JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A federal agency announced plans Thursday for a more intense investigation into what caused the deaths of 30 large whales in the western Gulf of Alaska since May.

 This May 22, 2015 photo provided by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game shows a fin whale calf off Marmot Bay in Kodiak Island, Alaska. A federal agency announced plans Thursday, Aug. 20, 2015, for... (Associated Press)

 NOAA Fisheries declared the deaths an "unusual mortality event," triggering a new-level investigation that brings with it access to additional resources. The agency said the deaths are about three times the historical average for the region.

 Julie Speegle, a spokeswoman for NOAA Fisheries in Alaska, said a leading hypothesis for the deaths is harmful algal bloom toxins but she noted that there currently is no conclusive evidence linking the two.

 Officials have only been able to get samples from one of the 30 whales. Teri Rowles, NOAA Fisheries' marine mammal health and stranding response coordinator, told reporters during a teleconference Thursday that large-scale whale deaths are among the toughest to investigate, partly because the carcasses often are floating, rarely beached and difficult to access for examination. In Alaska, bears feeding on washed-up whale carcasses create safety concerns for researchers who want to collect samples, she said.

 Without being able to conduct a more complete necropsy, scientists and researchers can look at such things as environmental factors, historical information and mortality among seabirds or other sea creatures to try to get a better sense of what is going on, Rowles said. But they are limited in what they can do without better access to the carcasses, she said.

 Officials urged the public to report any sightings of dead whales or distressed animals that they encounter.

 The agency plans to work with colleagues in Canada, where six large whales have been reported dead off the coast of British Columbia since May — five of those this month. Necropsies were conducted on two of the more recent carcasses, and the results are pending, said Paul Cottrell, marine mammals coordinator for the Pacific region of Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

 Rowles said this does not appear to be a "coast-wide" event at this point, noting that large whale deaths have not increased during the same timeframe near California, Washington and Oregon as they have very locally in the western Gulf of Alaska. |||||

 NEWS RELEASE

 August 20, 2015

 Julie Speegle, 907-586-7032 w., 907-321-7032 c.

 NOAA declares deaths of large whales in Gulf of Alaska an unusual mortality event

 Bears feeding on a fin whale carcass in Larson Bay, Alaska, near Kodiak. Credit: NOAA

 NOAA is declaring the recent deaths of 30 large whales in the western Gulf of Alaska an "unusual mortality event," triggering a focused, expert investigation into the cause. An unusual mortality event is a stranding event that is unexpected, involves a significant die-off of a marine mammal population, and demands immediate response.

 Since May 2015, 11 fin whales, 14 humpback whales, one gray whale, and four unidentified cetaceans have stranded around the islands of the western Gulf of Alaska and the southern shoreline of the Alaska Peninsula. To date, this brings the large whale strandings for this region to almost three times the historical average.

 The declaration of an unusual mortality event will allow NOAA and federal, state, and tribal partners to develop a response plan and conduct a rigorous scientific investigation into the cause of death for the stranded whales.

 Map of unusual mortality event. Click on map to view a larger version.

 "NOAA Fisheries scientists and partners are very concerned about the large number of whales stranding in the western Gulf of Alaska in recent months," said Dr. Teri Rowles, NOAA Fisheries' marine mammal health and stranding response coordinator. "While we do not yet know the cause of these strandings, our investigations will give us important information on the health of whales and the ecosystems where they live. Members of the public can greatly assist the investigation by immediately reporting any sightings of dead whales or distressed live animals they discover."

 Experts from the Working Group on Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Events, which was established in 1991 and is part of the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program, determined that the high number of large whale strandings in the western Gulf of Alaska met the criteria for focused resources and research, and recommended the NOAA declaration.

 The rigorous, collaborative investigation into these deaths will continue to involve scientists from NOAA and partner organizations, as well as members of the Alaska Marine Mammal Stranding Network.

 These kinds of investigations generally require months, or sometimes even years, of data collection and analysis, depending on the nature and duration of the event. NOAA will publish information on its unusual mortality event website as it becomes available.

 Members of the public can assist in the investigation by immediately contacting the Alaska Marine Mammal Stranding Network hotline at 877-9-AKR-PRD (877-925-7773) if they see a stranded or dead marine mammal. Only specially trained marine mammal experts are authorized to respond to marine mammals in distress. The public should not touch stranded or floating whales.

 NOAA's mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Join us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and our other social media channels at http://www.noaa.gov/socialmedia.

 To learn more about NOAA Fisheries in Alaska, visit alaskafisheries.noaa.gov or www.afsc.noaa.gov.

 ← News Releases | Fisheries Information Bulletins ||||| The large number of dead whales appearing along the coast of British Columbia and Alaska since May is raising alarms among scientists.

 Thirty dead whales have been detected in the Gulf of Alaska since May, representing a die-off more than three times the normal rate, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

 Another six dead stranded whales have been reported along B.C.'s north coast over the same time period, also a significant increase above annual seasonal numbers.

 Paul Cottrell, Pacific marine mammal co-ordinator with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, says his team is collaborating with U.S.officials to investigate the situation.

 "We're working closely with NOAA to analyze samples," Cotrell said in a joint media teleconference, noting necropsy samples had been gathered from two dead humpbacks found in B.C. waters.

 The prevailing theory is that a large toxic algae bloom off the West Coast might be to blame. However, scientists have been unable to make a concrete connection.

 Only one sample, characterized as "less than ideal," has been analyzed to date. It came back negative for one strain of algae toxins.

 Gathering good samples has proven challenging.

 "Alaska has an awful lot of coastline and much of it is difficult to reach," said NOAA adviser Dr. Bree Witteveen. "We can't get to those carcasses more often than not."

 As well, field scientists have encountered "predator competition" while trying to gather samples, as witnessed by the news release photo showing seven large bears feeding on a fin whale carcass near Kodiak, Alaska.

 So far four whales species have been identified in what NOAA is characterizing as an "unusual mortality event": humpback, sperm, grey and fin.

 The public is asked to report any dead whale sightings, but should not approach or touch the animal.

 In B.C. people can call the 24 hour Marine Mammal Incident hotline at 1-800-465-4336. |||||

Write a summary.

– Some 30 large whales have been found dead in the western Gulf of Alaska since May and the NOAA wants to know why. The agency says it is opening a scientific investigation into what is calls an "unusual mortality event," with the number of whale deaths at three times the historical average for the area, reports the AP. The NOAA describes the event in a release as "a significant die-off" involving 11 fin whales, 14 humpback whales, one gray whale, and four unidentified whales. A rep suggests the deaths could be tied to algae bloom toxins, but there's no evidence for that yet. The NOAA notes the investigation could take months or even years. Officials have only been about to nab a sample from one of the 30 whales and it was labeled "less than ideal," reports the CBC, which notes the sample contained no presence of one strain of algae toxins. Getting to more whales is difficult: Parts of the coastline can be tough to get to, floating carcasses are hard to access as well, and beached whales can be magnets for bears, a coordinator says. Scientists will thus study environmental factors, historical data, and deaths among seabirds and other creatures to help shed light on the issue. "Our investigations will give us important information on the health of whales and the ecosystems where they live," the coordinator says. Researchers will also work with colleagues in British Columbia, where five large whales have been found dead this month; necropsy results on two are pending.


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 The WARC files associated with this crawl are not currently available to the general public. ||||| A 1999 photograph of the Rhine river by German artist Andreas Gursky has sold for $4.3 million in New York City, setting a record for any photograph sold at auction.

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 This 1999 photograph provided by Chrisitie's shows the Rhine river by German artist Andreas Gursky. Titled "Rhein II," the chromogenic color print face-mounted to acrylic glass was sold for $4.3 million... (Associated Press)

 Titled "Rhein II," the chromogenic color print face-mounted to acrylic glass, had a pre-sale estimate of $2.5 million to $3.5 million.

 It sold Tuesday at Christie's. The buyer was not disclosed.

 The previous record for any photography sold at auction was Cindy Sherman's "Untitled," which fetched $3.8 million at Christie's in May.

 Gursky's panoramic image of the Rhine is one of an edition of six photographs. Four are in major museums, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Tate Modern in London. ||||| They say a picture is worth a thousand words; this Tuesday a picture was worth $4.3 million, making it the most expensive photograph in the world. The photo is 'Rhein II' (1999) by Andreas Gursky.

 Gursky is known for his large, disorienting landscapes. At once majestic and alienating, they don't require a lot of explanation. This photo is meant to be stared at.

 Of his works, Gursky has explained: "Maybe to try to understand not just that we are living in a certain building or in a certain location, but to become aware that we are living on a planet that is going at enormous speed through the universe."

 Least happy about the big sale? Cindy Sherman, who previously held the title for her well-known work 'Untitled #96' (1981), which in May broke the previous record at $3.9 million. However, before Sherman broke this record another Gursky photograph held the prized distinction, and has since 2006. We hope Sherman enjoyed her time on top, but Gursky looks like a tough act to beat. |||||
What is a one-paragraph summary of the above article?

