– If Shyma's music video had aired on MTV in the US, she likely wouldn't be facing jail time. But the 20-something singer, whose star turn showed her stripped down to her skivvies and provocatively eating fruit, lives in Egypt, and the conservative powers-that-be there have sentenced her to prison, the BBC reports. Shyma (real name: Shaimaa Ahmed) was arrested in November, and on Tuesday she was handed a two-year sentence on charges of debauchery and publishing an indecent film, per local media. The New York Daily News says Mohamed Gamal, the director of the video, called "I Have Issues," was also sentenced to two years in prison in absentia. The Telegraph offers more details, explaining that in the video, Shyma appears in her underwear, then noshes on a milk-drizzled banana, licks an apple, and samples cake icing in front of a classroom of beguiled men. The video got her more than 1 million followers, but then came her arrest. The debauchery charge isn't an uncommon one in Egypt, with media reports citing instances of women being thrown behind bars for dancing in music videos (that recently earned belly dancers six months each in prison) and, in the case of a singer who proclaimed on film that sipping Nile River water could get people sick, "spreading provocative publicity." As for Shyma, she noted before her arrest in a Facebook post that's since disappeared that she was sorry for her "inappropriate" behavior and "didn't imagine ... that I would be subjected to such a strong attack from everyone." The South China Morning Post, which says Shyma can appeal the verdict, notes that after her arrest, she blamed Gamal for including the provocative scenes without her consent. (Eight Egyptians were jailed for filming a gay wedding.)

Expand this summary.

An Egyptian court has reportedly jailed Shaimaa Ahmed, a singer who was arrested last month for a provocative music video, for two years.

 Ahmed, 25, who goes by the name Shyma professionally, was found guilty of inciting debauchery and publishing an indecent film, the BBC reported. Her music video featured the singer suggestively eating a banana.

 The director of the music video for Ahmed's song, "I Have Issues," was also sentenced to two years in prison.

 "I didn't imagine all this would happen and that I would be subjected to such a strong attack from everyone," Ahmed wrote on her since-deleted Facebook page. She said she didn't mean for people to take it "in an inappropriate way."

 Egypt mosque attack death toll rises to 305

 Ahmed, 25, who goes by Shyma professionally, was found guilty of inciting debauchery and publishing an indecent film. (Shyma via Youtube)

 Egypt has a history of imprisoning women for "inciting debauchery." Last year, three women were jailed for six months each for dancing in music videos.

 And another singer is on trial for "spreading provocative publicity" after saying that drinking from the Nile River could make a person sick.

 "Drinking from the Nile will get me schistosomiasis," the singer, Sherine Abdel Wahab, said on video after a concertgoer asked her to sing "Mashrebtesh Men Nilha" (Have You Drunk from the Nile?).

 Her claim that the famous body of water could infect people with a parasite-driven disease got her banned by the Egyptian Musicians Syndicate from performing in the country for two months.

 Sign up for BREAKING NEWS Emails privacy policy Thanks for subscribing! ||||| An Egyptian pop singer has been sentenced to two years in prison for "inciting debauchery" after a music video showing her suggestively eating a banana was ruled to be too sexually explicit.

 Shyma was arrested shortly after releasing I have Issues, in which the she is seen dancing in underwear before appearing in front of a classroom of adult men and pouring milk over a banana before eating it, licking an apple and tasting the icing of a slice of chocolate cake.

 The video attracted more than one million viewers in a few days, but also sparked controversy among conservatives for the strong sexual gesturing.

 Shyma, 25, an Arab Idol competitor originally from Tanta, in northern Egypt, appeared at court on Tuesday wearing a niqab covering her face. She was seen reading the Quran while waiting for the sentence to be issued. ||||| An Egyptian court has jailed a little-known singer for two years on Tuesday for inciting debauchery, judicial sources said, after she appeared in a music video in her underwear and suggestively eating a banana.

 Shyma’s song, titled I Have Issues, sparked controversy on social media in the conservative country.

 The singer, who was fined 10,000 Egyptian pounds (US$560), can appeal the verdict to a higher court.

 The director of the video was also fined and sentenced to two years in prison, but in absentia. Both defendants were accused of inciting debauchery and producing a video harming public morality.

 Shyma, whose real name is Shaimaa Ahmed, was arrested on November 18 before being referred to the prosecution for investigation. She denied the accusations, saying the director included the controversial scenes without her consent.

 Dozens of young Egyptians were arrested in September for attending a concert in Cairo where a rainbow flag was raised. They were also accused of debauchery, harming public morality and other accusations. ||||| 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. ||||| Image copyright Shyma Image caption Shyma wrote that she had not anticipated the backlash against her video

 A court in Egypt has reportedly jailed for two years a singer who appeared in a music video in her underwear while suggestively eating a banana.

 Shaimaa Ahmed, a 25-year-old known professionally as Shyma, was arrested last month after the video sparked outrage in the conservative country.

 On Tuesday, she was found guilty of inciting debauchery and publishing an indecent film, local media said.

 The video's director was also sentenced to two years in prison in absentia.

 Shyma had apologised before her arrest to people who took the video for the song, I Have Issues, "in an inappropriate way".

 "I didn't imagine all this would happen and that I would be subjected to such a strong attack from everyone," she wrote on her now-deleted Facebook page.

 Last year, Egyptian courts sentenced three female dancers to six months each in prison after convicting them of inciting debauchery in music videos.

 Another singer is meanwhile facing trial for "spreading provocative publicity" because she suggested that drinking from the River Nile could make someone ill.

 A lawsuit was filed last month after video emerged showing Sherine Abdel Wahab being asked at a concert last year to sing Mashrebtesh Men Nilha (Have You Drunk From The Nile?).

 She responded by saying "drinking from the Nile will get me schistosomiasis" - a disease caused by a parasitic worm that is commonly known as bilharzia.

 On Monday, the Egyptian Musicians Syndicate announced that it had decided to ban Abdel Wahab from performing concerts in the country for two months. |||||


Summarize this article:

Story highlights Chance of a ticket winning a Powerball jackpot is 1 in 175,223,510

 You have a better chance of hitting two straight holes in one

 A record $550 million Powerball jackpot is up for grabs Wednesday

 Last March, when the people of America were drooling at the thought of winning a record $656 million Mega Millions jackpot, we poured an icy bucket of mathematical reality over your head: You weren't going to win.

 Now, with a record $550 million Powerball jackpot up for grabs Wednesday, we figured it was a great time to, once again, dash your dreams. We know, we know -- someone will win at least a share of the prize, if not Wednesday, then in some subsequent drawing. But it won't be you.

 JUST WATCHED Lottery winners' lives ruined Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Lottery winners' lives ruined 02:20

 The chance of a ticket winning a Powerball jackpot is 1 in 175,223,510 (slightly better than the chance of winning a Mega Millions jackpot, which is 1 in 175,711,536). Here are a few unlikely scenarios that, we're sorry to say, are much more likely than you taking home this jackpot.

 -- Dying from a bee sting: 1 in 6.1 million.

 -- Dying from a lightning strike: 1 in 3 million.

 From U.S. Hole in One , which insures golf prizes for holes in one:

 -- An amateur golfer making a hole in one on a par-3 hole: 1 in 12,500.

 -- A golfer hitting a hole in one on consecutive par-3 holes: 1 in about 156 million.

 From a 2011 State Farm study on collisions between vehicles and deer:

 -- Hitting a deer with a vehicle in Hawaii, the state where State Farm says deer-vehicle collisions are least likely: 1 in 6,267.

 -- Being struck by lightning over an 80-year lifetime: 1 in 10,000.

 From the Florida Museum of Natural History , based on U.S. beach injury statistics:

 -- Drowning and other beach-related fatalities: 1 in 2 million.

 -- Being attacked by a shark: 1 in 11.5 million.

 What do you think about your chances of winning on Wednesday? Weigh in below, or on Twitter using #whataretheodds. ||||| 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. ||||| Life after a Powerball win: What to expect if you strike it rich

 Why Hollywood is in love with the end of the world

 Why Hollywood is in love with the end of the ...

 (CBS News) Lottery players around the country are hoping to strike it rich Wednesday. The biggest Powerball drawing in history now stands at half a billion dollars, the biggest Powerball prize ever -- and the second-largest lottery jackpot in history.

 And that pot could get even sweeter by the time they pick the numbers.

 With no Powerball winner since October 6, lottery officials estimate that 105,000 tickets are being sold every minute nationwide. And the more tickets people buy, the more that jackpot will go up.

 Powerball at $500 million: What to do if you win

 The odds of winning the jackpot are just one in 175,000,000.

 But that isn't stopping players from trying their luck. From New York to Arizona, people stood in line Tuesday after the jackpot soared to $500 million.

 The historic prize is part of a plan lottery officials put in place earlier this year, including doubling the ticket price to $2 in order to boost jackpots faster. By the time of the drawing, lottery officials estimate that Americans will have purchased more than $1 billion in Powerball tickets. There is a 60 percent chance the winning combinations will have been sold.

 Asked if that means there will be a winner, Mary Newbauer, a lottery official told CBS News, "I don't know. We'll have to wait and see, but that's not really a high number when it comes to drawings like this."

 Mary and Brian Lohse know what it's like to hit it big. The couple won $202 million in Powerball just two months ago.

 Mary Lohse said they didn't think they could actually win. Brian Lohse added, "The fact that it was a single winner I think was -- it even makes it more astounding and mind-boggling for us."

 It's mind-boggling because Mary Lohse only bought that ticket as an afterthought at a local gas station one day. Before that, she and her husband were just trying to make ends meet for their three children.

 Brian Lohse said, "We've faced the foreclosure. We've gotten the letter about them picking up the car and, frankly, right before we won the lottery."

