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CNN host Piers Morgan just called to discuss his interview last night with Alex Jones, the conservative radio host and gun advocate who went on a tirade against Morgan, gun control legislation, and a litany of government conspiracies.

 "He was the best advertisement for gun control you could wish for," Morgan told POLITICO.

 (VIDEO: 6 explosive interviews)

 "That kind of vitriol, hatred, and zealotry is really quite scary. I didn't feel threatened by him, but I'm concerned that someone like him has that level of influence," Morgan said. "There's got to be a level of discourse that can rise above what happened last night. It was undignified, unedifying."

 (Also on POLITICO: Alex Jones, creator of 'Deport Piers Morgan' petition, blows up on CNN)

 In what Morgan described as a "big, long rant," Jones -- the man who started the White House petition to deport Morgan -- shouted questions about gun control legislation, gave premonitions of a 1776-like rebellion, and pronounced conspiracy theories -- including his belief that 9/11 was an inside job -- while Morgan tried calmly and in vain to conduct a civil interview.

 "Sometimes it's better to let somebody have the rope they need to tie themselves in knots," Morgan told POLITICO, noting that he had been far more vocal and more passionate in previous interviews with gun advocates. According to Morgan, Jones continued ranting straight through the commercial break that divided the two-segment interview.

 (PHOTOS: Celebrities call for gun control)

 Morgan said he anticipated such a performance: "I knew what we were going to be getting into with him," he said. "I know about his background and his reputation, so I know he's kind of shock jock."

 But Jones is also influential among conservatives, Morgan said, which is why he had him on CNN.

 "He said last night that his show now airs in 140 networks, he has a huge online presence -- every day his message gets sent out to millions of Americans," Morgan said. "Through vitriol and rhetoric he is able to spur heavy gun sales and ammunition sales. He works off of fear."

 Jones is the host of The Alex Jones Show, based in Austin, Texas, and the creator of InfoWars.com and PrisonPlanet.com, two websites that promote a worldview the Southern Poverty Law Center described as being "governed by logic-leaping deductions and heedless pronouncements."

 (Also on POLITICO: Alex Jones detained by TSA en route to Piers Morgan interview)

 But Jones has made a success of those websites, of his show, and -- most recently -- of the petition to deport Morgan, which has over 100,000 signatures. Last night, White House spokesman Jay Carney issued a response to the petition, citing "the freedom of expression" as "a bedrock principle in our democracy"

 "He is clearly a smart guy under the craziness," Morgan said. "Look, you could tell from the way he ranted that he's not a stupid man. But that makes him more dangerous. There will be lots of people who follow him avidly who are not so intelligent, who believe everything he says."

 Morgan added that the petition to deport him was "not an insignificant issue."

 "There is a pattern of British people who espouse peace or want more peace being gagged in this country," he said, citing John Lennon and Charlie Chaplin. But Morgan said that Carney's nod to the First Amendment was promising.

 "They were making the point I've been making: You can hardly accuse me of attacking the Second Amendment by attacking the First Amendment," he said. "I am merely representing my opinion, and that is protected."

 (PHOTOS: Pols speak out on gun control)

 Though the media seems to have all but forgotten the gun control debate, and though chances for gun control legislation are starting to look dim, Morgan vowed to continue addressing the issue until government takes action.

 "After every shooting, America goes back to normal. The media come off the story, nothing gets done, the pressure on politicians dissipates," he said. "But you and I both know there's going to be another shooting in months, or even weeks. My intent is simply to keep this issue boiling along until the politicians act on it."

 "I think America is getting diluted to the horror of these things: it's become too casual, too widespread, too indiscriminate, and incredibly dangerous," he said. "Something has to be done."

 Read more about: Piers Morgan, Alex Jones ||||| The seed for Wide00014 was:

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 - Top ranked pages (up to a max of 100) from every linked-to domain using the Wide00012 inter-domain navigational link graph ||||| Moments after radio host Alex Jones taped an explosive interview with CNN host Piers Morgan, Jones took to YouTube where he expressed his fear that he would be harmed by the New York Police Department or members of the mafia hired by NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg.

 RELATED: ‘Deport Piers Morgan’ Creator Flips Out On Morgan’s Show: 1776 Will Commence Again If Guns Taken Away

 Jones said that he was accosted by a member of the NYPD moments before he entered CNN headquarters in New York City. He said one plain cloths police officer in particular confronted him in a threatening manner. “They’re like cops from the movie Good Fellas,” Jones said.

 His associate who was operating the camera said that he believed Jones was being “cased” by members of the NYPD and Bloomberg.

 Jones went on to say that CNN’s producers “panicked” during his interview and cancelled a planned third segment with Morgan. It was after the interview, Jones says, that he became afraid for his life.

 “If you don’t know that Bloomberg is total mafia, you’re on another planet,” Jones said. “They’re thugs. I know what they are.”

 “If something happens to us, or we’re killed by crackheads, it was the NYPD or mafia they hired,” Jones added.

 “This city runs white slaves, that’s sex slaves, out of here all day,” said Jones. “This is mafia central.”

 “I think putting this video out will protect us,” Jones concluded. “It was just super creepy.”

 Watch the video below:

 > >Follow Noah Rothman (@Noah_C_Rothman) on Twitter

 Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.com |||||

– CNN's Piers Morgan thinks gun-rights proponent Alex Jones's memorable appearance on his show last night made a fine case—for his opponents. "He was the best advertisement for gun control you could wish for," Morgan tells Politico, referring to the conservative radio host. "That kind of vitriol, hatred, and zealotry is really quite scary." Jones is the guy who started the White House petition to get Morgan deported because of the CNN host's push for stricter gun laws. The White House last night promised to respond to the petition because it easily surpassed the threshold of 25,000 signatures, notes the Daily Caller. But "it is worth remembering that the freedom of expression is a bedrock principle in our democracy," said spokesman Jay Carney, suggesting Jones better not hold his breath. Jones himself, meanwhile, posted a video after his CNN appearance, telling supporters that "if something happens to us, or we’re killed by crackheads, it was the NYPD or mafia they hired," reports Mediaite. Yeah, that's right: “If you don’t know that (Mayor) Bloomberg is total mafia, you’re on another planet."


News article:

Kim Kardashian is “intrusive,” “dangerous,” and just plain harmful to animals, according to PETA. After the Keeping Up with the Kardashians star posted a video of herself riding captive dolphins on social media, the animal rights organization spoke out to RadarOnline.com with a blistering rebuke of her actions.

 “Double dolphin ride with @kristennoelgipson Thank you Vallarta Adventures for teaching us so much!” Kardashian posted on Instagram recently. “Can’t wait to show my daughter the pics of her swimming with dolphins & kissing a sea lion when she gets older! #ThanksForTheMemories #Mexico”

 PHOTOS: Kim Kardashian Changes Up Style In Goth Black Lipstick; Check Out The Fam Brandishing Similar Styles!

 But PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange told RadarOnline.com exclusively that the scene was not as carefree as Kardashian would suggest.

 “Kim is free to leave the pool, but for the dolphins, it’s a lifetime sentence,” Lange said.

 PHOTOS: Kim Kardashian’s Bikini Body Through The Years

 According to the animal rights group , there are many problems with the public swimming with dolphins held in captivity.

 “Touch tanks and ‘swim-with’ programs allow the public to pet, kiss, or even ‘ride’ dolphins. Such programs invade the animals’ already diminished worlds and are intrusive, dangerous, and stressful for the animals as well as for human participants,” she explained.

 “Animals in ‘petting pools’ can become injured and anxious as a result of constant poking and prodding, and exposure to bacteria that they are not immune to can make them ill. The dolphins also often express their frustration through aggression,” PETA states on their website.

 PHOTOS: Kim Kardashian: Floured at True Reflections Event

 Kanye West‘s baby mama is no stranger to being criticized for her seemingly animal-unfriendly choices, like sporting python boots, and she and her husband have already won the title of PETA’s most hated couple for their fur-loving ways.

 Her mom, Kris Jenner, also came under fire in Mexico for swimming with a giant sea lion at pal Joe Francis’ estate — where Kardashian was staying during her own vacation.

 PHOTOS: Kim Kardashian’s Style Evolution

 Sound off in the comment section below: Do you think Kardashian deserves to be criticized for swimming with the dolphins? ||||| Aquariums and marine-mammal theme parks like SeaWorld, the Miami Seaquarium and Canada’s Marineland are part of a billion-dollar industry built on the suffering of intelligent, social beings who are denied everything that is natural and important to them.

 Wild orcas and dolphins live in large, complex social groups and swim vast distances every day in the open ocean. In captivity, these animals can only swim in endless circles in tanks that are the equivalent of bathtubs, and they are denied the opportunity to engage in almost any natural behavior. They are forced to perform meaningless tricks and often torn away from family members when they’re shuffled between parks. Most die far short of their natural life spans.

