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They were putting on the loud speaker there was a life threatening emergency on the second floor," said witness Devin Cruz, who was inside at the time.

 "For someone to walk into a hospital where healing is being done, people's lives are being saved...and take a life..or try to take a life...that's scary," witness James Pitelli said.

 BOSTON ( MyFoxBoston.com ) -- The doctor who was shot Tuesday morning at Brigham and Women's Hospital died Tuesday evening after succumbing to his injuries.Dr. Michael J. Davidson, 44 of Wellesley, was the director of endovascular cardiac surgery, and an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. Davidson leaves behind a wife and three children.Davidson was shot twice Tuesday morning, and was in surgery Tuesday evening, but later died as a result of the gunshot wounds he suffered.Brigham and Women's Hospital released a statement about Davidson's death."Dr. Davidson was a wonderful and inspiring cardiac surgeon who devoted his career to saving lives and improving the quality of life of every patient he cared for," the statement read in part. "It is truly devastating that his own life was taken in this horrible manner. At this time, Dr. Davidson's family has requested privacy, and we ask for your support in honoring their request during this very difficult time."Mayor Marty Walsh released a statement early Wednesday morning, calling the tragedy a "senseless act of violence" that has no place in Boston. "My thoughts and prayers are with his family and his colleagues at Brigham and Women's Hospital during this difficult time," Mayor Walsh's statement read.Boston police identified the shooter as 55-year-old Stephen Pasceri of Millbury.Millbury Police Lt. Donald Desorcy helped the Boston Police Department notify Pasceri's family."They say they were shocked, nothing they anticipated," Desorcy said. "We've had no issues at all with the family themselves." Pasceri was a husband, a father, and very involved in both his community and church.In a press conference, the Boston Police Department said Pasceri was found dead in an examination room with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Three shots had been fired altogether.The incident happened just after 11 a.m. in the Shapiro Cardiovascular Center.The hospital was briefly placed on lockdown. Police came and ordered people out of the building."All of a sudden they had their guns drawn and they were saying hurry, hit the floor, down, stay down, stay low," witness Kathy Pitelli said."[The shooter] came into the hospital asking for this particular doctor," Boston Police Commissioner William Evans said. "We don't know why. That's something we're looking into."Pasceri reportedly fired two shots at Davidson and then turned the gun on himself.Multiple sources told FOX 25 that Pasceri's mother recently died, and Davidson had treated her. ||||| Brigham and Women’s Hospital lowered its flag on Wednesday, one day after the shooting death of Dr. Michael Davidson.

 Shortly after 11 a.m. Tuesday, a man walked into Brigham and Women’s Hospital, asked to speak with Dr. Michael J. Davidson, and, when the cardiovascular surgeon stepped into an exam room to speak, fired two shots.

 Twelve hours later, police and hospital administrators announced that Davidson, a father of three whose wife is a plastic surgeon, had died after he was rushed to the emergency room and underwent surgery.

 A preliminary investigation suggested his assailant, identified as Stephen Pasceri, 55, of Millbury, “had some issue” with prior medical treatment of his mother at the hospital, said Superintendent Robert Merner, head of the Bureau of Investigative Services. Marguerite E. Pasceri died Nov. 15.

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 “There was a particular reason he targeted this doctor,” Police Commissioner William B. Evans said.

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 Loud voices boomed from inside the exam room before the gun went off. A law enforcement official briefed on the incident said Pasceri fired two shots from a .40-caliber pistol, striking the doctor. Police found a gun near Pasceri’s body that they believe he used in the shooting.

 A loudspeaker warned patients and staff of an emergency. Police conducting a room-to-room search soon found the shooter in the exam room, dead from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot.

 “Dr. Davidson was a wonderful and inspiring bright light and an outstanding cardiac surgeon who devoted his career to saving lives and improving the quality of life of every patient he cared for,” Dr. Elizabeth Nabel, the hospital’s president, wrote in a late-night letter to staff members. “It is truly devastating that his own life was taken in this horrible manner.”

 Davidson, 44, of Wellesley, has been a cardiovascular surgeon at the Brigham since 2006, and an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. He graduated from Yale University School of Medicine in 1996 and did postgraduate training at Duke University Medical Center and the Brigham.

 LinkedIn (left); Telegram & Gazette A preliminary investigation suggested Dr. Michael Davidson’s assailant, Stephen Pasceri (right), “had some issue” with prior medical treatment of his mother.

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 In her letter to the Brigham staff, Nabel described the doctor’s passion for running — he celebrated his 40th birthday by tackling the Boston Marathon — and for medicine. He was part of a team that performed a landmark heart-valve procedure and helped establish what Nabel described as one of the most advanced operating rooms in the nation.

 A 2001 edition of a Duke alumni magazine, under the headline “The Perfect Match,” shows a photo of Davidson kissing his future wife, Terri Halperin.

 George Corbett, 61, a neighbor of Davidson’s, described him as “a very friendly man. When he [is] walking in the neighborhood, he would always say hello and he was always walking with one of his kids.”

 Pasceri, the shooter, lived in a two-story Colonial-style house in Millbury with his wife, Teresa. He worked for a Milford company, the Waters Corp., which makes specialized laboratory equipment, according to company spokesman Jeff Tarmy, who did not know how long Pasceri worked there.

 Millbury police Lieutenant Donald Desorcy said Pasceri was properly licensed to possess a firearm. “They are a very good family,” Desorcy said. “Never any problems, as far as we are concerned.”

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 David Cofske, a neighbor, said the Pasceris raised four children next door and described Stephen Pasceri as “a calm, pleasant type of guy” who went camping with his family.

 “It’s just such a shock,” Cofske said.

 One neighbor said Pasceri was known in the neighborhood as “the church guy,” because he would regularly knock on doors to raise money for the Millbury Federated Church.

 The Pasceri family issued a statement Tuesday night that said “our hearts go out to Dr. Davidson, his family, and friends. We are praying for them. . . . No words can truly express how heartbroken we are by this tragedy.”

 When the shooting was reported at 11:04 a.m., a police officer on paid detail at the hospital was quickly joined by other officers and the hospital’s security force on the second floor of the Carl J. and Ruth Shapiro Cardiovascular Center, located across Francis Street from the hospital’s main entrance.

 Witnesses said patients, staff, and visitors were trapped inside the building for about 45 minutes, some barricaded in exam rooms. Surrounding roads were cordoned off, and the MBTA briefly canceled service to the area.

 “I want to thank the Boston Police Department for doing an extraordinary job of responding rapidly, being on the site, and taking control of the site in a very rapid manner,” said Nabel, the hospital president, adding, “I am extremely proud of the way our staff responded.”

 Dina Rudick/Globe Staff Pasceri’s house in Millbury.

 Meagan P. Mceachron, of Saratoga, N.Y., was on the second floor of the Shapiro Building, where her boyfriend underwent cardiac surgery Tuesday. About two minutes after she learned the surgery was done, she said, a loudspeaker announcement ordered the evacuation of the second floor. About the same time, she said, police officers rushed into the room, guns drawn, shouting at people to “Get down!” or “Get back!”

 People started screaming and running, panic stricken, to the glass-enclosed walkway that connects the Shapiro to other hospital buildings, she said.

 Irene Stefanidis was at the Shapiro with her father, whom she had brought there for testing. While they were inside a first-floor exam room, the loudspeaker crackled with the news that a life-threatening emergency was taking place on the second floor, and that everyone should go into a room and lock the door. Father and daughter huddled in the exam room for about 45 minutes until a second announcement told them to unlock the door and leave.

 The Brigham does not have metal detectors at its entrances, according to spokeswoman Erin McDonough, who added that she believed no hospital in Boston has them.

 Hospital shootings are so rare that they are sometimes compared to lightning strikes. A 2012 study of news reports by the Johns Hopkins Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response identified 154 shootings from 2000 through 2011, with 235 injured or dead. The most common victim was the shooter, 45 percent, and physicians and nurses were rarely victims, the study found.

 But because these incidents are so serious, hospitals in Boston have prepared for them. The Conference of Boston Teaching Hospitals produced a training video filmed at Boston Medical Center; all its members have response plans in place, said John Erwin, executive director. The video depicts a fictional scenario in which a man enraged by his mother’s death during an operation barges into the hospital with a gun.

 Dr. Ron M. Walls, the Brigham’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, said the Brigham was one of the first hospitals in the country to train staff on how to respond to an “active shooter” situation, working with the Boston police.

 The result, Evans said, was “a great response.”

 The Brigham also worked with Boston police to make its own training video. The video instructs staff to assess whether it makes most sense to run, hide (barricading doors with hospital beds), or fight (disabling the attacker with a chair or fire extinguisher).

 It ends with the words “Be aware and be prepared,” superimposed on a photo of the Shapiro Center.