 The couple immediately got a lawyer and financial advisers. Then something happened that they didn't expect -- they got dozens of letters from complete strangers asking for help. One letter they received said, "If you could make an individual donation via check for an amount of $500,000 that would be very generous."

 The couple hasn't answered the letters, but they have shared their fortune with their community, planning to help the local high school build a new football stadium.

 For now, the family is still just trying to get over the shock of going from middle-class to millionaires. Mary Lohse said, "I think we both, at some point in the middle of the night have woken up and going, 'Brian, did it really happen? And he says, 'Yes,' and then I go back to sleep."

 And if you're wondering whether the Lohses still play the the lottery the answer also is yes. Since winning Powerball, they've purchased a ticket every week, including one for tonight.

 If there is a single winner in tonight's drawing, that person could take a cash option of $327 million before taxes.

 For Manuel Bojorquez's full report on Powerball and the Lohses' life after their win, watch the video above.

 But if you do win the big prize, what should you do?

 Watch CBS News legal analyst Jack Ford's advice on "CBS This Morning" in the video below.

 You should get a team of financial advisers and lawyers to help you manage your financial future, Ford advised on "CTM." He said, "At this point, guys, can you afford to bring in some people who can provide you with some good advice. Just because somebody says, 'My next door neighbor's brother-in-law is a lawyer you should talk to him.' Make sure you find yourself a good lawyer, good financial analyst and take their advice very early on."

 Also, wait to claim your money, according to Ford. "It's a good idea," he said. "You got to do a couple of things. First thing do you is sign the ticket. ... The reason is it's the ticket that's the winner. You want to make sure that there's no question. There's a lot of people that would love to get their hands on that ticket. Sign it, put it in a safe place. The safe place is not a shoe box in your closet. Get to your local bank. ...Take some time to settle in, get your team in place, make sure you know what's going on here, get the advice. You don't have to run out and tell everybody because what you'll get, everybody in the world will be after you saying, 'Hey why don't you share some of your wealth with us?' Take some time and get things sorted out with the team." |||||

– If you're hoping to win that $500 million Powerball jackpot tonight, we have bad and less-than-surprising news for you: It ain't gonna happen. But one person ultimately has to defy the stacked-way-against-you odds, and if that happens to be you, do this: Get yourself some good lawyers and financial advisers, one analyst tells CBS News. Actually listen to them. Sign that winning ticket and put it somewhere safe. Take note: "The safe place is not a shoebox in your closet." Keep quiet, and hold your horses. There's no reason to claim your prize immediately, and it's best to get your "team" set up before you come forward. Because once you do, you can expect to be inundated with appeals from cash-seeking strangers. Remember the winning ticket may not be the answer to your prayers. Time lists jackpot winners who would have been better off burning their ticket. Here's one: William Post III won $16.2 million. Three months after his first payout he was $500,000 in debt (buying an airplane and a restaurant may have been a mistake); his brother allegedly hired a hit man to kill him; and Post himself faced jail time after shooting at a bill collector. But that fate won't be yours ... because as CNN sagely points out, you're not freaking winning this thing: You're vastly more likely to get struck by lightning, be attacked by a shark, or die from a bee sting. On the odd chance that you do win (that chance being one in 175,223,510), here are some quirky ways to contextualize your winnings, compliments of HLN: If you counted one dollar per second, it would take you 16 years to finish. Or you could give a buck to every single person in North America and still walk away with a cool $40 million.


BERLIN (AP) — Air France and Germany's two largest airlines on Wednesday canceled more flights to Tel Aviv because of safety concerns amid the fighting between Israel and Hamas.

 The arrivals terminal is empty at Ben Gurion International airport a day after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration imposed a 24-hour restriction on flights after a Hamas rocket landed Tuesday within... (Associated Press)

 A arrivals flight board displays various canceled and delayed flights in Ben Gurion International airport a day after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration imposed a 24-hour restriction on flights... (Associated Press)

 Israelis airport workers pass a sign pointing to a shelter for refuge in case a warning siren indicates the possibility of an incoming rocket, at Ben Gurion International airport a day after the U.S.... (Associated Press)

 Lufthansa and Air Berlin extended their cancelations through Thursday and Air France said it was suspending its flights "until further notice."

 The European Aviation Safety Agency late Tuesday said it "strongly recommends" that airlines refrain from operating flights to and from Tel Aviv. It said it would "monitor the situation and advise on any update as the situation develops."

 EASA acted after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration prohibited American-based airlines from flying to the airport following a Hamas rocket explosion nearby. The FAA was expected to issue a new statement later Wednesday.

 Lufthansa said its decision applies also to its subsidiaries Germanwings, Austrian Airlines, Swiss and Brussels Airlines. In all, 20 flights from Frankfurt, Berlin, Munich, Zurich, Vienna and Brussels were cancelled for Thursday.

 The airline initially had suspended flights for 36 hours through the end of Wednesday. Those cancelations were extended because "at the current time there is no sufficiently reliable new information that would justify a resumption of air operations," Lufthansa said.

 Air Berlin said it is continuing to evaluate the situation to determine whether further cancelations are necessary.

 KLM, Alitalia and Scandinavian Airlines were among other European airlines that also canceled flights Tuesday and Wednesday. Polish airline LOT said it would suspend flights to Israel through July 28.

 British Airways, however, said Wednesday it hasn't canceled any of its twice-a-day Tel Aviv flights and had no immediate plans to do so.

 A spokesman stressed that British Airways wouldn't fly to Israel if it thought it was unsafe, adding that "each airline draws its own conclusion" on safety.

 Aviation security expert Chris Yates said British Airways would have assessed the situation with input from the intelligence services and ultimately concluded there was an acceptable level of risk. He said this may be because the rockets from Gaza "are fairly rudimentary and can't be targeted easily at planes in flight."

 Yates said other airlines might have cancelled flights fearing the possibility that rockets could strike their plane on approach or take off, but that Israel's Iron Dome defense system makes that very unlikely. ||||| Story highlights Security in Israel is "as good as it gets" says Jerusalem mayor

 Bloomberg says you have to take reasonable precautions, but not go overboard

 Hamas spokesman: "Isolating Israel from the world is a great victory"

 The U.S. ban on flights now runs through midday Thursday

 Critics lashed out Wednesday against the Federal Aviation Administration, which extended its ban on U.S. airlines' flights to and from Tel Aviv, Israel.

 Calling the decision a "mistake," Michael Bloomberg -- who arrived in Israel on El Al, Israel's national airline -- praised Tel Aviv Ben Gurion International Airport as most secure airport on Earth.

 "The real world is that there are things going on near airports all over the world. Ben Gurion airport, because Israel has been threatened since it was formed in 1948, is the most secure airport," the former New York mayor told CNN's Wolf Blitzer.

 "You have to take reasonable precautions but you cannot shut down everything just because one terrorist someplace on the other side of the world says I'm going to be a threat," he said.

 The ban now runs through 12:15 p.m. ET Thursday.

 JUST WATCHED FAA bans flights to Israel for 24 hours Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH FAA bans flights to Israel for 24 hours 02:24

 JUST WATCHED U.S. airlines suspend flights to Israel Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH U.S. airlines suspend flights to Israel 01:44

 JUST WATCHED CNN anchor on diverted Tel Aviv flight Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH CNN anchor on diverted Tel Aviv flight 02:54

 Map: Ben Gurion Airport

 The FAA said it is "working closely with the government of Israel to review the significant new information they have provided and determine whether potential risks to U.S. civil aviation are mitigated so the agency can resolve concerns as quickly as possible."

 The agency did not detail what the "significant new information" is. But the Israeli government told CNN that Ben Gurion is safe from any rocket attack by militants in Gaza.

 "The security in Ben Gurion and in Israel is as good as it gets," said Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat. "The reality is that the risk coming to Israel is minimal, and if it would be larger we would take the initiative and tell everyone not to come here."

 Hamas: 'Great victory for the resistance'

 The ban was enacted Tuesday after a rocket struck about a mile from the airport. Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev told CNN the military had tracked the rocket, as it does in general with those fired by militants from Gaza. Israel chose not to shoot the rocket down, knowing the airport would not be hit. "Any incoming rocket that would hit the airport ... would immediately be taken out by our system," Regev said.

 Ben Gurion was still expecting 206 flights Wednesday despite cancellations from U.S. and some European airlines, Israel's Transport Ministry said.

 American Airlines, which owns US Airways, said it will consider resuming service to the Israeli airport once the FAA approves.

 Delta Air Lines said Tuesday it was suspending flights until further notice.

 German airline Lufthansa said that "based on an analysis of presently available information," it will continue to suspend flights Thursday.

 The European Aviation Safety Agency recommended avoiding Ben Gurion on Tuesday.

 Air Canada canceled Wednesday night's flight to Tel Aviv, as well as its return on Thursday. The airline typically flies one flight a day from Toronto to Tel Aviv.

 But British Airways continued flying into Israel even after other airlines canceled.

 Hamas hailed the slowdown as a clear victory.

 "The resistance success in stopping the air traffic and isolating Israel from the world is a great victory for the resistance," said spokesman Fawzi Barhoum.

 Bloomberg: Banning flights rewards Hamas

 Bloomberg landed safely Wednesday and tweeted a photograph of himself sitting down with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyhu.

 "I just wanted to do something personally to show my support for standing up for what's right. I think Israel is doing that. Hamas is trying to kill the Palestinians and kill the Israelis and somebody's got to say that they've got to stop this," he told CNN's Blitzer.

 The exchange grew heated when Blitzer asked about the State Department's travel advisory for Israel and the West Bank.

