‘Stupid question’: Trump curtly dismisses a reporter’s question about pardoning Michael Cohen
With French President Emmanuel Macron seated beside him in the Oval Office, President Trump seemed at ease Tuesday as he parried questions from reporters, many focusing on the Iran nuclear deal, over which Trump and Macron are at odds. Trump snapped and offered a two-word response: “Stupid question.”The president then encouraged other questions from reporters and proceeded to provide relatively long answers. The prospect of Trump pardoning Cohen has been a source of growing speculation since a Trump tweet over the weekend. In it, Trump asserted that it is unlikely that Cohen would “flip” and become a cooperating witness to federal investigators against Trump. Trump has gone to court to try to deny investigators access to his communications with Cohen.
Source:Washington Post
April 24, 2018 15:51 UTC
No High Rollers Allowed: Stoned Marijuana Users Cannot Gamble In Nevada
It seems the state has mustered up enough moral fiber to prohibit stoned cannabis users from going buck wild at the roulette wheel. It was just last week that the Nevada Gaming Commission amended its rule on gambling-while-intoxicated to include overly enthusiastic consumers of the state’s newly legal cannabis trade. The updated policy prohibits casinos from allowing the super stoned to place bets... or have any fun at all. This tweak in casino law comes just about a year after the state officially launched its recreational marijuana market. And unlike alcohol, marijuana use is not synonymous with raucous behavior.
Source:Forbes
April 24, 2018 15:33 UTC
Swept Away: Powerscourt Hotel Will Have You Sold On Its True Irish Welcome
They say that first impressions count, and at Powerscourt Hotel, one of Ireland’s most lavish resorts, it’s certainly true. If the sweeping Palladian-style architecture doesn’t get you at 'hello', then the newly-revamped lobby will. (Credit: Powerscourt Hotel)As you arrive, you’re faced with grand open fireplaces surrounded by plush velvet love-seats – in jewel-tones of amethyst and turquoise. With floor-to-ceiling windows and terraces, you can soak up the vistas beyond, while at the front of the hotel, the Sugarloaf mountain dominates the scene. Rooms are vast in size (most are 700sq feet and larger) and traditionally furnished with gold, pale green and claret touches.
Source:Forbes
April 24, 2018 15:33 UTC
Osama bin Laden’s alleged ex-bodyguard receives $1,400 a month from German taxpayers
(U.S. Justice Department)The German government has been paying about $1,400 a month to a man who once allegedly guarded Osama bin Laden. “Sami A.," from Tunisia, is said to have worked for the al-Qaeda leader in 2000 in Afghanistan. The 42-year-old has lived in Germany since 1997, receiving about $1,429 a month in welfare payments. During the trial, a witness told the judge that Sami A. had worked for bin Laden. In a news release, AfD decried the decision, writing, “What fate awaits Sami A. in Tunisia is not the problem of German taxpayers.
Source:Washington Post
April 24, 2018 15:30 UTC
U.S. Fed Paper: Central Bank Cryptocurrencies Are Missing The Point
Many central banks around the world are either considering or already developing cryptocurrencies to try to meet demand brought about by the rise of Bitcoin. The Bank of England governor Mark Carney has meanwhile threatened to bring cryptocurrencies under what he described as the "regulatory tent". The reason these central banks are keen to adopt Bitcoin-like technology is to improve existing systems of payment (and for good reason) — but the Fed's Reserve Bank of St Louis recent paper says this misses the point of cryptocurrencies. The Fed's report authors, Aleksander Berentsen and Fabian Schar, write:We predict that no reputable central bank would issue a decentralized virtual currency where users can remain anonymous. Rather, central banks could issue central bank electronic money.
Source:Forbes
April 24, 2018 15:22 UTC
The Burden Of Being Black In A White Space
I know i didn’t steal anything but ppl assume bc I’m black I’m a criminal. Without a white person escorting me through this white space, I lost all trustworthiness and suddenly became a suspicious black guy. This area was mostly a “white” space, so I’m anxious that someone will think I’m stealing from this store if they see me loading up my vehicle one box at a time. After all, before that, “I’m not black, I’m an American” was my mindset. When white students display microaggressions that go unchecked by white faculty, at some point you have to get others involved.
Source:Huffington Post
April 24, 2018 15:11 UTC
Scott Pruitt Prepares ‘Transparency’ Rule To Limit The EPA’s Use Of Public Health Studies
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt plans to propose a new rule Tuesday to overhaul the way science is used to write regulations at the agency, HuffPost has confirmed. The change is expected to disqualify huge amounts of peer-reviewed public health research and give favor to industry-funded studies. The rule, first reported by The Washington Post, would deliver a change long sought by conservatives who say “secret science” unfairly cripples industry. But critics of the new EPA proposal say it blocks the agency from using traditional, peer-reviewed studies that rely on anonymity granted to interview subjects to collect data on their personal health. The announcement for the new rule is scheduled for 2 p.m.“It effectively says our premier public health agency will be prohibited from using many or most public health studies,” said Andrew Rosenberg, director of the Union of Concerned Scientists’ Center for Science and Democracy.
Source:Huffington Post
April 24, 2018 15:08 UTC
Scarlett Johansson And Colin Jost Make Their Red Carpet Debut As A Couple
The “Avengers: Infinity War” premiere in Los Angeles on Monday night not only managed to gather every superhero in the universe, but also Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost. The actress and the “Saturday Night Live” star made their official red carpet debut as a couple at the event after nearly a year of dating. Johansson, who reprises her Black Widow role in the latest “Avengers” movie, wore a silver metallic Erdem gown adorned with pearl accents with Jimmy Choo shoes and Messika jewelry. “I’m just excited to share this experience with him because I’m so excited to see the film. I haven’t seen it before!” Johansson told Entertainment Tonight on the red carpet.