 © Free Morgan Foundation

 Families Torn Apart

 Countless marine animals have been taken from their rightful ocean homes and placed in tanks (even the original Shamu was stolen from the wild). Tilikum, the orca who lashed out and killed SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau and two other people, has been in a cramped tank for more than 30 years since he was taken away from his Icelandic family. Lolita, torn from her family when she was just a baby, has existed in the same tank at the Miami Seaquarium for nearly half a century. Some countries, including Russia, Cuba, and Japan, continue to capture wild dolphins and whales.

 © Ingrid N. Visser, PhD

 Captivity’s Tragic Consequences

 Orcas and other dolphins navigate by echolocation, but in pools, the reverberations from their own sonar bounce off the walls, which can drive them insane. World-renowned oceanographer Jean-Michel Cousteau compared the keeping of orcas in tanks to “a person being blindfolded in a jail cell.”

 Captive orcas suffer physically as much as they do psychologically. Some orcas have destroyed their teeth by chewing on metal cage bars and all captive adult male orcas have collapsed dorsal fins, a condition that rarely occurs in wild orcas.

 The Toronto Star obtained video footage of Marineland’s lone orca, Kiska, trailing blood from cuts in her tail as she swam. Kiska reportedly spends her days swimming listlessly and scratching parts of her body against the sides and the tanks sharp fibreglass grates. Nakai, an orca at SeaWorld San Diego, sustained an injury on his lower jaw that was so significant that it was described as “a dinner plate-sized chunk” of ripped-off tissue.

 Wild orcas can live for decades (one matriarch named Granny is more than 100 years old). The median age of orcas in captivity is only 9. At least 44 orcas have died at U.S. SeaWorld facilities from causes ranging from severe trauma to intestinal gangrene; not one has died of old age. More than 60 bottlenose dolphins died at SeaWorld parks in 10 years alone, including 16 stillborn babies.

 © Ingrid N. Visser, Ph.D.

 The Trouble With ‘Interactive’ Programs

 Touch tanks and “swim-with” programs allow the public to pet, kiss, or even “ride” dolphins. Such programs invade the animals’ already diminished worlds and are intrusive, stressful, and even dangerous for the animals, as well as being risky for human participants, too. Visitors to Connecticut’s Mystic Aquarium can pay to “paint” with belugas and the facility shamelessly spins the profitable program as “enriching” for the whales.

 Animals in “petting pools” are frequently exposed to foreign bacteria and other pathogens, and they can become anxious, frustrated, aggressive, and even neurotic as a result of being confined to shallow tanks and exposure to constant interaction with humans. Members of the public have been injured at SeaWorld’s dolphin-petting pools.

 Even programs that enable people to swim with dolphins in the wild can be invasive. Boats and swimmers may chase, harass, and scare animals, upsetting their natural feeding, resting, migrating, and playing behavior.

 Poor Government Regulations

 Captive marine mammals have some federal protections in the United States, but enforcement is lax. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has 126 inspectors responsible for inspecting 10,433 facilities every year, and even chronic violators are rarely assessed fines or meaningful penalties.

 Keeping Dolphins Free

 An Emory University scientist determined that the relative brain size of many dolphin and whale species is second only to that of modern humans and that the complexity of the neocortex of many dolphins and whales, including orcas, is comparable to and perhaps exceeds that of the modern human brain.

 Other studies have revealed that dolphins have distinct personalities, a strong sense of self, and the ability to consider the future. Research has also shown that behavior adaptation is passed from one dolphin to another.

 Governments around the world are recognizing that dolphins, orcas, and other cetaceans do not belong in tanks. Chile, Costa Rica, and Croatia all have banned the keeping of cetaceans in captivity. In 2013, India’s Ministry of Environment & Forests banned the keeping of captive dolphins for public entertainment. Other countries, including Brazil, Luxembourg, Nicaragua, and Norway, have highly restrictive standards that make it nearly impossible to keep cetaceans in captivity. The last dolphinarium in the U.K. closed more than 20 years ago.

 What You Can Do

 Please don’t visit marine parks, zoos, or aquariums that keep ocean animals in captivity. Encourage your local aquarium to create more space for rehabilitating (and releasing) injured wildlife by refusing to breed or bring in any more animals.

 You can also leaflet at local aquariums or marine parks, pressure officials to avoid subsidizing these facilities with taxpayer money, write letters to the editor of local publications, and support legislation that prohibits the capture or restricts the display of marine mammals. ||||| 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. |||||
What is a shorter version of the above article?

– Some people believe Kim Kardashian is a menace to the thinking public, but PETA has stronger words for the reality-TV star: The animal rights group is calling her downright "dangerous" and "intrusive" to animals after Kim K posted an Instagram video of her cruising around on captive dolphins and puckering up for a sea lion during a Mexican vacation, reports Radar Online. "Touch tanks and 'swim-with' programs … invade the animals' already diminished world," says a PETA spokeswoman. PETA's website also notes that "animals in 'petting pools' can become injured and anxious as a result of constant poking and prodding, and exposure to bacteria that they are not immune to can make them ill." It's not the first-time Kim K has had a run-in with PETA: In 2012, the organization railed against her for threatening to sue a woman who tossed flour on her for wearing fur—a move that prompted sis Khloe to snatch her support for the group. PETA doesn't appear to care one iota what Khloe or any of the Kardashians think about its animal advocacy. “Kim is free to leave the pool, but for the dolphins, it’s a lifetime sentence,” the spokeswoman says. (PETA presumably would not be a fan of Kim's face turning up on the $20 bill.)


Article:

A collection of web sites produced by the academic units of Grand Valley State University. ||||| CLOSE The first national women's convention in four decades is poised to kick off in Detroit. Detroit Free Press

 Former Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., waves to the delegates before addressing the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia , Monday, July 25, 2016. (Photo: J. Scott Applewhite, AP)

 Editor's Note: This article has been updated to clarify Tamika Mallory's statements regarding Bernie Sanders.

 The Women's Convention will feel the Bern later this month, when Bernie Sanders visits Detroit to address more than 3,000 women and progressive activists as they get ready for the 2018 midterm elections.

 The senator from Vermont, an independent who challenged Hillary Clinton for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, is to address the crowd the evening of Oct. 27, on the first day of a three-day convention organized by the Women's March.

 “I’m honored to join the women at the front lines of our struggle for economic, social, racial and environmental justice. In January, millions of women came out in an extraordinary and unprecedented display of power and resistance," Sanders said in reference to the Women's March on Washington and sister protests in cities around the world on the first day of President Donald Trump's administration. "Now more than ever, we must support the leadership of women across the country and fight together to advance our progressive agenda."

 Protesters carry signs at the Women's March on Washington on Jan. 21, 2017. (Photo: KishaBari/Women's March)

 Sanders' unconventional campaign for president led a mini revolt within the Democratic Party, splintering off millennials and other supporters who raged along with him about economic disparities in America, a need for campaign finance reform, ways to rein in the cost of a college education and raise the minimum wage.

 When Women's March Co-founder Tamika Mallory was asked: "People are going to say, wait a minute, there’s a man as the headliner at the Women’s Convention, the first women’s convention in 40 years?" she replied:

 "I would say that (U.S. Rep.) Maxine Waters is also coming to the conference, and we know she has been a very, very powerful voice in terms of all we’ve seen happening in terms of this administration, particularly, and she’ll be at the conference as well. And a lot of other people have been invited to the conference and we’re hoping to hear back from these folks. Thankfully, Sen. Sanders has agreed to attend."

 Mallory also noted Sanders knows how to mobilize a new generation of activists.

 WASHINGTON, DC -- Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), gets a kiss from his wife Jane O'Meara Sanders after speaking at a campaign rally at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium June 9, 2016 in Washington, DC. After a meeting with President Barack Obama earlier at the White House, Sanders said he will work with Hillary Clinton to beat Donald Trump in the presidential election. (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

 "I think that right now, no one can deny that Bernie Sanders is probably one of the most powerful U.S. senators ... on progressive issues, women’s issues, mobilizing millennials," Mallory told the Free Press in an exclusive interview Wednesday night. "He is really in line with the principles of the Women's March."

 Those principles involve working toward collective liberation for women of all races, ethnicities, ages, abilities, sexual identities, gender expressions, immigration statuses, religious faiths, and economic statuses.

 Carmen Perez, left, Bob Bland, Tamika D. Mallory and Linda Sarsour attend the TIME 100 Gala, celebrating the 100 most influential people in the world, at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center on Tuesday, April 25, 2017, in New York. (Photo: Charles Sykes, Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

 "There will definitely be a focus on the 2018 election and how we build political power," Mallory said, "but there will certainly be an educational component to help people who are new activists and give them the tools they need to do work in their communities that may not always be political but certainly is important."

 Sanders, Mallory said, brings the experience of a long-time Senator who continues to work to bring progressive change to government.

 "We believe as women ... that we ought to have more than just women at the Women's Convention," Mallory said. "People want to hear from the leadership from within our government who can give us some insight about what's happening … so we can know what we need to do to be able organize."

 Sen. Bernie Sanders looks on after the Vermont delegation cast their votes during roll call on the second day of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center, July 26, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo: NICHOLAS KAMM, AFP/Getty Images)

 The Women's Convention, which will take place at Detroit's Cobo Center, is themed "Reclaiming Our Time," a play on the words spoken by Waters, a California Democrat, who pushed back against Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin as he tried to derail her line of questioning.