 "I think the State Department is just overreacting in typical bureaucratic fashion," Bloomberg said. When asked whether he thought there were political reasons behind the advisory, Bloomberg replied: "By asking the question you're implying that our government does things for political reasons. ... Just the allegation against our government I personally take as an offense."

 He praised Ben Gurion Airport as the best-protected such facility in the world.

 "The flight restrictions are a mistake that hand Hamas an undeserved victory and should be lifted immediately," Bloomberg said late Tuesday.

 In an opinion column for Bloomberg View, part of the media company he owns, the former New York mayor compared his trip to Israel to the way he responded to terror threats in the city.

 Sometimes it's prudent to act out an abundance of caution during a crisis, he wrote.

 "But closing down access to major infrastructure networks in the face of terrorist threats can be self-defeating," he said.

 The FAA said its decision was necessary due to the "potentially hazardous situation."

 And after the shooting down last week of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over Ukraine, some jittery travelers understand the FAA decision.

 "You have a rocket and you bring down 300 people at one shot," one said. But it didn't stop her from boarding her El Al flight.

 The airport is a key economic artery for Israel.

 While more than 2,000 rockets have been fired into Israel from Gaza, 6,000 flights have landed and departed at Ben Gurion, the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel said. "It is not a miracle and not a trick," the authority's director, Giora Romm, told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. "We know how to defend Ben Gurion, period."

 CNN analyst: Incident could bring diplomatic consequences

 It's unusual for the FAA to prohibit U.S. carriers from flying to a particular airport, said Mary Schiavo, a former U.S. Department of Transportation inspector general.

 "In the past when the FAA has done it, there have been diplomatic consequences," she said.

 U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry landed Wednesday at Ben Gurion on a mission to try to stop all hostilities. The airline suspensions didn't affect his flight because he traveled on a military plane.

 The flight suspensions have stranded some travelers in Tel Aviv. And others, who flew out on Israeli carriers, had to run for cover before takeoff when sirens went off at the airport.

 "You had to run for about a minute to get to shelter and just wait there for about 10 minutes," a passenger arriving in New York from Tel Aviv told CNN affiliate NY1, describing what happened before the all-clear sounded. "It was nerve-racking, actually."

 Rabbi Shalom Lewis, whose synagogue is in an Atlanta suburb, was stuck at Ben Gurion with a group of American travelers all looking for a way to get home to the United States. But none was running scared over missiles.

 "Every one of them was just aggravated by the inability to get home easily, but nobody was afraid," Lewis told NY1.

 On Wednesday, the Transport Ministry ordered the opening of the small Uvda airport in the far southeast of Israel.

 Canceling flights to Israel is a serious blow to the country's economy, said Romm of the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel. Tourism is a major source of income. Last year, Israel received a record 3.5 million visitors, according to its Central Bureau of Statistics.

 Before the recent violence, the bureau reported a record 1.4 million visitors for the first half of 2014. The violence will likely put a damper on tourism.

 Travelers reassess plans amid Mideast conflict |||||
What is a one-paragraph summary of the above article?

– Travelers stuck in limbo because of flights grounded at the Tel Aviv airport just got some bad news: The FAA is extending its ban on flights to the Ben Gurion International Airport for at least another 24 hours, to 12:15pm Eastern tomorrow, reports CNN. European airlines are following suit, with Air France, Lufthansa, and Air Berlin suspending flights through tomorrow at least, reports the AP. Authorities are worried about rocket strikes, either deliberate or inadvertent, taking place near the airport. Meanwhile, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg flew into Tel Aviv last night on Israeli airline El Al to make a point, reports CBS New York. “I’m just trying to show that it’s safe, and a great place to visit, and Israel has a right to defend its people, and they’re doing exactly what they should be doing," he said upon arrival. (Earlier, John Kerry flew in to Israel to try to give peace talks a jolt, even as fighting continues.)


Article:

Destiny: The Prime Minister, David Cameron, knows that he has just 18 weeks until the General Election to drill home his message – or see his political career finished

 At 30,000ft above Cornwall, flying towards a crucial Election battleground, immaculate in suit and blue tie, it is strange to hear the Prime Minister talk about cleaning out stinking drains over Christmas.

 A domestic emergency forced David Cameron to roll up his sleeves and stick his arm down a U-bend in the pipes at his Oxfordshire house.

 ‘Unblocking a lot of drains is not my strong suit but the kitchen, bathrooms, everywhere... our house is falling apart,’ he explains.

 The British economy will be a trickier fix, he acknowledges, and DIY Dave’s mantra is that only he has the tools to save us.

 The Prime Minister knows that he has just 18 weeks until the General Election to drill home that message – or see his political career finished before he is 50. Worst of all, he would go down in history as the man who lost to Ed Miliband.

 Launching his bid for another five years in Downing Street in an exclusive interview with The Mail on Sunday, Mr Cameron:

 Vows to ‘hit the ground running and hard’ if he is re-elected, introducing reforming legislation on education and welfare within the first 50 days.

 Warns German Chancellor Angela Merkel ahead of discussions this week on Britain’s future in the EU that he is prepared to take Britain out of Europe, saying: ‘If I don’t get what is needed, I rule nothing out.’

 Is so close to the American President that Obama calls him ‘bro’.

 Reveals that he authorised the removal from the Tory candidates list of an aide to Home Secretary, and future leadership prospect Theresa May.

 Tells Boris Johnson that he will have to wait for a Cabinet seat.

 And claims that Labour’s budget plans will cost £13.5billion extra just in interest payments on the deficit, more than the police budget.

 As he surveys the green patchwork of fields and villages across the United Kingdom where he needs to win enough votes to avoid disaster, he says starkly: ‘The choice is competence or chaos.’

 Drain duty aside, Cameron had a very merry Christmas. He cooked, went for bicycle rides and long walks (‘to run off the mince pies’), played winter tennis with his son Elwyn on the court which Tony Blair had specially renovated, found Downton Abbey too long but watched a re-run of Out Of Africa with four-year-old daughter Florence falling asleep on his lap (‘nothing nicer in the world’).

 There was only one major work interruption, a quick dash to London over ebola. After turkey at Chequers, it was home to Chipping Norton.

 As Father Christmas (he claims that all his children, even his ten-year-old daughter, still believe), he delivered stockings.

 ‘We always, on Christmas morning, have the stockings opened all in our bed. It’s my favourite hour of the year.’

 His gift from his wife Samantha was a casserole dish – ‘we exchanged practical presents’ – while he gave her the latest Nick Hornby, Funny Girl, before immediately borrowing it back.

 Scroll down for video

 Passionate: The Prime Minister, right, spells out his plan to to The Mail on Sunday editors Geordie Greig, left, and Glen Owen

 What has not changed is his quirky music sense. Two years ago, it was a Swedish folk band, First Aid Kit. His new favourite is Nick Mulvey, a folk singer who trained in President Castro’s Cuba – ‘a bit grungy, I admit’. Picture the PM in apron, stirring the beef bourguignon in time to a song called Cucurucu.

 A big change in the Cameron holidays this year was that he was also chief supervisor for the children’s homework. He discovered the modern way of calculating long division and hated it.

 ‘What was wrong with the old way?’ he asks. It is clearly something his new Education Secretary Nicky Morgan may well be looking into.

 This is the most important Election for a generation, a real choice between continued competence or disaster David Cameron

 ‘It’s very confusing as suddenly your children look at you and say why are you doing it in a totally different way.’

 His Christmas reading was dominated by Do No Harm, a frank memoir by Henry Marsh, an outspoken brain surgeon, whose opening line is: ‘I often have to cut into the brain and it is something I hate doing.’

 It is an intriguing choice, because the NHS is one of the main subject areas – Europe and the threat from Nigel Farage’s Ukip are the others – which the PM appears reluctant to dwell on.

 The party’s campaign chief, Lynton Crosby, has been emphatic in his advice to Mr Cameron: if the election is dominated by the economy, you will win.

 If it becomes mired in rows about Brussels, or protecting the NHS, Ed Miliband will enter Downing Street.

 Mr Cameron is on a plane to cover as much ground as possible in a day, taking in marginal seats in Cornwall and Yorkshire.

 Chancellor George Osborne meanwhile is campaigning against Vince Cable in Twickenham.

 Focused: The Prime Minister's election campaign is firmly concentrating on the economy

 Today, Mr Miliband unveils his predictable core strategy – that the NHS is not safe in Tory hands.

 The Battle for Britain has begun. Cameron passionately argues that the country’s future prosperity has never been more at risk.

 His message is simple and he is sticking religiously to it: if Labour get in they will wreck the economy.

 ‘This is the most important Election for a generation, a real choice between continued competence or disaster.

 'This is all about security from the Conservatives and the chaos you’d get from everybody else. If you lose control of your debt and deficit, you get massive cuts in things such as health and education. You get appalling insecurity, jobs lost, firms going overseas.’

 He is an extraordinarily assured politician, with a grasp of detail on everything from local planning in Cornwall to employment legislation in Yorkshire, allied to an almost messianic drive to win.

 Cameron said: ‘Samantha is passionate about me continuing what I am doing. The Government has done a good job but it isn’t finished'

 His confidence is particularly impressive given that he is in the fight of his political life. Even if he does defy the polls to win on May 7, Tory rebels are poised to strike –either if the margin is so slim he is forced into another Coalition with the Lib Dems, or because he campaigns to stay in Europe on terms which the Tory Right find unacceptable.

 With his Old Etonian schoolfriend Boris Johnson on the brink of returning to Westminster, and growing speculation about the leadership ambitions of Mrs May, Tory MPs openly discuss the prospect of Mr Cameron stepping down halfway through the next Parliament after a victory.

 According to this theory, if the 2017 referendum on our membership of the EU goes against Mr Cameron, he would be forced to resign. But if he won, he would also think it was the right time to attempt to pass the leadership mantle to Mr Osborne.

