on her book and she'll deal with that in her book, but also in songs, certain songs we're dealing with that head on. And sometimes it can be a touchy subject for us to even go into, and I kinda had to persuade her, 'Let's just go, let's talk about that.' And she's been doing it, and she's a pro about it.


title: Unbreakable (Janet Jackson album)

text: However, in 2010, Jackson revealed she had scrapped the recorded material with Jerkins. Although she recorded and released "Nothing" as the theme for the film "Why Did I Get Married Too?", she stated: "There have been a lot of record labels that have asked me to sit down and talk with them, but I don't know if I want to do something completely independent, or go with a major". In August 2011, while touring with her Number Ones, Up Close and Personal world tour, the singer stated that she would "go back into the studio later this year or early next. I am not sure what I will be doing yet. I like to be inspired by what is going on in my life at that time". In 2013, she confirmed she was recording a new album and "creating the concept and initial thoughts on the music."


title: Unbreakable (Janet Jackson album)

text: In August 2014, producer and engineer Ian Cross, who worked on her last three studio albums, confirmed in an interview with studio monitor manufacturer Barefoot Sound that he was working on Jackson's new album, stating, "The new album is going to be great. It's a process. There's a lot in store, yet to come", also saying they worked in recording studios in Qatar, Paris, and Middle East. He asserted that he and the singer "had a little bit more of a special relationship because we became friends naturally. You meet a lot of people and you become friends with a couple of them, but sometimes there is one person you become really good friends with. She asked me to work on an album with her called "Discipline" in 2007 and, again, just do the same thing, produce the vocals. That led to her hiring me full-time to work with her. That's where I'm at now". After Cross' declarations, Jackson herself responded to the rumor, neither confirming nor denying the works, stating: "If there is a new project, you'll hear it from my lips", she tweeted. Barefoot Sound subsequently removed the full text of the Cross interview from their website. "Unbreakable" saw Jackson reunite with long-time producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who did not contribute to her previous project.


title: Unbreakable (Janet Jackson album)

text: "Unbreakable" is divided into two sides; the first side is composed mostly by dance-pop and R&B songs, while the second one is more experimental. The album opens with the title track "Unbreakable", a mid-tempo R&B song, which describes Jackson's unyielding devotion to her fans. The following track "Burnitup!" is an uptempo song with electronic beats, with processed vocal samples and house drums. Jackson asks "Mr. DJ" to "turn it up" and the crowd to "dance like no-one's watching", while Elliott raps "Make it work, make it work, make it work". "Dammn Baby", the third track, has hints of trap bass and percussion, and bits of previous single "I Get Lonely" into its breakdown. In the fourth song "The Great Forever", she is reportedly to sound like her late brother Michael Jackson, and addresses the curiosity about her romantic life. "I don't see why loving someone or what I do seem so radical to you [...] What you think doesn't mean nothing at all / Doesn't change who I am." The next track, "Shoulda Known Better" opens as a ballad, but develops EDM beats for its underpinning. During the song, she asks "Why, why, why?", before making a call for social action. "We won't accept excuses. We tolerate no abuses". Sixth track, "After You Fall", is a stripped ballad with Jackson's vocals being accompanied by only a piano line. The following song "Broken Hearts Heal" is a song with "breezy" vocal harmonies, and a tribute to her brother Michael, reminiscing about a childhood full of singing and laughing together. During the chorus, she sings "Our love ain't no material thing/Inshallah see you in the next life". Eight track "Night" is a house track which accompanies breathy vocals by Jackson. The ninth song and lead single from the album, "No Sleeep", is an R&B song, which lyrically finds Jackson crooning about a long-distance romance over "soulful" keyboards and programmed drums.


title: Unbreakable (Janet Jackson album)

text: Starting the second part, "Dream Maker / Euphoria", the tenth track, is an R&B song with a soul sample, and at one point of the song she sings "Wish I could create a perfect place, without jealousy, abuse, or hate". Eleventh song "2 B Loved" is described lyrically as a "rapturous celebration of the power of love", complete with a "burst of sunshiny pop froth complete with hand claps, [and] a hip-shaking groove". Next track "Take Me Away" has an electro-rock arrangement and lyrically looks for escape with a lover.


title: Unbreakable (Janet Jackson album)

text: The following and thirteenth song "Promise" is an interlude. The fourteenth track, "Lessons Learned", is built over a "plucked" guitar figure, on which Jackson sings about an abusive relationship where the victim keeps that way. At one point of the song Jackson sings "What makes her want to stay?". "Black Eagle", the next song, is a two-part song that sets its mysticism and self-help to modal phrases and quiet finger snaps; she addresses the struggles of today, but goes with "Because every life matters... We all need to do better." The sixteenth track "Well Traveled" is arena rock, described as a "Bon Jovi power ballad" song. The closing track, "Gon' B Alright", is "twisted" psychedelic rock, and was compared to Sly & The Family Stone sound.


title: Unbreakable (Janet Jackson album)

text: The album's lead single, titled "No Sleeep", was released on June 22, 2015. In early June, Jimmy Jam tweeted, "Early morning #Plush #NoSL333P #ConversationsInACafe", along with a picture of sheet music in a darkened studio. Fans quickly found out the titles "No SL333P" and "Plush" in the picture. Later, a snippet of the song was leaked, followed by a countdown on her official website which revealed the song on June 22, 2015. The album version of the song features additional verses from American rapper J. Cole. It was released to radio airplay and made available for digital download on July 23, 2015. Jackson's solo version of the single debuted on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 at number 67, marking her 40th entry on the chart. The album version featuring J. Cole enabled it to re-enter the Hot 100 with a new peak position at number 63, while also topping the US Adult R&B Songs chart.