– Have you ever gazed upon a river and thought, “This would make a lovely photograph that someone would pay millions of dollars for”? No? Well, that’s why you’re not Andreas Gursky. A chromogenic color print of the Gursky photo below, entitled Rhein II, sold for a whopping $4.3 million at Christie’s in New York this week, the AP reports, making it the most expensive photo ever sold at auction. With the sale, Gursky reclaims the most-expensive crown from Cindy Sherman, whose Untitled #96 sold for $3.9 million in May, the Huffington Post reports. Before that, the most expensive sale was Gursky’s 99 Cent II Diptychon for almost $3.4 million. Of course, everyone’s a critic; Gizmodo snickers at Rhein II, saying it’s “as bland as it is expensive.” But HuffPo disagrees, declaring, “This photo is meant to be stared at.”


Summarize this article:

Defendant pleads not guilty in Pier 14 killing

 San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi, (left) leads Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez, into the Hall of Justice in San Francisco, Calif. on Tues. July 7, 2015, for his arraignment on suspicion of murder in the shooting death of Kate Steinle on San Francisco’s Pier 14 last Wednesday. less San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi, (left) leads Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez, into the Hall of Justice in San Francisco, Calif. on Tues. July 7, 2015, for his arraignment on suspicion of murder in the ... more Photo: Michael Macor / The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Michael Macor / The Chronicle Image 1 of / 12 Caption Close Defendant pleads not guilty in Pier 14 killing 1 / 12 Back to Gallery

 The man accused of fatally shooting a stranger who was walking with her father on San Francisco’s Pier 14 pleaded not guilty to murder Tuesday, as his attorney argued that the evidence points to a tragic accident.

 Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez, whose age is listed as 45 by police and 52 in jail records, made his first appearance in court, listening intently as Judge Daniel Flores read the charges against him in connection with the shocking death of 32-year-old Kathryn Steinle.

 The circumstances of Steinle’s killing remained unclear Tuesday, but police have learned that the gun had been stolen just days earlier from a federal agent, according to sources close to the investigation.

 Lopez-Sanchez, asked for his plea through a Spanish interpreter, answered “no culpable” and repeated the statement throughout the short hearing, even when he was not asked. He didn’t appear to understand what was happening, saying again that he was not guilty in Spanish in response to a question by the judge regarding his next court appearance.

 Steinle had been walking along Pier 14 on the busy Embarcadero with her father when she was shot through the heart at about 6:30 p.m. on July 1.

 Interview in English

 In a jailhouse interview with KGO, Lopez-Sanchez appeared to admit to firing the shot, saying the gun went off after he found it wrapped in a T-shirt under a bench — and after he took sleeping pills he found in a trash can.

 But outside court, Public Defender Jeff Adachi, whose office is representing Lopez-Sanchez, suggested that the defendant did not understand what he was being asked during the television interview.

 “That interview was done primarily in English by a reporter,” he said. “I think certainly, that interview raised a lot of questions about whether Mr. Sanchez understood what was being asked.”

 Lopez-Sanchez’s lawyer, Matt Gonzalez, the chief attorney in the public defender’s office, said his client has a second-grade education.

 “This very well could be a completely accidental discharge of a firearm,” he said. “You’ve got an individual who does not know the victim in the case, has no interest or desire in injuring her in any way, and no witness or anybody to allege that there was any crime going on at the time the shooting occurred.”

 Lopez-Sanchez was also charged with using a gun, which could add up to 10 years to his sentence if he is convicted of murder.

 The .40-caliber pistol that investigators believe Lopez-Sanchez fired had been stolen from a federal agent in a car burglary in San Francisco in late June, said one source, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk about the case publicly.

 Other sources said the weapon — which Lopez-Sanchez allegedly dumped in the bay before it was recovered — was apparently not the agent’s official gun.

 Steinle’s death sparked outrage after it was revealed that Lopez-Sanchez had a long history of drug crimes and had been deported five times to Mexico, but was recently released from San Francisco County Jail rather than being turned over to federal immigration agents for a potential sixth deportation.

 He was brought to San Francisco in March after serving 46 months at a federal prison in Victorville (San Bernardino County) for felony re-entry into the country. He had an old, outstanding warrant in the city, alleging that he fled marijuana charges in 1995.

 According to court records, the case was old enough that the evidence had been purged by the time Lopez-Sanchez appeared in court on March 27. Prosecutors discharged the case, and Lopez-Sanchez remained in County Jail until April 15, when the Sheriff’s Department released him without alerting immigration.

 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said they had asked to be notified before Lopez-Sanchez’s release, so they could seek to deport him again.

 S.F., state policy

 The Sheriff’s Department said it had followed its own policy in not holding Lopez-Sanchez for immigration agents, as well as a 2013 city ordinance and a state law signed the same year by Gov. Jerry Brown.

 Steinle’s parents did not attend Tuesday’s arraignment, but an uncle who was present shook and rocked during the proceedings and scoffed as Lopez-Sanchez declared he was not guilty. The uncle declined to comment outside court.

 Gonzalez implored the media to look past the immigration debate raised by the case at the “ubiquitous nature of guns in our society.”

 “Every day in the United States, innocent people die from gun accidents,” he said. “In contrast to that, I can say there are numerous studies that immigrants are far less likely to commit acts of violence than native-born persons.”

 When asked about the immigration issue, Alex Bastian, a spokesman for the district attorney’s office, demurred and said, “Today’s about Kate.”

 “It’s about this incredible family that has shown such strength during this incredibly difficult time,” he said. “It’s about bringing justice to that family and it’s about doing everything we ethically can to prosecute this case and bring the justice this family rightfully deserves.”

 Assistant District Attorney Diana Garcia asked that Lopez-Sanchez be held without bail, while Gonzalez argued that he had the right to bail, even if he would not be able to afford it.

 Judge Flores then set bail at $5 million after the prosecutor requested $10 million. Lopez-Sanchez is scheduled to return to court July 27.

 Chronicle Staff Writer Jaxon Van Derbeken contributed to this story.

 Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: vho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VivianHo ||||| Iowa City, Iowa (CNN) In Hillary Clinton 's first national interview of the 2016 race, she attacked her Republican rivals on immigration and dismissed the suggestion that the American people have a problem trusting her.

 "People should and do trust me," she told CNN's Brianna Keilar.

 She blamed the "barrage of attacks that are largely fomented by and coming from the right" for fueling a perception that trust is an area of vulnerability for her.

 Clinton displayed little hesitation about attacking Republicans herself, saying that she is "very disappointed" in Donald Trump for his comments about immigrants and in the Republican Party for not condemning his remarks more quickly.

 She then pivoted to skewering the entire GOP field for their immigration stance, saying, "They're on a spectrum of hostility, which I think is really regrettable in a nation of immigrants like ours."

 The interview foreshadowed the Clinton that will hit the campaign trail in the coming months as election season heats up. She was occasionally defensive, especially when pressed on whether she has any responsibility for the public's mistrust in her. But she had no problem with going on the offense against her Republican challengers.

 Clinton took direct aim at GOP rival Jeb Bush.

 JUST WATCHED Hillary Clinton on Immigration and the GOP race Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Hillary Clinton on Immigration and the GOP race 02:09

 "He doesn't believe in a path to citizenship. If he did at one time, he no longer does," she said.

 The Bush campaign rebuffed Clinton's criticism and instead accused her of flip-flopping on immigration.

 "Hillary Clinton will say anything to get elected and her numerous flip-flops on immigration prove it," said Emily Benavides, a Bush campaign spokeswoman, in a statement.

 "As he outlined in his book on this issue, Gov. Bush believes in a conservative legislative solution to fix our broken immigration system that includes earned legal status for those currently in the country after they pay fines and taxes, learn English and commit no substantial crimes while securing our border," she said.

 Clinton also blamed the city of San Francisco for mishandling the case of an undocumented immigrant who had been deported five times before killing a woman there -- in a sanctuary city where local law enforcement do not enforce federal immigration laws.

 JUST WATCHED Hillary Clinton on how 33,000 emails got deleted Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Hillary Clinton on how 33,000 emails got deleted 02:40

 "The city made a mistake, not to deport someone that the federal government strongly felt should be deported," she said. "I have absolutely no support for a city that ignores the strong evidence that should be acted on."

 The full interview aired Tuesday on "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer" and will re-air at 8 p.m. on "Anderson Cooper 360."

 Pressed on why the public has a hard time trusting her, Clinton maintained she faced "the same kind of onslaught" in her two New York Senate campaigns and her confirmation as secretary of state, and said Republicans have sought to turn controversies like her use of a private email address and the Clinton Foundation's actions against her.

 And that, Clinton said, is why national polls and swing-state surveys have found that a majority of voters say they don't see her as honest and trustworthy.

 A Quinnipiac University Swing State poll found that by margins of 8 to 14 percentage points voters in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania are skeptical of Clinton's trustworthiness.