Source:Huffington Post
April 24, 2018 14:56 UTC
Facebook’s handpicked watchdogs gave it high marks for privacy even as the tech giant lost control of users’ data
Facebook also has acknowledged that malicious actors scraped public profile data from practically all its 2.2 billion monthly users. For years, researchers have raised objections to the way that the FTC keeps watch over companies it has previously penalized. Under her proposals, the FTC would play a more active, direct role in overseeing companies’ privacy checkups. And those firms would have to turn over more information to the FTC so that watchdogs can ensure they’re protecting consumers’ privacy. In response, an FTC spokeswoman said that Gray is not working on privacy or data security investigations at the agency, including its probe into Facebook.
Source:Washington Post
April 24, 2018 14:49 UTC
'Queer Eye' Star Antoni Porowski Talks About His 'Fluid' Sexuality
A post shared by Antoni Porowski (@antoni) on Apr 23, 2018 at 7:46am PDTHe elaborated on his fluidity, saying that perhaps it’s just his “rebellious nature.” “I’m me, I’m Antoni, and I’m all these things. Some people want to define themselves, and they should as it’s part of their identity,” he said. Today I’m gay, I’m in a gay relationship, and that’s where I am. That’s good enough for me.” Porowski is currently in a relationship with photographer Joey Krietemeyer. A post shared by Joey Krietemeyer (@jkrietemeyer) on Feb 8, 2018 at 12:04pm PST
Source:Huffington Post
April 24, 2018 14:15 UTC
Jake Tapper Mocks Donald Trump's Nickname Fail: 'He's Lost His Ability'
CNN anchor Jake Tapper thinks President Donald Trump may be a busted flush when it comes to making up derisive nicknames for his rivals. Jeb Bush ― became part of the political vernacular. But following Trump’s failure in recent weeks to come up with a consistent sobriquet for former FBI director James Comey, Tapper said he believes the president has “kind of lost his mojo on the nickname front.”“I don’t know if he’s just so ensconced in the White House, he’s lost his ability to do it,” Tapper told host DeGeneres. Tapper also said the “Flunky” nickname that Trump had bestowed on him had been “disappointing.” And he appeared to issue a challenge to the president to do better next time. “Show up.”Check out the interview above.
Source:Huffington Post
April 24, 2018 14:03 UTC
Maxine Waters’s cringe-worthy explanation for her 180 on James Comey
California Democrat Rep. Maxine Waters: "I certainly meant it" when I said Comey "has no credibility" – except for when he talks bad about Trump – then "I believe him." pic.twitter.com/yqnTXhWDjj — Ryan Saavedra 🇺🇸 (@RealSaavedra) April 24, 2018Democrats have been confronted with an uneasy choice regarding former FBI director James B. Comey. Or, in the case of Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), snapping the needle in half and declaring that you believe Comey when he says things you like. “I’ve tried to clarify that and to say, yes, coming out of that classified briefing, I said that, and I certainly meant it,” she said. What's more, Waters said she “certainly meant it” when she said Comey had no credibility.
Source:Washington Post
April 24, 2018 13:46 UTC
Aly Raisman Challenges Colleges To 'Stand Up For What's Right' On Sexual Assault
Aly Raisman wants colleges to do better ― much better ― to address sexual assault on campuses. “Colleges, I beg you to have character, stand up for what’s right and set the standard for abusers and how campuses support survivors,” the Olympic gymnast wrote on her Instagram on Monday evening. “Please create safer environments so students feel comfortable sharing their stories and take better measures to PREVENT abuse.”Raisman has been visiting college campuses to promote her new book Fierce and discuss her experience as a sexual assault survivor. “It hurts me to hear so many students tell me their stories in tears, some for the first time, of how they were assaulted on campus,” Raisman wrote. They’re traumatized from their horrible experience and also devastated and scared that their abuser is STILL walking around campus.”
Source:Huffington Post
April 24, 2018 13:41 UTC
South Korean president bets the way to Kim Jong Un’s heart is through his stomach
The fish steak dish that will be served at the inter-Korean summit is shown in a photo released by South Korea. (South Korea Blue House/AFP Getty Images)SEOUL — South Korean President Moon Jae-in is set to deploy some high-level gastrodiplomacy as he tries to win over North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during Friday’s summit. South Korea is preparing quite a feast for the summit between Kim Jong Un and Moon Jae-in on Friday. In 1998, Chung Ju-yung, who was born in what is now North Korea and went on to create the Hyundai business empire, donated 500 cows to North Korea, part of a nascent engagement effort. That will be followed by a “Swiss-style potato pancake” inspired by rösti, an acknowledgement of Kim Jong Un’s younger days in Switzerland.
Source:Washington Post
April 24, 2018 13:41 UTC
Jimmy Kimmel Slows Down White House Presser To Imagine 'Sarah Drunkabee Sanders'
What if briefings with White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders could be a happy hour instead? “Jimmy Kimmel Live” imagined such a turn of events Monday in the talk show’s inaugural edition of “Sarah Drunkabee Sanders.”Sanders’ “hold on let me finish” in the slowed-down clip hilariously sounds like something that actual barflies might say if they were to regale you with slurred stories of executive power. Watch the tipsy fun above.
Source:Huffington Post
April 24, 2018 13:18 UTC