 Waters also is expected to address convention-goers, as will other politicians, activists and celebrities, including actress Amber Tamblyn. Her personal account of sexual harassment in Hollywood was published in the New York Times in September. In it, she denounced the way society dismisses women's reports of their sexual abuse, assault and harassment, drawing attention to why women so often don't speak up.

 Less than a month after Tamblyn's story was published, the Times came out with an exposé revealing decades of sexual harassment and assault claims against producer Harvey Weinstein.

 "The overall message is that this conference is really designed as a way to empower voices in exactly the way that you see women coming forward with their stories about Harvey Weinstein," Mallory said, whether those stories involve sexual violence, harassment, domestic violence, police brutality or any other form of mistreatment in their lives.

 RELATED:

 Women's Convention snags Auntie Maxine's 'Reclaiming my time' theme

 Michiganders: You can still get a scholarship to Women's Convention

 Maxine Waters will attend Women's Convention

 "We want to make sure that women know they have the power in unity to come forward and tell their stories, whatever their stories may be, and we have the obligation to protect their voices. We hope that at this conference more women will feel empowered to speak out, to tell," she said.

 "Whether that means they’re an undocumented person that wants to tell their story. Whether that means they've been abused by police and they want to tell their story. Whether that means they've been sexually violated and they want to tell their story. We want every person to feel that this is a safe place to tell their stories, to learn and organize in their local communities to do something to help others that may be experiencing the same."

 Other speakers at the convention include:

 Actress and producer Piper Perabo

 Sally Kohn, CNN political commentator and columnist

 Nomiki Konst, co-founder and executive director of The Accountability Project

 Leah Greenberg, co-founder of the Trump resistance group Indivisible

 Liliana Reyes, a transgender Latina activist

 Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams

 Stosh Cotler, CEO of Bend the Arc Jewish Action

 Nina Turner, president of Our Revolution

 Ai-jen Poo, executive director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance

 Michigan state Rep. Stephanie Chang, D-Detroit,

 Detroit City Councilwoman Raquel Castañeda Lopez

 Michigan Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer

 For more details about the convention, go to www.womensconvention.com. Conference tickets are available online at http://www.womensconvention.com/register.html. The ticket cost for all three days of the conference is $295 for adults and $125 for students. Single-day tickets are available for $125.

 Contact Kristen Jordan Shamus: 313-222-5997 or kshamus@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @kristenshamus.

 Read or Share this story: http://on.freep.com/2wPxIh1 |||||

 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) arrives at a news conference in Washington, on Sept. 13. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg)

 In two weeks, thousands of people will convene in Detroit for the Women’s Convention, the first national convention led by the organizers of the Women’s March. The January march drew millions of participants worldwide in protest of President Trump’s inauguration.

 The event aims to bring together an “unprecedented” number of activists and leaders to share strategies, and build on the momentum from the march, according to its website. The convention theme? “Reclaiming our time.”

 But organizers came under fire Thursday after announcing that a prime speaking slot will go to a man: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). The 2016 Democratic presidential candidate will address the crowd on Oct. 27, the opening day of the three-day event, convention organizers said on social media.

 [Women’s marches: More than one million protesters vow to resist President Trump]

 The announcement immediately drew backlash. Among the critics was Stephanie Schriock, the president of Emily’s List, one of the convention’s sponsors.

 “This choice sends the wrong message,” she tweeted, saying Emily’s List has reached out to the Women’s Convention organizers to “share our disappointment and offer our help.”

 “We have more women leaders in elected office than ever before,” she added. “Women ARE leading in the Senate. This is a moment to highlight them.”

 [Women’s March prepares for its first national convention next month in Detroit]

 Sanders is one of only two men among the more than 60 people scheduled to speak at the convention, organizers said on Twitter. In a statement on Facebook, the senator said he is honored to “join the women at the front lines of our struggle for economic, social, racial and environmental justice.”

 “In January, millions of women came out in an extraordinary and unprecedented display of power and resistance,” Sanders said, referring to the Women’s March. “Now more than ever, we must support the leadership of women across the country and fight together to advance our progressive agenda.”

 A number of women leaders will also deliver remarks at the opening event, organizer Carmen Perez said on Twitter.

 After the outcry over Sanders, organizer Tamika D. Mallory clarified on Twitter that he is not the event’s headliner. That slot is going to Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.).

 [Maxine Waters inspires a new anthem: ‘Reclaiming my time’]

 Waters inspired the theme of the weekend. In July, when Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin dodged her question during a House Financial Services Committee hearing, she chided him for wasting her allotted time and repeated the phrase, “reclaiming my time.” The exchange inspired a hashtag and scores of memes.

 The Women’s Convention is led predominantly by women of color, Mallory said on Twitter, who defended the Sanders decision to critics: “We announce one man as a speaker among over 60, and y’all start saying he’s our leader?!”

 MAXINE WATERS IS THE #WOMENSCONVENTION HEADLINER! Y'all may not have noticed but we announced that weeks ago...#ReclaimingOurTime — Tamika D. Mallory (@TamikaDMallory) October 12, 2017

 Organizers said they invited many elected officials to attend the convention, including Hillary Clinton, Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), but the event did not work with their schedules.

 Still, a number of women and men on social media criticized the choice to schedule Sanders on the convention’s opening day.

 “Unbelievable,” tweeted Leela Daou, co-founder of political site Verrit. “There are countless women who deserve that stage time.”

 “#reclaiming our time?” another woman tweeted. “Not this way.”

 Sadly not one single woman was available. https://t.co/5cKMdkxhHt — Jennifer Wright (@JenAshleyWright) October 12, 2017

 A white dude is delivering the opening speech at the first women’s convention in 40 years.

 Such progress. Wow. https://t.co/WNmVznMo9K — Imani Gandy is definitely irritated. (@AngryBlackLady) October 12, 2017

 Organizers expect upward of 3,000 people to attend the convention — by late last month 2,300 people had registered, The Washington Post reported. The registration fee is $295 per person and $125 for those under 25. The convention is pegged to be one of the largest of its kind, and it will offer a variety of workshops and training sessions, according to its website.

 In contrast to the Women’s March the day after President Trump’s inauguration, which was an emotional protest, the October convention will focus on instruction and training on leadership and activism, organizer Linda Sarsour told The Post last month.

 “These are people who are still fired up,” Sarsour said. “What they are looking for is another opportunity to build and feel inspired and motivated.”

 Morning from Morning Mix:

 A healthy mom gives birth at a hospital. Days later, flesh-eating bacteria strikes.

 Scientists digging in Swiss sewage find millions in gold and silver

 TV dramas and sitcoms are suddenly all about immigration

 Texas executes inmate convicted of fatally stabbing a prison guard ||||| Tweet with a location

 You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more ||||| On Thursday, October 12th, the Women's March, a movement that formed in late 2016 with the mission to “harness the political power of diverse women and their communities to create transformative social change,” announced that Senator Bernie Sanders will open the first Women’s Convention, set for October 27-29th in Detroit.

 We deeply appreciate the volunteer time, energy, sweat and tears that the Women’s March co-chairs, board, and committees give to this vital movement. Women know that our time and work is often undervalued, underpaid, and unknown. Your work is not unknown. Thank you.

 At this moment, however, we must voice our deep disappointment with the choice to have Senator Sanders, a male, open the Women’s Convention.

 Sign this petition to let the Women’s Convention organizers know that we do not want Senator Sanders to OPEN the Women’s Convention. We believe a female-identifying individual should open the Women’s Convention, as optics are important, and there is no one more qualified to speak about women’s issues than a woman.

 In an October 12th USA Today article, Women’s March co-chair Tamika Mallory (whom I highly respect), states that Sanders was chosen because he “knows how to mobilize a new generation of activists,” and “is probably one of the most powerful U.S. Senators ... on progressive issues, women’s issues…”

 We believe:

 o Bernie does know how to mobilize a new generation of activists (for that we are grateful) but did the organizers forget that WOMEN organized the largest protest in US history?

 o Bernie has been a long time champion for progressive values (again, we are grateful)

 o Bernie’s voice, and the voices of ALL men, women, non-conforming, non-binary, cis, and transgender people who share a passion for the unity principles of the Women’s March are needed and necessary voices for this movement. We want them at the convention. We want them listening. We want them leading. We want to learn from them, be challenged by them, changed and ignited by them. We even want them speaking at the Convention - just not opening it.

 o Optics are extremely important. The Women’s Convention, in her goal of empowering and putting the voices of women on the front lines, should lead by example and have a woman open the convention. The individual who kicks off an event often becomes the “face” of the event. It is only right to have a woman's face for the Women’s Conference. Having a man’s face only continues the invisible presence, work, and voices of women.

 o Women are best qualified to speak about women’s issues.

 o Sanders' reference to Planned Parenthood as “the establishment” makes him a divisive opener.

 Not choosing a woman clearly communicates that the organizers don’t believe a woman is qualified, available, or equal to the task of opening the Women’s Convention, and further communicates there are no strong female leaders in our nation right now. We know this is not true and strongly urge you to reconsider your decision to have Bernie Sanders open the convention.

