Chalky Wright

Albert "Chalky" Wright (February 1, 1912 – August 12, 1957) was an American featherweight boxer who fought from 1928 to 1948 and held the world featherweight championship in 1941-1942. His career record was 171 wins (with 87 knockouts), 46 losses and 19 draws. In 2003, Wright ranked #95 on "The Ring" magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Punchers of All-Time.
Early years and family.
Wright was born in Willcox, Arizona, though a few sources erroneously give Wright's place of birth as Durango, Colorado or Durango, Mexico), the youngest of seven children born to James ("Jim") and Clara Wright (née Martin). Wright's maternal grandfather, Caleb Baines Martin, was a runaway slave from Natchez, Mississippi who fled to the Arizona Territory shortly before the Civil War. After serving in the Union Army as a Buffalo Soldier, he homesteaded 160 acres in Graham County, Arizona. He bought cattle from Colonel Henry Hooker and established a dairy ranch on the property (which eventually grew to 640 acres), making him the first African American ranch owner in Southwest Arizona. He supplied dairy produce to Fort Grant and surrounding settlers.
Wright's father was born in Mexico and also raised cattle. Wright's mother worked as a housekeeper. Shortly after Wright's birth, his father left the family. Around 1918, Clara Wright moved her children to Colton, California. It was there that Wright developed a love for boxing.
Professional career.
Wright began his professional boxing career at the age of 16, boxing for the San Bernardino Boxing Club. The five-foot, 7½-inch Wright was unusually tall for his 126-pound weight, giving him a long reach. His first fight took place on February 23, 1928 against Nilo Balle, who he defeated in four rounds. Wright began fighting on the East Coast of the United States in 1938, losing a knockout to Henry Armstrong. Armstrong, however was impressed with his boxing style, and began using Wright as a sparring partner. Impressed with his technique, Armstrong's manager Eddie Walker picked up Wright as a client. He began winning again, and by 1938 was moving up rapidly in the ranks.
By 1941, he was among the world's top featherweight boxers. He beat Sal Bartolo on May 22 at Madison Square Garden to get a chance at the New York State Athletic Commission featherweight championship then held by Joey Archibald. The modest crowd of 4,000 booed the decision for Wright, favoring the younger, whiter, and more regional Italian Bartolo from Boston.
Wright's pre-match regimen was described as "unorthodox" by the "Baltimore Afro-American". Before the Terranova fight Chalky was in and out of the Hotel Theresa bar for four days. He smoked evil smelling, twisted cigars. He drank freely of whatever his palate called for. He went where he wanted as late as 2 and 3 a.m., and then climbed into the ring at the Garden to put on a master exhibition of boxing and hitting power.
Taking the world featherweight title, September 1941.
On September 11, 1941, Wright dethroned reigning New York State Athletic Commission's (NYSAC) world featherweight champion Joey Archibald with a TKO in the eleventh round in Washington, D.C., taking the featherweight title, as recognized by the NYSAC and Maryland. A left hook to the body and a right to the jaw ended the eleventh, 54 seconds after the bell. Wright had kept his left jabbing and hooking to the face of his opponent and his rights to the body were equally punishing. Archibald fought back well after the first few rounds, and showed excellent footwork, but was unable to hurt or slow Wright.
Wright successfully defended the title against former champion Harry Jeffra gaining a tenth-round technical knockout on June 19, 1942 in Baltimore. The first six rounds remained somewhat close, but Jeffra was badly hurt in the seventh and eighth, as he lost his speed and fell victim to Wright. Jeffra was floored for a count of nine in the ninth, and his defeat looked in inevitable, as Wright continued to bang away at him after he arose for the rest of the round. As Wright continued to land blows against the nearly defenseless Jeffra in the opening of the tenth, the referee stopped the bout, coming between the contestants to end the match.
Before a crowd of 12,000, Wright successfully defended his title again on September 25, 1942 against LuLu Constantino in a fifteen-round split decision at Madison Square Garden. The Associated Press gave Wright nine rounds, with five to Constantino, and one even. Wright did most of his work from the fifth round on, and clearly had the edge in the eighth through fifteenth.
Losing the world featherweight title, November 1942.
He lost his title in a fifteen-round unanimous decision before a crowd of 19,000, Willie Pep, eight years his junior, on November 20, 1942 at Madison Square Garden. Pep, who made his fiftieth straight victory, used brilliant blocking and adroit shifting of his body along the ropes to defend the strong punching of his opponent. Pep used well timed left jabs effectively at many points in the bout, which was not entirely one-sided. The Associated Press gave Wright four rounds, including the fifth through seventh, but strongly favored Pep, who won decisively, with eleven.
Still fighting in 1946, he won only two of eleven remaining fights, bucking the odds and continuing to box as he turned an "ancient" thirty-four years of age. He finally retired March 9, 1948, after losing to Ernie Hunick when he did not answer the bell for the fourth round.
Post boxing career.
After his retirement, Wright worked as a trainer for lightweight contender Tommy Campbell. In January 1954, "Jet" magazine reported that Wright claimed he had written his autobiography, "Me and You", under the pen name "Jay Caldwell". The book remains unreleased.
In October 1954, Wright opened a bar in Los Angeles called the "Knockout Lounge". He claimed that all of the bartenders were ex-boxers. By the mid-1950s, Wright had gambled away the fortune he had earned as a boxer. At the time of his death, he was working in a Los Angeles bakery.
Personal life.
Wright was married twice and had one child. His first marriage, which ended in divorce, was to Gertrude "Gert" Arnold. His subsequent marriage to Jennie Batch in 1937 produced a son, Albert James. They were separated at the time of his death.
"Confidential" magazine scandal.
In the 1930s, Wright became friendly with actress Mae West. West was a boxing fan and helped to finance Wright's boxing career. He eventually became her live-in bodyguard and chauffeur for a time. The two reportedly began a romantic relationship though both publicly denied this.
In November 1955, the popular tabloid "Confidential" wrote an exposé, titled "Mae West's Open Door Policy". The story, intended to raise scandal and arouse interest, described West's live-in love affair with the "bronze boxer" and how she frequently gave Wright hundreds of dollars to gamble. West denied the story and sued for libel and defamation. She won the suit and "Confidential" published a retraction. In August 1957, a highly publicized criminal libel case was brought against "Confidential" to expose the tactics used by the magazine's writers. Celebrity testimony was to include that of both West and Wright. Though Wright died before he could testify, West testified a writer for "Confidential" had approached Wright falsely claiming he wanted information on West for a biographical film. West noted that Wright was paid $200 for the information, but insisted "...he didn't say any of the things they claim he did."
Early death from drowning.
By 1957, Wright was in ill health, and had been hospitalized in July for a heart condition. On August 12, 1957, Wright's mother found his body in the bathtub in her Los Angeles apartment. His head was submerged underwater and the tap was running. Rumors of foul play and suicide immediately began to surface as Wright was scheduled to testify in the high-profile libel suit against "Confidential" magazine. These rumors were furthered when Wright's first wife Gert Arnold, who was expected to testify, claimed she received an anonymous phone call from a "gruff voiced man" who told her "...if you know what's good for you, you'll clam up about this whole thing."
It was later determined that Wright, who had been hospitalized for a heart condition six weeks before his death, suffered a heart attack while in the bathtub causing him to slip and fall. He then struck his head on the tap, which rendered him unconscious, and he drowned. Investigators noted that Wright had attempted to stop himself from falling by grabbing a towel rack which was found pulled from the wall. His death was ruled accidental.
Wright's funeral was held on August 26. Baptist minister Henry Armstrong, a former sparring partner, and opponent, delivered the eulogy. He was buried in Lincoln Memorial Park in Carson, California.
Honors.
Wright was inducted into the Ring Boxing Hall of Fame in 1976 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1997.
In 2003, "The Ring" ranked Wright #95 on their 100 Greatest Punchers of All-Time list.
In 2012, Wright was inducted into the Colton, California Sports Hall of Fame.


Be Sure to Share

 is a 2009 Japanese drama film written and directed by Sion Sono. It screened at the 2009 New York Asian Film Festival.
Plot.
Shiro's struggle with his father's cancer and impending death leads to a realization that he must communicate his love and admiration for him before it's too late. A series of flashbacks reveals their relationship over time, and the trouble Shiro faced connecting to his strict father who was also his teacher and soccer coach. With a consuming secret of his own, Shiro, now in his late 20s and about to get engaged, must eventually learn how to share it with his loved ones.


