Sony had an event today and as expected, it introduced the PlayStation 4. The next-gen platform is designed to shift focus from the living room to the gamer, Sony said, and overall, PlayStation’s approach is meant to make it possible for gamers to play wherever they want, whenever they want.

 PS4 lead system architect Mark Cerny talked about how the evolution of the PS4 came about, saying it began five years ago, earlier on in the life of the PS3. The PS3 was a first step, which was designed to connect to a variety of services, but it was limited because of how early it launched in that world, Cerny said.

 “Much less value is found today in blast processing or a system-on-a-chip,” Cerny said. He suggested tech could interfere with design innovation. The tech remains important, he stressed, but the idea was to create a platform that was all about experience. Sound familiar? That’s because it’s a tune Apple and Steve Jobs started playing years ago when they realized the spec race was a nonstarter in the mobile phone world.

 “By game creators, for game creators. It is a powerful and accessible system,” Cerny said on stage, suggesting that this time around there was a strong emphasis on ease of development, hence the use of a standard x86 PC CPU. The GPU is designed for use with “practical tasks,” he said, with the overall goal of making development a painless experience.

 Essentially, the PS4 is an advanced, x86-based personal computer, which means that it should be easy for developers to build. All of this is clearly an answer to a major complaint from studios about the previous generation, which was infamously tricky to master from a software perspective.

 Sony also unveiled a redesigned DualShock 4 controller, which has the Vita-style touchpad depicted in rumors, ad works with a 3D “stereo” camera accessory to track its movements in a loose approximation of what’s possible with Microsoft’s Xbox Kinect.

 The hardware is clearly also borrowing some tricks from mobile games. It has save states that allow users to quickly freeze and resume gameplay, without having to save just by switching on and off the console. There’s also background downloading, which allows digital titles to be played before they’re even completely on your local drive.

 Social is another key tentpole for the PS4, according to Cerny. He described a new function that allows you to quickly pause and upload gameplay videos as easily as you might have done with static screenshots in the past. There’s also spectator functionality for watching “celebrities” gaming, something which seems to have been borrowed from Twitter’s success with famous members. Networking will also be based around real names and profile pictures, instead of strictly on gamer tags and avatars, too, and all of this will plug into mobile apps to help gamers stay in touch. ||||| It's been seven years since the giant, boxy, expensive, hugely-fun and hyped PS3 first arrived. Seven years is a long time. But the next expensive, gorgeous era of gaming is here: the PlayStation 4. Everything looks better, yes, but it's definitely more of the same.

 The PS4, arriving in stores "Holiday 2013," is still very much a PC in terms of guts: an x86 processor, an 8-core combined CPU/GPU, (we're not sure of exactly which one), and 8 GB of unified GDDR5 memory (versus the PS3's 512 megabytes). And for those of you who worry about storage—don't, as the PS4 will have a local HDD (no word if there will be any solid state action). What does that mean for your eyeballs?

 A live demo of generic Unreal Engine 4 fiery destruction looked fantastic and fluid, at least on par with a high-end PC from today. A look at the next Killzone title was even more impressive, though we don't want to get our hopes up too much about what's pre-rendered here and what isn't. If it is, lighting effects look absolutely phenomenal, with better flames, glare, and shadows than anything on any console.

 But that's the idea, right?

 Cityscape scenes and view distance are pleasantly massive.

 Overall—and this is based only on demos projected onto a screen, not a real game on a real TV in your real home—the graphics are fantastic, but not of an OH MY HELL, nothing-else-like-it-even-close leap. Like, say, the first time you ever saw Sonic Adventure. A demo of Driveclub for PS4 wasn't appreciably better than the visuals you'd see on the latest Gran Turismo. I'd actually say it looked... the exact same. But we're not disappointed—there are absolutely scenes we've seen so far that could've only been pre-rendered on a PS3 or Xbox 360 and this thing isn't even out yet.

 face

 A demo by Quantic Dream showing off realtime facial detail running straight off the PS4 was brilliant. And it was just a demo. Imagine this tech behind the team who made LA Noire. On the other hand, it's just a single guy's head floating in space, and a demo, at that. But his skin looked real, man.

 A demo of Capcom's PS4 "Panta Rhei" engine looked like a mix between pre-rendered PS3-splendid, and current-gen PC smooth.

 Spectacular lighting and facial graphics, once again.

 Some bad news: no native PS3 backwards compatibility. But! You'll have PlayStation Cloud, permitting streaming access to old titles without the need for discs. Sony is frustratingly mum on how PlayStation Cloud will actually work, though.

 The DualShock makes a return as well—the DualShock 4—sharing the same general design as its predecessors. But it'll now share a touchpad in the middle, a share button, a headphone jack, and perhaps most importantly, a light bar that'll track movement with a PlayStation Move-style controller.

 That means movement gestures baked right into your hand—no need for a separate wand to wave around. Just one controller.

 There's also very impressive stuff going on in the background—games will be "instantly" bootable from sleep, and a secondary processor will handle downloading games in the background, giving you the ability to actually play games while they're being transferred from Sony's servers to your PS4. This will be nice for anyone absolutely sick of PS3's historically bad download wait times.

 A dedicated video-processing chip will let you stream video from your gaming session without leaving your session, sharable straight from a social-oriented button on your controller. Your friends will actually be able ot watch you play from their won couches, remotely offering tips and banter. Or hell: ask a friend who's just better than you to take over your game from their controller and beat that horrible boss. UStream integration will mean your performance can be a public one if you'd like, too.

 All the usual streaming video apps—Netflix, Hulu, Vudu, et al—will be there. Just like PS3.

 The new social gaming interface looks decent, but Sony is pushing "social integration" pretty hard here (well beyond finding strangers to kill), and it's questionable how much anyone really wants a social network on their phones and tablets built around gaming. We already have too many. Luckily, Facebook will be integrated inside the PS4, connecting with the PlayStation Network to fill it out with the online life you've already been building, rather than tediously starting from scratch.

 Personalization is an interesting emphasis—Sony says it'll study your downloading and playing habits to actually predict the next titles you'll want and download them ahead of time. Unless that's very smart, it's going to be very annoying.

 Remote play—continuing where you left off on another screen—will be another bullet point for the PS4. Expectedly, the Vita will be the go-to small-screen, with PS4 titles streaming straight to the Vita's 5-inch display. Unfortunately, it looks like it'll have to be wired, but Sony says the "goal" will be every single PS4 title playable on Vita.

 So what does it look like we have here (or will have) in the PS4? The PS3... but... more. Where the PS3 was fast, this is faster, pretty becomes prettier, everything a little expanded. It's a stiffer drink you've had before.

 Of course, no word on how much this thing will cost, and to our disappointment and exasperation, we have no idea what the console will look like. Maybe it's a pyramid. Bloody hell, Sony. |||||
What is a one-paragraph summary of the above article?

– Sony today unveiled its next-generation gaming system, PlayStation 4, saying the console will be part of a new ecosystem focused on hardware, software, and "the fastest, most powerful gaming network." The new console is the Japanese electronics giant's first major game machine since the PlayStation 3 went on sale in 2006. Today's unveiling is Sony's attempt to steal the spotlight, at least until Microsoft unveils its next Xbox in June at the E3 video game expo in Los Angeles. Among the PS4's revisions is an updated controller that adds a touchpad, motion control, and a "share" button. The controller also features a light bar, which means a new PlayStation camera can more easily track the device. Sony has struggled lately to keep up with Microsoft and other rivals such as Apple and Samsung. The company is promising nifty mobile devices, sophisticated digital cameras, and other gadgetry as part of its comeback effort. More details at Gizmodo and TechCrunch.


Article:
Starting in 1996, Alexa Internet has been donating their crawl data to the Internet Archive. Flowing in every day, these data are added to the Wayback Machine after an embargo period. ||||| An 18-year-old man thought to have appendicitis ended up being treated for severe internal injuries after an intense paintball game, according to a new case study.

 The unidentified patient came in with severe abdominal pain, no appetite and fever, which is consistent with appendicitis, according to the case study published today in the BMJ medical journal by doctors from University Hospital in London.

 However, after the teen was rushed to the operating room, doctors found that his appendix wasn't the problem and that his liver was lacerated and bleeding into his abdomen. Doctors were able to stop the bleeding by "repacking" the liver or applying a special pad and putting pressure on the organ overnight. The liver had to be repacked again the next day until the bleeding finally stopped.

 After interviewing the patient, doctors discovered he had taken part in a paintball game two days before and reported being hit twice on his lower right-hand side, according to the case study.

 "This represents the first report of paintball-related blunt traumatic injury to the liver," the doctors wrote in the study. "Solid organ injuries of this nature have only been reported three times previously." None of those cases involved liver damage.

 The doctors pointed out that paintball pellets have caused serious injuries in the past.

 "Pellets with muzzle velocities of 100–300 feet per second are potentially harmful to ocular structures and also to the intra-abdominal solid organs," the authors said. "Participants and physicians must both be aware of the possible dangers associated with this recreational sport." ||||| A game of paintball had an unfortunate ending when a teen in England wound up needing liver surgery after being struck in the abdomen, according to a new report of the young man's case.

 The injury was the first instance of a person suffering liver damage from playing paintball, the doctors who treated the teen wrote in their report of his case, published May 5 in the journal BMJ Case Reports.

 The 18-year-old went to the emergency room in August 2015 because of abdominal pain and a low-grade fever, said Dr. Joshua Luck, a resident surgeon at North Middlesex University Hospital in London, who treated the patient and is the lead author of the case report.

 Based on the patient's symptoms, the doctors there diagnosed him with appendicitis. (He hadn't mentioned to the doctors that he had played paintball two days prior.) They scheduled him to have emergency surgery, according to the report. [Costly, Deadly, Complicated: These 7 Surgeries Take the Biggest Toll]

 But when the operation began, the doctors were "very surprised to see blood coming from the liver," Luck told Live Science. The doctors even thought that they might have injured a blood vessel during the operation, because the blood in the abdominal cavity was so unexpected, he added. However, they then realized that the problem was the man's liver, not his appendix.