 Thank you.

 Amanda

 Mother, Minister, Magic-Maker ||||| Focused crawls are collections of frequently-updated webcrawl data from narrow (as opposed to broad or wide) web crawls, often focused on a single domain or subdomain. ||||| Washington (CNN) Organizers behind the Women's Convention still feel the Bern -- and for that, they are feeling the backlash.

 On Thursday, the Women's Convention organizers -- who also led the Women's March in January -- announced Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders will be a featured speaker at the three-day event, which will take place in Detroit later this month.

 The convention "aims to have participants leave inspired and motivated, with new connections, skills and strategies for working towards collective liberation for women of all races, ethnicities, ages, abilities, sexual identities, gender expressions, immigration statuses, religious faiths, and economic statuses," according to its press release.

 The news of Sanders as one of the headliners was met by mixed reactions on Twitter.

 "What ultimately disappoints me about the choice of Sanders to open the first Women's Convention in some 40 or so years is that we have some excellent leaders to choose from who are women," Valerie Street, who tweeted her disappointment, told CNN. "Ones who are blazing their own trails in American politics right now."

 The 35-year-old, who is a community organizer from Austin, Texas, said she is not planning on attending the convention because of scheduling conflicts; though she did participate in the March in January.

 "The Women's March nucleus has been such a woman-led movement," she said. But the Sanders news "seems like an odd departure from that at a critical time."

 Others echoed this view, and questioned why a man is the opening-night speaker. The convention's official theme is "Reclaiming Our Time," inspired by the viral phrase Rep. Maxine Waters' repeated to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in August. Waters will also speak at the convention.

 Sorry. I'm not attending a women's convention where the opening night speaker isn't a woman. Perhaps consider these choices next time. pic.twitter.com/HiVpQ3I78n — Jean Grey 2017 (@JeanGrey80) October 12, 2017

 "Sorry. I'm not attending a women's convention where the opening night speaker isn't a woman," one Twitter user wrote, sharing a photo collage of Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris and Amy Klobuchar. "Perhaps consider these choices next time."

 The petition, created by Amanda Hambrick Ashcraft, said: "Bernie's voice, and the voices of ALL men, women, non-conforming, non-binary, cis, and transgender people who share a passion for the unity principles of the Women's March are needed and necessary voices for this movement. We want them at the convention. We want them listening. We want them leading. We want to learn from them, be challenged by them, changed and ignited by them. We even want them speaking at the Convention -- just not opening it. ... Having a man's face only continues the invisible presence, work and voices of women."

 Some of the backlash geared toward the Sanders pick also stems from leftover frustration from the 2016 election. Although the Women's March rallied thousands across the US, some argued the organizers were not inclusive enough of Hillary Clinton, who was the first woman to win the nomination for president of a major political party.

 "I knew you weren't to be trusted when you threw HRC under the bus at the march, but this is beyond the pale," one user wrote on Twitter Thursday.

 I knew you weren't to be trusted when you threw HRC under the bus at the march, but this is beyond the pale. — RogueArtist (@TinaDuryea) October 12, 2017

 Despite the uproar, Tamika Mallory, Women's March co-president, said she feels Sanders is the perfect fit for the convention, describing him in a statement as a "fierce champion of women's rights" and someone who has bolstered "female voices throughout his career of public service."

 "We invited many elected officials to our convention that align with the purpose and mission of our existence -- to harness the political power of diverse women and their communities to create transformative social change," she said in follow-up statement after the news was announced. "We are thrilled that Rep. Maxine Waters and Sen. Sanders will be speaking at the Women's Convention."

 Mallory elaborated that while some female lawmakers won't be present, they still extended their support for the event.

 "We all know how busy women leaders are, and we are grateful for the support of women like Secretary Clinton along with Sens. Harris, Warren and (Kirsten) Gillibrand," Mallory said. "Although their schedules did not allow them to join us in Detroit the weekend of October 27, they will be fighting for our shared values, as they do every day. Our program features more than 60 women leading in activism, organizing and advocacy, as well as grassroots leaders running for and serving in office across the country. We are excited to come together, to unite across our differences and to fight for the future we all believe in."

 In a series of tweets on Thursday afternoon , Mallory addressed criticism from Women's March followers.

 ".@womensmarch is led by women, mainly WOC. We announce one man as a speaker among over 60, and y'all start saying he's our leader?!" she wrote. "When you lash out at WOC leaders, saying we have a man as our headliner/leader, you erase our work. You erase Rep Waters' work. LISTEN TO US. To the folks yelling at @womensmarch & directly at me: Why does your version of advocating for women's rights = bashing Black women leaders?"

 .@womensmarch is led by women, mainly WOC. We announce one man as a speaker among over 60, and y'all start saying he's our leader?! — Tamika D. Mallory (@TamikaDMallory) October 12, 2017

 She pointed out that the convention has over "60 speakers currently lined up. Only 2 are men." She emphasized that Waters, who is a black woman, was announced as a speaker in mid-September.

 A representative for Sanders said he had no further comment aside from his additional statement in the press release, in which he expressed his enthuasism for the event.

 In a statement provided in the initial press release, Sanders expressed enthusiasm about the event.

 "I'm honored to join the women at the front lines of our struggle for economic, social, racial and environmental justice," Sanders said. "In January, millions of women came out in an extraordinary and unprecedented display of power and resistance. Now more than ever, we must support the leadership of women across the country and fight together to advance our progressive agenda."

 Other speakers include actress and activist Piper Perabo, political commentator and community organizer Sally Kohn, The Young Turks reporter Nomiki Konst, co-executive director of the Indivisible Project Leah Greenberg, Michigan Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan state Rep. Stephanie Chang, Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams and others. ||||| ...

 rst time in 25 years. We need to treat educators with respect and dignity and invest in our students and schools all across the nation.

 I stand with the Denver teachers who have voted to strike for the fi |||||
What is a summary?

– The first national convention by the organizers of the DC Women's March will be held in Detroit starting Oct. 27, but there's already a bit of turmoil over one of the scheduled speakers. The Washington Post reports that Bernie Sanders is set to make remarks on opening day of the three-day Women's Convention, with the Vermont senator writing on Facebook he's "honored to join the women at the front lines of our struggle for economic, social, racial, and environmental justice." But some think that, at a convention dedicated to women's issues and rights, those front lines should be reserved for women only (at least when it comes to prime podium time), and they're grumbling about a selection they don't think should have been made in the first place. "This choice sends the wrong message," tweeted the head of the Emily's List PAC, one of the convention's sponsors. There's even a Change.org petition seeking to remove Sanders as an opening-day speaker, while still acknowledging he's been a "[long-time] champion for progressive values" for which women are "grateful." But Tamika D. Mallory, one of the event's organizers, points out on Twitter that Sanders—just one of two men among the 60-plus scheduled speakers—isn't the day's headliner (Rep. Maxine Waters is), and she points out to the Detroit Free Press that Sanders is an expert activist mobilizer. As for why someone like Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, or even Hillary Clinton wasn't helping to lead opening-day honors, Mallory adds in a statement that "many elected officials" were invited, but that their schedules didn't permit them to attend, per CNN.


Here is a news article: (Reuters) - Apparel retailer Gap Inc (GPS.N) said it would raise the hourly pay for its U.S. employees to $9 in June 2014 and $10 in June 2015, after the White House said the minimum wage for federal contract workers would be raised to $10.10 an hour in 2015.

 Gap, owner of Old Navy, Banana Republic and Gap apparel chains, said the increased pay will benefit about 65,000 store employees.

 "I applaud Gap for announcing that they intend to raise wages for their employees beginning this year," U.S. President Barack Obama said.

 Separately, Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N), the largest private employer in the United States, said it remains "neutral" on the issue of the federal minimum wage order of at least $10.10 per hour as it already pays most full-time employees above that level.

 "We are looking into the impact that this proposal will be on our business," Wal-Mart spokeswoman Brooke Buchanan told Reuters on Wednesday. "We remain neutral. Our position has not changed."

 She said an earlier Bloomberg report that the world's largest retailer was "looking at supporting" an increase in the federal minimum wage was inaccurate. (link.reuters.com/hej96v)

 "Wal-Mart is not a minimum wage business. Ninety-nine percent of our hourly associates, people working in stores earn above the state and federal wage," Buchanan said.

 Obama said last week he would sign an executive order to raise the minimum wage for federal contract workers starting next year.

 The order applies to new contracts and replacements for expiring contracts.

 Wal-Mart is expected to report fourth-quarter results on Thursday.

 (Editing by Don Sebastian and Cynthia Osterman) ||||| Apparel retailer Gap Inc. said Wednesday it would raise the hourly pay for its U.S. employees to $9 in June and $10 in June 2015, after the White House said the minimum wage for federal contract workers would be raised to $10.10 an hour.

 President Barack Obama signed an executive order last week to raise the minimum wage for federal contract workers to $10.10 an hour starting Jan. 1, 2015, and encouraged employers nationwide to increase wages for their workers.