Mark A. Morgan

Mark A. Morgan (born c. Jan. 1, 1950) is an American law enforcement official who has served as the Chief Operating Officer and acting Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection from July 5, 2019 to January 20, 2021.
Morgan had a long career in the Federal Bureau of Investigation, culminating in appointments as head of the Inspection Division and Training Division. He then served as chief of the United States Border Patrol under President Barack Obama as the first person to be appointed to that post from outside the Border Patrol; he resigned a few days after the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Morgan returned to government when he was announced as Trump's pick to be acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), where he served from May 28, 2019 until he moved to Customs and Border Protection.
Early life and education.
Morgan was born on January 1, 1950. Morgan received a bachelor of science degree in engineering from Central Missouri State University. He joined the United States Marine Corps at the age of 19, and served active duty and reserve for a total of 10 years.
Morgan received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Law, serving as a deputy sheriff with the Platte County Sheriff's Department in Missouri, and in the Marine Corps Reserve concurrently with his studies.
Career.
After graduating from law school, Morgan attended the Los Angeles Police Department Academy and served as a police officer with the Los Angeles Police Department.
FBI.
Morgan entered on duty as a Special Agent in 1996 and was assigned to the Los Angeles Field Office.  While there, he was a member of the Eurasian Organized Crime Task Force, the Crisis Response Squad, and the Special Weapons and Tactics Team. In 2002, Morgan became a Supervisory Special Agent and served as a Crisis Management Coordinator in the Crisis Management Unit in the Critical Incident Response Group. In 2005, Morgan returned to Los Angeles, where he supervised an FBI-led Hispanic Gang Task Force that focused on the MS-13, and 18th Street gangs. While in Los Angeles, he also supervised the Critical Incident Response Squad, which had administrative and operational oversight of the division's critical incident response resources.
In 2007, Morgan became assistant section chief of the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime Branch, where he managed the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Units and the Violent Criminal Apprehension Program. In 2008, he became the FBI's Deputy On-Scene Commander in Baghdad, Iraq, where he was responsible for all FBI personnel deployed to Iraq under the auspices of the Counterterrorism Division. This was his first deployment to a war zone.
In 2009, Morgan was assigned as Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Field Office. In 2010, Morgan became Chief of the FBI Strategic Information and Operations Center. From 2011 to 2013, Morgan served as the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI El Paso Division.
During 2013 and 2014, Morgan served as Deputy Assistant Director for the FBI's Inspection Division, which performs compliance and oversight of all FBI operations. In 2014, Morgan served on a detail to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in the Department of Homeland Security as the Acting Assistant Commissioner for Internal Affairs.  In this role, he oversaw the investigation of criminal and serious administrative misconduct by the CBP workforce. Morgan was assigned to this position after the previous Assistant Commissioner, James F. Tomsheck, was removed for failing to investigate allegations of inappropriate use of force by border agents, and CBP head Gil Kerlikowske took the unusual step of requesting an interim appointment from outside the agency to pursue investigations more aggressively.
In 2014, he was appointed Assistant Director of the FBI for the Training Division in Quantico, Virginia, with responsibility for overseeing policy development and delivery of all law enforcement skills and academic programs for the FBI workforce.
Department of Homeland Security.
Chief of U.S. Border Patrol.
In June 2016, he was named as the next chief of the U.S. Border Patrol by the Obama administration, and took command in July. Morgan was the first Chief of the Border Patrol to come from outside the agency, and was intended to be a reformer and increase accountability. The appointment was opposed by the Border Patrol's union, the National Border Patrol Council. His decision to wear the Border Patrol uniform was met with some opposition, as he had never been a Border Patrol officer.
On December 1, 2016, Morgan stated in a Senate hearing that he supported a comprehensive immigration overhaul, which was met with strenuous criticism from the National Border Patrol Council. Morgan subsequently clarified that he did not support "blanket amnesty".
On January 26, 2017, just days after President Donald Trump took office, he was forced to resign. He had reportedly desired to stay in his post during the Trump administration, internally criticizing the immigration enforcement policies of the Obama administration after the election.
Gap in government service.
In January 2019, Morgan said that he could determine if an unaccompanied minor would become a member of MS-13, a transnational crime gang known for gruesome violence, just by looking at their eyes.
Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
At the end of April 2019, it was reported that Trump was considering Morgan to take over as head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The agency's former acting director, Ronald Vitiello, resigned earlier in April after Trump pulled his nomination for the director's job, telling reporters that he wanted to go with someone "tougher" instead.
On May 5, Trump announced on Twitter that he had chosen Morgan to become the next director of ICE. The "Washington Post" reported that the announcement "caught White House aides and Homeland Security officials by surprise. They had not been informed Morgan was Trump’s choice, and at ICE, senior leaders learned of the decision from the president’s tweet, according to two senior administration officials." Matthew Albence, who had been acting director of ICE since April 2019 and was previously acting deputy director of the agency, continued in that role until Morgan was formally named acting director on May 28, 2019.
He was formally appointed to a newly created position as Principal Deputy Director that outranked the preexisting Deputy Director position. This was criticized as avoiding Senate scrutiny for this position through the normal confirmation process.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
On June 27, 2019, the Department of Homeland Security announced that Morgan would become the acting commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, replacing John Sanders, who had announced his resignation. On July 5, 2019, Morgan became acting commissioner. His formal appointment was as Chief Operating Officer of the agency. Since his appointment was never confirmed by the Senate and his tenure as acting commissioner exceeded 210 days, he can no longer legally lead the agency. To circumvent the law, his new title is "Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection."
In July 2020, Morgan sent CBP agents dressed in camouflage and tactical gear to Portland, Oregon, where federal agents repeatedly used tear gas and projectile munitions on protestors and shot one peaceful protestor in the face, fracturing his face. Agents also used unmarked vehicles to detain protestors, without identifying themselves as law enforcement. Legal observers called this "abduction" and "kidnapping". Oregon Governor Kate Brown described the actions as "abuse of power," and accused DHS of "provoking confrontation for political purposes." Portland mayor Ted Wheeler said it was "an attack on our democracy." Morgan alleged the protestors were "violent criminals" and defended the practice of CBP officers having no names on their uniforms. "The New York Times" reported that an internal DHS memo prepared by the top official at DHS prior to the deployment stated that the federal agents in question had not been specifically trained in riot control or mass demonstrations.
Tom Ridge, the first head of the Department of Homeland Security, sharply criticized the deployment, saying "The department was established to protect America from the ever-present threat of global terrorism. It was not established to be the president's personal militia." Ridge, the former governor of Pennsylvania, added that he would not have consented, as a governor, to what took place.
Morgan defended the deployment of officers in military-style uniforms in unmarked in a press conference on July 21, saying they had identifying numbers on their shoulders. Former Trump administration DHS spokesman Col. David Lapan disputed that the officers were easy to identify.
In September 2020, Morgan made the unsubstantiated claim that "antifa" was sending organized protestors by plane to cities across the United States to incite violence. When asked to provide evidence for the assertion, Morgan did not.
Later career.
In February 2021, Morgan joined the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) as a senior fellow.


Brian Murphy (intelligence official)

Brian Murphy was the acting United States Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Intelligence and Analysis from May 10, 2020 until August 2, 2020.
Career.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Government from the College of William & Mary, and a Master’s degree in Islamic studies from Columbia University. He is currently a doctoral student at Georgetown University. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1994 to 1998 as an infantry officer. Murphy began his FBI career in 1998 and worked there for 20 years, culminating in a position responsible for the FBI’s national level counterterrorism programs. As a junior special agent assigned to the FBI's New York Field Office his work in counterterrorism were noted in an Esquire article called "Brian Murphy V. The Bad Guys" Murphy was also a leading counterterrorism investigator who focused on illicit financing. He led an FBI investigation called Blackbear. The Blackbear illicit counterterrorism case was among the first of its kind in the post 9-11 environment.
Murphy took a leave of absence from the FBI and was called back to active duty as a Marine Officer. As an infantry officer, Murphy served with a Marine reserve infantry battalion 2/24 in Iraq in 2004. He later moved to DHS as the Principal Deputy for Intelligence and Analysis, and in May 2020 became Acting Under Secretary for the Office of Intelligence and Analysis. He was temporary detailed from that position two months later after it was alleged his office had compiled dossiers of public information about journalists who were reporting on the George Floyd protests.
Murphy has appeared as an expert witness on both international and domestic terrorism.
Whistleblower complaint.
Murphy filed a whistleblower complaint in September 2020 alleging episodes of misconduct by top DHS officials. Murphy asserted that DHS secretary Chad Wolf and his deputy Ken Cuccinelli instructed him “to modify intelligence assessments to ensure they matched up with the public comments by President Trump on the subject of ANTIFA and 'anarchist' groups” and to downplay the threat posed by white supremacists. Murphy stated he declined to comply.
Murphy also claimed Wolf told him to "cease providing intelligence assessments on the threat of Russian interference in the US, and instead start reporting on interference activities by China and Iran.” Murphy said Wolf told him this directive came from White House national security advisor Robert O'Brien.
He had also submitted prior complaints. In early 2020, he had submitted six internal complaints to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence about the way the intelligence program was addressing Russian disinformation. He had also filed two Office of the Inspector General reports about “attempted censorship of intelligence analysis.”
Days before his September 2020 complaint, "ABC News" reported that DHS had withheld the July release of an intelligence bulletin to law enforcement that warned of Russian efforts to promote “allegations about the poor mental health” of Joe Biden. DHS chief of staff John Gountanis halted the release pending review by secretary Wolf. The bulletin stated that analysts had “high confidence” of the Russian efforts, which were similar to efforts by Trump and his campaign to depict Biden as mentally unfit. A DHS spokesperson said the bulletin was “delayed” because it did not meet the department’s standards. The bulletin had not been released as of the date of the ABC News report. Murphy asserted in his complaint that Wolf told him “the intelligence notification should be ‘held’ because it ‘made the President look bad.’”
DHS flatly denied the allegations.They said they expect that any internal investigation by the DHS inspector general will reveal no retaliatory action against Murphy. One of the initial counter claims by then Acting Secretary Chad Wolf and other senior DHS officials was Murphy's organization had potentially violated administrative procedures. On April 21, 2021, the DHS Office of Inspector General issued a finding indicating DHS had the followed all requisite authorities to carry its mission, thus contradicting Wolf's claim.
Much of what Murphy alleged in his complaint has been proven accurate by press accounts or reports issued by other government agencies. For example, Murphy claims about reporting on China and Iran over Russian interference was articulated in the March 2021 Office of Director of National Intelligence's Election 2020 Intelligence Community Assessment.
Murphy also alleged the threat from right wing domestic extremists was substantial, but he received pressure not to reveal the results. On January 6, 2021 the Capitol was overrun by extremists who were part of a right wing mob. Many reporters noted Murphy's intelligence predictions and January 6 incident.


Allen Kwela

Allen Kwela (September 10, 1936 in Chesterville, Durban – July 1, 2003) was a kwela and jazz guitarist from South Africa. He was raised around Durban where he herded cattle and learned music after making a tin guitar. He began in Kwela with Spokes Mashiyane, but later branched into jazz. His 2002 work "The Broken Strings of Allen Kwela" received award nominations for jazz. He has been said to have become a "revered figure" and "legendary" in South African jazz. He died in Johannesburg on 30 June 2003 and left a wife and four children.


Chester Nimitz Jr.