 They stopped the bleeding, and after the operation, learned that the man had been playing paintball two days earlier, and had been hit twice in the abdomen, according to the report.

 The doctors were surprised to learn that the liver damage most likely resulted from the paintball incident, especially because the man had no bruises on his skin near the liver, Luck said. He noted, however, that it is not uncommon for "seemingly innocuous events to cause internal injuries."

 In addition, traumatic injuries can lead to symptoms such as fever, Luck said.

 Two days after the man's surgery, the doctors checked to make sure the bleeding had definitely stopped, and the man was allowed to leave the hospital, according to the report.

 However, three weeks later, the young man returned. He told the doctors that he had undergone an ultrasound, which showed that there was still blood pooled in the liver, according to the report.

 This worried the doctors — they thought the teen might have reinjured his liver, or that the original injury was still bleeding, Luck said. However, further testing showed that no further damage had occurred, and indeed, the body was slowing reabsorbing the pooled blood, he said. In addition, the man's liver was functioning well, he said.

 "In the vast majority of blunt liver injuries, the body is able to heal itself over a period of weeks to months without the need for further" medical assistance, Luck said. But sometimes, the healing may be slower than expected, he added.

 And in some cases, slow healing of this type of injury may be due to a blood disorder that causes the blood to not coagulate normally, Luck said. However, doctors who specialize in blood disorders confirmed that this was not the case for this man, he said. [7 Strange Ways Humans Act Like Vampires]

 While the young man's injury was the first instance of liver damage from paintball, it's far from the first injury from the activity — eye injuries, for example, are common. It is, however, only the fourth case of organ damage from paintball, the authors wrote. There has been one previous case of kidney damage from paintball, and two cases that involved damage to the penis or scrotum, according to the report.

 Paintball guns can fire the paintballs at velocities of 100 to 300 feet (30 to 90 meters) per second, according to the report.

 This was the young man's first time playing paintball, Luck said. "Whether he'll try it again is yet to be decided," he said.

 Currently, the young man is doing well and continuing with his college studies, Luck said.

 Follow Sara G. Miller on Twitter @saragmiller. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Originally published on Live Science. |||||Summary:

– When an 18-year-old arrived at a London emergency room with severe abdominal pain, no appetite, and a fever, doctors recognized the symptoms of appendicitis and scheduled an emergency surgery. They were in for a shock. Once the teen had been cut open, doctors at North Middlesex University Hospital were "very surprised to see blood coming from the liver," while his appendix seemed just fine, Dr. Joshua Luck tells Live Science. They were so surprised, in fact, that they thought they might have nicked a blood vessel. What the teen had failed to mention: Two days earlier he'd been hit in the abdomen by two paintballs during his first attempt at the sport, reports ABC News. Though the paintballs—which can travel up to 300 feet per second—didn't leave a bruise near his liver, it's not uncommon for "seemingly innocuous events to cause internal injuries," Luck says. The August 2015 incident "represents the first report of paintball-related blunt traumatic injury to the liver," researchers explain in BMJ Case Reports. While eye injuries are from paintball are "well recognized," solid organ damage from paintballs has only been reported in three prior cases: one involving the kidney and two involving the penis/scrotum. Doctors were able to stop the bleeding and confirmed weeks later that the teen's liver was functioning well. "Whether he'll try (paintball) again is yet to be decided," Luck says. (This guy burst his bladder in an odd way.)


Here is a news article: HONOLULU (AP) — A 3-year-old Hawaii girl who suffered a heart attack during a dentist visit likely died because of the drugs given to sedate her, according to a medical examiner's autopsy report.

 Finley Puleo Boyle, of Kailua, probably died because of the sedatives and local anesthesia that were administered during her December dental procedure, Honolulu Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Christopher Happy concluded in his autopsy report. He classified the death as an accident.

 The girl lapsed into a coma Dec. 3 in the office of Dr. Lilly Geyer at Island Dentistry for Children. She died Jan 3. The office has since closed.

 The autopsy report said the previously healthy girl had no signs of underlying heart problems or an allergic reaction to the array of sedatives and anesthetic she received in preparation for cavity fillings and root canals, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser (http://ow.ly/uPJl4 ) reported Friday.

 The medical examiner noted her teeth were in good shape: "the oral cavity has native dentition in good repair."

 Finley received five drugs, according to the report, including Demerol, hydroxyzine and chlorohydrate. She was also given laughing gas and an injection of a local anesthetic, lidocaine with epinephrine.

 "Immediately following the lidocaine injection, the decedent became unresponsive and went into cardiopulmonary arrest," Happy said in his report.

 Parents Ashley and Evan Boyle filed a negligence lawsuit while their only child was in a coma. Their attorney, Rick Fried, would not comment on the autopsy report.

 Geyer's attorney, John Nishimoto, has called the allegations "unproven" but declined to comment further because of the lawsuit. He didn't respond to the newspaper's requests for comment on the autopsy report Thursday.

 Geyer was issued a license to practice dentistry in the state in July 2005, the Star-Advertiser has previously reported. As of last December, there were no records of complaints against her or her practice on file with the Hawaii Department Of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, according to the newspaper.

 In January, new state rules took effect tightening oversight of dental sedation in Hawaii.

 ___

 Information from: Honolulu Star-Advertiser, http://www.staradvertiser.com ||||| We’re learning more about what happened to a three-year-old Kailua girl who died after a visit to the dentist.

 On Dec. 3, 2013, Finley Boyle had a heart attack while undergoing a root canal at Dr. Lilly Geyer’s office at Island Dentistry for Children in Kailua. She slipped into a coma and died a month later.

 An autopsy report says the drugs that were given to her were partly to blame. According to the medical examiner’s office, a combination of sedatives and anesthesia administered prior to and during the procedure played a role in her death.

 According to a lawsuit filed by Finley’s family, Boyle was in the office to get four root canals done. A technician gave her five different drugs, including Demarol and other sedatives, and the girl went into cardiac arrest.

 Boyle’s attorney says records show the girl wasn’t monitored while she was sedated. Instead of checking her oxygen levels every five minutes, it wasn’t done for 26 minutes.

 Boyle’s mother, Ashley, said nobody there administered CPR. Someone had to get a doctor in another office.

 The medical examiner’s office ultimately ruled the death an accident.

 No criminal charges have been brought against Geyer. |||||
A summary of this is?

– Drugs are likely to blame for the death of Finley Boyle, the 3-year-old Hawaii girl who died a month after going into cardiac arrest during a root canal at a Kailua dentist's office on Dec. 3, according to the official autopsy report. The report says the combination of sedatives and anesthesia Finley received during the procedure probably caused her death, the AP reports. The report noted that Finley was healthy, and ruled out any signs of an underlying heart condition or an allergic reaction. The medical examiner's office ruled the toddler's death an accident, and no charges have been brought against Dr. Lilly Geyer, KHON reports; however, Finley's family has filed a lawsuit claiming Finley was not monitored for 26 minutes while she was under sedation. Geyer's office has since shut down, but Geyer's attorney calls the Boyle family's allegations "unproven." (Meanwhile, a young mother in Hawaii is in a coma following wisdom teeth surgery.)


Summarize this article:

Olympic silver medalist Bryshon Nellum will carry the U.S. flag at Sunday's closing ceremony of the London Olympics.

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 United States' Bryshon Nellum runs beside Saudi Arabia's Yousef Ahmed Masrahi during a men's 400-meter heat in the athletics in the Olympic Stadium at the 2012 Summer Olympics, London, Saturday, Aug.... (Associated Press)

 USA's Bryshon Nellum, Joshua Mance, Tony McQuay and Angelo Taylor celebrate their silver medal in the men's 4x400-meter during the athletics in the Olympic Stadium at the 2012 Summer Olympics, London,... (Associated Press)

 Nellum was told by doctors that he might never be an elite athlete again after he was shot in the legs while leaving a restaurant near the campus of Southern California in 2008. Four years later, he's an Olympic medalist.

 Nellum was part of the men's 4x400-meter relay team, which finished second to the Bahamas on Friday night. He also competed in the 400-meter dash in London, making the semifinal round.

 Nellum says he's "humbled by this incredible privilege."

 U.S. Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun says Nellum's courage "embodies the Olympic spirit."

 Nellum was selected flagbearer by other members of the U.S. Olympic team in London. ||||| With a surge of medals in track and field, the United States has sprinted ahead of China and is poised to finish atop the medals table at the London Olympics _ maybe with the most golds ever collected by the Americans on foreign soil.

 United States' Ashton Eaton gestures from the podium after being presented with a gold medal in the men's decathlon during the athletics in the Olympic Stadium at the 2012 Summer Olympics, London, Friday,... (Associated Press)

 Members of the team from China reacts as they see their score during the synchronized swimming team free routine final at the Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London,... (Associated Press)

 United States' Will Claye, silver, Italy's Fabrizio Donato, bronze, and United States' gold medal winner Christian Taylor, from left, celebrate after the men's triple jump final during the athletics in... (Associated Press)

 United States' Ashton Eaton listens to the U.S. national anthem after being presented with a gold medal in the men's decathlon during the athletics in the Olympic Stadium at the 2012 Summer Olympics,... (Associated Press)

 Heading into the final weekend of competition, the U.S. leads both the gold and overall medals races after trailing the Chinese most of the games.

 The Americans pulled further ahead Friday. At the end of the day's events, the U.S. led China 94 to 81 in total medals and 41 to 37 in golds.

 Bill Mallon, a veteran American medals prognosticator, believes the U.S. will win the overall race by 12 to 15 medals and the gold count by three to five.

 Four more golds would equal the highest U.S. total on foreign territory in Olympic history _ 45 at both the 1968 Mexico City Games and the 1924 Paris Games.

 The gold haul in London is already the best for the United States since it won 44 in 1996 in Atlanta. Its highest gold count was 83 at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, which were boycotted by the Soviet Union.

 The late U.S. charge in London has been spurred by the track and field team, with 26 medals, including eight golds, through Friday.