 In Florida, 51% of voters hold the negative view of Clinton, compared to 43% who feel she is trustworthy. In Ohio, 53% of voters find Clinton not trustworthy, compared to 40% who do. And in Pennsylvania, 54% of voters don't find her honest, while 40% do.

 "I think it's understandable that when questions are raised, people maybe are thinking about them and wondering about them," Clinton said.

 "But I have every confidence that during the course of this campaign, people are going to know who will fight for them, who will be there when they need them, and that's the kind of person I am and that's what I will do, not only in a campaign but as president," she said.

 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Hillary Clinton accepts the Democratic Party's nomination for president at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on July 28. The former first lady, U.S. senator and secretary of state was the first woman to lead the presidential ticket of a major political party. Hide Caption 1 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Before marrying Bill Clinton, she was Hillary Rodham. Here she attends Wellesley College in Massachusetts. Her commencement speech at Wellesley's graduation ceremony in 1969 attracted national attention. After graduating, she attended Yale Law School. Hide Caption 2 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Rodham was a lawyer on the House Judiciary Committee, whose work led to impeachment charges against President Richard Nixon in 1974. Hide Caption 3 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight In 1975, Rodham married Bill Clinton, whom she met at Yale Law School. He became the governor of Arkansas in 1978. In 1980, the couple had a daughter, Chelsea. Hide Caption 4 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Arkansas' first lady, now using the name Hillary Rodham Clinton, wears her inaugural ball gown in 1985. Hide Caption 5 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight The Clintons celebrate Bill's inauguration in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1991. He was governor from 1983 to 1992, when he was elected President. Hide Caption 6 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Bill Clinton comforts his wife on the set of "60 Minutes" after a stage light broke loose from the ceiling and knocked her down in January 1992. Hide Caption 7 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight In June 1992, Clinton uses a sewing machine designed to eliminate back and wrist strain. She had just given a speech at a convention of the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union. Hide Caption 8 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight During the 1992 presidential campaign, Clinton jokes with her husband's running mate, Al Gore, and Gore's wife, Tipper, aboard a campaign bus. Hide Caption 9 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton accompanies her husband as he takes the oath of office in January 1993. Hide Caption 10 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight The Clintons share a laugh on Capitol Hill in 1993. Hide Caption 11 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton unveils the renovated Blue Room of the White House in 1995. Hide Caption 12 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton waves to the media in January 1996 as she arrives for an appearance before a grand jury in Washington. The first lady was subpoenaed to testify as a witness in the investigation of the Whitewater land deal in Arkansas. The Clintons' business investment was investigated, but ultimately they were cleared of any wrongdoing. Hide Caption 13 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight The Clintons hug as Bill is sworn in for a second term as President. Hide Caption 14 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight The first lady holds up a Grammy Award, which she won for her audiobook "It Takes a Village" in 1997. Hide Caption 15 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight The Clintons dance on a beach in the U.S. Virgin Islands in January 1998. Later that month, Bill Clinton was accused of having a sexual relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Hide Caption 16 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton looks on as her husband discusses the Monica Lewinsky scandal in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on January 26, 1998. Clinton declared, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman." In August of that year, Clinton testified before a grand jury and admitted to having "inappropriate intimate contact" with Lewinsky, but he said it did not constitute sexual relations because they had not had intercourse. He was impeached in December on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. Hide Caption 17 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight The first family walks with their dog, Buddy, as they leave the White House for a vacation in August 1998. Hide Caption 18 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight President Clinton makes a statement at the White House in December 1998, thanking members of Congress who voted against his impeachment. The Senate trial ended with an acquittal in February 1999. Hide Caption 19 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton announces in February 2000 that she will seek the U.S. Senate seat in New York. She was elected later that year. Hide Caption 20 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton makes her first appearance on the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee. Hide Caption 21 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Sen. Clinton comforts Maren Sarkarat, a woman who lost her husband in the September 11 terrorist attacks, during a ground-zero memorial in October 2001. Hide Caption 22 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton holds up her book "Living History" before a signing in Auburn Hills, Michigan, in 2003. Hide Caption 23 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton and another presidential hopeful, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, applaud at the start of a Democratic debate in 2007. Hide Caption 24 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Obama and Clinton talk on the plane on their way to a rally in Unity, New Hampshire, in June 2008. She had recently ended her presidential campaign and endorsed Obama. Hide Caption 25 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Obama is flanked by Clinton and Vice President-elect Joe Biden at a news conference in Chicago in December 2008. He had designated Clinton to be his secretary of state. Hide Caption 26 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton, as secretary of state, greets Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin during a meeting just outside Moscow in March 2010. Hide Caption 27 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight The Clintons pose on the day of Chelsea's wedding to Marc Mezvinsky in July 2010. Hide Caption 28 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight In this photo provided by the White House, Obama, Clinton, Biden and other members of the national security team receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in May 2011. Hide Caption 29 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton checks her Blackberry inside a military plane after leaving Malta in October 2011. In 2015, The New York Times reported that Clinton exclusively used a personal email account during her time as secretary of state. The account, fed through its own server, raises security and preservation concerns. Clinton later said she used a private domain out of "convenience," but admits in retrospect "it would have been better" to use multiple emails. Hide Caption 30 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton arrives for a group photo before a forum with the Gulf Cooperation Council in March 2012. The forum was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Hide Caption 31 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Obama and Clinton bow during the transfer-of-remains ceremony marking the return of four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens, who were killed in Benghazi, Libya, in September 2012. Hide Caption 32 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton ducks after a woman threw a shoe at her while she was delivering remarks at a recycling trade conference in Las Vegas in 2014. Hide Caption 33 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton, now running for President again, performs with Jimmy Fallon during a "Tonight Show" skit in September 2015. Hide Caption 34 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton testifies about the Benghazi attack during a House committee meeting in October 2015. "I would imagine I have thought more about what happened than all of you put together," she said during the 11-hour hearing. "I have lost more sleep than all of you put together. I have been wracking my brain about what more could have been done or should have been done." Months earlier, Clinton had acknowledged a "systemic breakdown" as cited by an Accountability Review Board, and she said that her department was taking additional steps to increase security at U.S. diplomatic facilities. Hide Caption 35 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders shares a lighthearted moment with Clinton during a Democratic presidential debate in October 2015. It came after Sanders gave his take on the Clinton email scandal. "The American people are sick and tired of hearing about the damn emails," Sanders said. "Enough of the emails. Let's talk about the real issues facing the United States of America." Hide Caption 36 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton is reflected in a teleprompter during a campaign rally in Alexandria, Virginia, in October 2015. Hide Caption 37 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton walks on her stage with her family after winning the New York primary in April. Hide Caption 38 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight After Clinton became the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee, this photo was posted to her official Twitter account. "To every little girl who dreams big: Yes, you can be anything you want -- even president," Clinton said. "Tonight is for you." Hide Caption 39 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Obama hugs Clinton after he gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. The president said Clinton was ready to be commander in chief. "For four years, I had a front-row seat to her intelligence, her judgment and her discipline," he said, referring to her stint as his secretary of state. Hide Caption 40 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton arrives at a 9/11 commemoration ceremony in New York on September 11. Clinton, who was diagnosed with pneumonia two days before, left early after feeling ill. A video appeared to show her stumble as Secret Service agents helped her into a van. Hide Caption 41 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton addresses a campaign rally in Cleveland on November 6, two days before Election Day. She went on to lose Ohio -- and the election -- to her Republican opponent, Donald Trump. Hide Caption 42 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight After conceding the presidency to Trump in a phone call earlier, Clinton addresses supporters and campaign workers in New York on Wednesday, November 9. Her defeat marked a stunning end to a campaign that appeared poised to make her the first woman elected US president. Hide Caption 43 of 43

 Asked whether she played a role in the sentiment reflected in polls that she's not trustworthy, Clinton said: "This has been a theme that has been used against me and my husband for many, many years. And at the end of the day, I think voters sort it all out."

 She similarly dismissed questions about her use of a personal email address on a private server while serving as secretary of state.

 Clinton said she turned over all the emails -- including some which show her using a secured fax machine, or asking for iced tea during meetings -- that had anything to do with public business, and that she broke no laws in sticking with one device because she's not technically savvy.

 "This is being blown up with no basis in law or in fact. That's fine, I get it -- this is being, in effect, used by the Republicans in the Congress. OK," Clinton said. "But I want people to understand what the truth is, and the truth is, everything I did was permitted and I went above and beyond what was expected."

 If elected president, Clinton said she doesn't have any plans to push for the closure of the Clinton Foundation -- which has faced criticism for accepting foreign contributions during her tenure as America's top diplomat.

 "I have no plans to say or do anything about the Clinton foundation other than to say I am proud of it and I think for the good of the world, its work should continue," she said.