Chester William "Chet" Nimitz Jr. (February 17, 1915 – January 2, 2002) was an American submarine commander in the United States Navy during World War II and the Korean War, and a businessman. He was awarded the Navy Cross and three Silver Stars for valor in battle. He was the son of U.S. Navy Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz.
Early life.
Nimitz was born to Chester William Nimitz Sr. and Catherine Vance (née Freeman) Nimitz at the Brooklyn Navy Yard Hospital in Brooklyn, New York, while the couple, with their daughter Catherine Vance "Kate" (born the year before), lived at 415 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn, and Nimitz Sr. was working on the at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Nimitz attended the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, graduating with the class of 1936.
Nimitz married Joan Leona Labern at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard on 18 June 1938. She was born in León, Nicaragua in 1912 to British parents, William Oscar Stonewall and Frances Mary (née Wells) Labern. With her parents she returned to England at the outbreak of World War I in 1914, and was raised in England. Joan came to the United States in 1938 to study dentistry at the University of California Dental School in San Francisco, and met Chester at a cocktail party at Mare Island. She made news in 1944 when she failed her test to become a United States citizen; two days later she did become an American citizen.
The couple had three daughters, Frances Mary, Elizabeth Joan, and Sarah Catherine.
Later life.
Chester Nimitz Jr. retired from the navy as rear admiral in 1957. He joined Texas Instruments, and spent four years there. He later joined Perkin-Elmer Corporation, a manufacturer of scientific instruments based in Norwalk, Connecticut. He became president, chief executive officer (CEO) and a director in 1965, and was elected chairman of the board in 1969, serving until retirement in 1980.
Nimitz was an honorary trustee and honorary member of the corporation of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Death.
The health of Nimitz and his wife, Joan, deteriorated in their later years. Joan was blind, and Nimitz had lost 30 pounds due to a prolonged stomach disorder. He was also suffering from congestive heart failure. On January 2, 2002, Chester Nimitz Jr. committed voluntary suicide with his wife Joan by ingesting a quantity of sleeping pills in their home at a retirement residence in Needham, Massachusetts. He left a note stating:
Nimitz and Joan are buried at Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Wellfleet, Massachusetts.


Samuel L. Devine

Samuel Leeper Devine (December 21, 1915 – June 27, 1997) was an American politician of the Republican Party who served in the United States House of Representatives as Representative of the 12th congressional district of Ohio from January 3, 1959 until January 3, 1981; he left office after being defeated by Democrat Bob Shamansky, who lost the seat after a single term to Republican John Kasich. During the 96th Congress, he was the Chairman of the House Republican Conference.
Early life.
Samuel L. Devine was born in South Bend, Indiana, on December 21, 1915 and his family moved to Columbus, Ohio, in 1920. He attended Upper Arlington High School. Devine attended Colgate University from 1933 to 1934 and the Ohio State University from 1934 to 1937. After graduating from OSU, Devine went to law school at the University of Notre Dame (located in the city of his birth) and received an LL.B. and J.D. in 1940.
Career.
Devine was admitted to the bar in 1940 and began private legal practice in Columbus, but in 1940 was appointed a special agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He resigned from the Bureau in October 1945 and resumed private practice in Columbus.
Devine embarked on a political career in 1950 and was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives, where he served from 1951 to 1955. Devine was chairman of the Ohio Un-American Activities Committee, a joint committee of the Ohio House and the Senate modelled on the federal House Un-American Activities Committee. This committee, given extensive powers of interrogation, declared in 1952 that approximately 1,300 Ohioans were members of the Communist Party. At Devine's urging, the state legislature overrode a gubernatorial veto of a bill to impose prison terms and fines on Communists.
Devine served as Prosecuting Attorney for Franklin County, Ohio, from 1955 until 1958, when he was elected to the United States Congress.
Devine was also a college football official for 27 years.
Death and legacy.
He died on June 27, 1997 from cancer in Upper Arlington, Ohio.
His daughter, Carol Miller, is a former Republican member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, where she served as majority whip. In 2018, Miller was elected to Congress from West Virginia's 3rd congressional district over Democrat Richard Ojeda in one of the most-watched races in the country.


Abu Khayr al-Masri

Abdullah Abd al-Rahman Muhammad Rajab Abd al-Rahman (), known as Ahmad Hasan Abu al-Khayr al-Masri (), (3 November 1957 – 26 February 2017) was an Egyptian al-Qaeda leader who has been described as the general deputy to al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.
History.
Al-Masri was a member of Egyptian Islamic Jihad alongside Ayman al-Zawahiri and fled the country in the mid-1980s along with many other Islamic militants.
He headed al-Qaeda's political committee and was a member of the Shura Council. He has been described as operating as a "trusted lieutenant" of the leader of al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri with whom al-Masri worked in Sudan and Afghanistan.
Arrest.
He left Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks and prior to the United States invasion of Afghanistan. He fled to Iran, where he was arrested in Sistan and Baluchestan Province in April 2003. Also arrested alongside him were other senior al-Qaeda leaders including Saif al-Adel, Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah and Sulaiman Abu Ghaith. According to a statement that Sulaiman Abu Ghaith gave to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, four al-Qaeda leaders were first jailed in an Iranian intelligence building in Tehran for approximately one year and eight months.
Release by Iran.
In September 2015 it was reported that Abu Khayr al-Masri was released by Iran in March 2015 together with other al-Qaeda leaders including Saif al-Adel and Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah in a prisoner exchange. He was reported to have then traveled to Syria with three men to join the Al-Nusra Front branch of al-Qaeda.
Syria.
On 28 July 2016, the Al-Minaret al-Bayda media wing of the Syrian al-Qaeda branch Jabhat al-Nusra released an audio message from him claiming that the Nusra front had cut all connections with al-Qaeda and renamed it the Fateh al-Sham Front.
Death.
Reports surfaced on 26 February 2017 that al-Masri had been killed in a U.S. airstrike in his car in Al-Mastumah in the Syrian province of Idlib. There was no immediate official confirmation from either the United States or al-Qaeda. "Guardian" journalists Tom McCarthy and Martin Chulov later reported that jihadist leaders confirmed that al-Masri was killed in the drone strike. The airstrike also killed another Tahrir al-Sham militant traveling in the car. A US intelligence official and al-Qaeda later confirmed that al-Masri had been killed in the strike, which used a variant of the AGM-114 Hellfire missile. This weapon, known as the AGM-114 R9X, lacks an explosive warhead. Instead, it deploys six blades just before impact so it may kill its target while reducing the likelihood of harm to people nearby.