 Related coverage

 Evan Allen

 John R. Ellement,

 Martin Finucane

 , and Kay Lazar of the Globe staff and Globe correspondent Zolan Kanno-Youngs contributed to this report. Felice J. Freyer can be reached at felice.freyer@globe.com |||||

– The Brigham and Women's Hospital cardiovascular surgeon shot twice yesterday by a lone gunman who police believe was upset by his mother's death has succumbed to his injuries, reports the Boston Globe. Dr. Michael Davidson died late yesterday, roughly 12 hours after police say 55-year-old Stephen Pasceri walked into the Boston hospital, asked to see Davidson, and shot the 44-year-old in an exam room. Pasceri, who was found dead of a gunshot wound believed to be self-inflicted, "had some issue" with the treatment of his mother, says the head of the Bureau of Investigative Services. Pasceri's mom, Marguerite Pasceri, died in mid-November. "There was a particular reason he targeted this doctor," says Boston's police commissioner. Pasceri owned the weapon legally, and the dad of four was mostly known in his Millbury neighborhood for raising money for his church. "They are a very good family," says a Millbury cop, who tells WFXT that "they were shocked, [this was] nothing they anticipated." His family issued a statement last night, saying, "Our hearts go out to Dr. Davidson, his family, and friends. We are praying for them. ... No words can truly express how heartbroken we are by this tragedy." Davidson is survived by his three kids and wife, who is a plastic surgeon. He was hailed as "a wonderful and inspiring bright light and an outstanding cardiac surgeon" by the Brigham and Women's Hospital president last night. The hospital, like many, does not have metal detectors; the Globe notes that hospital shootings are rare enough to be compared to lightning strikes.


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Soon after the results of France's presidential election were announced Sunday, showing a clear victory for centrist Emmanuel Macron against the far-right Marine Le Pen, messages of congratulations began flooding in from leaders across the world.

 Across the EU, leaders breathed a sigh of relief as, in the wake of Brexit, French voters rejected the fiercely anti-Europe Le Pen

 "Congratulations, @EmmanuelMacron. Your victory is a victory for a strong and united Europe and for French-German friendship," Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman said on Twitter.

 European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said he was happy that the French had chosen a "European future", while EU Council President Donald Tusk also offered his congratulations, saying the French had chosen "liberty, equality and fraternity" and "said no to the tyranny of fake news".

 One of Macron's new responsibilities as French president will be negotiating the terms of Britain's exit from the EU along with the bloc's other leaders.

 That task looked like it had already begun Sunday night, with a spokesperson for British Prime Minister Theresa May saying she had called Macron to "warmly congratulate him on his election victory", adding that the two had "briefly discussed Brexit and the Prime Minister reiterated that the UK wants a strong partnership with a secure and prosperous EU once we leave".

 Across the Atlantic, US President Donald Trump also proffered his best wishes to the new French president.

 "Congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on his big win today as the next President of France. I look very much forward to working with him!" he wrote on Twitter.

 Congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on his big win today as the next President of France. I look very much forward to working with him! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 7 mai 2017

 His statement came despite Trump's ideologically similarities with Le Pen and the fact that he had earlier praised the National Front leader over her security policy.

 Before the first round of the election last month, he said a deadly attack against a police officer in Paris would have a "big effect" on the vote and said Le Pen was "the strongest on what's been going on in France".

 Hillary Clinton, Trump's defeated rival in last year's US presidential race, also reacted to Macron's victory on Twitter.

 Victory for Macron, for France, the EU, & the world.

 Defeat to those interfering w/democracy. (But the media says I can't talk about that) — Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) 7 mai 2017

 "Victory for Macron, for France, the EU, & the world," she said.

 The White House on Sunday issued a formal statement congratulating "Macron and the people of France on their successful presidential election".

 Meanwhile, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is likely to have more in common with the progressive, liberal politics of Macron than the US president, and he was quick to telephone France's election winner on Sunday night.

 "I look forward to working closely with President-elect Macron in the years ahead as we work together on a progressive agenda to promote international security, increase collaboration in science and technology, and create good, middle class jobs on both sides of the Atlantic," Trudeau said in a statement earlier.

 Congratulations @EmmanuelMacron! Let's meet soon, and keep working to grow & strengthen the deep ties between Canada and France. — Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) 7 mai 2017

 Elsewhere, Brazil's President Michel Temer also congratulated Macron on Twitter, saying: "Brazil and France will continue to work together for democracy, human rights, development, integration and peace."

 And Australia's prime minister hailed what he called an "historic election win".

 "We will build even stronger ties between our two great nations," Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull tweeted.

 (FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP, REUTERS)

 Date created : 2017-05-08 ||||| When Emmanuel Macron chose to make his presidential victory speech to his supporters from the grand surroundings of the Louvre, he was sending a message about the style in which he intends to govern. The vast palace-turned-museum has, over centuries, stood for monarchy, empire and revolution: a mix of past glory and high culture with the modernity of a giant glass pyramid in its midst.

 Macron is en route to the Elysée, but could find it hard to govern Read more

 France’s youngest president has made two different promises for his leadership style. The 39-year-old has vowed to bring a youthful “revolution” to French politics but also to return to the historic tradition of a strong leader who can “embody the nation”. He believes that ever since King Louis XVI’s head was chopped off in the revolution, France has been constantly trying to compensate for the lack of a true leader figure who could personify France. Macron, a centrist political novice, who had never before run for election and until three years ago was unknown, believes he can fill the role of republican guide of the nation.

 Macron’s first public gesture as president was to deliberately, solemnly make a long walk alone under spotlights across the Louvre’s Napoleon courtyard to Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, the European anthem. It was a carefully coordinated reference to the style of the late Socialist president François Mitterrand, who presented himself as a kind of republican, elected monarch.

 Every new French leader wants to contrast the style of the president who went before. If the Socialist François Hollande – who was once Macron’s mentor – was a plodding “ordinary bloke” who described himself as “President Normal” and turned his own door handles at the Elysée instead of waiting for a butler, Macron wants to bring back what he styles as a lofty poise and distance.

 But Macron, who will take office within days, will have no state of grace. He is taking over a country exhausted by decades of mass unemployment, impatient with a stagnant economy, still living under a state of emergency, facing a constant terrorist threat and at war abroad – with troops still deployed across the Sahel region of Africa against jihadi groups.

 The election has highlighted a significant divide between rich and poor, between thriving, diverse cities and the far away de-industrialised peripheral areas and countryside. Millions chose the far right and the hard left in the two-round presidential race and many have reservations about Macron’s pro-business economic project, fearing livelihoods are threatened by globalisation. He has to prove he can reach out beyond his own camp, particularly since a significant proportion of those who voted him into office did so to keep out the far right rather than adhere to his policy plans. “He’s aware of the immense responsibility on his shoulders,” several members of his team repeated.

 One of Macron’s first moves will be to cut and streamline France’s strict labour laws in favour of businesses. He has talked of using presidential decrees to push this through fast as soon as possible. But labour law changes were forced through by decree under Hollande and saw months of street demonstrations in 2016. Navigating the hangover from that social confrontation will be his first major challenge.

 Macron knows better than most that the first days of a French presidency can make or break an entire mandate. He was deputy chief of staff to the Socialist president Hollande, whose lack of preparation and dithering in the early days led to an unpopularity from which he was never able to recover. Macron is also aware of ill omens. He was on the newly elected Hollande’s plane to Berlin to see Angela Merkel when it was hit by lightning – a metaphor for a tepid diplomatic relationship that did not fully recover.

 The pro-European Macron will make his first foreign leader visit to Merkel quickly. He is also expected to make an early trip to see French troops in Mali to signal that French international military engagement will continue.

 One of Macron’s most-repeated promises has been “efficiency” of government. He wants to introduce new ethics rules for politicians, including an initiative against nepotism after the corruption investigations of the rightwing candidate François Fillon and the investigations of Marine Le Pen’s party funding during the presidential campaign. He also wants quickly to loosen red tape for small businesses and cut class sizes in primary schools in disadvantaged areas.

 But exactly how he will deliver his manifesto pledges depends on whom he appoints as prime minister and whether his fledgling “neither right or left” political movement En Marche! (On the Move!) can win a majority in the parliamentary elections in June. Without a majority, Macron’s hands will be tied. The next six weeks of parliamentary campaigning will be crucial.

 There has never been so much secrecy surrounding who will be appointed French prime minister. Because the centrist Macron, who comes from no political party, needs to strike a balance between supporters from the left and right, he has kept quiet about who he will pick. He has said only that the prime minister must be “strong” and politically experienced. Speculation has ranged from a centrist ex-minister such as François Bayrou to ex-ministers from the political right or left, or the centrist MEP Sylvie Goulard, but it could also be an appointment from civil society. His 15-minister government will have a male-female balance, one-third of whom will be new to politics.

 “We need to do away with this political class, which is all too often made of men over 50 who never had a proper job,” Macron has said, promising that his 577 parliamentary candidates will be half women and half political newcomers.