 JUST WATCHED Hillary Clinton on which woman should be on the 10 dollar bill Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Hillary Clinton on which woman should be on the 10 dollar bill 00:46

 The interview spanned a broad range of topics -- among them a discussion of adding a woman to the $10 bill. Clinton declined to select a favorite woman for the honor, but suggested a woman should instead go on a $20.

 "I don't like the idea that as a compromise you would basically have two people on the same bill. One would be a woman. That sounds pretty second class to me," Clinton said. "So I think a woman should have her own bill."

 Nor would she pick which Saturday Night Live actress, Amy Poehler or Kate McKinnon, plays the best Hillary Clinton.

 "Amy's a friend of mine and Kate's doing a great job. You're not going to get me to pick one or the other," she said. "I think I'm the best Hillary Clinton." ||||| Authorities are investigating whether a gun associated with a Bureau of Land Management employee was used in the fatal shooting of a young woman on a tourist-heavy San Francisco pier, an agency spokesperson said.

 "The matter is under investigation, and law enforcement is working to confirm the origin of the weapon," the spokesperson said in a statement.

 Sources familiar with the investigation say the gun belonged to a federal agent and may have been stolen recently. It is unclear whether the firearm was a government-issued service weapon or a personally owned gun.

 A lawyer for suspect Francisco Sanchez said at a Tuesday arraignment hearing that Sanchez meant the victim, Kate Steinle, 32, no harm.

 "There is no motive whatsoever for this defendant to have caused any harm to the deceased," public defender Matt Gonzalez said in court. "He did not know her."

 Gonzalez said it is "very likely that this was an accidental shooting."

 Sanchez, 45, pleaded not guilty to murder and was held on $5 million bail, according to court records. He has been charged with one count of murder with enhancements for the use of a firearm, according to court records.

 Sanchez will be back in court July 27, according to court records.

 Earlier this week, Sanchez told ABC station KGO-TV in a jailhouse interview that he started wandering on Pier 14 Wednesday, July 1 after taking sleeping pills he found in a dumpster. He said he then picked up a gun that he found and it went off.

 Courtesy of Steinle family

 The case has sparked a debate about illegal immigration because Sanchez, an undocumented immigrant, has been deported several times to his native Mexico and Immigration and Customs Enforcement blamed the San Francisco police for not honoring an immigration detainer earlier in the year.

 Sanchez has five previous convictions for re-entry after deportation, according to court records. He was on probation in Texas at the time of the shooting and served federal time for sneaking back into the country.

 In an exclusive jailhouse interview, a KGO-TV reporter asked the alleged gunman, "Did you keep coming back to San Francisco because you knew that they wouldn't actively look for you to deport you?"

 Sanchez responded, "Yes."

 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had said in a statement that Sanchez was turned over to the San Francisco Police Department this past March on an outstanding drug warrant, and that the department requested that police notify Immigration and Customs Enforcement prior to his release so ICE officers could make arrangements to take custody.

 However, the San Francisco Sheriff's Department said that it had no "legal basis" to hold Sanchez based on a federal immigration detainer, according to the Associated Press. A lawyer for the sheriff's department told the AP the city only turns over illegal immigrants if there's an active warrant for their arrest, so on April 15, after the local drug case closed, Sanchez was released.

 In a statement Monday, San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee said the city's sanctuary policy "should not create a safe harbor for convicted, violent felons."

 "I am concerned about the circumstances that led to the release of Mr. Sanchez," Lee's statement added. "All agencies involved, federal and local, need to conduct quick, thorough and objective reviews of their own departmental policies and the decisions they made in this case."

 The San Francisco police union spoke out against the sanctuary policy, writing on its Facebook page Monday.

 "A young innocent woman has been murdered in cold blood," the statement said. "He is an illegal alien not an undocumented immigrant and if he was where he belonged (Mexico) this innocent victim would still be alive." ||||| SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A law enforcement official says the weapon used in the shooting death of a woman on a San Francisco pier belonged to a federal agent — the latest twist in a case that has become a flashpoint in the country's debate over immigration.

 San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi, left, talks to members of the media after Francisco Sanchez' arraignment Tuesday, July 7, 2015, in San Francisco. Prosecutors have charged Sanchez, a Mexican... (Associated Press)

 Assistant Director of Field Operations, Enforcement and Removal Operations at the?U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Department of Homeland Security Philip T. Miller testifies before the... (Associated Press)

 San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi gestures during an interview Monday, July 6, 2015, in San Francisco. Mirkarimi has defended the release of Francisco Sanchez from jail on April 15, who is now accused... (Associated Press)

 Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., left, shakes hands with Associate Director of Refuee, Asylum, and International Operations at U.S. Citizenship... (Associated Press)

 Francisco Sanchez, center, is lead out of the courtroom by San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi, right, and Assistant District Attorney Diana Garciaor, left, after his arraignment at the Hall of... (Associated Press)

 Francisco Sanchez walks into the court for his arraignment at the Hall of Justice on Tuesday, July 7, 2015, in San Francisco. Prosecutors have charged the Mexican immigrant with murder in the waterfront... (Associated Press)

 San Francisco Public Defenders Jeff Adachi, left, and Matt Gonzalez, right, talks to members of the media after Francisco Sanchez' arraignment Tuesday, July 7, 2015, in San Francisco. Prosecutors have... (Associated Press)

 FILE - This undated photo provided by the San Francisco Police Department shows Francisco Sanchez. The fatal shooting of a woman at a sightseeing pier has put San Francisco under an uncomforable and nasty... (Associated Press)

 The official, who had been briefed on the matter, said Tuesday that a check of the gun's serial number shows it belonged to a federal agent.

 The official — who was not authorized to speak publicly about the case and spoke on condition of anonymity — declined to elaborate.

 The San Francisco Police Department, which is investigating the case, refused to comment on the disclosure.

 The suspected gunman, Juan Francisco Lopez Sanchez, has been deported to his native Mexico five times and is suspected of living in the United States illegally when Kathryn Steinle, 32, was gunned down last week while on an evening stroll with her father along San Francisco's popular waterfront area.

 Federal officials transferred Sanchez to San Francisco's jail in March to face a 20-year-old marijuana charge after Sanchez completed his latest prison term for illegally entering the country.

 The San Francisco sheriff, citing the city's "sanctuary city" policy, released Sanchez in April after prosecutors dropped the drug charge, despite an Immigration and Customs Enforcement request to hold him for federal authorities so deportation proceedings could begin.

 Sanchez pleaded not guilty Tuesday to first-degree murder.

 He told two television stations who interviewed him in jail that he found the gun used in Steinle's killing wrapped in a shirt on the pedestrian pier she was walking on. Sanchez said the gun went off in his hands, and his public defender, Matt Gonzalez, said Tuesday that the San Francisco woman's death appeared accidental.

 Regardless of the reason behind Steinle's death, the shooting has touched off criticism from leading Republican lawmakers — and from top Democrats, including both of California's U.S. senators.

 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton told CNN that San Francisco was wrong to ignore the ICE detainer request and release Sanchez from custody.

 "The city made a mistake, not to deport someone that the federal government strongly felt should be deported," Clinton said.

 Sen. Dianne Feinstein called on San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee to start cooperating with federal immigration officials who want to deport felons such as Sanchez.

 "I strongly believe that an undocumented individual, convicted of multiple felonies and with a detainer request from ICE, should not have been released," Feinstein said.

 The mayor's office said it has reached out to Homeland Security officials to determine if there's a way to cooperate while still upholding the city's sanctuary policy.

 "Mayor Lee shares the senator's concerns surrounding the nature of Mr. Sanchez's transfer to San Francisco and release," said Christine Falvey, a spokeswoman for the mayor.

 Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer, also from Northern California, said she asked Gov. Jerry Brown if state law was followed in Sanchez's release.

 "For decades, I have supported deporting violent criminals, and I have always believed that sanctuary should not be given to felons," Boxer said.

 San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi has defended Sanchez's release and the city law requiring it to ignore ICE detainer requests. The sheriff said ICE could have obtained a warrant or court order to keep Sanchez in custody.

 "ICE knew where he was," Mirkarimi said Monday.

 State and federal Republicans, meanwhile, said they would look into the matter.

 Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, who chairs the Senate's homeland security committee, criticized federal officials and demanded to know why Sanchez was not deported.

 "Does that make any sense to you?" Johnson demanded to know at a hearing Tuesday. "Because I'll tell you it doesn't make any sense to the American public."

 Republican state Sen. Jeff Stone said he would introduce legislation in Sacramento to require cities to comply with ICE detainer requests.

 At Sanchez's arraignment Tuesday, prosecutor Dianna Garcia argued against releasing Sanchez on bail, saying, "This was an act of random violence, shooting an innocent victim in the back."

 The judge set bail at $5 million, which Gonzalez said will keep Sanchez jailed pending trial.