SS Dakota

Dakota was a steamship built by the Eastern Shipbuilding Company of Groton, Connecticut for the Great Northern Steamship Company owned by railroad magnate James J. Hill to enhance and promote trade between the United States and Japan.
Design and construction.
In 1904 the Great Northern Railway made an effort to facilitate trade with Asia, particularly with Japan and China, by entering into shipping business, and as a part of this endeavor two great steamers of approximately were ordered. "Dakota" was the second of these vessels, and was laid down at the Eastern Shipbuilding Company's yard at Groton, and launched on February 6, 1904 (yard number 2), with Miss Mary Bell Flemington of Ellendale being the sponsor. The ceremony was attended by nearly 5,000 people, including the governor of Connecticut Abiram Chamberlain, ex-governor Thomas Waller, James J. Hill, president of the Great Northern Steamship Company, many members of the board of trade from Minnesota and North and South Dakota, senators Hansborough and McCumber of North Dakota among others. At the time, she and her sister-ship "Minnesota" were described as the largest ships ever built in America. The ship was of an awning-deck type, and was constructed using the most modern shipbuilding safety and protection ideas. She had a double-bottom through her entire length, and had her hull subdivided into numerous watertight bulkheads. The vessel was built with the view of North Pacific trade and had her hull strengthened, with some of her double plates being thick. Additionally, the vessel had a newly patented gaseous fire extinguishing system installed throughout her holds. Each of her two engines had their own watertight compartments built around them, theoretically allowing the ship to continue sailing using only one of the engines, if the other one got flooded. She was also equipped with all the modern machinery for quick cargo loading and unloading and had 32 electric winches and a large number of derricks installed. The steamer also had an experimental mechanical stoker system installed for testing purposes, and if it had proven to be successful, her sister-ship "Minnesota" would have been equipped with a similar system.
In addition to the vast amount of cargo the ship could carry, "Dakota" had also accommodations constructed for 218 first-class, 68 second-class and approximately 2,300 steerage passengers. The first class cabins were located in the large deck-house amidships which also featured a dining salon, being able to sit approximately 200 people, a library and a ladies boudoir. The bridge deck housed a smoking room and a cafe which was open 24 hours a day. To provide for such a large number of passengers, the vessel had a refrigerating plant installed, operating on the American-Linde system, capable of cooling 300 tons of provisions, and refrigerating 1,700 tons of produce. The vessel was also equipped with four large evaporators in her engine room,capable of producing 30,000 gallons of fresh water per day to be used both by her boilers and passengers and crew.
"Dakota" could have been easily converted to a troopship in case of need, and she would be able to transport approximately 1,300 troops in addition to all their equipment.
After successful completion of 24-hour-long sea trials held on March 23–24, 1905, during which the ship was able to maintain an average speed of over a continuous run of 59 miles, which she was able to complete in 3 hours and 20 minutes. Following the sea trials the ship proceeded to Newport News and entered the drydock where some minor adjustments and painting were done.
As built, the ship was long (between perpendiculars) and abeam, a depth of . "Dakota" was originally assessed at and and had deadweight of approximately 19,000. The vessel had a steel hull, and two triple-expansion steam engines of combined power of 2,565 nhp, with cylinders of , and diameter with a stroke, that drove two screw propellers, and moved the ship at up to .
Operational history.
After finalizing her painting job, "Dakota" proceeded from Norfolk to New York for loading. She left the port for her maiden voyage on April 28, 1905, laden with general cargo and approximately 6,000 tons of steel rails destined for Alaska Railroad being constructed at the time. The journey to South America was largely uneventful, with the exception of severe gales encountered around Cape Horn, and the ship safely reached the Chilean port of Coronel on May 28 to replenish her bunkers. She departed from Chile on June 3 and arrived at San Francisco around noon on June 20 to partially discharge her cargo. The vessel sailed from California in the afternoon of June 24 and reached Seattle around noon on June 27, thus finishing her maiden voyage. Overall, all ship systems functioned as intended with the exception of the mechanical stokers which started having problems after coaling in Chile, and completely failed by the time the ship arrived in Seattle.
Originally, "Dakota" was scheduled to leave for the Far East on July 20, but the departure was postponed due to inability of her owners to completely fill the enormous vessel with cargo. Finally, she sailed out from Seattle in the early morning of July 24, only being slightly more than half-laden, but was only able to continue as far as Cape Flattery before developing a serious problem in her starboard engine and was forced to turn back. Upon return, all her cargo and passengers were transferred to "Minnesota" while she proceeded to Puget Sound Navy Yard for repairs. After wrapping up her repairs on August 9, the vessel returned to port and this time embarked over 20,000 tons of cargo, the bulk consisting of 19 locomotives, 100 railroad cars, and 20,000 bales of cotton. "Dakota" sailed for her first Trans-Pacific trip on September 20, carrying, besides cargo, a large number of passengers among them Yamaza Enjirō, H.W. Dennison and five other members of Japanese delegation which just finished successfully negotiating the Treaty of Portsmouth. She arrived at Yokohama on October 5, discharging the majority of her cargo, and disembarking many of her passengers including the Japanese delegation, and sailed for Shanghai reaching it on October 28. On her return trip, she caught fire on November 12 while anchored at Kobe which delayed her departure. The damage from fire was apparently minimal and "Dakota" was able to sail from Yokohama on November 16 with approximately 7,000 tons of freight and 62 passengers, arriving at Seattle on November 29 finalizing her first Trans-Pacific voyage. Starting with her second Trans-Pacific trip, which she left for on December 16, 1905, "Dakota" was visiting Manila in addition to the ports in Japan and Shanghai and Hong Kong in China. She returned to Seattle on February 28, 1906, carrying, among other passengers, members of the Chinese Imperial High Commission headed by Prince Tsai Tseh sent to study the political and trade conditions of United States and European countries. On the return journey during her third trip, "Dakota" beat the previous speed record held by the "Empress of India" being able to cover the distance from Yokohama to Cape Flattery in days with 2,000 tons of cargo and 199 passengers on board.
Sinking.
"Dakota" departed for her seventh trans-Pacific voyage from Seattle on February 17, 1907. The ship was under command of captain Emil Francke, a former German navy officer and a former captain of the American Line steamer "St. Louis" and had a crew consisting of 59 whites and 220 Chinese. The ship was carrying 94 passengers and 6,720 tons of general cargo consisting largely of cotton, wheat and flour and valued at $445,984.00. The steamer passed Inuboye around noon on March 3, and arrived in view of Nojimazaki Lighthouse in the afternoon, with weather being clear and the seas calm. As the ship got delayed somewhat on her departure, captain Francke wanted to make up time and arrive at Yokohama before the darkness would set in and avoid all the fishing boats that would flood the Tokyo Bay and would force the ship to slow down considerably. At approximately 16:00 captain Francke relieved the first officer and assumed control of the bridge. The ship was travelling at about at the time and was sailing very close to the coastline contrary to an accepted practice as the area is known to be full of underwater rocks and reefs. At 17:04, as the passengers on board were enjoying their tea on deck, the steamer ran aground at full speed over a reef about a mile off Shirahama. Due to speed of the vessel, she went about 3/4 of her length over the reef before coming to a stop, damaging her bottom in the process. The ship quickly filled with water, sinking her bow up to the second mast, and extinguishing the engines, with only her stern part being above the water. Panic spread among the passengers, but the order was quickly restored by the crew, and the lifeboats were lowered. Being only about a mile away from the shore, a large number of sampans sprang to her aid, as well as the boats from a nearby steamer "Tokai Maru" which witnessed the whole incident. All passengers and crew safely reached the land, and were housed in the lighthouse and nearby hamlets as the area was very sparsely populated. Steamer "Omi Maru" was dispatched from Yokohama to collect the passengers, but she had to return empty-handed as it was impossible to get close to the wreck. During the night of March 3 the wreck of "Dakota" was looted by the locals and in response the Japanese government dispatched cruiser Yaeyama and a torpedo boat to stand by to prevent any further incidents but only stayed for a short while due to inability to close in to the wreck.
At about 08:40 on March 5, steamer "Hakuai Maru" arrived at the scene to embark the survivors, but again found it impossible to complete the task due strong wind and rough seas. Instead, the passengers and the crew, with the exception of captain Francke and some officers who stayed behind, travelled overland to the nearby town of Tateyama where "Hakuai Maru" embarked them all and ten bags of mail and departed at 16:30 for Yokohama and reached the port at about 21:00. The majority of crew left Yokohama on March 11 for Tacoma on board the steamer "Tremont", while the majority of white passengers returned to United States via "Siberia".
On March 11 the vessel was abandoned by her owners to the underwriters, with James Hill collecting $2,500,000.00 in insurance money. The wreck was subsequently examined by divers who claimed the bottom had only four holes on the starboard side and the prospects of refloating the vessel were not as bad as they originally thought. Salvage operations commenced on March 19 but only lasted four days as "Dakota" broke amidships during a gale on March 22–23. Only about 5% of her cargo was saved. By May 1907 the wreck completely broke up and disappeared under water.
An inquiry into the loss was held in Seattle in April 1907. Captain Francke claimed that the ship was carried onto the rocks by strong current and all his attempts to change the course were unsuccessful as steering gear was unresponsive. His chief engineer claimed there were no issues with the steering gear whatsoever. The commission found Emil Francke guilty in careless and irresponsible navigation, as he travelled too fast and too close to the coast known for its dangers, never attempted to establish the ship position as no soundings were performed, and abandoning the ship too quickly and leaving her open to looters even though the vessel remained afloat for many days after the accident. He had his license suspended for years, but since his license expired on May 2 and the decision was rendered after that date it was legally unenforceable. Nevertheless, captain Francke appealed the decision and had the punishment was first shortened to 18 months but later he was further censured.
After the ship was lost, Hill vowed not to make any more ships under the American flag, noting the high cost of maintaining a ship in America compared to Japan due to restrictions he regarded as "onerous". Hill did eventually build more ships such as the and the .


John W. Dwinelle

John Whipple Dwinelle (September 9, 1816 – January 28, 1881) was an American lawyer and politician. He served in a number of political posts in California and played important roles in both the legal history of San Francisco and the establishment of the California public university system.
Dwinelle was born in Cazenovia, New York, the son of Congressman Justin Dwinell and Louise Whipple, a descendant of William Whipple. He graduated from Hamilton College in 1834. While studying law, he edited the "New York Daily Gazette", the "Daily Buffalonian", and edited and typeset the "Rochester Daily Advertiser". Dwinelle was admitted to the bar in October 1837 and began a legal practice in Rochester, New York. In 1844 he was elected city attorney of Rochester. The next year he became master of chancery.
In 1849, he sailed to San Francisco, California, and began a legal practice there. He served in a number of government offices, including two terms on the San Francisco city council, Mayor of Oakland, California, and member of the California State Assembly from Alameda County, California. He unsuccessfully advocated for the adoption of the civil law for the legal system of the newborn state; the state legislature and governor chose instead to adopt the common law by enacting a reception statute in April 1850.
Dwinelle represented the city of San Francisco in the so-called "pueblo case", "Hart v. Burnett", which secured San Francisco's claim to four square leagues of land due to the city's establishment as the pueblo of Yerba Buena under Mexican rule. Dwinelle's lengthy brief on these matters of land usage and history were published as "The Colonial History of San Francisco" (1863).
Dwinelle was also the lawyer in an important court case regarding school segregation. In "Ward v. Flood" (1874), he represented a black child who was refused enrollment at a San Francisco school. The Supreme Court of California ruled that black students could not be refused education under the Fourteenth Amendment, but that they could be denied entry into specific schools on the basis of race. This upheld the legal principle of "separate but equal" many years before the legal doctrine was adopted by the United States Supreme Court in "Plessy v. Ferguson" (1896). While this ruling did not desegregate California schools, it did guarantee the right of black students to an education.
As an Assemblyman, Dwinelle wrote and introduced the 1868 Organic Act establishing the University of California. Dwinelle became one of the first Regents of the University of California. Dwinelle Hall at University of California, Berkeley, the first campus opened as a result of Dwinelle's bill, is named for him.
Although Dwinelle represented both black and Chinese clients during his career, he was progressive for his time only when it came to the civil rights of African Americans. In 1876, Dwinelle vehemently denounced Chinese immigration in testimony before a joint special committee of Congress which was visiting California to investigate the matter. He argued that the Chinese were incapable of assimilation and had no interest at all in American institutions. Dwinelle should have known better, since in 1862, he himself had successfully represented Chinese clients in a civil action to challenge a "coolie tax" enacted by the state legislature.
While trying to catch a ferry, Dwinelle fell from a pier in Port Costa, California, and drowned. His body washed ashore three weeks later.


Uri Ilan

Uri Ilan (, 17 February 1935 – 13 January 1955) was an Israeli soldier who committed suicide in a Syrian prison, after being captured in a covert operation on the Golan Heights. He became a symbol of courage and patriotism in Israel.
Biography.
Early life.
Ilan was born in 1935 in kibbutz Gan Shmuel. His mother was Fayge Ilanit, a member of the First Knesset. He joined the Golani Brigade in 1953. He was the great-grandson of the famed Talmudic scholar Rabbi Shimon Shkop.
Capture and suicide.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, he was captured by the Syrians on December 8, 1954, near a Syrian post in the Golan Heights along with four soldiers in his team. The soldiers were taken into custody in Quneitra and sent to a Damascus prison for interrogation.
In the Syrian prison, they were sent to separate cells and tortured. Believing his comrades to have been killed, as falsely claimed by his captors in an attempt to weaken morale, Ilan hanged himself on 13 January 1955 in his prison cell, using a rope made from the fabric of the mattress cover. In his clothing, Ilan hid nine notes addressed to his homeland, Israel, and his family. The most famous is a scrap of paper on which he wrote the Hebrew words "לא בגדתי. התאבדתי" ("Lo bagadeti, hitabadeti") which means: "I did not betray. I committed suicide," that is to say, he chose to end his own life so as not to reveal military secrets under torture.
He was buried on 14 January 1955 in Kibbutz Gan Shmuel.
Return to Israel.
On 29 March 1956 the four Israeli soldiers who were captured along with Uri Ilan were returned to Israel in exchange for 40 Syrian soldiers.
Ilan's suicide and the notes he left behind set off a great outpouring of grief in Israel, but also a sense of national pride.


Jon Vernick

Jon S. Vernick is the co-director of the Center for Gun Policy and Research at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, as well as the deputy director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy. In 2013, he received the public service award from the Injury Control and Emergency Health Services section of the American Public Health Association.
Education.
Vernick received his J.D. cum laude from George Washington University in 1989 and his M.P.H. from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 1994.