 But if he doesn’t win a parliamentary majority, he will be plunged into horse-trading for a new type of coalition. He will need to be a very skilled politician to make it work and yet he says he hates politics and has little interest in it. “Being president of the Republic is not about loving politics, it’s about taking care of the French,” he has said, warning that previous presidents “loved politics too much” and that politics had become cut off from real people’s lives.

 Becoming cut off has always been a risk for presidents who take over the gilded office at the grandiose Elysée palace, where the silence is punctuated by the sound of gold clocks chiming and the view from the leader’s desk is a vast expanse of manicured lawn behind high walls. “Of course power isolates,” Macron told an interviewer on the campaign trail, arguing that he would not let it happen to him. ||||| CLOSE Former secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warns against feeling reassured by the expected defeat of far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in the French presidential election Sunday. USA TODAY

 Former secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (Photo: Jack Gruber, USAT)

 WASHINGTON — Former secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warns against feeling reassured by the defeat of far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in the French presidential election Sunday.

 "I really do believe that these populists are changing the character of the politics just by being there, so even mainstream candidates are having to respond to their agenda," Rice told Capital Download. "You see fewer people talking about free trade. You see countries talking about industrial policy and protectionism. It's hard to defend immigrants almost any place in the world today. ...

 "The rise of nativism is having an impact on the politics, even if the candidates aren't winning."

 More than four years ago, Rice began writing a book about the challenges to democracy, especially in nations that only recently have moved toward free elections. Now Democracy: Stories from the Long Road to Freedom, is being published Tuesday by Twelve in the wake of the unexpected passage of Brexit in Great Britain and the surprise election of Donald Trump in the United States.

 In a final chapter, Rice describes "the rise of populism, nativism, and a tinge of isolationism" around the world. "It is no surprise that this earthquake is shaking young democracies like Poland," she wrote. "But it is stunning that it has jolted the most mature of them."

 The 486-page book is at its core a push-back to the America First ideology advocated by candidate Trump, the sense that the United States should be less engaged in international affairs and less concerned about advocating human rights outside its borders. Rice argues that the United States is essential in protecting and expanding democracies, an approach that she says ultimately safeguards American interests.

 In an interview Saturday with USA TODAY's video newsmaker series, Rice was tempered in her comments about Trump — praising his national-security team as "outstanding," saying Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was "fantastic," and suggesting the president and his administration was successfully learning on the job. She declined to criticize the administration's proposal to cut the State Department budget by nearly 30% and to eliminate thousands of agency jobs.

 Consider Trump's praise of authoritarian strongmen abroad, among them Russian President Vladimir Putin, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte and even North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. "A pretty smart cookie," Trump said in an interview on CBS' Face the Nation last week.

 Does that send a dangerous message?

 "The president's words matter," Rice said, though she distinguished between allies like el-Sisi — "I have no problem with that" — and adversaries like the erratic Kim.

 "The president of the United States is the most important voice for our foreign policy. He's the most important voice for our values and for our interests, and the use of that voice is important, and I think we're starting to see recognition of that."

 While every new president faces a learning curve, she acknowledged that it may be particularly steep in this administration. "President Trump has never been in government," she noted. "As a matter of fact, a lot of the people around him have never been in government as well. Yes, I think that they are getting accustomed to what the presidency can do."

 Democracy: Stories from the Long Road to Freedom, by Condoleezza Rice (Photo: Twelve, publisher)

 Rice, now 62 and a professor at Stanford, was a National Security Council aide with a specialty in Russia for the elder President Bush. (She still occasionally watches Russian newscasts online.) During the younger President Bush's administration, she became the first woman to serve as White House national security adviser. She was secretary of State during George W. Bush's second term.

 During last year's presidential campaign, she called for Trump to withdraw as a candidate after the release of the Access Hollywood tape that included audio of him bragging about sexually assaulting women. "Enough!" she wrote on Facebook in October. "Donald Trump should not be President."

 Five months later, in March, she sat down with Trump in the White House for what she calls "a very good meeting."

 "For me, he is the president of the United States," she said. "He won it fair and square. We have an electoral process in our democracy and I completely respect that process and its outcome. I also respect the fact that he saw something and felt something in the population that a lot of people didn't see. And people took the democratic road to find a candidate who they thought would represent their interests and deal with their aspirations, deal with their fears, and so I respect that.

 "He's the president, and I'll do what I can to help him."

 That is, to help him. Not to join his administration.

 "I'm going to stay in California," she demurred. "I'm a happy professor."

 A photo gallery of Condoleezza Rice:

 Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2pjX3uP ||||| PARIS (Reuters) - Emmanuel Macron was confronted on Monday with pressing reminders of the challenges facing him as France’s next president, even as allies and some former rivals signaled their willingness to work closely with him.

 The 39-year-old centrist’s victory over far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen in Sunday’s election came as a huge relief to European Union allies who had feared another populist upheaval to follow Britain’s vote last year to leave the EU and Donald Trump’s election as U.S. president.

 “He carries the hopes of millions of French people, and of many people in Germany and the whole of Europe,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel told a news conference in Berlin.

 “He ran a courageous pro-European campaign, stands for openness to the world and is committed decisively to a social market economy,” the EU’s most powerful leader added, congratulating Macron on his “spectacular” election success.

 But even while pledging to help France tackle unemployment, Merkel rejected suggestions Germany should do more to support Europe’s economy by importing more from its partners to bring down its big trade surplus.

 European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker put it bluntly: “With France, we have a particular problem ... The French spend too much money and they spend too much in the wrong places. This will not work over time.”

 The euro fell from six-month highs against the dollar on confirmation of Macron’s widely expected victory by a margin of 66 percent to 34 percent. Investors took profit on a roughly 3 percent gain for the currency since he won the first round two on April 23.

 France’s economic malaise, especially high unemployment, had undermined the popularity of outgoing Socialist President Francois Hollande to the point where he decided not even to run again as a candidate.

 “This year, I wanted Emmanuel Macron to be here with me so that a torch could be passed on,” said Hollande, appearing with Macron at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris to commemorate Victory in Europe Day and the surrender of Nazi forces on May 8, 1945 at the end of World War Two.

 Elsewhere in Paris, more than 1,500 people, led by the powerful CGT labor federation, marched in protest against Macron’s planned liberalization of labor laws.

 “If he continues with the idea of executive orders in July, that means he will sweep away consultation and dialogue, so there will be a problem one way or another. We shall see,” Jean-Claude Mailly, secretary general of the hardline leftist Force Ouvriere union told France Info radio.

 PARLIAMENTARY MAJORITY

 On assuming office next Sunday as France’s youngest leader since Napoleon, Macron faces the immediate challenge of securing a majority in the June parliamentary election to have a realistic chance of implementing his plans for lower state spending, higher investment and reform of the tax, labor and pension systems.

 With the two mainstream parties - the conservative Republicans and the left-wing Socialists - both failing to reach the presidential runoff vote, his chances of winning a majority that supports his election pledges will depend on him widening his centrist base.

 The Socialists are torn between the radical left of their defeated candidate Benoit Hamon and the more centrist, pro-business branch led by Manuel Valls, who was prime minister under Hollande.

 Outgoing French President Francois Hollande (R) and President-elect Emmanuel Macron attend a ceremony to mark the end of World War II at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France, May 8, 2017. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

 On Monday, key members of the centrist arm of The Republicans appeared ready to work with Macron despite the party hierarchy calling for unity to oppose the new president and calling those that were wavering “traitors”.

 “I can work in a government majority,” said Bruno Le Maire, a senior Republicans official, who had been an aide of presidential candidate Francois Fillon, and is tipped by some to become the new foreign minister.

 “The situation is too serious for sectarianism and to be partisan,” he said, later adding that Macron’s victory was positive for France.

 However, a senior Republican, Christian Estrosi, who had backed Macron and been rumored to rally behind him, said on Monday he had turned down a ministerial post in order to focus on his home city of Nice.

 “I will say things clearly: my only ambition is to serve my city and my region and not to enter the government,” Estrosi later told reporters.

 Macron’s party chief, Richard Ferrand, told a news conference his “En Marche!” movement will now change its name to “En Marche la République” or “Republic on the Move”, so as to structure itself more like a traditional party.

 He also said the names of Macron’s 577 candidates in the legislative elections would be announced this Thursday.

 Macron stepped down from the chairmanship of the movement on Thursday and 68-year-old former Socialist government adviser Catherine Barbaroux was named as interim president.

 Slideshow (22 Images)

 Le Pen, 48, defiantly claimed the mantle of France’s main opposition in calling on “all patriots” to constitute a “new political force”.

 Her tally was almost double the score that her father Jean-Marie, the last far-right candidate to make the presidential runoff, achieved in 2002, when he was trounced by the conservative Jacques Chirac. ||||| Image copyright AFP Image caption How did a 39-year-old with a new party who has never before been elected win the French presidency?