 ___

 Associated Press writers Amy Taxin in Los Angeles, Janie Har in San Francisco and Erica Werner in Washington contributed to this report. |||||

– Another twist in the Francisco Sanchez case: The gun that the murder suspect claims he found wrapped in a T-shirt on a bench belonged to a federal agent and was stolen in a recent car break-in, sources tell the San Francisco Chronicle. The sources say the firearm wasn't the agent's official gun, and ABC News reports that the Bureau of Land Management is investigating whether the gun belonged to one of its employees. Sanchez, who claims the gun went off accidentally when he picked it up, killing 32-year-old Kathryn Steinle, pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder yesterday, the AP reports. Sanchez has been deported from the US five times, and San Francisco's decision not to turn him over to federal authorities for deportation when a drug charge was dropped in April has been strongly criticized by lawmakers and presidential candidates, including Hillary Clinton, who told CNN yesterday that the "city made a mistake, not to deport someone that the federal government strongly felt should be deported." At yesterday's hearing, Sanchez's public defender said the shooting appeared accidental and argued that the media should look at the "ubiquitous nature of guns in our society" instead of the immigration issue, the Chronicle reports.


Here is a news article: In experiments involving a simulation of the human esophagus and stomach, researchers at MIT, the University of Sheffield, and the Tokyo Institute of Technology have demonstrated a tiny origami robot that can unfold itself from a swallowed capsule and, steered by external magnetic fields, crawl across the stomach wall to remove a swallowed button battery or patch a wound.

 The new work, which the researchers are presenting this week at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation, builds on a long sequence of papers on origami robots from the research group of Daniela Rus, the Andrew and Erna Viterbi Professor in MIT’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

 “It’s really exciting to see our small origami robots doing something with potential important applications to health care,�? says Rus, who also directs MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). “For applications inside the body, we need a small, controllable, untethered robot system. It’s really difficult to control and place a robot inside the body if the robot is attached to a tether.�?

 Joining Rus on the paper are first author Shuhei Miyashita, who was a postdoc at CSAIL when the work was done and is now a lecturer in electronics at the University of York, in England; Steven Guitron, a graduate student in mechanical engineering; Shuguang Li, a CSAIL postdoc; Kazuhiro Yoshida of Tokyo Institute of Technology, who was visiting MIT on sabbatical when the work was done; and Dana Damian of the University of Sheffield, in England.

 Although the new robot is a successor to one reported at the same conference last year, the design of its body is significantly different. Like its predecessor, it can propel itself using what’s called a “stick-slip�? motion, in which its appendages stick to a surface through friction when it executes a move, but slip free again when its body flexes to change its weight distribution.

 Also like its predecessor — and like several other origami robots from the Rus group — the new robot consists of two layers of structural material sandwiching a material that shrinks when heated. A pattern of slits in the outer layers determines how the robot will fold when the middle layer contracts.

 Material difference

 The robot’s envisioned use also dictated a host of structural modifications. “Stick-slip only works when, one, the robot is small enough and, two, the robot is stiff enough,�? says Guitron. “With the original Mylar design, it was much stiffer than the new design, which is based on a biocompatible material.�?

 To compensate for the biocompatible material’s relative malleability, the researchers had to come up with a design that required fewer slits. At the same time, the robot’s folds increase its stiffness along certain axes.

 But because the stomach is filled with fluids, the robot doesn’t rely entirely on stick-slip motion. “In our calculation, 20 percent of forward motion is by propelling water — thrust — and 80 percent is by stick-slip motion,�? says Miyashita. “In this regard, we actively introduced and applied the concept and characteristics of the fin to the body design, which you can see in the relatively flat design.�?

 It also had to be possible to compress the robot enough that it could fit inside a capsule for swallowing; similarly, when the capsule dissolved, the forces acting on the robot had to be strong enough to cause it to fully unfold. Through a design process that Guitron describes as “mostly trial and error,�? the researchers arrived at a rectangular robot with accordion folds perpendicular to its long axis and pinched corners that act as points of traction.

 In the center of one of the forward accordion folds is a permanent magnet that responds to changing magnetic fields outside the body, which control the robot’s motion. The forces applied to the robot are principally rotational. A quick rotation will make it spin in place, but a slower rotation will cause it to pivot around one of its fixed feet. In the researchers’ experiments, the robot uses the same magnet to pick up the button battery.

 Porcine precedents

 The researchers tested about a dozen different possibilities for the structural material before settling on the type of dried pig intestine used in sausage casings. “We spent a lot of time at Asian markets and the Chinatown market looking for materials,�? Li says. The shrinking layer is a biodegradable shrink wrap called Biolefin.

 To design their synthetic stomach, the researchers bought a pig stomach and tested its mechanical properties. Their model is an open cross-section of the stomach and esophagus, molded from a silicone rubber with the same mechanical profile. A mixture of water and lemon juice simulates the acidic fluids in the stomach.

 Every year, 3,500 swallowed button batteries are reported in the U.S. alone. Frequently, the batteries are digested normally, but if they come into prolonged contact with the tissue of the esophagus or stomach, they can cause an electric current that produces hydroxide, which burns the tissue. Miyashita employed a clever strategy to convince Rus that the removal of swallowed button batteries and the treatment of consequent wounds was a compelling application of their origami robot.

 “Shuhei bought a piece of ham, and he put the battery on the ham,�? Rus says. “Within half an hour, the battery was fully submerged in the ham. So that made me realize that, yes, this is important. If you have a battery in your body, you really want it out as soon as possible.�?

 “This concept is both highly creative and highly practical, and it addresses a clinical need in an elegant way,�? says Bradley Nelson, a professor of robotics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich. “It is one of the most convincing applications of origami robots that I have seen.�? ||||| Researchers from MIT have designed a new ingestible "robot" that could one day be used to patch internal wounds, deliver medicine, or remove accidentally swallowed objects from the stomach. The design consists of a specially folded sheet of dried pig intestine (usually used in sausage casing) and a tiny magnet. Folded up, this capsule can be swallowed by a patient. It then hits the stomach and unfolds in the acidic juices, where it can be guided to complete certain tasks using external magnets.

 The design is very much a work-in-progress, but its creators think it offers a promising model for the future. Daniela Rus, the director of MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and co-creator of bot, said it could be useful in health care one day. "For applications inside the body, we need a small, controllable, untethered robot system," said Rus in a press release. "It’s really difficult to control and place a robot inside the body if the robot is attached to a tether."

 The origami capsule could be used to remove swallowed batteries from the stomach

 It's also difficult to steer something precisely around the body using only external magnets, but Rus had a relatively simple first task for the robot: removing a swallowed battery from the stomach. MIT says that every year in the US there are more than 3,500 reports of swallowed batteries. If left in the stomach or esophagus these can burn the tissue. The researchers suggest that the origami meat robot could be deployed in these scenarios to find the magnet, pulling it free from the tissue and guiding it toward the colon for evacuation.

 To assess the robot's suitability for this task, the scientists bought a pig's stomach and modeled a cross-section of it using silicon. They filled the model with water and lemon juice to mimic the acidic fluids of the stomach, and carried out test runs, finding and removing a battery using their origami bot. The next step, says Rus, is to "add sensors to the robot and redesign [it] so it's able to control itself without the need of an external magnetic field." Maybe they'll design a vegan version, too. ||||| Enlarge Image Melanie Gonick/MIT

 A pill that unfolds into a little robot could one day give parents everywhere a little more peace of mind. Once swallowed, it can open up inside a person's stomach, crawling across the stomach wall to retrieve a single-cell button battery, and even patch wounds.

 This is no small thing. In the US every year, over 3,500 incidents of swallowed button batteries are reported in the US, and most cases of battery swallowing involve toddlers. Although most of these batteries are safely digested, sometimes they can leak and cause tissue burns, bleeding, and death.

 Developed by an international team of researchers from MIT, the University of Sheffield in the UK and the Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan, the origami robot is the latest developed by MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory director Daniela Rus, who has been building and researching origami robots for years.

 An ingestible robot, however, poses some significant challenges.

 "For applications inside the body, we need a small, controllable, untethered robot system," Rus explained in a statement. "It's really difficult to control and place a robot inside the body if the robot is attached to a tether."

 The robot has a magnet attached, and its movements are controlled using magnetic fields that are applied externally. It's constructed of two layers of structural material that maintain the robot's shape, sandwiching a layer of material made from dried pig intestine (the kind used in sausage casings) that shrinks when heat is applied. Slits in the two outer layers allow the robot to fold like a small concertina when the inner material contracts.

 This allows it to move along a surface a little like an inch worm. It uses what the team calls a "stick-slip" motion, whereby its pointed corners, designed for traction, will stick to surfaces using friction when it moves, but then slip free when the robot flexes.

 And, because stomachs contain liquid, the robot can swim, too.

 "In our calculation, 20 percent of forward motion is by propelling water -- thrust -- and 80 percent is by stick-slip motion," said first author Shuhei Miyashita, formerly a postdoc at CSAIL, now a lecturer in electronics at the University of York in the UK.