title: Unbreakable (Janet Jackson album)

text: The music video for the third single, titled "Dammn Baby", was released May 4, 2016 on YouTube and her official Facebook page. The song debuted on the US Adult R&B Songs chart at number 20.


title: Unbreakable (Janet Jackson album)

text: On April 22, 2015, she tweeted, "Letting go doesn't mean you stop", after a fan created a mock Missing Persons poster of Jackson which had begun circulating the internet prompting Jackson to retweet it herself, adding to further speculation of a new album. On May 16, 2015, on her 49th birthday, Jackson announced a new album and world tour and stated "I promised you would hear it from my lips. And now you will. This year, new music, new world tour, a new movement. I've been listening. Let's keep the conversation going." It was later announced that she will release her new album in the fall of 2015 under her own record label, Rhythm Nation, distributed by BMG Rights Management. The launch of Rhythm Nation marks Jackson as among the few African-American female musicians to establish a record label. In June, she released the album's first single, "No Sleeep". That same month, she teased a track titled "Love", which was later re-titled "Unbreakable". The song is about how important her fans were to her. On August 20, 2015, she released a preview of a new song "The Great Forever", while also confirming the title of her eleventh studio album as "Unbreakable", and is set to release on October 2, 2015.


title: Unbreakable (Janet Jackson album)

text: She has promoted the album through social media, frequently using the hashtag #ConversationsInACafe as well as taglines "I've been listening" and "Let's keep the conversation going." To further promote the album, Jackson embarked on the accompanying Unbreakable World Tour in August 2015. Pre-sale tickets were made available exclusively to American Express and Citibank cardholders prior to general admission tickets going on sale on June 22, 2015. Jackson's forthcoming album was also made available for pre-order, along with vinyl copies of the album's lead single "No Sleeep". On September 19, 2015, Jackson was set to perform at the iHeartRadio Music Festival at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. However, on September 18, her rep confirmed she had withdrawn from the festival.


title: Unbreakable (Janet Jackson album)

text: Due to Jackson's pregnancy, the Unbreakable World Tour resulted in postponement until September 2017; re-branded the State of the World Tour, with a new setlist and costumes.


title: Unbreakable (Janet Jackson album)

text: "Unbreakable" received positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from music critics, the album received an average score of 75, which indicates "generally favorable reviews" based on 22 critics. Jim Fusilli of "The Wall Street Journal" complimented Jackson's vocals, as well as her efforts to craft a contemporary but familiar sound to add to her diverse catalog. He notes that she and her primary producers, Jam and Lewis, "explore a satisfying range of musical styles plucked from across the span of pop history" including funk, electronic dance music and soul. According to Jed Gottlieb of the "Boston Herald", "[u]nlike her peers, Jackson doesn't fear slow-burn R&B. This kind of quiet storm soul shows up again and again, on the big ballad 'Well Traveled' and the lead single 'No Sleeep'." Writing for "Entertainment Weekly", Kyle Anderson called the album "her most sonically diverse set since 1997's quirky, hypersexual "The Velvet Rope"" adding that "the most thrilling aspect of "Unbreakable" is her willingness to experiment." Jon Pareles of "The New York Times" commented that Jackson depicts a far more subdued persona in comparison to the explicit nature of her previous albums. He states that "[f]or most of 'Unbreakable,' she plays big sister—someone who's happily in love, willing to offer advice and wishing for a better world. It's a benign role but a modest one, reinforced by the music." "Newsday"'s Glenn Gamboa wrote that "Unbreakable" reflects her maturation, stating that after a tumultuous period in her career following the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy, "Jackson finally seems like herself again—actually an even wiser version of herself."


title: Unbreakable (Janet Jackson album)

text: In her review for "USA Today", Elysa Gardner wrote: "The young woman intent on liberating herself and the world is still socially and spiritually conscious, but she has evolved into a more settled, reflective artist ... With "Unbreakable", Jackson, already a proven survivor—of both her family's well-publicized struggles and decades of changing trends in pop music and culture—gives us no reason to doubt that people will keep watching, and listening." Mikael Wood of "Los Angeles Times" wrote that the album is a collection of "grand-scaled but meticulously detailed songs" that include a mix of balladry, R&B, rock and EDM. Wood comments that although "the music makes for delicious ear candy, Jackson isn't content to leave it at that. She also has messages to deliver[.]" Writing for "The Guardian", Alex Macpherson remarked: "Unbreakable’s highlights are low-key moments of reflection and nostalgia: the hypnotic sway of Promise, the languorous dread of Lessons Learned and After You Fall, a skeletal piano lullaby that seems composed for Jackson’s late brother Michael, and on which she once again demonstrates the emotional range of her voice." Rebecca Haithcoat of "Spin" rated "Unbreakable" 8/10, stating that "it proves Janet can still surprise us. Who would've ever envisioned her slipping on a pair of boots and cowboy-cut Wranglers to sing 'Lessons Learned,' a country-tinged ballad about co-dependency? Or that she and the boys would've gone full "Nashville" and let a steel guitar cry and a little twang curl the edges of her voice on 'Well Traveled' (and that the whole thing would work!)?" Andy Kellman of AllMusic gave the album 3.5/5 stars, complimenting Jackson's diversity of sound while referencing her own catalog and familial influences. He remarked: "No one but Jackson can directly reference previous triumphs, address her audience, and yet move forward quite like this."