 Emmanuel Macron has triggered a political earthquake in French politics.

 A year ago, he was a member of the government of one of the most unpopular French presidents in history.

 Now, at 39, he has won France's presidential election, defeating first the mainstream centre left and centre right and now the far right as well.

 He got lucky

 No doubt about it, Mr Macron was carried to victory in part by the winds of fortune.

 A public scandal knocked out the initial frontrunner, centre-right candidate François Fillon; and Socialist candidate Benoît Hamon, already on the left fringe of the party, suffered a very public drubbing as traditional voters looked elsewhere.

 Image copyright Reuters Image caption A "fake jobs" scandal put paid to the hopes of the early election frontrunner, François Fillon

 "He was very lucky, because he was facing a situation that was completely unexpected," says Marc-Olivier Padis, of Paris-based think tank Terra Nova.

 He was canny

 Luck doesn't tell the whole story.

 Mr Macron could have gone for the Socialist ticket, but he realised after years in power and dismal public approval ratings the party's voice would always struggle to be heard.

 "He was able to foresee there was an opportunity when nobody could," says Mr Padis.

 Instead, he looked at political movements that have sprung up elsewhere in Europe - Podemos in Spain, Italy's Five-Star Movement - and saw that there was no equivalent game-changing political force in France.

 In April 2016, he established his "people-powered" En Marche! (On the move) movement and four months later he stood down from President François Hollande's government.

 He tried something new in France

 Having established En Marche, he took his cue from Barack Obama's grassroots 2008 US election campaign, says Paris-based freelance journalist Emily Schultheis.

 His first major undertaking was the Grande Marche (Big March), when he mobilised his growing ranks of energised but inexperienced En Marche activists.

 "The campaign used algorithms from a political firm they worked with - who by the way had volunteered for the Obama campaign in 2008 - to identify districts and neighbourhoods that were most representative of France as a whole," Ms Schultheis says.

 "They sent out people to knock on 300,000 doors."

 The volunteers didn't just hand out flyers - they carried out 25,000 in-depth interviews of about 15 minutes with voters across the country. That information was entered into a large database which helped inform campaign priorities and policies.

 "It was a massive focus group for Macron in gauging the temperature of the country but also made sure that people had contact with his movement early on, making sure that volunteers knew how to go door to door. It was a training exercise that really laid the groundwork for what he did this year," Ms Schultheis explains.

 And he capitalised on it.

 He had a positive message

 Mr Macron's political persona appears beset with contradictions.

 The "newcomer" who was President Hollande's protege and then economy minister; the ex-investment banker running a grassroots movement; the centrist with a radical programme to slash the public sector.

 It was perfect ammunition for run-off rival Marine Le Pen, who said he was the candidate of the elite, not the novice he said he was.

 Image copyright Getty/AFP Image caption Protester versus pop music - observers said Le Pen rallies couldn't match the positivity on show at Macron gatherings

 But he dodged attempts to label him as another François Hollande, creating a profile that resonated among people desperate for something new.

 "There is a very prevalent pessimistic mood in France - in a way, too pessimistic - and he comes with a very optimistic, positive message," says Marc-Olivier Padis.

 "He's young, full of energy, and he's not explaining what he'll do for France but how people will get opportunities. He's the only one to have this kind of message."

 He was up against Marine Le Pen

 Up against his more optimistic tone, Marine Le Pen's message came across as negative - anti-immigration, anti-EU, anti-system.

 Macron campaign rallies featured brightly lit arenas blaring with pop music, says Emily Schultheis, while Marine Le Pen's mass meetings involved protesters throwing bottles and flares, a heavy police presence, dark audience stands and an "angrier" undercurrent.

 Image copyright Reuters Image caption Emmanuel Macron's rallies came across as youthful and fresh, while his rival's message appeared more negative

 The big TV debate on 3 May was an angry affair, with a string of insults hurled by both sides.

 She was a "grand priestess of fear", a snake-oil merchant from the same extremist background as her father. He was a Socialist puppet, a dangerous tool of global finance who would do whatever Germany's Angela Merkel asked.

 But many were alarmed by the prospect of a potentially destabilising and divisive far-right presidency and saw him as the last obstacle in her way.

 Marine Le Pen may have run a highly effective campaign, but her poll ratings have been on the slide for months. She was ahead in the polls last year, nudging 30%, and yet in just two weeks she has been beaten twice by Emmanuel Macron.

 Insults that marked fierce debate

 The issues dividing Le Pen and Macron

 In depth: Meteoric rise of Emmanuel Macron

 In depth: Is Marine Le Pen far right? ||||| (CNN) By turning to Emmanuel Macron as its new president, France has elevated a charismatic new leader in the great political battle between globalism and nationalism that is underway in Western democracies.

 The 39-year-old's win over far-right candidate Marine Le Pen Sunday in the second round of the French election represents liberal internationalism's most significant response yet to the populist tsunami that yielded President Donald Trump and Brexit and ended a crop of establishment political careers.

 Macron, a proponent of globalization, centrist politics and the European Union, in effect erected a bastion against the unconventional and disruptive forces that have roiled developed world politics over the last year.

 "This is our civilization that's at stake, our way of life," Macron said shortly after his victory, in which he took around 66% of the vote against Le Pen.

 But it would be premature to declare that the populist wave has reached a high-water mark, given the recent turbulence in international politics. And Macron, who ran as an outsider despite establishment credentials, does bear some resemblance -- in his light political resume if nothing else -- to the neophyte leaders who have come from nowhere to shake up politics.

 The French campaign trod what has become familiar ground in big Western elections over the last year. It saw the older, establishment politicians crushed as they failed to identify and adapt to waves of change. None of the traditional parties reached the run-off as voters in France, like elsewhere, soured on the same old choices.

 As with the Brexit referendum and the US election last year, the election was fought on the fault line between well-off, cosmopolitan, urban elites and insurgents who tapped the frustrations of rural, less-educated and poorer voters, ones who are fixated on immigration policies and feel disenfranchised in a global economy that has hemorrhaged blue collar jobs.

 A fresh-faced candidate wins

 But this time, the elite candidate -- albeit one whose youth and outlook suggested a break from older, more conventional political forces -- came out on top. In effect, Macron ran on insider ground while adopting the rhetoric and habits of an outsider.

 The graduate of exclusive French schools who become a banker and finance minister formed his own party "En Marche" to escape the taint of the political establishment. His youth was a break from the past in itself. He will be the youngest French president ever and the youngest French leader, period, since Napoleon.

 That sense of freshness could help break the somber mood that has settled over French politics for years -- though his inexperience will also test him.

 Such attributes allowed him to separate himself from old-school politics and the establishment "swamp" in a way that Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, with her decades at the center of Washington intrigue, failed to do last year.

 Macron's victory is likely to be studied by other centrist hopefuls in Europe and the United States as they struggle to combat the powerful economic message of candidates like Trump.

 JUST WATCHED What to know about Emmanuel Macron Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH What to know about Emmanuel Macron 01:32

 He will have to tackle the question of how to reach out to those who have given up on politics as usual and who find the promises of Trump and candidates like him so attractive.

 In fact, Macron's enthusiastic support for the EU and globalization was an implicit rebuke to the instincts of Trump and those who successfully campaigned for Britain to leave the European Union.

 He portrayed himself as a reformer, but as a bulwark against the forces of disruption dedicated to tearing down institutions rather than repairing them.

 But he also took aim at the hidebound realities of French politics by warning of public spending cuts and more free market reforms designed to kick-start France's highly regulated economy.

 Macron's triumph will buck up establishment figures who have had little to cheer in recent months: He was endorsed by former President Barack Obama, who is seeing his own legacy dismantled by the populist Trump. Macron also carried the hopes of European elites like German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

 Trump, however, had seemed to hint earlier in the race that he preferred Le Pen. The US President has struck similar themes to Le Pen on Islamic terrorism and immigration. And following a terrorist attack in Paris last month, he tweeted: "Will have a big effect on presidential election!"

 Reinforcing the EU

 Despite the idiosyncrasies of the French race, many European analysts believe that Macron's win sent an unequivocal signal at an existential moment for EU unity.

 "This is a victory of values, the values of the Enlightenment, the values of France, the values on which America was founded, the values from which the US and the UK have gone significantly astray," said Nicholas Dungan, an Atlantic Council senior fellow, who teaches at Sciences Po, a top international research university in France that counts Macron as among its most distinguished alumni.

 "This is the end of know-nothing populism," he said.

 Macron's victory is already being seen as an invigorating boost for the European Union, which was knocked sideways by the British decision to exit and would have faced a meltdown had Le Pen, an avowed opponent of the European bloc, won.