 The Prime Minister says not: he is committed to serving a full, five-year second term. And if he wins in May, he will ‘hit the ground running and hit it hard’, legislating on school and welfare reforms within the first 50 days.

 He says he is fully backed by his wife. ‘Samantha is passionate about me continuing what I am doing. The Government has done a good job but it isn’t finished. We have to see it through, that is her strong view.’

 Mrs Cameron, the 43-year-old ‘First Lady’, is key to understanding the Prime Minister, who next year will celebrate his 20th wedding anniversary.

 When he lies awake in the middle of the night, worrying about whether to send in the special forces to rescue a hostage, she is the first person he turns to.

 ‘She has very good judgment. I talk to Samantha about the most difficult decisions, life and death situations such as rescuing hostages or putting troops potentially in harm’s way. You worry a lot. It is a very turbulent night when something like that is going to happen.

 ‘There is a whole process in Cobra (the emergency committee) and listening to military advice, but in the end I make the decision.’

 He adds dotingly: ‘If she’d organised Napoleon’s march on Moscow, they would have reached Vladivostok in good time. This year she did a lot of the Christmas shopping but I tried to make up for it with some cooking.’

 And the secret to their marriage?

 ‘We love each other, that’s a good start. We try not to go to bed on an argument and we spend time together and don’t take it for granted.’

 The dreaded European issue will take centre stage next week when Cameron meets German Chancellor Angela Merkel in London

 THE PRIME MINISTER ON...

 Taking hostage-rescuing advice from Sam 'I talk to her about the most difficult decisions. There is a process in Cobra [but] she has very good judgment' Boris joining Cabinet after a victory in May 'Boris can do almost anything. I am sure there will be an opportunity... in time' His close relationship with Obama 'Yes, he sometimes calls me 'Bro' Gay weddings 'Lots of people have invited me. I’m sure I will go to one soon'

 Last week saw the first gay marriages in Scotland and his legislation on the issue is something of which he is proud.

 Not that he has yet attended a gay wedding. ‘Lots of people have invited me and sent me lovely letters saying if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be able to marry the person I love. But I haven’t been to one yet. I’m sure I will soon.’

 So did he do it for libertarian reasons? ‘No, I’m not a libertarian. I believe in it as a man who believes in family and marriage. I don’t see why gay people who love each other shouldn’t be able to as well.’

 The dreaded European issue will take centre stage next week when Cameron meets German Chancellor Angela Merkel in London.

 She has made it clear she will not countenance any prospect of heeding reformist Tory calls to rip up the European Union’s principle of freedom of movement to give the UK more power to block immigration from the rest of the EU.

 The Prime Minister has pledged that if EU leaders do not give Britain more control over certain policy areas – his so-called ‘red lines’ – then he will not tell the country to back continued membership of the EU in the 2017 vote.

 Merkel’s agreement is essential to his ‘red lines’ and it will be on the table for their meeting. ‘I am sure it will be part of our discussions,’ he says.

 ‘The most important thing of all is being able to make changes to the welfare system. The key areas are safeguarding the single market, getting out of ever closer union, being able to veto regulations and a package of measures on welfare.

 If you look at the reaction to my welfare speech in Germany and one or two European capitals, you will see they gave it a broad welcome. Germany wants Britain to stay in Europe.’ Striking a defiant note, he declares: ‘If I don’t get what is needed, I rule nothing out.’

 Is it true that up to nine members of his Cabinet want to be free to campaign for an ‘Out’ vote in the referendum?

 ‘That’s news to me,’ he insists.

 His relationship with Washington is less fraught. Obama rings and now calls him ‘bro’ – far better than George W Bush’s patronising ‘Yo, Blair’.

 The leaders of the Right in the UK and the Left in the US found strong common ground. Like most Prime Ministers, he likes their approbation. ‘The President has said the special relationship is stronger than it has ever been privately and in public and I agree.’

 Friends: Cameron said Obama rings and now calls him ‘bro’ – far better than George W Bush’s patronising ‘Yo, Blair’

 Unveiling the Tories’ campaign poster in Halifax, Cameron is focused on the single message: It is all about the economy. He worries about Britain’s fortunes going down the drain without DIY Dave and his team there to keep everything flowing.

 The big number he bandies about is the £13.5 billion in extra interest.

 ‘That is the difference between the two parties in what it would cost Britain if we went with Labour’s plans. It’s like going on a spending binge with a credit card and having absolutely no idea how you are going to meet the interest. That is what Labour are about. They have learnt absolutely nothing in the past five years. It’s still more borrowing, more spending, more debt. That is totally unfair on future generations, let alone our own generation. I think its utterly irresponsible.’

 Cameron boasts of record employment and a responsible stewardship of the UK economy out of the disaster created by Labour overspending. But is he blue enough for the Tory heartland?

 ‘Of course I am. I am a very instinctive Conservative. I have created a welfare system where it pays to work. I have created independent schools within the state sector bringing excellence to children wherever they are. Labour are naïve in thinking they can build a stronger country on a whole lot of debt.’

 Cameron is careful to praise Boris Johnson as his Old Etonian schoolfriend is on the brink of returning to Westminster

 He is ready to roll out his plans for the first 50 days, new laws and incentives to roll back the frontiers of the state. But he will not be drawn on any specific so early in the Election race. ‘On tax cuts, we have set out our plans that you should be able to earn £12,500 before you pay any tax at all and you should be earning £50,000 before you pay the 40p rate. We couldn’t be clearer.’

 Several Ministers believe Cameron is yet to play his Election trump card, a cut or perhaps even the abolition of inheritance tax. If so, he is not showing his hand today.

 ‘I want to go through the stages of people’s lives – making sure they can get a job, cutting taxes so you keep more of your own money, more school places. That might sound prosaic but to me it is what politics is about, public service.’

 He remains fundamentally opposed to the state taking more than it needs of taxpayers’ hard-earned money and he detests the idea of a wealth tax, or Mansion Tax as Labour calls it, which has so spectacularly backfired in France.

 ‘That [tax] is alive and part of Ed Balls’s plan for Britain. Having a homes tax like that is wrong. Extracting money from people every year in respect of the same asset is wrong. People have worked hard all their lives and put their money in this asset. This Government has done a lot to make sure wealthy foreigners pay their taxes.

 ‘But if you want to be successful you have also got to make sure your country is attractive to invest in.’

 With some simmering signs of a potential leadership fight within the Tory ranks after the Election, Cameron is lightly dismissive.

 He is careful to praise Boris Johnson and Theresa May, but reveals that he authorised the removal last month of May’s close aide Nick Timothy from the list of Tory candidates at the next Election for not campaigning for the party in the Rochester by-election. If selected, Mr Timothy would have been in prime position to run a May leadership bid.

 The fact about Boris is he can do almost anything, as I have discovered. What happens to him after the Election will have to be discussed

 ‘We had to apply a rule fairly that everyone on a candidates list has to canvass in a by-election.’ Was he consulted about Mr Timothy’s removal? ‘I am consulted about everything.’

 And he makes no promise of an early Cabinet seat for the London Mayor. ‘The fact about Boris is he can do almost anything, as I have discovered. What happens to him after the Election will have to be discussed. He has an enormous talent.

 ‘I’m delighted he is coming back to the House. I hope I played a role in helping him do that. He is an absolute star. He wants to focus on being Mayor because he will be an MP and Mayor but I am sure in time there will be an opportunity for him to serve in other ways.’

 This Election is the first where social media will play a crucial role. On Friday, Cameron was asked to do more than a dozen selfies in as many minutes.

 ‘The danger is everything becomes an obsession for five minutes, rather than getting to the heart of the issues,’ says the man who famously posed for one at Nelson Mandela’s funeral.

 Actually, he often grabs the cameras to expedite the selfie process and knows it is the best way to get his presence out beyond the traditional campaign trail.

 But it is the deficit and the spectre of Labour as debt gorgers to which he keeps returning for lasting effect. ||||| Barack Obama is so close to David Cameron that the US President calls him "bro", the Prime Minister has revealed.

 Speaking to The Mail on Sunday, Mr Cameron described the famously “special�? relationship between Washington and Westminster as “stronger than it has ever been, privately and in public,�? and that during phone calls Obama refers to him as “bro�?.

 For those less well-versed in youth vernacular, the Urban Dictionary helpfully defines the term as describing “an alpha male idiot�? or “obnoxious partying males often seen at college parties�?.

 “Bro�? may also describe a type of bra designed specifically for men.

 However, perhaps it should be assumed Obama uses it as a term of endearment, to mean close pals or “brothers�?.

 Either way, it can be seen as a step forward from George W Bush’s condescending idiom: “Yo, Blair.�?

 As if we needed any more proof of the blossoming bromance, here are some pictures of the transatlantic “bros�? looking all buddied-up. |||||
What is a summary?

– The "special relationship" between the US and the UK is still back-slappingly good, according to David Cameron. President Obama has said "the special relationship is stronger than it has ever been privately and in public and I agree," the British prime minister tells the Daily Mail, revealing that Obama sometimes calls him "bro" when they talk on the phone. The term is more commonly associated with frat boys than world leaders, but the Independent has decided it's still "a step forward" from George W. Bush's "condescending" greeting for Tony Blair: "Yo, Blair!" In the Mail interview, Cameron, who faces a tough election battle in May, also discusses gay marriage—he's proud of introducing the legislation and says he will probably attend a same-sex wedding soon—and his own marriage. He says Samantha Cameron is the first person he turns to for advice on difficult decisions like sending in special forces to rescue hostages. "If she'd organized Napoleon’s march on Moscow, they would have reached Vladivostok in good time," he says.