title: Unbreakable (Janet Jackson album)

text: "Unbreakable" debuted at number one on the US "Billboard" 200 chart in the week ending October 8, 2015. The album sold 116,000 album-equivalent units in its first week, which included streaming and individual digital song sales. Of that sum, the album sold 109,000 in pure sales. This became Jackson's seventh number one album on that chart and also made her the third act to amass a number one album in each of the last four decades. The album also debuted at number one in the US Independent Albums Chart. In its second week, the album dropped to number eight on the chart, earning an additional 30,000 units, which represented a drop of 74 percent in album sales. Of that sum, 27,911 were in pure album sales. As of April 28, 2016, the album has sold 253,000 copies in the United States. In Canada the album also debuted at number one, with sales of 4,300 units. It became Jackson's second chart-topping album in Canada in the Soundscan era since "All for You" debuted atop the charts in 2001.


title: Unbreakable (Janet Jackson album)

text: In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number eleven on the UK Albums Chart, which represents her highest debut in that country since 2001 when "All for You" debuted at number two. Her previous albums had missed the top 20 with "Damita Jo" peaking at number 32, and "20 Y.O." and "Discipline" both debuting at number 63.


title: Howth

text: Howth ( ; ; ) is an affluent peninsular village and outer suburb of Dublin, Ireland. The district as a whole occupies the greater part of the peninsula of Howth Head, which forms the northern boundary of Dublin Bay, and includes the island of Ireland's Eye, which holds multiple natural protection designations.


title: Howth

text: Howth has been settled since prehistoric times, and features in Irish mythology. A fishing village and small trading port from at least the 14th century, Howth has grown to become a busy and affluent suburb of Dublin, with a mix of suburban residential development, wild hillside and heathland, golf courses, cliff and coastal paths, a small quarry and a busy commercial fishing port. The only neighbouring district on land is Sutton. Howth is also home to one of the oldest occupied buildings in Ireland, Howth Castle, and its estate.


title: Howth

text: Howth is located on the peninsula of Howth Head, which begins around east-north-east of Dublin's GPO, on the north side of Dublin Bay. The village itself is located just over by road from Dublin city centre (the ninth of a series of eighteenth-century milestones from the Dublin General Post Office (GPO) is in the village itself). The settlement spans much of the northern part of Howth Head, which was once an island but now is connected to the rest of Dublin via a narrow strip of land (a tombolo) at Sutton. Howth is located in the administrative county of Fingal, within the traditional County Dublin. The village is bounded by the sea and undeveloped land except along two roads, one rising towards the Summit, one running at sea level near the coast, towards Sutton Cross.


title: Howth

text: Howth is at the end of a regional road (R105) from Dublin. One branch of the DART suburban rail system has its physical terminus by the harbour, the other northern terminus being Malahide's station, which is actually on a through line for mainline rail towards Belfast. Under the bus route network for Dublin overseen by the National Transport Authority, Dublin Bus serves Howth with route H3, and the local route 290 which goes over the hill and through Sutton to Sutton DART station. For decades prior to 2021, Howth was served by the 31 series of routes. There was previously also a tram service.


title: Howth

text: Howth, in addition to its fishery harbour, hosts a substantial marina, and seasonal boat service to the uninhabited Ireland's Eye. Howth is also a waypoint for aircraft going into Dublin.


title: Howth

text: The Irish name for Howth is "Binn Éadair," meaning Éadar's Peak or Hill. In Old Irish, the name is recorded as Etar, which was first plundered by the Vikings around 819. One of the possible origins of the Irish name is from Étar, wife of one of the five Fir Bolg chieftains who is reported to have died at Howth.


title: Howth

text: The name "Howth" is thought to be of Norse origin, perhaps being derived from the Old Norse "Hǫfuð" ("head" in English). Norse vikings colonised the eastern shores of Ireland and built the settlement of Dyflinn (one of two settlements which became Dublin) as a strategic base between Scandinavia and the Mediterranean.


title: Howth

text: In ancient history Ptolemy's second-century map of Ireland shows Howth as an island named "Edri Deserta" (sometimes rendered as "Edros").


title: Howth

text: After Brian Ború, the High King of Ireland, defeated the Norse in 1014, many Norse fled to Howth to regroup and remained a force until their final defeat in Fingal in the middle of the 11th century. Howth still remained under the control of Irish and localised Norse forces until the invasion of Ireland by the Anglo-Normans in 1169.


title: Howth

text: Without the support of either the Irish or Scandinavian powers, Howth was isolated and fell to the Normans in 1177. One of the victorious Normans, Armoricus (or Almeric) Tristram, was granted much of the land between the village and Sutton. According to the historian Samuel Lewis:


title: Howth

text: In 1177, Sir Amorey Tristram and Sir John de Courcy landed here at the head of a large military force, and totally defeated the Danish inhabitants in a sanguinary battle at the bridge of Evora, over a mountain stream which falls into the sea near the Baily lighthouse. This victory secured to Sir Amorey the lordship of Howth, of which his descendants have continued in possession to the present day, under the name of St. Laurence, which Almaric, third baron, assumed in fulfilment of a vow previously to his victory over the Danes near Clontarf, in a battle fought on the festival of that saint. The territory of Howth was confirmed to Almaric de St. Laurence by King John...


title: Howth

text: Tristam built his first castle overlooking the harbour and the St. Lawrence link remained until 2019 (see Earl of Howth). The original title of Baron of Howth was granted to Almeric St. Lawrence by Henry II of England in 1181, for one Knight's fee.


title: Howth

text: Howth was a minor trading port from at least the 14th century, with both health and duty collection officials supervising from Dublin, although the harbour was not built until the early 19th century.


title: Howth

text: A popular tale concerns the clan leader and sometime pirate Gráinne O'Malley, who was rebuffed in 1576 while attempting a courtesy visit to Howth Castle, home of the Earl of Howth. In retaliation, she abducted the Earl's grandson and heir, and as ransom, she exacted a promise that unanticipated guests would never be turned away again. She also made the Earl promise that the gates of Deer Park (the Earl's demesne) would never be closed to the public again, and the gates are still open to this day, and an extra place is set for unexpected guests during formal dinners in the dining room.