 "The French electorate clearly said after Brexit, against all the forecasts from the Dr. Dooms of this world, that they were against Frexit and against leaving the Eurozone," said Philippe Le Corre, a Brookings Institution visiting fellow, who is a former French Defense Ministry official.

 Just as Trump raged against Washington, Le Pen played into frustration with distant EU bureaucrats among blue collar voters, a tactic that proved potent for "Leave" campaigners in the British referendum.

 JUST WATCHED Macron addresses nation after election Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Macron addresses nation after election 02:05

 But this time, the anti-establishment fury was not enough.

 In dramatic scenes Sunday, Macron, whose supporters often waved EU flags alongside those of the French tricolor, marched to his victory rally at the Louvre in Paris to the strains of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" — which serves as the European anthem.

 In many ways, the trauma of the UK's vote to leave Europe, which was warmly and repeatedly welcomed by Trump as a political achievement akin to his own shock election victory, appears to have concentrated the minds of French voters.

 "The Brexit vote, you could even say, helped (Macron), because it helped France realize the importance of the European Union," said Dominic Thomas, head of the Department of French and Francophone Studies at UCLA, on CNN International.

 There are some reasons to think that the populist wave has broken.

 Le Pen's defeat follows a showing of far-right leader Geert Wilders in the Dutch election in March that fell short of expectations. In local council elections across the Channel last week, meanwhile, the UK Independence Party, which campaigned for Brexit, was all but wiped out. A surge by a right-wing populist party in Germany, the AfD, appears to have peaked ahead of Merkel's re-election bid in the fall.

 Yet it would be premature to dismiss populist, anti-establishment sentiments as a force in modern Western politics. For one thing, some establishment parties have adopted populist positions -- one reason why UKIP voters, for instance, are moving back towards the Conservative Party in Britain ahead of a general election in June.

 Le Pen splits France

 And after all, Le Pen managed to garner around 34% of the vote in the second round of an election which opened up deep splits in French society.

 Still, Macron's presidency may not count for much unless he is able to address the feelings of economic disenfranchisement and blight that have forced themselves to the fore in elections in the Western world over the last year.

 Macron signaled in his victory speech that he understood the stakes, asking his supporters not to boo Le Pen or her partisans.

 "They expressed today anger, dismay and sometimes strong beliefs. I respect them but I will do everything over the next five years to make sure there is no reason at all to vote for extremes," Macron said.

 The new French President will also have to consider how to frame his relations with the United States and Trump, whom he will now encounter at the G7 and NATO summits in Europe this month.

 Populist influences in the White House, including political guru Steve Bannon, have been openly critical of the European Union.

 But Trump played it straight down the line on Sunday, writing on Twitter: "Congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on his big win today as the next President of France. I look very much forward to working with him!"

 Macron, for all his philosophical, generational and temperamental differences with Trump, is likely to move carefully, stressing areas of agreement with the administration -- on fighting terrorism for instance.

 But he is likely to be critical of Trump in places where the US and France differ, like climate change. |||||

– The pollsters were wrong once again with France's presidential runoff election but there was no surprise result this time: Emmanuel Macron defeated far-right candidate Marine Le Pen 66% to 34%, a much bigger margin than the 20 points that had been predicted, Reuters reports. But 34% was still a record for Le Pen's National Front, and analysts say it shows the pro-business, pro-EU Macron has a big struggle ahead to unite a divided nation—as does the fact that in a race between two political outsiders, more than a third of voters either didn't show up or cast a blank ballot. A roundup of coverage: The BBC looks at five reasons for what it calls the "political earthquake" of Macron's victory. They include the scandal that knocked out the initial front-runner, and a strong grassroots operation inspired by Barack Obama's 2008 victory. The result may be a sign that the "populist wave" that led to the Brexit vote and the election of President Trump may be fading, the New York Times reports. "I understand the divisions of our country that have led some to vote for extremists," Macron said after the vote. "I understand the anger, the anxiety, the doubts that a great part among us have also expressed." Governing is going to be the hard part for Macron, who will have to deal with the country's established political parties while implementing his "neither left nor right" policies, EJ Dionne writes in a Washington Post op-ed. "Macron is both a former investment banker and a moderate social democrat," he writes. "Demonstrating how these two sides of him fit together will define the drama of his presidency." The Guardian predicts that there will be no honeymoon period for the 39-year-old president-elect and his "En Marche" movement. As well as the sharp divide between left and right, he has to deal with problems including mass youth unemployment, rising inequality, and the threat of terrorism, which still has the country under a state of emergency. Condoleezza Rice tells USA Today that despite the defeat, Marine Le Pen and similar anti-free trade, anti-immigration populists are still having a worrying effect on politics. "I really do believe that these populists are changing the character of the politics just by being there, so even mainstream candidates are having to respond to their agenda," she says. Vladimir Putin and President Trump were among the world leaders congratulating Macron on Sunday. "I look very much forward to working with him!" Trump tweeted. A spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel described the win as a victory for a "strong and united Europe," France24 reports. CNN notes that centrist candidates in Europe and elsewhere are now looking to Macron for an example of how to defeat candidates like Le Pen amid widespread voter dissatisfaction. Macron's youth—he is France's youngest president ever and its youngest leader since Napoleon Bonaparte became emperor at 34—helped distance him from the political establishment.


Article:

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Tray Walker has died from injuries he suffered in a crash in Florida Thursday night.

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 Miami-Dade police Detective Dan Ferrin said Walker was riding a motor bike and was not wearing a helmet when he collided with a Ford Escape shortly before 8 p.m. Thursday at NW 21 Avenue and NW 75 Street in Miami.

 Walker, 23, died Friday afternoon.

 Police said they do not suspect alcohol or drugs as a factor in the crash, and neither do they believe Walker was racing. The bike that Walker was riding did not have lights, and Walker was wearing dark clothing. Ferrin said Walker was wearing a Ravens jersey.

 "We have two sons not too much older than Tray, and we can't imagine how much his family is suffering," said owner Steve Bisciotti. "This is so sad. The right words are hard to find at a time like this. As much as we can comfort Tray's mom and the rest of his family, we will."

 Head coach John Harbaugh said Walker had a good and kind heart.

 "He was humble and loved everything about being part of the Ravens' team," Harbaugh said. "He loved his teammates, the practice and the preparation, and that showed every day. He was coachable, did his most to improve and worked to become the best. I'll never forget that smile."

 Joe Flacco said Walker was full of energy and promise. "This is very hard to wrap my head around, and I am devastated. As a parent, I cannot imagine what his family is going through right now. All of my thoughts are with them. My hope is that we can be a little bit of help by being a second family for them."

 Defensive Backs Coach Chris Hewitt: "My heart is heavy as these words come out of my mouth. I pray for Tray's family and his loved ones. In football -- both on the field and in the meeting room -- you preach to your players to play every play as if it were their last. But to think that we are now going lay a player to rest is unbelievable.

 "Tray was a young man who had a way about him that he could light up a room with his smile. Once you got to know him, he was one of the funniest guys. Whenever I got angry, he could make me laugh in a tense situation and bring me back to a cooler head. He challenged me as a coach, because he had a thirst for knowledge. And although things didn't always go his way, he was ready for the next battle or challenge that you presented to him.

 "He had a vision of what he wanted to be as a player, and after last season he left our building determined that in 2016 he would be a household name in Baltimore. He had so much potential and was on his way to being a great NFL player. He will be missed and will never be forgotten."

 S Terrence Brooks: "Tray will truly be missed by all who got to know him. I am taking this news pretty hard, because he was a guy who I took under my wing to help him with any little advice that I had gained from being in the NFL for a short amount of time.

 "We vowed to each other to stick together and push each other as long as we remained on the same team. We both shared similar life experiences growing up in Florida. We sat together every day during meetings. He was like a little brother to me. I especially remember times he would drop by my house, and we would have long talks and laughs just about the NFL and everyday life. I truly felt a brotherly bond with him.

 "Tray was a young man with so much life experience. I feel like he was much more of a man just because of where he grew up. Football was his escape. Not many understood that. It hurts my heart that he's not getting the chance to show the world just what type of man and football player he was going to be. I was looking forward to taking that field with him this year, because we both kept up with each other's progress this offseason. I really felt he was going to have a great year.

 "But one thing I do know is that Tray will never leave my side. He will be watching over me every step of the way. I see just how precious life is, and I will fully dedicate my season to Tray."

 LB C.J. Mosley: "Tray was a guy who constantly kept a smile on his face. He was always laughing and joking in the locker room, and was by far, always the best dressed. He had such great potential and was ready to learn how to be a Raven. My prayers go out to Tray and his family. He will be sorely missed."

 CB Jimmy Smith: "This is such a tragedy, and I am praying for Tray's family. He was a tremendous young man with so much potential, and I will miss him. Tray had a hard shell, but once you broke through that, you found a person who was learning how to become a man and was so eager to be a great person and professional. I am heartbroken for his family."