HMS Aire

HMS "Aire, later renamed Tamar", was a of the Royal Navy (RN). "Aire" was built to the RN's specifications as a Group II River-class frigate. She served in the North Atlantic during World War II.
As a River-class frigate, "Aire" was one of 151 frigates launched between 1941 and 1944 for use as anti-submarine convoy escorts, named after rivers in the United Kingdom. The ships were designed by naval engineer William Reed, of Smith's Dock Company of South Bank-on-Tees, to have the endurance and anti-submarine capabilities of the sloops, while being quick and cheap to build in civil dockyards using the machinery (e.g. reciprocating steam engines instead of turbines) and construction techniques pioneered in the building of the s. Its purpose was to improve on the convoy escort classes in service with the Royal Navy at the time, including the Flower class.
After commissioning in July 1943, "Aire" took part in convoy missions in the Atlantic Ocean. She served in this role for two years, until 1945, when she was involved in several anti-submarine (A/S) exercises off Tobermory, Scotland. In March 1946 she was renamed "Tamar" while acting as the base ship at Hong Kong. In November 1946, her name reverted to "Aire" and she was listed to be paid off in Singapore. On 20 December 1946, as "Aire" was sailing from Hong Kong to Singapore, she encountered a typhoon. The ship grounded upon Bombay Reef in the East China Sea and became a total loss. All 85 crew on board were rescued by the depot ship, .


Raquel Murillo

Raquel Murillo (Lisbon) is a fictional character in the Netflix series "Money Heist", portrayed by Itziar Ituño. She was an inspector for the National Police Corps who was put in charge of the investigation before she was forced to resign for failing to stop the robbery at the Royal Mint. Later she joined the group of robbers to rob the Bank of Spain.
Character biography.
Raquel is an inspector for the National Police Corps tasked with negotiating with the robbers in parts 1 and 2. However, during the negotiations, she meets the Professor, who introduces himself to her in a bar under the name Salvador Martín, and embarks on a relationship with him. She falls in love with him to the point of choosing to follow him instead of arresting him, spurred on when she is embarrassed and shunned by her colleagues for bad decisions she made while in charge of the investigation, and becomes a member of the gang. Like the rest of the gang members, she takes the name of a city (Lisbon) to hide her identity.
Characterisation.
Ituño described Raquel as a "strong and powerful woman in a world of men, but also sensitive in her private life". She took inspiration from "The Silence of the Lambs" character Clarice Starling, an FBI student with a messy family life who develops sympathies for a criminal. Creator Álex Pina saw Raquel's story as a formerly abused wife falling in love with the Professor "as very powerful, very romantic". That they come from two opposite sides was "intended to enhance the genre" and something that the producers "wanted to exploit".


Gia Allemand

Gia Marie Allemand (December 20, 1983 – August 14, 2013) was an American actress, model, and reality television contestant. She was known for appearing in "Maxim" and competing on two ABC reality shows, "" and "Bachelor Pad".
Career.
Modeling and acting.
Gia Marie Allemand was born to Eugene and Donna Allemand in the Howard Beach neighborhood of Queens, New York City, and grew up in the borough of Staten Island and nearby in suburban Manorville, New York, on Long Island, where she graduated from Lindenhurst High School in 2001. Allemand's parents separated in 1992, later divorcing; Donna Allemand married Tony Micheletti, whom she described as closer to Gia than was Gia's biological father.
Gia began modeling early, and as a baby she appeared in Johnson & Johnson ads and as a Gerber Baby. As a teenager, Allemand initially never thought about a career in modeling. However, at 19 she began modeling after she was asked to enter a swimsuit competition that she won. Allemand finished second in the Miss Hawaiian Tropic competition and the Miss Red Hot Taj Mahal Super Bowl contest in 2005. She is best known for appearing as a swimsuit model in "Maxim" in 2007. In 2008, she was named Miss Bikini-USA's Model of the Year. The following year Allemand placed first in the bikini short class of the NPC Arnold Amateur Championships. In addition to modeling, Allemand worked for the modeling and creative-fields consultancy Dream It Make It.
Allemand said in an interview that she has always had a passion for acting and performing. She was a former professional ballet dancer, but her dancing career was shortened after she injured her hamstring and Achilles tendon. Nevertheless, Allemand took acting classes in high school and at Hartford College.
In 2010, she was selected to play a role in an upcoming film produced by Brett Ratner on the life of actor Gianni Russo. She was cast to play the supporting role of actress Ava Gardner. Russo cast her for the role saying, "Gia looks a lot like Ava, but it's really the passion that she had that convinced me to cast her."
Television.
Allemand's work in television began when she was selected as a cast member on ABC's reality show "The Bachelor: On the Wings of Love", season 14 of "The Bachelor" series, which first aired on January 4, 2010. The show placed her with 24 other women all contending for the affection of pilot Jake Pavelka. She was the second to the last contestant eliminated by Pavelka. On February 18, 2010 Allemand appeared on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show", where she discussed her life after being on "The Bachelor".
Afterwards, Allemand joined the cast of ABC's "Bachelor" spinoff, "Bachelor Pad". The show premiered August 9, 2010, on ABC. Allemand cited an existing relationship as the reason she refused to participate in the show's "kissing contest" game which led to her elimination in the third episode. Before appearing on "Bachelor Pad" Allemand was featured in a special edition of ABC's "20/20": "Inside the Bachelor: Stories Behind the Rose".
Allemand appeared in the episodic short film "Ghost Trek: The Kinsey Report", a horror-comedy about a paranormal reality show, in which Allemand plays the role of producer Shawna Leibowitz.
Death.
On August 12, 2013, Allemand was admitted to University Hospital in New Orleans after an attempted suicide by hanging. She was declared brain dead and removed from life support two days later at the age of 29. At the time of her death, she was living in New Orleans and dating NBA player Ryan Anderson, who was playing for the New Orleans Pelicans. Allemand had a disorder known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Her longtime publicist, Penelope Jean Hayes, was interviewed by Phil McGraw on "Dr. Phil" on the topic of Allemand's suicide and the pressures of celebrity, image, and finding love and happiness.
A video tribute for Allemand aired during a 2014 episode of "The Bachelor".
Her funeral was held at Trinity Grace Church, a nondenominational Christian church in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan.


Vasile Stoica

Vasile Stoica (, also known as Basil Stoica; 1889–1959) was a Romanian political writer, diplomat, and close assistant of European statesmen Tomáš Masaryk and Ion I.C. Brătianu.
Early life and education.
Stoica was born in a family that originated from Transylvania (then in the Hungarian half of Austria-Hungary, but now in Romania); according to his birth certificate, Vasile Stoica was born in Avrig on January 1, 1889. He was the son of Maria and Gheorghe Stoica, Romanians belonging to the Christian Orthodox faith. He attended elementary school in Avrig.
His interest for the politics is proved by his status as one of the members of the Romanian National Party of Transylvania and Banat, from 1909.
From September the same year, Vasile Stoica followed the courses of Literature at Budapest University, until 1913; two semesters at University of Paris Faculty of Letters. In October 1913, he became president of the cultural organization of the "Petru Maior" ethnic Romanians undergraduates in Budapest.
World War I.
Upon Austria-Hungary's declaration of war on Serbia that led to the outbreak of World War I, Vasile Stoica was a teacher. In August–September, Stoica worked as a "redactor-answerable" at "Românul", the leading Romanian language newspaper in Austria-Hungary. In October 1914, he choose to leave the Empire to avoid conscription, and headed for Bucharest, in still-neutral Romania.
He tried to work for Romanian Army, in the new Air Force, but he was rejected. He carried on his activity of publicist to the newspapers "Adevărul", "Universul", "Flacăra", "Naţionalul". Meanwhile, he abnegated his Austro-Hungarian citizenship for the Romanian one. At the Congress of Romanians refugees to Romania, in March 1915, Stoica stated that "the desire to be a part of a great and free Romania is not the result of the context". The introduction to the book "Habsburgii, ungurii şi românii" ("The Habsburgs, the Hungarians and Romanians"), dated May 1, written by Vasile Stoica and Ion Rusu Abrudeanu. The authors plead for Romanian intervention against Austria-Hungary. In August, Stoica lead the Congress of the undergraduates in Galaţi. He published another, more radical book, "Suferinţele din Ardeal" ("Sufferings in Transylvania"), in Bucharest in the summer of 1916. The young author’s book is a ""declaration of war" against Austria-Hungary. In June, an Austro-Hungarian Army court-martial in Cluj sentenced him to death "in absentia".
At the end of August 1916, the Romanian government, impressed by the early success of the Brusilov Offensive, declared war on Germany and Austria-Hungary. King Ferdinand’s "Proclamation" to the Army, drafted by Stoica along with the proclamation for the Romanian public opinion, read:
He subsequently fought in the Romanian Army against invading German forces in Oltenia, and followed the Romanian troops in their retreat to Moldavia. In March 1917, Stoica (by then a second lieutenant) was a member of a group of exiled Romanian Habsburg subjects who were sent as a delegation to the United States to campaign Romania's cause. The envoys also established close contacts with the Czech Tomáš Masaryk and the Polish Ignacy Jan Paderewski.
He was instrumental in the creation of the "Romanian National League of America" in July, some months after America joined the Entente forces; among other things, the "League", centered in Youngstown, Ohio, helped direct the war effort and participation of the Romanian-American community towards the US forces on the Western Front.
Stephen P. Duggan wrote on December 10, 1920:
Personal life.
Vasile Stoica married Ines (Nessy) Longhi de Sobione. Born January 21, 1898 in Parma, Italy, she came to Romania in 1927. Their marriage ended in divorce sometime prior to 1940. Ines Longhi died on February 16, 1956 while married to her second husband, Carol Ardeleanu, (né Köhler) an ethnic German from Transylvania.
Postwar Imprisonment under Communist Rule.
He was imprisoned from 1948 to 1954 and in 1957 was arrested again and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He died in Jilava prison in 1959.
Further reading.
Stoica, Vasile. "The Roumanian Question: The Roumanians and their Lands". Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh Printing Company (1919).