title: Howth

text: In the early 19th century, Howth was chosen as the location for the harbour for the mail packet (postal service) ship. Construction began in 1807. One of the arguments used against Howth by the advocates of Dún Laoghaire was that coaches might be raided in "the badlands of Sutton" (at the time Sutton was open countryside). However, due to silting, the harbour needed frequent dredging to accommodate the packet and the service was relocated to Dún Laoghaire in 1809, after £350,000 had been spent on Howth. English King George IV visited the harbour in August 1821, which is remembered today by an imprint of his shoes (see left picture) carved by a local stonemason on the West Pier.


title: Howth

text: Irish poet and writer William Butler Yeats was a resident of Howth in the 19th century. There is a blue plaque dedicated to Yeats at Balscadden House on Balscadden Road which was his cottage home from 1880-83. The plaque contains the couplet “I have spread my dreams under your feet/ Tread softly because you tread on my dreams” from his poem 'Aedh Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven' (1899). Howth would feature in Yeats writings. The first time is the 1893 essay 'Village Ghosts' recounting the paranormal folklore of the village and the second is in the poem 'Beautiful Lofty Things' (1938); "Maud Gonne at Howth station waiting a train".


title: Howth

text: On 26 July 1914, 900 rifles were landed at Howth by Erskine Childers for the Irish Volunteers. Many were used against the British in the Easter Rising and in the subsequent Anglo-Irish War. Among the members of the Howth branches of the Irish Volunteers and Cumann na mBan who participated in this event were the well-known writers Padraic Colum and Mary Colum. Members of both the Howth Volunteers and Baldoyle section of the Irish Citizen Army participated in the Easter Rising in Dublin city and in Fingal. A strong local branch of Sinn Féin developed in the area and there was considerable local involvement in both the Irish War of Independence and Irish Civil War.


title: Howth

text: The harbour was radically rebuilt by the Office of Public Works in the late 20th century (a documentary was done on the much-delayed project in 1986), with distinct fishing and leisure areas formed, and the installation of a modern ice-making facility. A new lifeboat house was later constructed, and Howth is today home to units of both the RNLI (lifeboat service) and the Irish Coastguard.


title: Howth

text: In 2019, Howth Castle and its demesne, including Ireland’s Eye, were sold to Tetrarch Investment group, with an element of the site close to the demesne gate immediately sold on again for development, to Glenveagh Properties.


title: Howth

text: Howth Head is one of the dominant features of Dublin Bay, with a number of peaks, the highest of which is Black Linn. In one area, near Shielmartin, there is a small peat bog, the "Bog of the Frogs". The wilder parts of Howth can be accessed by a network of paths (many are rights of way) and much of the centre and east is protected as part of a Special Area of Conservation of , as well as by a Special Amenity Area Order.


title: Howth

text: The peninsula has a number of small, fast-running streams, three of which run through the village, with more, including the Bloody Stream, in the adjacent Howth Demesne. The streams passing through the village are, from east to west, Coulcour Brook (falling to Balscadden Bay), Gray's Brook or the Boggeen Stream (falling to the eastern end of the harbour), and Offington Stream (passing under Findlater's to the western side of the harbour). Other streams are met along the cliff walks, including the Whitewater Brook, with a tributary in a sunken area of plants and ponds, and then the Balsaggart Stream.


title: Howth

text: The island of Ireland's Eye, part of the Special Area of Conservation, lies about a kilometre north of Howth harbour, with Lambay Island some 5 km further to the north. A Martello tower exists on each of these islands with another tower overlooking Howth harbour (opened as a visitor centre and Ye Olde Hurdy Gurdy Museum of Vintage Radio on 8 June 2001) and another tower at Red Rock, Sutton. These are part of a series of towers built around the coast of Ireland during the 19th century.


title: Howth

text: More than half of Howth Head, and of the Howth area, totalling around 1,500 acres, is subject to a Special Amenity Area Order, a provision of Irish law designed to protect areas of natural beauty or biodiversity. Prepared by the local authority, after a consultative process under a community environmental process known as SEMPA, and formally proposed by Brendan Howlin as a minister, the order was developed in cooperation with a unit of Trinity College Dublin. It was made in 1999, confirmed in 2000, and is subject to 5-yearly reviews, the most recent having been conducted in 2015. At the time of its making the majority of the lands covered formed part of the Howth Estate, with the other significant landowners being developers Treasury Holdings (85 hectares) and Gerry Gannon (33 hectares), and Howth Golf Club (48 hectares). The Council stated that the order was needed to protect the environment of the designated area by restricting development there, while recognising the need "to encourage tourism-related developments in the remainder of Howth".


title: Howth

text: The SAAO area runs from the vicinity of Bottle Quay northeast to Muck Rock, east to the reservoir at Balkill, east and south around the Loughoreen Hills and Black Linn, then to the Summit, turning north along the line of the Coulcour Brook, then taking in a narrow part of Howth village, including the Martello Tower and East Pier, and Ireland's Eye. It also covers a network of over 20 km of designated footpaths and rights of way, and it was stated that "all existing scenic views and prospects from the entire length of public footpaths and roads in the area are to be protected".


title: Howth

text: Fingal County Council explained the need for the order, noting that between the 1940s and the present day "Howth has been transformed from a rural area to a suburban extension of Dublin city" and that its natural or "semi-natural" areas had shrunk from over 70% to around 40% of land area, while highly developed areas had risen from 14% to 30%.


title: Howth

text: As a semi-isolated area, Howth's flora and fauna have been studied in some detail, and a "Flora of Howth", for example, was issued in 1887.