 OLB Za'Darius Smith: "This is a really hard day for my Ravens family and me. However, I know it is even harder for the family of Tray. I had the opportunity to be around a guy who was unique and a great person -- on and off the field. He was not only my teammate, but he was my brother. I send my condolences to his family and loved ones. Tray, you will truly be missed."

 WR Steve Smith Sr.: "Times like this make you hug your kids tighter. A mother lost her son today, and a family lost their brother, including us, his extended family. Tray had a bright future ahead of him outside of football and was a guy who lit up the room with his personality. I will miss seeing him every day and seeing that bright smile he always wore. I pray that his family can find peace. Rest well, Tray."

 Walker was selected by the Ravens in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He played in eight games for the Ravens last season, recording one solo tackle from scrimmage, but competed mostly on special teams.

 A native of Miami, Walker attended Miami Northwestern High School and then played at Texas Southern.

 Upon learning of Walker's accident but before his death, Harbaugh penned a letter to the players, which the Ravens shared on their website.

 Here is the text of that letter:

 An Open Letter to Our Team

 Men,

 Right now, this moment is an incredibly difficult time for our Team and our Family. One of our Brothers, Tray Walker, is fighting for his life. I know we are showering him, and covering he and his family, with Prayer and hope.

 That was the kind of phone call you never want get as a coach, as a parent, as a brother, as a friend. This shook me and all of us. Like some of you, I haven’t been able to rest since hearing the news late last night.

 As I focused about Tray this morning, some thoughts came to mind that I wanted to share. What would I say to my own son, if I had a son, in a situation like this? You guys are that important to me.

 This is what I would be saying to you in the team meeting room if we were together today: There is a lot going on out there and you are going to be involved in tough and difficult situations. You are making and will continue to make important choices pretty much every day. That’s okay. That’s our reality. It can even be very good to be put in different circumstances. To make it right, you are going to have to grow up fast. Probably faster than many of your friends and family.

 Please remember to…

 Lead in your home. Take care of Your Family and Yourself every single day. Think about who you are and where you are going, and what you stand for. Look after one another. Only then can you be your most effective on the job and in every area of your life.

 Please consider your actions and choices. There are always consequences. Choose who you allow to advise you. Consider the quality of the council you take. Put yourself in positions to succeed. Turn away from unnecessary and risky behavior. Take care of your physical well-being. Live a healthy lifestyle. Pursue those things that make you better. Rest well. Eat well. Laugh with those who you love and love you. Fulfill your obligations effectively.

 Be your own best friend. Do not be an enemy onto yourself. Turn away from trouble and harm. Walk away from foolish behavior. Ignore silly and unwise advice – You’ll know it when you see it.

 Get to know those people in your life who manage to walk free from the weight of self-created obstacles. Get close to those who have gone where you want to go, and have accomplished what you want to accomplish. Grow Spiritually. Think about what and who you want to become.

 I am asking you to consider what is at stake in your life. Consider what your thoughts, actions and choices mean to those around you. Live your life fully and with purpose. Have fun and share your happiness. Find Your Faith, and allow God to Grow Your Faith.

 Let’s look out for one another. Be a great brother and friend. Inquire. Listen. Ask. Investigate. Reach out. Be There. Take a Step. Go For It.

 Remember, We are Brothers in Arms. And, again, take care of each other.

 John

 Refresh wbaltv.com and our app, and watch 11 News for late-breaking updates. ||||| FILE - This Oct. 26, 2015, file photo shows Baltimore Ravens cornerback Tray Walker (25) during the second half of an NFL football game in Glendale, Ariz. Walker is in critical condition after being involved... (Associated Press)

 FILE - This Oct. 26, 2015, file photo shows Baltimore Ravens cornerback Tray Walker (25) during the second half of an NFL football game in Glendale, Ariz. Walker is in critical condition after being involved in motorcycle accident. The Ravens said Thursday, March 17, 2016, that Walker is at Jackson... (Associated Press)

 FILE - This Oct. 26, 2015, file photo shows Baltimore Ravens cornerback Tray Walker (25) during the second half of an NFL football game in Glendale, Ariz. Walker is in critical condition after being involved in motorcycle accident. The Ravens said Thursday, March 17, 2016, that Walker is at Jackson... (Associated Press) FILE - This Oct. 26, 2015, file photo shows Baltimore Ravens cornerback Tray Walker (25) during the second half of an NFL football game in Glendale, Ariz. Walker is in critical condition after being involved... (Associated Press)

 MIAMI (AP) — Baltimore Ravens cornerback Tray Walker is in critical condition after police say he was involved in a dirt bike crash in Miami.

 Miami-Dade Police say Walker was riding a Honda dirt bike with no lights and wearing dark clothing when he collided with a Ford Escape at about 8 p.m. Thursday.

 The Ravens say Walker is at Jackson Memorial Hospital. Police are investigating.

 Walker was selected in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL draft. He played in eight games last season, mostly on special teams.

 In a statement, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said, "This is devastating news. Our prayers and hopes are with Tray and his family tonight."

 A native of Miami, Walker attended Miami Northwestern High School before playing in college at Texas Southern.

 ___

 AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL |||||
What is a summary?

– Baltimore Ravens cornerback Tray Walker is in critical condition after a dirt bike crash in Miami, police say. Miami-Dade police say Walker was riding a Honda dirt bike with no lights and wearing dark clothing when he collided with a Ford Escape at about 8pm Thursday, the AP reports. The Ravens say Walker is at Jackson Memorial Hospital. Police are investigating. In a statement, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said, "This is devastating news. Our prayers and hopes are with Tray and his family tonight." WBAL reports that police say alcohol and drugs are not believed to be factors in the crash.


Article:
Following an appalling appearance on Sacha Baron Cohen’s new political stunt show Who is America?, Georgia lawmakers are calling for state Representative Jason Spencer’s resignation.

 During Sunday night’s episode of the new Showtime series, Cohen disguised himself as one of his latest characters, Israeli “anti-terrorism expert” Erran Morad, and invited Spencer to learn a number of techniques to guard himself against Islamic extremists. (In 2016, Spencer introduced a bill that would have banned Muslims from wearing head coverings.)

 One technique Cohen suggests Spencer try is pretending to be a Chinese tourist to get closer to potential terrorists. Spencer obliges, pretending to be Chinese by speaking racist gibberish, throwing in random phrases like “red dragon,” “Hong Kong” and “Konichiwa” — which, notably, is a greeting in Japanese.

 Later, Cohen says that if Spencer is ever in immediate danger of being kidnapped, Spencer should use “the n-word,” which he calls America’s “one forbidden word,” to draw attention to himself.

 “Now, I am going to be the terrorist,” Cohen says. “You have three seconds to attract attention. Go.”

 Spencer responds by yelling “n*gger” multiple times.

 Later, Cohen suggests a role-play scenario in which Spencer thrusts his bare buttocks at him as a way to threaten potential terrorists. (Cohen tells Spencer that members of ISIS believe coming in contact with a man’s buttocks will turn them homosexual.)

 Again, Spencer obliges, shouting “America” as he runs backward, buttocks-first, at Cohen.

 Spencer issued a statement in response to the episode, saying he was told “the video [he filmed with Cohen] was intended to be an educational aid to train elected officials who may be targeted by terrorists.”

 “They exploited my state of mind for profit and notoriety,” Spencer said. “This media company’s deceptive and fraudulent behavior is exactly why President Donald Trump was elected. Furthermore, there are sensitive parts of this training that took place under a kidnapping scenario where I was repeatedly asked to shout provocative language which I requested be removed.”

 Spencer then said he “sought legal counsel” to challenge the show’s use of the footage.

 Monday morning, Georgia lawmakers spoke out against Spencer, demanding he resign, according to the New York Times. Spencer has declined to do so. In a statement sent to the Washington Post, Spencer said he recently lost his primary, and thus would wait until the end of his term to vacate his position.

 “I apologize to my family, friends, and the people of my district for this ridiculously ugly episode,” Spencer said. “There are calls for me to resign. I recently lost my primary election, so I will not be eligible to hold office next term. Therefore, I will finish the remaining five months at my post and vacate my seat.”

 Reportedly, Cohen “duped” a number of other prominent politicians during filming for Who is America?, including former Alabama gubernatorial candidate Roy Moore and former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. They haven’t appeared on the show yet — but here’s to hoping they were smart enough to keep their pants on.

 Sign up for Hype Daily — Mic’s morning entertainment roundup. It’s got all the news you need to start your day. ||||| Jason Spencer in a still from Who Is America?

 No one comes out of a Sacha Baron Cohen show looking good. Your mere presence on Showtime’s Who Is America? means you’ve already been duped by a guy in a costume. It’s an impossible game to win, but some guests make it out relatively unscathed by refusing to play along.