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WOODSTOCK, Ill. (AP) — A suburban Chicago man who says he always wanted to know what it is like to smash through a garage door now knows the feeling.

 Walter Thomas poses at his home in Woodstock, Ill., Wednesday, June 3, 2015. Thomas can check one thing off his bucket list after backing a car through a garage door on purpose with his family's help.... (Associated Press)

 Ninety-one-year-old Walter Thomas of Woodstock was able to slam an SUV through a garage door with his family's help.

 The garage was slated to be torn down, so Thomas' action was of no consequence. The SUV was donated. It was then up to Thomas to back it through the garage door and check that activity off his bucket list.

 Thomas described what he did this way: "I hit the gas, squealed the tires and bang — we went through the door."

 Thomas says he doesn't know what he could do to top that.

 ___

 This story and extended headline correct that Walter Thomas' age is 91, instead of 90. ||||| Woodstock Man, 91, Fulfills Unusual Bucket List Dream

 Stephanie Price | 3:00 p.m. June 2, 2015

 Over the years, Walter Thomas collected antique cars and enjoyed repairing them. The 91-year-old Woodstock father, grandfather, great-grandfather and great-great grandfather owned four separate gasoline stations in Woodstock over the past 50 years and always admired race car driving from afar.

 In addition to his passion for automobiles, Thomas has always had one nagging thought on his mind over the years — one nonconventional wish on his bucket list. On Sunday, Thomas’ three grandchildren helped him check that item off his list.

 “[My grandfather] told me a long time ago that he always wanted to back a car through the garage door,” said granddaughter Becky Goers, of Woodstock. “He always wondered if the garage door would pop off, or if the frame would come down with it.”

 Goers, a physical education and driver’s education teacher at Woodstock High School, recently shared her grandfather’s dream with her brother, Andrew Thomas, a deputy for the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office who happens to work as an accident reconstruction officer. Andrew Thomas wanted make his grandfather’s dream a reality.

 “It’s been on his bucket list, and it’s been on the back of my mind,” Andrew Thomas said.

 Andrew Thomas located an old car headed to the junk yard - a 1998 Isuzu Rodeo donated by Midas Touch of Woodstock owner Jeff McGrath - to use for the stunt. And in a fortunate twist of fate, Andrew’s brother Brian Thomas found the perfect garage for the setting. Brian Thomas’ friends, Nick and Jamielynn Wedoff, were planning to demolish their one-car garage, built in 1921, soon to make way for a new two-story addition at their Hill Street home. The couple quickly jumped into the plot.

 “Grandpa and Grandma Thomas have always treated us like family and this is something we thought would be fun,” Jamielynn Wedoff said.

 And so with a small crowd of family and friends watching — including his wife of 70 years, Dorothy - Walter Thomas donned a race car driver’s helmet for safety and climbed into the driver’s seat of the Isuzu this past Sunday afternoon. Andrew Thomas, also wearing a helmet for protection, climbed into the passenger seat.

 On the “go” signal, Walter Thomas hit the gas pedal, and the sound of screeching tires preceded the moment when the maroon Isuzu burst through the wooden garage doors.

 Although the noise and subsequent crash caused one of Thomas’ great-granddaughters to burst into tears, the rest of the family applauded and cheered. Shattered chunks of wood littered the driveway. For the record, only the garage door came down. The door frame remained unscathed.

 “That was crazy,” a smiling Walter Thomas said, as the car came to a stop. “We really took the door down.”

 Walter Thomas credited his grandchildren for making his dream — however small — come true.

 “I appreciate the kids getting together. It’s kind of nice of them to think of old grandpa,” Walter Thomas said.

 "Like" The Woodstock Independent Facebook Page |||||

– Thanks to a dedicated grandson, Illinois man Walter Thomas finally has an answer to a question that he has pondered for many of his 91 years. He "told me a long time ago that he always wanted to back a car through the garage door," granddaughter Becky Goers tells the Woodstock Independent. "He always wondered if the garage door would pop off, or if the frame would come down with it." After hearing about the bizarre "bucket list" item, Goers' brother—an accident reconstruction officer for the county sheriff's office—set to work making it happen, obtaining an old car and finding friends who were about to demolish a garage, the Independent reports. Last Sunday, as family members that included great-grandchildren and his wife of 70 years looked on, Thomas put on a crash helmet and backed right through the wooden garage door with his grandson sitting in the passenger seat, reports the Independent, which notes that while the door was smashed, the frame stayed up. "I hit the gas, squealed the tires, and bang—we went through the door," a satisfied Thomas tells the AP. It's not clear whether there are any items left on his bucket list, but he says taking down that garage door will be hard to top. (A New York City man took his dying dog on an epic "bucket list" road trip.)


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In his long career as a film producer, Gordon Gray is best known for making inspirational fact-based sports movies about subjects who overcame long odds, from baseball pitcher Jim Morris in The Rookie to football player Vince Papale in Invincible, to the gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic hockey team in Miracle. After Gray and his wife Kristen learned in March that both their 4-year-old daughter Charlotte and 20-month-old daughter Gwenyth have the incredibly rare and potentially fatal degenerative brain disorder Batten disease, it is Gray who is up against the odds and in need of a miracle.

 After they received a nightmarish medical diagnosis in March, the Grays were told so few suffer from the disease — maybe 10 at any given time in the world — that there has been limited research towards a cure even though the disease was first discovered in 1903. At present, there is no hope to stop Gray’s daughters from progressively losing their sight, followed by their motor skills and ability to feed themselves. Most children with Late Infantile NCL Batten Disease CLN6 die between the ages of 6 and 12. The Grays sought counsel and support from a core group of Hollywood friends, and together they formed a plan to fight back. They formed The Charlotte And Gwenyth Gray Foundation.

 The foundation is taking to Facebook to help them raise the $10 million-$12 million needed to fund urgent medical research they hope will arrest and cure the disease. It will take an initial $2 million to launch the trials necessary to prove the treatments will work, and the rest of the funding will see it through. The following stars are making fundraising appeal on their Facebook pages: Rihanna, Dwayne Johnson, Megan Fox, Mark Wahlberg, Channing Tatum, Jenna Dewan Tatum, Seth MacFarlane, Jennifer Garner, Jon Hamm, Jessica Alba, Eva Longoria, Jessica Biel, Ali Larter, Darius Rucker, the musician Juanes, Walking Dead star Norman Reedus, Julianne Hough, Brooke Burke, Molly Sims, U.S. women’s soccer star Alex Morgan, basketball player Jason Collins, and NFL quarterback Andrew Luck. Many of them will post on Twitter and Instagram, as well.

 Each plea will ask followers to donate $1, with the idea that the money could add up quickly. Rihanna has 94 million followers, and The Rock and Megan Fox each have 50 million followers. If 5% of Rihanna’s followers accepted the challenge, that would raise $4.5 million and they would be almost halfway there toward giving Gray’s daughters a fighting chance.

 The short video that each celeb will post tells a heartbreaking story that is any parent’s worst nightmare, and you can view it here.

 Charlotte was just like any normal little girl, a smile machine who is tall for her age, graceful, sociable and an exceptional athlete. At 2 1/2 years old, she began having trouble finding the words to convey her thoughts, which led to a speech therapist who assured her parents she would grow out of it. Shortly after, her coordination began to subtly diminish, along with her interest in playing sports. Charlotte was then diagnosed with autism, which didn’t ring right with her parents. Last Christmas Eve, she tripped over a present and her arm shook when she regained her footing. Shortly after, a dose of Tamiflu led to convulsions. Again, doctors told them not to worry. Fortunately, they captured the convulsions on an iPhone, which led to an EEG that showed the first signs of abnormal brain activity. An MRI followed, along with another diagnosis, this time Leukodystrophy, which is the degeneration of white matter in the brain. A gene sequencing procedure followed, and then in March, a geneticist at UCLA finally had a handle on why Charlotte was changing.

 “I was there with my wife, and the meeting went something like this,” Gray recalled. “He told us, ‘Your daughter has Batten disease, it’s incredibly rare, it is fatal. And there is no cure. They’d found another person afflicted by this variation of the disease in India, so the diagnosis was confirmed. I asked if there was anything else he wanted to say to me, and he handed me some brochures.”

 The Grays by now had been reading voraciously about all of the previous diagnoses, and before leaving, they had one other question. “I’d read with inherited disorders, there could be a 25% chance of a sibling having the same disease, and I asked about my daughter Gwenyth, and we scheduled a blood test,” Gray said. “I got the news on Charlotte on March 2, and then a week later we were told that Gwen had it, too.”

 The condition is so rare that there aren’t even any Batten specialists in California. Gray’s research into Leukodystrophy led to a Duke University doctor who’d done a bone marrow transplant that helped. Gray saw that as a sign and it launched him on a quest, if only to be able to do something.

 “I was in shock from the moment I got the news, and I felt like if I kept moving and digging and fighting, I wouldn’t lose my mind,” Gray said. He scoured the globe for any encouraging signs. A frat brother who became a venture capitalist with biotech investments led him from one researcher to another and finally to a researcher working in New Zealand with a “vector virus” similar to Batten that cured one of six sheep in the study. “He was looking for greater efficacy so he can ultimately move into human trials,” Gray said. “I asked, ‘What can we do to give my daughters a shot and he said he was two to three years away at best and what I needed to do is prepare my house for wheelchairs and blindness. ‘There is really nothing I can do for your daughters at the moment.’ ”

 Unbowed, Gray asked if money might accelerate the process. He was told it would. “He said, ‘I have something here that I believe will be a cure, but there’s no funding for it right now. Nothing. You would have to personally fund the research, the trials, everything, including the surgery.’ I said, ‘OK. I’m a film producer, and everyone assumes when they read the grosses that I’m keeping every dollar, and in that sense it helped because doctors were paying attention when I said that I was going to find the money to progress and accelerate this research.”