title: Howth

text: Howth Castle, and its estate, at least part of which is known as Deer Park, are key features of the area. Corr Castle also previously formed part of the estate.


title: Howth

text: On the grounds of Howth Castle lies a collapsed megalithic dolmen (portal tomb), known locally as Aideen's Grave.


title: Howth

text: At the southeast corner of Howth Head, in the area known as Bail(e)y (historically, the Green Bayley) is the automated Baily Lighthouse, successor to previous aids to navigation, at least as far back as the late 17th century. This is the subject of a picture, "Howth Lighthouse, from the Needles", by George Petrie, which appears in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1835, with an attached poetical illustration by Letitia Elizabeth Landon. At the end of the East Pier of Howth Harbour are the Howth Harbour Lighthouse, built in the 19th century and no longer in service, and the pole-mounted light which replaced it.


title: Howth

text: In Howth village are St. Mary's Church and its graveyard, overlooking the harbour. The earliest church on this site was built by Sitric, King of Dublin, in 1042. It was replaced around 1235 by a parish church, when that function was moved from the church on Ireland's Eye, and then, in the second, half of the 14th century, the present church was built. The building was modified in the 15th and 16th centuries, when the gables were raised, a bell-cote was built and a new porch and south door were added. The St. Lawrence family, of nearby Howth Castle, also modified the east end to act as a private chapel; inside is the tomb of Christopher St Lawrence, 2nd Baron Howth, who died in 1462, and his wife, Anna Plunkett of Ratoath.


title: Howth

text: Also of historic interest is a building known as "The College" or "The Old College", on Abbey Street which was primarily constructed in the late 15th or early 16th century but also with earlier medieval elements.


title: Howth

text: Drumleck Castle on a promontory in the Censure area of Howth was formerly on the Record of Protected Structures but removed as there were no structural elements remaining above ground to warrant retention. Alternative protection remains under the National Monuments Acts 1930-2004, as a Record Monument RMP Ref No. DU019-007.


title: Howth

text: Howth remains an active centre of the fishing industry, one of Ireland's "tier 2" fishing ports, with some processing performed in the fishing harbour area, and some boat maintenance. There is a State Fisheries Centre, including an ice-making plant, and a dry dock.


title: Howth

text: The area is active commercially, with a range of retail and leisure outlets, including multiple restaurants and a post office, although the nearest supermarket is at Sutton Cross and the nearest filling station in Bayside. Howth forms part of the area of the Howth Sutton Baldoyle Chamber of Commerce.


title: Howth

text: Howth, having once held at least seven hotels, five still as of 1990, saw the last, the Deer Park Hotel, on the Howth Estate, close in April 2014, although the premises continued to trade as a bar, and base for the Deer Park golf courses and a 'FootGolf' course. The area has multiple bed-and-breakfast establishments, and Airbnb hosts. The nearest operational hotel, The Marine Hotel (formerly the Golfers Hotel and the Strand Hotel), is located at Sutton Cross, approximately 2.5 km from Howth harbour. Other hotels that have closed include The Howth Lodge Hotel (formerly the Claremont Hotel), The Baily Court Hotel (formerly The Royal Hotel), The Saint Lawrence Hotel, Sutton Castle Hotel (part of its grounds were located in a remote part of Howth), the Waverley Hotel on Kitestown Road (burned down in the 1960s) and the Asgard Hotel (formerly The Dalriada Hotel) on Balscadden Bay. The Asgard hotel was famously owned by Phil Lynott and operated by his mother Philomena Lynott when it burned down in 1982, later being replaced by apartments.


title: Howth

text: Large numbers of tourists visit Howth annually in order to avail of the views from the summit, to walk the piers, and to taste locally sourced seafood.


title: Howth

text: Howth is a common area for birdwatching and sailing, and is also popular with anglers. Fish like cod and ray can be caught from Howth's rocky shore marks. Sea mammals, such as seals, are common sights in and near the harbour. It used to be popular to feed the seals but authorities banned the practice for a variety of reasons. Birds seen regularly include razorbill, guillemot, fulmar, kittiwake, cormorant, stonechat, linnet, whitethroat, yellowhammer, skylark, wheatear, swallow, house martin, peregrine, buzzard and kestrel.


title: Howth

text: Howth is also a destination for cyclists, joggers and hill-walkers alike, particularly on weekends. One attraction is the six-kilometre long Cliff Path Loop. The loop walk takes about two hours to complete, is rated with an easy to moderate difficulty, and begins and ends at the Howth DART [Railway] Station. Another common walk is the original Cliff Walk to Red Rock in Sutton.


title: Howth

text: Howth was within County Dublin from the introduction of the shire structure by the Normans, and within North Dublin rural district from its creation under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898. In 1918 Howth became a separate urban district with the consent of the Local Government Board for Ireland and despite the opposition of North Dublin rural district council. In 1942, it was transferred to Dublin county borough, with Dublin Corporation superseding the urban district council. In 1985, it was removed from the city and reassigned to the county. In 1994, it was in the area that became Fingal, the successor north of the River Liffey to County Dublin. At the 2019 Irish local elections, the Howth–Malahide local electoral area elected 7 councillors to Fingal County Council.


title: Howth

text: Howth is in the Dublin Bay North Dáil constituency and the Dublin constituency for European elections.


title: Howth

text: Howth has been a filming location for movies such as "The Last of the High Kings", "Boy Eats Girl", "Love, Rosie" and "Sing Street".


title: Devaluation

text: In macroeconomics and modern monetary policy, a devaluation is an official lowering of the value of a country's currency within a fixed exchange-rate system, in which a monetary authority formally sets a lower exchange rate of the national currency in relation to a foreign reference currency or currency basket. The opposite of devaluation, a change in the exchange rate making the domestic currency more expensive, is called a "revaluation". A monetary authority (e.g., a central bank) maintains a fixed value of its currency by being ready to buy or sell foreign currency with the domestic currency at a stated rate; a devaluation is an indication that the monetary authority will buy and sell foreign currency at a lower rate.