 The team built a synthetic stomach out of silicone rubber, modelled on the mechanical properties of a pig's stomach, and filled it with a mixture of water and lemon juice to simulate stomach fluids. When deployed in this environment in a capsule made of ice that melts in the warm environment, the robot made its way to a button battery and picked it up using its attached magnet.

 "It's really exciting to see our small origami robots doing something with potential important applications to health care," Rus said.

 The team will be presenting their research at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Stockholm, Sweden that runs from May 16-21. |||||
A summary of this is?

– The stat is remarkable: Every three hours in the US, a child swallows a battery and risks potentially lethal consequences, per the Washington Post. Now, however, a clever fix is in sight, thanks to origami. MIT researchers have unveiled a tiny robot that, once ingested, unfolds inside the body to retrieve batteries or other foreign objects. They've demonstrated how it works in a synthetic stomach, with tests on live animals on deck. Research on the device is still in the early stages, but it could theoretically be used to patch wounds inside the stomach as well, the scientists say in a press release. "It's really exciting to see our small origami robots doing something with potential important applications to health care," says MIT's Daniela Rus. The Post notes that the robot's structural material had to be highly safe, meaning "sharp chips" were out. "We spent a lot of time at Asian markets and the Chinatown market looking for materials," says one researcher, and they ended up going with dried pig intestine. (The Verge wonders about a vegan version.) The robot is encapsulated in ice; upon being swallowed and melting, it opens up to move along like an "inch-worm," explains CNET. Scientists are able to control its movement via magnetic fields, and it can "swim" in the stomach's fluids—"20% of [its] forward motion is by propelling water," per the release. In the demonstration, the robot's attached magnet allowed it to latch onto a battery and remove it. (The concept of origami holds the promise of creating inexpensive robots.)


– Eight years ago, a much-discussed study estimated that there were 304 million lakes on Earth—but a careful count reveals that the number is closer to a third of that. The planet holds 117 million lakes, researchers find in what LiveScience calls the "best count yet." And while they may be fewer in number, they take up more of the Earth's surface than scientists had thought: some 3.7% of it, it turns out. Experts used computers to count the bodies of water using high-resolution satellite images. "This is something one would have assumed had been done long ago, and was in a textbook somewhere," says a researcher. One reason it wasn't: Most lakes are far from human residences, and millions are so small they haven't appeared on maps, LiveScience reports. Indeed, 90 million of the lakes counted were between 0.5 to 2.5 acres, or less than two football fields. The new figure measures the lakes around today, a number that can easily change; indeed, the Aral Sea, once the fourth-biggest lake on Earth, is now almost dry, the Independent reports. So what's the point of all this counting? "If we are to be able to make realistic estimates of the collected effects of the different processes in lakes, for example their contribution to global warming, we first need a good map," a researcher says in a press release. (Of course, we're not the only planet with lakes.)

Expand this summary.

This natural-color satellite image shows small blue and green lakes in northern Siberia, near the Gulf of Ob.

 Until now, no one knew for sure how many lakes exist on Earth.

 Blame geography — most of the world's lakes are in places where humans don't live, said David Seekell, an environmental scientist at Umea University in Sweden. "This is something one would have assumed had been done long ago, and was in a textbook somewhere," Seekell said.

 Lake size was a liability, too. Millions of lakes are too small for mapmakers to bother charting.

 Instead of counting lake by lake, earlier estimates were statistical guesses, based on the number of lakes in a parcel of land or on average lake size. One widely cited study from 2006 estimated the lake total at 304 million. [5 Surprising Facts About Lakes ]

 A new study published Sept. 16 in the journal Geophysical Research Letters sidesteps these problems. With high-resolution satellite data and supercomputers to check every cloudless pixel, researchers now have the best count yet of lakes on Earth. The result? There are 117 million lakes in the world.

 Yet the bodies of water cover more land (3.7 percent of Earth's surface) than previous studies had predicted. This is because quite a few medium- to large-size lakes were missing from older databases, said Cory McDonald, a research scientist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, who was not involved in the study.

 "I was surprised that the total surface area they measured was much greater than previous estimates," said Cory McDonald, a research scientist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, who was not involved in the study. "We knew there problems with the extrapolation methods used to fill the data gap for the small lakes, but previous estimates assumed we had a pretty good handle on the medium- to larged-sized ones," he told Live Science in an email interview. "This study largely puts to rest the long-debated questions of 'How many lakes there are in the world and how much surface area do they cover?'"

 About 90 million of the lakes fall in the smallest size category, measuring 0.5 to 2.5 acres (0.2 to 1 hectare), the study reports. That's equal to a country house lot, a large farm pond or 1.9 American football fields.

 "Most lakes are in the far North, and there's actually quite a few of them," said Seekell, a co-author of the new study. "Even if they're small and no one sees them, they are potentially important for global-scale environmental issues like the carbon budget," he told Live Science.

 Climate scientists believe lakes influence greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere. Lakes pump out carbon dioxide and methane — both greenhouse gases — but they can also lock away carbon for centuries by trapping it in their cool bottom muds. Without an accurate count, the role of lakes is difficult to assess, Seekell said.

 According to the new results, the world's lakes cover about 2 million square miles (5 million square kilometers), which is 3.7 percent of the land uncapped by glaciers.

 Most lakes are in the Northern Hemisphere between 45 degrees north latitude and 75 degrees north latitude. (Think about Canada, Russia, Alaska, Northern Europe and the Great Lakes.) This results from the tectonic scattering of continental landmasses and the past positions of glaciers, the researchers said. There is less land in the southern high latitudes, and the North's sizable plains were scraped by ice age glaciers, leaving behind millions of pothole lakes.

 The majority (85 percent) of Earth's millions of lakes are at low altitudes, found at elevations less than 1,600 feet (500 meters) above sea level.

 The study excluded the Caspian Sea, the world's largest lake, which covers an area of about 143,000 square miles (371,000 square km). Antarctica and Greenland were also left out of the study. (Antarctica has about 400 lakes buried by ice.)

 The researchers plan to freely release the lake database, Seekell said. They also intend to update the count with higher-resolution data from the Landsat 8 satellite.

 "Lakes are not static on the landscape, and in some parts of the world, they are disappearing quite quickly," Seekell said.

 In certain regions of Russia and Alaska, higher temperatures are causing what was once permanently"frozen ground, called permafrost, to thaw, causing small lakes to dry up. Melting permafrost under a lake is like a cracked tub liner — the lakes drain out from their bottoms. Drought and overuse are also shrinking lakes. In northern China, for instance, more than 100 lakes disappeared during the 2000s from these causes.

 Email Becky Oskin or follow her @beckyoskin. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science. ||||| The Aral Sea has been retreating over the last half-century since a massive Soviet irrigation project diverted water from the rivers that fed it into farmland.

 Images taken from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on Nasa's Terra satellite have now depicted how since the turn of the century the lake has increasingly shrunk until this year saw its eastern lobe dry up completely.

 The lake was at one time fed by the Syr Darya and Amu Darya rivers which flow down from the mountains before making their way through the Kyzylkum Desert where they pooled together at the lowest part of the basin.

 An irrigation project by the Soviet Union in the 1960s however took water from the rivers to transform the desert into cotton farms.

 While the massive diversion of water allowed the desert to thrive, it had a devastating effect on the Aral Sea.

 This series of images starts in the year 2000, by which time the lake was already a fraction of what it was before the irrigation project started in the 1960s.

 The Nasa images show how by 2000 the lake was already a fraction of what it had been before the irrigation project started in the 1960s

 The images show how the smaller Northern Aral Sea had separated from the Southern Aral Sea, which itself had broken up into an eastern and a western lobe, the two sides still barely connected at both ends.

 The following year however this connection had been broken and the eastern part, although larger in surface area, rapidly disappeared in the subsequent years.

 While there appears to have been some fluctuation between 2009 and 2014, as a result of alternately dry and wet years, the overall pattern sees the eastern lobe consistently shrink until dry conditions this year caused it to completely disappear.

 In 2005, Kazakhstan built a dam between the Northern Aral Sea and the Southern Aral Sea in a bid to save part of the lake, according to the Nasa Earth Observatory.

 Kazakhstan built a dam in 2005 between the Northern Aral Sea and the Southern Aral sea in a bid to save part of the lake

 The changes have also brought dire consequences to the people surrounding the lake, with the communities that depended on them collapsing as the water dried up.

 Meanwhile, the water left in the lake became polluted with fertilizer and pesticides, which has caused a public health hazard now contaminated dust is blown up from the exposed lakebed, the Nasa Earth Observatory reports.

 To compound matters, more water has been taken from the rivers to flush out the cropland affected by the blowing contaminated dust.

 By 2014, the eastern lobe of the lake had completely dried up

 The loss of the water has also made the winters colder while the summers have become hotter and drier.