 The people who look the worst on Who Is America? tend to look that way because they are the worst — egged on by Baron Cohen’s characters, they reveal their own deeply held, morally repugnant beliefs. Or, just as bad, they reveal that they’re willing to say morally repugnant things in order to be on television. Here is a ranking of all the guests in Who Is America? episode two, from those who leave with their reputations intact, to those who … do not.

 5. Ted Koppel

 Photo: Showtime

 If you’re getting duped by Sacha Baron Cohen, Ted Koppel’s reaction is pretty much your best-case scenario. He’s confronted with the Trump-supporting character Billy Wayne Ruddick Jr. Ph.D., and is forced to debate Trump’s inauguration crowd sizes. At first, Koppel seriously attempts to refute Ruddick’s claims (“You happen to be wrong, but that’s okay”), making careful statements about the photos and attempting to be reasonable. Once Ruddick refuses to accept that a photo taken in broad daylight couldn’t have been taken at night, though, Koppel’s patience runs thin. “A solar eclipse is when the moon covers the sun,” he says with a hint of exasperation. When Ruddick presents a photo of Obama’s inauguration and says, “If we zoom in with 35 magnification … ” Koppel sighs deeply before he even hears the rest. “I mean no disrespect to you, but this is a waste of time,” he concludes.

 4. Corinne Olympios

 Photo: Showtime

 This is not a great outing for former Bachelor contestant Corinne Olympios. Believing she’s filming promotional materials for a charity run by Baron Cohen’s Italian character Gio Monaldo, Olympios reads aloud from a script asking people to adopt a child soldier. (Support for a child soldier, she explains, involves buying them more weapons.) She puts on a hazmat suit to film fake footage of herself in dangerous locations, and then, at Monaldo’s prompting, she also lies about her experiences traveling in Africa, going so far as to make up a story about an African warlord who recognized her from television. “I saved 6,000 people,” she says, adding that her presence “really helped with the whole massacre situation.”

 So, yeah, Olympios looks pretty bad here. The worst of it is her painful thirst to be recognized, to do whatever she needs to do to be on TV. But in the segment itself, her palpable embarrassment mitigates the damage — instead of funny, the whole thing seems sad. The most damning part may actually be in her post-encounter media coverage, in which she describes being immensely uncomfortable throughout the taping. Olympios makes the experience sound terrifying, and then quickly pivots: “I’m so excited to be a part of his new project … not everyone gets to just be a cameo as themselves, so it’s fucking awesome.”

 3. Dick Cheney

 Photo: Showtime

 The first Who Is America? footage that Showtime revealed came in the form of a 20-second promo released earlier this month, in which former Vice President Dick Cheney is asked by an unseen Baron Cohen character to “sign my waterboard kit.” (It’s now for sale on eBay.) Unsurprisingly, Cheney’s segment turned out to be even worse than that quick clip suggested. “You started so many wars — Afghanistan, Iraq 1, Iraq 2 — which was your favorite war and why?” Baron Cohen, disguised as his Israeli terrorism expert Erran Morad, asks Cheney. “Oh, I think it was what we did in Desert Storm, I really do. I never thought of it as having a favorite war,” Cheney replies. “Of course,” Morad interrupts, “but you’ve got to enjoy it too!”

 It gets even worse from there. “I have killed some terrorists. How does it feel being the king of terrorist killers? I mean, you killed 100,000 actual terrorists and about 700,000 potential terrorists,” Morad says. After a casual laugh, Cheney says, “Well, it was never personal. I wasn’t in the same position you are where it was kill or be killed.” Cheney is infamous for his pro-torture (or as he likes to call it, pro–“enhanced interrogation”) stance, so making him look even more evil is a tall order. But now we know he’ll chat about which of his wars is his “favorite” as if they’re ice cream flavors.

 2. The Arizona mosque focus group

 Photo: Showtime

 Disguised as Dr. Nira Cain-N’Degeocello, Baron Cohen heads to Kingman, Arizona, to present a focus group with a $385 million proposal: The Saudi government and the Clinton Foundation want to replace the local shopping center with the biggest mosque outside of the Middle East, which would become “a hub for tourism for Muslims from around the world.” This does not go over well with the focus group, to say the least, and the bigoted responses from several attendees are incredibly painful to watch: “We don’t want that shit here … As soon as you said ‘mosque,’ you ruined it!” a bearded man in the second row says at one point.

 When Cain-N’Degeocello says, “I didn’t imply anyone here is racist, of course not,” another man responds with, “I am! I’m racist toward Muslims!” Later, a third man interjects, “This town’s lucky to have black people in it!” to which Cain-N’Degeocello replies, “Yeah, of course you’re lucky to have black people. They add a lot to society!” That’s when the bearded man chimes in again: “He’s saying there are black people in Kingman that aren’t welcome there either, but we tolerate them.” The focus group is the only segment in this episode to feature non-famous people, and witnessing the unfettered fear and racism of these everyday citizens — after Baron Cohen pushes just the right buttons to instigate them — is more sobering than it is entertaining.

 1. Georgia state representative Jason Spencer

 What else is there to say about Jason Spencer? While taking what he believes to be a self-defense training course with Baron Cohen’s Israeli character Erran Morad, the Georgia politician pretends to be a Chinese tourist (which he does by yelling gibberish); screams the N-word; rams his bare butt into Moran in an attempt to thwart a kidnapping (because he thinks it will threaten to make his kidnapper gay); warns people about “sand N-words”; and cuts off the prop penis of a terrorist mannequin and bites into it.

 In his statement about the taping, Spencer seems to recall little of his homophobia, attempting only to account for his racism: “I was repeatedly asked to shout provocative language which I requested be removed.”

 Of all the individuals featured in Who Is America? so far, Spencer seems the most likely to have damaged his career. Happily, the people he represents took steps to make that happen long before this segment even aired: After serving four terms, Spencer lost his primary re-election in May to a 24-year-old newcomer who’d never run for public office before. Congratulations to the people of Georgia’s 180th district for already ditching this guy. ||||| Published on Jul 23, 2018

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– The second episode of Sacha Baron Cohen's Who Is America? aired Sunday night on Showtime, and it may have claimed its first casualty: Georgia lawmakers are calling for state Rep. Jason Spencer to step down after what Mic calls a "life-ruining appearance" on the show. "Of all the individuals featured in Who Is America? so far, Spencer seems the most likely to have damaged his career," Kathryn VanArendonk and Megh Wright declare on Vulture. The segment featured Baron Cohen, pretending to be an Israeli "anti-terrorism expert" named Erran Morad, supposedly teaching Spencer (who introduced a bill in 2016 that would have effectively barred Muslims from wearing burkas or niqabs) how to protect himself from Islamic extremists. Read on for what happened, the reaction that has followed, and more from the episode: So what exactly did Spencer do during the segment? He pretended to be a Chinese tourist (attempting to imitate a Chinese accent and spouting what Mic calls "racist gibberish"), pulled down his pants and underwear to thrust his bare buttocks at Morad after Morad told him members of ISIS believe any man who comes in contact with another man's butt will become homosexual, and repeatedly shouted the n-word as part of a kidnapping role-playing exercise in which Morad told him that doing so would attract attention to himself. You can watch the segment here.


News article:

Kim Cattrall is not friends with her “Sex and the City” castmates.

 “We’ve never been friends. We’ve been colleagues and in some ways it’s a very healthy place to be because then you have a clear line between your professional life and relationship and your personal,” the 61-year-old told Piers Morgan in an interview for ITV.

 Though there has been buzz for years that Cattrall didn’t get along with co-stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon, the apparent quarrel resurfaced recently when it was confirmed that a third “SATC” film was no longer in the works.

 That news prompted the Daily Mail to report that it was Cattrall’s “outrageous demands” that halted the third installment, which Cattrall has vehemently denied. “I never asked for any money, I never asked for any projects. To be thought of as some kind of diva is ridiculous,” Cattrall told Morgan.

 After the Mail report, a source told Page Six, “It’s no secret Kim isn’t a fan of Sarah Jessica Parker and [producer] Michael Patrick King,” citing another reason why the film was canceled less than a week before shooting was slated to start earlier this month.

 During Cattrall’s sit-down with Morgan — which is airing in full Monday night in the UK — she also says she’s been saying “no” to a third installment for almost a year.

 If there’s one person from the cast Cattrall blames for her negative press, it’s Carrie Bradshaw herself.

 “This is really where I take to task the people from ‘Sex and the City,’ specifically Sarah Jessica Parker, is that I think she could’ve been nicer. I really think she could have been nicer,” Cattrall said.

 But the show’s other stars aren’t excluded from Cattrall’s disappointment either.

 “Nobody ever picks up the phone and tries to contact you and say, ‘How you doing?’ That would have been the way to handle it,” the actress said. “This is, it feels like, a toxic relationship.” ||||| Kim Cattrall says she prioritized her role as Samantha on Sex and the City over having children.