title: Devaluation

text: However, under a floating exchange rate system (in which exchange rates are determined by market forces acting on the foreign exchange market, and not by government or central bank policy actions), a decrease in a currency's value relative to other major currency benchmarks is instead called "depreciation"; likewise, an increase in the currency's value is called "appreciation".


title: Devaluation

text: Related but distinct concepts include "inflation", which is a market-determined decline in the value of the currency in terms of goods and services (related to its purchasing power). Altering the face value of a currency without reducing its exchange rate is a redenomination, not a devaluation or revaluation.


title: Devaluation

text: Devaluation is most often used in a situation where a currency has a defined value relative to the baseline. Historically, early currencies were typically coins, struck from gold or silver by an issuing authority, which certified the weight and purity of the precious metal. A government in need of money and short on precious metals might decrease the weight or purity of the coins without any announcement, or else decree that the new coins have equal value to the old, thus devaluing the currency. Later, with the issuing of paper currency as opposed to coins, governments decreed them to be redeemable for gold or silver (a gold standard). Again, a government short on gold or silver might devalue by decreeing a reduction in the currency's redemption value, reducing the value of everyone's holdings.


title: Devaluation

text: Fixed exchange rates are usually maintained by a combination of legally enforced capital controls and the central bank standing ready to purchase or sell domestic currency in exchange for foreign currency. Under fixed exchange rates, persistent capital outflows or trade deficits will involve the central bank using its foreign exchange reserves to buy domestic currency, to prop up demand for the domestic currency and thus to prop up its value. However, this activity is limited by the amount of foreign currency reserves the central bank owns; the prospect of running out of these reserves and having to abandon this process may lead a central bank to devalue its currency in order to stop the foreign currency outflows.


title: Devaluation

text: In an open market, the perception that a devaluation is imminent may lead speculators to sell the currency in exchange for the country's foreign reserves, increasing pressure on the issuing country to make an actual devaluation. When speculators buy out all of the foreign reserves, a balance of payments crisis occurs. Economists Paul Krugman and Maurice Obstfeld present a theoretical model in which they state that the balance of payments crisis occurs when the real exchange rate (exchange rate adjusted for relative price differences between countries) is equal to the nominal exchange rate (the stated rate). In practice, the onset of crisis has typically occurred after the real exchange rate has depreciated below the nominal rate. The reason for this is that speculators do not have perfect information; they sometimes find out that a country is low on foreign reserves well after the real exchange rate has fallen. In these circumstances, the currency value will fall very far very rapidly. This is what occurred during the 1994 economic crisis in Mexico.


title: Devaluation

text: There are significant economic consequences for the country that devalues its currency to address its economic problems. A devaluation in the exchange rate lowers the value of the domestic currency in relation to all other countries, most significantly with its major trading partners. It can assist the domestic economy by making exports less expensive, enabling exporters to more easily compete in the foreign markets. It also makes imports more expensive, providing a disincentive for domestic consumers to purchase imported goods, leading to lower levels of imports (which can benefit domestic producers), but which reduces the real income of consumers. Devaluation tends to improve a country's balance of trade (exports minus imports) by improving the competitiveness of domestic goods in foreign markets while making foreign goods less competitive in the domestic market by becoming more expensive. The combined effect will be to reduce or eliminate the previous net outflow of foreign currency reserves from the central bank, so if the devaluation has been to a great enough extent the new exchange rate will be maintainable without foreign currency reserves being depleted any further. However, the devaluation increases the prices of imported goods in the domestic economy, thereby fueling inflation. This, in turn, increases the costs in the domestic economy, including demands for wage increases, all of which eventually flow into exported goods. These dilute the initial economic boost from the devaluation itself. Also, to combat inflation, the central bank would increase interest rates, hitting economic growth. A devaluation could also result in an outflow of capital and economic instability. In addition, a domestic devaluation merely shifts the economic problem to the country's major trading partners, which may take counter-measures to offset the impact on their economy arising out of a loss of trade income arising from the initial devaluation.


title: Devaluation

text: At the outbreak of World War II, in order to stabilise sterling, the pound sterling was pegged to the United States dollar at the rate of $4.03 with exchange controls restricting convertibility volumes. This rate was confirmed by the Bretton Woods agreements of 1944.


title: Devaluation

text: After the war, US Lend-Lease funding, which had helped finance the UK's high level of wartime expenditure, abruptly ended and the Anglo-American loan was conditional upon progress towards sterling becoming fully convertible into US dollars, thereby aiding US trade. In July 1947, sterling became convertible but the resultant drain on the UK's foreign exchange reserves of US dollars was such that 7 weeks later, convertibility was suspended, rationing tightened and expenditure cuts made. The exchange rate reverted to its pre-convertibility level, a devaluation being avoided by the new Chancellor of the Exchequer, Stafford Cripps, choking off consumption by increasing taxes in 1947.


title: Devaluation

text: By 1949, in part due to a dock strike, the pressure on UK reserves supporting the fixed exchange rate mounted again at a time when Cripps was seriously ill and recuperating in Switzerland. Prime Minister Clement Attlee delegated a decision on how to respond to three young ministers whose jobs included economic portfolios, namely Hugh Gaitskell, Harold Wilson and Douglas Jay, who collectively recommended devaluation. Wilson was despatched with a letter from Attlee to tell Cripps of their decision, expecting that the Chancellor would object, which he did not. On 18 September 1949, the exchange rate was reduced from $4.03 to $2.80 and a series of supporting public expenditure cuts imposed soon afterwards.