 The Americans picked up four medals Thursday night with 1-2 finishes by Ashton Eaton and Trey Hardee in the decathlon and by Christian Taylor and Will Claye in the triple jump. They grabbed two more Friday night _ gold in the women's 4x100-meter relay and silver in the men's 4x400 relay.

 Away from the track, wrestler Jordan Burroughs won gold in the men's 74-kilogram freestyle.

 The success could validate the projection of 30 medals by USA Track & Field, the national governing body for the sport, which had been widely maligned as too ambitious.

 With two more relays and a few other chances coming up, the United States could exceed 30 medals _ even after being shut out in the men's 200 and 400 meters, two events where the Americans usually excel.

 "A lot of people thought 30 medals was crazy," said Steve Roush, the U.S. Olympic Committee's former chief of sports performance, who served on USA Track & Field's "Project 30" panel.

 He added: "It was the big question mark coming in. It turns out we are going to be right there. If there is a surprise, it's just how well the U.S. has done in track and field."

 Though closely tracked by Olympic teams, fans and the media, the medals race is an unofficial competition. The International Olympic Committee doesn't even recognize the medal count.

 The U.S. Olympic Committee has also been reluctant to talk up the medals chase _ until the end of the games, anyway. It stresses that its job is to enable as many Americans as possible to stand on the podium and represent the country.

 "We are fortunate to have had success in both team and individual sports," spokesman Patrick Sandusky said. "The Olympic Games is a competition between athletes, not nations. With that said, we are very proud of our American athletes in London."

 China beat the U.S. in gold medals, 51 to 36, on home soil at the 2008 Beijing Games, while the Americans prevailed 110 to 100 overall.

 Many thought China would sweep both lists in London. And the Chinese started strong, racking up medals in their traditional sports of badminton, table tennis and diving. But medal chances are drying up in the final days, and China can't compete with the U.S. in track and field.

 "China's big challenge is in swimming and track and field," Roush said. "There are so many medals at stake."

 This is still China's best gold medal showing outside Beijing, better than the 32 it collected at the 2004 Athens Games. But there is a clear sense of disappointment back home.

 The Communist Party's official Guangming Daily newspaper complained of unfair judging. Several papers cited the result in the men's gymnastics rings event, in which Chen Yibing settled for silver behind Brazil's Arthur Zanetti.

 "We need to shout out loud: London Olympics, under the Olympic rings, please view all participants equally," the paper said.

 In interviews with Chinese newspapers, the country's deputy sports minister, Cai Zhenhua, has also accused judges of discriminating against Chinese athletes.

 "We need to solve the problem now or risk more judges adopting a biased view," Cai said.

 Britain, meanwhile, is assured of finishing third in gold medals, benefiting from a home-country boost that has produced its best medal performance in more than a century _ 25 golds and 57 overall.

 Not since the 1908 London Olympics has Britain racked up medals at this pace. Back then, only 22 nations showed up, compared with 204 today.

 Britain, heavily promoting its athletes as Team GB, has excelled particularly in rowing and track cycling, thanks in large part to generous funding from the national lottery and the government-backed U.K. Sport body. U.K. Sport allocated $470 million for sports federations and athletes ahead of the London Games.

 "GB cycling is a model of what can be done, and the rowing is phenomenal," Roush said. "It's been a combination of home-field advantage and U.K. Sport support."

 Britain's rise has come at the expense of once-powerful Russia, which will finish out of the top three in golds for the first time since before the Soviet Union began competing at the Olympics.

 In 1912, the Russian team had no golds and five total. The Soviet Union began competing at the 1952 Helsinki Games. Since then, the Soviet or Russian team has finished in the top three in golds every time _ until now.

 The Russians had only 15 golds through Friday, compared with 23 in Beijing. They have won plenty of silver and bronze and are third in the overall count with 62, but that's not good enough for a country that will host the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

 "The Russians are rebuilding," Roush said. "The old Soviet system produced such strong talent and coaches, but the coaches and athletes are starting to retire."

 Perhaps the biggest surprise has been South Korea. The country of 50 million people _ roughly the population of California, Washington and Oregon put together _ has charged into fourth place with 13 golds, asserting itself as an Asian power.

 The South Koreans have invested heavily in Olympic sports, coaches and training and will do even more as they prepare to host the 2018 Winter Games in the city of Pyeongchang.

 Japan has performed strongly, with 35 medals, but has failed to turn them into gold, picking up only five.

 Australia and Germany have been among the biggest disappointments. The Australians had hoped to finish in the top five in both golds and total medals, but are lagging that pace with only seven and 31. Germany, which had a target of 28 golds and 86 medals, has only 10 golds and 42 total.

 ___

 Associated Press writer Christopher Bodeen in Beijing contributed to this report.

 ___

 Follow Stephen Wilson on Twitter: http://twitter.com/stevewilsonap. ||||| The United States continued its surge up the Olympic medal rankings Friday with a record-breaking victory in the women's 4x100-meter relay.

 Ethiopia's Meseret Defar holds up a picture to her face after she won gold in the women's 5000-meter final during the athletics in the Olympic Stadium at the 2012 Summer Olympics, London, Friday, Aug.... (Associated Press)

 FILE - In this Aug. 18, 2004, file photo, Tyler Hamilton holds up his gold medal after the men's road individual time trial of the 2004 Olympic Games in the outskirts of Athens. The IOC is set to formally... (Associated Press)

 United States' women's 4 x100-meter relay team members, from left, Carmelita Jeter, Bianca Knight, Tianna Madison and Allyson Felix, celebrate their gold medal win during the athletics in the Olympic... (Associated Press)

 Ethiopia's Meseret Defar reacts as she crosses the finish line to win the 5000-meter final during the athletics in the Olympic Stadium at the 2012 Summer Olympics, London, Friday, Aug. 10, 2012. (AP Photo/Anja... (Associated Press)

 Jamaica's Usain Bolt celebrates winning the gold medal in the men's 200-meter final during the athletics in the Olympic Stadium at the 2012 Summer Olympics, London, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012. (AP Photo/Matt... (Associated Press)

 Ethiopia's Tirunesh Dibaba, right, and Ethiopia's Meseret Defar compete in a women's 5000-meter heat during the athletics in the Olympic Stadium at the 2012 Summer Olympics, London, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2012.... (Associated Press)

 Turkey's Asli Cakir Alptekin celebrates her gold medal in the women's 1500-meter during the athletics in the Olympic Stadium at the 2012 Summer Olympics, London, Friday, Aug. 10, 2012. Bulut won the silver... (Associated Press)

 Venezuela's Omart Longart, left, and South Africa's Oscar Pistorius, center, wait for the batons during the men's 4x400-meter relay final during the athletics in the Olympic Stadium at the 2012 Summer... (Associated Press)

 The crowd cheered wildly as Carmelita Jeter crossed the line as the clock marked 40.82 seconds _ well below East Germany's 41.37 record from 1985. Teammates Tianna Madison, 200-meter champion Allyson Felix and Bianca Knight gave the U.S. a big lead heading into the anchor leg by 100 silver medalist Jeter.

 "I was already pointing at the clock, saying 'there it is!'" Jeter said after the race. "There was a cloud hanging over us with people saying 'they cannot do this, they are going to drop the stick,' but we did it."

 Heading into the final weekend of the London Games, the U.S. tops both the gold and overall medals races after trailing the Chinese for most of it.

 It was yet another remarkable night in the main Olympic stadium as double amputee Oscar Pistorius of South Africa ran his last race of these Olympics in the men's 4x400-meter final. The U.S. just missed that gold, however, which went to the Bahamas. Pistorius _ the first amputee runner in track and field to compete at the Olympics _ received the South African baton in last place and was last crossing the line.

 The man known as "Blade Runner" because of his prosthetic carbon fiber blades came close to not running at all Friday after a Kenyan runner on Thursday knocked over South Africa's Ofentse Mogawane on the final bend in the second leg of the race.

 But the judges later ruled that the Kenyan runner had cut across Mogawane, causing the collision, and advanced the South African team to the final anyway.

 In other track finals, an Olympic record was set as France's Renaud Lavillenie won the pole vault gold medal with a games mark of 5.97 meters.

 In the women's 5,000 meters, Meseret Defar beat fellow Ethiopian Tirunesh Dibaba to win the gold. Defar, the 2004 Olympic champion, overtook Dibaba in the final stretch and took the gold medal in 15 minutes, 4.25 seconds.

 Later, Asli Cakir Alptekin of Turkey also crossed the line ahead of her teammate Gamze Bulut to win the gold medal in women's 1,500-meters. European champion Alptekin, who served a two-year suspension for doping after the 2004 world junior championships, won the gold medal in 4 minutes, 10.23 seconds.

 Russia's Tatyana Lysenko earned a gold in women's hammer throw.

 Away from the track, the Netherlands had a 2-0 win over world champion Argentina to hold on to their women's Olympic field hockey title. In the bronze medal match, Britain won its first women's field hockey medal in 20 years with a 3-1 victory over New Zealand.

 Earlier Friday, Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page of Australia held off their British rivals to win the men's 470 class, the country's third on the English Channel at Weymouth, ensuring that the Australians will finish with more sailing golds than Britain.

 "I suppose I am an old man now," the 40-year-old Page said. "I have been campaigning in 470s for 15 years. To go out like this is incredible."

 Sailing is just about the only place where Australia is excelling, particularly over the host country. After surprisingly winning just one gold medal in the swimming pool _ in a women's relay _ the games were an early disappointment for a team hoping to finish in the top five in the gold medal race.

 They won't achieve that, but gold medals to 100-meter hurdler Sally Pearson and cyclist Anna Meares, along with the triple gold performance from its sailors in the past five days have taken some of the sting out of what has been an under-par games for Australia.

 Most depressingly for Australia, its seven gold medals overall have been dwarfed by the 25 _ and counting _ won by their traditional and often bitter sporting rivals from Britain.

 In a later race at Weymouth, Australia's trans-Tasman neighbor New Zealand won gold in the women's 470 class. Jo Aleh and Olivia Powrie clinched the Kiwis' second sailing medal and fourth overall.