 Gap Inc. says it will raise hourly wages for employees to $9 in June, and to $10 in June 2015. The move is expected to affect about 65,000 store workers. Alex Brandon / AP

 Gap, owner of Old Navy, Banana Republic, Gap, Athleta and Piperlime apparel chains, said the increased pay will benefit about 65,000 store employees. It said "the majority" of employees in stores, call centers and distribution centers currently earn more than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.

 "To us, this is not a political issue," said Gap Chairman and CEO Glenn Murphy. "Our decision to invest in frontline employees will directly support our business, and is one that we expect to deliver a return many times over."

 Meanwhile, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the largest private employer in the United States, said Wednesday it was "looking at supporting" an increase in the federal minimum wage, Bloomberg reported, citing a company spokesman.

 -Reuters and NBC News staff |||||
A summary of this is?

– Gap is staying a step ahead of moves to raise the minimum wage by setting $9 as its minimum wage this summer and raising it to $10 in 2015. The company says the move will affect around 65,000 workers at its stores, which include Old Navy and Banana Republic, NBC reports. President Obama—who wants to bring the minimum wage up from $7.25 to $10.10—applauded the move, which Gap CEO Glenn Murphy described as one that will "directly support our business, and is one that we expect to deliver a return many times over. The chief of the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union said Gap's move was a step in the right direction, but the biggest problem facing retail workers these days is the struggle to work enough hours to earn a good living. To reduce employee turnover, Gap and other retailers should "give these workers full-time jobs and regular schedules that don’t change week to week," he tells the New York Times. Meanwhile, Walmart—America's biggest employer—denied earlier reports that it was looking at supporting a rise in the federal minimum wage, saying it was "neutral" on the issue and already pays most of its full-time employees more than $10 an hour, Reuters reports.


Article:

THIS week, Robert De Niro made a joke about first ladies, and Newt Gingrich said it was “inexcusable and the president should apologize for him.” Of course, if something is “inexcusable,” an apology doesn’t make any difference, but then again, neither does Newt Gingrich.

 Mr. De Niro was speaking at a fund-raiser with the first lady, Michelle Obama. Here’s the joke: “Callista Gingrich. Karen Santorum. Ann Romney. Now do you really think our country is ready for a white first lady?”

 The first lady’s press secretary declared the joke “inappropriate,” and Mr. De Niro said his remarks were “not meant to offend.” So, as these things go, even if the terrible damage can never be undone, at least the healing can begin. And we can move on to the next time we choose sides and pretend to be outraged about nothing.

 When did we get it in our heads that we have the right to never hear anything we don’t like? In the last year, we’ve been shocked and appalled by the unbelievable insensitivity of Nike shoes, the Fighting Sioux, Hank Williams Jr., Cee Lo Green, Ashton Kutcher, Tracy Morgan, Don Imus, Kirk Cameron, Gilbert Gottfried, the Super Bowl halftime show and the ESPN guys who used the wrong cliché for Jeremy Lin after everyone else used all the others. Who can keep up?

 Advertisement Continue reading the main story

 This week, President Obama’s chief political strategist, David Axelrod, described Mitt Romney’s constant advertising barrage in Illinois as a “Mittzkrieg,” and instantly the Republican Jewish Coalition was outraged and called out Mr. Axelrod’s “Holocaust and Nazi imagery” as “disturbing.” Because the message of “Mittzkrieg” was clear: Kill all the Jews. Then the coalition demanded not only that Mr. Axelrod apologize immediately but also that Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz “publicly rebuke” him. For a pun! For punning against humanity! ||||| BILL MAHER HAS a request for America: “Please Stop Apologizing.” In a New York Times op-ed bearing that title, HBO‘s politico-celebrity calls for an end to politicians’ insincere demands for apologies from those who have supposedly offended them — and to the equally insincere apologies they so often elicit. Exhibit A, according to Mr. Maher, is the recent flap over actor Robert De Niro’s quip — for which he subsequently apologized — that Americans might not be ready for a “white first lady.”

 Mr. Maher wants “an amnesty — from the left and the right — on every made-up, fake, totally insincere, play-acted hurt, insult, slight and affront.” If you see or hear something offensive, he instructs, just change the channel. To Mr. Maher’s credit, he’s willing to apply his permissive rule consistently, to include conservatives such as Rush Limbaugh, who apologized, under pressure, for labeling a Georgetown law student a “slut” on his radio show.

 Though his tone is light, the funnyman has a point — both about the way political parties exploit their opponents’ impolite or, sometimes, merely impolitic comments, and about the fact that the Constitution protects offensive speech. Long before Harry Truman articulated it, one of the cardinal rules of American-style democracy, was “If you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.” Phony umbrage is an old and increasingly tired pose.

 Mr. Maher is a strange one to make this argument, though, since it is so obviously self-serving. Though his article does not say so, he too is under fire for, among many other things, using vile words to refer to former Alaska governor Sarah Palin and calling her family “inbred weirdos.”

 This is rhetoric that goes beyond ridiculing or satirizing political adversaries to dehumanizing them. It encourages Americans to hate one another; or, at best, to tune one another out, as Mr. Maher recommends. He and Mr. Limbaugh both have a constitutional right to express themselves. But there are Americans who sincerely hope for civil discourse — for a nation where not every opponent is seen as an enemy. And they have a right to draw distinctions between the merely risque and the corrosively hateful, and to wish for higher standards, even from those who straddle the divide between politics and entertainment.

 Incivility, like any other issue, is subject to partisan manipulation. But that doesn’t make it a phony issue. On this matter, we’d rather heed the words of the president whose reelection Mr. Maher recently backed with a $1 million “super PAC” donation.

 “I am my brother’s keeper, I am my sister’s keeper,” then-Illinois State Sen. Barack Obama told the Democratic National Convention in 2004. “Now, even as we speak, there are those who are preparing to divide us — the spin masters, the negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of ‘anything goes.’ Well, I say to them tonight, there is not a liberal America and a conservative America — there is the United States of America.” |||||
What is a summary?

– Bill Maher is right to call for an end to political groups' "phony umbrage" at every potentially offensive remark. But the comedian's argument is "obviously self-serving," write the editors of the Washington Post. They note that in his New York Times editorial, Maher didn't mention the furor over his own comments—calling Sarah Palin a "vile" name and her family "inbred weirdos," for instance. "This is rhetoric that goes beyond ridiculing or satirizing political adversaries to dehumanizing them." Yes, Maher and Rush Limbaugh deserve the right to free speech, but some of us are looking for a conversation in which "not every opponent is seen as an enemy." Language like theirs prompts us to despise or just ignore each other. Yes, "incivility is subject to partisan manipulation. But that doesn’t make it a phony issue," the editors write. There's a difference between "the merely risque and the corrosively hateful"—one that even those who occupy the dual worlds of politics and entertainment should observe. Click through for the full editorial.


Write a summary based on this article:

Detectives investigating the attempted murders of Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia Skripal have said they believe the pair were poisoned with a nerve agent at the front door of his Salisbury home.

 Specialists investigating the poisoning of the the Skripals have found the highest concentration of the nerve agent on the front door at the address, police said.

 Counter-terrorism detectives will continue to focus their inquiries on the home address for the coming weeks, and possibly months, after the father and daughter were found unconscious on a park bench in Salisbury earlier this month.

 Sergei and Yulia Skripal have slim chance of survival, says niece Read more

 Local police have retaken control of The Maltings shopping centre, where the Skripals were first discovered, and London Road cemetery from counter-terrorism detectives, where officers focused their investigation into the nerve agent attack in previous weeks.

 More than 130 people could have been exposed to the chemical weapon in the aftermath of the poisoning in Salisbury, which the UK government believes was committed by the Russian state.

 In response to the poisoning, more than 150 Russian officials have been expelled from more than 25 countries, and the UK government is considering further measures to punish Russia, including a ban on the City of London from selling Russian sovereign debt.

 Public health experts are still working to establish whether the nerve agent attack presents a long term risks to Salisbury’s residents, which will receive a £1m support package from central government to help recover.

 Deputy assistant commissioner Dean Haydon, the senior national coordinator for counterterrorism policing, said: “At this point in our investigation, we believe the Skripals first came into contact with the nerve agent from their front door.

 “We are therefore focusing much of our efforts in and around their address. Those living in the Skripals’ neighbourhood can expect to see officers carrying out searches as part of this but I want to reassure them that the risk remains low and our searches are precautionary.

 “I’d also like to thank the local community for their continued support and understanding. The unique circumstances of this investigation means that officers are likely be in the area for several weeks and months.”

 About 250 counter-terrorism detectives continue to work around the clock on the investigation, supported by a full range of experts and partners. Officers continue to trawl through more than 5,000 hours of CCTV and examine more than 1,350 exhibits that have been seized. Approximately 500 witnesses have been identified and hundreds of statements taken.

 Traces of the nerve agent have been found at some of the other scenes detectives have been working at over the past few weeks, but at lower concentrations than that found at the home address. ||||| A Russian hit squad poisoned Sergei Skripal and his daughter by smearing nerve agent on his front door, police disclosed last night.