title: Devaluation

text: When the Labour Government of Prime Minister Harold Wilson came to power in 1964, the new administration inherited an economy in a more precarious state than expected with the estimated balance of payments deficit for the year amounting to £800 million, twice as high as Wilson had predicted during the election campaign. Wilson was opposed to devaluation, in part due to the bad memories of the 1949 devaluation and its negative impact on the Attlee government, but also due to the fact that he had repeatedly asserted that Labour was not the party of devaluation. Devaluation was avoided by a combination of tariffs and raising $3bn from foreign central banks.


title: Devaluation

text: By 1966, pressure on sterling was intensifying, due in part to the seamen's strike, and the case for devaluation being articulated in the higher echelons of government, not least by the deputy prime minister George Brown. Wilson resisted and eventually pushed through a series of deflationary measures in lieu of devaluation including a 6 month wage freeze.


title: Devaluation

text: After a brief period in which the deflationary measures relieved sterling, pressure mounted again in 1967 as a consequence of the Six-Day War, the Arab oil embargo and a dock strike. After failing to secure a bail-out from the Americans or the French, a devaluation from US$2.80 to US$2.40 took effect on 18 November 1967. In a broadcast to the nation the following day, Wilson said, "Devaluation does not mean that the value of the pound in the pocket in the hands of the … British housewife … is cut correspondingly. It does not mean that the pound in the pocket is worth 14% less to us now than it was." This wording is often misquoted as "the pound in your pocket has not been devalued." Nevertheless the devaluation forced James Callaghan to resign as Chancellor of the Exchequer, making way for Roy Jenkins.


title: Devaluation

text: The People's Bank of China devalued the renminbi twice within two days by 1.9% and 1% in July 2015 in response to slowing economic growth, leading to the 2015–2016 Chinese stock market turbulence. Although the devaluation was welcomed by the International Monetary Fund, it led the United States Department of the Treasury to label China as a currency manipulator in 2019. On 5 August 2019, China devalued its currency in response to the imposition of trade tariffs by the United States against China.


title: Devaluation

text: Mexico devalued the Mexican peso against the U.S. Dollar in 1994 in preparation for the North American Free Trade Agreement, leading to the Mexican peso crisis.


title: Jasmine Sanders

text: Sanders was born in 1991 in Frankenthal, Germany to a German mother and African-American father; she was raised in Columbia, South Carolina.


title: Jasmine Sanders

text: Sanders started her career as a teenager, modeling for Seventeen, Free People, Nike, and ALDO shoes. She made a shift towards high fashion work by walking the runway for Miu Miu's S/S 2016 show. She has also appeared in runway shows for designers including Moschino, Ralph Lauren, DKNY, Jeremy Scott, Julien MacDonald, and Philip Plein.


title: Jasmine Sanders

text: Sanders has appeared in editorials for American "Vogue, Vogue" Italia, British "Vogue", "Vogue" Russia, "Vogue" Arabia, "LOVE, Allure, CR Fashion Book", "Esquire, Glamour, GQ, Interview" and "W." Sanders has appeared on numerous magazine covers, including the November 2018 cover of the Turkish edition of "Elle Magazine, Harper's Bazaar" Kazakhstan, "Harper's Bazaar" Mexico, "InStyle" Russia, "L'Officiel" Switzerland, "Lui Magazine", "Ocean Drive", "Treats!", "Wonderland" Magazine, and "Maxim" in late 2019. She has had advertising campaigns for Bvlgari, Roberto Cavalli, MCM, Ralph Lauren, Ugg, Gap, Victoria's Secret PINK, and American Eagle. Sanders has worked with photographers like Steven Klein, Inez & Vinoodh, Cass Bird, Patrick Demarchelier, Glen Luchford, Alasdair McLellan, Ezra Petronio, Sølve Sundsbø, Ellen von Unwerth, and Gilles Bensimon.


title: Jasmine Sanders

text: Sanders is a muse of makeup artist Pat McGrath. In 2017, Sanders became a spokesmodel for Reebok, and designed her own sneaker which launched in December 2017.


title: Jasmine Sanders

text: Models.com ranks her as one of the "Sexiest Models". Sanders appeared in the 2019 edition of the "Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue", and was named Rookie of the Year. She appeared on the cover of the 2020 issue alongside Kate Bock and Olivia Culpo.


title: Jasmine Sanders

text: Sanders has appeared on NBC's "Extra" as a special correspondent, as a guest judge on "America's Next Top Model" and "American Beauty Star", and a contestant on VH1's "Hip-Hop Squares". In 2015, Sanders appeared on an episode of MTV's "" when a woman was using her images under the name "Trinity".


title: Jasmine Sanders

text: From 2016 to 2018, she was in a relationship with actor Terrence J. Sanders married a personal trainer, Anthony Rhoades in April 2021. The couple honeymooned in St. Lucia, with Anthony sporting a black wedding band and Jasmine wearing a gold Cartier band. They are currently separated as of July 2022


title: Nagasaki Prefecture

text: Nagasaki is the capital and largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture, with other major cities including Sasebo, Isahaya, and Ōmura. Nagasaki Prefecture is located in western Kyūshū with a territory consisting of many mainland peninsulas centered around Ōmura Bay, as well as islands and archipelagos including Tsushima and Iki in the Korea Strait and the Gotō Islands in the East China Sea. Nagasaki Prefecture is known for its century-long trading history with the Europeans and as the sole place of direct trade and exchange between Japan and the outside world during the "Sakoku" period. Nagasaki Prefecture is home to several of the Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region which have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.