 Maris Strombergs of Latvia won his second straight Olympic gold medal in BMX, taking the lead out of the starting gate and never relinquishing it. Strombergs won the inaugural competition at the Beijing Games, but has struggled with injuries the past of couple years.

 Carlos Mario Oquendo Zabala made it a good afternoon for Colombia with his bronze. His teammate Mariana Pajon _ the flag bearer for Colombia in the opening ceremony _ won gold in the women's race earlier in the day.

 Squel Stein of Brazil crashed heavily during the semifinals of the race and was carried off the course on a stretcher.

 At a murky Serpentine Lake in London's Hyde Park, Ous Mellouli showed his versatility in the water, winning the 10-kilometer open water race less than a week after taking bronze in the 1,500 in the Aquatic Centre pool, the first swimmer to achieve that feat at the same Olympics.

 It was the second gold of Mellouli's Olympic career, having won the 1,500 at the 2008 Beijing Games.

 He overcame shoulder and elbow injuries before the games, plus a virus two days ago. Now, he's considering retirement.

 "Only those close to me know how much I struggled to get here today," Mellouli said. "I don't think there's a better way to go out than this. I can just leave it all behind and have no regrets."

 Russia won the synchronized swimming team final, giving the country its fourth consecutive gold medal in the event. China and Spain took the other podium spots, leaving Japan without a medal in synchro swimming for the first time since the sport was added to the Olympics in 1984.

 ____

 AP sports writer Dennis Passa contributed to this story. |||||

– One more for the gold, and seemingly nothing can prevent it. This US men's basketball team might not slow down until it's standing at the center of the medals platform again. Kevin Durant scored 19 points, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony added 18 apiece, and the US powered its way back to the gold-medal game by beating Argentina 109-83 today. The Americans play Spain on Sunday in the title game. Also today: The US scored a record-breaking victory in the women's 4x100-meter relay. The crowd cheered wildly as Carmelita Jeter crossed the line as the clock marked 40.82 seconds—well below East Germany's 41.37 record from 1985. Teammates Tianna Madison, Allyson Felix, and Bianca Knight gave the US a big lead heading into the anchor leg. Olympic silver medalist Bryshon Nellum was picked to carry the US flag at Sunday's closing ceremony. With a surge of medals in track and field, the United States has sprinted ahead of China and is poised to finish atop the medals table—maybe with the most golds ever collected by the Americans on foreign soil. The US led China 94 to 81 in total medals and 41 to 37 in golds. It needs four more golds to tie the mark.


News article:

UFC Women's Bantamweight champion Miesha Tate and Game of Thrones writers and producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss join Matt Serra and Jim Norton on Episode 7 of the UFC Unfiltered podcast. Tate discusses her upcoming title defense against Amanda Nunes at UFC 200 this weekend while Benioff and Weiss talk about the latest season finale of GoT and what's ahead in the popular HBO series.1:40 - What did the guys do during the 4th of July?8:30 - What happened when Jim went to watch "The Conjuring 2" over the weekend - and why does he wish he was Dan Henderson?20:00 - The guys really like their MeUndies.26:02 - Game of Thrones' creators join the show.28:24 - What couldn't you translate from the books into the show?29:09 - Any complaints from George R. R. Martin?30:01 - Which character you've killed off do you wish you didn't have to?31:15 - The guys talk about THAT fight scene.32:48 - David and D.B. talk about their UFC fandom.34:53 - How many more episodes are left in GoT? Do you know how it will end?35:55 - Any chance of a prequel? What will they do after they are done with GoT?38:55 - Has the network opposed any of the deaths you've planned on GoT?41:22 - When will the new season of GoT begin?45:20 - This Week in UFC History.46:19 - Miesha Tate joins the podcast.46:62 - Is Amanda Nunes at UFC 200 a bigger challenge than Holly Holm was?47:37 - Miesha talks about Amanda's weaknesses.48:15 - How important is a third fight with Ronda Rousey?49:40 - How Did Miesha rebound after previous losses?51:16 - What was the first thing Miesha did after she won the championship?51:50 - Is the fact that Miesha's UFC 200 bout is a five-round fight an advantage over Amanda?54:35 - The importance of the proper mentality inside the Octagon.55:55 - What's Miesha got to prove?56:44 - What's the difference between this fight and others for Amanda?58:27 - What do you tell yourself going into the Octagon if you are the underdog?59:44 - What did the guys learn from talking with Miesha?1:03:50 - Matt Serra responds to Matt Hughes' callout.1:14:23 - What does Matt Serra miss from his fighting days? ||||| We may have to wait a bit longer than usual for the next season of Game of Thrones, and there’s a very good reason: The show needs winter to actually show up first.

 The HBO series normally debuts every new season in April, but season seven will likely launch later in 2017, as showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss revealed in a podcast interview with UFC Unfiltered:

 We’re starting a bit later because at the end of this season, ‘Winter is here’ - and that means that sunny weather doesn’t really serve our purposes any more. So we kind of pushed everything down the line, so we could get some grim grey weather even in the sunnier places that we shoot.

 This implies we’ll see some of our more traditionally sunny lands of Westeros in entirely new ways. We’re used to the chilly environments of Winterfell and the Wall, but imagine seeing King’s Landing or Highgarden covered in clouds, rain, or even snow. And where are the people of Dorne supposed to go, since their entire kingdom seems to be made of nothing but porches and patios?

 Game of Thrones is looking to have just two more shortened seasons before the series ends. The good news is that even if these final two seasons begin later that usual, they could still end in June, as per usual. It all depends on when, exactly, winter is coming ... in the real world.

 [Digital Spy] |||||
What is a shorter version of the above article?

– The wait for the next season of Game of Thrones just got a bit longer because, as io9 reports, winter isn't coming. At least not yet. New seasons of Game of Thrones typically debut in April, but weather in the European locations where the show films could push that back, the Verge reports. “We’re starting a bit later because at the end of this season ‘winter is here’—and that means that sunny weather doesn’t really serve our purposes any more," Thrones creators Dan Weiss and David Benioff say on the UFC Unfiltered podcast. "So we kind of pushed everything down the line so we could get some grim, gray weather even in the sunnier places that we shoot.” And who knows, if the real-life winter holds off long enough George RR Martin might even have time to finish the next book.


– In a deeply unfortunate gaffe for Donald Trump on the eve of New York's GOP primary, he managed to get the date of 9/11 wrong. "I was down there and I watched our police and our firemen, down on 7-11, down at the World Trade Center, right after it came down, and I saw the greatest people I've ever seen in action," he told a Monday night rally in Buffalo, NY, per the Hill. "I saw the bravest people I've ever seen, including the construction workers, including every person down there." Trump—who went on to slam "Lyin' Ted Cruz," "Crooked Hillary Clinton," and "stupid trade deals" like NAFTA—still received plenty of cheers from what the Buffalo News calls an "adoring" and wildly enthusiastic crowd at the First Niagara Center, where he was introduced by Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan. According to a Marist poll released on Saturday, Trump has a 29-point lead in New York, with 54% support to 25% for John Kasich. Ted Cruz is third with 16%. (Cruz was almost completely ignored when he spoke at the New York State Republican gala last week.)

Expand this summary.

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump Donald TrumpFive takeaways from New Hampshire Senate debate Trump losing cash race in final weeks Vulnerable GOP senator questions opponent's American heritage MORE on Monday mistakenly referred to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks as “7-11.”

 “I was down there, and I watched our police and our firemen, down on 7-11, down at the World Trade Center, right after it came down, and I saw the greatest people I’ve ever seen in action," he said during a rally Monday.

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 "I saw the bravest people I’ve ever seen, including the construction workers, including every person down there,” he continued.

 “That’s what New York values are about.”

 Trump was campaigning in Buffalo ahead of the Empire State’s primary on Tuesday. ||||| In the contest for the Republican presidential nomination, businessman Donald Trump, 54%, leads Ohio Governor John Kasich, 25%, by 29 points among likely Republican primary voters in New York State. Texas Senator Ted Cruz receives 16% of the likely GOP electorate. Trump maintains a commanding lead over his Republican rivals. In the previous NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist Poll of New York, Trump was ahead of Kasich by 33 points.

 “Donald Trump is well-positioned to carry New York handily and is likely to acquire a sizeable number of New York’s delegates, as a result,” says Dr. Lee Miringoff, Director of The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion.

 64% of likely Republican voters with a candidate preference strongly support their choice of candidate. Seven in ten Trump supporters, 70%, say they will not waver in their commitment to him.

 Among likely Republican primary voters with a candidate preference, Kasich, 37%, is the most mentioned candidate as voters’ second choice. Cruz follows with 30%, and Trump receives 14%.

 Complete April 16, 2016 NBC 4 New York/Wall Street Journal/Marist Poll Release of New York

 Complete April 16, 2016 NBC 4 New York/Wall Street Journal/Marist Poll of New York (Registered Voters)

 Complete April 16, 2016 NBC 4 New York/Wall Street Journal/Marist Poll of New York (Likely Republican Primary Voters)

 Marist Poll Methodology for New York

 Nature of the Sample for New York ||||| Donald Trump culminated the most intense two weeks of presidential primary campaigning in New York history Monday night, driving an adoring First Niagara Center crowd into a frenzy as he promised to revamp trade agreements, repeal Obamacare and restore jobs to Buffalo and elsewhere in the state.

 Trump seemed to speak in overdrive, lambasting opponents such as “Lyin’ Ted Cruz” and “Crooked Hillary Clinton” while calling for a rejection of the economic policies that he says has driven jobs from communities such as Buffalo. He continually cited the loss of manufacturing jobs in Buffalo and throughout New York State and promised he will “restore” the country to what he called past glory.

 “We’re going to be so strong,” he said. “You’re going to be so proud.”

 Trump added that “this is the last big speech I’m making in New York. We’re going to win at every element of what we’re doing.”