 Counter-terrorism police revealed for the first time that they believed Colonel Skripal and his daughter Yulia "first came into contact" with the Novichok nerve agent at their home.

 Scotland Yard added that the "highest concentration of the nerve agent" had been discovered on the front door of Col Skripal's home in a cul-de-sac close to Salisbury city centre.

 Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, who was also hospitalised, is thought to have become ill after going to the house and was one of the first on the scene.

 The disclosure will intensify the manhunt for the would-be assassins who had targeted Col Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter. It will also heap further pressure on the Kremlin, which is accused of being behind the attack, for putting at risk anybody who had gone to the Skripals' home. ||||| (CNN) Detectives with London's Metropolitan Police said Wednesday they believe former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter first came into contact with a nerve agent at Sergei Skripal's home, and police have identified the highest concentration of the nerve agent to date as being on the home's front door.

 The pair were poisoned March 4 after being exposed to what British police believe was a military-grade nerve agent. They are hospitalized in critical condition.

 Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, were found slumped on a bench in an outdoor shopping complex in Salisbury, England. They had no visible injuries, according to police.

 They were near a number of restaurants, one of which was closed as part of the initial investigation.

 Detectives now plan to focus their investigation around Sergei Skripal's Salisbury home for the coming weeks and possibly months, the Met Police said. Yulia Skripal was visiting her father.

 Police also plan to search the surrounding area.

 Yulia Skripal

 "Those living in the Skripals' neighborhood can expect to see officers carrying out searches as part of this, but I want to reassure them that the risk remains low and our searches are precautionary," Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dean Haydon said in a statement.

 Around 250 counterterrorism detectives are working around the clock on the investigation, the Met Police said, adding it is one of the largest and most complex investigations undertaken by British counterterrorism police.

 Officers are examining more than 5,000 hours of closed-circuit television and more than 1,350 seized items, police said. They have identified around 500 witnesses and taken hundreds of statements.

 Detectives have found traces of the nerve agent at other scenes in the past few weeks but at lower concentrations than at the home address, the Met Police said.

 Surveillance footage shows Sergei Skripal shopping at a convenience store days before he was poisoned.

 Diplomatic fallout

 The UK has expelled 23 Russian diplomats over the poisoning of the Skripals, which it blames on Moscow. Russia denies it was involved and has suggested the UK could be behind it.

 In a show of support for Britain, more than 20 other countries have kicked out Russian diplomats . Those countries include the United States, Canada, Australia and 18 European Union states.

 In a speech Wednesday evening, British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson thanked the countries "from the bottom of my heart" for standing with Britain, saying they did it despite the risk of retaliation.

 "I believe that these expulsions represent a moment when a feeling has suddenly crystallized, when years of vexation and provocation have worn collective patience to (the) breaking point, and when across the world -- across three continents -- there are countries who are willing to say enough is enough," Johnson said at an annual gathering of the diplomatic corps in London.

 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the United States pressured and blackmailed other countries to expel Russian diplomats.

 British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks Monday in Parliament.

 Moscow has already responded by expelling 23 British diplomats and shuttering British cultural institutions in Russia. Tuesday, Lavrov warned of further retaliation , saying, "Rest assured, we will respond," according to state media.

 Russia's ambassador to Australia called the expulsions "unfair."

 "It's rather like the beginning of 'Crime and Punishment,'" Johnson said. "We're all confident of the culprit, and the only question is whether he will first confess or be caught."

 The Skripals 'may never fully recover'

 According to the UK, the Skripals were exposed to a Soviet-era nerve agent known as Novichok, a colorless, odorless and tasteless liquid described as one of the world's most sophisticated and deadly chemical weapons.

 While British officials have said they believe the public health risk is low, Prime Minister Theresa May has also said more than 130 people in Salisbury could have been exposed to the nerve agent.

 May said Monday that doctors have indicated the Skripals may never fully recover.

 "This shows the utterly barbaric nature of this act and the dangers that hundreds of innocent citizens in Salisbury could have faced," May said.

 Johnson said Wednesday that the Kremlin underestimated the global response to the poisoning.

 "If they thought that the world had become so hardened and so cynical as not to care about the use of chemical weapons in a place like Salisbury," he said, "if they believed that no one would give a fig about the suffering of Sergei and Yulia Skripal, or that we would be indifferent to the reckless and contemptuous disregard for public safety ... then this is their answer." |||||

– The military-grade nerve agent that left former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter near death appears to have been left on his front door in Salisbury, England, police say. Investigators say the Skripals first came into contact with the nerve agent at Skripal's home, and the highest concentration of it was found on the door, the Guardian reports. Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, were found unconscious on a bench at an outdoor shopping complex on March 4. Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, who was hospitalized for more than two weeks after the incident, is believed to have become sick after visiting the Skripal house, where he was one of the first on the scene, reports the Telegraph. Police say residents of Skripal's neighborhood can expect more searches in the area, but "the risk remains low." Britain blames Russia for the attack. It has expelled 23 Russian diplomats and numerous other countries, including the US, have followed suit. In a speech late Wednesday, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson thanked Britain's allies "from the bottom of his heart," CNN reports. "I believe that these expulsions represent a moment when a feeling has suddenly crystallized, when years of vexation and provocation have worn collective patience to (the) breaking point, and when across the world—across three continents—there are countries who are willing to say enough is enough," he said. (A relative says there is almost no chance the Skripals will survive.)


News article:

It was their thing: S.A.C. It stood for Sacramento. It stood for Stephon Alonzo Clark. And it also stood for Clark's family: Salena, Aiden, and Ciaro.

 "We met in Sacramento," said Salena Manni, Clark's girlfriend. "So it has special meaning to us."

 Clark was shot and killed Sunday night by two Sacramento Police officers. Police were responding to 911 calls of robbery reports in the area.

 Clark's family said he was just trying to get into his grandmother's home, where he lived.

 A spokesperson with Sacramento Police said Tuesday night the officers at the scene fired at Clark 20 times. He could not comment on how many times Clark was hit.

 "He's not coming home to me no more," Manni said through tears. "He's really gone."

 Manni has been with the man she lovingly knew as 'Zoe' for five years. She is heartbroken, especially for their two children, Aiden and Cairo.

 "I have to wake up every morning to my kids asking me, 'Where's Daddy? Let's go get Daddy,'" Manni said. "'Daddy's always in our hearts forever. Don't forget that.' Even today, my son he doesn't understand hearts and tummies. He goes 'Daddy's with me. He's in my tummy.'"

 Sacramento police initially said the two officers involved "feared for their safety," thinking Clark was armed. They later said the object the officers was a 'tool bar.'

 The night after the shooting, police said they only found Clark's cellphone at the scene.

 Sacramento man fatally shot by police Stephen Clark and his sister. 01 / 05 Stephen Clark and his sister. 01 / 05

 "I know for a fact he was so scared, scared for his life," said Manni. "He had too much to lose... he would never want to leave his kids."

 Manni said Clark was the love of her life, but she didn't realize how much of an impact he had on other people.

 "He has a lot of love out there," said Manni. "And I'm grateful for it."

 Friends have started a memorial fund for Clark's family.

 Follow the conversation with Frances Wang on Facebook.

 © 2018 KXTV ||||| MARCH 21 4 p.m. UPDATE: Sacramento Police have released body cam and aerial footage of the shooting.

 —

 SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — New details from the Sacramento Police Department were released on Tuesday about the deadly officer-involved shooting in South Sacramento over the weekend.

 According to police, Stephon Clark was shot at 20 times and was hit multiple times.

 “It doesn’t seem real. In the heart of California, it doesn’t seem real,” said Stevante Clark, Stephon’s older brother.

 Still shook up after losing his younger brother, Stevante Clark is trying to understand Sunday night’s deadly encounter.

 “I know there could have been another way. He didn’t have to die,” said Clark.

 According to police, Stephon Clark was breaking car windows and a home glass door in South Sacramento when confronted by police in his grandparents’ backyard. Police say he extended his arms with something in his hands.

 “Fearing for their safety, the officers fired their duty weapon, striking the subject multiple times,” said Sacramento Police Chief Daniel Hahn.

 In all, 20 rounds were fired. It’s not known how many struck Clark, but he was pronounced dead.

 No weapon was found. Only a cellphone was recovered at the scene.

 “He didn’t deserve it,” said Clark.

 The father of two had a troublesome past. Clark says his brother was arrested several times before for various crimes. Clark also says he recently noticed a difference in Stephon.

 “He really changed his life. He really changed his life,” said Clark.

 On Tuesday night, frustrated speakers took on city leaders.

 “Did Mr. Clark really have to die? It does seem that way to the community,” said Richard Owen.

 A handful of speakers pled with the city manager to take action against the officers.

 “We are asking for justice and for those police officers to be arrested,” said Kevin Carter.

 An oversight committee will review the investigation. Clark’s family will see any and all video from the scene. And the public will also be made aware of the investigation’s findings.

 “What we can do is make sure that our processes are transparent and open and that we are communicating with the public as well,” said Sacramento City Councilman Larry Carr.

 There are new policies for transparency, but still, people in the community are demanding justice.