 By now, Gray had shared his story with a core group of fellow producers and execs, many of whom are also parents of young children. A steering committee was formed including Scott Stuber, Neal Moritz, Jason Blum, Sean Bailey, Mark Vahradian, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Basil Iwanyk, Beau Flynn and Jim Whitaker. They meet each week to hatch fundraising plans. Contacts at Facebook made possible this first fundraising foray, and a growing group of stars agreed to use their reach to get the Grays the substantial money needed to give them a chance in this ticking clock race. There are no guarantees for the girls, but three potential treatments would be verified over a six-month treatment, a gene therapy/vector virus that was successfully tested on one animal model; stem cell therapy; and small molecule therapy.

 Deadline isn’t a fundraising tool, though I did write about Karen Black and her husband’s crowdfunding effort for an experimental treatment for the cancer that would claim her life, because their desperate attempt felt brave. While Gray was describing his effort to stave off a death sentence for his daughters, an electronic picture frame on my desk shuffled photos of my own kids as they grew. This is a great business to cover and to work in, but once you become a parent, it is a job and nothing else really matters but your kids. Most parents would be helpless, facing such a cruel diagnosis as was given the Grays in March. It is impossible not to root for any parent who refuses to take no for an answer, particularly when they are fortunate enough to be in a position to raise what seems like such a large amount of money, and when it seems there is a real chance it might work. Beyond the Batten treatments, the foundation will endeavor to raise money for other childhood afflictions, but right now the priority is clearly on Batten.

 Given his producing resume, it’s not surprising that Gray likens this attempt to a famous sports comeback.

 “When I explain to people, I talk about Doug Flutie and Boston College and that Hail Mary pass in the Cotton Bowl,” Gray told me. “What I’m trying to buy right now is three Hail Mary passes before I run out of time. I don’t think I will, because I have a doctor who thinks we can move quickly enough to save my girls. And If we save the girls, and I don’t want to sound reckless, but we’ve potentially cured this disease.” ||||| As I read a bedtime story to my son tonight, I couldn’t keep back the tears. “Mama, what if I a were a slimy smelly sea creature with seaweed hanging from my body?” asks the boy in the book. And his mama assures him she would love him for exactly who he was, slimy, smelly seaweed and all. “I love you, my wonderful child,” she says.

 A couple months ago I was thinking about love. How do we use love to help those around us truly fly, to be a part of God’s story the way He intends? As I was spending time just listening, God spoke this into my heart. “Love is… NOT holding someone to the impossible (and quite fake) standard of perfection that the world holds them to, while simultaneously championing them to be the very best version of themselves. In this you give that individual a chance to live authentically in who I (God) have created them to be.” I’ll be honest, at first I thought he was directing this to my heart because of how I needed to respond differently to my husband. And truthfully, I did need to hear it for that purpose but over the last few weeks and frankly, the last few days, this has taken on a whole new meaning for me and I believe God gave this to me so I could hold on to it now when I’ve felt the most broken than I’ve ever felt before.

 A year ago I remember thinking I would surely break… snap at any moment. Danny and I were living in high alert mode as our son Titus had begun having seizures and wasn’t responding well to medication. Our youngest, Ely began having what the medical world called “ALTE’s”, apparent life threatening episodes. Ely would have such a forceful spit up that it would clog his nose and throat leaving him unable to breath or clear out on his own. Danny and I, countless times, suctioned him out, adrenaline pumping, working as fast as we could to save him from aspiration and ultimately, our worst fear… him dying.

 Leading up to this most recent week, as we’ve faced health challenge after heath challenge, there was always something we could do to help our children. Ely had a 2 and 1/2 hour stomach surgery and has not had another dangerous episode again since. He was failure to thrive and had a feeding tube put in. He’s now gaining and actually finding himself the on the growth chart. We’ve faithfully given Titus every medication the drs prescribed to successfully control his asthma and allergies and have diligently searched for answers to his seizures and what we could do, radical or traditional, to help him. We sought out every therapy and assessment we were told or felt he needed and diligently got him on an IEP, all with promises that this was just a difficult season and we would see improvement with time.

 Our search for answers ended this week, Tuesday at 11:45 am to be exact. And we are left with the ability to do only one thing… Love. Titus was diagnosed with a rare genetic disease called late infantile NCL. It is progressive and fatal with no cure. This disease will take our sweet boy away before he can experience being a teenager.

 There isn’t anything we can do to reverse the bad genes, to heal him. Appointment after appointment this week confirmed the diagnosis. And I’m left feeling desperate, helpless, sad… so so sad. And I find myself saying to Titus over and over again, “I love you.”

 And God has been speaking to me in my deep brokenness of an even deeper love. A love that enables Titus to be all that he was meant to be despite the obvious imperfections we see in this world. And I want to champion that. I want to love my son like that.

 This week I’ve become broken. More broken than I knew I could be. So broken that I can’t fix it and I’m overcome by it.

 But… out of the broken comes love. An authentic, new eye-opening kind of love.

 His big smile lights up a room

 The three most precious gifts God has given me

 Our silly clown who adores his big brother

 Gramma loving on these two

 Making silly faces at each other and sharing laughter that comes from deep within

 Oh how I love and am loved.

 Thanks for listening… And keep praying.

 Bekah ||||| When Titus was born to Bekah and Danny Bowman, he seemed the perfect baby. He grew to be a busy, loud, playful, happy, loving toddler. Then, something changed. He stopped gaining new skills and he started having seizures. Bekah and Danny took him to numerous doctors to find out what was causing the seizures. Titus was diagnosed with epilepsy.They thought it was as bad as it could get for their young boy, but they were wrong. The seizures continued to increase in frequency and magnitude. Titus was hospitalized for a week at a time to get the seizures that were wreaking havoc on his young brain and body under control. A year later, the true severity of Titus's disease was discovered. This past April he was diagnosed with a rare genetic disease called late infantile NCL, also referred to as Batten disease.Danny and Bekah discovered that they both carried the recessive gene for this disease and that their younger son Ely had a 25% of having Batten disease as well. They had him tested and waited for the results. Their worst fears were realized when they were told Ely tested positive for the disease and would soon develop the same symptoms as his older brother Titus.Batten disease is progressive and fatal with no cure. This terrible disease will take both of these sweet boys away from their parents in the early years of their lives. Titus has already lost his sight, his ability to walk, talk, eat, support his own bodyweight, and do just about anything for himself.Friends of the Bowman family created this GoFundMe page. Our goal is to help them offset the mounting costs of care so that they can have some financial relief and focus their energies on loving their sweet boys and providing for their physical needs. If you would like to help, any amount $1.00 to $100.00, makes a difference. Your love, kindness and generosity in supporting this beautiful boy and his family are greatly appreciated.You can also show your support for Titus (and Ely) by liking their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Team4Titus

 His gigantic smile says it all.... Titus loves his dragon Halloween costume!Titus' at an early hospital stay before his Batten Disease diagnosis.... his big blue eyes and persistent smile charmed his nurses :-)There were also the not-so-good days at the hospital. :-( ||||| California Parents Treasure Every Moment with Their Two Sons Who Have Fatal Brain Disease

 Team4Titus / Bowman Family

 Team4Titus / Bowman Family

 Team4Titus / Bowman Family

 For Bekah and Danny Bowman of Orange County, California, summers used to be consumed with trying to keep up with their energetic sons Titus, 5, and Ely, 2, on the beach, at the park and on family vacations. Then a devastating diagnosis changed everything.This spring, both the couple's sons were diagnosed with late infantile-NCL, a form of Batten disease – an extremely rare and fatal neurodegenerative disorder for which there is no cure.Children with the Bowman's form of Batten disease, Late Infantile CLN2, face a dramatic decline followed by an early death.The process of succumbing to Batten includes blindness, seizures, personality and behavioral changes, dementia, the loss of motor skills and the ability to communicate, according to the Batten Disease Support and Research Association The disease has already taken hold of Titus and a genetic test has confirmed Ely will face the same fate. Now, the young parents are finding things to be grateful for every day, even as they watch their sons fade away.The Bowman's children were diagnosed with the deadly disease around the same time that Hollywood producer Gordon Gray and his wife Kristen received the diagnosis for their daughters Charlotte, 4, and Gwenyth, 2 In June, the Grays enlisted help from the Hollywood community to spread awareness and founded the Charlotte and Gwenyth Gray Foundation to Cure Batten Disease in the hopes of raising the $10-12 million needed to fund research for a cure."Because of the rarity of this disease it doesn't get a lot of attention," Gordon told PEOPLE in June. "And because it doesn't get a lot of attention most of these doctors don't get a lot of funding. We made it our goal – 'Well, you guys do the research, we'll get the funding.' "Their efforts have given the Bowmans hope."The amount of publicity from the Grays has been a silver lining in the midst of tragedy," says Bekah, whose says the family was inspired to share their story after the Grays went public with theirs."I admire the Grays for all their hard work," says Bekah. "When you are living in the midst of Batten disease with your child it takes over all things normal, but even in the face of that, they have appeared, to me, relentless to raise funds and find a cure."When the couple began to notice their chatty son Titus's speech was lagging at around two years old, doctors told them to wait it out. Next, they noticed he was becoming clumsy.Then, in February of 2014, Titus began having seizures and was diagnosed with epilepsy – but that didn't account for all of his symptoms. When the young parents took their son to a psychologist, they were told he was likely intellectually disabled."We just felt so off about that," Bekah Bowman tells PEOPLE. "It felt so wrong, because we'd see our kid who was very smart and very up-to-speed, with the exception of a little speech delay."On April 7, all of the pieces came together – he was diagnosed with fatal and incurable Batten disease – beyond anything either parent could ever have imagined.Shortly after Bekah and Danny learned the name for what had been plaguing their son for years, they witnessed a rapid and unstoppable decline."When we got the diagnosis, [Titus] was still talking, walking and eating," Bekah tells PEOPLE. "Within a month of diagnosis he lost all of those abilities. He's blind, he cannot walk anymore, he's in a wheelchair, he's eating through a GJ tube and he doesn't talk anymore. We're just trying to figure out how to communicate with our son."Titus's form of Batten disease isn't just rapidly progressing, it's life-limiting. Children with this variation of the disorder face a life expectancy of 6 to 12 years.As Bekah and husband Danny put all of their energy into helping their older son enjoy his remaining days, a grim possibility loomed. Because Batten disease is an inherited genetic disorder, the fact that Titus had it meant there was a 25% chance Ely would as well.After having their younger son Ely tested in June, the Bowmans received the devastating news that he faced the same tragic fate as his brother."It was unbelievable," Bekah says. "My first thought was no, that can't be right. Re-test him, that can't be right.""It was just a shock obviously, because we thought he was fine," Danny adds. "I mean you don't think both of your kids are going to end up with the same syndrome."For now, as the parents try to help Titus through a daily struggle, they try not to think about what lies ahead."Titus has lots of seizures, lots of vomiting, every day we just kind of take the day as whatever we get, we don't think about the next one," Bekah says.The couple remains focused on helping their sons enjoy their lives as much as possible, as well as trying to feel thankful for every moment they have."When I'm willing to say, 'Thank you for...' suddenly I see the ugly become beautiful and I can make it another day," Bekah says."I couldn't have asked for a more loving, supportive, self-sacrificing family than ours to journey this with," Bekah adds. "I'm so thankful for this time they all have with our boys. These memories are precious."Even as they focus on creating new memories, the old ones of the boy they lost are difficult to escape."I think this is one of the areas that brings us the most pain when it comes to Batten Disease and what it's taken away from us," Bekah says."Living life next to Titus on a daily basis, listening to his belly laugh, watching the bundle of energy plow through the house (and through his brother), around the park, crash through the waves at the beach – it brought so much happiness. I miss that with all my heart and knowing Ely will follow in this ... It hurts." |||||