 [Watch Trump's speech below]

 On the eve of Tuesday’s Republican and Democratic primaries in New York, the biggest prize yet in the presidential nominating process of 2016, Trump neither broke new ground nor changed his message. But the New York billionaire businessman seemed to confirm the strength of his front-running status by hitting touchstone issues that resonated with a crowd that filled less than two-thirds of the arena that holds slightly more than 18,000.

 Arena staff estimated the crowd at 11,000 to 12,000, and police put the figure at 11,425.

 Trump drew boisterous cheers after reciting a litany of proposals and then returning to a key phrase: “And we’re going to build that wall,” referring to his oft-stated intention of build a wall at the Mexican border to stem the tide of illegal immigration.

 “We’re going to have strong borders where people can come in,” he said, “but they’re going to have to come in legally.”

 Trump told The Buffalo News in a phone interview Friday that he expected his campaign to soon retreat from some of the especially tough rhetoric he has used since announcing his candidacy in June. On Monday, however, he punctuated his short, staccato sentences with a finger in the air and much of his trademark combativeness. The idea of being more “presidential” seemed to be put on hold.

 “I don’t want to get more presidential until I win,” he said.

 Trump worked hard to play to the Buffalo crowd. He frequently reminded his audience of Buffalo’s diminished job base and its economic challenges. And as he has throughout his campaign, he blamed much of the malaise on “stupid trade deals” such as the North American Free Trade Agreement.

 “Fewer cities in America have taken a harder hit,” he said, citing labor statistics showing the drastic decline of manufacturing in New York.

 “It’s not your fault; it’s the politicians representing all of us,” he said.

 Several times, he faulted trade deals crafted by presidents, including Bill Clinton. China enjoys all the advantages of its trade agreements with the United States, he said, and that must be corrected.

 “If you want to do business in China, it’s virtually impossible to get your product in,” he said. “This is not free trade. This is stupid, stupid stupid trade.”

 Bill Clinton, he reminded his audience, is married to Hillary Clinton, and Trump pointed to her sudden opposition to some new trade pacts. “NAFTA, that is a total disaster,” he said. “And Trans-Pacific Partnership? It’s going to make NAFTA look like peanuts.”

 Trump blamed his GOP opponents – Texas Sen. Cruz and Ohio Gov. John R. Kasich – for failing to recognize the effects of such agreements.

 “No New Yorker can vote for Kasich when he was in favor of NAFTA,” Trump said, referring to the former congressman’s votes, “when it has been a disaster for your state and this city.”

 As he has for the last several days, Trump attacked Cruz for his earlier criticism of “New York values” as the embodiment of liberal politics. Trump pointed to the New York police and firefighters, as well as the dedication of working-class residents of the state.

 “By the way, Ted Cruz – Lyin’ Ted Cruz, Lyin’ Ted – is one of the great liars of all time,” he said.

 Trump again pointed to the response of New Yorkers after the 9/11 terrorist attacks as “very close to my heart.”

 “I saw the greatest people I ever saw in action. I saw the bravest people I ever saw,” he said. “That’s what New York values are all about.”

 Trump then seemed to prompt about as many cheers and noise as an overtime goal in the arena that is home to the Buffalo Sabres as he finished his approximately hourlong speech.

 “So here’s the story: You’re going to leave here and say, ‘That was a great evening.’ Tomorrow, you are going to vote. You’re going to make sure all your friends vote,” he said

 “And you’re going to remember … this evening, and you’re going to remember to vote,” he added. “You’re going to look back in four years, and 12 years and 25 years and say, ‘That’s the greatest single vote I’ve ever cast.’ ”

 Trump walked to the podium to tremendous applause at 7:30 p.m., after an introduction by Rex Ryan, head coach of the Buffalo Bills. “He’ll say what’s on his mind,” Ryan said of Trump.

 Trump seemed energized by the frenzied crowd that sounded as if the arena were filled. As he has in his travels across New York in the last two weeks, Buffalo developer Carl P. Paladino also spoke before Trump’s speech. The 2010 Republican nominee for governor delivered an impassioned exhortation for Trump and minced no words in denouncing hundreds of reporters gathered in the arena – and getting the big crowd to cheer him on.

 “What we’ve watched in Washington for the past seven years is disgusting, and we’re not going to take it anymore,” Paladino said. “Are we mad? Turn around and tell that to the press. We allow them to think they can continue to control our thinkingand our acting – and we’re done with them.”

 ---

 Related content: Sheriff Howard, a co-chair for Trump, was part of security detail at rally

 Rex Ryan introduces Donald Trump: 'He'll say what's on his mind'

 Gallery: Smiles at Donald Trump rally

 Gallery: Protesters at Trump rally

 Disaffected Americans flock to Trump

 Trump reignites outsider fervor that energized Paladino emergence

 The New York primary: What you need to know

 After months of harsh rhetoric, Trump says he's ready to adopt 'more presidential' demeanor

 ---

 Rep. Chris Collins, R-Clarence, also figured as one of Trump’s main cheerleaders, firing up a crowd by resurrecting his own 2007 successful campaign slogan for Erie County executive: “We need a chief executive, not a chief politician.”

 Collins latched onto Trump’s opposition to foreign trade pacts, saying that “countries like China and Mexico continue to steal our jobs.”

 “Enough is enough,” Collins boomed. “It’s time to take back our country – the United States of America.”

 Recognizing that scuffles and fisticuffs have broken out at previous Trump rallies across the country, a public address announcer asked the crowd just before Trump took the stage to refrain from any confrontations with protesters. Police ended up ejecting about 20 people who disrupted Trump during his speech. That prompted him to utter what has become a trademark phrase when protesters interrupt: “Get ’em outta here.”

 Police later said that six people were arrested, all outside the area.

 Erie County Republican Chairman Nicholas A. Langworthy acted as master of ceremonies in his role as one of the major New York State GOP leaders backing Trump.

 A festive atmosphere dominated the arena for more than three hours before the event, with crowds lustily applauding a previous Barbara Walters video interview of the candidate that appeared on the overhead scoreboard.

 Huge cheers arose whenever Trump mentioned wiping out the Islamic State or building a wall on the Mexican border.

 All of this occurred as Trump continues to lead every New York poll by a wide margin. The latest, the Marist poll released Saturday, showed Trump with 54 percent, Kasich with 25 percent and Cruz with 16 percent.

 The Buffalo rally occurred amid a shakeup in the Trump campaign. He told top staff members Saturday that he wants his recent campaign hires – Paul Manafot and Rick Wiley – to take charge in coming primary states, Washington news website Politico reported. The moves shrink the role of Trump’s campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski.

 Trump also gave his new campaign team $20 million for primaries in May and June, more than any previous level of spending in his campaign, Politico said.

 News Washington Bureau Chief Jerry Zremski contributed to this report. email: rmccarthy@buffnews.com |||||


Write a summary based on this article:

Thought you were done with election season? Not so fast. On Tuesday in Mississippi, the final U.S. senator of the 116th Congress will be chosen, determining whether Republicans have 52 or 53 seats come January. It’s the second round of voting in the special election that was scheduled after Republican Sen. Thad Cochran resigned in April. We’re not forecasting this runoff, but nonpartisan handicappers rate the Republican as the favorite. Catch up on everything you need to know about the election below, then join us back here on Tuesday night for our live blog.

 1. The players

 Although the special election is nominally nonpartisan, the battle lines are clear. The Republican candidate is incumbent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, the former state agriculture and commerce commissioner who was appointed to Cochran’s seat in March. The Democratic candidate is Mike Espy, former President Bill Clinton’s secretary of agriculture and a former six-year congressman from Mississippi.

 National Republicans have mobilized on behalf of Hyde-Smith in recent weeks, though it’s not clear if they are genuinely concerned or simply taking no chances. President Trump is hosting not one, but two rallies for her on Monday, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee and Senate Leadership Fund are reportedly spending more than $1 million each on ads. Democrats have responded in kind, if not proportionally: Sens. Cory Booker and Kamala Harris have stumped for Espy, and the liberal Senate Majority PAC has made a $500,000 TV buy.

 But both candidates have baggage. Republicans have focused their ads on Espy’s 1997 indictment for accepting improper gifts when he worked in the Clinton administration (although he was acquitted on all counts in 1998) and his more recent lobbying work for a dictator accused of crimes against humanity. And Hyde-Smith has come under fire for a series of controversies, mostly about her relationship with Mississippi’s Confederate and Jim Crow past. Most notably, she praised a close supporter by saying, “If he invited me to a public hanging, I’d be on the front row.” Many saw racial undertones to the quip given that Espy is black and that Mississippi has a long history of lynchings. As a result, corporations like Walmart and Major League Baseball have asked for refunds of their donations to Hyde-Smith’s campaign, but it is far from certain how much the controversies will matter to Hyde-Smith’s (mostly white) Mississippi base.

 2. The partisanship

 The first round of voting on Nov. 6 was a jungle primary in which all candidates, regardless of party, appeared on the ballot. Hyde-Smith finished first with 41.3 percent, followed by Espy at 40.9 percent. A second Republican candidate, state Sen. Chris McDaniel, received 16.4 percent, and a second Democrat, former intelligence officer Tobey Bartee, received 1.5 percent. The race is now headed to a runoff between the top two finishers because no candidate got over 50 percent of the vote.

 The near-tie in Round 1 might make the runoff look like anyone’s ballgame, but it’s not. It’s pretty easy for a Democrat to crest 40 percent of the vote in Mississippi — it’s happened in each of the last three presidential elections. That’s because Mississippi has a higher percentage of black residents than any other state — more than 36 percent of the citizen voting age population — and they vote strongly Democratic. But it’s much harder for a Democrat to get those extra 10 points to reach a majority, because the state’s white voters are almost as strongly Republican, and there are relatively few swing voters. Thus, Mississippi is one of the least elastic states in the country — in other words, a perennial 60-40 red state, just like it was in the first round of the special Senate election (in aggregate, Republican candidates got 57.7 percent and Democratic candidates got 42.3 percent).