 “Nothing has changed. We look today to see that it’s the same thing over and over,” said Carter.

 Police are required to release to the public all video relating to an officer-involved shooting within 30 days of the incident.

 Hahn says the department plans to show the video to Stephon Clark’s family by the end of the week. The video from the body cameras of two officers and a police helicopter will be made publicly available within a week, well ahead of the requirements. ||||| The 22-year-old black man fatally shot by Sacramento police in his own backyard Sunday night was carrying a cellphone, not a "tool bar," when confronted by officers, the department clarified late Monday.

 Stephon Clark was killed in the backyard of the south Sacramento home he shared with his grandmother, grandfather and some siblings, his 25-year-old brother Stevante Clark said Monday. The police department said officers were responding to a call of a person breaking car windows nearby.

 Police said they believed Clark was armed with a gun, though no firearm was found at the scene. Police said instead Clark had a "object" that he "extended in front of him" while advancing towards two officers.

 Police were unable to immediately give details about the tool bar Monday, and did not identify the item in Clark's hand when he was shot as different from the tool bar until late Monday night. The department said it believed initial information released about the incident was clear that the object Clark was holding when shot was not the tool bar.

 Be the first to know. No one covers what is happening in our community better than we do. And with a digital subscription, you'll never miss a local story. SIGN ME UP!

 SHARE COPY LINK WARNING: Graphic content. The Sacramento Police Department has released body cam footage of the shooting of Stephon Clark, an unarmed black man, in his grandparents' backyard. This footage is from camera 1. The shooting occurs near the 7:40 mark.

 Police said Monday night they had concluded their on-scene investigation and the only item found near Clark's body was a cellphone.

 Police said two items that could be the "tool bar" that deputies in the helicopter saw were recovered from near the broken sliding glass door in the neighbor's yard: a cinder block and a piece of aluminum similar to what might be used for a gutter.

 On Monday, police said Clark used the tool bar to shatter a sliding glass door one house away from where he was shot. Police also said in a release that they believe Clark broke the windows of at least three nearby vehicles.

 At 9:18 p.m. Sunday night, officers responded to a call that a thin, 6-foot-1 black man wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and dark pants was hiding in a residential backyard after breaking car windows, according to a department media release.

 Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies circling the area in a helicopter spotted a man in a nearby backyard at about 9:25 p.m. and told police on the ground that he had just shattered a window with a tool bar then run to the front of that house and looked inside a car. The deputies in the helicopter began directing the officers on the ground to his location.

 Officers entered the front yard of Clark's residence in the 7500 block of 29th Street and spotted him along the side of the house. Department spokesman Vance Chandler said the man tracked by the helicopter was the same person confronted by officers, who said they ordered him to stop and show his hands. That man was later identified as Clark.

 Police said Clark instead fled from the officers toward the back of the property, where police said he turned and advanced toward the officers with an object in his hands.

 "Fearing for their safety," the officers fired multiple rounds at Clark at 9:26 p.m., hitting him several times, the department said.

 The two officers involved in the shooting then held their position for about five minutes until additional officers arrived before approaching the victim. Clark was pronounced dead at the scene.

 Sequita Thompson, Clark's grandmother, said she was awake and sitting in the home's dining room when she heard four gunshots.

 “The only thing that I heard was pow, pow, pow, pow, and I got to the ground," she said.

 Thompson said neither she nor her husband heard police issuing commands prior to the shots being fired.

 Thompson dropped to the floor and crawled to the spot where her 7-year-old granddaughter slept on the a couch in an adjacent den, telling her to get on the ground as well, she said.

 Thompson then made her way to her husband, who uses a wheelchair to move around.

 Thompson said it was normal for Clark and others to enter the home through the backyard because the front doorbell doesn't work and she and her husband, who is in a wheelchair, have poor mobility. People would knock on the back window and ask her to use an automatic opener to raise the garage door to admit them, she said.

 Thompson said her husband called 911 to report the shots.

 Police interviewed Thompson for several hours about what she had heard but did not tell her about Clark, she said. She eventually decided to look out a window and saw her grandson's body in her backyard, she said.

 “I opened that curtain and he was dead," she said. "I started screaming.”

 Both officers involved with the shooting were placed on paid administrative leave. One has been an SPD officer for four years, the other for two. Each had four years experience with other law enforcement agencies before joining SPD.

 Body-camera footage of the shooting will be released within 30 days, per a city policy approved in November 2016.

 Chandler said that video would include footage shot by Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies in the helicopter. The Sheriff's Department does not usually release video, but Chandler said the departments wanted to work "collaboratively."

 The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office, city attorney’s office and the city Office of Public Safety Accountability will investigate the shooting, as will SPD homicide detectives, internal affairs and Crime Scene Investigation units, he said.

 Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said he supported the investigation and Sacramento Police Chief Daniel Hahn's "intent to expediate the release of all relevant video."

 "I am always sorry when someone loses their young life," Steinberg said. "I am also grateful that the officers were unharmed."

 A Sacramento High School alumnus with a fondness for sneakers, football and video games, Clark left behind two young sons, Cairo and Aiden, his family said.

 Though his birth certificate read "Stephen," Clark altered the spelling of his name to differentiate it from that of his father, Stevante said.

 Many friends also referred to him as "Zoe," short for Alonzo, his middle name.

 Monday night, about 120 community activists led by Black Lives Matter gathered in front of the Meadowview Light Rail Station off of Meadowview Road for a vigil and protest. The crowd included family members and community leaders.

 Sacramento Pastor Les Simmons, the former president of a police oversight commission who quit after the fatal shooting of a mentally ill black man in 2016, led a group of family members through prayer at the station’s parking lot.

 “I think right now is a moment for our community,” he said afterward. “A moment to show real transparency.”

 Tuesday afternoon, family, friends and activists planned to gather on the steps of the state capitol at 1 p.m.

 SHARE COPY LINK Sacramento police are investigating an officer-related shooting on March 19, 2018, in South Sacramento in the 7500 block of 29th Avenue. Sgt. Vance Chandler explains at the scene.

 A GoFundMe page to pay for Clark's funeral expenses was established Monday afternoon. Stevante Clark said the family wanted enough money to bury his younger brother next to another brother killed a few years ago, also by gun violence.

 "He would not want for us to be sad but to come together," said the elder Clark. "He was a good person. He always had jokes for everybody."

 Benjy Egel: (916) 321-1052, begel@sacbee.com |||||
What is a shorter version of the above article?

– Stephon Clark was killed by California police in his own backyard when officers fired 20 rounds at him, striking him multiple times, CBS Sacramento reports. According to the Sacramento Bee, police in Sacramento were responding Sunday night to reports of a man breaking car windows when they found Clark in his backyard. Police say the 22-year-old man at first fled before approaching officers while holding an "object" that he "extended in front of him." Police say the officers thought it was a gun and, fearing for their safety, opened fire on Clark. Police initially said the object turned out to be a "tool bar" of some kind only to later revise that: Clark was apparently holding only a cellphone. No gun was found at the scene. “I know there could have been another way. He didn’t have to die,” Clark's older brother tells CBS. "He didn't deserve it." Clark's grandmother, who lives at the home, says neither she nor her husband heard officers give Clark any orders before opening fire. Police say Clark used an object, possibly a cinder block or piece of aluminum, to break a neighbor's glass door and the windows of at least three cars in the area before he was killed. Police say they will release body camera and helicopter footage of the shooting within a week. Salena Manni, Clark's girlfriend of five years and mother of his two young children, tells KXTV he wouldn't have threatened officers. "He had too much to lose," she says. "He would never want to leave his kids."


Article:
LONDON Genes that increase the risk of a person developing schizophrenia may also increase the chance they will use cannabis, researchers said on Tuesday after studying more than 1,000 users of the drug.

 The results chime with previous studies linking schizophrenia and cannabis, but suggest the association may be due to common genes and might not be a causal relationship where cannabis use leads to increased schizophrenia risk.

 Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug in the world, and its use is higher among people with schizophrenia than in the general population.

 "We know that cannabis increases the risk of schizophrenia. Our study certainly does not rule this out, but it suggests that there is likely to be an association in the other direction as well – that a pre-disposition to schizophrenia also increases your likelihood of cannabis use," said Robert Power, who led the study at the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London.

 Schizophrenia is a common and severe psychiatric disorder that affects around one in 100 people. People who use cannabis are about twice as likely as those who do not to develop it.

 The disorder typically begins in late adolescence or early adulthood and its most common symptoms are disruptions in thinking, language and perception. It often includes psychotic experiences, such as hearing voices or delusions.

 While the exact cause is unknown, research to date suggests a combination of physical, genetic, psychological and environmental factors can make people more likely to develop it.

 Previous studies have found a number of genetic risk variants associated with schizophrenia, each of which slightly increases a person's risk of developing the condition.

 Cannabis use has frequently been associated with it, but there is much debate about whether this is because of a direct cause, or whether there may be shared genes which predispose people to both cannabis use and schizophrenia.

 A study published in March 2011 found that people who use cannabis in their youth dramatically increase their risk of psychotic symptoms, and that continued use of the drug can raise the risk of developing a psychotic disorder in later life.