Daniel J. Russell

Daniel J. Russell (born 1932) is the Senior Judge in the Elizabeth, New Jersey Municipal Court system and one of the oldest sitting judges as of 2009 in the New Jersey Judicial system First appointed in 1993, Russell received national attention when he sentenced parents of truant Elizabeth High School students to community service He was also in the news when presiding over the transfer of accused Chelsea Clinton stalker Vladimir Zelenkov to federal marshals during the time her father was serving as President.
Judge Russell is a graduate of Seton Hall University. After service in the U.S. Army, he began his career on Wall Street, with Lehman Brothers and Park, Ryan Inc. He then attended Seton Hall University School of Law, while working for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. After graduating in 1961, he worked in private practice for over thirty years, specializing in real estate law.
Russell was married to the former Anne Gleason, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Thomas A. Gleason, granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Timothy O'Leary, who died in 2020. They have four children.


Roy Carson

Roy Carson is a British hard-boiled detective created in 1948 by Denis McLoughlin and his brother Colin and first published by Boardman Books in their series of rotogravure comic books (1948–1954). Roy, with his plucky girl companion Silk, faced all manner of underworld adventures with an odd combination of American and British elements. Boardman Books also used Roy Carson in text stories published in their children's annuals in the 1950s. In the late-1950s and early 1960s, Roy Carson stories were reprinted in a number of British albums and annuals. In 1999, the comic fanzine "Best of British" #1 reprinted "Roy Carson and the Old Master", originally published in 1953.


Murder of Jean Townsend

The Murder of Jean Townsend, (born c. 1933) is an unsolved murder case from Ruislip, in the county of Middlesex, England. Townsend was a 21-year-old English woman who was murdered in September 1954. Despite an extensive police investigation, no one has ever been charged with her murder and the case remains unsolved.
Townsend was a theatrical costumier, who was returning to Ruislip from the West End of London. She was found strangulated with her own scarf. The autopsy revealed no signs of sexual assault. There were suspicions that the murder was connected to American servicemen based at the nearby South Ruislip Air Station.
Investigators found possible connections with recent cases of harassment of women and attacks on women in the area, and perceived similarities with unsolved murders of women in West Germany. A possibility that the then-recent murder of another woman in London was connected to Townsend's case has been raised. Townsend's murder was also subsequently connected to an attack on another woman, and with the 1957 murder of a young mother. Both these cases occurred at a distance of a few miles from the location where Townsend was killed. In 1971, an unsolved murder took place near South Ruislip, using the same murder method with Townsend's murder. Press reports of the time pointed out the similarities.
In 2005, a family friend of the Townsends applied for access to the police case files under the Freedom of Information Act. The request was denied, and a decision was made to withhold the files from public inspection until 2031. The request brought new publicity to the cold case. At the time, a new theory was publicized, implicating an expatriate Italian nobleman in the murder. The authorities dismissed this theory due to lack of evidence.
Murder.
Jean Mary Townsend lived with her parents at the family home in Bempton Drive, South Ruislip and worked as a theatrical costumier in the West End of London. On the evening of 14 September 1954 she attended a social function in the West End, returning to South Ruislip later that night on the last Central line train. At around 11:45 pm she was seen leaving South Ruislip station and walking alone along Victoria Road. Her body was discovered the following morning on waste ground to the north side of Victoria Road, near to the junction with Angus Drive in the area now occupied by St Gregory the Great Catholic Church (opened in April 1967). The autopsy report stated that she had been strangled with her own scarf and it was reported that – despite various items of her clothing being removed – there were no signs of sexual assault.
Investigation.
Local suspicion fell on American servicemen based at the nearby South Ruislip Air Station. The rumours of an American being involved intensified when a resident living near the scene reported hearing a woman cry for help late on the night of the murder followed by two male voices arguing, one of which seemed to have an American accent. Subsequent rumours of alleged reluctance on the part of the United States Air Force authorities to co-operate with the Metropolitan Police in the murder enquiry served to heighten local suspicions. In the wake of the murder, a number of women came forward to report being approached or accosted by strange men in and around the area where Jean's body had been found in the days preceding the murder.
One of the women , a Miss Jacqueline Cliff, told reporters how she had been approached repeatedly by a man – aged about 30 with a high forehead – who spoke with an American accent and drove an "American-type" car. Another young woman, Joan Gala, reported being attacked by a man late at night on Victoria Road on the Saturday before the murder. Her description of her attacker included the fact that he had a high forehead. It was reported that several young women had been murdered in West Germany in similar circumstances in the early 1950s, with their bodies left by the side of the German "autobahnen". Suggestions that US (or British) servicemen stationed in Germany might have been responsible prompted the Metropolitan Police to liaise with their German counterparts, but the idea of a possible link appears to have been quickly discounted.
Meanwhile, some local residents responded by organising patrols to escort women to and from the station late at night. At the inquest the coroner expressed his surprise that – apart from the obvious symptoms of asphyxiation – there were no signs of a struggle or that Townsend had physically resisted her attacker.
Another young woman – Ellen Carlin – had been murdered in London earlier that very same month. Carlin was alleged to have been working as a prostitute in Pimlico and was strangled shortly after being seen with a man in a US Air Force uniform. Whether the police suspected that the two killings were linked is not known.
Some three weeks after Jean Townsend's murder, a Mrs Doris Vennell reported being followed and attacked by a man outside North Harrow tube station (on the Metropolitan line and approximately 3 miles from South Ruislip station) while returning home just after midnight. Her attacker had boarded at Baker Street and sat watching her intently until following her off the train at North Harrow. Mrs Vennell challenged him and managed to get away, but only after a struggle during the course of which she tore some buttons off her assailant's coat. Once again, the man was described as having a high forehead.
Three years later, in 1957, a young mother called Muriel Maitland was brutally murdered in Cranford Woods near Heathrow Airport (a few miles from Ruislip). It was reported that police considered the possibility of a link with the Townsend case, but it seems that nothing came of this.
"Ruislip's Murder Mile".
In June 1971, South Ruislip was the scene of another murder. On the morning of Sunday 13 June, the naked body of Gloria Booth was discovered on a recreation ground off Nairn Road, approximately half a mile from South Ruislip Underground Station and a mile from the scene of the Townsend killing. Like Jean Townsend, Mrs Booth – a 29-year-old housewife from Ealing – had died from strangulation and it appeared that once again a scarf had been used. This led at least one journalist to refer to the area as "Ruislip's Murder Mile".
Re-examination.
In October 1982 the Metropolitan Police announced that it was reviewing its files on the Townsend case following a number of anonymous telephone calls. The content of the calls has never been revealed, and the caller's identity remains unknown (though some newspaper reports imply it was a man). The police stated that they were "very interested" in what the caller told them and told reporters that – as a result of the calls – they now felt confident that no American servicemen were implicated and also that there were no links between the Townsend murder and any other crime. Curiously, many of the press reports in 1982 stated that Jean had been raped, contradicting the original reports from 1954. Despite the police announcements and the hints of fresh information, no further developments were reported and no arrests were made.
Freedom of Information Request.
In 2005, a former schoolfriend of Jean's (and a neighbour and family friend of the Townsends), Reg Hargrave, applied for access to the police case files – now held by the UK National Archives at the Public Record Office in Kew – under the Freedom of Information Act. The request was refused and – following an approach to the Information Commissioner – an appeal was heard (in part in closed session) by an Information Tribunal in November 2007. In its ruling the Tribunal dismissed the appeal and upheld an earlier decision to withhold the files from public inspection until 2031. While in closed session the Tribunal was addressed by a senior Metropolitan Police detective, who presented information which the Tribunal later described in its ruling as "specific" to the Townsend case. This led them to conclude that whilst there was nothing to suggest that the identification of the murderer (either through a confession, new information or advances in forensic science) was imminent, such a development was a possibility. The Tribunal noted that a re-examination of the dead woman's clothing and other items had been undertaken in the 1990s by the Forensic Science Service. This had been done in the hope of identifying new DNA evidence, but had produced "nothing of value". The Tribunal heard that whilst the police case files were substantial, a number of items were missing. The Tribunal considered a theory – advanced by the appellant – that the killer was one Count Francesco Carlo Dalatri, an Italian nobleman of mixed English and Italian parentage, who had been living in the London area at the time of the murder. Suggestions about the Count's possible involvement seem to have originated in an interview with his former landlady, broadcast a few years earlier on John Peel's popular "Home Truths" programme on BBC Radio 4. In the programme it had been alleged that the Count – who was known as "Frank" to his friends – was in the habit of travelling on the London Underground late at night looking at other passengers. This had reportedly attracted the attention of the police on at least one occasion. It was further alleged that the Count had unexpectedly and hurriedly left England for Italy very shortly after the murder, never to return (it was believed that he subsequently lived in Italy until his death in 1987). It was stated that there was a locked wardrobe in the Count's rooms in London which – when his landlady and a colleague broke it open – was found to contain a USAF issue Greatcoat. The coat had a button missing and it was said that there had been rumours of such a button being discovered at the murder scene, with some reports even suggesting that one was found clutched in the victim's hand. In their ruling the Tribunal ruling made it clear that they felt there was no evidence to link the Count to the case and that the police files contained no record of a button being recovered from the murder scene. They concluded that theories about any possible involvement on the part of the Count were "highly speculative".
Unofficial enquiries.
The Townsend case still elicits a certain amount of interest in the Ruislip area, albeit on a limited scale. Unofficial enquiries and research are still undertaken by those who have developed an interest in it, including the appellant in the FOI case above. Though these have failed to unearth any major new pieces of evidence, a number of things have come to light. Correspondence in the 1990s with the daughter of the principal investigating officer in the case revealed that the original Metropolitan Police enquiry team in 1954 did indeed express frustration at the apparent unwillingness of the USAF base commander at South Ruislip Air Station to permit his men to be interviewed. A chance meeting in 1983 with a retired detective who had worked on the case suggested that the police had a pretty good idea who was responsible, but were unable to gather sufficient evidence to make an arrest or bring charges. An informal review of the original 1954 autopsy report by a modern-day forensic pathologist supported the bulk of the original findings, but noted that – while the victim's underwear had been removed – her overgarments were relatively undisturbed. It was suggested that this could imply the possibility that Jean Townsend's death occurred as the result of a consensual sexual act that went wrong or – perhaps more likely – an attempted rape that ended in murder. Anecdotal evidence was uncovered of how, earlier on the night of the murder, another young woman was followed by a man after leaving South Ruislip station. It was said that she had been so frightened that she had been forced to hide behind some buildings to get away from him. Whether this incident had been reported to the police at the time is not clear and – for as long as the police files remain closed – there is no easy way of verifying it.
In 2019, a 440-page study devoted to this crime was published by Strange Attractor/MIT Press. "Dead Fashion Girl: A Situationist Detective Story", was written by the academic and author, Dr Fred Vermorel. It reviewed the extant theories and rumours surrounding the crime, and mounted an investigation based on interviews with survivors and ex-police officers, as well as hitherto unseen documents. The book also examined Jean Townsend’s Soho clubland and social connections, and her upbringing in suburban Ruislip. It identified a previously unknown suspect, a petty criminal and black marketeer, Brinsley McDowell, who allegedly died in police custody, as the potential murderer, and suggested that the original investigation had been marred by incompetence and obfuscation.
Afterword.
Over half a century later, the murder of Jean Townsend remains unsolved. The killer or killers of Ellen Carlin, Muriel Maitland and Gloria Booth have also evaded justice.