 So Espy is probably pinning his hopes on the possibility that the Nov. 27 electorate looks different from the Nov. 6 electorate. Indeed, it seems as if he is specifically trying to translate Hyde-Smith’s “public hanging” comment into outsized African-American turnout on Tuesday. That would be a shift from the first round, when voter turnout in the state didn’t disproportionately lean Democratic — the 15.6-point aggregate Republican lead from Nov. 6 practically matched Mississippi’s FiveThirtyEight partisan lean of R+15.4. But an irregularly timed special election like Tuesday’s is susceptible to weirder turnout scenarios whereby one party could vastly outnumber the other because of an enthusiasm gap. For example, maybe Republicans who voted for McDaniel on Nov. 6 won’t turn out for Hyde-Smith in the same numbers. If that happens, it would fit in with a trend of Democratic overperformance in other oddly timed special elections in 2017-2018, in which Democrats outperformed their constituencies’ base partisanship by an average of 16 percentage points. That type of overperformance would give Espy a chance.

 However, there are plenty of reasons to think that won’t happen too. Maybe Democratic enthusiasm has been defused now that the party has succeeded at flipping the House. Or maybe Mississippi’s inelasticity will just prevent Democratic overperformance from reaching those lofty heights.

 3. The polling

 Indeed, November’s only public poll of the runoff suggests that Espy will outperform the average Democrat, but not by enough to win. A survey conducted between Nov. 19 and 24 found Hyde-Smith leading Espy 54 percent to 44 percent; the poll was sponsored by a Republican-leaning blog but jointly conducted by one Democratic and one Republican pollster. The most recent independent poll was conducted by Marist College in mid-October, back when the runoff was purely hypothetical; it found Hyde-Smith leading Espy 50 percent to 36 percent. So it’s possible that the race has narrowed in the past month, but probably not by enough to matter. The New York Times did report on a private Republican poll that purportedly showed Espy coming within 5 points of Hyde-Smith in mid-November, but we are always leery of trusting internal polls.

 In the end, there’s not a lot of evidence that Hyde-Smith’s gaffes have thrown this race wide open. (Comparisons to Roy Moore in next-door Alabama seem overblown; it took a scandal of epic proportions to throw that special election to Democrats.) On the other hand, there is a lot of evidence that Mississippi is an intractably red state. We’ll find out for sure on Tuesday night; polls close at 8 p.m. Eastern. ||||| Trump spent the majority of his time on stage in Tupelo and Biloxi on Monday the way he usually does, boasting of his administration's accomplishments and exaggerating what he claims are threats facing the country, from undocumented immigrants, foreign trading partners and congressional Democrats.

 Yet now that the midterm elections are over, and now that Democrats have taken control of the House, Trump's doomsday warnings about what would happen if Democrats were put in charge seemed to lack the urgency they had in the weeks leading up to the Nov. 6 elections.

 Trump also bragged about the economy under his watch. He started off by blaming previous administrations for trade policies that he said "shipped away your jobs" and forced America into "economic surrender." Then he pivoted to optimism, saying that now, "so many companies are coming in to Mississippi, and every place else, by the way."

 But even as Trump cited examples of the strong economy, a cloud hung over the otherwise positive picture.

 Earlier in the day, General Motors announced that the company planned to cut its workforce by 15 percent and shutter five plants in North America. The cuts could end up costing more than 14,000 workers their jobs.

 Trump did not mention GM during the rallies, but he told The Wall Street Journal he had warned CEO Mary Barra on Sunday that the company "better damn well open a new plant" in Ohio, one of the states slated to lose hundreds of jobs under the company's plans. Ohio was a key state for Trump in 2016. After voting for Democrat Barack Obama in two consecutive presidential elections, the state went for Trump by 8 percentage points over Hillary Clinton.

 The most politically effective message Trump delivered in Mississippi was his pitch on immigration, a topic that still motivates his supporters more than practically any other. Trump hit many familiar notes, painting undocumented immigrants as violent criminals who come to America to take people's jobs.

 "We don't want those people in Mississippi," Trump said to cheers and chants of "Build the wall!"

 Hyde-Smith also came onstage at both rallies, where she spent a few minutes pledging to protect Mississippi's "conservative values."

 Trump also made it clear how little daylight he sees between himself and Hyde-Smith.

 "She votes to make America great again and she votes for America first," Trump said in Tupelo. "Cindy is so important, so respected, we've got to send her back." ||||| Democrats acknowledge GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith is likely to win, but argue her flubs have given Mike Espy a narrow opening if everything breaks his way. | AP Photo/Evan Vucci Elections 'We don't want an Alabama': Hyde-Smith has Republicans holding their breath Democrat Mike Espy claims momentum in the final days of the Mississippi special Senate election, but Donald Trump heads to the state Monday to blunt it.

 Republicans think Cindy Hyde-Smith will ultimately pull out a win in Mississippi's special Senate election on Tuesday. But they say the race has tightened — and after what happened in Alabama last year, they're on edge.

 A swirl of controversy surrounding the Republican senator — stirred up by her comment about attending a "public hanging" — has given Democrat Mike Espy momentum in the homestretch, officials from both parties say. Hyde-Smith has never trailed in polling, and Democrats acknowledge she's likely to win, but they argue that her flubs have given Espy a very narrow opening if everything breaks his way.

 Story Continued Below

 Henry Barbour, the Republican National Committee committeeman and a longtime Mississippi operative, said base voters in both parties are energized, but gave a slight edge to Espy’s supporters. He said he expects Hyde-Smith to win, though he added that Republicans should be concerned about the potential for a weak turnout.

 “I think Espy supporters are probably a little more energized than Hyde-Smith,” Barbour said. “But I do think conservative voters realize this race is going to decide if we have a conservative or liberal representing us in Washington and that is very motivating to conservative voters.

 “We don't want to have an Alabama,” he added, referring to Republican Roy Moore's 2017 loss to Democrat Doug Jones in a special Senate election in the deep-red state.

 Morning Score newsletter Your guide to the permanent campaign — weekday mornings, in your inbox. Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time.

 Republicans are sending the full force of the party to Mississippi to prevent that scenario — starting with Donald Trump. The president is holding two rallies for Hyde-Smith Monday, events that officials hope will spike interest and turnout among conservatives during an oddly timed holiday season election.

 “I will be in Gulfport and Tupelo, Mississippi, on Monday night doing two Rallies for Senator Hyde-Smith, who has a very important Election on Tuesday. She is an outstanding person who is strong on the Border, Crime, Military, our great Vets, Healthcare & the 2nd A. Needed in D.C.,” Trump wrote Sunday in one of a pair of tweets for the senator.

 The RNC has more than 100 paid staff members on the ground as of this weekend, and has made more than 500,000 voter contacts since Nov. 6, a spokesman said. The RNC transferred $1 million to the National Republican Senatorial Committee earlier this month to help fund TV ads in Mississippi.

 National Republican and White House officials, who’ve been reviewing polling over the past week, remain confident Hyde-Smith will prevail. They say surveys have consistently shown her with a lead ranging from the mid-single digits to the low double digits. A public poll conducted this past week by RRH Elections had Hyde-Smith up by 10 points.

 Still, White House officials have long expressed unease about Hyde Smith and worry that she isn‘t ready for prime time. Earlier this year, two Trump aides implored Gov. Phil Bryant to appoint someone else to the seat following the retirement of longtime Republican Sen. Thad Cochran. But they’re convinced that Hyde-Smith will pull out a win, even if it’s narrower than it should be.

 One Republican working on the runoff who requested anonymity to discuss private polling said the race has tightened recently, but expressed confidence Hyde-Smith would be elected. “A win’s a win,” the Republican said.

 Dan Eberhart, a Republican megadonor who has contributed heavily to GOP Senate campaigns this year, said Trump’s rallies should eliminate any lingering concerns about the race.

 “Trump will carry her over the finish line,” Eberhart said.

 Democrats acknowledge Hyde-Smith will receive a significant boost from the president's rallies on Monday. But they say the appearances will provide a spark to their voters, too.

 “When he shows up, of course he's going to fire up the Republican base,” said Bobby Moak, the state Democratic Party chairman. “But he also does the same thing with the Democratic base.”

 Joe Trippi, a consultant working with Espy’s campaign, said the Democrat is probably losing by low single digits in the closing days of the race. Hyde-Smith outpaced Espy by about 8,400 votes, or just a single percentage point, on Nov. 6, while Republican Chris McDaniel took 17 percent. They are in a runoff because no candidate eclipsed 50 percent.

 Democrats expect high turnout from their base, boosted in part by backlash to Hyde-Smith’s comments about being first in line to a public hanging if one of her supporters invited her, and a second remark about limiting liberals' ability to vote. A Jackson, Miss., newspaper also reported Friday that she attended a segregation academy for high school.

 Espy called the senator's comments during the campaign a “black eye” for the state, and a recent TV ad by his campaign said she's reinforced stereotypes the state has worked to overcome. Multiple national companies, including Walmart and Major League Baseball, have requested their donations to Hyde-Smith be refunded because of the comments.

 Trippi advised Jones during his improbable win in Alabama last year, and emphasized that Jones won by only 23,000 votes despite facing a historically bad opponent in Moore who motivated Democratic voters and depressed GOP turnout.

 “We do think we have a real shot,” Trippi said, comparing Tuesday’s election with the Alabama race Jones won. “But if we win, it's going to be the same thing" — by a very small margin.

 Republicans, meanwhile, have gone on the attack against Espy, airing TV ads highlighting the $750,000 lobbying contract he received from an Ivory Coast dictator earlier this decade. They’re also airing ads linking him to Democrats like Nancy Pelosi, hoping to prevent any crossover Republican support.

 Alex Isenstadt contributed to this report. ||||| (CNN) Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith was expected to coast to victory in a Mississippi runoff that would conclude the last Senate race of 2018's midterm elections.

 Instead, Hyde-Smith has spent the days leading up to Tuesday's election mired in controversy that evoked the state's dark history of racism and slavery.