 And earlier research found that young people who smoke cannabis for six years or more are twice as likely to have psychotic episodes, hallucinations or delusions.

 This latest study, published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry on Tuesday, included 2,082 healthy people of whom 1,011 had used cannabis. Each participant's genetic risk profile - the number of genes related to schizophrenia each of them carried - was measured.

 The researchers found that people genetically predisposed to schizophrenia were more likely to use cannabis, and to use it in greater amounts than those who had no schizophrenia risk genes.

 Power said the result "highlights the complex interactions between genes and environments" when it comes to cannabis as a risk factor for schizophrenia.

 "Certain environmental risks, such as cannabis use, may be more likely given an individual's innate behavior and personality, itself influenced by their genetic make-up," he said, adding that this finding was important to consider when calculating the economic and health impact of cannabis.

 (Editing by Alison Williams) ||||| The association between marijuana and schizophrenia is historically fraught. In the 1960s and 1970s, scientists thought that smoking weed could trigger psychosis in just about anyone. Today, these findings are more nuanced, but researchers still think that cannabis can trigger schizophrenia in people who are predisposed to the disease — meaning those with family histories of the disorder. Yet, in the last decade, some scientists have actually started to look at the effect in reverse. The resulting studies suggest that the neurobiology underlying schizophrenia might also put people affected by the disorder at increased risk for smoking pot. But these results haven't garnered nearly as much attention as studies suggesting the opposite.

 part of the association might be caused by genetic overlap

 Now, a new study, published today in Molecular Psychiatry, lends further support to the idea that schizophrenia plays a role in an individual's likelihood of smoking weed, by showing that the genetic variants predicting schizophrenia can also be used to predict a person's tendency to smoke pot, regardless of their mental health history. This, researchers say, demonstrates that the causal relationship between cannabis use and schizophrenia might not be clear-cut, and that at least a small part of the association might be caused by genetic overlap, where the same genes that predispose certain people to enjoying weed might also predispose others to developing schizophrenia — or both.

 To tease apart this relationship, researchers took genetic data from recently published studies of schizophrenia, and identified genetic variants associated with the disease. Then, they applied that information to a random sample of about 2,000 healthy Australians to see if those variants could also predict cannabis use.

 "more likely to use cannabis, and in greater quantities."

 "There is a well-established link between people who use cannabis and schizophrenia," says Robert Power, lead author of the study and a genetic psychiatrist at King's College London. But this study indicates "that people who are at risk for schizophrenia are more likely to use cannabis, and in greater quantities," he says — which means the causal relationship might actually go both ways. Moreover, the genetic variants associated with schizophrenia were predictive for cannabis use in healthy individuals, so there appears to be some genetic overlap between the two.

 "These findings are very valuable," says Eden Evins, a psychiatry professor at Harvard University who was not involved in the study, "and suggest that increased genetic risk for schizophrenia increases the chance that someone will use cannabis, and use it heavily." But Evins doesn't think these results rule out previous findings that cannabis use increases a person's risk for developing schizophrenia. "Both may be true," she says. This sentiment was echoed by Wolfram Kawohl, a psychiatrist at the University of Zurich, who said the results show that "the connection is more complicated than some people may have thought," and that "both connections may exist parallel along with possible others."

 "I am suspect that this finding will hold out with the test of time."

 But Lynn DeLisi, another Harvard University psychiatry professor, isn't convinced. "I am suspect that this finding will hold out with the test of time," she told The Verge in an email. DeLisi points to her own work, which showed there was no difference in family history of schizophrenia between people who smoke weed and people who don't. So, although there might be an interaction between smoking weed and schizophrenia, DeLisi said, it would be need to be shown in "studies of people using cannabis compared with those who don't, both having a family history of schizophrenia."

 Furthermore, DeLisi thinks that today's high rates of cannabis use among teenagers and adults make it hard to link drug use to mental health issues or their genetic predispositions. "Everyone uses cannabis these days, and I don't think they necessarily have genetic predispositions to do so."

 An ongoing debate

 "The relationship is an ongoing debate in the scientific world — at least what the nature of the association is," said Matthew Hill, a cell biologist at the University of Calgary in Canada, who recently published an article dissecting this very relationship, in an email to The Verge. In the article, Hill argued that "there is little evidence that, at a population level, cannabis use during adolescence is a primary contributing factor in the development of psychiatric illness." But he also noted that "there is evidence that in high-risk populations, cannabis can be highly adverse, so arguments claiming that cannabis is innocuous are equally flawed."

 Weed affects people with schizophrenia differently

 When The Verge asked about the risks associated with cannabis use, Hill said that "there are detailed studies which have demonstrated that cannabis can have very different effects on the brain of someone who is at risk for schizophrenia than someone who isn't." One 2013 study, for instance, demonstrated that the increased release of dopamine from smoking marijuana is amplified in the brains of people with schizophrenia, as well as in their close relatives. The results of this amplification are poorly understood, but some scientists think that a chronic elevation of dopamine can increase one's likelihood of experiencing psychotic episodes, and make the disorder harder to treat. Moreover, some studies indicate that people who find themselves in the early stages of schizophrenia and who also smoke weed experience larger brain modifications — such as changes in their white matter — compared to those who don't.

 "cannabis use worsens the course of schizophrenia."

 "There is definitely some kind of genetic basis to increased vulnerability to these adverse effects [in people with schizophrenia] that go beyond the correlational association discussed in this paper," Hill says. Evins agreed. "It's well known that cannabis use worsens the course of schizophrenia," she said, "so people with schizophrenia should be discouraged from using it."

 Furthermore, some studies have found that smoking pot accelerates the development of schizophrenia in those who are genetically predisposed, but that association took a hit in 2010, when researchers found that accounting for things like gender, lifetime mental health history, and socioeconomic status erased the effect. Still, some studies continue to point to this risk.

 Perhaps the reasons for these contradictory findings is that some individuals with schizophrenia react more strongly to marijuana than others with the same disorder. This was the finding of one 2010 study that demonstrated that 44 out of 121 schizophrenic participants either developed schizophrenia within a month of beginning to smoke marijuana, or saw their psychosis amplified by drug use.

 A complicated relationship

 Given all of this conflicting evidence, it seems likely that the relationship between marijuana and schizophrenia is even more complex than we once thought. No single gene has been associated with either drug addiction or schizophrenia, so these illnesses are the result of many genes working in combination, Evins said, "each with a small contribution to the overall risk of developing the disorders." There's also a plethora of environmental factors that need to be taken into account — most of which we barely understand.

 This "doesn't get a lot of attention."

 Still, Hill said, the idea that cannabis use and schizophrenia share common genes "is interesting," partly because it highlights a dimension of this relationship that doesn't get a lot of attention. But causality is never easy to confirm, so this study will need to be replicated multiple times. And even then, Kawohl said, researchers probably won't be able to say that "cannabis use has no consequences for the risk to develop schizophrenia."

 Regardless, it's important to remember that schizophrenia only affects a small number of people — about 1 percent of the US adult population — so "the vast majority of adolescents and young adults who use cannabis won't develop it," Evins said. And that's actually a crucial point, because despite all the studies that link schizophrenia and cannabis, few have been able to explain why schizophrenia rates have remained stable — and may actually be declining — in the face of pot's increasing popularity among teens.

 the economic benefit of limiting pot use is "pretty small."

 "There may still be a causal role between cannabis and schizophrenia, but our results suggest that this causal role may have been overestimated," Power says. This is important, he says, because some people have used cannabis' relationship with psychosis to argue against its legalization. "Already the actual economic benefit of limiting cannabis use in terms of schizophrenia is pretty small," Power says, pointing to a study that found that policymakers would have to stop at least 3,000 adolescents from smoking weed to prevent one case of psychosis from emerging.

 Still, Power thinks people with a family history of schizophrenia should avoid weed. "The clinical advice is to stay away from events that might have a potential to cause stress," he says, because genes and environment are interconnected. Thus, "people who are at-risk should try to avoid things that might damage their mental well-being." These things, he says, include weed. |||||Summary:

– The exact nature of the relationship between schizophrenia and cannabis still isn't clear to scientists, but a new study offers additional clues. Researchers studied genetic data on 2,082 people, about half of whom had used cannabis, Reuters reports; they focused on the number of schizophrenia-linked genes in the subjects. The experts found that those with a predisposition to the illness were more likely to use cannabis—and to use more of it—than were those without schizophrenia-linked genes, regardless of mental health history. In other words, says a researcher, the study suggests "a pre-disposition to schizophrenia also increases your likelihood of cannabis use." The Verge explains the complexities of the possible relationship between schizophrenia and marijuana: In the 1960s, for instance, scientists thought that smoking marijuana could cause psychosis in most people; these days, researchers believe using the drug may spur schizophrenia in those who are predisposed to it. The new study effectively turns the idea around, suggesting that those who are predisposed to the illness may also be predisposed to using marijuana. But that doesn't mean weed use doesn't increase schizophrenia risk, an outside expert notes: "Both (theories) may be true."