Gunji Koizumi

, known affectionately by colleagues as G.K., was a Japanese master of judo who introduced this martial art to the United Kingdom, and came to be known as the 'Father of British Judo.' He was the founder of the Budokwai, a pioneering Japanese martial arts society in England. Koizumi helped establish the British Judo Association, and founded the European Judo Union. He held the rank of 8th "dan" in judo. Koizumi's apparent suicide in 1965 shocked the worldwide judo community.
Early life.
Koizumi was born on 8 July 1885 in the village of Komatsuka Oaza (around 20 miles north of Tokyo at that time; the entire area is now part of Inashiki, Ibaraki) in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. He was the younger son of a tenant farmer, Shukichi Koizumi, and his wife, Katsu. Koizumi had an elder brother, Chiyokichi, and a younger sister, Iku. In 1897, aged 12, Koizumi began training in the art of kendo at school. Koizumi also began learning English from a neighbour who had been to America.
As the younger son in the family, he had the options of starting his own farm or being adopted into a family without a male heir (a Japanese custom); he disliked both options. In July 1900, shortly before he turned 15, he left home to seek his fortune in Tokyo, where he enrolled as a trainee telegrapher under a government scheme. In 1901, he started practising jujutsu under Tago Nobushige at the Tenjin Shinyo-ryu. Once qualified as a telegrapher he worked for a while in Tokyo before taking a job on the railways in Korea. In 1904, he trained under Yamada Nobukatsu, a former samurai. By now, Koizumi had decided that he wanted to study electricity, and that the best place to do so was in the United States of America. He travelled through Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, and India, working as he went. While in Singapore in 1905, he trained under Tsunejiro Akishima.
United Kingdom.
On 4 May 1906, Koizumi arrived in Mostyn, North Wales, aboard the SS "Romsford". He then travelled to Liverpool, where he took up the post of instructor at the Kara Ashikaga School of Jujitsu. He then travelled south to London, where he collaborated with former Bartitsu Club instructor Sadakazu Uyenishi, who was operating his own jujitsu school in Piccadilly Circus. During this period, Koizumi also taught jujitsu at the London Polytechnic and for the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. After several months, he set off for New York, arriving in May 1907. He secured work in the Newark Public Service Railway Company. After a few years, dissatisfied with life in the USA, he returned to England. He tried to start an electric lighting company in Vauxhall Road, London, but lacked sufficient funds. In January 1912, he set up a lacquer ware studio in Ebury Street, London.
In 1918, at his own expense, Koizumi established a society in London called the Budokwai (Way of Knighthood Society). The Budokwai offered tuition in jujutsu, kendo, and other Japanese arts to the British people. Koizumi secured a location in Lower Grosvenor Place, along the back wall of Buckingham Palace, and the Budokwai's premises opened on 26 January 1918.
In 1919, Koizumi helped establish the Kyosai Kai, a society that aimed to provide medical, employment, and housing assistance to Japanese people in England. Koizumi served as General Secretary of this organisation, which was based in the Budokwai's premises. In July 1920, Jigoro Kano, founder of the Kodokan, visited the Budokwai while on his way to the Olympic Games in Antwerp. After some discussion, Koizumi and Yukio Tani (another Budokwai instructor) agreed to change to the judo system, and Kano awarded them 2nd "dan" judo certifications.
In 1922, Koizumi, an expert in Oriental lacquerware, was appointed as a consultant to the Victoria and Albert Museum—and later catalogued the museum's entire lacquerware collection. Koizumi's book, "Lacquer work: A practical exposition of the art of lacquering together with valuable notes for the collector", was published in 1923. In 1932, he was promoted to 4th "dan" in judo.
Through World War II, judo training continued at the Budokwai, but at great financial cost to Koizumi. Biographer Richard Bowen notes that, unusually, "Koizumi was not interned and indeed suffered no restrictions" during this time (p. 319).
In 1947 Koizumi organized with his friend Mikinosuke Kawaishi the first ever-recorded Judo International tournament between two countries (UK and France) known as the "Kawaishi Cup".
In 1948, Koizumi was promoted to 6th "dan" in judo. He helped establish the British Judo Association on 24 July 1948. He served as the association's inaugural President. By the end of the decade, he had retired from business and had turned his full attention to teaching judo in the UK. In 1951, he attained the rank of 7th "dan" in judo.
Koizumi was married and had a daughter named Hana, who later married Percy Sekine, one of Koizumi's judo students.
Later life.
On 19 September 1954, the Budokwai moved to new, larger premises; shortly after this, Koizumi returned to Japan for the first time in 50 years. His sister, relatives, and a Kodokan delegation led by its president, Risei Kano (one of Jigoro Kano's sons), received him at the airport. The Kodokan treated him as an honoured guest. After his visit, Koizumi returned to the UK, and continued promoting judo, with visits to many UK locations (including Derby Judo Club in 1958). Koizumi wrote some books on judo, including "Judo: The basic technical principles and exercises, supplemented with contest rules and grading syllabus" (1958) and "My study of Judo: The principles and the technical fundamentals" (1960). He continued teaching judo throughout the early 1960s.
The night before Koizumi died, Charles Palmer (one of Koizumi's students) sensed that something was amiss—"Black Belt" magazine correspondent Kei Tsumura relates that "instead of his [Koizumi's] usual smiling 'good-night', he shook his [Palmer's] hand and said 'good-bye'" (p. 50). On 15 April 1965, Koizumi apparently committed suicide. He was found wearing his best suit, seated in his favourite chair, beside the gas stove in his home, and reportedly with a plastic bag over his head.
Koizumi's death shocked the worldwide judo community, and caused much controversy. Some considered his suicide dishonourable, while others argued that his death mirrored those of honourable samurai. Grant (1965) indicated that he had been promoted to 8th "dan" before he died, but Fromm and Soames (1982) stated that the Kodokan promoted him to 8th "dan" posthumously.


Capital punishment in Nigeria

Capital punishment is a legal penalty in Nigeria.
Justification.
The death penalty is authorized by Section 33 of the Constitution of Nigeria. Capital crimes include murder, terrorism-related offenses, rape, robbery, kidnapping, sodomy, homosexuality, blasphemy, adultery, incest, assisting the suicide of a person legally unable to consent, perjury in a capital case causing wrongful execution, treason, some military offences like mutiny and practice of indigenous beliefs in states applying Shariah law.
Exception:
Where a defendant is found guilty of a capital offence and convicted, where the defendant is a pregnant woman, she shall not be sentenced to death but sentenced to life imprisonment.
A defendant who is found guilty of a capital offence and so convicted; but was at the time of the commission of the offence less than eighteen years old cannot be sentenced to death but sentenced to life imprisonment.
Methods.
Methods of executions include hanging, shooting, stoning, and since 2015, lethal injection.
History.
During the Nigerian military juntas of 1966–79 and 1983–98, the government executed its political opponents, most notoriously when General Sani Abacha ordered the execution of the Ogoni Nine by hanging in 1995.
21st century.
Since the transition to democracy in 1999, death sentences are often given but rarely carried out. After 2006, no executions took place until June 2013, when four prisoners on death row were hanged, although about a thousand other condemned prisoners were awaiting execution at the time. The next executions occurred in 2016, when three men were hanged for murder and armed robbery.
On 17 December 2014, after being found guilty of conspiracy to commit mutiny, 54 Nigerian soldiers were sentenced to death by firing squad. The trial was held secretly by a military tribunal.
The use of the death penalty in Nigeria has generated debate. In October 2014, former Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan pardoned three inmates who were on death row following the recommendations by the State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy. In 2017, the Nigerian government rejected the call by Amnesty International to halt the planned execution of some inmates in Lagos State.
In May 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, a court in Lagos used a video conferencing application to issue a death sentence.