– Batten disease, a rare and fatal genetic brain disease marked by blindness, seizures, dementia, and loss of motor skills, gained attention earlier this year when Hollywood producer Gordon Gray and his wife Kristen learned that both their young daughters have it, reported Deadline in June. Now another California couple, Bekah and Danny Bowman of Orange County, have learned that not just their 5-year-old son Titus but also their 2-year-old son Ely have the disease, reports People. "The amount of publicity from the Grays has been a silver lining in the midst of tragedy," says Bekah, noting that they decided to share their story after watching the Grays, who are trying to raise $10 million to $12 million in a race to help find a cure, go public with their own struggle. Worries about speech and mobility issues and seizures led to Titus' diagnosis in April. Because the disease is genetic, there was a 25% chance his little brother would have it. Ely took a test in June, and the family's worst fears were confirmed. Both boys have late-infantile CLN2 and will face dramatic declines before dying young. Titus is already suffering the effects. "When we got the diagnosis, [Titus] was still talking, walking and eating," Bekah says. "Within a month ... he lost all of those abilities. He's blind, he cannot walk anymore, he's in a wheelchair, he's eating through a GJ tube and he doesn't talk anymore." Still, the Bowmans are finding a way to be thankful for every day they have with their boys. Bekah had this to say in an April blog post: "This week I’ve become broken. More broken than I knew I could be. So broken that I can’t fix it and I’m overcome by it. But ... out of the broken comes love. An authentic, new eye-opening kind of love." A GoFundMe campaign has been started for the family. (This rare disease could turn this boy into a mannequin.)


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Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement — coming on the heels of the chaotic, ugly realpolitik that followed Justice Antonin Scalia’s death — is a good moment to step back and realize just how broken the process for selecting Supreme Court justices now is.

 In 2016, Senate Republicans responded to Antonin Scalia’s death by inventing and establishing the absurd faux principle that open seats on the Supreme Court cannot be filled in an election year. Given that America hosts national elections one out of every two years, that means, in theory, that Supreme Court seats should remain unfilled fully 50 percent of the time.

 Democrats, infuriated by the GOP’s treatment of President Obama and Merrick Garland, filibustered Neil Gorsuch — the kind of broadly qualified nominee who would’ve passed easily in previous eras. In response, Senate Republicans eliminated the filibuster on Supreme Court nominations.

 What we are seeing here is a case of what the political scientist Steven Smith calls “Senate syndrome”: One side breaks a norm or rule, then the other side breaks another in response, and the tit-for-tat escalates until the underlying process is in ruins. That’s now happened with Supreme Court nominations.

 Here, in truth, is where the past few years have left us. The minority party no longer holds a scintilla of power over Supreme Court picks. The majority party can and will jam whomever they want onto the Court, where that person will serve for life. But in times when the Senate and the White House are controlled by different parties — which happens fairly often — there’s almost no chance that any seat on the Court will be filled.

 Imagine, for a minute, that Democrats win the Senate in 2018 and Ruth Bader Ginsburg retires in 2019. What are the chances, given the precedent of the past few years, that Senate Democrats will permit Trump to replace Ginsburg and give conservatives a 6-3 majority on the Supreme Court? I’d guess somewhere between zero and zero.

 This is an insane way to manage one of the most powerful institutions in American life. But the decorous, gentle equilibrium of yesteryear was also nonsensical. There’s always been something bizarre about the idea that a position as important, as long-serving, and as irreversible as Supreme Court justice should be made based on qualifications rather than ideology.

 Politics isn’t a résumé competition, it’s a contest for power, and the wielding of that power has real consequences. In practice, the Supreme Court decides how elections are funded, whether abortions are legal, whether millions of people will continue to have health insurance — if elected politicians and activist groups see its composition as a matter of life and death, that’s because it often is.

 Yes, Garland was relatively moderate, but if he had replaced Scalia, he would’ve swung the Court to a 5-4 liberal majority, leading to a slew of transformative rulings Republicans would find abhorrent. Yes, Gorsuch was qualified, but he has ruled in ways Democrats find awful, and the clarity of his opinions will not soften their effects.

 For that reason, I don’t blame Republicans for blocking Garland. Nor do I blame Democrats for filibustering Gorsuch. And I do not expect Republicans to give Democrats a sliver of oversight over Kennedy’s replacement.

 But the result of both sides taking SCOTUS nominations as seriously as they deserve to be taken is disastrous — it will become common for seats on the Court, perhaps multiple at one time, to remain open for years, and when they are filled, they will be filled with more extreme candidates.

 The core problem here is the stakes of Supreme Court nominations: They’re too damn high. Candidates serve for life — which, given modern life spans and youthful nominees, can now mean 40 years of decisions — and no one knows when the next seat will open. President Jimmy Carter served four years and saw no open seats. President George H.W. Bush served four years and filled two. Barack Obama served eight years and named two justices. Donald Trump isn’t even two years into his presidency and he’s already been given two vacancies.

 The result isn’t merely an undemocratic branch of government but a randomly undemocratic branch of government. And that randomness, and the stakes of seeing it play out in your side’s favor, makes it necessary to turn Supreme Court nominations into bloodsport. It creates incentives for justices to stay on the bench long after the point at which they should’ve retired, in the hopes that they can outlast an ideologically unfriendly administration — Ruth Bader Ginsburg, for instance, is 85, but it’s hard to imagine she won’t do everything in her physical power to hang onto her seat until a Democrat can replace her. It biases presidents toward nominating the youngest qualified jurist they can find, rather than the best jurist they can find.

 We need to deescalate Supreme Court fights. The most obvious way to do that is to limit terms. Holding justices to a 10-year, nonrenewable term would lower the stakes of any individual Supreme Court nomination as well as make the timing of fights more predictable. An idea like this could have bipartisan support — Gov. Rick Perry proposed 18-year terms in the 2012 campaign, making an argument that I think sounds even more persuasive today:

 Doing this would move the court closer to the people by ensuring that every President would have the opportunity to replace two Justices per term, and that no court could stretch its ideology over multiple generations. Further, this reform would maintain judicial independence, but instill regularity to the nominations process, discourage Justices from choosing a retirement date based on politics, and will stop the ever-increasing tenure of Justices.

 Implementing a reform like this would be a step toward repairing and normalizing a process that is now dangerously broken, infuriatingly random, and distorting both our politics and the judges we choose to interpret our laws. ||||| The fight over President Trump Donald John TrumpScaramucci warns Trump must 'change tactics now' on trade Trump sought to purchase historic Scottish building for hotel: report Republican wins right to replace Farenthold in Congress MORE’s next nomination to the Supreme Court began almost immediately after the news broke of the opening on Wednesday.

 Moments after Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy said he would retire, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellSunday shows preview: Supreme Court fight in the spotlight Appeals court nominees languish in Senate as Flake demands tariff vote Gillibrand incorrectly claims no Democrats voted for Trump’s first Supreme Court nominee MORE (R-Ky.) said the Senate would act before the midterm election to confirm Trump’s next nominee.

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 “We will vote to confirm Justice Kennedy’s successor this fall,” McConnell said on the Senate floor.

 Democrats immediately cried foul, arguing the nomination fight should come next year.

 Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer Charles (Chuck) Ellis SchumerOvernight Health Care: Judge blocks Kentucky Medicaid work requirements | Trump officials consider cuts to ObamaCare outreach | House probes HHS office in charge of migrant children Overnight Health Care: Amazon enters the pharmacy business | Two Republicans to play pivotal role in Supreme Court abortion fight | Senate panel approves medical research boost Lewandowski: Pelosi is not the leader of the Democratic Party MORE (N.Y.), recalling the bitter fight over Merrick Garland Merrick Brian GarlandBattle over Trump court pick to be most expensive ever Mitch McConnell’s gamble is about to pay off — big time Dem senator: No argument will 'lay bare' GOP's hypocrisy on Supreme Court MORE’s nomination to the court in 2016, demanded that McConnell hold off until a new Congress is seated in 2019. He said Republicans should let voters weigh in on the choice through the November midterm elections.

 Schumer said it would be the “height of hypocrisy” for Republicans to move quickly after they held open the late Justice Antonin Scalia’s seat for more than a year in 2016.

 McConnell blocked Garland, former President Obama’s nominee for that seat, from getting even a hearing. He said at the time that voters needed to help decide the ideological balance of the court by picking a new president.

 “Millions of people are just months away from determining the senators who should vote to confirm or reject the president’s nominee, and their voices deserve to be heard,” Schumer said Wednesday.

 Other Democrats, including Minority Whip Dick Durbin Richard (Dick) Joseph DurbinSunday shows preview: Supreme Court fight in the spotlight Dem senator blasts administration for 'cruelty and incompetence' after immigration briefing Pentagon moving forward on plans for Trump military parade: report MORE (Ill.) and Sen. Dianne Feinstein Dianne Emiel FeinsteinDem senator blasts administration for 'cruelty and incompetence' after immigration briefing Battle over Trump court pick to be most expensive ever Obama expected to hit campaign trail for Dems in September: report MORE (Calif.), the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, quickly echoed Schumer’s demands.

 McConnell, for his part, called on Democrats to give Trump’s next pick fair consideration.

 “It’s imperative that the president’s nominee be considered fairly and not subjected to personal attacks,” he said.

 Democrats would appear to have little hope of blocking a Trump pick, though Republicans hold just 51 seats and usually have 50 members in the chamber given Sen. John McCain John Sidney McCainSunday shows preview: Supreme Court fight in the spotlight Appeals court nominees languish in Senate as Flake demands tariff vote Meghan McCain: �?I’m never going to forgive’ Trump for attacking my father MORE’s (R-Ariz.) battle with brain cancer.

 Still, a vote before the midterm elections could be difficult for a number of Democratic senators facing reelection in states won by Trump, including Sens. Joe Manchin Joseph (Joe) ManchinGillibrand incorrectly claims no Democrats voted for Trump’s first Supreme Court nominee Manchin warns Trump against picking court nominee who will overturn Roe v. Wade Trump to announce Supreme Court pick July 9; two women on short list MORE (W.Va.), Heidi Heitkamp Mary (Heidi) Kathryn HeitkampSunday shows preview: Supreme Court fight in the spotlight Abolishing ICE becomes Dem litmus test Gillibrand incorrectly claims no Democrats voted for Trump’s first Supreme Court nominee MORE (N.D.) and Joe Donnelly Joseph (Joe) Simon DonnellySunday shows preview: Supreme Court fight in the spotlight Gillibrand incorrectly claims no Democrats voted for Trump’s first Supreme Court nominee Manchin warns Trump against picking court nominee who will overturn Roe v. Wade MORE (Ind.).

 All are likely to face significant pressure to back Trump’s pick.

 The Judicial Crisis Network, a group that advocates for conservative judges, announced Wednesday it would launch a million-dollar advertising campaign to pressure Democrats in red states to vote for Trump’s nominee. The group spent $10 million to support Justice Neil Gorsuch’s nomination last year.

 “It’s going to be a big battle,” said Sen. Orrin Hatch Orrin Grant HatchAppeals court nominees languish in Senate as Flake demands tariff vote Trump nominee vows to restore 'trust' in IRS IRS nominee owns properties at Trump’s Hawaii hotel MORE (R-Utah), a former Judiciary Committee chairman.

 Republicans think a Supreme Court debate will help rev up their base at a time when polls show Democratic voters are more enthusiastic about voting than Republicans.

 “It does once again heighten the importance of a Republican Senate to voters who are reminded again about how big an impact that the Senate majority has on who serves on the court,” said Sen. Roy Blunt Roy Dean BluntSupreme Court vacancy throws Senate battle into chaos Senate faces bitter fight over Trump’s next pick Election Countdown: Kennedy retirement shakes up midterms | Big primary night for progressives | Fallout from Crowley's defeat | Trump flexes his muscles in GOP primaries | The Hill's Latina Leaders spotlights 2018 candidates MORE (Mo.), a member of the Senate GOP leadership.

 “I think that will encourage people who want to see that majority to continue to get out and work harder than they would have otherwise,” he added.

 Senate Republican Whip John Cornyn John CornynCollins, Murkowski to play pivotal role in Supreme Court abortion battle Senate faces bitter fight over Trump’s next pick Liberal Senate Democrat shields Trump from trade blowback MORE (Texas) said a Supreme Court fight is “one thing that energizes conservatives more than anything else.”

 Abortion is likely to be a flashpoint in the debate, as Kennedy had been the fifth vote for upholding Roe v. Wade, the landmark case that established a right to abortion in 1973.

 Sens. Susan Collins Susan Margaret CollinsSunday shows preview: Supreme Court fight in the spotlight Michael Moore: I'll surround Capitol with 'a million other people' to protest Supreme Court pick Manchin warns Trump against picking court nominee who will overturn Roe v. Wade MORE (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski Lisa Ann MurkowskiSunday shows preview: Supreme Court fight in the spotlight Michael Moore: I'll surround Capitol with 'a million other people' to protest Supreme Court pick Manchin warns Trump against picking court nominee who will overturn Roe v. Wade MORE (Alaska) are two Republicans who support abortion rights and are likely to exert significant influence on the debate.

 They voted last year against legislation to repeal and replace ObamaCare in part because it would have defunded Planned Parenthood.

 Collins said she would prefer Trump to pick a more centrist judge in the mold of Kennedy, who ruled in cases such as Planned Parenthood v. Casey to uphold a woman’s right to an abortion.

 “That obviously would be my preference but what I’m most looking for is a justice that will follow the law and the Constitution,” she said.

 “I view Roe v. Wade as being settled law. It’s clearly precedent and I always look for judges who respect precedent,” Collins added.

 Democrats on Wednesday framed the new Supreme Court vacancy as a proxy battle over the future of abortion and reproductive rights, a preview of their strategy for the months ahead.

 “From Day One, President Trump and Vice President Pence have made it clear that turning back the clock on women’s health and reproductive rights is a top priority for them,” Sen. Patty Murray Patricia (Patty) Lynn MurrayLawmakers request new GAO gender pay study Senate faces bitter fight over Trump’s next pick Overnight Health Care — Presented by the Association of American Medical Colleges —Dems, health groups demand immigrant children be quickly reunited with families MORE (D-Wash.) warned on the Senate floor.

 Some GOP lawmakers say they want a conservative justice and have praised the possible candidates Trump listed during the 2016 presidential campaign as acceptable.

 “The president has a lot of good choices. I hope they can give us a good, highly qualified nominee quickly. Then we’ll get on with it,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham Lindsey Olin GrahamSunday shows preview: Supreme Court fight in the spotlight Supreme Court vacancy throws Senate battle into chaos Overnight Defense: House passes 5B defense spending bill | Pentagon moving forward on Trump military parade | Mattis vows 'ironclad' support for South Korea's defense MORE (R-S.C.), a member of the Judiciary Committee.

 Trump has released a list of 25 people he would consider for the court, including William Pryor of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Don Willett of the Texas Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and Sen. Mike Lee Michael (Mike) Shumway LeeTrump to announce Supreme Court pick July 9; two women on short list The Hill's Morning Report — Sponsored by Better Medicare Alliance — Expensive and brutal: Inside the Supreme Court fight ahead Senate passes mammoth farm bill MORE (R) of Utah.

 Graham, the sponsor of a bill to ban abortion after 20 weeks, downplayed the likely impact on Roe v. Wade.

 “Roe v. Wade has been affirmed many times in different ways,” he said. “There’s no litmus test.”

 Republicans say they want to get started on the confirmation process as soon as possible.

 “Aug. 1 we need to have someone ready,” said Sen. John Kennedy John Neely KennedyMORE (R-La.), another member of the Judiciary Committee.

 “I want a good lawyer who is whip smart, who is not a hater, who calls the balls and the strikes, who understands the way Madison meant the separation of powers to work, and who will listen to all points of view,” Kennedy added.

 It has taken the Senate between 66 and 87 days to confirm the last four Supreme Court nominees. If that trend holds, it would set up a confirmation vote for October, shortly before Election Day.

 Chief Justice John Roberts was confirmed in 2005 in an especially quick time frame, 23 days.

 Kennedy’s resignation will become effective on July 31. |||||

– The fallout from Anthony Kennedy's bombshell decision to retire from the Supreme Court continues to resonate, with President Trump saying he's "honored" that Kennedy has given him an opportunity to pick a successor. Of course, getting him confirmed is another issue, and the Hill digs into the political logistics in the Senate. Republicans have the numbers, but two wild cards are Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, both of whom support abortion rights and will likely have a big say in who comes next. A remedy: At Vox, Ezra Klein writes that both parties are guilty of turning the nomination process into an "insane" one, given the stakes. At this point, if one party held the White House and the other the Senate, it's unlikely any nominee would be confirmed. His solution? Reduce the stakes by limiting justices to 10-year terms. A big percentage: The Washington Post picks out five times Kennedy cast the deciding vote on big issues, on everything from backing abortion rights to supporting gay rights to curtailing the death penalty. The story notes that of the 276 majority opinions written by Kennedy, 92 came in 5-4 decisions.