 In 2010, a documentary depicted the dramatic desiccation of the Aral Sea, which has now become a byword for ecological calamity.

 Video: Emma Thompson at a climate change rally last week

 At that time the lake still covered half of its original area of 25,500 square miles, while the volume of water had been reducted to a quarter, according to the We Are Water Foundation.

 Spanish director Isabel Coixet made the film for the foundation, which seeks "to enable the equitable development and sustainable management of the world's water resources."

 People walkg on a desert that was once a boat harbor on the Aral Sea

 At the time the foundation said: "The region has the highest infant mortality rate in all of the former USSR" and "chronic bronchitis has increased by 3,000 per cent and arthritis 6,000 per cent, and in part of Uzbekistan" liver cancer has increased 200 per cent. |||||


Summarize this article:

For those occasions when a simple cracker just won't do, there's the Martha Stewart Triscuit.

 Her flavor — toasted coconut with sea salt — hit grocery store shelves earlier this month, and she told The Huffington Post that she's certain it will become "habit forming." It was a "long and interesting process" creating a cracker, and Stewart said she tried several different combinations before selecting coconut and sea salt. Speaking of salt, she's a huge fan: "I like salt," she said. "My daughter likes salt. We all like salt."

 Stewart said she's not really a snacker — when she does grab a bite to eat between meals, it's fruit — but believes a well-stocked pantry must have a few different types of crackers. She wouldn't serve her Triscuits alone, but would add crab meat and lime or avocado and hot pepper, and also suggests turning them into an elevated s'more by topping a cracker with melted milk chocolate and a marshmallow. Of course, you have to present them on a gleaming silver tray alongside Waterford goblets and perfectly folded linen napkins, but you already knew that. Catherine Garcia ||||| Of course. Of course Martha Stewart -- model, housekeeping hero and comrade of Snoop Dogg -- has concocted the fanciest cracker flavor in the grocery store.

 Triscuits have been around since 1901, but Stewart's made them very on trend and so 2015. Her toasted coconut and sea salt-flavored Triscuit hit shelves in early May and will stay there for a limited time.

 Though Stewart has countless cracker recipes of her own, she told The Huffington Post her partnership with Triscuit was her first experience working with a mass marketed cracker manufacturer. "It was a long and interesting process," she said, and after a lot of trial and error, she settled on coconut and sea salt, a flavor combination she thought would be "habit forming."

 The 73-year-old lifestyle mogul describes the inventing process pretty plainly: "It was my idea. I like salt and I like coconut. ... I thought that was a flavor of cracker that would be savory and sweet." It certainly is. The cracker tastes like it was cooked in coconut oil and then salted; the sweet flavor isn't overpowering, nor does it have that "hint of sunscreen" taste that many coconut-flavored foods can't seem to shake.

 Stewart said she likes to watch people try the cracker for the first time because, she said, they almost always go back for seconds. But she herself can defeat the crispy, salty addiction: She says she's not much of a snacker, and when she does feel a hunger pang she eats fruit. Still, she always keeps crackers in the house -- Triscuits, Ritz and Saltines are the three that stock her pantry -- because of the salt factor.

 "I like salt. My daughter likes salt. We all like salt," she said. Salt it is.

 While it's totally acceptable to eat Triscuits straight from the box, Stewart has some cracker combos that take the snack up a notch. She said if she were serving the crackers at a party, she'd top them with crab meat and lime or avocado with hot peppers.

 For a hot hors d'oeuvres, these salty-sweet crunchers pair well with melted cheese, or for the true bourgeoisie, a crab and truffle topping. For dessert, Stewart suggests melting milk chocolate on each square and adding a marshmallow. Now you have Martha Stewart-approved s'mores.

 What could be more honorable than that?

 Also on HuffPost: Martha Stewart's Modeling Career Martha Stewart's Modeling Career

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 If anyone puts together a food time capsule for the year 2015, make sure to include the new limited edition summer offering from Triscuit — the Toasted Coconut & Sea Salt flavor created by the one and only Martha Stewart. The project and surrounding P.R. campaign manage to squeeze everything that’s hot right now on, into, and around the 9-oz. box of crackers. Here’s the evidence:

 1. Martha. At 73, she’s still the beloved icon that owns the domestic arts category.

 2. Toasted coconut and sea salt. Totally on trend in terms of ingredients. Not on trend if you’re a fan of all things local. This only counts as a local treat if you live in one of the top coconut-producing regions, like Indonesia or Sri Lanka.

 3. Avocado. The Pharrell of food. It’s everywhere, but we don’t mind. And it collaborates so well with other foods — toast, tomato, crabmeat, eggs. The Triscuit box features a picture of the crackers with some avocado on top as a serving suggestion. Happy, indeed.

 4. S’mores. Yahoo Food has predicted that s’mores might be the flavor of the year, given how many s’mores-related edibles we’ve seen to date. The back of the box shows another serving suggestion — a toasted marshmallow with chocolate atop one of the Martha Triscuits. Call it S’mores Deluxe, no campfire required.

 5. Pinterest. The Triscuit folks managed to get a link to its Pinterest page on the back of the box, too. If you’re a dedicated Pinhead, you already know Triscuit recipes, from Triscuit pizza to Triscuit Parmesan crusted chicken tenders, are popular on the site.

 6. Artisanal food. We’re not talking about the Triscuits, which everyone acknowledges is a mass-produced packaged food. To celebrate the launch of the Martha Triscuits, the company commissioned five “artisanal food producers” to create a special product to be sold on each artisan’s website. The products include: McClure’s Olive Tapenade; The Jam Stand’s Cherry Ginger Jam; Wondermade Marshmallow’s Blackberry Mallow; Olympia Provisions’ Summer Sausage; and Savannah Bee Company’s Winter White Honey with Passion Fruit.

 7. Entrepreneurs. Everyone is fascinated by entrepreneurs today. The press release for new flavor notes that Triscuit was originally founded in 1901 by an “enterprising small business owner.” The release neglects to mention the founder, but it could be referring to Henry Perky, the founder of shredded wheat biscuits.

 All teasing aside, most serious foodies, chefs included, love Triscuits. The reason? The original version has three ingredients — whole grain wheat, vegetable oil, and sea salt — making it one of the more straightforward packaged snack foods around. Even the much-lauded Gabrielle Hamilton of New York’s Prune restaurant famously featured Triscuits as a bar snack, albeit paired with sardines and mustard. She told T Magazine it’s something she could eat “till the end of time.”

 So how do the Martha Triscuits taste? The Yahoo Food team nibbled on some straight out of the box and was pleasantly surprised. There's a slight tang when the cracker hits your tongue, and the salty/sweet combo plays well with the wheat texture. Now all we need is some avocado. Or marshmallows. Or Martha.

 We love Martha Stewart here at Yahoo Food. Here’s some coverage you might have missed. |||||

– Weird: Martha Stewart has her own limited-edition flavor of Triscuit crackers out this month. Not so weird: That flavor is "toasted coconut and sea salt." The Huffington Post calls it "the bougiest thing in the cracker aisle," which is about what you'd probably expect from Stewart, but notes that it actually tastes pretty good. Yahoo notes that the ingredients are "totally on trend," and the Week jokes that you're probably required to serve the crackers "on a gleaming silver tray alongside Waterford goblets and perfectly folded linen napkins."


Article:

UPDATE: We've won the campaign!

 Robert Gordon University have just announced that they are revoking Donald Trump's honorary degree. They say:

 "In 2010 Robert Gordon University awarded an honorary DBA to Mr Donald Trump, in recognition of his achievements as an entrepreneur and businessman. In the course of the current US election campaign, Mr Trump has made a number of statements that are wholly incompatible with the ethos and values of the university. The University has therefore decided to revoke its award of the honorary degree"

 Click here to email the university to say thank you:

 https://speakout.38degrees.org.uk/campaigns/donald-trump ||||| The ‘hate speech’ of Donald Trump may mean the floppy-haired billionaire is banned from coming to the UK (Picture: Noam Galai/WireImage)

 Tens of thousands of Britons have signed a petition calling for Donald Trump to be banned from entering the United Kingdom.

 But could such a plan even work?

 The Republican’s comments about Muslims have caused a great deal of controversy and the White House has distanced itself from him as a Presidential candidate.

 Now a petition is asking Theresa May to ban the would-be politician from setting foot on British soil.

 ‘The UK has banned entry to many individuals for hate speech,’ the petition reads.

 ‘This same principle should apply to Donald J Trump. We cannot see how the United Kingdom can condone his entry to the country when many people have been barred for less.’

 The number of people signing is rising very quickly. Here was the figure at 10.15am today:

 And a couple of hours later:

 MORE: Boris Johnson responds to Donald Trump in most Boris Johnson way ever

 Long-time critic of Trump Suzanne Kelly, who launched the petition, says the real estate mogul’s rhetoric ‘foments racial, religious and nationalistic intolerance which should not be welcome in the UK.’