 It began when video emerged online of her telling supporters earlier this month that she'd be "on the front row" if one of her supporters there "invited me to a public hanging." She later called the comments an "exaggerated expression of regard," but her use of the phrase "public hanging" brought memories of Mississippi's history of lynchings to the forefront and put the contest under the national microscope.

 On Tuesday, Mississippi voters will decide between Hyde-Smith and Democrat Mike Espy, who, if elected, would be the state's first black senator since Reconstruction. President Donald Trump, anxious to finish out the 2018 campaign season with a Republican victory, urged voters to turn out for Hyde-Smith in a tweet Tuesday.

 The result will finalize the balance of power in the US Senate. As it stands, Republicans will hold 52 seats next year, and Democrats will have 47. A win for the GOP in Mississippi would further pad the party's majority in the Senate, even as Democrats have taken a solid majority in the House.

 The state is polarized along racial lines, with most white voters backing Republicans and nearly all black voters supporting Democrats.

 Democrats hope Hyde-Smith's comments will lead to a surge in black turnout and propel them to victory. However, even if black voters, who make up nearly 40% of the state's electorate, come out in full force, Espy would still have to outperform his party's history with whites to have a chance of winning.

 And Democrats have to overcome partisan trends in the deeply red state. Earlier this month, when multiple candidates in both parties were on the ballot, Hyde-Smith and conservative Chris McDaniel combined for 58% of the vote, while Espy and Democrat Tobey Bartee got 42%.

 On the eve of the election, Trump held two rallies for Hyde-Smith in an attempt to turn out the Republican base.

 He told the crowd in Tupelo to "get out" and vote in Tuesday's runoff.

 "I think it'll be a very big day for Cindy, but don't take any chances," he said. "That's happened many times before. That never works out well. Just assume you have to vote."

 Even though Republicans will control the Senate regardless of the outcome, the President suggested that a Democratic win in Mississippi would "revoke" the party's victories.

 "We cannot allow Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer to revoke that victory by winning the state of Mississippi," he said.

 At a roundtable in Gulfport, Trump called Hyde-Smith's comments about a public hanging "sad and a little flip."

 "When I spoke to her -- she called me -- she said, 'I said something that I meant exactly very different,' and I heard an apology loud and clear," Trump said.

 "I know where her heart is, and her heart is good. That's not what she was meaning when she said that," he said.

 Hyde-Smith at center of controversy

 Though public polling has been limited, the race is seen as potentially competitive because of Hyde-Smith's "public hanging" remarks.

 Those comments prompted deeper dives into her history.

 The same progressive blogger who published the video of her using the phrase "public hanging" later published one in which Hyde-Smith told a small group at Mississippi State University that suppressing the votes of students at other colleges was "a great thing." Her campaign said it was a joke, but that explanation backfired when the black student from the event seen laughing in a picture her campaign posted on Twitter responded that Hyde-Smith's campaign was using him as a prop.

 On Friday, the Jackson Free Press reported that Hyde-Smith had attended a private high school that was founded in 1970 so that white parents could avoid attempts to integrate public schools. Hyde-Smith's daughter later attended a similar private school established around the same time, according to the Free Press. The senator's campaign responded to the report by attacking the "liberal media."

 Over the weekend, CNN reported that Hyde-Smith once promoted a measure that praised a Confederate soldier's effort to "defend his homeland" and had pushed a revisionist view of the Civil War.

 In photos posted to her Facebook account in 2014, Hyde-Smith was pictured posing with Confederate artifacts during a visit to Beauvoir, the home and library of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. The caption on the post read, "Mississippi history at its best!"

 Espy's campaign hammered Hyde-Smith with television ads that cast her as an embarrassment to a state that has attempted to overcome its history of slavery and racism.

 "We've worked hard to overcome the stereotypes that hurt our economy and cost us jobs. Her words should not reflect Mississippi's values, either," a narrator said in one ad. The ad also called Hyde-Smith "so embarrassing, she'd be a disaster for Mississippi."

 Several companies that had donated to Hyde-Smith's campaign, including Walmart, publicly withdrew their support for the senator over the "public hanging" comment.

 In her debate with Espy, Hyde-Smith said she would "certainly apologize" to anyone who was offended by her remark. But she quickly pivoted into attack mode.

 "I also recognize that this comment was twisted and it was turned into a weapon to be used against me," she said.

 GOP fights to avoid embarrassment

 The controversies surrounding Hyde-Smith set off a major push by national Republicans to avoid the same embarrassment they'd suffered last year in Alabama and save Hyde-Smith.

 While Hyde-Smith largely stayed off the campaign trail, the party's infrastructure rallied to her defense. GOP groups spent $4 million on the Mississippi runoff -- much more than Democrats' $1.2 million, according to Federal Election Commission filings. Republican groups spent more than twice as much as Democrats on television advertisements, per the ad tracking firm Kantar/CMAG.

 Trump's visits to Mississippi on Monday night were also seen as bid to rally the Republican base to vote in an election taking place two days after the Thanksgiving weekend.

 For Democrats, the best-case scenario is similar to how Democratic Sen. Doug Jones defeated Republican Roy Moore in Alabama a year ago: a narrow victory fueled by massive turnout from black voters.

 But Mississippi is, in some ways, more challenging than Alabama. Moore faced allegations that, as an adult, he had sought sexual relationships with teenage girls.

 And the state is more rural than its eastern neighbor. Like Alabama, Mississippi hasn't voted for a Democrat in a presidential election since Jimmy Carter in 1976. Trump won Mississippi by 18 percentage points in 2016. ||||| (Reuters) - Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith won a U.S. Senate special election runoff in conservative Mississippi on Tuesday, defeating a black challenger after a campaign that recalled the history of racist violence in the deep South state.

 Republican U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith speaks during an election night party in Jackson, Mississippi, U.S., November 27, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Bachman

 The white former state lawmaker, who was appointed to the Senate in April, overcame a controversy over her comment on public hangings to defeat Democrat Mike Espy in the last contest of the 2018 election cycle.

 Hyde-Smith, 59, is the first woman elected to Congress from Mississippi. If Espy had won, he would have been the first black senator from Mississippi since shortly after the Civil War.

 Having been heavily favored to win the reliably Republican state, Hyde-Smith became engulfed in a political storm over a video showing her praising a supporter at a Nov. 2 event by saying, “If he invited me to a public hanging, I’d be on the front row.”

 The video sparked a furor in a state with a history of racism and violence against blacks, including lynchings, and fueled Democratic hopes of an upset in a state where 38 percent of the population is black.

 But Hyde-Smith triumphed by depicting Espy as too liberal for Mississippi, which last elected a Democrat to the Senate in 1982, and by touting her support for President Donald Trump, who won the state by 18 percentage points in 2016.

 Trump attended two get-out-the-vote rallies in the state on Monday, and tweeted his congratulations to Hyde-Smith after the race was called, saying he was “very proud” of her.

 “Mr. President, thank you so much for all of your help,” Hyde-Smith said in a victory speech to supporters, calling her win a triumph of “conservative values.”

 “Mississippians know me and they know my heart,” she said.

 Her victory means Republicans will hold a 53-47 majority in the new U.S. Senate that convenes in January. With almost all precincts tallied, Hyde-Smith led by nearly 8 percentage points.

 Espy, 64, campaigned as a moderate who would work with Trump and Republicans to benefit the state. He tried to recreate the coalition that propelled Democrat Doug Jones to a Senate win in neighboring Alabama last year by energizing black voters, particularly women, and winning support from white swing voters.

 Espy said he called Hyde-Smith to concede the race and wish her well.

 “She has my prayers as she goes to Washington to unite a very divided Mississippi,” he told supporters.

 The runoff to serve the last two years of former Republican Senator Thad Cochran’s term was necessary because neither Espy nor Hyde-Smith gained more than 50 percent of the vote in a Nov. 6 special election with four candidates. Cochran, 80, resigned earlier this year, citing health concerns.

 Several businesses, including giant retailer Walmart, had demanded Hyde-Smith return their donations after her public hanging remark.

 Slideshow (17 Images)

 She sparked further controversy when she was shown on another video joking about suppressing liberal student votes, and photographs surfaced of her posing with Confederate artifacts in 2014.

 She initially refused to apologize for the hanging remark, but said in a debate last week that she was sorry “for anyone that was offended.” She accused Espy of twisting her words for political gain.

 Espy denied the charge and said “we all know what came out of your mouth.” He has said the comment perpetuated negative stereotypes about Mississippi and hurt investment. |||||

– Will it be 53-47 or 52-48? The last election of 2018 will determine the Republican advantage in the Senate next year. GOP incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith is trying to fend off Democratic challenger Mike Espy in Mississippi in Tuesday's special election. As Politico reports, Hyde-Pierce has never trailed in the polls and continues to be the favorite to win, but a string of controversies—starting with her joke about a public hanging—has given Espy a bigger-than-expected shot at becoming the state's first black senator since Reconstruction. "A wounded front-runner" is how a political science professor in Jackson describes Hyde-Smith to Reuters. President Trump easily won the state in 2016, and he held two rallies there Monday for his fellow Republican. "Her heart is good," Trump said of Hyde-Smith, per CNN. Trump called her controversial joke "sad and a little flip," but he defended her explanation that it was meant as a good-natured way of praising a supporter. "When I spoke to her—she called me—she said, 'I said something that I meant exactly very different,' and I heard an apology loud and clear," Trump said. As for Espy: "How does he fit in with Mississippi?" the president asked, as noted by CNBC. "I mean, how does he fit in?" The website FiveThirtyEight reports that a survey last week had Hyde-Smith up 54% to 44%. (Major League Baseball was among those to ask for its donation back from Hyde-Smith.)


A U.K. soldier killed by a Taliban bomb in Afghanistan will be posthumously giving 32 of his friends the vacation of a lifetime.

 As the Sun is reporting, British Royal Marine David Hart took out a 250,000 pound (or about $400,000) insurance policy before he was deployed with instructions that $150,000 of that amount should go toward a Las Vegas holiday for his pals and their girlfriends.