 The actress, 61, opened up about having considered motherhood during an appearance on Monday’s episode of Piers Morgan’s Life Stories, saying that after she got married to her third husband Mark Levinson in 1998, she thought about starting IVF treatments but decided against it because of the hectic shooting schedule for SATC — which premiered that June.

 “I thought to myself, ‘Wow, I have 19-hour days on this series. … My Monday morning would start at 4:45 a.m. and go to one or two in the morning. How could I possibly continue to do that, especially in my early 40s?’ ” she said. “And then I realized what a commitment it was just to the [IVF] procedures.”

 “I thought, ‘I don’t think it is going to happen.’ It was the first moment — it was extraordinary — in my life where I thought, ‘Maybe I’m just not going to do this,’” she added.

 Cynthia Nixon (left), Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Sarah Jessica Parker. Khloe Kardashian/Snapchat

 Asked whether she feels maternal, Cattrall replied, “Yes, I think it’s part of being a woman to have that. But obviously fate, timing, luck, destiny, I don’t know.”

 That instinct inspired her to mentor young actresses.

 “I thought I have a place to be a mom here, not a biological mom but a mom and an auntie and a friend. And that has really given me so much, as much as I give I get two-fold back,” she continued.

 Also in the interview, Cattrall said that she was “never friends” with her SATC costars. “We’ve never been friends,” she said. “We’ve been colleagues and in some way, it’s a very healthy place to be.”

 The actress addressed reports that her demands led studio Warner Bros. to kill Sex and the City 3, which she called “ridiculous.”

 “I never asked for any money,” Cattrall said. “I never asked for any projects, to be thought of as some kind of diva is absolutely ridiculous.”

 Cynthia Nixon (left), Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Sarah Jessica Parker. Khloe Kardashian/Snapchat

 However, sources have told PEOPLE that Cattrall made “outrageous demands” to re-board the movie franchise.

 Cattrall “was dragging her feet all summer and cast and crew members had put their lives on hold to get ready to shoot the movie,” said one source. “Then when she made outrageous demands, the studio had enough and pulled the plug. Her demand for them to buy her films in development and to give her a TV deal are what broke the camel’s back for them.”

 Rumors that Samantha (Cattrall), Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Charlotte (Kristin Davis) and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) were reuniting for a new film — which would follow 2008’s Sex and the City and 2010’s Sex and the City 2 — had long swirled, with fans hoping to see the fierce foursome reunited again.

 RELATED VIDEO: Kim Cattrall Slams Sarah Jessica Parker as Tensions Surrounding SATC 3 Revealed: ‘Kim Killed the Movie,’ Says Source

 But after almost eight years of encouraging words from actors, Parker told Extra on Sept. 28 that any possibility of a third movie is officially “over.”

 As previously reported, Cattrall also called out Parker — who would have been a producer on the film — while appearing on the ITV series.

 Kim Cattrall (left) and Sarah Jessica Parker. Khloe Kardashian/Snapchat

 “And this is really where I take to task the people from Sex and the City and specifically Sarah Jessica Parker in that I think she could have been nicer,” she said in previously released footage from the sit-down.

 The interview airs in its entirety on Monday night in the United Kingdom. |||||
What is a shorter version of the above article?

– Actress Kim Cattrall says she seriously considered having children back in the late 1990s but decided instead to focus on the then-new HBO series Sex and the City. Appearing on Monday's episode of Piers Morgan's Life Stories, Cattrall admitted that she contemplated starting IVF treatments after marrying Mark Levinson in 1998, the same year SATC premiered, People reports. “I thought to myself, ‘Wow, I have 19-hour days on this series. … My Monday morning would start at 4:45am and go to 1 or 2 in the morning. How could I possibly continue to do that, especially in my early 40s?' I thought, 'I don't think it is going to happen.'" Cattrall also told Morgan she has "never been friends" with her SATC castmates. Cattrall's confessions come a month after her co-star Sarah Jessica Parker confirmed that there would not be a third Sex and the City movie, and rumors started circulating that the movie was called off due to Cattrall's "outrageous demands." But Cattrall told Morgan those rumors aren't true, Page Six reports. "To be thought of as some kind of diva is ridiculous,” she said. Instead, Cattrall said she has been saying "no" to a third installment in the series for a year and that she believes Parker should be blamed for her negative press. "I really think she could have been nicer,” she said.


Summarize this article:

After Twitter announced late Wednesday that it planned to overhaul its process for verifying accounts, the site started yanking that big blue check mark from a number of prominent far-right users, who proceeded to lose their minds in spectacular fashion.

 Some, like Tim “Baked Alaska” Gionet, the former BuzzFeed staffer turned alt-right weirdo, were permanently banned. Gionet, apparently at wit’s end, dealt with the loss the only way he knew how: by livestreaming his breakdown an an In-N-Out Burger and randomly screaming at innocent passersby.

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 But Laura Loomer, an ex-employee of Project Veritas, James O’Keefe’s right-wing sting operation, but who’s probably best known for crashing a New York City performance of “Julius Caesar” to own the libs, took the loss of her verification especially hard, suggesting, of course, that this is basically just how that movie about the Holocaust begins.

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 When a verified Twitter user ironically responded that, perhaps, something happening on the internet is not at all like the genocide claimed the lives of six million Jews, Loomer doubled down magnificently:

 Although neo-Nazi figures like Richard Spencer and Jason Kessler, who organized the white supremacist rally that turned deadly in Charlottesville, were stripped of their verification, they remain active on the site. So like most things Twitter does to appear like it’s addressing harassment and abuse on the site, the move so far seems mostly like an effort to stop appearing to tacitly endorse the worst people online—without actually barring them from the service that’s in no small part contributed to their rise. ||||| Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings.

 / Updated By Chelsea Bailey

 Conservative commentator Laura Loomer was banned from using Uber and Lyft after she posted a series of anti-Muslim tweets following the terrorist attack in New York.

 A spokesman for the ride-hailing service Lyft confirmed Thursday that Loomer's account had been "deactivated" following her daylong tweetstorm that blamed Islam and Muslims for the deadly attack.

 A representative for Uber also confirmed that Loomer was banned permanently from using the service.

 Loomer launched into an anti-Muslim rant on Twitter Wednesday, calling for a new ride sharing company to be created that didn't employ Muslims, after it was revealed that Sayfullo Saipov, the suspect in the New York terror attack, was a former Uber driver.

 "Someone needs to create a non Islamic form of Uber or Lyft because I never want to support another Islamic immigrant driver," Loomer tweeted, tagging both companies in the post.

 The tweet marked the beginning of a daylong anti-Islamic social media attack that blamed all Muslims for ISIS terrorism. Loomer also posted a photo of two women wearing hijabs near the intersection where Tuesday's attacks occurred, writing “I bet they’re loving this.”

 Hours later, she re-tweeted reports that she’d been banned from both ride-sharing services. The 24-year-old has responded to the ban by announcing that she will be taking legal action against both companies.

 Related: Milo Yiannopoulos' 'Free Speech' Week Canceled

 “Uber will literally hire an Islamic terrorist, but they will ban a conservative journalist for addressing legitimate safety concerns,” she tweeted.

 The backlash to Loomer's rant was swift and vocal, with many critics accusing the online agitator of stoking racism in the wake of a tragedy. Celebrities also criticized Loomer’s posts, with model Gigi Hadid tweeting that she’s a "f***ing moron," and actress Alyssa Milano posting that she’d reported Loomer to Twitter for hate speech.

 The blowback seemed to embolden Loomer, who continued tweeting about the ban Thursday.

 Loomer describes herself as an independent journalist, but many of her critics have labeled her a vocal member of the alt-right. She previously worked for Project Veritas, which is run by far-right political activist James O'Keefe. ||||| Tweet with a location

 You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more |||||

– A few Twitter users lost the coveted blue tick on Wednesday after Twitter released new guidelines regarding verified accounts. The move came after the company was attacked for granting verified status to Jason Kessler, who put together the white nationalist rally that rocked Charlottesville in August (and issued this "vile" tweet about victim Heather Heyer). In a series of tweets, Twitter explained that "verification was meant to authenticate identity & voice ... [but] verification has long been perceived as an endorsement. We gave verified accounts visual prominence on the service which deepened this perception. We should have addressed this earlier but did not prioritize the work as we should have." General verification requests had been put on ice as of Nov. 9 pending a review of the program, and the Guardian reports that Twitter's new policy specifies that accounts that promote hate, support hate groups, or harass users will see verification revoked. Among those to immediately lose the check, per the Washington Post, were Kessler, white nationalist Richard Spencer, and far-right activist Laura Loomer (known for rushing the stage during Julius Caesar and being banned from Uber and Lyft after anti-Muslim tweets). Loomer's response to her notice of verification removal including tweeting "Translation: I'm a conservative" and, per Splinter, comparing her situation to that of Jews during the Holocaust.