title: Nagasaki Prefecture

text: Nagasaki Prefecture was created by merging of the western half of the former province of Hizen with the island provinces of Tsushima and Iki. Facing China and Korea, the region around Hirado was a traditional center for traders and pirates.


title: Nagasaki Prefecture

text: During the 16th century, Catholic missionaries and traders from Portugal arrived and became active in Hirado and Nagasaki, which became a major center for foreign trade. After being given free rein in Oda Nobunaga's period, the missionaries were forced out little by little, until finally, in the Tokugawa era, Christianity was banned under the "Sakoku" national isolation policy: Japanese foreign trade was restricted to Chinese and Dutch traders based at Dejima in Nagasaki. However, "Kirishitan" (Japanese Christian) worship continued underground. These "Kakure Kirishitan" (hidden Christians) were tried at every step, forced to step on "fumi-e" ("trample pictures", images of the Virgin Mary and saints) to prove that they were non-Christian. With the banishment of all Catholic missionaries, traders from Catholic countries were also forced out of the country. Along with them, their children, half Japanese and half European, were forced to leave. The majority was sent to Jagatara (Jakarta) and are still remembered by the locals as the people who wrote the poignant letters which were smuggled across the sea to their homeland.


title: Nagasaki Prefecture

text: Today, Nagasaki has prominent Catholic churches, and the Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region, have been included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.


title: Nagasaki Prefecture

text: During the Meiji Restoration, Nagasaki and Sasebo became major ports for foreign trade, and eventually major military bases and shipbuilding centers for the Imperial Japanese Navy and the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries up to World War II. On August 9, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki, which destroyed all buildings in a radius from the point of impact and extensively damaged other parts of the city. Roughly 39,000 people were killed, including 27,778 Japanese munitions workers, 2,000 Korean forced workers, and 150 Japanese soldiers. About 68-80% of the industrial production was destroyed to the point it would not recover for months or at least a year.


title: Nagasaki Prefecture

text: Nagasaki Prefecture contains many areas prone to heavy rain and landslide damage. In July 1957, mainly in the Isahaya area, damage from heavy rains, flooding and landslides lead to a death toll of 586, with 136 people missing and 3,860 injured. In July 1982, typhoon damage in the Nagasaki area lead to 299 fatalities, according to a report by the Japanese government.


title: Nagasaki Prefecture

text: Nagasaki borders Saga Prefecture on the east, and is otherwise surrounded by water, including Ariake Bay, the Tsushima Straits (far from Busan and South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea), and the East China Sea. It also includes a large number of islands such as Tsushima, Iki and Goto. Most of the prefecture is near the coast and there are a number of ports such as Nagasaki and a United States Navy base at Sasebo.


title: Nagasaki Prefecture

text: As of 1 April 2014, 18% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely the Saikai and Unzen-Amakusa National Parks; Genkai and Iki-Tsushima Quasi-National Parks; and Hokushō, Nishi Sonogi Hantō, Nomo Hantō, Ōmurawan, Shimabara Hantō, and Taradake Prefectural Natural Parks.


title: Nagasaki Prefecture

text: Nagasaki is the most Christianized area in Japan with Roman Catholic missions having been established there as early as the 16th century. Shusaku Endo's novel "Silence" draws from the oral history of the local Christian (Kirishitan) communities, both Kakure Kirishitan and Hanare Kirishitan.


title: Nagasaki Prefecture

text: As of 2002, there are 68,617 Catholics in Nagasaki Prefecture, accounting for 4.52 percent of the population of the prefecture.


title: Nagasaki Prefecture

text: The Nagasaki Saints of the former Shikoku-Kyūshū Island League made Nagasaki Prefecture their home prior to their dissolving.


title: Nagasaki Prefecture

text: The current governor of Nagasaki is former vice-governor Hōdō Nakamura. First elected in 2010 to succeed Genjirō Kaneko, he was reelected for a second term in 2014.


title: Nagasaki Prefecture

text: The prefectural assembly of Nagasaki has a regular membership of 46, elected in 16 electoral districts in unified regional elections (last round: 2011). As of April 2014, the LDP-led caucus has 23 members, the DPJ-SDP-led caucus 17.


title: Nagasaki Prefecture

text: In the National Diet, Nagasaki is represented by four directly elected members of the House of Representatives and two (one per ordinary election) of the House of Councillors. After the most recent national elections of 2010, 2012 and 2013, Nagasaki sends an all-LDP delegation to the Diet (excluding members who lost election in Nagasaki districts, but were elected to the proportional representation segment of the House of Representatives in the Kyūshū block).


title: Unlawful killing

text: In English law, unlawful killing is a verdict that can be returned by an inquest in England and Wales when someone has been killed by one or more unknown persons. The verdict means that the killing was done without lawful excuse and in breach of criminal law. This includes murder, manslaughter, infanticide and causing death by dangerous driving. A verdict of unlawful killing generally leads to a police investigation, with the aim of gathering sufficient evidence to identify, charge and prosecute those responsible.


title: Unlawful killing

text: The inquest does not normally name any individual person as responsible. In "R (on the application of Maughan) v Her Majesty's Senior Coroner for Oxfordshire" the Supreme Court clarified that the standard of proof for suicide and unlawful killing in an inquest is the civil standard of the balance of probabilities and not the criminal standard of beyond reasonable doubt.


title: Juno Birch

text: Juno Birch (born 25 December 1993) is an English drag queen, sculptor, and YouTuber. She began performing in drag professionally in late 2018 and has since received significant media attention for her work.


title: Juno Birch

text: Birch is known for her YouTube channel and for her unique drag aesthetic, which features pastel "alien skin" (typically blue or pink), yellow hair, dishwashing gloves, and retro sunglasses. In 2020, "GQ" called her "one of the country's most interesting drag queens".