 According to friend Andy Hare, the Vegas vacation will serve as a particularly fitting tribute, as Hart -- described by fellow officers as "the perfect Marine" -- looked forward to his "lad's holidays" each year, the Daily Mail reports. "He loved going away with his mates -- it was always the best two weeks of the year," said Hare, 25. "In his letter David said he had had a great life and had no regrets about anything. He always said he would do something like this if something bad happened. He said, 'Go and have a good time and spend all this money'. All the lads said, 'What a guy'."

 Hart's parents didn't seem to mind the stipulation, as Hart's friends have been very supportive of the family since his death. "Since his death, all of his friends have been round to see us," father Chris is quoted as saying. "It's nice they have been there to support us."

 But the insurance money will also go toward funding ventures other than gambling. Hart, 23, also reportedly stipulated that $80,000 would go toward a charity group of injured Marines, while his family will also receive $160,000.

 Family and friends have also planned to embark on a charitable U.K. bike ride to raise money in Hart's memory this fall. View their fundraising page here. ||||| 'Go and have a good time': Soldier killed by Taliban bomb leaves £100,000 to send 32 mates on trip to Las Vegas

 Hero: Royal Marine David Hart was killed by a Taliban bomb while on patrol in Helmand

 A Royal Marine who was killed serving in Afghanistan left £100,000 in his will to send 32 friends on the holiday of a lifetime to Las Vegas.

 David Hart took out life insurance before he was killed in a bomb blast while on patrol in the town of Sangin, in lawless Helmand province.

 And he made sure all his pals and their girlfriends would get to celebrate his life in style by ensuring a big chunk of the £250,000 insurance payout went on giving them a party trip to remember.

 His friend Andy Hare, 25, told the Sun newspaper: 'He loved going away with his mates - it was always the best two weeks of the year. They were lads' holidays and great times.

 'In his letter David said he had had a great life and had no regrets about anything. He always said he would do something like this if something bad happened.

 'He said, 'Go and have a good time and spend all this money'. All the lads said, 'What a guy'.'

 David, who lived with his parents Chris, 60, and Dilys, 54, in Poppleton, near York, was killed a day before his 24th birthday.

 He left £50,000 to his favourite charity for injured Marines as well as a sum to his family.

 Dad Chris told the Sun: 'Since his death, all of his friends have been round to see us.

 Generous: David, who had taken out a £250,000 life insurance policy before he was deployed, stipulated that in the event of his death, his friends should travel to Las Vegas

 As well as sending his mates to Vegas he left £50,000 to his favourite charity for injured Marines as well as a sum to his family

 'It's nice they have been there to support us.'

 His sister Sarah, 27, added: 'He was the best brother I could have wished for. He was caring, funny and had an infamous grin.

 'He would always be there for you. I'm proud to have been his sister and of his career as a commando.'

 David joined the Royal Marines in 2009 and served with 40 Commando. Shortly before his death he had qualified as a combat medic.

 His Commanding Officer Lt Col Paul James described him as 'a perfect commando'

 He said: 'He was a young and deeply impressive marine who was fiercely courageous and always thinking of others before himself.'

 Chris, Sarah and David's pals are embarking on a 170 mile charity cycle ride in September to raise cash for the Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund. |||||
What is a one-paragraph summary of the above article?

– A British marine killed in Afghanistan left 32 of his closest friends a hefty parting gift: $150,000 for a Las Vegas vacation, reports the Huffington Post. Before David Hart left for duty, he took out a life insurance policy for roughly $400,000, and gave strict instructions that a portion of that money should send his friends and their girlfriends to Sin City, saying ‘Go and have a good time and spend all this money.” Hart was a big fan of holidays himself, a friend remembers, saying their "lad's holidays" were “always the best two weeks of the year.” The remainder of his policy will go to charity for injured Marines, and to his family, who isn’t at all put off by their late son’s support for a good time. Hart, described by his fellow officers as ‘the perfect Marine,’ was killed in Afghanistan after a Taliban bomb explosion, on the day before his 24th birthday, reports the Daily Mail.


– The White House is changing its posture in the ongoing saga of the Mueller probe. Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani tells the New York Times that the president will sit for an interview with Robert Mueller only if the special counsel can show evidence that Trump committed a crime. "If they can come to us and show us the basis and that it’s legitimate and that they have uncovered something, we can go from there," Giuliani said, acknowledging that it's not likely Mueller will agree to the new conditions. However, as the Times notes, it remains possible for Mueller to subpoena Trump in his bid to uncover any links between Russia and the Trump presidential campaign. According to Vox, Giuliani's move is part of team Trump's increasingly combative stance against the special counsel. Part of that strategy involves a PR campaign to paint the investigation as an unfair assault on Trump. Should such a campaign successfully sway public opinion, congressional action against Trump would be less likely should Mueller's report cast the president in an unflattering—or, possibly, impeachment-worthy—light. To the Times, Giuliani openly admits this strategy. “Nobody is going to consider impeachment if public opinion has concluded this is an unfair investigation, and that’s why public opinion is so important,” he said.

Expand this summary.

After the raid, Mr. Trump decided to double down on his more aggressive strategy, according to people close to him. He hired Mr. Giuliani to replace his lawyer John M. Dowd, who had convinced Mr. Trump of the value of the earlier, more cooperative approach. Mr. Giuliani immediately began a public relations assault on Mr. Mueller. Mr. Flood, who is known for his strong view of the president’s powers to shield his communications and documents from investigators, was brought on in May.

 Mr. Giuliani has sown doubt and confusion by pushing dubious theories about the case. He has made claims like accusing Mr. Mueller’s office, without evidence, of trying to frame Mr. Trump. Mr. Giuliani has also pushed unfounded theories, like an assertion that the F.B.I. implanted a spy in Mr. Trump’s campaign.

 The president and his lawyers have also tried to undermine key witnesses like James B. Comey, the former F.B.I. director fired by Mr. Trump, to force the public to decide whether to believe them or the president. That is a tall task — the president’s penchant for half-truths, exaggerations and outright falsehoods is well established.

 But Mr. Trump and his lawyers contend that Mr. Comey damaged his credibility as a witness during his book tour this spring by showing that he played by his own rules when he ran the F.B.I., and that the findings of a recent inspector general report critical of the F.B.I.’s handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation buttressed their case.

 Mr. Giuliani views the tactics as an early success. “Right now, public opinion is going in our direction big time,” he said.

 His approach also extends to his public portrayal of the negotiations with Mr. Mueller over a presidential interview. Even as they have delayed any agreement for at least six months of negotiations, the lawyers have condemned the special counsel for dragging out the inquiry, saying he has had more than enough time to complete his investigation.

 Mr. Giuliani has gone back and forth about whether the president will agree to be questioned and given varying timetables. He once said Mr. Trump would make a decision after his meeting with the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, last month, then changed that deadline to July. The president’s lawyers have set other deadlines that came and went without resolution. ||||| Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s attorney, is again playing hardball with special counsel Robert Mueller — and it’s looking even less likely that the president will sit down for an interview with Mueller’s team.

 The New York Times’s Michael Schmidt and Maggie Haberman reported that Giuliani is setting new terms for the interview: Mueller must show evidence that Donald Trump committed a crime and that an interview is necessary, or forget it. Trump’s legal team is also insisting Mueller prove that he exhausted all other avenues and that he has no choice but to interview the president.

 “If they can come to us and show us the basis and that it’s legitimate and that they have uncovered something, we can go from there and assess their objectivity,” Giuliani told the Times.

 The prospect of sitting for an interview with Robert Mueller has gotten increasingly fraught since the president shook up his legal team months ago, bringing on former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Emmet T. Flood, who represented Bill Clinton in his impeachment. Both embarked on a more combative, aggressive approach toward the Russia investigation compared to the more cooperative stance favored by his former attorneys.

 Giuliani has shifted the terms (and deadline) of a Trump-Mueller interview more than once since joining Trump’s legal team. Giuliani had said in May that he was working with the special counsel to narrow the scope of the investigation, and that no decisions would be made until after Trump’s summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The summit came and went, and the deadline was pushed to July 4.

 The delays on the Mueller interview are part of Team Trump’s attempts to sway public opinion

 As the back-and-forth over the Trump interview continues, Giuliani is waging a PR campaign against Mueller and the investigation that’s been echoed in his boss’s Twitter feed. According to the latest Times report, this seems to be the crux of the strategy — delay until the midterms and damage the investigation’s credibility. (It may also force Mueller to subpoena Trump — which will set off a protracted, likely messy, court battle.)

 Trump’s lawyers have suggested Mueller will abide by Department of Justice guidance that says a sitting president can’t be indicted — which would mean Mueller’s most likely option is a written report, which could make its way to Congress. If such a report is damning against Trump, and if Democrats retake the House of Representatives in the fall, the chance of impeachment increases. But if the public can be convinced, that, as the president says, that the special counsel’s investigation is a total “WITCH HUNT,” lawmakers might be more leery of taking on the president.

 “Nobody is going to consider impeachment if public opinion has concluded this is an unfair investigation, and that’s why public opinion is so important,” Giuliani told the Times.

 Giuliani, Trump, and his allies in Congress have done their best to discredit Mueller. Giuliani played up the debunked “Spygate” conspiracy — that the FBI planted a spy on the Trump campaign — admitting last month that the drama was conjured up “for public opinion.” The House of Representatives is waging war against Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein — Mueller’s boss — sanctioning him on the House floor for failing to turn over requested documented about the investigation.

 The war against Mueller has shown some signs of working. A Politico/Morning Consult poll in June put Mueller’s favorability at just 32 percent. More people — 36 percent — had an unfavorable opinion of Mueller than a favorable one. Opinions have dipped sharply among Republicans, too: According to that same poll, 53 percent of Republicans viewed Mueller unfavorably, up from 27 percent in July 2017, according to Politico.

 The Times also pointed to a Washington Post-Schar School poll, published Friday, that put Mueller’s approval rating at just 49 percent among all adults — though it reached 52 percent among registered voters. A total of 45 percent of adults disapproved of Mueller. |||||