 Blocking someone from entering the UK on those grounds is not so far-fetched. Earlier this year, rapper Tyler the Creator was barred from entering the UK for his tour due to some of his lyrics and anti-Islam activist Pamela Geller was also banned in 2013.

 MORE: Time’s ‘Person of The Year’ shortlist includes Donald Trump – and the leader of Isis

 Donald Trump may have a lot of supporters in the US but he’ll have a hard time making pals here (Picture: Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

 Of course, banning someone with the profile and support of Donald Trump is another kettle of fish, but that hasn’t stopped Britain’s most high-profile politicians roundly condemning his proposed ban on Muslims entering the US.

 David Cameron’s spokesman said the PM believed Trump’s comments were ‘divisive, unhelpful and quite simply wrong’, while Jeremy Corbyn branded them an ‘affront to common humanity.’ Nicola Sturgeon labelled them ‘obnoxious… offensive’ and Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said it illustrated why Trump was ‘utterly unsuited’ for the role of President.

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 A spokesman for Mrs May said: ‘The Home Secretary will seek to exclude an individual if she considers that his or her presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good.

 ‘We condemn all those whose behaviours and views run counter to our shared values and will not stand for extremism in any form.’

 Some 30,000 Brits have signed the petition. If it hits 100,000, it could be taken up for debate in the Commons, The Independent reports.

 MSNBC reports that the petition is being reviewed by Parliament’s petitions committee.

 We’re pretty sure Boris Johnson will be signing this petition as soon as he gets wind of it.

 MORE: JK Rowling: Lord Voldemort is nowhere near as bad as Donald Trump ||||| London (CNN) A petition calling for Donald Trump to be banned from entering the UK has attracted more than a quarter of a million signatures -- more than enough for a committee to consider sending the motion for parliamentary debate.

 The petition to block the front-running Republican presidential candidate from entering the country was created on the British government's official petitions website in response to Trump's call Monday to ban Muslims from entering the U.S. due to the threat of terrorism.

 "The UK has banned entry to many individuals for hate speech. The same principles should apply to everyone who wishes to enter the UK," read the petition, which was created by Suzanne Kelly, a woman from Aberdeen, Scotland, who has previously campaigned against Trump's political and business activities.

 "If the United Kingdom is to continue applying the 'unacceptable behavior' criteria to those who wish to enter its borders, it must be fairly applied to the rich as well as poor, and the weak as well as powerful," the petition stated.

 300,000 and counting

 By Wednesday evening, the petition had gained more than 300,000 signatures, with the number climbing rapidly.

 Any petition that gets more than 100,000 signatures is considered by Parliament's Petitions Committee, which weighs whether to send the petition for debate by lawmakers in Parliament.

 JUST WATCHED Trump supporters defend his calls for Muslim travel ban Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Trump supporters defend his calls for Muslim travel ban 05:12

 The committee will consider what to do with the petition on January 5, according to the House of Commons information office.

 The Home Office told CNN that the home secretary has the power to exclude individuals, but there is currently no suggestion that this would be the case with Trump.

 'Hate speech'

 Kelly, who writes for a citizen journalist website, Aberdeen Voice, has previously written reports documenting issues with Trump's development of a high-end golf resort in Aberdeen , which saw him come into conflict with locals.

 She had earlier started a petition asking Aberdeen's Robert Gordon University to strip Trump of an honorary degree it bestowed on him five years ago.

 That petition, which attracted more than 38,000 signatures, argues that Trump's "unrepentant, persistent verbal attacks on various groups of people based on nationality, religion, race and physical abilities are a huge detriment" to the university.

 Kelly wrote on the Aberdeen Voice website that her latest petition, to ban Trump from the UK, would allow British residents "who want to stand up against hate speech ... the opportunity to do so."

 "We are looking at a US Presidential candidate who wants to institute policies which to me are fascism," she wrote. "People have been barred from the United Kingdom for less."

 Brits peeved

 JUST WATCHED Trump's business with Muslim majority countries Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Trump's business with Muslim majority countries 01:46

 His followup remarks a day later -- that parts of London were so radicalized that British police feared for their lives -- particularly rankled in the UK.

 British Prime Minister David Cameron , who doesn't usually comment on U.S. presidential candidates, said through a spokesman that Trump's comments were "divisive, unhelpful and quite simply wrong."

 London's Metropolitan Police issued a statement inviting the Republican candidate to a briefing "on the reality of policing London," while the remarks also drew a sharp response from London Mayor Boris Johnson

 "Donald Trump's ill-informed comments are complete and utter nonsense," Johnson said. "The only reason I wouldn't go to some parts of New York is the real risk of meeting Donald Trump."

 But his comments may also have found some sympathizers in a country wary of the ISIS threat. Another petition on the UK government website calls on British leaders to "stop all immigration and close the UK borders until ISIS is defeated."

 That petition, which cited ISIS threats to send jihadists to Europe among refugees, has gathered more than 440,000 signatures since it was launched in September, but was rejected by the British government.

 "The UK government has no intention of closing Britain's borders, as this would create more problems than it would solve," the British Home Office wrote in rejecting the proposal. ||||| With thanks to Suzanne Kelly.

 A petition demanding Donald Trump be banned from the United Kingdom has been approved and launched today. Should it attract the required number of signatures, it will be discussed in the House of Commons.

 The launching of the petition follows closely another petition initiated by the same author demanding that Aberdeen’s Robert Gordon University strips Trump of the honorary degree it bestowed on him in 2010, which has already gathered nearly 9000 signatures.

 The latest petition, raised in response to a recent series of distasteful, divisive comments made by Donald Trump as part of his US Presidential campaign, reads:

 “The signatories believe Donald J Trump should be banned from UK entry. The UK has banned entry to many individuals for hate speech. The same principles should apply to everyone who wishes to enter the UK. If the United Kingdom is to continue applying the ‘unacceptable behaviour’ criteria to those who wish to enter its borders, it must be fairly applied to the rich as well as poor, and the weak as well as powerful.”

 The petition can be found here: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/114003/signatures/new

 Suzanne Kelly, petition author, said:

 “The petition will allow all UK residents who want to stand up against hate speech and Donald Trump’s hate speech specifically the opportunity to do so. Trump persists with comments which I feel denigrating races, nationalities, women, religious groups. I would term this hate speech, and to my mind he becomes more outlandish and unacceptable as each day passes. I am not alone in feeling this way by a long shot.

 “We are looking at a US Presidential candidate who wants to institute policies which to me are fascism. People have been barred from the United Kingdom for less.”

 There is also a petition by Kelly on 38 Degrees asking Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen to strip Trump of an honorary degree it bestowed on him five years ago. Kelly will shortly contact the university; a protest has been suggested as the next step.

 Kelly said:

 “If this university adheres to its own principles of inclusiveness, then allowing the degree to stand is an insult to those who worked hard and earned degrees. We need to be celebrating diversity and increase our tolerance of other people and cultures; Trump is the antithesis to me of where we should be heading.”

 Suzanne Kelly has been following Donald Trump’s exploits from the Menie Estate Golf Development to recent gaffes and today’s shocking suggestion Muslims be barred from entering the United States. She has written articles and reports on Donald Trump for Aberdeen Voice, a free, online newspaper serving Aberdeen and the North East of Scotland.

 She also contributed to the BBC’s Panorama programme on Trump, and some of her work has been used by journalist Anthony Baxter in his film A Dangerous Game, which followed his award-winning film on Trump’s presence at Menie, ‘You’ve Been Trumped’. |||||
What is a summary?

– First it was a couple of US mayors, now it's the entire United Kingdom: Scottish activist Suzanne Kelly created a request on the British government's petitions website demanding that Donald Trump be denied entry to the UK, CNN reports, and the document has already received more than 236,000 signatures—far surpassing the 100,000 needed to get Parliament to consider the issue for debate. "The UK has banned entry to many individuals for hate speech," the petition reads. "The same principles should apply to everyone who wishes to enter the UK. If the United Kingdom is to continue applying the 'unacceptable behaviour' criteria to those who wish to enter its borders, it must be fairly applied to the rich as well as poor, and the [powerful] as well as [weak]." This Scottish David has taken on the American Goliath before. Kelly, a citizen journalist for the Aberdeen Voice, gave Trump a hard time when he was building his Aberdeen golf course a few years back; she's also tried to get the real estate mogul stripped of an honorary degree at a local university, CNN notes. "The petition will allow all UK residents who want to stand up against … Donald Trump's hate speech specifically the opportunity to do so," Kelly tells the Voice. "People have been barred from the United Kingdom for less." The Metro backs up that claim, citing the banning of both rapper Tyler the Creator and anti-Islam activist Pamela Geller. Meanwhile, a counter-petition entitled "Don't Ban Trump From the United Kingdom" has emerged, calling Kelly's arguments "illogical"—but that petition had just over 1,600 signatures as of this writing. The House of Commons tells CNN a committee will decide Jan. 5 how to handle Kelly's petition.