Kiprijonas Nezabitauskis

Kiprijonas Juozas Nezabitauskis-Zabitis (, 12 September 1779 – 10 July 1837) was a Lithuanian Roman Catholic priest and poet. He was half-brother of Kajetonas Nezabitauskis. After studies at Vilnius University and Vilnius Priest Seminary, Nezabitauskis was ordained as a priest in 1803 and worked as a parish priest in Varniai and Veliuona. After the Uprising of 1831, he fled Tsarist persecutions first to East Prussia and then to France. In 1836, he became director of a school established by Polish émigrés in Nancy, France, but died just a year and half later.
In Lithuania, Nezabitauskis joined the Samogitian literary movement (an early predecessor of the Lithuanian National Revival) which supported and promoted the use of the Lithuanian language. He published a translated work on beekeeping, contributed material to a Lithuanian grammar textbook, and began working on a Lithuanian–Polish dictionary. It appears that he abandoned the dictionary after the letter K due to losing support from professor and Count Nikolay Rumyantsev. His brother Kajetonas claimed authorship of both the dictionary and the beekeeping work. In exile, Nezabitauskis wrote a collection of 18 epic poetry works plus a modification of a ballad "Birutė" by . This was one of the first political and philosophical poetry works in Lithuanian. The manuscript was discovered in 1909 and first published in 1931. He also translated and published excerpts from works by Hugues Felicité Robert de Lamennais and Adam Mickiewicz that were very popular among Polish émigrés in France.
Biography.
In Lithuania.
Nezabitauskis was born in near Salantai, Samogitia, then part of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, to a family of free peasants. Born as Zabitis, he changed his name to Polish Niezabitowski (signed in Lithuanian as Nezabitowskas) to appear to be from the Lithuanian nobility. He likely purchased baptismal records from a noble and thus his date of birth is often incorrectly recorded as 1774. From 1786 to 1792, he attended Kražiai College (equivalent to secondary school) and then enrolled into Vilnius University. He studied anatomy and natural sciences. After graduating in 1796, he became a student at the Vilnius Priest Seminary where he studied for six years and Varniai Priest Seminary where he spent the 1802/1803 school year. Usually, university graduates were ordained as priests very quickly, but Nezabitauskis had to wait until 1803 – the year he turned 24, the minimum age for a priest set by the Council of Trent.
After ordination, Nezabitauskis briefly served as the administrator of Varniai parish before transferring as administrator to Jurbarkas parish. From 1806 to 1815, he was parson of Varniai, then the seat of the Diocese of Samogitia. At the same time, from 1808, he was director of the Varniai cathedral school and, from 1811, he was religious representative to the district court in Telšiai. In 1815, Nezabitauskis was reassigned to Veliuona where he was parson until 1831. He continued to be religious representative to courts first in Raseiniai and then, from 1820, in Vilnius. These duties often brought Nezabitauskis to Vilnius where he helped his younger half-brother Kajetonas Nezabitauskis cover education costs at Vilnius University. He became acquainted with a small circle of Samogitian students, including Simonas Stanevičius, who promoted the use of the Lithuanian language. In an 1824 letter, Dionizas Poška suggested establishing a committee on the Lithuanian language and, among others, suggested the Nezabitauskis brothers as its members.
Uprising and exile.
During the anti-Russian Uprising of 1831, Nezabitauskis was rather passive and helped the rebels only when threatened. Nevertheless, Russian police decided to confiscate all the property of Nezabitauskis in May 1832 and, fearing an imminent arrest, he fled to Schmalleningken (Smalininkai), then in East Prussia. He wrote letters to , governor of Vilnius, Bishop , and even Frederick William III of Prussia asking for support and clemency. However, a Russian military court sentenced him to death on 28 April 1834 – mostly because he fled. His name was added to a list of those whose sentences could be commuted if they voluntarily turned themselves in. Nezabitauskis traveled to Strasbourg where he lived on money received from sympathetic priests who remained in Lithuania. In 1844, three priests were sentenced to exile in Kaluga and Ryazan for providing money to Nezabitauskis.
In 1835, Nezabitauskis received an invitation to become director of a school established by Polish émigrés in Nancy, France (see also: Great Emigration). He arrived in January 1836 and worked as director, chaplain, teacher of religion, morality, history, and arithmetic. After five weeks of illness, he died in July 1837.
Works.
In Lithuania.
Nezabitauskis wrote supporting material to a Polish–Lithuanian grammar for school students written by in 1823. The material took three printing sheets out of 27 total sheets (168 pages in quarto). The grammar received some 700 pre-orders and was read by a number of professors of Vilnius University, however the manuscript was not approved by the Tsarist censors and was lost. Therefore, the content of Nezabitauskis' additions is unknown.
In 1823, he translated and published a 75-page booklet on beekeeping from a Polish work by Jan Krzysztof Kluk. The work was dedicated to Count Nikolay Rumyantsev. His brother Kajetonas claimed authorship of this work. It included a quatrain translated by Dionizas Poška that was also included in Kajetonas' primer.
Sometime before 1823, Nezabitauskis began working on a Lithuanian–Polish dictionary and collected about 18,000 words. Via professor , he hoped to receive financial support from Count Nikolay Rumyantsev. Loboiko initially supported the effort, but became disappointed with the rather poor lexicographic quality of Nezabitauskis' work and switched his support to Dionizas Poška who worked on a similar dictionary. It appears that Nezabitauskis abandoned his work (he got up to the letter K) and the manuscript was lost in Warsaw during World War II. His half-brother Kajetonas Nezabitauskis in letters to professor Michał Wiszniewski and Simonas Daukantas claimed authorship of the dictionary. While this claim has been rebuked by literary historians, it is still sometimes repeated.
In exile.
Nezabitauskis is considered to be one of the first political and philosophical poets in Lithuanian, even if his poetry is not strong. In 1835, he prepared a collection of poetry entitled "Eiliavimas liežuvyje lietuviškai-žemaitiškam" (Poetry in the Tongue of Lithuanian-Samogitian). The collection, dedicated to Adam Mickiewicz, included 19 epic works, including historical descriptions, fight marches, and elegies. The only non-original work was a slightly modified version of the ballad "Birutė" by . The unpublished 88-page manuscript was discovered by Juozas Gabrys at the Polish Library in Paris in 1909 and was first published in 1931. The poems reflect Nezabitauskis' nostalgia for the homeland and grief for its lost independence, disappointment in world order (including some complaints to God) and a rebellious attitude calling for the liberation of Poland–Lithuania.
Though undated and unsigned, researchers believe that around 1835–1836 he translated and published two small booklets with excerpts from "Paroles d'un croyant" (Words of a Believer) by Hugues Felicité Robert de Lamennais and "Modlitwa pielgrzyma" (Prayers of Pilgrimage) and "Litania pielgrzymska" (Litany of Pilgrimage) by Adam Mickiewicz. These works were very popular among Polish émigrés in France. He did not use the original French work by de Lamennais, but a Polish translation by .


Mike Rogers (Michigan politician)

Michael J. Rogers (born June 2, 1963) is a former U.S. Representative for . A member of the Republican Party, Rogers served from 2001 to 2015. From 2011 to 2015, he was Chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
Rogers has a contract to speak on national-security topics on CNN. He is also an executive producer for the CNN program "Declassified: Untold Stories of American Spies".
Early life, education, and law enforcement career.
Rogers was born in Livingston County, Michigan, the son of Joyce A. and John C. Rogers. He graduated from Adrian College, Adrian, Michigan in 1985, from which he earned a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology, and served in the United States Army from 1985 to 1989. He worked as a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in its Chicago office, specializing in organized crime and public corruption, 1989–1994. He is a member of the Society of Former Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In 2017, Mike Rogers was interviewed to be the new director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, after James Comey was dismissed.
Michigan State Senate.
Elections.
He was first elected in 1994. In 1998, he won a second term with 68% of the vote.
Tenure.
He represented three counties: Clinton, Livingston, and Shiawassee. He served as Majority Leader from 1999 to 2000.
Rogers wrote legislation creating the Michigan Education Savings Plan, which allows Michigan families to set aside tax-free funds for educating their children when they are ready for college or vocational training.
U.S. House of Representatives.
Elections.
Rogers was elected as a Republican from the 8th District of Michigan to the United States House of Representatives in one of the nation's closest congressional races of 2000. He defeated Democratic State Senator Dianne Byrum by 111 votes to win the District 8 seat left open by Debbie Stabenow. However, the district was redrawn to be much friendlier to Republicans in the 2002 round of redistricting. It lost its share of heavily Democratic Genesee County while being pushed further east into the solidly Republican northern portion of Oakland County and also gaining Republican-leaning Clinton County, north of Lansing. From 2002 onwards, Rogers was continuously reelected with little difficulty. He usually ran up large margins in the areas of the district outside heavily Democratic Lansing, the district's largest city.
Tenure.
Rogers' measure to make education savings plans free of federal taxes was adopted in 2003 (see Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001). His health savings account program for low-income families who are covered by Medicaid was signed into law on February 8, 2008.
In 2006, he cosponsored H.R. 4411, the Goodlatte-Leach Internet Gambling Prohibition Act and H.R. 4777, the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act. He has also introduced pain care management legislation pertaining to Americans who are restricted by severe, chronic pain.
Rogers was the primary sponsor of the Respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act, H.R. bill 5037, which was signed into law by President George W. Bush on May 29, 2006. This bill is designed to ban protests on Federal Lands from occurring near the funerals of soldiers that were killed in action.
The CBO has said that Rogers's H.R. 1206 to make it easier for states to obtain waivers from some Medical Loss Ratio requirements would add $1.1 billion to the deficit between 2013 and 2022.
In November 30, 2011 Congressman Rogers introduced the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA). "The bill would allow the government to share all of its classified cyber-security knowledge with private companies, forming knowledge-sharing agreements that would hopefully keep China (and other countries and hackers) out of American computer networks. The catch is that the information shared is a two-lane street—companies would also be allowed to share private data with the federal government, provided there is a reasonable 'cyber threat.'" "In the current version, most personal information would be stripped from data shared with the government, and the bill no longer defines intellectual property theft as something relating to national security "We think we're making huge progress with the privacy groups, so they understand what we're trying to accomplish, which isn't anything nefarious," Rogers said"
Rogers has reaffirmed his support for the NSA's programs, stating on October 30, 2013, "You can't have your privacy violated if you don't know your privacy is violated."
Rogers introduced and supported the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2014 and 2015 (H.R. 4681; 113th Congress), a bill that would authorize a variety of intelligence agencies and their appropriations for fiscal years 2014 and 2015. The total spending authorized by the bill is classified, but estimates based on intelligence leaks made by Edward Snowden indicate that the budget could be approximately $50 billion. Rogers said that members of Congress "have somehow decided over the last year that our intelligence services are the problem... they are part of the solution."
In March 2014, Rogers announced he would not seek an 8th term in Congress. He later launched "Something to Think About", a daily radio segment. Former Michigan State Senator Mike Bishop won the Republican primary and defeated Democratic challenger Eric Schertzing.
Personal life.
Rogers is the youngest of five sons. His father was a public school teacher-administrator-football coach and his mother was the director of a local Chamber of Commerce. Rogers' older brother Bill was a state representative in Michigan. He resides in Howell, Michigan. His wife, Kristi Rogers, previously served as the CEO and as a managing director of Aspen Healthcare Services, and now is a managing partner for Principal to Principal.
Rogers also sits on the Atlantic Council's Board of Directors.